#having him be your wingman is just asking for '...the end...?' after every interaction hehe

[queenofbaws]

I know I said my previous request would be my last one for the cable car series, but with each prompt fill being better than the last, I can't help but come back for more. I've been eatin' good so far, so I'm gonna double down and ask for dessert - a fifth and final part to the saga! I'd love to see a post-kiss heart-to-heart/true confession from Chris and Ashley. Something that dialogue-heavy might be a bit much for six sentences, though, so maybe save it for one of those long prompt weekends?

not-quite-six sentence weekend :P

(once upon a time, in a cable car not so far away...)

"So," they somehow managed to say at precisely the same time - Chris and Ashley, Ashley and Chris - neither the cold nor the heights nor the earth-shattering reality of what had just happened in the dimly lit cable car proving enough to override the wavelength they so often shared. The moment led to another (both telling the other to go ahead), led to another (both saying no, no, no, you first), led to another still (averted eyes and vague hand gestures, half-formed words that all sounded suspiciously like giggles). Then the cable car was quiet.

For a moment, anyway.

"So," Chris tried again, "how about this weather we're having?"

Ashley groaned, or sighed, or did both at the same time, it was hard to parse. Still, she found it within herself to sit up straight, all her earlier worries about this trip long forgotten. "Really, Chris?" she asked, keeping her voice playfully flat. "Really?"

"Really! I mean, check it. It's really, uh, weathering out there. As far as the eye can see."

"Sure is."

"I mean, someone should call the news. This weather? This right here? I mean...someone's gotta report on this stuff, Ash. It's not every day you see something like this." It took him longer than he would've liked, but he scrounged up courage enough to glance her way, feeling his insides do the usual flip-flop as he watched her shake her head, roll her eyes, laugh. It bolstered him enough to swallow that last bit of anxiety down, and that, along with the memory of her lips warm against his, ended the crummy joke. "Also? That was, uh, nice."

Ashley nodded slowly, waging a very similar war inside herself. "Yeah. Yeah, it was."

"The kind of nice," he continued, feeling a little bit like one of those bomb defusers crime shows loved using for some reason, "thaaat I could...get used to. I-If you also could...get used to...it, I mean."

She dropped her face into her hands for an instant, still laughing, still nodding, and when she sat back up, she forced herself to meet his eyes. "I could also get used to it, yeah. Super used to it, in fact."

"I - oh! Well. Neat! I guess - "

Which was of course when the slow jams Josh had been piping in over the hidden speakers suddenly cut out, giving way to the evil emcee himself. Whatever he'd used to hook the things up, the connection wasn't great, so there was a staticy, old-timey radio quality to his teasing that only made the situation feel that much more surreal.

"Heeello again, ladies and gents. This is your captain speaking, informing you that you will be reaching the summit - and the scenic Blackwood Pines estate - in about three minutes. Please be sure to dispose of all garbage in the designated receptacles, keep your hands and feet inside the ride and all times, and for the love of Christ, if you haven't already had some gross Hallmark movie moment in there, you better get that shit out of your combined systems NOW, before I have to deal with you for the whole weekend.

"Quick notes to help that process along: Ashley, I'm sure you're wondering whether I found all those darling love poems in the notebook you accidentally left at my place last week. Yes. I did. You're probably also wondering if I have the balls to read them out loud. Yes. I do. And Cochise. Sweet, precious Cochise. This is my reminder to you, my man, that there are appropriate and inappropriate things to say to a lady before, after, and during a romantic embrace. Appropriate things include but are not limited to - wow, you're gorgeous; I've wanted to do this for such a long time; and it's you and me against the world, baby. Inappropriate things, as we've been over many, many times, include - but again, ARE NOT LIMITED TO - hubba hubba awooga; aw geez; and neato!"

Ashley snorted so hard she startled herself, jumping in her seat.

Chris, on the other hand, was less amused. "...I mean technically 'neat' isn't the same as 'neato,' sooo..."

"Now, I didn't think to rig this shit up to be two-way, so I can only assume you're both saying 'Okay Josh, that makes sense Josh, you got it, Josh,' over and over again in there. When you get to this station, God as my witness, there better not be one iota of romantic tension left between you, or - "

The speakers squawked once and died out as they hit a slight bump in the line, but where there had been panic the last time that happened, now there was only relief. Chris turned to Ashley, Ashley turned to Chris, and while their faces were still much too red for how cold it was inside the cable car, things felt absolutely, undoubtedly, utterly perfect.

...for a moment, anyway.

"So...love poems, huh?"

[callsigndragon]

A Rebel in my Soul [2023 ver.] | Ch.3: Like a Mitchell

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x fem!pilot!reader (Call sign: Rebel)

Word count: 4k

Warnings: swearing, dogfighting exercise, worried Jake (that deserves a warning), mutual pining (even tho nobody seems to notice duh), alcohol consumption, and maybe i'm forgetting something.

A/N: things are starting to heat up a bit! more changes from the original version starting from this chapter hehe

Tagging the usual people, if you want to be added, comment down below!

Masterlist

Rooster ends up flying up there on the first team. You stay with Phoenix, Bob, Hangman, and the rest, listening to the radio in the officer’s lounge and hearing how things are going up there. You just hope that Rooster doesn’t get distracted by the past and that he can actually prove to Maverick how good he is.   

“Good morning, aviators. This is your captain speaking. Welcome to basic fighting maneuvers. As briefed, today’s exercise is dog fighting. Guns only, no missiles. We do not go below the hard deck of 5000 feet.”  

You take a seat next to Hangman because that’s the only available seat in the room. “Yeah, sure, like he’s not down there already.”  

“Howdy, Rebel. Want to tell us how you know so much about him?” Hangman turns around an F-18 model that he found on the table. He’s trying to tease you, and that’s evident, but if he doesn’t start being careful with his words, he’s going to end up in trouble.

“He’s a legend,” you reply, going with the evident answer and the only reasonable excuse. “Everybody knows him and his tactics.”  

“You think I’ll be as famous as him someday?”  

You scoff, taking the F-18 from his hand. “Keep dreaming, Hangman.” 

“If I shoot either one of you down,” Maverick keeps explaining the rules of the exercise. “you both lose” 

Jake looks at the radio, shaking his head in disbelief. “This guy needs an ego check.”  

“You’re one to talk, Hangman.” You mumble, rolling your eyes so hard that it physically hurts. “But actually, and I can’t believe I'm gonna say this, you’re right.” 

“I can shoot him down. Maybe even you can.” He looks at you, whispering so nobody hears him. “Show him how good you are.”

One thing about Hangman is that if you’re a good pilot, he will say it. He respects it. He messes with Rooster because he’s cautious, and in a way, you think he’s trying to push his buttons to make him snap, and become the best pilot he can be. 

Rooster has always been too careful when flying. Maverick once said that he wasn’t ready to leave the book behind and start doing things his own way. As much as you hate to admit it, he was right. Rooster is an excellent pilot, but he follows every single rule in the book.

It didn’t take a therapist to know that this was the result of his dad’s death. It has turned into a trauma for Rooster. He’s always trying to keep control of the aircraft, flying fast but not too fast. 

He’s too cautious, and you’re too reckless. If you were paired together, you would probably make the best team.  

Right now, Rooster is doing exactly what he’s not supposed to do. He is too slow, and Payback and Fanboy are almost smoked, but Rooster gets in the middle to save them. He always makes sure to bring the whole team back home.  

One after another, all your team goes up there, but none of them is able to get Maverick. Not even you; he tried to make conversation with you several times, but you weren’t having it. Phoenix and Bob were surprised to hear Maverick’s interaction with you, denoting a closeness that you two didn’t have. He kept talking and ended up frustrating you so much that it was impossible for you to get him. You had to do 200 push-ups. 

The second time you’re up there, you have Hangman as your wingman. Which actually means that you’re flying alone, because he’s going to leave you behind as soon as he sees Mav’s aircraft. 

“So, Rebel, mind if I ask you a personal question?”  

“You’re gonna ask it anyway,” you say while looking around, trying to find Maverick. He’s not on the radar, but he’s not far away either. 

“What’s the story with you, Rooster and Maverick? It seems like it has you both a little rattled. I mean, I kinda know a bit, but... I want to know the whole story.” 

You turn your head in his direction, glaring at him to shut up. If he keeps talking, people will know that he’s your father. And you can’t allow that to happen. “That’s none of your business, Hangman. Where the hell is he?” 

“Been here the whole time,” says Maverick, appearing from below your aircraft. He moves and turns his aircraft until he’s inverted over your F-18.  

“Holy shit!” exclaims Hangman. You’re not actually surprised. He’s that type of person.  

“You see me now, kid? Come on, let’s get it over with.” He tells you, looking directly into your eyes.  

He thinks that he can just pull out of nowhere, after what he did to you and Rooster, and solve everything with a dog fight? Just old Maverick behavior. If he wants to fight, you’ll give him war.  

“Fight’s on, old man!” You howl, turning your aircraft.  

“These two are going to get themselves killed,” Hangman says, moving his own aircraft to follow you around.  

You both go down, spiraling around each other, with the sky and earth spinning around you. You keep falling. Neither of you is going to pull up soon. This is dangerous, to say the least, and once you set foot on the ground, Rooster is going to scold you for your actions. You said that you wouldn’t let Maverick get to you. But he has a talent for making people angry.  

Cyclone is going to give you an earful for this, too.

“All right, you put us here. How are you gonna get yourself out?” He asks you, always with the teacher's tone. Maverick should know by now that there are only a few things left that he can teach you. He raised you; you learned everything he had to teach. 

You are just like him when it comes to flying. 

“Already wanting to leave, old man? You can bail out anytime.”  

He breathes heavily, not tearing his eyes away from yours. “How long you want to go, Rebel?”  

“I can go as low as you, captain! And that’s saying something.”  

“What’s past is past. For the three of us.”  

“Wouldn’t you like to believe that?” you sneer. He really is something else. He comes here, trying to make you and Bradley forget every single thing that happened, believing, as always, that he was doing the right thing. Only what Maverick does is right. The worst thing is knowing damn well that he’s not even going to offer an explanation.

“Hard deck is 5000 feet, fellas. You are running out of room,” says Hangman through the radio.  

Altitude. Altitude. Altitude.  

The automated voice is warning you. You’ve broken the hard deck. You’re still going down, approaching the ground faster by the second, but you cannot look away from Maverick. The first one that pulls up loses. He knows it. You know it.  

And a Mitchell never loses.  

“Your strategy is about to run us into the ground. What’s your move, Rebel?” 

Altitude. Altitude. Altitude.  

You look at the numbers on your screen. They're going down really fast. You want to pull up. You need to pull up. But you can’t lose. You can’t let Maverick win. Not this time. 

Not again.  

Pull up. Pull up. Pull up.  

“Rebel, pull up!” shouts Hangman, his voice piercing your eardrums through the comms. 

Maverick pulls up before you. You smirk and follow him, knowing that this time he’s not going to win. He’s going down, flying low, as if that could scare you.   

“Come on, Rebel. You got him!” says Hangman, and while you want to know the reason behind this sudden change in behavior, you’re currently really busy trying to beat your old man’s ass. 

