#have i mentioned how much i love jennie today?

[luvmila444]

SWEET RELIEF - C.S

…………………………………………….. ☆ ★ ………………………………………………

Chris sturniolo x fmreader

summary: Chris can’t help but get a bit worked up while on a tutoring study call with you, when you realise what he’s doing, you only pushing him further to the edge.

content warning: male masturbtion; dirty thoughts; praise kink

word count: 2.8k

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Chris was a little embarrassed with how fast he had picked up the phone call from you, not to mention the blush that had spread across his cheeks and his quickly paced heartbeat when he heard your sweet voice ring through the speakers. 

“Hey, Chris!” You smiled as you spread your small pile of assessments and study papers across your desk to get yourself prepared. This had been a regular thing on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the past two months. You guys would set up a phone call together as you would help him study as Chris was falling behind in class…a lot. You guys had to do it over the phone as both houses were always so busy due to Chris’s brothers and your family always occupying your living spaces, making it difficult to have privacy and quiet to help him focus and bring his grades up. Therefore, you resulted in two easy phone calls across the week, which Chris always enjoyed a little too much. 

Chris loved that you could never see him and what he was doing at the sound of your voice over the phone. The sweet ring of it through the speakers. The way you ramble so passionately about the work. Yeah… he definitely liked having the privacy of his room for these calls more then he’d like to admit. Although he can never help but imagine what you looked like, what you were doing. Fuck… he’s been on the call for no more than ten second and he’s already getting himself worked up. 

“Chris…?” He heard you voice agin. Fuck that voice. 

“Yeah... I’m here, hey y/n.” He couldn’t help the smile that rose onto his lips hearing hear giggle at his slow usual response. 

“Okay well glad you're here,” you say readying the paper you had recently got giving by your teacher, on to the top of the pill of books you had been working on, “why don’t you fine the paper that mr Hudson gave us today and we will work through that one today, yeah?” You say cutely but trying not to talk so fast so Chris could take in the information. 

“Yeah, yeah sure…” he buries his way through his overflowing piles of unfinished homework to find the paper that was given to him today by his teacher “why did he give us the paper today, anyway?” Chris huffs, flipping to the first page that you wanted to start working on. 

“I have no idea, it’s not like we don’t already get enough work given to us on Mondays and Fridays, but now on Wednesdays too? It’s getting a bit intense at this point!”

Chris hums in agreement, loving the way you get worked up about things. However, once you were done with your small rant, you let out a sign that was so quiet only the most observant person would notice it, lucky for you, Chris was that person. As you made the noise Chris felt a familiar warm feeling in his lower stomach, just imagining you making that noise in a very different scenario…

“Did you see jenny today?” You interrupted his quickly drifting dirty thought, referring to girl who passes every class, not using her smarts but her body instead, fucking her way to good grades. 

“No, why? What was she doing this time?” Chris asked slowly, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat and suppress his dirty thought of you. 

“Woah I’m surprised you didn’t see her! She was practically pushing her tits out of her very tiny top to try and get out of this paper…. practically had all the guys drooling,” you huffed. You’d always been quite jealous of Jennifer. She could literally get any guy she wanted and could always get out of these stupid papers. It was irritating to people like you who tried their very hardest in their schoolwork and seem to go zero appreciation for it, when all jenny does is gossip, do her obnoxiously babyish laugh and pop a tit, therefore having the whole classroom wrapped around her finger. It was pathetic.

“Nah, guess i don’t really care that much about her,” Chris was very aware of Jenny’s usual inappropriate behaviour, yet he couldn’t pull his eyes away from you all through that class. He was sat near the back of the class, so he had a good view of his surroundings and could easily see you sat a few rows in-front of him, at the perfect angle so her couple see you left side perfectly. Chris simply couldn’t understand how anyone could pay attention in that class knowing that you were in there, not jenny but you. 

Your short denim mini shirt that accentuated you ass and hips so perfectly and highlighting your legs. However, to keep yourself warmer and seem more modest, you through a knitted sweater over the top, making Chris’s eager to rip it off and see what you hid beneath the layers of warm wear. God, if there was nobody else in that classroom, he would not hesitate you lift you up on the desk and kiss up your legs to your perfect thighs and up your body. He would make sure to take perfect care of you, bring his lips underneath your sweater and bring his hand to you perfectly round and covered tits. 

Full, he could barely take it anymore. He could feel his harder member quickly growing underneath his get sweats, but he didn’t want to stop. No… he couldn’t stop himself.

“Huh, thats surprising, i could’ve sworn that the guys next to me literally had dribble on his chin, it was crazy.” You laughed. 

Fuck that laugh. Chris brought his hand up to his crotch and felt where he had grown harder just thinking of you. He began to palm himself, trying to relieve the growing soreness between his legs. 

"We should get started now." You unintentionally break his train of thought, as he gulps, silently cursing at himself. "Because I you barely understood what was going on it that class."

"Uh, yeah." Chris coughed, forcing himself to focus. "What did you want to start with?" 

You voice begins to drift into an explanation of what was said at the beginning of the class, only worded in a simpler way, yet Chris could barely take in any of this information. You speak so innocently, brows furrowed, as Chris furrows his own for an entirely different reason. 

He continues to palm his dick through his pants while your voice was sending small electric jolts through him. All the way down to his dick, which has begun to strain painfully against his pants beneath his hand. Christ, i can’t actually be doing this right now-he thinks to himself. He licked his lips, quickly responding to what you were saying with a hum and an "ah, that makes makes more sense." 

Chris doesn't mean to drown out your words. Because he's listening. But more so to the hilt of your voice, and how it would sound much breathier, as you gazed up at him. One of his fantasies had you on your knees, teasingly licking at his cock, as your devious eyes held his. He had orgasmed extremely quickly, multiple times, when he found this imagine in his head. 

“So thats basically the first part,” you continued to explain, unaware and completely oblivious to Chris’s hand rubbing at himself on the other end of the line.  

He won’t do more. He can’t, this is just so wrong of him Just…relieve a hint of tension. You continued to speak, and your words began to sound like something he wished he could grab, as his hand tightened on his bulge, his rubbing growing messy. His breathing had grown heavier, but he covered it up by saying ‘yes’s and ‘no’s, answering your questions. 

“Sorry, I’m rambling. Did you have any questions?” You ask, feeling as if Chris wasn’t getting everything he needed out of your words. He had to spare a glance at his incomplete work, scanning to see if he’d written down any problems, trying to remember if he had any. Because the only problem he could think of right now is how his over-the-clothes rubbing was doing little to satisfy his need. 

His cock was now rock hard, it was torturous. His mind began to glaze over with lustful thought of you “I—I don’t think so.” He mutters out, his fingers reaching into the waistband of his sweats and briefs, pulling his cock, which was now leaking with drops of pre-cum and the tip was a bright rosy, red, much like his cheeks.

He imagined the way you would touch him. Would you be gentle and slow, or would you edge him and make sure he’s extremely overstimulated as you milk him dry. Chris’s breathing stutters as he strokes himself. The little hums you make when you think have begun to make his hips thrust up into his palm. His other hand had tightened around the sheet, praying that you can’t hear him jerking off to you. Chris becomes lost in your tone as his cock twitches. 

“Chris?” You slowly ask, making his hips jolt at the utterance of his name from your lips, but he tries to keep his voice of some composure. 

“Yeah?” He had to press his lips together after a needy whimper nearly falling. 

“Are you…okay?” 

Your question makes him halt, much to his cock’s dismay. “W-what?”

“You sound… i don’t know, out of breath?” You say, behind the line trying to think of why.

“Really, you think?” He hums with a small smirk on his face enjoying the uncertainty in your tone and how innocent you mind must have been.  You nod to yourself, but then you catch the smallest of sounds fall straight from Chris’s lips. You had to be mistaken, as it had almost sounded like one full of pleasure that could have only been as a result of one thing... 

Your mouth opened in shock as you realise. He’s out of breath because he’s…

“Chris.” You say again, hearing a stuttering whimper from him before he tries to cover it up by asking ‘yes?’ again.  

“What are you doing?” 

Chris curses himself because you sound suspicious. “I’m studying obviously. Being tutored s-so well... by you.” He says, really forcing down his cock’s wanting to just ask you to keep talking so he could reach his orgasm, attempting to stop himself from stuttering his words, but he just couldn’t help it. 

“You’re sure you’re good?” You asked unconvinced, as a small smirk rose to your lips.

“No. No, I’m all good, i swear.” He says, really forcing his words to sound normal, as he had slowly begun to stroke himself again, his cock angry. 

“Ah huh, yeah…okay,” you knew what you were going to do, this was going to be fun. “Did i tell you how good you looked today?”

Chris’s eyes opened, looking at his phone slightly trying to keep a steady pace of his raging cock but if you were going down this road of compliments, he probably wouldn’t be able to take it much longer.

“Uh, n-no,” he stutters pathetically, somehow unaware of the game you were playing. 

“Well, you did, your hair…wow. I could just run my hands through it! How do you always get it looking so soft?” You paused momentarily, hearing Chris’s surprised whimper. “Sorry thats kind of a goofy thing to say…sorry.” You were basically just teasing him now, the basic matters of the studying gone.

“I- no i don’t think its goofy. a-at all…” his words are broken up by that heaving panting.

“God. really? You’re so sweet chris…wow,” You hum, making Chris’s hips thrust up into his hand, his legs having widened as you spoke. 

“R-really?” His eyelids began to feel heavy again, wanted nothing more but to see the darkness and use it as a canvas to paint his dirty images of you in his mind. 

“Yeah, i mean you’re the literal sweetest” you hum lightly, “you always make sure i havea seat in class, you listen to me when i speak and when i help you i study, you defend me in-front of your friends! You’re so sweet! Such a sweet, good boy for me” you were practically grinning at this point.

Chris could have sworn that your words could have sent him spiralling over the edge.“I a-am?” He asked, almost to clarify that this was real, that you were actually saying this to him.

“Well of course, and you’re always so busy as well, yet you always make time for me in your busy schedule. You must be stressed a lot of the time. I could always help you…relax sometime, relieve some of your…tension.” You had lowered your voice now in order to have a more seductive tone to your voice now.

Chris chokes on a whimper as he places his hand over his mouth, still thinking you don’t know. “My tension…?”

“I mean, yeah… i could alway give you a massage, rub you down, you know I’ve been told I am very good at giving…massages.” It was becoming blatantly obvious what you were doing now but Chris must’ve been blinded and in a lustful haze because he still seemed to be completely oblivious to what you were doing. Continuously pumping his dick eagerly and chasing his release.

The thought of you sat on top of him, rubbing all down him in order to relax him was definitely doing the opposite effect and only working him up more. Fuck. He had almost come from the thought of you taking care of him. the tone you had dropped to makes his hand quicken as his hips had begun to grind into his palm.

“You’d do that for me?” Chris whined, only imaging what else you would do for him almost sent him over the edge.

“Of course, i would baby, you would tell me where it feels good before i drag my hands down your body…” Chris let out a pathetic whimper at not only the simple thought but at the nickname as well. Baby? Baby??! Oh, my lord he was going absolutely feral at this point, “however, through your clothes it mind be hard to properly get that tension out.” 

Chris moans through his teeth, as his hips pathetically thrust at your words. “No clothes?” 

“No clothes.” You confirm. “Would that be, okay? I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable— “

“Yes.” His answer was immediate, cutting you short. He coughs. “That would be fine.” 

You grin. “Good. Because that way I could really relieve some tension. I’d have to straddle you of course.” You pause to hear chris’s heavy breathing and the faint sound of his hand gliding along his cock. “You may even have to flip around, because I’ve heard that the most tension can be by your collarbones and neck.” 

Chris nearly orgasmed at the thought of you straddling him, as your hands wandered his body. “As in straddling..my front?” 

“Yeah, is that okay?” 

“Uh huh.” He hums, his cock twitching with a soon need to release. 

“I could give you that massage the next time we study.” You say, making chris’s breathing quicken at the possible reality of all that. “I could come over to yours.” 

At this point he couldn’t care how desperate he sounded. “Yes. Please, come anytime.” 

“Or maybe you should cum?” You ask, your innuendo strong, as pleasure began to rock through chris’s body. 

“W—what?” 

“Come to my place, i know yours is always super hectic.” You play it off, listening to the wet sounds his cock was making as you could hear how close he was to his orgasm. 

“Fuck…yeah that sounds good, i-if you’re happy then s-so am i…” he was no biting his own lip so hard he could’ve sworn he was drawing some blood. He now had his back so far arched up off of his bed and was practically fucking up into his own hand. 

“See, again, you are alway thinking…of me,” oh he was definitely thinking of you, thats for sure, “you are such a good boy.” And that did it. His orgasm wracked through him as quiet whimpers and moans left his lips his hips grinding into nothing. Wishing the air was you. He watched as the white strings of cum coated and stained his dark shirt. 

“Fuck” he let out a relieved groan, now not even hiding the action that he had just did. 

“Maybe next time we study i should just jerk you off instead,”

Chris’s eyes widened at what you had said, before realising how blatantly obvious what he was doing was. You giggled once again hearing Chris’s heavy breathes, pleased to know that it was you who had pushed him over the edge. 

“Fuck, you can do whatever you want to me,” Chris let out with a deep breathe. 

Oh, you certainly would…

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A/n : thank you so much for reading, this is literally my 3rd time trying to post this because I keep making mistakes 😭😭I really hope you enjoy and if there are any more mistakes pls lmk

ily my angels 💞 (especially @gamermattsgf)

[ginkgooou]

tattoos and tulips | jenni hermoso

summary: jenni surprises you with a new tattoo, reminding you of how you first met.

hi :) this was my first time writing, so please bear with me. english is not my first language.

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you loved your work, and most of your friends and family affectionately called you a workaholic. normally, you started work at 7:30 and finished at around 5:00, but today, your boss had essentially banned you from working, insisting that you take the day off.

it might have been a better start to your day if jenni hadn't had an early-morning interview, which meant you didn't get to see her until she came home from training in the late afternoon. you vaguely remembered waking up to her kissing your cheek and whispering “goodbye, mi amor” before she left the apartment and you drifted back to sleep.

after sleeping in and grabbing breakfast at the little café around the corner, you found yourself lying on the sofa, scrolling through your phone. It wasn't as if you weren’t productive at all - you had already tidied the rooms, done the laundry and taken a short trip to the grocery store. but now, there was nothing left to do.

you were doom-scrolling through tiktok for what felt like hours when you glanced at the clock and realized it was already past 5:00. confusion settled in. jenni usually came home by 4:30, and you couldn't remember her mentioning any plans after training. it was strange that she hadn't texted you either, something she always did. worried, you decided to call her.

just as you were about to press her contact, you heard keys jingling, and a moment later the door swung open.

jenni stepped through, dressed in training shorts and a loose shirt, her hair down, and her training bag slung over one shoulder. from the sofa, you watched as she kicked off her shoes and tossed her bag on the floor. when her eyes met yours, a wide grin spread across her face.

“hola, bonita. how was your day?” she asked, walking over to the couch and sitting down and moving your head on her lap. jenni gently ran her fingers through your hair, placing a kiss on top of your head. closing your eyes and relaxing under her touch, it took you a moment to respond.

“it was good. not much to do…i slept in and spent most of the day here.” you said. jenni hummed and playfully tapped your nose, making you open your eyes.

“i didn't know you were capable of having a lazy day.” she teased with a cheeky smile.

you sat up and frowned at her. “of course i can have a lazy day!” then you added quietly, "i did tidy up a little and went grocery shopping”

“por supuesto” jenni murmured, scooting closer to you, clearly not happy with the distance between you. “i missed you, amor” she cupped your cheeks and began peppering kisses all over your face. when she seemed satisfied, she pulled back slightly and looked into your eyes. you could see the love in her gaze as her thumb gently stroked your cheek.

once again, jenni leaned in, her eyes drifting to your lips before she kissed you softly.

as much as you wanted to lose yourself in the feel of her lips on yours, you couldn't shake your curiosity. “baby…” you started, trying to pull back, but jenni's hands held you in place. you tried again, “baby, please”

finally, she let go, dropping her hands into her lap and giving you a questioning look. “que pasa?”

“why did you come home so late? i thought training ended at 4:00”

“sí, it did, but I stayed for extra training. then rafa called me, so I had to talk to him.” with that, she went back to kissing you.

you shared a few more kisses before you pulled back and nudged jenni playfully, “go shower. you stink.”

jenni clutched her chest in mock offense. “ay! i do not stink”

you laughed as she pouted, sticking out her lower lip. you stood up and headed toward the kitchen to start dinner. just as you entered the kitchen, you felt jenni's arms wrapping around your waist and lifting you off the ground.

“jenni!”, you squealed, laughing.

“sí, that is my name.” she replied cheekily, but set you back down, keeping her arms wrapped around you tightly. “what are you making for dinner?” jenni asked, pressing a kiss to your shoulder and walking you over to the counter.

“i thought I'd make lasagna.”

jenni hummed in approval and nuzzled her face into your neck. her hands, which now rested on your waist, started to wander. she toyed with the hem of your shirt and eventually slipped them under. her fingers, tracing paths up and down your sides, made goosebumps appear on your skin. you could feel her press open-mouthed kisses against your neck.

knowing you'd get distracted if she kept going, you turned around, putting your hands on jenni's stomach to push her back.

to your surprise, she flinched slightly at the touch.

“what's wrong? did i hurt you?” you immediately moved closer, concerned, but she stepped back.

"es nada!” jenni quickly replied, though her reaction only piqued your curiosity.

“jennifer” you said more firmly, “tell me what's wrong.”

avoiding your eyes, jenni mumbled something you couldn't quite catch, fidgeting with her fingers.

“what did you say?” you asked, stepping closer again.

eventually, she met your eyes and sighed “i may have lied about what i did after training.”

you didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue.

jenni took a deep breath. “i got a new tattoo.”

you blinked. that wasn't surprising - you knew jenni loved tattoos - but you didn't understand why she'd lie about it.

“okay…but why wouldn't you tell me?”

jenni looked sheepish, an expression so unlike her. “well…” she hesitated, her voice softening, “it's a tattoo for you. i wanted it to be a surprise, but wanted to wait for it to heal before showing you.”

your heart skipped a beat. jenni had gotten a tattoo for you. you knew that she had a lot of tattoos for people that are important to her, but you couldn't quite believe that she had gotten one for you.

jenni shifted nervously under your gaze. the longer you stayed silent, the more uneasy she became. you gently took her hand and squeezed it, offering a smile.

“you really got one for me? what is it? where?”

jenni visibly relaxed at your reaction, a smile spreading across her face. “sí, i got it for you. you are the most important person in my life.” she stepped back slightly, lifting her shirt to reveal her ribcage. just below her heart were three yellow tulips, the skin around them still red.

"it's tulips. yellow ones. to remind me of how we first met.”

jenni continued talking, but you were barely listening. a warm and fuzzy feeling enveloped you, and you couldn't help but wonder what you did to deserve someone like her. jenni's small and big gestures, like this tattoo, made you fall even more for her.

at the same time, you couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed at the reminder of how your first meeting went down.

