#grocery shopping was a burden as it was but then they shut down my nearest store (200 m from my apartment)

[theflyingfeeling]

tomorrow-me: I'd really appreciate it if you could drag your arse to the grocery store so that I won't have to get up early tomorrow morning to do it you know?

now-me, wrapped in a blanket with tears in my eyes: but I'm just a baby?? 😭

[btsqualityy]

Heaven Sent; Part 2

Jin x Reader

Genre: Angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

Warnings: None to note.

A month in and the grieving process hadn’t gotten any better for you. In fact, it seemed to get worse. You were barely eating, barely showering, and barely taking care of the house. The only thing that was keeping you going was the reminder that Aera needed you, and that was only barely helping.

Your family and friends had been doing their best to try and be there for you, but you had begun to isolate yourself from them. You didn’t mean to, it was just easier to do that than to have people pitying you and trying to tell you how you should grieve, especially since you still had a daughter to take care of.

The fact that you didn’t want to be around anyone didn’t stop your parents from checking up on you almost daily though, which is why your head instantly began to hurt when you heard a knock at your front door.

“Y/N-ah,�� you heard your mother Chae-won shout. “We know you’re in there!”

“We just wanted to check on you,” your father Ji-tae call out. Sighing heavily, you pulled yourself up from the couch and walked over to the door, grasping the handle and yanking the door open.

“There? You happy?” You snapped, not waiting for them to reply before you were turning around and heading back to the couch. 

“No, we’re not happy,” Chae-won sighed as she walked into the house, your father following behind her and shutting the front door. “Why aren’t you answering our calls?”

“I’m grieving,” you replied simply, flopping down on the couch. 

“Where’s Aera?” Ji-tae wondered. 

“Aera!” You shouted out, fast little footsteps accompanying your words as Aera bolted into the living room.

“Papa, Nana!” Aera squealed, rushing over to your father who swooped her up into his arms and pressed multiple kisses to her little cheeks. 

“God Y/N, you look like you haven’t eaten in days,” your mother whispered as she sat down on the edge of the couch next to you. “Maybe even weeks.”

“Haven’t been hungry,” you shrugged.

“And Aera?” She wondered and you whipped your head to the side, your glare hard and intimidating.

“What kind of mother do you think I am?” You demanded to know. “Does she look like she’s lost weight to you?”

“No,” your mother shook her head. “You’re just so deep in this depression, I couldn’t be sure.”

“I may be falling apart at the seams because I lost the love of my life, but my daughter is still my whole life and I’d appreciate it if you could remember that,” you snipped and your mother nodded her head immediately. 

“Ji, why don’t you take Aera in her room to go play while I talk to Y/N-ah?” Chae-won said and your father nodded.

“Why don’t you show me some of your toys?” Ji-tae suggested and Aera’s eyes widened excitedly.

“Ok! We can have a tea party with my dolls!” She exclaimed happily, making your father chuckle as he carried her out of the living room and down the hall to her bedroom. Once your mother heard the click of Aera’s bedroom door shutting, she instantly reached out, setting her palm on your cheek gently. 

“My baby,” she whispered. “It’s breaking our hearts to see you like this, you know?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say Mom,” you murmured.

“I don’t want you to say anything,” she told you gently. “I just wish you’d let us help you.”

“Why, so I can be pitied every time that you and Daddy look at me?” You scoffed lightly. 

“We don’t pity you, but we are sad for you.”

“What’s the difference?” You shot back. “I just....I need to work through this by myself.”

“But-”

“It’s not going to help me to have you and Daddy, or anyone else for that matter, breathing down my damn back,” you muttered through grit teeth, trying to contain your annoyance that would surely give way to anger if you let it. “Give me my space to deal with it how I see fit.”

“Ok honey, ok,” your mother relented. “At least answer the phone when we call so that we can know that you’re alright?”

“Fine,” you nodded.

“How about if your father and I take Aera out for some ice cream?” Chae-won suggested. “It’ll be fun for her.”

“Yeah, alright,” you agreed easily.

“And I’ll stop by the store and grab you some groceries while we’re out,” she added, and you turned to look at her with a raised brow. “Don’t even bother lying to me. I know you’re running low by now and I doubt you’ve been to the store.”

“Mom, you don’t have to do that,” you sighed. “I’ll go while you guys have Aera.”

“You sure?” Chae-won checked. “Don’t feel like you need to push yourself.” You almost laughed then, because that’s exactly what you were doing. The last thing that you wanted to do was go out to the store, to face people; but you also didn’t want to be a burden to your parents, which you already felt like given the fact that you had caused them to worry about you so much. 

“It’s fine, I got it,” you nodded, putting on a fake smile in order to help reassure her. 

“Ok, suit yourself.”

......................................

That’s how you found yourself wandering the aisles at the nearest supermarket, taking a quick glance at the list your mom had made for you. You didn’t have the attention span or patience necessary to take stock of your fridge and assess what you needed but your mom was kind of enough to do it for you, handing the list off to you before walking out of the door with your father and Aera.

As you moved towards the section of kimchi, you took a few seconds to glance over the multiple brands available. You couldn't help but to chuckle to yourself, knowing that if Hae-il were with you, he’d scold you for even looking at the store bought kimchi. “The best kimchi is always homemade”, you remembered him telling you several different times throughout the years. It was funny how grief worked, because you never expected to be tearing up in the middle of aisle 4 over kimchi. 

“Y/N?” You heard someone call and you turned your head to the right, seeing Seokjin standing there. Your eyes widened, reaching up and wiping at your eyes with the sleeve of the hoodie that you were wearing. 

“Jin, hi,” you chuckled awkwardly. “What are you doing here? I figured you would’ve been back in Japan by now.”

“I uh, I actually just moved back last week,” he revealed, making your eyes widen slightly in surprise.

“Really?”

“Yeah. With everything that’s happened,” he motioned with his hand and you knew that he was talking about Hae-il. “I realized that I missed home and life is kind of short to be stuck in Japan with none of my loved ones around.”

“I get it,” you nodded in understanding. 

“How are you doing?” He wondered and you squared your shoulders, preparing yourself to tell the lie that you always did whenever people had asked you that question over the last month. 

“I’m doing ok,” you told him and it looked like he wanted to challenge that, if the raise of his eyebrows said anything, but he didn’t. A few seconds of awkward silence passed between the two of you then, before he suddenly spoke up again.

“It was the kimchi, wasn’t it?” Jin asked and your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“What?”

“Before I called your name, you were crying,” he said softly and you immediately began to shake your head.

“I wasn’t.”

“It’s ok, I’m not judging you,” he replied gently before a small smile came across his face. “You were thinking about Hae-il and his crazy agenda against store bought kimchi, weren’t you?”

“Yeah,” you confirmed breathlessly. “You knew about that?”

“Knew about it? Where do you think it originated?” Jin laughed. “When we were in college, there really wasn’t space to make kimchi the old fashioned way so we had to buy the store kimchi and Hae absolutely hated it. It got to a point where he stopped eating kimchi for almost the entirety of our college career, except for when we went home for holidays.”

“That sounds like Hae,” you giggled. “Over-dramatic as all hell.”

“Ridiculous,” Jin chuckled. Another silence fell over the two of you, but it wasn’t as awkward as before. 

“Well, I should finish this shopping so that I can get back home before my parents bring Aera home,” you said.

“Alright. Tell Little Heart that I said hi?” 

“Sure,” you nodded, moving to turn away.

“Y/N?” Jin called and you turned back to him again. “If you ever need anything, anything at all, you can call me.”

“Jin,-” you started to say but he shook his head.

“Don’t feel pressured or anything,” he assured you. “I’m not forcing you. I just wanted you to know that I’m here if needed.”

“Ok,” you replied softly. “I don’t have your number though.”

“Oh! Just a second,” he murmured, reaching inside of his suit jacket and pulling out a business card. “That has both my office number and my personal cellphone number. Feel free to use either.”

“Thank you,” you whispered and Jin shrugged dismissively.

“No problem. Have a good night Y/N,” he smiled.

“You too,” you responded, sliding his business card into your pocket before turning around and walking away. 

......................................

After getting home and getting Aera from your parents, you managed to get the groceries unpacked and put into their proper places throughout the kitchen. However, you noticed that it was getting late and that you needed to start fixing dinner.

The problem was though, that you just couldn’t find the energy to actually cook anything. You knew that you should (given the fact that you had ordered way too much take out over the past month) but between dealing with your parents and making an unwanted trip to the grocery store, you just didn’t have the energy to do anything extra.

Just as you moved to grab your phone off of the kitchen counter, there was a knock on your front door. Furrowing your brows in confusion, you walked out of the kitchen and through the hall, stepping up to the door and pulling it open. 

“Jin?” You greeted him, confusion laced through your tone. Jin was standing on your front step, a large Tupperware box in his hands as he fidgeted nervously. “What are you doing here?”

“I know this probably seems really weird,” he started and you cut him off by nodding your head rapidly.

“Extremely,” you agreed. “Did you follow me home?”

“No, of course not,” he shook his head insistently. “I couldn’t remember where the hell you even lived. It took me 20 minutes to find an area that looked even vaguely familiar and I knocked on this old lady’s door by mistake and I still think she might come after me to kill me because I think I woke up her husband or something.”

“Jin?” You interrupted him, making him stop talking. “You’re rambling.”

“Right,” he chuckled nervously. “Well, when I saw you in the store earlier, you looked exhausted. No offense.”

“None taken,” you shrugged, leaning against the doorway and crossing your arms over your chest. 

“I went home and made dinner but I always make too much because I like to cook but it’s only me at my apartment so I figured that you and Aera might like some,” he summed up. 

“Jin, you didn’t have to go through the trouble,” you sighed heavily.

“It was no trouble at all,” he assured you. “I make way too much, remember?”

“What is it?” You wondered.

“Some samgyeopsal and japchae,” he said as he extended the Tupperware towards you, and you straightened up as you took it from him. 

“Aera’s favorites,” you smiled lightly. “That’s a coincidence.”

“It really is,” he laughed. Just then, you felt tiny hands pushing your leg to the side and when you looked down, you saw Aera pushing her way into the doorway as well.

“Hi uncle Jin!” She cheered and Jin grinned widely as he bent down and held his arms out, Aera falling into them immediately.

“Hi little heart,” he cooed, taking a second to press a quick kiss to the side of her head before pulling away from her. “How are you?”

“Good! I had ice cream today with my Papa and Nana!” 

“Did you get our favorite?” 

“Yep, strawberry!” She nodded and Jin chuckled. “Why are you here?”

“Oh, I just brought you and your mommy some food,” he shrugged. “Some  samgyeopsal and japchae.”

“That’s my favorites!” She chirped excitedly, making you laugh at her. 

“I know little heart,” he nodded.

“What do you say to uncle Jin love?” You reminded her gently.

“Thank you!” She told him, leaning forward and kissing his cheek.

“No problem,” he replied before standing up straight again. “Well, I should get going.”

“You don’t want to stay for dinner or anything, do you?” You offered, remembering your manners and he smiled while shaking his head.

“No, I’m fine. I just wanted to help you out,” he responded. “See you later.”

“Bye,” you said.

“Bye uncle Jin!” Aera waved her hand wildly, making you smile as you turned around and guided her back inside of the house, shutting the door behind you. 

[needdatbag]

Drinking You/II

Notes: Soooo....Here’s part 2..Thanx for the notes guyssss <3 ♥

Summary: You encounter a stranger on your way back from the grocery shop and everything about him pulls you in.

Pairings: Eren Yeager x Reader; Various pairings eventually

Warnings: NSFW(not today tho); mentions of smoking. 

>

Part II

’’Kid….Am I not interesting enough for your small, forgetful brain?’’ asked Levi from his desk, his grey eyes expressing the dissatisfaction he had about your mistake.

THE FILE. The Eren Yeager file. The file he stole from your bag after he finished...well...screwing you. To say that you were upset about the fact that you were used as a mere excuse for theft was an understatement. You were pissed as hell.

But your boss came first, as his death glare made you snap out of your one sided grudge with the memory of the charming terrorist you encountered. It was definitely wrong and probably a bad move but you couldn’t tell Levi what happened. So….you lied.

’’For the 27th time, I am so sorry that I ‘accidentally’ threw an important file into the shredder..I was cleaning my desk and I wasn’t paying attention.’’ you sounded honest but a little mechanical as you said the same excuse for awhile now.

Levi raised one of his brows at your nonchalance but sighed and said:

’’At least you didn't lose it. That would have been a big ass problem.’’

You clenched your fist behind your back. This was not ending well for you.

’’Please..I’m not that idiotic.’’ somehow your tone didn’t betray you but a small voice in your mind retorted immediately, ‘You are more than idiotic and you’re definetley screwed.’. You gulped.

A soft knock interrupted the beginning of your inner mental breakdown. Armin entered Levi’s office carrying a stack of files in one arm and holding what looked like a coffee cup in the other. He placed the files on Levi’s desk and handed him the cup. You suddenly blurted out your first thought.

’’But you don’t drink coffee.’’

Levi’s death glare almost made you take a step back. Well, maybe Eren Yeager took more than the file...he stole your brain too as you suddenly find yourself incapable of thinking. You want to slap a hand over your mouth. What the hell was wrong with you lately?

Armin watched you curiously for a moment. You feared his intuition, he was too sharp sometimes and that made you anxious in the current situation, but you tried to play it off anyway.

’’Ahem, yes, I heard it from Mrs. Zoe? Ha, am I wrong ?’’ you laughed awkwardly at the end of your sentence.

Armin shook his head, his short blonde hair hitting his face in the process. ’’That is right. As expected of you, Y/N, your mind always picks up the smallest details. The Captain drinks tea. I got a few extra cups to go, just 10 minutes ago. You can help yourself from the kitchen...Though I’m pretty sure you love coffee more.’’ he said while giving you a kind, small smile. You smiled back trying not to break eye contact.

‘You might be my best friend’s soulmate.’

You cringed internally. Not because you didn't find Armin attractive, because you thought the boy could even model if he wanted to, but because of what happened later after Eren said that phrase. You shook your head trying to banish the image of a long haired, 6ft man on top of your naked body. ‘Not the time, not the time.’

You wondered what Armin would think about the fact that you got to meet his best friend before he did. As you found out today, turns out they have not met in more than a year. You felt guilty for keeping your mouth shut. But it seemed like the best course of action. You needed to act solo for a while.

In a safe way, of course.

Levi motioned for Armin to leave but as he got closer to the door you saw his eyes discreetly peering at your neck and then at your face. Your hair was covering most of your hickeys but Armin might have noticed something anyway.

Once he left the room, Levi got up from his seat and approached the window.

He was wearing a plain white dress shirt and black pants with a pair of dark brown leather shoes. He was not going on the field today, you could tell that much because of his outfit. He was in his thirties now but his looks still caused many casualties between the female officers, especially the MPs who were more than enthusiastic when Levi passed them by. He was one of the best at his job and his handsome face was obviously a bonus.

You always said it was the mix between his good looks and his cold attitude that was pulling people in, but he was far from an unfeeling person. He usually cared too much about everything. Seeming distant was just his way of preserving himself. People were impressed just by hearing stories about him. But most of them had no idea how much he suffered. You knew. Not that he liked that. He never liked the fact that fate seemed to always make you meet again and again.

The first time, as his student when he was teaching in highschool. The second time as his blind date, Hange’s courtesy. The third time as the new member of his team, fate’s courtesy this time.

Each time you look at him you remember how selfish you’ve always been. You hate the thought but you know and can’t deny the fact that one way or another you always became a burden for the man sitting right across you. Right from the start.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- ’’Sir, is she worth it?’’ an eighteen years old you asked a younger Levi who was just exiting through the school’s gates. As he whipped his head back to match the voice to the person, his stern look softened just a bit. It was late and you were supposed to be home long ago. Instead you were only leaving now, a bag full of books in your right hand. You always stayed in the library until the school closed. You didn’t want to go home anyway.

’’That’s not an ideal question to ask about your sister, is it, brat?’’

You started laughing. He knew better than to refer to his fiance as your sister. You hated the bitch and there was no bond whatsoever between the two of you. She was just the awful daughter of the amazing woman who took you in after your parents kicked you out.

’’Can you give me a ride home, sir? I am afraid my frail arms are unable to carry these books until I reach the nearest bus stop.’’ you said in a dramatic tone while Levi just massaged his temples out of frustration but made a gesture towards his car anyway.

You smiled at him as you entered the car. He was driving in silence, without any radio music in the background, without any small talk. You wanted to tell him so many things, you wanted to express your indignation regarding the fact that your ‘sister’ was cheating on him and using him as an alibi so her mother won’t ever suspect she’s dating one of the biggest drug dealers in the region, you wanted to complain about the fact that he wasted his good heart on someone who wronged him before, you wanted to ask him why was he clinging to unhappiness so desperately. You could never understand. Even as you watched as the road light travelled on his face while he drove, you could only think about how well he managed to hide his pain. People didn’t notice that he was alone most of the time. Or that he rarely smiled.

It made you sad, it made you think of a part of yourself. Except you constantly fought for your right at happiness even if sadness never left your side. No matter how annoying that made you, you still kept going. But he didn’t even seem like he tried. He looked like the loneliest person on earth and he hid it so well that if you said what you thought out loud, people would just think you're looking into it too much.

