#halloween chapter

[ryahisbored]

as a halloween present, i’m giving everybody a chapter. (cheers and rounds of applause)

you’re welcome. Not T. T im very sorry and also not. Also sorry to all the elves - i mean to all of you this is a good scary halloween chapter!

Costumes

“Hey, Bug!” Ari ran up to the much–too–tall man in his Halloween costume. “What… are you?”

He chuckled. “I’m Dracula! And Mia… once she gets the heck out here, is a bat.”

“That’s adorable! Uh, my makeup isn’t staying on very well, I’m too damp.” Ari said, easily wiping away some of the clown makeup she had put on.

“Eh, if you just dried yourself out, you’d be fine.” Ari blinked. “Anyway, I think all the elves are dressing up as elf… things. Do you know what Div is going as tonight?”

“Nah, but I’m really excited to see what she comes up with! She’ll be beautiful regardless of what she chooses…”

“Aw, you’re so sappy.” Nova crooned.

“Fuck off, so are you! You probably think Mia is just as pretty.” Nova paused, looked to the side, and went just a little bit pink. “Ha, I’m right.” He rolled his eyes, and they started heading to town at a slow pace since the elves were already at the party, and Mia would catch up soon.

The nearly–full moon sent rays through the trees that made Nova seem to relax. “You like the moon, huh?” He nodded. “Heh, moth.” He side-eyed her. They walked silently for a good while, not in any hurry, and waiting for Mia to come.

“Maybe we should wait a bit for her,” Nova suggested. They both found a very convenient log to sit on while they waited, and Ari offered to pick the debris out of Nova’s wings before they got to the party. A gentle wind blew a few leaves around on the ground, and a branch cracked. Nova whipped around to where the noise came from, to find nothing.

Ari chuckled. “Relax, man, it’s literally Halloween, you’re gonna hear noises in the dark woods.”

He took a breath. “F— fair enough, sorry.”

“Man, I gotta tell everybody to quit apologizing!”

As soon as her sentence ended, they heard two clicks from behind them, and two guns shoot.

“Run!” Nova stood and stumbled before Ari had even processed the pain in her shoulder. He slowly tripped over himself, got upright again… and she watched his knees give out. Her own muscles weakened and her vision blurred. Somehow, she remained upright enough to watch some strangers start to tie Nova up with rope. Fuck, Mia, get here… please at least see us… A person that Ari knew well stepped in front of her, helping her stay upright with a hand on her shoulder. It was Lisa.

“The sedative for Nova was easy, but I must have miscalculated how much I would need for you…” She inspected the small vial that she loaded into her gun. “Oh well.” Ari shouted briefly as the needle shot into her thigh, and within seconds, she was gone.

—————————

Cold stone met her as she woke. Ari slowly turned her head and caught sight of Nova on the other side of familiar metal bars. The fuck? This is like the circus, what… She shifted and felt chains around her ankles.

“Bug…” Ari whispered, and as her eyes cleared she saw his eyes shoot wide and his breathing pick up. “N… Nova, what…” He didn’t respond, and as he sat back against the wall, his wings started wrapping around his body. “Bug!” She said louder, just trying to get his attention. It only got worse, and he curled into himself until all she could see was his wings, and all she could hear was his quick breathing. The chains were only long enough to allow her to barely touch the bars and not long enough to reach through or get to him.

She had to wait, over minutes and minutes of hyperventilating and shaking — over two nice happy stories that she quietly told him, repeated over and over again, for what seemed like forever. He never stopped panicking, never came out of his wings, only eventually fell asleep.

[daegudrama]

Title: Route 613

Pairing: Reader/Namjoon, Reader/Yoongi, Reader/Vmin

Summary: Reader wants to be the very best Pokémon trainer there ever was. Her first stop in that journey is Paldea University home to a myriad of higher education. Still working to get over her ex boyfriend, Yoongi, reader forms new connections while making a few questionable decisions along the way. Each battle bringing her closer to the glory she's always dreamed of. Will she succeed in becoming champion or will outside forces stop her from achieving her goal?

Word Count: 11.3K

Disclaimer: Real life ages mean nothing in this fic. Refer here for ages and my shitty graphics

cross posted to ao3 here

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Chapter 3

You knock on Yunjin’s door while Hiyyih holds the spoils of your snack run. Almost as soon as you pull your hand away, the door opens revealing Chaewon and Yunjin wearing matching silk pajamas. It makes you wish you had a matching set instead of the long sleeve shirt and sweatpants combo you’ve put on. 

“Welcome!! Everyone else is already here. Come in!” Chaewon says stepping out of your way so you can enter. 

Yunjin has plush cushions scattered across her floor around a coffee table. There is a dark sofa behind the coffee table that no one is using, opting for the cozy looking nest of pillows on the floor instead. As she said the boys are already here looking comfy in loose shirts and sweatpants except Namjoon who is wearing a brown hoodie with his sweatpants. Each of them has a drink in their hand and the coffee table is covered in a spread of snacks. The cushion to the right of Namjoon is empty so you take a seat. Yoongi is on the other side of the table with Jimin on his right side and the hosts on his left. Taehyung is seated between Namjoon and Jimin, already snacking on some chips. 

Yunjin turns on a movie and you crack open one of the drinks you picked up before you went back to your dorm to wash up. It’s a movie you’ve seen a few times before so you spend more time watching the reactions of the people around you then actually watching the movie. Everyone seems to be enjoying it, sipping their drinks and reaching for snacks occasionally. When the credits roll Jimin suggests a game of never have I ever. 

“Why do you always suggest this game?” Taehyung asks, squeezing Jimin’s bicep with his long fingers. “You always end up drinking more than anyone else.”

“Isn’t that the whole point?” Jimin asks, tilting his chin down as his face spreads into a cheeky smile. 

“I’ll start!” Yunjin says looking around the room like it might give her an idea. She giggles before she speaks again. “Never have I ever had a boyfriend.”

Hiyyih, Namjoon, and Jimin take a drink with you. Your eyes fall to Jimin after you swallow. More new information about Jimin. This doesn’t really surprise you Jimin hasn’t used pronouns often when talking about his various conquests. 

Without discussion you move to the next question. For several rounds the questions stay tame, leading the majority of you to drink nearly every time, until Namjoon says, “Never have I ever kissed someone in this room.”

Everyone except for Hiyyih and Namjoon takes a drink. It’s obvious by the shock on his face he was only expecting Chaewon and Yunjin to drink. What you are shocked by is Taehyung and Jimin giggling as all eyes fall on them. You simply need to hear this story. 

“What, don't you kiss your homies?” Taehyung asks with a look of pure seriousness crossing his drunk face. 

Jimin pulls Taehyung closer by the back of the neck and kisses him like it’s something he does every day. Their lips move together with needy passion stirring something deep in your stomach. Jimin is about to crawl in Taehyung’s lap when Yoongi whines and grabs a fist full of Jimin’s shirt pulling him backwards. 

“Show some restraint. This doesn’t need to turn into an orgy.”

That is not an image you want in your mind. Even if it was just the guys it’s not an idea you should entertain. It’s been far too long since you’ve been fucked though and images of Yoongi’s hands on your body spring up without warning. You take a long pull of your drink thinking maybe it will wash away the thought. 

“Never have I ever sent a nude.” Taehyung moves the game along without anyone stopping to interrogate you about kissing Yoongi. 

Namjoon and Hiyyih are the lone two who don’t drink once again. Once again your mind is flooded with images your sober brain would certainly not be haunting you with. In particular one stands out. The ass picture Yoongi once sent you with the same framing as the one you sent him. Maybe he was teasing you but the picture was so hot you didn’t respond for several minutes. You wonder if Yoongi’s mind is also flooded with images of your naked body.

Hiyyih, swaying in her intoxicated state, pipes up next with something you don’t expect. There is a sly smile on her face like she knows she’s going to get all of you easily. 

“I’m a virgin. Drink whores.”

The room fills with laughter as everyone except Hiyyih finishes their drinks. Whether or not she is a virgin wasn’t a question that had come up in your many conversations thus far. This new information doesn’t make you feel a particular way. Everyone moves at their own pace and she’s had hawk eyes on her ever since her brother became champion. This leads into sharing the story of the first time each of you had sex. Most of their stories are quite similar. Bringing someone over when their parents were away. Most of their first times were not what they thought it would be at all. 

“I had been dating my first boyfriend for a few months when we decided we wanted to try to have sex. We didn’t really know what we were doing as two virgins. Honestly it wasn’t ever really great with him.” Namjoon says, circling one finger around the rim of his drink. “My most recent ex taught me basically everything I know.”

Two boyfriends. The inappropriate part of your brain wonders if he’s ever been with a woman, but that is definitely not something you should ask. Not now or not ever. That is information he needs to volunteer to you. Just looking at his handsome face is enough.  

“Y/N, what about you?” Chaewon asks, leaning into her girlfriend’s shoulder. “Who took your virginity?”

Hiyyih’s eyes dart back and forth between you and Yoongi. You haven't explicitly told her but it’s an easy connection to make. When you look towards Yoongi he has a stupid smirk on his face like he thinks that still means anything. You make eye contact tilting your head to the side in question. 

“I did.” Yoongi says before you can speak up. “We were each other’s firsts.”

Eventually, you are sure they’ll ask why the two of you broke up, but today is not that day.​​ There is only a moment of brief shock before Taehyung launches into the story of how he lost his virginity in a flower field. Which in his words is not as romantic and scenic as you would think. Apparently a pokemon snuck up on him and the girl and they had to run while desperately trying to put their clothes on. 

Yoongi shifts to put a pillow in his lap and you can only imagine what thoughts are running through his mind. Your first time together isn’t a story worth telling either but things got so much better. Has Yoongi been alone this whole time too? Is he also thinking about the leg shaking orgasms? 

Namjoon’s arm brushes yours and you wonder when he got so close to you. You are acutely aware of how close he is as the conversation morphs away from your sex lives back to the people you met tonight. Namjoon and Jimin take the lead in this conversation gushing about the amazing scientists they met. After being around people of that caliber for so much of your life it doesn’t really phase you anymore. You can understand their excitement though. It’s like if you were to meet the elite four.   

In your drunken state you suggest watching Rugrats in Paris and Chaewon all but jumps at the chance to watch the beloved childhood movie. Yunjin turns off the lights so the room is only lit by the brightness of the TV screen. You pop a chip into your mouth chewing as the open credits begin. 

Jimin and Taehyung are snuggled together and you wonder how they keep their relationship so seemingly casual when they act how they do. 

Namjoon shifts into a more comfortable position bringing him even closer to you. His heart pounds as his thick thigh is pressed against yours feeling the heat radiating off of your body. Namjoon hesitantly moves to rest his large hand on your knee. Is this okay, he wonders. He throws a few side glances your way that you catch with your peripheral vision. Subtly is not in his favor right now, but he doesn’t really care. Your pajama pants are so soft and instead of tensing under his touch you find yourself relaxing. Namjoon takes that as a good sign. 

Both you and Namjoon pretend to pay attention to the movie playing out on the screen but your minds are overloaded with feelings. Most of which could, in your cause, be associated with the fact that no one has touched you in seven months. 

You lean against his arm playing into whatever he’s trying to do for the moment. Namjoon holds in a gasp, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention. Your ex is in the room after all and Namjoon isn’t exactly sure why you and Yoongi broke up. It’s obvious that you aren’t completely comfortable around your ex and Namjoon is happy to be a distraction from that. Nothing you have said makes him think you want to be in a relationship with Yoongi again. It does seem like you are still working on getting over your ex, though. 

You can feel Yoongi’s eyes on you and this prompts you to stick your tongue out at him. Namjoon thinks about backing off when he sees this playful behavior, but the alcohol clouding his judgment wins and he stays put.

Yoongi’s gummy smile which you haven’t seen in months appears and you can hear him chuckling. Your heart aches and you reach for the cup of soju you poured not too long ago that is resting on the table before sinking deeper into Namjoon’s shoulder. Namjoon is sure he made the right decision by not pulling away. 

You share the drink with Namjoon passing the plastic cup back and forth. It’s so casual like you’ve been friends for ages. There’s comfort in having someone next to you. Namjoon is such a gentle person you trust he wouldn’t have bad intentions. Namjoon feels Yoongi’s eyes watching them but ignores it. He is focused on you. What really matters.

Half way through the film you feel the man next to you shift until his breath is tickling your neck. Namjoon is starting to feel sleepy but he wants to spend more time with you. 

“Do you want to go for a walk?” His low voice sends a shiver down your spine.

You nod your head in response and Namjoon gets up only wobbling for a second before offering you his hand. You take his warm hand and pull yourself off the floor trying not to think of all the things your horny brain might like him to do with those hands. Namjoon releases your hand and the two of you walk towards the door. Neither of you turn to see the reactions of your friends but you are sure there are more than a few raised eyebrows. Namjoon knows Jimin is going to have a plethora of questions in the morning. 

“We’re going for a walk.” You call over your shoulder, not paying attention to the looks being thrown at you, shoving your feet into your shoes. 

Namjoon leads the way, pushing his arms into his jacket as you step into the cool night air. He looks so peaceful staring up at the stars as you walk away from the dorms. He releases a Bellsprout letting the pokemon walk in front of you. His pokemon has an aura of love surrounding it that you can feel even from yards away.  

“This is Bangwool. I caught her a few days before I left Kanto. She warmed up to me really quickly.”

