#i call these three the rhythm trio in my head lol

[livestock-and-bibles]

You know what, fuck you *triple bakas your dethklok*

[knchins]

Symbiosis - Benimaru & Joker

Summary: Benimaru, Joker, and a former Sister learn how to work through their frustrations with their investigation into the Holy Sol Temple through the one thing they know best: sex.

Pairing: Benimaru Shinmon x Fem!Reader x Joker

Rating: E

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: pwp (I didn't even try this time lmao), spanking, vaginal sex, oral sex, dirty talk/degradation, some dob/sub themes, hair pulling, face fucking. I do not count this as dp but some people might. SPIT ROASTING.

Notes: So I wrote this for @tamcitrus and I hope she likes it! It’s like my most self indulgent piece to date probably lol. Idk how I managed to write this while being barely able to breathe but when the inspo strikes what can you do....First FF/ENS piece! I think they may be a bit OOC but...whatever I’m too sick to care.,

 “So will you join me, Sister?” The mysterious man asked as he puffed on a cigarette. You stared off at the nighttime skyline, at the temple in the very far eastern horizon. Was this something you really wanted to do? It would be dangerous, but you could sense the power coming from him. Not only that, he had already enlisted the help of the Captain of the 7th, Benimaru Shinmon. It wasn’t as if you’d be taking on the church all by yourself.  

 Your mind drifted as the King of Destruction peppered kisses down your bare throat. The mission with Joker hadn’t been entirely successful. In the end they were met with Captain Burns who handed you a journal that belonged to the wife of Raffles I. While it was true you did come up with some new theories about the White Clad, ultimately it felt like a dead end. Now you just had more questions than answers and it was incredibly frustrating.

 But you weren’t the only one frustrated. Your two new comrades had been too. Eventually you had found a way to relieve the tension that had built up over so many years of bullshit. Having been an orphan and raised as a Sister for the Holy Sol Temple, you had plenty of ill will harbored against the empire. You had long abandoned your title but that didn’t stop the two men from egging you on by calling you by it.

 Currently the former assassin was watching through a half-lidded eye as you sat in Benimaru’s lap, your back to his chest as he kissed along your neck and cupped both breasts in his hands. You were already stripped down to your underwear, both men clad in only pants and briefs. Joker tended to observe first before joining in, enjoying taking his time watching the view of Beni turn you on and work you over. Small trails of smoke rose from the lit white stick of tobacco that hung from his mouth.

 “You look so pretty like that, Sister.” He drawled, inhaling another wave of smoke that filtered out of his nose. “You like when he plays with your tits don’t you?”

 “Don’t call me that,” You protested weakly in a voice that came out as more of a moan than a grumble as Beni began to tweak your nipples between his thumb and forefinger. You began to wiggle in his lap, ass brushing against his stiffening cock in a way that had him biting down on your shoulder possessively.

 The cotton panties you had been wearing were soaked all the way through between your legs. This stupid little routine always had you mewling and crying before anyone even bothered touching your needy cunt. Beni enjoyed torturing you too much and Joker enjoyed watching him do it. You had known in the beginning being the only woman in the trio would put you at a disadvantage. You just didn’t know how much.

 “Waka, please.” You gasped as he bit down on your throat this time, sucking a bruise into the skin there. One of your hands moved to try and touch your clit for some form of relief, but he warned you by warming up his hands rapidly. It wasn’t enough to burn you but it was enough to let you know that he would if you didn’t play by his rules. “Asshole.” You hissed, pulling your hand back up to a safe distance. You reached behind him and grabbed a fistful of his hair, tugging it angrily.

 Beni quickly pushed you onto the tatami mat on the floor roughly, holding the back of your head in one hand, pressing your face against the material as he lifted your hips up with the other. He began to grind his erection against the wet fabric of your underwear, seething as he ripped down your underwear so that you were completely bare for the both of them.

 He took no time in slapping your ass in retaliation for pulling on his hair. “Impatient little slut.” He growled, causing you to clench with desire. The way his deep voice reverberated in the small room made you even wetter.

 Joker was laughing lightly at the scene. It was pretty typical for you to piss Beni off. And the cute little squeaks you let out as the captain spanked you was just even more delectable than your moans. He finally stood, dropping his pants and underwear at the same time as he knelt before you. Beni took his hand off the back of your head so you could lift up enough for Joker to grab you by the hair and pull you up onto your hands.

 He always had an affinity for fucking your warm wet mouth. Something about choking you on his dick felt better than either your pussy or ass. It was definitely his preferred hole, not that Benimaru minded. It was easier to punish you if he had total control of your lower half. You could hear Beni remove himself from the rest of his clothing as well.

 At the feeling of his blushed head pressing into your folds, you began to protest. “Beni, you have to-” You couldn’t even finish your sentence as Fifty-Two plunged his dick into your open mouth.

 “How many times do I have to tell you, Sister,” Benimaru spat out. “Only good girls get warm ups.” Then he pushed his impressively large cock into your small hole, filling you up and stretching you out with a familiar but still painful burn.

 Your cries were garbled by the dick in your mouth. Joker was still, watching the different emotions cross your face: panic, surprise, pain, pleasure. The last one had your jaw slackening for him drool rolling off your lower lip as tears threatened to spill from your eyes. Despite the initial discomfort, there was no greater pleasure in this life than the Captain’s cock being buried balls deep into your soaking pussy.

 “This is what you wanted, right little slut?” Beni asked, smacking you one last time as he slowly pulled out and rammed back in, forcing you to lurch forward and deep throat the man in front of you.

 You gagged, making Joker laugh at your expense. “I’m pretty sure that’s what she wanted.” He said, given your hair a gentle pull. You struggled to breathe, tears rolling from the corners of your eyes reflexively. You tried to back away from him to give yourself some sort of relief, walls clamping down tight on Benimaru behind you. He let out a small groan at the sensation, though he didn’t budge as you tried to push back on him.

 “If only the Sisters that raised you could see you now. Choking on the dick of Holy Sol Temple’s number one enemy. I bet you’d get off that too, wouldn’t you, Sister?” Joker asked as he pulled his hips back enough to allow you to breathe. You shot him a pitiful glare at the taunt, grabbing his bare thigh and digging your nails into it angrily. They always loved to tease you when you were in no position to defend yourself. It could be so annoying.

 The pain of your nails tearing at his skin was about on the same level as an insect bite. It was really insignificant to him, and therefore it didn’t cause him to correct his actions. He simply tightened his grip on your hair.

 Beni started to move in and out of you at a quick and relentless place. Though he had been kind enough to let you adjust to his size, he wasn’t a total monster. He only started doing with his regular rhythm when he started to feel you relax around him. The muffled moans spilled from your mouth as your eyes rolled back. Any time he fucked you from behind he was always able to hit that sweet stop with his cockhead, the one that had you weak in the legs and gripping him dear life.

 Both men highly enjoyed the sounds of you sputtering and crying for more, your words a garbled mess due to Joker’s length plowing into you at a matching speed. The first few times you three had indulged in one another, the rhythms were out of sync and almost awkward. But now, they had the routine down pat. They knew how the other one worked and could easily find the best way to compliment the other’s thrusts. This had Beni pushing in while Joker was pulling out and you stayed as still as you possibly could so that you wouldn’t impale yourself on either of them in a painful manner.

 It felt like the pinnacle of symbiosis. Everyone works together for their own gain but not at the expense of the other. In the end no one would be left out or at a loss. You’d have to remember to thank Joker later for gathering the three of you together.

 Beni let out a curse as he increased his pace, using one hand to push locks of sweaty hair from his eyes. Sometimes he was convinced that your body had been made for him. He fit inside of you like a hand in a perfectly tailored glove. The gentle squeeze of your kegels anytime he or Joker did something you found particularly pleasurable, whether it was tugging on your hair, slapping your ass, or degrading you with their words, just made him feel so damn good.

 Any time he was buried in you, regardless of which hole it was, he always became devoid of any rational thought. The sex consumed all of you, the tension releasing with the exertion of their hips. Infiltrating the temple, investigating Hajima, life had just become so stressful lately. This was the only time any of you could truly just let go.

 That familiar tight coil was winding itself up in your lower abdomen, the pressure building with every thrust as you took deep breaths through your nose. “Ahh, Sister,” Joker said through heavy breaths, “You better be a good girl and not swallow right away.”

 Of course you knew what he meant, the way his thrusts became a little less in sync with Beni’s and a little more arrhythmic as he chased after his orgasm. He was the first to come, filling your mouth and throat with warm white seed. He pulled away, still holding onto your hair as you stuck out your covered tongue to show him, the white liquid spilling onto the mat beneath you as you were pounded from behind. Your moans were no longer muffled and were loudly filling the small room. No doubt other members of squad seven could hear you, not that you card any more. Konro was probably just shaking his head at his captain’s antics.

 “Now swallow.” Joker instructed as he sat back on his heels. Your tongue retracted into your mouth and you swallowed every last drop that hadn’t fallen from your mouth. The blissed out look on your face was almost enough to make him hard again, your whimpers as you neared your peak, the needy look in your eyes. Nothing else mattered in this moment but the release.

 You came with another loud cry, collapsing onto your chest as your arms gave out beneath you. Benimaru worked you through it, his balls slapping against your clit had you shaking and sobbing at the overstimulation. A moment later he was filling you up with his own seed, gobs of it gushing out around the base of his cock and onto your folds.

 Joker moved to watch him pull out of you slowly so he could observe the gaping, leaky hole. He let out a low whistle at the sight. “Latom,” He said jokingly, folding his hands in prayer as Beni guided your hips down onto the ground.  Benimaru rolled his eyes at his partner in crime, making sure to soothe the bruise skin of your ass with his rough hands.

 “Get some rest, Sister.” Benimaru said solemnly as he got redressed. “Our investigation resumes tonight.”

 You let out a low groan at the reminder, having totally forgotten that you were going back to Hajima headquarters to try and gather more information. “Fine, just let me take a nap first.” You grumbled sleepily. You couldn’t see the soft smile on his face as he glanced at Joker who nodded back in a silent response.

 Benimaru maneuvered you to his futon with Joker’s help, covering you with a blanket so you could rest in peace. Then in a few hours it would be business as usual.

[hanniiesuckle17]

Watching the Bay

A/n: lowkey a baywatch au........really just wanted to write 3RACHA as Baywatch.......guys there is so much jisung on my m.list........oh well I'm whipped. enjoy lots of shirtless jisung. (not thoroughly edited. I will come back and edit it) ALSO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR 2K FOLLOWERS WTFFF!!!!! 

Tag List: @distrikt9​ @mini-meanhoe​ @poeticallyspaghetti​ @hanstagrams​ @desertofdessert​  @yangomangos​ @jisungsjheekies​ @straycozy​ @hoes4hoseok​  @jeonqqin​ @geminirules​ @crscendoforsung​ @mrsunshine999​ @multi-net​ (Tag List is Open!)  (Some are specifically for this fic tho lol)

Warnings: cussing, shirtless 3RACHA, 18+ themes/suggestive, drugs, violence

Word Count: 14.1K

Summary: Based on the hit Tv show and movie Baywatch. Y/n and her friends Jeongin and Hyunjin have been coming to Cheonsa Beach every summer since they met. This summer the steamy lifeguard Y/n has had a crush on convinces them to join the watch. As the new guards of the Baywatch join the force their lives are skyrocketed into a world of chaos, crime, sex, and lots of good ol’ beach vibes.

Genre: romance, minor crack, comedy, lil bit of angst, Baywatch!au, lifeguard!au, college!au?

❖

Three years. Every summer I would come back to this same beach and spend the long hot days on the sand with my two best friends. This summer would be no different. Hyunjin, Jeongin, and I were about to be college sophomores and we were on top of the world. Well, two of us were anyway.

“Yoo-hoo. Head out of the clouds, Y/n.” Hyunjin said, waving his hand in front of my face. Shaking my head I brought myself out of the dreamy summer trance I was in. Hyunjin took the basket from hands and set down all our beach stuff. 

“Sorry, just dazed off for a second.” 

“Well, Ms. Space Cadet, you wanna help us set up, or are you just gonna stand there?” Hyunjin elbowed me, with a smirk. Scoffing, I picked up the beach chair and unfolded it before laying out the towels on the sand.

“Uhhh...guys! A little help here!”

Turning around we saw Jeongin struggling to carry a huge pile of stuff from my beat-up old blue jeep. Scurrying over, I lightened my other best friend’s load. “Come on, guys! We have tanning to do!” Hyunjin called already stripping himself of his shirt.

“More like burns to be received,” Jeongin said to me with a smile. Laughing the two of us joined Hyunjin after finishing out beach set up. Soft tunes played from the speaker Hyunjin brought as the three of us lounged on beach towels in the sun. Jeongin lay on his back, white sunglasses shielding him from the sun. Hyunjin and I lay on our stomachs, feeling the rays on our backs. 

“Guard alert,” Hyunjin said, causing all three of our heads to pop up. “Damn...” He whispered under his breath. Like he said, coming our direction down the waterline were three of  Cheonsa Beach’s finest lifeguards. And quite frankly...all three were hotter than the sun itself.

I pushed my shades down my nose and watched as the three boys- no...three men ran down the beach. Hyunjin did the same.

First on the closest side, Seo Changbin. The shortest of the group, but he was not lacking in form. The boy was built like He-Man on steroids, with a smile that could melt any strong resolved woman- or man. There were rumors he played for both teams.

Falling center was Bang Chan, the oldest of the trio. His light blonde hair bounced with each step. He was not only the kindest man you would ever meet, but he could send the most innocent girl begging for him to show him his dark side. He was the perfect piece of eye candy for any girl to dream about on the beach.

The third ran on the farthest side, water splashing under his feet sending droplets onto his tan and muscular stomach. The ocean drops slid over the scripted tattoo on his right ribcage and splashed against the black dragon like ink across his opposite thigh. Han Jisung, my personal summer daydream. He was almost perfect. His only flaw was that he tended to get cocky at the worst times. It didn’t stop him from physically driving me crazy, his shaggy brown hair blowing in the wind. 

My eyes trailed over every line on his body, studying it like a work of art. The red life guard’s swim trunks hung low on his hips, making my mouth water.

The three of them seemed to move as if time stopped. “How do they do that?” I said, still ogling Jisung. “It’s like they move in slow motion,” I said licking my lips. 

“Oh, you see it too?” Hyunjin said watching Changbin with the same look in his eyes as mine.

Jeongin sat up and took off his sunglasses. His eyes went from Hyunjin to where Hyunjin’s stare was locked on; Changbin’s ass. “Dude...you have a girlfriend....” Hyunjin shrugged and continued to watch his part of the trio as I did mine. 

The whistle around Jisung’s neck swung in rhythm with his steps, bouncing against his chest. He turned our way and I could have sworn he smiled at me, his bright teeth reflecting the sun's rays. Before I could smile back, he disappeared from sight.

“Did Jisung just-” I said hearing a splash. Jeongin laughed, seeing Jisung fall face first into the water. The other two kept running leaving Jisung behind. 

“There’s no way he can recover from that!” Jeongin said rolling around in a fit of laughter.

“Um...think again Innie,” I whispered, watching the scene before me.

Again, it seemed as if he moved in slow motion. Jisung emerged from the water shaking out his wet strands of hair. I took off my glasses fully, the tip of the frames catching between my teeth. I watched the droplets of water catch on the grooves of his stomach sliding over the tattoo on his side. His hand raked through his hair pushing it back away from his face. The water threatened to tug his trunks down even further, making a small line of slightly paler skin show on his hips. He truly was an Adonis. An Adonis that was coming...right...this...way...

Fuck.

Jeongin jabbed my stomach breaking my trance. “Your boyfriend is coming over.”

“Thank you, Innie I can see that,” I said through gritted teeth. I put on a smile seeing Jisung only a few feet away. He smirked, eyes raking over my body. 

“Welcome back, L/n,” Jisung said, pushing his fingers through his wet brown hair. His eyebrow quirked up, noticing the trail of my eyes, up his torso to his face. “You back for another summer?”

“What’s it to you, Han?” I asked looking up at him. He shrugged, a droplet of water falling from his jaw onto the sand. 

“Figured you might have the balls to try out for the watch this year.” I laughed, pushing myself off the towel. Han smirked, now getting a full view of me in my new swimsuit, which I had specifically bought with him in mind. Not that I would ever tell him that. “There’s uh...two spots-...sorry...three spots open this summer,” I smirked knowing exactly the two spots which tripped him up, his eyes still lingering on my chest.

“I don’t know. Hyunjin, Innie? Does that sound fun? I mean, it would take away our time from enjoying the gorgeous beach scenery.” I said motioning to the waves that were rolling in. But, that wasn’t what I was referring to.

“I’m always down for extra cash,” Hyunjin said, bringing his attention to the conversation and away from Changbin who was now just a hot muscular spec in the distance.

“I’m sure Aiya, would love a gift every now and again from her boyfriend,” Jeongin said with a smirk. 

“Aiya....OH! Yeah! She would.”

Jisung was not paying attention to the exchange. Instead, he and I were having a slightly heated staring contest. “So, Jisung,” Hyunjin started, pushing himself into a seated position, long blonde hair, falling into his eyes. “When are tryouts?”

His eyes widened hearing his name and he turned to my friend. “Sorry- what?” Jeongin rolled his eyes and put his sunglasses back on before reaching into our cooler and pulling out a soda. “Uh..tryouts? Tomorrow at noon. The rest of the guys and I will be running them.”

“Well maybe you’ll see us there and maybe you won’t.”

“Here’s hoping,” Jisung said, with a smirk. He shot me a sultry wink before turning on his heel and running off down the beach. Jeongin scoffed watching me shamelessly check out the muscles in his back. 

“So, you guys busy tomorrow?” I asked with a smirk.

❖

My fingers pulled on the straps of the bathing suit top I had chosen to wear. My only one piece I had brought with me. I would not have my tits bouncing all over the place running the stupid obstacle course the boys had set up. It felt weird wearing shorts on the beach for so long. Usually, by this time I would be in the water. 

A whistle blew, calling my attention as well as the attention of the two nitwits beside me to the start of the course. Jisung stood, whistle in his mouth, hands on his hips. The signature red trunks hanging dangerously low in the best way. Chan and Changbin stood next time waiting to address the crowd of about twenty participants.

Changbin stood on top of one of the obstacles, red swim trunks highlighting his tan skin in the sunlight. I turned to find Hyunjin staring lustfully at Changbin’s washboard abs. My elbow jabbed into his stomach earning an annoyed look from my best friend. “What?”

“Aiya?” 

“Aiya.....OH! She’s fine. Ai won’t care.” 

Another shrill sound came from Jisung’s whistle and he let the metal instrument drop from his lips and let it fall against his bare chest. “Alright!” Chan said into a megaphone, addressing the crowd. “We set up a course this morning to test your abilities. Complete the course in under four minutes if you can, which is the standing record set by our current top guard, Jisung, and you move onto new recruit training.”

Changbin motioned for the speaker. My eyes fell back onto Jisung who seemed to have spotted me in the crowd. He crossed his arms, obviously flexing his muscles and shooting a wink my way. Convinced not to give him any sort of satisfaction, I turned back to Changbin. Jisung was obviously frustrated at my lack of reaction. 

“We only have three spots so give it your all! You’ll go do the course in groups of three so get in groups. Try to find some people you don’t know.”

Hyunjin and Jeongin both groaned at the last part of Changbin’s statement. “But what if I don’t like people?” Hyunjin whined. Jeongin let his head hang down, chin touching his tank top clad chest. 

“Hyunjin, I don’t like people either. Suck it up. Extra money. Happy girlfriend?” I said looking around the crowd of participants. Two girls wearing very small swimsuits waved me over. I let out a sigh and began walking over. “Good luck boys!” I called over my shoulder.

I scoffed watching some of the other groups go through the course. The ‘Inies’, as I called them, did fine. Hyunjin and Jeongin completed the course only thirty seconds shy of beating Jisung’s record. My group was the last to go. The three of us lined up at the start of the course and waited for Chan to give us the start.

