#how rich was that girl if she's on her cell phone in the middle of the school day

[angrycowboy]

time cut was written by someone who decided that halloween, back to the future, and avengers: endgame needed to be smooshed together into one movie.

except instead of 1985 it's 2003 and everything is incorrect.

[highvern]

Patterns II

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x fem!reader

Genre: smut (18+), eventual fluff/angst

Summary: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is a pattern. So what does it mean when you find yourself in Wonwoo's bed over and over again?

Chapter Warnings: exhibitionism, fingering, hand job, dry humping, oral (face sitting), lots of teasing/minor degradation if you squint, overstimulation, breath play

Length: ~9.9k

Note: part 2 is here, let's goooooo! thanks for being so patient and thank you @millennial-fangirl and @idyllic-ghost for beta-ing!

Remember: Tumblr runs on reblogs and I run on validation in the tags and comments :)

m.list + support my work

This blog is intended for 18+ only! Minors/blank blogs will be blocked!

Avoiding Wonwoo post D-Day, as Amina calls it, proves to be surprisingly easy. An entire week of back to back meetings leaves you blocking off parts of your calendar just to use the bathroom. And according to the grapevine, there’s been zero proof of life from Wonwoo’s end either which has caused Mingyu to break out in hives. 

But as the weekend draws closer you’re given the greatest gift the universe can bestow.

“Monday is a disconnect day for the client which means all of us are on black out. No emails, no phone calls, nothing.” Mona announces in the team huddle.

Tears of joy bead in your eyes at the news. However, it's short lived.

“We’ll need to hit the ground running when we come back so make sure everything is done Friday. Even if you have to stay late. Understand?” 

Your laptop pings with a message in the corner.

Gerard: how does she make free PTO sound like hell?

Y/N: i think she said it was her special talent when we did ice breakers at the beginning of the project

Gerard: oh yeah right after she said she hates puppies

Y/N: and joy

Mona slaps her own computer shut, sending you ten feet in the air before continuing, “If there isn’t anything else. We can wrap this up. Shoot me a message if there are any questions.” 

“And how will you be spending your new found free time?” You ask.

Gerard holds the door open as you walk past, “The way the universe intends. In bed, sleeping. Maybe I’ll finally unpack my suitcase from the last trip Mona dragged me on.”

“Wasn’t that like, a month ago?” You ask.

“And?”

The rest of the day is a blur, rushing from meeting to meeting with barely enough time to breathe. It’s only the end of the day that grants you the next glimpse at the world outside the dreary office walls. Albeit through the bright screen of your cell phone.

Once back at your desk, you unlock your phone to find several unread messages. Several from Amina document her jealousy that you and Lisa have long weekends. Lisa offers to kick Mingyu off the long planned trip to the adorable bed and breakfast she found for their anniversary. 

Amina 🍑💗: FREE ME FROM THE SHACKLES OF CORPORATE AMERICA

Y/N: Your honor free her!!!

Lisa 👁️🫦👁️: Girls trip! Girls trip! Girls trip!

Lisa 👁️🫦👁️: mingyu will understand 

Y/N: I am begging you to go have gross emotional sex somewhere other than our apartment

Lisa 👁️🫦👁️: we’ve done it plenty of places that arent the apartment :) 

Y/N: whore

But a separate thread unleashes a coldsnap in your veins.

Wonwoo (lisa bf roommate): forgot to give these back…

Attached is a photo. A familiar swatch of cotton contrasting with the rich navy of his blanket in the background. His long fingers grip the hem, involuntarily jolting memories of them curled around your body.

Upon realizing you’re sitting out in the open staring at a picture of your panties, you hastily lock your phone and shove it into the deep recesses of your purse. Thank the stars no one else was around to glimpse the crude picture or the sudden sweat along your brow. How dare Wonwoo’s first attempt at speaking to you post hook up be a picture of your underwear in the middle of the work day. Who did he think he was?

Overcoming the initial embarrassment that floods your system, you decide to ignore his bid for attention. If you ignored him then he wouldn’t know the power he held. Plain and simple.

—

The next few days fly past without incident. Wonwoo remains silent and allows you to fall back into forgetting his existence.

As Friday hurdles forward, the usual shenanigans of bar hopping is replaced by plans for a movie night. You aren’t the only one suffering from sleep deprivation; Amina’s job ran her into the ground, and same with Lisa’s. 

The idea fills you with dread, spurred by yearning to spend every moment of free time to catch up on sleep. But knowing your friends, the probability of successfully ditching is on the negative side of zero, especially since you’ve barely spoken to one another all week and they’d both be out of town for the weekend.

The atmosphere of the office is sullen. Late Friday afternoons are reserved for pretending to work and gossiping. Unless you work for your team. In which case, you’ve spent the past hour agonizing over different powerpoint transitions and if they convey professionalism yet approachable.

A throat clearing behind you breaks your trace.

“Okay, I need to go home.” 

Looking up from your laptop, an aura of visible graveness radiates from Gerard. His theater minor really came in handy.

“Why?” You ask skeptically. 

Gerard was nice. But he wasn’t that nice.

“Because I’m already going to be stuck here all night.” He sighs. “And there’s no point in both of us suffering. You have the report ready?”

“Yeah, I just need to make a new powerpoint and get it finalized.”

“Then let me handle it. Mona wants me to re-do the other report you need for the deck so I’ll make it when I’m done.”

Hands moving of their own volition, you shove your scattered belongings into your purse. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” He groans. “If I need something I’ll call. Now go. Be free.”

He shoos you without another word, diving into his own computer. Before Gerard can change his mind you’re in the elevator and own your way home.

Thirty minutes later, you find Amina and Lisa already in the midst of a full apartment clean up. A 2000s playlist blasts from the speaker on the counter while Amina shoots daggers at the furniture in the living room.

“Do you think we should move the couch?” Amina shouts at your entrance.

Her lips move but you can’t hear anything over the blasting noise. “Huh?” 

“The couch!” She repeats after cutting off the sound.

You nod before realizing you're still in work clothes. Rushing to your room, you quickly change into something more presentable.

When you return, Lisa is in the kitchen putting away dishes. You and Amina descend on the living room, heads bobbing in sync to the music while you work. Under combined efforts, the space shifts from wild disarray to sparkling clean in no time. 

Moving in sync, you both work to tetter the furniture into different arrangements. It takes four attempts before she throws her hands up, accepting defeat and moving to the counter to join Lisa. You fail to silence a half hearted cheer before flopping down onto the soft cushions of the sofa.

“Who said they were coming again?” Amina asks, her head resting on her arms crossed in front of her on top of the cool marble.

“Mingyu, Soonyoung, Eva,” Lisa pauses as she scrolls through her texts to find confirmation. “Wonwoo.” 

Both Amina and Lisa snap their necks to pointedly look at you.

Much to your own disappointment, your cheeks heat. Avoiding the scrutinous gazes of your roommates, you roll off the couch and busy yourself with replacing the pillows and blankets Amina tossed aside earlier.

“Have you talked to him at all?” Amina questions, walking over to reorganize the coffee table, sweeping their trinkets and books away for the drinks and food that would soon be spread atop it.

“Nope.”

“He hasn’t texted you or you haven’t responded?” Amina’s eyebrows furrow, as if Wonwoo’s silence is the most confusing thing between you two.

“He hasn’t texted.” You lie, pulling at a frayed thread at the corner of the pillow.

Lisa joins the effort, folding blankets and organizing them in piles. “Well that’s lame.”

“I’m sorry? Weren't you the one who threatened to kill him?”

Lisa rolls her eyes. “So? A girl can’t be dramatic?” 

“There’s dramatic and then there’s you.” Amina chimes.

“Whatever.” Lisa scoffs before looking at you. “Wonwoo’s cool but if he ghosted you then he’s a loser.” 

You shrug before responding, “It was just a one time thing. It’s not like I was reaching out to him either.”

“I thought you said he was good?” Amina asks with round eyes.

“He was but it was just a one time thing. Let’s not make it weird, okay?” You wait until they both nod before continuing. “What time is everyone coming?” 

“Around seven, I think?” Lisa throws the question to Amina.

“Yeah, seven.” Amina answers, eyeing the furniture again. 

Glancing at your phone you spot the time, 4:46PM. Perfect. 

“I’m gonna shower and take a nap,” You call, heading down the hall.

Once in the bathroom, you undress as the water warms to a tolerable temperature. Finding it suitable, you make to enter but the dig of your phone distracts you. The screen illuminates and you spot a familiar name.

Wonwoo (lisa bf roommate): I was planning on coming with mingyu tonight but if you don’t want me to I'll hang back

Wonwoo (lisa bf roommate): I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything

Strange as it may be, you're oddly endeared by his consideration. But his last messages sit on the screen just above and cut the warmth short.

Y/N: and yet there’s a picture of you holding my panties that says the opposite

Y/N: im not spooked so easily

Locking your phone, you jump in the shower. The hot water lulls away the anticipation flooring through your veins. It didn’t have to be weird. Tonight would prove it.

The short nap leaves you disoriented but the laughter of friends draws you out from the covers. Bravely, you change out of pajamas into more presentable pajamas consisting of sweats and a sweatshirt. Once settled, you slide into the hall and meet company. 

Turning the corner and entering the kitchen, you scan the group. Eva and Soonyoung sit across the counter, both of them smiling your way. Amina is fussing about, attempting to organize the drinks spread across the counter into some kind or order. An expensive bottle of liquor Mingyu no doubt supplied sits in the middle like a prize, however he’s nowhere to be seen along with his roommate and girlfriend. You try to assist Amina but the space between the island counter and the stove is barely large enough for one body, let alone two. Amina shoos you away after barely a minute.

A trio of voices echo down the hallway.

“Every project he doesn’t want to do just gets thrown on me.” A deep voice complains. “I don’t even know what his actual job is.” 

The timber sends electricity down your spine. You try not to stare as Wonwoo steps into the light of the kitchen trailing behind Lisa. Apparently Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Lisa were tasked with food duty; however, Lisa's hands are completely empty. A stark contrast to Wonwoo and Mingyu behind her balancing several stacked boxes between them. 

You exchange a brief friendly smile with Wonwoo, before he continues with Mingyu. Shoulders sagging, your relief is only momentary. The weight of your friends watching the interaction is unbearable, despite everyone being wrapped in their own conversations. Lisa and Amina argue over the best order to organize everything while Mingyu sets about actually arranging the boxes. Soonyoung and Eva exchange gossip at the counter, their own laughter slicing through the air above them.

Pouring yourself a drink, you snatch the pitcher next to Eva, no doubt containing one of her deadly concoctions. Filling the glass halfway, you take a sip. Fruit and spicy sweetness tingling on your tongue followed by the warmth of cinnamon. The slight burn is masked with a deceptive tang of citrus. It goes down much too easily for the amount of alcohol Eva includes in her drinks. You estimate it’ll take two servings before you’re asleep against the arm of the sofa. Empting the glass, you pour another helping and cast off from the counter. 

Heading into the living room, you beeline for a spot on the sofa before anyone can object. Despite Amina’s attempts earlier, a few people would have to take to the floor and you refuse to be one of them.

“Alright everyone, come eat.” Amina calls in the small space.

You forgo the pizza for now. There would be plenty after everyone settled. Wrapping in one of the large fleece blankets, you burrow down into the sofa. Bending your knees, your legs cross while you lean back into the seam between the plush cushion and armrest, head perfectly positioned to see the television. 

Your cup empties before anyone comes to join you. Lisa and Mingyu squash into the recliner on the other side of the living room, the shabby chair groaning any time their weight shifts. You hope it's enough of a deterrent for their determined wandering hands. Many movie nights had been ruined because of their less than family friendly activities. Amina settles in front of the coffee table amongst the pile of cushions and thick blankets. Eva and Soonyoung curl up on the loveseat against the wall.

Wonwoo crashes down into the space next to you, sending a tight lipped smile at your responding frown. His legs spread apart as he leans forward to eat. Your shin brushes against his thigh through the blanket but fatigue prevents any sort of reaction beyond registering the presence of his body. 

Someone knocks out the lights and your eyes cement shut. The horror movie Lisa chose begins, lights from the screen dancing across your eyelids. It's a shallow rest at best, allowing you to catch snippets of dialogue from the characters and muffled whispers from your friends. But it’s like being underwater, senses dull as you experience it all from far far away.

You even forget about Wonwoo until he leans back into the cushions. The contact from his thigh breaking when he props his legs on the coffee table. A particularly loud scream comes from the TV but it's Wonwoo’s voice that startles you.

“Mind sharing?” He whispers, asking for permission despite already lifting the corner of the blanket draped over your knee.

You shake your head, nuzzling further into the armrest and away from temptation.

Wonwoo untucks the fold of the blanket from under your legs, stretching it across his lap. The heat of his side radiates into you even more. Even in your lethargic state the hyper awareness refuses to fade. It stokes a part of you wishing to move onto his lap and work you both back into the blissful high of a few nights ago. But you refuse to acknowledge the craving to dive into him, press your face into the front of his sweater and allow the beat of his heart to lull you into a rest.

You're fully aware all you need to do to get the first thing is let him give it to you. You were the one who ran away, shunned his attempts for a repeat, ignored him. Wonwoo provided several opportunities for a repeat of Friday night, now it was up to you to accept his invitation. 

But try as you might not to care, the dread of what your friends will think rears its head. It's a cop out; no one really cares that it's Wonwoo, only happy you’re finally getting laid again. 

You need to act before your nerve fades but in a room packed full of watchful eyes you’re unsure how to proceed. Feigning a yawn, your eyes pry open to lazily scan the room. Soonyoung has Eva between his legs, her back resting against his chest.. From where you are sitting it's evident they both have their eyes glued to the screen, Eva takes movie night too seriously to allow any funny business. Amina slouched down enough you can no longer see the top of her curly hair. Cautiously swiping at Lisa and Mingyu, it takes only a second before you look away. Thankfully Eva insists on blasting the TV volume to a deafening decibel. 

The movement of Wonwoo’s chest, lulled by the shallow rises and falls, clarifies in the fliting light of the screen. More memories of flushed skin shuddering with ragged breaths come to the forefront. Following the curve of his throat to the arch of his jaw, you find Wonwoo already staring back from the corner of his eye.

He arches an eyebrow, challenging and curious. It demolishes whatever resolve you possess to not look away. Instead, you focus back on the movie while untangling your legs and resting them on the coffee table next to his, ankles crossing under the blanket. The sudden motion leaves the entire span of your right leg flush with his left, a comforting warmth spreading between the layers of thick fabric between.. 

In the haste, the top of the blanket falls down to your lap. You tug it back up swiftly, wanting the layer to conceal your next action from the rest of the world. Satisfied with re-arranganged fabric, your hand doesn’t return to its previous home in your lap. Instead, it rests in the small stretch of space between you and Wonwoo, allowing your shoulders to brush lightly and her fingers to ghost along his thigh.

The heat of his sideways gaze continues to heat your cheeks despite your attempt at playing oblivious. Shifting closer, you pause; Wonwoo doesn’t take the opportunity to move away. Instead, he presses back. Some twisted part inside your mind relishes in victory.

Wonwoo’s left arm slouches down from its place on top of the cushion, joining yours in the space under the camouflage of the blanket. The back of your hands timidly brush before he extends his arm. It's sweet for a moment; shy and coy. But Wonwoo doesn’t allow you to sink into the gesture because his hand rests on top of your thigh and squeezes.

Thankfully you’re far enough back that no one can see unless they turn their neck so far it almost snaps off. Even then, the thick fabric of the blanket doesn’t give away what's happening underneath. The only clues are your labored breath and the shit eating grin threatening to split Wonwoo’s lips. The two couples on either side of the room are in far more compromising positions but with Wonwoo’s hand so high on your leg, you might as well be nude.

Calloused fingertips begin tracing across the inside of your thigh, just above your knee. Without thinking, your ankles uncross, letting your legs part slightly to grant him more space. A wince escapes between Wonwoo’s teeth from your nails digging into his own thigh.

Wonwoo’s hands are lazy in their journey upwards. Fingers massaging firmly against the supple skin, pulling at the flesh with a fraction of the intensity he’s capable of. His thumb kneads into cords of muscle, working out the knots he detects along the way. When he grazes the edge of the large bruise, you stiffen.

Most of the hickies he gifted that night healed, some already disappearing completely. The one he’s prodding now stubbornly remained, much to your mortification. With the irritated skin still sore to the touch, you were constantly reminded of its presence each time you moved. In your peripheral, Wonwoo turns his head. A downward twitch of your jaw motions for him to continue.

The scene on the TV is almost pitch black, throwing the room into a similar darkness. Wonwoo makes use of the cover and creeps his hand past the waistband of your sweats. He lets his palm rest against the lower part of your stomach, the pleasant warmth seeping in, soothing the nerves. The respite is short lived when his long middle finger traces along the elastic of your panties, teasing the skin under the band.

Sweat blooms on your brow and your breath grows stunted. It's embarrassing how worked up he has you. Barely twenty minutes into the movie, less than five of Wonwoo’s touch and yet the distinct wetness between your legs swells. But rather than relief, Wonwoo waits. And he waits. And he waits.

What is he waiting for? You think.

Eventually the movie will end, signaling your friends to get up. The second any of them spared a glance at your corner of the room everything will become clear and exactly what takes place under the blanket will become easily decipherable.

But there is nothing you can do to make Wonwoo’s hand dip lower and feel the dampness he spurred. Attempting to distract yourself from suffering, you switch focus on controlling your breath. Counting slowly to four while inhaling, holding for another four, and then exhaling in the same measure. Even your hand on Wonwoo’s thigh follows the rhythm. 

Mouth watering at the tense flex of the muscle under your fingers, you indulge in the visual of his room again. This time, he’s in nothing but his sweatpants, shirt nowhere to be seen. Red nail marks marr his chest and his hair is wild. You’re perched in his lap, completely naked and grinding against the evident bulge, dripping a wet spot on to the gray fabric. Wonwoo would watch while you used his body to get off, his hands tearing into the sheets. Fantasy Wonwoo would beg. He’d beg to kiss you, beg to touch you. Nothing like the devil sitting next to you, forcing you to plead for every once pleasure. 

Next time Wonwoo would beg. But patience was never a virtue you took pride in. 

Your hand wanders higher, finding exactly what you knew you would. Everything in you fights against grinning like the cat who got the canary. Despite the fact that you haven't really touched, Wonwoo is half hard. Even more satisfying is how he strains against his pants with only a few teasing passes.

He releases a heavy sigh when you push against him a little more firmly. Breaking attention from the movie, you sneak a peek at his reaction.

Wonwoo’s features are void of emotion. No matching bead of sweat at his temple and the heat you feel on your cheeks fails to present itself on his. Not even a wrinkle across his forehead. He almost looks…bored. It's a stark contrast to what you can feel under her palm.

But then you look closer and discover a discrete clench of his jaw and the minute flare of his nostrils. A glimpse at his neck highlights the stiff muscles, taunt like he’s fighting to break out of his own skin. You can’t stop looking. Subtle as the signs are, Wonwoo is just as much of a mess as you are. The only difference being he’s better at concealing it. 

Wonwoo continues to play with the band of your underwear, content to pull the elastic and let it snap against your skin, providing no solace. It's maddening but gives you a chance to brace for his next move. He really only has two options, pull his hand away and end the game. Or push his fingers down further and indulge. 

When a deafening scream blasts the TV prompts everyone to jump, he strikes. Wonwoo’s fingers wedge in the tight space between your legs. The sudden intrusion makes your thighs clench, a detrimental mistake since it forces the heel of his palm applying pressure to your clit. He wastes no time before prodding against the soaking fabric curiously. Extending his fingers downward, Wonwoo teases at your entrance through your  underwear. You could cry at the relief but control yourself, lip nearly splitting from biting back a squeak. You’d sell your soul to the devil if it meant you could be alone, sitting on his lap as he talks you through it, whispering for you to be good while he stretched you over his cock again and again. 

But that's impossible. So you’ll settle for this.

Your friends are none the wiser while you build each other up under the blankets. When you stuff your hand under Wonwoo’s waistband, you find out he is certainly not wearing underwear. Immediately you take advantage, letting your thumb graze against the weeping tip. The angle doesn’t allow for a smooth so you play with the head, letting catch on his slit to over and over. Each pass earns you a shudder of his stomach against the back of your forearm.

Wonwoo pushes aside the thin strip of your underwear, two fingers tracing your entrance before dipping inside, curling up to his middle knuckle. It’s hardly enough to get off but the threat of getting caught spawns more and more arousal. At this rate, your sweatpants will be sporting a wet patch if they aren’t already.

She’s so fucking wet. Wonwoo thinks, the revelation sending a shot of want straight to his cock. He curses whatever he did in a past life preventing him from hauling you into your room and burying himself inside your cunt until he passes out. The irony of the position isn’t lost on him. Wonwoo waited all week for a green light and of course you decided to give it to him in the middle of a packed room with a dozen prying eyes and ears. But he isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. If you want him to get you off under the blanket, then he’s more than happy to rise to the challenge.

Wonwoo repositions his hand, allowing his fingers to play with your clit, abandoning the shallow thrust at your entrance. When his fingernail scrapes delicately over the bundle of nerves, a whimper breaks from through your parted lips and almost blows their cover. 

The movie, unlike you or Wonwoo, is at its climax. Loud screams and distorted music occupy the attention of everyone in the room. But still, you both pause, frozen and waiting for a sign someone heard. Wonwoo debates pulling away. He’d seen the film before, and while his mind struggles to remember the plot he knows there's simply not enough time left before the credits roll and the illusion is shattered. 

Brain riddled with hormones and lust, Wonwoo faces an impossible choice. Call timeout and hope you’re generous enough to give him another chance. Or, he can make the most of the opportunity literally at hand and pray he’s fast enough. 

He’d already waited an entire week, what was another day? And if he waited then maybe he’d get to fuck you properly, away from any onlookers. Where you can sing all the noises that drive him crazy.

The way you play with his cock makes confident he’ll get another turn; so, with herculean effort, Wonwoo extracts his hand from your underwear, moves it back on top of her thigh and gives a minute squeeze in apology. He looks down at your face, witnessing the moments of confusion. Your eyebrows knot under his scrutiny.

“Later.” He mouths, hoping you’ll accept his promise to finish what was started.

In an instant, confusion transforms into cold rage. Features smoothing, your chin tips in defiance. Wonwoo already regrets his decision, tempted to go right back to where he left off but you look like you might rip his arm off if he tries. You turn back to the movie and ignore his existence. 

The hand in his pants doesn’t leave, and a chill of fear trickles down his spine. You aren’t prone to violence, but having his most prized possession in the palm of your hand, coupled with the sinister coldness on your face doesn’t inspire any faith that he’ll walk away unscathed.

Wonwoo isn’t sure how much time passes before you act. Seconds drag on, forcing him on the edge of his seat with anticipation. The knee closest to him bends, your foot resting on the end of the cushion, providing a tent of space over his lap. A decisive twist of her wrist catches him off guard. The space between his lap and the blanket hides the rough fists of his cock with their friends only feet away. The motion steals his breath; the way you use the slick to slide across his shaft, squeezing tightly to the point stars float in his vision.

With embarrassing swiftness, he’s close. Teeth pinching at his lip barely prevent the grunts building in his chest; praises for the devil next to him dying on the tip of his tongue. Wonwoo’s hips threaten to cant up, matching the rhythm of your hand with his thrusts. The warning signs of his end sizzle through his veins, the fuzzy snaps of pleasure racing up his spine. 

Wonwoo takes one last glance at your face, finding he’s already being watched. His eyes scan the mischievous smirk on your lips and realizes a second too late that he fell right into a trap. Without warning, your hand stills.

You smile sweetly as your hand slips out of his pants, snaking it into the bottom of his sweatshirt to wipe the mess of cum against his stomach. When your hand leaves his body and returns to your own lap, Wonwoo he’s been punched in the gut. 

He has no time to ponder what the hell just happened because the credits roll and Amina is already up and moving towards the lights. Wonwoo rubs his eyes, thinking about anything that will make his hard-on deflate before he has to stand up. Cold showers, old neighbors morning sex routine, getting hit with a car… he repeats like a mantra.

On his left, you hop up, all but skipping down the hall and into the darkness. Wonwoo wants to chase and finish whatever the hell just happened given that his cock is soft enough he can tuck it up in his waistband. But his phone buzzes before he can. The screen lights up with a new message from the minx herself.

Y/N (lisa roommate): maybe next time :)

The next morning, Wonwoo wakes with utter disbelief at his life. Your texts burned into his skull.

Y/N (lisa roommate): maybe next time :)

Wonwoo: Next time?

Y/N (lisa roommate): you can think of this while you wait

The photo haunted him in his sleep. He stared at it for so long he’s sure he could draw the details from memory.

On your knees facing away from the mirror, your ass is on full display. Wonwoo doesn’t know it is better or worse that you’re lent forward with a lewd curve to your spine. Better because he can see everything. Worse because he received it minutes after you fled to your room, which means the wet cling of your panties to your folds was his doing. 

More effective than the picture is the fact you were all but twenty feet away in the privacy of your room, taking nudes while he pretended everything was normal. The entire time he helped tidy up, the walk back to his apartment, and long before he fell asleep, Wonwoo wondered if you were touching yourself. He wanted to ask; ask if you were thinking about him while you did it and if you weren’t, could he give you something to think about?

But every time he opened the thread to message you his finger refused to type. Wonwoo remembered what it was like to have you on your knees. He hadn’t stopped thinking about it. But now he has an idea what you look like from the back and it might end his life.

Instead of spending the night with the subject of his desires, Wonwoo found himself the subject of torture. Lisa came back to their apartment so the couple could leave first thing in the morning to some rural bed and breakfast outside the city to celebrate their anniversary. Apparently, they decided to start their celebration early. Hours of Lisa and Mingyu going at it across the hall stretched on with no end in sight. 

Their usual antics would piss Wonwoo off but he’d deal with it. However, last night it only reminded him how much he is not getting laid and he has no one to blame but himself. Crushing a pillow over his head, Wonwoo attempted to make up for the sleep he is already desperately missing. 

His efforts were hopeless. Barely five minutes passed before he turned fitful, tossing and turning without finding comfort. Every trick he knows failed; counting his breath, meditation, relaxing music, turning off his phone. Nothing works. He gives up after an hour.

When dawn came, Wonwoo’s bad mood set in to plague him the rest of the day. 

Sheltering down in his room, he remains hidden until he is certain Mingyu and Lisa are long gone. When he does finally leave his bed, the choke of storm clouds outside have darkened the skies to the point that if not for the clock on his phone he would think it's closer to midnight than it is to noon.

When he decides to step out to grab food, his mistake doesn’t hit him until he’s already shut the door. 

Wonwoo’s keys are still on the kitchen counter. Next to his wallet. And his will to live. 

Several streets over, your day is going much much better; refreshed from a full night sleep and the thought of what Wonwoo’s face looked like opening the picture.

Lisa and Amina granted clemency last night, cleaning the mess from the evening before abandoning you for the weekend. Lisa off with Mingyu while Amina joined the college friends on their annual retreat (re: party weekend at the coast). Leaving you all to your lonesome for the next two days, nothing but rest and relaxation dancing on the horizon.

The murky darkness of thunder and rain outside the window is staved off by the warm glow from the floor lamp in the corner of the living room and the dancing lights of the TV as a random show whispers quietly. The warm air is clogged with the sweet smell of vanilla and bergamot from one of Amina’s large candles that rests on the coffee table. And bundle on the couch in the same blanket soiled from the night before, you doze off like a house cat. 

A rogue buzzing pulls you back from the shallow slumber, eyes cracking open lazily to search for the device lost in the cushions. By the time you find it, the call has gone to voicemail. The notification on the screen means you must still be dreaming.

MISSED CALL: Wonwoo

A flash of panic tightens your chest. A million thoughts race by, all regarding what could prompt Wonwoo to call you. He doesn’t call you. In the year and a half you’ve known each other there isn’t a single instance of it. The complete uncharacteristic nature of it has you calling him back before giving it a second thought.