He wears the same kind of smile you do when you watch your pokemon. Pride and overwhelming love. Watching other people love their pokemon on the same level as you fills you with joy. Though the two of you raise these companions for different reasons you both only want the best for them. 

You ask him questions about his pokemon rubbing your arms against the cold air. How you didn’t think to put on a jacket is beyond you. Even the alcohol can only keep you so warm. He is leading you towards the field where the stargazing event happened. He looks over at you, studying the way you are shivering for a moment before hastily removing his jacket.

“No, it’s okay, I'm fine.” You say as he tries to press the jacket into your arms. 

“Y/N, come on.” He says softly before pulling you to a stop.

His fingers gently hold your wrist and your heart reacts wildly. There isn’t much space between you and Namjoon when he reaches behind you, settling his jacket on your shoulders. It’s like he’s trying to drive you insane. Namjoon is testing the limits a bit. He could have let you put it on yourself, but where is the fun in that?

He is looking down at you with a soft smile. It’s been a long time since he felt the joy of having a crush. A simple joy he’s deprived himself of. He pinches your cheek, a short chuckle sounding from his mouth, before backing away continuing his walk. You stand frozen processing what just happened. 

It takes a moment for your shorter legs to catch up with his longer ones. His jacket has a light floral scent that is far more noticeable once you push your arms through the sleeves. The oversized fabric is cozy like a hug. Namjoon picks Bangwool up off the ground carrying her until you reach the field. 

Sitting on the grass you let Spark out and he plays with Bangwool. Namjoon stands in front of you for a moment seemingly contemplating something before he joins you on the ground. What you don’t expect is his head falling on your lap. A true smile that shows off his deep dimples takes over his face. Tonight Namjoon decides he deserves happiness.

“Hi, there.” You breath out head spinning and you truly wonder if maybe your drunk brain is imagining this happening.

“Is this okay?” He doesn’t make any effort to move as he waits for your answer. 

He doesn’t fully relax until you nod. Perhaps if you were even a little more sober you would say no, but this is harmless. It’s a good distraction from all the Yoongi related questions plaguing your brain. He starts talking about water pokemon, specifically the ones you can find in Cabo Poco, and you animatedly tell him about the things you’ve seen. 

“When I was 12 there was a Gastrodon on the beach that was so wounded they couldn’t move. It's rare to see the blue and green variant in that area and they are tricky to treat. After my father helped nurse them back to health, they stole our sandwiches and went back into the ocean.”

As you speak you watch your pokemon running together across the field. Your fingers absentmindedly card through Namjoon’s soft hair. His chest flutters but he remains calm on the outside. 

The world around you feels calm and you don’t worry about what could happen tomorrow. All that matters is right here and right now.

“Isn’t it funny that you grew to love fire types when you lived so close to the ocean?” 

“My mom loves fire types so I’ve always found them interesting.” You say looking down at the perfect slope of his nose and curve of his lips. “I want to have a diverse team that can help me overcome any challenge that is thrown my way.”

“You’ve already gotten a good team started.” He murmurs, pulling out his phone and snapping a picture of the sky. He turns the camera towards you and snaps a photo. A captured memory of a wonderful moment. 

 ════════════ ∘◦❀◦∘ ════════════

The morning brings a brain splitting headache and several worried text messages. Assessing the damage you are happy to find yourself alone in bed fully clothed. You let your friends know you are in fact alive before taking a shower. Your memory gets kind of hazy after sitting in the field with Namjoon, but it seems like you made it home without making any questionable decisions. Only time will tell, you suppose. 

Showering does wonders to make you feel better, or well enough to do some homework. It’s noon by the time you venture out of your room needing more than the snacks you have in your room to sustain you. 

“Y/N!” Jimin calls to you as you are walking in the courtyard. 

You stop looking toward him as he walks your way. He’s wearing an oversized purple hoodie with jeans and somehow he makes it look like he should be on a runway. 

“Hi, do you want to grab lunch? I’m starving.”

He nods letting you lead the way towards the dining hall. “You know it’s Halloween next week and we haven’t made any plans.”

“Do you know any parties we could hit up?” You ask already knowing he must have a plan or he wouldn’t have brought it up. 

“There’s an upperclassman who throws a warehouse party every year. Last year it was the party to be at and he told me to bring all my friends this year.” He says this so matter of factly you wonder if there is really a choice here. Not that you want to say no. It’s not like anyone else has invited you. “It’ll be fun I promise.”

“Okay,” He grabs your arm in excitement as you continue speaking, “but I don’t have a costume.”

“Good thing Mesagoza has everything we could ever need.” When you look at him skeptically he continues. “During October Bagin’s gets transformed into a costume shop.”

After eating a quick lunch you head over to Bagin’s to look for a costume having not even an inkling about what you want to be. This weekend you want to let loose and stop your perpetual worrying. You’ve never worn a sexy costume for Halloween before and what a better time than now to break that tradition. 

Racks and racks of costumes are neatly lined up where expensive backpacks usually reside. Nothing is catching your eye as you look through the costumes. Jimin keeps offering ideas that are not quite what you are looking for.

“What about this?” He asks, holding up a blue cheerleader costume with a minuscule shirt and skirt.

“Maybe,” you say, walking towards him until you are within arms length, “you should wear it.”

“You think I won’t?” He challenges and you tap his nose with your index finger before finally finding something that looks promising. 

A witch costume. Not very creative but the cut of it catches your eye. If you are going to a party you would rather not wear something over the top that could get ruined. Though, you’ve never been to this kind of party you can imagine the vibes. Something that’s cute but not restricting is probably the best bet. Jimin gives an approving look when you show him what you’ve found. 

Jimin is still clutching the cheerleader costume when you check out. Will that skirt even cover his ass? Is he really willing to go this far? Shouldn’t he have had a costume ready? He buys the costume after you pay for yours and holds the door for you on the way out. 

“Where’d you go with Joon last night?” Jimin asks, fiddling with the strings on his hoodie. 

“We just went to the field and let our pokemon play.”

It looks like he wants to ask more, but there is truly nothing else to tell him. Nothing special, just a walk for some fresh air. Namjoon is his friend, why wouldn’t he ask him? Or is he being nosey wanting to know what you think? Are you thinking too heavily about this?

“I had to stop Yoongi from following you.” Jimin says softly, taking a seat on a bench between two tall buildings. You sit beside him digesting what he’s just said. “He was worried about you.”

“That’s not his place anymore.” A swell of frustration fills your chest. “It’s his own fault we broke up. Where does he get off—” 

You let out a defeated groan. This is something you are going to be dealing with for much longer than you want to. In an ideal world you wouldn’t be dealing with this at all, but unfortunately that is not your reality. Yoongi is here and his life is still intertwined with yours far too tightly. 

“What happened between you two? If you’re comfortable telling me.”

It takes a moment for you to decide to be vulnerable. If they have the same information as you do about what happened they’ll be able to help you. So, you tell him the same thing you told Hiyyih. He places a comforting hand on your shoulder rubbing small circles.

“Now we can’t really escape each other and that would be fine if he would just tell me. His mom just left me with more questions. I feel like I’m going insane.”

“For Halloween let's forget all about him.” Jimin says pulling his hand away from your shoulder. “Let’s just enjoy the party. We can make new memories.”

There’s a warmness in your heart knowing Jimin wants to help you however he can. For so long you didn’t have many friends. Experiencing new things is the best way to distract your mind until Yoongi no longer affects you like this. You are looking forward to Halloween and the chaos that will ensue. 

For a while you sit on the bench with Jimin talking about what last year's party was like. It morphs into talking about the parties he wants you to come to. Apparently, there is one going on somewhere almost every Friday. You aren’t sure if you’ll like that kind of vibe. Small parties with your friends have always been more your taste.

“Are you sure you won’t abandon me for a hookup?” You ask as the two of you walk outside the gates of Mesagoza strolling through the grass. 

“I think you’re more interesting than any hookup I could find.” He says casually not looking you in the eyes.

“Even more interesting than Taehyung?” You question jokingly. 

What you’re more interested in is if he will imply that he has in fact hooked up with Taehyung.

“I know him too well already.” Now he looks at you before continuing. “There’s still a lot to learn about you.”

You are about to answer when your phone buzzes in your pocket. It’s a text from Chaewon reminding you of the study date you agreed to earlier in the week. Spending time with Jimin makes you lose track of what time it is. 

“I have to go study with Chaewon. I totally forgot until she just messaged me.” You type out a message to Chaewon telling her you’ll be over soon. “I’ll see you later!”

He says bye as you rush off not wanting to make her wait any longer than she already has. You need this study session if you’re going to keep up with Hiyyih. Even if she’s your best friend here you won’t let that stand in the way of challenging the elite four this spring. 

════════════ ∘◦❀◦∘ ════════════

The whole week you focus on classes barely hanging out with your friends aside from meals and your planned study sessions with them. If you want a truly stress free night all your homework needs to be taken care of. It doesn’t help that it feels like you have to work twice as hard as your peers for the same results. But the hours you are putting in every evening battling trainers off campus is paying off. Your team is growing stronger and listening better with each new challenge. 

“Y/N…” Hiyyih whines from the other side of the table settled in the back corner of the library. The light shining through the window warms you. “We have next week's reading done. Can we please go get crepes before we meet up with the girls to get ready?”

“Battle me first.” You quip knowing she’s going to turn you down. 

“We are not battling right now.” She rolls her eyes while she puts away her notebooks. 

“You’re going to have to battle me eventually.” You say also putting your things away because crepes sound good right now. 

“Do you know if Namjoon is coming tonight?” She asks instead, completely avoiding talking about battling you. 

“He’s going to a party in town.” You say letting go of her not wanting to battle you for the moment. It’s not like you’ll be able to change her mind today. “He invited us, but I already told Jimin I’d go to the warehouse party.” 

Ever since you told her about Namjoon resting his head in your lap she’s been mentioning him more. Hiyyih has been trying to convince you it means something all week whenever you’d let her get a non school related word in. But his coat is still hanging off the back of your couch. For some reason you haven’t yet returned it. He never said anything about your walk, and that’s how you want to keep it. This week he was around less, but we are all getting busy. Putting meaning where there doesn’t need to be meaning will only hurt you. So you are choosing not to think about it.

“Let’s see how the night goes and maybe we can head over there if things get boring.” Hiyyih replies, her shirt lifting up to show a bit of her stomach as she stretches. 

“Okay.” You zip your things into your bag and sling it over your shoulder. “But text the group chat and ask what they want. Jimin will be pissed if we get crepes without him.”

“Already on it.” She says following you out of the library as she taps away on her phone screen. “Speaking of Jimin, do you know what he’s going as? He refuses to tell me.”

This makes you wonder if he had a plan before the two of you went shopping together. Jimin seems like someone who would want to do a matching costume with his friend. Did he not plan something with Taehyung? Imagining him in that cheerleading outfit is not where you should be. 

“It’ll be better if you see it in person.” You say with a smirk. 

“Not you too!” She whines again, pouting her lips.

Your phone buzzes alerting you that someone in the group chat has responded. 

Hiyyih orders for the group, after side eyeing you for calling the group idiots, making sure to get an extra because this is one of her favorite places. You watch the employee make the crepes right in front of you and thank them before you pay. This is your Halloween treat to them. Carrying all of the boxes isn’t easy but somehow you make it to Yunjin’s dorm with all the crepes intact. 

“Hi!!” Chaewon says jumping up to help you lay out the boxes. “Oh, you even had them write out names on them. That’s so smart.”

As promised, Jimin and Taehyung are lounging on Yunjin’s couch waiting for their crepes. No one is in costume yet. In fact everyone looks quite cozy waiting for their sugary treat. Jimin seems almost feral as he grabs his crepe off the coffee table and starts cutting it up with the plastic fork he found inside the box. 

“Thank you, Y/N.” Jimin says, making a kissy face that Taehyung quickly copies.

“You’re the best.” Taehyung affirms biting into his own crepe getting whip cream on his lips. 

The way he licks it off his lips stirs something inside of you that you don’t want to think about. Let’s save those thoughts for when you are a lot more drunk and a lot more alone. The sweet taste of chocolate strawberry sweeps the thoughts of his tongue to the back of your brain. 

“I ordered pizza.” Yunjin informs the room pointing her thumbs at herself. “No alcohol poisoning for these idiots tonight, just good vibes.” 

“Thank you, Yunjin.” You say making half a heart with your hand that she completes. 

“What were you guys doing all day?” Chaewon asks between bites. 

“Y/N all but locked me in the library until we got through next week's homework.” 

The eyes of your friends turn to you in question. You are sure in their mind homework is the last thing to be thinking about with a massive Halloween party just hours away. Not be that annoying person but your parents always taught you to work twice as hard as you play. Letting your hard work take a back seat for a party is simply not an option.

“Why do you make it sound like a hostage situation?” You roll your eyes at her dramatics knowing if she really wanted to leave she would’ve. 

“I’ve studied with you,” Chaewon remarks, not looking up from where she’s staring at her crepe. She is staring at the food with a look of admiration. “I think you picked up study habits from your parents. Not bad but very intense sometimes.”

“Hiyyih won’t you be more relaxed tonight knowing there’s no homework to worry about?”

She contemplates your words for half a second before responding. It’s probably good you have friends that want you to have fun. It would be easy to force yourself to spend every waking moment training because you genuinely love doing it. 