You drop down, flying right behind Maverick, and try to mark him.  

“Come on, come on, come on.” You keep repeating it like a mantra, as if that is going to make it work faster.

Tone. You get a tone. You got him.  

“Whooo! Attagirl, get your ass up here before you crush.” Hangman is being too nice. Is he trying to be nice in front of the teacher, aka your dad, to secure a place on the final team?

You move your aircraft to be next to Maverick’s, watching as he takes off his oxygen mask. “Remember, old man. 200 push-ups,” you say, turning to leave with Hangman right behind you.

Once you’re back on the tarmac and your feet touch the ground, you see Hangman waiting for you, arms crossed over his chest. “Breaking the hard deck, insubordination… You really live up to your call sign,” he jokes with a friendly expression that surprises you and scares you at the same time. Does he actually know how to be friendly? But the important question is, what the heck is wrong with him today? 

“Want something, Bag man?”  

“C’mon, Reb. What’s going on?” He sounds sincere, not even a trace of humor in his voice. He really wants to know. Should you really take the bait? Should you really start sharing personal information with him? He knows more than you’d like about him.

“Why do you care so much?”  

“Cause I’ve seen you fly before. You’ve always been reckless. But this? This is something else.”  

You stop walking and turn to look at him, but this time you pay special attention to his features, finding out if he really means his words or not. His usual cocky smile is gone. He’s looking at you, eyes full of concern. He is worried about you. You look away, unable to keep watching those beautiful green eyes that take your breath away.  

“I’ll see you at the Hard Deck. Buy me a drink, and maybe I’ll tell you.” Why did you just offer to hang out with him? Did you hit your head with the canopy while dogfighting with Maverick? Something is really wrong with you. 

Hangman smiles a little. A different smile from the ones that you have seen before. Did he hit his head too?  

“I’ll see you there, then,” he says softly before leaving. You remain there, speechless, trying to understand what’s going on in Hangman’s head. 

And in yours.

You enter the Hard Deck, watching Hangman wait for you at the bar, beer in hand. He looks good out of his uniform, wearing some old jeans, a white t-shirt and his aviator jacket. His hair is loose, giving him a more juvenile aspect. You wouldn’t mind seeing more of this side of him.  

He takes a sip of his beer, his eyes scanning the door to see the incomers. When he sees you, he raises his beer as a greeting. You smile a little, walking towards him.  

“Hangman.” 

“Rebel,” he welcomes you, looking at Penny. “Can you get me two more? Thanks, dear.”  

“So, you’re really gonna get me a drink.”  

“I keep my promises. You get your beer; I get to know what is happening here.”  

“I never thought Hangman was an old gossiping lady.”  

Penny puts the beers down in front of you, smiling, before leaving to serve more drinks to other clients. The place is relatively quiet, but it won’t be like this for long.  

“Darlin’, I was born and raised in the south. Of course, I gossip,” he admits, raising his beer. “Cheers.”

You mimic his actions, drinking the cool liquid. If someone had told you three days ago that you'd end up drinking beers with Hangman, you would have laughed. 

“So what did good ol’ Maverick do to get on your bad side?” 

“He tried to pull my papers at the Naval Academy,” you admit after swallowing the drink.  

Hangman chokes on his beer. You grab a napkin to clean the drops of golden liquid that have fallen on his jacket. He looks at you, his eyes completely wide in shock. “Excuse me, are we talking about the same Maverick?”  

“Yeah. The man, the legend.”  

“But why would he do something like that? He is really proud of the Navy and what it represents. Why didn’t he want you to become a fighter pilot like him?”  

“I used to think that he was trying to protect me,” you admit, your eyes focusing on the beer in your hands. You twirl it around slowly, not really interested in drinking it. Hangman takes off his jacket and moves his stool closer to you. His hand brushes yours innocently, but it makes your skin burn in delicious way.

What are you, some kind of teenager? Having fantasies with someone’s hands? 

“You thought your father could do something like that?”  

“I thought he wouldn’t dare. I thought I knew him,” you admit, taking a big sip of your beer.  

Hangman glances at you for the nth time today. It’s like he has looked at you more times today than all the years you’ve known each other. There’s a shadow in his eyes—a feeling that you cannot identify. At first, you think it's sympathy. But you’ve seen the pity in the eyes of the rest of the world every time they knew who your father was. That’s not sympathy. He blinks a few times, making the shadow disappear. 

You know that look is going to haunt you in your dreams tonight.

“Are you late because Rooster reprimanded you?” mocks Hangman, a small, devilish smile adorning his features.  

You let your head fall to the bar with a groan, causing Hangman to burst out laughing. Of course he did. He lectured you for thirty minutes while reminding you that it was your life you were risking when doing “bullshit like that”. His words, not yours.  

"I’ve always said he's like my big brother, but he took it personally," you mutter, your voice muffled by the wood.  

“Oh, he did. When we met at the academy, everyone thought you two were dating. And then one day, we were here playing pool, you went to the bathroom, and he said, and I quote,” he clears his throat before speaking in the most ridiculous sound-alike Rooster voice you’ve ever heard. “If one of you idiots tries to get in my little sister’s pants, I will kill you with my own bare hands.”  

“Please tell me it’s a lie,” you beg him, not wanting to believe his words but picturing at the same time the whole scene in your head.

He leans closer, his breath warming your cheekbone. His cologne fills your nostrils and makes your heart skip a beat at the sudden proximity. “He even said that to Phoenix,” he declares, a laugh following soon once he sees the mortification in your eyes.  

“Oh, my God. I’ll kill him,” you whine, putting your hands on your face to shield you from Hangman’s stare.  

“Honestly, it was for the best. There were a few guys interested in finding out if you were as good in bed as you were in the sky. Assholes.” He finishes his beer and turns on his stool. “Pool?” 

“Sure,” you say, getting up and taking your beer with you.  

You play for a while, opting for small talk rather than important conversations as before. There’s something inside your brain—a tiny little voice screaming that you should leave. It’s true that you don’t understand why he is being nice to you all of a sudden, but you know that he means no harm. He’s egotistical, arrogant, and a complete idiot when he wants to be. But you’ve seen him be a good teammate when the occasion required it. You don't know what is behind this change of behavior. But there’s nothing wrong with hanging around long enough to find out.  

“So… what’s the story with your dad?” You test the waters, sitting on the edge of the pool table. You’ve told him about your past with Mav, it’s only fair that he reciprocates it somehow. 

He sighs, placing both hands on top of the pool stick. “That’s… a fucking long story.” 

You look at your watch and then glance at him. “I have a few weeks.” 

Hangman snorts, placing his chin over his hands. “Then we’ll have to meet up another time so I can tell you ‘Jake’s sad story part 2’”

At that, you frown. He’s not one to whine about things, but the wording he chose sure makes you feel like this is not an easy story to tell. “Hey, if it’s gonna make you feel bad, you don’t need to tell me.” 

He shrugs, not caring about the consequences of remembering his own story. “My dad is a politician. You know that, right?” 

“I’ve heard things over the years, but I didn’t think you actually were a famous politician’s son.”

He nods absentmindedly, his eyes focused on the Navy logo stamped over the pool table. “He said if I wasn’t going to follow his steps, he would never admit he has a son.” 

“The fuck? Just because you wanted to be a Naval aviator rather than a politician?” 

“Every single male in the Seresin family has been a politician. I was the first one who didn’t want to follow the path. I didn’t want my life to revolve around meetings, campaigns, and elections.” 

Just the idea of living a life like that makes you want to throw up. Sitting all day in an office chair, wearing dresses and high heels? No, thanks. You’d rather wear your flying suit. “I would have chosen the Navy, too.”

“Well, it’s easy to say. But I had a family to lose if I chose the Navy.” He explains, resuming the game. 

“Did you lose your family?” 

“I think that’s a story for another day,” he states, knowing that this conversation has officially ended. 

Hangman keeps playing and you have to admit that every time he leans over to aim, you look at his hands. There’s something about them that drives you mad. Strong, calloused hands that make your imagination go wild. You find yourself thinking about how those hands might feel between your legs.  

“Hangman.” You blurt before you can even think about what to ask once you have his attention. You just need to keep your head occupied and stop thinking about his hands.

He raises his head, giving you his full attention. “Yes?”  

“You called me during the dogfight.” 

“Did I?” he tilts his head, feigning ignorance. At this point, you can tell when he’s lying and when he’s not.

“Yeah, you told me to pull up. Were you worried about me?” You tease him.  

“Oh yeah. If you crash and burn, the mission will be over. And I really want to know what this is all about,” he says, his cocky smile present again. Back to lying. Why is he being nice and honest one second and hiding behind his stupid Hangman persona the next?

You shake your head in disapproval, feeling like you have lost time with him.. “And here I thought you were being friendly.”  

Hangman’s smile drops instantly, as if he has just realized that he’s done something wrong. He is about to say something when you feel an arm on your shoulders. 

“Rebel! You didn’t tell me you were gonna be here.” Rooster says, appearing behind you and almost giving you a heart attack.  

“Jesus, Rooster. Don’t scare me like that.”  

“C'mon, I want you to meet some people.”  

You give the stick to Hangman. “Thanks for the beer.”  

He nods and remains silent while you leave. You don’t notice, but he watches you move away with a glimpse of sadness in his eyes. Hangman pays for the drinks and leaves the Hard Deck without saying goodbye.  

Jake leaves the Hard Deck, trying to identify the feelings that cloud his mind. Why is he feeling bitter? Is it because Rebel chose Rooster? Of course, she will always choose him. He and Rebel are not friends. How is he even going to be an option? 

He gets in his car but doesn’t turn the engine. He remains there, looking inside the bar. She is smiling at something that Rooster is saying, her big, shiny eyes full of adoration for the taller man. Jake has never been jealous of anyone. He's got the looks, he's got the skills, and he is better than the majority of the pilots on the base. But yet, he’s not enough for her. And he feels jealous of Rooster because it doesn’t matter how much he messes it up—Rebel will always be there for him. 

Why are these feelings and thoughts materializing right now?  

Maybe it is because she almost killed herself.  

That dogfight with Maverick was dangerous. When he saw Rebel breaking the hard deck without caring about her own security, he felt the need to go after her. But he didn’t. How could he? It was impossible to stop her when she was flying. He knew, though, that if anyone could beat the old timer, it was Rebel. That girl was made to be an aviator. But she needed someone to stop her from pulling these stunts. It's funny how he’s the one saying that. 

He thought that maybe, if he opened up a bit to her, he could at least gain her friendship. But it’s hard to open up when you have been hiding yourself all your life. 

Recently, everybody has been talking about the Mitchells. Not around Rebel or Rooster, of course, but they’ve been talking. The way they talk to each other is really suspicious. Fanboy said that maybe Rebel was his wife, hence the name. Nat smacked him in the back of the head. 

Obviously, Rebel wasn’t married. Maverick was her father. Everybody knew, but no one said anything out of respect for the pilot. And he wasn’t going to confirm their suspicions, either. 

It didn’t look like you two had a great relationship.

Jake was ready to say something during the exercise. Being just the two of them up there, maybe he could ask why she and her father were strained. But when he saw the turn of events, he knew that if she wanted to talk about it, it wouldn’t be with him. Now he knows why their relationship is completely broken: Maverick tried to pull her papers. 

