#i am not even kidding even the teachers and all adults around me say that

[lemonpastrys]

as a gift to u every time i want to do a tag rant im going to rb this and do it under this 🫶 <3

(wrote a tag rantpost below but THE TAGS ARE LIMITED NOW???? 30 TAGS REACHED I CANT WRITE ANYMORE WHAT IS THIS SORCERY)

NEVER apologize for leaving long tags when you reblog from me. i am reading it like its my daily newspaper in the morning. idc if idk shit about what ur talking about, its like checking out the gossip from the next town over

[bunnihearted]

🐰🌧️

[rubberbandballqueen]

i love how absolutely normal my coworkers are. there's no fear of doing a petty internet slight against someone by mistake. they're all just chillin

[6kuna]

Dilf! Sukuna would be one of those guys that defend women in danger+ would also be so bad at rizzing girls up that he just sounds desperate and pathetic[endearing]

“You’re the new teacher? I didn’t know they hired young girls these days. I wouldn’t even be surprised if you’d be the reason my son is getting his abc’s” he says as he looks at you up and down savoring every curve and line of your

You gave the parent a benefit of the doubt and took whatever he said as a compliment all while returning his “compliment” with an awkward chuckle.

“Thank you…”

“Say…if you come by my house and give some private lessons for him I’m more than capable to pay you more than the school does” he says smirking hiding the perversed meaning behind his shit request.

It’s the first time some weird parent tries to pull this type of behaviour on you the whole interaction leaves you in shock as you smile awkwardly trying to find the right words to respond and the patience to not punch him in the face. Your heart beats rapidly with your fists turning clammy and white from anxiety of not knowing what or how to respond to the fool of a parent.

“MISS Y/N I MISSED YOUUUUU” a familiar pink haired kid comes running as he gives you a hug. Shocked was an understatement by you were more than grateful for Yuuji to intervene.

“you know me and your teacher were having a conversation don’t your parents tell you that it’s rude to interrupt adults” The random parent says giving Yuuji a fake smile.

“Yeah? I’m the parent.” Sukuna says curtly with the most unamused expression known to man.

The male turns around to take a look at whoever the parent of the funky insolent child only to be greeted by a 6’5 fully tatted male who looked like he was more than capable to break his bones with just a simple flick. It also didn’t help the fact that Sukuna’s aura(lol) was more than threatening enough on its own without having to say a single word.

“I guess kids these days don’t learn enough manners I’ll take my leave for now” the inferior male says gulping as he puts up a front before scrunching up his face as he walks away.

Sukuna glares daggers at the stupid fool making sure he leaves the vicinity.

A huge breath of relief was let out as you kneeled down onto Yuuji’s height thanking him and his scarily hot dad for saving you from whatever the situation was.

“You guys have no idea how thankful i am, Yuuji you and your dad literally saved me”

“WE KNOWWWW, Hiro’s dad is a bit creepy” Yuuji says happily as he brings out a couple of souvenirs from his summer trip with his family to you before running into the building excitedly leaving you and his dad alone.

“Did he ask you if you for private lessons?” Sukuna asks with a smug smile

“Yes- what how did you know?!”

“He’s a douche and a weirdo he says that to every new teacher even the volunteers. I hope you’re okay after that interaction” Sukuna scoffs annoyed at the male’s behaviour. Knowing that Sukuna at his prime would’ve beaten the hell out of the weirdo for making women uncomfortable.

“I’m fine honestly I wish I could return the favour i don’t even know what i would’ve done if you and Yuuji didn’t come by” you say in a appreciative tone

Sukuna upon hearing this immediately takes the opportunity to ask you on something that has been on the back of his mind from the moment he laid eyes on you.

“You can return the favour by coming by my place for dinner I’ll cook, I can even pick you up just let me know when you’re free” he says in the spur of the moment not noticing he sounds like a desperate, desperate man.

You were so shocked at Sukuna’s abrupt response to the point you could literally feel the heat rising onto your cheeks making you smile sheepishly before bursting out in laughter.

“I didn’t think you would ask me that, but im free anytime on Saturday is it fine with you?”

“Saturday? Perfect” he says grinning as he sees you walking away he came to his senses realising he forgot to ask for your number

“You didn’t give me your number” he says from afar

It was your turn to leave him into the flustering mess. You smirked looking back at the giant of a male waiting for your response.

“I have yours don’t worry i’ll text you later” you say playfully.

It was true you do have his number. You’ve saved it from the moment he sent Yuuji on the first day.

Sukuna was lucky enough he didn’t have whatever his dad had cause frankly Sukuna would’ve probably gone into cardiac arrest with that statement alone. With that it is settled Yuuji will be sent off to Toji’s house for a sleepover while his dad gets straight to business.

Edit:not proofread was done when im literally ten secons awya from asleep i appoliguse for shit writing

[comical-wheelchairs]

How I Work with Pre-K Kids as a Wheelchair User

I've given these tips to enough other wheelchair users that I figured I could make a post about it, and this blog is aligned enough with it that I figured I could post it here.

I've spent time as an administrator for a pre-K and school age programs, and I am also in my final year to be dual certified as a special education/general education elementary school teacher in America. I am also an ambulatory wheelchair user, but cannot safely move without a mobility aid, even when I am standing/walking. SO. Here's a guide/rundown of how I personally talk about disability with the kids I work with!

When First Meeting a Class

You do not need to explain/justify your wheelchair, and any adult who believes you do is probably doing it for their own curiosity and not an interest in the kids.

My personal recommendation is to say you are always happy to answer questions about yourself, and leave it open ended.

If the class had to be rearranged for your wheelchair and you feel comfortable saying so, I will sometimes say "I'm really grateful that you moved the furniture so I could get around. I can't wait to meet everyone!" It makes it clear why the need is there, and if a kid accidentally blocks you you can always ask them to move so you can get through and remind them.

When They Ask Questions

"Why do you use that?"

I respond by asking them what is 'that' - being careful to speak with a curious tone. For young kids, they might not know the word, and will probably point. From there you can say "oh! this is my wheelchair! have you heard that word before? i use it to get around since walking is [very hard/impossible/not something my body does]."

"Why don't you walk?"

I respond by telling them walking is something I can do for a little while, but it really hurts. Link it to a concrete example. "Have you ever gone into a super hot car, and you could do it for a little, but you wouldn't want to be in there all day?" "Have you ever tried to hold snow (or an ice cube) without gloves, and you could do it for a little but then it started to hurt your hands because it was so cold?" Make it personal, specific, and simple - developmentally they may still need support understanding that other people have different experiences (or might be totally unable to yet).

"How'd you get into that?"

I typically respond silly - "Well, I sat down!" If you want to, and you do not need to, you can make this into a (short, keep it short, their brains are so interested in everything and switch very quickly) lesson on transfers/how people get in/around with their wheelchairs.

"What happened?"

I respond by asking them what they mean. This typically leads to another question which I mentioned above. Alternatively I sometimes say "I realize a wheelchair helps me get around safely!"

"How do you use the bathroom?"

My strategy that's worked best is being calm and friendly while saying "I don't like talking about how I use the bathroom." If you can redirect after that (point out something for them to do, change the subject to something they'll find more interesting) it'll make it easier. If they ask why, you can say that everyone has stuff they don't like talking about and for you it's the bathroom.

Physical Interactions With Your Chair

They touch your chair

We had a big thing about this in my pre-K rooms - what we would do is if a kid tried to touch my chair (or did) I would tell them "It's so cool that you want to explore my wheelchair, but I want to make sure you're safe, because there's a lot of moving parts that can pinch you! Can I give you words for when you want to touch my wheelchair?" If no, then let them know you can't let people who can't be safe touch your wheelchair. If yes, give them a script to ask for permission - you will have to repeat it. A lot. Gentle repetition is your friend and within two months my kiddos were asking everyone permission to touch them at school. My script went "Teacher Pecan, can I touch your wheelchair?" "No, now it's a safe time, because [I am moving a lot/I am tired/I need a break/you have a task to do]. We can check in again [when it is a break time/when I feel better/when you finish your task." "Yes, it is safe to touch my wheelchair right now. Can you point to where you want to touch?"

They kick your chair

Every time a kid kicks/hurts your chair, say "ouch! that hurt! my wheelchair is part of my body, it helps me get around!" Repetition and speaking clearly are your friends. If a kid keeps kicking your chair, finding another thing for them to kick (for example, a ball) can help divert the kicking need into something safer for everyone :)

They (try to) sit in your lap

Gently use your hands to get them off or keep them off. Calmly say "Oops! My wheelchair isn't big enough for the two of us!" If they complain/protest, validate and then explain. My script is "I know it looks like a cool place to sit, but my wheelchair is just for me."

They (try to) push your wheelchair.

My last two chairs had no push handles, but my second one did! It can make sense to panic when I kiddo pushes you - I've had them try to push me into walls (by accident). Here's what I did that worked great: Immediately lock my breaks/grab my pushrims, and calmly say "oops! We don't push wheelchairs without permission!" If they stuck around/didn't immediately run away, I would ask them if they remember a time an adult picked them up and took them somewhere they didn't want to go (typically a car). If they say yes, and even if they say no, I explained that pushing my wheelchair feels just like that, and makes me scared. Most children never pushed it again, and everyone stopped after the second try.

Miscellaneous Tips

"Isn't that cool?" is your friend. Any time a kid is first learning about your wheelchair, end the sentence with it. Any time a kid is nervous about your wheelchair and you explain something, end the explanation with it. "It helps me get around, isn't that cool?" "These are called spokes. Aren't they cool?"

Wheelchairs can be grounding tools when you have a good handle on the class and boundaries! Only if you would like to. My spokes on my last chair were rainbow, and I would use my chair to physically get between them and the emotional trigger, and ask them questions about my spokes. "What colors are next to green?" "Can you point to which one is your favorite?" "Hmmm which color do I get if I mix red with blue?"

"Why doesn't [limb(s)] work?" My left foot is (mostly) paralyzed due to nerve damage, and my script is "My brain can't talk to my foot and tell it to move." You can say whatever you'd like, just try and keep it to basic body parts unless the kiddo is super into anatomy.

If they imply/say wheelchairs are bad, or you might be sad for being in one, you can correct them by telling them how cool your wheelchair is! Get them to compliment it too, if their attention span allows. "I don't feel sad about my wheelchair, I love it! I love the color! Do you? What color do you think I should get next?"

In conclusion - talking calmly, positively, and using repetition of the same words/scripts is a great way to not just exist in a classroom hassle free, but to get kids comfortable with disability/mobility aids at a young age. I have had kids get pinched by my chair (he grabbed my axle from behind), and luckily I had my higher ups on my side and they agreed that I made every effort to keep the kids safe (plus he learned his lesson lol, he always asked permission after that). Your mileage may vary based on admin and their attitudes, so play it by ear, and change any of my tips as needed. Feel free to send questions to this blog too. :)

[cowgurrrl]

Something in the Orange

Pairing: Joel Miller x art teacher!reader

Author's note: this might become a mini series idk idk

Summary: A parent-teacher conference leads to trouble [4.0k]

Warnings: no outbreak! au, teacher things, Ellie being a little loner, Joel the Menace making a return, Joel gets both his daughters in this one because it's what he deserves, flirty flirt, i think that's it???

You feel like you've been running a million miles a minute since you got in this morning. The second you could unlock the door, at least three students spilled into your room and chaotically ran to the kiln to collect their most recent pottery projects. One of them ended up shattering (the exact one you warned Colin about, but he didn't listen), and, as per high school custom, they were all screaming about it. You consoled the students just in time for your principal to walk by and ask about lesson plans which made you scramble through your backpack for your notebook even though you knew damn well there wasn't a single lesson plan in there. "Do you always have those lights on?" Principal Martinez asked, gesturing to the room's fairy lights and orange lamps. Leave it to administration to want to avoid art classrooms so much that they don't even know about the Big Light Philosophy. 

Since then, it's been class after class. You only have one more period before your planning period and then, finally, the end of the day. There are a hundred things to do, but you can't focus on any of them. You got so caught up in managing your classroom and helping students with the hardest parts of their portfolio work that you almost forgot you had a parent meeting scheduled during your planning period. 

Calling in parents for meetings about their children may be your least favorite part of your job. It makes you feel like a bad teacher, and parents usually don't feel great about getting called in on a workday to talk about their kid. Luckily, Ellie's dad, Joel, seemed more than happy to take time to talk about her. You rack your mind for his occupation as you add some detail to a canvas you've been hiding in your office and working on when you can. Was he a blue-collar worker? Or was he another stuck-up Austin transplant parent who's gonna accuse you of lying? He'd make the fifth parent who's made you cry this semester.

A knock on your locked door pulls you from your thoughts, and you quickly put away your painting before answering the door. "I told you she was in here!" One of your students, Dina, announces as she and a posse of three other kids you don't recognize push their way into the room. "Miss, you've gotta take that thing off your door; otherwise, people are gonna think you went home!"

"You mean the sign that says, 'planning period. Do not enter?'" You ask, and she snaps her fingers.

"That's the one." She says as she and her friends start putting their backpacks down at one of your high tables. You sigh and kick the door stopper into the threshold.

"You guys can't stay here. I have a meeting in five minutes."

"With who?"

"None of your business." 

"Miss!" Dina acts wounded, and you cross your arms over your chest, your keys jingling around your neck in the process.

"I am an adult with a college degree and the debt to show for it. You are a teenager with a still-developing brain. You have to listen to me," you say. "Wait, whose class are you supposed to be in right now?"

"Mr. Flynn's."

"Guys!" You groan before walking over to your desk and quickly writing up a hall pass for them. "I know you don't like math-"

"No, we don't like Mr. Flynn." Dina cuts you off.

"Or math!" One of her friends adds, and you shoot them a (loving) disapproving look. 

"Whatever you don't like, you can't keep hiding out here. Mr. Flynn is two seconds away from trying to get me fired for how often I let his kids in here during class, and I actually like this job, so," you rip the hall pass off the pad and hand it to Dina. As they pack their stuff up, a tall, bearded man steps into your classroom and makes eye contact with you. "Out, out, out! I love you. You're gonna change the world one day, but please get out." You blow them kisses as you usher them out of the room. 

"Are you Ellie's art teacher?" He asks, a confused look on his face, and you nod.

"Yes, I am. Sorry about that. They're still figuring out that I have work to get done even when I don't have a class," you explain, a little breathless from running all over the place and getting caught off-guard. You really do try to act a little more professional with parents, but the kids threw you off. The kettle whistling behind your desk doesn't make it any better. "Is there anything I can get you? Coffee? Tea?" You pick up a random mug off your desk but find it full of murky water. "Paint water?"

"Are you allowed to have an electric kettle in here?" He asks, and you laugh nervously as you find a clean mug and your tea box. 

"I won't tell if you won't." You say. He stands there awkwardly as you pour yourself some tea, and you realize you didn't pull a chair up for him. "Um, we can sit..." you glance around your messy classroom until you find a clear table and gesture toward it. "Here." He follows your lead, and you take a deep breath as you sit down.

"You gonna be okay?" He asks, the hint of a smirk on his lips. His curly hair looks golden brown in the low light, and his round eyes have a little knowing twinkle. You take another breath to compose yourself and nod. 

"Yes. Sorry. It's been a long day." 

"Don't worry bout it. I'm sure they run you ragged."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, you do have paint in your hair." He says, and panic seizes in your chest. You're never more aware of how crazy your job can be until you meet Real Adults. Even if you can't remember what he does for a living, you still have to admit that you look a little silly next to each other: you, with your paint-stained sunflower dress and markered hands, and him, with his black shirt and jeans. He doesn't have any apparent stains or splatters on his clothes, but he's broad with thick biceps. He must work with his hands or something within that capacity. You clear your throat and try to get back on track with the meeting.

"Uh, so Mr. Miller, the reason I called you here today was to talk to you about Ellie," you start. "First, I just wanna say that she is an amazing student. She always does her work and engages thoughtfully with the material. I really do enjoy having her in class." 

"Well, that's certainly good to hear. She talks a whole lot bout this class and you, so... it's nice to place a face to the name," he says, adjusting his position on the stool. "But I have a feelin' you didn't call me down here just to tell me how great my kid is." 

"She is great. She's extremely talented, smart, and funny, but she spends more time in my classroom during lunch than anything else. I'm worried about her making friends and finding a community here at school. I've tried convincing her to join the art club, but she's hesitant. During class, she just sits with her headphones in and draws. She really doesn't like talking to anybody but me." You wait for blame to be assigned to you or get lectured, but it never comes. He just sighs, and he deflates a little in his chair.

"She's been through a lot this year. Well, her whole life, really, but 'specially recently," he says dejectedly. "What can I do for her?"

"There's an art show this Friday night here at the school. It'll all be student work from across the district. I thought if maybe you or... whatever adults she has at home came with her to this, she might feel more comfortable talking to her peers or even want to submit some of her own stuff."

"We can do that. I'll get off work early and ask her uncle if he wants to come," he's quick with his solution, and you're a little shocked. You rarely get parents, let alone fathers, who act this swiftly when something is going on with their kids. "Is there anythin' else goin' on that I should know bout?" 

"Uh, no. Like I said, she's a great kid. You should be really proud." You say, and the concerned wrinkle between his eyebrows disappears with a proud smile. 

"Thank you," he mumbles, suddenly shy. "And thanks for carin' so much bout her. It's nice to know she's got someone lookin' out for her here." You don't know what to say, so you just nod and stare at him. You know, like an idiot. It takes a chuckle from him to snap you out of your thoughts, and blood rushes to your cheeks.

"Yes, of course. She's a good kid." You say. 

"You said that already." 

"I bet you'd be a little scatterbrained if you were at the mercy of two hundred teenagers all day."

"You're absolutely right. I would be," he says, smirking devastatingly. "Someone ought to get you a coffee or somethin' if you're dealing with all that." 

"People like you should go argue with the school board. I'm sure you'd be popular with all the teachers." 

"That'd be a first. I think I might've been the least favorite parent for all of my girls' teachers." 

"Well, I find that hard to believe." 