“As soon as I get a drink in me I’m sure I wouldn’t have thought about it.” She takes a bite of her treat, chewing and swallowing before continuing. “I wouldn’t be thinking about it now even if it wasn’t done.”

Light conversation fills the room while crepes are devoured. Taehyung is talking about how he is valuing comfort over a good costume this year. He shows us pictures of last year when he and Jimin dressed in vintage dresses with curly wigs and you wonder where they got the idea for that. 

By the time the pizza arrives Yunjin deems it late enough to start pregaming. She pours a round of shots with a cute smile. As she holds up the shot glass she records a video. Each of your friends copies the movement lifting their shot glass in the air. 

“To friends and lovers fuck the others.” Yunjin calls clinking her shot glass against the hoard of them in the middle. 

She taps her glass on the edge of the table before pouring it down her throat like it’s nothing. You follow suit but reach for juice in front of you to chase away the burn in your throat. Jimin takes a seat next to you on the couch reaching for a slice of pizza. Chaewon has taken the duty of mixing drinks and Taehyung is turning on a speaker.

“How many people do you think you’ll kiss tonight?” You ask nudging his side with your elbow.

“Do you want to be the first?” He leans close to your ear before he speaks. His warm breath washes over your ear pulling heat to your cheeks. He pulls away to speak loud enough for the whole room to hear. “Probably no more than last year.”

“So two?” Taehyung asks from his position on the floor in front of the couch. He puckers his lips up in jest. “I’ll be on that list if you want.”

Oh, so they aren’t only like that when they are drunk? You have so many questions you can’t respectfully ask for the answers to. No one in the room reacts as if this is abnormal. You guess for these two this is normal. Harmless flirting that sometimes leads to them making out and who knows what else.

The pizza sweeps the thought to the back of your mind this time. Chaewon brings a pitcher full of something she mixed together and you put full faith in her ability to make it taste good. The music is setting a good mood and when you finish eating you already want to dance. You refrain, watching the way Jimin ties Yunjin’s hair bow into Taehyung’s dark locks. Tae takes out his phone and snaps a selfie. He tilts his head side to side and pretends to flip hair over his shoulder. He’s really feeling himself and it sends the room into a fit of giggles. The time spent pregaming is peaceful and it wastes away the time until it’s acceptable to show up to the party. 

“We will not be crossdressing this year.” Taehyung says confidently fiddling with the bow in his hair then backtracks when both you and Jimin give him a questioning look. “Well I won’t be at least.”

“Tae and I are going to get dressed.” Jimin says pulling his friend off the floor. He downs the rest of the drink in his cup before speaking again. “Let’s meet up at the party in like an hour.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Hiyyih mumbles, scrolling on her phone with one hand and sipping out of a cup with her other. 

The boys leave and you look over Hiyyih’s shoulder to see her looking at her brother’s instagram. He and four of his friends have dressed up as power rangers. She scrolls through the photos and you see his friends are the members of the elite four. 

“The elite four?” You question despite knowing the answer. You’ve watched every video of them battling that’s available online at least once. “They are close with your brother?”

“Oh yeah, they are Kai’s b—” she cuts herself off hesitating, eyes widening like she almost said something she shouldn’t. You are about to tell her to forget it when she says, “really good friends. They are a lot closer than what they show in public.”

“You’re going to look way cooler than them, Hiyyih.” Chaewon says from across the coffee table where she has pulled out face paint for her costume.  

“Soobin insisted they buy custom costumes. How nerdy can you get?” Hiyyih laughs into her drink before taking a sip and putting it down.  She looks towards you. “Anyways, let's go get our costumes then we can get ready together.”

You nod, turning to the other girls to tell them you’ll be back in a minute. It's going to take them a lot longer for them to get ready anyways. When you step into the hall, noise surrounds you. Many students have propped their doors open and are walking in between rooms with cups of mystery liquid in their hands. Everyone is pregaming for whatever party they are headed to soon. 

In Hiyyih’s room she collects the many pieces of her cowgirl Barbie costume. She decided to go for the nearly fully pink option despite her recent style change. You haven’t seen the costume on her yet but you know that it’s going to look perfect. 

Hiyyih follows you into your room to retrieve your costume and makeup. When you see Namjoon’s jacket still sitting in your room you make a decision. 

“I’m going to return this to Namjoon.” You say scooping the jacket up. “Message me if you leave.”

“Okay, Y/N. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” 

“Hiyyih!” You scold throwing a balled up shirt at her as she makes her way to the door. 

Once Hiyyih is out of your room you quickly put on your costume. It takes you a little while to fix your hair and makeup, but soon you are leaving your building with Namjoon’s jacket in hand. Though you’ve never been to Namjoon’s dorm you do know which one is his. The Indigo building is just as lively as the Violet building if not a little more loud. 

Just as you are about to knock, the door opens revealing Namjoon. He is dressed as a boxer with a hooded robe and shorts. His chest is bare and there are gloves hanging off his neck. Heat flushes your cheeks as if you just got caught doing something you weren’t supposed to. Namjoon is so much more muscular than you ever imagined. His pecs are huge and his abs are well defined in a way that makes it hard for you to tear your eyes away. 

“Oh, hi.” He says, running a hand through his hair. Namjoon’s eyes travel up and down your body appreciating your choice. He wants to tell you how stunning you look, but decides on something softer. “I like your costume. It looks really good on you.”

In his other hand he is holding the same basket you gave him cookies in. Instead of cookies it's now filled with Halloween themed treats. A pastry with the Cafe Huening logo on it stands out to you among the rest of the orange and black. 

“Thank you.” You say holding out his jacket. “I just came to give this back to you. I’ve been forgetting all week.”

“I forgot about it too.” Namjoon says, taking the jacket from your hand. He wonders if it will smell like you now. “I was actually about to go to your dorm.”

You tilt your head to the side in confusion. Why would he be going to your dorm? He knows everyone was at Yunjin’s dorm from the group message. 

“Why? Aren’t you meeting up with your friends in town soon?”

“Well you mentioned you wanted Srircha to try this pastry from Cafe Huening last week so I just gathered some treats to go with it for Halloween.” He has a shy smile on his face as he holds out the basket to you.

“You’re so sweet. Thank you.” You say and the alcohol flowing through your veins makes you want to do other things. Things you’ve only done with one other person. Instead you take the basket from him with a genuine smile gracing your face. “Come have a drink with us before you head out!”

“Just let me put my jacket away then I’ll join you.” 

You wait outside his dorm as he quickly puts his jacket away. His dimples are showing as he walks alongside you back to Yunjin’s dorm. Seeing you makes his night better. He wasn’t sure he’d see you today. You recap what you’ve been doing for the last few hours and he laughs.

“Oh, so you’re already a little tipsy?” He asks when you are standing right outside Yunjin’s dorm.

Standing directly in front of him with little room between the two of you he cups your cheek with one of his hands. Perhaps Namjoon has lost his rational thoughts. He wants to kiss you so badly but he won’t. Not like this. Internally you are screaming, because why is he doing this? What does this mean? Your hazy mind can’t string together a reason.

“Me too.” His breath fans over your face and you can smell the alcohol.

He giggles before pulling away and knocking on the door. You stand paralyzed by shock. Because what the fuck was that? Before you are able to form a coherent thought Hiyyih opens the door and Namjoon moves inside. Your best friend gives you a questioning look but you bat her away. The other two girls hardly notice your entrance until Hiyyih says something about Namjoon’s costume. 

Half of Chaewon’s face is painted white. Yunjin is holding a brush using precise careful strokes to cover her girlfriend's face. They decided to dress as the Joker and Harley Quinn despite Jimin suggesting Chaewon could be Poison Ivy instead. Either way you are sure they are going to look so cool. The two of them spent far more time thinking about their costumes than you did.

“Wow, Namjoon you look…” 

She can’t even finish her sentence and it sends the rest of the room into a fit of giggles. Namjoon is standing tall and confident in his costume choice. This is the reaction he wanted after all. He doesn’t work this hard on his body for nothing. 

All three girls eye the basket Namjoon gave you when you set it down on the coffee table. Hiyyih picks out pastry from her sister’s shop. 

“Barbie really suits you, Hiyyih.” Namjoon replies, and takes a seat on the couch while you find another cup to pour Chaewon’s delicious mixed drink into. 

“Thank you! Did you buy Y/N these?” She asks, looking over the packaging she helped her sister design. Hiyyih is a woman of many talents and her siblings value her opinion. 

“She said she wanted Sriracha to try them and I was already getting some for Drago.” He shrugs watching as you pour a drink for him then hand him the cup. 

Drago is Namjoon’s Dragonite who you have yet to see in person. You are very excited for the day you will get to meet them. It really touches your heart that he was thinking about your pokemon as well while shopping for his own. Getting sidetracked and not seeking out the more speciality treats is something you do too often. 

“Pearl loves those!” Chaewon says looking at the food Hiyyih has placed back in the basket. 

“Your pokemon have good taste.” Hiyyih replies before snapping a picture. “Lea will be happy to know people over here are buying her goods.”

Namjoon takes a sip of his drink and a pleased expression blooms across his face. You take a seat beside him and adjust your dress when it gets pulled down a little. He listens to the rest of you chatter without much participation. He’s happy to passively learn more about you. 

Chaewon is worrying about how hard it’s going to be to get her facepaint off. Yunjin assures her that even if they are both shitfaced at the end of the night she will help her remove it.

“Ahh, true love.” Namjoon remarks downing the rest of his drink before setting the cup on the table. 

“Damn right.” Yunjin replies looking over her shoulder. She has clipped blue and pink extensions onto either side of her head feeding into her pigtails. The blue and pink makeup is smeared just right and you wonder how she perfected the look so quickly. 

Namjoon’s phone chirps with a notification and he pulls it out. His eyes scan the screen for a moment before he looks up. 

“My friends are wondering where I am. If the warehouse gets boring, come find me.”

He shoots you a gentle smile before standing up. His thighs are massive and so impressive. Namjoon snags the last piece of pizza off the table as he walks towards the door. For a few moments there is silence which is quickly shattered.

“He definitely likes you.” Hiyyih says, looking to the other girls for confirmation.

Chaewon nods her head but Yunjin looks wary. Entertaining the idea of Namjoon liking you is not something you want to deal with right now. He could just end up being a distraction from the other feelings you are working through. He doesn’t deserve that mess. 

“No. This is not the time for that.” You reply looking in the mirror to fix your hair. 

“Fun, no thoughts.” Yunjin says adjusting her tiny shorts. “Are you ready? Let’s go!”

After a few more minutes of making sure you have everything you need, the girls file out the door together. You stop off at your dorm to put the basket from Namjoon inside, then you are on your way to the warehouse. Off to your first real party of the year.

════════════ ∘◦❀◦∘ ════════════

A sea of people in an array of costumes greets you when you step inside the warehouse. In one corner you see an intense beer pong match and in another you spot a makeshift bar. There are a few different doors on the sides of the room. Decorative cobwebs, spiders, and bats line the walls and hang from the ceiling. There is a fog machine giving the room a slight hazy feel.

“Y/N!!” Taehyung calls, turning your attention to where he’s standing in an Eevee onesie. “You have to try this pinap cocktail Jungkook made.”

He hands you a cup and you take a drink. While drinking your eyes fall to Jimin and you choke. Taehyung takes the cup from you and Yunjin pats your back as you cough it out. You quickly shut your jaw wishing you didn’t just embarrass yourself. 

“Do I look that good?” Jimin asks, putting his hands on his hips and turning to the side so you can see his ass. 

Jimin’s abs and arms are exposed showing the work he’s put in. As you expected the skirt barely covers his ass and you see no boxers or safety shorts. He chose a pair of white sneakers so his strong legs are nearly on full display for everyone to see. 

“9 out of 10.” You muse eyes looking up and down his frame. 

He scoffs like there is no way someone could possibly rate him below a 10. Your feet guide you away from him to the bar. Jungkook, dressed as Jack Skellington is making drinks with a skeleton as his copilot. He compliments your costume as he hands you a cocktail. Before you can say another word to him you are whisked away by Taehyung.

He pulls you to the middle of the floor where people are dancing to the loud music. Chaewon, Yunjin and Hiyyih are nearby dancing in a little circle. Taehyung and Jimin are on either side of you showing off their moves. You push closer to the girls dodging Taehyung’s hand and take a sip of your drink. 

For quite some time you enjoy the company of your friends dancing, laughing and drinking together. The girls break away eventually to mingle with other people and you stay behind with Jimin and Taehyung. Who are suspiciously close to you. 

“I think I deserve a 10 out of 10.” Jimin says in your ear, pulling your back against his front. 

Taehyung fills the space in front of you, settling his hands just below where Jimin’s are on your waist. You look up at Taehyung with a pounding heart. He brushes one hand across your cheek keeping the other one firmly gripping your hip.

“Maybe you can earn 10 out of 10, Jimin.” Taehyung says just loud enough for you to hear.

Dancing in beat with the rhythm you grind your ass against Jimin’s crotch. You tilt your head up and pull Taehyung by the back of his neck into a kiss. If this becomes a problem that's something future you can deal with. Present you needs a fun distraction and these too are oh so willing. 

Taehyung’s lips are soft like silk and taste like the drinks he’s been consuming all night. Jimin presses his lips against your shoulder rocking his hips against your ass in time with the song. The boys are thrilled to have the girl they’ve been thinking about for weeks between them. After several minutes of sensual dancing Jimin suggests you move to somewhere more quiet. You make your way through the crowd with little difficulty. 