You reached your house and his car stopped. Somehow, only now you noticed the pleasant smell inside the car. It smelled like fruity tea-bags which you assumed came from a spare ’stash’ he had somewhere around. You smiled. He always drinks tea during the breaks. It makes him look so refined too. Without any intention you giggled. He noticed and raised a brow, asking:

’’What makes you so happy that you’re hesitating to get out of my car? Hm? Move it, you didn’t even had dinner yet.’’

You turned your whole body towards him while you spoke in an excited manner.

’’I was thinking about you, sir. The way you enjoy your tea during breaks and how that’s the most happy I saw you since I came to this school.’’

With a confused look on his face he tilted his head but let you speak nonetheless. Your voice became softer while you looked down, your hair falling over your face.

’’You see, I believe that happiness can only come from being honest with yourself. Lie to the world, lie to people but if you lie to yourself you’ll just tint your soul to the point even the tea you love so much won’t taste the same anymore.’’

Levi’s eyes widened slightly. He knew you were outspoken and that sometimes you caused trouble because you meddled in things that were none of your business and you spoke way too much but he couldn’t deny the way you arranged your words. He knew you had a kind heart and that you were trying to reach his. He almost wanted to smile. ‘Stupid kid.’

He didn't say anything as you exited the car but watched you until you entered the house. You were right, he knew he was cheated on, he knew he was used but there was another side to his truth too. He used the idea of a fiance to run away from both his past and future.

But looking at you who had nothing but wanted everything, he thought that maybe, just maybe...he became a coward. And he always hated cowards.

As you watched him drive away, that was the last time you met him as a teacher, as he would lose his job in two weeks due to murder acusations regarding his fiance. Your ‘sister’.

You’d hear from your classmates how a tall, blonde detective cuffed him in front of the whole school while he put up a fight.

Then he would be gone and you wouldn't hear anything about him for a few years. -------------------------------------------------

’’So, care to explain why you are so distracted today?’’ he was gazing outside the window but you couldn’t help notice the way his voice was softer now that you were alone again.

’’I was unable to rest well last night, however you don’t need to worry, sir. I’ll snap back as soon as I drink some coffee, just as Armin suggested.’’

Another lie. You actually slept like a baby because you were so exhausted. The bed felt so warm and the man next to you smelt so good that you felt like you were floating. Only your dumb ass could sleep so relaxed next to a criminal.

You pondered before asking the next question.

’’What type of person used to be.....Eren Yeager?’’

His name sounded so different from your mouth or maybe that was your own perception. You recognised a little stinginess in your tone.

You pulled out your phone and started a voice recording. You were allowed to do so when it came to declarations. You were a profiler afterall. You needed to go over conversations and details, multiple times to complete your work.

Levi turned away from the window and took a few steps closer to you. His expression looked indifferent but you knew better. There was regret mixed in his feelings.

’’That brat wasn’t the most talented nor the smartest agent around, I actually often thought he was more of an idiot than most people I knew..’’

You stopped yourself from laughing. ’Unprofessional...Don’t do it. Let him continue.’

’’He was too much of a hot head for his own good but he listened to my orders and tried to look at things from a more mature perspective, perhaps we might have asked too much from him. Our department was in trouble and we lost more people than you could count, in a very short amount of time. We had an operation that lasted for more than 2 years. Eren was the key to that operation. Everything circled around him. We wanted to find answers so badly, we sacrificed so much that we never saw the fact that we had spies among us and the whole operation became more than a national issue. You said you read the file before you shredded it, right? I also mentioned it in the meeting before. You know what’s the issue I’m talking about, right?’’

Your breathing becomes more alert and a bitter feeling takes over your heart. Memories from your distant childhood try to resurface but you push them away. The past always catches up.

Your voice becomes more serious when you answer.

’’After 14 years of peace we might have another war with the neighbour nation, Marley, is that right?’’

Silence fills the room as Levi only nods. He seems lost in his own mind for a while and you can only guess what he might be thinking about. He was a soldier back then and this whole deal pissed him off.

’’Eren betrayed us. No warning, just a vague explanation. He almost wiped out their whole capital, one of the biggest cities in Marley, he killed VERY important people and now we are threatened left and right. This dumbass is very close to starting the biggest international conflict this country ever faced. Can’t believe that brat had the nerve to come back and now he’s under our jurisdiction again. We have to catch him and fast. Everyone you’ll ask will say he changed, but I always knew he had it in him. He might just destroy the world...no one can cage him. He’s that type of monster.’’

Your body suddenly felt numb, a weird sense of fear trying to take over you. His face, his expressions, everything flashed in your mind repeatedly, pieces of the conversation you had, the way he touched you, the note he left. For the first time in a very long time, you felt lost in translation.

Things were not adding up. Someone was wrong here. Something was definitely missing. You paused the recording and exhaled while rubbing your temples.

’’This should not be handled by a departament full of people that know him. Someone must really want to bury the Survey unit in shit.’’

A humourless laugh escaped your mouth.

’’Sorry Levi, you always hated when I cursed. Forgot about that.’’  you said, a sad look plastered on your face remembering many of the arguments you two had mostly because of you.

He frowned and took another step closer to you, unconsciously wanting to pat your head but you were already heading for the door. He snapped out of it and looked at his hand. He got carried away for a second, wanting to comfort you.

’’I guess you’ll always have a soft spot for me, sir...but we shouldn’t be very comfortable around each other. You were always the better man and I was always the wicked little girl.’’

’’L/N..’’

You exited his office. ‘Unfortunately, I’m still the same.’ you thought while walking to your desk and getting ready to work on the details of some cases that became piled up in the last week.

As you sat down and flipped through various lists of criminals, you tried to silence your mind. Sometimes your mental state was just like a furious sea storm. You have the tendency to drown in your own dark and poisonous thoughts until your identity becomes foggy. But work was a great distraction and thankfully...you sure had plenty of it. So you rolled up your sleeves, took a sip of the coffee Armin put on your desk (somehow the fact that he did sweet gestures like this made you very warm inside) and started working on your reports ignoring intentionally a certain criminal whose face you really didn’t wanna see again today, not on a screen, not printed...you'll deal with the Yeager case at home. You had to catch up on your work anyway.

Right? You weren’t running away or anything...right?

People around you became colorful shadows that moved around exiting or entering the headquarters while you were scribbling furiously details about different cases. When your phone rang, an hour before the end of your shift, you almost jumped out of your chair. You looked around and realised everyone was out and you were the only one left. Probably investigating, or some kind of emergency.

On the screen of your phone Jean’s face was popping up with the incoming call. When he first gave you his contact number he took a selfie of himself because he thought he looked ‘cool’ in that moment and you ‘had to have his handsomeness on your phone’, his words not yours. You rolled your eyes at the memory.

’’ ‘Sup Kirschtein? I’m busy and I swear to God if you call me ‘cause you're bored while being on some stakeout I will…’’ He burst into laughter and answered: ’’Calm down Y/N, I only did that like five or six times and you might’ve even liked it, don’t lie to me now.’’ he said in a charming yet joking voice and you couldn’t help but smile. He was one of the people who could easily put you in a good mood. ’’Wanna get out to get some ‘’fresh air’’ on the roof? It turns out we sorted out what we had to do sooner than expected….well sooner than I thought. That damn Floch will kill me one day...His attitude might just get us both killed.’’

Of course he wanted to smoke and complain about his partner, Floch. Jean didn’t seem like the type to think a lot, especially when you first got to meet him. He’s loud, a little bit of a bragger and has lots of opinions on anything but he was an exceptionally capable man in times of crises. You witnessed that a few times but you also heard it from Sasha: ’’Marco, Jean’s ex-partner, always said that Jean was the one most capable of leading us out of trouble and Marco’s intuition about people was as good as my instincts about danger. He knew what he was saying.’’

When you reached the roof, Jean was already smoking while looking at the red sky. The sun was almost gone. He looked lost in thought, barely noticing you until he heard the sound of your lighter. You took a long puff and exhaled. For some reason you felt exhausted and even if the silence somehow pleased you, it felt unlike Jean. He always liked to talk a lot around you, your smoking breaks being full of gossiping. It was almost always the two of you, given the fact that you and him were the only smokers in the department. You had a hunch that Armin smoked too but only when he was truly bothered by something, Connie tried it once and said he liked it but you knew he lied, Sasha said she didn't like the taste(did not surprise you at all there) and Mikasa thought it was stupid and unhealthy and you honestly agreed.

’’Why do you smoke, Jean?’’ you asked out of the blue. You realised you never asked him that. For some reason the image of Eren staring at you while holding his pack of cigarettes in one hand flashed in your mind. You took another inhale of smoke trying to push the image away. Jean didn’t respond immediately but when his eyes fixed on the cigarette he was holding.

’’Marco used to smoke here. It was so unlike him. He really didn’t seem like the type and he tried to hide it all the time...he was even carrying perfume around.’’ he said and let out a short bitter laugh. For some reason he placed a hand on his face trying to hide his expression. ’’I started smoking after he died. I guess..well fuck...I miss being with my friend. When I’m holding this cigarette it feels as if he’s still here. As if I could …’’ he hesitated before continuing,’’....ask him for advice about what I should do..’’

You got closer to him and bumped your shoulder into his in a friendly manner. He dropped his hand from his face and looked at you. You could see he was emotionally drained but you flashed him a cheerful smile even though you felt like shit as well. You looked up at the now, darker sky and said in a loud voice:

’’By smoking this cigarette I dare ask the amazing Marco Bott from heaven to lend me some of his wisdom. Please let me give our friend here a good answer to the question troubling his, not so young anymore, soul.’’

’’I’m only a year older than you, Y/N.’’ he said, his voice a little amused now. You rolled your eyes.

’’You’re an old soul, Jean. My shift will be over soon so spit it out...What’s bothering yo-’’

’’Did you study Eren’s file?’’ he asked out of the blue. You sighed and took another cigarette out and placed it in your mouth.

’’Not yet. Tonight I plan on looking over it. Why? Wanna tell me something about him that might help me in writing his profile?’’

Jean shook his head and took a puff out of his cigarette.

’’Once you look over it, after you read our statements  about him that are also included there, before writing any report, I want you to tell me something that might help me.’’ you raised a brow in confusion but he wasn’t looking at you anymore. He was staring straight ahead at the city covered in the red light of the sunset.

’’Who do you think will hesitate when shooting? Us or Eren ?’’

You ran a hand through your hair and looked at the city too. As the night approached, it suddenly looked more dangerous.

‘Who indeed…?’ . . . . . Before leaving you stopped by Hange’s office to drop some of the work you completed for the day. Moblit, her assistant, the guy who you knew for a fact was the only one besides Levi to be able to control your workaholic Director, was trying to force feed her some pizza while she insisted that she had to look over some DNA samples found at a random crime scene.

’’M’am, I know you worked in the lab for most of your life but now you should be dealing only with the work Erwin had to do when he had your position. He didn't try to be in ten places at once! Come on, eat this slice. You didn't eat all day! Do I really have to message Levi right now? You know he always gets pissed when you act like this.’’

When Hange noticed you at the door she took the opportunity and sprinted to the lab leaving a stressed Moblit behind who was still holding a pizza slice in his right hand staring at you in disbelief . Poor man. You placed your work on Hange’s desk and eyed Moblit and then the pizza. You smiled like a cunning, old, hungry dog.

’’I’ll call The Captain for you if you give me two slices of that pizza. Deal?’’ Moblit sighed. ’’Deal.’’

So there you were now, walking out of the building towards your car, while happily munching on your pizza slice. You planned on eating the other one at home, later, if you’d get hungry while working late. You entered your car and threw your stuff on the passenger seat. You started the engine and drove home while listening to the radio. Weirdly enough there was a radio podcast about astrology. You found it weird because this type of podcast would usually be broadcast in the morning. When you heard your zodiac sign being mentioned you couldn’t help but pay a little attention. You were curious afterall and maybe some luck was ahead of you. ’You never know.’

’’As I said John, the (your zodiac) sign should really be careful about what they say and do...The ruler of divine punishment, Jupiter seems to have entered a rare conjunction. The past is catching up to them and it looks like they can’t run away from certain confrontations anymore. It could be with someone else or maybe with themselves. Also, it would be especially good to avoid Fire Signs around this time for (your zodiac), as all three, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are chaos bringers in this Jupiter conjunction. So you heard me? Don’t try to dig into anything too much these days...You might just bury yourself.’’

You started laughing.

’’Pfft, yeah right... What a load of crap.’’ you said displeased as you turn off the radio.

You finally reach home. After you park and lock your car you enter your apartment building and as always you take the elevator, too lazy to drag your tired body on the stairs. You only think about soaking yourself in a warm bath as soon as possible. You might even use the new bubble bath stuff you got last week. ’Yeah, I think I will do just that. My body aches everywhere anyway, I need some relaxation.’

So immediately after you unlocked your door, you dropped your stuff, and went straight to the bathroom to turn on the warm water. Hell, you might’ve even skipped on the way as you were so happy to finally just have a moment of forgetting everything about anything and just indulge in the warmth and the nice smell of a warm bath.

So happy that you didn’t even bother to turn on the light in the living room.

Because if you did, you would have noticed Eren Yeager, sitting on your couch with a gun by his side.

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

Preview:

You looked at Eren. You looked at the gun. You looked at the gun. You looked at Eren.

There were many things you wanted to say in that moment but strangely enough a rather unusual question was bothering you more than anything.

’’You never mentioned your birthday,’’ you said not believing you were actually asking this out of all things, ’’not that you forgot to mention things like your name or the fact that you’re right now, probably the most wanted criminal in the...world ...ha ha ....but who keeps track, am I right?’’ you laughed nervously.

’’My birthday..?’’ he asked while watching you suspiciously but calm at the same time. ’’Why?’’

You kept your distance. Your position was stiff and you couldn’t help but be surprised that he was right in front of you. In your house ...again...in less than 24h. Why in Isayama’s name was he here?

’’Nothing important really...Just something silly.’’ again, you let out a nervous laugh. You were in trouble and you didn’t have your fucking gun on you and your phone was in the bag.

Eren let out a sigh and shook his head.

’’Hm, shouldn’t you, miss profiler, know that about me already?’’ He placed his hands behind his head and leaned deeper on one of the back pillows. His position was relaxed but something told you to not risk going for the gun. It might even be a trap anyway.

’’March, 30.’’ he surprisingly answered after a short silence.

‘March...Weren’t Pisces in March? Nah, this man ain’t no Pisces...Too unhinged...What’s next...Oh.’ you closed your eyes in frustration, ’... Aries.’

’’Great, freaking Fire Sign. Of course you are.'’

You weren’t sure if you should listen to that type of radio podcast more often or 

never again.

when you find out your signs are not the greatest match ever 

[jaxsteamblog]

Childhood Sweethearts

Click here to read the entire fic on AO3

(A/N: Long chapter. Zuko has a bad time. :c)

Katara bumped into Suki and Thuy as she made her way through the grove. Together, with Thuy’s directions and Katara’s light, they found Zuko and Sokka only yards apart. Both men were quiet and withdrawn, and covered in mud. 

Not finding the words to breach his silence, Katara only watched Zuko from the corner of her eye. 

Back at the huts, the group was led to the showers so they could bathe. The stalls were outdoors, all in a row, but curtains were hung to give them privacy. Relaxing in the warm water, Katara used as much of the lumpy, sweet smelling soap as she could. She rinsed repeatedly, washing out debris from her hair every time. 

When they emerged, clean clothes were waiting for them and Zuko immediately went to the hut he shared with Katara. She followed after him, still quiet. 

Lifting the flap to the hut, she saw him lying face down on the mattress. 

“Okay, so obviously you saw something out there too.” She said as she walked in, the flap falling behind her.

“What did you see?” Zuko asked, his voice muffled.

“Yue.” 

Zuko rolled over enough to lay on his cheek.

“For real?” He asked.

Katara chuckled and sat next to him. As she did, he rolled onto his side and propped his head up on a fist. 

“She tried to help me with the burden of destiny.” She said.

“Wild.” Zuko said.

“Who did you see?”

“My mom.”

“What?!”

Zuko nodded and Katara laid down on her side facing him.

“What happened?” She asked.

“Nothing really. When I first looked at her, she didn’t have a face.”

“That is terrifying.”

“I agree. But when I looked at her again, she did have a face.”

“Oh spirits don’t say it was your dad’s face or something.”

“It was Noriko’s.” 

“Like, Noren’s wife?” 

“Yeah, her.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know.” Zuko rolled his head in an attempt to shake it. “Noren was friends with my mother and her boyfriend Ikem when they were younger.”

“Did Noriko know them?” Katara asked.

“Not that either of them have said. But Noriko had an accident in the woods a while ago and lost a lot of her memory.” He answered. 

“What kind of accident?”

“I never asked. I felt it was too invasive, you know?”

“Well, what happened to Ikem?”

Zuko laid on his back and put his hands on his stomach, but turned his head to look at Katara.

“It got awkward when Noren was telling me about him. I didn’t really want to know. But he doesn’t live in Hira’a anymore.” He said. 

“Maybe it has something to do with Noriko’s accident?” Katara suggested. 

“I don’t know.” Zuko said.

“Let’s go back and ask.” 

“Go to Hira’a and ask Noren about my mom’s old boyfriend?” 

“I mean, if you saw your mom with Noriko’s face in the swamp, maybe it’s all connected. Your mom, Ikem’s disappearance, and Noriko’s accident. Can’t hurt, right?” She asked. 

