#i can deal with Victor and Lucien forgetting her

[producer-miss-chips]

...I'm not ready to cry. Not yet. 😭

[cheri-translates]

Headcanon - Night before the wedding

Original title: 婚礼前夜

Original author: 君兮耶君兮

[ Victor ]

You’re tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. Seeing that you replied almost immediately to his text, Victor gives you a call. 

“Why aren’t you asleep? What if you feel drowsy tomorrow?”

You huff. “You’re doing the exact same thing!” 

He chuckles softly, and you can imagine him turning in bed. “But I won’t be tired tomorrow.”

You pout. Thinking about tomorrow, you feel a mixture of excitement and anxiousness. “Victor, I’m really nervous.”

“With me around, there’s nothing to be nervous about.” That’s right, Victor does everything with ease. “I guessed that someone wouldn’t be able to sleep, so I called to check up on you.”

“What if I oversleep tomorrow?”

��Someone will drop by to wake you up.”

“What if the wedding gown is too long and the heels too high, and I end up tripping on flat ground?”

“I’ll be beside you, so you won’t fall.”

“Victor...” You pause. “We’ll be happy, won’t we?”

You hear a resigned sigh at the other end of the line, and it’s incomparably patient. “Dummy. Since I had the patience to wait till you understood my feelings, of course I’m certain about making you happy.”

That’s right. There wasn’t anything to worry about to begin with. Victor’s words have the magical ability to make one feel at ease.

“In that case, goodnight, Victor.”

“Goodnight, Mrs Li.”

[ Gavin ]

A figure shifts outside the window. You hug your blanket and grip the phone underneath the cushion, the screen displaying your emergency contact. With just a tap, Gavin will be called immediately.

There’s a tap at the glass window. 

Releasing a sigh of relief, you set down the phone, running barefoot to the balcony to open the door. “Gavin, it’s inauspicious to see each other now.”

“I missed you.” The straightforward words and insuppressible longing tugs at your heart, and you allow him to embrace you tightly.

You pat him on the back. “If you missed me, we could have done a video call.”

Gavin releases his hold on you. Seeing that you aren’t wearing shoes, he lifts you up and returns you back to the bed. “I just wanted to see you.”

Gavin’s always strangely stubborn in some areas.

“It’s going to be a hectic day tomorrow. Have a fuller meal in the morning, and don’t wear heels that are too high. You’ll get tired.” Seizing this opportunity to tell you things you should take note of, his conscientiousness makes you think that you’re talking to your mother.

“You’ve repeated that many times.” You turn your head, leaning your entire weight against him. “My dear Officer Gavin, there’s really no need to worry.”

“Cough...” Gavin nuzzles your face affectionately. “I’ll make a move then. Rest early.”

“Wait!” Just before he gets up, you tug on his wrist and pull him back onto the bed.

A gentle kiss lands on his slightly chilled lips. “Goodnight, Mr Bai.”

He lowers his head, breaths intertwining. “Goodnight, Mrs Bai.”

[ Lucien ]

Even though you’re getting married, you’d simply be moving next door.

Since it’s early, you’re swaying on a small swing in the balcony. The French window next door opens, and you hear his voice. Lucien has the wedding schedule in his hand as he steps out. “I’ve checked the fresh flowers for the wedding - your favourite lilies and gardenias. They’re very pretty.”

“Since Professor Lucien checked them himself, I can rest easy.” When it comes to you, he’s always meticulous and ensures that everything goes smoothly. You’re more than happy to be a bride who leaves everything to her groom.

“You’re still calling me ‘Professor’? Isn’t it time to change the way you call me?” Lucien chuckles gently, subtle anticipation in his eyes.

“What’s the rush?” You snort, elongating your words. “My... Old Lu?”

Lucien smiles. “Playful.”

After having your fill of fun, you take the event schedule and flip through it carefully.

“There’s no need to worry about tomorrow. Leave everything to me.” Lucien tousles your hair.

“Mm, you’re my sense of security.” You grin, returning the event schedule to him.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

“Me too.” You grab the hand that’s on your head and grip it tightly. “Goodnight then, my husband~”

He pinches your cheek. “Goodnight, my wife.”

[ Kiro ]

“Don’t worry, the guests will only be allowed in if their faces match the list, and the media personnel have been vetted thoroughly. Our wedding will definitely be safe.” At the other end of the line, you can imagine Kiro patting himself on the chest with confidence.

“Kiro, is it really a good idea to make the wedding as strict as an international meeting?” The last time you checked the wedding venue, Kiro was lugging a pile of high-tech gadgets, saying that he wanted to ensure the order and safety of the wedding.

“Of course. Tomorrow’s our special day. I want to share my happiness with everyone, so I can’t let anyone ruin our joy.” Kiro’s tone has an insuppressible joviality in it, and your lips curl upwards involuntarily.

“I’ll let you in on a secret. My bridesmaids wrote down several pages worth of difficult tasks. You have to be careful.” Just thinking about the group of ladies chatting and discussing methods to make things difficult for the groom, you laugh.

[Trivia] In traditional Chinese weddings, the groom has to fetch the bride from her home. To reach her, he has to go through“wedding door games”. This involves the bridesmaids giving the groom and his best men gruelling and difficult challenges e.g. drinking or eating something unpleasant

“No problem!” Kiro releases a ‘hmph’. “Don’t forget that Savin’s one of the best men. Don’t worry, his skin is thick and he can withstand punches!” 

Kiro continues. “If you don’t feel confident...”

“Using of Evol is prohibited!” You disperse his thoughts instantly, preventing his mischievous ideas from taking root. “Think of how to deal with them yourself. See you tomorrow, my superhero.”

“Okay then... see you tomorrow, my Mrs Chips.”

[ Shaw ]

“I’ll make this clear - my wedding dress is really long, and we’re having an outdoor wedding. If it rains tomorrow, I’ll chop you into pieces when we get home!” You threaten fiercely.

Through the phone, Shaw responds with a “tch”. At a spot where you can’t see in the video call, he takes out the umbrella he had prepared to leave in the car.

“What if there are unforeseen events?” He takes a sip of cola. “I don’t control all the rain.”

“I’ve already checked the weather forecast - it’s going to be a clear day.” You rub your newly manicured nails. “Also, I don’t care if you aren’t the only one who can make it rain. I’ll consider it all your fault. So you best pray that it’d be a clear day tomorrow!”

“Hey! Why are you being so unreasonable?”

You arch your brows. “If you don’t like it, we could call off the wedding.”

“Who said I didn’t like it.” He responds instantly, as though genuinely afraid that you’d back out.

“Tch.” You mimic his tone, rolling your eyes.

“Remember to ask your bridesmaids to go easy on me tomorrow.” Shaw suddenly changes the topic. Even though his tone is casual, you can sense a hint of nervousness.

"What? You aren’t confident?”

“No way!” Shaw scratches his head, then says something before the hangs up.

“I just want to see you sooner.”

–

More translated and original works: here

-

[ Permission to translate ]

君兮耶君兮: You can - just note the author

[tartagilicious]

Hellooo- May I ask for a headcannon with the MLQC boys confronting dark MC perhaps? I just had the idea while taking a walk and think it’s an interesting ideas, do whatever you want! Have a lovely day! 💫

absolutely!! I kind of took this in a ‘here’s how they would react to her and why are they’re so mad at her’ direction,, so I hope it fits what you wanted okay!! while this does contain minor spoilers for when the boys reunite with the mc, I’m exempting shaw from this because of spoilers related to the main story. 

Lucien:

- im sorry I just love angsty lucien 

- he has very obviously expressed how he feels about the dark MC, and I’m 10000% positive that if he ever got the chance, he would kill her without hesitation

- hey, he only holds back because she’s connected to the mc. he couldn’t ever harm the woman he loves, and the dark mc mocks him for that. in her eyes, he’s pitiful for caring for her other self. 

- the dark mc is quite literally the root of all their problems, not to mention the reason that the mc was taken away from him in the first place. the mc’s disappearance put him in a state of shock and it’s very easy to see why this made him spiral, especially looking at this from the angle of what’s considered normal for him. 

- he was put in a spot where he fell in love with someone he was only supposed to be using, and even though he had stated the danger of staying with him many times, she had never stopped trusting him or believing in him. but then, the source of his colour and the woman he’s in love with was suddenly gone.  

- to say it all broke him would be an understatement, and knowing that everything that happened to him afterwards was a direct result of the dark mc, he knew exactly who to direct his frustrations at. 

- so yeah. he’d definitely have a bone to pick with her. and I doubt he’d be too reluctant to do so. 

- he’d talk to her calmly enough, but his tone would be cold, and his expression would have more of the anger/impatience that you would expect. 

Victor:

- yet again, I have no doubt that he would hesitate to kill her if given the chance

- when he was forced to ‘kill’ the mc, the aftermath was hell. he spent every day wondering if you were out there somewhere, whether you were actually alive as you’d promised you’d be or if things had failed and you really were dead.

- he wanted to trust you then when you said that you would live and come back to him, but he just didn’t know. it brought on unhealthy anxiety and crippling guilt knowing that if you were in a bad spot, it was him who sent you there.

- that’s why he’s so immensely surprised and happy when he meets you again, safe and sound apart from how you shiver due to the temperature at sea

- but regardless, it’s her fault that you had to go through what you did, and he’ll never forget that. 

- Victor shows little emotion in the dark mc’s presence because unlike lucien, who is well-trained in hiding his emotions yet had no desire to hide his bloodlust, his hostility is not so open. 

- the dark mc knows full well that he has reason to hate her, but is stifled by the way he talks to her as if nothing is wrong. the only things that suggests otherwise is his icy business tone and how he occasionally can be seen balling his fists at his sides

Gavin:

- he would have none of it, but I doubt he would kill her. It would probably bring him more satisfaction to put her behind bars, honestly — somewhere that she could never hurt you again

- I have no idea what the hell gavin was doing when the mc disappeared (probably working at NW or having some fun with his dad?), but I can assume that when he found out that the mc had gone missing, it broke him

- he had left you to protect you — to save you from your life-threatening injury, only to come back to you gone, and he was beyond pissed at whoever had taken you away. but the fact that he didn’t know anything pissed him off even more

- angry gavin is a rare sight, and it’s a scary one quite honestly. 

- not knowing what had happened to you made him not moody, but restless. he had every resource at his disposal working to find you, though he was never successful. maybe that’s why he volunteered to infiltrate an evol experimenting institute. we probably won’t ever know unless it’s released somewhere like rumour and secrets. maybe with his chapter 25-28 ssr?

- but yeah anyway

- you literally appeared out of nowhere, so I can’t imagine that the healing was immediate either. But thankfully, the moment you explained what had happened to you, he finally had someone to direct his anger onto.

- he would adopt his businessesque STF/NW expression when meeting with the dark mc (maybe for the first time? have they met?) and wouldn’t do anything irrational. he’d been planning this in his head ever since he could put a name to the person behind this mess.

- But, he’s still driven by emotions. 

