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bluepenguinstories · 4 years

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Remoras Full Chapter XXV: Cornucopia

What I most wanted to say was that I was afraid. That I was at some crossroads and the road behind me had disappeared. No, it wasn’t a crossroads in the sense that I could choose the direction I went. Instead, there was a binary which had a pull over me, one I could not find a middle ground for, but that whatever direction I ended up pulled in would mean a certain end.

Such a serious, heavy thought and all I could do to counter it was to think that it didn’t have to be so serious and heavy. Things didn’t have to come to an end. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? They always seemed to with me, whether they had to or not. I didn’t want things to end. Anything to end. Not when I’ve built up so much, and to see it all go, what would have been the point?

I dwelt on it while in my room. Soon would be my birthday. Funny that, huh? Twenty-three and yet to grow. All the while, Tigershark got to celebrate her tenth birthday before mine when she couldn’t even remember when her birthday was. Well, good for her in any case. If I were her age, I’d have been pissed not to have gotten a birthday. Now, I couldn’t care less.

Well, I couldn’t care less, but I found myself more anxious than ever before at the prospect. Why? Was I jealous of a little kid? Or...that I saw it as some kind of opportunity?

Remora was seated at one of the tables in the far corner of the room. As usual, the diner was empty. I would have found it lonely if not for the one who lived rent-free in my mind.

All the while I live rent-free in Ray’s diner. One of these is not like the other.

Also as usual was the fact that Remora shivered, hunched back, head lowered. She ate a sandwich. What kind of sandwich, I was unsure of.

Liar. Turkey club. You should know this by now. You’re the waitress.

Not as typical, but not unusual for her, she was wrapped in several thick blankets. There were a few times where I caught her jerking her head every which way in a frantic manner. Once she stopped, and we met each other’s glance. For some reason, after that, she pivoted back to facing away and lowered her head back down.

Odd, but probably nothing to take note of.

What was I doing? Why was paying such close attention? Well, my friends (is what I’d say if I had any), the answer is simple: I was cleaning! That’s right! Even when there weren’t any customers, I had to keep myself busy. It wasn’t something I really enjoyed, but it was part of the agreement. Then again, that feeling when everything looked spotless? That made me hella proud.

Would Remora be proud if I told her to see what a good job I did? Doubtful. That sort of thing she couldn’t care less about. That much I’ve learned by now. Which, if I were in her position, I don’t think I’d blame her. Though something else I was sure of was that she probably wouldn’t like it to be super dirty, so, it was the little things.

Nevertheless, hands on my hips, I felt a surge of confidence. So I couldn’t help myself, even though I knew how much she probably would have wanted to be left alone, I had to ask.

Because it was at least better than running up to her and talking at her.

“Hey Remora!” I called to her. “Can we chat for a bit?”

Startled, she jolted up, but didn’t turn to me. However, I saw the short nod of her head. It almost came off as timid to me.

Which one of us is the meek one now? A thought whacked me upside the head. Then I countered with, it doesn’t matter, I shouldn’t get overconfident. She’s still much stronger than me. Much more experienced. Even if I’ve made strides in just a handful of months, it’s not like I’ve changed all that much, right?

Then my thoughts shifted to something I would have rather not thought about.

“You mean that socially awkward iceberg?” Wendy’s voice, a scuffed and smoky haze of a voice, and her words, echoed in my mind.

I clenched my fists before approaching Remora.

So what if she is an iceberg? She’s still strong enough to sink the Titanic! Oh, but those words were in reference to Rhea...Rhea Flection. Same last name. ‘Stolen from the dead’.

I shook my head. Those thoughts sure could get overwhelming.

Who cares?! Remora is Remora. That’s who I met.

Whatever surge of confidence I had, it was bound to come down, but while my thoughts turned to other things, my actions took over and I leaned back against the table she sat at, my hands at the edges of the table. I glanced down at her, my attention drawn to her fluttering eyelashes. That was all I could focus on, since her eyes were obscured as she kept her head low. I couldn’t help myself as a bonafide smirk spread across my lips. That’s right, a real, one, not just one of those that you read about in fics. It was a full-on cocky and devilish half-smile. Or something like that, hell if I knew what my face was doing.

“You know, when you’re sitting down and I’m standing up, it’s almost like I’m taller than you,” I thought I sounded so suave in that moment. Just give me five minutes and I bet I’ll be cringing at myself.

“That’s only because I’m sitting down. When I stand back up, I’m still taller,” she muttered in between nibbles of her sandwich.

You bet I felt a metaphorical coconut fall on my head. Damn, I thought I’d last longer than that, but reality was crashing down already, huh?

“I’m really glad to be able to talk to you like this, you know?” I added. It was weird how there was nothing weird about it. Being next to her, saying those things. Like, I still said weird things, but it felt casual. While I knew she was still much stronger, to the point there was a literal power imbalance between us, I felt like we were more on equal footing. Eye to eye. That’s what scared me.

Am I losing interest in her? Am I no longer excited about her?

That was the problem that needed solving and I needed to figure out something fast. At least in a battle it was a little more cut and dry, but a dilemma like that? Much more frightening. I didn’t want to believe it, she was still beautiful, after all, and she still occupied much of my mind, but…

...I see her more as a human now. With all that entails, flaws and all.

“Well, you did ask, and it’s not a big deal,” she replied, a casual dismissal. At least it was familiar. Easier to deal with.

“I know, it’s just...I used to get really excited around you –” I stopped myself. “I still get excited around you! But I don’t feel like such a mess and it’s more manageable. I think it’s because back then, I thought you were unapproachable. Too good for someone like me.”

“Are you still excited around me?” She lifted her head up, our eyes met. It was too much to handle, her stare and mine. I stumbled back.

“Yes! I just said so, right? You live rent-free in my head!” I blurted. Maybe I had nothing to worry about. Things are still the same. I am still that same old –

“Nonsense. Your head is too small for me to fit,” she replied. So matter of fact, too.

“Gee,” I puffed my cheeks. “Callin’ me dumb?”

“No, you are quite smart when you aren’t acting on impulse. Even then, sometimes your impulse is smart. It’s just the facts, though: your head would need to be at least 180 centimeters long and 180 centimeters wide for me to fit, and even then, there wouldn’t be much space.”

I blinked.

“That would be a pretty big head,” I remarked. “But I mean it,” I put my hand over my heart. Right where my left boob was. “If it were possible, I’d let you occupy my mind as much as you’d like!”

She raised an eyebrow. “Would your head make me less cold?”

Damn. I forgot about that. I guess there wasn’t much more that could be done. Still, as far as bold declarations went, nothing better than a bold faced lie.

“Of course! My head is full of hot air!”

She lowered her head back down as well as set her half-eaten sandwich down. Then, she lifted a finger.

“You should consider getting that checked out,” she suggested, and I wasn’t quite sure if she was joking or not.

“I was trying to flirt with you, actually!” I blurted. Something which would have probably taken me aback a while ago, and now it was like nothing.