“Might be worth a shot.” Zuko said.

Katara leaned over and kissed his forehead.

“I’ll let Dong-Lee know.” She said.

Zuko held onto her and Katara lowered herself, cuddling into his side. She might need to make peace with destiny, but for now she could at least help Zuko with something important to him.

~

In the morning, when Katara explained her plan to cut the visit short so she and Zuko could head to Hira’a, the matriarch refused. Dong-Lee insisted that what the swamp showed him was far more important and insisted that they leave that day. 

Sokka looked haggard and didn’t ask to join, so Toph jumped into the decrepit old car stashed at the edge of the swamp. 

“What are you doing?” Katara asked as Toph buckled herself into the passenger’s seat. The driver didn’t seem to care and she began to work of turning over the engine.

“You do know the nearest city is Gaoling right?” Toph asked. “That’s how come I’ve been to the swamp before. I used to run away a lot.” 

“Are you going to visit your parents?” Katara asked.

“Rolling into my neighborhood with the Fire Lord and Water Tribe queen in this hunk of junk?” Toph asked. She paused as the engine roared to life and the car shook. 

“You better believe I want to visit the Beifong estate.” She said.

Toph returned to her childhood home like a landslide. In a matter of moments, Toph had dragged the equivalent of a front yard’s worth of dirt all over the pristine entry room, commandeered her parents’ private plane, and sent their driver back to the swamp in a much nicer car. 

Before Lao and Poppy Beifong could even properly introduce themselves, Zuko and Katara were swept back out, heading to the airfield. 

Toph stayed behind, for reasons only known to herself.

The plane stopped in Republic City, and that was when Zuko started to second guess the trip. 

“They have been nothing but generous, I can’t go sticking my nose into their private lives.” He babbled as they waited for the fuel truck. 

The new pilot had already boarded, and the new attendants bustled in the back preparing some sort of meal for them. Katara held Zuko’s hand as she looked around. 

“We’re just asking some questions.” She said, ducking her head down to speak quietly. “If Noren’s told you about your mother and Ikem before, I’m sure it’ll be okay.” 

“What if she went back for him and Ikem isn’t gone, he’s dead? And what if that’s the accident Noriko had?” Zuko asked. 

“We won’t know until we ask. And Zuko,” Katara waited until he looked at her. “It’s your mother.”

Looking pained, he only nodded.

It was the middle of the night when they landed in Hira’a. Too anxious to sleep, Zuko threw himself into work while Katara tried to coax him to at least lay down. He ignored her and she had to give up, too tired to fight him.

In the morning, he looked haunted. He was quiet as they ate breakfast and got ready for their outing. After washing his face and having some coffee, a little bit of life returned but it still wasn’t much to dispel his mood.

“Ready?” Katara asked.

Zuko nodded. 

They took a taxi this time, as Zuko was too jittery to sit on a motorbike. As they neared Noren’s home, his body seemed to spasm.

Katara took his hand and he stilled.

“It’ll be okay.” She murmured.

When they exited, the door to Noren’s house opened. The taxi pulled away when Noren stepped out.

“Zuko?” He asked, clearly surprised. “Ah, forgive me, Fire Lord.”

Noren bowed and Zuko took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. 

“Noren, I need to ask you something.” He said.

“Of course. Come in, come in.” Noren said hurriedly, gesturing for them to enter.

Zuko and Katara walked in, feeling the cool AC brush against their faces. 

“Noriko left to take Kiyi to her art class. I hope you’ll stay long enough to see her.” Noren said as he shut the door. “Now how can I help the Fire Lord?”

“I need you to tell me about Ikem, and my mother.” Zuko said, turning around to look at Noren. The other man’s face paled.

“Your mother?” He repeated.

“Zuko saw a vision of Ursa in the Foggy Swamp. And Noriko.” Katara said.

Noren staggered backward, falling into the door. Katara grabbed him, steadying him and looking back at Zuko.

“Your mother…” Noren murmured.

“You knew her. Both of them.” Zuko said.

“They were childhood sweethearts, you said.” Katara added gently. 

“Yes, yes I knew them.” Noren said, nodding and standing on his own. “I knew them well.”

Noren stood, looking distantly into his memory. Zuko stood quietly, watching him.

“Should we have something to drink?” Katara suggested. 

Noren shook himself, looking bewildered from her to Zuko, as if he didn’t expect to see them there.

“Right. Tea.” He mumbled and walked to the kitchen. Katara took Zuko’s arm and led him to the couch in the living room, sitting him down.

“Are you doing okay?” She asked.

“Yeah.” Zuko said softly. 

“I’m going to see if Noren needs any help. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure.”

Katara walked to the kitchen and could hear Noren speaking quietly as she neared. Stepping through the archway, she saw him standing at the phone mounted on the wall, covering the mouth piece with his hand. 

“Just do some shopping or something. You can bring Kiyi back home for dinner.”

Katara frowned and stepped further into the kitchen.

“Is everything alright?” She asked.

Noren jumped and slammed the phone back onto the mount. 

“Noriko forgot her grocery list. I was telling her what we needed.” He said and moved hurriedly to the stove. 

“How thoughtful.” Katara said flatly.

Noren grabbed his kettle and moved toward the sink.

“Let me.” Katara said, sweeping in and grabbing the handle from him. Pulling her hand through the air, water shot out of the faucet, causing the handle to screech as it was forced up to open the valve. 

Keeping icy eye contact, she filled the kettle and used the rest of the water to slam the handle back down. Then, flashing Noren a cold smile, Katara returned the kettle to the stove and clicked the knob to turn on the gas. 

“I know you know something, Noren, and I know Noriko is involved.” Katara said, watching the spark under the grate before it caught the gas. A flame shot up and she turned the knob down, placing the kettle on the grate. 

“I know you want to protect your wife,” Katara turned and stared at Noren. “But you owe Zuko the truth.” 

“The truth is going to make things worse.” Noren said.

“You don’t know that.” Katara replied.

“Trust me, I do.” He said.

“No.” Katara repeated firmly. Her hands curled into fists and the kettle started to scream, steam already pouring out of the spout and spitting boiling water. 

“Tsk.” Katara wound water from the air around her hand, freezing it as she grabbed the handle of the kettle. “It’ll scald the tea.”

Noren collected the teapot and tea tin, setting them on the counter as Katara brought the water to the correct temperature.

“Aren’t you a Firebender? Make it hot.” 

Katara sighed, chilling the water and calming herself as she poured. Zuko was far better at making tea. 

Noren busied himself with the tray while Katara made the tea. She followed him back out to the living room, where Zuko was still sitting quietly.

“That was fast.” He said.

“I can make water hot too.” Katara said, bumping purposefully into his knees as she moved to sit next to him. 

“Now, Zuko, you said you had a vision?” Noren asked as he poured out the tea. He handed out the cups, but avoided Katara’s eye.

“Yes.” Zuko said simply and Noren sat down.

“The Foggy Swamp is one of the places on earth where spirits have an easier time moving through the veil.” Katara explained. “We went out with a group and I think we all saw something.”

“The spirits?” Noren asked, sounding anxious again. “There are other places where they enter?”

His words stuck out to Katara but she nodded.

“The oasis in the North Pole is always open because of Tui and La, and that’s not always a good thing.” She said. “I heard there’s a couple of places in the Earth Kingdom, and it’s rumored there’s a library in the desert, but the Foggy Swamp is the largest place where spirits have been found.”

“Is there a place near here?” Zuko asked, having also caught on Noren’s question.

“I…” Noren brought up his tea cup but didn’t drink. He lowered it and looked down into it. 

“There are three lakes in the woods, just outside of the village. A spirit visits on each solstice and has...powers.” He said. 

“What kind of powers?” Katara asked suspiciously. 

“It’s said that she is fate and controls the past, the present, and the future. And that she shapes each and every human before they are born, creating their entire lives.” Noren said.

“What does she do at the lakes?” Zuko asked.

“She can change….things.” Noren answered.

“What things?” Zuko questioned.

“I-” Noren started but jumped as the front door opened.

Noriko burst in and looked around, shocked to see Zuko and Katara.

“Fire Lord?” She asked, confused.

“Noriko.” Katara said and stood. 

“Gah!” Noriko shut the door and smacked the back of Noren’s chair. “I thought there were burglars!” 

“I told you not to come home!” Noren said, putting his tea cup down and turning in his seat.

“Why? Because the Fire Lord and the Queen are here?” Noriko clicked her tongue in annoyance. “They come to see us all the time.” 

Noriko pushed past Noren’s chair and went to Zuko, holding out her arms.

“It is so good to see you, la.” She said and Zuko rose. He hugged her and Noriko rested her head on his chest for a moment.

“It’s good to see you, Auntie.” He said.

“Oh! You sound so tired! What happened?” Noriko patted her hands against Zuko’s chest and then turned around. “What tea is this? Did you get this out of the gold tin?”

Noren shook his head and Noriko clicked her tongue again.

“Serving the Fire Lord such mediocre tea. His uncle owns a tea shop in Ba Sing Se! This is ridiculous.” She said.

“Noriko.” Noren said but Noriko waved him off, walking to the kitchen.

“I’m making a fresh pot.” She said.

“Noriko.” Noren said again, sound desperate. Noriko stopped and looked at her husband. She then glanced at Zuko and Katara.

“What’s happened?” She asked.

“Auntie, when did you come to Hira’a?” Zuko asked.

“When did I…?” Noriko frowned. “I was born here.”

She turned to Noren. “I was born here, right?”

“My mother came here, thirteen years ago, didn’t she? Looking for Ikem?” Zuko asked. 

Noriko, still frowning, wrung her hands.

“I don’t know them.” She said.

“Noriko.” Noren said gently, standing up and taking her hands in his. He lifted them to his face and kissed her hands.

“Ursa came back, as you said. She wasn’t looking for Ikem though. She thought he was already dead.” Noren said, lowering Noriko’s hands and staring at them. “She knew her husband was a jealous man.”

Katara took Zuko’s hand and felt the chill of his skin.

“I met her at the theatre. I recognized her immediately; it was like she hadn’t aged a day.” Noren said, looking now at Noriko’s face. “She’s still the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.”

Noriko pulled away and Noren turned to Zuko and Katara.

“The Mother of Faces can change how someone looks. She can also take away memories.” He said. 

“What?” Zuko asked. 

“Ozai sent men after me, shortly after Ursa left the village. I tried to hide in the woods and found the Mother of Faces by accident. I asked her to change me, but to leave my memories so I could always remember Ursa.” Noren said. 

“And when Ursa came back, you took her into the woods.” Katara said.

“It was to protect her.” Noren said and faced Zuko. “Your father was going to kill her.”

“Was it protecting her when she forgot her children?” Katara demanded.

“Noren, what are you saying?” Noriko asked, pulling on Noren’s sleeve.

“She thought she’d never see them again. That she’d never see you again.” Noren looked from Katara to Zuko. “It was unbearable for her.”

“You were able to keep memories of Ursa, did you know you would see her again?” Katara shouted.

Noren, hurt and panicked, stepped toward her.

“No! But I couldn’t think of living a life without a memory of her.” He said.

“So when Zuko was in your home, playing with his half-sister, you were happy to say nothing?” Katara questioned.

“Ozai could still-”

“Zuko is Fire Lord now!” Katara yelled.

“Stop!” Noriko cried, stepping in front of Noren and holding out her arms. “Please!”

“Both of you are incredibly selfish.” Katara spat. She glared at Noriko, even as the woman cowered. “How could you choose to forget your own children? After what you did for them?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Noriko said weakly, slowly dissolving into tears.

“Katara.” Zuko said, his voice flat.

“Childhood sweethearts.” Katara said mockingly. She then pointed at Noren. “You are just as jealous and possessive as Ozai.”

“Katara, let’s go.” Zuko said. “She made her choice.” 

Katara turned and they both started to walk to the door, hearing Noriko whimper behind them. As Zuko touched the handle, Noriko spoke quietly.

“Turtleducks.” She whispered.

The handle in Zuko’s hand melted. 

“What.” He croaked, looking at the door.

Katara turned and saw Noren holding Noriko, who was looking down at the floor.

“I remember a turtleduck pond. And a little boy.” She said. “Turtleducks don’t live in Hira’a.” 

“They live in Caldera in the summer. The ducklings would always hatch around my birthday.” Zuko said. 

Katara leaned across him, cooling the metal and pulling it off. Dropping it on the floor, she could feel Noren and Noriko jump at the sudden clatter. 

“Come on, let’s go.” She said, slipping her fingers into the space where the doorknob was and ripping the door open. 

“There was a little girl too, do you remember her?” Zuko asked, now sounding hurt. 

“Kiyi?” Noriko asked, sounding hopeful.

Zuko winced, shutting his eyes and Katara tugged on his arm.

“Let’s go.” She said again.

Katara got the taxi and gently handled Zuko into the backseat. He moved like an old man, or someone recovering from a bad fever. His skin switched rapidly from hot to cold and Katara forced him into the bathroom when they got to their rented home. 

She drew a bath for him and sat next to the tub. Zuko brought his knees to his chest, curling over his legs and sobbing. Katara stayed quiet, having to focus on her bending to keep the water from scalding or freezing him as his own bending went haywire. 

This was something they had talked about; their shared history dotted with moments of self-destruction. 

When the water stayed the same temperature and Zuko started to slump, Katara leaned over the edge to wash his hair. At the very least, she could manage that. 

After rinsing the soap out, Katara grabbed a towel as he got out. She dried him gently and Zuko stopped her. He hugged her tightly and Katara dropped the towel, feeling his damp skin cling to her shirt. 

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered.

“She said she poisoned Azulon to protect me. But then she just….forgot me.” Zuko said, choking up again. 

“I know.” 

“She forgot Azula. Azula truly had no one.” 

“She had you.”

“And look what I did to her.”

“Zuko.” 

“How could she forget us?”

“I don’t know.” Katara stepped back and held Zuko’s face in her hands. “But so many people have chosen to keep you in their lives. I chose you, and I will continue to choose you every day, for the rest of my life.” 

Zuko nodded and she picked up the towel. After she got him in bed, Katara sat in the bed and watched him fall asleep. As she gently pushed his long hair out of his face, she examined the different halves. 

Plucking the water out of her shirt, Katara swiped a finger at the edge of the scar. 

From the moment she first saw him, she knew what the scar was. Third degree burn, having damaged the epidermis and dermis. The burn was treated well but resulted in permanent hearing loss in one ear, vision loss in the affected eye, and contracture scar. Scarring is the result of damage being healed and collagen production. 

Only water from the spirit oasis had ever done anything to clear away scars. 

As Katara shook the water off her finger, she knew nothing had changed. 

He had been a child.

He had faced his father, knowing his mother had died at Ozai’s hand. 

“I wish I had known you when we were children.” Katara whispered as she laid down next to Zuko. “I would have loved you then and ever after.”

Curling into his side, Katara closed her eyes. When she had children, she would be a better mother. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55

[periminkle]

Orphic | 02

After moving into your own place, it seems life is finally going your way; the path to independence leading you to a quaint suburban town where even the grass seems to grow a little greener. Although a shocking encounter leads you to believe that perhaps appearances can be quite deceiving.

pairing: hybrid!jk x reader (first person)

genre: hybrid au, angst, fluff

word count: 7.0k

rating: PG-15

warnings: animal cruelty, death, blood, swearing

author’s note: I cut this chapter into two parts bc it was turning into a monster :((( i did try to research DNA and genes and all that fancy stuff but it was too much for my small brain, so beware of inaccurate facts!!! also wanted to say that my heart hurt writing this </3

→ previous | next

The light breeze fluttering through the back door enveloped the bare skin of my legs, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. 

I couldn’t recall the last time I lounged around the house in the morning—not flurrying around like a chicken with its head cut off, in a rush to catch the bus. If it wasn’t work then it was grocery shopping, borrowing articles and studies from the library or filling my car’s empty gas. 

Consequently, I refused to change out of the oversized sweater and the lousy pair of bright yellow shorts that currently adorned my laden figure. With any luck, the comfort from the soft articles of cloth would somehow seep into my mental state as well.

Yet the optimistic notion wasn’t proving its validity thus far, becoming a more of a burden due to the lack of a proper barrier between my humble abode and the wilderness outside. 

For the most part, the structure of the door was left unharmed but the handle containing the lock that had been smashed into was another matter completely. Upon further examination, accompanied by an hour of fiddling around with the busted latch, it seemed to be a problem beyond my capabilities. I reluctantly admitted defeat and ordered a replacement. 

With nothing to secure the door to the adjacent wall, it remained slightly ajar.

Another hour whizzed by, scouring through the limited resources at my disposal to—at the very least—find a temporary fix. I tried taping it shut, propping a chair, a step stool and a table up against the remainder of the handle to no avail. 

A stroke of genius hit when I stuck a command hook on the wall nearby, fastening a broken hairband from the latch to the hook. However, the placement of the hook was a little too close and the hairband a little too loose to keep the occasional draft from finding its way inside. My fluffy pokémon shorts provided meager defence at best, but I could hardly spare a thought to the lower temperature when my mind was fully occupied with more urgent matters.

After the run-in yesterday night, I remained by the fridge, shaken from the events that had transpired for longer than I’d like to admit. I was unsure if the familiar sylvan scent that lingered was a result of the stranger or simply a waft from the forest, which wasn’t unlikely, considering my defective door.

