#holly and her roommate wins

[alexiethymia]

Lucy: You’re a bloody idiot, Lockwood!

Lockwood: Yes, but I’m your bloody idiot.

Lucy: what

Lockwood: what

George probably: You’re both bloody idiots!

[kth1fics]

Paw Prints Academy (BTS Collab)

❝Welcome to the Paw Prints Academy for Dog Training and Behavior Program! Thank you for taking part in our community of puppy adoration and love. Seven authors have come to participate in telling a brand new story for you all; confidently trained by the best dog trainers PPA has to offer! We will continue to support and resource you with the softest, fluffiest, and wholesome interactions as you venture deeper into your program! We strive to give you the best dog training (fics) experience possible!❞

Song Theme: Harvest Moon: Spring (Town) ♪

Sit. Stay.

⤑ Pairing: Kim Seokjin x F Reader ⤑ Genre: S2L, Fluff, Baby Angst, Smut ⤑ Author: @daechwitatamic ⤑ Summary: Your new puppy, Zinnia, has turned your world on its head. She’s ruined everything from your sleep schedule to your favorite shoes, and you know it’s your own failure to train her properly. When your cute upstairs neighbor tells you about a local obedience academy, he slowly starts to make himself a place in your schedule, your life, and your heart. After your last relationship went up in flames, will his affections be something else you can count as a failure?

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Training to Love

⤑ Pairing: Min Yoongi x F Reader ⤑ Genre: S2L, Fluff, Drama, Smut ⤑ Author: @jimilter ⤑ Summary: Yoongi knew he didn't have the kind of time on his hands that is required to care for a newly rescued dog, but didn't let that stop him from bringing a frightened and ailing Holly home. But now that his roommate's moved out and he's not any less busier than before, he turns to the avenue that is pet-sitting. You come highly recommended and…are uncannily good at managing his fussy puppy. Not to mention that you're also really beautiful, adorable, caring, with a laugh that tinkles like wind chimes, and—maybe Yoongi needs to look for another sitter before both him and his puppy get too attached.

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Best In Show

⤑ Pairing: Jung Hoseok x F Reader ⤑ Genre: S2L, Fluff, Smut ⤑ Author: @kth1fics ⤑ Summary: After gaining a new member to your family, you begin to attend puppy training classes to help your new baby learn some basic lessons. She’s fantastic; a very clever and smart dog as she wins the hearts of many! You think she can steal any show with her quick witted charm, but her trainer is a strong competitor with winning you over.

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Off-Script

⤑ Pairing: Kim Namjoon x F Reader ⤑ Genre: S2L, Fluff, Smut ⤑ Author: @sailoryooons ⤑ Summary: Namjoon has always been meticulous. He likes his life organized and he likes sticking to what he knows. So why is it that his new dog seems completely set on being unpredictable and untrainable? Thankfully, you seem to be the magic fix for Moni’s untamable side. You even manage to help Namjoon loosen up and live his life a little more off-script.

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Canine Conundrum

⤑ Pairing: Park Jimin x F Reader ⤑ Genre: S2L, Fluff, Smut ⤑ Author: @jeonqkooks ⤑ Summary: The perfect conundrum consists of three variables: You, Park Jimin, and a golden retriever who does not give a flying f*** where he takes a dump.

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Amaryllis

⤑ Pairing: Kim Taehyung x F Reader ⤑ Genre: S2L, Romance, Fluff, Smut ⤑ Author: @jeonjcngkook ⤑ Summary: As far as love goes, you have only known the feeling of it from the way cherry blossoms float in the air and the fluffy animals you spend your days with at the puppy training academy. But nothing could have prepared you for the blossoming warmth in your heart when an attractive stranger enters your life alongside his tiny Pomeranian and suddenly you’re reminded that flowers cant blossom without sunshine and you may have found your light in Kim Taehyung.

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Must Love Dogs

⤑ Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x F Reader ⤑ Genre: S2L, Fluff, Light Angst, Smut ⤑ Author: @sugalaritae ⤑ Summary: You are a cat person. You don’t get dogs or the appeal of them. High energy, slobbery, poo f***ing everywhere. You prefer the quiet of cats. The small bursts of energy that last an hour tops. They are clean(er) than dogs with a place where they know that they go to the bathroom. It’s preferable. So, you're not entirely sure how you got roped into looking after your best friend's dog for two months but when you meet Jungkook and his animal best friend - Bam - you think maybe you can pretend to be a dog person. What's the worst that could happen?

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© All rights reserved under all respective authors tagged within this post - do not copy, repost, modify, edit, or translate any of these works without author’s direct consent. Ownership belongs to each author tied to their original works.

[lyrenminth]

Quiet love 3/?

The things went down from there. You avoided him more than ever while your grieved your friendship and your unrequited love. It was a big loss, so much that you asked money from your parents for a deposit. You contacted the external friend Lydia told you about, and she was looking for a roommate. Her name was Grace and she sounded kind by the phone. You didn't thought it was so bad. Since Justin was preparing for the games he was busy but you could tell he was avoiding you too and that hurt you even more. You stopped having dinner together and it was more like you hiding in your room or arriving late.

When you saw him, you were polite and distant.

The dynamic was killing you inside.

You started packing your things when Grace told you the previous roomate was leaving. You signed the lease to secure your exit. It was time to put your big girl pants.

One day your mom video called you, and she was worried.

"You don't feel comfortable in his house?" she asked.

"It's not that...I need my space. I can't be living in his house forever, mom" you explained. She bite her lip. "Please, respect my decisions"

"That's ok, but I don't want you to go homeless"

You laughed. "Don't worry about that"

"Holly wanted to talk to you" she lowered his voice. "She is worried about Justin"

You felt as if someone was throwing a bucket of cold water on you.

"Why?"

"Justin hasn't answer any calls or messages from anyone since a week ago. She didn't want to panic because the NFL is rough but that's a lot of time. And since you are living with him she wanted you to check on him" your mom explained. "Maybe the stress of the game is taking a toll on him"

You blinked. The Chargers weren't exactly winning but it wasn't that bad. They had a good record.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm going to check on him"

"And how you are doing, darling?"

You smiled through the pain.

"Good I like my new job" you started "And California is great, I meet..."

You told your mom everything about the courses and your discoveries, but you mind was on Justin.

When you finished the call, you sent him a message. He was traveling for an away game so it was less likely to answer you but you tried anyway.

Hello

Your mom is worried bout you.

Be a good son and send her a message pls

For your suprise, he replied within minutes. It was ten pm.

I'll do

Thank you

The three dots appeared, and you looked at the screen expecting something but after a couple of seconds it stopped. And you heart broke more.

Losing a friend fucking sucks.

***

On Sunday, Justin got injured during the game. So you were worried about him and decided to stay a couple of days just to see how he was doing. You told Grace and Lydia about delaying moving in.

You were doing a favor to Holly and Mark while they arrived to L.A. His manager, Ashley was in the house at times too. You met a lot of people from his world. Coaches, therapists and assistants.

You realize how important he was for the team.

They always looked at you in surprise then look at Justin like saying "Who's this chick?" it was uncomfortable, but he never told them you were his friend or his lover either. You were just Y/N.

You made him breakfast often. The doctor was optimistic about the injury, he could move and do many things, but he was grumpy most of the time. Being out of the game was one of the things he hated the most. You helped him to stand up and drive him to the facility for his therapy.

"If you need something send me a message" you said, he was in the kitchen eating breakfast.

"Thank you"

"You welcome"

His eyes were speaking but you couldn't decipher the words.

"The boxes...are you leaving?" he struggled to say.

Did he checked your room? Why? Why does he always act like he cares?

"Yeah, I found a nice aparment"

"I- well, were you comfortable here?" his expression was unreadable.

"Yes, thank you for letting me stay" you grabbed your bag and looked at the clock. "Ashley must be here at anytime. I should go to work, you can change your diaper yourself, right?" you joked.

The truth was the injury made you feel less angry with him. It didn't matter that he didn't want you back, you didn't like to see him suffer. He was still an important person in your life, no matter how painful was to look at him now.

And you promise in middle school to have each other's backs.

"Yes, I'm an expert now" he replied, following the joke. You lingered in your place for a couple of seconds, just to see if he said something, but nope. So you said goodbye and left the house.

When you arrive at noon, Holly and Mark were there. You were so happy to see them too.

"Oh, it is so nice to see you again" you hugged them, feeling relieved.

"Look at you" said Holly at your attire. A pencil skirt and a blazer, both in purple color "You look stunning"

That night you put your best act. Nobody could tell Justin and you weren't speaking to each other days ago. And you were glad to have more familiar faces around.

You were talking about your impressions of California, and Justin didn't speak so much. Maybe he wanted to rest since he looked tired.

"She found an apartment too" Justin added, and he sounded so bitter it made you frown.

Holly and Mark looked at you.

"Wow, it is expensive?" Mark asked.

"Not that expensive"

"Did Justin told you something?" Holly asked, looking at his son.

"Not, not at all. It was just time"

"I bet"

Justin was glaring at you, and you didn't understood why he was mad. Maybe he was feeling pain again. You didn't want to deal with his mood swings.

"You should go to sleep a little bit" you suggested, in a cold tone.

The rubbed his eyes and nodded.

"I'm tired" he sighed.

The mood shifted. You felt the tension in your spine and tried to rescue the night.

"Everyone must be tired" you said, standing up and picking up the plates. "You come from a long travel from Oregon" you said to Justin's parents "You better sleep a little bit"

His parents imitated you, but you noticed Mark side-eyed Justin with disapproval.

****

In the morning, you were preparing in your room for work when someone knocked your door.

It was Justin in all his splendor. Looking grumpy as ever.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure" you said without looking at him.

He got inside and closed the door.

"Are you parents up?" you asked, putting lipstick on in front of the mirror.

That morning you were feeling better. Justin's parents always put you in a good mood.

The boxes were still sealed in the corner of your room. When he didn't replied you turned around to look at him. He was fidgeting with the hem of his Nike shirt.

"Is everything alright?" you prompted.

"Yeah...no, no really" You tilted your head to one side, looking at him up and down. "I'm sorry"

The apology landed in a sore spot.

"For what?" you were using the profesional voice you use for clients. His behavior last night was unacceptable. Ridiculous.

"For lying to you" you frowned "I know, I've always know but I was scared and I'm so sorry for being a coward. And for last night too, I was a douche"

"W-what are you talking about?" you asked, referring to the first part of his speech.

"I like you...I like you since highschool or even before, I don't know" he admitted, quickly.

You stopped breathing for a second, your organs melting inside your body.

"Why did you tell me you weren't sure?" you were cautious. At first you didn't believe him, you needed to prevent any type of miscommunication.

"Because I was scared" he explained, walking three steps toward you only to stop suddenly. You didn't move an inch "I...my lifestyle makes me feel like I can't be in a relationship, I'm busy all the time. I don't want you to feel neglected. It's just that...I wasn't ready for the change"

You studied his words and expression, he sounded and looked sincere.

He got closer again, reaching for you like a giant lost kid.

"Are you ready for the change now?" you asked, not processing completely what was happening.

"Yes, yes I am" he touched your shoulder, and you noticed he was shaking slightly. Poor Justin.

You grinned, standing on your tiptoes to hug him carefully. He hug you back, hiding his face on the curve of your neck.

"Justin, do-do you like me?" you wanted to hear him once again. Only to know you weren't dreaming. You looked at him "Is this happening?"

"Yes, I like you"

"Why do you decide to tell me now?"

"My dad sensed something was off and talked to me" he said "I just needed to hear it from someone I trust"

"Hear what?"

"What I'm losing by letting you go"

"I'm going to say thank you to him" he laughed. His expression morphed into something serious, desire. His pretty green eyes scanned your face for a sign, his eyes lingered on your lips. A silent plea. You leaned forward, and he tilt his head only to brush his lips against yours. The warm of his lips sent a shiver down your spine, and you put your hand on his chest to steady yourself. You could feel how fast his heart was beating. The butterflies in your stomach fluttered aggressively.

He did it again, only to make sure you weren't running away. In the third, his pretty mouth landed on yours, and you opened your lips. Kissing Justin felt right all the way. He was careful at the beginning, but as the time pass you needed more. You tongue search for his, and he gave you all you wanted. You fist his shirt, dragging him down to your height.

"Oh my god!" Holly's voice startled you both. You separate, your cheeks burning red. You glance at Justin who was looking the same. "I-I made breakfast, guys" she said, hiding a smile.

"Thanks, mom" Justin said in the most causal tone he could gather.

"I'll wait for you in the kitchen"

When she was gone, you touched your lips. Justin had lipstick on his lips too. You laughed and he looked at you confused.

"You look good with that tone" you said, looking for a wipe. He looked in your mirror and frowned. You gave him the wipe so he could clean himself.

The breakfast was kinda uncomfortable. Holly was trying to act cool, but you were nervous.

"Are you guys dating?" Mark asked, by looking at your face.

"Yes" Justin said, eating bacon.

His answer made you happy. Was this really happening? He sounded so confident about it.

"About time! I'm calling your mom!' announced Holly only to be stopped by Mark.

You knew your mom made some gestures toward Justin indicating her likeness for him as your partner, but you never expect Holly to like you too.

It was heart-warming.

"Once Justin is recovered you should go to the games, using his number and everything" Holly suggested. You were at some games before, wearing the colors of the team, but never official merchandise (you weren't the most fan) but the idea of being there as his partner was terrifying and exciting at the same time.

Justin looked at you with warmness in his eyes. And you swore he was the most beautiful man in the world.

The idea of dating him was the best.

[sjsmith56]

Second Date

Summary: Bucky and Holly double date with Steve and her sister, Ivy. They go to Coney Island then Steve drives them through Brooklyn before stopping at a place special to him.

Length: 4.6K

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, named OFC sisters, douchebag co-worker

Warnings: discussion of a bad date, discussion of PTSD triggers, some fun is made of the OFC names which is promptly dealt with, sad memory for Steve.

Author notes: Wasn’t sure I was going to write a sequel but enough people asked for one. No smut, pure fluff, with some sad sweetness near the end.

First Date Third Date

🎡 🎢

Holly

The morning after my first date with Bucky Barnes I made myself a coffee then I phoned my sister, Ivy.

“Well, how did it go?” she asked.

“First of all, he’s drop dead gorgeous,” I replied. “Secondly, he kisses very well and thirdly, he’s a gentleman. It was one of the best dates I’ve ever been on.”

There was a little sound of wistfulness in her voice.

“I’m jealous,” she sighed. “I had to listen to my roommate calling her latest boyfriend Daddy all night, and I mean all night.”

“Well, we may have discussed the possibility of a double date with you and Steve Rogers.”

“You didn’t,” said Ivy. She waited for me to say I was joking. “You really did? Oh my God! You’re my favourite sister.”

“I’m your only sister,” I reminded her. My phone vibrated indicating a text message. “Hold on, I got a text.”

Him: Good morning pretty girl. I brought up a double date with Steve. He’s game, if your sister is.

Me: I’m just on the phone with her. I’ll call you back.

“Well, guess what?” I asked my sister. “That was Bucky. Steve Rogers is up for a double date with you, me and him.”

I had to put the phone away from my ear as Ivy literally screamed. It was obvious she thought a double date with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes was a good idea. After several moments of me not saying anything while she calmed down her voice finally came back.

“When is the date?” she asked, her voice sounding a little scratchy, no doubt due to the fangirl screaming she just did. “Where will we go?”

“Didn’t get that far in the text conversation,” I replied. “I’m guessing as soon as possible, and we could go anywhere that doesn’t involve heights.” I could feel her disappointment through the phone. “What?”

“I’ve always wanted to go on a date to Coney Island,” she said. “You know, the rides, the lights, the sounds, the gorgeous man on my arm that wins me a prize at the shooting gallery.”

“What are you, 14?” I asked, surprised that Ivy would suggest an amusement park. “It might be too intense for Bucky. He said himself he doesn’t do too well in crowded spaces.”

“Forget I said it,” she huffed, her breath so loud I could hear it over the phone. “I have to go to work. Just make sure that wherever we go is fun. You know how I feel about going somewhere fancy.”

I did know. It was something that still bothered her.

“Alright, I’ll talk to Bucky, and we’ll figure something out, I promise. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

We ended the call and I sat for a moment then dialled Bucky. As soon as I heard his voice I wanted to melt. If honey could be transformed into a sound, I’m sure it would sound just like him. Quickly I told him that she wanted the date and that she wanted to go to Coney Island. There was no response for a moment, and I was sure that I had just thrown the biggest bucket of ice water at someone who was trying to be nice. If it was only that simple.

〰️〰️〰️〰️

Bucky

“Coney Island?” Shit. I hadn’t been there since 1943. “Why Coney Island?”

“It all boils down to a date that Ivy had with a guy,” she said.

“Hold on, your sister’s name is Ivy? You’re Holly and Ivy, like the Christmas song?”

There was silence on the other end of the line, and I figured I had just put the kibosh on the whole thing. Then I heard a sigh and Holly’s voice.

“Yes, we were named after the Christmas song because we were born a year apart during Christmas week,” she replied, obviously tired of having to repeat her spiel. “Our parents thought it was cute to name me Holly, so that I would always have a song that was just about me. Then Ivy was born almost exactly a year later, and they thought it would be even cuter to name her that. That way, no one would ever forget our names and we would be linked forever as besties.”

I could feel the irritation through the phone as she obviously had to explain this many times over. “I like your name,” I offered. “Ivy is a pretty name, too. I’ll fill Steve in, so he doesn’t bring it up when he meets her. Now tell me about this date that Ivy had. He didn’t try anything did he?”

Holly sighed. “No, quite the opposite. It was a guy she worked with, Jeff. They flirted back and forth, and she thought he really liked her. He asked her out, told her to get dressed up really nice as he was going to take her to a fancy place. They show up at the restaurant and there’s another couple already at the table. A beautiful woman and her brother, her socially inept brother. Ivy wasn’t Jeff’s date … she was brought to be the brother’s date. He had no idea how to behave around people and it turned into the date from hell. The worst part was that Jeff and the sister ditched them both, leaving them to pay for the meal. The brother didn’t have enough money and Ivy had to pay for it on her credit card. Jeff never did pay her back and she felt so humiliated that she quit that job.”

Talk about being floored. That dumbass of a co-worker totally set up Ivy to be with the brother, then he left her to foot the bill.

“Where did she work?” I asked, ready to go over there right away and set this Jeff guy right.

“You offering to go over and kick his ass?” asked Holly.

“Well, yeah,” I answered. “I hate guys like that. So does Steve.” She told me. “Alright, we’ll take care of Jeff and we’ll set up the date. I can’t promise it will be Coney Island, but we’ll try to make it happen, okay?”

After hanging up I went to the common area in the Tower. Steve looked at me from where he was going over some papers.

“Well, are we going out?” he asked, his excitement barely contained. “What’s she like?”

“I haven’t met her,” I said. “But she wants to go somewhere specific, and you might not like it.” By this time several of the others there were listening in and watching us. “Coney Island.”

To say that his eyes almost rolled off of his face and onto the floor wouldn’t be too much of an exaggeration. Neither one of us had any real objection to Coney Island. Hell, we’d been there enough times when we were kids and had a ball, except for when Steve threw up on the roller coaster. It was more than that. The sounds, the crowds, the pure chaos that an amusement park could be was a bit much for us to handle. If we were on a mission, we could tune that sort of stuff out and deal with the task at hand but in a non-mission setting it was something else entirely.

“Why Coney Island?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

I told him about Jeff and the fancy restaurant date. His eyes grew darker as I explained how that fancy date had traumatized her. The others had been listening in and I could tell they weren’t impressed with Jeff, the lying asshole co-worker, either. It was then that Sam had to open his big mouth.

“Wait a second,” said our supposed friend. “Your girlfriend’s name is Holly, and her sister is Ivy?” He literally giggled. “That’s hilarious.”

I explained about them being born a year apart during Christmas week and how their parents thought it would be cute.

“You, of all people, shouldn’t be making fun of their names … Uncle Sam,” glowered Steve.

“I wasn’t ….”

The place erupted with everyone arguing over making fun of names until we were all surprised when Tony jolted all of us with an ear-blasting whistle. It was impressive.

“No more making fun of people’s names,” he said, then waved his hands at us. “I know, I’m not much better with the nicknames I give people, but Holly and Ivy are pretty names, and they had no choice in being given them. We get the giggles about them over and done with this moment. Now, about Coney Island.” He looked seriously at me and Steve. “It’s the PTSD part, isn’t it? The noise, the lights, the crowds?” We both nodded. “Good thing I’m a billionaire and a genius inventor. I can make Coney Island open only to us, the Avengers and the support staff. It’s about time we had a fun night out at an amusement park. For you two, I can come up with an earpiece that filters out the frequency of sounds that might trigger you. I can also come up with a filter in either glasses or contact lenses that will block the lights from seeming too bright. We can have it all ready to go by say Friday?”

“Yes Mr. Stark?”

The AI replied to Tony saying her name even though he meant the day (I know it’s an it but with her voice it was just easier to think of it as her). We all roared as he shook his head then a gleam hit his eye. He asked the AI to confirm if Jeff still worked at the same location. Then he asked her to book all of Coney Island for a private party on Friday, cost no object. Finally, he asked her to begin designing earpieces for Steve and me (he used the nicknames Capsicle and Manchurian Candidate but that was Tony) that blocked a certain frequency of sound, and contact lenses for both of us, that would mute the effects of flashing lights. He also asked Steve and me to wait on dealing with Jeff.

〰️〰️〰️〰️

Wednesday

Bucky

“Mr. Barnes, Mr. Rogers,” said Friday. “Mr. Stark would like to see you in the boardroom. He has a visitor who is applying for a position and would like your assistance with the interview. He said to drop what you were doing and come immediately.”

We were sparring in the gym and looked at each other, a visible smile on Steve’s face that was likely matched by the smile on mine. Together we went to the boardroom and could see through the glass wall that Tony was chatting amiably with a guy dressed up in a suit. In we walked, wearing our workout clothes, still dripping with sweat. Nervously, the guy stood up, holding his hand out to each of us. We shook it, both of us squeezing it a little harder than we should, but hell, he shouldn’t have been a douchebag (that is the term that Sam used) to Ivy.

“Wow, Captain America and the Winter … Bucky Barnes,” he said, realizing his mistake as I glared at him. “It’s an honour.”

“Gentlemen, this is Jeff Leeman,” said Tony. “The recruitment firm brought him to my attention, and I thought you would both like the opportunity to join the interview before I make a decision on his position. Perhaps you have a question about how he would handle certain situations.”

“Sure,” said Steve, playing Mr. Nice Guy. “We do have a lot of female staff, plus several different ethnicities including aliens. How are your interpersonal skills in dealing with a diverse and inclusive workforce?”

“Oh, top notch. I’m all for shattering the glass ceiling, being supportive of women in the workplace as well as those with disabilities or disadvantages, either physically or otherwise.”

“That’s good to hear,” I interjected. “We’ve been burned in the past by people who claimed the same qualities then a deeper search of their work history or social media posts uncovered a pattern of subtle abuse that if we had caught sooner would have definitely negated them being offered a position. You have nothing like that in your past, do you, Mr. Leeman?”

“N-no, nothing like that,” he answered slowly, then he looked left towards the exit before grimacing subtly, all signs of lying that I was very aware of. “I’m a very supportive coworker, honest without being cruel, um, understanding, professional in all of my dealings.”

Tony nodded his head sagely, briefly making eye contact with me. I almost laughed because I could read Tony as well. He was just about at his limit with this guy.

“I would like to give you a scenario,” said Tony. “Seeing as how you would be in our Human Resources department. Say you had a man at an interview, and he claimed that he was honest, trustworthy, honourable, considerate … you get my drift, right?” Jeff nodded nervously. “Then while you were doing your due diligence, being the good HR employee that I, and the rest of the Avengers would expect, you learned something disturbing about that man. What would you do?”

Jeff was really looking nervous now and I could see and smell, a sheen of fine sweat on his forehead. I decided to turn up the heat.

“Say for example, you learned he asked a coworker at his current position out, after spending time flirting, being courteous, and building an expectation of a relationship.” Jeff was beginning to look green. “Then he took her to a fancy restaurant where they met another couple, a brother and sister, say. Only then did he make it clear to his coworker that she wasn’t his date, she was meant for the slob currently sitting with the woman.”

“It was a joke,” he stammered.

Steve slammed his hand down on the table, surprising both me and Tony.

“It wasn’t a joke to her,” he growled. “Then you had the audacity to ditch her, leaving her with a strange man, without paying the bill.” He got up out of his seat and leaned towards Jeff. “Guys like you make me sick. Do that again to anyone and I hear about it will make me angry. In the words of my friend, the Hulk, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry. Get out now before I change my mind about letting you go.”

I don’t think I ever saw a normal human run as fast as Jeff did to the elevators, pounding away on the button for it in a panic, even though it should have opened automatically. I think Tony just wanted to watch Jeff lose it. Tony brought up the security camera link inside the elevator car on a visual display and we watched Jeff cowering in the corner, then making a beeline for the doors to the street when he left the elevator. As soon as Jeff was out on the street Tony turned to both of us with his smirk.

“That was a lot of fun,” he said. “Now, for Friday night. The park is ours from 7 pm to 11 pm, ending with a big fireworks display, which I’m guessing you will both want to skip. The people enjoying the park with us will be fellow Avengers and support staff with their families. They’ve all been warned to pretend they don’t know you.” He shrugged. “Whether they listen to me is another matter. The earpieces and contact lenses will be ready tomorrow. You can borrow the Lexus SUV to pick up and drive your dates. Whether you bring them back here or whatever is up to you. Personally, I’m looking forward to taking my two best girls to the amusement park. Should be fun.”

〰️〰️〰️

Friday

Holly

The knock on my door was right on time. I opened it to see Bucky wearing a dark green leather jacket, black T-shirt and jeans. He must have got a haircut as well as it was definitely shorter, but he still looked amazing. As I picked up my jacket, he just kind of smiled at me in a different way.

“What?” I asked, looking down at what I was wearing. “Do I have some food stains on me?”

“No,” he grinned. “You look incredible. I’ll have the prettiest girl on my arm at Coney Island.”

I could feel my cheeks heat up at the compliment as I wasn’t used to it. Holding my jacket just right he helped me on with it then placed his hands on my shoulder and leaned close to my ear.

“You look good all the time.”

His voice was so soft that I almost turned into a puddle right then and there. I don’t know if it was because he was from the 1940s when dating was something different, but I didn’t care. I really liked how he made me feel. After locking up and taking the elevator down we stepped out to where a Lexus SUV was double parked. Opening the back door, he helped me in then sat next to me in the back seat.

“Holly, this is Steve,” he said, nodding his head to the driver, clad in a black leather jacket and T-shirt.

With a voice that was silky smooth the big man at the wheel turned around and flashed me an incredible smile.

“Pleased to meet you,” he said, then gestured to a display on the vehicle. “Just say your sister’s address and Friday will plot the directions.”

“Friday?” I asked.

A female voice greeted me and asked for Ivy’s address. I gave it to her … it … and suddenly a course was shown on the display on the dashboard. Putting the car into gear Steve began driving, asking me generic questions while looking at me through the rear-view mirror. I had seen him on TV and in newspaper articles but seeing him in person was something else. Ivy was definitely not going to believe how good looking he really was. When we got to her building, I started to unbuckle my seatbelt, but Bucky stopped me as Steve got out of the car.

“Steve will get her,” he said, then he put his arm around me and kissed me. “I’m looking forward to this. Haven’t been to Coney Island since 1943. There’s something you should know first.” He took a deep breath and for a moment I thought he was going to say something like he just wanted to be friends. “Steve and I both have PTSD, and it’s triggered by different things but also some similar things. The noises, lights, and crowds there are triggers. Tony invented some earpieces for us that filter out the noise, as well as contact lenses that mute the effect of the flashing lights. Both of us have issues with fireworks and the filters aren’t enough to keep us comfortable so we’ll have to leave before 11:00 when they start. I hope that’s okay.”

I didn’t really know what to say. These two big burly men, who took on some of the worst villains in the world, had fears that could be triggered by an amusement park. Instead of doing something else, they made an effort to find a way to go, just to make Ivy happy. How sweet was that?

“There’s also something else.” His voice rumbled then he took a breath. “We kind of had an encounter with Jeff. We didn’t hurt him or even touch him other than a handshake. Just had a talk with him about playing with women’s hearts and humiliating them for fun. Tony was there and well; it was pretty damn satisfying to see Jeff almost pee his pants trying to get out of the Tower.”