He doesn’t know, though, why Rebel trusted him with such an important secret.

He had been a dick with her since the first day. How could he expect that Rebel would tell him something so personal? He was out of his mind. And yet, she did... Why? 

But what he really wanted to know was why the heck he cared about a nepotism baby. Her father is one of the most famous legends at Top Gun, and she’s here. Did her father’s name open the doors of the academy for her? 

No. Jake knew that was bullshit. Not only was that bullshit, but the fact that her dad didn’t want her in the Navy proved to him that all she has is earned. There’s no way she could have benefited from her dad’s name. If there was anyone on the team who really deserved to be here, it was Rebel. 

She’s a hell of a pilot. Jake remembers the first day that he saw her at Top Gun. He couldn’t understand how someone like Rebel made it into this world. Shy, quiet, and always hidden behind Rooster. Maybe that was one of the reasons why he was always a dick with her. He wanted to get her out of her shell. He wanted to break down her walls to see the real Rebel. 

If she was there, she was good. She was part of the 1%. Then she proved to be better than everyone at the academy, and nobody could believe that the shy girl was a menace in the air. She became confident, brave, and a force to reckon with. Rebel found her voice, and she stopped being the quiet girl in the back of the room. That's when the troublemaker appeared. And she gained her call sign.  

Jake gave it to her.  

He remembers the exact words that gave inspiration to the team. “You’re a rebel in disguise, Mitchell. And someday your actions will have consequences.”  

That was the day Rebel was born.  

He turns the engine and leaves the parking lot with thousands of unanswered questions in his mind and your laugh echoing in his heart.

@xoxabs88xox

@pono-pura-vida

@shrimping-for-all

@purplevortexx

@dempy

@elijahmikaelsonbitch

@blueoorchid

[citadelspires]

P1 - Given how great you're track record's been for doing hypothetical interactions of Amphibia kids with the Duck kids and Owl House kids, let's try doing the Duck kids meeting the Owl House kids and who they'd like the best. I'll exclude Violet for this for the sake of evenening things out 5 to 5. I'd assume Luz would get along best with Dewey (both jump into adventure), King with Louie (could see em teaming up for a scheme), Willow with Huey (eh, more leftover interaction but can work)

Screenshot of second half of the ask provided. Text: P2 Gus with Webby (would totally ask each other lots of questions about their species), and Amity with Lena (both got abusive figures they stood up to and would totally talk about their crushes on Luz and Webby LOL). Would love to see you take on Duck kids and Owl House kids interactions.

First of all I’m very pleased to hear you find my track record on these posts good, they’ve been really fun to write and it makes me really happy people like them! Second I am so sorry it’s taken so long to get to this ask, it’s a really in depth one and it took a long time to write, I hope you’ll find it was worth the wait!

Aight! Oh and one last thing real quick before I get into it. I hope you wouldn’t mind me adding Violet back in, partially due to the fact I love her, but mostly because there’s actually another owl house character I think works significantly better with Louie than anyone else and I really want the chance to talk about that. Saving that one for last hehe. This’ll be another long one, writing below the cut.

Luz and Webby So I do like a lot of the possible interactions brought up by your suggested grouping but my mind went in a few different directions. I’ll start with Luz, who would fit in best with another excitable adventuring partner, as pointed out, but I think the best fit for her in that regard would actually be Webby. While Dewey would no doubt get along great with Luz, there’s a special element to the potential relationship between Luz and Webby that really elevates the potential of their friendship to another level, that being: they both want to eat a hamburger.

An aspect of Webby I wish the later seasons of the show got into a little more, but is definitely something I would consider a core part of her character, is the fact that she got held up in the mansion her whole childhood, with no opportunities to interact with the world around her, have all the adventures she wanted, and most importantly to just be seen as the kid she wanted to be. And while Luz was technically able to go out into the world, the place she found wasn’t one that was willing to see her, or give her any of the chances she longed for. Both Webby and Luz fully understand that feeling of being trapped in your own life, of finally getting the chance to break out and just doing your best to make the most of it. I think there’s a lot the two could gain from spending some time together.

(Also, to borrow the bit about gushing about their crushes but from the other end, these two would totally get sidetracked talking about their respective crushes and also trying to play wingman for each other. It’s a massive comic disaster in both cases, but somehow both Lena and Amity manage to find it endearing).

Amity and Violet Okay wait lemme explain. While the two of them don’t have a whole lot in common at first glance, I think they would genuinely get along extremely well. While a lot of Amity’s focus on school came at the force of her parents, you cannot honestly expect me to believe that girl isn’t a studious nerd on her own anyway. Heck even outside the realm of studies she throws her full dedication into literally every single thing she does. Remind you of anyone? Beyond just being extremely intelligent Violet is clever and ready for anything. She takes everything in stride and always has a plan, she can go from “we were sleeping over and you said everybody get on the plane, so we got on the plane” to “I brought an axe” in a minute flat.

I like to think the two of them would have a mutual respect for each other based on their respective intellects upon first meeting, but as they become closer friends they find they can move from more serious respect to a casual enjoyment of each other. I would go as far as to say that both of these characters really value dependability in a friend, and that they each provide a lot of that. To wrap back around to the stuff about intelligence I think Violet could provide a lot of insight to Amity as far as showing her that pursuing studies and academic heights of her own volition can be something that she can just do because she wants to, and that’s no excuse for unhealthy parental relationships. Getting along so well with someone like Violet only to see that her parents are actually really loving and supportive, that would be really eye-opening for Amity I think. For Violet’s part she could get a lot of help from Amity as far as her pursuit of the secrets of magic goes. I suspect Amity would be much more interested in the study of her magic than Violet would be able to get Lena to tolerate lol.

Bonus Round: Amity would absolutely be a senior junior woodchuck and she would love it you cannot convince me otherwise. She starts quoting the JWGB around the owl house kids and they all look at her like she’s crazy.

Lena and Willow I feel like this one might seem a little out there at first but trust me on this one. Initially Lena doesn’t think too much of Willow, being as close as she is to Webby she knows liking flowers and cute things doesn’t mean Willow is automatically to be taken lightly but she feels like she’s got a good read on her that she generally prefers to avoid trouble and turns down opportunities for violence, which isn’t really Lena’s deal. Over time Lena figures she was right about her first impressions as Willow doesn’t seem to take many opportunities to expose some hidden power, even when Lena knows the people around her kinda deserve it.

She learns to adjust her opinion when she finally does get the chance to see Willow in action and realizes that girl is more powerful than any of the other kids she’s met in the boiling aisles bar none(yes this is my genuine opinion of willow if you don’t think she could kick your ass you’re wrong). It’s at that moment where she starts to pay more attention to Willow and notices a lot more of the strength she puts into all the little things, how much she cares for everyone and everything, and it does a great deal to show Lena that maybe having super strong magic powers isn’t mutually exclusive with being kind and gentle. And maybe gentle isn’t her thing but still, it’s nice to know.

For Willow’s part she’s just happy to make more friends. Especially if the opportunity arises, as I like to think it would, when they’re close enough friends, that Lena would start to hint around asking questions about how Willow remains so casual and nice with the ability to do so much damage, and Willow takes the chance to help Lena figure out her magic a bit more, and learn how to better appreciate it as an aspect of herself she doesn’t have to be scared of. (I mean come on Lena never really learned how to do any of it except barely kind of from Magica of all people she could really  use something like that).

Huey and Gus Now there are some certain things about Gus that would drive Huey absolutely nuts. His lack of primary and reliable sources for any of his information being a big one, but at the end of the day I think he’d enjoy Gus’ desire to learn in the first place. Gus would probably be a little dubious about Huey’s “sources” and “citations” but if it helped him get more info on the human realm he’d certainly go for it in the end. In that way the two balance each other out pretty well. Gus is studious and intelligent but he’s a little off the wall, he’s got a big creative streak, and he’s really excitable. Huey is really really good at facts and analysis but he lacks the strength in imagination that Gus has. Huey is able to take all the grandiose concepts Gus is able to think up and help make them actually happen. Gus has that specific brand of an adventurers soul matched up with the fact he’s not actually the type to get into danger and fights, meaning he’s able to drag Huey out of his comfort zone a little and help him reach new heights with his mind that his struggles with creativity prevent him from reaching, while managing to not make him feel like he’s actually in danger. I actually believe the two of them together could get some really incredible stuff done.

What I’m saying is that with Huey’s help Gus could absolutely complete his tunnels under Hexside.

Dewey and King Now this, this is the pair who would go incredibly well together, at the detriment of literally everyone around them. If there is one person King “I Will Rule Everything” Clawthorne should not be exposed to its Dewey Duck. Within minutes of meeting each other the two of them would immediately have so many bad ideas. Between Dewey’s insistence on being the best and most daring adventurer while putting his name on everything and going down in history & King’s trying to rule everything and everyone, the attempts to raise the stakes would be constant and the two would spend literal hours endlessly trying to one-up each other. All in one day they search for legendary treasure, discover an entirely new civilization, try to take over said civilization, create a new species just to name it after themselves, and build statues of themselves in the middle of Bonesbourough. And that’s all before lunch.

Louie Here it is. The one I waited till the very end for out of sheer excitement. I even kept the second name out of the heading thing. That’s how secretive I’m trying to be about this. See, there’s one character in the owl house that works so well with Louie it’s practically canon. Their interactions have so much potential, they each bring so much to the table, I just couldn’t Not talk about it. And yeah, I know this ask was specifically asking about the owl house and ducktales kids, but I just couldn’t resist talking about the relationship between Louie and Eda.

A con artist from another world who was so successful she became nationally famous? There’s no way Louie would pass up an opportunity like that. For his part I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already managed to set up another underworld identity in the boiling aisles, or at the very least that Eda could totally have been to the ducktales realm and heard of his one there.

Either way I’m convinced the two of them would start planning a heist as soon as they figure out who each other are. Eda is a little prideful and wants to show this kid he can’t out-con her, but Louie knows what he’s doing just as much. Honestly with the two of them combined Eda wouldn’t have to worry about losing her stand for a long time. Over the course of their planning and seeing Louie in action Eda begrudgingly gains some respect for the  kid, and while Louie was definitely just using her as a learning/profit opportunity at first, he’s pretty susceptible to getting attached.

For Louie, it’s the fact that she actually respects him for being good at what he does. Even back with his family who all love and care about him and all that he still feels like most of them don’t really get what he does or see what’s special about him, so having someone who made a whole life of it be even a little proud of him feels really nice.

And of course, at the end of their heist when they finally have the money in hand, and Eda just casually hands over his half, he stares at her like she’s crazy.

“You’re just.. Giving it to me?!”

“Well, yeah. That was the deal wasn’t it kid? I mean if you really want I definitely have a few ideas for it.”

“No! Uh, no, thanks, I’ll keep it. It’s just that you really remind me of someone, I guess I was expecting something else.”

