#healing is stored in the comfort fic

[transdemon]

Some stuff i did for @lowlywriter 's fic Lost in Paradise bc it's the only thing I think about these days 🥺🩷

[cr4yolaas]

second best (pt 2) — iwaizumi hajime

notes: at last, the heavily requested part 2 to this fic !! i really hope it met a lot of your guys’ standards — i tried my best to take as much of your requests into account ^_^ i rlly dislike m the flow of this … but hopefully u guys still enjoy LOL

tags: angst → (bittersweet?) fluff, depressive episode (reader), swearing (once), a longgg process of grief and healing and whatnot, alcoholism (only briefly), roommate! tsukishima, best friend! oikawa, tsukishima does NOT have feelings for you, not proofread and quite long

taglist (incl. everyone who asked for a pt 2 !!): @altumsomnum @gennaray @romanticandupsetting @multi-fandom-fanfic

it was tuesday.

a frigid air pierced your limbs and left you to rot away, with the windows shut tight and the door locked. there was no mistakening the dark bags hanging beneath your eyes or the flakes of skin peeling from your bottom lip, nor the soft pleas of your stomach or the iciness of your fingertips. you basked in eternal slumber and silence and darkness and whatnot, save for the ticks of a clock that was 14 minutes behind and the hum of the air conditioning.

you were not frightened in the slightest. the warning signs plastered on your flesh were no great concern, and you could not fathom the idea of having to function again. it was horribly consuming.

with a groan, you released yourself from bed, your legs trembling under the mere weight of the air. you avoided the collections of trash and clothes splayed across the floor, being careful not to disturb the peace that had formed over the past handful of weeks. the sight of the kitchen was much more refreshing.

you were locked in stasis. contrary to the comfort these walls once provided, they now served as a a form of imprisonment, designed to allow the grief and the sorrow and the anger and the guilt to coalesce and spill over. it was terribly suffocating — you wished to escape.

gently, you poured a cup of water (not that you drank more than a sip, anyways). a thought passed your mind.

you needed to leave.

sendai was a home you could not find solace in anymore. gone was the youth encapsulated in the mountaintops and the hidden pathways and the convenience stores, and no longer could you feel at ease when faced with the neighborhoods you familiarized yourself with as a child.

your new apartment was shared with an old face — one you had only seen glances of in high school, notorious for his glasses and upfront attitude. he bore no hesitance when taking you in. instead, he was grateful for your presence, as if splitting the rent with him had taken off his life’s burden off of his shoulders.

he was quick to set ground rules — laundry days were on saturdays, trash needed to be taken out on sundays, the dish washer had to be clear at the end of the day, all groceries were shared, so on and so forth. you weren’t sure if you could keep up.

it took one week for him to actually conversate.

“why did you come back here?” he questioned, with a tone that implied he knew of you for years upon years (which would be false).

you picked at the skin of your lip. “why do you ask?”

“no reason. just curious.”

in a burst of energy, you recounted the tales of your past life, one of love and youth and joy; of the old apartment, of your past hobbies, of hajime. his gaze was so distant that you weren’t sure if he was listening at all.

in return, he expressed brief apologies and turned the story to himself — he discussed his volleyball career, his teammates, how he felt somewhat disconnected from his high school friends. he did not care to mention the exhaustion riddled into the pores on your face nor the weakness of your voice. that was all you needed. a conversation, not comfort.

only an hour later did he remind you of his name — tsukishima kei — and it was only then that you realized you had moved into an apartment without taking any precautions whatsoever. he laughed when you informed him of the situation.

this was not yet a home, but it was a house. and that was sufficient.

a month had passed before tsukishima forced you to get a job. he was clearly not a fool — at some point (you couldn’t tell when), he realized you were paying off your share of the rent with your life savings, which irked him ever so slightly.

“do you plan on moving out and dying on the streets when you run out?” he complained, despite the concern laced in the fluctuations of his voice.

you began working at his former high school coach’s family store. the owner himself was welcoming — he didn’t question your circumstances nor your physical state, and merely mentioned in passing that he was “given a token of appreciation from a prized student.”

and so began the cycle. on weekday mornings, you would depart for work and tsukishima would leave for practice. occasionally, he would pack you lunch (“only because i had leftovers,” he’d say) or leave a can of coffee on the counter for you. you would work at the register until the amalgamation of students died down, and once you were left with an empty store, you would take a break and go on a walk (as requested by your boss). then, you would return in the afternoon to serve the same population of children, handing them their ice cream and their sandwiches and whatnot. when they all disappeared, the coach would let you free and dismiss you with a “good work today, let’s do it again tomorrow.”

returning home was your favorite part of the schedule. a majority of the time, tsukishima arrived later than you, leaving you to your own time until he came home with dinner and a drink.

it was a monotonous cycle, but enjoyable nonetheless.

“i’m cutting off the beer for a month,” tsukishima exclaimed one warm summer night. you left your room to see him collecting unopened bottles and discarding them in a trash bag with little regard. you could only frown.

“those are all going to waste, we haven’t even opened them,” you groaned.

there was no response from the man as he continued to clear the apartment of any alcohol, akin to a parent cleansing their child’s home. before you could protest any further, he shut the door behind him and the crashing of bottles against one another could be heard beside the building.

tsukishima re-entered the apartment with empty hands and furrowed brows. “what’s up with the shitty face?” you asked from the couch.

he clicked his tongue at your comment and bore no response, instead letting his eyes wander to the screen in front of you. the morning news was playing, as usual. and yet, it was so wrong.

the screen flashed to a familiar face, one clad with a slight grin and sweat spread over his skin. his hair had grown slightly and his complexion had darkened, evidence of his labor. but most of all, he looked happy. his eyes screamed with a passion you hadn’t seen before, and despite his haggard appearance, he seemed to be content.

you did not see tsukishima rushing to turn off the television. you did not see the screen turn black, and you did not hear the noise diminish. you did not see tsukishima’s face adjacent to yours.

“hey. let’s go outside,” he muttered before moving to pull you up and out of the house

a delicate breeze washed over you both. the sun began to kiss you goodbye, and the noon crept up in its wake, leaving both of you in the dark.

“he looked so happy,” you whispered. “i don’t know what i’m doing wrong.”

you watched tsukishima light a cigarette in your peripherals, his lighter evidently battered and marred from heavy use. he made no move to offer one to you. “you’re not doing anything wrong,” he spoke firmly, although you could tell he was struggling to formulate the right combination of words in his head. “he’s just… going along a different path.”

“it should’ve been us on the same path. i feel so stupid. he’s gone on to do such great things, and i… what am i doing?”

tsukishima didn’t push the conversation any further. you were grateful.

a week had passed before tsukishima told you he had gotten you a new job, one deeper in the city. on an early sunday morning, he presented a uniform and badge to you, your name imprinted on both. the effort made you smile.

at some point, a new cycle formed. the museum was a far cry from the run down family store, and tsukishima taught you how to welcome it with an open mind and open arms. he never did mention the exact reason for the new occupation, nor did he tell you why he was so adamant on enforcing routine in your life. nonetheless, you appreciated it.

the mundanity that your new job encapsulated was slightly more enjoyable than that of your former job. exploring the concrete rooms filled with statues and paintings and whatnot was a sufficient way to pass the time. every now and then, you’d catch your roommate detailing a specific sculpture to a curious visitor, the scene contrasting his typical behavior. not that you would ever mention it to him, though.

a new routine was not unwelcome, but it did not feel impactful anymore. you still burned blue in the night, your bones aching with reminiscence over a lost life. your hands and legs still knew tokyo; they still knew the morning commutes and the bustling cafés and the chirping crosswalks and your own home, one that had been so devastatingly haunted by grief. your heart still knew the morning calls and the evening texts and the handfuls upon handfuls of promises made on once solid territory, and yet, you knew to return to it was to betray yourself.

you missed iwaizumi hajime.

rather, you missed the life that you formulated in his presence, opposed to the shambles you had grown comfortable in now that you were back home. tsukishima had carved a clay pot for your worn soul, and yet you could not help but yearn for the comfort and stability and routine you established in a past life.

the soft padding of feet echoed outside your door. soft strings of light streamed under your door as your roommate entered the kitchen, his actions indiscernible as he maneuvered about carefully. you decided to step out to greet him.

a startled tsukishima turned around to face you. “what are you still doing up?” he interrogated, albeit not in offense. “it’s late. we have work tomorrow.”

“but i don’t want to go to work. i want to go home,” you protested. you felt childish all over again — the thirst for selfishness was one that could not escape you, even now. an overwhelming desire to be in control of your own life.

tsukishima furrowed his brows. “to tokyo?” you nodded. “okay… then let’s go to tokyo.” he paid no mind to the slanted smile that transformed your lips, instead opting to turn away and fill up his bottle. “but why?”

“i need to escape,” you sighed, as if releasing a burden that had been lingering for a moment too long. “i need change. i just- i feel so stuck. i need to live.”

he merely hummed in agreement before uttering a comment about your poor sleeping schedule and ushering you back to bed.

tokyo was a city of hopes and dreams and noise. the shift from sendai’s cicada lullabies and whispers in the wind to the incessant chatter and obnoxious roads of the city was significant — any pedestrian would notice the irritation on you and tsukishima’s faces.

the inn he picked was small, yet slightly more comfortable than your current abode. the owners were kind and your neighbors were quiet, save for the occasional drunk couple. it was a life you remembering living, but not one you yearned for any longer.

in the night, you would both visit various attractions and markets and restaurants, with tsukishima insisting on paying for your meals (“as thanks for getting a life,” he argued). for that handful of days, you bore a smile that you weren’t sure would grace your lips ever again, for there was an adolescence in the evening activities that mended the remnants of your spirit. you felt whole.

on the last day, you brought tsukishima to a ramen house nearby the inn and promised to pay for the meal. it was a tuesday, again.

for reasons you could not discover, that appeared to be one of the busiest nights for the establishment — moments after you had settled, a line began to form, and the tables were crowded with families and friend groups and dates alike.

amidst the composition of metropolitans stood a man you wished you didn’t have to see. as if it were punishment, he locked his eyes with yours, the shock in his complimenting your dread.

you watched as he excused himself from his group while ignoring the cheers and shouts about him “shooting his shot.” tsukishima observed in tandem, seemingly reading the situation from a distance despite sitting right across from you.

you noticed the bold athletic trainer embroidered onto his chest, and the fitted red shirt he wore that matched those of his team. beads of sweat compiled on his forehead — you weren’t sure if it was from the density of the room or his exhaustion or anxiety. a small part of you hoped it was the second option.

“hey,” he began. “can- can we speak outside?”

you could not help but oblige.

hajime seemed to have developed an obsession with fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. you noticed the frayed strands on a spot that aligned perfectly with his hand, and you nearly laughed.

he coughed into his fist before rambling. “i’m sorry. i know you definitely don’t want to see me, and it’s not wrong of you at all to feel that way, but i just- i’ve thought about you- no, i think about you every day up until now. i know i don’t deserve you at all, and me being here is probably super upsetting, but-“

“hajime.”

the way you called his name seemed to deteriorate him and his principles. you finally felt otherwise.

“i really, really, didn’t want to see you at all. i don’t even want the thought of you to pass my mind. i’ve built a life outside of you and i’m tired of you interrupting it.” you witnessed his heart, mind, and body freeze simultaneously.

“i- i understand that, i know, i’m sorry. i’ve been- i’ve been reflecting a lot recently and i’ve known i was horribly in the wrong and i’m ashamed to have done nothing about it, and i know this sounds really, really dumb but i wish i had just stayed with you for that extra day because- because i don’t think i can go any longer without you now that i have you here, in front of me. could we- can we at least… keep in touch?” he seemed to speak without limitations, akin to a leaking clay pot. he was distressed, evidently. but you no longer saw his face and thought of guilt and love and yearning; you held no space for him.

you shook your head gently. “hajime, i don’t want you in my life anymore. you achieved your dreams, and i’m working on finding mine. that’s how it was meant to be.”

if not for the small lamp above the two of you, you would not have noticed the tears spilling onto his face. you bore no sympathy — with a goodbye and a small wave, you left him in the alley with a heavy heart and saline tears.

to witness him before you had awakened the truth riddled in your sinew and bloodstream: iwaizumi hajime was no longer a necessity. a truth that had cowered away beneath guilt and fragility and shame had uncovered itself, and for once, you breathed a full breath.

oikawa seemed so vibrant on the other side of your screen, the argentinian sun kissing his skin almost perfectly. “…i miss you lots!! i’ll visit soon, maybe, and we can catch up and maybe go get coffee and then debrief and then…” he trailed off with an aloof grin, his words spilling out from your phone and reverberating around the living room. tsukishima stood in the kitchen, the sound of his deliberate chopping and washing contesting oikawa’s voice. “but anyways, i’ll see you soon! byebye!!”

you waved goodbye and hung up, leaving only the noise of your roommate’s cooking. a loud groan left his lips in the midst of his mixing, followed by a complaint about how irritable your friend’s voice was. you could only laugh.

gentle strings of moonlight spilled into the apartment through the kitchen window, the songs of the evening falling upon both of you and your shared comfort. tomorrow was your off day, granting you both an opportunity for an actual meal. tsukishima (begrudgingly) agreed to make your favorite dish, with the request that you’d make his favorite dessert next week.

“thank you for the meal,” you whispered. tonight would consist of good food and a relaxing night, and tomorrow would entail a day of rest and a weekly reset, along with another call with oikawa. with marred hands and a porcelain heart, you had managed at last to craft a solid life — steady health, steady friends, and a steady routine.

you would no longer be second best to anything, and that was sufficient enough.

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics that take place in a small town, rural area as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis / Harry -

🏡 I'll Fly Away by @juliusschmidt

(E, 122k, childhood friends) Harry and Louis grew up together in Lake County, Harry with his mom and stepdad in a tiny cottage on Edward’s Lake and Louis in his family’s farmhouse a few minutes down the road. But after high school, Louis stuck around and Harry did not

🏡 Tired Tired Sea by MediaWhore / @mediawhorefics

(M, 113k, lighthouse) As a B&B owner on the most remote of all the British Isles, Louis Tomlinson is used to spending the coldest half of the year in complete isolation, with his dog and the sea as sole companions. Until, one day, a mysterious stranger on a quest to rebuild himself rents a room for the winter.

🏡 Black with Autumn Rain by whimsicule / @baroness-elsa

(T, 93k, magical realism) Harry is a journalist, Louis has lots of secrets and the moors aren't exactly the ideal place to rekindle a lost romance.

🏡 Here In The Afterglow by fondleeds

(NR, 88k, historical) 1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger.

🏡 ocean tides you home (series) by @justanothershadeofblue

(M, 88k, Eroda) Harry is a lonely and depressed popstar who sailed out of his hometown on Eroda years ago to chase his dreams. He comes back to the island only to find his shining childhood best friend Louis just as cold and dreary as the island they grew up on.

🏡 Into the Weeds by kair0sclerosis

(M, 87k, secrets) Following the whispered words of a stranger, Harry Styles finds himself in the small town of Peri Ridge. It’s a town nestled within overgrown forests, raging rivers, and ominous mountains- full of unkept secrets, the aura of freedom, and lost people seeking to be found.

🏡 (Take Me Home) Country Roads by Awriterwrites / @a-writerwrites

(E, 86k, Northern Exposure au) Louis as the big city doctor, Harry as a natural healer, Niall as a secretive barkeep, Liam and Zayn head over heels for each other but they don't know it and a lot of hurt, comfort and moonshine in between.

🏡 Full Moon Dreaming by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom

(E, 43k, soulmates) Louis has given up hope of dreaming of a person, resigned to living a life devoid of that kind of all-consuming love for another and receiving the same in return. But when a new neighbour descends on Louis’ beloved Hanson Bay and moves into the other beach house, could all that be about to change?

🏡 The Things We Know To Be Wild by harryanthus_annuus / @harryanthus-annuus

(M, 39k, HTTYD au) Louis is a London zoologist sent by the University of Highlands and Islands to assess the safety of the island of Eroda as part of the Wonder Seekers Project for sustainable tourism.

🏡 Something About Liminal Spaces by @kingsofeverything

(E, 34k, age difference) Searching for inspiration for his latest book, and hoping distance will help heal his broken heart, Louis Tomlinson heads to the village of Piha on the west coast of New Zealand’s north island.

🏡 It's the Climb by @lululawrence

(NR, 25k, Hannah Montana au) Louis is a world famous punk rock singer with a stage name of William and Jay drags him back to Tennessee for the summer.

🏡 It's Coming on Christmas by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(G, 23k, girl direction) When Harry Styles gets a call from the caretaker of a bakery in a small town in Vermont, she jumps at the chance to get out of Boston and run her own shop.

🏡 Naked & Proud by kiwikero / @icanhazzalou

(E, 18k, songwriter Louis) In which Harry runs an organic store, not a nudist colony, and Louis doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

🏡 Between the forest and the field by bluegreenish / @greenblueish

(E, 16k, meet cute) the one where Harry recently moved to a village and his shy dog picks Louis' dogs to play with at the dog park. A fluffy cottage core AU.

🏡 Won’t Let You Down by noellehenry / @noellehenry-original

(M, 15k, inheritance) In a matter of weeks, Harry’s world turns upside down. Suddenly he’s the owner of a farm and B&B, gets involved in illegal trading of unlabeled bottles and has to deal with his everlasting crush on his sister Gemma’s best friend, who has returned to Woodville…

🏡 You Tilted My Hand by @taggiecb

(G, 12k, photographer Harry) Harry Styles arrives in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island for his first day of a coveted and prestigious summer internship at the Avonlea Chronicle. He's quick to realise that he's out of place in the little band of journalists as he's an art major and they didn't choose Harry to be part of the team!

🏡 Babe, There's Something Lonesome About You by patdkitten / @babyarcanacasey

(M, 8k, witch Louis) Louis is a hedge witch, who lives a lonely, solitary life. He's quite happy with his shop in Door County, selling New Age magics to the tourists. 

🏡 Warm Chilling by Larry_you_know / @larryyouknow

(G, 7k, neighbors) Louis moves into a cosy cottage in the English countryside with his dog Clifford to look after his great-aunt's animals.

- Rare Pairs -

🏡 Grundy County Incidents (series) by @haztobegood

(T, 10k, Harry/Louis/Nick Grimshaw & Zayn/Liam & Niall/Greg James) 25 years, 7 friends, 3 relationships, 1 rural county

🏡 Something Good (And I Don't Just Mean Your Chips) by sunsetmog / @magicalrocketships

(T, 9k, Harry/Nick Grimshaw) Nick's uncle's will left his seaside cottage, his fishing boat, and all the contents of both to Nick. Coming off the back of months of very poor life choices, a brand new start in a Yorkshire seaside village seems the last remaining option for Nick

[txmxkis]

i'm only really me when i'm here with you

pairing. boothill x gn!reader

genre. hurt/comfort

wc. 1.5k+

summary. you're determined to help boothill heal from his trauma by... doing his hair?

warnings. i took liberties with this, who knows what specific parts he actually has left or whether he can blush or not (in my heart he can lol), mention of boothill picking u up but i mean. he’s literally so strong he could handle anything, i made him soooo sad and it’s possibly wildly out of character, selfship coded as usual rip

a/n. continuing the tradition of using lyrics from songs on selfship playlists for fic titles lol. based on my tags on this post

they say that trauma is stored in the body, and while boothill didn't necessarily have a complete body anymore, this was still something that you thought about frequently when it came to his physical form.

regardless of just how much of his original self remained, there was still enough of him left that you were sure it had to be true in some capacity. after all, he retained his head and his heart—at least you were fairly certain—two of the most vital components of human anatomy.

it was so hard to read him. the real him. he tried so hard to always act confident and cool. actually, he didn't even really have to try or act. it seemed as if it came to him naturally and endlessly. there was a perpetual air of optimism surrounding him that was difficult to dim even on his most wearisome days.

even after experiencing whatever horrors he had to face from mission to mission, when he came home, the door to whatever room you were currently in would fling open—sometimes scaring you half to death—and he would greet you so happily that it felt as if there were no terrible things in the universe whatsoever.

you cherished his mannerisms, especially because you could be a pessimistic sort of person. rather frequently, in fact. you loved having him near you, able to draw laughter from you, however unwillingly it might be on your part at times. he was oddly skilled at making you feel assured and comfortable, in a way that nothing and no one had ever done before. you couldn’t seem to remember how you ever lived without his encouragement, and you didn’t think you could ever feel truly whole without it again.

there really was no accounting for his relentlessly positive attitude. given what he'd seen and endured, you thought it was damn near impossible to be as carefree as he seemed to be. at any rate, he did manage it. however, there were times, moments he rarely ever allowed you to witness, in which his façade would falter slightly and betray just how heavily the past weighed on him.

occasionally, you would catch him staring at his reflection, a downcast expression painting his beautiful features. every time you spoke of your family, you could detect glimpses of sadness in his eyes, albeit hidden behind a smile. once you even caught him crying as silently as he could—you assumed so as not to alert you—his shoulders sagging under an unforeseen weight, a look on his face that you could only describe as heartbroken. your own heart broke with his in that moment.

you always tried to be particularly attentive following those moments, but it was so difficult to get him to open up to you. he just wanted you to be happy. to not bother worrying about him. you had your own problems, after all, and there was no need for him to add to your burden. no need for him to ask for your pity.

he knew you cared for him deeply enough that it would cause you pain, and even if it was only a fragment of the grief that he lived with every day, he was sure that he would feel terribly and incessantly guilty about it. if he could remove every single aspect of your life that caused you suffering, he would do it in a heartbeat, and he could say that because it was one of the few original parts he had left. how could he add to that suffering by forcing you to imagine all the horrors from his own life?

it took so much time and effort on your part to convince him to open the door to himself, if even just a tiny crack. he was still extremely careful with his words and the details that he disclosed to you—he didn't want to overwhelm you, and he certainly didn't want to hurt you. in reality, these conversations, painful as they were for you to hear, actually helped you to feel as though you could comfort him more effectively.

yes, it hurt immensely to know even a small fraction of how much anguish he had experienced. yes, you despised the people who had done this to him and wanted to fight them yourself, in fact. yes, your chest felt tight with ache and sadness on his behalf. still, you could help him more by knowing than by not knowing.

eventually, you were able to make it this far, brushing through his hair as gently as your hands could manage. he had confessed to you in one of his more vulnerable moments that the white shock of hair on his head often served as a stark reminder of worse times, of the trauma and stress inflicted on his body. the admission gave you an idea, one that made boothill feel more than just a little bit exposed. he wasn’t accustomed to being looked after like this, with so much affection and love.

you began to make a routine out of it. every day you would do something with his hair—whether it was braiding it and tying it up intricately to make him feel pretty or simply combing through the strands and allowing them to cascade around his shoulders and down his back.

sometimes you would sit him in front of a mirror while you worked so that he could see exactly what you were doing in the moment. he didn’t quite understand how it all came together, but he found it fascinating to see how you twisted and weaved. at times, you were so focused on the hair in your hands that your brows would furrow, tongue poking out slightly between your lips. in the reflection, you genuinely looked like you were enjoying yourself.

even more noticeable to him was the expression you wore when you looked at him through the mirror. your gaze was so full of tenderness that his chest ached. he could swear that his heart actually skipped a beat. whenever that happened, you could see a flaring blush creep up his cheeks and into his ears, and you couldn’t help but laugh just a little bit at how endearing it was.

other times, you would settle on the couch, with him seated on the floor between your legs, adorning his hair with the cutest accessories, the two of you laughing and joking the whole time. you would delicately twist the locks back, securing them with pretty, multicolored clips that shone in the light.

when you were done, you would lead him slowly to a mirror, hands over his eyes, nearly stumbling over his legs as you walked behind him. you would pull your hands quickly from his face, revealing your handiwork, beaming with pride and grinning at how adorable he looked. he loved every minute of it—and every bit of you, he would think to himself as he turned to pick you up and spin you around, laughing in that deep voice of his. then he’d set you down gently, thanking you for your hard work with kisses sprinkled across your face.

days that were particularly trying for him would simply be spent in comfortable silence. when he didn’t feel like talking from the pain of it all, he would wordlessly lay his head on your chest as you ran your fingers through his long locks. feeling your touch—the slight pull on his scalp, the tickle of shifting hair—it all made him feel so relaxed that he could melt right into your skin until you absorbed him fully into you. often, the combination of this and the gentle, steady beat of your heart would lull him to sleep, and seeing his expression ease and soften in these moments was all the reward you ever needed.

in the beginning, it was unclear whether this dedicated time spent caring for his hair was helping or not. over time, however, you noticed a glimmer in his eyes—something that told you he would be alright, despite everything.

pain still remained; it always would, but instead of constantly gazing at his reflection with grief, every once in a while you would catch a hint of a smile pulling at his lips. it was as if he was remembering how you hummed while placing those clips, or how he had teasingly whipped you with his hair on a more playful occasion, or any number of positive memories that you had put so much effort into lovingly crafting with him.

you were determined to do your best, slowly but surely, to lighten his burden—or at least help carry it. there was no reason for him to feel alone when he had you by his side. and if creating these happy memories was what you had to do in order to help him, well, you would gladly continue forever.

reblogs & interactions are appreciated! thank you for reading! <3 — txmxkis

[soobnny]

labyrinth — lee minho.

trope. best friends to lovers. college au. slow burn. angst. fluff. a story on second loves.

synopsis. sometimes, the path towards healing involves not only mending your heart but trusting in the love of those who have been there all along, or alternatively, in which lee minho teaches you to love again

word count. 20k words

warnings. drinking, mentions of vomiting, curse words, intoxication, the aftermaths of heartbreak, not feeling good enough

note. hello it’s me again! have this semi self-indulgent lee know fic i wrote

one.

When Mark breaks your heart in the first weeks of summer, Minho doesn’t say “I told you so”. Instead, he becomes your gentle refuge, sitting still and letting you cry on his shoulder. 

He’s careful to touch you, doesn’t want to shake you out of the pretense of composure you’ve built for yourself. Though, it only takes a brush of his hand before the inevitable scrunch of your face that follows into a sob. His hands pull your waist closer, running soothing circles down your back.

You bruise yourself for your naivety. 

In the tapestry of first loves, it’s easy to be bound to the intoxicating notion that he will be all you’ll ever know. When you fall, you think it’ll last forever. The memory of him emerges from around you, slipping in like sand through your feet. Most of it passes quickly, but some moments sink on your skin, desperately pulling you down and forcing everything down your throat—–the sound of ocean waves bathing the seashore when he held your hand, barefoot and laughing, the birds singing from outside the window as you spend the morning in, the scent of coffee in the morning, the sound of laughter in grocery stores, and the feeling of rain dripping down your clothes as you run for the night train where you tell each other everything. 

How are you supposed to forget pieces of him you’ve cemented in your heart? 

Loss is too terrible to grasp at once, especially when unexpected. Especially when you had thought the world of him only to have your heart shattered. 

Pain only stems from the comfort of memories. It snags on you, clinging onto you and reminding you that they will just be memories now. You will only remember him now, remember falling in love over and over again, remember your first kiss and every single one after. You will only remember how he looked at you, with so much love in his eyes, you thought you would last an eternity. 

“I’m going to kill him.” Minho’s voice is soft despite the connotation behind his words. He has his arms firm around you, bringing one hand to pat your hair down. 

“You don’t even know what he did.” You mumble, voice coming out shaky and incoherent from sobbing the past few hours. There’s snot running down your nose and staining his shirt, and your prickling tears still haven’t stopped. His favorite shirt is soaked, but he couldn’t be less bothered.

“He—,” Your best friend pauses, taking a deep breath in. It’s something he does when he tries to recompose himself. “He made you cry.” He breathes out, taking the back of your head and pushing it further into his chest. He doesn’t think he can bear the sight of your tear-stained eyes, doesn’t think he can handle the quiver in your lips. 

“Maybe I just wasn’t good enough. If I was prettier–” 

The words sound practiced in your lips, slipping far too easily that it breaks Minho’s heart to think it must’ve been something weighing in your mind for a while now. He shakes his head rather fervently, carefully peeling your head back from the crook of his neck so your eyes meet.

“I don’t want you to finish that sentence.” His thumb swipes at the tears falling from your eyes, and while Minho hadn’t had the time to switch on the living room lights when you had knocked on his door at close to midnight, you can still see anger swimming in his eyes. You know it isn’t directed to you, know that he’s trying his best to subdue his rage and not drive and crash into Mark’s house right now. 

“He’s going to hell for even letting that thought run through that little head of yours. There’s already barely anything in there, and he dares plant something so painfully untrue?” You notice his lips are twitching in effort of a teasing smile.

Despite the unbearable pain, you can’t help but laugh at your best friend’s words, even though it comes out sounding more like a sob. “My head has a few things in there.” You manage to croak out, and Minho pockets the accomplishment of making you laugh to think about later. 

“Of course, of course. Definitely not differential calculus, but there are a few things in there.” His eyes are soft when he speaks. “One of them is that you’re enough, and it’s that fucker’s loss for letting you go. Want to hear you say it.”

He follows along with you, accompanying you with every word. “I’m good enough.” He nods his head, urging you to continue speaking. “And?” 

“And it’s that fucker’s loss for letting me go.” You almost cry when you say it.

“There you go.” 

Minho pulls you back in his arms, wrapping you in his scent and the entirety of his comfort. He says nothing, only listens to your heavy inhale and exhale. You’ve never been here before, never felt this pain before so he lets you feel your emotions. It’s an ache that doesn’t need to be taught, but is inevitable to learn. 

“Thank you, Min.” Your voice wavers, sucking in a deep breath. “I’m…” An apology sits on your tongue, but you know your best friend won’t let you. He’s picked you up multiple times before–failed tests, college admissions, family arguments, and never once has he let you apologize for crying. “Thank you.” You say through the clatter of your teeth. 

