#i feel like every doctor who uses that sentence needs to be made to stick to something making them miserable for two weeks every season

[dinosaurcharcuterie]

Both wife and me got a change to our medication regimen last week.

Both of us are experiencing unpleasant side effects.

They're fairly harmless and they're not the same ones, so we can still constitute one fully functioning adult if we work together, but they're still unpleasant.

[steddieas-shegoes]

congrats on 3000!!! 🎉🍾🎊💖

For the sentence prompt: "I'm just gonna go freak out for a minute first."

Thank you!!!! ♥️

➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰

Steve was holding his hand while the doctor checked his stitches. It wasn’t really that weird for him to be holding his hand, not since he woke up half-dead in the hospital.

It was a little weird that he was rubbing his thumb against the side of his thumb, though.

And probably a little weird that his other hand was resting on his head, a weight that was comforting and confusing all at once.

“Looks great, Eddie. I’d say by the next visit, we’ll be able to get them out and let these finish healing naturally,” the doctor smiled at him as he pulled his shirt back down.

Steve’s hand squeezed his, and he couldn’t help looking over at the sunshine in the seat next to him.

It had to be pretty obvious how he felt about Steve. He’s lucky none of the kids have caught on and started teasing him yet.

Robin has, but at least she knows to do it privately.

“I’ll have the front desk schedule you for two weeks out. You can grab an appointment card on the way out. Keep them all clean and don’t do any heavy lifting or physical activity quite yet,” the doctor reminded as she pulled off her gloves and threw them in the trash. “You boys have a nice day.”

As she left the room, Steve helped Eddie sit up slowly. He didn’t really need the help anymore, but he’d be an idiot to admit it with how much Steve touched him.

“Two more weeks, Eds! That’s better than what they thought last time,” Steve was so excited for him. His smile was lighting up the room and he looked five seconds away from bouncing on his feet.

“Yeah, it’s great.”

“Aren’t you excited?” Steve’s smile dropped at Eddie’s tone.

“Yeah! Yeah, it’ll be great to have less limits. Might be able to get the guys together for a jam session,” Eddie gave a small smile.

“But…?”

Eddie sighed. “But then you won’t be around anymore, right? Like, other than when we all hang out on movie nights. You only stuck around because no one else could really help me every day. Everyone had work or families that wouldn’t let them out of their sight.”

Steve looked heartbroken, and Eddie couldn’t figure out why.

“Eddie, I’m not gonna leave you just because you don’t technically need me anymore,” Steve shook his head. “We’re- we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Of course! I mean, I thought so. But I know it could just be that you feel bad and I wouldn’t expect you to stick around because of that.”

Steve grabbed his other hand, his grip tightening on Eddie’s skin almost painfully.

“I wanna stick around for a lot of reasons, Eds.”

Eddie was caught in his gaze, his wide, pleading eyes almost too much.

“Like what?”

“Like because you’re fun to be around. You’re funny and talented and smart. You taught me about Hobbits! Love those guys,” Steve stepped closer. “You’re brave and you care about all of us. You-“ Steve swallowed. “You see me. The real me.”

“What do you mean?” Eddie’s heart was racing as he looked between Steve’s eyes, down to his lips where his tongue had poked out momentarily to wet them.

“You’ve seen me when my parents have come home and made me feel like shit and you just distracted me with singing whatever pop songs are on the radio and helping me cook dinner. You’ve been there when I had a two day long migraine and couldn’t even stand up to go to the bathroom. You made grocery shopping fun! I fucking hate grocery shopping, but you just keep being silly and making me laugh and I had fun.” Steve leaned in so his forehead was touching Eddie’s. “You laugh at my jokes, even when they aren’t that funny. You listen to me when no one else pays attention. You see who I am and you let me be who I am and I don’t feel scared that you’ll run.”

“I’m not running.”

“I know. I love that you aren’t, that you won’t.” Steve closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, they were watery. “I love you.”

Eddie was certain he was dead. Maybe the last month had all been some coma-induced dream and they finally pulled the plug. Maybe he actually died in the Upside Down and the last month was his final goodbye to everyone in his own head.

He stood up slowly, trying not to push Steve away, but having to guide him away from the table he’d been laying on.

“Where are you going? You’re not leaving, right?”

“Nope. I’m just gonna go freak out for a minute first.”

“Um.”

Eddie smiled, leaned in to kiss Steve’s cheek, and pulled away.

“Give me a minute. This is either the most realistic dream I’ve ever had or the best day of my life.”

Steve snorted, but let him walk to the door and stand outside of it for a moment.

When Eddie came back in, his cheeks were red, but he looked determined.

He pulled Steve into him by his hips, crushed their lips together, and smiled so hard their teeth clacked against each other. It was a little messy for a first kiss, but they could get better.

“You love me? Really?”

“I thought it was obvious,” Steve laughed as they pulled apart.

“I thought I was obvious!”

“Not really. I was convinced I was imaging things! Robin had to explain to me what the hanky code was before I even believed you liked guys!”

They both laughed so hard they cried, forgetting entirely that they were still in the doctor’s examination room.

Someone knocked on the door and they broke apart quickly, trying to stop the laughter for a moment to deal with whoever was at the door.

A nurse poked her head in. “Sorry, don’t wanna rush you, but just wanted to make sure everything was okay? Did you need to see the doctor again?”

“No, no. Sorry. We’re heading out. He just needed a minute,” Steve said quickly, smiling back at her.

She nodded and left, leaving the door open as a silent reminder that they needed to disinfect the room for the next patient.

“Steve.”

“Yeah?”

“I love you, too.”

“You don’t have to say it just-“

“I’m not. I’m saying it because I love you. I see you, remember? There’s a lot there to love.”

Steve turned a bright red, and Eddie decided then he would do just about anything to see that shade on Steve’s cheeks and neck as often as possible.

“Let’s go home,” Steve finally said when he recovered. “Wanna kiss you more.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

[mkmas]

Jude Jazza Fever Event Story Translation

*This story belongs to cybird

* I wasn’t sure how to interpret some sentences to english so it might not be smooth

* ⚠️ this story is suggestive

It was this morning when Roger asked me to take care of Jude who caught a cold.

I don’t think Jude will obediently agree to be nursed. I’m sure he’ll turn me away.

But I heard he used to have weak bronchial tubes, and I was asked to do it anyway.

Somehow I managed to rouse myself from my reluctance and came to the infirmary.

Kate: Jude, how are you feeling?

Jude: Ha it’s you. Did you come to make fun of me?

Jude was resting on the infirmary bed with sweat on his forehead.

His voice is thin and weak, he does not have his usual high spirits

Kate: I’m here to take care of Jude.

Jude: Ha what a waste. I’m sure that quack doctor made you do it.

Kate: I won’t deny that I was asked to do it but.. Wouldn’t it be nice to believe in someone’s kindness?

Jude: What are you saying to a businessman/merchant? If you can’t see it then it’s basically nothing.

……I knew he’d react like this.

Even though his body is weak from his cold, his cruelty remains unchanged.

Kate: Anyway… I won’t give up in taking care of Jude, so just accept it quietly.

Kate: Even if you tell me not to get involved or that I’m annoying… I would be sad if something happened to Jude.

Jude:……

Jude:……. Fine. If you’re satisfied with what you’re doing, you can do whatever you want, even if it’s nursing.

Kate: Eh? You won’t mind if I take care of you?

I was surprised at how easily I was accepted, I expected him to reject me coldly.

Jude: Hah... What’s with that stupid face? Did you expect to get rejected?

Kate: ….. Well it’s Jude after all.

Jude: You’re so persistent, even if I kick your ass you’ll stick around.

Jude: Well it’s a pain to deal with each person like that. Just do what you have to do and quickly go home.

Kate: I understand.

Jude: What kind of nursing are you going to give me?

Kate: Then, I will unbutton your shirt to wipe off your sweat first.

Jude: Yes, yes….

I put my hand on Jude’s button, which he accepts quietly.

However-

I can’t take off people’s buttons well…!

Jude: What’s wrong?

Kate: I-I’m sorry, I’ll take it off right away.

Jude: Do you need a role model to take you off your clothes?

Jude’s hand reaches out to unbutton my clothes with skillful hands.

Kate: Hey, wait a minute….

Jude: I’ll show you how it’s done until you can get me out of my clothes.

Jude: Let’s hope you can take it off, while you still have something to wear, hm?

Kate:….ugh.

After being cornered, I was fast. I managed to unbutton Jude’s shirt.

Kate: Done… Anyway, Jude why didn’t you take it off yourself?

Jude: You wanted to take it off first.

Kate:Hey, don’t say it in a misleading way…!

After adjusting my own disordered clothes, I wiped Jude’s chest and neck with a hot towel.

Meanwhile, Jude let me wipe his body like he was a cat.

He can’t even complain, I guess I’m lucky.

Jude: Ha…., Hah….

Jude’s occasional sighs and groans, which doesn’t even sound like a groan was seductive.

Every time my ears picked up the sound, a shiver ran down my spine.

(…. What am I thinking? Jude is in pain….)

The way Jude was frowning and breathing out shallowly, was extremely provocative. (T/N: FOCUS GIRLL)

When I could see the outline of his body through the towel, I tried my best to look away. I felt embarrassed.

Kaye: …. It’s finished.

I moved away from the bed, to shake off my thoughts.

Jude: Hah… Thanks for the naughty nursing.

Kate: It was normal!

He was given both food and medicine, so now I feel relieved….

I only took care of him for awhile, but I’m tired…

Jude won’t be able to rest well if I’m here anyway, so let’s call it a day.

Kate: Well, I’ll be going now. If you need anything, ring the bell.

Jude: Can you get me some water before you go? My throat…

Jude:…. Ugh.

Suddenly, Jude started coughing badly.

He bends his back as if in pain, and his cough showed no signs of stopping.

He wants water, maybe if it moistens his throat it’ll go away….?

I don’t know…. Even if I give him a cup, it’ll spill before he can get it into his mouth.

I hurriedly took a mouthful of water and-

Jude: O.O

I gave Jude the mouthful of water with my mouth.

After confirming he has swallowed, I released my lips.

Kate: That’s good… The coughing stopped…

Jude: What’s good about that…. You idiot, you’ll catch my cold.

Jude: Why else do you think I let you nurse me obediently?

Kate: Eh….?

Come to think of it, it was only when I got close that Jude didn’t talk much….

The reason he obediently allowed me to take care of him was so that I could go home early……….?

I realized now that he was considerate of not spreading his cold to me.

Kate: I’m sorry I didn’t know. But I wanted to help Jude.

Jude: Tch… That kinda thing really pisses me off.

Jude’s hand presses the back of my head, and our lips which were once separated, met again.

Kate:…. Hnnn!

The hot tongue that had broken into my lips greedily entwined my tongue and sucked it tight.

Kate: ……Fu, Nnn…….

As if to stop my resistance, the kisses were deep and rough, enough to feel a slight pain.

Kate: Hah…. Hah….. Hah…… Hey, what are you doing?

Finally released and out of breath, I glared at Jude.

Jude: Punishment for carelessness of other people’s consideration.

Jude spat out the words in a frustrated way.

What he said was true and I couldn’t think of anything to say back, so I left the infirmary like I was running away.

——————-

Kate:………..Ugh

Once it starts, a cough that doesn’t go away often results in a sore throat.

A few days after nursing Jude, I was in bed with a cold.

Jude: Yes you look good. You deserve it.

Kate: Jude!? Why are you here……

Kate: Could it be…. You came to visit me?

Jude: I’m not here to visit, I came to nurse you.

Kate: Nursing…..?

Jude: I don’t like leaving debts unpaid.

Jude sits on a stool in the room and twirls the skin of an apple with a knife beginning to peel it.

As I gazed at the beautiful curls of the skin, I thought about the time I had nursed him.

Jude’s right, I deserved it.

But I couldn’t leave Jude alone when he was suffering.

I guess this is a “beautiful thing” in Jude’s opinion. But still, some things can’t be twisted.

….If I say it in front of Jude, will I be punished again?

A kiss so violent it almost took me away without a trace.

I gently touched my lips with my fingers, feeling the heat of his tongue still lingering.

Jude: Sorry to get your hopes up, but I'm not going to nurse you in the way you did.

Kate:…… I don’t have such expectations.

Jude: Heehhh.

Jude laughs, looking unconvinced by my reply.

I guess I’m gonna get some nasty nursing. I don’t mind it… because of the heat I shared with him.

End

(T/N: A couple that shares diseases together stays together🫶 (jk). I loved how they showed how considerate Jude is… Also Kate got to see him shirtless and we don’t that’s unfair hm. One important point is that Jude can still skillfully unbutton someone’s shirt even when he’s sick 👀)

[teknah]

Outland (1981) Inspired RP Sentence Starters

[Adjust pronouns/punctuation/etc. as needed when sending]

"You know, if you're the kind of guy you're supposed to be, you wouldn't stick around. That's why they sent you here."

"I was afraid you'd say something like that. You really think you're making a difference?"

"They send me here to this pile of shit because they think I belong here."

"I want to find out if… well, if they're right."

"That's my rotten little part, in the rotten machine… I don't like it."

"Company doctors are like ship's doctors. Most are one shuttle flight ahead of a malpractice suit.

"You're supposed to protect us - it's your job! Where are your men?"

"My men? My men are shit."

"I'm unpleasant; I'm not stupid. Of course I'm sure - I can count!"

"If you're looking for money, you're smarter than you look. If you're not, you're a lot dumber."

"Hey, [NAME] - guess what I just found in a meat locker."

"You know, I have a feeling that you'll tell me, even if I don't guess."

"Strongest thing you ever saw. Makes you feel wonderful - you do fourteen hours of manual labor in six hours, that kind of nonsense."

"The army tested it a few years ago. It made everybody work, alright - it takes a while - ten, maybe eleven months… and then it fries your brain."

"We're talking about nuclear detonators. You just don't "lose" them, and then "find" them. You lose your comb and then find it, not detonators. Now, I want to know where they were found, and who found them. You get my drift?"

"Did you really destroy the entire shipment? You do have a flair for the dramatic."

"You know, I've misjudged you. You're not stupid - you're crazy. You think you caused more than an inconvenience? Is that what you think?"

"You're dealin' with grown-ups here! You're out of your league."

"Whoever sent you that shipment's gonna be mad that you lost it. Grown-ups have no sense of humor."

"Let me tell you what you're dealing with here: I run a franchise. The company hires me to dig as much ore as possible out of this hellhole. There's a guy like me on every mining operation, all over the system."

"My hookers are clean; some of 'em are good-looking. My booze isn't watered."

"The workers are happy. When the workers are happy, they dig more ore - they get paid more bonus money. When they dig more ore, the company's happy! When the company's happy, I'm happy!"

"Nothing here is wonderful. It works - that's enough."

"Now, don't go getting your nose all out of joint."

"Oh, it's just his way - a little ceremony for the good folks, that's all."

"You know what time it is? You'd better be dying."

"You've got the men you want, and it wasn't easy. My people are very unhappy with you."

"This could cause trouble for us on all the other mining operations. If the company got wind of what's going on, they'd clamp down like a vice."

" That could put my people out of business - and my people like being in business."

"They've already left on the shuttle arriving Sunday."

"Yes, I'm sure. No one here will stick their neck out for anyone."

"Once the word is spread these guys are pros, there'll be no trouble. I've got someone on the inside that will spread the word."

"I've gotta tell you - if this doesn't work out, the next guys who come for someone will be coming for you."

"I was on my way to drinking myself into a stupor, and I thought I'd drop in and say goodbye."

"I should thank you. There hasn't been so much excitement in this heap for some time."

"It's gonna hit the fan around here, and I want to watch it happen… You did good."

"Oh, it's beautiful. You're going to see many wonderful things. And you'll have many friends to play with."

"Mommy says that on the flight, they put you to sleep for more than a year."

"Not a bit. You'll just wake up… be home."

"I'm going to sleep through my birthday!"

"In the first place, the company wanted the bodies shipped out quickly. In the second place, when a person exposes himself to zero-pressure atmosphere, there isn't a whole lot left to inspect. In the third place, you're becoming a nuisance."

"Such a smart piece of equipment, and a wreck like me trying to run it."

"…I get it. You don't do anything bad; you just don't do anything good, right?"

"Almost everybody here doesn't have both oars in the water as far as I'm concerned. Why people "suddenly" start to lose their marbles in greater numbers is not so mystifying. I don't know why more of them didn't do it sooner."

"That's pretty good - playing by yourself, and losing. I'd join you in this dumb game, if I could play sitting down…"

"Don't misconstrue this. I'm not displaying character - just temporary insanity."

"The second time I did a tour, I got back and my wife had skipped off with some guy who was a computer programmer."

"I said, "Happy? The guy looks so boring." She said, "He may not be Mr. Excitement, except he was home all the time." Well, you can't argue with that."

"Yes. Take two aspirin, and call me in the morning. That's a doctor joke."

"Some cupcake decided he didn't need an environment suit. They're still spongin' him off the elevator walls."

"This blood is from a dead person. No alcohol. He ate dinner. Protein, carbohydrates… more carbohydrates. He didn't eat his vegetables."

[tenthdoctorstanbot]

light-bringer

inspired by saturn - sleeping at last :)

tenth doctor x reader with v much angst

with shortness of breath, you explained the infinite; how rare and beautiful it is to even exist? i’d give anything to hear you say it one more time, the universe was made just to be seen by my eyes

you taught me the courage of stars, before you left

The cold metal floor of the dully lit TARDIS was a comfort. A weird kind of comfort. The kind that makes your insides feel heavy and upside down, the kind that you once told him you used to get from watching the summer rain in your twenties remembering how you used to dance in that rain, drunk under the influence, under age and under the stars.

It’s that painful kind of heavy heartache that makes the Doctor feel sick, but that’s why he’s on the floor, cheek pressed against the metal to cool him down, trying to very literally ground himself.

You used to loved doing that, taking to the floor when overwhelmed.

“Floor time.” You’d grumbled with a somewhat exasperated sigh when he walked in and raised that one confused eyebrow. “Ever just need a little bit of floor time?” You mumble, laying flat against the TARDIS floor. The Doctor panicked when he walked in and seen you on the floor, immediately worry striking through his body at the thought of you being hurt when he was out of the room, not keeping you safe for merely a second. Relief had flooded him, but concern was still present.

