#guys how do make mutual on social media I really need some social security

[red-jayus]

guys look at this silly Catman

Why bro angry at me like I am the one who gambled with his soul?

I love this loser guys :]

[kokinu09]

Let Go of the Reins || Chapter 7

pairing seungmin x fem!reader

genre strangers to lovers, romance, fluff, slight angst later, happy ending, social media, not meant to be, someday

summary Australia is considered home for two of the eight members. When two tour dates are scheduled for the land down under, the boys can’t help but want to spend a bit more time there to visit family and do a little sightseeing. So how do they convince the company that they need to stay a couple weeks? Filming some SKZ Code episodes.

A local riding school just outside the city with amazing reviews for their skilled instructors and beautiful horses is hosting a very popular kpop group to film their experiences. Y/N knows the group well and she just so happens to be their star working student.

status ongoing

taglist OPEN

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~*~

You and Liv got to the venue early like Seungmin requested, about 2 hours to be exact. If it hadn’t been for the two of you having to get a few things done at the ranch that morning, you probably would’ve been there even sooner. The excitement for the concert causing your body to basically vibrate with anticipation, a permanent smile plastered on your face even as you lugged the massive buckets of feed around the barn in the wee hours of the day.

So far, the experience has been incredible. The STAY that you’ve met are some of the sweetest people; chatting with you and Liv while waiting in concession lines or for merch, complimenting your outfits to no end, and even offering you little freebies for no reason other than the mutual love of Stray Kids.

Every time the most common question in the entire K-pop community is asked, “Who’s your bias?”, you find a certain member's name falling from your lips. The answer should be the same as it’s always been. Bang Chan. You’ve been an unwavering Chan stan for as long as you’ve been listening to Stray Kids. But lately, it seems you’ve had a change of heart.

“So~,” Liv sing-songs and you already know the teasing is about to begin, “your new bias is Seungmin, huh?” Her eyebrows wiggle as you two walk away from another group of friendly STAYs.

“I don’t know why you’re surprised,” you say with a roll of your eyes.

“Oh, I’m not~!” She chirps. “I think it’s super cute!”

“Yeah, and I’m sure Han would be offended that you’ve switched rappers on him.”

“Hey! I told everyone Han is still my bias!” Liv argued with her full chest. Hand fisted on her hips and all.

“Riiight, then shouldn’t that freebie be HanQuokka instead of Dwaekki?” You say, pointing out the little SKZOO inspired pin the talented STAY had just gifted her.

“I—!” She cuts off her own protest, cheeks puffed out in a pout as she crosses her arms. “Maybe Changbin is being a bit of a wrecker lately….” She mumbles with a pink blush spreading across her nose. You do your best to hide your snicker at her expense.

The two of you walk around for a few more minutes but the longer you’re there, the more anxious you’re becoming about these mystery seats that Seungmin has promised. So you decide to make your way to the staircase to meet up with your escort.

When the stairs finally come into sight, you notice a large, like huge, security guard standing just off to the side of it. He’s dressed in all black and a black pair of shades over his eyes, even though he’s inside.

You want to laugh but he is definitely too scary looking to laugh at.

“Think that’s our guy?” Olivia leans in to ask in a hushed tone.

“I’d say so.” You reply, leading the way toward Mr. Scary-Security-Guard.

He seems to be looking for something (or someone) with the way his head is on a swivel until he spots you two approaching. It’s hard not to gulp as you realize how mountainous of a man this guy really is when you get closer. He looks like he could take on the entire stadium if it came down to it.

Was it really necessary for Seungmin to send this guy to walk them to some seats? Did he think they’d get mugged by some STAY along the way? Unlikely.

But you put on a nervous smile anyway and ask, “This is going to sound stupid but…are you here to show us to our seats…?”

The man is stone cold, the firm set of his mouth doesn’t budge even a centimeter. “Are you Y/N?” He asks in a (very intimidating) deep, baritone voice.

“Y-yeah! And this is Liv!” You say, quickly looping your arm with hers so you’re not in the center of attention. He nods his head at the introduction then extends his arm in the direction along the side of the stairs.

“This way ladies.” He says before leading them as they get to walking.

His threatening demeanor alone clears the path for them, everyone content with avoiding getting in his way. The eyes of passersby follow you in curiosity, wondering who you might be to deserve such an escort. You keep your head down and urge your feet to go one foot in front of the other.

All the way until he brought you to an ‘Authorized Personnel Only’ door. You and Liv both stop when he opens it. And he looks back at the two of you expectantly. You glance over at your friend and catch her eying you too. But you decide to trust Seungmin’s word about better seats and continue to follow Mr. Big-and-Grumpy.

The sounds of the three of your footsteps echo around the concrete walls of the service hallway they are now making their way down. You were starting to think there really was something to Seungmin’s suspiciously vague messages.

“So, um, where exactly are we going?” You ask hesitantly.

Your question is met with silence for a long minute. You’re sure he’s not going to answer but then he says, “It was requested that I bring you to meet with the band before escorting you to your actual seats.”

While your mouth drops open in surprise, Liv beside you squeals. “Really?! No way! This is totally awesome!” She cheers, bouncing with each step and tugging on your arm in excitement.

The shock of it slowly wears off and a smile forms on your face instead. An excitement of your own warming your heart and causing the butterflies in your stomach to start fluttering. Seungmin really did make sure he’d get to see you for the show.

The two of you have a pep in your step now, following a little closer behind your escort. No longer fearful of his wrath knowing the guys were expecting you.

“What’s your name, Big Guy?” Liv boldly asks eventually.

After another pause, you wonder if he’s being careful of what he says to you two. But this time he responds quicker. “Smitty.”

“Cool name,” Liv says under her breath.

“It’s nice to meet you, Smitty,” you opt to reply instead.

“Mhm,” he grunts and then another patch of silence falls between you three. You think it will stay that way but then he speaks up again.

“Are you dating,” it barely sounds like a question. And you’re so confused by it that your face scrunches and twists in the most unattractive way.

“Excuse me?”

“Are you dating him,” he clarifies, still not sounding like he’s asking.

“Dating who?” You press, earning a frustrated sigh.

“Seungmin. The one who specifically asked me, their personal security, to bring you to them safely. Are you dating him.”

“No! No, no, I’m not. He wouldn’t—” You were abruptly cut off by your best friend.

“Girl, I’m gonna stop you right there ‘cause yes he would.” Liv says, giving you a seriously nasty glare that you’d be afraid of if you didn’t know her as well as you do. Then she straightens up to address Smitty again. “And what’s it to you anyways? Why would you possibly care who either of them date?”

Her attitude seems to strike a nerve as he stops, you almost bump into his back but thankfully you don’t. He turns to face you and gives Olivia a side eye from overtop the rim of his sunglasses.

“I only ask because I have been working security for these kids for over 2 years for their tours and never once has any of them even remotely done something like this for a girl.” He explains, not looking angry but maybe a bit worried. “He’s a good kid with a big heart. If you’re only in it for the money or the clout, please, just enjoy this concert and part ways with him. He doesn’t deserve to be strung along and hurt like that.”

“Wha—? I would never use him! I bought tickets on my own! I never asked him to bump me into better ones or even to arrange this meet-and-greet!” You’re quick to defend yourself, taking a deep breath to calm down. “I know you’re only saying this because you care, but I intend to stay his friend, or whatever he wants me to be, for as long as he’ll have me. If anyone’s going to get hurt, it’ll be me.”

Your eyes burn with angry tears as you glare up at him. Angry that anyone would take advantage of the guys like that. Angry that people like to act like they know you and make assumptions. Angry that you just spilled your heart out to this stupid security guard and now you feel raw.

Liv’s hand is gentle when it lands on your shoulder, a soft and watery smile on her face when you turn away from Smitty to look at her. And she quickly wraps you in a hug, knowing how big it was for you to admit your feelings out loud like that.

When you hear the man clearing his throat, your attention is drawn back to him. Though your hard eyes and deep frown have returned to your features. He starts to chuckle, which should have pissed you off but it didn’t.

“You’ve got spunk girls.” He says through his laughter, taking a moment to recompose but a smirk still remaining. “And you seem genuine, so I’ll believe you.”

Your shoulders relax, a tension you didn’t even realize you were carrying leaving your body as if getting this man’s approval meant you could get anyone’s. He turns to continue in the direction you all were originally heading but glances over his shoulder at you. “Let’s keep moving. I don’t really wanna lose my job for keeping your boyfriend waiting.” Now he’s teasing you?!

“He’s not my boyfriend!” You groan, earning a giggle from Liv as you follow along anyway.

Willing to give up the argument if it means seeing him a little bit sooner.

~*~

taglist

@kangaracha @rainfallingfromthesky @puppysmileseungmin @defnotfertilizedtoesw @teenyfinds

@bbokari711 @lakoya @chlodavids @rylea08

@keepswingin

[sunisglowing]

ʜᴏᴡ ᴡɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ ꜱᴘᴏᴜꜱᴇ?

♡ pick an olivia intuitively ♡

Pile 1

You may dream about your future spouse before meeting them. You will also see a lot of synchronicities. However you meet them, which I will explain more don't worry!, you will have that inner knowing that they are the one. There will be an intuitive connection between you both. You will be having a lot of fun when you will meet your future spouse. Maybe at a party or some celebration. It might be through a creative project or something that makes you feel really joyfull.

You will meet them after you have left something that had put you under a lot of pressure. It may also be that you might meet them at a time even there is a lot on your shoulders, a lot of responsibilities to carry. All this stress and heaviness might make you blind towards what you makes you happy or you will just be a little trapped in the business and you may need to take some time out for yourself.

This person will light your world up!! They will maje you really happy and exited. Maybe you were stuck in a routine and the daily mundane. You might be building up your skills and creating a stable foundation for yourself. You mental health will be weak at that time because of financial and work stress. You might meet them at work or in something that's formal. You might meet them at a time when you might have to persevere and show a lot of strength and courage, more so generally going through life like that. You will be guarded at the first time you meet them but try to release some of the control and stress and this person I feel will help you distress!!🧡

I hope this resonates with you Pile1!! Have a great day or night ahead, whenever you are reading this!!🧡🧡

Pile 2

Okay so you guys will meet them at a time when you are starting something new, like a passion project moreso!! Maybe you are going to school or taking a creative course!! Specifically this is something creative, starting a creative project or Investing in your hobbies and passions!! You will meet them at a time when you are HAPPY!! Like you all will be doing your own thing and you will be very inspired or motivated!! Maybe you are an influencer or you will be inspiring other people on social media doing something creative and unique. And that's how they will be able to find you!!

So you might meet them online!! This person might be very intelligent and you two will chat a lot together at your first meeting, whether it's online or face to face. They might be very different from you and that will make you doubt this connection!! But after getting to know and actually talking to each other more, you two will realize that despite you differences, you two will mesh well together!! There's a feeling of stability you'll feel and both of you will feel that talking to each other!!🧡

I hope this resonates with you Pile 2!! Have a great day or night ahead, whenever you are reading this!!🧡🧡

Pile 3

You might meet them at a time when you are facing a lot of coming and challenges. But i dont think you are struggling because you are winning. Yes that might be stressful but still you will take on that challenge. It might be that this person is someone you might have a crush on for a very long time and this person has a lot of admirers!! That could be a potential competition to you!!

You might meet them at a party or celebration of some sort!! Even if there are many admirers you will catch their attention. You will take that leave of faith and you will definitely win them over!! You will enjoy each other's company and there will be mutual attraction between you two!! There's a childlike essence in yhis relationship and this feels really pure abd innocent!! You might meet them at a family gathering to or at a birthday party!! You will feel very comfortable and secure in their presence!! You might have started something new specially in the material and work sphere during that time!! They will find you really nurturing!!🧡

I hope this resonates with you Pile 3!! Have a great day or night ahead, whenever you are reading this!!🧡🧡

Pile 4

Okay you might meet them at as soon as you enter college or a new semester!! To keep it simply, you are doing pretty in life or should i say great!! You will be inpendent and you will be doing your own thing!! You will meet them at an institution or a structured environment. This is something new!! You might be alone during that time not so much in a sad way!! I guess you'll be very busy and you will be focused in your work and projects!! You will be taking small steps and growing slowly in life specially in your skills!! You will see the fruits of your labour!! You will be working hard during that time and hustling!!

You might have manifested this person in your life. Maybe you bought a roze quartz or a love crystal!! You will have a lot of opportunities for growth and your career!! You'll be busy for sure and life will be very happening for you!! They might be a mentor or coach of some sort!! You are really talented and hard working and they will see and highly admire that about you!!🧡

I hope this resonates with you Pile 4!! Have a great day or night ahead, whenever you are reading this!!🧡🧡

[dienamights]

Ellipsism | K.Bakugou

Ellipsism: A sadness that you’ll never be able to know how history will turn out.

» Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x Fem!Reader.

» Word count: 1.9K

» Genre: Angst 

» Summary: In a world where everyone is born with a unique tattoo on their ankle, and every time they fall in love with someone, their tattoo appears somewhere else on the body of the person they love. You come to the realization that it might not be as simple as that, and all your childhood dreams would come and bite you in the ass.

» Warning(s): ANGST, mentions of self-harm.

» Author’s notes: Listen, I don’t particularly like angst, but I love the way it hurts, y’know? Not sure if I want this to have a happy ending or not (in a second part) and honestly I’m leaning towards the latter, I love pain and I have no idea what would happen. Also, peep the “tattoo” in the header its relevant to the story ahaha

Thank you everyone for the support and love, it means the world to me that people enjoyed my Kacchan representation! Lemme give you smooches.

Big smooches to @tteokdoroki and @sightoru for making me feel good about hurting them🤧❤️

» Masterlist | Requests

The sun had awakened and was promptly emerging through the hazy sky. The cloudy layer created a gloomy blanket from the sun. You jolted awake, your neck aching from your sleeping position and you twisted your head side to side to relieve some of the pain, before reaching for your phone and holding the bright screen to your face to check the time. Alas, the screen was turned off without registering the time nor how long were you asleep for.

You lifted your eyes to see the grey out the window in front of you. With that fog, the trees and buildings never ended, they floated upwards, seemingly as endless as beanstalks. Reaching your head back, it met the wooden counter. You were in the kitchen, fell asleep on the floor and slumped against the counters, the empty bottle laying across from you a reminder of the event that transpired the previous night - maybe morning? You didn't really know.

You lazily extended your legs in front of you, eyeing your sock-clad feet and the tattoo that peaked from the clothing. Blooming lilacs that danced and branched out, the stem wrapping around your ankle oh so loosely, almost teasingly. Lilacs that represented happiness and tranquility, which you have never felt more far from. 

Remembering the old days, the better days, you with your poofy dress, so blindingly pink it demanded everyone's attention, giggling with your friends that adorned similar attire to yours, showing each other the tattoos that hugged your ankles, in endless shapes and sizes, dreaming about who the lucky person you’ll share your tattoo with would be, who was lucky enough to capture your heart and claim it as their own, and offering theirs in return.

Bedtime stories were your favorite quality time with your mother, where you’d both forget about the story cradled in her hands and you’d spend your night tracing the few tattoos that scattered across her arms. Asking her how could she love so many people and have them love her in return before loving her husband - your father - the only person she was meant to be with, only to wait with bated breath for an answer you already heard so many times you probably memorized it by now. You’d be entranced at the way her eyes always softened, a light gleaming in them as she would explain to you, again and again, with no sign of ever getting bored, how she have never and would never regret the people she loved, because in some twisted way of the universe, it led her to the father of her beautiful child, that snuggled her in her princess bed. 

Alas, asking her how you came to the world received a totally different reaction, and you refrained from asking her that again until later on in life.

Whenever your grandma visited, you’d run to hug her old and withered body, apologizing when she would howl about her aching back and dragging her to sit with the excuse to help her rest, but you both knew you wanted to hear stories, your teenage self was so ready to fall in love, so excited to have a piece of someone you adored with all your heart decorating your skin, inking it in the most beautiful forms of promise.

She always made her past lovers sound like prince charmings right out of a novel, the kind of guys with the power and confidence that seemed perfect in every way. The kind of guys schoolgirls woke up and went to school for in the morning. The kind of guys that hit women of all ages right between the eyes every time they were seen and stirred up their fantasies.

And by God, did you not realize that your grandmother wasn't spewing bullshit after all these years, because there he was, a storm in each step he took, fire in his knuckles erupting and seething with fierceness. He was an explosion of bare, raw, real mystery. A soft caress of the wind, warm sand, and pure silence. He was colors and textures and shapes and designs, all combined together in an artistic canvas that thrived for attention but wouldn't stoop to admitting it. 

You remembered the day your lilacs embellished his shoulder, shyly peeking through his hero suit, claiming everyone’s attention on their petals as they swayed on his skin, the attention of the media as the shoulder of the hero, Dynamight, was showcased on social media, people envying whoever was able to capture the exploding hero’s heart.

As if he wasn’t capable of love, they didn't see what you saw, they will never have the privilege, because when he dropped the façade of the hero, he’d come home to you, knock on your apartment door and you’d flee to open it to him to lay your eyes on him, a tired laugh, sore muscles, a teasing glint in crimson eyes, golden hair tasseled after a sleepless night. He was secure embraces oozing with warmth. He was toughness and hardness, perfectly mixed in with trust and care.

It was at that day it happened, in the middle of the living room while the newsman was talking nonsense about the hero, the warmth wrapped around your wrist, gripping it like a vice with no intention of letting go; yes it burned, you remembered the sting, it just paled in comparison to the warmth in your chest, the warmth of the tears escaping your eyes as you held your wrist close to your chest, happily whispering about how this was what love felt like. You also recalled that it was at that exact moment the hero, your hero, walked into your apartment, dropping everything and running the small distance to your hunched body to grab at your wrist to inspect the damage he thought was done to it.

Only for his eyes to meet that one wretched inking he loathed all his life, the - meaningless doodles, he’d call them - that blemished his skin, he remembered the remarks, how no one would be able to share that blotch of his with him because who could ever love him? Who could ever endure him, with all of that ego and all of that anger? And as time passed, he believed it, he believed them, that he wasn’t worthy to be loved, that he was only meant to save, not be saved as well, not even from himself.

But there you were, there you fucking were, crying and laughing and struggling to breath as you repeated the words you’ve been dying to confess, 

“I love you, Katsuki.”

Suddenly, that speckle that was always hidden under his socks brought him happiness, brought him love, and damn did he deserve it, because he fought for it, he endured hell for it, and there you were, wrapped around his arm and repeating those three words against his lips between heated kisses.

He was pleasure and lust. Rough groans and mutual needs. A burning touch. Your name hanging by his lips, breathless kisses and hair-tugging and hot flesh against hot flesh.

He was an illusion you thought it'll never materialize, and yet here he was. 

Here he was, all highs and lows, smiles and frowns, softness and roughness, carefulness and danger. Here he was, a tiny spark of thunder, sparkling with passion, loyalty and dedication, protection, satisfaction, confidence and love.

Here he was…

Where was he?

The inking you used to spend hours admiring now haunts you, the design that used to whirl and twirl across your wrist as you hummed while tracing it now felt like shackles, squeezing so tight against you as you tried to break free. The black almost shrouded by the coats of metallic red that spilled from your attempts of escape. The dark crimson that matches his eyes, the eyes you know you won't forget, you know you don't want to forget, no matter how you’ll feel better if you do.

The girl staring right at you through the distorted reflection created by the dishwasher judged you, all mangled and blurry, yet the tear stains and numb eyes are hard to ignore, easily cutting through the deformed reflection.

You and the girl in front of you envied your friend, the aromantic that was never interested to fall in love, only possessing their own tattoo that graced their ankle, with no one else's accompanying it, sure it looked lonely on some days, but who were you to judge?

You remembered what they always told you, that it wasn't always the fairy tales your family fed you. They told you about their mother, who had an affair and fell in love, spending almost a year hiding the tattoo of her fling from her husband before being caught, they told you how their father was broken beyond repair, he who also was so drunk on the idea of falling in love and being loved in return, just like you were for all those years. They told you of the heart break that you might have to face when your partner’s inking is embedded into you, but not the other way around, how you had to decide whether to wait for your own personal design to mark its location onto them or leave, always being haunted by the part of them that you can't get rid of, no matter what you do.

They never told you about this kind of heartbreak though, the one where you’re both so in love, so happy, destined to be together forever, because what could possibly go wrong?

You never got the answer to that, you remembered asking him as he dragged his suitcase out of the apartment, the tears cascading down his face never answered you as he apologized again and again, mumbled how you deserved to be loved by someone that wasn’t him, babbled about him not deserving you. About how he won’t ever love someone besides you when he caught your eye scanning whatever was visible of his arms, in fear of finding out a piece of someone that wasn't yourself.

You finally got up, legs numb and steps wobbly from sitting on the floor for so long, you eyed the door, still unlocked after his leave a couple of hours ago - maybe more it's still unclear - no urge of yours strong enough to get you up to lock it again. You moved slowly, as if the shuffle of your feet is causing you pain, and in a way, it did, because you know when you reach the living room couch, there won't be the warm arms that engulfed you, because what else did you have other than the warmth you surrounded yourself with when you told him to hold you close to him?

That's right, nothing. 

As you laid down on the couch and allowed yourself to be suffocated by the scent of caramel, you cursed at all the fantasies and dreams that clouded your mind day and night, you frowned and scrunched your nose at the scent that used to mean love and warmth, but now only burnt your nose and teared up your eyes.

A constant reminder, just like the defaced wrist you brought closer to inspect and hissing when the cold air bit at it. You recalled the lilacs and swore at them, the same lilacs that symbolized love and passion, but looking more withered and torn the more you looked at them.

Good, guess they know how I feel.

Borrowers (taglist):

if you want to be tagged with for any of my fics let me know ♡

[softholand]

racing heart - t.h

pairing: driver!tom x reader

warnings: angst, swearing, fluff, probably some wrong formula one terms

words: 1.7k

a/n: holy shit!! it’s finally here!!! i honestly had this ideia since those pictures of tom in silverstone came out and now i finally did it!! it’s my first time writing something that’s not in my first language so, please, go ease on me!! i wanna thank @definitely-not-black-cat for being my beta reader and proofreading this for me, i love you summer 💛 that’s it, please let me know what you guys think!!

