#have some fluff woooo | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lee-laurent · 4 months ago

Text

Screaming 'I Love You' At the Top of My Lungs - Luke Hughes

Summary: Olivia (Oli) Jones grows up with Luke Hughes.

content: angst, fluff, kissing, make out session, mentions of sex but no smut, relationships, growing up, puberty, underage drinking

wc: 8.2k

notes: this one has been chilling in a word doc for almost a year now, unfinished... so here we are! enjoy!!

p.s.: part 6 of done trying is in the works for all the fans out there ;)

Emily Jones had been thrilled when the lake house next to theirs had been purchased by a family. It finally meant that her daughter, Olivia, would have someone her age to spend time with over the summer. She was even more thrilled when she and her husband became friends with the parents, Ellen and Jim. This newly formed friendship quickly created a tradition of spending every summer together, growing up together, and forming a bond that would last a lifetime.

The sun was high in the sky, casting a soft glow over the lake as Luke and Olivia splashed at the edge of the dock. At ten years old, they were inseperable, spending their days swimming, racing, and inventing games that only made sense to them. Today's grand plan was to catch the biggest fish in the lake- a challenge they'd taken seriously for maybe ten minutes.

Jack and Quinn were further down the dockl, attempting to escape the craziness of their younger brother and his best friend. They had their own fishing lines in the water, but their focus was more on the competition than the younger two.

"Luke, you're scaring all the fish away!" Jack complained, glancing over his shoulder as Luke and Olivia chased each other, laughing loudly.

Quinn nodded in agreement, annoyance clear on his face. "Yeah, why don't you go play somewhere else? We're actually trying to fish here."

Luke, undeterred by his brothers' grumbling, grinned at Olivia. "Ignore them. They're just mad 'cause we're going to catch the biggest fish.

Olivia giggled, "Let's show them how it's done, Lu!"

The two of them raced to the end of the dock, their feet dangling over the water, and cast their lines. Jack and Quinn exchanged an eye roll but couldn't help watching as the younger pair got to work.

Minutes ticked up in silence, and just as Jack thought that his peace had returned, Luke jumped up, almost falling into the water. "I got one!" he exclaimed.

Quinn groaned, watching his brother intently. "Here we go..."

Olivia jumped up, her enthusiasm only adding to the noise. "You got it, Luke! Woooo! Go Lu!"

Luke finally pulled it up-- a small, wriggling fish that flopped wildly at the end of his line. He beamed with pride, holding it up for everyone to see.

"See? Told you we'd catch one first!"

Jack and Quinn exchanged a look, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Congratulations," Jack said dryly. "Now can you please be quiet?"

Olivia stuck her tongue out at the older boys, unfazed by their lack of enthusiasm. "You're just jealous, Jacky."

"Whatever you say, Oli."

As the two little fishers planned their next big catch, the older boys sighed in unison, dreading the rest of the summer. But deep down, they these moments-- no matter how annoying-- would become part of the memories that formed their childhoods.

The Michigan sun was bright as ever, but the atmosphere around the house had shifted. At thirteen, Luke Hughes and Olivia Jones had begun to outgrow some of their childhood games, but their bond remained as strong as ever. This summer, though, things were a bit different. Jack had brought his friends, Trevor and Cole, to the lake house for the first time, and their presence quickly added a new dynamic to the house.

Luke watched with irritation as Olivia, his partner in crime, seemed unusually interested in the new arrivals. Especially Trevor. She'd giggle at all his jokes, blush when he looked her way, and do everything she could to be near him. It didn't make any sense to Luke.

It was early afternoon, and the group was gathered by the lake, lounging on the end of dock, soaking up the sun. Trevor was showing off, talking about a trick he could do while wakesurfing, while Olivia hung on his every word.

"Why are you so into him?" Luke asked, his voice laced with frustration. He had finally pulled Olivia away from Trevor, getting some time to sit alone with his best friend.

Oli blushed, brushing her hair behind her ear. "He's cool, Luke. Don't you think so?"

Luke frowned, chucking a stone into the water. "He's just a guy. I don't get what's so special about him."

She shrugged, her eyes drifting back to Trevor, who was now laughing with Jack and Cole. "You wouldn't understand."

Trevor caught her gaze and flashed her a smile, which only made Olivia's cheeks redden further. Luke rolled his eyes, feeling a strange, unwelcome pang in his chest. He was used to having Oli's full attention, and now she was distracted-- by some older guy who didn't even notice her in the way she wanted.

Jack, having noticed his little brother's sour mood, followed Luke into the kitchen.

"Hey, Moose, you jealous or something?"

Luke shot him a glare. "Of what? Trevor? No way."

Jack chuckled, ruffling Luke's hair. "Don't worry, Moosey. She'll get over it. Trev isn't interested."

Luke wanted to snap back, but he just crossed his arms over his chest, staring out the window at the lake. He couldn't quite put his feelings into words, but he knew one thing: he didn't like this change, not one bit.

Even as the group gathered around the firepit, Olivia sat closer to Trevor than to Luke. She always sat next to Luke! Luke watched from across the flames, feeling a simmering of annoyance. It wasn't like Olivia to act like this, and it bothered him way more than he wanted to admit.

Why did he feel like this?

Olivia had never been so excited for a trip to the lake house. She was 15 and finally had her driving permit. She was so eager to show off her new found freedom to her best friend. Her parents had given her permission to drive around the small neighbourhood that their lake house was located in. The moment she arrived, she practically dragged Luke to the driveway where her parents' car was parked, keys in hand, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Come on, Lu! Let's go for a drive," she urged, not giving him a chance to protest.

Luke hestitated for a second, glancing at the car. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he teased, though he was already following her.

Olivia rolled her eyes, grinning brightly. "I've been practicing for months. Don't worry-- I've got this."

They climbed into the car, and Olivia adjusted the seat and mirrors with exaggerated care. Luke couldn't help but smirk at her seriousness, but he didn't say anything. As she started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, he felt both excitement and nervousness. This was new territory for both of them, and it felt oddly significant.

The road around the lake waws quiet, bordered by tall trees that cast shadows on the asphalt. Olivia kept both hands firmly on the wheel, her brow furrowed in concentration as she navigated the path. Luke found himself sneaking glances at her, noticing how grown up she looked while driving.

"You're really into this driving thing, huh?" he asked, keeping his tone light.

"Are you kidding? It's freedom, Lu! We can go anywhere, do anything... well, not really. But you get the idea," Oli replied, flashing him a grin before turning her eyes back to the street.

Luke nodded, though he wasn't really listening. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that this was more than just a drive. There was something about the way she looked at him, the way she drove with such confidence-- it all felt... different. And he wasn't sure he liked how it made him feel.

They approached a sharp curve in the road, Olivia bit her lip in concentration, turning the wheel with a bit too much speed. The car swerved, and for a split second, Luke's heart leaped into his throat. His hand shot out, gripping the edge of his seat as he tried to steady himself.

"Olivia-!"

"I've got it!" she said quickly, her voice a little higher than normal. She corrected the wheel, and the car straightened out, but they were both still a little shaken.

"Maybe I should slow down a bit," Olivia admitted, still laughing.''

"Maybe," Luke agreed, his heart thundering against his chest.

When they finally returned to the lake house, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the water. Olivia parked the car, turning to Luke with a satisfied grin. "Told you I could do it."

"Yeah, you did good," Luke said.

Later that night, as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, Luke found himself replaying the day over and over in his mind. Olivia's laughter, her excitement-- it was all stuck in his head, and for the first time, he couldn't just brush it off.

What was happening to him? Why did he feel this way?

The summer felt different now, and Luke wasn't sure he was ready for it.

The following day, Luke and Olivia found themselves alone at the lake houses, the others having gone into town to grocery shop. It wasn't unusual for them to spend time together, just the two of them (obviously), but today it felt different-- charged with an unspoken tension neither could quite name.

"Want to go down to the dock?" Oli suggested, trying to keep things normal, though she could feel the shift in the air.

"Sure," Luke agreed, grabbing a couple of towels and a cooler of drinks as they headed outside.

They settled onto the dock, dangling their feet in the water. The familiar sounds of the lake-- water lapping at the shore, birds calling from the tall trees-- usually felt comforting, but today, Luke couldn't shake the nervous energy buzzing inside him.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, sipping on cold sodas and watching the water hit against the dock. But it wasn't long before Olivia broke it.

"Luke," she began hesitantly, her voice softer than normal, "d'you ever think about... growing up? Like, how things are changing?"

Luke turned to her, surprised by her question. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, fidgeting with the hem of her shorts. "It's just... we're not kids anymore. Y'know? It feels like everything is different, even though we're still here, doing the same things."

He swallowed, suddenly aware of the way her shoulder brushed against his, how close they were sitting. "Yeah, I guess I've been thinking about that too," he admitted.

Olivia turned to face him, her eyes searching his. "D'you think... we'll always be like this? Best friends, I mean. Or do you think we'll grow apart?"

His heart skipped a beat at the thought. The idea of losing what they had-- whatever it was-- was somethinghe couldn't bear. "We won't grow apart," he said firmly, though the words felt heavy on his tongue. "We'll always be best friends, no matter what."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Luke replied, though he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself or her.

The sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the water, and Olivia leaned her head on Luke's shoulder, a gesture that had once felt so natural now made his heart race.

"You're my best friend, Lu," she murmured.

Luke hestitated, then put his arm around her, pulling her closer. "You're mine too, Oli," he said, though the words felt like they were only scratching the surface of what he wanted to say.

As the sun set and the sky turned from pink to a deep blue, Luke couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them. He had always thought their friendship would last forever, unchanged, but now he wasn't so sure.

But as they sat there, wrapped together, he couldn't imagine being anyone else.

At 18, Luke and Olivia had slipped back into the easy rhythm of their friendship, though there were moments when things felt different-- charged in a way they hadn't been before. But for the most part, they had grown out of the awkward phase that had defined their relationship two years ago.

This summer, however, one major thing had changed. Olivia and Trevor's feelings for each other, once unrequited, were now undeniably mutual. And it drove Luke insane.

He hated the way that Trevor looked at her-- like she was the only person in the room. And worse, he hated the way Olivia looked back at Trevor, as if she were lost in his gaze. It was if they were silently communicating, undressing each other with their eyes, and it made Luke's stomach churn every time he saw it.

One evening, after a long day on the water, the group gathered in the house for a lowkey night. The parents had gone out for dinner, leaving the boys to their own devices. And Olivia was spending the night watching a movie with her parents. The boys sprawled out in the living room, beers in hand, the sound of crickets filling the quiet spaces between their conversations.

Trevor leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. "You know," he began, his voice taking on a tone that immediately put Luke on edge, "Oli's really something else this summer."

Luke's grip on his beer tightened as he shot Trevor a glance. "What do you mean by that?"

Trevor shrugged, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "I mean, she's grown up a lot, hasn't she? Not just in looks, but the way she carries herself. Confident. Sexy."

Luke felt anger rise in his chest. He forced himself to stay calm, but his jaw clenched as he watched Trevor. "She's always been confident," Luke said, his voice steady but edged with warning.

"Yeah, but there's something different about her now," Trevor continued, oblivious to-- or ignoring-- the tension in Luke's voice. "She knows exactly how to get a guy's attention. And trust me, she's got mine."

Luke couldn't take it anymore. "Dude, you need to chill," he snapped, his eyes narrowing at Trevor. "She's not just some girl you can talk about like that. She's my best friend."

Trevor raised an eyebrow, surprised by Luke's reaction. "Relax, Hughes. I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. It's not like I don't care about her."

"That's exactly why you should be more careful with what you say," Luke shot back, his voice lower but still laced with anger. "She deserves more respect than that."

The room went quiet, the tension hanging heavy in the air. Jack and Cole exchanged glances but stayed out of it, sensing this was something Luke needed to handle on his own.

Trevor finally shrugged, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I didn't mean any harm. I care about her too, y'know."

Luke didn't respond, just stared at Trevor until the other boy looked away, focusing on his drink instead. The conversation moved on, but the uneasy feeling in Luke's chest didn't go away.

As Luke lay in bed later that night, he couldn't stop thinking about the way Trevor had talked about Olivia. He knew his reaction had been intense, but he felt like he couldn't help it. Seeing his best friend with someone else, especially someone who looked at her the way Trevor did, made him want to snap.

He didn't know what it all meant, but one thing was clear: this summer was going to be a lot harder than he'd expected.

The house boomed with the bass of music. With their parents away for the weekend, the boys and Olivia had seized the opportunity to throw a party, and the place was packed with people. Outside, the chaos of beer pong and rowdy games filled the air, while inside, the living room had become a makeshift dance floor.

Luke navigated through the crowd, making his way to the kitchen for a refill. He was in no mood to party- and pretty much wanted to be anywhere else. He slowed when he heard two familiar voices-- Trevor and Olivia. They were standing near the counter, the tension between them palpable. Luke hovered just out of sight, listening closely.

"I can't believe our parents trust us enough to leave us alone for the weekend," Olivia said, her voice carrying a playful tone.

Trevor's laugh was easy, casual. "Yeah, well, they figure we're old enough to handle it. Plus, we've done this before at the Hughes' house, no big deal."

Olivia's soft chuckle followed, and Luke could hear the flirtation in her voice, which made his stomach turn. "You make it sound so harmless, but I know you guys. You're trouble."

"We're not that bad," Trevor replied, his voice dropping a notch, laced with a charm that grated on Luke's nerves. "And besides, trouble's more fun."

There was a brief pause, the kind that made the air feel thick with anticipation. Luke's heart thudded painfully in his chest as he watched Olivia take a step closer to Trevor, her hand reaching out to touch his arm lightly.

"You think you're fun, huh?" her tone was teasing, but there was something more there-- something that made Luke's skin prickle with unease.

Trevor leaned in, his eyes never leaving hers. "Why don't you find out?"

For a moment, Luke thought he might be able to stop what was happening, might be able to step in and pull her away-- pull them apart. But he was frozen, every muscle tense as he watched Olivia smile at Trevor, a soft, almost nervous smile that Luke had seen a thousand times before. But this time, it wasn't meant for him.

"I think I might just do that," she whispered, her voice so quiet that Luke almost didn't hear it. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, she closed the remaining distance between them. Her lips brushing Trevor's in a kiss that was tentative at first, like she was testing the waters.

Trevor responded immediately, pulling her closer, his hand sliding to the small of her back as he deepened the kiss. And that was when something inside Luke snapped.

It wasn't just a kiss. It was the way she melted into Trevor's arms, the way their bodies fit together like they belonged that way. It was the way Olivia's hands moved up to cup Trevor's face, like she'd wanted to do it for a long time. It was the way Trevor's fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss even further.

Luke's heart pounded so hard he thought it might burst. His vision tunneled, and all he could see was them--Olivia and Trevor-- lost in each other. The rest of the world fell away, the noise of the party fading into the background until all that remained was the two of them, completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.

Oli made a soft, contented sound against Trevor's lips, a sound that Luke had never heard her make before. It was intimate, private, and it twisted something deep inside him. He wanted to look away, to give them privacy, but he couldn't. Is feet were glued to the floor, forced to witness something he wasn't meant to see.

Trevor pulled back slightly, just enough to look at her, his hands now resting on her waist. He smiled, and the tenderness of it made Luke's blood boil. "Maybe we should take this somewhere a little less... public," Trevor suggested, his voice husky.

Oli nodded, her eyes still locked on his. "Yeah... let's go upstairs."

The words hit Luke like a punch to the gut, but he still couldn't move, couldn't tear his eyes off them as Trevor took her hand and led her out of the kitchen. Luke's fists clenched at his sides as he watched them head towards the stairs, Olivia glancing back only once before she disappeared from view.

For a long moment, he just stood there, the scene replaying in his mind, the bitter taste of jealousy and anger rising in his throat. He wanted to puke and scream. He wanted to punch something.

He turned and left the hall, weaving through the party, his face masking the storm raging in his mind. The noise of the party, the laughter, and the shouts seemed to mock him as he walked outside. Ignoring the concerned looks from his brothers and Cole, he grabbed a beer and chugged it. All he could think about was Olivia and Trevor, and how they'd left together, their intentions clear. And how he couldn't do anything about it.

The party continued in full swing, with music still blaring and people scattered across the backyard, laughing, drinking, and playing games. Luke sat in a lawn chair near the edge of the group, nursing a drink and pretending to be engaged in the conversation happening around him. But his mind was elsewhere, replaying what he had just witnessed in the kitchen over and over again.

He kept his eyes on the entrance to the house, unable to stop himself from waiting--watching-- for Olivia to return. When she finally did, it was like another punch in the gut. She stepped out onto the back porch, her hair slightly touseled, her shirt askew, and her cheeks flushed. She looked around, her eyes scanning the crowd as if she was looking for something-- or someone.

Luke quickly looked away, trying to focus on anything else. He didn't want to see the confusion in her eyes when she noticed that he was ignoring her, but he knew it was inevitable. He braced himself for it, forcing himself to keep his expression neutral as she finally spotted him.

Her face lit up in recognition, and she started towards him, but her steps faltered when she noticed his lack of reaction. She paused, frowning slightly as she tried to catch his eye, but Luke didn't give her the satisfaction. He kept his gaze fixed on the group in front of him, even though he couldn't hear a word they were saying.

"Hey, Lu," she called out, her voice hopeful.

Luke barely glanced at her, giving her only a nod in acknowledgment before turning back to his drink. She hesitated, her brow furrowing in confusion. She took a step closer, her hand reaching out to touch his shoulder, but he leaned away just enough to make it clear he wasn't interested in talking.

"Luke, what's going on?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice.

He shrugged, his tone detatched. "Nothing, just busy."

Olivia blinked, clearly thrown off by his cold response. She opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could, the back door swung open again, and Trevor emerged, a grin plastered on his face as he joined the group outside. He looked around, his eyes landing on Olivia, and without missing a beat, he made his way over to her.

"Hey, there you are," Trevor said, sliding up behind Olivia and wrapping his arms aorund her waist. He pulled her close, his chin resting on her shoulder as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

Her confusion melted away the instant she felt Trevor's touch. Her race softened, and she leaned back into him, a smile on her lips. For a moment, she seemed to forget all about Luke, her attention fully absorbed by the boy who now had his arms around her.

"Trevor," she said, her voice playful as she tilted her head to look up at him. "You disappeared on me."

Trevor chuckled, his hands resting comfortably on her hips. "Just had to check on a few things. But I'm back now, and I'm not going anywhere."

Olivia beamed at him, her earlier concerns about Luke seemingly forgotten. She reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face, her fingers lingering on Trevor's arm as if she needed the contact to stay grounded. The tension in her posture was gone, replaced by a relaxed, almost blissful demeanor that made Luke's chest tighten all over again.

Her laugh rang out as Trevor whispered something in her ear, and Luke couldn't help but glance at them. They were completely wrapped in each other, oblivious to everything else. The way Trevor's hands rested possessively on her waist, the way Olivia leaned into his touch--it was like they had forgotten the whole world existed, including Luke.

Any trace of the confusion and worry Olivia had shown just moments before had vanished. It was if Luke's coldness didn't matter anymore, as if she didn't even notice. All she cared about was Trevor, and the realization hit Luke harder than he expected.

He took a long drink from his cup, letting the bitter taste wash away the knot in his throat. The party continued around him, but it all felt distant and unimportant, like white noise. He couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen, what he'd felt--and how much it hurt to see her look at someone else like that.

But Luke wouldn't let it show, espeically in front of Olivia. He stayed silent, stewing in his own thoughts, while Olivia and Trevor remained lost in their own little world, leaving him on the outside looking in.

The next morning, the house was unusually quiet. Luke was in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee, trying to clear his head from the events of the previous night.

His mind was still a mess, replaying the scene of Trevor and Olivia in the kitchen. He hadn't slept well, tossing and turning as he tried to make sense of his emotions, the anger, the jealousy-- everything.

Just as he was starting to lose himself in thought again, Jack strolled into the kitchen, looking surprisingly awake and annoying cheerful. He grabbed a glass of water and leaned against the counter, smirking at his younger brother.

"Well, well, well, Moosey," Jack started, his tone teasing. "I was wondering when you were finally going to make a move on Oli. I gotta say, I'm impressed."

Luke looked up, brow furrowing in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Jack held up a small, crumpled foil wrapper he'd found discarded on the living room floor. Trevor must've gone to throw it away downstairs. "Found this little guy near the couch. Figure it was about time you two finally, you know... got together."

Luke's stomach twisted at sight of the condom wrapper. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but seeing it now only brought back the memory of Trevor and Olivia all over again. His jaw tightened as he stared at the wrapper, feeling a fresh wave of nausea.

"That's not mine," Luke said flatly, his voice colder than he intended.

Jack's smirk faltered as he raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what? Then whose is it?"

Luke's grip tightened around his coffee mug, his knuckles turning white. He didn't want to say it, didn't want it admit it aloud, but he knew he had to. "It's Trevor's," he finally muttered, the mords tasted bitter in his mouth. "It was him and Olivia."

For a moment, Jack was stunned into silence, his playful expression dropping as he processed what Luke had just said. "Trevor?" he repeated, disbelief evident in his voice. "You're telling me Trevor and Olivia..."

Luke nodded, unable to say it again. The anger and frustration that had been simmering all night was starting to bubble over, and he couldn't keep it in any longer.

"They were in the kitchen last night," Luke said, his voice rough with emotion. "I walked in on them. Didn't even realize I was there."

Jack blinked, trying to wrap his head around the situation. "Shit, Moose... I didn't know." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out how to handle this. "Why didn't you say something? Why didn't you stop them?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Luke snapped. "I didn't want to make a scene. They were all over each other, Jack. She looked so... happy. I just... I couldn't."

Jack sighed, stepping closer to Luke. "I'm sorry, man. I thought... well, I thought it was you and her finally figuring things out."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't," Luke muttered, staring down at the table, the pain of the situation settling in. "And now she's probably going to spend the rest of the summer glued to Trevor, and I'll just have to sit here and watch."

Jack placed a hand on Luke's shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. "Look, maybe it's not as serious as you think. Trevor's... well, he's Trevor. He's probably not thinking long-term, and maybe Olivia's just caught up in the moment. She's getting attention from an older guy. Chicks love that shit."

Luke shurgged off Jack's hand, his frustration too overwhelming to accept any consolation. "I don't care if it's not serious. I just hate seeing them together like that. She's my best friend, Jack. And now... I don't know what we are anymore."

Jack sighed again, understanding his brother’s pain but unsure how to fix it. “Look, Moose, I don’t have all the answers. But if you really care about her, you need to talk to her. Maybe she doesn’t even realize how much this is messing with you.”

Luke shook his head, too angry to think clearly. "What's the point? She's obviously into him, and I'm just... I don't know. It doesn't matter."

"It does matter," Jack insisted. "You can't just sit here and let this eat you up from the inside. If you don't say anything, you'll regret it. Trust me, Moose"

Luke didn't respond, staring down at the coffee cup in his hands, his mind running a mile a minute. He knew Jack was right, but the thought of confronting Olivia--or worse, Trevor--was almost too much to bear.

Jack watched him for a moment longer before sighing and backing off. "Just think about it, okay? I'm here if you need to talk."

With that, Jack left the kitchen, leaving Luke alone with his thoughts. There was still anger and frustration building inside him, but now there was something else--an overwhelming feeling of sadness that made his entire body feel heavy. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. Would things with Olivia ever be the same? Was Jack right and Trevor just wanted a quick fuck? Why was this all so complicated?

Jack had been wrong. Trevor was not looking for something short term with Olivia. And the next summer just proved that even more. It was almost impossible to ignore just how deeply Olivia and Trevor had fallen for each other. From the moment they arrived, they were inseperable. It was like they existed in their own little world, completely unaware of the world around them.

Every morning, Luke would find them wrapped up together on the porch, sharing a cup of coffee as they watched the sunrise. Olivia would sit on Trevor's lap, her arms draped around his neck, as they whispered to each other, their foreheads touching. It was almost as if they'd been superglued together, and it was beyond irritating,

But what really got under Luke's skin were the little things--like the way Trevor would brush a strand of hair behind Olivia's ear before leaning in to kiss her, or how Olivia's laugh seemed louder and brighter when she was with him. Even worse were the marks.

One afternoon, as they all lounged by the lake, Luke noticed a series of faint reddish marks on Olivia's neck when she pulled her hair up into a claw clip. Hickeys.

"Did ya have fun last night?" Jack teased, nudging Oli as they all sat on the dock.

She blushed, giving Jack a playful shove. "Shut up, Jack," she giggled, though she didn't seem embarassed--if anything, she looked pleased.

Trevor smirked, sliding his arm around Olivia's waist and pulling her closer. "Maybe a little too much fun," he joked, kissing her on the temple. Oli just laughed, leaning into him, her fingers absentmindedly tracing circles on his chest.

Luke clenched his fists, staring out at the lake to avoid looking at the happy couple. The sight of them together, so openly affectionate, made him feel like was intruding on something private... something he desperately wished he could unsee, much like the kiss in the kitchen.

As the day went on, it only got worse. During lunch, Trevor fed Olivia bites of his sandwich, and she giggled like it was the most romantic thing in the world. Later, when they were all hanging out in the air conditioned living room, Olivia snuggled up against Trevor's side, her head resting on his shoulder as they watched a movie. Luke tried to focus on the screen, but all he could hear was the soft murmur of their voices as they whispered to each other, completely lost in their own conversation.

When Oli stood up to get a drink, Luke couldn't help but notice the way her shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing another set of hickeys trailing down her side. His jaw tightened, and he quickly looked away, trying to shake the image from his mind.

Late that night, the lake house was quiet, the only sounds coming from the gentle rustling of leaves outside and the occasional creak of the old wooden floors. Luke had finally managed to drift off to sleep when a noise jolted him awake—a muffled laugh, followed by a soft thud against the wall.

His heart sank as he realized the source of the sounds: the room next to his. Trevor’s room.

Luke squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the noise, but it was impossible. The hushed giggles, the low murmur of Trevor’s voice, and Olivia’s breathy replies seeped through the thin walls, each sound hitting him like a slap in the face. Then, there was the unmistakable creak of the bed springs, and Luke felt like he was going to be puke.

Luke couldn’t take it anymore. The weight of everything he’d been holding in finally broke through, and he stormed out of his room, needing to get away from the gut-wrenching reality just a few feet away. He found Jack in the kitchen, grabbing a late-night snack, and without warning, the floodgates opened.