Once I’d finally gotten a hold of myself, I dialled the police, doubting that my shaky limbs could safely carry me to the nearest station at such an hour. Other than an aching wrist and some medical supplies that could be restocked, my physical well-being and that of my house were surprisingly fine. 

Excluding my poor back door, of course.

I was rather fortunate that the robbery, if stealing bandages could even be labelled as such, was more mentally taxing than anything. The drops of blood were rather annoying to clean off my tiles too, I guess.

Trying to get any rest that night was fruitless, tossing and turning, worried that the man might return for something more valuable or another fiend finding his way inside to do worse. 

It struck me as more than a little odd that he would come to my tiny cottage, of all places, for first aid supplies. If he wasn’t looking for some extra coins to pocket, why wouldn’t he go to the hospital? Where had he gotten a wound that couldn’t be treated by a doctor? Maybe he had partaken in various illegal activities that couldn’t warrant the suspicion of a governmental figure? Ugh, my brain hurt the more I thought about it.

Along with my raging thoughts, the perpetual feeling of being watched disturbed my slumber as well. It was if another set of eyes were locked on my vulnerable form, peering past the closed blinds and under the protective layers of blankets I’d piled on. No matter how many times I peeked into the darkness though, I was only met with the sight of my backyard enshrouded in the night sky. 

When the rays of dawn broke through the tenebrosity, I abandoned any notion of sleep and hesitantly called Jin, unsure if the busy man was even conscious yet. His bright and cheery voice quelled my worries and I informed him of what had transpired within the past twelve hours. Relief flooded my lethargic frame as he delved into a crazed panic, which I greatly appreciated, accepting his offer to take a day off.

Jin was excessively sympathetic and compassionate, reminding me of a mother goose with how he squabbled over staying somewhere else for the time being and taking a week-long break. But I didn’t want to be a burden on any of my new friends and going back to the city wasn’t an option at this point. Reflecting on the matter for more than day wasn’t necessary either.

I haughtily believed that the criminal didn’t deserve any more free real estate in my mind than he’d already occupied.

In order to comprehend the situation, as well as the fact that I would be utterly useless if I went to work with my mind engrossed in other matters, I thought one day to digest everything and get it out of my system would suffice. Though I knew it would come more so with time, I also had to work on regaining an impression of security within my own walls. 

To take a rest from my turbulent concerns, I made a trip to one of the populated parks within the small town, figuring that I would feel more safety in the numbers that would surround me. Ridiculously, I found myself stumped when I got there, drowning in my own vulnerability, so I promptly headed back.

At nightfall, I skipped out on meeting with the cat yet again. Evidently, I lacked the mental capability to tend to my own needs the day before, never mind another being, thus I didn’t visit the little guy. I felt a wash of regret and worry that I hadn’t even set out some food. As a result of yesterday’s blunder, I put a heaping mass of tuna on the porch this time, hoping the animal would understand my apology. 

The hours flew by as I sat there, stirring in my own solitude. In order to bring the negativity of the day to an end, I invited the trio I’d gotten close to as of recent, although Jin adamantly refused due to his papers that, “wouldn’t write themselves.”

I took the steaming pot of ramen off the stovetop right as the clear ring of the doorbell resounded throughout the cramped place. Hastily, I placed the noodles onto the table with careful hands, grimacing as I realized it took up a bit more than a quarter of the surface.

With a brisk shuffle, I pulled open my front door to the sight of a disgruntled Yoongi, hidden behind the towering stature of a rosy-nosed Namjoon. I barely made out the mutterings of, “it’s freezing out here,” and “took you long enough,” before I was being shoved aside.

As they trudged over to the kitchen, following the scent of freshly cooked ramen wafting around the house, Yoongi scoffed at my tiny table. Since I only purchased two chairs for the space, I cracked open the step stool to act as another seat. I honestly wasn’t sure what I would have done if Jin had tagged along too. Maybe pulled out the ladder too?

The shorter man grabbed the handles of the pot, heading over to the direction of the living room as Namjoon and I trailed after him like baby ducks. “If we’re going to eat like poor college students then we might as well keep up the act and sit on the floor.”

Although Yoongi’s cold and distant facade perplexed me as I was getting to know him, eventually I picked up on the hints of affection he’d drop every once in a while. Mostly, I found that I was able to burn time fooling around with Taemin as he completed enough drudgery for the both of us or a piping hot mug of hot chocolate would be waiting for me in the break room after long hours. 

Even now, though he acted irritated, I knew Yoongi well enough to decipher his true intentions: that he was trying to be considerate of my humble living conditions and opted to play it off as a joke. At this point, I was even inclined to believe he harboured a soft spot for me.

In response, I pretended to be peeved by his actions as I ambled back to gather the bowls and utensils I placed at the table, carrying them to the spot we’d occupied on the floor. It was difficult to hide the growing smile on my face.

Once I’d gotten a few drinks down my throat, I finally felt the tense muscles between my brows and shoulder blades relax, forgetting about the worries that echoed in my head all day.

The TV screen flashed with the intense scenes of an action movie that Namjoon had picked out. I was only half paying attention to the redundant plot line, more interested in the outrageous story spewing from Namjoon’s lips.

“-and now he’s bragging about how one of his puns got milk spilling out of Yoongi’s nose!”

The tipsy state I was in got me laughing harder than I should have, but with both men around me in a relatively similar state of mind, no one seemed to care.

“That’s literal bullshit, Eunmi told me that I was drinking the milk meant for Taemin right when Jin finished telling his dumb joke,” Yoongi complained despite the gummy smile stretching across his features.

I clutched my chest at the mention of one of the creatures who had stolen my heart, “aw, my pretty little Taem, I miss him so much and it’s only been one day!” 

“You’re getting too attached to him Y/N, you know that he’s not gonna stay at the lab forever,” Namjoon lightly warned. I knew he was concerned for my emotional welfare, but even the mention of Taemin being taken away got me stewing in my own misery.

“Joon, why would you say—I don’t even want to think about that!” My inebriated state obviously enjoyed to spill more information than necessary when I stated, “I need to cuddle Taemin enough for the both of them.”

“Both?” The younger man spared a questioning glance at his companion in before turning back to me, “do you have a cat?” The two of them began scoping out the area, trying to locate the nonexistent bundle of fur.

“Oh no, no, I wish I could afford a pet but I think taking care of myself is challenging enough for now.” At their probing eyes, I continued, “I was just talking about a little kitty that visits me every night in my backyard.”

Yoongi’s dark eyebrows scrunched together, a huff escaping him. “If you’re talking about a domestic cat, there’s no way it would be living out there,” he pointed to the forest outside with a tilt of his chin.

With the shake of my head, I felt myself sober up a bit as I explained, “I think it’s just one of my neighbours’ pets.”

Namjoon and Yoongi stared at each other, appearing baffled. “Well, it’s definitely not Eunhyuk, his son is allergic.”

“But you think mean old Sangmin would have a cat? We’re talking about the same guy who refused to have kids because he’s ‘not a bank’ right?”

Namjoon redirected his attention to me. “Are you sure it’s a cat? Maybe you just saw a rat or something.”

“No, it can’t be...” Their insistent refusal planted seeds of doubt that began to fester the longer I thought about it; they both lived here for longer than I had and obviously knew the area much better as well. It wasn’t like I had the best eyesight, anyway. But I remembered the piercing emerald green irises peering back at me, slit pupils honed in on my form with vibrant clarity. “It’s definitely a cat. It has to be a cat.”

A teasing snort came from Yoongi, who was leaning back on his palms with disbelief written all over his face. “You’re just seeing things, Y/N.”

I pouted at their lack of trust in me. An aggressive urge to prove them wrong began bubbling in the pit of my stomach and with a glimpse of the time from the clock above the stove, I noticed that it was well into midnight—around the hour in which I’d meet the kitty.

“Yeah, well, if you don’t believe me you can come see for yourself.”

“Is it outside?” I revelled in the satisfaction Namjoon’s widened eyes brought me and loftily smirked at him.

The plentiful amount of alcohol I’d indulged in forbade my legs from gracefully standing, wobbling like a newborn fawn instead as I fumbled over to the door, slipping the loose hair tie off and yanking the faulty mass open. Strangely, the night air was deathly silent, even the usually chirpy crickets seeming to have migrated to another yard.

“Hey, buddy. You out there?” I mumbled, scanning the bushes nearby, trying to pick up even the faintest flutter. “Bud?”

When I felt two pairs of curious eyes pierce my back, the pressure skyrocketed. I couldn’t let them believe I was spouting utter nonsense earlier, but the lack of response wasn’t proving my case very well.

After a few minutes passed with only the low whistle of the wind to keep us company, I felt a tinge of worry knot itself into my belly. “Okay, that’s enough Y/N. Let’s go back in.”

“No! It’s just scared because there’s a lot of people out now, you two go back in. I’ll call you when it’s out.” Desperately, I examined every inch of the stationary woodlands.

“We believe you, just get back in here! It’s cold and you’re not wearing a jacket, come on.” Namjoon’s long fingers wrapped around my forearm, tugging on my hesitant form.

As the dark-haired male dragged me back, I caught sight of the abundant helping of tuna I’d left on the last step of the porch yesterday. A pang resounded throughout my chest, disquiet settling into the recesses of my mind. Why didn’t the creature eat the offering, was it angry that I hadn’t shown up the last few nights? I couldn’t stop myself from imagining the worst; if it got lost somewhere, collapsed from starvation or was brutally killed by another animal.

If either one of the guys noticed the unusual pile of food, they didn’t comment on it.

Once back inside, tucked into Namjoon’s comforting shoulder and Yoongi’s warm side pressed against mine, I found myself unable to focus on anything of value. It was as if all my senses had dulled to an absolute minimum, barely processing what flashed on the bright TV screen and only picking up bits and pieces of the conversation between the two males. All I could think about was what could have possibly happened to my poor kitty. 

My eyelids began to droop, heavy from the weight of the last few days’ events. With my body molding itself into Namjoon’s sturdy torso, I welcomed the peaceful darkness.

Taemin’s entire body shook from the force of his tiny sneeze and I could have sworn that my heart ceased its endless beating right then and there, was I in heaven? 

Unaffected by my inner turmoil, the baby jaguar started bouncing around, weaving in and out of my legs as if he was participating in his own agility competition. I crouched down to his level to reach for his lithe body. The little guy always transformed into a flurry of excitement whenever I stopped by his cage, elated that he was free to play around without his constricting muzzle. 

Once I’d discovered what a sweet bean he was, I couldn’t help but comply to his wishes. It didn’t take a mind reader to see how he consistently pawed at the contraption, even clawing his face a couple times on accident. 

The reasoning behind all the safety measures wasn’t lost on me though, as I had witnessed the terror he instilled in most of the staff. About a week prior, I caught Minzi trying to lure Taemin out of his cage with some treats, but all her attempts proved unsuccessful when he didn’t even spare a glance her way.

With an annoyed sigh, she reached into the pocket within her lab coat, retrieving a syringe that I knew she had filled with telazol, a tranquilizing fluid for small animals. That prompted a reaction out of Taemin, his haunches tensing and lowering towards the ground, mouth peeling back in a snarl. The low growling sound vibrating from his small body instantly put me on edge; it was the first time I’d ever seen or heard the animal’s anger.

Before I could move a muscle, the irate woman stuck the needle into his hind leg. Taemin yowled in pain, but sunk his claws into her arm when he got the chance, only able to exact his revenge for a couple seconds before his body fell limp. Minzi detched his paw to find a stream of crimson red besmirching her white coat.

Now that I thought back to it, his growl eerily reminded me of the night of the break-in. Funnily enough, I thought the criminal had the more menacing vibration between the two—and Taemin was a jaguar for god’s sake.

What I found truly inhumane was the assistant assigned to handing Taemin his meals. The callous woman didn’t have half a mind to remove his muzzle before placing a handful of dog kibble in his cage. 

At a glance, Taemin appeared severely underweight for his size, but I could have never chalked it up to his nutrition being fed through the bars around his snout. He struggled to attain such inadequate portions that weren’t even created for his species in mind.

Nevertheless, the instant I’d seen his horrifying feeding conditions, I dismissed the careless assistant and took on the task of keeping Taemin alive, a job that I didn’t think someone could fail so terribly at.

Taemin blindly swiped the air, bringing me out of my reverie. I chuckled as I saw he was a just a couple centimetres off the sleeve of my coat and I brought my hand, palm turned upwards, to meet his paw.

His eyelids were shut closed as tightly as they had been the first day he’d arrived at the lab, a fact that Yoongi informed me of when I’d inquired about Taemin’s lack of sight. Neither him nor Namjoon knew why he refused to, or simply couldn’t, open his eyes and my chest ached thinking about the unfulfilling life he was leading.

The memory crushed the lighthearted atmosphere that had arisen from fooling around with the dark-coloured feline. I rubbed the fur covering his foreleg while stealing a glimpse of Yoongi, seemingly hard at work from his hunched form.

“Hey, Yoongs?”

“I thought I told you not to call me that.” The low murmur was slightly muffled from the microscope covering the entirety of his face.

Disregarding his previous statement, I voiced out my thoughts. “What if Taem can actually see? I mean, we could just check whether the PDE6C gene—”

A lengthy exhale interrupted my speech. “Wow, now I guess I know how Jin feels.”

“Listen, I know what you said before but—”

“Y/N, we have tons of gene sequences to analyze, we don’t have time to waste looking for a faulty PDE6C, okay?” He finally tore his gaze away from his work to peer into my pleading eyes, running his fingers through the strands marring his forehead. “You’re lucky I’m even letting you play around considering the amount of work we have to finish.”

At that, I shut my mouth and concentrated back on Taemin’s restless figure, a much better alternative to the DNA waiting to be analyzed at my desk. Since he was confined within his cage all day, I made it my goal to tire him out enough that he would be forced to rest until the next time I had the chance to abandon work, essentially getting paid to keep him amused.

I gently brought his paw to the floor and scurried away to collect his favourite toy; a fuzzy mouse I’d bought one day after discovering the building was devastatingly unequipped to entertain an extremely bored feline.

Although he whimpered at the loss of contact and the sound of my retreating footsteps, I swiftly grabbed the rodent at the bottom of the drawer, by Yoongi’s legs, and hurried back.

Another half hour passed as I tried to exhaust as much of Taemin’s boundless energy as I could, although my plan backfired when I found that my own strength was depleting just as quickly. His natural hunting instincts were definitely still intact, what with the torn up toy in the corner, held together by mere threads at this point. I made a mental note to go shopping for sturdier prey next time.

Presently, he laid on his side as a content, black loaf, purring from the belly rubs he was receiving. To tease the cub, I would pull away every once in a while only to have his long tail wrap around my wrist, tugging my limb back to action.

“Y/N.” My head turned to meet Namjoon who had wandered over from the assistant researcher’s lab where I’d last seen him. “I finished the sequence for his canines. Do you mind leaving it on Jin’s desk?”

I guiltily stood from my seated position, a sheepish grin plastered on as I gave one last pat to Taemin’s head. “Yeah, of course. Could you lock up Taem for me?”

With his affirmation, I took the papers from his grasp and gave a pat to the crown of Yoongi’s bleached head. He shifted towards me in feigned annoyance, but I was out of his reach before he could get back at me and I celebrated my victory with sticking my tongue out.

I began to make my way upstairs, but not before picking up on Joon’s exasperated remark to Taemin, “I hope you know that I could build you from scratch if I wanted to.”

Once in front of the familiar wood of Jin’s office door, I decided to knock in case he had guests. I restrained the awkward memory of walking in on the whole board of directors from resurfacing and distracted myself by rapping my knuckles with more force when there was no response from within. “Jin? It’s Y/N.” I pushed the handle down and pleasantly found it unlocked. “I’m coming in.”

I waited a couple more seconds before opening the door, meeting the chaos that was the assistant director’s office. As per usual, I winced at the mountain of papers piled upon his desk, astonished that it only seemed to grow since the last time I’d seen it. At this rate, I was just waiting for the day that I’d walk in here to see the towers reaching the ceiling. 

Striding over to Jin’s side of the desk, I laid the notes down in the dead centre, resting on top of three separate piles. Sympathy flooded my senses as my gaze roamed across the masses. How could such a hardworking individual accumulate so much work while he was working? 

Even staring at the copious amounts of print made me feel queasy, hence I hurried to get out of the nauseating area. But, as I scuttled by, my gaze caught on a file with thick, messy letters scrawled on the front.

Jaguar.

To say my curiosity was piqued whenever Taemin was involved was an understatement. After a glance back to ensure that I was able to safely snoop around until my heart’s content, I reached for the file, making sure to keep my posterior to the camera in the corner, concealing my actions.

Ultimately, I knew Taemin was brought in to make progress on their “top secret, strictly confidential experiment,” which meant that I wasn’t to touch any of his files. At least, according to the brusque Minzi I wasn’t. However, an underlying, devious part of me enjoyed rebelling against her words and I secretly rejoiced as I directly disobeyed her orders, opening the folder.

Basic information was scattered along the first page, his name, birthdate, birthplace, so on and so forth. I casually flipped through the rest, finding the documents we routinely handed off to Jin when we’d written down sequences that brought about certain genes concerning the jaguar. This was probably where Jin would store the note Namjoon had made me deliver.

Losing interest, I flipped the bulk of the papers back to the front and seamlessly slid them into the file. When I unintentionally skimmed the first page once again, my eyes caught on a baffling sentence.

Heightened sense of sight, especially keen night vision.