That solidified it: her head, now sunk to the table, I heard a low groan escape from her and I knew how displeased she must have been.

I backed away, hands in front of me as to work up a defense.

“Sorry! Did I take it too far? I didn’t mean to! I just got carried away!” My words came out in a flurry.

“It’s not that...I just didn’t know that’s what you were doing. If I knew, I would’ve been more receptive…” She murmured. As I drew a deep breath, I sat down across from her.

“You don’t have to, you know,” I tried to tell her. My words sounded so feeble. I couldn’t deny it – I was really bad at comforting people. “If it’s too much, I can just stop. I know you don’t feel that way about me, and that’s totally fine.”

My mouth seemed to go dry. I needed a glass of water, something, but I couldn’t bring myself to get up and leave her there.

But how do I feel about you?

I gulped. It tasted like my mouth had been stuffed with cotton swaps. Things had no reason to be so tense, but for some reason they were.

“But I want to,” she replied, her voice weak. Weaker than mine. Or maybe I misheard, misinterpreted her voice. “I’d want to at least play along…”

“No!” I snapped. For whatever reason, a nerve was struck. I wasn’t sure whether it was something she said or my own thoughts acting up, but something in me burned. I tried to soften my voice once more, but it came out shaky. “I-I know how easy it is for you to be uncomfortable, and I don’t want to add to that…” I looked away. I’ve already added to that in the past, haven’t I? All I can do was try to be more aware and better moving forward, but that didn’t take away from how I’ve already been before. “You should do what you’re comfortable with! So don’t mind me! Besides, I like you as you are.”

I drew a deep breath. I didn’t know anything better to say, so I hoped that would suffice. After a few suffocating seconds, she looked up and reached her hand out to mine. I was surprised, but I didn’t resist. That gesture was short lived, for as soon as her finger tips reached mine, it was as if she felt a jolt, then recoiled. Her arm reeled back to her side.

Was she repulsed? For that matter, why did she do that? I don’t understand. As for me, how did I feel? There wasn’t anything strong or magical about it, it just felt like being poked. I could do that to myself if I wanted.

“Thank you,” she said at last. “I really appreciate it.”

“Yeah, uh…” I rubbed my hand. It should have felt more sacred, right? But I didn’t really seem to have much of a reaction from it.

Maybe I should ask her to try again, I thought, but knew better. That would have been selfish of me.

“Sorry. I just wanted to see if I could. But when I tried, my hand felt too cold.”

“It’s okay,” I reassured her. Is that it? It didn’t feel cold to me. I didn’t even get a feel for it at all.

“But I’m serious. I want to do something nice for you,” she declared, a seriousness in her eyes. That same look I was so used to seeing from her, but more from when she would talk in disinterest or tell me how ridiculous I was being. I didn’t understand what she meant, or why.

“I mean, you don’t have to…” My voice trailed off as I looked away, down at the floor next to me.

“But I want to!” She declared with greater intensity. Like it was a need. “I think it would put me at ease!”

Oh. Well, I would love to put her mind at ease. That was the least I could do, right? If her doing something nice for me would put her at ease, then it was a no brainer. It had to happen. But what could she do? It wasn’t like I needed her to do anything for me…

If Sunny was here, I could ask her for advice, but she’s still out with Tigershark celebrating the kid’s “birthday”. Oh shit. I can mention that. But I really wasn’t about to. I don’t want to put any pressure on her. Oh well, here goes.

“Now that you mention it, my birthday’s in a few days…” I really didn’t expect anything by bringing such a topic up.

“What day?” She asked.

“End of August.”

“How old?”

Damn, what is this? A quiz?

“Twenty-three,” I shrug. “Last day of August, I’ll be twenty-three. Now that I think of it, I don’t know how old you are,” I pointed out.

“I’m not sure...I’m guessing somewhere between twenty-six and twenty-eight.”

“Oh darn, you’re still vaguely older than me!” I complained. Then, I got an idea. “That’s it! We have to do something for my birthday! Our birthday!”

“Actually, I think I was born sometime in the winter. Just not sure the exact day…” She corrected.

“So I’m summer, you’re winter, but this can still work! Tigershark got to go out somewhere, you have to do something for my birthday!” I jumped up. Was I a child now as well? Why was I getting all giddy over something like that?

“Sure,” she replied as her lips curled to a slight, but still welcome smile.

“Wait, really? That easy?” I blinked.

She laughed a soft laugh. Something I never would have expected from her. It was adorable.

“I said I wanted to do something nice for you, and seeing you excited is all the reason I need. Besides, a few days gives me time to plan.”

Whatever worries I had went away in that instance.

The next day, Sunny and Tigershark returned. Both of them were brimming with such a positive energy as they busted through those doors and jumped for joy. I leaned against the mop I was using and greeted them.

“Hey, watch the floors! I just cleaned them!” Those two were tracking snow and soil all over the place with no regard for cleanliness. When I got down to it, I really did feel like a janitor. Not the dangerous kind that Remora once was, but the traditional kind. I waited tables, I took and served orders, and I cleaned the area.

Before I could ask “how was the trip?” Tigershark rushed forward and wrapped her arms around me real tight. Caught off guard, I just about fell over, along with the mop. Through sheer perseverance, I continued to stand, though I wobbled.

“Jeez, you’re strong,” I remarked. As she hugged me, her sombrero fell off of her head and landed on the floor. I peered over and saw Sunny with the bags, still by the door.

“I missed you!” Tigershark wailed. “We went to Switzerland and saw Astraea and then we fought some bad guys! It was so much fun!”

Oh dang, that did sound like fun. Funny how I still didn’t much like kids, but Tigershark wasn’t half bad. I mean, I didn’t like her much at first, and her antics could be a handful, but she was fine enough. Both her and Sunny, with their cheerful energy, it was something grand.

“Wow, all that? Wish I could’ve come along,” I replied. That was only half-true. As fun as it sounded, I think I preferred my alone time too much.

“Maybe next time!” Tigershark grinned and let go. Thank goodness. Any tighter and she might’ve flattened my lungs. I was already flat enough as it was.

I checked behind me as Tigershark ran to the back of the diner. She must’ve went to tell Ray or Remora all about her adventure. Lucky kid.

“You seem happy,” Sunny pointed out.

“Aren’t I always?”

“I dunno, it’s just that you’ve been smiling since we walked in. You’re not usually like that.”

Was that true? That didn’t sound right, but I didn’t know enough about me to say otherwise.

“Why wouldn’t I be? My birthday’s coming up as well. My actual birthday.” Oops. Spilled the beans.

“No way! You’re a Virgo?!” Sunny gasped, hands on her cheeks. Sheesh, did that really warrant such a reaction? “Guess which sign I am! Go on, guess!”

“Uh…” I looked away. It really wasn’t that deep, was it? “I don’t know, Taurus?”

“Nope! Leo! Ray’s a Gemini! He says he couldn’t care less about that stuff, but he loves to hear me talk about it!”