Jack turned to see Luke pacing back and forth, his hands tugging at his hair in frustration. “What’s going on with you?” Jack asked, clearly concerned.

Luke stopped pacing and faced his older brother, his face twisted in anger. "You said last summer that it wasn't going to be long-term! That Trevor wasn't looking for anything serious, that he'd move on by now!" he burst out, his voice cracking.

Jack sighed, setting down the bag of chips he's been holding. "I didn't think it would be. I thought they'd have their fun, and it would fizzle out. But I was wrong, Luke. They're clearly serious about each other."

"Serious?" Luke echoed, his voice tinged in disbelief. "They're practically glued together, Jack! They're disgusting, and I don't get it. What does Olivia even see in him?!"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck, not sure how to respond. “Look, I know it sucks to watch them be all lovey-dovey, but Trevor’s a good guy. He makes her happy.”

"Happy?" Luke snapped. "What about me, Jack? I've known her my whole life, and now she's completely forgetten about me because of him. What does she see in Trevor that can't see in anyone else? What's so special about him?"

"Maybe it's just how he makes her feel. Maybe he's the one she needs right now. I don't know, Luke. But it's not like you can force her to feel differently."

"It's not fair! He's always been around, but now it's like he's taken her away from me. And I hate it. I hate seeing them together, hearing them through the damn walls. It's like I'm invisible to her now."

Jack frowned, unsure how to fix his brother's pain. "I get that it's hard, but you've gotta let it go. She's happy, and as much as it sucks, you've gotta accept it. Be there as her best friend. Not a jealous lover."

"I just don't know what he has that I don't."

"Sometimes, people just connect like that. It isn't always about who has known who the longest or who's been there for her through everything. It's about how he makes her feel right now."

Luke just shook his head, not sure how to reply. The thought of Olivia and Trevor being so, so deeply in love made him feel like he was the sickest he'd been in his life. But for Olivia, he'd have to push through.

The following summer brought a strange quiet to the lake. Unlike previous years, Olivia wasn't spending every waking moment with the Hughes family. Instead, she kept to her parents' house next door, avoiding the Hughes' place all together.

Luke noticed her absence immediately. It was hard not to. The usual sounds of her laughter, the sight of her smiling, and the way she'd barge into their house unannouced were all missing. He'd hoped things would return to normal after the last summer, but he was wrong. He felt like he was a wrong a lot when it came to Olivia now.

Jack and Quinn had noticed too, exchanging concerned glances whenever Luke asked if they'd seen her. But Olivia remained elusive, keeping to herself and refusing to join them in any of their usual lake house activities.

Finally, Luke couldn't take it anymore. He needed to get to the bottom of Olivia's disappearance. He made his way to the Jones' cottage, knocking on the door with determination. When Olivia answered, her eyes were red, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

"Hey," Luke started softly. "Can we talk?"

She hestitated, but finally stepped to the side to let him in. They sat down, the silence between them heavy.

"I heard that you and Trevor broke up," he wasn't sure how to approach the subject.

She nodded, her hands suddenly becoming the most interesting thing in the room. "Yeah... we did."

Luke waited for her to say more, but she didn't. "Why, Oli? What happened between you two?"

Olivia's face crumpled, and she bit her lip as if holding back tears. "He... he thought I was in love with someone else."

Luke's heart skipped a beat. Who could she possibly be in love with?

"What? Why would he think that?"

She shook her head, voice trembling. "I don't know. I tried to tell him it wasn't true, but he just... he didn't believe me. He said he couldn't be with someone who wasn't all in, who might have feelings for someone else."

"Do you?" he asked cautiously. "Have feelings for someone else, I mean?"

She looked away, wiping at her eyes. "It doesn't matter now, does it? Trevor and I are over."

Luke’s heart ached at her pain, and a surge of protectiveness washed over him. He wanted to ask more, to dig deeper into what she was feeling, but he could see how much it was hurting her to talk about it.

"You know we're here for you, right? No matter what," Luke said softly, reaching over to cover her hand with his.

"I know," she whispered. "I just need some space right now."

"Okay. Just... don't shut us out forever, alright? I'm here whenever you're ready to talk."

"Thanks, Lu. I appreciate that. Especially after I've been such a shit friend."

"Any time, Oli. Any time."

The next night, the Hughes' house was buzzing with laughter and conversation as the boys and few friends hung out on the deck. But Luke couldn't stop staring at the empty seat he'd made the boys save just in case Olivia decided to come over. He hadn't seen her since the day before, and his worry was growing.

Around midnight, the hangout started to wind down, and Luke decided to call it a night. He was halfway up the stairs when he heard the door creak open. Turning around, he saw Olivia stumbling in, her eyes glassy and movements unsteady.

"Olivia?" he called as he hurried back down the stairs.

She looked up at him with sadness and something he couldn't quite place--something desperate. "Luke," she slurred. "There you are. I've been looking for you."

Luke took in her disheveled appearance. Her hair was a mess, her clothes crumpled, and the scent of alcohol clung to her like a cloud. She was drunk, way more than he'd ever seen her.

"Oli, what're you doing here? You should be home, resting," he tried to lead her towards the door.

But she shook her head, pulling away from his grasp. "No, I don't want to be there. I don't want to be alone," her voice cracked. She reached out, her fingers brushing against his arm. "Please, Luke... I need you."

Luke froze, his breath catching in his throat as Olivia leaned in closer, her lips inches from his. She was so close, and for a brief moment, the temptation was almost too much to resist. But then he saw the tears in her eyes, the way her hands trembled, and he knew it wasn't right.

"Oli, you're not okay," he stepped back, taking her hands in his. "You've had too much to drink. Let me take you home."

"You don't want me anymore, do you? Because I'm... used. I'm not good enough now."

"Olivia, no. That's not true. You're amazing and I-" he paused, thinking over his words. "I care about you so much, but this... this isn't the right time. You're hurting, and I don't want to take advantage of that."

Olivia's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm sorry, Luke. I just... I don't know what to do anymore."

Luke pulled her into a tight hug, holding her close as he cried into her chest. "It's okay, Oli. I'm here for you, no matter what."

He hated seeing her so broken and lost. She needed time to heal, to find herself again. And he'd just have to be patient.

Olivia woke up with a pounding headache and a foggy memory. She groaned, rubbing her temples as she tried to piece together the events of the previous night. Everything felt like a blur--a messy tangle of emotions, confusion, and too much alcohol.

She shuffled downstairs to the kitchen, hoping a cup of black coffee would clear her head. But as she sat down, a sense of unease settled in her stomach. Something had happened last night, something important maybe, but she couldn't quite grasp it.

But before she could dwell on it, there was a knock at the door. She frowned and set her mug down to answer it. She was surprised to find Luke on the other side, looking quite serious.

"Hey. Can I come in?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," she replied. She watched as he walked into the living room, his hands shoved in his pockets, brow furrowed. "Luke, what's going on?"

"Oli, do you remember anything from last night?"

"Not really... I remember drinking a lot and... that's about it. Why? What happened?"

Luke sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You came over to our place. You were really upset and... you tried to, uh, make a move on me."

"I what?!"

"Yeah," Luke said, his tone gentle but firm. "You were really drunk. And I could tell you weren't in the right headspace, so I stopped you."

She felt her face heat up in embarrassment. "Oh my god, Luke, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Don't apolgize," he stepped closer. "You were hurting, and you needed someone. I just didn't want you to do anything you'd regret."

"But... why did I do that? I mean, why you?"

Luke hesitated, taking a deep breath. "Oli, I think it's time I'm honest with you. I've... had feelings for you for a long time. Probably longer than I even realized. But I didn't want to mess things up between us, so I never said anything. And then you and Z... I thought I'd lost my chance."

"Luke... I didn't know."

"I know," he said quietly. "And last night, when you came to me like that... it wasn't because you wanted me. It's because you were hurting, and I don't want to be the guy you turn to when you're upset."

"I thought... I thought you didn't want me because I'm 'used.' Because I've slept with Trev."

He gently lifted her chin so she could look at him. "That's not true, Oli. I've never thought of you that way. You deserve so much more than what Trevor gave you, and if I could be the one to make you happy, I would. But only if that's what you really want."

"Luke... I- I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," he whispered. "Just... think about it. If you don't feel the same way, that's okay. But if you do... I'm here."

For a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of Luke's confession hanging in the air. Then, without thinking, Olivia closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was slow and tender, filled with all the emotions they'd both been holding back for so long. When they finally pulled away, Luke pressed his forehead to hers, both of them gasping for air.

"Oli," his voice thick with emotion. "I've wanted this for so long."

"Me too," she whispered back, her hands clutching onto the fabric of his shirt. "I just didn't realize it till now."

Olivia gently tugged him towards her bedroom. Luke hesitated for a second, searching her eyes for any sign of doubt.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, her heart racing. "I'm sure."

And with that, they fell into bed together, finally giving in to the feelings they'd both kept hidden for so long.

Luke and Olivia finally crossed the line they had danced around for years, everything felt different. The sun streamed through the curtains of her bedroom, Olivia stirred awake, feeling content. She must've finally gotten the rest she needed. The warmth of Luke's presence beside her was undeniable. He was already up, sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to hers as he tied up his sneakers.

"Morning," he turned to shoot her a soft smile.

"Morning," Olivia replied, sitting up and pulling the covers up around her.

"Are you okay?" he could sense her hestiation a mile away.

"Yeah, I think so."

"We can talk about this later. Just... take it easy today, alright? No more drinking."

She nodded and he walked over to press a kiss on her forehead before he left.

"I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, sure," she forced a smile. Luke lingered for a moment, as if he wanted to say more, but then just nodded and left, closing the door softly behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Olivia sank back into the pillows, her mind racing. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong--terribly wrong. The more she thought about it, the more her insecurities began to take hold. She had slept with Trevor, Luke’s friend, and now she had slept with Luke. What did that make her? A puck bunny? The thought made her stomach turn. She didn’t want to be seen that way, didn’t want to be the girl who bounced between hockey players, even if Luke was different, even if she had real feelings for him.

By the time afternoon had rolled around, Olivia was overwhelmed by doubt. Every time her phone buzzed with a new text from Luke, she ignored it, burying herself in the puzzle her parents had started. She couldn't face him when she felt like this.

Luke was growing concerned. The day before had been a turning point, but now he was being ignored again. Her silence was gnawing at him. He sent another text, that she ignored, and decided to make his way to hers.

He knocked on the door, just as he had the day before. Olivia answered, looking even more stressed than she had been.

"Luke, I..."

"Whatever it is just tell me... please."

"I just... I don't want people thinking I'm some sort of... you know... puck bunny."

"What? Olivia, nobody would ever think that about you."

"But they will, Luke! I was with Trevor, and now we're...you know. People are going to judge, they always do."

He placed a hand on her arm, "You're not a puck bunny, Olivia. You're everything to me. I don't care what anyone else thinks. And if they do judge, that's their problem. Not ours."

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do," he replied without hesitation. "You're not just someone I'm hooking up with. You're my best friend, and I want you to be my... girlfriend."

Her fears melted away almost instantly. "I... I want that too."

Luke pulled her into a tight hug. "Good. Because I'm not letting you go. Ever."

As they held each other, Olivia couldn't believe how perfect things felt. Life wasn't easy, but with Luke by her side, anything was possible.

#nhl imagine #nhl fic #hockey imagine #hockey fic #luke hughes #luke hughes imagine

232 notes · View notes

jjsmaybank20 · 1 year ago

Text

Celebrity News 2

Jenna Ortega x GN!Reader

Summary: Once again, everyone thinks that you and Jenna broke up. In reality, you just wanted to cause some drama.

Warnings: literally all fluff, and my shitty writing

Word Count: 706

A/N: woooo part 2 cause I couldn't help myself. also, im back from the dead! for a bit. i have midterms right now which are whooping my ass so... wish me luck!

Part 1

navigation celebrities (romantic) masterlist

---

2,628,553 Likes

Y/N_Y/L/N: Sadly, after 1 ½ wonderful years, Jenna is not my girlfriend anymore. We are still on good terms, I promise, but I just thought I would let you guys know.

User57: WHAT?! THIS CANT BE REAL

User32: This is not happening. What the actual fuck.

y/n&jenna4life: No i refuse to believe this

arianagrande: I’m so sorry, Y/N/N!

jenniferlawrence_: dude that sucks! Hope you’re doing okay

>Y/N_Y/L/N: i’m okay, thank you for thinking of me

---

THIS IS NOT ANOTHER FALSE ALARM: ACTORS JENNA ORTEGA AND Y/N Y/L/N HAVE REPORTEDLY SPLIT

According to an instagram post Y/L/N posted last night, said actor and Wednesday star Jenna Ortega have split. A couple months ago, there was a false alarm in the end of the two’s relationship, caused by a hilarious dispute over a game of Monopoly. Well, this time, it seems that no one will be laughing. Ortega and Y/L/N are scheduled to be on The Late Night Show with Jimmy Fallon tonight, so maybe they will provide some insight as to why the seemingly perfect couple has split.

---

“You guys are on in 5!” A stage attendant calls into the dressing room, prompting you to stand up at the same time as Jenna. You grab her hand and bring it to your lips, pressing a chaste kiss to it. She smiles at you, blushing, before squeezing your hand and making her way out of the room. You follow closely after Jenna, excited to talk about your new movie with her.

The introduction music begins to play, and you hear Jimmy Fallon calling out both your name and Jenna’s. Jenna walks out first, waving to the crowd, and you follow behind, buttoning your suit jacket and winking at some of the people in the audience.

As the two of you take a seat, Jimmy jumps right into the interview. He asks you questions about your roles, and just about the film in general. He also asks Jenna some questions about the second season of Wednesday. Finally, he gets to what he had been wanting to ask the most.

“You guys were absolutely amazing in this film, but I have to say. It must have been difficult working together, at least for a little while.” Jenna gives him a confused look, and you fight the smile that is trying to make its way onto your face as best you can. “Why do you say that?” Jenna questions.

Jimmy gives her an odd look, explaining, “Well, because the two of you broke up, right? At least, according to Y/N’s Instagram post.” You still manage to keep a straight face, even when Jenna whips her head around towards you. “What the hell did you do, Y/N Y/L/N?!”

You look around as if you can’t see her before turning back to Jimmy. “You know, sometimes I can still hear her, nagging me as if she were my girlfriend or something.” She finally breaks, letting out all of the laughter that she had been trying to hold in. Jimmy and the rest of the audience laugh with her, but they are clearly confused.

Jenna rolls her eyes at you, ignoring your laughter. She turns to Jimmy to explain. “Ignore this little shit, they think they’re hilarious. So what happened is, Y/N is not my partner anymore.” Jimmy becomes even more confused, exclaiming, “So what is it?!” Jenna holds up her hand, revealing the glittering ring that you had purposed with only a short while ago. “They’re my fiance.”

Jimmy gasps, not expecting this at all. “Oh my god! Congratulations!” You have finally recovered from your amusement, and you thank the man for his kind words. As soon as you fully sit up, Jenna smacks the back of your head. You wrap up the interview, and you and Jenna head home.

As you get ready for bed that night, Jenna turns to you. “You’re a fucking dick, you know that?” You just grin at her, replying, “But you love it. You love me.” Jenna can’t help but smile at you. “Fine. I do love you. So much.” She presses a kiss to your lips before heading into the bathroom. You just stand there in your room smiling. Life couldn’t get much better than this.

---

@lovelyy-moonlight @pnsteblnme @MrsLillithy @alotofpockets @theenglishswiftie @tundra1029 @ampitrit3 @didyoubringauntienat @jensortega813 @ortegalvr

Join my taglist!

#jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega x you #jenna ortega x y/n #x reader #x you #x y/n #jenna ortega x gn!reader #gn!reader #jenna ortega imagine #jenna ortega fluff

430 notes · View notes

actiniumwrites · 1 year ago

Text

MISTLETOE

synopsis: one year after your devastating breakup, you and neuvillette find yourselves under the mistletoe

characters: neuvillette x gn!reader

wc: 1.6k

warnings: angst to fluff, a bit of hurt/comfort, exes to lovers, mentions of breakups, the steambird being exploitative

notes: woooo first christmas fic for this year is done! this definitely could’ve been way longer, but i’ve got like four more to write and i’m pretty happy with how this turned out. this concept was also originally going to go to wriothesley but i think neuvillette suits it better :)

The first thing that makes it really set in that the holiday season has arrived in Fontaine is the pesky decorations.

Everywhere you go there seems to be some sort of string of lights, faux presents, and little snowmen. Don’t get it twisted, it isn’t like you’re some Scrooge when it comes to the holidays, but it hasn’t quite been the same ever since, well, ever since it happened.

Your shoes click and clack against the brick flooring of Fontaine’s main city floors. The same ones that are beginning to ice over from the cruel frost of winter air. And it doesn’t exclude you either, not with the way it snips at your nose and makes it hard to breathe even when you’ve barely stepped foot outside.

“Good morning!” Charlotte calls to you as you walk past her, a hand eagerly waving you down with that mischievous glint in her eyes. Part of you wants to duck behind a bush and pretend you don’t see her, but you’re better than that.

You send her an apologetic smile and pull your coat a little closer. You slow your pace a bit but don’t stop moving as you respond, “Sorry, Charlotte. I know I said I’d interview soon, but I really can’t today.”

“C’mon, the whole world wants to know the tragic holiday tale of you and Monsieur Neuvillette! Let it be a present to the subscribers of the Steam Bird!” She pushes your buttons carefully, camera ready to strike incase you change your mind or make any comment on the matter.

If you hadn’t had any reason to turn that interview down beforehand, you certainly do now.

Even though you hate the way she looks so disappointed when you walk away, it serves all of Fontaine right for meddling with people’s private business. Seriously? Did everything have to be entertainment to these people?

You scoff as you walk away, mumbling something about forgetting that interview if that’s what she wanted all along. Naturally, she doesn’t hear it, nor does she get to see your sour reaction as you desperately walk away from her and that stupid camera.

When you finally make it to the Palais Mermonia, you check in quickly and one of the Melusines, Liath, hands you a few letters that had been dropped off for you prior to your arrival. One carelessly slips from your cold hand before you can even register it happening. When you pick it up, your body had shifted ever so slightly and for a second, just a split second, you shoot a longing glance at the doors to your right. The doors that led to his office. To him.

“Is something the matter? Do those letters not belong to you?” Liath interrupts with a puzzled expression as she tilts her head.

You snap out of your thoughts and quickly scramble to compose yourself. You hold the stack of letters close to your chest as you take a step back and awkwardly laugh, “Oh uh no! I just um, got a little distracted, sorry.”

“You got distracted looking at the Iudex’s…doors?”

You hesitate, mouth agape and unsure of how to respond, “I uh, yeah I guess I was.”

“Interesting,” she says suspiciously, squinting her lilac eyes at you, “he asked about you this morning, actually.”

“He did?” you say all too fast, perking up at the mention of his name. It’s pathetic, really. You internally thank the Archons for Melusines not being all too good at understanding human behavior.

“Yes,” she answers simply, crossing her small arms one over the other.

“And um,” you push further, not realizing the way you eagerly take a step forward, “what did he say?”

“Nothing. He merely inquired when you would be coming in today.”

You can’t help the disappointment in your voice as a quiet, “Oh,” slips out. Part of you wants to ask if there was anything else, maybe some sort of expression or tone of voice she caught, but you hold yourself back.

Get it together. It’s almost been a year.

One tragic year since the two of you split. One long, tragic year since you wished you could’ve worked something out, even if it meant you could’ve had a little more time together. It was mutual, but truthfully, you never wanted him gone. You only wish you could’ve realized it at the time.

“Thank you,” you nod and walk away while trying to hide the dismay you felt. She doesn’t say anything else.

As you walk to the other end of the hall, you notice someone had placed some illuminated garland around the frame of your door and a miniature Christmas tree in the corner a few feet away. It isn’t as extravagant as the decorations they had placed around Neuvillette’s door, but you appreciate it nonetheless.

The inside is a lot less spirited and looks like your normal dreary office. You pay no mind to it as you get to work right away, trying desperately to keep the interaction between Neuvillette and Liath out of your head. You even keep the door to your office open a little bit, letting the hushed voices in the main corridor fade into white noise while you scribbled away at some documents for the court.

And it works. You don’t even notice eight hours pass until it becomes too dark to see what you’re writing. Nor do you notice that there isn’t anyone outside anymore and that the only noise filling the space is the quiet holiday tune your phonograph plays from across the room.

You sigh and set down the pen from your cramped hand. It was December 23rd. Two days before Christmas and here you were, alone and with nothing to do for the holidays but working away in a cold office.

It makes you frown the longer you think about it. So you stand quickly, shutting off the lamps in the room and placing everything away in their files for the night. Quietly, you exit the room and lock the doors behind you as you begin to head out for the night thinking that perhaps you could go and at least treat yourself to a meal or some shopping.

You don’t expect to bump into someone the moment you turn around.

“I’m so sorry!”

“My apologies.”

You both rush at the same time.

You freeze when his deep voice hits your ears and you instantly take a step backward.“Neuvillette..?” you whisper, glancing up into the familiar blue eyes that belong to the man you once called yours. The question is more to yourself than to him. Almost as if you can’t believe he’s actually standing in front of you.

He clears his throat tensely and mirrors you in taking a step back, “Sorry, I was unaware anyone else was still here.”

“No, it’s my fault. I should’ve watched where I was going,” you say, eyes not straying from his, “and it isn’t too surprising, I mean, it isn’t like I have anything to be doing for the holidays since…nevermind.”

Neuvillette catches what you were about to say but saves you the headache of having to do any sort of explaining. Instead, he motions in front of him and pulls the keys out from his pocket, “Shall we go? It’s getting rather late. I can lock the doors behind us.”

Us. It’s weird hearing that again.

You wordlessly nod and follow his lead. Like the gentleman he always was, Neuvillette opens the door and lets you out first. You stand a few feet away by the small set of stairs as he locks it quickly. Gently, you reach your hand out from under the overhang and feel small bits of frost falling onto your hands.

“It’s snowing,” you say wistfully, admiring the delicate snowflakes falling upon your palms. Neuvillette turns to look at the sky as he walks up to stand next to you. Peeling off one of his navy blue gloves, he lets the snow reach him too.

“A rare sight for Fontaine,” he hummed with a small but warm smile on his face. Fontaine didn’t usually get cold enough to the point of snowing. It had been a long time since you had seen it either.

He turns to look at you the same time you turn to look at him. A gentle laugh falls from your lips but it stops the moment he points to something above you, “I believe this is mistletoe. I’m sure the Melusines placed this here. One of them mentioned learning about it in a book to me the other day.”

You’re surprised how conversational he is with you.

“We don’t have to,” you say, voice barely above a whisper. There’s hurt in it, and you have a hard time disguising it. It’s evident by the way his eyes soften as he looks at you.

Neuvillette exhales as he looks to the floor and then back to you, “You know I don’t like to break traditions.”

You take a step closer. He does the same.

“Are you sure? It’s been a year since…you know? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable—“

Neuvillette cuts you off by gently placing his lips on yours, interlocking eagerly. They’re warm and soft like a fireplace as they melt away the frost from your body. You reciprocate easily once you get over the initial shock, wrapping your hand around his neck to bring him in closer.

When you pull away, you feel a burning sensation in your throat and a tingling feeling in your eyes. You don’t know why, but the kiss makes you want to cry.

Neuvillette doesn’t distance himself either. Instead he places a gentle hand on your back as soon as you nod, pulling you into his affectionate embrace. You rest your head in the crook of his neck, just like you used to do, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

#genshin #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact fanfiction #neuvillette #neuvillette x y/n #neuvillette x you #neuvillette x reader

415 notes · View notes

melkintoyou · 1 year ago

Text

studio sessions.

pairing: mark lee x gf!reader genre: fluff, suggestive, established relationship word count: 1.5k notes: wanted to do a lil something for mark's birthday, enjoy <333333

808’s blared through the speakers, sending vibrations throughout the floor. Music could be felt in your chest and you couldn’t help but smile. Seeing your boyfriend in the booth, in his essence, made your heart swell with pride.

It was always fascinating to see the man that clings to you most nights, his face in your neck. The way he groans when you shift, unintentionally adding space between you two. The way he pulls you back and whines your name or “baby,” his favourite way to address you. The same man who can’t fall asleep without his hand inside your t-shirt, holding you close. Needing you to feel safe.

Seeing him work in his element, so assertive and sure of himself. A perfectionist, honing on his vision until it comes to fruition, left you in complete awe of him. Your eyes traveled from his hat that covered most of his face, to his little nose and lips pursed in concentration as he listened back to what was recorded.

“Ah lemme do that ONE more time” Mark announced into the mic, evidently getting restless from having to keep doing retakes. He once again closed his eyes and delivered the line.

“Woooo!”

“Ok, nice let’s keep that one” He listened back to the song, bobbing his head with a satisfied smile. Mark was so focused on recording that he didn’t even notice when you came into the studio. You said hello to his team and a couple of his friends, before making yourself comfortable on the sofa. Taking your slides off, you got comfortable and sat crossed legged as you watched Mark. Digging into your bag, you rustled around to grab a bag of candy which made Haechan’s ears instantly perk up. He ran towards you and got on his knees with his hands open as if mimicking Oliver Twist. “Please, my queen.” He said in a cutesy voice, making everyone laugh and you rolled your eyes. You gave him a fist fill of sweets as he thanked you.

Mark stepped out of the booth and his eyes widened when met with yours from across the room. His face instantly relaxed into a smile. “Bab-What’s going on here?” He walked towards you, giggling and pushed Haechan onto the floor. Making him fake cry for attention. “Yo cry somewhere else.. Lemme say hi to my girl.” He joked before turning to you. “Hi baby” Jumping into his arms, you melted into his touch and you both swayed side to side. Mark planted kisses across your face, before mumbling "I missed you" into your lips. “Alright y’all I’m taking five.” Mark took a seat and pulled you onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around you and rested his chin on your shoulder. His busy schedule allowed times like this to come about less often than you'd like, so you both cherished every second together. He whined about how tired he was but holding you like this was just the recharge he needed. As he planted another kiss to your jaw, Chenle commented on how soft Mark gets around you and his everyone teased him. This made his face flush with a tint of pink and he buried his face further into your neck. He mumbled “leave me alone, I’m a tough guy.” Chuckling at his actions, you dipped into your bag once again to pull out a handful of candies and presented it to Mark. “Here, I got you some sugar for energy.” You kissed his cheek.