- She monopolises on the fact that she can get under his skin without doing much at all, especially when taking her teasing and mocking personality into account

Kiro/Helios:

- has met the dark mc more, if not the most, than all the other guys. having both identities at his disposal, he gets around — not to mention his dealings with Black Swan, he’s just a generally all over the place kind of guy

- so of course, he’s run into her on more than one occasion. black swan headquarters, yishui street, etc

- your disappearance didn’t affect him directly for a while. he had heard that you were missing, but that took so long to register that he didn’t realise the weight of everything until he was standing in your dark and very much empty apartment (spare keys as kiro ^^)

- he thought that it was his fault immediately, even when he was aware of why you were missing and that it being his fault obviously doesn’t make much sense. he should’ve been there for you, if only you knew that he was helios, etc. the guy blamed himself hard.

- he makes himself believe that he could have saved you if things were different. if he wasn’t so afraid of being the person he wanted to be, then just maybe, you would still be standing next to him. 

- so it’s regrettable that when he comes back, he has to best around the bush with you. he can’t even hug you after not seeing you for six months because of a mission, smh

- if he ever met the dark mc again, I have no doubt helios would come into play no matter what he happens to look like at the moment. he has no sympathy for her whatsoever, and will never show her any emotion besides boredom or hostility. 

- snapping and sarcastic helios ✨

[monasatlantis]

My thoughts on MLQC chapter 25 to 28

It took my ages to find the time to play these chapters but I finally did it and here is what I think and feel about it: (Obviously SPOILER FOR CHAPTER 25 to 28!)

- Did they really have to send all those spam-messages to MCs phone? Would it not have been enough to just mention that she got a ton?

- The Voice-Mails of the boys from the time when they thought she was dead were heartbreaking. (Some of the moments they posted too...)

- I am sorry but this was once again a time where I found Luciens chapter absolutely boring and MCs behavior towards and around him absolutely stupid

- I liked the confusion at first tho, when you weren’t sure if MC was replaced by another version of herself, while on the other hand you were already suspicious of the fact that Lucien must have had hallucinations of her and now thinks she still is just made up by his own mind because he missed and needed her so much

- I get that he had a trauma do to MCs death and I would have accepted him hallucinating her as somewhat normal, but what is beyond normal is turning your own flat into a copy of hers. And it is also beyond healthy or normal or right to pretend that your flat is her flat, going as far as locking her into said flat and becoming slightly aggressive when she tries to leave

- It honestly makes me wonder if the same people who are currently saying “Awwww. Poor Lucien.” aren’t the same people who called Victor toxic when he was getting way too overprotective in chapter 11 after almost losing MC a second time...

- I kind of found Luciens part a bit misplaced, to be honest. Its probably do to the Harem-Prospect of the game but it felt oddly weird that MC, as naive and stupid as she is, was willing to give Lucien in his madness the time he needed to get a grip while other people were certainly more deserving of her showing them that she was alive and well. Namely, Victor (especially him after he was basically the one to have to live with the burden that he killed her) and Gavin, but also the friends from her company that she constantly keeps forgetting and also Kiro/Helios who actually had a ton of questions to answer that I would have wanted to be answered like right now!

- I know that Luciens part should have made us feel sorry for him, and I did, really, but it also made me be even more wary of him, because it showed us very well how f*cked up his mind actually is and how easily he loses control over his sanity

- I have absolutely no idea what to think about Shaw at the moment

- I liked how Gavins part was (as per usual) so full of action and those amusing conveniences XD

- Seriously tho, MC herself said it was a stretch to think she was a man, no matter how good her disguise and yet no one doubted her

- How high are the chances that she bumps into Gavins chest right the first day and ends up in his room basically right the next? XD

- I still wonder if Gavin immediately seeing through her disguise was because he loves her so much or because the disguise was so bad ^^’

- It was great that MC was doing so well in her endeavors to help/rescue Gavin for once. Usually she ends up being a burden for him - not that he cares - but this time I think she did a good job in being as helpful as possible. Shows that she learned a thing or two in the “winter wonderland” she was stuck in

- How dumb can MC be that the name of the place she had to go to to find were they help Evolvers didn’t tip her off immediately? I could absolutely not blame Victor for calling her a dummy for this...

- The buildup for the reunion with Victor was great and so was the reunion itself

- Hearing Victors voice break like that hit me right in the feels

- Was I the only one who thought for a moment she accidentally ended up in one of Victors dates when he told her she had to make the time she was gone up to him and it looked like he was about to kiss her, and she seemed fine with it? Or did I just interpreted too much into his words and his actions?

- Victor was badass this whole time on the ship. This man is amazing and I just loved how in control he was of everything and how prepared he was for any situation

- I loved how MC described what his hand was doing while they were holding hands when she was hiding behind him

- The whole Victor part actually made me feel really happy... until it got revealed that he has secrets from MC. Which sucks.

- MC was supposed to wait for Victor and played the little housewife at first, yet she suddenly left for some shady shop, then for a questionable date in an amusment-park with Kiro and was planning to go home after that... so... uh... weird?

- Kiros part was the biggest disappointment for me in this chapters. What was that even?

- First, there was almost no time left for him, then MC didn’t ask any of the questions we all have and goes on stupid rides with him instead, then he sends her getting food for him in a park that was about to blow up soon and then he was up and gone AGAIN

- Something felt off the moment MC got Kiros message. I never felt so guarded and wary in a Kiro-Centered part of the game, not even when it was Helios we faced

- As if it wasn’t bad enough that we barely had any time with Kiro after we finally got the sunshine-boy-back (okay... I am honest with you, I prefer Helios. He is more hot XD), the time we had was not even enjoyable do to the fact that things felt off from the start

- Kiro is second place for me and yet I decided against telling him to go with him, because for the first time in this game I felt like I couldn’t fully trust him. The game didn’t care about that tho and MC whined about a hug and a promise she never got, when Kiro left

- So... is Helios officially the Boss of Black Swan now? And is Black Swan actually still our Enemie?

- Who is going to answer all my questions now? I mean, what happened to MCs powers? When is Kiro answering us how he knew we were back? And so on.

- Overall the chapters were just alright. Something was missing... I just can’t say what exactly

- I didn’t like that MC was thrown into the chaos of the world like 2 Minutes after she finally returned. Give the woman a break!

- I was really glad that the Kids who the STF got their hands on were save and sound on Victors ship

- But where did Victor actually bring those people who were on that ship?

- What exactly did Kiki and Co. knew about MC being missing given that obviously people saw her die? I mean... didn’t she somehow destroy the timeline with simply returning after half a year in which she was technically speaking dead?

- WHAT DID YOU SAY? THE MUSIC IS TOO LOUD! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!

- What is the deal with Cyril? Is he still an enemy?

- I kind of liked tho, how these chapters showed us the difference in the relationship and chemistries MC has with the boys. How she was giving Lucien time to heal, how she was comrades in arms with Gavin, how she blurted out “I missed you” to Victor and how she immediately went with Kiro when he wanted to enjoy the amusement park even tho she had so many questions and things seemed off

- I do think tho this season should come to an end soon. It feels like its enough at this point

- And once again, more questions, almost no answers

[thenovelartist]

Childhood Friends Headcanon -MLQC

I’m sorry to all the people who come to my blog for ML only to get bombarded by posts for MLQC. But I’m enjoying myself.

Premise: What if the boys and MC actually stayed together once they met?

(Note: Minor spoilers for chapters 7-13, particularly surrounding boys backstories.)

Gavin

He’ll never forget that day in the rain meeting MC.

She knew about him—his reputation preceded him—and it was clear she was leery of him.

But with a little time, she came around.

So much so that she was sad that he graduated before her.

He was kinda sad, too, to be honest. He didn’t want to leave her.

But they never lost touch. Made sure to meet up as frequently as they could.

He didn’t attend his high school graduation—he both didn’t care and thought the everyone else would appreciate him not being present—but she did watch him with pride as he graduated his cop training program.

He almost cried over the fact that he actually had someone there to support him. He didn’t have familial support, but that didn’t really matter anymore when he had his own personal cheerleader.

He surprised her by showing up at her high school graduation.

Not really a “Surprise” but she was still wildly excited to see him, nonetheless.

Though they didn’t get to see each other often—Gavin busy with his demanding job and MC busy with college—they were instantly contacting the other when they had a moment of free time.

Gavin totally tried to coordinate his days off with hers.

They were that couple that claimed they were just friends but looked to the world like they were dating while also each wishing they were actually dating but both being too chicken to confess.

But Gavin finally gets the guts one day.

No surprise MC quickly followed up with a confession of her own.

How do you date?

They’d been so close and doing couple-y things for so long. Like, what was even a date compared to what they normally did?

They decided to do something they wouldn’t normally do and have a nice, truly ‘couple-y’ dinner.

Then they chuckled all the way home because that really wasn’t their style.

Still enjoyed it.

Gavin took her home, dropping her off at her door… and totally chickened out of kissing her goodnight.

They try the “date” thing again. This time, something more casual.

And that time, it did end with a kiss.

Gavin’s little mind went “boom”.

Already positive he’s gonna marry this girl.

Waits a little longer to propose, though. Just to make it seem like he’s not rushing it.

Courthouse wedding a few months later. Her father witnesses.

Then when her father passes shortly after, leaving her with the company, she’s constantly having to ask her coworkers for new copies of documents because she’s not used to signing her new last name quite yet. Especially when everyone still calls her by her maiden name. Or sometimes addresses her like they would her late father. (It’s a change for everyone.)

She’s got it down in a couple of days and likes her new signature better than her old one.

After marriage, Gavin also has a problem of his own. Particularly with the ring on his hand.

It’s his new nervous tick to play with it when he’s stressed on a scouting mission. And when he has to take it off for an undercover one, he’s a mess without it on.

Feels like he’s being unfaithful to the love of his life. MC has had to reassure him many times he’s not but secretly is touched that he feels that way.

These two have disastrous schedules, which is why when they both have time off they can spend together, phones go on silent. Someone can literally come to their house if it’s an emergency.

Kiro

They make it out of the lab together.

Poor kids were terrified out of their mind, each only five. They never let go of each other’s hands during their escape.

And they don’t want to be separated afterwards.

These two kids are each other’s “emotional support person.”

Literally inseparable.

These kids’ guardians bend over backwards to accommodate them. MC has a killer set of puppy dog eyes, but Kiro’s pout is downright impossible to resist.

They end up in the same classes at school.

Play together on the playground at recess and spend lunches together.

They are the “class couple.” And do get teased for it.

They’re told to ignore it, but it still takes a toll on them.

Eventually, Kiro steps out of school to become home-schooled, thanks to his music career.

Oh, these two kids do not know how to handle themselves.

But they are growing up and they can be apart from each other, right?

Right?

Wrong.

They survive not being in class together, but the moment they’re each out of school, they are attached to their phones, texting or calling each other.

Get together to hang out as much as humanly possible.

Kiro has 1000% both snuck off sets to go see MC and snuck MC onto sets to have her around.

MC has also enabled Kiro’s snacking by sneaking him anything he desires.

Usually it’s chips. She’s his chip dealer. Which only leads to the nickname “Miss Chips”.

They were so close that this mutual crush thing was absolutely unavoidable and unsurprising to most people who watched them.

They were fifteen and each exploring their feelings for each other and what dating was like.

And by sixteen, these two were totally making out in closets.

Savin just deals. As long as it doesn’t get out to the public, he’s fine with it. They’re generally discrete, anyway.