“Are you home?” Snaps through the speaker after the first ring.

He sounds pissed. It’s not the usual sarcastic lit that graces his interactions. It’s dry and pointed and already grating your nerves.

“Well, hello to you.” You sneer back.

“Hi.” He deadpans. You can feel the eye roll through the phone. “Are you home?”

“Why?”

It’s 9pm on a Saturday night and both your roommates are out… of course you’re home.

“I’m locked out and I know Mingyu gave Lisa a copy of the key.”

“You’re locked out?” You parrot. It’s not that it’s an impossible situation, it’s just ridiculously unlucky timing.

“Good to know you’re listening.” He bites.

“Actually, come to think of it, I’m out of town.”

“Y/N…” He interrupts, voice clearly exhausted.

Normally, you would goad him until blue in the face. His stunt last night doesn’t warrant patience. But you know he’s had a week from hell too based on what Mingyu and Lisa shared.

“Yeah I’m home. But Lisa took her keys with her so I doubt the spare is here.”

“Great, just fucking great.” He erupts.

You wince, “Sorry.” 

Wonwoo doesn’t respond immediately. The measured cadence of his breath echoes through the line. When he finally speaks again he sounds calmer.

“Not your fault,” he murmurs. “Timing is just shit given the week I’ve had.”

“Your landlord can’t let you in?”

“Not answering his phone.”

“And Mingyu?”

“Also not answering.”

After that, words fail you. But given Wonwoo truly seems to be on the verge of a mental breakdown, you throw him a bone.

Readjusting the phone on your shoulder, your hands pick at the frayed hem of the blanket. “Look, if you want to sleep on the couch here, be my guest.”

Silence.

“If you’d rather call a locksmith go ahead.” You rush. “Just thought I’d offer.” 

“If you wanted a slumber party you could have told me.”

Apparently, even poor luck can’t prevent Wonwoo from being a complete smartass.

“Have fun sleeping outside!” You croon sweetly, looking for the button to end the call.

“Wai—”

Phone locked and tossed to the floor, you burrow back into the nest of pillows and blankets. Any prior  drowsiness transforms into irritation. 

Less than a minute passes before your phone begins ringing once more.

 It's your turn to snap at him. “What?”

The pause on the other end of the line is heavy. 

“I was being an ass.”

“You’re always an ass.” You respond with a deep sigh.

“The locksmith won’t come till morning so…”

Despite your better judgment, you take pity on the poor man. 

“Come over.” You concede, cringing at the implication of the phrase. Wonwoo is coming over because he’s locked out. Not for any other reason. He’s desperate and needs somewhere to crash until his landlord can let him in.

“…Thanks.” 

The call ends.

Wonwoo knocks on the door twenty minutes later. You can’t believe what you see through the peephole. He’s soaked down to his skin, hair matted to his forehead despite the hood of his jacket. The chill of the hallway makes him shake like a leaf in a windstorm. When you finally open the door to face him, he’s somehow worse than he was through the glass.

If it was under any other circumstances the cling of the hoodie against his broad chest would stir something inside you. But Wonwoo has never looked so… pitiful.

“Oh my god,” You manage, choking on laughter.

“Are we just gonna stand here or can I come in?”

Shouldering open the door, you snicker as Wonwoo steps around. At least until he starts abandoning his wet clothes once inside.

“Wait, let me get some towels.” 

Running to the bathroom, you snag whatever towels can be spared. You catch yourself in the mirror before exiting. Messy hair with an indent on your cheek from the crease of the pillow is the least of your problems. There's stain on the front of your sweater from the leftover pizza scarfed down for lunch and you aren’t wearing a bra. 

It doesn’t matter considering Wonwoo looks like a drowned cat but you’re still self conscious. The best you can do is splash cold water on your face and remember he is worse off than you.

Wonwoo waits right where you left him by the door, dripping more water with each second. His bare chest glistens in the dim light. When he looks up from his phone you chuck a towel at his head. 

“You can wait in the bathroom while I find some dry clothes.”

Wonwoo trudges behind as you lead him back the way you came. 

Once again, he immediately unbuttons his pants without regard for your presence. Deft fingers make quick work. You remember where you are when he goes to force them down.

Wonwoo meets your eyes in the mirror, “Staying to watch?”

“I’m just gonna…” You mumble, looking anywhere but at the show he puts on.

The door latch clicks just as the heavy thuds of his soaked clothes land in the sink. Leaning against the opposite wall, your head gently rests against the cool surface. A deep sigh leaves your nose.

You’ve seen Wonwoo naked. Your hand was down his pants less than twenty four hours ago. A picture of your ass lives in his text messages for Christ sake. Seeing him shirtless and wet shouldn’t have you blushing like some virgin.

Ruminating on your momentary lapse of dignity will get you nowhere so you start hunting for the collection of Seungcheol’s clothes from the bottom drawer of your dresser. A few months ago the sight would have sent you to tears. Now, it’s comical. The fleeting memory of Lisa’s bewildered face when you choked down sobs after Amina threw out your ex’s toothbrush rears its head. Crazy how things can change so quickly from hurt to nothing.

You're in and out of the bathroom in a flash, collecting wet clothes in exchange for dry ones. Thankfully, Wonwoo doesn’t jest from behind the current.

While he continues to shower, you’re busy with making the couch habitable. Knowing you can’t deal with another of Wonwoo’s uncouth comments, the blanket you previously used is exchanged for the one draped on the armchair. Rather the blanket Mingyu and Lisa sullied than the one tainted by yourselves.

Wonwoo comes down the hallway just in time, toweling at his damp hair. 

“Well, this is it.” You say, avoiding eye contact. “There's a charge plugged in near the TV you're welcome to use. Um, good night.”

“Gonna make me sleep all by myself?” He plops on the couch, arms crossed behind his head. Wonwoo’s too cocky for someone who looked like he drowned on dry land twenty minutes ago. 

Wonwoo’s triumphant smirk doesn’t last when you plop a heavy knitted quilt over him. He scrambles free but you’re already halfway to your bedroom.

Scoffing, you respond,“What? Are you scared of the dark?”

“If that's the excuse you need to come over here, sure. I’m terrified.”

“Awww,” you coo sarcastically. “You’ll cope.”

In the confines of your room, you manage the first deep breath of the night. You won’t be able to sleep. Not with him so close. Not when temptation is just beyond the door and down the hallway. 

How dare he ask you for a favor and then act like an ass. Of course, he’d use something so unfortunate to get his dick wet. 

More steam pours from your ears as you ruminate. Pacing back and forth you scoff at his audacity until it boils over and you're stomping back into the living room.

“You know I’m doing you a favor by letting you stay here.” You fume, stopping a few feet away from where the biggest pain in your ass rests. “I could have let you go to Eva and Soonyoung’s and deal with their bullshit but I didn’t.”

Wonwoo lifts on one elbow, eying you silently. 

Faltering under his gaze, you continue to ramble. “How dare you ask me for a favor and then act like a pig.”

“You’re right.” 

“What?” You choke.

“I’m sorry.” Wonwoo concedes. 

You falter for a second in disbelief, mouth gaping over silent words. It couldn’t have been that easy. 

“I shouldn’t have believed you giving me a handy meant more than it was.”

Huffing, you stop and turn back to your room. “You’re insufferable!”

“And yet, you still sent me a pic of your ass.” He snorts, collapsing back into his pillow. “Pick a lane, Y/N.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Flinging your hands in the air, you return back to your room to stew until morning.

“So that picture was all talk?” Wonwoo yells in your direction.

He wants a reaction and that's exactly what he gets. Pivoting, you storm back in front of the couch. 

“Oh! I’m all talk? You’re the one who can’t even finish what he started.”

“And what did I start?” He sneers, sitting up. 

You know what he’s doing. Attempting to rile you up until there's no choice but to give in. And it’s working. Wiping that stupid smirk on his face is as simple as swallowing his cock until he’s nothing more than a twitching mess. But if Wonwoo wants you, he’ll need to try harder than goading a response out of you. 

Biting back you prod his chest, “Nothing worth my time, that's for damn sure.”

“Really?” Wonwoo asks, rising to his feet. “Didn’t seem that way last night.” 

Chest to chest, he’s more intimidating but you won’t falter. Instead, you switch gears. Your finger skims dangerously close to the waistband of his pants. 

“I’m a really, really good actress.”

A battle of wills ensues. Wonwoo stares you down, unflinching at your smirk. He’s pissed at the implication. It's clear in his body language; tense shoulders, shuddering breath. 

Your fatal mistake comes when his tongue peeks out to wet his lips. The memory of what they felt like jolts an ache in your bones. 

A tilt of his chin is all the invitation you need to drag his mouth to yours.

Wonwoo has you perched on his lap in an instant, legs splayed over his spread thighs and his hands pulling you forward. It's clumsy but eagerness blinds you both to anything beyond the powerful drag of your core hips against the tent in his pants.

Twisting a hand in the short hair at the base of Wonwoo’s neck, you tug hard enough to move him how you want. A throaty moan is the only response he gives, easily following your demands. But the way his large hands grab at the curve of your ass move you how he wants.

He groans into the curve of your shoulder with the next cant of your hips. “God, you’re so hot. Shit.”

Despite the chill that has creeped its way inside the apartment, you’re burning up; skin flushed and hot to touch. The hand not tangled in Wonwoo’s hair slips under his shirt, nails skating up the taunt muscles of his abdomen. His own hands echo the path, finding their way beneath your sweater.

Wonwoo lifts your sweater and swiftly drops it to the flooring, busying his hands with cradling the soft skin he’s uncovered. He leans away to break the kiss, but you manage to drag him back. 

“W-Wonwoo, fuck,” you curse, clinging tighter when he breaks the contact and drops his mouth to your chest.

His teeth scrape against your collarbone, leaving you dizzy and desperate. Head in the clouds, you fold and bend as he tortures your breasts. The rough pad of his thumb leaves goosebumps in its wake, skating across your nipple until it pebbles. One reflex you twist the fist of his hair harshly when he pinches and are rewarded with a moan and rush of his cock into your covered cunt. 

A hot trail of sloppy kisses sends your heart into a tailspin. Wonwoo must feel it with the way he licks and sucks your nipple; pulling until it pops out of his mouth before he leans back to repeat the motion once more.

Eventually, Wonwoo’s borrowed sweatshirt is abandoned on the floor as well but neither of you find the rush present from your previous romp. You follow when Wonwoo leans back, flat against his chest.

Hazy fatigue swells around the edges. The feeling of skin on skin, lips on lips, and roaming hands brings everything to a calming lull. Without the fog of alcohol or the threat of nosey friends, you explore each other with feather light touches that turn into gentle gropes, and hot wet kisses that transform into drags of teeth and lips. From shared exhaustion, running on nothing less than minutes of sleep and a near lethal dose of caffeine, you sluggish trapeze through the motions. 

Taking advantage of the moment, you discover exactly what Wonwoo likes. When you rake a hand through his hair, nails pulling through the damp locks to scratch against his scalp, then Wonwoo shudders and sucks at your chest with more enthusiasm than before. He likes when you bite him, his hips rutting up harshly with each nip at his throat.

Each breathy sigh you release spurs him on. Melting into a needy mess, you can’t find an ounce of embarrassment; even as Wonwoo massages your cunt through your sweatpants and pathetic whimper after pathetic whimper pours from your throat.

Having his focus on you makes you crave him more. A never ending cycle of want. 

“Please,” you beg. The second the word is out of your mouth, Wonwoo is ushering you towards your room.

You trip through the living room with Wonwoo’s mouth still latched to your chest. Pinned between the back of the couch and his body, he sucks until your shoulders cave and you force him from his hiding place. 

“What?” he smirks into your jaw. “What do you want?” His hand sneaks its way under your pants, squeezing a palm full of your bare ass before slipping down further. “Fuck, you’re so wet.” He nips at your chin, fingers dipping into your entrance. “So messy for me.”

Your hands scramble for something to comfort from the onslaught. Wonwoo is already back between your breasts, humming around the flesh every time you shudder from his ministrations. He twists his fingers into your core, the noise loud despite the cover of your pants.

“Shit, shit, shit,” you rasps under the prod of his thumb against your clit. Rather than succumbing to the mind numbing assault, you jolt into action. 

Wonwoo angles his hips just right when he realizes your aim. It’s too easy to force your hand under the fabric and find him hard and waiting just like last night. But unlike last night, you don’t have to hide. And the freedom dooms him from the start. 

Anchoring one hand on his chest, you push until he’s upright. He’s a wreck; eyes half shut behind the lens of his glass and lips a delectable shade of red. You pull your hand out of his pants and lap away the evidence of his arousal, delighting in the way a vein on his neck jumps when you give them a lewd suck.

Turning, you saunter down the hallway, shedding the rest of your clothes as you go.

“Coming?” you call over your shoulder, pinning Wonwoo in place as you bend to slip off your sweatpants, flashing him the barest peak of your cunt, before continuing to your room.

You don’t hear him following until you're at the threshold. A rush of footsteps and then he’s emerging from the darkness, eyes taking in your naked form. Wonwoo looks like he’s been starving and you’re the first meals he’s about to have in years.

Wonwoo pins you to the wooden door, one hand finding your jaw while the other bats your legs wide before roughly swiping at your sensitive clit. 

“You’re such a fucking tease,” he rasps into your ear.

Two fingers tap against your lips. Without hesitation you present your tongue, lapping the digits like you would his cock. Wonwoo watches with so much heat in his gaze you can’t stop a moan from slipping free when he puts pressure on your tongue and causes you to drool. He makes to pull away but stops when you grab his wrist and force him in place.

You suck his fingers deeper, eyes never leaving his the entire time. The pressure against the inside of your cheek leaves you reeling. Pure desire inks your brain and makes you desperate. 

Both unsatisfied, you let Wonwoo go. He’s quicker than you imagined. A force full grab of your jaw tugs you away from the door and into his mouth. The slide of his tongue against your own verges on pornographic but you're too busy focusing on the same fingers you’d just been sucking on splitting your folds before stretching your walls. 

Slowly falling to his knees, Wonwoo shoulders under your leg until your pussy is splayed for him to enjoy. The trail of hot kisses across your hip do nothing to comfort you. Not with the swift pace of his hand.

“Are you gonna do something or just stare all night?” 

The strip he licks up your core, tongue flat and heavy, makes you double over. Wonwoo remembers exactly what buttons to push to shut you up, overwhelming you with his mouth and hand buried in your cunt along with the hand continuing to tweak your nipples. 

“Fuck,” you mewl. “You can do—shit—better than that.”

The raze of his teeth on your clit is punishment enough for the outburst. But Wonwoo loves to prove a point. His pace becomes slower than ever, still hard but the tempo of his hand is reserved. It makes you hot all over. Choking on air, your brain melts and bones jelly under the lashing of Wonwoo’s tongue. 

Just as he finds the perfect angle, he falls back.

You snap. “What the fuck?”

He doesn’t answer. Wonwoo pulls away his hand and rises to his feet. Once nose to nose, he smiles. The sudden change is disorienting. Even more so when he leaves a gentle peck against your cheek and heads for the bed.

Perching on the bed, he leans pack on to his palms and presents his lap like a throne. “Come here,” he commands.

Scrabbling into his lap, Wonwoo catches you off guard. His hands strike across your waist as he leans back, shuffling you up his chest until your knelt over his face.

Your hands steady on your thighs, brushing his. In an uncharacteristic act of sweetness, he tangles his fingers with your own. 

The gesture leaves you reeling. “Wonwoo?”

His hands curl around your thighs and force you down onto his waiting tongue. There's no build up, only hunger. Wonwoo points his tongue and uses it to trace hard circles around your clit before suck so harshly you buckle in half. 

If Wonwoo minds he makes no show of it. Instead, he pins your tangled hands in place and licks deeper, tracing anywhere he can reach. Every muscle in your body jerks from the sloppy way he eats you out.

Sweat blooms on your skin. Each breath stilted and you’re drooling when cracks open an eye to take him in. The flex of his biceps when you lurches against a vulgar suck of his mouth. Even the mop of his hair buried between your thighs makes you whimper. 

One hand leaves your, reaching around and pinching your ass punitively.

“Work for it,” he hums into your pussy.

Not needing to be told twice, you rock where your bodies meet. Your free hand tangles in his hair and uses the leverage to grind against his tongue. Wonwoo’s hand continues to follow the curve of your ass until he’s able to tease your entrance. 

Foul noises radiate from where he works you, from his hand and your mouth. Spit and arousal smear on his cheeks and you can feel it against your thighs bracketing his head.

You want to see his face. The heat in his eyes when he’s focused on something, focused on you, making you cum. You pull Wonwoo’s hair again.

“Focus,” His muffled voice is thick and broken, like he’s getting off just as much as you are.

Whining from the vibration against your clit, tears threaten to fall from how tight you pinches your eyes shut from the onslaught. 

“Wonwoo, I’m—” you sob. “Please, fuck. Please, I’m gonna cum.”

The world holds its breath. And then it shatters into a million pieces.

You’re whole and not. No more than a supernova. Whine after whine claws its way out of your lungs until you choke on them.

Wonwoo pays no mind, continuing to work you until you try and fall away. But he expects it, moving with you and staying between your thighs like you haven’t cum at all.

“Too much,” you gasp when he spits on your ruined cunt.

Flashing the pink of his tongue, he sneers your own words back with acidic sweetness. “You can do better than that.”

Tossing your legs over his shoulders, he digs in again. 

It hurts. Wonwoo isn’t easing you into a second orgasm. If anything, he’s bullying it out of you. 

And you take it.

“I can’t,” you plead, dipping your chin to meet his eyes and beg your case. “Too much, Woo. I—”

Wonwoo leans back and slows the three fingers buried inside you. The hand pressed to your stomach rises to cup your face, his thumb tracing the bow of your lips. 

“You can.” He coos. His thumb slips into your mouth a second before he spits on your clit and uses his soiled hand to slap.

The scream ripping its way out is silenced by the digit in your mouth. Wonwoo dives back in, taking zero mercy. Your hips buck into his mouth involuntarily and the bastard laughs.

“See? You want it so bad, don’t you baby?” 

His thumb pops from your mouth but not before you manage a quick nip. The look on Wonwoo’s face tells you it was the wrong answer to his question.

Your breath falters when the faintest amount of pressure ghosts along your throat, waiting for your okay before committing. 

Spreading your legs wider and tucking your hands behind your knees, you nod, “I want it.” 

Pupils blown wide, Wonwoo goes rigid before exploding into a frenzy. 

He sucks your folds into his mouth, hastily laving you in his spit before forcing another finger inside your tight hole. 

“C’mon, you can do it for me. Give me one more.” He demands while coming up for a breath. “Such a fucking mess for me.”

Your hips snap harshly, nails digging into his wrist resting on your chest. “Oh my god, oh my god!”

Feet planting onto the mattress, you rock against his face with more force than before. A cacophony of vulgar squelches and desperate whines fill the room. He squeezes until stars dot your vision from the lack of blood flow only to release with a rush of lightheaded bliss. Using your hands to tug at your sore nipples, you finally give Wonwoo what he wants.

“W-Wonwoo, so good.” You pant. 

He cleans up the mess the same way he made it but with a gentler touch. It doesn’t stop the quivers of overstimulation from wrecking your nerves but he whispers an apology for each one and rubs it into the crease of your thigh when you wince.

With a final peck to your clit, he releases you.

Wonwoo’s chest heaves, eyes drooping in lust or fatigue, you don’t know. Maybe both. When he rises from his spot between your legs, you scramble for his face. Mouths meet in a slow kiss, nothing more than a languid press against one another and a few deep breaths. You taste yourself but ignore it. You’re too tired, too sated, to care. 

You try and palm his cock, eager to return the favor but Wonwoo shifts away. He crowds you up to the pillows, pulls you into his chest, and sends you off to sleep with his lips against your forehead.

You simply lay there, curled around one another until sleep claims you.

Taglist: @tomodachiii @cvpidyunho @miniseokminnies @ddaengpotate @arycutie @gaebestie @primoppang @gyuguys @mine-gyu @doremifasire @missminhoe @toplinehyunjin @crvs4vldtn @prettygyuuu @lovelyhachi

Series Taglist: @aaniag @sdoulc @wonvsmile @jeonwonwooscutie @wonrangwoo @winterbeartaehyungbestboy @yogurttea @4cheezflatbred @fragmentof-indifference @p-dwiddle @icedearlgreytea @cottoncheol @hoshiskimchi @listxn @kwonshiho @kyeomofhearts @beananacake

© highvern. copying/reuploading/translating my work anywhere is strictly prohibited.

[lemoncrushh]

Tattooed Heart - Part I

SUMMARY: You are a cocktail waitress at a swanky lounge. Harry comes in one night, and you instantly dislike him. But another encounter eventually changes your opinion.

PAIRING: Waitress Y/N x Artist/Tattoo Artist Harry

TROPES: Enemies to Lovers

MUST BE 18+ TO READ

WORD COUNT: 4K+

STORY PAGE

You could spot the birthday parties from across the room. Beautiful, rich kids and socialites tend to go all out, with the balloons and banners, ordering bottles or at the very least, top shelf cocktails by the dozens. On occasion, you might get a wealthy middle-aged businessman, or some guy who just made his first half-mil in crypto, ready to live it up for the night, but they usually kept a lower profile, not attracting as much attention to their celebration.

Zelda’s was a swanky, high-dollar lounge for the rich and the wannabes. In your two years as a cocktail waitress there, you’d learned how to spot the difference. Those with money knew how to spend it. Those that were only there for one evening of “let’s pretend” spent frivolously, cashing it in before - or sometimes after - going belly-up.

Tonight seemed to be just like every other weekend evening, the corner booths filled with decorations and Gucci-lipped twenty-somethings taking cell phone pics of each other. You gave your best fake smile, ready to serve anyone willing to blow a few hundred on drinks and hopefully dishing out hefty tips.

“What can I get you, doll?” you asked the blond at the end of the half-circle booth.

She gave you a quizzical look at first, as though you had just interrupted a private conversation. Then with a flip of her hair, she smiled at her group.

“Oh, I think Harry was gonna order for us all,” she said. “It’s his birthday.”

“And which one is Harry?” you grinned at the three young men who shared the booth, all dressed in suit jackets with their shirts unbuttoned past their pecs. Everyone at the table pointed to the dark-haired guy who sat in the center with his hands up.

“That would be me,” he remarked nonchalantly in a syrupy British accent.

“Well, Happy Birthday, Harry,” you raised your voice over the loud music. “What are we having for this celebration?”

“Tequila, the best you’ve got,” he replied, his ringed finger gesturing in a circle. “All around. And a bottle of Cristal.”

Two of the girls at the table cheered, clearly impressed with Harry’s selection.

“Sounds like a good party to me,” you nodded. “Be right back.”

Heading over to the bar, you heard the group cackle behind you. Then one of the girls shouted, “Stop it!” When you reached the edge of the bar, giving John, the bartender your order, you snuck a glance over at the table. The girl sitting next to Harry held her cell phone up to take a photo, the birthday boy with his tongue in her ear. Clearly the group had gotten a head start on drinks before they’d ever arrived.

“Another one of those, huh, Y/N?” scoffed John.

“Same shit, different day,” you commented, shaking your head. “Gimme one of the birthday glasses, will you?”

“Ah, which Paris Hilton wannabe is the birthday girl? Lemme guess…the blonde in the silver bandeau top getting her ear tongue fucked.”

You chuckled. “Try the fucker.”

“Oh yeah?” John raised a brow, placing the bottle of Cristal on your tray. “The himbo, eh? Wouldn’t have guessed it.”

“Why not?”

“Imposter Armani suit? I can spot it a mile away, honey.”

You laughed as he finished pouring the tequila. “Guess he’s out of his element. But he obviously wants to impress on his birthday.”

“From the look of the caliber of girls he’s with, I’d say I don’t blame him.”

You nodded, carefully taking the tray. You knew what John meant. Harry may have not been the typical socialite to walk through Zelda’s doors, but the women in his company obviously were. And they expected to be treated as such.

Returning to the table, you gave your biggest smile as you set out the tequila. You noticed Harry eyeing you as the rest of the group claimed a glass.

“This is your best tequila?” he asked, almost in a huff as though you couldn’t have possibly selected the best.

“Definitely,” you replied. “It’s a Siete Leguas.”

“Hmm.” Lifting his glass, he let the liquid swirl before taking a sniff.

“Smells good to me,” remarked the blond next to him. “But I don’t know much about tequila.”

Harry took a slow sip, his eyes still on you above the rim of his glass.

“What d’ya say, H?” asked one of the other gentlemen.

“It’ll do.”

Trying your best not to react negatively, you chewed your bottom lip. “I can get you something else if you like.”

“I said it’s fine.”

Not bothering to mask your frown, you took a deep breath through your nostrils. This was gonna be a long night.

“Would you like me to pop the champagne now?” you asked.

“Sure, go ahead,” Harry gestured with his hand, taking another sip of his tequila.

Taking the bottle, you opened it with finesse, just the way you’d been taught and had been doing since you’d started working at Zelda’s. The girls all cheered when the cork popped. Harry, however, was not impressed.

Grabbing the special birthday glass, you began to pour.

“What the fuck is that?” spat Harry.

“It’s for you,” you smiled.

“I don’t want that. Gimme one of the regular champagne glasses.”

“I’ll take it!” beamed the blond on the end. “It’s cute!”

Harry rolled his eyes before handing the glass to her with a smirk.

“Here, Tawnie,” he said. “Pretend it’s your birthday.”

“Aw, yay!” she giggled with glee.

Trying to keep your composure, you poured another glass of Cristal, handing it to Harry.

“Shouldn’t ladies go first?” he remarked, scooting the glass to the girl next to him.

“God, I’m gonna be so wasted,” she laughed.

Swallowing hard, you knew where this was headed, so you poured champagne for the other two girls, then passed around the remaining glasses to the guys, leaving the last for Harry.

“Happy Birthday,” you said again, this time with no enthusiasm. “Enjoy.”

Leaving the bottle on the table, you turned away, cursing under your breath before making your way back to the bar.

“Jesus fucking Christ, kill me now,” you whined at John.

“That bad, huh?”

“He’s a petulant, disrespectful asshole!”

“The good looking ones usually are,” John sighed.

“You think he’s good looking?” you twisted slightly to look over at the booth. Harry was laughing at something one of the other guys had said.

“Honey, don’t tell me you didn’t notice!” chuckled John.

“I was too busy wanting to pour tequila over his head,” you grimaced.

“Well, try not to let it get to you, hon. Just be your sweet self, and get that massive tip. The night will be over, and you’ll never have to see him again.”

With a nod and a sigh, you took the refills for the next table, handing them out with a bright smile. The older gentlemen gave you a thanks and a wink, one of them patting your behind as you bent over. You hated being fondled at work, but if you had a choice, you’d take that any day over dealing with jerks like Harry.

“Excuse me!” you heard someone shout as you started to make your way back to the bar. Speak of the devil.

“Yes?” you grinned, stepping over to Harry’s table. “What can I do for you?”

“Can I get a glass of wat-” asked a brunette before Harry rudely interrupted.

“We need water,” he said, accusingly.

“Sure, no problem. All around?”

“Of course,” he rolled his eyes. Apparently this man lived to be constantly perturbed.

“I’ll get those for you right now.”

“That should have been like…a given, right?” he remarked. “What waitress doesn’t automatically bring water?”

With a sigh, you slid your tray under your arm, pressing your hand on your hip.

“If you want water…or anything for that matter…you can ask for it!” you barked. “I’m happy to bring it to you. But you don’t have to treat me like an imbecile!”

“Jeez,” one of the other guys muttered under his breath.

“What?” Harry glared at you, his eyebrows knitted together.

“You heard me, Birthday Boy! I’m just doing my job!”

As you started to turn away, you heard him mutter, “Doesn’t look like it,” followed by the rest of the group either giggling or shouting “Ooooh!”

You decided not to delight him with a response. Instead, you strutted to the bar where your darling pal John was already getting water glasses ready.

“Fuck me sideways, girl, that was rough!” he exclaimed.