“Yeah...uh...can’t say I blame him there…”

“You’d love to hear me talk about it?!” Sunny’s fists were pumped, even more excited than I was, and I had a good reason to be excited.

“No, uh, the other thing.”

Sunny scratched the back of her head and laughed.

“Different strokes, I suppose!”

Before I could get back to work, I heard a zip and a zoom, then took a glance behind me and saw Tigershark run up to me at mach speed.

“IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY SOON?!” She gasped for air, a near screech of excitement for her.

Sheesh, why’s she the excited one?

“Yeah, but it’s no big deal,” I waved off.

“I need to get you something!” Tigershark jumped up. “I’ll make you a pie! Or pudding! Pudding pie!”

“Really,” I waved my hands faster. “It’s all good. All I need is to spend the day with Remora. Which, I will be! She already agreed to it and everything!” I declared.

“Ooh, so a date?” Sunny inquired.

“Uh, um, no. Not date. Day. Birthday. They don’t call it birth-date. We’re spending the day together. Not the date together. Semantics.”

“Aw, what a shame. I bet you’d love a date.”

“I...yeah. Maybe it is, then,” I was flushed, my voice drained of all thought and emotion.

Sunny gave me a hearty slap on the back and I felt like I was about to spit out a tooth. Nevertheless, it helped return me to reality.

“So I take it you figured things out?” Sunny asked. I froze once again. What I needed, so desperate to find it, was an answer. But none came.

“Oh, yeah!” I laughed instead. “It was just overthinking on my part! The mind is a terrible thing, ain’t it?”

The mind really was a terrible thing. Flashbacks to the times I would act out and get all flustered. Say such terrible things. Ask, no, beg for her to step on me. All because of some version of her I cooked up in my mind of some tough badass who dominated her enemies. But I never wanted to be an enemy. I just wanted to be as admired as I admired her. When it came down to it, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted her to do all those things.

What I wanted was to collapse on the floor. Forget about cleaning and just fall. Sunny and Tigershark were already in the back. That meant I had permission to fall apart if I wanted since there was no audience. That’s what I wanted to do. But I didn’t do that.

It must have been the stress. Or the anxiousness. Anticipation for the big day. All these random negative and positive thoughts all swirling together in a melting pot. Yeah, that must have been what it was. As proof, I felt sweat drip from my face. I wiped it. More ran down from my eyes and I wiped those, too. Realizing the potential implications, I scoffed.

“Those couldn’t have been tears. I’ve never been able to do that…” I shook my head and put the cleaning supplies away.

You’re worrying over nothing again. You’re working against yourself. If you’re so worried about it, you should just try to act like your old self, my thoughts suggested to me. Who was I not to give in?

Funny how the past couple of days, I didn’t pay much mind to the whereabouts or activities of Remora, someone who I usually would have been much more fixated on. But then the big day came and once again, she was all over my mind.

She said she wanted to do something nice for me! For me! Not anyone else! I don’t even need anything nice from anyone else! Just the thought...puts me in paradise!

Yes, I was giddy all-right. No two ways about it.

I waltzed on out of my room, got into the shower, sang a little song about having a gay old time. As I scrubbed, Remora came to mind. Nothing in particular. Just thought of her was all. Same thing happened when I got dressed (well, first there was the tough decision of whether to wear something casual, like a hoodie and skirt, or fancy, like a tuxedo. In the end, I went with a tuxedo and a skirt. I figured my semi-professional appearance would impress Remora. That, or she’d want to impress me even more, because she’d be so wowed at my birthday suit).

...Then again, she could’ve just thought I was being silly.

When I left my room once more, I passed by the desk where Ray was seated. Whatever happened to Remora being made leader of those requests things? Whatever. I was probably the only one who cared about that plot thread, anyway. There were more pressing matters, like whether or not Ray would make fun of me for my choice of attire. Or if Remora would make fun of me for it (no, I had to tell myself she wouldn’t. It was a good choice! I have to believe that!)

“You seem flustered about something,” Ray commented, barely looking up from the desk. I wasn’t even sure if there was anything he was looking at or if he just liked to look down a lot of the time.

“Uh, what gives you that idea?” I replied, as it weren’t obvious.

“You’re shaking, you keep bouncing up and down, and you’re pacing. Also muttering about something, but can’t tell what,” he gave me the rundown. As if I needed that.

“I’m just doing some exercises and giving myself a pep talk,” I dismissed, then changed the subject. “Anyway, where’s Remora?”

“She’s sitting out by the door in the dining area. Said she’s waiting for you.”

My heart jumped upon hearing that.

“M-me? Crap. Do you think I look okay? I bet she’ll say I look ridiculous, but I thought I’d look nice this way! I don’t know what to think and I’m so nervous and so excited and I think I should just bury my head in a bag of flour!”

“That’s a new one,” he remarked. “Happy birthday, by the way.”

“What?!” I just about screeched. I didn’t think I told him about it. I was kind of keeping it all low-key. “How did you know?”

“Sunny told me,” he explained as he shrugged. “Also, Remora said she wanted to do something nice for your birthday.”

There it is. You’re saying her name again! Stop! Every time you mention her, my heart does things!

“Oh, right,” I replied. “I told Sunny. Ha! I forgot!” I huffed.

“By the way,” he lifted up his index finger and smiled, still not looking me in the eye. “Your attire looks just fine to me, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you wore what you normally wear. It’s your birthday, not hers. You don’t need to be the one to impress anyone.”

I gave Ray a sour look and told him in a sneer, “I don’t need to hear that from you, Ray.”

Even so, I went back and changed into more comfortable clothes; cargo pants, long sleeve red and green striped shirt, and a plain, pink hoodie. I didn’t really know what kinda aesthetic I was going for, but it felt nice, so that was good enough for me.

When I got out to the diner, I didn’t know what to expect. There wasn’t much in the way of grandiosity, no big banners or the like (color me weird, but I think that sorta thing would’ve turned me off anyway). Instead, it was rather normal: an empty diner, save for Remora, who looked listless as she sat hunched over with her head rested on her palm. I couldn’t tell what she wore underneath her jacket (and I didn’t want my mind to run too wild), but she had parachute pants, of all things, on.

As I approached, she looked my way and smiled a slight smile, then stood up.

“Are you ready to go?” She asked.

I stared at her, my face blank.

“Where?”

“I’d like to take you out to dinner.”

Sunny’s words repeated in my mind. ‘So a date? A date?’ No! She’s just doing this because it’s my birthday. That’s all! I shook my head, then smiled as well. I wondered if I was the more hesitant one of the two.

“Yes please,” I told her and almost gulped the words down rather than spit them out.

“Are you going to be cold going out like that?” She asked before we headed out.

I nudged her, which made her flinch and back away to the side. I should have known better to do that. Still, even thinking that, I joked aloud.

“If it starts to bother me, I can just ask to borrow your jacket.”

“Sure, I don’t mind,” she stated. I couldn’t decide whether I felt bad or if it was nice to hear that she really didn’t mind.