Though, the poor guy has had to hunt Kiro’s hiding spot down more than once. Generally, he scopes out the building beforehand so he knows where to find Kiro and MC if the superstar disappears from set.

Kiro would totally get her a promise ring. “I can’t officially propose now, but… I don’t think I’m going to be letting my Miss Chips go anytime in the future.”

She’s in tears.

Kiro’s already planned out proposing to her as soon as they are eighteen and has scoped out the perfect wedding venue.

Though, Savin now has to do everything in his power to keep the whole thing under wraps. He thinks it’s best the public doesn’t know Kiro’s getting married so young. They’ll slowly break it later.

MC travels with him everywhere, attending school online for convenience sake.

But when her dad passes and she has to take over the company, Kiro does his best to settle down more in Loveland to be by her side and support her more.

He fights to film exclusively at her company.

They totally have a closet that they make out in there, too. One MC has the sole key to.

Victor

He doesn’t loose track of her during their escape from that hellhole disguised as a “lab”.

She saves him, and he manages to carry her to safety.

Refuses to be separated from her after that.

Victor soon becomes like her over-protective big brother.

If he’s with her, he’s got his eye on her. And he’s with her a lot.

He’s so soft with her. Yes, there’s name calling on occasion, but he’s always met with a giggle when he calls her ‘dummy.’

He doesn’t really mean it, anyways.

Totally helps her with her homework.

And she always helps him in the kitchen. Rather, she tries and just ends up being the dishwasher after an incident with the fire alarm.

But she’s just happy if pudding is involved.

And though Victor swears he’s not going to make pudding every single night… there’s pudding more nights than not.

She goes to all his graduations; high school and college.

And he’s there supporting her at hers, looking on like the proud big brother his is.

“Good job, dummy.”

He totally teaches her how to write reports and such. Makes her do them and redo them until up to his standards.

“If you can impress me, you’ll win over anyone in the business world.”

Also teaches her all the ins and outs about running a business and how to thrive in the business world.

She’s always ready to take advice he offers.

Everyone in LFG knows that unless Victor actually is in an important meeting, MC is allowed in his office any time.

Has always seen her as his little sister.

Until she takes over her father’s company.

Suddenly, there’s a warmth in his chest as he watches her handle everything with ease.

It no longer feels like he’s watching over his little sister but rather watching a strong, capable woman handle the high-intensity job of running a company with confidence and poise.

… okay, poise was too generous a word. But his point still stood.

Suddenly, he notices she’s actually on his schedule. And their meeting takes place with none of the familiarity that they’ve become accustomed to.

He won’t coddle her as the business owner. She assures him she expects that from him.

And when she leaves his office, Victor finds himself a little bit of a mess.

They slowly lose their brother/sister mentality and grow into business partners that are close enough to have dinner a couple times a week.

“Question,’ he asks her one night. “Can these be considered ‘dates’ or not?”

She drops her fork in surprise.

They date for a several months before Victor proposes. He wouldn’t have proposed so early to anyone else but MC has always been an exception.

They put the wedding together in eight months. It’s a good, large, proper wedding, and they honeymoon out of the country. Because of course they do. Victor wants to give MC the best and only the best.

Total power couple, and Victor takes pride in that.

Lucien

This tree, or their tree, as Lucien likes to refer to it as, holds a very special place in his heart.

It started off as his sanctuary, the spot where he came out to draw.

But then it became the place that he got to bond with the girl who saved him.

After his parents were killed, everything went downhill for him at a rapid pace.

But she…

“It’s going to be okay.”

He still remembers the warmth of her hands when she held his and the tightness of her hugs she engulfed him in.

This girl’s smile lit up his dark world.

She’s the sole reason he escaped the pull of Black Swan.

Being four years apart as they were put a little gap between them growing up.

People looked at them in disdain so often that Lucien constantly lied about her being his sister.

He didn’t like that kind of attention from people, though he also logically knew why they received it.

Though he did his best to act respectfully and appropriately, he couldn’t help but feel all fluttery around MC. Every single time she came around, he had a physical reaction to her proximity.

Did his best to always act the gentleman. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

For now, he focused on his studies, partly because he found them interesting, partly because he wanted to be the kind of man who could provide well for his family.

Because he had his heart set on making one with her.

It was irrational, if he thought of it logically, to be become romantically attached to someone simply because he was emotionally attached to. Yet he could not separate the pull of romantic notions from his emotional relationship to her.

He eventually surrendered his attempts at trying to separate the two and gave up entirely in his quest to understand it.

He was already on his track to a doctorate when she graduated high school. And suddenly, them both being adults made those four years that separated them growing up seem a little less of a hurdle.

That’s when he asked her out.

“I had to wait so long, but I think now’s finally an appropriate time.”

And that’s when she admitted she had feelings for him, too.

It warmed his cold little heart.

They did take things slowly.

But they were already discussing marriage by the time MC had to take over the company when her father suddenly passed.

Honestly, though it was a terrible tragedy, Lucien is glad he finally gets to return the favor of being there for her just as she was there for him all those years ago.

He also decides to hide the ring he’d bought in a drawer, only to open it again when things were stable.

Well… relatively. The life of a media company manager is never fully stable. Mostly, Lucien just got tired of waiting.

He takes her back to their tree to propose.

They get married there, too.

[otonymous]

Origins (MLQC Lucien)

Description: Discover the truth about the MC (MLQC AU) Warnings: 18+:  Explicit/graphic language — reader discretion is advised.  Potential trigger warnings: mild mentions of violence, blood and gore; scientific experimentation & related unethical behaviour.  Spoilers for chapter 13. Word Count: 1647 words (~8 mins of darkness, angst, and (hopefully redemptive) fluff at the end) Author’s Notes:  

@marytheredqueen​ requested a drabble about Lucien with a s/o he created himself (like a romantic version of Victor Frankenstein).  This was an intriguing Ask that took me in a very interesting direction which, unfortunately, was more conducive to angst than lascivious thoughts (and also turned out to be much longer than a drabble)!  So apologies, dear requester!  I do hope you enjoy this story nonetheless, as I had a lot of fun writing it 😊

This piece contains some spoilers for Chapter 13 of the game, but the rest is a conglomeration of speculative AU dabbling.  The lines marked with an asterisk were taken directly from Chapter 1 of the game.

Please note the trigger warnings listed above, and happy reading! 👍🏼

All characters & Mr Love: Queen’s Choice owned by Elex

Blood splattered thick across bulletproof glass, crimson smear obscuring the view into the room, grey and bare save for a single straight back chair of brushed steel and an overturned table resting against the far wall.  

And the woman, chest heaving as she stood beneath fluorescent lights, impeccable were it not for the wayward splashes of red marring her white gown like macabre polka-dots.

“I didn’t mean to do it,” she would later tell him, head bowed and gaze on the ground before it swept up to meet his, her eyes wet with tears.  "I thought they were going to hurt me.  I was scared.  Do you believe me?  Are you disappointed?”

Panic had set in her voice when her hand, delicate and small, flew up to encircle his arm in a grip firm enough to make even the strongest of men flinch.  But Ares didn’t even bat an eye.

He could never turn away from his own creation.

“Of course I believe you, foolish girl.  Why would I be upset with you for disposing of garbage?"

He placed a gloved hand over the crown of her head to see her smile of relief, felt the warmth seep through black leather as she nuzzled into his touch.  Ignored the soft groans of the men in neon hazmat suits when they entered the room, trying their collective best to hold in stomach contents while gingerly sidestepping body parts strewn across the concrete floor.

“I hate having to clean up after his experiments.  That girl is a fuckin’ freak, tearin’ apart all these guys without even having to touch ‘em.  Scares the living shit outta me.”

“Shut your goddamn mouth or he’ll hear you.  You may have a death wish buddy, but I wanna live.”

The faintest expression of amusement crossed Ares’ face.  As if he had the time or inclination to deal with every small fry who spoke behind his back within those walls of black steel, the carbon towers of the Black Swan collective stretching high into the sky like impudent fists bucking the laws of nature herself.

Freak, they had called her, when beautiful was what she really was.  Surpassing all of Ares’ expectations even when those convened in that hall of polished obsidian murmured objections under their breath, the organization’s top brass silently gloating that finally, finally…there was something that Ares, the golden child, couldn’t do:

“I heard the project was a failure.  The subject’s too violent…”

“Out of control.  Unpredictable.  She’s a ticking time bomb.”

“Hiding in plain sight?  Ha!  The girl won’t even be able to integrate into normal society.  It's out of the question...”

Even still, the lot had gone silent when Ares swept his cool gaze in their direction, the placidity in dark eyes sinister in a way that none dared to challenge.  It wasn’t until a metal ring began to tap sharp against steel that the tension in the room was broken.

“They say the subject is unstable, Ares; that your project is unsalvageable.  Why do you persist in a futile endeavour?”  The voice projected from the shadowy dais, bouncing off expansive walls in an eerie echo.

“Oh?  And who, pray tell, is best positioned to determine whether or not an experiment has yielded usable results than the scientist himself?  Subject LUC13N is the most advanced prototype I have developed to date, and is, as it stands, our organization’s best chance at achieving its goals.  But you don’t need me to tell you that.  You’ve already witnessed first-hand what she is capable of.”

The metallic tapping ceased, an uncomfortable silence descending upon the standoff between the two men until it was finally interrupted by the one seated on the dais, speaking in a tone both amused and threatening at once:

“Proceed with your plan, Ares.  But know that I do not tolerate failure.”

The scientist rose from his seat at the glass table, the long tails of his black coat sweeping behind him as he left the others in the rumble of discontent that erupted in the wake of the proclamation.

He had no time to listen to the fallout.  There was still much to do.

“I’ll get better, train harder…try to control my abilities!  Isn’t there another way?!”  Her hysteria dies down the moment she sees the look on his face: firm, resigned.  Studying the matte, black capsule on her palm, her voice grows small.  “I don’t want to forget you, Ares.  You’re everything to me…everything I know.”

His large hand reaches out to cup her face, thumb rubbing against the softness of her cheek when he says in a voice laced with fatigue, “It’s the only way.”

She blinks, delicate eyelashes fluttering to make the breath catch in his throat.  The hitch in his movement is slight; Ares is careful to conceal it.  She mustn’t know that as she had begun to change, evolving into something greater and far more complex than his initial designs, so did the way he had come to see her.

As something more than a test subject.  A person.  The woman who carried the genes he so painstakingly extracted and recombined within the mutating cells of her beautiful body.  Tremendous power hidden in an unassuming package — soft and tender and always so pliant in his hands.

And — in what might be the most surprising discovery of all — a creature who had unwittingly breached the barriers to human emotion and learned what it was to love…teaching him how to love in the process.

Ares pulls away, reaching for the tall glass of water on her bedside table to hold it out in offering.  She takes it in a trembling hand, hesitant.

“What’s going to happen?  I swallow this and forget?  What of my mission?”  She looks again at the pill, rolling it about on her palm as if all its implications could be revealed in the contemplation of its featherlight weight.

Kneeling before her, Ares’ lab coat spreads about his legs in a bright halo on the muted concrete floor.  He brings his face level with hers, slowly sliding the glasses down the bridge of his nose before resting them on her bedside table beside a pair of paper cranes.