He doesn’t say anything, only squeezes you in his arms. It’s two in the morning now, and Minho can hear your quiet snoring. It’s prominent, sitting louder than the few honks of cars outside. You must’ve barely gotten any rest these past few days. 

Your face is still wet when he lays you down on his bed, pulling his covers over you and letting it fall just by your chin. Minho falls asleep on his small, run-down couch. 

two.

The process of disentangling Mark from you is a lot harder than you thought it would be. The first time you cross off his favorite candy and brand of milk from your shopping list, you sobbed for two straight hours. At one point, when Minho was accompanying you, you had started crying in front of the sweets section and he’d had to whisk you away embarrassingly and calm you down in his car. 

Since the break up three weeks ago, you’ve refrained from doing anything that remotely reminded you of him. For one, you’ve stopped wearing his favorite hoodie, the one tucked away at the back of your closet. You don’t know how to return it to him yet. It’d be too hard to face him when you can barely hold yourself together even by just the sight of it. You stopped viewing his Instagram stories, after making the same mistake a week ago. Minho has told you to block him, but it’s too big of a step to take right away. 

Though, you think the most painful was seeing Juyeon on your way to class. You don’t know whether to greet him or not. He was Mark’s friend over yours, but you’d like to think you’d gotten along quite well to consider him a friend. Though, it seems too much of an overstep towards the boundaries created when Mark had called it quits. His friends will take his side on the breakup, and your friends will take yours. It’s no longer a shared “our” friends. It's just yours or his now. 

The realization stings so badly that it physically hurts you, and what starts as stabs of pain evolves to a dull ache. You crave for the time to come where days without him would feel far, especially when you can’t sit still at this stupid restaurant without recalling your second date and how you’d spent everyday thinking forever of him.

“(Name)? You okay?” Felix’s voice is piercing, reverberating through your thoughts. 

“Hm? Yeah, yeah, sorry.” You swallow, propping your elbows on the table and leaning forward to seem more present. 

“You spaced out a little bit.” He laughs, taking a sip out of his service water. “Is it cause you miss Mark? I know you had one of your dates here.” His voice is teasing, and you shiver a little at the mention of your ex-boyfriend. 

Minho shifts in his seat, scooting a little closer and ghosting a hand behind your chair. He’s looking at you now, unrecognizable expression on his face as he waits for your response. He hadn’t told any of your friends, kept his promise when you had asked him, but he doesn’t like the way you’re cornered into a response. 

“Oh…” You blink, eyes scanning each person from the table before dropping down to your glass of water. “We— we broke up actually.” You swallow again, taking the glass but not quite bringing it up to your lips. 

There’s a recollection of Mark sitting adjacent to you, his voice sodden and repeating. And you don’t like all the eyes frozen on you as you share the pathetic end of a relationship you thought would be everlasting. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Felix feels guilty, voice growing smaller and smaller with every word. You’re quick to reassure. 

“It’s okay. It happens.” You shrug, even though it’s not okay. Even though it wasn’t supposed to happen to you. You were supposed to be an exception to fate's horrible hands. 

Everyone’s eyes buzz, and you know they’re thinking of it. You bite your lip, eyes searching for Minho’s in desperation. For a barrier. For someone to break the pity dripping from everyone’s features. It makes you feel small. 

Minho’s head peps up, smile pulling on his lips as he suddenly claps his hands. “Hyunjin-ah, do you remember the last time we were here?” 

“Why are we suddenly having this conversation?” His friend groans in embarrassment, but rides on the conversation anyway.

Hyunjin pretends not to remember even though he doesn’t think he’ll ever forget the shame of mispronouncing the names of the dishes while you, Minho, and Jisung were stifling in your laughter. You’d almost forgotten the way you laughed until your stomachs hurt when the waitress finally walked away after a cruel 15 minutes of asking Hyunjin to repeat himself. 

“The one I ordered was pretty good though. I have a pretty good eye for food.” Jisung joins in on the conversation, heart clenching at the way you quietly retreat in your seat. He’s always had a soft spot for you. 

“Yeah, sure, you have eyes, I guess.” Minho replies without hesitation, which has Jisung dropping his mouth and staring at the boy in disbelief. “Excuse me?” 

Laughter falls in laughter as everyone stares between the two, who are bickering back and forth. You turn to them with a smile on your face, grateful to break away from the impending conversation about Mark. The attention is elsewhere now, and you feel like you can finally breathe properly.

“As if you didn’t order something horrendous too. It was a silly time.” Minho leans towards you with challenging eyes at your input in the conversation. It’s abrupt, the way he suddenly twists his body so he’s facing you, and so Minho-like.  

“You had fun.” He points at you. “You had so much fun. You had fun.” 

“Okay, okay, damn. You’re being really aggressive right now.” You laugh a little, falling back in your seat and pushing his pointing hand away.

“We enjoyed ourselves.” He says one more time as a matter-of-fact, just as the food arrives. The conversation takes a short pause as hunger hits, long arms reaching out to grab as much food as they can on their plates. 

Jisung stares at the variety of dishes, mouth watering as he holds a critical stare–as if he’s about to make life-altering decisions with the food he chooses. There’s everything you could name, variants of chicken and beef and noodles and seafood all plastered on the table. You quietly take a few portions when it looks like no one’s going for the same serving spoon. 

“Oh, oh, yes, try that (Name). I tried it a while back, and it’s so good.” He waves his spoon around, eyes lighting up at your choice and you laugh at the way everyone moves away from the table to avoid getting hit by the splattering sauce. 

Jisung only stops holding you hostage when Chan moves to distract him.

By the time you fill up your plate, Minho is already digging into his food, chewing diligently with furrowed eyebrows. The steak he ordered for himself looks good, and a smirk forms when he senses your prying eyes. He plays dumb, like he always does, slicing the meat in an annoyingly slow pace before sticking his fork into it. 

“Your order looks good.” Your smile is nothing but innocent as you stare at his fork without shame. He mirrors your grin, sly as he picks up his fork. 

“I thought you said the food I ordered was horrendous.” He interrupts, lifting up the slice of meat and waving it around cartoonishly. He is so annoying with his rolled up sleeves and his hooded eyes. 

“That was before. I’ve changed!” 

“No.”

You pout, stuffing a piece of fish in your mouth at failing to coax Minho into sharing his food. All efforts against Minho always end in vain, but you’ve always held pride in the way he takes a second longer to reject you. You’re just about to twist some noodles in your chopsticks, terribly hunched over posture, when a fork is shoved in front of your face.

Minho doesn’t say a word as he waits for you to eat the slice of steak, free hand hovering just under your chin in case the food falls. Your eyes fall on his, horribly failing to hide the smile on your face as you lean forward to bite the meat off. 

“Oh, it’s so good.” You huff, chewing carefully with widened eyes. It’s a close second to the steak Seungmin and Minho cooked for you on your birthday last year.

Though, it’s only taking the Number 1 spot because the criterion was solely based on who made it, and how they took time out of their day to cook one of your favorite meals for you. The taste of the steak in this restaurant wins by a landslide, but you don’t think they can replicate the love put into your birthday steak. 

Minho makes that face exclusive to his friends when he wants to put up mock annoyance at being forced to do something out of his will, like sharing his food, yet everyone’s accustomed to his cold exterior. 

“Have you ever—” Jisung starts after your table becomes a victim of silence, stuffing his mouth with a few chips. He doesn’t finish his thought, though, reaching out for Hyunjin’s glass of water after having finished his before the food was even served.

“What?” Changbin asks the question brewing on everyone’s throats.

“Nevermind. I’m gonna keep it to myself because you guys are gonna say it’s gross.” 

The ongoing conversation falls deaf in your ears. You hate to admit you were too busy weighing your options on whether you should have shrimp or not. It takes you a feverishly long time to peel them, and everyone might as well have finished their meals before you can make it to five shrimps. But the sight makes your mouth water, and you’re stuck at a crossroad. Maybe Jisung was onto something when he had stared at the food earlier, as if it was the most important decision in his life.

“Woah, woah, woah. I peed on a tree recently if that makes you feel any better.” Jeongin says without a stutter in his sentence, and everyone pauses from their meals. “Now, what was that gross thing you wanted to talk about?” He nudges Jisung’s shoulder.

“....Have you ever wondered if there’s snot flavored chips?” 

“Jisung!” Chan chastises as everyone else shares judging stares. Hyunjin is having a hard time holding his laughter, and Changbin almost spits his water out. Minho is too busy peeling his shrimps to give the conversation the time of day.

“We shouldn’t have allowed you to talk in the first place.” Seungmin grimaces.

You’re too immersed in still deciding whether you should eat shrimps or not to notice Minho transferring the seafood he had peeled on your plate. He doesn’t say anything when he reaches for your plate, doesn’t even look at you when you glance at him. Instead, he resumes eating and listens quietly to the ridiculous conversation from his friends. 

“This is why I didn’t wanna say it!” 

“Yeah, you definitely should’ve kept that to yourself.”

The breach of silence from Jisung doesn’t last long as the noise quiets down into chewing and Minho’s quiet yet persistent “eat more” when he sees small portions on your plate. He knows you haven’t been having the appetite to eat lately, but he still makes sure you’re at least intaking a healthy amount to sustain your body. 

An hour and a half later, you find yourself in the passenger seat of Minho’s car as he drives you home. He lets you connect to the Bluetooth, lets you control the music despite preferring to drive in silence. Though, he’s ill-prepared for you to actually start singing.

“You are an expert at sorry and keeping lines blurry, never impressed by me acing your tests—”

Minho groans, briefly gazing in your direction before keeping his eyes on the road. A half second is enough to see you moping with your head leaned against his window. 

“All the girls that you’ve run dry have tired lifeless eyes cause you burned them out.”

“When I gave you control over the music, I didn’t expect you to start playing Taylor Swift.” He shoots you another glance, one hand on the steering wheel and the other just behind your headrest. He’s giving you a judging look, as if he hadn’t blasted Adele when he had his first heartbreak years ago. 

“Deal with it.” You stick your tongue out childishly before turning to your mini karaoke session. “Don't you think I was too young to be messed with? The girl in the dress, cried the whole way home—”

It takes four more songs from your Spotify playlist titled Taylor Swift but you’re heartbroken before Minho’s finally pulling up to the front of your dorm building. You know he’s so fucking done with you, with his eyes closed and head rolled back as he waits for you to finish sulking. He doesn’t kick you out of his car, though. He only crosses his arms with his lips pressed into a bored line until you’ve decided you’re done singing for the night. 

You don’t think you can take the quiet. Without music blasting in your ears, you’re confronted by a suffocating silence. There is no relief when you see how the night sky looks so peaceful outside his car window because why can the night sky bask in calmness while you have to sit there in this excruciating hurt? 

So, you stay there for another two songs. You are too fragile to be nudged right now, and Minho doesn’t think it’s an appropriate time to confront you about the band-aid you’ve stuck to temporarily keep your heart together. 

three.

Time doesn’t stop for your grieving. Everyday, the same sun will mockingly look down at you, reminding you that days would go on without you. That despite the squeezing pain in your sternum, time will not stop for your hurt. People will go on about their days unknowing of your suffering. 

Ironically, while time stops for no one, it does move excruciatingly slow. When you’re in love, time passes by you so quickly that you don’t know it’s the last time. You’re never given a warning. Endings are always so sudden that it makes no sense. When love unclasps its grip from you, days and nights drag on longer, stretching out the pain. There is nothing to do but rot over your break. 

The past two months have felt like a year. It’s strange how one moment you could be in the middle of clinging onto your lover’s hand, and the next it all feels like a very long time ago, and none of it is ever coming back. How are you supposed to cope with the loss of someone you know too much about as life continues to progress around you?

You don’t understand how you’re supposed to endure this. There is nothing to do but to stare at your ceiling until you feel horrible about yourself. 

You’re curled up on your bed like the day before, and the day before that, when the sound of your door opening jolts you awake. Though, Minho’s voice is quick to reassure that a stranger hadn’t broken into your dorm. You didn’t know he was back from his parent’s house. He had even invited you, a few days ago, telling you a change of scenery might do you good but you were pretty adamant on crying through your hurt in your dorm room alone.

“I’m walking into your bedroom. You better not be naked.” Your best friend announces before his familiar silhouette emerges from the dark of your make-do living room. He has his arms folded across his chest as he leans against your doorframe. 

“What do you want?” 

“You’re coming with me to do groceries.” He speaks with vindication, pacing inside your room in search of something for you to wear in your closet. 

“I don’t want to.”

He throws a hoodie to your face, standing by the edge of your bed expectantly. You thrash around for a few seconds, mostly for dramatism, before stubbornly sitting up to wear the hoodie he had thrown at you. “What do I even get out of this? Just let me suffer in peace.”

“Vitamin D.” He’s still hovering. “Your bones are gonna break if you don’t see the sun, and we promised we’d race each other when we’re eighty.”

Your heart rises to your throat at the recollection of when you were seventeen and unaware of what the future would hold for the both of you. It had been some stupid agreement you’d come up with when you had snuck a bottle of soju into Minho’s parent’s house. Perhaps it was the excitement from drinking for the first time or the numbness from losing your grandparent just a few weeks ago, but the alcohol had made you cry. You couldn’t bear the thought of losing anyone else, not your parents, not your friends, not Minho. The introduction to loss was so overwhelming, and you hated how permanent it was. In an attempt to make you smile again, Minho had promised to buy you a house if you could outrace him when you’re both eighty and frail. Prideful and under the influence, you accepted.

“I’m getting that house.” You say with a lazy grit, unmoving from your spot. He laughs, shaking his head as he grabs your hands, dragging you out of your bed. 

“I’m not gonna go easy on you even if you’re old and wrinkly. Now, hurry up. I’ll cook for you if we get back before 4pm.”

“Seafood pasta and steak?” Your eyes light up for the first time today, and Minho lets out a long sigh at your request. 

“Yeah, whatever.” He scrunches his face. 

“And you’ll make it spicy?”

“Hurry up before I take it back and let you starve.” Minho takes his leave, turning his back around heading for your front door as you make it out of your bed in record time. You hate to admit that it’s the first time you’re leaving your house in days. And while you were planning to spend the rest of the break like this, Minho’s temporary accompaniment and the meal awaiting you is very much appreciated. Otherwise, you would’ve let your limited supply of cup noodles suffice and seafood pasta outweighs instant noodles by a mile. 

The trip to the grocery store is short, but it’s enough to play a song and a half. When you arrive, Minho makes a beeline to the frozen section to restock on his pudding. You sigh, bowing your head faintly and following the bunny boy. 

You have to admit, the lighting from the lined up refrigerators does well in making Minho look adorable with his pink nose and a smile that frames his two front teeth. It’s a shame he only ever directs this look to his cats and oddly enough, pudding. 

He throws a few cups in his shopping cart before moving along to another aisle. You match your footsteps with his, walking next to him as he pushes the cart along. The grocery store is dangerous. There are ways to find Mark everywhere. So, you look anywhere but aisles–the ground, Minho’s back, his cart. Anything but his favorite candy and the brand of milk he uses. 

“Want anything?” You look up at your best friend, and he looks at you with pointed eyes before gesturing towards the bags of junk food lining up. 

“I thought you said this was unhealthy for me?” It’s with incredulousness that you look at him. 

“Do you want me to take back my offer?” 

Smiling sheepishly, you reach out to grab a few bags of popcorn and some honey butter chips before adding it to the pile you hadn’t even noticed. It seems he’s gone through half of his grocery list as you stared aimlessly at the ground. 

He tells you to stay there and have a look around if you want anything else, and by the time he comes back, he has two cartons of milk in his arms that he places in his cart. 

You skip past the dairy and sweets section as Minho finishes up. 

“I’m gonna have a piece of chocolate as a treat. Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it.” 

“You’re giving yourself a piece of chocolate?” Minho asks, pulling you back by your wrist to stop you from wandering around. 

“Yeah, I think I earned it for leaving my dorm today. I think I earned it.”

“No, you can’t do that.”

“Why not?” You ask defensively. “I don’t understand.” 

“Not good enough reasoning.”

“Oh, but I worked so hard today. I feel like I really earned it.”

Betrayal seeps through your features as you head towards the cashier, and your shoulders sag in defeat as you begrudgingly help place the contents of your cart on the counter so it’s easier for the cashier to scan. Though, as Minho runs to grab an ingredient he’d forgotten for the meal he had promised you, you notice a box of chocolates tucked under his other arm as he returns. The price of the chocolate is added to his total bill, and he doesn’t look at you as he puts it in the shopping bag with your chips and popcorn.

Minho drives you back to your dorm, and you busy yourself with putting his frozen goods in your refrigerator so it doesn’t melt while he cooks. He can take it out later when he goes back to his dorm. 

You admit to being a little useless in the kitchen, so you sit still as Minho shuffles through the ingredients. He looks mesmerizing, save for the Hello Kitty apron too small for him that he had borrowed from you. It does add to his charm though as he moves around like he takes up the whole space of the kitchen. You can tell he’s used to this by the way he moves and the way he uses a knife. He looks focused, radiating. He always has this look on his face when he’s concentrated, plush mouth parted a little with furrowed eyebrows. You’d teased him about it once. 

It’s habit the way he cooks, the way his hand shapes around the knife, the way he chops vegetables and measures in a heartbeat. And it’s pattern that he checks on you once in a while, eyes traveling from the boiling pasta towards where you’re seated on the kitchen counter. From time to time, he walks towards you with a wooden spoon, hand habitually falling under your chin so the sauce doesn’t drip. 

Minho hums in satisfaction when you make a noise of approval, eyes widening as you nod your head with fervor. He turns away, licking his lips as he returns to finishing up his cooking. The sizzling of the pan, the bowl of the water, and your quiet humming is the sound of his heart right now, and he smiles to himself at the visible peace of being in the kitchen. He doesn’t have much time to cook these days. 

It takes almost an hour for him to finish, but it doesn’t feel that way. Unlike the past two months, time moved at a hare’s pace just in this moment, with Minho presently on your heels as he sets the plates down on your dining table. 

“Min, this is so good.” You note at how good the sauce tastes, and how the spice ties everything in. The way Minho prepares food is nothing like the ones you eat at restaurants. It’s better.

“I know. I’m the one who made it.” His response almost makes you scoff if not for the fact that he’s feeding you right now. So, you stay silent as you eat. Piece by piece, bite by bite, that you almost forget the last time you’ve sat on your dining table. 

You prefer to eat your meals anywhere but—the couch, your bedroom, the kitchen floor. The last memory leaves a bitter recollection on your throat. Dinner used to almost always be with Mark. He’d bring takeout and you’d spend the rest of the night updating each other on your days. Then, those nights became sparse and you were left with Facetime calls until they were nothing at all. There’s still a space for his shoes by your doorway, and you have yet to throw away the spare toothbrush he kept in your bathroom. There’s fragments of him in your dorm, and you hate it. 

The past hangs a heavy air around you that you don’t realize the gutted look of heartbreak on your face and the tears slipping past your eyes until you move to wipe them on instinct. You don’t know if it’s the chili oil on your fingertips or the sudden trip down memory lane, but you start to cry even more as you stuff your face with seafood pasta. 

“Is it too spicy?” Minho gently leaves his spot adjacent to you, puts his utensils down in favor of standing by your side. “You okay?” 

He laughs when a choked ‘yes’ leaves your lips before you’re stuffing even more pasta down, chewing animatedly as you try to blink the tears away. Though, when you make a move to rub your eyes, Minho is quick to grab them, pushing your arms away from your face. 

“Be careful. It’s gonna sting even more.” Pulling down the sleeves of his hoodie, he carefully uses the fabric to wipe the tears off your cheeks. He’s gentle with his movements, consciously mirroring your gutted, frowning look in his usual teasing. It makes you laugh, dropping your hands to your sides before suddenly letting out another sob. 

It’s a funny sight, seeing you laugh and cry at the same time and Minho can’t stop the periodic chuckles that escape his lips as you whine out for him to stop laughing at you. It only makes him laugh harder, patting down his sleeves on your eyes. 

“Do you want to keep eating?” His tone is significantly softer when your tears finally subside. “Do you want to finish it later?”

“Keep eating.” You mumble.

“Keep eating? Okay.” Disappearing to the kitchen, he hands you the glass of water, and takes your hand in his to start wiping away the chili sauce from your fingers with a tissue. It’s only when you finish gulping down the water does he return to the seat across from you.

“You’re babying me.” You sniffle, staring down at your food before twirling some noodles into your fork. 

“Because you’re a baby. Stop pouting.” His lips curve into a smirk. “Want some more steak?”

You grumble, and Minho rolls his eyes as he takes the steak he had sliced for himself and transfers it on your plate. “Come on, eat up. I didn’t waste my time cooking for you not to finish my food.” 

“Thank you.” He brushes you off, though, it’s with a small smile on his face. 

“Do you think you can stay here tonight?” You ask in small. Under normal circumstances, he would have called you clingy. It’s the answer you’re waiting to hear when the question slips out of your mouth. You don’t expect him to just hum, answering, “okay”. 

There’s a short pause after his response.

“But only because I know you’ll spend the night crying if I’m not here, and you look stupid when you cry.” It’s his own way of telling you to stop crying. Though, you still sigh for show.

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

“What, what?” He acts oblivious, and when his eyes blinks, it’s almost caricature. 

“I just love this.” Sarcasm drips heavy, but your heart flutters anyways. You don’t remember the last time you’ve smiled like this, so much that your cheeks start to hurt even if you’d just finished crying. 

“Right!” He grins.

Minho cares in ways that others don’t recognize. You can only see it when you pay attention, can only hear the quiet and gentle underlie in his words. He’s loud with his teasing, but he doesn’t need words for you to know he cares. 

It’s nice to be cared for.

four.

Autumn sends a harsh breeze as it takes over Summer without much of a warning. It marks a shed of the things that had transpired over the previous season, almost a big red button labeled restart. You have every intention to use it well, to usher in change alongside the changing color of the leaves. 

But what kind of heart doesn’t look back?

You wonder, do the leaves hang on tightly to not fall? Do they beg the trees not to let them go, to stay a little longer?

You sigh. The cycle is neverending, and you’ll have to spend the next seasons without Mark. 

“Are you even listening to me?” You’re tugged back to your body at the sudden breach.

Minho’s voice is whiny, plush lips pulled in a pout at having caught you spacing out while he was mid-story. He had made an effort to be especially animate with his story, after numerous previous complaints from you that he was a boring storyteller, only for you not to listen.

“I am, I am!” You’re nowhere near convincing as you defend yourself, trying to recall the last words you had heard from him before you had lost yourself to your thoughts. Something about Jisung and fruit punch? You’re not quite sure. 

It was a horrible idea to try and balance your best friend’s stories with your own thoughts, letting the former slip so easily. Now you’re being called out for it.

“Then what did I just say?” 

“That… you want to buy me coffee?” You ask with a sheepish smile, head tilted slightly to mimic a feigned innocence. 

Minho’s lips press into a line in response.

“I’m sorry!” You apologize almost immediately.

It’s funny the way you give up your act right away, pressing your palms together as if begging the boy to forgive you for your inability to listen to him. You were technically listening, synching your movements with his and staring at the way the words rolled out of his mouth. It wasn’t your fault they had fallen short before reaching your ears. 

“You just lost a point on my friend tier list.” He walks a little ahead of you now, refusing to match your pace in the name of dramatism. 

“You have a friend tier list?” You snort. “That’s kind of lame.” 

“Did you just call it lame? At this point, you’re at bottom place with Kim Seungmin.” 

Your reaction is funny despite shitting on his tier list: mouth dropping, eyes boring on his back as you struggle to keep up with his long limbs, hurrying to catch up to him. 

“Okay, now you’re taking it too far. First of all, I do not bite you so that should nudge me up a spot.”

“If you say it nicely, maybe I will.” 

You know he’s messing around when he starts to slow down his pace, waiting for you to reappear beside him before resuming his walk. 

“No, but seriously, what were you saying?” There’s laughter laced in your voice, elbowing Minho gently to coax him into repeating what he had said earlier.

“I asked if you were going to Jisung’s party later.” 

Minho notes the way your face visibly scrunches at the thought. As if it wasn’t enough, you pair it with a shake of your head. 

“Absolutely not. I hate the taste of alcohol.” You pause, head snapping towards him before adding, “Why? Are you going?” 

His eyes don’t hide his disinterest, narrowing in judgment as you ask him. 

“No. We have a 9am class tomorrow.” He mutters. 

You begin to laugh, always amused by the way your best friend expresses himself, but then you stop. It wasn’t immediately made clear to Minho why your demeanor had suddenly shifted so hastily, as if someone had forcefully switched it, and why your eyes were suddenly glazed. The cogs only stop when he follows your line of sight after having noticed it was drawn somewhere behind him. 

Mark’s butterfly tattoo isn’t hard to miss. It’s so potently his that you vaguely register his hand holding someone else’s. Someone that wasn’t you.

She looks beautiful, so radiant that it almost blinds you. She looks like she has him wrapped around your finger, and you don’t feel that horrible for hoping she’d break his heart the way he did yours. Though, anger is temporary when pain starts to sift through—especially when Mark is looking at her with the same sparkle in his eyes when he used to look at you. 

You try to make the hurt look calculated, the way you will your eyes to draw away, the way you purse your lips. Perhaps you were trying to convince yourself that you were over it, that you were emotionally mature. And while it is half true, there is still pain. No one teaches you how to deal with this. There is no guidebook to tell you what to do when you see your ex with someone else only months after he had called it quits. 

It is difficult to look at them without breaking.

A haunting silence settles, before Minho’s scrambling to break it.

“Ah, let’s go. I’m suddenly hungry.” 

Minho watches as your shoulders slump in relief when he speaks, turning away from Mark in favor of looking at him. “And my legs are getting tired from standing around. Come on.” 

It’s meant to be teasing, but you do not miss the anger in his eyes. It’s always painstakingly obvious when Minho is angry. He didn’t say painful words, never did anything hastily, but his eyes would always tell you he’s angry. They have a look to them, and when they were glassy, you’d know he was angry. 

There’s a tap on the back of your hand before he takes it in his, pulling you away from the scene of the crime. It makes your whole face look up at him, and your heart softens when he offers a small smile. It does something inside of you. 

“Have you eaten anything since lunch?”

You only shake your head in response.

Minho doesn’t say anything at the sudden drop of your mood, though he doesn’t find any pleasure in seeing your attitude change so quickly. He just squeezes your hand in his. And you’re sure you’re imagining the way he intertwines your fingers because your best friend hates skinship. Lee Minho is always so repulsed when you attempt to take his hand, so why is his hand on yours? 

“Don’t think I care about you or anything, but let’s get something to eat first? You know, before we meet up with the guys.” 

You hum in compliance, and also because you know he’s teasing you. His hand feels warm. 

It’s silent for a while, save for distant honks and the echo of your footsteps. Soft, blinking eyes look down at you when you finally make it to the small food stall, tugging on your hand to get your full attention. 

“Come on, get whatever you want.” You lean forward, tilting your head to look at your options.  “I’m not doing this again, by the way.” He jokes, looking down at you. 

Minho doesn’t eat despite being the one who had said he was hungry. Instead, he hovers next to you, hands in his pockets as you quietly eat your food.

“Are you full?” His voice softens when he speaks. 

“A little.” You mumble.

“Okay, now go pay for what you got.” There’s a smug smile on his face when you glare at him, and he only laughs at you when you pull out your wallet from your bag.

“You dragged me to eat here because you’re hungry, and you’re letting me pay.” Your feet hold your ground, flipping through the compartments on your wallet before pulling out a bill—for your pride, more than anything else. 

“Of course! What kind of best friend would I be if I paid? I need to teach you independence.” 

You scoff. “A good best friend.”

Minho is looking at you up and down as you stretch your hand towards the man to pay for your food, mapping out how he can remember this moment. 

“Ah, miss. Your boyfriend already paid.” 

“Huh?”

There’s laughter from behind you, and you humiliatingly turn back around and shove your wallet in your bag before slapping Minho’s arm. He flinches, but his laughter doesn’t stop. 

“Thanks for paying, I guess.” You mumble, heavy footsteps walking ahead of him the way he did with you earlier. It’s touching, really, and there was a nudge in your heart when the man had told you Minho had already paid. Your best friend’s laugh is too maniacal to ignore, though, so your slap is well deserved.

Kim Seungmin’s face is nothing but irritated when you and Minho finally show up to your meeting spot, hand lifting and pointing an accusing finger at the pair of you for being late. The rest of the boys except Jisung and Jeongin are all sprawled on the empty parking lot’s concrete floor, and you can hear a faint mumble from Minho–something about how the ground was dirty for them to be sitting on it. You sort of agree, already cringing at the thought of rubble sticking to your clothes and the prospect of dusting them away. 

“They’re finally here!” Seungmin puts an emphasis on the word ‘finally’, and he’s about to berate you even more when he spots the skewer in your hand. “You guys ate without us?” 

It’s so loud and relenting, but Seungmin’s by your side in a second and opening his mouth for you to feed him the remaining of the food Minho had bought you earlier. You suppose you owe him this much for delaying their wait. You know Seungmin’s not very known for his patience. 

“We’re all going to Jisung’s party, right?” Chan finds himself asking, head perked up as he plays with his car keys between his fingers. 

Seungmin mumbles something incoherent, still glued to your side and still stealing your food. When he moves to grab the stick from you, Minho slaps his hand and tells the boy to leave you and your food alone. It’s like a scene straight out of a sitcom, and all you have to do is stare at the non-existent camera directed at the three of you.

“I don’t think (name) and Minho are?” You hum in confirmation at Felix’s response, spotting him get up from his place on the ground. He asks Hyunjin to dust off the specs of concrete sticking to the fabric of his pants. 

“What?” Changbin’s voice is loud, in contrast to the sooth of Felix’s, and he looks his squinted eyes with yours—as if you had wronged him for not going to the party. “Why not?”