We arrived at the airport. I missed the days when we could teleport, though at the same time, we never really did that very often. It was kind of a once or twice deal. Even small things like that made a huge difference and it was like I felt every little change around me.

Cybele was there, greeting and waving at everyone who passed through the door. Even though it was long since forgiven, I still recoiled at the thought that I deceived her. So much that I averted my gaze and was tempted to hide my face in Remora’s jacket, but I figured that she wouldn’t be very comfortable with that, especially without prior warning.

It proved futile. She still noticed us and walked over.

“Hey guys! Ray didn’t tell me you’d be stopping by! Doing another mission?” She leaned over. She looked curious, or eager to give us a ride. Either seemed likely.

“Nothing like that. We’re just going out to celebrate her birthday. We’ve actually got a flight scheduled with another airline,” Remora told her, which shocked me. I wouldn’t have guessed that.

“Aw, man!” She slumped over and bemoaned. “It sucks being all cooped up sometimes! Happy birthday, in any case!”

“Heh, thanks,” I gave in and replied to her. To sort of reassure her, I told her, “I swear, next time I show up, it’ll be for fun reasons!”

Remora glared at me. It wasn’t an angry glare, more of a disappointed one.

“I mean, exciting!” No, that wasn’t the right word, either. “We’re going out tonight for fun and exciting things!” Er...don’t say something vague like that. It could get misconstrued. “I’m going to have a lovely night out, rest assured, both of you.”

God, could I not come up with a good set of words? Toward either of them?

“But next time,” I concluded. “For whatever reason, I’ll ask you to fly me somewhere.”

There. That would suffice, wouldn’t it?

Remora nodded.

“Tonight however will be much more intimate,” she told Cybele, something that floored me.

“Well, have fun, you too!” Cybele waved as we moved on.

Once we were far enough from Cybele, I balked.

“Intimate? Really?!” I just about shouted.

“What? It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” I snickered. Even if we were going to be surrounded by others in a restaurant, I could just imagine us, only focused on one another, and everyone else wouldn’t matter. They would all be background noise and nothing more. “It’s just that I get ideas sometimes.”

“You’ve got a wild imagination,” she agreed.

“That’s ‘cause I’m wild for you,” I replied, trying to sound cool.

Rather than get a reaction, she just dug into her pocket and handed me a paper.

“Here’s your passport,” she told me and I looked inside. The name ‘Helena Handbasket’ was there.

Really? Why was I given a name like that?

At the gate, we presented our passports to the usher. He was a blonde haired man, split ends, thick mustache.

“Welcome back, Claire Ritty,” he told Remora. “Been a while.”

She chuckled. “I’ve been broke.”

So she’s clarity and I’m hell in a hand basket. How wonderful.

Once on the flight, I turned to her.

“Just so you know, I’m sure this will be fun and exciting in its own way.”

She smiled and turned back to me, then replied, “it doesn’t have to be. Just as long as you have a good birthday, that’s all that matters to me.”

I blushed. I wasn’t sure why. To think that I ever had a doubt: she still had an effect on me. So why, then, was I still so ill at ease?

We arrived at the restaurant, one of those fancy places. Call it odd, but I had no freakin’ clue what country we were in and why she picked it as opposed to some place closer. During the flight, we had snacked on chips and she even packed me a salad sandwich. To think that it was already evening, though, and there we were, in front of a bright, gold building.

Inside was even worse. Red carpet, lines. Crowds. Chatter and noise from all these unknown people who probably had too much money for their own good. Then there was me.

Then again, wasn’t Remora in the same boat I was? Bah! Better not to think about it!

We had to wait in line, even though we made a reservation. It was that kind of fancy, huh? It was funny, though. I’d rather a place like a nice and quiet fancy cafe. Not to mention, Ray could’ve made us a nice meal back at the diner and told Sunny and Tigershark to leave us alone. That would have been more ‘intimate’, right? Then again, maybe she wanted a change of scenery.

Or maybe...she was trying to show off. Show me that she can make lots of money with the greatest of ease and Remind me just how cool she could be.

Oh no. I’m reverting to my old ways. Get a hold on yourself!

“Are you coming? Our table’s ready,” her words brought me back into reality and I noticed that she was already almost there. I never had to wait in line in the first place…

I trudged along and sat down across from her. It was pure torture. Why couldn’t I sit next to her? Oh, but then if I did that, she might have been too uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to do that to her. Just being near her at all was fine, anyway. The two of us, sharing this space together for the sole purpose of sharing it. It was like we had become equals. We could finally see eye to eye.

That’s right! She can stare right at me! And me right at her...those beautiful pitch black eyes, those curled lashes, the way they flit so elegantly!

I looked away, too embarrassed. Both at the thought of staring into her eyes and her staring into mine. Not that mine were any special.

Oh boy. There I go again. Downing myself while overly praising the other person. It’s not like I’m trying to do that, she’s just right there! For my viewing pleasure! I have to be careful.

Still embarrassed, as soon as the waiter came over and brought us cups of water, I chugged it down.

“More, madam?” He asked.

Damn, madam. I could get used to this. Now I want Remora to call me madam.

“Yes!” I gasped.

I chugged that one down too. Another refill. Another cup emptied.

“I’ll be back with another pitcher,” he informed me. Meanwhile, I glanced while having a whole fish tank’s worth of water in my mouth, and Remora just took a sip, ever so elegant.

Wait, was she always this elegant? Or is it just that she wants to savor the taste?

...No! Get a grip! She’s just calm and collected. Or not calm, but trying her best. You’ve gotten to know her well enough by now. Even if there’s not a lot you know, you know a whole lot more than when you just had that image of her. Stop acting like your old self!

“Is everything okay? Your face is all red and you keep looking away from me,” she sounded concerned, and the awareness that my face was red didn’t do my current state any favors. I gulped down the water, which really hurt, then gave my reply.

“Yes! I’m totally fine! Very fine! Though I’m sure you’re even finer!” I just about gasped my reply, which must not have been much of a reassurance.

“Huh. I didn’t know there were varying degrees of fine,” she stated as if it was a genuine thing to wonder.

“Sorry,” I said, my voice much quieter. “I think it’s just this place...I think I’m just a little overwhelmed…”

She nodded.

“I understand. I can’t stand so many people, either. If you would like, we can leave and find somewhere else where we can be more alone?” She suggested, and that sure was a suggestion. I started to get all dizzy with all the places my mind went.

“No,” I sighed, doing my best to keep my cool. “I really appreciate you taking me here.”

“I hope you’re being honest. I’ve never actually been here, but I’ve always imagined that doing something like this, taking someone somewhere fancy, would be a really nice gesture.”

“It is, trust me,” I replied, though still averted my gaze. Even staring down at the floor. That smooth, shiny floor. Nary a spot of dirt or food mess anywhere. What kind of overactive staff did they have?

“Anywhere would be fine, though, with you,” I continued. My words felt a little absent, but there wasn’t a big flustered gasp, so I took that as a win.