Jisung leaned against one of the setup poles, clearly watching me with a heated stare. “GO!” Chan yelled. Setting my nerves aside I raced onto the course. First I vaulted onto the metal pole and pulled myself over. My feet flew across the sand as soon as they touched the ground. The crowd cheered and I sensed the other two girls hot on my heels. With a burst of energy I sped through the next two obstacles and then ran into the water.

All that was left to do was swim to the buoy and the crawl under the barbed wire. The sand was sticking to every inch of my wet body, the grains scratching against my skin. Ignoring how uncomfortable it felt I pushed myself out from under the barbed wire and sprinted to the bell the boys told us to ring once we finished the course. 

Clang!

“That’s time!” Chan called pressing the stopwatch in his hand. I doubled over to catch my breath and Hyunjin and Jeongin came over and clapped their hands on my back. Jisung came to look over Chan’s shoulder and the two exchanged hushed words.

“Listen up folks! Someone has beaten Han’s record. With a time of three minutes and forty-two seconds, and the first member of the new Baywatch recruits: Y/n L/n!” The crowd clapped and Jisung rolled his eyes before sending me a cheeky smirk. 

He grabbed the clipboard from Chan’s hands and flipped up a piece of paper. After scanning through the names he tucked the clipboard under his arm, bicep contracting, making my mouth water. “The remaining two spots will be filled by the next highest times; Hwang Hyunjin and Yang Jeongin.”

My boys high fived each other before running over and wrapping me up in a big group hug. “Congrats you guys!” Chan said coming over and joining our hug. It was a little awkward, but we got over it. “Here are your whistles and if you follow us to the Hut we can get you some uniforms!” Chan cheerfully said. 

We followed his bobbing head of blonde hair to a raised lifeguard station that was four times as large as the others. “Welcome to the Hut,” Jisung said from behind me. His hand ghosted over my waist as he moved past me and to a row of lockers in the makeshift office. He opened the farthest locker, filled with lots of red garments. He tossed the Inies two pairs each of red swim trunks much like the ones he was wearing.

Jisung then handed me three pieces of red and white fabric. One was a standard one piece and the other was a red bikini I had seen some of the other female lifeguards wearing. “Either are acceptable in the workplace,” He said with a wink.

“The three lockers empty lockers on the end are yours. Go get changed and we’ll start training.” Changbin said. I caught him eyeing Hyunjin as my friend turned around to go change in the small backroom. “Jisung, you and I will take the Inies and Chan can train Y/n.”

“What if I wanna train Y/n?” I heard Jisung whine as I made my way to the backroom.

“Oh please. Like anything would get done then.”

Chuckling I pushed the door open and began changing in the dark supply closet. My elbows knocked against a broom leaning up against the wall as I tied the strap of the red bikini top. “Oh shit-” With fumbling hands, I grabbed at the broom and tried to stand it back in its place.

“Y/n, you okay?” A smooth voice asked from outside the closet door. Jisung wrapped his knuckles against the door. He probably heard me falling over the cleaning supplies. 

“Yeah! I’m fine, Han.” I could hear him chuckle from the outside the closet. “You try standing still and putting on this tiny swimsuit!” My ears picked up on Jisung’s quiet laugh. I could see his bright blinding smile in my mind.

“Trust me, I know.”

“What?”

“What-” He cleared his throat and I heard his feet shuffle on the wood floor of the hut. “Uh....listen. Chan is out on the deck waiting when you finish. I’m taking Jeongin out for training.” After a few seconds of awkward silence, I watched the shadow of his feet retreat from the door.

Peeking my head out from the closet I looked to find the office empty. The huge windows let in warm light basking over the white floorboards. My bare feet padded across the floor and I stuffed my clothes in my new locker and grabbed my whistle tossing it around my neck.

Through the big window, I saw Chan leaning on the rail surveying the beach through a pair of binoculars.  As I walked outside, I realized he wasn’t watching the waves but rather a certain umbrella down the beach. “Whatcha looking at?” 

“AHHH!” Chan jumped almost four feet in the air, screaming his head off. He pressed a hand to his chest and closed his eyes. “Y/n, you gave me a fucking heart attack!” Chan grasped at his chest and gave me a pointed look.

“Sorry!” I patted him on the back and took the binoculars from his hands. My eyes turned to where Chan was previously looking. Under a pink beach umbrella sat a girl with wavy hair wearing a baggy shirt over a swimsuit. She was contently reading a very thick book and sipping on a purple smoothie. “Oh....Now I see what you were looking at.” 

Chan blushed next to me and took his binoculars back. Crossing my arms I looked him up and down. “Who would have thought the Bang Chan, Dreamboat of the Beach, would have a crush on a beach bunny?” Chan’s ears turned a dark shade of red. “So, what’s her name?” I said nudging him, giving him a gentle smile. 

“Cecilia,” He said shyly rubbing the back of his neck.

“What’s she like?” 

He shrugged and looked to where she was lying under the beach umbrella. “We’ve only talked a few times, but-... she’s the sweetest. She’s very wholesome, and a little shy, but... I don’t know. She just makes me crazy in the best way possible.” Chan played with the bracelet on his wrist and timidly looked over at the girl, Cecilia. “She gets a little uncomfortable because I’m always with the guys.”

“Why don’t you go talk to her right now?” 

His eyes widened and Chan practically turned into a little blonde puppy. “I get really nervous around her. Do you think she’d like me?” I turned back to the girl to find her already looking this way. When she saw me watching she quickly turned back to her book, shielding her face. 

“Trust me. Go talk to her.” After a light shove down the wooden stairs, Chan started venturing towards Cecilia only to double back a second later.

“Oh! All the guards are throwing a bonfire party tonight. Even the ones from the north side of the beach. You and the boys should come!” I smiled from above on the deck.

“Then the Inies and I will be there. No doubt about it.” Chan grinned and gave me a thumbs up before jogging over to the pink umbrella. I turned back into the office and sat at the big desk. A huge binder lay on top of it. “Guess I better educate myself then,” I mumbled, taking the heavy folder and laying it in my lap.

❖

The door of my jeep slammed shut as Hyunjin jumped out of the backseat. The three of us had gone back to our beach rental to shower and change before returning to the bash. Also, Changbin asked us to stop by the store and pick up a keg. Jeongin helped me lift the metal cask down from my car and carry it down the huge bonfire that was lit down on the sand. Music could be heard even from the parking lot.

Hyunjin carried the two lightweight beach bags we brought with us while once again, Innie and I were left with the heavy stuff. “ALCOHOL!” Someone screamed pointing in our direction. Two shirtless boys came running up to us pushing passed Hyunjin. 

As they got closer I saw it was Changbin and Jisung. The two skidded to a stop in front of us, their toes burying in the sand. “Wow. This really is the whole package. Hot girl. Beer. What more could a man ask for?” Jisung said throwing an arm around my shoulder.

Jeongin huffed beside me adjusting his hold on the metal container. “What am I? Chopped liver?” I laughed and nudged Jisung’s side.

 “Give me hand with this?” 

“Sure.” Instead of taking my side of the keg, Jisung walked over to Innie and patted him on the shoulder. “I’ve got it from here, bro.” Jeongin looked from me to the brunette beside him. Before I could say anything, he shrugged and handed the keg to Jisung. I blew a piece of hair out of my face and continued to walk down the beach with Jisung. 

The two of us set the keg down near the bonfire. There was a small crowd nearby dancing to the music. By dancing...I meant severely, ferociously grinding. It was an almost laughable sight. “Y/n! You made it!” A voice called. Turning I saw Chan walking towards us, his arm wrapped around the girl from earlier today.

“I did! I see you grew a pair.” He blushed as I motioned to the pretty girl next to him. She was wearing shorts and a baggy t-shirt unlike the rest of us. It seemed everyone else was bikini clad or in swim trunks. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked, pointedly at Chan. He nervously laughed and gave me the cut it out signal. 

“Nothing, baby girl. Guys this is Cecilia.” Everyone shook her hand and welcomed Chan’s apparent new girlfriend. Boy, the rest of the daydreaming beach bunnies were going to be sad to hear about this. I saw Cecilia get noticeably uncomfortable when she shook hands with Jisung and Changbin. Oddly Chan was also wearing a hoodie. 

Never a day in my life had I seen the man not shirtless. “Are you okay, love?” I asked trying to reassure her. She timidly nodded, playing with the ends of her loose braid. 

“Yeah...I’m just a little uncomfortable with the whole....man chests out and about. I’m barely comfortable with myself in a swimsuit.” I smiled and playfully covered up Jisung’s chest with my hands since he was standing next to me. 

“Better?”

“Yes. Very.” Jisung said with a smirk. 

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “I wasn’t talking to you, Han.” He scoffed looking towards Cahn who had his head in his hands. Most likely in shame. Or embarrassment. Before my hands could leave even an inch from his chest, he grabbed my wrists and put my hands back. Cecilia chuckled and held Chan’s hand in hers.

“So, are you two like a thing? Chan said you’re both on the watch as well?” She asked pointing between the two of us. 

“No.” 

“Yes.” 

I looked to Jisung with wide eyes. He let out a flustered laugh, looking between me and Cecilia. “What she means, is that we aren’t a thing...yet.” His hand wrapped around my waist pulling me into his side. This was shocking news to me. I was under the impression Jisung was a player who flirted with everyone.

When no one responded to his awkward answer, Jisung ran an apprehensive hand through his hair. “Umm...well....Y/n how about we save me from this awkward conversation and go for a swim down the beach?” Cecilia and I laughed.

“Sure, why not.”He smiled at my answer. Cecilia turned back to Chan and the two started to wander off on their own. Jisung let me shed my shorts and shoes before dragging me by the hand down the beach a little ways away from the party. Once we were waist deep into the water Jisung let go of my hand only to reach for my waist. Before I knew it I was over his shoulder, his laugh ringing out into the clear night. “Jisung, don’t you fucking dar-” 

He didn’t let me finish. Without a second thought, he tossed me into the waves. Instead of popping up right away, I chose to stay under the water. Though it was dark, I could still make out the shape of Jisung’s legs. His muffled voice was calling out my name, concern lacing in his voice. Being careful to avoid touching him, I swam behind him and resurfaced. I pushed my hair out of my face and launched myself onto his back making him scream like a little girl.

“WHAT THE FUCK????!?!?!”

“Gotcha!” 

He grinned, twisting his arms behind him and reaching for me. His smile was lighting up the dark. I had never seen him this happy. “Why have we never hung out like this before?” He asked looking over his shoulder at me. His skin radiated warmth in the cool ocean water. “Like, you’ve been coming here every summer. Why haven’t we spent time together?” 

I shrugged, casually resting my arms around him. “I don’t know. You’re usually on duty or surrounded by hot girls. Or both.” He scoffed and turned around facing me. “I figured you didn’t even have time to look at someone like me.” 

“You cannot be serious.” He laughed when I nodded. “Do you know how many times I was scolded for watching you from the tower? Or going outside my zone just to run past you and the Inies a couple times hoping you would come up and talk to me?” 

A heat flooded my cheeks and I was suddenly very aware of how close Jisung was to me. I could practically see the stars reflecting in his big doe eyes. A wind blew across the water hitting my bare shoulders. The waves pushed us closer to shore, but I was captivated by the way Jisung was looking at me.  His long fingers brushed away a strand of wet hair that was stuck to my cheek.

His eyes skimmed over my lips, thumb brushing over my cheek. He leaned in only the slightest bit. The air shared between us was warm and electric. I could feel Jisung’s heart hammering in his chest. 

Just when I was sure he was about to kiss me, a wave crashed into the back of his head pulling us both underwater. Jisung held tightly onto my waist swimming us both back up to the surface. Our laughs lifted into the night. “Well...I wasn’t expecting that.” Jisung said wading back to shore. He helped me up and took my hand as we trudged onto the beach, sand catching between our toes in a familiar way. “We drifted pretty far from the party. We should head back.”

He kept his hand wrapped around mine as I watched him guide me back to the party, water lapping at our feet. Little pieces of sand were stuck to his tan skin. Instinctively I brushed them away from his back. He turned at the unexpected touch. “Sorry,” 

“No...It’s fine.” 

Jisung looked down at his feet as we continued walking. My mind started to run wild. What if that wave hadn’t knocked us over? Would he have kissed me? My body knocked into Jisung’s shoulder as he stopped suddenly. “What is it?” Jisung stared down at the sand, his brows furrowed. He bent down and brushed some sand off a bag about the size of my palm. White powder filled half of it. “Ji?”

He had a serious expression I had never seen before. Jisung scanned the horizon and the way we had just come down the beach. “Ji, talk to me. What is it?” He looked back down the bag in his hands. 

“We’ve got a problem.” His fingers brushed over mine as he handed me the bag. “It’s C17H21NO4.” I looked up at him brows drawn together.

“Can’t you be a normal person and say cocaine?” 

❖

A few days had passed and working on the watch was turning out to make the best summer ever. You got to hang out more with the boys. You discovered that Changbin, Jisung, and Chan were all music majors at the college about an hour away from yours. They were even in a group together called 3RACHA. Chan tended to play their music in the Hut. Hyunjin and I particularly loved a song on Chan’s laptop we found called ‘Wow’. 

Jeongin, Hyunjin, and I were all jamming to the song as we waited for the boys to finally come into the hut. We had all woken up early and gotten there early to our shift. “WOW! SHE’S HOT!” We all screamed as the door to the hut opened and the three boys walked into the room. They all grimaced hearing the song.

“IRON MAN IN THE STREETS, BUT I’M BETTER THAN TONY!” We sang just as Chan lunged for the speaker turning it off. “Awwwww! We were having fun!” Changbin grimaced at us and yanked open his locker. Changbin ripped off the tank top he wore and shoved it on the top shelf. Jisung moved to his and did the same. Hyunjin elbowed me in the stomach when he saw me drooling over Jisung’s toned back, eyes wandering once again to the words inked on his side. 

“You’re leaking from the mouth.” He said with a smirk. 

“Am not.” Just in case, I swiped my hand across my lips. He laughed and grabbed a white cap from his bag covering his blonde hair. “So, Chan, what are we doing today?” Chan shredded his lifeguard hoodie before grabbing a clipboard on the desk. 

Jisung and Changbin’s whispering was silenced by Chan throwing a shoe at them. “Ay! Bro! Don’t throw the Nikes!” Changbin said walking over rubbing his head. With an aggravated grumble, Changbin grabbed the clipboard out of Chan’s hands.

Before Changbin could even read the first station, the door to the hut opened and a familiar head of wavy blonde hair walked through the door. “CELI!” Chan screamed. He scrambled to the window and pulled the curtain over his chest. She blushed walking into the room. “Y/n...could you do me a favor...” Chan asked shyly pointing to his discarded hoodie on the floor. 

Rolling my eyes with a smile, I picked up his red hoodie and handed it to him. Chan covered himself before emerging from the billowing curtain. Cecilia came to stand next to Jisung. Her eyes glanced over and her ears turned as red as a tomato. Chan immediately took notice and his hands flew to Jisung’s chest.

“Dude. What the fuck are you doing?” 

“Censoring your nipples. Duh.”

“......” Jisung looked down at Chan’s hands, to me, then back up to his friend. “This has never been an issue before-”

“WELL, IT IS NOW!”

Hyunjin and I were doing our best not to laugh at Chan’s freakout. “Chan, it’s fine. I can handle it. Yeah...sure.” Cecilia gave a  sweet smile and inched farther away from the still shirtless Jisung, who rolled his eyes. 

Changbin cleared his throat and tapped the clipboard, annoyance in his eyes. “Can we get back to our jobs people?” After a series of grumbles, Changbin looked down and begin reading off our assignments for the day. “Jeongin, you are working the west tower solo today. Chan, you have the east tower.” He rolled his eyes as Chan whispered something to Celi with a big grin.

“Moving on,” He said pointedly. “Hyunjin you’re with me on Southeast ground patrol. Y/n, you’re with Han covering the southwest near the docks.” He tossed the clipboard on the desk and grabbed his whistle.

“YES!” Jisung cheered, punching the air in joy. 

Everyone gave him weird looks. Chan shook his head. “Jisung, you’re the one who made the schedule.” 

Jisung’s eyes flicked from me to Chan before he rubbed the back of his neck. His confident smile was now fueled by awkwardness and embarrassment. “Yeah...I remembered that...Come on, Y/n. Let’s go!” As we left Changbin turned the beach speakers on to the playlist for the day. A happy song blasted through the speakers all across the beach as people started to arrive. I think it was by a singer named Jessi. It made me feel confident about the day ahead of us. 

Jisung and I ran down the beach to the sector we were covering for the day, waving at pedestrians who called out to us. “We haven’t really gotten a chance to talk since the bonfire,” Jisung said whistle bouncing against his chest as we ran. 

The bonfire. Where he almost kissed me. Where he maybe...could have...kissed me. My chest swelled and I decided playing it cool was the best option. “Yeah, what about?” We were nearing the docks so we slowed down to a walk. Jisung seemed more focused on me than on observing and watching the safety of the beachgoers. 

“Umm...Why don’t we take our break?”

“Jisung our shift started twenty minutes ago.” 

“Let’s just talk under the docks okay?” He said a wild smile lighting up his face. Taking my hand he led me under the sturdy wooded structure. Once again water lapped at my toes, a cooling sensation flowing over the skin on my feet. 

My back pressed against one of the wide wooden poles holding up the wharf above. Jisung stood in front of me, hands behind his back, and stare aimed firmly on the watery bay. “Is this about the bag we found on the beach that night?”

“The C17H21NO4?”

“For fuck’s sake just say cocaine, Ji.” 

“How do you even know that means cocaine?” 

“Ji, I took chemistry. I’m not stupid.”I said with a laugh. He smiled feeling my hand brushed over his arm. Jisung let his gaze wander over me. He smiled taking a step closer. Soon his chest was brushing up against mine.

“No more Han? I’m Ji now?” He smirked. Jisung’s brown shaggy hair fell in front of his eyes. I watched his teeth drag tantalizingly across his bottom lip. His tan skin felt warm under the palm of my hand. Just like the night of the bonfire, there was an electric air between us. It was amazing to feel him so close to me.

Far away music drifted under the dock, but all my focus stayed on the man in front of me. His left hand rested just below my hip. “There are many names I could start calling you.” He rose his brow in interest.

“Like what?”

He leaned down and placed a kiss just above my jaw. He smirked against my skin hearing me let out a small sigh. “I don’t know,” All the nerves in my body were firing off like rockets. “Idiot, knucklehead...my personal favorite is dumbass.” Jisung laughed, his teeth nibbling gently on my ear lobe. 

“I can’t take this anymore,” He whispered, in a labored breath. I stared into his brown eyes. The way he was looking at me made my knees go weak. 

“What?”

“I’ve got to kiss you or I’m going to go crazy.” He didn’t wait for my answer. Jisung’s lips smashed against mine. He kissed me like he had eaten in days and I was his first taste of succulent delicious food. I let my fingers tangle in his dark brown hair pulling him closer to me. I would have fallen had the pole and Jisung not been holding me up. 

Kissing Jisung felt like music. Not one moment was the same but it all flowed as if it was made for one purpose. I felt his hand start to move below my waist, pulling me closer against him, as if there was any space left to begin with. 

“Hey, guys.” The walkie-talkie crackled to life. Changbin’s voice had me pulling away from Jisung. He sighed ignoring the call, moving to continue our little makeout session. 

“You should pick up; what if it’s important.”

Jisung shook his head kissing me again. “I trust them. Plus they’ve got the Inies.” I smiled, reaching behind Jisung. He smirked feeling my hand on the back of his swim trunks. “Oh really?” He asked, our noses brushing together. He let out a breathy laugh as I bit my lip. His smile fell when I pulled the walkie talkie from its place and pressed it against his chest. 

“Pick up the call.”

He sighed, pressing his forehead against mine. “This is SW Patrol; Jisung. What the fuck do you want Changbin?” Jisung backed away only far enough that he could talk on the radio. I smiled watching him all pent up. 