Though, the thought of drinking doesn’t seem all that horrible to you anymore. You refuse to acknowledge it might be because of what you had bore witness to earlier, but it is one-hundred percent the reason why. A drink wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“Actually… I think I might.” Your eyes are still on Seungmin as he finally finishes the skewer you’ve been holding, though, your gaze shifts in a split second towards a shrieking Changbin who has jumped from his spot on the ground at your change of mind.

“Really? Let’s get it!” He cheers, hands clapping temporarily in a way that is so fitting for him. His smile is etched, pulling you towards where the others are. The exaggeration makes you laugh a little, at how something as simple as you suddenly agreeing to drink has Changbin giggling and smiling. You know he’s always loved when you guys hang out together.

Similarly, Felix and Hyunjin are cheering alike.

“So, you’re coming too then?” In the span of time it took to confirm your attendance, Chan has dragged his feet towards where Minho is standing, nudging his side and looking at the boy expectantly. 

Minho sighs. “I guess I’m coming too.”

“I don’t think we’ll all fit in Chan’s car, though?”

Chan’s fancy 6-seater car would have sufficed for them. However, with the sudden addition of you and Minho, there’s a need to adjust the seating arrangement. It seems Seungmin’s realized the problem right away when he hovers by the front seat, basically denying entrance from anyone that isn’t him. 

“Let’s just eliminate people instead. Kim Seungmin, start walking.” Minho is too quick with his response, as if he had already been thinking about it. Seungmin stays unbothered, though, still at his post at being Chan’s passenger princess for the afternoon.

“I can sit on Changbin’s lap.” Felix proposes as Chan unlocks his car. It triggers a sinister smile on Seungmin’s face, and you can tell that whatever he’s about to say next will not benefit Minho in any way after your best friend’s comment earlier. 

“And (name) can sit on Minho’s lap. Okay, that’s settled, let’s go.” As predicted, Seungmin is already seated at the front, tugging at the seatbelt to solidify his position before Minho can stomp on his newly bought pair of converse for revenge at the proposition. That boy and Jeongin really need to cut down on their shoe purchases. 

“Is that fine for you, (name)?” Chan asks, opening the backseat door for you. You nod, not missing the way Minho’s eyes travel to yours in confirmation of your comfort. 

“Is no one going to ask how I feel about this?” Minho asks as the boys start to hunch over and take their seats in the back. Seungmin simply says a ludicrous ‘no’ as he twists his body so he can see the way everyone struggles while he has the front seat all to himself. 

Minho pulls you and seats you on his lap, as Changbin does with Felix. The position is extremely uncomfortable, with your back slouched and your cheek pressed against the headrest of the driver’s seat, but it isn’t something you haven’t done before. In fact, you remember a time when even Jisung and Jeongin were present in this same car. Although, you don’t recall much of what happened, just that your neck hurt so much from being craned the whole ride. 

“I’m not holding you by the way, so if Chan breaks suddenly then you’re on your own.” Your best friend feels the need to inform you, his arms pressed to his sides to offer you no support while Changbin has his arms wrapped around Felix’s torso. 

You know what happens to kids that don’t wear seatbelts. 

“Hyunjin, can I sit on your lap instead?” 

Hyunjin laughs, staring at the two of you before jokingly offering his hand to hold onto. You doubt it’ll be much help. 

The rest of the ride is spent engulfed in Minho’s warmth and the joint scent of everyone’s perfumes which is a little suffocating. And untrue to his words, when Chan does make a sudden break, you find Minho’s arms suddenly wrapped around your waist and tightening around you so you don’t stumble forward. 

Chan mutters something with a smug smile as he looks into the front view mirror, though you can’t hear anything over the loud beating of your heart.

five.

The music echoing around Jisung’s house thrums loudly in your ears. It’s the type of volume that solicits yelling just to hear each other, and you’re unsure if you’re prepared for the amount of screaming you’ll be doing tonight just to be heard by your friends. 

Jisung is the first to greet the seven of you, a bottle of beer in hand and loud laughing as he tugs all of you in for a hug. You can feel his insobriety, can smell it off of him, but he looks so adorable with excitement basically leaping out of him at seeing his best friends. 

Though, his eyes do narrow with a curious brow at the sight of you and Minho who had texted him earlier that you couldn’t make it.

“You made it!” It’s endearing the way his smile grows even more, cheeks protruded as he leans in to hug you. He does the same for Minho, and you can see him whisper something to the boy which earns him a harsh push. You can’t hear it though, and you doubt it’s anything serious when Jisung simply laughs in response. 

“Come on, let’s get you guys something to drink.” He yells over the music. 

The base from the speakers offers a steady rhythm as you navigate your way across sweaty and drunk college students, and it allows you the time to give the space a good gaze. It’s amiable, as expected from Jisung, and he doesn’t seem to have any form of fear at the lack of supervision of his things during a party. Though, you suppose he must’ve locked up anything important down in his basement. 

“Here we go.” He grabs a few bottles for those who ask for a beer, and offers cups to those who want to venture into the unknown mixture of alcohol in the fruit punch bowl. Jisung also apparently has a shot glass, and tells you where he hid the bottle of vodka in case the seven of you want any. He doesn’t want anyone else touching his precious stash of alcohol. Jisung’s lips wrap around the rim of his bottle, chugging down a few gulps, and then he’s pumping his fist up into the air to tell you guys to start drinking. 

Chan and Changbin start to take swigs, popping the cap from Minho’s bottle. It’s second nature to them that they don’t even bat an eyelash. You wonder how many times they’ve done this before. Meanwhile, you, Hyunjin, Felix, and Seungmin take a chance at the mysterious concoction. 

Chan scolds Felix for smelling it, immediately discouraged by the familiar scent of alcohol.

With a cup in hand and a countdown falling from Changbin’s mouth, you bring it to your lips and take a big gulp. The taste is strong, scorching down your throat as you swallow it down immediately the way you’re taught. There’s a tinge of spice, and the disgusting bite on your tongue solicits a scrunch on your face. 

“Oh my god, I actually hate alcohol. Why am I doing this to myself?” You exhale, pushing the cup away from your lips and squinting your eyes in disgust. It’s a mixture of vodka and some type of juice, but it seems they half-assed the ratio of juice so it’s majorly the hit of hard alcohol. You’d kill to have a Cola in hand as chaser.

Felix mutters the same remarks, and you laugh at the way he puts the cup down. At most, Felix is a sweet boy, and he could never swallow down anything as vile as alcohol so he goes to find some more juice to dump into his mixture while you, Hyunjin, and Seungmin force yourselves to empty the contents of your solo cups. 

It doesn’t really take long for the tipsiness to kick in, especially with whatever the hell they put in that bowl because before you know it, everything looks a little hazy and the simple scrunch on Felix’s face has you doubling in laughter. Everything is always funnier when you’re tipsy. 

“I’m definitely hit.” You bite down at your lips, teeth gliding and chewing. You feel nothing but numbness, and that’s how you know you’ve taken more than you can handle. “Min, you should be drinking more.”

“Min, you should be drinking more.” Minho repeats your words, almost mocking. In his grip is his second bottle of beer, and he stands by your side unperturbed by your swaying and your yelling over the music so your friends can hear you better. 

“Are you mocking me?” You’re on your toes, poorly trying to match his height to confirm whether he had repeated your words in mocking or because he can’t hear you properly. You know it’s the former. “Are you serious? You guys heard that, right?”

“Yo, that was so disrespectful. Personally, I wouldn’t stand for that.” Of course, Seungmin is the first to respond. He’s always the one instigating arguments, though, he can’t do it to the best of his ability when Felix is resting his head on his shoulder, grumbling about how awful the alcohol tastes even after he had dumped every juice he could find in Jisung’s refrigerator. 

You almost stumble when you bring yourself back to your original height, and Minho’s arms are around you in reflex. Though, they’re quick to let go so he can laugh at you. “Are you really already drunk off of, like, three cups?”

“Where’s Jeongin anyway? He should be suffering with us.” Felix peels his head from Seungmin’s shoulder, breath intertwined with alcohol before dropping his forehead back, eyes half-lidded.

“Crying over his minor subjects.” 

Your small circle falls into laughter at Seungmin’s response. Minor subjects were hell, especially when your professor treated them as if they were a major one. You could still recall barging into Minho’s dorm to cry over a project. Thinking back, you really could’ve half-assed it and still passed the class.

“Oh, that poor boy. I remember crying over Foreign Languages.” Changbin’s laugh doubles in volume at the memory of Jisung crying while mumbling some Russian gibberish. 

“No, because why would you think to take Russian of all the languages offered? You were setting yourself up.” The way Changbin’s voice cracks at laughing too much is contagious and has everyone clutching their stomachs in laughter. 

“I took German with Hyunjin. What did you guys take?”

“Spanish. I’m actually really good.” You boast, laughter slowing down into broken chuckles as you guys try to recollect your breaths. 

Seungmin passes you your newly refilled cup. “Okay. Tell us something in Spanish then.”

“Si Papi!” 

There’s a pause before all of you laugh your loudest for the night. It’s the type that makes your ribs hurt, bending over with aching cheeks from smiling too much. It even has Minho almost spitting out the beer he had just sipped from his bottle, taken aback by your response to Seungmin’s question. He had spent the night nursing a beer bottle in hand and listening in to your conversations, almost looking bored, though, you always find ways to solicit pure amusement from the boy.

Only you would ever say anything like that. 

Minho has to bite down on the back of his hand to stop him from choking over his own laughter and the beer he had almost spat out. 

“Yeah! That sounds… yeah! You nailed it!” Felix interrupts with more laughter. 

You’d give anything to stop time at this moment. Perhaps it’s because you don’t want to have anything in your mind but the happiness that you feel right now. You allow yourself the time to enjoy yourself, to take away the scorching image of Mark in your head and replace it with the overwhelming volume of the music. 

Hyunjin, who has grown more extroverted after chugging down his cup, pulls you, Jisung, and Felix to where everyone else is dancing. Chan’s gone to look for another bottle of beer while Changbin is singing along to the music at the top of his lungs, your personal karaoke as he sways from side to side just right next to the three of you dancing. Minho is the only one sitting up straight from your group, and while the look on his face can be deceiving, you know he’s having fun watching over everyone. 

When you turn to look at him, he’s already looking at you, unblinking. He throws you a thumbs up with an arched eyebrow and you nod your head before returning your attention to the music and the way you’re jumping around and singing along to 2000s pop hits with your best friends.

Exhaustion hits pretty fast. You can smell the fatigue on yourself after having jumped around for almost an hour. You stumble your way to where Minho’s seated, and he brings your chair closer to you so you don’t drop yourself on the floor. The way you attempt to sit straight is a pretentious act that you aren’t out of it, but you are, and your stomach’s starting to not feel so good. Your blurry vision and the overwhelming lights and music doesn’t really help your case either.

“Minnie.” You hiccup, putting away your cup on the table and bowing your head faintly. “I don’t feel so good.” 

Now the alcohol doesn’t seem that much of a great idea because the after effects are hitting you, and you know tomorrow will be much, much worse for you. At least you were offered a short getaway to stop thinking for a while. The temporary accompaniment was good until it wasn’t.

Minho frowns, having already made his way next to you and helping you up. “Come on, I’m taking you to Jisung’s room. Is that okay? Are you done having fun?” 

It’s endearing the way he asks if you’re done, though you can’t fathom any other form of response except for a grumble and the way you almost collapse into his arms from your wobbly legs. You don’t really remember how you end up on his back, but when you peel your eyes open, you’re moving past the crowd with your cheek pressed against the top of his head. 

“What’s wrong?” Jisung hiccups, making his way to the two of you and helping move people aside so the path towards his room is easier on Minho.

“I think she’s had too much to drink. I’m taking her up to your room, is that fine?” 

“Yeah, of course.” 

Minho is strong in the way he carries you with his hands on your thighs, crouching down and hoisting you up when you feel like you’re about to fall. When he successfully makes his way to Jisung’s room, Minho makes sure to knock loudly on the door, ear pressed against the door. “Nobody better be making out in here!” And it’s only when silence greets him does he allow himself to twist the doorknob open. 

“Sit down for a moment.” You burp when he places you down, body swaying alarmingly as you move to lay on the ground instead. Minho bends down to sit you back up so you don’t accidentally choke on your own vomit. It’s happened before with Chan, and he is not about to have a repeat. 

“Just let me get a few of Jisung’s clothes for you to change into. And I should probably get you water. It’ll help you sober up, kay?” 

“No, Min… wait!” The sudden movement has you clutching your head and forgetting what you were going to say to the boy. “Ugh.” 

“Are you okay?” He takes a look at your heavy eyelids and your disheveled hair, and the way you hold your head in the palm of your hands. Minho moves from his place by Jisung’s closet to crouch down next to you instead. “Why did you drink so much?”

“Stop scolding me.” You hiccup. The music is more drowned out hidden in the four walls of Jisung’s room, and you know Minho’s teasing you by the tone of his voice.

“I’m not scolding you.” His eyes hold yours, and he speaks softly. 

Your faces are a few inches apart, and even in the hazy way you’re seeing things, you can still admit that Lee Minho is beautiful. His hair is a little sweaty from the warmth of the overcrowded house, and his cheeks are dusted pink from the alcohol, but you know he’s not hit. 

“I think I’m gonna throw up.” You clear your throat before he can say anything else.

“No, you’re not. I am not cleaning anyone’s vomit. Not today.”

Minho lifts you up from the ground, taking you to the bathroom so you’re seated directly in front of the toilet. He pulls the hair tie around your wrist, taking it from you so he can tie your hair up in case you do end up vomiting.

Tears prick in your eyes in your attempt to puke, though nothing but choked coughs come out. It makes you feel pathetic, so much so that you swat away Minho’s hand that’s rubbing your back. You don’t want anyone to look at you like this, teary eyes and hunched over so you bury your face in your hands where no one can see you. 

“I’m so miserable and so unlovable.” You mumble incoherently, banging your head again and again on the wall before it meets contact with Minho’s palm instead. His free hand guides itself across your face, peeling away your fingers so he can see you better.

“Don’t be stupid. You’re not.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m misera—”

“Unlovable. You’re not unlovable.” There’s a pause as he exhales. 

“How would you know?” 

There’s an unreadable expression on Minho’s face when you ask. He looks like someone you’ve never met with the way he stares at you, although familiar. It’s clear that he’s thinking, but of what, you have no idea. He looks so concentrated.

“I just do.” 

He’s so soft-spoken that you can’t bring yourself to rebut. And he doesn’t seem to wait for your response when he bends down to scoop you back up in his arms after making sure you showed no more signs of vomiting. 

“I’m gonna get water. It’ll help you sober up.” He repeats, placing you down on Jisung’s bed and you immediately roll over to get yourself comfortable. Minho notes to change the sheets for the boy after classes tomorrow. 

When he comes back, you’ve already fallen asleep.

six.

“Wake up.” 

Minho’s shaking is unforgiving, peeling the comforter away from you despite your protests. He cringes at the way you grab the pillow, gripping it over your face so his whining would come out filtered and a little mumbly. Though, you fail to consider the way the pillow can easily be yanked away from you, especially from someone like Lee Minho.

His shaking are full-blown shoves now, and his voice is growing louder and louder despite the grumbling from Seungmin who had apparently also stumbled into Jisung’s room and fallen asleep on the floor some time in the night.

“Wake up, or we’re going to be late.” 

The mention of class causes you to abruptly sit up, and Minho is about to drag you away from the bed when you fall back down, hands clutching your head and eyes squinted. “Oh my fucking god, my head.”

Too much is happening for your liking. The trance of sleep is still lingering in the way you blink slowly, and the headache you’re suckling under is hard to ignore. This is what you get for drinking on a weekday when you have 9am classes the next day.

The sight of your disheveled hair and the terribly grumpy look you’re sporting almost makes Minho snort, but he focuses on the mission at hand, and it’s to get you out of your bed so you don’t miss the only class you have for the day.  And, as much as you want to be pissed off at Minho, you know he has your best interest at heart.

“Drink this and go take a shower.” 

You rub your eyes, resentfully sitting up once again with Minho’s helping hand on your back. It’s only now you notice his damp hair, and the way he’s standing there with a plain black shirt and the gray joggers he wears almost everyday–you swear he owns ten pairs. He’s holding a whole pitcher of water too, shoving it in your direction as you blink away the restlessness.  

You drink straight out of it even though the water seems to want to expel out of your body. You’ve had a few drunken nights to learn this, and it’s best that you finish it so you aren’t dehydrated for the rest of the day. Something about alcohol and the way it causes excessive urination which makes you lose more fluids than you should.

There’s barely any time to adjust to real-time when your best friend starts shoving you to the direction of the bathroom, throwing you a pair of Jisung’s joggers when he was in high school and an oversized hoodie that the boy had stolen from Minho. You don’t process how you manage to take a shower with your headache and the lack of sleep, only remembering the way the cold water felt and how relieving it was to brush your teeth to try and rid the scent of alcohol.

“You ready?” Minho runs a hand through his hair before pressing it down, eyes meeting yours just as you stumble out of the bathroom. He already has Chan’s car keys in hand. 

You follow him tiredly, keeping your head hung to try and remedy the aching, all while Minho is gently shaking Chan’s passed out shoulder on the couch. “Channie, I’m taking your car.” The older boy just stirs, hand lifting in approval before it falls limp on his chest. 

“Alright, in you go.” Minho reaches over, grabbing your seatbelt for you so he can fasten it. The position is a little compromising, and he’s inches away from you that you get a waft of his scent. He smells like Jisung’s soap, the same one you had used on yourself. Though, you don’t want to obsess about how close he is. 

When he’s sure you won’t topple over in the case that he breaks, he stumbles out of your space and positions himself in the driver’s seat. 

He doesn’t need to make much adjustments to anything considering he and Chan are nearly the same height. So, he takes the handbrake off and pulls on the gearshift before he’s guiding you out of Jisung’s parkway and towards the direction of the university. 

Lee Minho is attractive as he drives steadily down the highway, eyes never leaving the road. His posture is sharp, fingers wrapped around the steering wheel and turning it in perfect control when he needs to. It’s a little addicting to look at, and you’re sure you would’ve spent the entire duration staring at him if not for the lingering headache that causes you to veer away from your staring and close your eyes instead. It makes you grumble, head falling back into the space between the car window and your headrest.

“You sound like a dying mouse being suffocated by a small knife.” It slips out of his mouth, and even without looking at him, you know he’s wearing a small smirk on his face. 

“...You need to go to a psych ward.” 

You spend majority of the ride trying to recall what had happened last night, not that you remember much. You vaguely register laughing over Jeongin’s demise, dancing a lot, and Minho’s voice while you tried to retch out what you had for dinner over Jisung’s toilet. “What the hell even happened last night?”

“Do you really want me to tell you?” 

“Why? Was I that embarrassing?” You open your eyes for a second to glance at your best friend, though his eyes remain glued on the road. It only makes you whine even more when he nods, shutting your eyes back closed after feeling dizzy over the strain of lights on your vision. “This is why I should never drink ever again.”

“You really don’t remember anything?” Minho tries asking. 

“I remember pieces and chunks of it. I… uh, remember dancing and eating ice cream? Dude, I don’t even know. I think I tried to pick a fight with someone at one point.” You start. “And in the bathroom, when… oh.” You smack your lips together at the sudden memory, a pit in your stomach suddenly forming at the recollection. 

You’re not unlovable. His words ring in your ears, hovering over the honking of cars and the bustle of business outside as people start their days. Did he really mean it when he said that or had he taken pity over your self-wallowing? Was he only saying it to comfort you? He didn’t feel cold when he said it though. While you don’t remember much, you can feel the faint warmth and the gentle lull in his voice when he spoke to you. 

“What?” He eggs you to keep going, but your mouth suddenly feels bitter, pressed together in trial of sealing the words in your mouth. 

It was embarrassing enough to yap about it drunk to Minho last night, you don’t need to repeat it this morning. Clenching your fists, you bring them to shield your eyes, shaking your head. “Nothing.”

“If you don’t tell me, I’m leaving you on the side of the road.” 

You sigh. 

“DoyoureallythinkI’mnotunlovable?” You shuffle out the words as per his request, head tilted away from him so you’re facing the window instead. 

“I literally cannot understand you, please learn how to speak.” He deadpans.

“Do you really think I’m not unlovable? Do you actually mean it?” You repeat, slowly this time, like he’s asking of you. You don’t see the way his grip tightens around the steering wheel. 

There’s a pause, and he’s silent for a moment. You almost regret bringing it up again had you not remembered that this was a usual thing for your best friend. There’s something about him–in the way he presses his lips together, front lip tutting out, and the way he blows his hair away from his eyes and peeks at you for a second before leading them back on the road. It’s indicative of when he thinks, when he ponders over teasing or being genuine. 

“Of course I do.” If you listen close enough, you would’ve heard the way his voice cracks a little at the latter part of his sentence, though it’s well hidden beneath an exhale. “A lot of people love you, (name). The boys love you, your family. I— Soonie, Doongie, Dori too. You aren’t a reflection of what one stupid fucker thinks of you.”

You can’t help the quiet, airy laugh at the way his voice significantly grows softer, free hand patting your thigh for a second before returning on the gearshift. There’s something about the way he says it that makes you feel something inside, a small silver lining piercing through your heart. 

“Wow. I didn’t think you would actually… that you had it in you to tell me that.” Your eyes meet his side profile, and you can tell he’s taking quick glances at you before he heaves a heavy sigh.

“Don’t act like I don’t care about you.” He mumbles, and there’s a little hoarseness in the way he said it. You think you might be imagining it.

“You don’t care about me.” You say as a joke, and almost out of impulse at the way Minho is making your bones rattle right now. Maybe if you moved the course of your conversation somewhere lighter, the rattling would stop.

“I don’t care?” He scoffs, but you can tell he’s chaffing by the way his voice increases in volume. “I… don’t… care?” It’s incredulous the way he says it, mouth dropping as if you had dropped the biggest, wrongful accusation his way. 

“Okay, okay, okay, maybe you care a little. It’s touching that you give me coffee.” 

He hums. “Because for coffee, there’s a minimum order amount.”

You merely laugh.

“That’s right. I guess I’m just a means to match the minimum order amount.” 

“Okay, but seriously, you aren’t unlovable, okay? You’re just sad and a little bit angry. Let’s have some coffee after class, hm?” The pace of the car slows down as he puts Chan’s car on hazard. You recognize the building to be his dorm. His words make you look down at the sleeves of the oversized jacket you’re wearing, stomach tying in knots. “Now, wait here. I just need to get my homework.” 

That surely makes your head spring up. 

“Homework?” 

“The one Miss Kim assigned us last time? You know, when she left class early and had us do a few equations.” 

“Oh my god.” When your exasperation meets his gaze, he laughs. 

“You didn’t do it?”

“I didn’t do it!” You say in panic, eyes widening as he hurriedly jogs into his dorm room to grab the paper hanging on his desk before he shoves his answered worksheet to you. You catch it, immediately rummaging your backpack from the day before for a pen and paper so you can start copying off of Minho.

You don’t finish by the time you make it to your building, and Minho has to push from behind you as you look nowhere but your paper. You don’t even realize you’ve made it to your seats until your best friend pushes you down to sit while he mindlessly scrolls on his phone.

“Minho, Minho, Minho.” You don’t look at him as you call his name, still scribbling down numbers and equations you don’t understand. “If she comes in, please distract her. I’m only halfway done, please, please, please.”

“What do I get in return?” He cracks a vexatious grin, one you want to wipe off his face so bad because of course he’d find a way to profit off of your suffering. He puts down his phone, fixing his gaze on your hunched over figure with the same stupid smirk. You almost want to stab the pen in his eye.

“Please, I would take back every insult I’ve ever said to yo— Actually wait, you’re the one that insults me. I’ll forget every insult you've ever said to me if you do this, please.”

He sighs, body falling limp on his chair in defiance. He’s acting like a three-year-old when their parents don’t get the toy they’re begging for in the mall. “You’re taking me to that cat cafe that just opened.” 

“Fine, just do it.” You respond harshly. 

It’s with perfect timing that Minho arrives at the entrance to your classroom, just as Ms. Kim walks in and the students start going back to their seats from having gossiped with their friends. This prompts you to look over at your best friend, seeing him pull out his phone and shove it in your professor’s face. You would have laughed if not for the homework that’s staring at you maniacally. You try not to fuck up your numbers. 

Minho glances up at you from time to time, and when you’re still bent over the table, he knows he has to keep scrolling through his photo album appropriately labeled Soondoongdori. You better be paying for his coffee later in exchange for the stupid things he does for you on a daily basis.

“Don’t you have a cat too, Ms. Kim?” He asks, tone sickeningly sweet as he forces her to look at another video of Doongie meowing in front of his door. In the first minute, it’s actually kind of cute and sweet for him to show her endearing photos of her favorite animal. That is, until six more minutes pass and he’s still showing her photos when she’s supposed to have started class by now. 

“Oh, wait. But look at Soonie and the hat he’s wearing.”

“Lee Minho. I appreciate you showing me photos of your own cats, but please go back to your seat so I can start the class.” She tries to keep an even tone, and Minho all but smiles in faux innocence as he finally returns to his seat next to you just as you finish. “I’ll send you a Google Drive if you’d like!”

She dismisses his offer.

“Alright. Pass your homework.” Ms. Kim announces, and you let out the sigh you didn’t know you’ve been holding as Minho takes both of your papers from you so he can put it on your professor’s table as instructed.

“You’re paying for my coffee.” He whispers threateningly, chucking his phone back into the pocket of his sweatpants before crossing his arms and relaxing in his seat in preparation for your 2-hour lecture. 

You would’ve thrown him a gentle punch in retaliation for attempting to steal money off of you, but you can’t bring yourself to do it. Lee Minho is your lifeline, and you’re sure you would’ve dropped out of college if not for his constant nagging and the way he saves your ass every single time you need it. In fact, you were fully convinced you would’ve fallen prisoner to your breakup if not for the way he forces you out of your dorm to do something as simple as grocery shopping or eating dinner with him. 

“Alright, fine.” You say, turning your attention to your professor as she begins her powerpoint presentation. 

You risk one last glance at your best friend, lips jutted out the way they do when he’s concentrated and bored eyes directed to the front. It’s awkward timing to be grateful for him while your teacher rants about something, but it can’t be helped. 

It’s uncommon to come across a Minho in your life. Perhaps all the reincarnations of you before had suffered tremendously for the lack of luck on having Lee Minho, so you suppose the price of coffee will suffice in hinting at your appreciation for the boy for the lengths and hoops he goes through for you. 

If you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll get him again in your next life.

seven.

The Cat Playground is a cafe that recently opened a month ago just outside your campus. You’ve been meaning to head there for quite some time, however, the initial buzz of a newly opened establishment is terrifying. Whenever you and Minho had passed by it, a truck load of people were filling up the space, and you really didn’t want to stress out the kittens. 

Though, it’s a little more bearable now that people have gotten over that fizzle. As promised, you take him to the coffee shop for the “embarrassment” you had put him through earlier this morning. Plus, coffee will do the light dizziness you’re still nursing. 

The inside of the small building is cold, though the sun does a wonderful job reflecting through the huge glass windows to perfectly balance the temperature. You coo instantly at the sight of the cats, pacing around and jumping to sleep in their little wooden cat houses. There’s a sort of friendliness the place houses that’s striking to you. The paintings lined up give the place a character of its own, pillows on the floor and tables surprisingly stout. You suppose it’s so that it’s easier to play with the cats, though, there is space in the back with normal-sized furniture. You don’t pay it mind. You know exactly where you and Minho will be seated. 

You continue to walk a few meters as Minho lines up for the both of you, instructing you to find a seat. The closer you got to where the cats stayed, the more you could distinguish their scent, and there are a few toys sticking out that only look familiar to you because Minho has them back at home for his own cats. 

Though, a sharp squeeze turns in your sternum when you spot an empty space only for a huge butterfly painting to decorate its wall. Your throat dries up at the sight.

Oh.

You contemplate whether or not you should just suck it up and sit here, eyes unmoving from the painting that you don’t notice your best friend until he places a hand on your shoulder and pushes you past the painting towards an empty space not far away. 

He drops on a beanie bag right away, hand outstretched to start calling the attention of the cats. They come stumbling in, purring loudly and situating themselves by your feet. You wonder if they can sense cat owners, almost convinced they can by the way they comfortably sit by Minho. 

One of them jumps on his lap, patting down on his stomach before flopping down to lay down. On instinct, Minho reaches out to rub its head, moving down to its chin and neck. “What are you doing on my belly, hm?” He mumbles, leaning down to bump his nose with the cat’s. 

The sight you’re subjected to makes your heart soften significantly. 

“Your order is horrible, by the way. How the hell do you drink that?” Minho laughs, face scrunching in faux disgust when you start sipping on your drink. It has way too much cream and sugar for your best friend’s liking. You simply roll your eyes. 

“You literally drink straight black coffee. I don’t know who thought that was good for human consumption. Ahh—” You’re immediately distracted by the cats passing by you, trying to coax them to come to you but they don’t. You pout, holding both your arms out to the little group settled around Minho. “They don’t like me very much.” 

“They don’t?” Minho coos, eyes full of mirth as he reaches down to one of the cats. A british shorthair. “Can you go to her and make her feel better, hm? She’s being a little sulky right now.” 

On command, the little kitten paces towards where you’re seated, hovering around you before you finally scoop the little boy in your arms and place him on your belly, mimicking Minho. Your eyes fall towards the cat before making contact with your best friend’s, big smile on your face so much so that the apple of your cheeks are visible. 

“See, they just needed some time, but they like you too.” 

The softness in Minho’s gaze takes great effect in whatever the hell you’re feeling inside that you have to avert your eyes back to the small cat lounging on your stomach. This cat, and Minho, and the hot coffee waiting for you on your table makes you so overwhelmingly happy, as little things often do. It’s new, this feeling of contentment. 