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it hadn't been a good day for jenni. she had overslept and rushed to training without breakfast. arriving late meant extra laps in the heat and to make matters worse, her performance on the pitch was terrible. her passes were off, and she was frustrated.

all she wanted was to go home and watch some mindless tv, but she had to pick up a present for a friend's birthday party. so she found herself walking through a park, with her head down, hoping no one would notice her.

of course, jenni’s wish wasn't granted today. out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone walking straight toward her, stopping right in front of jenni. with a resigned sigh, she looked up and forced a smile.

you stood there, shorter than her, looking shy but determined. there was something endearing about you. though jenni wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone, curiosity got the better of her. ”hola?”

you cleared your throat nervously. “if i had a garden, i would put our tulips together” you thrust a yellow tulip toward her, looking mortified.

jenni stared at the flower, then at you, her brain momentarily short-circuiting. she blinked, then burst into laughter - genuine, uncontrollable laughter. it wasn't the reaction you were expecting, and you stood there, frozen, still holding out the flower.

when jenni's laughter finally subsided, she smiled warmly. “that was…weird. but it made my day a little better. thank you.”

you blushed deeply, mumbling, “happy to help. i'm sorry for bothering you.”

with nithing more to add, you turned to leave. not wanting the conversation to end just yet, jenni quickly thought of something to say. settling back into her usual confident self, she let a playful smile spread across her face “well, before we put our tulips together, we should get to know each other. how about we go out sometime?”

turning back around at her words, you now held a wide-eyed expression. you stammered for a moment, before managing to respond, “i–uh…i mean…okay?”

jenni grinned, delighted. “great. i know a café. are you free on saturday?”

“yes!”, you answered eagerly, before clearing your throat and repeating more calmly, ”yes, i'm free on saturday.”

“perfect!” jenni replied, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she watched you blush. “can i have your number? i'll text you the address and we can figure out the time.”

scrambling to unlock your phone, you handed it to jenni. she quickly added her contact info, texting herself before returning the phone to you.

just then, jenni's own phone buzzed, reminding her she had to get going. with a quick “goodbye” and a small wave, you went your separate ways.

for the rest of the day, whenever jenni thought about the encounter, a smile tugged at her lips.

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

you and jenni did indeed meet up at the café and you hit it off right away. while you were still a bit awkward, jenni was confident.

a few weeks passed, and you met up whenever you could. when you weren’t together in person, you texted constantly. you both found yourselves falling in love quickly. so when Jenni asked you to be her girlfriend, the decision was an easy one.

after a few months of dating, you finally let it slip that approaching her in the park had been a dare from your friends. when you told her, she laughed and said “i'm happy they made you do it. it makes for a funny story”

“yeah well, it was embarrassing. and the fact that you tell everyone about it doesn't help!” you replied with a pout.

now she had a permanent reminder of that first encounter tattooed on her skin. studying the tattoo, you had to admit it was beautifully done, and the thought jenni had put behind it warmed your heart, despite the embarrassing backstory.

“can I touch it?” you hovered your finger over the fresh ink, looking up at jenni for permission.

"it's still healing, so no, lo siento.” she said apologetically, “but do you like it?”

“i love it.” you said with a smile. “it's beautiful.”

jenni grinned at your words and couldn't resist leaning in for a quick kiss. letting her shirt fall back down, she put her hands on your waist, gently backing you up against the counter. her eyes were filled with love as she murmured, “te quiero mucho”

she began kissing you, her kisses growing deeper and more passionate. soon, her tongue swiped over your bottom lip, seeking entrance, which you granted without hesitation.

the two of you got lost in the moment, wrapped up in each other, until a sudden rumble from jenni's stomach interrupted the mood. she pulled back, looking sheepish at the noise, while you just smiled and patted her stomach.

“i think someone’s hungry.” you teased, “go shower and i'll start on dinner.”

[jungshookz]

jungkook & y/n are too shy to admit they like each other and it's cute but also infuriatingly frustrating

➺ pairing; jeon jungkook x reader // quarterback!jungkook x librarian!y/n 

➺ genre; sfw!! honk honk humour!! soft soft fluff!! indulging in my wattpad-esque clichés!! 

➺ wordcount; 7.3k

➺ summary; as much as you hate having to work on campus over the summer because you’d much rather be tanning on the beach inside of getting progressively paler in the library, you really can’t complain about getting to see a bunch of shirtless, sweaty boys running around on the football field whenever you’re on lunch break… and the fact that one of them is jeon jungkook is certainly an added bonus. 

➺ what to expect; “you know, the next time you have an idea, i’d really appreciate if you ran it by me first before being a dickhead and launching a football right at someone-“

➺ currently playing on cee.fm; whatta man (feat. en vogue) — salt-n-pepa 

»»————- 🏈 ————-««

“yo!” 

“oh, jesus-“ you spin around and let out a breath of relief to see that it’s just jennie, pressing your palm flat against your chest before frowning, “you have got to stop doing that! you know, one of these days, i’m going to accidentally clobber you with a book and it’s not going to be my fault if i give you a concussion-“ 

“oh, please, like you have the hand-eye coordination to actually knock someone out-“ jennie snorts, adjusting the strap of her tote bag over her shoulder before wiggling her brows at you, “you wanna grab some lunch? didn’t your break start, like, ten minutes ago?” 

“yeah, but then i saw edna putting books away and i love her because she reminds me of my grandma but god, it was making me anxious seeing her using the ladder,” you gesture over to the creaky wooden ladder at the end of the aisle, “so i told her i’d put the books away for her before i took my break.” 

“you work too hard at a job that pays you too little,” jennie purses her lips, glancing down at your cart before grabbing the handle and pushing it forward, “you can come back and finish it! it’s not like the school is going to fall apart if you don’t put a few books back in the next hour-“ 

“well, i just- jennie- you’re not authorised to touch the cart-“ you press your lips together when you realise that you probably aren’t going to change her mind (you know you won’t) and put the book in your hand away in its place on the shelf before nodding contently, “okay, fine. we can go for lunch, but i’m coming back early to finish the job-“

“yes, yes, don’t worry, i won’t keep you for long-“ jennie teases, looping her arm through yours as the two of you head back towards the front desk so you can grab your bag, “my favourite food truck is back this week and i was thinking about those chilli oil dumplings the whole time i was in class- i honest to god couldn’t even tell you what we talked about today-“

“ooh, i want chilli oil dumplings!” you gasp, energy levels shooting up at the mention of food, “i’m gonna ask if they can give me an extra container of their dipping sauce… how was class?” 

“eh, it was alright,” jennie shrugs with a shoulder, letting go of you so you can dip behind the desk to grab your phone and your wallet from your bag, “kinda hate the fact that i have to take summer classes to catch up on my credits, but whatever-“

“maybe if you spent less time with your tongue down taehyung’s throat all semester, then you wouldn’t have to take summer courses…” you tease lightly, jennie’s cheeks flushing bright red before she rolls her eyes and scoffs, “oh, don’t look at me like that! you know it’s true-“

“you’re just jealous because you’ve been wanting to stick your tongue down jungkook’s throat all semester but you’re too much of a wuss to do anything about it-“

“jennie!”

“you know it’s true-“ jennie mocks, and you scowl before reaching over to pinch her arm playfully, laughing lightly when she wraps her arms around herself and starts to make out with the air, “oh, jungkook, wrap your big, strong arms around me-“ 

“okay, point taken, you lunatic-“ 

taehyung and jennie have been dating for the last eight months — they met because jennie’s on the cheerleading squad and taehyung’s on the football team and jungkook is one of his team members — which means that you’ve known of jungkook for the last eight months but yes, it’s true that you’ve been too much of a wuss to do anything about it 

can anyone blame you, though?? jungkook is just so, painfully attractive with his lopsided, boyish grin and pretty eyes and structured jawline and you certainly don’t have any complaints about the sleeve of tattoos he has 

to be perfectly honest, you think you can keep it pretty cool even when you’re around people you find attractive, but there’s just something about jungkook that makes you uncharacteristically nervous 

like clammy palms and cottonmouth and endless rambling level of nervous 

you’d just hate to embarrass yourself in front of him because he seems a little too good to be true and it makes you want to present yourself as someone who is also on that level… which, of course, is a lot of pressure and has resulted in you spending the last eight months either hiding behind jennie’s back or sitting on the bleachers scrolling through your phone or thumbing through a book while waiting for her to finish up with taehyung whenever you’re on the field in order to avoid jungkook

you haven’t spoken to him too often, but he smiles at you every time he sees you and you smile back and give a wave if you’re feeling a little more brave

other than that, you really haven’t had many conversations with him 

“i just don’t understand why you won’t let taehyung set you guys up on a date,” jennie frowns, “like- you literally have inside access to the man and you’re still not making a move-“

“because if taehyung sets us up, then jungkook will feel obligated to go out with me because i’m his best friend’s girlfriend’s best friend- wait- best friend’s… girlfriend’s… best… friend…“ you pause for a second to make sure you got that right before nodding to yourself, “yeah! and- i don’t know, if the date doesn’t go well, then it’d just be awkward-“

“your wussy nature is holding you back, y/n-“ jennie tsks, and you’re about to defend yourself but you feel your tummy do a flip when you realise that you guys are approaching the field (you usually cut across because it’s a shortcut to the food truck) and you hear the familiar sound of grunting and whistling, “this feels like a canon event, so i’m just gonna let you figure it out… but i’ll tell you right now that jungkook is a hot, hot target for a lot of people on campus and i can literally get you a date in 0.1 seconds, so… just keep that in mind!”

“what do you want from me??” you puff your cheeks out, “he makes me nervous, i can deal with this crush in whichever way i want-“

“baby!” 

both you and jennie look over to see taehyung heading over with a bright grin, the man clearly excited to see his girlfriend

“speaking of a very attractive person-“ jennie giggles, waving at him as she unloops her arm with yours and picks up her pace

you stay at the same pace as you follow her trail, keeping a polite smile on your face as you watch your friend run up to the love of her life

“there you are, i was wondering when you’d come around-“ jennie lets out a squeal when taehyung swoops her up in sweaty, damp-jersey hug before plopping her back down on the ground and giving her a kiss, “hi, y/n-“

“hi, taehyung-“ you laugh lightly, nodding towards him in acknowledgement as you stand at an appropriate distance away from the happy couple, “nice to see you again in all your sweaty glory.” 

“nice to see you again in all your-“ taehyung gestures to you with a teasing smile, “librarian glory. how’s the summer job treating you?” 

“i’m getting paler by the minute and i’m starting to forget how to talk to people like a normal human being.” you joke, “you never stop by!! i’d be more than happy to give you some books to read if you ever take a break from training-“ 

“respectfully, those books would collect dust on my shelf-“ 

“we were talking about jungkook earlier-” jennie interrupts taehyung, reaching up to pat his chest with a giggle, “and how much y/n looooves him-” 

“jennie…” you can’t help but roll your eyes playfully — as much as you adore jennie, sometimes you just wished she wasn’t as stubborn because once she has her sights set on something, she’ll do practically anything to reach her goal 

and her new goal (the previous one was to cuff taehyung, which was an obvious success) is to set you up with jungkook because it’s painfully obvious how huge of a crush you have on him 

“oh shit, you wanna say hi to him?” taehyung grins mischievously, turning back slightly to look over his shoulder, “okay, lemme see if i can get your husband’s attention-“

“woah, wait-“ your eyes widen in panic and you lick over your lips before shaking your head frantically, “i don’t- we were just gonna get lunch, i don’t think-“ 

“yo, kook!” taehyung hollers, holding a hand up before sticking his fingers into his mouth to whistle loudly, “jeon jungkoooook!“ he waves his arm wildly to get jungkook’s attention before stepping aside so that he’s not blocking the view

you feel your entire mouth go dry as soon as taehyung steps aside, your eyes immediately being graced with the sight of a tanned, shirtless jungkook dunking a bottle of ice cold water over the top of his head before shaking it off, tendrils of hair falling perfectly into place as he tosses his head back

he opens his mouth as he pours the last few drops of water into into it before crushing the plastic bottle against his chest with one hand and tossing the flattened piece of plastic into the recycling bin, the bottle bouncing off the rim of the bin before falling into it

jungkook reaches up to run his fingers through his hair as he spins back around and jogs back to join the others, his chest bouncing with every step and oh my god, you need to close your mouth before a fly buzzes right on in 

droplets of water seem to glisten against his sun kissed complexion, and you find yourself letting out a breath you didn’t even realise you’d been holding when he turns around and gives you a very generous view of his toned back tapering down into what you can really only describe as a slutty little waist 

good lord 

“…is he moving in slow motion?” your voice wavers slightly as the question stumbles out of your mouth, and you wouldn’t be surprised if the lenses of your glasses start to fog up because of the heat radiating from your face right now 

“jungkook!”

jungkook looks over his shoulder when taehyung calls for him again and you certainly don’t miss the way his biceps flex when he reaches up to adjust the bandana tied around his left arm 

“get over here, bro!” taehyung gestures for him to come over and jungkook shoots him a thumbs up

“one sec, lemme dry off!” jungkook responds, pointing over to the benches where all their duffle bags are, “hi, jennie!”

“hi, jungkook!” jennie waves back before holding a hand over her eyes to shield herself from the sun before turning around to look at you, “oh my god, you are so in love with him-“ 

“oh, i am not-“ your cheeks flush and you shrink down a little, reaching up to rub the back of your neck, “i just- he’s-“

“we’d be honoured to speak at your guys’ wedding, by the way-“ taehyung smirks, and you hate the way that jennie has one to match with his, the two of them very clearly enjoying how much of an effect jungkook has on you 

they certainly are the perfect couple 

a match made in hell 

“hey, guys!” 

you quickly stand up a little straighter when you see jungkook jogging over, and you almost wonder if the universe is just testing you today when he slides a raw-hemmed crop top over his head, the cut-off sleeves making his arms look more biteable than they already do, “it’s a beautiful day out, thanks for coming out to say hi-“ 

“oh, of course! y/n and i were just gonna grab lunch-“

“hey, specs-“ jungkook flashes you the same crooked grin that makes your heart skip multiple beats in your chest and you know it’s only a nickname but you can’t help but feel a little giddy over the fact that he even gave you one in the first place (he complimented your glasses the first time you met), “those new?” 

“these?” you reach up to adjust the wire-rimmed oval shaped frames sitting on the bridge of your nose, “yeah, i just- i accidentally sat on my old pair and i figured i’d just get a new set- thought i’d try a different style, so…“ 

“i like ‘em! very 90s, really cute-“ jungkook reaches over and flicks your glasses upwards a little, grin widening when he sees the blush spread across your cheeks

“thank you!” you clear your throat when your voice cracks a little and you adjust your glasses slightly before offering him a meek little smile, “i like your crop top. also very 90s of you and really cute-“ 

“you know what else is cute?” jennie interrupts, and you’re about to stop her from saying anything that’s going to embarrass you further (it’s her favourite thing to do and she claims she does it out of love and also to build character), “food, because i am starving. y/n and i were on our way to grab some food — did you boys want anything from the dumpling truck?” 

“ooh, maybe grab one of those scallion pancakes for me for after practice??” taehyung swings an arm around jennie’s shoulder, “if i eat one now i’m definitely going to blow chunks mid-tackle.” 

“and i’ll be the one having chunks blown on them because we’re partners for tackle practice…” jungkook shudders, crossing his arms over his chest, “i’m good though, thanks for the offer!” 

“alright! well, if no one else has anything else to add to this conversation-“ jennie looks over at you and gives you a little look that you know translates to please, for the love of god, make a move only for you to purse your lips and shake your head no, “…okay! one scallion pancake for tae-“

“kook, you got anything to add?” taehyung looks over at jungkook and jungkook shakes his head no as well, frowning a little when taehyung gives him a look that he’s not sure what message is being expressed with, “…okay. one scallion pancake for me, i guess.” 

“we’ll let you two get back to it! i’ll see you in a bit, baby-” jennie pops a quick kiss on taehyung’s cheek before joining your side again and looping her arm through yours, “don’t lose too many brain cells during practice!”

“can’t lose any if you didn’t have any to start with-“ jungkook chimes in, dodging a punch on the arm before letting out a cackle and going into a full sprint when taehyung suddenly lunges at him, “see you later, jennie! bye, specs!” 

“‘bye, specs-‘“ jennie quotes, nudging your side as the two of you continue your trek, “you can’t tell me you don’t think he’s not a little into you-“ 

“my theory is that he knows i’m very into him and it makes his ego feel good so he just acts in ways that’ll make me all flustered so that-“

“okay, i’m gonna stop you right there and i’m going to say this out of love and also because i know you and i know the way you think, but i know for a fact that you think jungkook is out of your league and that’s what’s making you shrivel up into such a wimpy little shrimp whenever he’s in close proximity-“

“wha-“ 

“at the end of the day, jungkook is literally just a man.” jennie tsks, shrugging with one shoulder, “if he doesn’t like you, it would clearly be his loss because you’re a beautiful, loyal, witty, well-educated baddie-“

“you sound like such a cheerleader right now-“ 

“-but also he very clearly likes you so obviously he has his priorities right and a solid head on his shoulders-“ she spins over to stand in front of you, grabbing both your shoulders and giving you a shake, “stop getting into your own head. he is just a man. if it’s not him, it’s not the end of the world. if you don’t try, the answer is always gonna be no.” 

“…i don’t like how well you know me.” 

»»————- 🏈 ————-««

you’ve spent so much time in the library this summer that you’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to be in the sun — lucky for you, it was a slow day at the library and one of your co-workers came in a little early before his shift and very generously offered to cover for you, meaning that you could join jennie on the bleachers for lunch and actually sit and bask in the sun inside of buying lunch and hustling back to the library like you usually do 

“c’mon, fellas, you can do better than that!” 

the sound of the whistle blowing makes you peel an eye open as you look down towards the field, a smile twitching at the corner of your mouth when you hear taehyung letting out a groan before collapsing dramatically on the floor 

your eyes wander over to jungkook, watching as he readjusts his bandana around his head to keep the hair out of his eyes 

he claps his hands together and crouches down slightly before gesturing for taehyung to come at him, his eyebrows scrunched in concentration and his jaw clenched slightly 

“are you listening to me or are you too busy drooling over jungkook?”

“i’m listening, i’m listening…” you let out a sigh of contentment, letting warm rays of sun wash over your skin as you lean back against the bleachers with your elbows on the steps and your head tilted back slightly 

you swear you’re a good friend and a great listener, but jennie’s been babbling on and on about something for the last ten minutes and you’re starting to zone out a little bit 

“i mean, seriously… how hard is it to slap a couple of sentences onto a slide and make it work? this is why i hate group projects, and i especially hate the summer school students because they’re just so damn lazy and no one ever puts in the work and then there’s always one person who ends up having to do everything and everyone still gets credit for it!” jennie scoffs, chewing on her straw with a scowl, “it’s due tomorrow and half of my group mates haven’t uploaded their slides yet-“

“well, didn’t you say you haven’t uploaded yours yet either?” you frown, raising a hand to block the sun from your eyes before squinting a little

jennie pauses, pursing her lips in thought, “…yes, but i’m just waiting to see what they’re going to do before i upload mine-“

“then maybe they’re doing the same thing and all of you are just wasting each other’s time?” you suggest with a weak shrug, reaching over to pick up your drink and take a sip (it’s a strawberry lemonade slushie and it was the perfect choice for this lovely summer afternoon)

“you know, as my best friend, you’re supposed to have my back and this just feels like a personal attack-“ 

“jennie, baby!” both you and jennie look out towards the field to see taehyung waving his arms around wildly, “check it out, check out how far i can throw the ball! i’m gonna get it right into the goal, you watch me-” he backs up a few steps before drawing his right arm back and throwing the football in one sharp-

“mine!” jungkook leaps up into the air all of a sudden and catches it swiftly, hugging the football to his chest before dashing off into a sprint towards the goal posts, “lunch is on you if i get this goal-“

“what the-“ taehyung’s eyes widen in surprise, “you little shit, get back here!” he snaps, chasing after him and pouncing on his back before jungkook can get to the goal 

the two of them tumble to the ground, jungkook letting out a grunt as he lets go of the football and lets it roll away 

“you so did that just to get y/n’s attention.” taehyung huffs, wincing as he stares up at the sky, “jesus, i am not made for tackling, i have no idea how i made it onto the team-“ 

“because you’re the fastest runner and- also, i did not do that just to get y/n’s attention-“

“okay, mr. quarterback, your job is to throw or hand the ball off and i just find it funny that you stopped practicing that as soon as you realised y/n was in the bleachers- there are other ways to get her attention.”