“We got a complaint about some serious PDA on the beach. Could you check it out?” Changbin’s voice crackled through the channel. Jisung sighed, but he had a knowing smirk on the corner of his lips. 

Another channel crackled to life before he could respond. “Actually that might have been us,” Chan said over the channel. Jisung and I both laughed. 

His long slender fingers pressed down opening up the channel for him to speak. “Yeah. It was Chan and Celi. Totally no one in our sector.” Changbin sighed over the radio. 

“Both of you quit making out and do your jobs.” 

The radio went silent and Jisung returned to his previous position. “Now where were we?” He asked, his hands wondering lower than publicly appropriate. You laughed and kissed him again. “Please just be my girlfriend already?” The boy whispered against my lips. 

I opened my eyes to look at him, but something in the distance caught my attention. Out on the water, there was a billowing trail of black smoke. My eyes widened realizing what it was. “Fire.”

“I believe the correct answer is ‘yes’.”

“No, Jisung. Fire. Out on the water.” I exclaimed harshly turning his head out to the bay.

“Oh fuck!” He hastily grabbed the walkie-talkie and tuned into an open channel. “All guards! We have a 10-73! There’s a boat on fire to the southwest. Prepare to go for first response.” 

The two of us sprinted out from under the docks. I looked frantically around before my eyes landed on a jetski by the pier. “Ji, let’s go!” I said making a run for it.

I reached the vehicle first and strapped on the emergency belt. “Move. I’ll drive!” Jisung said motioning for me to scoot back. 

“Jisung just get on! We have no time for this.”

“But the guy always drives-”

“GET THE FUCK ON YOU LITTLE BITCH WE HAVE PEOPLE TO SAVE!”

 Without another word, Jisung threw his leg over the back and we took off out on the waves. The wind blew through our hair as we raced to the sight of the fire. In the corner of my eye, I saw the rescue boat coming from the south with the rest of the boys on it. With one arm, he held onto my waist as I drove the water vehicle and with the other, he reached down and readied some rope and a buoy for survivors in the water. “So,” He said over the roar of the waves. “You didn’t answer my question!” 

Unbelievable. “Ji, there’s a fire! Are you sure this is the time?” 

“There couldn’t be a better one in my opinion.” I heard him laugh behind me and I couldn’t help but smile. The fire was getting closer now. There were flames burning on top of the water and I could now see that the burning vessel was a yacht. 

“Yes. I will be your girlfriend! Let’s do our job now!” 

The rescue boat pulled up alongside us, Chan at the helm. “We need to send a team aboard to get survivors!” He called down as I shut off the engine a couple yards away from the flames. 

“Don’t worry! I’ve got it!” Before we could say anything Jisung dove into the water and under the flames. 

“JISUNG!” I screamed. Without hesitation, I dove in after him.

❖

The heat of the flames brushed above my back through the ocean water. I swam to avoid pieces of falling firey debris. Just as my chest started to burn I resurfaced on the other side of the flames. Frantically I looked around for any sign of Jisung. 

The first twenty minutes of us dating and he decides to literally jump into a wall of fire. “Jisung I’m going to fucking kill you when I find you!” A head popped out of the water, shaking out his dark hair. “HAN JISUNG!” I screeched watching him tread water. 

He turned,  a cheeky smile on his face. “What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?” I swam over just to whack him upside the head. He rubbed the back of his head before swimming towards the yacht. “You can hit me later. Let’s save some people.”

Together we swam to the side of the ship. The muscles in Jisung’s back flexed as he pulled himself over the side. His hand reached for mine, lifting me over the side of the white boat. Black smoke filled the air and Jisung and I looked for a way into the cabin of the burning vessel. 

“Help me!” A girl screamed. I turned seeing a hand reaching out from around the corner. 

“There!” 

Jisung and I rushed to the woman. She was stuck under a piece of fallen equipment. “Ah! You, sexy water man! You are here to save me, yes?” Somehow despite her dire situation the young woman still managed to push her large breasts forward like a peacock showing off its plumage. 

“Y/n, can you get that side and I’ll pull her out?” Nodding I positioned my hands under the heavy equipment and lifted on Jisung’s count. With a grunt I let the heavy object fall back down once the girl was clear. “Signal Chan to come around port side.” 

While Jisung busied himself with grabbing an intact life vest for the woman, I ran to the helm sending Chan the signal to come around to the right. When I turned the woman was trying to throw herself all over my new boyfriend. He carried her in his arms, life jacket around her neck. They stood on the port side waiting for Chan. 

“Okay, handsome! If you want me you can have me, But, quickly cause the boat is on fire.” She exclaimed, wrapping her long painted fingers around his neck.

She leaned in to kiss him, but before she got close I grabbed her from Jisung’s arms and tossed her into the water where Chan was swimming to the boat to help. 

“He’s got a girlfriend too! So don’t try anything!” 

Jisung laughed before tapping my shoulder. “That was hot.” Rolling my eyes, I moved back to the cabin which was still very much on fire. 

“IN HERE!” Another voice called. Jisung looked for a break in the fire near the door. I watched him ram his shoulder against the wood several times before it broke. The two of us searched the rooms looking for the voice. 

I burst through the bedroom door, pain shooting through my shoulder. How the hell did Jisung do it so effortlessly? Probably his Herculean broad shoulders, I thought scowling. The frown fell when my eyes fell to the center of the room. A man maybe in his late forties lay dead on the floor. A bullet hole centered perfectly in his forehead. 

All the drawers and closets were spilled open and a trail over white powder stained the carpet. “Shit.” I looked around for any other survivors. “Jisung! Dead body.” 

“What do you mean dead bod-” He said walking into the room with a girl, soot covering her face. “Oh...that dead body.” He started stuttering, brown hair falling in front of his round eyes. “Uh....take her. She’s the last one. I checked.” Nodding, I took the girl by the hand and pulled her through the burning boat. 

“You’re leaving that lifeguard? What about Councilman Kang?” The skinny woman whined in my arms. 

“Don’t worry about Jisung. He’ll take care of it.” The girl screamed as I tossed her overboard to where Chan was waiting below. Not looking back, I dove into the water and swam with Chan and the girl back to the boat. 

“Where’s Han?” Chan said as we pulled ourselves aboard the lifeguard's vessel.

The speedboat started moving around the yacht. “He’s towards the front. There was a body.” Chan nodded and looked back at the burning boat. Through the thick black smoke, I saw Jisung at the bow of the yacht carrying the dead man. The flames surrounded the boat giving him no clear place to escape. 

Changbin steered the boat as close as he could, but couldn’t get to him. “He can’t go under the flames. Not even Jisung could swim that far carrying that much weight.” The boy said.

“JISUNG!” Chan called, hands cupping around his mouth. The man turned at his hyung’s voice and strained to hear what he had to say. “Move to the back! We’ll come get you!” 

“There’s no time!” 

“JISUNG DON’T-”

Again, Jisung ignored Chan, diving under the water with the dead Councilman. “JISUNG!” I screamed. We raced into action. Jeongin and Chan jumped on the jet skis attached to our boat and I grabbed a preserver before diving in after him. I was seriously going to kill him if he didn’t die first. 

The fire cast a bright orange glow under the water. Spotting Jisung, his body limp and still holding onto the dead man, I started swimming deeper. He must have hit his head on some hidden debris. 

Working with fast fingers, I pried his strong grip from the Councilman and pushed the body away from us to the service. Chan would pick it up. I panicked seeing Jisung’s unconscious face. Wrapping an arm securely around his chest I began swimming upwards, the task eight times harder while carrying Jisung’s weight against gravity. 

I gasped breaking through the ocean surface. My legs pumped through the water trying to keep both of us afloat as I waved down Jeongin. “Innie! Over here!” My friend steered the jet ski over to us, his black hair flying in the wind. 

“He’s unconscious. Help me lift him up.” 

Jeongin groaned, trying to lift Jisung onto the ski. I did my best to push him from the other side. “How can he be this heavy? His waist is fucking tiny!” I said pushing my most likely concussed boyfriend across the ski. Changbin was already steering the boat away from the burning yacht as the Coastguard approached. “Let’s go. Jisung needs attention.” 

“What else is new?” Innie mumbled before driving the ski towards the boat. I held onto Jisung making sure he didn’t fall off. My hand wrapped securely on his shoulder and thigh, rubbing over the intricate design of the dragon on his skin. 

Changbin stopped the boat letting us pull up alongside. Chan and Jeongin carried Jisung laying him on the floor. I crawled over him, checking his mouth to make sure his airway was clear. My hands pressed to his chest starting compressions. After a minute he coughed spewing water up at my face. 

Jisung gasped, rolling over but not going far with my ontop of him. The first thing he looked at was me. “You fucking idiot!” I yelled, slapping him across the cheek. 

“OW!” 

“You could have died, Ji!” 

“Dude, she’s right. That was really stupid.” Changbin said starting the boat again. With tired arms, Jisung pushed himself up to a sitting position and wrapped me up in a hug. I heard the girl from before huff and saw her cross her arms watching Jisung hold me so tightly. 

I stuck my tongue out at her which earned me a slap on the head from Hyunjin. “Let’s just get back to shore so we can give the police our report,” Chan said handing the girls some towels. 

“Anybody have some aspirin?” Jisung asked, rubbing the top of his head.

❖

“Is this what dating you is going to be like?” I asked. Jisung sat on his kitchen counter holding an ice pack to his head. He shrugged and watched me open the first aid kit. Chan sent him home since he had used all his stupid passes for the day. 

I drove Jisung to the beach house he rented and was now searching through his inadequately stocked medical supplies. 

“Yeah, but I was quite the hero today wasn’t I?”

“You would have been a dead hero had I not gone in after you.” The shirt Jisung lent me brushed over my thighs as I walked back over to him. Delicately, I cleaned the cut on his forehead, ignoring the whines from Jisung. “You saw the drugs in the cabin, right?” I asked hesitantly. 

Jisung nodded, looking into my eyes. “Just like we found on the beach the other night.” He looked out the window staring at the sea. Working for the Baywatch must have given him a huge discount because the house was right on the waterfront. “Chan and I have been trying to get the police involved, but they won’t take us seriously.” He laughed and took the supplies from my hands. “They said we were just a bunch of goofy lifeguards probably getting high on the stash we found anyway.”

His hands wrapped mine, playing with my fingers. “Speaking of high,” I said, playing with the bottom of Jisung’s tank top. “Changbin texted me. He said the girls we rescued were high as kites. They were partying below deck so they have no clue how the Councilman ended up with a bullet in his head.” 

“They probably got it from the stash on the yacht.” Jisung hopped down from the counter and stood in front of me, his chest brushing against mine. “Also, that was badass what you did to that girl.” With an embarrassed laugh, I buried my face in his chest. “If you want me you can have me, but quickly because the boat is on fire!” Jisung mocked in a high voice. 

“Don’t tease her!” My hand softly smacked against his chest. “She was high and you were hot.”

“Were? Past tense?” 

“Well, you do have on more clothes now.”

“So, you’re saying I have circumstantial hotness. I see. So, you are only with me because of my abs and tattoos and general lifeguard sexiness?” Jisung smiled, watching me laugh. 

“Tell me I’m wrong. If we weren’t dating you would have taken that girl home with you.” Jisung sighed, pulling me closer to him. “That isn’t a no,” I said with a small laugh.

“But, I brought you home.” Jisung’s hands fell below my waist, a smirk playing at the corning of his mouth. He walked me backwards until I was pressed against the kitchen wall, a position he seemed to like me in. 

The air had changed between us, now charged with sexual tension. “I would have you right here until you begged for mercy twice,” Jisung whispered, staring into my eyes. My brow quirked up, watching him hungrily gaze down at my lips. 

“I’ve never begged in my life.”

“Twice.” 

My stomach began to twist itself in knots, making me squeeze my legs together. Never before had I imagined Jisung would be like this. Never in my wildest dreams, which were getting wilder by the second. He exuded dominance pressing his hands firmly into my hips. “Twice?” He nodded leaning closer than I thought possible. His warm breath fanned over my lips. 

Just the way he was looking at me was almost enough to push me over the edge and take him right on his kitchen counter. “Bedroom. Now.” My voice was muffled and came out more like a whine feeling his thigh push between my legs. His head dipped letting his lips drag just below my ear. 

“Are you sure? Once we start, I might not be able to stop.” All it took was for him to feel me nod before he pulled away and kissed my lips deeply. “Bedroom is that way.” Jisung jerked his head towards the hall pulling his hips against mine. 

“Well, you’ll just have to catch me then,” I said cheekily slipping from his grasp and slapping his ass as I ran down the hall. He laughed, the sound of his steps thundering down the hall after me. 

I screamed feeling his arms wrap around me and lift me into the air. Setting me down, Jisung enveloped me into a kiss letting his fingers tug my shirt over my head. He tossed me onto his bed, leaving me to watch as he ripped off his shirt. My eyes hungrily dragged over his torso eyeing the tattoo on his side and the way his muscles flexed and contracted as he let out shaky happy breaths.

“You keep staring at me like that and I’ll have to ruin you.” Jisung’s shoulders dropped watching my tongue whip over my bottom lip.  “You naughty, naughty girl.” Grabbing my ankles, he tugged me across the bed before sliding my shorts down and flinging them across the bedroom. 

Jisung hovered over me, hands traveling anywhere he could reach. I was growing impatient not being able to touch him the way I wanted. My hands pushed against his strong shoulders, flipping him back onto the bed. His arms wrapped around my waist, letting my legs fall on either side of his hips. 

I sighed against his lips, feeling his hips press up against mine. Letting my lips guide my actions I moved down his neck and chest. I looked up to see Jisung’s hands covering his face, attempting to silence how I was making him feel. Seeing his reaction, I let my tongue slide over his toned stomach and graze across the inked skin on his right side. A heavenly moan left his lips. My hand fell down further and ghosted over the growling bulge beneath his shorts.

“Ah...fuck-” He moaned as my tongue licked down his torso, inching dangerously close to the low hanging waistband. His head lifted up when I pulled away. “Shit- why’d you stop?”

Smirking, I started playing with the band of his shorts. “Oh, don’t mind me. Just enjoying the view.” As my fingers hooked around the fabric he pulled me back up to his lips and helped me pull them down. “Do you have...you know?” I asked between heated kisses. 

Jisung nodded, hands groping my ass and grinding up against my core. “In the drawer.” With quick impatient hands, I reached over to the nightstand yanked open the drawer. “You’re on the pill right? Just in case.” 

“Yeah, of course.” Finding a strip of condoms I tore one off, and returned to Jisung’s lips. My eyes closed, letting myself fall into the blissful daze Jisung was sending me into. Letting him wreck and ravish my body was the only thing on my mind. 

❖ 

Almost a month later I found myself in the same place. Jisung’s bed. A light sheen of sweat lay on my skin and his. His sheets did a lousy job of covering anything but my hips resting over his. My head rested on his chest, letting his fingers play with my hair. 

His legs were tangled with mine around and under the covers. The art on his side drew my attention. Jisung watched my fingers trace over the words on his ribcage. I had watched him for so long and been with him more than a few times and I had yet to ask him about his tattoos.

Delicately, I traced each line of the words on his ribs; ‘I See’. “What does it mean?” Jisung looked down at me, watching my hand move over the ink.

“It’s the first song I ever seriously wrote.”

“Can I hear it?”

A cool breeze floated through the open windows in his bedroom. The stars reflected on the rolling waves. Jisung shook his head. “It’s nothing much.” He nuzzled into my hair, letting me draw over the natural and drawn lines on his body. 

“I doubt that if it is physically inked on your skin.” A laugh rumbled through his chest. My touch wandered down to the dark ink on his thigh. “What about these?” 

He looked down and laughed. “Oh- I just like dragons.” Among the black lines and shading of the large dragon wrapped around his thigh were other gorgeous drawings like out of an ancient Japanese text. A symbol caught my eye.

“Is that the Chinese character for soup?” 

“No. It means perseverance.”

“No. It means soup.” 

Jisung laid his head back on the pillow, eyes wide. “That would explain why the guy was laughing so much when he did the tattoo.” He rolled over on top of me, adjusting the sheets to shield us more from the night wind. His head nuzzled into my neck. “Where do the Inies think you are?” Jisung questioned. 

I shrugged. “Hyunjin could care less. He spends most of his nights facetiming his girlfriend, Aiya.” 

“Can’t relate. Mine has been in my bed every night.” 

Scoffing, my fingers began threading through his dark hair. “Innie is a little suspicious. But, usually, I just buy him boba the next day and he doesn’t care.” Jisung nodded and held onto me like a teddy bear. His warm skin acted like my own personal sun.

“Noted. Jeongin can be bribed with boba.”Jisung’s head lifted hearing a yawn slip past my lips. “You tired, baby? I nodded, cuddling further into him. “Get some sleep. We both have shifts tomorrow.” Jisung leaned over pressing his lips gently against mine. I fell asleep with my arms wrapped around him and his lips sleepily trailing down my neck and shoulder. 

���

“Every night?” My dark haired friend asked in disbelief. Jeongin walked beside me as we made our way back to the Hut. The sunset cast a gold and red glow over the beach.  Our shift would be over soon and I could not wait. This had been a long day and I wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse in bed. “You guys are procreating like rabbits.” I laughed at his word choice. “I’m sorry, but I do not need mini Y/ns and Jisungs running around.”

Jeongin climbed the creaky wooden steps up to the Hut. Rough outlines of his feet in sand followed his steps to the door. Through the windows, I could see Hyunjin, Changbin, and my boyfriend inside. “Where’s Chan?” I asked seeing him missing as we entered the base.

Changbin sighed, flipping through the day’s log. “He took Celi down to the dock to watch the sunset.” I caught Jisung eyeing me from across the room. He stuck out his tongue and shook his head at me, eliciting a laugh.  

“So, Inies,” Changbin started. The blonde and brunette raised their heads waiting for what Changbin had to say. “Looks like it’s your turn to do the night walk.” They groaned and whined. The night walk was done by two lifeguards after the beach closed. It was typically a long cold walk with flashlights making sure no one was on the beach. It usually took an extra two hours that you did not get paid for. 

“But, Aiya is waiting for me to call!”

“I just want to go home!”

Jisung shot me a look standing near his open locker. He crossed his arms, tan shoulders leaning against the cool metal. Despite my tired feet and my urge to sleep for a week I smiled, knowing what he was thinking. 

“Y/n and I can do it.” The Inies quickly stopped their pleading turning to my boyfriend.

“No argument from me. They can do it.” Hyunjin said grabbing his stuff and racing out the door. Jeongin quickly followed. Changbin shrugged, tossing the clipboard on the desk. 

“Y/n, you might want a jacket. It’s going to get cold.” Changbin said, patting my shoulder. He turned to the boy with tousled brown hair and threw him the ring of metal keys. “Jisung, don’t forget to lock up when you’re done.” 

With a final wave, Changbin grabbed his bag and shut the door behind him, descending the stairs. “You’re buying me dinner,” I said wrapping my arms around his waist. “Pizza sounds good.” 

“That’s fair. I’ll get you pizza.” Jisung cupped my cheeks before pecking my lips. He turned back to his open locker, pulling out a grey unzipped hoodie. “Here.” The fabric swallowed me as he sweetly helped me slip my arms into the jacket. Listing his head, he smiled, cheeks filling and eyes turning into crescent moons. “You look too cute.”

I smiled watching him lean down and capture my lips in a kiss. My stomach twisted in knots only he could tie. “We should get going. I want my pizza sooner than later.” He nodded and grabbed two flashlights. Slipping my phone into the jacket pocket I followed Jisung down onto the beach. 

Time always seemed to pass quickly with him. It felt like this summer had only started yesterday, so by the time we reached the end of the beach hand in hand my tiredness was long forgotten. 

“Yeah, so then Changbin-” Jisung interrupted his own story. His eyes strained against the dark. “Do you see that?” Further down the shore, my eyes pushed past the darkness to see the outline of a speedboat beached on the sand. Several men were loading packages onto the vessel. 

“Yeah,” I latched onto Jisung’s arm looking up at him. “You want me to call it in?” 