“You did that for Ivy?” I asked. “You haven’t even met her! For all you know she could be a complete b….”

Bucky squeezed my hand to interrupt me as the passenger side door opened and Ivy got in, her face all aglow. Steve closed the door and got behind the wheel.

“Ivy, this is Bucky Barnes,” he said. “You already know Holly very well.”

She smirked then put her hand towards us and shook Bucky’s hand. “I’m pleased to meet you,” she said. “Steve told me what you and Tony Stark did to Jeff. I wish I could have seen it.”

“Actually, you probably can,” smiled Steve, with a definite twinkle in his eye. “Friday records everything.”

“I definitely want to see it,” she exclaimed, snapping her seatbelt into place. “Let’s go to Coney Island.”

Even though I made fun of Ivy for choosing the location of the date I have to admit we had a blast. It became very obvious to us that everyone else at the park had a connection to the Avengers, especially when Tony Stark himself stopped us on the boardwalk to ask if we were having a good time. It didn’t matter as we both figured if the general public were there that we would be stopped every minute for selfies or autographs. The guys themselves were attentive, making us feel like we were the centre of their world. They were also competitive, especially at the shooting gallery as they both did their best to outdo each other in winning the biggest stuffed animal. Bucky came out on top, claiming his WWII sniper experience as the winning factor.

We met up with several other Avengers at Nathan’s Hot Dogs and watched with amazement as both Steve and Bucky easily downed half a dozen hotdogs each plus several beers. Apparently, alcohol had little to no effect on them because of their metabolism. Then Bucky asked Steve if he wanted to go on the Cyclone and I thought that Captain America would fall off the seat laughing. They shared a story from their childhood of Steve throwing up while on the famous rollercoaster because he had too many hot dogs. The obvious affection the pair shared with each other was quite heartwarming to witness and I found myself making eye contact with Ivy often as it reminded us of our own relationship. I didn’t think the date alone with Bucky could be topped but this one was a lot of fun.

At 10:30 Bucky felt his phone vibrate and he gave Steve a look. With some regret they said their goodbyes to the others, and we walked out to the parking lot. By the time the fireworks started we were far enough away that we couldn’t hear or see them. As we drove the two men looked at each other via the rear-view mirror and Steve smiled.

“What do you think?” he asked. “Should we take a little trip down memory lane even though it’s changed a lot since 1943?”

Bucky nodded and held my hand as Steve drove through Brooklyn. We stopped the car a few times as they found a place that was still standing from the 1940s and told us a little story about it. Then just after midnight Steve stopped at an alleyway and turned off the car. He looked into the dark space then back at Bucky.

“It still looks the same, even in the dark,” he said, then turned to Ivy. “You’ll be safe with us, but I want to find something.”

“It won’t be there,” said Bucky. “Not after all this time.”

Steve shrugged and opened the driver’s door. He opened Ivy’s door and took her by the hand, walking into the dark alleyway. I looked at Bucky ominously.

“It’s safe, really,” he said. “I know what he’s looking for. Come on. You can put the flashlight of your phone on. The punk is probably trying to find it in the dark.”

He got out and came around to help me out the car. Fishing my phone out of my purse I turned the flashlight on then he took me by the hand, and we entered the dark space. Immediately I caught Steve and Ivy kissing, and Bucky laughed out loud. Sheepishly, Steve pulled away from Ivy then offered his hand to her. We kept walking down the dark pathway until we came to a dead end. Aiming my phone’s flashlight at the walls Steve told me to keep going up then he saw it, a glint of something metallic like a chain hanging over the edge. I couldn’t really tell what object the chain was attached to but they both knew.

“I’ll be damned,” whispered Bucky. “It’s still there. You going to get it, or am I?”

Without answering Steve stepped back a couple of spaces then leaped up to the ledge, grasping whatever it was up there and dropping back lightly on his feet. It was an impressive leap, and I know that Ivy and I were definitely intrigued. Steve opened his hand revealing a locket, covered in dirt. Using his thumb, he rubbed off what dirt he could then he gently opened it. A single tear ran down his cheek as he saw the pictures inside were still there. Bucky looked and placed his hand on Steve’s shoulder.

“All these years,” he said gently. He swallowed then looked at me. “This was his Ma’s locket. The hospital gave it to him on the day she died. As he was walking home a bunch of guys who had bullied him before chased him into this alleyway. He knew they would take it so he threw it as high as he could to keep it away from them. They beat him up and stole his wallet. I was working so I wasn’t there for him, but we tried to find a way to get to it later, coming up short every time. Eventually, we gave up, but we hoped that it would be safe there.”

“That’s incredible,” said Ivy, looking at the small pictures of his mother and father. “She’s beautiful and is that your dad?” Steve nodded. “He was a handsome man. I can see where you get your looks from.”

“I didn’t always look like this,” he smiled. “I was pretty scrawny then but thank you. I’m … I’m just happy I found it again and I only found it because I was out on a date with you.” She put her hand on his shoulder, beaming at him. With a cleansing breath he closed the locket and placed it in his pocket. “Let’s get out of here and go for a drink or something. I know I could use one.”

We found a nice quiet little bar and stayed there for a couple of more hours as Steve and Bucky shared stories of growing up in Brooklyn. Ivy and I shared some stories of our childhood and youth as well, proving that some things, like growing up with your best friend, were universal. When the bartender announced last call, we reluctantly left and headed for the car. Steve dropped me off at my place where Bucky looked at me with a question in his eyes. I smiled back, leaving it up to him if he was coming up or not.

“I’ll see you later, Steve,” he said. “Ivy, it was fun.”

We didn’t do anything, other than kiss, but I did fall asleep in his arms and woke up in his arms several hours later. A text from Steve to Bucky said that he and Ivy were going out to a familiar diner for breakfast, so we cleaned up and waited for them to come get us. It was the longest second date I ever had but was also now officially the best date ever. Even better, I think I was falling in love.

If you liked this one shot please like, comment, and reblog.

[c0ffee-gh0ul]

Writing request:

How Joseph and Stephen met but based around the new scott pilgrim takes off series

This one definitely had me a little stumped, but thanks to my best friend @kylealtavevo, I was able to figure it out! (creds to them for the idea, thanks pal!) I really hope you like it, sorry if it's not exactly what you expected!

ONESHOT: STEPHEN STILLS X JOSEPH IN SPTO

“This is my friend, Joseph,” Kim announced, entering band practice. “He knows about music, and, uh, he wanted to hang out today, so… Yeah.”

“Hi,” Scott said, waving.

“What’s up?” Stephen greeted.

Stephen and Scott were already in their places, behind their microphones, guitars in hand. Young Neil was on the sofa with Knives. It was her first time at band practice too.

Joseph squeezed onto the sofa with Knives and Young Neil. He waved to them and didn’t say anything. He wasn’t a man of many words.

“We are Sex Bob-Omb! 1, 2, 3, 4!” Kim shouted, catching Joseph off guard. 

“Does she always do that?” He asked Neil.

“Yeah, pretty cool, right?” Neil replied. Joseph nodded slowly in return, unsure of his answer. He looked over to Knives, who was watching intently with her eyes wide.

When the song was over, Knives immediately reacted by saying how awesome it was. Neil clapped. Joseph was still trying to soak it in, looking directly at Stephen.

“Um… Band huddle, real quick?” Stephen said to Scott and Kim. The three of them huddled together like a football team. “Who is Joseph?”

“My friend, Hollie’s roommate,” Kim replied. “Why? Do you have a problem with him or something? He doesn’t say much.”

“N-no, no problems! Just… he knows about music?”

“Yeah, he’s got a recording set up in his bedroom,”

Stephen’s eyes lit up. It was now his duty to impress the heck out of Joseph. Maybe he could help them record a Sex Bob-Omb album!

“Hi, I’m Stephen. Nice to meet you,” The huddle disbanded and he sauntered right up to Joseph.

“Joseph,” He replied, shaking Stephen’s hand.

After that, Stephen didn’t see much of Joseph. Scott “died,” and Stephen grew closer to Knives, like siblings. He kept asking Kim to bring him around to band practices again, but it was always something. He was working, or helping a friend move, or on vacation, or something.

Stephen and Knives teamed up to create a musical to win over Matthew Patel, hoping he would give them a record deal in return of him being casted as the main role.

Opening night came, for the musical titled, “Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Musical,” and Stephen spotted Joseph in the same row sitting with Kim and Hollie. His heart skipped a beat and he went pale.

“Everything okay?” Knives asked, noticing his change in demeanor.

“Joseph is here!” He whispered. “I hope I can impress him… He knows about music! Maybe he can collaborate with us and Matthew!”

“Oh, yeah! He has a music studio in his house! I mean, Matthew owns G-Man, so he’s got, like, a real studio, but… yeah! Cool!” Knives smiled.

The musical started, and Stephen kept glancing over at Joseph to see if he could read his expressions. Honestly, Joseph was expressionless the whole time. Stephen couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

When the show ended, Knives and Stephen went out to the lobby, hoping to see Joseph and talk to him.

“Do you like… Have a thing for him or something?” Knives asked. Stephen had recently come to the conclusion that he was gay, but Knives was really the only person he told.

“I-I… I don’t know! Maybe?” He replied. “Feelings are confusing.”

Soon enough, Joseph approached them, along with Hollie and Kim. 

“Great show, guys,” Kim said.

“What did you think, Joseph?” Stephen asked immediately. 

“Musicals aren’t really my thing, but… Not bad,” He replied, nodding his head.

“Well, uh, we were about to head out for celebratory pizza, wanna join us?”

“Um, what are we? Chopped liver?” Hollie raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, you guys too!” Knives cut in.

“I don’t mind some pizza,” Joseph replied. He, along with Hollie and Kim, walked ahead of Knives and Stephen.

“You totally have a thing for him!” Knives teased Stephen.

[dropsofnightshade]

Recapping Chapters 76 - 80

Day Six of the DAYS Gathering: 

Harry attends his second Quidditch workshop in the morning, and then after lunch he has the second half of his Wandcraft workshop. The students go outside to conduct the ritual to attempt to bond their chosen core to the wood they have prepared. They encounter one of their hosts, Juliette Vayssière, who is there to guide them on where to conduct the ritual and also to witness it. 

Harry is able to successfully complete the ritual, creating a yew wand with a thestral hair core. He is left exhausted from the process. Madam Alarie pulls him aside to talk — she tells him he has a gift for ritual magic. She offers him an apprenticeship with her, to commence when he turns seventeen. Wandmaking apprenticeships last for five years, which is a big commitment. Harry is not sure what he wants to do, but Madam Alarie encourages him to think on it — he has plenty of time to consider his options. 

Harry is tempted to keep the wand he has created; he feels attached to it. However, he knows instinctively it will not work as well for him as his holly wand. He knows it is destined for someone else, and so he agrees to sell it to Madam Alarie. 

That evening is the ball to wrap up the end of the DAYS gathering. Harry and his friends end up arriving later than planned, and they have to split up onto seperate tables. Harry and Daphne have no choice but to sit on a table with Finn Vogel, and some of his friends. 

Finn behaviour continues to be frustrating, but Harry doesn’t actually mind the other boy’s friends. One of them, Jan, is a Durmstrang boy sponsored by the Sowa family. When Harry asks if he knows Kasia and Malina, he confirms he does. He mentions Kasia’s uncle Piotr Sowa is famous for being the youngest duellist to ever win the European tournament. 

Harry and his friends have a wonderful night on the dance floor, and at the end of the evening Harry and Daphne take their time walking back. Mischa offered to take them to the after party, before realising they are probably a bit young. 

Harry parts ways with Daphne, and heads to the boy’s section of the dormitories. 

He encounters a shocking scene — Blaise has another Altomare-sponsored boy pinned up against the wall, wand in hand. When they become aware of Harry’s presence, Blaise is horrified. 

After the other Altomare sponsored boy has left, Blaise letting him go, Harry presses his friend for answers. Blaise refuses to say anything, begging Harry not to ask him. Harry realises Blaise is scared. 

They are interrupted by Liam coming out of the dormitory, having heard noises. Blaise leaves soon after — Liam checks in on Harry to ask what happened, but Harry doesn’t answer truthfully he doesn’t even know what happened. 

Day Seven

On the final morning of the DAYS gathering, everyone gets up to pack and spend some final moments together before parting ways. Harry spends time with Daphne, her roommates, and his own roommates. They chat about birthdays, and Harry realises he never RSVPd to Draco’s birthday invitation. He could not attend due to being in France, and he had mentioned it in the last week of school to Draco. But he had not responded to the actual invitation. Harry feels terrible, and resolves to apologise to Draco when he gets home. 

Harry also learns who sponsored each of his new friends. 

There is a farewell lunch, and then everyone is saying their goodbyes to head home. Harry and Daphne need to find Karin Battenberg in the courtyard to be escorted back to their families, but Harry is on a mission to find Blaise before he goes. He tells Daphne he needs to use the bathroom and slips away. 

He tracks Blaise down, finding him standing a short distance away from the crowd. He confronts Blaise, but the other boy implores him it is not a good time, and he needs to go. Harry is hurt, but he agrees to leave. However, before he can do so, a man and woman arrive. 

Harry’s magic reaches out to both of them, and the closest he had felt such a feeling was around Blaise. He notices how scared Blaise is at their arrival, which raises his hackles. 

He learns the woman is Amara Zabini, Blaise’s mother, and the man is Dante Altomare, Blaise’s sponsor. 

Amara Zabini reveals herself to have the same ability as Harry; she has wandless magic like him. She also uses Legilimency on him to inform him telepathically, ‘I see you’. 

Blaise insists Harry needs to go, and the adults allow him to leave. Before he goes, Blaise hugs him and whispers in his ear to stay away. 

As Harry leaves, he feels Amara’s magic reach out to him and touch him. Her magical touch hurts, and as he flees through the crowd it’s almost as though he can still feel it touching him. 

Harry arrives back to Karin, who takes he and Daphne back to the hotel in Paris their families are staying at. 

Harry confesses to Sirius, Arcturus and the Greengrass family what happened, and they are furious on his behalf. Harry theorises Blaise and his mother might be related to the Altomare family, based on the fact their magic felt the same way to him as Dante Altomare’s did. 

Sirius makes Harry promise him that he will stay away from Blaise. Daphne is expected to not see him outside of school. 

-

Harry meets with Nikolai Drozdov, and sees Mischa again. Nikolai affirms he is happy to teach Harry, and Dora too for that matter. They eventually agree that Harry and his guardians will travel to Russia over the Yuletide school holidays  that year for a couple of days, to allow Harry to begin his Metamorphmagi training. If all goes well, he might be staying with the family for a longer visit over the summer holidays next year. 

Meanwhile back in Britain, Draco is aware his parents are fighting. He is also upset at Harry for forgetting to RSVP to his birthday invitation, and has been talking with Theo and Pansy who are encouraging his anger and resentment. 

Narcissa and Lucius have a tense confrontation, where Narcissa is demanding an answer out of Lucius for an ultimatum she gave him. He had until Harry returned from overseas to decide. She is demanding he make an Unbreakable Vow, to do everything in his power to advocate for Harry, and to protect him. After her sister Bellatrix implied the Dark Lord might have returned, or be returning, Narcissa has been on high alert. She wants Lucius nowhere near Harry without assurances. 

After a tense stand off, Narcissa agrees to compromise. She will not ask for the Unbreakable Vow, but she does ask that he sign a binding contract. If he harms Harry, aids another to do so, or stands aside knowing harm is coming to Harry, Lucius will surrender custody of Draco. He will also forfeit all assets to Narcissa. She threatens to walk out on him if he does not agree to her terms. Lucius, backed into a corner, agrees. 

Once Narcissa has left, Lucius reflects on the diary on his study bookshelf, the strange item the Dark Lord gave him years ago. For a moment he considers moving it somewhere, but he quickly dismisses the thought. 

It is revealed that the diary is attempting to influence Lucius, using his moments of emotional vulnerability to breach his Occlumency shields. The diary is aware it needs an easier target though. 

Harry is back in England and aware Draco is upset with him. He focuses on his Runecraft intensive course with Rosie, and visits Neville too. Neville has decided to have a birthday party, and mentions inviting Blaise. He notices Harry’s strange reaction to the mention of the boy, and asks Harry what is wrong. Harry can’t tell Neville the truth, but he explains things are weird between he and Blaise right now, and he can’t see him. Neville is worried but understanding, and confirms he will let Harry know whether Blaise plans on coming. 

A week after returning to England, Aunt Cass comes to visit Harry and his guardians. They inform her about the incident with Amara Zabini, and she agrees to share what she knows about the woman. However, because Harry has not yet learned Occlumency, he will not be allowed access to hear anything. He does though get confirmation from Aunt Cass that she believes Amara Zabini is part of the Altomare family. 

A few days later, Harry wakes in the middle of the night to noise downstairs at Grimmauld Place. Narcissa and Draco have arrived seeking shelter for the night — the Ministry have raided Malfoy Manor. Sirius insists on travelling to the manor to assist Lucius, and Narcissa is extremely grateful for her cousin’s support.

Narcissa is convinced the raid has something to do with the Battenberg family. Arthur Weasley signed off on the raid, and his sister-in-law is Karin Weasley née Battenberg. The following morning the Tonks family arrives and Pollux Black too. They are all there to support Narcissa and Draco, and to wait for news from Lucius. 

Harry and Draco are able to make amends, with a little help from Dora mediating. 

Sirius arrives, and informs everyone that he, Lucius and Gareth Greengrass met with Amelia Bones to report the incident and lodge a formal complaint. Madam Bones was furious, however Arthur Weasley’s actions were technically legal. It is unlikely he will suffer worse than a reprimand. 

Narcissa decides it is time to return to the manor, but Draco is reluctant to go. Narcissa lets him stay at Grimmauld Place, and goes home alone. She and Lucius discuss the situation, and Narcissa asks if Lucius does not still have some sway with the Minister. Lucius reveals any goodwill he had with Fudge was torn to shreds when the Battenbergs took aim at their family. Lucius has been trying, unsuccessfully, to meet with Fudge for some time. His attempts have always been rebuffed, and the latest excuse provided by his office is that the Minister is busy entertaining the chairperson of the Berlin Trading Board. That same organisation has all but blacklisted Lucius, on orders of the Battenberg family. 

Lucius has realised how important it is to surround themselves with people they can trust and rely on. He agrees to sign the contract Narcissa has prepared for him, and Narcissa is relieved. However, Lucius thinks privately that Narcissa is naive to think the existence of the contract, and repercussions if Lucius breaches it, will satisfy the Blacks. If the Blacks find out they kept the return of the Dark Lord from them, they will not be forgiven. 

Harry has an appointment with Specialist Healer Evelyn Byrne, to check if there was any damage from his encounter with Amara Zabini. At first, they try to keep the real purpose of the appointment vague, but when Evelyn pushes back about not continuing the appointment without good cause, Arcturus makes the call to tell her the truth. 

He does not give her the name, but he confirms someone entered Harry’s mind without his consent recently. Evelyn presses for more information, and the identity of the perpetrator, but the Blacks refuse to say who it is. They insist the person is dangerous, and they do not know how far their influence reaches. 

Evelyn lets it rest for now, but warns the Blacks if she has any doubts in the future that Sirius and Arcturus are not acting in Harry’s best interests, she will report them. The examination reveals no damage or lingering influences on Harry’s mind. 

Harry enjoys Neville’s twelfth birthday party, as Blaise had replied to say he was still in Europe and unable to attend. On his own birthday, he does not have anything planned, but he enjoys opening his letters and presents from friends both near and far, including his new friends from the DAYS gathering. 

Arcturus and Sirius were taking him to dinner and then a Quidditch match, and Harry arrives at the restaurant to find a surprise waiting for him; the Greengrass family, Ezra, Neville and Draco are present. He is touched, and excited to have dinner with everyone. Daphne, Astoria, Neville and Draco come with Harry and his guardians to the Quidditch match. 

Shortly after his birthday, Harry has a sleepover with Draco at Malfoy Manor. Draco tells Harry that his parents have been fighting over the holidays, but they are doing a lot better now. He also tells Harry that his father has been struggling to maintain business connections around Europe, because he has upset a powerful German family. 

Harry knew the Battenbergs had been displeased with the Malfoys and Notts for the ways their Heads had voted, but his guardians had kept him in the dark about the extent of the difficulty for either family.

That night, Harry struggled to get to sleep. He decided to get up and ask a house elf for either a Dreamless Sleep potion or some tea to encourage sleep. When he calls for a house elf, he encounters one that is familiar to him — Dobby. 

Dobby appears to have some sort of meltdown around Harry at the simplest expression of kindness, and another house elf appears to send Dobby away and assist Harry instead. Harry asks the new house elf, Jaffa, if Dobby is normally like that. Jaffa admits Dobby is different, but that does not mean he is unable to serve the Malfoys. Jaffa does not seem to want to talk about it any further, and so Harry drops the topic. He asks for some tea, and Jaffa prepares it for him and leaves him. 

As Harry drinks his tea, he becomes aware of his magic humming underneath his skin, acting in the way he had only experienced on sacred dats when near ritual magic. He pays proper attention, realising the restlessness tonight had something to do with the reaction of his magic to something in Malfoy Manor. He felt called, in the same way he had felt around Slytherin’s Locket. 

Before he could explore it further, Draco and Narcissa come bursting out of Draco’s bedroom — another Ministry raid is about to happen and they have to leave now. Harry, Draco and Narcissa manage to leave without encountering any officials, Jaffa getting them out to Grimmauld Place safely. 

Word arrived a day or so later that the Notts had been raided too that same night. There was an emergency meeting of Morgana’s Court called to discuss the matter. The debate had revolved around the Nott and Malfoy families’ belief that the Battenbergs were influencing Ministry politics, and the rest of the members of the Court evaluating whether there was any concrete evidence. Even if there had been something more than a suspicion based on Arthur Weasley’s involvement, there was arguably not a lot anyone could do if it was true.

Harry wondered though if his guardians and the Greengrass family too, might be able to persuade the Battenbergs to leave the Malfoys and Notts alone. It would have to be handled delicately though. 

A letter arrived from Dion Lykaios, the boy writing to Harry as he had promised he would at the DAYS gathering. He asked how Harry had settled back home, what he had been doing on his holidays, and if he was looking forward to starting at Durmstrang. It was all very nice but generic, with the exception of the final lines of the letter, where Dion reminded Harry that if he ever visited Greece, he was welcome to visit Dion and be shown around by the other boy.

Harry arranged to meet up with Hermione and her parents to accompany the girl doing her Hogwarts shopping and catch up. No one could escort him though in his own family, and he agreed to go with the Malfoys, although he was hesitant at the idea of Narcissa and Lucius meeting Derek and Jean Granger. 

On the day, Harry notices Lucius has the item on him that was calling to Harry the other night. Harry disguises himself with his Metamorphmagus ability, to avoid being recognised. 

They get to Diagon Alley, and see the Grangers waiting on the steps to Gringotts. Harry has a bad feeling about introducing the Malfoys to the Grangers, and suggests they part ways so the Malfoys can get on with their shopping. Narcissa and Lucius readily agree, and Harry meets with Hermione and her parents alone. 

Hermione’s parents are disappointed to not meet the Malfoys. Derek Granger in particular expresses his desire to meet Narcissa — they are distantly related of course. Harry offers to make introductions later today if that is something they want, realising it is not his responsibility how either couple might react. 

Inside Gringotts, they spot the Weasley family arriving, and there is a tense moment when Arthur Weasley notices Derek Granger exchanging Muggle money, and draws attention to it. He is reigned in by Molly though, and Harry and the Grangers make their escape. 

At Flourish and Blotts there is a sign out front declaring author Gilderoy Lockhart will be signing copies of his book that day. Hermione is eager to go, and so they decide to come back later. 

When they return, they find a huge line outside. Harry can also sense the presence inside the shop of the item Lucius bought with him, and figures Lucius must be at the bookstore. While they are waiting there is an incident inside the shop, and Lucius storms out with Draco in tow. Neither notices Harry in disguise, with the Grangers. 

Strangely, Harry feels like the item is still within the shop, and not with Lucius. 

As he leaves with the Grangers, he becomes aware of the presence moving closer to him. He spots the Weasley family nearby, and his attention zeroes in on the cauldron the Weasley daughter is holding. He realises the item is, inexplicably, in her cauldron. 

Without much time to think about his actions other than the strong feeling he needed to seperate her from it, Harry’s magic instinctively heated the handle of the cauldron to force the girl to drop it. It rolled, books spilling out. 

Harry moved over under the guise of helping her, attention on one book in particular. He noticed she seemed confused by the book, and it convinced him that the item was not meant to be with her. 

He picks it up, and it is like a homecoming to him. 

Harry tells the girl that he dropped it earlier in the crowd, and thanks her for finding it. She is very shy, and eager to know if Harry is attending Hogwarts. She is disappointed when he tells her he is not. 

Harry gets away with the book, lying to Hermione too that he dropped it earlier. The Grangers escort him to meet the Malfoys, and seeing how upset Lucius was earlier Derek suggests they meet the Malfoys another time. Harry agrees. 

Fortunately that decision was made, because Harry overhears Lucius speaking in a derisive tone, mentioning Muggles. He learns Arthur Weasley and Lucius had a physical altercation in the bookstore. 

Narcissa and Lucius speak cruelly about the Weasley family, and Harry is uncomfortable.  

As soon as he gets back to Malfoy Manor, he gets Narcissa to take him home to Grimmauld Place. Once he alone in his room, he investigates the book he picked up. He learns it is a diary, and despite trying numerous spells on it, it remains blank. 

The magic coming from the diary was unmistakably dark, and it hummed strongly with ritual magic. The dark magic coming off of it also reminded him of the way Blaise, his mother Amara, and Dante Altomare’s magic felt to his senses.

Harry realises there is a sentient presence within the diary, and although he knows he should tell his guardians, he hesitates. He feels the diary could be connected to the Slytherin family in some way, as the locket was, and that could be the nature of the draw to both items for Harry. 

He uses runecraft on the first page of the diary to see if he can uncover any more information, and is surprised when it disappears. Words appear, asking him if he is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. 

Harry feels vindicated about his suspicion that the diary is linked to the Slytherin family, and starts writing back.

He learns the presence within the diary is called Tom, and the real Tom created the diary to preserve memory and knowledge for the heir of Slytherin. Harry is curious about there being a possible claimant, but also wary it could well be Voldemort himself, if the theory is right that he is a Gaunt. 

Tom meanwhile is troubled by Harry. He knows Harry is capable of wandless magic, like himself. He suspects Harry might be a relative of his, based on the other boy’s magical strength and his Parseltongue ability. He realises he needs a far more subtle approach than attempting to seize control of the mind of the person holding the diary. In this form, he had the ability to manipulate other’s emotions as well as the ability to skim the surface thoughts of anyone holding the diary, assuming they were not an Occlumens.

Tom learns much in his early days with Harry through these means, in particular about his future self. He learns about Slytherin’s Locket, apparently stolen from his future self and hidden now with the Black family. He learns his future self attempted to kill Harry as a baby, and did succeed in killing his parents. He learns Harry survived that night because his mother used blood magic to sacrifice her own life for Harry’s. He learns there is some sort of prophecy between he and Harry, but he is not sure of the specifics. 

Tom offers to teach Harry about the Slytherin family, which Harry is eager to learn about. He tells Harry there is a portrait of Salazar Slytherin hidden at Hogwarts, but Harry is dismayed to admit he is attending Durmstrang. Tom is frustrated by this. 

Tom also shares that Salazar Slytherin had an aptitude for blood magic. He offers to teach Harry how to practice blood magic, as a means of cementing his usefulness to Harry and keep the boy coming back to the diary. 

With each passing day that Harry writes in the diary, Tom’s strength grows. 

Meanwhile, Gareth meets with Lord Shafiq to discuss what happened with the intermediary who was meant to establish communication between the Drozdov family and the Blacks. He learns there was an administrative failure on the Ministry’s part, which resulted in the intermediary closing their file. 

Gareth also learns that Fudge’s office has ben interfering in the work of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. The two men speak candidly about the need for the families of the Sacred Twenty-Eight to set aside old differences to unite against a common enemy. They both agree to endeavour to persuade their seperate camps to come to the negotiating table. 