“Floor time?” He repeats, still confused but moderately amused now too. “Cant say i’ve ever had that, why?” He crouched down to look at you, shifting some strands of hair off your face with the backs of cold fingers. “Helps me regulate y’know? Sometimes everybody needs a little bit’a floor time.” You explain lazily, a little shy under the depth of the look in his chocolate brown eyes. “It’s like, the cold and…well i don’t know really it’s just, comforting?” Your eyes light up a little, “You could say it’s grounding!” You jest, making yourself giggle which makes the Doctors hearts sing, immediately smiling without even a thought.

He smiles so softly, looking at you with such adoration, but does pull out his screwdriver nonetheless. “Nope,” he pops, “You haven’t lost your marbles yet. Well, not all of them at least.” He sticks the screwdriver back into his pocket and taps your nose. “You laugh, but you haven’t even tried it. C’mon, it’ll make you feel better i bet.” You retort, patting the floor next to you. “Ahhhh no thank you. 900 years old, don’t him i need-”

The Doctor gets cut off mid sentence by you pulling him from the balance of his crouched position next to you onto his hands and knees. He sighs, but not in annoyance or inconvenience, in surrender as he joins you, cheek pressed again the metal so he can look into your eyes. “See, isn’t this nice?”

It is, he thinks, but not only because the cold is nice and the flat hard surface does bring him so form of soothing which he doesn’t understand, but much more importantly because you are still holding onto his hand. That’s more grounding and get mind boggling than this activity and the fact it works. He does feel better, whether thats the floor or you, he couldn’t know.

What a painfully human, mundane thing to do. Lie on the floor, holding onto your hand to afraid to let go in case he never gets that feeling again. It feels so human and he’s not sure why he enjoys it, he’s a man who always has to be on the move, always has to be challenged or stimulated mentally or physically all the time. How could this feel so good? So right, so perfect and so grounding. Looking into your eyes, chalk full of sparkles and adoration for the world and all the things he has and will continue to take you to see. The Doctor wants you to see every single thing that was beautiful in this universe so he can prove that you are more breathtaking than each and every sight you come across. You’ve always been amazed by the beauty that had been created by the universe, from the great waterfalls and wonders of the human world to stunning sights that the human brain could barely comprehend. He takes you to them all, because you mentioned offhandedly that you were chasing the brightest lights of the world, you wanted to see it all before you died.

“We only get one life,” you’d admitted once in the lateness of the night whirling through the universe in that blue police box, “And the universe has created all of these places, why shouldn’t we wish to see every single one of them?”

And then it’s the way your eyes sparkle at these places, the Doctor can still see it in his mind now as though it was still as in front of him as you are now laying flat on the floor. The way you look at them must resemble the way he looks at you, with stars and hearts and all of this amazement that no one can understand but he who sees it. It’s the same way he looks at you, in wonderment and disbelief that something this breathtaking could exist. The same way you look at him right now.

“Floor time,” he echos, pain vibrating out of his voice and bouncing off every wall like it bounces around inside of his body. But he shifts, sitting up with a heavy sigh as he leans the inside of his elbows on his bent knees and hangs his head down, letting the loose strands of his brown hair fall over his face. “Just not the same without you eh?”

When he lays down now and shuts his eyes, all he can see is you. A life cut short. He sees the fury of your bravery, the fire of your passion. He can see in his minds eye the way you used to defend him, the way you would throw yourself in front of him to protect him and he would scream, lose his mind that you could be so reckless. But you never cared, you would lay up in your bed, recovering for a week with his funky potions and his refusal to leave you alone and you would always say the very same thing at the end of it.

“It was all worth it for you, Doctor. And i’d do again in a heartbeat if it meant keeping you safe.”

Because that was you. Brave and loyal to a fault, courageous to the very core of your being. Even when you were scared, which you often were, with big wide eyes, swallowing thickly and trembling on the spot; you were brave. You still stood to fight, you still always carried on by his side, keeping him sane and good.

It would have been an understatement to safe you taught him courage before you life, taught him to be strong. But the one thing you could never teach him, even with all of your abundant lessons and all of the lights you carried; was how to live without you.

—

how light carries on endlessly, even after death

“Yes yes i’m coming, i’m coming love!” The Doctor chimes, hurrying on his coat to follow you out the bigger on the inside blue box as you bounce on your heels in the doorway waiting for him. “You really probably don’t need a coat.” You shrug, but he frowns a cheeky pout at that, “That’s an oxymoron, i either really don’t need it or i probably don’t.”

“Oh leave it out, alien man.” You snark back, with a roll of your eyes. He laughs, reaching out for your hand to take home in in his so you could lead him through the beautiful landscape to the little trail that would take you along under the waterfall into the little alcove behind it. It had such a stunning view.

Not many words are spoken between the two of you, just enjoying the moments of tranquility, with birds chirping and singing in the background and his hand in yours. It’s not often you get peace like this together in your life, so you’re enjoying it, taking it all in and embracing both the serenity of the surroundings and the beauty in getting to be together.

You could’ve swore you were already down bad for him, but the feeling you got flying through your stomach and up into your chest that day when he put his large hands on your waist while you were leaning over a rickety wooden fence to stick your hands under the water of the waterfall; it was like gasoline had just hit the burning match inside of you. You know he’s doing twit to be safe, so you don’t fall, but you never want him to let you go and he never wants to let go.

The Doctor gets caught up in your eyes when you turn around. All their glory, the hues that mix together to create the colour in which they shine, the way they change in the lighting, the way they have their very own light. This sparkle, this infinite light that sometimes makes the Doctor wonder if you really are fully human. How can you carry such light with you every where you go.

You are just special though. You were made for him. It was in some kind of long ago created destiny that you would be his most revered companion. It was just that, you were created to bring light into this world. Insofar as to light shining right out of your eyes.

He kissed you, that day. Soft lips on cold lips, your hands making his unruly hair stick up, his hands cupping your face the way he always wanted to. Impossible as it was, even the act of kissing you made him feel lighter, it made him happy, warm…loved.

Now there’s a hallow in his chest. Not one that he can ever quell with adventure nor with another companion. Nothing will ever fill that hole, that longing, aching, searing loneliness that has been torn into his existence.

“Travelling isn’t the same without you,” the Doctor says. Anyone might’ve thought he’d gone completely insane, speaking to no one on the top of a hill by a gentle water fall that you actually took him to visit. The few friends you had left were stood in the distance behind him, collected together in a group. But he stands separate, on the edge of the cliff, hands stuffed into his pockets with his toes in those grubby white converse poking over the edge. There’s a star in the sky despite the daylight, shining brightly between the clouds. “Nothing is the same with you, actually…can’t quite breathe y’know? Wish you’d just come back. Just to laugh at me again, tell me to behave. I’m trying to be politer now. Well,” he snorts, “You can imagine how that’s going. But you made me better, (y/n). You always make me better. I miss you.”

“Doctor,” Martha calls, “Come back from the edge?”

Come back from the edge. It’s such a simple statement, but he knows deep down it’s very multi faceted. “Yeah,” he mumbles, daring one glance down at the rocky water so deathly far down from him. He could just step over, and maybe he would get to be with you again? Maybe-

“Doctor.” She repeats, drawing a sigh out of him, prompting him to look up at that star one more time. “Yeah. I’m coming.”

—

“How fitting,” you breathe, watching as the sun sets over some unbelievable planet the sunsets stretching the incandescent colours across the entirety of its skies. Hues of purple, pink, red and orange striking you almost speechless, “I always did love the sunset.”

The Doctor pants, falling to his knees beside where you lay on the grass. “(y/n), please.” He begs, whimpering as tears collide with the sweat and blood on his face. He scoops you into his arms, pulling you into his lap flush against his chest. “I love you, please. Please.” He chokes out, “I need you.”

He raises his head to the sky, looking up to beg at whatever god or heaven is your there . “Please,” he whimpers, “Don’t take her from me, you can’t take her from me.” He screams up, “She. Is. Everything!”

“Stop it,” you whine painfully, “Doctor please, it’s okay. It’ll be okay. I’ll be okay.” Your breath jumps, blood still pouring out of your body, spilling over his hand that tries to stop it while the other holds onto your head. “Doctor look at me, I need y-you.” His ashen face finally looks at yours, even paler than he is, your life drying out beneath him.

But god do your eyes still sparkle brighter than anything he’d ever seen.

“I’m here,” he whispers, smoothing your hair out of your face, trying to ignore the way your chest jumps for desperate breath as your lungs fill with more blood and less oxygen. He can only imagine how badly it hurts to breathe right now. “I lo…I love you, Doctor. So much.” You blubber, tears slipping down over your face. “I’ve always loved you, i will always love you. You don’t ha-have to say-”

“I love you, (y/n) (y/l/n). I love you more than you’ll ever know. That’s why you can’t leave me, you can’t just leave me. I need you don’t you understand? You were made for me.” He hurries out, his entire body trembling with his voice as he begs you to stay. You both know that if you could, you would, but your painfully human body will not withstand this. It could never withstand these wounds.

How was he ever going to cope without you? How could he ever live this life without you?

“You lived pretty good before me, you know?” You used to say in response to his questions like that, a joking lilt in your voice. He would breathe that chuckle of his, but the Doctor knows it’s not the same. He wasn’t living.

He was surviving. And he doesn’t even know if he will be able to do that without you. It actually felt like he was dying, like everything that kept him alive, kept his hearts beating, his mind working, his soul moral…all of it was being ripped out of his being just as your life is being ripped away from you.

Ripped away from him.

Of course he survived before you, how could you ever have suggested that meant he could live without you? He didn’t know you then, didn’t even know what he didn’t have until he had it? Now he’s going to lose it, lose everything he could have ever wanted and everything he never even thought he could have.

How in the world can that ever be fair?

with shortness of breath, you explained the infinite

“I know now,” you rasp, “How rare and beautiful this universe is. It was made just to be seen by our eyes. I want…” you pause to suck in desperate breath, blood spluttering over your lips as you cough.

Not long left now, you think. You have to get him to hear you, to really listen and hear you. The last thing in the world that you want is for him to feel like this is the end of your story, or your existence with him. You will always be with him, he needs to know that.

“I want you to see that. How rare? One in hundreds of b-billions chances that we would meet. That doesn’t just die like we do. That never dies.” Your voice is fading, but that endless fiery light in your eyes has not gone. It will never be gone. Ever. Nothing, not even death, would be able to take that from you.

Or take it from him.

“Do you see it?” You whisper, eyelids hooded over tired eyes, face void of its colour. “Please,” he sobs, “(y/n) please, don’t leave me.”

“I’m not,” you insist weakly, “Do you see it, Doctor? The beauty of this? I’ll nev-never leave you.” He lets out a primal cry. “You are the most rare and beautiful thing i have ever known, how could anything ever compare to that? You are the light, i can’t see any of it without you.” He pleads.

“You have to,” you whisper, “Because light doesn’t die. Not like we do. I need you to see it all, for me? All the rarity and the beauty of this existence. You have to let me go.” He begins rocking you back and fourth. The sobs only get worse, gasping for his own breath now.

i couldn’t help but ask for you to say it all again, i’d give anything to hear you say it one more time; that the universe was made just to be seen by my eyes. how rare and beautiful.

“I love you so much, my beautiful, brilliant (y/n).”

“I love you too, Doctor. I’ll never leave you. J-just have to l-look up?” Your hand caresses his face, cold and weak. He drops his forehead to yours, savouring the last opportunity he will ever get to press his lips to yours, even if they are more chapped than ever and deathly colder than they should be.

How can he breathe? Will he ever be able to catch his breath again? You stole it front him when he met you, breathing him a new lease of life in return and now you had stolen that breath too, snatched it out of his lungs and he truly believes that he may die right here next to you as your entire body goes limp in his arms, eyes slipping closed after allowing him one more close look at the light, the fire in them that never left.

Your light would never die.

“Please,” he howls in pain, “Please say it again, please! I need- please. You can’t-you can’t be - (y/n).” He bellows, pulling you even tighter to him, trying to sit you up. Your head only falls backwards, horror striking through his heart as he realises there is nothing physically left of you. You’re gone. Your heart has stopped, your body has stopped. He rushes to support your head, caressing you like a porcelain doll that will shatter to nothingness in his arms. Holding you is all he has left in this moment, no matter how morbid it is as he sobs into your hair.

But he does look up, not even intentionally. Purely to let out the most anguished, primal scream of utter agony. His eyes were squeezed shut, but when they open his hearts cease to beat, seizing in his chest. It stops his entire being in his tracks.

Because there is a star, shining singularly in the sunset sky, almost brighter than even the sun that creates those breathtaking colours painted across the canvas sky. You are there, shining above him.

Your light never leaves.

Your light will never die.

how rare, and beautiful it is

…that we exist

[vincentferard]

Talk To Me (Walter Beckett × Reader)

:Mentions of self harm TW, Post self harm TW, Depression TW,  Minor Swearing TW:

-The editing is a bit spotty so I apologize in advance-

When you got the call it felt as if your heart had stopped beating. You didn't want to believe it and it took a few minutes for you to get the strength to respond.

Holding the receiver to your mouth you took in a big breath, attempting to steady your nerves. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right?"

The woman on the other end sighed slightly, the frustration clear in her voice. "Are you associated with Walter Beckett?"

"Yes." You subconsciously nodded your head. You had already told her this. You had only asked her to repeat her last sentence so you could make sure you had heard her right.

"Good. I am calling you to notify you that Mister Beckett has tried to take his life. As of right now he's in stable condition and is being held in the hospital."

There was now no doubt on whether you had heard her right, the words sticking clearly in your brain. He tried to take his life. He had failed, thankfully, but he had tried.

"Um, it's the hospital on Main Street correct?" You held the phone between your shoulder, getting out a pen and paper.

You had a feeling it was Main Street's but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"No. Currently, he's being kept at Sibley Memorial Hospital." You could hear some shuffling of papers on the other end. "If you would prefer we could work out a plan to get him transferred to Main Street's however you'd need to be present for that."

"No, that's okay. I was just asking." You quickly scribbled down the name of the hospital before thanking the lady and hanging up.

As you scrambled around to gather your things to head out it felt almost as if your heart was in your throat. You had to constantly fight the tears that threatened to spill. The drive to the hospital was quick, around ten minutes out from your house, but it felt like an eternity and of course you caught every red light on the way there. By the time you pulled into the parking lot you were shaking, attempting to steady your nerves. You knew he was in stable condition at the very least or the nurse who called would've said otherwise. But even still you couldn't help from worrying about the worst.

You made a beeline for the reception desk, anxiously fiddling with the corner of your shirt while you waited for the nurse to finish with her phone call. When she hung up you did your best to force a polite smile.

"I'm here for Walter Beckett?"

She gave you a sympathetic smile and it made your stomach turn. "Room 208. All the way down the hall, turn left, then it'll be on your right."

You quickly thanked her then turned to quickly walk down the hallway. The hospital seemed pretty empty, only a few doctors walking around the halls. Each time you passed one of them they would smile politely with a 'good morning' before continuing on. Within a couple minutes you reached the door, your stomach twisting anxiously. Pausing, you took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Walter?" You poked your head around the door frame. It was dark enough in the room that while you could see his silhouette that was about all you could see.

"(Y/N)?" His voice sounded from the bed in the corner of the room, quiet and hoarse. "Come in."

You took a few steps into the room before pausing. "Is it okay if I turn the light on?"

"Yeah," He cleared his throat. "Go ahead."

You flipped the switch up but froze in place as you took in Walter's appearance. The entire lower left side of his face was wrapped in bandages as well as ones that wound around the left side of his chest and up to his arm. His arm not only had bandages but also a bright blue cast, permanently stuck in that 90° angle.

Your chest hurt and you had to use a lot of might not to start crying right then. "What happened?"

"I was trying to set something up on the roof, and I did, but I-" He paused for a split second before continuing. "But I fell off. Broke my arm and scraped up my face pretty bad."

You sat on the chair next to the bed, brows furrowing. "Well, I'm glad you're mostly okay." You quietly studied his face and his bandages for a moment. "Was it on purpose?"

His eyes grew wide. "What?" He looked up at you momentarily. "No- no, it was an accident." He stuttered out an explanation, looking away. "I didn't mean to-"

"Please don't lie to me." Your voice was soft but the concern was still evident. "Walter, please. I care about you so much."

He nodded his head but didn't respond, picking at the hospital's blanket.

"Are things getting bad again?"

He nodded again, opening his mouth to respond before closing it again. For a moment he sat quietly, his brows furrowed, before speaking up again. "Things were- everything was just-" He paused, sighing. "I don't know."

Between the way his voice cracked at the end and the obvious tears in his eyes your heart ached. You wanted to help him so badly but you didn't know what else you could do other than just be there for him. "Hey, hold my hand if you need to." You held your hand out to him and he gently grabbed it.

Taking a deep breath he quietly continued. "Everything has just felt useless lately. I try so hard everyday but nothing ever seems to matter." A few tears slipped down his cheek. "Everything I do seems to mess up somehow and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I just want to help people…but everyone thinks my inventions are stupid. They don't even want to try them." He paused momentarily, his grip tightening on your hand. "They talk about me when they think I can't hear them…but I can."

"Walter…" You didn't know how to properly comfort him. You could've said exactly what was on your mind, that 'they're assholes for treating you that way' or 'they don't deserve you or your gadgets and inventions' but you both already knew that. Of course, knowing didn't make the hurt lessen. So instead you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into a gentle hug. "You are worth so much more than their opinions."

"I know…" He mumbled it under his breath, almost to himself.

You stayed like that for a while and eventually he returned the hug, burying his face into your shirt. After a little while you were almost sure that he had fallen asleep like that but his breathing said otherwise. After a little bit longer you pulled away, holding him out from you so you could look at him.

"Hey, listen to me for a moment okay?" You waited for a moment, smiling softly. "I am so in love with you." You paused and gently cupped his face, running your thumb over his bandages. "So, so in love and I don't want anything to ever happen to you."

He returned your smile, placing his hand over yours. "I love you too." His smile faded slightly. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

You frowned. "You don't need to apologize. I just want you to be safe and happy." More tears stung your eyes but you quickly wiped them away. "I'm here for you no matter what."