[buzzyandbadatmath]

Dancing Around the Point(Hunter x Jedi!reader)

warning: feelings of guilt, mentions of death, fluff hehe

1.5k words

Traveling with the Bad Batch was fun at times. A group that consisted of such contrasting personalities that complimented the other’s so perfectly, as well as fighting alongside each other since they were created. It made for some fun but also scary situations, the kind of stuff you joke about years later that you reminisce over despite being terrifying in the moment. While those moments were common in your line of work, they were almost every day occurrences with Clone Force 99.

Though with all the excitement, moments where everyone could leave their guard down and just enjoy some semblance of normalcy were extremely rare. Moments like those held a special place in your heart.

Sometimes you felt guilty for indulging yourself with these moments. You were fighting for a cause that was bigger than any one individual, and people were dying while you were sitting there laughing at Wrecker awkwardly attempt to dance around small bantoins. The guilt started getting to you, and your expression slowly drained into dread. Your grip on your cup of bantoberry gin tightened and you took a sip to try to drown out the intrusive thoughts.

Hunter, who was sitting next to you, noticed your sudden change in body language and instantly became concerned. He knew you were prone to feeling guilty whenever you were starting to have a genuinely enjoyable moment, so he figured that must be what caused your mood switch. “Hey,” he nudged your shoulder. “General, I’ve got a question.” Hearing Hunter’s voice gave you a spike of adrenaline which you cursed before turning to meet his gaze. “What is it Sergeant?” You asked. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “So, what’s the heaviest thing you’ve ever lifted with the force?” He asked, trying to get your attention onto something more lighthearted.

The question was unexpected, and you wondered what the purpose of his question was but you decided to indulge him. “Uh, maybe a cruiser cannon?” You said, unsure of your answer. The story behind that was one long before you had met Clone Force 99, when you were just a padawan. “What? When was this?” Hunter questioned. You smiled at how invested he was, turning your whole body to tell him this rather short but exciting story from your past.

Life started seeping back into you as you relayed the story to your friend. His bellowing laughter in response to the more silly parts of your story attracted more listeners. The rest of the batch and some Bantoins decided to hear you ramble, and while you appreciated the audience, you were mostly just talking to Hunter.

“And all I had was a blaster and a minute of oxygen left on in my tank to take down the separatist battleship, so I did the first thing that I thought of.” Using your hands to simulate your actions during that moment, relishing in the engagement of your listeners. “With the force, I tore a nearby cannon from the cruiser that was about to crash into a nearby star and hurled it towards the separatist ships, destroying the entire fleet and causing considerable damage to the bridge.” As the crowd clapped at your retelling of your valiant efforts that ended one of the early battles of the war you caught Hunter giving you a look of playful skepticism with his arms crossed.

The crowd dispersed and you turned to look at Hunter. “What? Don’t like my story?” You said as you used the force to bring your refilled cup to your hand and taking a sip. “I did, but I find it hard to believe you singlehandedly took down an entire separatist fleet as a padawan.” He raised his eyebrow and you laughed. “Well I may have added a few... embellishments to keep the story exciting.” He rolled his eyes and took a swig of his drink. “Aren’t Jedi supposed to be humble?” He asked. “Well... an unorthodox Jedi paired with an unorthodox team of clone troopers is bound to break a few rules for the sake of excitement.”

While you had no intention of insinuating anything with that answer, it sure sounded like it, and you weren’t sure if Hunter picked up on it’s possible double meaning. To be blunt you would leave the order at the drop of a hat if it meant you could spend the rest of your life with the sergeant. The order was like a family to you, and you would do anything for your fellow Jedi, but there were just too many rules that, in your opinion, lead to the creation of so many sith lords, and you’re not going to put the order before your own mental health and the ones you cared about.

Hunter on the other hand was SO DAMN OBLIVIOUS to your advances. Seriously, you’d think someone who could literally sense electromagnetic frequencies and had enhanced senses could recognize that someone had a crush on him, but it was apparent that he was so perceptive about everything but anything that had to do with him.

You’ve kind of came to the conclusion that if he did like you, you would have to do a big gesture in order to tell him, but you were too scared of rejection to do anything more than subtly flirt with him.

The rest of the batch watched with amusement as their brother continued to be so hopelessly blind to your advances. Crosshair was particularly annoyed by it and made throwaway comments to the two of you as you interacted in hopes to end the painfully awkward stage of your relationship. Tech wasn’t interested but would occasionally made comments thinking they were obvious observations but instead made the two of you panic and try to change the subject. Wrecker outright teased the two of you while Echo just watched in silence.

Echo wanted the two of you to be together, so sometimes he would “accidentally” push the two of you together, or lock you into a tight space. He was just being a good wingman. Today he planned to get the two of you to dance together at least once.

He was about to go suggest the two of you to start dancing when he noticed you nodding your head to the beat of the song that was playing. It was a pretty energetic song, a traditional bantoin jig.* He stopped to see what Hunter would do, and surely enough he didn’t do anything for a little bit.

After a little bit, Hunter gathered the courage to ask you if you wanted to dance. Maybe you wouldn’t mind him indulging his fantasies for just a few minutes. Once he got your attention he took a deep breath before asked the question. Well he more of just nodded his head towards the dance floor, but you got the message. You nodded your head enthusiastically, taking his hand into yours and dragging you out to the dance floor.

The two of you stood in front of each other, Hunter awkwardly swaying off rhythm while you were dancing wildly, not a care in the world. You noticed his stiffness and calmed your dancing to a sway. Not wanting to him to feel left out, you grabbed his hands softly and guided him into a sloppy waltz type dance.

You were going back and forth while pushing each other’s along with the song. As you got more comfortable you started attempting to dance like the bantoins. It was a little more complicated and you were both stiff at the beginning but you loosened up and started laughing at yourself. The look in Hunter’s eyes as he looked at the pure joy in your face was loving. He was so enticed with your smile that he couldn’t look away, even when you caught him staring.

It was the moment you had been waiting for, the conformation of his feelings. The two of you weren’t blinded by your feelings, if anything they put everything into perspective, Hunter apprehension melted away as you slowly leaned into him. His hands subconsciously slid to your face and yours were holding them against your cheek.

The whole room felt like it was holding its breath as the two of you paused. So tantalizingly close to each other, you could feel Hunter’s breath on your face. He relished in the pause, the warmth of your hands and face, the slow methodical circles you were drawing on his skin. Hunter looked into your eyes for any desire to pull away. When you gave him his answer he closed that gap and embraced everything about the newfound contact.

Neither of you were experienced in this kind of intimacy, so the kiss was sloppy. You were out of sync, you didn’t know what to do with your lips, and your teeth were bucking together. However, it was the best feeling you’ve ever experienced. Both of you knew this was officially the beginning of your lives together.

When you pulled away you giggled, inevitable awkwardness overtaking the two of you. It was an endearing kind of awkwardness, admiring each other’s nervous ticks before continuing to dance.

You laughed nervously and burrowed your face into Hunter’s shoulder. He laughed and stroked you hair, the hum of his laughter ringing against your face. “I love you Mesh’la.” He said, the mandoin nickname rolling off of his tongue like it was nothing, like it was natural. You smiled, “What does that mean?” You asked with that endearing curiosity Hunter adored.

“It means ‘beautiful.’”

* (Look up Botany Bay by Blaggards and that’s the song that’s essentially playing)

[jisungsmochi]

the froyo girl - zcl

chenle x frozen yogurt shop worker!reader <333 / lots of fluff and pining hehe / wingman!jisung (had to do it to ‘em) 

this should be fun!! read more for this series here

word count: 3.3k

summary: working at the frozen yogurt shop at the local mall was fun for the most part. except for when this particular group of boys enter the store almost every evening, and make a ruckus. for the most part, they don’t completely drive you crazy but the one boy with the loud laughter and the jet black hair with hints of dark blue, had you swooning.

//

“yeah so i told renjun that i didn’t want to study together on friday and he was kind of upset so- y/n? are you listening?” your friend, jiwon snapped her fingers in your face. you shook your head to rid of your dozed off state, looking at the girl in front of you. you were currently standing behind the counter at the frozen yogurt shop you worked at. it was a fairly small establishment, only a few tables set up inside and outside and usually two employees working a shift at a time. unfortunately, you were the only one called in for work, as your coworker was currently on vacation. you didn’t mind though, the shop never got too out of hand, after all, it was mainly a self-serve type of business.

you were speaking to jiwon who had started dating her coworker, renjun, from the diner. you knew all the gritty details of their mini rivalry, in which you always lectured her to be nicer to him.

“sorry, i just feel really drowsy today” you sigh, looking down at the variety of treats in front of you.

“are you feeling sick or something? you shouldn’t have forced yourself to work!” jiwon began to worry, ready to hop over the counter to take you home.

“no no, it’s not like that. i didn’t get much sleep last night because of those group of guys who always come in later in the evenings” you yawn, confirming the fact you were completely exhausted. you had allowed the group to stay in store after hours. you knew that you should have flashed some sort of authority onto them, but everytime you saw him, you got nervous.

“y/n! you can’t let them push you around like that, you have to stand your ground” jiwon tried to hype you up, only earning a small nod in return.

“i know i know, it’s just everytime i see h-“ you immediately stop yourself, knowing how she was going to react. jiwon smirked at you, wiggling her eyebrows. you held your face in your hands and groaned.

“you have a crush on that dude that laughs really loud! the one that sounds like a dolphin” she chuckles, causing you to blush in response. you had heard his friends chant his name a few times, chenle. you always found your eyes drifting towards him. how he dramatically swung his head back while laughing at something his friends said, how he always managed to overflow his cup with oreo crumbs, and especially how he always gave you a smile before he left. you knew it didn’t mean much, but you couldn’t help but feel warm inside everytime he did so.

chenle and his group started hanging at the shop around two months ago. you vividly remember the first time you interacted with him.

he walked in with his best friend, who you knew was jisung, the boy who worked at your local convenience store. you weren’t paying attention to them at first, your main task being fixing the oreo froyo machine. it had suddenly stopped working a few minutes before, and your coworker was currently on the phone with the manager about the situation. chenle stood behind you, instantly frowning at situation. you felt some figures near you, eyes widening at the boys who returned the look. you gave them a small smile,

“sorry guys, the machine is broken, we’ll have it back up and running soon. but you can try the red velvet flavour, it’s new and a personal favourite” you kindly explained, wiping your hands on your apron.

“oh okay, thankyou! goodluck with fixing the machine though” chenle smiles softly, moving to grab the red velvet flavour. you couldn’t help but overhear the conversation,

“but dude, oreo is your favourite flavour” jisung mutters,

“it can change” he shrugged, instantly making you feel giddy. it was simple things like that, which made you infatuated with the boy. what could you say? you were a sucker for him from day one.

chenle and his friends were once again, hanging inside the shop. your coworker bid you a farewell before reminding you to lock up. you nodded at her, wishing her a good night before wiping down the rest of the counter top. you could hear chenle’s laughter echo throughout the whole shop, it never failed to make you giggle to yourself. you didn’t notice, like every other time chenle was staring at you. he watched as you blew bits of your hair from your face. he watched as you huffed after finished wiping the counter top, and threw the wet towel into the bucket. he watched as you cheered to yourself for landing the shot, which made him smile even more. jisung noticed, nudging his friend’s shoulder,

“stop staring and go talk to her” he tried to encourage the dark haired boy.