It’s quiet and nice to just be with your best friend, and the cats, and your coffee. They make you feel like everything will only get better from here on out, make you realize that sometimes happiness is this simple.

“Mark didn’t like cats very much.” Your voice softens, hand scratching the kitten’s head. “So… this is nice.” You mumble the rest of your words, but it’s at the right amount of silence that Minho still hears you. 

“Hmm… should’ve ended things right then and there.” He murmurs.

You laugh at his response. “I should’ve. I hate that I can’t— like some things will never be the same.”

Minho scoots his seat closer to where you are.

“Like what?” He asks.

“Like—” You sigh, biting your lips and staring down on your lap. “You’re gonna say it’s stupid.” 

Minho raises his eyebrows, not diverting his gaze anywhere but on you. “Only if it is.” 

“Like butterflies.” Your shoulders slump, and there’s a dejection in your voice. “We were gonna sit there, but then it reminded me of his stupid tattoo and I just… He took away something beautiful from me— I know it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid.” He places his hand over yours, stopping you from fiddling with your fingers. The contact makes your heart jump. “Do you think it’s something you can regain?” 

You look down at his hand on yours, carefully taking it to play with the ring he wears, pulling it out and pushing it back in. When you look up at him once again, you’re met with his softening stare. 

“I want to… I hope to. It doesn’t hurt as much when I buy milk.” 

“That’s good. Hopefully, you’ll be able to feel that more than you feel haunted by it.” 

You swallow, nodding your head. “I’m trying.” 

Minho doesn’t say anything else, taking your order from the table and handing it to you so you can satiate your thoughts temporarily with the taste of coffee. Then, he positions himself next to you so you can rest your head on his shoulder the way he knows you want to. It’s quiet, aside from the gentle chatter of those around you and the purring of the cats walking around. Minho still has a cat in his arms, his knee would nudge yours from time to time just to check on you. 

Then his phone rings. It doesn’t look like he wants to make a move to pick it up, groaning at the sudden breach of his peace. Sighing, he finally picks up the call and presses it to his ear just as the cat hops off of his lap. 

“What? Don’t call me if you don’t need anything.” He hangs up just as quickly as he picks up the phone and you laugh a little at the abruptness and his urge to return to the moment with you.

“Min?” 

“Hm?” He hums, pocketing his phone and turning to look at you. The sound of his name falling from your lips always makes him perk up like this. 

The irritation on his face has dissipated, and he looks at you with nothing but gentleness. You treasure these moments with Minho. He might not look like it, but really does care about the people around him. You’re lucky he let you into his circle.

“Thank you.”

You don’t need to specify for what. He already knows. 

eight.

Finals season for the semester marks the arrival of winter, sweeping in mounds of snow. 

Your university is blanketed in white, frosted windows as students hurry towards their next exam wearing layers upon layers of coats. The winter’s breeze settles heavy, harsh winds nipping at your dorm window. Though, you can’t quite hear the frigid weather over Minho’s unabashed laughter, meshing with the chilling winds outside. It’s so infectious, that if you hadn’t ensnared yourself into this situation, you would’ve been laughing with him.

“Will you stop laughing?!” The perplexity etched upon your face only seems to make Minho laugh harder, one hand clutching at his stomach while the other grips tightly around your notebook. “Minho, I am going to fail!”

You drop on the ground, piles of papers and notes surrounding you. You suppose this was on you for mistakenly thinking your Calculus exam would take place after your winter break, only realizing it was actually in three hours when Chaeryeong had texted you with a picture of her notes, asking you if it was included in the coverage for the exam later.

You called Minho in a panic, knowing he had taken this class a year before. However, when you had told him of your predicament, he had fallen into a fit of laughter. He knows your distress is genuine, yet he can’t help but find it funny. This would only happen to you. 

With your face buried in your hands, you kick your feet around messily, akin to a child denied of things they wanted their parents to buy. 

“Get up. Come on.” He interrupts himself with more laughter, kneeling down next to you and slapping your legs so you can get his message. “Get up, we can do this! We still have three hours!” 

“I didn’t know the exam was later. I thought it was after the break.” Your muffled cries are punctuated by Minho's choked laughter. He’s still shoving your legs, persistence heavy until you actually sit up from your place on the ground. 

“Focus!” Minho’s laughter finally subsides, eyes scanning over the pages of your notes. “Okay, you know how to write polar equations in parametric form right?” 

“Dude, I don’t know.” 

“Oh my god, you’re actually so fucked.” 

“Minho, please!” There is no way in hell you can scold the boy. You need his help. Otherwise, you’d have to fail your exam without so much as an effort to even get a passing grade. And you were not about to retake this class next semester. 

He’s laughing again. “You can use the standard transformation from Cartesian coordinates to polar coordinates. Come here, look at this.” 

He finishes up writing out the equations and formulas on your notebook, propping it up for you to see better. “You just have to memorize these, and you’ll pass. I swear.” 

“This is so ridiculous.” You whine, grabbing the notebook from his hand and staring at it as if your life depends on it. You’re desperately wishing you had just checked on your schedule again, clarified with a classmate, absolutely anything that could’ve gotten you out of the hell of cramming formulas you don’t understand in three hours.

“You’re a lost cause.” 

Minho flinches when you attempt to hit him with your notebook. 

“I know I am, but one of us has to be optimistic and as my best friend, you’re going to be playing that role.” You drop your head back down on the floor, although the collision isn’t as harsh when your head makes contact with Minho’s head. 

“Why are you trying to hit your head? You’ll lose everything you have left in there.” His eyes are mirthful, and you know there’s laughter brewing at the tip of his tongue. 

“Minhooooooo!” You whine.

“Look, I’m going to be honest with you. You’re probably going to fail this test. It’s not that I don’t have faith in you, but there’s just nothing we can do about it now. Besides, you still have that final project, right?” You feel a section in your brain twitch and Minho lifts his hands up when you direct a chilling glare at him. 

“Maybe Seungmin can be my new best friend.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Minho!”

“Okay, okay! Memorize the formulas and you’ll at least pass.” 

You do better than you expect, and it’s all thanks to Minho’s stupid list of formulas.

nine.

You hate that it hits you randomly. 

It had been 2 months since you last saw Mark, back when you had gotten so drunk at Jisung’s party. The pain isn’t so much over him, but the powerlessness that you feel. You’re sure you’re over him, but insecurities are so hard to banish when the breakup acts as a fuel to send everything in flames. 

When you feel this way, something as easy as your bracelet snapping can set you off. It’s a silly thing to be worked up over, but you are. 

It’s how you find yourself in front of Minho’s dorm, nose red from the nipping snow and snowflakes littering your eyelashes and your hair. There’s visible puffs when you breathe, and you’re sure your tears have frozen over from the harsh winds, though the tug of the breeze does nothing to hide how swollen your eyes are.

Snow pollutes your vision, and it’s a little difficult to trek through the heavy snow, but you make it to his dorm building. He doesn’t expect to find you crying in front of him at eleven in the evening.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” His voice wavers, gently tugging you into the warmth of his dorm room. He positions you by the heater, grabbing the blanket he had been using and wrapping it around your shoulders.

“Min…” You try to speak, but your face almost breaks.

He sucks in a deep breath at the sight. “Don’t cryyy. It’s okay, come here.” 

Minho dusts away the snowflakes on your hair, tugging you to sit on the couch. He’s careful with his steps, guiding you forward as he walks back. 

“Be careful, the floor’s slippery. I just mopped it.” He brings his palms together, rubbing them and blowing into them before resting them on your cold cheeks when you’re finally seated on the couch. There’s a prominent furrow to his eyebrows, but his eyes are soft. 

“It’s broken.” Your face twitches, staring down at your clenched fingers. 

“What’s broken?” He murmurs, hand wrapping around your wrist to bring your fist closer to him. 

“My bracelet. It’s…” You have to bite back the sob that bursts from your throat, opening your hand to reveal the broken string and a few beads that had fallen off when it had snapped earlier. You’re feeling so much—embarrassment, frustration, everything. 

“Okay, it’s okay.” He draws himself closer to where you’re seated, wrapping the string around your wrist. “I’ll fix it, okay?”

“Okay.”

Your vision is distorted as Minho ties the string around your wrist, head hung inches away from yours as you stare down at his hands. His elbow nudges your chest gently as he works on your broken bracelet, and you can feel a few strands of his hair tickle your cheeks at the proximity. 

“Is that better?” It’s temporarily fixed, string tied in knots just enough so it’s clinging onto your wrist but it’s enough. “See, all fixed now. Nothing to worry about.” 

At his words, you start to break into another silent sob, face scrunching as you bow your head so he can’t see you properly. Your free hand goes to fiddle with your temporarily fixed bracelet, sniffling as you feel a few tears dripping down and sinking into the skin of your arm.

“Hey, look at me.” Minho coos, but it only makes you cry harder when you finally lift your head to meet his gaze. You wipe your eyes with your sleeves, taking in a deep breath as you struggle to keep eye contact. 

“Have you eaten dinner?” 

You shake your head.

“Do you want to eat now? I can cook you something really fast.” He whispers.

You sniffle, blinking back your tears until you can see him enough. “Okay.”

Minho rushes to the kitchen, leaving you with the rabbit stuffed animal you had given him in your senior year of high school. He says it’s to keep you company while he cooks, and that you should take in slow deep breaths with Leebit.

He does return fast, bowl of hot food in hand that he blows into before handing it to you. “Careful, it’s hot.” He blinks at you, voice as soft as you had heard it that time you had cried over his spicy steak and pasta. 

“Good?” You nod, chewing into the food slowly. There are still tears bunched up in your eyes, but they don’t fall anymore. 

“Of course it is.” There’s a teasing edge to his voice as he leans forward to brush your hair out of your face, soothing it down, and it makes you laugh a little like it did before. 

The boy reaches forward, decides to wipe a stray tear away as he sits cross-legged beside you on his couch, eyes staying on you as you continue to quietly eat the food he had made for you. There’s still a lingering feeling in the pit of your stomach, but Minho makes you forget about that.

“Thank you.” Your voice comes out shaky. “I don’t— I don’t know why I was crying.”

“Oh, this poor baby.” There’s an intonation in the way he speaks, setting down your empty bowl on the table as he pulls your head to rest on his shoulder. His heart clenches at the way you instantly succumb, eyes dropping from exhaustion as you nuzzle your head on his shoulder.

“Stop babying me.” You whine. “You always baby me when I cry.”

“You make it so easy, though.” He murmurs.

A warm hand comes up to your chin, stroking it like he would a cat. And you don’t understand in the slightest, but it lifts a pressure off your chest just being here with him. It feels familiar here with him, so comfortable. You’ve always been made to think that crying makes you weak, but it’s never been a problem with Minho. 

You’re thankful for exactly who he is, and for offering a type of relationship you would have only dreamed of when you were a child. He makes you feel easy to love, that you don’t have to try and make yourself digestible so people will love you more. 

You’ll do what makes you happy, and that’s all he’ll ever ask from you. 

ten.

You spend the night before New Years at Minho’s dorm room. 

He’s out buying a few things for dinner, and he comes home to you staring outside the window. Your lips are parted, like you want to ask him something, but no words come out. He lets you be, feet waddling to stand next to you as he tries to see what’s outside that has so much of your interest.

“What’re you looking at?” Minho stirs, piping down to try and see things clearer, but all he sees is snow. 

“Why? Are you so interested in the things that catch my eye?” He looks down at you with a judging eye, lips drawn together into a line. 

“I’m going to stick my fingers in your eye.” 

“I wanna go out and play in the snow.” He knows the question hanging in your statement, knows you want him to come out with you. But he also knows that you know he’s not the biggest fan of winter, and the heavy snow, and how it’s prone to make someone sick. 

“No.” Minho responds, moving away from the window to start arranging his groceries in the kitchen. You drag your feet to follow him, pouting up at him. It’s manipulative, you’re trying to manipulate him with your stupid pout, but it isn’t working. 

“Please! I wanna go outside, and it’ll be boring to play in the snow alone!” 

“I know a really nice place where we can go.” He suddenly grins, the kind that meets his eyes in a haunting manner, but you know him better than that. You know exactly what he’s going to say.

“You’re gonna say this dorm, aren’t you?” You mumble. “Okay, fine. I’ll just go outside alone.”

“Really? Great thinking!” Minho laughs directly in your face, and it only makes your pout grow. Even reserve psychology isn’t working on him. 

“Minhoooooo.” You whine, tugging at the ends of his shirt and smiling bright at him—almost as if a politician begging for his vote. 

He finishes putting away his groceries, head hung back as he lets out a sigh. “You are such an old woman. Fine, let’s go.” 

“That’s the spirit! You know, I think this should be your year of yes.”

“I say yes to everything though.” 

“Yeah, but like begrudgingly.”

“And that’s the best I can do. Now hurry up, you’re taking too long.” He’s already waiting for you by the door, arms crossed as you struggle to put on your coat and your boots. 

When you attempt to run outside, he tugs you back before grabbing an extra pair of gloves for you to wear. You smile at him thankfully before running outside and instantly dropping to start playing with the snow. Minho stands by your side, watching as your eyes stay focused on the falling snow. It’s an endearing sight, the way you crouch down and gather as much snow you can in your gloved hands. 

He’s not too eager for the season as much as everyone is, doesn’t find the appeal in freezing your ass off, doesn’t have the time to scoop away the snow just to get his car out of the driveway. He’s almost everything that you aren’t. Though, he thinks he can make an exception by the way you excitedly show him the snowball in your hands. You look like an example of pure, unadulterated happiness brought by the season, and in the moment, Minho sees why people enjoy the snow so much. 

“Alright, come on, let’s build a snowman.” Your head snaps in his direction, smile so bright that you have to bite down at your lips to hold the giggle that’s trying to escape your mouth. A winter ago, you had complained to him about how Mark never wanted to build a snowman with you. He had taken his side at the time, having hated the snow himself.

“Actually?” Your eyes are wide as you ask him. 

He thinks you look like an idiot as you drag him to where there’s a few piles of snow, but he’ll be mute with amusement as you actually start to build one together. He travels the distance of where you are to his dorm twice just to grab a carrot and buttons for eyes as you scour around to look for a few sticks as arms. It’ll be worth it when you jump back in amazement at the snowman you had built.

To be frank, Minho thinks it looks a bit scuffed. His arm is about to fall off, and his head is way too small in proportion to his body, but he watches with an unconscious grin on his face as you excitedly take photos of the snowman. 

When your face starts to flush red, Minho ushers you back inside his dorm. “Let’s get back inside. It’s time for you to go into the oven.” 

You laugh.

“Thanks for coming out with me.” 

He clears his throat at the sudden sincerity. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” 

You jump back when his hand makes contact with your bare skin. It’s his silent revenge for you dragging him out into the cold he dislikes so much. “Your hand is so cold! Get it away from me!”

“Ah, I must be passing away soon. My temperature keeps dropping.”

“Can you stop saying stuff like that!”

Minho laughs at the way you throw the gloves you had worn at him, a cute string of chuckles with his habitual ‘ah’ right after. He catches it with ease, setting them aside on the table in case you feel another sudden spur to go outside. 

He makes you hot chocolate a few minutes later. Another begrudging yes upon your sudden request. Leebit keeps you company as he cooks up something for dinner. 

eleven.

Winter settles heavily, and you’re handed the hot chocolate you were promised. You eat dinner over quiet conversations, new year's resolutions spilled after small sips of the wine Minho had opened. Though, around an hour before the calendar restarts, his voice falls mute in your ears. You just nod at the right times, smile when he does, and focus on the way the words fall out of his mouth.

This is the most relaxed you’ve ever felt. 

You suppose you should feel guilty for your inability to listen to him, but there is something enchanting about the way Minho laughs. You didn’t know it looked as beautiful as this, starting from his throat before bubbling out in a boyish chuckle. You would’ve never noticed otherwise.

The moment only unmutes itself when he pinches your arm. 

“Ow!” You yelp, drawing your hand back. “What was that for?”

“You weren’t listening to me anymore.” He whines, setting his empty wine glass down.

“I’m sorry, I’ll listen now. I swear”. You laugh, staring down at the space between your thighs before looking up at your best friend. He’s wearing a pout, but you can tell there’s a small smile threatening to pull at his lips. 

“Was just talking about how we should ruin children’s dreams by telling everyone Santa Claus isn’t real.”

It’s such a Minho thing to say, and you can only laugh at the boy fondly as he pushes himself to his feet. You’re about to ask where he’s going when he tells you to wait a second, disappearing into his room with a purpose in his eye. Though, when he comes back, he says nothing as he resumes his place next to you.

“Close your eyes.” He finally says. 

“Why?” 

“Just close them.” 

“The last time you let someone close their eyes, you had violently shoved tissues down their mouth.” You accuse, recalling the time when Hyunjin had fallen victim to your best friend’s antics. A smile ghosts on his face at the memory. He truly is a psychopath. 

“I don’t have any tissues on me, so close your eyes before I shut them myself.”

“Jesus, alright, I’m closing them. How have you gotten away with this behavior for years? You should be locked up somewhere.” You joke, finally shutting your eyes. 

“Give me your hand.”

“Minho, I swear to God, if you put a bug on my ha—”

“Give it to me.” He interrupts you, taking your hand. You feel a weight being pressed down on your hand. It’s light, and it feels a little scattered. 

“Alright, open your eyes.” 

You feel yourself freeze momentarily, staring at the bracelet on your hand. You had expected him to pull some sort of gag, to put a fake plastic bug on your hand, not a bracelet that looked identical to the one you had broken almost a month ago. It leaves you speechless, looking up at him but he instantly breaks eye contact. 

Minho is looking down at his feet, scuffing it around his floor. His lips are parted like he wants to say something, but it looks a little hesitant. Pondering even. And he does intend to say something, but of the thousands of words he has learned from the day he was born up until this moment, he doesn’t think he can find the right words to say to you.

He still tries.

“I know that Christmas is over, but it took me a really long time to find the exact one you had broken.” He settles on something teasing. It’s what he knows best. “I know, I know, I’m the greatest best friend in the world.”

You look down at the bracelet that he quietly wraps around your wrist. You can only blink, frozen in your spot. He’s wordless as he encases it, and it’s only now you see that something’s different about him. There’s a small butterfly charm sitting at the center, beautiful and dainty. Your heart squeezes.

“The butterfly…” You start.

“Is to regain it. No boy has power to take away the things you find beautiful. I hope… in this way, it can be yours again.” He finishes for you.

You’re sure the nudge in your heart is easily seen in your expression. His name falls from your mouth, looking down at the bracelet before back at him. He looks so beautiful. His smile is too pretty, hair too soft. It’s hard not to look at him. It’s even harder when he does things like this, little by little making your heart feel whole again. He introduces you to a warmth you’ve never known. 

“What’s with that face? Don’t get emotional. I’m not saying this to move you.”

His response makes you laugh when he says it because it’s just so him, but even his words contradict with the way he’s holding back his smile.

10…9…8…

There’s silence right after your laughter subdues and you hear nothing but your muted breathing.

“I’m really happy I’m spending New Years with you this year.” 

He makes you feel like flying that it feels like you need to hold onto him to keep you grounded. With bated breath, you lean forward and wrap your arms around him. It’s hard to express how grateful you are for him, so you hope that your thoughts get closer to his heart if you hug him like this. 

Minho jumps back in surprise, hand gingerly resting against your hip for a split second before wrapping his arms fully around your waist and pulling you closer to him. His fingers dig into your skin gently in a warm embrace. 

7…6…5…

Minho’s gesture is still taking root in your heart, everything he’s done for you from the moment you met, and all the things he continues to do. It’s all still processing in your head when something registers in your head. Blood rushes to your ears at the realization. This can’t be right. 

A million thoughts rush through your head. Maybe it began with a few brushes of contact, so fleeting that if you blink, you’ll miss it—a hand on your back, a shoulder brushing against yours, thighs pressed together. Maybe it was in your stomach, the butterflies fluttering around that you had thought you’d imagined. Maybe it was in your heart, in its constant thrumming and the unidentifiable nudge you felt once in a while.

4…3…2…

You look up at your best friend, taking a good look at the small smile on his face. When he catches you staring, his mouth morphs into a smirk, but it doesn’t look as teasing as it usually does. His features are softened. You think it might be in how gentle his eyes look, gaze so soft. 

There’s a look on his face when he looks at you, and you only realize it now—the look he reserves for his cats, and his stupid pudding. There is no better feeling than having the hope of reciprocation.

1…

“Happy New Year, loser.” He mumbles, and the way he’s smiling down at you right now could mute all the fireworks decorating the sky. 

Oh no. 

You’re falling in love again. 

twelve.

Spring arrives overnight, like an unexpected guest. With each budding flower and unfurling petals and the chirps of birds early in the morning, you’re only reminded that things do get better. Spring’s sudden flurry signifies the coming of change in a sweet promise of healing. The barren branches of winter snow now adorn young flowers

You do nothing about your feelings for three months, allowing them to cement themselves deeply into your heart until you’re sure of how you feel. But you’re unsure if you can keep it in anymore, not when the petals of cherry blossoms float around Minho who’s walking next to you, like he always does. 

It feels different, like there has always been a premonition of love sitting on your chest until it was the right moment. Like the young flowers growing from the barren branches of the winter snow, you feel your heart adorn a feeling that is blossoming.

It’s quiet, save from your footsteps and the rustling of petals around you. His eyes glisten with a certain warmth that no one can replicate, and it’s something you’ve grown familiar with. A confession is brewing in your throat, and you try to make it look like your mind isn’t reeling. You fail to consider the way Minho knows you like the back of his hand, watching you closely as your brows furrow purposefully. 

“Something on your mind?”

The prospect of confessing to your best friend is scary, almost uncharted territory. The realization that you’ve fallen in love once again is even scarier. Your first love had left you with a kind of sadness that took some time to recover from, but being with Minho had made you believe in everything again, at a time when you thought your whole world had crashed down on you, at a time when you thought you’d never feel this way again. 

He makes you happy, so screw everything else. Screw that fear. There is nothing else to do, but—

“I think I like you. No, I think I…” You blurt out, stabbing the silence.

The word is sitting on your throat, but it’s much harder to say out loud. Minho’s eyes widen, caught off guard by your words. He feels the need to reassure you, can see the way you’re bruising yourself over being unable to say it.

“Hey, you don’t have to say it right now.” 

“But I do. And I… I need— I need to know how you feel… about me.” Your voice grows significantly quieter. You try to maintain eye contact, but it’s a little difficult when he’s looking at you like that. Doe eyes and soft lips parted. 

He meets your eyes, as if searching for something. He looks so entirely Minho that it has your heart tumbling.

“I love you.”

“I… What?” Your heart fills with hope.

“I love you.” He says so easily, as if they had been words sitting in his mouth for a very long time. You look into his eyes, searching for any sign that would indicate any teasing, but you don’t find anything. You only find a type of genuineness and softness unique to him, when he’s stripping himself vulnerable in his truth. 

“Do you really mean that?” Your breath is shallow, staring at him straight in the eye. You step closer to where he’s standing.

“I do.” Minho’s face visibly relaxes. “Ever since you visited my house for the first time and met Soonie, Doongie, and Dori.”

You remember that day as if it was yesterday. He’d been so excited to finally let you meet his cats, bag slung over his back as he tugged you towards his door. He’d stopped and stared when you crouched down to his cats’ heights, pulling out a few treats you had bought for them when Minho had told you you’d be meeting them. You thought nothing of it, nothing of the way his eyes flicker from you to his pets, lips curved into a small smile and eyes softening significantly. And then you realize that had been years ago. He had been in love with you for years.

“But that was… that was way before. That was…” You stutter over your own words, unable to believe that he had been harboring these emotions for such a long time, far longer than you could fathom.

“And I have loved you every single day after. Even when you wore those god awful bright red parts almost everyday.” He says, taking your hands in his. You snort at the memory. 

“Minho, stop joking around.” 

“Me? Joking around? I would never.” He brings your hands to his lips and presses a sweet kiss to your knuckles. “I’ve loved you, and I’ve loved past those pants, and your snot when you cry, and when you were puking over your toilet after drinking for the first time, and the crumbs you leave on my couch when you eat your chips.”

A soft laugh escapes you, and you jut your lips out in recollection of every single memory. He mirrors your laughter, eyes forming crescents. He’s been so good at hiding how you make him feel, but maybe if you looked close enough, you would’ve seen it. 

“Now you’re just embarrassing me.” 

“Hmm, but I love you.” 

You crack a smile, even though it feels like you’re about to cry from the way your heart is aching from the overwhelmingness of Minho’s softness. It doesn’t take long before the tears start to form, laughter cracking in a stubborn way when a bubble forms in your throat. 

“What are you doing? Are you crying?” He teases, letting go of your hands so he can hold your face in his hands, so he can see you better. There’s no need to answer him when it’s painfully obvious by the way he swipes at the tears on the corner of your eyes. 

“I’m not!” You sniffle, letting your hands rest atop of his that’s still cupping your face. “Stop looking at me. This is so embarrassing.” 

“Even more embarrassing than when you cried over milk when we were doing groceries?” He murmurs, thumb stroking up and down your cheeks and lips brushing over your face that it makes your heart contract.

“Okay, we don’t have to bring that back.” You pout, trying to will the tears away from your eyes. You fail, but it does make Minho laugh. “Why didn’t… If you loved me for so long, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” 

“Because you were hurting. And I’ll always be your best friend before someone who’s been in love with you.” His words take root in your heart, injecting itself as he leans in even closer. Now you feel all soft and putty in his hands. 

“Do you really mean all this?” You’re having a hard time believing that any of this could be true. Your voice falters as you speak, staring into his eyes but all he was fixated on was your lips. 

“Mhm. I love you. Get used to it because I’m never saying this again.” His eyes light up, and it squeezes your heart. Then, his eyes flutter closed and he pulls you gently to his lips, finally closing the distance and allowing himself to fall into you freely, in the open. It’s slow and sweet, and it almost makes you tumble that you have to hold onto his shoulders to keep yourself standing.

He kisses you like he wants you to feel the love he’s kept locked up just for you, and you think you imagine the whimper that falls from his lips against yours. Minho keeps his hands on your cheeks, unable to touch you anywhere else, unable to act out on how in love he is with you. So, he keeps kissing you, and kissing you until he can cement every detail into his head. 

When you break away from the kiss, he doesn’t fight back the giddy smile on his face, he doesn’t mask the softness he’d bared himself in front of you. Minho only rests his forehead against yours, leaning down to press a few kisses to your face. 

You’ve never been this happy, never felt more love than in this moment. Second loves don’t get as much credit for the way they’re able to rebuild a heart you thought would be shattered for a long time. They don’t get enough recognition for the way they teach you that maybe your first love hadn’t been your first love after all. That maybe everything was meant to happen to lead you down a single winding path towards Minho’s heart. Maybe this has always been your predetermined destination.

In a few months, summer will come again, and you’ll be ready to move past the seasons with Minho, the way it was always meant to be. 

note. u have made it to the end !!! let me know what you think :’) i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i did writing it 

[triangularz]

ZORO- FORGIVENESS

sfw- last line nsfw, maybe 700 words, soft zoro, est. relationship, wisely waiting to be forgiven, reader envisioned as blk/f, enjoy and imagine your thing! many of my fics are really "dense fanfictional narrative character studies" or something like that. Working on including more dialogue

Zoro's apologies are total like his sweet, unyielding love, seeping from his bone marrow, from every red blood cell- earnest, absolute, lived. Never burning or suffocating, each moves like convection heat from him to you- always warm, always healing. He has no need to search for you when he's caused distance, or use haki to sense your aura- instead, he draws on what he deeply and so accurately understands about you, and drains every drop from his stores of intuition to see beyond your rough exterior, passed your strained smile- notice your rigid movements or one too many blinks to hold back hot tears you hope he won't witness.

To fix and fuck the feelings away- shit that's all he wants; he hates it, hates it, but these are his consequences, to wait and refrain and respect, to fight his will, to conceal his impatience while pensive and in pain.

He refuses to weigh you down, won't allow you to become the comforter because of his own self-pity, scrambling to assure him you won't leave, that you do love him, that he isn't a horrible man. He'll own and absorb his mistakes, bow and honor you. So he makes no promises to placate you, doesn't bargain with you or swear on his life he won't do it again. To do those things would be to erase or medicate your pain without healing the wounds he's caused, and the promise would be a lie; perfection doesn't exist. He might- he will speak too harshly, ignore your needs, act selfishly... apologize again. But the coin's other side pisses you off and is hard for him: He won't take your upper-handed shit while he waits, allow you to be manipulative or lash out in ways he knows you'll regret; he gently pushes back. Later, you can't thank him enough for it- having calmly stood his ground with such love.

When you forgive him, he recognizes that hurt or anger or sadness may not dissipate right away, and he'll gladly wait longer, quietly processing how best... to be better. He stands on the edge of your universe, making his way towards your galaxy, then your solar system, then your planet and eventually back to you when you signal readiness for it. It feels like an age to him, but it's never long before you extend your hand and walk him home to your heart.

This perspective, this agony- he's stumbled to learn it in ways grievous to you both, after raging, fists through the side of the crow's nest, blame and defense, bewilderment. Shit you've also inflicted heinous wounds- but what happens in it (he, with a smidge of advice from Sanji and Nami) really is as beautiful as it is messy, your roots together growing deeper and stronger, better handling drought.

▪️

This morning, he scribbles a note on torn cartography paper before joining Jinbe at the helm: I know you'll have a good day. Don't let me spoil it. I'll miss you. Challenging for him to write, but a small thing you can choose to throw away, maybe smile about. Instead you cry, experiencing every little word and recalling a moment yesterday- his sorrowful eyes, his restraint and clenched fists when full of anger you left to wander the ship:

"Heading out."

"Okay. Whatever you need." Not me. I know.

*

The bed dips now with his weight; he'd first hovered near the bedroom while you showered and changed, giving you space before you sleep.