I wet my suddenly chapped lips in my state of bafflement, double and triple checking that the file was indeed for seemingly blind Taemin; the very same animal that was probably napping downstairs. The statistics even matched up with what little knowledge I had about the animal, sending me into a greater spiral of confusion. They must have accidentally written the observation down on the wrong paper.

Unless...? 

I shook my head, trying to dispel the outrageous thoughts swarming my mind.

Heading back down, I caught sight of Yoongi still wrapped around his microscope, jotting notes down with his other hand. My attention shifted to the unconscious feline next, muzzled and locked behind bars.

My fists clenched, fingernails engraving crescents into the palm of my hand as I resolved to finally clear out these murky waters.

An hour passed before I finally located it and then another few hours slipped by as I examined the sequence.

The PDE6C gene on chromosome ten. Perfectly intact and working exceptionally until the halfway point, around the thousandth base. Some of the letters got mixed up, binding with incorrect base pairs and bestowing Taemin with his current lack of vision. 

Of course, I was prepared to deal with the repercussions of wasting precious time, examining a sequence that did not correlate to any favourable gene. But after connecting some dots, I recognized the agent that brought about such errors.

Ethyl methanesulfonate, or EMS for short. A chemical mutagenic that induces base substitutions, mutating the DNA molecule as a result. I couldn’t imagine why they’d inject a carcinogenic compound into the mammal, but it obviously had something to do with trying to enhance his natural vision. 

Did they think the possibility of disabling him was worth the slim chance that his eyesight could improve? By the bases that were effected, I guessed that they were trying to sharpen his sight when submerged in darkness. If the guanine alkylation hadn’t spread so far, they might have succeeded in their experiment.

Nevertheless, their hypothesis was dreadfully incorrect and Taemin was blind as a result of their recklessness.

My grip on the pencil tightened in pure, white fury. In the fruitless hope that the EMS hadn’t affected his whole body, I took several samples of cells from various areas of his body. Albeit, samplings of his cheeks, ears and legs all provided the same conclusion that I’d reached earlier—deformed DNA from ill-fitting base pairs. 

All the blood drained from my face from the appalling notion of just how much EMS they must have injected into his blood stream for it to have tampered with every cell in his body. My jaw clenched as my mouth ran bone dry.

They mutilated him.

Digust washed over me, for the false claims that the lab protected their lab animals, for every ruthless employee that harboured such barbaric morals, for myself, who blindly assisted in the cruel methods of this place. My heart rate picked up at my own helplessness, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I scrambled out of the corner I had holed myself up in.

I didn’t know if it was the bruising despair or the fuming rage that had me stomping my way across the halls, headed for the director’s office. The rational part of me was aware of the fact that I couldn’t do anything, change their twisted morals or bring down that metaphorical sword of justice that I was so fixated on. But that didn’t mean I had to play along as a clueless, complaisant pawn in their gruesome experiments.

Keycard or not, I was determined to wreak havoc until I could properly screech obscenities at one of the incredibly asinine brains that ran this revolting laboratory. Storming past the Namjoon and Yoongi’s office, I picked up on a shrill cry that seemed to douse my whole body in ice water, stopping me in my tracks.

A turn to my right gave me a direct view of Minzi struggling to pull a semi-conscious Taemin out of his cage, arms which he desperately wriggled against, thrashing violently to escape her hold. Now knowing what malicious behaviour deserved such treatment from kind-hearted Taemin, I rushed at her. 

“How could you!” I roared, seeing red when she turned, glaring condescendingly.

Her calculated eyes examined my rapidly approaching, ruffled figure. “Oh, good, I needed a coffee. Could you fetch me a tranquilizer while you’re at it? I didn’t think he would wake up.”

I grit my teeth as my temper flared, resentment embedded into each of my features. Stopping a step away from her unbothered form, I seethed out, “you guys claim to look after the lab animals? Then why would you permanently damage his genes!”

“What have you been wasting time on instead of researching what we told you to?”

“Answer the question!”

She sneers. “I thought I warned you to stay out of anything that doesn’t concern you. That includes any testing subjects.”

“Testing subjects? How the hell do you think you can get away with—”

“Woah, what’s all the ruckus here?” Hyunho’s lazy form strolled in with a lax yet domineering countenance. The appearance of the other head researcher made my hair stand on end. “Do we need to put up a sign to remind some people that they’re to use indoor voices inside a laboratory?”

My eyes quickly narrowed at his patronizing remark. “I don’t know what kind of fucked up project you guys are conducting, but if you’re harming innocent animals, I don’t want any part of your imbecilic research.”

“Ooh, it seems that newbie is a feisty one, isn’t she?” He took a step towards me, the scent of a cigarette he probably smoked earlier invading my senses and invoking an appealing urge to regurgitate my dinner all over him. “Listen here girly, I don’t know what you’re trying to accuse us of here, but I’ll be sure to report your unruly behaviour to the director if you keep this shit up.”

“As if I give a flying fu—”

A hand wrapped around my mouth before I could unleash the rest of my resentful spew. “Ah, Dr. Lee.” I recognized the subtle undertone of panic in Namjoon’s deep voice as he addressed the burly man with respect that he didn’t deserve. “You see, Y/N had a pretty rough day, some family matters back home, y’know? I’m just going to take her outside to clear her head a little.”

“Yes, that would be a good idea.” Hyunho stepped back to Minzi’s side.

“If you would excuse us then...” I flailed about in Namjoon’s sturdy hold before he all but manhandled my to the back entrance. The refreshingly cool air grazing my overheated skin quelled some of my fury, although I felt its presence simmering beneath the surface. The tall man released my trembling limbs and I whipped my head over to examine Namjoon’s concerned countenance. 

Did he know?

I couldn’t bear the thought of any of the limited friends I’d made in this place willingly taking part in such horrid research. They couldn’t have known. My heavy head fell into my hands, thinking of innocent Taemin who didn’t merit the attention of these corrupt individuals, who had no one to protect him. 

If I quit my job here, would anyone care for him? Obviously his basic needs would be met, Namjoon and Yoongi would make sure of that, but were they aware of what exactly that experiment entailed? I’d only scratched the surface, but the prospect of finding out every gritty detail terrified me.

I felt an overwhelming weight crushed me, being helpless beneath it all. “Joon,” I managed to croak out, “I didn’t come here for this.”

With the low volume of my voice, I didn’t know how much he’d heard, but a tug on my wrist enveloped my body into his embrace. As he stroked my head reassuringly, I held onto his thin lab coat with clenched fists.

If it meant I could save Taemin, I would keep my mouth shut. If it meant I could act as some salvation to each animal that came into this wretched place, I would stay.

My disgust for the laboratory only multiplied.

“I didn’t come here for this.”

A pleasant tranquility took shape after a brief greeting had been exchanged, both Jin and I on a well-deserved break after too much time cooped up in our respective offices. Well, even though the assistant researchers’ office wasn’t technically mine in title, the majority of my belongings resided in that space. Namjoon didn’t mind much and Yoongi complained about everything under the sun, so I made myself comfortable there. 

The hum of electricity powering the building and the whirr of the coffee maker spurring into action intensified as I closed my eyes, resting my head against the back of the sofa. I stared up at the ceiling with a vacant expression and tried to clear my thoughts for a bit.

A ceramic mug clinked against the surface of the coffee table in front of me. “Drink.” I lifted my head to take in the reassuring crinkle in Jin’s eyes. “You look like you’ll need all the energy you can get right now.”

I scoffed at his statement, the end of my own lips flitting upwards. “Just tell me I look like shit.”

Gratefully accepting the cup of coffee, the bitter taste on my tongue already started to rejuvenate my aching muscles. Jin was aware of my deep-seated aversion to the drink, but I guess my appearance revealed too much of the chaos inside my head. “I was going to, but I had a feeling you might just break down if I did.”

Although the work itself was tedious and relatively tiring on its own, the fact that all my efforts were going to fuel that wretched project made me feel rotten to the core. The knowledge sapped my stamina at an exponential rate that I wasn’t accustomed to.

“How’s baby Yeri doing?” I placed the pungent beverage back down, stroking my chin in faux deliberation. “Or I guess I should ask how Chaeyoung is holding up instead, huh?”

Jin let out a hum of aggravation around his own glass, swallowing the liquid before slapping his unoccupied hand against his thigh. “Don’t even get me started. Chaeyoung keeps telling me to take some time off work to come help, but honestly I would take the peace and quiet of the office over Yeri’s nasty diapers any day.” He shook his head at the thought, repulsed by the dealing with another one of Yeri’s accidents.

I’d heard the story one too many times not to let a giggle slip at his misfortune.

Abruptly, an alarming shriek disturbed the placidity. As my head shot up to identify the source, the sound was muffled, then silence resumed. I scrambled to discern who the perpetrator was when my gaze met Jin’s static form. “Did you hear that?” When his weary eyes met mine, appearing confused, I clarified, “that scream.”

“Oh, they probably just dropped something. Don’t worry too much about it.” But I couldn’t find a trace of compassion in his words, especially with how gut-wrenching the shout sounded. Rather than shock, every note was filled with agony and something felt vaguely off about the whole ordeal.

The look of guilt that Jin sported stopped me from prodding. I refused to believe the stubborn man who was always drowning in papers to complete, shoving fried chicken down his throat like there was no tomorrow, who had the sweetest daughter back at home knew anything about the experiment. Not what was really happening.

That’s why the regret and shame written all over his countenance made me pause.

More shuffling, whimpers and yelps filled my limbs with apprehension, seeping deep into my bones and making me restless. Jin kept his gaze trained on the floor, unable to look me in the eye as he excused each sound with the fault of a clumsy, irresponsible researcher and other rationalizations that I wasn’t sure he, himself, believed. 

At this point, the raucous was becoming increasingly bestial and I couldn’t decipher the species that was belting out the miserable noises. I tried to grit my teeth and ignore them, distracting myself with Jin’s moronic cover-ups to keep me glued to my spot. Without a keycard, I had no access to the upstairs lab anyway, it was out of my hands for now.

When my thoughts strayed to Taemin though, I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach, recalling how I had been dragged away before I could stop Minzi from taking him. Suddenly, I lost the ability to think logically, fixated on Taemin’s well-being. I had to know if it was him.

Hastily, I jumped out of my seat, coffee long forgotten as I sprinted down the hall. Jin’s pounding footsteps followed after me, though I gave them no mind.

Once I reached the first floor, the sight of two unfamiliar men dressed in heavy gear greeted me. The bulkier of the two lifted the cage as if it were as light as a feather and I noticed how unusually clean it was. “No, you can’t take it upstairs!” I grabbed onto the bars, halting him in his tracks. “Where is he? Tell them to bring him back here!”

“Sorry, no can do miss,” he drawled out. “We were asked to—”

“I don’t care what you were asked to do! Tell them to bring him back!” He rolled his eyes at my accusatory tone and yanked the cage out of my grasp. As I reached out again in a frenzy, the other man blocked my path. The odds weren’t looking too great for me.

I saw Jin emerge from the staircase, following the ruckus I’d created. Relief flooded my veins as I sought his backup. “Jin, they want to take his cage.” Pursing my lips, I pointed to said object. “Could you tell them to leave it here?”

“No, Y/N. Get out of the way.” My breath hitched at Jin’s steely tone, locking onto his fatigued gaze. I tried to remind myself that he was oblivious to the horrors that they’d already inflicted upon Taemin, but the back of my eyes still burned at the betrayal I felt. “Come on, let them do their job.”

Though I refused to show how dismayed I’d become, I couldn’t bear the idea of Taemin residing upstairs, where they could inject anything without suspicion. “Please, Jin. Please. Believe me when I say that he won’t last a day up there.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, let’s go finish our coffee, hm?” I huffed out through my nostrils in frustration, wringing my fingers together as I debated whether or not to tell him the truth I discovered for myself not too long ago.

“Oh, my. What’s this? I believe I told you what would happen if you caused a commotion again, didn’t I?” Feeling defeated already, I didn’t even turn to meet Hyunho’s form as I heard him approach. “I’ll need you to get out of the way now, girly.”

“It’s Y/N.”

His fake grin put his crooked teeth on full display. “Yes, yes. Scurry along now.”

“No.” With a hardened resolve, I glared back at him. “Bring Taemin back. Let him stay on this floor.” Hesitant but desperate, I added a barely audible, “please.”

At my plea, he brightened up, utterly pleased with watching me grovel at his feet. “You should use that tone more often, newbie, it could really get you places.” The stealthy once-over of my chest didn’t go unnoticed by me and I wrapped the lab coat around me tighter. He pulled back a little, satisfied with my discomfort. "You didn’t hear? He died of natural causes, so we have to clean up this mess for the new tiger cub coming in. Don’t worry though, he’ll be staying on this floor when he gets here.”

I took a step back, skin stinging as if he’d slapped me across the face, feeling my blood run cold. Out of the corner of my eye, I noted the bewilderment reflected on Jin’s features, as well as the sudden appearance of Namjoon and Yoongi, both looking as distressed as I felt.

When my breaths came in heavier and burning droplets rolled down my cheeks, I knew the dam had broken. “Don’t feed me that bullshit... You monsters.” I felt my bottom lip quiver as my voice cracked. “Killed him.”

One of Hyunho’s thick eyebrows raised in amusement at my shattered state. “Haven’t you been taught not to mess with fire, girly?” He crossed his arms after giving a flick of dismissal to the man still carrying the cage. “You could get burned.” 

A pair of arms wrapped around my torso and dragged me away before I could wail anything out. Through the blurry mess of tears, I made out a discarded, mangled mouse toy by the corner.

tags: @aurorakingsley​ @bubbletae7​ @iamunrecognized @bangtanloverrrrr​ @walkingdeadfan25​

[joonhaze]

Imagine BTS : Going Lingerie Shopping With You

A/N : This imagine is one of the scariest but also one of my favorites 0_0

✎ _______________________

Namjoon

Would walk around the store with you, and he would stare at the mannequins much too long for your liking, so you had to sometimes punch his arm to snap him out of whatever daze he was in. You were feeling a bit insecure the longer he stared at the perfect plastic bodies but what you didn’t know he was admiring what was displayed on them, and imagining you in them.

“You’re the best looking one in here, baby, these mannequins have nothing on you.” He whispered in your ear with a smile when you start to grumble in annoyance about how he was staring at one particular mannequin for too long.

You were trying on simple underwear when Namjoon decided to keep slipping some more... intimate clothing in your dressing room. You gave him weird looks but he insisted you try them on, even though he brought you underwear that was basically thread on your crotch. You peeked out of the room and Namjoon’s jaw dropped at the sight of you wearing the sexiest red thong. He bought three immediately, one in red, black and white. He learned that day he had a thing for lace, especially on you.

✎ _______________________

Seokjin

He would be the one dragging you around, telling you that you would look great in this and that, while you just hid behind him bashfully.

“Jinnie, I just wanted to get some pajamas.”

“Nope! Try these on, gorgeous!”

The La Vie En Rose staff has never seen a boyfriend quite like yours, and they even chatted up a storm with him, talking about how lucky you were to have such a nice and open boyfriend. He picked out a lot of pink pieces, and he couldn’t choose which one looked best so he just bought all seven for you, as well as some pink sparkly socks for himself, because why not?

✎ _______________________

Yoongi

He’s definitely the one who would be getting dragged around, but that’s just because he looks at everything too much. La Senza was obviously a more... sensual lingerie store, and Yoongi noticed when the mannequins wore leather straps and chokers and lace. He couldn’t help but grab a leather harness-lace set and hand it to you. You smirked at him before asking him what this was, and he just smiled back and ushered you into the change room.

“Don’t come out baby, there are some other guys here and I don’t want them looking.”

You roll your eyes at his comment but stayed put in your dressing room, staring at your reflection with a smile.

You felt great, even though leather wasn’t something you thought about often when it came to your undergarments. You sent a picture to Yoongi and heard the door to your change-room open and shut quickly.

“Fix this or I’m not buying you anything.” He growled, pointing down at the tent in his pants.

He bought you the set, as well as matching heels.

✎ _______________________

Hoseok

He would tell you where to go, listing stores that have great quality pieces before he just waves his hand and cancels his plans for the day, before he went ahead and drove you to the mall.

His “rich sugar daddy” persona would take over and he would drag you to the most expensive store in the mall that sells lingerie.

Your eyes read “Agent Provocateur” before you were whisked away by expensive fits. You saw one set, a bodysuit that you adored and checked the price, before choking on air.

“Hoseok, this is $470!” You whisper-yelled.

Hoseok just shrugged before handing it to you, and shoving you in the change-room before you could retort. You had no choice but to try it on, much to your dismay.

The fit was great, and you felt great in it, but the price loomed over your head like a boulder on a cliff. You peered out and Hoseok looked at you before smiling, nodding and walking away.

You were confused for a second before going back inside to change, wanting to get out of this fit that was worth a month’s groceries.

When you stepped out, feeling much less burdened, Hoseok stood holding a bag out in front of you. He had bought the same fit while you were changing, so you couldn’t have a chance to refuse.

“Here you go!” He smiled, as if he was a child handing you a $500 lollipop. You were speechless, but slowly reached up to take the bag nonetheless. You were baffled at this man’s expensive taste, and how it didn’t affect him at all.

✎ _______________________

Jimin

He would be more subtle about everything, pointing things out to you and asking, “doesn’t this look good?”.