"Yeah?" He asks, leaning forward just a little, and you nod, smiling. Your brain struggles to come up with something to say, and you're a little embarrassed at your silence, but luckily, your projector saves the day by buzzing loudly and making the picture on the board cut in and out. You mumble a quick apology before getting up and climbing up on a desk to jiggle a piece back into place. You hear Joel curse behind you, and when you turn to see what the problem is, you see him holding his arms out behind you. "Do you stand on desks often?" 

"Only every day. I haven't fallen yet this year." You laugh at his exasperated expression and turn back to the projector. It's still making a weird noise, so you move it around a little more, moving the desk under your feet, and Joel stabilizes it with a sigh. 

"How long has it been doin' that?" 

"Couple months. I keep putting in maintenance requests, but nobody ever comes to fix it."

"I can fix it for ya," he says simply, and you look down at him. "I've got tools in my truck. It wouldn't take long at all."

"Really?" You ask, and he nods. 

"It'd make me feel better knowin' you're not almost breakin' your neck every day."

"You mean, standing on a decades-old desk to mess with an ancient piece of equipment isn't OSHA compliant?"

"Please," he says, grabbing your ankle when the desk wobbles under you, and you laugh at his worry. "Let me fix it for you before you give me a heart attack." You think about declining and just putting in another work order, but the likelihood that anyone would actually come and fix it is slim to none. Plus, you really shouldn't be climbing on top of desks every day. You pretend to think it over for a few more seconds just to watch the worry play across his features as his grip on your ankle gets tighter.

"Only if you really mean it." 

"I really mean it," he says, offering you his other hand. "Now, would you please get down?"

"Fine." You say and take his hand. You bend to safely get yourself down, but Joel moves his other hand from your ankle to your waist and basically hoists you to the ground. Once your feet touch the floor, he doesn't let you go immediately like he's trying to figure out if you somehow got hurt when he wasn't looking. There's a part of your brain that's aware of how inappropriate this would look to any passersby, but you're also highly aware of how warm his big hand is on your hip. 

"Ya alright?" He asks softly, and you nod, taking a conscious step back from his arms.

"Yes, thank you."

"Good," he says, also taking a step back. "Let me go get my tools, and I'll get that fixed for you." 

"Perfect. I'll be here." You stand there, staring at each other awkwardly, for another moment before he turns on his heels and walks out of the classroom. The second he's out of your line of sight, you bury your head in your hands and start silently freaking out. 

What the fuck are you doing? How did a parent-teacher meeting turn into him hauling you off a desk and offering to fix your projector? Technically, nothing incriminating has happened, and it needs to stay that way. It doesn't matter if you think he's attractive or like how he worries about everything. He's Ellie's dad. Teachers have gotten fired for much less than this, and you're not willing to risk your career because of one guy. 

When he gets back with his toolbox, you're sitting at your desk and sorting through assignments like a reasonable adult. He doesn't say anything as he climbs up on the same desk you were standing on and begins messing with the mechanics of the equipment. You each work in silence for a few minutes before a screw clatters to the ground, and he grumbles something under his breath. "Do you mind..." he starts, pointing toward the lost piece. 

"Not at all." You cover your anxiety with your chipper teacher voice and search for the screw with your phone flashlight. You find it tucked between canvases, carefully pick it up, and walk over to where he's standing, waiting for him to be ready for it.

"It looks like it's just an old piece in here. I'm sure you can order a new one, and I can come back and install it if ya want," he explains, looking down at you. You probably look stupid just standing there with a tiny screw in your hand, but he doesn't laugh. "D'you mind handing me that tool to your right?" He asks, and you blindly reach for the tool you think he's talking about. "Your other right." He corrects, and you flush in embarrassment. 

"Sorry. I never was a very good woodshop student." You say, and he laughs once he has the tool in hand. 

"My girls are the same way. Just askin' ‘em to hold a flashlight while I work on their car is like pullin' teeth," he says fondly. "Speaking of which, is there a reason the lights aren't on in here?"

"The lamp light is less harsh, and it helps students focus. Plus, nobody likes coming into a bright classroom first thing in the morning." You explain, and he hums.

"If I'd had a teacher like you growing up, I would've been at school much more than I was."

"You didn't like school?"

"Hated it," he says, opening his hand for the screw. Once you drop the tiny thing into his large palm, he straightens up, and you can barely hear it going back into its rightful place. "'S a miracle I graduated." 

"That was me in college." 

"Now, I don't believe that for a second." 

"Really?" You laugh, and he nods.

"Someone like you, with your pretty dresses and all that empathy, was meant to be a teacher." 

"I wasn't always like this," you evade the compliment despite the butterflies in your stomach. "Being a teacher was never on my radar until I graduated. A lot of my life was never on my radar until then." He puts the hood of the projector back on and climbs down from the desk until he's standing in front of you again, wiping his hands on a red handkerchief from his toolbox. 

"Well, with the way you carry yourself, I never woulda guessed." He says. He opens his mouth to say something more, but the sharp tone of the bell ringing cuts him off. You jump at the sound and look at the clock as if it were wrong. 

"I'm so sorry. Time must've gotten away from me. Thank you so much again, Mr. Miller, for coming in to talk with me and looking at the projector. I hope to see you and Ellie on Friday." You say quickly as the sound of rowdy kids fills the hallway, and you hold your hand out to him. He takes it and squeezes it firmly.

"You can call me Joel. Mr. Miller makes me feel old." He says, and you smile. He doesn't look old, unlike the other dads you've encountered. Sure, he's got some gray at his temples and in his beard, but it suits him. 

"Joel, it is then." You resolve. His hand lingers in yours for a little too long before finally pulling away. "Well, Joel, unless you want to elbow through teenagers, I'd suggest you hide out here for a few more minutes." He does happily, even helping you carry supplies to your car once the hallways have cleared out enough. He's a proper gentleman, slinging your backpack over his shoulder and opening doors for you. You part only once everything is in your trunk, and he bids you goodnight with a charming smile that fills your thoughts on your drive home.

Ellie surprises you the next day as you're setting up the classroom. Normally, she isn't in until right before the bell rings, so seeing her this early is a little bit of a shock. The ink staining her hands is not. "Hey, dude. What's going on?" You ask. "Did you get breakfast from the cafeteria today? I heard Mrs. Hodges has those French toast sticks that everyone loves. You can probably get two servings if you run." 

"No, I already ate. My dad and uncle had to leave early this morning, so we got breakfast. Speaking of which," she says as she takes off her backpack and pulls a cup of iced coffee out of her water bottle pocket. "This is for you. We didn't know what you liked, so we got a vanilla latte or something." 

"Oh, El! You didn't have to do that. Thank you, honey." You say, and she sets it on your desk for you to enjoy once you don't have paintbrushes in hand. "If this is your way of getting a good grade on your piece, I already told you that you have nothing to worry about."

"It wasn't my idea. It was my dad's." She says nonchalantly before moving to the back of the classroom to get her sketch book. You, however, are confused and secretly pleased that Joel thought of you when he didn't have to. You find a message scribbled on the side when you reach for the cup to take a sip. 

Thanks again. See you Friday. -J

You turn to hide your smile from Ellie, but she's so deep in her work that you doubt she would've noticed anyway. You put some music on, and you and Ellie work silently on your projects until the bell rings and the day starts. 

The rest of the week goes by without a hitch, meaning that nobody accidentally ingested paint, and you only had to have one Come to Jesus talk with your Art 1 class. When Friday night rolls around, you're excited to see all the students work and treat yourself by wearing a new shirt with black scribbles all over it and black dress pants. You figure you should look as art teachery as possible for an art teacher event. 

By the time you get to the school, the hallways are buzzing with students dragging their parents from one piece to another and administrators praising their art programs even though you know not one of them has seen the inside of an art classroom in months. You make small talk with some of your students and their parents before finding a way out of the conversation and letting yourself wander through the makeshift gallery. You love your kids, but you really don't want them breathing down your neck as you look at all the art. You're almost at the end when you hear a familiar voice calling your name, and you turn to find Ellie walking toward you with Joel and, who you assume to be her uncle, next to her. 

"Hey, kid! I'm so happy to see you here!" You say sincerely, and she smiles shyly. You turn to her uncle and hold your hand out to introduce yourself. 

"Tommy. We sure have heard a whole lot bout you at home." He says with a smirk, and you laugh. 

"All good things, I hope."

"Of course. Ellie just bout worships the ground you walk on," he says. "Joel was singin' your praises, too." 

"Alright, I think that's enough. Why don't y'all go walk around, and I'll catch up with ya?" He suggests, and Tommy chuckles. Another teacher calls Ellie's name from down the hallway, and she's quick to drag Tommy off to meet him, leaving you and Joel alone. He's replaced his black shirt with a light blue dress shirt, and it looks like he's recently trimmed his beard. He looks nice.

"Singing praises, huh?" You raise your eyebrows at him, and he smiles sheepishly. "Thank you for the coffee the other morning, by the way. It was a really nice surprise." 

"Figured it was the least I could do to thank you for takin' such good care of my girl." 

"Well, thank you. I owe you." 

"You don't owe me a thing," he says. "Although, Tommy was a little upset that I didn't bill you for lookin' at the projector." 

"Was he?" You ask, and he nods.

"Oh, yeah," he laughs. "Said next time I should, at least, ask you on a date."

"Mr. Miller-"

"I thought you agreed to call me Joel." He raises his eyebrows in a silent challenge, and you shake your head, fighting a smile.

"Joel, while I'm flattered by the offer from someone so handsome-"

"You think I'm handsome?"

"I can't date my students' parents." You say, ignoring his question, but even then, the playful look on his face doesn't fade. "Well, I can leave you to it. I know Ellie will probably want to show you around." 

"Right. Of course," he says. "It's really nice to see you."

"You, too. I'm just glad I didn't have paint in my hair this time."

"I don't know. I thought it was kinda cute." You feel yourself blush at his words, but you have to shut it down before it can become anything more than flattery. You take a deep breath and try not to let that stupid smirk weaken your knees as he watches you.

"Goodnight, Joel."

"Goodnight, ma'am." He says, tipping his head politely before sauntering down the hallway like he owns the place. Trouble, you think to yourself. But you can handle trouble. It's in your job description, for Christ's sake. 

So, you brush off the flirting and try to ignore how his kindness and sweet words made you feel. You absolutely cannot flirt with the parent of one of your students. Dating is completely off the table. You can handle this like an adult. You have to. 

After a cold shower and a leftover dinner, you check your email once more before going to bed that night. Sitting in your inbox with alarming clarity is an email from Ellie with the subject line: Art Club. Her email is somehow just as short as her subject line. 

Simply, "When can I start -E." 

TAGLIST: @abbyhaslongshorts @kiwiharrykiwi @sumsworldz @myloveistoolittle @anavatazes @marantha

[jaytalking]

So first thing, love your ecto AU Danny’s design is amazing and I love how you draw Sam too!

I do want to ask, how is Danny treated at school by Dash and the others? (both pre and post accident if he’s more into ghosts like his folks, and he comes in with a really hurt eye and partially paralysed arm with all the scaring)

Thanks ☺️ 👻

I am working on a comic about this! but I don't mind explaining it here (hell, it'll probs help me get my ideas in order better), questions about this Au are very encouraged so don't be shy guys:

Danny has been interested in ghosts for long enough that most of his peers know, even if from 6th grade onwards he attempted to hide it because it wasn't exactly "cool" or "normal". He was bullied a lot, and most of it probably called back to how he was from a family of "crazy people ", I can also see adults playing a part especially in his younger years by trying to gently dissuade him from being like his parents.... All in all this Danny is Isolated more than anything else, he feels alone in his interests with only his parents to turn to. Jazz? Uhhh that deserves it's own thing.

The injury. Ok. The dynamics of the incident are intentionally fuzzy, what you need to know is that Yes. The Fenton parents KNOW the incident happened, they just don't know the full consequences of it (Danny being half ghost). He was taken to the hospital and stayed there for... About a week. I'm not going to get into too much detail here, but the rumours around town were going wild; saying the Fentons had gotten their son injured or worse due to their work, and when Danny eventually went back to school in a sling and with half his face fucked up... Things didn't exactly get better.

In short, Danny isn't really bullied anymore, at least not physically- if anything the popular kids have just taken to pretending he doesn't exist. The teachers and other adults just look at him with varying levels of pity and honestly Danny is just sick of it, on top of dealing with a ton of other things mentally. Thank god for Sam and Tucker.

[lupinsweater]

Already screaming crying kicking my legs and giggling, hope that appointment goes SO WELL babes omg x

thank you!! my husband is doing a ton better🤎 hope you enjoy this mini-drabble! it’s a little different but i had fun writing it!

part one part two part three part four

Teacher!James Potter x Single Mom!Reader 💌 890 words

♡ ~ ♡ ~ ♡ ~ ♡ ~ ♡

EMAILS BETWEEN YOU AND JAMES

Subject: Thanks for Volunteering!

From: j.potter@godricshollowprimary.org

To: y/nandcharlie@gmail.com

Monday, 9:45 AM

Hi Y/N,

I just wanted to reach out and thank you again for helping with reading time on Friday. The kids loved hearing you read, and Charlie was so excited to have you there. I really appreciate you taking the time- I know how busy you are!

Hope it wasn’t too chaotic for you!

Take care,

James

ATTACHMENT: 1 IMAGE (a photo James took on his phone of you and Charlie- he’s holding It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! and grinning madly. You are crouched down so your cheek is pressed to his, and you have an arm around his side- your face is practically glowing with pride as you smile at the phone.)

————————————————————————

Subject: Re: Thanks for Volunteering!

From: y/nandcharlie@gmail.com

To: j.potter@godricshollowprimary.org

Monday, 12:37 PM

Hi James!

I actually had a blast with your class. The kids were all so sweet, and it was great to be able to see Charlie in the classroom. I’m glad the feeling was mutual! I’d love to volunteer again if you ever need the help. And no- it wasn’t too chaotic. In fact, I think you have those kids trained pretty well.

Thanks for the photo- it’s so sweet! Charlie looks so happy.

Best,

Y/N

————————————————————————

Subject: Random Thought

From: j.potter@godricshollowprimary.org

To: y/nandcharlie@gmail.com

Tuesday, 4:15 PM

Hey Y/N!

Okay, this is totally random, but I was just thinking about our conversation on Friday before the kids came back in from recess. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable buying those books for you to read- I really did need some new books for the classroom, and I figured I’d buy some that you would like since you were helping me out for the afternoon.

By the way, Charlie won’t stop talking about how awesome it was to have you read to the class. I was starting to think that I was catching up to you as his favorite adult, but I think I still have a long way to go ;)

James

————————————————————————

Subject: Re: Random Thought

From: y/nandcharlie@gmail.com

To: j.potter@godricshollowprimary.org

Tuesday, 5:02 PM

James,

Don’t even worry! I wasn’t uncomfortable at all- I actually thought it was so sweet and was definitely very flattered. Also, don’t kid yourself. We both know Sirius is his favorite adult, and he was only with him for about an hour. I think you might be a close second, though. We pretty much spend our evenings around here talking about how cool you are ;)

Also, please tell me you’re not still at the school that late. You need some time to yourself, too!

Y/N

————————————————————————

Subject: Coffee?

From: j.potter@godricshollowprimary.org

To: y/nandcharlie@gmail.com

Wednesday, 8:36 AM

Y/N,

Yesterday was a late day! I usually try to get out of there earlier and grade papers while I get a coffee. Speaking of which…there’s this great little cafe a couple of blocks away from the school. If you ever need a break, you should check it out! I’m there pretty often, so it would be great to grab a coffee with you sometime!

No pressure, just throwing it out there :)

Talk soon,

James

————————————————————————

Subject: Re: Coffee?

From: y/nandcharlie@gmail.com

To: j.potter@godricshollowprimary.org

Wednesday, 11:48 AM

James,

Glad to hear you don’t live at the school ;)

Are you asking me out? Because if you are…I just might say yes. Either way, I could definitely use some caffeine, so coffee sounds great.

Let me know what works for you! I’m off this Friday.

Y/N

————————————————————————

Subject: Re: Coffee?

From: j.potter@godricshollowprimary.org

To: y/nandcharlie@gmail.com

Wednesday, 11:50 AM

You caught me ;) I totally am asking you out. Friday would be great- the kids get out early that day, so if you can find a sitter for Charlie by then we could do 3? Also, just making sure you knew that the art night the school is throwing is Thursday!

Looking forward to seeing you!

James

————————————————————————

Subject: Re: Coffee?

From: y/nandcharlie@gmail.com

To: j.potter@godricshollowprimary.org

Wednesday, 11:52 AM

3 is perfect! Charlie and I will be at the art night Thursday for sure! And don’t worry about the sitter- I’ve got someone in mind already!

See you then :)

————————————————————————

TEXTS BETWEEN YOU AND LILY

Wednesday, 11:55 AM

You: Hey Lily! Any chance you’re free to babysit Charlie this Friday at like 2:45? James just asked me out for coffee, and I kinda said yes👀

Lily: OMG no way

Lily: James as in JAMES?

You: What other James do we know?

Lily: Fair

Lily: But YES of course I’ll watch Charlie!

Lily: I’m literally screaming rn🙌

You: You’re a lifesaver!!

You: Also, please don’t tell Charlie that’s where I’m going…

You: If things don’t work out I don’t want him to be disappointed :/

Lily: Of course!

Lily: I’m so excited for you omggg

Lily: Have so much fun! ❤️

————————————————————————

EMAILS BETWEEN YOU AND JAMES

Subject: Re: Coffee?