“i wasn’t doing it for attention!” jungkook props himself up onto his elbows with a frown before pursing his lips and tilting his head a little, “…is she looking at us, though?”

“she’s talking to jennie.” taehyung snorts, getting back up onto his feet and picking the ball up before holding a hand out for jungkook, “you wanna get her attention? because i have a little idea.”

“what’s your- taehyung, wait-“ 

“did you still wanna watch barbie together this weekend?” you turn to look over at jennie as you bring your cup back up to your mouth for a sip (your drink is starting to turn into a warm, strawberry lemonade syrupy soup and it’s not very pleasant), “or are you seeing that with tae?” 

“well, i was thinking we could actually do a little double date situation if you’re up to it…” jennie grins, reaching over to swat your knee, “it’s a movie date! it’s like two hours of being in a dark room with jungkook sitting next to you and you won’t have to make conversation, you’re gonna be fine-“

“well yeah, but then after the movie’s over we’re probably gonna go get food and-“

“incoming!”

“wha- oh!” you yelp in surprise when a football lands on you out of nowhere, the cap on your drink popping open and subsequently making you spill it on yourself as you get up frantically, “oh, god…” you set your cup down on the metal steps as you look down at your soaked tank top and jeans, the sweet-sticky fragrance of strawberry lemonade invading your nostrils 

“aw, it’s on my bag!” jennie scowls, looking at the two droplets of pink staining the cream of her tote bag with a frown, “this artificial pink is gonna take forever to wash out-“

“yeah, tell me about it-“ you wince, shaking your hands off as you continue analysing the mess

it’s quite literally all over your tank top and lap and you don’t have a spare top or pants with you, so the only plan you have right now is to book it to the campus bookstore and buy an overpriced t-shirt 

you hate to admit it but it looks like you pissed your pants big time, so maybe you’ll have to buy a pair of overpriced basketball shorts too 

“are you fucking kidding me??? that was your idea of- oh my god, you dumbass-” jungkook snaps, turning to look at taehyung incredulously before sprinting over to the bleachers 

“hey, it got her attention!”

jungkook wipes his clammy hands on his jersey as he dashes up the steps two at a time until he gets to you and jennie, feeling his cheeks burn slightly when he sees you standing there soaked in your drink and obviously not knowing what to do 

“shit, y/n, i’m sorry-“ jungkook bends down to pick up the football before it can roll down the steps, “i’m so sorry, i was supposed to catch that but taehyung’s aim seems to be a little off this afternoon-“ he turns his head for a second to shoot a glare at taehyung, who is very leisurely making his way up the stairs as if he didn’t just pelt you with a football and make you waste your drink

“i’m fine! don’t worry about it, i’m fine-“ you laugh lightly, shaking your hands off and peeling your tank top from your stomach slightly, already feeling gross from how sticky everything is against your skin, “good throw, tae-“ 

“thank you! i have to say it was one of my best throws, if i’m being honest.” taehyung wiggles his brows, plucking the ball from jungkook’s arm before swooping down to give jennie a kiss, “you two enjoying the sun?” 

“we were, until that happened-“ jennie reaches up to pinch taehyung’s cheek, “your aim must be horrible if the football landed in the bleachers.” she raises an eyebrow and gives him a look that tells him that she knows he did that on purpose, because of course he would do something like this on purpose 

“i have a spare jersey and shorts in my bag, i can go get that for you right now-“ 

“oh, jungkook, you really don’t have to do-“ you don’t get a chance to finish before jungkook is dashing down the steps and you puff your cheeks out before looking down at yourself again, “i… should probably go rinse this off-“ 

“rinsing that off in the sink isn’t going to get the pink out.” taehyung snorts, “i’ve had that strawberry lemonade before. the pink food-dye they use is potent. if you took an x-ray right now, all of your organs would be neon pink-” 

“great, that’s great to know- lemme head to the washroom now-“ 

“i’ll come with-“ jennie’s ears prickle slightly when she hears the familiar sound of the sprinklers turning on (they’ve turned on automatically many times whenever the squad is practicing on the field) and a lightbulb appears at the top of her head before her lips turn up in a devious grin, “there is a faster way to clean you off, actually. tae, can you go check on the spare clothes for y/n?” 

taehyung narrows his eyes slightly before nodding slowly, turning on his heel and hopping down the steps to go back to jungkook 

“you think i should go to the changing rooms instead to take a shower?” you sigh, wincing as you squeeze out excess pink syrup from your shirt and let it drip onto the concrete 

and now you got some on your shoes too, so that’s just great

“well, the changing rooms are too far!“ jennie’s tone is suspiciously cheery, and before you know it she has a firm grip on your wrist is yanking you down the steps like her own little ragdoll before she whips around the corner under the archway 

“what are you doing?” you frown, watching as she unravels the massive hose and makes sure the nozzle is on securely 

“jungkook’s bringing you a change of clothes anyway, so i’m sure you won’t mind if i-“ 

you barely process what the hell is going on before you’re suddenly being blasted with a hose, another yelp of surprise slipping past your lips before you hold your arms up to dodge the aggressive spray of water directly aimed at you 

“jennie!”

“you know, the next time you have an idea, i’d really appreciate if you ran it by me first before being a dickhead and launching a football right at someone-“

“well, it got her attention, didn’t it? and now she’s about to wear your clothes, so like- i don’t really see what the big issue is here.” taehyung sighs, standing with his hands on his hips as jungkook digs through his duffle bag for his spare set of clothes

he only has one set so he’s not sure what he’s going to wear after practice today, but maybe he can get away with spraying himself with a lot of deodorant after he takes a nice hot shower 

or he could steal taehyung’s clothes considering the fact he caused the spillage in the first place 

“you could’ve hurt them or something! what if that football had landed on her head and given her a concussion?” 

“you clearly underestimate my impeccable aim. if i wanted to knock y/n out, i would’ve knocked her ass out in one shot-“ taehyung scoffs, walking alongside jungkook as the two of them start trudging across the field back towards where you and jennie are

“and where am i even supposed to go from here, huh?” jungkook frowns, “ooh, she spilled her drink all over herself and now she has to wear my clothes-“

 

“clothes that she’ll have to return to you at some point, prompting another sweet but heinously short conversation between the two of you- do you even realise how frustrating it is for me, as your best friend, to watch you clearly be into a girl and not know how to act around her when you could literally cough and make, like, ten people cream their pants-“

“eugh- hate that imagery-“ 

“well, it’s true!”

“nobody is going to cream their- what the-” jungkook stops in his tracks and holds a hand out to stop taehyung when they get close enough to see jennie literally hosing you down 

“there you go, girl!” jennie laughs, raising the hose upwards so that the water is raining down on you, “get into it! get that strawberry lemonade outta your clothes-“ 

jungkook watches slack-jawed as you run both hands through your hair to slick it back, your tank top glued and scrunched up to the upper half of your abdomen and oh my god, you have a little tattoo on your hip and that is insanely attractive to him 

“wait, this was actually such a good idea!” you grin, tilting your head up and clearly enjoying the water raining down on you, “helps with the heat, too-“ 

“see? all you have to do is listen to me and you’ll be happy!” jennie lowers the pressure of the water so that it turns into a light mist and you let out a laugh, swiping the water off your face before looking down to see if the stains are out of your clothes 

“holy shit.” jungkook whispers to himself, his grip squeezing and loosening around the clothes he has fisted in his hand 

his entire mouth has gone dry and all of a sudden he also feels the need to be blasted with some cold water to snap out of it 

“is my mascara running?”

“yeah, but it’s giving, like, sexy raccoon, you know?”

“you might wanna put that away, bud.” jungkook grunts as taehyung jabs his elbow into his side and he turns his head to frown at him 

“ow- what are you talking about?” 

the smile grows on taehyung’s face before he presses his lips together to hold it back, “i’m talking about the fact that if you turned to face me right now you would jab me in the thigh.” 

“jab you in the-“ jungkook looks down, eyes widening and the blood immediately draining from his face (obviously, because all the blood is heading down south) before he hands the spare clothes over to tae and yanks the towel off his shoulder to cover himself up, “oh my god, fuck-“ 

»»————- 🏈 ————-««

“bye bye, you two!”

“thank you for the clothes, jungkook! i’ll wash them before i give them back to you-“ 

“no problem! bye… bye…” jungkook waves at you and jennie as the two of you walk off, reaching for his water bottle blindly as a fond smile sits on his face 

you look awfully cute in his clothes, that’s all

“you looooooove y/n,” taehyung sings, snatching the water bottle from him with a laugh, “you love her you love her you love her you-“

“oh, cut it out-“ jungkook scowls, reaching for another bottle of water from the pack and twisting the cap off with a crack, “you don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“yeah, alright, specs.” taehyung snorts, rolling his eyes playfully, “remind me again why you haven’t asked her out yet? you know she’s into you. and you’re clearly into her.” 

“i just-“ jungkook clears his throat quietly before taking a small sip of water, “i don’t know… flirting is fun and short and easy and i’m just… worried that maybe she won’t like me as much when we’re together and alone for like, three hours on a date.” 

“are you nervous to go out with y/n?” taehyung asks incredulously, eyes widening in what seems to be a mixture of shock and joy, “are you shitting me right now? jeon jungkook is scared to ask someone out on a date because he’s worried they won’t like him-“

“it’s a legitimate fear! i’m allowed to be anxious about it-“

“i never said you weren’t allowed to be anxious about it, i’m just saying that you’re jeon jungkook and you have people lining up for you around the block twenty four hours of the day, seven days a week!” taehyung gives him a hearty slap on the back before swooping an arm around his shoulder and forcing him to turn towards the bleachers, “you think those girls over there are here to actually sit and have lunch?”

jungkook looks over at the clusters of girls scattered around the bleachers, each friend group chatting away and picking at their lunches

“well, they’re not just here for me,” jungkook shakes his head, gesturing to the guys all over the field, “it’s a fuckin’ sausage fest out here, they’re here for everyone-“

“but you’re the only one who can fulfil the hot quarterback boyfriend fantasy.” taehyung jabs a finger into his chest with a grin before reaching down to pat his bare abdomen, “and you’re one of the only single guys left. you’re the belle of the ball, baby.” 

jungkook looks back over at the people on the bleachers, shooting the girls a friendly smile and a nod of acknowledgement when he notices them staring at them 

they burst into fits of giggles, jungkook tilting his head with a cheeky grin and shaking his head again 

he doesn’t know if this is going to be douchebaggy of him to think, but he likes making people flustered!! it’s always fun to see their reactions 

he likes making you flustered in particular, because there’s just something about your reaction that’s just so damn adorable 

sometimes you roll your eyes, sometimes you snort, sometimes you avert your gaze immediately and rub the back of your neck — but he loves the way your eyes widen slightly before your cheeks get rosy

“y/n’s really cool. she’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s funny, she’s educated, she can hold a conversation-“ taehyung clicks his tongue, “and she has that sexy librarian thing going on if you’re into that- which, by the way, is something that jennie told me to mention to you whenever i try to market y/n off to you-“ 

“i know she is!” jungkook nods, “and i know she does, and i’m definitely into it, i just- ah, i don’t know. maybe i should ask her out.” 

“maybe, maybe not…” taehyung raises an eyebrow, “no pressure! it’s whatever if you decide not to, because i can hook y/n up with namjoon or something-“

“hey, hey, no need for such drastic measures,” jungkook frowns, reaching over to give taehyung a punch on the arm, “…alright, fine. i’ll ask her out.”

»»————- 🏈 ————-««

“so, you’re going to find that in the historical fiction aisle-“ you lean over the counter a little and point to the back, “it’s all the way in the back right to your left. you can’t miss it, the label’s going to be right on the front of the bookshelf.” 

“alright, thank you so much.”

“no problem, let me know if you need any help finding anything else.” you smile politely, reaching up to adjust your frames before turning back to look at- “jungkook!” 

your eyes widen in surprise and you’re suddenly happy that edna asked you to stay at the front desk to help people when she already knows you always prefer the lowkey jobs

you haven’t seen jungkook in about a week and a bit (you’ve been pretty busy at the library and there’s just not enough time in your lunch breaks to make the long journey across the football field) but you’re pleasantly surprised to see him here

though… it is just the two of you now, without taehyung and jennie as buffers, so… good luck? 

“hey, specs,” jungkook flashes you a lopsided grin before looking around, shoving both his hands into the pockets of his varsity jacket, “god, it’s cold in here, no wonder you’re always wearing jeans in the dead of summer.” 

“oh, yeah-“ you snort, looking down at your jeans, “i- well, we have to keep the library at a certain temperature because it’s good for the books but- i’m sure you’re not here to listen to me talking about how to keep books in pristine condition- did taehyung give you your clothes back? thank you so much for lending them to me, by the way. you’re a lifesaver.”

“yeah, yeah! no worries, hah- sorry i, uh- disappeared for a bit, i just… had to help coach with something, so i gave the clothes to tae and… yeah.” jungkook clears his throat and averts his gaze when you offer him a smile 

“so… can i help you find anything?” 

“well, i actually-“ jungkook chokes a little when he looks back up to see you looking right at him, your pretty eyes sparkling behind your glasses as your lashes bat ever so slightly, “first i just wanted to say sorry again for the slushie incident, i guess i just underestimated how far taehyung could throw a ball-“ 

“oh, god, really, don’t worry about it-“ 

“okay! in that case, i- uh… i just wanted to…” jungkook doesn’t know why his brain always seems to blank out at the most inconvenient of times but he supposes it’s a character development thing, “book!” 

…

book. 

he feels himself deflate slightly at how much of a himbo he’s probably making himself seem and he puffs his cheeks out as he thinks about how the hell he can recover from whatever that was 

for the record, he’s usually very good at asking people out 

like, very good 

he’s just a little out of his element!!! the library is your territory and he doesn’t know if he’s being too loud or if he should speak louder and also there’s a queue forming behind him so now he’s just anxious and he feels like he’s wasting everyone’s time and also if you say no that’s just going to be flat out embarrassing and the people behind him are probably going to tell their friends that there was a guy at the library who asked the front desk girl out and she said no and i felt kinda bad for him and-

“you wanted to… book?” you repeat, the corners of your mouth turning up in a slight smile, “well, you’re certainly in the right place for that.” 

“actually, i didn’t want to book- i mean, i didn’t want a book, i wanted to ask you something-“ 

“oh, sure! you’re also in the right place for that-“ you gesture to where you’re standing behind the desk with a light laugh, “what can i help you with?” 

“do you wanna watch the barbie movie with me this weekend?” jungkook forces the question out before he chickens out, and he stands up a little straighter to feign confidence, “with me… and tae and jennie, because they wanted to watch it too. but we don’t have to share our popcorn and nachos with them, they can get their own snacks.” 

jungkook counts one, two, three seconds before he decides that you are definitely about to turn him down, and he automatically starts sorting through the many lines of dialogue in his brain in response to your inevitable rejection

no worries, have a good one! 

okay, goodbye!

anyways, book time for me! 

“yes!” you respond almost as soon as he’s about to open his mouth and take his offer back (thank god), and jungkook tries to hide his excitement but it’s hard when he sees that you’re also trying your best to hide the megawatt smile creeping its way onto your face, “i- no, yeah, that would be great! i was gonna go regardless but being the third wheel is never fun, so it’d be fun to go with… you. and jennie and taehyung.” 

jungkook gives himself a mental pat on the back, feeling himself revert back into his normal, confident ways all of a sudden 

aha

you said yes 

you like him (and he likes u) 

nice 

“oh, sick! alright, cool-“ jungkook clears his throat, nodding to himself, “yeah, cool, cool. okay, then i guess i will see you… this weekend. or whatever.” 

“or whatever.” you tease, shrugging with one shoulder, “sounds good, jungkook.” 

“okay, well- practice starts in a bit so- see ya, specs-“ jungkook raises his arm to wave only to realise his hand is still in his pocket, and he quickly yanks it out to give you a proper wave as he heads towards the doors 

he lets out a breath of relief, his shoulders loosening up a little and he nods to himself with a proud smile 

“that wasn’t as bad as i thought it’d be.” taehyung chirps right as jungkook walks out the doors, bending down to swoop his bag up off the ground and hand it back to him, “that was worse than i thought it was going to be. jesus christ, man. what the hell was that??” 

“hey, she still said yes!” jungkook frowns, feeling his face turning red from humiliation because he doesn’t even know what the hell that was 

if the roles were reversed he would fully be laughing his ass off at taehyung too 

“she must really be into you if she said yes to watching the barbie movie with me and tae and jennie and they can get their own snacks and-“ taehyung laughs, “my god, it’s like you left all your rizz at the front door-“ 

“she said yes and that’s all that matters!”

🎙️ tease jungkook and y/n for both being little wussies (talk to my characters!) 

📚 why not explore the rest of the library while you're here? (full fics!) 

💫 or perhaps you want something shorter to read? (drabbles and mini series!)

🌟 or something even shorter? (teeny tidbits!) 

[strawberrystepmom]

pairing: Kenjaku x F!Reader, past Geto Suguru x F!Reader

word count: 3.6k

about: you become kenjaku's captive to ensure that he will not miss his opportunity to fight the strongest after his return from the prison realm. the temptation of being this close to the last remaining earthly fragment of the man you once loved, suguru, proves too much to resist and you give into your desires despite the hole they're bound to leave.

contents: NSFW - MINORS DNI. DARK CONTENT WARNING, MAJOR MANGA SPOILERS FOR CH 236 AND BEYOND | dubcon, manipulation, violence against reader, asphyxiation, kidnapping | reader is a sorcerer and went to school with geto and they had mutual feelings for one another, mentions of religion and references to god, kenjaku retained some of geto's memories and knows reader through them, reader has breasts and descriptions of vaginal anatomy are given, rough piv sex with little prep, reader is referred to as "girl", major character death (off screen).

notes: i've uh....been going through some things lately LMAO tbh i started this awhile back before thanksgiving but have felt weird about posting it and it very nearly stayed in the "between me and god" folder so i held back but today i said fuck it. if you read, thanks and i hope you enjoy!!!

header art is by jenny holzer and divider is by @/cafekitsune ♡

“The old occupant of this vessel was very fond of you, you know?”

How dare Kenjaku mention Suguru so casually, as if he were a tenant to his own flesh and bone instead of its rightful owner? 

“You know nothing about him,” The words are full of venom, flying from your mouth not unlike the way you spat at the curse user’s face two days prior to now. He chuckled when the fluid hit his cheek, wiping it off without a second thought. “Or me.” 

You felt so guilty for spitting at his face, the face of a man you once believed that you loved, that you wept until you began to dry heave atop the futon mattress in the room that has been designated as yours. It’s the same bed you rest on now, duvet over your knees that are hiked to your chest. It’s a means to protect yourself from any vulnerability but it’s truly no use. If Kenjaku wants to harm you, he will.

He has insisted your accommodations be comfortable since arriving three days ago given you are collateral and not a captive, his own clever wording for the situation, but you’re more than aware that if you were to attempt to escape from the cage that you’d hit the window just as all birds hungry for a taste of freedom do. There are no cuffs, chains, or bars but your freedom is no longer yours. It is a prize to be won pending the defeat of the man standing across from you in the doorway, shoji door open beside him, flowing hair as dark as the midnight sky brushing the backs of his elbows.