“You’ll forget all of this.  Forget Black Swan, forget me.  I'll give you new memories: a happy childhood, friends and family who love you.  You'll get the chance to know what it's like to live like a normal human being.  Go to work, come back to a warm place you can call your home.  Eat foods you’ve never before tasted.  Laugh and cry at the movies.  Maybe even fall in love-”

“I’m already in love with yo-”

Ares silences her with a long finger laid gently upon her lips.  He hoped she wouldn’t catch the way it trembled with the force he exerted to keep himself from losing control, holding back the painful emotions that stabbed deeply into his heart.  He couldn’t stand to hear her state what they both already knew to be true, even if they had refrained from confessing up to now:

That Ares had fallen in love with a creature of his own making.  And in an unlikely miracle, she returned his feelings.

“In exchange, the pill will bury the power inside of you until the time is ripe for you to awaken."

The girl remains motionless save for the gentle rise and fall of her chest, slowly processing the words of the man who made her.  “Awaken…and when is that?”

“That’s not for you to worry about, silly girl.  I'll be there when it happens, watching over you. Or did you think I'd leave your side?"

At this, her head snaps up, eyes darkening as pupils expand in an attempt to capture this last image of the man more important to her than life itself.

“Never leave me,” she says, pinching the pill between thumb and forefinger and lifting it to her lips.

A faint smile, beautiful and bittersweet, graces Ares' handsome face when he nods.  "I promise."

Her lips part, sealing their fates as the capsule disappears into her mouth to be swallowed whole.

“Hello, I’m looking for Professor Lucien."*

The woman approaches him on the stairwell of the research centre, eyes squinting for a moment as bright sun shone through the windows to set her face aglow in a way that took Ares’ breath away.

Finally, together again.

He schools his voice, trying to temper the euphoria that threatened to overwhelm him at their reunion.  "Lucien?  What do you want with him?"*

“I’m a producer from the Iridescent Images company.  Here’s my card.  I want to invite the professor to be our guest on the show ‘Miracle Finder.’”*

Ares looks at the delicate hand extending the business card in his direction, remembers the way it used to grip his arm whenever the girl was anxious or scared.  Sees the shy hesitation in the eyes that once looked upon him with love and affection, and is warmed by the prospect that they could have that happiness once more.

And so, it begins…

Thank you so much for reading!  Check out more of my work here! 📚

[cuddletime-blog]

Lucien: A Special Dinner Date For Four

Lucien and I entered our house with several bags of groceries in our hands. I was planning on cooking a dinner as a double date together with my close friend Andrea and her husband Victor Li. I looked up into Lucien’s eyes and warned him firmly, “No funny business tonight, Lucien. I understand that you and Victor might have had an unhealthy and fierce rivalry in the past, but please be nice to my best friend and her husband at dinner. Andrea supported me through an especially difficult time when I was struggling with my work recently so I would like to have a pleasant dinner together to thank her properly.” Lucien grabbed the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc out from the grocery bag and smiled at me reassuringly saying, “Of course I know how important your friendship with Andrea is to you, Elise. You are overly concerned. I am being a good host to our special guests tonight and I am prepared to show them my good will. In fact, I have prepared a little gift for Victor to thank him specifically tonight.”

My expression softened somewhat, but I was curious as to why Lucien wanted to gift something to Victor. I looked up at Lucien in surprise and said, “That sounds good actually. I’m relieved if you are making an effort to make amends with Victor even though you don’t agree and get along with him most of the time. Let the past stay in the past and let’s just enjoy this double dinner date with our friends tonight, Luci. I am looking forward to learning from and trying Andrea’s Portuguese cooking for the first time.”

           I prepared a quinoa shrimp mango pomegranate spinach salad with white balsamic vinaigrette and sliced a loaf of bread. Lucien helped me open the wine to use for cooking and drinking and he set the table. Andrea told me that she planned to cook her special Bacalhau com natas or cream cod dish with potatoes and a second dish of steamed clams in garlic with chorizo, white wine, lemon juice, and fresh cilantro. I requested that she make pastel de nata for dessert with me and next time, I would make cream puffs topped with chocolate and caramel sauce for her.

           Andrea and Victor arrived before dinner with their own separate groceries too and Lucien greeted them after opening the door to welcome them inside. I smiled, hugged Andrea, and showed her inside the kitchen where she could place the groceries so that we could begin cooking the steamed clams and cream cod. Lucien showed Victor to our greenhouse outside and there, they picked some herbs together. Then, Victor poured the wine into the glasses right before the food was served at the table. Dinner was splendid and we made pleasant conversation together despite some silence here and there from Victor. Lucien was just mostly observing and listening attentively or answering Andrea’s questions about the house and our neighborhood. We decided to play some card games after dinner, such as Crazy Eights and Slapjack. It was quite fun, but Victor and Lucien entered into their intensely competitive modes and started a game of chess with one another after the 4 of us finished playing our card games.

           Both men were stubborn and absolutely hated to lose. They were so lost in concentrating only on their chess game. Unable to convince them to snap out of it, Andrea and I decided to sit back and observe how the game progressed. I expected Lucien to win, but the game ended in a stalemate. Victor might have been slightly disappointed, but he looked calm enough. I was relieved that the evening was going so well without anyone getting angry or frustrated. I think Victor was in a rather good mood tonight. However, the rest of the evening took an interesting turn when Lucien presented Victor with a gift.

           The gift turned out to be a wine opener, but Lucien had also included a Batman keyring next to the wine opener. Victor stared at the gifts awkwardly and muttered a quick word of thanks. I blushed a bit in embarrassment and tried to restrain myself from bursting into laughter, suddenly remembering that I revealed to Lucien that Andrea told me about the one time she made a bet with Victor and got him to say, “I am Batman.” In return, Victor invited Lucien and me to tour his and Andrea’s vineyards in France and Portugal and also his villa and lake house in Italy. He said that on the Italian property, he kept a few swans and thought Lucien should get along fine with those swans. I knew what Victor was referring to in Lucien’s dark past, but Lucien replied saying, “I’m surprised there aren’t peacocks instead on your property.” Lucien had implied that Victor was being prideful and he knew that Victor had just poked an uncomfortable old wound or sore spot in his past. The situation was escalating quickly now between them with both men staring rather intensely at one another, waiting for the other to say the next triggering remark.

I attempted to defuse the situation and added, “Thank you for your incredibly kind offer, Victor. I love vineyards and have always wanted to travel someday to France, Italy, and Portugal. Andrea does like peacock feathers, such as the ones used in the designs of her favorite jewelry, but peacocks are rather noisy so I don’t think they would be good birds to keep around. I am comfortable with observing swans from a safe distance on the lake though. Geese frighten me more than swans. However, if you two don’t apologize to one another and make up right now, it would upset me greatly if I had to end our night here early and say good night to Andrea earlier than I planned without even having our dessert first. Let’s not end this evening on a sour note because mark my words, I would rather squeeze lemon juice all over both of your pastel de natas tonight or refuse to serve you any dessert altogether than have to continue watching the both of you bicker any longer like this…like 2 little boys instead of the 2 mature men that you should be!” I gave Lucien a stern look and he started his apology, saying that he didn’t mean for his joke gift to go this far, but he was sorry about his earlier remark about peacocks. Victor apologized too, saying that he too had provoked Lucien by bringing up the topic about swans.

           Victor looked over at Lucien and whispered quietly, “Your wife, Elise is scary when she makes threats about dessert.” Lucien replied, “She’s usually the sweetest person most people ever meet, but she gets very serious about eating dessert sometimes so I like it when she becomes so assertive and speaks her mind firmly in front of me.” Victor said with slight smirk on his face, “I think you made the right decision earlier. Otherwise, I would have been even more afraid if her threat to deny you dessert would be extended into the bedroom and you would be sleeping on the couch tonight after the little stunt you pulled with the joke gift earlier.” Lucien replied, “Touché. Perhaps my originally harmless little joke did cross the line tonight, but I couldn’t resist wanting to see the somewhat astonished look on your face when you saw what was in the box after opening my gift.” Victor said, “Let’s just consider it all even now and I’ll forget your Batman nonsense fiasco.” Lucien smiled and said, “Alright, deal. We’ll meet again in Europe in a few weeks. I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to try some good new wines from your properties and enjoy the milder weather there. In the meantime, I’ll try to get back on Elise’s good side again so it’s as they say, a happy wife makes for a happy life.” Victor said, ‘You finally said something I don’t disagree with so just do as you like. Andrea will be glad to show Elise around abroad and they can just enjoy themselves. I can see that Elise is a good person and a better influence or friend than you are, but I don’t mind enduring any minor hassles or challenges if it’s all for Andrea’s sake and future happiness.” Lucien simply commented, “Well said.”

[mlqcimagines]

What would the boys do if they found out mc was infertile after trying to have a baby for some time

Of course, anon, here you go!  I really hope i did such a sensitive topic justice, I tried my best.  

Victor 

He won’t show it, but he’s pretty devastated. 

He’d always wanted children at some point.  

He remembered seeing so many unwanted children, and it tore at his soul. 

BUt he’s there for you nonetheless, holding you in the doctor's office, helping you through the depression that comes afterwards.  

Weeks pass, and he watches your heart break every time you pass a playground, or a happy couple with children. 

One day, you’re with him in his office, not really listening to what he’s trying to tell you, when his secretary bursts in. 

It’s bad.  

An accident in an elevator had taken the life of LFG’s VP of Marketing and his wife. 

You accompany Victor to the hospital because there was one survivor. 

Their daughter, a tiny thing only age 8. 

 You walk in to keep her company while Victor makes arrangements for the bills and funeral services. 

“Look, I drew this so I’d always have mommy and daddy close!” 

Your heart shatters. 

But you and Victor have a long talk that night. 

And inside a week (money can work wonders) you’re frantic, trying to learn every thing you can about being a parent before she comes home to live with you. 

Even through all this stress, Victor’s never seen you so happy. 

Lucien - 

He didn’t mind the trying that’s for sure. 

But he’d never really wanted children.  

So when you get the news, he’s in a better position than you are to deal with it. 

He takes you back to your apartment. 

“MC, is this really important to you?”

What kind of question is that? 

Of course it is!

So before you can grieve too much for what might have been, he takes you back to the orphanage. 

Through the long, arduous process he’s there every step of the way, and you can bet your home is full of books on child development and parenting. 

You don’t find a match for months, but when you do….

It’s not the baby you wanted, but a 10 year old boy steals your heart. 

Lucien handles fatherhood surprisingly well. 

A year later when you and your family are on a picnic, he pulls you close, and whispers in your ear. 

“I was thinking of adopting again.”

Gavin - 

You two had been trying for so long

You both had so much happen in your own childhood, you both desperately wanted to be parents, and ensure a better future for your own children. 

But nature had other ideas. 

Gavin comes home one day to find you in the shower, crying. 

“MC Please, you have to tell me what happened!” 

The doctor had called. 

You couldn’t have children.  Ever. 

In your misery you say it - “Gavin I’m broken.  You don’t need me, you don’t need someone who can’t give you children.” 

He gets mad. How could you think yourself so worthless? Hell no, not on Birdcops watch, not.  Happening. 

