#i always hear about doing studies or taking classes and like. id do studies but i cant find literally aby advice on how to do them or how

[size-two-shrimp]

The curse of having drawn for years and having a decent enough grasp on the basics is that it's hard to find advice on how to improve.

[makeitmingi]

And They Called It Puppy Love

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Girlfriend!Reader, Boyfriend!Yunho

Summary: Despite your worries and concerns about your relationship, your golden retriever boyfriend Yunho never lets you stray too far. He's always right behind you, making sure he's always there for you with whatever you need. No, it's not just puppy love.

Word count: 4.2K

[A/N: Reader is a little insecure in this...]

The moment you class ended and you stepped out of the lecture hall, your phone rang. You looked down at the screen to see the caller ID, a small smile making its way to your face.

'Yuyu 🐾'

"How coincidental is it that you're calling just as I am stepping out of my lecture hall?" You laughed as you pressed the phone to your ear. Not wanting to have the conversation with other people around, you found a more quiet place to talk.

"Not a coincidence at all when I know your class schedule. How has your morning been? Sorry I didn't get to send you to uni today, I had to rush in for an early meeting at the office."

You could practically hear the disappointed pout in his voice but were touched by his intentions.

"No need to apologise, Yuyu. I wouldn't want you to be late because of me. Morning has been okay. How about you?" You asked.

"Same old same old. I can't wait to see you later today, tiny."

"Me too. It's been a long week and it would be nice to just relax with you." You sighed happily just at the thought. Even though you didn't live with Yunho, you did stay over at his place every Friday.

"Mmm, I'll leave you to go have your lunch. Make sure you eat a lot, tiny. Studying is important but eating and taking care of your health is more important!"

"I will, Yuyu. Have a nice day. I'll see you later." You giggled. Yunho was someone that took food and eating very seriously. He loved food and was a huge foodie. You remember being shocked by the amount of food he could eat. But being a foodie boyfriend also meant that he always made sure you were fed.

"Yes, you will. I love you, tiny."

"I love you too." You hummed and hung up. After that, you went to find your friends at one of the cafeterias on campus. You greeted them as you sat down.

"I guess I saw it coming. He started acting different and stuff." One of your friends lamented. She had just gone through a break up, ending a short but seemingly sweet relationship of 6 months.

"He probably just had puppy love." Another one pointed out.

"Puppy love?" You tilted your head.

"Mhmm. You know like just those crushes you used to get as a kid. They do everything to make you happy and impress you then once the puppy love dies, so does your relationship." She explained.

"That's probably why your relationship only lasted for 6 months." One added, making your other friends nod in agreement.

"Oh... I get it." You nodded your head, eating a bite of your food. That was when all the heads at the table turned to you. You blinked in confusion.

"(y/n), you've been in a relationship with Yunho for 8 months... Does he still act the same way as he did when you first started dating?" They asked. You thought about it for a while, thinking back to the moment when you and Yunho started dating.

"He's not as shy as he used to be? Other than that, he's still the same Jeong Yunho. He hasn't changed much in the last 8 months that we've been together." You shrugged.

"Ah, it's different with him. He's one of those golden retriever boyfriends. They're active with everyone they meet." One scoffed.

"Literal puppy love?" One teased.

"He chased you for a while, (y/n). There's nothing to worry about." One of them must have noticed the grim expression on your face and squeezed your shoulder.

Despite her comforting words of encouragement, you stared at your wallpaper of you and Yunho, slight worry settling in your heart. What if Yunho's puppy love for you just died down one day?

"We're kidding, (y/n). Really." The one who started this assured.

"Look at you and Yunho. You're couple goals, you both set the standard so high." They tried convincing you.

You wanted to correct them. You didn't set the bar high, Yunho did. They knew the lengths that Yunho went to, to do things that made you happy. Now that you think about it, you didn't do much for him. The excuse was that Yunho didn't let you do much because he was always one step ahead of you.

The only thing you did was cook for him because he wasn't very good at cooking.

"My love language is food!"

That was one of the first things Yunho told you, he loved it when you cooked for him. Other than that, Yunho mainly did a lot of things for you. He never really let you or liked you doing things for him.

Throughout the rest of the day, you tried to push aside that unnerving feeling that settled in your stomach and distract yourself with your classes.

'I got pork cutlet for lunch! San brought us to a new place. We'll come here next time! - Yuyu 🐾'

*Yuyu 🐾 sent 1 photo attachment*

Every time your phone lit up and you saw Yunho's smiling face or a message from him, it just reminded you of it again. You knew you were just overthinking now. With a sigh, you put your phone into your bag and focused on your notes.

"Hmm..." Yunho frowned with a tilt of his head as he stared intently a this phone screen.

"What's wrong, Yunho?" San, who was sitting across him and noticed the look on his face, asked. Yeosang, who was focused on his food also looked up.

"She read my text but didn't reply again..." Yunho said, looking at the 5th message that you left him on read.

"Maybe she's busy, hyung. She is in class after all." Jongho pointed out with his chopstick.

"No... If she's busy and can't reply, she will just not open the message. She only reads it if she knows she can reply." Yunho explained, he knew you and your habits well enough.

"Well, did she seem different when you called her earlier? Or was she acting weird, out of the ordinary?" Seonghwa asked. Yunho didn't answer, thinking about the phone call conversation that he had with you. The conversation wasn't long but you didn't sound upset or different to him.

"No. She was fine. We even talked about our plans for tonight and she seemed excited." Yunho blinked.

"Is that important?" He followed up with a question.

"You know the whole thing with relationships passing the 'honeymoon phase'... When the initial puppy love goes away, relationship dynamics change." Wooyoung shrugged.

"Yah, Wooyoung ah. Don't put such thoughts in his head. I'm sure that's not happening, Yunho." Hongjoong scolded Wooyoung and assured Yunho.

"No... It's okay. My relationship with (y/n) is definitely still going strong. We love each other a lot." Yunho said confidently.

"I can atest to that. All the phone calls and texting between the two of them... yuck." Jongho cringed.

"It's called love, Jongho. When you fall in love, you'll be the same too." San slung his arm around the younger's neck. Jongho gave the older a flat look, jabbing his side until San let go of him.

"I'm sure (y/n) still loves you and appreciates everything you do for her." Mingi patted Yunho's shoulder. They did think that Yunho was always doing too much but at the same time, that was how Yunho showed you he loved you, through acts of service.

"Maybe I'll get her some flowers later when I pick her up from university, to cheer her up if she's upset." Yunho decided.

"Or maybe she's not upset and just busy with university classes." Yeosang said with a shrug.

"Whether she is upset or not, I can still buy her flowers. I don't need a reason to buy my girlfriend flowers." Yunho said, already making a mental note to drop by the florist later.

"You're such a good boyfriend, Yuyu ah." Wooyoung leaned his head on his hand with a sweet smile, making Yunho blush.

"Only (y/n) calls him yuyu now." Mingi nudged the smaller male.

"Why? It's cute, I like it." Wooyoung protested.

"Exactly because (y/n) is cute when calling him that, that's why he only lets her call him that. And she lets him call her 'tiny' in return." Hongjoong reasoned.

"Ah, stop." Yunho covered his cheeks with a shake of his head, having enough of his friends teasing him. 'Yuyu' and 'tiny' are exclusive nicknames that you and Yunho have for each other. It sounded normal when you two used them but hearing others say it made Yunho feel shy.

"Okay, let's stop teasing Yunho. We need to finish up our food and get back to work." Seonghwa said. Yunho let out a sigh of relief, grateful to Seonghwa for stepping in.

But the thought lingered in Yunho's head, was he overbearing and driving you away? Were you starting to lose feelings for him?

Finally, university was done for the day and the week. You let out a tired sigh as you walked towards the campus exit. It was time to enjoy the weekend.

"Tiny!" Yunho jogged over to you before you could reach the exit. You couldn't help but smile as you saw his face.

"Yuyu." You greeted him back as he hugged you tightly, leaning over your small frame. You giggled and wrapped your arms around him.

"You've worked hard. Good job." He patted your back.

"Thank you. You too." You replied. When he pulled away, he held out a bouquet of flowers to you. People passing by stared at the two of you, thinking Yunho was handsome and sweet for giving you flowers. You softened, not expecting flowers from him.

"What's this for? I didn't forget a special day, did I?" You asked with a giggle as you received the bouquet. There was a card but you decided to read that later.

"I just felt like buying you flowers." He smiled, stroking your cheek.

"Well, they're lovely. It's a nice surprise. Thank you, Yuyu." You tiptoed to kiss his cheek. He blushed but the bright smile never left his face.

"Let's go." He held your hand. The two of you walked to where Yunho's car was parked. He opened the door for you to slide into the passenger seat.

"I'll put your bag in the back." He offered.

"Thanks. I'll hold onto these." You grinned, holding the bouquet in your lap. Yunho chuckled but nodded, putting your binder and bag into the backseat before running to the driver's side.

"Oh yeah, I got you this too. But I think the ice has melted." He scratched his head in embarrassment as he pointed to the cups in the cup holder. It was your favourite mixed fruit soda from a cafe you and Yunho frequent. They were the only one that had your favourite fruit combination.

"You drove all the way to get it?"

"I thought you might like it. I know you've been having a tiring week." Yunho turned to you.

"Thank you, Yuyu. Really. But seeing you and being with you is more than enough to make me feel better." You smiled up at him. Yunho cupped your cheek and gave you a sweet kiss.

"So where are we going now?" You asked.

"Would you like to order in or cook? If we're cooking, we can go get ingredients. My fridge is empty." Yunho informed.

"Let's cook then." You said. Yunho began driving. He had this habit, one hand would be on the wheel and the other hand would be on you either holding your hand or on your thigh.

It was nothing suggestive, purely innocent. Yunho just wanted to always be in contact with you.

"What would you like to eat tonight?" You asked as Yunho pulled into the parking space of the grocery store. He tapped his chin, thinking about his food craving. Yunho liked a lot of foods but he tried to think of easy food so you wouldn't be too tired after cooking.

"What about kimchi fried rice?" He suggested. Your face fell at the simple suggestion. Yunho always liked you cooking different dishes for him. Why was he suggesting a dish even he could make?

"I can cook something else..." You mumbled.

"Sure. Why don't you decide, tiny? I'll eat anything you cook." He kissed the back of your hand.

"Alright." You walked with him, thinking about dishes. Yunho excitedly ran to get a cart from the side. You were about to start walking in first when he called out to you.

"Wait for me, tiny!" He caught up, laughing. He grasped your hand and you smiled softly, walking beside him.

You decided to cook some of Yunho's favourite dishes, crispy pork belly, fresh kimchi (geotjori), garlic rice and marinated strawberries for dessert.

"From the ingredients, I'm excited to see what you cook." Yunho smiled, helping you reach over the counter to receive the meat from the butcher. If he got the hint or realised that you were just cooking his favourites, he never gave it away. You continued pushing the cart while Yunho momentarily stepped away.

"I need my essentials. Plus, we need movie snacks, right?" He dropped the ramen packs and snacks into the cart. You laughed as you looked what he got.

"You forgot your turtle chips." You pointed out.

"Oh, right! Thanks, tiny." He ran back to the chip aisle. You went to the fresh fruit section to grab whatever else you needed.

"Strawberries?!" His eyes lit up at the sight of you putting the punnets into the cart.

"I'll make the marinated strawberries you like." You smiled.

"Then we need ice cream! Be right back!" And he ran off just like that, making you laugh. Yunho always got so excited when food was the topic of discussion.

"Let me do it." He helped you load the items onto the conveyor belt for the cashier. Even after everything was bagged up, Yunho did most of the heavy lifting. He only let you carry the eggs.

When you arrived at Yunho's home, he immediately ran to get you your home slippers. He even slid them onto your feet for you.

"Thanks, Yuyu." You shuffled to his kitchen and put the groceries away. You've been over so many times that you just knew where everything was. Yunho's house wasn't big but it was comfortable for the two of you.

"Let me clean up a little. Be right back." He grabbed a trash bag and went to his study where he usually worked and gamed. You started on dinner since the pork needed a while to bake.

"Tiny, you forgot your apron." Yunho smiled softly, grabbing the apron off the hook.

"Arms up." He said as he carefully slipped the fabric over your head and reached around you to tie is securely. But he didn't let go, letting his arms stay around your waist.

"What's wrong?" You tilted your head as you looked up at him.

"Nothing. I just like looking at you... Can I kiss you?" He asked. You burst out laughing.

"You don't have to ask." You scoffed. Yunho grinned and leaned down to give you a kiss. He didn't pull away entirely, moving just so he could lean down to bury his face into the crook of your neck. You laughed as his hair tickled your skin. His arms tightened around your waist slightly.

"Yuyu, you have to let me go if you want dinner." You chuckled.

"I'd rather starve then." He protested.

"Why don't you help me?" You offered. At the thought of helping you, Yunho nodded excitedly. Suddenly, he ran back into his study and came back out with an item.

"I've been waiting for this. I finally get to use the new apron I bought. See?" He unwrapped it to show you proudly.

"It's very nice, Yuyu."

"Isn't it?! I bought it to match you." He beamed, slipping it over his head. But before he could tie it, you stepped forward to tie it for him, just like he always does with you.

"Tell me what to do chef!" He saluted. Although Yunho wasn't the best cook, he tried his best. And just being with him made everything feel fun. It wasn't tiring or lonely, it felt like time stood still and it was just you and him existing together in your own world.

"Hmmm..." Yunho watched you tasted the strawberries and the marinade that they were going to sit in. He didn't even know that he was staring at you with a smile on his face.

"Wae?" You blinked when you noticed him staring at you. He shook his head with a hum.

"Want a taste?" You held out a strawberry piece on a spoon. Yunho gladly leaned in to take a bite with you cupping your hand at the bottom to catch any drips.

"How is it?" You looked at him expectantly.

"Amazing." Yunho gave a thumbs up. Everything you made, Yunho thought was amazing.

"They'll taste better after they sit for a while. Could you wrap the bowl up for me, please?" You requested. He took the bowl and covered it with plastic wrap to put into his fridge.

Yunho loved these moments with you, just you and him in your own space. The little noises you made or random humming as you moved about, the way you would scrunch your nose when you were disatisfied with the taste, the way your lips would curl to the side when you were thinking.

"Careful, Yuyu." You cautioned as you took the sizzling pork out. And placed it on a trivet.

"You be careful, tiny. That oil is scary." Yunho said back to you but kind of dodged at the end of the counter, the splattering oil freaking him out a little.

"Do you want to help me cut it?" You asked, taking out the tongs and the knife.

"But I don't want to do it wrong." Yunho pouted.

"There's no wrong way, Yunho. Don't worry, we're the only ones eating it anyway." You chuckled. Yunho took the knife and tongs from you but you stood beside him to guide him.

"Tell me if I'm doing a bad job, okay?" He mumbled as he held the pork down with the tongs and began to slice with the knife.

"You're doing great, Yuyu." You smiled. Yunho was literally perfect, there was no way that he would do a bad job of anything, that's why you tried to at least get to half his level. After cutting the meat, he helped you put them on the serving dish.

"Can I have a kiss as a reward for doing a good job?" He asked. You rolled your eyes but of course you complied, never getting tired of his kisses and affection.

"Let's eat." You scooped the rice into two bowls while Yunho placed the geotjori and accompaniments on the table.

"Wow, tiny. You've out done yourself yet again. You never fail to amaze me with what you do." He reached out to hold your hand.

"W-What are you talking about?" You scoffed shyly.

You and Yunho started eating. Honestly, only after meeting Yunho, then you knew why parents felt full just by watching their children eat. Watching Yunho eat and enjoy food made you feel full.

"So good." Yunho smiled with his full cheeks of food. You laughed, reaching out to wipe the sauce that got on his lip.

"I'm glad you like it." You ate a bite of your food.

"Like it? I love it. I love anything you cook." He melted. You shot him a weird look but you couldn't help the smile on your face. Yunho always knew what to say and how to act around you, he just knew you well. You loved the way he never shied away from expressing his happiness and love.

"Don't forget, there's still dessert later." You reminded.

"There's no way I would forget. Don't worry, I'll finish everything. There's no such thing as waste here." Yunho said proudly. He took some geotjori and placed it onto your rice.