For years you wondered what you’d do if faced with Suguru again. Would you strike him, insisting he deserved it for all the hurt left in his wake? Ask him why in a scream so powerful your shoulders would shake with the weight of your fury? Perhaps you’d forgive him, as you’d been taught and encouraged to do your entire life, and those mumbled prayers cast to the God you believe in above you would be true for the first time since they’ve left your treacherous lips. 

“I forgive him, I hope you can, too.” You have begged God aloud and silently since sixteen years old. You have always been devout in your faith despite abandoning most of the tenets that make someone a believer, your lack of devotion not enough to deter you from selfishly asking for absolution for a man who you know deserves none.

God’s answer is clear when faced with the fact that this is not Geto standing in front of you. There is no less mercy a person can be shown than their body being used as a sick prop after their death.

The space where his thoughts and dreams and hopes used to lie is occupied by something far worse than just visions of a world purified through means of violence, a place where people like you could live without the threat of death and sacrifice to keep others safe. Granted, that wasn’t exactly a noble purpose either, but at least it didn’t threaten your life the way that whatever lives inside of his skull does now.

“I know more about both of you than you think.” 

Kenjaku’s words drip with smugness and your stomach flips. The natural responses of your body to a man who looks and sounds just like Suguru make you sick but you cannot focus on fighting them off and keeping yourself protected at the same time, you have to simply make peace with the butterflies in your stomach that feels like something is punching you in the gut over and over again. He dares enter the room and you scoot further up the futon, hitting the wall behind you and leveling a glare in his direction.

Suguru’s body reacts to you, as well, something that Kenjaku planned long ago to use to his advantage. It started with hazy dreams, a face he recognized as yours drifting through them, your thighs and your lips and your skirt. It’s a version of you a little younger, a little warmer - less edgy than you are now. You are sharp and finely tuned to harm while the version of you that lived in Geto’s mind will forever stay soft, a freshly unfurled rose.

“All you’ve done is vandalize him,” you accuse and he shrugs, dressed in a cotton yukata rather than the robes he stole in addition to the body they dressed. It’s easy to imagine another life where this is Suguru and you are you and he’s coming to your shared bedside, kneeling on the ground the same way Kenjaku is now while he invites himself to the only space you currently have as your own.

“You’re a smart girl, don’t play dumb.” Your glance moves from the doorway to him, disgusted by how brave he is getting this close to you. “Perhaps I’m simply using the power this body holds in the way he was too cowardly to attempt.”

Despite your current state of sitting in nothing but a yukata yourself, you are physically strong from spending the last decade of your life as nothing more than a glorified weapon to use in the fight against evil. Even if your Cursed Technique would be unlikely to have any effect on the man, you could be a difficult problem for him if you wanted to be, yet you sit and do nothing but wait and refuse to respond to his words. He chuckles at your stubbornness and reaches across the bed and your body to grab your chin between his thumb and index finger. He shifts your head until you’re staring directly at him and a smile crosses his lips.

You do not fight him off.

“Tell me, sorcerer,” he starts and you swallow, bottom lip quivering. You want to reach out and slap him away, to scream and kick but your body stays still, the only place blood is pooling between your legs and in the heat of your face. “Where are those teeth and claws you were so eager to show me on your first night here?”

He reaches his thumb upward and presses it against your mouth, stopping the shake with a single touch - your body’s natural reaction to a man you are now certain you loved, given it’s the only explanation for your behavior. It’s a form of trust, the muscle memory of a kiss he gave you in your dorm room at the school you once shared. The first night you were spitting and hissing, now you’re so placid.

“Nothing to say for yourself?”

Stubbornly, you shake your head and Kenjaku chuckles again, pulling his thumb away from your lip but maintaining the grip on your chin. You know this is not Suguru, it’s as clear as the stitches across the forehead of the practically empty vessel that further closes in on you. He moves silently until he’s mere inches away from you, his head hovering over your knees that are still pulled against your chest. You watch him with narrowed eyes, tucking against yourself tighter than you ever have as a means of comfort, but it does nothing to stop him from lingering.

“I could just make you speak if I wanted to,” he warns. The power in this situation belongs to him.

“What’s the point of fighting you? You’re going to do whatever you want with me anyway.” You admit, defeated. Whatever fight you had left in you was smothered weeks ago during the attack on Shibuya. Even the release of Gojo is not enough to fill you with hope for the future. It’s pointless to keep fighting when the only outcome is going to be loss.

The shaky sound of your voice makes the curse user move closer to you and you shut your eyes tightly, refusing to look at him lest your body continue with these inexplicable natural responses. Heart pounding against your chest, it’s inexplicably frustrating that it cannot seem to separate what your brain knows is true from what your body wants to believe.

It isn’t him, you scream within the confines of your own mind but it does not prevent your palms from feeling clammy and the squeeze of your inner thighs against each other to provide some relief against the heat in your core.

It isn’t him. It isn’t him. It isn’t him…

Chanting the words internally, you open your eyes and are met with a pair of golden ones staring directly at you. They’re the same that stared at you in a dorm room a decade ago although they’re missing the warmth they had back then, dripping honey sweetness hidden in the irises turned to tar. 

“You’re right, I can.” He nods and dark hair falls over his eyes, catching your eye. Your stomach turns when you spot the stitches across his forehead but your gaze returns to his so quickly you can hardly think about it. “But will it be what I want or is it what this body desires, I wonder?”

This piques your interest and Kenjaku tilts his head to the side inquisitively, dark hair sweeping over your knees and around your body. It feels like a curtain, a veil like the ones you are so used to using to keep people safe and ignorant and outside of your world of sorcery.

“What do you mean?”

A smirk is the response you are granted and he moves closer to you, one of his hands reaching for the duvet you’re using to cover you. Pulling it back gently, your robe covered body coming into view and once again, you make no effort to fight. With this barrier removed, he runs his palm over the outside of your thigh. Muffling your whimper at the touch, you attempt to hide your face in your shoulder but he stops you, still grasping onto your chin and still holding your gaze.

“Interesting.” 

His hand travels from the outside of your thigh to the insides and you gently spread them to allow him access before realizing what he’s searching for. Attempting to cut off his access by closing your legs, he holds your thigh in place and lets his fingers dip lower along the soft skin. You quiver and shake beneath him like a leaf clinging to the branches of a tree in winter, desperate for somewhere to remain, and those fingers inch closer and closer to your core. He stops when he feels the coarse hair covering your mound and dares to dip a single fingertip between your folds, raising his eyebrows when he feels the arousal seeping from you. 

“I knew it,” he whispers so low you wonder if you were even meant to hear it but the way he gazes at you, like that of a man starved, tells you that the words were meant for no one but you.

Your hand shakes as much as the rest of you when you finally lift it from your side, reaching out to him and taking a strand of hair between your fingers. It feels just as you imagined it would, silk between your digits, and a breathy sigh leaves you before you begin to cry. Dropping the small strand, you choose to reach out toward his forehead and use your hand to block the stitches covering it.

“Suguru.”

You babble the name like it is precious, your lip quivering just as it did before, and the evil man shakes his head, capturing your wrist with the hand he just removed from your chin. He lowers your hand enough that you can see the stitches unobscured.

“Kenjaku, actually.” 

He lowers your hand to his lips and kisses your knuckles, amused when you squirm where you sit, practically delirious with lust and confusion. You do not want this, at least that’s what you tell yourself while parting your legs further and panting, chest heaving with every breath.

Wordlessly, he uses his free hand to untie your robe and it falls off of your shoulders, exposing you to him fully before he can blink. This is something he remembers seeing in one of those dreams but you look different than whatever the imagination of a man who was infatuated with you was able to come up with during his loneliest hours. It amuses Kenjaku that he is the one to see you like this, bare and willing. 

Tracing down your belly and lower, he stops between your legs which makes you whimper. You’re so desperate to be touched, to pretend he is someone you’ll never have the opportunity to love as properly as you could have if you’d both lived a different life, that your hips actually arch off of the bed eagerly. It should embarrass you but you are past the point of humiliation, willing to be fucked by evil incarnate just for the sake of a taste of Suguru Geto.

“Pathetic little thing,” he coos and you say nothing in return. You’re well aware of your failings as a sorcerer and a human being as his fingers spread your labia to get a glance at what you have to offer. For a moment, you consider praying for Suguru again; to selfishly beg God to make sense of your own actions but you know that he no longer has mercy for an ill behaved member of his flock. You will simply accept the consequences, whatever they will be.

His thumb brushes your clit and you moan, tipping your head back and toward the ceiling. You wait for the sensation of pleasure to climb through you again but it doesn’t come until you look downward again, eyes fluttering open.

“Eyes on me or you get nothing.”

Too afraid to look away lest it keep you from the only good thing you’ve felt in who knows how long, you keep your eyes glued to Kenjaku’s face while his hand works between your legs, spreading the slick from your cunt toward your clit and back down. If you could just shut your eyes, you could pretend, but they’re open and glued between your legs, watching every feathery stroke of his fingers through your folds.

Kenjaku’s cock hardens against your thigh and for a moment you dare to feel powerful knowing you aren’t the only one surrendering to the most base of your needs. He drops your hand and reaches for the tie of his robe, opening it and giving you the only look you’ve ever been lucky enough to get of Suguru’s bare body.

Scarred, honed, a tool - just like yours. If you weren’t so lost in the moment, the lifetimes you have imagined for years would be playing through your mind.

You gasp and knit your brows together, bucking against the increasing pressure of Kenjaku’s fingers while he brings you back to him and out of your head. Whatever you’re thinking about doesn’t matter when he inserts a finger inside of you, only testing how wet you are with no intention of preparing you for his cock. 

When he’s satisfied with how wet you are, he withdraws his finger and you whine. The sound is the most he has heard from you since the first night and it makes his eyes widen in interest. He shifts until he is standing between your spread knees and the realization that this is really happening hits you at once, your face flaming with desire.

“You’re so impatient.” 

The curse user tuts at you with a roll of his eyes and spreads your legs as wide as they can go to accommodate the width of his body. He’s broad in shoulder and hip and you bite your lower lip when he runs the head of his cock through your folds, following the same pattern of his fingers. You expect the teasing to last longer but it stops abruptly. Before you can take a breath to prepare yourself, his cock is buried to the hilt inside of you, and you gasp with wide eyes, shocked. 

“As good as you imagined?”

Words come to your mind but do not form enough to leave your mouth while he thrusts roughly, your body jerking violently against his. It’s painful, the size of him with little prep in conjunction with how he uses your body as nothing more than a glorified place to take his aggression out, but all of the numbness within you thaws and for the first time since you realized Geto was no longer Geto in Shibuya, you feel. 

It’s hard to name all the emotions you are experiencing because they blur into something barely comprehensible. Pleasure and pain and bone chilling sorrow, the kind that makes tears silently drip down your face while he takes what he wants from you. He doesn’t bother to play with your clit and there is no need to, the joy you’re taking simply from being used by Suguru’s body enough that the knot inside of you is slowly beginning to unravel. 

Skin on skin punctuated by his low grunts and your whines fill the small room and you are so lost, you lift yourself halfway up to meet Kenjaku and consider kissing him. Would it be close enough to kissing Suguru that you could eventually justify it or would it just sully the one good memory you have of him? 

You don’t have long to think about it before you are pushed back down to the bed, one of his hands caging your throat and keeping you pinned to the bed below. A reminder that this is for his pleasure and not yours although you feel yourself coming closer to the edge than you were just moments prior, shutting your eyes tightly. All of the motion inside of you stops, the hard thrusts of his cock ending, and your eyes shoot open.

“Remember what I said. Eyes on me or you get nothing.”

Nodding, you keep them open and he begins again, pace rougher than before. You can do nothing but grunt and struggle to breathe, his cock carving out space inside of you that didn’t exist until he entered you. Every kiss of his tip against your insides knocks the breath out of you and finally you cum in a strangled moan, walls quivering around his length. 

His hand inches further up your throat and squeezes experimentally. As expected, you do not fight back and he takes his indulgence with a grin, choking you with varying degrees of pressure and feeling your cunt spasm around him when he surprises you by tightening his grip. 

You like this. You want this.

He leans forward and shifts his weight to his arm and hand, finally spilling inside of you with a deep moan. Warmth fills every inch of you and you wish that you felt as full in your heart as you do in your cunt but a void remains.

Kenjaku’s other hand slides up your body and wraps around your neck, both of his palms resting on either side of your neck and fingers splaying over your throat. It’s dangerous to let him have this much access to any part of you that he could possibly crush but you do not move, tearfully looking up at him and sniffling. He increases his pressure, not enough to harm you, but enough to make you work hard and you realize how easily he could just…end this.

“Please kill me,” you beg while struggling to breathe, realizing what you’ve done now that the afterglow of orgasm can no longer protect you from the cold hard truth. 

You are a betrayer. You slept with the enemy to sate your own selfish desires and death seems almost too kind to beg for, yet you do.

“Kill me.”

Your face turns in shade and your vision is dotted with darkness, a miserable end to a miserable life you consider, but at least it will be over. The pressure of Kenjaku’s hands around your neck continues to increase until you are certain you are taking your last breath, lungs aching until he abruptly stops. He glances down from where he rests above you, half swollen cock softening and letting his cum leak out around the tip of it that is still inside of you and onto the sheets below. 

“I will not give you the satisfaction of death until you give me the satisfaction of watching you fight for it.” 

Removing his hands from around your throat completely, he glances down at the pressure indentions of his fingers with a smile. Your eyes flutter shut, you’ve passed out from lack of air, and he admires the heap he has left you in, reaching for your robe and wiping the remnants of his release and yours on the corner of it.

Nobody is coming to save you, a secret Kenjaku knows that you are not yet aware of. Satoru Gojo is dead, defeated at the hands of Sukuna. The news broke this morning and he was preparing to come to your room to let you know until this little distraction occurred. He had an inkling you were susceptible to Suguru Geto’s charms even from beyond the grave but he had no idea it would be this easy, your slumped form resting on the futon beside him. He pats your head as one would a treasured dog, long and loving strokes that do not stir you, your bare breasts swaying slightly with every breath you take.

The new world is on the horizon and he may keep you around as a plaything for a little longer than he originally intended.

[magics-neptunes-things]

Secret Love

Hey guys!

I watched Alexia’s report today and it made me want to write for her.

For context, this story takes place during the 2023 World Cup in Australia.

Mentionning of smut, jealousy and insecurities.

Enjoy ♥

Edit : Part 2 is HERE

____________________________________________________________

"What's happening?"

You remain frozen in the frame of the door, while you were about to enter the cloakroom. A small group, apparently led by Jenni, is around Alexia who has slightly pink cheeks. You frowns, not used to seeing these kinds of scenes in the dressing room. Alexia is more of a not to be bothered type.

"Alexia has a secret girlfriend!" Jenni sings while tickling her best friend’s ribs.

"I do not!" Alexia answers, snaping her hand away.

"Chicas, leave her alone"

You turn around to see Ona tying her boots, signalling your teammates to leave your captain alone, a small smile on her face. Jenni pouts, while Alexia gives a grateful smile to her future FC Barcelona teammate. And you, you go to your locker to change and put your training shirt on.

You didn't turn around when your hear some of them getting out of the room, lost in your thoughts. Preparation for the tournament is hectic, the agreement between the players and some members of the staff is unfortunately not always easy.

"Nice tattoo."

You smile recognizing the voice and a circular glance in the room tells you that you are now alone with your captain. Alexia is talking about the wings on your back, even if you have some others.

"Thanks. It's my girlfriend's favorite too"

You grin before turning around to have a better look of the say girlfriend.

"Your secret girlfriend, who almost get us catch"

"What happened?"

You ask, tenderly pushing a strand of her now light pink hair behind her shoulder. Alexia shruggs while getting closer to you, looking about you.

"That was stupid of me. I just unlocked my phone to show a picture of my cousin’s niece to Jenni and I hadn’t closed our Whatsapp conversation the last time I turned off my screen. Thanks God you changed your name in my contacts list."

You smile at the memory, laying your hands on Alexia’s hips to squeeze her against you. You sigh with ease feeling her skin against yours, savoring this feeling felt too little since your arrival on this side of the globe. One of your hand get on her neck, tenderly caressing the skin revealed by her ponytail.

"I miss you" Alexia whispers against your skin.

Being also part of the FC Barcelona team, it is much easier to find yourself discreetly in the evening. When one is sleeping at the other's appartment, you just need to arrive with a few minutes after her to avoid getting caught. Not living in the same neighborhood, it would be weird to carpool.

"I miss you too" You pouts. "I can't sleep without your hugs"

Alexia smiles, retreating her face to have a better look of you. It was obvious she will sharing her room with Jenni. No one in the team, no one of your friends and almost no one at all knows about you too. Alexia only talked about you two to her mother, during a night of doubts. Your love story wasn't easy at first.

Alexia always put her career ahead of everything else and panicked when she realized that she has no longer control of her feelings. So she made the decision to break up with you, right after you lost to Wolfsburg. Between that and the lost final in Turin, it was probably the worst period of your life.

You could never blame her that said, you had at the time a small inferiority complex that made you constantly wonder how Alexia could even find it interesting to speak to you. So being in a relationship with her was kind of like a daydream. You told Alexia about it at one of your sleepover and she told you you were an idiot. Then she kissed you and you didn’t think about standing up to her. But that feeling stayed.

Then she tore her ACL and you gave up on avoiding her as much as possible. You were there for her and the feelings you always shared were stronger than the rest. But you have decided to remain secret for the time being, despite everything.

"I’d tell you to ask Ona, but I’m not sure I’d appreciate it if I found out you really did"

You smile thinking about your roomate, that you’re getting to know a little more during this tournament. You lean in for a kiss, savoring the sensation of Alexia’s soft lips against yours. You get lost in the embrace, before jumping when you hear footsteps approaching the door quickly. You barely have time to take off from Alexia before Mariona came in.

"Hurry girls, Vilda is in a bad mood"

You nod before taking your jersey, mouthing a "Go" to Alexia.

**********

In the milddle of the common living room, you were playing ping-pong with Ona, Salma, and Aitana. Pairing with Aitana, you were beating the shit of the other duo up, your screams of enthusiasm resounding throughout the room. It doesn’t seem to bother the rest of the team though and you come across Alexia’s amused look several times. She finds herself sitting on a sofa, stuck between Eva and Irene.

"Vamoooooos!" cheers Aitana after you win in the victory point.

She hugs as you smile, before laughing when you see Ona moving away from the table to find refuge in front of the television, alongside Alba. Salma rolls her eyes and smiles, best loser, while Aitana lays a drooling kiss on your cheek.

"Ew" you wince, wiping your cheek with the back of your hand. "Back off"

With another laugh Aitana goes to Salma and your gaze instinctively goes back to Alexia. This is not new, it has the same effect as a magnet on you. She looks at you too, but this time her face seems stoic, deserted by the fun that was on it until now.

You frowns, asking her if everything's fine remotely. But she doesn't answer, before her attention is caught by Irene. And despite your attempts to cross her gaze for the next few minutes, Alexia will never shift her attention to you. As time passes, the feeling of incofort becomes too big and you end up telling that you are tired to escape the room.

Taking your phone out of your jogging pocket, you reach your room by sending a message to Alexia.

You - Is everything's alright?

She didn't answer at first, but you didn’t expect an immediate answer. She is surrounded by your teammates and Jenni having almost caught you the other day, it's obvious that she will be careful. But, when you are showered, changed and Ona joined you in the room, you still have no answer.

You - Alexia?

You hesitated a long time before sending the second message, not wanting to seem too sticky. But your heart rate is too high, showing your concern.

"You're alright Cariño?"

Ona's voice makes you jump and mumble a "Madre mios" before answering.

"I didn't know you weren't sleeping, sorry if I wake you up"

"You didn't. But you didn't answer my question either."