“MC, if you’re broken, then so am I.”

He drags you out of the shower, and gets you dried off.  He’s there for you through every bout of depression, every mood swing. 

He fills your time with other things.  You both volunteer at a homeless shelter, the SPCA, soup kitchens. 

He takes you on a road trip, just you and him and a tent, riding his motorcycle to places neither of you had ever seen. 

When you come back, he sits you down. 

“I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure it was something we could do…”

“Gavin, what is it?”

“I want us to become foster parents.”

You freeze.  It had been almost a year since you received the news, but there was still a small ache in your heart.  

This man though, this wonderful man? 

Had found a way to soothe it. 

It wasn’t an easy process, there were interviews and visits and home inspections. 

But eventually, together, you did it. 

You take in many foster children, and specialize in working with those who have Evols. 

You never imagined your life could be so happy. 

Kiro - 

You two had been low key trying for kids for a long time.  But?  Nothing ever happened?  

So you visited the doctor without his knowledge. 

He’ll never forget that day, the way you came home and threw yourself into his arms, crying.  

He managed to get it out of you eventually.  You would never be able to carry a pregnancy to term. 

“Oh MC”

He can’t say much, but he spends the rest of the evening caring for you, bringing you cups of water as you cry yourself to sleep. 

The next day you wake up, and you can hear people talking in the kitchen. 

Women talking in the kitchen, Kiro nani the fuck? 

You don’t leave the bedroom.  You really can’t handle company. 

But Kiro comes in, and sits on the bed next to you. 

“MC I know you must be feeling awful right now, but I really need you to come and meet someone.” 

Grudgingly, you follow him out. 

In the kitchen are two women, laughing at something while they sip tea. 

“MC, this is Gela and Maria.  And I want to ask you something.” 

Kiro explains that Maria is an old friend of his, once his personal trainer before going back to school to study sports medicine.  

“MC I was hoping…. I was hoping you’d consider letting Maria carry our baby.” 

You’re stunned to silence, and Kiro held his breath.  He probably could have done this better, but he was desperate for something, anything, to take the look of despair from your eyes. 

Finally you move, throwing your arms around him. 

“Thank you” 

It’s not easy, nothing ever is, but eventually you get to hold your daughter in your arms. 

She has Kiro’s eyes, and your nose!

Requests are CLOSED for the time being while I catch up! 7 to go! (I wrote 3 today guys my fingers hurt lmao)

[ikenbar]

Mr. Love: Ike’s Choice CH3 PT2

Warnings: Words taken from the game(separated by an * and the reference will be at the end), SASSY Ike. Like you thought you saw sassy before but that was nothing, suggestive themes, and lets never forget the ever abiding fear of cliffhangers :D

(Chapter Three (Victor and Lucien) prologue and part one here)

((Please read the author’s note (and the beginning of the story) on chapter one part one if you’re new here :D)) Chapter three:

Part two:

I tightened my grip on the briefcase in my hand as I watched the coffee brew. My meeting with Victor was coming closer and I had stayed up the night before perfecting each detail for the show. He wasn’t going to get anything over me this time. 

I poured some coffee in a mug and I looked around the room. I was a couple of rooms away from Victor’s office in a small breakroom. There was a fridge and a few cabinets with kitchen appliances scattered on them. Circular tables were placed beyond the small kitchen area. The room was empty except for me, which was to be expected at three in the afternoon.

 I placed the coffee pot down and carried my mug to the door. Leaning on the frame, I watched the hallway leading to Victor’s office. If Victor held meetings like he did in the past, I was going to be waiting a while. 

I looked down at my coffee cup. This was probably my fourth cup that day. Staying up all night really wasn’t as easy as it used to be. It at least gave Minor a chance to practice his coffee making skills. I struggled to suppress a smile as memories of that morning came to mind. He walked in bright-eyed and happy but, before I left, Minor seemed worn-out. Though he wouldn’t dare to admit it, I had worked him to the bone. Teaching him every little thing he needed to know to keep up with me during the day. Even though I had worked him tirelessly, Minor still kept up with me pretty well. I got the feeling he would make a pretty good assistant. Even if he did spend the whole time asking about me and my life. Especially my life with Gavin.

“How long have you two been friends??”

“You are neighbors huh? Man, how convenient is it to have a man like Gavin next door?”

“Have you two had any ‘special days’ together?”

“Are you two just ‘friends’ or are you ‘friends?’”

“Are you single?! Or like, saving yourself Gavin?”

“Do you have any dinner plans in about two weeks?? Asking for a friend… That friend is Gavin. You two should start dating.”

 I checked my watch. 2:58. This was going to be another waiting game wasn’t it? I thought, eyebrow twitching. I stared into my mug, Maybe after the meeting, I could head to St. Richards. I had been visiting St. Richards every night that week. The reminder of the week before made me subconsciously touch the scar on my cheek. I zoned out as an image of the small room from the warehouse flashed to my eyes. He had perfectly depicted all of the roads I favorited, taken pictures of me when I least suspected it, and had the nerve to set up a bomb as if he knew I would find it. Who could possibly know me that well and still want to target me..?

A buzz came from my pocket, snapping me out of my thoughts. I pulled out my phone and cringed at the notification on the screen. It was a new message from Lucien. With all the training I was doing with Minor, I had completely forgotten about our date that night, and, in addition, forgot to prep myself up for it. I opened the message.

I hope you are alright with Italian for dinner tonight.

Why did I agree to this? I thought to myself, I clearly am not ready to date. Just thinking about the concept makes me feel toxic. Lucien’s polite smile flashed in my mind. My stomach writhed in butterflies and my head sunk into my shoulders. Would it be worth it to bail? With a face like his, he probably has a whole army of women standing in line for his hand. Why would he want to waste himself on-

*“This is the CEO’s office. What are you doing here?”*1

I snapped to and looked up from my phone to see a beautiful young lady standing in front of me. Her hair was a light chocolate brown that was curled perfectly and meticulously. She wore a haute couture, almost as if she was flaunting how much money she owned. Her makeup was nearly perfect, framing her face to look as if it were porcelain. There was no doubt in my mind about who she was. She was the best new supporting actress, Chik. Although something was off about her. Her lipstick was smeared and her collar disheveled. What was an esteemed actress like her doing here looking like that? Did she have a meeting with Victor? What kind of a meeting could it have been to have left her like that…?

“Hey,” Chik spoke up again, pulling me from my thoughts, “I asked you a question.”

“Oh, sorry.” I apologized, straightening my posture for her and speaking politely. If I were to get a good relationship with her, maybe I could get her to act in our show. I pocketed my phone and held out a hand, “I am the Co-Head of the Ike ‘n Bar Productions Company. I’m here for a meeting with-”

*“Enough,” She cut me off, “I don’t want to hear your clumsy excuses.”*1

I blinked. 

“... Excuse me?” I asked, dropping my hand and my polite tone. 

*“Ike ‘n Bar Productions…” She ignored my question, “So you’re Ike?*1 I’ve heard about you. Let’s settle this now, you aren’t fooling anyone with that ‘bad girl’ attitude of yours. We all know who you really are.”

“Oh really?” I asked pointedly, folding my arms, “And just what do you think I am exactly?”

*“I warn you,” Chik blew me off yet again, “Don’t harbor any unrealistic fantasies about Victor.”*1

“You need to work on your listening skills, lady.” I spoke quickly so she wouldn’t cut me off again, “I’m just here for a meeting. That’s all.”

“We all know what ‘meeting’ means.” Chik inched closer to me menacingly. I stood my ground.

“I don’t know what your definition of ‘meeting’ is, but mine means our time together is strictly profession-” Chik took one giant step closer to me, cutting off my words.

*“He. Is. Mine.”*1 Chik said through gritted teeth. Her possessive aura reflected well on her face as she stared at me angrily.  I arched my eyebrow, un amused. Leaving me no room to argue any further, Chik promptly strode off.

“Strange.” I called back to her, “I don’t remember Victor being an item that you could possess.” Chik’s heels continued to click away from me, but that wasn’t going to stop me from teaching her a lesson on messing with Ikamara Bikira. “I hope you are better in bed than you are at keeping a conversation.” Chik’s clacking footsteps came to a halt. I smirked slightly and casually looked at Chik from the corner of my eye. Even from just looking at the back of her, she seemed to be seething with hostility. I swirled the coffee mug in my hand, "Really, it makes me pity Victor. That is, if what you are insinuating is true and that he is ‘yours.’ Though I find it hard to believe that a man of such high esteem would fall for someone quite... like yourself.”

“What? Rich and beautiful?” Chik finally turned around at my words.

“No,” I turned to face her as well, “Insufferably arrogant.” I looked down at my watch and hissed at the time. 3:05. “I’m running late for my meeting. And apparently, if your idea of a meeting is true, I don’t want to miss this one.”  I pushed myself off from the door frame and picked up my briefcase. I could feel Chik’s glare burn my back as I walked away.

 I couldn’t hold back the smug smirk on my face as I made my way to Victor’s office. That stuck up prick had what was coming to her. There was no way I was going to work with her if that is how she treats respected business owners… still, it would have been nice to have gotten two big stars for our show. But I also couldn’t have done that to Bart. After all, he would have to be the one dealing with her. Though, if what she said about her and Victor were true then maybe I should have been nicer to her.

I halted my steps. An idea came to mind. From the disheveled way Chik looked to her empty accusations, it sounded like I had a real story on my hands. Imagine what the press would do if they found out a high-class actress and Captain Capitalist were a couple. People would pay big time for stories like that. I could even use it as blackmail if this meeting didn’t go well…. I shook the thoughts from my head and continued walking to Victor’s office. That would be something only someone like Chik would do. I would keep Victor’s pretty little secret. For now.

 I had reached Victor’s office and saw the door was already slightly ajar. I gave one look to the receptionist, who casually gestured to it, welcoming me in. I took a peek inside Victor’s office and saw him sitting at his desk, head in hand. He was frowning deeply, his forehead furrowed-- and tie loosened. I arched an eyebrow. There was no way a randevu with an adoring partner would leave him like this. He should be straightening himself up and humming happily. Not sitting as if it was a happy hour after a long day at work. Victor was obviously not in a good mood. Meaning he might be troublesome to work with. I sighed silently and moved to knock on the door. I stopped just short of it when a memory flashed by my mind.

“I want you to be happy! I can understand if you wanted to be happy away from us, but I want you to remind you that you can be happy with us as well!”

Even though I had tried so hard to push them away, they had always come back with even more love than before. That kind of kindness always made my day so much more tolerable… 

I looked down at my coffee with curiosity, then with determination. Having made up my mind, I knocked on the door.

(Next)

((*1: Stage 2-15 of Mr. Love))

[cheri-translates]

Headcanon - When he realises that you aren’t taking care of yourself

Original title: 当他发现你不好好照顾自己

Original writer: 池离子 (chi li zi)

[ VICTOR ]

Working overtime at night, you finally complete your work and return home fatigued. You haven't had dinner, and only drank a cup of coffee and took a bite out of a sandwich in the afternoon.

You slump on the sofa, so tired that you don’t feel like moving an inch. The shops have closed. Because you’ve never had the time to eat at home, there’s no food available. Your tummy grumbles, but you don’t have the energy to search for food.