"You're so worried whether I have enough to eat that you're not eating." Yunho pouted.

"I am~" You whined. Yunho held a bite out to you, wanting to feed you. Your pursed your lips shut, knowing he was doing this to deliberately tease you.

"Come on, be good tiny. Ah~" He cooed.

"Yunho... Stop..." You felt your cheeks heat up as he continued to make baby sounds

"Ah~" He coaxed. You knew that he wasn't going to give up so you opened your mouth to take a bite, chewing begrudgingly. Yunho burst out laughing at the stink eye you were shooting him.

"Aigoo, my tiny eats so well." Yunho pinched your cheek, shaking your head slightly as he cooed at you. You squinted your eyes at him while he patted your head. He still had that big grin on his face while you finished up your dinner.

While Yunho did the dishes, you took a quick shower and finished up the dessert, putting the ice cream and strawberries into bowls for you and Yunho.

"This is the best." Yunho said, taking a bite. The both of you sat on the couch, with you tucked under Yunho's arm securely. There was a movie playing but you and Yunho weren't paying attention.

"Thank you for cooking, baby. I don't know how I survived before meeting you 8 months ago." Yunho kissed the top of your head.

8 months ago... "They do everything to make you happy and impress you then once the puppy love dies, so does your relationship." Your friend's words rang in your ears.

"Tiny?" Yunho noticed how stiff you got. But you spaced out, so deep in your thoughts as tears flooded your vision.

"Tiny!" Yunho saw the first tear spill and put his bowl aside.

"(y/n), what's wrong?!" He panicked, turning you around to face him entirely. He took your bowl from your hands to put it on the coffee table and practically carried you onto his lap, letting your legs drape over his own thighs. As he hands came up to cup your cheeks, he searched your eyes worriedly.

"You're scaring me, tiny..." Yunho whispered. But you just couldn't stop the tears from continuously falling down your cheeks as soft sobs escaped you.

"Hug me?" You croaked. He didn't even hesitate, holding you against his chest.

"Shh, tiny..." Yunho stroked the back of your head as you cried .

"Please don't leave me... I promise I'll try harder." You cried, bunching the materials of his shirt in your fists, as if he was going to walk away from you right this instance.

"Leave you? Baby, why would I leave you?!" Yunho held your shoulders, he couldn't hide the shock he felt from your words.

"I'm worried you'd get sick of me after we've been together for a while." You sniffled.

"Wait, the boys were talking about this earlier. 'Honeymoon phase' and 'puppy love'. Is that what you're worried about?" Yunho clarified. You nodded in your head in confirmation. Yunho could held but soften, leaning forward to give you a lingering kiss.

"Tiny, you don't have to worri about that. With me, the only puppy love you're getting is me being a literal golden retriever and following you everywhere." Yunho rubbed your cheek with his thumb.

"It's just... you do everything for me. And I barely do anything for you. Won't you get tired of doing that?"

"I do those things for you because I want to do them. It's one of the ways I show you I love you. Plus, you cook for me and in my book, that surpasses everything else." Yunho scoffed.

"Honestly, I was worried I was being overbearing. And that I should give you more space." He confessed.

"Yuyu... never. You're never overbearing. I love you and appreciate everything you do for me. I don't want space, I don't want to be anymore further from you than I already am." You held his hand.

"I'm glad to hear that. Because I feel the same." Yunho lifted you up in his arms.

"Yunho!" You squealed, wrapping your arms around his neck. He walked into his room and put you on his bed, crawling into the space beside you. He held you close, his much larger frame enveloping your smaller one as your limbs tangled themselves together. Leaning down, he nuzzled his nose against your cheek.

"You're never too much. I'll gladly do anything for you like froth your milk for your lattes in the morning." Yunho chuckled.

"You just like playing with my automated frother..." You rolled your eyes.

You remembered when you showed Yunho the electric whisk. He was so excited and that ended up with you have so much milk foam in your coffee.

"True." He grinned.

"But i'm seriously, I'll always be right there beside you, okay? I'll come whenever you call, whenever you need me. I'm there." He stared into your eyes, brushing your hair away from your face.

"Me too." You placed your hand on his cheek as he smiled sweetly. He chuckled, peppering your face in kisses, making you scrunch your nose.

"You're stuck with me. I'm not gonna let you go so easily." He hugged you to emphasise his point.

"I'm very okay with that." You giggled.

"Good. Because you don't have a choice." He laughed.

[sapphicromanoffxo]

Lucky Ones | vi. Whispers of Discretion

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Wanda Maximoff

Word Count: 4,188

Warnings: smut, fingering, cunnilingus, mentions of scars

Summary: Wanda finally confessed her love for Natasha and discoveries were found along the way.

A/N: I'm not quite confident with this one :( but I hope y'all still like it. 👉👈

»»-----------► Series Masterlist

The comforting atmosphere of the city's usual buzz and the cozy ambiance inside the cafe where Wanda is currently sitting provide her with a great sense of comfort. She can spend hours peacefully reading book after book, and that's what makes her feel content. However, right now, Wanda is diligently going through her lecture notes, rewriting the ones she needs to memorise in preparation for her exams.

Wanda is deeply engrossed in her studies, with her headphones in, and she doesn't notice when someone tries to get her attention.

"Hey, Wanda. Hello there," Vision greets with a bright smile, capturing her attention.

Wanda removes her headphones and responds politely, "Oh, hi! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you right away."

"No worries. I can see that you're busy. I just wanted to say hello," Vision replies.

Wanda notices that Vision is holding some books in his arms and curiously asks, "Are you here to study too? You can join me if you'd like. I don't mind some company."

Vision happily accepts the invitation and sets up his study materials next to Wanda.

Their meetings continue for many days, eventually leading to them exchanging numbers so they can easily communicate for their next study sessions. There are times that they would meet up and just hang out. Wanda doesn't have any friends and having someone to talk to is something that she needed.

During one of their study sessions, Wanda lost track of time and received a call from Natasha. She was relieved that Vision was too engrossed in his studies and hadn't noticed Natasha's caller ID photo. She quickly stood up to answer the call.

"Hi, Natty," Wanda said as she accepted the call.

Natasha's tone carries a blend of concern and a hint of irritation as she questions Wanda, "You should have finished your classes by 4:30. Where are you? It's past 6 PM."

"I'm with some of my classmates, and we're having a group study session," Wanda replied. She couldn't quite pinpoint why she felt the need to lie to Natasha and why she was hesitant to mention that she's only with Vision. Perhaps it was because she hadn't told Natasha about these meetings with Vision, and it made her somewhat anxious.

Natasha sighed on the other line, "I see. You could have told me, baby. I was about to drive over to your university."

"I'm sorry. I kind of forgot, and I also lost track of time."

"Would you like me to pick you up after your study session?" Natasha offered, concerned about Wanda being alone. However, this suggestion sparked a mild panic within Wanda.

"No, you don't have to do that. I can easily take the train, and you need to rest."

"Darling, you know how I feel about you commuting alone. I'll just book a Lyft for you, okay?"

"That's fine by me. I'll send you the address later," Wanda agreed, hoping to end the conversation and hating the feeling of lying to Natasha.

"Good girl. Study well, baby. Bye."

"Thank you, Natty. Bye." Wanda ended the call and let out a long, heavy sigh. She felt a sense of guilt and confusion about her actions. Returning to her seat, Vision asked who she had been talking to.

"It's my roommate. She just asked what time I'll be back, that's all. Do you mind if I head home early around 7 PM?" Wanda asked Vision.

"Sure, Wanda. I can walk you home if you'd like," Vision, always the gentleman, offered.

"No need for that. I'll take a Lyft since it's been a long day for me," Wanda replied, simultaneously texting her current location to Natasha.

"That's alright. I think I'll head back to my apartment too since it's getting late. But I'll see you on Monday, yes?"

"Of course! I'll be here at the same time."

"Perfect. Let's wrap this up so we can go home." They both focused on finishing their studies, leaving Wanda with her conflicted with what she had just done.

***

Natasha was buttoning up her shirt and applying the finishing touches to her makeup in preparation for her date with Wanda later in the evening. She had taken the initiative to book a two-day vacation on the weekend outside the city, convinced that both of them deserved a weekend of relaxation—morning snuggles in bed, afternoon swims by the pool, and a passionate romantic evening.

"Natty, how do I look?" Wanda's voice interrupted Natasha's concentration.

As Natasha turned around, she was completely surprised by what she saw when her gaze met Wanda. Wanda was wearing a dress with a deep neckline that tastefully highlighted her creamy cleavage. The dress snugly embraced her waist and ended gracefully at mid-thigh, accentuating Wanda's beautifully long legs.

"Can you twirl around for me, sweetheart?," Natasha stood up and placed herself behind Wanda, planting a tender kiss on the right side of Wanda's neck while gently gripping her waist.

"Natasha, you should behave yourself. It's our date night. You can have me after our dinner date," Wanda playfully promised.

With a wide grin on her face, Natasha replied, "I'm eagerly looking forward to it, baby."

"You're insatiable," Wanda chuckled at Natasha's teasing.

"Come on now. I can't wait to have you as my dessert."

Hand in hand, they left the room and made their way to the elevator, heading up to the rooftop where they had a reservation at the restaurant. The receptionist greeted them warmly and led them to their table. The ambiance was set with a soft glow of yellow lights, and the background was filled with the soothing sounds of indie songs.

Their order had been placed when they made the reservation, and within just five minutes of being seated, their food arrived. Natasha couldn't help but gaze at the stunning woman in front of her, causing the butterflies in her stomach to flutter. They had been dating for almost nine months now, and no one had ever captured her interest quite like Wanda. She knew she had to have this incredible woman in her life, no matter what it took.

"You've been staring quite intensely, you know. You haven't even touched your food," Wanda's words snapped Natasha out of her reverie, bringing her back to the present moment.

"Oh, my apologies. You look absolutely stunning tonight, darling. I just can't take my eyes off you."

Natasha's compliment made Wanda blush deeply. "You don't look too bad yourself. I don't know how you manage to rock a simple white shirt. Maybe it's all those accessories that make you such a delightful sight." Wanda decided to return the compliments to Natasha.

"Oh, so you find little old me a pleasant sight too?" Natasha playfully flirted.

"Stop it. You may be little, but you're not old," Natasha snorted in response to Wanda's playful remark about her height.

Seeing Natasha so carefree, laughing and flirting with her, warmed Wanda's heart. She knew how Natasha often guided her emotions, and sometimes, she could be overly formal and serious. But moments like these reminded her of the beautiful connection they shared, one that allowed them to be themselves and revel in the simple joys of each other's company.

Their conversation flowed effortlessly, and as they spoke, Wanda's mind drifted back to the day they first met.

"I can't help but think that meeting you was like a gift from heaven," Wanda admitted, her voice filled with sincerity.

"Perhaps it was my stunning looks that initially captured your attention, detka," Natasha teased, flashing a mischievous smirk.

"Natasha! I'm being serious here. It was actually my birthday on the day we met at the convention."

"No way! Why are you telling me this now? I should have swept you off your feet right then and there." Natasha momentarily remembered her birthday which is on the next Saturday, but did not let her emotions show.

Wanda chuckled softly. "Nah, I think I wanted to see you put in some effort before I gave in. Besides, those visits you made to the cafe during my work shifts were the highlights of my day." Wanda fondly recalled how Natasha had gone above and beyond to find reasons to visit her during those early days of their relationship.

Natasha leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms with a self-satisfied grin. "Well, my efforts paid off because, obviously, I got the girl," she declared confidently.

Wanda playfully rolled her eyes. "You're getting a bit too full of yourself now. I might be inflating your ego even more."

"I just happen to know what I want, and luckily for me, it's you," Natasha responded, her eyes sparkling with delight as she gazed at Wanda.

Wanda rested her elbows on the table and propped her chin up with her palms. "I'm all yours, Natasha," she declared with a warm smile.

Natasha reached out with her left hand and gently caressed Wanda's cheek. Wanda felt herself melt under Natasha's touch. "I know, baby."

The two women left the restaurant after having some wine, and Wanda was starting to feel a bit tipsy. Natasha noticed this and took off Wanda's high heels. She had to hold Wanda's waist tightly to keep her from stumbling as Wanda's steps had become a little unsteady.

As Natasha went to slide the hotel card into the door, Wanda suddenly wrapped her arms around Natasha's neck and asked her to slow dance even though there was no music playing in the hallway. Instead, Wanda started humming a song that they had heard at the restaurant earlier.

"Got my dress on tight 'cause you know that I

Look shinin' in the light, there's so much ridin'

On this life and how we write our love song

Ooh, let the light in

At your back door yelling 'cause I wanna come in."

Natasha found herself gazing at Wanda as the girl sang softly. Wanda was clearly putting her emotions into her song, hoping and wishing that Natasha would be open to accepting her feelings instead of pulling away in fear.

"Cause I like to love, to love, to love, to love you

I hate to hate, to hate, to hate, to hate you

Put the Beatles on, light the candles, go back to bed

'Cause I want, I want, I want, I want you

I need to, need to, need to need you"

As Natasha listened to the song and understood its heartfelt message, she felt a lump in her throat. She decided it was time to gently encourage Wanda to come inside with her.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I love you?" Wanda suddenly blurted out, her eyes glinting with sincerity, catching Natasha completely off guard.

Natasha was left stunned, frozen in place. Thoughts swirled in her mind. Is this love? Is she in love with Wanda as well? Can she find it in herself to return the love that was being offered to her?

Natasha couldn't help but feel a mix of exhilaration and fear as she realised that her feelings for Wanda are growing deeper. It was like she was on a free fall into the depths of love, and she wasn't entirely sure if this descent would lead to her emotional salvation or if it would ultimately drown her in a sea of uncertainty.

Natasha often found herself questioning whether her feelings for Wanda would prove to be her undoing, leaving her struggling in a turbulent sea of vulnerability. The thought of losing control of her emotions haunted her at times.

But, on the flip side, there was a tantalizing hope that clung to her heart. Perhaps these feelings would be her salvation, rescuing her from the emptiness and Wanda's presence had breathed life into her world, filling it with colors and warmth that had long been absent.

Natasha had a part of herself that often saw the negative side of things. It made her worry and imagine bad things happening. Sometimes, when she felt vulnerable, she thought that she didn't deserve the goodness and kindness that Wanda showed her.

This negative part of her thinking was based on her past experiences and her own insecurities. It told her that she was in a situation where she might accidentally hurt Wanda, who had become incredibly important to her. Natasha knew she had her own flaws and imperfections, and being around someone as kind and pure-hearted as Wanda made her feel undeserving.

"Wanda…" Natasha was left speechless by Wanda's unexpected confession. She struggled to find the right words to respond.

"It's okay, Natasha," Wanda reassured, sensing Natasha's hesitation. "I understand if you don't feel the same way. Just being this close to you is a privilege for me." Wanda rested her head on Natasha's shoulder, her heart heavy with the pain of unrequited love. She had anticipated Natasha's reaction, but it hurts nonetheless. All she had ever wanted was Natasha's undivided love, but she didn't want to pressure Natasha or make her feel uncomfortable, especially since Natasha had kept her own feelings guarded.

Wanda has been keeping her emotions to herself for quite a while, and she's aware that Natasha cares for her in her own special way. It's the way Natasha wakes up early in the morning, even if she had stayed up late because of work just to cook breakfast for Wanda. When she leaves sweet notes in Wanda's notebooks, filled with words of encouragement, especially on days when Wanda feels overwhelmed by her studies. After Wanda finishes her exams, Natasha would shower her with kisses and arrange romantic candlelit dinners at home. Natasha provides her financial needs without even batting an eye on the monthly bill because she truly cares about Wanda.

Wanda could go on and on with the little things that Natasha does for her which she deeply appreciates and it should be enough. However, within her heart, a powerful longing persists. Wanda yearns for something greater, a desire that runs deeper than mere affection. She yearns for Natasha's validation, for the assurance that she is cherished above all else. What Wanda truly longs for is unwavering commitment, the kind that wraps around her like a warm, protective blanket. She hungers for a love that offers her security, a sanctuary where she can always find solace and contentment.