You shrugs, biting your lips. But you couldn't answer. Small one because you're a bad liar and small two because Ona already seems to know the answer.

"You didn't have to talk to me if you don't want to, but just know that I'm here if you need to"

You smile this time, feeling an rush of (friendly) affection towards the Catalan.

"Gracias Ona."

**********

You wake up a little later, a look on the alarm clock informing you that it's only 3 in the morning. You glance at Ona who seems deeply asleep, her chest rising and falling at regular intervals. You turn around in your bed and a few seconds later a light makes you open your eyes. It’s the screen on your phone, and you grab it and see that you got a message from Alexia. Three, actually.

Mi Reina ♥ - I'm sorry, can we talk ?

Mi Reina ♥ - Please?

Mi Reina ♥ - I'm at your door

If the first two messages are about an hour old, the last one is only a few seconds old. Frowning, you get up from your bed and join the door most discreetly. After taking one last look at Ona, you open the door, swearing inwardly when you hear it squeak. And in spite of yourself, you can’t help but let go of a cry of surprise when you feel that a hand takes hold of your arm to draw you further down the corridor.

"Shh!"

Before you know what’s really going on, you find yourself in a room used as a maid’s storeroom, obviously recognizing the silhouette of your girlfriend despite the darkness. And you just have time to see her honey eyes sparkling in the dark before you feel her body crashing against yours, her lips kissing yours with a hungerness you’ve never known her until now.

You need two seconds before answering her kiss, moaning when she bits you lips and leave them to alternate kissing and biting along your neck.

"Alexia... No marks" you stutter, feeling her sucking a sensitive spot in your neck.

"Why? You are mine." she growls

She sucks harder and you have to bite your lip to stay silent.

**********

"What was that about?"

You look at her, catching your breath after a long, intense and busy time. Your eyes having adapted to the brightness, you have no trouble to realize that if she takes time to answer it is only because she seeks her words. So you don’t press it, more than happy to find a box to sit on. After a few more seconds, you finally reach out to her so that she settles by your side.

"Alexia don't mess with your head. It's me, talk to me"

She sights, answering without looking at you.

"Imaybewasjealous"

"I'm sorry, what?" you laugh, leaning to her.

"I was jealous, ok? At first you were having fun and I didn't mind, I was happy because I have a real reason to looked at you. But after she kissed you and I don't know something snapped in my brain"

You are so surprised by her monologue, said in an increasingly fast and annoyed tone that it takes you a few seconds to answer.

"Are you talking about the kiss slash dog-licking Aitana gave me after our ping-pong match?" you ask, completely amazed.

"But I should be the only one allowed licking your face" Alexia wines and you can't help but laugh.

Alexia bites her lip so as not to mix her laughter with yours, but cannot mask her smile.

"You don't have to be jealous of anyone bebita" you say after you resume breathing, making Alexia smile with the surname she loves the most. "I only have eyes for you"

She's still smiling but didn't answer. Only with that you can understand that there is something else.

"Alexia talk to me"

She looks at you and take you by the hand to draw you to her knees. You let yourself obviously, too happy to find yourself in her arms even if what happened between you a few minutes ago was the most intense. You never get tired of the moments of tenderness she offers you.

"I think I’m getting tired of having to hide our relationship. I know the decision not to talk about it came largely from me, but we’ve been together for more than a year. But I'm scared of what people will say about us. I'm scared they destroy us."

"Nobody can destroy us, not even ourselves when we tried"

Alexia smiles again and stroke your cheek with his nose before talking.

"You know what? If we win the final, I’m ready to shout from the rooftops that I’m crazy about you."

[idontactuallywherepjs]

pt. 1

So. I started reading The Rangers Apprentice last night, and I only got up to chapter six i think (Will's just arrived at Halt's cottage for his first day of training and Halt remarks that at least he's on time and already had breakfast). And. I'm in love. Im buying the first three books today.

Anyways, assorted thoughts.

I really like the dynamic all of the wards have with each other. Like yeah these are kids who grew up together and love and get on each other's nerves in equal measure.

Will and Alyss being the only two who don't remember their parents is both heartbreaking and makes perfect sense in a weird way? I don't really know how to explain it but it just fits.

It also makes them confiding in each other about what craft their aiming for that much more impactful.

But it's also infinitely funnier to me that Alyss didn't look up. They've known each other their entire lives, literally, and she didn't. Look. Up. Comedy gold.

I just about cried at Will's reasoning for battleschool.

For whatever reason, Martin reminds me of a rat. I want to hit him with a frying pan. He's delightful.

I loved all the Craftmasters. Yeah their personalities and descriptions aren't groundbreaking or anything but they still seem neat.

Chubb's wooden ladle.

Jenny and Chubb's entire interaction. Him hitting her on the head. so great.

Will being able to feel Halt's eyes on him is so good. Like yeah! He's a natural! (I hope he falls on a face a few times while training but I love the detail that he was chosen because of his potential, not because he'll be perfect out the gait, and I like that his potential as a ranger is in obvious to him.

Will's pranks and mischief is so good. I love that detail. And the bunnies oh my gosh. I was laughing with Lady Pauline.

The second that paper was mentioned in knew what Will was going to do.

I did however think that the paper would be blank.

Will just causally doing. All of That. to get up the tower. Holy shit. Horrifying. scaling the wall especially.

I hope someone told the guard on duty what was happening right above his head i think his reaction would be funny.

My heart stopped when Halt grabbed Wills hand. Like I could tell it was coming there was no way he wasn't getting caught but i was still startled for some reason.

I hope nobody told the guards outside Baron Arald's office anything about what happened that night. Let them be confused.

Baron Arald is the funniest character so far and nobody laughs. "This time, use the stairs." Hilarious! that was so funny. poor guy is taken way to seriously i love him.

I really like the pacing so far. just something ive noticed. I takes it's time and lingers on certain scenes where other books would jump ahead. I like it.

I think ive forgotten how much i love this part of a story. it's the beginning. Ive just met the characters. I've got no idea what happens next. The plot hasn't really kicked off. The big bad is just in the distance. It's nice. It's relaxing. I love it.

[thetaekookcloset]

Checking In ~! (And Signing Off)

Hello, everyone!

I logged in for a few minutes today just to check in on some other blogs, and I knew some people would probably see that I've been online so I wanted to say a quick hello and thank you to everyone who's been looking for me, thinking of me, and sending in sweet comments saying that you've missed the blog -- thanks so much for thinking of me!

I thought I'd give you a few rapid-fire answers to some questions I've seen since logging on and that have been floating around, starting with why I've been gone. The honest answer is that I never intended to run this blog forever, which is why I worked so hard to make sure it was well-organized, so that it could remain as a resource even after I moved on from it. I've had a lot going on in my life for the past couple of years, including buying a house with my partner and making a new best friend (you know who you are lol love youuuu), not to mention keeping up with all the members' solo projects! For the most part, I felt that I said what I had to say, and so I've been putting my fandom energy into other areas.

That said, there have of course been developments since I've been gone, so let me address some of them briefly.

Several people seemed to want to know how I feel about Taennie these days. I feel the same as I did before. I would be pretty damn surprised if anything legitimate were to ever come out about Tae and Jennie being involved. Everything that links them together is flimsy and circumstantial at best, whereas Jennie's links to G-Dragon have remained consistent and compelling, and regardless of Taehyung's relationship with Jungkook, I feel pretty confident that he is, shall we say, not especially interested in women in that way.

As for the developments in Jikook's relationship, and more specifically in the common Jikooker narratives lately, I feel the same as I always have. I think Jungkook and Jimin are clearly good friends who are very comfortable with each other. I'm glad they have each other close by for their military service as forced conscription must be hard on anyone and those two in particular seemed less than enthusiastic about the experience. I do not, however, believe that it would be safe for them to enlist together to potentially stay in close quarters if they were in a romantic relationship, nor do I think they would be put together by the company for content like a whole duo show, complete with photobook and merchandise, if they were in a relationship.

Taekook, on the other hand, proved again and again throughout 2023 that they were seeing each other often, keeping up with one another's lives and work, and remaining as close as they always have been, as there is and always has been ample evidence to prove. A few of my favorite moments: Tae saying that Jungkook would sing him "To Find You" from Sing Street, a song about being destined to find someone despite not believing in fate, and pulling up Jungkook's cover to listen to, while Jungkook was away; Jungkook mentioning Tae unprompted, like sharing his memory of going snowboarding with Tae and his friends when asked to talk about why he chose "Ditto" for his Spotify interview and mentioning that he loves the song "Golden Hour" during a live; Tae playing "For Us" and doing a little boxing move when JK happened to be in California; Jungkook asking Taehyung "Where have you been?" when he showed up late to Inkigayo -- I could go on honestly, probably forever, so I'll make myself stop here.

That's part of the thing with this blog. I could go on and on, and I have so much that I love and want to do and say, so many other directions I want to spread that energy, so I don't plan to stick around. But I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has missed me; I genuinely didn't anticipate that, and it means a lot. I hope you're all doing well, and finding spaces for yourselves in this wild fandom we share.

TL;DR -- I'm sure the question anyone would most want me to answer is just this: Do I still believe in Taekook?

Yeah, I do. More than ever before really. I think their relationship speaks for itself, more than I ever could, for anyone willing to listen.

Borahae!

[daughterofcain-67]

𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 (pt.1)

(Beau Arlen x Female Reader)

(masterlist)

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Every day the sheriff comes into your coffee shop, and every day you both seem to put a smile on each others face, even when Beau is working his saddening cases. You’d be lying of you said you didn’t have a thing for the sheriff- but what woman with a working set of eyes didn’t? What you didn’t know was who you would meet in your cafe later that day…

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: mentions of kidnapping because of the case Beau is working on

The smell of coffee was all around you since you were in the process of brewing some pots or some of your early morning customers. You were wearing your cream colored polo with your purple apron. The apron as well as the polo had the name of your business on the top left corner called ‘Morning Glory Coffee’ in cursive on a white mug along with the flowers by the same name beside it.

You heard the bell on the door ringing out, signaling that someone else was walking into your little cafe. Wrapping up your last to-go order, you glanced over to see who was there and you smiled when you saw the familiar stature of the sheriff.

“Sheriff Arlen! You’re here early.” You grinned as you turned around to get his typical order started.

“Ms. L/N, you know you don’t have to be so formal with me.” Beau said as he pulled out his wallet.

“Now you know I can’t do that. And don’t worry about payin’ this time. It’s on the house.” You insisted as you handed him his cup of coffee.

“Well, if you’re insisting on the coffee, I insist that you call me Beau from now on.” You saw the smirk on his face, causing you to grin.

“Alright, Beau.” You said, accepting the little compromise.

When he took the coffee, your fingers grazed and you pulled away when he had a grip on his cup. As he took a sip, he let out a low hum. “My, my, Y/N. I swear you make the best coffee I’ve ever had in my life.”

“Awe, well thanks! I’m glad you like it so much.” You insisted, but honestly you just loved that he seemed to come in practically every day. It was honestly when made your mornings happier, that boost you needed just a little more than caffeine.

“How are things going? Got any new cases you’re working on?” You asked curiously as you grabbed a rag to start cleaning up the counter. It was a slow Wednesday morning so far so every once in a while you liked to talk to your customers when you had the time. No one was even there at the moment since it’s been mostly to-go orders.

“Yeah, kind of a big one. You heard about those missing women?” He asked and you lifted a brow.

“No? Then again I haven’t had much time to watch the news.”

“Well, two women have gone missing. We don’t really have any leads yet but I’ve got some interviews today with the missing persons’ loved ones. Conversations like that are always hard.” He sighed and you frowned, knowing he’s been in those shoes before.

“I can’t imagine having a job like yours. You see a lot of dark things from day to day and it’s gotta be a difficult thing.”

“It can be. But in the cases where I’m actually able to get those families reunited, it makes it so worth it in the end. It’s worth it when the right justice is being served and we get the guy.”

“Well, I won’t keep you from getting one step closer to justice. Just do me a favor and be careful out there, alright?”

Beau smiled at you, that same smile that made you feel oddly warm and fuzzy on the inside, “Will do, Darlin. See you around.”

When Sheriff Arlen left your business partner, your little sister named Cadence, was holding a tray of banana bread and some muffins with some sort of knowing smirk on her face.

“What?” You asked as you went back to cleaning up the counter.

“You have it for him so bad.” Cadence teased.

“What? No I don’t! And even if I did, he’s a cute enough guy that would have more people interested in him than just me. I wouldn’t stand that much of a chance. Plus he hangs out with Cassie and Jenny a lot anyways.” You reminded just to hear the exasperated sigh from Cadence as she set the tray in the display case.

“Are you kidding me?! You both have a thing for each other! ‘Oh Y/N, this is the best coffee I’ve ever had!’ ‘Oh promise me you’ll be careful, Beau, my love!’” Your sister began to swoon dramatically while you shook your head.

“I didn’t sound like that. And Beau just likes the coffee. It’s not a big deal.”

“Oh yeah? Well you guys should at least give it a shot. I mean you haven’t dated in three years ever since… well you know. And Beau’s single too. You guys hit it off just fine and you talk almost every morning every time he comes in here.”

“I can’t date him. He’s got too much on his plate with being the sheriff and all. He sees a lot and he has a lot of things to do and a lot that he goes through and he probably doesn’t even have the time for a girlfriend.” You tried to reason and Cadence lifted a brow.

“Really? You’re trying to use that as an excuse? You realize that when Beau got married he was in law enforcement anyway, right? Clearly he’s done it before and I bet he’d be willing to give it another shot rather than being alone and unhappy.”

You listened and tried to think. You knew she was right, but you also knew men like Beau Arlen didn’t go out with women like you. You’ve gotten your hopes up for relationships before and you knew what it was like to be rejected when you first started dating again after unspoken chapter of your life. You weren’t exactly open for that kind of rejection again.

“What if I talked to Jenny and Cassie to set you up with him? I’m sure they’d love that!”

“Are you insane?! No, I don’t think that’s really a good idea.” You shook your hands in front of you.

Your sister groaned, clearly unhappy that you were being so stubborn about this. You really did appreciate her efforts in trying to get you back in the dating game. Couldn’t she try to set you up with someone that’s more realistic for you in stead of someone like Beau?

The door opened up again and there were more customers coming back in, interrupting your conversation with Cadence about the Beau situation - thank goodness.

Beau strode into the office with his coffee in hand. He enjoyed going to your shop in the morning. Seeing your smiling face always gave him a bit of a jump start he needed.

“Well, well, well! Did you go over to see your girlfriend again?” Hoyt greeted as she put her hands in the pockets of her jeans. She had this smirk on her face like she was trying to tease Beau, who only smirked and shook his head.

“Yeah, you wish.” He said as he started walking to his office, just for Jenny to follow behind him.

“Oh come on, just admit that you have a thing for her! When was the last time you went on a date, huh?”

“Instead of questioning me about my nonexistent love life with the coffee shop owner, can you tell me if we’ve got any more information on those missin’ women? And where’s Pompernickle?”

“Right here, boss!” Poppernack called as he held up a file and made his way to Beau’s office as well.

The three of them walked inside and Beau shut the door, “What do we got?”

“Well, we’ve found the families that way we can ask them if they’ve seen anyone in the womens’ friend groups that were a little peculiar. Maybe the family members noticed something that the missing two didn’t see in them?” Poppernack said.

“Oh if only it was that easy. Yeah, sometimes it’s someone the victim knows - hell half the time that’s the case. But then there’s those small percentages where it really is a complete stranger.” Beau reminded.

“Woah, they aren’t victims yet. They’re captives. Hopefully they’re still alive.” Jenny interjected, Beau nodded.

“Yeah, that’s always the hope that’s why we’ve gotta step on the gas with this before things get worse and someone else goes missin’.’ Is that all we’ve got?”

“No. I’ve got a witness from a gas station that said they saw one of the girls, Sidney Ferguson, filling up some gas in some green SUV.” Hoyt began.

“From what he said, it looked like a Hyundai. Couldn’t tell you the license plates because the manager said the security cameras were out and they’re in the process of replacing them.”

“Great, a green SUV with no plates to track them down with. Are we even sure she drives that kind of vehicle?”

“I’ve seen Ferguson around before she went missing. She didn’t drive that from what I can remember. A white Jeep Wrangler. 2015 I think.” Poppernack said, “Issued a warning once. Speeding.”

“There’s a lead. Pops, why don’t you do some research and see how many of those SUVs are runnin’ around town. Jenny, you take Ferguson’s family this morning and ask some questions and I’ll talk to the other girls family. Hopefully there will be a lead on Ember O’Riley here soon so we have somethin’ to tell that family.” Beau said.

“Maybe one of the families or even some of their friends know something about that SUV. It’s worth a shot to ask about that too.” Hoyt reminded as she started walking towards the door so they could start their morning.

Beau watched as his two deputies left. Then he looked down at the cup you gave him. That was when he noticed you actually left a note for him, ‘Have a good day, Sheriff.’ He had never seen your handwriting before but it was cute that you put a sheriff’s star to dot the ‘I’ in your note.

He smiled fondly to himself before he took another sip and made his way out of the door of his office. Yeah Hoyt may have teased him once in a while about the fact that maybe he liked more than just your coffee, and maybe she wasn’t exactly wrong. It’s just that while he was friendly with people, he didn’t want to get close. Not after losing his partner, not after losing his wife and daughter to Avery. He didn’t want to get attached and lose anyone else no matter the circumstances. Death or otherwise.

Once he snapped out of his thoughts, Beau found himself already outside and he felt his phone buzz in his hand. When he pulled out the device while walking to his car, he saw that Poppernack gave him the address to the O’Riley household.

“And off we go.”

It was noon and your sister just left for her lunch break since you had already come back from yours. You had put out some baked goods in the display case for whoever would stop by and decide they may want something more than something to drink. As you were doing this, you heard the door bell sound out again.

You turned around and you saw someone walking in. You hadn’t seen this person before but he seemed nice. Then again you tried to see the good in all your customers. Everyone had a good quality about them and this man? Well he seemed to have a nice smile.

“Hi there, what can I get for ya?” You asked with a grin.

“Actually, this is my first time coming in here. Can you give me some kind of recommendation?” He asked. He had a kindness in his voice. His hair was dark brown, his eyes were a hazel and his skin was tanned like he tended to spend a lot of time in the sun.

“Well, I have the typical black coffee with an assortment of creamers. I can get you an americano, latte, cappuccino if you want something a little on the warmer side. For some colder options I’ve got cold brews with different flavored cold foams like Irish cream, hazelnut, sweet cream. Then I’ve got some energy drink options. Just a little of everything really. So what’s your poison?”

“A little of everything, huh?” He asked, “I think I’ll take a cold brew. With some of that Irish cold foam if you don’t mind?”

You smiled at him, “Of course. Can I get a name for that order?”

“Andre.”

“Andre… Nice name. Actually you’re the first one I’ve met.” You admitted and he chuckled.

“Yeah, I hear it’s not exactly a common name, especially around here.”

“Let me go ahead and get that drink started for ya, Andre.” You insisted and walked off.

As you got started on making the cold brew, you could hear some of your other customer’s talking in the corner.

“So the police came and talked to your family? What did they want?” Said one teen. You stayed quiet as you continued with your task, “Yeah. They said they may have some kind of a lead to find Sid. But they didn’t say anything about what that lead was. I guess they didn’t want my family to get involved.”

“Yeah, That’s fair. I mean your mom and dad are going through a lot as it is with her going missing and all. I feel bad for the O’Rileys too.. I heard Ember was an expectant mom to be too… She must be terrified.”

“Yeah if she’s not dead already.”

“Guys, it’s only been a week! Mrs. O’Riley and my sister will both be fine, I’m sure. Sheriff Arlen and Deputy Hoyt are really good at their jobs, I’m sure they can find something if they’re the ones on the case.”