With Jimin and Taehyung following closely behind you, enter one of the side rooms of the warehouse that Jimin pointed out to you. Surprisingly, there is no one else in the sparsely decorated room. There is one couch and a table that is littered with beer cans and plastic cups. There is one fake skeleton and two colorful pumpkins on different sides of the room. Taehyung closes the door behind you muffling the loud trap beats filling the main area. Your heart races, adrenaline coursing through your veins. You are really about to do this. 

The dingy couch you sit on has surely seen things you don’t want to imagine. Jimin sits on your right and Taehyung sits on the left. Each man has a hand resting on one of your bare thighs. Jimin’s teeth sink into his plush lip as his fingers squeeze your soft skin. Taehyung leans closer to you lips brushing your ear.

“Should I move my hand?” His low voice sends a flutter from your chest to your stomach.

Instead of answering him you grip his hand placing it on your breast. This sexy witch costume provides a nice view of your chest which you have noticed many people looking at all night. Taehyung swipes your hair away from your neck and lightly kisses the skin. Your skin tingles with excitement after not being touched like this for seven months. Jimin’s hand is creeping further and further up your leg teasing the sensitive skin of your inner thigh. 

You draw in a sharp breath when Jimin finally reaches the edge of your skirt and slips his hand under. He wastes no time dragging his finger against your clothed cunt. With his other hand Jimin is palming himself over his short skirt. Taehyung traps your jaw in his long fingers and turns your attention towards him. His fingers are lightly kneading your breast while he leans in for a kiss, one that quickly turns messy in your drunken state.

Taehyung’s mouth moves against yours with equal vigor as you begin desperately grinding against Jimin’s hand. You pull away from Taehyung using his shoulder to steady yourself while moving into a kneeling position. The zipper of his Eevee onesie is pulled down as you eye the outline of his cock. You can’t say you’ve spent much time thinking about what this would be like. 

Jimin pushes your panties to the side, collecting your lust on his finger before spreading it through your folds. Taehyung assists in your goal pulling his large cock out of his boxers. You look over your shoulder to see Jimin’s eyes trained on Taehyung, not on what he’s doing. The younger man strokes his cock while he waits for you to make the next move. There’s something incredibly hot about watching his long fingers run up and down his length.

Your name followed by a curse leaves Taehyung’s lips as yours make contact with his waiting cock. It's only a few seconds that you suckle his cock before you let your tongue kitten lick his fat head. You wrap your hand around his cock applying the slightest pressure to draw a throaty groan from his sweet lips. Taking more of him in your mouth and caving your cheeks in has Taehyung arching off the couch. 

Taehyung’s long cock hits the back of your throat at the same moment Jimin pushes a finger inside of you. The moan Jimin earns from you vibrates around Taehyung’s cock heighting his sensation of pleasure. The younger man lies a hand on the back of your neck encouraging you to deep throat his cock. You happily oblige by pushing the tip of his thick cock into your throat before sliding your lips back up the length. Taehyung makes an approving sound as your lips form a tight ring around the head of his cock.

Jimin slowly pushes his two middle fingers in and out of your wet pussy. Your mouth pops off of Taehyung when the older one's fingers hit deep inside of you. A loud whine filling the air before you go back to sucking Taehyung’s cock. Jimin shifts behind you onto his knees and he uses his unoccupied hand to clutch your ass, digging his fingers into the squishy flesh. 

Experiencing this with someone who isn’t Yoongi for the first time is thrilling. You of a few months ago would not believe what you are doing right now with these men you’ve barely known for two months. These men who you have no romantic feelings for. 

Taehyung pulls your mouth away from him cock looking over your shoulder at Jimin before he stands. He settles behind the arm of the couch. If you weren’t so drunk you might find it comical that he’s standing there with his onesie still on with his dick and balls resting above the zipper. Jimin guides your hips to flip you on your back then quickly stands to adjust his skirt. As he scrunches up the fabric you see that he is wearing a lacy white thong. A warm flurry of pleasure runs through your stomach at the sight of Jimin wearing those pretty panties. Taehyung pulls a condom from god knows where and hands it to the older man. 

“Are you ready, YN?” Jimin purrs, pulling his cock out before sliding the condom onto his length.

“Please.” You beg watching as he wastes no time sliding his cock into your cunt.

Your head lulls backwards in pleasure giving Taehyung the perfect opportunity to fuck into your throat. You take his cock back into your mouth with ease trying to manage the intense pleasure this situation is bringing you. Jimin’s hands grip your hips showing you the perfect rhythm. He pulls you closer until his thighs are under yours giving him a delicious angle to hear your whiny moans. 

Above you Taehyung leans over to kiss Jimin. Of all the things that are happening these two kissing each other is not surprising. You can hear rather than see what is going on as you continue to deep throat Taehyung with your head hanging off the arm of the couch. His hips are slowly grinding into your mouth as he focuses on kissing Jimin’s plump lips. One of Jimin’s hands reaches between your legs and he uses his finger to circle your clit while he rolls his hips into you. Jimin breaks away from the kiss first pulling the top of your dress down to fully expose your breasts. 

Taehyung steps away stroking his cock as he watches Jimin fuck you. The older of the two men leans in to kiss you, tasting his friend on your lips. Taehyung takes a seat behind Jimin lightly slapping his ass. Jimin looks into your eyes for a moment after breaking the kiss, seemingly debating something. 

“Both of you get on your knees on the floor.” Jimin demands straightening up. 

Taehyung and you follow his instructions. While kneeling on the dirty floor of the warehouse Jimin steps between the two of you. Taehyung has Jimin’s plump ass in his face and you have his pretty pink cock waiting to be taken into your mouth. You open your mouth letting your tongue fall out. You pull the condom off his length tossing it across the room without care. Jimin slaps his cock across your tongue as Taehyung spreads Jimin’s cheeks licking a bold strip. The older man gasps, balancing himself on your shoulders. You lick from his pink tip to the smooth skin of his balls before sliding your mouth onto his hot cock.

The younger man is enthusiastically eating Jimin’s ass like he’s been waiting all year to do it. For all you know maybe he has been. You and Taehyung watch Jimin fall further apart with every passing second at the will of your mouths. When one of Taehyung’s long fingers enters Jimin hole the man moans in a way that lets you know he’s been holding back his pretty sounds. You suck lightly letting Taehyung take most of the effort.

After several minutes you kneel on the couch leaning over the back to give them a good view of your soaking pussy. Taehyung takes the lead this time maneuvering Jimin behind you. This time you see him pull two condoms from the pocket of his onesie. You watch as they put the condoms on each other and share a kiss before turning back to you. 

Jimin pushes inside of you easily and Taehyung gently slides his thick cock into Jimin earning a breathy moan. The younger man pushes further inside Jimin making him thrust into you. The back of this dirty couch, that smells like stale beer, is the only thing keeping you grounded. There is a moment of awkward fumbling while they find the right flow. Jimin grabs your hips, rocking his cock inside you deeper than before. Your drunken pleasure is growing and spreading through you. The crazy reality of this situation surely won’t hit you until the morning. For now you give your fullest focus to making yourself feel good. 

You reach behind you to grab Jimin’s hand and guide it to your needy clit. He does what you want resting his forehead against your shoulder. He can’t suppress the whines Taehyung is pulling out of him. You look over your shoulder briefly and see a smirk on the younger man’s face. He’s very pleased with the reaction his friend is having.  

The sound of skin slapping together gets louder as the three of you near your highs. Just as your orgasm is starting to wash over you in waves the door opens. Your head turns to see Yunjin as a scream leaves her mouth. 

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry.” She covers her eyes and slams the door. 

Taehyung slips out of Jimin bending over as he laughs. Jimin pulls out too and walks towards the other man pulling the condom off his own dick then his friends. He then pulls him into a kiss while he takes both of their cocks into his hand. When Taehyung realizes Jimin’s hands are a little too small he helps. Jimin and Taehyung make out in front of you while they jerk themselves off to completion. Once they are finished they each lie their head on the other’s shoulder and you almost feel like you are intruding. 

Jimin adjusts his thong and Taehyung zips himself back up before they pull you off the couch. Together they fix your dress making you presentable enough to leave the room. Each of them holds out a hand for you to take. You accept and let them lead you out of the room back to where the main party is happening. Jimin leads you to the drink table where you drop Taehyung’s hand to get one last drink.

“Let’s go back to my dorm.” Jimin says, shoving a bottle of liquor that Jungkook just handed him, under his arm before guiding you through the crowd again. 

When you look over your shoulder to make sure you haven’t lost Taehyung you make eye contact with Yunjin. Your face flames as she gives you a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. You take a gulp of the drink in your hand knowing she is going to ask you all the questions tomorrow. 

You wrap your arm around Taehyung’s waist when you make it outside. The cool air feels nice on your skin after the vigorous activities you just did. You drain your cup almost choking on the liquid when Jimin cheekily squeezes your ass. Somehow you manage to swallow as you giggle. 

You try to slap Jimin’s ass but he runs off too quickly for your drunken limbs to follow without tragedy. The walk back fills your head of what could happen when you return to the dorm.

The Indigo building is quieter than earlier. Most of the students have opted for off campus parties to celebrate Halloween. Jimin unlocks the door and holds it open for you and Taehyung. 

As soon as Jimin locks the door behind him, Taehyung unzips his onesie. He pulls the soft fabric off his shoulders and hooks his fingers under the waistband of his boxers to shimmy out of his low effort costume. Now completely naked he sits on Jimin’s neatly made bed. You follow suit, removing your dress just leaving you in just your soaked panties. 

“Ready for round two?” Taehyung asks cock already half hard as he folds his hands behind his head. 

You straddle Taehyung’s lap giggling as you pull him in for a heated kiss. He nibbles your bottom lip sucking it into his mouth before he buries his face in your collarbone. As your ass grinds against his growing cock he sucks a mark into your collarbone. 

“Starting without me in my own room?” Jimin asks, walking to the foot of his bed with two shot glasses in his hands. 

You pull away from Taehyung’s tempting lips to reach for the shot glass. Jimin lets you take the shot glasses and removes his cheerleader costume. He looks so soft and elegant lying in just a white lacy thong on his bed. You hand one shot to Taehyung before turning to pour the other into the waiting concave of Jimin’s stomach. 

“Is this what you wanted Jimin?” You ask ducking your head to lap up the stolen liquor from his toned stomach. “You want our tongues all over you?”

Jimin whines while Taehyung gets off the bed and rounds to the other side and joins in the slurping. Your tongues meet messily in the middle pushing into each other's mouths for only a moment. Your lips kiss up Jimin’s ribs until you meet his dark nipple stiff with anticipation. Without a further thought your lips latch around it, swirling your tongue. Jimin gasps, grabbing the back of your hair. He strokes the back of your head encouraging you to keep going. 

For a moment you pull away seeing Taehyung teasing the skin around Jimin’s cock. The younger man is licking and kissing Jimin’s strong thighs while using one hand to lightly rub the older man’s balls through the fabric of the thong. He quickly gets tired of that then removes Jimin’s panties flinging them over his shoulder. 

You give attention to Jimin's other nipple pressing your breasts against his side. Jimin slides a hand down your figure to spank your ass. A yelp escapes your lips but it’s silenced when Jimin tilts your head towards his face. His soft lips connect with yours sending a tingle up your spine. He quickly pushes his tongue inside your mouth tasting the liquor you just licked off his body. 

“Taehyung, please suck my cock.” Jimin whines against your lips. 

You look over to Taehyung and watch as he carefully sucks Jimin into his mouth, earning a loud desperate moan from the other man. Jimin pulls you further up the bed until your breasts are at his eye level. He takes one of your hard nipples into his mouth earning a whimper. You run your fingers through his dark hair wanting more of him. 

One of Jimin’s hands ventures to the waistband of your panties pushing them down. You help him remove them and throw the fabric to the floor. Jimin quickly brushes his thumb over your clit while collecting more of your essence on his other fingers. 

A choked moan leaves your lips as one of his fingers pushes inside your asshole. Jimin’s name passes your lips as you cling to his shoulder. He catches your lips trying to distract you from the slight discomfort. 

You take a deep breath listening to the sound of Taehyung sloppily sucking Jimin’s cock. It takes a moment but you adjust and the older man adds another finger slowly scissoring his fingers until a steady stream of moans is filling the air.

“More!” You beg while you look into Jimin’s lustful eyes. “Please fuck me.”

“Okay, Y/N.” Taehyung says from between Jimin’s legs. 

Jimin sits up slightly reaching for yet another set condom from his top drawer before lying down. You help Jimin roll his on while Taehyung does it himself. You settle yourself on Jimin’s lap facing Taehyung but leaning against Jimin’s chest. Jimin pushes his cock into your ass slowly letting you get used to the feeling. It stings but you take a deep breath pushing through the discomfort. 

Taehyung leans forward and licks your pussy with his wet tongue. He sucks your clit into his mouth effectively distracting you. He zigzags his tongue through your folds collecting your sweet release on his tongue. The feeling of the euphoric stroke of his tongue helps you adjust to Jimin’s cock. Taehyung grips your thighs continuing to lick and suck your cunt until he can see you clenching around the air just begging to be filled. 

The younger man makes eye contact with Jimin before settling himself in the best position to reach your cunt with his thick cock. He slaps his dick across your pussy and grinds against your wetness. Taehyung groans loving the feeling of your essence coating him. He slips inside you with a sigh. 