“you know i can’t, s-she looks busy” chenle tried to excuse, now both boys’ eyes were directed at you. you were leaning against the counter, eyes fixed on your phone, waiting for the boys to finish up.

“she sure looks busy” jisung smirked, deciding it was time for him to meddle a bit. chenle watched as the younger boy waltzed up to you. his other friends were equally as shocked, but brushed it off, going back to their conversations. chenle tried to make out the words being exchanged between you and jisung,

“hey there” you look up, eyes meeting those of the tall boy.

“oh hi, may i help you?” you shove your phone in your pocket, giving your attention to him.

“are you busy after your shift ends?” he suddenly asks as your eyes widen. you weren’t sure what his intentions were, your eyes subconsciously flicking to chenle who was glaring at jisung.

“i-i’m sorry, are you asking me out?” you furrowed your eyebrows, trying to read the situation.

“only if you want me to” jisung chuckled. you stayed silent, eyes still flicking over to chenle. the dark haired boy was listening the entire time, hoping you’d reject his friend.

“i’m flattered but i-i uh like someone at the moment. it would be kinda weird to go out with someone else, right?” you nervously answered, not wanting to let down the boy in front of you.

“ahh i see, no hard feelings there, have a nice night, y/n” jisung smiles softly, walking back to his friends. you stood in place for a solid minute, what the hell just happened? why on earth did you confess to jisung that you liked someone? god, what if chenle heard it all?

when jisung sat back down, chenle slapped his arm harshly,

“what the hell was that?” chenle confronted his friend,

“relax, i just wanted to see if she had feelings for someone. it could be you, you know” jisung shrugs as he shoved another spoonful of froyo into his mouth.

“but what if it’s not me? and it’s like some cooler dude from her school” chenle sighs in defeat, accepting that he didn’t have a chance with you.

“god you really don’t see it, do you? she kept looking at you when i was talking to her. it must mean something. now grow some balls and talk to the girl, she’s not gonna bite!” jisung exclaims, waving his arms dramatically. chenle chuckles at his actions, jisung’s words floating at the back of his head.

maybe he needed that extra push.

it was your day off, yet you still found yourself at the mall, third-wheeling with jiwon and renjun. you trailed behind them, sipping on an overpriced smoothie. jiwon turned back at you, ushering you to stand in between her and renjun. you and renjun had gotten closer since he started dating jiwon, so it was common for both of them to give you advice on random things. they looked their arms with yours, as the three of you walked in unison.

“so y/n, jiwon told me you have a crush o-“ you cut off renjun with a cold glare, making him freeze.

“jiwon! why did you tell him?” you whines to your friend as she gave you pleading eyes.

“i’m sorry! i tell him everything, it just slipped up, i swear” jiwon sighed. you ended up shaking your head, accepting the whole situation.

“it’s okay, and yeah i do have a crush. his name is chenle. he and his friends come to the shop a lot. and weirdly enough, one of his friends kinda asked me out?” you explained to the couple as they listened intensively.

“what?! you got asked out on a date?!” jiwon’s jaw dropped as the three of you ended up in the food court, now seated at a table.

“not really, i could tell he wasn’t being serious. jisung is a joker kind of guy” you shrugged, thoughts leading back to that moment.

“what did you say to him?” renjun questioned as you snapped back to reality.

“uh well i just told him i liked someone else” you shyly let out, causing the couple to smile at eachother before landing their eyes on you.

“i see what’s going on here, it’s a classic wingman move” renjun begins, capturing your attention. “jisung must have asked you out, as a way to figure out if you were taken or single. and since you don’t believe he was interested in you, who’s to say he wasn’t asking on behalf of someone else?” renjun smirks at you, causing you to reanalyse everything that went down that night.

“i mean, that kind of makes sense? boys will always be confusing” jiwon chimes in, rolling her eyes at renjun.

“so you think that, maybe he asked on behalf of chenle?” you whispered his name, too shy to say it aloud. renjun nodded, giving you a pat on the back.

“well what should i do then?” you question, eager for more advice.

“i think it’s best you wait it out. he may think that the person you like, isn’t him. in that case, you should probably try and make conversation with him, it’s a good start” renjun continues to encourage you, jiwon now giving him heart eyes. you smiled softly at how infatuated they were with eachother. you were surprised at how clever renjun was with his advice, so you all ended up planning how you would inevitably talk to chenle.

it was a thursday night, the one day of the week where the mall was open until the late hours of the night. jiwon and renjun visited you, going over your initial plan to speak with chenle.

“what time do they usually come in?” renjun asks, taking a scoop of frozen yogurt into his mouth.

“around 9? they end up staying until closing time anyway” you confirm, wiping down the edges of the counter.

“so what’s the plan?” jiwon asks you, making sure you memorised everything.

“when he comes to pay for his frozen yogurt, i will start a conversation with him, and then eventually get his number” you nod along with your words, not noticing how the couple was looking at you with concern.

“okay but can you actually talk to him?” renjun teased, causing you to snap your head to face him.

“yes i can! i’m very good at talking to people, it’s part of my job duh” you roll your eyes playfully at the boy.

“i’m just making sure okay! we should start heading home though, we have a movie date planned” renjun pulled jiwon to his side, running his hand softly against her arm. you smiled at how adorable they were,

“have fun you two, but not too much fun” you gave them a stern glare as they walked out of the store, hand in hand.

the clock struck 9, and as if on cue, the group of boys entered the store. you noticed that there was someone missing, only counting four heads instead of the usual five. your eyes met jisung’s as he gave you a small wave, in which you returned. you frowned when you didn’t see his other half standing with him. chenle didn’t come with them today. your heart sunk, your plans all going to waste. you sighed to yourself before serving the rest of the boys. jisung approached you slowly, noticing that you looked rather down today.

“hey, are you okay?” the tall boy asked, full of concern. you nodded softly, unsure of how to respond,

“y-yeah i’m good, your total is $4.80” you tried to crack a smile. jisung couldn’t help but give you a solemn look. before you took his money, you decided to question him,

“i hope this doesn’t sound weird but where is your friend? the one with the loud laugh” you smiled at the last part, taking the money from jisung.

you didn’t see it at first, but jisung’s face lit up at the mention of his best friend.

“oh you mean chenle? he’s studying for this huge exam tomorrow, and decided to ditch us” jisung smirked at you, slowly connecting the dots.

“a-ah okay, that’s too bad then” you shrugged, handing him his change.

“yeah it is too bad” jisung walked away from the counter, immediately grabbing his phone,

big head 1: CHENLE, GET UR ASS TO THE MALL RIGHT NOW

big head 2: JISUNG, SHUT UP IM TRYING TO STUDY

big head 1: Y/N ASKED ME WHERE YOU WERE, DUDE SHES INTO YOU

big head 2: don’t prank me bro, i’m not in the mood

big head 1: i’m not lying, i promise! she really did ask for you, she seemed kinda down actually

big head 2: wait what?! dude chemistry can wait! i’m on my way

chenle dropped everything on his desk. he grabbed a random denim jacket from the end of his bed and rushed out of his house. he hopped into his car, speeding off to the mall. you observed the group of boys while waiting for your shift to end. your eyes were glued to the seat that was reserved for chenle. you sighed to yourself, knowing that it wasn’t going to work out anyway. you had pretty much lost all confidence in talking to chenle, accepting the fact that maybe you just had your hopes set too high. you wanted to text jiwon about everything but you also didn’t want to interrupt her date with renjun. so you started cleaning the machines, prepping them for the next day. you heard the chatter of the boys slowly die down, knowing they were ready to leave soon. you heard the shuffling of chairs, followed by a chorus of ‘thank you’s as you turned and gave the boys a small wave, your eyes once again landing on jisung who had a smug look on his face as he left. you shook your head at the thought, before starting to pack up the chairs. you were just about ready to switch off the lights and close up when a puffed out chenle startled you. he pushed open the door of the shop, causing you to jump back in surprise. you let out a small yelp, followed by nervous laughter.

“u-uh may i help you?” you managed to let out, watching as chenle caught his breath. you pulled out a chair for him to sit on, furrowing your eyebrows at the sight in front of you.

“d-do you have any water?” he managed to huff out, as you rushed to the small freezer of beverages, handing him a water bottle.

chenle chugged down a solid half of the water before looking over at you. you were now seated across from him, your hands in your lap, waiting for him to start a conversation.

“i uh, i’m sorry for barging in, especially when you’re about to close” he starts, you shake your head before saying

“it’s alright, i don’t mind” chenle smiles at your words, heart beating faster than normal.

“i just wanted to uh, see if you wanted to-“ he stops himself, trying to gain more courage to finish,

“what is it, chenle?” you gave him a reassuring smile as he copied your expression.

“you know my name?” he gasped in awe as you let out a small giggle.

“of course i do, with the amount of times you have paid with your card, it’s hard not to glance at your name” you smile as he buries his head in his hands, too shy to face you.

“and also, your group of friends aren’t the quietest bunch, so i took notice of you” you widened your eyes at your words, shocked that you would blurt something out like that. chenle found it adorable, softly blushing at how you admitted you noticed him.

“i’m sorry about that” he sighs before continuing, “i think you’re really pretty and i wanted to ask you to hang out, just the two of us” he avoided your eyes, keeping them fixed on your hands placed in your lap. you were stunned by his words. the boy you had been silently admiring for weeks had just asked you out on a date. you didn’t know how to respond, causing chenle to look up at your shocked expression. he cracked a small smile, which calmed your nerves,

“i would really like that” you nodded eagerly as chenle took your hands in his.

“i was hoping you’d say that” he mumbled, as the two of you talked for the next hour. as it was getting late, you locked up the shop and accepted chenle’s offer to drop you off at home. it was so easy to talk to chenle, you facepalmed yourself for not doing it sooner. he was so witty and charming, he always had something interesting to say, you never got bored.

“don’t you have an exam to study for?” you questioned the dark haired boy as he pulled up to your house.

“eh it’s no big deal, i had more important things to tend to” you blushed at his words, instantly feeling yourself fall for him.

“i’ll see you soon, chenle” you smiled widely at him before getting out of the car. he waited for you to enter your house before leaving your driveway. as soon as he got home, he called jisung to update him on everything.

“you actually got the girl” jisung gasped,

“i guess i did” chenle spoke, still in shock. jisung chuckled from the other end,

“not without my help though” chenle rolled his eyes at his best friend,

“thank you man, i owe you one”

“like owe me a meal? or like a new phone?” jisung teased,

“neither now go to bed” chenle hung up, tapping through his contacts, eventually reaching yours. he smiled softly, typing a quick message,

“goodnight y/n! have sweet dreams, let’s talk soon!”

you completely gushed when you received the message, rolling over in your bed in glee. it was an indescribable feeling. you were overwhelmed with happiness. after weeks of pining over chenle, it was unknown to you that he felt the exact same. you had renjun and jiwon to thank, as well as jisung. the fact of the matter is, you lucked out on one of the sweetest most fun loving guys in the world, and you couldn’t be happier.