"This ok?" His hand rests tentatively on your hip.

"Yeah." You struggle with ambivalence- an urge to punish him and your own desperate need to reconcile.

"Thanks... I'm so sorry. I mean it," he whispers. Gratefulness to touch you again and a precious few words he always means; they melt away the last of your angst. You gently grab his hand and nestle it on your chest, interlacing his fingers with yours, and he cautiously plants a kiss on your shoulder- you aren't delicate, but he recognizes the kiss should be. It's automatic after a few minutes, to cuddle closer to you when he thinks you're asleep. His soul relaxes, but he doesn't, every muscle flexing to keep you close, aroused and fine with it, expecting nothing. You're wide awake, and just as he's found contentment, your back melts into his chest and your ass presses against his cock, heart pounding. You're repaired. He fucks you through tears, both relieved, and roots stretching longer into nutrient-rich earth.

▪️

[kykyonthemoon]

hiiiiii i love the stories you make. Can you please make rafayel x ballerina reader where reader gets taken care of by rafayel after accidently twisting her ankle during practice?? tyyy 💗💗💗💗💗

Dear Anon-san,

Thank you so much for your request. I also apologize that it took a while to finally get to you. Hope you enjoy this piece, and I'm looking forward to your continued support <3

His Little Ballerina

── .✦ Rafayel x Female Reader|MC

── .✦ Tags: soft, sweet, physical hurt/comfort, fluff, healing, reader is a ballerina

── .✦ Word count: over 1k

── .✦ Ky Ky's note: This is also my first fic after being accepted into oracleofstars network. Yay!!!

── .✦ Masterlist ♡ Request a fic

When he came to pick you up at the hospital, Rafayel's face was already so pale.

Long story short, he had just received a text from you stating that you were at a hospital near your place and needed a ride home. You had accidently fallen while executing a simple pirouette, causing your ankle to twist. Rafayel crossed his arms as he watched you sit there with a swollen ankle, his countenance confusing..

"You can yell at me after you drop me off, okay?" You said. But he did not seem any content. You knew he was genuinely concerned about you, especially after he told you over and over that you were unable to practice ballet right away since you were still a bit unwell.

He had met you for the first time after your play. While everyone was praising your charm, Rafayel was the only one who pointed out the problem with your ankle.

For a Lemurian, witnessing your struggle while dancing reminded him of the agony a merman must go through when he abandons his tail to learn to walk on land. 

Therefore, you totally understood his response when he saw you were constantly getting injured on the practice floor. You did not defy Rafayel, but you felt awful for causing him so much tension.

“You only listen to me when you're in trouble, right?”

Even though he grumbled, Rafayel helped you up, holding your bag and pointe shoes on one shoulder. When he saw your few struggling steps, he winced. Then, he leant down and picked you up. 

"Eh? Rafael?! Put me down.”

Your face turned red. However, Rafayel continued to carry you in his arms and walk away. He said:

"You heard what the doctor said; from now on, you must rest and let me care for you. That means I shall become your legs.”

“But… Is it necessary to carry me like this? You can just give me a piggyback ride…”

Rafayel shook his head: “I won't do so. Carrying you like that would make me seem no less like a turtle!”

You sighed and gave up. You allowed Rafayel to take you to the hospital gate in front of a large crowd. You felt so embarrassed while he kept that serious expression on his face.

You expected him to stop carrying you after you left the hospital, but Rafayel walked instead of calling a taxi. You rolled your eyes and asked:

“Are you going to carry me all the way home?”

Rafayel took a short peek at you before returning his attention to the road ahead. “Your place is nearby. We can walk home.”

You shifted your body somewhat uncomfortably. Rafayel's arms closed around you even more. You nestled myself into his neck and whispered: "People are looking..."

At that moment, a child who had just left the candy store noticed you and Rafayel. She asked:

“Miss! Are you a princess?”

Rafayel's footsteps slowed down a bit so the child could keep up. That was when you discovered you were still wearing your tutu with a flared skirt. People from the studio took you to the hospital; however, because they were busy and knew Rafayel was on his way, they departed right away. 

"So, you must really be a princess to be carried like that, right?" The small girl inquired innocently again. 

Rafayel came to a complete halt. He grinned at her and said:

"Correct, kiddo. She is a princess.”

You used a hand to hit him on the shoulder and said to the child:

"No, no. It's not true. I'm not a princess..."

But it seemed that the child ignored those words. She noticed your twisted ankle and asked:

“Is Her Highness injured?” 

"Yup." Rafayel responded on your behalf. “She just fought a terrible monster, and it injured her ankle.”

The child's eyes were glowing, as if she really believed Rafayel's narrative. She spoke again:

"What a pity! So you came to rescue the princess? Are you her prince?”

Your cheeks felt heated. Perhaps it was because the sun beamed in this way. You were ready to urge Rafayel to stop teasing the child, but perhaps he, too, was caught up in this fabricated setting. 

“A prince? I am not a prince.”

“So who are you?”

Rafayel smirked, he said while looking at you, as if those words were just for your:

“I am the God of the Sea. I am her God of the Sea."

“Whoaaaaaa!” The child cheered, and you held your breath as you caught Rafayel smile at you. The sunshine appeared to cast an aura over him. You could only adore him silently, fearing that a single breath might cause him to vanish. 

At that moment, the girl's mother summoned her back. She placed a little bag of sweets on your lap, atop your flowery skirt, and declared:

"For you, Your Highness. Perhaps you need them more than I do. I pray Your Highness gets better soon!"

After saying that, she ran away. You just had time to say thank you, almost like a shout behind her.

Rafayel grinned all the way home, and you felt happy with simply a bag of sugary treats. You poked his cheek.

"See how delighted you are. She handed me candies; you won't be getting any of them!"

“So unfair!” Rafayel yelled as he kept strolling down the pavement while holding you in his arms. “I'm having a hard time carrying you home. How come you're so blind to see it?”

“Then why did you walk home instead of taking a taxi?” You softly pinched his face and noted the way he pouted.

“I'm exhausted, and dehydrated. Yet you're far from being gentle with me after all!”

You giggled and replied, “You just told that kid I am a princess. So you must serve me in the next few days, right?”

Rafayel did not respond. You figured he was reluctant to confess you had him in the palm of your hand, even if this was not something new for either of you.

“If you stay silent, it means you agree.” You said cheerfully. “Come on, my God of the Sea! I want to go home and have seafood for dinner!” 

Rafayel exhaled. “I give you an inch, you will take the whole yard.” However, he still smiled pleasantly. The afternoon sun imprinted both of you on the road, while your shadow just kissed his, on the cheek.

Mood board from my photo in game & Pinterest.

[neciebee]

Happy @acotargiftexchange !!!

@born-to-riot , my grubby, greedy gremlin, I hope you've enjoyed this experience! I see you panting and pawing at Santa baby, and she just won't give you no treats. Well here's a treat for you! I had fun working as many references, jokes, and your interests into a cohesive fic. Try to enjoy the story first, then go back and find the bits of you! (Ngl, it's pretty on the nose.)

Not Sorry

Azriel x Eris

4k words

Link to AO3

Summary: Azriel finds himself in an unfortunate position and reflects on the choices that lead him there. No regrets. Eris is barely holding it together, and does not appreciate the surprise his father has for him.

Azriel

Roiling shadows. Pressure throbbed at the base of his skull. The drip drip drip of water on stone greeted him as his consciousness pieced itself back together. There was an ache across his shoulders. Raw pain rubbed at his scarred wrists. He took the score of each part of his body. Yep, Azriel was not in the most comfortable situation.

Pulling on his shadows, he explored his surroundings.

deep deep deep down dark cold cold

Back in a dungeon. It seemed he'd never escape. He directed his familiars to the shackles around his wrists that anchored him to the cold, stone wall. He was hung up like a tapestry, threads of red and white weaving a compelling tale of blades on skin. Highlights of black and blue were painted with blunter instruments. He hoped his tattoos would heal aligned. The ash bolt scar above his heart slashed through his rune for Night.

can't can't can't blue poison blue pain

Everywhere his life had taken him, he'd always ended up buried deep in some place of hurt and isolation. For a winged fae, it was naturally abhorrent to be enclosed as he had been, but there was nothing natural about the shadowsinger. Since his earliest memories, he'd been forced to deny his instincts. He couldn't taste the wind, though he heard its song. He couldn't fight, though his bones felt the call.

Oh, he'd been given hope - barest temptations of it. An hour with mati. A glimpse of clear skies. An offer from his padron’s sons. Tantalising dust motes of hope so that he never slipped into catatonia in his first eleven years.

it got better better better better we found you made it better

Yes, it got better. Entering Windhaven was like being reborn. And he was just about as capable as a newborn. The shadows had brought him snippets of life from Above. They'd sung him his mati's songs. They told him about clouds and mountains and trees. But it wasn't until Aunty's brusque nurturing that Azriel had learnt how to Be. She'd given him so much hope, then eventually Cassian, and finally Rhys. Over the years and the centuries, he's collected more and more of it, storing it away, for the hope that someday he'll be free. He might even be happy.

But here he is again, in a dungeon.

Whether he's the tortured, or the torturer, these dark moments sap from that jar. They tap on the glass, venturing to crack through the vessel and Azriel would fear losing those fluttering wings that he had collected. In recent years, he'd become greedy, chasing more and more. He was not sorry. He couldn't regret feeding that jar, for hope was all he had. It was in pursuit of another modicum of hope that had landed him where he was now.

He had always been able to skirt the wards of the Forest House. Since the Battle of Hyburn,however, the wards had become thick and sticky as molasses. They were strong, yes, and tightly woven, but his shadows had inspected the barriers, and decided that they need not be of the same plane. It was disconcerting, the first time they took him through the Other. They could always travel in his plane, and through safer dimensions, just fine. This plane was different. This was somewhere unfamiliar. But the shadows discerned his burning need to cross these wards, and brought him through a plane unknown as their gift to him.

come with come through we show you we take you

Now it was as easy as holding his breath as he sank through his shadows. He still didn't like it. He'd rather stay on the planes that didn't give him an ominous feeling in his gut, but he needed to pass through these wards, so he passed through the wards.

Years of trial and error, searching through his shadows, honing his intuition, and a decent amount of espionage had given him almost perfect precision as stepped back into Prythian. He could pinpoint exactly where he wanted to re-enter the House. If it was after noon, he might venture to the study. At sundown he'd go to the library, or the sitting room. At midnight, the shadows took him directly to the foot of the bed, and there would be another butterfly that he could catch for his jar.

"Hello, shadowsinger."

Eris Vanserra. His Impossible, but oh, how it felt to hope.

At first, it was just to watch him. To see how Autumn ticked. His shadows had felt out the branches of power in Prythian's most hostile court. There were advisors, yes, lieutenants, commanders, academics too. As the shadows flowed along the webs of influence they always landed solidly on twin trunks rooted into the heart of Autumn. The trunk that was Beron Vanserra had begun to rot after his return from Under the Mountain. Those years had not been kind to him, not kind to anyone. There was a corruption that festered in him, drawing him away from rule and towards chaos. But growing from the detritus were vines that bolstered the other trunk, thickening, strengthening, until the Night Court spymaster knew that his focus should be on the Heir.

So he watched.

Night's intelligence on Autumn was second only to Autumn's itself. He knew the structure of the military, the roster of the guards, and who had a spat with whom. He could reasonably predict what the kitchens would be preparing, which servants worked what day, and how much excess was pilfered for the poor. He'd learnt which families were currying favours, which Houses were on the outs, and which nobles needed to be very very careful with the royal family.

He drank in anything he could know about Autumn, and he watched.

There were some things that he did not think were pertinent to include in his reports to Rhysand.

From the shadows, he noted the charming crease between the auburn brows as he read and wrote a flurry of letters. In the dark, he studied the elegant bend of pale, slender fingers as they cradled a glass of something smooth, something peaty. As the General drilled with his army and conferred with his Commanders, Azriel measured his lithe, lean, shirtless frame against the builds of his own race. It was nice.

Always hidden, he watched.

Hidden, until the night a second glass of fire whiskey was placed delicately on the bookshelf where Azriel was shrouded. Eris looked him directly in the eyes, then prowled towards one of two mismatched armchairs by the fireplace. The singer dispersed his shadows and took the glass, as well as the other chair. The low, narrow back allowed his wings a comfortable repose, though the velvet upholstery was far more decadent than anything he'd seen in the Night Court. This chair was custom made.

That first night, they spoke not a word. They watched the fire. They watched each other. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, in fact, Azriel had the feeling he was always meant to be there. They sipped at autumn's finest, and when the glasses were empty, the shadows carried him home.

Few words were said the next time he came to Autumn, but that didn't mean their mouths were unoccupied. The Heir was out late, flitting from one brother to the next. Always, the shadows followed, followed. Exhausted, he finally retired to his chambers. He grabbed fists full of his bright, luscious hair, heaved a sigh, then smoothed it back to perfection, as if he'd never lost his composure. Reaching directly into the shadows, cloaked under the orrery, he pulled the shadowsinger by the leathers, willing him corporeal.

"I've had a long day."

"I know."

The first touch of their lips was tentative, but that soon gave way to long, languid laps into each other. That second night, they did not touch the fire whiskey, but Azriel sipped from the lips of Autumn's Finest. The plush chaise was also low-backed.

The spymaster couldn't shadow Autumn as often as he'd like, but he appreciated each and every time, when he'd collect another morsel for his jar. It was slowly filling, but he kept the lid on tight. He'd peek into it, after his High Lord had put him to work under Hewn City, and find there was always something left. He cradled it as he watched his brothers' happy bonds, knowing that that happiness wouldn't be bestowed upon him. Though he was a monster, he could still have a flutter.

And so he collected. There was no hiding from Eris Vanserra, but the shadows continued to pull him through planes and mask his presence. Some days, he was content to watch. The Heir would continue with his work, but casually wove his fingers through an errant shade. Some nights, the only touch was a caress of long fingers through his umbra as the prince went straight from his duties to his bed.

One night - one beautiful night - the Heir had dozed off on Azriel's chest as they rested on the chaise. With a small, secret smile to himself, the shadowsinger set down his reports and carried the fae to his bed. As he turned to leave, Eris caught his wrist, and with a small voice, asked him to stay. So he stayed. He'd aimed to kiss his eyelids to sleep, but Eris's searching mouth found his. As their kisses heated, they knew they would not be sleeping for a while. A whisper of magic, and Eris was pressing a vial into Azriel's hand. It had been years, possibly a decade, since Azriel had been inside another male, but he'd never, ever remembered it feeling like this. Their hands and their mouths were hungry. Their eyes could not stop drinking in each other's gazes. No amount of contact was enough.

Eris had burst into flames when he came. And apologised. Sorry, sorry, sorry, he'd said. Your hands...

The flames didn't burn him. Somehow he'd known his Fireling couldn't hurt him. They did, however, send hot brushes of pleasure across his wings. He spread them wide and fanned them languidly through the flames. He was hard again inside the other male's tight heat. All he could think to reply was, I'm not. Eris smouldered like an ember as Azriel showed him how not sorry he was.

They spent many more nights in that bed. Sometimes they were writhing in the sheets until the dark horizon faded to pink. Sometimes the shadowsinger just held the bone-dead tired Autumn Lord as he recuperated for another day of courtly intrigue. The jar in his heart had become much, much bigger. It pressed against his ribs, and he could feel the flutters even when they were apart. As often as he could, though, he would fall through the Other to be with his Fireling. The shadows promised they were never too tired to see Autumn.

honest honest honest honest honest

One particularly harrowing instance, in the wee hours of the morning, the shadows found Eris bed-bound, swathed in blankets, cold as ice. His teeth chattered and he was shaking so violently, he couldn't speak. Azriel stripped down to his shorts and buried himself into the nest of covers. As soon as he touched the Fireling's skin, he sensed the residue of faebane. His shadows longed to soothe him, but shied away from the poison. Azriel had no such hesitance. He gathered the shivering form to his chest, pressing skin onto skin, and rubbed his hands along the chilled body until the tremors subsided. Although he detested what this fae's father had done to him, he was thankful that the shadows had brought him here to offer comfort and respite to the long-suffering male. He put that feeling in the jar instead.

For three days he stayed in the dark haunts of the Forest House, dismissing the talons in his mind with some pique. He'd had to answer for that, but it was worth Rhysand's anger to ensure that Eris recovered without further harm. For three more nights he warmed their bodies with his own, as the Fireling's magic slowly returned. The shadows were keen to touch his skin again, and as the last of the faebane dissipated, they cloaked him from head to toe. When the lord awoke and saw he was dark as midnight, he let out a laugh of undiluted mirth. It was the best sound Azriel had ever heard. They lay in bed all morning, talking softly and playing with the shadows. He returned to Velaris feeling lighter than ever, bolstered by the wings in his chest. He didn't even resent the dressing down his High Lord had given him, knowing that he'd made the choice for himself.

Rhys had put him straight back to work. The shadows slipped him through planes and Prythian, making up for lost time in pursuit of his Court's safety and security. On a mission to the Continent, his shadows betrayed him.

~

Eris

"We've apprehended a trespasser."

The Heir of Autumn had been summoned to the throne room by his father and High Lord. This in itself was not an uncommon occurrence, but the subject of this audience was new. Trespassers had not been heard of since Beron had bargained for Continental magic to bolster his power. The wards were crafted by a great sorcerer across the sea, and Beron's smugness as he cast them over the Forest House could turn a good fae to violence.

What Beron didn't know was that Eris had his own ally with inimitable powers. A confidant. A companion. A friend. A comfort without whom Eris might not have survived these past few years. His father had become more vicious and unpredictable as his borrowed magic infected his mind. It took all his cunning and persuasion to keep his mother safe, his Court running, his brothers out of The Pool. There were times when he considered giving up. It was hard, so hard, and one wrong move could spell disaster. He couldn't stand it if it was his fault. The burden on his shoulders was heavy, and his strength was not limitless. Every day he feared for his life. He feared exposure. He feared his failure. But when his thoughts darkened, so did the corners of the room. His watcher was with him. He was not alone. For his watcher, he would endure.

Beron didn't know. Beron couldn't know.

Could he?

They’d been so careful.

"I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of this, father. Your powers are unmatched."

Beron regarded him thoughtfully. "Yes, indeed." He rose laboriously from the throne and descended the dias. With a high, cold voice that belied his autumnal heat, he snapped, "Come, Eris."

The Heir's trepidation grew as he predicted their destination. What was the protocol? He couldn't slip up. He guarded too many secrets. Too many people relied on him to rein in his father. They descended under the holding cells, to the dungeon, too close to The Pool.

"It was a gift, actually. From our friend. You see, the trespasser was captured somewhere only our friend should be able to enter. And what do you suppose he found when he examined this interloper? Stains, Eris. Stains all over my Court. There is an intersection between his House and mine, to protect us. To protect Autumn. I made a great sacrifice in order to save us from the machinations of the young new Lords, and this vermin!" he spat the word. "This vermin has simply stepped around my wards. Into my House. Into my sanctum. Into my firstborn's bed!" His voice lowered to a venomous hiss. "Its contamination is all over you."

Eris watched his watcher wake.

~

Azriel

Continental magic felt foreign to Azriel senses, but he had always been the one fated to endure the most unpleasant situations. His skin itched beneath his leathers, and the shadows jittered, nervous in this alien environment. He swept soundlessly around the dark banks of the lake, testing the wards, tasting the air. He remained veiled in his shades, but it took an inordinate amount of coaxing to keep them in place. They clung like faelings to his ankles, hiding within him rather than hiding him.

The wards felt familiar. Sticky, fetid, thick, just like the ones around the Forest House. He really should wait for backup before he went anywhere too unknown. This mission was just reconnaissance. However, he felt that there were bigger answers, just a little further. As long as he stuck to the shadows, he'd make it.

Just a little further.

He pushed his shadows into the Other, as he'd done a hundred times before. They were abnormally discordant, some pushing with him, and others sinking under his skin, hiding beneath his wings. He sang softly, gently, persuading them to take just one more step. Some of the vacillating shades crept forward, but surprisingly few. Sweetening his song, he promised another visit with their fireheart, if they'd only complete this mission. Finally, eventually, he stepped into the Other.

He knew immediately that this was a bad idea. Instead of taking him back to the Continent, the shadows flew into a frenzy within the foreign plane. Some tried to pull him through, some pushed him forward. More sank into him, hiding, fearful.

we left we left we left don't want to go back singer hold us

One of the shadows, strong, sharp, and dark, yanked hard on Azriel. Smaller wisps, the hangers-on, echoed its chant.

daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy

They swirled around him and then Azriel was standing on an island.

Azriel was standing on an island in the middle of the lake.

There was a box.

Onyx.

The rogue shadows dove at it, rattling and needy. He commanded their return, but they tipped the box over.

An explosion of darkness engulfed the island.

who are you who are you how did you get here

There was a crack in the æther and a figure descended, impossibly tall and cloaked in roiling waves of black. He was shadow, the shadow of an apocalyptic sky, of the end of days. He was the Shadow of Death.

"So the prodigal son returns," croons Koschei. "Why are you still incomplete?"

~

Eris

Dread rooted Eris's feet to the floor. He was paralyzed, mute, frozen.

"It seems you are in need of another cleansing," snarled his father. "Soiling yourself with a filthy brute? Get in the water."

The drip drip drip of water from the blue stone stalactites into The Pool hammered into the Heir's eardrums, taunting, threatening. What would Beron do to his watcher if Eris doused his flame again? He'd only just recovered from the last time Beron stripped him of all magic and stole his fire. Memories of the strong, warm embrace cracked his heart. It would remain a memory of the past if Beron were to kill his... his... what? Companion? Lover? His Azriel. He would not get in the water.

His face stung as a bejewelled fist connected with his temple. Warm blood pooled in the gash and streaked down his cheek.

"Get in the water."

He stood firm and weathered a second blow. "No." And a third.

"You sully yourself with this filthy sodomite?" The High Lord drew an ornate dagger from his thigh and pressed the point into the throat of the shadowsinger. "Get in the water."

"Don't!"

"You were born to wield power over these lesser animals. You were born to strengthen the Autumn Court. I did not bring you into this world to be fucked by these lowborn beasts. You were born better." The tip of the dagger sunk into the hollow of Azriel's neck and drew a deep, red line down to his navel. It intersected several existing crimson scores, but Azriel's face remained set in stone. The fae who crossed paths had paths crossed on him. Beautiful. Terrifying. "Get in the water!"

Darkness spilled from the shadowsinger, spreading, reaching, yearning. A shadow caught around their fireheart's calf and twined up his leg. Two shadows. Five. Ten.

"You are a tyrant and you are the beast, father," Eris intoned with deadly calm. Flames burst from his hand and ignited his entire being. Twenty, fifty, a hundred shadows blended with the fire and flared, looming over his shoulders. "And I was born to riot!"

He shot a bolt of dark flame at his father, who shielded and roared in anger. "Taint! That magic is cursed! You dare attack your own father with black magic?" He pushed a wall of fire at his heir. "Purify yourself! GET IN THE WATER!" He spun back towards his captive and sunk the blade into his stomach.

Two hundred, four hundred, six hundred strong - the shadows cocooned their fireheart and hissed at the father. Not even the power of the High Lord of Autumn would pierce their shield.

The Heir whipped ropes of fire at his sire. Not yet ascended, his flames could not compete with that of the High Lord's, but Eris was the General of Autumn's armies. He had strength in more ways than one. With the grace of one who was practiced in the art of warfare, he drew his sword and called upon his little friends. The shadows landed him directly behind his father. Beron twisted and barely shielded as the sword came down. His feet were not where he thought they were. He over-balanced. Fell. Angry shadows swarmed over his arms, his legs, sniping with furore at the monster who carved up their singer and drowned their fire.

Eris pressed his boot onto his father's chest, sword tip pointed at his neck. Beron had not even freed his sword from his scabbard.

"You can't kill me, Eris. I am your father. I made you. I am your High Lord."

"You may have made me, father, but I made me better. He made me better. Your time is up. Your reign is over."

"Patricide, my boy, will steal your soul. How will you sleep at night?"

Eris appraised his father's face. This fae, this beast, held no regard for his soul. He hummed in contentment, satisfied with his decision. "Next to my mate," he declared, and pushed his sword through Beron's neck.

~

Azriel

Flames tore around the cavern, interspersed with flickers of shadows. The maelstrom was burning, roaring, screaming, but Azriel knew they couldn't harm him. The Pool boiled and steamed, vaporised within seconds. Blue stone turned to white ash, and his shackles melted to nothing. He collapsed against the wall, and watched in awe as the Power of Autumn entered his mate.

His mate. Of course he was.

The whirling heat abruptly collapsed into a single point, and at its centre, Eris opened his eyes of flame. A pulse of power rocked the foundations of the Forest House, rumbling through the Autumn Court, shaking the Land of Prythian. He turned to look at Azriel, and his Illyrian beheld the magic within his gaze. The fire, the shadow, the golden glow. Kneeling by his Azriel, the High Lord gently pulled the dagger free, pouring healing magic into the wound. Happy little shadows flowed back into their singer, relieved that he was free of the blue poison pain.

"I'm so sorry, Azriel," he whispered. "What he's done to you..."

He kissed the raw, bleeding wrists, sealing the wounds over with fresh, new skin. Azriel caught his mate's hands in his own. Their golden tether sung between them, nascent and precious, but growing, growing strong.

"It was worth it. It was all worth it. You were amazing." He huffed a laugh. "I'm not sorry for loving you."

~

On the Continent

The pulse of magic was felt far and wide. A flock of pure white swans took flight from their lake, but did not go far. They could not go far. The mournful wails of the ensorcelled firebird changed their tune.

Koschei looked to the west, where he sensed a House of Flames and Shadows sprout out of the Forest. His child, his son, finally, finally has come into his power. He will return. Soon, soon. And then Koschei can leave this fucking lake.

@acourtofladydeath @secret-third-thing @iftheshoef1tz @chunkypossum @mistandmemories @the-darkestminds @jules-writes-stories @astro-h0e-4azris @aurorasleeps-27 @packdontendwithblood @brunetterebel010 @buffy-vanserra @climbthemountain2020 @queercontrarian @g00seg1rl @greenvelvetcouture @fieldofdaisiies @a-novel-idealist @ysmtttty @jolenes-library @areyoudreaminof @molcat07 @mudandmire @hnyclover @catboyjamesbond @pippsmcgee @talibunny30 @fourteentrout @yanny-77

[circus4apsycho8]

knife to meet you. | cole x reader | chapter ii

A/N: Hello??? An update for a series that took me less than six months to write???? Let's go!

So, we've got girl bonding this chapter as well as our first impromptu job with the ninja :) Also I think this story is going to be longer than 3 parts.

Anyways, please enjoy!

Masterlist for this Fic

Word Count: 8.6k

“Alright,” Cole says, offering his hand out to you. “May I?” 

You send him a questioning glance, but place your hand in his anyway. His palms are warm, knuckles sprinkled with callouses. Similar to but fainter than the dragons, you feel a weak energy thrumming underneath his skin.

He secures a grip around your hand, turning you towards the saddle. With his free hand, he jerks on a thick loop of leather hanging off of the side. “You can step on this little loop right here. Once you’re up, use the grips on the front to haul yourself up. Don’t worry about falling; I’ll be here to spot you. Use my shoulder if you need to.”

“Alright...” you mumble, glancing towards the loop he mentioned. Your free hand moves to latch onto one of the spare grips on the side, your grip on his hand tightening as you pull yourself onto the side of the dragon. Once you’re steady, you release his hand and locate the grips he’d mentioned. You hoist yourself over, muscles straining as you pull yourself up. Finally, you’re high enough to swing a leg around to mount the dragon.

“Woah,” you mumble, gasping when Rocky stirs underneath you. “Okay, I’m good...I think.” 

“I know, it’s a weird adjustment,” Cole sympathizes, skillfully mounting the dragon in one clean step. For a moment, you find your cheeks warming as he settles in front of you, closer than you’d expected.

He reaches for the reins in front of him, causing Rocky to stand at attention. Your hands immediately fall to the scales of the dragon, searching for somewhere to hold onto. 

“Okay. You’ll have to hold on to me. If the wind gets to be too much, then you’re welcome to use my back as a shield.” 

“Oh...alright,” you mumble, arms hesitating as you wonder how you should hold him. After a moment of debating, you awkwardly circle your arms around the middle of his torso, doing your best to avoid his healing wound. “Is this okay?” 

“Yeah, you’re fine,” he confirms, glancing over at the others. Everyone else seems to be ready to go; the ninjas all have their hoods flipped up. The dragons growl in anticipation, with Wisp being the most antsy. Upon checking the others, Cole raises his voice so the others can hear: “Alright, guys, let’s go!”

“Last one there is the worst ninja!” Jay yells just before Wisp darts into action, his wings flapping chilly gusts of wind in your direction. A shiver wracks your spine as your grip around Cole’s waist tightens.

Cole’s shoulders shake with a chuckle as the other two follow Jay, dragons roaring once they’re airborne.

“We’re going to take it slow,” Cole says. “Alright, Rocky. To the monastery.”

 Rocky’s wings start to flap, and true to Cole’s word, he starts elevating slowly. Suddenly feeling off-balance, you lean further into Cole without thinking about it. 

“Whoa!” you say, heart racing as the dragons ascend. The shop grows smaller with every beat of Rocky’s wings, and the crowd around the store stares up at the beasts with the same awe you had earlier. 

“You okay?” Cole calls back as the dragon starts cruising forward, gradually building up speed. You notice that the others are drifting far ahead, hollering at each other.  

“Yeah, just nervous. And a little unsteady,” you admit, looping your fingers together. You scoot up a little farther, finally feeling a little steadier even though you’re basically pressed against Cole. He doesn’t seem to mind, much to your relief. 

“We’ll take it slow until you feel more comfortable with it.” 