You are so filled to the brim with cock, all you can do is gasp for air. Taehyung moves first, dragging his cock in and out so slowly you whine. Jimin lifts his hips below you, wrapping his arms around your middle to keep you balanced. You let the two men take over knowing it’s unlikely you’ll be helpful.

They find a steady rhythm that draws purely erotic sounds from your mouth. Your head falls back as your eyes close letting yourself feel this pleasure to its greatest capacity. Electricity flows from your head to the very tips of your toes. You’ve never felt this way before. 

Jimin slides his hands up your waist until he is cupping one of your breasts in each of his hands. His finger traces your areola every so lightly in great contrast to how they are fucking themselves into you. Taehyung presses the pad of his thumb against your clit rubbing in a circular motion. You take your lip between your teeth, almost not able to bear the sensations.

Taehyung bows his head, eyebrows drawn together in concentration obviously approaching his high too. Vaguely, you wonder if they are always this loud in bed or if they are just exceedingly comfortable because of the amount of alcohol they consumed. You love when a man is vocal. It adds to the feeling. 

Warmth is rushing throughout your body. One flick of Taehyung’s thumb perfectly timed with the thrust of the men’s hips sends you over the edge screaming obscenities. 

Jimin’s hand covers your mouth as they accelerate the snap of their hips. You don’t push his hand away liking the way the subtle oxygen deprivation heightens the orgasm you are riding out. Taehyung gets sloppy first, nearly slipping out in his haste to push deeper inside of you. 

Taehyung’s name falls from Jimin’s lips as he spills into the condom inside of you. If you weren’t intoxicated you are sure you would think about that for more than a second. Your hand finds Taehyung’s nipple rolling it between your fingers as you coax him cum. He pulls out removing the condom quickly before stroking himself swiftly. Hot ribbons of cum paint your chest and Taehyung looks down proudly. 

Only for a second before he’s helping you off of Jimin. You close your eyes lying back on the bed exhausted. For a moment you think you could peacefully drift off to sleep, until a tongue drags across your breasts. You open your eyes to see Jimin lapping at the cum on your chest. 

Taehyung stands at the end of the bed with paper towels watching curiously. He snaps out of his trance and slaps Jimin’s ass effectively shooing him away so you can clean yourself. When you settle back onto the bed Jimin covers you with a blanket and the two men snuggle in beside you.

[groovinrightalong]

A Wip for the new chapter🫡

I am giggling and cackling and kicking my feet AHAHA oh boy I’m excited to post this

[justanothersnakeblog]

Snake, chapter 120

[karizard-ao3]

Why was it difficult for you to write the Halloween chapter ?

Honestly, I have no idea. I just kept running into walls and would have to backtrack and delete scenes and rewrite them and it was so fucking frustrating. There were some scenes I really liked and wanted to include, but they were gumming up the works somehow, so I had to get rid of them. I don't know! It just would not come together. And it's not like I could just skip Halloween because I needed to get Historia in there to plant her seeds for truth or dare and make Mikasa confront her feelings for Eren a bit.

I am truly grateful I finally managed to get out a workable draft and move onto the rest of the story.

[lord-of-the-harvest]

Pleasure, Pain, and Power Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Masquerade Of Nightmares 1/2

Summary: It’s almost Halloween, so Ren gets Jasmine ready for a mysterious party held by his client!

Contains: Forced feminization, mentions of hair shaving

MDNI

“Mmmm!~” Jasmine stretched her arm around Ren, irritated by his glowing laptop screen. A few weeks had passed since Ren’s final tie, and their relationship had gone back to relative normalcy. Jasmine’s wounds were healing nicely, and Ren had calmed down significantly, with his fur and weight pleasantly coming back. Now, after another long day of Ren being away at work, they were finally cuddled up in bed, but something on his laptop still kept his attention. “Mmm, Ren, it’s late, can’t you put your work away?” Jasmine looked up at him, but knew better than to look at his computer. There was no telling what secrets, conversations, or even gore he was looking at. “No, Darling, I’ve put this off too long, and I need to figure it out.” He clicked around the screen, not taking his eyes off it. Jasmine dropped her head back on her pillow and rolled over, finally catching Ren’s attention. “Hm, well fine, what do you want to go as for Halloween?” Jasmine’s head perked up, and she turned back around. “What do you mean? What are we doing for Halloween?” Ren sighed and threw his head back on the headboard, tired from his long day. “An event a client of mine is throwing. He likes these elaborate gatherings, masquerades really, and he invited us to his Halloween party.” Jasmine was no longer focused on sleep, and her head flooded with questions and ideas. Her eyes darted to his laptop, and sure enough, he was looking up costumes. “Aah! Why didn’t you say so? Oh I have so many ideas!” She took the computer off Ren’s lap, and started scrolling. “I thought about putting you in a fox suit, but I think that’d be a little on the nose. Then I thought maybe a witch, but I’d be lost for what I would wear. He likes pets to match their owners at these things…” A claw traced down Jasmine’s arm and she shuttered. “Are there…going to be other couples…like us?” She slowly turned to face Ren, a small smile on his face and he nodded. “There aren’t too many events we can exercise our dynamics in, so it’s nice to relax. You’ll like it, maybe you’ll make a friend!” His smile grew and he perked up, despite his previous exhaustion. Ren had been to a few of these events in the past, both alone and accompanied by other pets. He was always invited, as most of the other attendants have him to thank for their own partners, not to mention the shows he’d put on. Jasmine flashed back to the last time he went out of town. Even though she was excited to go with him, her heart dropped at the idea of him putting on a show. Ren could see the shift in her face, and traced a claw back up her arm. “What’s wrong sweetie? You don’t want to make a friend?” Jasmine held his hand and averted his gaze. “N-no, honey, I just um…are you going to do a show? Like last time?” Ren narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what she was talking about and why she was so upset. When it dawned on him, he laughed and squeezed her hand tight. “Oh, no Pet, not this time. I am providing something, but not a show…well…” Jasmine was relieved, but her heart skipped a beat at his last “well.” “…hm, in the past, other guests have requested I put on an impromptu show. I never liked doing them since I have no time to prepare, but I’d usually say yes if I had enough to drink.” A small smirk stayed on his face as he started thinking about the past shows he put on, but Jasmine let out a nervous laugh. “Hm, you should really thank me for how possessive I am over you.” Ren sat up and wrapped his arms around her. “No one at that party deserves to see you the way I do.” He tilted her head to the side and kissed her neck, making Jasmine softly moan. “No one deserves to smell you, to taste you, to feel you, the way I do.” He bit her, and with a quick shift of his jaw he drew a little blood. His claws poked her sides as Jasmine’s legs rubbed together, and she moaned even louder. She was getting accustomed to the pain, and almost begged him to keep going. “Not now, Darling, we need to focus.”

They stayed up much later than they would have liked going over various costume ideas. Animes, horror movies, and other pop culture crossed their minds, but nothing stuck. Jasmine initially wanted to go as Ghostface and Michael Myers. Ren rejected the idea, wanting her to go in a more submissive and sexy route. She thought of Vampira and Bela Lugosi from Plan 9, but was dismayed when Ren mentioned that was already the host's costume. She shoved the laptop back into Ren’s lap and sighed, now out of ideas. “Ugh, why don’t you just get me a carpet sample bikini and I’ll go as your damn scratching post?” Ren chuckled as he turned his attention to the screen. Jasmine shoved her face into her pillow and Ren scratched her back. Suddenly, he loudly gasped and lightly hit her shoulder. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, I know what we’re going as!” Jasmine sat up, tired, but happy that Ren was so happy. He shifted his screen away, preventing her from seeing whatever costume he had picked out. “Nope, sorry, Sweetie, this is going to be a surprise. It’s so perfect, I can’t believe I didn’t think about it at first!” Jasmine smirked. “What? Did you find a Chucky and Tiffany set in our sizes?” Ren scowled at her, but not for long, as he was too excited over buying the perfect costume. He clicked a few keys and set his computer aside, tucked himself in with his pet. “You’re really going to make me wait, huh?” Ren hugged her tighter, saying nothing, but nodding into the crook of her neck.

A few days passed and Ren came home with a package, accompanied by someone Jasmine assumed to be one of his employees. So far she had only met Rhino and Kangaroo, but this person was new to her. “Pet, I’d like you to meet Hyena. Hyena, this is my personal Pet.” ‘Hyena’ was a few inches taller than Ren, with long dark hair, wearing a white apron over a similar tech suit to Ren’s. The lower half of their face was covered with a black cloth mask, and they wore thick black boots. Jasmine eyed them up and down, sticking her hand out to greet them. “Hi Hyena, it’s nice to meet you. Fox…what are they doing here?” She whispered the latter part, a little startled by this new employee’s cold presence. “Hyena’s my hair and makeup specialist, she’ll be getting you ready for the party tonight!” Jasmine hadn’t gotten her hair done since well before meeting with Fox. Previously, she had a dyed purple undercut shaved into the nape of her neck, but now it had grown out to a rather unattractive length. The rest of her curly hair had grown so long, Jasmine tried cutting it herself with kitchen scissors. It worked well, and looked fine, but Fox wasn’t happy she took it into her own hands. That ended in an argument, with Fox demanding obedience, and Jasmine demanding a hairdresser. She reached up to touch the back of her neck, and shook Hyena’s hand. “Then it’s extra nice to meet you! Let’s set up in the bathroom, shall we?” Jasmine and Hyena set up a makeshift hair cutting station in the main bathroom while Fox was opening the costumes in his office. Hyena tied a cape around Jasmine’s neck, and she started explaining how she wanted her hair done. “Alright, so a while ago I had a purple undercut, which I really liked, but I think I wanted to do blue or green next. The rest of my hair is usually in layers too, and-" "Fox already told me what to do, you can stop now.” Jasmine stopped mid sentence, mouth still open and fingers in her hair. “O-oh…okay…” Awkwardly, she sat by the edge of the tub and let her new stylist wash her hair. Hyena had a cold demeanor, and was strategic as she washed Jasmine’s hair. Previously, Jasmine had another sub of hers donate to get her hair and nails done. This was almost like that, so she tried sinking into the familiarity of it. Hyena wasn’t used to her clients talking so much, but Jasmine was persistent. Asking her how her day was, how she liked the job, what she was doing, how well she knew Fox, only to get short, one word responses in return. After washing, she moved onto cutting and shaving. Jasmine’s constant questioning was starting to bug her, so Hyena decided to play with her a bit. “So, Fox said he wanted me to shave it off and bleach what’s left. Not what I would do, but it’s his orders.” She flicked on her clippers and brushed Jasmine’s hair to the side. “Woah!” Jasmine reached up to smack her hand away in protest. “I didn’t-why would he want that? I thought he liked how my hair looked…” She reached up to touch the ends of her long curly hair, already starting to mourn their loss. Hyena nodded, trying her best to hide a malicious smirk. Of course she wouldn’t do it, but it had been a while since she had a pet to play with. “Oh I’m sure he did, but you know how Fox is, he needs every piece to fit into his picture. Right now, that piece is your hair, and it’s my job to make it fit. I think it’s a trend thing, he must have seen some other girl with the style.” Hyena kept a strong poker face as Jasmine clutched the tips of her hair. She was sad, but leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath. “If he wants me like that, then fine. I want to make his pieces fit together too.” Hyena broke into a loud laugh, living up to her nickname. Jasmine was surprised and confused, but not for long. “Wait…wait! You’re fucking with me aren’t you?!”

After a short laughing fit from both of them, Hyena explained the actual request Fox had made. Originally, he liked the idea of Jasmine growing out her undercut, but figured the choppy underlayer would look too sloppy. Instead, he instructed Hyena to buzz and dye it orange to match his own hair. It would still be kept as long as a buzzcut could be, but with three slashes shaved closer to the skin to mimic the three cuts she had on her chest. No one was likely to see this detail other than Fox, but he still wanted his Pet to look her best regardless. Jasmine ran her fingers through her new shave and admired the color in the mirror. “It looks great! I want to go show Fox-” Jasmine started towards the bathroom door, but was stopped by her stylist. “Not now, he’s taking care of some business in his office. Besides, we still need to do your nails.” Startled by Hyena’s sudden opposition, Jasmine put her hands up and sat back in her chair. “What does he want for my nails anyways? Let me guess, long red acrylics?” She laughed, but Hyena kept a stoic face. “Not too far off, actually. He wants black stilettos.” Jasmine rolled her eyes and huffed at her. “Of course he does, he can’t ever go for something simple or practical, can he?” Hyena smiled and looked down at her. “No, no he can’t. I’ve dressed and prepped a lot of product while with Fox, and he’s never been a man of subtlety.” Despite the shudder she felt by being called “product”, Jasmine decided to press on. “Really? Well now I need to know, what’s the dumbest or wildest thing he’s had you do?” Hyena looked up at her, puzzled. “Excuse me? ‘Dumbest’?” “Oh come on, he has to have asked you to perform some stupid task, he’s Fox. You should see some of the heels I have, I practically had to relearn how to walk in order to wear them.” Hyena pulled out her nail supplies while Jasmine smiled to herself, but her question made her think. A smile cracked on her face as she remembered what it was like first working with Fox. “One time he asked me to insert extensions in this one brunette who was being shipped off after she was bought. He handed me bright blonde extensions the same length as her hair, and he seriously didn’t see what the issue was.” Jasmine laughed, and Hyena smiled. “Countless times he’s gotten wrong foundation shades, and picked colors that completely clashed with each other. He’s gotten much better, though, thank God. Another time he asked me to put bright orange talons on this poor girl’s feet and at that point I just had to tell him no.” She was laughing to herself, and Jasmine followed. 