[mousehole5000]

tgcf chapters 107 - 120 this is one where i give some Opinions. i do overall like hualian a lot but i have some quibbles

wait why am i still taking screenshots? i can copy/paste again afskldfjasad

It really was hard to tell whether people would feel happy after watching such performances. However, in truth, slaughter and the sight of blood did create excitement in people. Whether or not there was fear, after the initial shock was over, a rush of adrenaline would be produced in the heart- me watching horror movies

“Shi Qingxuan said. “Then, Your Highness, Crimson Rain Sought Flower! I order you to—to immediately strip each other’s clothing!” - djslkadjlsd WHY DID HE SPECIFICALLY SAY THEY HAD TO STRIP EACH OTHER THISALSKDJ is this a normal thing is it a wingman attempt what is happening

“I’ll tell you what it is,” he said softly. “To watch with your own eyes your beloved be trampled and ridiculed, yet be unable to do anything. That’s the worst suffering in the world.” ... “Ming Yi asked, “What’s the biggest regret of your life?”- when truth or dare gets a bit too real

On the side, Hua Cheng was still only observing, and was already bored to the point where he’d changed back into his red robes. Then he changed to black robes again. Then to white robes. Almost every time Xie Lian looked back, he would be donning a different appearance, and with every new look there were different hairstyles, and different accessories, and different boots, and so on; sometimes playful, sometimes elegant, sometimes deadly, sometimes glamourous. Xie Lian was growing dizzy from all the colours and kept looking back, unable to look away. - THIS ISNT THE TIME HUA CHENG. YOURE PRIMPING. THE WINDMASTER HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED AND YOURE PRIMPING

obsessed with xie lian not being able to figure out to use the windmaster’s fan and just. using it to SMACK

also windmaster??? whats going on??? :( i know some things from spoilers like who is not to be trusted but i really have no clue whats happening rn

anyways back to puqi shrine lets check on those kids also can we PLEASE get some funds for this restoration smh. hua cheng and xie lian doing mundane hard labor together to fulfill prayers.... :pleading:

jailbreak in the heavens 2: dig a tunnel

Sure enough, the moment Ming Yi put pressure on his shovel, a hole opened up before them. With the shovel raised, he burrowed crazily ahead while Shi Qingxuan, in the middle, cheered him on crazily. As the only non-crazy person, Xie Lian brought up the rear. That treasured shovel of the Earth Master was indeed magical, and with only a few strokes, a new tunnel of over ten meters was dug. - anybody remember mulch diggums from the artemis fowl series? this is much more dignified than that but i think this is only the second time ive read a character just starting digging a tunnel as a plot point

okay so much is going on i wish i hadnt spoiled who certain characters actually are for myself but i have no one to blame but me for a) not blacklisting spoilers at all and b) just having a little freefall through the tags. oh well. anyway heavenly college admissions scandal except way worse. the corruption extends to the heavens and the windmaster is having a very bad day

i guess we’re having a high seas adventure now?

im gonna keep it real im getting tired of how often we get told how handsome hua cheng is. i know its all xie lian’s pov and while im not terribly familiar with it i know what genre we’re working with and im assuming thats pretty typical. its something i dont much care for in general and idk maybe it sounds better in the original but ngl its starting to make me roll my eyes. love you goth king but god okay we get it.

i guess what i will say about hualian so far is that overall i like them and i like how they interact in general they have a lot of nice moments and they just genuinely seem to like each other which is really nice to see EXCEPT for when it actually comes to things that could be romantic or sexual which is a shame bc i dont think it has to be like this. again disclaimer that im only reading a translation and dont know everything might not have all the knowledge necessary to accurately criticize etc etc and im assuming a lot of this is expected from the genre (disclaimer to this disclaimer that i cant say that for sure its just based on things ive picked up about the bl genre over the years) but idk like xie lian was so distressed after their underwater kiss scene. it was kind of uncomfortable to read and maybe im being unfair i know his cultivation is based around abstinence or whatever but idk i dont care for it. and that scene alone doesnt have to be a bad thing like idk i guess its his first kiss ever (?) and it would make sense if he feels weird about it but i just have my doubts thats going to be addressed or resolved in a satisfying way. also im like. dude everyone is like centuries old. xie lian’s been on earth for 800 years. has he really never met or heard of a gay person during all this time? maybe he hasnt idk what he got up to yet maybe that’s actually a thing. also same thing with the reactions from the immortals to xie lian in a dress and characters like the windmaster like again you’re all centuries old and its not uncommon to be able to just completely change gender presentation. why are you all weird about a man wearing a woman’s dress? i just feel like that shouldnt be a big deal to these characters idk

also again not going to lie part of this that im not really a big fan of reading romance in general. yes i am reading this book. yes i do read and write a lot of fanfic that includes or centers romance. im multifaceted. but really what im talking about is the like physical side of it and descriptions im extremely picky about it. ill give an example. early on in the torture pit (or whatever it was called i cant remember lol) when xie lian kind of accidentally felt up hua cheng in the dark when he was being carried. i dont think thats a bad thing to have happen between the two romantic leads i think thats fine and good to include that early but i just did not enjoy reading it when it happened idk maybe it was the wording and i do think that moments like these work better in a visual medium. ive definitely read het romance that reads like this and i wasnt a fan of that either lol same with fanfic i get tired when writers go on and on about how hot one characters finds another character. this isnt a huge criticism of it like i said im picky but again like with the way that hua cheng is described it just makes me roll my eyes sorry kings

okay back to the reading. this whole saving the fishermen thing feels like a big set up for something narrative-wise. hua cheng specifically insisted on coming and i know one of the characters involved ends up dying im wondering if thats now it would be a good time tbh if things get just a bit too unfortunate during this heavenly calamity... and the brothers are notably not having a harmonious time... also tho it feels very likely we’ll just have another Hualian Moment (tm)

In such a situation, Pei Ming still acted the same. In the evening, when they rescued a few fishermen girls, so scared their eyes were blurry from tears, he held them in his embrace and soothed them with a gentle voice; a true show of honeyed romance, affectionate and charming. - pei ming please get pickled again.

also its funny that hua cheng is just kinda hanging out and everyone else just has to deal with it

Looking down from above, the entire area was painted in a terrifying black. It was easy to see the collision between the two different-coloured currents. Their fierce battle was what formed this enormous whirlpool. As the eye swallowed the ship whole, the two currents of water separated. However, the battle was far from over. Like two venomous vipers, they continued to snap at each other. Each collision was followed by a mountain of angry waves. - this pretty dope ngl. also love our wind and earth masters just chilling on a shovel i dig it. hehe

Yet, other than discovering Hua Cheng had a fine body, there were no other finds. Xie Lian was at his wit’s end and started to worry. - okay see this one’s funny im just also irritated bc im like WE KNOW!!! WE GET IT HE’S HOT AND XIE LIAN THINKS HE’S HOT OKAY GOT IT

okay kiss #2 again its not the kisses themselves its xie lian’s reaction it just bothers me idk im not saying i need him to be super into it and completely unconflicted about it rn but he’s just so freaked out about it and idk i just dont really like it just feels weird i dont care for that aspect of it. also dude hua cheng is a ghost and he did this exact same thing for you before just chill. i wish instead of xie lian literally running away while screaming that hes sorry he was just like “oh haha youre fine thats cool im gonna go look around the woods i dont feel weird about this at all haha” like idk its kind of funny but when its literally our two romantic leads i just feel like its confusing like it kind of makes me feel like they shouldnt be together if one of them freaks out this much again considering the fact that they are both CENTURIES old. i know i know xie lian is an 800 year old virgin but. he hasn’t been like this about anything else so yeah idk like it still could have been awkward and funny i just dont think it needed to be so :/ that being said it was funny that xie lian was then internally like “oh i did it wrong? perhaps i should ask him for more.. instructions....” if that actually happens i might like it bc it would complete this little watery theme

Before he finished, he immediately remembered. Coffin wood. There were trees here everywhere; and a deceased? There was one right before his eyes. Sure enough, Hua Cheng smiled. “Won’t it be fine once I lie inside? - love that hua cheng just sat on the fact that he can turn anything into a coffin. that would have been really useful information earlier but no he just waited until everyone but xie lian was gone afjaklsdjf

also i do think that oblivious xie lian thinking “wow whoever it is that hua cheng fancies is an idiot for not liking him back theyre totally taking him for granted :/” is kind of funny and sweet. actually the whole conversation they have at the campfire is good and im bookmarking it to think about later

“...You on top and me on the bottom,” Xie Lian replied. “Isn’t top and bottom the same?” Hua Cheng asked. - okay im sorry but. mood whenever theres discourse about top/bottom dynamics for a ship im just like jesus christ i dont care. tbh i rarely read fanfiction if its just sexual and ngl if i see a fic specifically tag characters as top or bottom i wont read it lmfao. especially when people have really strong opinions about this stuff when theres nothing canonical to back it up like headcanon all you want but whenever i see people argue about it im just like no offense but go work out your own sexual issues and dynamics instead of arguing with strangers on the internet about who’s a top and who’s a bottom. sorry to be mean but just thats how i feel lol

this was mostly a ramble with a few excerpts but im getting sleepy im going to TRY to take a break from this for like a day but we’ll see how that goes i do very much want to know what happens. anyway if you read this whole thing hiiiiii sorry for subjecting you to my opinions on top/bottom discourse

[onlyjihoons]

diamond in the rough; p.j.h

request: anon asked:  hello! can i please have a bestfriends to lovers imagine? angst but a happy ending hehe// wait! about my bestfriends to lovers request, i think i forgot to add the member hehe jihoon pleaseeee thanks again! have a nice day xx

a/n; i combined your request with an idea of mine, i hope you dont mind^^ special thanks to dain(@pinksausageduo) and tina(@whatabrightplace) for helping me out,, not forgetting allison(@pwjins), sarah(@day6euphoria), xuan(@hwinkinghwi)and rissa(@hwangminn)! y’all might not have helped much but it meant the world to me and rescued me from the ditch,, i love you guys

and im sorry iris @101mess i didnt manage to do up 10 fics:’)

starting line:  “Don’t touch me.”

synopsis:  you never believed in falling for your best friend, until one confesses, in the most shocking way possible

warnings: uhh mild language sliiight steam and nothing else everything’s at pg dw

genre: mafia!jihoon,, angst and fluff

length: | a paragraph | drabble length | a short story | your average essay of less than 10,000 words | a fic too long but too short for a part 2|

masterlist//requests are open

"Hey babe," Jihoon slings his arm around your shoulder, "I heard the first class is Economics, and we have it together,"

You shrugged Jihoon's arm away, walking a few steps ahead of him, "Stop calling me babe, its annoying, and your stupid winkies would haunt me for it too." Jihoon. Your best friend since the 3rd year of middle school, your wingman, your #1 supporter. You were there with him since his awkward emo stage, and now that he became an extremely handsome individual. The friendship didn't change despite Jihoon looking better, but he has a hoard of girls, who named themselves winkies, chasing after him at his every whim. You didn't care much about them, since theyre chasing after false hope. But you were indeed afraid of them, you saw how they bullied a girl Jihoon helped out on her first day of school, and they only stopped when Jihoon intervened. Now, not that Jihoon was a fuckboy or anything, although the ambience he carries says otherwise. A true tsundere, Jihoon is more than he seems below his looks. Sometimes however, he could be cold on the outside, warm on the inside, and the opposite on some days. Knowing Jihoon's personality fairly well, you never phantomed that your best friend would fall for you. Jihoon had his fair share of pretty friends, and you just looked like someone to complement him in pictures. You did develop a crush on Jihoon during the first year you met him, but your hopes to only be crushed when Jihoon started gushing over the prettiest girl in the cohort. They did become an item eventually, but young Jihoon's heart to be broken only a week after finding out his girlfriend lost interest in him. He turned to you, his best friend, which resulted in movie night, accompanied by lots of ice cream. As the both of you grew, Jihoon's heart grew bigger for you as well. He seemed to realise that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and not just visual beauty. You, his best friend, was there with him through thick and thin, better or worse. He slowly started to grow fond of the two dimples that adorned you when you smiled, and how attractive you were when you were extremely focused on a task. If anyone were to glance at Jihoon staring at you, the entire galaxy could be seen in his brown orbs, bursting with affection. What a pity, you couldn't see it.