Mark’s face lit up as he shoved them all into his mouth hungrily, he was such a guy. Giving you one last kiss, he grabbed your waist to prop you up so he could stand up.

“Ok, lemme go finish this verse.” He went back into the booth and continued recording for a while. It was nice. Hanging out with everyone like this. You thought to yourself. 20 minutes later, Mark came back out with his mouth open, asking for you to feed him. So you did as you were asked. A sweet and a kiss, for every break he took. This went on for a while until everyone decided to go get some food, leaving you and Mark alone. He stepped out of the booth once again, grabbing the packet from you and plopping himself next to you on the sofa. “Hey! That’s mine!” You protested with a smack on his arm. “Yeah?” He moved closer to you, so his face was inches away from yours and his lips curled into a cheeky grin. “Watch me.” He teased you as you tried to grab the packet back but he was too quick for you. Every time you felt as though you’re about to take a hold of it, he’d move his lanky arms out of your reach. Making you whine and sulk, which was what he wanted. Mark loved teasing and getting a reaction out of you.

“You’re so pretty when you whine like this baby.. Here, you can have one.” He said, popping a sweet in between his pursed lips.

Leaning in slowly, you placed your hand on his thigh for support. Your heart was beating in your ears. Even though you have shared countless kisses with Mark by now, it never failed to spin your world like it was the first time. Your lips hovered over his and you swiped your tongue over his bottom lip, making him grab your wrist. You both leaned in painfully close and you connected your lips by taking a bite out of the sweet. Breaking out in giggles, you pulled away and fell back onto the sofa, swallowing it.

“Come back here.” Mark grabbed your face and pressed his lips to yours as he pulled you back onto his lap. This time, the kiss felt more heated as his tongue hungrily entered your mouth. He snuck his hands under your shirt to feel your skin. His hands ran up and down your back, deepening the kiss. Chests rising dramatically up and down, his chin rested on your plush breast as he left soft, wet kisses down your jaw. The world began disappearing when you felt him twitch under you, making you moan. He brought his lips back up to yours to swallow your pretty sounds as his hands travelled down and into your sweats. He grabbed a handful of your ass inside your clothes as his fingers grazed your core. Mark winced at the contact. “Fuck baby, so wet for me.” He began circling your entrance, spreading your wet. As his finger began sliding inside you, you heard the boys making their way back and you grabbed Mark’s shoulder in sheer panic.

"Mark!" You yelped. He retrieved his hand back and fell into your chest with a groan. The door unlocked and everyone barged into the studio, changing the atmosphere completely. “Urm.. are we interrupting something?” Haechan asked, eyeing you both and you couldn’t help but blush. Struggling to form a coherent sentence.

“Uhh.. no.. we.. we were just..-

“We were just sharing sweets, weren’t we baby?” Mark said with a smirk before he brought his finger into his mouth to taste you.

“So sweet.”

#mark lee #mark lee fic #mark lee fanfic #mark lee onshot #mark lee nct #nct dream fic #mark lee x reader #mark x reader #nct 127 fic

445 notes · View notes

cookiesandbiscuits · 1 month ago

Text

Just... Friends?

Pairing: Leviathan x GN! Reader

Summary: You have always liked him. Maybe more than what most people would consider as friendship. And you have a feeling that he also feels the same way. Yet it's frustrating whenever he refers to you as just a friend even though his actions say otherwise.

Genre: Fluff. Maybe crack too if you squint at it hard enough.

A/N: This was sitting on my drafts for AGES!!

But after several editing and removing some stuff, I finally got this story to go in a direction that I like!

Although there is a specific scene here that made me feel hypocritical lmaooo.

Happy reading! ❤️

Warning:

- Not proofread.

- Cussing.

- Levi is as dense as a brick.

- The reader is frustrated and decides to take matters into their own hands.

- The reader is referred to as MC.

- Probably OOC. This is just unplanned fluff writing. Asmo is acting as your wingman.

MASTERLIST

Inspired by "Just A Friend To You" by Meghan Trainor and Adrien Agreste from Miraculous Ladybug (lol)

You were done.

With a tired sigh, you leaned back on the sofa and closed your eyes. You thought back on what happened earlier in Levi's room.

"Woooo!! Finally!!"

The room was filled with joyous shouts when the TV screen displayed the word "victory" in large letters.

"MC, we finally beat the boss!"

Soon, you were enveloped by a familiar warmth as Levi tightly wrapped his arms around you. You felt your cheeks heat up a little when you noticed that his embrace was a little longer than usual.

"Haha, yes, we did. Congratulations to both of us."

Levi gently pushed you away within arm's length and looked at you with a grin. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Eh? But I haven't done as much as you, though."

Levi shook his head in response. "That's not true! If you hadn't done that move, we'd still be playing this round again! Seriously, you're the best friend a gamer could ask for!"

You felt your eye twitch a little at his word. Friend.

You have always liked him. Maybe more than what most people would consider as friendship. And you have a feeling that he also feels the same way. Yet it's frustrating whenever he refers to you as just a friend even though his actions say otherwise.

You tried to show it through your actions that you like him countless times before, but for some reason, it always goes over his head.

The two of you continued to play some more before deciding enough was enough.

You dragged both of your hands on your face and sighed once more.

"You okay, hon?"

Your eyes flutter open at the sound of Asmodeus's voice. He looks at you, slight worry evident in his expression.

You gave him a small smile.

"Yeah, my eyes are just a little tired, that's all."

"You should really cut off some of your gaming time. Then you won't be complaining about how dry your eyes are anymore," Asmo chides you as he hands out an eyedrop for your eyes. But he knows you wouldn't listen to him no matter how many times he scolds you.

"Mmm, thanks."

......

As you put the eye solution on your eyes, you felt Asmo's focused stare on you.

"What is it?"

You sat up when you finished putting the eye solution. The fifth-born faces you with a knowing look as he sat on the sofa beside you.

"Spill it."

You look at him confused.

"Spill what?"

"It's a romance-related trouble, isn't it?"

Your eyes widened slightly. Was it that obvious? You felt your cheeks warm at the realization.

"I- um..."

You nodded, too embarrassed to form a coherent sentence at the moment.

"Wanna talk about it in my room instead?"

Well... it wouldn't hurt to talk about it to Asmo, you thought.

"Okay..."

Soon after you agreed, Asmo dragged you away and into his room.

"I'm back."

You looked at Asmo carrying a tray of cookies and tea. He went to the kitchen after letting you in his room.

"So, what's been bothering you, hm?" The Avatar of Lust asked, interest glimmering in his eyes.

"Oh, you know... the same old stuff," you grumbled as you flopped forward over the demon's lush bedsheet.

"Ah," was his reply once he realized what you were talking about.

"...You know you won't be suffering like that if you'd just say it straight to his face, right?"

"No."

Yeah, right. Easier said than done.

"Why not? You won't lose anything if you do."

"Yes, I do. I'd lose my dignity."

"Mhm. Right... And how did this way of "preserving" your dignity go for you?"

Asmo raised his perfectly shaped eyebrow on your unmoving form, completely unconvinced.

You can only groan in response.

"Come on, you know how my brother is. If you want him to know that you're in love with him, you have to say it to him directly. Otherwise, he'll think you're just being a really nice person, like what's happening right now." The fifth-born rolled his eyes, not at you but at his dense as a brick older brother.

...........

"...But what if he really just think of me as a friend? What then? I don't wanna risk what we currently have over these... feelings," you mumble under your breath.

"Well, you wouldn't know that unless you do something, hon."

"And what if he rejects me?"

You finally moved after a while, turning your head to look at the beautiful demon who sat beside you.

"Then accept his feelings and move on. It'll be difficult, but atleast it's better than pining and stuck forever to where you are right now, not knowing how to move forward," he answered in a gentle tone and caressed your hair in a way that was akin to a mother comforting her crying child.

The gesture lulled you to sleep.

And as you slowly drifted off to dream world, a small part of you thought that yeah... you probably should confront your conundrum instead of running away from it.

Maybe... you should ask... Asmo for... help.

And that's how you found yourself sitting in a karaoke booth with Leviathan beside you.

"Oh wow! It's been AGES since the last time we hung out here!" The purple-haired demon grinned as he eagerly flipped through the song book.

"Ahaha... I know, right? Since exams are finally done, I thought this would be a great way to unwind after all that stress," you replied, careful not to let the bubbling anxiety inside you show.

"Oh, definitely! By the way, where are the others?"

As Levi asked that, you heard a ping from your phone. There was a message from Asmo.

[Asmo: "We're almost there but we'll give you some time together. Good luck, hon! 😘"]

You discreetly gulped at the message before putting your phone back to your pocket.

Thanks, Asmo!

"Asmo said they're going to be a bit late and we can just go ahead and order for ourselves or sing."

"Huh... alright," Levi said before going back to flipping through the song book.

"...."

"...Hey, Levi?"

"Hm?"

"Do you mind if I pick a song first?"

The demon looked at you quizzically. "Sure... Why though? You don't usually sing first."

"Well, um- you know... Just a change of pace," you shrugged.

You can feel sweat form on your hands.

After a moment, he handed the song book to you. Immediately, you felt the anxiety inside you intensify as you searched through the song book until you finally found what you were looking for.

You pressed buttons to enter the song number. The title flashed on the screen as you hit OK.

[Just A Friend To You by Meghan Trainor]

"Ooh, is this a song from the human world?" Levi asked.

"Yep," you answered.

Picking up the microphone, you took a deep breath to calm your erratic heartbeats.

Okay, this now or never.

"Why you gotta hug me like that every time you see me? Why you always making me laugh Swear you're catching feelings"

You looked at Levi, who, after you gave the song book back, returned to searching for songs to sing.

You turned your vision back to the karaoke screen.

"I loved you from the start, So it breaks my heart When you say I'm just a friend to you 'Cause friends don't do the things we do. Everybody knows you love me too. Tryna be careful with the words I use. I say it cause I'm dying to. I'm so much more than just a friend to you."

You looked back at him again, discreetly this time.

He was still busy with the song book.

Slowly, your anxiety was replaced by irritation.

Is he really THIS dense?? Or is he just acting like he knows nothing?

In your frustration, you stood up from where you were sitting.

"When there's other people around You never wanna kiss me. You tell me it's too late to hang out And you say you miss me."

You thought back to the times where he acted like he, too, liked you back.

Were those sweet gestures of his just a ploy to toy with you? Or was it just you who gave those actions a different meaning than what he actually intended?

You don't know anymore.

"And I loved you from the start, So it breaks my heart When you say I'm just a friend to you 'Cause friends don't do the things we do. Everybody knows you love me too."

You turned to face him, and to your surprise, his attention was now all on you.

As hard as it was, you managed to force yourself to keep looking at his citrine eyes.

"You say I'm just a friend to you Friends don't do the things we do. Everybody knows that I love you. I'll try to be careful with the words I use And I'll say it cause I'm dying to. You're so much more than just a friend to me."

Thick silence quickly replaced the fading last notes of the song.

Levi was the one who broke the staring contest between the two of you.

"Um... That- that was... a really good song. Though I think you sang the last verse wrong there."

You continued to stare at him.

"Levi."

He flinched when you said his name.

"I know this is weird and very sudden. But I seriously can't keep this to myself anymore. You are one, if not the most passionate and fun person I have ever met, and I always enjoy the time we spend together. In fact, I always look forward to the days we hang out. And, well..."

You swallowed the lump in your throat.

"What I want to say is that... I like you, Levi."

"You- you like... me?" The subject of your confession looked back at you incredulously.

You nodded.

"As- as a friend... right?" he asked, fidgeting.

What?

Now it was your turn to look at him wide-eyed. No way he's being serious.

"Huh? No. I mean I like you. Like like you. Romantically," you deadpanned.

"N-no way. You can't be serious."

"I'm totally serious."

Your nervousness slowly turned into annoyance.

"Levi-"

Before you could finish your sentence, Levi suddenly stood up, grabbed his stuff, and bolted out of the booth.

You could only blink at how fast it happened.

It was also at that moment that the rest of the brothers arrived.

"What's with him?" asked Mammon as he glanced at the direction his brother ran.

"I don't know. Maybe there's a limited time event on one of his games?" Beel replied.

However, one look at your expression and Asmo knew exactly what happened.

"Sorry guys, I'm suddenly feeling a little under the weather right now," the fifth-born says.

He grabbed your wrist and smiled. "With that said, I'm gonna go home. And I'm taking MC with me!"

"What?! You can't do that!" Mammon exclaimed in protest, as expected.

As much as you like to hang out with the other demon brothers, you're not in the mood to do so anymore after what happened.

So you forced yourself to smile.

"Sorry guys, maybe next time. Enjoy the karaoke for us!"

"Wanna tell me what happened, hon?"

After arriving at the House of Lamentation, you and Asmo made a beeline straight to his room. Though as you passed Levi's room, you felt a pang of pain in your chest.

And now, here you are, getting pampered by the Avatar of Lust himself.

"Well, you know... I confessed, and he rejected me," you smiled bitterly.

"...."

"...Oh, come on. Don't give me that look," you say when you noticed the worry in Asmo's eyes. "Atleast now, I won't be stuck pining for him forever, right?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it won't hurt. And can't I worry about our adorable little lamb?"

You gave him a small smile. "Thanks a lot, Asmo. I mean it. And don't worry too much, I'll be fine."

You felt arms wrap around you as the demon hugged you.

"It's just- I already expected it to hurt if he rejected me outright. But seeing him run away like that, it's like he doesn't even want to hear it."

"Wait..."

All of a sudden, Asmo pulled back from the embrace and looked at you.

"So you mean to tell me he didn't gave you a proper reply?" he asks.

"Um... yeah," you respond.

"......"

At that moment, only one thought came to Asmodeus's mind.

For the love of everything beautiful, these two really are stupid when it comes to each other.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Levi, are you there? It's me, Asmo. Can we talk for a sec?"

It took a few more knocks before the third-born opened his door.

"Asmo? What is it? Hey-!" The demon protested as his brother made his way into his room.

"Don't worry, this won't take too long," said Asmo.

Seeing that his younger brother won't budge until he spoke with him, Levi sighed in defeat and closed the door.

"So, what is it that you want to speak with me so bad that you'd barge into my room with no permission?" he asked as he sat on his gaming chair, raising his eyebrow on the Avatar of Lust who was making himself comfortable with one of the beanbags in his room.

Asmo smiled before replying, "You like them, don't you?"

That made him flinch.

"Wha? Wh-why would you think that I like MC??"

That only made the fifth-born's smile grow into a grin.

"I never said their name, yet you immediately thought of them. So I was right, you do like them."

Levi felt his face warm up as he realized his slip-up.

"Do the others know?"

Asmo shrugged.

He could only hide his blushing face on his hands. Oh, how he wanted to curl up in a ball and let the earth swallow him whole right now.

"But if you like them, why didn't you tell them that when they confessed?"

Quickly, he turned to look back to his brother.

"How did you know that?! And what's it to you, anyway?"

"Levi," Asmo spoke with a serious voice, "you're my brother, and I want you to be happy. And if being with them will bring you that happiness, then why not go for it? Especially now that you know they like you back."

"But what if- what if they find out what kind of person I really am and hate me for it?"

"Honestly, I don't really know. And that's why..."

Levi's gaze followed Asmo as he walked up to the door and opened it.

It revealed the person he was avoiding for a few days now: you.

"Wh-why are they here?!" he panicked.

"To talk things out, duh! You two really need it," he heard him say as the fifth-born pushed you inside the room before closing the door once more.

Awkward silence filled the air between you.

"Hey," you said.

"H-hey."

It was the only thing he could mutter right now.

"Sorry, Asmo asked me to come here." You scratched your neck; Levi recalled it was one of your nervous tics. "I could leave, if you want."

"No! ...I-I mean, no, y-you can stay."

He gestured to the beanbag Asmo was sitting on earlier.

"Thanks..."

Once again, silence filled the air between you.

"...Um"

"I-"

Both of you spoke at the same time.

"Oh, sorry. Go ahead," he apologized.

"No, it's okay," you replied.

"...."

"Um, MC..."

"Yes?"

"...I'm sorry, for acting the way I did that day."

He looked down to his hands as he fidgeted with them.

"It's... alright. I should be the one apologizing for springing it onto you suddenly."

"...."

"To tell you the truth, I was really happy when you told me you like me."

"Mm..."

"And then I got scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Of doing you wrong. And you hating me for it. You deserve so much more than what I could offer you, and I'm scared that one day, you'd realize that and leave me."

"...Levi."

He looked up from his hands and his eyes met yours.

"Does all of that really matter when you're the one I want?"

His eyes widened.

"Say that you're right, and I do deserve more. But I want you, Levi, and that's all that there is to it."

If Levi never thought you beautiful before, he would now as he continued to stare into your eyes, clear and devoid of hesitation.

And before he knew it, he walked up to where you are and kissed you.

It was everything he thought it would be and more. Your lips were soft and sweet.

It was as if he was brought back to heaven for a moment until the two of you broke contact for air.

He pressed his forehead to yours.

"Do you really mean it? Even if I'd annoy you to hell? Even if I won't be as sweet as the leading men in those shoujo animes you like? And–"

"Yes, I do. I mean it," you giggled as you cupped his cheeks with your hands.

And for the first time after a few days, Levi shyly smiled.

"So, does this mean we're a couple now?" you asked.

"Yeah. I guess we are."

Lifting his ear from the door, Asmo made a thumbs up gesture to his brothers who were with him.

It was a success.

Mammon was the first to react. "FINA–"

He was shushed by the others.

"Oops, sorry."

"Good for them. They finally got together after all this time pining for each other," Satan says.

"Yeah, it was getting kinda annoying seeing them give each other longing gazes," Belphegor remarked.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Atleast they're happy now."

It was Beelzebub who spoke this time with a hushed voice.

"Wait, does this mean we'll be seeing them be lovey-dovey with each other now?"

"...."

"...I hope not. That would be way more annoying than seeing them pine for each other obliviously."

Once again, the brothers nodded in agreement.

"All right, now that they're together now, let's all celebrate!" Mammon cheered in a hushed voice.

But before he could knock on the third-born's door, a gloved hand grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Stop that and leave them alone. Let them have their moment together with no interruptions, for goodness' sake," said Lucifer.

"Just go back to your rooms," he added.

At that, the brothers dispersed and went to their respective rooms.

Before he left, however, Asmo gave Levi's room one last look and softly smiled.

"I'm happy for the both of you, MC, Levi."

#Spotify #obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me x reader #obey me fluff #obey me leviathan #obey me leviathan x reader #obey me levi x reader #obey me leviathan x mc #obey me levi x mc #cookie writings

44 notes · View notes

maeum-your · 6 months ago

Text

pairing: park jongseong x fem!reader

synopsis: life with all its unexpected twists and turns decides it hates you big time. your best friend ends up taking you on a trip to italy to help you escape the cruelties of your existence for at least a couple of days.

when a handsome stranger saves you from some intimate time with the airport floor and you later happen to bump into him again at your hotel, you decide to spend more time together. is it wise to open up your heart to him?

starring: enhypen jay & sunghoon, ningning (aespa), soobin (txt)

genre: one-shot, fluff, angst, slightly humorous (to some) (perhaps)

warnings: no smut but there definitely is talk about the omegaverse (idk how that happened either), harmless making out, quite a bit of cursing, dysfunctional families, my restrained need to talk about my hero academia so mc mentions todoroki quite a bit lmaoo my bad

word count: 14.1k

a/n: happy comeback day 🎉🎉🎉

my first fic in two years woooo! i started writing this two summers ago but never ended up getting past the first draft. it took a lot of editing and revising to get it to where it is now and i hope you enjoy 🫶🏻

the location where this is taking place holds a very special place in my heart 💞

“and above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.” - roald dahl

you had your palms pressed against the cool glass, mouth hanging wide open in wonder as you gazed through the window. wings broke through the cotton candy field of clouds, your final destination becoming visible at long last.

stiff limbs from flying for so long were quickly forgotten as you took in the scenery from above. a breathtaking tapestry of vineyards and olive groves stretched across the landscape, the late afternoon sun illuminating the waters of the serpentine river slithering through the city below.

everything just looked so very different from what you were used to. the skyscrapers and gray monotony of your own life disappeared to the far back of your mind.

“i knew you’d love it, but you literally have heart eyes right now. you better close your mouth before you start catching flies.“

the redhead next to you nudged you in the ribs, giggling at the wonderstruck expression on your face. “mission accomplished. just what i was hoping for.“

you rolled your eyes at ningning’s teasing smirk but couldn‘t stop your mouth from stretching into a big smile, eyes gleaming with excitement.

“oh, shut it, you.“

soon, you‘d made your way through security and headed to pick up your luggage. you hadn‘t really brought much—a single suitcase sufficed for the short stay ningning had planned. yet, you already found yourself wishing for more time in this special little corner of the world.

completely exhausted after a full day of flying and five layovers, yet brimming with anticipation, you stood waiting at the baggage carousel. it seemed to take forever, though you didn‘t mind, not much, whistling a jolly tune while tapping your feet, watching bags and suitcases of all sizes, shapes and colors get picked up by people just as varied as their belongings.

as you finally laid eyes on your rosé gold suitcase and moved to retrieve it, a collision sent you staggering. if not for a stranger with superhuman reflexes who had reached out and pulled you back by the waist after someone’s shoulder had slammed into yours with unexpected force, you might have ended up greeting the grimy verona airport floor with your face.

a silver-haired young man at a distance waved apologetically. “my bad!“ he yelled and then, addressing the mysterious stranger who still had his arm wrapped snugly around your waist, “come on, dude. our cab‘s waitin‘.“

your savior was donning a pair of gray joggers and a zip hoodie, the hood drawn up, sunglasses hiding his eyes as he bent his head to look at you. concern lined the features that weren‘t being concealed, lending him a mysterious air amidst the casual attire.

“is your shoulder okay? sorry about my friend; we‘re in a little bit of a rush and he’s a little… well, let’s just call him a high energy individual.“ with a quick bow, he darted off after the silver-haired man, leaving before you could utter a word in response. the kind stranger had gone before you could get a proper look at his face.

lucky for you, ningning had maintained her composure amidst the chaos and had swiftly retrieved both your suitcases from the carousel in the meantime. it was exactly what you expected from the hyper-focused and detail-oriented woman. you wouldn‘t be surprised if she could read an academic paper and understand all its concepts without struggling even in the middle of attending a death metal concert or riding a rollercoaster. she had always been nothing short of amazing.

with her hand on her waist, the redhead sighed as she glanced after the two men responsible for the commotion.

“that was one hell of a main character moment, huh?“

you felt a blush creeping up your cheeks, still feeling the lingering touch of the stranger and the faint scent of his cologne in the air.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

after picking up the keys for the rental car you had pre-booked through the company's website, you set off from verona airport. inside the shark blue volkswagen golf, the windows remained down to combat the stifling, humid air. normally, you would have minded—the hair sticking to your forehead and the beads of sweat forming—but here in verona, one of italy’s most historically and culturally significant cities, it felt liberating. it felt like freedom.

the breeze that flowed through the open windows swept away all the pent-up frustrations and stresses of the past weeks, carrying them far into the distance. in its wake, it left a sense of tranquility that you weren’t sure you had ever experienced.

ningning had a white scarf draped elegantly around her head and neck, its thin fabric fluttering in the wind. She wore stylish louis vuitton sunglasses perched on her nose and sported bright red lips that shimmered in the sunlight. ningning was the embodiment of the phrase "to go in fashion," effortlessly turning heads wherever she went.

you closed your eyes and let the crisp air tickle your skin.

passing through several charming villages, you eventually arrived at lago di garda. mesmerized by the lake of shining waters, you decided to take a leisurely drive around its perimeter.

a few windsurfers skillfully glided across the water, harnessing the wind's power, while most people were beginning to depart as the sun dipped low, casting an orange glow over everything. high-pitched calls echoed as seagulls swooped and scavenged. you couldn't help but burst into laughter as you watched one bold seagull snatch a sandwich right out of a tourist's hand, prompting a comical chase that ended in a flurry of french profanities.

by the time you completed your circuit around the lake, darkness had nearly enveloped the landscape. the sun had slipped behind the mountains, cooling the air. above, the moon shone brightly, casting a silvery glow that danced across the lake's surface.

the way up the winding road of the mountain might not have taken long but it sure wasn‘t relaxing either. your knuckles turned white from gripping the sides of your seat so hard as your best friend navigated the curves and twists of the road in the near dark. the hillside wasn’t secured at all and, if you were being completely honest, you didn‘t necessarily trust your best friend’s driving skills.

her reckless mode of driving stemmed less from any daredevil traits the redhead didn‘t possess and more from an earnest lack of skill. not that the overachiever didn‘t try to make up for it with rigorous practice.

a car came racing down the road at full speed, blinding you with its headlights. you squeezed your eyes shut. so this is how it would end? you were still so young and there was so much you still wanted to do… oh, no—would your mother throw away your psychologically large manga collection? you didn‘t want todoroki living inside a trash can.

through some miraculous maneuvering, ningning steered the car close enough to the edge that the speeding vehicle narrowly missed you. perhaps you needed to give her driving skills more credit after all. with a heavy sigh, you slumped back into your seat. todoroki was safe.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

“soobin, my man. how nice to see you! how's the family?”

checking in at the hotel took a little longer than it might have usually. ningning was happily chatting away with the blue-haired receptionist, whom she‘d known ever since he‘d started working there five years ago. her family had been coming up there for the past ten summers or so, enjoying a few quiet weeks together in the mountains. it was quite strange, actually, that you‘d never come there with them, but then again, your own parents had always liked to keep you where they could see you. you'd spent your high school summers with your nose in a textbook, as they forced you to attend summer school and other extra study sessions because anything less than a perfect grade was unacceptable.

with heavy eyelids and throbbing heads, the two of you headed straight to bed without having dinner at the hotel restaurant. you had bought a sandwich each at the airport to snack on during the ride, so you weren‘t really all that hungry. besides, there were still a couple of days ahead of you to enjoy all the delicious mediterranean specialties italy had to offer.

the mattress of the king-size bed was soft and bouncy as you flopped down on it. you sprawled out your tired limbs, feeling as if you were lying on top of a cloud.

ningning had immediately refused the idea of getting separate rooms or even separate beds. she had always been the clingy one, hanging onto your arm or cuddling up to you while watching tv. you didn’t mind; you enjoyed the feeling of someone actually wanting to be in your presence.

being apart even for just the night would probably not have been the smartest idea anyway. attached at the hip since the ripe age of five, ningning knew you as well as the back of her hand. if left alone for even a moment too long, she feared you might fall apart. and girls who fly together, cry together! or at least that’s what she‘d said. no solitary weeping for you.

sharing beds had been as much a regular occurrence throughout your friendship as drunkenly reading juicy omegaverse stories out loud at 3 a.m.

from the time she befriended you on your first day of kindergarten, when she'd scared off a boy who‘d been chasing after you with a worm, until now, you‘d been having weekly sleepovers.

as teens, there had occasionally been the unscheduled visit too, whenever having to deal with your controlling parents had gotten too difficult.

it just so happened that skillfully climbing out of your window and sneaking over to cuddle close under her soft duvets was the only way to calm the anguish tearing you apart like a feral beast. ningning would let you cry in her arms while you told her, in between broken sobs, all about what you had apparently done this time to garner your parents‘ disapproval. the arguments usually revolved around you not wearing the right clothes, not reading the right books, not getting the right grades, not having the right friends—you get the gist. nothing you ever did was right.

even so, within the next hour, you’d usually end up giggling uncontrollably as ningning made you watch an episode of how i met your mother or funny cat videos she‘d saved just for occasions like that. she was like a witch who could spirit away your worries with a wave of her hand.

what had happened this time, however, could not be solved by some simple quality time and extensive skinship. it had forced you to escape together, to run off to another country, even if just temporarily, taking a holiday in the comune of tenno situated near the foothills of the italian alps.

it was as if the majestic peaks of the surrounding mountains had put their protective arms around you, and the soothing breeze, carrying the earthy scent of nearby forests, lulled you to sleep. for once, you slept soundly, with no nightmares coming to plague you at night, nothing to disturb your peaceful slumber.

soft rays of sunlight danced along your skin, gently rousing you from sleep the next morning. as consciousness returned, you fluttered your eyes open.

beside you, the redhead stirred, grumbling something unintelligible before burying her face in the gigantic pillow. she was sprawled out across her mattress, clinging to the covers more than they clung to her. her tousled hair, evidence of a night filled with tossing and turning, revealed her to be an unexpectedly messy sleeper.

you patted her head with a fond smile before slipping away to take a shower. the cold water jolted you awake, breathing new life into your senses. today promised to be a good day—you could feel it in your bones.

squeaky clean and feeling refreshed, you opened the bathroom door, expecting to breathe in the calm morning air drifting through the open window. instead, you were greeted with a horrendous stench that made your eyes water.

ningning was holding up a spray bottle and waved it frantically, filling the room with a cloud of mosquito repellant that made you cough violently. you buried your nose in your shirt, shooting daggers at her with your eyes. your friend pointed to the dozen bites covering her legs and arms with a grimace. holy cow.

how had you not noticed them earlier? but then again, you‘d felt a little groggy and disoriented right after waking up, vision still blurry and that lightbulb up there not fully functioning yet.

throats all irritated and scratchy, you both struggled to catch your breaths between bouts of coughing. it was clear ningning had used way too much.

you gestured urgently toward the door, but ningning was preoccupied battling a tiny mosquito buzzing around her head. insects always turned your usually rational friend into a bit of a hysterical mess.

without hesitation, you grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.

before you could breathe in the fresh, fume-free air, however, your body collided with something hard. the girl who had been just inches behind you crashed into you, knocking you over.