The sun was shining bright on the streets of Silverstone. The high temperature was making you sweat and your clothes stick to your body. There was no denying, you hated the heat. It made your skin feel like it was on fire and all you wanted to do was jump on a pool. But, you promised your boyfriend that you’d be here for him today, knowing how important this race was for him. So, you put your hatred towards the weather aside and went into the boxes to see how he was doing.

You had met Tom at one of the many formula one races that your dad, being one of the sponsors, made you come and immediately fell in love. I mean, how could you not? The boy was everything you ever wanted, sweet, funny, handsome and treated you like a fucking queen. That’s why you accepted his invitation for dinner that night two years ago and well, here you are.

“Hey y/n!” Harrison, Tom’s best friend and also one of the members of his team, was the first to greet you at the boxes.

“Hi Haz! Everything ready?” You questioned, always wanting to make sure everything was perfect before the race.

“Yes, everything’s ready, boss!” He said, knowing you hated being called that.

“Oh, shut up!” You said with a wave of your hand. “Where is he?” You asked your blonde friend.

“In his room. Said he was going to rest for a bit before the race.” Harrison explained, pointing to one of the many rooms in the back.

“Ok, thanks Haz!” You thanked him, before taking a cold drink that was in one of the coolers and making your way to the room.

When you entered, Tom was laying down on the sofa, already in his overalls, casually scrolling through social media. Putting your drink aside, you made your way to the sofa and put your hands on top of his eyes, making him chuckle.

“I know it's you, y/n!” He said taking your hands in his and kissing your knuckles.

“How? You were so focused on your phone that you didn’t even hear me coming.” You asked, making your way around the sofa.

“Your hands are soft and the guys would never even try to do this.” Tom answered, tugging on your hand and making you sit on his lap.

“God, I love air conditioning! I was sweating outside.” You complained, playing with the curls sticking out of his pink hat.

“I can make you sweat here too!” Tom muttered, squeezing your ass and making you groan.

“Tom, focus on the race!” You groaned, sadly taking his hands off of your body.

“I’m focused!” He insisted, pressing his lips to yours in a quick kiss.

“Tom, I’m serious! How are you feeling?” You asked, knowing how important this race was for him.

“Excited?! Nervous, for sure! My whole family is here today.” Tom let it out, taking a deep breath.

“I know, baby! But you’re going to smash this.” You stated, making him smile.

“I love you!” He said, taking your face in his hands and kissing you.

With no one stopping you, you deepened the kiss even more, putting your tongue into his mouth, making him groan and squeeze your hips. You could feel your boyfriend getting harder underneath you, but you couldn’t find in yourself to pull away from him. Thankfully, Harrison came into the door, making a disgusted noise at the sight.

“Oh, c’mon you two! The warm-up lap is about to start.” The blonde boy informed the couple, who laughed at their friend. Tom thanked him and said he was going to be out in a sec.

“C’mon, you gotta run, driver!” You said before kissing him one last time, finally dragging him out.

Outside, the higher temperature greeted you back, but there was no time to complain, since Tom had to get in his car for the lap. Before putting his helmet on, you made sure to wish him good luck one last time, securing the equipment on his head. And like every single race, you gave his helmet a kiss, this had started unintentionally but had quickly become a tradition.

“I love you! Good luck!” You shouted, before making your way to sit with Tom’s family. They all greeted you back and asked how he was doing. You said he was a little nervous but mostly excited for the race and then you all got ready to watch.

After the warm-up lap, all of the cars assembled on the starting grid in the order they qualified, waiting for the red lights to indicate the start of the race. Tom had done amazing the day before and started the race in first place, giving him a lot of advantage over his competitors. And he was also doing amazing today, keeping his position and not letting the others get too close. That was until a quick pit stop, when he wasn’t fast enough to come back and ended up losing his position.

Tom's family and you tensed, knowing how frustrated he got when something like that happened, but you guys also stayed confident that he could easily get his position back, which thankfully didn’t take long to happen. Back in first place, Tom kept his position and it really started to look like he was going to make it, he was going to win this race. You were so happy, his brothers were cheering and his mom was talking to you about how proud she was when it happened. On one of the last turns, he lost control of his car and got out of the track, leaving room for another three cars to pass him until he could make it back to the race, making him come in fourth place.

Back in the boxes, he got out of his car, took his helmet off and threw it away, almost hitting one member of his team. You could see that Harrison tried to talk to him, but you knew that he wasn’t going to. Tom could be an incredible driver but he didn’t know how to lose. You quickly excused yourself from his family and made your way into the boxes and just when you were getting close, you heard his shouting.

“I told you guys that type of tire wouldn’t work with this temperature!!! I fucking told you!!!!” He screamed, throwing on the floor what was on the table. “How many times do I have to say something for you guys to understand and do what I fucking said?” He shouted once again, before making his way to one of the rooms and slamming the door shut.

Once you got there, Tom was nowhere to be found. But the sight in front of you, made you certain that he had been there. There was stuff everywhere, bottles of champagne, that were once meant to celebrate, were smashed on the floor, his helmet, the one you kissed so many times before, was broken in half and the expression on his team’s faces was of pure frustration.

“What happened?” You asked, already knowing the answer.

“Got pissed, screamed, smashed everything.” Tyler, one of the members of his team said.

“Where is he?” You said, wanting to at least try to talk to him.

“His room, won’t let anyone in.” One of the other guys answered.

Your eyes immediately connect with Harrison’s blue ones and with a little tilt of his head, he lets you know, even without words, that you needed to talk to Tom. With a nod, you made your way to his room, quickly closing the door behind you.

“I said I don’t want to talk to anyone!” Tom grumbled.

“But you will!” You said, crossing your arms.

“Please y/n, not now!” He said, barely even looking at you.

“Yes Tom, now! Listen to me, you don’t get to do this, ok? You don’t get to act like a dick with your team. It wasn’t just you that lost today, they lost too.” You told him, feeling your blood boil.

“Fuck! I know, alright? I’m just... frustrated!” Tom blurted, threading his fingers through his hair.

“I know that, but they’re out there now, feeling even more frustrated than you, because besides losing, they had to tolerate you being an asshole with them.” You said, getting closer to him.

“Fuck! I’m— I’m sorry, y/n! I shouldn’t, fuck, I shouldn’t have shouted, I’m sorry!” Tom muttered, making his way to you. “I just... my family is here, I— I let them down.” Your boyfriend let it out, with tearful eyes, making you immediately hug him.

“Baby, don’t say that! Hey, look at me, you didn’t let them down, you didn’t let anyone down. We are so incredibly proud of you for everything you achieved, you know that!” You told him, rubbing his back.

“I— I just wanna go home!” Tom pouted, looking into your eyes.

“Alright! But you have to talk to your team first, ok? Then we can go home!” You stated, seeing him nod.

With his hands on your back, he pulled you close and kissed you, and yeah, maybe what he did earlier was wrong and maybe he tasted a little like sweat, but the moment his lips met yours, you were long gone.

“I love you, thanks for... you know... everything!” Tom said, making you chuckle.

“I love you too! And don’t mention it, that’s why I’m here.” You blinked, kissing his lips.

With his hand clutched in yours, Tom apologized to his team for his behavior and thanked them for all their hard work. Before you leave, Harrison gave you a grateful smile, which you reciprocate. Outside the boxes, Tom’s family was waiting for him with big smiles and open arms. His mom was the first person he hugged, followed by his dad and lastly, his brothers.

“We’re really proud of you, son! Never forget that!” His mother said, kissing his cheek.

His parents tried to make you guys accept an invitation for lunch but Tom wasn’t having it, he said he was not feeling well and promised his mom they’ll reschedule. You knew he was fine, he just wanted to go home and lay in bed with you, cuddle and watch something stupid, until his anger and frustration wears out and to be honest, you’ll be more than happy to do that for him.

tagging some of my mutuals: @definitely-not-black-cat @stuckonspidey @soft-haz @screamholland @hazinhoodies @tomhollandd @tomhollandthing @peeterparkr @uglypastels @myfinalwords @bi-writes @fanficparker @wazzupmrstark

[onf-headcanons]

Another OFFICE AU aka CEO AU

A/n : Alas its not draft clearing but a brand new work for 2021 (but i still have some drafts as well)XD Hello, did any of you remember an idea dump I dropped for last year Christmas? you could easily guess which was it by tallying the mood board with the idea lists (*winks)

Setting :

1. OFFICE AU 2 , it is a brand new one where ONF member is a young CEO while you are his secretary. So I will name this one as CEO AU

Of course it does not hurt should you wanna imagine it as the already exist office au, using the idea dump posted for 2020 Christmas.

2. ONF MEMBER that I will integrate would be Hyojin and Seungjun as mentioned during the Christmas post, but I wont stop you for imagining other members, thats why in headcanons I will use ONF MEMBER instead their names. (For member X reader scenario)

3. In this headcanon, reader is slightly older than ONF member, maybe 2 or 3 years older. Same age is plausible, then it would be ONF member continued their studies further so they started working late.

ok lets go, beware its long and sorry if it is messy I tried my best to control 2 way storyline, I had fun writing but I know I am lacking much much more than I could notice. total 6k word count (dies)

1-1

• You work as assistant/secretary for the head of department/CEO in company before the young successor joins and his predecessor retires. • Because you tend to separate work life and private life, you established personality to look like ice queen on the outside (reality) but actually passionate carer on the inside (virtually). None of your colleagues knew, only your close friends • You have been using a chat app (not tinder type) for since you started intern, • 1. That app's specialty was anonymous. • 2. Its like a hideout spot where you can share and post whatever you love. (Because there are some co-workers added your FB or Insta and you felt it is a hassle to create another fake account exclusively to add people) • 3. Even though you tried and failed at 1 or 2 virtual relationships with other users, you never despise the thought of online dating. But you do know it’s not realistic so you never take it too seriously (it is also self-protection) • You would post some photos but mostly are just lunch pics, occasionally an outdoor view from your office floor, also some cute stationaries or accessories found on the way back home. (Just adding this trivia for fun linking the universe, maybe you pass by Minkyun’s flower shop as well?) • (It will be funny if your contents was more on sharing random idol pics that you follow, passionately promoting it hence creating a more impact contrast later when revealing) • One day you came across a post asking about what kind of cologne to buy for a predecessor who will be retiring. Being a good Samaritan, you leave a few suggestions under the post and did not really take it to heart, you forgot about it once you see the original author replied "Thanks" • Not knowing that 1 interaction would change your life forever.

1-2 • The next day, your superior announced his retirement and mentioned a young successor will join the company next month. And ONF member being the young successor does make rumors flying around the company, making people questioning his ability as he is related to company board of directors. The department you are in is under top 5 sales/profit bringing, so with a young successor would be inexperienced which might lead to drop of department reputation of course people are going to worry and gossip. • First impression with ONF member is actually ok. Well dressed, good looking and nice manners. The moment he followed his predecessor walks into the office floor, girls starts to make all sorts of gasping noises (lol) • Your superior mentioned that he bought a retirement gift for your superior deep down you approved at the selection of the cologne brand. • You might goes, this guy got sense, not bad. • One night after several days ONF member joined the department/company, you received a PM from a user, thanking you for the cologne recommendation. It took you a while to remember who it was. You politely replied him “You are welcome.” • The user also nonchalantly asked about how you can make such suggestion that pinpoints because by the glance at your profile, first impression could be very much misleading. • You just replied that you happened to know someone at that age who likes that type of scent hence the list of suggestions, what you did was just you taking the liberty to do a lucky guess. • Out of curiosity, you tap at the stranger’s avatar to get a glimpse of his profile, but out of your disappointment, there were no picture of his to know what he looks like. But there are pictures of scenery from places he travelled. • You also noticed that their “joined the app” days are way lesser than you are, quite a new user. • You found a few pictures of places you went before/ places that you want to go. Delighted, you started the conversation asking if he likes travelling and his next travel plans. • The other party replied briefly his plans and his experience during travels, from his words you know that he won’t be travelling overseas for the next 2 years as he had a new job and responsibility to learn. Instead he will be focusing on doing domestic travels. • His words made you reminisce your rookie days and you responded him that you understand him with empathy. You did not pry further but you do give him some encouragement, telling him that things will get better and once he got the hang of it, he will have more time on his own. (Yup at the moment you are thinking he is a freshman or newbie joining new company) • You timidly ask your new chat friend why they decided to join and use the app. He replied, “I don’t really play social media apps and I don’t want anyone to find me online, the anonymous system this app provides mental security for me.” • The reply was so different from those who are playing the app just for flirting and finding a quick date, you replied him, “Same as you.” • The conversation ends by the other party mentions he will need to be early for work and politely wishes you good night. The next morning you found the stranger has added you as friend, without any thoughts you tap on your screen and now you have a new mutual.

1-3 • Back to office, as ONF member is still new towards his scope of work, you would sometimes giving him advise and guides by sharing “What would his predecessor does.” or “What he can do by not violating company policy”. He takes advises well and would always inquire for your suggestion before making any critical decision. • Once he started to get the hang of it, you passed the torch of freedom to him because you are only a secretary/assistant. But he will still come to you, which you felt he was being dependent. (I feel if it is Minkyun, he will be more dependent should the scope of work is totally unfamiliar to him. Tendency of dependent to independent would be Seungjun, Hyojin, Yuto same par as Jaeyoung, Changyoon then Minkyun.) • (Of course sometimes there are some doubt raised regarding to policies and because he sees things in another perspective, you know he meant no harm but sometimes you wish he would just shut up and just follow the policy just for convenience sake+lessen damage. That’s because should any dissatisfaction of decision happens, colleagues will firstly come to interrogate you, hoping you to twist his decision or questioning your ability to lessen the damage done towards merit they/the department holds. AND YOU HATE PLAYING THOSE POWER MIND GAMES, even though the image you impose looked like you are skilled player.) • So there is some sense that being strict is you are trying hard to protect him and protecting yourself. • BTW ONF member, your new superior has a bright personality unlike his predecessor (huge reason is due to the age factor), even though inexperienced in work, he has good be friending skills. So people in the department felt it was less stressful working under him because he would do small talk with his underlings. (This hc is not suitable for Changyoon and Yuto during the beginning, due to their personality they would try but not suddenly initiating small talks on the first week joining.) • IT WILL BE FUNNY IF SOME FEMALE COLLEAGUE TOOK PITY ON HIM BY MENTIONING/GOSSIPING THAT YOU ARE TOO STRICT AGAINST HIM • Its not that you hate him or he does not have the ability to do his work, it’s just when he is standing on the opposing side against company policy it troubles you. • Every time when things like this happens, you would low-key complains by posting status on the chat app, mentioning you don’t hope for an understanding but you would hope those who are not in your shoes would shut up. Your mutuals mostly are office workers as well so resonates with your words. • Your new friend leaves a comment underneath the post you asking if you are doing alright, and hope you do not stress yourself too much. You thanked him for the mental support. • He will even PM you asking if you are doing alright, most of the time you don’t want to lose your cool plus you don’t think it is wise to abruptly rant towards a stranger as if they are emotional sandbag, so you will politely thank him and say that you are alright now. • Since you and your new friend work on the day, you two chat during the night and weekend, getting to know each other in a very casual pace. A bit of child hood and you both also shared your majors in studies. He told you that he used to study at overseas and he picked up hobby of travelling around a bit during those days. • You never turn on the app during lunch (to avoid people finding out) but your new friend does send you some messages during lunchtime. • As you and the new friend get to know each other, there has a few things in common, you two like talking about travels and you two read works by the same author • By the way the new friend is a he. You two are using ID names the whole time during chatting, because you have told him that you are not comfortable giving and knowing each other’s real name. He understands and respects that. • And you confirmed that he is slightly younger than you. Which you replied to him, “Oh my superior is same age as you.” • This new friend gives you a calm and mature vibe even though he is same age as your new superior. You could not help yourself but comparing. • The other party goes: “Wow, he must be a very successfully accomplished youngster.” • You go: “Nah, other than his outgoing personality that brings freshness to the department, he still got lots to learn.” • Your new friend then continues, “Your new superior is a lucky one, I can confidently say that because I have an excellent senior who would always look out for me.” • You respond, “Then you better treat them well.” • And he goes “Of course.”

1-4

• Work is as usual, possible you unintentionally eavesdropping and caught ONF member saying towards you (even better backing you up when some junior colleagues are reverse gossiping about you) : You know, Y/N might look cold and stern sometimes but actually a kind and gentle person. Y/N would always give out advice for the sake of the department/ company. • Cues you would fluster a bit by those words. • A few days later you are done briefing your superior their schedule. And ONF member suddenly ask if you are free for dinner. It’s already his 4th month in the company and wanted to properly thank you for guiding him with patience and prudence. • At first you wanted to decline him because you don’t want to deal with work related stuff after office hours, ALSO you don’t want anyone to start weird gossips. • Another reason is you don’t want to talk about yourself too much in front of your superior. Heck you even avoid your colleague’s invitations for dinner because you value your “me time” very much. • But looking at his anticipating face, you got soft and agreed that a coffee would suffice.  ONF member smiles at you suggest both of you to have coffee right now at Starbucks next to your company building. You are free to choose whatever drink you like. • Before both of you leave the room. And then you heard a familiar notification sound, you thought your heart is going to stop, that is the notification sound from the chat app you are using. You did not have your phone with you so it was obvious the sound comes from ONF member’s phone. • And that was a notification alert of the system has found someone nearby and presented to the user.  It got you curious and worried at the same time. ��� At Starbucks, ONF member had to answer a call, so you ordered his drink as well. • Later you see him start replying messages while waiting for orders to be done.  You wanted to have a peek at his user name but you are a few steps away and your instinct told you better don’t do that. What if it is already someone you already know? • “Curiosity killed the cat, remember?” You tell yourself. • Once you are at your desk, you took some deep breath to calm yourself and try to remember if you recalled wrongly but truth is you are accurate. You hurriedly checked you phone, there were no new messages and you are sure you have turned off location visibility.  Lucky for you it was never turned on to begin with. • You also kind of worried if your superior actually has a “fun” lifestyle after office hours. But, it’s hard to relate him to a playboy image when he looked like a friendly good boy. You shake your head and deny yourself. • “If (ONF member name) uses that app then I will need to be more careful.” you thought while sipping the frappe. So back at home, you started to alter all posts’ visibility to “Visible for mutuals only”. Took you nearly a whole night but better safe than sorry.

1-5 • More weeks pass by peacefully but one day a conflict happened between you and ONF member and some colleagues/minor members of the board.  He went ahead to announce that he decides (had a thought) to run a campaign/new rule (maybe a budget cut). The moment he finished his sentences, you know the seniors will not be happy with it. • Later after meeting, you politely confront with ONF member that he should discuss with you before announcing it on meeting. Plus, announcing without any advance preparation will put him and you in an awkward position as verbal announcement are not persuasive enough. Of course you are also worried that people might use this issue to tackle and exploit the cons of both of you being inexperience and young. • “With all due my respect, Mr.(ONF member name), it will be nice if you could discuss with me before dropping that bomb at the meeting.” you try not to sound fierce but your tone clearly does not sound you are cool with his actions at all. • “And later having you lecture me and stop me? You do know it was for the good of the company too right?” He retorts like usual • “Yes but no.” you try to fight back. “ It’s not that easy, there are people need to be dealt with and I don’t think you--” • Before you could finish, ONF member says with an eyebrow raised, “You don’t think I can handle it, because I am still unexperienced.” • You unconsciously frown and thinking, why is he suddenly trying to pick a fight deliberately today? Why is he suddenly trying to piss off seniors in the department/company? • ONF member then with firm tone, gives you suggestion, “Should you have anyone come to you and complain, tell them that you knew nothing at all and request them to talk to me directly instead.” • “I am the CEO, not you.” He adds. • You could not help but sigh, knowing there is not point arguing because he is not going to back down. And deep down you do know the new rule/budget cut will do more merit than harm. (Your focus is more on how deal with seniors employees not him for now because seniors are more pain in the ass compared to him) • But still there are people come to you and bug you while you are working and you can’t tell them to leave you alone hence it stresses you out. • You escape to the bathroom taking your phone with you and vents out at the app by posting a status mentioning you are just trying to do your job and wants a peaceful work days. • You also come across seeing your new friend posting a status prior your meeting time, it’s a photo of frappe you recommended him to try it out. He is thanking you for recommending it. • You could not help but feeling a bit jealous, should your title and work scopes are different/ should you are just normal employee rather than a CEO’s secretary, you might not need to face these kind of stress. • “Guess you have to bear what you signed up for huh?” you thought to yourself after 15 minutes cooling yourself down. • You switched your mind set and step out from bathroom. Returning to your place with your usual ice cold face. You are trying hard not to show that you are weak against stress. You are too immersed at people coming at you asking you questions, without knowing ONF member actually observing you with concerned gaze from his room. • That night, you receive a PM from your new friend asking if you are doing ok, as you never sound that upset before. He said he can lent an ear so you can tell him what happened. You spare him all the intricate details and tell him briefly that your superior made a mess and you need to clean it up also back his plan no matter you like it or not. • The whole progress he did not interrupt you nor tried to tell you what you should do, he let you type all the way until you finished. Once you are done, you asked, “I don’t know what might be up in his sleeves that it’s inconvenient for me to know beforehand but... Isn’t he a jerk, putting me into an awkward situation?” • Your friend backs you up and agrees with you that matters should be discussed, and critiques your superior actually could trust you more. • You thanked your friend for letting you to rant and mentioned you have accepted the fate because of the title and responsibility you hold in the company. That’s being professional and mature in office. • The other party replied that even if that is the case, he hope you don’t stresses yourself too much as it seems your new superior still needs your guidance and support. • You playfully replies, “Well I am not his babysitter XD, he will need to face a lot of issues by his own someday.” • “Why is that?” • “Well I can’t always be by his side though? I might get married and resign.” you reveal your future plans to your new friend, “Moreover, even I don’t resign, I might take pregnancy leave though?” • The other party comments, “I never thought you had that planned out.” • And he continues, “Your profile gives out the ‘I love my job so much.’ vibe” • You then back up your point by saying you do want that plan to work but too bad you are single now, so of course you are going to focus on your job more. Plus, you do not plan to find a partner in work place anyways. • The new friend leaves more supportive words and hoping it will cheer you up. By the end of the conversation, he also offers that you can come to him and rant should you need an ear. • You grin at his words and felt warm towards his actions. Rarely any of your mutual actually PM to check up on you. “Maybe he was just being nice.” you thought before you wish him good night.