From: j.potter@godricshollowprimary.org

To: y/nandcharlie@gmail.com

Wednesday, 12:00 PM

I’ll see you on Friday, then xx

James

[payasita]

Good job getting ADHD medication! I’m so proud of you :D

thanks so so much im very happy and so hopeful for the first time maybe ever but also it TOOK ME LIKE. A YEAR. A YEAR.

like yall for real?? for real. for real i have been diagnosed since i was like six. (funny story my teacher thought i was on the spectrum so my parents get me tested with the nodes and shit and according to mom, who loves this story, my neurologist did all that and talked to me and then just turned to my mom and went "she's not autistic. she just hates the other kids" but they DID find an adhd diagnosis in there so net win for all of us)

diagnosed since i was SIX. on stimulants until i turned 8, and you know why i got off em? my pediatrician retired. we could not find another who would take our low-income insurance. so i just had to rawdog The Rest Of My Fucking Life. diagnosed when i was six. legally neurodivergent for 20 slutty slutty angry years.

and it still took me like. a few months to get a psych appointment. a few weeks to reaffirm my diagnosis as an adult. a few more weeks for another appointment for meds. he doesnt Want to do meds first, because i must have been doing fine without them if its been two decades, right? i got a job and a car and everything. well gee fuckin shittickers Dr. Brain Guy, just WHAT was my alternative? would you prefer i be maladapted to the point of incapacitation; is that what it takes for someone to be considered? i cheated my way through school. every day after work i sit for an hour in my car because i dont have the executive function to stand up and walk the ten steps to my house. garbage just appears around me. i have three empty bags of hot chip and two cans of sprite on my desk as we speak, neither from today. at that point i hadnt had a debit card for six months because that would have required me to Drive To The Bank, a location that was new to me in this area, so i just did everything on credit. is this all normal? is this fine? am i GOOD, actually, Dr. WeirdBrain?

so we cordially agree that yes i should probably be medicated. i want to do a stimulant. he does not want to put me on a stimulant. "stimulants can mess with your heart," he says, "and you're young, you don't want heart problems." i say ok because i dont want to make him think im just looking for narcotics. even though i am. because they WORK. i agree to try some kind of antidepressant.

the antidepressant gives me tachycardia. i go to the emergency room after reading a heartbeat of, oh, 140 bpm, which is about like double what it normally is and juuuust below the You Are Having A Heart Attack threshold. i get to the ER and the doctor there is very obviously convinced i'm a local addict having some sort of episode. it is the most ironic experience i've had all year and i feel an abrupt and all consuming kinship with those birds in australia that will swoop you and peck at your face for seemingly no good reason.

so yeah, we narrow it down to the antidepressant. as it turns out, these particular meds are known to, semi-commonly, Mess With Your Heart. i have my next appointment with my psych and somehow refrain from pecking his eyes out. he puts me on a noreprinephrine inhibitor(iirc) that isnt actually FDA approved to treat ADHD specifically(i DEFINITELY rc) but it IS given to smokers to help them quit. i dont smoke. i may very well fucking start before this whole ordeal is at the point where someone listens to me

it obviously does a combined total of jack and shit, and the man waffles with this one because he has "had success" using it as treatment for other ADHD patients. he ups the dose. twice. three months on the smoker meds, which are also apparently notorious for destroying your appetite, but they didnt even do THAT. no change to the average amount of hot chip on my desk.

he wants to try quelbree after that. i finally tell him i'm tired of this shit and would like to have more than two hours of usable daylight to function before it all falls to uncontrollable youtube shorts binges and a daily experience i like to call The Weighted Nothings and i would very much like to PLEASE. TRY A STIMULANT.

he's been friendly enough with me over these past four or five or whatever months but at this he gets suddenly very very business-baseline. gives me the whole spiel about the north american shortage. gives me a spiel about how i absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, lose or sell this medication, because they will not refill it if i do. i am sitting here wondering if he he's telling the truth about having other ADHD patients at all like ever in his career, and also, am i nuts or should the "don't sell your prescription drugs" bit apply to EVERYTHING? i dont fuckin know man i just live here

he says he wants a urine test first. its scheduled for two weeks out. i take it.

"hey uh, your piss came back with cannabis in it" "well it'd be weirder if it didn't, we are in california and i am a kitchen manager" "you can't have weed if you want adderall" "fine i'll stop" "we'll schedule you another test in a month" "aight bet" it didnt go exactly like that but this is kind of what the vibe between us has devolved into by this point.

anyway i wait a month and get a good grade in piss. i get the meds prescribed. i go to fill out the prescription

all i really need to say to you are the words "prior authorization error" for most of you to get what happened next.

the psych isnt even aware. i wait another month for our next meeting, which was yesterday. i do not yell at him. he tells me to take it up with the pharmacy, and yell at them. i am going to yell at them.

so i go, and guess what, it actually went through a while ago! NO ONE TOLD ME OR DR. FEEL-BAD OVER HERE. but we can't fill it right now because its a controlled substance so come back in a few hours. hey it's ready where the hell are you? TAKE YOUR METH AND GET OUT

anyway i started it today, reorganized my pantry, and fixed the fire alarm in my hallway that's been chirping at me for a week. i no longer have to wear earplugs to bed.

and with my newfound executive function superpowers, i will be spraying my weed-free piss all over Reagan's grave.

[shirecorn]

WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP PRACTICING POOR INTERNET SAFETY AROUND ME

I don't want to know a teenager's age and state. I don't want to see your shirtless 6 year old daughter. I don't want to see kids selfies.

AND I DON'T WANT TO KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS, TRAUMAS, AND ILLNESSES.

stop stop stop stop stop JUST STOPIT

This isn't stuff I've stumbled on this is all shit that has been sent directly to me, unprompted, by people I'm friendly toward but don't consider friends. They don't know anything about me except that i am AN ADULT MAN

I CLAIM to be nice. I SAY I work at a cat shelter (what's more trustworthy than that?) but nobody verifies any of this!! They don't know my name, they can't look me up in a registry. I could be lying about all of it!

If you wouldn't show it to a known predator, please for the love of god don't show it to an unknown stranger. I am!!! A stranger!!

Even if you are friends with someone and you know about their work, school, personal life, family situation, friends, health, orientation, etc etc. If you haven't verified that ALWAYS CONSIDER IT MIGHT BE LIES. A predator could pretend to be a teenage girl and tell you about their day at school and the teacher that annoys them and it could be ALL LIES

What freaks me out is that I present myself exactly as I am. I am an adult man. And people still send me this. WHY ARE YOU SENDING THIS TO SOMEONE ON THE INTERNET. I'm ok knowing you as Tigerhawk17 I don't need to know your name and face and age and location please please please

DID YOU ASK YOUR SIX YEAR OLD IF YOU COULD SEND SHIRTLESS PICTURES OF HER TO A MAN ON THE INTERNET?

DOES SHE UNDERSTAND HOW BAD THAT IS???

[heesdreamer]

omg the mention of camping in your new heejake fic has me thinking of scenarios in a TENT why am i blushing gn

LOST TIME

PAIRING ➩ heeseung x reader (ex beomgyu x reader mentioned)

SUMMARY ➩ you and your bestfriends, growing up together since you were babies, had a tradition of going camping together every summer. this year you get paired up to share a tent with the boy you’ve been in love with since elementary.

WC ➩ 7.7k

AUTHORS NOTE ➩ honestly this was meant to just be a straight up PWP work due to the request but i got way too into the friendship dynamics and backstory lol.. idk if any other writers relate but sometimes smut just doesn’t feel like it fits in stories but i hope you still like this and maybe ill write something more nsfw later on with this prompt (not proofread and written at like 6am like always lol)

It wasn’t like camping was something you absolutely hated. In fact, for the first 20 years of your life it had been the single thing you looked forward to most throughout the busy year.

At some point it had developed into a promised tradition, an accidental hobby that you and your friend’s coincidentally carried on all throughout your shared childhood and high school.

Your parents had all grown up together too and lived on the same street once they were old enough to start their own families, keeping their tight knit connections and extending it to their partners and children later on in life. You grew up with a community because of this, your neighbors being people you’d spent your entire life around as they were basically family now.

It wasn’t a surprise to any of your parents and their friends families when they all also had kids around the same time, the biggest gap between babies being just over 4 years.

This was how your best friends came to be, as smooth and naturally as gaining a sibling or meeting a soulmate. You grew up surrounded with the same kids, going to the same school and spending holidays together at one of the houses on the shared culdesac.

The camping tradition was started before you even could register what was happening, photos of your parents lined up in bathing suits, holding different sized babies down near the lake shore with bright smiles and sunburns were your only proof that you’d been there as long as you have. As you got older and could enjoy the activities more, it became your favorite thing to do.

Your parents all got older right alongside you and they eventually stopped coming with, knowing you and the other kids would have fun out there while also being safe and smart.

So you continued on like that, all pitching up tents for the weekend and spending your time relaxing on tubes in the river or talking around the campfire, letting off the stress the year had brought you as you finished up high school and entered different colleges.

So it was slightly out of character that you were groaning as you packed your suitcase, complaining to Sunoo on the other side of the phone as he carried out the same action a few houses down.

“It’s just terrible timing.” Your voice was louder than normal as you disappeared into your closet in search of something warm for the colder temperatures at night. “Beomgyu and I are barely even broken up and I’m so behind on class work I could die.”

“Well you know it’s the same time every year Y/N, it’s not like it was sprung on you. Plus Beomgyu broke up with you last fall. I’d say you’re officially over by now.” Sunoo’s voice was barely audible from back in your bedroom but you still sighed and leaned your head onto your dressed with a thud.

He was always brutally honest with you considering he’d known you since you were infants, being the two closest in age out of the rest of you. When you first started school most of the teachers had assumed you were twins, wearing matching clothes and stuck at the hip everywhere you went.

You’d ditched The Shining like fashion now that you were adults but you still were the closest to him out of everybody, having applied to the same college together.

“Plus we haven’t seen the others since the holidays. This is the longest we’ve been apart, aren’t you excited?” His voice was picking up a hopeful tone as he tried to cheer you up and change your mood around.

You sighed softly again and walked back to your bedroom, grabbing your phone from the bed and holding it to your ear so you could hear him better. Leaning forward to look out your window across the small chunk of yard that separated you from your neighbor, you could see him sitting in his chair with a big smile on his face.

“You’ll be sick of them in an hour.” You remarked and knocked on the window, his head picking up to look over at you.

“I’m always sick of them.” He was rolling his eyes and you watched his mouth move in silence as the phone audio lagged behind a few seconds. “That’s the best part.”

You smiled at that and nodded although he wasn’t looking at you anymore, turning back to his bag. You did miss your other friends, almost an impossible amount.

You spent a lot of nights in your dorm room thinking about them and how horrible it was to be apart, replaying the goodbyes you all gave each other at the airport over and over in your mind as you tried to remain hopeful for the next time you could reunite. Nothing could prepare you for how difficult it was to separate for them, your parents all watching you with sad smiles in the background as you cried and hugged each other.

Coming home for Christmas felt like you’d gained a piece of your heart back, spending the entire break inseparable and having more fun than you possibly could with the more casual friends you’d met in school.

Your parents hadn’t nagged you for not being home a lot or felt sad that you all rather be together than with them for Christmas Eve and morning, understanding more than anybody else what it felt like to have such friendships.

“Aren’t you excited to see Heeseung?” Sunoo’s voice cut into your happy daydreams and the smile fell from your face at his teasing tone, stiffening slightly as he glanced at you from his room again, an eyebrow raised in amusement at your reaction.

“I’m excited to see everybody.” You said stiffly and he let out a small laugh at your sudden serious tone, knowing you had caught on to what he was implying. “Sunoo, don’t make it weird.”

“I’m not.” He gasped like it was an offensive thing to suggest, standing and approaching the window so you could see him better as he continued to tease you. “I just think it might be interesting considering this is the first time you’ve seen your childhood lover since being single again.”

“Do not call him that.” You were groaning and flopping back on your bed to which he let out another amused laugh.

You loved all of your friends equally, each one of them bringing a different set of pros to your life and helping to shape your personality as you grew up and molded into the person you were now. They were your family, brothers you never had and they felt the same way about you, resulting in no one ever dating within the group or causing awkward moments that could potentially upset the harmonious balance.

Lee Heeseung was the exception.

Despite Sunoo’s ridiculous phrasing he had never been your lover, not even remotely coming close to it. In fact things were almost more platonic with him than anybody else, never hugging you for too long or jokingly flirting to try and get on your nerves.

You weren’t exactly sure what it was about Heeseung that you liked so much. You’d seen him grow up the same as the other boys and while their changes annoyed you, scrunching your nose at classic boyish humor or lack of hygiene as they all shot up in height and their voices started cracking, Heeseung was the most beautiful person you’d ever met in your entire life.

He’d been born first out of all the babies but he never took advantage of being the eldest, always kind and generous as he drove everybody around and asked for group opinions instead of just doing whatever he wanted out of seniority.

He was funny in a way you didn’t know boys could be funny, not even meaning to make you laugh sometimes and just coincidentally being a beacon of light and humor that left all of you bending over trying to catch your breath at the dinner table. You liked this about him but you liked the small proud smile he’d have after everytime even more.

It certainly didn’t help that he was handsome in an unreal way. He had seemingly barely dipped a toe in the awkward phase you all went through before he was shooting up in height and his features were sharpening, solidifying into somebody who could’ve been intimidating if he wasn’t always smiling and goofing around.

But Heeseung was never your lover and he never would be considering your crush for him, that you had mistakenly spilled to Sunoo at some point during your senior year of high school, was completely dead and gone as far as you were concerned.

You’d even gotten a boyfriend to prove this to yourself, meeting a sophomore on your first day of college and immediately being taken by his style and humor. He reminded you of your friends back home as much as somebody could manage and he helped you adjust to being away from everyone outside of Sunoo. You’d even brought him back home with you last thanksgiving, letting him meet your friends before he abruptly dumped you on your drive back to the airport.

When you’d gotten out of the car with swollen eyes and red cheeks, your friends who had been waiting in the lobby to say the round of goodbyes had immediately crowded around you in worry.

Heeseung was standing back a bit and you tried not to make eye contact with him, humiliated as you murmured to them that Beomgyu had just broken up with you only a few minutes ago.

Jay was furious and attempting to go and confront the boy who was checking your bags in with security but Jungwon was quickly reminding him that you had to spend the next 4 hours sat right beside him on the cramped plane and they didn’t need to make the silence anymore uncomfortable than it already was going to be.

“I can drive you back.” Heeseung’s soft voice was coming from behind the bickering pair and you glanced up at him with wide teary eyes, not liking the pitiful gaze he was peering down at you with.

You felt sick at his suggestion as your heart skipped a few beats, the harsh reminder of how kind and generous he was immediately followed by the realization that no matter how hard your tried or how long of a relationship you had, he’d still make your stomach light up with butterflies. You turned down his offer and said your goodbyes with more tears than usual, promising to see them soon.

Heeseung hadn’t come to Christmas for the first time in your lives and as much fun as you had seeing each other again, the balance was always off whenever one of you weren’t present. He’d claimed he was busy with work and that he’d tried to get time off but he simply couldn’t, a message in the group chat about how he couldn’t wait to go camping being the last time you’d heard from him.

By the time Sunoo spoke again you could see him throwing his backpack over his shoulder and wheeling his suitcase out the door. “This could be the year you know. You should make a move.”

“Don’t be stupid.” You shook your head although he couldn’t see you anymore. “There is no move to be made, we’re bestfriends.”

“That’s because you- Hi Mrs L/N.” You could hear your front door open both through the phone speaker and your own ears. “Are too pussy to do anything about it.”

He whispered the last part so your mom wouldn’t hear and you laughed at the way he stopped mid insult to greet her with an affectionate tone. You hung up the phone and laid flat on your back as you waited for him to climb the stairs to your room.

He was pushing the door open only seconds later and he paused in the doorway when he saw you pathetically sprawled out in your own self pity, sighing softly before climbing on the bed besides your head and petting your hair gently as he kissed his teeth.

“Poor thing. In love with the village idiot.” He was shaking his head and you shoved his hand off of you as he let out a laugh, shielding himself from your attacks. You were sitting up to push him again when three long honks were ringing from outside, catching both of your attention.

You were off the bed and grabbing your bags before you could say another word, a childlike excitement washing over you as you giddily ran down the stairs and gave your mom a rushed kiss goodbye as she complained about the fact Jay had honked and didn’t come in to say hello.

By the time you got outside the other boys were already out of the car, meeting you halfway in laughed filled hugs and you and Sunoo ran to embrace them.

“Oh my god, when did you get so tall?” You were pulling away from Riki in exclamation as you held his arms and shook his frame slightly, scanning him all the way up to his face that was now having to look down at you. “What are they feeding you over there?”

“Straight protein.” Jake was answering before the youngest could, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and he also admired Riki’s growth spurt, although slightly envious considering he hadn’t grown much since high school.

“Protein won’t make you grow idiot.” Sunghoon was leaning against the van with a judging expression as he looked at his friend and roommate, him and Jake going to the same school about an hour away.

You’d stayed in pairs or groups for the most part since moving out. Sunoo and you, Jake and Sunghoon and then Jay, Jungwon and Riki had all moved in together at the best school in the state neighboring yours.

Heeseung was the only one who hadn’t applied alongside any of you despite the belief you all were going to try and stay together as much as possible while still supporting your individual dreams and wants. He had applied to all the same schools as you all did, getting accepted into every single one. Yet when it came down to choosing, he moved the furthest away on his own.

When he had sat you all down in Jungwon’s basement to announce this you remember feeling betrayed. Hurt at him leaving and even more upset that he hadn’t picked the school you were attending considering that was the option he seemed to be leaning towards according to what he told you

You can recall the others cheering in celebration at the fact he’d gotten into an extremely good college despite the sadness that settled in on everyone’s faces when they realized what that meant. You caught his eye at some point during that exchange and he flinched away, not wanting to look at you the same way you did to him at the airport.

Not similarly to the way he was looking at you now, rounding the front of the van as he got out of the passenger seat and made his way to where you were all gathered.

You tensed up for a moment when you first saw him and Riki noticed, following your gaze over his shoulder as he turned around and smiled once he saw what you were looking at, walking over to Heeseung and dragging him towards you with a pat on the back.

“Hey.” He was breathing out as he looked down at you and you took a second to take in his appearance.