“oh, for fuck’s sake,” you muttered, frustration bubbling up. why did your intuition about the trajectory of today have to be so far off?

your fall was cushioned by something soft and very much alive. holding your spinning head, you tried to push ningning off your back while simultaneously struggling to get up from whoever you had just taken down with you.

the frantic apology you were preparing got stuck in your throat as you looked down at the gorgeous adonis underneath you.

silky black strands of hair framed his sunkissed face, and his eyes were sharp and narrow. in theory, their design should‘ve made him look angry and serious, especially after being tackled to the ground so forcefully.

instead, he stared at you in wide-eyed surprise. “wait, aren‘t you the girl from the airport? i remember you. yeah, you were wearing a blue babydoll top, weren‘t you? you almost got knocked over.“

your eyes fell to the heart-shaped birthmark on his neck. realization dawned on you. you remembered catching a glimpse of that peculiar spot on his neck under the gray hood he‘d been wearing just a day prior.

“you‘re the one who saved me from falling.“

“i guess you came to take revenge on us.“ much to your surprise, he appeared completely indifferent to finding himself intimately acquainted with the floor. his laugh was rich and infectious, his eyes twinkling merrily. god, he was cute.

he promptly got up off the floor and extended a chivalrous hand to you, helping you up in one swift motion, the muscles in his arms flexing deliciously.

the strong grip on your hand and the gentle pull willed your face to stop mere inches away from his. you could feel his warmth radiating and caught a faint scent of his cologne. your eyes locked for a moment, and it was hard to keep a neutral facade—to act like this hadn’t just completely derailed your train of thought.

his surprise at the sudden proximity faded into something softer, the twinkling of his eyes reminiscent of the glimmering water of lago di garda underneath the evening sun.

this man had you writing poetry about him, and you didn‘t even know his name.

a cough interrupted the moment, drawing your attention. "i hate to interrupt, but technically, i’m on the floor because of you. so, can someone lend a hand before you two carry on with the romancing?“

heat seared across your face. you hurried to assist ningning, who had just borne witness to you drooling over some handsome stranger after you'd pushed her so callously to the ground. this man was undeniably good-looking, though, so you hoped she’d understand.

forget bros before hoes. as far as ningning was concerned, the more hoes for y/n, the better. you really were that bitchless. it wasn’t like you hadn‘t had your fair share of what you affectionately referred to as your gentleman callers, but unfortunately the only men you were attracted to were either fictional and/or two dimensional (literally). so you ogling at a living, breathing specimen of the opposite sex truly called for celebration.

another hand beat you to helping ningning up, belonging to a man slightly taller than the stranger you’d collided with. he possessed slender limbs, an elegant face with a mole beneath his right eye, and a rosy blush tinting his cheeks against silver hair.

he pointed to himself with a cheeky grin. “and i‘m the culprit of the hit and run. glad my man jay here,“ he draped an arm around the other man, “took such good care of you.“

although his words were aimed at you, his gaze remained fixed on ningning as if she were a rare gem on display. the object of his attention couldn’t help but laugh incredulously at the absurdity of the situation.

his friend, jay, freed himself from his grasp. “that’s not really something to brag about,“ he chided his friend with an exasperated sigh. “well, this is sunghoon, my idiotic best friend but i swear he‘s alright?“ the last bit came out more like a question.

was he really alright, like mentally, jay wondered as he watched his friend unabashedly checking out ningning from head to toe, the grin on his face growing impossibly wider, giving off an air of mischief jay had grown accustomed to over the years.

“and who might you be?“ sunghoon incquired in a sultry tone, eyes lingering a tad too long on the pink pajama shorts your best friend was still wearing.

“if i tell you, will you promise to finally stop doing that,“ she gestured to his face with a frown, “weird eyebrow thing you have going on?“

sunghoon, who had indeed been wiggling his eyebrows while squinting and puckering his lips, attempted to defend himself. "i was aiming for 'man of your dreams' but i'll take the feedback," he grumbled, straightening up and relaxing his features. when he wasn‘t contorting his face, he didn‘t look half bad—he was almost as handsome as his companion, though you were clearly biased in that regard.

ningning breathed a sigh of relief, as if finally cured of a long period of intense suffering. “much, much better. and, as promised, i‘m ningning. and,“ shifting the attention to you as she nodded in your direction affectionately, “this is y/n.“

“sorry, for earlier,“ sunghoon apologized impishly, rubbing the back of his neck after receiving a warning glare from ningning.

“no harm done.“

“a lovely name for a lovely lady,“ jay remarked with a charming smile. if he was indeed flirting, you were relieved that his approach was far more refined compared to his friend’s antics. a true gentleman caller indeed.

wait—he was flirting with you? the tingling sensation that swept through your body embarrassed you enough to avert your eyes at record speed. who would’ve thought that not only would you one day find a man you actually found sorta attractive, but that he’d also be trying to woo you with his irresistible charms?

lovely, lovely ningning, the incarnation of cupid herself, someone who knew you inside out, backwards and forwards, immediately picked up on the vibes. a cunning smile tugged at her lips.

“so,“ she clapped her hands together, “would you guys,“ stare lingering on jay specifically, “like to join us for breakfast? we,“ glancing at you, “would be glad for some company.“

you weren‘t quite sure whether to strangle ningning or kiss her. if she wanted to play matchmaker, right now wasn‘t really an appropriate time. a summer fling, or, god forbid, a summer romance wasn't really what you were looking for. you thought about the reason that had necessitated your escape in the first place and shuddered. 2d men would be a much safer option.

the redhead, noticing this, gave you an encouraging smile as she touched your arm. it‘s going to be alright, she seemed to say. the tension in your body relaxed slightly.

sunghoon, completely oblivious to the very obvious scheme ningning was planning, swung his arm around jay‘s shoulder, squeezing him way too tight. he stared him down with huge, unsettling orbs and an over-the-top smile. “we would love to. right, jay?“

not a single person in this hallway was being very subtle about their intentions. it all felt a little too bizarre to be real.

jay regarded you with an unreadable expression. his gaze lingered, unwavering and deep, as if trying to read you.

finally, his face relaxed into a pleasant smile. “right, sunghoon.“

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

“i like women with opinions. so hot.“

ningning glanced at you discreetly, her face a silent cry for help.

sunghoon had his head resting on his arms, looking dreamily at the redhead sitting in front of him. it wasn‘t that your best friend wasn‘t accustomed to attention from both boys and girls, but no one had ever been so weird about it. his excessive fluttering eyelashes and exaggerated sighs made it difficult to take him seriously, as if he were a man who'd just experienced the most mind-blowing orgasm of his life and was now asking for another round.

even jay seemed lost for words, shooting sunghoon some serious side-eyes, unable to flatten his facial expression into anything other than a mix of mortified amusement and concern for his friend‘s mental state.

“has anyone told you that you‘re a bit peculiar?“ ningning asked, taking a sip from her orange juice, her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized sunghoon.

“oh yeah, all the time, but it sounds so much sexier when you say it,“ sunghoon replied with a playful grin.

“okay, time to switch the subject.“ jay needed to cut off sunghoon before he‘d start spouting even more unhinged nonsense. “we‘ve established ningning is a pre-law student who can kick ass. so, y/n, how do you go about insulting stupid people?“

“oh, i might not say it to your face but i will use you for inspiration as a villain in one of my stories and make you suffer. like, a lot.“ you shrugged nonchalantly, as if that was a completely normal thing to say.

“creative, i like that,“ jay chuckled. “so i take it you‘re a writer then?“

wildly embarrassed all of a sudden, you played with the fresh strawberries on your plate. “not exactly. i‘m an english major and, well, i do enjoy writing in my spare time. but it‘s nothing to write home about, really.“

in truth, you had a few short stories published online and plenty of my hero academia fanfics on ao3, but revealing that would literally shatter your dignity into a million tiny, irreparable pieces.

“what about you?“ you quickly asked jay, shifting the spotlight away from yourself. you were accustomed to avoiding attention, fearing that someone (usually your parents) might uncover and critique your flaws. “let me guess. you’re obviously very knowledgeable when it comes to fashion, so… fashion design, perhaps!“

jay was impeccably dressed and styled. at the airport, he had sported a more relaxed and comfortable look, but today he was wearing a dark blue polo shirt, white shorts, and wristwatch that caught the sunlight. the golden earrings added a touch of chic to his ensemble.

what had really given you the notion in the first place, however, was the fact that he started meticulously analyzing the outfit of every single person in the room the moment you entered, providing a long-winded commentary about the latest fashion trends from all across the globe. you could only hope that the white shirt dress you had on was jay-approved.

“sooo close,“ he chuckled ironically. “it‘s actually business administration and management.“

this revelation made you tilt your head curiously. jay did exude a hint of businesslike demeanor at first glance, but his personality was far from aloof. you had expected something different, something more tailored to his personality, that‘s all.

it was nice to get to know what the two strangers at the table were like, and you listened fondly to the stories ningning was telling, even though you‘d already heard them hundreds of times. you starred in most of them anyway.

the only issue was that jay seemed very interested in you. why would this be an issue, a sane person might ask. a hot, fashionable man with good manners showing interest in you. boo hoo. go jump off a cliff.

you internally scolded yourself for being so tense, but it wasn‘t easy to just let go and relax. just how much of yourself could you give away without going from a hot mess to just straight-up professional problem collector? if only you had the superpower to come up with half-truths on the spot that could make you sound way cooler than you were, but you weren‘t ningning. you were creative, yes, as illustrated by your artistic pursuits, but that creativity needed to simmer and only came loose when it wanted to. you couldn‘t summon it in an instant. you probably came across like a proper snooze-fest with the way all of your answers were as specific as a fortune cookie.

if jay was deterred by this, it didn‘t show. he was like a gold digger searching for the treasure. in this case, something you could talk about without restraint. he sensed an active inner world and was convinced he just needed to show enough genuine interest to coax it out of you. if only he knew the right things to say—

“don‘t ignore me.“ sunghoon crossed his arms in front of his chest, pouting like a kicked puppy. “if i don‘t get attention, i‘ll die.“

“much better,“ he said solemnly, when everyone turned to him, swiftly ignoring the raised eyebrows.

“ningning. i need one of your sexy opinions. hotdogs? are they a sandwich?“

the redhead blinked blankly, momentarily forgetting to chew on her food. “excuse me, what?“

“is a hotdog a sandwich,“ he repeated as if it were the most normal question in the world.

“no? yes. no! what?“ you‘d never seen your best friend so lost for words. she opened and closed her mouth, spluttering in confusion.

“shouldn‘t it be though? there‘s bread on two opposite sides.“

“but a hotdog is just a hotdog, and a sandwich is just a sandwich,“ she contemplated, treating the question with more seriousness than the situation required.

“look,“ she said, pointing the fork at him, “one has two separate pieces of bread, and the other is a sliced bun.“

“yeah, they don‘t have the same shape either,“ you chimed in. “and a hot dog has the bread on the sides, but a sandwich has it on the top and bottom.“

“would you then agree that a hot dog is a taco?“

say what now?

he shrugged. “they‘re the same shape, so according to your logic, a hotdog would be a taco.“

ningning thought about this. “i guess it would be more of a taco than a sandwich.“

“that wasn‘t the point i was trying to make.“ sunghoon muttered displeased.

“actually,“ jay had pulled out his phone, “according to merriam-webster, a sandwich is defined as having two or more slices of bread or a split roll with a filling in between. this would mean that a hotdog is, in fact, a sandwich. however—“

“ha, i told you so. guess i know more than you after all, mon chéri,“ sunghoon taunted ningning, relishing in riling her up. did he know whom he was messing with? arguing with the redhead was as safe as juggling chainsaws.

ningning folded her arms. “that‘s literally complete bullshit. have they literally never seen a sandwich before?“

“if you would let me finish,“ jay raised his voice, lips pressed into a tight line, unamused by their bickering, “the washington post argues that classification can be done by applying the cube rule, which categorizes food by the placement of starch. and hot dogs are defined by starch on the bottom and on two opposing sides.“

“so basically, what you‘re trying to say is—actually, i have no idea what you just said. i guess we just have to agree to disagree, sweetheart.“ sunghoon winked at ningning. she looked like she was about to jump at him and stab him with her fork.

ningning didn‘t lose. that was a fact. as a middle schooler, she‘d had a reputation for obliterating even the most raunchy, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, everything-phobic boys into submission. then, during high school, she‘d been known as the undefeated wrecking ball at every debate tournament, serving up verbal beatdowns like they were free samples at costco.

winning pointless discussions was what she did best.

the back-and-forth continued, phones were pulled out, receipts shown.

“yeah, i don‘t think i‘m as invested in this as they are.“ you said to jay, accompanied by a wry sigh.

“me neither.“

he was secretly glad it gave him the chance to return to the earlier conversation. what should he focus on? what moved you? you‘d been so humble about your writing; he was sure there must be more.

“you said you liked to write? any plans on becoming a published author then?“

a bitter laugh escaped you before you could stop it. you scrambled to cover it up by putting on a totally-not-forced smile. definitely not the best choice of topic.

you were the only daughter of an affluent family and expected successor to a big hotel chain. your parents had nearly combusted when you‘d chosen to study english at a smallish public university instead of sticking to the meticulously mapped-out 200-step life plan for you.

step one: no room for defiance.

step two: exceed perfection.

the arts were only ever desirable when they were being consumed, not pursued. they didn‘t understand that someone had to create that art in the first place for others to appreciate it.

writing fiction was akin to attending a formal dinner party butt-nacked, as far as your parents were concerned anyway. they judged your devotion to made-up stories as disgraceful.

despite all of your attempts to escape your so-called destiny, your parents never gave up trying to mold you into someone you weren‘t—an impossible version of yourself they expected you to eventually accept. your true personality was dismissed as “just a phase.“

desperately clinging onto your dreams, you knew that what had transpired right before your escape had the power to alter the trajectory of your entire life.

the room was quieter than a mime convention as you contemplated your life choices, wondering why there couldn’t have been an instruction manual for when shit like this happens.

jay furrowed his eyebrows. “parental issues, i assume?“

good thing your jaw was securely attached to your skull because— “how on earth? are you some kind of psychic or what?”

he gave an unperturbed shrug. “isn‘t it always parental issues, though?“

“true.“ you sipped on your water, eyeing him suspiciously. you couldn‘t believe you were that easy to read, more transparent than a freshly cleaned windowpane. mastering the art of hiding your true thoughts and feelings was the one superpower you had to learn in order to avoid nuclear-level arguments with your parents.

jay regarded you with an unreadable expression before his lips curled into a gentle smile, making you almost forget that you were supposed to be in full-on panic mode.

“so i guess you‘re here to forget all about that? tenno really is a beautiful place. it‘s so easy to put aside all of your worries once you‘re up here.“

“i think so too,“ you nodded enthusiastically, relieved that he wasn‘t going to press on about the whole parental issues thing. “it was all ningning‘s idea to come. she said she knew just the right spot, so here we are. i gather you‘ve been here before?“

“hundreds of times,“ he said. you noticed he had a tendency to trail off into laughter the end of his sentences.

“actually, i’ve been wondering—have you made any plans yet? sunghoon and i were going to walk to the art colony not far from here. not only is the route is lovely, but i think it might speak to your artistic side. what do you say?“

hell yes, you thought, but then remembered it was probably embarrassing to be so excited about spending time with someone you literally didn‘t even know.

“ningning?“ you tapped your friend on the elbow, prompting her to abrubtly cease arguing with sunghoon, leaving the silver-haired man to sulk.

“do you want to go with them today? they‘re visiting an art colony. we haven‘t planned anything, right?“

you tried to keep the pleading puppy eyes in check, hoping she hadn‘t secretly arranged any plans yet. looking at art? sounds perfect. looking at art with a hot guy? fucking amazing.

“as long as he admits that i am right,“ ningning rolled her eyes at sunghoon who regarded her with a scoff.

“you wish, mon chér—ouch.“

you had enough tact to pretend not to have noticed jay kicking sunghoon under the table.

“fine. you win this round, sweetheart.“

ningning stuck out her tongue at him and did a little victory dance. seemed like you weren‘t the only one in a good mood.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

the art colony was a medieval village named canale di tenno. as you strolled through its cobblestone streets, you immediately noticed the unusually tall stone houses, some four or even five stories high, every wall slanted and crooked. you admired their rustic facades and flower-adorned balconies.

you moved under archways and through narrow alleys, all leading to the piazzetta, the village square, where a few cozy restaurants were located. especially for someone from a big city, this small and rural village with its forty residents and handful of art galleries and shops felt like a 180 degree switch to the skyscrapers and anonymous crowds of seoul. vibrant artwork was displayed on most of the windowsills and you were welcomed with genuine enthusiasm everywhere you entered.

jay grew more and more attractive with each passing minute, acting as a tour guide and sharing his extensive knowledge about the village and its people with you.

he was now leading you through the historic house museum, known as the casa degli artisti, dedicated to the renowned italian artist giacomo vittone. the museum not only paid homage to his contribution to the arts, but the collection also featured works by other artists who‘d been inspired by the region.

the owner greeted jay like an old friend, patting him on his back as he gave him a hug followed by a kiss on each cheek. jay conversed in fluent italian, gushing over the new pieces of art that had been added since his last visit. your handsome stranger seemed to know a lot about many of the individual artworks and personally guided you through the exhibitions.

meanwhile, ningning and sunghoon seemed to be in their own little bubble, bickering for the majority of the time, but you could tell it was all in good fun. if you weren’t mistaken, and you rarely were when it came to your best friend, ningning had taken a liking to the silver-haired man. she did like being challenged, though not as much as she liked to win, and she was definitely more than capable of dealing with all the teasing and pestering he made use of to secure her attention.

you weren’t really focused on the pair, if you were being honest. you’d always been a fan of the arts, fascinated by the way literature and art intersected in many places.

you eagerly bombarded jay with question after question about the pieces, any traces of shyness had vanished, replaced by a thirst for knowledge. he smiled to himself and did his best to answer, happily delving into discussions about the color palettes and artistic forms with you, delighted to see you coming out of your shell.

after having gone through each piece in extensive length, you went into a tiny store selling art goods.

the moment you stepped in, your eyes darted from one corner to the other, heart swelling with joy, unsure where to look first. if you could have, you would have bought everything they were selling. each and every piece had been crafted by hand, none of that factory-produced stuff. all the goods were unique to the village, to that store. how you wished you could’ve properly supported the local community and all its artists.

fleeing home in a hurry meant you hadn‘t been able to exchange your korean wons to euros, and most places here didn’t have card readers.

besides, you were sick and tired of being reliant on mommy‘s and daddy‘s money. all you‘d ever wanted was to support yourself by writing novels. being dependent on your parents was one thing, but the thought of being dependent on… well, him. you shook your head to rid yourself of that painful feeling. real life could wait.

everyone ventured off on their own, taking their time to absorb the treasures inside the room for as long or as little as they liked.

at a table just behind the corner stood an army of little frog figurines made of clay, painted a muddy green. the whimsical creatures with their silly little faces warmed your heart. it was a bit strange; they were only frogs after all, yet you couldn’t help but feel an immediate attachment to them.

“they‘re beautiful, aren‘t they?“ jay appeared soundlessly by your side.

you nodded. he gently lifted one to his eyes and inspected it closely, focusing on a peculiar spot under its eye. “this one kinda looks a bit like sunghoon.“

“oh, i see it.“

you picked up another one. “and this one‘s you.“ the paint had chipped off a little at the neck in exactly the shape of a heart.

jay pointed to another one and said it looked like you.

you tilted your head to the side, staring at the frog with a puzzled expression. “how come?“

“it‘s cute.“

heat rushed to your cheeks. he looked straight at you, face completely serious.

you quickly averted your eyes. the intensity in which he studied you was too much. it made you feel a little self-conscious.

ignoring your erratic heartbeat, you continued going through the frogs, the perfect excuse not to look back up at jay. rather coincidentally, since you weren‘t really focusing on the task at hand, you found the remaining missing member of your little frog community. a tiny amphibian with lovely wide eyes bore a striking resemblance to your best friend. give her a wig and voilá—amphibian ningning.

not only did jay end up buying the four frogs, but he also insisted on getting lunch for all of you. ningning and you tried to protest, but sunghoon, already used to his friend‘s generous spending sprees, ordered an obscene amount of food as if it were the last time he would eat ever. ningning and you still felt bad about leeching off jay when both of your families were rolling in dough, but there was no point arguing with the man.

by the time everyone had finished, you felt like you were about to burst any minute. despite having to soothe your aching tummies, it was worth it. the polenta e funghi you‘d had… fucking hell.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

the way back to the hotel felt much more tedious than when you‘d walked to canale di tenno. the blisters on your feet screamed for mercy, unwilling to continue trotting under the glistening sun. your full bellies dragged you down, inviting you to lie down on the grass and close your eyes for a moment.

“how come you knew the owner of the museum so well?“ you inquired, curious to learn more about jay. you walked side by side, with ningning and sunghoon a little ahead.

“oh, i thought i mentioned it. he’s actually a distant relative of mine. i‘m not quite sure. i think he is my great aunt‘s husband‘s sister‘s husband or something like that? yeah, sounds about right.“ he rubbed the back of his neck. “he and his wife rejected the luxury of our family name and she moved here to live with him, where they'd first met and fallen in love. we haven‘t been here since they got married; i'm barely even allowed to mention him to my parents. we‘re not known for being very tolerant.“

he clenched his teeth. he hated how his family had acted. was acting. he liked his great-great-uncle, admired him even.

“i wish i had the courage to be more like him, to bravely go against expectation.“

you nodded thoughtfully. “sometimes our hearts don‘t want what others have picked out for us.“

he gave you a meaningful look, but you couldn‘t decipher it.

you were walking uphill now, labored breaths escaping you with every step. ningning and sunghoon appeared to be immersed in some conversation that required a lot of gestures, judging by their constant arm movements, but they were too far ahead, fueled by their competitive energy, for you to hear.

you watched their backs as you listened to the birdsong accompanying your journey. you closed your eyes for just a second, enjoying the lovely melody, but that was all it took. you misstepped.

jay‘s reflexes kicked in just a tick too late, and there you were, crouching on the ground, face contorted in pain, clutching your ankle. you tried to stand, but the sharp pain that shot up your foot forced you back down with a yelp. the pair ahead of you quickly rushed back to you upon hearing your agonized howl.

“let me take a look,” jay said gently.

reluctantly, you allowed him to examine your ankle, wincing as the prodded it with a gentle touch. “it hurts like a bitch.”

“it‘s swollen; i think you sprained it. you shouldn‘t walk on it, or it‘ll get worse.“

“oh, my sweet little darling! i’ll get you back safely, don’t worry. hop on.“ ningning stood with a slight forward lean, ready to receive the weight.

sunghoon affectionately tapped her head and chuckled. "it’s nice that you’re so concerned, but don’t you think it would be much easier if either jay or i carried her? not to brag or anything, but i'm pretty strong."

sunghoon‘s enthusiasm faded into mortification as he caught the warning in jay's eyes.