1-6 • The next day, you are being summoned by your superior the first thing in the morning. He passes you a pile of documents and requests you to go through it. It a proposal regarding to the budget cut/new rule and he hope you can be his ally. His gaze is not as firm as yesterday, but it’s more of seeking approval and acknowledgement from you. • You let out a sigh and mutters, “You know, should you have hand this to me beforehand the situation won’t be that ugly.” And then you start to flip the pages. • “Sorry.” He apologizes. “But I really want to make it work. It’s also a handover work by my predecessor.” • “You look up upon him too much, ONF member, he is a sly fox just like the other seniors.” You do not mean to back stab but you are telling the truth. “Has it never come to your mind why he did not initiate the plan when he is here and requested you to initiate it when he is gone?” • “I know. But this move is going to benefit the company; I am willing to bear responsibility.” ONF member adds • You stop reading and look at your superior in the eye, “You better hope this work though, I don’t want my 5 months effort of guiding you goes to waste. And I hate the idea that I need to re- adjust my pace with a new superior.” • ONF member gets your intentions behind your words; he swiftly stands up from his chair and thanked you. “I owe you big one, Y/N. Another cup of coffee to thank you for reals?” • “No thanks, I will be busy. Next time.” You feel uncomfortable because the social distance between you two seems shortened, so you politely decline. • Luckily the whole budget cut/new rule policy worked out fine and by year end, benefits shows. You and ONF member can finally relax a bit knowing that you both have won the fight.

1-7 • Meanwhile, you did not stop interacting with your recent favourite friend. As you two got to know each other even more, both of you chat almost every day during the night. He never bores you and he can understand most of the topic you bring up. You are amazed that how can someone has so many things in common? • It spikes your curiosity and you ask him if a wonderful person like him has a partner in real life. He answers you that he is single, just like you are. • (You thought he is lying because he is such a nice guy, but of course you do tell yourself not to 100 percent trust everyone online) • Then he asks your opinion about online virtual dating. You honestly told him about your experience. But you added that even though you failed twice/thrice, you are not against it. • And that moment, you don’t know what has gotten into you, you playfully type, “You are asking my opinion on that as if you are preparing yourself” • “Prepare for what?” he asks • “To get yourself an online girlfriend.” You reply. • His respond reads, “Yes I am.” • “That’s wonderful. That girl you will be confessing is a lucky one.” • “Yea, indeed you are.” • You pause for a moment when you saw the message. • “Wait, you serious? ME??” you quickly send him the message because you thought should you hesitate longer, the mood will turn awkward. • He replies you by sending you a heart emoji. • You give a quick thought, well it is interesting chatting with him and he does seem nice. Plus, it’s online anyway, you could call it off should he becomes toxic and annoying like your previous experiences. • “I wasn’t sure if you are ok with someone like me. “He continues. “I am fine if you want to call it off should you found someone in real life later on.” • “Don’t be silly, that should be my line.” You retort him. • And then you have it, another secret. You have an online boyfriend now. You both even declared each other as a pair of soulmate publicly on the app. But you two did not exchange selfies, keeping the relationship virtual and anonymous. • However you two always share interesting stuffs happen on daily. New book, new cd, a random shot of a puppy or cat you met on the street. • Also before year end, you overheard girl colleagues gossiping about your superior has a girlfriend now; you are not interested at his private life so you just let it slide. • But you did briefly mention it to your boyfriend. Not in a gossip tone, more of a life update share. • Of course there are some girl colleagues that are ok with you comes to you, hoping you leak some information about ONF member’s rumoured girlfriend. But of course you know nothing at all, leaving them with disappointed answer. • Fast forward to the week before Valentine’s Day. It is also 10th month since ONF member joins the company. • Out of the sudden, your online boyfriend suggests you two to meet up. You are not against it, and it’s not like you never met anyone you know from the app. Thinking why not knowing a new friend in real life, you agreed his offer. (Also because you are curious what he looks like so that you can understand why he was single before dating you) • You even inquired his preference in chocolate and promise bringing him some on official first date. • Your boyfriend thanks you and suggests a place for dinner. You knew that place, it’s expensive and you could not help but wondering if he is trying hard to match you. (You still thinks he is just a normal employee in a company) • But, your boyfriend only replies: “Don’t worry, it is the perfect spot, I could not think of others that are suitable to our taste.” • You can only acknowledge it because you don’t want to have an argument to blow up but deep down you could not help yourself to start doubting again. • “It’s going to be Ok, right?” you question your decision, but it’s too late.

1-8 • On Valentine’s Day, younger female colleagues in your office give out chocolate treats to younger male colleagues as friendship presents, some of course using the occasion to confess. • You don’t have the habit of presenting chocolate treats as a token of friendship appreciation at the office. But you are giving your date chocolate treat later; you hid yours in your bag carefully scared of being teased should anyone saw it. • ONF member gets some too. One female colleague even teases him if he is going to get chocolate from his girlfriend. And ONF member replies that he might get it later that night. • Of course ONF member will asks you for chocolate treat with an innocent face, you just bluntly tell him that you don’t have the habit to give out chocolate treats, he only pouts after listening to your respond. • By the way today you unintentionally changed your makeup (lipstick or eyeshadow). No one dared to make any comments but not your superior, ONF member. • He goes: “Y/N ah? Did something good happen on you? Are you going to a date tonight?” • You are typing quick report and his words caught you off guard. You flinched at his words. Hoping ONF member did not notice, you quickly lied by telling him simply ran out of your usual makeup colour. • But your superior teases you a bit, “Aww, I was hoping I could attend your wedding in near future. “ • You have gotten used to his socializing pattern, so you counter him by asking if he is going to bring his girlfriend to have a nice dinner at a grand restaurant. • And to your surprise, he revealed the place he will be having dinner with his partner. It’s the same place where you are heading to later. He had a special room booked exclusively for tonight’s date. • “Oh, Oh… Have fun and enjoy your dinner.” You force yourself to break a smile. • ONF member only smirks at you and gives you a few pats on your shoulders and says he will have an unforgettable night before returning to his room. Leaving you questioning the meaning of his actions that are unpredictable but also definitely intentional. • Of course you had a quick thought asking your boyfriend if it is possible to change location, you could not bring yourself to ask as you are worried you might sound rude/arrogant trying to change plans on the last minute. You deduced that since ONF member will be having dinner in a room, you might not going to bump into him. You and your boyfriend can just finish dinner quickly. • You could not have that bother you too much time because you need to finish your report so that you can leave on time. Once it reaches the end of office hours, the others started to leave. You made up a plan to leave after ONF member leaves the office. You keep raising your gaze to have a slight peek towards your superior’s room. • Seeing him finally standing up from his chair and adjusting his suit. You can tell he is finally leaving. He passes through your desk and asks, “Y/N ah, please don’t tell me you are planning to work overtime during this special day?” • You only smiles and tell him you are going to finish soon, “Don’t you have a dinner to attend?” you remind him without looking at him, acting as if you are typing the remaining contents of your report. • “Yea I do. See ya.” ONF member waves you goodbye. • You leave the office after 10 minutes. (As for method of transport to the restaurant, I will leave it to your choice.)

1-9 • You reach the building of the restaurant. You let out a sigh, hesitating to step in nonchalantly knowing ONF member is inside there as well. The least thing you definitely do not want to happen is ONF member finding you having a dinner date tonight. It’s embarrassing and it will break the balance of your work and private life. • While you are pacing in front of the building with hesitation, you receive a chat notification from the app. You open it and it was your boyfriend, notifying you that he has arrived, and he reminds you the restaurant located at 38th floor. • You nervously bite your lower lip knowing it’s too late and it is rude of you to cancel the date on last minute. He was a decent person to chat with and you don’t want to lose a good friend. You are blaming yourself for agreeing to attend this date too casually. And you also find yourself way too wary of your virtual boyfriend’s thoughts towards you should you now called him to cancel the date. • Then you heard a familiar voice called out your name and you turn your head towards the voice unconsciously. It’s ONF member, walking out from the building. You flustered and panicked by just imagining scenarios of him asking why you are here and other many more questions. • “OMG…. Shit shit shit….!” You cursed in your head, regretting your life decisions. Recalling the entire chat context between you two, this might be the worst thing ever to happen in your life. • He is grinning while reaching out to grasp your hand. You unintentionally try to back away from him but he was faster. You tried to pull your hand away but he pulls you toward him instead. You nearly bumped towards his chest. • “Y/N ah, I told you its 38th floor; you did not get my message?” ONF member asks as his smirks widens. • As he finished his words, you only look at the young guy in front of you with disbelief, processing his words. Seeing you froze due to the big plot twist, ONF member taps you on your forehead hoping to unfreeze you. • “It can’t be…You are (ONF member’s ID in the app)?! “You exclaim. • “Yeap.” He responds. • “Impossible…How?” you ask. “How did you know it was me?” • “At first I had my doubt when I first saw an old post of yours. You shot a sunset pic from our office floor by the window near the lift right?” he returns with another question. And man he is good at remembering details. • “Then I confirmed that it was you by the time I announced budget cut/new rules for the company/department. ” he explains   • “I…” You could not bring yourself to say anything, but you are not an idiot, “(ONF member name), did you risked your reputation in the company just to find out a stranger’s real identity?” • “No, I did not, I swear. I initiated the plan to suddenly announce the budget cut because I want to find out which board seniors will make a move to cover up themselves, as requested from my predecessor.” He knows you well to sense that you are angry, and he quickly denied. “I only know it was you when I checked up on you. Since then I have been dropping so many hints for you to realize, but it seems like you are the dense one here.” • You can tell he is telling the truth. • “This is absurd…” you mutter while placing your hand on your forehead. • ONF member let out a sigh and he shifts behind you, places his hands on your shoulders then pushes you forward. “Come on, I am starving we can talk about it later, you did not had a decent meal during lunch as well right?”   • He is right, you only had a mini croissant during lunchtime.

• You follow him without a word to the entrance of the building and enter the lift to 38th floor. ONF member has booked a nice room that both of you can enjoy the city’s night view.

1-10 • It was a luxurious dinner but you are not in the mood enjoying it. In fact you are so stressed that you could not even taste your food. You did not touch your dessert at all. • You only quietly trace the shape of wine glass in front of you while looking at the night view, hoping the night to pass quickly. • “You are not happy with me being your date, Y/N?” he suddenly asks. • You jolted and you finally look at him in the eye for the first time tonight. • “You startled me, I am still trying to grasp the situation here.” You reply him with a low voice, trying to act calm by casually bring your drink closer to you and hydrates your throat. • “Hey Y/N-ah, I know you mentioned before that you don’t like the idea of dating someone from the office, but…” his eyes are fixed on you. “I like you. Not just the virtual you, but also the real you.” • “I called you a jerk.” You know you should not bring it up, but you still did. • “Which I did act like one so, no hard feelings.” He accepted. “I am truly sorry about that, I was trying to prove myself way too hard.” • Now it got awkward since he apologized without any complaints. You don’t know what to say and avert your gaze again. • “You know, Y/N ah, when you are stressed, you tend to avoid other people’s eye contact. “he breaks the silence.  “And you are doing that ever since you reached here.” • Upon hearing his words, you flinched and exchange eye contact with the young man sitting in front of you. • “And oh, and you flinch as well.” He adds, “Which is very adorable in my opinion.” • “(ONF member’s name), I …” you try to explain yourself but he cuts you off. • “It alright, you don’t have to push yourself, I have made you stressed out way too much today.” ONF member smiles at you while saying based on what he observed. • He finally stands up and offers to send you home. You could not decline him because you felt terribly sorry for ruining such as nice date. • “I am sorry, should it is another girl, it will be a terrific night for you.” You apologized before leaving his car. • “Don’t worry; it is an unforgettable night for me.” He responds with his usual smile. • Back at your place, you are frustrated that the night ended up in an awkward and weird way. You only noticed that you did not get to hand him the chocolate treats as promised. • You cannot sleep that night, gazing at the chocolate treats as you holding the package in your hands. You cannot tell if you messed up or you are lucky that he happened to like you. • You wanted to consult a random mutual of yours but you hesitated. Because at this point you are not sure if you actually have the full grasp on the situation. And you don’t want a biased reply. • “It’s just this boyfriend of yours happened to be him, I guess?” you murmur to yourself. But that did not clear up your mind enough for you to make any decision towards the situation. • Several days passed, ONF member did not send any message to you in the chat app. He acted like usual back in office, but it does not look like he has any intention to talk about what happen between you two either. • (The problem is you cannot look at him in the eye) • You are troubled if you should initiate the first move. It’s not like you hate him, you never did in the first place, it’s just he annoys you sometimes. • Then you overheard ONF member having small talk with colleagues, and they ask about his Valentine’s Day. He only replies it was an unforgettable night and he is glad that he is able to meet his girlfriend, it was better than never meeting her at all.

1-11 • From his words, you gain a bit of courage and decided to make your first move. • The next day you arrived at the office earlier than usual, you take out something from you bag and places small gift box on ONF member’s desk. The small box has a memo attached to it. • You hurried back to your desk, acted as if nothing happened while the office starts have more and more colleagues coming in. ONF member arrives later on and he greets you before heading in his room. • You take some quick glances, making sure ONF member notices your belated Valentine’s day gift. • He did noticed and read the memo you attached, then he made a confused look but he adjusts his facial expression immediately as he sees you stood up from your place. • You head to his office room to brief his morning schedule. Like usual, you step into his room, closes the door and starts the briefing. ONF member stares at you with a puzzled expression while sitting on his chair. • Once you done your part and you ask him if he has any schedules to add into the list, he places the gift box into your view and pushes it towards you. • “What do you mean by this?” he inquires. • “I promised you chocolate for Valentine’s day, sorry I was late.” You purposely answer him the wrong information. “ Don’t worry I made a brand new ones.” • “You know I meant this.” He pulls out the memo has his eyes fixed on you. • The memo wrote, “(ONF member’s ID), Let’s call it off --- (Your ID)” • “That’s how it is.” You tried not to break into a smile, you are getting your revenge and this is fun. “You are the one who said you are fine to call it off if either one of us found someone in real life right?” • ONF member pauses for a moment, his eyes wandering then he admits he did say that. • “Well you found someone in real life, so there is not point for us to continue virtual dating on the app anymore right?” you slightly let out a victorious smirk as you ask him. • ONF member finally gets what you mean and he let out a smile. He puts down the memo and pushes himself up from his chair and walks towards you. • Thankfully the design of his room is made up of walls, once the wooden door is closed; no one knows what happens inside. • “So, you are fine with us dating in real life then?” You can feel his breath as he is only one step away from you. This time you are not going to back away and you look at him straight in the eyes. • “I will need to adjust a bit. You have a problem with me being your girlfriend?” you reply with him with another question. • ONF member unconsciously let out another smile, he quickly hides it with his hand,  “No, not at all…” and those were the words you can hear coming out from him • “That settles it then.” You widen your grin towards him before turning around ready to leave his office. • But you are being pulled back by a pair of arms. Your back come contact to his chest area. He is hugging you from behind you. • “Seriously, I don’t get you.” He low key complains. “I thought you are going to hate me for real this time.” • “I was going to, you did not texted me and you acting like nothing happened after that night.” You pout as you explain to him. “I thought I have ended my career the moment you told me who you are. And who would have thought a decent CEO would date someone randomly they met in a online chatting app?” • “I am sorry; I thought leaving you unbothered for some time so that you don’t get stressed out.” You could tell from his tone he does feel apologetic. He never sounds like that before during work.

• "But I am dead serious on trying to start a proper relationship with you that’s why I suggested for us to meet up.” he continues. “Glad you felt the same.”

• You freed yourself from his hug and turn to him. • “Now listen, (ONF member’s name), as we are professionals, I do hope you understand that there is a clear line between work and private life.” You remind him. “Just because we are dating now, does not mean that I am going to let you off easily if you messed up during work, ok?.” • “Man, I don’t think I will ever win you huh?” ONF member only look at you affectionately and continues, “As you wish, my beloved assistant/secretary.”

A/N : the concludes for this oneshot headcanon fic should there are more ideas I might write a continuation about this pair for a part 2. Also thinking of linking the universe with MInkyun Florist AU, just a maybe. 

[enchantedlokii]

Avengers: New Assembly

Chapter One

Rating: PG

Warnings: mentions of death

Characters: Peter Parker, May Parker, Sam Wilson

Mentioned: Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones, Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts, Morgan Stark, Tony Stark, FRIDAY, James Rhodes, Steve Rogers

Peter sat on the bed. His bed. Only it didn’t feel like his bed. It wasn’t his bed at their apartment in Queens. It wasn’t even his bed at the Compound in Upstate New York. The Compound that had been completely destroyed in the Battle of Earth. It wasn’t the bed at the Stark penthouse in Manhattan, either. This was the bed that had been donated by the recovery team that was helping people get back on their feet after the Blip.

A month had passed now, and Peter’s life was still a mess. Right now, he wasn’t in school. Midtown had made the decision to have students who were Blipped return in January, at the beginning of the semester. He would have to relearn the entire semester even though it was nearly summer when he left.

The good thing, he thought, was that he would still have his closest friends. He had found, once he logged in to his social media on his donated phone, that both Ned and Michelle had Blipped. The school had put together a reunion for the students, and he had talked to them both there. He had hugged Ned; cried in his arms before they made their way to where they knew they would find MJ. He had been surprised when the girl gave them each a quick hug. She had never done that before.

May had lost her job because of the Blip, but she had managed to secure a temporary position at Mt. Sinai for the time being. Happy had been helping them out a lot, trying to track down as much of their belongings as he could and making sure they had food on the table and that their bills were paid. Normally May would turn it away, but she knew as well as Peter did that they needed the help right now. They were grateful that Happy was willing to give it.

Pepper and Morgan had visited once too, to their surprise. Peter had met Morgan briefly at the funeral, but he barely had the strength then to really speak to her. It was still difficult; every time he looked at her all he saw was Tony, but he knew that he wanted to be a part of her life. Pepper had already said that she would love for him to come stay at the cabin on the weekends once he felt ready, and he had promised that he would. Just not yet. She understood, and had given him a long hug before they left.

Peter glanced up at his closet. His suit was hanging up inside. His old one. The metal suit was sitting in its charging portal in the corner. He had tried to get Happy to take it. He told him he wasn’t meant to have it. It wasn’t really his suit. Of course, Happy wouldn’t have it. He told him that Tony would want him to have it, and brought him the charging portal the next day. It had been inside ever since, fully charged for weeks now without being used. Peter couldn’t find it in himself to put either suit on yet. It was just too soon.

The boy’s attention turned to the door when he heard noise outside the other room. There was a buzz, then May’s voice, and then footsteps. The front door opened and Peter heard May talking to someone before she called to him. “Peter, you have a visitor,” she told him.

“Coming, May!” He called back. May would be leaving for work soon, and he didn’t want to hold her up. He quickly jumped off his bed and hurried to the main room, stopping when he saw the man that was standing inside the door. Despite only seeing him out of his suit once in person, Peter immediately recognized him. “Oh, uh, h-hey, Mr. Wilson.”

“Hey, Peter,” Sam replied, glancing over as May made her way to her nephew.

Peter blinked up at his aunt as she cupped his face with her hands. “I have to go,” she said quietly. “Are you okay with him being here while I’m gone?”

Peter glanced over at the man. “Yeah, it’s fine. Don’t worry,” he told her, looking back. “I love you, May.”

“I love you too, Baby,” May said softly, kissing his forehead. She stayed like that for a moment before pulling away and turning to Sam. “I hate to leave, but I can’t be late for work.”

“That’s perfectly fine,” Sam assured her. “Thank you, Mrs. Parker.”

May smiled and nodded in reply before hurrying out the door, leaving Peter alone with Sam. For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke. Then, Sam straightened himself. “I think maybe it’s best to start with an apology,” the man said. When Peter gave him a confused look, he continued. “Germany. I’m not sure if I hurt you, but I apologize either way.”

“Oh, it’s— it’s fine, Sir,” he said quickly, fidgeting with his hands as he spoke. It had slipped his mind that the two had never spoke properly. Peter had seen him since Germany, both during the battle and then at Tony’s funeral, but they had never said anything to each other. They just nodded in acknowledgment of each other’s presence. A silent and mutual respect. “I, uh, I’m sorry, too.”

“You did a great job out there,” Sam continued. “Not just in Germany, but last month too. You’re quite the fighter. Strong, quick, witty. I was impressed, especially once I found out how old you really are.”

“Oh, uh, thanks,” Peter replied, giving him a weak smile. He glanced towards the couch and then back up at Sam. The man understood the silent question and nodded, allowing Peter to lead the way to the donated furniture.

“Okay,” Sam breathed. The man paused, looking around the apartment and taking everything in. “How are you and your aunt doing?”

“We’re okay,” Peter told him. “Everyone has been really nice about helping us get back on our feet. It. . . It’s different, but it’s alright. We have all that we need.”

“Good,” Sam replied. The man gave him a soft smile. Peter could tell that he was beating around the bush. There was something he wanted to say that he wasn’t saying. “If that ever changes, you will both have a spot ready for you at the tower. I know it would be an adjustment and it’s not ideal, but anything is better than nothing and it’s not too far.”

Peter blinked at Sam, a bit surprised. He knew from the news that the Avengers had rebought the old tower. The same tower that Toomes had attempted to rob, leaving Peter to crash a plane onto the beach at Coney Island. He didn’t know that he had a room that and so did May. “That’s— thank you, Sir. That’s amazing.”

Sam’s smile widened a bit at the wonder in the boy’s eyes. “Of course,” he replied. “You’re always welcome to visit, by the way. According to FRIDAY’s records, Spider-Man is a member of the team, after all.”

Peter flinched slightly at that. Technically, he was an Avenger. Tony had named him an Avenger on the ship before they reached Titan. His Iron Spider suit had the familiar “A” on the shoulder, blending in to the intricate web pattern. He was part of the team now.

If he could ever get back in the suit.