Hyena carefully pushed back Jasmine’s cuticles and filed her uneven nails. She was painting on the second coat of polish when Fox walked into the bathroom to greet the two. He was wearing a black satin dress shirt and a pair of techwear pants Jasmine had seen in the back of the closet, assuming it to be his work uniform. “Hello darlings, I-good God that’s strong!” Fox pinched his nose and scrunched his face, off put by the overwhelming scent of nail polish. He flicked on the fan and asked Hyena how things were going. “It’s fine, her hair’s done, her nails are done, all that’s left is makeup and getting dressed…You know, I could take a look at your nails while she does her own makeup.” To Jasmine’s surprise, Fox agreed and looked at his claws. “I’m sorry, what?! You never let me touch them!” He took a step towards her, turning her face towards him with a claw pressed to her lip. “That’s right, Pet, because Hyena knows what she’s doing, and would never try to cut them too short.” He smiled and patted her cheek, Jasmine looked down at her hand under the UV lamp. After her nails were done curing, she swapped places with Fox and did her makeup by the sink. The three gossiped and laughed while finishing up in the bathroom. Fox instructed Jasmine how to do her makeup, making comments and orders, even getting Hyena to roll her eyes a few times. “More blush, darling…Your eyebrows are too thick, thin them up a bit…Do you have any other shade of lipstick?” Jasmine forgave him, as he still seemed on edge, despite the lighthearted nature of their situation. We’re going to a party with his friends, I’m the one who should be nervous about it… Eventually, Jasmine stepped away from the mirror with a black and brown smokey eye, blush, and nude lip gloss, still not knowing what she was supposed to be. 

The three entered the bedroom, and Jasmine saw her costume laid out on the bed. It was a shiny black bodysuit with a sleeveless corseted bodice. The hips came up high, and it came with a pair of sheer tights, the kind with a line up the back. “Fox, I still don’t know what I’m supposed to be…” She turned to face him and it all clicked together. He was tying a dark red velvet robe around himself, which went together nicely with his satin shirt and uniform pants. “Oh you cannot be serious, Fox, come on!” He chuckled, and tied the robe on tight. “Oh I am, Bunny, put on the suit, real slow for me…” He licked his lips and teased her, sure enough there was a little bunny tail on the back of the bodysuit. Bunny slipped out of her leggings and into the tights he provided. Hyena helped with tying the bodice tight, which didn’t leave much of her figure to the imagination. The three big scars on her chest were now on perfect display, and the tights were sheer enough to show her other markings. Her heir was kept down, but she was strapped into a latex playboy-style mask that hid the upper half of her face. She wore a pair of heels Fox had gotten her months ago, shiny seven inch stilettos with a short platform. Fox put on her final accessories, a pair of white cuffs and a collar to match. He stood her in front of the mirror as he strapped them on. Unlike the typical white collars other bunnies would wear, her’s had a small shock device in the back with Fox’s emblem printed on it. Bunny took in the sight of them together. The kinkiest playboy bunny, accompanied by a rather short Hugh Heffner with a snarling metallic mask. They were already an absolute sight, and the night hadn’t even started yet.

Notes: Give it up for yet another OC, Hyena! She was fun to write, and she’ll likely make another appearance later on. Now Jasmine, of course, has her own stupid nickname to protect whatever privacy she has at this event. Who is this mystery client of Ren’s? Who all will be attending this party? Will Jasmine make a friend? All this and more will be answered in the next chapter of Pleasure, Pain, and Power :D

[madamemidnight]

Chapter 34: Of Tricks & Treats

Thursday has arrived and Claire is brimming with excitement to see teenage Gabriel, while also looking forward to doing something that feels so normal for the first time in years.

There will be a double chapter this weekend. #35 will be posted tomorrow. ☺️🎃

[dopingues]

I thought about them again, i really like when halloween specials show characters in fun costumes, specially when the characters already usually wear costumes…

[seenoversundown]

Happy Halloweeeeen! 🎃🖤

Relive the Halloween party with Jake & Char this evening 🎃🤭

For Death Or Glory : Chapter Eight

Jake Kiszka x Charlotte (Fem OC)

Warnings: DRINKING / ALCOHOL (bigger warning because they are actively drinking in this one, not just in the bar) Swearing, Sex is mentioned (not had) A LOT of ridiculous puns and jokes, Slow Burn is REAL, Halloween Costumes, Brotherly Banter (gentle bullying) and finally, our favorite warning, YEARNING.

Word Count: 7k (longest so far!!)

Summary: IT'S HALLOWEEN BABES; Josh decides to decorate the bar for the holiday and so, they make it into a little party. Jake hesitates on what to do about Charlotte, but goes with his gut. And BOY IS THAT A LITTLE TREAT.

Author's Note: I said this week would be a sweet treat and I think that you'll find that it is! I don't want to spoil the surprise but, I think you'll be excited to see what it is 🤭 See you on the other side!

More Than Friends - Aidan Bissett "Girl, lets be more than friends, I know you're thinking the same thing."

Jake POV 

“You know, whatever you decide to hang up, we need to be able to get down, right?” 

I stand there watching Josh not so carefully hanging off the ladder’s top step. Quinn looks less than impressed while they stand on the bottom step.

“Maybe Jake is onto something, Josh Groban,” they tell him. 

Josh stops, looks back with a glare, and then returns to whatever he is trying to do. 

I look over at them, both of us shaking our heads, knowing that Josh will do whatever he damn well pleases. 

“He’s your problem to deal with now,” I tell them, gently squeezing their shoulders as I pass by. 

Deciding to make sure the bar is fully stocked for the night, I can’t help but eavesdrop on Sam and Willa as they try to get ‘cute post-worthy’ pictures for the bar’s Instagram. 

“Sam, can you just work with me?” Willa asks, letting out a frustrated sigh. 

“Birdie, you know this is also my job?” 

“Yeah, well, last time you took promo photos, you stole all my flowers, AND you hated the outcome. So, maybe just listen to me?” 

“I’m not trying to be difficult, little bird,” Sam says, “You just need to relax.”

“When has telling a girl to relax ever ended well for you?” 

I was chuckling to myself as I listened to them and took notes of what needed to be pulled from the back. I hate dragging myself away from the free entertainment, but I need to keep moving so the bar can be ready tonight. 

I wasn’t the one who came up with the idea to do a themed night; you can only imagine who suggested it, but people have been talking about it lately, so maybe it was a good choice. Even though I had to explain to Josh that we cannot require people to wear costumes, I think it’ll be fun to see everyone dressed up. 

Looking at the back stock and pulling out the things we’ll need, I hear footsteps approaching me. I simply glanced at the doorway to finally be met with Josh’s presence. 

“So.. are you going to invite her?” 

My eyebrows pull together a bit, “Who?”

“Your First Mate,” Josh says, wiggling his eyebrows at me. 

“Oh shut up,” I quip back, “I was thinking about it.” 

Regret has never hit me quicker. 

“OH ARE YOU NOW?”

“I mean… you saw her the other day, Josh. She’s obviously not having a great time and the fact she has to keep coming here, I may as well at least extend the offer.” I tell him, “Even if she’ll probably say no.” Quickly, I look back at my notes to make sure I’m not forgetting anything before walking back out to the bar. 

“Well, you have been talking to her,” he says. 

“We’ve texted .. a little bit,” I tell him, knowing that he will pry for more information, “BUT– it’s nothing crazy. I just wanted to make sure she was okay.” 

He follows me, offering no assistance carrying anything but absolutely still trying to make something out of nothing. 

“That’s very you… of you to do.” 

Both of us looked vaguely unimpressed at that statement. 

“Okay, that wasn’t my best work. I’m just saying that maybe there’s a chance you two could be something of an item,” he tells me, a little too giddy for my liking. 

Setting everything on the bar abruptly, “Jesus Christ, Josh. Just because I’m nice to the girl doesn’t mean I want anything more.” I’m trying to sound convincing, even though I know he will call me on it at any moment. I wouldn’t be opposed to it, though. But for god’s sake, Josh doesn’t need to know that. 

“Okay, okay, alright, I’ll stop,” he starts, holding his hands up. But know that I will find out if anything happens between you two,” he squints at me before turning around to continue helping Quinn decorate. 

I watch as he finds himself busy again, but I can tell from a distance that he updates Quinn on his interrogation. If there is anything I know about my brother, it is that he will know everything about everyone all the time, which in turn means Quinn knows everything as well. I let out a small sigh while piling bottles of Modelo back into the fridge. Maybe I should just text her. Is that weird? She’s going to say no anyway. 

Still squatting down behind the bar, I pull my phone from my back pocket. Unlocking it to a handful of email notifications and a few texts from Sam that I ignored earlier.  I love him, but he doesn’t need to ask me every time if he can take some promo pics for the bar. 

I tap on her conversation; my thumbs hesitate for a second. Is this stupid? Am I wasting my metaphorical breath? Maybe she’ll appreciate the thought. 

Me: Hi there. How are you? Are you busy tonight by any chance?

I shove my phone back into my pocket before standing back up, grabbing the few loose cans and bottles across the bar, and tossing them. Looking around at the new decorations, they all have managed to get hung up already, and it’s definitely feeling much more festive. 

“Josh, can you–” I start, but I feel my phone vibrate, stopping me mid-question, “Uh, lost my train of thought. I’ll get back to you on that,” 

I grab my phone and see her name sitting there, making the heat rise in my face. 

Charlotte: No, I’m free. Why? 

The three dots pop up before I can reply, making me more nervous. 

Charlotte: Do you need help with something?

Me: nooo I don’t need anything from you. We’re just doing a little thing here for halloween and I thought I would see if you were interested. No pressure or anything lol.

Those god-forsaken three dots come back, then disappear, and reappear. There is no worse form of torture in the modern day than waiting for a text to pop up. 

Charlotte: Maybe

Okay… Well, it isn’t a no. I look up to find Josh directly in front of me, scaring the shit out of me. I didn’t realize he could be quiet enough to do that. 

“Can I help you?” 

“You looked very intrigued by whatever was on your phone there, brother,” Josh says, with a shitty little grin on his face. 

“Don’t you have things to be doing other than watching me use my phone?” I ask, not able to stop the slight eye roll that came along with it. 

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that,” he says, “ Quinn and I are going to run upstairs to get ready, and then I can take over so you can go put on whatever pirate bullshit you want.” He says, staring at me with a matter-of-fact expression and his arms folded across his chest.  

“Sounds good to me, bub.” 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

 Sam and Willa left shortly after Josh and Quinn, leaving me with the usual regulars to tend to. They weren’t a rowdy bunch, so I got a good amount of cleaning done before the rush of people. 

Maybe. The fact she didn’t say ‘no’ was basically haunting me. It’s not a big deal if she does show up because she is just a ‘friend’. That’s even a strong way of wording it. 

At this point, the sun has been set for a while, which is attracting costumed customers. Some are more clever than others, but regardless, I’m just glad that people seem to like the idea. 

I’m talking to Linda, who’s dressed as an 80s Aerobic Instructor, when I hear the sounds of my dear brother entering the building. He always has a way of making his presence known, whether he means to or not. We both glance over to the door, where he lets Quinn through first, quickly following behind. 

Hand in hand, they joined us at the bar. I just looked at the two of them for a minute, my head tilted slightly. 

“Peter Pan and Tinkerbell?” I finally manage to ask.

“Yes!” Josh says, fluttering the tiny wings he has on. 

I let out a small sigh; I should have known, giggling to myself. 

“I think you two look adorable,” Linda compliments them, eliciting a curtsy from Josh while Quinn does a stage bow. 

“Alright, Tink, come tend bar so I can go change into something more festive.”

After I finally got upstairs, I started digging through my closet, looking for everything. I know it’s in here. I finally found my cream button-up; it was a bit looser on me than most of my shirts, so when I tucked it in; it definitely fit a pirate theme. 

I pull on my black slim-fit jeans, tucking the bottom of my shirt into them. I slide on my brown dress vest over the shirt, leaving it fairly open so that my chest is exposed. I grab the necklaces on my nightstand and walk into the bathroom to make sure they are sitting properly. I don’t need Josh telling me I layered my necklaces wrong again. 

I know Josh has some sort of scarf or belt that would make more sense for a pirate outfit, so I decide to bravely go into his room. Good lord, Josh.  Walking into his room, I always forget that he likes to have things. I mean that nicely; he just loves art, decor, and tchotchkes, so his bedroom would be overstimulating to most. Considering how long I’ve known him, I’m generally accustomed to his ways, but when he keeps his door shut more often than not, it starts to slip my mind. 

Rummaging through his closet, filled with colorful pieces, I find the clothes hanger loaded with scarves. I pulled out an olive green one; earth tones will work, right?  I tie it around my waist, moving in front of his full-length mirror; I look much more piratey than before. 

I look at the time, not realizing how long it’s taken me, I hustle back into my room. I grab the rings from the drawer in my nightstand, quickly sliding them on and spraying myself with another round of cologne to hopefully hold me over the rest of the night. I pull out a single cigarette from the drawer, shutting it a little harder than I mean to. 

Maybe? Her text is still sitting in my mind. What if she does show up? I grab my phone from the counter, slide it back into my pocket, and head out the door. 