Now I’m imagining an older version of me with a hat and pipe showing up and going, “are ya winning, Demetria?” Well, am I? Hell if I know.

“I think there are some places I would still like my privacy…” Remora replied.

“Well, yeah!” I waved my hands out. “I just meant that there are plenty of things we could do that I would have also been happy with!”

“Oh. I’m glad,” her flat delivery would have been mistaken for sarcasm if anyone else were with us. That was one thing I got to know being around her as well.

But maybe it was better to revert to how I was in the beginning. It wasn’t good. It was something I was ashamed of, but I was already all worked up anyway. It might only be natural. Not only that, but no matter how bad it is, it was something familiar. That’s right: I hate that I understand what it is, but it’s clear to me that I’m just too afraid of change.

It doesn’t matter how much I grow, if things change too much, I won’t have anything more to work on. No, that’s not it. It’s that I would end up shifting my focus. I’m already thinking about how torn I am and now this. It feels inevitable, but I just don’t want it to be true. That I’m changing again.

“Are you okay? You seem lost in thought,” Remora once again broke the silence. Her concern was unusual to me, but also pleasant. Just how genuine it was, I couldn’t say.

“Yeah, it’s just the thought of you here, and me here, it’s so wonderful that it’s hard to believe it’s real! It’s like a dream! Like you could just pinch me real hard and I’d wake up and be like ‘that was a weird but alluring dream’ but no, it’s real. Like, really real. That’s just how awesome you are! That you would take me out to a place so fancy! It proves you really are the best! I’m just worried that if I were to ask you out myself, you’d reject me, but you’re too cool to do that, so you wouldn’t! Oh, who am I kidding? You’re so cool that you’re the type who would reject me on my birthday!”

I huffed. That was awful. There was a silence between us. It was all but certain that she was annoyed at me. I would be as well. It felt forced just to say all that, and it probably wouldn’t have felt so forced in the beginning.

Rather than annoyed, she smiled and drew a breath.

“It’s nothing like that, don’t worry. I just wanted to do something nice for once.”

“So would you want to be a couple, then?” I blurted out. That didn’t feel so forced, yet it wasn’t something I meant to say. As soon as I did so, I covered my mouth with my hands.

Now it was Remora who looked away.

“It’s...hard to say,” she said through grit teeth. “It’s not that I wouldn’t want to.”

“Then what?” I once again asked with no prior intention of doing so.

“It just wouldn’t work,” she shook her head slow.

Without hesitation, I then asked, “why not?”

“You know me: I’m not very good with emotions.”

“That doesn’t matter! Who needs emotions, anyway?”

“Plenty of people. It’s a good thing. Whatever you may say, you have emotions and display them. But it doesn’t come easy for me. Rather, it doesn’t come at all. I wouldn’t be a very good partner because of it. I couldn’t give someone an emotional response when they need one. Then, with you, there are plenty of things I can like and appreciate, but the occasional pushiness would still get to me.”

“I can work on that…” I muttered.

“You have. No one is without their faults, but I just know it wouldn’t work. My issue isn’t something that can be worked on, and it’s not for a lack of trying. So it would be best if you understood that.”

Was that really something I wanted, anyway? Or was I just caught up in the moment? Was I acting or did I mean it? You know, the funny thing about all this is…

I gave a little chuckle.

“I really am being rejected on my birthday,” I remarked.

“Please don’t think of it like that. If you wanted to play like we were a couple just for tonight, that would be fine, but then tomorrow we wouldn’t. That doesn’t seem very fair for you.”

“You’re right,” my words came out dry. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Words and meanings can be hard. I’ve heard it’s easier to think when you’ve had some food in your system. Why don’t you look at the menu? You can order anything you like.”

That was right. This whole time and I hadn’t even bothered to look at the menu.

“Anything I like? Are you on the menu?” I grew eager once more.

“Be realistic,” she told me and I dialed it back down a notch.

“Sorry.”

I flipped through the menu. There was an extensive vegetarian section full of soups, salads, and sushi rolls (the three S’s). Despite that, none of them seemed very appealing.

I know I need to eat and I am kinda hungry, but there’s already so much on my mind that it’s too hard to think about what I want to eat. It’s terrible because she said I could get anything, which means even the really expensive things, but I just can’t figure out what. More than that, I might never if I don’t get this stuff out of my head.

“I think...I’ll just get a vegetarian udon bowl and...garlic bread?”

She nodded. “Good choice. Carbs are good.”

I set down the menu. I knew it couldn’t just be her being honest all the time.

“Look, about the way I’ve been acting…” I cleared my throat. “I’m really sorry.”

“You don’t need to be,” she assured me once again.

“No, I do. Because that’s what it’s been: an act. The truth is that I’ve been anxious for a while because I’ve noticed that I don’t feel the way that I used to.”

“You mean you don’t find me attractive anymore?” She asked, and I felt like that might have been the most offensive thing she ever said.

“No, I still do. How could I not? You’re very attractive!” I spat out in protest. Fearing that I would soon lose focus, I continued. “I just feel like now that I know more about you, although you didn’t want me to at first, I now see you as more of a person. Something I should have since the beginning, but I was so fixated on this version of you in my head that’s a total badass. Which does exist, to an extent, but there’s so much more to you than that. Because of that, I’ve gotten worried that I’ve started to lose interest in you, and I don’t want that. Because then I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

“But now I feel like I haven’t lost interest. It’s just that I feel something different about you than I did in the beginning and I’m not sure what and it scares me because I prefer to know what I’m dealing with.”

After that whole massive blob of confession, I expected to break down in tears. But that didn’t happen. Then, with her, I didn’t know what her reaction would be.

“I see,” she replied, after taking in all of my words.

“You do?”

“I don’t understand, but I see. It’s nice to hear that you haven’t lost interest. I find I can be a rather boring person.”

“That’s not true,” I wouldn’t accept that. It wasn’t to say she was ‘fun’ in the same way that Sunny and Tigershark could be, but that didn’t matter to me. “You’re quiet. That doesn’t mean you’re boring.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that,” she replied, once again with a smile.

Our food arrived. My big bowl of udon noodle soup with its mushrooms, chimes, seaweed, celery, carrots, and radishes. As well as my garlic bread. Couldn’t forget that. Then, Remora had a large orzo pasta salad with varying veggies and Parmesan sprinkled on top.

“Interesting choice,” I pointed to her dish.

“Thank you. I thought of grains,” she answered, then dug into her plate.

I let out a little chuckle.

“Grains, huh?” I remarked.

“Yes,” she nodded. “And speaking of which, I do not have a good segue, but I have a couple of things for you.” She reached down and pulled out an envelope, then handed it to me.

“Go on, open it up,” she instructed.

I did so and upon opening the envelope, noticed that there was a ton of money inside, as well as some other other black thing.

“THERE’S A BUNCHA –” I just about yelled, shocked, astonished even at what I saw, but then I thought better of me seeing where I was at. I lowered my voice down to a hushed whisper. “There’s a buncha money in here. What the fuck?”