“I’m done, John! I can’t deal with these assholes anymore!”

“Uh oh, looks like you may have to,” John averted his eyes to the glasses in front of him. Turning to see what he was talking about, you nearly ran into Mr. Personality.

“You owe me an apology,” he growled.

“Excuse me? I think it’s the other way around!” you yelled.

“I’m out with my friends for my birthday,” he explained, gesturing toward the table, “and I don’t appreciate the way you’re treating me.”

“The way I’m tr-” you turned beet red. “How dare you! You entitled, self-centered prick!”

“Easy, girl!” you heard John shout, but you paid no mind. You were ready to have it out with this guy.

“What did you call me?”

“Y/N!” someone else shouted. Looking up, you noticed your boss, a scowl on his face as the entire lounge had turned their focus on your encounter. “What seems to be the trouble here?”

“Are you the manager?” asked Harry.

“Yes, sir, how can I assist you?”

“I’m not sure exactly,” he began, “but your waitress here seems to have a problem with me. I’m here celebrating my birthday with my mates, and she’s gone out of her way to be rude to me all evening.”

“What?!?!” you shouted incredulously.

“Y/N, did you have a problem with this young man?”

“No, sir,” you shook your head, your arms crossed over your chest. “It’s the other way around. He’s been nothing but rude since-”

“She just called me a prick,” Harry interjected.

“Because you’re being one!” You glared at the asshole, shooting daggers at him. You felt like your insides were on fire as you held your hands in fists at your sides.

“Y/N, if you can’t control your temper, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave,” said your boss.

“I’m sorry, but he’s so rude, Mr-”

“Y/N,” your boss narrowed his eyes at you, before turning to Harry. “Sir, I do apologize for my employee. We do not condone this kind of behavior at our lounge.”

You watched Harry as his shoulders fell, a breath releasing from his nose. “I should hope not.”

“Now…” your boss added. “What can we do to rectify this situation? Perhaps we can put your tab on the house?”

Harry raised his brows, surprised at the offer. “That would…yes, that would be nice. Thank you.”

Your boss nodded, patting Harry on the back. “No problem whatsoever. I hope you’ll come see us again.”

“Not if she’s here,” Harry scowled.

“I assure you, that won’t happen.”

With a gasp, you watched your boss turn around and face you. “Get your things, Y/N,” he said in the most relaxed voice possible, as though you weren’t just getting canned.

“Are you serious?” you cried.

“We don’t talk to our patrons this way,” he explained. “I won’t allow it. Now, put your apron away and clock out.”

Your jaw set, you tried your best not to cry. No, you wouldn’t allow yourself to. Not in front of him.

“Fine,” you said, untying your apron. You slapped it down hard on the bar, then turned for the back room, but not before noticing the sly, satisfied smirk on jerkhead’s face.

Only when you reached the back room did you let the tears fall. Cursing at yourself, at Harry, and your boss, and at the entire situation, you managed to grab your jacket and purse. You almost forgot to clock out, but you figured you might not get paid otherwise. Sitting on the dark green leather sofa, you waited until you thought Harry and his crew might be gone. Then wiping your eyes, you stood up, nearly bumping into John.

“Oh, Y/N, honey I’m so sorry!” he cried, wrapping you in a big hug.

“What the fuck, John? Why does he get to win?”

“I don’t know. The whole ‘the customer is always right’ thing, I guess.”

“That’s a load of bullshit,” you sobbed against his chest..

“Preaching to the choir, sister.”

“Is he gone yet?”

“Mr. Pretentious? Yeah, he left a few minutes ago. Want me to walk you out?”

With a nod, you let John walk you halfway through the lounge until you met up with your boss again who insisted he be the one to see you out. Just in case you were to cause a scene or some shit. As if you would. Not after that whole ordeal. You felt completely defeated…and deflated. You felt the eyes on you as you made it to the front door. Your boss held it open for you as you stepped into the balmy night air. With a sigh you walked to your car, turning once to give Zelda’s the middle finger.

Fuck that Harry guy. Fuck him to hell and back.

“Are you ready?” asked Shae.

With a sigh and a nod, you grabbed your keys. Last month you had promised your roommate that you’d go with her to get a tattoo. While you had been thrilled then about getting some new ink, after getting fired from Zelda’s, the excitement had worn off. In fact, you’d considered canceling all together, seeing as spending dough on a tat now seemed frivolous, and you could certainly use the money in case you couldn’t find another job soon. But in the end, you decided you owed yourself some kindness. And besides, Shae was chomping at the bit to get one, and she wouldn’t let you live until you went with her.

You drove to Fine Line Ink, just a few blocks from your apartment. You’d driven by it several times, but had never gone inside. Shae specifically requested this tattoo shop because apparently it was fairly well-known on social media. At least your roommate had done her research, even though she had no idea what tattoo she wanted to get.

“I’ll know it when I see it,” she’d insisted.

You heard 90s rock music playing when you opened the door, but saw no one standing near the counter, or even in the waiting area. The front room was dark, but with warm lighting, much like at Zelda’s. You could smell incense burning as you gazed around at the walls decorated in various designs. Wandering over to the glass counter, you inspected the display of body jewelry.

“Hi, how can I help you?” you heard a voice say.

Your body instantly felt cold as you stood up straight. You knew that voice. And it was one you’d hoped you would never have to hear again. Turning around, you caught a glimpse of his tall frame, his t-shirt stretched tight across his chest, his biceps peeking out from the sleeves.

Motherfucker.

“Hey,” beamed Shae. “We’re here to get tats.”

Shae gestured toward you, and your body went numb.

“Oh?” Harry raised a brow, then looked at you. The recognition and disdain both happened instantly. “Oh.”

Turning back to Shae, he asked, “Do you know what you want?”

“Not exactly,” she shrugged. “Nothing too big. But not too small either.”

Harry chuckled. “Alright. I have a book right here,” he pointed to one on the counter. “It’s got some ‘not too big, not too small’ ideas in there, if you wanna take a look.”

“Okay, thanks!”

“Take your time,” Harry grinned at her. “I’ll be back.”

He gave Shae a small wave, but you didn’t miss the way his expression changed when he glanced at you before he disappeared to the back.

“So what are you thinking of getting?” your friend asked as she perused the book. She stopped on a page of flowers, but scrunched up her nose. “Nah.”

“Um…let’s go somewhere else,” you told Shae, practically pulling her arm out of the socket.

“What? No! I wanna get a tattoo here!”

“Well, I don’t.”

“Why not? I heard this guy’s the best. Plus…he’s like hella hot!”

“No, he’s not,” you argued.

“Are you fucking blind?” scoffed Shae. Turning the page in the book, she stopped and pointed at a baby lion. “That’s it!”

“I just…” you stammered, “I just don’t think this is a good idea anymore. I changed my mind.”

“Did you find something you like?” Harry asked from the doorway.

“No-”

“Uh huh!” exclaimed Shae. “This baby lion is so cute. It’s so me. I want him right here on my hip.” She jutted out her hip, slapping her hand where she wanted the tattoo to go.

Harry chuckled again, making your insides churn. You wanted to vomit.

“Alright,” he said, handing her a clipboard. “If you’ll just fill this out for me, I’ll go prepare your stencil.”

You weren’t sure what to do. You’d already promised your friend, and she looked so excited. You knew there were dozens of other tattoo shops you could go to, but Shae had picked this one. Why did it have to be this guy’s shop? Of all the fucking…

Taking a deep breath, you lowered yourself slowly in a nearby chair as Shae filled out her paperwork. Signing her name, she turned to you with a smile.

“Isn’t it cute? I’m so excited!”

With a gulp, you were about to respond when Harry returned.

“Let’s go back here,” he gestured once he’d taken the clipboard from Shae.

“Wait, my friend’s getting one too,” she looked at you. “Aren’t you?”

“No.” Although the sound came from your mouth, you could have sworn Harry’s lips moved too.

“Um…” you cleared your throat. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Shae asked, confused.

Although you didn’t want to, you gazed at Harry. His frown was so apparent, it almost looked like his eyebrows were sewn together. Finally, he relaxed his expression, pretending for Shae’s benefit.

“Don’t reckon I have enough time, love. It’s only me here tonight.”

You had to hand it to him. That was a good answer.

“Oh,” Shae pouted. “But I wanted to get tats together.”

“It’s alright,” you assured her. “I need to save my money. And I doubt there’s anything here I’d want anyway.”

You had to hand it to yourself. That was a nice dig.

It wasn’t lost on Harry, either. He scowled at you before turning for the tattoo chair, Shae following behind.

“This your first tattoo?” you heard Harry ask as you remained in the doorway.

“Yes. So please be gentle,” your friend replied, obviously flirting.

You rolled your eyes as Harry chuckled. In any other situation, with any other man, not only would you have encouraged the flirting, you might have even joined in. Both John and Shae were right in saying he was good looking…or hella hot as it were. Even you had to admit that. But you hated to. And you also hated how his laugh rang through the shop, like an invisible tattoo of its own, lacing with the sound of the Foo Fighters song that played.

Crossing your arms, you leaned against the door frame, trying to think of a way to get out of the situation. You thought of faking an illness. You did feel like throwing up. But Shae wasn’t having it.

“Come sit over here, Y/N!”

“I’m fine here.”

“Noooo. Come over here in case I need to hold your hand. What if I pass out or something?”

“Do you pass out easily?” Harry asked as he pulled on his gloves.

“No,” Shae replied. “I’m actually not scared of needles. But you never know.”

You caught the grin on Harry’s face as he turned in his chair. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“Y/N!” Shae whined. “Please!”

Rolling your eyes, you surrendered, walking slowly toward Harry’s tattoo station. You noted everything he had set out on the tray beside him. At least he seemed to know what he was doing. But you weren’t about to admit that. Grabbing a nearby chair, you took a seat on Shae’s other side, opposite from Harry.

“So, you want it on your left hip?” Harry confirmed.

“Yep.”

“Alright. So I’m gonna need you to pull down your pants just a bit, past your hip, and turn on your right side facing…um…your friend.”

“Yes, sir,” Shae smiled, happily willing to oblige.

You watched as she unbuttoned her jeans, sliding them down as sensually as she could on the leather chair. You caught a glimmer in Harry’s eyes when he noticed she was wearing a thong.

“Seriously?” you scoffed.

“What?” he frowned, looking up at you.

“Do you have to ogle at her for fuck’s sake? She’s getting a tattoo, not stripping for you.”

“You’ve got to be joking.”

“Believe me, joking is the last thing I’d be doing with you.”

Shae stared at you as she laid on her side. “Y/N, it’s okay! He can ogle at me all he wants!”

“Shae,” you narrowed your eyes.

“I think your friend can speak for herself,” remarked Harry.

Making a face, you sat back, crossing your arms and legs. His expression stoic, Harry pushed his chair closer to Shae, lightly swiping her skin with rubbing alcohol. Then he took a disposable razor to gently shave her hip.

“I promise I just shaved this morning,” giggled Shae.

“I’m sure you did,” Harry smirked. “It’s just procedure. We have to thoroughly prep the area before adding ink.”

Taking the stencil, he placed it on Shae’s hip, directly under her panty line.

“Is this where you want it?”

“Yes, that’s perfect.”

“Good.” Harry ran his fingers slowly and smoothly across the thermal paper, and you just had to say something.

“You’re enjoying this way too much.”

Blowing air between his lips, Harry glared up at you.

“Would you stop? I’m just doing my job.”

“Oh, really? Could have fooled me. Looks like you’re trying to feel her up.”

“Y/N, what the fuck?” cried Shae. “Do you have a problem with this guy?”

“Oh, you noticed?”

Shae sat up, looking at you quizzically. “Do you know him?” Then lowering her voice, she whispered, “Did y’all fuck?”

Hearing the question, Harry snorted.

“Yeah, you wish,” you scoffed, giving him the evil eye.

“In your dreams, babe.”

“That’s it, I’m outta here,” you sprinted out of your chair, heading for the door.

“Y/N!” Shae shouted. “What is going on?”

“I’m sorry, Shae, I tried to keep my cool. But I can’t even stand to be in the same room as him.”

“Feeling’s mutual,” muttered Harry.

“Ugh!” you cringed. “C’mon, Shae, pull your pants up. We’ll find someone more competent to do your tattoo.”

“I believe I’m more than competent,” Harry rolled his eyes.

“I’m so lost here,” Shae whimpered, still in her chair. “How do you know each other?”

When you reached the doorway, you turned to face her, your arms still crossed.

“He’s the asshole who got me fired.”

“What?! Are you serious?!”

Adjusting herself in her chair, she faced Harry, waiting for him to retort. But he remained expressionless, his mouth in a straight line. Giving up on getting any response from him, you sighed and gestured for Shae again. When she slid off the chair, buttoning her pants, Harry finally spoke.

“I didn’t mean to.”

“What?” you glared at him.

“I…I didn’t mean to get you fired.”

“Sure you didn’t.”

“I mean it. I was…a complete prick to you…just like you said. And I’m sorry.”

“Pffftt,” you sounded. “It's a little late for that. I lost my job because of you!”

“I know, and I felt bad about it.”

“No, you didn’t!” you spat. “You were ecstatic that you’d gotten your way! You’re an asshole!”

“You’re right,” Harry nodded. “I deserve that. But I hope you know that wasn’t me.”

“Do you have an evil twin?”

“No. I was trying to impress my friends.”

“By being a jerk?” piped Shae.

“Yeah. I know it’s not a good look,” Harry shook his head. He rose from his chair, stepping closer to you. “I was seeing this chick, Nicolette…and she was…used to a certain lifestyle. It felt good to be part of her world for a while.”

“Doesn’t sound like friends to me,” you remarked.

“No. They just wanted to go to Zelda’s and get drunk. I swear, it’s not my scene.”

“You don’t say.”

“Look…” Harry sighed. “I’m not asking for forgiveness because I know you won’t give it to me. I have no real justification for the way I acted. I truly was a prick that night. But I regretted it later. I knew it was wrong of me, and I wanted to apologize but I didn’t even know your name, let alone where to find you. I broke it off with Nicolette, too.”

“Oh, jeez, that makes me feel soooo much better,” you said sarcastically.

Throwing his hands up, Harry turned around and began to gather things from the tray.

“You really have some nerve, you know that?” you added.

Harry spun around, “For what? For apologizing?”

“For everything! For acting like a big shot, especially when you obviously didn’t belong there. For yelling at me in front of the entire bar, including my boss, and for getting me fired. And for being rude to me as soon as I walked in here.”

“Hey, you were rude to me first!”

“I was not!”

“Hey, guys?” Shae interjected. “Maybe we should just drop it. You were right, Y/N. We shouldn’t have come here.”

“I swear, Shae, if I had known he worked here, we wouldn’t have. Let’s go.”

As soon as you pushed the door open, you heard Harry huffing. “Your loss, not mine.”

“Fuck you, dude!” you exclaimed. “And get a life. A real one, not someone else’s.”

FEEDBACK IS LOVE

[yuna542]

[4.]

~Dynamite~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Swearing, Bruises

Taglist: Open

Word count: 3k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: I Ran (So far away) by A Flock Of Seagulls

“I never thought I'd meet a girl like you

With auburn hair and tawny eyes

The kind of eyes that hypnotize me through

... And I ran, I ran so far away

I just ran, I ran all night and day”

"Does it always have to be like this?" sighed Sarah, clearly annoyed, as the bubbling sounded from the bong whenever Rafe took a deep hit.

"Why don't you relax!" he shot back immediately, passing the bong to Topper, who was sitting next to him on the bench.

Sarah had taken a seat in the chair in front of me and gave her boyfriend a warning look. He actually seemed to consider for a millisecond, but then realized it wasn't worth the stress.

He passed the bong to me, but I shook my head in amusement.

Rafe looked at me in amazement.

"What, since when did we become so well-behaved?"

I straightened up a bit in the hammock hanging on the Camerons' large patio and gave Rafe the middle finger.

"I don't consume anything except alcohol," I asserted sanctimoniously, placing a hand over my heart, to which Sarah only snorted.

"You better believe it, cause no one else will," she muttered. So I nudged her shoulder with my foot and said:

"Hey. Don't say that! If Rick gets hears anything like that, he'll disinherit me.... Or worse."

Rafe laughed softly as he took the bong back.

"What else? Will he take your cell phone away for a few days then?" speculated Topper amusedly, stroking Sarah's legs as they lay across his lap.

I laughed, trying to hide the bitterness behind it. Of course, the three of them had no idea of the extent of the tantrums Rick had from time to time.

In the last year, I became painfully aware of how far he was willing to go.

I wanted them to continue to think that I was treated like a princess. The reputation of the rich spoiled girl appealed to me and brought with it many advantages.

Rafe looked at me calmly, which gave me goose bumps. He had this strange look on his face for days now. As if he wanted to read my mind and get inside my head.

Unconsciously, I pulled my skirt into place and tugged at the hem of my blue top.

Suddenly, we heard a car pull up in front of the driveway. Panicked, Rafe jerked his eyes open and tried to hide the bong under a pillow while Topper awkwardly grabbed the empty beer bottles so they clinked loudly.

"Shit, I thought Ward and Rose weren't coming back until tonight," he snapped as he jumped to his feet to catch a glimpse over the hedge.

"Yeah, that's what they told me," Sarah hissed, picking up a couple of the beer bottles as well.

I watched the commotion with amusement and stretched out in the hammock.

Let them deal with it. They were their parents, after all. That's when Rafe paused in his movement and listened to the sound of the engine.

"Wait a minute...", Topper now also mumbled and put the bottles back down.

Sarah was still hugging the empty bottles, pressing them to her chest and looked back and forth between Topper and Rafe, questioning.

Slowly I straightened up in the hammock and put my feet on the floor. That's when I realized it too.

"What's up? Why are we stopping?" asked Sarah frantically.

The engine was still running and that's when I heard the sound that confirmed my suspicions. The loud roar, followed by a bang.

The sliding door of a VW bus. A very specific VW bus.

Rafe started to walk off. He was already grinding his teeth furiously. Topper followed him and I also ran curiously behind.

Sarah followed only after a few seconds.

We crossed the garden and the sound of the engine became louder and louder.

"That's not... They're better not be serious," growled Rafe, who had already reached the big iron gate which separated the garden and the small path which led from the mansion to the street.

Behind it was a small courtyard of the estate, where there were only flower pots, an old garage and the big garbage cans.

Loudly squealing, it opened and we slipped through one by one.

That's when we finally discovered those responsible for the noise. The Pogues' shabby bus was still parked at the front of the street. John B was at the steering wheel while Pope sat in the back holding the sliding door open.

There were two missing. Rafe seemed to notice it, too, as he scanned the yard. He spotted the others, even before I did.

"Ey!" he suddenly yelled in the direction of the garbage cans.

Sure enough, there they were. JJ in a gray tank top that had probably once been white and with his hair sticking out under a bandana, shining in the sun, and next to him Kiara, who had her back to us.

"What are they doing?" came from Topper, but Rafe was already racing off, blind with rage.

"Guys, the Kooks!" shouted Pope loudly across the yard, causing the two to immediately look up and hurry off with whatever they were doing.

They were hunched over the big blue trash can that was right next to the yellow one. Slowly we followed Rafe across the cobblestones and as we got closer, I noticed that they must have broken open the trash can.

The lock was on the ground and next to it was a structure that looked suspiciously like marble. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was one of the statues of Rose's garden.

A disgustingly ugly angel that was now missing its head and one arm.

It really wasn't a pity about that. Still we didn't understand what the Pogues were doing and why they even dared to go to Figure Eigth.

Kiara had pried open the lid of the barrel with both hands and was holding it open while JJ was handling something.

Rafe had already passed halfway across the yard when he threw several things into the garbage can.

"Faster!", I heard Kiara shout, to which JJ looked to Rafe. In his face you could still see the traces of the fight with him, yet not even a spark of fear shone in it, as Rafe now rushed towards him like a bulldozer.

Quite the opposite. I watched in amazement as he grinned broadly, as if he had only been waiting for Rafe.

Then another click and JJ tossed the last oblong piece into the garbage can.

"Go, go, go!", he screamed.

Kiara let go of the lid, which slammed loudly shut. Sarah was close behind as Topper passed me.

"This is just for you, you spoiled assholes! A little revenge!" shouted JJ, towards Rafe who was now speeding up.

Kiara passed JJ and ran to the bus, where Pope and John B were loudly calling out to them and cheering them on to run faster.

While Rafe and Topper chased the Pogues, I wondered what this was all about.

The Pogues sprinted for the bus and Topper took up the chase. He actually managed to catch up and grab JJ by the wrist halfway. He pulled him back, but before the Pogue could even react, Kiara had lunged and kicked his arm with all her might while sprinting.

Immediately he let go and his arm was yanked back. His entire body followed, he lost his balance and went down. Like a tire thrown out the window at full speed on the highway, he rolled over and landed on his back.

Sarah cried out and ran to him. Immediately, a loud groan rang out.

If he was lucky, he hadn't broken anything. However, my attention was now back on Rafe, who realized that he would not catch the bus in time.

So he turned around and ran back to the garbage can.

Subconsciously, I moved toward it as well. What had the Pogues planned? Breaking open the garbage can was not very evil and certainly not a revenge I would have expected from JJ.

I tried to remember what they had thrown in there. That specific clicking had sounded so familiar.

Rafe had almost reached the barrel.

The things had been oblong and reddish. The click resembled something that had burned itself into my subconscious.

It was on the tip of my tongue and the dark foreboding was already making its way through my swirling thoughts, but I couldn't grasp it.

Then Rafe lifted the lid and looked inside the barrel.

All at once the penny dropped and I stared at the Pogues.

JJ's eyes and mine crossed. They were back on the bus by now and seemed to be waiting for just one thing.

He raised his eyebrows meaningfully as our gazes wedged, and the sudden realization on my face seemed to catch his eye.

In confirmation, he tilted his head in anticipation and winked at me.

Snapped out of my stupor, I turned to Rafe and yelled:

"Get away from that barrel!"

But it was too late and Rafe, too, now seemed to finally see what was in the barrel.

The clicking in my head complemented the image of a lighter lighting a fuse.

The dynamite in the barrel exploded and the sudden detonation threw Rafe backwards. His surprised scream was only echoed by Sarah's. Half of the barrel shattered and to make matters worse, it was the paper barrel. Immediately, the entire contents began to burn and the flames blazed higher and higher. Burning scraps flew through the air like pigeons whose feathers had caught fire.

Panicked, Sarah stared at the burning barrel while Topper sat up on the ground, eyes wide.

That's when Rafe jumped up and I realized what had him so upset.

The sleeve of his college jacket had caught fire.

The red flames hungry reached for the fabric and nearly engulfed his entire arm.

Panicked, he shook the jacket off and threw it on the floor. Then he kicked it off. Shock was written all over his face and he seemed to be in pain. After all, the dynamite had exploded right in his face.

When I could finally move again, I ran to him and immediately stopped as the heat of the flames hit me.

The fire was spreading more and more in the barrel and if we waited just a few more seconds, it would spread to the hedge.

"Sarah! Fire extinguisher, now!", I shouted, wondering at my cool head.

Instead of panic and anger, I felt nothing. The scene seemed like it was miles away and yet I was in the middle of it.

Sarah reacted immediately and jumped up. Topper gasped in pain, and I saw that his right arm was scraped up from the elbow to the wrist.

Rafe was still stomping on the jacket to smother the flames.

Sarah was quick and back only a few seconds later. Immediately, she put out the fire.

In that time, Rafe picked up his jacket, which was now completely ruined.

We looked over at the Pogues. The corners of John's mouth slowly lifted, Pope looked startled but quite amused, and Kiara put her hand over her mouth in shock.

But JJ didn't even bother to hide his gloating. He snorted loudly and looked more than proud.

That gave Rafe the rest.

"That was a $700 jacket, assholes!"

He launched the next attempt to grab the Pogues, but he had no chance.

Before he could reach the car, they drove off bawling and yelping loudly.

He shouted all the insults and curses after them, while in the background only the fire extinguisher could be heard.

The fire had been smothered by now, but Sarah was still holding onto it.

It stank beastly of burnt paper and melted plastic. The barrel was now only half as big and also no longer blue, but black.

I held the back of my hand in front of my nose as the smoke bit into my lungs. It had been clear to me that the Pogues would take revenge, but not in such an exaggerated way.

The war between the Pogues and the Kooks was probably more violent and emotional than I had thought.

When I thought of the pure rage in Rafe's eyes and the gloating in JJ's, it made me feel nervous.

Immediately, I wondered how far this war would go, if they were not going to stop at violence, arson, and damage to property.

Rafe was beside himself and kicked the trash can violently.

"Shit damn it! How are we going to explain this to Dad?"

Sarah set the extinguisher down, exhausted, and wiped her hands on her shorts.

"We'll figure something out."

"Just report the bastards," Topper gasped now.

He had picked himself up and dragged himself over to us. His arm really didn't look good and there were even pebbles stuck in the bloody bruise.

"Topper, you should take this to the doctor," I remarked. Sarah agreed with me.

He resisted at first, but then gave in.

Sarah and he went into the house and then made their way to the doctor.

In the meantime, I helped Rafe close the barrel again and roll it out to the street, as it really stank disgustingly.

"That was a close call," I muttered as we silently eyed the disaster.

For the first time I really looked at Rafe, as he had been so quiet all along.

His gaze was blank and expressionless.

I only now noticed the redness on his cheek.

"Rafe, you're hurt."

Carefully, I tried to touch his cheek, but he flinched violently. He looked at me icily and the sudden anger made me falter.

Something about his manner was not right. It was as if a volcano lay dormant beneath the surface of the water, ready to erupt at any moment and do immense damage.

"Sky, I'll handle this.... You can go."

His words were as blunt as his expression.

"I can help. You don't have to do this alone. Ward will surely understand, after all..."

"Just get finally out of here, Sky!" he interrupted me harshly, and for a moment he regretted his outburst.

However, his face immediately resumed that cool expression that scared the hell out of me.

I didn't know him like that. He had never spoken to me like that.

Just as he had never lashed out at anyone and punched them until they spat blood, but times changed and so did people.

I wanted to say something, but then decided against it and closed my mouth again. Then I nodded silently and turned around without another word.

My bicycle was still leaning against the fence.

I swung on it and rode past Rafe.

The sun danced its light seductively across the street and the cool sea breeze ran through my curls.

I pedaled harder, trying to shake off the chaos in my head.

Rafe was so different. That hatred in his eyes was something I had never seen in him before.

Upset, I pulled into our driveway and thought about what I should do now.

Automatically, my hand went to the pendant that was around my neck. The cool silver was soothing against my skin and whenever I touched it, I felt a hint of the security my mother had always given me.

But it was just an echo so far back that it hurt immediately.

I got off my bike and leaned it carelessly against the railing of ornate white stone that led up to our front door.

Rick hated it when I parked my bike here. Anything that detracted from the image of a perfectly manicured property, he hated.

But I didn't care at the moment. Let him yell at me again.

That's what everyone was doing at the moment anyway.

The pain in my chest only got worse with the familiar sea breeze. Everything on this damn island reminded me of Mom, and although I had successfully repressed thoughts of her for a year, I was now finding it harder and harder not to think of her in Kildare.

My fingers were still wrapped around the pendant. I ran over the small waves, lost in thought, imagining her smiling at me.

The mansion loomed over me, like a menacing turn, and it was foreign to me at the moment.

I had nothing left of her except that necklace.

Rick had banished anything that might remind him of her. He'd had the walls in the living room and bathrooms repainted, since lilac had been her favorite color.

Then he had given away the pretty white cabinets I had bought with her at a garage sale.

I thought it was awful at the flea market, among all the people from the Cut, and I had prayed that no one would see me there. Those cabinets were gray and worn, but Mom still wanted to take them home.

She had made me paint the cabinets with her and I finally had to admit that I really liked them.

Everything else she had even touched, he had gotten rid of thoroughly, almost pedantically.

Except me, although he probably would have liked to.

I paused for a moment as something occurred to me. The ripples on the trailer stirred a memory that was deeply rooted in my heart.