Natasha crouched down a bit in order to carry Wanda in a bridal style as her mind cannot process the whirlwind of emotions that is going in different directions. Maybe they could talk about what has just transpired outside their room when both of them are in the right mindset, achieving a productive outcome.

Natasha carefully helped Wanda get into bed, ensuring she was comfy. "I'm going to take off your makeup. Just stay still, okay?"

Wanda felt really touched by Natasha's gentleness. She'd always treated her well and have never done anything to hurt her. How could she ask for more when Natasha was giving her so much attention and care?

Natasha returned with a makeup remover, Wanda's nightclothes, and a glass of water. "Can you sit up for me? You need to drink this water before sleeping, and please, remove your clothes to get ready for bed."

Wanda followed Natasha's instructions, taking the water and undressing, while Natasha helped unzip her dress. "Thank you, Natasha."

Sitting on the bed, Natasha gently removed Wanda's light makeup. "There, you look better without makeup," Natasha complimented sincerely.

Wanda placed her hands on Natasha's face. "Natasha, please don't let my feelings change our relationship. I just needed you to know how much I love you, and I can't hide my feelings any longer."

Natasha couldn't process Wanda's confession, so she looked down and replied, "Will you promise to wait for me until I'm ready to say it back? No matter what happens?"

Wanda's heart ached as she felt Natasha's sadness. She was willing to wait as long as it took for Natasha to love her back. "I promise, Natasha. You're the one for me, and I hope you can see that."

"I feel happiest and safest with you. You brought light into my life, and I'm grateful for your love. I'll cherish it, Wanda," Natasha confessed, bringing tears to Wanda's eyes. She hugged Natasha, finding comfort in her words.

After a while, Natasha pulled away and saw how Wanda's eyes were shining with love and adoration.

"I want you to make love to me, Natasha. Please."

Natasha felt her inhibitions left her and all she could think of is making Wanda feel that she is being taken care of as she deserves all the good things that Natasha can offer.

"We have all night, baby. God, you drive me crazy."

Natasha surged forward and kissed Wanda softly and escalated to a passionate kiss which will surely make their lips bruise. Both women found themselves in a dance where they can freely express their needs and how they will fulfil those desires.

"Please, Natasha. Let me see you." Wanda pleads, gripping the other woman's shoulder, her eyes bearing with sincerity. Natasha will either reject her request or give in to her wants. Wanda is hoping for the latter, she wants to be able to convey her love for Natasha through physical touch, even if it would not lead to anything sexual.

The older woman sighed at first and nodded but shuddered at the thought of being bare in front of Wanda. She painstakingly unbuttoned her shirt and removed the sleeves from her arms. Natasha then unclasps her bra but opted not to remove her panties. Wanda is watching her closely and her breath hitches once she sees Natasha's nude torso.

In the dimly lit room, Wanda can clearly see how full and firm Natasha's breasts are, her eyes salivating even more at the sight of Natasha's lean and taut abdominal muscle, how it ripples at each intake of breath.

"Fuck. Natasha. You're so beautiful." Wanda uttered with no hesitation and immediately reached out to feel her nakedness. Her touches were light which started from Natasha's chest, and moving up to caress her neck and arms. Natasha is a sight to see and Wanda would worship the woman everyday if she was given the chance to do. However, this touch is foreign for Natasha and nearly flinches when she touches her. Wanda can sense how tense Natasha's body is.

"Relax for me, Natasha. It's just me, okay?" Wanda spoke with tenderness and not wanting to spook the woman away. She wants to show Natasha the love she truly deserves.

"I know it's you." Natasha whispers while she feels Wanda's hands softly mapping out her exposed body.

Feeling out of her comfort zone, Natasha leaned down instead and started roughly nipping at Wanda's neck, leaving a trail of hickeys.

"Baby, we'll go swimming tomorrow and I will be covered with hickeys if you don't stop." Wanda protested however her moans would say otherwise.

"I don't fucking care. I am marking what's mine. I want everyone to know that I own you." Natasha then pressed her left hand on Wanda's neck to further assert her possessiveness. Her fingers drifted down Wanda's throbbing center and was satisfied to feel that the woman was already dripping and ready for her. She then gave a teasing motion at Wanda's clit, further stimulating the woman.

"Goddamn, baby. Are you always this wet for me? What a good girl you are." Natasha's praises always hit her in all the right places and her brain soaks up everything that Natasha says to her.

"Mommy, please."

"Hush baby, I will give you what you want. I promise."

Natasha moved down and kneeled in front of Wanda's awaiting pussy and she's so pleased to see how it glistens with the wetness that accumulated after being touched. She wasted no more time and lapped up the entrance of the woman's pussy, her tongue teasing her inside then went up to the engorged clit.

"Ahh! Mommy, just like that. Please, please."

The rough assault on Wanda's clit continued and she can feel her orgasm building faster than she ever wanted. She cannot fathom how easy it is for Natasha to make her cum with just her tongue.

"Fuck fuck! Natasha! Please don't stop! I'm cumming!"

Two fingers were inserted on Wanda's pussy as Natasha wanted to feel how her velvety walls would clenched while cumming. This made Wanda's back to arch and her legs shook from too much pleasure.

"I am not done with you, detka. I will make you cum over and over again. You understand?" Natasha looked at Wanda dead in the eye, showing how serious she is with her promise and it made Wanda whimper with want.

"You can do whatever you want with me."

Natasha has lost count on how many times Wanda screamed and moaned her name in ecstasy and her jaw started to hurt. She laid down beside Wanda after giving her multiple orgasms.

Wanda gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly, as she desperately tried to regain composure, each inhale is a struggle to even out her racing heart and ragged breaths.

"Are you satisfied, detka?" Natasha asked, feeling proud of herself for putting Wanda in her current situation.

Wanda stretched out her legs and found it sore, "I don't think I'll be able to swim tomorrow, let alone walk!"

"You will be fine, malysh. Your long legs will be good as new tomorrow and I cannot wait to see that bikini that you're hiding from me."

Wanda yawned suddenly feeling all tired, "Let's sleep so you can see me in that bikini tomorrow."

"Good night, baby."

"Night Natty, love you." Wanda said softly and Natasha's heart soars with happiness. Maybe she can get used to this affection that she is receiving.

***

In the morning, the air feels nice and calm. This time, Wanda wakes up before Natasha, which doesn't happen often. Natasha's head is facing her and Wanda can't stop herself from looking at Natasha, thinking about how beautiful she is. Natasha has a pretty button nose, thick lips, and cute eyelashes that flutter every now and then while she's sleeping.

Wanda leaned down to gently brush away the stray hairs from Natasha's face. As she did, something caught her eye – tiny scars on Natasha's eyebrows, nose, and just above her upper lip. This surprised Wanda because she hadn't noticed them before. These scars were quite subtle, not immediately noticeable, but they became apparent when you looked closely.

She couldn't help but wonder how Natasha had acquired these scars. Wanda realised that she might have missed them because Natasha usually wakes up earlier, already dressed and with makeup on, ready to prepare breakfast. During their intimate moments at night, especially whenever they are on missionary position, they keep the lights off with only the soft glow of Natasha's bedside lamp. And when Natasha is using a strap on, Wanda had always been facing downwards, so she had never seen Natasha's face clearly. Afterward, they would clean up separately and cuddle, with Natasha typically being the one to hold Wanda in a spooning position.

Further examining Natasha's exposed skin, Wanda noticed small, circular scars on her shoulder blades and trailing down her arms. Some of these scars appeared to be from burns, while others seemed like they had been dragged along her skin, leaving a line of scars. Wanda frowned at her discovery and wondered whether there were more and she's too scared to pull down the blanket to check. She began to question if these scars were the reason Natasha hesitated to be touched and why she always remained fully clothed during their intimate moments. It was a miracle when Natasha stripped bare for her last night.

Natasha slowly woke up, blinking as her eyes got used to the light. A big smile spread across her face when she saw Wanda.

"Good morning, detka. How was your sleep?" Natasha's deep morning voice made Wanda feel all warm inside. She forgot about Natasha's scars for a moment and nestled her head on Natasha's chest.

"I slept well. I think I woke up earlier than you because I'm excited to go swimming!" Wanda's excitement made Natasha chuckle.

"We can head to the pool now if you want. It's only around 9:30, and we can have lunch at 11:00. Does that work for you?"

Wanda jumped out of bed and grabbed her two-piece bikini from her bag. Natasha shook her head, amused.

"Yes, let's go, Natty! Change, and we'll have breakfast by the pool."

Natasha didn't want to deny Wanda anything she wanted, so she got off the bed and retrieved her swimwear which consisted of a compression shirt and shorts.

Wanda was having the time of her life. She feels content and she could easily get used to this life with Natasha, where she could experience things she never had the chance to because of her past. Natasha fills the void in her heart and envelops her in a warm embrace. Wanda loves Natasha deeply, and she couldn't imagine anything that could ever take her away from this wonderful woman.

[gossipsnake]

TIMING: September, Before Kieran's Birthday Party LOCATION: Downtown, Wicked’s Rest PARTIES: Anita (@gossipsnake) and Kieran (@debauchfairy) SUMMARY: Anita and Kieran run into each other and after note of Anita's birthday celebration and their mutual friend, they realize that the evening might be more fun if they join forces and wind up stumbling upon a curious sight. CONTENT WARNINGS: none

There was a certain energy that encapsulated downtown Wicked’s Rest that always invigorated Anita. Even for a small town there was a bustle and hustle, particularly after the sun had set, that exuded a dangerous excitement. Perhaps for the average human resident of the town the danger outweighed the excitement, but for the lamia it was the other way around. With the college classes about to start back up again for the semester the town was filled to its brim with residents; older students going out to party and enjoy their time before studying began, younger ones trying to scheme their ways into the shadier establishments with fake IDs. A late summer night in town was anything but dull. 

Anita had closed out her tab at a bar around the corner and was loitering around the streets near The Common when she spotted a vaguely familiar face cutting through the park. Before she had placed where she recognized him from with any definitiveness, Anita started walking towards him and skipped herself into walking beside the tall semi-stranger. As she looked up at him the pieces fell into place - Wyatt’s plus one from her birthday party. She smirked. “What’s a guy like you doing out all alone on a night like this?” 

—

Making the most of the end of summer felt imperative - as a general rule, as much as Kieran tended to take stock in those, people retreated back into their boring routines and normal lives as soon as summer ended. The mix of weather and vacation was the perfect setting for a faun but, ever the optimist, Kieran wasn’t worried about the turn of the seasons, either. Fall brought with it a different kind of crowd, the new students and a continued flow of tourists, even people looking to forget that summer was over and they were back at their mind-numbing jobs. So really, making the most of any evening was the takeaway here and Kieran had certainly done as much for what had already passed of this one. 

He was heading back to where the night had started, seeing if another hour or two could be stretched from this evening when someone suddenly joined him. It took a second but as soon as her charming features lit up with that smirk, it registered. Anita, Wyatt’s friend and the host of a very successful birthday party. “What makes you think I’ve spent the whole night alone?” Kieran shot back with a smirk to match hers, running a hand through his hair as it was already tousled beyond repair either way, a raise of his eyebrow alluding to the cause. “I could ask the same of you. Even though I’m very pleased to finally properly meet you - anyone who can pull off a themed event like you did is someone I need to know.” 

—

There was nothing that specifically indicated to Anita that Kieran wasn’t human - beyond his generally cool vibes - yet she felt almost instantly a distinct lack of humanity to him. She liked to think that she was able to tell who was and wasn’t human based on vibes alone, even though the data did not necessarily support her belief in this superpower. “Well, you were alone before I found you. Did you ditch your date or did your date ditch you?”

The compliment about her party made the lamia’s smile widen, she knew that her party had been exceptional but it was always good to actually hear others confirm what she knew. “It is quite lovely to meet you properly as well, I usually know people a bit better before they have wild sex somewhere in my house… not always, but usually I at least know a name. You and my Wyatt seemed to have a great time. Anyone who knows how to properly enjoy a party is someone I need to know.”

“Now that we know each other properly, and we both seem to be alone this fine evening…” Anita picked up her pace, moving up and turning around, walking backwards so she was facing him with a devilish smirk, “wanna get into some weird shit tonight?” 

_

This was an acceptable turn of events for this evening as Kieran really did enjoy having acquaintances that served a much different purpose than say, his previous company or Wyatt. Although the shifter did have the added benefit of having offered to eat anyone that posed a problem and faintly, Kieran did wonder if Anita knew or even could relate. If the two were really that close then it seemed likely - Wyatt wasn’t the best at keeping his cover, it seemed. And Anita did carry an air of simply being better than your average townsperson. “Not ditched, he’d just served his purpose is all,” Kieran hummed, full and content. His euphoria had tasted like a tropical drink on a warm beach - very fitting for the end of summer. 

A glance at Anita’s face confirmed that she held no grudges for the little stunt pulled at the party and Kieran’s grin was bright and without the slightest hint of regret. “Think your margarita bar was partly to blame there. That and, I’m presuming it was you, teaching Wyatt how to salsa.” Not that they’d needed a reason, it had been rather inevitable. But at least it seemed Anita most likely had no clue as to what Kieran really was or what these great times really entailed. Seeing how much she seemed to care about Wyatt, she probably wouldn’t have been all too fond of him being a faun’s regular late night snack. Which really, would have been an overreaction if you asked Kieran - the shifter was fine. Mostly. “But I guess that makes you entitled to a name. Kieran.” 

An eyebrow quirked as Anita, suddenly the picture of mischief, rather impressively walked backwards considering she was anything but sober. Really, with those looks and that attitude, he both pitied and envied anyone she set her sights on. Well, anyone unable to keep up with her, a category he decidedly did not fit into. Kieran pretended to think about her offer for a moment but a smirk to mirror Anita’s was quick to give him away. “You had to know the answer would be yes.” Catching up, he looped an arm in hers, the giddy and playful energy filling the air around them. “Lead the way.” 

_ 

Served his purpose. Oh, what a deliciously curious phrasing. Yet more evidence to support the non-human hypothesis Anita was developing.  “Ay, when there is a dance floor, top shelf tequila, and good Spanish music playing… I can’t help but teach anyone in my vicinity how to salsa. Wyatt was just in the right place at the right time.” 

It was no surprise when Kieran agreed to her proposal, the two seemed like kindred spirits in their pursuit of mischief and fun. Wyatt would have told her if he was a fellow lamia, that much she felt sure of, but beyond that the possibilities were plentiful of who her newfound partner in crime for the evening could be. Keeping pace as they linked arms, Anita quickly ran down the list of options for where they should go. 

The night warranted more than just the average dive bar that this town afforded. Thankfully, Anita knew exactly where to lead them. “We’re in luck. I know this person who throws these strange, exclusive parties once a month over in Nightfall Grove. Tonight just happens to be the night.” Looking him over as she guided them towards the party location, Anita pursed her lips slightly, “You’re not particularly opposed to this outfit getting slightly dirty and/or wet, are you?” 

_ 

It was becoming clearer by the second that Kieran’s first instinct about Anita had been right on the money. Better yet, he might have even underestimated how much the two of them seemed to have in common, even if her salsa skills might have outweighed his own. “I appreciate your willingness to share the joy. A man that doesn’t know how to dance is entirely useless.” Perhaps it was more so an unwillingness to dance rather than the actual skill that was a turn off but Kieran’s persuasion hadn’t failed him yet when it came to changing someone’s mind about the dance floor. 

Even still, she continued to be just what the faun looked for in entertaining company, the buzzwords of strange and exclusive drawing a pleased hum from Kieran. “I clearly should have reached out for your company sooner,” he stated and as far as compliments went, this was a top shelf one coming from Kieran. Anita’s question had him glancing down simply to remember what he’d put on at the start of the evening (and again not that long ago), seriously balancing the prospect of a refreshing kind of night out against the possible death of a somewhat cherished outfit. 

“I’m not not opposed but if you–” Whatever terms he was about to set stayed unspoken as a sound of distress diverged his attention, keen ears picking up on what sounded like a cry for help. With the arm still looped in Anita’s, Kieran steered them towards the source of the sound without an explanation, just in time to catch sight of someone being dragged off somewhere quiet, clearly against their will, by two dark clad strangers. He finally looked at Anita, eyebrows raised in a silent question of whether they could maybe just ignore having seen that. 