“It’s fifty-thousand dollars,” she answered. “It wasn’t easy, but I found some requests to do which would give me enough to pay for the flights, the meal, and...the money left over. For you. It’s all the money I own, but I don’t need it. I think you could make better use of it.”

I crossed my arms in front of my face.

“I can’t accept this. It’s unnecessary. I could always do the same and get my own money.”

“You’re always talking about how you could use the money when it comes to things, and so I figured you might appreciate it. Even if you make more later, it’s yours to use how you wish. Maybe you can even use the money to go back to school.”

“That’s not something I want anymore, though. I have a new goal now…” Man, that came out like a whimper. Totally not confident at all. “Or I thought I did. I always liked to pride myself on knowing what I want, but I don’t know what I want anymore. If I ever did.”

That time, I really did feel like I was close to tears. I wasn’t sure whether or not they would come.

“I’m so afraid of changing and finding something else I like. Because it’s like whenever I do, I lose interest in the previous thing which I worked so hard for. It already happened with school. All my life I’ve been into –” Flashbacks of when I was younger played. Visiting my grandmother’s house. Her fish tanks. “– no, not even then. The whole reason I got into marine biology in the first place was because I wanted to impress my grandmother. She loved fish, and I loved visiting her and every time I did, I got curious staring into those tanks. I figured that if I learned all that I could about them, then she would be really happy and we’d have something to bond over...I spent years devoting myself to just that.”

I paused. It was hard just to recall that. I always said that it was something I wanted, for myself, but then, was it really? Remora, meanwhile, must have sensed that I had more to say. So I went on. Even though it was uncomfortable, I couldn’t stop myself.

“Long after the fact, I forgot all about my original intentions and I thought my interest was genuine. Then, all of that went away, at a drop of a hat, just because I met you,” I felt like I was about to choke up. “It was a fantasy, and I didn’t have much to go off of. But I ended up getting obsessed, then following you back. I made you my new interest and dropped everything else. At first I thought I wanted to be dominated by you, because I’ve read things in comics, but I’m not sure if that’s really what I wanted. I just thought that’s how a crush was based on what I saw. Then I wanted to impress you, and so I trained and risked my life, did all these crazy things, and I grew to enjoy that. But I don’t want to stop wanting to be with you,” I concluded.

As I said those last words, a couple of tears slid down from my eyelids and made streaks.

“This...this doesn’t ever happen…” I muttered.

“It’s okay,” she spoke at last. How she kept her tone even after seeing me like that made me envious. “Whatever you want to do in life, I’m sure you can achieve it. This isn’t empty flattery, either. With the growth you’ve shown in such a short time, I believe it’s possible. I don’t think it has to be a bad thing, and whatever you end up pursuing, I would like to help you with that, if possible.”

“You aren’t mad, though? Like what if everything I felt was a fabrication all because I was confused?”

Her hair swayed as she shook her head.

“I don’t think it’s a complete lie.”

“I don’t even know if romance is something I’m into,” I admitted.

“That’s fine as well. Once you come into your own, there’s no doubt someone will see you the same way you initially saw me. If that’s what you want.”

“Thank you, though I don’t really know. Honestly, you put up with a lot from me and I’m sure I’ve been hard to deal with.”

“True. But I find you easier to deal with than most.”

“I bet when you first met me, you thought I was a weirdo.”

“Indeed. You still are, at times.”

Gosh, I should’ve gone red from that.

“Well...you’d probably have thought of me as a weirdo if you knew how I was before you met me. Like ‘what’s that weirdo doing always in a book?’ Then again, I’d probably see you and think the same. Like, ‘what’s that attractive weirdo doing judging me? She should mind her own business.’”

“Well, you still admitted the attractive part,” she pointed out.

We both laughed at that, even if it wasn’t that hilarious.

“I think I’d notice that no matter how else I thought of you. But, that’s the thing: I’m no longer that bookworm. I’m not the person I was before I met you. I’m not even the same person I was after I met you. I’m someone else now and I’m not sure who that person is.”

“Whoever you are, I hope you can acknowledge the growth you’ve made and how hard you’ve worked. I don’t think change has to be a bad thing. You have your good sides and you’ve even seemed to have found your niche. Speaking of, there’s something else in that envelope.”

I knew what she was referring to. I reached in and grabbed the black objects. They were a pair of fingerless gloves with the back and the palm of it plated with studded leather. The rest of the gloves were a silky felt-like material. I tried them on. Despite the material on each side, it was a rather snug fit. I flexed my fingers into a fist, then uncurled them.

“I figured since you like knives, it would be a good idea to have some protection for your hands. Plus you should be able to grip onto your knives better, too.”

Like a child, I let out a giggle. I couldn’t help it. Such a thoughtful gift (I thought so, anyway) and whether or not I kept knives as an interest or not, they were some pretty rockin’ gloves either way.

I hardly touched my bowl. Maybe a few bites at most. Despite the fact that wearing gloves while eating was a bad idea, I was about to lean over and take a bite when I noticed something fly by, just passed my face. On instinct, I reached and managed to grab onto whatever it was between my two fingers. If it were a bullet, that would’ve been a bad idea. But no, it was a needle. So thin, I should’ve missed it.

Was this aimed at me? Or Remora? Or was it just an accident, something that was flung into the air by mistake? Whatever it was, it looked sharp. It felt like it was coated with something, too. Some kind of oil, maybe. I glanced behind me and it looked like someone slipped into the kitchen, but it could have just been one of the staff.

“Is everything okay?” She asked as I continued to examine the needle.

“Did you notice anything suspicious behind us?” I wondered. “Someone, or something.”

“No,” concern started to show in her voice. “What did you catch?”

“It’s a needle. It might be nothing, but still.” My gaze continued to shift. Nothing. Nothing I could pick up on, at any rate. My vision began to blur. Next thing I recalled, Remora stood up.

“Wait right here. I think I noticed something, or someone.” She ran to the back, where the kitchen was. I meanwhile, grew ever so faint and dizzy, and then passed out at the table.

When I woke up, I was back in my bed. No recollection of leaving the restaurant or getting back on the flight. Yet I was back at the diner, in the bed I recognized. Not only that, but I was in a cold sweat. After taking a few deep breaths, I asked myself:

“Did any of that really happen? Or did I dream it all?” My voice sounded and groggy. My mouth was dry.

It felt too detailed to be a dream, even if there was the random part at the end.

I got up and out of my room. Ray was there. So was Sunny. Otherwise, the halls were empty.

Tigershark might be in the kitchen or something.

As I approached them, I asked.

“Good...morning? Maybe? Where’s Remora?”

Of course I did, right? My first words and I was more interested in Remora. How typical of me. Well, if she was the last person I saw, I felt it only natural to wonder about her whereabouts.

Sunny turned to me.

“Hey, good morning kiddo!” Sunny as usual, I see.

In the direction of Remora’s room, I heard a series of coughs.

“She’s in her room,” Ray explained. “It’s not unheard of for her to hole herself in her room sometimes.”