"or… jay can carry y/n since he is much, much stronger than i am. yes, big biceps and all that good stuff. loads of muscle. umm, if you know, you know.“

you probably had no choice but to continue the journey on jay’s back. putting pressure on your foot hurt so bad and bruises already started to form a purplish-red hue.

before you could even think about protesting, he effortlessly scooped you up and adjusted you onto his back. hands secured around his neck and shoulders, you could feel his strong muscles at work as he resumed walking.

despite the situation, you couldn‘t help but feel a little flustered being so close to him. ningning winking at you from the side probably didn‘t help much either.

jay didn't complain even once about the extra weight. on the contrary, he continued talking so effortlessly, as if he weren’t carrying an entire person on his back.

“you know, this reminds me of a hike i did in the rockies last year,“ he began, voice calm and steady. “except it was sunghoon who twisted his ankle, and i had to carry him.“

you laughed softly. “it‘s insane that you‘re not even breaking a sweat, especially, in this heat,“ you said, shaking your head in disbelief.

you felt him shrug. “years of hiking and a bit of gym time,“ he replied nonchalantly. “plus, i think carrying a beautiful girl might be giving me an extra burst of energy.“

it sure was a good thing that he couldn't see your face at that moment. your cheeks burned hot as he continued making light conversation.

jay‘s relaxed demeanor helped you forget the throbbing pain in your ankle for the most part, allowing you to genuinely enjoy the rest of the walk. with no need to focus on where you were stepping anymore, you could fully take in the view, catching glimpses of a lake glimmering through the trees.

when you reached the hotel, you experienced a confusing mix of relief and disappointment as jay gently set you down. “there you go, safe and sound.“

jay went to find some ice for your ankle, and ningning retrieved painkillers from her suitcase.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

for dinner, you indulged in strangolapreti—spinach and ricotta dumplings served with a sage and butter sauce—and some pollo alla cacciatora, hunter‘s chicken cooked in a tomato and herb sauce. jay used his perfect italian to inquire about the restaurant’s finest wines, settling on a bottle of teroldego rotaliano, made from grapes native to the trentino region. because of your stupid ankle and reliance on painkillers, however, you didn't have more than just a sip or two.

after a second bottle, some gelato and more ibuprofen for your ankle, the group decided to spend the rest of the evening playing card games, which led to some rather… let‘s say interesting bets.

"i’ll let you bleach my eyebrows and dye them pink if i lose."

"if i win, i‘m going to draw dicks on your faces."

“you have to do a hundred push-ups wearing a maid costume.“

none of the bets— or so you thought— ended up being actualized since you were far too gone far too soon. the moment your head hit the pillow, you drifted off to dreamland, the sharpie shlong on your chin moving with every soft snore.

stupid, fucking ankle. why won’t you work the way you’re supposed to?!

you felt bad beyond measure. the last thing you wanted was to spoil your friends’ fun just because your ankle decided to act like a major bitch right now.

during lunch the day before, ningning had suggested a drive down to lago di garda to explore the towns there, and you wished they would just go do exactly that today.

ignoring your pleading looks, they insisted on staying at the hotel with you but what kind of shitty friend would you be if you were to allow that.

“please just go and don‘t worry about me. i‘ll be fine here on my own. there’s plenty to enjoy—good food and maybe i’ll go chill by the pool or whatever.“

ningning, whose cheeks were stuffed with strawberries, making her look like a cute little chipmunk, shook her head vehemently. “how could we just leave you here? girl, i didn’t drag you all across the globe just to abandon you. nope, i‘m staying.” she motioned vaguely toward the guys. “these two can go, but i’m not leaving you, especially not when you‘re in such a vulnerable position right now. i really don't—“

you shot her a sharp look, halting her mid-sentence. you didn’t want to be rude, but your current predicament really was none of their business.

“yo, we‘re not heartless (well, not completely)… if you‘re stayin’, we‘re stayin‘.“ what sunghoon meant by that was that he was going to follow wherever ningning would go. probably.

you nervously looked between the three of them. “but ningning, i know you‘ve been wanting to visit sirmione. you‘ve been talking about finding that restaurant your grandma used to take you to as a kid, right?“

ningning pouted. it was true. in recent years, her grandma’s illness had prevented her from making the trip with the rest of the family and her passing still weighed heavily on ningning, who had cherished her dearly. the old lady had been your best friend‘s favorite person in the whole world. next to you, goes without saying.

“and sunghoon,“ you turned to him, “you were so excited when we made these plans yesterday. it’s your first time here so you haven‘t had the chance to explore the region either.“

jay hummed thoughtfully. “what about this: ningning and sunghoon take the drive down to the lake. i’ll stay with you. i‘ve been here countless times and have seen everything there is to see.“

now, see, you wanted to protest, you really did, but he did have a valid point. you were less concerned about him missing out than you were with sunghoon and ningning, and let's face it, the selfish desire to have him all to yourself was enough to make you waver. not only was he the most handsome man you‘d ever laid eyes on, including your 2d crushes—okay, maybe not as good-looking as todoroki—, but there was also something else simmering beneath the surface that you just couldn‘t wrap your mind around. you wanted to know what it was.

ningning caught your eye and smirked knowingly. yes, this was perfect. now she could leave you in good conscience. there was no way she‘d let you refuse now.

“have fun, you two,“ she hollered over her shoulder as she practically dragged a bewildered sunghoon away.

“poor ningning. i kinda feel bad for leaving her alone with sunghoon. again.“

you waved off his concern. “you should be worried for sunghoon‘s sake. trust me when i say ningning can handle herself.“

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

“guess you‘re stuck here with me now.”

you were both lying on sun loungers by the pool, enjoying the gentle breeze that swirled around you. you had brought a book with you, anne of green gables to be exact (one of your favorites), expecting jay to swim a couple of laps, but instead, he stayed glued to your side.

“poor me,” he said with a teasing smile, placing his hand on his chest in fake agony. “spending my time with a beautiful girl. life really gives the toughest battles to its strongest soldiers.”

you bit the inside of your cheek to keep you from grinning. “whatever.”

“what about this? we have some lunch and then—do you remember the lake you saw through the trees yesterday?—we can walk down there. it only takes five to ten minutes, so carrying you won‘t be a problem.”

“please don‘t! if you want to go, don't mind me. i‘ll be fine here.”

he wouldn‘t hear of it. “ah, ah, ah, no way! i‘m the one who really wants to show you the lake, so don‘t feel bad. besides, i’m a hundred percent confident you‘ve never seen anything that beautiful.“

“not even lago di garda?”

“not even close.”

he spoke with such confidence and self-assurance you felt it would be an insult to refuse.

the path to lago di tenno was a winding descent, flanked by dense greenery and the distant murmur of water. despite the uneven terrain and the extra weight he was bearing, jay‘s pace was unhurried and smooth.

as you approached the lake, the path leveled out and the view opened up to the sparkling water, an almost surreal shade of turquoise glistening under the midday sun. the lake‘s surface was remarkably still, only disturbed by the occasional ripple from a fish darting below. surrounded by the unbelievably clear water was a small landmass featuring lush greenery, known as isola di tenno.

standing there and taking it all in, you felt peace settle within you. the fir and pine trees of the surrounding forests climbing the steep hillsides lent an earthy aroma to the crisp air.

it was as if time had slowed down, the distant chirping of birds and the gentle rustle of leaves adding to the harmonious symphony of nature.

jay‘s lips curved into a smile at the sight of your awestruck face. “i‘m glad i was right.“

you stayed at the shore and watched him wade into the lake. the cool water rose slowly up his legs, glistening as it clung to his sunkissed skin. you had to force yourself to look away, feeling like some kind of creepy stalker.

you let him enjoy the tranquility of the lake as you sat on the blanket you had brought with you. opening your trusty sketchbook, you scanned the landscape, wondering how you could capture its divine beauty on paper. your hand started moving on its own, inspiration from all around filling your heart and soul.

a sudden voice made you jump. “i didn‘t know you could draw so well. but i guess i shouldn’t be so surprised. you really did seem to be into all the art stuff yesterday.“

jay was bending down next to you, water dripping from his hair onto the blanket, looking at the page. “this is really good.“

“you think so?“ you asked. he hummed as he dried his hair with a towel.

“i‘ve always enjoyed drawing and painting. when i was younger, i used to write short stories about my childhood dog, a bearded collie named conan—yes, i named him after watching detective conan. such a good show, by the way. have you ever watched it? i don‘t know if i‘m allowed to say this as an english major, but it‘s sooo much better than the original sherlock holmes stories. i mean, there are very different, but i guess what i‘m trying to say is that they really don‘t hit the same, you know. they‘re kinda boring, actually. all the media inspired by the original sherlock holmes is so much better. bbc‘s sherlock—“

you only realized you were rambling big time when you ran out of breath. the amused smile on jay‘s face made you wish the ground would swallow you whole.

“anyways, what i was going to say was that as i tried to bring conan alive on the pages, i thought it would be much better if you could see this silly little furball at the same time. so i started incorporating little illustrations of him every now and then.“

“i’ve never read the sherlock holmes books so i can’t really say much about them, but i did use to watch detective conan a lot as a kid (though i used to be kind of scared). conan always looked so cool fighting crime. i think it‘s an awesome name for a dog! do you,“ the eagerness in his voice surprised you, ”do you have anything you can show me?“

your hands were shaking. this felt a little too intimate, if you were being honest. still, he‘d been showing genuine interest—and hadn’t minded your ramblings—and you were in the mood to rave about your adorable dog.

“those are so cute. aww, look at his little scarf.“ he was swiping through your phone‘s gallery (a precarious situation considering the many bakudeku fanarts you had saved in your gallery) giving enthusiastic oohs and aahs when appropriate. there were so many drawings of conan. conan with his dotted red scarf. conan wearing yellow boots. conan chasing his tail. a leaf landing on conan‘s broad snout.

“i really think these are awesome. they seem to capture this little rascal‘s personality very well, and, oh my god, he is just so damn adorable. i wanna squish his fluffy butt cheeks.“

seeing this grown man get so excited about your doodles made you happier than you could‘ve ever imagined. this was exactly the feeling you wanted to evoke with your work. sure, most of your stories were primarily aimed at kids, but you believed that good children‘s books should be just as valuable to an adult, and illustrations played a big underrated role in that.

the fond, childlike look on his face as he studied your drawings started to overwhelm you. you didn‘t know how to react to praise, especially coming from someone who didn‘t know you very well so they had no reason to lie to make you happy.

you had to change the topic or you were legit going to cry. how embarrassing would that be, just straight up bawling because someone liked your drawings.

“what about you?“ you asked to push the attention away from you. “you said you were studying business administration. how‘s that?“

the mood shifted so quickly, it was like someone had flipped a switch. jay didn‘t look up from your phone, now looking at conan in a superhero costume with a serious, almost dejected expression.

giving the phone back, he blinked a couple of times as if trying to blink away unwanted thoughts.

“i mean, there are interesting concepts to learn about.“ he ran a hand through his still damp strands of hair and paused for a moment. “it’s okay, but that’s it, really. but i think you guessed that already.“ he smiled, but it didn‘t quite reach his eyes.

his gaze fixed on something far off into the distance. “there are quite a few jobs i can think of that i‘d rather do. fashion design, professional chef, hip-hop dancer... but unlike you or my great-great-uncle, i‘m not brave. if i‘d really wanted to, i could‘ve defied my parents and chosen a different path. i‘m a coward, y/n.“

you put a hand on his arm. “i don‘t know your circumstances in detail, but i understand that standing up for yourself can be more difficult than it seems. i‘m not sure what gave you the impression that i'm brave because i'm really not. despite everything, i‘m still nothing more than my parents‘ marionette.“

his sigh betrayed an uncharacteristically sorrowful heaviness.

“yet you still decided to pursue writing and drawing even though i can tell that decision must’ve not been an easy one. i know they mean well, my parents. they certainly think their plans will make me happy. i don’t think they understand. i’m not sure if i‘ve tried hard enough to make them… after all, how could they—“ his voice rose as he looked up at you with a furious expression, but he cut himself off, a horrified look on his face. he quickly collected himself again. “you know what? it doesn‘t matter. i don‘t want to think about it.“

you didn‘t press on. while you did want to comfort the inner child hurting so obviously inside him, to hug him and tell him he wasn‘t a coward and that he could be strong too, you felt like it wasn‘t your place to do so. he had set boundaries and you, practically only a stranger, weren‘t going to cross them.

it was interesting to see that your seemingly perfect stranger was not leading such a perfect life after all. you felt a little guilty, but it was reassuring in a way.

the silence that followed wasn‘t particularly uncomfortable though, both of you lost in your own thoughts.

the natural beauty and quietude all around you elicited a dreamy sigh from you.

"oh, why didn‘t i think of bringing a canvas and some paint down here with me? i guess i wasn't expecting to fall in love with this place so much. i just want to capture this moment for eternity, you know?"

"you mean like a picture?" he teased. you playfully glared at him. he held up both his hands. "kidding, just kidding. let me go grab one for you!"

as he began to rise, you placed a hand on his arm to prevent him from standing. his skin was cold under your fingers and the unexpected contact sent shivers down your spine.

"oh no, stay! please, i don't want you to have to walk all the way up there. we can just bring it tomorrow."

jay quirked an eyebrow. it took you a few seconds to understand that you had just insinuated he would have to carry you down here again the next day.

"ah, no, i‘m sorry. i kind of already forgot about my little handicap. you should definitely go do something nice instead.“

"but this is nice,“ he insisted. “something about the water and watching you draw so peacefully makes me feel at ease. life is going to be stressful enough when i have to return home. and simply said, i like sitting here and looking at the view." he winked at you and you suddenly felt a little braver.

"what was that? are you flirting with me, park?" you held your head high as you said this.

"and what if i am?"

your cheeks felt uncomfortably hot. even though you‘d responded to his wooing, you now had your tail between your legs and pretended to immerse yourself in your drawing again, doing your best to ignore the foreign feeling bubbling up inside your chest.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

late that evening, you lay in bed talking to ningning about your day.

she animatedly recounted the story of how they‘d found the restaurant she used to visit with her grandmother so many years ago. the owner had still recognized her, despite so much time having passed, and had prepared the most delicious lunch for them. sunghoon waited patiently—and surprisingly quietly—as the two ladies shared stories about ningning‘s grandmother. he even tried to cheer her up afterward by making a fool of himself in public (“he looked like he was doing a rendition of the ‘there‘s squirrels in my pants’ dance“) when she‘d started crying, suddenly overwhelmed by grief.

“he can be really nice when he wants to be. i think he‘s just a little,“ she drew out the last word, “bonkers, but our energies kind of match, if you know what i mean? he attacks, i strike back. he talks shit, i tell him why he's wrong. it’s like a game. there’s definitely never a boring moment when he’s around, i’ll give him that. oh, stop looking at me like that!“ she dismissed the smirk on your face. “it‘s really not like that. man, i saw him picking his nose, that shit turns you off. and when he came back from the bathroom, his fly was open. nothing romantic‘s going on here, i promise! but i do think we could be friends.“

she clapped her hands together, super excited all of a sudden. “enough about me. how‘s it going with your handsome stranger?“ she wiggled her eyebrows at you.

your handsome stranger. right. because that‘s what he was. no matter that your heart went into overdrive whenever he‘d look at you, and no matter how much he’d made you feel seen and appreciated, you had to remind yourself that you couldn‘t really know someone after only two days. sharing only carefully selected pieces of your stories with each other didn‘t make you close.

"i mean he is really cute," you admitted with a shrug, “but you know i can‘t. i am ‘promised‘ to someone after all.“ there. you finally said it. the issue you‘d been trying so hard to forget.

"so what? it’s not like you’re dating that dude. heck, you don’t even know him yet. i wouldn’t call it cheating if you were to have something going on with jay.“

"i know but it just seems… so pointless. you know i don't do flings but it's not like i can go on dates with him either."

when you‘d come back home, you‘d likely be getting married to someone you didn‘t know and there was not much you could do about it. you wanted to say no, heck you‘d said no plenty of times already, but it was more complicated than that.

“y/n, you can always just refuse.“

“you know it‘s not that easy…“ you clenched your fists. if only you‘d been born into a different family. or maybe if you‘d actually adhered to their life plan, you wouldn‘t be in this mess right now at all.

ningning placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. "i’m sorry, i do know. i promise we’ll find a way for you to take advantage of his fucked-up situation but can‘t you still have a little fun before shit goes down? a kiss or two won't be the end of the world."

bearing that in mind, you came to sit by the lake the next day, trying to steal sneaky glances at jay while you worked on your canvas.

he was wearing a sleeveless shirt that clung to his toned frame, revealing muscular arms and broad shoulders. he had swept his hair back from his forehead, which highlighted his devilishly chiseled jawline and the intensity of his sharp eyes. every sane person would ogle at him, y/n, you told yourself. he was literally the dictionary definition of handsome and sexy, so of course you‘d stare. it was only natural. haha.

the majority of your afternoon was spent transferring your previous day‘s sketch onto the canvas and then painting over the delicate lines. jay kept you entertained, reading to you from his book, and discussing it with you.

while this might not have been a date it definitely felt like one. you read a lot of jane austen, for fuck‘s sake—you realized when something was romantic as hell. painting, reading, yapping, and all that with a hot guy. what a cruel joke. the universe seemed to have its fun taunting you, like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey.

do not be mistaken, you knew this wasn‘t love. something as silly as love at first sight did simply not exist, no matter what many of your favorite fanfics seemed to say. even suggesting you had a crush would be a crude exaggeration. but it was mutual attraction, that you were sure of, and it might have grown into something more, if not for the less-than-ideal circumstances.

what was strange was that after yesterday, jay seemed more restrained. after your little heart-to-heart, if you could even call it that, you‘d started noticing things. if you didn’t look away when his intense gaze fixed on you, you found something else there, lingering in the depths of his dark eyes. hesitancy. sadness. something that felt like… guilt?

you didn‘t know what it was, but this should‘ve been a relief. not that he was potentially struggling with something, of course, but if he‘d been flirting with you without restraint, you might have caved eventually, even though you knew it was wrong.

it was possible you might have just been misreading the signs. you had a more than vivid imagination, after all, which activated mostly in situations where more thinking wasn’t necessarily productive.

he might have just not liked the idea of getting too attached to someone he wasn‘t going to see again. with each stroke of your brush capturing the lake‘s incredible turquoise hue, you pondered whether to give him your phone number or not. the promise of a reunion might soften the unease in jay‘s eyes, you thought, but then again, would you even be able to keep it?

day four of your trip followed a similar pattern to the previous two. ningning and sunghoon ventured off on their own, though still lively “arguing“ with each other (they weren't fooling you), while you and jay walked down to the lake. talking and painting seemed to become your version of wining and dining.

that day, you had packed a second canvas, determined to teach jay the basics of painting.

“theory is important, but practice is where you bring it to life.“

you guided his shaky hands as he made his first stroke.

“start with broad strokes,“ you explained, demonstrating a sweeping motion. “don‘t worry about adding details yet.“

you kneeled behind him, arm draped around his shoulder for support as you leaned forward to place your hand over his.

he tried his best, but despite your brilliant guidance, his inexperience showed. years of looking into the theoretical aspects of art weren’t nearly enough to effectively apply all his knowledge in practice. he gained a newfound appreciation for painting after experiencing firsthand how challenging it could be. though he had to admit that you holding his hand so delicately was certainly distracting him as well.

if you hadn’t been so focused on keeping your racing heart under control, you might have picked up on the way he swallowed nervously.

on the fifth day, you managed to convince the group that your ankle was already much better.

you weren‘t exactly lying, but you weren’t being completely honest either. with rest, ice, and compression, the pain had improved significantly, but walking still wasn‘t as easy as you would‘ve liked.

the thing was, you just couldn‘t trust yourself around jay anymore. the urge to kiss him had completely spiraled out of control. it felt like what you imagined an omega would experience during their heat (not that you had any experience in that regard).

it was hard to keep up the facade of a calm, collected intellectual that was definitely not going insane over a man you’d met not even a week ago. to be fair, that facade had already started crumbling the moment you had outed yourself as a massive nerd, but still. this was worse.

showing him your drawings had been intimate enough, but then painting together—literally your own idea—the day before had been overwhelmingly, unbearably so. being so close to him, it had taken all your willpower not to seize him by his collar, pull him near, and passionately make out with him. but consent and having functioning brain cells were definitely more important, so you held yourself back—just barely.

his ridiculously charming smile, this sunkissed skin, his kind words—they had haunted you in your dreams that night. like okay, we get it. you want him. rein it in, cowboy.

so, for jay‘s own safety and also your sanity, you chose to endure the ache in your ankle as the group explored several towns surrounding lago di garda together.

for lunch, you grabbed fries from a booth and enjoyed them by the lakeside. that was until a seagull came swooping down with a squawk, startling you and causing you to drop your fries. ningning and you left the boys behind on the bench and hurried back to the stall for fresh, dirt-free fries.

"you still haven't kissed her?" sunghoon asked incredulously.

jay shook his head grimly. "i've already told you, i really shouldn't."

“but you want to?“ sunghoon pressed.

jay’s face contorted as if he were in pain. “yeah.“

"we‘re leaving in two days. if you want to kiss the girl, then kiss the girl, my dude. don‘t overthink it. it‘s not like you‘re pretending to be in love with her just to get your dick wet.“

"i didn‘t want to come here in the first place,“ jay said, choosing not to comment on sunghoon‘s blunt choice of words. “i wish i could take her out properly. buy her flowers. a kiss on the third date, if everything goes well and she likes me enough. not… whatever this is."

sunghoon seemed about to say more but quickly closed his mouth when he saw you and ningning approaching.

you stayed by ningning‘s side for most of the day, like a child hiding behind its mother, avoiding interacting with jay as much as possible. you could feel his eyes boring into your back as you walked ahead of him at a safe distance.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

the sky that evening was a canvas painted with the most breathtaking array of colors, transitioning from deep oranges and fiery reds near the horizon to softer pinks and purples higher up. you had dinner back at the hotel and were now sitting outside on the patio, drinking wine.

“oh, just imagine what the lake must look like right now,“ you mused dreamily, resting your head on your hands.

"why don‘t you go and see for yourself?" asked ningning, busy playing sudoku on her phone.

"i don't want to walk back alone in the dark. unless," you draped an arm around her shoulder, "you want to come with me."

ningning chuckled as she removed your arm. "do you know how many blisters i have from all the walking i've been doing?“

"i could come with you," came the suggestion from jay. all heads turned to him. sunghoon smirked at his friend. had he finally grown some balls?

you hesitated. was this really a good idea? you‘d been avoiding him all day for a very good reason.

but the sunset was so exceptionally beautiful; it might not be like this again before you left! oh, you‘d be fine.

so the two of you began the descent down to the lake once more—though you maintained a respectful distance to your companion. the scene was more beautiful than you could’ve ever imagined. the tranquil water of the lake mirrored the spectacular explosion of color in the sky. each ripple on the surface created by the evening breeze seemed to capture a fragment of the sunset, turning the water into a shimmering expanse of gold, pink, and lavender.

you were so entranced by the magical sunset that you momentarily forgot you were supposed to go absolutely feral for the man by your side.

it wasn‘t until the first stars began to twinkle faintly in the night sky, that you stopped walking along the shore taking pictures. the pebbles were cold against your skin as you settled down. siting there, you scrolled through the pictures you‘d taken, fireflies dancing around your heads as you admired what had just been lost to the horizon.

"back home, there is nothing nearly as pretty as this," you said softly.

"back home there is no one as pretty as you either."

you turned your head in surprise. now way you‘d heard him correctly. jay wore a serious expression, his gaze unwavering as he reached to cup your face, brushing a loose strand of hair to the side with his thumb. his eyes dropped to your lips.

“i know this is soon, but i’ll go insane if i don’t ask. can i kiss you?“

you blinked at him, your mind momentarily blank. there were things to be considered here but your brain did not seem to want to produce any thoughts, distracted by the sight of his plump lips and his soft touch. his thumb gently grazed your cheek.

"i only want to do this if you do too. i was trying to resist, but whenever i look at you, my heart starts pounding like crazy, and i keep on wondering if you taste just as sweet as you are."

"okay," you whispered against his lips, almost touching but not quite.

"i need a definite yes," he insisted.

"yes," you breathed out. "kiss me. please,” the last word came out almost pleadingly.

with that, he closed the gap and pressed his lips to yours. his movements were gentle, almost shy at first. jay moved his other hand to your cheek, holding your face delicately.

he let his forehead rest against yours, noses brushing against each other.

"wow," he breathed. you hummed in response, eyes still closed, trying to savor the moment.

you kissed him again, this time tangling your hands in jay's soft black strands while he let his wander down to respectfully rest on your waist. he responded to your kiss almost immediately, deepening it with much enthusiasm. lips parted and met with more vigor than before. the sounds that escaped your lips were all sorts of desperate as he caressed the soft curves of your body.

“finally, my omega is getting what it wants.“

you hadn‘t even realized you‘d said it until he pulled away, confusion in his eyes.

“what?“ he asked, still dazed from the kiss.

“oh, uh… have you ever heard of the omegaverse? a/b/o fics? well, how do i put it? humans are divided into alphas, betas, and omegas. and like omegas have these heat cycles, and when they go into heat, they need a lot of… um, GDDing or they‘ll go insane. good deep dicking? no? so, when they go into heat, they release all those pheromones which the alphas can smell and like they‘ll lose their minds if they don‘t do the GDDing immediately. and then there‘s knotting. that‘s when the alpha‘s penis swells and becomes engorged and then—“

“y/n,“ jay interrupted gently, rubbing his nose against yours affectionately, “i love your ramblings, i really do, and i promise you can tell me all about it later if you’d like. but right now, there‘s something else we could be doing instead?“

you swallowed nervously. “right.“

your own inner omega in heat activated again as soon as he started nibbling on your lower lip. you clung to him desperately, afraid he might let go, eagerly chasing his lips the moment he pulled away even just a little. he tugged you closer, positioning you to straddle him, allowing for a more comfortable angle to kiss. your head was quiet for once, allowing you to simply enjoy the sensation of being touched.

with his mouth on yours and his hands clawing at your waist, you never wanted this moment to end. the heat between you intensified, the world fading into a distant background. every touch, every desperate caress fueled a fire within you, igniting a longing that was almost scary, so intense and foreign was it.

eventually, though, you had to part to catch your breaths. jay rubbed soothing circles on your back with one hand, holding your face in his other as he stared into your eyes, whispering sweet nothings.

there were so many things you wanted to say, but didn't. thoughts of your fiancé back home flooded your mind.

jay continued to whisper sweet nothings as he held you in his arms, but there was so much that was left unspoken between you.

you needed to tell him. maybe he‘d know what to do, how to make this work. not now though; it‘d only ruin this sweet moment. you‘d do it tomorrow.

when each other's bodies were no longer enough to keep you warm, you decided to return to the hotel. he held your hand as you walked up the winding path, each squeeze communicating unspoken words, a silent exchange of emotions.

he bid you goodnight, his lips grazing your forehead. you were left a blushing mess as you went to sleep. ningning's light snores accompanied you as you were gradually transported to dreamland.