He shook his head continuing to watch from afar. “No, Changbin already left. Stay here. I’ll go check it out.” Turning on his flashlight, he kissed my cheek before walking down the beach. 

A chilling breeze blew over the sand. Shoving my hands in my pockets I watched Jisung approach the four men. The beam from his light fanned over the wrapped cargo. My skin crawled. Something felt off. I couldn’t hear anything from where I stood, but I could tell the men were getting more than angry at Jisung for walking into whatever they were doing. 

The muscles in Jisung’s back rippled as he pointed up the beach, most likely telling them to leave. My body froze. Under the moonlight, I thought I saw the glint of a gun being pulled from a jacket. All I could do was try not to scream hearing the sound of a round being fired and watching Jisung fall to the ground. 

“Jisung!”

Ignoring the man they just shot, the men pushed the boat out into the water. The sand beneath my feet made it hard to run. I slipped and fell but scrambled to my feet racing over to Jisung. He clutched his stomach, labored breaths struggling to escape. 

“Jisung!” He looked up at me as I kneeled next to him. Moving his hands I saw blood seeping out of the bullet wound. Jisung struggled to keep his eyes open. “Ji, baby, stay with me.” He cried out in pain feeling me put pressure on the wound. Hands shaking, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. 

Dialing emergency services, I waited for someone to answer as Jisung still bled out beside me. “Yes? Hello! I’m at Cheonsa Beach! It’s an emergency. We need an ambulance.”

“Okay, calm down Miss.”

“Calm down? My boyfriend was just shot!”

The sound of her typing carried through the phone. “The ambulance is three minutes out.” Nodding, I looked back at Jisung.  “Just keep pressure on the bullet wound and make sure your boyfriend stays awake.” In the distance, I heard the sound of sirens. 

“Over here!” Several EMTs ran towards us with a gurney. “We’re over here!” More sirens approached, flashing red and blue. 

“What happened?”

“We were making sure everyone had left the beach. We saw some guys loading packages into a boat and he told me to wait while he went to check it out. The next thing I know they shot him and sailed off.” They nodded and lifted Jisung onto the gurney. Running alongside them, they asked me questions about Jisung, most of which I couldn’t answer. “Sorry, I don’t know.”

“Okay. You can ride with us to the hospital. You’ll have to give a statement to the police and you’re boyfriend will most likely need surgery.”

Hoisting myself up into the ambulance I sat next to the gurney, holding onto Jisung’s hand. The EMT with us tried to keep him awake by asking him questions. “Is he going to be okay?” 

“He just in shock right now. We’ll have to do more tests when we get to the hospital.” She gave me a less than an optimistic smile. “Just in case- we tell most everyone this. You should call someone to be with you.” Not letting go of Jisung’s hand I reached once more for my phone. My heart stopped seeing the dark red stains on my hand. Shakily I called the first person I thought of who I wanted with me. They picked up on the second ring.

“Y/n, what’s up. I’m not-”

“Jeongin...something happened.”

❖

The bright lights of the hospital hallways were still hurting my eyes despite the many hours I had spent here. Jisung’s blood stained hoodie still hung on my shoulders. Jeongin had grabbed some board shorts from his bag so I was a little more covered standing in a passageway teaming with medical professionals.

Apparently, he and Hyunjin had just gotten back to our rental house so they raced back over still in their beachwear. Jeongin called the other boys and Chan left Celi to meet us at the hospital. It was almost eighteen hours since Jisung had been admitted and I had been talking to the police for the last three. Changbin stepped out of the room an hour ago letting me know that he Jisung had woken up. 

My mind was elsewhere, thinking about nothing but seeing my boyfriend. “Thank you so much for your statement. We will be in contact later about the investigation.” Nodding I bowed to the officer, desperately wanting to go back into the hospital room. “An officer will be back in a few days to take your boyfriend’s statement as well. I hope he makes a quick recovery.” 

The officer shook my hand and then bid me farewell. The click of the door was an announcement of my entrance. All five pairs of eyes stared at me as I closed it behind me. I was first drawn to the dark round set sitting in the bed. Wasting no time I rushed to Jisung. It took all of my strength not to cry feeling him hold onto me so tightly.

“You’re okay,” I whispered into his neck.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby. You’re stuck with me.” Jisung pulled me to sit on the bed so he could hug me even tighter. The second I felt him pull away I was prepared to let him go, instead, he pulled me down kissing me deeply. 

“Guys- get a room.”

Jisung pulled away, eyes wide and a shy smile on his face. “Hey! This is technically my room! I’ll kiss my girlfriend if I want to.” 

Jeongin rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “That’s my best friend your kissing. Watch your hands, assface.” Jisung removed his hands from well below my waist seeing the death inducing glare the youngest Inie was sending his way.

“How are you guys not cold?” I asked noticing all of them had come still in their beachwear. None of them seemed to find the time to put on a shirt. Changbin shrugged and flexed next to Chan. “No shirt, no shoes, no problem.” He said slapping his bicep. 

“I don’t think that applies to a hospital,” I whispered, lacing my fingers with Jisung’s. He chuckled, but winced clutching his side. 

Chan sighed and motioned me over. Reluctantly I left Jisung to talk to him. “The doctor said he’ll have to stay here for at least a week. Maybe a couple days more.” My fingers raked through my hair as I watched Jisung swat away Hyunjin’s hands from a box of chocolates someone had left for him. “We’re going to have to keep a close eye on him when he gets discharged.”

I nodded. “Look I’ll stay here tonight with him. When he gets discharged, I’ll stay at his place and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” 

“Y/n,” Chan started, gently holding onto my arm. The action felt brotherly, like he was taking care of me. “You’ve been awake for over thirty-six hours. I can stay here tonight. Celi said she would drop by later anyway.” 

“Chan, I’m not leaving him.”

He opened his mouth about to say something but was interrupted by the door swinging open and a cheery brunette waltzing in. She carried a plate covered in a clear wrap. “Knock, knock! I- oh....this is uh...” Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red seeing all but Jisung standing around shirtless. Eyes bulging, Chan lept for the curtains covering himself. Jeongin grabbed an extra blanket form Jisung’s bed and Changbin hid behind me. Hyunjin grabbed the nearest object to him which happened to be a bedpan. 

“EEEEKK!” He screeched realizing what it was, the metal object crashing onto the floor. 

“Celi! Uhh... I thought you were coming later?” Chan stuttered from behind the somewhat sheer curtain over him. He seemed drawn to curtains in these situations. 

Doing her best to suppress the blush on her cheeks she set the plate down on a table and pulled a hoodie out of the bag she had with her, tossing it to her boyfriend. “Well, I made cookies and thought it would make Jisung feel better.” She motioned to the platter filled with homemade baked goods. 

Jisung’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “I got shot. How are cookies supposed to help?” 

A fire lit in Chan’s eyes and I sent an equally chilling glare his way. “Jisung!” I scolded through my teeth. 

“THANK YOU FOR THE COOKIES! I LOVE THEM VERY MUCH!” He screeched in higher register than I thought possible as he slid down the headboard, hiding from the combined power of Chan and my glares.

Thanking Cecilia again on my boyfriend’s behalf I took the cookies and brought them over to his bedside table. Like second nature, Jisung pulled me next to him on the bed and watched me unwrap the plate. He opened his mouth, expecting me to feed him a still warm and gooey cookie. 

Jisung whined when I bit into it instead. “Y/n, baby, I got shot. Please!” Rolling my eyes I placed a cookie in his mouth and watched his cheeks fill up with the sweet goodness Celi had made. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up. “Thank you, gorgeous.” He said kissing my cheek. I shrugged and fought the smile edging its way onto my face. 

“You get shot again, and I’ll have to kill you, Han.” 

Jisung smiled, eyes crinkling up before he nodded. “I promise I won’t get shot by drug traffickers.” I leaned down kissing him again. His familiar long fingers brushed over my cheek. 

“Y/N L/N!”

My name was screamed from the doorway. Jumping away from Jisung I saw my parents standing there, fury the only expression on their faces. “Mom?”  Jisung looked from me to my mother, eyes wide and most likely more afraid of her than he was of me earlier. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” My father yelled. Even Changbin flinched at his tone. Hyunjin and Jeongin were used to situations like these and slowly decided to hide behind the closet. The tension in the room couldn’t be cut with a knife it was so thick.

“Who the hell is he? Is he the one who almost got you shot?” My mother screeched, pointing at Jisung. I stood at a loss for words. The man in the bed looked up at me with soft doe eyes, clearly confused. 

“Mom, you don’t understand. It wasn’t Jisung’s fault. He did nothing wrong-”

“You could have died because of him!”

“Mom!” 

My father sighed stepping in. The rest of the room watched the exchange quietly. “Your mother is right. You are coming home with us. We let you come to the beach one last time to spend the summer with your friends. Instead, we get a call in the middle of the night saying your little boy toy has you involved in a drug investigation.” Jisung threw his legs out of the bed but I stopped him from getting up. 

“Dad, Jisung is-”

“I don’t care if Jisung is Gandhi. You are coming home with us and you are never coming back to Cheonsa.” Not letting me say another word, my father grabbed my wrist and began dragging me out the door. I heard Jisung clamber out of the hospital bed and the others attempt to stop him. Looking back I saw him tearing out IVs and pushing past the boys as my parents dragged me away. 

“Dad, please!” 

“Sir! Mr. L/n! Please!” Jisung ran after us down the hall nurses staring as he clutched his side. “Please! Mr. L/n! I love your daughter. Please, let me explain!”  I turned back with wide eyes, but all I could see was Jisung and the heartbroken look on his face as my parents pulled me into a closing elevator. 

He loved me.

❖

Jisung’s POV

I sat staring at my phone. Nothing. I had heard nothing from Y/n in the past twelve days. The Inies reassured me that she was fine, but her parents had confiscated her phone and basically put her under house arrest. 

This was all my fault. 

It felt like a part of me was missing. My thumb hovered over my gallery wanting to look at her pictures again. Unable to resist the urge I opened the app and smiled seeing her face. In only two months my camera roll had become full of her. 

Just as I was about to click on a photo my phone was snatched out of my hand. “You packed, bro?” Hyunjin asked tossing my phone onto the bed. I nodded towards the bag in the chair. I was being discharged in an hour. Yesterday I passed the physical saying I was good to go home. But, home wasn’t home without Y/n. Jeongin entered the room and gave me a pity smile. With one last check-in from the doctor, I was released. 

“Is this really necessary?” I questioned the nurse as Jeongin pushed me through the lobby in a wheelchair. Hyunjin was taking photos of me a giant grin on his face. 

“Yeah, is this necessary?” Jeongin groaned from behind me. The nurse nodded and opened the door for us. Jeongin noticed my, for lack of a better descriptor, depressed as fuck face. “Dude, if you miss her this much go get her.” 

Jeongin stopped just outside the hospital doors, making me turn my head. “I can’t even protect myself from thugs on the beach. How am I supposed to take care of her? How am I supposed to prove myself to them? I’m a music production major. Her parents aren’t going to take me seriously.”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes coming to stand in front of me. “Okay, first of all, you were attacked with a gun. You aren’t fucking Superman. No matter how much you work out your abs will not stop a bullet.” I looked down at my hands, taking in everything the blonde said. “You’ve just got to seize the day. If you want her, go and get her.”

“Seize the day? Really?” Jeongin asked, brows raised. 

“I watched Dead Poets Society last night. Sue Me. Robin Williams is a fucking genius.” 

As the two of them argued about Robin Williams, I thought more about what Hyunjin said. I was never going to get her back if I didn’t try. If I didn’t believe I could convince her parents, then I wouldn’t be able to. I would do anything to be with Y/n. “You’re right,” I said standing up from the wheelchair, stopping the Inies’ argument. “I am gonna seize the day!” 

It was Jeongin’s turn to roll his eyes and he pushed me back down into the chair. “Seize the day when there is less of a hole in your stomach.” With a huff, I sat back down as Innie pushed the chair forward towards the car. “Also,” The young black haired boy started. “Seize your wallet. There’s a taco truck down the street and I’m hungry.”

Reluctantly, I pulled my wallet from my bag to pay for Jeongin and his tacos. I wasn’t about to wait on Y/n though. The second I was able, I was going to get her back.

❖

Y/n’s POV

“Y/n, are you sure you don’t want to eat?” My mom called from downstairs. I laid on my bed staring up at the ceiling. Subconsciously I lifted the black shirt I was wearing up to my nose and breathed in the scent. My parents were kind enough to let me go back to the beach house the Inies and I shared and let me pack.

Wearing Jisung’s shirt gave me a little bit of comfort. That was until I thought about the fact my parents never wanted me to see him again. The shirt smelled like rain on the beach. A very certain scent. A scent that seemed to follow Jisung no matter where he went. 

“No. I’m not eating,” I shouted back. 

Rolling over my bed, I turned to see a stuffed octopus staring back at me. “What are you looking at?” It did nothing but keep its sewn smile on its purple face. Downstairs I heard the doorbell ring. Not taking the plush octopus’s shit, I threw it across the room in anger. Faintly I heard the sound of the door opening and a familiar voice floated through the house. Great, now I was imagining his voice. 

Wait. No. That was him. That was Jisung’s voice. Falling off the bed, I scrambled to my feet swinging my bedroom door open. Hiding behind the stair banister, I watched my mother reluctantly let Jisung into the house. His dark hair was neatly styled and pushed away from his forehead. Simple silver earrings dangled and bounced against his skin. He wore a navy suit jacket and a simple white shirt, tucked into the matching dress pants. The pants were cropped making him look a little taller and revealing the tan skin of his ankles. 

Jisung respectfully bowed as my father entered the room and looked around, eyes turning to the staircase. I ducked down, hitting my head on the railing in the process. “Ow-shit,” I whispered rubbing the top of my head. 

Peaking around the corner I saw my parents lead Jisung into the living room. He sat down on the couch, still in my view. My parents sat across from him, their backs to me. Just seeing his face made my heartrate shift to lightspeed. 

“I would like to reintroduce myself,” He started, deep voice bouncing off the walls and carrying to my hiding place. “My name is Han Jisung. I’m twenty years old. I’m a music production major at Seoul University....and your daughter is the love of my life.” 

I could already see my mother shaking her head. She wouldn’t except less than a rich doctor with a terrible personality for me. Let me tell you, most of the medical students don't have time to date. I could tell Jisung was starting to get nervous by the way his leg shook and he began anxiously turning the ring on his left hand round his finger.

“Let’s just push away the fact that you nearly got my daughter shot.” Jisung winced and looked away, before meeting my father’s eyes once more. “What are your intentions with my daughter, Y/n?” 

Jisung sighed, wringing his hands together. What were his intentions with me? I knew that he was serious about our relationship, but past that I was clueless. With an unwavering gaze, he looked back to my father. “I intend to marry her, sir. Not any time soon, but I do want to marry her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I love Y/n.” 

It was impossible to keep the smile from spreading over my face. My parents shared a look, but from their body language, I already knew what their answer was. “Mr. Han,”

“Please, Jisung is just fine.” 

“Jisung,” My mother continued in a cold tone. “We want you nowhere near our daughter. She has a bright future in front of her and you will only hinder it. You are just a constant reminder of her days prancing around on the beach. We cannot allow this relationship to continue, especially with her safety involved.”

His eyes visibly saddened and his shoulders sunk. “But-”

“If you know what’s best for you...what’s best for Y/n...you will let her go. You will walk out that door and never see her again.”

“What if I say no?”

My mother straightened her posture and smoothed out her dress. “If we find out you are seeing Y/n...we’ll withdraw her tuition payment and disown her. She’ll be kicked out onto the street. Can you live with that?” 

I watched the gears turn in Jisung’s head. I wanted him to stand up and say that he didn’t care. To say that he just wanted to be with me. I would choose him in a heartbeat. 

Instead, his head hung low and he ran his long fingers through his dark locks. “No, I couldn’t.” 

My mother, obviously pleased, stood up a clear smile was heard in her voice. “Then your business here is done.” Jisung watched my mother move towards the entryway, clearly wearing his heart on his sleeve. He made no attempt at hiding how heartbroken he was.

“Will you at least let me say goodbye to her?” He pleaded, round doe eyes turned down and expecting a bad answer. My father sighed, before looking upstairs. 

“Make it quick.”

Jisung’s head shot up, eyes filling with hope. He looked to the stairs before hesitantly walking towards them. I sprinted to my room leaving the door open just a crack. As I turned, I face-planted onto my carpet. Looking back I glared once again at the purple octopus that had caused my fall. Angrily chucking it somewhere else in the room I stood up and waited for Jisung to come in. 

A hesitant knock filled my bedroom. He did not wait to enter. Jisung looked around before his eyes finally settled on me. I wasted no time in rushing to him. Wrapping my arms around his neck I crashed my lips onto his. My heart broke feeling him hold onto me so tightly. Jisung pulled away with sorrow filled eyes. 

“I came to say goodbye.” 

“I know. I heard everything.” Jisung rested his forehead against mine, eyes closing. “Jisung this isn’t your choice.” He shook his head still not looking at me. His lips pressed against mine softly once more.

“I’m not letting you throw away your life for me.”

“What if I want to?” Jisung looked me in the eyes. I could tell he was searching for any hesitance. “You love me.” It wasn’t a question and he knew it. Silently, he nodded still searching my face. 

“Let’s run away. Screw my parents. I have enough in my savings to finish my degree.”  

“Baby, I can’t do that to you. There’s no guarantee in my future. I might not be able to provide for you. I love you enough to understand that letting you go while it kills me...is what is best for you.” Our voices had moved to hushed whispers. 

The back of my hand brushed over his cheek. “That’s not your decision to make.” He chuckled, still wincing a little from his healing wound. “I love you, Jisung. I’m asking you to run away with me.”

Once again I saw the gears begin to turn in his brain. He took more time thinking this through than he did downstairs. My heart hammered in my chest waiting for his answer. It stopped when his lips pressed against mine in a slow sensual kiss. 

“Pack your bags,” Jisung whispered against my lips. 

❖

A year had passed. My legs rested on either side of the surfboard floating on the water. The waves swayed them beneath the surface and I watched the slim form of Jisung ride a wave closer to where my board floated. I smiled watching him wipe out, disappearing beneath the blue water. Turning back, I saw the beach house on the shore, lights on, and waiting for us to return home from our sunset surf.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Jisung said popping up beside my board. His long fingers were wrapped around the tip of his own surfboard keeping it from floating away. His other arm rested on top of mine and lacing our fingers together. He smiled watching the glint on my left hand shine in the setting sun. 

My eyes fell to his chest, most of it submerged. Through the water, I saw his newest tattoo and smiled. My name right over his heart. “Nice wipeout.” Jisung rolled his eyes before letting go of my hands and swimming over to his board and pushing himself up. We let the slowly decreasing waves push them next to each other, our legs brushing through the cold clear water. 

“You don’t regret leaving with me do you?” Jisung asked, looking at the sunset. 

I shook my head, staring at the red and orange glow of the disappearing sun. “Not one bit.” Jisung turned, grabbing my hand. With a smile, our lips connected just as the sun sunk beneath the waves. This was only the beginning of my life with Jisung.

❖

Requests are Temporarily Closed!

Masterlist

[biletdoux]

x marks the spot | x.dj

Member | xiaojun (nct) + gender neutral!reader Rating | g Genre + Tropes | childhood friends to lovers!au, idol!xiaojun, romance (fluff) Warning(s) | none, unless you consider badly written fluff something to be wary of lol Length | 5.1k+ Prompts | “Make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you.” - Mariah Carey (All I Want for Christmas is You) + “I should be playin’ in the winter snow, I’ma be here under the mistletoe.” - Justin Bieber (Mistletoe) Playlist | All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey // Mistletoe - Justin Bieber  // My Everything - NCT U

Summary | You were five years old when you met your best friend.

(Or; the cycle of waiting and wanting between you and Xiaojun throughout the years.)

Note: For the Walking in a Winter Wonderland Collab hosted by @suh-insane​ and @neocitybynight​! Merry Christmas and have a happy holiday season, everyone <333 let me know what you think!

yo,,, fluff is so hard to write, so mad respect to all the fluff writers out there. 