You peer over the edge of the dragon, stomach lurching at the height you’re at. The sight makes your grip on the ninja tighten. You elect not to look down anymore, instead peeking over Cole’s shoulder.

The skyline of Ninjago City is splayed before you, your heart stuttering at the view. The windows of the taller buildings seem to sparkle in the morning light, while your mind envisions what it might be like to live there someday. What would it be like waking up to such a view every morning?

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” comes Cole’s voice, eyes staring in the same direction. “I hope we can start taking missions there too one day.” 

Despite the longing to visit the city, Cole passes it and continues straight ahead. You feel a little bit steadier now, loosening your grip on Cole as you stare ahead. 

“Where do you take missions, then?” you wonder. 

“Well, we just got out of training, so we haven’t had much time to complete anything yet. We went on a quest to find the Golden Weapons, which took us all across Ninjago. We’ve had a few run-ins with Lord Garmadon’s skeleton army, but we haven’t seen much of them since we left the Underworld.” 

“Wait, wait, wait!” You shake your head, unable to believe what you’d just heard. “You went to the Underworld?!” 

Cole nods. “Yep. Turns out, dragons can ferry between realms. We had to go in order to find Sensei Wu; he vanished after helping Kai and Nya escape Garmadon.” 

You pause in order to process what you’ve been told. The Underworld. What did you get yourself into? 

The black ninja chuckles. “Yeah, I know. It’s unbelievable. But we made it through, somehow. And now we’ve just been taking jobs for petty criminals in the meantime.” 

“I see,” you say, spotting a group of mountains in the distance. Atop the tallest one is... 

“There’s the monastery,” Cole confirms. “We’re going to land at the back so we can let the dragons rest. Just wait for me to dismount first so I can help you down.” 

“Got it,” you acknowledge, spying a set of stairs cascading down from the door. Are they supposed to climb that many steps every time?! “Why’s it on the tallest mountain? Do you guys always climb all those stairs?” 

“We usually travel with our dragons, but sometimes, yeah. It’s a great rock-climbing mountain, though.” 

Great! First, ninjas throwing themselves in the face of danger for fun, and now a ninja who also enjoys rock climbing. You certainly have your work cut out for you. “Of course you rock climb. As if one dangerous hobby isn’t enough. Tell me that you at least use...I don’t know, a harness or something, right?” 

"Why would I do that?” 

“Because there’s not much I can do for you if you fall and your body splatters across the earth like a water balloon!” you retort.

“Stars, that’s graphic. But you make a convincing point. I’ll look into it.”

The conversation comes to a stop as he approaches the monastery, guiding Rocky towards a gated cavern embedded within the mountain. The ninja steer their dragons into the cave, jumping off one by one. 

Cole follows suit, allowing Rocky to land on the edge and carry you both into the shade underneath the cave. The sudden absence of sunlight beckons goosebumps from your skin. Rocky hobbles in next to the other dragons, letting Cole reattach the reins to the front of the saddle.

You withdraw your hands from his torso, watching as he swivels his right leg over, jumping off skillfully and leaving you shivering without his body heat. With his back turned to you, he stretches his arms out.

It’s all you can do to glance away, cheeks warming at the sight of his muscles. That sleeveless gi suits him a little too well. 

“Ugh...I’m gonna be sore tomorrow,” he mumbles, spinning back around. “Okay, ready?” 

“I guess...” You swing your right leg back over the dragon, noting how Rocky crouches to help close the height gap. Still, it’s a decent height to jump down from. 

“I got you,” Cole assures, holding his arm out. “Just brace yourself and go for it!” 

“Okay...” you take a deep breath before sliding off. Your legs suddenly feel numb, causing you to stumble when you hit the ground.

Cole manages to catch you before you go tumbling to the ground, thankfully. “Woah! You okay?” 

“Yeah, sorry...I came down faster than I thought,” you admit with a nervous chuckle. You brace yourself on his arms, the blush on your cheeks eroding the wind-stained numbness on your skin as you hold onto him to balance yourself. “Also, my legs are shaking.” 

He laughs, letting you hang onto him while you steady yourself. “I know how you feel. I used to be scared of dragons, and my first ride was, well...rough, to say the least. The adrenaline you get from your first ride takes everything out of you.”

“You were scared of dragons?” you wonder, willing your knees not to wobble and give out. Your heart continues to race, skin still stinging from the wind.

“Yeah, before we met these guys, I couldn’t stand them. I also just don’t like being in the air – unless I’m rock climbing. But clearly, I had a change of heart,” he mumbles, smiling softly at Rocky before shifting his attention to the items strapped to the dragon. “Alright, we’ll go ahead and get this unloaded for you.”

You watch as he and Kai start unbuckling the cords, frowning as they begin unloaded. You don’t think his cut will reopen, but you’d rather him hold off on heavy lifting for a few days. “Hey, don’t strain yourself with the lifting. I’m going to be pissed if I have to waste a dose of Mystake’s special solution on closing your wound again.”

Your comment makes the two laugh, their voices bouncing off of the cavern walls. Cole snickers, shaking his head as he turns back to you.

“You are so mean,” he says, frowning in mock offense and gesturing towards the pile of luggage. “This isn’t even heavy for me!”

Zane steps around Rocky with Sensei Wu, offering a polite smile to you. “We will ensure he does not strain his injury.”

“Come,” Sensei Wu says, gesturing for you to follow him. “I will have Nya show you around the monastery while the ninja unload and set the dragons up for the night. Please, follow me.”

The elderly man pivots, staff gently crunching on the dirt as he makes his way to a staircase carved in the mountain. When you step out of the cavern’s protective walls, the wind returns to your face, stinging your skin once more.

A breath dies in your throat when you see just how high up you are; the fact that there’s no railing on the sides of the mountain makes you queasy. Regardless, you follow Sensei Wu, making sure to stick as close to the mountain as you can.

”This monastery has been home to me ever since I was a boy,” Sensei Wu explains, voice cutting through the wind. “It’s been standing for thousands of years and has seen generations of elemental masters.”

“So much history…” you mutter, tracing the side of the mountain with your hand. How many people have walked this path before you?

Thankfully, the path veers to the left and away from the edge, vertigo fading from your body. Now, you’re positioned at the top of the mountain, just before the monastery doors.

What startles you most is just how quiet it is up here; there are no merchants advertising their products, no bikers running about, no customers running to and fro. All you can hear are the distant yells of the ninja and the wind blowing through the trees.

“It’s so quiet up here,” you note, watching as Wu uses the steel bar welded on the gate to knock.

The old man chuckles, standing back and leaning on his staff. “Yes, and for good reason. Though, I understand it must be an adjustment after being a village for some time.”

”Yeah, it’s definitely going to take some getting used to,” you note, turning around as the two of you wait. “But I don’t hate it. It’s a nice break.”

To the left of the entrance lies a small patch of forest, its leaf canopy rustling with the wind. The trees sway, offering you a view deeper within.

To your surprise, a woman stands amidst the overgrowth. She stares at you with a blank expression, unmoving as her dress fails to react to the breeze. Her dark hair is pinned up loosely, also seemingly too still for the weather. You frown, wondering if you should call out to her. Did Wu not see her? Why didn’t she greet him?

Metallic groaning snaps you out of your trance, making you spin towards the gate. The doors are swinging open, revealing a new girl.

Her dark hair is cut into a bob, framing a pair of eyes that remind you of Kai’s. The girl lights up when she sees Wu. Behind her is a courtyard that precedes the interior part of the monastery.

“Sensei, you’re back!” she cries, pushing the gates all the way open. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, Nya, everything is fine. The ninja are in the dragon keep, unloading. We’ll update you in just a moment.”

So this is Nya. You frown, eyes darting back to where the woman was, finding that she’s gone now.

Shivers erupt across your skin as Sensei continues talking with Nya. You shake it off, deciding to just ignore…whatever that was.

“We have a new addition to the team,” Sensei Wu says, catching your attention once again as he tells Nya your name. “She is our new medic. She was an apprentice of Mystake before she agreed to come work with us.”

Nya grins, breathing what sounds to be a sigh of relief as she waves at you. “A medic, huh? That’s a relief. Those idiots are gonna need one if they keep being as reckless as they have been. Regardless, it’s great to meet you! I’m really excited that I won’t be the only girl around here. The testosterone gets to be suffocating at points!”

Returning her friendly little wave, you grin. “It’s good to meet you too! And I’ve been around them long enough to know that I have my work cut out for me.”

”Would you please show her around?” Sensei Wu questions, shifting the staff between hands. “I need to take care of a few matters before the day ends.”

Nya nods, gesturing for you to follow her. “You got it, Sensei.”

“Thank you. The ninja should be up shortly with her belongings.” He glances at you for the next part. “Please, make yourself at home.”

You nod, smiling gratefully. “Thank you, Sensei.”

“I leave the rest to you, Nya,” Sensei says before making his way out of the gate.

You follow Nya through the clearing, listening as she tells you about the monastery. “Alright, so this is obviously the courtyard! There’s a little switch around here that reveals an obstacle course that we use for training…”

The courtyard is first. Nya shows you the obstacle course, noting that they mostly train in the courtyard. Next are the basic utility rooms - the kitchen, living room, et cetera. She shows you the ninja’s shared room, the bathrooms, and finally, her room.

“Last but not least, here’s my room. Though, I guess it’ll be our room now,” she muses, pushing the door open. You step inside, greeted by lovely red and blue themed decor with light accents of gold in places.

”Sorry that it’s kind of messy,” she mutters, kicking a piece of scrap metal to the side. “There’s not much space for us to tinker in. Sensei is still looking into getting me, Jay, and Zane a place for us to tinker, but we haven’t had much luck with that yet.”

You wave off her worry, instead curious about the contents of her room. “Don’t worry about it. You weren’t expecting anyone. But you build things?” you inquire, entering the space. A warm cinnamon scent drifts through the air, strong but not overpowering. One part of her room sports a desk with trinkets, mechanical bits, tools, and circuit boards scattered about.

She nods, passion glittering behind her amber eyes as she points towards the components on her desk. “Yeah! I like making new tech, whether they’re weapons, armor, robots…anything I can think of, really. Jay’s kind of the same, to be honest. Zane’s also handy with tools, so we’ve been collaborating on some blueprints lately. I hope we can get the time to work on some bigger projects soon,” she explains, pointing to a pile of blueprints stashed in the corner.

“That’s so cool,” you respond. “I don’t know anything about that stuff. It’s cool you guys can work on it together.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty fun,” she says, pausing in front of her bed. Her hands come to her hips as she surveys the area with a frown. “I guess we’ll have to figure out sleeping arrangements tonight. But we can deal with that later. Hopefully later on we can go shopping to find you some furniture. Then, we can change up the room format and split it evenly.”

You nod, wondering if she’s upset about having to share her already cramped space. “Yeah…um, I hope I’m not intruding or anything.”

Nya swivels to you with a grin. “Oh, no, not at all! Like I said, I’m really glad you’re here. We’re just going to have to do a little reorganizing. I can probably make an area outside for my stuff. But, please, don’t worry about that. You’re not intruding at all.”

You nod, knowing you’re probably just overthinking things. “Okay, I hope not. But that does remind me…does anyone else live here?”

”Nope, just the guys, me, and Sensei. And now you,” she answers.

Hm…no mention of that lady from earlier. Strange. You shake that thought off, about to ask her something else when the slamming of a distant door catches your attention.

“The guys are back,” she notes, tipping her head towards the door. “Come on, let’s go see what they’re up to.”

…

The first few days go by without a hitch; Nya sets up a spot for you in her room, the two of you agreeing to work on reorganizing over the next few weeks. That gives the two of you a good chunk of time to plan it out.

You check on Cole’s wound two more times, pleased with its progress. On day three of your stay with the ninja, you dryly advise him not to get stabbed again and officially “discharge” him from your care. For now, at least.

Other than that, work in terms of your job is slow. The ninja seem to be cutting back on training with the lack of missions. You’d hoped to watch them spar a bit more, but to no avail.

That is, except for Jay - you notice that he sneaks out to the courtyard at night sometimes to practice sparring by himself. You wonder if it has something to do with the night you met the ninja.

Your first five days end without a hitch. Over breakfast on the sixth and current day of your stay, Nya agrees with your initial observation about their lack of training: “Yeah, I think they’re kind of getting complacent. Jobs are dry right now, and they’re getting bored. So they’ve been turning to video games a lot.”

You frown over your beverage, tearing your gaze from the window. The small dining room in the monastery glows with morning light, wind rattling the ancient building. Still, quiet surrounds you. You’ve yet to grow used to it. “Didn’t they get a call this morning, though?”

“They did. There was a Lord Garmadon sighting,” she answers, shaking her head with a roll of her eyes. “They’re going to learn, one way or another. They’ve got to keep in top shape if they’re going to be heroes.”

Your fingers freeze in their tracks, wondering if what Nya says is true. “Lord Garmadon? He’s back?”

Nya shrugs, taking another sip of her coffee. “Honestly? I doubt it. A lot of these people jump to conclusions when they get spooked. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something stupid. But, telling the guys that it was Lord Garmadon certainly got them off their asses in a pinch. You should have seen the way they tripped over themselves trying to get ready.”

You chuckle, liking her point. “Smart. Hopefully this will get them back into the groove.”

Nya rubs her forehead, sighing. “Stars, I hope so. They’re driving me insane. Anyways, what are you doing today?”

“Um…I haven’t actually thought that far. I guess I need to stay close in case they get hurt, though.”

“Want to come to the courtyard with me? I try to get my daily exercise in when they’re not using the equipment. I’m also determined to beat Kai’s record, even if it kills me!”

…

Nya wasn’t lying when she said she’d beat her brother’s record, even if it meant death.

No matter how many times she was knocked down, no matter how many times she finished above his time…she picked herself back up and tried again. The passion you’d seen in her eyes about her craft hardened into something fiery and stubborn when it came to competition.

Perhaps Kai isn’t the only one with a temper around here.

Even so, the first few times she stumbles, you can’t help but check on her. She shakes the cuts and bruises off without issue, promising to let you have a look at them later. It amazes you how well she brushes off the pain; some of her landings looked rough. In fact, you find her toughness inspirational, in a way.

Despite this, you had kindly declined joining her, instead electing to watch her from the stairs while brainstorming some potential recipes for new potions. You’d have to get some special ingredients, but it would be worth experimenting with new ingredients.

Not to mention that you’re itching to explore the area around your new home, curious to find what other places are nearby.

Thankfully, Nya seems to be on the same page as you. After she picks herself up from her latest fall, she takes a moment to stretch and catch her breath, groaning when she sees the timer again.

“I’m so close!” she groans, shaking her arms. “But I’m getting frustrated. And hungry. Tell you what…let me do one last round for my cooldown, then we’ll go grab lunch at Jamanakai Village. Does that sound okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine!” you reply, shutting your notebook.

“Great. Shouldn’t take but a minute,” she says, returning to the rotating course with dummies on it.

As she’s running, voices emanate from the front of the courtyard. You turn, watching as the ninja pour in from the gate. To your relief, they look fine. No visible injuries, no grimaces or pained expressions. So that’s a good sign.

Instead, a renewed vigor emanates within the four as they approach the two of you. Cole catches your gaze, answering your unspoken question:

”We’re fine. It was a false alarm.”

Whew. “Okay, good. I’m glad.”

Upon hearing their voices, Nya gets distracted and tumbles to the ground yet again, grunting when she lands. Kai laughs at her while Jay pulls up his hood, hovering over her with a shy smile. “Hey, Nya. Closer to beating your brother’s speed record?”

“I’m getting there,” she mumbles with a grunt, thanking Jay softy when he helps her up. “So, just a false alarm?”

Kai steps up this time. “Yeah. Uh, but we’re gonna need the space. Sorry, sis. Wanna stay and watch me mop the floor with them?”

She rolls her eyes, coming to join your side. “No thanks. We’re heading to Jamanakai Village for a couple of hours. Knock yourselves out.”

“No stab wounds, please,” you encourage, offering the guys a thumbs-up.

Kai punches Cole in the shoulder with a wicked grin. “No promises, doc. We’re in it to win it today.”

“Well, whatever it is, I’m glad you guys are actually training again,” Nya responds. “Anyways, let’s get going.”

…

The walk to Jamanakai isn’t terribly long, if you take out the immense number of stairs you have to descend before that. Other than that, it’s not horrible. You’re just not looking forward to going back up.

Nya brings you to a cute, cozy local restaurant that isn’t too busy. The two of you talk about your respective interests for a little while, eventually shifting into how you met the ninja.

Lunch ends up being great, and she insists on paying for the meal as a way to celebrate your arrival. Once you’re done eating, the two of you end up looking around the market together, pointing out potential furniture you could get in the future or discussing ideas for splitting the room.

You’re also able to find a few ingredients. You buy them with the money you made while working at the shop, excited to try out your ideas. Satisfied with your haul, you tuck them away within a satchel secured by your waist.

A breeze flutters past the two of you, rustling your clothes. When it hits Nya’s dark hair, it tousles, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Instead, she swipes it out of her face with a small but content grin.

“It’s so good to get out,” Nya comments as the two of you approach a produce stand. “I think I was going a little stir-crazy at the monastery. It’ll be nice to have company now, when they’re off on missions or whatever.”

You’re about to ask her a follow up question when you hear someone screaming in the distance. Alarmed, you and Nya whip around to see what the commotion is about.

Nya scoffs, eyes narrowing as she scans the area. “What now?!”

From a nearby building, you spot a child pushing a cart filled with candy into the streets. His small figure is enveloped within a dark cloak as he snickers, yelling: “Take the candy! Take it all! Muahahaha!”

That in itself isn’t what’s threatening; it’s the uncannily large anthropomorphic snake people that follow the boy that make your heart skip a beat. More and more snakes emerge from the other side of the village.

Nya snatches your wrist, pulling both of you behind the produce stand. The spaces between the bins offer a view to what’s happening beyond, with you and Nya straining to see what’s going on.

“Serpentine?!” Nya whispers harshly, both of you watching as a larger snake appears, staring at one of the villagers. “How did they escape their tombs?”

The largest snake hisses at a small group of villagers. Its scales are dark blue, lined with yellow accents on their heads. His bright red eyes pierce the villagers’ collective gazes, and you find yourself having to glance away. Dizziness overcomes you as you shake yourself out of your trance.

What was that?

“They’re controlling the villagers,” Nya realizes as the villagers scatter, walking and groaning like zombies. “Wait…they’re coming close. Stay still!”

You and Nya press yourselves against the stand, trying to be as still and quiet as possible when two new voices emerge:

“This makes no sense, General. Raiding an entire town for sweets?!”

“You will do as I command, because I hold the staff!” the other one demands. Sure enough, in his grasp is a golden staff carved into the shape of a Serpentine. In the center rests a blue…gem? You’re not quite sure what it is.

Thankfully, the two pass the spot where you’re hiding with Nya, instead electing to terrorize some other poor villager.

“Dammit,” Nya mumbles. “They’re everywhere. There are too many to take on at once. We have to wait for the ninja to arrive.”

“Do you think they’ve been contacted yet?” you wonder, heart pounding as you hear people screaming nearby.

“I’m sure someone in the village managed to get word out. Come on, let’s see if there’s something we can do. Maybe we can get to higher ground for a better vantage point.”

She pauses, stepping out from beyond the cover of the produce stand. After a few seconds, she nods in your direction and darts out into the clearing.

You follow her, heart thumping as your legs burn and shake with adrenaline. The screaming grows quieter by the second, instead replaced with the eerie groans of the hypnotized villagers. Everywhere you look, people with blood red eyes are wandering.

“This way,” Nya directs, causing you to snap your head towards her. She points towards a ladder, gesturing for you to go first. “Go!”

You waste no time in ascending, muscles burning as you pull yourself up, hands starting to sweat when you manage to pull yourself over the roof. A grunt escapes you when you land less than ideally.

A concerning thunk from below catches your attention, making you peer over the edge. Your eyes widen when you realize Nya is now on the ground, a snake man looming above her.

“Nya!” you cry.

Your voice snatches the attention of her attacker, though. Like something primal overcomes her, you watch as something in Nya’s eyes snaps. She rolls onto her side, sweeping her leg out and knocking the Serpentine over.

The attack catches the attention of two other snakes, to your dismay. Nya yells as she launches a powerful front kick at one of them, driving her weight into the blow. He staggers back, clutching his abdomen as his friend advances on her.

“Look into my eyes,” it says, hissing. “I control you!”

Tearing your eyes from the scene, you spot a vase filled with dirt on the roof. You snatch it before hurling it down onto the Serpentine with a cry.

It smashes against the snake’s head, breaking the hypnotic stare. Ceramic chunks and dirt debris flutter to the ground as he clutches his head. Nya jerks herself back into the moment, scrambling to climb the ladder as the two snake men retreat in favor of the other villagers.

You help Nya onto the roof, struggling to catch your breath. “N-Nya!”

“I’m okay,” she breathes, sighing shakily. “Thanks for the assist back there.”

“What happened? One second you were below me…”

“...then one of them pulled me off the ladder,” she finishes, shaking her head. She swivels her head before beckoning you to follow her across the rooftop. “I’ve had worse. Come on, let’s see if we can help the villagers while we wait for the ninja. Do you have any thoughts on how to break their hypnosis?”

You trail off as she looks around, conflict etched onto both of your faces. Magic snake men that could hypnotize people were not included in your training.

“Well…it depends,” you say, glancing towards the chaos again. “I’m not really sure how those snakes are doing it. But if it’s some sort of chemical reaction, we could potentially reverse the effects if we had anti-venom. But I have no idea how we could get that. Maybe if I could get a sample of their blood, I could figure something out. That would take days, though.”

Nya trails off, contemplating your words as the two of you crouch down, out of view from below. “Anti-venom, you say? Hm…you know, when we were little, Kai and I had a babysitter that would tell us the story of the Serpentine. Or, at least the kid-friendly version. She mentioned that the snakes’ leader would bear a staff containing the anti-venom. The hero in the story did…something, with the staff. Something with water,” she frowns, wracking her memory with a frown. “And you heard those snakes, when we were hiding - the one with the long tail is the General. And he was carrying a staff.”

“A staff…and with water… ” a realization dawns on you as you trail off, remembering a potion that you made with Mystake years ago. “Wait, there’s a fountain in the village, right?”

“Yeah. It channels throughout the village-”

“We need to get that staff in the fountain,” you realize, eyes widening. “It’ll-”

The roar of a dragon interrupts you, snapping both of your attentions to the center of the village.

“The ninja!” Nya says, grabbing your wrist and pulling you into a run. “Come on, we have to regroup and tell them!”

You nod, stomach growing queasy when she releases you. She leaps across one of the rooftops, crossing the gap with ease. It’s not too long of a gap, but the fall would still be gnarly. Thankfully, the adrenaline in your system and fear for the villagers’ wellbeing does wonders in shoving your fear to the side. Your running start gives you enough momentum to jump, managing the landing to the other rooftop.

Unlike the previous one, this roof is not flat. The shingles curve upwards at a decorative angle, converging into a triangular shape. Your foot lands at an awkward angle, making you tumble to the side. You gasp, desperately clawing at shingles as you start sliding.

Nya catches your bicep, stopping your fall. You sigh in relief, accepting her help when she pulls you to your feet.

“The guys are over there, taking cover,” she says, maintaining her hold on you. “Here, come on. Just one more jump down. You’re doing fine. Just follow me down after I go, okay?” She guides your hand to the elevated portion of the roof, waiting until you’re balanced to let go.

“Got it,” you say, watching as she skillfully leaps to the ground. Okay, you’re pretty sure you can’t do all that. Maybe there’s another way down?

Once you’re steady again, you manage to look over the edge. Nya is there, now surrounded by the ninja. They’re all masked, glancing back towards the Serpentine nervously.

“I can’t do this, Nya!” you say, heart skipping a beat when a shingle chips off and clatters to the ground. “That’s too high of a jump for me!”

Cole steps forward, raising his arms and beckoning you down. “Just step off. We’ll catch you.”

“Oh, man…” you mumble, gearing yourself up. You should probably take advantage of the adrenaline while it’s still here. “Okay, here I go. Just gonna do it.”

Thankfully, you commit to the fall, breath catching in your throat as you sail through the air. True to his word, Cole is there to break your fall, catching you by your waist. He staggers a bit, but regains his balance fairly quickly.

A secret shudder flutters across your skin when you realize he’s holding you by your waist, his eyes cast in worry as he studies you. Exhaling, you brace yourself on his shoulders, hands sliding down as he lowers you. Cole’s hands move to your elbows as you balance yourself.

“Are you okay?” he questions, letting you hang onto him for a second.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just too many adrenaline rushes for one week,” you mumble, finally feeling steady enough without his help. “Thank you.”

“You two are okay. Good,” Jay confirms, turning to Nya for an update.

“Barely. They’ve hypnotized everyone in town!” she says, rubbing a spot on her arm. You frown upon seeing the fresh bruise forming there, making a note to have a look at it later.

“Mind control. How is this possible?” Jay wonders as Kai peeks around the corner, ensuring that the coast is still clear for the moment.

“I think it’s some kind of chemical reaction. One that may or may not come from their eyes,” you chime in.

Nya nods in agreement, coming to stand next to you as she says: “When you hear them rattle their tails, don't look them in the eyes. That's how they get you.”

“We need to get that staff, the one that the biggest snake has,” you say. “We think it might hold the anti-venom. When you get it, stick it into the fountain. If we’re right, then the anti-venom and staff should react with the water to form a steam that will cure the villagers.”

“What if we’re wrong? We should go ahead and make a Plan B, just to be safe,” Nya points out.

“If that fails, try to cut one of the snakes and get a sample of their blood. I can probably make an anti-venom, but it’s going to take longer,” you instruct. “There’s a merchant selling glass jars nearby that you can use. Those should work if Plan A fails.”

“And if that fails, we have Plan Z,” Jay quips, eyes lighting up. “Which is way better, ‘cause it’s lemon scented.”

Nya shoots Jay a funny look as everyone else ignores him.

“I believe our plan is doable. But our weapons are unstable, and it will be difficult to retrieve the staff while dodging their attempts at hypnosis,” Zane says. “We must be careful.”

“Don’t overthink it,” Cole instructs. “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. Kai, Jay. You two draw the goons away. Once they’re gone, circle back discreetly if you can to help with the staff. Zane, I want you to deal with Lloyd. We might be able to…persuade him to call a retreat if we scare him into it. Nya and I will work on getting the staff. And as for you,” he turns to you, trailing off as he thinks. “Hang back and watch for anyone that might be injured once the fight is over.”

“Okay,” you agree, followed by everyone else’s voices confirming the plan.

“Good. Remember, no weapons. Spinjitzu should still be fine. I know that we’re rusty, guys, but we’ve got to get this done.”

Kai is the next to speak up, body jittery with the anticipation of a fight. “He’s right. Look, guys. Forget about the whole Green Ninja thing. Let's make Sensei proud, the four of us. We're a team!”

“Now you’re talking,” Cole replies. “Alright, guys. Let’s go!”

Nya hangs back momentarily as the guys spring into action on the roofs overhead. “Are you okay to stay behind?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, just focus on getting that staff,” you reply, not wanting to interfere with their work. She nods, darting off to follow the ninja.

It takes Kai and Jay a few minutes to lead the majority of the snakes away. Which ends up working out well, since it gives you a second to catch your breath. Look at you, riding on dragons and jumping across rooftops. A humorless laugh escapes you when you wonder how much wackier your life will get if you choose to stay with the ninja.

Ah, but no time to think about that now. The fighting seems to have moved to another part of the village, so you take the opportunity to move towards it. Slowly but surely, you make your way towards the action.

Eventually, you stumble upon the cart that the little boy had been pushing. It’s tipped onto its front, seemingly caused by the frozen front wheels. Its saccharine contents have been spilled onto the streets, and the boy is behind it, desperately trying to get it unstuck.

Zane, who had been standing nearby, darts away to help the others, leaving you alone with the child. Your heart breaks a little when you hear him sniffle, finally managing to break the cart out of the ice. What’s a kid doing out with these snakes anyway?

The boy turns the cart in your direction, freezing when he locks eyes with you. You frown, wondering if the snakes have hurt him.

“Are you okay?” you ask quietly, crouching down to his level.

His green eyes widen, filling with conflict as he stares at you. You wonder if the snakes had roped him into their plan somehow, desperately hoping they haven’t hurt the boy. For a handful of moments, he’s completely frozen.

“Please, let me help you,” you encourage, hoping you’re not scaring him.

Just when you think you might be getting through to him, something dark clouds his eyes as he darts towards one of the bigger snakes, shouting out for the army to retreat.

“Wait!” you cry, watching as the child slips behind one of the buildings. You attempt to follow, gasping when the army of hypnotized villagers lines up to block off part of the village.

Breath hitching in your throat, you glance through the sea of red eyes. To your left, Jay and Zane are fighting off some of the few remaining snakes. Leaping across the rooftops are Kai and Nya, both trying to circumvent the army of hypnotized people.

This…is chaos. Why doesn’t anything feel real right now?

Your adrenaline sputters out, weakness flooding you as voices emanate from behind you. Dizzy, you spin to find Cole sailing down in the air, delivering two swift kicks to the snake general’s staff. It bounces out of his grip, clattering to the ground as Cole flips into a smooth landing.

“Go ahead. Give me a reason,” Cole remarks, stepping towards the fallen staff and swiping it off of the ground. The lead snake flees in response to Cole’s advance.

The second-in-command is not so easily scared off; he catches Cole’s stare, trying to hypnotize him.

“Cole!” you yell, grateful to see Nya darting up from behind him. She jumps, jamming her foot into the snake’s face. The blow snaps Cole of his trance, making him shake his head as he staggers, staff still in hand.

Nya steadies him before directing him to the fountain, where he props it up in the water. Thankfully, the anti-venom reacts with the water and starts steaming as you’d hoped. One by one, the villagers are cured and the red eyes recede, mindless groans replaced by cheering.