He hadn't made all of her disappear.

Excited, I jumped off and hurried over through the garage, through the big backyard and past the pool.

⬇️

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[writingpei]

wicked games (l.m.) - chapter thirteen

previous chapter series masterlist next chapter

pairing: lee minho x reader genre: academic rivals to lovers wc: 3.5k words

feels like we only go backwards

“can i have one more americano?”

"no"

“pleaaase” he sulks in his seat.

“only when you do number 7”

the tutoring sessions took place in the cafe, where hyunjin lazily hunched over the counter in the less busy hours of the establishment, and she gave lessons and tips in a light whisper while heating the milk for the cappuccinos. he didn't mind the shift from the library to the cafe, from the silence to the rumble and cutlery clattering on plates, from the smell of old books to the smell of muffins and coffee that hung in the air. hyunjin also liked to get a discount on his drinks and watch her work, the dynamicity of her movements that contrasted violently with the static and empty view of her across the table where they always sat in the library

the physics test is approaching and a rumble forms in y/n's stomach. with work every day after school, your time to study has been reduced considerably. even if he helped hyunjin study, it was never as effective as her hours locked in her room doing exercises until her hand hurt. she believed in her capabilities, however, and the threat of minho overtaking her, feared as it was, still wasn't exactly expected to happen.

"girl?" even so, nothing could stop her mind from traveling unprecedentedly so you can imagine the idiotic smile that would form on his expression if he won, and the fluttering in her heart fueled by the urge to slap it out of his face. "did you listen to me?"

the lady with her hair tied perfectly with the designer bag falling off her shoulders was looking at her with an apparent frown, and the hostility in the air around her made y/n wake up from the trance she was shamefully in.

“yes, i heard” she flashed a painfully forced smile and showed the notepad with the macchiato order smeared on the blank page. “a macchiato with cinnamon”

the woman crosses her arms and looks her up and down, as if she couldn't catch her redhanded.

“make it lactose intolerant free” is all she says before heading to the waiting area, and it's only when she takes her eyes off her figure that y/n realizes how dull her hard, snobbish look was.

instinctively, her eyes searched for hyunjin who was already looking at her from the corner of his eye.

“rich middle aged women” is all he says to her as she walks over to get the oat milk.

“do your exercises, you get too distracted” sometimes she considers demanding a hyunjin raise for not only being his tutor but also his babysitter. the time she started to spend with the boy was much longer than she originally expected and the banality of his presence in her everyday life scared her.

“oh my god, y/n! i'm taking a break, okay? can i have that americano now?”

“you've been taking a break for the past 30 minutes and, once again, no” she rolls her eyes already feeling her patience being cut short as she added the cinnamon to the order of the woman who tapped her foot on the floor as if she wasn't waiting for just 3 minutes.

“it wasn't 30 minutes, you are so dramati-” he fell silent as he took his cell phone out of his backpack to check the time and his eyes widened. "need to go! my training starts soon”

he starts to gather his things as she just rolls her eyes one more time and hands the coffee cup to the frowning woman, who finally walks away.

“you know” she starts saying as soon as she goes back to where he was sitting. “the weight of always being right is starting to make my back hurt” she says just to annoy the boy, which she's been doing a lot lately, as she's been avoiding her old punching bag like he had the plague.

“what the fuck is wrong with you this past week?” he asked visibly offended, looking uncannily like the woman who'd answered.

“pent up frustration and lots of entitlement” she shrugs in his direction and proceeds to wipe down the counter.

“i know something you can do to apologize to me!” he exclaims out of nowhere, as if he just remembered something.

“i don't remember the part where i apologized to you in the first place” a frown appears on the girl's face.

“do you want to come to my next game this saturday?” the smile is soon back on his face as if it never left in the first place, and she almost takes a step back from his overwhelming animation. when hyunjin starts talking about basketball, he never stops talking. she found this out the hard way.

“um…” she starts to think about how to refuse, but he got her the job. and pays her every week for classes where she doesn't have to do much. and a friendship, strange and unwanted, but a friendship. "i will see what i can do. i'm going to have to start attending student council meetings so i don't know if i'll have a lot of time in the week yet, but i'll try to make it”

an even bigger smile spread across his face and a wave of relief traveled through her body.

“with minho?” she is instantly alerted by the name rolling of hyunjin’s tongue so easily, reminding her of the boy she has been trying so hard to sink into the depths of her brain. “the meetings, i mean” he clarifies.

“uhmm, yeah, with him” she grimaces as she mentions something about him, even though she has purposely avoided saying his name aloud as if he is impure.

“try not to kill each other then. want to see you in the audience, huh” he bends down to pick up his sports bag from the floor and slings it over his shoulder. “and for the love of god, take some time to lighten up your mood because you're a mess”

“oh, now i really feel like going to the game” she never misses the chance to stike back sarcastically, but he's already walking away.

she starts to get nervous thinking about being alone in a room with minho since the last time this happened. things have been strange lately, mainly because of their meeting in the library.

she'd rather die than admit that minho's actions had any effect on her mood, but if she said otherwise, she'd know she was lying to herself and that was even worse. so a limbo of thoughts dominated her mind as she ran to the bathroom after he'd left her alone in the library and vigorously rubbed the place where he'd touched her wrist with soap and water to make sure he didn't stay in her skin. she could only be dirty, it didn't make sense for the spot to be marked on her senses like that or her heart was about to come out of her mouth.

when she realized that nothing she did could lessen the feeling, she just floated to her plan b and started avoiding him. she came to that conclusion because the unfamiliar tickling feeling in her stomach blossomed once more when she saw him the day after the incident, and she felt on the verge of a meltdown.

was she becoming the kind of person she herself despised most of all? she couldn't say, mostly because even she couldn't explain what she was feeling and why she felt like she was losing touch with herself, being so disturbed just by the ghost of his fingers on her skin.

she couldn't even allow herself to think about how delicate they felt, the exact opposite of what she expected from someone as ungracious and crude as the boy.

which is why she's been avoiding him these past few days, however much she can't get away from the burning memory of his insolent face in her head.

and now he was in front of her.

his perfect hair and white sleeved blouse that reached his elbows made her face feel hot. hot with rage. the reality of having to work with him until the end of the year dawned on her shoulders. she just resorts to sitting opposite him in the great room, crossing her arms and refusing to look his way. confusion over feelings she couldn't understand was quickly turning to anger.

he, on the other hand, could only look at her. minho didn't feel shy at all, and he definitely wasn't shy about facing her even from afar.

the time she avoided him, he did the exact opposite, or at least, he wanted to. he knew that something had changed since that moment when they were alone in the library, and he spent every silent day wishing that she would appear in front of him and treat him as if nothing had happened in the first place, as if it had just been all in his head, some perverse wish that had become confused with reality inside his mind.

but minho wasn't one to chicken out and reality was, quite literally, in front of him. she had her face on and it was that attitude of hers that was never fun.

“so” sooyoung, the high school secretary says as she enters the room which was covered in an air of silence. “i see you two are already interacting…” she says with a tone of humor but neither of them reacts, her eyes on the floor and his eyes on her like a hawk, silently hoping she will look up at him, even if he know that she wouldn't. “ok… the first task they want you to work on is organizing study groups before exams. the school wants to promote an environment of companionship”

she waits for one of the two to speak up, but once again only silence answers her. she takes a deep breath and sits down on a chair in the middle of the room, between the two of them.

“listen, you guys need to help each other. you are in a very important position in the structure of the college that demands efficiency, and you will not succeed if you refuse to acknowledge each other's existence” but not even those words managed to elicit any kind of response. sooyoung takes another deep breath and stands up, clutching the files she needed to hand them against her chest. “come with me, both of you”

the sound of her heels hitting the ground dominated the room and y/n was the first to get up and follow her, tossing her hair to the side and not bothering to give minho any kind of glance. once she starts walking he wastes no time walking after her, frustration building in his chest with the inexplicable desperation of the desire to make her look at him.

sooyoung opens a door in the middle of the hallway revealing a small room with shelves filled with documents and school files.

“i want you to go in there and find something for me,” she says simply, holding the door open.

y/n looks at her for a few seconds with narrowed eyes before taking the first step into the room, and minho trusts her judgment blindly and follows in her footsteps.

“what do you need us to find-” she starts to say as soon as she turns to face sooyoung in the door, but it is quickly closed and the sound of a key being turned in the doorknob is almost like a symphony of death.

y/n felt her heart drop out of her chest and she runs to the door and tries to open it vigorously, but it doesn't budge. of course, it is obvious that it does not open. she leans her forehead against the door and closes her eyes tightly, hoping that this isn't happening.

with the door closing, the light has gone too, and they are consumed by a spreading darkness. she can't feel minho at her back, can't hear him. would he touch her one more time? the thought made her skin crawl and heat rise to her cheeks. lightly, the sound of his breathing comes in her ear with a strange gentleness coming from him, and a wave of light spreads out.

“i found the light” he says softly, right behind her.

she turns and leans her back against the door, putting her hands over her eyes and taking a deep breath. "this isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't-"

“it's happening” minho interrupts her abruptly, choosing to lean back against one of the shelves. “what a shame…” he crosses his arms and looks up.

“you don't seem all that affected by it” is the first time she's spoken to him, and it seems that venom escapes along with her words.

“it's because i'm not” he gives her a matter-of-factly look.

“oh, shut your mouth, minho” she rolls her eyes and walks out of his field of vision. as small as the room was, the shelves separated it considerably, and she walks to the last one.

"actually, i won't" he replies, feeling the nerves getting to his skin too. her steps are light even where she is. “how were your last few days, huh?”

a frown appears on her face, as much from his having followed her as from the confusion of the question.

“what the hell do you even mean, minho?” she crosses her arms and looks at him with a judgmental look hoping he would stop approaching, but he wouldn't and wouldn't and wouldn't until he was close, close enough for her to notice the undone button on his white shirt that it's not supposed to be giving a more extensive view of his skin down to his neck, but her gaze quickly rises to his face with a bit of reluctance, afraid she's been caught in a forbidden act.

“these past days you've been avoiding me” he clarifies, running a hand through his hair and leaning over the shelf next to her so she can't get out of there. “you think i don’t know when you avoid me?”

“do you pay that much attention to me like that, minho? how pathetic. i doubt you don't have anything better to worry about than just being obsessed.” her arms drop from their crossed position and she turns to face him. she wouldn't run away, least of all from lee minho.

minho needs a few seconds to detach himself from the trance of looking into her eyes that seemed to be on fire, a hatred so pure that it made his heart hammer against his chest.

“how about you?” he responds like a spoiled child. “i can only imagine you running through the halls for days out of fear of seeing me. don't you think that's pathetic enough?"

her face heats up and her hands curl into fists, shame rising inside her chest because he was right. if she didn't care about him as she so wants to believe, she would have no reason to try to slip through his fingers, quite literally. or was it because…

“i did it because you are a lunatic!” she exclaims in an attempt to defend herself. “because i knew that if you saw me you… you…”

"me what?" he asks, exasperated. an inexplicable heat took over his body like an unknown disease. the sick search for some answer from her was almost as if whatever she said was going to answer something about himself.

“you were going to touch me again like you did in the library! you would get really close to me and say strange things! you should go to therapy urgently, minho, this is not normal behavior to have with a person you hate! with anyone even!” at some point in her speech, the passion and frustration rising in her head made her unconsciously move closer to him as if her words would get into his hollow head more easily, but when she came to herself their faces were just a few feet apart. inches away.

minho's breathing was now faster and he swallowed hard as his eyes reached her lips that were very close, too close. suddenly the uniform shirt was uncomfortable and was heating him up too much.

his breath is subtly shaky as he whispers to her “i don't hate you”.

she backs away, taking small steps until her back is against the wall creating distance between the two. the dim light from the single light bulb in the center of the room flickers slightly but then returns to normal, illuminating minho with a honey-yellow hue that makes his brown hair shine.

“how can this be, minho?” she whispers back in an exhausted tone. “so why have we been doing this for so long?”

he takes a deep breath, leaning his back against the shelf full of file boxes and runs his hand through his hair once more.

“don’t get me wrong” he starts after a long pause as if trying to get his thoughts together. “there are a lot of things about you that i don't like. your stubbornness, your inability to see beyond your own perspective, how you're so quick to judge and dismiss things without even trying to understand. and you are so mean as well-”

“do you want to make a list and give it to me or what, minho?” she explodes once more at him.

“your temperament too…” he sighs and stares at her deeply, making her become strangely self conscious as if she's being dissected by his eyes. “but i don't hate you, i just think you're easy to tease, and turns out i really like receiving reactions from people, it's not my fault you are so reactive”

“minho, you are pissing me off, shut up” she takes a deep breath and lets it out, but he doesn't back down.

“so why do you hate me?” he asks, ungluing himself from the shelf and stopping in front of it with a puzzled look.

“where do i start?” she says sarcastically but just looks up hoping that time is flying by and that soon sooyoung will come and get her out of that hell.

“i’m waiting” he says but she just rolls her eyes.

“because i hate you, minho. because i can't stand you, that's why” she replies exasperated.

“you hate me just for hating me? you're smart, y/n, i thought you could lie better than that,” he says, stepping closer little by little.

“why don’t you go fuck yourself, minho? you are so annoying, i can't stand to be around you!” when she exclaims the dim light takes hold completely and the dark consumes the room once more. she jumps slightly in fright at the sudden darkness, but soon remembers that lee minho is with her, and very close by the way. “if you come any closer you die, minho, i am not kidding”

she says that but she feels a warmth approach her face lightly, delicately, and when she hears him whisper a soft “boo” in her ear she takes a real fright and sinks even further against the wall she leans against until she feels him moving away once again.

the sound of the door opening startle her despite the light coming in is a relief.

“you were there for 20 minutes. already hate each other a little less?” sooyoung asks from the entrance and y/n wastes no time in pushing him out of the way with his shoulder in order to get out of that place as quickly as possible, but her arm is held and she is pulled in the opposite direction, facing him once again.

“what the hell do-” she starts to say but he cuts her off.

“give me your number” he says simply.

“what?” is all she can answer, but he is already taking a pen from his pants pocket and extending his forearm that is visible due to the sleeves.

“for us to organize things about the student council” he hands her the pen, but she makes no move to take it. “come on, take it here. what are you afraid of?”

the mocking smirk that appears on his face puts her nerves on edge again and she picks up her pen and wastes no time writing her number quickly on his skin, trying to ignore the fact that it's the only surface he had for her to write.

“do not bother me. ever.” is all she says before storming out of the small room like an escaped prisoner. she takes her cellphone out of her blazer pocket and quickly types to the only contact she usually texts.

y/n:

i'm going to your game, can you save me a spot in the stands?

any chance of being away from lee minho is a win for park y/n.

stay tuned for chapter 14! new chapters (almost) every sunday ☆

taglist: @liphglos@kiyoomimybeloved@lilactangerine @swiftlydirectioning @lethallyprotected @yhawnnzz @whatthefsposts@sleepyleeji @ddazed-lhs @thatoneperson1911 (if you want to be a part of the taglist, send me an ask, comment or message <3)

[thecandywrites]

Monster March 2023 Day 9- Centuar

If The Shoe Fits- Part 2

Lets get complicated.

Thanks to @borealwrites for their Monster March 2023 promptlist.

Part 2

Friendly Neighbors. 

The next day, Lucas could hear his boys coming down the road and only laugh as he could guess what they were about to announce. 

“Dad!” Both boys said when they burst into the house. 

“Yeah?” He asked. 

“The girls were in school!” They both said. 

“And their brother?” Lucas laughed. 

“Oh, yeah, he was there too.” Nick waived off dismissively because just about every girl in their class and their grade had a crush on Avery. 

“And?” Lucas asked. 

“And we were invited to their house to play and like, every guy tried to date them but they refused all the offers as they simply wanted to settle into their new house. And guess what house they have? The big one! The mansion! They must be super rich to afford to build it.” Nick announced. 

“Well first off, any money that they do or don’t have is none of our business. Second off. Good for them to have enough of it to build the house to begin with. Third off, if you’re really interested in them, don’t be among those who flood those girls with romantic interest. If anything, just try to be just friendly. You’ll get a lot farther with just being those girls’ friends.” Lucas encouraged. 

“But I want Adelide to be my girlfriend!” Aiden whined. 

“Try being her friend first. Ok?” Lucas urged them before his cell phone chimed. 

‘Hi Lucas, this is Maddison Allbright, I invited your boys over to play on the playground equipment. They’re more than welcome to come anytime- as long as you’re ok with them coming over too. And when you would have a free night, I would love to have your family over for dinner or something.’ Maddison texted as Lucas smiled giddily as he stirred dinner on the stove. 

‘They just told me about the invitation. That sounds great, just say when and where and we’ll be there Addie.’ Lucas texted back. 

‘How about this Sunday night? At 6. I think you know the address.’ She texted. 

‘I do. We’ll be there. Can’t wait.’ Lucas smiled excitedly as his tail whooshed behind him happily. 

‘Us either, do you have any dietary restrictions?’ Maddison texted thoughtfully. 

‘Nope, we’ll eat just about anything. Is there anything you can bring?’ He asked. 

‘How about dessert? We don’t have any dietary restrictions either so whatever you’d like.’ Maddison offered. 

‘Apple pie it is.’ Lucas offered. 

‘Perfect.’ Maddison responded. 

Everyday after that though, his boys seemed to come home with new “news” about Maddison’s kids. How all of them were in gymnastics and martial arts. How their dad died right as the house was getting demolished. But they decided to rebuild the house anyway. And how all of their friends and family came together to help, especially with Maddison learning she was pregnant at about the same time. And how she nearly lost the baby to grief, but she, by a miracle, managed to keep it, since it was another baby boy. Who Maddison was going to name after their late father- Adrian. And how she was only 4 months away from delivering him. But that it was their father’s life insurance policy that helped build such a big and nice house in the first place and that they would own it outright. Maddison’s parents were moving into one of the other nearby houses that was also getting fixed up. But that they actually didn’t “come from money”. Which Lucas could have told them that. He recalled Maddison’s father being in construction. But he wondered if perhaps Maddison married into a little bit of it anyway. But otherwise, they were middle class just like everyone else. Which made the boys and Lucas feel less intimidated by the place and that it had a gate and a fence to keep their many pets in the yard. 

Lucas must have made a dozen apple pies, trying to make the perfect apple pie just for the dinner. The crust had to be perfectly flaky, the apples needed to be perfectly sliced and seasoned. And it had to be pretty, because Maddison and her family deserved to eat not just a great pie, but a great tasting one too. 

He had to keep his boys from actually running over there. Because it wasn’t a long walk. Only a few minutes as he carefully had the pie in a carry case. The boys practically trotted in place, trying to get there faster, always sneaking peeks at the house in question through the other trees around the area. 

But then they got to the gate and as much as Lucas felt like he knew what this place was and should be, somehow with the new fence and gate- it was somehow brand new before he pressed the call button on the keypad. 

“Come on in guys.” Came Maddison’s answer, because there was a camera set up at the keypad before the gates opened themselves to let them in and then close once they were fully inside. 

Now that this driveway was properly paved, he noticed that there were shrubs on either side of the driveway, making it, if anything idealistic and even more beautiful and now that they were in the fence, it was as if this place was put here right out of a better homes and gardens magazine. He was impressed when the doors were big and wide enough to let him in when Maddison opened the door. He was blown away with how accommodating the house was. It simply showed she kept every kind of person’s in mind when she built it. 

“Well come on in. Make yourselves at home.” Maddison invited before the other kids came downstairs, the girls with their hair all pretty from going to their temple of choice and one look at his boys and he felt resigned because those boys were about already chest deep into this puppy love they had both fallen into all week. 

And to his delight, her dining table had a special remote that would raise itself along with all the chairs to adjust to the height of the table so that they could all be around the table comfortably especially since the chairs themselves had special attachments to allow for quadrupeds too, which he and his boys really liked and appreciated. 

And sure enough, they had chicken enchiladas and Addie seemed to eat her body weight in mango salsa. It was some of the best chicken enchiladas he and his boys had ever had though. 

And to his utter delight, she had special, homemade marshmallows to go on the pie! He didn’t know such a thing could be done. But she had made like a vanilla, apple, cinnamon and caramel flavored marshmallows that melted over the pie when it was toasted in the oven to reheat it and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - it had elevated his humble pie into something extraordinary and his boys hoovered the extra marshmallows as if they had never seen or heard of sweets before in their lives. But apparently the whole family had worked together to make them so Maddison and her family were happy they were so well liked. Especially when Alexandria had a gift for cooking. And not just regular cooking, like chef- cooking school kind of cooking. 

“So what kind of horses were you thinking of getting?” Lucas asked. 

“Oh, well, these guys still need lessons too. Have any suggestions?” Maddison asked. 

“Not Blathingtons.” Lucas and his boys all said in unison. 

“Oh? Why not?” Alex asked. 

“Overpriced for what is in all honesty- subpar lessons. They’re competitors. They like to use the fact that they’ve kept champions in their overpriced stables. But of course all the attention and all the money goes into the competitors and the horses they use for lessons just don’t really get the same care or attention. They’ve ruined more horses by pushing them too hard too fast than anything.” Lucas explained. 

“You could always learn to ride on us!” Aiden offered as Maddison’s jaw dropped as Lucas nearly choked on the pie. 

“Isn’t that…demeaning though?” Maddison asked carefully. 

“Nope! We give the other bipeds rides all the time.” Nick offered. 

“Are you sure?” Maddison asked Lucas. 

“Well, because horses have their own “language” so to speak, just beginning lessons on how to put on a saddle and how to sit in one and get used to using the various nonverbal cues is a good groundwork to start with.” Lucas offered. 

“Well then how much would you charge for such lessons?” Maddison asked. 

“They’d be free.” Nick offered. 

“Nick, I know you mean well, but if you’re good at something and providing a service, you should get paid for your time and effort and ability. Just like I could hire you to shovel the snow in my driveway or cut the grass. It’s still work and you should still get paid and compensated for it. I absolutely insist.” She gently countered. 

“Well the besides Blathingtons, the usual rate is a hundred a month for a weekly lessons.” Lucas offered. 

“Now that sounds more than fair.” Maddison nodded her agreement. 

But on Monday, Maddison got the text from her kids that they would riding Nick and Avery home so that they didn’t need to be picked up but were hoping to have snacks when they would get home which Maddison was happy to make and was happy to see Alex and Avery on Nick while Aiden had Adel on him, bareback of course. 

And then once they got to the porch, her kids used the porch’s handrail of the baluster as a step ladder to get down before they all came into the house to gather around the table and do their homework while eating from the trays of snacks while Maddison made dinner for her family and potentially three more guests as she slyly got a picture of the kids all around the table and sent i to Lucas and informed him that his kids were at least doing their homework and not to worry about them, just in case he was expecting for them to be home any time soon. 

‘Just let me know when they’ve outstayed their welcome and I’ll come and get them.’ Lucas offered. 

‘They’re always welcome. I’m just happy the kids are getting along. I think the kids are bonding pretty well over losing a parent and learning to live with the loss of them. I’ve spent a fortune in therapy since my husband’s death and your boys are doing more in just talking about it than their therapist has been. They’ve to a degree “normalized” it and I can tell my kids really appreciate the fact that they’re not alone in that respect. And while I am really sorry for Amber’s loss and the devastation that’s done to you and your family. This is exactly what my kids have needed since they’ve lost their dad. You’ve done a wonderful job raising such good and thoughtful and emotionally mature and sensitive boys. Especially at this age. I know it’s been hard on you and your family. But hopefully my kids will learn from yours how to deal and cope with it better than they have.’ Maddison texted as she wiped away her silent, but grateful tears. 

Lucas’ vision blurred as he looked at his phone and without any hesitation. He turned off his stove, ignored the now clean laundry in the dryer and began to take his favorite “short cut” from his house to hers before he was met with her privacy fence. 

‘Well, any help we can offer, we’ll happily give. Do you mind if I come over and we could talk?’ He texted. 

‘Of course, I’ll open the gate again.’ She texted. 

‘Actually, I just took the shortcut, I just need this back fence door opened.’ He offered before she told him how to open it, since he was tall enough to reach over and down to get the special release to open it and once he did he was met with the same dogs who recognized him and let him through to Maddison who was quickly walking out to greet him. 

“Hey neighbor.” She tried to greet as cheerfully as she could. 

“Come on, get up on that raised garden bed, we’ll take a walk.” Lucas offered. 

“Oh, ok.” Maddison offered before she shot a quick text to her kids to let her know that her and Lucas were going to take a walk and talk parent to parent. While Lucas did the same, but emphasized the importance of being good and proper gentlemen as well as good guests in Addie’s house before he squatted down to help Maddison get on his own back easier before she wriggled to get comfortable as she had to press her pregnant belly right into his back so her legs could get into the natural narrowing behind the horse lung part of his body behind his forelegs before Adrian really started to kick at Lucas’ back. 

“Good grief, is he always like that?” Lucas asked once he stood to his full height and began to walk back to the fence get out of the yard and into the orchard to look it over. 

“Not always.” Maddison answered. 

“You should have eaten or do I need to get you back to the house to get that salsa for you?” Lucas asked. 

“No, I’m already full. It’s not the salsa…” Maddison shook her head no as she used her hold around the belt he wore that kept his shirt around his upper humanoid half. 

“Just feel like doing his gymnastics?” Lucas asked before Adrian kicked even more at his back the more he spoke. 

“Something like that.” Maddison said with a measured breath. 

“Feels like he’s bruising your ribs with those kicks.” Lucas noted. 

“He’s trying.” Maddison admitted. 

“You’ve must have had one hell of a rough time this past year.” Lucas murmured. 

“You have no idea. One minute everything is wonderful. The next moment, the floor dropped and then back to back, catastrophe after castastrophe happened.” Maddison divulged as her tears returned before Adrian seemed to stop kicking so much. 

“What happened?” Lucas asked. 

“Adrian was in an accident at work. It was a malfunction of the silicon crystal grower he was updating. That thing was known to be wonky but it grew some of the best crystals, so they put up with the wonkyness to get the crystals to use the sicon wafers that the crystals would be machined into- into computer chips. It was a catastrophic failure that killed him and everyone else on the shop floor instantly. The damn thing practically went nuclear without the toxic fall out. So I literally kissed him goodbye that morning and by lunch I get a call from his boss telling me that there had been a horrible accident. There wasn’t much left of him except for charred remains. So of course, I had no choice but to cremate what was left of him. Which he didn’t want, we wanted to buried together. But because of the nature of the accident, I couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t bury him like that.” Maddison began to weep using the flannel of his shirt and his back to cry into. 

“And then just last month, my husband’s great uncle died. And because of everything that went down with Adrian. And with Adrian being his favorite great nephew and executer of his estate, that meant that I had to be the executer of Uncle George’s estate, because Uncle George was so sympathetic that I lost Adrian and I even had moved Uncle George in to live with us at our old house as his health declined rapidly. And being the executer of that estate is so much more work than I thought it would be. And between all of that and work, and moving in, I’m just plain overwhelmed. And my kids are overwhelmed with grief too. And I thought moving into this place would help us get a fresh new start and all it’s done is give us fresh new problems.” Maddison confided. 

“I don’t know what I was thinking, buying a farm. I don’t know anything about it. I remember picking the fruit as a kid, but I don’t know about how to care for any of it. I just try to hire the best “experts” I can and I just feel like I just keep getting fleeced with each new one. Because they all of their own things that they all swear by while also dogging everyone else and everything else in the market and I’m so confused, I don’t know what way is up.” Maddison admitted as she turned her head to reach out to touch the still growing and ripening apple. 

“Well, then it’s a good thing that you have a neighbor who does know this stuff and can help. Don’t you dare try to pay me for my help either. We were always friends Addie, let’s keep it that way. I’ll help you manage this farm and do what’s best for you and it. I manage my own pretty good and I have a fruit stand and a ‘u-pick’ when it’s the right seasons for it. There’s ways to use it and manage and have it work for you too and help add some cushioning to any tight budget.” He offered. 

“Thank you Lucas, please don’t think I was…’ Maddison tried to say. 