_ 

As eager as Anita was to hear the rest of his response, the nearby screams that rang out undoubtedly captured a bit more of her attention. Without missing a step, she followed along with Kieran towards the source of the mysterious calls of distress. Screams were not uncommon in this town - not while alone in the woods and not while on busy downtown streets. Oftentimes, they were screams of humans getting themselves into trouble and Anita tended to avoid getting involved in human-on-human affairs. 

Turning the corner to see who was causing this person to scream, however, piqued her interest. They didn’t necessarily look not human, but there was something about the synchronicity of their movements that seemed quite curious. Anita met Kieran’s gaze and shrugged a bit, as if to say ‘why not follow and see what happens?’ 

Without waiting for a response to the question that was never really asked, the lamia kept walking towards the screams with her arm linked with Kieran’s. The kidnappers dragged their apparent victim down a more secluded side-street and Anita shifted her eyes to those of the rattlesnake so that she could see better in the darkness. There didn’t seem to be anything else awaiting them down there. “I’m not saying this is more exciting than the party… but it will make for one hell of a party story,” she whispered. 

_ 

Anita didn’t seem perturbed in the slightest as they observed what was essentially a kidnapping, a good quality to have in a town like this. Still interested in the night his company had suggested, and unable to have that night without her, Kieran couldn’t find any particular argument as to why they couldn’t follow along for a bit. A quiet thought asked if maybe there was a way to help without getting involved but no, any sort of involvement just spelled out ‘messy’. 

Getting beat up over a situation he’d gotten himself in was one thing but that was not a price he was willing to pay for some stranger. Maybe they should have done more to keep themselves out of trouble if they didn’t want to get kidnapped. 

“It’s not going to be that great if they just hang out here,” Kieran argued quietly, unsure of what sort of action would make this an interesting story to recount. A surprise shift from the victim into some sort of deadly creature, one that would maul the attackers without batting an eye? Maybe this was the fun kind of kidnapping, some sort of bachelor party shit or a really intense sex game? “You think this is a real kind of kidnapping?” 

—

It was a fair point, the story lacked a good ending, which it needed to have any value to them at the party. The set up was immaculate: witnessing someone get dragged off by shadowy figures on their way to the party. But without something else, without something more, then the story was all set up and no pay off. Anita nodded at the question, commenting casually, “Yes. There are fun kinds of screams and there are screams of terror. I have heard plenty of both. There is a certain tone in a person’s voice when they are terrified for their life. This seems real.” 

The kidnappers stopped moving, abruptly, halfway down the alley. Unsure if they were stopping because they realized there was an audience or for some other reason, Anita wondered if she and Kieran were being too obvious in their following. She didn’t really want to ruin her outfit by shifting if she didn’t have to, so she hoped that there was some other reason. 

Then, suddenly, a fascinating ending to this party story appeared out of thin air. Quite literally. A foreign glow began to appear, as if a doorway was being opened where there had not been a door. “Fascinating…” Anita said, as she watched in awe as the creatures struggled to shove their victim through the portal that had opened up. 

—-

He so wanted to dive deeper into Anita’s casual comment on screams of terror - sure, it didn’t necessarily mean she was the one causing those sounds considering where they lived but Kieran was even more curious than before - but spying on supposedly dangerous strangers didn’t seem the time or place for a gossip. “I am very excited to get to know you better,” he settled for informing her, just as well since Anita’s party story seemed to be getting its ending.

Kieran hadn’t been expecting whatever sort of magic this was. A murder, supernatural or otherwise, sure. Maybe even something more nefarious but not… a portal seemed like a ridiculous word to use, even for someone who literally transformed their entire appearance with little more than a thought (and magic). The person they were trying to push through this strange new pathway seemed less than willing, which made sense. “Hmm,” Kieran offered in response, eyes trained on the struggling kidnap-ee until they were suddenly engulfed by the light, the sounds of struggle vanishing along with them. 

Blinking, the form of the strange door etched into his retinas, Kieran looked to Anita. “Looks like you have your ending,” he murmured, placing a hand on her arm in the universal gesture for ‘let’s get out of here before someone tries to send us through a strange, glowing portal too’. Impeccable timing, really, as an offended ‘hey!’ came from the two kidnappers, eyes turning to their little audience. Oops. 

—

A wide grin spread across Anita’s face at the notation of getting to know Kieran better, she wasn’t surprised that was his take away from spending just a brief period of time with her, but it was always lovely to hear confirmation of how well her charms worked. “Very few people have lived to regret getting to know me better,” she commented with a wink, which was not wrong. Most people didn’t get to live with any regret they may have ultimately had for getting to know her. Typically, she ate them before that happened. But she didn’t have plans on eating Kieran. 

Anita was incredibly intrigued by what these kidnappers had in store for this person and this portal. She hadn’t seen anything like this before and while her curious instinct made her want to stay and learn more, her survival instincts did not want to get shoved into that portal. So she just watched from a distance with bated breath as the struggle reached its climax, the doorway portal disappearing just as mysteriously as it had appeared. 

“Yeah, I suppose we should head to the party now,” the sentence barely left Anita’s lips when she heard the shout from the two kidnappers. Now that was a real ending to the story! Without missing a beat, Anita reached out towards her fellow onlooker as she started running back down the alley where they had come from. She figured his long legs would help him catch up to her quickly, and they weren’t far from the party anyway… what better way to show up than out of breath with a delicious story to share? 

_ 

[nothorses]

in regards to your post abt the word queer, if youre willing, whats your opinion on the idea that queer and lgbt+ is not inherently the same? like for me, i consider them different bc to me being queer is not just an identity its also a choice, an ideology, a stance, a movement.

Its choosing to say "no fuck you we're here, we're queer", its choosing to be inclusive, its choosing to actually be in community and help other queers, its choosing to be true to yourself, etc. So when I say 'the queer community' Im usually not referring to the 'queer is a slur' ppl bc I dont consider myself in community with them.

But after reading your post im wondering if i should reconsider my stance on this, so if you have any insight or thoughts abt it id love to hear them! Thank you :)

I mean, I think the word has a lot of uses and meanings, and that's certainly one of them.

But it's contextual, right? When I take a "queer studies" class, I'm not taking a class in the intracommunity movement of radically inclusive queerness- I'm taking a class about the history of the whole community, and the theory our existence necessitates.

I don't really want this to be relabled "lgbt studies" or whatever. I don't want the academic community to dance around it; the overarching department that contains the "sexuality and queer studies" certificate program at my school (which itself does not mention queerness or even gender in any fucking description) is called "gender, women, and sexuality studies". And guess what! It too does not mention trans people in anything except class names/descriptions for explicitly and exclusively trans-centric classes.

Point being that this "dancing around it"-type attitude, even in my extremely queer-inclusive area and school, more than anything just leads to the exclusion and de-prioritization of certain queer people.

I don't want them to keep doing that. And I don't think drawing lines between the Real Queers and the Assimilationist LGBTs is worth that, or even remotely helpful in the first place.

You don't have to exclusively be in community with the people who already agree with you; if anything, that's kind of what's leading to a lot of these problems in the first place. You should obviously be able to engage with people on your own terms too, and you shouldn't necessarily try to reach people who obviously won't be reached by you.

But like, "they're not REALLY part of my community" doesn't lead to much except further division in the wider community. At a certain point, you're just dismissing any opportunities and obligations you have to improve your community in the first place.

And do we really want them to be saying that us dirty queers aren't a part of their pure LGBT (or LGB) community? Should we promote the idea of separate "Queer" and "LGBT" communities, which do not intersect and which are only and exclusively referred by one word or the other? Should we have separate "queer studies" and "LGBT studies", separate research, studies and statistics, separate nonprofit organizations and movements and Pride events?

There are, and always will be, ideological divisions and movements within our community. There will always be sub-communities, chosen and otherwise, within layers and layers of other sub-communities.

But we need to be able to distinguish between that, and the words we use to refer to the whole community together- even the people who try not to be a part of it, and even the people who try to force others out. Even the lesbian separatists and the truscum and the "Drop the T" people; they're still gay or trans or whatever else. If anything, their existence is an indication that something is wrong and needs fixing in our community; that we have work to do to improve it.

My point is just that both meanings can exist, and that's important. You can be part of The Queer Community as an ideological, intracommunity movement that excludes certain conflicting ideologies (I certainly am!); and you can also acknowledge that at the end of the day, the wider community is also your community, and you have as many obligations to it as it has to you.

[cookinguptales]

You know... this really will be my last word on the whole accessibility debacle, but I was thinking this morning about ASL interpreting.

Now, I'll preface all this by saying that, while I do have hearing troubles and sign at home with my family, my hearing issues are only mild compared to the profound deafness that runs in my family. So while I've spent a fair amount of time around interpreters, I do not need to use them for my daily life.

Still. The reason I actually want to talk about sign language interpreters is because I think a lot of hearing folks don't know how one is hired.

Here's the thing -- like 99% of the time, Deaf people do not hire their own interpreters. In fact, most certified interpreters will refuse if a Deaf person attempts to hire them directly.

According to the ADA, it is the business's responsibility to find, hire, and pay for an interpreter. It is not the Deaf person's job to do the research. It is not the Deaf person's job to find an adequate interpreter. It is not the Deaf person's job to pay for it.

And this is a line that ASL interpreters will hold.

Why? Because of the precedent it will set. It is well understood that if disabled people (and/or Deaf; not all Deaf people ID as disabled, though some do) need to expend extra work, effort, and resources to get access to their legally required accommodations, that is still not equal access.

If I need to do hours of research to figure out how to get access to the same building as my fellow students for a class trip, I am being discriminated against because my fellow students don't have to spend their free time doing this; they can use that time to study and/or work. If I need to go in circles with a venue because the performers being paid don't know and don't care to know whether their venue is accessible, I am being discriminated against. Other paying customers do not face this barrier.

(And when I have gone through venues, I have had waiting periods of up to three months to get an answer, by which time shows have often passed -- and that's if they answer at all. They answer performers; they do not always answer guests.)

If podcasts charge extra for transcripts (I am looking at you, You Must Remember This), that is discriminatory and illegal because it is placing the burden of accessible accommodations on the people who need them. And that means many marginalized people will not get those accommodations. It's just that simple.

Guys, this is important. My family has struggled with doctors who refuse to provide interpreters. My family has struggled with mental health professionals who refuse to provide interpreters. My family has struggled with police who refuse to provide interpreters when responding to distress calls.

This places my family in acute physical danger.

It's easy for people to dismiss a post about accessibility issues for a live podcast recording. It's entertainment, it's not a life or death situation. It's easy to send me -- god, so many messages about how it's my job to take hours out of my day to fight with a venue instead of expecting the performers to do that labor for their disabled fans. But ASL interpreters know this: it's about the precedent.

It's not always going to be entertainment. Next time it could be a doctor's office. It could be a school. It could be an emergency. And when you expect disabled people to be 100% responsible for their own accommodations, that just dissuades people from getting them. Which is a form of systemic discrimination.

Because here's a fun fact: businesses rely on disabled people being too sick or too shy or too nice or too jaded to demand accommodations. The ADA doesn't have, like, inspectors who go around making sure places are accessible. The ADA forces disabled people to find and sue the people who are discriminating against them, and many businesses depend on the fact that this is difficult, time consuming, and intimidating.

(And boy, could I write an entire fucking post about how my university used this tactic on me to try and keep me from demanding accommodations -- is equal access to education sexier than me wanting to go to a live show?)

A lot of people have accused me of being lazy, of being entitled, of being ignorant because I contacted the podcasters rather than just the venue. Of course I know it's easier to go that route, though as the podcasters themselves found out, not always very effective.

(Venues are often uncommunicative if you aren't the one who booked the show. 🙃)

But seriously -- you think emailing a venue and waiting wouldn't have been easier than fielding harassment on this website for two fucking weeks straight? That it wouldn't have been easier than writing thousands of words explaining my position, only to have those words ignored by people who are just going to send the same criticism ten more times?

The way I went about this issue was much, much harder than all the times I've stayed quiet. Because I assure you -- this is not my first fucking inaccessible show. And I almost always deal with being discriminated against quietly.

But fuck, guys. Disabled people know: it is always about the principle of the matter. It is always about the precedent. Because these are not rights that we can allow to erode at all. Because next time, it will be a doctor we're expected to devise our own accommodations for. It'll be a school. It'll be the police.

And sometimes doing the right thing is more important than the easy thing.

I am very pleased that these podcasters realized that they were not going about things the right way and have committed to doing better in the future. I am very disappointed in their fans who are still sending me messages. And uh. Yeah, I hope this one last post on the subject will help the last few stragglers understand where I am coming from with this.

(Note: I am not going to debate this, my rights, or my responsibilities any further. Going forward, I'm going to use my block button liberally. Thanks for your time and consideration.)

[writteninthesewalls28]

The moon loves us

A/n: This work is part of the "be my valentine challenge" by @bemyvalentinechallenge

Summary: They are in a long distance relationship and talk every single night over the phone.

Warnings: not proof read

He was counting down the few last minutes till it would finally be midnight.

3…

2…

1!

And his phone, lying in his hands immediately started ringing.

His favorite contact ID "Livie <3" came on the screen and he took the face time call, having the biggest smile in his face, as always.

He wouldn´t lie, a long-distance relationship because his girlfriend decided to fulfill her dream and go to Harvard wasn´t easy.

But he would´ve been the last person to tell her, she shouldn´t do it. Becoming a lawyer had been her childhood dream for forever. As long as he knew her, all she ever talked about, was studying at Harvard and having an own law firm.

He felt happy for her, that she got the chance to live her life the way she wants and not the way, someone tells her to live it.

He just doesn´t have a goal he wanted to archive.

So… he´d just continue the family tradition and have an own farm, well it will be his someday. For now, it still belongs to his dad. It at least made him happy.

But, his girlfriend Livie, she was the true light in his life, she kept him from being a lonely spirit.

"Jack! I´ve missed you so much today!" Livie started talking. She loved telling him about her amazing days: with whom she talked, which projects she worked on, who she met, who she hated. He knew everything about her campus life, without actually being there, which made him feel a lot more closer to her.

Jack never had many friends. He was the definition of the ´loner´ every school had in some ways. Nobody ever drew attention to him, which he liked. He loved being under the radar, no attention on him.

But Livie, she was the complete opposite. For her, the best part of a day, was talking to others, meeting new people and discussing different opinions.

The lively college life was perfect for her.

And the silent farm life the best for him.

Maybe that´s what made them so perfect for each other, they balance one another out.

"Missed you too Livie! How was your day?" Jack asked, exactly knowing how excited she would be to tell him all about it.

"AMAZING, exhausting, but amazing. We talked about lots of different laws and discussed the american law system. Did you know that Germany has the best law system? At least that´s what our german professor told us… so maybe he´s not exactly the most neutral person to ask…" He just loved listening to Livie talking with him.

He tends to think that she´s only this excited and chaotic around him. In some way, she only was herself around him, the only time of the day where she could really talk about her unfiltered thoughts with someone who cares for her and would never even have the idea to judge her for her opinion.

"And… how was your day?" she asked after telling him about the new evil girl who showed up in class today and wanted to sit on Livies seat, but she stayed persistent and didn´t give in.

"I rode Benny a little bit today. The vet said, I´m slowly allowed to train him again. Nice feeling to sit on him again, after such a long time…" He always didn´t talk that much about his day. He prefered staring at the moon and hearing her voice.

This was his safe place.

Because of this moment, looking at the moon and having a conversation with his favorite person on this planet, Jack stayed alive. He was looking forward to this every single day.

"You know, I think the moon loves us." he suddenly said, immediately wanting to take is words back.

He heard Livie laughing. "Yeah, probably. We keep him entertained, don´t we? Thanks for listening to us every night, lovely, bright moon."

That´s her, she doesn´t find anything weird or confusing. She understood him like she understood her confusing little law texts everybody else hates.

She loves the unwanted.

And he desperately hoped, it would never ever change.