…

Even though no one got hurt majorly, you still insist on getting the ninja patched up.

Kai and Jay are fine, save for a few scratches, cuts, and bruises. Jay accepts a pack of ice for a hit he took on his shoulder, which Nya applies as the two rest in the living room. Her left ankle is propped up on another chair, wrapped up in gauze.

She’d sprained it after getting jerked off that ladder. You couldn’t even tell anything was wrong until you noticed the swelling when she sat down.

Zane emerged the best out of all them, with only one minor cut to show for the battle. Though, you’d noticed something odd with his blood - you couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but the color seemed off somehow. With his permission, you took a sample of his blood to examine later.

Finally, Cole enters the medical room, which isn’t much at the moment -  just a spare room in the monastery with a bed and your medical bag. You have a weird feeling you need to wait a few days to unpack it fully, so you’ve just been taking things out as you need them and repacking them. Mystake always did stress the importance of listening to your gut, after all, and you’re not one to doubt her wisdom. It hasn’t failed you so far.

Cole grunts as he lowers himself on the table, hissing in pain. Again, the top of his gi is torn in places. You can already see a little bit of blood staining the fabric.

You sigh, shaking your head. “I had a feeling you were going to be the one who got it the worst. What hurts the most?” you inquire, pulling on a pair of examination gloves.

Cole fumbles with the ties on his gi. “This cut right here…that asshole slashed me, then drew his katana back and rammed the hilt into my ribs.”

“Ouch…” you sympathize, observing his fingers. Something seems off about his motions. You notice how he misses the knot a few times. He gets it a few seconds later, though, unraveling the belt and pulling his top off.

Curse these biological hormones! You don’t think you’re ever going to get used to seeing his torso. He’s just the right amount of muscle. Your mind flashes back to the night where you’d accidentally left your hand on his sternum, the very tips of your fingers brushing against the side of his pec as you’d withdrawn.

Focus! Injured man! Job to do! Shut up, goblin brain.

Sure enough, when you focus past the gorgeous torso, you realize there’s a lengthy, diagonal cut in his skin.

“Yeah, that’s pretty gnarly,” you agree, immediately reaching for a clean cloth. Thankfully, it’s not terribly deep. What probably hurts more is that ugly, purple bruise underneath.

The two of you fall into a silence as you dab at the dried blood, hoping you’re not pressing too hard. Cole watches your hands as you work.

“Oh, um…I meant to tell you…” he trails off, expression conflicted momentarily. “You did really well, you know. That was your first time working with us in the field, and you handled yourself well. Didn’t panic, just acted.”

You chuckle, finally done with cleaning up the blood. “I’m glad I didn’t get in the way. I was scared, and my adrenaline kicked in initially, but when I faded, I just…it felt like nothing was real, you know? It was almost like I was going into shock or something.”

“The chaos gets to you when you’re not used to it,” he agrees, wincing as you apply an antiseptic to the cut. “There’s so much going on, and it’s difficult to keep up when you’re not trained for it. But you and Nya came up with a solution, and we got the job done.”

“If I was that overwhelmed just watching you guys fight, I can’t imagine what it’s like actually being in the action,” you say, pausing when he hisses at the dab of antiseptic. “I’m sorry, I know it stings, but we’ve got to get this sterilized. Can’t have it getting infected and creating more work for me.”

He chuckles, the two of you watching as the solution sizzles on the opened skin. When he looks up, you catch his stare, immediately frowning.

Cole’s eyes are their normal shade of green, but his sclera are tinged slightly red. You frown, free hand unconsciously coming to the side of his face. 

“Are you feeling okay?” you wonder, studying his eyes as he stares at you. First, his off hand coordination. Now, the bloodshot eyes…

“Yeah, why?” he questions as you return your stare to the task at hand.

“I don’t know yet. Did you hit your head at any point?”

“Not that I remember.”

“Do you feel like you might be getting sick?”

“No, I’m just tired. But other than that I feel fine.”

“Okay,” you say, unconvinced as you press your wrist against his forehead. No fever. Maybe you’d just have the others keep an eye on him throughout the night to see if any other symptoms arise. “Doesn’t feel like you have a fever. Just try to get some good sleep tonight, okay? You look a little peaked.”

“I do? Weird…I feel fine.”

“I believe you. Just make sure you rest tonight. I’m going to check on you in the morning to see if you develop any other symptoms. But for now, what else hurts?”

Cole has a few other cuts for you to sterilize and bandage along with a handful of new bruises. You prepare an ice pack for the bigger, uglier bruises.

You sigh, mind shifting back to that little boy you’d seen with the serpentine. The fact he’s out there alone with them bothers you. “Do you know who that little kid was, by the way? The boy with the cloak?”

“Hm? Oh, you mean Lloyd?”

“Lloyd,” you repeat, frowning. “So you know him?”

“Not officially, just that he’s Sensei Wu’s nephew. He used to go to Darkley’s, but he escaped somehow. He’s Lord Garmadon’s son.”

“Whoa, really? I never would have guessed,” you mumble, putting the finishing touches on his wound dressings. “I hope those snakes aren’t hurting him. He seemed scared.”

Cole groans in relief when he presses the ice pack against the bruise. “Scared? He’s the one who released them.”

Lloyd set the snakes free? “Wait, really?”

“He’s trying to be like his dad. The only thing is, Lloyd’s idea of evil is stealing candy and pulling pranks on people. He doesn’t understand what the snakes really want.”

Poor kid...you wonder if Wu would take him in if given the chance. That’s no way for a child to live. Those snakes are going to manipulate him the first chance they get.

“Do you think they’re hurting him?” Cole questions when you don’t answer.

“I don’t know…I just - there was something in his eyes. I think he’s scared, and it breaks my heart knowing he’s out there with them,” you sigh, shaking your head as you clean up the counter. Cole slips off from the bed, keeping the ice on his chest.

“Well, I’ll see if we can get him to Sensei, then. Makes me wonder if we should have been gentler with him when we dealt with him the first time.”

Satisfied with his answer, you smile in thanks before remembering Cole’s mystery ailment. “But, as far as you go, I want you to go to bed early. Sleep in if you need to. If you’re not up by the time training starts, I’ll let Sensei Wu know. And tell me if you start feeling sick, okay?”

“Will do. Anything else?”

“No. You’re free to go.”

…

“Stars, what a day!” Nya cries as she collapses on her bed.

You shut the door, chuckling at her as you set your journal down next to your temporary mattress. “Man, if this is what my first week with you guys looks like, I can’t even begin to imagine what else is going to happen!”

Silence overcomes the two of you as the black-haired girl rolls over to her stomach, hands drifting to her nightstand. Resting on top is a dagger, which she picks up and twirls around her fingers.

“Seems like they guys have found their fire again,” she mumbles, gaze absent as she watches her blade spin in her hand. “I’m glad.”

You study her downcast gaze for a moment, sensing her shift in mood. “Why don’t you join them? You’re clearly talented enough to fight with them. Why not?”

”I’m not technically a ninja. Not yet, anyway,” she answers, shrugging. “I mean, I train with them when I can, but since they’re out so much, it’s hard to find the time. It was getting boring as hell, just staying here while they were gone.” She shakes her head, sighing.

You struggle to process what she’s saying. “You mean…someone as talented as you…they just leave you behind?”

“Yeah, to watch over the monastery. But I can’t say I’m fond of being left out of the action.”

“But you don’t have to stay put,” you reply as you gather an armful of pajamas from one of your bags. “Can’t you help out in your own way? You don’t need anyone’s permission to do what you want to do. If you want to be out there, fighting crime and doing good, then you should damn well be doing that. Ninja or not.”

Nya doesn’t answer for a few moments, taking a moment to sort her thoughts. When she looks back at you, the blade is still in her hands.

“You’re right,” she says, sitting up. She uses her bed post as a support, bringing herself to a single foot.

“What are you doing?” you question as she hops to her desk.

“I have an idea. Do you mind if I stay up and sketch for a little while?”

Always happy to read fresh requests. Please read my guidelines before submitting.

Let me know what you think of this chapter :)))

[thebellearchives]

I wish you would write a fic where Inumaki watches non sorcerer!reader from a distance since the Shibuya incident. He’s always there, making sure they’re safe and healing, and reader swears they see his face in passing crowds, passing it off as a coincidence. Until a chance encounter…

𝐂𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍

~ inumaki toge ; jujutsu kaisen

✧˚ · . S Y N O P S I S : you long for the comfort of the arms of your saviour, until you realize that he might need comfort in your arms instead

‧₊˚ c o n t e n t s : gn!reader, non-sorcerer reader, mutual pining, comfort, mentions of blood, suggested trauma, a little emotional ?, probably inconsistent with the canon shibuya incident-itadori’s extermination transition

‧₊˚ a / n : i started writing and it just kept getting longer and longer and i couldn’t stOP, this one qualifies as hurt-comfort i think? so ill tag it as both fluff and angst oop, hope you like it anon 🫶🏻

Ever since Shibuya nothing has been the same. Debris, cough, grey days, lavender eyes. Fear, panic, emptiness, white hair flowing in the wind. Silence, visions, dark purple fabric. You tell yourself you must be going insane, seeing him around the corners of dark alleys, standing at at the other side of the road outside the store, in the reflections of broken glass on the floor. But you wake up from your bed every night gasping for air, wishing he’d come to your rescue once again, thinking he’d come through your door. Longing to feel in the air that sweet scent of lilies that came from his clothes when he picked you up and took you to safety. To hear once again the hypnotic sound of his voice that saved your life that fateful day.

And as you make your way back to your apartment you hold your things close to your chest. There were many things about the incident that didn’t make sense, the whole situation was just ininteligible to you. The rumbling of the floor and the loud noises, the way things would just hit on the walls or the asphalt around you and not being able to tell where they were coming from. The huge, insect-like monster that stood on its hind legs as it took impulse to lunge forwards and take your life. Until you heard his voice and the monster exploded, fading into thin air just as quickly as it had appeared in front of you. But if none of that had happened, then how did his hands on your shoulders feel so real and warm? The worry in his lovely lilac eyes as he checked that you were in perfect conditions, or the way you could almost swear you could smell the copperish scent of the blood on his lips?

As you walked, you held in your hand the small bottle of cough syrup that he had accidentally left behind that night, the only proof you had that he existed. Your brows furrowed as you stared at the bottle, your steps coming to an end. If you could only see him once more and thank him for saving you, just hold onto him and feel like everything would be okay again…

A sudden movement caught your attention from your peripheral vision. Startled, your eyes drove to a narrow alley to your left, fear almost freezing you in place. But you caught it: a little glimpse of a familiar figure. So the fear turned into anxiety, maybe you were going crazy, or maybe not, but there was only one way to figure it out. Your feet moved almost automatically, sprinting towards the alley.

“Wait!” you voiced, wishing with all your might you were talking to him and not to a panic induced vision.

The figure continued to quickly try and escape by turning into different directions to lose you but it didn’t fade away, so your heartbeat quickened. It was him, it had to be.

“Wait, please! I just wanna talk!” you tried to pick up the pace, but your rushing only made you trip. You hitched a breath and tried not lose balance, looking down by pure instinct, but when you glanced back up he was nowhere to be seen.

Frowning, you started running now. You couldn’t let him go, not when he was so close to you, not when your chance to feel that relief again was escaping like water through your fingers. You turned to your left, right, left… until you were no longer sure where you were at all. The alleys seemed to had turned into a maze at some point with nothing more than trash cans and plastic bags everywhere.

A knot formed in your throat and you could feel tears of frustration gathering at the corners of your eyes. Why did he leave? Didn’t he hear you? Had you really imagined him after all?

A pile of trash fell down somewhere behind you, making you turn around instantly. Your heartbeat quickened in a glint of hope.

“Hello? Are you there?” taking a hesitant step forwards, your eyes tried to scrutinise the scene, trying to catch a glimpse of his figure, maybe his hair, anything.

“Listen, I just want to thank you… I thought…” you stopped yourself for a second, taking another step forwards and a deep breath “i thought i could just have a word with you?”

No response, a pained frown slowly appearing in your face, you bit your lower lip in doubt. Fine, one last try.

“Okay, you don’t have to talk, you don’t have to say anything, I’ll do the talking. But please… just come out, I want to see you.”

Something else fell down behind you, startling you once again and making you turn around in panic. A bad premonition grew in your chest, something wasn’t right. You could now feel it in your bones: you should not be there. And if there was something around it surely wasn’t who you were hoping for.

“What- ? Who’s there? Don’t come close!” you tried to flee, turning towards the direction you had come from.

But you ended up running into something that wasn’t there before, falling down onto the cold hard floor. You looked up just to find a horrid creature. Your eyes widened, panic weakening your legs and a scream getting stuck in your vocal cords. It was so similar to the one monster that had tried to hurt you the night of Shibuya, with dark green skin, multiple arms and eyes. The monster showed a creepy smile, widening its mouth, ready to attack.

You felt your stomach turn, your body trembling and the panic traveling through your body until your survival instinct kicked in. Somehow you managed to stand up and tried to run away, only this time you ran into something else. Or rather someone.

The white haired boy quickly grabbed you by your waist and moved you behind him, shielding you and defiantly glaring at the creature. You felt all your air freeze inside your lungs. He was there, he was real. His white hair was slightly disheveled, his purple jacket had one of the sleeves ripped off and you noticed he was now missing one of his arms. You wanted to speak to him, say anything, but you didn’t even know his name.

The creature laughed, sending a wave of disgust down your spine. Lunging forwards, it extended its arms wide and ready to attack. The boy didn’t hesitate, his powerful voice filling the alley loud and clear.

“Explode!”

The sound waves of his command hit the creature head on, causing a spark of fire to ignite in its skin and suddenly causing an explosion that sent it flying backwards, ripping its skin into shreds and filling the air with ashes and a strange smell of sulfure. You stood there behind him, eyes widened and your jaw dropped, until he suddenly started coughing.

“Are you okay?!” you tried turning him around, but he stopped you and nodded immediately, frowning a little and clearing his throat.

He glanced back at you with concern written all over his eyes. You remembered the last time had saved you and how he had stared at you just like that before holding your face in his hands and your shoulders in search of wounds. And he did just that again. He reached with his hand to cup your cheek, lifting your chin a little to make sure you didn’t have any scrapes or blood, before checking your neck and your arms.

“I’m fine, I’m-” he coughs again, your brows furrow in concern when you catch a glimpse of blood dripping from the corner of his lips “but you’re not, let me help you”

You reach to brush his hair out of his face and clean the blood, but he pulls back slightly. You freeze, and so does he, blinking a little before his eyes go back to yours cautiously.

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to cross a line” you reply as gently as possible, pulling your hand away before hesitantly taking out the small bottle from your pocket “I have this… will it help?”

His eyes widen a little when he sees the small bottle of cough syrup in your hand and he can’t help but smile slightly. Nodding, he takes it from your hand and drinks it as if it were juice, sighing in relief right after and cleaning the little droplets of blood from his lips with the back of his hand. You take your time to carefully study him, trying to engrave every single detail of his into your brain. The messy rebellious hair strands that refused to go back to their place, the way his long white lashes moved along with his gorgeous lavender eyes and the lines and circles that framed his thin but rosy lips. He looked tired, like he had been fighting for longer than he should have, like he could use some comfort. The comfort that you had found in his arms last time. So when he looks back at you you can’t stop the words from leaving your mouth.

“Would you be okay with a hug?”

He blinked a little in surprise before his tense muscles relaxed slowly and a little smile lifted the corners of his lips. He nods gently again, you smile back in tender concern. Not waiting for anything else you crashed onto him, hugging him tightly. Closing your eyes, you let the warmth of his solid body calm down the still agitated beating of your heart, the worn down scent of lilies you remembered filling your senses once again.

“Thank you” you whispered “for taking care of me all this time”

Sighing, he hugged back, his arm wrapping around your waist and resting his head on yours. Now you knew it: he was real, and you weren’t going to let him go now. Not when both of you were in this dire need from the solace that your closeness brought.

“Always.”

[steviewashere]

In Sickness and Health

Rating: General CW: Discussions of Medical Issues, Referenced/Past Seizures Tags: Established Relationship, Married Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Future Fic, Older Steddie, Canon Divergent, Steve Harrington has Seizures, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Breakdowns, Hurt/Comfort, Angst & Fluff, Eddie Munson Calls Steve Harrington Pet Names

For the @steddielovemonth prompt: "Love is giving them space when they need it."

💕—————💕

Eddie has learned to revel in quiet afternoons, even when he’s alone. The way the sunshine bathes the apartment’s living room carpet—his and Steve’s apartment. Their cat, Poncho, settled heavy and warm in his lap. A chilled glass of southern iced tea and a plate of crackers and sliced cheese. The television volume on low. Book open and set on the arm of the couch. It’s good, the quiet.

Yet, it breaks the moment the front door opens. He didn’t hear Steve stick his key in the lock. But he definitely hears his annoyed groans and huffs. The slam of the door, most likely shut with his hip. A muffled, “Damnit”, when he drops his keyring on the floor.

He peeks from the edge of the couch, eyes set and attentive at their front door. And Steve is there, wrestling with his puffer jacket, grumbling under his breath, kicking his legs and stepping on the backs of his sneakers—something he never does, he cares too much for those things. But here he is. One t-shirt stuck on a doorknob away from a breakdown.

Though, Eddie doesn’t chastise him for the way his emotions express. No matter how explosive they are. Steve just gets like this some days. Too angry to talk. Too begrudged to take care of his things.

What’s new, however, is Steve’s slightly splotchy, puffy face. Red and pink and white. The tears brimming in his eyes. Ever apparent even behind his glasses. A paper with professional scribbling on it—a doctor’s note. He had an appointment this morning. Made last night after an emergency room trip. A seizure is what put him there. Scared them both, Eddie too eager to make him take an appointment, to call in sick to work. He should’ve gone with, if this is how Steve’s coming home.

He plops Poncho on the couch, letting him stretch skywards and curl back into a little ball. Tea abandoned on the coffee table. And Eddie gently comes around the corner, hands hooked in front of himself, still dressed down in pajamas, eyes wide and expecting at Steve. 

“St—“

Steve shakes his head. A hand held out in front of him. Jacket and shoes abandoned by the front door. And he sidesteps Eddie completely, barreling down the hallway, slamming the bedroom door behind him, and locking it.

Eddie lumbers after him, slowly, cautiously. Face to the wood of the door. And through it, what breaks his heart, he can hear Steve’s soft cries. He resigns himself to some time on the couch. Steve always needs his space after breakdowns like these.

Needed it after Max woke up in the hospital, half-blind, limbs mostly healed. Needed it after Eddie came out of surgery, pock-marked and head shaved, half a grimace on his face. Needed it when Robin moved out of state for college. After Dustin and Lucas and Mike and Will and Eleven and Max all graduated high school, when they went their separate ways across the country, when they called once or twice a month. When his dad died, the grief a heavy blanket on his shoulders, his chest lighter, his brain angry at being relieved. 

Steve needed his space when Eddie brought home their cat (though he came out merely ten minutes later, an excited smile on his face, name on the tip of his tongue). Nightmares and dissociation episodes. At the grocery store, because he has to stick to a list, knowing that Eddie never does that. The first grey hair, which he then took in stride when Eddie called him a “Beautiful baby silver fox.”

Even after they moved to Massachusetts in 2008 and got married. His emotions were so strong, so palpable, so rapid—he just needed a moment to debrief, take a hot shower, and then cuddle into Eddie’s side on their honeymoon bed.

Point is, Eddie knows when Steve needs his space. Knows that he cherishes that time to himself, to break down in contemplative silence, to let himself digest new information or old information or just get himself restrung. 

He wishes that Steve had been taught that it’s okay to breakdown in front of his loved ones. That it’s okay to ask for help and for comfort. But it doesn’t come easy. It makes him guilty. It makes him scattered like a headless chicken.

For the mean time, Eddie sets himself down on the couch, iced tea in his grip, volume turned up slightly on the television. Steve doesn’t like it when people hear him cry. Eddie doesn’t acknowledge it either, for the sake of saving Steve from another impending breakdown. He loves Steve with all his might, he just wishes things were slightly different. He’ll do this, ever reluctant he may be.

——— Around thirty minutes later, an average amount of time for Steve, the bedroom door creaks open. Eddie quickly turns down the TV and gently places his now empty glass on the coffee table.

Small, floating from the hallway, Steve calls out, “Eddie? Can you—“ He sniffles, voice still choked up. “Can you come in here, please?”

The sight that Eddie wanders in on breaks his heart a little further. Steve’s face is still a splotchy mess, his eyes downcast and teary, waterlines pink. His hair, grayer now, is askew. There’s a definite slump to his body, where it rests on the edge of the mattress. Hands intertwined between his legs, fingers locking and pulling one another, socked feet shuffling on the rug. He got out of his day clothes, now back in his pajamas from the night before—sleep shorts, grey t-shirt.

Eddie closes the bedroom door behind him. He scoots over and kneels down on the floor. Hesitantly, he sets his palms on Steve’s knees. He rubs the inner skin, warm and soft, with his thumbs. “Whatcha need from me, baby? Ask me to do anything, I’ll do it.”

Steve sighs, breath shuddering as it leaves him. His exhale ends on a little whimpered hiccup. Instead of answering, he grabs the paper he was holding earlier and passes it over. It’s edges are wrinkled, probably from being handled roughly, maybe even scrunched. And Eddie was right, it’s something from a doctor’s tablet. Signed off with a messy scrawl:

— Instructions for handling seizures. — What to do if a seizure lasts longer than five minutes. — Steps on how to start the process of getting a service animal. — Firm directions telling the patient to not drive. — Prescription for Tegretol CR 200mg

And the diagnosis in thick, blocky, bold black text:

Epilepsy

Eddie sighs through his nose. He swallows thickly and looks back up to Steve’s defeated face. He murmurs, “I should’ve gone with you. I’m sorry, love bug.”

Shrugging, Steve mutters, “Thought I was done with the after effects of the shit back in Hawkins. I’m so—Angry? Disappointed? I don’t know how to feel.”

The paper is set back on the mattress and Eddie pulls Steve into his chest. He rubs a hand down the length of his spine, the other squeezing around his waist. “You’re allowed to feel however you want. And it’s okay to take the time to figure that out, too. This is hard stuff, baby.” He sways them from side to side. Closing his eyes in relief as Steve’s arms wrap around his back. Something that, unfortunately, doesn’t happen enough when he’s in need of comfort. His hands grip tightly to the back of Eddie’s t-shirt. Eddie gently turns his head and kisses Steve’s cooling, still ruddy cheek. “We’ll start figuring this out. Like we always do. I’ll be right here for you, alright?”

Steve nods against his shoulder. Muffled into Eddie’s neck, he asks quietly, “Can I have some more space and alone time?” He shifts to slowly release Eddie. “Just for a little while. I promise I’ll hang out. I just needed to tell you, so that it’s not harder later.”

He pries them apart gently. Arms still encasing Steve, he holds soft eye contact. “You take all the time in the world. I won’t be offended, sweetheart.” He kisses Steve’s forehead now. When he sits back on his heels, Eddie brings up a hand and runs it through Steve’s hair, fingernails dully scratching at his scalp. His smile is lopsided, the youngest it’s been since the first confession. It comes easier now, “I love you, you know that? I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Steve murmurs, barely returning the smile, and yet it’s there. Eddie revels in that, too.

And when Eddie goes to exit the bedroom, door almost shut behind him, Steve calls out his name one more time. Looking back, Steve swamped in their comforter, glasses folded on the bedside table, wrapped up and warm, Eddie tilts his head in careful implore. He hums in question.

“Thank you for understanding,” Steve whispers.

“Thank you for telling me, I know it was hard. If you need anything, I’ll be in the living room, okay? I’ll keep the TV low, but tell me if it’s too loud.” Steve nods, shifting under the blanket further, fully supine on the mattress. He looks more relaxed. He looks a little easier. “Have a good nap, love bug. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

[a-court-of-fics-and-errors]

Keep Moving Forwards, Part 7

Azriel x Reader Fic

WARNING:

I wanted to give you a heads-up that the following portion of this fic contains mentions of rape. While it does not go into graphic detail or describe the actual event, it does acknowledge that it is happening, focusing more on the feelings of the character. There is also a short secondary scene involving an attempted rape, but again, it is not described in detail and the scene ends before the assault can take place.

Please read at your own comfort level. If this content makes you feel uncomfortable, that's completely okay. I see you, I hear you, and I deeply appreciate you taking care of yourself. To ensure you don't miss any plot points, I will provide a brief summary in a follow-up post available at this same time. It will not mention the assault. You can look for it under "Keep Moving Forwards, Part 7, Summary".

Summary: After finally deciding to leave your abusive and manipulative mate for good, you find unexpected companionship with Azriel, the Shadowsinger of the Night Court. As you navigate the aftermath of your traumatic relationship, you struggle to understand where the mating bond went wrong and contemplate your path forward, vowing never to return to the past.

Find other parts here: Master List

Content Warning: This story contains depictions of extreme emotional manipulation and abuse, mentions of physical abuse, mentions of rape, loss of a child, and general trauma.

Word Count: 1.8K

Author's Note:

This is a multi-part series. Unlike my previous works, this fanfiction delves deeper than just fluff, exploring complex emotional landscapes. As I navigate this new writing journey, I kindly ask for gentle feedback. The topics addressed are profoundly impactful, touching many lives with diverse experiences. Please be gentle with yourselves and others. Healing is a journey, and everyone processes it differently. Be kind to yourself. Take what resonates, and leave what doesn’t.

Please continue reading, being aware of the above content warnings, ensuring you are in a healthy headspace. Give yourself time to process and be gentle with yourself.

Throughout the rest of the day, you continued to watch the soldiers below, noting the times when the camp seemed quiet and when it was bustling with hundreds of males. An uneasy feeling gripped your shoulders as you felt trapped, reminiscent of being confined in your cabin in the mountains. You were unsure of Azriel's true intentions, despite his kindness, and you didn't want to wait around to find out. You decided you would leave tonight.

You took one of the pillows out of its linen lining, stuffing the naked pillow under the bed before placing your stored food and small collection of knives into the pillowcase and pushing that under the bed as well. You took the ribbon that Anthea had used to tie back your hair and looped it over a few times, securing the hunting knife Azriel had given you in the inner lining of your pants where it couldn't be seen. The only thing that gave you pause was your lack of shoes. Azriel had taken your shoes when you were brought here, and while you wanted them back, asking for them would raise suspicions. Your feet would have to endure the cold. You also gathered a few candle sticks and empty bottles from around the room, intending to use them for collecting water. 

When Anthea brought your dinner, a simple stew, you made an effort to eat every bite, savoring the warmth and preparing yourself for the uncertainty ahead. As she left, a sense of guilt washed over you—escaping a place where she clearly couldn't, if you could escape at all. The fear of continued confinement overwhelmed your fear of being caught. You half thought of bringing her with you, but her uneasy demeanor and the length of time she had been here made you question her ability to survive outside. If you could, you would someday return for her.

You perched by the window, watching as Azriel left for the evening. He didn't come to see you for the rest of the day, which was fine by you. When he was far enough away, you slid from your perch, grabbed the pillowcase of supplies from under the bed. You eyed the swords and axes, but when you went to pick one up, the heft of it caused your side to scream at you, and you decided it would slow you down too much to travel with it. You slipped out the door, ignoring the groaning protest from your aching side.

You found yourself in a small hallway, your room at the end. You made your way down towards the light radiating from below, the cold hardwood floor squeaking beneath your feet. Two other rooms were on this level, each with identical dark wooden doors. At the end, you descended the narrow stairwell to the lower level of the house. At the base was a modest living room with a large mantle, a red sofa, a dining room table with two chairs, and a meager-looking kitchen. Your heart raced too fast to take in much of your surroundings. Behind the stairs was a door that seemed to lead out the back—a welcome relief from having to walk out the front door. You pressed the door open and were immediately met with the smell of wet earth and excrement. Your lips curled in disgust as you pressed your sleeved arm to your nose and walked out, the mud squelching beneath your feet and oozing between your toes. You clambered up the hill, the fires being lit for the evening illuminating your path. Once you hit the treeline, you felt a renewed sense of peace as you continued forward, bumbling in the dark. 

Patrols would be in these woods, you were sure of that, and the best you could do was remain as silent as possible. You continued onward, occasionally freezing at the sound of a shifting branch but otherwise mostly alone. The cold mud made your legs shiver, and goosebumps erupted over your body. You silently wished you had brought one of those furs with you.

You must have only been fifteen minutes away from the camp when you heard what sounded like quiet sobs, followed by male grunting. Your heart stopped in your chest as you listened, the sobs sounding inherently female while the male groaned and moaned. As you walked closer, the sobs became clearer, and the male grunting louder. You realized the female was Anthea, from the small squeaks she let out.

You stopped dead in your tracks, recognizing the sounds of the crying. Your mind raced as you considered your options. There was no way this was of her own accord. Knowing what you did about Illyrian males and the way females shrank around them, you knew this wasn’t the first time this had happened to Anthea. Steeling yourself, you moved closer to the sounds, the light of a single lantern shining in the distance. As the sounds grew louder, the bile in your throat rose as you heard the male, between his animalistic grunts and groans, praising his victim. You had been in her place before. You had felt what she was feeling, and the anger that grew in you bloomed into a red-hot fire. 

You pulled the knife from your pants lining, gripping the handle hard within your fist, dropping the pillowcase behind you, long forgotten as you started to see red. Swallowing the rock in your throat, you moved towards the light and, without thinking, hurled yourself forward.

Your blade slashed through the wings of the male, and he howled, throwing you off him. His pants were still around his ankles as he turned to face you, breathing ragged. His face. Suddenly it all came back: the three Illyrian men, the tree, the storm. Darian.

Anthea slunk away, pressing herself against a tree, tears streaming down her scarred face.

“You,” the male hissed. “I thought you fucking died.”