Your heart ached at hearing those girls talk about the case. It was even more heartbreaking that one of them had a sister that was missing. You were glad that she was still hopeful and you really hoped that Beau would be able to find this Sid girl as well as Ember as soon as he could before it was too late.

“Here you are, Andre. One cold brew with cold foam.” You smiled once more and handed him the cup and a straw.

“Thanks.” He grinned and you could notice a dimple on his left cheek. He handed you the card and you took it for the payment before he spoke again.

“By the way… can I ask what your name is?” He asked.

You looked up at him. You were a little skeptical as to why he wanted to know your name, but you didn’t think too much of it. Maybe he was just new around here and wanted to make some friends or something.

“Y/N. I’m glad you came in today, and I hope you enjoy.” You grinned as you handed him the card back as well as his receipt.

“Thanks! You have a good one.” Andre said and he left.

“You too!” You called as he walked out of the door just as Cadence was walking in.

You watched your sister do a double take and her gaze lingered before she looked at you, tilting her head and she walked behind the counter again, “So who was that? He’s new to coming here isn’t he?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“He’s pretty cute though. Nice ass too.” She smirked and you rolled your eyes, grinning.

“Don’t you have a boyfriend already?”

“Uh, I didn’t mean cute for me. Even if he does have a nicer ass than Corbin’s.” Cadence said, “I meant for you.”

“What happened to the whole Beau thing?”

“Oh are you kidding me? That’s my number one option for you. He’s totally unbeatable. But since you’re being so stubborn about not going out with him, it’s always good to keep your options open.”

“Cadence, this was literally the first time he’s ever been in this shop. We don’t know if he was visiting town or what his deal is.” You reminded and you watched your sister cross her arms, wanting to sulk like a child.

“Why do you always want to burst my bubble!?”

“Well don’t say I popped it just yet. He did ask what my name is, so maybe he’s moving here, or he already has moved here and is trying to make some kind of acquaintances or something.” Then Cadence’s eyes lit up almost like a Christmas tree.

“He asked you your name!?” She practically squealed, causing you to cringe a little.

“You don’t think it’s odd or anything?”

“What? No. How else are you supposed to meet people if you don’t talk to them or if you don’t know their name! So what was his name?”

“Andre.”

“Andre!? Ugh, that’s so dreamy! If he comes in again you have to take a shot.”

You smiled, shaking your head at your sister’s nonsense, “Oh go clock in now, would you?”

“This is where the love triangle starts, Y/N! I’m tellin’ ya!”

Hi everyone! Here’s the start of a new little series I’m starting and I hope you like it! There’s more to come with this series.

Tag List:

@roseblue373 @deans-spinster-witch @chriszgirl92

[bellewintersroe]

Carlos Sainz x Celebrity OC Mer&Der trope… Part 1.

For all those who’s seen Greys Anatomy you’ll know exactly how Meredith& Derek got together and that’s gonna be the trope for this story. If you haven’t seen Greys then it’s fine, but OC is a celebrity hired as a reporter during the Grands Prix of 2021. Anyway, I won’t spoil anything further…

AN- I tried to use the name Molly Ashley as the OC name but because I’m so used to writing OC as Jenny or Jennifer that I kept slipping up so just stuck to that, but altered it to Jenna just to switch it up, so if there’s any errors that’s why!!! (Was going to use Belle my real name but it kinda made me cringe). warnings - mentions of sex, maybe a slow start, nothing too graphic… yet. Excuse my lack of F1 knowledge I’m trying my best lmao

“Ahh there she is!” Ted Kravitz, the infamous F1 grid walk reporter exclaimed, grinning as I hurried in, panting desperately as I scurried into the room. “Sorry, I had to run!” I placed both hands on my knees, holding the papers I’d sprinted back to my hotel room to gather before making it back here in a record time of six minutes. I’d run for six minutes flat- and I hadn’t run a singular meter since secondary school. 20 year old me was aging bad.

“Almost beat a world record there!” Oh my god, Jenson fucking Button was stood right in front of me and I was practically wheezing for air. Not to mention I was violently hungover from last nights party. Sky reporters and the crew went a lot harder than I ever could have imagined…

“Hello! Sorry, I’m so out of breath.” I stood up straighter, shaking his hand as I handed over the papers to once of the producers who needed them. “It’s lovely to meet you! I’m Jensen” He laughed as I attempted to laugh back, but it just came out as a breathless wheeze. “I’m Jenna!” I managed to speak as he smiled, patting my upper back. “I’ll let you die in peace.” “Not just yet! Are you ready to interview some drivers, Jen?” Lisa, the woman who hired me headed over. She was like the CEO of F1 reporters for Sky, I didn’t know how it worked, but I was bloody glad she was here to guide me. “Just about.” I managed to stand up straighter. Nicole, the makeup artist, and Sebastian, the hairstylist, both headed over to touch me up- something I found myself enjoying a little too much. These people made me look better than anybody I’d ever had done my hair or makeup, I was starting to rely on them to make me look human, especially after last night.

“Well your first up with Max Verstappen, he was second to Lewis in Bahrain, will definitely be pushing for first today.”

“Oh yes! I know Max.” I waved my hand, I’d befriended Max two nights ago when all the drivers were out. “Yeah, Max and Charles looked to have a lot of fun with you the other night.” Lisa teased. Long story short, we’d taken one too many shots and Max Verstappen had thrown up over the side of a bridge into an Italian canal below. Classic.

Knowing my first interview ever was just with Max was reassuring. It made it all way less intimidating, even if the interview didn’t go so smoothly, it was entertaining and that’s exactly what I was hired for. “If you win how are you gonna celebrate?” I asked, holding the mic towards him. “You know exactly how!” Max began cracking up as I attempted to hold back my laughter. “Did you know your sky presenter can drink men under the table?” He slung an arm around me, tugging me to face the camera directly. I gasped and instantly began speaking again. “Well good luck today Max!! Wishing you all the best!” He laughed out loud as I changed the subject abruptly. “Thank you!” He laughed giving me a quick hug, “and you’ll be out tonight, yeah?” He asked as I nodded. “Sure.” “Hopefully not sneaking off with-“

“Oh, no, no, no!” My eyes widened, preventing him from finishing that sentence. Last night I’d got home with a man- another driver to be precise. It seems news spread quick amongst drivers and the grid. Max smirked and gave my one last goodbye before I moved on to interview a couple more celebrities lined up on the grid, waiting for the race to start. Interviewing random people there was far more easier than the drivers, when it came my time to head back over to where Ferrari were preparing on the grid I felt my chest tighten.

“Uh, Lisa, who’s my next interview with?”

“Well, just grab whoever you can, you’ve been doing so great at that so far, but next you are interviewing…” she scrolled down on her phone screen. Whilst I awaited her answer, I felt my heart rate increase, as if the hungover palpitations weren’t enough, this was giving me full blown anxiety. My eyes scanned over the grid, seeing two men dressed in their red Ferrari gear, it seemed they were awaiting me, looking over in the distance. Charles Leclerc and-

“Carlos Sainz!” Fuck! Simultaneous to Lisa saying his name there was a quick. “Yes?!” Following this, a body appeared besides mine and I was momentarily breathless, Carlos Sainz. The exact man I’d slept with only 12 hours prior and woken up next to in bed this morning. A series of flashback swept through me followed by a serious swooning as my eyes gazed up to the taller man. A pair of his dark eyes met my own gaze, and I saw him physically react. Eyes widened, mouth slightly parted. His gloved hand moved up to touch his chest, I wondered if his heart had leapt the exact same way mine had? “Carlos Sainz?!” I took a deep breath, forcing a smile as I remembered the cameras were rolling. “Hola!” He greeted, surprise lacing his tone, he hesitated slightly, waiting for my reaction before moving closer and greeting me to a kiss either side of my cheek. I gulped at the contact, the close proximity wafting the scent of his cologne, the exact same one that was plastered over my pillow cases. Double fuck! He was somehow even sexier now I was sober! “Jenna Ashley.” He laughed a little breathlessly as I remembered, judging by the flag on his front, he was Spanish. Duh. “Hola.” I giggled, knowing my face was just as vibrant as his uniform. I could feel Lisa eyeing me up from the sidelines of the interview.

“¿Hablas español?” (Do you speak Spanish?) he asked immediately, eyebrows perking, he seemed slightly nervous, unable to hold eye contact. I didn’t know if that was the awkwardness from the fact the man was quite literally inside of me last night.

“Uhhh, un poco. Pero hablemos en ingles o no les gusto.” (a little, but let’s talk in English or they wont like me). I slowly translated, glancing back to the clueless cameraman and Lisa. I think that made sense, my nerves mixed with my limited Spanish probably made me speak like a child. Carlos laughed in response, rubbing his hands on his uniform. I then went through a series of questions, finding it hard not to giggle with him right in front of me. I was reduced to the behaviour of a school girl. “How are you gonna celebrate if you win today? Or if you don’t win?!” “Any way possible… now there’s no COVID restrictions!” He inhaled excitedly. “Sounds good to me.” I glanced back at the camera, feeling his eyes lingering over me.

“Thank you, Carlos, it’s been a pleasure, good luck for today! I wish you the best.” I laughed, barely being able to maintain eye contact with him as his plump lips stretched into a happy smile. God, he was perfect, tanned skin, Spanish accent, insanely nice, polite, perfect mop of hair, and don’t get me started on those eyes, he had me swooning like I was straight out of a cartoon. “Gracias… thank you.” Carlos nodded down to me and the camera as I flashed him a small smile, stealing another glimpse at him through my eyelashes as he cleared his throat slightly once the camera was turned away. I could feel his eyes burning holes into me, I couldn’t tell if he was checking me out or if he was entirely baffled by the situation. I swallowed the lingering anxiety I felt, tensing my jaw at the thought of him scanning over my face. “Good luck.” I then flashed him another smile to combat the awkwardness as he stepped a little closer. “N-no sabia que ibas-“ (I did not know you were going-) he stammered, but his words fell short when I was being ushered onto my next interview. “I promise I’ll let you mingle afterwards! I’m sorry!” Lisa apologised, attempting to move me on. I turned back up to Carlos, opening my mouth but my words fell short. When we made eye contact once more I felt the butterflies in my stomach, the cliche way my heart jumped, and that knot in my chest tightening. It was all happening at once. “Good luck again!” I politely nodded as he offered me another genuine smile, eyes lingering over my face, as though he was trying to analyse my features. Pffft, it wasn’t like he didn’t have chance to do that last night. Talking about last night… my mind roamed back to the events of the night before, clouded from the mix of alcohol and sex that plagued my mind.

[kanmom51]

JK the crowned 👑 spoiler king

cr./to the creators of the media used in this post.

Touched on this a little yesterday here:

He really is.

The king of spoilers.

And he seems to also be the gift that keeps on giving too, lol. The layers upon layers of his spoilers are being revealed to us slowly but surely. Can't wait to see if he has more in store for us.

So, what did he give us so far?

JK playing JVKE's Golden Hour, showing us the JM tattoo (lest us forget closing with "your the love of my life").

Next we have him telling us:

🐰 I want to be a bartender. I think it's going to be fun.

Next he does the butterfly out of nowhere with his hair tie.

Did I mention him coming back for live no. 4 on white day, half an hour before SMF pt. 2 teaser was landing to tell us to look forward to it?

And finally, well, for now that we know of that is, we have his cooking live with a pre-prepared guitar to play Letter for us. JK, not the one that did the guitar playing for the song, made the effort of learning the cords and playing it for us just before the album and the hidden track, a song that he took part in, landed.

He keeps on doing this, JK.

But not with any of the other members.

So, JM spoiler king will be the more accurate description in his case.

Funny how JK keeps doing this with the one member big chunks of this fandom think he's no longer close with. All while he is radio silent about the others.

What was it that JK told us in the past?

Well, obviously there has been a lot of concentration going on with these spoilers...

None of the other members received this treatment from JK, not even Hobi, whom JK is undeniably super close with.

JK will dance and laugh and tease the others after their releases, but no spoilers were given, and especially no lives just sitting and watching said members songs, shows, compilations just for the sake of that alone. Fully entranced. Unwilling to even look at and totally uninterested in the comments during said live.

Only JM.

And I'll raise you another one.

JK knows.

These spoilers come out of knowledge.

JK knows JM's songs, JM's projects, JM's choreos, JM's MVs before we do.

And you'd say, "well, they are part of the band, no?" But you see, first of all JM being super busy preparing for his first solo album release wouldn't be in touch with them all on a daily basis and definitely not in a manner that they all know the comings and goings of his projects/songs/choreos/MVs. For example, Yoongi didn't even know about Letter.

So yeah, JK knew and knows all these details, down to SMF pt. 2 choreo, down to the set of Like crazy MV and JM's bartending duties there. All before it landed. All before we knew.

To sum it up with a nice little bow:

TKKs are right. Ex Jikookers are right. Those two, most definitely drifted apart, have zero to do with each other, don't even like each other anymore. So much so they can't stand to be next to each other, in each other's presence nor talk to each other. JK's supposed vocals on Letter are AI, it's all a big fat lie they came up with to placate the Jikookers that were rioting in the streets. And hugging, eww, totally out of the question. No hugging allowed. If they communicate it's through Tae, JK's new boyfie. Cause Tae, he gone and dumped Jenni's skinny ass the second JK became available.

Hell nah!!!

But because I already went there, talk about changing the subject, lol, I was sent this clip today from my daughter:

This:

People, there you have it.

[envy-of-the-apple]

Yandere!Illumi Zoldyck x Reader

I haven’t written my man in soo longg. i claim to be an illumi stan but i only have like two fics for the guy. im so sorry illumi your dead fish eyes are the only eyes for me i swear. Highly inspired by this drabble made by flamingtrash. The way bestie writes illumi just lamenting just sends chills down my spine. 

Target

(Warnings: Yandere, stalking, murder, more stalking, planning to murder, mentions of suicide) 

Kill the husband, do whatever you want to the wife. 

His mission is one of the simpler ones. He considers this busy work. His target is a regular civilian, a break from the numerous other assassins, hit-men, nen-users he typically was hired to do. 

Still, Illumi takes his time, because every target deserves his vigilance, his dedication. It wouldn’t be right to just finish and go. He offers each life respect. 

He remembers the reason why your husband has to die. Bribery, company theft, among many other things. The men who wanted him gone needed for him to disappear completely, not a trace of him left behind. 

He has a feeling you wouldn’t go away just as easily. 

It was a love marriage. You two met right after you graduated college, and it bloomed from there. Coffee dates, light night strolls, candlelight dinners. Domestic activities. 

You loved your husband. Though Illumi isn’t intimate with the feeling, it’s clear to anyone who’s willing to watch. You’d been married for years, yet you still get so flustered at the mention of him. Twiddling thumbs, nervous laughter. 

Your husband loves you too. Maybe just as much. He’s not as quick to show it. He’s close to inheriting the company from his father. He has a lot of work to do. It’s probably why he’s doing so many gray things. Your husband is stressed. He knows one day this will all catch up to him. 

That day came when Illumi was handed 20 million jennies and a picture. 

He watches because making it look like an accident is much harder to accomplish than it sounds. He considers pinning the blame on you, before he discards the thought. Insufficient. 

But you really did love your husband. He isn’t usually so interested in his target’s marital affairs but he thinks he admires your loyalty. You’re so loving to him. Despite the busy lives you two lead, you manage to still think about him. 

Like today, when you’re setting up the breakfast table. You place two bowls, despite the fact your husband’s still asleep in the bed you two share. 

He’s been busy lately, constantly running from meeting to meeting. After a bit of scouting Illumi realizes that he’s only ever in two places: at the office, or in bed with you. Sometimes, just twice since Illumi has been observing, your husband crawls into a dark alley, filled with underdwellers, whispering about their latest schemes. He barely has time for breakfast. 

A routine is being set in place. You make two plates, continuing to bustle away in the kitchen as you wait for him. He’ll leave in a hurry, as he always does, yelling out a ‘bye darling’ before slamming the door shut. You’ll come out of the kitchen a few minutes later to see the bowls untouched, and then you’ll frown. Like you always do. 

And that worries Illumi because when your husband is gone and if you start putting together the pieces: always rushing everywhere, constantly being stressed, not eating breakfast anymore. He’d rather you be in the dark. He’d rather not waste his time killing you too. He wants you to play the part he set out to you; the heartbroken wife wondering how her husband could do this to himself when he was always so happy. 

Today, Illumi decides to intervene when your husband leaves like that for the fifth day in a row. You hadn’t even realized the intruder when he casually steps into the dining room, too busy in the kitchen. He decides to dispose of your husband’s bowl in the bushes, where the stray cats can have their fill. It’s clean when Illumi drops the dish back to its place on the table. 

You come out a few minutes later when Illumi safely retracts to his usual hiding spot. He watches you keenly, noting the perceived disappointment you have on your face like you’re already preparing yourself. 

And then you stop, staring at the empty bowl. 

A soft smile adorns your face. Your eyes crinkle. 

You look so happy, as you sit down, eating your own breakfast. It confuses him, just how happy a small action made you. 

It didn’t matter. This was good. If he kept this up, your husband’s demise would be a heartbroken tragedy, rather than suspected foul play. He shouldn’t be bothered by the details. 

Days later, he still thinks about your smile.

He watches you more than he does his target. 

Illumi can’t help himself. You’re so distracting. He doesn’t understand why. He should have been done with this mission weeks ago but he’s still here because he can’t understand you. 

You’re normal by any standard. Completely average. You work a desk job, and come back home when you get off the clock. You have normal friends. You have a normal family. Nothing you do should surprise him. 

But you do, nearly every day. He realizes you have these faces you show to others. Towards your co-workers, you’re polite and resigned. People who you’re closer to, family, close friends, your husband, you’re more sincere. You smile more. It’s fascinating to watch you switch depending on who you interact with. 

It shouldn’t matter because everyone has different faces. Everyone does this, this is basic socialization in regard to his targets. You aren’t special. 

Sometimes, Illumi catches himself wondering what face you would show him if you two ever met. 

You’re so disgustingly normal as you sit in the living room of your house, watching a TV show he hardly cares about. You don’t seem to care either, more interested in babbling on the phone to your friend about some nonsense at work. 

He should just kill you off too. It would be easier, less work on his part. It’s not like his clients care about what he does with you. You are an anomaly, but in the grand scheme of things, you are dispensable, irrelevant to his job. You won’t matter. 

You shouldn’t matter. 

You’re clumsy, it’s a common trait Illumi has noticed. You show your skill off almost every day. Take this moment, for instance, as you get up, you nearly drop your phone, catching it in the knick of time. You laugh to your friend about it in relief and Illumi thinks you wouldn’t be a good fit within his family. He strangely doesn’t mind your helplessness, however. 

He catches himself again. He curses. He really should just kill you. 

It’d be so easy to, it’s not like you made it hard. You don’t have any combat experience, you don’t even realize he’s there, right behind you, watching you work away in the kitchen as you continue to talk to your friend in utter obliviousness. 

He’s close enough to smell your perfume. 

When you turn, he’s back in his perch, onlooking the window. As usual, you don’t spot any evidence of the stranger being in your home, close enough to touch you. You continue stirring away a dish, still on the phone. 

He really should just kill you. 

Illumi thinks your friends serve their purpose. 

Since he is unable to interrogate you, your friends do it for him. They get you drunk in the restaurant you three had booked weeks ago, tipsy on a strain of alcohol he’d barely consider strong. It’s enough to spill your deepest secrets he could never uncover himself. A childhood past files could never tell him. 

Your friend makes a comment about how the kid version of you would probably be scandalized at how you turned out. A slurred laugh bubbles out of your lips. Illumi thinks it’s the prettiest sound he’s ever heard. 