He didn´t want to end as a lonely spirit, he wanted to stay alive, alive with Livie and the moon by his side

[heartn]

get to know me game (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ☆

tagged by the cutest! person! alive! : @loves0ft

tagging:♡ @evenofmyday ♡ chatoyervictoria ♡ junez ♡ yukicrossu ♡ @pssionfruits ♡ @guhara ♡@soulazul ♡ @un1over ♡

birthday: november 9

favourite colour: lavender and periwinkle

do you have pets?: no but my sister has a dog named nikko. we look after him sometimes, so that's the closest i have to a pet

how tall are you?: like 5'4?

how many pairs of shoes do you own?: that i regular wear, 3. i have a few more but i never wear them

favourite song: atm big flirt by lil hero and it's a wrap by mariah carey ft mary j blige, shooting star by xg

favourite movie: i dont watch movies. but lol i'd have to say white chicks or rush hour

who would be your ideal partner?: i feel like that closest would be, if you know who stephanie soo is, her cousin dan dan 🤭🥰 that type of personality i love. i could spend the rest of my life with someone like him

do you want children?: i keep going back and forth with it. idk. i feel like i need to be in a serious relationship and be married to have a final answer

have you gotten in trouble with the law?: lol does running a redlight count?

what colour socks are you wearing?: orange with lighting bolts

favourite type of music: pop, kpop, rap, old school reggaeton, the old mexican music every parents likes, like marco antonio solis, stuff like that. ig ive been listening to more bandas too.

how many pillows do you sleep with?: i use a body pillow as a pillow... i used to have pillows but idk what happened to them, and i keep putting off buying pillows

what position do you sleep in?:  my sides or fetal position. im trying to force myself to sleep on my back bc i heard that good for you, but i sleep better on my sides/fetal

what don’t you like when you’re sleeping: i takes me a while for me to sleep. or when i'm about to fall asleep my leg fucking jolts and im awake, so thats a recent thing thats been happening to me sometimes

what do you have for breakfast: i don't usually eat breakfast. but if i have something, its usually a match iced tea / iced chai tea latte from starbucks with something from their bakery

have you ever tried archery?: in school for gym class... i fucking sucked at it. but on wii sports... i'm the baddest bitch

favourite fruit: starfuits, cherries, strawberries, mangos, peaches, kiwis, mandarines 🤤

are you a good liar?: yes? no? idk ig i am

what’s your personality type?: idk, bc every time i take that damn quiz it always changes!!! like how can ive gotten intp, infp, enfp, istp, isfp like?!?!!?

innie or outie?: innie

left handed or right handed?: right

favourite food: sopes!!! or pupusas!!! fuckin loves those

favourite foreign food: i love thai food. everything ive tried is just sooo good. ughhhh!! Phở too!

am i clean or messy?: hehe i say im organized messy, but ppl say im clean. bc i am but the only thing that i have that is 'messy' is my bed, bc i never make it... and even that isnt messy, but my mexican parents say otherwise

most used phrase: 

how long does it take for you to get ready: depending. when i work at the school, about 30-40 minutes. but when i work at the clubhouse, about 10-15 minutes.

do you talk to yourself?: hehe yeah

do you sing to yourself?: only when i'm alone or in my car

are you a good singer?: i dont think so. id say average but i dont sing in front of anyone to know if i am

biggest fear?: idk, i feel like anything if i overthink it. heights?? but i like rollercoasters... but i'll get dizzy if i look over the second floor of a mall... going to the top of the willis tower made me dizzy. the deep ocean 😳

are you a gossip?: no, but ppl tell me gossip so i hear it regardless

do you like long or short hair?: both are nice

favourite school subject: english or social studies. art

extrovert or introvert: introvert

what makes you nervous: having ppl look at me. i hate making eye contact with ppl. but like if im ordering something i will look at the cashier, i'm not a dickhead. just hate looking at ppl or ppl looking at me in passing, especially when im driving

who was your first real crush?:  this guy named martin in first grade. i thought he was cute. lol but apparently we dated but i NEVER spoked to him or had a class with him. sooo... idk how we dated, but a classmate of ours told me in sixth grade that we did, and that threw me off, bc like i said, i never spoke to him. lol so i technically cheated on him like three times without knowing... sorry man

how many piercings?: seven atm. i wanna get my collar bones and maybe like one more ear piercing but idk what yet

how many tattoos?: none yet bc i still live with my parents and i feel like they will kick me out if i do

how fast can you run?: idk i dont have a reason to run. id say average??!??

what colour is your hair?: dark brown and blonde. im forcing myself to grow it out bc i fucked it up too much. wigs have been helping me fight the urge but i still wanna dye it!!!

what colour are your eyes?: dark brown

what makes you angry: those fucking bright led headlights!!!! i hate those things. that shit shouldnt be legal, its distracting, and i will bash your lights you dickhead

do you like your name?: i used to hate it bc i make me think of old white ladies but now im okay with it. i like my middle name or the nicknames my nephews used to call me when they were first starting to talk

do you want a boy or a girl as a child?: idc but i have i strong feeling that, if i do have kids, my first one will be a girl. idk why but i'm calling it

what are your strengths?: i'm a good listener, i have a good patience

what are your weaknesses?: i get annoyed easily

what is the colour of your bedspread?:  white

colour of your room: white

[ohyoru]

Im glad i could be of any help to you! Im usually very shy about interacting with people even online but you remind me of myself a lot, except instead of writing i used to draw. But not being able to do it as a career hurts me a lot. due to my countrys little to no appreciation of any sort of art, im instead forced to do other things than my passion. Life gets in the way a lot. I have been studying for my uni exam since i started high school and im in my last year, which makes it very hard to find any time for anything other than studying( my classes alone take up about 11 hours a day ouch.) so i feel like were similar somehow. Even in the 20 mins of tumblr time i have during the day i almost always check your blog.

I struggle a lot with loneliness as well like you mentioned. I have a lot of friends but they just dont provide the comfort i need(maybe im just greedy) and i dont have any siblings as well. Id kill for a hug. That sounds so desperate damn. Anyways i hope you know you can traumadump( i hope i used that word correctly i just learned what it meant) anytime, i mean its your blog. Like i said i have very little time to look at my phone but i will always try to be there for you. I gotta say tho im not usually this good with my words not in english or turkish. Ama a

dearie anon! (can i keep calling you that?)

aww i love that you see the reflection of yourself in me. i feel like i get to know more about you and it makes me so happy that i'm not the only one feeling all this. somehow, your existence feels like the validation i need.

thank you for keep talking with me despite being shy (you're so cute for that aaaa). i'm so sorry to hear about your inability to turn your passion into career. i can honestly understand how that feels, the dread of knowing that your dream wouldn't take you far. it's the same for me as a linguist (i'm pursuing my postgrad study in linguistics), but i've been warned beforehand that there really isn't much opportunity for career with my major.. i'm lucky to somehow managed to land a job related to the use of language. the salary isn't high enough for my qualification, but i really enjoy what i'm doing. i'm considering about continuing down this path and figure out about the money shortage later.

about the hug part, please don't feel bad about it. it sounds desperate indeed but there's nothing wrong about it. i'm desperate for a hug all the time. all my siblings are male and they usually keep to themselves. i don't live with my parents so i don't get to hug them a lot. i actually cried alot because of how lonely and desperate i am for companion, so i totally understand you. i wish i can hug you right now, i'm giving you the tightest and warmest hug!

thank you for looking after me despite your busy time. it means so much to me (brb sobbing again). also don't worry about incidentally sending your texts before finalising it ♡ i really love talking with you. also, please don't panic! i'm just guessing who you might be, i don't really have any proof as to who you could be. but anyway! please feel free to talk to me anytime. i'll be sure to reply them as soon as i can!

[rrxnjun]

well imean ur view on them matters the most so iguess i understand why u deleted them😭

SCHOOL IS THE WORST!!! can't even have free time smh i don't understand why school has to be this stressful that u are scared to even take a proper break from learning it's actually the worssstt😭

wait by recommendation do u mean like songs shows or blogs?:o or all of the above?:o KEVIN IS SO GREAT SO IM GLAD U HAVE THAT SOFT SPOT FOR HIM HE IS JUST TOO LOVELY AND FUNNY AND EVERYTHING!! eric is one of the funniest in the group imo so i'm happy that u are enjoying them on hwaiting!!!! dude u should stan them actually their discography is almost immaculate (their new ost is kind of 😟 for me so if u ever start listening to them do not start with that) BUT I HOPE U END UP WITH THEM LIKE TREASURE LMAO i genuinely think tho that by looking at their insta/twitter pics u would probably love them like they are just so aesthetic and well i guess trendy (?) (especially q) but they are just so great and if for nothing else i think it's completely worth it for sunwoo😁👍 THE PICS IN THAT PINK HOODIE WERE 🤌🤌 BUT THE TIKTOK THAT WAS JUST CRAZY I HAD IT ON LOOP AS WELL LMAO but u know i think this is a sign that once ur treasure era calms down a bit u should have ur theboyz era next hihi

MANIFESTING U WONT FAIL THEN!!! academic validation sucks ass i'm waiting till i be at peace with not getting good grades😃👍 probably university will help but i have to get in one first ig😭 but iguess i'm glad u are mostly at peace with it now (?) i be just can't imagine how rough it must have been to get to that point😭 (i hope ur enjoying the break from it then u will be back stronger than ever to write sometime in june ofc)

MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS TBH THAT IM GLAD I LOGGED ON TODAY CUZ IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO SAD IF I MISSSD IT JUST CUZ OF SCHOOL WORK AND U JUST COMPLETELY MADE MY DAY WITH IT ACTUALLY (liebestraum anon💕💘)

no bc school either takes up all my time or energy or makes my mood drop so much i dont wanna write anymore 😭😭 but i wrote a bit today so im happy happy happy maybe i can get something out even during exam season !!! also a chat w my friend about this one fic idea i had kind of convinced me to write for trasure after exams but....we'll see how that goes.👁

i mean all of the above i need all song recs and also content recs 🤭 i think i already mentioned that im a big fan of the reveal album so preferably something w those vibes ?? but im down for everything hihi. KEVIN IS THE LOML my affection towards him is the same i had for mark lee before i stanned nct 😭😭 theres always this one member that sucks me in and makes me stan LMAO. id love to be besties w eric btw. AHAHAHA "once your treasure era calms down" girl- 😭😭 i mean valid. ive always had the boyz in the back of my mind so this is surely a sign to stan. sunwoo is worth it❤

the moment i got into uni i experienced the BIGGEST gifted kid burnout like i never had to study all throughout middle and high school so i automatically thought im super smart and intelligent since ive always been a straight A student but uni was a wake up call and let me know that i am NOT as gifted as i thought i was 😎 so im putting a lot of effort to get C's and im good LMAOO. was kinda sad by the fact that its not A's but when i almost had to drop out bc of almost failing a class i was like yknow what fuck academic validation lets just....get this degree and get it over with. hope your experience is different tho bc i was crushed 😭

as always i loved hearing from u 🥰🥰 opening up my inbox to seeing your ask is always a "FRIEND!!!" moment for me DHSJSJ

[mvement]

24/1/22

you know what. ive tried a lot of things. ive practiced, for however short or longer periods, many things. chronologically, ive given one or many tries at capoeira, ballet, acoustic guitar lessons, muay thai, street dances, and now volleyball. ive thought a lot, many and many times, about how i shouldve started doing one of those things earlier and dedicated myself to it, but im not sure i did want that. i mean, maybe i did and lacked the perseverance, but i can't remember. im not sure i cared enough for them, and if i did, well. theres no use in self guilty tripping now. but lately ive been realizing something truly, truly important. as obvious as it might be to anyone else, what's vital when learning or engaging with something new is practice. ive always had it easy with some things; ive never had trouble with grades, for example, even when i barely studied, and always caught up quickly enough whenever i slacked off a little too much. im not sure if this is the cause or only something that goes hand in hand with this next other trait, but i wasn't used to working hard on anything. if i wasn't immediately outstanding at something, id just quit it and think it wasn't for me. it's a little wild, and something ive first noticed probably many years ago, but only more recently - a few years, and every day more than the day before - started to stop taking things this way. something like that narrows your life and experiences in a very expressive way. especially if the things you quit are things you enjoy.

im not an immediate natural in any of the activities i mentioned. so of course, im not naturally outstanding in them either. i cant remember how i was with ballet, how i felt about it overall - i was only four when i started practicing it, and it lasted a year. it was the same with capoiera, but i have a guess i was a little bit scared of it, as i still was - still am, even if significantly less than before - when i first started muay thai (thai boxing, idk what its called outside of here) four years ago.

playing the guitar or any instrument is one of the coolest things in the world a person can have the ability of, honestly. i always liked whenever i mastered a song well enough for it to be recognizable, and i loved playing it, because its such a cool thing. still, i wasnt too keen on the process, and all the songs i actually wanted to learn were so damn advanced too. (muscle memory is, indeed, something a little wicked- i had those classes ten or eleven years ago, and i still remember the chords and everything to the songs i played the most. not relevant to the topic of this rambling, but whatever. who wants to hear me playing banana pancakes by jack johnson)

with muay thai, things were really different by the time i started. i had just realized i absolutely fucking needed physical activities to properly function as a human being. not exaggerating in the slightest - i'm someone else when im not doing anything. it's very, very dramatic. but it’s true. anyways, when i joined my first class on a random day, got in late for the warm up and ended up nearly not walking for a week for the first time because im a little insane and just showed up in that room and tried to keep up with everyone else immediately, it was with the excitement of doing something new and the knowledge that i really needed to do things. after a while, even if i still daydreamed constantly of being a badass and of just quickly escalating to a bruce lee woman reincarnation level, i knew i was enjoying the process. as scary as it was to join those sparring matches my teacher had everyone do, the exhilaration after working so heavily was just that - exhilarating. worth it all. addictive. and god, i was terrified at first. so defensive. with the eminent danger of a punch square to your face, one does that. you’re in there, quickly cornered against the net, and your every move is clumsy and held back, focusing too much on the fact that you’re just scared as fuck. eventually, though, you're taking advantage of a good landing right to your black belt teachers unprotected left temple on instinct. yes im gloating. yes it was one time. shut up. in all seriousness, you do accomplish exciting things. all in all, evolving and seeing change erupt right from and through and in your own body, to witness that with your own eyes and with a sense of wonder at you had just done... it's insane.

it's the compensation that knocks you over sideways for an entire day, and with a continued dawning of reality, you feel it in your whole body that you actually did that.

and im talking short period accomplishments. the day i achieve a black belt level, i will sprint through walls

as for dancing, ive loved it since i was fifteen. i watched that famous upgrade u choreography by willdabeast adams on youtube and i was gone. through there i found one of my favorite dancers, someone with a style that blows my mind every time. it's one of those things i have to work on or i will regret for the rest of my life. i love it dumb, and with my whole body and soul.

volleyball is the most recent of it all. it is actually not even a week since i first practiced it with an actual experienced amateur team. of course it all began not even a month ago when i was elbows deep into haikyuu episodes and just felt like starting yet something else and then asked my friend where she practices volleyball and if i could join. now here i am.

i meant to make this a full circle text with a concise conclusion wrapping things up, but im tired and i already did talk about what i came here to say. practice. its incredible, too, standing in a big court with a tall as fuck net and being initially so terrible at everything. but its because i want to that i keep doing it until i get better. its because of the excitement of just doing it in the first place. it's addictive, the power of doing something you like, of failing so incredibly and still have the will to do it more and more and more. it’s about finding out where life’s meanings are in for you, and realizing dedicating yourself to them is undeniable.

[tasmanianstripes]

Menstrual pain should be taken more seriously than it currently is, people suffering from it shouldn't be dismissed or accused of overreacting because "it's just a period"

For most of my life, I've suffered from debilitating menstrual cramps. Some days it was bad enough that I couldn't move, couldn't even speak, just cry and scream for hours until the painkillers finally kicked in, and it'd often leave me feeling weak, exhausted and like I was on the verge of passing out. I have to take the strongest non-prescription medication on the market and it still just makes my pain bearable enough that I can function; hell, even my prescription drugs sometimes weren't enough.

Despite this, I was often ridiculed by my peers and accused of faking it so I can get out of school or work, and I've had medical professionals refuse to help me because "it's just a period" and "it'll pass on its own". I've had to beg people to go get me painkillers and they'd usually start an argument or roll their eyes at me and complain the entire time. It was a constant problem and the only person that's ever taken my pain seriously was my mother.