“Excuse me, sorry,” I mumble as people pass me on the stairs. I’m moving a little quicker than I usually am because I don’t want to leave Josh bartending alone for too long. Maybe Melody is helping him out? I should have pulled everything out earlier, so this didn’t happen. 

I pull open the door, letting the couple outside into the stairwell. I pull my lighter out, placing the cigarette between my lips and covering the filter end with my hand to block the wind. I take the long way around the building so I can enjoy this while I have a second. Josh is fine, the bar is fine, if she shows up, that’s also fine. I think to myself as I’m rounding the corner. Taking one final drag before putting it out, I hold in the cloud of smoke for a moment before releasing it. I close my eyes for a second, breathing in the cool fall air. Glancing over to the most delightful sight, I’m unable to come up with words fast enough before I hear– 

“Well, hello there, Captain.” 

Charlotte POV

You’re allowed to have fun, Charlotte. That’s the mantra I’ve been repeating in my head since Jacob told me about this party, though the alternative is that this is incredibly unprofessional. 

I’ve been parked and sitting in my car for 10 minutes, building up the will to get out. You bought a costume, and you got ready, and you smiled at the text for about 15 minutes straight. Just go have fun. My hand finally reached for the handle, opening the door. 

My boots make a little click on the pavement as I get out of the car; I smooth out my pants and readjust the little corset so it’s more comfortable. I look at my reflection in my car windows, leaning in to make sure my lipstick is still in place. Okay. Just go. 

Rounding the corner, I see the entrance to the bar, making me slow my pace a little until- 

Jacob? I watch as he walks towards the bar; he looks .. good– No, Charlotte, cut it out. I slowly walk towards him, still watching him as he lets out a quick stream of smoke; why is that kinda…  He sets the rest of the cigarette in the ashtray placed on top of the garbage can. He stops for a second, clearly trying to calm down. Is he okay? His shoulders drop as he lets out a long breath. Suddenly, we’re making eye contact. Shit.

“Well, hello there, Captain,” I say to him. Smooth Charlotte, real smooth. 

He giggles at the name, “Well, blow me down. I didn’t know if I would see you tonight, Red.” 

“I decided that I deserved a little fun after this past week and all.”

“I think you made a good decision,” he says calmly, “Also, your costume choice is just lovely.” I don’t know if I ate too much or if he is actually giving me butterflies right now. 

“Oh, thank you,” I say quietly; I’ve never been good at receiving compliments. We both stand there for a brief second before he grabs the door to the bar, gesturing for me to go through. 

“Ladies first.” 

“What a gentleman– oh, I mean, gentle-pirate.”

The bar is full of costumed people, Halloween songs playing loud over the speakers that you can barely hear over the chatter from everyone.  It’s nice to see how busy the bar is finally.  I had only really been here earlier in the day and honestly, it’s refreshing to know that the bar is doing well, considering how many people are here. 

I followed Jacob to the bar, sitting down, only to notice that his brother was dressed as Tinkerbell. It seemed like an odd choice until I looked down to the other end of the bar to see Peter Pan sitting there. Oh… OH. 

“Charlotte! You came!” Josh says excitedly, “Y’know, I told Ol’ Captain Sparrow that if he just asked you that, you-” 

 “Oooookay, Tink, that’s enough,” Jacob cuts him off, making me laugh. 

He slid a glass over to me on a napkin. I looked down to see that he made me a Boulevardier. He remembered? My heart feels weird. 

“Let me know if it’s terrible, I’ll remake it for you,”

I take a small sip; it’s incredible?

“No, it’s perfect, thank you,” I tell him. 

He smiles at me, even his eyes light up. I watch him walk down the length of the bar, checking in on other customers and replacing their drinks with fresh ones. He’s so soft-spoken that I’m shocked he feels so comfortable bartending. The way he looks at every single customer, giving them his full attention, even for the twenty seconds it takes for them to place their order. He’s so-

“So Charlotte,” Josh starts, pulling me out of my thoughts, which may be a good thing at this rate. 

“How are you doing, dear?” he asks while wiping a wine glass dry. 

“I’m okay,” I tell him, “I am sorry about the other day, I hope you weren’t trying to get out of here.” 

“I was actually coming back from lunch, and you weren’t a bother at all,” he tells me, relieving me that I didn’t mess up his entire day. 

He continues, “Also, never apologize to me for having feelings. I don’t know what happened, but I’m glad that you were able to let them out. Jake is good at handling situations like yours, so you picked the perfect time, honestly.”

“Oh,” I say before taking a bigger sip. 

“Are you here alone?” he asks. I nod quickly, “Let me introduce you to someone. Hold on!” 

I watch as he waves over the person in the Peter Pan costume. They make their way over to us, and with how Josh’s face looks, I’m assuming this is a special person to him.

“Charlotte, this is Quinn,” Josh said, gesturing between the two of us. 

“Hi, nice to meet you, Quinn,” I can’t help how professional it comes out. 

“You as well,” they start, “If you haven’t pieced it together, yes, I’m Josh’s partner.” They let out a small laugh, gesturing at the Peter Pan costume. Okay, thank God, I didn’t want to say that I assumed.  

Looking at the two of them, they really are precious. 

“I love your costumes,” I tell them. 

“Oh, thank you!” they both say simultaneously. 

“So Charlotte, what exactly is your job?” Quinn asks. 

“Well-” I’m cut off by the group of people approaching us loudly. 

I watch quietly from my seat while they all greet each other. 

“WILLIAM,” Quinn hollers.

 “QUILL” 

“QUILLIAM,” the two of them yell at the same time, falling into a fit of giggles. 

I can’t help but wonder what I’m currently witnessing. 

“Oh my god, you look so fucking good.”

“Stop it- no, YOU guys look so good.”

Quinn looks back over to me, grabs the two girls’ hands they have been chatting with, and hustles back to the bar.

“Guys, this is Charlotte!” Quinn starts introducing us. “This is Willa,” they gesture to the petite girl with a cute bob haircut that frames her face so nicely. She’s dressed in light pink. Loofah? Which is quickly clarified when Sam comes into view dressed as a bar of soap, whom I met briefly the first day I came in. 

“I still can’t believe I’m soap, Bird.”

“It was this or Twilight, be glad!”

“And this is Melody, obviously. You’ve met already, though?” gesturing to her, who’s also absolutely beautiful. She’s dressed as Arwen, which means that Danny is dressed as the Aragorn man.

“Hi,” I manage to get out, “Yes, we have, and you both look so great,” 

“Thank you so much!” Melody quickly responds. 

“Oh, thanks!” Willa quips back. 

“Drinks for everybody,” Jake’s voice came from behind me as he slid a bunch of glasses towards us. A chorus of ‘thank you’ surrounds me. Before I can turn to acknowledge him, he’s grabbing my glass. 

“Another one?” He asks, fairly quietly this time. 

“Please,” my nerves are getting the best of me, and the best way to fight them off is not to be sober. 

“Oh, sick! We’re all in couples costumes,” 

“Sam,” Willa hitting Sam’s arm, “Shut up?”

I could feel the heat rising into my face; I had been ignoring that Jacob and I wore the same kind of costume and wishfully thought that nobody would mention it. I guess that ship has sailed.

“We have Peter Pan and Twinkerbell, Lord of the Rings, and Calico Jack and Anne Bonny at the bar– I thought it was safe to assume!” Sam says, his loud laugh following it.  

“Oh guys,” Jake sounds defeated, “Don’t embarrass her. You just met her.” 

He looks back at me, handing me a new drink, “I’m sorry about that. I swear sometimes my brother hates me.” 

“It’s okay. I was kind of waiting for it to happen,” I laughed, “I mean, we are matching so..” 

He laughs at my observation for a moment. 

“Between you and me,” he leans a little closer, whispering, “I think we’re the best dressed here,” flashing me a small smile; oh, how I wish he wouldn’t do that. 

“Charlotte, come with us!” Quinn says, grabbing my hand and pulling me off the barstool. They pull me over to a table where the other girls are sitting. Oh god.  

“Josh told me you were here alone, and well.. that’s not fun,” they tell me. 

“I don’t actually live around here, so I don’t really know anybody,” I start, “Well, aside from you guys, now.”

A slew of ‘oooohhhh’s come out from all of them. 

“So, I’m under the impression you’re all partners with the boys?” I ask. 

“Yes!” “Yep,” “Mhmmm,” quickly followed. 

I take another few sips of my drink, feeling the anxiety starting to melt away. 

“I’m secretly a sucker for romance, so who wants to let me in on the situations here?” I tell them, rapidly pointing around at all of them and the boys. I’m going to be around for a little bit. I may as well get to know them. Plus.. it probably wouldn’t hurt for me to try and make some friends… right? 

“How much time do you have?” Quinn asks bluntly. The other two erupted with laughter. 

I look down at my drink, swirling it around, and then drink the last few sips quickly before looking at them and delivering a monotone, “I got time.” 

“Well, in that case,” Willa starts, “Let me tell you about my sweet, dumb, but hot boyfriend Samuel.” She says while cracking her knuckles. 

“So– I met him at the farmers market, where he proceeded to be an absolute dick to me. And THEN, he was here when I came here on an unsuccessful date, we had to WORK TOGETHER, went on a trip where we got with ONE BED-” Willa pauses for dramatic effect before taking a breath to practically yell, “LIKE THE BOOK TROPE, CHARLOTTE.”

“You sure you wanna hear this?” Quinn interjects. 

“Oh, I’m invested now,” I quickly spit out. I catch a small glimpse of Jacob as he’s grabbing some empty bottles from a table across the room. He smiles and nods at whatever they say; oh, there’s that feeling again. 

Willa continues her tale, but I barely hear her. My eyes fixated on him, watching how he makes eye contact with anyone who talks to him. Making sure that he hears them, nodding along and giggling often. Every so often, letting someone have a genuine smile–

Willa’s voice hit me again, “–and now I guess I like him back.” 

“Oh, my god?” I respond, “That is uh.. A lot?” Oh, I’m the worst person ever. 

“It is a lot, but I guess he was worth it or whatever,” Willa rolls her eyes at the statement. 

Quinn smacked her arm, “You loved that silly string bean for so long. Don’t even act like you didn’t.” 

Everybody was giggling at the call out. I saw Melody look around the table at all the empty glasses before standing up and grabbing them all.

“Let me get us another round, but Quinn, feel free to start whenever,” She grabs their arm, “I obviously know how this goes already.” 

We all watch her for a minute as she walks up to the bar, getting the boys’ attention. 

“Melody is so pretty?” I say out loud, “Oh god, is that weird?”

“No!” 

“Not at all.” 

“We all think she’s hot, don’t worry.”

Before I can look back over to them, Jacob is in my line of sight again. This time, he’s behind the bar, talking to one of the older ladies he seems so fond of. The way they make him laugh is sweet. He’s stood there for a second before he leans over the bar to grab something from them, but the way he leans makes his shirt fall open more; I can see his stomach flex for a split second. Holy shit. Where is Melody with those drinks, dear god- 

“Alright, Quill, let’s go.” 

Melody sat back down at the table, dispersing the drinks to everyone. 

“Welllllll,” Quinn says, “I met him at Hobby Lobby- don’t ask me why HE worked THERE.”

I have got to stop getting distracted by this man. He walks past our table, gently squeezing Quinn’s shoulders as he passes them. They just glance over at him as they’re talking. It’s precious how much he seems to like them. Maybe he’s just a loving person? Oh, god I don’t like that. 

 “But, now we’re just in love, and he’s perfect, so!” 

“...in the cooler?” Willa mumbled, covering her mouth, “Please tell me you’re joking.” 

What did they do in the cooler? Shit, I need to be paying closer attention. 

“Yeah… I probably could have left that part out, huh?” Their eyes widened, looking over at me, with the realization of who they were telling that to. “We cleaned up after! Promise!”

“Wait a second- so, you and Josh.. here?” Willa says, pointing at Quinn, before turning to Melody, “And you and Danny …ALSO here..?” 

Never mind, I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me, don’t tell me, don’t tell me. 

The two nod in sync, holding back their laughs. 

“Well, that’s not fair!”

“This is truly taking years off my life,” I tell them while rubbing my temples, making them all giggle at my pain. 

“I’m not about to make it any better,” Melody says with a laugh, followed by the other two losing even more.

I hold up one finger while inhaling the rest of my drink, “Okay, I think I’m ready.” 

“So Daniel and I actually started dating in High School,” Melody says, pulling a quiet ‘awww’ from all of us, “We were together for a while before I decided to go to college out of state,” she tells us. 

I see him in the background, just scanning the room while Josh is making drinks, well, until he sees me looking back at him. Shit, shit, shit, shifting my eyes back to Melody.

“Anyway– I ran into Josh, who got me the job here, and I’m so thankful for it. The boys are so great, and I’m obviously not going to complain about getting to see Daniel again.” 

“I bet you’re not complaining,” Willa says suggestively with an exaggerated wink. 

“HE sure complained at first, though,” Quinn pipes up with a laugh.

“Oh hush,” Melody tries to brush it off, “I do love him for more than our sex life.”

Willa is quick to reply, “Whatever you say, girly.” 

“So.. what’s the part that will ruin my day?” I nervously ask. 

“Conveniently, the day you came in actually, Jake had sort of… walked in on us.” 

“Walked in on WHAT?” 

“The thing is.. The roads were terrible, so I asked Jake if he minded grabbing Iris-” Quinn quickly cuts off Melody. “YEAH, WE HAD A SLEEPOVER WITH THE CHILD,” Quinn can’t tell us fast enough. 