Yes, I knew that. But still.

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember last night. Did I leave yesterday? How did I get back if so?”

“Yes, you went out yesterday. Remora came back with you in her arms. Apparently you were asleep the whole way back.”

What?! Why hadn’t I been awake for that?!

My heart started to pound. But it wasn’t because of that gesture. Something else just didn’t feel right.

“She collapsed after she brought you back to your room. She said she must’ve just been exhausted, and went to her room soon after.”

Then I heard retching sounds and I hurried to her room without a second thought. I knew she preferred her privacy, but the concern was far too great. As I opened the door, I saw her on the bed, sitting and hunched over. Her face looked red, and she had blankets wrapped around her as she coughed. Her head bobbed and she looked to her side, toward the wall, then her head swayed around to the other end, where I stood at the door. She stared, her face was gaunt and her eyes dull. Her hair, too, was a mess. Then, after a few seconds of looking my way, she yelled.

“GO AWAY!” Thunderous, she erupted and I walked off, in a rush.

“Guys! She’s sick!” The words flew out of me.

“Yeah, well, it happens,” Sunny shrugged.

“Really?! That’s it?!” I turned to a rage, myself.

“Demetria, I understand, but there’s nothing we can do,” Ray told me. How asinine. How absurd.

“I can’t believe you two. Someone needs to help her, even just a little!”

I stormed off. I searched around in the hall closet for a first aid kit. If need be, I’d make her a hot soup. Something, anything.

“What is this about, Demetria?” Ray called after me.

“Do we have a thermometer anywhere?” I ignored his question. Too focused on what was really important.

He reached into a drawer on his desk and pulled one out.

“But you’re not going to get very far if she doesn’t want help. You can’t just force your help on someone,” he probably thought he was giving such sound advice right now. He probably was, too. But I just wasn’t interested.

“I don’t care,” I replied, seething.

“I’m sure you see this as an opportunity, but it’s not going to earn you any favors,” Sunny added.

“This isn’t about that! I don’t care about my own feelings right now! This isn’t like one of my Hurt/Comfort fics! This isn’t about me!” I retorted, then stormed back into the room.

I’ve been so selfish. I’m still being selfish because I want to help her when she doesn’t want it.

Back into her room I went and she was still in the same position. Only now she was leaned even further forward and wheezing.

“Please...let me take your temperature…” I tried to keep my voice soft. She looked over and her face contorted between angry and in pain.

“I thought I told you to go away,” she growled, then clutched her head. Probably a headache. Even a further.

“Believe me, I should! But I need to do something!” I snapped.

She recoiled, then laid back down onto her bed and curled into a fetal position and shivered. She faced away from me.

“You’re awful...you really think anyone would like you if you just kept pushing yourself onto others?” She hissed, then held her hands over her pillow and squeezed it against the back of her head. It was painful for me to watch, but I gulped, other emotions stirring.

“I don’t need to be liked. But I live here too. If you’re sick, you could get everyone else sick,” I told her, rather flat. “Do you really want to be responsible for that?”

“If I’m isolating, it’s fine,” she replied. “Besides, I could die for all I care. So just leave me.”

“As you wish,” I told her. I forgot one thing anyway. I left for a minute to go get gloves and a mask. Before I returned, Ray spoke to me again.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” He asked.

“It’s not a matter of being okay with it,” I told him. “It’s important.”

I returned to her room, something which she probably either expected and hated, or didn’t expect. She coughed up a storm and it sounded so harsh, like her throat was being torn from the inside.

“I’m burning...I’m still shivering but I can feel burning...It’s too much!” She then started to scream.

“I understand that.”

She stopped, then turned.

“What are you doing back here?”

“Being pushy, what’s new?” I replied, deadpan.

“Fine. Take the temperature. But don’t expect me to like this.”

She turned over and opened her mouth. All the while, she scowled. After it beeped, I pulled out the thermometer and checked. 40 degrees Celsius. Definite fever.

“Yeah, you’re sick,” I confirmed.

“Sick of you,” she scoffed, then winced.

“Good. Feeling’s mutual. I’m sick of me too,” I replied.

“I’ve never liked you. I took you out so you would get off my back. That’s all.”

That should have hurt more. I just looked at her for a moment.

“Even if that’s the case, I still appreciate that you did. Thank you.”

She tried to laugh. It was more like a pained moan.

“You’re welcome. Happy birthday,” she told me, then she closed her eyes. Perhaps to get back to sleep. Whatever I was going to be into, I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant. It already wasn’t. But I needed to take care of her in any way I could. That’s how it’s always been in my family. We took care of each other when we were sick. We may not have liked each other much or got along, but that didn’t matter.

As soon as I left the room, it was like all of the stress seeped in and I too shivered. I felt like I couldn’t make it stop and I felt powerless to do anything. I had little medical knowledge. I didn’t know whether she had a cold or a flu or poisoning or what. I just felt like I needed to do something, even if I was useless. Because I often was.

#writing #remoras full #demetria #remora #stories #fiction #drama #birthday #hurt/comfort #maturing #sorta #happy birthday demetria

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coffee-and-kpop · 7 years

Text

Vodka Shots

‣ Wonho (Monsta X), for anon

‣ Type: Smut, College!AU

‣ Words: 1,777

‣ Summary: There’s something about vodka and frat parties that bring out a side of your boyfriend you’ve never seen...

“Yo! Y/N, take another shot! You’re not drunk enough yet!” Minhyuk yelled over the blaring party music, slinging his arm around your neck. He was sloppy drunk at this point, his whole body and the air surrounding him reeking incredibly of vodka. He leaned against your frame a little too much, sloshing a bit of his beer over the sides of his solo cup as he did so.

You were in a huddle mass of over incredibly drunk people, most of which were fraternity boys. Dating a fraternity boy yourself, you seemingly found yourself in this situation more often than not: the stench of alcohol coating the hair, sweaty bodies of Greek kids milling about and constantly brushing against you. The Pi Kappa Alpha, PIKE for short, house was really quite spacious, more so than most of the other fraternity houses you’d been to, but that space just left room for more party-goers.

Minhyuk, shouting something at his fellow PIKE and best friend Shownu, disappeared just as quickly as he’d come. As drunk as he was, you suddenly felt incredibly alone in the large mass of college students, ninety-nine percent of which you did not know at all. Just as you were starting to feel incredibly suffocated, you felt a hand on the small of your back, pulling your attention towards the person standing behind you.

“Hey, babe,” you smiled, trying not to show how relieved you were at not being alone anymore. Wonho grinned back at you, handing you a glass of hunch punch he was holding.

“Hella vodka, and just a little bit of fruit juice for the love of my life,” he grinned, his eyes glazed over just slightly from the few drinks he’d had already. Most of his fraternity had pre-gamed the party, and Wonho was slowly starting to show evidence of it.

“Just what the doctor ordered.” You tipped your glass up at him, clinking it with his before taking a huge swallow of the disgusting drink. The hunch punch travelled into your stomach, burning the inside of your body as it did so. You made a sour face, and heard Wonho laugh at you.