“Hey, stop, don’t apologize. I sincerely doubt you’re the kind of person who offers a sob story to get what they want for free. You’re the opposite of it actually.” He offered. 

“Thanks, I try to be. I feel like I owe your boys for giving mine a ride home from school, like gas money, or something.” Maddison admitted. 

“Nope, don’t you dare. My boys are happy to get new friends. And we all are happy to help however we can. When we lost Amber, our whole neighborhood and our friends and family came together to help us and I got crash courses on how to do laundry and dishes. And the boys have learned how to do those things too in addition to cooking and general chores and housework. Yours will too. If anything, by coming out here, they’ll get a healthy respect to what it means to be self sufficient, and how to take pride in what you do and how to grow your own food and while we do use a rancher to get our meat, like beef and pork and things, learning how to live off the land and how to care for it properly are lessons that just aren’t really getting taught in school anymore but are now, with the economy being what it is, are becoming more and more important to learn. I know I felt like I was a wreck and it took me a good long while to learn how to pick up the pieces and be everything to my boys that they needed me to be. And you’ll learn the same things for your kids too. And especially with that little one on the way. Your hands are already so full. So if you’ll just let me, let me help you with this stuff at least ok?” Lucas brokered before he felt that baby in her belly start kicking up again before he reached back and put his hand on it and gave the little one a gentle push. 

“Hey, knock it off, your mom’s been through enough, she doesn’t need you beating her from the inside out on top of it.” He directed towards her belly before the baby practically pushed it’s head and shoulder into his hand. 

“If anything I think he likes the sound of your voice.” Maddison offered. 

“Well then should I shut up so you get a break?” Lucas asked. 

“No, if anything, while it excites him, it soothes me. It’s nice to talk to another adult who’s in the same boat you know?” She offered. 

“I know exactly what you mean.” Grinned as he was happy to simply turn and keep one hand on her belly to keep Adrian calm while using the other to look over the trees while Maddison leaned back a bit to give him room. 

“So how do they look? The trees?” She asked as she found her composure. 

“They’re looking really good. The stink bugs have gotten to a few of them. But that’s not unusual considering. Next year, we’ll get proper repellants and treatments to keep the apples in good condition. And the peaches are gonna do really good this year. And obviously, your blueberries did great. The plums will be small but still good. The apricots I think might be a bit sour, but if you dry them, they’ll sweeten up no problem.” He honestly appraised. 

“And everything else?” She asked before he turned back around and for once was happy that Adrian wasn’t kicking the snot out of his mom as he did so. 

“Everything else is looking really good. Granted you used Miracle Grow for your soil so of course, everything you planted will do really well this year. Next year we’ll have to rotate some things cause while miracle grow is great for a season, it can get bled out pretty quick. I’ll get a compost pile set up for you and next year we can tackle making your own dirt for your container plants especially. And of course keeping chickens, their manure is hot, meaning it’s really high in nitrogen, you put that in with your compost heap with charcoal from wood burning, and the carbon in the charcoal and nitrogen combine really well and it’ll grow the best tomatoes ever. And then of course, the blueberries need acidic soil, so the secret there is….” He began as he walked around the orchard and then her vineyard and then into her fence to look at her garden better and simply smiled to feel Maddison lean on his back with her arms wrapped around his waist and simply smile contentedly to hear him talk on and on as it seemed little Adrian seemed to settle down and settle in too.

Then all this talking about food, got Lucas’ stomach to start to growl. 

“Sorry, I should get the kids and head on home.” Lucas said as he then walked her back to her house. 

“Nonsense. I made dinner for all of us. It should be done cooking by now, come on in and let’s have another family meal together. I have a feeling we’ll be having a lot more of those from here on out.” Maddison insisted. 

“But I’m gonna have you lay down so I can get off of you.” Maddison invited. 

“Yup.” He readily agreed before he did just that in her yard before she slipped off only to lay on her back in the grass and begin to laugh, because she couldn’t her legs to close again. 

“Are you ok?” He asked as he moved over, still on his knees to look at her. 

“I can’t close my legs! This is how I got into this.” Maddison cackled as she put her hands to her belly as she was crying she was laughing so hard. 

“Oh.” Lucas chuckled as his cheeks flushed and he had to fight to keep his cock up in his sheath and not immediately lower. 

“Here.” He offered before he gently grabbed her knees to help them close 

“Better?” He asked. 

“Yes, thanks, now to get up.” She said as she rolled over and managed to get up on all fours only to start to laugh again. 

“Shit, I can’t get up either. This was how I got Adel.” She couldn’t stop from laughing just as the kids seemed to notice and come out just as she reached out for Lucas’ hand to help her at least sit up on her lower legs as Lucas couldn’t help but chuckle with her as he rubbed at the back of his neck as he couldn’t help but stare rather hungrily at her ass and how much he’d like to mount her if it wouldn’t practically split her in half or hurt her baby if he tried. 

“Shit, it’s been a while since I rode anything as big as you. Forgot what it felt like for a hot minute.” She admitted once she was able to finally get up to her knees just as the kids came over. 

“Are you ok?” Avery asked his mom worriedly. 

“Oh yeah, I’m fine. I just haven’t ridden in a while. I’m fine. Help me up and we can finish making dinner.” Maddison urged them before her kids helped her to her feet before Lucas finally found his own and came into the house to at least help make something of a salad and some sauteed veggies for dinner. 

And at least at dinner, Lucas could still reach over under the table to keep his hand on Maddison’s belly to keep Adrian from kicking her so badly she couldn’t eat or keep her food down. 

[queen-haq]

Fic: Alive - Part 6 + 7

Summary: Aidan traced the thin chain around his neck, rubbing the infinity pendant between his fingers. No longer a symbol of their everlasting love, it was something he touched in anger when he thought of Sage. It was the only thing of hers that still remained with him after eight years, the last possession which still connected them together. When he 4did find Sage again, and he would no matter how long it took, he planned to destroy the pendant - and her.

Taking place across two timelines, Alive tells the story of Aidan and Sage, high school sweethearts driven apart by who they are and where they come from. Once enemies then lovers, their relationship runs full circle when they meet again in the present, now prepared to destroy each other.

My Masterlist (contains links to previous parts)

As soon as Marcus Ashler walked into her second period English class, Sage realized why the students of Belleville had been gossiping about him since that morning. With his head shaved, neck tattooed, and a link chain attached between the hoops of his belt to his pocket, he stood out like a sore thumb in the preppy crowd. Although a part of her was relieved there was someone new for the students to whisper about, she also sympathized with him knowing how out of place he probably felt. The defiant glint in his eyes, however, and his proud swagger as he took the empty seat next to her, suggested he probably wouldn't appreciate the sentiment.

The most persistent rumour circulating about Marcus was that his father had to cash in a huge favour to get him into Belleville. Apparently he had a history of dealing drugs which led to him being kicked out of other prestigious schools until Belleville finally took him in. Sage doubted the rumor was actually true. For one thing, the very same people had once gossiped she was a sleeper cell. Plus, despite his physical appearance, he just seemed too green to be a dealer – especially in comparison to the ones in her previous school. Her instincts screamed Marcus was not really a thug, only pretending to be one to score points with girls.

Throughout class he remained quiet, staring out the window. At one point he turned his head unexpectedly to catch her glancing at him; she averted her eyes right away.

At lunch, Marcus was once again the topic of conversation. Already David seemed enamored by Marcus's bad boy reputation.

"You think he still deals?" David asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know."

"Think he's ever been in jail?"

"No," she scoffed. "He's got a rich daddy, remember?"

"Whatever he's doing, it's working. He's hot."

"I guess. He's not really my type."

David shot her an exasperated glance.

Later that day she was on her way to class when Marcus caught her attention again. He was standing in the middle of the hallway, checking his phone.

"No cell use during school hours," she advised. "I would put that away if I were you."

He looked up at her, a surprised expression on his face. "You're not me."

She didn't bother to respond and kept walking. Soon, he fell into step beside her.

"People here have nothing better to do than talk shit all day long," he mused.

Sage chuckled. "Guess you heard the rumors about yourself?"

"And the ones about you too."

"Don't believe everything you hear."

"So you're not a raging bitch?"

"Only on weekdays."

His unexpected giggle, a far cry from the tough guy image he projected, brought a smile to her face.

"Anyway, I gotta jet. Talk to you later?" he said.

"Sure."

As he walked away, she had to admit there was something about him that intrigued her. And David had been right about him, Marcus was definitely adorable.

*****

While in the midst of reading Wuthering Heights for a book report that night, her cell phone rang. Sage glanced at the screen; it was Aidan. "Hello?"

"Still awake?"

"Yeah. Everything okay?"

"You think I only call when I'm in trouble?"

"Yes."

He chuckled softly. "Maybe I just want to hear your voice."

"Maybe you're full of shit."

"Say something sexy."

"Fuck you."

"Not what I was expecting but it'll do."

"When you start paying me by the minute, I'll put in more effort."

"I'm not going to buy the ride before I take it out for a test drive."

"Wow, such a charmer."

"Aren't I?"

"Must be why you have a fan club."

"Want to join?"

"Nope. Not interested."

"It's a lot of fun."

"I doubt it."

"You have no idea what you're missing. There's a monthly mud wrestling challenge. Winner gets me all to herself for the night."

"I'd rather lose."

"Loser gets a kiss too."

"How generous of you."

"I'm a lover. Talent like mine needs to be shared with the masses."

Hearing the smugness in his voice, it was easy to imagine the cocky smile he was wearing at that moment. "You're so full of it, Aidan."

"Isn't that what you like about me?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Someone has to, since you obviously won't."

"I don't think your ego needs any more stroking."

"No, it's not my ego that needs it."

She burst out laughing at his incorrigible tone.

"You sound like you're doing much better," he said.

"Do I?"

"I was worried."

"I told you I was fine."

"And you would never lie, right?" he muttered sarcastically.

"Only when I have to."

"Doesn't everyone?"

"I guess."

"I don't want you to lie to me."

The earnestness in his voice tugged at her insides but she chose to ignore the strange emotions he evoked.

"Did you hear me?"

"Yeah," she replied. "Like you said, we all lie."

"Maybe, but there are some people I'm honest with."

"Like who?"

"Theo." There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "Cat."

His response bothered her far more than expected and she chastised herself for her reaction. Of course Aidan would be honest with Cat; they'd dated for a long time and were still close.

"And you."

Now that was even more concerning. "It's late. I have to go."

"Scared?"

"No."

"Liar."

She remained on the line, quiet, unsure of what to say next.

"At least you're not denying it."

"What do you want from me?" she snapped.

"I'm bored. Entertain me."

His sheer audacity brought a smile to her face but there was no way in hell she would admit that out loud. "You're unbelievable."

"I know."

"Why don't you invite your fan club over? I'm sure they'll keep you busy."

"Nah, they get annoying after a while."

"Aw, must be so hard to be worshipped."

"It really is," he played along. "But that's why I need you. You keep me grounded."

"By reminding you you're not as amazing as you think you are?"

It was a while before he replied. "Because even after knowing everything, you're still here."

She didn't know what to say, or how to feel about that. From the silence at his end, he was in a similar position. As if sensing her hesitation, he changed the topic.

"Who you going to the dance with?"

"I don't think I'm going."

"Come on, don't be a suck."

"If I go, it'll probably be with friends."

"Oh, you have some?" he teased.

"Yeah, I do. Real ones, not assholes like yours."

"Show-off."

She smiled.

"Didn't realise it was that hard for you to find a date."

"Maybe I don't want one."

"Thought you might go with that new punk that started today. What's his name? Manny, Monty-"

"Marcus?" she interjected.

"Whatever."

"Why would you think that?"

"Saw you talking to him today."

"So?"

"You guys were flirting."

"We were not."

"That's what it looked like to me."

"Even if we were, why do you care?"

"I don't!" he snapped. "Actually, I don't give a fuck."

"Good. You shouldn't. It’s none of your business."

"Didn't realise he was your type."

"My type?"

"The wannabe thug. He realises he's loaded, right? He wasn't born in the ghetto somewhere?"

"So because he doesn't act like you and your friends, he's a poser?"

"Or do you like him because he reminds you of all the losers back in your old school?"

"You're such a fucking prick, you know that?"

"Hey, at least I'm honest. I don't pretend to be something I'm not."

"Maybe you should."

"Fuck you!"

She hung up on him, furious, but the next second her phone buzzed with a new text message.

"I'm sorry. Call me. Please."

Although Sage contemplated ignoring the message, she found herself dialing his number. He picked up the phone on the first ring.

"Sorry," he said, sounding genuinely upset.

"You wouldn't need to apologize if you just stopped acting like an ass."

"I know."

"And control your temper."

He sighed. "I know," he repeated.

Feeling a tad guilty for yelling at him, she said, "And I guess I should stop letting you get to me too."

"Hope not. You wouldn't be as much fun then."

She laughed softly.

"Just be careful around that Monty."

"It's Marcus."

"Whatever."

"I thought you said he was a poser?"

"Doesn't mean he's not trouble."

"Yes, Dad." A quick glance at the clock revealed it was almost midnight, she'd been talking to him for almost an hour. "It's late. I should get to bed."

"Is that an invite?"

"Only in your head."

"Tease."

She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"You want to talk more?"

"Yeah. I haven't even started to tell you how I plan to take over the world."

"Fine. You have half an hour."

Thirty minutes turned into more than two hours with the conversation venturing far beyond than just his nefarious plans for world domination. They spoke about first crushes and kisses, their most embarrassing moments, and it was only when she almost fell asleep on the phone did he finally let her hang up.

***

Sage stepped out onto the patio. The cold, sharp air was a welcome respite from the hot, sweaty atmosphere inside. At first the idea of clubbing had seemed fun but after being there for two hours she just wanted to go home. The place was overcrowded, everyone around her reeked of either sweat or weed, and she'd stopped enjoying herself a while ago.

She was pondering excuses to leave when her phone started to vibrate. Pulling it out of her clutch, she was surprised to find two text messages waiting for her. They were from Aidan.

"Call me as soon as you get this."

Worried, she dialed his number. He picked up after the third ring.

"Hey," he said. "Where you at?"

Instead of sounding frantic as she had expected, he seemed relaxed, even flirtatious.

"I'm at a club. You said it was urgent?"

"Downtown? Who'd you go with?"

Irritation surged through her. "Focus, Aidan! Why did you text me?"

"Well, Theo's wasted. And I'm halfway there."

"Okay. Why do I care?"

"Because neither of us can exactly drive home. I was hoping you’d pick us up."

"Call an Uber."

"I am. You."

"Since when am I your chauffeur?"

"Since I asked nicely," he declared. "Come on, I thought we were friends. Isn't this what friends do?"

Even though she didn't like admitting it, Aidan's incorrigible nature had grown on her to the point where she found it charming. He was the complete opposite of her with his swagger and confidence, and she was strangely intrigued by it. Not that she would ever share that with him. "Fine. But you owe me one."

"Whatever."

"Text me the address," she ordered before hanging up. Relieved at having a legitimate excuse to leave, she headed back inside to speak to David.

*****

Parking along the street, no mean feat considering the driveway was over-packed with cars, Sage slipped on a cardigan before stepping outside. Noting the loud music and the crowd gathered on the lawn, she realised this was a full-blown party and not just a casual hangout as Aidan had implied. Great. She just hoped it wasn't one of Cat's friends throwing the party.

As Sage walked past a group of guys, one of them started whistling and making lewd gestures at her. In response, she buttoned up her cardigan. The blue cocktail dress she had borrowed from Tara was a little tight in the chest area, and although appropriate for clubbing, it wasn't something she would wear normally. It made her feel too self-conscious around people.

Rushing into the house, she scanned the crowd for signs of Aidan and Theo and discovered them doing shots in the middle of the den. They were surrounded by some of the cheerleaders from school, including Tish who shot her a dirty glance. Great. This evening was just getting better and better. "Aidan!"

He turned to look at her. "Hey!" His face beamed with a huge grin. "Want a shot?"

Sage didn't need super hearing to know Tish was whispering about her to her group of friends. They weren't exactly attempting to hide it either as they all turned to stare at her and giggle. "I'm leaving now. If you and Theo still want a ride, you guys better be outside in five minutes."

Shortly after, both boys met her outside. Aidan was holding onto Theo who looked too hammered to stand on his own and Sage quickly moved towards them to help. Slowly, they made their way to her car.

"Thanks for coming, hun. You're sweet," Theo slurred.

Aidan snickered. "Bro, shut up and stop hitting on your sister."

"Ew," Sage replied. "Why don't you both shut up?"

She unlocked the back door and was helping Aidan slide Theo in when her brother puked all over her chest. "Fuck!" she griped, pulling off her cardigan which was covered in vomit. Although the dress was fine, she couldn't say the same about herself. Just watching Theo heave was making her stomach turn.

"Sorry," Theo mumbled.

"Better puke it all out now," Aidan advised. As if sensing her disgust, he offered her a smile. "Stay here. We'll be back."

As he helped her brother move to the bushes where Theo proceeded to vomit again, she was surprised by Aidan's helpfulness. She didn't think most guys would be as kind but Aidan stood beside Theo, patting his back and joking around to make Theo feel better while his friend continued to throw up. After what felt like forever, both returned to the car and Aidan helped Theo onto the back seat before joining her at the front.

"You alright?" Aidan asked.

Sage started driving. "Just feeling icky. I can't stand vomit."

"Whereas I love it."

His dry humour brought a smile to her face.

"What was with the hissy fit inside?"

Glancing at the rear-view mirror to find Theo fast asleep, she shrugged her shoulders. "You didn't tell me Tish was gonna be there."

"Jealous?"

She sent him an irritated glare. "Why didn't you ask Cat to drive you guys home?"

"She wasn't there. Must be out with her new boyfriend or something."

With the way his jaw clenched, it was obvious he was still bothered by Cat dating other people, which only frustrated Sage more. What the hell did he want from her if he was still hung up on her sister? "Next time don't bother calling me. You're rich, you can afford an Uber."

"Why you acting like such a bitch?"

"Because that's who I am. Thought you'd realised that by now."

"What's really bugging you?"

"I just told you!"

"A lie, obviously."

She was too furious to respond, the air thick with tension. After a while, Sage regretted snapping at him; she didn't want to reveal how much his relationship with Cat really bothered her. Knowing Aidan, he would use that information to get under her skin.

Aidan leaned back in his seat, still partially turned towards her, and the close proximity between them was starting to play havoc with her thoughts. She was keenly aware of his eyes lingering on her, studying her with an intensity that was nerve wracking, but she forced herself not to react and concentrate on the road ahead.

His voice was smooth as velvet when he finally spoke again. "Nice dress."

"It's not mine."

"Whose is it?"

"A friend's. Why?"

"I want to buy it."

"You don't have the figure to pull off a cocktail dress."

"But you do."

There was no physical contact yet it felt like there was barely any space separating them. Her heart started pounding in her chest.

"I would get it for you," he murmured.

"Yeah well, what I really need is a cardigan. I had to leave the other one behind."

"A cardigan? Fuck that!"

Despite her resolve to be cold, she couldn't help chuckling at his offended tone.

"I want you less covered, not more."

"Shut up."

She refused to look at him, but could still see his amused smirk from the corner of her eye. Fortunately, they reached home shortly after.

Minutes later, Theo was snoring softly in his bed. In his ensuite bathroom, she washed her hands while Aidan stood behind, drying his own. "You think he's going to be okay?" she asked.

"One hell of a hangover tomorrow, but he'll be fine."

Turning off the valve, Sage glanced up at the mirror to find Aidan fixated on her reflection. His piercing gaze languidly roved over her breasts, consuming her with a hunger that was disconcerting. She swallowed an audible breath and proceeded to wipe her hands, telling herself to ignore him. That resolve, however, quickly melted once their eyes locked in the mirror and he swaggered closer until standing behind her.

"Who did you go out with tonight?"

As much as she wanted to avert her gaze and break the intoxicating hold he had over her, it was impossible. "A friend."

"That Monty guy?"

"His name is Marcus."

"Fine. Marcus. Did you go out with him?"

She contemplated lying and telling him 'yes', but instinctively knew that would hurt Aidan. "I was with David."

"That guy you're always hanging out with in school?"

"Let me guess. You don't like him."

"I didn't say that. He seems alright."

"He is."

A playful smirk shaped his lips. "And he'd rather fuck me than you. He obviously has good taste."

She rolled her eyes while simultaneously fighting the smile that threatened to spill over. "Goodnight, loser." She spun around to leave the room when he blocked her path in one swift motion.

"Wait."

He was standing entirely too close, his darkened eyes fully concentrated on her and an unusually solemn expression marking his features. Intoxicated by him, unable to think or breathe, she trembled in his embrace when he cradled her face.

"Hey, it's okay," he consoled in a soothing tone.

The knot in her stomach tightened further while his thumbs stroked her skin ever so gently. She wondered if it was anxiety that flickered in his eyes, the hazel flecks slowly transitioning into green. The thought of him being nervous was touching for some reason.

Reacting instinctively, she reached up to kiss him. Her lips closed over his, suckling him, tasting him, while her fingers curved around the back of his head. Warm and sweet, he tasted like licorice, and she wanted more.

When he remained unresponsive, she worried about being too bold. Maybe he really wasn't interested in her, and she had just made an ass out of herself. Suddenly, his mouth came alive under her touch, responding to her with a ferocity that left her breathless. He stroked her tongue with his own, exploring the contours of her mouth, while his hands scanned her back, pressing her tightly against his body.

"Aidan, you in here?"

He jumped away instantly upon hearing Cat's voice, his face flushed with guilt and eyes panic-stricken. By the time her sister entered the bathroom, however, he had recovered enough to ensure there was enough distance between them so as not to arouse any suspicions.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Cat asked, hostility flaring in her eyes when she noticed Sage.

"She gave us a ride home," he replied, maintaining a deliberately casual tone.

Too busy focusing on Cat, he didn't look at her once; Sage couldn't believe how easy it was for him to pretend nothing had just happened between them. Hurt and furious, she stormed past him but not before pausing beside Cat. "I'm not a fucking chauffeur. Go get your boyfriend yourself the next time he's hammered."

She rushed out of Theo's room, slamming the door behind her.

To be continued...

Dedicated to the lovely @idaoftheburningmind @bustlingcrowdsxorxsilentsleepers​ and the wonderful anons reading this. There’s not many of you but I adore all of you!

[cinnamonrusts]

i’ll see you in the village -- 2

parts: 1

This village is nothing that you thought it was going to be. You interact with some locals and Chris does some homework to find where you are when he cannot contact you. (chris redfield x f!reader) (a/n: it’s a long one, bois. thank you for all the love)

                                                            ✧.* ✧.*

As the terrifying sounds echoed through the dilapidated village grew closer to where you stood, your blood ran cold and you reached for your gun but stopped; because, you knew that if you opened fire you might blow your cover. However, whatever created these noises did not sound like a friendly neighborhood pet. Person? Dog? Creature? Whatever it was, it sounded dangerous.

“Come out!” you yell as your head whipped side to side, desperate to get a glance at what it was that was playing this game with you. “Come out!” you scream again, but are only answered with a sharp arrow which hurdled through the air and embedded itself in the wooden fence beside your head. You curse loudly, your life almost ended, and you probably wouldn’t have realized it if it did.

Before you popped off any rounds in retaliation, a strong arm pulled you back from behind. Their rough, dirty palm was pressed firmly against your mouth and they shushed you quietly. The person pulled you into a darkened home and quickly closed the front door that was opened just enough for the two of you to slink through. Your mouth opened to speak once you felt relatively safe from whatever horror lurked in the shadows of the night. “Quiet, girl,” your savior spoke. With the faint moonlight that shined through the boarded up window, you could make out the face of an elderly man and to his right was presumably his wife - who was armed with a double-barreled shotgun and the nose of it pointed at a small hole in the door.

They didn’t explain anything besides telling you that being quiet is the correct thing to do. The same blood-curdling screeches grew closer and thuds on the roof caused you to jump. “Do you have a gun?” he asks and you nod as you place your hand on your hip where it was concealed under your clothing. Sounds of snapping wood from above draw the attention of the wife and she proceeded to pump shells in the general direction of the intruders. One of her shots hit whatever it was and it scurried away. Screams of pain were the last of its noise before the thuds stopped and sounds of it tearing through the front yard verified it was gone.

✧.*

A brief amount of time passed before the two locals spoke. “You’re an outsider,” the woman said as she leaned her firearm on the wall beside the door. “Yes, that is true, but I’m nothing but a traveler from a town far East of here,” you lifted your long skirt to curtsey for the couple, “I’ve come here to spread my fortune telling for all to enjoy.” The man scoffed and shook his head before he took a drink from a dirty mug. “Mother Miranda does not cater well to outsiders,” he burped, “--Especially those with talks of necromancy and fortune telling.” Mother Miranda? Score.

“I promise I have no ill well to you, the locals, or this Mother Miranda that you speak of.” The man scoffed once more but his wife shushed him, “You’re welcome here, dear.” she placed a hand on your shoulder and grinned a gummy smile. “Thank you,” you say and the three of you exchange backstory to your lives, until you try to push for some information about Miranda. “Who is this Mother Miranda?” you ask finally and hope that the tape recorder that is hidden in your waistband had begun to record once you bumped it with your wrist. A glimmer of light sparked in her dark eyes and she walked over to the main wall across the way. She pushed herself onto her toes and reached for a dusty painting of a woman that hung crooked above her head.

“This -- this is our wonderful, Mother Miranda.” she placed it in your palms and you brushed away a thick layer of dust with your thumb. The painting was faded but you could still make out what this woman looked like, and it was identical to the photo that the BSAA showed. Another spot marked off on the mission bingo sheet. “She keeps us safe and has for longer than we have been around.” she continued to praise the blonde. “She does? What about whatever is out there!? Does she keep you safe from that?” Your insult hit a nerve because the man stood from his seat, “How dare you insult our Mother in our home! You will feel her wrath!” he continued to yell, despite hiding away from the thing just outside the door. He proceeded to kick you out of their home and closed the door behind you, then locked it so you couldn’t get back in.

You knocked several times and attempted to apologize, but the same shotgun used to save your life was now pointed at your forehead. When you could feel the sensation of the firearm aimed for you, your hands raised instinctually in the air and you backed away slowly, your eyes never moved from the barrels. Never again would you see this couple.

✧.*

Once again, you found yourself alone in the dark village. Maybe the large castle that loomed over would be a good place to investigate next? You wandered toward the center of the crossroads and your thoughts drifted from subject to subject before being interrupted by the sound of a horse’s gallop. Another villager?! Hopefully they’d be nicer than the last pair. You turned to wait for the horse to approach but were horrified at the site that soon was before you. On the animal’s back was no man or woman, but a grey skinned creature who wielded a burning stake with a charred human remain pierced through the middle. It looked like one of the drawings you found in the old fairytale book your mother read to you when you were a small.

There was no time to scream but just enough to pull your pistol off your hip and shoot into its face. Unlike any human but just like the BOWs you’ve dealt with previously, it took the bullets like a sponge. Instead of wasting any more ammo, you decided on your best bet, and that was to run - run fast. The terrain was unknown but you did your best to go in any direction that was not the same way as your assailant. 

The creature slashed the burning spike around in the air as it tried to hit you with it but you managed to duck and dive each time he did it. Soon, you saw a hope of escape, a line of trees. You continued down your path and once you reached the wooded area, you threw yourself down the only option you could see -- a steep hill and then tumbled down. The horse cried in fear and bucked upward, it wouldn’t allow the hostile creature to chase you any longer.

Your hands covered your head as you bounced off the hard, icy ground. Each hit, bump, and scrape burned through your body but you hoped that at the bottom you’d be safe. When you reached the bottom, you rolled out onto a dirt path and narrowly missed being trampled by a horse drawn carriage. The stallion that carried the wooden neighed loudly as it’s hooves dug into the ground. Your vision was blurred from your trip down the hill and you could barely make out a rather obese face of a man who peeked his head out from behind the curtain of his carriage. 