“You sound just like my husband,” You say with mirth. Your friend frowns. 

“Speaking of him…are the two of you okay? He didn’t show up to the dinner party last week.” Your husband hadn’t. Instead, he’d left you alone while he went to go and make more blood money. You frown, like you’re remembering it too. 

“Yeah,” You murmur, “He’s been busy lately. It’s something at work.” 

“Has he been specific?” Another friend presses. You look pensive. 

“Not really,” You respond. They frown at eachother, casting a knowing look. 

“Stop,” You say, your voice losing all humor, “It’s not like that. You two think so lowly of him. He’s not that kind of man.” And it’s true. Your husband doesn’t cheat. He bribes and launders instead. 

“He’s been…really tired lately. He sleeps like a rock all night, but in the morning it looks like he hadn’t even gotten a wink. His eye bags have eye bags.” You frown, taking another sip of your drink. “I always feel so guilty, like I should be doing something.” 

“Have you tried speaking to him about it?” One asks.  

You smile without mirth. 

“He doesn’t talk to me. Sometimes-sometimes I feel like he really wants to, but is afraid to, which is so stupid. It’s like he doesn’t know that I’ll love him no matter what he does.” 

Illumi believes you. He really does. He suddenly realizes that if your husband admitted everything he’s been doing right now; you’d forgive him, you’d accept him, you’d still love him.

You’re so loyal to him. Only him. Even when your husband doesn’t really deserve it, it was love. True love. 

That’s why he was so drawn to you. He wanted a wife just like you. Hell, if he had a perfect wife, he’d launder, and bribe, and steal to keep you too. 

He leaves after that. The mystery was solved. He could finally complete his mission. 

He wastes no time getting to your home, getting to his target. 

Killing the man was easy. Illumi barely breaks a sweat. Your husband is dead, and at his feet, within seconds. 

Then he waits. 

He waits for you to come home, he waits for you to see the scene. He decides that he’ll let you grieve for thirty seconds. Half a minute, before he breaks your neck, and then you’ll join your beloved. 

He isn’t usually so gracious, but he feels indebted to you. He’s grateful that you showed him that something like this exists. Utter devotion. He wants someone like you in his life. Someone who will smile and laugh and be intertwined with him, forever. 

He’ll pay it back by giving you time with your husband. It’s the least he can do. 

The door clicks an hour later. He patiently waits. Waits for you to see your lover, waits for you to scream, waits for you to see him. He’ll give you thirty seconds. Just thirty seconds. 

Forty-five seconds pass. 

Your eyes meet his first. 

You smile. 

“Hey.” 

You’re intoxicated. He can smell the wine from your lips as you stumble forward, lightly tripping on your heels. He’s close enough that you fall into him. He could have moved away, avoiding your clumsy body, letting you fall on a heap to the floor. 

He’s never minded your clumsiness. 

Illumi stays, gently pressing his fingertips into your shoulders, stabilizing you. You’re so soft under his touch. Delicate. He’s suddenly afraid a single move might snap you in half. 

You laugh, and although your voice is heavy with alcohol, it’s so light and free. You look at him, really really look at him. Your eyes are glimmering and he’s wondering if the night sky itself was etched into your eyes. 

“My hero,” You say so so lovingly and it clicks. 

You think he’s your husband. 

Why else would you be so happy? You can’t see him that well, not with your poor eyesight, an average human’s ability. Not when you’re so drunk off of the sweet wine he can practically taste from your lips. 

You don’t see the dead body right at your feet. You just see Illumi. 

Still, he doesn’t pull away. You don’t either, choosing to wrap your arms around his waist, drawing him closer. You’re so warm. You fit perfectly against his body. 

If he presses himself any closer, if he brings his hand up, right by your neck, and squeezes just so slightly, he’d be able to feel all of you. The blood pumping in your veins, sending oxygen, nutrients, everything that keeps you here. You’re alive. You aren’t dead, not yet. That’s why you’re so warm, not a cold corpse. 

He thinks he prefers you this way. 

“Sorry I was so late,” You’re slurring your words, but he understands them anyway, “I hadn’t seen the girls in a while. Hope you’re not too mad.” 

He doesn’t reply. You don’t seem to care, pressing up against him again. It feels so intimate, he’s not used to this. For once, in the many years he’s lived without doubt, he’s stuck. 

You managed to do that to him. Disarm him. You are surely the most dangerous opponent he’s had to face. 

You’re pulling away, a pout on your lips. 

“I knew it, you are mad,” You sigh, “Is there any way you can forgive me? Maybe…” 

You don’t finish your sentence, pressing up, messily pressing your warm lips to his. He’s kissed before, he’s not unnerved to the notion of touch, contact. 

But he can taste the ambrosia on your tongue. It’s addictive. 

“Sorry,” You whisper when you pull away. He doesn’t want you to. “I’m sorry.” 

You’re looking at him again, and your eyes are simmering, smoldering with a feeling that looks so dirty. You’re looking at him with absolute adoration and he strangely feels like he’s about to break. 

“You forgive me, right?” 

He makes his decision when you intertwine your hand in his, leading him to your bedroom. He makes sure you avoid stepping over your husband, guiding you away from the body. You’re giggling in his arms, caressing his hands. His face. 

Why would he give a fuck about having someone like you when he could just have you?

When you reach to turn on the bedroom light he’s quick to intervene, pinning you against the bed. Your intoxicated mind is eager to forget, clumsily reciprocating. 

He reaffirms his decision when he bites your neck, hearing you moan and writhe beneath him. 

He’ll keep you. After all, he’s worked so hard over these years. He deserves an award. 

You’ll love him, the same way you loved your husband, the rotting corpse he hopes will burn somewhere far far away from you two. 

And if you don’t. That’s okay too. Illumi has more than enough love to go around. 

[pascaloverx]

Strangers?

Christmas Epilogue

previous part AO3 LINK

Author's note: This fanfic is set in the creation of Jenny Han. Conrad Fisher and other characters mentioned in the future do not belong to me. I hope you like this fanfic, depending on how it goes, I'll decide if this fic will have more parts or just this one. This fanfic is recommended for all audiences, there will be no adult content in it, only possible inappropriate language and alcohol consumption. This author would like to thank everyone who read this fanfic and hope everyone likes this epilogue.

You woke up feeling optimistic; finally, you were going to have a Christmas with your boyfriend. Even though you aren't a hundred percent sure everything will go smoothly. Conrad has been busy with college for the past few days, so he's out buying Christmas presents on Christmas Eve itself. If he had listened to you, he would have done this weeks ago, but he said he was used to last-minute shopping.

"You're supposed to be helping me set the table, but I'm doing all the work by myself..." You say over the phone to Conrad, who is in line waiting to get to the house where you live. Essentially, you live together now; he spends more time at your place than in the university dormitory.

"I've already said I love your understanding nature; it's as if my girlfriend is the most loving person in the world." Conrad speaks sarcastically, which you find amusing. You then hear knocks on the door and go to open it while keeping Conrad on the line.

"Someone's knocking at the door, did you invite someone?" You ask, almost whispering into the phone, unsure whether to open the door or not.

"I can be home in thirty minutes, maybe less if I don't mind breaking a few rules." Conrad says in a concerned tone, which you find endearing.

"Negative, I won't ruin our first Christmas together by making you come here for nothing. I can take care of myself. Just come back soon." You say to Conrad, trying to convince yourself that everything will be fine. Gaining courage, you open the door, finding Jeremiah and Belly arm in arm, holding several bags. You smile with relief and tell Conrad that you need to hang up but that it's his brother at the door.

"I know it's bold to show up out of nowhere, but we were nearby and decided to bring the gifts." Jeremiah says. Your reaction is to give them space to enter and you even try to help carry the groceries, but neither Belly nor Jeremiah let you help.

"What a surprise to see you here, Conrad told me you were going to spend it with your Belly family, so I didn't even ask if you two wanted to exchange gifts today." You closed the door while Belly and Jeremiah placed the purchases on the counter. They also placed the gifts under the Christmas tree.

"Me and Jeremiah were helping my mom with the preparations for Christmas and we remembered that it was her first Christmas with Conrad. And we decided to bring some shopping and gifts to help. The first Christmas is important to a new couple. Especially if you're going to spend it with Conrad." Belly speaks and then hugs you, with her coat that is a little damp from the snow.

"I warned that your boyfriend was going to end up spending Christmas Eve at some mall shopping for things he could have bought last week." Jeremiah says hugging you too as soon as you stopped hugging Belly. In that moment you felt like part of Conrad's family. There's no other way to say it but Belly is part of this family too. They love each other and you're fine about it. Jeremiah and Belly decided to try to give their love a chance.

"It doesn't matter how much I warned him about it. At least he helped me put up the Christmas tree. He also decided to make a pie for today, if you guys want to stay for Christmas dinner." You say casually as you watch the oven to check if the turkey is done.

"Unfortunately we can't stay, my mom will freaky out. We wish you both the best Christmas possible and your gifts are on the tree. Over-the-counter purchases are some things that we think Conrad won't find in this time. We already have to go, right, love?" Belly says holding Jeremiah's hand gently. He agrees with her.

"At least take the gifts I bought, Conrad's presents unfortunately he's going to have to take them tomorrow but we'll meet up tomorrow on Christmas afternoon, we can go ice skating or something." You say handing over the presents you bought for them. You open the door so they can leave, but you run into Conrad. He has snowy hair, carrying several things in his hands.

"You arrived just in time to say goodbye to us, brother." Jeremiah says as he helps Conrad bring what he bought into the house. Suddenly you all are together inside of the house.

"Before the lovebirds leave, let's take a photo with the Christmas tree." Conrad speaks touching Belly and Jeremiah's shoulders. You are proud of your boyfriend when you see how much he evolved.

"I think it's a good idea. But honey, I think you should take off your hoodie. You're going to get sick if you keep that on." You say, approaching Conrad and placing a kiss on his lips.

"Want to help me change my clothes?" Conrad softly while their lips are still close. You give him a peck on the lips and then touch his arm, almost as if pushing him towards the stairs.

He quickly goes to change his clothes and comes back adjusting his sweatshirt on his body. The four of you then approach the tree after Conrad grabs the camera and positions it to take the photograph. And you all take the photo smiling, each side of the person you're dating. And so it was, the beginning of the perfect Christmas Eve.

[ashintheairlikesnow]

It Has to Be

For @amonthofwhump 12 Days of Whumpmas, Day 5: Ebenezer Scrooge |Power Outage | Time Loop | Overworked Whumpee | Comfort: Snuggling by the Fire

CW: Intimate whumper, past drugging and noncon, references to captivity and scars

The Motherfucking Gallaghers Masterlist

As always, Jax (and the mentioned Alfie) belong to @comfy-whumpee and are used with their input and permission.

-

Finley White is getting so tired of looking at Savvie Marcoset’s face. At least during the prepping stages, it’s mostly through videos and photographs. They can turn it off, turn away, take a break. 

But they’re still tired of seeing it.

Not half so tired, they muse, as their client must be.

“Miss Savvie Marcoset, is it really you?! How are you?!”

“It’s Mrs. Savvie Marcoset,” She corrects, prim and proper. Savvie has her hands folded in her lap, her hair pulled back with a clip. The shadows under her eyes are the only sign that she is, at the time this was recorded, someone frantically searching for her missing captive. In a long off the shoulder black sweater and leggings, she seems relaxed and happy. She smiles, gentle and sweet. It looks utterly sincere. “I am married, you know.”

She holds up a hand and waggles her fingers, showing off the brilliance of her diamond ring. 

The person wearing the camera device gasps with audible delight. “Did you really finally get him to put a ring on it? Gosh, Sav, I thought he would never propose!” 

“I know that voice,” Finley White's client says, leaning forward. He frowns, his knee bouncing beneath the table. “I remember she was a twat.”

The corner of Finley’s mouth twitches, a smile they can't quite suppress. “Virginia Marshall, goes by Jennie. Went to college with Savannah Marcoset. The Marshalls were longtime friends with the Marcosets, close enough to be trusted. Jennie was facing some low-level charges of her own and agreed to help build this case as part of a plea deal.”

“Twat and coward.” He snorts. “Sounds about right.”

“Well, technically I was the one who got down on one knee,” Savvie says. There’s something strange in her eyes, like always - she looks with too much intensity. She’s hiding it well here, acting with the best of them, but Finley’s been staring at her face for so long that they can see right through it even so. 

Finley saw Savvie Marcoset’s true talents on the stand, the first time. They had watched with surprised dismay as she charmed the jury, seeing how she could channel her intensity and terrifying focus into overwhelming charisma before an audience.

“Oh, that’s so modern,” The woman wearing the hidden camera gushes, cooing over the ring. “Did you write your own vows, too?”

Savvie laughs, abashed. “No, no. Traditional. I always wanted a traditional wedding. So did he, really, he's an old-fashioned kind of guy. You should have seen him blush during 'love, honor, and obey.'"

The noise Finley's client makes in reaction to that statement is indescribable.

“Traditional vows... makes sense. You’ve always been the romantic type. Where is that lucky duck today, anyway? The hubby? He isn't with you?”

Savvie's smile doesn't even flicker. “He’s at home with our babies. He loves being a stay-at-home dad, you know? It’s all he ever wanted to be.” 

In reality, at the moment this video was recorded, the escaped Jax Gallagher was in his father's apartment, likely pretending to sleep, but at least not sleeping next to her. His children would have been nearby, safe from Savvie's cruelty for the first time.

You’d never know anyone was gone. She's as good an actress as she is at playing music, when she wants to be. And she is clearly pretending that absolutely nothing is wrong. 

“Oh, well, bring him to my house sometime, yeah? Let me get a look at him and those little ones.”

“He’s… very private,” Savvie says, low and soft. She gives a little roll of her eyes. “Because of me being, you know, known, and he isn't from a famous family or anything… we like to keep his name out of things. His family is so toxic, plus you know how gossipy the press is about him…”

“Him? Him who?” The informant plays dumb. 

“You know… My ex..."

“Oh, your ex Bastian Brighthall?” 

“Ha! No, no. I just mean… you know. Since… prison. Which, like, can no one become rehabilitated in this country? Let me live! I’m a law-abiding citizen now, and, and a wife and mother! You have no idea what it's like just trying to raise babies these days..."

She’s so deeply offended. The informant pretends to be offended, too, and lets Savvie change the subject, turn it around to how hard it is to be a woman just trying to live out her happily ever after. It’s masterful, how well she can lead someone along and away from what she doesn’t want to share. 

Finley White’s eyelid twitches where they sit at a table, watching this conversation unfold on a television bolted to the wall on the opposite side of the room. Beside them, their client has lapsed back into stony silence, his jaw set, arms crossed. He doesn't look at Savannah Marcoset’s sweet and smiling face, not directly. 

He’s tense enough that Finley worries, more than a little, that one of his tendons will simply snap from the stress. He knows - he knew long before Finley said it out loud - what a farce this is, how utterly unnecessary. He knows better than anyone that Ms. Marcoset could have pleaded guilty and saved them all this expense and trouble. The evidence is thoroughly stacked against her. She has no way out, but it doesn’t stop her from throwing out every delay tactic she has. 

Jax had been the first one to vocalize the point of Savannah’s strange game, during their meeting with him and his father after the arrest. She’ll drag it out, make it take as long as possible, he’d predicted, sitting in his father's cozy living room in his apartment in England. Finley had flown to him, once again - they had sworn to him once, after the first trial’s conclusion, that they wouldn’t ask him to fly back to America unless they had to.  

He’d still been visibly recovering, a man made of shadows who sat with his little girl and her enormous curly hair clinging in wide-eyed silence to him. He’d held onto her just as tightly, as if even Finley might simply take her away if he let go for even a second. She’ll make it fucking miserable for everyone, just to get at me. She always fucking does. 

Language, Jax’s father had admonished in a distant and fond way. That's one for the chocolate jar. Or two, maybe. 

Jax’s child, who was so perfectly silent Finley kept forgetting she was there, had spoken for the first time. I don't mind, Daddy, she had said. She was so soft Finley barely made out the words. I know that’s grown up words. You don't have to do the jar. You can get chocolates. 

Both men had smiled, then - one with open affection for his grandchild, one with a faint shift of lips that vanished as soon as Finley took it in. 

Sorry, kiddo, Jax had murmured, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. More for you, then, yeah? Finley had wondered, then, what it must feel like to love a child - to love someone that much - who only existed because of this kind of assault? 

Jax had been angrier, or at least more obviously so, the first time they worked with him. After the first escape. During the first trial. The anger that had still flared up then was now a smoking skeletal forest, where you could feel heat against your palm when you laid it against the trunk of a tree, but not even embers were left to glow. 

Are the little girl and the baby boy the first green things to grow afterward? Or just… bones, blackened stones weighing him down? 

Shit, they need a drink. All their poetry electives from their own college days come out in florid metaphors on days like this one. 

More than a drink, they need  about sixteen hours of sleep. Not that Jax doesn't need both things more than they do, going through all this again, and again… they’d put it off as long as they could, but finally they’d had to ask him to fly here one more time. 

This will be the last time. Finley White will stake their career on Savannah Marcoset never seeing daylight as a free woman again, or they’ll quit and take up needlepoint or whatever it is lawyers who drop the ball that badly do. 

They failed him, once, in their own mind. That it could happen to him again feels like their fault, their responsibility, somehow. 

Jax had been angrier, before, but less determined than he is now. He had found it much harder, then, not to look at Savvie Marcoset. As if he couldn't break himself of having all his thoughts centered on keeping her from punishing him. The way he had seemed frightened when they took her away, after the verdict, had been painful to watch. 

Now he simply doesn't look at her on the screen at all. 

Finley picks up the remote, scratching a fingernail over its smooth plastic surface.  

Would it have been better, if they had managed to make it so she never walked free? It would have meant no second time held prisoner and therefore no children. Obviously it would have been better. Would he have chosen it, though, if he knew… chosen not to ever meet the quiet little girl and boisterous baby boy… maybe he would. Probably he would. 

They would never ask. 

In the present, Finley keeps their thoughts to themself. They lean forward, briefly pausing the video. “There’s a few minutes of going back and forth on this, Ms. Marcoset describing a… well, a very fanciful personal idea of the alleged wedding and honeymoon… I’m going to fast forward past it.”

“Thank fuck,” Jax mutters, scratching at the back of his head. His fingers twitch, involuntary, and he drops his hand quickly. 

He didn't tremble like that the first time, either. That’s a lasting effect of the shock collar he’d been wearing when he turned up on his father's doorstep after running away with the kids. He hides the scars beneath scarves and Finley pretends they don't see them even when they do. 

Those scars feel like visible evidence: Finley White fucked up, and here’s living proof. They’d gotten the conviction, decent prison time, parole within a limited area after release… and it hadn't been enough. 

They’ve gone over and over the case, when they can't sleep or think about anything else. They had done a good job. They and a single paralegal, alone, had taken on the Marcoset team of defense lawyers and wiped the floor with them. 

Jax seemed to think they had done a good job. Good enough that when he ran this time, he’d called them as soon as he was ready, anyway. He could have gotten a different lawyer, but he had called them, and trusted them, to put her away again. 

They just have to make sure it sticks this time. For life, bar the door, throw away the goddamn key. 

It was another thing Jax said first, although not in so many words - that if she ever left prison again, Jax almost certainly wouldn't survive it. He’d been hunched over a beer, that first in-person meeting at his father's place. Finley was still jet-lagged from getting on the first flight out, and nearly asleep on the sofa. He hadn't brought it up until the kids and his father were safely asleep. 