Seriously, it isn't right that I have to deal with 2-3 days of debilitating pain and nobody around me treats it seriously. Not even my doctors.

And I'm not even the most severe case out there, I'm lucky that my cramps only last a max of 3 days and respond to medications. There are people out there who have to deal with worse.

Seriously, just please start taking menstrual pain seriously. Just because it happens every month doesn't mean it's any more bearable or less serious than any other pain. The pain this severe isn't normal, it's a medical condition and it should be treated seriously. It's even more fucked up that this sort of pain is often a symptom of some underlying condition yet even doctors don't treat it seriously.

[diavolosbaby]

id like to request a MC who is extremely sensitive to loud noises due to previous abuse in the human realm? like they break down really easily when it happens? Could i get this with lucifer? just want a little bit of comfort, remember to drink water and eat!

Sure hon :)

thank you, you too!

"It's ok to lean on me."

Characters: Lucifer

Genre: comfort, angst to comfort

Pronouns: They/them

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The teacher's ramblings went in one ear and out the other. You knew what to do. But you were scared that some idiot didnt.

It was such an easy task, remember what 3 ingredients to mix together to make the potion and mix them. Make the correct thing, get an A. One mistake and the whole classroom could go up in flames. You were shaking. Sweating. Just so anxious! who could blame you? You didn't want a loud surprise.

You hated loud noises. Especially when you aren't expecting them. You knew it was a bit silly, but you had good reason. Reasons you didn't like to talk about.

"Flame rose petals... Exactly 76 grains of charcoal rice... And... And..."

"What was it?"

You couldn't remember. You couldn't for the life of you. You went through the study sessions in your head and tried your best to remember.

"And... And.... Grind them."

"Then you... Pour in an ounce of salt water...?"

"No. Not right. It's... It's the ringed octopus's ink...! Yes, I'm sure of it!"

You poured the ink into the dry ingredients and...

There was nothing.

You smiled to yourself. "Worried for nothing. Now let's just hope-"

BOOM.

You jumped.

Your eyes were wide and watering, your mouth was dry, and your lips were quivering.

The professor yelled at the student and ran to take out the fire.

You felt a tear roll down your face. You slowly stood up and walked out of the classroom. The professor was too distracted to notice. But there was someone who did notice you.

Lucifer.

He was monitoring the halls when he saw you out of the corner of his eye stumbling to the bathroom with your fists clenched, you seemed kind of stiff. He wanted to know if you were alright.

You sat in the last stall, sobbing with your hand over your mouth, trying your best to muffle the noise. You heard a "tap... Tap... Tap..." And looked down. It was those familiar shoes you made fun of for being "grandpa shoes" the other day.

You quickly wiped your tears and took in a big sniff. Before he could ask you anything you questioned him. "Is this about what mammon did? I had nothing to do with it this time so go away please I need privacy."

There was a pause.

"No... This isn't about that. I'm glad to hear you weren't involved though. But away from mammon, is something the matter with you?"

"No? Why?"

He could hear it in your voice. Heck, you could even hear it in your voice. Is was unsteady, squeaky, cracking at every other word. You cursed yourself for letting him see you like this.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. Although...I will find out soon enough. So it's better to do so now."

"I just got scared is all. I'll be fine." You muttered.

"What scared you?"

"An explosion. Some idiot in my chemistry class couldn't remember a simple formula. Guess I wasn't expecting it and got spooked. That's it. So.. Can you please go?"

Lucifer took a step towards your stall and placed his hand on the door.

"Yes. I heard it too. It was loud. Just as loud as the fireworks from last month's festival. You didn't want to come but did anyway. You were covering your ears and shaking the whole time. Eventually excusing yourself. This isn't the only other time I've noticed this. So, tell me MC. Why?"

He payed that much attention to you? You never would've guessed.

"People have phobias. I guess I have a phobia of loud noises. Always have."

You could feel the tension even with the stall door blocking the view of his face.

"A phobia that started in the human realm. And... Started from my family. They weren't the nicest people. At least to me."

"I take it they were loud?" He asked sternly.

"Yeah. Yells... To throws... To..."

"I see." He interrupted, not wanting to hear any more.

"MC, open the door."

You were hesitant, but you obliged.

As soon as the door was open he brought you into his arms, cradleing your head. "How anyone could do that to someone such as yourself I have no idea. You don't even come close to deserving any of that."

You nodded and took in his scent, it immediately relaxing you. "God, that professor is still shouting. Does it bother you? No matter. I'll have a talk with him."

You were almost asleep at this point, with the position, the scent, and the sound of his voice you were basically putty in his hands. And you liked it. You liked feeling so secure, so safe.

"MC, I too am guilty of raising my voice, even yelling. Loud noises as well. Now, listen. I'll try my best to not do any of that around you. Alright? You have my word."

Your eyes feel so heavy...

"MC,

I want you to lean on me."

"If you are ever uncomfortable or upset, I want you to come to me. I'll find a solution for all your problems. I want to be your key to everything. Alright?"

He waited for a response but soon softened at the sound of your soft snores.

"Hm."

He picked you up bridal style and carried you off to the house of lamentation and into his room, where you awake hours after school had ended to him writing on his desk, next to you.

Without turning around, it's like he could since that you're awake, he said,

"Feel free to come to me anytime if you are distressed. Anytime."

-----------------------------------------------

This felt kinda short and it might seem rushed but I wanted to get it out to you fast since it's comfort!

<333

[mackenzielovee]

my girl (part 4) - rafe cameron

a/n: SURPRISE! I wrote a part 4 ;) i had this idea right after i said i was only doing 3 parts - but this really is the final one! I really hope ya'll enjoy. It's a little shorter than the rest! (not my gif)

Summary: Nope sorry you have to read!

Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex, kissing, and test anxiety

Word Count: 4.4k

series masterlist

my writing

Your phone buzzing on your nightstand distracts you get again from cramming for your Chemistry final. The exam happens in two days, yet you feel like it might as well be in two hours with the amount of anxiety you have. It's your second year of college, and boy, it hasn't gotten any easier. Thankfully, your roommate is out for the night so you have your entire dorm to yourself to study.

You lean over and check your phone. Another missed call from your fiancee, Rafe. Beside your phone on your nightstand sits your engagement ring. You stare at it for a moment and swallow your feelings, then move back over to your chemistry textbook. Your phone buzzes again - a voicemail from Rafe this time, which you don't bother to listen to.

Chemistry is your focus tonight. Chemistry is what you need to be studying for, what you need to know inside and out. You throw yourself back into it, shutting off your phone when it buzzes yet again. You need absolutely zero distractions.

About twenty minutes into it, you hear a loud knock on the door. You sigh, figuring your roommate forgot her ID or keys again. You pull open the door and sigh, fully shocked when you find Rafe standing at your door. He's out of breath from running inside from the parking lot, and he looks pissed off.

"Oh, good, you're alive," he snaps, pushing his way into your room before you can even invite him.

"What are you doing here?" you ask him, closing the door so none of your nosy neighbors can listen to yet another argument between the two of you.

Things haven't been good. You're sick of him calling and texting you all the time, him begging you to come home, and constantly asking who you're with when you go out. On top of all of that, your classes this semester are harder than they've ever been, but Rafe never respects when you say you need space and time to study.

"Checking to see if my fucking fiancee is breathing!" he shouts, throwing his hands up in the air, "I mean, shit, Y/N, I called you, like, twenty times."

You glance over to the nightstand at your phone, realizing your ring was over there, too. You know he won't like that.

"I shut my phone off. I really need to study, Rafe," you tell him, but he's not listening.

Instead, he collapses onto your bed and puts his head in his hands, sitting directly on your Chem textbook and notes.

"Oh, my God, what the hell? Get up," you snap at him, walking over and pushing him off so he doesn't ruin your notes or textbook pages.

"It's fucking fine," he replies as he stands, barely glancing at your papers.

"No, it's not. I need this shit to pass my exam-" you hold the wrinkled papers up.

"They're literally fine, Y/N," his voice raises, "Stop being so dramatic."

You take a deep breath before you speak again, knowing whatever comes out will not be very nice. You've really been trying to be patient with him, but it's getting harder and harder.

"I'm not being dramatic, Rafe," you say calmly, "I just really need to study and I need peace and quiet."

He sighs and rubs the back of his neck as he debates what to say next. Neither of you want to start a fight, but you both have a lot of shit to say. His eye catches the shiny object on the nightstand and he looks over, figuring out it's your engagement ring.

"What the fuck?" he gasps, picking it up and holding it out to you, "Since when do you take this off?"

You put your hands on your forehead and sigh, realizing this is going to take up a lot of time that you don't have. And the fact that Rafe drove eight hours on a whim because you didn't pick up his calls all day has made you crazy.

"I cannot do this with you right now," you tell him, stepping toward your Chemistry stuff.

You'll just have to go to the library and study if he's going to be here. There's no way you can get any of your shit done with him bitching about your ring.

"Oh, my bad, when can you do it, then?" he rolls his eyes, "Huh? Can you give me, like, a window of time where you're actually available to talk?"

"Rafe-" you start, but he holds his hand up.

"No, because, I mean, I don't hear from you all day, and I'm fucking worried about you, so I make the long ass drive to come check on my soon-to-be wife, and now I'm the bad guy? Yeah, no, I get it now!" he exclaims.

"Jesus, okay, I have to go," you say, grabbing your backpack from the floor and sliding some slippers on.

"Right, to study," he grumbles.

"Yeah, to study," you snap back, "Just because you didn't go to school doesn't mean you can't at least try to understand!"

You rarely raise your voice at him, so Rafe knows you're mad. He stares at you for a second, deciding if he should acknowledge your comment about him not attending school.

"It's not about whether or not I understand, it's about time management," he lectures, making you roll your eyes, "Don't roll your fucking eyes at me."

"Don't show up at my dorm unannounced!" you yell back.

"I wouldn't have been unannounced if you would answer your goddamn phone!"

You take a deep breath and exhale loudly, then step closer to the door. Rafe walks over to you and grabs your arm, spinning you around. You stare up at him like he's crazy, he's never laid a hand on you like that before.

"Put your ring back on," he demands, holding it out in his hand.

"What the fuck is your problem, Rafe? You think I'm gonna get hit on walking to the damn library? Get a grip," you mutter, trying to yank your arm from his grasp but failing.

"I'm not playing," he tells you, holding the ring up in his other hand.

"Neither am I," you snap, "Let go of me."

He stares at you for another few seconds and then releases you, groaning loudly when he does. He steps away from you and runs his hand through his hair, then sets your ring back down on the nightstand.

"What's going on with us?" he grumbles, sitting down on your bed again.

You start to feel bad as you look at him, so you step closer and set your books down on you desk. You open your mouth to speak, to apologize and return your ring to your finger, when he speaks out again.

"Why didn't you answer the fucking phone when I called?"

You close your mouth quickly, swallowing the words you were about to say. You stare at him for a moment, then you decide that it's just best to tell him the absolute, stone cold truth.

"Because I have shit going on, Rafe. I have a Chem final in two days and I'm not at all prepared, I have other finals and an entire paper due by the end of the week, and I have you up my ass about everything in between and it's just a little overwhelming right now."

He brings his head out of his hands and looks up at you. His expression changes from hurt to angry in about one second, so you brace yourself.

"So what do you want me to do to help you, then?" he asks, his voice agitated. You can tell he's trying to be patient, but he really wants to yell.

"I just need you to give me some space right now," you state.

He nods his head, moving his eyes away from yours and down to the floor.

"Space," he repeats, "You want space."

You nod your head slowly, afraid now to speak. You can't tell what his reaction is about to be, but obviously it isn't going to be a good one.

"So, you ignore my phone calls," he holds up one finger, "You take off your engagement ring," another finger, "And now you want space. Do you think I'm a fucking moron?"

He stands up off the bed, now towering over you. Your hands come up to your face, rubbing your eyes to try and relieve some form of stress.

"God, Rafe, you're making this out to be something it's not-"

"Am I?" he shouts, "Do you want to marry me or not? I mean, I really think that's what this boils down to. Am I what you want, or not?"

His yelling combined with your stress and confusion makes you yell back at him.

"I don't know!"

He steps back, almost like you've hurt him, and stares at you with a look you've never seen before. It's anger, betrayal, confusion, and sadness all rolled into one, heartbroken expression. It makes your stomach turn thinking about the fact that you're hurting him.

"Well, there it is," he says, his voice cracking, "I'll just get out of your way, then."

He leans down and grabs the ring from your nightstand, wrapping his large hand around it and then stepping toward the door.

"Rafe, wait," you say, "Where are you going to go? You can't drive home in the dark."

He doesn't turn around, he can't look at you. Not when you're not sure what you want.

"I'll sleep in the truck," he says, his voice weak and quiet.

"No," you protest, "Rafe, I'm sorry."

He stands there for a few seconds, then turns, and you see the tears in his eyes. One has fallen, and rests on the bottom of his cheek. He wipes it away, but not quick enough.

"Why are you sorry? I'm not what you want anymore," he laughs, but nothing is funny.

Another tear falls and you step forward quickly, reaching up to wipe it away. He closes his eyes under your touch, always loving feeling your skin on his.

"I didn't say that," you say gently, tears welling in your eyes from seeing him like this.

"Just..." he trails off, finally opening his red eyes, "Go ace your Chem final. I'll see you at home in a few days."

He reaches up and grabs your hand, removing it from his cheek. He lays a quick kiss on your knuckles, then closes his eyes again when he lets go of you. Not sure if it's his last time feeling you.

He turns to leave, opening the door up before he turns back to you.

"I love you. I always will."

He doesn't wait for your response, he just closes the door behind him. You turn and look at the nightstand where your ring once sat, wishing to God that it was still there. You want to tun after him, but you know you can't. You two just need some cooling off time, you tell yourself. You'll come back again atfer finals when you get home for Christmas break. He'll hold onto your ring for you, you convince yourself of that.

You can't focus. The next day, you spend all your time in the library, staring at a page in your Chem textbook, and all you can focus on is your empty finger. No pretty ring that reflects every ounce of Rafe's love for you. You check your phone, but all you see is an empty screen. Your wallpaper is a cheesy picture of Rafe holding a wine glass. You took it on your anniversary last year and love everything about it, especially his cheesy grin.

Tears start to form in your eyes, so you do what you have to do. You call him. It rings and rings and rings, then you hear his familiar, raspy voice on his voicemail.

Yo, it's Rafe. Leave a message and I might hit you back.

You close your eyes, those two sentences being the most you've heard from him in almost twenty-four hours.

"Hey," you start your message, "Look, I'm sorry about last night. I really want to talk. Please call me back. Love you, bye."

You sigh and hang up the phone, then look down to your book again. You try and try to focus, but you can't. It just is impossible with everything spinning around your brain. You can still see the look on his face when you said you weren't sure, you can still hear him say 'I love you' right before he left.

And it's all you want to hear again.

You slam your book shut and grab your stuff, then make your way out of the library. Once you get outside, you call Rafe again. You hear the same ringing and the same message from his voicemail, so you leave another.

"Baby, please call me. I'm worried about you. I just want us to talk. Please call. I love you."

You hang up and walk back to your dorm, checking every five seconds to see if he's called you back. You really just want to hear his voice, to apologize, and to be able to focus on Chemistry again. Knowing that Rafe is out there hurting is just too distracting.

You call hm again after you get back to your dorm, giving him about thirty minutes to call back before you try him again. When he doesn't answer, you leave another message.

"Hey," you say, your voice sounding more desperate, "I'm going to call Dad and have him come get me. I'm skipping out on my Chem final. I just want to come home and work things out with you. Call me, please. Love you."

And you mean every word. You sit down on your bed and you remember how Rafe had helped you move in on your first day of freshman year. You remember how he made love to you and how he proposed to you in the parking lot before he left. And you remember all the times he came to visit and you two laid in bed and planned out your whole wedding reception together, laughing and joking about who to invite and who to sit together.

As you sit there and remember it all, remember the kisses and the laughs and the feelings you have when you're with him, you've never been more sure in your life. It's Rafe. It will always be Rafe.