It hadn’t been that long since you’d seen him but somehow he looked different, or maybe he just felt different considering how much broader his shoulders were and how much more sure of himself he seemed. You weren’t exactly sure what it was about him that was striking you as new but you were momentarily stunned as you took him in.

Sunoo was nudging you with him elbow suddenly and you realized you’d been completely zoned out checking Heeseung out as you ignored his greeting. “Hi Hee.”

He smiled down at you softly but didn’t say anything else, just standing there for a second before Jay was smacking the hood of the old van and announcing you had to hit the road or else you’d miss the site check in time. You gave him a quick glance before moving to carry your bags into the trunk, stopping when big hands were overlapping yours on the handle.

“Let me do it.” You looked up from under your eyelashes to see Heeseung bending over slightly as he gathered your stuff for you.

You were too stunned to say anything and he smiled again, fuller this time as he turned with your stuff and started to load it up. Sunoo was chuckling from beside you and you whipped your head to the side to shoot him a glare, a silent warning for him to be quiet and not draw attention to the blush on your face or the fact your stomach was lighting up with the same familiar feeling it always did whenever you were around the oldest boy.

The ride was uneventful for the most part, three hours passing as the boys in front of you caught up and told childish jokes, at one point having a competition to see who could catch the most goldfish in their mouth before they were gagging.

Heeseung hadn’t joined in with them from his seat in front of you but you could see his cheeks rising with a smile every time Sunoo squeaked out a laugh or Riki started to tease Jay who was driving. You and Sunghoon were in the back, playing games on his phone as you passed it back and forth and tried to ignore the eyes you could feel looking back at you every once in a while.

You were all just starting to reach your boredom limit and the car was filling with groans of pain as you stretched your legs out onto others and complained about your back pain, when you finally were pulling up to the familiar area.

As you shuffled out of the van, you took a deep breath and squeezed your eyes shut. It was rare to find this type of visual anywhere you were used to, the large trees surrounding the clear lake with small mountains out in the distance.

The air felt clear and light in your lungs and the temperature was perfect, just hot enough that you could go swimming still but also bundle into a sweater to avoid getting an overwhelming amount of bug bites.

You helped unload the trunk with the others, setting up the grills and coolers in a small area a few feet away from the main camp site. It was empty now, a small lot of perfectly mowed grass but you’d seen the process enough times to know with only a little bit of work, it could turn into a comfortable home for you to spend the weekend. Jake helped you moved some of the heavier stuff, giggling when he almost tripped over a branch walking backwards.

“Here comes the worst part.” He was leaning over to whisper to you as you walked back to camp.

Jay was sitting on the picnic table the campsite offered to people who stayed multiple nights, the hat he had been wearing in his hands as Sunoo ripped up little pieces of paper next to him.

Jake was right in the sense that this was the most meticulous part of the weekend but you never completely minded it. Your names would all be written on a piece of paper and put into the hat, then you’d draw two at a time and be given your tent roommate for the trip. Sunghoon and Jake often got paired and he’s complain the entire time, citing him as a blanket hog.

For 90% of the years you’d done this tradition you’d gotten Sunoo, eventually you imagined it had something to do with the fact he was the one who always got to call out the names being pulled.

Nobody ever called him out for it despite the way they’d roll their eyes as he put on a show of surprise, gasping and covering his mouth in shock and you laughed and cheered him on. So you weren’t thinking too much about the mischievous look on his face, figuring he was just planning out how his performance was going to go this time around.

“Okay first up to bat.” Jay was calling out in a serious tone, shuffling the slips around now that they were all accounted for.

“Jake.” Sunoo was announcing as he pulled the first one out, unfolding it and showcasing it slowly to your eager eyes. Jake nudged your side with an excited look on his face, crossing his fingers and squeezing his eyes shut in anticipation. “And…. Sunghoon!”

“Oh no fucking way.” The boy next to you was groaning loudly as he dropped to his knees dramatically, holding his head and trying to block out the sounds of Sunghoon laughing and cheering as he mocked him.

You laughed with him, looking at Sunoo who winked at you and bunched the papers up in his hands. You bent down to wrap your arms under Jake’s arms, tugging him back up to a standing position as he dramatically leaned against you.

Sunghoon was excitedly skipping over to the two of you, face lit up with pleasure at the sound of his friends complaints. He helped you hold up Jake who had gone completely limp as he feigned death. “Hurry up, he’s heavy.”

“Alright next up is…” Sunoo paused dramatically like he was waiting for a drum roll, sighing and muttering how you guys weren’t any fun when nobody humored him. “Jungwon and Sunoo.”

Jungwon let out a cheer and a swift clap, although not moving from where he was lounging in a camping chair beside the picnic table. Sunoo gave you another look, the same mischievous grin on his face that he had before, although now it made your blood run cold as you quickly realized what he was attempting to do.

“Riki and Jay.” You were proven right as the third pair was announced and you stiffened up completely in shock and betrayal, not even paying attention to the two boys and they agreed they were going to get the best and biggest tent since Riki was the tallest.

“Looks like it’s me and you.” To make your situation worse, Heeseung’s low voice was suddenly hitting your ear and you turned to glance at him.

He looked slightly awkward, not nearly as awkward as you were feeling, and you felt a wave a guilt at the fact he had most likely saw your upset reaction. You hoped he just figured it was because you liked to be close with Sunoo, although right now you were considering drowning him in the lake, and didn’t think it had anything to do with him.

“Looks like it.” You gave him a tensed smile knowing it absolutely everything to do with him.

——

The day was so fun you were almost able to forget your unfortunate sleeping situation. Everybody had gone down to the lake the second the tents were properly set up and secured into the ground, greeting familiar campers who lived on site full time during the summers and splashing each other aggressively until somebody was screaming and blowing water out of their nose.

It exhausted you fast and you were back at the camp only a few hours later so you could conserve your energy, watching Jay and thanking him as he grilled enough meat for all of you to eat multiple servings.

Now the sun had set and your first night was coming to an end in the most peaceful way possible, listening to your best friends have low voiced talks around a crackling campfire. You weren’t saying much but you liked to hear them tell stories about their months apart from you and drink in their voices that you had missed so dearly.

“Shit just changes in college.” Riki was mumbling and you watched him with tired eyes, nodding your head as he spoke about how he’s felt slightly out of place now that he was away from home.

“That’s because everybody is either having sex or trying to.” Jake was remarking from beside you and you turned to glare at him.

He was playing with the dangling netted cup holder of your foldable chair and you slapped his hand away at his statement, causing him to chuckle and nudge you with his foot as he shrugged. “Hey, it’s true.”

“Not for everybody.” Sunghoon was shaking his head and giving him the same grossed out look you were. He was sat across from you and he glanced at you from behind the fire with a nod of agreement. “Some of us have better stuff to do than go to parties every weekend and dick off.”

Jake was scoffing in disbelief and you watched Sunghoon shoot him a pointed look like he was telling him to keep quiet, your mouth dropping into a surprised laugh at the fact he had tried to lie and pretend to agree with you.

“Don’t let her fool you, she complains about her virginity every other day.” Sunoo was casually saying as he took a sip of his drink, his head tilting back to finish it and missing the reaction from the group.

It had fallen completely silent and you stiffened up awkwardly in your chair, a wave of embarrassment washing over you at your friends blunt phrasing. He had always been known to tell the truth about anything and everything but he seemed to realize this was too far, even for him, putting his cup down slowly and offering you an apologetic grimace.

“What?” Jake was sitting up in his chair and turning to fully face you, leaning forward and tugging on your sleeve with an urgent look on his face. “You’ve never had sex?”

“Dude you were with Beomgyu for like 3 years.” Jungwon was muttering from a few spots over and you glared in his direction at the mention of your ex boyfriend.

“Eight months.” The voice from the other seat beside you was speaking for the first time in a while and you turned your gaze slowly to see Heeseung stiff in his chair, staring into the fire as he played with his empty cup absentmindedly. You wondered if he even realized he had said something, let alone suddenly announced the exact amount of time you’d been in a relationship.

“Regardless dude, weren’t you guys like super serious?” Riki was adding on and you looked over to him, happy no one else had realized how weird what Heeseung had said was.

Despite how open you all were with each other, it was rare the conversation about sex lives ever extended over to you. As much as you didn’t really mind the idea of talking to them about your experiences, or lack there of, you also weren’t totally oppose to them never asking and you never telling.

You would’ve laughed at the fact they all looked personally offended you hadn’t gotten laid, maybe even joined in on the banter, if it wasn’t for the boy next to you and how embarrassing it was for him to be hearing it all. As much as you wished you thought of Heeseung the same as the other boys, you didn’t and this proved it.

“It’s not a big deal guys… he never tried or anything. I didn’t think much about it.” You were flushed bright red, thankfully hidden underneath the dark night, and shaking your head as you tried to feign casualness.

“Not a big deal?” Jake was laughing in disbelief and leaning forward more so you’d fully understand the sincerity in his words. “He was with YOU for almost a year and never made a move? He’s crazy.”

You were turning to glare at him at his wording and he leaned back a few inches, keeping a hand on your chair.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” You groaned as you realized this wasn’t something they were going to just let go and move on from, being presented with the most interesting conversation point of the night.

“You’re hot.” He said it like it was something obvious and clear and you faltered in shock, mouth parting and you leaned forward to smack him on the shoulder. He winced and flinched away from you with an upset whine. “I’m just saying dude! We all think it.”

You turned away from him to scan the rest of the circle with wide eyes and furrowed eyebrows, watching the other boys awkwardly avoid your gaze or just outwardly nod their heads in agreement with Jake. (Sunghoon and Jay.)

You weren’t stupid and you knew the boys were attractive, each of them fit and handsome constantly drawing attention all throughout high school, subjecting you to glares from girls in the hallways and boys trying to befriend you in an attempt to get closer to them.

Still, you’d never considered the fact that they thought about you in a similar way. You never thought too deeply into your own appearance at all, both positively and negatively but you figured the idea would never cross their minds considering they strictly treated you as a close friend or even a sibling at times, minus Jake and his meaningless flirting.

For some reason your gaze fell to Heeseung, who was still completely stiff beside you. He hadn’t been looking at you before but now he was and you faltered slightly at the hard expression on his face, eyes low with something you couldn’t make out in the dark.

“Shut up Jake, don’t be so stupid.” You were turning away from him quickly as you muttered the words and they dropped it quickly the second they realized you were actually uncomfortable and not just messing around.

The conversation moved on for now but you imagined they’d bring it back up at some point during the weekend. You felt a bit better now that the attention was mostly off of you, Jake’s hand resting on your arm as he played with your sleeve softly. You figured he must be feeling guilty for making such a big deal out of it so you ignored him, happily accepting the invitation to go to bed when Jungwon was standing with a yawn.

The awkwardness of that conversation had made you complete forgot about your sleeping situation but you were reminded quickly as the other boys stood to also head to bed, Heeseung standing slowly and hovering near you.

He followed behind you closely as you ducked into the tent but neither of you spoke as you zipped it up, sitting down on the sleeping back to shuffle through your bag as you searched for your pajamas.

You felt bad it was so awkward between the two of you. You’d always felt more cautious around him considering your past crush but you never let it show, not wanting him to think you liked him less than the others or worse, realize the truth was the direct opposite. Still there was something clearly different in their air now and it was suffocating you a bit as you waited for him to joke around or say something stupid to break the tension.

“Are you into Jake?” When he finally spoke it threw you off completely, not expecting him to say something like in such a hardened tone.

You froze in your movements inside your bag, looking up at him in confusion. “What?”

He was halfway sat leaning against a few pillows, watching you from the other side of the tent with that same unreadable expression he had by the fire. He didn’t clarify what he said, knowing you had heard him and you watched him for a few seconds in silent bewilderment.

“Why would you ask me that?” You mumbled, shaking your head and looking down at your disorganized clothes pile again. It slightly agitated you that he hadn’t spoken to you for most of the day and yet that was the first question from his mouth.

“Just wondering.” He shrugged like it wasn’t a completely taboo topic to be questioning you about but his face was anything but casual. “Are you into any of them? Would you hook up with one of us?”

“How can you ask me that? Would you ask one of the boys that or is it because I’m the only girl?” You glared at him as you spoke.

“I’d ask them if I cared.” He stated and you scoffed, not fully understanding what he was attempting to imply in his statement.

He wasn’t acting like himself and you felt a bit worried that maybe you had done something to upset him or weirded him out with your awkward demeanor. You didn’t bother to reply again, grabbing your toothbrush with the pajamas you’d chosen and leaving the tent swiftly through the zippered door.

You were speed walking down towards the public bathrooms and showers on the other side of the camp site, flustered from his random interrogation and replaying the day to decide if you’d done anything that could make him think that.

Jake was touchy with everybody, especially you at times since you objected the least but he always had been and it definitely wasn’t a new and shocking thing for him to be touching your arm or hugging onto your side. You contemplated it potentially being due to his comment about you being hot but considering the context in which he said it, you didn’t think that was the reason.

A hand around your arm was snapping you from your thoughts and you let out a small yelp, spinning around to see Heeseung who was panting slightly.

His eyes were wide a bit like he was worried and you saw a flash of guilt pass through then when he saw your flushed face. He squeezed your arm for a second before letting it go and you gave him a questioning stare at the fact he had seemingly rushed out of the tent to follow you into the darkness.

“Let me walk you there.” He blurred out and gestured to the fact he was also holding his pajamas and night hygiene products. “It’s dark, you shouldn’t be out here alone.”

You scoffed slightly at his concern, both of you knowing you weren’t in any danger at the campsite and it was barely a ten minute walk through a lit trail, but nonetheless you nodded at him and continued walking with him now at your side. He didn’t say anything else and neither did you, parting ways silently once you got to the building and he went to the male side.

You took a second to breathe once inside, leaning your elbows on the counter and looking at yourself in the mirror underneath the yellow flickering lights. You brushed your teeth quickly and changed into a comfortable sweater and shorts, wandering back outside to see Heeseung already there and leaning against the wall.

He watched as you walked past him silently, lingering for a second before jogging to catch up with you.

“I’m sorry.” He was muttering and you looked at him for a second before focusing back in front of you so you didn’t trip over the bumpy terrain. “I shouldn’t have asked you that.”

You shrugged softly and you felt his arm bump into yours as you walked side by side, approaching the tent in silence. You didn’t want to talk about it anymore, certainly not wanting to hear the reason he thought you’d be hooking up with Jake of all people.

When you finally were back inside and putting your toothbrush away you tried to ignore the fact he was climbing onto the large sleeping bag waiting for you to join inside it before he could zip it up completely. Your heart was pounding thinking about sleeping next to him and you suddenly felt overly hot despite the cold chill of the night.

You’d slept next to Heeseung before, all accustomed to sharing beds or living room floors during sleepovers, sometimes even all smushing together inside Jungwon’s van when you had a particularly long late night adventure. Yet it felt extremely intimate to be alone together and zipped up inside a sleeping bag.

Still you had no other option and the cold was starting to get to you considering your pajama shorts, so you scooted over onto the staticky fabric and held your breath as he leaned over you to seal it.

He laid back onto his back and you fell into more silence, not quite touching but you could feel his shoulder only a few inches from yours, rising and falling as he took deep breaths. He was shifting a bit to try and get comfortable and directly bumped into you, freezing at the contact but not making any move to scoot further away.

“I really am sorry for asking you that.” He was suddenly speaking but his voice was so quiet you barely heard him at first, a tired rasp lacing his words.

“It’s fine Hee. Not a big deal.” You whispered back, the air feeling strangely delicate. His hand was touching your wrist randomly but you assumed it was an accident, sparing him a glance at his touch and finding him staring at the roof of the tent.

“Pissed me off when he said that.” His voice was still low but it was hardening again like it had earlier and you winced slightly, confused at his mood changes. Heeseung was never the type to get angry and definitely not somebody who would voice it so openly like this. “Is that weird to say?”

“I’m not sure I get what you mean.” You were bending your legs so your feet were flat against the tent floor and your knees were pointed upwards, feeling strangely vulnerable at the conversation topic.

His hand that was barely grazing your wrist was moving now and you stiffened when he completely grasped it, sliding slowly down your arm until he could feel your palm under his finger tips. You sucked in a breath at his strange actions, never really directly touching him before despite how close you all were to each other.

“I don’t think I know what I mean either.” He was letting out a small self deprecating laugh but he squeezed your hand now that they were intertwined. “I just know whenever he touches you it makes me feel crazy.”

Your heart felt heavy at his sudden confession and you were slightly dizzy as you were trying to process what he was saying and what it meant if he was implying what you thought he might be. It seemed like he was trying to tell you that he was jealous of Jake, jealous of him for touching you earlier and for the way he playfully flirted.

“Jake’s harmless.” You whispered back and you’re not sure why that’s what you chose to address instead of asking him why on earth that would upset him.

“I know.” He said it like he was frustrated, like you were missing the point he was trying to make. “It’s not about that, I don’t know forget it.”

He was unraveling his hand from yours but you instinctively caught him in the middle of his arm, panicked at the thought of him pulling away now that you’ve finally made some progress towards… something you still weren’t fully understanding. But you’d never even toed the line with Heeseung before and you weren’t going to take it for granted.

He was finally glancing at you now that you were practically hugging his arm and his face wasn’t hard anymore, instead having a nervous unsure look that you hadn’t really seen on him before.

“Help me understand.” You loosened your grip on his arm but kept it held against you, breathing heavier as you looked at each other.

He watched you for a while but didn’t say anything just yet, you tried not to flinch when he rolled over on his side so he could face you better and it seemed to work considering his free hand was coming up to push some of your hair behind your ear, resting on your cheek for a second before going back to his side like he hadn’t meant to do it.

“Why did you never have sex with Beomgyu?” He was whispering again and his words sounded particularly vulgar although he sounded like he was genuinely curious.

You didn’t answer for a while because you honestly didn’t have one that wouldn’t make you sound like you were desperate and insane. You could halfway lie and tell him it just didn’t feel right but you had a feeling he would be able to see right through you like he always could.

“It didn’t work right?” He started speaking again before you could and you were turning on your side too so you could look at him in confusion, still holding his arm that was resting in the middle of you. When he saw your confused look he explained further. “Using him to get over me, it didn’t work.”