If she gets out again, or… comes h-here… that's it. He hadn't looked up at them, just stared down at his beer. The kids vanish first, probably. Dead or disappeared. Whatever she thinks will fuck me up worse. Actually, probably disappeared and then dead later once she thinks-... once she’s made me sorry. Then me, after them.

Then you? Last?

Yeah. Disappeared. Or dead. Or both. But she’ll go after them first. She'll-... He drank half the beer in three long swallows, wiped a hand over his face, and then exhaled and looked over at them. She can't hurt my kids. Okay? She can't. 

Finley had nodded, and lifted their own beer in a kind of grim salute. She won't. We nail her to the wall this time, Jax. I promise.

Fuck yeah. His expression stayed flat, but he clinked his beer glass against theirs and that was that, he was Finley White's once and future client one more time. 

Even though the case is open and shut, they’re throwing everything they’ve got at this, leaving nothing on the table. Leaving nothing to chance or luck. They have a promise to keep. 

“Our informant wore this camera to get an idea of what Mrs. Marcoset was thinking, how she was playing your disappearance from her life. It was recorded before she was arrested,” Finley explains. On the screen, Savvie's rushed dramatics are silent, her hands moving in gestures that constantly flash the ring. Her smile is absolutely radiant. She has always been a beautiful woman, layered over the cruelty beneath. “We probably won't need this at court-”

“Then why are we watching it?” He asks abruptly. Not angry or hostile, just wanting to get it all over with. 

They know the feeling. 

“Because I thought you might want to see this part,” They say, and hit play, the video shifting back into regular speed, the casual buzz and clink of the restaurant around them kicking back in. 

“-three years old,” Savvie is saying. She is every inch the proud and loving mother, pulling out her phone and then turning it around to show the informant. “Born in… in May, named after my grandmother. Isn't she beautiful? Doesn't she look just like me?”

“This was after I left?” Jax frowns at the photo Savvie has pulled up - of Jax holding his daughter back when she was a baby who already had too much hair and eyes too big for her face. Jax, his gaunt frame dressed in slightly oversized designer clothes to hide bruises and his unreliable access to food, is looking at the camera with a false and slightly hazy-seeming smile. 

“Yes,” Finley answers, nodding. “This conversation would be maybe… six months after that.” 

Jax’s eyes narrow. “That photo’s of Izzy as a baby, for one thing. For another… her birthday isn't in fucking May. Jesus. I didn't know the day, she never would tell me, but I knew what season. Also, Iz was four when we got back home, and she would have turned five by… whenever this is. We got her a fucking cake, my dad and I, when she turned five."

“You are absolutely certain that-”

“Yes,” He answers them, voice flat and cold as paper on stone.

“You may have to testify about that, Jax. Good evidence of a lack of connection to Isabeh-”

“Izzy,” He corrects automatically. 

“Right. Sorry. I’ve been elbow-deep in legal docs all day, everything is full legal names. This video might not be worth much during the criminal trial, but for the civil case regarding the children’s living arrangements-”

“Yeah, fine, I’ll testify. Yeah.” He snorts. “Also, I'm fucking drugged in that photo she flashed around. If that matters.”

“You are?” That's a surprise to them. They turn to rewind the video back to when the photo is held up, pausing it, scanning it over again. The slight smile, the way he gripped tight to the girl… almost white-knuckled… 

“Yeah. High as hell and terrified I'll drop her. Scared that that's her game this time. Get me to let Iz slip through my arms and then get goddamn mad at me for not being careful enough. I got her to stop putting shit in my drink when the kids were awake eventually, but she was still doing it, then.”

He isn't casual with how he drops these pieces of abject horror into conversation - no, Jax wields this information like a riddle, or a test. How you respond is to pass or to fail, and Finley knows him well enough by now to be aware that very few people come back from failure. 

So they nod, and wait to see if he plans to offer anything more. 

He looks over at them, then back at the photo frozen in time on the screen. “Had to tell her I liked that shit, just… you know. After the kids went down to sleep.” He meets Finley’s gaze head on, staring them down. 

But he knows them well enough that he knows he never has to spell any of it out, not anymore. 

So they nod again. “And it worked?” 

“Yeah. Mostly.” He looks away. Finley never knows for sure if they’ve passed the test, not until he keeps talking. “I could put her off with asking for it to happen later. Savvie forgets shit. Half the time by the time she went to sleep, she didn't remember she even brought it up.” 

Half the time. 

Finley looks back at the video, and hits the play button. Savvie is back to happily chattering about her perfect husband and perfect children, sitting in a café months after the bruised, battered, scarred man and children in question had escaped her grasping fingers and shock collars and cruelty, but before there was enough to bring her in. 

She had to have known they were coming for her, by this point. And yet she pretended everything was completely fine, that nothing had happened. She was either so sure her family would throw enough weight around to fix it for her in the end, or… 

“She’s completely out of her mind,” Finley whispers. Not that they hadn't said it before. But this… this is different. “She just. Can't deal with it, and so she just doesn't even acknowledge the problem exists. Jax-”

“Yeah, I know how she is. Lucky you, you didn't get that shit up close and personal like I did. This isn't even the worst of her bullshit.”

“Looking at her, you’d never know it.” Finley sits back, not allowing themself to slump. If they can pull this off, there's a four hundred dollar bottle of stupidly priced bourbon they’re going to buy to celebrate. “Look at her. No sign whatsoever of anything but happily ever after. You ran. It’s been months since she last saw you or your children… and she’s calm as can be. She doesn't even know where you are."

“She probably knew where I was.” Jax shrugs, outwardly unbothered. “I mean, she’s a stupid shitsnob, but she knows I'd go to my dad. She knew where I was gonna go if I got away from her.”

“She didn't go for you, though, didn't try to recapture you. At the time, if she knew…”

Jax gives them the stare again. “I know exactly what she did. She freaked out when we were gone, called her bastard shitstain uncle for help. He had people hunting me, until we got to the border. We barely managed to keep out of sight of them. We had to cross the border… we had to.” 

“Right, because in the UK… you’re, uh-” They hesitate. 

Jax prickles when they hesitate. His eyes narrow, and Finley straightens their posture, refusing to wilt before that stare. “You can say it,” He says, voice flat. “Fucking famous for being kidnapped, right? There were programmes about that shit. Fucking journalists. And I bet once we made it over the border, dear Uncle Isaac told her he wasn't going to risk it anymore, to pack her shit and go home, act normal. Be seen so she could act like she never left. See if they could wait me out.” 

Sometimes they forget how watchful Jax is, how well he understands not just Savannah Marcoset herself but the parade of Marcoset family members who treated him like Savvie's toy or worse. He didn't understand it all that well the first time.

Another thing he only has to know because they couldn't keep him safe.

“Right. But that's practical... from a criminal perspective. That's not… this.” They look over at the screen again, frozen once more on Savvie's cheerful, winning smile. 

“No.” Jax’s knee is bouncing again. There has always been a hum of energy in him, but even that is held more inside him now. Because they hadn't hammered their case hard enough. 

It just hadn't been enough. 

It has to be enough this time. 

“Jax… we have to show them that Savannah Marcoset. Not the one in this video, but the one who incapacitated you to make it easier for her to harm or control you. She is going to want them to see the act, try to get parole on the table, try to get at least limited access to the children-”

“Which she won't fucking get.” For just a second, the layer of self-protective hostility drops. It’s not panic, not visibly, but it’s close. “I told you, first thing I fucking said, she can't get at my kids. The whole reason I'm fucking doing this is to keep them safe. She can't get her hands on my fucking kids.” 

“No,” They say, voice firm, and meet his eyes. He scoots slightly back, arms crossed again, staring at them fixedly with his chin tipped slightly down. They watch him right back. “She won't. We talked about it, I remember. No access, full stop. No presents, no letters, she gets no photos and no updates. Absolutely nothing. Complete termination of parental rights. Complete. No exceptions."

“And prison for-fucking-life, and no parole.”

“No chance. It’s going to be rough, Jax, I won't lie to you. She’s going to put on a show, and we are going to need to systematically dismantle it. Take away all her charm and let them see who you saw, day in and day out.”

He nods, jaw set. Stubborn and determined, and maybe the fire still burns down in there somewhere. His smile is so genuine they nearly wonder if it's real. “Good. Yeah. Uh, how, though?” 

They look back over at Savvie, the face filling the screen. Savvie will be magnetic, just like the first time. Not so young, now, not able to play the innocent girl led astray. But she'll play all the greatest hits of sincerity, earnestness, contrition… Jax, by contrast, is all rough edges and bristling quiet. He won't charm anyone so readily. But his story will be what actually happened. 

They just need to prove it. 

“I had a couple more recordings for us to look at today,” They say, thinking, mind spinning. “But they aren’t urgent. Let’s break early, you head back to see what your little ones are up to, and I'll start drafting an outline of what we prove and how we prove it. I have some ideas. We’ll reconvene here tomorrow at 8 am.”

“Sounds good, yeah.” Jax shifts, restless, ready to get out of the room with Savvie’s face still on the wall. 

“Tomorrow we’re going to talk about some… difficult stuff, Jax. Make sure you take it easy tonight.”

He looks at them, then just turns away, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair. “Right. Yeah. Stuff about the kids, or the rape?”

It’s a test again. 

God, how Finley hopes they never fail this man, not this time. Not when they couldn't keep him as safe as he deserved to be. 

“Just the outline,” They say, casual as can be. “But.. both. All of it. No details yet. But later-”

“Yeah. I’ll be back at 8. Ish.” He leaves before they can say another word, and they sit back, staring after him. 

They have mountains of documents to finish sorting through, and a man carrying so much cruelty in his head that if he opens his mouth on the stand, a waterfall might come rushing out. He's covered in scars from Savvie's abuse, has two kids that are living evidence of assault. They have a traumatized little girl in therapy multiple times a week. They have Jax’s devotion to his son and daughter compared to Savvie not even knowing what time of year Izzy was born in. 

They have so much. 

It has to be enough. 

[inlovewithregencyera]

Granningham, July 4th, 1818

The Duchess of Hollow chose annually to retreat to the family's small grandiose estate of Perlington House in Granningham. Only would she retreat here with her two eldest unmarried daughters who had already made their debuts in society. The sprawling estate, nestled in the serene landscapes of Granningham, served as a secluded haven away from the prying eyes of high society.

Here, amidst the lush gardens and opulent halls, the Duchess imparted wisdom and refined grace to her daughters, preparing them for the intricacies of their societal roles. The estate became a sanctuary where the young ladies learned not only the art of diplomacy and social finesse but also discovered the complexities of their own nature within these familial walls. The Duke of Hollow had this estate built for his wife back in 1811. They would stay here for a fortnight after the season was let, before joining the rest of the family at their summer home in Brindleton.

Sarah: Oh you look as pretty as a pearl Lady Aurelia!

Aurelia: Sarah, *blushes* you always say this.

Sarah: Well I never lie m'lady! You always look lovely and pretty!

Aurelia: And as do you Sarah, as do you. Why are you dressed like the house and chamber maids? I've told you that you're now a lady's maid and don't have to dress like that anymore.

Sarah: Sorry m'lady, won't happen again. I've still yet to get used to such a position! I've hung up all the fancy new gowns you've brought me and will change after I've finished your hair.

*Sarah hums whilst continuing to fix Aurelia's hair*

Sarah: Y'know m'lady, Lord Worthington is said to be in Granningham! He's back to take on his title and estate!

The sound of that name sent shivers down Aurelia's spine. The mention of his name elicited a cascade of memories, both sweet and bitter, that played with symphony in her mind, revealing the complex emotions tied to her affectionate bond with the one whose name hung in the air like a delicate secret. Frederick Charles Worthington, the now Earl of Henford, and rightful heir to Oakmere Hall.

Aurelia: *tapping her fingers against vanity* F-Frederick? Frederick Worthington? No, no that can't be. He hasn't stepped foot in Isturia since the Summer of 1816. He's been at his Chateau in Orleans. He didn't even attend his own father's funeral back in December. Why would he be here now?

Sarah: Well m'lady, I hear it from Tabitha, and Tabitha hears it from Jenny, and Jenny hears it from her daughter Hannah who's a cook at Oakmere. He visited his mama, but he's moved into Ivydale Park, just right up the hill! Says he can't manage that big ol' house just yet m'lady, too much going on.

Aurelia: *starts digging into the vanity with her nails* Ivydale Park? Up the hill?! No, no, no! I can't be here. Tell Mama we must leave for Brindleton today, not tomorrow.

Sarah: Why m'lady?

Aurelia: Oh Sarah! You very well know what conspired between us in 1816.

Sarah: No m'lady, I meant why shall I tell your Mama? Didn't one of you write him?

Aurelia: Heavens no Sarah! I've not written him in over a year, and Mama has not written him since December to give our condolences. Where did you come up with such a silly idea?

Sarah: Then why is his carriage outside? Y'know, the big fancy gold one that you and he used to go riding in and Miss Matlock would chaperone!

Aurelia: WHAT!?!

Emerging from the grand, gold, and crimson vessel was by no doubt, Frederick Worthington. For how anyone could mistake it not to be? He always unfolded himself with an effortless grace, and he stood at an impressive 6'4! He navigated towards the doors of Perlington, and if you were so blessed as to witness the genteel and noble grace in which he walked, you couldn't help but feel captivated by this magnetic allure of a man who seemed to carry both power and gentleness in equal measure. His manners and demeanor were completely unaffected.

Aurelia: Oh dear God help me! Sarah, you must convince Mama I am gravely ill and cannot join her and Louie for tea. Please!

Sarah: But you've no symptoms of being ill.

Aurelia: Oh you're right! She'll know my manners are affected. Fetch my traveling dress and coat, I'll tell her I promised to call on Aunt Helena before going to Brindleton. *nail biting intensifies*

Sarah: Shouldn't you withdraw from the win-

Aurelia: OH MY HEAVENS HE'S SEEN ME! I BELIEVE I SHALL FAINT! TELL ETHEL TO FETCH THE SALTS AND YOU MY TRAVELING ATTIRE! WITH HASTE, PLEASE!

Sarah: *frantically* Right away m'lady!

[grimesapologist]

i had the MOST awesome day with ravn today, we were supposed to go to my friend jenny's cabin outside oslo and make music but both of us got up around 5pm. (cause ravn was working at a bar the night before - a bar I also went to after seeing a really cool exhibition - anyways we both got home late and woke up late)

anyways, we didn't make it to the cabin, but we met up around 9 at her dad's place and went on a quest for food, we were thinking about nachos first, then pizza, but the metal bar that sells the pizza had closed the kitchen, so we walked around oslo for like an hour and eventually bought bread, pesto, cheese and alfalfa along with some snacks and beer from the corner store.

we took these snacks to a bar by the canal where they had a fire pit, which was awesome! we sat by the fire and drew some dog-fish hybrid creatures and came up with an awesome story about them, made a stupid but very funny meme about socrates and christmas, and toasted little cheese-bread-pesto-alfalfa open faced sandwiches in the fire for like hours maybe, until we realised it was 2am and the bar closed at 3:30 so we went to see some techno dj play, i met one of her friends from high school who was super nice, and we danced our asses off til like 3:30, the music was pretty good for being techno.

after we left the bar we ran into our good friend embla who was having a cigarette outside her apartment building before going in for the night (she had been at dinner and then at bar, i think), we sat and chatted with embla for like 20 mins sitting at this lunch table outside the apartment building til embla went up to her place cause she had work at 11, but the vibe at the lunch table was awesome so me and ravn set up there, had some more sandwiches and i mentioned how much i love hearing her talk passionately about guitar pedals...

we then proceeded to talk passionately about guitar pedals. for 2 hours in the cold, it was 2 degrees celsius and windy but i didn't feel it, and every time i caught my reflection in the window behind her while she was talking i had the biggest smile on my face, listening to her explain stuff like positive and negative polarity, talk about this one pedal which is the second model of something (it's a pog pedal btw) which sounds slightly less cool but also has an expression pedal input so is super cool because of that, she told me about the ambient sounding reverb pedal she already has which has a really nice reverse delay, but how this other reverb she has ordered that is stuck in customs has some other features that make it also super cool, and many more awesome things. we talked until my fingers were too cold and stiff to roll cigarettes and the shivers began to take hold. we then tried to figure out somewhere else to go, but at this point it was 5am and everywhere was closed and we were freezing to death, so we called it a night and are gonna hang out tomorrow and play some guitar.

i am very excited.

[renee-writer]

The Heart Don't Lie Chapter 82

AO3

The documents inside are remarkably well preserved. They lay them out by year. Brian had kept meticulous records, listing everything from how many bushels of grain was harvested, to  exactly how many eggs each chicken laid.

 

“You must recall, this was right after the failed Raising. The bloody English, no offense Claire,” she waves it off, “they were taking most of what the Scots produced.”

 

“Aye,” and Ian adds to what his wife said, “and a large family to see to, not to mention the tenants.”

 

Claire lifts up one of the pages. She reads aloud.

 

‘My dear wife was safely delivered of another bairn, a son, this morning. I feared for her confinement with the dastardly Sassanachs taken sae much of what Lallybroch produces. She is strong and another son is added to our brood.’

 

“I wonder how many sons they had.”

 

“Well Sassanach,” he winks at her in his own unique way, like an owl, “I may be able to answer that.” He reads the page he holds.

 

‘Wee Faith passed over night. Despite our best efforts, the poor lass wasn’t  strong enough. I mourn her untimely death but thank God for the six strong sons and four strong daughters he has gifted us with.’

 

Jenny and Ian cross themselves.

 

“Ten, would have been eleven, that is a lot of mouths to feed. Maybe that is why they kicked Laura and Andrew out?”

 

“Or not,” Ian holds up another page, “I believe I have found the answer.”

 

He clears his throat and reads.

 

‘A queer thing happened today. Our kitchen maid, Laura, has taken off. She and her wee lad have left our home. I can’t account for why they would do such. My Lord Brian, was naught but kind to her, even after she came to our home, carrying a bairn with no husband. We have grown to love her wee lad, Andrew. I pray she and he find their way back.’

 

“My Lord Brian. So that was written by his wife.”

 

“Aye Jenny. The question is, why would she just up and leave a place where she and her son were welcomed and safe?”

 

“That is peculiar,” Jamie frowns, still searching through the various records, “I pray the answer is in here somewhere.”

 

“Well, her prayer was partly answered. Andrew has found his way back.”

 

Claire ‘s comment has them all smiling. They continue to search. Those papers already looked at are carefully set to the side.

 

It is Claire that finds the answer.

 

“Guys, listen,” once she has all their attention, she read,

 

‘Laoghaire, our cousin came by with her new husband, Simon. In the course of visiting with her, the mystery of what became of Laura and Andrew was put to rest.

She mentions that she is glad to see them gone. We ask why.

Her report,

“Why she was a witch. I saw her, with my own eyes, perform healing magic. She breathed into a dead child and brought it back to life. I confronted her and she wouldn’t say how she did it. Now, if her gift was from God, she would have said as much. I called her a witch and told her to get out of my cousin’s house. I didn’t wish to trouble you with the knowledge unless she didn’t.”

Well, I don’t know what to believe about that. Laoghaire has the tendency to exaggerate.

I least my mind is at ease about why she left.’

 

“Bloody intervening bosom,” Jenny shakes her head, “poor lass. I guess I can see why CPR would be considered witchy in that time. Still…”

 

“If she knew the fate of Laura, she wasn’t going to tell them,” Ian stands and walks around the room, “still she has to be the one who stirred the mob up.”

 

“Well know we know our kin didn’t kick her out. It doesn’t sound like they would have. They would have at least let her explain.”

 

“Yes Jamie, but with a child to see too, she wouldn’t have taken a chance. I wonder what the parents of the child she restored to life thought?”

 

“That is a good question.  Probably lost in time but still…”

 

They pack the boxes back up.