You hear a knock on your dorm room door and hop out of bed, rushing over to it. It's him, you hope. Coming to rescue you, coming to hold you, coming to give you your ring back. You pull open the door with a big smile, only to find your roommate, Alex, standing on the other side.

"Hey," she says, looking confused at why you opened the door like that, "Sorry. I forgot my keys."

You drop your shoulders and nod, moving her out of the way. She leaves the door open as she moves over to her side of the room to search for them. You sit back down on your bed, checking your phone once again. He has to call back eventually.

"You're not ditching your Chemistry final."

You look up and see him, standing in the doorway, staring at you. His eyes are tired, his hair is a mess, and he looks like he's hung over. You don't even want to know where the hell he's been for the past day.

"Rafe," you breathe, hopping up from your bed.

You want to throw your arms around him, hug him, and have you hold him. He stops you when you get close to him, holding out his hand to keep distance between the two of you, which practically breaks your heart in two.

"You're not coming home until you take that test," he repeats, "You've been studying for it and if you don't take it, you fail. So, you're staying. I called your dad."

You frown. This is not how you imagined it. He seems colder somehow.

"Okay," you say, "Fine. But I want us to talk."

Rafe shakes his head, leaning against the doorframe. Alex walks up behind you, whispering she will be back later, and leaves with a quick smile to Rafe.

"I'm giving you your space so you can focus. We'll work on us when you're done with the semester."

He sounds firm, but you know you can win this one. You step forward, so close that he can almost feel your skin on his. Your scent fills the air, and you watch as he swallows his feelings.

"Rafe," you say, your voice soft, "I can't focus on anything knowing that I hurt you. I need to talk about us and figure things out. Please."

"Baby," he sighs, and you know you've won just by the return of your nickname. It's your favorite, which is why he calls you it so often.

"Please," you say, taking his hand. Your fingers wrap through his, pulling him inside.

He groans but enters anyway, both of you knowing that he would do anything for you. The door closes behind him, which you're thankful for. You sit him down on your bed and instantly crawl onto his lap, not caring if that's what he wants or not. That's what you need. Your head buries into his chest and your arms wrap around his neck.

"Baby," he says again, this time with more authority.

You bring your lips up to his neck to soften him up, listening to the small moans that come out of his mouth as you work.

"Rafe," you say against his skin, "I'm so sorry for what I said yesterday."

He hums, so you give him a few more kisses on his neck before you pull back to look at him. He stares at you with soft eyes, and you know you've already won him over. But you still need to say what you need to say.

"Truly, baby. I was wrong. I was angry. You are all I want in this world and I couldn't handle any of this without you. I was acting extremely ungrateful and I'm really, really sorry," you continue, watching him smile sadly at you.

"Well," he smirks, moving his hands from your back down to your butt, "I've always known you're a brat, so."

"Hey," you pretend to pout, but really, you just want a kiss. He gives you a slow, gentle one, one that makes you want to melt into him.

"You are the love of my life," he says, "You could never say anything to make me walk. And I'm sorry for being such a dick yesterday and for not respecting your school. I'm gonna get better. This shit is just hard for me, having you all the way here. I just miss you when I'm home."

You nod, reaching up and brushing his hair away from his eyes with your fingers. Even when he hasn't showered, is in the same clothes as yesterday, hasn't styled his hair or even slept well, he still is the most handsome to you.

"I understand. I'm sorry for being so hard on you," you say, kissing him on the cheek.

He smiles against your lips, bringing his hands up to your face to move you down to his lips.

"Are we okay?" he asks you in between kisses.

You hum against his lips, and he takes that as a yes, so he flips you over and lays down on top of you, kissing you like his life depends on it. He quickly moves down to your neck, his hands going underneath your shirt.

"Oh, my God, I missed you, baby," he tells you as you feel him leaving a hickey on your neck.

"Always marking me up," you laugh at him, feeling him smirk against you, "I missed you, too."

"It killed me not calling you back," he continues against your neck, "But I wanted to do right by you, you know?"

You gasp when he bites you slightly, then laugh when you feel his big grin on your neck.

"That's why I love you the way I do," you say sweetly.

He sits up and looks down at you, smirking widely, "Can you love me like you do right now and then get back to your studying?"

You bite your lip and nod, pulling him back down on top of you.

A little while later, you and Rafe lay naked in your bed, just breathing in the other. Rafe is drawing hearts into the skin on your stomach, leaving little kisses every so often on any inch of skin he could reach with his mouth.

"You need to get back to studying," he says, but doesn't stop with his kisses.

"Can I have my ring back first?"

He looks up at you with wide eyes, wondering if you really mean it. He didn't want to bring up the ring, just in case you had changed your mind about the engagement.

"You sure?" he asks quietly.

You grab his chin and pull him up to you, stroking his hair as you give him a couple quick kisses.

"I've never been more sure of anything," you tell him.

He nods and kisses you again, then hops off the bed and pulls the ring out of the zipped up pocket of his shorts. He grins at you and then jumps back in bed, of course landing on you when he does.

"This is a twin bed, you ogre. You can't be jumping and shit, there's not enough room for you!" you say as you try to free your left side from underneath him.

He moves and lets you get situated, then holds out the ring. You hold up your left hand for him ti put it on you once again.

"Will you marry me?" he asks, and you would've laughed at him if his voice wasn't so gentle and nervous.

"Of course I will, Rafe Cameron," you tell him, smiling.

He slides your ring back on your finger and you somehow feel more complete, more whole, knowing it's there.

"It's never coming off again," you tell him, meaning it.

He kisses you softly, "No, it's not."

Rafe takes a shower and then hangs out on your bed on his phone later on to keep himself occupied while you study for Chem at your desk. You ask him to quiz you and he does, even though he knows nothing about Chemistry.

It gets late, so you tell him you'll study the rest tomorrow and hope to be prepared the following day for the exam. You put your book and notes on your desk, then slide into bed with Rafe, who you made stay with you tonight. Although it didn't take much convincing.

"I can't believe your dad is just letting you take all this time off," you mumble against his chest.

"Hmm," Rafe hums, so you know you're wrong, "I've kinda been dodging his calls."

"He'll be mad," you tell him, and he nods.

"I don't care, though. I got what I came here for."

You spend all day the next day studying in the library for Chem and writing your paper, while Rafe packs your things for you. He figures it's one less thing for you to worry about, and then you can just come with him after you finish your exam. He had told you he wanted to be the one to bring you, his soon-to-be wife, home.

Rafe waits for you outside your building on exam day. One by one, students file out of the building, and he gets even more anxious every time you aren't one of them. Eventually, he stops pacing and sits down on a bench, praying that you do well.

He sees you emerge from the building with only ten minutes to spare, and jumps up to greet you.

"So?" he asks, his voice hopeful.

"I won't know for a few days," you tell him, "But I'm confident. I felt like I had most of it under control."

He smiles, taking your hand in his and kissing it, "I'm so proud of you, baby."

You smile and thank him, then put your head on his chest in hopes that he'll wrap his arms around you. With the amount of stress you've been under the past few days, all you want is just for him to hold you right now.

"I'm so proud of you," he repeats, swallowing you up in his arms.

You breathe in his scent and relax, knowing that even if you fail every class you ever take for the rest of your life, you will always have a place in the arms of this boy.

After a few minutes, you move to look up at him by resting your chin on his sternum, staring up at him. He smiles down at you, running a hand through your hair as an attempt to calm you down.

"Take me home, Rafe," you tell him quietly, and he nods.

He reaches down and takes your hand, leading you away from the building. You two go back and grab the remaining items you need to bring home, the rest Rafe already packed in the truck, and then go out to the parking lot to head home.

You feel relieved, ready to spend some quality time with Rafe and really make sure to work on things so that nothing ever gets bad between the two of you again.

He puts you into the truck and closes your door, then hops into the driver's side. He reaches over and takes your hand, staring at the ring on your finger and smiling softly.

"Let's just elope and get it over with," he looks up at you, already laughing because he knows you'll never agree.

"Yeah, I'm glad our wedding is something you just wanna get over with," you roll your eyes, but can't help your smile.

"You know what I mean," Rafe groans, "We don't need all the bullshit and the drama. I just need you. And a minister."

You laugh at him and nod, understanding what he means. He looks down at your hand in his, at the diamond on your finger, and so do you. You honestly can't remember why you took it off, you just know you never will again.

"A small wedding it is," you whisper.

He leans over and gives you a kiss. Then another. Then another. He pulls away and starts the truck, then looks back over a you.

"Baby, I'll do whatever you want."

That sentence combined with the cheesy smile he gives you afterward is what convinces you that, no matter what, Rafe will always be yours, and you will always be his.

Tags: @cmrxac

[apocalypticgargoyle]

okay okay could i request some nsfw with professor!techno giving a little extra praise to one of his students and asking to see them after class (presumably a bad grade of sort, but thats most certainty not the case). I love your writing by the way !! could i be <3 anon?? thank you so muchhh !!!! :DD

˚⸙͎۪۫⋆ welcome <3 anon ˚⸙͎۪۫⋆

im going fucking feral for this idea, thank you for gifting it to me. i- my mind went to dark academia!techno and i lost it. if y'all know me irl, you don't after this. also this techno fanart by EtecteraArt, if you don't have clear skin yet.

𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒. ⚚ 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫!𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨

pairing: professor!technoblade x fm!reader

± warnings: nsfw (minors dni), pure filth, professor/student, slight degradation, domination, minimal dialogue

It started out as shameless flirting for you. You’d wear the most revealing thing your closet held, crossing your legs and leaning over to pick up a pencil just so you could show him the curvature of your body. You’d tie your hair up or pull it away from your neck when you answered one of his questions, basking in the slight smirk painting his face as his eyes surveyed your movements. You chewed on the ends of your pens and wore a shade of lipstick you knew would draw in his attention. You were positive your fellow lecture members cast their eyes downward at you, believing he was giving you special treatment just because you toyed with him. 

You made sure to show him you knew what you were talking about and actively studying his assignments and works published by him. You were, in a word, hopelessly obsessed with Techno. This obsession led to his appraisal in class when you could fully grasp a more advanced concept he had posed. You didn’t even care about the other girls’ glared burning into your shoulder from behind you as he favored you over them. 

One day in particular, you came to class a bit earlier with a coffee for him in your hand. You stopped before entering, pressing your back against the outside wall beside the door as you heard a feminine voice cooing to him. You smugly enjoyed the tone of his voice as he countered their attempts to hit on him with a grace only a man like him could muster. He thanked the woman for coming in and told her that his office hours were open if she needed actual help on an assignment. You swiped your thumb across your bottom lip before smearing the hue of your lipstick against the white plastic lid of the coffee cup. It was barely noticeable, something only he would take note of. 

The woman exited the room, brushing your shoulder as she went past you. The two of you shared a look that could equate to two territorial wolves in a dispute. The only leverage you had was that he never shot you down, in fact, you noticed he usually enjoyed your under-the-collar comments. As you turned into the room, you noticed him lean back in his chair, running his fingers into his short pink hair and shutting his eyes slightly with a sigh. 

You chewed the corner of your cheek as you approached the lecture desk, his eyes prying open with a small smile as he spotted you. “Good morning, Professor,” you hummed, setting the coffee in front of him. He sent you a hint of a grateful look as students began to file into the room. You turned on your heel and walked to find your seat, swaying your hips slightly, only because you knew he was staring after you. 

As you settled in, you watched Techno bring the cup towards his mouth before his eyes darted to the edge of the lid. With the ghost of a smirk swirling into his expression, he looked up to make direct eye contact with you before pressing his lips to the spot and drinking from the cup. Your breath hitched, heat pulsing through your body at the slight gesture from him. You studied him as he swallowed, letting his tongue dart out to wet his lips as if he were further savoring the mild taste of you from the lid; something an outsider wouldn’t have noticed. 

You clenched your thighs together as you thought about his rejection of other girl’s advances while now he was practically eye-fucking you from across the lecture hall. 

That lecture had been an hour and a half of agony. Your tongue wettened as he twisted a pen in his hand absent-mindedly as he lectured on Eros, his eyes surveying your reactions as he’d quietly roll the pen in his fingers. You weren’t sure how he could have such an effect on you without even touching you. You knew the other girls were squirming in their seats as he sat on the edge of his desk, leaning his elbows on his knees as he answered questions towards the end. 

All you wanted to do was get out of the lecture hall and do what you always did after his class: shower in cold water and plan your next phase of attack. 

Techno had other plans. 

He called out your name at the end of class, meeting your eyes as he instructed you to meet him for office hours. You hear someone whine next to you, nearly making you laugh as you agreed. 

And that’s how you found yourself, pulling the door shut to his office behind you. He dug into a folder on his desk, setting a copy of your latest essay in front of him. Your eyes raked down his arms as he pulled his gold-rimmed glasses on top of his head and leaned over his desk, muscle tightening against the rolled sleeves of his shirt. “Come take a look at this,” he stated. Your eyes darted to the red pen marks, his handwriting only scripting praise on the first page. You knew you aced that essay before you’d even turned it into him. 

You smirked to yourself, dropping your bag beside one of his client chairs and mimicking his stance, planting your hands in the space between his. The size of him dwarfed you, making your mind race vulgarly. This was always how it was, you invading his personal space and him teasing you to go further. “What am I looking at, Professor?” You quizzed sheepishly, feigning innocence. 

You leaned your weight on one of your hands, the fingers of the other tracing closer to his large hand. He grabbed your wrist, pulling you just barely close enough to him that you could feel his breath. Your cheeks flushed, goosebumps spreading over your body. “You think I can’t see what you’re doing?” He needled, voice dropping an octave to send heat straight to your core. 

You gulped, practically tasting him he was so close to you. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Professor. But I could learn,” you avowed; your words barely above a whisper. For a moment, you truly believed he would kiss you, his breath cascading over your face with sweet hints of mint and the coffee you’d bought him. 

His lips barely brushed against yours before he pulled away, sending fire to burn in your chest and your knees to turn to jelly. He stood back, his eyes dancing with a mocking ego, knowing he had you on a leash. He lowered into his seat, pressing his back against the leather of his chair, fingers tugging at his collar to undo a few buttons as he looked at your shocked and submissive frame. He chuckled darkly as he eyed you. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. You’re just a child,” he teased. 

You had half a mind to dig into your bag and sign over your ID to prove you were the opposite of his beratement. Instead, you let your breathing shallow, slowly walking around his desk. He tilted his head at you, watching you intently as you placed your hand on the back of his chair, and pushing him away from his desk. As you lowered to your knees, you allowed that hand to travel the length of his body. As your knees settled against the cold linoleum in front of him, you raked your nails down his thighs, making him chuckle softly, a sardonic expression flickering across his face. 

You sharpened your eye contact, your fingers nearly hooking around his belt loops. “Teach me then, Professor. Use me,” you practically begged, making Techno smirk, his hand moving to rest in the crook of your neck while the other supported his head. 

His fingers felt coarse against your skin, the feeling of him finally touching you nearly was enough to send you over the edge. You turned your head, pressing your lips to the inside of his wrist. “So needy. Like a lost puppy vying for my attention,” he mocked, gaze dancing from your lips to your eyes. “What would your boyfriend think of you like this? On your knees in front of a grown man.” His voice dripped with lust and restraint, yet he was completely calm and utterly in control. 

His thumb brushed against your bottom lip, almost mimicking your gesture from earlier as if he’d pictured your actions with his coffee lid. “I don’t have a boyfriend, Professor. And if I did, I doubt he would taste as good as you,” you muttered, silently signing over your soul to him. 

You could practically see the gears turning in his head as he debated what to do with you first. He pressed his thumb into your mouth, flattening your tongue with his finger pad. Your lips instantly closed around him, looking up at him with doe eyes. “Stop talking, pet,” he grumbled, the rest of his fingers angling your face closer to him and he leaned towards you. “If you’re going to beg like a toy, I’ll treat you like a toy,” he promised, making your heart flutter. 

He pulled his thumb from your mouth, only to wrap his hands around your throat, bringing your lips against his roughly. You moaned at the taste of him, wanting to swim against his tongue and give him your dying breath. He groaned into your mouth, kneading your bottom lip with his teeth. 