“Are you sure?” he asked finally, looking up at Sam. “I can come over anytime?”

“Positive,” Sam responded, leaning forward a bit. He paused and Peter thought he must be thinking about what to say next before he continued. “After everything, I think it’s important for the Avengers to be a real team again. Not just on the battlefield, but in life as a whole. We’re stronger together.”

Peter nodded in agreement. He had spent a lot of time wondering if, had the Avengers not been scattered, would they have won the original attack? It was hard to know for sure, but he felt like they would have had a better chance, at least. “Yeah, that makes sense,” he replied quietly.

“You’ll come, then?” Sam prompted.

Peter took a shaky breath, closing his eyes as he pondered. He wasn’t ready to put the suit back on yet. He definitely wasn’t ready to swing around New York fighting crime again, but maybe this was a solid place to start. “Yeah,” he told him, opening his eyes and looking at the man. “I’ll come by some time.”

“Perfect,” Sam replied. The man stood up and Peter followed suit. He was surprised when a hand reached forward, but took it and shook it as firm as he could. He was surprised when the man didn’t let go immediately, his eyes softening as they met Peter’s. “Rhodes told me that you and Stark were close. I just want you to know that we’re all here for you right now. I know you might not know or trust most of us too well just yet, but I promise that there’s not a single one of us who would turn you away if you need someone.”

“Thank you, Mr. Wilson,” Peter replied. Sam’s grip loosened a bit as the boy spoke softly. “I appreciate that.”

Sam gave a small nod before releasing Peter’s hand. “Drop by any time you’d like,” he told him. The man stepped back a bit towards the drop. “You know, I think Steve was right about you, Kid. You’ve got heart. Do us all a favor and never change that.”

Peter smiled as the man reached for the door. He looked to boy over one last time before making his way out, leaving Peter home alone. For several minutes, he just stood there thinking about everything that Sam had just said. About how he and the other Avengers felt about him. He wondered if they knew the fact that he hadn’t been in his suit since the battle. Did they realize that while the rest of them were out helping others get back on their feet he was sulking in his room?

For a moment he thought about leaving in the suit now. Maybe he could patrol for a few minutes. A few hours, even. He didn’t have to do anything major. He could just help out around town. Help the little guy again like he had wanted to do. Like he told Tony he was going to do.

When he made it back to his room and looked at his suit, however, it was too much. “Not today,” he whispered to himself. “Maybe some day soon, but not today.”

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Taking in the sights of Golden City

The Golden City sure is bright! Everything about it is so fascinating - the architecture, the roads, the trees - the place doesn't seem real. From traveling via whale taxi to the floating buildings and crystalline gazebos, it's no wonder Golden City is on top of many people's must see places before they die - mine included.

Seeing that Golden City seems to be in a world of its own, I never expected to run across a familiar face there - especially one who's currently in the process of renovating an old building to turn into her very own company. I've heard rumors but to see it actually happen - it seems so unreal.

Who would've thought that Ginko Okabe, director of a big marketing company, would start her own thing? And her business partner happens to be Benji Yoshino, a big hotshot tech genius. They crossed paths when Benji met up with the higher ups at Ginko's old workplace and at the time he happened to be acquainted with Manaka. Throw in Shiran then you've got three unlikely people who somehow ended up being friends with such a high profile figure.

Ginko's been super busy with the move from the metropolitan, strictly business city of Hailstorm Bay to the glowing, almost otherworldly place of Golden City. Now that her apartment's all set, the next step is getting the office building ready. So she and her friends have been busy with that for the past week.

With things moving smoothly, Ginko figured that they could all use a break. After all, it's not easy taking an hour long train to Golden City after a 9 to 5 shift to help clean up an old building as well as move furniture. She didn't expect her former coworkers to step up like that but they wouldn't let her hire a bunch of strangers to put her office together. With her giving them an opportunity to leave their monotonous, unfulfilling, (and sometimes toxic) work environment to be a part of her team, doing the heavy lifting was their way of thanking her.

Before heading out to meet up with Benji and Shiran, Ginko gave us a tour of the office. It's one thing to see snippets of the renovation on social media, it's another to see how much progress has been made in a week. What was once an old, run down building will soon be bustling with activity.

After seeing the office, we headed to the cafe and caught up with Benji and Shiran. They've been dating for a while but it wasn't until recently they were open about it. We all kinda suspected it so it wasn't a surprise when they made it official. First Manaka, now Shiran, what is it about diligent working class accountants that would draw in a wealthy, head in the clouds, tech genius like Benji?

How the former accountant and the eccentric millionaire came to be together is one of those stories where it all came down to chance. Benji first met Manaka through skydiving classes. Then they ran into each other again by chance on the streets around the same time he was installing a new security system for the company. Eventually word got out about their relationship, forcing Manaka to lay low for a while - which is partly why he and Shiran kept things under wraps for a long time. While they got along well, they didn't always meet eye to eye, especially about their futures. Manaka wanted stability while Benji jumped from one thing to another - it wasn't meant to be.

Running into Shiran was also a chance encounter. Shiran was interested in Manaka but the feeling wasn't mutual. The two met in college and ended up working in the same place, but aside from the office, they rarely saw each other outside of that. It took a while but Shiran was able to accept that while he and Manaka grew to become good friends, a romance wasn't in the cards for them.

Shiran and Benji literally bumped into each other on the streets and from there an unlikely friendship came about. Shiran was in awe of Benji at first because of his achievements, then slightly jealous when he found out he was dating Manaka, and then cool with him after the mutual breakup. Ginko was surprised to find them causally hanging out together. Soon the duo became a trio.

Things haven't been the same since Manaka's death. A series of workplace safety violations resulted in an explosion that injured many, even killing a few. Manaka, Shiran, and three other people were trapped in the basement, which was on the verge of collapsing, complicating the rescue. All five were rescued and taken to the hospital, where Manaka later died of her injuries. It happened suddenly, totally unexpected as she was fully conscious, alert, and walking when they found her.

Shiran fell into a deep depression for a while, leading to other problems. Ginko struggled a lot too but did her best to not let that affect her work. She later admitted that trying to do damage control over what happened was the hardest thing she ever did, one that made her completely disillusioned with the company. Benji, Ami and Karrie were grieving as well but kept a brave face in public.

Benji was the one who helped Shiran get back on his feet. He said that his biggest regret was not reaching out to Manaka after the breakup. While they were cool with each other and wanted to stay friends, they didn't do a good job of keeping in contact. Benji was out of town when the explosion happened and flew in as soon as he heard, planning to visit Manaka and Shiran at the hospital the next morning.

Just when all of that was behind them, an investigation of Manaka's death reopened the pain and grief for all of them. Apparently the doctor who treated her is on trial as several of his patients have died due to negligence in the past few years. In other words, the deaths of Manaka and many others could've been easily prevented if they had proper medical care. It's already bad enough that she died in a freak accident that shouldn't have happened, and now we find out that her death could've been avoided all together.

Just thinking about all that - damn. Manaka was sweet and spunky, a bit on the obedient and passive side, but always one to go out and try new things. I never understood why she always got the short end of the stick at work - and she certainly never deserved to have her life cut so short like this. Whenever I think about her, I can't help but wonder why the universe can be so unfair at times.

So with the thing going on with the doctor, people are being questioned and such, like Manaka's parents and Shiran for example. Thankfully Shiran doesn't have to testify or anything but the whole thing brought back painful memories for everyone. Shiran admitted that he's still a bit shaken up but he'll be fine. Benji's been like a rock for him, which is good.

Ginko said that since [redacted], Benji has come down to earth, or so others like to say. He's still got his head in the clouds, though no longer floating aimlessly in the sky - Manaka gave him some much needed perspective. He may be an eccentric billionaire with too much free time on his hands who is constantly daydreaming, but when he wants to make an effort, to make a change, to help a friend, he gives it his all.

It's clear how much he still loves Manaka, how she helped him shape up after spending most of his time doing whatever without much of a care. It's also clear how much he loves Shiran - the dedication it took to get him out of a bad place, he didn't have to put himself out there but he chose to. And from what I heard, it was a rough time all around - blackouts, alcohol, sleepless nights, listlessness, apathy - a continuous downward spiral for Shiran.

Since everyone was so busy with the move, Ginko and the guys didn't really have the chance to really explore Golden City. So I figured that now's a good time since we're all here and can experience the wonders of the city together.

First of all, riding the whale taxis is like floating on a cloud. We can choose to have our taxi act as a tour guide - which we did - and that made things a lot more fun! With public transportation as reliable and entertaining as this, who needs to spend extra money on cars? Our whale taxi was so sweet and informative - I can easily spend a day listening to them ramble on about Golden City - not that we haven't already! Because we enjoyed the tour so much, Benji had us booked with them for tomorrow so we have that to look forward to.

The floating gazebos are a must see in Golden City according to many reviews. Made from the finest environmentally safe materials, these gazebos were all built by hand, created to be enjoyed by all, whether it's to appreciate the architecture, hang out with friends, have some time to yourself or to gaze into the horizon. I think my favorite is the Prosperity Cliff gazebo, which overlooks the ocean, giving you a clear view of the mountains and islands. Prosperity Cliff isn't as busy this time of year because it's kinda chilly so it's nice to have the place to ourselves.

Maybe someday when we make another trip during the fall or spring we can take a trip up to the mountains. We probably won't be able to go far since it's kinda rough up there but I've heard there's some good spots for a picnic, a short hike, and maybe a swim depending on the time of day.

Of course, in between sightseeing and shopping we stopped by to enjoy the local cuisine. There's a lot of Japanese fusion places - including a Japanese-Cambodian one, which is one of Ginko's go-to restaurants for takeout because the sushi is top notch along with the soups - so that was an adventure as well!

Our plan was to get back to the hotel by eleven but of course we got distracted and spent an hour at the park watching the fireworks show. Shiran ended up missing the last train, though it's not a big deal as he usually crashes at Benji's place. By the time Daisy Jane and I got back to the hotel it was past one, which isn't too late by our standards. Good thing we won't be meeting up with the others until eleven tomorrow as that's morning for all of us.

Totally looking forward to more sights and wonders to enjoy tomorrow!

[kebinwooo]

quarantine time!!

tagged by @theyoungflexer as you all know! LOL thank you again chelle ^^

rules: answer these questions and tag 5 mutuals

1. Flowers or chocolates? chocolates! i like food LOL 

2. Between day and night I prefer: night (i accidentally became a night owl like two years ago and now... well...)

3. My favorite drink: boba hehehehe but i really like tea in general too! 

4. Between sunrise and sunset I prefer: sunsets

5. Between dogs and cats I prefer: oooooof hard question but imma go with cats. a cat lived in my flat last year at school and i miss him deeply T___T 

6. The vegetable i hate the most: idk brussel sprouts? i had a friend keep trying to convince me they’re good and each time just 🤮🤮

7. My favorite sound: uhhhhhhhh i’m blanking LMAO i kinda like how it sounds when it’s raining? but like only when i’m inside AHAHA 

8. The first thing I notice about people: their smile? idk LOL 

9. Would you prefer horror or fantasy? fantasy. i read too much ya fantasy for my own good (i say as if i actually read much anymore) also i’m a scaredy cat and cannot handle horror for my LIFE

10. I’d want to be stuck in a lift with: oh uh idk shownu? he’s such a generally calm person that it would (hopefully) balance out me panicking like crazy. plus it seems like he’ll actually figure out a way to get us out LOL 

11. What city or town you’d like to live in? i want to live in seoul one day (that sounds so kboo of me oh my god) but like not permanently i dont think. it just seems like it’d be a pretty fun experience. i would also love to live in oxford! i was studying there for a summer and it was just SO beautiful and i loved the town so much and AGH definitely want to go back

12. What I value most in life: love, peace and happiness? LMAO THAT SOUNDS SO CHEESY but i just want a peaceful, secure life surrounded with love and what makes me happy and i also want that for my loved ones too. basically i just want there to be good in the world 

13. If I could learn any skill, it’d be: cooking.... i literally can’t cook and that’s something i definitely need to learn at some point

14. Between the beach and the mountains, I prefer: beach but mostly bc i’m afraid of heights and have no stamina to hike LOL aesthetically tho? mountain!  i lived in near perfect view of mt. rainier back at college and i MISS HER SO MUCH

15. I’d love to get married in: i’d like to get married period LOL. but no specific place i have in mind tho? 

16. My hidden talent: ......i have no idea if i even have one?? nothing’s coming to mind so....

17. If I could bring anyone back to life, I’d bring back: jonghyun ;;

18. Why? i just... miss him ;; i want to be able to tell him he did really well and that many people love and miss him. i’m sure he’s in a better place now but i also just want to show him the amount of love he still has even tho he’s gone

19. Rainy or sunny day? SUNNY PLEASE. i have had enough rainy days living in washington to last my lifetime

20. Who’s the real model of your life? i’m assuming this means role model. in which case, honestly speaking, jun of ukiss. he’s super talented (QUADRUPLE THREAT) and capable and works super hard but is such a down-to-earth, humble guy who easily makes friends and loves deeply (nobody is a bigger ukiss fanboy than jun ;;) and i just admire the amount of dedication and passion he has

21. How I relax after a hard day: melting into the couch and staring into space LMAO i’m only half kidding. i also like to watch stupid youtube videos that makes me laugh and like not think

22. I like the way I look: ehhhhhhh.... i’m not exactly confident but i also don’t hate myself either

23. My most favorite facial features of myself is: ............... :) i don’t have an answer to that

24. My most favorite part of my body is: i have nice fingers hehe they’re long and pretty and i’ve gotten quite the few compliments on them so yeah 

25. If I could change anything about my body: MY OILY FACE

26. If yes, what’s it: I’VE HAD A BREAKOUT ON MY CHEEKS SINCE LIKE APRIL AND IT HASN’T CLEARED UP AND I’M ANGRY!!!!!!!!! PEOPLE LIKE JOOHEON WHO ARE BORN WITH NEAR PERFECT SKIN MAKE ME ANGRY!!!!! I WANT THAT FOR ME WHY IS IT SO HARD!!!!!!!

27. If I could change something from my past: i can’t tell? i mean as much as i regret some decisions in the past, i’m fine with where i am now, so i don’t think i would change anything drastic. superficially tho, i wish i could’ve gone to a bap or the rose concert at least once bc i MISS THEM AND I HAD MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO SEE THEM AND I DIDN’T TAKE THEM!!! WHICH WAS DUMB WHY DID I DO THAT

28. How many piercings I have: none LOL

29. I like makeup? no

30. I wear make up everyday: definitely no

31.My skin type is: def oily (see #25)

32. My skin tone: idk how to describe? i do know i got REALLY pale after i started going to college bc i got barely any sun exposure LMAO

33. My hair color: black and leftover red/auburn(?) from my dye job back in january

34. My height: 5′4″

35. My age: 20... BUT I’M TURNING 21 NEXT WEEK AHHHHHHH

36. My birthday: august 21 :) 

37. My best friend: if you’re reading this melissa, it’s definitely not you >:( i’m kidding LOL i have several best friends and now that i’m listing it out in my head i’m like oh i have at least five if not a few more... idk what that says about me. i’m a loving person alright?

38. I have a pet or more: not anymore :(( warrior fish i miss you T_T

39. If I don’t, I’d like to adopt: no. imma be honest i suck at taking care of pets and i cannot handle the responsibility of another living being so even if i want a pet, i really know i shouldn’t get one

40. Video games or social media: social media 

41. I’ve visited outside my country: yep. i have a major case of wanderlust 

42. I’ve an innocent/dirty mind: depends? i have a dirtier mind than some of my friends but also sometimes dirty things just fly over my head and i’m left blinking innocently at the situation like wut o-o

43. Someone proposed me or asked me out?  LMAO NO. i’ve been single since birth. i got asked to formal once but like.... it was the world’s lamest/dumbest asking and i didn’t end up going bc it was super last minute lmao

44. If yes, then I liked it and accepted or the opposite: read above

45. Do you follow some celebrities’ fashion: no? i have bought like a thing or two bc i thought a celebrity wearing it was cool but i never deliberately followed somebody’s fashion

46. What do you think about your fashion sense: plain, comfy, really generic LOL

47. You found someone copying your fashion: lmao my fashion sense is too generic for anybody to copy/want to follow so nice try

48. Can you do your makeup properly: uhhhhhhhhhh like the very very very basics: foundation, concealer, blush, eyeshadow. that’s about it

49. You go or used to go with makeup to school: still a no

50. What color suits you best? i wear a lot of gray, black, blue, green, turquoise/teal and purple LOL also a lot of stripes. but i think army green suits me best

51. Finally, how is quarantine going? ehhhhhhh about as good as it can go. 

not tagging anyone again but feel free to do this if you want!

[triptuckers]

Unexpected surprise - George Smith

Request: Yes: hey! I know you probably have quite a few nhc requests but you're amazing at writing angst so could you write a fight/argument one with George with the dialogue prompt of “I wish I’d never laid eyes on you.”?? thanks! Pairing: George Smith x reader Summary: You’re in a relationship with George and decide to surprise him, but things don’t go as expected. Warnings: Sad shit!!!!! For real like wow this does not have a happy ending. Word count: 1.9K A/N: Even though this is sad as hell I had fun writing it. Thank you so much for requesting this, I hope you like it!! By the way this is not proof read so sorry if there are any mistakes. Enjoy reading :)

Seven months. That’s how long it’s been since George had asked you to be his girlfriend. And of course, you said yes. You were in love with the man, how could you say no? It didn’t go as you had always imagined, though. Because George was at his parents’ place and you were at yours. George lived in the UK and you lived in US. Literally an ocean apart. You met him at a bar when you were visiting a friend of yours back in London. He caught your eye, you caught his. The two of you started to talk and at the end of the night you had exchanged numbers. You’ve been talking ever since.

You had seen him 3 times. Well, 4, if you count the one time you saw him at the airport for 30 minutes as well. Long distance relationships could be hard. Both you and George knew that. But seven months later, you still are very happy with each other.

The last time you saw George was about two months ago. Of course, you always text and facetime a lot, but you miss having him around. You miss hearing his voice in person, his arms around you, his loving forehead kisses and his giggles. That’s why you decided to surprise him while he was on tour. The band had a tour planned across the US and Canada. In between the shows, their schedule was packed with interviews and photoshoots. George had told you all that to show you he really wanted to visit you, but with the busy schedule it just wasn’t possible. You would have to wait for another few weeks.

But you couldn’t wait for another few weeks. You really, really needed so see him. Which is why you are currently sitting in a café near the venue of tonight’s show. You were going to make sure to stand in the crowd near the stage, on George’s side. You could already imagine the look on his face when he’d spot you. The minutes go by slow as you wait. Even though you hadn’t told the fans you were dating yet, you didn’t feel like being surrounded by teenage girls who were all claiming to be in love with your boyfriend. George, your boyfriend, who you were in love with. And who was in love with you.

A few hours have passed and you glance at the clock again. It’s still a bit early, but nevertheless you decide to head over to the venue. The doors would open in about 45 minutes. When you reach the venue, you see it’s just what you expected. A lot of girls waiting excitedly in a long queue. You walk all the way to the end of it and wait. After a while, the doors finally open and everyone begins to move toward them. The crowd takes you to the door and after a lot of pushing and pulling, you’re inside. You make your way over to George’s side and you fix your hair and outfit a bit. Those girls sure know how to fight their way all up to the front.

During the two support acts, you dance a bit and sing along to the choruses of the songs. They are talented, and actually really good, but they’re not why you’re squeezed in between a lot of girls. After the second support act ends, the pre-show playlist starts playing again. Some of the girls sing along to songs they recognize, others text their friends or update their social medias about the show.

Suddenly, the song fades away and the lights turn off. You’re glad you brought earbuds with you, because you have never heard a crowd scream and yell this loud. And the noise grows even louder when the band enters the stage. First there’s George. He’s wearing a white and blue shirt, one of your favorites. He’s followed by Blake and lastly by Reece. About halfway through their set, George notices you. But it’s not the reaction you expected. You expected him to be happy to see you. But instead, George’s widen for a second before turning his head the other way. And he doesn’t look happy at all. You frown and keep your eyes focused on George, but he doesn’t look at you for the rest of the show.

When it’s over, you quickly make your way outside. You know where the backstage door is, and you begin to maneuver through the crowd. Once you’ve finally made your way to the door, it’s obviously locked. You knock on it, thinking maybe Ben, their manager, or someone who works at the venue might open the door.

Luckily, the door opens, revealing someone who works at the venue. He looks at you and raises his eyebrows. ‘The Meet & Greet was hours ago, before the show.’ he says. ‘I know, I’m not here for a Meet & Greet. I’m here to see my boyfriend, George. He’s in the band that performed.’ you explain. The man chuckles and rolls his eyes. ‘Pretty sure every teenage girl who is here would say that to get in.’ he says. He tries to shut the door but a voice cuts him off. ‘Y/N?’ You can’t help but to smile when you hear his voice. Behind the man appears another man. He has familiar blue eyes and his blonde hair is messy and sweaty. ‘Hi George.’ you say.

After telling the security guy it’s okay, George takes your hand and walks through the halls of the venue. He’s walking fast, and you don’t know why. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact he didn’t look at you during the show. George suddenly stops in front of a door, opens it, and enters the room, pulling you with him. You look around the room. It’s a dressing room, probably George, Blake and Reece’s.

You look at George. He’s standing a few feet away from you. One hand on his hip, the other raised to pinch his nose bridge. You watch him, waiting for him to start talking. George sighs deeply and finally looks at you. ‘What are you doing here, Y/N?’ he asks. You look him in the eye and frown. ‘Thought you’d be happy to see me.’ you say, sounding a bit sad. ‘Yeah, no I am, I am happy to see you it’s just, you surprised me, that’s all.’ says George with a quick smile. You narrow your eyes at him. ‘Is that so?’ you say. ‘Then why did you not look at me the entire show? I know you noticed me during the fifth song or so.’ ‘You just caught me off guard, that’s all.’ George assures you. ‘That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t look at me.’ you say.