"what do you mean they're gone? how can they just be gone? they weren‘t supposed to leave until tomorrow." ningning said, her voice tinged with disbelief. soobin gulped nervously.

“i’m sorry, i don’t know the details. it seemed like an emergency,“ he replied, conveying what little information he had.

gone. they had left without a word. you felt your chest tighten as the reality of their sudden disappearance set in. the abruptness of his departure felt like a slap, leaving a raw, aching void where his presence had been.

“jay did ask me to give you these, though.“ soobin handed you the little frog figurines jay had bought on the first day. a small note was stuck to the underside of the one that resembled you.

i am sorry, please do not hate me. thank you for everything. you truly are special.

ningning and you had no choice but to spend the remainder of your last day alone. sulking by the pool, you lamented the short time spent together. one more day wouldn‘t have been much, but they hadn‘t even left their numbers or any other way to contact them. it was like a punch to the gut, not only to you but to ningning as well.

you wondered if there really had been an emergency. maybe you‘d managed to scare him away with your omagaverse talk. “you truly are special,“ you muttered to yourself bitterly. he probably meant special as in a fucking lunatic. god, who talked about knotting in the middle of making out? at least you hadn‘t gotten to mpreg yet or he'd have bolted immediately.

the next day you boarded an early flight back to seoul. you held onto a faint hope that maybe, just maybe, your mother would at least be relieved you returned safely. any normal parent would be concerned when their child disappeared for a couple of days without a word. only you didn’t have normal parents.

instead of relief, you were greeted with cold fury as your mother watched you enter through the front door. she barely spoke a word, grinding her teeth as she commanded you to go to your room, treating you as if you weren‘t a grown adult.

your room was your sanctuary, your safe space amidst the chaos that was your family. four large shelves divided into regular novels and manga held your literary treasures alongside funko pops of your favorite fictional characters (lots of todoroki and sailor moon). there had been instances where your mother had tried to throw everything out, hell, she’d even torn up some of your books, but you refused to let that force you into submission.

in one last desperate attempt to escape your situation, you chopped off most of your hair. if your “fiancé“ was anything like your, and presumably his, parents then he might just straight up refuse to marry you the moment he‘d see you. you thought the short hair suited you, but people could be incredibly shallow in such matters. you hoped this was one of those times.

“what have you done?“ your mother‘s sharp tone was a mixture of disappointment and outrage. she paced back and forth, gesturing to the remnants of hair strewn across the bathroom floor. “you knew how important today was!“

your mother took a step forward, her face flushed with anger. “you never listen, do you?“ she barked, her voice trembling. “you never consider anyone but yourself.“

you squared your shoulders, meeting her gaze defiantly. “maybe i‘m tired of trying to please you, mother.“

"i‘m trying to protect our family‘s interests,” she retorted, “and sometimes that means making sacrifices for the greater good. this merger with their family‘s hotel chain is crucial for our future. can‘t you see that?“

no matter how you pleaded or reasoned, nothing could sway your mother. you understood how important this merger was to your family‘s business empire, and you weren‘t so ignorant that you couldn‘t acknowledge the potential benefits. yet, you didn‘t understand why you were the one who had to sacrifice their own happiness for the sake of the family. one that had never cared about you, at that.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

the restaurant picked out for this pivotal first meeting with the chosen family exuded opulence and refinement, its interior bathed in the warm glow of chandeliers that reflected off polished wood and marble accents. as you arrived, the other family was already seated at a table near a large window overlooking a serene garden.

the mother of your fiancé greeted yours with a firm handshake, her slender figure clad in a tailored designer suit and exquisite diamonds dangling from her ears. she stood up gracefully upon your entrance, obscuring your view to the man seated behind her.

"park jiyoung, meet y/n, my daughter,” your mother introduced, her tone awfully chippy. “unfortunately, there was an accident at the hairdresser‘s, so please excuse the hair. i‘m sure it will grow out soon.“

under mrs. park’s scrutinizing gaze, which rivaled your own mother’s, discomfort pierced you like a dagger.

"welcome, y/n, to our family. it's nice to finally meet you.“ the fake smile on her lips suggested she hadn’t yet quite approved of you as the most suitable match for her son.

“and this is the pride of our family, park jongseong. i believe you‘ve met."

she stepped to the side, revealing the man sitting behind her. he stood up and reluctantly stepped forward.

he was wearing a dark blue suit that elegantly emphasized his broad shoulders, while his neatly styled black hair gleamed under the soft chandelier lights. his eyes, dark and narrow, were cast downward toward the natural stone flooring. there, discreetly nestled against the skin of his neck, you saw a detail that momentarily froze time for you.

a heart-shaped birthmark.

memories flooded your mind — turquoise waters, steep mountainsides, fireflies swirling around your head, fingers digging into the softness of your skin. standing before you now as park jongseong, the man chosen to be your husband, was unmistakably your jay. the one who had kissed you and told you you were special.

the same jay now seemed less surprised than you felt. he avoided meeting your eyes, looking like a guilty puppy caught in the act, and a suspicion stirred within you that made your stomach churn. you felt sick. impossible, you thought. but looking at the man, no, the stranger in front of you, you weren‘t so sure.

his gaze darted around the room, landing everywhere but on you, as if unable to face the weight of your shared history and the unspoken questions hanging between you. every instinct in you yearned to reach out, to demand answers, to plead with him to acknowledge the bond that had once felt so real. yet, his avoidance spoke louder than words, filling the air with a painful silence that echoed the betrayal you felt.

had it all been just an act?

a/n: omg i love you sm if you made it to the end! reblogs, likes & feedback are always highly appreciated 🫶🏻 🫶🏻🫶🏻

ngl i hope y'all don't hate me for not making this a cute simple love story LMAOO i'm already working on a part 2

here are pictures of lago di tenno btw! i didn’t lie about the color

117 notes · View notes

lewkwoodnco · 8 months ago

Text

but daddy, I love him! - lockwood x reader

George tipped Lockwood out of his chair with surprising ease while Lucy started yelling at him. The two boys twisted around in their scuffle until George finally pinned Lockwood down and raised a fist above his head.

"Give me ONE good reason why I shouldn't punch your pretty face right now."

Lockwood's scratched and mildly bruised face split into one of his winning smiles, his whimpering temporarily ceased.

"You think my face is pretty?"

George reared back for the punch and Lockwood started shrieking incomprehensibly while Lucy started telling them both off.

a/n - vfvhkefrhu woooo this took a little more time than I anticipated heheh but here it is! <3

warnings/tropes - lockwood x socialite!reader, lil bit of angst, mostly fluff/humour!

word count - 3.8k!

MASTERLIST | TAGLIST

Right here, on this plush velvet couch, was where they were going to find her body. They were going to have to scrape her off bit by bit.

It was a dim Saturday morning, and Y/N was rotting in her courtyard living room with two of her friends. Sarah was preening in the full-length mirror, trying to decide if her nose was too small. Hannah was sipping a mimosa on the sofa opposite her, going on about this boy from two towns over who took her to the movies - not that she would ever be seeing him again, given that he was below her station. Y/N thought it was a shame; she couldn't remember Hannah ever showing this much of an interest in someone other than herself.

So there she sat, some unknown frustration distantly bubbling away as she was bored out of her skull. Maybe it was an ungrateful thing to say, but her fashionable lifestyle could feel glamorous for only so long. It was starting to grow stale - as stale as Sarah's obsession with her nose. She stifled a yawn, her eyes wandering to the higher floors, when something made her sit up. There it was again, a little flicker of light reflecting off of something. She mumbled something about a powder room and clumsily got to her feet, excusing herself from her inattentive guests.

It took her a while to figure out exactly where the flash was coming from, but she eventually located the corridor down where she could hear some noises. She heard a set of footsteps approaching her and turned, nearly running straight into a lanky clothes-hanger of a boy laden with all sorts of gizmos, wearing the most horribly ridiculous pair of goggles she had ever seen.

He let out a short scream and clung onto his goggles, and she reflexively caught the supplies that slipped from his arms.

"Who the hell are you?"

He owlishly blinked through his shiny, reflective goggles a few times, before reluctantly slipping them off. All thoughts about his strange attire flew from her head, replaced by one annoyingly nagging thought - he had kind eyes. Soft, trusting, kind eyes, the kind that momentarily knocked the breath out of you.

"I am so sorry..."

Don't be, she wanted to breathe out, transfixed on his eyes. He paused a little and awkwardly gestured to her arms. She glanced down and remembered where she was, hurriedly returning his supplies.

"That's some, um, interesting equipment you have."

He gave a brief smile. "Thank you. Anthony Lockwood, Lockwood & Co."

She frowned. "Lock-wood & Co. That sounds familiar."

"Well, we are a very up-and-coming psychical inv-"

"Oh! The agency that burned down Sheen Road!"

The boy's face took a faint tinge of red, and she immediately regretted putting her foot in her mouth.

"I mean - uh - you have some very interesting equipment."

He opened his mouth to respond when two more figures emerged from the shadows behind them, a girl guiding another flailing and mildly bruised boy, both of whom had donned matching goggles.

"Lockwood, I can't see shit without my glasses. How much longer do I have to make an arse out of myself?

The girl looked at Lockwood with an injured expression. "And you said these came free from Satchell's."

Lockwood huffed irritatedly at the other boy. "Snitch."

"Boo-fucking-hoo. I told you these wouldn't work." He sucked in a breath to continue but stopped short as he finally registered Y/N. "Hang on-"

"She's alive."

"Damn."

Lockwood gestured carelessly towards the other two. "My associates, Lucy Carlyle and George Karim."

"So you're here about the third-floor Visitor?"

"Yes. We received a report about some footprints..?"

"Oh, right. Those are just below my room. Here." She led the trio to the landing at the foot of the flight of stairs leading up to her room, which was stained with a quickly disappearing smattering of bloody footprints. The other boy knelt and considered the substance.

"Ectoplasm."

Lockwood turned back to her. "How often does the Visitor make an appearance?"

"No clue; I'm blind as a bat to anything supernatural. But the footprints only show up every couple of days, so it might be a while before they show up again."

His associates started examining the scene, and he bid her farewell with a grateful smile. By the time she had returned to the courtyard, she had been gone a bit too long to have her absence go unnoticed by her friends.

"And where did you run off to?"

"Told you, the powder room." She picked up a stray magazine, keeping her tone light. "I ran into some agents on the way back."

"Ooh. From Rotwell's?"

"Lockwood & Co."

Sarah peeled herself away from the mirror, mystified. "Who?"

Her giddy glow faltered. "An agency. Mr. Lockwood was there too. I was just...having a small chat with them."

"What for? They're working class."

"Don't be rude, Sarah." Hannah turned back to Y/N, a pinched expression still lingering on her face. "But...she's not wrong."

Y/N bristled defensively. "I'll have you know they're perfectly respectable company." Better than you lot, she wanted to add.

"Why? They're...poor."

"Y/N, we only want what's best for you," Hannah added in a nauseatingly simpering voice. "And that's...not...with people like them."

She tossed her magazine aside flippantly.

"You know, I wonder how the two of you bear it."

"Bear what?"

"Walking around with your noses stuck in the air all the time."

With that, she exited the living room, fuming. Yes, she was being childish, and yes, it wasn't news that her friends were prone to arrogance, but for some reason, their attitudes were particularly grating today. They hadn't met Lockwood like she had, of course they wouldn't understand. She replayed the feeling of watching him remove his goggles for the first time - unexpectedly climactic, and somehow...familiar.

She was sure of it. They would never understand.

For the next few nights, there would be a Lockwood & Co. employee stationed at the landing, complete with iron chains, flares, and salt. They'd bring along something to occupy themselves, like a book or a 3D puzzle, but it still felt nice to have a short chat with them before she went up to her room.

With Lockwood, the chats always lasted a little longer, and maybe she stayed up a little later than she ought to on those nights, but really, it wasn't anything special. Little by little, they pieced each other together. She's restoring her father's old radio. He likes his orange juice with pulp. She has an older brother she hasn't talked to in months. He visits his family's graves on the first Tuesday of every month.

The more time she spent with Lockwood, the more she realised how uninteresting she found everyone else. Somewhere between their stilted whispers and muffled laughter, she started to desire something...more.

"Hey."

Lockwood looked up from his magazine from where he was sitting cross-legged, encircled by his iron chains. He glanced at his watch, startled.

"You're back early."

She wrinkled her nose. "Wasn't enjoying the fundraiser."

"What about your friends?"

"They wanted to stay."

"So they let you leave? All by yourself?"

She bit her tongue. "Nothing wrong in that."

"No, of course not." As he was on the first day they met, Lockwood was quick to be an agreeable companion. But this trait added weight to the few times he chose to disagree. "But...nothing right either."

"It's alright. I'd hate to spoil their night." She sank onto the carpeted steps. "How's the investigation going?"

Lockwood glanced at the temperature sensor placed slightly outside the iron circle. "Temperature's dropping more than usual. Could just be because it's chillier today, but you never know." He looked up, and the moonlight illuminated his starkly pale face. "Do you not have any Talent?"

She hesitated. "A little. Not much, mind, certainly not enough to be an agent. But it was never something I needed to consider. I know people have it bad out there, but I'm just..."

"...too rich."

She gave a wry smile. "What gave it away? Besides the skyscraper ceilings, of course." They laughed briefly, before quickly sinking into a jagged silence.

"What's your home like?"

"It's...it's hard to describe. I don't think I could do it justice. You should come see Portland Row sometime. Have dinner with m-us. Us. Once we're done with the job. If you'd like."

"You should come see Portland Row sometime. Have dinner with m-us. Us. Once we're done with the job. If you'd like."

Lockwood was staring very hard at his sneakers. She found the whole thing highly amusing.

"Lockwood, I'd leave with you right now if I could. Really. It's just...my father..."

Her father would sooner have an aneurysm than let her 'play hooky,' as he would put it, especially with this less-than-glamorous ragtag team of misfits. While it had occasionally been a source of mild annoyance before, she never resented him as much as she did right then. And all that was without considering all the eyebrows that a guy like Lockwood would raise.

The faint moonlight was enough to make out the glimmer of his teeth, the curve of his face, the shadows settling around his deep-set eyes. She ached to know the look on his face, to know how he was feeling. The sprigs of lavender she had weaved into the hem of her dress were heavily perfuming the air, heady enough to make the evocative pull of his gaze strangely irresistible.

She peered at him through the railings, whose shadows marred his face, painfully reminiscent of a prison cell. She slid her hand along the bannister, gripping it firmly. It was moments like these when the rest of the house was quiet, too quiet, that she felt something flutter in her chest. Some compulsion flickering through her tendons to reach out through the railings, brush her fingers across his cheekbone, to have and to hold-

"It's getting late." Lockwood put his coat back on and started gathering some of his equipment. "I think I'll call it a night."

She hurriedly got to her feet too, suddenly embarrassed for some reason. "Yeah. No, me too. I should...I should get some rest."

Still, she lingered at the foot of the stairs long enough for Lockwood to pack away the chains. As he straightened, he turned to her as if he could feel that she was brimming with...something. She wanted to tell him how much she had enjoyed this night, and every night before. She wanted to tell him how happy he made her.

But she couldn't find the words.

"Good night," she said softly.

That was the last of their secret late-night rendezvous, as the Shade finally reappeared the following night and was safely put to rest by Lucy, along with any hopes of a budding romance.

Five days after what Y/N had thought was the last time she'd lay eyes on Anthony Lockwood (not that she was keeping count), she was quite happily proven wrong. Lockwood and George had paid a visit to collect their payment from her father.

She was not-so-casually lounging at the opposite end of the living room with her friends. The magazine she was holding upside down wouldn't have fooled anyone if they were paying attention, especially coupled with her relentlessly staring at Lockwood. She had been a little on edge when he had first walked in, hating how their last conversation had ended. But all it took was one of his easy, soothing smiles as he discreetly glanced at her to calm her down. She buried her nose deeper into the magazine as if she hadn't seen it, failing to hold her smile back.

When she had sufficiently composed herself, she peeked over the edge of the magazine to see the boys having some sort of disagreement as her father was writing out a cheque. Lockwood seemed to want to do something and George seemed to be holding him back until the cheque had been written.

As soon as her father had handed the cheque to them, George accepted it with a hurried thanks and a funny bow before practically running out. Lockwood took a deep breath before launching into some kind of monologue while occasionally glancing at her. Openly. Her father's face remained impassive.

She put away her magazine, mystified as she tried to make out what he was saying, trying to keep the dread creeping into her at bay. Even her friends had picked up on something being amiss as they followed her line of sight.

Her stomach sank as she caught a glimpse of the hard look on her father's face. By now, it couldn't have been more obvious that Lockwood was asking him...about her. She wanted to shake him, yell at him to run away, but some kind of morbid fascination, or perhaps a deep-seated fear, had locked her limbs, forcing her to helplessly watch as the events cruelly unfolded. She knew her father, and she knew Lockwood would never be able to change his mind. At least, she was quite certain.

She snapped out of her haze and leapt to her feet, but it was too late. By the time she had reached the pair, her father was already bidding him a stern farewell.

"...and if you ever talk to my daughter again, I will personally make sure that you never find work another day in London."

Lockwood turned sharply and briskly walked out, his facial features carefully schooled, seemingly oblivious to her hurrying over, or her gasp of despair. He took long strides that made it difficult for her to keep up with him, and he didn't stop until he joined George outside, closing the wrought iron gate between her and him. She clutched one of the bars and he almost immediately wrapped his hand around her.

"Lockwood - "

"You should go back inside before your father sees us."

"Please, listen - I'm really sorry."

"It's alright. I understand."

"My father's never been the understanding type, far from it - "

"I know - I knew that."

"This is all my fault. I should have warned you."

"No, don't...you didn't know I was going to do this."

"We could have kept it a secret."

"And have you sneak around? Lie to your father? Y/N, I'm not above taking the easy route when the situation calls for it, but not in this case. I wanted to do right by you."

Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. Lockwood looked as outwardly poised and calm as ever, but with the two of them this close, she could see the frustration simmering in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry - so mad - that he threatened you like that."

"To hell with my agency." He sighed and pressed his forehead against the gate, lowering his eyes to where their hands were clasped together in some pathetic pseudo-embrace. "I know how much his approval means to you. I just wish I could have gotten that."

They were silent for a moment. There was only a gentle breeze but no rustling leaves, and even George seemed sorry for his best friend. It was quiet enough to feel like they could hear each other's heartbeat but from opposite sides of the gate.

"I'm still sorry."

Lockwood bowed his head. "So am I."

He brushed his lips against her knuckles before pulling his fingers out of her palm and walking out of her life. She watched the two of them walk away, unable to leave the gate and come to terms with what had happened. For a moment there, before her father's expression had shifted, she had felt a glimmer of hope for her happy ending.

But reality had struck, and now all she could do was go up to her room, walk through the empty landing, and sob into her pillow as her heart screamed for the life she ached for so desperately.

She allowed herself the day to grieve, but by nightfall, she had already started plotting her next steps. The next day, she decided to broach the topic at the breakfast table, where her friends were already seated, whispering furiously until she walked in. She sat opposite her father as usual, who was reading the day's newspaper.

"Dad. I want to talk about yesterday. With - with Lockwood."

He gave no indication of having heard her. She could feel her friends' hawk-eye stares boring into her skin. Against her better judgment, she pressed on.

"I think...you should give him a second chance."

She could practically hear her friends salivating in excitement, flinching as her father set the paper down. He had a bit of a temper, no more than her, but it was never unwarranted.

"And why is that?"

"He may not have much, but he's capable, hard-working, resilient-"

"I know exactly the type of person he is, and before yesterday I thought you did too. Or have you forgotten Sheen Road?"

She nervously fidgeted with the buttons on her dress, suddenly feeling trapped and suffocated. This was going to be an uphill battle, she could see that, now that her blaze of self-righteousness was beginning to fade. "That was a one-off," she mumbled.

"Not quite. I rang up DEPRAC afterwards, and they said in no uncertain terms that his agency was one good accident away from being shut down. He's known to behave recklessly and rarely per the law - "

"Have you stopped to think why he might act this way? You've spoken to him yourself - doesn't seem the irrational type, does he?"

He sighed irritatedly.

"Is this really the type of person you want to throw your whole life away for? To tarnish your reputation?"

"It's my life and it's my name. If I wish to burn my life to the ground or throw my name in the mud, that's my choice. You don't get a say in that."

"To do all this over a washed-up, good-for-nothing-"

"But Daddy, I love him!"

"I don't - "

"And I'm having his child."

Sarah shrieked and dropped her compact. Even Hannah was rendered speechless, nervously pulling at her braid. Her father's eyes looked as though they were about to fall out of his head. An uncomfortable, prickling silence followed.

"Okay, I'm not, but you should see your faces."

Sarah gave a dramatic sigh of relief as Hannah released her braid. "Oh my, what a mess-"

"Don't you start." She turned back to her father, fresh out of all the hope and ammunition she had walked into the room with. "Please, Daddy. Never...never once have I complained about any of your rules. Can't I-" her voice broke off as she struggled to hold back a sob. "Can't I please just have this one thing?"

Her father looked unmoved.

"You listen to me, Y/N - stay away from him."

She glanced around the room desperately, trying to figure one last way out. One last way out. That was all she needed.

She found it.

"Fine. Maybe you're right. Maybe he is crazy. Maybe...maybe he is bad news."

She stood up, wrenching her anxious fingers away from her buttons, poised to run out of the room.

"But I love him anyway."

Lucy and Lockwood were at Portland Row going over the floor plans of the house of their next case. Lucy was trying her best to keep Lockwood on task, but she had never seen him this disinterested in their work.

She was struggling to hold his attention while he was fidgeting with a pen not very skillfully when they heard an insistent tapping on their kitchen window. They looked up to see Y/N waving at them frantically, gesturing towards the front door. Lockwood leapt up from their kitchen table, nearly stabbing himself with the pen, and joined her outside. There was something very nervous about Y/N's body language, especially since she started talking a mile a minute as soon as Lockwood stepped out.

"God, your eyebags look horrendous in the light. Do you ever-?"

The door shut behind the two of them. Lucy waited at the table for a minute or so, but once it became apparent they weren't about to finish anytime soon, she fetched a book and started to read. About ten minutes later, the front door opened again, but this time it was George returning from the Archives.

"Oh, George, can you tell Lockwood to come back inside?"

"What?"

"Lockwood."

"Where?"

"Outside."

"...outside where?"

"Outside, George. Don't be daft."

George stared at her cluelessly.

"He is still outside...?"

The realisation hit them both at once as they tripped over each other on their way to the front door. They looked out into the half-empty street, and the empty parking space in front of their house.

"George," Lucy asked, feeling majorly peeved by now. "Where is the car we rented for the weekend?"

Over the next month, neither Lucy nor George heard a word from Lockwood. After a particularly intense discussion that day, they decided not to alarm anyone by filing a missing person's report. But he had been absent from public view for a suspiciously long time, and Barnes was starting to find the story they concocted about Lockwood's debilitating illness less and less convincing.

Lucy and George had just arrived home after their latest case, which they were lucky enough to finish early. Lucy flicked on the kitchen light and there, sitting at the kitchen table, as he was nearly a month back, was Lockwood. He looked a little taller and a little less gaunt than they remembered. The three of them stared at each other for a moment, speechless, until the two of them launched themselves at him.

"Give me ONE good reason why I shouldn't punch your pretty face right now."

Lockwood's scratched and mildly bruised face split into one of his winning smiles, his whimpering temporarily ceased.

"You think my face is pretty?"

George reared back for the punch and Lockwood started shrieking incomprehensibly while Lucy started telling them both off.

"Wait - WAIT - you'll crumple the invites!"

"What invites?"

"To a - uh - how do I put this..."

"Spit it OUT - "

"Wedding!"

"Whose?"

Lockwood brought his arms down from where he was shielding his face, smiling bashfully. The three of them exchanged looks ranging from congratulatory to homicidal.

"What about -"

"He came around. We had lunch with him earlier."

"Wow. That's...congratulations. I just can't believe..."

"I know, we can't either."

"...that you didn't come straight home?"

"Geo- look, George, I wanted to, believe me, I - not the face, NOT THE -"

TAGLIST: @neewtmas @ahead-fullofdreams @mitskiswift99 @ell0ra-br3kk3r @elenianag080 @mohinithoughts @avdiobliss @snoopyluver20 @mischivana @dangelnleif

#lockwood and co #lockwood & co #lockwood and co netflix #anthony lockwood #anthony lockwood x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #anthony lockwood imagine #but daddy i love him #taylor swift #the tortured poets department #songfic

120 notes · View notes

rubyreduji · 1 year ago

Note

🧸 Woooo happy anniversary/3k! =D May I ask for a Woozi drabble? I'm thinking something along the lines of the reader being a witch/magic user but she's also a witch/magic user hunter, tracking down those that misuse their power against normal folk. She goes above and beyond to hide this from Woozi but he and a few of the members just so happen to be near during one of her fights. Plot twist: he already knew! Fluffy romance, if you please. I hope this is okay, thanks so much!

— sleepover event now over!! 🧸️

the witches in the woods - ljh

summary: being a witch and a witch hunter is not always the easier, having to keep your two identities separate, but it’s the job you have to do to keep from your crush finding out

tags: fluff, witch & witch-hunter!reader, witch-hunter!jihoon, f!reader wc: 1.7k an: this made me miss watching the owl house lol </3 so some of the powers may be based off that…this is a bit more plot than fluff but i hope you enjoy!

“Pull back! They outpower us!” You hear Seungcheol’s call from your earpiece.

You know if your whole team was here you guys would be able to take them on, but your whole team isn’t here, deciding to split up earlier. The thing is your split up team couldn’t take them, but you can. You tune out Seungcheol’s orders, continuing hot on the trail of the five witches ahead of you.