Sirius takes Harry to Berlin to be fitted for his Durmstrang uniform. There, Harry encounters Finn Vogel and an adult with him. There is no opportunity to properly speak, but Finn tells Harry he will see him at school soon. His attitude is just as challenging as it was at the DAYS gathering. 

Harry says his farewells to all his friends and loved ones as he prepares to leave for Durmstrang. He is taking an International Portkey to Bergen in Norway with Arcturus and Sirius on August 30th. The ship for Durmstrang departs on the 31st.

It is hard to say goodbye to Daphne in particular, who he feels he has always had by his side. 

The night before Harry leaves for Norway, Tom contemplates his plans for the future. He intends on building rapport with Harry, and continuing to glean as much information as possible from the younger boy. For now, he is content to watch and wait, his strength building with each passing day. 

[londonfoginacup]

Twenty Four Days of Ficmas

Harry/Louis | Zayn/Liam | 12k | 24 Chapters

Twenty four days of One Direction Christmas ficlets! Get ready for large amounts of Christmas tooth-rotting fluff. Evles! Meet-cutes! Large amounts of hot chocolate, light dustings of snow, and several boys that may or may not make Santa's nice list!

Six Weeks

Harry/Louis | 20k | 7 Chapters

When Harry takes the afternoon shift at the cafe, he meets a boy who drinks a lot of tea and never remembers his umbrella.

Here's to Many More

Harry/Louis | Zayn/Liam | 8k

Harry Styles is nothing special. He grew up in the foster system and now, at eighteen, he's out on his own. He's just sort of… existing. That is until one day, when it's cold and raining and he takes a chance on a coffee shop instead of a forty minute bus ride during rush hour. There, he meets a boy who talks too much and draws friends to him like a magnet. Merry Christmas, here's to many more.

Home for the Holly Days

Harry/Louis | 2k

Louis’s participating in the Secret Santa exchange between all the Hogwarts professors stuck at school over the winter holidays, and the Sorting Hat may fancy itself a bit of a matchmaker.

Frankincense-ational

Harry/Louis | Zayn/Liam | Niall/Shawn | 31k | 25 Chapters

Do Not Falter (There's a Star Ahead)

Harry/Louis | 2k

It's Christmas Eve, and every single one of Louis' family members are crowded inside his little flat. Really, what more could he ask for on his birthday? The present he never knew he wanted - in the form of an omega from his past - might just make this his most memorable Christmas.

Forget the Silent Nights

Harry/Louis | Zayn/Liam | Niall/Shawn | 44k | 25 Chapters

For years afterward, everyone who lived at 404 E. Redwood referred to that Christmas as The Christmas we stole a baby. Technically, that wasn’t the strict truth, as Evie had already been five years old by the time she came to stay in their crowded (but loving) home. And technically they didn’t steal her. Either way, the last Christmas with the seven of them in that broken old house on Redwood all together was probably one of the most memorable holidays each of them had, what with the wedding and the the snowstorm and the raccoons in their attic… And the baby they stole, of course.

Unto You

Harry/Louis | 3k

Louis is a lamplighter celebrating the saturnalia season in his own way. Harry is heavily pregnant and new in the city. The holiday of Christmas is yet to be created.

Give A Little Sing To The Singles

Harry/Louis | Zayn/Liam | 31k | 25 Chapters

Harry Styles is an adult now, with a real adult job (and benefits! Whatever those are!). He spends his days at the copier. Copying things. That being said, no one told Harry that being an adult came with a confusingly chaotic boss, a copier machine that would be hell-bent on ruining his life, and a coworker so good looking that Harry might just have to quit. After all, Christmas is coming and if their office doesn’t win the decorating contest, Louis has threatened to break several laws and kneecaps in retaliation. Happy Christmas, here’s to many more.

You Don't Have To Be Lonely This Christmas

Harry/Louis | Zayn/Liam | 35k | 25 Chapters

Louis knew that it would happen sooner or later. He was struggling, and his roommates weren’t. It only made sense for them to offer his place in the house to someone else. But now, it’s the first of December, and he has less than a week to find somewhere cheap to stay. At least until after the holidays. Enter: an old friend with an old house and a suspiciously empty bed. Happy Christmas, here’s to many more.

All Your Mates Are Here

Harry/Louis | Zayn/Liam | Lewis/Niall | 36k | 25 Chapters

"The pack is… It's folding, Harry." Like every werewolf does when they get to a new town, Harry joined one of the many local packs when he started university. Now, three years into his program, he's hit with the news that his pack is giving up, going their separate ways. In the wake of the holidays, the three single wolves from the Majestic pack are pointed in the direction of a new pack to join; one that's got struggles of its own. A new pack, a new house, and two new roommates with personal space issues… Plus exams, of course. Happy Christmas, here's to many more.

Oh Little Town of BATHlehem

Harry/Louis | 2k

Louis Tomlinson needs a small pink bathtub. He needs it. His fucking family had forgotten to include him in the email chain for Doris for Christmas, with her very carefully thought out Christmas list, until every easy item was gone. Only when he asked Lottie if anyone else had heard from Doris yet, only then did they realise their mistake and forward the email chain to him. So, it’s either a small pink bathtub or an entire bouncy castle. And if he had the money for a bouncy castle that would be fine, but that fucker costs more than his monthly rent and he simply does not make that much working as an optometrist assistant.

[neverafters]

hollis was out, probably with rupi since the two of them were pretty much inseparable now. her roommate was either in love with the girl or he couldn't stand her, and summer couldn't tell the difference. there was definitely something going on there. hunter was . . . probably just avoiding coming home. he was gone more than he was at the house and summer still felt guilty about that, but she wouldn't change a damn thing. one day they would all be friends again. for now, she had the house to herself with the love of her entire life. so imagine her disappointment when she came home to find him so engrossed in one of his video games that she barely got a kiss in greeting. rude. she thought about calling brenna to see if she wanted to have a girls night, but she had a better idea. she dug through her closet ( aka her old room that she turned into a full size closet ) until she found what she was looking for.

@unbetweens moved the controller out of the way just in time for his girlfriend to plop down in his lap, knees bent over the edge of the chair that was only big enough for one six foot something hockey player. "don't stop on my account," she teased, pressing a kiss to his jaw, nose brushing over the facial hair she loved so much. she opened the cardboard flap and pulled out one of the crayola markers, settling his arm over her lap. without saying another world, she started working, coloring in one of his tattoos with the markers. it was a win for both of them because he got to keep playing his games, and she got to make him all pretty and colorful.

[mymbios]

Bridie London, 26, grew up in Springfield, Missouri, in a family dynamic that could only be described as chaotic. She has a younger brother, Declan London (23), who was diagnosed with autism at an early age. Their mother, Holly London (48), couldn’t handle the news and bailed on the family when Declan was first diagnosed. This left Bridie and Declan in the care of their father, Tom London (51), who loved to play the martyr. He stayed after Holly left, but didn’t exactly win any “Dad of the Year” awards since the bulk of the parenting fell to his own parents, Jim and Patricia London (both 76).

Patricia, a retired teacher, took on most of the responsibility for Declan, making sure he had the attention and support he needed. Meanwhile, Bridie ended up spending a lot of time with her grandfather, Jim, who was a bit of a schemer with a love for golf. He taught Bridie to play golf, and they would hustle people on the course for money, which they’d use to buy ice cream later.

After Tom moved on from Holly, he started a relationship with Amanda Wallace (44), a kind woman who essentially became Bridie’s stepmother, though she and Tom never officially married. Amanda had a daughter, Lila (8), who could be a bit of a brat, but Bridie genuinely liked Amanda, so she tolerated her half-sister's antics.

In high school, Bridie started dating Adam McCallister (now 28), the typical older guy in a band, and their relationship was hot and heavy throughout their time in high school. Despite her stoner reputation and hanging out with a crowd that wasn't exactly known for their academic achievements, Bridie still managed to make the school’s golf team. It wasn’t a passion for her, but it became a ticket out—golf scholarships weren’t exactly competitive among girls in her area, and she knew she could snag one.

Bridie attended a local college on a golf scholarship, not because she wanted to go pro, but because she was unsure of what she wanted to do with her life. Her relationship with Adam continued, they'd gotten engaged before she left for school, but during her winter break, she found out the hard way that Adam had been cheating on her for the entire five years they were together—and worse, all of her so-called friends knew and never told her.

Crushed by the betrayal, Bridie dropped out of school. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life anyway, and college had only seemed like a distraction. With no real plan, she picked a random town to move to, found a roommate off Facebook, and ended up making a best friend out of the experience.

Now, Bridie works as a dog groomer and moonlights as a seamstress for a local theater in town, which is more of a side passion. She might not be able to bake, but she’s obsessed with the Great British Bake Off and watches it for comfort, even if she burns just about everything she tries to make. Bridie’s life has taken twists and turns, but she’s made peace with the unexpected and finds joy in her quiet, creative outlets.

[piningpercussionist]

... All of those options sound great, actually. We could also hire someone to fix the roof and Hollie's floor, maybe? So our landlord, and my roommates, won't want to kill us!

As much, anyway...

My stats right now are... I mean, they're decent- I can fight, like, those squads some stores have if I need spare change for something- but I clearly didn't win against Maddie, so. Definitely something to consider.

*List memorized, she shuts the tab, pushing back and away from her desk again. She stands up with a stretch, mulling it over.*

If I bring my headset and my player, Shock Wave Record is probably our best bet for something on the go. I could also probably speed-read anything from Flatiron Books, assuming I don't already own them and just... hadn't read them yet.

*She quickly scans the books she has around the desk, smiling as she spots a useful one.*

Ah! Vegan Cookbook. That'll help my DEFENSE at least. I think I got this for Stephen...

There are other options, but mostly a lot of food- a quick snack for any emergencies is probably a good idea too, but I don't know that Wallace is running his shop today- so Ambrosia is off the menu, as are a lot of the beefier, quicker upgrades we could get.

Eh. Don't worry about showing Blaze or whatever he's called now. I'm a bit of a tattletale myself so I have no right to complain.

Also apologies that you don't like my energy yet it's not uncommon, and understandable.

- 💠 (ooc\\ yes I'm aware those were internal thoughts and this is intentional that they can hear them :3)

...

(Oh fuck that, actually. What the hell??)

*Kim stares down at the new message with a fair bit of dread, blinking rapidly.*

(How did they know that? How are they doing that?!)

*She looks around nervously, despite knowing that Blaze is the only other person in the apartment, at the moment. She taps her fingers on the desk, repeatedly and quickly, trying to work out the burst of nerves.*

(This isn't like with Doc. This is-)

*Kim looks concerned, for a moment, before grimacing and rubbing at her temples as pain flares up yet again.*

(I need to stop doing that. Whatever that is. At least that one wasn't as bad as- Kim, stop it. You're getting distracted.)

*Taking a somewhat shaky breath, she turns around in her chair, expression a little haunted.*

(( @matthewpatelaskbox ))

Hey, Blaze? Do you- come look at this, please. And the last ones, actually.

*While she waits for him to walk over, she types out her response, though she doubts the necessity of the act as she does.*

I think I'll be doing just that, honestly. And... no need to apologize, I guess. On reflection, whatever's up with you might be... marginally less invasive than some things that have happened before. Maybe. Although if you're freaking me out on purpose, continue to apologize actually.

[gimmesumsuga]

Ps. I woof you

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

Word count: 26K

Summary: The one with a happy accident of the furry, four-legged kind - “Are you calling my dog a slut?!” 

Warnings: Extreme fluff and domesticity, cursing, mild angst, smut inclusive of: fingering, oral sex (female receiving) and unprotected penetrative sex 

** Click here to read on Archive of our own (AO3) should the read more on mobile not work due to fic length **

Thank you @readyplayerhobi​ for my super cute banner and @johobi​ for the gorgeous moodboard! ^^

“Seriously?!” Sitting up with a suddenness that borders on miraculous given how fast asleep you were just a few blissful moments ago, you glare out into the darkness that fills your room.  

The wall opposite your bed may as well be vibrating, so insistent is the thud of bass that’s thumping through from the apartment next door, and if you thought you were pissed about being so rudely awakened in the middle of the night, that’s nothing compared to the indignance of your dog, Remi.  Barking her head off, you’re met by the sight of her pacing up and down the span of the wall once you turn on the light, blinking as your eyes adjust to the offending brightness.  

“This is just so not the time,” you hiss as you swing your legs out of bed and then stalk across the room to hammer your fist against the plaster, swearing under your breath.  Usually, you’re quite quick to try and stifle Remi when she gets her knickers all in a twist, but not right now - not when her yapping is perfectly justified and the dog next door then has the sheer gall to start barking back.  

“Oh, it’s on,” you grit out through your teeth, banging your fist against the wall with renewed vigour ‘til your fist is sore and Remi’s so worked up that she’s up on her hind legs pawing the paintwork right alongside you.  

Thankfully, your next-door neighbour soon gets the message and turns off his music, no doubt feeling cowed at having been met with such vehement disapproval from the opposite side of the wall.  You sigh, satisfied, but it seems Remi has no such intention of letting it go so lightly, her barking match with her nemesis next door carrying on despite the battle being over.  

“Hey, hey,” you hush as you squat down to her level, running your fingers through her fur, “It’s ok, you can stop now, Rem.  We won, it’s ok.”  She quietens slightly at the reassuring tone of your voice but, stubborn as she is, she remains determined to get the last bark in, growling low in her throat and staring at the wall until she’s absolutely sure that the dog next door has been forced to back down.  

She’s always been the same; vocal even as a pup.  She’s a canine of very few faults (or so you like to believe), but you’ll admit that she can be a little too loud at times - a little too quick to run her mouth off at the slightest unfamiliar noise despite you discouraging her from it as best you can.  

It was actually one of the reasons you and your ex broke up, as silly as that sounds.  He’d always been intolerant of Remi’s noise - of anything being anything other than perfectly perfect, frankly  - and the final straw had come when one day, in a fit of red-faced rage, he’d taken off his shoe and thrown it at her from across the room.   She’d yelped and ran off to hide, and that’d been it.  By dinner time that evening, he’d been in the process of moving out his things.  A two-year relationship over, just like that. 

Good riddance, as far as you were concerned.  Remi was your roommate years before he ever had been; your loyalties lay with her, as they do to this day.  

And boy, does she know it.  You think it to yourself now, as you lay back down in bed and she sits at your bedside with her chin rested on the covers looking up at you with her big, brown puppy-dog eyes.  

“Oh come on then,” you grumble, shifting over and patting the space you’ve made for her atop the duvet.  She leaps up, tail wagging, and quickly circles on the spot before lying down snuggled up against you, exhaling noisily in contentment as you fuss her soft, pointed ears. “You’re never going to make any friends if you keep barking at everyone all the time, you know.”  Remi closes her eyes, utterly unrepentant.  

Not that it’ll soon matter what the next-door neighbours think of you, that is - not if you don’t ace the interview that you’re due to attend in a disgustingly short amount of time.  You really should’ve gone to bed earlier, given that the ability to pay your rent is now riding on exactly three and a half hours sleep should you not manage to drift off again for what little time you have left before your alarm is set.  

Luckily, the slow rise and fall of Remi’s soft little body lying next to yours proves as soothing as you’d hoped it would, and you’re able to steal a couple of hours more of precious sleep before having to drag your unwilling carcass out of bed and into a pair of high heels.  Full of nerves, you bite your nails the whole way there and are forced to make a pitstop in a public restroom prior to your arrival (nervous bowels for the win), but despite all that, you get the feeling the interview actually goes rather well.  It’s not for anything fancy, mind - a retail position at one of the more high-end-but-not-quite-designer clothing stores in the city - but the woman quizzing you seems friendly enough, all nods and smiles and shiny white teeth.  You even manage to make her laugh, which is impressive given how lame your sense of humour can get when you’re nervous.  

She tells you that you can expect to hear back by the end of the working day, and whilst at first that sounds perfectly reasonable, by the time you’ve gotten home and changed into something more comfortable you’re already going out of your mind.  Remi seems to pick up on your unease, too, sitting dutifully by your side as you glance at the arm of the sofa where your phone lies every other second, her little ears alert and twitching.    

It’s only after you’ve checked it’s not on silent for perhaps the hundredth time that you finally decide you’ve had enough.  Decisive, you rise to your feet and slip on your shoes before grabbing Remi’s lead from where it hangs by the side of the door.  

“Who wants to go on a walk, huh?” you offer, but having already seen you reach for her lead, Remi is already beside herself with excitement.  Atop her back her fuzzy little tail is wagging up a storm, dusting back and forth across the floor once she finally calms down enough to plop her bottom down onto the laminate and let you actually attach her to the thing.  

“Ok, ok, don’t pull,” you murmur mostly for your own benefit as you open up the door and then pause to lock up, her lead looped around your wrist.  Heaven knows Remi’s not listening anyway - not when she’s this wound up.   “Jeez, I’m coming!” you complain, turning on the spot when she yaps impatiently only to take one step towards the staircase and then come to a complete stop once you realise someone’s already coming up the other way.  

That someone being Min Yoongi, your aforementioned next-door neighbour, and his dog, a little toy poodle you’re not entirely sure of the name of.  

If you’re honest, you’re barely on a first-name basis with the man himself, nevermind his canine companion.  You’re fairly certain you remember him introducing himself when you first moved in, but other than that you’ve had very little to do with each other since then apart from the one time you accidentally picked up his mail and he came knocking on your door in search of it.  You remember thinking he was cute, too, back then, but despite the smiles that you’ve offered up whenever you may pass in the hall, Yoongi has remained somewhat of a mystery.  

Is he just shy, perhaps?  Or is he really as aloof and disinterested as the perma-furrow in his brow might have you believe?  

Of course, as soon as Remi spots the other dog she starts whimpering and pulling even more with the want to go and say hello, which is ridiculous, really, because you know as the moment the poodle comes close she’ll turn tail and run - which lo and behold, she does.  Their noses have barely touched when she jumps backwards and then scampers to hide behind your legs, tangling you up in her lead as she goes.  

“Oh Remi, you big wuss!” you sigh as you fight to shuffle backwards enough for Yoongi and his dog to actually be able to get past - a task easier said than done given that the poodle seems set on chasing after her, tangling you up even more.  

“Holly, leave it,” you hear Yoongi warn as you peer down at the dogs dancing between your legs, praying for Remi not to do anything that might embarrass the both of you.  

She’s never been aggressive before - all bark and no bite through and through - but there’s always a first time… 

As if right on cue, Remi releases a deep, rumbling growl as a warning once it becomes apparent that Holly doesn’t have any intention of backing off without a fight.  You cringe at the sound, embarrassed.  

“Hey!  Be nice!” you scold as the other dog very quickly turns tail and runs back to his owner, startled.   You feel your cheeks fill with heat as Yoongi scoops Holly off the ground and into his arms, making a mental note to not give Remi any of her usual bedtime treats this evening.  

“I’m really sorry about that,” you gush despite Remi looking anything but, sat scratching herself at your feet without a care in the world.  

“It’s fine,” Yoongi shrugs, glancing down at Holly with a hint of a smile, “‘Bout time someone put him in his place.”  You can’t quite think what to say to that - caught off guard by how very different Yoongi looks when there’s a smile on his face rather than a frown.   

Yeah, he’s definitely cute.  Cute button nose?  Check.  Honey-boy smile?  Check.  Even the dye job on his hair is better than your own - a deep mahogany red to suit the changing of the seasons.  

Your silence earns you a quizzical look but no further comment, and mentally you kick yourself for being such an absolute loser as Yoongi turns and heads back towards his apartment, Holly still cradled in his arms.  

"And I'm sorry about last night!" you call after him like the unstoppable moron you are.  

Why would you bring that up?!  There's nothing but more awkwardness in-store by mentioning that, surely?! 

Still, deep down you feel obliged to offer some sort of apology.  After all, you expect Yoongi would have had the pleasure of having to overhear some of yours and your ex's more colourful arguments in the past.  Not to mention the fact that Remi decides to bark every time she sees a bicycle on the television screen.  

“It’s just… I had an interview this morning,” you explain as he slowly turns back around to face you again, one eyebrow slightly raised, “And I already went to bed late, so…” 

“Don’t worry about it.” You wonder if you’re imagining the way Yoongi averts his gaze and seems to shrink in on himself a little bit as he looks at Holly rather than you.  “I should apologise.  I didn’t realise how late it was.  Lose track of time when inspiration hits.”  

“Oh, that was you?” you enquire before stopping to think that maybe Yoongi might not want to share any further.  He appears to hesitate before answering, but when he does he offers you a small smile and another shrug of his shoulders along with it.  

“I’ve got a home studio,” he explains, exhaling with amusement before adding, “Not gotten around to soundproofing it yet.  Obviously.” 

So he works in the music business, huh?  You figure he must be pretty good, considering how you’ve always presumed it’s been mainstream chart stuff that you’ve been hearing through the walls in the past.  

“That’s really cool,” you grin, pleased to see him smile back, and you’re just about to open your mouth to keep the small talk going when all of a sudden Remi tugs sharply on her lead, jolting you off balance.  Flustered, you glare at her accusingly only to see her staring right back, impatient for the walk she’s been promised.  

Little madam would be tapping her paw on the floor and checking her watch if she only knew how… 

Giggling to mask your embarrassment, you make your excuses and bid Yoongi farewell, and you’re about halfway down the concrete steps to take you to the ground floor when suddenly his voice calls after you,

“How did it go?”  Looking up, you see his face peering down at you over the railings. The apples of his cheeks look even more pinchable from below; so smooth and sweet and round.  "The interview, I mean," he explains further when all you do is gawp back up at him, mouth hanging ajar.  

"Oh!" Could this really be real?  Is Yoongi - introverted, mysterious Min Yoongi -  taking an active interest in you?  Well, not you necessarily, but something to do with you, nonetheless.  "Yeah, I mean, I think it went pretty well."  He nods, seemingly satisfied with your answer. 

"Well, good luck with it," he says, and all of a sudden Holly's face pops over the side too, tongue lolling out.  At your feet, Remi grumbles disgruntedly.  

"Thanks," you reply, face aching with the effort it's taking for you to try not to grin too hard.  "Keeping all my fingers crossed."  Yoongi gives you one last final nod and then disappears out of sight, keys jingling as he opens his front door, and you’re left giddy in his wake.  

Realistically, you know this whole exchange was little more than every day ordinary - some might even say mundane - but it's caught you so off guard that you very nearly fall down the stairs when Remi barks you back to reality, tugging once more on her lead.  

"Oh alright, alright, alright…"

  ****

  Turns out, your gut feeling that the interview went well was right. 

Not that you’d actually found that out until much later on in the day, mind.  Thanks to all the faffing around you’d been doing with your phone prior to leaving the house, you’d managed to leave it by the front door rather than take it with you, and by the time you’d gotten home, there were three missed calls and a rather perturbed sounding voicemail waiting for you.  Still, better late than never, eh?  You were just glad your new employer hadn’t mistaken your sudden unavailability as a lack of enthusiasm; full of spluttered apologies and excuses by the time you eventually called them back.  

That was two weeks ago, now, and you’ve been pleasantly surprised as to how well things have been going so far.  Being a high-end store, the clientele are somewhat more demanding than you’ve been used to before, but the money’s good and your new colleagues have been more welcoming than you could’ve hoped.  Everything’s been coming up roses,  and whilst you’re revelling in your newfound financial security, Remi is… well, Remi’s not been taking to it quite so well.  

It was only a month or two that you were unemployed prior to starting this job, but it seems as though that was time enough for Remi to become all too accustomed to you spending all your time at home.  You’ve no idea how she is when you’re out during your shifts, but the way she sits whining at the front door whilst you get ready for work is enough to break your heart alone, and she’s so excited to see you every time you get back that it doesn’t take a genius to assume she’s been mourning your absence every moment that you’re gone.  

It makes you feel horrifically guilty, but what else can you do?  You need to work and dog sitters are a luxury you can't afford - at least not right now, anyway.   And so of course, like every individual who’s ever suffered with ‘mom guilt’, you end up over-compensating to make up for it; new toys, tastier treats, extra-long walks.  Basically, anything Remi might ever want.  

And it’s on one of these longer walks that you finally end up bumping into Yoongi and his canine companion again, meandering through the park nearest your home.  He doesn’t spot you, at first, which gives you ample opportunity to observe the fondness with which he watches Holly chasing the autumn leaves dancing along the path with each gust of wind.  You even get to hear him laugh for the very first time when Holly abandons the leaves and opts to chase his tail instead, and the whole scene is so endearing that you can’t help but stop and scrunch your nose at the two of them, grinning to yourself from where you linger further down the path.  

Does he have any idea how cute he is, you wonder?  You can’t imagine Yoongi would be the type of guy who’d appreciate hearing it, should you ever work up the courage to tell him so.  

“Hey!” you call out once you’ve mustered up the courage to finally reveal yourself, approaching them with Remi’s lead held firmly in hand.  On hearing your voice, Yoongi looks up from where he’d squatted down to give Holly a fuss, his small eyes widening infinitesimally once he realises it’s you. 

“Oh, hey,” he greets, quickly straightening up and brushing off the leaves that’d gotten caught on the front of his long, black coat.  

“How’s it going?”  You keep a close eye on Remi as you approach, and whilst she still tugs on the lead in an attempt to rush forward, you’re glad to find that this time around the two of them are somewhat calmer as to how they go about greeting each other.  There’s plenty of sniffing, still, and plenty of bouncing around, but apparently Holly is a quick learner and knows better than to come on so strong this time around.  

“Yeah, not bad.”  You can tell Yoongi’s a responsible owner by the way he closely watches Holly as the two dogs say hello, but as he glances up you can’t help but notice that there are dark circles under Yoongi’s eyes despite his profession of good health.  

Has he been staying up late again, absorbed in his music?  If he has, he must’ve had the forethought to use some headphones, as you haven’t been awoken during the night at all ever since that fateful evening a couple of weeks ago.  

“Hey, uh, how’d it turn out with that job, in the end?” Yoongi asks, and it’s stupid but you swear you feel your insides flutter with excitement at a) the fact that he remembered and b) would care enough to ask about it further on down the line.   

“Really good!” you reply as Remi sinks down into a playful stance amongst the leaves, bottom eagerly wiggling. “I got it, yeah!  Started last week.”  Yoongi smiles mildly, though it’s nowhere near the toothy grin you’d seen him bestow on Holly earlier.  What would you have to do to earn one of those, you wonder?  

“I figured you had.”  Your brows furrow in curiosity as he slips one hand into his pocket, shifting his weight.  

“Oh?  How’d you work that out?”  He glances at Remi for a second, pausing before he answers.  

“Your dog, Remi?” You nod, growing more curious with every second. “Well, she’s gotten kind of… noisy since you went back to work.”  

Oh.  Oh shit.  

Your embarrassment must show all over your face because Yoongi’s quick to continue explaining, his own expression turning into one of worry.  

“I mean, it’s no trouble.  It’s not like I’m trying to sleep or anything and my headphones cancel her barking out anyway,” he rambles as the two dogs continue to spring back and forth between the two of you without a care in the world. “It’s just… I feel kind of sorry for her, is all.”  

And oh boy, if you didn’t feel guilty already about leaving her than you sure do now.  What must Yoongi think of you?  Does he think you’re being neglectful of her?  That you’re some horrible, conscienceless owner?  Oh god, what if he reports you for animal cruelty or something?  

“I didn’t… um…” Realising you’re on the verge of bursting into tears, you purse your lips and look down at Remi for a second or two, trying to remind yourself that no matter what anyone may think, you’re doing the best you can.  She’s in good health and she’s happy… most of the time.  “I didn’t realise she was getting so upset while I was gone,” you say, blinking back the tears and forcing a smile as you shrug your shoulders like it’s not so much of a big deal.  “Maybe I’ll have to look into a sitter, or… or…” 

“I didn’t mention it to try and make you feel bad,” Yoongi gently interrupts, and you can tell that he’s being genuine from the tone in which he says it.  Somehow, he doesn’t strike you as the sort to bullshit someone just to spare their feelings.  “I’ve just been thinking; maybe I can take her out with me for a walk in the afternoon?  I’ll be walking Holly anyway, so…”  

“Are you serious?!” you exclaim, your sheer volume and enthusiasm so unexpected that Yoongi actually takes an involuntary step back, his eyes widening in alarm.  Even the dogs momentarily stop their play,  heads cocked to the side as they stare up at you, bemused.  “That’d be amazing, thank you!”  Yoongi smiles, rubbing bashfully at his neck, and if it weren’t for the fact you’re unsure of how he’d respond, you’d have thrown your arms around him already while you girlishly squeal your thanks.  