George opens his mouth to answer you but is interrupted by the door of the dressing room opening. You turn around and see Blake and Reece. Bailee is there as well, along with Ben, Tanner and Joe. You shoot them a quick smile. Reece smiles at you before turning his attention to George. ‘Well, George, who is this lovely lady?’ he asks. You frown. Did Reece not know who you are? You’ve been with George for over seven months. He must have mentioned you, right? ‘This is Y/N.’ says George, avoiding eye contact with you. ‘Y/N, huh? And what are you doing here? Were you in the audience?’ asks Reece kindly. You look at George. ‘You didn’t tell them about me?’ you say. George looks at you but doesn’t say anything. You look in his eyes and feel your heart ache. You nod sadly. ‘Right. Got it. You’re ashamed of me? I think it would be best if I left, wouldn’t it?’ you say. ‘No, Y/N, come on, I’m glad you’re here, I really am.’ George says quickly. Tears start to form in your eyes. ‘George, I don’t believe you.’ you say and you leave the dressing room as fast as you can.

You hear George’s footsteps behind you but you keep making your way to the nearest exit. You’ve almost reached the doors when George grabs your arm and spins you around. ‘Y/N, come on, let me explain.’ he says. ‘Explain what? That you’re ashamed of me? That you didn’t even tell your friends about me? After seven months? What about your family, George? Your parents. Did you tell them about me? Do they know I exist?’ you say and tears begin to roll down your cheeks. George seems to struggle as he things of an answer. Your mouth falls open and you chuckle sadly and look away. ‘You didn’t even tell your mom about me?’ you say. ‘I didn’t tell her because I thought-‘ ‘We wouldn’t last.’ you interrupt him. ‘I know you had your doubts about this when we started it all. I knew you had doubts about us, about a long distance relationship. But you promised me it would work, George. You said that no matter what, we would work it out. How can we last when none of your friend and family know about me?’ George raises his hand to wipe your tears away but you push his hand away. ‘Don’t touch me.’ you say softly and your voice breaks. ‘Y/N, please, come on love we can work this out.’ says George. You shake your head. ‘I don’t want to.’ you say. You see there are tears in his eyes as well now. ‘No, no, Y/N, we can work this out, we’ll be okay.’ says George. ‘We’ve been together for over seven months, George. And after all this time, you have never told anyone about me. It hurts. Because I talk about you to my friends and family. About how much I care about you. About how in love I am. About how much I miss you when you’re not around. But I guess those feelings were never mutual, were they?’ you say. You take a deep breath and sigh. ‘I can’t do this anymore, George.’

You turn around and walk toward the exit. George stops you again. ‘Y/N will you give me a second chance?’ he says. And at those words, you snap. You’ve had enough. ‘No, George, I will not.’ you say and he looks at you shocked. ‘I am done with all of this, George. You didn’t even tell your best friends about me. You didn’t even tell your family about me. I’m done being your little secret. I start to wonder if you ever even loved me. Because I did love you, but not anymore. You hurt me, George. Go find some other girl who lives next door. Maybe you will introduce her to your friends.’ George looks sad but at this point, you don’t care anymore. You need to pour your heart out. ‘You know what?’ you say. ‘It all started at that bar. I wish I’d never laid eyes on you. We’re done.’ You can almost feel your heart break at the words. Nevertheless, you turn around and march to the doors. This time, George doesn’t stop you. You angrily wipe your tears away. You didn’t want to spend another minute being someone’s secret.

You slam the door shut and leave George behind. He stands in the hallway, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. He realizes that in a way, you are right. No one deserves to be with someone who would keep them a secret. But still, his heart aches as he looks at the closed door. Maybe it’s for the best. Then again, everyone’s heart breaks eventually. And everyone has a first love they lose.

A/N: If you want to request something, make sure to read my house rules Here’s the list of characters I write for. Everything that I have written can be found on my masterlist. Please don’t repost my work, as I spend much time and effort on it!! Thank you for reading! Much love, Jo

[fourangers]

Some bad porn can turn out to be good (2/3)

Summary: “Why are you watching porn on broad daylight and…is this…is this a blond guy fucking a japanese man?”

Who would have thought that porn watching could have such enlightening results. NaruSasu, blow job, anal sex, mutual pining without angst, Comedy, Romance, AU working in an advertisement agency. Some InoSaku.

AO3 link | ffnet link

Chapter 1

AN: We might probably get bunch of technical terms inside advertisement agencies since I’m taking advantage that I work in this field ayyy. It won’t take too long. Why did I write an AU related to my work? Errrr…'cuz I'm too lazy to research a job I'm not familiar with? Hohoho . This chapter there’s blow job.

⏤.⏤ 

“We’re going to enter a competition.”

Everyone managed to keep a poker face, even though they were groaning inside.

The CEO of the agency continued his speech. "It's going to be tough, but I swear if we win it's going to be very worthwhile. The client wants to make an annual campaign, aiming to boost the sales by giving prizes to their clients.”

“So it's the usual being part of a club, earning points that converts to goodies thing.” Sasuke muttered.

“Yes…but they also want to use this opportunity to expand their sales to other states. South and South-west is already guaranteed that most grocery stores have their products, so they want to concentrate on Center states, North and North-east. That means they are willing to spend about 1 billion to any ad agency that will get this case. The presentation is scheduled on the next month, where we need to showcase the whole yearly strategy, alongside the Key Visuals within each season and a spreadsheet about budget planning.”

This time all the workers grimaced in varying degrees of expression.

Shikamaru raised his hand in question. “So is the whole agency going to concentrate in developing this whole campaign on those following weeks?”

The managers in each sector glanced at each other before the Creative Director explained. “We will, but not entirely. We’ll organize planning, brainstorming fitting with producer analysts. Meanwhile, our art directors will be focusing delivering the daily jobs with our steady clients. When it’s your time to design everything, we already talked with our account managers who will ask for a longer deadline for more meaningless things, other jobs we will hire some freelancers to take care of it. Of course, there’ll be some that will require your direct attention and/or need to be sent daily like social media posts. There will be some days you’ll work overtime.”

The CEO hurried to add. “But we’ll pay the dinner, taxis and everything, and you guys can ask for some days off after that. You’ll have to negotiate with your respective leaders. Like I’ve said, I promise all that this is worth it, if we secure this campaign we won’t have any financial issue this whole year. If we win, I vouch that by the end of the year I’ll pay everyone a trip to Las Vegas all-included for a week.”

That caught everyone’s attention, with good bunch of people clapped and some hoot called.

Encouraged by his workers’ cheers, the CEO continued. “Also, on that day when they announce that we won, we’ll just drop the pen. No more work that day, everyone can go home and relax or join us to celebrate in a bar. So is everybody in?” Most enthusiastic employees and younger people shouted with excitement. “Good! So let’s get this started! Your management will explain more with details ok?”

“Alright.” Their Creative Director mumbled once all the team were in a room. “We’re still in the process to properly accommodate this whole mess honestly, so I have some bad news. Every art director needs to deliver the primary main Key Visual by the end of this week.” Naruto groaned, with other mumbled protests and grunts coming from his fellow coworkers. “And I’m going to keep things exciting here. This time I’m going to sort with a new AD/copywriter/planner team, to make the ideas fresher. First copywriters come forth and write your name here and put in the box, where I’ll select randomly with which planner you’ll be paired with. Then ADs will do the same and we’ll form the trio.”

This situation was all kinds of boring; Sasuke thought to himself, but his heart skipped a beat once he glimpsed blue eyes standing out of the crowd while he folded his piece of paper. His streak of good luck couldn’t possibly stretch this far, right, he’d be probably asking for too much at this point of the story.

“Last team will be…Sakura as planner, Sasuke as the copywriter and Naruto as the AD.”

Thank God in Heaven.

“HmmmMmmmmmMMmmm, well well well.” Sakura approached Sasuke, beaming widely as they both watched the blond man from afar. “I guess it’s about time you should restock your lube and some condoms, right?”

“Sakura.” Sasuke warned her, when Naruto noticed them and waved his hand, they waved back.

“What? ‘M just sayin’, you know, just sayin’...” 

“Sakura, your weak attempts of gangster lingo is appalling, I advise you to keep your opinions to yourself and do not try to make any innuendos regarding me and Naruto. Knowing that dumbass, I’m pretty sure it’s going to backfire.”

“Hmm…okay, point taken.” She agreed begrudgingly, while they walked to pick the briefing. Naruto was already reading the content, and curled his lips upwards.

“Hey guys! It’s been a while since I worked with y’all right? I’m sure it’s gonna be great.”

Sakura nodded and smiled back. “So…what kind of KV you need to create now? Hopefully nothing too crazy.”

“Yeah, it’s not that bad.” Naruto sighed. “We have to create the main one that provides enough visual explanation about the campaign but since it’s annual, there’ll be secondary thematic KVs like Christmas, Black Friday, Easter and so on. So it has to have enough personality, but not that much so it’s customizable. That’s the whole trick.”

Sakura grimaced. “That sounds tough.”

“Right, by the way, now that I just heard Naruto…” The creative director chimed in. “No one is going to get extra brownie points if your KV is chosen, you’ll all send to me and people will vote solely according to their preferences, they won’t know who designed it.”

Naruto turned around, throwing a significant glance. “We’re gonna win this, obviously.”

Sasuke snorted. “Obviously.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Alright, the first KV is up to you two, meanwhile I’ll do some research about the client and this campaign, and share through e-mail.”

“Alright cool, thanks for the help.” Naruto grinned. “I mean, ignoring all the chaos we’ll face in the next few weeks, I’m excited to be working with you guys! We won pretty cool competitions together right.”

Sasuke was excited too, but for entirely different reasons. He noticed Sakura staring towards him with a knowing smile. 

She said. “I’m looking forward to work with you too. Well, I got to go now.” She patted Sasuke’s back, messing with Naruto’s hair before she went away.

“Maybe we should re-read the briefing, see if there’s any info that will help us out.” Sasuke slid smoothly next to Naruto till their shoulders touched, vision focused on the piece of paper the blond man was holding, getting so close Sasuke could feel the steady breathing on his face.

Sasuke focused his gaze back to Naruto, noticing the raised eyebrows. Naruto muttered. “Ok sure, let me read it outloud for you. And then, I guess I’ll search for some references for inspiration then.”

Sasuke had less than half his mind to really listening with whatever Naruto was reciting, his entire attention aimed to see if the art director recoiled or showed any discomfort towards his close proximity. He actually appeared to be further relaxed instead, and this undoubtedly counted as a positive sign. Sasuke had been growing even closer to him in those latest days, but no matter how much he tried to imply he wanted to be included in Naruto’s possible dating pool, that dumbass was oblivious to it all. 

He’s going to use this rare chance to make his point across, since his subtle signals went unnoticed. 

Soon they finished brainstorming, Naruto groaned as they went back to their station. “Man, I just hope we won’t overwork too much. And if we win this account, I hope that the client is easier to swallow than most.”

Sasuke smirked. “All clients are hard to swallow. Just some gives you a different first impression once they were gliding through your throat.”

Naruto halted on his steps stupefied and retorted. “I can’t believe that an uptight asshole like you is spouting a dirty innuendo at any time you can get nowadays.”

“I see no problem doing so, now that we share a common interest.” He said in a monotone voice.

Naruto studied Sasuke for a while, before he shook his head and snorted. “You’re one of a kind, man.”

⏤.⏤.⏤ 

“Well! Now that we received all the material, as well as the chosen KV, let’s get started with our own work.”

“I guess…”

“Hn.”

“I’m excited to see all our ideas come together and trade some back and forth.”

“Hm…”

“Yeah…”

Sakura rolled her eyes and continued. “...anyways, I made a rough sketch about our part of the project, but it's nice having this brainstorm so we can come up with cool ideas so I can refine my planning.”

Naruto whined. “...man, I'm not looking forward opening Shika's psd file. He doesn't name his layers, doesn't organize into folders and for some crazy reason he knows how to find it himself. Honestly it's easier to find a needle in a haystack than navigate through his KV.”

“I still can't believe that he won this round. I mean, it's visually appealing for sure, but ours were good too.” Sasuke muttered. “Well, Temari is this client’s account manager so it's quite understandable. That man can create wonders for his girlfriend.”

“Yeah…bet that she promised one night of kinky sex and Shika is ready to move mountains for her. For a lazy guy like him, that's pretty impressive.”

“Agreed.”

Sakura stared in deadpan and sighed. “Alright boys, will you quit being such sore losers and focus on the job for a second?”

Naruto threw his head to the back with a sigh and Sasuke sniffed imperiously.

“Alright, since we’re responsible with the summer campaign part, I already searched some marketing activations done on beaches, as well as some we could do on music festivals.” She said.

“I already have some sketches in mind to the KV, but roughly it’ll be a lot of orange and blue colors. They are always a good contrast.”

“Noted, I’ll write some slogans with this in mind.” Sasuke said. “Oh, by the way, have you heard from Temari that they are asking around if a celebrity is interested to endorse our campaign?”

“Yeah, she told me that!” Naruto exclaimed. “At least they are going to hire some celebrity to substitute the guy in Shika’s KV, and I’m so glad ‘cuz that guy was like...super fucking pale.”

Sasuke opened the aforementioned picture on his laptop and mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows. “He doesn’t look that bad.”

Naruto craned his neck closer to him, switching between looking at Sasuke and the man in the KV and widened a mischievous grin. “Yeah, you’re right…he appeared that he actually saw the sun at least once in his life…unlike you.”

“Excuse me. I assure you that I fit in the criteria just as well as he would.” He rebutted, lifting his chin.

“What?!” Naruto guffawed. “You look like you never went to the beach once!”

“I do have indeed, I just take good care of my skin. Aesthetically speaking, I could be an excellent choice to represent this campaign.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “You’re so fucking full of yourself. Yeah yeah yeah, we all know you’re a pretty boy, what else is new.”

“That while I may be a good choice, I’m sure you, instead, is on the other side of spectrum.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat⏤!!” Naruto protested. “I’m the perfect embodiment of summer, you asshole!”

“You sure? I mean, you always wear baggy clothes.” Sasuke smirked. “Maybe it’s to hide some beer belly under your t-shirt.”

The blond man abruptly stood up from his seat and yanked his t-shirt upward to show his lean, sun-kissed stomach. Sasuke managed to mask his total interest by resting his chin on his palm with a languid raise of an eyebrow. “See?! Feast your eyes with my sexy self!”

“I’m supposed to be amazed by this? I mean…I think I can see some belly fat over there.”

“That’s my six pack, that’s what I have you bastard! My abdomen is 100% sturdy muscle. You can touch it if you want.” 

Don’t mind if I do. “Since you insist.” Sasuke uttered in the most bored tone he could muster. Licking his lips, he raised his hand, feeling the silky warmth once he brushed over the tanned skin. He noticed how it twitched under his fingertips, giving a rush of excitement through his veins. “I’m not entirely convinced, it feels pudgy to be true.”

“Pudg⏤you’re not doing it right, you should touch here, bastard.” Naruto grabbed his wrist to let his hand have full contact on the taut stomach, sinewy muscles and all. “See?”

“Ah...yes. I guess I do. Maybe.” Sasuke kept the airy voice, even if he was sliding down to each bump of Naruto’s abs, fingers skimming through the belly button. “I guess you did prove me wrong.”

“I did, right? Told you I was right.” Naruto grinned, puffing his chest.

“Hm.” His thumb caressed languidly his belly, graphite eyes zeroed onto blue ones. Naruto’s victorious beam faltered noticing Sasuke’s heated gaze, staring back with a little bit of hesitancy.

Sakura was torn between being amused and exasperated while she observed the unfolding situation. Dear Lord, it was almost like they had forgotten she’s in the room, wasn’t it? No wait, they probably were aware of her presence, since Sasuke had the look that he’d tear Naruto’s t-shirt apart if only she wasn’t there right now. She cleared her throat.

“Alright Naruto, now that you had your fun letting Sasuke grope all over your body, can we go back to the brainstorm we were having?”

Jumping startled, Naruto dropped his t-shirt in an instant looking exactly like a deer caught in the headlights. Sasuke however, glared at her for the unwanted interruption. Sakura smiled. They just make it so easy for her to tease. 

Soon they focused on the task at hand, right on time when Naruto’s stomach started growling in protest.

“I guess that’s it for now, my boys. Ino and I are thinking about going to a restaurant close by. You want to tag along?” 

“Thanks for the invite, but I brought my lunch box.” 

“Hm, yeah! Me too, sorry ‘bout that Sakura. Next time for sure.” 

“Sure Naruto! Next time.” Sakura threw a side glance towards Sasuke, a lopsided grin broadening on her lips. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. 

“Please don’t tell me you’re eating Ramen Cup again.” Sasuke grumbled, while they were walking to the cafeteria.

“My dad actually nagged me about it, so I’m eating something else this time.” Naruto sighed. “Wow, I guess everyone already ate their lunch, this place is so empty.” 

“This is not a bad thing, we won’t have to wait in line to heat the food in the microwave.”

Naruto perked up. “You’re right! We’ll be able to eat calmly and slowly.”

“Sure, and if we have enough free time, we could watch some porn together.”

Naruto rolled his eyes and grinned. “Yeah, doesn’t sound bad, we can even do some good ol’ hand jobs to each other while we watch, what do you think?”

“Not a bad idea, where do I sign up?” 

Naruto swallowed dryly, shifting his gaze sideways to hide Sasuke’s piercing eyes. Rubbing the back of his neck, he chuckled. “You know, sometimes I really don’t get if you’re joking or talking seriously.”

Sasuke let his hand glide through the tanned arm. “Take off your pants and we’ll see.”

Naruto slacked his mouth, staring flabbergasted. “Yeah sure, let’s just skip lunch and do it right now.” When he witnessed the eager face Sasuke was making, he scoffed. “I’m kidding, you crazy bastard. C’mon, let’s get to eat ‘cuz I’m really fucking hungy I could eat a whole cow.”

Frowning, Sasuke obeyed nevertheless.

⏤.⏤.⏤.⏤

The drumming on fingers on the table followed the constant buzz of the coffee machine, stopping once it was done. He picked his mug, inhaling the nice fragrance and sighing while he went to his seat. Sipping in long, paused gulps, he observed blue eyes focused on the task at hand. His hand rested on Naruto’s thigh, but the latter didn’t show any significant reaction, either he was too busy to notice or he didn’t mind such close touch.

Sasuke inclined his whole body towards Naruto, his mouth settling inches from his ear. “Need any help?”

Naruto stiffened for a second, before dropping his shoulders. “Hm, yeah, actually…if it’s not too much, can you change your text with shorter words? So it’ll be easier to organize the blocks of text and make it more aesthetically pleasing.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but nodded nevertheless. Throughout this entire week where they were all huddled together, he made sure he used the most blatant flirting in his arsenal but even if Naruto recognized it (which is somewhat a showcase of evolution), he appeared to rebuff most of them. 

Sitting on the table in front of them, Sakura typed non-stop, occasionally peeking on their interaction. This was so much more entertaining than those sugary drama series she and Ino would binge watch at night. If it depended on Sasuke, he would sit on Naruto’s lap and ride him all week, and he was very determined to reach this goal. She’d pity him if this appeared to be a lost cause, but she definitely noticed Naruto seldom glancing Sasuke’s back when he thought no one would see, eyes locked with a ferocious hunger adorning on his face, before returning to hide behind the monitor in haste.

Yep. Very entertaining.

However, this was probably the 4th or 5th night (or maybe more, they lost count) they stayed extra hours working on this project and their brains were already screaming for help. Sakura was yawning non-stop, Naruto was rubbing his eyes while he was erasing some background with his tablet, and even if Sasuke was the most resilient of the trio, he realized that he was rewriting his texts more than the usual.

“Naruto⏤” Sakura called, the blond AD grunted in response. “I’m done writing the marketing strategies. How much have you done so you can send me some layouts?”

Naruto dropped the pen, scratching his head. “Honestly, I think I’m going to take a while. I’m staring at the same shit for about an hour, and there’s still tons of other things to do on the list. I’m gonna wash my face, chug more coffee till I’m awake enough to do anything.”

“Alright, that does sound pretty ominous. I guess⏤” She stretched her arms and yawned. “I’m exhausted and I don’t think I’ll be much of a help staying any longer. Do you mind if I go home now?”

Both young men shook their heads and Naruto added. “Sure, you look pretty tired.”

“I’ll arrive early tomorrow to put everything you’ll do tonight. Just remember to put on the server before you go. And once you’re done, you two better rest well ok. I’ll talk to our boss that you were up all night and you’ll arrive late tomorrow.” She picked her purse and smiled. “Well, I’m out. You boys better behave!” She said as she threw a significant glance towards Sasuke, and went on her way.

Naruto was still had his hands busy adjusting the picture, so he muttered. “So. You’re almost done too?”

“Yes, I already send you the e-mail. But I’m going to stay until you’ve finished.”

“Oh cool, great. Actually, I’m happy you’re staying the night.” Sasuke widened his eyes, though Naruto grinned playfully. “In case I need your help to tweak other things.”

Sasuke scoffed. “Well, I have to be here in case I need to fix your screw ups.”

“You never waste an opportunity to be a bastard, do you.”

“Well, you like it. Anyways…” Sasuke sat on a chair next to the blond man, their legs bumping to each other. “Let’s check if the new text helps you out.”

“Hm.” Naruto opened the document and began changing each layout, seemingly unbothered by the close proximity. After a while, the blond man could feel eyes practically boring holes through his gaze, and he shifted around his seat. "Jesus man, do you ever blink?!" 

"I'm bored." Was his nonplussed answer. 

"Then go check your facebook, instagram, whatever."

"Not interested." Sasuke recited with the same droned tone. 

"Check the news, go piss off some Trump supporters on the comments session." 

"I've already exhausted all the latest feed."

"Well then…" Naruto shrugged. "You tried Buzzfeed?" 

Sasuke gave him a look.

"What?" 

Sasuke sighed, picking up his notebook. "Alright, I better let you concentrate on your task or we will work till sunrise." He smirked. "I could take a page of your book and watch porn." 

Naruto laughed. “Please don’t.”

“...why?”

Because I’ll get hard if I see you jerking off. “Because reasons.” Naruto muttered.

“How eloquent.” Sasuke snorted. “Is the sight of a man masturbating such a turn off to you?”

“What? You know I like guys, why are you even asking this question?”

Just making sure. “So your problem surrounds exclusively to me then.”