You can already feel your magic coursing through your veins as you start to gain on them. It’s been so long since you’ve been in a proper fight, always relying on your team rather than your powers, keeping them a secret from anyone else.

It’s not like being a witch is uncommon in this day and age, but when you work a job with the title “Witch Hunter” it’s probably best to keep that part of your identity secret. Though you’re fairly sure that even if your team did find out it wouldn’t change anything, you don’t want to run the risk if you don’t have to.

That being said, you quite miss using your powers and you can help but let giddiness overtake you as you chase after the other witches. You can hear their snickers of joy, thinking they’ve gotten away, but you’re not going to let that happen.

You raise your hand, feeling your mind and body connect with the woods around you. You focus your energy into the tree branches before you clench your fist and drag it down, causing all of the branches to grow down into a wall, cutting off the path from the witches. Before they even have time to process what just happened, you throw your hand back into the air, raising vines from the ground to wrap around their bodies and suspend them in the air.

“What the- there!” One of them calls, pointing at where you stand a few feet away.

“A witch!” Another shouts.

“Traitor!” The first one yells. “You’re a witch, what are you doing helping the enemy?”

“Enemy?” You spit out. “The only enemy is you guys. No witch should ever misuse their powers yet you guys run around and do nothing but commit crimes. People are getting hurt because of you!”

The man chuckles. “What’s the point of powers if you can’t enjoy them? Who cares if some people get hurt? That adds to the fun!”

You roll your eyes. You don’t know why you’re standing here listening to them. They’re the ones who are on the unfortunate side of this predicament.

You wrap a vine around their mouths in hopes to shut them up as you reach for the anti-magic cuffs on your belt. You push the vines to the ground, pinning the witches down. You move over to them, snapping the cuffs on the loud-mouthed man who is clearly the leader of them. He curses you out the whole time and you wish you also had tape on you to shut him up.

You’ve clicked the cuff on the second person and are moving to the third when you hear a shout. “Y/N!” It’s Jihoon.

Jihoon, the one person who absolutely can not find out you’re a witch. Not only due to your eensy weensy crush on him, but also due to the fact that he comes from the longest standing dynasty of witch hunters.

In a mere second, your concentration is lost, the vines loosening their grips on the witches, allowing the three uncuffed ones to quickly break out of them. Out of the corner of the eye you see a flash from the trees and you recognize the figure as Jihoon.

Shit.

“Y/N, watch out!” You whip around to see a rock hurtling towards your face. You quickly shoot your hand up, stopping the rock and making it crumble into tiny pieces. A flicker of shock passes the attacking witch’s face.

Jihoon isn’t the only one coming from a long line of powerful people. It’s not common for witches to be able to harness multiple kinds of magic, but you’re a bit special.

Normally if it was just you, you’d be able to wipe all three of the witches out, but you now have to think about Jihoon standing a few feet behind you. You don’t have much time to assess the situation either, with attacks coming at you from three ways. It’s taking all of your energy and focus just to be on defense, let alone offense.

“Y/N!” You can hear Jihoon’s approaching and you quickly create a vine to block him off from the fight.

“Jihoon, stay back! I have it covered.” A fireball shoots past your head right as you say this and you quickly pull your attention back to the fight.

You sweep your arm in one large arc, growing the ground up to trap the witches’ feet. With the few seconds of distress you’ve put them in you regrow the vines around their bodies, trapping their hands to their sides.

You don’t allow yourself to lose focus this time, carefully placing the handcuffs securely on the final three witches’ wrists. They’re all grumbling as you do so, even one going far as to spit at your feet.

Once all five of them are firmly secured again, you finally withdraw Jihoon’s restraints. You don’t look at him as you hear him call Seungcheol through your communication devices, giving him the update on your positions and the status of the witches.

You busy yourself with getting yourself recomposed until Seungcheol and Vernon run up. “Woah,” Seungcheol mutters, looking at the damage of the woods and the vines wrapped around the witches. “Well, uhm, good work team. Let’s gather up the others and get these guys out of here.”

No one speaks about the elephant in the room as your team regroups and waits for the people from the Witch Hunter’s Association to come and pick the witches up. As soon as Seungcheol releases you all, you quickly book it, heading far away from your team.

“Y/N, wait!” Somehow in just two words, dread fills your body. You want to run away, or even use a spell to disappear, but you know you can’t run away forever. You take a deep breath before turning around to face the one and only Lee Jihoon.

You can’t read the emotion on his face and you can’t tell if that’s a good or bad thing. Deep down you know that Jihoon won’t do anything to you, but that doesn’t help the way your throat tightens as you stare at him. You’re both still in your hunter gear and you really take in Jihoon. He looks exactly like his father, the man most notorious for locking away the most witches in the history of witch hunters.

The gear looks comfortable on his body, his boots well worn and his pants faded from prolonged use. His gloves and goggles both stick out of his pockets and his belt is well loaded with gear, Jihoon never low in stock.

You open your mouth, like you’re about to say something, but the words don’t come out and you’re glad they don’t because you’re not sure what you even want to say. You close your mouth instead.

“Can we talk?” Jihoon’s voice is soft, like he’s also unsure of his words.

“U-uhm, su-ure,” you say, hating the shakiness in your voice.

“Let’s walk.” Jihoon starts to walk, walking past you as he does. You’re forced to follow, a few steps behind him. “You know, I was never going to go into this field. I was going to be the first in my family to do something that wasn’t witch hunting, yet here I am. Ask me why?”

“…Why?”

“Because I wanted to be better than my dad. Better than the rest of my whole family.” For a second, you wonder if Jihoon is going to kill you right here on the spot. “My job as a witch hunter is to incarcerate every bad witch, and to protect every good witch from dangers coming from their own people, and from my own people.”

Your pace slows down as you listen to Jihoon talk, eventually stopping just so you can stare at him. Jihoon senses you’re not with him anymore and stops as well, turning to face you. His gaze finally meets yours for the first time since in the woods.

“I’m not mad at you Y/N. I don’t care that you’re a witch, because you’re a good person. You’re my friend, and you’ve proved time and time again where your morals stand. Everyone on the team knows that too, so don’t be afraid. Not to mention you’re a valuable asset to us, we’d be fools to let you go over something as trivial as something you can’t change about yourself.”

Your body is flooded with relief. Your heart lightens at Jihoon’s words.

“I- thank you,” you say, tears brimming in your eyes.

Jihoon walks closer to you, so you’re face to face. “I may have…also known,” he admits.

You go slack jawed. “How?!”

Jihoon chuckles at you. “When you come from a long line of witch hunters you learn to pick up on things, and it’s not like your own lineage is too secretive. I may have also caught you using your powers one day.”

You groan, causing Jihoon to laugh again.

“I don’t know why I was so worried,” you murmur. “I know you and the guys on the team aren’t like that…but-”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad that we’re good.”

“Yeah…good,” you mutter. You and Jihoon stand there in silence for a moment and you wonder if this is your cue to part ways. You’re about to walk away from Jihoon when he stops you.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“Actually I uh…if you wouldn’t mind, would you perhaps tell me more about witches? Maybe over dinner one night?”

You raise an eyebrow at Jihoon. “Was that an attempt…to ask me out?”

You try to hide your giddiness at the idea, choosing to tease him instead.

You watch as Jihoon’s ears turn red. “I- maybe. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be focused on the witch thing. You’re so much more than that. So Y/N, will you please do me the honors of letting me take you out for dinner, on a date? And we don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.”

You grin at Jihoon, wide and bright. “I would love to. And don’t worry, I’ll give you all the details about being a witch. Maybe you’ll even get to meet my parents.”

Jihoon turns even redder, and you’re not sure if it’s from the notion of him meeting your parents, or him coming in contact with some of the most powerful witches of the century. Either way, you’re sure that dating Jihoon is going to be nothing but fun.

taglist: @ckline35 @toruro @jeanjacketjesus @namjoonbaby @n4mj00nvq @lovelyhan @ovai @scorpiobitch88 @im-gemmy @lllucere @tulipgarland4 @embrace-themagic @sulkygyu @leejihoonownsmyheart @synthetickitsune @yeosayang @miraclewoozi @d0nghyck @soonhoonietrash @violetvoo @yongi-lee @spilled-coffee-cup @morklee02 @17kwans @candidupped @ressonancee @m1nghaos @1-800-jeonwonwoo @anothershorthuman @chwecardcaptor @dinoissupreme @speaknowlwt @hyneyedfiz @jwnghyuns @flwrshwa @valentxi @heavenly-mobo @pandorashbox @enhacolor @starlight-night0 @todorokiskitten @miriamxsworld @just-here-to-read-01 @sunnyteume @debsworld23 @seuomo @tinkerbell460 @feat-sun @ryuwonieebae @hotricewoozi

join my taglist: here!

#rubyreduji sleepover!!#lee jihoon #woozi #woozi fluff #woozi fanfic #woozi x reader #seventeen #seventeen fluff #seventeen fanfic #kpop #kpop fanfic #kpop fluff #rru.writes #rru.fics #rru.requests #rru.answers #rainisawriter #★ sfw

176 notes · View notes

tojifile · 1 year ago

Text

Dazai Osamu: The Protector

Pt. 3 “Did you miss me, mistress?”

Genre: Romance & fluff // PM!Dazai x f!reader

⚠️: SEVERE adolescence romance

A/N: SOMEONE MENTIONED ME AS ONE OF THEIR FAV FANFIC WRITERS AND I NEED TO KNOW WHO IT WAS // Sorry for being super inactive. I’ve been trying to write so many stories (they’re all in my drafts and they’re all about Dazai). I wanted to write something about Dazai’s death but I also wanted to continue “The Protector” AKA my favorite series ever. I daydream about the plot everyday (like a normal person). To get to the point, I will be extremely inactive and will only be posting “The Protector” and maybe do a few requests. This has been sitting in my drafts for days and this is your typical teenage romance. For comparison, I started this around August 11, and others that I started July 💀💀 (Lastly, don’t mind me using ADA!Dazai for the pictures, he’s just so cute and I totally didn’t run out of PM!Dazai icons), This is now September me !! DAZAI IS ALIVE WOOOO

Inspo: Dangerously Yours The Highwayman & lines from Masquerade

Links: Masterlist … will be making a new masterlist

“Oh mistress.. you’re burning up..” Dazai spoke in a soft voice as he touched your forehead gently with the back of his palm. His touch was gentle and calculated, as was his voice.

It had been a day since you’ve been rained on and now you were sick. Thankfully, Dazai is well, he didn’t seem to be ill at all. Your father was worried about you but due to some flight restrictions he couldn’t come home as early as he wanted to. As it turned out there was a typhoon and your father couldn’t leave at all.

In the few days you’ve known Dazai he was always kind to you. The aura he gave off left you infatuated. Maybe it was because you’ve been sheltered, maybe because he was young and so were you, or maybe because you’ve seen him in a thousand plays, read him in as many books. When you heard the most beautiful piece of music you thought he’d like that. Once, you saw a beautiful couple strolling and knew that’s how you’d be with him.

Your mind was full of him and you couldn’t understand why. “Mistress..” his voice snapped you out of your thoughts as he whispered gently. You looked at him with a gentle gaze to signal that you were listening, “I’d have to leave you for a few hours today, for an important meeting. A doctor and two men from the mafia, directly under Hirotsu-san will take care of you while I’m gone.”

Dazai spoke in a soft and caring voice. He wanted to make sure that you would be okay. His words made you frown slightly which made him smile. To him, you looked adorable. He chuckled quietly then added, “It’ll only be for a few hours mistress, you’ll barely notice that I’m gone.” You didn’t want to hear it, you were being petty and childish yet he didn’t mind.

“Mistress, please speak to me..” he pleaded in a soft voice as he got closer to you. Your heard was turned away from him, you were acting in a paltry manner, “Please mistress, I have to be at that meeting, I wouldn’t want to go without speaking to you..” he quietly added as you continued to ignore him. He lifted your hand gently and kissed the back of your palm with his rough lips.

He frowned when you only responded with a nod. It seemed like he hadn’t gotten the reaction that he wanted. Dazai then gently placed your hand back to your side and looked at you, as if pondering something intricate. In actuality he was just thinking of you. He only thought of how gently you laid and how soft you looked with your head slightly sinking onto the pillow.

As the doctor and bodyguards arrived and went up to your room Dazai checked the time on the beautifully decorated wall clock on top of the door frame—too bad that the clock showed that it was time for him to leave. Dazai left with a frown, deep down he found your antics amusing but a part of him yearned for your attention and reassurance. Now that he left you were stuck with a room full of people you didn’t know.

His meeting went on for hours. You didn’t know how long you could stay under the careful supervision of these three unfamiliar faces. The doctor checked up on your symptoms and progress while the bodyguards stood silently next to your bed. You missed Dazai.

“Did you miss me mistress?” His words woke you up from the trance you were in, due to your various thoughts of when he’ll be back, finally—he came.

Dazai was holding a bouquet of your favorite flowers wjth a wide smile on his usually, cold face, “I saw you looking at them through the window of the flower shop when we were in town for your birthday, mistress.” He spoke fondly as if he thought of you and your happiness dearly.

The doctor and the bodyguards were then dismissed by Dazai. He carefully put the flowers into a vase and poured just the right amount of water in, making sure they’ll be preserved and beautiful even if they would wilt in a few days. His actions made the butterflies in your stomach rampage. “Thank- Thank you, Dazai-kun,” you spoke softly as you looked over at the flowers, sitting peacefully in the vase.

“You’re welcome mistress,” he replied, “Well then, shouldn’t you answer my question, mistress? Did you miss me?” He repeated. You looked away and nodded gently in response to his question. He made you feel safe and frightened all at the same time. A huge wave of emotions drowned you every time he was near, you didn’t know if you were on top of the world or 6ft under.

He smiled softly at your answer. You’ve only known each other for four days yet it felt like four decades. Maybe it was the fact that you were shut off from the outside world for most of your life. It could also be the fact that you haven’t received such affection from a man.

But it also could be the way he looks at you. The way he listens to you intently. How he always keeps you safe even more so than your past bodyguards did. Although, it could just be the fact that he’s from the mafia. That he just wanted to keep his job. Your heart shattered as you thought deeply about every interaction and how superficial it was.

Dazai soon began to notice that you were deep in thought. He decided to stay by your bedside as he looked at you fondly. As if you were a rare sight, one that could only be seen once in a lifetime. His attraction to you was more than superficial. It could’ve also been the fact that he had never received such innocent affection from his peers nor those in authority.

Being by your side helped him escape the cruel world he truly lived in. Is this what falling in love feels like? Maybe near enough. He kept telling himself to snap out of it, “An executive of the Port Mafia? In love with the daughter of a wealthy and powerful ally? Pathetic.” He told himself. Dazai’s true purpose held him back.

Scheduled post: 09/30/23 18:00PM GMT+8 Philippine Standard Time

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs headcanons #bungo stray dogs #dazai osamu #osamu dazai #dazai x reader #pm!dazai #pm!dazai x reader #pm!dazai x f!reader #osamu #dazai

147 notes · View notes

wlwinry · 3 months ago

Text

Gorgug Thistlespring's freshman barbarian class thinks he's the best teacher they've ever had. They're also determined to help him get with his obvious crush: Fabian Aramais Seacaster, one of the premier dancers of the Bastion City Ballet and an up-and-coming choreographer for styles anywhere from contemporary to musical theatre. The only problem? Well, Gorgug and Fabian have been dating for ages already, fifteen teenagers are trying to tail them on their date, and they're not stealthy. Like, at all. ... Gorgug gets inspiration for a Stealth 101 crash course.

teacher gorgug postcanon woooo. also some thistlecaster fluff in the mix!

written for @d20ficoff

#d20 #dimension 20 #thistlecaster #gorgug thistlespring #fabian seacaster #fhjy #fantasy high #d20 fantasy high #fanfiction

25 notes · View notes

whatsk-poppinhomies · 2 years ago

Text

Pairing : Kang Yeosang x F!Reader TW : mainly fluff ; just a little bit of angst ; long distance relationship ; pregnancy ; children ; Word Count : 9.3k A/N : First Ateez related fic!! Woooo!! Let me know what you think, if you like it, reblog it, comment, ya know. If you want to read more Ateez content from me, request something, anything.

Yeosang wasn’t lonely in the way that most would think when the word was said. He always had people around, he was surrounded by the other members and staff, he was surrounded by fans that doted upon every single thing that he did. It was nice, but it wasn’t everything. Outwardly, he wasn’t lonely at all, it probably seemed like he had everything a person could ever need. Inside though, he was as lonely as anyone could be. He had people in his life, sure… But he didn’t have someone in his life. Someone that would chase away that lonely feeling, make him feel loved like no one else ever could. He needed it, he craved it, he longed to share his life with someone that would support him and be there for him.

It was a tour stop, and at this point in the lineup, he couldn’t even remember where the plane had landed. He was tired, his body was exhausted, and the only thing keeping him going was the thought of how upset the fans would be if he didn’t make it to one of the concerts. Of course, mental and physical health were far more important, but there were only a couple more stops after this one and then he’d be able to go home.

There was a fan meet after this particular concert, something that he wasn’t really used to doing, but he didn’t have a problem with it. He’d be able to sit down for a bit and talk to the people that loved him and adored him, the people that made his life what it was now.

He was a mess, sweaty and still slightly breathless from being on stage just a couple minutes ago before being rushed into a small room off to the side to start the fan meet. Only a few fans got in, something that upset him considering he’d love to meet every single one of the ATINYs that had been out in the crowd today, but he didn’t have any say in it, he essentially just went along with whatever the managers said.

Now, this is where the story gets a little crazy, and he’s sure that most people would just assume that he had met a fan, someone that caught his eye in the lineup of ATINYs that had gotten the meet and greet pass. Sure, any connection would be special, but this one just felt different, and it had started just as differently as it felt.

There was a clock that hung above the exit door that had been propped open, and he had taken a split second to look at the clock, wondering when he’d be able to go back to his hotel and get some rest. That’s when he saw you, and it felt like fate that he had looked at the clock exactly then. You just so happened to be walking by, taking a moment to stop and look into the room, and his eyes instantly locked with yours. There was an immediate connection, he knew that, he could feel it in his bones.

You smiled shyly at him, giving him a quick wave of your fingers before starting to walk off again. That couldn’t be it, no, there had to be more. He pushed himself away from the table, politely excusing himself and apologizing to the fans that had been lined up to meet him so that he could rush out the exit door, much to the surprise of the managers and the other members.

“Ah… w-wait!” He called out, his eyes drawn to the back of your head, immediately spotting you just by your hair, the color of it already memorized by him. You stopped in the middle of the parking lot, the wind whipping your hair around your face as you turned to face him, shock overtaking your features when you realized that you had been called out to by him. “Sorry… I just… Hi.”

He felt so shy, it was like meeting up with someone that he had been waiting to see for forever, and now you were finally in front of him, his nerves causing his stomach to churn. You giggled lightly, the sound beautiful when mingled with the wind that rustled the tree leaves and whistled through the air. “Hi…” You sheepishly responded, your hand moving up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear as you shyly smiled back to him.

You were so beautiful, and even more so up close. He was absolutely tongue tied, it was like every single word that he had ever learned to say left his mind, he didn’t know how to speak, he didn’t know how to form even one word, all he could manage was opening and closing his mouth as he continued to look at you.

“Did… Did I forget something? I didn’t think they’d send you out to give it back…” You said, eyes wavering to break the slightly uncomfortable eye contact that was held the entirety of his silence, but your words had him quickly shaking his head. He remembered why he was there, he was there because he wanted to talk to you, he needed to talk to you, he needed to make sure that what he felt back in that room wasn’t just a fluke in his emotions.

“I wanted to see you.” He responded and your eyes widened as they finally landed on him once more. You pointed at yourself, silently questioning if he was serious, and he excitedly nodded his head yes. His feelings were right, everything that he felt when he first looked at you were valid, he still felt them now. You were the one, and fate had in fact set everything up for this moment to happen. “Is that okay?” He questioned your silence, and just as he had, your head motioned just as quickly as he had that it was okay.

It’s crazy to think that two people could hit it off so quickly, it was almost like you had never been strangers at any point, like he had known you his entire life. He was thankful that this stop lasted a couple days, it meant more time with you, and he tried not to dwell on the fact that he’d have to leave. Countless hours were spent together, and most of the time you’d go to his hotel room, talking about everything and anything either of you could think of. Your laughter had filled the room and his ears so many times that even when you left, it was like he could still hear it, resonating off the walls and twinkling in the air around him. It made him feel like you were still there, and that comforted him.

You showed him around your city, taking him to some of your favorite places, your favorite restaurants, little spots that most people in the city didn’t know about but you did, and you’d call it your secret spot where you’d hide away to try to escape the stresses and mundaneness that regular life brought with it. “One day, I’ll show you around my city.” He said as he walked with you down the sidewalk, thankful that he wasn’t recognized by anyone that walked by. He was able to be normal, something that he was beyond grateful that he got to experience with you.

“Yeah?” You mused, your clasped hands swinging back and forth as you both walked aimlessly, simply enjoying the limited time that you had together. The both of you knew that it would come to an end soon, so you tried to make the most of it. “I’d like that a bunch, Yeosang.” You murmured, but he watched your face fall as you said it, your eyes falling to the ground.

“What is it?” He asked, stopping completely to turn in your direction, his attention entirely on you and he wanted you to know that. “You think I won’t, that I don’t actually want to?” He posed, throwing out the questions but hoping that you wouldn’t agree to any of them. He had hoped that he had proven to you that you were far more than just a fan or some random girl that he wanted to hook up with during the tour. You were so much more than that to him, that’s why the thought of leaving you would have him up for hours at night once he laid in bed, tears stinging his eyes at the thought of the loneliness he’d feel once he was away from you.

Your head nodded, the mere motion of it screaming your sadness. That was the saddest part of it, the fact that your face was still wearing the same beautiful smile that it had on earlier, but you were radiating a sorrow that had Yeosangs heart aching. “It’s not like… I’ll be able to go with you… and you won’t be coming back here any time soon.” You said dejectedly, your bottom lip beginning to tremble and you quickly pulled it between your teeth to stop it. His mouth opened to speak, but you shook your head quickly. “And you can say one day, give me a little bit of hope that this is more than what it really is… But one day is nothing more than a vague timeframe that’s easier to give because all of this is nothing more than a fling.”

“That’s not true…” He murmured, his hand holding yours tightly, scared that you’d try to pull away from him. His thumb brushed over your knuckles to try to soothe your ever wandering mind, to let you know that he’s there, that he’d always be there. “This is more than that… this is way more than that… You mean more than that to me. I don’t want to go home, I wish that I didn’t have to, I wish that I could take you with me.”

“That’s crazy… This whole thing is crazy…” You murmured, your eyes still downcast as you sniffled softly.

“I know it is.” He whispered, his hand coming up under your chin, tilting your head up to look at him. “That’s why I know it’s right. Everything is going to work, I know it will. Believe me… Believe in us. We’ll be fine.” He leaned in to press a kiss to your forehead, the corners of his lips turning up when he saw your eyes close and your cheeks pull up, creasing your eyes in the corners.

Us. He loved that word, it meant the two of you together, he believed that the two of you would be together as long as you both wanted it to work, and god, he wanted it to work, he needed it to work. Every single moment with you was like a breath of fresh air, you brought a feeling to him that he could only describe as feeling complete. There was no amount of distance in the world that would ruin that or take that feeling away from him either. In the deepest part of himself, he knew that you were the one for him, you were his soulmate, he believed in that wholeheartedly, and with that belief, he knew that he could make it work no matter the distance that would be put between the two of you once he left.

The three days that he got to spend with you felt like both a lifetime, and far too short. No amount of time with you would ever be enough unless he was able to be beside you forever, but you both understood that he had a career, he had fans, he had a home that he had to go back to. That home would feel a little less like a home though once he got back, you wouldn’t be there, and it’s not like you had ever been in his home before, but he found in you a home that he longed to live in, you just carried that feeling in you.

“You have everything you need?” You asked, your tone bittersweet as you stood off to the side as he made his way through the TSA line. You were trying to hold back your tears, and for a while it was working well, you were doing a great job at it, but when he looked into your eyes you couldn’t help but choke back a small sob. He had given you a lifetime of memories in three short days, and while he promised that he’d keep in touch, a small part of you wondered if he truly meant it, or if he’d land in Korea and forget about you once he was there.

“No…” He murmured, his tone matching your own as he reached out to grab your hand. “I don’t have you… I won’t have you when I land.” His lips pulled down into a frown, and you wanted nothing more than to kiss him, to let him know that he’d always have you, but there were so many people around, you were already risking enough standing so close to him for so long.

“You can call me, or text me… I don’t care what time it is… I want to know you made it home safely.” He nodded his head, his own eyes becoming glossy as he drew closer to the TSA agent, the both of you knowing that once he made it there, you wouldn’t be beside him anymore. He didn’t know if his heart would be able to handle it, but he tried to stay strong, knowing that if he started crying it would only make things harder for you. “Promise you’ll text me when you land…” You rushed out the whispered words, struggling to hold his hand just a little longer the closer he got, but your time was running out, you only had a couple seconds left.

“I promise… I promise I’ll text you, I’ll call you every single day… I promise.” He said just as fast, holding up the line as he refused to let you go. “I’ll come back soon… Don’t worry… Okay? I will…” He whispered urgently, visibly swallowing back the lump in his throat as one of the men in his security team reluctantly pushed him towards the agent who was impatiently waiting for him, his hand falling limp once it was out of yours. Would his promise really hold up, or was he just saying it to make you happy one last time? You stuck around a little longer, watching as he walked through the gate, his head constantly turning back to look at you, a sad smile playing on his lips as he waved goodbye before turning the corner and going out of view.

“You’re up really late, love.” Yeosangs voice came through your headphones as you laid in bed, staring up at your ceiling, unable to stop smiling as you listened to him speak. “Honey, did you fall asleep?” He asked, and you quickly made a sound of disagreement, rolling over to your side to tap your phone screen, your heart fluttering at the picture that adorned your lock screen of him and you together.

“I’m still awake, was just listening.” You murmured, feeling a little shy at admitting to it, but it’s not like you hadn’t told him the same thing multiple times before. “Are you busy? Do you have to go back to work?” You asked, propping your head up on your hand to try to keep yourself from succumbing to your tiredness and stifling the yawn that threatened to escape.