“Can’t handle your alcohol, babe?” he smirked, taking a giant gulp of his own drink as if it were water. You rolled your eyes and took another small, tiny sip. The sour face returned.

“Sorry I don’t party five times a week. I actually care about my classes,” you snapped playfully, laughing as he rolled his eyes. Usually the fraternities didn’t party five times a week, but damn if it wasn’t close sometimes.

“You wanna get out of here?” Wonho asked, suddenly pulling you a bit closer to him by the hand still resting on your waist. You could feel the heat of his body, hear the huskier tone of his voice caused by the alcohol.

“I have a test tomorrow,” you whined, glancing down at the time on your phone screen. It was already nearing midnight, and you knew these parties were good to last nearly until dawn. But the way Wonho was slowly rubbing up and down your bare arm wasn’t helping your need to leave.

“There you are, man! I was looking for you all over the place,” Minhyuk had reappeared, his white blonde hair lightly damp and sticking to his forehead. His cheeks were incredibly red in his drunkenness, his solo cup still sloshing beer over the sides. “Come on, we’re taking shots in the kitchen!”

Before you or Wonho could protest, Minhyuk was pushing his way through the moving, drunken crowd and into the slightly less crowded kitchen. Inside was Shownu, his cheeks even redder than Minhyuk’s and his drunk smile even wider. Accompanying him was Wonho’s frat brother and best friend, Hyungwon, who immediately downed a shot and surveyed the crowd around him as if he wasn’t affected at all.

You weren’t entirely sure how many shots of Smirnoff you took: you couldn’t remember. What you did remember was that the alcohol was green apple flavored, and burned even worse than the hunch punch you chased it with: the most lethal fraternity combination.

By the time you and Wonho finally did decide to leave, you had to lean against him for support as the ground swirled around your feet. The two of you walked down Greek Row; seven houses down from the PIKE house was the Theta Chi house. The rest of Wonho’s brothers were at the PIKE party, and when the two of you stumbled through the door, the whole house was dark.

You knew Wonho was horny back at the PIKE house, when all he’d had was a cup of hunch punch and a few beers. But now, after the ridiculous amount of vodka the two of you ingested, he was borderline ridiculous.

As soon as you tumbled across the threshold of the Theta Chi house, Wonho’s lips were attached to your neck. You could smell the alcohol on him, on yourself. His kisses were sloppy, his lips and tongue leaving trails of saliva along your neck that chilled your skin when the air hit them.

He was attempting to suck a fat purple mark along one of the tendons running the length of your neck when you began to pull him towards the stairs – towards his room. The thick cloud of vodka hanging in the air followed the two of you as you continued your trek, stopping after every few steps to plant kisses on the other’s lips.

Wonho lost his shirt before the two of you even reached his room, his nipples erect against his pale skin as you rubbed them between your fingers. He walked backwards into the room, gripping the hem of your shirt and tugging it off roughly. You kicked the door shut with your foot. Wonho stood over you, watching as you unhooked your bra.

Something about the way your nipples perked against the cool air, the way the dark skin shriveled around them caused something to snap inside of him. You watched it happen: watched the way his pupils blasted wide, the way his whole body seemed to go rigid. You reached out a hand to lay it on his chorded shoulder, and suddenly you were being thrown roughly on the bed, your shorts and underwear disappearing with lightening speed.

Wonho grabbed both your hands up in one of his, pinning them in an iron grip above your head. You tried to move them, which only made him clamp down harder. His other hand trailed over your body, across the plane of your stomach, between your legs.

You choked on a gasp as his fingers came into contact with your outer lips: your juices already trickling out of your pussy. Wonho smirked and watched as his fingers began to glisten with your sheen. “You’re already so fucking wet for me, baby.”

You moaned at his deep voice, the feeling of his finger pushing deeper inside of you causing you to arch your back off the bed. Suddenly, he jammed a second one inside of you, causing you to writhe under him. He pumped them inside of you at a lightening pace, causing you to try and both escape the unbearably fast onslaught of pleasure, and fuck down on his fingers harder. The wet noises of your juices against his fingers mixed in with your moans, barely heard over the loud pounding in your head and Wonho’s dirty slurs whispered in your ear.

As quickly as he’d begun pounding his fingers inside of you, he stopped. He flipped you over onto your stomach, just as rough with you as before. You gasped at the way he manhandled your body; this new side of your boyfriend was something you’d never seen before, and you were exhilarated.

He thrusted his entire length into you in one quick stroke, not letting you adjust. You screamed out-loud, burying your face in the pillow beneath you just in case any of his brothers were home.

Wonho grabbed your hips and propped them up, using them as leverage to continually fuck his thick cock into you at an excruciating pace. You moaned and whimpered beneath him, the slapping sound of his hips against yours resounding in the room.

You felt dizzy as your orgasm neared, your whole body twitching and convulsing under the constant brutal fucking Wonho was giving you, and the heavy cloud of vodka that hung over your head. Wonho’s grunts and growls mixed in with everything else, turning you on even more. He moaned your name once, lowly, as he rubbed his rough thumb over your throbbing clit.

“Fuck, Wonho! Fuckfuckfuckfuck,” you chanted, sobbing and writhing beneath him. His cock continued to pound into you as you rode through your orgasm, your mind going black and your mouth stuck in a perpetual ‘O’. Wonho pulled out momentarily, his mouth connecting to your pussy as your orgasm came to an end.

He removed his tongue after a moment, a devilish smirk appearing on his face as you glanced back at him, breathless. You could see the angry tip of his dick, the glistening sheen of your juices coating it. Suddenly, realization dawned on you, and you gulped: he hadn’t cum yet.

“I think you can do better than that, baby,” Wonho growled, grabbing your hips roughly once again, and suddenly his cock was pounding back into your trembling pussy.

“Oh god,” you groaned, your whole body stiff. Your alarm was blaring, and your head felt like it was splitting in half.

“Mmm… turnitoff,” Wonho mumbled into his pillow beside you, cracking one eye open as you peeled yourself away from the sticky sheets. He flopped onto his back as you grabbed your clothes, throwing them on haphazardly. “Did you havefunlassnight?”

You scoffed. “I think fun is an understatement.”

“Do you wanna go for round two?” Wonho smirked, his eyes closed against the sunlight streaming in through his blinds. His face was turned towards your direction, and you admired his profile for a spilt second: his long eyelashes, his messy bedhead, his bare chest.

“I’m going to be late for my test,” you complained, grabbing your bookbag you’d stashed in his room the night before and your car keys. “I’ll see you later, love.”

“Mmm,” he grumbled something unintelligible. You had your hand on the doorknob, pulling it open before you turned back around to look at your boyfriend once more.

“Oh and Wonho?” You smirked at him, although you knew his hangover wouldn’t allow him to open his eyes for another couple hours. He mumbled another answer. “I’m gonna have to get you drunk more often.”

- Admin PeachJin

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