For a moment Walter's eyes glazed over but he quickly wiped at his face, leaning his forehead against yours. "Thank you."

There was silence for a little while, comfortable and soft. Just outside the door there were the muffled sounds of the hospital though neither of you really seemed to notice. And then-

"Did you just coo at me?"

Walter laughed softly, gently nuzzling his face into the shoulder of your shirt. He said something but it was muffled by the shirt causing you to let out a laugh.

"What was that?"

He pulled his face away, smiling up at you. "It means 'I love you'."

You smiled softly back at him before pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I love you too."

Small note: I tried to write this fic as good as possible but please let me know if there are any parts that feel insensitive and need to be fixed. I've never actually tried to take my life before but I've been in a place where I wanted to lots of times so I tried to kinda replicate those thoughts and feelings

Tags(?): @xxstar-bluesxx @mellie-teh-goblin-queen

[sour--disposition]

Baby Steps

-

harry lewis x fem!reader

-

Request: Can I have an imagine where Harry accidentally gets you pregnant but no one knows your dating and you are scared to death but he is really good and it all is okay in the end and the rest of the sdmn are very supportive in the whole situation when they first find out about not only the two of you dating but also of the pregnancy. Thanks xx

I’m super open to doing a part two of this where baby w2s meets the uncles and we get super cute harry and baby fluff so lmk if thats something else i should add to the to do list

please check my masterlist to see if requests are open

They were taunting you. The two lines on the stick. It was like they were laughing at you, enjoying the turmoil erupting in your gut. Maybe that was the baby making itself known. Who knows?

What was Harry going to say? Neither of you were ready for a baby, were you? Harry’s career was only growing at this point, the sky was well and truly the limit for the Sidemen and for Harry himself. You couldn’t jeopardise that with an accidental pregnancy. It could ruin everything.

You’d been safe, you were on birth control, for Christ's sake. Yet, here you were, having a face off with 3 pregnancy tests.

You texted your best friend, Gee, immediately, asking if you could come over. She replied instantly, worrying about you but telling you to come over whenever you wanted to.

“What’s wrong?”, Gee asked as soon as she opened the door to you. She looked up up and down, checking you for damage.

“I’m pregnant”, you whispered. “I was late and I thought it was just my birth control fucking around with me but I’ve been really ill the last couple of days and I just thought that I’d take a test and rule out that silly possibility because no way am I pregnant but I am and-”

“Breathe, Y/N”, Gee told you firmly, taking your hand in hers and dragging you over to the sofa. “It’s going to be okay”, she said softly, pulling you into her arms. “Does Harry know?”, she asked.

“No, I came straight here”, you whispered. “Oh, shit. The guys don’t even know we’re together. I think Freezy does but... Hi guys I’m actually Harry’s girlfriend surprise also surprise, I’m pregnant”, you said in a put on, over the top, happy voice. “My God, my life has gone to shit, Gee”, you huffed, slumping back onto the sofa.

“It’ll be fine. It’s your body, Y/N, and it’s your choice what you do with it. If Harry is supportive, that’s great. If not, you’ve got me, and the girls and Will and his friends. Whatever option you pick, you don’t have to do it alone”, Gee told you reassuringly, running her hand comfortingly up and down your arm. “You need to tell Harry and then you can take it from there”.

Gee let you sit with her for a little while longer, letting you calm down and get your thoughts together before you attempted to face Harry. You texted him, asking if he was free and if you could come over. He replied quickly, thank God, telling you to come over whenever you wanted.

“You can ring me whenever, okay? And if you need to come here after, you don’t have to ring, just come straight over. Let me know how everything goes, yeah?”.

The drive to Harry’s was stressful. You seemed to hit every red light possible, and every driver in front of you seemed to have zero sense of urgency. You tapped the steering wheel impatiently, flicking through the Spotify playlist you’d set when you left Gee’s.

By the time you’d parked up and gotten to Harry’s front door, you were practically shaking where you stood. The nerves were wracking through your entire body. Forget butterflies, there was a whole stampede going on in your stomach.

“Hey”, Harry smiled once you’d finally knocked on the door. “Are you okay? You don’t look too good”, he said, worry written plainly across his face.

“Is Freezy here or is it just us?”, you asked, chewing on your lip.

“It’s just us”, Harry said simply, taking your hand in his and guiding you over to the sofa. Once you’d sat down, he rested his hand on your knee. “You’re really worrying me, Y/N. What’s wrong?”.

“Promise you won’t be mad?”, you asked, voice small. Harry nodded, moving his hand to hold yours. “I’m pregnant”.

Harry seemed to lose all control of his face. His mouth dropped open slightly in shock and his hand around yours slackened. “I-”, he spluttered. “I thought we were safe”, he said quietly.

“We were”, you said, voice watery as tears started to fall. “There’s, like, a less than 1% chance. I’m so sorry”, you said, voice cracking slightly with emotion.

“Don’t be sorry, don’t cry”, Harry shushed. He seemed to snap back to reality there and then. He bundled you into his arms, carefully pulling you closer to him. He gently wiped the tears off of your face, leaving his hand there to cup your face. “Don’t ever be sorry”, he whispered, leaning forward to kiss you.

“But the boys and your channel and they don’t even know about us”, you rambled. “I don’t know what to do, Harry”, you whispered into the soft fabric of his hoodie.

“It’s your choice, Y/N. It’s your body. I’m not going to force you to have a baby that you don’t want to have, but I’ll be there every step of the way if you choose to keep it”, Harry told you.

“What do you want?”, you asked him quietly. “In an ideal world, what do you want?”.

“Ideally? This would’ve happened a little bit later. But I love you, Y/N. I’ve known from day one that I love you. I want nothing more than to have a family with you and if thats a little bit sooner than we first thought, then so be it. But I’ll be here, no matter what decision we make. All I ask is that you include me. No matter what choice we make, I’m not going anywhere”, Harry said. His thumb came up to swipe at a few more tears that had fallen.

You looked at Harry in awe. “Of course I want this with you, Harry. There’s nothing I want more. Sure, a couple more years would’ve been great. But we can do this, right?”, you asked, voice wavering only slightly.

“Yeah, we can”, Harry smiled. His hand moved from your thigh to your stomach, cupping around what would become a bump in the next few months. “Hi, baby”, he cooed softly, dipping his head down to rest on your chest. “I love you and your Mummy so very much”, he hummed. A smile fell into place on your face as you let yourself bask in the soft moment for a little while.

“Do you want to tell your friends?”, you asked Harry a few minutes later.

“Yeah”, he said simply. “I wanna be a good dad to my baby and that has to start from now. I think they know I’ve got a girlfriend, but I want you to meet them properly finally. And I’ll tell them there and then about Harry Junior. If they can’t get on board, then that’s a them problem”, Harry said with a sense of finality.

“We are not calling this baby Harry Junior, no matter how great of a dad you are”.

-

You were nervous, but not nearly as nervous as when you’d told Harry that you were pregnant last week. You were sat with Harry on the sofa of his living room, waiting for the rest of the Sidemen to come around. You’d already told Cal, it was kind of hard to deflect the question when he came into the room to see Harry affectionately cradling your body and stomach.

“What if they hate me?”, you asked Harry, leg bouncing in anticipation.

“You know them already, sort of. They won’t hate you. You’re amazing”, Harry promised.

“Yeah but they don’t know me as your girlfriend or the mother of your child”, you stressed. Harry opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a knock on the door.

“That’ll be some of them”. Harry bounced up to open the door, returning to the room followed by Vik, Tobi and Josh. “I got a text from Simon, him and JJ are down the block in an Uber”, Harry said, quickly returning to his spot next to you.

You made small talk with the 3 boys and Harry until JJ, Ethan and Simon arrived. The wait couldn’t have been any longer than 5 minutes, but to you, it felt like a life time.

Once everyone was situated around the living room, Harry gestured at you awkwardly. “So, you know Y/N”, he started, sounding unsure of himself. He was met with a round of nods and ‘mhm’s. “We’ve been together for just over a year”, Harry said bluntly.

You were surprised by the lack of surprise in the room. “You dragged us all the way over here to tell us something we all already knew?”, Vik asked, looking around at the other boys.

“Yeah, it’s not exactly a well kept secret, Harry”, Simon laughed with a smile on his face.

“Oh, well...”, Harry trailed off, blushing and spluttering slightly. “There is something else, though”, he said quietly. “You’ve said I’ve been a bit off the last week and it’s because I’ve really needed to speak to you lot about something”.

“You aren’t pulling a JJ, right?”, Josh asked with a dramatic sigh. “I can’t do diss-tracks again, man, it feels like a fever dream”, he whined. Everyone around the room let out a low chuckle and Ethan poked at JJ’s shoulder, purposefully trying to wind him up.

“No, it’s not about that”, Harry laughed nervously. Harry looked like he was trying to find the words, but he was too nervous to string any of them together to form a coherent sentence.

“Last week I found out I’m pregnant”, you said, squeezing Harry’s hand gently in your own.

The shocked faces almost made you burst out into laughter. Over the last week, it was all you and Harry had talked about and it helped the both of you come to terms with the reality of the situation. It was still daunting, but you knew that you weren’t doing it alone which lifted a massive weight off of your chest.

Shocked faces soon broke out into huge grins. “Congratulations!”, Josh beamed from the other side of the living room. “How far along are you?”, he asked you.

“I’m not too sure, I have a doctors appointment tomorrow because I need to know if my birth control will have done any damage. But I’d say maybe 8 weeks, give or take”, you smiled.

“You had a good time in Italy then, Harry?”, JJ teased from his spot in the chair, earning him a swift swat from Simon. 

Harry’s face screwed up in confusion. “What does our anniversary trip have anything to do with - Oh...”, Harry trailed off, cheeks immediately setting alight with a pinkish red blush. You couldn’t help but giggle, leaning gently against Harry’s side. “Wait, how did you know about our anniversary trip?”, Harry asked.

“Like we said, Harry. You aren’t very subtle”.

[goodnightmemes]

LEVERAGE SEASON ONE SENTENCE STARTERS (PART TWO)

Lines taken from episodes s01e06 - s01e10 of the TNT series Leverage. Feel free to change pronouns or edit in any way to better fit your needs. Here is part one and part three.

❛ Last night was awesome. Yeah, it was like a horror movie. ❜

❛ That was the worst night of my life. ❜

❛ Come on, you've been in worse situations. ❜

❛ He's an old friend. I owe him. ❜

❛ You see, that's why I don't like guns. They have a specific range of efficacy. See, most guys make one mistake. They get too close. ❜

❛ Somebody got to fight the injured. Shoot, that's my niche. ❜

❛ I’m pretty sure that puts us in moral-sin territory. ❜

❛ I never do anything my nana said "don't do." ❜

❛ As long as I don't have to do anything immoral. ❜

❛ What are you, 10 feet from there? How can you miss that? You’re standing right here. ❜

❛ You’ve always been the good guy. That’s what made it fun. ❜

❛ That’s what we have to figure out. By "we," um, I mean "you" of course. ❜

❛ I’m gonna step over here, so when the good lord throws down on all of y'all, I don't get hit by the lightning. ❜

❛ Please tell me you had nothing to do with this. ❜

❛ You’re lying to me, right to my face. In church! ❜

❛ For your own good, I can't tell you what's going on here. But I can tell you that I… that I got it covered. ❜

❛ You screwed up. You’re gonna have to undo your own con. ❜

❛ You know, when you say "controversy," I always hear "attention." ❜

❛ Seems I have a weakness for men with one foot out the door. ❜

❛ I once saw a horse kill a clown ❜

❛ We don't care about who's guilty or who's innocent, just who pays. ❜

❛ Is it true [name] spent three days in the trunk of a car waiting to catch someone? ❜

❛ You can't even say my name now? ❜

❛ Anything else so you need so you can wrap this up and go back to being a somewhat disappointing memory? ❜

❛ I thought you said you were fine with this. ❜

❛ I appreciate you trying to help, but if you don't know what you're doing, just walk away. ❜

❛ When did I become the bad guy, huh? ❜

❛ And you're sure this isn't about sticking it to your old rival? Because, you know, it's really not worth putting the rest of us at risk. ❜

❛ Keep talking, you'll get to the point eventually. ❜

❛ You're not trying to prove something to the world every time we help somebody out? ❜

❛ See, you're not dead, good. ❜

❛ Didn't I tell you I was gonna kill you? ❜

❛ You're never gonna be the kind to settle down, but I'm glad you found a family. ❜

❛ I'm glad you found a family. I'm just sorry it couldn't be me. ❜

❛ Suffering doesn't automatically make you a hero. ❜

❛ I like to think of it as I pick up where the law leaves off. ❜

❛ I'm not gonna be so nice next time. ❜

❛ I had to retask two satellites just to get a lousy internet connection. Took more than an hour to torrent the last episode of Doctor Who. ❜

❛ Hey! Illegal downloading's wrong. ❜

❛ I just wish we could do more than bankrupt that corrupt son of a bitch. ❜

❛ We're running out of time. What are we going to do? ❜

❛ The truth is what I say. ❜

❛ I've been around long enough to know that things that sound easy hardly ever are. ❜

❛ It's embarrassing. Everyone knows you don't rob a bank without an exit strategy. ❜

❛ I know you don't want to hurt anyone. And I know you wouldn't be doing this if you didn't have to. So just, just try to help me to understand. ❜

❛ You have to trust me, and you have to do exactly what I say. ❜

❛ I know what you're going through, and I can help you, if you let me. ❜

❛ Why should I trust you? I don't know who you are. ❜

❛ I didn't say it was going to be easy. But nothing's impossible. ❜

❛ Nothing's impossible, especially when you have the world's greatest thief on your payroll. ❜

❛ Have you ever robbed a bank that's being robbed? ❜

❛ There's a first time for everything. ❜

❛ Sometimes bad guys are the only good guys you get. ❜

❛ You'd have to be an idiot to fall for a cockamamie story like that! ❜

❛ Now, hand over that gun before I get it into my head to shoot all of you. ❜

❛ I can take care of myself. I've been doing it a long time. Since way before I met you. ❜

❛ Hey, what smells like crank and screams like a girl? ❜

❛ Well ma'am/sir, we'd be the cavalry. ❜

❛ You! You're one of them, aren't you? ❜

❛ You guys have got this all wrong! I'm the hero here! ❜

❛ Oh! Settle down. You act like you've never been shot before. ❜

❛ Well, how was I supposed to know it was a lesbian bar? ❜

❛ Hey, can we stop off in Paris on the way? ❜

❛ Your hair is too long, your bow tie is poorly tied, and your eyes, they shift to the left, so either you're lying or you're about to lie. ❜

❛ All relationships are about manipulation. ❜

❛ No, sleeping is not a hobby. ❜

❛ Come on, now, look, if you're done with your little delightful banter, I got some actually useful information, okay? ❜

❛ Not everyone is worth saving. ❜

❛ [name] just stabbed her guy with a fork. ❜

❛ She could be halfway across Europe by now. Trust me, she is gone. ❜

❛ Yeah, yeah. I get it; we're a team. ❜

❛ Tell me you didn't see that coming. ❜

❛ Ok, I integrated the camera into this new headset. What you see, I see. ❜

❛ I can't believe they sent you to babysit me. ❜

❛ We’ll put these kids in the system, and odds are, they're gonna turn out like me. ❜

❛ I like how you turned out. ❜

❛ What we'll do is we will go home, we will figure this thing out, do some research, make a real plan, and we will come back. We’ll come back. ❜

❛ I got to tell you, I had my doubts at first, this feels pretty good. ❜

❛ I put a GPS tracker in her shoes. ❜

❛ You know you could have gotten killed. Did you even have an exit strategy? ❜

❛ You don't work alone anymore. You know that, right? ❜

❛ We're a little more than a team. ❜

❛ If you want to take insane risks on your own time, then go ahead, but when we're on a job, you have to consider the rest of us. ❜

❛ What'd you have for breakfast? You smell like gravy. ❜

❛ Nothing's more dangerous than the confused when they think they know something. ❜

❛ There is not some evil conspiracy lurking behind the curtain of every routine civic activity. ❜

❛ You know, she's never done that before - asked for our help. ❜

❛ But making small talk? It’s like pure terror. ❜

❛ Tell you what, this is not happenin', bubba. You ain't takin' my beer. ❜

❛ Okay, today did not go well, but that's all right. You know, we learn when we fail. ❜

❛ Good for you, sparky. ❜

❛ Wait! Wait a second. That was a secret. You just told me a secret, right? That's something friends do. ❜

❛ I literally cannot make this slower or any more boring. ❜

❛ You know why they say justice wears a blindfold? So you can't see that justice is asleep. ❜

❛ I am sure there's whole reservoirs of boring you have yet to plumb. ❜

❛ I'm sorry. You deserve better. ❜

❛ Can we have fast food every time we make the bad guys go away? ❜

[peralta-guaranteed]

good trope or bad trope: one of them waking up from surgery or something and being so high on drugs they forget they're together and the other has to explain it

good trope GOOD trope good trope! and this was probably just a question but I couldn't resiiiist

-*-

It's kind of sad to think about the fact that Amy is already used to monitors beeping in a cold hospital room around her squad and, mostly, around her partner. They've been in so many horrible situations, so many little moments where she's had to worry about them, that today she's almost glad she doesn't have to. Jake's surgery had neither been scheduled nor planned, and there had been a whole lot of panic leading up to it when she drove him to the hospital wincing in pain, his arms clutched around his lower stomach, but the doctor's told her they came in early enough for it to be a more routine procedure rather than an emergency. And now his appendix was out, and he would be hurting and healing for a while, but the trepidation about that is nowhere close to the fear she's used to feeling while sitting in these uncomfortable hospital chairs, wondering when the person in the bed next to her would wake up. The last time she'd been in this position, Rosa was hooked up to so many many more machines, and she looked like a bad wax figurine of herself, all pale and stiff.

Jake looks almost fine, no breathing mask or tube down his nostril, just a little beeping heart monitor and some infusion in his arm. The nurse told her he'd be waking up soon when she lead her into the room, and that they could probably go home later that evening already.