“No, I just know that you have to work tomorrow, and if you don’t get enough sleep you might hurt yourself and I’ll feel guilty for keeping you up all night.” He mused, and you could hear through your headphones the sound of him shifting around and then people talking in the background. “Maybe I should end the call now, so you can rest. You can call me when you wake up.”

“W-Wait…” You stammered out, taking a deep breath as you sat up in your bed. “I have to tell you something.” Now those words shouldn’t have produced a reaction such as the one that Yeosang had, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as his heart raced, his mouth going dry and his stomach sinking. He was thankful that he wasn’t video calling you, but he wondered if you could hear his breaths get more raspy and heavier with each second of silence that passed. “Do you uhm… remember… that one night that we… you know…” You stammered, and his stomach was filled with butterflies as he replayed the memory in his mind, a memory that he was constantly thinking back on, dreaming about the day he’d get to recreate it with you.

“Yeah… I remember…” He whispered bashfully, glad that the guys weren’t around to watch his cheeks glow red as images replayed in his mind of that night. “Wh-What about it? Is everything okay?” Had you come to regret it, maybe thinking too much about it and what people would think if they found out? Or maybe you had missed the feeling of being intimate with someone like you had been with him that night, maybe you had gone to someone else to get what he couldn’t give you from miles away.

You were silent for far too long, and his heart was both sinking and speeding up at the same time, and it had him feeling nauseous and lightheaded. If you could just say something, anything that would be able to stop the feeling that he had right now. “Yeosang, I’m pregnant.” Anything but that. It’s not that he didn’t want a family, the idea of having one one day had crossed his mind many times, but not right now, not at the peak of his career.

He didn’t know what to say, but he knew that if he was silent for too long you’d assume the worst, and although his mind was working overtime to make sense of what he had just heard, he had to pause for a moment and actually talk to you. “How uhm… How far… Are you?” He stumbled over his words, unable to sound calm in any way, but he hoped that you’d be able to understand why. “16 weeks…” You whispered, and it was like a gut punch. “16 weeks?! That’s… That’s like… Like 4 months already, Y/N!”

All attempts at even trying to be calm had been thrown to the wind at this point. The math added up, unless you had managed to find the time to be with someone else when he wasn’t with you, but he was with you so much when he was there, and the two of you were always on the phone once he had gotten back to Korea, it seemed impossible for something like that, for someone else to be the father. “I didn’t even know until a day ago… It’s not like I was hiding it from you!” You practically shouted back, but he could hear you sniffling and he was hit with immediate regret for snapping at you. “I didn’t think that it was possible… I mean, we were only together like that once when you were here and… I thought I was just stressed lately about my new job and that’s why I wasn’t getting my period… But then I started getting sick and I went to the doctors and they took blood work and… Here she is..”

“She?” He softly repeated the single word, his eyes brimming with tears as he thought about it. He had a daughter, not entirely, she wasn’t truly here yet, but she was, and she was his. He had so much to think about now. He loved his job, he loved the guys, he loved his fans… But he loved you, and his heart had already seemed to grow twice in size just to make room for his little girl. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna figure out what to do. Everything will be okay, I promise. I love you, you won’t be alone… I swear.”

It took a while, countless hours of meetings with managers who felt the need to drag the other guys into it as well. He didn’t want to tell them yet, and he surely didn’t want to tell them while surrounded by the people that could potentially put a pause to the group and everything they did. A part of him felt guilty, the possibility of the group being forced to disband by the managers if he did decide to leave loomed over his head.

The guys didn’t even know that he and you were together, and that you had been together for 4 months even, so the news of a child was shocking to them, almost as shocking as it had been to him. The assumptions flew around, something that Yeosang had expected, but it still hurt to think that the guys thought he was capable of doing some of the things they assumed.

Once he started explaining though, everyone seemed to calm down, although they were still shocked that he had made a mistake like this, an accusation that he quickly shut down. His daughter was in no way a mistake, she simply came a little early, and that’s what he had told everyone that was sitting at the table, including the managers. “I’m going. I need to be there for her… I’m not leaving the group, but I’d much rather be put on a personal hiatus maybe… You can tell the fans that I just need time for personal health. I don’t want them to know about her yet…”

In the end, it was agreed upon that he would fly to you and stay with you, an agreement that had him able to relax just a little. He’d still have his career, and when the announcement was made to the public they were more than supportive even though they didn’t really know what was going on, all of the fans were patiently awaiting his return. Now he could focus solely on you and his daughter, something that was both nerve wracking and exciting to him.

He had been so nervous on the plane, fidgeting in his seat, unable to even rest for a moment no matter how long the flight was. He was anxious, his heart was racing, and the little screen on the back of the seat that showed the flight path had his stomach twisting into even tighter knots the closer the small plane animation got to where you were.

Things would be completely different now, he would live like a normal person, he would be able to spend every single day with you, he’d be able to go to the grocery store or the corner shops to get you what you needed. He’d be able to go shopping with you for everything that the two of you might need. It would all feel so new to him, but there was an excitement underlying, and as nervous as he was, he couldn’t help but smile as he thought about what it would be like to live with you this way.

Any little bit of fear that he had regarding what would come washed away as soon as he stepped off the plane and walked through the gates. His eyes landed on you immediately, it was like you were glowing, and he had read somewhere online during one of his late night research adventures that women would get a glow, but you were absolutely radiating such a brilliant light around you. It was like he could finally breathe again, and he realized now that the tightness that he had felt in his chest when he was back in Korea was simply a side effect of not being near you.

His feet carried him through crowds of people, people that didn’t recognize him, or they just didn’t seem like they cared enough to try to recognize him if he looked even slightly familiar. That was the best part about being normal. He could run to you, he could sweep you up into his arms and hug you tightly, finally mending that ache that had settled in his heart when he had left. “You look lovely…” He whispered when he set you down, stepping back to look you over, and even under his mask, you could see that he was smiling, his eyes creasing in the corners.

“I missed you.” Your voice was almost unheard over the noise that surrounded the two of you in the airport, but he heard you, your voice seeming to break through the droning loudness that encircled you both. “You look so tired… Did you sleep at all during your flight?” You questioned, brushing his hair away from his face to see the dark circles under his eyes. “Let’s get back to the house and you can rest for a while, you need to sleep.”

The idea of sleep seemed far-fetched, and while he had been exhausted the entire flight, now that he was there with you, he felt fully energized. He wanted to know everything about how you were feeling, about your doctor's visits that you had gone to when he was still in Korea. He wanted to talk to you, he wanted to just be close to you again. It felt like it had been forever since he got to hold you, hug you, kiss you or touch you. He didn’t want to sleep away his entire first day back with you.

Why did he feel so shy right now? Obviously he had been with you in ways that had the two of you closer than holding hands on the way out of the airport, but it was like being with you again had him clamming up, unable to even speak. “You uhm… You got big…” He mused, and you looked up at him, blinking your eyes a few times before dropping your head back down, staring at the ground as you wrapped your free arm around your stomach. “I… I didn’t mean it in a bad way…” He quickly blurted out, his head shaking fast as he squeezed your hand. “I mean… She’s… She’s bigger… I just didn’t really see in the video calls… You’re beautiful.”

He was rambling, but he didn’t want you to take offense, he truly thought that you were the most gorgeous girl in the whole world, and nothing would ever change that. “Right… yeah… Sorry…” You murmured, awkwardly giggling as you leaned against his arm. “I just… We haven’t seen each other in so long… I didn’t know what you’d think when you saw me now and…” He quickly shushed you, moving to stand in front of you so he could look directly at you.

“The way I feel now is… It’s no different from the way that I felt when I first saw you. I want to be with you, and now I’m able to. I love you, and that’s never going to change.” He reassured you, pulling down his mask enough to press a kiss to your forehead. “I can’t wait to finally be home with you.”

And he truly couldn’t, he was practically bouncing where he stood while waiting for the Uber to come, giddy about the thought of just being with you. He had promised you before he left that you’d be together, and while a child was unexpected, she had been the reason he had gotten to be with you now. The hiatus couldn’t last forever though, he wanted to spend as much time with you as possible, but he knew that even when he went back to working, he’d do everything he could, he’d find any way possible to be able to be with you and his daughter as much as possible. Right now though, he was all yours, and you were all his, and for at least the next 5 months he’d be able to just be with you.

Each and every day was spent waking up beside you and it would end with you falling asleep in his arms. It was like a dream come true for him, to see your face every single day and actually be able to touch you and kiss you, to not have to long for those things through his phone screen whenever you called him. He got to just live with you, and while it was a drastic change from what he was used to back in Korea, it was welcomed, he loved it.

He got to go to your doctor's appointments with you, and there was something so mesmerizing, so amazing about being able to actually be there for the scans, to watch his daughter move on the screen, to watch your stomach continue to grow while she was inside of you. It only made you even more astounding to him, and his love for you grew more than he ever thought it would.

He helped set up the nursery with you, and he helped you shop for her clothes and everything that you’d need. He loved every second of it, and he questioned why he was so scared in the first place. Everything seemed to be falling into place just right. There were no problems, the public had yet to find out about your relationship, let alone the fact that in a few short months he’d be a father. You were able to have a normal pregnancy, and he was able to be there for you like a regular boyfriend would be.

As you grew larger though and the due date moved closer, a new sadness took over. Soon he’d have to go back, he’d have to leave all of this behind, he’d have to leave not only you, but his newborn child behind to go back to work. How was he supposed to do that? How was he supposed to just casually walk out of your front door, not even knowing when he’d be able to come back? He loved his job, of course he did, he loved his fans who had given him the opportunity to meet you, but those two things also meant that he’d have to leave you to go back to them, and that thought had his heart aching.

The worst part is that the more he thought about it, the faster time seemed to go. Before he knew it, you were a week before your due date, your stomach swollen and covered in stretch marks that he’d rub cocoa butter over every night and every morning. Your back was constantly aching, and your ankles had grown double their original size, and even though he had been begging since the beginning of your 7th month to let him do things for you, you were hell bent on doing things on your own still. This part of you made him love you and adore you, admire you more than he already had.

Time continued to speed by, and in what felt like the blink of an eye, he was in the hospital with you watching his daughter be born. It was the most mesmerizing, terrifying thing he had ever experienced in his life. The pain that you went through, god, you truly were amazing. You had done it all on your own, for he couldn’t take away that pain, he couldn’t do this for you, all he could do was stand at your bedside and support you through every labored breath as you pushed, your fingers squeezing his hand so tightly it felt like his fingers would break. He never complained though, he couldn’t seem to find any words to say other than encouragement and praise for how strong you were.

It was crazy how time worked in moments like this, everything moved so fast yet so slow. One moment he was helping the midwife hold your legs while you pushed, and the next, his daughter was screaming in a small cot across the room as the nurses cleaned her up. She was finally here, and it felt like a fresh breath of life washed over him, like his entire life had new meaning. Everything he did would be for her, for you, it was like the exact moment she took her first breath, his world shifted and began to revolve around you and his daughter.

He thought that time would slow down once she was here, that he’d be able to spend it all with you and his new baby girl, but he had been sorely mistaken. The extra month that he had gotten to “help” you get accustomed to your new life as a mother was spent mostly on calls with management and the other members to fill him in on everything that had gone on while he was away. It was irritating to say the least, that they couldn’t even wait until he was back at home, especially when they knew that this would be the only time he’d get to spend with his new family for who knows how long.

Even still, he did his best, and for that you were greatly appreciative. When it was time for your daughter to eat, he’d quickly make a bottle for her, his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he mumbled out noises of understanding to show that he was still listening. Shockingly to him, being a father came easy, all he wanted was for his daughter to be loved and cared for, something that he promised to always do no matter what happened.

His favorite thing to do though, what he loved the most, were those late nights when his phone would finally stop ringing, and he’d get to lay in bed beside you for however long he could until his daughter woke up. You’d shuffle around a little bit, your eyes still closed as you tried to kick the blankets off, and he’d stop you, pressing a kiss to your forehead before telling you to lay back down so he could get his little girl.

That to him, was the craziest part, thinking about how many arguments started between parents over who got the baby at night, how many parents were miserable because their child didn’t sleep through the night. Of course, his joy at being able to spend those couple minutes to an hour with her only stemmed from the fact that he knew he didn’t have much longer. He’d much rather be beyond exhausted once he got back to Korea than to think that he missed something.

“Yeosang…” You murmured one morning, waking up to see him propped up on his elbow, his other hand gently stroking the cheek of your sleeping daughter as he stared down at her adoringly. Underneath his eyes were so dark, it was worrisome, but even with the obvious lack of sleep, his eyes seemed to twinkle whenever he looked at her. “You need to let me get her… At least enough for you to get some sleep. This isn’t good for you.”

He glanced up at you before dropping his gaze back down to her face, a small pout forming on his lips. “You’ll be able to spend every single night with her once I leave… I just want her to remember me, even a little bit. I want her to know that I love her.” He whispered, his fingers pausing against her cheek when she stirred at the sound of his voice. “I don’t know when I’ll be back…” He trailed off, clenching his teeth to bite back the shakiness that he knew was coming.

Your hand reached out to touch his cheek, your palm warm against his skin, more comforting than you probably knew. “She’ll remember you, I’ll make sure that she does.” You whispered, your voice low so as to not wake her up. “It’s not like you’re leaving forever, and even though you’ll be gone, we’re not leaving you. I’ll call you whenever I can, I’ll video call you so you can see her.”

He sighed softly, his head dropping down against the pillow but his gaze still lovingly, yet bittersweetly focused on his daughter who had captured his heart entirely the moment she took her first breath. “It won’t be the same…” He momentarily looked at you, a sad glimmer in his eyes. “I can’t hold you through the phone, I can’t kiss you… It’s gonna be awful…”

You tsked your tongue, trying to be as optimistic as possible even though your heart was breaking just as much at the thought of him not being there. “You say that now, but once you get back there and into the groove of things you’ll be a-okay.” He rolled his eyes at you, but you saw the corner of his lips twitch up. “And I’m sure you miss the guys, right? I know they miss you, I hear them talking whenever they call you.”

His head nodded as he rolled over onto his back, his hand running through his hair as a heavy sigh billowed through his parted lips. “I miss them, but my heart isn’t attached to them like it is to you and her. I don’t want to miss anything, I’m… I don’t want to be a bad dad.” Your mouth fell open, and you took a deep breath, about to speak, but he gave you a side eye that quickly had your lips pursing shut. “You’re gonna tell me I’m not a bad dad, that I’d never be a bad dad for doing my job. I know you, Y/N…” He was right, and he usually was. “That doesn’t change the fact that I’ll feel like one though.”

Chewing on your bottom lip, you thought of what to say. It was so hard to ease his mind right now, and you completely understood. You’d hate to be in his position, to have to choose between your job and being able to be with your daughter and him. The choice was beyond difficult, and you were thankful that you weren’t the one having to make it, but your heart broke for him knowing just how hard it was. “But I know you’ll do everything you can to see her, to see us whenever you can. Remember when we first got together, and I was so scared that I’d lose you…” His head nodded slowly, and you reached over your daughter to comb your fingers through his hair, trying your best to not only soothe him, but to reassure him. “You said that everything would be okay, that everything would work out. You just have to believe in those words, even now… I still believe them… I know this will work.”

When he had gotten back to work, the fans had gone crazy with support for him, and while many of them questioned his hiatus, a majority were respectful of his privacy. The both of you knew how crazy some fans could get, so you both worked to keep not only your relationship, but your daughter a secret from the public. It was better for the three of you, especially when he was so far away. Even with the distance, he was an active part in your daughter's life, sometimes staying up until 3 in the morning just to facetime you and her, making sure to call at a good hour for you, not wanting to wake her up in the middle of the night.

There were nights when he’d cry over the phone, choked up just at the sight of the daughter that he adored so much, but he couldn’t be with her, he couldn’t hold her or tell her that he loved her while she was in his arms. It was a lot on him emotionally, but he did his best, turning those emotions into works of lyrical art, songs that were written while looking at photos or videos of his little girl that you’d send him throughout the day. He wrote songs for you, filled with love and devotion, songs for his family that he missed so dearly.

Whenever he and the guys would go on tour, he’d make sure that management would set up dates, asking them to schedule at least 2 concerts in your city so he could spend more time with you. The most heart tugging times were when the tours were over though. He loved his career, that was undoubtable. He’d miss the energy in the venues while performing for ATINY, he’d miss the love that he could feel just radiating from the fans in front of him, he’d miss it a lot, but he knew that at the end of each tour came a small break, and those breaks were spent with you and his daughter. He’d spend weeks leading up to the break planning out what he could do with his girls, places he could take the both of you, trying to make the most of the short amount of time that he had. It was becoming harder though, the more famous that his group became, the more difficult it was to take you out, to try to get through the airport unnoticed.

Yeosang loved you, he loved being a father to his daughter, he cherished every single moment that he got to spend with the two of you. That’s why he had to make the choice, and it was hard, it was stressful. There was a lot on the line no matter what the decision was, but there was only 1 right choice in the matter, and he made sure to talk to you about it first, making sure that you were okay with it first. It was hard on him to have to watch his daughter grow up through a phone screen, and while you always managed to catch important milestones in her life with your camera, it just wasn’t the same as being there to see them himself. He needed to be with you always, he needed to have his family with him, close to him, and there was only one way to do that safely for all of you.

“It’s alright, love…” He whispered, rubbing small circles against your back as you sat beside him. You were breathing quite heavily, holding your now 1 year old daughter on your lap, bouncing her on your knee to keep her from trying to wiggle out of your arms. “You don’t have to do this right now if you don’t want to.” He assured you, and it’s not like he was completely calm about this either. His heart was racing, banging against his ribs so hard he felt like it’d break through. This was the first live that he’d do without one of the staff members sitting with him, although he knew that they’d be monitoring it from back at home.

You shook your head, trying to calm your heavy breaths as you smiled at him. “I’m fine… We need to do this…” And by this, you meant showing the world, introducing both yourself and your daughter to the fans that still had no idea that the two of you existed. There had been a lot of speculation recently about why he was constantly away, the meaning behind all of the songs that he had written, and you both just wanted to finally come clean with the fans. It would be better than being caught, and while you both knew that there came risks with coming out, the amount of stress that would be removed from the two of you completely outweighed whatever came next. There was nothing that the two of you couldn’t handle together.

“They’re going to love her, they’ll love you. She might even get her own fan base.” He teased, and you snorted softly as you looked down at your daughter who had been keeping herself occupied with one of the many toys that Yeosang had gotten her. “The live is ready to start as soon as you are, love. Just let me know…”

You swallowed thickly, closing your eyes for a moment and giving yourself one final second to think about this, to really think things through. “I’m ready…” You whispered, and then with the click of a button, the light on the webcam lit up. You saw yourself on the screen, but it was hard to really pay attention to the image of yourself sitting beside him when you saw just how quickly the viewers came in.

Comments rolled up the screen, your eyes unable to even keep up with whatever was being said, and while you saw Yeosang attempt to read them all, you were too scared to try. “Hey!” He greeted them enthusiastically, keeping one hand on your lap, giving light squeezes when he felt you tense up a little too much. “I’m trying to read all the comments, I really am, but… I’m sure most of them are questioning these two beautiful girls beside me…” At this point you were focusing on only him on the screen, the way his cheeks turned a light shade of pink after he had said that. “This is Y/N, my girlfriend of a year and a half now… And this little girl…” He reached over to grab your daughter from off your lap, placing her on his own with a proud smile. “This is my daughter, Yeori.”

Your heart seemed to stop as the comment section exploded, moving faster than any of you even bothered to try to read, you could only hope that whatever they were saying wasn’t anything awful or hateful. “Should I… Should I say something?” You whispered, leaning as close to Yeosang as possible, not wanting the mic to pick up what you were saying. He nodded his head swiftly, smiling to you, his eyes twinkling with the pride that he felt being able to not only sit next to his family during this, but to finally be able to introduce you both to the fans that he loved. “Hi, everyone…” You voiced shakily, eyes wavering between the image of Yeosang playing with your daughter to the comment section. “I’m really happy to be here… To be able to… Talk to you all…”

Yeosang nodded along with your words, your biggest supporter right now. What you didn’t know at the moment was how immensely proud of you he was, how strong he thought you were. It was no secret that fans were ruthlessly mean sometimes, especially when it came to the idol that they loved being in a relationship. He knew that you were worried, but you believed in him, you trusted him to protect not only you, but Yeori too, and he always would protect you. His job was important, but his family was his top priority, and it always would be.

After the live was over, it felt like you could finally breathe properly again. Your mind was filled with thoughts of what could happen, if people would be able to trace the location of the live, what the fans would do now. The both of you avoided getting online for the rest of the day, opting to remove yourself from the rest of the stress by just spending time together and being with your daughter. When the 3 of you were together like that, it was easier to forget that there was now a bunch of people that knew about you, that knew about Yeori.

“I was right…” Yeosang said over the breakfast table the next day, his phone in his hand and a wide smile spread across his face as he scrolled through whatever he was looking at. You hummed questioningly, grabbing yourself a cup of water before sitting next to him to see that he was looking through Twitter. “Everyone loves her, they love you. They think you’re both adorable…” Of course, you knew that he was only picking out the good comments, and you weren’t foolish enough to believe that every single fan had taken a liking to you. You had practically stolen away someone that they thought they owned or had a chance with. “Yeori has a bunch of fans already, they want to see her more…”

He chuckled softly, laying his phone down on the table before pulling you closer to him, pressing a kiss to your temple. “She won’t be there for all of your streams… You have to go back to Korea soon.” It was always the saddest thing that you had to admit to both yourself and to him. It was hard not to cry when he left, and it was even harder to try to explain to your daughter why she could only talk to her father on the phone for a vast majority of the year. “And I can’t do the streams by myself… I don’t want to… Not without you.”

Another kiss landed on your cheek now, and then his finger slipped under your chin to turn your head to look at him as his lips pressed against your own. “I know…” He mused, but usually there would be a sadness in his voice once that realization set in, this time there was a hint of giddiness, playfulness. “That’s why I just have to take you both with me.” You almost choked on the water that you had been sipping on.

It’s not like the idea hadn’t come up multiple times. It would be easier for the both of you if you just lived together, but at the time you were worried about the fans or reporters that might see the 3 of you walking through the airport together. Not just that, but Yeori had been too young to handle a plane ride of that duration, and you didn’t want to have to deal with the looks of annoyed fliers around you. “Yeosang…” You whispered his name, and while it sounded so amazing, being able to just be with him, to not have to wait for him to get time off to see you, it was hard for you to fathom how it would be possible. “There’s nothing ready for us to be there with you… She doesn’t have a room there… Not in the dorms, I don’t want the guys to feel intruded on or-”

He pressed his lips against yours once more to put a halt to your pessimistic talk. “That’s why everything is already set up. It’s been set up for a while now, I’ve just been waiting for the right time, and it’s the right time now.” Your eyes widened as his lit up. This was everything that he had wanted, everything that he had been waiting for. He’d no longer have to count down the days before finally being able to be with his family once more, he’d simply get to wake up every morning and you’d both be there. “She has a room in my own apartment. I’ve even been learning how to drive so that we don’t have to depend on the staff or anyone else to get us around. I hate leaving you, I hate leaving her… I can’t keep doing it to the both of you… I need my family with me, I want us to be together, always.” His hands cupped your cheeks as he looked you in the eyes, a hopeful smile on his face. There was a lot that you’d be leaving behind if you agreed to go with him, but he loved you, he loved his daughter, and he didn’t want to have to leave the both of you behind anymore. “I already have the tickets for all of us to go… I love you, I love you more than anything in the world… I need you and Yeori with me, close to me… I can’t leave you anymore. I’m not walking out that door and hopping on another plane unless the 2 of you are coming with me.”

4 Years Later

You sat on the floor, your back pressed against the wall as you watched your daughter run around the room. “Yeori, don’t run honey…” You called out, about to get up from your seat on the floor until you watched a set of arms scoop her up. “Sorry… She wanted to come today and-”

Yeosang walked over to you, Yeori playfully dangling over his shoulder as she giggled lightly, poking against his back to try to get him to start walking once he had stopped in front of you. “Don’t apologize, I love having you both here, you know that.” He reassured you, gently setting her down next to you. “How are you feeling? Hungry? Thirsty? Does your back hurt?” He questioned, kneeling down to check you over. “You feeling sick again?” He quizzed, and you quickly shook your head, leaning into his hand that had been pressed against your cheek.

“I’m alright…” You hummed, turning to kiss his palm before letting out a small giggle. “Just don’t want her to get in the way of you and the guys while you’re practicing. I can’t chase her around like I used to.” You sighed softly, and as if on queue, you both simultaneously looked down at your stomach that had just started to swell once again.

“You don’t have to chase her, that’s why I’m here.” He teased, kissing his hand before pressing it against your stomach. “I want you to be comfortable. You could have stayed home and rested, I would have brought her in with me.” You rolled your eyes, not because you doubted him, you just knew that him and the others had a comeback to prepare for and you didn’t want her to mess them up. Even if she did though, none of them would admit it. The guys adored her and spoiled her, sometimes more than Yeosang did. “Please let me know if you need anything, I’ll have Jongho get it for you.”

You scoffed loudly, lightly pushing against his shoulder as your scoff turned to laughter. “Go practice, I can wait until your lunch break. Plus, she’s finally sitting still, now’s your time to actually practice.” You both glanced over at your daughter who had occupied herself for the time being on your phone. “Plus, you know I love watching you dance…”

He hummed softly as he got to his feet, taking a moment to look between his daughter and you, who was now in the process of growing his second daughter, another addition to the family that he loved and cherished with his entire being. “You can stop me if you need to… I love you…” He cooed the last words, earning himself a bunch of teasingly disgusted groans from the guys behind him.

It had been scary to leave your home, the only home that you had ever known to come with him to Korea, but it had been the greatest choice you could have ever made. Yeosang didn’t have to choose between his family or his career, and you didn’t have to sadden yourself with thoughts of when you’d get to see him again. You were always together, and you would always be together, he promised that to you every single day. The 3, soon to be 4 of you were finally able to be a real family, and while it was tough at times, seeing the smile on Yeosangs face, the pride in his eyes whenever he looked at you or Yeori, whenever he talked about the little family that he had created… It had made all of it, the wait, the stress, the heartache, the tears… All of it had been worth it because it all led to this moment, sitting against the wall of the practice room with your daughter beside you, and your husband in front of you, doing what he loved while surrounded with the people that he loved.

397 notes · View notes