“Hey—”

You were five years old and had a knack for stating the obvious.

“You’re not Chengxiao!” Your voice was loud and annoying, the shrill ring of it reverberated throughout the open roof. Your index finger, straight and stern, was aimed right at his face in accusation, as if it was a sin to not adhere to your expectations. “Chengxiao was supposed to be here, not you!”

The boy who was indeed not Chengxiao, as you so clearly pointed out, sniffled even louder as he clutched at his toy buccaneer sword. All around you, drying linens and laundry swayed gently in the summer breeze to the sound of his soft sniveling, before he broke out into an all out sob.

You were five years old and also insensitive in the way that five year olds were. 

“Uhm,” you faltered, your pointer finger recoiled back just ever so slightly as his cries continued. 

This was not supposed to happen. You were supposed to be playing hide-and-seek with your building friends and maybe grab a popsicle down the street later once you all tired out. You lost the rock-paper-scissors between everyone and had to be the first seeker. You counted all the way to 100 without even peeking once, even though you were tempted many times when you heard the occasional giggle and scattered footsteps.

Chunyang was always the easiest to find between the three of you. He was also five like you and he always hid on the sixth floor of your shared building, usually behind the large potted plants near the stairway. You actually found him behind the leaky plumbing pipes at the end of the hall, but he was still on the sixth floor nonetheless. 

Chengxiao was different. She was seven years old, two whole years older than you and Chunyang, and she was also much smarter than the two of you. It was always difficult to find Chengxiao because she was more tricky and clever than your one-track minded five year old brain. 

When you found Chunyang, the two of you agreed to split up and search for Chengxiao separately, the first one to find her gets the ultimate bragging rights for the rest of their life. When you shook on the deal, Chunyang immediately took off for the stairs, clumsily bounding down the steps with as much grace as a five year old could muster, which left you with only one option remaining; climbing the flight of stairs to the roof. 

The roof was large and vast, filled with a sea of linen and mismatched laundry drying in the wind. The sun was at its peak in the sky as you started your searching, scouring near and wide for Chengxiao. When you nearly lost hope, you noticed a pair of white sneakers belonging to a person hidden behind a billowing bed sheet. You rushed toward it with all your might, already tasting how a sweet a lifetime of bragging to Chunyang would taste on your lips, but as soon as you yanked back the cloth, your mouth immediately turned sour at the sight of a boy with brown hair and teary eyes. 

Your tone was harsher than you intended, so here you were stuck with a blubbering boy and your lifetime bragging rights out the window. 

“Hey,” you tried again. You were five years old and not very good at comforting people. “My mom says children who cry won’t get any candy until they stop.” 

Unsurprisingly, his cries did not cease and you were scandalized by it. The possibility of no candy left you in shock and awe, so why wasn’t he feeling the same as you?

“Who, hic, cares about candy, hic,” he started, every few words out of his mouth was staccatoed by an uncontrollable hiccup.  “If I can’t see, hic, my friends!” 

“Huh?” you tilted your head to the side. “Why can’t you see your friends anymore?” 

It took a few seconds of blubbered hiccups before the boy answered, “cause we moved far away from them!”

You absorbed his words in quiet consideration. How would candy taste if you had to move away from Chengxiao and Chunyang? Not very good, but… 

“Why don’t you make new friends?” 

“I don’t want new friends! I want, hic, to go back to my old home!” Indignant, he lashed back. “I want to go back, hic, and play pirates with my old friends.” 

“I’ll play pirates with you,” you offered. You didn’t think much about the rest of the words that escaped your mouth either. “I’ll be your friend. I want to be your friend.”

The boy was significantly calmer after shouting out his frustrations. He wiped at his tears and for the first time you had a good look at his brown eyes. You didn’t know it at the time, but the boy, like you, was also five years old, and five year olds calmed down as easily as they lost their temper.

“Do you mean that?” he asked, tone soft and quiet. “Would you really, hic, be my friend?” 

Your smile was brighter than the summer sun that day. “Yeah, of course!”

“Okay,” he agreed.

“Yeah, and I can also show you my friends right now too. We’re playing hide-and-seek.” You grabbed his free hand, the one not holding the toy sword, as you tugged him to get off the roof. He followed obediently without a word. 

“What’s your name, by the way?” You asked over your shoulders, your voice ringing through the roof.

“My name is Xiao Dejun.”

You were five years old when you met your best friend. 

--

The air was crisp with the sharp, but refreshing sting of sea salt as the waves crashed onto the side of your ship. You climbed out onto the main deck to check on the progress of the voyage. The waters were steady and your trusty sea vessel rocked to the rhythm of the ocean. There were no clouds in the sky this far out into the sea and the sunlight blinded your eyes, but you didn’t need to see it to know that the treasure was straight ahead. You took another deep breath to savor the thought of future riches before you turned around to go look for your first mate. 

You traveled the expanse of the main deck before reaching the weathered ratlines. The rope felt coarse to the touch as you climbed all the way up to the crow’s nest. Once you made it, there he was, standing and staring out to the wide ocean, probably lost in thought about gold and jewels. 

“First mate Xiaojun.” you called. 

He turned his head and smiled. “Hey, I was waiting for you.”

You fully climb into the crow’s nest and settle beside him. “We’re about to find the secret buried treasure.” 

“Yes, captain,” he nodded his head in agreement.

“What do you want to do with you half?”

“Hm…” Xiaojun was contemplative. “I’ll need to buy another sword. Mine is getting rusty. What about you?”

“I would like to—”

“Class! Recess is over.” Your teacher, Mrs. Huang, interrupted you before you could finish. “It’s time to head back now.” 

And suddenly your trusty sea vessel was no longer a ship, but actually a small corner of the large school playground. The tethered and hardened ratlines melted away to reveal the metal ladders of the play area and the crow’s nest was the slide tower. The sun, however, remained as bright as ever.

Your first mate looked at you and a mischievous glint crossed his eyes. “I’ll race you to the classroom!” He hollered as he threw himself down the slide and took off running as soon as his feet hit the ground. You were not far behind him as you shrieked for him to slow down. 

You were eight years old and you kept your promise to him about playing pirates. 

The two of you became the best of friends shortly after your encounter on the roof. You grew close to him exceptionally fast when you learned he and his family had moved to the same floor as you and your family. Chengxiao and Chunyang liked him well enough and your tight trio grew to accept a fourth corner. 

When school rolled around, you were delighted to find out he was also enrolled in the same school as you and even was in the same class. Since then, the two of you had been inseparable. 

He beat you to the classroom by a few steps and his smile was dazzling as he gloated to your face. You sneered back at him as you watched his fringe stick to his forehead from sweat. 

“I only lost cause you cheated.” 

“Yeah, yeah whatever.” 

You both sat down in your assigned classroom seating, with him exactly one seat behind you. Mrs. Huang announced it was independent study time, so everyone quietly pulled out their books.

When you pulled out yours, you realized you had broken your pencil and had nothing to write with. You pushed your chair back and leaned over on his desk. 

“Hey Xiaojun, can I borrow a pencil?”

He was still Dejun then, but he was always Xiaojun to you.

He looked annoyed, but went to rummage for his pencil pouch in his backpack anyway. “Don’t call me that unless we’re playing. How many times have I told you to call me Dejun? That’s my name so use it.” 

“But I don’t want to,” you huffed.

“And why is that?” Xiaojun found a suitable pencil and handed it over to you. 

“Because,” you took the writing utensil from his outstretched hand. “You’ll always be my first mate Xiaojun no matter what.” 

You returned back to your desk before you could notice the blush that colored his cheeks and you didn’t turn back to him again for the remainder of the independent study time. You didn’t realize it at the time, but Xiaojun never bothered to correct his name ever since. 

You were eight years old when you became someone special to Xiaojun. 

--

You felt hot and sticky.

Summers in Guangdong were hot and humid in ways that left you gasping for air as if you had been trudging through a thick wall of sludge. The heat was heavy and thick, reminiscent of an unpleasant weighted blanket that wrapped around you at all the wrong times and places. During the summer, the Guangdong sun was angry, and you felt as though its wrath was personal from how intensely the rays would beat down on your back as you hopped from one stall to another. Nonetheless, you were not deterred because you came here on a mission.

You were thirteen years old and wanted to do whatever it took to find your best friend the perfect birthday present. 

You prepared for August 9th tirelessly with impressive care and consideration. You had been casually asking questions and fishing for hints months before the fated date to figure out the most perfect and surefire gift for Xiaojun. When you realized he wanted a new controller for his PlayStation because the ‘X’ on his current one wasn’t working half the times, you knew you had to get him a new one. And so, you started to plan.

Step one was complete. You figured out what Xiaojun wanted, but now step two was in the way. How were you going to get it for him? You were thirteen years old and you had no money. You couldn’t ask your parents for money because then that would mean your parents actually got Xiaojun the present and not you, even though it was your idea. After thinking long and hard, you decided to carefully siphon a small portion of your lunch money each day until you had enough to purchase the controller. Even though the lunch money was from your parents, the money was given to you, so now it’s your money and not your parents’ anymore and you had to work hard to save it, so using this money to buy Xiaojun the gift will be really meaningful.

You were thirteen years old and your logic was a bit off, but your heart was in the right place. 

After months of saving, you finally had enough and couldn’t be happier. You had everything set and just needed to find the time to go out to the electronics store. You were so giddy that you nearly let the big surprise slip one day when you were over at his house. 

It was two days before his birthday and Xiaojun was just at your house yesterday, which meant that today, the two of you would go back to his. Xiaojun’s mother was already used to this and prepared pre-cut slices of fruit for the two of you before the front door even opened. The two of you bowed in thanks before greedily grabbing the plate of fruit before barreling to his room with a large slam of his bedroom door. 

You were laying on his bed munching on an apple slice in your hands and Xiaojun was at his desk on his rolling computer chair with an orange slice in his. Outside of his window, the hustle and bustle of a Guangdong afternoon can be heard, but the noise was far away for you and Xiaojun were in your own quiet little bubble. 

When he finished his orange slice, Xiaojun suddenly perked up. “Hey, you want to see something?” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

He stood up and walked over to his closet to grab a box. Inside, he pulled out two new PlayStation controllers, still in the factory wrapping and all, and your heart dropped. 

“My parents got this for my birthday. They gave it to me early cause I did really well on my exams and they knew my current controller sucks,” he explained. “Want to play that new game? It’ll be so nice to finally have a working ‘X’ button.” 

You felt nauseated and suddenly had to go. You were thirteen years old and you were a little dramatic. 

You never gave Xiaojun a proper explanation for leaving so suddenly that day, but you had bigger problems to deal with. What were you going to do now? Step one was now out the window, but at least you still had the money you saved up, so maybe you can still make this work. It would still be okay because you had one full day tomorrow to go out and shop for his gift. Except that when you returned home, your mom informed you that your extra tutoring classes would be doubled tomorrow because your teacher will be out of town and can’t teach for the next few days. Great.

So that’s how you found yourself here, at the local street market standing under the blazing sun in your tutoring school uniform. It was summer break and your parents signed you up for additional morning classes. By the time you were let off, you’d only have an hour to shop for a gift, until it was time to go to Xiaojun’s party. 

Originally, you thought one hour should be more than enough, but as you drifted from one stall to another, you realized no one had anything just right for Xiaojun and you already promised yourself you were going to get something perfect for him, and you didn't break your promises. By the time you found something perfect for him, you didn’t realize 55 minutes had passed. When you checked the time, your eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. You were definitely going to be late. You paid the stall lady and barely waited for change as you made a mad dash toward Xiaojun’s apartment.

When you arrived, Xiaojun’s mother greeted you warmly and let you in. “He was waiting for you. He refused to start without you.”

Xiaojun had a small party with only close friends and you were the last to arrive. You felt embarrassed initially, but that was soon forgotten when the party started. 

When it was time to open the presents, Xiaojun saved yours for last, in fact, he didn’t open it until all the guests left and it was only the two of you with his parents cleaning the aftermath of the party in the background. 

He carefully pulled apart the hastily wrapped box and you held your breath in anticipation. He held up the keychain in the air to show the leather strap next to a metal charm in the shape of a ship’s helm. Xiaojun said nothing for a whole minute and suddenly you started to doubt yourself. 

“Thank you,” he breathed. “I love it.” 

His smile made your breath hitch.

You were thirteen years old when your heart started to feel lopsided in ways it had never had before.

--

The paper sitting in front of you was due soon and yet it was still there on your desk, unfinished, as if it were mocking you. You felt annoyed, but you knew at the end of the day this was your fault and only you could fix this, but no matter how hard you grasped your pen, you could not urge words of ink to spill out and fill the page. You were not sure how long you stared at the page, but you knew you had to do something about it. 

You were seventeen years old and you were lost.

With an indignant huff, you grabbed the sheet of paper and marched all the way to Xiaojun’s apartment. Xiaojun’s parents were out, so it was Xiaojun himself who let you in. He was surprised to see you, but welcomed you warmly, glad to see you face.

“Hey,” he already started to make his way back to his room after shutting the front door, not even bothering to look back to see if you were going to follow because he knew you were. “What’s up?” 

Immediately after entering Xiaojun’s room, you plopped yourself face down onto his pillow while holding up the white sheet of paper in the air. “This is killing me,” you groaned.

Xiaojun chuckled before taking hold of the paper. His eyes widened when he read its content. “You haven’t filled it out yet?” 

This sheet of paper was going to determine your whole future. This sheet was going to be your priority list of which colleges you wanted to apply for and which major you were going to study, so your teacher could help narrow it down for you and give you some career counseling. 

“I don’t know what to put,” you whined. “Help me, Xiaojun.”

“Okay, okay, do you know what school or major you’re interested in?” 

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be here.” 

“Fair point. Uhm. What’s the best school you think you can get in?” 

“I don’t know, maybe some local university?” 

“Okay… and major?” 

“I don’t know, whatever department is easiest to get into I guess.” 

Xiaojun gave you a pointed look. “Come on, take this seriously.” 

You were seventeen years old and you were frustrated. 

“I don’t know, Xiaojun! I really don’t have any clue whatsoever and everyone around me is so disappointed because I have no direction, but trust me, I can guarantee you that I’m much more disappointed than everyone around me.” 

Xiaojun’s eyes softened and he moved to sit on his bed near your defeated figure. He rubbed your back gently and his tone was sincere. “I’m not disappointed in you. I could never be disappointed in you.”

You looked up at him before opening your arms wide open for a hug, which Xiaojun granted easily. The two of you laid there in easy comfort despite the impending unknown future that loomed overhead, casting a shadow of doubt in its wake. When you were with Xiaojun, none of that mattered. 

After a while, your head perked up from its place on top of Xiaojun’s arms as you looked at him. “Wait, what about you? Did you fill it out? What do you want to be?” 

Xiaojun laughed, “yeah, I did.” 

You waited expectantly, but he said nothing. You grew annoyed. “Well? What’d you put?”

Xiaojun looked at you. His eyes were soft and warm, but you could see some faint traces of hesitation, like a surface of still water had been disturbed. The pit of your stomach dropped and you felt your throat go dry with nervous tension.

“I want to be a singer.” 

You punched him lightly. “You scared me, cause you got all serious for a second.” You laughed out loud, as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. “You’re for sure going to be the best singer in all of China, no, the whole world! And I’m going to be there every step of the way to support you, Xiaojun.” 

“Okay,” he smiled softly, but his tone was almost bittersweet as though he was trying to pull back. “That’s good to hear.” 

“Why are you acting so weird? This is not like you at all.” 

He said nothing at first, but then his words hit you. All the weight off your shoulder earlier returned tenfold. “I was casted. I’m flying to South Korea next week.”

Your heart was pounding as you tried to make sense of the words that left his mouth. You remembered the first time he confided you in absolute confidence about his dreams and aspirations. You remembered countless hours he put into singing and you remembered how often he would stream videos of singers he admired. You remembered all of it.

“I’m,” you started. “I’m so happy for you, Xiaojun. This is it, this is the start of your dream. I couldn’t be more proud of you, Xiaojun, I mean it.” 

The sincerity in your tone had Xiaojun choking on his words and he didn’t know what to say. All that left his mouth was, “what do you want to be?” 

“Me?” Your chest felt heavy. “I think I just want to be happy.”

“Yeah,” he hummed. “I want you to be happy too.” 

A week later, you saw Xiaojun off at the airport. He exchanged tearful goodbyes with his parents and suddenly he was standing in front of you. His eyes looked at you expectantly, as if waiting for something that you were not sure you were able to procure for him. You gave him the biggest hug you were able to muster and hoped all the unsaid things could be transferred through touch. The two of you stayed in each other’s arms until his flight was called. With a final wave, he was off, and when he turned around to walk toward his terminal, you saw a keychain with a metal charm and an old worn down leather strap hanging from one of the zippers of his carry-ons.

You were seventeen years old when you felt your heart swell with undeniable pride, yet break simultaneously. 

--

You missed Xiaojun.

You were twenty-one years old when you came to terms with your feelings for your best friend. It was not an earth-shattering, cosmic-altering, reality-bending epiphany, but rather a quiet revelation followed by unspoken acceptance.

You were currently sitting in economy class on a flight en route to Seoul, South Korea. You had still kept in contact with him throughout the years he was out there pursuing his dreams. You decided to enroll in the local university and you picked a major on a whim. Despite the circumstances, you had really come to terms with it and grew to like it. You were now working hard at developing a solid career from it and you felt proud of yourself. 

When text messages and video calls became few and far between for you and Xiaojun due to busy schedules and time zone differences, you knew he was something more than just a friend. Your heart fluttered whenever you heard his specially assigned notification tone. You felt giddy each time before you opened his message and you read each text at least three times before sending a reply. When you don’t hear from him on days on end due to his busy schedule, time passed by at an unbearable pace. 

Xiaojun made his debut and you were one of the first to pre-order his albums. You constantly gushed and raved about his singing and his dancing. You stayed up countless nights to let Xiaojun vent and de-stress over video call despite having to sacrifice precious hours of sleep. True to your word, you were there with Xiaojun every step of the way while he achieved his dreams, but he was also there for you when you figured out your path. He was there to listen and offer advice as you considered one career path over the other and which internship to take. The two of you were there for each other. 

Due to the very nature of growing up and what that entailed, both of you were very busy and the timing was always slightly off. When you were free, he had to go on tour, but when he was free, you had to go out of town for your internship. As such, you were twenty-one years old and had not had a chance to see your best friend in person for nearly four years since he left for South Korea.

But this year, for the winter holidays, it was going to be different. You were going to make time to go see him no matter what. You were firm on the requested days off and you booked the flight weeks in advance. Xiaojun was kept in the loop of your meticulous holiday planning at all times to ensure that he could free up his schedules at just the right time to see you. 

The two of you never actually expressed your changing feelings for one another, but perhaps you didn’t need to. You had known each other practically your whole lives and what is a relationship if not the constant changing and finetuning of the little details? 

You weren’t blind to the consistent ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’ texts you received from Xiaojun each day without fail, nor was he blind to your constant fretting if he had eaten yet and how he should always be taking care of himself. It was the little things that sung of true love. 

When the two of you had the chance to video call, his eyes would light up with a smile to match and you feel your soul ache in the most tender of ways. The two you lingered longer than necessary when it came to ‘goodbyes,’ but it was to be expected. 

You smiled to yourself thinking about him as you looked outside the plane window. Your flight was landing soon and you felt your anxiety gnaw at your joints while your hesitancy took a bite of your lungs. When you landed, you felt as though the ligaments in your body rusted over and each breath of air you took never seemed like enough to flow through your system. You took a few more deep breaths to center yourself before getting up to leave the plane. 

You managed to calm yourself down a substantial amount, but you felt it lurk back behind you as a sudden chill traveled up your spine during the taxi ride to Xiaojun’s dorm. It threatened to seize you by the throat, but then you realized, this was Xiaojun you were coming to see. 

The same Xiaojun who cried easily and had a pirate phase through most of his childhood. The same Xiaojun who took long bites in between food and would lose in arm wrestling matches. The same whose voice could reach unknown heights with a dedication and devotion to match. The same Xiaojun who was your best friend since childhood. The same Xiaojun whom you loved.