“My word, I nearly flattened you into a pancake!” he cried as he pulled the fabric back completely. Your breaths were heavy and short as you remained silent, eyes fixated on the Caucasian friendly face. The man encouraged you to enter his wagon and you hesitated to accept but did once you pushed yourself up from the ground. “Unlike those bewitching women who lurk in that castle... I don’t bite!” he giggled. The gentleman introduced himself as “The Duke” and gave you a short tale about his travels in this village. Duke explained that it wasn’t always this way and it was once full of rich life and light, but it’s all different now... “What about you, my lady? What is it that brought our paths to cross one another?” he asked before he blew out a puff of cigar smoke. You coughed several times and waved your arm in the air in an attempt to waft the smoke from the small room. “Well...” you started and then proceeded to tell the imaginary tale that you told the couple previously.

                                                                      ✧.* ✧.* ✧.*

“Dammit!” Chris yelled and slammed the dashboard of the vehicle he was passenger in with his fist. The truck that was to transport Ethan and his deceased wife had been taken off the road and the infant, Rose, was most likely gone or dead. He began to bark orders at his squad in frustration before he came to his senses and took a deep breath. Miranda must’ve been behind all of this... and took Rose. “There,” he pointed at a rugged map of the local area that was taped onto the truck’s wall and turned to Umber Eyes, “Miranda’s village is there, and I bet so is Rose.” 

A female interrupted from the back of the caravan, “Alpha, that information you requested came in.” she brought over a laptop and set it in Chris’s palms. The bright screen in the dark caused Chris to squint as he read through the document. Your BSAA photo was the largest thing on the page and beneath it was the detailed report of your newest mission, the one that brought you to Europe. He gritted his teeth - thoughts of the BSAA sending you on what could be a death mission crossed his mind. Chris reached into the breast pocket of his black overcoat and pulled out his phone, then held down the 1 key to speed dial your cell. It rang several times before informing that there was no voicemail set up. He huffed before he tried several more times. Each call ended the same way and Chris felt anxious.

“Lobo, ping on [Y/N]’s phone and find her location!” he ordered, his voice cracked just the slightest as his anxiety peaked. Lobo nodded, gave his superior a thumbs up and typed away on his laptop. Chris not only was concerned for Ethan and baby Rose, but now your whereabouts plagued his mind. He was confident in your capabilities but he knew how dangerous Miranda and her subordinates could be.

Chris sat in silence with his thoughts as the vehicle turned around and headed in the direction of Miranda’s village. He reached into the same pocket as earlier and pulled out a wrinkled photograph of the two of you. It was from your first mission that the two of you ever went on together. It wasn’t too long ago, maybe three or four years but it felt like a lifetime now. His calloused thumb ran over your smiling face and he hoped that you were okay...

The moment of silence ended, “Alpha, her phone pinged in the same location as Miranda’s village.” Lobo informed as he turned the screen to Chris. A brief moment of relief washed over him but if your phone was there, then where were you? And why weren’t you answering?

Little known to you or Chris -- the cellphone laid in the middle of the dirt road, left behind as you road off in the carriage with the Duke. The screen lit up brightly in the dark air and the generic tune jingled in the stillness of the night. It continued to do this several times as Chris continued to call and worked on pinpointing the pings. On the final ring, a feminine hand reached down from above and picked the phone up. The screen flashed, “CHRIS” over and over. The call was ended by the person, they took the phone firmly in their palm and crushed it with their strength.

Now, there was no way for Chris to communicate with you and someone was now on your tail...

[seoulwhat]

Wedding OR Not (#12)

Summary: Loving your best friend is a stupid and hard thing to do. Would you be able to allow yourself to let your best friend marry the one he loves so he can be happy?

Pairing: Rowoon x female reader

Genre: slight angst, fluff

Warnings: heartbreak

Word Count: 3.9k

He’s your best friend in the whole world. You love him with all your heart and your whole soul.

Yet…

He has never really seen how much you loved him. You tried to show him through your actions, but all he did was see you as a “friend”. It’s not like you didn’t want to be his friend. Of course, you did. You had known him since you were six years old and were neighbors. You remembered when he would ring your doorbell in the middle of the afternoon, and he would be crying because his dad yelled at him, or his older brother didn’t let him play with his toy car. You remembered in elementary school, he hated the school lunch, so you would always make an extra peanut butter and jelly sandwich and bring it for him. You remembered in middle school when he was bullied for not cutting his hair and everyone called him names, but you were there to hug him during his sad moments, and you were there to make him happy again. You remembered you told him in high school that you loved him and all he said was “I love you too. I hope we’re friends forever”.

So yeah, it did break your heart when he told you that he had been dating this girl and he thought that “she was the one”. But you two are best friends, so it’s a must to smile and be happy for him, right?

But you weren’t.

“I’m so happy for you. How long have you two been dating now?” You asked during a lunch that he kept rain checking. He took a sip of his water and began to speak.

“Actually, I’ve been dating her for a year and a half now.”

You almost spit your own food out and your eyes turned into the size of golf balls. “A year and a half!? Why haven’t you told me?”

All he did was shrug his shoulders and continued to eat his salad as he stared at you while you talked.

“What do you mean, you don’t know? We’ve been friends for how long now. Like forever? Rowoon, we’re best friends.”

Rowoon continued stabbing at his food with his fork and all you did was stare at him, waiting for an answer.

“She’s a jealous person.” He said quickly.

“Jealous? She doesn’t have to be jealous of me.”

“I told her you were my best friend and showed her a picture of you. She got upset and told me that she didn’t want me to see you again. I told her I couldn’t do that. So, we made a negotiation and I promised her that if I ever went out to see you, I would turn on the GPS on my phone.”

You furrowed your eyebrows. Why would he want to be with someone like that? You became aware that your best friend was in a controlling relationship. But why was he still being with her?

“Do you love her?” The question popped out quicker than you could even think.

Rowoon was quiet and he hesitated to answer. “I do,” he nodded. “I think I want to marry her.”

You had imagined that if hearts were made of glass, yours would have shattered to a million pieces. Unfixable.

“Are-are you sure? Shouldn’t you think this through?” You asked, trying to delay his thoughts. You didn’t want him to get married. Well, you did, but you wanted him to marry you.

He shook his head. “I already did. I want to ask her tonight actually. What do you think?”

What I think is that you should get out of this relationship before it turns worse. You should leave her before she becomes more controlling and starts to decide what kind of underwear you can wear and cannot wear. You should leave her because she’s not me. You should leave her because I love you. You should leave her because I would make you so happy and I would never let you go.

“I think that’s a good idea,” was all that you were able to say. You regretted bringing this up in your conversation. It was making you uncomfortable and you were already on a verge of tears. Your throat was burning from holding back all your tears.

Your lunch came to an end, and you were thankful that the conversation did as well. You weren’t sure how much longer you could take listening to him brag about how much he loved this girl. You hugged him goodbye, and he promised to call you to let you know what she said. You weren’t looking forward to the call because honestly, you were already devastated as is.

Once you were home, you made sure to put your phone on sound so you wouldn’t miss Rowoon’s call.

A year had passed and the only thing that kept your mind thinking about things, other than Rowoon, was jogging twice a day and taking daily walks throughout the park. You stopped waiting for his phone call a month after he promised he would call you. You tried calling him, but he changed his phone number, and you had no other way to reach him. You used to know where he lived, until the day you went to his door and an Asian couple opened the door.

At first, you didn’t want him to call you to tell you that she agreed to marry him. Then after the second and third day and so on, you impatiently waited for him to call and say something.

Maybe she said no? Or maybe he just never asked her and broke up with her.

You thought so many things, but a call never came your way to satisfy your curiosity. Like always, you woke up in the morning and put on some comfortable jogging clothes and went for your morning run. On your way back home, you checked your mail and noticed a nice red and white envelope underneath all the junk mail that piled up over the course of two weeks.

To: Y/F/N Y/L/N From: Soon to be Mr. And Mrs. Kim

You knew what it was as soon as you seen the sender. You couldn’t believe it. A year later and you’re barely hearing about this. You ripped open the envelope and took out a folded paper that let loose a couple of I Doconfetti that was inside. The paper was written in beautiful cursive writing, and you wondered who wrote it for them.

We would like to officially invite you to the wedding of Lee Mina and Kim Rowoon.

Please call the number below to RSVP your seat.

This was it. This was it. Tears began falling from your eyes. You felt like you were being dramatic, crying at your mailbox, but you couldn’t hold it in. He went through with it, and she said yes. He’s going to go through with it and marry this girl. You realized that he didn’t love you and you don’t think he ever did and ever will.

You grabbed the rest of your mail and ran inside your home. You slid against your door, your crying continuing. You tried to stop crying, but years of held back tears came spilling out of your eyes. You felt like you were never going to be able to stop.

But you did. A few hours later. You missed your walk in the park and your second jog for the day. But you didn’t care.

You read the invite repeatedly. You didn’t know if you did it to torture yourself or to make sure that the invite itself was even real. Either way, you decided to RSVP. You grabbed your cell phone and dialed the number. Two rings later, a female answers the phone.

“Hi, I wanted to RSVP a seat for the,” you looked at the invite to make sure you got her name right. “Mina and Rowoon wedding.”

“Okay, and can I ask who is calling and how many extra guests will you be bringing.” The female voice was so happy and squeaky, she was beginning to give you a headache.

“It’s for Y/F/N Y/L/N, and I’m not bringing anyone. Just bringing myself,” you said simply.

“Y/N?” The female repeated your name.

“Yes?” You weren’t sure if she was simply repeating your name or if she was going to ask you something.

“As in Rowoon’s best friend?” She said even more squeakier than before.

All you did was laugh. “Uh, I’m not so sure about that. I haven’t spoken to him in about a year. So more like an acquaintance.”

The phone went silent for a few seconds, and you can hear a muffled voice yelling in the background.

“I thought I told you not to invite her!”

“Of course, I’m inviting her! She is my best friend!”

A few yells later and the female began to speak on the phone again. This time, you knew you were talking to Mina.

“Okay, well your seat is officially RSVPed,” Mina said and then hung up. You didn’t even get a chance to say thank you, but you didn’t care if you didn’t anyway.

::

Two months later, spring had the flowers blooming and the cold air was now a warm breeze that you enjoyed. Today was the wedding and you were so happy you went dress shopping a month in advance.

You found a beautiful red dress, since the wedding is red and white themed, and found a nice pair of white pumps to go with it. You drove yourself to where the wedding was taking place and you didn’t know the wedding was going to take place at someone’s rich home until you got there.

So many people whom you didn’t obviously know were there and you felt so out of place. All you did was stand there awkwardly, hoping you would see someone you knew.

“Hey little red,” a familiar deep voice said from behind you. You turned around and was faced with a man dressed nicely in a tuxedo.

“Jaewook?! Oh my goodness, you got tall from the last time I seen you! Which was what? When you were fifteen?” You walked up to him and hugged him. He was now taller than you and smelled a lot better.

“Yeah. Look at you,” he said looking you up and down. “You lost weight and you look so good. Like, you look hot.”

He winked at you, and you swatted his shoulder. Same ol’ Jae.

“So, are you Rowoon’s best man?” You asked him.

He shook his head and gave me an angry look. “No. He chose Mina’s brother instead of me. Who does that?”

That surprised you. Rowoon used to be all about his family and he just ditched Jaewook out of his wedding like that, but all you did was shrug your shoulders.

“I honestly thought Rowoon was going to end up marrying you. You guys were like those two popsicles that come joined together. It was always hard to split you two apart.”

You smiled at the memories that came into your mind, but then frowned. “Yeah, but I haven’t spoken to Rowoon in over a year. He hasn’t called me and when I tried calling him, he changed his number. Then when I tried going to his house, he no longer lived there.”

Jaewook shook his head in disbelief. “This man is so hung up on getting married that he ignored his best friend, moved in with his fiancée, and has her brother as his best man just so he can marry her.”

“Not to mention that he loves her. He’s not just doing this to marry her,” you mentioned. Jaewook wrinkled his forehead and shook his head again.

“I don’t know why he does. Have you met the woman? She is fifty shades of crazy.” Both you and Jaewook laughed and continued making jokes about Rowoon ‘s soon to be wife.

“So that’s what you two do when I’m not around?” Rowoon ‘s voice sounded behind you and your heart began to crash against your ribcage.

“Aw come on Rowoon. We’re just having some fun,” Jaewook said. You still hadn’t turned around yet, scared of your actions and words when you do.

“I don’t consider making fun of my fiancée fun,” Rowoon said angrily. You turned around and made eye contact with him. His face seemed more chiseled, and his hair grew so much longer.

“Hello to you too. Long time no talk, don’t you think?” You said annoyed.

Rowoon ‘s tense shoulders relaxed at your words and his eyes changed from angry to worried. “I’m sorry I never called you.”

You put your hand up as if to cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it. I’m just here to see you marry the one you love, and then I’m out of here.”

“Y/N, hear me out please. I actually really need to tell you something in private,” Rowoon said lowly.

You looked at Jaewook and he raised his eyebrows and walked away.

“What do you want Rowoon?”

“Let’s take this somewhere more private.”

He grabbed your hand and dragged you to the inside of the home. He pulled you up the three-story spiraled staircase and pulled you into a room that looked as if he was getting dressed in it.

You crossed your arms and waited for him to speak as he locked the door. He turned around and ran up to you and hugged you. His body crashed into yours and he knocked the wind out of you. All you did was hug back until he let go.

“What was that for?”

“I haven’t seen you in such a long time. I missed you so much, Y/N. You have no idea.”

“Why didn’t you ever come see me then? Or call me?” You said stepping away from him.

“I couldn’t. She didn’t let me. She threatened to leave me if I didn’t change my number and move in with her. Not to mention, she threatened to leave me if I spoke to you. She even told me not to invite you, but I just had to. It’s not like she would cancel the wedding after the invites went out anyway.”

All you did was place your fingers on your forehead and shake your head in disbelief.

“What? Speak to me please. Tell me what’s wrong,” he begged. He walked up to you and grabbed your hand, but the feeling was too intimate for you, so you pulled away. “What did I do?”

You let him have it.

“What did you do? It’s more like what you didn’t do. Two years ago, you began drifting away from me and always making up excuses as to why we couldn’t hang out. Why? Because of Mina. You promised me you would call me about your good news, and I waited for a month before I realized you weren’t going to call. Why? Because of Mina. I tried calling you numerous times only to find out that you changed your number. Why? Once again because of Mina. You moved and didn’t tell me because of her. I cried myself to sleep, most nights, because of how much I love you. I began bawling my eyes out like a hormonal teenager in front of my mailbox when I received your wedding invite and didn’t stop crying until that evening. All because of Mina. Mina, the woman who made you change your number, made you move, made you have her brother as your best man, made you lose contact with your best friend because why exactly? Because she’s controlling. I don’t understand how you cannot see that if a person loved you, they wouldn’t put you through those things.”

Hot tears were burning down your face and you knew your makeup was ruined. But you didn’t care. You had to let it out. Rowoon just stood there gaping at you. You tried to clean the runny makeup on your cheeks, making your hands black from your eyeliner and mascara. The silence in the room didn’t bother you because you knew it would take Rowoon some time to process.

“You love me?” He asked. You weren’t sure if he was confused or if he was worried that you love him.

“All of that and the only thing you managed to process was that I loved you,” you laughed at him and grabbed a tissue from the dresser that was in the room. You turned your back to him and faced towards the mirror that was connected to the dresser and began wiping your face.

“Yes. I do. I have since high school. I even told you, but you took it the wrong way. I’m not expecting some pity party here. So please, spare me.”

You continued wiping your makeup, doing a pretty good job at making it look like you weren’t crying. When you were done and you turned around, Rowoon was gone, but you weren’t surprised.

The wedding began and you were seated at the worse table ever. You couldn’t see the bride walk down the aisle and you could barely see anything going on. You were, however, able to see Rowoon, which was enough for you.

“Dearly beloveds and honored guests, we are gathered here today to witness the giving and receiving of the marriage vows. Marriage is an institution ordained of God and is not to be entered into lightly or in jest and only after much consideration.”

The man began to speak, and you were already bored. You always thought that the best part about weddings was the end. The man continued talking, even reading some scriptures from the bible, and you almost fell asleep. The man continued to speak, but you knew it wasn’t straight from the bible because he was speaking in the English that you understood.

“Do you, Lee Mina, take this man, Kim Rowoon, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, to love, honor and obey, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live? If so, answer ‘I DO.’”

She squealed and laughed as she said her I Do. You cringed as she continued to laugh and rolled your eyes when she mentioned out loud how excited she was.

The man began to speak to Rowoon. Not that you could physically see, but by the vows he was saying, you assumed he was. “Do you, Kim Rowoon, take this woman, Lee Mina, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in heath, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live? If so, answer 'I DO.’”

Rowoon quickly said I Do, but you didn’t see a smile on his face.

The man began to state, “If there be anyone present who may show just and lawful cause why this couple may not be legally wed, let him speak now or forever hold his peace.”

It was quiet for a few seconds before a voice boomed unexpectedly. It was none other than Jaewook’s.

“Rowoon, you know you can’t marry her,” Jaewook began. Jaewook was wobbling down the aisle and you knew he went straight to the bar when he left earlier. You quickly got up and ran to him, making a huge scene as you tried to pull him away, but he was too strong. “You’re marrying the wrong girl!” Jaewook continued to yell.

“Jae, be quiet. Let’s go,” you said hushing him and trying to pull him away from the wedding arbor. He pulled himself away from you and tried to steady himself.

“No! He has to marry you!”

The whole crowed gasped and turned towards you, and you didn’t move at all. You couldn’t believe Jaewook just said that in front of everyone.

“She loves you, Rowoon. How can you not see that she loves you and Mina doesn’t?” Jaewook slurred his words and began losing his balance and you ran to him and caught him on time before he fell unconscious to the ground.

“Get them out of here,” Mina demanded to Rowoon. You looked to Rowoon, and he had a sad expression on his face.

“I’m so sorry, Rowoon. I had no idea he was going to do this,” you told him. You were on the floor trying to pick Jaewook up, but he was just too heavy.

Mina walked up to you and pointed her scrawny skinny finger at you. “You! You’re the reason why I even started having problems in my relationship! Then you had to come here and ruin my wedding as well!?”

Almost instantly, she quickly drew her hand back and brought her hand against your cheek, burning your face as you quickly grabbed your cheek with your hand.

“Homewrecker!” She screamed and walked back to Rowoon and held his hands again. Rowoon continued to look at you and Jaewook with a doleful look and Mina dismissed you and Jaewook. “Ignore them. Please continue.”

But the man didn’t continue the vows. Rowoon dropped his hands from Mina and walked up to you and Jaewook. He brought his hand to your stinging cheek and softly caressed your face. You closed your eyes as his soft hand began to cease the pain and you felt like you were going to spontaneously combust when his lips crashed onto yours. You pulled back because you were surprised but Rowoon just pushed his kiss in deeper. That really made the crowd gasp and whisper.

His hand was still on your cheek as he slowly pulled away from your lips. “I love you, Y/N.”

“What?!” Mina yelled. “You love me! You cannot do this to me! This is my day!”

Rowoon looked back at her and laughed. “Not anymore it isn’t. I don’t love you anymore and I would never marry a rotten person like you.”

Rowoon turned his back on her and helped you and Jaewook off the floor. The three of you walked out, you and Rowoon both feeling relieved. You could still hear Mina screaming and crying, and when you looked back, she dramatically dropped herself to the floor, her face in her hands.

“And so, a week later you and dad got married?” Your daughter, June, asked. You nodded and continued to hug her as you both scrolled through the photo album of your wedding day. There was a picture of Rowoon smiling and laughing, which made you smile as well. You remembered how happy the both of you were and how happy Jaewook was to finally be Rowoon ‘s best man.

“What are my two favorite girls doing?” Rowoon asked as he walked in and plopped himself on the couch right next to you.

“Mom was telling me about the drama you two had when Mina was your girlfriend,” June said.

Rowoon just laughed. “Yeah, those were two crazy years. But I’m happy that your Uncle Jaewook objected during the wedding, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have noticed what a terrible person Mina was.”

“I heard my name,” Jaewook said walking into the living room with a beer. “I told your dad numerous times that she was one crazy chick.”

Rowoon rolled his eyes and smiled. He placed a kiss on your head and entwined his fingers with yours.

“I love you so much,” he said as you placed your head on his shoulder.

“I love you, Rowoon.”

[comm-caribou]

Meeting the Parents (part two):

Part one Part three

Synopsis: part of my high school AU for my Star Wars OCs, where everyone is still alive and no one dies. Juliette’s parents learn their teenage daughter is hanging out some new friends versus the old ones they met/remember from elementary and middle school. With both parents going away for a business trip during a very important weekend, it’s time they meet Juliette’s new friend group… of 20+ teenage boys.

————

The car pulled up to the curb, getting a few curious stares and gawking wide eyes.

Juliette sank in the leather seats, feeling her skin heat up as her peers watched the Mustang idle there. All wondering who was inside the expensive, eye popping red hull with black racing stripes.

“I could’ve walked…” she said quietly.

“Nonsense, ad’ika,” her father unlocked the doors. “It gives me five extra minutes with my favorite girl.”

“I thought mom was your favorite,” Juliette teased.

He held a finger to his lips, “don’t tell on me, or I’ll tell all your little boyfriends embarrassing stories.”

“Buir, no,” she kissed his cheek, “love you.”

“Love you too,” her father shifted gears. “Have a great day.”

She reluctantly opened the door, and slipped out as everyone stared at her. Some in disbelief, others like they forgot her family was rich.

Her father drove off, and she felt frozen as the whispering began. She wondered how much trouble she’d get in if she turned and ran.

An arm wrapped around her, pulling her out of her panic and planting a kiss on her temple.

“Hi, Angel,” Digger brushed his nose against her cheek, “you look beautiful.”

She smiled, and relaxed, “thank you, goofball.”

He gave her another kiss on the cheek, then walked her inside where the rest of his squad was hanging out by their lockers.

“Anyone seen Keks?” Juliette asked them, “I got a present for him.”

“Is it food?“ Hound snickered.

“Of course it’s food,” Juliette held up the container, “it’d be an insult to bring him anything else.”

“I want to know where he puts all that food,” Zombie leaned on the locker.

“Fast metabolism,” Keks popped up behind her, “did you really bring me pancakes?”

“Yes,” she held up the container.

“Vhat a voman,” Keks took the container, “seriously, such an icon.”

“We know,” Mutt laughed.

“That’s why we love her,” Hound grinned.

Digger rolled his eyes, smiling, “sorry, she’s taken.”

Calico faked a gag, “ew. Keep that disgusting love stuff private.”

Keks popped open the lid, “anyone vant a bite?”

Zombie raised his hand, “as long as I’m not getting bitten for taking your food.”

Digger punched the top of his locker, popping the door open. As always, she admired his satisfied smirk as he took out his textbook, and closed the door.

“Shall we?” He turned to her.

“We shall,” she smiled.

****

Fury: I messed up

Fury: please forgive me. I didn’t mean to.

When Juliette saw that pop up on her phone, she subtly slipped her cell under her science binder, grateful to be seated in the back of the class next to Hardwire and have Mirage and Shadow’s bulkier frames in the lab table in front.

Juliette: What’s wrong?

Fury: I was talking to Ace about tonight, and a couple of your gamer buddies joined in.

Fury: Grimm overheard

Juliette: Oh.

Juliette: Is he upset he’s not invited?

Fury: that’s where the mess up is…

Fury: I said he was invited and you just didn’t have his number

Fury: I’m so sorry! I panicked :(

Hardwire nudged her.

She covered her phone, pretending to pay attention as their teacher walked around, passing back quizzes from last week and droning on about their upcoming solar lab.

“…I will allow you to pick your groups of four. Due to safety concerns by your parents and guardians, this lab will be replacing our chemistry experiment using the burners.”

A couple guys snickered, stealing glances at Hardwire. It was enough to make him pull up his hood, and rest his head in his arms.

Poor Hardwire, she rubbed his back.

The teacher returned to the front of the room, and began writing on the whiteboard with a squeaky marker.

Juliette lifted her binder.

Fury: I’ll tell him I lied

Fury: I don’t want you uncomfortable

Fury: I’ll make sure he knows I screwed up. all the blame will be on only me

Juliette: He can come

Juliette: Grimm is my friend too

Juliette: Sort of…

Fury: yeah. that’s pretty much what everyone says :)

Fury: I’ll make it up to you

Fury: I promise

Juliette: *hearted Fury’s message*

She hid her phone again as the marker’s cap clicked on, then the next lesson began.

****

The final bell rang, and Juliette approached her locker that already had her favorite Fett leaning against it sucking on a lollipop and a strawberry one waiting just for her.

“Hi, Cos,” she began spinning the lock.

“Starlight,” he unwrapped the pop, “I have a question.”

“What’s up?” Juliette opened the metal door.

He held out the lollipop, “do the others know what they’re getting into?”

Juliette closed her mouth around the candy, “nope. I think only you, Fury, Hardwire, and Digger know I live in a mansion.”

“Fun,” Cosmos stole her magnetic mirror from the metal door, “so, meet up is still 5:00?”

“Yup,” she reorganized her textbooks, then smiled at the Polaroids hanging in her locker.

Cosmos traced his scar on his chin, “can I come early then? I can help set up, and also establish that I’m the alpha best friend and everyone else is just extra.”

Juliette snorted, “sure, Cos.”

Cosmos held up her mirror, want to check yourself before your boyfriend shows up?”

“Too late,” Digger hugged her from behind.

She giggled as he rested his chin on her head, “hi, Goofball.”

“Hi, Angel,” he kissed the top of her head, “the squad and I are doing a grocery run. Need anything for tonight?”

Juliette found his hand on her waist, and squeezed it, “just your dumb face.”

“Can do,” Digger hugged her tight, “later, Angel. Later, Cosmos.”

“See you, Digger,” Cosmos two finger saluted.

He disappeared off into the sea of high schoolers, and Juliette closed her locker sighing.

“Don’t say it,” Cosmos groaned.

“I miss him,” she pouted.

“And you say it anyways,” Cosmos took her hand, “come on, Starlight. Let’s prep for tonight.”

****

Stickler: Anyone need a ride to Juliette’s tonight?

Dabbler: I do!

Tag: Frenzy and I are going to walk

Tag: but thank you for asking

Baby: so wher does she live?

Radar: In a castle made our rainbows and gummy bears! xD

Frenzy: LOL RADAR!!!! XD

Tracks: *liked Radar’s message*

Goose: she lives in that big fancy mansion with the big gates and security system

Ace: she does?

Squirrel: ya dude

Squirrel: she’s rich

Sticker: Her parents are rich

Max: guys…

Radar: SEE! CASTLE!

Baby: damn…

Dabbler: I use to ride by that place all the time! She lives there?!?!

Max: guys!!!!

Squirrel: went there once for halloween

Squirrel: jumbo size candies

Frenzy: I LOVE THAT HOUSE!!!!

Goose: they always go all out for holidays! I like going by during Christmas

Goose: crazy to think she’s been living their the whole time!

Ace: my mind is blown!

Max: GUYS!!!!!

Cosmos: You all know she’s in this chat

Cosmos: Right?

Max: I tried to warn them :/

Dabbler: hi Juliette! your house is cool!

Juliette: :)

[eve-and-briar]

Dawn paused outside the popular coffee shop, glancing through the window to see a long line twisting from the register to the door. She shifted her weight from one leg to another, mentally weighing whether waiting for over twenty minutes for coffee would be worth it, but, after double- and triple-checking the name of the coffee shop and the very high reviews, Dawn decided that she could give it a chance. A single chance to do well, she reasoned, or else she would leave a scathing review.

A bell jingled when Dawn swung open the door, the noise lost in the low din of the people clustered in the store. As she reluctantly stepped reluctantly into line, she took in the wonderful aroma of the rich coffee. Twenty-two long minutes crept by as the line inched forward. To pass the time, Dawn alternated between checking her phone and silently judging those around her.

Dawn was in the middle of thinking about how much she hated the man next to her for talking loudly about a rash on his cell phone when her thoughts were interrupted.