And what you didn’t know, was Jihoon’s involvement with the 101 mafia.

The 101 mafia was notorious for money laundering, and gang fights. The neighbourhood you lived in was the 101’s turf, any other rival gang that went up against them will end up in shambles, and a free trip to the hospital.

You knew of the 101, but you didn’t really involve yourself in those matters(what an irony though, jihoon was your best friend) as your GPA was much more important than finding a boyfriend or getting into fights.

In school, Jihoon was the stellar student, straight As, cocoa hair in a neat but slightly dishivelled fashion, uniform neatly ironed. However, during his “duties”, school jihoon would be thrown in the gutter, the boy would sport a black leather jacket, milky white forehead exposed below his gelled up fringe. Having a black belt in taekwondo, Jihoon was one of 101’s most valuable assets.

Hence, many girls have their eyes on Mr. Sweet but Strong guy, including one of the leaders of the  Fantagio mafia, Choi Yoojung.

Jihoon used to be part of the Fantagio mafia, until the mafia disbanded for a short while. They wanted Jihoon back, but he was in a much stronger mafia than their own. Yoojung was friends with Jihoon during his time in Fantagio, and inevitably caught feelings for the doe-eyed mafia member. 

Alas, she couldn’t confess to him as Jihoon left Fantagio sooner than she expected, and the underlying feelings never left. She had made a point and a swear to herself that she would do anything to let Jihoon be single, even if it means to harm the people closest to him. 

During economics class, Jihoon kept throwing playful winks at your direction, messing with both your mind and heart. You were used to it though, but Jihoon was exceptionally flirtatious today. You rolled your eyes at him, gesturing your finger to his textbook, mouthing "pay attention".

Jihoon did quite the opposite, dragging his table and chair beside you, then settling himself down with a plop.

"What are you doing?" You whispered, seeing a few classmates turning their head at the commotion.

"Shifting my seat to a more comfortable position," Jihoon shrugged, "It's really hot there, I don't like it."

"It's literally minus thirty degrees outside, Jihoon," You tried to direct your attention back to the economics textbook ,"stand outside if you want."

"Miss Y/N and Mr Jihoon, are you done?" Your economics teacher warned, tapping her book on the teachers' desk, "Leave your sweet talk outside of the classroom, not during my class."

You already feel a couple of glares directed at you, not because of your talking, but because of your interaction with Jihoon. There were quite a few winkies in your economics class, and they are constantly vying for the seat beside Jihoon. However, Jihoon being himself, he would always shift to the seat beside you, as the girls' faces would turn into a scowl. Today was no different, but worse when the teacher openly lectured both you and Jihoon as a pair. 

You lowered your head in embarrassment, not wanting to face the wrath of Jihoon’s stupid winkies after class. Before you could shift your seat, a slip of paper was pressed underneath your textbook.

Don’t be too upset, hmm? I can’t bear to see my best friend like this:( I’ll wait for you in the music room during recess with waffles. And strawberry milk. 

-JH

Your heart warmed at the message, your mood instantly lifted as you listened attentively for the rest of class.

“Dont stop me,” Yoojung seethed, as she pried Mark’s hand away from her shoulders.

“Hey, it’s not right to hurt someone because of your crush on Jihoon,” Mark reasoned, standing in front of her, “and what’s worse, she’s his best friend. Can you imagine how much he’s gonna hate you for hurting her? That’s just not putting the situation in your favour.”

“Do I look like I care?” Yoojung folded her arms, “I have been practically been with Jihoon since he was like fourteen and I know him better than she does.”

“Actually, she has known him since middle—“

“Ok, whatever.” Yoojung rolled her eyes, pushing the frail 127 mafia member out of her way, “I do what I want.”

Jihoon was a man of his words indeed, the boy was seated at the piano seat, two brown paper bags and two bottles of strawberry milk perched atop of the grand piano. Though, he wasn’t playing the piano. He was busy tapping on his mobile phone, presumably some mobile game he was involved in.

You creeped up to Jihoon, then thrusting your hands on his shoulders. The boy let out a yelp, nearly dropping his phone. When he saw that it was you, he placed his palm over his chest, scrunching his nose.

“You scared me,” Jihoon huffed, palm still clutching on his chest, “I thought you were one of the winkies or something.”

You shrugged, taking one of the paper bags and sitting beside Jihoon, “What game were you playing just now? You seemed engrossed.”

Jihoon’s eyes shifted, as he cleared his throat, “Uhh, Mobile Legends.”

“Really?” You quirked your eyebrows, reaching for his phone, “Teach me how to play, I wanna be a cool gamer dude like you too.”

Before you could touch his phone, Jihoon snatched his phone back, raising it up above his head. You frowned, as Jihoon stuck his tongue out.

“What’s wrong with trying to learn how to play games?” You pouted, “I don’t get why you’re so defensive.”

“N—no, it’s just...”

“Hmm?”

“I—“

You pulled Jihoon’s hand down towards you, as you snatched his phone back in victory, your back facing against him as you tried to unlock his phone.

“Yah! Give it back to me!” Jihoon tried to get his phone back, as you finally managed to unlock his phone.

His password? Your birthday.

What surprised you even more was his homescreen, it was a picture of the both of you, during middle school graduation.

“How cute, tsundere Jihoon having our picture as his wallpaper?” You cooed, “We were even so uncool back then.”

“Now you have seen it,” Jihoon tried to grip his phone, “give it back to me.”

“Why?” You teased, “Do you have a girlfriend that I don’t know about?”

“Actually,” Jihoon’s face inched closer to yours, making your heart accelerate at a very fast pace, “I’ve been thinking about this for a really long time, and its also the reason I asked you to come here for.”

“W—what is it?” You stuttered, not used to the proximity of your bodies.

“Y/N, I—“Before Jihoon could complete his sentence, the incessant vibrating of his mobile phone interrupted him, making him curse under his breath as he picked up the call.

“Hello—What?!” Jihoon furrowed his brows, then scrunching up his hair in frustration, “Ok. Make sure you keep a lookout for me.”

With that, he hung up the phone, and looked into your eyes, “Look, Y/N, I’m so sorry, I have to leave now. Something urgent cropped up, and I have to be there.” 

You bit your lip, as you forced out a smile, “It’s fine. Just go.”

Jihoon squeezed your hand, as he left you alone in the music room, two waffles and strawberry milk untouched.

“Hey,” you hear someone call out to you, as you pulled out your earphones. It was the president of the winkies, Yoojin.

You stared at her blankly, as she scoffs, “You really don’t know where to draw the line, don’t you?”

You frowned, not understanding anything she said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Yoojin.”

“It’s Jihoon that I’m talking about,” She folded her arms, “Stop being so close to him.”

“What?”

You couldn’t believe your ears, are the winkies really coming at you for something so petty?

“Can’t you see? The oh-so-tough 101 mafia member is so smitten for you, his world revolves around you.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, looks like his bestest friend doesn’t know,” Yoojin snickered, along with her other winkies, “Yes, your Jihoon is part of the 101 mafia. A prized one in fact. He doesn’t have a black belt in taekwondo for nothing.”

You were currently in disbelief, thinking that the winkies would do anything in their way to break the both of you up. You knew Jihoon was rumoured to be in the mafia, but he was too good of a student to be part of it. Besides, you were his best friend. He would tell you everything, right?

“I can show you his picture if you want—“ Yoojin’s phone went flying across the floor, glass fragments littering the concrete floor of the classroom.

“I can’t believe you stooped this low to get Jihoon,” Yoojung shook her head as she stepped on Yoojin’s brand new iPhone X, “even a baby wouldn’t believe your words.”

“Choi Yoojung!” She screamed, but no one showed sympathy to her as she picked up her now shattered phone, “Look what you’ve done!”

“What I have done?” Yoojung laughed, “Stopping another uncultured swine from spreading rumours, no?”

The whole class burst into whispers, as Yoojung pulled you by your wrist out of the classroom.

“Look, I don’t normally do this but, I’m sorry.” Yoojung bowed, as she gave you a cup of water.

“What for?” You were puzzled, immediately helping Yoojung up.

“I wanted to harm you...” Yoojung’s head hung low, “and I really shouldn’t because of a stupid crush.”

“Harm me for what?” You laughed, hugging an almost crying Yoojung.

“I wanted to harm you for getting close to my crush, you are really too nice.” Yoojung sniffed.

“Ok, tell me who’s your crush, I’ll help you.” You smiled, as Yoojung shook her head.

“It’s Jihoon,” Your face momentararily stiffens, “and I guess its time to get over him as well.”

“H-hey,” You stuttered, “I can help you, he’s my best friend.”

“No, I can’t.” Yoojung shook her head, “Jihoon has someone else in mind already.”

You slouched, patting Yoojung’s back, “I’m so sorry to hear that, Yoojung.”

“and he has his 101 stuff to handle too, I feel bad to add on to his work load...”

“Wait, 101?” You frowned, “as in the 101 mafia?”

“Jihoon is in the— oh you’re not supposed to know.” Yoojung scratched her head, then standing up, “I’m sorry and thank you.”

“No, Yoojung, wait!” You tugged on her jacket, “what am I not supposed to know?”

“N—nothing.” Yoojung tried to wriggle out of your grasp, but can’t under your iron grip.

“If you’re really sorry, then tell me about it.” 

Yoojung sighed, “Alright, fine. Jihoon is in the 101 mafia, and I’m not joking. He really is in the mafia and is one of the most valued members because of his ability to do well both in school and work.”

Yoojung saw your doubtful eyes, as she whipped out her phone and showed you a picture of the 101 mafia, “Here’s Jihoon,” she zoomed into one of the members in the centre, seated right beside a silver haired man, “he looks different, doesn’t he?”

Jihoon indeed looked different, a boyish smirk stitched on his handsome features, hair all gelled up and a black leather jacket that had “101” imprinted on the left breast pocket. You couldn’t believe it, as his best friend, you had asked him many times about him and the 101. Of course, Jihoon denied it and waved it off with a charming smile, making you forget all about it.“He was in Fantagio before he joined 101,” 

Yoojung sighed as she locked her phone, “And I guess that was when I started developing a crush on him.”