“Really, it’s no big deal,” he dismisses, but it’s too late.  As far as you’re concerned you’re already indebted to him for being kind enough to merely suggest it.  

“It is to me,” you smile and if you didn’t know any better you’d swear that Yoongi’s cheeks turn a softer shade pinker as he glances down at the floor, clearing his throat.  

“You can just drop a key over whenever.  Whatever’s easier for you.”  He shrugs his shoulders, all nonchalance in spite of your beaming smile.  Below you, Holly’s happily letting Remi clean the inside of his ears, oblivious.    

“Thanks, Yoongi.”  He looks up, and this time you know you’re not imagining the awkward blush dusted along his cheekbones.  “I owe you one.”  

It isn’t until later on, long after you’ve gotten home and whilst you’re trying (ie. failing) to get to sleep, that it suddenly dawns on you that there may be one potential downside to Yoongi’s generous offer.  

Now that you’ve given Yoongi your spare key, he can just come moseying on into your apartment any time he likes.  Any sane person would surely be concerned about the potential security risk that poses, surely, but you?  Oh no, your anxieties are centred around the fact that this means that Yoongi will get to see what an absolute shit-tip your apartment is and suss you out as the grotty little goblin you are, and thereby conclude that he should never, ever, ever speak to you again, for as long as you both shall live.  

Unsurprisingly, as soon as you realise this you’re even less able to sleep than you were before and proceed to spend the next four hours tidying up all the areas in the apartment you figure Yoongi is most likely to see.   You make a pretty good job of it, too, though you start to question whether it was worth it when you have to spend the next following day at work feeling as though you’ve got some sort of fatigue-induced hangover - dry mouth and all.  

It was, though, no doubt.  Once you finally arrive home all blurry eyes and aching feet, Remi seems a lot less manic than she has these past couple weeks when she’s been left alone.  She’s still pleased to see you, of course, but it’s a happy tail wag rather than a desperate nipping at your fingers or jumping up your legs like before.  You notice that Yoongi has re-filled her water bowl, too, and the calmness he’s imbued in her seems to last throughout the whole evening.  She's so calm, in fact, that you can’t help but wonder if he might’ve slipped something into said water bowl.  

If he did, you’d sure like to know what it was… 

And so it continues throughout the weeks that follow.  You and Yoongi never actually cross paths - much to your dismay - but Remi continues to relish her daily adventures out and about the town without you.  And it’s not just Remi that benefits from your newfound arrangement, either; with the time that you’d normally use to walk her yourself now no longer needed, you’re free to indulge in the self-care rituals that’d fallen by the wayside once the past few weeks.  Bubble-baths, face masks, deep cleanses - your skin has never looked better! 

“This is the life, huh Rem?” you sigh in contentment, glancing over to where she’s currently lounging atop the closed toilet seat opposite your bathtub, keeping you company whilst you luxuriate.   She says nothing, obviously, but looks happy enough with her chin rested on the sink and eyes half-closed.  She yawns, showing off all her teeth, and it catches - your mouth opening in a great big yawn as you reach out of the tub for the glass of wine precariously perched on the side.  

So what if it’s only three in the afternoon?  This is what weekends off work are for, and if Remi’s not judging you then you’re not about to go giving yourself a hard time either.

“What do you say to a little nap after this, hm?” Glass now empty, your fingers are starting to look a little bit pruney as you place it back on the side, and you take that as a sign to say you’ve been wallowing in your own filth long enough.  It’s time to make a move.  

With a great big groan of effort, you hoist yourself up out of the water and stand up, grinning to yourself at the little headrush that comes with it - purely from the change in blood pressure, obviously. Nothing to do with your midday alcohol consumption at all.  Unfortunately, your amusement is short-lived once you realise that in your eagerness to soak you’d completely forgotten to bring your towel along.  

“Ah shit,” you huff, climbing out onto the bathmat and then wiggling yourself in an attempt to drip dry as best you can before you venture out to where you know you’ve left it hanging on the radiator out in the hall.  Remi watches your shuffle curiously but it’s not as though she hasn’t already seen it all before, and you flash her a grin before covering up what you can with one hand and opening up the door, shivering a little as the cold air hits you.  

Suddenly, Remi darts out from the bathroom from between your legs, barking like mad, and maybe it’s because the alcohol has slowed your reflexes - or maybe you’re just a little slow in general - but it isn’t until you hear the front door shut and Yoongi calling Remi’s name that the slow realisation of what’s happening hits you. 

Remi's walk.  Yoongi's come to take Remi on her walk because as far as he knows you’re working, and why on earth would you have been smart enough to have had the forethought to let him know that you’re not?!   

“Hi Rem,” you hear Yoongi say once she’s finished yapping, her aggression replaced by excited whining as she no doubt dances around his feet.  Like an idiot, you’re so blindsided by his sudden arrival that all you can do is stand frozen in the hallway - the hallway that Yoongi would be able to see directly down should he only think to move a few paces to the left.  “You ready for walkies, girl?” 

Oh god, why now?!  Why you?!  

Remi lets out a bark of excitement and then, to your horror, you realise she’s turned tail and decided to come and fetch you to join in with all the fun, the bell on her collar jangling as she runs towards you, ushering in your doom.  

“Where are you off to?  You don’t want to go out today?  That’s a shame because Holly-”  The sound of Yoongi’s voice coming closer is finally enough to kick you into gear, and it’s with a yelp of alarm that you reach out and snatch the towel off the radiator and clutch it to your chest just in time for Yoongi to round the corner and come into sight.  

His eyes widen comically when he sees you, his mouth popping open as he freezes in the doorway and you scramble to cover yourself.  You’re not sure how much he actually saw but you think he must’ve seen something , judging by his reaction.  Between you, Remi runs back and forth, joyfully oblivious.  Your whole body feels aflame with embarrassment, and given the rising blush you can see on Yoongi’s cheeks you’d guess he’s not faring much better. 

“Um… I-”  you stutter out, holding the towel in place against your chest in case Remi decides to jump up your legs and yank it down. “I-I’m not working this weekend and-”  

Shamefully, Yoongi doesn’t even give you a chance to finish explaining.  With nothing more than a rapid series of blinks and a stiff nod, he turns around on the spot and walks out of your apartment faster than you’ve ever seen him move before, and though you and Remi rush aimlessly after him, he’s too quick to catch.  He doesn’t even shut the door after himself properly, so eager is he to escape.  

“Poor guy must've gone to pour bleach in his eyes," you sigh whilst Remi stares forlornly at the door as you press it shut, her tail hanging sadly between her legs.  You can only hope you haven’t scarred him for life and ruined your arrangement, and you tell yourself that it’s for Remi’s sake but really, you’re not sure your ego could handle it if it turned out Yoongi had taken one look at you naked and decided never to speak to you again.  

You run your fingers through the wet mass of tangles that is your hair, sighing once more as you head towards the kitchen, uncaring that you’re likely dripping bathwater all over the floor.  

“I think it’s time for another drink, Rem, don’t you?”  

  Remi doesn’t get walked that afternoon, much to her displeasure, and the reasons for that are twofold.  One - after having chugged down another two large glasses of wine in hopes of erasing your short-term memory, you were hardly in any fit state to pry yourself up off the sofa let alone walk around the block.    And two - even if you could walk, you would’ve still had to muster up the courage to step outside your front door.  Bumping into Yoongi and having him run away from you twice in one day was far too distressing a prospect for you to even consider attempting to move. 

Instead, you’d spent the rest of the afternoon lying about on the sofa, wallowing in your own self-pity until you’d fallen asleep in nothing but your towel, drooling all over the cushions.  It’d seemed like a good idea at the time, but the you of this morning is full of remorse having woken up with the back of her hair sticking out like a bird’s backside, a headache, and a craving for fried food that just won’t subside.  

It doesn’t help that Remi’s bouncing off the walls, either, and eventually you come to the conclusion that there’s really no way you can avoid taking her out for any longer.  You’re just going to have to pull on your big girl pants and if you see him, well… then you’ll just have to cross that bridge when it comes to it.  You’re both adults.  This shouldn’t be this big of a deal.  

But oh god it totally is because he’s so cute and what if he thinks you looked gross and oh god, oh god, oh god! 

But it’s fine.  Of course it’s fine, because you tell yourself it’ll be fine, and you didn’t bump into him for months at a time after you’d first moved in so why should it happen again now?  

Thankfully, fate appears to be on your side (or taking pity on you, at least).  You make it out of your building without seeing neither hide nor hair of your unwitting flashee - if that’s even a word - and despite having forgotten your purse, you still manage to find some change in the depths of your pockets for a snack from the food cart just outside the park.  

You munch it happily as Remi leads the way, darting from one side of the sunshine dappled pavement to the other to pee on everything she can find, and you’re just thinking about what a good call it was to get out of the house for a little while when you suddenly hear a familiar voice calling an all-too-familiar name and your stomach drops with dread.

Oh, fate can go fuck herself.  Fickle bitch. 

You come to an abrupt stop, eyes drawn to where your next-door neighbour is currently frolicking through the small field a little further down the path, just to your right.  

Frolicking is probably the wrong word, really, but you’re not sure what to call the gangly waving of arms and legs you can see going on past the small group of trees that’s concealing you from sight.  Holly’s off lead, you can tell that much, and Yoongi seems like he's having fun chasing after him, letting out some strange, high-pitched laugh when he almost trips over that has you guffawing in turn - a sound you quickly smother with the napkin you hadn’t yet thought to throw away.  

Yoongi drops to his knees amongst the grass and Holly is quick to take advantage, climbing up onto his owner’s lap to lick Yoongi’s face.  He groans and he grimaces, but you can still see him smiling as he wipes away the offending slobber, and you’re just about to start swooning at the way he’s lovingly fussing Holly’s ears when Remi startles you out of your reverie with a purposeful tug on her lead. 

Just like you, she’s spotted the object of your affections and is now desperate to make her way over, whining and pacing restlessly to and fro.  

“Rem, shh!” you hush when she lets out a bark of objection at your attempt to pull her back from the treeline.  As much as you enjoy seeing Yoongi you don’t actually want to see him right now, and if Remi keeps going the way she is you won’t end up with much of a choice in the matter.  

“Again, Hol?!  Really?!” Glancing over, you see Yoongi’s expression turn to one of distaste as Holly dips into a squat right in front of him, not a shred of thought spared for dignity.  You figure this is the best time to hurry on past while he’s suitably distracted but Remi doesn’t make it easy, pulling backwards as you try to walk on and then planting her bottom firmly on the ground once she realises brute strength is getting her very far.  

“I can just pick you up, you know,” you threaten, narrowing your eyes at her, but just as you’re stalking forward about to carry out the said threat, you’re distracted by the sight of Yoongi rummaging through his pockets, lips moving as though he’s grumbling to himself.  

You’ve seen that dance before; it’s one you know well, given how forgetful you can be.  He’s either forgotten his poo bags or run out of them altogether, and now you’re faced with the moral dilemma of knowing you have a brand new roll stashed away in your pocket.   As if sensing your hesitation, Remi stares at you as you squat down to her level, hands outstretched.    

‘Really?’ her eyes say, ‘Are you really going to just let him leave it there?  What if someone steps in it?  Think of the children -'

“Oh fine!” you huff, standing up straight and marching out onto the grass before you lose your nerve, Remi trotting along happily at your side.  

Must you really be so god damn conscientious all the time?  You swear it causes you nothing but trouble.

Before Yoongi’s even realised you’re there, you’re grabbing the roll from your pocket and thrusting it into his line of sight. 

“Here,” you offer as he startles, glancing from you down to Remi in momentary bewilderment.  You hadn’t meant to sound so gruff but unless you’d forced the word out you probably wouldn’t have been able to say anything at all, so you plaster a nervous smile onto your face in time for when he looks at you again, willing your posture to relax.   

“Uh, thanks,” he says he takes them from your palm and pulls one off, quickly putting it to good use.  Rather than stand there staring you turn your attention to Remi, mortified to see she’s taken a break from dancing back and forth with Holly in favour of sitting and licking her genitals in the most unladylike fashion.   

“Why don’t you go have a run with Holly and just… not do that,” you mumble as you bend to unclip the lead from her harness, granting her freedom.  She takes you up on your offer immediately, and the moment she’s loose the two of them go bounding off across the field as fast as they can go, Holly’s ears flapping in the wind.   You let out a laugh as Remi manages to dodge and weave around the slightly smaller dog, never quite letting him catch her but keeping close enough to maintain his interest. 

If only you were so skilled at the whole ‘treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen’ thing… 

“She’s really fast,” Yoongi comments, and as soon as he speaks it’s as though all the awkwardness comes flooding back for the both of you.  He can’t even seem to look you in the eye. “For a little dog.”  

“Yeah,” you chuckle back in the direction of your shoes, “She’s always acted like she’s twice her size.  Too big for her boots.”  

The two of you lapse into silence, Yoongi’s hands shuffling in his pockets whilst yours mess with your sleeves.  If only you could be so carefree as your canine companions who’ve now ceased their running and are circling around one another instead, sniffing each other out.  They’re having a great time, whereas the silence between you is quickly beginning to feel stifling, and you soon come to the conclusion that awkward or not, leaving things unaddressed like this is doing no good.  You’re just going to have to say something, even if it’s just to apologise and- 

“I’m sorry,” Yoongi suddenly blurts out just as you were opening your mouth to do the same.  Your eyes meet and then quickly dart away again, cheeks flushed with heat.  “I didn’t mean to walk in- I mean, I didn’t realise you were home.”  

“That’s ok,” you rush to excuse, “It was my fault, I should’ve let you know I wasn’t working.”  You brave a look at him, smiling sheepishly.  “Sorry if I… gave you a shock.”  Yoongi shakes his head, a small smile on his face as he waves his hand dismissively.  

“I’ve seen worse, believe me,” he chortles, and then as if suddenly realising what it is he’s just said his eyes ping open wide and his face fills with colour.  “Sorry, that sounded bad, I-” He stops talking when he notices you’ve startled giggling at his expense, your shoulders shaking with mirth.  What he said wasn’t even that funny - hell, some might even be insulted - but he just looks so adorable when he gets all flustered that you just can’t help yourself.  It’s either laugh or start cooing and pinching his cheeks, and you doubt he’d appreciate the latter.  Soon enough, he’s chuckling along too - albeit rubbing at the flush on his neck as he does so.  

“Is it just me or have you noticed how all of our conversations seem to end up with one us apologising?” you observe once you’ve managed to stifle your giggling, happy with how much lighter the mood feels now that you’ve aired everything out.  

“I hadn’t until you just pointed it out,” Yoongi admits, absently swinging the hand in which he’s holding Holly’s lead as he looks out across the field towards the two of them.  His profile is so pretty; such a sharp jaw for such rounded cheeks to sit on.  “I must make an effort to be more interesting.”  

“You’re already plenty interesting.”  The words are out of your mouth before they’ve even taken form in your head, and you instantly wish you could catch them and stuff them back in as Yoongi’s eyebrows rise, his head turning to look back your way.  “I mean… what I meant was-” you stammer as the smallest of smiles tugs at his delicate lips, and though you love to see it you can’t bear to look him right now, too busy wishing the ground would just swallow you up and-

“Shit!”  You sharply look up, just in time to see Yoongi take off running at full speed, and your heart starts pounding for a completely different reason as you look ahead to where he’s headed and realise what it is that has him moving so fast. 

Where the two dogs had been so happily sniffing around one another just a moment ago, Remi now seems to be in some sort of distress.  You immediately assume they’re fighting given how loud she’s whining, but as you take in the sight of Holly mounting her rear end you very quickly come to realise it’s the very opposite of fighting that’s the problem and start running after Yoongi, shouting in a futile attempt to discourage the two.  

You hadn’t even realised Remi was in heat, for Christ’s sake!  No wonder she was so keen on saying hello to Holly, today of all days!  

As luck would have it, Yoongi reaches them two just in time to intervene.  His owner’s arm-waving and shouting startles Holly so much that he dismounts without Yoongi even having to touch him, and whilst their owners are left out of breath and harrowed to the core, the two dogs go on about their business like nothing’s happened at all.  

“I’m sorry,” you gush, hands shaking you’re so flustered, “I didn’t realise she was in season.”  

There you go apologising again… 

You quickly go about putting Remi back on the lead as Yoongi does the same, and she’s all innocent eyes as she gazes up at you wondering what all the fuss is about.  

“It should be ok, I think.”  With Holly firmly back in hand, Yoongi takes a moment to straighten out his beanie that’d come all askew.  “They didn’t… uh…” 

“Yeah, no, I know what you mean,” you interject rather than have him saying it out loud.  They didn’t get stuck together is what he was probably trying to say, and really you’d rather not have a conversation about knotting right now.  You’ve had more than enough embarrassment for one day, thank you very much.  

“I think I should get this one home before we have any more near-accidents,” Yoongi muses, frowning as he looks down at Holly who’s still clearly expressing an interest, nose twitching in Remi’s direction.  

“Sure,” you agree, “And maybe we should hold off on the joint walks for a week or so?” You hate to suggest it because you know Remi’s going to be absolutely miserable without them, and you’re sure Yoongi would keep a close eye on them from now on, but it’s just not worth the risk.  “Just until her heat is over, anyway.”  

“Yeah, probably best.”  You expect that to be it, then, but much to your surprise Yoongi suddenly breaches the gap between you and bends in front of Remi, scratching her under the chin just as you know she likes.  “See you soon girl, ok?” he promises, and you swear you feel your knees weaken slightly at the way he says it in that low, dulcet tone of his.  And if they didn’t then, then they most definitely do when he looks up at you and smiles, the sunlight catching his eyes.  

“Yeah, see you later.” Starstruck, you answer somewhat robotically as he stands back to normal height with that same small smile still playing on his lips.  

“Later,” he says, making himself scarce before anything else has a chance to go wrong.  

You take a moment just to close your eyes; to collect yourself and calm your heart.  Remi's innocent little face is awaiting you once they open again, gazing up at you as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, and you can't help but soften as you bend down and run your fingers through her fur, sighing. 

"I know he's cute, Rem," you say, and part of you wonders whether it's Holly or Yoongi that you're talking about; Remi or yourself that you're talking to. "But you can't just go giving up the goods like that!"  She ever so sweetly licks your fingers - as if in penance - and you can’t help but wonder to yourself whether either of you is even really listening.  

At least she has the excuse of not being able to understand a word; you’re not sure what excuse your subconscious has for the numerous dreams it inflicts on you in the nights that follow.  Dreams of dark eyes, deep voices and long, wandering fingers that seem to linger on your skin even into wakefulness.  It doesn’t seem fair that whilst your sightings of the ‘real life’ Yoongi remain as sporadic and elusive as ever, you’re being haunted by his ever-so-alluring dream counterpart.  

It’s a stupid crush, really.  You know it is.  Your attraction to him is based on little more than his looks and the few short (and embarrassing) interactions you’ve had with the guy, and no-one is worth the realisation that you’re starting to resent your dog for all the time she gets to spend prancing around the park with him that you don’t. That's a new low, even for you.  

You’re just going to have to get over it, and as a couple of weeks go by with no further interaction between the two of you aside from the odd little post-it note left on your kitchen countertop once Remi's daily walks recommence, it gets a little easier to distract yourself from dwelling on the butterflies your next-door neighbour had been making you feel.  

Besides, if Yoongi was interested in pursuing something more than being your acquaintance surely he would’ve done it by now?  There’s no need for you to go messing up an arrangement that’s already working so well by getting feelings involved, especially if they’re not mutual.  Remi would kill you.  Or worse, Yoongi might start to think of charging you for his services rather than walking her out of the goodness of his heart.  Your new job may be going well, but that’s still not an option you’re in the position to afford.  

You feel as though you should do something for him, though.  You get the feeling Yoongi probably isn’t the type to appreciate a thank you card, and you’re not a good enough baker to go whipping up a batch of cookies or something else of the like.  Maybe you could splash out on a new piece of recording equipment the next time you get paid?  Hmm, but then that would require actually asking him what he wants, and no doubt it’ll be pricey if he’s using professional kit… Maybe you should just- 

“Oh, no, no, Remi, not there!  No!”  Panicked, you quickly pick Remi up off the sofa and rush her into the kitchen.  She continues retching even whilst in your arms and doesn’t stop until she’s finally thrown up this morning’s breakfast all over your laminate floor, uncaring of your whines of protest or the wrinkling of your nose.  

“See this is why-”  You groan with effort as you have to pick her up and move her out of the way to keep her from licking it all back up again.  You swear to god she’s getting heavier.  “-This is why you shouldn’t wolf everything down so fast!”  

Not that she’s ever had any issues with eating so quickly in the past.  Remi’s always gobbled down her food but it’s only the last day or two that she’s started bringing it back up again, and maybe it’d worry you if she seemed unwell in any other way, but she’s acting perfectly fine.  A little needier, perhaps, but you figure that’s just down to her missing her new playmate; she certainly isn’t shy about whining and pining after him whenever she can hear Holly next door.  

You’d even knocked on Yoongi’s door to check with him whether he thought Remi had seemed out of sorts at all, but he’d said he hadn’t noticed anything obvious either.  She’s not eating anything that she shouldn’t be and you haven’t changed her brand of food.  Sure, she might be eating a little bit extra of it lately but it can’t just be that, surely?  

Every sane person knows you shouldn’t google symptoms, but after you’ve cleaned up Remi’s mess and settled back down on the sofa, that's exactly what you find yourself doing.  With her curled up at your side, you scare yourself to death reading through all the horrible things that may or may not be the cause.  Parasites, liver failure, gastrointestinal blockages - none of them quite make sense because she’s perfectly fine - but as you continue to scroll there one possible explanation that catches your eye. 

Pregnancy.  

And suddenly it all clicks into place; Remi’s increased appetite, her cuddliness, the vomiting.  She’s pregnant!  

You twist in your seat, staring down at her peacefully sleeping form with wide eyes and a furiously beating heart, unable to comprehend that this might be true.  Your gaze strays to her stomach as though it might suddenly appear swollen now that the secret is out, but with all her long fur as covering she looks as normal as ever, leg twitching as she dreams.   

How can she be pregnant?!  You warned her about this - about giving away the goods too fast - and now look what’s happened!   Holly didn’t… they didn’t even…!  

Remi lets out a yelp of surprise as you suddenly scoop her up off the sofa and rush to your front door, in such a hurry that you don’t even bother to shut it after you as you storm down the hall.  Calling Yoongi’s name, you bang your clenched fist against his door with little care for how hysterical you might sound.  

Hell, you are hysterical!   What the bloody hell are you supposed to do with a litter of puppies?!  Your apartment is barely big enough for you and Remi, nevermind however many offspring she may be carrying!  

Yoongi’s bleary-eyed once he finally comes to the door, sleepiness adding to the bewilderment with which he squints at the sight of you red-faced and near hyperventilating.  It’s shameful that even as worked up as you are that your gaze still strays, unable to resist the lure of checking Yoongi out in his baggy tee and basketball shorts.  How is it that even his knobbly knees are so cute?!  

“Hey,” he greets, trying and failing to stifle a yawn that gives you an ever so lovely view of his tonsils.  He must’ve been up late working, and for just a moment you almost feel guilty for waking him up until Holly suddenly comes running to the front door as well.  Catching sight of Remi in your arms, he immediately starts to jump up your legs to try and reach her despite the death glare he’s greeted with. “What’s up?”  

“She’s pregnant,” you blurt out, thrusting Remi forward before placing her down on the floor so she and Holly can greet one another.  You can’t see the harm, after all.  It’s not as if he can go knocking her up again .   Yoongi’s brow furrows, head tilting as he sluggishly blinks, struggling to process this new information.  

“Sorry?”  

“Remi, she’s pregnant,” you state again, folding your arms across your chest as the words suddenly sink in and Yoongi's gaze plummets to the dogs at his feet.  “Holly knocked her up.”  For a moment, Yoongi says nothing.  All he does is stand there, rubbing the back of his neck as Remi affectionately nips and nuzzles at Holly, tugging on his ears.  

Finally, he looks up, eyebrows furrowed even deeper now.  

“How do you know it was Holly?”  Is he serious ?!  “I mean, you never know.  When they’re in heat they-” 

“Are you calling my dog a slut?!” you shriek, stepping forward so both Yoongi and the dogs are forced to move to accommodate your wrath.  He flinches, stepping back as the dogs scamper off somewhere further into the apartment.  “You were there!  We both saw them-”  Your arms flap as you search for the word, so outraged your face feels as though it’s on fire from all the red-hot blood rushing through your veins.  “- Canoodling !”  

If Yoongi weren’t so cute, you swear to god you’d kick him in the shins for the way the corners of his lips twitch at your choice of words.  

“Ok, alright,” he relents, cleverly deducing that trying to reason with you right now would be a fool’s game.  He glances over at the dogs, now cuddled up together in one of his armchairs.  “Just… how about we hold off on the meltdown until after we’re sure?”  Your eyes narrow despite knowing he’s right, unwilling to admit that just yet.  

There’s always the possibility you could be wrong.  The website you were looking at had so many different potential causes for her symptoms that it wouldn’t be impossible for it to be something else.  It might even turn out to be nothing at all.  

“I guess,” you admit after a moment has passed, unfolding your arms and letting them fall to your sides as you will your shoulders to relax.  

“The vet can do a scan, right?” Yoongi suggests, “Then we can figure out what to do if…” He glances at them again, drawing your eyes their way.  You have to admit they do make a very sweet looking couple, all curled up together like that.  “... if she is.”  

You bite your lip at the thought of the potential cost - you’ve got no idea how much it might cost or even when the right time to book it would be.  As if reading your mind, Yoongi speaks up again, rubbing at his neck once again. 

“I don’t mind splitting the cost if you want,” he offers, though he sounds a little awkward.  “You’re probably right about it being Holly…”  ‘Probably’ is a bit of an understatement, you think, but you’re not about to argue the semantics.  If you’re honest, you’re just feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of this; by the situation in itself and how level-headed and kind Yoongi has been to step up on Holly’s behalf so quickly.  

“They are a bit smitten with each other, aren’t they?” you smile, feeling a little calmer.  This could be a lot worse, you suppose.  The father could’ve just been some random dog in the park and you’d have been left facing this all alone.  

“Just a little,” he agrees, hands rested on his hips, and you swear the smile that blossoms on his face as he looks over at them is the sweetest one you’ve ever seen - your heart fluttering despite the promise you made yourself to get over this little crush.  

They’re not the only ones at risk of getting smitten, you think. 

“Anyway.”  You clear your throat in a futile attempt to get a hold of yourself. “Sorry for just barging round.  We’ll get going and let you get some more sleep.”  You call Remi’s name and she sleepily raises her head, refusing to move until you call her twice more, clapping your hands.  

“No worries. It’s about time I got up,” he says. “And what happened to us not saying sorry all the time, hm?”  Yoongi smiles crookedly, folding his arms, and god, it’s only the slightest bit of friendly teasing, so why is your heart racing so fast? 

“Whoops,” you giggle, acutely aware of the blush that’s warming your cheeks as you scoop Remi up in your arms. “I’ll try to do better.”  

“Then I'll expect your best,” Yoongi grins as he escorts you back to the door, and you swear to god you’re about to spontaneously combust any second.

“I’ll let you know about the scan, ok?”  He nods, returning your little wave as you say goodbye and then shutting the door before Holly has the chance to escape out into the hall after you.  You pause on the doorstep, willing your heart to calm down.  

“Oh you’re one to talk,” you hiss back at Remi when you notice her stare, wide-eyed and unblinking. The two of you wouldn’t be in this mess if she could’ve just kept it in her pants.  “You better hope I’m wrong about this, missus.”  

  You’re not, though.  The ultrasound scan that you attend the following week confirms your suspicions; Remi’s pregnant, about four weeks gone, and though the vet couldn’t be sure, she’d estimated her to be carrying at least three puppies.  She sends you away with her congratulations and an armful of literature - essentially the doggy equivalent of ‘what to expect when you’re expecting’ - and you spend the next hour after you leave the vets wandering the pet store aisles in some kind of daze, desperately trying to figure out which food you should buy.   