(She also told her that he'd been one of the more amusing patients she'd had under anesthesia, which was not a surprise, and that he'd been asking for her every time he groggily opened his eyes for just a few seconds, which was not a surprise either.)

He blinks awake slowly, eyes darting around the room as if to figure out where he is, before they land on her and stay stuck, his forehead creasing in confusion for a second before he grins.

"Heyyyy, it'sa Santiago!" He tries in a croaky voice, and Amy reaches for the cup of ice water the nurse brought in to hand it to him. He's shaky, but he can handle it alone, she notes almost subconsciously - she remembers enough moments where she's had to feed him ice chips instead because he could barely move his arms.

"Hey." She answers with a softer smile as he gulps down almost the whole cup - considering he still hates water, he must really need it. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, just splendid, thanks." He quips before trying to sit up more and wincing, the stitches in his stomach upset. "What the hell did I do this time to end up here?"

"What?"

"I mean, I don't remember a chase or a fight, but it sure feels like I took a knife to the stomach or something?"

They look at each other, equally confused, before Amy shakes her head.

"You dont remember-? It wasn't a work thing, Jake, your appendix almost burst."

"Ah dang. That's not even a cool story for a new scar." He sighs as he leans back a bit against the pillow and carefully palms the space where she knows the skin is going to be light pink and rougher than usual from now on. "Sorry they made you wait around for my stupid ass to recover, or is the squad at least taking turns?"

She stares at him, her mind racing, and it seems to make him nervous. He's still trying to go for that usual grin, but his eyes are darting around, sticking to parts of her without looking directly into her eyes, and she can see he's getting fidgety. Mixing that with what he's saying, and the way he's saying it - his voice is different, somehow, more - guarded, or distant, it's hard to explain, but she only remembers it from a long time ago - makes her suddenly realise.

He's been given some very heavy duty painkillers and narcotics, she hears the nurse's voice in her head, so he might be disoriented or confused for quite a while. It shows differently in lots of people, so I can't tell you what to expect, but he'll be back to normal once it passes through his system.

He doesn't remember, she thinks. He doesn't remember... a lot.

"Jake." She gets his nervous attention back, trying to school her voice into something calm and friendly, instead of the equally nervous and somewhat excited giggle she wants to let out so bad. "I think you're still working through your medication. Can you tell me what the last thing you remember is?"

He leans back again and stares at the ceiling, and it's hard to read the emotions on his face.

"Just... regular work stuff, to be honest. Nothing big."

"Okay, then what is the last big thing you can think of?"

"Uh." He swallows, and Amy refills his water cup, but he doesn't take it. "I, uh, I remember Hoytsman kidnapping me." He laughs a short laugh, obviously trying to make it seem lighter than it ever was, but that's not the only reason Amy feels her heart jump.

His mind is stuck before their relationship. After Sofia left him. He thinks he's woken up after being injured at work, and there's no one there waiting for him except for a work partner who he's been trying so hard to pretend he doesn't like anymore, and for whom he obviously has to play the "I'm okay!" role still.

"Wow. Uh. Okay." She babbles, trying to find a way to be gentle and not confuse him any more. "Then, uh, I guess, well, your medication should pass soon, I think, and you'll remember more, so don't worry-"

"Amy." He's staring at her when she finally looks up, and notes her shorter hair, her far more comfortable outfit than the pantsuits he sees her wear at work, and even while high on drugs it's not that hard for him to put two and two together. "How much am I missing?"

"Quite a lot." She finally admits, but drops her look down into her lap, to her folded hands, and she unconsciously covers her wedding ring before he can see it. "A few years."

"Years?!" He squeals while leaning forward and then groans, because that has definitely upset his wound.

"It's okay, the nurse said it would happen." She quickly tries to calm him. "It's - you'll remember when the anaesthetic passes properly, so it's alright."

"Alright, yeah." He nods and finally settles into the pillow again, as silence envelops them for a few awkward moments, in which Amy's mind races through all the things he's missing right now.

"Okay." He interrupts her sad little mental storybook of their life's drama. "Let's play a game until then, huh? I call it 'Shock&Tell'."

"Jake-"

"It's easy, you'll get the rules. Basically, you tell me stuff I don't know right now and see how shocked you can get me."

"That's not funny-"

"Oh, I think it is. I know how much you like to have me speechless." He grins at her, and she can't resist.

"Title of your sex tape."

"Amy Santiago!" He gasps with a laugh, but there's hesitation in his eyes, and she remembers they weren't exactly at a flirting stage back where he is right now. "For that alone, you have to play a round with me."

"I can't think of anything shocking at the moment." She lies, and he sees right through her.

"Okay, then tell me the worst thing you think happens to me in those years, and the best. From your opinion."

She sighs and stares at her hands again, but she knows he won't let up - he's not gotten any less obnoxious from back then to now.

"Alright. The worst thing. You went to jail." She states, matter of fact, and watches his eyes practically bulge out of his head.

"Holy shi- WhAT?! Like, for a crime? Or-what-did I-what?!"

"You were innocent!" She says as fast as she can, and watches him deflate only a little.

"I sure fucking hope so! But still, what- how- why- ?"

"You and Rosa were framed by a criminally corrupt cop. It took us a few months to get evidence against her and have her sentenced instead."

"A few months." He whispers and stares at his hands, scrunching up the blanket he's wrapped in.

"You weren't alone." Her voice is soft and calm now, seeing him in such a state of unrest, and it takes all she has not to pull him into a hug - it'd probably both confuse and actually hurt him right now, given the stitches. "I mean, you were alone in prison, but we- the squad - we were all fighting for you and Rosa, and Charles and I visited you, and we- I- we never gave up on you."

He smiles, soft and a little broken, but he nods, as if that was something he'd always expect.

"Okay, now the best thing. Because lemme tell you, Santiago, you have to make up for that suckerpunch."

She smiles much wider now, almost grins as she leans forward to finally reach for his hand, entangling their fingers (to which he goes along almost automatically) and feeling her rings clink against the one on his. Jake's eyes are frozen on her hand in his, where he can see a shiny wedding band over what is clearly his Nana's old engagement ring, and he's barely breathing.

"Oh my god." He whispers a moment later, squeezing her hand almost painfully tight as he looks at her again, and she's still smiling.

"We're married?"

"Yeah."

"To- to each other?"

"Yeah, you doofus." She laughs.

"I'm- I'm your husband." He whispers again. "Even thought I went to jail?!"

"Well", she still laughs softly at the absolute shine in his eyes, the awe on his face. "You proposed after that. But I would've married you before, anyway." I would've married you before a lot of things you don't remember, she thinks but doesn't dare say, for fear he'll ask about those other things.

"You're my wife." He says, still stunned, and she nods. "We're married."

She nods again, and watches as the confused awe on his face turns into an almost relieved joy, and his bottom lip trembles as tears start rolling down his cheeks.

"Jake..." She whispers in turn now, her free hand (that is not currently being gripped by both of his) cupping his face and wiping away some of the tears that keep flowing.

"You're happy?" He asks with trepidation in his voice, and Amy wonders if the emotional rollercoaster is another side-effect of his medicine or just his lowered inhibitions. "I'm a good husband?"

"I couldn't wish for a better husband. You make me very happy." She's almost close to tears now herself. "I love you so much."

He gasps at that, and pulls her still gripped hand up to his face, pulling her closer to him in the process.

"I love you, Amy." is his answer, and she realises he means it, even with all the things he doesn't remember, all the things he doesn't know yet. "I love you so much. I can't believe I get to marry you."

His tears have calmed down a little by now, and she fixes her awkward pose of leaning forward and having both arms reach for his face by climbing up onto the bed with him, as he lowers their hands and looks at her with stars in his eyes and so much love on his face, she can't resist to pass the last few inches and kiss him.

His eyes are still closed when she pulls back and touches her forehead to his, and he's whispering again.

"Wow."

"Well, that's certainly an appreciated reaction." She giggles.

"Don't tell me I don't react like that every time you kiss me, because there's no way I'll believe that."

"Yeah." She smiles again as he opens his eyes and smiles back. "Yeah, you kinda do."

And just to prove it, she kisses him again.

[iamvegorott]

“Hold still this might sting a little” and “is that my shirt” with shcnepiplier (how does one spell that???????????)

"Hold still this might sting a little." "Is that my shirt?"  ----------

Henrik stepped out of his room, a shirt draped over his arm that was a good few sizes too large for him. It was one of the few scrub-like tops that he and Edward had the same kind of so them getting swapped in the laundry wasn’t that uncommon. Henrik and Edward had an…interesting relationship. Everyone had assumed they’d be perfect pals since they were the ‘doctors’ of the Egos, but sometimes their budding views would cause some trouble at points. They got along fairly well and had the occasional casual conversation, but it wasn’t rare for those conversations to become an argument. 

“Is that my shirt?” Edward asked, seeing Henrik walking towards him. 

“Yes. It seems that they have mixed them up again.” Henrik stated.

“That probably means I have yours then.” Edward clicked his tongue. 

“You have not put your laundry away yet?” Henrik lightly teased as the two started to walk down the hall. 

“You just started putting yours away.” Edward teased back with a chuckle. 

“I am a very busy man. Have you met the Septiceyes?”

“Have you met the Ipliers?”

“Would you like to switch? At least I would not be shocked anymore.” 

“I have Google and Bing to deal with. I get shocked plenty.” 

“Those two take care of themselves, they do not count.” 

“They don’t count? Do you want to stick your hand in a bunch of wi-” Edward didn’t get to finish his sentence before they both ran into Wilford, who was carrying a cactus. Wilford managed to poof himself away and not get hurt, but he cringed when he saw that Edward and Henrik both were covered in spines. 

“Sorry there. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Wilford awkwardly poked the now-destroyed cactus with his foot. 

“Why are you carrying a cactus!?” Edward snapped, wincing when the spine in his cheek moved as he spoke. 

“It’s for a new display I’m creating. I’m thinking of doing a new show-”

“Later.” Edward waved his hand. 

“Oh-how about I give a little help and send you off to your office?” Wilford offered and did as he did without waiting for a response. 

“Pink.” Henrik coughed out, not used to Wilford’s powers like Edward was. 

“At least he sent us to the right place this time,” Edward grunted as he went over to his desk, grabbing one of his medkits and popping it open. 

“He has sent you to the wrong place?” Henrik made his way over as well, walking slowly to prevent the movement of the spines as much as possible. 

“Remember when you said you wanted to trade?” Edward grabbed a pair of tweezers and went to work, plucking out the spines and sighing when he saw blood coming from the spots. They would be fine, a bit of an inconvenience, but fine nonetheless. 

“Try to give Jackie medicine and then we will talk.” Henrik started working on himself as well. 

The two were silent for a bit, making a pile of spines on the desk, and were now working on cleaning the wounds and bandaging them. 

“You shouldn’t do that so tightly,” Edward commented when he saw Henrik wrapping his arm. 

“You apply pressure to wounds,” Henrik stated.

“Pressure, not suffocation.” 

“You need more disinfectant.” Henrik grabbed the bottle of disinfectant they had been using. “Hold still this might sting a little.” Henrik casually poured the liquid directly onto a collection of wounds on Edward’s arm. 

“Shit!” Edward hissed and pulled away. “The fuck is wrong with you!?” 

“The fuck is wrong with you!?”

“I was trying to help!”

“So was I!” 

“Would you two just kiss already!?” A third voice, Anti’s, yelled from the open door. “Every day with you two bitching at each other! I swear just fuck and get it over with!” Anti yelled in frustration and walked off. 

“I-” Henrik lost all words, feeling his face warm up. 

“Do…uh…Do you need some help with that?” Edward gestured toward the bandage wrapping that was just hanging off of Henrik’s arm. 

“Um…sure.” Henrik thickly swallowed. “It is easier doing it to someone else than yourself.” 

“Yeah.” Edward reached over and started applying the bandage properly, making sure there was some pressure, but not enough to cause discomfort. 

“I am sorry for Anti’s outburst, he is a little, um, blunt, as you could say.” 

“He has a point.” Edward’s own face was starting to go red. 

“A point-” Henrik was cut off by Edward suddenly pressing his lips to his own, the kiss awkward since neither were fully ready for it. “Did you just…”

“Yeah…” Edward stepped back. “I’m sorry if I was too forward and I-”

“Do it again.” 

----------

Soft and sweet sentence starters: link

[chosenimagines]

Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?

Universe: (H) Criminal Minds

Summary: The Team has to go to Las Vegas (Nevada) for a case. They are earlier done than expected and decided to go out together. But something unexpected happens. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! Doesn’t it? (Reader is named Jasmine)

Used Prompts: -

Warnings: Alcohol, getting drunk, mentioning of sex

Language: English

Request: Yes/No

Request: Can I request a image for Spencer Reid We’re Spencer and reader  go to Vegas for a case with the team and the case and early so they go out and they get drunk with the team they wake up in the hotel room together they have rings on their finger and they’re married they don’t want to get divorced so they stay married and when they come back the team wonders why they have wedding rings And they try to hide that stuff they are married but they get caught you can fill in the rest (by hyialover)

Requests [Open]

A/N: Thank you very much for your request @hyialover I enjoyed writting it! Enjoy <3

This One Shot/Imagine can be found as well on my Wattpad ^^ My requests are open on Wattpad and Tumblr

🖊️    🖊️    🖊️   🖊️

____________________________________________

“I don’t know what you think” Prentiss holstered her weapon. “but I don’t want to go back to the jet just yet! I think that we should go out this evening.”, she suggested. 

The idea immediately found approval within our team! Even though I wasn’t a big fan of crowded bars I wasn’t averse to go out tonight. We worked hard the past few days and closed the case earlier than expected. Nobody deserved a relaxed, free night with their friends in a bar more than the BAU! The events of the case had been disturbing enough. Why not get out and have fun? Playfully I nudged our youngest member. “How is it, Dr Reid? Do we get some Vegas-insidertips? Where can we get some drinks in peace?”, I wanted know with a big smile on my face. Blood rushed into his cheeks. Reid’s mimic was flooded with the expression of panic. Immediately I was sorry for asking him! I accidently stroke a chord. Of course I knew that our Reid was nobody who went out but I thought that he might have heard of some bars or clubs who are good. Obviously not… “I don’t know-” But Reid didn’t get the chance to explain himself or to end his sentence. “Reid! You can’t tell me that not one bar comes to your mind that has a good reputation. You lived here! How is it possible that you don’t have a clue?” That was the start of a big squabbing between Morgan and Reid. What did I do? Laughing I shook my head and pushed the squabblers out of the door of the department.

“Now listen to me, pretty boy!” Morgan put his arm casually around Reid’s shoulders. Then his other hand made dissolute move. “Frow now on you can say that you know a small bar in Vegas which isn’t crowded. If you ever go out with a woman here in Vegas you can suggest that you two go into Blues!”, Morgan said and patted his best friend on his shoulder. Reid didn’t seem to feel very comfortable. I couldn’t tell if it was what Morgan said that made Reid uncomfortable or something else. But there was to be nobody in the bar who seemed to be dangerous. That’s why I’d go with option 1. While Morgan continued to give Reid Dating Advice I winded through the room behind the team. We were aiming for one of the tables standing by the wall. The tables at the wall were surrounded by a square bench on three sides. On the top of the table which was facing towards the room were placed two chairs. On one of those tables all of us would fit around it. The seconde we have sat down Rossi stood up again. “The first round is on me!”, Rossi announced what made Morgan listen. “That’s what I like to here!”, he answered. “I’ll take a Whiskey.” “For me a coke please!”, Reid and I said in the exact same moment. That brought Garcia into the conversation. “No way!”, she yelled outraged. As a profiler I should have expected that from her. But I didn’t see that coming and flinched after her heavy reaction. “No way! I didn’t fly with you to Vegas to not party appropriately. Nobody here will drink something non-alcoholic in our first round! I will not let this happen. Under no circumstances.”, Garcia made clear. I gave up immediately. It was useless to fight against Garcia and a small drink was okay. After that one drink I could go over to drink coke. But Reid had to be convinced more than me. After a few minutes Morgan and Garcia managed to get our young doctor to get one alcoholic drink.

One drink? Good one! One drink became two and before I realized it was nobody left at our table who wasn’t at least tipsy. Giggling and laughing we were sitting with each other. Our conversations were on the scale from philosophical to absolutely senseless! Whoever came across our table wouldn’t think that there were sitting eight smart people who work for a successful unit of the FBI. But in this moment, we weren’t agents of the FBI, but we were some normal people who visited Las Vegas and had a good time with their friends. “Hey Jasmine!” Reid nudged me giggling. In doing so he was a bit clumsy, but I thought it was cute. “Yes, Reid?”, I giggled. Why did I find it so amusing that he talked to me? There was no reason, but I was still laughing. It doesn’t matter! Reid wanted to ask or tell me something and I was curious. “I want to show you my city! Do you feel like it?”, he mumbles. A soft pink spread across is handsome face. He was so cute! Man, I really liked him. “Of course! I am already excited.” Reid took my hand and pulled me gently out of Blues.