The both of you shared a moment of silence, as Yoojung stood up again, “I know this is a little too much for you to take in, but just so you know, I’m always active on Kakao, so just text me whenever.”

You and Yoojung were more than acquaintances, but little less than friends. You didn’t really know the petite girl well before, but now, you were guessing that you have earned yourself a new friend.

30 minutes earlier

“Jihoon,” Mark gasped over the phone, “Yoojung is going to do something to Y/N.”

“Hello—What?!” Jihoon furrowed his brows, then scrunching up his hair in frustration, “Ok. Make sure you keep a lookout for me.”

Mark sighed, as he slumped into the abandoned desk chair, right outside the music room.

A angry Yoojung carrying a bottle of 500ml Hershey’s chocolate sauce was seen stomping to Jihoon’s class, as she wanted to take revenge on Y/N by pouring the gooey sauce on the girl’s chair. A horrid prank, one would say, but this was no feat to the Fantagio mafia member.

“Yoojung!” She heard someone call out to her, as she froze, and quickly hid the bottle in her uniform jacket.

“Where are you going?” the voice belonged to her crush, Jihoon, who had his hands nonchantly tucked into the pant pockets.

“I was just, going to the toilet,” Yoojung lied, preparing to run off anytime soon.

“But the toilet is the other way, isn’t it?” Jihoon pointed to the opposite direction where Yoojung was headed. She cursed in her head, knowing she was going to get found out.

“So, what were you doing with a bottle of chocolate syrup?” Jihoon pointed at the awkward bulge in her uniform jacket.

She bit her lip, not knowing what to say.

“Are you going to mess up Y/N’s stuff with it?” Jihoon raised his eyebrows.

“Jihoon reading everyone’s mind like a fortune teller, as expected,” Yoojung laughed humourlessly, “Yes, I wanted to mess up Y/N’s seat with it. Why? Are you mad?”

“No, I’m not.” Jihoon shook his head, “I’m just disappointed that my friend would sabotage someone I like through something childish.”

Yoojung hung her mouth open in shock, seeing a different side of Jihoon, where did the 101 Jihoon go? 

“I thought at least you could help me a little with this crush thing, because you have been in a relationship before,” Jihoon explained, then smiled grimly, “and also because I want you to get over me. It’s not worth it, Yoojung, imagine if your boss finds out you’re dating someone from the 101, you’ll be in trouble, you know that?” 

Yoojung hung her head low, sighing, Jihoon was always right, and doing something childish over her jealousy was just really immature.

“Then what about Y/N?” She shot back, “She’s not even involved in anything, what if the rival mafias find out about her? What will you do? Will you protect her?”

“Yes, I will protect her.” Jihoon refuted, “I have even told Daniel about it already. At least she is just someone I like, my best friend, trying to get good grades like how normal teenagers do. But Yoojung, I’m sorry but I only see you as a good friend. Someone I can turn to despite not being from Fantagio anymore.”

Yoojung was now stunned, Jihoon was no longer the immature fourteen year old she met in Fantagio, picking fights at every disagreement. Now, Jihoon has the ability to talk people through reasoning, heck, his face was not helping at all.

“Well then, what do you want me to do?” Yoojung folded her arms.

“Just, don’t try to harm Y/N anymore, and never let her know about my involvement in the 101. Promise?” Jihoon held out his pinky finger.

Yoojung smiled, “We’re still at it now?”

Jihoon nodded, still holding out his finger.

“Promise.” 

Just as you thought your day was going well, Jihoon ditching you, the encounter with the winkies and Jihoon’s involvement with the 101 made it all worse. Thank goodness you didn’t have any other classes with Jihoon for the rest of the day, at least, that would give you a good reason to avoid him.

Or so you thought.

Right after your last lesson, you spotted Jihoon waiting right outside your class, tapping his foot to an unknown beat. 

You rolled your eyes, as you walked past him as if he was invisible. You soon heard footsteps chasing after you, your first instinct was to run.

It wasn’t long until Jihoon caught up with you, as he pulled on your backpack.“Why are you running away from me?” Jihoon panted, “It has been long since I ran after a girl, you know.”

“I don’t think I’m worth running after,” You replied grimly.

Jihoon’s face immediately fell, then placed both of his hands on your shoulders, “Hey, what’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything right?”

“But you don’t tell me anything,” You felt tears stinging your eyes, “How long were you going to keep from me that you’re from the 101?”

Jihoon kept silent, shaking his head, “No, Y/N—“

You shrugged his hands away, “Why did you deny something that I will find out eventually? Calling yourself my best friend, I don’t think you’re doing a good job at that.”

You then walked off, tears streaming down your face.

“Hey, you’re crying as if your boyfriend cheated on you,” Yeri peeled open the 5th triangle kimbap, handing it to you, “it’s not that bad, Jihoon can protect you!”

“Protect me from what?” You sniffed, taking a huge bite, “his lies?”

“H-hey, he’s your best friend after all, calm down on the roasting, will you?” Yeri laughed nervously, then looking at her wrist watch, “Crap, I’m almost late for cram school. I’m sorry I can’t be with you till your tears dry up Y/N, but you owe me one for 5 triangle kimbaps and 7 bottles of banana milk.”

You sighed as you watch your best friend run off to the nearest bus stop outside the convinience store, slumping in your seat. Staring at the 4 kimbap wrappings and 6 empty bottles of banana milk, you sighed again. Why were you such a glutton when you were sad?

Even though it was only 5pm, the sky was pitch black, tiny stars dotting the sky. During the winter, it was common that the evenings would look like nights, darkening the path to home.You were glad that the estate you lived in had brightly lit lamp posts to guide your way home, but there were a few dodgy corners you had to get past in order to get home. Nonetheless, you never had any encounter with anybody you didn’t want to see.

Until today.

You walked the same route back home like you do everyday, safely passing by the most dodgy looking corners of the route. That night felt especially cold, sending shivers down your spine despite having 4 layers of clothing on.

While you passed the last corner, you let out a sigh of relief, thinking that you got through, until a hand covered your mouth and reeled you backwards.

Your first instinct was to scream, but the stranger’s big hands muffled most of your screams. You also tried to wriggle out of the stranger’s grasp, but they were too strong for you.

“You bitch,” You heard him mutter, “How dare you mess with my sister’s boyfriend!”

“I don’t even know your sister!” You panicked, slowly taking out your phone to dial for the police.

“You are such a liar, aren’t you?” He laughed menacingly, “Park Jihoon is Yoojin’s boyfriend, stop making him cheat on her!” 

You finally managed to escape from the man’s grasp, then breathing heavily, “Jihoon doesn’t even like Yoojin, she’s nothing but a delusional bitch who chases after false hope!”

“What did you say?” The man seethed, taking out a pocket knife, hands quivering in anger.

“I said, Yoojin is—“

Before you could complete your sentence, the man was beat to the ground, groaning in pain. Behind the man was Jihoon, not in school uniform but in his leather jacket. 

“Idiocy runs the family, eh?” Jihoon smirked, kicking the penknife away, “Like brother, like sister. Dumb and dumber.”

“You seem to be everywhere, Park Jihoon.” The man huffed, dusting himself as he got up.

“Didn’t your boss teach you not to screw up in others’ turfs?” Jihoon spat, “Yoohyun.”

Yoohyun sent a punch to Jihoon, which the latter skillfully avoided, and twisted the older boy’s arm and flung him to the ground. You gasped at the sight, not used to seeing this side of your best friend.

“Y/N!” Jihoon hugged your weak frame, “Are you alright?”

“I’m f—fine—Behind you!” You pulled Jihoon towards you, behind him was a charging Yoohyun, penknife in hand.

Jihoon dodged the penknife, but too close a proximity that the blade slightly grazed the young boy’s cheeks, leaving a cut. He ignored it, as the continued throwing kicks and punches to the older boy. You could only watch in sheer shock and fear, not knowing what Yoohyun would do next.

After a few punches and kicks, Yoohyun was beat to a pulp, purple bruises on his arms, legs and face. He cowardly limped away from the both of you, muttering a string of curse words under his breath.

You examined Jihoon carefully, the bloody red cut screaming contrast to his milky white skin, red bruise forming at the corner of his plump lips, brown hair moist and dishevelled, eyes still showing signs of rage. You shook your head, as you dragged him by his wrist, back to your home.

“Where are you bringing me to?” Jihoon asked, enjoying you holding his wrist too much.

“To treat your stupid wounds, you gangster.” You rolled your eyes, reaching your doorstep in a matter of minutes.

You were thankful that your parents were working overtime for today, or they would question why you brought a beaten-up Jihoon home. You lazily jiggled the key into the keyhole, then kicking off your school shoes to a corner. Jihoon followed suit, taking off his jacket and putting it neatly on the clothesrack next to the door.

“You can eat whatever,” You waved to the kitchen, “there is cold water in the fridge too, if it helps.”

As Jihoon watched your figure disappear into your room, he groaned as he got up from the sofa, shuffling to the kitchen to get himself a bottle of water. He gulped down the water quickly, letting out a gasp of satisfaction after finishing the bottle.

“I didn’t know you could fight,” You broke the silence in the house, “you do fight well.”

Jihoon turned around, to be met with your petite figure drowned in a oversized pink and white stripped shirt, hair tied up in a messy bun, complete with a pair of white bunny slippers on your feet. He choked on his saliva, as you frantically ran over to him to pat his back to soothe the cough.

“Do you want me to change? You seem...shocked, as if you have never seen me before.” You stifiled your laughter, patting his back.

“N—no, you’re fine. You look cute.” Jihoon unknowingly spat out, blush reaching his cheeks after realising what he just said.

You shrugged, retriving the first aid kit from the bottom drawers of the island, plopping yourself on the sofa, patting the seat next to you. Jihoon obediently sat there, as you swung your legs on the sofa, resting it above Jihoon’s legs.

“You know, I can’t be with you forever to treat your wounds,” You nagged as you dabbed some disinfectant cream on the cut, “I’m not your maid, you know.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And you can’t be always fighting,” You frowned as you dabbed some saline solution, “fighting is bad.”

The both of you then sat in comfortable silence, Jihoon occasionally wincing in pain as the disinfectant came in contact with his wound. You were too engrossed in trying to treat Jihoon that you didn’t notice that your face was dangerously close to his, close enough for Jihoon to lightly place a peck on your lips.

Jihoon’s heart was beating wildly, even though his brain told him otherwise. He was conflicted wheter to confess to you or to kiss you, he was afraid that either would end badly.

“Screw this,” Jihoon huffed, grabbing your wrist, closing in the gap between your lips.You were surprised, but slowly got used to it as he moved his lips with a little more force, moulding against yours. You gasped as his teeth tugged slightly on your lower lip, you could feel him smirk against your lips.i need holy water The both of you eventually pulled away after a good 20 seconds, gasping for air. 

Jihoon pecked your lips softly one more time, brown eyes looking straight into yours, “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell and trust you with my secret, I just didn’t want you to view me differently after I told you about it. I wanted to confess to you earlier on but I was interrupted, so, uh...” 

“Will you be my girlfriend?” Jihoon looked at you with hopeful eyes, gleaming under the ceiling light.

You hugged your now-boyfriend as you nodded, “Of course I would be your girlfriend, you idiot.”