You froze and your mouth fell open, almost worried you were going to cry considering how embarrassed you felt that he had apparently known your biggest secret this entire time. A sick feeling washed over you and he seemed to notice because he shifted closer to you slightly with a worried expression.

You thought back to how Heeseung had acted on the trip you’d brought your ex boyfriend to. He was more distant than usual but you figured he was just busy and stressed since he had been working so hard, this being confirmed when he couldn’t get time off to attend Christmas.

Now a large part of you was wondering if it was something else, if he had lied so he didn’t have to face you after your breakup. If Jake, somebody he knew and trusted, flirting with you had bothered him tonight then there was no way he hadn’t been even slightly upset considering you and Beomgyu were openly affectionate the entire break.

You tried to not blame yourself for the fact he had missed out on movie night that week, citing he wasn’t feeling well and barely sparing a glance to the two of you curled up together under a blanket on the couch. Remembering how he stared at you over dinner when you were introducing the boy with a bright smile on your face, avoiding his heavy gaze all night because it made your heart feel guilty.

It also made you feel incredibly stupid. Not only did he seem to know you were in love with him but he also determined your entire reasoning for rushing into a relationship.

“You knew?” Your hurt was shown clearly in your tone and his eyes saddened a little.

“Of course I knew, I thought we both did.” He shook his head a little like he was finding himself stupid. “Imagine my surprise when you come home with a boyfriend.”

“You left.” You spat out to him, squeezing his arm at the reminder he had willingly moved farther away from you than anybody else. Despite the fact you’d spent multiple nights together talking about the colleges you’d choose and he assured you he wouldn’t go far if he didn’t pick the one you were set on.

“I had to.” He sounded pained and stressed out like it had been weighing on him and your heart clenched considering you knew exactly how he felt.

As frustrated as you were at the situation you imagined it would’ve been hard for him too, having feelings for you the same way you did but never being sure. You definitely did your best to hide it to keep your friendship steady since it was your priority and you tried to think about how hurt you would be if he suddenly brought a girlfriend to your holidays, stomach turning at the thought.

“I am over you.” You said it forcefully as you tried to salvage any bit of friendship that was left but neither of you believed the words you were saying, his eyebrow raising as he watched you with a curious expression.

“Yeah?” He was mumbling and you squeezed his arm instinctively at his deepened tone and the way his voice quirked up in a question. You nodded your head and hummed softly in agreement, standing behind your claim.

He was shifting closer again and your nose bumped against his, causing you to suck in a sharp breath.

You tried not to think about the fact this was the closest you’d ever been to him, tried not to think about how he basically just confessed to you and taken almost two decades worth of weight off your shoulders. You especially tried not to think about the fact his eyes were flicking down to your lips every few seconds.

You didn’t think about anything at all when he was finally kissing you, closing your eyes immediately and leaning into each other like this was something you did often. Despite how constant you’d thought about what it would be like to kiss him one day, you were still surprised by how natural it felt.

It didn’t make you nervous to lean into him, not even when he let out a small huffy groan when he rolled onto his back so you could be laying halfway on top of him.

Something about kissing Heeseung came naturally to you and he seemed to be thinking similarly considering the way he let out a small relieved sigh when you pulled away to breathe, big hands coming up to tangle in your hair and hold your face still above his as he studied your swollen lips and dazed expression.

He gave you a soft smile and your lips quirked up at the sight of it, feeling content and happy despite your stomach lighting up with those familiar butterflies, leaning back down to kiss him again before you wasted any more time.

[fayes-fics]

A Blessing

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader, Modern AU

Summary: Turns out the father of your favourite pupil, could end up being your favourite adult

Warnings: none really… this is flirtation and fluff. Developing relationship.

Word count: 2.1k

Authors Note: This is a request fill for Anon (ask HERE) about a meet-cute between single dad Benedict and teacher reader. This is also dedicated to my lovely mutual @bridgertontess on the occasion of her birthday this weekend. Happy birthday my dear! Thank you for choosing the name of Benedict’s daughter in this fic. Many thanks to wonderful @colettebronte for giving this a read through, the title and for her generosity in creating the lovely artwork above. Enjoy! <3

You sigh as you fiddle with your nameplate, awaiting the start of Parents Evening. It’s always a night you dread - having to be polite to the parents of nightmare kids. There are a few pupils you simply adore, but somehow, those parents seem to linger less than those you struggle to find nice things to say about.

One of your favourites - yes, you know you’re not supposed to have them, but you do - is little Georgia Bridgerton. She is cute as a button with blue eyes and chestnut curls, but mostly, it’s her sweet temperament and intelligence you admire. You hope her parents turn up. You are intrigued to meet whoever created this little blessing, although you have only heard her talk of her Dad.

About an hour in, you have talked to six sets of parents of mostly middling pupils. You are just sneaking a look at your phone when someone flops into the chair opposite, and you hasten to drop it back in your bag.

When you look up, your lungs feel tight. Quite the most beautiful man has taken a seat, and you are temporarily dumbstruck as you glance at his name sticker. In the ‘hello my name is’ box, he has written Ben in large looping black letters. The ‘my child’s name is’ box has been left blank.

“I’m sorry, Ben,” you stutter, slightly distracted by his hazy eyes. “I don’t see your child’s name on your tag; who are you here for?” you ask.

He glances down at his navy shirt. “Ah shit, sorry.” Then he immediately winces. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to swear.”

“It’s fine,” you bat a hand. “The kids aren’t here tonight. You should hear me when they aren’t within earshot,” you jest, attempting to break the ice, even as you feel your face prickling hot at just the sight of him.

He laughs heartily, his face creasing up in quite the most handsome way, and you squeeze your legs together reflexively, hidden under the table. Good lord, he’s beautiful.

“I’m Georgia’s dad,” he explains as he stops laughing.

“Oh, my star pupil!” you gush, then have to stop. “Shit, I’m not supposed to say that,” you confess, eyes darting around the buzzing gymnasium to all the other parents and teachers, but no one seems to have heard.

“Or swear…” he adds for you, with a wink.

Oh fuck. You could be in trouble here.

You briefly dip your head, cheeks heated, until he starts talking again. “But it’s wonderful she’s doing so well. She talks about you a lot, to be honest. Always saying Mrs y/l/n is her favourite teacher,” he smiles. 

“I am her only teacher,” you remind drolly, even as you can’t hide how pleased that makes you. “Should we wait for another parent before we dig in…?” you ask, gesturing to the empty chair to his left.

His face clouds slightly, and you worry you have made a faux pas. “Oh, she, uh, won’t be making it tonight,” he says quietly.

“Gosh, I’m sorry that was rude of me to presume,” you cringe.

“No, no, don’t worry,” he placates kindly. “Georgia’s mother left me when she was just a toddler. But six months ago, she cut off all contact and moved abroad. It’s been…” he pauses to sigh and roughly rubs his eyebrow,  “…a tough adjustment, to be honest, mostly for Georgia. It’s been challenging trying to explain gently but honestly to a six-year-old that, in essence, her mother wants nothing to do with her.”

“I’m so very sorry,” you murmur, and part of you itches to reach out and give his hand a sympathetic squeeze as he picks his cuticles, probably unconsciously. “I can’t imagine why anyone would abandon her; she is quite the sweetest little child imaginable.” 

You know it’s unprofessional to say so, but you want to comfort him human to human. And for some reason, you feel completely at ease being open and honest with him. His eyes flick up from his hands, and they are so soulful you once again feel tongue-tied.

“Thank you,” he demures. 

“She talks about you a lot, too, in class. My dad did this; my dad did that. She looks up to you so much. You must be an excellent single parent,” you reassure, then lean forward over the table. “Umm, please don’t let anyone know I said any of this; it’s very unprofessional.”

His face morphs into a look of surprise, and then a lopsided smile tugs at the right corner of his mouth as he mirrors your stance, leaning in. “Your secret is safe with me,” he chuckles as you feel your blood run warm. “But it will cost you….” he adds teasingly.

Your eyes dart to his uncertain. “W-what?” You stumble, genuinely concerned for the first time about your job.

He leans back in the chair, assuming a very relaxed stance, that crooked smile growing more prominent. “Yes. The price is your apple crumble recipe. Georgia brought some home; she said you had made it for the class to commemorate the school centennial. And it was quite the best dessert we have ever eaten.”

You exhale the breath you were holding, relieved and can’t help the giggle that bubbles up. “Deal,” you agree.

This is quite the most casual and flirtatious you have ever been with a parent, and you suddenly become cognisant of it. Sitting up straighter and clearing your throat, you shift gear a little, discussing the details of his daughter’s progress. He listens intently, nods, and asks questions at appropriate moments.

“Usually, I would conclude with suggested things you can do at home to assist your child,” you wrap up, “but, to be honest, for Georgia, I have no suggestions. She is just a delight and could not do any better. Just keep doing as you are; she will go far in this world.”

He clutches his chest, patently proud of his little girl, but you find yourself fixated on the crisscross of raised veins mapping the back of his large hand. Your traitorous brain chooses this moment to give you a vivid flash of that hand grabbing your flesh, making you squeak in your throat and a shiver run down your spine involuntarily, goosebumps breaking out over your arms. 

“Are you alright?”

“Sorry, must be a draught from somewhere,” you fib, tugging at your cardigan sleeve. “Old school buildings and all,” you titter nervously.

He nods in understanding, but his eyes linger slightly longer than necessary on your body.

“Why are you a Mrs if you wear no wedding ring?” he blurts, then looks mortified. “God, I’m sorry, that is really none of my business,” he admits, blushing endearingly.

Your heart leaps into your throat at the idea he checked, but you maintain composure by waving a dismissive hand. “No, don’t worry, it's fine. I’m, umm, actually a widow,” you confess, seeing his eyes soften with sympathy. “Oh, it was a few years ago now,” you preempt the platitudes, “and I never took his last name for work, but I did change to Mrs at the school’s suggestion. I keep thinking I will change back to Ms one of these days, but all my pupils know me as Mrs you know,” you shrug with a nonplussed look.

He chuckles understandingly. “I’m sorry that happened,” he offers more soberly, and you nod.

“And I’m sorry for what happened to you and Georgia. She is doing remarkably, considering.”

Your time together is naturally wrapping up, but you are reluctant to voice it, and he seems in no hurry to move.

“At the risk of sounding completely inappropriate,” he hedges with a very beguilingly almost sheepish mien, “may I have your phone number?”

Your heart pounds, and you resist the temptation to squeal like a teenager or even show it on your face.

“Certainly,” you respond brightly. “I am always available to parents to discuss anything to do with their child’s education,” you try to justify as you scribble your number on a new page of your notepad.

“And what if I don’t want to discuss my child?” He asks quietly, his tone turning smoother, “may I still text you?” 

You almost rip the paper straight through as you try to detach it from the metal spirals. You are certain your face is giving you away now, feeling flushed from your toes to your eyes.

“Yes,” you whisper, nervously glancing to meet his eyes for a brief second that feels blistering as you fold the paper and push it over the table towards him.

His fingertips brush yours as he takes the paper, and your body riots at that simple touch. 

“Thank you,” he says sotto voce. “I look forward to connecting more,” he adds as he stands. You try your best not to ogle his body in his fitted dark wash jeans as he tucks the note in his pocket, but it’s at eye height now. And you try to ignore how his shirt hangs off his broad shoulders when you look up, but mostly, you fail.

You stand too, feeling awkward, and hold out your hand to shake, as you do with every parent.

He looks briefly bemused, then takes your hand in his. It’s warm, the skin soft except for some callouses where he holds a pen or maybe a paintbrush, and the size engulfs yours. You never want to let go. Fireworks explode behind your ribs as his eyes dance even under the harsh gym lights.

“It was wonderful to meet you, Mr Bridgerton,” you parrot your usual parting line at him, but somehow, it feels weighted with additional meaning. 

“Likewise, Ms y/l/n,” he replies pointedly, not using the Mrs, as his thumb swipes distractingly over the back of your hand, not letting go. “And please call me Ben,” he requests duskily, finally stepping away, his fingers gradually slipping from yours.

You just nod, almost unable to speak, not trusting your tongue at this moment. You try not to watch Benedict walk away towards the exit, but again, you fail miserably. 

Less than thirty seconds later, your phone buzzes in your bag. It’s a number you don’t recognise.

BB: I’ll need that apple crumble recipe for tomorrow if you don’t mind. I have a big family lunch on Saturday and have been roped into bringing dessert.

You giggle, your fingers fly over the screen, composing a response in your lap, even as the next parents pull up to take a seat. 

Y/N: Okay… but good luck. Most of the secret is in the prep…

BB: Hmm, then a demo might be best. Fancy being a culinary teacher tomorrow after work?

Your heart flutters hard, and you must mumble an apology to the waiting parents as you can’t resist firing off a flirty response.

Y/N: But what if I don’t want to give away my trade secrets just yet? 😉

BB: Fair. Then my family will have to settle for Tesco’s finest cake instead…

Y/N: I can’t in all good conscience let that happen. OK, you have a deal. 7pm tmrw?

BB: 👍😁

You spend the rest of the Parents' Evening floating on a little cloud. You even smile through the meeting with Damien’s parents, who couldn’t be more aptly named. 

The next evening, when his front door sweeps open, Benedict and Georgia are wearing matching pinstripe aprons, faces so eager. They look so adorable you crack a smile from ear to ear. 

“Where’s your apron, Mrs y/l/n?” Georgia pipes up.

You smile, then reach into your shoulder bag and pull out your trusty apron with a flourish.

She breaks into giggles and does a happy little dance as Benedict gestures for you to come in with an exaggerated bow.

By the time you leave, hours later, they have a delicious apple crumble for their family lunch the following day, and Georgia is sleeping soundly. You have an apron dusted in flour, a tingle on your lips from his wondrous kisses and a lightness in your being that fizzes like champagne.

The following day, he texts that the apple crumble was such a success his mother demanded the recipe on the spot. Then, a few seconds later, another message asking you to drop by. You practically trip in the rush to get out the door.

When his front door sweeps open this time, he’s alone and dressed handsomely in a white shirt with those jeans. You are powerless to do anything but push up onto your tiptoes and kiss him immediately. And when he whispers hotly in your ear that Georgia is staying with her cousins for the night, you almost melt right into his doorstep.

It turns out Georgia was not the only blessing you got from the Bridgerton family.

Benedict taglist: @makaylan @foreverlonginguniverse @iboopedyournose @colettebronte @aintnuthinbutahounddog @severewobblerlightdragon @margofiore @writergirl-2001 @heeyyyou @enichole445 @enchantedbytomandhenry @ambitionspassionscoffee @chaoticcalzoneranchsports @nikaprincessofkattegat @baebee35 @crowleysqueenofhell @bridgertontess @fiction-is-life @lilacbeesworld @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @eleanor-bradstreet @divaanya @musicismyoxygen84 @benedictspaintbrush @miindfucked @sorryallonsy @lilithseve @cayt0123 @hottytoddyhistory @truly-dionysus @fictionalmenloversblog @zinzysstuff @malpalgalz @panhoeofmanyfandoms @kinokomoonshine @causeimissu @delehosies @Mlovesbridgerton @m-rae23 @last-sheep @kmc1989 @desert-fern @starkeylover @corpseoftrees-queen @jeanfreau @magical-spit @bunnyweasley23

[adoresmiles]

His Concealed Obsession

Chapter one.

"I just don't get how you two still have a job when you're both always at my place."

"We just came by to check in on you since the news about your neighbor broke out in the news this morning."

"Oh yeah , I saw it on the news. I feel so bad for her kids. She was always spoke to me whenever we come would come across each other . Invited me over to dinner , go out for lunch and hell she even invited me to spa dates with her and her daughter."

"You talking about Nicole?"

"Yea Jax , the same Nicole you slept with before you married your wife."

"Jaxon Tyree!"

"It was an accident Nani and I don't even know why KP brought it up."

"I hope and pray that my nephew doesn't turn out like you as he gets older."

"With all the amazing women in his life , he's going to come out a thousand times better than me."

"Anyways you need to be careful Kanani, your neighbor who was a well known attorney was murder inside of her."

"Maybe you should come and stay with one of until KP and them get everything done. Cause I be damn if my baby sister gets murdered next."

"I understand you are worried about my safety but if mom and dad haven't said anything about it yet to me then you guys shouldn't either. I'm safe here and I have an alarm system and cameras inside of my apartment."

"Now you know damn well them cameras and alarm systems ain't going to save your short ass."

"You need a guard dog and damn gun. I keep telling you to go ahead and get a gun and take classes on how to use it properly."

"Nope , I refuse to get a gun. You know how I feel about them ever since that damn party."

"Kanani you're killing us right now right now."

"I know and I'm sorry. Look how many who have guns out here and they don't even use it properly?! You have kids going to school shooting their teachers , grown ass adults who went to school coming back for revenge, young black men taking each other out."

"Hate to say this, but it's this shit happens everyday and everywhere Nani."

"Yes but also if we stop giving the wrong people guns and do a fucking throughly background check then it wouldn't be problem. Lock your guns away from your children. It's more  gun violence out there than love and I just refuse to be apart of it."

Kanani stated to her two older brothers as she walked around her kitchen counter to get herself a glass of juice.

"Think about it from our perspective. What if you were in that situation? Would you have fought back ? Call the police ?"

"Calling the police and locking them inside the closet. The closet doors lock from the outside and plus in order to even get inside you need my finger print and the code to get inside the door."

"Not saying I'm on her side here but trying to break down these doors are heavy as hell."

"It sounds like to me you're on little KP side right now. I don't suppose to say this but this per- hold on ... hello? Wassup uncle Mike?"

"While detective KP over there chatting away. Let's talk about where you are going to be staying."

"I'm not leaving my house because of some killer is on the loose. If I feel like I am in great danger then I'll show up on either yours or KP door step."

"You're going to give me gray hairs before Jordan even turns eighteen."

"That sounds like a personal problem Jaxon. Why are you trying to control something that you're not able to control yourself?"