An enjoyable warmth tingled my nose and chased away the last bit of my will to continue to sleep. Yawning I opened my eyes. I stretched my body while sitting up. My head was buzzing, and every muscle of my body seemed to hate me today personally. I obviously had had one drink too much! Never again. I would never again let Penelope convince me to get one drink. I should have known that it couldn’t go well and that she wouldn’t stick to only one drink. One was always wiser after the event! I pressed my hands into the mattress to push myself up to stand up. But I saw something in the corner of my eye. Or somebody… “REID?!”, I gasped louder than I wanted to. That couldn’t be true! I- I- I shared- I shared a room with Garcia! Spencer should be sleeping next to Morgan! In HIS room and not in mine. Quick I looked down my body. Thank God! I was clothed. That meant we haven’t had sex. Not that the though of having sex with Reid was disgusting but drunk sex destroyed some friendships, and I couldn’t risk it. I just liked Reid way too much! Relief flooded my body. We probably stumbled after our little tour into my room and fell asleep. In the same moment something on my left ring finger sparkled in the sunlight and the relief faded away immediately. On my left hand was a modest ring. Wait! A ring? I didn’t own any rings! But I wore one on my finger. On my left ring finger. Left ring finger… LEFT RINGFINGER! The scales fell from my eyes. But I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. To prove my hypothesis, I grabbed Spencer’s left hand what made him groan. While Reid slowly woke up I scrutinize his hand. Indeed! He wore a ring as well which looked exactly like mine. Like me Reid had it on his left ring finger. That could only mean one thing! “What’s the matter?”, Spencer mumbled, and I didn’t miss how lovely his sleepy voice sounded. In that seconde the memories of the past evening came back. I had most assuredly when the memory past my mind’s eye. “Reid, don’t get scared but I believe that you and me got married…”, I broke the matter to him. Suddenly Spencer sat up straight and appeared right awake. Without a word he grabbed his phone. Just a moment later he pressed it against his ear. “Hello! My name is Dr Spencer Reid. I work for the FBI and I want to get some information about Jasmine Morris. Her date of birth is September 17th 1980! Come again please?” Reid curled his lips. “Okay, thank you very much! In that case I was talking about Jasmine Reid. Anyways thank you! Have a good day.” He hung up and looked at me. “We are married.”, he said. I pointed at his hand. “Your hand could have told you the same story.”, I replied. Reid locked at the ring but quickly moved his eyes at me again. “And what are we doing now?”, he asked. I sighed and leaned on the wall at the headboard. “We have two options.”, I answered. “We divorce or we don’t divorce.” I knew that I stated the obvious but saying it out loud gave it another impact. I knew what I wanted but I first needed to know Reid’s thoughts. Based on them I am going to decide! “That may sound crazy, and I can totally understand if you don’t want that.”, Reid hemmed and hawed. “But if I am being absolute honest, I don’t want a divorce!” My eyes widened. I didn’t expect that! “Why?”, I asked. He swallowed hard. “I like you, Jasmine. I don’t like you like Morgan likes Garcia. I like you more likely like Hotch likes Hailey.” Now I saw! “That’s good.” I tucked my messed-up hair behind his ear. “Because I like you exactly in that way!” “No divorce?” I grinned. “If it is okay for you that I have your last name?” Reid smirked as well. “I imagined this differently but I am not taking it back.”

Infront of jet I stopped and pulled Spencer’s sleeve. There was one thing we haven’t talked about yet! “Are we going to tell the rest?” Reid stopped as well. “I don’t know.”, he confessed. “When we tell them how this happened Morgan is going to tease us for weeks.” “And Garcia would be offended, because she wasn’t with us.”, I added. We agreed right of the bat. We wouldn’t tell them but we would tell him soon that we are a couple. Then we would move and a few months later we would have a wedding like party and nobody would know how we really got married. It would keep us from embarrassments and accusations! It was a win-win. In good conscious we entered the plane and put our stuff away. We hardly sat down when the plane took off.

“Jasmine, since when do you wear a ring?”, JJ wanted to know. Surprised I looked up. “Come again?”, I asked. I was only listening with half an ear. “I wanted to know since when you are wearing a ring. I’ve never seen one on your hand before.” Casually I waved it off. Then I noticed that Reid was getting nervous. “I bought it Vegas. It was a mistake which was caused by the alcohol. Thanks, Garcia, by the way!”, I commented while I kicked Spencer underneath the table. He was being more than obvious! “I actually don’t like rings but now that I have it, I can wear it.”, I explained. JJ swallowed the lie and I continued reading. “Wait a minute, princess! Eyes up again. How is it possible that you and Reid are wearing rings which look so much alike and look suspiciously like wedding rings-” Morgan broke off. “YOU’VE GOT MARRIED DRUNK IN VEGAS!”, Garcia screamed. I looked at Spencer amused. “So much about we won’t tell them.”

[thesoulspulse]

Reconcile (Good Vlad AU ~ Oneshot)

It happened in early winter, that's all he could tell because of the first signs of snowfall outside of the window next to his bed at the hospital. Vlad had been there for, what, a month or so? Kept in isolation from everyone apart from a couple of doctors and nurses. Honestly, it was entirely possible Vlad had been there for longer for all he knew since every day blurred into the next after the accident.

Vlad couldn't feel it though, the cold, because these days his skin always felt either unnaturally chilly or feverishly hot to the touch. The only constant Vlad could feel was pain. The morphine helped ease that pain a little bit, but all that was left to feel after that was this cold numbness. And since the doctors thought he had been exposed to radiation of some kind -which to be fair they weren't wrong- no one has been allowed to see him after he was admitted there.

But still, Vlad had hoped his friends would come see him eventually. And more importantly, he wanted the chance to give Jack a piece of his mind! That...that traitor knew the portal experiment was unstable and potentially dangerous and yet he still pressed the-

“Excuse me, are you awake Mr. Masters? You have a visitor,” a nurse called after knocking on the door and poking her head inside.

At first Vlad was happy that he had a visitor, hoping it would be Maddie so he could get these feelings off his chest about how angry he was at Jack...but as soon as he saw the large silhouette waiting outside the door he knew there was only one person that would have come here to see him who had such a wide girth. It was Jack. But he wasn't ready to see him, not yet, not when all Vlad could think about is how his best friend had almost killed him...

Turning his head away Vlad finally muttered, “Sorry, I'm not feeling well. Please tell them to come back lat-ER!”

Vlad grunted the last word of that sentence as Jack burst into the room, tears rolling down his cheeks as the man called him by that ridiculous nickname of Vladdy he insists on using. Normally Vlad could shrug it off, but right now the nickname felt insulting somehow as if Jack was making light of what happened the last time they saw each other. Either way it's a good thing Maddie actually was there and managed to help the nurse pry him off, reminding Jack that Vlad's in the hospital as a patient so giving him a bear hug wasn't the best idea.

Regardless, Jack looked at Vlad's bandaged face and sobbed, “I'm so sorry V-man. We tried to come sooner but they wouldn't let us in! We were so worried about you!”

Nodding, Maddie put a supportive hand on Jack's shoulder and continued awkwardly. “He's right, as soon as we recovered from the shock of what had happened to you we immediately went looking for you but you had already collapsed somewhere. Jack was heartbroken and didn't understand what went wrong with the portal. I tried to find out too but it was no use, whatever happened fried the wiring and-”

Cutting herself off as soon as she realized she was going off on a tangent when their friend's well-being was much more important, Maddie dropped her hand from Jack's shoulder and asked with a sad smile, “How're you feeling? Have they been taking good care of you? I tried to explain your condition to the doctor but...they didn't believe me about it being related to ectoplasmic energy.”

“Why would they? As far as they're concerned ghosts don't exist,” Vlad replied with a guarded expression, unwilling to admit he tried to do the exact same thing only for his arguments to be thoroughly dismissed since he's not a doctor. “As for the rest they're...doing the best they can I suppose.”

An awkward silence filled the room since none of them knew what to say after that, but then, Jack spoke up and said, “Vladdy? Um, I know it's a bit squished but I made this for you. It's...my way of saying sorry for everything. I should have listened to you and Mads when you told me to stop.”

Reaching into one of the many pockets of his jumpsuit which according to Jack was handed down to him by his grandfather and designed after an outfit one of his ghost-hunting ancestors wore, he handed Vlad what appeared to be a misshapen block of homemade fudge. The gesture might not have seemed like a big deal to anyone else, but for Jack who absolutely loved the stuff and couldn't help himself from eating almost all of it himself in one sitting whenever he made or bought it, however, the fact that Jack was sharing an entire serving of it just for Vlad really was his way of showing his sincerity. Similarly, Maddie reached into her bag and pulled out a couple of her ghost folklore books for him to read since she figured Vlad must have been bored laying in bed all day.

Vlad was at a loss for words because he had almost given up hope that they'd ever come visit him, hope that Jack would own up to his mistakes for once and apologize. But since he did, Vlad couldn't stay mad. He wanted to, but couldn't, not since this forgetful yet earnest man had gone out of his way to finally come see him. The same goes for Maddie, Vlad was sure she felt guilty too for not stopping Jack in time since she's always been the more careful of the two when it comes to their experiments...

Accepting their gifts but resisting the urge to wipe the tears from his eyes since his face still hurt, Vlad held them in his lap and sniffled, “Thank you. Thank you both for coming. I...was afraid you had abandoned me.”

“Come on V-man, give me a little credit,” Jack smiled, gently punching Vlad's shoulder. “You're my best friend! I know I can be careless and stupid sometimes, but friends have to stick together through thick and thin don't they? We'll get through this together and then maybe we can try again with the ghost portal. We were so close!”

Grimacing at the thought of going anywhere near that portal again, Vlad was relieved when Maddie interjected and said, “Jack, don't forget that it's our fault this happened so before any of that we need to make sure Vlad's going to be ok. We don't know what that portal did to him and the doctors are only going to be able to help him so much. The best thing we can do for him is go back to square one and find out what we did wrong so it doesn't happen again.”

“Shoot, you're right. I'm sorry,” Jack apologized, looking dejected. “Don't worry Vladdy, I'll make this all up to you I promise! And we'll visit more too!”

Smiling weakly more because it hurt to move his face too much, Vlad nodded, “I'd like that.”

Soon after that, before Maddie could comment on anything else the nurse shooed them out so they could get Vlad ready for his next check up. But as soon as he was alone again Vlad reached over to set the fudge and books on the desk next to him when they unexpectedly slipped through his fingers. Blinking in confusion but brushing it off as clumsiness, he sighed and swung his feet over the bed so he could bend down to pick them up again. This time though, when he reached for them again they didn't just slip through his fingers as a figure of speech...they LITERALLY passed through them! Alarmed Vlad recoiled from both objects, his heart racing when he mustered the courage to look at his hands only to find they were translucent.

Realizing his sudden spike in heart activity would alert the hospital staff Vlad concentrated as hard as he could to restore his fingers to a solid state again. It took some effort but thankfully he managed to pull it off. It was in that moment though that Vlad realized, for better or worse, his relationship with Jack and Maddie would never be the same again...

And neither would he.

~

Note: I normally don’t write fully-fledged story content on tumblr apart from headcanon ideas or sharing updates about new chapters for my fanfics, but since I had started this oneshot before my Good Vlad AU started to really kick off and wasn’t that far along I adapted it into a special oneshot about Jack and Maddie coming to see Vlad at the hospital after the accident. I always wondered why they never did and usually assumed Vlad turned them away himself (mostly Jack) along with the doctors and his friends eventually move on and kind of forgot about him for all those years.

Either way, I wanted to see what could have happened if they managed to fix things with Vlad sooner while still on somewhat good terms before that sense of abandonment and resentment for Jack could take root in Vlad’s heart. Hopefully that comes across here in this little story snippet! I might post this on my actual fanfiction account later but for now, it’s here for you guys especially!

[ohanahoku-ao3]

Whumptober Day 10

It's late, but you know the drill, so enjoy! @whumptober

Shocks and Bonds

     Stiles saw the attack first, how Allison slipped out of the shadows and ran with light steps toward Erica, her stun baton in hand and already crackling with electricity. He moved before his mind could even reason that a werewolf could take an electric shock better than a human.

     Allison’s eyes widened as Stiles’ hands wrapped around her baton, and Erica howled his name as Stiles screamed. His grip on the stick ended abruptly as his muscles contracted, sending him flying across the room.

     Boyd took a running leap over a low wall and caught Stiles, gently lowering him to the ground as he twitched. His hands were blistered from the shock, and burns snaked up his arms and down his body where the current had run through him.

     “Stiles… Erica, I didn’t mean to-”

     Allison was out cold before she could finish her sentence, and Erica growled down at her unconscious form before stalking over to her pack members. “Is he okay?”

     Boyd shook his head as Stiles suffered through a million little muscle spasms at once. “He’s pretty badly burned. We need to get him to the hospital.”

     “Yeah, okay.” She hovered around them as Boyd lifted Stiles up. “You’ll be okay, Batman.” She promised, sharing a worried glance with Boyd before leading them to safety, walking in front in case of another attack.

~One Month Later~

     “Guys, I’m fine. Seriously, you need to stop asking.” Stiles said, huffing as he let the two into his house one evening.

     “Then maybe you should stop lying when we ask.” Erica retorted, both her and Boyd clocking the way Stiles’ fingers still trembled slightly when he extended them.

     Stiles glared at her for a moment, and Erica glared right back. Boyd moved to the living room, used to their drama by this point and knowing that Erica would win this round. She always did.

     “Fine!” Boyd’s assumption was proved true as Stiles yelled the word loudly and tramped into the living room to sit down on the couch next to Boyd. He was fidgeting and restless, glancing guiltily at them as Erica settled on his other side. “You really don’t have to do this.” He murmured, wiping his sweaty palms against his jeans. 

     “We know,” Boyd assured him. “But we want to.”

     “Just let us help, Stiles,” Erica said, holding her hand out. Boyd followed suit, and Stiles took a deep breath before nodding and placing his hands in theirs. Immediately black veins of pain were leeched from the boy, and he made a sound of pure relief before slumping against Boyd’s shoulder.

     The shock he’d received from Allison had resulted in nerve damage and CRPS, leaving Stiles in pain twenty-four/seven. The doctors were unsure of whether or not it would be permanent, and Stiles tried to work through it as best as he could. But with the constant feeling of burning under his skin, the headaches, and the occasional muscle spasms that could be downright debilitating some days, Stiles was struggling.

     He wasn’t allowed to drive, and his father had banned him from the kitchen after a spasm nearly resulted in cutting off a finger. He had already been depressed, but with the new limitations, every day that previously felt like a chore felt like a burden, and he could barely get out of bed most mornings. But the worst part of it was that the pain kept him awake. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t even get comfortable enough to try.

     Hence the visit.

     Since that night, Boyd and Erica showed up every day, sometimes managing to convince Stiles to let them help and sometimes being turned away. Lately, though, Stiles had been giving in much easier. Boyd liked to think it was because they had broken away from Scott’s pack after the Alpha failed to care enough about his so-called best friend and got back together with Allison. Their loyalties remained with Stiles, who had saved them from the Argents, not the Alpha, who sat back and hmmed and hawed over the matter because of a female hunter with a pretty smile.

     “I think he’s asleep,” Erica whispered, and sure enough, Stiles’ heartbeat had slowed to a steady resting rate.     “Should we move him to bed?” Boyd murmured, rubbing his thumb over Stiles’ knuckles as he continued to suck the pain away.

     Erica shook her head, her free hand brushing through Stiles’ hair. “No, not yet. Let him nap first. We’ll try to get some food in him before he goes to bed.”

     Boyd nodded, carefully shifting to let Stiles lean against him in a better position. “I’ve got him for now.” He told her, both his hands on Stiles, taking the pain with ease.

     Erica nodded, getting off the couch to head to the kitchen. Stiles sometimes had trouble eating with his depression, but no one could resist her special pulled pork recipe, which just happened to be his favorite.

     Stiles went to bed that night with a full stomach, a friend on each side, and two newly formed pack bonds winding around his heart.

[little-mad]

Downsides of Thievery Pt. 3

~ Previous Part ~ Next Part ~

Going through the portal from one dimension to another felt as simple as walking through a door. There was no flash of light, no weird tingly sensation all over Gavin’s body, no “welcome to a new dimension” announcement; Gavin could almost believe he was still back home...were it not for the fact that every single thing around him was mega sized.

Trees as tall as skyscrapers loomed overhead, and although he was looking down on them from Rael’s hip height, Gavin could still tell that even the wildflowers sticking out of the ground would be taller than him. He swore he even saw a chipmunk the size of a car scurrying up the side of a tree.

Suddenly, Gavin felt almost glad he was secured inside a cage. As much as he hated being confined, right now he didn’t feel like he could handle being out in the open, not with a bunch of big ass woodland creatures roaming about. Being attached to a big ass dude was bad enough.

Though he couldn’t see it from his current position, Gavin figured the portal they’d come through must have gone away, judging by the abrupt disappearance of the soft blue glow that the portal had been giving off a moment ago. “I’m officially closed off from the rest of humanity,” Gavin’s brain helpfully reminded him.

Glancing upward, Gavin caught Rael throwing him a brief look as if to ensure his captive was still there. The teal eyes examined him for only a moment before they returned to looking forward.

Gavin sighed. As intimidating as Rael was, he knew he couldn’t avoid talking to the guy forever. For one, he needed to ask his captor where exactly he was being taken, because in the middle of the woods hadn’t been what he’d been expecting. Gavin was admittedly not all that knowledgeable about alteon customs, but he was pretty sure they mostly lived in cities and towns.

Before Gavin even got the chance to mentally prepare himself for the prospect of addressing the alteon, he was bucked forward by the movement of the giant leg behind him.

Once again lying at the bottom of the cage, Gavin groaned. He was really beginning to sympathize with hamsters, lizards, and other handheld pets. Getting tossed around in a cage really sucked. Although, he figured most pets would be handled more carefully by their owners than Rael was currently handling him.

Every other step the aleton took jarred Gavin’s cage, meaning there was zero point in trying to stand up because he’d just be thrown to the floor again in an instant. Instead, he opted for sitting in the back with his arms wrapped around the iron bars for stability. It was still an unpleasant experience, but at least this way he could spare himself a few extra aches and pains.

About five minutes passed by and Rael continued to make his way silently through the forest. He clearly had no intention of striking up a conversation, which meant the task fell on Gavin. “Just picture him in his underwear,” he thought to himself, but then quickly realized that trick only worked on normal sized people. Picturing Rael in his underwear would only make Gavin feel both afraid and uncomfortable. “Okay…just imagine he’s not gigantic then.”

Gavin tilted his head back so he was looking up towards Rael’s face, however from the angle he was at, he could only really see the underside of the man’s jaw. “Yeeeah, kind of hard to imagine he’s not huge when I have to almost break my neck just to see his face.” After taking a deep, steadying breath, Gavin opened his mouth to speak.

-

Were Rael someone well learned in the magical arts, he could have easily teleported both himself and his human charge to the palace. However, as things were, he had no choice but to travel on foot through the woods that surrounded the city of Ostrad.

Rael didn’t necessarily mind a little hiking, but having to walk back to the city added on about an extra hour to the assignment he never wanted in the first place. He blew out an inaudible sigh, ignoring the way the cage hooked onto his belt repeatedly bumped against his thigh as he walked. At least the human had kept quiet so far, as long as it remained that way--

“Hey, uh--Rael?” The unexpected sound of the human’s voice nearly caused Rael to stop in his tracks. He paused for a moment but quickly recovered and continued making his way forward.