You noticed he had a thing for stockings so you sneakily grabbed a pair of white ones before running into the change-room, texting Jimin to wait outside on the sofa. Sure enough, he was there when you peeked out.

“Jimin,” you whispered.

He looked up from the phone in his lap and you opened the door fully, revealing your figure that was adorned with white lace.

Jimin’s jaw dropped along with his phone, and you couldn’t help but burst into laughter, cheeks flushed.

Jimin was in a daze, entranced by how the fabric hugged your thighs so deliciously. He immediately bought a whole rainbow-set of stockings, and blushed when you poked his cheek, calling him a cutie.

When you reached home, he shoved the white set into your arms and growled in your ear to put them on, and wait in the bedroom.

No longer a cutie.

✎ _______________________

Taehyung

Poor thing wouldn’t know what’s going on, with a billion different things being classified as another billion things among more billion things.

“Babe, what about this?”

“Tae, those are just headbands.”

Would eventually sit and wait for you, but would notice when you’d hesitate to choose a fit that cost a bit too much for your taste.

He’d rush towards you and hug you from behind, whispering that he would pay for it, so you shouldn’t worry.

“It’s $40, Tae...” You whispered as you hung the set back up. He looked at it, and his eyes widened. It was black, but it had straps that would hug your body in ways that just imagining turned Taehyung on.

He immediately brought it back down and paid, before speeding home with confused lil’ old you in the car and demanding that you put it on before he did for you.

“Tae, I didn’t even try it o-“

“Don’t worry about that.”

Tae’s voice was deep and you now noticed how tense he seemed. You smirked, letting him drive, but was secretly laughing about how he was so riled up over the fit.

You weren’t laughing anymore when you got home, thought. You two had a very long night.

✎ _______________________ 

Jungkook

This brat would be so fucking annoying. He’s the type to put bras over his head and pretend he’s Mickey Mouse, to the point where you would feel like you’re babysitting him.

“Jungkook, you’re 21, can you fucking act like it?” You hiss under your breath.

He just ignores you and reached for a black-and-gold thong, before placing it on his crotch and wiggling his hips.

“I look great, don’t I, Baby?”

You just stared at him, un-amused.

“No, you don’t.” You deadpanned.

He pouted before going to sit on the couches in front of the changing rooms. Your eyes fell back on the thong Jungkook was playing with, and it was nice. Silk, but the gold waistband was laced.

You slipped it between some other stuff so Jungkook wouldn’t notice the piece in particular, before walking into a dressing room with a sly smile.

You opened the curtain a crack a few minutes later, leaning against the frame wearing the thong and a matching top.

“Jungkook~” He looked up and you dramatically pushed the curtain aside. His eyes widened, before darkening and drinking up the sight of you.

“Take that off, we’re leaving right now.”

You obeyed his orders, and he payed for the set before he dragged you to the nearest bathroom, locking the door behind him.

“Jungkook, here?!?” You whispered, terrified. You’ve never done anything this frisky in public.

“Yes. Put that on and let me rip it off now so I can buy another one while we’re here.”

You ended up buying three more, you both liked them so much.

-

I tried to make this imagine as gender-neutral as possible. Did I fail?

[nerdypinupcrystal]

Every Breath You Take Chapter 2: A New Me

Iris has moved to Hell’s kitchen with only a backpack and a past she struggles to leave behind. Will a budding romance with the kind and enigmatic lawyer next door help her move on? Or will the monster from her past find her and destroy them both?

Hey guys! I’m back with chapter 2! I’ve been obsessing over this story and I couldn’t wait any longer to update.  Thank you so much to those happy few that have read and liked the first chapter, I hope you continue to enjoy it, and please be sure to reblog and leave some feedback! I’ll do my best to create a masterlist for this story, I’m new to doing these kind of posts so bear with me.  Enough of my rambling, onward to chapter 2....

Chapter 2: A New Me

The walk to the nearest grocery store was thankfully not as long as I anticipated, since there was a Walgreens a few blocks down. Not exactly ideal for grocery shopping, but at least they carried some kind of food at all, plus I was able to get some hair dye, plus essentials for the bathroom and kitchen that the store carried, saved me an extra trip. There was a small linen store not too far from there where I was able to get a cheap comforter set, a couple of pillows and a set of towels. Thank god I brought my backpack, otherwise I’d have a hell of a time carrying all this stuff. Not wanting to add to my load, I decided to make my way home.

It was already dark by the time I reached the familiar apartment building. I’ve heard Hell’s Kitchen can be pretty dangerous at night, but I guess the same can be said for New York in general. Either way, I had no intention of staying out longer than I needed to.  I’ve managed to escape one Hell, no way do I want to push my luck in a city that literally has the word “Hell” in its name.

As I crossed the street to the building’s entrance, I couldn’t help but have the nagging feeling that I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up, my breath stuck in my throat as I checked my surroundings. Aside from a few people walking by, there was no sign of anyone that looked suspicious as far as I knew. Then suddenly I heard a noise above my head. I quickly turned and looked up towards the roof of my apartment building. It was hard to tell for sure, but I could’ve sworn I saw a dark figure move from the roof. I blinked for a second, and it was gone.  

Pull yourself together, girl. You’re just being paranoid. It’s all in your head. Your brain is just hanging on to those old ghosts you’ve left behind. It’s not him, he couldn’t possibly know you were here. You’re free from him. You’re safe.

My pep talk (that I didn’t realize I had said out loud) snapped me out of my paranoia...a little anyway, and I made my way inside the building.

As I walked down the hall, I slowed to a stop, thinking about my literal run-in with my new neighbor. I feel like such a jackass for how I acted earlier. I can’t imagine what he thinks of me.

I was tempted to knock on his door to apologize for my weird and rude behavior.  But I didn’t.  Perhaps it’s for the best. If my behavior put him off, then that means he’ll stay away. It would be a terrible idea for me to get close to this guy, or anyone for that matter. It doesn’t feel safe enough for me to get that comfortable and I have no right dragging anybody else into my problems. If my experience has taught me anything, it’s that I only have myself, I can only trust myself. I’m better off alone.

With that mindset in place, I made my way into my apartment and locked the door.  I set my stuff down, grabbed the boxed dye and started the process of changing my hair.

As the dye was processing, I put away my groceries and heated up my frozen dinner.  I practically inhaled my dinner in no time, I didn’t realize how hungry I was; so I grabbed my new linens and headed for the bedroom.

By the time I had made my bed and hung the towels up in the bathroom, it was time to hop in the shower and rinse the dye.  It was the first shower I’d had in days; it was such a refreshing feeling, and the water was so soothing on the aches and bruises of my body, I didn’t shut it off until the hot water ran cold.

As I towel dried my hair that was first light blonde, now a vibrant shade of red, I looked over where my new hand towels were hanging.

They weren’t hanging evenly.

My first instinct was to quickly adjust the towels so they were hanging at perfectly even length.  As I laid a hand on one of the towels, my mind went back to an earlier time...

I was sitting on our patio overlooking the beach in the early morning when I heard footsteps approaching behind me. I turned to look up at the familiar cold blue eyes staring into mine as his tall intimidating frame towered over me, casting a looming shadow. “Come with me.” He calmly requested as he held out his hand that easily dwarfed mine, leaving me no other option but to take it. He guided me through the house, the silence deafening. “Isn’t it a little early for this?” I asked in a nervous giggle, assuming he was leading me to the bedroom. Instead of the bedroom, however, our journey stopped in our bathroom. He let go of my hand as he stepped further into the bathroom, his back stiff straight facing me with his hands crossed, looking militant like a drill Sergeant.   “Is everything as it should be in here?” He asked expectantly, giving me a quick second to realize my mistake. “I don’t know why I forgot.” I replied, my heart racing in panic as I rushed to adjust the hand towels on the rack so they can hang evenly as they’re supposed to. He was still tense as he looked at me through the reflection in the mirror. “That’s alright, Princess,” he responded with a tight smile, “That’s why we have to remind ourselves every day.” “Thank you.” I replied softly as I stood obediently with my eyes towards the floor, waiting for further instructions from him. He spared me a glance and nodded, implying I was dismissed. I exited the bathroom, thankful that my mistake didn’t make him too angry this time. 

I snapped out of my memory and took a deep breath. He’s not here. It’s okay. You’re safe. With that moment of clarity, I reached for the towels and shuffled them around until they were completely unkempt. They were messy, lopsided, and twisted up, and it felt so satisfying!  I let out a giggle as I looked at my work.  It wasn’t until that moment that it really began to sink in. I was free. I could feel the weight lifting off my shoulders from this revelation.  I felt like I could really breathe again. I checked myself in the mirror again to observe my new look. I actually loved the red. I thought I would miss my long blonde hair, and I suppose part of me will, but my new hair has immediately become my new favorite look. Cutting it had already relieved part of the heavy burden weighing down on me, changing color relieved it even more.  The expression “New hair, new me” couldn’t be any more true. After double and triple checking the locks on my door, I fell asleep in my new bed feeling better than I’ve felt in a long time.  Outside in the city may be still hard for me, but in my own little world of solitude, in my new  home, I was safe. I fell into a deep, blissful sleep; unaware of a familiar dark shadow on the roof of the building next door, facing my window as he kept a curious and protective watch over me. 

@cametobuyplums

@jobean12-blog

@tomhollandeu

[writingstarling]

Hot Cocoa and Tiny Marshmallows (Jason Todd x reader)

Description: You were having a horrible day at work, but not to worry, best BF ever Jay was there to help along with hot chocolate and marshmallows

Warning: it's short and I'm not that good of a writer

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

2nd POV

A scowl decorated your face as you stomped back to your and Jason's shared apartment. You were beyond irritated and everyone could see it. And boy did they not want to mess with you. Arriving in front of your door, you harshly and roughly opened the door before loudly slamming it shut to an extent that it startled your boyfriend who was calmly reading a book on the couch.

"Uhh.. did I do something wrong?" Jason inquired, slowly pulling the book away.

"No, it's not you," you angrily answered, "it's everyone at work!"

You let loose your hair that was previously trapped in a ponytail and plopped yourself next to Jason. Jason stretched out his arm and draped it on your shoulders, pulling you closer to his large chest.

"What happened, doll?"

"It all started in the morning, everything was great. But then, Sheryl slacked off and so Dan -- who was supposed to be filling in for her -- tossed her job to me. I had to do double work and he took all of my freaking earned credits and got a raise!

While I, got a lecture about not finishing my work to which I did finish!--," you continued to rant and rant as Jason calmly listened and commented every once in awhile until you fell asleep.

Slowly and gently, he pulled away and stood up from the couch. He grabbed a spare duvet that you both usually use when you two have movie nights and draped it over you. He softly caressed your cheek, turning your frown upside down in your sleeping state. He admired how you're able to stand working in a boring office and stuff.

You were the source of their financial balance as Jason didn't have a job and usually refuse to ask Bruce for help. Several times he offered to work to help your burden, but each and every time you would turn him down and state that he already has his nightly duties and it would be bad if he worked in the day too and he could never win said argument.

After kissing your forehead, Jason set out to shop for his plan to possibly cheer you up. It was winter at the time and oddly enough Jason only wore his usual leather jacket as protection from the cold December. Arriving in the nearest grocery store he made his way to the sweets aisle collecting hot chocolate mixes and small marshmallows.

As he was heading to the cashier, he passed by a rack full of Nutella jars to which happens to be his and your favorite so "to cheer you up" he said, he bought about five of them. After paying for his newly picked belongings, he marched home.

Meanwhile, you actually awoke several minutes after Jason left. Thinking he had to leave for a mission, you pulled out a tub of Nutella from your secret stash that was filled with at least seven Nutella tubs, excluding the one you pulled out. Without bothering to grab a toast or spoon that was merely five feet away, you scooped the contents of the tub and savored the wonderful flavor in your mouth.

And it happened to be a fairly large tub as you hugged it close to your chest like a plush while watching whatever that was interesting on TV and cuddling deeper into the duvet Jason draped on you. Because you were too focused on watching Criminal Minds, you missed Jason's footsteps in front of the door and how his keys met the key hole of the door.

Opening the door Jason expected for you to still be asleep, but alas, faith betrayed him and instead you were scooping the contents of a tub of Nutella with your bare fingers while binging Criminal Minds on Netflix.

'Guess my plan of surprising her is out of the window. And is that a tub of Nutella!? I didn't know we have that!'

Jason finally decided to catch your attention by clearing his throat. Even after he did so, you were still focused on the show and didn't notice his presence. So Jason decided to have a little bit of fun. Putting the plastic bags in his hands on the floor, he crept his way behind the couch. And as cliché as it is, the film was getting to a scary part that would compliment Jason's plan.

Slowly as the jump scare was about to appear, he grasped your shoulders tightly. Making you jump at the contact. Turning around, you saw your beloved boyfriend who you thought would be gone longer than that.

"Jay! You scared the living daylights out of me! What was that for!?" you exclaimed as you hugged your Nutella closer to your chest.

"Well, doll, that is called payback for hiding Nutella from me. I thought we promised to always share, how could you betray me like this!?" he pouted.

You sheepishly chuckled, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Well... I might of, kind of, uhm, purposely kept them to myself so that... we'd have a spare?"

A smug grin graced Jason's face before returning to his newly bought goods.

"What's that?" you crawled to the edge of the couch that's closer to the door.

Jason smirked, "You'll find out."

With a fixed gaze on his form, your eyes followed him to your small kitchen. From the plastic bag, he first pulled out the many Nutella jars that honestly made you roll your eyes playfully at him. Even Jason can't stand not spending his money on more than needed Nutella. After he finished putting away the Nutellas into the cabinets, he moved on to the second bag. Still wanting it to be a surprise he sent you away.

"Hey doll, why don't you wash up and change, I'll make dinner."

Narrowing your eyes you eyed him suspiciously, but complied nonetheless. You did feel like taking a shower and changing into a more comfortable attire. After giving him one last suspicious glance, you retreated to your room and took a nice warm shower. After making sure you were gone, Jason prepped his surprise.

He boiled some water before pouring the chocolate mix into your favorite mug and making another one for himself. After the hot chocolates were finished, he tossed in tiny marshmallows into them. Lifting up the winter spirit. Finishing your drinks, he moved on to making dinner.

Knowing that breakfast was your favorite meal of the day, he decided to surprise you by making breakfast food for dinner. Starting with his famously known pancakes, courtesy of Alfred's teaching in his Robin days. He mixed the needed ingredients before pouring them to the pan and flipping them when necessary until he had enough stacks to fulfill your and his likings.

Next, he fried a good amount of bacon before adding some eggs to the pan. The smell traveled to your room as you were putting on a pair of shorts and stealing one of Jason's t-shirt. The scent seduced you to hurriedly finish changing and rush to the kitchen.

"Why does this smell exist at this hour? This smell doesn't usually exist at this hour. How many of them do I get?" you rapidly questioned.

Jason couldn't help but bellow in laughter at your multiple questions.

"You can have as many as you like, or at least, as many as there is, excluding my portion of course," he answered.

You grinned at his response as you sat at the seat of the bar on your island. You watched him cook with a loving gaze, resting your head on the palm of your hand with your elbow supporting it. When Jason finally finished, you quickly took your plates to the coffee table in front of the couch before cuddling into the duvet once more.

Sighing, Jason shook his head before deciding to join you. But not before he grabbed both of your drinks.

"Here, thought that this'll cheer you up," he handed the cup to you.

Seeing the contents of the mug, you engulfed him in a bear hug.

"Is that my shirt?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

You sheepishly chuckled before pulling him down to the couch. The rest of the night was spent watching movies on Netflix while cuddled against each other until morning came. He really is the best boyfriend ever, at least, to you he is. With the hot cocoa as great plus points.

EDITED

[katsukiboom]

Hi! Hopefully I’m not too late this time but can you write the dabi request I sent last time if it isn’t too late?

Original Request: Henlo can I has a dabi scenario where he hasn’t seen his s/o since his appearance changed and joined the league of villains but still stalks them he’s just really insecure about she’d think of his new appearance (kind of like what Deadpool went through when he turned into an inside-out testicle)? Until one day she’s attacked and he saves her but she stops him before he can get away since she still recognizes his eyes and she starts crying and wouldn’t let him go until he hugged her back? Thx!!

You’re not late - I actually had forgotten about this one so I’m glad you reminded me! I hope I didn’t base it too much around Deadpool’s idea, and I honestly hope you like it as much as I liked writing it! ♥

PS: I took the liberty to play a bit with the “Dabi is a Todoroki” theory for this one, I hope I used it well!

You were sure he was dead.

Otherwise, he would’ve come looking foryou.

That was the reason you applied upon thefact that, after the worst fight he had had with his father, your high-schoolboyfriend and the guy you considered to be the love of your life disappearedcompletely, both from your life and everyone else’s that knew him leavingnothing but a goodbye text behind. Yes, you were aware of the deep hatred heharboured toward that part of his family, but you thought the mere thought ofyou, of his siblings and mother,would be enough to make him stay.

The image of the last day you had spenttogether was engraved on your memory like a pebble on your way that you couldn’tshake away, with him seeming so happy that you couldn’t understand why he hadn’tcome back the next day. His hair, his piercing blue eyes, the smug smile thatwas usually plastered on his face whenever he was with you, all those thingsbecame what you looked for on the streets, amidst the crowd. You expected he’dcome back suddenly, surprising you as he went up to you and held you tightlyagainst him and promising that things would be alright – it proved to be justan illusion quick, as days turned into weeks, then into months, and then a fullyear had passed before you lost all hope.