"Because you're my baby sister Nani. If anything were to hap- if someone were to hurt you , I'll gladly sit behind bars for killing them. That goes for KP too! I'm yall older brother and it's my job to make sure that you both are good at all times. Yeah KP a detective and all but that don't matter to me."

"Jaxon I appreciate you and I know you're concerned about my safety but you have to trust me. If I feel as if my life is in jeopardy then you'll be the first one to know. Plea-"

"Aye Jax we got to go , uncle Mike and uncle Marcus need some help with this case. I can drop you off back the fire station or you good?"

"I'm good , Nani can drop me off back at the station."

"Nope , sorry can't do it. I have to go get ready before my friend comes over for our lunch date."

"Damn it's like that?"

"Sure is , now can you guys go so I can go get ready? I need at least two hours to mentally prepare myself."

"We didn't even finish our conversation."

"I'm staying home and that's final. Please don't forget that one of you has to pick up mom and dad from the airport tomorrow afternoon."

"Well I can't do it since this is my weekend it work."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because I'm the one who dropped them off and plus I have back to back meetings for my store grand opening."

"Oh yeah I forgot , yeah I'll pick them up tomorrow then. I'll have Jordan tag along with me to keep me entertained on the way there."

"Aight now, we out! Be safe and don't be out here grown. We locking the door behind us since yo ass wants to walk away without giving hugs and shit."

"And share your location too, love you big head!"

"Love you too, now bye!"

Kanani expressed to them both as she walked down her hallway that lead into her bedroom. She loved her brother's but after dealing with them for long , she needed a mental reset. Their conversation regarding the circumstances of her neighbor was not necessarily needed. Yes , the situation is sad but it doesn't involve her. She could see if she was there and witnessed it but she wasn't.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on her door. A look of confusion displayed on her face as she looked down the hallway of her home. Kanani wasn't expecting anyone until the next couple of hours. So she was confused on who or what could it possibly be . Dropping her unfolded blanket onto the ground , she decided to go and see who it could be.

"This better not be one of these neighbors kids knocking on my dam- oh hey David, what brings you by?

"These are for you señorita Kanani."

"My favorite flowers, they're so beautiful. Do you know who sent them in?"

"Frangipani plumeria. I unfortunately don't but they did leave a note for you. I have to get going , the other set of flowers are placed on your table."

"Thank you David!"

"Anything for you señorita Kanani. It seems like you have a keeper in your hands."

"That it does , hopefully this note tells me who it is."

"Have a good day."

"....hmmm who the hell sent me two sets of frangipani flowers. Dile si al cielo dime si a mi. Well that is cute of them to put my favorite song on there. Seems like this person really paid attention to me."

Kanani smiled once again as she smelled the freshly picked flowers. Frangipani flowers were simply her favorite since they reminded her of Hawai'i , where she was originally born. Now cheesing ear to ear Kanani quickly arranged the flowers to her liking before rushing off to prepare for her day.

"Today is going to be a really good ass day for me."

Translation

"dile si al cielo dime si a mi" : say yes to heaven say yes to me

[rekino2114]

Yello! This is a revamped version of the students meeting male reader stronger than Fem Gojo.

It's the goodwill event arc and the teachers are all bickering (it started from Fem Gojo teasing utahime). Then a voice interrupts them all.

"Can you all act more professional.... You're embarrassing yourselves in front of the kids...."

The teachers immediately shut up, recognising the voice and look towards the source of it. The students did the same as their teachers.

They all saw a man who looks sleep deprived with messy shoulder length hair and wearing an oversized black tracksuit, hiding his muscular physique.

You walked over to them with a slight hunch on your back.

"a-ah... Y/N... I didn't expect to see you...." Utahime says nervously.

Now the students are wondering, why is that man able to set all the teachers on edge.

"My love! You actually came!" Fem Gojo latches onto male reader, peppering his face with kisses.

"WHATTT! THATS YOU'RE BOYFRIEND!!!" Fem gojo's students shout.

(you could write about the students reaction or what not :) )

Fem. Gojo introducing you to her students

(Fem gojo x male reader stronger than her part 2)

A/n: Thanks for the request. tbh i had a lot of fun writing this. This might be one of my favorite AUs to write for. Also I don't know if I mentioned this before but for all of the fem. Gojo posts I'll do, his name will be changed to satori gojo

Part 1 is here

"Geez utahime you can't even handle a bit of teasing, it's not my fault you're so weak"

"You call this straight-up bullying teasing?"

"What about it? Are you crying?"

"...Not again"

"How long has this been going on for?"

"I dunno an hour I think?"

The students continued to whisper to each other as gojo threw insults at the Kyoto school teacher, as much as they hated this no one disrupted the situation in hope of not becoming the next target of gojo's teasing.

"Can you all act more professional, you're embarrassing yourself in front of the kids"

Everyone turned towards the tired sounding voice and saw a man with bags under his eyes and messy hair. At his sight the adults in the room stayed silent in respect and a bit of fear until utahime broke the silence

"I-i didn't expect to see you here y/n"

"Who is this guy? he must be important"

"No idea, he looks like he hasn't slept in weeks"

"Can you two shut up"

The first years hushed convention was interrupted by their teacher running up to you and wrapping her arms around you

"My love, you actually came!"

"I was taking a nap downstairs. You woke me up"

"Oh I'm so sorry darling, you know how utahime gets"

"Wait a minute did gojo-sensei just call him.."

"My love? Does that mean...."

"THAT'S YOUR BOYFRIEND?!!!"

"Oh, that's right, you haven't met him yet. I introduce to you all: the strongest sorcerer of this era a.k.a. my super-awesome boyfriend:y/n l/n"

".......hi...."

"This guy is the strongest?"

"Of course, didn't I tell you? The only person who could be stronger than me is my boyfriend"

"No offense but....you look like dirt, when's the last time you slept?"

"Don't listen to her babe, she's just jealous I got a boyfriend before her, you're as handsome as always"

"I'M NOT JEALOUS"

"it's nice to meet you, l/n-sensei. I'm yuji itadori"

"Itadori? Oh, you're sukuna's vessel, aren't you? Satori told me about you"

"Yep, are you really stronger than gojo? I've seen what she can do and it seems hard that someone could top that"

"Yeah, I am. Don't get me wrong, satori is extremely powerful. Her infinity and six eyes are nothing to take lightly...... but I'm stronger"

"Really?"

"I can confirm everything my love says, you know that weed I hollow purple'd yesterday?"

"The one me and todo fought?"

"Yep, well if y/n was there.....that curse would be history by now"

"Wow....he must be really strong"

"A curse you fought survived a hollow purple? That's not something you hear every day"

"It wasn't really a fight, plus the only reason it survived is because it barely dodged the hit. Don't worry if I see it again it won't end well for that asparagus"

"I hope to see it then, you know how much I love seeing you fight"

"Awww, the same goes for me, baby. I love seeing you absolutely destroy those curses"

You and the blindfolded woman kissed each other passionately as everyone else in the room slightly cringed at how lovey-dovey you were being

"Can you two get a room?"

You turned towards the voice just to see a familiar black haired boy that stayed mostly silent this whole time

"Oh. Hi megumi"

"Wait a minute, megumi, you know him?

"Yeah, him and gojo kinda raised me since I was little"

"......WHAAAAAAAAAAT?"

"Megumi's right, he's like our own son"

"Don't push it"

"YOU WERE RAISED BY THE 2 STRONGEST SORCERERS AND YOU NEVER TOLD US?"

"YEAH, YOU'RE WAY TOO SECRETIVE FUSHIGURO, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU HIDING?"

You looked at the first years arguing and smiled slightly, remembering the days when you and satori were students too, but you got pulled out of your thoughts by your girlfriend wrapping an arm around your shoulder

"Sooooo I was thinking we should do a baseball match for this year's exchange event"

"Don't we usually do individual fights?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to change it up. Would you be so kind as to vote with me?"

"Yeah, sure, baseball sounds fun"

"Thank you handsome~. How about we go for dessert as thanks? There's this new bakery that opened up. Their cheesecake is to die for"

"That sounds amazing satori, I love you"

"Love you too so so much"

You two kissed again, after which the infinity user held your hand and started to walk away

"Wait, gojo, we need to discuss more things before you-

"Whaaaaaaaaaat? I can't hear you yaga,me and y/n are going out. Text me later if it's super important k?"

As you two walked out of the building, the others in the room sighed heavily

"How does he put up with her?"

"No idea"

[razorblade180]

Martial Practice 2

March:*planking*…….

Yanqing:Two more minutes.

March:You’re insane.

Yanqing:You said you were going to take this seriously, and I’m going to take this-

March:*plops to the ground*

Yanqing:Seriously!?

March:I’m trying! Although I don’t get how this helps swordplay!

Yanqing:Your arms will get tired swinging a sword a lot, but it’ll never feel worse than planking for five minutes. Honestly I thought you had it. You can help fight Phantylia but not endure a five minute plank.

March:Not even remotely close to begin the same thing! Ugh, this is frustrating.

Yanqing:Imagine my position. I see you make similar pacing errors I’ve done and can’t help but patiently wait for you to stop!

March:It’s not like I’m not listening. I just-

Yanqing:Think you can make use of an opening, so you take it. Believe me, I get it deeply! Now I get what the General means when he says “Don’t think you can make a strike. Know you can make a strike.”

March:Ahhh, so know different than archery. Don’t let the bowstring go unless you know have the shot.

Yangqing:I…actually never thought of it like that.

March:Yanqing, I really am taking this seriously and I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but Yunli’s approach in our practice is a little less…intense. *sits up*

Yanqing:Of course it is. After all, you’re representing the Loufu, not the Zhuming. Not to say she isn’t being earnest, but certain pressure isn’t going to fall on her if you make errors.

March:Oh…it’s that serious?

Yanqing:Yes and no. Sorta?

March:What happened to needing certainty!? You can be direct with a sword and not an explanation?

Yanqing:Hey! I’m trying to find the right phrasing! March, you are an outsider but you’re also an accomplished fighter. In all honesty, you’re picking up the sword really well. People all over will be interested to see your skills, but I wouldn’t say their expectations are unreasonable. Like I said, you’re not from here.

March:So the bar is great instead of excellence. Mistakes won’t be held too harshly against me but that doesn’t mean I can afford to cause a blunder.

Yanqing:It wouldn’t surprise me if most citizens would simply be happy seeing someone as charismatic as you take part in learning our customs. Mistakes are bound to happen; however, they’ll be directed at my inabilities as a teacher. Then by extension…they’ll say things like “what has the General been teaching his disciple?” That’s where I draw the line. I refuse to cause him any unnecessary trouble.

March:So that’s why you’re so stiff. I can see why, but Jing Yuan doesn’t seem like the type of person to put too much stock in opinions like that. He definitely wouldn’t blame you.

Yanqing:Doesn’t change the fact I would be causing unnecessary problems for him. I’d blame myself…

March:…(He’s quite the little adult. Between him, Bailu, and Dan Heng, I’m starting to wonder if any kid on the Loufu actually gets a childhood.) Looks like I gotta put in double the effort. But first…mind if we eat?

Yanqing:Alright. Despite what it might look like, I’m not trying to run you into the ground. I’ll buy of course. I’m sure there’s something on the ship you’re still dying to try.

The sudden and loud sound of his stomach growling makes his face turn a little red as March tried not to snicker. Yanqing simply starts walking, prompting her to get up.

Even after that little moment, March notices how the boy carries himself maturely and as a teacher. If she was being honest with herself, March remembered how eager she was to do right by Himeko and Welt when she was brought into the Express family. Sure she entered the Wardance out of curiosity, but the choice to train so admittedly was born from the desire to continue helping her newfound family. She could definitely relate to Yanqing’s ambitions and fears.

Without hesitation, March pulled out her camera and ran to catch up with him. The girl put her arm around his shoulders and smiled brightly before hitting the flash.

Yanqing:Agh! What the heck!?

March:Hehe, hmmm not a bad photo of me at least. You might need some work though.

She shows him an image of her smiling cutely while he’s completely caught unaware and a little startled. His stern face quickly shattered into pouting as all prior thoughts vanished.

Yanqing:I wasn’t ready! That’s not fair!

March:Oh so you want another one? Okay, better bring your best smile!

“Best smile.” Funny, the moment he thought about it, Yanqing immediately found it difficult. Teeth or no teeth? Was he looking too directly into the lens? Why was this so hard!? His gaze shifted left at March to see what smile she was making; only to notice the girl was sticking her tongue at him childishly. Yanqing didn’t think twice about returning the gesture as they began the dumbest stare down in history.

It wasn’t long before both of them broke out into laughter over their antics, giving March the perfect opportunity. Click! The perfect shot of just two fast friends being silly and full of life.

March:Aye, I knew you had it in you. I’ll be sure to send you a copy. That way you’ll never forget!

Yanqing:Yeah well…thanks. *smiles* Now then, let’s get some food already. I’m starving!

March:Don’t have to tell me twice!

[blackypanther9]

Alastor teaches M/n how to hunt – Father!Human!Alastor x Son!Reader

WARNING!: Killing Deer, bathing someone (Don’t you dare make this sexual, eww.), mentions of weapons (rifle to hunt and hunting knife), Angst AND MORE ! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!

A/N: If any of you make this one bathing scene sexual so HELP ME THE RADIO DEMON !! *Gets out the rolled up newspaper ready to smack your perverted heads* (Pic belongs to rightful owner)

TAGLIST: @l0liamk @dilucragnvindr-my-beloved @moiravim @meg-giry1 @wen01203

Words: 8 792

If Alastor hated one thing dearly, it was being compared to his Father. That’s why he NEVER acted like that vile man did. His Father forced him to learn how to hunt already when he was an 8 year old kid, for example.

M/n, his Son, was 11 years of age now, but he hated thinking about teaching him how to hunt. He knew it is important. Who knows if M/n will have to use that knowledge one day... But he deemed him way too young still. He loved animals.

Why was Alastor even thinking about this ? Because M/n asked him, for 3 months by now, if he could join him and learn how to hunt.

Alastor had to go today, but he didn’t want to drag M/n along. M/n knew that and with that locked all the doors to get outside and then hid Alastor’s house keys. Without them he can’t go, besides he wants to climb out a window and then be locked out by his Son.

“Please, Papa !”, M/n begged with big eyes.

“Mon petit (My little one), you are way too young for that.”, the Radio Host denied again.

“Why am I too young for it, Papa ? I wanna learn !”

“Cher, do you even know what hunting means ?”

“Umm...that you go out with a gun and look around ?”, M/n said in confusion.

Alastor chuckled and ruffled his Son’s hair.

“Almost, mon petit. But not correct !”

M/n pouted.

“Then TEACH me ! YOU are MY teacher and my FATHER !”, M/n reminded his Father.

The Radio Host eyed his Son for a long while. He was very unsure, he doesn’t want to be like his own Father was... He forced Alastor to learn and witness everything at a very young age. He was glad when he finally died.

“Are you absolutely sure about this, Cher ?”, he asked M/n gently.

His Son held pure determination in his eyes. Something the older male admired.

“I am very sure, Papa. I wanna learn everything you know.”

Alastor gave him a confused smile.

“Why ?”, he asked the kid.

M/n gave him a big smile.

“Because I wanna be just like YOU, when I grow up ! I wanna be as funny as you, skilled as you, nice as you, I even wanna do the same job as you when I grow up !”

The Radio Host was shocked, but felt very touched that his own Son wanted to be just like him. At the same time it was silly. He chuckled and ruffled M/n’s hair.

“Mon petit, you don’t have to be just like me. I want you, to be yourself. But...I would lie, if I wouldn’t say that I would love to teach you everything I know.”, the older male gave in.

His Son’s eyes sparkled.

“Does that mean you’ll teach me ?!”

Alastor sighed and then nodded, smile still present. M/n jumped up and down in happiness and the adult chuckled at his adorable display. He was nothing like his Father, his Father never cared to make Alastor happy. He never gave him time, as a child, to develop an interest in what he did, while his Mother did.

“Alright. So, hunting is not something that is taken lightly.”, Alastor started.

M/n instantly sat down on his Father’s bed, next to Alastor, listening intently. The Radio Host was almost amused by that display.

“Yes, hunting takes part in taking a hunting rifle outside with you and walking around, but you don’t do that to waste your time away. You are on the search of something.”

“And what is that, Papa ?”, M/n asked in curiosity.

“Food.”, Alastor answered and looked at his Son.

“Food ?”, the boy asked in confusion.

“Why yes. You know...the meat we consume, like chicken and fish...are animals. Living things. Our food.”, Alastor explained.

M/n looked at his Dad.

“I mean...I knew that, but why hunt it ? They die by themselves and then we eat them, right ? We find them and they are already dead.”

Alastor shook his head and laughed gently.

“No, no, no, Son. We hunt these animals, kill them and then we take the meat from them. We don’t wait for them to die, god knows if they had diseases that ended them. Some diseases can pass onto us as soon as we consume them, so we hunt them instead.”

M/n’s eyes were wide.

“What ? But what about the babies ?!”

Alastor smiled softly.

“There is a season for that. When the time arrives where babies are supposed to come, you are not allowed to hunt and kill animals. After the hunting season is back on track, you have to watch out and be careful that you don’t take away the Mother from a newborn. That does every hunter worth their salt.”

He looked at his Father worried.

“And the Fathers ?”

Alastor chuckled awkwardly.

“Well, most animal species only mate once and they usually don’t care about their newborns. As sad as that sounds, usually the males then leave and can even hurt the newborn. And when the newborn is a male and grows up, they might fight for dominance.”

“Oh...”

“Hey, don’t be so sad, Son. One animal leaves and three new ones are already there. Animals don’t die out that fast.”

He looked at his Dad.

“What are we hunting, Papa ?”

“I was going for a Deer. You want to tag along ?”

M/n nodded. He was sad about the animals, but first...they tasted good and second he wanted to learn.

“Okay then.”

Alastor got up and then left the room, when he came back he had a small hunting outfit in his hands and handed them to his Son. He took them.