“Next customer!” the barista irritably called, tapping on the touch screen in front of her.

Dawn stepped up to the counter, scowling. “It’s about time,” she said, disdain dripping from her voice. “I’ll have a mocha pumpkin latte made with oat milk, four shots of espresso, and two packs of brown sugar on the side. That is,” Dawn said, eyeing the line that extended back to the door, “if you can manage something like that with the operation you seem to be running here.”

The barista let out a sharp sigh, exasperation written on her face. “Well, this is more complicated than what most of my co-workers can deal with,” she said, then muttered something beneath her breath before turning away and beckoning to one of the others behind the counter. “Come take over the register while I deal with this nightmare of an order, won’t you?”

“No problem, hun,” the other barista said with a winning smile. As he started to greet the next customer warmly, the first barista walked over to the machine to begin making the intricate coffee. 

Dawn followed along, tilting her head to the side to watch with the precision of a hawk. She noticed the way the barista handled the glass, her movements relaxed in a self-assured way that spoke at great length of her experience. Dawn glanced at the nametag in curiosity before focusing her attention again on the skilled hands making the coffee. Bella.

The barista, Bella, glanced up from making the coffee, looking mildly taken off guard by Dawn’s complete attention. “Based on your tone earlier,” she said, “it’s safe to assume you’ve been dissatisfied by the customer service here?”

Dawn let out a dry laugh. “If I sound the least bit satisfied, then clearly I’ve done something terribly wrong.”

“There’s nothing anyone could have done about the line,” Bella said, annoyance lacing her voice. “You did choose to come here of your own free will, I assume. If anything, you should be grateful for a line like this, as it is a mark of a good product.” As she spoke, Bella never missed a beat in her work, which almost impressed Dawn.

Almost. 

“If you have such a good product, then why can’t you hire more people to make the lines move faster?” she questioned. “But I apologize that having them hire an overworked, tired girl doesn’t fill me with confidence that I’m about to purchase a reliable product.”

Bella aggressively slammed the cup down as she reached for another ingredient; her mouth pressed into a thin line. “I apologize for my demeanor being less than friendly when interacting with you, but you have come to me- to us- to make your drink. Which,” she said, “by the way, I am more than qualified to do.” She shuddered slightly, the drink sloshing as she said, “I’m sure my many, many years of experience have given me the skills needed to make a superior cup of coffee when compared to your over-engineered machine at home. I can assure you that I deliver a more than reliable product that will make anything else pale in comparison- fuck!” Bella broke off her tirade, yanking her hand away from the boiling hot water and pressing it onto the cool counter.

Dawn raised her eyebrows in slight concern but mostly in derision. “Maybe the reason behind the extremely long lines is your mouth, so maybe a little less talking, a lot more coffee?”

A look of anger flashed across Bella’s face, but she bit her tongue. She took a moment to compose herself, and then carefully said, “Right away.”

“Right away… ma’am?” Dawn prompted, relishing in the moment, taking her frustration about the long lines out on the girl who dared to rant about her talent, who seemed to be looking down on Dawn.

The barista did not respond verbally. Instead of breaking into another angry monologue at the barbed sentence, Bella simply flipped her off before storming into the back, and Dawn’s jaw dropped in shock, anger blooming within her chest. How dare that rude barista have the sheer audacity to stand up to her, to make such a crude gesture?

But beyond the initial shock and anger, another emotion rose within her. As she waited for Bella to return, Dawn stood by the counter, tapping her painted fingernails on the mahogany, her mind whirling. It might have been a rude and obscene gesture, but part of Dawn respected it. No one had ever been bold enough to stand up to her before, not like that. Not in such an interesting way. 

To her surprise, the conversation with Bella hadn’t made her mad at all, not beyond flashes of kneejerk emotion and the irritation of the entire situation. In fact, it felt less like an exchange of insults and more of a crossing of wits. Were they just playing a game?

“You’re not allergic to anything, are you?” The voice snapped Dawn out of her thoughts and back to the moment, where Bella was holding a jug of milk, waiting for an answer. The curt words and the look of annoyance on Bella’s face seemed real, but Dawn wondered if they were both just having fun.

She weighed her options for a second before leaning against the counter, putting a teasing smirk on her face. “Is that a threat?” Dawn asked, playfulness creeping into her voice.

“No,” Bella said bluntly. Was there something else in her expression? “I’m just trying not to lose my job or the patronage of such a treasured customer. So?” She gestured with the jug of milk, her hand never lifting from the label. “Are you allergic to anything?”

“Bad manners,” Dawn said snidely, “which is the reason this interaction is going so poorly. But, otherwise, no.” 

Bella nodded in response, then continued making the coffee. They stood there in silence for a moment as she poured the milk into the cup, and then Bella asked, “Do you normally insult the innocent and unsuspecting minimum wage workers who have the absolute pleasure of running into you, or am I just special?” 

A thrill ran through Dawn at the sarcastic question. “I wouldn’t say you were remarkable in the least,” she said, pushing down the joy in her throat at maybe finally making a friend. “But I don’t often exchange wits with someone like you.” 

“There really isn’t any need to skirt around the subject,” Bella said. “It’s much easier to admit that you find me entertaining, at the very least. Watch.” She placed the almost finished coffee on the counter and made direct eye contact with Dawn. “You have been an interesting, if annoying, conversation partner, and you somehow made my shift move faster.” 

The intense look in Bella’s eyes and the blunt sincerity of her words shocked Dawn into silence for a moment, causing her to miss a beat of the conversation. Her heart pounded, and not just at the anticipation of caffeine. “And you have been taking quite a long time to make my coffee, so it better be worth the wait.” 

Bella rolled her eyes, putting the lid on the cup and walking toward the pick-up counter with the finished drink. “Obnoxiously long order for… someone named Dawson?” she called out, squinting her eyes in mock confusion at the name on the label. 

“Dawn,” she corrected as she trailed along after Bella, but even this poor service made it hard to keep the smile from her face. Dawn grabbed the cup, delighting in the warmth against her cold hands. “Are you sure you managed to get the order right?”

“Everything went according to plan, yes,” Bella said, watching as Dawn blew on the coffee to cool it.

She took a cautious sip, but the drink tasted nothing like what she expected. It didn’t taste off, as if Bella had made a sloppy mistake, or bad, as if Bella had purposefully ruined the coffee, but it was still not right. Dawn looked up, noticing the smug look on Bella’s face. “This isn’t-”

“It’s better, isn’t it?” Bella asked, but it wasn’t really a question. The smirk on her face was proof of that.

And the horrid thing was that she was right. The order in Dawn’s hand wasn’t her own, but was instead Bella’s creation, her improvement. And it was the most wonderful taste of coffee Dawn had ever had in her life- the taste was rich and dark with just the hints of sweetness, and there was a certain flavor that tugged on her, pulling her attention. She attributed it to the milk, which could not have been oat, as she had ordered. It was better. But Dawn could never admit something like that. “Well, it isn’t dirt awful, which is good enough for a cafe like this.” With that, she swept her credit card through the reader.

“What, no tip? Hazelnut milk is a pain to get,” Bella said, shifting into her perky customer service voice. “And what about your experience today could be improved, ma’am?” 

It was Dawn’s turn to roll her eyes as she fished for a dollar bill in her wallet. Finally, she pulled a bill out and flourished it. “I only have a twenty, but I’m guessing that works in your favor?” She stuffed the bill into the tip jar, and then smirked. “Next time, maybe you’d get a better tip if you followed the order.” Dawn waved with one hand, walking towards the door, but something held her back. She turned back to face Bella. “When is your next shift?” 

“That is an incredibly invasive question,” Bella said, quirking an eyebrow. “But I will be here tomorrow.”

Dawn smirked. “Unrelated, but I will have to make another visit to this place. Maybe tomorrow, depending on my schedule.” And as she walked out of the coffee store into the chilly air of the street, both the coffee and the feeling within her kept Dawn warm. 

~~~

thank you so much for reading! we hope you enjoy these very sarcastic characters who have finally met their match. as this was dawn's pov, it was written by @pagesofcursive, but the dialogue and plot was brainstormed by both her and @apocalypsewriters

thank you to @cloverfieldswriting and @beezlebubss for betaing!

taglist (reach out if you want to be added): @arbys-haunted-turnover, @writing-is-a-martial-art, @cloverfieldswriting <3

-briar xoxo

[whythehellnaut]

Why’s Turning Red review

I wanted to like Turning Red, but, eh, this didn't resonate with me at all, and only made me nitpick it a lot, and that's when I take into account that I'm not female.  I'm sure it was mainly made for girls and kids going through puberty, but there's a lot that bothers me about the over encompassing metaphor and how the movie seems to be perceived by the public.  I guess this is sort of my contrarian opinion that I tend to put out there.

I recognize that male critics are complaining that the female focus makes it less relatable and feel less realistic about puberty, so I'll refrain from addressing things I may not understand about female growth, as those complaints probably ought to be ignored.  Here are the things I definitely do want to address:  the writing is plagued with weird, once-thought-dead cliches, the characters are bland and unlikable, and the puberty metaphor doesn't work particularly well.First I want to mention the time period- this is about a 13 year old in early 2002, and I was 12 that year, so this is exactly my world.  I remember how middle schoolers were during that time, and we definitely did not ALL have cell phones that we were texting on and using phrases like "OMG" in common settings.  That wasn't for about 5 more years, and even then it was the rich kids that were texting because it was an additional charge to do so.  I know that's a nitpick but it makes me question why this was set that early and not just made as a modern setting.  The main reason was for the boy band plot point, I think, but honestly, it feels less like it was written about 2002 and more like it was written IN 2002.  There are cliches here that I remember seeing in Nickelodeon cartoons from that era, and this bothers me.

Particularly, the way that the biggest plot element is about becoming an "adult" via going to your first pop concert by sneaking out, is an old, old, ooooold cliche that I had hoped was dead, since, even in 2002, it was unrealistic, not relatable (my first concert was Art Garfunkel in 2016 at age 26), and sets a bizarre standard about what growing up means.  It's not about doing adult things, it's about maturing mentally.  The movie tries to address this with the red panda as symbolism for Meilin's puberty and mental growth, but this sort of falls apart when I think about it.

Meilin's gimmick, where she becomes a giant red panda when going through strong emotions typical of her age, is meant to symbolize how she doesn't need to be ashamed of her "cringey" interests and that she can be herself despite her mother's wishes.  This is a good message to send to kids, I approve of it, however, very early the red panda reveals itself to be incredibly destructive, resulting in millions of dollars in property damage and later, a badly assaulted young boy.  I feel like this is not the best way to portray this.  Puberty messes with your emotions, sure, but it doesn't cause horrific destruction like this, and for a movie trying to teach kids that puberty isn't scary, I think that's sending the opposite message.  And although the red panda lets her have more fun in life, I don't really think something that ominous is something she should be allowed to have.  This is like a 13 year old drinking heavily or brandishing an assault rifle in public because he feels it better reflects his personality- there are limits to how acceptable it is to let out your feelings, and becoming a 10 foot red panda I think crosses that line a bit.

Lastly, I want to discuss why I felt the characters were rather poorly written.  Some critics think the kids are too cringey, and counterarguments tend to suggest that their cringeyness is a realistic positive about their personalities, but I disagree with both, and think they were not cringey at all.  If anything, they were too normal and one-note.  The four friends are supposed to have a great bond, and the chemistry is there, but only barely.  Abby is never seen not being overly eccentric, even in serious moments and Priya is never seen not being monotone and half asleep, even when her body language suggests excitement like the rest.  It feels like they took 2010s cartoon character tropes and forgot to add depth to them.  I like that Miriam is a caring friend, but she doesn't really say or do much that Meilin isn't already doing.  Their friendship feels rather average, and not the type that would have viewers considering it love.  Meilin goes through a decent character arc of learning to reject her family's demands of perfectionism and be herself, but I noticed that not once does she provide anything for her friends that would indicate why they like and adore her so much.  She only takes from them and never gives.  When they turn on her for something awful she does to them, she is instantly forgiven the moment she says, "sorry," with little to no indication that she has changed.  This is quasi-Mary Sue writing.  They're not terrible, but I think the movie could have used one more draft to better flesh out the characters.

What did I like about the movie?  Honestly, not much.  This is one of my least favorite Pixar films to date.  The plot was so... 2002, in a bad way.  I feel like I've seen most of this before, so I was bored.  I can only compliment how well intentioned the film is.  It has a good message that clearly comes from the heart of the writer, everyone learns something, and I think overall it might be good for teenagers to see, despite some issues with the writing.  It was also good to hear James Hong doing well at age 92.  Honestly though, as someone who was rooting for this movie in the past few weeks, this gets a rather uncommon thumbs down from me.

[addictedtomanga]

Classic shoujo mangas

1.       Skip Beat – ongoing

Sixteen-year-old Kyouko Mogami followed her childhood friend and love interest Shoutarou "Shou" Fuwa to Tokyo to support him while he works toward his dream of becoming a top idol in the entertainment industry. But after finding out that Shou considers her as little more than a mere housekeeper, she swears to enact revenge by entering the entertainment industry herself and beating him at his own game!

However, Kyouko's revenge plan suffers a setback almost immediately when she is rejected by the talent agency of her choice. Fortunately, the president of the agency gives her a second chance, and places her in the newly made "Love Me" section. Kyouko then begins her long journey to stardom, cultivating her skills as an actress and forming relationships with new friends along the way.

! I always loved this one, but it has really REALLY slow-pacing, and its ongoing, so if you haven’t started it yet, I’d wait ‘til it’s done.

2.       Ouran High School Host Club

At Ouran High School, an academy where only the children of the rich and powerful attend, there exists a club consisting of the most elite of the student body: the legendary Host Club. Within the club's room, six beautiful, bored boys spend their time entertaining equally beautiful and bored girls.

Haruhi Fujioka, a poor scholarship student, has no interest in the Host Club—until she breaks a valuable vase in their clubroom. After being mistaken for a boy, Haruhi is forced by Kyouya Ootori to work for the Host Club to repay her debt. Tamaki Suou, the princely leader of the club, eagerly takes her under his wing to teach her the ways of the host. Things, however, are never quite so simple with the Host Club around. Even the most mundane events can turn into huge spectacles with the likes of prankster twins Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, stoic Takashi Morinozuka, and sweet Mitsukuni "Hunny" Haninozuka. The crazy adventures of the Host Club are just beginning, and Haruhi must learn how to survive in the glitzy world of the hosts.

3.       Kimi ni Todoke

Kuronuma Sawako is completely misunderstood by her classmates. Her timid and sweet demeanor is often mistaken for malicious behavior. This is due to her resemblance to the ghost girl from "The Ring," which has led her peers to give her the nickname Sadako. Longing to make friends and live a normal life, she is naturally drawn to Kazehaya Shouta, the most popular guy in class, whose "100% refreshing" personality earns him great admiration from Sawako. So when Kazehaya starts talking to her, maybe there is hope for the friendships Sawako has always longed for. Maybe...there is even a little hope for some romance in her future.

! A bit too long in my opinion, but its sweet.

4.       Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

It's a gorgeous, spacious mansion, and four handsome, fifteen-year-old friends are allowed to live in it for free! There's only one condition—that within three years the guys must transform the owner's wallflower niece into a lady befitting the palace in which they all live! How hard can it be?

Enter Sunako Nakahara, the agoraphobic, horror-movie-loving, pockmark-faced, frizzy-haired, fashion-illiterate recluse who tends to break into explosive nosebleeds whenever she sees anyone attractive. This project is going to take more than our four heroes ever expected: it needs a miracle!

! This is super frustrating. I loved everything, except for the ending. Honestly, I don’t recommend reading it with great expectations, just enjoy the story. 

5.       Dengeki Daisy

Teru Kurebayashi is left all alone in the world after the death of her brother, Souichirou. Well, all alone except for "Daisy," someone that she can always talk to and who never hesitates to cheer her up. However, Teru has never met Daisy, she has no idea what he looks like, and her only means of contacting him is through a cell phone that her brother left for her.

In stark contrast to the kind words and encouragement Teru receives from Daisy, she gets nothing but grief from the rude school janitor, Tasuku Kurosaki, who forced Teru to work for him after she accidentally broke a window. But while Kurosaki seems like a lazy good-for-nothing who only enjoys making her miserable, is there more to him than meets the eye?

6.       Kaichou wa Maid-sama

Seika High School was an all-boys school, but it has since turned co-ed. Misaki Ayuzawa is the first female student council president of the school, eventually earning the nickname of the "Demon President" due to her mastery of Aikido and imposed iron rule.

However, Misaki harbors an embarrassing secret—she has to work at a maid café to support her family. If anybody from her school was to find out, her reputation would be utterly destroyed. And after Takumi Usui—the most popular boy at school—discovers her secret, that might just happen.

7.       Special A

Have you ever known someone who was better than you at everything you did? Hikari does. She's known Kei since they were both six years old and he's surpassed her at everything. Now they are the top two students in an extremely prestigious high school, with Kei holding firmly to that number one position, and Hikari is still determined to beat him, no matter what it takes.

8.       Black Bird

Misao Harada has been able to see demons since she was a child and has vague memories of a boy who protected her from these troublesome creatures, vowing to come back for her someday. Now in high school, Misao wishes she could be normal and have a boyfriend. As she returns home one day, she notices a gorgeous stranger has moved in next door. To her surprise, he introduces himself as Kyou, her long-lost childhood friend and first love.

The next day, on her 16th birthday, Misao is suddenly wounded by a classmate. Exposed as a demon, he plans to eat her in order to gain eternal youth. When all hope seems lost, Kyou saves her, revealing himself as the leader of a Tengu clan. Since making Misao his bride will bring prosperity to his clan, he offers her a choice: sleep with him and become his bride, or endure more attacks from other demons drawn to the power of her blood.

! A bit dramatic to my taste, but overall I really liked it

9.     Last Game

Nothing is beyond Naoto Yanagi, heir to the Yanagi business conglomerate. Idolized for his athletic and intellectual competence, looks and wealth, Naoto lived like a king during his elementary school days—then entered Mikoto Kujou, a plain, gloomy-looking transfer student.

Due to her low financial status, Naoto was initially apathetic towards Mikoto. But despite having just arrived at his school, she completely eclipsed him in everything by consistently scoring top marks in exams and placing first in athletic events. After a brief confrontation with her that left him shocked, Naoto vowed to outdo her no matter the cost.

Ten years later, they are now students attending the same college. Having failed to defeat Mikoto throughout middle and high school, Naoto decides they will have one last game: if he can make Mikoto fall in love with him and then break her heart, it will be his victory. However, he finds himself falling in love with her instead...

! One of my favorites! 

I love this one, but beware, its slow-paced

[atalho-s]

Sweet Sugar

1 | Subterranean Homesick Alien

(gif it’s not mine! let me know if you’re the owner!)

pairing: tom holland x reader / tom holland x brazilian reader (she’s from brazil here, but you can picture her being of any place that you want! Since the story wouldn’t change bc of that) 

warnings: swear words, underage drinking (not much tho, nothing like “Skins” lmao), suggestive scenes in some chapters, not smut, but minors be aware. Fluff/angst/drama/ Y/n and Tom being stupid teenagers with feelings.

words: 2.4 k

Summary: Y/n has always been best friends with Harrison and Tom. Since childhood they've always been close, but what happens if after a break up with her first boyfriend, she starts to feel something more about Tom?

A conflict of feelings, the non-acceptance of falling in love and the fear of losing her best friend, all in the head of an 17-year-old teenager. And on top of that, still having to fear of not being accepted for college.

a/n: 

This is a series i have in portuguese on my wattpad! It’s kinda long and have 2 parts haha but i decided to translate to post here too :) 

It was my first fanfic ever, so be aware lol

I never been to europe, so i’m sorry for any mistake about city features or how school works...

I just want to thank @petesrparker​ : Gio you’re the best and thank you for always helping me and hype up this series since the beginning! Seriously, you’re the best, this story would be nothing without you 😭❤

She even did a playlist for this! ikr? She’s amazing 💕 you can check out here if you want! 

❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁

It was 2 minutes to 7am and I was late for school. Running to put on my warm sweatshirt and getting ready psychologically to go out in a cold weather, I grabbed my keys and tried to lock the door almost dropping my backpack on the floor. It was almost summer, but my town wasn't disappointed in having very cold mornings and hot afternoons.

"Shit," I murmured as I kicked the door, insisting that didn't want to close it. "Why hasn't my mom called someone to fix this thing yet?" I spoke to myself and finally managed to close it hearing a click. Coming down the stairs practically running, I closed the small gate and strode down the street.

I lived with my parents in a town called Kingston-upon-Thames, in a tiny two-bedroom house, very close to the school. You just need to walk about 4 blocks and voilá, I could already see the entrance gate and the familiar faces of the gringos. I was in the last year of high school, just turned 17 and I was born in Brazil, but grew up in London, when my father had to move because of his work, when I was only 6 years old. Obviously we weren't rich, my father worked with woodwork, and my mother currently worked in a small flower shop in the city center. But when my father received an offer to move to another country, he didn't think twice. Learn another culture, a new language and still earn some good money?An offer that cannot be refused.

The first time we arrived it was very strange, only my father knew intermediate English and my mother and I obviously did not know a single word. But we quickly befriended a family that lived on our street: the Osterfields. Jenna and Carter were the parents of two children: Harrison, the same age as me and little Charlotte (newborn at the time). Harrison and I immediately became inseparable, and he became like a brother to me and our families became one.

Obviously with him, also came nothing more and nothing less than: the Holland family. Nikki and Dom had 4 male children, one my age: Tom, Harry and Sam twins, 3 years younger and Paddy who was born 2 years later. So the family just grew, our parents became best friends, and me, Harrison and Tom became an unbeatable trio. There was no Y/n, without Tom and Harrison and vice versa, we're always together.

We went to the same school since always. As Haz lived only a few houses below mine, we meet and go together and Tom, who lived on the other side of the school, met us at the gate every day.

I went down the street and saw Haz sitting on the wall in front of his house, fiddling with his cell phone with a earphone, as soon as I approached he raised his head and smiled.

- Finally, I thought you aren’t going to class today. - He said getting up and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

- Good morning to you too Haz. - I said laughing and hooking my arm on him, while we went down the street. - You know that now that my mom is working on the other side of town she leaves early and then I have to wake up by myself, which is clearly a problem.

- Sleepyhead, - he said and I playfully tapped his arm while he laughed.

- Well, i'm, what can I say? Sleeping is the best thing in the world. - I said. - Did you do the history homework?

- Wich history homework? - He stopped suddenly looking at me in shock.

- Harrison Osterfield, you are not going to tell me that you forgot the work that I talked about it every day for almost a month. - I said putting my hand on my waist scolding him.

- Well ... I completely forgot. - Haz said scratching the back of his head with the face of a stray dog. -I was busy decorating the lines from the play.

- Wow Harrison, that way you will fail and then you'll  came crying to me. 

- Ok mom, sorry! But was it for today? Can I copy it and give it to you later? 

- Ok, but just this time, and do me a favor to exchange practically all the words I used or i'll be in trouble. - I said taking out my briefcase, while he held my backpack and I handed him my work. 

- I love you... - he said giving me back my backpack and hugging me, kissing my head afterwards.

- And I don't love you at all, bummer. - I giggled and we rounded the corner of the school.

Tom was already leaning against the side of the gate with his backpack between his legs, talking to a guy who was doing theater with him and Harrison. He was laughing at something, wearing a black hoodie, his hair was a little messy under his hood and his nose was slightly red from the cold. For some reason my stomach did some flips as we approached.

Harrison and Tom were very handsome, there was no denying it, they were half nerds, half bad boys (in the sense of forgetting to study for the exam or not doing their homework once in a while), they did theater, they were nice and got along very well with girls since they started puberty. As for me, I was the nerd who was always concerned about grades and getting into the journalism college, I didn't always have excellent grades, but they were enough to pass or impress the professors when I felt inspired. I wasn't popular, but not a completely ghost too, because being best friends with the boys ended up calling attention in some way.

The only boyfriend I had was a guy named Steven, and also my first kiss, to at age 15, but we broke up last year. Steven was cool, but we had different views on things and use to think about completely different futures, so we thought it was best to broke up. And since then I'm alone and very well, thank you.

But since I broke up with Stev, for some reason I've started to have some weird feelings for Tom. Weird in the meaning of being shy around him, with whatever he does, or whatever words he exchanges with me. Which is ridiculous, because he's my childhood friend, and I never felt any of that with Haz, so why with him I feel? I always saw Haz as my brother, but with Tom it's different, and I never understood why.

Anyway, here I was with my heart beating faster and faster as we approached. As soon as we got close, Tom waved goodbye to the guy he was talking. He grabbed his backpack off the floor and patted Haz on the back, kissing my forehead afterwards, which I immediately feel my cheeks burning with embarrassing, but no one realized.

- Hey mates! Finally! I thought you weren't coming anymore.- he said as the three of us went through the gate towards the school.

- The madam here, was the one who ended up sleeping too much, I was also waiting a long time.- Haz said and I rolled my eyes, making Tom smile.

- I understand Y/n, I also love sleeping... By the way, I said I was waiting a long time, but actually I just arrived. - He laughed - Your mother started working on that flower shop, right?

- Yeah! She started today, so I'm still getting used to waking up just with the alarm without my mom pulling me from under the covers by my hair.- I replied and they both laughed.

- Which class do you guys have now? - Tom asked as we went up the stairs to the first floor where the class rooms were.

-Math- Haz said, rolling his eyes. - Actually, I really have to go, because if I show up a second late again Mr. Jones will kill me. - he said giving us a brief wave and running to the opposite side.

- I have philosophy, thank God, one of my favorite subjects.- I said raising my hands to the sky as a joke and Tom laughed.

- Wow y/n, I thought your favorite subject was biology and English.- he said and I stuck out my tongue, but feeling a little warm inside, these subjects were the ones we had together.

- Anyway, see you later? I have physics now unfortunately.

- Yeah, I'll be at our new favorite place. - I giggle, it had been a week since me, Haz and Tom found a perfect place to stay during the break, which was on the back of the school, on a hill next to a tree, where we had a full view of the students down there. It was perfect, because the warm morning sun was shining and we'd be left on the ground gossiping and watching what others were doing.

- See you there shortie. -Tom said kissing the top of my head, giving me a wink and leaving towards his class room.

- Look who's talking. - I said loudly for him to hear and he showed me his middle finger from a distance, laughing at my face.

I turned around smiling and headed towards my class. The first two classes were normal, nothing new, I was still a little sleepy, so I ended up almost sleeping in the second geography class, where I was almost kicked out by Mr Wilson, who let It pass this time. The alarm hit indicating it was break time and I thanked God, practically running to stay out in the sun.

I grabbed my phone from my pocket and my headphones, hitting play on Radiohead's Subterranean Homesick Alien song and walking outside. I saw Steven with his new girlfriend Lily right on the way out, they were talking, hugging each other and looked very happy, he saw me and gave a smile from a distance where I reciprocated. Our break up went very well, without resentment, which made me happy.

I walked up the small hill and saw Haz and Tom already at our meeting place. Tom was lying down looking at the sky while Haz was sitting propped up in the tree.

- Did you guys miss me? - I said sitting next to Haz.

- Yeah, we were even thinking about how we could handle living without you y/n- Haz said and Tom chuckled.

- I know you two love me. - I said shrugging.

- In fact, we were arguing when you're going to have a new boyfriend. - Tom said and I froze.

- And who said I want a new boyfriend? I asked raising my eyebrow.

- We know you y/n, you starting to have your head in the clouds lately, always retweeting couple things and posting romantic songs, I can see that you're falling in love again.- Tom said, still looking at the sky.

- I agree. - Haz said taking the side of my earphone and putting into his ear. - She's even listening to Radiohead! And you always listen to Radiohead when you're in love. - I gave them a sarcastic laugh and pulled the earphone of his ear turning off the music making Haz laugh.

- You guys are idiots, I'm fine alone thank you, I just want to focus on my studies from now on. - I said and they both made a "hmm" in unison, making me roll my eyes.

- Actually, we were discussing where we're going to celebrate my 17th birthday tomorrow.- Tom said changing the subject, turning his head and covering the sun with his hand to look at me.

-Tomorrow is your birthday?- I asked pretending to be surprise and Tom rolled his eyes playfully.

- I know you two always look forward to my birthday, because you love me and want to surprise me.- he said and Haz and I laughed ironically. - But Marcos offered his house, because his parents are traveling, so we could make a cool party there! So I was thinking about calling the theater people and some of our friends like Julian, Tuwaine and etc, maybe getting some drinks too... - Tom said sitting down and cleaning some leaves that were stuck on his hoodie.

- I think it's a good idea, I'm not much of partying or drinking, but with you both I always have fun.- I said and Haz rested his head on my shoulder.

- Good to know we make you happy Y/n. - Haz said and I giggle patting his head.

- So we meet tomorrow? You guys want to stop by my house so we could go together?

- Actually, I have to go to my granny first, so I'll go from there.- Haz said and Tom gave him a thumbs up.

- Y/n you can go? Around 7pm it's ok?

-Of course Tommy. - I said and he smiled at the nickname.

- Okay, I'll wait for you at 7pm and I'll send you the address, mate.- he said to Haz as we got up listening to the bell ringing indicating the break was over.

- Deal!- Haz said.

- Deal. - I also said as we went down back to class.

The last classes were history, the subject I had with Haz and he returned my homework, assuring me that he had changed the words. We spend the whole class sending notes talking about nonsense and making jokes. Haz and I were pretty good at sending notes without the professor seeing.

But I confess I was puzzled by what the boys had said earlier, how did they have the impression that I was in love? I wasn't, was I? Was I showing too much that i had feelings for Tom? I don't know, I just know that the whole story had left me with immense anxiety.

The class was over and I said goodbye to Haz, because he had theater with Tom and I didn't have any extra activities that day. The only days that i had something was on monday, tuesday and thursday, when I have a school reinforcement to improve my notes to enter college. Which was a relief, since I had to run to the mall to look for a gift to give Tom for his birthday. I had been looking for weeks and I didn't find anything interesting to give to my best friend. Best friend isn't it? Nothing more than this...

❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁

a/n: if you liked and want to be tagged on the next chapters let me know! 😊

[musings-from-mars]

@pollinationweek 2021: Day 1 - Band AU

They had been stranded here on the side of the road for a while now, and Ruby was not handling the fact that their van was seemingly broken down well, all while they were still hours away from their gig. “What do we do?” She asked for perhaps the twentieth time as she paced, her boots thump-thumping against the asphalt.

“We buy a new van,” Weiss grumbled, content with just staring at her girlfriend’s butt as Yang draped herself over the front of the van to check under the hood.

“About a week too late with that idea,” Blake said, also content with staring at Yang’s butt.

“Hey now,” Yang’s voice echoed from inside the van’s inner workings, her feet kicking up behind her. Her jeans were getting caught on the metal, revealing the top few inches of her plaid boxer shorts. So attractive… “I can fix this, don’t worry. I know Big Berty inside and out.”

Big Berty was an early-2000s era transit van with two hundred thousand miles on the odometer and a chipping coat of black paint. It was practically held together by Yang’s very hopes and dreams, and a liberal amount of duct tape.

“Yang, we’re in the middle of nowhere,” Weiss said as she stepped closer, glanced down into the van skeptically, diligently avoiding getting any van dirt on her white runners jacket. “Unless you can do magic, we’re not getting anywhere. We should just call a tow truck.”

“How much will that cost,” Blake asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Weiss assured her, alluding to her ability to still access her rich family’s fortune despite being disinherited. It would require a couple calls to a sympathetic butler and a particularly tech-savvy groundskeeper at her family’s manor, but she could acquire funds in an emergency.

“Okay, but how long is it going to take?” Blake added, pulling out her phone. “Because wherever we are, it’s nowhere close to a cell tower, so I don’t think a tow trunk is nearby either.”

“Ye of such little faith,” Yang said, then she tried to shift her position, yelped with pain, fell backwards and bumped the top of her head on the hood of the van. “Fuck!”

Weiss was the one closest by and caught Yang in her arms. “Careful, you dunce!”

Yang gritted her teeth as she rubbed her head with her hand. Then she sighed as she looked at Weiss, their faces close. “Heheh…okay, I’ll admit it. I think Big Berty is taking an impromptu sabbatical.”

“You mean it finally clunked out and we can get a new van?” Blake asked hopefully.

“I didn’t say that!” Yang said defensively, then stared at Weiss a little more. She sniffed and started to feign tears. “Don’t make me give up my Big Berty Baby, Weiss.”

“Someone catch her, I’m about to drop her,” Weiss deadpanned.

Blake volunteered to assume Yang cradling duties as Weiss sighed dramatically and turned to Ruby. “Hey, we’ll be fine. This is why we leave for long trips a day early, remember?”

“But it’s almost nightfall,” Ruby said, looking up at the orange dusk. “Even if we make it in time, we’ll have so little sleep. Gods, this is gonna suck, we’re gonna suck, I’m gonna suck…”

Weiss stepped closer, taking Ruby by the shoulders. “We’ll be fine, don’t worry so much.”

Ruby’s cheeks turned a faint pink, but she shook her head. “I just don’t want a repeat of last time.”

Weiss looked to the side and pressed her lips together. She remembered the last time they’d had a mishap. It wasn’t a big performance, just a local set at a club back home. But a combination of equipment mishaps, some rowdy club goers, and Ruby being on two hours of sleep at best made for a rough night. “This will be different, Ruby,” Weiss assured her. “We’re far better prepared now. We’ve got this.” She punctuated her point by leaning forward and giving her a light kiss. “Now come sit down while Blake calls the tow truck.”

“I just said I don’t have service,” Blake called while slowly lowering Yang to the ground since their drummer seemed to refuse to stand up.

Weiss pulled her phone from her pocket and threw it to Blake with a tremendous amount of trust that she would catch it. “I have service.”

Blake caught the phone with one hand and looked at her phone. “Full bars? How?”

Weiss didn’t answer, instead turning back to Ruby, who was calmer and more flushed-faced now. “Come sit on the tailgate with me. Maybe if you play something for fun that might help you settle a little more?”

Ruby’s shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath, but she smiled and nodded. “Yeah, good idea.”

While Blake called a towing company, Yang stayed on the asphalt for a little floor time, and Weiss and Ruby sat on the back of the van. Ruby had her acoustic guitar in her lap, strumming random tunes and chords as Weiss sat with her, her head on her shoulder. She chuckled as she listened to Ruby play. “You know what would be funny?”

“Hmm?” Ruby turned her head toward Weiss, pausing her playing to listen.

“What if we recorded a song right here? Like, on our future album or something, just out in the middle of nowhere?”

Ruby blinked and looked where she was looking. Besides the road, there was nothing but grass and trees as far as the eye could see. “It is pretty quiet,” Ruby agreed.

“Once we hit it big time, you know?” Weiss continued. “It would be a cool way to remember moments like this, just us in Yang’s shitty van. But hopefully by that time, we’ll have a bus or something.”

“Aww, but then we wouldn’t have to sleep in a pile like we do in the back of the van,” Ruby said with a giggle.

“Says who?” Weiss joked, smiling and kissing Ruby’s cheek. Ruby smiled and leaned against her, then returned to strumming on her guitar, playing a few chords from one of their songs that sounded a bit odd on acoustic, but was nice to listen to either way. Weiss even joined in and sang softly, though it was nowhere near her performance level register, like a soft lullaby. By now, Ruby’s worries about arriving on time had faded. Sitting here while Weiss sang was just fine with her.

Soon, Blake rounded the back of the van and sighed. “Tow truck is coming, should be about an hour-and-a-half.”

“That long?” Ruby asked as she stopped playing abruptly. Weiss sat upright as she looked up at Blake.

“We really are in the middle of nowhere,” Blake said, taking Weiss’ phone from her button-up flannel’s breast pocket and handing it back to her. “I also called the hotel and told them we’d be in late.”

“Should we…cancel the hotel to pay for the tow truck?” Ruby asked like it pained her to say. She set her guitar aside and hopped to the gravel ground, straightening her plaid skirt.

“I told you, I’ve got it handled,” Weiss assured her.

“Sorry, I’m just…” Ruby took a deep breath. “I’m anxious about us missing our gig, or running out of money…”

“Yang,” Blake called out, cupping her mouth with her hand. “Stop taking a road nap and come comfort your sister.”

A few seconds later came the thump thump thump of Yang’s boots, followed by her capturing Ruby in a hug. “Don’t worry sis, it’ll be alright!”

“Egh…loosen up…” Ruby grunted as Yang proceeded to lift her up and crush her rib cage.

“Whoop, my bad.” She gently placed Ruby down and patted her head. “But seriously, though, we’re going to be okay. This isn’t the only gig we have lined up, we have savings, we have, erm, a rich girl.” She gestured at Weiss, who rolled her eyes at her. “We’re good, okay?”

Ruby sighed and looked down, shuffling her feet on the gravel shoulder of the road. “I guess you’re right. I just worry too much…”

Blake stepped up and hugged her from behind. “Hey, while we wait, what do you say we put on some music, raid our snack stash and have a chill sesh until the tow truck arrives?”

Ruby smiled and leaned back into Blake’s arms. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

Yang grinned and pulled Weiss into a rough side hug. “Yeah, let’s have a chill sesh!”

Weiss grunted and tried shove herself away from Yang. “No sesh is chill if you’re involved, and you smell like the inside of Berty.”

“Aww come on, you love me,” Yang said as her strength overcame Weiss and pulled her into a proper hug.

“That’s irrelevant!” She claimed feebly, failing to hide the smile that was overtaking her face.

Blake hummed with amusement, then kissed the top of Ruby’s head. “How bout you pick that guitar back up. Maybe that’ll calm them down.”

“You think so?” Ruby asked with a giggle, watching as Weiss still flailed in Yang’s embrace.

“Worth a shot.”