“Do you have any idea-” Yoongi looks surprised to see you when he opens the front door - Remi’s lead in one hand and a deluxe bag of dog food tucked under the other. “-How many different varieties of grain-free puppy food there are, Yoongi?”  He blinks, unsure, so you answer for him.  “Twelve.”  You can feel the bag starting to slip but you’re lacking the motivation to stop it, too overwhelmed from the morning you’ve had to want to fight anymore.  “Twelve. And not one single store assistant could tell me what the hell difference there is between any of them.”  The bag finally falls but luckily Yoongi’s right there to catch it, a furrow of concern creasing his brow.  “And it’s not even for the puppies.”  

“You… look like you could use a coffee,” Yoongi observes, stepping back from his doorway as he holds the bag against his chest.  

“Yes, thank you,” you sigh, stepping inside and bending down to let Remi off her lead as Yoongi puts the bag down by the front door and closes it.  

“So she’s definitely pregnant, then?” he asks as he reaches down to fuss Remi when she over bounds his way, tail wagging.  Holly follows quickly after but it’s not Yoongi he’s interested in - he’s too busy sniffing and licking at the bag of food.  

“Yep.  Triplets, apparently.  Or more, if we’re really lucky.”  Yoongi chuckles softly at the sarcasm in your tone, a faint smile on his face as he rounds the kitchen island and pulls out a stool on which you promptly sit, resting your elbows on the counter.

You hadn’t really taken the time to appreciate the decor the last time you got a glimpse inside Yoongi’s apartment, but now that you’ve got a minute you can’t help but notice how nicely put together the place is.  Yes, there’s some dirty dishware in the kitchen sink, and yes, his apartment is pretty much the same as yours in layout - just the other way around - but the warm, earthy tones of the place make it feel… cosier somehow.  More homely than the stark white walls and metallic countertops your ex-boyfriend had insisted you install back at your place.  

The smell of freshly brewed coffee grabs your attention, and you watch quietly as he pours you each a cup from a fancy looking cafetiere.  He’s surprisingly delicate in the way he moves - his long fingers deft and precise.  

“Milk?  Sugar?”  

“Yes.  And two please,” you mumble, still wallowing in your perceived misfortune.  At least you’ve got a nice view; Yoongi’s looking especially cute today in ripped jeans and a sweater that looks far too large, sleeves dangling as he reaches into the fridge.  

He takes his coffee with just the slightest touch of milk.  No sugar.  

“It’s not the end of the world,” he says eventually, breaking what would have been silence if it weren’t for the sounds of Remi and Holly play-fighting in the living room.  You swallow the sip of coffee you’d just taken - infinitely more flavorful than the cheap instant stuff you use at home. 

“I know,” you relent with a sigh.  You just hate feeling so out of your depth!  Usually, you research to death any kind of life choice you’re about to make - weighing out the pros and cons, thinking of any possible eventuality and most likely talking yourself out of it in the meantime - but you know nothing about dog breeding or raising puppies.  You’d never forgive yourself if you inadvertently did something wrong and Remi ended up getting sick or one of the puppies got hurt or- 

“My brother’s dog had puppies a couple years back, I can give him a call,” Yoongi says, as calm and level-headed as ever, “We go halves on everything and then split the profits afterwards.”  

“You think we should sell them?”  

“Well I hadn’t really planned on getting another dog anytime soon.”  His lips curve into a smile against the edge of his cup and you can’t help but smile in return, sighing again.  

“You think people will want them?” you ask after taking another sip and Yoongi puts down his cup to reach into his pocket, pulling out his phone.  

“I did a little research,” he says, rounding the counter to come and stand next to you, thumb tapping away at the screen.   Standing this close you’re able to smell his cologne; a soft yet masculine scent.  Does he realise how close he is, you wonder?  Or rather, does he have any idea how he’s got every single one of your nerve endings on high alert?    “Look,” he instructs, turning his phone your way to show you a picture of one of the most adorable little dogs you've ever seen.  It's got Remi's pointed little nose and brilliant white fur, but being half poodle that fur is slightly curly rather than straight, and unlike Remi's pointed ears, this dog's are long and floppy just like Holly's.

In short, it's frickin adorable.  

"Oh my god!" you squeal before you can help yourself, stealing the phone from Yoongi's grasp to get an even closer look. You keep scrolling through Google images and you swear each puppy is even cuter than the last, knees bouncing under the counter as your thumb relentlessly swipes.  

You totally miss the fondness with which Yoongi observes your excitement.  He's usually rather possessive over his tech, but you're just so enthusiastic he can't bring himself to cut your 'ooh-ing' and 'aww-ing' short - especially given how miserable you looked when you first arrived.  "They're so adorable, oh my gosh."

"I don't think we'll have any trouble finding buyers if they come out looking like that," he says, slipping his phone back into his pocket once you coyly handed it back, careful to avoid the brushing of your fingers. 

"No, you're probably right." If anything, you'll probably have trouble giving them up yourself!  Yoongi returns safely to the other side of the counter, smiling softly as he picks up his cup in both hands and takes another sip.  

"We'll figure it out," he assures you, and somehow, despite all your anxieties and doubts, there's something about Yoongi's voice that makes you put all your faith in him.  

Mind now at rest, the two of you chat whilst you finish your coffees, not just about the dogs but other things as well; his impressive home entertainment system, your plans for Christmas and various theories about the strange Mr Jung who lives alone on the floor below and yet can be heard shouting all hours of the day.  

It feels so easy to talk to him.  Familiar, almost.  Like you and Yoongi knew each other in a past life and have somehow found one another again.  

Or maybe you're just a hopeless romantic who's reading way too much into things but hey, you're not hurting anyone.  Just yourself, maybe, and you can live with that.  

"Thanks for the coffee," you smile as the conversation reaches a natural lull.  You're reluctant to leave but you'd rather not risk overstaying your welcome and turn what has been a lovely interaction sour.  

"Any time," Yoongi smiles in return.  This time you don't manage to avoid the brushing of your fingers as you hand your coffee cup back, and as your fingertips touch you end up pressing your thighs together under the counter from the thrill that runs through you.  Thank god he doesn't see it, lest Yoongi realises just how sexually deprived you've been since you and your ex broke up.  

Better leave now whilst you still have some semblance of self-control left. 

"Ok Rem, time to head on home," you call, slipping off the stool.  You pause, expecting to hear the jingling of the bell on her collar as she trots her way over to you, but nothing comes. "Remi?" You make your way into the living room only to find her curled up with Holly in that same spot on the sofa as last time, and if she heard you then she's certainly not acting as though she did.  "Rem, c'mon, gotta go."  Lazily, they lift their heads in perfect unison and yet Remi remains unmoving, yawning and stretching as Holly rolls onto his back.  

Glancing behind you, you ensure Yoongi is well out of earshot before squatting down so that you and Remi are eye to eye.  

"Look, I don't want to go either, but we don't want to overstay our welcome now, do we?" you whisper quietly, giving her fair warning before you slip your hands under her fuzzy little body and lift her from the seat. 

"Don't be sad." You almost jump out of your skin when you suddenly hear Yoongi right behind you, very nearly dropping Remi in your haste to turn around.  Apparently, Yoongi isn't a great believer in personal space (or else is oblivious to it) because he's close enough that he doesn't have to move an inch in order to reach out and stroke her fur, smiling. "We'll see each other soon," he reassures, looking up at you before adding, "Won't we?" 

"Yeah, definitely," you confirm, nodding like an idiot, and as though she understands Remi gives a little low rumble of contentment as she leans her head back against your chest, exposing her chin for scratches that Yoongi can't resist supplying.  

"I'll come fetch her for her walk tomorrow as normal." Yoongi pauses as he withdraws his affection, scratching behind his ear and keeping his eyes on Remi as he asks, "You are working tomorrow, aren't you?" 

Instantly, your cheeks flush with heat as you realise his intention for asking. "Y-yeah." God forbid he almost walk in on you semi-nude all over again… "Thanks." 

"No problem," he smiles, meeting your gaze.  You shyly return his smile, unable to think of anything more to say as he sees you to the door except to wish him goodbye, blushing once more when he quietly utters it back along with your name. 

It should be criminal for someone so good looking to have a voice so sexy.  How's a girl supposed to stand a chance?  Even when you're no longer in his presence, you can't stop thinking about him; his calm demeanour, his subtle smiles, the warmth he exudes around both Remi and Holly.  If he were just attractive that would be one thing, but now you're getting to know him more, little by little… boy, you're in trouble. 

And Remi doesn't seem to be faring much better, either.  Every small noise from next door that could possibly be her four-legged love has her pacing and whining, so eager to go to see him that every time you come home you have to be careful she doesn't dart out into the hallway between your legs and go scratching at Yoongi's door.  

Apparently, Remi's not concerned with the notion of looking desperate, which is why one evening when you come home and you're met with nothing more than silence and an empty apartment, you're more than just a little worried.  

Has she climbed her way out onto the balcony?  Shimmied across the window ledges mission impossible style in a desperate attempt to reach Holly next door?  

Unlikely, but you follow your gut instinct anyway and head over to Yoongi's as calmly as you can.  You take a deep, steadying breath as you knock on his door, trying to keep the rising sense of panic at bay.  You've already had a not so great day at work - too many customers with not enough manners.  The last thing you need now is a missing dog to add to the list.  

"Have you seen Remi?" you blurt out as soon as the door starts to open, frowning from the headache throbbing at the back of your skull.  "I just got home and she's not there and-" 

Yoongi's mouth opens but he has the chance to speak, the sound of Remi's bell does all the talking for him, jingling loudly as she comes running towards the door.  

"Hey you!" Your knees click as you bend down to fuss her, one hand on the hem of your skirt to make sure it doesn't ride up too far. "You scared me!"  Remorseless, Remi flops onto her side and cocks her leg up in invitation for you to stroke her stomach.  It's slowly starting to expand underneath all the fuzz, and despite your recent panic you still can't help but smile to feel it.  

"Sorry, should've left a note." Behind you, you hear the front door click shut.  Remi quickly has her fill of tummy rubs, and as she runs away back to Holly, you stand up straight and turn to Yoongi, endeared by the uneasy expression on his face and the awkwardness with which he shoves his hands into his pockets. "I keep hearing her whining after I've dropped her off, so I figured it wouldn't hurt for her to just stay a while longer 'till you get home." 

God, there he goes again being an absolute sweetheart. 

"Shouldn't have just assumed," he apologises but you're quick to wave it off, smiling.  

"Not at all.  Just glad she's safe." Yoongi smiles, hands coming out of his pockets, and as he walks on past you into the kitchen you're suddenly hit with the smell of cooking; onions and garlic and a sweet-smelling sauce.  

"You hungry?" he asks as he approaches the stove.  

You can't resist the opportunity to take a really good look at him whilst his back is turned; the epitome of effortless style in his open plaid shirt and skinny jeans.  He's barefoot, you realise, and you're not sure why you find that so attractive but you're not about to go analysing it now. Not when he's turned to look at you so expectantly - almost like you've completely missed something he's just said in favour of ogling how nicely the pockets of his jeans frame each of his perfect little butt cheeks.  

"Sorry?" you ask stupidly.  

"I always make too much," he says, mercifully turning back to his frying pan quick enough that he might have missed the blush on your cheeks. "Plenty to go around.  If you want." 

Wait.  Is Yoongi… Asking you to stay for dinner?  And do your eyes deceive you, or is the back of his neck turning a delightful shade of pink as he waits for you to answer?  

No.  No, that'd just be ridiculous.  You're just leaping to conclusions - presumptuous and delusional - but then… why are there already two place settings laid out on his small dining table?  Why is there an extra wine glass standing empty on the counter next to the one that's only half full?  

Did he… plan this out?  Hell, if he did, you're not about to go looking a gift horse in the mouth.  Fighting back a nervous smile, you remove your cardigan and hang it over the back of one of his bar stools as casually as you can. 

"Sure," you agree, untucking your blouse from your skirt before sliding onto the same stool to watch Yoongi plate up. "Smells a lot better than anything I could cook up." Would it be too much to go unbuttoning a couple of buttons on your blouse too?  Show a little skin?  

You're reaching to do just that when suddenly Yoongi turns around with his frying pan in hand and you promptly chicken out, clearing your throat.  From behind you, Holly and Remi come running into the room, and Yoongi gets distracted when your little lady starts pawing at his leg, vying for attention.  

"You want another treat, huh?" With his free hand, he plucks a little brown ball off of a baking tray by the sink and promptly throws it up in the air for Remi to catch, and as soon as it's within her jaws she lies down and merrily begins to chomp, crunching and munching away.  

"What's that?" you enquire as Yoongi recommences dishing up, spooning a chicken and vegetable something or other onto a bed of rice.  It's a good job you're not a fussy eater or else you might be slightly alarmed that he hasn't even told you what you're having…"The treat, I mean."  He looks up from sliding his frying pan into soapy water already waiting in the sink, glancing down at Remi.  

"Just some recipe I found online," he explains, casual as ever.  He brings over the wine glass you'd noticed earlier and offers to fill it with a tilt of the bottle, doing so when you nod.  "She needs the extra calories."

"You made them yourself?" you ask, incredulous that Yoongi would go so far and be so considerate as to go searching for homemade doggie treats.  He nods somewhat bashfully, avoiding your gaze as he carries both your plates over to the table and takes a seat. "You're unbelievable," you laugh before you can help yourself, wine glass cradled in both hands as you join him at the table.  

Perhaps it might be best not to drink too much of said wine.  Seems your tongue is loose enough already without adding extra lubrication.  

“I just mean-” You hasten to explain your brazen compliment, not missing the way Yoongi’s eyebrows lift in surprise when you reach for chopsticks rather than the knife and fork he’d placed beside your plate. “- My ex couldn’t even be bothered to learn how to use the washing machine, nevermind bake little organic dog treats in his spare time.”

Glancing over at Remi, you see her standing on her hind legs against the kitchen cupboards in desperate hope for more, and damn, now you’ve gotten a taste of Yoongi’s cooking you can totally understand why! 

“Oh my god ,” you groan around your mouthful, chopsticks clicking frantically as you gather up the next, completely distracted from whatever the hell it was you were just saying.  

“It wasn’t all organic,” you hear Yoongi mumble, cheeks pink as he takes a sip of his wine.  Is that just a little alcohol-induced flush you spy?  Or is he secretly flattered?  “Just the peanut butter.”  You smile, chewing ceaselessly as Yoongi deposits one very large mouthful into his not-nearly-so-small-as-it-looks mouth.  He fills his cheeks so full that for a few glorious seconds he resembles some kind of adorable human/hamster hybrid; so cute you just want to reach out and- 

"Always had your ex pegged as kind of an asshole, to be honest," Yoongi admits, eyes focused on his plate, and it's not so much the talking with his mouth full that has you nearly choking on your food - it's the bluntness with which he does it.  He looks up as you splutter, reaching for your wine. "No offence." He looks mildly alarmed as you cough once more. "It's just I used to hear him all the time through the walls, shouting his mouth off." 

"None taken," you wheeze, taking a sip of wine to clear the tickle that's left in your throat.  Your eyes are watering and no doubt your face is red, but that's the least of your worries right now, mortified to imagine just how many arguments Yoongi must've overheard during all the time that douchebag was part of your life.  

"Sorry if I'm overstepping the mark…" You shake your head quickly, waving off his concerns as Remi and Holly come trotting over as though to check on you.  Not that you're so naive as to really believe that - no doubt they're here to scavenge scraps off of the table rather than to ensure your wellbeing.  

"Not at all," you chuckle, "Asshole is probably putting it lightly.  Never really have had the best taste in men." Yoongi exhales a breathy laugh, smiling wryly.  

"Gotta kiss a few frogs to find the Prince, right?" You end up smiling even harder at that, snorting into your wine.   A few is probably an understatement, but that's not information Yoongi needs to know.  

"Sure he'll turn up one day," you muse, sounding ever so slightly wistful.  Your eyes meet Yoongi's from across the table and a beat passes, no words said as the two of you look at one another.  You don't dare move - even breathe - lest you risk breaking… whatever this moment between you may be. 

Unexpectedly, you feel soft fur against the bare skin of your leg and it startles you despite knowing full well what it is.  When you look down, you see Remi staring at you meaningfully, her eyes locked with yours even as she trots her way to the other end of the table to paw at Yoongi's leg, asking for a fuss.  

'I like this one, ' her eyes seem to say as Yoongi reaches down to pet her, smiling fondly, 'You should give this one a try.'

Oh, if only. 

“We can do this more often if you want,” Yoongi offers as his attention returns to his food.  “I don’t mind watching her ‘till you get back from work.”   

“Are you sure?” Once again you’re floored by Yoongi’s casual generosity.  He doesn’t even look up as he bobs his head in confirmation, his mouth too full to respond. 

“She’s no trouble,” he tells you once he’s eventually swallowed, “And Holly likes having her around.”  

“That’d be amazing,” you smile, “Thank you.”  He returns your smile - small, short and sweet - and you swear each and every time he flashes you a grin you end up falling just that little bit more.  

"Does that mean I have even more delicious dinners to look forward to?" you ask, surprising yourself with how flirty you sound.  How brave.  

Yoongi laughs at your forwardness, sputtering into his wine.  You don't really expect him to answer - assume he'll just laugh it off and not say anything at all - but Yoongi looks rather serious as he puts down his glass; his gaze so intense that for a second you actually forget how to chew.  

"If you're lucky," he promises, and oh boy, you hope you will be. "But next time, you bring the wine." 

  And so, you do.  

Every night throughout the week that follows, you pay a visit to the corner store on your way home to pick up a bottle of white, or rose, or red.  You're fairly certain the cashier might suspect you of having some sort of drinking problem, actually, but Yoongi's been so grateful that you can't stand the thought of turning up empty-handed.  And It’s not even as though you always drink the whole bottle, anyway.  It’s just a glass with dinner on Wednesday and Thursday, and then one extra on Friday and Saturday when Yoongi invites you to stay a little longer.  

And ok, so maybe he doesn’t actually ask you to stay, but when a guy starts asking whether you’ve seen this new show he really likes and turns on Netflix, what are you supposed to think?  

You end up thoroughly enjoying the hours you waste away sitting at the opposite end of his sofa with Remi in your lap, even the lazy Sunday evening that Yoongi spends watching some god-awful competitive fishing show that you pretend to like just because it makes him smile.  

It’s funny how simple a creature Yoongi turns out to be, considering how mysterious he’d first seemed.  He’s a man of few words but what he does say is always interesting, and you’d like to think you’ve gotten to know him pretty well as the week’s gone by.  He’s considerate and hard-working, introverted and yet speaks so fondly of the few friends he professes to have.  He loves music and fishing, cooking and expensive wine, and when he’s tipsy his voice gets even slower and deeper - his tone so dulcet that you could happily listen to him talk all night. 

By the end of the week you’ve spent more time in Yoongi’s apartment than you have your own, and you won’t pretend for even a second that you’ve thought that it’s a bad thing.  You’re well and truly smitten; the favourite part of your day now the moment you come home and have both Yoongi and the dogs there to greet you, even though that home is not your own.  

Picturing that - thinking of him - is the only thing that’s gotten you through the shittiness of your last few hours at work.  You really do enjoy your job, for the most part, but some days are inevitably better than others and today… today was a bad, bad, bad day.  The kind of bad day that has you searching the liquor aisle for the whisky with the highest volume of alcohol you can possibly find - the same bottle that you later slam down on Yoongi’s kitchen counter having already let yourself into his apartment, sighing every step of the way.  

“Bad day?” he asks, not yet having turned around to see the miserable look on your face.  You can’t bring yourself to say anything, too focused on trying to hold yourself together after having struggled to do so all afternoon, so you stay quiet as you give Remi the fussing she’s after.  Her tail is wagging with a glee you’re envious of, her fuzzy tummy growing more and more round by the day.  

“I can make this Irish if you want.”  You look up to see Yoongi standing beside you with a mug of coffee held in both hands and a soft smile on his face, and suddenly it’s just all too much.  The dam inside you that’d slowly begin to crack throughout the day finally bursts at the sight of him - overcome with emotion at having him treat you so kindly after having faced such rudeness and meanness for hours on end.  

“I’m sorry!” you squeak out as you burst into tears, your elbows meeting the counter as your face falls into your hands, not wanting to have Yoongi see you cry.  You can’t see anything with your eyes so tightly screwed shut, but if you could you’d witness the look of shock appear on Yoongi’s face - see his eyes widen and his lips slightly part as the rest of him freezes, unsure of what to do.  

You really try your best to stem your tears, but you’re so embarrassed to have him see you like this that it only makes you cry harder, shoulders trembling as you curl in on yourself in an attempt to hide.  

“I just h-had such a h-h-horrible day,” you sob, “This one w-woman - this bitch - she was s-so m-mean and she wouldn’t just-”  You abruptly stop speaking as an arm is suddenly laid across your shoulders, and before you realise what’s happening you’re being pulled into an embrace; your face nestled into a soft sweater.  

“Hey, hey,” you're gently shushed, and it’s not so much that Yoongi's comforting you that helps to calm you down, nor the feel of one of his large hands rubbing up and down the length of your back.  It’s more the shock of having Yoongi actually touch you that allows you to finally start catching your breath, your hands unknowingly reaching out to hold onto him.  “Whatever happened, it’s over now, right?  It’ll be ok,” he soothes.  

“Uh-huh,” you whisper into fabric, silently praying that your nose hasn’t run all over it, and although you’re no longer crying you allow yourself a moment more to enjoy the feel of his arms around you.  He smells wonderful - his slight body warm and firm pressed against you - and all you want to do is tighten your grip on his sweater and pull him even closer; tilt your head to skim your lips against his throat.  

“You ok?” Yoongi asks, and as you finally lift your head and dab away the moisture from under your eyes the last thing you expect is to feel his fingers fleetingly touch your hair.  You meet his gaze and the concern you see there is almost enough to make you start crying all over again - but then you watch as his pupils dart back and forth, up and down as he scans your face - and suddenly… suddenly you're kissing him. 

Or is it him who's kissing you? 

You're not sure who it is that makes the first move, but regardless of whoever the instigator may be, your mouths still meet in the middle.  Yoongi's lips are soft but his kiss is firm - purposeful - and utterly takes your breath away.  You make a grab for him again, clutching at the fabric at his hip to keep him close as you sweep your tongue across the seam of his lips, Yoongi's hands coming to rest upon your face.  They're so warm, so gentle as he traces your cheekbones with his thumbs, and-

All too soon he's pulling away, brought to his senses the moment he feels the moisture that lingers on your cheeks, and the quiet whine of protest that you're unable to hold back has your face burning with shame.  

"S-sorry," he rapidly stammers out as he stumbles back out of reach, retreating to the other side of the counter; a barrier between you.  His cheeks are flushed with the same heat as yours, unable to meet your eyes as he wipes at the corner of his mouth with his thumb and then rubs the side of his neck. "I didn't mean… I mean… you…" 

Oh lord, this is awkward.  So, so awkward!  What the hell did you have to go and kiss him for?!  He looks so painfully uncomfortable right now that you're sure he'd rather melt into the floor than look at you, and oh my god you're such an idiot!  What kind of moron goes snogging someone's face off at the slightest bit of physical contact?  Are you really that touch deprived?! 

"Sorry," he repeats, "You're upset-" You're already up and out of your stool before Yoongi even has the chance to finish his sentence.  

"I should just go," you blurt out as you pick Remi up off the floor and into your arms despite her huffed exhale of protest.  You're being a coward, you know that, but you're too fragile right now to go through the whole 'let you down gently' routine without sobbing all over again - especially if it's coming from someone you're so crazy about.  

No, you'd rather just see yourself out now and save him the bother.  Best for everyone if you just pretend this never happened… 

"Thanks for watching her."  You're moving too quickly for him to protest - to do anything but stand with his mouth agape as you race for the front door like the very flames of hell are licking at your heels.  

"Don't forget your-!" you hear Yoongi call, pulling the front door shut behind you too fast to make out the end of his sentence.  You scurry down the hall back to your own apartment, and it’s only as you’re struggling to get inside with Remi still balanced on your hip that you realise your hands are lightly shaking.  

“Never happened,” you mumble to yourself once you finally get the blasted thing open, relinquishing Remi from where she’d begun to wriggle and squirm in your grasp.  “Never happened.  It was just one stupid, silly kiss.”  You lean back against your front door, exhaling a sigh.  “Just… forget about it.”  

And oh, you really try.  You try everything and anything you can think of to get Yoongi off of your mind, but nothing works; not mindless trash TV, not blasting your favourite tunes while you’re in the shower - not finishing off the bottle of wine leftover from the night before last.  If anything, alcohol just makes things ten times worse.  As you lie on your bed amidst a tipsy haze, all you can think about is the way his lips felt pressed to yours and of how he tasted like the coffee you hadn’t had the chance to drink.  The low noise he’d made in the back of his throat when you’d grabbed at his clothes.  It was so hot… he’s so hot, and more than anything you just want to go back there right now and- 

You groan aloud in frustration, raking your fingers through your hair to keep them from finding their way into your pants.  God, you’re so royally fucked - and not in the way you’re wishing you were - but you’re too far tired and conflicted and just… sad to want to masturbate, no matter how fiercely Yoongi’s kiss may have made you ache.   So you ignore it, cocoon yourself in your duvet whilst Remi snores at your feet, and will yourself to fall asleep whilst silently reassuring yourself that tomorrow is another day.  

Come the next morning (which is mercifully hangover free), you ready yourself for work repeating just that.  Today has to be better - or at least it can't get much worse - and what happened with Yoongi was just… a blip.  Carelessness on your part.  And knowing Yoongi as you now do, you’re sure he’ll be far too much of a gentleman to mention it anyway.  

That’s if he doesn’t ghost you entirely, of course, which is a legitimate possibility.  

Luckily, your day does turn out a whole lot better than the one that came before; a small mercy, given how worked up you've been worrying about where to expect to find Remi once you get home.  Whether it be in your apartment or Yoongi's, you're unsure which option would be preferable.   If she's waiting at Yoongi's you'll have no choice but to go over there and face the consequences of last night's actions - a thought you by no means relish - but if she's at yours… well, you suppose that might just be even worse.    

You’re not too proud to admit that Yoongi's help with Remi has been invaluable over the past weeks, and if you're being honest, his friendship has too.  You can't imagine going back to the way it was before: barely seeing one another, exchanging nothing but awkward smiles in the hallway.  If he were to walk out of your life now you would really, really miss him - to say the least.  And that's… kind of terrifying.  

At heart, though, you’re a positive person, and you want to believe that things will just carry on the way they have before.  And maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but your hope is what has you stopping by the same old corner store on the way home and picking up a bottle of wine from a brand you know Yoongi likes, just as you’ve done so many times before.  And maybe it might be considered hedging your bets, but after the grocery store you head across the street to one of the local takeout places, too.  You know Yoongi’s all about meat, meat and more meat when it comes to food, so it’s not hard for you to figure out what to order; lamb skewers, tempura shrimp, spicy pork belly.  Some of it you don’t even like yourself, so you hope to god Remi’s waiting at Yoongi’s and not at yours otherwise there’s a hell of a lot of food about to go to waste.

You order so much, in fact, that your arms are aching by the time you get home - though that does nothing to distract you from the way your heart starts to gallop when it comes time to put your keys in the lock and open up your front door.   You hold your breath as it swings open, eyes closing for a second as you pray not to hear the click-clack of Remi’s claws on the floor, and when nothing comes you sigh with relief, never so glad to be greeted by an empty home.  

“Thank the lord,” you murmur as you place everything down on the kitchen table, figuring you may as well use this chance to quickly get changed and freshen up before heading next door.  Normally you’d just go round in your work clothes, and truthfully there’s nothing actually wrong with what you’re already wearing, but you appreciate just a little bit of extra time to mentally prepare.

Not that it helps, of course.   Whether in a skirt or jeans, you’re crapping your pants just as much as you knock on his door but you plaster a smile on your face nonetheless, holding aloft your wine and takeout bags as the door starts to open.  

“Hi,” you beam as Yoongi appears, “I brought goodies!”  He looks mildly taken aback by the sight of you and how bubbly you sound - even more so when you stride forward to enter without him yet having said a word.  “You’re not cooking yet,” you observe as you enter the kitchen and hear the front door shut behind you, Yoongi’s soft footfalls across the floor following shortly after, “Good.”  

You turn on the spot, grinning inanely as you try not to make it too obvious that you’re checking him out.  Must he really look so effortlessly stylish all the time?   He even has that whole ‘just got out of bed’ ruffled hair thing going on, and god, you hate him for how badly it makes you want to run your fingers through it to see if it’s as soft as it looks.  