“Put these on. They were formerly mine, when I was 12, but I don’t fit into them anymore and they might fit you.”

M/n nodded and left his Father’s bedroom, went to his own and dressed up. The clothes fit him perfectly.

As he showed up, his Father smiled brightly.

“Splendid ! They fit you perfectly !”, Alastor said happily and then grabbed his Winchester 1898 rifle hunting gun.

Then M/n saw, that his Father had a hunting knife in his belt too, sheathed.

“Papa ?”

“Yes, mon petit ?”

He pointed at the sheathed knife.

“What do we need the knife for ?”, he asked his Dad.

“That is a hunting knife. You never leave the house without it, in case you need it.”

“Oh. Okay !”

He smiled at his Son, then put on his coat and they both left.

“Rule number one, Son: You have to know where they might be.”

“Do you know where the Deers are ?”

“Always near the same location, yes. Just follow me.”

He did as told and after a while, which was 2 hours of walking, they arrived at a small river and saw a Stag, eating grass all alone, the birds were chirping very loudly, perfect. They can use that to their advantage. Alastor crouched down, behind a bush and M/n followed his example.

The Radio Host continued in a whisper, so the Stag won’t be alarmed.

“Rule number two and three: Don’t make any loud noises and never let the prey spot you. They hear you, they run away. They see you and they also run away. Deer are very jumpy and fast.”, he taught his Son.

M/n nodded at that. Then he watched his Father, very carefully, grab and pull his rifle, from his back, to his chest. He silently opened his gun and put two bullets inside it. He looked at M/n.

“Do you want to shoot it ?”, he asked his Son in a whisper.

M/n nodded gently. Alastor came closer and carefully handed M/n the rifle, positioned his hands where they had to be and then gently guided his hands and the rifle through the bush. He looked over the edge of the bush and saw the Stag still eating.

“There is a little hole on the top of the gun, you look through it with your right eye. You will have more focus and aim on the Stag then. Aim for the head.”, Alastor instructed, still in a whisper.

M/n did as he was instructed, with the help of his Father. Alastor was behind his Son, had his head next to his Son’s left side of the head, and focused his eyes too, to see if the front of the rifle lined up with its target. He smiled when M/n had it.

“Perfect, mon petit. Before you pull the trigger, I need to warn you. The rifle will have a strong recoil. Keep your arms relaxed, then the gun will recoil in your hands and your arms will be pushed up and you might fall back, but you won’t get hurt.”

��What if I stiffen my arms ?”, M/n whispered his question.

“Then you will seriously hurt yourself.”

“Oh...Okay.”

“I will be here and support you.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s shoot it together, mon petit.”

M/n nodded and then they both checked again. Everything was still perfect, Alastor took the safety off, then M/n and Alastor pulled the trigger together.

BANG !

M/n’s arms were in the air with the rifle, his ears ringing, the recoil made him fall into his Father’s chest and they heard a heavy drop.

“Oof !”, M/n let out as he collided with his Dad’s chest.

“I told you, I will catch you.”, Alastor said smugly.

M/n giggled and then looked over the bush. His eyes widened in happiness.

“I got it ! I got it, Papa !”, M/n cheered.

On the floor, was the Stag, dead. They got it good. The Radio Host chuckled and got up.

“That you did, Son. Good job. Now let us take it home, so I can skin it and store the meat, for us, away.”

“Okay ! Can I help ?!”

Alastor looked at his Son, his smile a bit tighter. He knew that M/n was definitely NOT ready for that.

“No. When you are older, I promise. Skinning and storing the meat away from an animal...is not a nice sight. For that, you really are still too young. Trust me, mon petit.”

M/n lost his smile and looked at his Dad in concern.

“Oh...okay... You’ll be okay ?”

“Cher, I skinned a lot of Deer, way before you even arrived !”, Alastor chuckled out.

He ruffled the boy’s hair.

“I’ll be okay, Cher.”, he said gently.

Then Alastor went to the Stag and heaved it up, then put his head under it and stood up, his right hand held its hind legs, his left hand held its front legs and behind his neck was its belly. With that he started going back home and M/n followed.

“Isn’t the Stag heavy ?”, M/n asked in concern.

“It is, but I carried a lot of animals and other things, so I have enough muscle to carry it. Don’t worry, Cher.”

“Okay...”

Alastor gave his Son a bright, proud smile.

“Hey, Son ?”

“Yes, Papa ?”, M/n replied.

“I know, I said it already, but...you did a spectacular job today. Your first time hunting and you got a Deer ! Normally kids that start hunting won’t even catch anything ! You caught a Stag. Deer are very hard to catch, without them running away before you can get them ! Congratulations.”, Alastor praised highly.

His Son smiled and it went brighter when he continued to praise him for a job well done.

“Thank you, Papa. It means a lot, coming from you.”, he replied with a big smile.

Alastor wanted to reply and had a warm smile on his face, as he suddenly felt something wet hit his nose. He froze up at that, his smile frozen. M/n got a wet drop on his forehead and they looked at each other, then up, into the sky.

More drops hit them and Alastor muttered under his breath.

“Oh, applesauce...”

They were still far away from home, they walked for like two hours.

“We should speed it up a bit, mon petit ! It is raining !”, Alastor said and fastened his steps, which M/n did too.

-Time skip-

It was raining heavily and it felt like buckets of water was poured over them, when they finally arrived at home. Alastor quickly unlocked the door and M/n rushed in, he took his soaked coat, shoes and socks off, then he opened the basement door, for his Dad.

Alastor brought the Stag into the Basement and then came back up, taking off his own soaking coat, boots and socks, then they both rushed upstairs and decided to dry off with towels, then put on comfortable clothes.

M/n was the first one to be in the living room and he decided to light up the chimney, so they will warm up faster. He wore extra clothes under his hunting clothes, while Alastor didn’t. He was soaked to the bone and came down, rubbing his arms, to warm up. As he saw the chimney lit, he sat down on the couch, in front of the chimney, and warmed up there.

His Son in the meantime was in the kitchen and turned on the stove, warming up the leftovers from their Lunch that day. It was enough for Dinner and they both hated food going to waste.

So while M/n was busy in the kitchen, warming up their Dinner, Alastor sat near the chimney and warmed up. Tomorrow he had to go to work again too. It was Sunday and the Radio Host hasn’t taken a day off ever since M/n turned eight years of age. It was pretty good for his record, after all, his NEW Boss was even stricter with him. Worst ? It was a woman...

A woman, M/n HATED. She couldn’t take a fucking hint.

After a few more minutes M/n dressed the table in the dining area and looked at his Dad.

“Dinner is ready, Papa.”

“Thank you, mon petit. I will be there shortly.”, the Father replied softly, voice sounding weak.

‘Did he get sick ?’, M/n thought worried.

He went to the table and poured his Father already the bowl, then his own. They had Gumbo. It didn’t take long and Alastor arrived too, sat down in his seat and they both ate Dinner.

What worried M/n the most though, was that his Dad immediately went to bed after. He never does that. He usually stayed up an hour longer after Dinner, played a game with M/n and then sent him off to bed. He was VERY worried. He cleaned the dishes and the empty pot, where the Gumbo was inside, and then went to bed himself.

-The next day-

M/n woke up and looked at his clock. He saw the time and sighed, getting up. His Dad should be in the kitchen already, making Breakfast. He got dressed and freshened up for the day at his Dad’s studio and then went down the stairs. He was confused as he saw the kitchen spotless and no smell of food was there.

‘Where is he ? Is he still sleeping ?’

He went back up the stairs and knocked gently at his Father’s door. No response. He opened the door and looked inside.

“Papa ?”, he gently called out.

In the bed was movement and a weak groan came from it too. M/n entered the room and stood next to his Father’s bed. He took a closer look at him and saw a red nose, cheeks flushed and his eyelids were red. M/n put his hand on Alastor’s forehead and pulled it back again. He was burning up.

He let his Father sleep and went to the phone. He called the Radio Station.

“Yes, Alastor ?”, a female replied.

‘Great...the pompous Bitch of a Boss...’

“Hello, Miss Ducasse. I am calling for my Father, Alastor Hazbin.”

“Oh...M/n Hazbin...what do you have to tell me, that your Father can’t, hmm ?”, she asked rudely.

“My Father is sick. He has a very high fever and I wanted to ask if I can call him in sick today, so we can get a doctor and get a look at how long and how serious his fever is. His forehead is burning up, but I don’t have a temperature yet. I would send you the testament and sick leave as soon as I have it.”, M/n promised.

It was silent at the other line, then she sighed, annoyed.

“Fine. But you better keep your word, otherwise your Father will be in big trouble and I won’t let this happen again.”, she threatened.

‘Sure you Bitch... You just want to get into my Father’s pants. Whore..’, he thought, rolling his eyes in anger and disgust.

“I will. I promise. Thank you and have a lovely day, Miss !”, M/n said happily.

She hung up, aggressively. M/n looked at his phone and scoffed.

“Rude.”

Then he dialed a doctor’s number. It was almost instantly answered.

“Hello, this is Dr. Thomas Hugo. How can I help you ?”, a man answered.

“Mr. Hugo ! Just who I needed, do you remember me, Sir ?”, M/n asked, glad it was his Father’s house doc.

“M/n ! What do you need, child ?”, the man asked surprised.

“I need you to come to my Dad’s house. I think Papa caught a very high fever and I need someone to check how bad it is and what I need to do, how long it might take. My Papa’s Boss wants a sick leave and testament as fast as possible. Can you make it ?”, M/n asked in an urgent and pleading tone.

The other line was silent for a bit, then he heard rustling.

“I am on my way, Kid. I’ll be there in 15 minutes, okay ?”, Hugo informed.

M/n smiled brightly.

“Okay ! Thank you so much !”, M/n said.

“Always, Kiddo. See ya in a bit.”

“Be careful !”

Then they both hung up and M/n went back to his Father’s room. Alastor was still in bed, sleeping, looking very sick. The boy made sure that his Father was wrapped in his blanket, then he opened his window, letting fresh air inside.

He stayed by his Father’s side, until the door knocked. M/n jumped up and rushed down the stairs. He opened the door and smiled brightly as he saw Dr. Thomas Hugo standing there. He hugged him tightly and then let him inside.

“Thank you for coming here on such a short notice. My Dad is still asleep. I opened the window for fresh air and he is covered by his blanket, so he shouldn’t get worse.”, M/n explained as he led the Doctor up the stairs.

“That was very good thinking, Kid. Fresh air clears the room of the bad and used air, chasing the bacteria and viruses away, cleansing the room.”, Dr. Hugo praised.

M/n smiled brightly, then he opened his Dad’s bedroom door and let the Doctor enter it before him. They both went inside and M/n closed the door behind himself. The Doctor was already approaching Alastor’s bed on the right side and took a look at his face.

“Puffy eyelids, red swollen nose and red cheeks...”, the man muttered.

He put a hand on Alastor’s forehead and pulled it away.

“Burning forehead...”

M/n waited for the diagnosis. Dr. Hugo pulled his bag next to himself and opened it, pulling out a thermometer. He turned it on and then gently opened Alastor’s lips, then put it into his mouth. The sick adult groaned, but didn’t do anything else.

After a few minutes, Dr. Hugo pulled it out and took a sharp inhale.

“That is serious. Deadly serious.”

“Why ? How high is it ?”, M/n asked.

“Before I tell you...How did he get sick ?”

“I think it was from yesterday. We took a walk and we were two hours away from home as it started to rain and it turned into a heavy one. I was dressed with two layers, Papa wasn’t. He only wore one layer and he was soaked through.”, M/n explained.

Hugo nodded.

“Okay, makes sense... Your dad has a very high fever. His temperature is 41°C. A normal one would be between 36, 5°C – 37,4°C.”

M/n stared at Thomas in shock.

“How do I get it to come down ? What do I have to expect ?”, M/n asked worried.

“He will be sluggish. He might have a cough, a cold, scratchy throat, a headache and stomach pains. He could also feel sick to his stomach, so he might not eat much. You need to go to a Pharmacy and get him something against his pains, stomach and cough. I will write you some recipes. Give him much water and tea, don’t leave him out of your sight, help him to the bathroom and everywhere else, air the room a lot and put a cold rag on his forehead. I will give him a sick leave for 7 days and then I will come back, to check on him.”

“Okay. Can I get the sick leave twice ? Papa’s Boss sometimes let the sick leaves of Dad’s disappear.”

Thomas nodded and made him two sick leaves, signed them and then made a testament twice too, then he wrote M/n the recipes for the medications. He also wrote a few tea kinds down and what food Alastor should be able to consume while he is sick. Then he gave it all to M/n.

“If you run out of the medication too fast, give me a call and I will get more and come over, okay ?”, Thomas told the boy.

“Okay. Thank you so much, Dr. Hugo.”

The Doctor smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“No problem, Kiddo. I hope you know what to do from here on. Do you need money ?”

“No, Sir. I know where Dad has some, that I can use.”

“Good, alright. Be careful when you go shopping and don’t get in trouble, yeah ?”

“I will, I promise.”, M/n swore as he led Thomas out of the house again.

“Good. Good luck, Kid. Take good care of your Dad.”

“I will. Be careful on your way back and I hope you will have a lovely day.”

The Doctor smiled and then left. M/n closed the front door, then he dashed to his own room and dressed up, to go out. He then rushed to his desk and wrote a note for his Dad.

‘I’m shopping and giving the annoying Boss your sick leave. You have very high fever and are written sick, I’ll get the medication. Stay in bed ! Love you, Papa !’

He took the piece of paper and put it next to his nightstand, then left a sick leave and testament from the Doctor there, in case his Dad needs to look it over. He also put his glasses there, so he can reach them better and doesn’t have to move too much, then he went to his Father’s black dress pants and pulled out his wallet.

He took out a 50 dollar bill and three 20 dollar bills. He hoped that was enough. He took the second testament and sick leave from Dr. Hugo after that, with the medication recipes and notes, the Doc made. He snatched his Dad’s house keys, and then left, locking the front door, then left for the town.

His first stop was his Father’s Radio Station. He entered it and got greeted instantly by his Dad’s coworkers, warmly.

“Hello, M/n ! Where is Alastor ?”, a friendly fellow asked.

His name was Francisco Zuft. He was a good friend of Alastor’s.

“Hello, Mr. Zuft. My Father is sick. He caught a high fever. I am here to bring the Boss his sick leave.”, M/n replied friendly.

“Oh dear... Wish him well from me.”

“I will, Sir.”

With that they parted ways and M/n knocked on Miss Ducasse’s door.

“Come in !”, she called.

M/n opened it, after an eye roll of annoyance. He peaked his head inside.

“Miss Ducasse ?”, he called out gently.

She looked up.

“Ah, M/n. What have you gotten for updates for me ?”, she asked rudely.

‘I want her so dead...’

“My Father has a high fever of 41°C. He was written sick for a week, for now. Then he will be checked up on again. Here is the testament and the sick leave from his house Doctor.”, M/n said and gave her the papers.

She took them and read through them. She sighed and nodded.

“Alright. This is serious, your Father is excused. Thank you for bringing the papers to me. You may leave.”, she said with distaste.

‘Bitch.’

“Thank you. Have a lovely day, Miss.”, he politely said and then left.

As he was about to leave, a lot of Alastor’s coworkers swarmed M/n and asked him to send him their get well wishes and they wanted M/n to come back tomorrow. They had something planned for Alastor. He agreed and then left, wishing them all a lovely day.

He rushed to the Pharmacy. A kind, young Lady looked at him.

“Can I help you, little boy ?”, she asked gently.

“Yes...umm...”, he answered and nervously fumbled in his coat pockets.

He pulled out the notes and recipes. He handed her the recipes for the medications he needed.

“I need these medications for my Dad. He has a very high fever and I am taking care of him. Do you have any of these or maybe something that comes close ?”, M/n asked, politely.

She took them and read through them. She smiled at the boy and nodded.

“We do have these medications, wait here for a bit.”

Then she left and came back after a few minutes. She had small and big versions of the medications.

“Do you want the big ones or the smaller ones ?”, she asked.

“Depends on the price, Miss. Can we look how much ?”, M/n asked gently.

“Of course.”, she replied kindly.

She scanned the small ones and they made 26.78 Dollars in total. Then she scanned the big ones and they made 40 Dollars in total. M/n took his chance.

“I will take the big ones.”, he chose.

“That would be 40 Dollars. Do you want a bag, Kiddo ?”, the woman asked.

He gave her a smile.

“That would be nice. Yes, please.”, he said politely, while he pulled out two 20 Dollar bills.

She nodded and pulled out a bag, putting the medications inside the bag, then she took his money and she gave him the bag.

“Have a good day, Kiddo and take good care of your Dad.”, she told him with a warm smile.

He smiled back.

“Thank you, Miss. I hope you will have a lovely day.”

Then he left the Pharmacy and rushed to the store. He took a shopping cart and rushed through the aisles, taking what he needed for the food, his dad can consume, looking at the price tags and calculating the price in his head. Some stuff was lowered in the price, which was positive ! He saved up money.

He needed vegetables A LOT of them, some seasonings they ran low on them, then he bought chicken meat, some crackers without salt, Rusk, eggs, milk, a lot of water and some other small things his Dad can snack on.

For all of that stuff, he had to pay 30 Dollars, then he bagged it all, shoved the cart back into its place and rushed home with the bought goods.

-Time skip-

M/n was home and unlocked the door, he carried the food inside the house and into the kitchen, then he stored it away and rushed up the stairs, while opening his coat. He entered his Father’s room and saw that he was NOT in his bed, but a lot of tissues were on the floor. He looked around the room and then heard the flush of the toilet in his bathroom.

The door opened five minutes later and his Father walked out, looking like death warmed all over him. He knocked on the door and it caught Alastor’s attention. He looked at him and gave him a weak smile.

“Hey, mon petit. Did you get everything ? Have you had any trouble ?”, he asked with a hoarse voice, quietly.