"Ding dong."

"Ding dong ding dong."

Who is it...

You drag your tired body to open the door, and what enters your line of sight is Victor’s expressionless face.

"Ah... Victor. It’s already so late... what’s up?”

"You’ve only returned home at this time?”

He seems a little angry.

"I was working overtime... How did you know? Were you squatting downstairs or something?”

Before you even finish speaking, your stomach grumbles inappropriately. 

This is so awkward.

"You haven't eaten?"

You nod.

Victor squeezes into your house, walks straight into your house, and takes off his coat before draping it on the sofa.

"What are you doing?"

"Cooking dinner for a dummy."

"Ah, wait...”

You try to stop Victor from opening the refrigerator, but it's too late.

Victor opens your refrigerator, which isn’t even powered. Inside, there are only two bottles of glucose supplements. 

You watch as his face darkens. 

“You don’t have food at home?”

"Nope...”

"Snacks? Biscuits?"

"...nope...”

“How do you normally settle your meals?”

“I... would buy bread from the store. But I didn’t have time this morning so I skipped it... it’s too late now and the stores are closed. And I didn’t have time to cook.... and the food I make isn’t even nice!”

Victor takes two steps towards you, clasping your waist with both hands, and frowns.

"You’ve become thinner.”

You respond happily. "That's great!”

Victor releases his grip on you, puts on his suit jacket, then walks over and takes your hand.

“What?”

"Forget about the rent for this apartment. Come back with me. I’ll cook three meals a day for you. And I’ll pick you up at night.”

"A certain dummy can't take care of herself, so I’ll take care of her."

"Resign from your company. Come to work at LFG. The salary is high, and you’ll get to send your boyfriend to work.”

-

[ GAVIN ]

You’re truly a careless person.

You’d fall down on the street, crash into trees while walking, knock your head against low walls, hit your elbow when you lift your hand, and bump your toes against furniture when doing household chores.

As such, your body always has bruises. Sometimes, they appear without you even noticing.

Today, you accidentally cut your fingers while slicing vegetables. While cooking, you were also scalded by the hot oil, resulting in blisters. 

Ah, what a dismal life.

Doing some mental calculations, you realise that today’s the last day of Gavin’s mission, and the day he returns home.

Rinsing the blisters on your arm with cold water, you continue dealing with the dishes in the pot. 

You’re going to prepare a table of food for Gavin! That boy must be incredibly hungry after working outside for so long. 

Click.

You hear the sound of the door opening, followed by a voice in the hallway.

"MC--”

“Hey!” You respond. “You’re back! You came back at the right time - dinner’s ready!”

Gavin changes into a pair of slippers, removes his outer uniform, and heads to the bathroom to wash his hands. You’re currently serving the final dish of stir-fried cabbage, and the table is all ready.

Gavin sits across from you, meticulously eyeing the dishes before him. Without any hesitation, he delivers praise. “Smells good. You’ve worked hard.”

“Hehe, go ahead and eat. I’m really confident in my cooking skills!” While speaking, you hand Gavin a pair of chopsticks. 

Taking the chopsticks from you, he catches a glimpse of the blisters on your arm, and the band-aid wrapped around your finger. 

“What happened?” He asks frantically, setting down the chopsticks and taking your hand in his. 

“This one was due to hot oil... this one was when I was cutting vegetables. I’m okay now!”

You slowly extricate your hand from his. Gavin looks really worried. He stands up and walks to you, carefully looking you up from top to bottom. As expected, he discovers two new bruises on your calf. 

“And this?”

“The one on the left was caused by the corner of the bed... the one on the right was because I bumped against the corner of the table...”

Gavin’s eyes are filled with worry, and he hugs you.

"Why are you so careless... why didn’t you tell me over the phone?"

You pat him on the back.

“You already have many things to worry about! I can’t make you worry about me too... Besides, you don’t always tell me when you get hurt either...”

You feel the arms around you tighten.

“I’ll tell you next time... so you have to tell me too. I’ll try to accept fewer missions, and spend more time at home with you. Okay?”

“Good, good! Commander Gavin must make sure that I don’t get hurt again!”

"Mm.”

-

[ LUCIEN ]

It's late at night. Walking out of the elevator, you stand at your door, looking for the keys to open the door to your house.

"Click."

The door opens, but it isn’t yours, but your neighbour’s.

"Little Butterfly.”

It’s Lucien. He opens the door, half of his body out as he peers at you.

"Lucien! Good evening!"

"Why did the Little Butterfly return home so late?"

"Ah, I worked overtime..."

Lucien shuts the door and walks out, standing in front of you. He has changed out of his usual white coat and white shirt, and is currently wearing loose home clothes. Feeling his stare on you, you rub your head in embarrassment. 

“W-what’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”

“Have you not been resting well? You’ve got heavy dark circles...”

“Ah, this...” you look at him in embarrassment. “It looks really bad, doesn’t it... I’ve had too much work on my hands these days, so I’ve been having trouble sleeping at night since my mind’s filled with work even though I’m obviously tired...”

Lucien takes your hand.

"Come."

"Huh? Where are we going?”

"To my house.”

You’re pulled into his house, and a sweet-smelling aroma wafts over to you, making you feel drowsy. 

"There’s a spare pink toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter. There’s a set of pyjamas I’ve been wanting to give you. I’ll bring it over for you. Sleep at my house tonight, okay? This aromatherapy assists with sleep. I promise that you’ll have a very good sleep."

You’ve stayed over at Lucien's house before. The previous time, it was because it was too late and you didn't bring your house key, so you had no choice but to knock on Lucien's door for help.

You brush your teeth and put on the one-size pyjamas he bought you. The fragrance and warm light in the room make you slump on the bed very quickly.

Lucien covers you with a thin quilt. The heater is turned on, making the place especially warm and cosy.

You feel him sitting at the side of the bed, a warm hand on your back, patting your back and coaxing you to sleep. 

"Little Butterfly... don’t go back... live here with me, and you can sleep well every night..."

"Mm... mm..."

Admist his gentle voice and gentle tapping, you fall asleep.

-

[ KIRO ]

You’re on your period, but the company’s affairs are getting busier and busier. Every day, Kiki can see your pale face as you shift between various departments. 

By the time you get home, the heater has stopper operating.

You’ve always felt cold easily, no matter what time of the year it is, and whether you wear shoes and socks. 

At the end of a busy day, you collapse on the sofa while covering your stomach, but it just hurts more and more. Because your hands are cold, it's perhaps more accurate to say that your stomach’s covering you.

"Click--"

You heard the sound of the door opening.

"Miss Chips!!"

Kiro's energetic voice drifts over.

This is your home, but you gave Kiro a key, and he occasionally stays over at your home without notice. He just finished filming a drama today. After rushing through a dinner with the producer, he bought a lot of snacks and visited your place.

"Ro Ro... ooh..."

You lie on the sofa and stretch out your hand to him. He tosses down the bag of snacks, grinning while giving you a hug.

You tousle his short blond hair as he nuzzles against your chest. When he reaches out to grab your hand, he ends up grabbing a cold object.

Lifting his head, he sees that it’s ndeed your hand.

"Miss Chips, why are your hands so cold..."

He releases his hold on you, then covers your hands with his. Unfortunately, they aren’t sufficient to warm you up.

"Want to take a bath? Maybe your hands will feel a little warmer."

You frown.

"I don't want to! I'm so tired... also, my stomach hurts so much. I... can’t take a bath right now.And my feet are so cold..."

Kiro tilts his head to look at your feet. Soon after, a pair of thin socks are pulled onto your feet.

"Miss Chips... why don't you lie down on the bed? You’ll feel warmer under the covers..."

"I’m tired-”

Even before you finish speaking, Kiro’s arms reach behind your back and knees. He lifts you up steadily, and easily carries you to the bed.

After he covers you with a quilt, you watch as he hurries out. After a short while, he returns with a cup of hot ginger tea and two warm water bottles.

Placing the cup into your hands, he heads to the end of the bed, placing a warm water bottle underneath your feet. Once you’ve finished drinking the ginger tea, he hands you the other water bottle. 

"Miss Chips... if you don't feel well, let someone else handle the work. Don’t tire yourself.... I’ll come over more often next time, to make sure that you’re taking good care of yourself.”

Soft blonde hair once against nestles against your chest. 

-

[ SHAW ]

You’re almost late, and you’re rushing to the company. The scorching sun beats down on your pale face. 

All of a sudden, darkness overcomes your vision.

When you regain consciousness, you find yourself lying on a hospital bed. A noise is at your ear, but you’re still in a daze and unable to comprehend what is being said.

Turning your head towards the sound, strands of lavender hair occupy your vision. Your eyes widen. It’s Shaw.

“Hello, hello? Are you deaf? Can you hear me?”

Mustering the final bit of energy you have, you return his words.

“Lower your volume. I’m not deaf.”

Shaw purses his lips.

“You’re still in the mood for jokes. You scared me to death. If I didn’t see you collapsed on the street while skateboarding to class, you might still be lying there right now.”

"Thanks...”

Shaw leans in closer, staring at your intently.

“Mary Sue, the doctor said that you have low blood sugar. Didn’t you have breakfast?”

“I didn't have the time... I worked overtime till late yesterday, and didn’t get enough sleep. I was almost late this morning, so how could I have time for breakfast...”

Shaw ponders for a while.

“That’s not right. If you’re fainting like this, it’s not because you didn’t have breakfast. You didn’t eat last night, did you?”

You nod.

“It was so late... I was so tired, so I skipped dinner...”

"Tch.”

-

Once you’re discharged from the hospital, Shaw moves into your place.

In the mornings, he’d shake you till you get up, and you’d enjoy the breakfast he prepared. At noon, you’d receive the snacks he buys for you, garnering envious glances from female colleagues. When you work overtime at night, he’d appear in your office with his skateboard and a bento box. After returning home from a long day of hard work, he’d retrieve a small cake from the refrigerator like magic.

“Shaw, stop feeding me. I’ve gained five pounds.”

He spins you around twice, pinches your tummy, then chuckles.

“That’s just right.”

–

More translated and original works: here

–

[ Permission to translate ]

池离子: OK! Just state that the source is LOFTER池离子. Also, if you’ve posted it, could you also take a screenshot for me? No need for the whole thing - just a little will do!

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Kiro’s Entwining Date (Eng Translation)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an incredibly s p i c y date which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

Valentine’s 2020 Collection: Gavin // Lucien // Victor

The date begins with MC watching a live broadcast of an annual award ceremony, which announces that Kiro has won the grand award.

MC grabs the congratulatory card and present she prepared, heading out to decorate Kiro’s house for a mini celebration party.

Along the way, she receives news that for some unknown reason, Kiro was absent from a product launch that he was supposed to be a spokesperson for.

She enters Kiro’s house using the keys Savin gave her and starts decorating. 

After a while, Kiro enters the house looking melancholic, with Savin nagging behind him. Savin tells her to keep an eye on Kiro to ensure he gets proper rest and not exert himself.

After Savin rushes off to deal with the press, Kiro explains that he is unable to move his neck and back.

Kiro: I just finished dance practice and heard Savin calling me at the door. I turned my neck using too much force and couldn’t move my neck afterwards. The doctor said it’s a sprain.