You were resigned to live a life withouthim after that limit, the mourning finishing without anything happening but thelittle spark never really went out; finishing your studies, you lost contactwith his family before you went to college to pursue your dreamed career andbecame what he would call an ‘average’member of society. It was all going alright, until one specific day while doingthe groceries’ shopping, you felt something on your back, as if someone waswatching you, but you shook the feeling off as you looked back and saw no oneelse in the aisle but you, although the weird sensation didn’t leave until youmade it back home.

Little did you know about the pair of eyesthat were, indeed, scanning your every move from afar, hiding behind someshelves on the opposite side of the aisle.

-

Hewas desperate – how else could you describe a man like him?

Ithad been years, 5 to be exact, andduring that time he had made sure to stay away from prying eyes that could giveaway his identity, although it was well hidden now.

Duringthe first few months of him being away, he had taken a time to get used to hisnew appearance, the one his Quirk had left him with: there were big pieces ofscarred skin all across his body now, something he wouldn’t have given a secondthought to if it wasn’t for the deep purple colour they presented. In anattempt to give the whole package another touch, he managed to get little foldsof saggy skin stapled together, giving him an overall normal look – or whatcould be considered ‘normal’ in his life. He dyed his hair black and got a fewpiercings made as well, and taking it all as some form of catharsis someone newwas born from all the hatred and sorrow that had tainted his life up until thatpoint. Dabi, as his new name indicated,was also a hint at his Quirk, something he had inherited from his father andthat even though he had fought it for so long he had learned to adapt it forhimself. The League had helped him in that sense, providing him with manymethods of controlling his power on levels he had never even imagined.

Whileit was true that he had hated his past self with a passion, he was still awareof his growing heartbeat whenever he thought about you, and as he wonderedwhere you could be or what you were doing the idea of you being with someoneelse made his rage grow even though he blamed himself for leaving you withoutnotice. It occurred to him that he could try searching for you… but how wouldyou react when you saw who he was now?

Dabiwas someone strange still even to himself, but he was set on finding youanyways; he’d just have to set some rules if he did find you, such as notapproaching you out of the blue. And so he did just that, managing to find youafter three years and keeping an eye on you to make sure you were just fine.

Atone point he did consider himself your guardian angel, but what kind of angelhas burdens like his?

-

It was a cold autumn night and you werereturning home from one of your friends’ party, the world around turning everso slightly thanks to the few beers you had drank. Things would’ve been okay ifit weren’t for the fact that half-drunk you had the amazing idea to cut aportion of the way back through a partly dark, empty street that led you fasterto your apartment. You were still conscious enough to walk properly and as afew hiccups escaped your lips you couldn’t help but giggle.

Then you heard it.

Steps behind you instantly setting off everyalarm system you had in you – for what you could count in your dazed state,there were three people, but you knew better than to turn around to check ifyou were right. You cursed at yourself under your breath for using heelsinstead of something more comfortable, and as you started to pick up your pacewhoever was behind you kept following, their feet moving quickly as well.Panting as you reached the corner, you felt them closing the space between youand them rather fast, and fighting back the urge to cry you didn’t notice oneof your shoes getting stuck in a crack on the ground, making you trip and landon all fours as soon as you raised your foot.

Your instinct told you to curl up and backonto the nearest wall with your eyes tightly shut, waiting for the worst, butnothing happened even as you heard voices and screams all around you along withvarious noises, some close to you and some across the street. The atmospheresuddenly heated up, a few beads of sweat rolling down your cheeks as you feltyourself trembling with your head hidden on your arms.

Just like it started, it all soon becamequiet again, the sounds of the city reaching your ears once more.

Shyly, you looked up as you fought tears offear and were shocked to see someonestanding right in front of you extending a hand for you to take. Unable to lookat the stranger straight in the eyes, you grabbed it and surprised filled youas you noticed how soft his touch was and the purple colour that decorated hisforearm; you ignored the pain on your legs as you got up, and hoped that there wouldn’tbe any blood. Your gaze fell upon three different bodies thrown all across thestreet, two of them showing signs of being burnt, smoke still coming out oftheir clothes. “T-thank you,” you managed to mutter, still holding onto thestranger’s hand and letting one or two tears roll down your cheek, “you savedme – you’re my hero.”

“I’m no hero.”

A deep, husky voice made you freeze inplace as the man in front of you let you go and turned around, starting to walkaway; before he could make it to the middle of the block, however, it was as ifthe gears in your mind started to turn on their own, putting some piecestogether. It couldn’t be – it shouldn’t be.Taking off your heels and dropping them, you quickly ran after him, grabbinghis arm as soon as he was in your reach. “Wait!” you exclaimed, the alcoholmaking you dizzy. It was now his turn to stop on his tracks, but he made nomovement as your grip on his blue coat tightened. “Please… turn around…”

It sounded as if you were begging but you could’vebeen for all you cared. A sigh was heard and then the stranger looked at you ashe slightly turned his head around, and what followed were the most bizarrefive seconds of your life as you recognized those bright blue eyes and droopyeyelids that had once made your heart flutter and that now had left you aconfused mess. His face was different, brand new, his attitude colder, but itwas him; it was still him, and thatwas the most shocking fact of all. He only left a small scoff escape his mouthand then turned around once more but before he could do anything you wrapped yourarms around him, still not understanding what was going on.

“What are you doing?” was the only questionout of his mouth, but you didn’t respond, instead holding onto him a lottighter to the point where he looked unable to breath. Only then did you pullaway, your arms still around him. “Let me go (y/n).”

And that was the deal breaker for you, yourname being spoken in that soft, caring tone you hadn’t heard in years and thatyou would’ve waited a lifetime to hear again. You started sobbing whilepressing your face on his back, memorizing the new shape of his body andletting his scent of ashes and sweat soak your clothes and senses. You werebeyond speechless – you didn’t know what you were supposed to say in asituation like this, reuniting with your long-lost lover after so long, and itfelt so much like a dream that you didn’t even dare blink just in case he’dvanish away just like in every dream of yours he had starred. He was tense beneathyour touch; you wondered what had happened, where he had been, but those werequestions that would have to wait to be answered, especially if he didn’t wishto talk.

After what seemed like forever he seemed togive in, one of his hands timidly reaching up to touch yours and the sensationmade a chill run down your spine. A smile crept its way onto your lips as yousoftly grabbed his shoulders and made him turn around, letting out aninvoluntary gasp as you took in his new features. “What?” he asked with afrown, making you realize you were staring at him. “Are you going to sayanything?”

“I…” you started, but then the weight ofthe situation fell upon you like an anchor from the skies, making the effectsof alcohol dissipate completely from your body – you remembered all the nightsyou had been awake crying your heart out, thinking that you weren’t enough to makehim stay, how you thought he was dead, and how you were forced to start anewwithout his warmth next to you. For all of that and more your anger grew, andsoon you looked up at him with the most enraged glance you could muster, and hestared back with a bored expression as tears poured down your cheeks again. Fuck, you had missed him way more thanyou would be willing to admit. “You were still there! You were alive this wholetime and did nothing to let me know;you have no idea how it was for me to carry on with the mourning! Did you everthink about what it was like for me to start over? Fuck you, you bastard, you were totally ready to leave me again whenwe met just moments ago after 5 fucking years! You’re the fucking worst but I stilllove you and I can’t believe I do! Who even are you anymore? Is this reallyyou?”

You punched his chest with little force asyou let it all out screaming, but right in the middle of your little speech hisstrong arms enveloped you and you buried your face on his neck, your tears wettingthe collar of his V-neck. He waited patiently until you stopped talking while ahand caressed your hair with care, the staples on his palm creating smalltangles that he apologized quietly for. “You done?” he asked as he saw that youdidn’t speak anymore after a while, and you only nodded once in response. “Great,because I couldn’t take another second of your bickering.” You were about topull away and slap him when he added in a slow voice, “I have you back with meafter all these years – I just want to have you close.”

“Why did you do it?”

Your voice was weak compared to his, and asyou ran a finger across his chest you felt the need to unnecessarily ask aboutthe scarred skin. “Why did I stay away?” One more nod was all you gave. “After Ileft my father’s house things… changed for me,” he explained. “I no longer wantedto be seen as someone who held something of his. You could call this acatharsis, you could call it stupidity, but I honestly don’t care.” You lookedup at him, his blue hues burning right through you as he pulled away and raiseda hand, an equally blue and vibrant flame appearing on his palm. “I’m someonedifferent now; I’m not the guy you knew. I tried to keep you out of troubles,but you’re like a fucking magnet.”

Taking a moment to reassure yourself thatyou weren’t talking to an illusion, you sighed and reached out with both yourhands to cup his face, turning it side to side to gather as much informationabout this new him as you could find;his new hair was a pleasant surprise, and you wondered if his scars had playeda big part in him keeping his distance throughout the years. “You’re wrongthere in one thing,” you said with a gentle smile that you could tell hadconfused him. “You’re still the same; I can feel that – my heart hasn’tchanged, either.”

“Even if I look like Frankenstein?”

You giggled and leaned against him again, welcominghis heartbeat as it soothed most of what you were feeling. “If anything youlook hotter, love.” You stood like that for a moment, embracing each other asyou thought about what you could say to him to break the ice when somethingpopped up in your mind. “You said you weren’t the same? Who are you, then?”

And with a voice that could’ve sent chillsdown anyone else’s spine, he leaned forward until his lips were right besideyour ear and then whispered, “The name’s Dabi now, babe.”

[nefarious247]

“Young Turks” - Chapter One

The prase “young turk” is simple slang to denote someone who is a little rebellious, pushing at boundaries, someone who’s out … seeking new things.

(You can read this story here under the “Read More” or on AO3 here.)

Jack hiked his backpack up onto his shoulders and readjusted the heavy box he was carrying. He did not feel prepared at all for move-in day. Truth be told, he was happy to be out of his mother’s house. She was drunk all the time, and Jack felt like he’d spent the entirety of his life being an adult in her place. He felt a little guilty at the thought of leaving her, but he was also glad he didn’t have any siblings to leave behind at the mercy of her. This was his life now - all the way across the country, no more dealing with mom and all her problems. He was going to live a life that someone his age should live, finally. Whatever happened to his mother, well, that just wasn’t his responsibility anymore.

He’d scoped out his dorms days ago to make sure he knew where he was going and what the best path to take there would be. As he lugged his few belongings up a set of narrow, dimly-lit stairs, he wondered what life would be like now. He’d have a roommate, of course, but he didn’t know  what he’d be like. Jack shrugged the thought off and walked up the hallway on the fourth floor of the dormitory. He finally reached 492 and sighed in relief. He awkwardly turned the handle on the door and entered the room, only a little surprised to see that his roommate was already there.

Jack dropped his things on his bed and turned to say hello. His roommate hadn’t looked up from unpacking, so instead, Jack stayed quiet and simply looked around the room. His roommate, still a major unknown, was tall, fit, and handsome. He had wavy blond hair that fell just past his chin, and piercing blue eyes. He was wearing a plain tan shirt, loose jeans, and a battered red hat backwards. He was unpacking stack after stack of magazines and books and gently placing them on the bookshelf under his lofted bed. Jack saw that he’d already hung a few posters from what looked to be shooter films.

“Hey,” Jack introduced himself finally, “I’m Jack. I guess we’re roommates?” The other man looked up from his boxes and blushed, looking rather embarrassed for not saying hello earlier.

“Hah, yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I’m Ryan. Nice to meet you.” He quickly thrust his hand out for Jack to shake, and they shared an uncomfortable moment.

“Nice to meet you too,” Jack mumbled and pushed his glasses up on his nose. He started to unpack his box, and he decided to try to strike up a conversation with Ryan.

“So uh, there’s a ‘welcome day’ party or something going on at the student union tonight, are you going?” he asked as he put sheets on his bed.

“Oh,” Ryan responded, disinterested, “uh, probably not? Why, are you going?”

“Eh, probably not,” Jack laughed.

“Not the partying type, eh?” Ryan chuckled back. Jack grinned.

“I guess you could say that. I’d honestly rather shower and go to bed,” Jack replied with a sigh.

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Ryan agreed. He started to collapse his now-empty boxes as he continued to speak, “Didn’t bring much, huh?”

“Didn’t have much to bring,” Jack replied, his tone dropping slightly. He’d suddenly become self-conscious of his small collection of possessions: one set of twin sheets, about a week’s worth of clothes, a lamp, a few books, and his scant school supplies. He hadn’t had a chance to go out and buy a towel, or shampoo, and he realized his desire to shower would have to be put on hold.

“I uh, actually gotta go shopping tonight, so I definitely won’t be at the party,” Jack said, trying to cover his embarrassment.

“Hey,” Ryan said quickly, “I actually have to get some things too. Wanna come with me?”

Jack turned to look at Ryan with a grin, “You got a car?” Ryan nodded.

“Good, ‘cause I took the bus here,” he laughed, “yeah, sure, I’ll come with you.”

They pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot after a quick stop at the nearest McDonald’s and headed into the store. They both made a beeline for the towels - apparently Ryan had forgotten to pack his. Jack felt less embarrassed about his own lack of toiletries. Over the next hour, Ryan stocked up on all kinds of cheap foods, extra clothes, razors, and a few new books. Jack grabbed an inexpensive family-size bottle of shampoo, the cheapest towel he could find, and a few more t-shirts to add to his wardrobe. Ryan eyed Jack’s much smaller cart load and hummed to himself.

When they went to pay, Ryan whipped out cash before Jack could even get his wallet. Jack was horrified, and he begged Ryan not to pay for his things, but Ryan refused. The cashier was confused and a little afraid of how sternly Ryan had reprimanded Jack, but they were soon done and back in Ryan’s car. All the embarrassment had returned to Jack, and his entire face glowed red.

“Why’d you do that?” He asked, mostly confused but also a little angry.

“Look, my parents are paying every penny of my tuition. They paid for this car, the gas that’s in it, and they give me four hundred dollars a month for groceries. From now on, if you need anything, just tell me,” Ryan said sternly.

“I can’t ask you to buy everything for me, I’ve got money, and I barely know you! Plus it’s your parents’ money, wouldn’t they be mad if they found out you’re spending it on someone else?”Jack argued frantically.

“We’re gonna be roommates for at least a year, better get to know each other!” Ryan practically growled, “and no, my parents barely noticed that I left for college, they don’t care what I spend my beans on.” Ryan paused.

“Besides, that’s way too much money for me to spend on myself every month. I couldn’t go through that much if I tried! You’ve gotta help me with this burden, please,” he laughed, his entire aura softening. A weak smile tugged at Jack’s lips, and he scoffed and shoved Ryan.

“Agreed, then,” Ryan declared, “I’ll be Mr. Moneybags and you be my friend, tight?”

“You can’t buy friends, dude,” Jack laughed.

“Shut up!” Ryan exclaimed.

Jack opened the door to his and Ryan’s room and flopped down on his bed. He rubbed his hands over his face and through his thick red beard. He pulled his glasses off and abandoned them beside himself on the bed. He groaned and closed his eyes as he pressed his hands hard on them.

Ryan rolled over in his bed and stared at Jack for a little bit before asking, “Rough morning?” Jack only grunted.

“You don’t know how lucky you are that you don’t have eight-A-M’s,” Jack sighed.

“Oh, believe me, the way you act when you come back from yours is enough,” Ryan said solemnly.

“This class is gonna kill me,” Jack moaned as he rolled over to lie on his belly. He clutched his pillow tight to his face.

“I believe in you,” Ryan teased. Jack’s hand appeared from under his pillow, and he flipped Ryan off. Ryan only laughed and rolled back over in his bed.

They’d only been in school for a month, but a lot had happened in that time. Jack and Ryan had developed a mutual affinity for Ryan’s favorite shooter films - Licence to Kill, To Live and Die in LA, and Reservoir Dogs - as well as Jack’s favorite bands - The Smiths, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Replacements. Jack was helping Ryan with his civics class, and Ryan helped Jack with his computer science class. They mutually-struggled with their calculus and geology classes, and Jack helped Ryan memorize lines for his play while Ryan helped Jack with his numbers for his budgeting class. They typically avoided on-campus events, unless they were business- or theatre-related, which played to Jack’s and Ryan’s majors respectively.

Additionally, they’d optimised their time together to get shopping, homework, and extracurricular requirements done in time to watch movies on Ryan’s new VHS player they’d bought in their second week. When Jack saw it on sale at the store, he’d planted the seed of want in Ryan’s mind by pretending to offhandedly mention how cool it’d be to be able to watch Ryan’s favorite movies in their dorm. Ryan dedicated one-hundred and twenty of his dollars to the VHS, a small boxy TV, and five of his favorite titles. They’d wasted no time setting up the TV and VHS player in their dorm, and spent the weekend watching all of Ryan’s picks. They bought a few new tapes every week and had their own movie nights on the weekends. As Ryan had predicted, his parents didn’t bat an eye at how easily he went through his allowance every month.

Ryan rolled back over, having suddenly remembered something he urgently needed to tell Jack, “Hey, good news!” Jack looked up from his pillow expectantly.

“Kris, that cute brunette in my theatre class, y’know, the one who’s super into lighting? Yeah, she’s seen you hanging around in the theatre during rehearsal, and she told me that she thinks you’re ‘quite the looker’.”