And with that, whatever haunted you dissipated and you found yourself at the steps of his dorm. You watched as your breath came out in chilly wisps as you knocked on the door. The sound of padded footsteps ambling along hardwood floors were heard and suddenly you were face to Xiaojun after a whole four years without him. 

The two of you took each other in. Video calling did not do Xiaojun justice. He really matured into his features over the years and you couldn’t help, but stare. 

Xiaojun broke the silence first. “Hey, you.” 

“Hey, you yourself,” you breathed.

“Come on, don’t just stand there,” Xiaojun ushered as he helped you grab your luggage. “It’s cold outside.” 

You followed him as he led you to his room. You looked around with curiosity as you passed by. The WayV dorm was cozy, but surprisingly empty, not that you minded. When you got to his door, Xiaojun saw the look on your face and knew exactly what you were thinking.

“Everyone’s out right now,” he explained. “I can formally introduce you to them when they get back.”

You nodded and watched as Xiaojun placed his hand on the door knob, before stopping in hesitation. He looked at you in earnest. “Promise me you won’t laugh, okay?” 

“Nothing can phase me, Xiaojun. I practically lived at your house and vice versa, or did a few years abroad make you forget that already?” You teased.

He gave you a look, but opened the door for you nonetheless. You expected a messy room with random socks strewn on the floor and the desk chair stacked high with a pile of clothes, but what greeted you nearly took your breath away.

The floor was spotless and fairy lights lined the walls and occasionally looped around the floor. There was a small Christmas tree in the corner dimpled with various ornaments of various sheen and sparkles. Xiaojun led you to the center of the room where the various colored fairy lights crossed one another’s path. A mistletoe tied on the fanlight hung overhead. 

“It’s beautiful,” you whispered.

Xiaojun smiled as he drew you in closer. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I really wanted it to be something special. Merry Christmas.” 

You started to tear up as you moved to meet Xiaojun in the middle, “I love you, Xiaojun.” 

You were twenty-one years old when you kissed your best friend. His lips were soft and his tongue sweet. He tasted vaguely of vanilla lip balm and peppermint bark, he tasted like the love of your life. 

When you pull back from the kiss, the adoration in his eyes made you greedy for another, so you dove back in, but not before Xiaojun can let out a quick laugh and a reaffirmation. 

“I love you, too.” 

The two of you kissed and kissed again, under the mistletoe. 

You were twenty-one years old and you were happy.

masterlist.

[damienthepious]

hello loves. I knew this was going to be my last Lizard Kissin’ Tuesday offering until december, so I wanted to make sure it counted. My goals for this month? Finish that little one-two punch fic from earlier, publish a 100th fic, and...

well...

finish this. So. Here we go...

Scattered On My Shore (Chapter 19 - End)

[Ch 1] [Ch 2] [Ch 3] [Ch 4] [Ch 5] [Ch 6] [Ch 7] [Ch 8] [Ch 9] [Ch 10] [Ch 11] [Ch 12] [Ch 13] [Ch 14] [Ch 15] [Ch 16] [Ch 17] [Ch 18] [ao3]

Fandom: The Penumbra Podcast

Relationship: Lord Arum/Sir Damien/Rilla, Sir Damien/Rilla, Lord Arum & The Keep

Characters: Rilla, Lord Arum, Sir Damien, The Keep

Additional Tags: Second Citadel, Lizard Kissin’ Tuesday, Pre-Relationship, (for the three of them. it’s established r/d), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Injury, Injury Recovery, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, (this will also be), Enemies to Lovers, (for damien and arum eventually lol), Mutual Pining, canon typical Arum ignoring feelings

Fic Summary: Strange things wash up out of the lake near Rilla’s hut, on occasion. But this monster… this monster is certainly the strangest.

Chapter Summary: Stay 'till you can breathe like normal people do / I've got room in my house for you

Chapter Notes: End of the road, huh? Never dreamed this fic would get this long, never dreamed it would mean this much to me. This is the longest piece of fiction I've ever written, and the longest work I've ever completed by a country mile. Thank you for hanging in there with me. Thank you for reading. Thank you for every kudos and comment and bookmark. Thank you. Chapter summary from the song Midland, by The Mountain Goats. Have I ever shared my playlist for this fic? See the end of the chapter notes, I'll stick a link there.

~

The first night on the road home is probably the most difficult.

It's-

It's the first time that Rilla has gone to bed without Arum in literal shouting distance in… in months.

She doesn't say anything about it. She doesn't know what to say about it. Arum is safe, and she and Damien are going home, and they're going to see him again. They are. It's stupid to get all emotional about the fact that they- they're just going to need to deal with a little separation, for a few weeks or so.

Damien douses the fire as Rilla steels herself, flattening her face, arranging their bedroll. Damien comes to lay down beside her, and when he slips his arms around her, she tries to sigh, and- her breath catches.

Damien does not flinch. He presses his lips just above her brow, and she can feel the sympathetic tension in his arms as they settle in the bedroll, curling against each other, as close as they can manage despite the heat.

"I know," he whispers, and Rilla grits her teeth. "I know, my love. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she manages. "Nothing to be sorry about."

"Of course it will be a challenge, this journey," Damien murmurs into her hair. "Especially this night. He is still so close, speaking relatively. So close we can still see that subtle, mellow glow from his swamp on the horizon. So close, and yet… riding away from him aches in my heart like a betrayal. We must, of course. Our duties, our lives… and I miss the Citadel as well. Miss the safety and warmth of your hut, miss… ah," she feels his lip curl into a small smile against her temple. "Ah, but there is the other side of the dilemma, yes? It is so difficult to think of your home, now, without…"

Without Arum there, too.

Rilla sniffs lightly, readjusting her grip on Damien beneath the heavy cloth, and then she pokes him in the side, making him exhale a gust of laughter.

"Faster we fall asleep, faster we'll be on the road again," she mutters. "Faster we're home, faster we'll find out exactly what the hell that plant he gave us actually does."

"Ah- right. I suppose you're right, my love."

"Just-" she clocks her head off his cheek, pursing her lips when that makes him laugh again. "Shush. Sleep now, mope later."

He hums an agreement, soft and soothing, and settles beside her. "Goodnight, my flower. I love you."

Rilla manages the ghost of a smile, feeling one of Damien's hands gently caressing up and down her back. "I love you too. Now go to sleep already."

He nods, light laughter still on his lips, and then he kisses her cheek one more time before he closes his eyes, and Rilla sighs and closes her eyes as well.

She doesn't exactly take her own advice, though.

The discomfort, the worry, the knowledge that she can't just call out and make sure that Arum's still okay- her mind won't slow down enough for sleep to take her, not for what feels like a long time.

It's okay, though. It's okay.

Damien is here with her. His hand keeps up that steady rhythm, his palm soft as his fingers trace up and down her back, gentle as rain, and clearly he's not exactly drifting off either.

They don't say anything else. Rilla thinks they both know it won't do any good, won't make them feel any better. They don't speak, but they can still hold each other, silent and longing despite themselves, and eventually, eventually, they will sleep.

And tomorrow they'll be another step closer to home.

~

The temperature in the Keep is the same as it always has been, but Arum finds himself cold, more often than not. The remainder of his injuries itch . Amaryllis left him with a number of salves to apply, to reduce the scarring, to speed the already-sped healing process, but it is… strange, to apply it himself. It felt different, before, smoothed across the ragged scabs by her soft, attentive, confident fingers. His own scales are cool. His own fingers do not hold the same softness. It feels perfunctory, now. Awkward and stiff. And-

When she finished tending to him, rewrapping bandages or checking his temperature or applying salve, Amaryllis would always… touch him, then. A gentle tap, on his shoulder, on his elbow. A silent signal, accompanied with a smile, to let him know she was done, before she would stand straighter and turn to attend to other tasks.

Once, when he is done smoothing his fingers across his fading wounds, he reaches across his body and taps his own elbow, hesitant, and then he feels so utterly foolish, so strangely empty, that he-

He does nothing. He simply hurts, for a long moment, before he sighs and sets the salve aside.

The Keep tries, in its way, to soothe this pain as it is soothing his actual injuries, but it is… not precisely the same. He is grateful for the Keep's attempts at physicality, grateful for the touch of vines, grateful to sleep cocooned in soft, oversized petals, even if it makes him feel like a coddled hatchling again.

("You're healing," Amaryllis says, stern and gentle. "Being rough on yourself is only going to make it take even longer. Just- let me take care of you, you big stubborn idiot.")

He misses her. He misses them both. He knew he would, before they left, but-

He spent so, so long missing the Keep. He is quite tired of missing.

~

During the day, they ride.

They can travel much more quickly, without needing to worry over the wounds of an injured monster. It will make the return trip substantially faster, but-

Neither of them feel as if it is truly going faster.

It reminds Rilla of paradoxes. It reminds Damien of a chiasmus, the reversal with new perspectives. Neither of them discuss it, though they both urge the horse faster, both eye the horizon with skeptical intent, as if it is widening from them deliberately.

It is a relief, not to worry over Arum's safety while they ride, not to have to duck their heads and avoid the eyes of other travelers, not to need to lie. They don't need to slow down to check him over and make sure none of his injuries have started bleeding, they don't need to break from travel to find a safe place hidden far away from the road to rest in each night. It's another odd overlay- the hurt of leaving him behind shaded by the relief of knowing that he's safe, and home, and healing. Rilla can't stop herself from mentioning where she thinks he'll be in his recovery day by day, based on her estimates considering how the Keep seemed to be accelerating the healing process.

Last of the bandages off, today, I'd bet, she says, absent as they ride, her eyes distant, and Damien nudges the horse a little faster.

Replacement wrap for the crack in his horn, today, I think, she says, and Damien remembers the elegant curves that grace Arum's head, his throat aching.

He should be shifting to the next set of exercises for his wrist around now, she mumbles as they sit beside the fire. He'd better've remembered, she adds with a frown, and Damien pulls her even closer.

Rilla does not say that she misses him. Not in so many words. Damien follows her example, though he often finds himself glancing back the way they came, watching as the distance between the pair of them and Lord Arum grows, clutching his heart to stifle the bittersweet pang at his center.

In the small stolen bits of time when they are not riding, eating, or sleeping, Rilla likes to examine Arum's gift. She gently lifts the wrapped plant out from the saddlebag that has become its temporary home, settling it in her lap and squinting at it, observing the structure of the leaves, the colors, carefully easing her fingers into the dirt to determine the root structure.

She hasn't seen anything exactly like it before, she explains to Damien, and the intensity of her focus makes his heart thrum with fondness and familiarity. She narrows her eyes at the small stalk, the waxy purple and green leaves on the trio of branches at the top (Damien remembers Arum's glossy green scales, his violet eyes, and he aches again with longing), and she purses her lips. Native to the swamp, she decides. It must be. It doesn't… seem magical, so she isn't sure what Arum could have meant when he gave it to them, but- well, it's not like Rilla has any of her more delicate instruments here on the road with her. She can't exactly test it, or put some cells under a microscope. She just does her best to water it enough to keep the soil wrapped at its base at a consistent moisture level, and she turns it over in her mind while she's prevented by pesky lack of resources from turning it over in reality.

Neither of them mention their fondness for the plant, either. It reminds them both of Arum, of the Keep, of the swamp, and even while Rilla frowns at her lack of knowledge, that reminds her of Arum too. It makes her scowl, and smile, and she wishes he was here to smack him for leaving her with a mystery deliberately, the sly monster that he is. She wishes he was here for a number of other reasons, too, but that's beside the point.

Damien, for his part, cannot say if he has ever had so many new verses dancing in his head at once. The plant is such a beautiful little metonymy, such a hopeful tether, and though he cannot help but yearn, his yearning still feels safe, like a source.

The nights…

The nights remain difficult. The midpoint of their journey is especially so- as distant from Rilla's home as they are from Arum himself, the night particularly dark this deep in the wilderness, comforted by each others arms and little else besides.

They wake bleary, but relieved to have put another night behind them. The help each other to their feet, and they ride.

~

The representative is halfway between the border of the swamp and the Keep when Arum finally allows the denizens of his swamp to do as they wish, to descend upon this unfortunate creature and chase him back out the way he came.

Arum steps from the portal just at the edge of his territory, just as the faun stumbles the final few steps backwards over the loose remnants of the border wall Arum and the Keep have been slowly dismantling, and the monster falls halfway into mud with a yelp and his hooves in the air.

Arum lifts a hand, and his denizens abandon their pursuit, birds and amphibians and mammals retreating back into the swamp and returning to their lives, and Arum looks down at the creature. He folds his arms primly behind himself, glaring hard over his snout until the faun notices him in his scrabbling.

He yelps again, losing his grip on a vine beside him and planting his face in the mud, and Arum tilts his head.

"No, no," he says, his voice low and murmuring and magnanimous. "By all means, take your time."

The creature pants, staring up at him, and then he scrambles backwards and rolls up on his hooves, his frame hunched in obvious terror.

"… Well?" Arum drawls after the panting silence draws long. "I don't expect you would have come this far for nothing, hm?"

The faun blinks, blank, and then he shakes his head quickly and his furry fingers fumble at the satchel at his side. "I- yes I- I have been tasked to deliver a m-message and-"

Arum takes a step closer, and the creature's words fly from his tongue, the muscles in his legs bunching as if to bolt. "A message…" he repeats slowly. "How… interesting."

The faun opens his mouth again, trembling, but the words seem to catch in his mouth as Arum looms.

"You, little creature," Arum says, very slowly, "look as if you have seen a ghost. Why, may I ask, would that be the case?"

"I-" the monster bites his tongue, glances aside as if hoping for some sort of help, and then he looks to Arum again. "I was told- I was- you were supposed to be-"

"Dead?"

The faun flinches, and Arum does not let himself feel guilty, considering that this poor little fool is only adjacent to the situation. The point needs be made, and since Arum cannot safely make it to the Senate in person this will have to do. He does soften the glare in his eyes, though, coiling his tail as he waits for the creature to respond.

"I am- I am to seek the current ruler of- of-"

"I am Lord Arum, ruler of the Swamp of Titan's Blooms," Arum says, flat and mild. "Will that suffice for you, then?"

The faun stumbles back another step, his shoulders hitting a tree. "I-I-I represent the Senate a-and they have- have sent me to-"

"The last creature who spoke to me on behalf of your Senate tried to plant a blade in my spine." Arum tilts his head in the other direction, leaning down and close so he may hiss his next words eye-to-eye with this creature. "She missed. Do you believe that your aim will be more true?"

The faun swallows, visibly, his eyes wide and his hands trembling, though he seems too frightened, now, to try to move at all. "I… I am not- not an assassin, I am simply-"

"Delivering a message, as you said." Arum straightens, raising an eyebrow as he stares down his snout at the monster. "To the current ruler of the swamp." Arum grins, a conspicuous display of fangs. "I am he. What missive did the Senate intend for me, then?"

With shaking hands, the faun pulls a scroll from the satchel at his side, and holds it out.

Arum takes the parchment gently, though the faun still flinches, and he reads the letter with careful attention, his brows climbing. He snorts, eventually, folding the paper between his claws and giving the courier an amused sort of look. "The previous ruler of this swamp was killed in the effort to eradicate the human infection," he parrots with half a laugh, and then he shakes his head. "I suppose that is one way in which to spin the truth. Was killed. A delightfully overt lack of active perpetrator in that claim, hm?"

The faun opens his mouth as if to reply, but then he simply gives a sharp nod, fear still obvious in his stance, in his eye, and Arum sighs.

"Well. You may tell the Senate that if they wish to broker an alliance with the Lord of the Swamp, they may come to entreat him personally . As things stand, The Swamp of Titan's Blooms and its residents are no longer a part of the effort to eradicate humanity, nor do they acknowledge the leadership of the Senate. If the Senate wishes to plead its case they may do so here, where their deceit shall not find purchase. Otherwise," Arum growls low, "my lands may simply find other allies. We may still, regardless of whatever overtures the Senate decides to make."

"Y-you- you want me t-to- to tell them-" the faun's eyes widen to saucers, his heartbeat approaching hummingbird speeds, and Arum decides to take pity.

"Hm. Yes, well. I suppose that there is no reason to give them excuse to blame the messenger. Wait a moment, then. Keep, parchment and ink, if you would."

The Keep does as asked, and the faun's eyes flick to the vines that appear from apparent nowhere to hand him his tools. The monster's body is prey-still, leaving aside the trembling.

Arum writes out his letter rather quickly. He has been thinking this through for long enough that he does not need more than a single draft. He rolls the parchment and slides it back into the case he had pulled the Senate's own letter from, and then he holds it out.

"Perhaps," Arum says, his voice low, "you should endeavor to leave the room before they read that particular note, hm?"

After a long moment faun lifts his hands, nods, and gingerly tucks the letter back into his satchel.

~

Once he is safely back within his Keep, Arum laughs until tears prick at the corners of his eyes, laughs until his ribs hurt, and it doesn't even matter how the Senate responds. Arum cannot find the place within himself to care. He will find a way to survive, to thrive, regardless of whatever those miserable fools decide to do about him.

Arum laughs, the last lingering ghosts of his injuries twinging at him, and he feels foolish, and wild, and free.

~

The hut sits just as they left it.

The windows are dark, the herb garden has grown a little scruffy around the edges, the flowers across the trellises drift slightly in the wind, and Rilla squeezes her arms around Damien before she swings down from the saddle. She lifts Arum's plant from the saddlebag as Damien dismounts as well, and he gives her a soft, tired smile before he leads his horse off towards her tiny one-horse stable by the edge of the trees.

There's a small, childish, illogical part of Rilla that expects Arum to be there when she creaks open the door. It's stupid, obviously, which is why she doesn't let herself feel disappointed when she finds the hut exactly as empty as it should be. She sets the plant aside first, dumps the rest of her bags in a corner, and goes to light the hearth.

When Damien finishes settling his horse and comes inside with the rest of their bags, Rilla has nearly finished moving the pile of notes in the corner of the kitchen to a new spot on one of her bookshelves, and she grins a little manically at him as he sets his bags down.

"I think I've got a pot big enough to replant this thing. Help me bring it inside?"

He smiles, and they're both exhausted but this is too important to wait. For both of them.

She scoops up some turned earth from the garden to mix with the wrapped soil around the roots of Arum's plant (no more than half again, she remembers, and she's very very careful about that particular measurement), and she and Damien maneuver a large, oval shaped pot into the space Rilla has cleared, at the corner of her kitchen and out of sight of the windows.

It looks so strange and incongruous there, purple and green and wild, and the scent of fresh earth mingles with the reassuring scent of the flames in the hearth, another unfamiliar addition. Damien rests a hand on Rilla's arm, his other hand pressing over his heart, and when he sighs Rilla feels her heart stumble as well.

"Well," she says quietly. "He said it would bloom quickly, but obviously it's not going to bloom right now." She lifts a hand, gripping Damien's hand and squeezing. "C'mon. Not gonna waste time watching for the pot to boil. Let's unpack, and put something together for dinner, yeah?"

Damien squeezes her hand in return, gives the plant one last lingering look, and then turns away to help her put their home to rights again.

~

Arum feels the Keep buzz through with excitement, hears it pull the portal open at his back, and he barely manages to set his tools down rather than simply dropping them to clatter on his workbench before he spins to see-

"-miss him," Amaryllis says softly, and through the portal Arum sees her sat at their table in the warmth of the kitchen, sees Damien beside her, sees their foreheads ducked close together, Damien's arm wrapped around her shoulder, Amaryllis' hands cupping his face, their eyes gently closed. "Just- it's so quiet and-"

"I know," Damien says, and Arum's heart feels as if it fluoresces within his chest at the poet's voice, finally- finally. "I miss him as well. But- patience, love. Surely, surely we can be patient." Damien nudges their foreheads together, smiling wryly, and the arm around Amaryllis' shoulders tightens as the doctor sighs. "We will see him again. We will."