Saying this, he despondently grabs a pillow and hugs it to his chest in a state of utter devastation.

Kiro: [pouting] I wasn’t even doing any big movements.

Even so, Kiro is happy that he gets a day of rest.

He suggests that they slip out to visit an interesting shop nearby. While Kiro’s puppy eyes cause MC to hesitate, she refuses so Kiro can rest. Despite his unwillingness, Kiro rests on the bed. She sits on a chair next to the bed so she can watch over him.

He grabs my fingers and plays with them restlessly. It feels ticklish. I try to draw my hand back but he refuses to let go.

Kiro: I can’t sleep. When you spend time with me, I can’t bear to close my eyes.

Kiro’s words soften my heart. Due to our busy schedules, it has been a long while since we last spent time alone together.

MC: When we’re less busy, let’s go to the interesting shop you mentioned, okay?

Kiro: Yes, let’s!

The corners of Kiro’s lips lift. As though discovering a new form of amusement, he patiently plays with my fingers one by one. 

His fingers are soft and smooth. I experience a strange palpitation whenever our fingers meet. I avert my gaze, the outer rim of my ears turning red.

Kiro: Miss Chips has very soft fingers.

MC: [blushing] They’re all right…

I’m unable to control the acceleration of my heart rate. In order to loosen my hand from his, I grab the phone off the bedside table and hand it to him.

MC: Since you don’t want to sleep, I’ll let you use your phone.

Looking as though he can’t bear to let go of my hand, he takes the phone and sees that the screen is filled with tons of notifications.

Kiro guesses that his fans are worried about the sudden cancellation of the product launch and decides to post something on his Weibo account to dispel their concerns. He tries but fails to take a selfie in his injured state, so MC helps.

On the screen, there is an incredibly adorable combination of Kiro lying on the soft bed, his messy golden hair, and the teddy bear next the pillow.

Kiro: Why is my hair so messy?

His eyes widen, dismay written all over his features. I reach out and tidy his messy hair, suppressing the urge to mess it up even more.

Kiro obediently leaves his hair to me, a smile appearing on his lips.

MC: It’s going to be perfect this time.

I look him over, satisfied, and snap three consecutive photos of Kiro before showing them to him.

MC: Don’t you look very handsome now?

Kiro has a look of satisfaction as he starts typing, reading his words aloud.

Kiro: “Even though I can’t move, it’s because of this incident that I can have an afternoon of leisure”…done!

Comments start flooding in after mere seconds:

“Does such beauty truly exist?”

“Oh my god, I can lick this face for a lifetime.” 

“I’m there, I’m that bear!”

While he’s overjoyed at the compliments, he reads on:

Kiro: “Just look, it’s obvious he has put on weight again”…I definitely did not gain weight, it’s just the angle!

In a huff, Kiro readies himself to respond to this comment with a retort. I hurriedly take the phone away from him.

MC: You should rest and not respond to these comments! Let me read them to you instead.

Kiro: Since you put it that way…

With a “hmph”, he gives up on the idea. I clear my throat and begin reading the comments.

MC: “Congratulations to Kiro for winning the award! Please rest well today! To commemorate Kiro’s face, I danced a Waltz of love!” Haha, what an expression. “My heart is in critical condition! Hugging… my husband… feels like a 100 meter sprint.”

I pause when reading the words “my husband”, feeling my face heat up. Kiro smiles as he looks at me, his eyes brimming with contentment.

MC: The next one says, “Who took the photo? Why does Kiro…”

…have such a sweet look in his eyes?

I look at the photo I had taken - Kiro stares into the camera with a sweet look in his eyes, like a little bear hugging a honey pot.

Kiro: MC? Why have you stopped?

Kiro curiously sneaks a peek at the screen, but I react immediately and lift the phone so he can no longer see it.

Kiro: Very suspicious… why aren’t you letting me see?

Kiro gets even more excited, stretching out his hand for the phone.

Kiro: Ouch!

He groans and falls back onto the bed. I get a fright, no longer caring about the phone. I immediately check on his condition.

Half of his face is buried under the covers, the corner of his eyes brimming with tears. I carefully touch his arm.

MC: Are you okay?

Kiro: [groans]

MC: Is it very serious?

I start panicking. Seeing that my guard is down, Kiro uses this opportunity to pull me onto the bed with him.

Kiro: [laughing] Did I scare you?

He laughs while reappearing from under the covers. It is only now that I realise he was joking, and I let out a sigh of relief.

At this point, MC remembers that she prepared a present for Kiro. She retrieves and gives it to him. He opens it excitedly.

The box is filled with small stars folded using fluorescent paper. In the middle of these paper stars is a golden-coloured glass bottle with moving sand.

Kiro: This is so pretty…

He carefully shakes the bottle, and the gold-coloured sand slowly drifts, reflecting sunlight.

Seeing him engrossed with it, I drop him a hint.

MC: The bottle itself isn’t the main thing. There’s something in it.

Kiro: Is it a drink? Or perfume?

Kiro twists the bottle open, and a faint pine tree scent wafts into the room.

Kiro: This is… a scented bottle?

MC: Nope. This is a special essential oil I had an expert masseur make during a shoot. I heard that it’s effective for relaxing one’s muscles. I didn’t expect that it’d be of use now!

Kiro: Essential oil…

Kiro recalls that the shoot involving essential oil took place when the list of shortlisted candidates for the award was just announced. He is surprised that MC had prepared the gift so far in advance.

MC: …That’s because I knew you would definitely win! And even if you didn’t win, it could be used to comfort you.

There is a smile in Kiro’s eyes, and he takes my hand in his, such that my palm faces upwards.

MC: W-what are you doing?

Kiro: I want to try this gift.

A drop of oil lands on my palm and he rubs it slowly, spreading it across my palm evenly. The pine scent permeates the room, and the fragrance of fresh flowers soon follows. The liquid is quickly absorbed into my skin, and my palm seems to heat up.

Kiro holds my fingers gently, then brings himself closer to them. He sniffs my fingers lightly, his lips curling into a smile.

Kiro: It’s a nice smell. It’s a scent I like.

MC: !!

I am taken aback by Kiro’s sudden breath on my palm, and my heart beats at an unnatural rhythm.

Kiro doesn’t let go of my hand. He picks up the black ribbon resting on the gift box, taking his time to wrap them around my wrists.

His gaze shifts to me, his vibrant eyes making me forget how to react, and I let him continue.

Kiro: And like that, it’s done!

After saying this, he holds my wrist and pulls me closer, planting the side of his face on my palm before gently leaning into it.

As his soft golden hair brushes against my fingertips, my fingers involuntarily tremble. My palm is coated with his body temperature.

He tilts his head slightly, pressing his lips onto my palm, as if branding me with a permanent kiss.

Kiro: Actually, you are the best prize and gift to me.

Sunlight streams in from between the curtains and onto his eyes, giving me a clear view of the gentleness and adoration in them. My heart feels like it has melted into a puddle. At the same time, his transparent emotions cause my heart to heat up.

MC: I… how about I give you a massage…

I feel like biting my tongue after the words leave my lips. What am I saying!

Kiro: Sure!

Before I can change my mind, Kiro has already agreed without hesitation.

Kiro: Do I need to take my clothes off for the massage?

Saying this, he shrugs off his jacket, and both hands start pulling the ends of his t-shirt to reveal his sculpted abdomen.

MC: Wait!

Heat floods into my brain and I immediately grab the bottom of his shirt to pull it back down.

Kiro: I don’t need to take them off?

Kiro blinks, looking at me innocently.

MC: I’m just giving it a try. If you remove your shirt, it’d be easy to catch a cold.

With an “ohh”, he lets go of his shirt, his face betraying a hint of disappointment.

MC: …Go lie down on your stomach.

While Kiro obediently turns to lie down, I place my hands on my chest to calm my rapidly beating heart.

MC begins the massage, applying what she learnt from the massage expert

She does it gently and Kiro is on the verge of falling asleep

She calls Kiro’s name to check if he’s asleep, and he snaps out of his daze

Feeling bad for disturbing him, MC continues:

MC: …You can sleep if you want to.

I speak gently. Noticing that a strand of hair near his eyes makes Kiro slightly uncomfortable, I reach out to sweep it away.

Kiro: But I don’t feel like sleeping anymore.

He blinks, his voice slightly nasally and coquettish.

Kiro: I felt too comfortable just now, so I almost fell asleep.

He grabs hold of my hand. In a playful manner, he gently pinches my palm twice.

Kiro: Thank you, Miss Chips.

MC: No need to thank me. It just shows that my technique is not bad, right?

Kiro: Mm, this is a great present.

His eyebrows are curved upwards and he smiles softly.

Kiro: I like the feeling of you touching me.

He interlaces our fingers together, then hooks my thumb with his.

Kiro: I realized that humans, like animals, like to be touched and have their hair combed through.

MC: Is it because it’s very comfortable?

Kiro: It is really very comfortable. If that person is a loved one, her hands and body temperature would have an even more addictive effect.

A warmth emanates from our joined palms, and I can feel myself starting to sweat.

MC starts ruffling Kiro’s hair, and they banter for a while.

Kiro: I feel very happy whenever you’re by my side. Although sometimes, I do think of being a little closer to you.

Even before I pick out the hidden meaning in his words, I instinctively seek to change the subject.

MC: My massage techniques are quite mediocre though. I’ll introduce you to the masseur another time.

Kiro: I don’t want anyone else.

Kiro pouts, turning to face me.

Kiro: I only want my Miss Chips…

His voice trails off, and I am rooted to the spot. I am leaning over him, face-to-face with Kiro. Just a slight lowering of my head would be enough for me to kiss him.

Our breathing becomes ragged, and the initially peaceful atmosphere in the room seems to turn into boiling water.

Although Kiro doesn’t speak, I can feel his quickening breaths on my face. His grip on my hand tightens.

As though being in this position is too dangerous, I come to my senses and straighten up, putting distance between us.

Kiro sits up, his hand still on mine, giving me no chance to escape.

MC: We…

Kiro: I have not finished unwrapping my gift.

His words leave me frozen.

MC: What present?

Anticipating that I would respond this way, he laughs. 

Kiro: My present… is you of course.

His voice carries an evident smile. I look into his blue eyes, which hide within them the expansiveness of the sky.

A black ribbon appears in his hands, and he wraps them around his fingers, the colour of the ribbon striking a sharp contrast against his pale skin.

MC: …Why do you say that I’m the present?

He doesn’t respond. His abrupt silence leaves me not knowing what to do. Before I repeat my question, he suddenly hooks the ribbon over the back of my neck, and my heart skips a beat.

MC: W-what are you doing?

Kiro: Make a guess?

He arches an eyebrow. His usual playful expression is replaced with a sudden sexiness.

He resumes his work with the ribbon while I remain kneeling on the bed. He slowly pulls me closer to him. Although he isn’t exerting much strength, I can’t help but give in to the tug of the ribbon.

Our breaths mingle and we can no longer tell them apart.

Kiro: Since this is a present for me, I will open it very, very slowly.

He says this languidly, curling his words with the tip of his tongue, ending his sentence in a low voice.

At this moment, the ribbon has become a string encircling my heart, letting it beat only for him.