“Where’s Rem?” you ask before your thoughts run too far amok, tearing your eyes away from him in favour of peering over his shoulder towards the living room.  

“Think they’re in my room,” he explains, fingers fiddling with the arm of the glasses he’s wearing and then straying into his hair to scratch at his scalp.  He must’ve been in his studio prior to your arrival - it’s the only time you really ever see him wearing his glasses.  “She’s been acting kinda weird today.”  

Frowning, you follow after him as he leads you down the hallway towards his bedroom.  You try not to focus on the fact that this will have been the first time you’ve seen it, or mourn that now that you are it’s in less-than-sexy circumstances.  

“What do you mean ‘weird’?” 

“Just… restless, I guess.  She didn’t wanna walk but I had to stop her scratching up the carpet ‘cus she keeps wanting to dig.”  He pushes open the door and immediately you gasp, freezing in the doorway.  Yoongi sighs heavily, surveying the damage before him.  “And ruin my bedding, apparently.”  

To be fair, it's not really that bad - and you're not just saying that because Remi's your dog and you're a wee bit overprotective, either.  Yes, there's one pillow that's been pulled off the bed and had its stuffing ripped out, but aside from that all that's really moved is his sheets, and whilst they've been pulled into a heap the floor there doesn't appear to be any other damage or… bodily fluids amidst them.  

"Oh Rem, what've you been up to?" you coo, kneeling down beside the heap of blankets that the two dogs are curled up amongst.  Holly comes alive at the sound of your voice, instantly perking up, and within seconds he's on his feet and visiting you and Yoongi in turn for a scratch behind the ears.  Remi, however, is somewhat lazier in her response.  She lifts her head slowly, emitting a pathetic little sound as she gazes up at you, pointed ears pressed back against the top of her head.  

"What's wrong girl?" Concerned, you're cautious in the way you put your hands on her, but you're relieved to find she's just as eager to receive affection as ever.  It's only when you run your hand across her belly that she seems to object, her small body tensing.  

"She's been in here for a couple hours," Yoongi informs you as he comes to kneel beside you on the carpet. "I tried to feed her dinner but she wasn't interested - thought it might've been something to do with her throwing up earlier on." 

"You think we should call the vet?" Yoongi shakes his head as Holly comes to reclaim his spot next to his lady friend.  Snuggling in close, he gives her an affectionate lick.  

"I thought about it," he admits, giving Remi's head a gentle pat, "But I don't think she's sick.  I think she's in labour." 

"Really?" Now that you think about it, the time frame does seem about right.  You just hadn't expected it to happen so soon… 

"Called my brother and he seems to think so." Looking up from Remi your gaze meets Yoongi's, and you figure it must show on your face how overwhelmed you're feeling because the smile that he gives you is a kind one.  

"So, what do we do?" you ask, sinking back from your knees and onto your bottom instead, crossing your legs.  Yoongi copies you, and for a second your eyes dart to the expanse of skin that's revealed to you through the rip in his jeans, right across the thigh.  

"Not much, apparently.  Not unless something goes wrong and Remi needs a hand."  You feel anxiety twist your expression and Yoongi brow furrows in sympathy, his fingers drumming against his knees.  "We've just gotta sit and wait." You chuckle mirthlessly, rolling your eyes.  

"Never really been the patient type." Yoongi smiles, rising to his feet and placing his hand on your shoulder as he goes, giving it a squeeze that makes your stomach go topsy-turvy.  

"I guess I better go get us some supplies to keep us going then, huh?" 

"That'd be good," you smile, blushing as he squeezes it once more before finally letting go.  You turn back to Remi as he leaves the room, worrying your bottom lip until you unexpectedly hear him call your name.  He lingers in the doorway, one hand on the frame.  

"Everything's gonna be fine," he assures you. "Trust me." And somehow, without question, you do.  

  It's a little odd, really, how effortlessly things have gone back to normal considering what went on between you last night.  Perhaps it's the pressure of the unfamiliar situation you've been thrust into that's redirected your attention elsewhere and thereby alleviated the tension. Or maybe it was just never as big of a deal as you'd made it out to be in your head.  Either way, you're grateful.  

That's not to say there's no tension at all, mind, but rather than making things feel uncomfortable it's more like… like there's a charge between you.  A spark.  You can feel it all the while you're sat eating dinner together cross-legged on his bedroom floor, lips tingling from how spicy (albeit delicious) the food is.  Coy smiles and stolen glances are made amongst idle chit-chat, distracting you from the waves of worry that rise and then recede with each little sound that Remi makes which turn out to be nothing.  

You've no idea how long labour usually tends to last for dogs, but you can only hope that if or when you ever decide to have children, that you handle it just as quietly and calmly as Remi.  You hope whoever you’re with is attentive as Holly, too, and you know that’s an odd thing to think but you can’t help but admire the way he is with her; laying patiently just a few feet away, his attention unwavering.  

Technically you know it isn’t the norm for the ‘daddy dog’ to be around while his bitch is giving birth (or at least so Yoongi had said), just in case his presence made Remi nervous or agitated, but these pair seem to be a bit an anomaly in that respect.  When Yoongi had tried to extract Holly from the room prior to eating dinner, Remi had gotten more restless than ever and so you’d been forced to let him back in despite all the guidance advising the contrary.  You’ll just have to keep an extra close eye on him when the puppies actually arrive, you suppose, though you know you can rely on Yoongi to keep him in line.  

And to be fair, it seems as though you’re able to rely on Yoongi an awful lot in general these days.  Having been so preoccupied with your new job you’ve done shamefully little research as to what to expect and how to prepare for Remi to give birth, naively believing that you still had plenty of time to spare. 

Lucky for you, Yoongi seems to have everything handled; the ‘supplies’ he’d previously mentioned turning out to be a heap of freshly washed towels, shiny surgical scissors and some sort of sucker device - the likes you imagine to be used for clearing snotty babies noses.  You eye it nervously as you finish your last mouthful of shrimp, silently hoping you won’t need anything other than the towels and a little bit of luck.  

“Thanks for dinner.”  You drag your eyes away from the scissors, Yoongi’s voice having interrupted your thoughts.  

“No worries,” you reply, smiling gratefully as Yoongi takes your empty plate from your hands to stack it on top of his own.  He puts them aside for a moment as he dutifully tidies everything away, putting the empty food cartons back into the plastic bag from whence they came.  “About time I returned the favour.”  Yoongi smiles wryly, no doubt too polite to point out that buying takeout and preparing a home-cooked meal isn’t quite the same thing.  

“To be honest,” he says, using his preoccupation as a good excuse to avoid your gaze, “I wasn’t sure whether you were even going to come over tonight.”  

Well, there goes the hope that you’d get through the evening without last night’s faux pas being mentioned.  

“Well, it’s not like I could just leave Remi here…” you mumble, glancing away as Yoongi sits back down beside you having finished clearing up.  You don’t want him to think that that’s the only reason you came but you’re not sure what else to say, fidgeting nervously with the hem of your sleeves.  

There’s a moment of silence - a pause long enough that it prompts you to look up, and when you do you see that Yoongi looks just as nervous as you feel, picking at his cuticles.  

“I…” He hesitates, huffing as though he’s almost frustrated with himself before forcing himself to look at you.  His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat. “I’m glad you did, though.  I wanted a chance to say I’m sorry for last night, for-” 

“Don’t,” you interrupt, surprising yourself.  His eyes widen behind his glasses, his mouth hanging open having been caught off guard, and god damn it, he looks adorable.  “We’re friends, right?  I don’t want us to have to keep apologising to each other all the time for every little thing.”  Yoongi nods, shutting his mouth. 

Was that… disappointment you saw in his eyes when you referred to him as your friend?  Yoongi smiles weakly but it looks forced - unnatural - and it disappears too fast for it to have been real.  In its wake a frown appears, one that deepens as his attention returns to Remi, and it makes you ache in your chest to see it.  Since you’ve become closer, you’ve gotten so used to seeing his smile and hearing him laugh that this just feels wrong.  

All of this - you hiding the way you feel, pretending like last night’s kiss wasn’t the best thing to happen to you in… in forever;  acting like Yoongi isn’t the best thing to happen to you in forever - it’s all wrong.  You should tell him what he means to you.  You need to.  

“Yoongi,” you say gently, calling back his attention, and when he looks at you your stomach churns so fiercely with nerves you fear you might lose your dinner.  You swallow, trying to get a hold of yourself, and bravely reach out to snatch his hand up from where it rested on his knee, threading your fingers between his.  He looks down dumbly at your conjoined hands, eyes even wider than they were before.  “I… I didn’t mind it.  When you kissed me.”  You feel your cheeks burning with heat but force yourself to continue, reassured that Yoongi hasn’t immediately pulled his hand away.  “Or when I kissed you. However it happened.”  You titter a nervous laugh, acutely aware of how clammy your palms are, and you’re glad to see that Yoongi looks just as affected by your confession as you are; every inch of his skin flushed a pretty blush pink under his normal skin tone.  “There was never anything to apologise for.”  

You flash him a nervous smile once you’ve finally done talking, giving his hand a squeeze of encouragement in hopes that he won’t leave you hanging too long before voicing some sort of reply.  A confession of undying love is preferable, obviously, but short of that just knowing he’s not totally repulsed would be enough. 

You can’t say you expect the sudden laugh he lets out - nor know what to make of it - and you’re just about to start freaking out and pull your hand away when Yoongi shifts closer to you and places his other hand over the two of yours.  The rubbing of his thumb back and forth across your skin helps to calm you, and he’s no longer laughing as he looks into your eyes, taking a breath.  He quietly calls your name, leaning closer.  

And then suddenly, Remi whines, and the two of you instantly break apart.  

“You ok Rem?” Quickly, you rise to your knees and shuffle towards her, frowning with concern.  You don’t mean to panic, but this is the first sound of obvious distress you’ve heard from her and you can’t stand the thought of your sweet girl being in pain.  

She looks up at you from where she’s nestled amongst Yoongi’s covers, panting hard, and you have to force yourself not to reach out to give her the fussing that you’re longing to.  Beside you, Yoongi watches her closely; observes the way she stops panting just for a second or two and seems to stiffen slightly before beginning to pant all over again. 

“Is she ok?” you ask, though you’re not sure why you’re presuming that Yoongi will know any more about what’s going on than you do.  

Tentatively, Yoong reaches out and lays both hands on Remi’s stomach, waiting for the next pause in her panting.  His eyes narrow, fingers twitching atop her fur.  

“Her tummy feels hard,” he says, “I think she’s starting to push.”  

“Shit,” you whisper under your breath, blushing when Yoongi chuckles in response.  He removes his hands from her, placing them back on his lap just in time for Remi to decide she wants to move, and she rises from where’s lain in the duvet all this time and begins to circle and paw at the covers, panting ceaselessly.  

“You can do it, girl.”  Following Yoongi’s lead, you reach out and gently stroke her back in reassurance, very nearly bursting into tears when Remi chases after your hand when you pull it back, nuzzling into your palm.  “We’ve got this.”  

  The next two hours pass by in something of a blur.  You all maintain a careful distance (Holly included), giving affection when it seems like she's in need of it and holding back whenever she seems agitated or restless.  She must get up and down to rearrange the sheets underneath her at least a hundred times before the first puppy is born, and you watch on with a mixture of horror and wonderment as it slowly emerges from inside her, trying your best not to cry at the sudden squeal she releases as her baby starts to crown, bottom first.  

You won't lie, it's probably one of the most disgusting sights you've ever seen, and yet you can't help but feel overcome with emotion as you watch this puppy arrive into the world, still cocooned in its amniotic sac until Remi instinctively begins to lick it clean.  She brings it to life with firm laps of her tongue, not stopping till its little body starts to wriggle and it releases the tiniest of squeaks.  Frankly, it's a good job the puppy is so cute, as it gives you something to focus on as Remi decides to chow down on the placenta, thereby separating it from her offspring.  

By the time the second puppy is born the first has already started to feed, it's head almost completely hidden by Remi's fur as it latches on.  That birth is just as straightforward, too, though Yoongi does have to shorten its umbilical cord slightly when Remi leaves it dangling just a little too long.  You're in awe of how confident and competent he seems as he does it, not a hint of hesitation evident on his face from the moment he realises what's needed to the moment it's done.  

Ah, if only you could ever be so cool. 

It’s only as the third and final puppy is being born that you start to encounter some trouble.  You almost start to believe the scan had been wrong and you were only ever expecting two puppies, figuring that Remi must be done having not pushed in almost an hour and a half.  But then all of a sudden she’s restless again and after a few minutes more another puppy begins to emerge.  The sac of waters around this one looks different - so green and dark that you almost can’t make out what’s inside at all.  

“Yoongi.”  You say his name out of sheer nervousness, already knowing he’s right there beside you seeing the same very thing.  Just like before, the puppy slides out in the amniotic sac onto the towel placed underneath Remi’s back end, but this time she doesn’t seem to pay nearly so much attention to it as she did the others - sparing it just enough licks to break the sac and then turning away, closing her eyes.  

All of Remi’s puppies so far have been just as white in colour as Remi herself, and so would this puppy be if its fur weren’t stained an unpleasant shade of green.  By Remi’s hind legs it lies limply on the towel; unmoving, unbreathing.  

“Yoongi,” you choke out, your eyes spilling over with tears, “Yoongi, it’s not breathing.  Yoongi, it-” Stifling a sob, you slap your hands over your mouth as Yoongi springs into action next to you.

Brow furrowed in concentration, he snatches up the scissors and deftly separates the puppy from its placenta just like he did for the one that came before.  He scoops it up in both hands and tilts its head down in order to help any fluids that might remain to drain out, murmuring urgently under his breath.  

“Pass me the sucker,” he suddenly demands, outstretching his hand, and you rush to obey, your own hands shaking as you place it in his palm and watch on as he precedes to suction each of the puppy’s tiny nostrils and mouth.  You pray that that will do the job.  To see some sort of response, the tiniest wiggle or smallest of sounds.  Anything!  But nothing happens - nothing at all - and you can tell even Yoongi’s starting to get desperate.  

“C’mon little guy,” he mumbles, wrapping the puppy in the towel and starting to vigorously rub its back, its stomach, its head - up and down all over, over and over again.  “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.”  Even Yoongi’s eyes are looking glassy now, the tip of his nose turning red as he holds back the tears that you’ve long since succumbed to.  

And then, just as your face falls into your hands and a sob shakes your shoulders, you hear the tiniest, most fragile of sounds.   A squeak followed by a sharp inhale of breath, and when you sharply look up you see that the tiniest puppy of the litter so far has finally begun to squirm, its mouth opening up wide to display the tiny pink tongue within.  

“Oh my god!”  You’re half laughing half crying as Yoongi stares down at the new life down within his hands, his eyes wide with wonderment.  There are tears trickling down his cheeks but he’s smiling more brightly than you’ve ever seen before, and he’s so heart-breakingly gentle as he lowers the puppy back down to Remi’s level and presents him to her.  

“You did so good, girl,” he praises, voice thick with emotion as Remi begins to lick the puppy with renewed enthusiasm.  She only stops once Yoongi slowly moves him away to nestle him in between his siblings, encouraging him to feed with softly whispered words of encouragement, and he waits until the puppy is eagerly suckling to finally let go and back off, exhaling a sigh of relief.  

"Well, that was-" Yoongi doesn't get the chance to finish what he's saying, abruptly silenced apart from the one lone 'oomph' he grunts out as your bodies collide, dropping the towel with which he'd just been wiping his hands.  

"You-" you mumble against his lips between each frantic, urgent kiss. "You - are - amazing." He's blindsided and you can't blame him; unresponsive and unyielding.  But Yoongi soon gets with the program, his arms looping around your waist to pull you flush against his chest.  

His face is wet when you take it in your hands - just like yours - but those tears are long forgotten as the two of you quickly become lost in one another.  It feels so exhilarating to have Yoongi kiss you back so enthusiastically; makes you believe that maybe he's been thinking about this just as much as you.  To hear him sigh your name has you melting against him, your whole body aflame with molten fire, and when you gently bite his lip it delights you even more to hear the way his breath hitches. 

"You really weren't kidding, were you?" Yoongi asks as he attempts to catch his breath, your attention now focused on trailing kisses along the angle of his jaw. 

"About what?" you murmur in reply, grinning against his skin as his hands grab at your clothes when you softly nip at his earlobe.  

"About not minding about the kiss."

"Oh no, not at all," you admit, tone playful, and you're just about to begin tracing kisses down his neck when one of Yoongi's hands finds your chin and tilts your head up, bringing your gaze back to his. His lips are curved in a gentle smile as he brushes them against yours, chuckling when you attempt to chase after them as he pulls away. 

"Good to know." His eyes follow the movement of his thumb as he drags it across your bottom lip, moistening his own with a flick of his tongue.  His touch lingers at the corner of your mouth for just a second longer, and in that moment you can feel your heart racing at the thought of what he might do next.  "As much as I'd like to explore this further-" 

Beside you, you hear the sound of Remi's puppies softly squeaking, and when you look down to where Remi's lay, you see that Holly has used your momentary distraction as an opportunity to start sneaking over, sniffing at the air.  You look back to Yoongi and are met with a regretful smile as he takes his hands off of you in favour of straightening the glasses that had been knocked askew by your passion.  

"Right," you sigh, looking around at all of the surrounding mess, "We're grandparents now, huh?  Have to be responsible.  Mature."  ie. not go carrying on like a pair of horny teenagers while there are still pieces of placenta strewn about the place.

Yoongi looks up at you from where he's already knelt down gathering up some of the dirty towels.  He smirks in a way you've never seen from him before - a way that makes your insides clench with excitement.  

"For now, sure.”

  You're infinitely grateful that Yoongi doesn't put you in charge of any of the messy stuff when it comes to clearing up.  All he tasks you with is watching over the puppies and keeping a very curious Holly at bay from his new offspring whilst Remi recovers and he deals with the carnage that's been left behind.  It's not a difficult job by any means. Holly is more than happy to be waylaid by tickles under the chin and tummy rubs, and you're thankful for that given how preoccupied you are with the images of what’s just happened as they replay over and over in your head.  

You still can't believe that you kissed him.  That you kissed Yoongi and he kissed you back - kissed you back and, unless you're horribly mistaken, wanted more .   And what did he mean 'for now'?  Does he want to pick up where you left off tonight?  Tomorrow?  Maybe he's just saying that to give himself an out in the future?  Just in case he changes his mind… 

No, no, he wouldn't do that.  No one could kiss like that if they weren't really into it, and god , what a kiss.  It may have been a while, but you can't even remember the last time locking lips had you feeling so hot and heavy.  Have you ever had a kiss quite like that before?  You’re sure you’d remember it if you had.  

“How’re they doing?”  You automatically smile at the sound of Yoongi’s voice, hoping that the flush of your cheeks won’t give away the explicit nature of the daydreaming he’s just interrupted.  Stood in the doorway, you notice he’s no longer wearing his glasses, though the evidence of them remains in the pink indentations on either side of his nose.  Now that his glasses are gone the dark circles under his eyes are more evident, and you feel your brow creasing with worry as he enters the room and bends down next to you, stifling a yawn as he gives Holly a little love behind the ears.  

Whilst not being the most physically strenuous of evenings, tonight has been emotionally demanding for you both, and it’s only now as you realise that that you come to appreciate how utterly drained you feel.  You can only assume Yoongi feels similarly, given by the slightly glazed look in his eyes as he checks in on the puppies, one by one.  

“They’re doing pretty good, I think.”  Or at least, you think they are.  One by one the puppies had stopped nursing and fallen asleep next to one another, each with a full round belly.  That can only be a good thing, right?  “Remi’s pooped.”  She hasn’t moved since giving birth, as fast asleep as the puppies laid at her side.  

“She’s earned her rest,” Yoongi admires fondly, giving her a very brief pad on the head so as not to wake her.  You ‘mm’ your agreement, swallowing back the emotion that rises once more in your chest.  You’re so proud it almost makes you ache.  “I was thinking,” he continues, turning his attention to you, “Seems a shame to move her.  You want to sleep here tonight so you can still keep an eye?”  

You feel your lips part at his question, your mind automatically falling straight into the gutter.  So he does mean to continue things tonight, then…  

Seeing your expression, Yoongi grins wolfishly as he stands, letting out a chuckle.   

“The couch pulls out into a futon, so you can take the bed, if you do want to stay.  

Oh.  So, maybe not then… 

You desperately try not to let the disappointment show in your face but you figure it must at least a little seeing as Yoongi begins to laugh again, eyes full of mirth.  He extends his hand to you to help you stand and you marvel once more at how long his fingers are as they thread between yours; how delicate yet so strong.  The last thing you expect is to be pulled into his arms again so soon and so suddenly, near losing your balance as Yoongi draws you near.

“You’re cute when you pout,” he teases, taking your bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger and giving it a gentle pinch.  The smirk he’s wearing is as infuriating as it is sexy and you’re powerless to resist as Yoongi leans in to brush his lips ever so sweetly against yours, ever so fleeting.  

He’s enjoying this too much, damn it.  You should’ve never given yourself away!  Can he feel how hard your heart is beating, you wonder?  Can he feel how much you want him from how needily you grab at his belt loops?

“Let’s not rush anything,” he mumbles as you insist on kissing him once more, leaning forward onto your tippy-toes.  Sighing, you eventually pull away, eyes opening to see Yoongi looking down at you with thinly veiled amusement.  His smile is fond rather than teasing, though, so you let it slide.  He’s right, anyway, you suppose.  The two of you have only just revealed your mutual affection for one another; no need to go jumping into bed straight away.  

Ugh, being mature sucks.  

Reluctantly, you part ways for the time being and head back to your own apartment to ready yourself for bed.  You fill the small wash bag you usually take on vacation with all the toiletries you might need before embarking on the arduous task of deciding what to change into.  Do you go for ultimate comfort and opt for a baggy t-shirt and sweats, or do you dress to impress and slip on a silky camisole?  

It takes you a shameful amount of time to decide but in the end you settle on a compromise; one of your cuter, cotton t-shirts and a pair of shorts of a slightly more modest length.  After all, Yoongi’s made it perfectly clear that getting laid isn’t on the cards tonight.  No point in making too much of an effort - he might start to think you’re not coming back if you take the time to go shave your legs.  You cast them a cursory glance as you slip on your sliders ready to go back next door; they’re not obviously fuzzy from a distance, at least.  

When you get back to Yoongi’s apartment, he’s nowhere to be seen.  You figure he must be in the spare bedroom changing (and boy are you envious he has one of those) because he’s not in his own, and wherever he is he must’ve taken Holly with him as Remi and her puppies continue to sleep just as soundly as when you left.  He’s clearly been busy, though; there are fresh sheets on the bed, the corner of the duvet pulled back as though inviting you in.  Considerate as always.  

You figure you may as well carry on getting ready for bed in Yoongi’s absence, and with a yawn and a rub of your eyes, you dig out your toothbrush and head toward the bathroom, sliders slapping against the floor.  

“Oh!”  You almost drop your brush when you push open the bathroom door and find Yoongi inside, Holly sitting obediently at his feet.  You thank God he’s merely brushing his teeth and not in the shower - or worse, on the toilet - though you still stutter apologies and start to leave until Yoongi waves a hand to beckon you in, unbothered.  He smiles at you in the mirror, lips lined with foam, and you shyly smile in return as he hands you the very same toothpaste.  

Together, the two of you stand and brush your teeth; the room silent other than the rustling of bristles against enamel.  Your eyes keep meeting in the mirror and oh, how you wish you were able to ignore the way your face begins to blush and how Yoongi’s smile just grows and grows the more embarrassed you get.  It’s just so domestic, the two of you, stood side by side like this.  Like you’re husband and wife just going about your normal nightly routine; you’ll spit and rinse and then dab your mouths with matching ‘his’ and ‘hers’ towels.  

Hey, a girl can dream, right?  

“Thanks for getting the bed all sorted,” you say once you’re all done and Yoongi follows you out into the hallway with a nod and a ‘no problem’.  

“Just come wake me up if you need anything, alright?”  This time it’s your turn to nod, and you’re about to head back to Yoongi’s room when he suddenly reaches out and brushes his thumb against your cheek, smiling softly.  It grows when you lean into his touch, sighing, and you see his chest rise and fall with a heavy inhale before he reluctantly pulls away.  His hand falls back to his side and you have to resist the urge to reach out and take it in your own.

“Goodnight, Yoongi,” you bid him, his name heavy on your tongue.  

“Goodnight,” he replies, and just the timbre of Yoongi’s voice alone is enough to make your stomach flip with excitement.  It makes it hard to drag yourself away, and even harder to force yourself to relax once you finally slip between Yoongi’s sheets, knowing that he’s just down the hall.  It doesn’t help that they smell just like him, too, despite being clean, and maybe it makes you a bit of a creeper but you won’t deny that you take great pleasure in snuggling your face into Yoongi’s pillow, wishing you lying on his chest instead.   

  You don’t know exactly how long it takes you to fall asleep, nor how long you’re asleep before the sound of Yoongi’s voice awakens you.  Bleary-eyed, you look towards the door and see a slip of light shining beneath from the light in the hallway, disturbed by the movement of shadow.  

“Sorry, Hol. you can’t go in there.” you hear Yoongi whispering on the other side of the door.  “The ladies need their rest.”  Listening to them, you can’t help but internally ‘aww’.  Apparently, Holly must miss Remi as much as she does when they’re parted, and oh how you wish she could actually understand a word you say so you could prod her awake and tell her so.  “You don’t think I wish I was in there as well?”  

Wide-eyed, you stare out into the darkness on hearing what Yoongi had said, hands clasped atop your chest.  Is that true?  Does he really want to be in here with you, sharing this bed?  You can’t imagine any reason for it to be a lie; you know all your whispered confessions to Remi are always true enough.   

What should you do?  Would he be embarrassed if he knew you’d heard?  Should you - 

“C’mon, let’s go,” you hear him say, the shadows beneath the door disappearing, and it’s that sudden loss that forces you into the split decision you make that has you leaping up out of bed and flinging open Yoongi’s door before he can get too far away.  

“You can sleep in here, if you want,” you declare, ever so slightly out of breath.  You wish you’d spared a thought as to whether your hair might be a mess but fuck it, Yoongi’s already turned around and seen you now.  “If it’s easier.”  A hesitant smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he looks you up and down but there’s no such uncertainty from Holly; he happily runs right by you the moment there’s an opening, tail wagging up a storm.  

“You sure?” he checks, taking a step forward and oh jesus, of course you’re sure when he’s stood there looking - sounding - like he does; voice rough with sleep, hair tousled and half-dressed.  You can only be grateful that he doesn’t sleep topless or else you might just combust on the spot, so deliciously tight are the boxers he’s wearing.  

“He’s just gonna keep you up all night otherwise.”  You try to sound casual, you really do, but the nervous little giggle that escapes you as Yoongi enters your personal space gives you away.  He grins as he passes you in the doorway to head towards the bed, and just before you shut the door to plunge you both back into darkness you see him reach out and pull back the covers from the right-hand side of the bed.  

“You sleep on the left,” he says as he climbs in, sheets rustling, “Good.”  He must sleep on the right then, you’re guessing, and it makes you more happy than it should do to learn this, smiling to yourself in the dark.  You can hear the puppies snuffling around as you tentatively make your way over to the bed, but you're sure Remi will alert you if there's a problem.   Right now, you're too busy mustering up the courage to climb back into bed next to a man you've been fantasising about for so long.  

“Don't stand there getting cold.”  After such a long night, Yoongi’s probably too eager for sleep to have much patience for you dithering around at the bedside.  Now that your eyes have started to adjust to the lack of light, you can just about make out his face turned towards you, watching as you finally climb into bed, and it does nothing to lessen the nervous fluttering of your heart. 

You’re so tense; uncertain of how to lie or how close you ought to get.  You end up lying flat on your back for lack of a better idea, trying not to fidget as you stare up at the ceiling, and even though you’re not touching, you’re acutely aware of Yoongi’s body just a few inches away.  His breaths are slow and steady - nothing like your subtle, shallow inhales - and you lie there wishing that you had any hope of remaining as cool and calm as he always seems to be.

Eventually, though, your panic begins to wane, enough that you trust yourself to speak without giving yourself away.  