Naruto almost bit his tongue, coughing. “No⏤no, no no no. I mean⏤” He coughed again, making an incredulous face. “Whaaaaat⏤noooo, where did you get this idea??”

Sasuke widened his smirk. “You didn’t give me valid explanations, so I have to make some assumptions on my own.”

“Yeah yeah well, you’re wrong, it’s really not what you’re thinking, you arrogant bastard.” Naruto grumbled.

“Hm. So you’re not even a little bit interested seeing then?”

Tilting his head to one side, Naruto said. “Seeing what?”

Sasuke didn’t answer his query, opting to type a very recognizable gay porn website, while he widened his legs. 

Naruto’s jaw dropped. “No, hey. Don’t do that⏤we gotta, I gotta concentrate ya know.” 

Smirking, Sasuke noted the slight panic in his voice. “So I do distract you.”

“Anyone would be distracted with porn nearby, that has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh? So you wouldn’t mind if I do this…” Sasuke adjusted on his seat, fingers sliding his shirt upwards.

Swallowing dryly, Naruto still managed to roll his eyes. “No, you look ridiculous and I really need to finish designing those pieces.”

Sasuke ignored him, clicking some random video and skipped directly to the good part. Naruto jumped from his seat when he heard a long moan, and threw a dirty glare despite receiving a nonchalant response in return. 

“Really? Really?” Naruto groaned, placing his headphones on his ears and putting the loudest music possible. “Some people are actually trying to work over here, ya know!”

Sasuke picked his laptop, tilting it so the screen wouldn’t be facing the blond man. In this brief period of silence, he concentrated in moving an object in Photoshop, till he caught some movement on the corner of his eye. The dark blue shirt was yanked up, completely exposing Sasuke’s lean stomach. He reached the button of pants, opening and dragged the zipper down in an unhurried pace. Naruto drank on the sight of the dark grey boxers, noting all the shadows and bumps beneath it, revealing what was definitely a rather impressive size. Pale fingers glided over the smooth fabric, and Naruto just couldn’t tear this image away from his eyes. He licked his parched lips when Sasuke kept palming on his boxers, though it took to a sudden halt. Naruto almost bemoaned outloud until he realized that Sasuke was staring back at him with quirked lips.

Sasuke flicked one side of Naruto’s headphones, whispering. “Enjoying the show?”

Scowling, he hunched his shoulders. “Do you enjoy being such a exhibitionist bastard?”

“In most occasions, no, not really.” Putting his arm around Naruto’s chair, Sasuke closed in. “Only to few selected people I’m interested in.”

Sasuke studied how blue eyes widened vividly, mouth slack though they didn’t break the gaze trained to each other. Naruto appeared to fall in realization, hastily turning his head to look on his monitor. Sasuke’s fingers reached to the tips of blond hair, tucking it behind the ear before he cupped the tanned cheek, succeeding to let Naruto’s vision trail back towards him. He was getting so close, he could feel the heat emanating from the bronzed skin. When blue eyes were half-lidded, with heartbeats racing, he also shut his own eyes.

Naruto let out a very wide, epic and loud yawn.

“Oh shit. I’m so sorry. I⏤” Naruto yawned again. “I’m so fucking tired man, I swear. Sorry ‘bout that.”

Since the whole mood had evaporated to thin air, Sasuke released his face at once, going back to his seat and zipped his pants. “It’s okay. It’s already over 10 after all.”

“Yeah, I’m beyond exhausted. There’s not a lot of things left to do though, it won’t take too much of our time.”

“Fine.” Sasuke grumbled, in his usual monotone voice. “I’ll stop bothering you then.”

Naruto scratched his head, unable to come up with anything to disperse the dark cloud looming on Sasuke’s head. He returned to his task, a quiet air settle between them with the occasional help coming from the brunet copywriter. 

“Alright, finally! It’s the last layout I’m doing today.” Naruto stretched his arms, groaning. “I still need to put all the images in the system, it’s going to take a while.”

Sasuke picked his smartphone, standing up. “I’m going downstairs for a quick smoke then, before it’s all done.”

“Yeah sure! Thanks a lot Sasuke.” Naruto beamed, with an acknowledging nod in return. Once the dark-haired man was out of his sight, he released a loud sigh. Thank God for his baggy pants.

Okay, now he gotta go to the bathroom fast. Sasuke usually spent long minutes for his cigarette break, so he better seize this opportunity well.

⏤.⏤ 

Sasuke inhaled a puff a smoke, glaring at the fallen ashes. Tonight all signs pointed out that he didn’t have any possible chance being involved with Naruto. Maybe it’s time for him to start giving up, even in the most blatant flirting that dumbass just yawned back at him.

Growling, his foot crushed the half-used cigarette to the ground, his bad mood escalating. He hated the idea of having to step down, but he also didn’t want to push his feelings if Naruto was uncomfortable. 

This sucked. Sasuke sighed, walking back to the entrance. He couldn’t wait for this night to be over so he could just go back to his apartment and drink his sorrows away, or something like that. Anything to forget the twisting pain wrenching his heart.

However, once he was back to the ad agency, he noticed that Naruto wasn’t on his seat. He shrugged, walking towards the bathroom. Maybe he’d see the blond man drinking the twelfth cup of coffee in a row, rocking his body back and forth, he’d probably fall asleep while standing. The thought of this made him chuckle a little.

The kitchen was also empty. Sasuke resumed his steps towards the bathroom until he froze on the spot.

He heard a moan.

The pitch of the moan was very recognizable as well. And considering they were the only people left in this entire building and the voice was so deliciously familiar, Sasuke remained standing still, listening to the pleased grunts as it grew in cadence. He almost wanted to scream in frustration. This idiot just couldn't wait for a more appropriate time to do his business, could he? Now Sasuke was sure those moans will plague his dreams for the next few months for sure.

"Ah…" Naruto groaned in a way that shot straight to his groin. Sasuke bumped his head on the door, this dumbass was driving him insane. He better go away. “Ahnnngh⏤” Right fucking now. “Ah⏤Sa…”

“Sasuke…”

He did a double-take, shaking his head. He’s hallucinating, he must be. He probably had been wanting Naruto for so long that he’s hearing the craziest things. 

“Ah yes⏤!” His echo brought shivers down Sasuke’s spine, chanting once again. “Sasuke⏤”  

He barely registered himself banging the door open, brain gone haywire as he strode in fast steps to the half open stall. He heard Naruto’s panicked grunt, trying to close the door stall but he was faster, prying it open with a wicked smirk.

“Why, hello there. What do we have here?” Sasuke murmured, noting the flushed face, chest heaving heavily and even if the blond man was trying his hardest to cover it, he saw the thick cock jutting out of the denim pants. Sasuke licked his lips.

“Sasuke!! The fuck, you can’t⏤” Naruto still attempted to shut the door but Sasuke used his whole elbow to keep it open, quirking that infuriating sexy smirk of his. “You can’t just barge in like that! Get out!” 

“Trust me, usually I wouldn’t bother myself snooping over anyone’s private moments but you called my name. And naturally, I just responded to such call.”

Sasuke saw Naruto clenching his jaw, though didn’t come up with any word of denial. His hard-on was still nestling in the midst of blond curls, so he succumbed the desire to touch it, tip of fingers flickering on the slit and earning a moan from Naruto.

“It looks like you’re in need of my help too.” He gradually let his hand wrap around Naruto’s cock, but only let it graze over it. “In any case you’re interested.”

Naruto hissed when Sasuke gripped his cock tightly, before releasing it at once. Sasuke was gradually lowering himself, with one knee to the ground. He kept teasing him with fluttering touches, brushing through the length and crumbling any remaining resistance. He wanted Sasuke for so long…and why is this bastard so irresistible?

“Well?” Sasuke caressed his inner thighs. “I won’t know if you won’t tell me anything dumbass.” He let out a hot puff of air over the sensitive head. “Naruto?”

Unsatisfied from the lack of response, Sasuke stood up. Sturdy hands seized his hair all of a sudden, growling close to his ear. “You better get there before I fucking lose my mind.”

Smirking undaunted, he continued to widen the distance despite seeing the incredulous blue eyes. He felt a grip on his nape, pushing him down even if he exerted some strength against it. His mouth was practically touching the head of Naruto’s cock, so he licked the beaded pre-cum, revelling the lustful gaze. The hand clenched around his hair when he sucked the sensitive glan, thrusting inside his mouth a few times before he glided it in. 

Naruto tossed his head to the back, moaning. With one hand encasing the base, Sasuke’s tongue curled around the joint between the head and the shaft, slurping and encasing with his lips. How sexually gratifying this felt, with each suckle and light bite, Naruto would groan, hiss and curse loudly, crying out in dark pleasure. Their eyes locked together, Sasuke would swallow the cock, staring how those cerulean hue darkened in hunger. That hand was still holding his head in place, tightening in a vice grip and made him moan with his mouth stuffed around that hot flesh.

Without a sign of warning, Naruto shoved till his cock went deep through Sasuke’s throat. Sasuke didn’t deter him, just threw a defiant glance back. With his hand clutching the black strands of hair, he thrust his cock in Sasuke’s mouth over and over, the grip on his scalp with the salty flavor of skin blended in this spicy mixture of pain and pleasure. 

His senses were already being overwhelmed by a musky scent, signalizing that Naruto was getting close. He released the cock from his mouth, stroking till one spurt of cum reached his face, bursting and flowing on his hand. Naruto was still heaving heavily, so Sasuke cleaned the best he could, tucking the flacid dick back to the orange boxers. He patted the tanned cheek, whispering close to the ear. “You want to continue somewhere else? My apartment is pretty close by.”

These sentences were enough to sober Naruto up, as he stared back with uncertainty and longing, before his eyebrows knitted in blazing determination. Feeling a little rattled about this sudden shift of emotions, Sasuke opened his mouth to question until arms enveloped around him, lips silencing him with a kiss.

Whatever was inside his mind just evaporated as Sasuke responded immediately, lips gliding and matching in a wet lock, his own hands reaching to hold Naruto’s waist. Soon his tongue slipped in, drinking the pleasurable grunt, consuming him, pulling him even closer. Sasuke inhaled sharply when their mouths parted for a second, coming together in increased intensity while Naruto embraced him tenderly, almost possessively. 

Both men paused to catch their breaths, staring longingly to each other. Sasuke was acutely aware of warm fingers caressing his back, while his own hands wound up brushing Naruto’s cheeks. Blue eyes crinkled soft and open, approaching in an almost lethargic way, with his nose nuzzling his cheek till full lips reached his mouth.

Naruto was kissing him harder, unyielding, akin to some unnamed desperation that Sasuke returned in kind. His hands instinctively reached to Naruto’s t-shirt, craving to yank it out, but the blond man seized his wrists and pushed it down. Growling, Sasuke thrust his pelvis, however Naruto just remained liplocked, not touching anywhere that would provoke any sort arousal.

Naruto backed away, his eyes still brimming with affection while he combed the dark hair. He didn’t resist the yearning to brush those beguiling lips, capturing once again to a swift kiss. He released with a loud sigh, shaking his head. But Sasuke held his chin with his fingers to catch his attention, closing in with his teeth lightly sinking on the lower lip. Naruto yielded for a while, though his hands were already placing in between their bodies, slowly pushing away.

At that moment, nothing in the world mattered for Sasuke aside Naruto. He was ready to rip his heart off if necessary to keep him by his side, but Naruto uttered out:

“I think…we should really call our uber.”

 That declaration was so out of left field that broke Sasuke’s line of thought. He muttered. “What?”

Naruto nodded. “Uber. We gotta call an uber. We’re pretty tired tonight right? We should go.”

Graphite eyes blinked, not quite catching the whole situation. He managed to murmur, his lips trying to reach Naruto’s but the latter deflected away. “We can go to my apartment, it’s close…”

“Yeah, um…” Naruto gently nudged Sasuke body off his lap, standing up. “I’m just⏤so fucking exhausted, I swear.”

“Naruto.” Sasuke clasped his arm. “But what about⏤”  

“I know. “ He rubbed his eyelids. “I’m sorry, we’ll talk later. Okay? I’m sorry.” Naruto pleaded, gulping dryly. “I’m so sorry. I⏤” Sighing, he exited the bathroom with a thunderous noise from the door.

Sasuke took too long seconds to really absorb what happened, running in search of Naruto. Too late, he already exited the building.

What the hell just happened? 

--.--

AN: Ayyyy what's this sudden angst? It's probably my fault lmao. Anyways...Hmm…while I was writing the beginning of this fic, I actually thought to myself if I didn’t embellish like it’s a cool place to work and it had so much cool prizes and recognition. So before anyone is changing their mind over their careers, let me tell you something: Most of the time, it’s a lie. And most ad agencies (at least here in Brazil) sucks. It’s changing pretty slowly, but it still sucks. You work overtime most of the time, recognition is mostly “I’ll pay for tonight’s beer” but no salary raise or bonus. There’s backstabbing involved too. Oh, and at least where I used to work, they won’t pay for those overtimes hours and even though they claim “you can rest another day”, it’s really complicated to negotiate the “I want to rest on x day”. The Las Vegas trip thing is real, but it’s something out of the norm, sadly. Also, the ad agency that gave such trip though, makes their employees work, like, twice the time. Anyways, like any job, it has its merits and its downfalls.

[holdyourbreathuntilyouseelight]

The Bodyguard - Chapter 5

Summary: Magnus is a dancing popstar sensation whose popularity continues to climb. Alec, an ex-Secret Service agent, is hired on as a professional bodyguard in charge of Mr. Bane’s personal security by insistence of Magnus’ manager. Despite their initial differences, Magnus finds himself falling for Alec the more time they spend getting to know each other and relies on him for more than physical security as his safety gets threatened. Loosely based on the 1992 film The Bodyguard.

Rating: M

Genre: AU, Everyone is Human AU, Celebrity!Magnus, Bodyguard!Alec, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Friendship, Romance, Eventual Smut, Mutual Pining

Author: holdyourbreathuntilyouseelight

A/N: So sorry I disappeared for a few weeks there - I am suffering from intense occupational burnout and compassion fatigue and I'm doing my best to work overtime while battling it so it's been taking up all my brain power. Hoping things calm down soon and I can better focus on this story.That being said - here is another chapter. Things get a little more exciting from here on out! Malec is coming soon ;) Thank you for sticking with me and this story! You guys are amazing.

Click here to read on AO3.

Previous chapters on tumblr: Prologue // Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3 // Chapter 4

"Hit, hit, duck. Good." Alec directed, nodding in approval as the group hit their target clearly. "Luke, great form. You're getting good power with those hits. Keep your wrist straight."

Luke nodded and kept hitting the cushioned martial arts dummy in front of him.

Alec held these training sessions when he could, when they had a day or two between shows or Magnus was busy in dance rehearsals. Some of the security team he had hired on his own, but some had come from Magnus' original group. Naturally, those original people didn't have a lot of formal training in combat or disarming opponents, so Alec took it upon himself to prepare them. If something happened and Alec wasn't there, he wanted to make sure everyone was safe and knew what to do. He had night patrol keeping an eye on the floor they stayed on every night, even with Alec in the bedroom over from Magnus, and regularly stationed guards in positions around the venue. He needed them to be able to act efficiently and effectively in the event someone who did not belong tried to intrude.

The benefit concert Magnus was performing at tonight was a very small club, with not much room to place people, and Alec felt more nervous than ever at the idea of the team not being fully prepared to tackle down a dangerous suspect in the event it came up.

So far, the tour had been uneventful for actually coming across a suspicious person, but Alec knew that streak of luck was just that – luck.

Luke wiped the sweat off his brow as Alec paced by him while observing the room.

"You really don't go easy on us, huh?" Luke asked, taking a deep drink from his water bottle.

Alec smiled. "Not my style. Best way to ensure progress is to challenge. You've all come a long way in a short time."

"You're a good teacher. To be honest, Alec, I wasn't sure about you in the beginning, but you've been what we didn't know we needed. Magnus included. He probably will never admit it to you, but I can tell he's glad you're here."

Alec chuckled. "He definitely will never admit it. But thank you. I hope so. His safety is my ultimate concern, but it is easier to protect him when he lets me."

Luke was watching him closely, a spark of mischief in his eyes, and Alec wondered what he had said that made him look at him in such a way.

"You get him though. Even though I know he puts you through your paces. Something about the two of you works."

Alec regarded him skeptically. "Don't tell me you're joining the fans in 'shipping' the pair of us."

Luke laughed. "I didn't say that… but I haven't seen Magnus so smitten in all my years of working with him. You're good for each other."

"You guys are seeing things." He turned to the rest of the room, grateful the others weren't eavesdropping on the conversation. "All right, everyone! Let's practice some disarming!"

Luke smirked as he swept past him to head to the mats on the other side of the room.

Alec shifted uncomfortably at his spot on the sidelines, trying not to let Luke's comment nestle in his mind and manifest into hope.

The venue was small, smaller than Alec anticipated, and it made his anxiety jump upon seeing people filed around the block and the realization that it was in anticipation of the big night.

Magnus, of course, looked thrilled by the turnout, flipping through social media to see the posts from excited fans.

"Are we there yet?" Magnus asked, peeking through the tinted windows in an attempt to see how close they were to the hall.

"We're going through a back entrance, Magnus, to get you in past the crowd and where you're needed." Raphael explained.

"Alexander, will you relax? You're setting off my anxiety and I don't even  anxiety." Magnus said, placing a hand on his bouncing thigh.

Alec's leg stilled, surprised to find it had been moving of its own accord, and grimaced. "Sorry. I'm not looking forward to trying to keep things under control with this crowd."

"You worry too much, darling. It'll be fine. It's just a bunch of enthused people ready to donate and support the LGBT youth. Remember that that's why we're here."

Alec swallowed at the feeling of Magnus' fingers drawing circles on the inside of his knee. He tried to remind himself that Magnus threw pet names around easily, that it didn't mean anything.

"We're here. Stay." Alec said quickly, jumping from his seat as soon as the brakes kicked in and near-stumbling out of the car.

"Sit. Roll over." Magnus imitated, collapsing back onto his seat with his usual dramatic flair.

Alec ignored him as he set the security team in motion, clearing the main area and gesturing for Magnus to follow when the time came.

Magnus bounded after him, a little too much like a rogue puppy, and Alec tugged him to remain by his side while the others did their usual sweep.

"Honestly, Alexander. Why don't we clear my dressing room first? Or the rehearsal hall? Waiting around is so boring."

"And deprive myself of extra time in your extraordinary company?"

Alec missed Magnus' sarcastic reply, too intent on what was being said through his wire.

"Repeat that please." he said stonily, gripping Magnus' arm and immediately backing him to a nearby corner to block him in.

"Alec, what—"

But he heard it through the speaker then.

"It's like the others you showed us. Magazine clippings of letters to make up the words. Whoever it is, they know Magnus is here."

Alec closed his eyes, exhaling slowly, as Magnus gripped his jacket from behind. He jerked it back when Alec went to move.

"They're here?" Magnus asked hoarsely.

"Not necessarily. Just that they know you were coming. I… I don't like it." Alec admitted lowly.

Magnus pressed closer to him, even as Alec gave directions through his headset. He felt stupid for poking fun at Alec's anxiety now, when that was all he could feel rushing through his veins. He had been getting too comfortable, thinking that Alec's presence was more of an insurance policy, and that, even worst case scenario, Alec's position would scare off any half-assed stalker. It had been weeks since something happened.

It meant this person was for real, and they clearly meant business. They were following him through the tour; they had photos of him in his home, and then had posted a message at the Chicago venue, and now here.

What did they want from him? Why were they doing this?

Magnus felt Alec relax, even minutely, and pulled himself out of his thoughts to listen to him.

"No sign of any other danger or anyone out of the ordinary. If the person planted that today, they're gone now. It doesn't mean they won't come back tonight." he added. "Magnus, you should think about cancelling."

"Cancelling my appearance at the benefit?" Magnus asked just as Raphael came in the room.

"Alec! We can't cancel this late. Magnus would be ostracized. There are hundreds of people lined up outside who have been hanging around all day just to get a chance to be close to the stage he is on! It would kill his reputation, not to mention plummet the charitable donations…"

"Look, I don't like it either. I respect what this is about and what the fans want, but I am trying to keep Magnus safe!" Alec argued.

Magnus placed a hand on his arm. "Alexander. You said before… giving this person power, by showing that they've gotten to me, or putting a spotlight on them, is exactly what they want. Isn't cancelling because of one letter doing that?"

Alec met his eyes, considering his words, before sighing. "You have a point."

Raphael clapped his hands together. "Magnus is right. We wouldn't want to make things worse."

Alec ignored him and turned his full attention to Magnus. "This place is tight quarters and going to be crammed with people. I won't have as easy of access to you if things go south. Are you absolutely sure you want to go forward with this? This isn't like Chicago—we know before you're on stage that your safety is at higher risk. That they found a way in here before even we did and before the audience was let in. That isn't a good sign. It shows far too much eagerness for my liking, and there's nothing to say they won't attack once you're on stage solo and an easy target."

"I can't let the fans down, Alec. I want to do this." Magnus told him earnestly.

He nodded finally. "Okay. Let's get you to your dressing room. I want a better look at this letter."

He kept a hand wrapped around Magnus' bicep as they moved through the hall, eyes darting to every corner more than ever, and he prayed that whoever dared to threaten Magnus was long gone.

He didn't like the idea of how much bolder they were getting. It could only spell danger, and he would be damned if he let anything happen to Magnus while he was around.

Magnus tried to keep the underlying fear off of his face as his team worked away at getting him prepped for the show.

He didn't want to make a scene, or set off anyone else's fear, but he was panicking on the inside. The letter had been enough to send a shiver down his spine.

BANE BASTARD

YOU HAVE EVERYTHING

I HAVE NOTHING

THE TIME IS COMING WHEN YOU SHALL DIE

He didn't understand what the person wanted. If they wanted him dead, because he 'had everything', killing him wasn't going to let this person have his life or whatever they claimed was 'everything'. He knew that stalkers weren't necessarily rational, so maybe they did think that would happen.

Either way, the text certainly seemed to suggest some sort of psychosis, which did not make him feel excited about his decision to move forward with the benefit. But if running away was what this person wanted, he'd be damned before he gave it to them. They weren't going to take away one method he knew how to pay back his fans for their support over the years.