“Hey,” Willa, chuckling, gently grabs Quinn’s arm, “Charlotte was the only one not involved. You don’t need to yell.” 

“Sorry, I just love Iris a lot, okay?” 

“And she loves you back,” Melody reassures them, “Anyway, yes, so everybody else had a fun sleepover with my daughter, and I closed the bar with Daniel while having a weird argument–” 

Jake comes up between Quinn and Melody, placing one hand on Melody’s back, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I come bearing not watered-down drinks.”  

He starts placing the drinks on the table, having to slide mine and Willa’s across the table. 

I watch as he makes a little small talk with everyone and how much they all seem to like him. He seems too nice to be real. Everyone laughing with him, I look up at him before he slides my drink over to me. His hands. Oh my. He has rings on… oh my GOD. Trying not to be obvious, I quickly flit my eyes back up to meet his. 

“Thank you,” I mouth to him while the other three are talking. He mouths back, ‘Of course’, flashing me a smile. The boy is beautiful when he smiles. 

He turns to go back to the bar, and I just focus on him walking there; unknowingly, I am being watched.

“Charlotte!” 

“Yes?” I quip back; I can feel the heat in my face, but is it embarrassment or the alcohol? The world will never know.

“Are you… into Jake..?” Willa asks quietly. 

The other two leaned in on our little secret session, which I was not prepared for. 

“Nooo, no, no, no,” I can’t spit it out quickly enough.

Quinn lets out a laugh before choking out, “You were practically drooling over him,” 

“Ha ha.. Nooo.. I wasn’t,” I try to defend myself, scratching the back of my head, “Was it really that obvious?” 

A chorus of yelps elicited when I loosely admit to thinking he’s attractive. 

“Oh stoooop,” I cover my face. 

“Don’t be embarrassed– those Kiszka boys are incredibly charming,” Quinn states, “It’s hard not to fall for it.”

“Yeah, I don’t know about ‘charming’ per se, but they do have some good genes in that family.” Willa taking a light jab at Sam. 

“Really though,” Melody chimes in, “Jake is honestly very charming,” 

“Oh, he is absolutely,” 

“He’s too nice,”

Quinn and Willa tend to talk at the same time, and being a few drinks in does not help my deciphering of who said what, but at least when they’re on the same page, it helps. 

“He has been very easy to work with, so I would believe that,” I try to regain my composure,  even though the fact everybody thinks he’s sweet is not helpful to where my brain has been going all night. 

“I’m sure his brain just shuts down when you’re around,” Willa says into her glass before taking a sip. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Have you seen yourself?” Quinn questions, “You’re so hot?”

‘Mhm’ 

‘Yeah, you are.’ 

I know that my face is absolutely pink at this rate; I just shake my head ‘no.’

“I’m sure he sees plenty of pretty girls being a bartender,” I roll my eyes at the idea that he wouldn’t hit on other girls while he’s working. 

“Pretty sure the only one he entertains is Eleanor,” Melody giggles. 

“I’m almost positive he told Josh that he’d just marry her if he stayed single for too much longer,” Quinn says, looking over at Josh, who just blows a kiss to them. Wow, they’re so cute together. 

I watch as Melody taps on her phone, seeing the time, “Well, guys, I need to go relieve Josh for a bit.”

Quinn quickly stood up with their drink and nodded to the bar. Willa and I followed suit, migrating up to the bar. Claiming a bar stool and watching as Josh comes to find Quinn, quickly kissing their nose and then their forehead before Quinn snuggles themself into him for a brief moment. 

“Pretty cute, aren’t they?” Jacob whispers, scaring the living daylights out of me. 

“They really are,” I say, “And you need a bell or something because Jesus Christ.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he laughs, placing his hand on my back for a second, “I just need to get out of there for a minute,” he tells me.

 “So I’m going to run around to clean and just saw you fixated on them.” 

“Well, since you’re here, Jake,” Willa says loudly, leaning over to me and whispering, “Wanna see the boys squirm?” I simply nod with a grin plastered across my face. 

“Don’t you guys think Melody is insanely hot?” She questions everybody.

Daniel violently shakes his head, ‘Yes,’ while Melody laughs behind the bar. 

“I.. uhh,” Jake mumbles, holding the back of his neck, “I have tables to clean,” and quickly walks off to grab glasses. 

Sam’s eyes are wide, and his face is filled with panic. “Birdie, I can’t answer,” he begins to say before his brother abruptly cuts him off. 

“SMASH FOR SURE,” Josh confidently shouts, being met with a high five from Quinn. 

“You’re right, that was worth it,” I whisper, leaning into Willa. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

I sat with everybody while they talked, well, yelled. This is a much louder group of friends than I’m used to. Granted, I have like..no group of friends. I listen to a lot of very odd conversations filled with Sam instigating Willa so that she would get a little pissed at him. There are plenty of lengthy stories from Josh, which probably wouldn’t take as long if he didn’t tell us every side story that goes along with it, but he’s so animated I guess I can’t really complain. 

“Here, Charlotte,” Melody says, “Jake told me how to make your drink, so .. I hope it tastes right,” 

I take a sip, oh lord, that is STRONG, “It’s great!” 

Why did I do that? She needs to learn… Not that I could even correct her right now. 

I sip on my drink for a while, feeling it hitting harder than I’m used to. Every so often, Jake comes out from behind the bar to make small talk with some of the customers or come bug his brothers for a few minutes. I always hope it’s the latter. 

“How are we doin’, Red?” 

I blink rather slowly, “I’m thriving,” slowly cracking a smile, knowing it sounded terrible coming out of my mouth. 

“Well, I’m so glad,” he tells me. The way he makes eye contact but also watches my mouth when I talk makes me want to scream. 

“You know,” I tell him, what are you doing? , “I dare ye to resist me booty,” the alcohol starts speaking. 

“Are…are you trying to flirt with me?” He laughs out. 

“Maybe, is it working?” I ask, biting the inside of my lip. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

“Oh– well,” he giggles quietly; leaning in, he rests one hand on the back of my barstool to support himself, but his face creeps in closer to my ear before he whispers, “You don’t even have to try with me, honey.” Fuck me. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

I spend the rest of the night chatting with Quinn and Willa about the most random things. But I think that is what friends are supposed to do? 

Slowly, people start trickling out as it nears 1 a.m. I say my goodbyes to Sam and Willa, which is shortly followed by Josh and Quinn. Jake was nice enough to let Josh go to bed since he was here decorating so early. 

“Ready to go, ducky?” Daniel asks Melody;  party of one officially. 

“Oh, I am beyond ready,” she stretches her arms out before turning to me, “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” 

Shit. I already forgot that I told her about the training earlier today. 

“Yes, you will! Can’t wait,” I do my best not to show that I definitely forgot and that I’m definitely NOT going to feel like shit in the morning now. 

“I’ll see you then,” she says with a little wink. 

I turn to the bar, leaning into my hand with a very minuscule smile painted on my face as I watch him. Just waiting for him to look over at me, I can’t help but stare. 

“I can feel you watching me,” he grins from the other end of the bar. 

“I’m debating on how I’m going to get home, is all,” I say with a sigh. 

“Did you drive here?” He asks. 

“Yep,”

“Okay, so, first of all, you’re not going to do that,” he tells me. 

“And why not?” I protest. He sauntered over to me, leaning against the bar. 

“You’re so pretty,” he says to me, glancing down at my lips until I finally pull the bottom one in with my teeth, “Yeah- you’re not driving.”

My jaw drops; he really got me there. 

“I can just call an Uber,” I tell him.

“Charlotte, I don’t love that idea. It’s almost 2 am, and I literally live just upstairs,” Jake continues to tell me I need to stay here, and I don’t know why I’m fighting it so hard. 

“I don’t want to impose,”

“I’m offering?” 

“Touche Captain,” I giggle a bit at the nickname. I bet he likes it. 

“Just hang out for a couple minutes so I can close the bar down,” he tells me. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

“Don’t you want to clean?” 

“It’s so late. Josh can help me in the morning,” Jake speaks low as we walk into the stairwell. 

“Oh no,” slips out, “oh, I didn’t mean to actually say that,” 

Jake lets out a quiet laugh, “I got you, don’t worry,” 

Before I can react, he has his arm underneath mine, gesturing for my hand. I lace my fingers into his; the butterflies are back. How fun. He holds my hand tightly, letting me put a lot of my weight into him as we carefully go up the first flight of stairs. 

“I think I can do it,” I tell him; I absolutely cannot? 

“You sure about that, sport?” 

I squint at him and immediately stumble up the first couple of stairs of the second flight, letting out a small ‘oop.’

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” He makes fun of me gently while supporting me again. 

This may be the longest stair climb of my life.

We finally make it to his apartment.

Jake whispers, “You can take my bed, and I’ll just sleep on the couch.”  He’s so cute when he’s concerned.

“Noooo, I can sleep on the couch. I’ve already inconvenienced you.” 

He blinks at me slowly, unamused. 

I can’t stop myself from walking towards his couch, and it’s a humbling moment for me as my legs wobble in the process. 

“No, you don’t,” Jake says from behind me. 

“Jake, really, I don’t mind,” I look back at him, disorienting myself from turning too quickly. 

“Jesus Christ,” he mutters as he grabs my arms to stop me from falling over. I just stare at him like a deer in headlights. 

“Yeah, I didn’t want it to come to this, but,” he says before he wraps his arms around my thighs, lifting me over his shoulder. 

Childlike laughter erupts from me as he carries me through his apartment into his bedroom. I can feel his chest vibrating subtly from giggling with me. 

“Here ya go,” he says, moving one hand to my back so he can set me down.  So carefully, making sure not to drop me, he leans down slowly. The feeling of falling became so real suddenly, that I instinctively held onto his shoulder, which pulled him back with me. He stumbles forward a bit, catching himself before landing on top of me. 

I prop myself up on my elbows as I laugh. He’s hovered over me, with a hand on either side; our faces are so close. 

We both freeze as we realize how close we are. I wonder how soft his lips really are… My eyes defy me, shifting down to look at his mouth, just for a second, as he watches me. 

Clearing his throat as he stands up. 

“Uh- here, let me get you a sweatshirt or something,” he sounds timid. Quickly shuffling through his closet, he pulled out a navy sweatshirt and handed it to me. 

“It’ll probably be a little bit loose on you, but better than sleeping like a pirate?” 

I chuckle, smiling up at him. Simply grateful for something comfortable to wear. 

“I’ll go so you can do that,” still clearly very nervous. 

Pulling my shirt over my head, I quickly pull the sweatshirt over me. I lock the bottom of it under my chin so I can see what I'm doing. Oh no. No, no, no, no. My zipper is stuck, and staring at it makes me cross-eyed. I drop my head back, letting out an angry sigh. Please just unzip. My hands get increasingly sweaty, making the stupid plastic zipper hard to grip. 

I hear a few soft knocks on the door before it cracks open. 

“Can I come in?” He asks. 

“Actually… I um… I need help.” 

Coming in quickly and shutting the door behind him, I just stare at him pathetically. 

“My zipper is stuck,” I tell him, embarrassed. 

He chokes back a laugh, setting a glass of water on the nightstand next to his bed. 

He kneels in front of me; oh, this is terrible. I lift the sweatshirt, revealing the catastrophic mess from me, yanking the zipper every which way. 

“Where the hell did you even get these, Red?” He asks, looking up at me with a soft giggle. 

I wish he would just focus. I don't need to look at him like this. Making eye contact causes my brain to short-circuit, and I stare back at him silently. Watching him try to figure out how the zipper got caught, he’s so carefully moving the fabric around. 

“How much do you care about these?” He asks, gently tapping my hip. 

“At this point,” I raise my eyebrows in defeat. 

“Are you sure?”

I just nod ‘yes’ in response. 

He grabs either side of the zipper and tears it apart quickly. The sound of the fabric ripping was relieving, well, for a second. Both of us smile at the fact that I’m free until he looks back down to see the lace of my thong peeking out. 

I see his eyes go wide, and the pink creep into his cheeks as he pinches the fabric together. 

“Oh,” slips out of me. I let the sweatshirt drop, falling to the tops of my thighs as the now ripped pirate pants hit the floor. 

“So, uh, well,” Jake says, holding the back of his neck while avoiding eye contact, “I will let you get some sleep.” 

I don’t know what possesses me to say, “Wait-“ 

Closing the gap between us, I lean up onto my toes slightly, placing a small kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you,” I tell him before crawling into his bed.

“Of course, m’lady,” he says with a bow. His little English accent laces the words, which makes me laugh. 

“Sleep well,” he whispers, shutting off the light as he leaves. 

I fall back into his bed, wrapping myself up in the blankets. They smell like him, comforting, warm. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Chapter Seven

Chapter Nine

FDOG Masterpost | Masterlist | FDOG Playlist

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[morningstarwrites]

Drew a silly comic based on the (Persephone Alastor/Hades Lucifer) AU from @nekophy I just couldn't stop thinking about it!!

[luckylectio]

Halloween with the Chain, featuring our LU heroes in their various "costumes"!

[weepyapple]

Im so happy for her 🩷 😭

[crabsnpersimmons]

Happy Halloween from the "New 'Do, Same You" Boys!

later:

[kawoid]

spamween

[kyouka-supremacy]

I can't unsee it 😔

[tvandfilm]

It (2017) dir. Andy Muschietti