Rael flicked his eyes downwards for just a moment and saw that the human was looking up at him expectantly. Half because he didn’t want to end up running into anything, and half because he didn’t want to give the human the satisfaction of getting his attention, Rael quickly went back to looking forward. “What is it?” he responded reluctantly, making no effort to hide his irritation.

“Well--um, I was just wondering where we’re headed,” said the human nervously. Rael had been a little surprised when he found out that humans didn’t have high, squeaky little voices that fit their size. Instead, their voices were essentially normal, though much quieter than that of an alteon. This was something Rael was grateful for. While it would have been briefly amusing if the humans squeaked like mice, Rael had no doubt he would quickly tire of it.

“I’m delivering you to the Emperor at the palace,” Rael stated tersely. Surely the human could have deduced that on his own.

There was a pause, and Rael hoped that would be the end of the discussion, but evidently the human had other plans. “Right but uh--why didn’t we just...portal straight there?” he asked.

Rael rolled his eyes. He didn’t know whether it was all humans or just this one in particular, but there was certainly an air of obliviousness emanating from Gavin Stone. “The portal needs to be distant enough from civilization in the event intruders manage to slip through somehow,” Rael explained slowly, as though he were speaking to a child.

Honestly, the precaution of keeping portals isolated seemed as though it was more for the sake of protecting the humans that might come through than any alteons. Prior to departing for this assignment, Rael had been educated in all the ways humans could potentially bring harm to alteons. The list was quite short, and mostly involved large weapons of mass destruction, which were apparently not widely available in the human realm.

A thoughtful hum came from the caged human. “I guess that makes sense, though I can’t imagine any human intentionally trying to come here,” he commented. He seemed to be gaining some confidence in his speech and no longer stumbled over his words, much to Rael’s annoyance. The last thing he needed was for his captive to start getting talkative.

“Believe me, we don’t want humans here either,” Rael retorted. Perhaps he was speaking from his own opinion more so than that of the general population of his dimension, but he wasn’t about to tell Gavin Stone that.

-

Gavin narrowed his eyes at Rael’s comment. If he didn’t know any better, he might say that his captor wasn’t all too fond of humans. He had to wonder what the alteon’s past experience with humans had been. Was Gavin the first he’d met? Had he really made that bad of a first impression? “Oh yeah, I sprinted away from him full speed,” Gavin reminded himself.

People not liking him was not an unfamiliar thing for Gavin. Admittedly, he maybe didn’t have the best verbal filter, and had the unfortunate tendency to blurt out whatever popped into his head. He had been fired from his first job at a movie theater for accidentally calling his manager a “lazy dickwad” within said manager’s earshot. He had gotten sent to the principal’s office in third grade for letting it slip to another kid that Santa wasn’t real. And Gavin knew it was only a matter of time before he said something to Rael that really pissed off the giant.

If Gavin were smart, he would just keep his mouth shut. It was obviously what Rael would have preferred. The only problem was, Gavin wasn’t smart. Smart people became doctors, settled down with a sweet spouse, and moved into a fancy house in the suburbs. Smart people did not become thieves who stole from literal giants.

“So uh--are you like the Emperor’s delivery guy then?” Gavin asked. He didn’t really know where he was hoping the conversation would go or what he hoped to accomplish, but running his mouth felt familiar. If he stayed quiet he’d just end up wallowing in his own anxiety and fear.

Rael shot Gavin a quick, sharp look. “I am a member of the Imperial Guard, not a ‘delivery guy’,” he snipped, clearly not fond of Gavin’s insinuation.

Gavin didn’t really know what being in the “Imperial Guard” entailed, though he supposed it had a fancy enough name. Honestly, it kind of sounded like something out of Star Wars, though he wasn’t going to mention that to Rael considering the guy probably didn’t even know what a movie was.

“So did they specially choose--” Gavin’s sentence was interrupted midway through by an annoyed huff from Rael.

“There is no need for us to converse. So unless you have something crucial to say, I recommend you keep quiet,” the alteon stated coldly.

Despite Rael’s less than friendly tone, and the fact that it was a colossus of a man saying it, Gavin did not intend on keeping quiet. A familiar desire to be contrary was rising up in him. His mom had always called it his “urge to be a complete pain in the ass.”

Gavin didn’t necessarily want to intentionally piss off his captor, he didn’t want to make an enemy of the alteon. That would be stupid even for him. However, Gavin wasn’t about to roll over and behave like a good little boy. He was a criminal, following the rules was basically the antithesis of who he was. No, Gavin was going to talk to Rael whether the elf looking son of a bitch liked it or not.

[ktheist]

pretty girls don’t get hurt | m

synopsis. your mom has been asking you for a grandchild - not even a son-in-law but the baby to said nonexistent son-in-law! and your dad is hitting an age where he can barely work anymore. at some point you’re going to take over his position as the chairman of the family hospital but you know nothing about medicine. that’s where kim seokjin comes in. he’ll marry you and become the chairman so you can keep your ceo position and you’ll get a child out of him too. it’s like killing two birds with one stone.

except there’s one problem: you’ve never met the man and you need him to agree to the marriage first. okay, make that two problems.

muses. heir!doctor!seokjin x heiress!ceo!reader x best friend!heir!taehyung

words. 15.6k

contents. slowburn. sexual tension. impregnation kink. daddy/older men kink. viagra is involved lmao. 

warnings. matured content.

verse. knj. myg. kth. pjm. jjk. jhs. story time.

x

“you want my what?”

seokjin’s jaw hangs loose, brows coming together in a show of frustrated bewilderment. it’s tells you enough that he heard you the first time but then again, you’re not asking him for dinner. you’re asking him for-

“your hand in marriage.” glossed lips curl upwards underneath the pristine white cup of hot coffee from the vending machine.

you watch as his widened eyes narrow. lips smack together and finally anger settles in the muscles of his hardening expression. “you’re joking.”

it’s understandable that he’d feel offended. even more so when it’s coming from a stranger who strode right into his office and introduced herself as the chairman’s daughter - the ceo. that’s probably the only reason he agreed to spare you his time - and you’re spending it for this.

it’d be a lie if you say you weren’t surprised that he didn’t know the ceo of the hospital he’s working at but judging from the way he treats you, like he has better things to do - lives to save, you know he’s that type of person. the mad scientist version of a doctor. doesn’t attend annual dinners. doesn’t take off days. he’s perfect.

“dad’s getting old and he needs someone to succeed him but i don’t know anything about medicine - i’m more of a businesswoman and the board wants someone of a clinical background to continue the tradition. if it were up to me, medical expenses would be much higher per patient but i’m also not a capitalist so i need someone on the field to tell me how things are at the hospital so we don’t overcharge nor do we undercharge.”

his eye is twitching at the end of your words and his jaw is clenched in suppression of agitation. at this point, you’re going to have to keep it short so not to drop the whole bomb on him before he himself explodes. “so how bout it? you marry me and become the next chairman and i’ll take care of all the non-clinical related matters. if you were to decline... i can’t guarantee things will remain the same after dad retires.”

“my break is over. it’s nice meeting you miss ___ but i hope we don’t run into each other again.” the chair screeches backwards when he stands up abruptly before you can even finish your sentence. he didn’t even check the time when he swipes his phone off the table and slips it right into his pocket. his words are as clear as day: this is the first and last time we meet.

“you still have ten more minutes, doctor kim.” for some reason he hasn’t stormed off - dare you say, he’s even taking what you said seriously - good. because you’re not here for a laugh either. you meet his heated gaze with ease. “i’m not sure you understand but you’re the cinderella and i’m the prince charming.”

you take out a single midnight scented card and slide it over to seokjin. “and this is a proposal, not a blackmail. call me when you’re ready to talk about the terms for the prenup.”

x

it’s been a week since you left your card with seokjin.

now, sitting in your office, the scene keeps replaying in your mind like a broken record. a scream erupts in the otherwise pleasantly silent room as you slump in your seat, hands digging into your hair as though if you rub your head hard enough, the memories would fade away. “taehyung, how did i even get that confidence? a prenup? he didn’t even say yes!”

the aforementioned man spares you a glance from the couch he’s lying on before going back to typing away on his phone. it’s probably yuju - one of his recent acquaintances. if you remember correctly, she’s the daughter of sbs’ ceo.

“boys are simple minded beings, give it another day and he’ll call you.” he casually assures, this time not even look away from his phone.

the sleek back hair and black button down underneath seokjin’s white coat flashes at the back of your mind. you don’t see that many doctors wearing something that needs ironing to work that often. sure there’s a dress code but your dad isn’t strict about it - all that mattered to him is the quality of one’s work. for all he cares, these doctors can come to work in pj’s. it’s you that had to make sure they don’t come in pj’s. collared t-shirts are acceptable. so are sneakers instead of heeled shoes. but kim seokjin was nothing less of button down, a well made tie and polished black shoes.

it shows that-

“he’s a man, not a boy.”

this time, taehyung’s fingers freeze on the screen before he turns his cheeks to you with an unfazed expression - as though he’d expected this but still got disappointed when he hears it. “so it’s his age? you wanna marry him because he’s nine years older than you?”

there’s something about the way he singles out the reason you decided it was seokjin, that makes you look away in shame. but you still force out a laugh in a last ditch attempt to brush it off but it sounds awkward in every octave. “ha ha ha ha what are you talking about? he’s the most eligible marriage prospect - that’s why.”

“there’s another one.” he points out. still unconvinced, “that suho guy - he’s also a fellow. also an only child-”

you speak over him,“-but his background is so-so. civil servant parents. went to an ordinary school. you think he’ll adapt to the pressure as quick as seokjin?” suho’s smiling picture peeks from underneath the documents you’d been reviewing before the flashback of your bold proposal comes and haunt you. it’s his resume along with every physician working at the hospital for more than eight years, that you’d obtained from your dad’s secretary. “you know whoever becomes my husband and assume the chairman position is gonna get chewed out alive by the board. it has to be him - it has to be seokjin.”

a sigh echoes from somewhere across from you as taehyung sits up, brows furrowed together as he rubs his head as if it’ll make the the problem go away. “yeah, but he left the social scene a decade ago. you think he’ll walk back in just like that?”

“his records have been nothing but remarkable. he sticks around and works overtime. he’s been one of the most consistent physicians that worked on every holidays. doesn’t take off days. basically a workaholic who loves his job way too much - he doesn’t need to enter the social scene. not when i’m his wife.” a grin spreads across your face by the end of it - all this time, you’d been reading the report about him but once you’ve actually put it in words, the chances of him saying yes seems to sound more real, “he’s gonna keep working as the chairman and ignore anything the board says. he’s perfect.”

“yeah, okay let’s say he is perfect and there’s no reason for him to say no except one,” taehyung pauses for a more dramatic effect, lips twitching upwards slyly as if he knows it’s already got you on the edge of your seat, “what if he has a girlfriend he wants to marry?”

and that’s when your world comes crashing down like waves against the rocks but you don’t like the smug look on taehyung’s face, “yeah but with his schedule, it doesn’t seem like he has one.”

“you never know - they could very well be living together. plus, it’s not like he has to report his dating life to the hospital and he seems like a private enough man to keep it on the low even from his colleagues.”

his words are barely registering but the longer the second stretches on with your thoughts running wild, the faster your heart seems to race. but one thing’s for sure. taehyung’s here because you’re supposed to be discussing the partnership.

“if you’re not gonna talk about work, then get out.” your eye visibly twitches - all of a sudden your best friend since you were in diapers’ presence serves more as a nuisance than a blessing.

“you’re mad, aren’t you?” a grin spreads across his lips before he bursts into laughter - he’s the only person that would laugh in the face of death, “man you’re full of ego - i guess you should be. i mean, if all else fails, he might just say yes because of your face, right, sparky?”

he’s using that nickname he used to call you when you were kids. your love - or as taehyung would put it, obsession for shines and sparkles in diamonds peaked at the age of ten thanks to your mom’s hobby of collecting dimes. she’d sold everything off after she got bored of them and needed space for the arts she bought - her new found hobby. but you remained true to your love for diamonds and symbol of riches and bought half of her collection.

over time, he starts using it less and less and only for reasons to get a rise out of you. where did that cute boy who called you sparky because he thought you were as pretty as the diamonds, go?

all he is now is a devil incarnate. with that height and silly grin of his, he easily antagonize you. and you always give in. 

“you’re supposed to be on my side and give me assurance!” you toss a balled up paper, aiming right in his face but instead of hitting the mark, he easily catches it.

“how’s this for assurance? you’re only gonna hurt yourself if you throw a ball like that.” he picks his blazer off the handrest and makes a beeline for the door when he senses the smoke coming out of your ears, “i’m late for my date, see you later!”

x

it’s exactly fifteen hours later that you receive a call from seokjin.

instead of meeting up at the cafeteria, he’d directed you to flower child, one of the most coveted fine dining restaurants in seoul two days after the call. it turns out he’d made a reservation - and you’re no fool to the long waiting line to get a table. he must’ve booked it some time after your first meeting.

he’s made some effort into putting on a black blazer and matching pants. hair styled to perfection. he may have cut his family off but he hasn’t completely abandoned the way he lived up till a decade ago. you allow yourself to check him out once - when he’d stood up at your arrival and pushed the chair for you.

thankfully, you’re not too underdressed. a creme blouse and grey pencil skirt suit any kind of formal setting.

“have you thought about what you want to include in the prenup?” you ask after the server leaves with your order.

seokjin seems more collected this time. or maybe it’s the incense and dimmed lighting that gives off a more suitable atmosphere to talk about marriage.

either way, you don’t expect the man to chuckle - a short, wistful one. as though he truly, honestly believes- “why would you want to marry an old man like me?”

you know what he’s asking: there’s got to be a catch. straightening your back and crossing it over your chest loosely, you decide to come clean - the full truth. “you’re only thirty-four but i won’t lie - you have a price on your head, doctor kim.”

the server comes back with a small cart and a bucket of chilled red wine. you wait until he pours a third of both glasses and goes away. but seokjin doesn’t appear all that eager for your elaboration - it’s almost as though he’s already known. or at least expected that much.

“your mother is willing to pay anyone who marries you a whooping ten million if the lucky bride brings you back to your family.” you watch as he studies the density of the wine, twirling the glass gently with a sort of tilt on his lips like a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, “but i won’t make you reconcile with your family. i’ve told you my intentions - i need someone who knows the ins and outs of the hospital since don’t have any clinical background and it’d be easier if we were husband and wife.”

it’s in that moment that seokjin tears his eyes off the wine and captures your gaze. in the absence of the sunlight, those brown eyes appear more black, reflecting the dancing fire on the incense. you feel naked and bare as he wedges his fingers in and tear open the windows to your soul. “don’t you have someone you want to marry, miss___? someone you love?”

taehyung’s silly grin flashes at the back of your mind like a solar flare you can’t erase - all you can do is wait until dies out on its own. you don’t realize your unfocused gaze is directed to seokjin in the split second you wait for your thoughts to gather itself. redirecting your gaze to the wayward reflection in your own glass, you let out a breathy chuckle. “yeah, well.”

it’s pathetic and embarrassing but you can’t even conjure up proper words. instead, you bring the wine to your lips, preferring to taste the bittersweetness of the wine than that of your own reality.

x

all you talk about for the rest of the night is matters pertaining the marriage. what he’ll have to endure and what he won’t have to endure. he doesn’t need to attend any of the social functions even if you’re married. doesn’t also need to concern himself with matters about his family - it becomes tricky when his family catches news of their only son’s marriage and want to be there for the ceremonious day.

“i don’t know what’s going on with you and your family but they won’t be invited if you don’t want them to be.” you fix him with one of your smiles. a tilt in the corner of your lips and a languid flutter of your eyelids before meeting his gaze. it always works - takes away the essence of the conversation and makes them focus on you so if he wants to throw your words back at you, there’s a leeway you could escape to.

until you couldn’t.

“it’s fine. i’ve been running away for the last few years - it’s time i face them head on.” he looks up from the steak he’s cutting - you still haven’t recover from the time he’d look at you in the eye and effortlessly tore your defenses like it was paper but there he does it again, splaying out your scheme like a dish best served hot, “besides, they won’t be invited but you can’t- no, you won’t stop them from showing up, right?”

it’s true. his family isn’t just any normal family. his father is a ceo of one of the most prominent cell phone companies in the world after all. you’d be invincible if you’re in good terms with your in-laws. or at least, if they think you’re on their side and want to help them get their son back.

but seeing as nothing gets past seokjin, you’re only left to either evade the question or full out deny it to keep your pride intact. either way, both options will only serve to confirm his suspicion - he may already know what you’re up to but verbalizing it is a different kind of pride-crushing. your lips curl into a smile - an irony of having been cornered in every direction from the man you thought you could wrap around your fingers.

but because your pride wouldn’t allow you to look like a fool and your ethics wouldn’t allow you to tell a flat out lie (half truths are alright), you decide the first option is much better. “there’s one more thing - i want to get pregnant within the first year of our marriage.”

or else, you’re going to end up like your parents - their bones weren’t as strong as they used to be by the time they got you and their souls were withered from the works they’d put on in their better years of their lives. your mother’s life was risked by the late pregnancy. still, they tried to love you better but there were things you couldn’t do with parents who were hitting 50 before you even reached high school. you couldn’t go camping or bike riding or fishing like your grandfather brought your father to.

it seems to have caught seokjin off guard when he stares at you with wide eyes a tad longer before dropping his head and chuckling to himself, “my, i don’t know if i still have it in me.”

and that’s how you know he’s messing with you - perhaps it’s his own way of reminding you that he’s too old for you and if he’s lucky, it’ll scare you away from the idea of marriage altogether. but the fact that he’s trying to make you give up means that he’s agreeing to the marriage. you let your lips curve into a smile, adrenaline rushing through your veins and into your very core.

you absolutely can’t wait to get married.

x

the marriage will be held within five months - it’s the earliest you can get. it’d be suspicious if you just suddenly got married without any scandal or news of dating the estranged only child of the kim family. you’ve already hired a reporter to follow you during your first three ‘dates’ - they may very well be the only dates you go on together judging from your packed schedule. it’s been almost a week since that dinner and you’ve made plans to appear in public together - your first date.

rapping your knuckles on the door, you wait for the light on the handle to turn from red to green - a signal that the owner’s allowed you access. “hey, you ready?” is the first thing you say, even though you know he’s not.