Techno tugged you to your feet, wrapping his hands around your thighs before pushing you on top of his desk. His hand slipped into your shirt, palming your breast while his other gripped at the flesh of your ass, pulling you closer to him as he ground his hips against yours. You tugged your hands through his soft hair, tugging slightly and savoring the moans he poured into your mouth. You wrapped your legs around his waist, wanting to alleviate whatever distance there was between the two of you. 

Your fingers moved to skim down his toned body, unzipping his pants and palming his cock outside of his boxers. His lips moved to dig his teeth into your shoulder, muffling his groans of praise as he ground against your hand. You panted at the loss of his lips on yours, digging your nose into the crook of his neck and inhaling deeply as he moaned your name. You were convinced you were trapped in one of your many daydreams involving him, but with each nip of his teeth sending a flush of pleasure to your core, you were reminded that he was in fact, about to ruin you. 

Techno pulled you off the desk, spinning you in his hold and bending you over the hardwood. You bit back a smirk as you heard him undo the rest of his zipper and discard his belt behind you. The anticipation of him made your knees shake as your hot breath drew clouds of moisture on his desk. His fingers pushed your skirt further up your hips, blunt nails dragging along the skin of your legs before gripping your hips. You felt him grind himself against your entrance, your mind already blurring with pleasure. He kicked your feet further apart. “God, I've wanted to do this for so long," he nearly growled, pressing a kiss to your shoulder blade before pushing himself into you. 

You moan, your body adjusting around his length, begging him for more. His hands gripped your hips, driving himself deeper into you, beginning an animalistic pace. You groaned out his name, one of his hands holding tightly onto your side to give himself more leverage. Your mind blurred, mouth hanging open slightly as your cheek was pressed firmly against the wood of his desk. 

Each of his thrusts sent a wave of pleasure coursing through your veins, as his deep, breathy moans hissed into your ear like a sinful symphony. His hand moved to thread his fingers through yours, giving you some kind of anchor as his large frame wreaked havoc on your body. You whimpered out moans of arousal with each of his movements. 

His teeth grazed against your neck again, dragging himself deeper into you. You picked your head up, reaching out one of your hands to grip the edge of the desk, hearing him chuckle behind you. His hand snaked around you to wrap around your neck, bringing you up a bit further as he pressed his lips to one of your flushed cheeks, probably basking in the beads of sweat dotting your hairline from his campaign. 

"Mark me," you begged. "I'm yours," you moaned, rolling your hips back against him. The satisfied moan that slithered from his lips sent goosebumps spreading against your skin. 

He dug his teeth into you, finger tightening around your neck and you knew the brushes he left would be enough of a sultry reminder to keep you wet for a week. 

He pulled you upward, pulling out of you only to put you back on his desk, pushing himself into you as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. His lips melded against yours again, stealing your muttering of his name and replacing it with his hungry moans. 

You ground your hips into him, wrapping around him again as his lips moved to your neck, breath cold against the cold spots from his teeth previously and the thin sheen of sweat coating your skin. With the new angle and his hands digging into your back, your legs were beginning to shake, the tension he'd been binding was becoming too much to hold off. 

His hand tightened around your throat as if encouraging you to finish. He pulled your irritated lips towards him again, wanting to taste you as you went over the edge. 

After that day, you stopped dressing so provocatively. You could wear a turtleneck and padded jeans and you knew he'd still be looking. He knew what you looked like under those clothes: marked up from his teeth, quivering only for him. No longer was there shameless flirting, only glances that told you to wait for him after class. 

He was always hungry for you; whether it be in his car in a vacant lot, in his office to test his chair's range of movement, or in the bathroom of some random club you probably didn't have the qualifications to get into without him. It didn't matter, because he knew that you were his. 

You liked watching the other girls throw themselves at him like you had, mainly because he'd always praise you later with your lips around his cock. You were his favorite, his star student. In his eyes, you didn't hold a candle to the rest of them. 

[justwritedreams]

Music, Dance | Mark Lee

Mark x reader, dancer!au, enemies to lovers!au, best friend Jaehyun.

Word count: 2812 Genre: fluff, sparks of drama. Author: maari Warnings: I already told that I'm in love with mark so it's not a surprise one more imagine, mentions of getting fake id's in the past and getting caught by police. Strictly rules for dancing and nct just ignoring it Summary: You hate Mark so dancing with him won't make a difference, right?

You opened the door after hearing the doorbell ring for the thousandth time, carrying a bowl of ice cream. "Wow you look awful." your best friend laughed and walked in before you could even speak. "Thank you Jaehyun, I'm fine and you?" you spoke sarcastically as you closed the door, completely ignoring his comment about your condition. Hair tied up neatly, your favorite pajamas and ice cream in your hands. A typical Friday for you after a full day at the office. "What are you doing here? I thought you had things to do." you commented, sitting next to him on the couch. Jaehyun was from home, he didn't need to ask for anything, he was part of your family. "Your mom texted me saying you were wasting your life while you sank down on the couch watching these dramatic movies." You rolled your eyes. You were dramatic but you definitely got that from your mother. "And you came to take a picture and see what a shit my life has become?" you asked and dropped the bowl on the couch. Jaehyun grimaced, making the dimple appear. "As I'm very charitable, I came to help you out of this… hole." you frowned, not understanding. "Go change, put on some grown-up clothes." "Shouldn't you tell me where you're taking me?" you questioned and he took a deep breath, holding his gaze and you understood everything. "Jung Jaehyun, you don't…" "Ya what's wrong? I thought you liked the boys." He interrupted you and you sighed. Of course you loved his friends, they were amazing. Well, except for one. "You know they're not the problem!" you held his gaze and he looked visibly fed up. "Isn't it time you let go of your intrigue with Mark?" Jaehyun wasn't judging you and you understood how he felt, among his best friends who hated each other. But you couldn't just let it go. You hated Mark with all your strength. He was the flirtatious type who was showing off all over town with his perfect face and his expensive clothes, you just didn't like him. And apparently he loves to piss you off, knowing exactly how much you hate him, so he teases you whenever he can with ridiculous nicknames or just looking at you. You knew Jaehyun's friends, including Mark, since the dance club project Resonance was just an idea on paper. Well, the club, besides being a wonderful space and hidden in the middle of the city because it promoted dance competitions without the rules established in Seoul, was run by your best friend and Mark. They were partners, so even if the idea sounded wonderful for you to clear your head, it would inevitably bump into Mark and the girls who were always around his neck. "He almost ran me over because he was making out with a girl in that ridiculous car of his a long ago. 1 year and seven months to be exact." "You really are spiteful, huh." he laughed. "I thought you missed dancing." You took a deep breath. Of course you did. You started dancing when you were little, in ballet classes and dancing became your passion, you wanted to pursue a career but your parents never let. You and Jaehyun, who was always your neighbor and studied together at the same school, even had a plan to set up a dance group and travel around the world to compete, and you two got into a lot of trouble for it. Then your parents started to insist that you should quit, claiming that you would need to get a job that paid very well and after so many fights, you agreed. You gave up dancing and got a job as a secretary at a law firm. It wasn't what you wanted, being stuck in an office all day, but you had grown up. "Yes, I do but there are dreams that we sometimes have to give up." Jaehyun shook his head and turned to look at you better. "Do you remember the first time we competed?" You smiled widely. "Worth a voucher at a restaurant across town." "And we won!" "Yeah, then you told your dad you needed a ride to visit a friend who was sick." "And you agreed to go along!" he laughed and you shook your head, the scene was vivid in your mind. "It was the first time I lied to my parents, but the dishes were really good." "My dad laughed when he found out." He remembered. "And when you got punched by that German?" you started laughing and Jaehyun interrupted you. "He thought I was hitting on his girlfriend!" "Wasn't it?" you crossed your arms and looked suspicious. "Of course not, she was twice my age. I was just dancing." He rolled his eyes. Well, you couldn't really blame the man. It really looked like he was hitting on her and having the face of an angel since always, Jaehyun caught many woman's attetion. "You wore makeup for a week." "That was before fake IDs." He remembered and you got carried away by the memories. Your first cash contest, you and Jaehyun were the only minors in the group so your best friend had the brilliant idea of ​​buying fake IDs to get in on it. He paid, of course, you had no money and much less could ask for the amount to your parents. Your best friend always had a more comfortable financial situation than yours, it wasn't difficult for him. You two made it, hiding from your parents with the excuse of a sleepover at a friend's house. You were dancing when the police arrived and caught you with fake IDs. It was the first time you stepped into a police station and you couldn't forget the lecture your parents gave you, your ears came back red without even having been beaten. After that day, your relationship with your parents got heavier, they said every day how you got lost for something that wasn't worth it. You heard this speech so much that you decided to give in, mainly because you felt guilty, and dancing became an impossible dream. You went to clubs to kill the desire to dance but it wasn't the same thing so after so many failed attempts, you stopped going out. Falling into a rut without realizing how your life didn't have fun anymore, not like before. "I never really danced after that." You commented and felt your best friend's hand reach for yours. "I don't like to see you like this." he commented. "Like this?" "Sad, without your essence. You're not the same cheerful and fun girl I knew anymore." it hurt to hear that from your best friend. It hurt because it was true and you knew it. "Hey…" you looked at Jaehyun. "Get changed, try to have fun for at least one day. Haven't you condemned yourself enough?" You sighed, there was no way to counter his arguments because he was right. Completely forgetting about your hatred for his friend, you smiled and got up from the couch. "You're right, I'll be right back." you ran into the bedroom to stop changing but not before yelling "And drop my ice cream, Jaehyun!"

(...)

You had already descended the club iron stairs and you could get a good look at the fun. You'd been to the Resonance twice, the first when the underground shed was empty and ready to become a club, the second at the opening when Mark nearly ran you over. It was different and you felt the heat of the place as you walked among the people, Jaehyun walked ahead greeting everyone and stopped at the table that faced the dance floor. The table that nct was. It's been a while since you've seen the boys so you found the shocked faces of all of them funny, luckily Mark wasn't there.

"Look who decided to show up." Taeyong was the first to stand up and hug you when you and Jaehyun approached. "Hi Tae." You hugged everyone, Yuta ruffled your hair, Doyong greeted you with a wide smile and Taeil said how much he missed you. "What's up baby." Johnny hugged you last in a bear hug. After Jaehyun, he was the closest to you. "I thought you weren't in town." you walked away, sitting in the empty chair next to WinWin and Johnny on your other side. "Wasn't it in the US?" "I came back for the auditions." he said simply and you stared at them all. "Auditions?" You asked and saw the boys look at Jaehyun. "You didn't tell her the news?" Haechan asked and you turned to face your best friend just in time to see him signal Haechan to be quiet. "What audition?" you asked Jaehyun directly but he didn't answer. "We're looking for new talents, we want to build a larger group to enter regional competitions." Jungwoo explained calmly and the gears in your brain rotated slowly. "Regional competitions… It means, you want a seat at the annual national dance contest?" You asked and saw that the boys agreed. "And after that world tournament." Johnny made a high five with Yuta. "The auditions start this night, by the way." Haechan spoke and you looked right at him after you felt a snap. Wait… "Stay quiet." You heard Jaehyun. You rose from your chair the moment you understood your best friend's plan. "It wasn't a pure coincidence, was it?" You questioned him, who left his lips in a thin line. Of course not. Jaehyun wanted you to dance at the club auditions to compete, try to be one of them. Exactly the way you wanted so long ago. Live from dancing. If the group no longer competed illegally then there was no reason why your parents would think it was wrong and would leave you alone after seeing that you could have a good life by competing. You would be free to live the way you wanted "Wow, Princess Fiona has finally come out of the tower." You felt your whole body tremble as you felt a breath in your ear. Tremble with hate. You turned around, bumping into Mark right in front of you with that cocky little smile. He looked different too, thinnest and most mature face, his hair pushed back and eyebrows raised. The smug way you hated so much. "I don't have patience for your teasing, Lee." you rolled your eyes and saw him laugh. You never called him by name when you were around him. "Jeez, so much stress." He held up his hands still chuckling. "It's not healthy for your heart, baby doll." You took a deep breath and glared at him with all the hatred you felt, but he didn't back down, he glared at you the same way. If this were a cartoon, the rays would come out of you two. "You think you're the last cookie in the package, right? I'm sorry to inform you that it usually comes broken." "Why did she come? Spoil the mood with that child's beak?" Mark asked Jaehyun and you felt your jaw drop. "Who are you calling a child?" you asked a little louder this time and felt your best friend hug you, preventing you from taking a step closer to Mark. "Enough you two!" "Tell him to stop pissing me off then." You were sure you really looked like a child but you didn't care. "You know it's unstoppable, baby doll." "Stop calling me baby doll!" you asked. You hated these nicknames that he apparently just liked to use constantly with you. "Okay, I didn't come here for that. I'm going to start the opening act." Mark warned the boys and they agreed, getting up from their chairs, Jaehyun released you and you couldn't hold your tongue. "Like you're so good with that." you said ironically as Mark turned around. Everyone stopped and Mark slowly turned back to face you. "What did you say?" You smiled when saw him angry, he didn't seem to believe what you said. "Are you deaf?" He took a step towards you and the boys approached, ready to act if something happened, but you and Mark were caught between the sparks of hatred that glared at each other. "Repeat." demanded. "I said, like you're good enough to deliver a decent show." you looked him up and down with the same attitude that only appeared when he was close. It was as if the entire club had gone silent. "And you’re?" he smiled, visibly irritated.  You can also piss him off when you want. "Definitely better than you, no doubt." you put your hands on your hips and held your gaze, it was your turn to raise your eyebrow. "Oh yeah? So why don't you prove it?" He looked at you provocative, making you smirked. You took off the jacket you wore while being watched closely by him, making your stomach turn with anxiety, and tossed it to Jaehyun. "Wait…" your best friend started talking but you didn't even listen. Mark made room for you to head to the dance floor and you did. The moment you stepped onto the floor, you recognized the song that was starting to play, Taki Taki by DJ Snake. You smiled as you watched Mark get into position to dance the first verse, everyone backed away enough that the floor was all yours. You've only seen Mark dance once and it was at the nct group gig a while back, so you couldn't remember how he moved his feet so fast and how really good he was! He used his legs so well that it was hard to keep up and even harder to concentrate when you saw the expression on his face. Of pure pleasure in dancing. You had to confess, he was sexy dancing. It was like he turned into a completely different person, this wasn't the boring, cocky Mark you knew. He was so serious but at the same time so attractive. It made your heart beat even faster and your hands sweat, like if you weren't eager enough to dance, it would still be with him like this. The way the black pants were so tight around the thigh and the way he held the belt during the dance you just couldn't take your eyes off him. Mark brought his hand to his neck and it was his last move before you realized he had passed you the turn. Like a wave of electricity, you felt the music run through your body and you didn't hold back anymore, the rhythm taking over your hips and torso, your arms helping to complete each movement. You approached Mark during your turn and soon the chorus had arrived, Mark took the opportunity to dance with you. Bodies close together, the exchange of complicit glances, breaths practically together as the club watched the intimacy of the movements between you. Whoever saw it at that moment would never have said that you hated each other. Mark had one more solo for him in the next verse and you unknowingly started cheering the crowd on with his freestyle. Then, when Selena Gomez's part started, you took the opportunity to get closer to him again, this time abusing the movements with your hips, at a certain moment you took advantage of the little distance between your bodies and rubbed your hips against Mark's body making a circle, driving not only the crowd but him crazy as well. You smiled and turned to face him, the last chorus you guys danced together. This time much closer than before, you faced each other as you danced in ways that were so different but complete each other. You looked hypnotized and Mark didn't look all that different, you were in a world of your own where dancing was the only thing in common and the only thing that really mattered. You put your arm around Mark's shoulder and the song ended just as he pulled you by the back of your neck and stole a typical movie kiss. You didn't expect it but you ended up getting lost in his lips, feeling an unusual attraction for him at that moment, maybe the gasping breath and the fact that your heart practically leapt through your mouth made your legs go limp when Mark stuck his tongue in your mouth. Whoever was accompanying exploded in applause and screams, and you broke the kiss. Mark looked at you in a way that made a shiver run down your spine, he had never looked at you so intently with so much desire before. And you realized that your hatred had evaporated like water, as if he had never really existed. "It was a beautiful audition, welcome to the group, baby doll."