“Night Yoongi,” you whisper, not sure if he’s even still awake.  You hear a soft sigh and the rustling of sheets from what you presume must be him turning over to make himself more comfortable.  Soothed by his lack of reply, you, too, roll over in hopes of finally falling back to sleep, but when you’re met by the sight of Yoongi’s dark eyes looking back at you, you’re nothing but wide awake.  

“Hi,” he murmurs quietly, and even in the dark you can make out the subtle curve of his mouth as he smiles.  Your heart thuds in your chest, your throat suddenly dry, and even though you open your mouth to reply no sound has the chance to come out because faster than you can realise what’s happening, Yoongi’s closed the space between you and stolen your voice with a kiss.  

This isn’t a kiss like the last one you shared.  He was holding back last time - careful, gentle kisses that never lingered, never deepened - but this time is different.  This time, Yoongi kisses like he means to consume you, with a hunger so fierce that it sparks a yearning just as voracious within you.  It burns through you as Yoongi leans over your body, the weight of his own forcing you to roll onto your back as his fingers weave their way into your hair.  

Willingly, you submit to him in each way in which he asks, one by one; when he coaxes his way into your mouth with the press of his tongue, when you hook your leg over his hip when the hand that was in your hair slides down onto your ass, pulling your pelvis towards him.  

“Wha-” You gasp as he rocks his hips against you, only breaking your kiss out of the necessity to breathe, and the moment you do Yoongi simply finds another target for his lips, trailing them along the length of your jaw.  “What happened to- to not rushing anything?” 

“Fuck what I said,” he mumbles in reply, voice laden with desire.  Yoongi doesn’t curse very often but there’s something so hot about him doing it now between teasing your throat with his teeth and rubbing himself up against you.  “I’ve wanted you for months.”  

Well, that makes two of you then.  And he’s not lying, either; you can feel him growing steadily harder against your leg each time your bodies move, seeking out one another’s body heat.  

“Can I take these off?”  You feel his fingers lingering at the waistband of your shorts and eagerly you nod, pulling down one side as he handles the other till you’re able to kick them off somewhere beneath the covers.  

“Please.”  Rolling onto your back, you take Yoongi with you, seeking out his lips with your own.  While his hand reaches between your legs, you’re busy tugging at his t-shirt, baring his torso just in time for your fingernails to dig into his shoulders at the first touch of his fingers, gasping as he brushes the tips featherlight against you.  

“Baby,” he groans, and you preen at his use of the pet name, “You’re so wet.”  And you can feel that it’s true - can feel how sinfully his digits are able to slip and slide about your cunt, teasing their way between your lips.  

“Please Yoongi,” you plead, reaching between your bodies to grasp his wrist and tugging, tilting your pelvis up.  You’ve been dreaming about having his fingers inside you for so long that you’ve no shame in showing him just how much you want it.  You bite your bottom lip as he gazes down at you; watching, waiting to see your reaction as he presses one finger inside.  

“Haa!” you cry out, head tipping back into the pillow, and your eyes are too tightly pressed shut to see the way Yoongi smiles in satisfaction.  Craving more from you, one finger quickly becomes two, and you can’t help but grab at his shoulders for purchase as he so deftly stretches you open.  Each motion - each thrust and curl of Yoongi’s fingers - makes the most obscene of noises, so gratuitous is your want for him.  

Suddenly, Yoongi ceases your kissing, an urgent look in his eyes.

“Can I get a taste?”  His request has your pelvic muscles clenching around his fingers with excitement - a response you presume Yoongi rightly perceives as your consent, given the cocky smile that appears on his face.  

“Only if you’re as good as your tongue as you are with those fingers,” you tease, breathless.  You’re pleased by the way he chuckles - even more so by his reply.  

“Even better,” he promises, and though you mourn the loss of his fingers as they withdraw, you’re filled with too much anticipation to really care.  His eyes fixed on yours, Yoongi kisses his way down your body, making sure to spare time for each of your breasts along the way.  Through the material of your t-shirt he suckles and licks till the material has turned see-through, and only then does he hitch it up under your chin to reveal your chest and repeat the whole process again.  He lingers long enough to leave no doubt that he’s as talented with his tongue as he’s said, your nipples tingling long after he’s done drawing them out, stiffened into tight little peaks.  

Your hips are squirming by the time Yoong’s head is between your legs.  He holds them steady with firm hands as he kisses at your inner thighs, twice suckling hard enough for you to know he’ll have left a mark - evidence of his desire.  Your want to see him clearly is at odds with how comforting you find the dark, less self-conscious in knowing that even as Yoongi’s parts your lips with his thumb and forefinger, you’re not quite so brazenly exposed.  

“Tell me what you like,” Yoongi instructs as he makes himself comfortable on his stomach.  You mumble your agreement, heart hammering with a mixture of nerves and excitement because, in all honesty, this has never really been your favourite thing before.  You don’t want him to be disappointed if this doesn’t get you there, hoping he’ll realise that it’s more about the journey than the destination.  

He starts slow; long, luxurious laps up and down, ascending from your perineum and back again to gather your essence on his tongue.  He moans as he does it, and just hearing how much he seems to be enjoying the taste of you makes it feel all the better as he does it once more.  

“I like that,” you sigh, hips shifting to get more comfortable as you close your eyes and focus on the sensation of his tongue.  His hands are on your thighs as your own make their way down into his hair, and it’s just as soft as you imagine it to be - Yoongi near purring with pleasure into your heat every time you dig your fingers in whenever something feels particularly good.  

“Mm, o-ooh, I like that too.”  Your moans become more frequent as Yoongi focuses his attention on your clitoris, the tip of his tongue gradually gaining in speed now that Yoongi’s found his purpose.  For someone who has such a small mouth and such a dainty, kittenish tongue, you had no idea he could be so skilled with it - so deft as it wriggles beneath your clitoral hood in delicious figures of eight.  “Fuck, that feels good…”  

With each second longer that he continues, you can feel a heat gradually rising within you.  It starts right there between your legs, burning in your core, but soon you can feel the flush all the way up to your chest and your back is beginning to sweat, your mouth open so each breath is a pant - a gasping moan.  

In search of relief you tug off your t-shirt, but it does little to cool you down.  Not when Yoongi seems determined to have you falling apart on the end of his tongue, not giving you a moment's reprieve even when your hips grow restless, toes curling into the blankets.  

“Oh, oh, Yoongi,” you pant, one hand fisted in his hair whilst your other is grabbing at your own.  Your fingers wind in so tight that Yoongi responds in kind by sucking your on your clit so hard it makes you cry out, but the throb of pain it leaves behind on serves to push you even closer to the edge, begging for your release.  

“Please, please, please,” you babble, and your prayers are answered when Yoongi fills you with his fingers whilst simultaneously torturing you with his tongue.  With artful precision, his fingers crook and curl inside you to stimulate your g-spot, and though he’s gentle to start with, Yoongi is an expert at interpreting the sounds you make to know exactly how rough or fast you want it - not stopping till arousal is gushing from you with every stroke.  

“Mm, Yoongi, I’m gonna- oh, oh shit!”  Yoongi doesn’t stop as your orgasm takes a hold of you,  working you through it and savouring every drop of ecstasy he manages to coax out.   It’s only when your body begins to twitch from overstimulation that he finally begins to slow his ministrations, eventually emerging from between your legs when you weakly call his name, tapping on his shoulder.  

“Can I turn on the light?” he asks whilst you’re still basking in your post-orgasmic haze, too blissed out to do anything but nod your consent and watch as he reaches over you to turn on the lamp that rests on the bedside table over on your side of the bed.  “Wanna see you.”   

You have to throw your arm across your eyes when he first switches the light on.  When you eventually start to pull it back, Yoongi is still leaning over you, an adoring look in his eyes as he gazes down. 

“Would you look at that,” he says wistfully, cupping your cheek in his palm before leaning down to kiss you.  You can taste yourself on his tongue as it rolls into your mouth but you can’t bring yourself to care, not when he stops kissing you just to softly whisper ‘you’re gorgeous’ right against your lips.  

“You’re just saying that because you haven’t gotten yours yet,” you tease, trailing your fingertips down the length of his chest.  Yoongi chuckles, his laughter interrupted by a groan when you cup his balls through his boxer shorts and press your palm against his length.  

“Am not,” he insists, even as his hips rock forward into your hard and he nips at your bottom lip, groaning again as you squeeze.  

“Still, I think it’s about time for your turn, don't you?”  Whispered into his ear, your purr causes a shiver to run through Yoongi’s body before he abruptly pulls away and sits back on his heels.   Seeming to take a moment to collect himself, he runs a hand through his hair, and you can’t help but take advantage of this opportunity to take a good long look at your lover - to admire his slight waist and unblemished skin.  His face is flushed with desire and his eyes dark as they similarly trace your form, and you feel the very same blush fill your cheeks when your gaze is inevitably drawn to the ill-concealed erection within his boxers.  

Even hidden away beneath black material, its outline is unmistakable - as is the wet patch of material at its tip.  Yoongi catches you looking and you bite your lip at the smirk that curls his as he reaches inside his boxers and pulls his cock free, tugging them down just enough for you to make out the dark curls of pubic hair at its base.  

“There are condoms in the drawer,” he tells you with a pointed look at the bedside table, but frankly you’re too entranced with the sight of his vascular hand as it strokes the prettiest cock you’ve ever seen up and down to want to look away.  

You extend your arms towards him with a coy smile, opening them up in welcome, and Yoongi cocks a curious eyebrow as he shuffles out of his boxers before settling down on top of you, his cock laying heavy on your stomach.  

“I’m clean, and I’m on birth control.”  You hear Yoongi’s breath hitch with excitement as you place lingering kisses against his jaw, his cheek, his lips.  

“You sure?” he checks, and you can’t help but giggle because even as he’s double-checking Yoongi is already lifting his hips and reaching down to take his cock in hand, guiding it towards your cunt.  “We don’t need any more little accidents around here.”  Your insides flutter in anticipation as you feel him run the tip of it between your folds till it’s slick with your arousal, one nod away from slipping inside with blissful ease.  

“I’m sure,” you grin before kissing him again, and this time they don’t stop.  Yoongi swallows up the moan you make as he slides his cock inside you in one smooth motion, right to the hilt.  He smothers the gasp that comes thereafter when he pulls back and does it again, this time harder than the last.  With his tongue between your teeth, the two of you soon find a rhythm that has you both perspiring with effort - the sounds of your heavy breathing mingling with the slap of flesh on flesh and the slick sounds of your cunt.  

“Oh god, Yoongi!” you cry out when he alters the angle of his hips, pressing in harder, faster than before.  

“I know baby.”  He finds your hand where it lays upon the pillow and threads his fingers between yours, clasping it tight as he groans, forehead pressed to yours, and grits out, “I know, I know.”  

You pick your feet up off the bed and wrap them tightly around his waist, urging him deeper, and Yoongi doesn’t disappoint.  With renewed vigour, his hips surge forward, so deep that from this angle the tip of his cock not only kisses your cervix but grazes your g-spot on the way out as well, and even without any clitoral stimulation you can feel yourself getting close all over again.  

“Say my name,” Yoongi urges between kisses, squeezing your hand in his, “Let me hear you say it.”   You do as he asks - one time, two times, three times - and every time you do you swear your orgasm looms just that little bit closer.  

“Again, baby,” he chokes out, and you can tell he’s getting close too from the tension in his voice and how his cock has begun to twitch, his thrusts frantic now.  “Say it again for me.”   Yoongi throws his head back, lifting his chest from yours to drive his cock into you even deeper.  “Fuck, I love the way you say it.”  

There are tears forming in the corners of your eyes as his name tumbles from your lips, so close that it near steals the breath from your lungs.  Every one of your senses is filled with him - with the excruciating bliss that’s sizzling through your veins - and you can’t get enough.  Gripping tighter, pulling closer.  Kissing, touching, feeling.   It’s so much.  So much, and yet somehow you want more. 

“Please,” you choke out against the press of his lips, and you don’t even know what you’re begging for with both your hands held in his, gripping them tight atop the pillow.  You never want this to stop - never want it to end - and yet you’re both rapidly reaching the climax, tumbling into oblivion together.  

You try to hold back, you really do, but when Yoongi groans your name, pressing in deep, you’ve not a shred of willpower left.  You want to give in. 

“I’m close,” he tells you, the words gritted out through his teeth, “Feel so good around me, baby.” He nips at your jawline - nuzzles so sweetly into the crook of your neck and smatters it with kisses.  “Gonna cum with me?  So pretty when you cum.” 

“Yes,” you gasp, and you’re so close, so very, very close. “Cum in me, Yoongi, please - please .”  

With the sounds of your pleading, Yoongi, too, loses all semblance of self-control.  Driving his hips forward into you, he groans at the gradual tightening of your insides, and as his cock hardens even further, twitching in anticipation, you finally reach your end.  It’s so intense you aren’t even able to speak through your climax - unable to vocalise how incredible it feels except for the raggedly drawn breaths you take once it finally begins to fade.  

You’re disappointed to realise that Yoongi has already cum by the time you’ve returned to your senses, though from how hard he’s breathing you figure he must not have been too far behind.  His face is flushed with heat, chest perspiring, and you can feel the warmth he’s filled you with trickling out from where his pelvis sits flush with yours.   

He’s still holding your hands, you realise, and when Yoongi leans down to sweetly kiss you as he squeezes them in his own, you feel yourself blush even more fiercely than before, filled with girlish glee.  Ridiculous, really, given all that you’ve just done.  

“That was amazing,” you whisper against his lips, and his smile is just as coy as yours as he pulls away to look down into your eyes.  He doesn’t say anything but his tender expression tells you all you need to know, as does the way he can’t help but kiss you over and over again before he finally withdraws.  

“One second,” he tells you as he swings his legs out of bed and you roll onto your side to watch him go, laughing as he’s forced to shoo Holly out of the way from where’s sat waiting for attention, chin resting on the edge of the mattress. 

“I hope he hasn’t been sitting there the whole time!”  You watch fondly as Yoongi shimmies his boxers back on with a hop and a wiggle.  Gosh, he really does have the cutest little butt… “We’ll have scarred him for life.” 

“His own fault,” Yoongi dismisses, unconcerned. “I’ll just go grab some tissue.”  He leaves the room for a moment or two, and in that time you have to try very hard to resist the urge to shimmy a little dance atop his mattress - the threat of accidentally making a mess on his newly changed bedsheets looming in your mind.  At the foot of the bed, you can hear the puppies snuffling around, probably looking for their next feed, and you have to stop yourself from crawling to the other end of the bed to go look at them, too.  

As it happens, Yoongi checks on them when he gets back in your stead.  He passes you the tissues and then pre-occupies himself with Remi and the puppies whilst you clean yourself up, waiting until you climb back under the covers to finally rejoin you.  He sighs in contentment as he gets comfortable, gazing up at the ceiling with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and all you can do is stare at him in wonderment as you lay on your side, hardly daring to believe that the last half an hour or so was even real.  

“I really like you,” you whisper after a minute or two has passed, still unable to wipe the goofy love-sick grin you’re wearing off of your face.  Yoongi turns his head to the side to look at you, a cocky gleam in his eyes as he takes in your expression.  

“Yeah?” he asks, eyebrow lifting.  Effortlessly cool, he extends his left arm out across the pillow to invite you to curl against his side.  You do so immediately, kissing the spot on which you then lay your head, snuggling close.  You feel his lips press against the top of your head in turn, and through his chest you hear his heart begin to gallop as he squeezes you tightly in his arms, curling them around you.  “I think I really kind of like you too.”  

****

You never intended to keep them all.  

One, maybe.  You and Yoongi had talked about it; how it’d be a shame to sell them all and not get to see how the pups would eventually turn out.  But the more time that went on - the longer the two of you spent with them and got to know and love all their little personalities - the more you couldn’t bear the idea of parting with even a single one.  

And maybe you would’ve come around to the idea of them leaving if Yoongi hadn’t been just as smitten with them as you were.  You were bad influences on each other, sending each other picture updates whenever either of you were out of the apartment ( your apartment, with both your names on the lease now, not just Yoongi’s).  As if you could’ve really brought yourself to use any of those adorable photos to place an ad that would eventually take them away from you.  You should’ve known from the moment they first opened up those beady little eyes and gazed into yours that you were done for.  

Though five dogs is undeniably a handful, you can’t bring yourself to regret the decision.   Not even now, as you hold a double lead in one hand and Yoongi holds a triple in the other, somehow still managing to keep yours conjoined as your pack pulls you along.  God help you should the whole lot of them ever spot a squirrel and decide to run, or make a mad dash for a half-eaten pack of crisps strewn across the ground.  

“Hey, hey, hey!” Yoongi warns, keeping a good grip on the puppies as they surge towards the greying spaniel that comes trotting along off-lead, his elderly owner just a little way down the path.  “Nicely, nicely.”  

You hope one day your dogs might be well enough behaved - or at least old and lazy enough - to walk so nicely off lead.  The spaniel is adorably patient despite being mobbed by three white, fluffy clouds; their noses searching out every available orifice to sniff.  You’re grateful that at least Remi and Holly have the manners to stay out of it, easily distracted by the sound of the treat packet you’re rustling inside your coat pocket.  

“Oh, what a lovely little family you’ve got there!” the elderly woman coos as she comes closer, and you thank the lord Yoongi has the good sense to hold the puppies back.  Even though they’re almost a year old they haven’t quite yet learned their strength, and you’ve no doubt they’d end up knocking her over if their overenthusiasm isn’t adequately reigned in.  “You’re so blessed!”  

Beside you Yoongi nods, his chin lifting in pride as the dogs wait to be petted one by one, tails wagging furiously along the ground.  He’s too busy watching them to notice the instinctive way your hand reaches for your stomach at the kind old lady’s words, fingers splaying wide over your lower abdomen where a little life inside you grows.  

You haven’t told him yet, but oh, you can’t help but start to grin as you imagine how shocked he’s going to be - how happy and excited.  If you closed your eyes now, you’re sure you’d be able to imagine the exact smile he’ll wear, all teeth and gums and sparkling eyes.  

Yoongi squeezes your hand in his, bringing you back to the present, and you give your tummy one last gentle rub as you return the woman’s smile, heart so full it feels fit to burst.  

“Yeah," you smile, catching Yoongi's gaze and beaming all the more, "We really are.”   

****  ****  ****  ****  ****  ****  ****  ****  ****  ****  ****  ****  **** **** 

Your feedback is always appreciated, dear readers!  Please let me know what you think ^^ 

Also, I’m sure we all already know what Holly looks like, but just in case you were wondering about Remi’s breed, she is a Japanese Spitz who would like an awful lot like this -

And their puppies would end up look a little something like this -

Freakin’ adorable, right?  

Also, those of you who’ve followed my blog for a while might’ve now realised that I modelled Remi after my own little Japanese Spitz, Shiro.  Is that awfuly self indulgent of me?  Oh yes.  Do I care?  Not even a little bit *grin* 

[traeumenvonbuechern]

June Wrap-Up

1. Can't Take That Away (Steven Salvatore)

Carey Parker dreams of being a diva, and bringing the house down with song. But despite their talent, emotional scars from an incident with a homophobic classmate and their grandmother's spiraling dementia make it harder and harder for Carey to find their voice. Then Carey meets Cris, a singer/guitarist who makes Carey feel seen for the first time in their life. With the rush of a promising new romantic relationship, Carey finds the confidence to audition for the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the school musical, setting off a chain reaction of prejudice by Carey's tormentor and others in the school. It's up to Carey, Cris, and their friends to defend their rights--and they refuse to be silenced.

2. Sanditon (Jane Austen)

Written in the last months of Austen's life, Sanditon features a glorious cast of hypochondriacs and speculators in a newly established seaside resort, and shows the author contemplating a changing society with scepticism and amusement. It tells the story of Charlotte Heywood, who is transported by a chance accident from her rural hometown to Sanditon, where she is exposed to the intrigues and dalliances of a small town determined to reinvent itself - and encounters the intriguingly handsome Sidney Parker.

3. The Witch King (H.E. Edgmon)

Wyatt would give anything to forget where he came from—but a kingdom demands its king. In Asalin, fae rule and witches like Wyatt Croft…don’t. Wyatt’s betrothal to his best friend, fae prince Emyr North, was supposed to change that. But when Wyatt lost control of his magic one devastating night, he fled to the human world. Now a coldly distant Emyr has hunted him down. Despite transgender Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or risk losing the throne. Jaded, Wyatt strikes a deal with the enemy, hoping to escape Asalin forever. But as he gets to know Emyr, Wyatt realizes the boy he once loved may still exist. And as the witches face worsening conditions, he must decide once and for all what’s more important—his people or his freedom.

4. One Last Stop (Casey McQuiston)

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train. Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

5. Between Perfect and Real (Ray Stoeve)

Dean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. He’s watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend Zoe, and his theater director, who just cast him as a “nontraditional” Romeo. He wonders if maybe it would be easier to wait until college to come out. But as he plays Romeo every day in rehearsals, Dean realizes he wants everyone to see him as he really is now––not just on the stage, but everywhere in his life. Dean knows what he needs to do. Can playing a role help Dean be his true self?

6. The Cruel Prince (Holly Black)

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences. As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

7. Boy Queen (George Lester)

Robin Cooper’s life is falling apart. While his friends prepare to head off to university, Robin is looking at a pile of rejection letters from drama schools up and down the country, and facing a future without the people he loves the most. Everything seems like it’s ending, and Robin is scrabbling to find his feet. Unsure about what to do next and whether he has the talent to follow his dreams, he and his best friends go and drown their sorrows at a local drag show, where Robin realises there might be a different, more sequinned path for him . . . With a mother who won't stop talking, a boyfriend who won't acknowledge him and a best friend who is dying to cover him in glitter make up, there's only one thing for Robin to do: bring it to the runway.

8. Felix Ever After (Kacen Callender)

Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle.... But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

9. Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)

Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before: of the intense passion between the foundling Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and her betrayal of him. As Heathcliff's bitterness and vengeance is visited upon the next generation, their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past.

10. Ace of Spades (Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé)

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students' dark secrets to light. Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game...

11. The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (Cat Sebastian)

Kit Webb has left his stand-and-deliver days behind him. But dreary days at his coffee shop have begun to make him pine for the heady rush of thievery. When a handsome yet arrogant aristocrat storms into his shop, Kit quickly realizes he may be unable to deny whatever this highborn man desires. In order to save himself and a beloved friend, Percy, Lord Holland must go against every gentlemanly behavior he holds dear to gain what he needs most: a book that once belonged to his mother, a book his father never lets out of his sight and could be Percy’s savior. More comfortable in silk-filled ballrooms than coffee shops frequented by criminals, his attempts to hire the roughly hewn highwayman, formerly known as Gladhand Jack, proves equal parts frustrating and electrifying. Kit refuses to participate in the robbery but agrees to teach Percy how to do the deed. Percy knows he has little choice but to submit and as the lessons in thievery begin, he discovers thievery isn’t the only crime he’s desperate to commit with Kit. But when their careful plan goes dangerously wrong and shocking revelations threaten to tear them apart, can these stolen hearts withstand the impediments in their path?

12. Weekend Girl (Alex Powell)

Ashley Kingston is a genderfluid university student with a major crush on attractive and charming Nolan. He seems just too perfect to be true. What happens when Ash meets Nolan while dressed as both a man, and a woman? And even more confusing, what happens when Nolan seems enamoured of both versions of Ash? A twisty-turny romance filled with fun and shenanigans.

[silver-rings-and-rabbits]

Meet My MC

My Open Heart MC became my most favourite MC and I want to share him:

The Present --- The Future

Full name: Matthew Rupert Valentine

Nickname: Mattie (by Sienna, when she’s drunk), Valentine, Rookie

Faceclaim: Douglas Booth

Features: Scruffy brown hair, big blue eyes, full lips, fair skin, lean build

Date of birth: 4th November 1992

Hometown: Born in Denver, Colorado before moving to Carbondale, Colorado before high school. Lived there until moving to Boston.

Education: University of Colorado, med campus. Could have gone ivy-league but didn’t want to move out of state at the time

Love Interest: Rafael Aveiro ❤️

Family: He had a twin sister--Casey--who died of leukaemia when they were 12. His father--Rob--didn't handle it well which led to a messy divorce; his mom--Holly--moved in with her brother--Tony--in Carbondale, Matthew stayed in Denver until moving in with them before high school, then he and his mom moved into a small house nearby. He’s in contact with his father but the situation has left some distance between them.

Height: 6'1" (185cm)

Occupation: Doctor and diagnostics team fellow at Edenbrook Hospital

Core personality traits: -He's very easygoing, very much a peacemaker in the group, very friendly and affectionate (especially when drunk which has become a running joke within the group). -Extremely passionate about his job and cares so much about helping people. -Workaholic tendencies: he seized his schoolwork to distract from his grief and the divorce but he soon forgot to balance his life until med school. He resolved to do better socially at Edenbrook, but when Rafael broke up with him briefly he started overworking himself again. -He started out insecure and had a big case of imposter syndrome, but since he won his ethics trial and was appointed to the diagnostics team he has worked past his insecurities...mostly.

Interests: -Animals: his uncle raised horses and he learned to ride and care for them. He and his roommates have a chinchilla named Spooky and he spoils her rotten. -He is a naturally talented artist and, although he didn't pursue a career, he enjoys art galleries (when he gets the chance) and is constantly on the look out for new things to draw (he takes pictures to use as reference material). Evelyn's blindness struck a particular chord with him...he still wishes he could have done more for her. -He enjoys cooking with Rafael and baking with Sienna.

Random facts: -His guilty pleasure is using Sienna's moisturiser and face packs; at the beginning of his break-up with Rafael in his second year he had cried until his eyes were red raw and Sienna gave him some moisturiser to help. It worked wonders and he still sneaks into her room for a facial on occasion. -He's not a big fan of wearing ties and wasn't enthusiastic about wearing them for work. He's gotten used to it. -In times of stress or pain, he develops insomnia and loses his appetite. This was particularly prevalent in his second year, especially the first half. -He can touch his nose with his tongue.

Hobbies: -Drawing, it's his go-to stress reliever (as was horse riding until he moved to Boston). -Video games with Elijah and co. He doesn't always win but that makes it funnier. -Casual sports with his friends and occasionally working out with Bryce and Raf. -He likes to visit the civic centre with Rafael, and Rafael has been teaching him to dance.

Background: He became very withdrawn after his sisters death and kept to himself. His dad did the same and put in a lot of overtime. The more Matthew focused on his studies, the less he had to focus on everything else. He also excused it with the fact he had to keep his grades up to be a doctor. It wasn't until med school when he finally realised he had acquaintances but not friends and resolved to change that, so when he moved to Boston he decided he would be more social. The first night in Donahue's led to him making friends with the people who became his roommates and he considers it one of the best decisions he's made.

His sisters death wasn't the sole reason he became a doctor, but it helped him realise exactly how much the tiniest gestures can help patients and their families and tries to incorporate that into his job. Dealing with Kyra's cancer journey was rough for both of them. She specifically sought Matthew out before everyone else to tell him she was cancer free and they both cried with joy.

Talents/skills: -Medicine, obviously. -Art. His art teacher was disappointed that he wasn't going to pursue an artistic career and begged him not to let his skill go to waste. He has toyed with the idea of commissions but is afraid he won't have the time to do it justice.

Style of dress: Casual and comfy. Pyjama bottoms and baggy t-shirts/sweaters when lounging around at home. Work is fairly similar: shirt, sweater and tie, with smart pants and shoes.

Habits: -Working to distraction is a bad one. These days Rafael, Bryce and his roommates are quite good at making sure he doesn't burn himself out. -He runs his hands through his hair when he's stressed or upset.

Sexual orientation: Bisexual

Tags: @openheartfanfics

[shhhlikeme]

Love you writing and your sooo pretty like holly crap (god really do be picking favorites) ANYWAYS. Can you do a request with a reader that is super grumpy and clingy in the mornings please. Do it with what ever character you want I dont have a preference. Love you bby😘😘

Nishinoya Yuu x Needy & Grumpy S/O In The Morning 🤣

(slight NSFW)

————————————

A/N: Awwwwww merci cherie, je taime aussi 💛 Whichever characters I want ahhh okieeee I did Noya here and I’ll probably do a part two with Toshi and a fluffy one with Hinata after I finish my reqs! Lmk if you’re feeling it!