"Sooner than you think, perhaps," Arum manages, mildly smug that his voice only shakes a little, and the humans both gasp, whipping their faces towards him, all shock and wonder and- delight. His throat goes tight, then, but he still manages to speak. Barely. "Amaryllis," he murmurs, too much feeling in his voice. "Honeysuckle."

They spring to their feet, and Arum cannot help himself. He rushes forward as well.

They collide just in the threshold of the portal, Amaryllis' barreling into his chest and knocking the air from his lungs, Damien's arms flinging around him with a joyous laugh, and-

And perhaps it does not matter, that Arum feels tears at the corners of their eyes. Not if the humans' eyes are bright with tears as well.

"You," Amaryllis growls, her arms tight and fierce around him, and then she leans back enough to swipe a hand over her eyes and scowl before she starts poking at him. "Don't think you can waltz in all dramatic and get around me checking in on you- have you been applying-"

"Every single salve you left me with, like clockwork. Following the doctor's orders to the letter," Arum says, his voice an indulgent purr as Amaryllis' hands skate over his midsection, as she presses a palm over the scar on his back, examining him with critical, warm attention. He would attempt to hold up some degree of indignation about this, if he were not so undeniably, breathlessly happy to hear her complaints again at last. "As if I could possibly ignore you, as if I could not feel the threat of your ire from miles and miles distant-"

Damien breathes something like a sob, his forehead pressed to Arum's shoulder, and Arum make a small, sympathetic noise, curling two arms around him and holding him tighter.

"Oh, little songbird-"

"Missed- missed even your arguments, my lily, I-"

"I missed you as well," Arum admits in a hiss, nuzzling into Damien's hair. "Missed you both, so much more than I knew I could."

The Keep sings behind him, a melody of teasing exasperation and fondness and delight, and Amaryllis leans back to grin, lifting a hand to touch the curling vines of the portal.

"Keep," she says, and she sounds so equally fond that Arum cannot help the little stab of adoration. "So, has he been taking care of himself, then?"

The Keep warbles, affirming and warm, and Amaryllis turns her skeptical, playful gaze back towards Arum, her smile tilting in such a way that he thinks that perhaps she is content with his Keep's answer.

"So that's what the plant does, then? It lets you make a portal- nevermind the distance, weeks and weeks of travel away?"

"That is not it's function, precisely," Arum says. "It has no function, it is simply… a piece of life, from my swamp. If I merely wished to grant myself a doorway to you- the plant itself… it was not necessary. The soil would have sufficed, in truth, for a short time at least, but-"

"But?" Amaryllis asks, looking up at him with more joy on her face than Arum knows what to do with.

"But this seemed… better. More… decisive. A scattering of dirt may be swept aside. I care far more for the both of you than such a simple gesture. This-"

The plant in the wide oval pot by Amaryllis' fireplace is vibrant, glossy, a stab of floral familiarity, shocking and incongruous in this place that Arum grew to know so well.

"You shared your home with me," he says, slow and certain. "It seemed only fitting to give you a piece of mine." He inhales, and he smiles as he continues. "Its roots are taking hold here now, just as mine have, alongside your own."

Damien makes another choking noise, and then his arms tighten around Arum even further, and he presses his lips to Arum's neck. "Let us grow together," he breathes against Arum's scales in a shaking voice, and Arum knows that cadence in his voice, knows the ringing of a poem in Damien's voice. "Twined roots, fruits shared- bite by bite." Damien smiles, lifts his head, cups Arum's cheek in a hand as he continues, his voice so warm and musical that Arum can hardly focus on anything besides. "We tend to that which heals us," he murmurs, "each vine another trellis, braiding lines, lifting- towards the light-"

Arum is too stunned by the words, hit too closely by them, and Amaryllis recovers more quickly, reaching up to brush the tears away from Damien's cheeks, pressing a kiss there as if to replace them.

"I think that's my favorite of the new ones," she whispers. "Thank you."

"Honeysuckle," Arum manages, after another moment, and then he leans down to echo Amaryllis' kiss on the poet's other cheek. "How you craft such beauty… it is quite beyond me."

"With such inspiration before me," Damien says in a quavering voice, "the words practically weave themselves."

"Will that stay?" Amaryllis asks suddenly, gesturing towards the portal.

"I could dismiss it, summon it back when it is needed," he says.

"Cool," she says, and Arum barks a shocked laugh as she tugs at his hands, pulling himself and Damien back towards the table, maneuvering them to sit and folding herself against his side with a hand on his chest, her fingers tapping in a rhythm that it takes him a few moments to realize-

She's tapping along to the beat of his heart. Her fingers drum a little faster, after that.

Arum swallows roughly, and then he nudges the Keep with his mind, and as it closes the portal, leaving the little plant behind in the corner (she placed it precisely where he suggested- he will need to prod her later, discover where she fit that ream of notes and theories instead), Arum is grateful to still feel just the barest hint of the Keep's presence at the edges of his mind. The magic will settle here, yes, just as he did. If they want it to.

He exhales slowly, holding the both of them in silence for a long moment.

"I���" he murmurs eventually, uncertain. "I admit that I… worried, after you left, that perhaps this would be… a step too far. Too presumptuous, to grant myself a door directly into your home, but-"

"No-" Amaryllis shakes her head, lifting away enough to meet his eye. "Arum this is incredible- can you just summon a portal anywhere?"

"Not anywhere," he corrects, mild. "Only within the Swamp of Titan's Blooms. Which…"

Amaryllis looks to the plant, more vivid purple now than it was when he gave it to her.

"You… you literally gave us a piece of… you literally gave us a bloom from your swamp."

"Oh Arum," Damien keens, pressing another kiss to his throat. "Oh-"

"I… yes. It seemed the only thing to do," he says, ducking his head, flustered with his frill fluttering. "I… I knew…" he stops, furrows his brow, tries again. "The Keep is my home, my family. And I… I know, now, that I… I've grown to think of this place… I want this place to be my home as well. I want to be close by your sides. I want- you. I want to be a part of your lives."

"Good," Amaryllis says, but even in her nonchalance her voice is- trembling. Her hand presses hard over his heart, and the she presses her mouth to his in a lingering kiss. "Saints- Arum, we want you too."

"Want you always," Damien adds, tearful. "Oh, to be a home for you- to tend our garden together- oh Arum, oh lily we will hold you if you want us- we will keep you safe, warm-"

Damien interrupts himself, clearly shocking himself with a yawn, and Arum and Amaryllis both laugh at the look of mortification on his face.

"You are…" Arum presses his snout against Damien's temple when he can't find the words to voice what, precisely, Damien is. "Ridiculous," he settles on. "And clearly exhausted. The plant bloomed much more quickly than I was expecting, I think," he mutters, glaring in its direction without any heat. "I can still smell the road on the both of you. Have you gotten any rest whatsoever since you've been home?"

Amaryllis rolls her eyes while Damien purses his lips in obvious guilt, and Arum stifles another laugh.

"Well. It seems it is my turn to act responsibly for once. To bed with you. You certainly won't be rid of me so easily that you shall miss out on a single sleepless night of my presence. To bed," he repeats, "and I shall find mine as well."

Damien blinks, surprised again, and he and Amaryllis meet each other's eyes for a moment, something passing between them.

"What?" Arum grumbles. "What is it? I do not intend to let you wear yourselves out further for my sake. Certainly you would not allow the opposite, were the tables turned."

"You- you want to sleep in the exam room again?" Amaryllis asks, her tone careful, and Arum-

Arum did not realize that there was another option open to him. Would she like for him to- return to the Keep?

He presses his expression flat, unbothered, and then he says, "Where… else?"

Damien and Amaryllis lock eyes again, and this time he can read a note of fondness before Amaryllis turns her attention back to him.

"Well…" Amaryillis trails off. "If you want to sleep in there, you can. I haven't touched it since we got home, so it's still set up the same as when you left it, but-"

"But?"

Amaryllis ducks her head, then looks up at him through the fall of her hair, her smile soft and easy. "You… aren't my patient, Arum," she says, and he blinks. "Not anymore. If you want that to still be your bed here- I understand. You spent ages there, I get it if that's where you're comfortable. But… we love you. We love you, and there's room in our bed for you, too. If you want it."

"If…" Arum trails off, his mind still catching on the belated realization that he- he may exist here, uninjured. A guest, not a patient, as he once imagined. "You… want me to…"

"We love you, Arum," Damien repeats, his tone unspeakably tender. "We want you. Every inch, every moment we may share is a treasure, a gift."

"Did it bother you to have us share your bed?" Amaryllis asks, and Arum wrinkles his snout.

"Ridiculous-"

"Exactly. So…" she bites her lip, and then she leans up, and kisses Arum on the cheek, her lips soft and warm against his scales. "Come to bed with us?"

That feeling again, as if his heart is glowing and warm, as if the light should be pouring out in shafts between his ribs. He presses his mouth against her own, an invitation, a request, and when she hums another kiss against his scales the light within him pulses hot.

"Please," he whispers, and with these two creatures in his arms, with the Keep a gentle presence at the edge of his mind, Arum knows that this is where he belongs.

The monster is barely conscious before he starts trying to pull the both of them closer.

Rilla can hardly blame him. If she wasn't worried about waking him too early, she would have tugged him into her arms ages ago. He's too tired to do much more than give a mumbled breath, though, his greedy limbs stretching out to tug weakly at Rilla and Damien's sides. Damien hums himself awake at Arum's touch, and he smiles so, so wide before his eyes blink muzzily open, and then he looks down at the monster in his arms, and then up at Rilla with a watery smile. She grins right back, and then she obliges Arum's sleep-slack, greedy hands, and she folds herself against his chest, angling her chin up so she can press a kiss to his neck, and Damien embraces him from the other side, strong arms looped around Arum's chest, fingers tracing the ridges of his scales.

Arum murmurs something incomprehensible through his teeth, his eyelids fluttering, and as Rilla kisses him again he hisses a contented sigh, his violet eyes slitting open to meet her gaze in the gentle light of morning.

Rilla is so shockingly in love that her heartbeat stumbles, and Arum and Damien are safe within her arms.

(He’s so pleased, radiating such obvious contentment, and he is so entirely stunned to wake with them holding him. His cheek rests on her hand and he presses his face into it as he rouses, his scales already warm from their radiant heat and his breathing going sharper through his smile, and she feels a fierce sort of satisfaction at that, at the idea of soothing him awake like this again, and again, and again)

He growls lightly, nipping at her fingers and tugging the both of them closer against his chest, rumbling with a deep, inhuman purr.

She almost can't believe there was a time when she thought of him only as a monster.

In their arms, in their bed, in their home. He is their monster. Safe, and healed, and loved.

~

End notes: Thank you. I love you. Thank you. For further feelings, my playlist for this fic lives here.

also? this note has been sitting at the end of this document since it was only three lines of goofy plot ideas.

[……… profit????]

[sleepywinchester]

Behind The Story S2 | Pt. 25

Summary: Everything good must come to an end... 

Author: sleepywinchester (prev. deanwinchester-af)

Characters: Jensen, Reader, Jared, Gen and Cast Cameos.

Pairings: Single!Jensen x Actress!Reader (Nina Dobrev = Faceclaim)

Words:  1.7k

Beta: N/A

Warnings: none really :)

Disclaimer: NO HATE TOWARDS DANNEEL! We wuv her in this acc but this is just for science lol

Visual Credit: @musemisha​

Note: I really hope you guys like this.  ♥

Title:  Time of Truth.

MASTERLIST

Memories of last night roamed your mind as you walked with Jensen. It was 9 AM and it was time for Gold Panel. This day was going to be a big one. It was time for you to speak the truth and let everyone know what was happening before they learned the truth from another source. 

The anticipation before the events was turning you into a ball of nerves and anxiety. Feelings that you couldn’t hide from Jensen. You knew this because of the way he looked at you, his eyes were soft and understanding.

“Everything is going to be okay… You are not alone.” Jensen said.

“I am not alone but… is this the correct decision? What if-”

“Babe, you already made the decision.”  He said. “You are just letting everyone - the ones who don’t know already - that you are taking a step back to be a mother. You shouldn’t feel bad about it.” 

“I-,” another deep sigh interrupted your words, “I shouldn’t but why do I feel like I’m letting everyone down? Why do I feel so damn selfish for choosing to be a mother?” 

Jensen hugged you. “Because you have a big heart and you have a love for everyone… Which is not a bad thing. That is why I love you, is why everyone loves you. People will understand… and if they don’t, fuck em’.” 

You couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Fuck em’,” you said and walked into the green room, greeting everyone.

“I do not get this,” you whispered as you peeked through the curtain backstage. 

Turning around you began to breathe deeply. The panic slowly building up.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Jensen holds your face softly with his two hands. “You got this.” 

“I- I don’t think so…” You said with doubt. “I-I I think I’m going to have a panic attack.”

“You are not going to have a panic attack,” Brianna joined, and with her Jared and Gen. “You are going to put on your big freaking girls pants and you’re going to tell them.”

You shake your head. “You said it so easily.”

“You’re a fucking actress,” Bri said. “You played two of the baddest woman character IN HISTORY. We understand people will understand, and if they don’t?”

“FUCK THEM,” everyone around you shanted.

“The people who care, the ones who really care, will understand and at the end of the day. It is your life, not theirs.” 

Your eyes went up, taking a moment to look everyone in the eye. Everyone in that room loved you and supported you with everything you did in life. Every little decision you took, they were always there backing you up. That’s something that you were mostly thankful from all these years of working in Supernatural. You guys were really a family. One that was there to give you the toughest love of all when you needed it most. A family that was there to be with you, in the good and bad. 

“And now… ladies and gentlemen… the trio that we love and the person that we missed… Jared, Jensen and Y/N!” 

Jensen glanced at you, extending his hand, reaching for yours. “You’re ready?”

After taking a deep breath, you hold his hand. “Fuck yes.”

The energy the audience always gave was so electric. It was like a source of energy traveled through your body every time you walked out of backstage and meet with hundreds of fans. Their shouts, smiles and round applause were contagious. All you wanted to do was to hug every each of them. 

It was almost impossible not to dance at the incredible rhythm of the band. Jensen quickly joined you and did silly dance moves as the band shortly finished their introduction for the three of you. In chuckles you sat next between Jared and Jensen. 

Neither of you could speak because the crowd was still shouting, all of them standing and applauding. You could see the posters with ‘WE MISSED YOU, Y/N’ in the distance. Jensen’s hand touched your knee, you reached for his hand, continuing to smile widely. This was one of those moments, the unforgettable ones. 

“I’ve missed you guys…” You spoke, still smiling. “Sooo freaking much.”

“We missed you, Y/N!” A fan shouted.

“I missed you more,” you replied and looked at Jensen. 

He was already looking back at you, your hands still holding on to each other. Jensen nodded softly, reassuring with his eyes that everything was okay and it was going to be okay.  

“First question!” Jared shouted. 

You glanced at him, smiling and looking over the fan waiting in front of the microphone. Your smile grew wider when you recognized her from Starbucks next to set. 

“Hey, guys!” She waved at you guys.

“My favorite barista!” You shouted cheerful.

She smiled widely when you recognized her. “Hi, Y/N!”

“Hey, Kelly!” You waved back. “Guys, she is the best barista ever. Her coffee is what brings me back to life when I’m on set for Arrow.”

“I can’t believe this, you know why?” Jensen said. 

“Where’s our coffee, Kelly?!” Jared asked over Jensen, making the entire crowd burst into laughter. 

You couldn’t help but laugh as well. 

“Can you let me talk?!” Jensen told Jared.

Jared smiled at his best friend like a ten year old that just did something he shouldn’t be doing. He laughed when Jensen rolled his eyes yet scoffed with a smile. 

“I was going to say - because you didn’t bring us coffee, Kelly.” Jensen said with the same mischievous smile Jared had. 

You could see that Kelly was so starstruck because Jared and Jensen were calling her by her name. She couldn’t believe what was happening. 

“Walk by the shop tomorrow and I’ll take care of those coffees myself. I promise!” Kelly chuckled.

“It’s a deal,” you winked, pointing at her with your index finger. “What was your question darling?”

Kelly placed a lock of her hair behind her ears. “My question is for you actually… Which set is more fun? Arrow’s or Supernatural’s?” 

You dropped your jaw in the most dramatic way. You fixed yourself on the seat as you could feel the curious stares of Jared and Jensen aiming at you. Biting your lower lip, you shrugged, “You… really… want… to get me fired?” You said with a chuckle at the end.

“Answer sweetie,” Jensen teased.

“Here’s the thing!” You spoke. “Arrow’s set, production… etc. It’s what you can call-,” you looked for the words to say boring in the most professional way. 

“Just say it!” Jared joined Jensen’s teasing. 

“Let’s just say it’s more strict and that they have set rules than we do at Supernatural set.” You replied. 

“More like we do whatever the hell we want,” Jensen whispered on the microphone. 

You shrugged with a smirk on your face. “I like both but Supernatural set is quite more fun.”

Another fan took the microphone, she smiled and waved at the three. 

“Hey, guys!” She greeted, “My question is for Y/N.”

“Is this Y/N’s solo panel?” Jared jokes.

Jensen laughed, “I’m good with that.”

You chuckled and turned your attention towards the fan. “Yes, darling?”

“Was it hard working in two sets practically at the same time and being a mother?” 

That question hit you right in the heart. 

“Yes, it was very hard, time was very limited because the days I wasn’t shooting with Supernatural, I was here in Toronto, shooting for Arrow and I honestly never had a full day off to be with my family. I would have to between takes see JJ in Supernatural set and when Jensen was off from Supernatural and conventions, he would visit me with JJ to Toronto.”

You stood up from the seat, feeling this moment was the moment you had to speak the truth. 

“Since we are on the topic of how did I worked in two shows at the same time and how I was able to still spend time with my family, the truth is that… I wasn’t able to spend proper time with my family…” Your voice broke a little. “I missed my daughter’s first steps because I was working. I missed her first day in official daycare because I was working. I missed a lot of firsts and lasts with my daughter and husband,” you looked at Jensen. “And it sucks, it sucks because I love my job but I love my family even more.”

You took a moment to breathe and look at the faces staring at you as you spoke. There was silence in the audience. Jared and Jensen were silent. Everyone was silent, listening to you speak. 

“It really sucks what I am about to say but-,” you caught the tear dropping down your eye, “I need to be honest with you guys. Yesterday was my last day as Catwoman in Arrow and-,” the upcoming news was the ones that hurt you the most. “Next week is going to be my last week as Katherine Pierce.”

When you finally let out what you’ve been holding in for so long, it felt like a weight was dropped off your shoulders. You finally could breathe calmly. Everyone kept their silence, processing what you just said. Jensen reached your side, hugging you. 

“I know this is big and it’s upsetting,” you said, “but I need to be a mother first and I need to have time for myself and I needed to be the one who told you guys up front and not through articles or media.” You took a minute to look at the fans. “With this being said, any questions?”

Suddenly something you’ve never thought it would happen, everyone in the line for questions sat down. Except one woman, she stood in front of the microphone, you could see she was sad. 

“We love you, Y/N.” She said and you felt it, she sounded genuine. “I think I speak for everyone when I say that we understand. We follow you guys, we follow your amazing lives and we understand that you being a mother is your priority.” 

“It is,” you nodded, “thank you guys. Thanks for all the love.” 

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[olliedollie1204]

familiar rhythms

Pairings: Platonic Virgil/Deceit/Remus

Word Count: 1,019

Tags: All Characters Are Sympathetic (there’s a fight but it gets resolved), Mentions of Past Abusive Behavior (but there’s like regret and remorse and stuff)

this was gonna be longer but i’m tired of it sitting in my drafts and i want some validation lol

It wasn’t easy, getting used to each other again.

Even though they weren’t on ‘opposite sides’ anymore, things weren’t anywhere near back to normal. Or, back to what their old normal used to be.

The ‘Dark Sides’ (and at least all three of them could agree from the beginning that Roman’s moniker for them was stupid and arbitrary (and mean)) had a lot of history together, and it wasn’t all bad. Granted, sometimes the weight of their history was too much, and one or more of them would find that they didn’t know how to talk to each other like things were normal, like nothing had happened, like their trio hadn’t been torn apart and was only now slowly coming back together. Sometimes it all just hurt too badly, and none of them knew how to talk to or even look at each other.