~~~

An hour later, Weiss had fallen asleep in Yang’s arms. The two had laid down in the back of the van on the mattress, and after Weiss got through with her complaining and Yang had pared back her teasing, they’d settled into a close cuddling position and were asleep soon after. Ruby’s soft playing probably helped, as did the gentle breeze that had begun to blow through. The sun was almost set by now, bathing the sky in a deep graying blue.

Blake sat behind Ruby, holding her around the waist she she played with her legs to the sides. She was playing a slow, light tune, low in pitch and a careful rhythm that came and went like a tree swaying in the wind. Blake had said it many times to her before and Ruby never believed her, but Ruby really was the best guitar player Blake had ever met. Even while casually playing while stranded on the side of a road, her music was masterful. Blake felt so lucky to just get to hear it. “I love you,” she whispered.

Ruby hummed and smiled, continuing to play as she spoke, “I love you, too.”

“Thank you,” Blake said, kissing Ruby just above the temple.

Ruby chuckled quietly. “For what?”

“I mean,” Blake said as she began to reminisce. “You’re kinda the reason this is all real. If you hadn’t been crazy enough to convince us all to abandon our sensible career choices and form a rock band, I never would have gotten the chance to fall in love with you three.”

“I did kinda ruin all of your lives, huh?” Ruby said with a giggle. Her playing was slowing and getting quieter.

“Hardly,” Blake said, tightening her embrace around Ruby a little. “Because of you, Weiss got away from her dickhole father, Yang escaped the fate of becoming some bored shop mechanic, and I, well…I’d be in a shitty apartment doing nothing.”

“You’d still be writing,” Ruby pointed out.

“Maybe. ADHD doesn’t do well without motivating factors,” Blake said and Ruby nodded knowingly. “This band, though? My girls? That’s all the motivation I need. I’ve never been this happy.”

Ruby smiled, now no longer playing, her hands frozen in playing position. She didn’t realize she had stopped. “We wouldn’t even get to be stranded here in who-knows-where if not for me, huh?”

Blake giggled and kissed her head again. “Exactly.”

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the wind blow. It was properly nighttime now, stars dotting the sky.

Ruby yawned, finally setting her guitar aside. “Honestly…I’d be okay just sleeping here tonight.”

Blake hummed, turning her girlfriend so she could cradle her sideways in her lap. “Sounds inviting. But a hotel room with a bathroom sounds even more inviting.”

Ruby shuddered. “Don’t say that, I’m trying not to think about needing to use one of those bushes for cover.”

Blake snorted, looking down at Ruby’s face. “You’re such a dork.” She leaned down and kissed her softly, cupping the back of Ruby’s head with her hand. Ruby hummed into the kiss, then placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder and pushed. Blake slowly leaned back until she was lying on the mattress as well, with Ruby parting from the kiss and adjusting to lie on her chest.

“So you’re really happy?” Ruby whispered, her hand resting in the center of Blake’s chest with Blake covering it with her own, she stared up at the Edison bulbs they had strung along the upper trim of the van’s interior, bathing them in warm light.

“Ruby, being in this band is a dream come true. Being in this polycule is a dream come true. Hell, being here right now is like a dream,” she smiled and tugged Ruby a little closer. “I’m more than happy.”

Ruby snickered. “Sappy.”

“I know.” She turned her head to look towards her other two girlfriends, Yang on her side and facing towards them, face partially obstructed by blonde hair, with Weiss held close to her chest, the girl’s back to Blake and Ruby and her face tucked against Yang’s shirt. For a pair who loved to bicker, they sure knew how to cuddle.

Ruby noticed Blake staring and smiled. “I’m happy, too. To get to do something like this with my sister and our girlfriends, I just…” She took a deep breath and sighed. “Dream come true, like you said.”

“Sappy,” Blake teased.

“You started it,” Ruby joked, tucking her nose closer to Blake.

They faded into a natural silence, and soon, Ruby was asleep on Blake’s chest. Blake figured she’d try to stay awake so she’d notice the tow truck arrive, but no way was she moving from this spot until then. The music, the performances, the travel was all fulfilling and exciting, but these moments with her girlfriends were what made it all truly worth it.

Even if Yang was kind of a snorer. And Ruby was kind of a drooler. And Weiss was…Weiss. They were her girls. She loved them with every inch of her sappy heart.

[hopeless-starry-kingdom]

you broke me first | Peter Parker

Summary: You have to remind Peter it was his fault you were broken up

read part 1 and 2 here !

song: you broke me first by Tate McRae 

a/n: happy valentines day!! hope everyone’s day was good and here is the last part of this mini series :))))

Maybe you don't like talking too much about yourself

But you shoulda told me that your were thinking ‘bout someone else

“If you guys are going to make out can you at least do it somewhere else. I’m eating.” MJ put her book back to her eye level as you and Harry pulled away from each other. You blushed and Harry smirked before throwing an arm over your shoulder.

“C’mon, MJ. Don’t be such a cockblock.” You slapped Harry on his arm and he laughed. “If you want I can set you up with one of my friends.”

MJ put her book down and pretended to think about the offer. “A rich daddy’s boy with two functional brain cells, who’s also a fuckboy. I’ll pass” She smiled sarcastically at Harry and he chuckled.

“Have I ever mentioned I like your friends?” You giggled at him and shook your head. MJ flipped him off and you had to bite back your laugh.

“Stop patronizing her.” You tried to be stern but the smirk on Harry’s face paired with MJ lips twitching up didn’t help your case. “Yes madame.”

Or your phones been off for a couple months, so you’re callin’ me now

He leaned down and pressed his lips to yours before turning back to eat his lunch. You smile was big as you stared at him but something caught your attention. From behind him you saw Peter, Gwen, and Ned walking. Gwen had her arm wrapped around Peter’s arm. Ned was talking to Gwen about something and Peter was already staring at you. You gave him a small smile and a head nod before turning back to your small group.

“Hey, did Mr. Harrington ever say when the essay was due?”

“I cant keep going. My brain is fried.” You groaned as you flopped down on MJ’s bed and rested your arms over your eyes to block the light from coming in.

“Yeah, i’m pretty burnt too. You hungry? I can order some pizza.”

“Please?” You begged and sat up as MJ was looking for the number on her phone your phone buzzed with a message. It was Harry.

Can you come over tomorrow? I wanna spend time with you <3

You bit your lip go hide to hide the smile that was threatening to come through. Harry was always so sweet with you. He had a cocky front that he showed everyone else, sometimes with you as well. But you knew deep down he was a teddy bear. Texts like this showed that. And even though Harry explained to you that his father never showed him love, and continues not to, he doesn’t see a reason not to show love.

But I ran out of every reason

“Hey, can you please stop sexting Harry? I’m trying to hang out with you.” A pillow collided with your face and you gasped.

“MJ! I’m not sexting Harry. He wants to know if I can hang out tomorrow. It’s sweet.” You quickly responded back to his text and told him you could.

“You two are disgustingly cute. It makes me sick. And tell him to stop hogging you, I feel like he’s always with you. Does he not know he has to share?” You threw your head back and laughed at her.

“So now i’m an object of sharing? Nice to know.” You laughed and soon MJ was joining in with you.

Took a while, I was in denial when I first heard

That you moved on quicker than I coulda ever, you know that hurt

“I’m happy for you, Y/N. I know the whole thing with Peter had you in a funk..” You looked down at your hands and nodded. You still thought about Peter often. Soley because you had him in some of your classes and you constantly saw him around school. But you never thought of him like you used to. You stopped loving the way his smile reached his eyes and lit up the whole room. You stopped loving his curls. You stopped loving his unconditional kindness.

It was over now, officially. You weren’t hurting anymore and it felt so amazing to say it. The storm had passed and had taken Peter Parker with it. You were happy now with Harry. So extremely happy. You didn’t actually think it was possible but after giving the relationship a chance, you couldn’t believe how happy you were with Harry.

You never wanted to depend your happiness on soley being in a relationship. You were better than that. But you were finding you were happy by yourself and with Harry. It was the best middle ground. You thought you had to depend on Peter or a relationship to be content. And it definitely wasn’t true.

“I’m just glad that it’s all over with. And Peter was an asshole to you.” You both laughed at her statement.

“Yeah, i’m glad it’s over too.” She smiled at you before tapping a button on her phone.

“Hi, I’d like to place an order for delivery.”

Swear, for awhile, I would stare at my phone just to see your name

Gwen Stacy gasped as she read the note that fell out of her locker. It was the fourth one this week. And she couldn’t count how many she got over all. Apparently she was a dirty two-faced snake. She preached girl supporting girls but to everyone else she stole someone’s boyfriend which didn’t exactly sit right with the girls of the school. Gwen didn’t mean for it to happen and she tried explaining it to some of the girls in her art class but they just rolled their eyes at her.

“Another one? Let me see.” Peter grabbed the note and read over it before tearing to to shreds.

“Yes, another one Peter. In fact the fourth one this week. And maybe if i’m lucky i’ll get one tomorrow and see what else the girls have to say about me in the girls restroom. I can’t keep doing this Peter.” Gwen slammed her locker and held her head in her hands.

“Ok, well i’ll go talk to Mr. Harrington. Or even the principal. I’ll tell them that it’s been getting out of hand and—”

“No, Peter. That’s not what I mean. I mean I can’t do this. Us.” Gwen crossed her arms over her chest and refused to look at Peter because she knew if she did she’d melt.

“W-what? Gwen, what do mean?”

“Peter I cant keep living like this! People hate me all because you broke Y/N’s heart. And I can’t blame them either becuase you left her for me, you broke the poor girl. I’d hate me too.”

“They’ll get over it! It’s none of their buisness.” He reached over and tried to grab the girls hands but she instantly pulled away.

“Peter, I really like you. I do. But with college applications coming up and school’s scouting, I can’t risk letting this affect me getting into NYU. I don’t have the time for petty school drama.”

“Gwen, cmon. Please, I really like you too. I can figure something out.” He pleaded. He couldn’t let Gwen go, not after everything that happened with you.

“I’m sorry, Pete. I really am.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek before smiling sadly at him. She turned with her books in her hand and walked away.

Peter groaned and kicked the locker next to him. It created a dent and some people began to whisper and point. He sighed before walking to his first class.

‘Did you hear what happened????’

You furrowed yourself brows at MJ’s text. You quickly looked up and seen your teacher pointing to the board and explaining today’s lesson. You placed your phone in your lap as you typed back a response.

‘Hear what? Did Flash trip and fall into the trash again?’

You looked up again and pretended to take notes and waited for her to text back. Once you felt your phone buzz your eyes nearly bulged out of your head

‘No! Though that would make my day— Gwen broke up with Peter! Some junior over heard it from their locker and started to spread it. That’ll show him!’

You gulped as you put your phone away and stared ahead. Peter no longer had Gwen. Peter no longer had the girl he left you for. She ended it with him. You had a mix of emotions. For one you wanted to rub your relationship in his face. He left you for someone and now they broke up with him.

You couldn’t believe how much it back fired on him. You wanted to laugh in his face and call him a huge idiot. You wouldn’t ever dare think of leaving him. He got his karma.

But you also felt a little sad for him. Gwen broke up with him. You couldn’t imagine how upset and sad he was feeling. But you couldn’t shake the feeling of it being his fault. Becuase maybe it was.

The rest of the week was filled with gossip about Peter being dumped by Gwen. The girls said he deserved it but also thought it didn’t excuse Gwen either. She noticed she still got stared in the hall but the whispers stopped and so did the writing in the restroom. It was a start.

They scoffed at Peter and made sure to give him a dirty look. Peter wasn’t feeling too good either. He couldn’t belive he lost you and Gwen. Ned tried to reasure him that it wasn’t meant to be. All Peter did was smile and nod. And then he saw you smiling and laughing with Harry. Living your best life and he felt jealous and angry. Jealous and angry that you were happy without him. And jealous and angry that Harry was the one to kiss you and give you hugs from behind.

That should be me.

He hated himself for thinking that. He broke up with you. He left you. So why was he thinking about you like he had in the past? It dawned on him for the next few days that letting you go was a mistake. He didn’t actually like Gwen, he liked the idea of her. The popular, girl next door version of Gwen Stacy is what he liked. Sure, Gwen was funny and nice and smart but so were you. And much more in his opinion.

He was an idiot who let you go because he liked the idea of someone. He chose that over loving you.

“The blood drive took way longer than I thought.” You pressed your phone against your ear with your shoulder as you began to enter your locker combination.

“Well saving lives isn’t a two second process miss Y/L/N.” You rolled your eyes at Harry being sarcastic.

“I can’t believe your missing school to attend one of your dads meeting in the Upper East Side.” Harry chuckled and shrugged.

“What can I say? I’m a buisness man too.” Harry’s father glared at him as they walked in the halls of the conference room. He knew that was his way of telling Harry to get off the phone.

“Hey, babe. I have to go, the meetings starting soon. I’ll see you tomorrow. Stay safe.”

“Bye, Harry. See you.” You smiled as you hung up the phone and pocketed your phone. You were excused for two of your class periods and now had to be at your next one as the bell rang. You quickly grabbed the books you needed and slammed the locker shut. You gasped in surprise when you seen who was behind the locker.

“Peter? Um, what are you doing?” You looked around anxiously to see if any other students noticed you and the curly haired boy standing within a few feet of each other. They had.

“H-how are you?”

“I’m good? Do you need something? I have physics next and—”

“Your teacher will kill you if you’re late.” He chuckled as he nervously twiddled his fingers. You didn’t laugh though. “How-How’s being able to drive now? I bet it feels like you have a ton of freedom.”

“Peter, i’m sorry if this sounds rude but what do you want? You’ve made it pretty clear these past few months you don’t want anything to do with me. So what do you need? Is this about you being you-know-who?” You whispered the last part to make sure no one heard. “I promise I won’t tell Harry or anyone else.”

“No! It’s not that it’s... Okay I know this might sound so crazy and insane but please, just hear me out.” He had his puppy dog eyes on and you couldn’t ever resist them. What was a few minutes?

“You have like two minutes before I have to go.” You glanced at your phone for the time.

“Okay, sweet. First off I want to say how sorry I am for the way I treated you, Y/N. It was so shitty and I just tossed you to the side. I will never be able to forgive myself for that but I was hoping... maybe you can?”

You smiled at the boy once you realized what he was doing. He was giving you a formal apology. Though it was long over due you knew you couldn’t hold a grudge against him. You just weren’t that person. And you were finally over Peter. It was all working out.

“Of course, I can forgive you, Peter. Thank you for apologizing. It does mean a lot. Well i’ll see you around?” Peter’s brows furrowed before quickly shaking his head.

“Wait that’s not all.” Your looked at him quizzically and urged him to continue. “I was wondering I-if you’d like to give us, me and you, another try. At dating, of course.” He smiled at you and suddenly you were no longer smiling. You took a step back as you stared at him in disbelief.

How dare he? How dare he break your heart and then come running back to you the moment Gwen breaks up with him. You were his second choice and that hurt. And to top it off, you were with Harry, happily.

“How dare you, Peter Parker?” Peter gulped as he recognized the anger and disappointment in your tone.

“Becuase shit isn’t going your way, you think this is okay?” You voice was now raised and now suddenly everyone in the hall turned to face you two.

“Y/N, please. Just let me explain—”

“Now suddenly you’re asking for me back? Could you tell me where’d you get the nerve?” You spit and Peter didn’t think he’d ever seen you so mad.

“I made a huge mistake. I miss you. I miss us.” He tried pleading but you scoffed

“You can say you miss all that we had but I don’t really care how bad you’re hurting, Peter. Not when you broke me first.”

There were tears in your eyes and your heart was heavy. How could he do this to you? You were over him now and then he comes and pull this stunt. You were also very angry.

“Y/N, please. I—”

“I don’t want to heart it, Parker! Leave me alone! I mean it, Peter. Don’t talk to me anymore, don’t look at me in the halls or in our classes. Don’t even think about me. It’s over Peter. Find your dignity while you’re at it.” You spat and purposely pushed his shoulder roughly with yours.

You tried to ignore the whispers as you started to speed walk to the nearest restroom, your class long forgotten.

You tried to hold in your sob as your thoughts began to eat you alive. But you couldn’t hold back as it pried its way to the surface. You didn’t care about if the floor was dirty as you slid down to hug your knees. All you could think was screw Peter Parker. This wasn’t the Peter you knew. Peter would never publicly humiliate you and turn you into a joke. But he did.

What did you think would happen?

I’ll never let you have it

What did you think would happen?

You had to remind yourself that he in fact did do those things. You were a game to Peter, it seemed. His second choice. And it hurt, you hate to admit that it hurt.

“Y/N.” MJ walked into the bathroom and sighed when she saw you on the floor.

“I-Is the whole sch-school talking ab-about me?” You hiccuped and she placed a hand on your knee and gently rubbed her hand back and forth.

“The only thing they’re saying is how Peter’s a jackass and you don’t deserve that.” You sighed and nodded and tried to brush your tears away.

“I just can’t believe he would d-do this to me. It’s like i’m a jo-joke.” You sniffled and MJ scoffed. “He’s such a dick. Once I get my hands on him—”

“No, MJ. It’s fine. I gave him a piece of my mind already.” You smiled weakly at her and she helped you off the floor. She shook her head with a scowl and then snorted.

“What?”

“Once Harry hears about his little stunt, Peter is done for.”

Your eyes widened as you thought about Harry. He tolerated Peter because of you and once he hears what happened, you have a good idea what he’d do.

“My god, I have to call him. But he’s in a stupid high class professional meeting.” You whipped out your phone and went to his contact. You couldn’t call him but you thought a text should be enough until you see him later.

‘Don’t freak out...Peter asked me out again

BUT!!!! I obviously said no and handled to situation!

So when you come to school tomorrow and hear about the drama pls don’t pummel Peters face in ??? <3’

“Hm. That should hold him off. Let’s skip class and go watch the cheerleaders fall from their pyramid.” You tried to keep a straight face but ended up laughing.

“Yeah, i’m down for that.” MJ smiled at you and started to walk out of the bathroom.

You sighed and thought about if Peter was hurting right now. But then you shook your head.

But I don’t really care how bad it hurts

When you broke me first

He broke you first and now he had to deal with the aftermath, not you.