“miss ___, i’m sorry i was working and didn’t realize the time.” he seems to be genuinely apologetic - and there’s an x-ray film and some papers strewn over his desk to verify his claim. “i’ll freshen up and -”

his brows lift in surprise when you lower yourself on his lap just as he pushes the chair backwards to stand up. the usually gelled light brown hair falls over his face in a messy middle part and his button down is less crisped than when you saw him the first time. granted your first meeting with him was at noon - it’s not enough time for the demands of his career to dishevel him. it’s evening now.

his jaw slacks just the slightest bit, resulting for his lips to part - you’ve noticed their plump fullness and it’d be a lie if you said you didn’t wonder about how they’d feel on yours. the taupe acrylic on your thumb digs into the soft pink flesh of his lips before it travels to his chin.

“may i?” two words. and that’s all it takes for something lustrous to take over his eyes. you find yourself smirking when he stares quizzically as your hand leaves his face and brings his own between your lips. his fingerpads are callous from years of surgical training but they don’t tremble under the touch of your tongue. his digits are lengthier than you expect them to be. his middle finger hit the back of your throat easily before you can get them all in but he’s not the only one that’s received training.

you switch to his ring finger, tongue gently curling around it before you drag your teeth over the ridges of its joint. as a finishing touch, you make sure to lick the bottom of your lips all the while holding his gaze. then, you allow the smile to grace your lips as though nothing happened but the way you pretend to struggle to get up, causing your ass to rub against his arousal - defeats that false sense of innocence.

either way, his surprised expression turns to an amused one as he chuckles a low chuckle - an admittance of your victory, “my, i just lost, didn’t it?”

“whatever do you mean?” you blink, lashes fluttering with feigned innocence.

x

articles are starting to pop up after your personal reporter uploaded hers. it’s not enough to shake the world but it’s enough to catch the eyes of secretaries which in turn tell their bosses and as a result, your phone’s been blowing up and your own secretary has been taking calls since this morning.

“___, you’re leaving already?” taeyeon cups the mouthpiece of the phone she’s been on for the last five minutes, alarms going off in her eyes at the thought of your absence. you don’t blame her - from the way the conversation seems to be going, she might just drag the whole telephone all the way to your desk and make you answer them.

business proposals must be pouring in. you feel bad for your secretary but to be frank, the instant ringing as soon as she held up the last call - has been bothering you to no end as well.

you grin sheepishly, “i got a meeting with dad.” it’s just a coincidence that your dad called you to his office today - he usually does every once in a while just to ask how you’re doing and lament about having to handle your mother’s random burst of hobbies she’s getting into ever since you moved out.

looks like nobody’s noticed the ‘rumor’ yet from the way the workers in the administration department bows and greets you on your way to the office. granted, these people are too devoted to their work to pay attention to the latest business scandals but you expected at least one person to be blowing up the group chat with pictures of you and seokjin’s first date.

there’s a familiar figure leaning against your dad’s desk but no trace of the elder man - he must have went to the washroom or something. you thought it odd when taehyung’s eyes fall on you without the usual grin he would usually offer whenever he sees you - like reflex. at first, you assume his own date with yuju probably didn’t go very well.

“hey, loser. this is the first time you’re here earlier than me.” you fix the man your own grin, happy to be able to see not one but two of your favorite persons. taehyung’s been coming over to play at your house since forever. it was normal for your dad to invite him to his office and take you two to lunch now that you two have grown up.

...until you notice your dad on the couch and another person sitting adjacent to him. it’s easy to miss people when they’re sitting down and easier to have your eyes focus on taehyung’s tall frame.

the tension almost crushes your lungs as soon as you walk through the door. it becomes apparent all too soon that taehyung tried to warn you with his eyes to not be your usual idiot self. now, you’re paying the price for it as all eyes fall on you.

the third person in the room turns his cheek towards you - seokjin. he offers a too polite smile as you come to a stop next to the couch he’s one.

“daddy?” all of a sudden, you’re a child in a room full of adults and calling your out to your dad, as if it would somehow make him explain this situation you just walked in.

the elder man releases a long drawn sigh before speaking, “i’d like a word with my daughter and doctor kim, if you don’t mind, taehyung.”

“sure, uncle.” the aforementioned man offers one of his gallant smiles, pushing himself off the desk without taking out his hands from his pockets.

you grab onto taehyung’s arm as he’s about to pass you - pleading with your eyes for him not to leave you, a mere ant, with the elephants in the room. that’s when his serious facade falls through and he’s grinning at you like a brother would to his sister when he knows she’s going to get in trouble with their parents. your temple throbs with a burst of rage but before you can say anything, he’s already out of the door.

the sweetness of the tea mrs. nam served is tasteless compared to the tangible tension in the air. it’s become apparent that while the more tech savvy staff remain clueless of your updated dating status, your father, is not.

be it as it may, guess you should give credit where it’s due - seokjin’s expression is free of any tautness. it’s perfectly neutral - it’s frightening. you know for a fact you’re not saved from a hard line on your glossed lips and a crease between your brows.

“i heard from my wife that you two are dating.” the elderly man finally breaks the silence.

he’s addressing your mom like that so to make it known that he’s talking to seokjin too - and you’re not the only one in hot water. but seeing as it’s your idea and your proposal, it’s also your responsibility to respond-

“that’s correct, sir.”

-but seokjin beats you to it. it’s not just his expression but his tone is completely at ease. almost as though he’s faced tense situations like this one too many times.

you breathe out before speaking, “i was going to introduce doctor kim to you and mom once we bought our engagement rings.”

your dad finally looks up, eyes wide and mouth slacked for the briefest second before his eyes flutter close. now’s about time for him to be rubbing his temples from the headache but instead, he lets out a sigh. for a split second, you see your dad for the age he is - not the age you remember him as in your earliest memories. wrinkles and smile lines and graying hair.

the seconds stretch on as do the silence. you can hear the distant ringing of the telephone all the way from mrs. nam’s desk from outside, almost clearly.

once your word settles in, then comes the million dollar question, “do you two love each other?”

it’s a no brainer. anyone with eyes can see and answer that for you - or perhaps taehyung already told your dad since he must have gone through a similar interrogation session. and yet, it’s only natural to want confirmation from your own daughter instead of her best friend even though he knows everything about her.

this can only go two ways: yes or no.

but you’ve never been fond of flat out lying, especially to the man who taught you such principles and you’ve talked about marrying for convenience with them ever since you realized that ambitions tend to reward but cheap sentiments like love does not.

yet your chest feels heavy having to go against your parents’ wishes and hopes for you - they want what any parent want for their child. happiness. “no, we don’t.”

“but no one enters into a marriage with divorce in mind. i don’t plan on just being a husband to your daughter just on paper. i’ll care for miss ___ and treat her the way like a queen. that much, i promise, sir.” seokjin holds your dad’s gaze - it’s haunting and charming, you would know. you’d been on the receiving end once too many times already. and you know that’s how he gets your dad.

the older man nods, shoulder line relaxing almost as though he’s been lifted off a dead weight. he’s not the only one - you don’t realize you’ve been holding your breath until you feel your own muscles loosening and you’re breathing out in relief.

until his head snaps up to point out one thing, “you’re getting married yet you’re not on first name basis?”

x

“sorry to rope you into family drama, i’ll be more prepared next time so you won’t have to leave your work.” is the first thing you say once you’re in the elevator. your dad has made sure to grill you to half-death with his questions. he’s gonna give the immigration a run for their money. the first name basis matter is just the beginning of a series of dread -

‘what’s my daughter’s favorite color?’

‘dad, do you even know my-”

‘shh. do you know my daughter still wets the bed at the age ten?’

‘dad!’

seokjin had taken your dad on in stride. he chuckled when your dad said something ridiculous, borderline false and he listened on when your dad went on about the sob story of a ‘poor father with an undefeatable daughter’. but the way he did it was so effortless - almost as if he was a boyfriend visiting your parents and getting told all the embarrassing stories of your childhood and would tease you about it but at the end of the day, tells you he thinks the kid-you was cute - bed wetter or not.

there’s something that restricts your airway at the thought of sharing a feeling so strong with someone. in no time, you push the intimate image away. you and seokjin aren’t like that - this is marriage is strictly convenience-based.

“i asked a friend of mine to cover for me.” so he knew it’d be long but he didn’t actually said it was okay either. marriage is a tricky subject especially for someone as work-crazed as seokjin. you’re surprised he hasn’t cursed you out for making him miss work. “is it red?”

“what?” you blink, steps halting as you stare up at him with what starts to be mindless curiosity but ends up with a stretched on pause as you study the man’s visage. the plumpness of his lips is a given- it’s the first thing you noticed about him.

“your favorite color.” the corners of his lips lifts upwards before he includes his assertion, “you’re always wearing something red - your lipstick was red when we went for dinner. you have a red blouse on now.”

 even you didn’t know you have so much red. but it’s true - your functions and meetings wardrobe consists of red and black predominantly besides the more neutral pastel colors. you have a higher success rate of getting sponsors when you wear the tight fitted red dress.

but it’s not a preferred shade per se.

“no,” you chuckle, “my favorite color is yellow, like the banana.”

seokjin’s brows rises at that. he probably didn’t expect that - nobody expects the fierce and confident woman to like such a bright, clarifying color. “though i understand why you think it’s red.”

his lips curl into a smile - the kind of smile that mimics your own, not the one that he wears to charm your father. though that one was also genuine, this one makes him feel younger. like someone you can crack silly jokes with instead of the ever uptight working man.

before he manages to say anything, your name reverberates across the lobby. taehyung’s shrugged off that ugly grey checkered blazer of his and left it at the sofa as he mini run towards you. the grin on his face gradually falls off when he notices the lack of smile on your face.

“you left me for dead!”

he blocks your fist with a hand around your wrist before sighing as if you’re not just directing every ounce of energy in that punch of yours - but then again, none of your smacks really get to him.

“i didn’t know uncle was gonna ask me about that - i thought it was gonna be the usual lunch. i mean, come on, i waited for you down here even though i have work to do so i can make sure all your limbs are intact!” he looks like he almost meant it. almost.

it’s in that moment that seokjin’s remark reminds you that he’s still there, “you two must be close.”

“huh?” taehyung narrows his eye at you as though you’re no more than gum under his shoes while you whip your hand out of his grasp and scoff.

“nah, i’m her only friend.”

“it’s because he doesn’t have any other friend.”

you both say at the same time.

at least seokjin’s still able to laugh with all the intention-to-kill in the air. before you can elaborate on how taehyung kept following you around like a lost puppy when you were younger, seokjin’s hand finds its way around your shoulder, you thought it odd that he needs to pat on the shoulder farthest from him but it turns out he’s pulling you towards him but by the time you realize it, you’re already craning your neck to look at him. but you barely notice the awkward position of his lips on the spot just above your left eyebrow - his lips really are soft. and warm.

and gone.

before you know it, he’s pulling away, saying something about seeing you later - you couldn’t hear it from the blood rushing in your ears and the heat rising on your face. it’s only after you see his white coat disappear around the corner do you finally take notice of the slyly grinning fox in front of you.

“what did i tell you? simple-minded beings.”

x

you still don’t know why seokjin kissed you on the forehead.

sure, he told your dad he’s not planning to just be a husband on paper - okay. but he’s nowhere near a husband to you yet and you haven’t even given him an engagement ring. it doesn’t help that your heart keeps racing every time time the image of his sharp jaw and pursed lips before he kissed you, plays at the back of your mind.

he smelled good too - like aftershave and lemon and a hint of disinfectants.

before you know it, you find yourself rapping on his door eight minutes past 7 in the evening. after a whole solid minute of the red light on the door handle remaining the same color, you finally let out the breath you’ve been holding. it’s supposed to be past his shift but judging from the lack of response from the other side of the room, you know straight away that he’s still at the wards. it may have been an impromptus decision but now that you’ve walked the distance from your office to the other end of the building, you might as well go the extra mile and actually look for him. 

most of the nurses and doctors that pass you recognize you, bowing briefly before hurrying to where they were heading before they saw you. you rarely visit the cardiology department - or any other department for that matter because it’s always a hassle for the staff to prepare to greet you. in that aspect, you agree with seokjin - that they could be doing something better than pushing their schedules on their colleague to accompany a sightseeing vip.

“miss ___?” a young man around your age calls, his brows furrow at the idea that his eyes could be fooling him but when you turn to him, his eyes light up in pleasant surprise, “it really is you. why - i didn’t know you were visiting today.” 

“doctor kim,” you don’t forget a face easily - right before you is kim suho. the smile that stretches when you recognize him is telling enough. his past achievements are definitely to brag about and he must have attended the annual dinner if he recognizes you, “good evening. this isn’t an official visit - actually, i’m looking for someone. do you happen to know where doctor kim seokjin is?”

“seokjin?” he repeats the name with a sort of familiarity, coupled with confusion. of course, he’s probably wondering what the work-crazed doctor did to have the ceo come all the way to the wards.

“miss ___?” it’s feels almost deja vu - having your names called out by two different people within the span of five minutes. both sounding equally confused but for different reasons.

“good evening,” you fix seokjin one of your alluring smiles, heart skipping a beat - it’s probably the stethoscope hanging over his shoulder. it compliments the collared button down and white coat, look you usually see him in, “i went to you office but you weren’t there so i came here.”

“let’s talk in my office.” he clears his throat, eyes drifting to look to somewhere on his left before he stops himself. if it’s the whispering nurses at the counter he’s worried about - he shouldn’t be. because you’re about to put a ring on it.

x

“sorry, i was doing my last rounds but the patient was a chatty one - i lost track of time.” he says, walking into the office and setting the stethoscope down on his desk before he takes a seat behind it.

you notice the way his eyes travel from your perfectly pinned up hair down to your diamonds adorned neck down to the halter strap of your elegant maroon dress that wraps around your body flawlessly. but he doesn’t say a word - and you’re forced to school your expression to not show your surprise and hurt when he doesn’t even let his gaze linger for any longer than necessary as he meets your eyes again.

you take out the suede velvet box from your purse and place it right in front of him. “it just came in, why don’t you try putting it on?”

his eyes twinkle with a surprise not because of the foretelling shape and characteristics of the box, nor the affirmation of the silver band inside it but because it sits snugly around his ring finger when he slips it on.

“how did you get my size right?” the impressed tone laced in his voice makes your chest swell with pride and lips curl into a smirk.

it only takes him a few seconds to interpret your smirk - that time in his office. the ghost of his digit on your tongue still lingers. it wasn’t just for show and you weren’t cruel enough to put a man through that misery if you didn’t have your own reasons.

he shakes his head, ring bluntly glinting as suppresses his chuckle with his hand.

your heart is beating too loudly in your chest - there’s something in the way he’s bearing your claim but you still manage to sound leveled and collected. “since we’re officially engaged, do you mind if i call you seokjin?”

“i’d like that very much, ___.” he’s finally dropped the suffix. ms. this, ms. that. you’ve gotten used to it but it serves to enforce the invisible line between you and him when he addresses you so formally.

your phone buzzes in your purse - it must be taehyung. you didn’t expect to spend longer than ten minutes but he must be waiting at the lobby if he’s texting you now. standing up, you bid him a parting “have a nice evening, seokjin.”

he doesn’t seem like he has anything on his mind but just as your hand covers the handle of the door, he speaks up, “once we’re married, could you refrain from going to these functions?”

it takes you off guard. like a spear that pierces you just as you lay down your armor but you’re not one to let something like this get to you, “i’m afraid that’s not possible.” and that’s it. it’s final.

but you should have known when you decide to use that practiced icy tone, that seokjin wouldn’t just back off the way almost everyone would. the only people who would still have the gal to say something or dismiss it are your parents and taehyung.

“i know you expect me to be an obedient husband and become chairman and do my job. it shouldn’t matter if you attend these functions since you’re not forcing me to go with you.” and there’s those eyes again. tearing into the soul of your window and stripping you bare the way only kim seokjin could. “but marriage is about compromise - giving up one thing for the other. i’m gonna inherit my dad’s fortunes and you’re gonna get that 10 million my mom promised. shouldn’t that be enough to get the projects for the hospital rolling?"

when he says it like that, it seems so easy and simple. “no wonder you’re a doctor. you don’t know a thing about maintaining a sustainable business.” you let your lips curl briefly, “but i’ll think about what you said.”

then, you’re out of his office. heels clicking against the floor as you make your way to the lobby and into taehyung’s familiar sleek black burgatti.

x

“so he asked you to stop coming to these functions.” the car rolls to a stop right in front of the hall where the birthday party of seollyu’s president is held.

“in essence, yeah.” you say after he comes around the car and your hand automatically tucks itself in the crook of his arm.

“then why are you mad?” the car purrs behind you before the valet takes it somewhere to park it.

some of the reporters at the entrance calls your and taehyung’s names in an attempt to make you look at the camera. there’s too many and the lights are blinding - you just want to get into the hall quickly. at least they won’t be able to follow you past the doors.

“i just - i don’t like that he’s asking me to change, you know? just because i’m married, i won’t get to do the things i usually do before? that’s just bullshit.” you huff in frustration - not bothering to hide your stiff eyebrows and slightly pursed lips all the while you have your pictures taken. at best, they’re going to slander you with jealousy over taehyung’s new budding romance.

“i mean, he did cut his family off and stopped going to these things.” the man shrugs, “maybe he has a good reason - did you even ask him why?”

and that’s how you know you’ve lost the fight. taehyung’s too sensible - naturally, he wouldn’t have his own startup at such a young age, if he isn’t the way he is now. but you don’t want an analyst - you want a friend who would listen to you and let you vent your frustrations before finding the root of the problem and suggesting the solution.

taehyung knows this and he knows plenty of many things, having been your childhood and best friend all in one package. but because he knows you too well, he also knows you’ll end up doing something you would regret if he were too late to point out your mistake. sometimes you want to prove him wrong - that you can call the right shots when it comes to people without having him paint a picture for you to foresee the outcome but so far, there’s limited exhibits of your success. your failed past relationships being the prime examples.