————————————

Noya:

At 8am, your bf woke up to a call from his best friend yelling at him to get his ass up

Noya told him to fuck off because his alarm was going to wake him up anyway, and Tanaka said ‘good’ and hung up

begrudgingly, Noya got up in your apartment while you were still asleep and dragged his feet into the attached bathroom to your bedroom to get ready and shower

Once his brain caught up with his actions he raced out of the bathroom to return to the bed just to kiss your sleeping figure on the cheek and lift the covers up a bit like he always does🥺

He took an extra second to stare at your beautiful sleeping face and he just did the sign of the cross and pointed to God because it is only by his grace that you shared a bed with him last night

Nishi turned on the shower in your en suite, leaving the door open because you said you love the way his body wash smells

A few minutes later, you woke up to the scent you love. You didn’t know why, but you were feeling upset and very needy (in more ways than one) this morning for absolutely no reason

All you knew was that you wanted your new bf of 2 weeks to make you feel better like he always does.

Not understanding why he’s up so early when he literally never wakes up before 1, you check your phone to check the date.

No! You smacked your bed sheets in dramatic anguish. Today is the day Nishi promised to meet Tanaka and Ennoshita all day to plan Hisashi’s big surprise birthday party. They were travelling to some beach house 2 hours away to see how it looks. Great.

Good for those man-children, you thought

They can all bite me tbh, you thought

So Ennoshita and Tanaka really think that they can just take your man away from you when you woke up moody for no reason all so they can get him to help them do something that’s completely fair? HOW DARE THEY!

They better think again!!!

Because you needed your man today, period

Noya was your boyfriend and you could swear Tanaka thought he was his sometimes

Well not really but that’s what the grumpy side of your mind told you this morning

You hear the pipe turn off and you hear your boyfriend get out of the shower and move around, doing God knows what in there but whatever it is he’s taking too long 😠

Sitting up on your butt in the darkness you looked around the dark room and then crossed your arms like a baby.

You yelled your boyfriends name.

Noya stumbled out the open bathroom door with his toothbrush and foam still in his mouth and his hair down.

“Ya, babe?”

He only had a towel wrapped around his wet torso and you liked it.

you glared at him for no reason.

“I don’t want you to go anywhere today.” You sneered.

He smirked because you looked so freaking cute. “Love, I told you already that I promised the guys that I would—“

“Let’s have sex instead, Noya. All day.” You stated: matter of fact.

Your boyfriend’s eyebrows raised so high they disappeared under his bangs. You’d only made love a handful of times and every time he wanted to go again you were dead asleep then one of you had to go, so hearing you say this was a lot for him to handle where ‘holding himself back’ was concerned.

Noya went back inside the bathroom and quickly finished brushing his teeth so you couldn’t see him from where you sat on the bed. In between spit and rinse he called out to you, “Don’t do this to me, Y/N. You’re not being fair saying something like that since you know the guys will kill me.”

Noya had already mentally fought down his morning wood today and the idea of having sex with you all day instead of being with his friends was like, all he ever wanted to do forever. Not that he didn’t love his friends—actually, he adored them and frankly spoiled them with his attention.... but the feeling of being inside your tight, wet, gripping walls????? There was no debate about it: it was the best feeling in the world.

Just then and as if he had implanted a microchip in his brain, Noya’s phone lit up with a second FaceTime call from his best friend Ryu. Noya dried his hand and swiped left to answer.

He immediately put his index finger to his lips as to say ‘be quiet’ because you were outside this bathroom.

Noya turned down the volume to a level only he could hear anyway, knowing how loud his friend was.

On the screen was Ryu and Ennoshita in the apartment the 3 boys shared. Ryu obviously propped the phone up on the wall so that Noya could see the two boys also brushing their teeth in their his & his bathroom.

As expected, Ryu yelled but it came out quietly through Yuu’s low volume, “NOYA, DO NOT LET Y/N SEDUCE YOU INTO STAYING. ONE HOT BABE IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR BOY FROM HIGH SCHOOL, MAN. AND I KNOW THAT BI—I MEAN THAT CHICK WILL TRY IT.”

Ennoshita was calm as usual, standing beside Tanaka. He asked him to rinse before he got toothpaste everywhere. “YN is pretty important too, Tanaka. That’s Noya’s new and first girlfriend, remember?” Ennoshita rolled his eyes as Tanaka spun in the air in exasperation.

“ENNOSHITA WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON DUUUDE ?!” Tanaka looked back at the camera. “Tell him, Noya. Tell him cause he wasn’t there. He didn’t see that night when Y/N walked in the bar and had all the guys buying her drinks. She just asked Noya once if he knew where the bathroom was and 💥 BAM. Noya was following her around like a sick puppy.”

Noya deadpanned. “That’s not true—“

it was totally true

“YOU CAN SAY ITS NOT TRUE ALL YOU WANT NOYA BUT THE TRUTH STILL REMAINS: HOT GIRLS ARE SIMULATIONALOUSLY THE MOST POWERFUL AND EVIL CREATURES IN THE WORLD.”

Ennoshita looked at him like wtf.... “Simulationalously?” Chikara rolled his eyes again. “You mean simultaneously.”

“WHATEVER, ‘DAD!’ YOU WIN THE SPELLING BEE TODAY ?!”

Noya opened his mouth to finally say something, but before he could he heard you call him from the bed.

“Oh Noyaaaa.....?”

Nishinoya heard your lovely voice coo him sexily, knowing he would clue in on your sexual innuendo.

“Crap. SEE ENNOSHITA?! SHE’S STARTING! NOYA — DO NOT GO! NO SEDUCTION ZONE, BRO!”

“Noyaaaaa baby?”

You cooed again, this time more playfully seductive.

Noya followed the sweet sound of your voice like he was in a trance, going to the edge of the door only as a precaution so that he could hear you better but not see you.

“Y-yes babe?” He asked shakily.

“I need your help with something baby....mmmm.” 🥺

With his phone still in his hand, Noya shut his eyes. His chest moved up and down noticeably as his breathing increased.

“Well damn.” Ennoshita finally looked at the camera now with wide eyes. “Is that Y/N? She even sounds hot.”

Noya opened one eye and nodded at his father-like friend.

Tanaka whined, “She’s hot as fuck, to be honest. Which is why she’s so powerful. Hey, give me your phone I’ll show you her Instagram.” Explained Tanaka. Ennoshita did and Tanaka pulled it up in a second, handing the phone back to his roommate.

After a second of scrolling Noya heard an, “Oh my God...” as Chikara ran a hand through his hair.

Tanaka nodded. “Yep! And that is exactly why we need to get our boy out of there safely before she engulfs him and turns him into her own personal robot! Before she realizes that she has him wrapped around her pretty little finger!” Tanaka pointed to Noya through the camera. “We have a party to plan, NOYA! I made an appointment with the venue and everything!”

Noya straightened his shoulders, agreeing completely with what his best friend was warning him of. “Right.” He finally whispered, determined now. “I double pinky swore that I’d be there.” Nishi nodded.

“Right! Exactly! That’s my Noya, my best buddy!”

“Noyaaaa.....I really need your help....”

Your slight moan that followed your call made Noya bite the knuckle of his index finger immediately to keep himself from running over to you because of how alluring your voice was.

On the phone, Tanaka spoke up: “Don’t go out there, man......”

Noya thought of something scary. “But Tanaka, my clothes are out there!”

Tanaka shook his head. “Who cares??! I’ll buy you new clothes. Just go downstairs and we will pick you up. Don’t look back just run. Just run—“

The three boys were silenced when they heard a loud moan coming from the bed. It was your moan that you raised your voice for, in hopes of that reaction precisely.

Noya couldn’t help himself anymore, he slowly peaked out from behind the bathroom door to see what you were doing.

And what you were doing should be downright illegal, as far as Noya or Tanaka were concerned.

What Noya saw was you laying on your bed, the sheets only up to your hip bones. You were only wearing a purple bra that had the straps falling off your gorgeous shoulders. Your eyes were closed as you were biting your lower lip. As much as Noya wanted to keep staring at your to-die-for rack and beautiful face, Noya’s eyes were glued to a movement however, which was you moving your hand in a steady rhythm under the sheets. Your hand was between your legs of course and you had a look of ecstasy on your face. Even though your lower half was completely covered by the sheets, it didn’t take a genius to know what you were doing.

The now-older second years on FaceTime couldn’t see anything from where Nishi held his phone but they sure could guess what was happening in that room from the look on Noya’s face!

“Mmmmmm.....yes.....”

After a minute of peeping, when Noya looked back at his phone screen all he could see was a closeup of Tanaka and Ennoshita’s ears because they clearly were desperate to hear more of his girlfriend’s antics. Your bf turned back to look at you when your voice mounted again.

“Oh Noya, I want it harder, baby, harder...”

Noya couldn’t feel his limbs. You made him so horny he was numb.

“This feels almost as good as the real thing, baby, but it’s not nearly enough......”

Noya screamed internally, feeling like he was at a crossroads. A crossroad where one side’s sign said ‘FRIENDS’ and the other sign said ‘REALLY? WE’RE PRETENDING YOU AINT COMIN’ THIS WAY? 😑’

As Noya stood at the metaphorical crossroads, you kept it up.

“Yes, Noya, I want the real thing.... I want it over and over again today.....As long as it’s the real—“

You broke your speech to moan.

“—As long as it’s the real thing, Noya. I want the real thing..... Mmmmmm Senpai—“

“Fuck!” Shouted Tanaka on Facetime as he slammed his fist on the counter in anger. “She fucking got him!”

Noya looked down at his phone and he could see his best friend cradling his head in his hands in defeat. Tanaka looked at Noya once and he knew it was game over. Ryu shook his head. “Just go, Noya. The hot chicks of the world win again for today. I’ll uh....I can reschedule our venue appointment.”

Noya started involuntarily bouncing as he looked at his friend from inside the bathroom. “A-are you guys s-su-sure bec-because I-I think I can st-still run out and—“

Getting irritated, you shouted at your boyfriend. Not knowing that your mad voice was a turn on for him too.

“Noya-senpai, If you come now I’ll do that thing you like with my tong—“

“COMINGG!!!!” Noya yelled as he tossed his towel and phone to the opposite end of the bathroom in a hurry. Take a guess where he went.

With the towel now over their vision, Tanaka and Ennoshita looked to and from eachother in awe.

“Soooooo.....does Y/N have any friends that look like her or..?”

Tanaka flicked his roommate on the head. “Shut up. Come on, you’re buying me breakfast.”

Ennoshita grimaced. “Why me?!”

“Because I’m really upset, Chikara. Duh! And you’re practically mine and Noya’s father!”

Ennoshita rolled his eyes for what felt like the 20th time that morning. “Alright.” He sighed, before hanging up the FaceTime call.

[yourfairygodmother]

Favorite vintage boutiques masterlist

Paper Moon Vintage is where I get the oldest things I have, and I mean old. Most vintage stores sell 60s-90s wear; Paper Moon sells 1950s and before. Favorite finds from this store include: this incredible skirt suit (1940s), a brown felt men's fedora (1930s), and the hundred year old knickerbocker pants I wear it with (1920s).

Brass Cactus Vintage is run by the nicest lady in the world with an extensive collection of nearly everything you could want. Her measurements are insanely thorough and shipping is almost always free! My favorite thing I've bought from her is a pair of sky-blue deadstock Levi's trousers (1970s) that I love so much I'm eyeing up the dusty lavender and cherry red ones in her stories. Buy them before I do or forever hold your peace.

Smutville Vintage has a lot of larger sizes, which is awesome because those are sometimes difficult to find in vintage stores! Maybe everybody in the past only had a 34" bust or whatever. Anyway, the prices are bomb, and my favorite finds from this store are a navy turtleneck shift dress and an argyle drop waist dress (both from the 1960s).

Wear It Again, Sam has the prettiest dresses I ever laid eyes on. They're quite a bit pricier, but they're just so pretty I follow her anyway to practice for when I can afford to shop there. My absolute most favorite item is this pink leather and tweed suit (1950s) that I will never forget as long as I live.

Beacon’s Closet isn't exclusively vintage, but literally who cares when their stuff is so cool! Also the prices are so good they sound fake but I promise they're not. Favorite things I've found here are a red leather Atomic Blonde lookin trench coat and a pair of black leather witch boots EXACTLY like my old ones that broke over a year ago. For $45 each.

Lady Outlaw Vintage has an eclectic collection with loads of color, and includes some larger sizes as well. Favorite purchase is the dress I'm currently wearing! It's red, stripey, from the 1960s, and in beautiful condition. Between that and the suede vest/blue terrycloth dress combo that my roommate got (both 1970s), this shop is a big favorite in our house.

Blackbird Antiques has, hands down, the largest collection I've ever seen. Hundreds and hundreds of items, all neatly divided up by size, and all of them somehow beautiful. Case in point: the INCREDIBLE mint condition pale pink two-piece 1960s Jackie O dress-and-jacket suit that by god I WILL find an occasion to wear soon.

Live Forever Vintage definitely wins Best Website in my opinion. So much color! So much 60s and 70s! Holly does themed outfits each week on Instagram, and I love that idea so much I just might borrow it for mine. Favorite purchases: a bright orange creamsicle mock-neck sweater and brown-cream-and-banana-yellow striped buttondown (both from the 1970s). Also they sent me a pretty sticker with my order, and I love stickers.

I'll update this as I find more!

[elriell]

Book Rec’s

Going to try and add a lot of less known books that are amazing and not enough people talk about, this would be too long if I talked about each one in depth, so I am going to leave my fav quotes as that tends to give me a feel for books and whether I will like them and I will link the GR page for more info! Happy reading:)

Fantasy Vibes

From Blood And Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout    (CLICK THIS TOO)

“Death is like an old friend who pays a visit, sometimes when it’s least expected and other times when you’re waiting for her. It’s neither the first nor the last time she’ll pay a visit, but that doesn’t make any death less harsh or unforgiving.”

“Fear and bravery are often one and the same. It either makes you a warrior or a coward. The only difference is the person it resides inside.”

 “You're an absolutely stunning, murderous little creature.”

Storm And Fury by Jennifer L Armentrout

“What are you going to do if it does get worse?” he asked. “Maybe I’ll get myself a seeing-eye gargoyle.”

(HONESTLY BADASS GARGOYLES. SO UNIQUE AND AWESOME)

Demons At Deadnight by A&E Kirk   

“I launched into a graceful ninja-like front roll, then stood my ground to face the monstrous heathen, fearless in my determination to vanquish the deadly foe.

Nah, just kidding. I bolted, discretion being the better part of not getting dead.”

“We are killers,” Matthias said. Bad news. 

“Not girls. We don’t kill girls.” Good news. 

“She’s no girl.” Insulting news? 

“What? Of course she’s a girl.”

 “Want me to check?” 

“Shut up, Blake,” the rest of them chorused.”

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black   

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

“If you hurt me, I wouldn't cry. I would hurt you back.”

“I am going to keep on defying you. I am going to shame you with my defiance. You remind me that I am a mere mortal and you are a prince of Faerie. Well, let me remind you that means you have much to lose and I have nothing. You may win in the end, you may ensorcell me and hurt me and humiliate me, but I will make sure you lose everything I can take from you on the way down. I promise you this is the least of what I can do.”

MM Romance

Him by Sabrina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

“Our mouths fit together so perfectly. Every time we kiss, I fall even more in love with him, and it has nothing to do with sex or lust. It's him. His closeness and his scent and the way he soothes me.”

“I…” He clears his throat. “I’d let you do it, though.” My hand freezes in his hair. “You would?” Wes nods. “I’d let you do anything to me, Canning.”

Misfits by Garrett Leigh (Poly romance, its just so perfect ala herongraystairs!)

“Learn something. Read a book. Explore someone. Anger is just a hole where your life could be.”

In The Absence Of Light by Adrienne Wilder

“The light is a funny thing, Grant. We think it shows us what we need to see, but in reality, it blinds us. That’s why I brought you here. I wanted you to see me.”

“Morgan may be autistic, but he is a normal man with a mental condition, not a mental condition who is a man.”

HOneStly JUST READ IT

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

“It’s not the world that’s cruel. It’s the people in it.”

“I'm not a math problem." "But I'll still solve you."

“Is your learning curve a horizontal line?”

“Who said 'please' that made you hate the word so much?"  Andrew gazed at him in silence for a minute. "I did.”

“I didn't think I was a personal problem. You hate me, remember?" "Every inch of you," Andrew said. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't blow you." 

EVERY QOUTE IS ICONIC TBH 

Vampires, Angels & Greek Mythology

Bloodlines by Michelle Read

“The greatest changes in history have come when people were able to shake off what others told them to do.”

“Takes a lot of tries before you hit perfection." He paused to reconsider that. "Well, except for my parents. They got it on the first try."

“No, thank you," said Adrian. "These hands don't sully themselves with fighting.”

“Everything's about my personal entertainment. The world is my stage. Keep it up- you're becoming a star performer in the show.”

Angels Blood by Nalini Singh

“Some things were worth the dance with danger.”

“You do realize this makes your wings even more unique." "Are you saying you shot me as a cosmetic procedure?”

“You ask a lot of questions for a dead woman.” “What can I say? I prefer to die well-informed.”

“You don't fear me," he said now. She wasn't stupid enough to lie. "I'm petrified. But I figure you didn't make me come all this way just so you could push me off the roof.”

Dark Lover by J.R Ward (warning OTT vamps if thats not your jazz either skip)

“Some bridges you crossed on your own, no matter who drove you to the edge”

“Vengeance was one hell of a roommate.”

Half-Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout

“Two people see each other across a room or their skin brushes. Their souls recognize the person as their own. It doesn’t need time to figure it. The soul always knows… whether it’s right or wrong.”

“It’s just words and words mean nothing. Only action does.”

“People do the damndest things when they’re in love.”

“There is a difference between love and need. Sometimes, what you feel is immediate and without rhyme or reason.”

Assasin-y Goodness

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

“When one consorts with assassins, one must expect to dance along the edge of a knife once or twice.”

“I comfort myself with the knowledge that if Duval ever feels smothered by me, it will be because I am holding a pillow over his face.”

“Surely He does not give us hearts so we may spend our lives ignoring them.”

“There is no shame in scars, Ismae.”

Daughter Of The Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

“I am me because I choose to be me. I am what I want. Some people say you have to find yourself. Not I. I believe we create ourselves to be what we want.”

“Lass, you've the face of an angel but the tongue of a snake.”

“Everyone has something dark in their past. I suppose it's our job to overcome it. And if we can’t overcome it, then all we can do is make the most of it.”

“Waiting. Not waiting. One lover. A hundred lovers. There should be no judgement either way. A woman is not defined by what she does or doesn‘t do in the bedroom.”

“Even a man who’s spent his whole life at sea has reason to fear her when she’s angry. But not I. I sleep soundly. Listening to her music. The sea watches over me. She protects her own.”

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.”

“It's not natural for women to fight." "It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.”

“I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.

“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”

“Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?" "Knife to the throat?" asked Inej. "Gun to the back?" said Jesper. "Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina. "You're all horrible," said Matthias.”

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

“It can take years to mold a dream. It takes only a fraction of a second for it to be shattered.”

“Taking another life, she had whispered, even a guilty one, should never be easy. If it were, we'd be little more than animals.”

“Maybe there was no one way to define it. Maybe there were as many shades of love as the blues of the sky,”

“We all have our different skills. You’re patient to a fault, which sometimes doesn’t work to your advantage. I, on the other hand, have the patience of a wet cat. Only on rare occasions does that come in handy.”

“Maybe there were a hundred different ways to fall in love.”

Circus Vibes

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.”

“She imagined loving him would feel like falling in love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out.”

“Some things are worth pursuit regardless of the cost.”

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.”

“Secrets have power. And that power diminishes when they are shared, so they are best kept and kept well. Sharing secrets, real secrets, important ones, with even one other person, will change them. Writing them down is worse, because who can tell how many eyes might see them inscribed on paper, no matter how careful you might be with it. So it's really best to keep your secrets when you have them, for their own good, as well as yours.”

Six of Hearts by L.H Cosway

“Note to self: Never try to out-trick a trickster.”

“So why not live with the magic? Be a kid again and believe in the fantastical. Life is more fun with a little smoke and mirrors.”

“We all have thoughts that we would never, ever vocalise. And people who say they don’t are liars.”

“I once read that people who have imaginary friends never reach out to touch them. There’s some part of their brain that subconsciously knows it will break the spell. That’s what it feels like with Jay.”

Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Richie

“We all traverse in and out of people’s worlds, leaving footprints. Some larger, some smaller, but there is always a mark. We can’t sweep it away.”

“Life is a rollercoaster with no volunteers. We’re all forced to take a seat and ride it out.

“I’m average. I’ve been average most of my life, but there are moments where I feel extraordinary. Invincible. Able to conquer any fear and step outside any box. There is no illusion, no fantasy. I can climb a forty-foot pole. I can fly eighty-feet in the air. I can be taller than tall. It’s a dream that I’m living. Every day. With him.”

More M/M Romance

The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller

“I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”

“And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.”

“He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature.”

“He is half of my soul, as the poets say.”

Axel’s Pup by Kim Dare  (Shifter Romance & BDSM FYI if thats not your jazz)

"I want to screw you, and tie you up, and make you writhe from-you know all that. But I want so much more. I want the whole thing, not just a quick scene. I want twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I want you to be mine. I won't take anything less."

Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

“In your dream. You were looking for me.""I'm always looking for you," 

“He was funny and focused and fierce. I mean the guy could be fierce. And there wasn’t anything mean about him. I didn’t understand how you could live in a mean world and not have any of that meanness rub off on you.”

“He looked like an angel. And all I wanted to do was put my fist through his jaw. I couldn't stand my own cruelty.”

“One of the secrets of the universe was that our instincts were sometimes stronger than our minds. Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere.”

Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander

"Tell me something good about your life," I whispered, needing to hear that he wasn't as broken as I thought him to be.[...]"You." It was so quiet I almost didn't hear it.”

“Is he my competition?” I asked. “Everyone is your competition.” Peter lifted his hand to his eyes and began lowering it incrementally. “It goes normal human beings, crazies, republicans, my hand, imaginary characters, corpses and then, in a moment of lustful psychosis, you.” By the time he was done, his hand was below the table.

Romance 

Kiss The Sky by Krista & Becca Richie

“You’re not a pit stop. You’re my finish line. There’s no one after you.”

“People hope to touch the sky. I dream of kissing it.”

“I love the way he’s staring at me. It makes me feel more than just beautiful. I feel like I’m his. Like no one else could possibly compare to me. He doesn’t even have to say the words. I see it in his eyes. I can practically read it in his mind.”

“I’ve wanted so many things in life,” he says softly, “but you’re the one that has meant the most to me.”

Translation: I love you.”

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

“You know those moments when everything is exactly the way it was meant to be? When you find yourself and your entire universe aligning in perfect synchronization, and you know you couldn’t possibly be more content? I was inside that very moment, and fully conscious of it.”

“The right woman for you wouldn't want you to change anything about your life. She wouldn't rock your boat, she'd jump right in and sail it with you.”

“It breaks my heart the way young girls pick themselves over, never thinking they're good enough. You make sure you always remember, you're exactly the way you're supposed to be. Exactly. And anyone who says otherwise, well, poppycock.”

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

“Ugly love becomes you. Consumes you. Makes you hate it all. Makes you realize that all the beautiful parts aren't even worth it. Without the beautiful, you'll never risk feeling the ugly. So you give it all up. You give it all up. You never want love again, no matter what kind it is, because no type of love will ever be worth living through the ugly love again.”

“Some people they grow wiser as they grow older. Unfortunately, most people just grow older.”

“Sometimes the spirit of a man isn't strong enough to survive the ghosts of his past”

“My grandfather used to say the placement of a birthmark was the story of how a person lost the battle in their past life. I guess you got stabbed in the neck. Bet it was a quick death, though.”

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

“Gentlemen are gentlemen in bed. They make sure you're having a good time." "I'll make sure you're having a good time, and that you're okay with everything. I just won't be well mannered about it.”

“In truth it’s difficult to describe a broken heart.”

“Sometimes words aren’t needed for you to know a change has come upon you.”

Romance Series

Paper Princess by Erin Watt

“My skill, if I have one, isn’t dancing. It’s my ability to believe that tomorrow can be a better day.”

“My life is mine. I live it. I control it.”

“but a clean knife still makes a painful wound.”

“Fate is for the weak--those people who don't have enough power or will to shape life into what they need it to be.”

Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

“I’m not going to lie to you and convince you that I’m someone good and shiny like your guy that’s going to be a doctor.”

“You can’t even see it. I’m the safest thing you’ll ever find”

“That's what I wanted. Something to enrich me, to make me feel better about the things in my life that I could never change."

Wait for You by J.Lynn.  (AKA Jennifer L Armentrout) 

“You are really…” “Amazing? Awesome?” He paused, brows raised. “Astonishing?” “I was going to go with bizarre.” “Well, hell, if I had feelings that might actually hurt.”

“As long as the sun’s shining, shit can’t be that bad.”

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

“Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them.”

“I want to murder him in his sleep, A. No, I want to murder him when he’s awake so he can see the joy on my face when I do it.”

“And the most important lesson I learned is that I’m not a victim—I’m a survivor.”

Romance w/ Epic Plots

The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

“This was the boy I loved. A little bit messy. A little bit ruined. A beautiful disaster. Just like me.”

“You could start a fire with the heat between you two.""You're mistaking bitter animosity for heartfelt affection.”

“You're supposed to say, 'All I want is your happiness. I'll do whatever it takes, even if it means being without you.'""Sorry," Noah said. "I'm just not that big of a person.”

“I’ll walk forever with stories inside me that the people I love the most can never hear.”

“We are far too screwed up for a goddamned love triangle.”

“You will love him to ruins.”

The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski

“He knew the law of such things: people in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark.”

“Isn’t that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?”

“The Winner’s Curse is when you come out on top of the bid, but only by paying a steep price.”

“The god of lies must love you, you see things so clearly.”

Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout (are you getting the idea I love everything she writes? because I do!)

“I've always found that the most beautiful people, truly beautiful inside and out, are the ones who are quietly unaware of their effect."

“More books." His eyes went wide. "You have, like, them books you just said you haven't read." "Doesn't mean I won't get more books."

Angelfall by Susan Ee

“I never thought about it before, but I'm proud to be human. We're ever so flawed. We're frail, confused, violent, and we struggle with so many issues. But all in all, I'm proud to be a Daughter of Man.”

“Sometimes, as we're stumbling along in the dark, we hit something good.”

“I knew from the start that your loyalty would get you killed. I just never thought it would be your loyalty to me that would do it.”

Unique Reads

Dont Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout

“I was stuck in a life I didn't remember, squeezed into the shell of this girl - this Samantha Joe Franco - and the more I learned about her, the more I was starting to hate her.”

“Things aren’t perfect. They are far, far from it,but they are getting there, and I wasn’t looking back. Not when there were so many good things in the future.”

Verity by Colleen Hoover

“I wasn’t heroic. I wasn’t simple. I was difficult. An emotionally challenging puzzle he wasn’t up for solving.”

“A writer should never have the audacity to write about themselves unless they’re willing to separate every layer of protection between the author’s soul and their book. The words should come directly from the center of the gut, tearing through flesh and bone as they break free. Ugly and honest and bloody and a little bit terrifying, but completely exposed.”

“No one is likable from the inside out.”

“Find what you love and let it kill you.”

Painted Faces by L.H Cosway

“We all paint on a face to show the world," Nicholas replies philosophically. "For some of us, that's quite literal.”

“I love him because he makes me laugh when I don't feel like laughing. I love him because he challenges my view of what a man is. I love him because I know I shouldn't love him and that he'll break my heart. I love him because he's a complete and total anomaly. I love him because I want to kill the sadness inside him more than I want anything else in the world.”

“You saw me, changed my life, made it better, and I’m completely fucking in love with you.”

Sorcery of Thorns by Margret Rogerson

“It was always wise to be polite to books, whether or not they could hear you.”

“Knowledge always has the potential to be dangerous. It is a more powerful weapon than any sword or spell.”

“When terrible things have happened to you, sometimes the promise of something good can be just as frightening.”

“You belonged in the library, as much as any book.”

“You unmanageable, contrary creature. You have made me believe in something at last. It feels as wretched as I imagined.”

Obviously not every book is going to suit everyone, everyone has pet peeves, and things that they won’t enjoy but hopefully this gives you some variety and I personally loved them all at some point! Pls feel free to come to my ask/chats to discuss any of them  that would make me so happy <3 this took 4 hours damn