You said nothing, holding the now-bloody knife as you struggled to your feet.

Darian pulled his trousers back up, tying them in place while licking his lips hungrily. “You’re going to wish you had died when I’m done with you.”

You pushed yourself upright. Though smaller than the others, he still towered over you, his wings flared out in anger, red blood streaming from the gash you had cut. He drew a long serrated hunting knife from his side, flipping it in his hand with ease, as if to show you the weapon he intended to gut you with. You swallowed any notion of fear and steadied yourself, crouching slightly to stabilize your body. The male smirked at your attempt. “Little kitty wants to play?” he laughed, crouching lower as well.

Without a sound, you launched yourself forward, your shoulder connecting with his upper chest, pushing him back slightly. Seemingly taken aback by your strength, the male stumbled and then laughed. “Strong one,” he hissed. “I like fighters, unlike that one over there.” He gestured to Anthea. “She stopped fighting a long time ago.”

His comment sent a new wave of rage through you. You yelled gutturally, slashing forward in a few long strides, but the male sidestepped immediately. When he was next to you, he wrapped his arm around your neck, pulling you tight against him. His scent turned your stomach as he leaned in close, sending his tongue up the side of your face. “Delicious,” he purred as you desperately reached to loosen his grip.

He lifted you from the ground, his continuous pressure on your neck closing your windpipe. The familiar white lining of blacking out began to creep into your vision. You gasped, your nails digging into his hardened skin as he gripped places on your body that recoiled from his touch. He laughed into your ear, breathing you in.

In a moment of panic, you clawed wildly at his face, successfully scratching a long, bloody line down his cheek and through his eye. The male yelled in pain, loosening his grip enough for you to fall to your knees, choking on the air that filled your lungs. “You bitch!” he screamed, covering his eye as he picked up his knife and stabbed it down towards you. You rolled out of the way quickly, the knife digging into the forest floor.

Ignoring the pain in your side, you stood and looked over at Anthea, who sat frozen against the tree. You stumbled over to her, croaking out, “Come on!” But Anthea merely looked at you, her eyes glazed over the same way they were when Azriel touched her, the same way you knew you looked when your mate had done this to you over and over again. “Anthea, we have to go. Now!” you urged, but she didn’t move.

Darian got to his feet, turning towards you, rage embodied. You glanced back at the trembling, half-clothed Anthea, but before you could say anything, your feet were carrying you deeper into the forest. The male came barreling after you, howling insults and threats. Your throat raw from where he had choked you, hot tears poured down your face as you ran into the midnight black. But the male was faster and more calculating. Before you made it far, he grabbed your shoulder and slammed you to the ground. The air was knocked from your lungs as you cried out.

Darian, bleeding from his cheek, laughed. “Thought you could get away?” he taunted.

He straddled you, his hulking body pressing into your midsection as he fumbled with his pants. Even in the night, you heard the sound of rope untying. You screamed, blood-curdling, begging him to stop. Your hands flew up, only for him to grab your wrists, his hands caked in blood as he tried to work your pants down. You kept screaming, begging for anything, anyone. The male laughed into your face. 

Just when you thought it was all going to begin, the beginning of your end, the male screamed and lurched backward. Behind him stood Anthea, holding your knife, lodged in Darian's back. Her eyes were still glazed over. In an instant, he turned around, tackling Anthea, pulling his own knife from his holster and plunging it repeatedly into her neck and chest, howling curses at her.

You lay on the forest floor, unable to stop what was happening as Anthea was almost dead upon impact. You let out a hollow shriek, screaming for him to stop hurting her.

“Y/N!” someone called out, followed by the crashing of woodland underbrush breaking around whoever was running. You were still screaming as Azriel cleared the last fallen log and took in the sight. The male, so enraged, didn’t even turn to see Azriel. Azriel ran to you, wrapping you in his arms, and then a whoosh of cold wind carried you away from the forest.

Author's Note:

Due to the sensitive content in this chapter, I have chosen not to tag anyone. Those who requested tags will be tagged in the summary chapter instead.

I understand that rape and sexual assault are deeply troubling and painful topics in our society. I wrestled with the ethics of writing about these themes and considered whether this addition would move the story forward or if it would be better left out. I am aware that some depictions in novels and fanfictions can be harmful, as they may glorify or misuse these themes. That is not my intention at all.

My writing often reflects my journey toward healing and understanding myself in more complex and holistic ways. While I recognize that such writings don't always need to be shared, my connection to these characters, their pasts, and their traumas compelled me to include this subject matter. I frequently ask myself if scenes involving power and control over another character can be portrayed without depicting non-consent or sexual assault. If possible, I avoid these topics altogether. However, I chose to include this scene because of the ongoing systemic oppression of women in these novels, particularly Illyrian women. I aim to do justice to these characters and highlight the complex systems of oppression both in fiction and in our world.

I am still learning how to share my art with others, and my art includes a part of myself. I hope you understand that my intentions are not to use these themes as mere plot devices or for shock value, but rather to serve a greater purpose.

Please take care of yourself and make choices that honor your well-being. Know that you are loved, cared for, and valuable.

Thank you for allowing me to explore this topic. I'll see you in the next part.

[page-yerin]

hey!! ( if your still taking requests) could we please have some Lloyd Ninjago dating headcannons? Ty!!

𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐃 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒

genre(s): fluff

pairing: lloyd garmadon x reader

trigger warnings: mentions of insomnia & anxiety

a/n: YESYESYES OFC I’M MAKING THIS ANON, I HAVE BEEN WAITINGGGG FOR SOMEONE TO REQ THIS (I usually have no motivation if ppl don’t ask for them) 🥹

I LOVE LLOYD SM ☹️ @mythology4life YOU ARE SO REAL FOR THAT, I READ EVERY LLOYD FIC I COULD FIND I SWEAR 😭

anyways, here you go! hope the two of you and anyone else reading enjoys!<33

☆ omg he’s the absolute cutest :((( (you can probably tell he’s basically my fav by now but i love them all, ANYWAYS)

☆ i feel like lloyd would be really shy and nervous at the beginning

☆ would try really hard to make the relationship work out bc it’s his first time and he had no idea what he’s supposed to be doing

☆ especially after harumi.. ahem.. happened, just give him some time to heal and figure out how a (hopefully) healthy relationship would go

☆ would probably go to kai and/or jay about advice—even nya sometimes (please don’t trust kai with these things, lloyd sksjdjsjs)

☆ would’ve had no idea he was in love with you until the ninjas pointed it out directly

☆ once he starts to get more comfortable with the relationship, he starts let out his more childish side

☆ would absolutely prank you (as a joke obv) just for sillies :p it’s his love language in a way

☆ COMIC STORE AND CANDY STORE DATESJSKJDKW >>>>>>>

☆ would not be a pda or physical affection person in general, but my god he is definitely touch starved, PLEASE HUG HIM :’(( (not before i do/j)

☆ he would be so nervous to initiate hugs or cuddles or anything, just let him know that he can if he wants to and that he doesn’t have to be so nervous ushauhajaijaoa

☆ omg please take care of this poor baby :(( you will have to force him to get sleep (insomniac lloyd is so canon) or take a break

☆ on the more serious side, i think he would rant/vent to you sometimes about stress and his anxiety :((((

☆ back to fluff, he would 100% stare at you. not in a creepy way or anything but he’s just admiring you<33 would sososo have heart eyes for you

☆ unconsciously cuddles you while sleeping, he’s such a cutie :((

☆ first to wake up bc of training and yk

☆ honestly think he would be a nose or cheek kisser (just based on a feeling)

☆ oh yeah, and going back to his love language, he would be a more words of affirmation and/or acts of service type<333

☆ guys i love him sm like i cannot, TREAT HIM WELL BECAUSE HE WILL ABSOLUTELY DO THE SAME!!

[laiwalane]

Hi love youe word sm, have you seen the movie Barbaran 2022? maybe you could write fic with Keith x reader? Something like he survives but events of the film still follows him in the nightmares and reader comforts him? please🙏

hiii anon👋 got ya

____________________________________

ship: Keith Toshko x reader

warnings: slight mentions of death

tags: hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, canon divergence, post-canon

summary: do you need a summary?🙂

_______________________________________

Probably two months have passed since the events that happened in that damn house. Too few. Too little to forget. But it's too long to keep it in head. Keith tried to distract himself: first to concentrate on work, then to drown these memories in alcohol. He was far from drug addiction, but the pockets of his jeans were filled with half-empty packets of sedatives.

Of course, you were there, trying to help, but... how can some outsider feel something that he did not see? Even if you turn the level of imagination to the maximum, you will not be able to see, hear, feel on your skin what he felt. The way you see how eyeballs leak out and a hand is ripped out alive. Although it was dark, this picture where a hole had formed in place of the hand with blood flowing out and flowing out, bones and veins were visible, a real bloody broth. On the one hand, it was just a hand; he didn’t see the death scene, but that was enough.

Therapy is not enough, every time Keith was left alone with himself, every trip to the shower or banal thoughts before bed, before the sleeping pills stored on the bedside table made themselves felt, every such moment carried him back to that ill-fated day. He would like to erase his memory, even if completely, even if he loses himself as a person, it doesn’t matter. Just to forget. But even if this is possible, there is too much at stake.

Unfortunately, this is how the world works. And there is something in this world that should not be in it. Well, it doesn’t happen that some flabby old woman, mutated from living in the dark, lives in the basement, and from time to time drags people in with her. However, it happened and happened to him. Keith turned out to be the very person looking at whom you can say “thank God this didn’t happen to me.”

No matter how it sounds, now those terrible events are behind us.

You've been lying and looking at the ceiling for an hour now. Maybe just a couple of minutes. There is an endless stream of thoughts in your head. Sometimes they return to Keith.

You feel sorry for him. Of course you do. But you don't even know how to help. He often says that everything is fine, that he has almost forgotten, but this is not forgotten and you know it. Lately, he hardly left your side while you were at home or anywhere else. He tried not to be silent even for a minute, you tried to maintain any conversation. But it is difficult. You both understood. Someday he will forget, time heals. After all, you are both adults.

A pitiful groan brought you out of your thoughts. "Nightmares again." You thought. And gasped.

A second later he was already rushing around the bed, shouting something incoherent.

As softly as possible, you called his name. It didn't work. Of course not. You had to put in more effort. In fact, you have never had such an experience.

After a couple more unsuccessful attempts, his eyes finally opened and his body automatically rose. He was used to such dreams. Although it’s hard to imagine that you can get used to this. His consciousness slowly returned to reality. Hands were shaking and legs were tangled in the sheets. It seems his whole body was shaking now, covered in this unpleasant cold sweat.

And you were sitting next to him, you didn’t understand what to do, what kind of reaction should you expect? It felt like his fear went directly to you, filling the entire room. It might even seem that the glass on the windows was fogged up.

–How are you?–you asked stupidly, mentally hitting yourself in the face. Perhaps you expected him to say that everything is fine, to drink a glass of water as a last resort. But he just sat there. He sat and breathed heavily with his head down. Slowly he raised his hands and covered his face with them. And there was so much doom and despair in this gesture that your heart almost fell into your stomach.

You hugged him from behind, very carefully, but still tightly. This sad and silent scene lasted for an unknown amount of time, obviously very little. But in the silence a sob was heard.

“I’m tired,” he whispered quietly, but enough for you to hear.

Car horns were heard somewhere.

- I would be tired too. – You answered philosophically, without getting up from his back.

- No, you don’t understand. Nothing helps me, no matter how much I try. God, of course you won't understand. I just...I don't know what to do. – Who even knows.

You were silent. He, too, was silent for a minute, and then continued.

– I was just a normal person, but all this turned me into a fucking piece of useless shit. Do you think I don't see? I don’t see how you and other people who know look at me? Constant pity, even some kind of emptiness in their gaze. Some people even avoid me and sometimes it seems to me that you...–he fell silent abruptly.

And you, it seems, have finally seen everything. Moving to his side, you removed his hands from his face and turned his head towards you. You were greeted by a pair of swollen, slightly red eyes.

–Listen to me, Keith,– you said, cupping his face with your hands. – No matter how difficult it is, I will help. I'm not leaving for anything, do you hear me? That's the last thing you should worry about right now.

It is not clear what kind of reaction a person should have to this. Maybe in a different situation he would have smiled and said something in a “well then everything is fine” face, maybe. And now it led to another lump in the throat and a fit of sobbing. Now in your hands already. The T-shirt became wet, and his position seemed extremely uncomfortable. Between loud sobs, he tried to say something else, you couldn’t make out what it was.

-I love you, you know. – You gently ran your hand through his tousled hair, along his back, still not letting go. Or rather, Keith didn’t let you go.

After some time, he finally calmed down. Maintaining the same position, you lay down.

You were laying there and listened to his nervous breathing. Quiet sobs were heard from time to time. You were sorry. You only hoped that Keith would see that you cared, that you really loved him.

–Thank you.–He said quietly and briefly. You were silent.

–No, really, I don’t know where I would be now...

– Don’t think about it, it’s not a favor. – It seems he was smiling.

- Fine fine... –It seems he realized that it was pointless to continue.

In any case, what else can be done? All that remains is to count on the mercy of the power of time, which will erase the sharpness of memories, and they will cease to be the brightest thing in a person’s life. In any case, life is still ahead and as long as Keith has someone nearby, all this may worry him a little less.

You felt his hand on your waist, its grip gradually weakening. He fell asleep again, that's good. Anyway...should it get better?

Nevermind, you will help anyway.

[bearyzdiary]

Hey, can I request a comfort fic where Reader helps Simon after the crash?? Like just some fluffy moments between the two if that’s ok :)

Your still the same

Simon x reader

This diary entry contains…fluff|mentions of car accident|blood|Established relationship|Mentions of depression and poor mental health|short

A/N:MY NOSE IS SO STUFFED I WANTED TO RIGHT MORE BUT I NEED TAKE A NAP BUT HOPEFULLY YOU ENJOY THIS!

He didn’t feel human anymore.He lost his ability to walk.He didn’t remember how felt at first.he felt nothing in his legs.

He still had you though!You stayed by his side during the whole healing process.You comforted him when he would cry about not feeling human anymore because he can’t walk.

You made him feel better by just being there with him the night of it.You didn’t care if you had to sleep in a shitty ass hospital chair.You would do it 30 more times if you needed to.

when Simon was finally released,He had to resort to doing online school as a way of finishing up college.You helped him with his work if he needed it and you would basically spend the night every day at his apartment.

He was so thankful to have you.You did everything you could.Clean,Cook and helped him bathe.It was a tough process for him but he managed on because he had you by his side.

He remembered the time you had helped him make his mom’s special chicken Alfredo.You never understood what was so special about it but Simon insisted that is was special because his mom added just a pinch of hot sauce and for some reason he found that special.

You didn’t put up much of a fight as you helped with pouring and mixing while Simon sat and instructed you on what to do.You ended up making it just like the way his mom used to make it which caused him to slightly cry before finishing and licking the plate clean.

He also remembered when you had gotten a pack of stickers from a dollar store to decorate his wheelchair so it didn’t look so boring.You placed the colorful stickers everywhere that needed some color.

“Do you really need to put hello kitty and her weird friends all over my wheelchair?”Simon asked as he watched you work.you shot him a glare before huffing.

“Yes!and her friends aren’t weird!they are actually very interesting and just for you saying that I’m gonna make you rewatch the entire hello kitty fairy tale series with me!”You say as you place the last sticker on his nose.

He grumbled before sighing in defeat.by the time you were done Simon had nearly fell asleep.You stood up off the ground and clapped at the results of your work.

“Simon! I’m finished!!”You exclaimed as you grabbed your phone and took pictures of the sighting for yourself.Simon admired his new wheelchair before smiling at you.

“I guess it looks better than a plain old wheelchair”He replied before pushing himself back and forth to see how it looked.”See now your boring plain old wheelchair is now hello kitty and her amazing friends themed!”You say as you smile.

Simon let out a small sigh at the memories before looking around the empty apartment.You had ran to go get his favorite snacks for the movie night you two had set up.He looked over at the book he never had time to work on since you had distracted him from the bad thoughts.

So what if the book was supposed to help him?it barely did and your company and silly antics was way better then some silly old book.Simon made a mental note to lock it away in the closet to dust up and be forgotten about.

He had you,You were the only thing able to distract him from the hell he was in.

[isnotwhatyourethinking]

The Warrior & The Healer - Chapter 2

Cassian x Winter Court Healer Reader

Summary: Y/n's healing powers are unparalleled, a gift from the Mother that she wields with precision and care. Sent to Velaris under the guise of a diplomatic mission, Y/n is secretly bound by a darker duty—spying for the Winter Court's ruthless war general, Isarn, to protect her imprisoned mother. But as she works to heal the wounds inflicted by Hybern, a chance encounter with a certain Illyrian warrior changes everything.

Word Count: 2.6K

A/N: thank you so so much for your support, never thought I'd finish chapter 2 so fast but this fic is consuming my body and soul and yea I got a little carried away, hehe

Warnings: all aboard the angst train, no stops. a dash of sexual tension, little language warning

The early morning sun was just beginning to cast its golden rays over Velaris as I approached The Sanctuary. The previous day’s whirlwind of activity still echoed in my mind. I hadn’t slept, consumed not only by Isarn’s deceit but also by thoughts of my mother. She was still captive, her safety hinging on my compliance with Isarn’s cruel bargain.

The agreement was to gather information about the Night Court for him, trading secrets for her well-being. The toll of this pact pressed upon me. Was she safe now? Was she suffering? Isarn's silence was an intentional torment, leaving me to imagine the worst, both about my mother's fate and the guilt of his lies about Rhysand’s court.

I pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped into the cool, tranquil interior. The Sanctuary was already alive with the hum of magic and the soft murmur of healers tending to their patients. Scents of ginger and calendula filled my nose. I inhaled deeply, drawing strength from the soothing atmosphere.

On top of the storm of emotions within me, I had spent the night in restless turmoil, my thoughts entangled with Cassian's emotions. Waves of his distress about the impending war and bursts of frustration echoed through the bond we shared, a constant undercurrent that I couldn’t shut out, and each surge of his concern was like a shout of desperation in the silence of my mind, keeping me on edge until the first light of dawn. My heart ached with the need to comfort him, to lose myself in those warm hazel pools. My mate. The words threatened to escape from my mouth. 

C’mon now, Y/N. Get your shit together.

"Someone had a rough night," a voice greeted me warmly, with a hint of worry. I turned to see the Night Court’s most trusted healer, standing a few paces away. Her short, piercing green eyes seemed to miss nothing, and her no-nonsense attitude was evident in her sharp, perceptive gaze. Her bulky frame and tan skin exuded strength and resilience, yet there was a comforting motherly presence about her that put me at ease.

“Good morning, Madja” I replied ignoring her comment, ice mask in place while offering a reserved smile. I couldn’t afford showing any weakness. “I’m ready to get started.” Madja nodded, her mossy eyes still studying me.

“Right. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. Follow me.”

We walked through the bustling hallways, passing rooms filled with patients in various states of recovery. The first floor was dedicated to triage, with an entrance hall where healers registered new arrivals and assessed their conditions, and the triage area was divided into sections for different levels of care, each with multiple cots and egg shell-colored linen screens for privacy.

Emergency treatment rooms were equipped with essential supplies, while a nearby waiting area provided comfort for those awaiting care. Supplies were stored near the loading dock, where deliveries were processed. I steered clear of that area, the mere thought of it sending a chill down my spine. How could the Cauldron be so cruel? The gravity of my secret hit my throat, my eyes burning with panic. I forced the frost in my veins to shake the feeling, and kept walking behind Madja.

The second floor focused on healing and rehabilitation, with patient rooms, healers' stations, physical therapy rooms, and a common room for social interaction and visits. Herbal storage and preparation areas ensured that potions and remedies were readily available. The third floor reminded me a bit of the offices at my own healing center, it housed healers' quarters, administrative offices, training rooms, a meeting room, and a library for study. I was impressed. The Night Court had truly spared no effort in providing every possible resource to aid their people. 

I also noticed that despite the severity of the trauma, there was an underlying sense of hope and determination that seemed to permeate every corner of The Sanctuary. As Madja led me into a room where the most seriously injured were being treated, many of them elderly, unable to walk or leave their beds, their faces etched with pain and weariness, my heart ached for them.

“We’ll start with these patients,” Madja said, her voice steady and reassuring. “They need our help the most.” I nodded, steeling myself for the work ahead.

I approached the first patient, an elderly fae female with a deep gash across her abdomen, and I concentrated, letting my magic flow through me: I focused my thoughts and emotions towards my hands with a gentle touch I knew could knit wounds with the chill of winter, mending flesh and bone with a breath of frosty air. Tendrils of crystalline ice seeped from my fingertips, curling around the laceration like delicate vines, and icy filaments dissolved into her flesh, numbing the pain and sealing the tissue with a cold that felt like the first snowfall of the season.

The female sighed in relief, her pain easing as the cut finally closed. I moved on to the next patient, and the next, my powers flowing with a rhythm that was both instinctive and sedative. I could draw out poisons and infections, encasing them in frost before shattering them into harmless shards. With a mere thought, I had reduced their fever to nothingness, the heat of illness vanquished by my frozen gift.

Madja watched me closely as we kept working, her sharp eyes noting every single detail.

“You have a remarkable gift,” she said, her tone impressed. “The way you control your powers… it’s extraordinary.” 

"Thank you," I replied, feeling a warmth in my chest at her comment. Somehow, her praise reminded me that the ice of my powers was more soothing than burning, because I knew I was using them to do the right thing, or at least that's what I had told myself in an attempt to release some of the guilt I had been carrying around with me these past few days.

We continued to work side by side, tending to the most serious injuries. There was a quiet camaraderie between us, a mutual respect that made the long hours seem less daunting. By the time the sun was high in the sky, we had treated most of the patients in the room. I was exhausted but satisfied, my powers drained but my heart somewhat lighter. For the first time since arriving in the Night Court, I felt a glimmer of peace. 

“Take a break, Y/N.” Madja said, her voice gentle but firm. “You’ve done more than enough for now.”

I nodded, grateful for the respite. As I stepped outside into the courtyard, I let the warmth of the sun wash over me. I took a deep breath, allowing the sun's rays to seep into my bones, slowly melting away the residual frost that always seemed to linger.

The courtyard was quiet, a rare moment of peace in the bustling Sanctuary. I found a secluded bench and sat down, unwrapped the biscuits the House of Wind had so kindly given me for lunch, and closed my eyes, letting the scent of lemon verbena and the sounds of the city wash over me.

The week passed in a blur of activity. Each day was filled with healing sessions, consultations, and endless rounds of the Sanctuary’s various floors. I was always on the move, my powers in constant use as I tended to the wounded and sick. Thank the Mother above, the work kept me busy, too busy to dwell on the gnawing anxiety that lurked beneath the surface.

In the evenings, I would return to my quarters at the House, exhausted but fulfilled. I kept my distance from Cassian, avoiding him as much as possible. The bond was a constant presence, a gilt thread that tugged relentlessly and reminded me of the connection I yearned for, although could not afford to acknowledge. I focused on my duties, on finding a way to secure my mother’s release.

By the end of the week, as I made my way to the office floor of the Sanctuary, I noticed Rhysand and Feyre standing near a window, deep in conversation. They didn’t seem to notice me as I approached, their voices low and serious. I hesitated, then moved closer, keeping my mental shields firmly in place. This was an opportunity to gather information for Isarn, and I couldn't risk passing it up.

“…Amren’s illusions were crucial,” Rhysand was saying. “She wove them into the minds of Hybern’s soldiers, making them believe they were drowning in the Sidra River.”

Feyre nodded, her expression grave. “It was terrifying to watch. Some of the soldiers were convinced they were reliving their worst nightmares. The illusions were so powerful they couldn’t distinguish them from reality.”

My heart pounded in my chest as I listened, my ragged breath coming in short, shallow gasps. 

Amren. The Ancient One, as she was called in the Winter Court. I had heard tales of her powers, whispered in hushed tones among those who dared to speak of her. Stories of her origins were shrouded in mystery, but the fear and respect she commanded were undeniable. I had never had the opportunity to meet her; she was always locked away in her apartment, immersed in some secret task given to her by the High Lord. Feyre had mentioned it to me once over breakfast, her tone casual but laced with apprehension.

The thought of Amren’s powers, of her ability to manipulate the mind and body so completely, sent a shiver of fear down my spine. What kind of creature could wield such abilities? And what could she possibly be working on, under Rhysand’s orders? This was my chance, I had to relay this information to Isarn. Perhaps it could be used as leverage in my negotiations for my mother’s release. If he knew the extent of Amren's powers and how the Night Court was planning to use them, he might find a way to exploit them, turning them to his advantage. Not that this thought made me happy, but it might release me from my bargain, so I needed to find a way to communicate with Isarn without raising suspicion.

Rhysand continued, his voice grim. “We need to be prepared for anything. Hybern’s forces are unpredictable, and we can’t afford any missteps. I’ll check with her tomorrow to see if we have any updates on the book.” 

If the task given to The Ancient One was to work with this book, it had to be relevant to the war, more so to Hybern. Carefully, I retreated down the hallway, my chest pressed with the weight of the new information. 

My thoughts were a whirlwind of fear and determination as I made my way back to the healing wards, until I saw the towering, bulky Illyrian walking in from the loading dock. I had to remind myself to breathe, to ignore the thread painfully tightening like a thick rope around my heart. Gods above, what is he doing here?

Cassian spotted me before I could turn away, his hazel eyes lighting up with recognition. “Y/N!” he called out, his voice a mix of surprise and warmth. “How have you been? Settling in okay?” 

Fuck, why is he always so nice?

I forced the ice mask onto my face, hiding the turmoil inside.

“General. Can I help you?” I replied swiftly, my tone freezing cold, as I intended.

He frowned slightly at my sharpness but didn’t back down. “Just checking on the supplies,” he said, his voice still friendly. “All good?”

“Fine.” words coming out of my mouth like shards of ice. I crossed my arms over my chest.

“I’m busy.”

He assessed me with those beautiful eyes, a mesmerizing blend of molten gold and earthy brown, like the first rays of dawn kissing the rugged terrain of a mountain, like a dance of light and shadows, a promise of passion, of unyielding lov—“talk later, General.” 

I had kept our interactions short and concise, barely acknowledging each other, despite his friendly attempt to reach out. I couldn’t blame him when his expression hardened, his usual warmth replaced by a flicker of irritation.

“You know,” he said, his tone sharp, “you don’t have to be so damn difficult all the time. I’m just trying to help.”

I kept my gaze steady, refusing to let his words pierce the icy facade. “I don’t need your help,” I replied coolly. “I can handle things on my own.”

His jaw clenched, and he took a step closer. I visibly winced when the shadow of his ominous wings covered the sunlight on my face, his presence looming and intense. His eyes studied mine with predatory intent, slowly lowering to my lips, forcing a smoldering rage to simmer in my inner thighs.

Mother help me.

He must've perceived my inner struggle, his lips slightly curving upwards.

“Fine. But just so you know, pushing everyone away won’t make you any stronger. It just makes you alone.”

The words hit harder than I wanted to admit, that same rage raised to my cheeks but I did not falter. Not now. Not in front of him.

“And why, by the Cauldron, do you care?,” I said, my voice laced with annoyance but barely above a whisper.

Cassian’s eyes softened for a moment, but then he straightened, wings barely shuddering, his demeanor shifting back to that of the disciplined warrior.

“Whatever, sweetheart. Suit yourself.” 

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, closing my eyes to the intoxicating scent of cedarwood that clung to the air. I drew in a long breath, trying to steady my racing heart, but the effort was in vain. His presence lingered, a ghost of warmth in the cold, a reminder of what I was pushing away.

The weight of his words settled heavily on my shoulders, a burden of truth I didn’t want to acknowledge yet. I watched him disappear from sight, my heart aching with every step he took, while the need for his touch burned under my skin, an itch I couldn’t scratch, a longing I couldn’t deny. Mindlessly, I reached for the silver drop resting on my chest, seeking its familiar weight as a way to anchor myself. The cool metal against my skin offered a semblance of comfort.

I couldn't permit myself to let him in and no matter how much it hurt, I had to stay focused, strong.

Words of a fool, I thought.

When I finally returned to my quarters that evening, I was too exhausted to think. I collapsed onto my bed, my mind spinning with worry and fear, as I looked out the tall window, admiring the sight of Velaris from my room.

And what a view that was: the streets were alive with what felt like distant laughter, and the soft glow of faelights were casting a warm, inviting aura over the city, making me sigh with heaviness in my heart, wishing I could walk those streets without a care, to feel the freedom and joy that Velaris offered its residents. Yes, the Winter Court was my home, but somehow the thought of strolling through the city of Starlight unburdened by the weight of my mission, my mother’s arm interlaced with mine, her laughter mixing with the sounds of locals, felt like a dream. A fantasy. The vision brought a bittersweet comfort, a reminder of what I was fighting for. 

My eyelids grew heavy, and I felt myself slowly blinking, each blink longer than the last.

I gathered the last bit of strength in me and I wished, I wished to the stars for a way out of the bargain with Isarn, for a way to help both the Winter Court and the Night Court in the looming war, despite Isarn’s selfish motives.

Tomorrow, I would go back to the Winter Court using the excuse of fulfilling my unattended duties there. The thought of facing the cruel fae responsible for my cursed fate filled me with dread, nevertheless I knew it was necessary. I had intel to relay, to see if it could be used as leverage for my mother's release. The risks were high, but the stakes were higher.

My vision blurred as I struggled to keep my eyes open, the comforting darkness of sleep beckoning me. As I drifted off, I prayed one last time to the Mother for the strength to continue, for the courage to see this mission through, and for the wisdom to find a way to protect those I loved. 

Chapter 3

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@bravo-delta-eccho @yamisuke @randomperson1234sblog @anxious-cactus @lilah-asteria

dividers by @estrelinha-s