Kiro is unwilling to stop here. He takes one end of the ribbon into his mouth and bites it firmly, the corners of his mouth lifting with a certain look.

The light descends onto the bridge of his nose, the clear lines of his jaw, spreading to his Adam’s apple. He oozes hormones of a different kind than usual.

His free hand rubs my thigh gently, and the sound of my skirt ruffling is especially clear.

Such unobstructed physical contact feels like fire, setting every inch of my skin ablaze. My body involuntarily trembles.

My breathing becomes increasingly ragged as he continues his upward motions. My heart beats rapidly, and my mind is completely blank, only remembering to shout his name.

MC: Kiro…

Kiro: It is time to receive my present.

The corner of his mouth is raised as he slowly releases the black ribbon on my neck. The ribbon slides down my body. I look into his wide eyes and let down my defenses. In a moment, the distance between us is barely visible.

Kiro: Miss Chips, you are a gift sent from heaven, a gift that I have awaited for my whole life, a gift that is most precious to me.

His gentle voice disappears into the space where our lips meet, melting into a quiet whisper.

Unlike his gentle tone, his kiss resembles a storm, forcefully entering and occupying all available space, leaving not a single crevice untouched.

The temperature rises sharply between our intertwining lips and tongue. Our exchange of breaths strips away all my senses and thoughts.

The almost inaudible sound of water echoes in the quiet room. The arm encircling my waist pulls me even closer against his body.

All the blood in my body is set ablaze, engulfing the little rationality I have left.

Suddenly, there is the sound of a door opening in the living room, followed by a conversation between Savin and the assistant.

Savin: Kiro should be resting. You can head to the kitchen to wash the ingredients for our hotpot later.

Assistant: Sure, but isn’t this a little too much…

I snap out of my daze after a few seconds and realise the situation Kiro and I are in.

MC: They’re back!

My panic completely dismantles the earlier atmosphere, and I muster the strength to tear myself from Kiro’s arms.

Even before I shift to the edge of the bed, Kiro wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me backwards.

We both fall onto the bed, a tangled mess of sheets beneath us. The teddy bear has fallen off the bed.

Kiro holds me tightly from behind, and my back is pressed against his chest.

Sweat soaks the fabric, which clings to our closely connected skin, bringing with it an intimate and sticky feeling.

I feel his scorching breath on the nape of my neck. It weaves through my sweat-drenched hair, lingering on my skin.

The sound of footsteps outside grows louder, causing me to tense up. I open my mouth to speak, but can only let out an inaudible gasp.

Kiro’s lips are pressed against the back of my ear, and a low and raspy voice follows.

Kiro: There’s no need to be nervous. The room is locked.

🎁

Phone Call

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Gavin’s Private Photoshoot Date (Eng Translation)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

Valentine’s 2020 Collection: Kiro // Lucien // Victor

MC wants to go for a couple photoshoot with Gavin but is afraid of getting rejected. To lessen the potential blow of rejection, she asks Willow to play “matchmaker” and pretend that Willow won the chance to go for the photoshoot in a lucky draw but has no use for it

Gavin arrives, and MC fumbles with her reasons as to how the photoshoot would be beneficial for her work. To her surprise, Gavin agrees without a fuss

On the day of the photoshoot, they head to Planet Photo Studio

MC is unsure which theme to go for, so the photographer recommends a rather sultry theme incorporating feathers and spider webs. She asks Gavin for his opinion, and he is fine with it after making sure MC doesn’t have to wear revealing clothing

They change into their outfits, and she gets stunned by how he looks:

The slightly modified style matches the striped shirt Gavin is wearing. A feather-shaped pendant rests near his slightly exposed chest. It perfectly brings out the casualness that oozes from Gavin’s bones.

Noticing my eyes lingering on him, the corners of Gavin’s mouth lift.

Gavin: What’s wrong?

MC: Nothing much. I rarely see you dressed like this, so I’m a little surprised. What I mean by “surprised” is… that you look exceptionally handsome!

Not expecting my straightforward compliment, Gavin coughs lightly, and turns his head to the side to hide his blush.

Gavin: You surprised me today as well… Let’s go in.

MC’s confidence in doing the photoshoot eventually wanes because the photographer isn’t satisfied with how the photos turn out

The photographer comments that Gavin and MC seem to be too focused in aligning themselves with the theme of the photoshoot, but she wants to capture the real MC and Gavin, not just the feathers and spider webs.

According to the sequence of the photoshoot, the next pose requires me to sit on Gavin’s lap.

I repeat to myself internally: “This photoshoot requires me to be intimate. Just be natural, be intimate…” I let out a breath, and carefully sit on Gavin’s lap.

However, my stiff body feels like a wooden puppet. My pose ends up looking neither seductive nor sexy. The fact that the photographer has yet to press the camera shutter makes me even more nervous.

At this moment, a firm hand suddenly holds my waist. Gavin’s other hand cradles the back of my neck, his fingers carrying with them irresistible strength.

The distance between us closes in an instant, and I feel the warmth of Gavin’s palm on my cheek.

Looking at my flushed face through the reflection in his amber eyes, I am about to open my mouth to speak, but hear a shutter click from the side.

They finally get a satisfactory shot, and the photographer tells them to take a break. MC realises she is still sitting on Gavin’s lap:

MC: Gavin, I should… be getting up.

Gavin: This is quite nice actually. Or do you not like it?

MC: It’s not that I don’t like it… Anyway, why did you suddenly change the pose just now?

Gavin: I felt that you were too tense. So why not transfer some of that burden and stress to me? It’s just a photoshoot, there’s no need to worry so much.

MC decides to apply lip balm for Gavin because the lights from the studio are very bright and drying:

I put a little paste on my finger, and carefully rub it on Gavin’s lips.

MC: Don’t move.

Gavin freezes, not expecting my action.

His lips feel soft under my touch. Under the light, his moisturised lips have an attractive luster.

At this moment, Gavin is within reach, and all that I see is Gavin. The familiar scent of Gavin and the foreign smell of the gel entwine, making my heart beat faster and faster.

At such a close distance, my fingers can feel each and every single warm breath of his.

Under his amber gaze, his scorching breaths seem to be getting closer and closer…

Unfortunately they get interrupted by the photographer who tells them that the shoot can continue.

After the photoshoot, Gavin leaves for a mission which takes half a month.

In the present, MC receives a call from the photoshoot studio telling her that the photos are ready, so she collects them and goes to Gavin’s house to drop them off.

Gavin coincidentally returns from his mission while she is there, and she decides to tidy the place up while waiting for him to finish bathing. He finishes his bath, decked in the same striped white shirt he wore during the photoshoot. He sees her tidying the place:

Gavin: No need to trouble yourself. I can tidy the place up later.

MC: It’s no trouble at all. You should rest!

While saying this, I pull Gavin over to the sofa, beckoning him to sit down.

MC: Every time I’m at your house, you always treat me like a guest. I also want to t-treat this place as… as…

Even though I had rehearsed these two lines several times in my head, they end up stuck in my throat at the most important moment.

Gavin understands my expression and smiles, voicing the words I have yet to say.

Gavin: As your home.

MC: Exactly! So there’s nothing wrong with cleaning and maintaining the hygiene of one’s own home! If you feel bad about it, then… when I call you to help me with window-cleaning in a few days, we’d be even.

Gavin: Sure, I’ll be waiting for your call.

He asks why she decided to drop by, and she explains that the photos from the photoshoot are ready. He comments that he had planned to organise photos from previous shoots too, so they take a trip down memory lane while looking through past photos on Gavin’s bed. 

Some photos include blurry pictures of MC that Gavin took hastily whenever he spotted MC during missions but couldn’t say hello.

Suddenly, MC receives a business call and she leaves the room to deal with it. By the time she comes back, Gavin is asleep:

I quietly sit on the bed, a little angry at how Gavin always tries to be strong.

I can’t help but lean over and gently poke Gavin’s face… it feels nice.

This light touch seems to turn on a switch within me, and it is as though I am under a spell, addicted to it.

Gavin’s hair is coarser than I imagined, reminiscent of how persevering he is.

The bridge of his nose… a bone? No wonder his nose is so pretty.

My touches continue downwards. The second my fingers reach the corner of his lips, my mind brings me back to the scene half a month before when I was helping him apply the lip balm. It was this same softness, the same warm breaths that wrapped themselves around my fingertips…

I am just about to finish my little prank, but realise that my fingers are gripped onto tightly by Gavin. It is as though I am awakened from a dream, and I take in a shocked breath.

MC: Gavin…?

Gavin: …Mm?

Gavin blearily opens an eye before letting out a light yawn. My face flushes in surprise and shame, yet I pretend that nothing had happened.

MC: Y-you… When did you wake up?

Gavin: Just. I felt an itch.

MC: I didn’t mean to wake you, just that I rarely see you sleeping, so… Please continue sleeping! I’m really not going to bother you anymore!

I think of retracting my hand, but Gavin has no intention of letting go. Instead, he rubs the back of my fingers with his thumb.

Gavin: It’s not convenient for us to talk like this, let’s change positions.

Before I can agree, Gavin pulls me into his arms, the bed letting out a squeak from the weight.

MC: Shall we continue with the photos?

Gavin: We can do that later.

He hugs me a little tighter, his chin resting on my forehead, and I feel the roughness of his stubble.

MC: … Did you forget to shave?

Gavin: Does it hurt?

MC: No…. This is good.

And that is the truth. A simple clean home and an easy-going Gavin who doesn’t put up walls around me. Being able to enjoy a rare sliver of rest in such a busy world – There is nothing more pleasant than this.

Gavin: When you were taking the call, I looked at the photoshoot pictures. It was a little…

MC: “A little” what? Do you not like it?

Gavin: No, I like it very much. It’s just that the “you” in the photo didn’t really seem like you. Your pose was far more assertive than usual.

Just remembering the warmth of the photoshoot causes my entire face to blush.

MC: T-that’s only because of the photographer’s professional skills, the atmosphere and the lighting! Though I am rather passive in real life…

Gavin: You were quite assertive this time round.

MC: Hm?

I look up, not understanding what Gavin means. Gavin looks down at me at the same time. We are so close that our noses are almost touching, and I can see each and every one of Gavin’s eyelashes, and the narrowing of his eyes.

Gavin: When you and Willow were in the pantry discussing how she should play “matchmaker”, Minor was standing outside.

MC: So you knew from the start that I would invite you? Minor that little… I’m going to dock his-

Before I can complete my sentence with “pay”, Gavin seals my lips with a kiss.

His tongue pries open my lips, capturing all my lines of defense.

Gavin’s lips are even warmer than they were when I applied lip balm for him during the photoshoot, and it feels as though I am about to get scalded.

In the midst of the unbearable heat, I let out a whimper which is instantly swallowed by Gavin.

In the quiet bedroom, there are only sounds of our entangled breaths.

The photos we have yet to put away fall around us. These past moments witness this present kiss.

After a long while, Gavin’s voice is at my ear.

Gavin: Apart from photographs, I can give you even more private memories.

Gavin’s breath is as overwhelming as a spider’s web that leaves one defenseless.

The sound of the blinds being pulled shut is reminiscent of a camera’s clear shutter.

Click.

📷

Phone calls: First // Second