But sometimes… sometimes they found themselves slipping into their old, familiar rhythms.

“You’re so annoying.”

“You’re annoying!”

“Children, please, you’re both annoying.”

Deceit barely managed to keep a straight face at the matching scowls being sent in his direction. Ah, just like old times.

“I just want to listen to my music,” Virgil insisted with as much vitriol as he could muster.

“So do I!” Remus replied cheerfully.

“You hate my music. Go listen to whatever nightcore shit you’re into.”

Remus made an offended noise. “Don’t call my music shit, you Hot Topic clearance sale!”

Virgil huffed, folding his arms. “Dee, can you please make the Green Goblin leave me alone?”

“Oh, but Virgil!” Remus interjected, leaning too far into Virgil’s personal space. “You know I just love spending time with my favorite scaredy cat!”

He made kissy noises in Virgil’s face, laughing as the anxious side snarled and shoved him away. “Get off!”

Remus bashed his head as he hit the floor. “Ow!”

“Dee!” Both sides cried out in unison.

Deceit slammed the book he was attempting to read shut. “Both of you, be quiet.”

He raised his fingers, ready to snap and force the others to clamp their hands over their mouths, but he stopped just in time.

This was how their petty fights had always ended: Deceit playing referee, preventing either of them from continuing the fight. He’d keep them quiet for a bit, maybe pull them apart if he had to, and when they’d cooled off, he snap his fingers again, and the three of them could move on, without bringing up whatever had started the fight again.

Deceit had thought- he had thought that was a good idea. Keep them from saying something they would truly regret, some barbed insult in the heat of the moment that they didn’t really mean.

It wasn’t until the last time he tried it that it hadn’t gone like he thought it would: after Virgil could speak again, he ducked down into his room without another word to Deceit or Remus. They assumed he was going to pout by himself while blaring angsty music, so they let him go.

It had been weeks before they saw him again. It wasn’t until later that Deceit realized that had been the first time he’d slipped out of their half of the mind palace, popping up into Thomas’ video and unintentionally starting his journey that would end with him becoming a ‘Light Side’, for good.

Deceit had been furious, at Virgil for running away, and at Remus for starting the stupid fight in the first place. It had taken a long time before he realized that maybe forcing Virgil to keep his anger locked inside himself, where it would fester, unresolved, was bad. That what he was doing to protect his boys was bad.

It had taken even longer for him to accept that he wasn’t bad for doing it. That he didn’t have to be bad anymore.

All of this flashed through his mind in less than a second, and he belatedly lowered his hand. Virgil and Remus looked at him, evidentally following his train of thought.

A heavy silence fell over the room before Remus scrambled off of the floor, turning to leave without another word, and Deceit felt his heart sieze-

“Don’t leave after an argument!” Deceit blurted, and yeah, he probably deserved the way Virgil and Remus whipped their heads to at him like he was speaking in tongues, but he was a little distracted by the thought of ‘don’t let either of them out of your sight until everyone’s happy again’ to really notice.

“What?” Virgil replied coldly, his eyes hard. Remus didn’t even speak; he was too busy trying to pick his jaw up off the floor (literally, unfortunately).

“I... I don’t think you should leave right after an argument,” Deceit continued, mind racing as he tried to think of what to say.

“If there was a conflict or misunderstanding, I don’t think we should leave it unresolved. Instead, let’s…”

He faltered before pushing through. “... Talk… about it?”

Remus and Virgil were still looking at him, and he slowly met their eyes. There was silence for a few seconds, before all three of them shuddered in unison.

“That was some Light Side shit you just said,” Remus replied, causing Virgil to snort in laughter. Already Deceit felt ridiculous for even bringing it up, but at least they weren’t mad at each other anymore-

“…Sorry I pushed you,” Virgil muttered suddenly, looking away awkwardly. Remus seemed stunned.

(Actually, he was desperately trying to recall the talk Patton had had with him about how to apologize to others in a considerate manner.)

“Um, yeah, Virge- sorry, too,” he stammered. Nailed it.

Deceit watched closely as the two of them shared a meaningful look. It was silent for a few more moments, and then:

“Well, are you two going to kiss and make up now, or…?”

The spell broke, and Remus snickered. “He wishes.”

Virgil snorted again. “I’m not a prince, so why would I wanna kiss a toad?” He snarked, lightly kicking Remus’ leg.

Remus squawked, Virgil laughed, and Deceit felt something tight in his chest become just a little bit looser.

[cruelangelstheses]

red jenny needs a rhythm guitarist!

fandom: dragon age rating: T characters: sera/female inquisitor, sigrun, charade words: 2k additional tags: modern au, punk rock band, first meetings, fluff description: one night while performing with her band, the red jennies, sera spots a beautiful girl in the crowd. a/n: this was supposed to be done for yesterday - @serappreciationweek day 3: headcanons/aus - but i was delayed due to having to evacuate for hurricane dorian lol. anyway this type of au is my fav thing ever and sera said gay punk anarchist rights

read it on ao3

—

The air thrums with anticipation. Backstage, Sera can hear the buzz of the crowd as she finishes applying her eyeliner, fucking it up on purpose because she loves the way it looks. She laughs and sticks her tongue out until it touches her septum piercing. Everything about her calls for chaos: old sneakers with holes in them, ripped skull-patterned shorts, spiked cuffs, tattoos on her arms, a black tank top hand-painted with the anarchy symbol, and a myriad of piercings in both ears—some studs, hoops, a chain, and an industrial piercing. One good thing about being an elf, she’s found, is that she has more space for them.

Behind her, Sigrun whistles the opening of one of their songs. “You about ready?”

Sera spins around in her chair and grins. “Frigging right I am.”

“Well, good,” Charade adds as she makes her way toward them, her bass guitar slung over one shoulder, “because I think they’re getting antsy out there.”

“Dagna said they were almost done,” Sigrun says as she takes a look in the mirror and smudges her eyeliner so that she looks a bit more...dead inside. Her knife earrings, black fingerless gloves, black jeans, and combat boots add to the “don’t fuck with me” look, complete with a black leather jacket that she’ll probably take off halfway through the set so she doesn’t die of heatstroke. Still, her dedication is inspiring.

As if on cue, Dagna, the band’s audio engineer, appears in the doorway of the dressing room. “Everything’s all set up,” she says with a smile. “Whenever you’re ready. Knock ‘em dead.”

Sera jumps to her feet and claps her hands together, grabbing her black-and-yellow guitar from off the floor. “Yes! Okay!”

In the center of the room, the Red Jennies form a tight circle. They’re a three-piece group, a “power trio,” with Sera as the lead singer and guitarist, Charade as the bassist, and Sigrun on the drums. It’d be nice to find a rhythm guitarist so Sera can focus on lead guitar, but they make it work. Charade has her hair tied back into a bun and is dressed in her usual getup: jean shorts, a t-shirt from the thrift store, and a plaid flannel, this one red.

Once they put all their hands in the center, Sera starts their chant. “Never mind the rich tits!”

“Never mind the bullshit!” Sigrun adds with a smirk.

“Never mind the bollocks,” Charade says, laughing.

Then, together, throwing their hands up in the air, they shout, “Here’s the Red Jennies!”

Sera leads them out of the room and up the stairs. The music playing inside the bar stops, and the crowd roars in excitement. They know what that means. It’s a relatively small venue, but it still packs a decent amount of people, and the show tonight is sold out—sold out for them. The Red Jennies are the main act. The idea makes Sera’s head spin.

Sera is the first person to step onstage, and the crowd cheers louder as the band takes their places, Sera and Charade plugging in their guitars and Sigrun sitting down at her drum set. Then Sera grabs onto the microphone with one hand and shouts, “Make some frigging noise, Wycome!”

As the crowd yells, Sigrun taps her drumsticks together four times to count off, and then they jump into their opening song, a politically-charged anthem aptly titled “Eat the Rich!!!” It’s one of their more “screamy” songs, which is why it’s first: perfect to pump up the crowd, as well as remind them why they’re here.

As Sera takes in the crowd, she notices a pair of bright purple eyes shining near the back of the venue. The fact that she can see them glowing all the way from the stage is enough to tell her that they belong to another elf, though she could’ve figured that out by the pointed ears poking out from underneath the girl’s mop of brown hair, as well as the distinctly Dalish tattoo that surrounds her left eye. She’s sitting at the edge of the bar with a drink in hand, watching the show with interest and looking as though she’s never seen the Red Jennies before.

For a short, weird moment, Sera feels...exposed? Judged? An age-old fear grips her, that she’ll be looked down upon—like always—or seen as uncivilized, crazy, a traitor to elves, perhaps all of the above if she’s unlucky enough. But then the girl looks right at her, right at her, and smiles, a snaggletooth grin that transforms her whole face, and those fears wash away, and Sera is herself again.

Alright, pretty elfy girl, she thinks. I’ll give you a show.

The concert is a whirlwind of jumping and sweating, of starting mosh pits and screaming her lungs out to a room full of strangers. It’s wild and cathartic, and no matter how many times she does it, she never gets tired of it—of reaching fans new and old, of hearing people yell her own words back to her, of music so loud she can feel it in her chest. When she’s surrounded by the wailing of her guitar, the heat of the stage lights, Charade’s voice on backup vocals, the rapidfire drums...that’s when she’s home.

Sometimes they hang out after a performance, and sometimes they don’t. Luckily for Sera, they have a day off between this show and the next, and they’re not planning on leaving Wycome until tomorrow, so they have some time to mingle. The girl at the bar only seemed to get more and more into the performance as it went along; Sera will be damned if she doesn’t at least speak to her.

She practically leaves her bandmates in the dust, as she heads back out into the bar barely ten minutes after the end of the show. “Sorry! Have to catch a pretty girl!” she calls over her shoulder. “Updates later!”

It takes a little while to get to the bar, since the crowd still hasn’t really dispersed. Since she’s small, it’s not difficult to weave through people without them really noticing, but she gets caught more than once by a fan. They’re wonderful, though, so she doesn’t really mind. Normally she loves talking to fans, and she still does; it’s just that tonight she has someone specific in mind.

It’s her lucky day. When she finally reaches the bar, she finds that not only has the pretty girl not left yet—the seat next to her is empty. Taking a deep breath, Sera pulls herself up onto the barstool and says, “Hey.”

The girl jumps a little and turns around, her eyes widening. “Oh. Hey!” she says, and Maker, her voice is so nice. “Great show, by the way!”

“Uh. Thanks,” Sera replies, already feeling her face heating up. The girl is even prettier in person, all tan skin and kissable lips and eyes like starlight. Sera doesn’t normally go for elves—too afraid they’ll think she isn’t elfy enough, and besides, a lot of them are too skinny and bony for her taste anyway—but this girl’s arms are more toned than most elves’, and her face is rounder and fuller. “I’m Sera. If you didn’t know.”

The girl giggles a little, rubbing the back of her neck. “I didn’t, actually,” she says sheepishly. “I’d never even heard of you guys until a few days ago. My brother bought two tickets and gave one to me. Don’t know where he is now, though.” She shrugs and takes a sip of her drink. “I’m Rana. Rana Lavellan.”

Her name sounds like music. Sera nods. “Saw you when I was up there, yeah?” she says, gesturing to the stage. “Your eyes are really...wow.”

Rana smirks a little. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

For a moment, they both just kind of stare at each other. Then Sera clears her throat and says, “You ever listened to any punk before us?” She smiles mischievously. “Or did we take your punk virginity?” She says the last bit in a more dramatic voice.

Rana laughs. “Unfortunately, no, you did not,” she says, “though that would’ve been something. My brother invited me because he knew I liked your kind of music.” She deepens her voice in order to impersonate him. “‘Rana! You have to check out this band! They’re a bunch of punk rock lesbians singing about eating the rich! All your favorite things!’”

They both laugh at that. Then Rana adds, “Sometimes I think I’d like to be in a band. But I don’t usually get along well with other people. I have to really click with them, or see something in them that makes me want to talk to them.”

Suddenly, Sera feels immensely honored to be having such a fantastic conversation with her. “Oh!” she says. “What instrument do you play?”

“Guitar.”

Sera swears that the stars align right then and there. “Wait,” she says, trying not to get too far ahead of herself just yet. “Can you play rhythm?”

“Yeah, definitely,” Rana replies immediately, and then it starts to dawn on her. “Oh, yeah, I noticed you’re the only guitarist—”

“Want to join the Red Jennies?” Sera blurts. She can feel her heart pounding in her chest.

Rana blinks a few times, somewhat taken aback. “I...didn’t realize you guys were looking for a new member.”

“Well, we’re not, like, putting up ads on Craigslist,” Sera says, speaking quickly, “but we think it’d be nice to have a rhythm person if we could find one, ‘cause then I can do more cool shite on lead.”

Rana seems to think it over for a few moments, and then she nods. “If the other members will have me,” she says, “I’d be honored.”

“They will!” Sera says, finally allowing herself to get excited. “Really. Sigrun looks scary, but she’s lots of fun. And Charade’s a sweetie. Kind of have to work to get on her bad side. It’ll be good! Promise!”

Something twinkles in Rana’s eyes, something like amusement or endearment or pleasant surprise. Her face breaks into that beautiful snaggletooth grin again, and she says, “Then I would love to join the Red Jennies.”

Sera has to cover her mouth to stop from yelling with joy. Holding an index finger up, she pulls out her phone and sends a text into her group chat with Sigrun and Charade: I GOT US A RHYTHM GUITARIST!!!! SHES CUTE AND COOL AND LIKES PUNK AND HATES THE RICH AND I THINK SHES GAY???? DSJFDKFLKSJKD

Charade replies with some shocked and happy emojis. Sigrun says, pics or it didnt happen

Sera tries not to laugh. “They want a picture!”

Rana raises an eyebrow, but there’s a good-natured smile on her face. “Alright.”

Sera opens up the front-facing camera and holds her phone up so that both of their faces are in the shot. Sera does her standard pose—putting a peace sign up to her mouth and sticking her tongue out—while Rana just stares into the camera with a serious face, like she’s posing for a fashion magazine or something. Sera wonders if it’s possible to die of gayness.

When she sends the selfie into the chat, Charade says, Ahhh Sera that’s amazing!! Can’t wait to meet her!!

Sigrun writes, oh she’s definitely gay

Sera grins and turns to Rana, who is watching her expectantly, as if she’s expecting Charade and Sigrun to hate her. “You’re in, Buckles!”

Rana cocks her head. “Buckles?”

Sera nods. “Right. Buckles. That’s you. Said you’re not too good with people, yeah? Like a boot buckle. Serious. But take the boots off, and there’s the softness.”

Rana stares at her in awe for a moment. “You came up with that just now?”

Sera shrugs. “Well. Maybe a few minutes ago.” Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she adds, “I can change it if you think it’s stupid.”

Rana shakes her head and smiles warmly. “I don’t think it’s stupid. I like it. I think it’s kind of brilliant.”

Sera tries not to blush and glances down at her phone, where she sees another message from Sigrun. This one reads, Go get her, tiger.

Sera grins. “Well then, Buckles,” she says, “welcome to the Jennies.”

[tumblunni]

Komasan continues to be relateable social anxiety man, holy shit. "All the choices at the mcdonalds are A TRAP they baffle you with options and when youre scared thats when THEY STRIKE with the special offers!!" And aww i love how komajiro always sees the best in him no matter what! "Wow bro, only someone truly courageous would try all those foods of dubious quality!"

I didnt talk about it before but Bear is really adorable and my favourite! From what i saw of him in the game's intro he seemed like he was gonna be a generic bully character but in the anime he seems like a gentle giant who's super adorable and just gets embarassed when people know it. And he's the butt of 'fat people are stupid' type jokes which makes me really sympathetic to the poor guy! Like everyone says he's dumb but he got a perfect score on that test and it was just a yokai that made him fail! However his english voice reaaaaaly sucks. Its that dumb trope of 'the fat bully has a voice like a middle aged man somehow' except also its cleaarly a really bad impression done by someone who reaaaaally cant do low pitched voices at all. Like it sounds like an actual kid trying to act like an adult! Which i guess is in-character, but it also just sounds.. Really bad...

HOLY SHIT I LOVE THE DANCING PLANT YOKAI, THEYRE SO FUCKIN CUTE!!! And i like how theyre a trio like the nosirs, but their designs are more different with cute colours and such. And i love that the only reason theyre a problem is that they give you super dance skills even at really inaopropriate times like the middle of a test. CANT STOP THE RHYTHM! It was hilarious too when nate was chasing after them but in a dance style XD

Also Manjimutt's next story arc has generally become a bit more interesting? Its a great escape parody and so far has been actually quite funny with no gross horrid sexual assault nonsense like usual-

OKAY WHAT THE FUCK I TAKE THAT BACK

WHAT A SADISTIC GODDAMN EPISODE

Okay wtf?? Sudddenly its an episode about Manjimutt meeting a teddy bear yokai and he's like his new son and they have a montage of happiness?? And Manjimutt is like "im gonna buy you a nice bowtie when we get out" and then lil sam GRAPHICALLY DIES! They show him being crushed between a set of gears and his head popping and all the stuffing spilling out as manjimutt cries. And then the EVEN MORE MEANSPIRITED ENDING is that lil sam wasnt real at all, manjimutt was just going so mad from the loneliness of solitary confinement that he took a regular teddy bear and started using it as a puppet son to ease his pain AND REALLY BELIEVED IT BECAUSE HE WAS JUST THAT MENTALLY ILL! Ha ha comedy..? Seriously why is this show so cruel to this man when he hasnt done anything to deserve it, and when he actually acts horrible to women its played as just a harmless joke?? Prioritiesssss

Also im REALLY starting to get super sad for poor komasan whos now trapped in a web of lies that he's not really anxious and is totally dealing with city life perfectly okay, because he wants his brother to love him and THINKS HE WONT IF HE EVER FAILS AT ANYTHING EVER. Gahhh poor guyyyy pleaaase stop making him get even more embarassed in every new episode!

Aww no fair! Nate dont be mean to your mom's fancy outfit! I'd wanna be insipirted by dazzabel all the time if she gave me the confidence to look fab like that! Also wtf nate calling hungramps the "most unfashionable yokai" wow ur bein a big asshole today i guess. Also Fancy Hungramps was awesome, thanks for roasting the fuck out of nate and peacing out on a surfboard, thats the Biggest Mood while watching this show lol.

Huh apparantly in the anime when youre inspirited by Dimmy you get a creepy as fuck three dots cartoon ghost face THATS WEIRD! But dimmy is still super cute and shyly adorbabble :3 I'm surprised his voice was even kinda close to my headcanon! "oh...i dont wanna be a bother..i'll just be over here..." POOR BABBU! And i feel really sad for Dazzabel too! I mean it seems implied that she's so obsessed with fashion because she's depressed about being a skeleton and wants to look more humanlike? Dimmy defeats her just by bumping into her and knocking her bow off and then she looks in horror at herself. Thats so fuckin sad!!! Dazzabel you're beautiful no matter what!!

Okay how do manjimutt's episodes keep getting even more sadistic!!! He almost manages to escape with a group of other prisoners and he has a deep inner monologue about them being his only friends. And then in the last five seconds it reveals that they hated him all along and also he accidentally ruins his escape at the last moment by being unable to resist howling at the moon.

That actually raises an interesting point! I like how they keep subtly implying that the legends of werewolves were really manjimutts all along. Thats an interesting idea, that different mythological creatures from around the world are all the same monster just reinterpreted.

WTF why is Sproink the only boss yokai that ever got his own episode? What made them pick him of all people? Also why did they decide to give him an australian accent? It makes him really cute tho??? And my new favourite character is THAT GRANDPA! Sproink threatens the safety of the town by turning everyone's bathwater up too hot, and gets defeated by The Most Badass Old Man Ever who goes "yeah great! Turn it up higher!" and watches the poor bastard boil. Holy shit true hero of the series!

Also i continue to adore Babblong and continue to say WTF I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HIS STORIES!!