Jack frowned slightly, “Eh, I’m not really interested. Sweet of her to say so, though. I thought this beard might be unsightly.”

Ryan frowned hard, upset that his foolproof plan to cheer Jack up had failed miserably. He huffed and turned back to face the wall. “You’re impossible.”

“What?” Jack scoffed, “because I don’t particularly care about that one girl in your theatre class?”

“No,” Ryan retorted, “because you’re so damn hard to cheer up.”

“I’m fine,” Jack laughed unconvincingly. Ryan knew he was lying, but he left it for now. He was exhausted, and Jack would be more willing to talk when he was done with his classes. For now, they could just relax and sleep. Nine twenty-five was too early to talk about real stress and difficult classes.

When Ryan’s alarm went off two hours later, Jack was already gone. Ryan got up and got dressed; he ran a comb through his hair and studied his face briefly in the mirror. He grabbed his backpack and strolled out of the dorm. He sauntered out into the brisk October air and hurried to class. He slept through his first class, lazily took notes that slowly deteriorated into doodles during his second, and he ended up skipping his third after having decided that he was too tired to attend. He stopped by the mailboxes on his way back to his dorm and picked up his mail. He stuffed a couple of envelopes and a subscription magazine into his bag and retrieved a second key from his lanyard. He walked up a few feet and unlocked the box labeled “Pattillo, Jack”. He’d stolen Jack’s key a few weeks earlier when Jack said he would never get mail. Ryan checked the box every time he checked his own, but thus far it had been empty. Today wasn’t any different.

Ryan was surprised that Jack never got any mail at all - not even letters from the college. He thought for sure Jack would get a letter prompting him to join on-campus clubs, just as he had, but his mailbox was empty even then. Ryan briefly wondered if someone was stealing Jack’s mail, but he remembered that he had the key and would have noticed if someone had taken it. He shrugged it off and made his way back to the dorm.

Jack was back, working on homework with his books and notebooks scattered all over his bed. Ryan climbed onto his bed and opened his letters. He chuckled a little at the first one, but frowned when he read the second. He took the four hundred dollar check out of the envelope and briefly skimmed the scrap of paper inside before crumpling it up and tossing it into the garbage. He pulled out his wallet and placed the check safely inside. He returned his attention to the first letter to read it again.

“You got two letters today?” Jack asked, having been distracted from his work by the sound of Ryan’s crumpling.

“Oh, yeah,” Ryan responded, still half-reading the letter, “from my brothers.”

“That’s them on the wall, right?” Jack pointed at a polaroid picture that showed two young boys with their arms wrapped around each others’ shoulders. Ryan looked up and grunted.

“It’s an old picture, but yeah,” he commented lazily, “apparently they joined AV Club and Astronomy Club this year.”

“How old are they?” Jack asked.

“Hmm… They’re fifteen,” Ryan said after a moment of thinking.

“That’s a lot for fourteen-year-olds to do on top of school,” Jack observed.

“Yeah, they do sports too. Cross Country in the fall and Track in the spring,” Ryan elaborated, “they’ve always been the busy type, y’know?”

“What about you?”

“Pshh,” Ryan scoffed, “I didn’t do anything in high school except get into trouble.”

“For real?” Jack was intrigued. Ryan didn’t really seem like the troublesome sort, at least not as far as Jack knew.

“Yeah, I was in detention almost every day,” Ryan chuckled, but his tone was sour, “I got in a lot of fights at school, and after school I’d go out and pick more.”

“Real ball buster, huh?”

“Hah, yeah,” Ryan muttered, “I guess you could say that.”

They stayed quiet for a moment. Jack suddenly felt awkward, realizing that something was bothering Ryan. Before he could say anything, Ryan piped up again.

“What about you? What’d you do in high school?”

“Oh, uh,” Jack thought for a minute, “Well, I was in Key Club and I was the Vice President of Student Council. Kept me busy enough.”

“You were a good kid, then?” Ryan asked as he shot Jack a sly grin.

“Eh, I guess,” Jack muttered, “I wanted to do well enough in school to be able to go to a far-away college, so I guess, yeah, I tended to be pretty good back then.”

“Back then? You telling me you’ve got some secret mischief now?” Ryan asked.

“I mean if you count watching movies all weekend instead of doing classwork, then yeah,” Jack laughed. He fell back onto his pillow, upsetting one of his textbooks.

“Why’d you want to go to college far away from home?” Ryan questioned.

“That’s,” Jack paused, “well, that’s kind of a lot. I guess the short answer is I didn’t have a great home life.”

“Sorry,” Ryan said awkwardly, “I, uh, I get that.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Jack replied sincerely.

“You leave any siblings back there?”

“Nope,” Jack said, “mom knew better than to have more than one kid, and I can be grateful for that I guess. You ever worry about yours?”

“Eh, a little,” Ryan admitted, “but I think they’ll do better than I did. They don’t go looking for trouble.”

They fell silent again. Jack shuffled uncomfortably in his bed, and Ryan sighed quietly. They rarely talked about their home lives, and now they understood why. Life before college was messy and complicated, even if they were barely saying anything.

Ryan got off of his bed and turned the TV on. “You up for The Rocky Horror Picture Show?” he asked. Jack nodded. Ryan took the tape out of the case and put it in the little slot in the front of the TV. He pressed buttons on the front as he was prompted to and the movie started.

Jack had only caught glimpses of the movie on TV at home, but he’d never sat down and watched the whole thing. As far as he was aware, it was a racy movie, but Ryan claimed it was better than Reservoir Dogs. Jack declared he’d be the judge of that - he couldn’t see how a movie made almost twenty years before Reservoir Dogs could even hold a candle to it. Ryan swore he’d love it.

Jack didn’t take his eyes off the screen once. Ryan was secretly very pleased with himself for choosing such a hit. There was a point about halfway into the film when Jack looked like he very much wanted to ask a question, but he stayed quiet and focused on the movie. Ryan noted this observation and made a point to return to it when the film was over. For the time being, however, he let Jack watch in peace.

Nearly two hours later, when the film was over, Ryan broke the noise of the credit music to inquire what Jack thought of the movie.

“I’m sorry I doubted you,” Jack said, a mystified glaze over his eyes as he watched the credits roll by, “that was incredible!”

“Told you so,” Ryan grinned. Before he could ask Jack anything else, Jack posed a question of his own.

“So was the main character…”

“Gay?” Ryan interjected.

“No,” Jack shook his head, “I guess I don’t know what I’m asking. What… God, that sounds horrible… Okay, whatever, what is he? Or she? I don’t really know.”

“Jack, are you telling me you don’t know what a transvestite is?” Ryan laughed.

“Yeah,” Jack grumbled, “I guess so.”

Ryan laughed at Jack’s expense before he explained, “This is probably not the best explanation in the world, but a transvestite is basically someone who dresses like the opposite gender and, like, lives their life that way.”

“Oh, okay,” Jack said, still not totally understanding.

“Is there anything else you don’t know about?” Ryan teased.

“Shut up,” Jack laughed, “Transvestites weren’t exactly a big thing in my hometown!”

“I’m not really sure they’re a big thing in anyone’s town,” Ryan wheezed between laughs.

“You’re an asshole!” Jack threw a friendly punch Ryan’s way, and a lot of things happened all at once.

Ryan’s right palm met Jack’s fist and twisted his arm sharply. Jack cried out in surprise and Ryan dropped his arm in an instant. Ryan leapt to his feet, his face glowing red. Jack shot him a quizzical look.

“Sorry,” Ryan mumbled, terribly embarrassed, “I just thought…”

“It’s fine, dude,” Jack said, shaking out his arm as if to prove that it still worked. Ryan smiled weakly and went to eject the tape from the TV.

As Ryan was putting the tape away, Jack braved another question, “So like, are Transvestites women who used to be men?”

“No,” Ryan said as he returned the movie to the shelf with the others, “that’s a Transgender person. I’m not really that well-versed on the subject, but I guess the big difference is how they present themselves to other people? Like, okay, do you know what a Drag Queen is?” Jack shook his head no, “Um, okay, well they’re men that dress like women and perform. Not really like strippers, but, you get it? I would say that Drag Queens are Transvestites. And, um, Transgender people are like, actually that gender. Like… oh! Candy Darling!”

Jack stared blankly at Ryan in utter confusion. Ryan sighed.

“Andy Warhol? The artist? Candy Darling was one of his main models,” Ryan explained, “actually, come to think of it, a lot of Transgender women modelled for him.”

“I know who Andy Warhol is, but that doesn’t really explain anything,” Jack admitted. Ryan just shrugged and returned to his bed.

“It’s not that important,” Ryan sighed, facedown in his pillow, “I’m going to sleep, I’m exhausted.”

“G’night, Ryan,” Jack yawned as he pushed his books off his bed and burrowed into his blankets.

Halloween came quickly. Jack and Ryan spent most of October running around like chickens with their heads cut off, working on projects and papers, and studying for exams. Ryan’s play was the first weekend of November, Jack had a mock federal budget due, and they both had lab journals to turn in. They spent more time than ever holed up on the fifth floor of the library, where they could spread out over the entire floor. They created a studying bolthole, and they were there working away every spare moment.

When everything was finally finished - save for Ryan’s play - and classes were finished, Ryan and Jack addressed the issue of Halloween. There were likely hundreds of parties going on, and they’d been invited to a few by their friends and Ryan’s castmates. They simply weren’t sure what to do. They could always spend the night in watching the small collection of Spielberg films they’d accrued, or they could go nab some half-priced candy at Wal-Mart. Of course, they also felt obliged to go to their friends’ parties. In the end, they decided to dress up and go out.

Ryan drove to a pop-up Halloween store that had been set up in an abandoned department store. Surprisingly, even on Halloween in a college town, they still had loads of costumes. Ryan had a bit of an issue finding a costume tall enough for him, but they eventually found good ones and headed for the checkout line.

Ryan found a grim reaper costume, complete with a tattered black robe, a horrifying skull mask, and an enormous scythe. He was ecstatic to look so terrifying, and Jack was already on edge imagining someone of Ryan’s stature cloaked in that monstrosity. Jack had found a Rocky Horror Picture Show costume, a Frank N. Furter one to be exact, and it came with a matching wig.

“Do you think I should shave my beard?” Jack asked.

Ryan considered it for a moment before responding, “Absolutely.”

An hour later, Jack was clean-shaven and they were dressed to the nines. Not an inch of Ryan’s skin was visible, and he looked like a real wraith had stepped out of the astral plane to haunt the streets. Jack had a sharp but curved jawline hidden under his beard, and in the full costume, he looked a lot like Tim Curry in his glory days. Ryan painted his face and used some of the stage makeup to finish off the look, and together they looked incredible.

They made their way to Ryan’s friend Kris’s party, which was off-campus at her house. Ryan drove to the party, and they were able to park in her driveway. She’d offered a spot in the garage even, to keep Ryan’s car safe from drunk people, but he figured it would be fine so long as it was off the road. Kris was dressed as Marilyn Monroe, and she definitely looked the part.

“Jack? Is that you?” she asked, ogling over Jack’s costume, “you look incredible!”

“Thanks!” Jack smiled, not at all playing the part.

Ryan and Jack followed Kris through a small crowd of people, mostly other Theatre majors, to the back yard, where there was music, drinks, and all kinds of games. Ryan saw a bunch of his castmates and tech students he knew, and Jack recognized a couple of the student directors. They struck up conversation and danced under the strings of orange and purple lights Kris had hung from tree to tree.

When someone came around handing out drinks, Jack took one to taste, but Ryan refused. Jack shot him a funny look and he just shrugged. Jack rolled his eyes and tasted the beer. It wasn’t great, but it would do. He wouldn’t have more than just the one, but he would enjoy the one he allowed himself to have. Soon, he and Ryan were just dancing in a tightly-packed group of people.

The sun slowly set, and the party got less and less sober. The crowd got closer, and everyone was sweating, even in the chilly evening air. At some point, Ryan and Jack got separated. Jack didn’t mind terribly, he just slowly made his way out of the center of the yard to the back where people were bobbing for apples - or, rather, trying to, but they were too drunk to actually get any.

One of the people attempting to bob for apples - a man in a Fresh Prince-era Will Smith outfit - stumbled over to Jack and swung a red solo cup sloshing with beer his way.

“Didn’t know dressin’ up as a faggot was an option!” he laughed.

Jack rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored the guy. He was, however, keeping a weather eye out for Ryan, almost desperately waiting for him to return from wherever he’d gotten off to. The man wasn’t letting up though.

“Seriously - hic - you look like - hic - a dimestore tranny!” the man said between drunken hiccups.

“This is a real costume,” Jack said smoothly, “I’m dressed up like a character from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

“Yeah, the fag movie!” the guy laughed, spilling some of his beer on Jack.

“It’s - you know what, I don’t care,” Jack scoffed as he shoved the man away and turned to leave the yard. The guy grabbed Jack by the shoulder and stopped him. He sloppily sloshed more beer onto Jack, and he looked angry now.

“Where you goin’, fag?” he spat.

“Get off of me!” Jack exclaimed and shoved him away again.

“Fag on the loose!” the guy cried as Jack hurried away along the fence.

Jack could feel his face getting hot. He was glad he had the face paint on to hide how red he probably was underneath it. He climbed the stairs to the back porch and ran into one of Ryan’s friends who was also avoiding the beer. He struck up a conversation with the guy, Stuart, and recounted what had just happened with an air of inconvenience.

“God,” Stuart groaned, “Derrick’s the worst, especially when he’s drunk.”

So his name was Derrick. Jack made a note to avoid him in the future. Jack and Stuart moved away from the unsavory conversation and discussed school of all things, while drunk college kids milled about around them.

Earlier, when Ryan and Jack got separated, Ryan retreated into the house to use the bathroom. When he returned to the kitchen, he found Kris being harassed by friends of someone she’d invited. He stormed into the kitchen looking like Death himself and told the guys off.

“Knock it off,” Ryan said.

“Or what, you’re gonna reap our souls?” the first guy, a redhead wearing a shoddy He-Man costume, retorted, feigning intimidation.

Ryan pulled his hood down and his mask off to reveal the murderous expression on his face and growled, “get out.” At the sight of his face, the guys lost all the desire to argue and practically bolted out of the kitchen.

Ryan put his mask back on and turned to Kris, “Some people, I swear.”

“Thanks, Ryan,” she said awkwardly, “I know, it’s like, I threw this party, the least you could do is respect me!”

Ryan and Kris left the kitchen and started up a conversation in Kris’s living room, where a group of people were watching The Shining and drinking more than they should. Kris grabbed another beer and offered Ryan some, but he declined again. She shrugged and continued the conversation. More people were crowding into the room, some there to actually watch the movie and some there only because they wanted to sit. Eventually, Kris and Ryan ended up crammed into one recliner. The Shining had ended by that time, and someone had gotten up and changed the movie to Friday the 13th. Kris scowled and turned away from the TV. She was now entirely in Ryan’s lap, mostly facing him. He had to awkwardly wrap his left arm around her to keep her from falling out of the chair.

“Sorry,” she groaned, “I just hate this movie so much!”

“Why do you own it?” Ryan chuckled.

“I don’t! It’s one of my roommates’,” she said. She leaned against Ryan’s chest and tried to block out the sounds of the TV.

Ryan’s arm tightened around Kris instinctively, and she snuggled into his embrace. Her hand had settled gently on his shoulder. Ryan kept talking through all this, although he was now hyper-focused on her every move. He was telling her about how he’d seen this movie a lot as a kid and it didn’t really freak him out anymore. Her ear was right over his heart, and she let the steady beat of his heart and the hum of his voice distract her from the screams emanating from the other side of the room.

“We don’t have to sit in here if you don’t want to watch this movie,” he said suddenly, having broken from his monologue.

The next thing he knew, he and Kris were locked in her room, and he was trailing kisses down her jaw. His cape and mask were abandoned on the floor, along with Kris’s blonde wig. Kris pushed him onto her bed and fell with him, and he rolled over so that she was underneath him. He sat up and pulled off his gray undershirt before laying back down to resume kissing her.

They moved together, the sound of the movie and the music permeating the room and creating an energetic ambiance. The entire room was dark, except for the spray of light that came in through the window from the backyard. Their bodies were hot; Ryan, despite his size and strength, was gentle with Kris. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, emotionally or physically.

When Ryan rolled off of Kris, breathing heavily and dripping in sweat, he held her close and placed a soft kiss on her hair. She leaned into his embrace and hummed softly. His arms wrapped tighter around her, and he intertwined his legs with hers.

“So, uh,” Ryan whispered, “you still have that crush on Jack, or…”

“I was kinda thinking you and I have more in common, so…” Kris laughed softly, “besides, between me and you, you’re cuter.”

Ryan kissed her again and nuzzled her with his chin, his short beard tugging at her hair. She closed her eyes and sighed happily.

“Shit,” Ryan groaned, “I forgot about Jack.”

“We should go find him, probably,” Kris agreed, realizing what Ryan meant.

Ryan crawled out of Kris’s bed and pulled his jeans on. She slipped back into her dress and picked her wig up off the floor. Once they looked presentable, they sneaked down the stairs past a couple drunk kids and left the house. Ryan scanned the crowd in the yard, trying to pick out Jack. Kris nudged him and pointed to her right, where Jack and Stuart were sat having a heated discussion about the differences between Macbeth and Banquo. Ryan rolled his eyes and smiled.

“I guess he’s fine,” he groaned. Kris laughed.