He was not going to run scared. He trusted Alec to keep him safe and the rest of the team. Even with Alec's warnings that it wouldn't be easy if something did happen.

Magnus couldn't remember a time he had seen Alec as tense as he was now. His eyes would not stay on one place for too long, and he seemed fidgety, which was not the norm for him. Magnus could see through the reflection in the mirror Alec's thumb nail digging deeply at the stretch of skin between his thumb and index finger on the opposite hand.

Magnus frowned. Alec's nervousness was offsetting his own stress even more, and that was the last thing he needed before he went out on stage to put on an upbeat, fun performance.

"Alexander. Can you go take a walk or something? Your presence is raising my blood pressure."

Alec scowled. "I'm not leaving. Your safety is at an increased risk. I don't want to take any chances."

"Well right now, you're risking my sanity."

"That's your problem."

Magnus moved to get out of his chair, ready to get up in the bodyguard's face, but Raphael pushed down on his shoulder to keep him seated.

"Alec. Talk me through your conversation with the police earlier." Raphael said, leading Alec away from the room.

"Raphael…" Alec started to warn, but the manager cut him off.

"He's surrounded by multiple people from his team—not a prime time to attack. As well I've… just summoned Luke to stand guard in your absence." he said as he typed in his phone.

Alec reluctantly followed Raphael, shooting a last, somewhat-hurt expression towards Magnus, which made Magnus immediately regret making a fuss.

He knew Alec meant well, and that he was stressed because he was worried about his well being. It was unfair of Magnus to punish him for it. It was incredibly difficult to relax and not think about the impending danger when the person meant to stay calm and collected was clearly freaking out but he couldn't exactly blame him for being worried.

One of his tour assistants came into the room then, carrying a collection of snacks for the group.

"Magnus, you should have something before you go out there. You need your energy."

"I can't, Iris. I feel too sick to eat." he admitted, though he accepted a water bottle gratefully.

She rubbed his shoulder supportively. "That bodyguard of yours has certainly made things harder for you."

Magnus narrowed his eyes. He remembered why he didn't always get along with the woman. She tended to jump right to blaming others or pointing a spotlight at negativity. He had known her from one of the group homes he had been in in his late teens, and back then they had quite a bit in common. She hadn't had an easy life, and, after he had gotten his big break, they had run into each other and she managed to pull at his heart strings when she was honest about how much she was struggling to find her footing. He offered her a job and she had been working with him ever since.

Since she was a tour assistant, she managed a lot of the administrative pieces Raphael passed off to her, like rearranging travel plans or confirming venues, meet and greets, and the like. It wasn't an easy job – it was a lot of problem solving and reorganizing previously established plans – but she seemed to do well since Raphael didn't complain about her any more than he complained about anyone else.

Magnus knew his success was only capable with a group of talented people in the background, often overlooked and underappreciated by the general population, but Magnus never shied away from rewarding them for their hard work whenever he could. Spontaneous gifts, all-inclusive resort vacation getaways, and of course a handsome paycheque to boot. He had never gotten into the business for the money—but given how little he had growing up, it was incredible to have the power to do so much.

Not to say he didn't still indulge himself too—that went without saying. But he also gave large portions to various charities and used his fame for things like that night's benefit to raise money for others.

Magnus dragged his attention back to his staff member. "Alec is… intense, but he means well. He just has a good habit of getting on my nerves. Nothing I can't handle."

Iris forced a smile, clearly catching the subtle reprimand. "My apologies, Magnus. He just seems to not know when to back off. I'm only trying to look out for you, after all these years, as you've done for me."

Magnus nodded. "I know. I appreciate your concern. Perhaps you should go check with Raphael before the show starts; see if there are any last minute emergencies that need handling."

She bobbed her head in acknowledgement before slipping away and out of the room.

Meliorn moved forward to finish his make-up, and Magnus left the offered food untouched.

Magnus let his team finish their aesthetic prep before being fit for a mic. It wasn't long before he was walking towards the wings of the stage to prepare for his entrance.

Unsurprisingly, Alec was behind him like a shadow as soon as he got close enough to the stage.

"Magnus…" He grabbed his wrist before he could pass, and Magnus found himself turning into the curve of his bodyguard's arm.

"Alexander."

Alec closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly steeling himself for what he was about to say. "Look. I wanted to apologize, for before. I know this whole thing is stressful, for you more than anyone. I am hired to keep you safe, and I take that job very seriously. By not keeping my fears underwraps, I'm aiding in your discomfort, and that isn't fair of me. I'm sorry."

"Alexander." Magnus said, squeezing his bicep. "Thank you but I should be the one apologizing to you. I know I have a short fuse, but I shouldn't automatically take it out on you. Like you said, this whole thing is stressful. I know you're only stressed because you care, and I appreciate that."

Alec finally smiled, the first he had seen in a while, and Magnus found himself mirroring it.

"Magnus Bane, everyone!" the announcer's voice suddenly cut through their spell, and Magnus awkwardly stepped back out of his embrace. He didn't remember when he had started leaning into Alec so heavily.

"Ah, excuse me."

"I will be right here, just in case. I won't take my eyes off of you." Alec promised, and the sincerity in his eyes had to be what caused a shiver to roll up Magnus' spine.

Magnus stepped out onto the stage with his usual flair, greeting the crowd with his typical enthusiasm before the music started and he got into place.

Normally, his concert venues were larger, so he'd have a full band and back-up dancers/choreographed routines happening. The stage was too small for all of that, so it was just a solo act this time around, which made Alec all the more nervous.

He stayed watchful on the sidelines, scanning the crowd, keeping his promise to not let his eyes stray too far from Magnus.

Magnus was dancing along the central piece of the T-shaped stage, the audience on either side grabbing for him like he was a shower of cash they were trying to catch from the air. He would wiggle his fingers at them, brushing at a couple hands, but any time anyone got too close, he'd skip away with a playful grin.

Alec couldn't help his lips turning up at the corners at the sight. Magnus was totally in his element on stage, any stage. No one would be able to guess he'd spent the last couple hours with the growing fear that his life could be in danger at any moment.

Alec was jerked from his thoughts abruptly when an audience member finally managed to get a good hold on Magnus' hand, holding him in place and nearly causing him to lose his balance and make nice with the floor.

Alec was moving before he was even conscious of his decision, grabbing at his mouth piece to instruct the others that were nearby, but Magnus caught his eye and sent him a warning look. He raised a hand to get him to pause, moving his body with it to make it look like part of his routine, as he continued to sing like nothing had changed.

Magnus managed to get his hand free and swept away, moving to the other side of the stage to pay attention to that crowd.

Alec exhaled. He was really glad Magnus was only one of a few guests. He couldn't stand this anxiety for hours on end.

Magnus did a few more songs, a slow ballad among the more energetic ones, but it was his second last one that went downhill.

Due to the packed crowd, Alec's security team was stationed as close to the stage as they could be without being squashed by the over-enthused audience, but somehow, they still weren't close enough.

One person, with the help of a couple friends, managed to climb onto the stage when Magnus' back was turned.

"Underhill!" Alec hissed into his mouth piece, but even he could see the blonde man was struggling to get through the packed bodies to get to where the fan was now dancing on stage.

Magnus, ever the actor, simply smiled brightly and twirled the person, but Alec could see the underlying fear growing in his eyes.

"Get him out of there!" Alec shouted, poised ready to run on stage, but Magnus was raising his hand in a stop motion in his direction again and Alec paused mid-step to wait.

It was against his better judgment, but he wanted to respect Magnus' autonomy, and he knew he'd never forgive him if he ruined the show with his overprotective nature.

But then another friend of the group managed to make it on stage, with others following, and Magnus' mic was near-ripped from him as they tried to get a handful of the star and snagged the wired contraption well off of him in their haste.

Magnus' eyes were full of fear now, especially when, in his attempt to get away from them, he lost his footing and fell off the stage.

"Magnus!" Alec shouted, racing out there at lightening speed and shoving through the gleeful group on stage with no remorse. They scattered like mice, and he tried not to feel pleased.

Magnus had been caught by the ecstatic audience, their screams and cheers roaring in Alec's ears like white noise now, their arms holding him up like he was attempting to crowd surf at a rock concert. All he could hear was Magnus' broken protests, asking to be put down, for them to stop, although, for anyone else, it likely was getting swallowed up in the excitement.

Alec leapt off the platform and tore through the group of bodies to get to Magnus. Underhill, Garroway, and the others were helping thin the crowd as Alec finally caught up to where the star was.

He shoved the hands off of the star and pulled Magnus into his arms bridal style, Magnus' arms latching around his neck while he buried his face in his shoulder, trembling all over.

Hands still were desperate to get a handful of the celebrity, reaching in the crammed space to tug at his shirt, hair, whatever their hands could reach.

"Get your hands off of him!" Alec snarled, sounding more animal than man, and he used his shoulder and broad body to knock anyone in his path aside as he made his way to a clearing.

He didn't care if he was sending the more stubborn people stumbling. Served them right for caring more about the thrill of touching their so-called idol than respecting his personal space and safety.

Once free from the crowd, Alec spoke into his headset.

"Raphael, I need the car running and ready. Back exit. You have sixty seconds or I'm grabbing the nearest cab."

There was panic on the other end, Raphael demanding to know if Magnus was okay, but Alec didn't know how to answer that.

"I've got him. He's safe now." Alec said, which caused Magnus to look up at him.

Alec's heart clenched in his chest at the tearstains on Magnus' face. His grip on his neck loosened, fingertips brushing softly at the nape of Alec's neck, and his eyes were trained on Alec's hazel ones.

Alec leaned his forehead against Magnus' as they came to a stop at the back exit.

"I've got you." he murmured before opening the door to the night air.

Continue to Chapter 6

[rekkingcrew]

Rek DMs, Some Thoughts

Buckle up, it’s Edge of the Empire tabletop Roleplaying time.

Yeah, I know I don’t post here much. I’m still doing the devaron’s angels thing, which is scratching a lot of my online itches, and I’ve got a part time job and full time parenting. 

I’d really planned on doing regular updates of what happened each session. Aaaaand that didn’t happen. Which is a shame, I’d love to be able to have those summaries to look back on. But here’s the short version:

The gang, who are a crew of space chancers and criminals rolling around in a stolen police ship, were doing odd jobs together for a while, including some for the empire. Their contact, a Pantoran spymaster whose cover was as a children’s entertainer, congratulated them on their most recent heist job (where the campaign started in medias res), and gave them a new job: deliver a mysterious sealed orb to the leader of the peskiest rebel cell in the general area, led by a Rodian pirate by the name of Cheng Maxeda. They said maybe, took the orb, and then checked around and picked up a delivery job for their local Hutts going the same direction for some extra cash. 

They were brought in because the Hutt shipments had been interfered with by somebody. Their Hutts weren’t sure who, but were damn sure they were going to pay. The gang defeated a whole crazy mess of people who were being lead and bolstered by a falleen who had been surgically altered to boost their pheromone output. Then they picked up the package and made the poor decision of looking inside. It was the carbonite frozen but still living body of the cop who’d previously owned their ship that they were now knowingly handing over, because they couldn’t bring themselves to cross the Hutts. 

Moral issues aside, it was an easy job, they got well paid, the team failed a bunch of social roles and divulged more information than they should have to the Hutt point man, and Brick, the party’s wall of meat, got signed up for a pit fight. He won his round, but imperial troops broke up the match before he could win completely. TK cornered but lost a rebel bomber, and Eshi got contacted by a rebel who recognized him from a bit of backstory. Nyla chased down one of the other gladiators, an old clone with a sword who’d entered the fight because the prize included a bacta dunk and he had a friend who was hurt and dying after being caught by the Hutts trying to bust up a slaving operation. And that’s when the bomb went off, destroying some major imperial instillation bits and projecting a 40 foot holo-image of Cheng the punk rock rodian pirate queen striding across the smoking crater proclaiming she had come to liberate the outer rim. The party was presented with three job options: 1) after Brick’s pit win, the Hutts were down some muscle for a convoy and ready to pay reliable thugs 2) the rebels were looking for a study ship to bust up the hub of a spy satellite network 3) the clone and his weequay buddy (Edge and Horm) still wanted to stop the slave convoy (which was, as the party figured out, job 1). They opted for job 2, leaving town amidst a firefight with the imperials, and brought along Edge and Horm, providing Nyla with a sword fighting trainer who’d studied under a jedi, without being a jedi himself. 

The guys busted up the satellite base by hijacking a shipment truck coming in (I’d provided them information for a couple of routes, including asteroid hopping amidst giant vacuum-proof winged frog monster creatures, and they figured this best matched their skillset). Inside they found tech that looked a whole lot like our droid character TK, a completely brainwashed cyborg engineer, and the control rods that were their target. TK, who is a droid with multiple program personalities, suddenly and without warning displayed a program personality they had never seen before and destroyed the computer mainframe, remembering nothing afterward. The cyborg also had hardware a good deal like Nyla’s, and contained a message begging for help from someone held against their will and being moved between facilities. They blew up the station, retrieved valuable tech, and flew off, triumphant, to get their payment from the rebels. 

The rebels welcomed the gang, who got to know the faction a little bit better. TK nearly started a gunfight, Nyla got a haircut, and Brick and Eshi developed mouse droid beer pong in order to provide historically unique droid bits to an eccentric collector for the last bit Eshi needed to build his machine from the prototype he’d stolen from the corporate sector in his backstory, which runs on two kyber crystals and provides a similar benefit to the force power “foresee”. He used this to figure out the sphere they were carrying contained an intensely virulent ship killer plague that would likely kill them as well, and they resolved to throw that in the sun. The gang foiled an assassination attempt on Cheng and got a new assignment: break her old pirate buddy out of maximum security prison (again, they were presented with several possible assignments, some of which tied in to other plots.) Nyla and Cheng also worked out mutually that they were both force sensitive. 

The prison break went off well. It was a sort of siberian gulag set up on an ice planet, plus some eight foot carnivorous burrowing worms- yeah, those walls are pretty short, prisoners, but where are you gonna run? The gang picked up some extra supplies by agreeing to break out a Hutt operative while they were there anyway. After some exciting sky battles, Nyla and Eshi turns the ship’s forward shields into a battering ram. They made short work of the guards inside, but discovered that there was an unexpected other party there- a wookie bounty hunter who was looking into the disappearance of the guy they handed over to the hutts. That guy was a tough fight even for the team’s big heavies, and they set a load of prisoners free to help them- taking the risk that the maximum security violent shipjackers would not decide to jack their ship to escape. Luckily between the two heavies and the giant devaronian pirate they just released, they were able to intimidate them into just accepting a ride off planet. Nyla, meanwhile, fought the wookie’s cat beast in an enclosed tunnel and nearly died, but won a pretty hard solo battle, enabling her to pick up the Hutt contact and a delirious nautolan who she had a force feeling about. Eshi forgot he was a reptile and went out in the ice with no coat, then defeated his own personal corpsec bounty hunter’s attempts to come at him with robots. With great success, they headed back to rebel space, got paid, and received a message that their former imperial employer was officially fucking pissed at them. Also, the nautolan was force sensitive and having visions of the inquisitor who tried to murder Nyla. 

Faced with mounting tension and the inability to continue lying to each other, the team pretty much spilled all their secrets to each other in the absolute most fun room mate meeting I have ever witnessed. Nyla is a force sensitive ex-imperial pilot ace, TK has an extra personality, Eshi has an I-assassinated-a-king level bounty and a machine that tells the future, Thirteen (the bothan spy) knew all this and told no one, Brick likes light beer, etc. They decided they really need to murder the children’s TV spy master as their next move. Their bothan spy provided them with a dossier on him and his six lieutenants. Nyla and Thirteen went to go meet the spymaster and try to throw him off, and had to fight the stealth assassin lieutenant, which they survived. Eshi hacked the slicer lieutenant and stole her state of the art surveillance droids. Brick checked up on the Hutt-embedded spy and learned she was a pretty awful person. He also ended up scheduling a rematch with the douwutin he beat in the pit fight, who the Hutts later dropped a word in that they wouldn’t mind if he just happened to kill in that fight. The group’s one cop friend, a red-string and corkboard conspiracy melitto, got attacked by assassins, because the spies and the governor were working against each other. Nyla and TK accidentally killed the master of disguise spy lieutenant without realizing who he was. They turned the surveillance droids on the Hutts and found out the Hutt-embedded spy was working against the spymaster as well. 

The spymaster was scheduled to attend the Chancellor’s day gala on Naboo, which is fancy far outside of anything the party is probably capable of pulling off, but I wanted to give them the opportunity to try. One of the spy lieutenants there, a slimy alderaanean lesser noble, has found a packet of forbidden information that had been stolen and hidden there, and the spymaster is going in person for the hand-off. Rebuffing an offer from the planetary governor, the group made a very temporary alliance with the Hutt spy to kidnap the noble spy and use him to force a meeting with the spymaster on their terms. And that’s where we are now. 

___

All in all, I’m really pleased with how this is going. I’m having a lot of fun and my players are absolutely great. I’d... assumed that would take less time to type up, and it’s leaving out a whole lot of stuff. I started this in October, so that’s about seven months worth of weekly sessions. That it breaks pretty easily into arcs, I feel, speaks pretty well for what I’d intended of it. I have SO MANY FUCKING named NPCs. It’s over 50 at last count. Factions are helping a lot. Each faction has a main plot that’s going to move along no matter what the PCs do, hitting beats whenever I need something interesting for the background. 

I’d like to keep making some posts here about what I’ve learned, what’s worked and what hasn’t, and about each player and their character. I personally think it’s interesting, and it helps me collect my thoughts. But for now I think I’m going to bed. 

[apprentice-nylah]

So initially I never bought into the idea that Juliette was ex-Optimus or is currently double agent-ing Optimus because they were playing that card with Renzi already but the more info that comes out about her in other routes, the more and more plausible it seems. 

I just wanted to write this to get my thoughts all in one place. Keep in mind I could be misremembering things because I rarely ever replay routes and there’s only so many screenshots on Tumblr of various interactions. There are also things I just plain forgot and may be missing here. There’s also a lot of assumptions and guessing in it too. I could be completely wrong but this is just a theory I’ve pieced together with some interactions Juliette has had with other Syndicate members in mainly Andi and Lorelei’s routes. 

I know we'll probably never get a Juliette route cuz the Lovestruck producers are cowards, but I can dream, right?

I really started to be on board with this in Lorelei’s route, to be honest. MC started out with mentioning how wealthy and put together Juliette was, (”long blonde hair that definitely costs a firstborn child to maintain”), also talking about an upscale coffee shop and saying “of course this is the type of high-class place she would frequent.” We know she’s wealthy and likely upper class, also from Dahlia telling MC to not worry about Juliette’s finances. There’s only so many places that Juliette could have gotten wealth like that. She could have hacked all her wealth, but that doesn’t really seem to be Juliette’s style. She’s more into espionage and meme’ing. Theft doesn’t seem to be her style, even from Optimus. Sure, she gets dirt and confidential info from them and leaks it on the web, but that is usually to further the Syndicate’s goals, not her own. But it isn’t an impossibility either. She could have been born into a wealthy family and have family wealth, but there’s absolutely no evidence of this anywhere and they’d be bringing in a whole new aspect of her character, which is possible since we know barely anything about her. I know there’s this theory that she’s the kid or just related to some Optimus higher up, possibly the CEO. Or she could be involved with a large corporation. The only ones we know of that would fit that bill are ChatSphere or Optimus. ChatSphere is a possibility since Duke and Zeke seemed to have founded the Syndicate and since Duke owns ChatSphere it’s possible he got her from his own company. But we know he’s not against recruiting ex-Optimus people as shown with Lorelei. I don’t think we know exactly when Lorelei or Juliette joined the Syndicate (we may and I’ve just forgotten though), but I think we have to assume it was relatively early since Duke, Zeke and Lorelei all knew Juliette’s identity, while Renzi and Andi (and MC) who we know joined later did not. 

Which goes into the first real solid piece of evidence I think.

How does Dahlia know anything about Juliette's finances? Juliette is super protective of her identity for unknown reasons at the moment. The most we get is that her life would be ruined if her identity got out, but at the same time, every single member of the Syndicate is in a similar position. Andi’s route is probably the prime example of that. What makes Juliette’s case so extreme? She goes so far as to never show her face, use voice modulation and parade around as a man instead of a woman. And if she’s so protective of it, again how does Dahlia know anything about Juliette’s finances? It could probably be seen as Dahlia basically telling MC, in general, she doesn’t need to worry about people’s finances, but that seems a little... weird. But Dahlia is also relatively high ranking at Optimus I believe, seemingly one or two steps below board members, somewhere in the realms of Sunny or Charles? So it makes sense she’d know board members, having what seems like some sort of working relationship with Scarlet and Karma. 

Also in either Lorelei or Andi’s route (I forgot who, to be honest), when she introduces herself to the rest of the Syndicate; MC, Renzi and Andi, Renzi has a look of recognition, MC says it looks like Renzi recognizes her from somewhere. If we take this at face value, we know that Renzi’s route job is working for Optimus (as well as the rest of the routes). And unless he’s just randomly seen her on the street, which if that was the case, I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t have just said so (like hey I recognize you from the boba shop), it seems like the only other place he could have recognized her from is Optimus. And it would explain why he wouldn’t just blurt that out since no one knows that he’s a double agent for Optimus (except perhaps Juliette herself, especially if she’s a board member). He’s rather high up in the security section of Optimus and if Juliette was a board member then it stands to reason he’d have at least brushed shoulders with her since in Andi’s route, it seems like he’s had extensive interactions with Scarlet and Karma who are also board members. Even if he hasn’t seen her face, as it seems looking back at the interaction, as soon as Juliette introduced herself, then he had a look of recognition. So at the very least, he recognizes her name, again, possibly from being a board member of Optimus and Renzi would certainly be in a position to know about most if not all of the board members by name as head of security. 