“Hey, mon papa malade (My sick papa). I did get everything and I had no trouble. I got the medication and took the big packs. I took 110 Dollars from you and gave out about 70 Dollars. They had a lot of prices reduced, so I saved a lot. The medications were 40 Dollars, but the small packs would have costed more in the long run. They were all together almost 27 Dollars.”, M/n explained gently, minding his voice.

Alastor sat down on his bed, coughed and nodded. He held his head, his head was pounding horribly.

“I gave your sick leave and the testament to your Boss. I asked Dr. Hugo to make us two, in case she makes your sick leave disappear again.”

“That’s good, Cher.”, Alastor weakly said, proud of his Son.

“I will make you some soup now, lay down and try to get some more sleep. After you ate something, you can take the medications.”

“Of course, mon petit. Thank you.”

“No problem, Papa. Leave it all to me. I will take care of you.”

With that he left the room and went back into the kitchen. He took out a bottle of water, he had to stop a few times to continue and carry the heavy package, but he was proud he got it so far, then he brought the bottle of water to his Father’s room, with the remains of the money he took and a cold, wet rag.

His Father was laying down again, under the covers. M/n put the bottle on his side table next to his bed, then he brushed his Father’s hair back and put the cold rag on his forehead and put the remaining 40 Dollars onto his desk in his room.

“Thank you, Fils (Son).”, Alastor rasped out, sighing in relief at the coolness on his head.

“No problem, Papa.”

Then M/n left and entered the kitchen. He searched through the cupboards for his Grandmother’s recipe book. He found it and opened it, looking for a chicken soup recipe, after he found it, M/n read it.

Then he pulled out a cutting board, knife, a pot, the ingredients he needed and two bowls. Then he got to cutting the vegetables first and put them in the first bowl, after that he cut the chicken meat and put it into the second bowl.

He put butter into the pot and turned on the stove, heating up the pot.

-Time skip-

 He loved his Grandma, even though he never got the chance to meet her. Her recipe was perfect, it tasted amazing and he didn’t burn down the kitchen ! The soup was done and he filled a bowl, for his Papa and put a spoon inside it. He brought it to his Father’s room and saw him sleeping.

He seemed to be sleeping better than before. He put the bowl of soup down on the nightstand and then left again, getting the medicine and his own bowl of food. He sat down next to his Dad and took the wet rag off of his forehead.

“Papa...wake up...”, M/n called gently.

“Mmmnnn... Five more minutes...”, Alastor sleepily replied.

The boy giggled.

“Papa, the food is getting cold.”, he informed the adult.

The adult sat up carefully at that, eyes very small from sleep. He yawned.

“Already ?”, he asked his Son.

“Yes, I cooked for a while.”

Alastor put on his glasses and then looked at the clock.

“Huh.”, he said in shock as he saw how late it was.

Then he coughed.

“Barely awake and coughing already.”, M/n said in pity.

Alastor weakly waved it off and then grabbed his own bowl. He smelled it and looked at his Son in shock.

“You...You made Mama’s recipe ?”, he asked with a cough interrupting him.

“I did. I looked through the cabinets and cupboards just to find the cook book of Grandma. She wrote it so detailed, that I had no trouble making it. I hope you will like it. Oh, and your coworkers wish you all a get well soon greeting.”, M/n informed.

Alastor smiled and weakly ruffled his Son’s hair.

“Thank you, mon petit. What would I do without you...”

“Probably be in agony right now.”, M/n replied jokingly.

Alastor let out a raspy chuckle, then a cough.

They dug in together and Alastor had to admit, M/n cooked it exactly like how his Mother used to cook it. Not even Alastor could get the head on the nail, but his Son did it. He remade it and it felt like his Mother made it.

He ate two bowls of it, while M/n ate three, he received his medications after and took them. Cough syrup, something against his cold and stomach and then a painkiller for his head. Then he was back to sleeping, with a new cold rag on his forehead.

As Alastor woke up again, he saw that M/n left him a bag with snacks he should be able to consume. He smiled. His Son knew him too well.

It was nighttime and he needed the bathroom. The sick Radio Host winced as he felt his bladder, almost exploding. His Bedroom door opened and in came his Son, checking on him. He turned the lights on, making Alastor groan and shut his eyes tightly.

“Sorry, Papa. I thought you were still sleeping. I wanted to open your window again, for fresh air. Night air is always the best.”

“It...It’s alright, Cher.”, he replied with a cough.

“Do you need anything ?”, the kid asked.

“Bladder...”, the man got out.

M/n nodded, quickly opened the window and then went over to his Dad. He helped him out of the sheets and the bed, guiding him to the Bathroom door. He could feel how weak his Father was, he could barely hold himself on his own legs...

“Yell if you need my help. I will wait outside of the door and then heat up the soup again, for Dinner, then you get your medications again and then it is back to sleep for you.”, M/n told his Father, like he scheduled it.

Alastor smiled and chuckled weakly in amusement. His Son really was strict with him, so he can recover just fine.

“Alright, Son.”, he agreed and then shut the door into the Bathroom.

While he was in the Bathroom, using the toilet, M/n was worried sick.

‘Am I doing this right until now ? Papa would have been the same with me...The few times I was sick he was very strict, but it helped...Am I cornering him too much ? But he didn’t complain yet...Does this mean that I am doing this right ?’

The boy never had to take care of his Dad, like this, before. Alastor had small colds, small coughs and once or twice a small stomach bug, but he usually could always handle himself and just asked M/n for small things. Like a bucket, new pack of tissues, heating up food, a bottle of water or even paper towels. Alastor never was so weak, that he couldn’t handle himself. This was entirely new to M/n and he was scared that he is fucking it all up...

He was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard his Father retching. The boy instantly opened the door and saw his Dad vomiting into the toilet. It hurt his little heart. He left and started to get the medicine, a bottle of water, a glass and some paper towels, in case he wasn’t fast enough and some was on the floor. When he returned, the toilet was flushed and Alastor leaned against the wall of the Bathroom, looking absolutely miserable.

M/n looked at the toilet and saw that some sick was on the floor and stained his Father’s shirt. He seemed very weak, so he decided to help his Father, as uncomfortable as it was going to be for the both of them...Alastor couldn’t stay in his soiled clothes.

He wiped away the stain on the floor and threw it into the trashcan in the room, then he looked at his Father.

“You need a bath. You look like death warmed all over you, Dad. And that is the nicest way to tell you, how miserable you look. Not even your smile is still there.”

“And who will undress me ? I am far too weak, Son.”

“You are speaking to the answer.”

The man’s eyes widened, in shock and slight worry.

“Absolutely not, M/n.”

“I am supposed to take care of you, Dad. You are my responsibility. You helped me with everything too, when I was sick. Now...it’s my turn to help. This is nothing new to us, just the roles are reversed.”, M/n reasoned with his Father.

He looked at his Son, still not convinced.

“Your body is too weak to handle itself properly. Your shirt is covered in sick, you are sweating terribly too, which causes you to smell bad later. Let me help you wash up and all is well. I won’t be scarred. I admit, it is weird and uncomfortable, but I want to help you feel better. We are both guys. It is nothing we haven’t seen.”

Alastor eyed his Son for a while and then he sighed.

“Alright...BUT, as soon as we feel too uncomfortable, I want us to stop.”, he said with a few coughs in between.

M/n nodded softly, then he let water into the Bathtub and some bath foam, for bubbles. After the water was running he turned to his Father, who still sat on the floor, back leaned against the wall. The boy rolled his own sleeves up and then approached his Father.

“First we get your arms out and then we pull it over your head, so the sick won’t get in your face and you don’t have to hold your arms up for long.”

M/n grabbed his Father’s left arm and maneuvered his arm out of the sleeve, then he did the same with the right arm, then M/n grabbed the front of the shirt, careful to not touch the stain of sick, and pulled the shirt over his Father’s head. After the shirt was off, M/n folded it and put it away, so he can wash it later.

“Now, stretch your legs out and lift your hips, we pull it all off in one go.”, M/n instructed.

Alastor did as told and soon enough he had only socks still on. M/n took them off and then helped his Father up. He guided him to the Bathtub and helped him inside, gently. As he sat in the tub, M/n put the ruined clothes away, while Alastor sighed in comfort at the warm water.

“I’ll be right back. I am going to get you towels and a new set of Night wear.”, M/n informed his Father.

“Alright.”, he replied weakly.

The boy left and started to collect everything, while Alastor relaxed in the bathtub, turning off the faucet. As he returned with the towels, new set of Pyjamas and a measuring cup, for the hair wash, he saw his Father relaxed. That made him happy.

He put everything on the cupboard near the sink and then approached the bathtub again. He took a washing cloth and wettened it. Alastor opened his left eye, lazily.

“Hey, Son.”, he weakly got out.

“Hello again, Papa.”, the kid greeted back.

He took his Father’s favorite soap and gently lifted the parent’s left arm, then he put some soap on it and started to spread it with the cloth, washing him. Alastor felt uncomfortable at first, but he slowly started to relax into it. This was his Son, he wouldn’t do anything perverted to him.

M/n washed his Father everywhere. Arms, back, chest, neck and he washed the armpits twice too. The two of them agreed that Alastor will wash his legs and man parts himself. M/n helped his Father sit up and held his legs up, because his body was too weakened to do that all itself for longer than 10 seconds. He was grateful to have his Son right now.

The Radio Host got cold in the water and M/n turned the hot water on, to fill the tub a bit more, warming up the bath. When Alastor said it was good enough, the kid shut the water off again and he washed his Father’s hair. The grown up would lie, if he said, that he hated having his hair washed.

M/n massaged his head, while he washed his hair. It felt nice and relaxing. He almost fell asleep, but before he could even think about nodding off, M/n washed his hair out and then got the toilet seat ready, for Alastor to sit down on.

“Alright, now you gotta get out, Pa.”, M/n said.

Alastor sighed and carefully got up, then used M/n as support. Even though the child was just 11 years old, he was strong and wise. He carefully got out of the tub and M/n wrapped a towel around his waist, never once looking and seeing his Father’s tool (Quite the achievement), then he guided him to the toilet seat and sat his Father down. He grabbed a smaller towel next and wrapped his Father’s hair in it, then got a bigger one and started to dry his back, chest, neck and arms.

“Do you want to dry the rest ?”, he asked his Dad.

“Yes.”

M/n nodded. He decided to turn his face to the wall next to him and shut his eyes.

“If you need standing support, I am here. I won’t look.”

Alastor did need the support as he got up. He used the towel around his waist and started to dry the rest of himself, always holding onto M/n when he felt unsteady. After he was dry, he held the towel in front of his crotch.

“I’m done, Cher.”

“Okay. I will turn back around and give you, your underwear.”, M/n informed.

“Okay.”

M/n did as he told Alastor and turned away again, letting his Father use him as support, so he can put on his underwear. After that M/n told his Father to sit back down and he put his pants on him and helped him into his shirt, then he put new socks on his Father too. He smiled as they were finished.

“All done now. Look at you. You are sparkling clean, in new clothes and you look way better than you did a few minutes ago, Papa ! Now we need to style your hair.”, M/n said happily.

Alastor smiled and chuckled. M/n instantly got to work, having watched his Dad do his hair multiple times.

-The next day- (Damn is this shot long...)

After M/n helped his Father into the Bathroom and back into his bed, in the morning, made sure he ate, took his medications, had some food in his stomach and a new bottle of water, with a glass, tissues and a bucket filled with water, he decided to leave the house and head back to the Radio Station.

As soon as he arrived, he was swarmed with his Dad’s coworkers. They lead him into a small room and he was confused. He saw nothing changed, so why were they there ?

“Guys...what did you plan on doing ?”, M/n asked them.

“Don’t worry ! We are getting everything ! You’ll love it, M/n ! We hope it will be helpful to you and your Father too.”, Tony said happily.

Tony Justa was another coworker that was close with Alastor. They weren’t friends per say, but they got along very well and acted, most of the times, like Brothers. It was surprising that someone, who was white skinned, liked Alastor so much. But here Tony was, a white skinned man and he had no problems with M/n’s Papa. He found the whole racist stuff absolutely stupid. M/n couldn’t agree more with him.

“Okay then. You better have something good planned for your petit frère platonique (platonic little Brother).”, M/n teased Tony.

Tony chuckled and rubbed his neck with a soft look. No one knew, but Tony was two years older than Alastor and while they never officially called each other Brothers, they behaved like Brothers. There was no term for such a bond yet, so M/n called them platonic Brothers.

Soon enough the other coworkers came inside and all of them had small baskets or bags in their hands. Francisco gave Tony his bag and then he left M/n’s side and stood in – between the small group and M/n, who looked confused.

“We all wanted to help you and Alastor back to health, so we decided to make small gift bags with get well cards !”, Tony announced.

At that M/n’s eyes went wide in surprise. He didn’t expect that. The others just nodded with big smiles.

“Why would you all do that, you saps ?”, M/n asked gently.

Another coworker chuckled, Peter Geraldo.

“Because, silly, you and your Father brighten up the days here and always make us laugh or at least smile. Without you two here...it’s just not the same. You two always gave us something when you were here, so now it’s our turn.”, Peter stated.

The others nodded. M/n smiled at them and chuckled.

“You are such thoughtful good friends and coworkers. Thank you.”, M/n said softly.

The group smiled and then started to give M/n the bags. They always told him what was in them and M/n couldn’t be happier. One of the discs Alastor had his eyes set on for a while, teas, juices, get well cards, fruit in a lunch box, vegetables, teas they made at home themselves, fruit pies, small snacks for Alastor to munch on and more.

Peter, Francisco and Tony were the last ones. They had the biggest bags.

Peter gave M/n his bag first.

“In there are two cards. One is for him and one for you, Kiddo. Some sweets you like and some things your Dad likes. There are two kinds of tea inside too and two big boxes of different juices.”, he told the boy.

He smiled at Peter and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you, Pete.”

“No problem, Kid. You need some appreciation and care too.”, he replied and rubbed the kid’s back.

Peter stepped back and Francisco was next. M/n gently took it from him.

“There are some homemade teas inside, two recipes that Alastor would love to have they will also power up his Immune System, some homemade spices, a small Coupon that holds 30 Dollars, a strong homemade juice, some tissues, a few sweets for you, some cut fruits in a lunchbox and a little something for you to keep around, Kiddo.”, he said, winking at him.

M/n was curious, but decided to wait until he was at home. He smiled brightly and hugged Francisco.

“Thank you, France.”, M/n said.

“No problem, Kiddo. Peter was right, you also need some appreciation and care.”

How did M/n just get so lucky, with Alastor and now his friends and colleagues, become his too ? Just how lucky was he ?

They parted from the hug and Tony was last. He had a big, gentle grin on his face and handed M/n the big bag.

“There are two juices for each of you two. Two are for your Dad and his Immune system and two are for you to just enjoy and stay healthy with, they are all four homemade too. Two of your favorite teas, homemade, are also in there, some sweets and snacks for you and Alastor, I baked you some of your favorite pastries yesterday too, I know how much you love them. Then I bagged two packages of your Dad’s favorite Coffee in there and I gave you, for food shopping, two 50 Dollar Coupons. I also went around and got you and Alastor each a small little surprise. I hope you two will like them.”

M/n had small tears in his eyes with a big smile. He hugged Tony tightly, which he returned.

“Thank you so much, Oncle (Uncle) !”, M/n said happily.

Tony froze for a split second and then tightened his hug, a big, warm smile on his face.

“No problem, Neveu (Nephew).”

They parted and M/n looked at the time, his eyes widened a slight bit.

“Applesauce ! I need to get home, before Papa wakes up ! Whenever he wakes up he needs me to help him around !”, M/n said, cursing. (Yes, he cursed by saying Applesauce, just like Papa.)

“Is he that weakened ?”, Tony asked worried.

M/n sighed and nodded.

“He has a very high fever and it is hard to get it down...His body is not coping very well with it and he can barely move around on his own. He is...pretty weak right now.”, he told the three still in the room.

“He gets his Medicine ?”, Francisco asked.

“Yes, he does. I always give him his medications when he ate something. Even if it was a small piece of bread.”, M/n answered.

Tony hummed in thought, trying to think of something that might help his, platonically claimed, little Brother. Then he came up with a few things.

“You will need Peppermint tea, it will help with his throat and the coughs, it gives him better rest and his body will relax a bit more. Peppermint has also antiviral properties, and can help to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and clear congestion. It has the trait to warm you from the inside out. Chamomile tea is also good. It reduces cold symptoms, boosts the immune system, and reduces inflammation. Also if his eyes hurt a lot or they even start to fester, just drown a piece of paper towel in the tea and put it over his eyes, it works wonders. I also would recommend Hibiscus Tea. It will give him a lot of Vitamin C, which his body will need.”, Tony listed off.

Francisco, Peter and M/n stared at him in awe at his knowledge.

“What ? I had to take care of my parents a few times and my Sister. I researched where I could.”, Tony defended himself with a small pout.

M/n smiled and hugged him again.

“Can you write it down for me ?”, he asked the adult.

“I will do you one better. After work, I will get it and come visit. I will help you with Alastor. How does that sound ?”, Tony offered.

M/n looked at him with big eyes.

“But I was supposed to take care of him. What if he makes you sick too ?”

“You will still take care of him, but with a bit of help, so you don’t have to stress yourself around, Kiddo. And if I get sick, I have my Family to look after me AND I will get a break from work. It is a win for me.”

M/n put his finger on his chin and hummed in thought, then he looked at him again and nodded. Okay, deal !

Tony smiled brightly.

“Then I’ll see you later. Now rush home, before Al realizes you ran off.”

The boy nodded and then ran off as fast as he could, yelling Goodbye. Tony chuckled.

“This kid is just what Al needed. Now he has someone that will take care of him again.”, he said to Peter and Francisco.

“Yeah. It’s nice to see that Alastor has someone else to care for him now. After all, we all aren’t getting younger.”, Peter replied with a chuckle and a warm smile.

Francisco nodded, smiling brightly. Then they got back to work. While M/n was home in record time, before his Father woke up and even realized he was out.

Masterlist HERE !

A/N: Yes, it is finally out and I am out of the WIP for part two ! ^^ YASSSS !!!