Juliette is a tech genius and from what I’ve gathered each of the named individuals at Optimus have their own specialties/departments. We haven’t seen a board member or even an underling like Sunny or Charles with a tech background (as far as I can tell, I haven’t played Duke or Renzi’s routes and only have second-hand knowledge). Scarlet is the “face” of the company as the superhero. Karma seems to be sort of a social media/socialite of sorts. Ajax is the security guy (I think?). It makes sense that Juliette could be a board member in their tech branch because as a massive company like that, especially with the social media presence, as well as security they have, they have to have a lot of tech ingrained in the company. It would also make sense as to why Juliette is so adept at hacking into Optimus, knowing exactly what their weaknesses are and how to combat them. Obviously, she could just be an awesome hacker and figure it out on her own, but it would give her edge if she helped design it all. Renzi does mention that security didn’t try to hard to keep her out. She could just have the best hacking skills or she could have had a hand in creating it. Again, Renzi should know about the security capabilities of Optimus pretty well. 

She also has a long history with Lorelei as we know from her route and if Lorelei was a founding member of Optimus that we know from Andi’s route, if Juliette was also one or even came on later, especially as a board member, she would certainly know Lorelei’s full history and we know Lorelei is not enthused about sharing her history with anyone. Or at least is very reluctant to do so. I’m not 100% sure if Duke and Zeke know her full history (they may but I’ve just forgotten), but Juliette seems to hint in Lorelei’s route that she does know a lot about Lorelei. And that they have a mutual history. Again, all we know about Lorelei’s past in any sort of detail is her history with Optimus. That could easily be the link between the two if Juliette was/is a board member. 

She seems to have a few good/reliable leads on where Optimus board members are hiding in Andi’s route, which again, could be just from good hacking skills. But equally, she could easily have insider information. And, to be honest, she’s also technically in hiding. As she has been since VN started, but if she’s a board member, she’s also hiding out as well. So that statement of Optimus board members hiding out until everything dies down does also apply to her. 

The one piece of evidence that I could find at the moment to contradict this is in Andi’s route when they’re forced to fight Optimus guards, she fights on the side of the Syndicate members, but to me, the way around this is that she’s kept her identity as a board member on the down low at Optimus so that only the higher up employees would know her and the average guard would not. That or she just didn’t have any other choices in the moment and figured she could clean up her identity at a later time through hacking. 

Anyways, just my theory about Juliette’s secret background. I know we’ll never fucking find out because I’m real skeptical at this point about getting a Juliette route since it seems like they’re just quickly wrapping up VN because of some backend producer/employees leaving? I don’t really keep a close eye on all of that drama, but I will say the ending of Duke and what seems to be getting to the end of Andi’s route seems really... unfulfilling. Which is unfortunate. Especially because Love and Legends have had a full 8 (possibly 9 if they do honeymoon season) seasons, and Gangsters in Love is on 9 as well. Whereas VN is only getting 5? Maybe 6. 

Again, there’s probably a lot I’ve missed, but these are just some pieces of fragmented evidence with some guessing/speculation that could point to a solid backstory for Juliette. 

[tsukemono-bristol]

THE RESTAURANT IS DEAD - LONG LIVE THE RESTAURANT

A reaction to David Browns article in The Times “Fickle diners blamed as record numbers of restaurants go bust” on 5 November 2018 Find it here: https://bit.ly/2Qxcyy6 Dear David,  You got us.  Well done. 

I have to out myself as one of those people making “japanese pancakes” - they are called okonomiyaki by the way.  We run one of these pop-up kitchens you speak of. We are TSUKEMONO.  We make Japanese street food. At your service. Mostly.  It seems that you are blaming fickle customers and the recent development of pop-up kitchens for the closure of several mid-range chains. I don’t think that’s quite fair. That would almost be like solely blaming immigrants for the current economical state the UK is in. Don’t you think, David? Maybe it is one-sided and reductive perspectives on complex issues born out of equally complex circumstances that are the problem here.  You are interpreting the facts from the top, not from the bottom. You don’t think of the chefs, the waiters, the kitchen porters or even the small businesses. You think of the shareholders. (Will no one think of the shareholders?!?) Maybe customers aren’t fickle. Maybe one portion hasn’t got the disposable income anymore to take the family to a mid-range chain on a Tuesday. Maybe the other portion would like to spend their money conscientiously. In my experience customers aren’t fickle they are picky. They like to know where there money is going. I know I do.  Customers are intelligent, they do their research and most of all they have finely tuned bullshit detectors.  The pound fell. There is a housing crisis. Minimum wage has risen but is still desperately incongruous with the living wage. Brexit has everyone spooked and rightfully so.  Maybe the business model of mid-range chains used to work in a socio-economical structure with a healthy middle class. Maybe people are put off by the sloppily researched, supposedly authentic experiences some restaurants offer for way more money that they are worth. Maybe customers feel uncomfortable interacting with the desperately cheerful waiter that definitely doesn’t get paid enough to be genuinely that cheerful. Maybe the food, the ambience and the service are mediocre because, in a place like that, no-one has enough agency to genuinely care.  Customers, chefs and waiters are just there to support a business model. Not to feed people or to provide a service, but solely to create revenue.  Maybe it’s time to accept that the mid-range chain restaurant is an outdated business model that is simply not suited to the current economical climate. Maybe corporate business structures and hospitality don’t mix well. Maybe the smile of a formerly charming celebrity chef is now too thin a veneer to hide these realities.  We’ve chosen the transient and at times precarious business form of the pop-up because, like you point out David, it’s incredibly expensive to kit out a restaurant. We’d love to be able to confidently make that initial outlay. Kudos to all the small independent business folk who are making it work. You know who you are! In the meantime we’ve found a mutually beneficial business model: the pop-up. There are plenty of pubs and bars that simply can’t afford to run a kitchen (anymore). Many of them have fully fitted kitchens. The dying breed of the “independent pub” is being rejuvenated by teaming up with pop-up kitchens. We are not kitchen nomads on purpose. It’s hard work. Don’t think we’re not tired of carrying our kit in and out of places. But we’re making it work. Because at the moment this is the only way we can run our business in a way that enables us to make something we care about. And people care in return. Maybe our food isn’t a fad. Maybe it’s just interesting, honest and frankly, tasty. You deride people for taking pictures of their food but it’s actually a great way to support a small business. We don’t have money for big ad campaigns but we have social media. It really helps! Our customers are our platform and we appreciate every post and every picture. They want to be a part of what we do and we are grateful for that. We are lucky enough to have many customers that follow us around when we pop-up in different locations. To them it’s a culinary treasure hunt. Thank you guys! We’d love to have a permanent residence David, honest. But we’ve chosen the this transient business model because the economy or our personal backgrounds don’t provide us with enough security to do otherwise. We’re not going to get a massive bank loan just before Brexit. (That would just be silly, don’t you agree?) There is no safety net for us. No bailouts. If cuts (or brave decisions) need to be made to the company, it’s our own heads on the chopping block. We are growing our business slowly, from the ground up, because we have to. We won’t artificially inflate it with borrowed capital to the point where it can’t support itself or becomes something totally unrecognisable.  Because we are our business. We are TSUKEMONO. Literally.  We are not the enemy. We are the future. And no matter how hard you try to make us cry a tear for the shareholders I think the customers with their finely tuned bullshit detectors are on to you. Maybe that’s why they are staying away.  The restaurant is dead. Long live the restaurant. Sincerely yours,  TSUKEMONO

[puppetwritings]

Latibule || Jihoon || Pt. 6

Pt. 1 // Pt. 2 // Pt. 3 // Pt. 4 // Pt. 5 // Pt. 6 // Pt. 7 // Pt. 8 (FINAL)

Word Count: 3017

Genre: fluff, slice-of-life, casual writing

Summary: No one had time for love in this day and age. Everyone was busy paying off loans, working hard to stabilize their life, and concentrating on not snapping at their boss and potentially losing their job. No one had time for love but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

Lee Jihoon had lost the ability to write. Every word that comes out on paper or appears on the document of his computer was complete, utter shit. And he couldn’t help it. None of it made sense and he had no clue how to fix it. No matter how many times he scrapped his writing and rewrote it, it turned out the same—nonsensical. His mind was in pieces and he wasn’t sure how to fix it. He tried to write about heartbreak but the words never came to him and the melody was harder to come by. Jihoon had lost his touch and he wasn’t sure he’d ever get it back.

And as he sat at the dinner table, watching as you stuffed yourself with cereal for dinner, he felt even more helpless. How could you, someone who looked like they really didn’t know what they were doing with their life, be more put together than Jihoon?

“You’re judging me.”

“What?”

“Cereal is good for any meal, okay?” you defended yourself crossly. “There’s nothing wrong with having cereal for dinner. Besides, I had a heavy lunch.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“It was your eyes, Jihoon, your eyes. You didn’t need to say anything,” you stuffed a spoonful of cereal in your mouth challengingly, eyes still on him.

Jihoon raised an eyebrow. “If you think I’m judging you, then that just means you think that you deserve to be judged.”

You chewed thoughtfully and nodded. “Yeah, I do. But that doesn’t change the fact that you were judging me.”

“I admit, I was.”

“Then why did you argue?”

“It was playful banter and that creates interesting relationships and stirs conversation,” Jihoon replied robotically.

You stared at him, slowly taking another bite of your cereal as he slurped some of his instant ramen. “Have you been reading up on relationships?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Is that what you do at work.”

“What does it matter to you what I do and don’t do at work?”

“Because the way you walk through the door every night shouts ‘I did nothing substantial today’ and it’s starting to bag on my vibe.”

“You don’t have a vibe. You’re turning into a crabby old lady who’s bitter about not being able to find love even though you’ve hosted over hundreds of weddings already.”

“Hey, boy, I don’t appreciate you calling me out on my bitterness.”

“And I didn’t appreciate you calling me out on my unsubstantial work days.”

“Touché…”

Jihoon dipped his head in acknowledgement and you two returned to quietly munching and slurping on your pathetic dinners.

“By the way, have you ever heard of the seven steps to a breakup?”

Jihoon raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in topic. “Yeah, why?”

“I feel like you’re just stuck in that cycle.”

Jihoon scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, it’s been a week since I’ve opened up to you. I’m over it.”

“You can’t be over a relationship that quickly, Jihoon.”

“Maybe I’m just fast.”

“Alright, then delete her number.”

Jihoon pursed his lips under your steely glare and cleared his throat. He looked back down to his cup of ramen and lifted the chopsticks to his lips. “Okay. I’ll do that.”

“Now?”

“I don’t have my phone on me now and I’m eating dinner, Y/N. It’s rude to take your phone out at the dinner table,” Jihoon replied crisply.

“Your phone is right there and we’ve been on our phones at the dinner table before.”

“I’ll just do it later.”

You stared at him silently, “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” Jihoon said, hesitantly dragging out each syllable. He sighed. “Look, I just need the security blanket, okay?”

“Oh, no, no, don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Have her as a security blanket! You’re hurting yourself and if you do go running back to her, you’ll hurt her too. That’s how it works!”

“That is not how it works.”

“That’s how it will work,” you replied with a snap to your voice. “You’re going to get desperate and you’re going to miss her and then you’re going to want her back.”

“I already miss her and I already want her back but it’s been nearly five months and I haven’t called her once. Or texted her.”

“Oh, trust me, you will. You will,” you said, eyes narrowing.

“Are you challenging me?”

“I don’t bet over feelings, Jihoon,” you said, “but if I did, I’d put a hundred on it.”

“I’m not that weak, Y/N.”

“You don’t know that. Love mixed with desperation makes you a whole other person.”

Jihoon narrowed his eyes at you and tilted his chin slightly. “Alright, whatever.”

“It’ll happen.”

“No, it won’t.”

“Oh, but it will.”

Jihoon didn’t believe you. Why should he?

But as he sat in his studio the next night, his eyes staring at the large monitor that had sucked away all the blue light, his eyes twitched to his phone, just sitting there innocently. His fingers twitched towards it but he turned, looking away. It was 10 o’clock. You’d be home by now. He stood, grabbing his bag and his other belongings and rushed back home.

When he arrived home, you looked up immediately, a scarily knowing glint in your eyes.

“Did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Call her.”

“Pft, no, what, no, why would I?”

“Why do you sound scared?”

Jihoon pursed his lips, his ears flushing. “I’m not! Leave me alone, good god, how’d you even know!”

You watched in complete amusement as Jihoon rushed to his room and slammed the door. You turned back to the television but he came back out seconds later, holding up his phone.

“I’m deleting it. I’m going to delete it right now. Watch me do it,” you watched as the confirmation message popped up and the contact along with its number was erased from his phone.

You pursed your lips, attempting not to burst out in laughter at Jihoon’s crazed expression, and nodded. “Good job, Jihoon. I’m very proud of you.”

Jihoon nodded, determination firing in his eyes. He turned, starting to walk back to his room when you called out “You have mail by the way. I set it on your desk.”

“Alright, thanks.”

You nodded and again turned your attention back to the television.

Jihoon came out again soon after, holding the fancy envelop. His face was pale and he gulped a little. You raised an eyebrow and looked closer at the envelop. It was a wedding invitation, you had seen those many times before, and you turned back to Jihoon, curious to what he had to say about it.

“I forgot about this.”

“A wedding.”

“Yeah.”

“Is this a big deal?”

“Jiyeon’s going to be there.”

“Oh, is it a mutual friend?”

Jihoon shook his head. “It’s, uh, it’s Jiyeon’s brother. We’re friends.”

“That sucks,” Jeonghan let out a long sigh, spinning in his chair.

Seungcheol nodded, “Really, what are the odds.”

“That girl’s brother is a bit dim-witted though. Why would he still invite Jihoon if he knew they broke up?”

“Well, they’re still friends…” you mumbled. “But our company isn’t in charge of that wedding?”

Seungcheol shook his head. “It’s bigshot company that focuses on fancy and grand. Not us.”

“What were you going to do if it was? Were you going to take it up yourself?” Seungkwan asked, amused.

“Well, no, not exactly, but I would have gone to go supervise,” you said.

“Are you that worried?” Jeonghan raised an eyebrow. “You rarely care for supervising weddings but you’re willing to go for your roommate?”

“He’s not just my roommate. He’s a friend! And my friend is going through a tough time so I should go and give him some moral support.”

“Can’t you go as his plus one or something?” Seungkwan asked.

You shook your head adamantly. “No, then that would give Jiyeon the wrong idea.”

“Who cares if it gives her the wrong idea? They broke up. What if she shows up with her own plus one? Then how would Jihoon feel.”

You gasped. That was true. Maybe you have to go—

“But they might get back together,” Seungcheol pointed out. “You don’t know that.”

“I have some mutual friends with him,” Seungkwan offered, “And his girlfriend really doesn’t want to get back with him.”

The office fell silent before Jeonghan sat up. You three looked at him curiously as he said, “What’s her name? We can just find her on social media.”

“I think it was Bae Jiyeon?” you rolled yourself over to his desk as Seungkwan and Seungcheol stood, surrounding him.

Jeonghan pursed his lips as he scrolled to her Facebook, a small concentrated frown on his face. “She’s…oh. She’s taken.”

“Taken?!”

“You said it’s almost been five months.”

“Isn’t five months too soon though?” you exclaimed, eyes bulging as Jeonghan clicked on her boyfriend’s profile. “He’s not even that good looking!”

“Being good looking has nothing to do with it. And no, five months isn’t too soon. Some people start dating again the next week,” Jeonghan pointed out.

“But she’s not that type of person!”

“She probably wasn’t that attached to Jihoon anymore when they broke up anyway,” Seungkwan said, returning to his seat.

“That means I should go to the wedding, right?” you asked, a frown of conviction on your face.

“Well, what if she gets offended that Jihoon already found another girl?”

“Alright, hey, no, that’s unfair. How come she can find another guy but he can’t find another girl?”

“People are like that,” Seungkwan shrugged. “She might think he’s a jerk because he hasn’t repented enough.”

You rolled your eyes. You didn’t believe that.

“I honestly think that you should talk to Jihoon about this. It’s his invitation. Who knows if he’s even going,” Seungcheol said reasonably.

You nodded slowly. That was true. You were just making assumptions at this point.

Seungkwan raised an eyebrow. “Why are you so concerned about him anyway? Do you like him?”

“Oh, no, don’t start that. Just because I’m nice to a guy doesn’t me that I like him! We’re just friends,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Plus, he helped me out with my brief Haneul problem so I’m trying to help him out with his breakup. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?”

“Yeah, Seungkwan, stop thinking Y/N has a motivation behind her actions,” Jeonghan said with a firm nod.

Seungkwan rolled his eyes and turned back to his work and the office fell into silence again.

You returned home a bit after dinner to find Jihoon with some takeout still left for you. He sat on the couch, his eyes unmoving as he watched the tense scene of the murder heading towards the closet that the protagonist was hiding in. Jihoon gasped slightly when a noise was made away from the closet and the murder stepped back, heading in that direction instead.

“Are you watching a horror movie?” you asked, taking out your portion of the takeout.

“Yeah, I had nothing else to watch. If you don’t like it then I can turn it off.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I don’t have anything against horror movies,” you sat down next to him on the couch and glanced at him. “By the way, are you going to the wedding?”

“The wedding?” Jihoon’s eyes stayed fixated on the television screen as he processed your question. He looked at you. “Yeah, I was thinking about going. Should I not?”

“No, I was just wondering,” you shrugged.

“Junhui told me that Jiyeon has a boyfriend now though, so I don’t think the confrontation will be too drastic,” Jihoon said, turning his attention back to the movie. “She probably won’t even be paying attention to me with her boyfriend there.”

“And…that doesn’t bother you?”

“Why would it?” Jihoon raised an eyebrow. “She already chose him over me before we broke up, it’s not like it’d be anything new.”

Your eyes widened. “Wait, she cheated on you?”

Jihoon frowned at the word and shook his head. “No, they were close friends. They didn’t start dating until a month after we broke up apparently.”

You nodded slowly but said nothing more. You turned your attention to the television screen as you started to eat. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“Why do you want to come with me?” Jihoon asked.

“I dunno, just for support or comfort or something.”

“I don’t need any of that,” Jihoon scoffed. “I’m not that desperate.”

“You don’t have to be desperate to want support or comfort.”

“I’m just saying that I’ll be fine, Y/N,” Jihoon replied.

“And if you aren’t, you’ll call me, right?”

“I’ll just be attending a wedding. It’s not like this is just me and her and her boyfriend,” Jihoon said, rolling his eyes.

“It’ll hurt more than you think,” you said.

Jihoon sighed and nodded. “Sure, fine. I’ll call you if I think I need to.”

You nodded with a small smile and remained quiet for the remainder of the movie.

Jihoon looked nice. It had been awhile since he had gone out of the house to anywhere but his studio or the convenience store a couple blocks away but tonight he was dressed in a suit with freshly washed hair that had been gelled back for the occasion. He looked awkward, yet somehow managed to exude confidence. It was something you definitely had not been able to do five months after your own heartbreak but you smiled happily at Jihoon and gave him two thumbs up.

“It’ll be great!”

“You sound like a mom trying to convince her kid going to prom alone is going to be fun.”

“I offered to come with you.”

“That’s like a mom offering to go to prom with her kid—”

“Alright, whatever,” you rolled your eyes, sitting up straighter as Jihoon grabbed his keys. “Do you know when you’ll be back?”

“Probably around one if everything goes well. If not then I’ll come back earlier. Just leave the kitchen light on for me.”

You nodded. “Will do, captain!”

Jihoon stared at you and scoffed, an amused smile on his face before he gave one last wave and left your apartment.

You stayed on your spot on the couch the most of the day unless you got hungry or had to go to the bathroom. You stood around seven o’clock after you had finished dinner and went to shower and get ready for bed.

When you came back out, you found yourself back on the couch and you glanced at your phone. You picked it up and clicked on your messages but, as expected, there were none. The last message that Jihoon sent you was earlier that day when he had reported that he had arrived at the wedding but since then, there had been nothing.

You debated on texting him but you thought better of it. He was probably having a fun time for the first time in a few months but for some reason, you felt lonely. Maybe it was because he had been hanging around at home for the past few weeks. You had had someone to talk to when you got bored as long as you came out and sat down on the couch next to him. In the recent days, you had even taken to crawling onto his bed and bothering him until he paid attention to you.

But now you sat alone at home, staring at your phone or glancing at it and trying to tell you that you weren’t waiting for his message. It wasn’t that you wanted him to have a poor time, you were just…lonely being alone.

You sighed and stretched yourself out on the couch. A sudden wave of fatigue hit you and you fought back as your eyelids felt heavier and heavier. You let out a yawn and you woke up only when there was the clacking of keys.

You groaned and glanced at the clock. It was nearly one o’clock.

You stood, rubbing your eyes, and went to the door. You opened it and caught Jihoon as he stumbled in. He pouted, holding up his key. “It wouldn’t go in.”

“That’s because you’re holding it upside down, stupid,” you yawned, stepping back once he straightened. “Did you drink a lot?”

“Throughout the night? Oh, yeah,” Jihoon nodded honestly.

“And you drove?”

“I’m sober enough.”

You scoffed, shaking your head. “You couldn’t even tell if the key was upside down or not! Don’t do that again, alright?”

Jihoon nodded guiltily, “Okay…”

You sat down on the couch as he pulled off his dress shoes and discard his blazer and loosened his tie. “Did you have fun?”

“Sure,” Jihoon mumbled, slowly dragging himself over to you. “It was a little weird talking to a bunch of people again but it wasn’t bad.”

“And how was Jiyeon?” you asked, shifting as Jihoon leaned his head against your shoulder.

“She…looked pretty.”

Your chest ached at the distant look Jihoon got. You sighed. “Do you miss her?”

“Huh?…No…”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Jihoon,” you said, leaning your cheek against his head.

“No, I mean it…it was weird,” Jihoon said. “Like…I realized finally that we broke up after I saw her again. But I’m not sad? It just…felt empty, I guess. Kind of like looking at your empty house before you move somewhere else.”

You chuckled. “That’s an odd comparison.”

“That’s how it felt. Like I was leaving my old home,” Jihoon mumbled, his eyes closing.

“She was like your home though since she was someone you always went to for comfort. It’s natural to feel like that. That’s how it was with Haneul to me.”

“I guess,” Jihoon yawned. “But I confide in someone else now, so would I have found a new home?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Did you make a new friend?”

“Yeah. You…you’re my new home.”

Your eyes widened slightly and you lifted your head to look at him but Jihoon had already fallen asleep, leaving you alone with the flutters that grew in your chest.