“i hate it when you’re right.” you grumble, letting your hand fall to your side - usually you wouldn’t mind having to cling onto taehyung like a child. you’re all the other has in these functions - everyone has their own reason for attending and just like absolutely everyone, you approach people because of what they can give you. that’s why you see groups of people your age flocking together - they grew up trained to sniff those with ill intentions and those with a mutual interest.

and usually, they’ve known each other at a very young age - the way you knew taehyung for as long as you can remember.

you have other friends too - or rather, they’re people you single out to be of no threat to your business and could even become partners someday. like sowon - her bright amber dress making it seem as though a ball of fire is flitting across the hall. you’re about to wave at her before you notice a more furious fire burns in her eyes.

“you bitch!”

all of a sudden, your neck is craned in an awkward angle. the blaze on your cheek settles a little later than the realization that sowon just smacked you right across the face yet when you turn back to her, hands clenching and unclenching in suppression of rising anger - she’s the one with tears in her eyes. “i trusted you.”

oh boy.

the host hasn’t even made his speech and the crowd’s already excited. the widespread whispers don’t go past you - some of the people in your periphery doesn’t even bother hiding leaning into the person next to them while stealing glances your way. but you doubt the woman in front of you would notice anyone here but you.

“ladies, there’s plenty of me to go around.” taehyung speaks from next to you, his smooth baritone echoing off and reaching anyone within five feet. you know he’s doing this to cover for any other possible misunderstanding - after all, this isn’t the first time you’re trapped in a scandal between taehyung and one of his girlfriends.

sowon loathes taehyung though.

but it doesn’t matter as long as everyone thinks it’s just another day of you getting in between the budding romance of taehyung and his female acquaintance. you can already see the expressions of the guests falling - probably disappointed at the not-so-news news. but there are also those who snicker underneath their breath - probably one of taehyung’s past acquaintances. it’s no secret taehyung would choose you over them in a heartbeat - and it’s been established when taehyung appears at a function with another woman once and appear to the next five with you until a new poor soul takes that woman’s place.

what can you say? your best friend’s a charmer. but the downside is, you don’t have that many female friends at functions. and one of the few you do have, you’ve managed to piss off.

sowon’s sniffle tears your attention away from the crowd. flushed cheeks and puffed eyes. you’re not close but you’re acquainted enough to know she’s a woman of pride and confidence. she wouldn’t lose her cool over a man - well, at least not a licentious man like taehyung. and that’s the only reason keeping you from bitch slapping the pride off her. the sting on your cheek is nothing compared to the injury your pride sustains - all because what’s left of your conscience wouldn’t allow you to return the slap.

deep down, you know you deserved it and more. your insides churn painfully. all of a sudden the dress around your body is two sizes too small. it’s suffocating - the whole room is suffocating.

“after everything i told you - you had to go for him?!” her scream could almost burst your eardrums if it isn’t for the blood rushing in your ears.

it’s easy to think she’s referring to taehyung. somewhere from across the room, the crowd starts clearing out a path - looks like the host has caught wind of the commotion sowon has caused.

you want to curse her too. hurt her with words as much as she hurt you with her physical assault. but instead you find yourself dropping your gaze.

“i’m sorry, sowon.” is all you say before mr. jung and his army of secretaries approach you and bring you two to different rooms. by the time dinner starts, sowon isn’t around - it’s understandable, her pride wouldn’t allow her to let these people poke fun at her.

but you don’t survive this world you’re born in by running away - you survive it by developing skin as untouchable as scales. so you stay until desert, smiling with a sore cheek and conversing with those who you know would be neutral about the incident, like nothing happened.

taehyung sticks closer to you. he doesn’t ask if you’re okay - you’re not. but when you tug on his sleeve and timidly murmur you wish to go home, he does so without hesitation. it’s times like these you’d choose him over the world.

x

the tabloids love gossip. a sensational, popcorn-worthy scoop. there are two divided groups thanks to that. the first one is devoted to the belief that it’s a love triangle between you, taehyung and sowon. the other one, choosing to dig deeper than what’s on the surface, believes it goes way back. ten years back.

“sorry, i should have told you sowon was my ex-fiance - it didn’t occur to me until i saw the articles that you two might meet at a function.” seokjin finally says, the strawberry ice cream beginning to melt in its paper bowl when he asked you to ‘at least, let me cure your injury,’ - you didn’t, in a - make that ten - million years picture it to be in a form of an ice cream bowl he bought from the mini convenience store next to the cafeteria. it was to hold it on your cheek but you couldn’t just let good food go to waste.

it hurts to even smile but you can’t help it at the thought of the rumored half-mad doctor using his break for something besides working some more. coupled with a shake of your head and the plastic spoon trapped in between your lips, you look just as insane. 

your heart still clenches at the recollection of the other night, “i knew you two were engaged.”

his shoulder line straightens just the slightest bit as he lifts one eyebrow, not completely surprised but neither is he unfazed. so you continue, “it was by pure dumb luck that you turn out to be the best marriage prospect for me but i thought she was over it since it’s been years.”

there it is again, the churning in your stomach. like something’s eating you from the inside. if you focus enough, you can hear the voice inside your head scoffing - even if they’d just broken up yesterday, you still would have proposed to seokjin, maybe even the day after said break up. 

this time, you don’t look away when his eyes meet yours. you let him strip your armor down to your very core. show him just what kind of person you are - the person who wouldn’t let anything get in the way of her ambitions. wouldn’t dwell cheap sentiments like friendship. even if that made you - as sowon would put it - a bitch.

then, he lets out a heavy sigh - the kind of sigh a parent would do when their kid got in trouble and admitted their fault. so now he can’t lecture you on morals and ethics because you have your own principles.

if anything, it reminds you of the glaring difference in your age - the things he’s already experienced that you’re about to someday. the betrayals. the broken friendships. the choices between what you want and what you need. he’s probably seen this all before.

“is an old man like me really worth all that trouble?” the tiniest of smile graces his strong feature. eyebrows wavering with something you can’t pinpoint.

“well, there’s a doctor - kim suho.” this time, you don’t bother pointing out his not-even-that-old age. the way his eye twitches barely noticeably tells you he doesn’t expect your answer. a moment later, it becomes too apparent, from his troubled expression - brows stiffed and jaws tight, that he doesn’t like the idea of you asking for another man’s hand in marriage. you have to tell yourself to refrain from smiling, not because your cheek might hurt again but because it’s probably not a good time to tease him.

deciding to release him from his own misery, you quickly elaborate, “but he has an average background - no matter how much experience he has, you don’t just get on your knees and start slithering with the snakes. you have to be born into the family. so yes,” you place your ice cream on the coffee table, hand pushing back a strand of hair to appear more delicate and win his favor while you let a furtive smile adorn your face - and there’s a smile he’s suppressing too because he knows what you’re trying to do, “this old man is definitely worth it.”

his shoulder line seems to ease up as he tries to hide a relieved sigh by clearing his throat. but it’s short lived when the crease between his brows returns and a newfound tension settles in space on the couch separating the two of you, “yes, but suho was never the one i should be on a look out for, was he?”

you blink but he’s already shaking his head. a smile on his face, “never mind.”

x

things seem to settle down - everyone at the hospital knows about you and seokjin now. and you’ve managed to convince him to finally use his off days to spend it on preparing for the wedding. cake tasting. dress and suit fitting. deciding on what color the napkins should be - a month ago, you approached seokjin with the mindset to make him agree to marry you. after all, prince charming was the one who had it all - it didn’t make sense to have cinderella do all the wedding planning.

he was mad at you for some reason - it lasted for quite awhile until you directly asked why he’d been given you the cold shoulders. “you keep playing a two man game by yourself.” he sighed when he said those words - because he saw in your eyes, that you thought there was nothing wrong to be finishing what you started by yourself, “we’re getting married - we’re gonna become a team yet you keep making decisions by yourself.”

ever since then, you started asking if he wanted to join you to the cake and dessert tasting, napkin color picking. you didn’t realize how nice it was to do things with another person than decide it on your own.

and somewhere along the way, you started teasing him more.

“if the saying ‘men age like fine wine’ is a person,” a grin slips over your face as you shamelessly give seokjin is a once over, “then you’d be the embodiment of that.”

he doesn’t seem to mind - rather, he seems like he’s enjoying the attention as he chuckles and shakes his head. probably thinking there’s no saving you and your compliments now.

“come here.” it’s the way he says it - with a smile on his lips and eyes that says you’re all he sees and hand extended to capture yours, that makes you jump from your seat. the front of the dress bunched up in your hands as to not trip over it and right into his arms. just like moth drawn to flames.

he pulls you up over the platform that he’s been standing on and lets you stand in front of him, hand on your shoulder as you stare in front of the 3 part mirror in the boutique. the dress you have on is a light gold dress with a sweetheart neckline that wraps around your curves flawlessly down to your knees and flow out like a mermaid’s tail. seokjin has on a traditional cobalt blue single breasted suit with three buttons fitting around his waist perfectly. his hair is gelled back the way you specifically requested.

he gave you a quizzical look as though wanting you to elaborate on your reason for that request but you’d only left him with a kiss on the cheek and a ‘see you on monday.’

if there’s one thing you learned about seokjin, it’s that he’s devastatingly unaware of his strong features that makes every woman’s legs turn to jelly and every man’s heart skip a beat. and he chooses to hide it under that usual middle parted style.

seokjin’s reflection bends down but his eyes remains on you as he whispers against the shell of your ears, “you look exquisite.”

you have half the mind to push him off and run away in case he’d ear the erratic beating in your chest but he probably already knows from the way you shyly look away. the you from a year ago would laugh at what you’ve become - the kind of girl that gets flustered and can’t form a proper sentence in the presence of a male. but before you can respond, a boisterous voice from the sofa you were sitting at, announces, “alright, next!”

your teeth clench together as you whirl around to face taehyung’s silly grin. that cockblocker - he knew you were having a moment and went out of his way to ruin it. “what are you even here for? don’t you have something better to do?”

for once, taehyung isn’t on his phone. you wouldn’t mind it so much if he’d just ignore you half of the time whenever you hang out. “your mom tasked me to find you a perfect dress since she can’t be here.” there’s a glint in his eyes - something ratchet and devious but his lips curve like that of an angel.

you don’t miss seokjin’s tightened jaw and stiff shoulder line as he helps you down the platform. ever since taehyung showed up ten minutes into fitting, seokjin’s expression has been switching from that suave smile to looking like he has a splinter stuck in his thumb - a human sized splinter that goes by the name of kim taehyung.

you never thought you’d live to see the day when kim seokjin would harbor any sort of animosity towards someone - he’s probably a strict supervisor, but resentful? can’t be.

you chalk it up with the plain fact that anyone who’s not head over heels for taehyung would want to skin him alive on the early stages of getting to know him.

“hm? seokjin’s not here yet?” you ask once you’re back from the fitting room, having slipped into an ivory trumpet shaped dress. it’s a much simpler design compared to the one you had on which makes it a perfect counter part for the after party. “that’s a first, the lady finishing first than the guy.”

“oh, it’s not that unusual.” taehyung snickers. guess that just shows how confident he is with his skills.

“i’ve never been this tired and i’ve only tried on three dresses.” instead of entertaining his remark, you choose plop down next to him.

“sparky, does he love you?” it’s that nickname that gets you.

there are only two circumstances where he would call you that: one, when he wants to annoy you and two, when he’s feeling nostalgic. guess it’s finally hitting him that you’re no longer kids chasing each other around in one of his mansions. you’re both grown up and one is trying out wedding gowns.

“uh, me and seokjin are about to get married, taetae.” you throw in a nickname of your own just to lighten up the mood.

but all it does is lift the corners of his lips into a wistful smile. and that’s how you know you can’t be telling your half-truths. and evading his question isn’t working all that well either. “it feels like we can talk about things more openly now - but no, i don’t think he does. he’s marrying me to become the next chairman and i’m after his money and maybe get a kid out of him too.” a knot forms in your stomach - something about what you said doesn’t sit well with you but this is what you wanted. this is what you prepared for the moment you decided to ask seokjin for his hand in marriage. you shouldn’t hope for more.

the laugh taehyung lets out is reactionary. humorless. “can’t you wait for me? i know i’m in no position to ask - but can’t you?”

two years and three months ago, when you were a little youthful, had a little more stars in your eyes - maybe you would’ve said yes in a heartbeat. with every birthday you celebrate, fear rears its ugly head and reminds you that time isn’t an illusion and you know better than to bet on something - someone you're not sure you can win.

your heart aches a similar way it did two years ago - but you know now it’s not because it’s breaking to pieces. instead it’s hurting for the pieces of that young boy you could never hope to complete using yours. it took awhile but you know how to get back on your feet - but it’s not all that simple for taehyung. only he can fix his broken pieces.

“i stopped, taehyung,” you finally say, gaze burning holes inside the lace material of the dress, “the moment you told me you can’t - i stopped loving you. i’m glad i did because it wasn’t love. i was just scared to lose you like you’re afraid to lose me now,” you tug on his hand to get him to look at you and he does - all of a sudden, you’re both eight, inside your own bedroom with your dolls and his remote control cars strewn across the floor, “but you’ll always be my taetae and i’ll always be your sparky - i’m always gonna be here for you.”

you thought he’d changed. it’s nice to know he still uses a fruit scented shower gel when he brings you into a hug. the piercing sweet scent isn’t as strong as you remember it. the hug lasts a bit longer and his body is trembling slightly but you know it’s going to be okay - even if he packs up and leave for a foreign city like two years ago when you told him you loved him and you had to hunt him down through your wits and will (that damned private investigator accumulated a fortune to last him for probably ten years). at the end of the day, you’ll come back to each other. because the bond you’ve formed is thicker than the blood coursing through your veins.

“if he makes you cry, you come to me, okay?” you can’t even be mad when he ruffles your hair before picking up his blazer and shrugging it on. by the end of it, you’re both smiling - though his remains wistful, yours is sanguine.

it’s only after taehyung’s figure disappears through the door, do you notice the feeling of a pair of eyes burning holes inside your head.

“seokjin.”

the man is leaning against the door where his changing room is. you don’t need to ask why his brows are strained and the lips that would usually grace you with a smile, is pressed into a tight line.

x

“i never knew-” seokjin stops himself, lips pressed together as though he doesn’t want to say it, but he does with a shake of his head, “-no, i did know there was something between you and taehyung.”

you end up in seokjin’s apartment. the whole ride has been stiff silent. it’s the first you’ve seen him so disheveled. his tie hangs loose on his neck as though he’d yanked it without a care in the world and forgot about it. the first two buttons of his button down are undone. what once was his perfectly sleeked back hair disheveled from having been mussed up.

the hot chocolate seokjin made you is losing heat the longer you hold onto to it for the sake of having something to do with your hands. “i proposed to him two years ago and stopped loving him as soon as he turned me down - taehyung, he... he’s got a lot going on. that’s all i can say. i hope you don’t misunderstand what you saw.”

his eyes turn as round as saucers for the briefest moment before they flutter to their original almond shapes. shoulder line shaking from chuckling - but there’s nothing funny about any of this so you keep your eyes on him. if he needed confirmation of the truth you’re speaking, he need only search it in the windows of your soul.

“that’s very like you, ___.” he finally says.

you’re not sure what he meant but you’re not about to ponder on it either, “is there anything else you’d like to know about me, seokjin? there’s no reason for me to lie to you - we’re about to get stuck with each other for the rest of our lives. we should at least be able to talk about our past openly.”

when he doesn’t seem to have any other inquiry, you decide to let go of your pride - the reason you never asked was because you were too proud to be wrong. growing up, there were only a few people that you let poke fun at you and fewer you’d let prove you wrong. it dawned on you some time after you’re all showered and ready to go to bed one night - that you’re about to let seokjin waltz into your life and he’ll bear witness to your most intimate side. he’s about to be said one of the fewer people.

“then, my turn - why did you want me to stop attending social functions? i’ve been doing it my whole life - i’m good at it. and i’m not planning to stop just because i got married unless you have a proper reason for asking me to.”

the way his gaze drops tells you it wasn’t just a baseless request. you reach out across the counter, slipping your hands into his. that seems to have brought him back.

“my parents chose to attend a function instead of staying by my grandfather’s side even when the doctor told them he wouldn’t make it til morning - they weren’t even sorry. couldn’t even stay throughout the whole funeral.” he shakes his head almost as though being hung up over it was ridiculous yet couldn’t move past it either, “it’s ugly what too much wealth does - i just- i’m sorry i asked such a thing from you. it’s my own problem that i have to deal with, you don’t have to stop.”

it’s not hard to put yourself in his shoes. you understand where he’s coming from - you want to tell him that but somehow words are cheap. especially right in this moment.

so without thinking, you slip off the stool and walk around the counter until you reach him. the last thing you see before you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him down to your level, is his wondrous gaze.

the man doesn’t flinch away from your touch nor does he welcome it in any way. but the longer the seconds stretch on, the more you realize how idiotic and awkward it is to hug someone you barely know - it worked for taehyung but that’s only because he knew you preferred action rather than words.

“i’m not gonna stop completely but i won’t go as often - it’s getting boring anyway.” you nonchalantly say - or at least try to sound like you’ve lost interest in the function on your own. you haven’t been to any since that incident with sowon, waiting out for the rumors to die down is a better choice.

the body in your arms is unresponsive as ever - you would think you’re hugging a dead body if not for the heat of his breath fanning your delicate skin. maybe he’s just too nice to push a lady away. just as you’re about retract your arms, a warm hand rests on your hip. his touch is soft and gentle - as if he’s handling a porcelain doll while you’d just dragged him down to you without even considering how uncomfortable the angle would be given his tall broad frame. 

his body vibrates when he lets out a short breath like a brief chuckle, “you’re very generous with your hugs.”

your brain short circuits when the man raises his head from your shoulder and rests his forehead on yours - it reminds you of how woman you are. even when he’s sitting he still hovers over you. his free hand cups your jaw, thumb lightly pressing on your lower lip. so this is what it felt like when your roles were switched - is he going to give you a false sense that he’ll kiss you the way you would him?

“may i?” he’s smiling when he repeats your own words - eyes trapping the ray of sunlight that pours over the wall-window like an illuminate waterfall. for the first time since you know him, you’re scared. not of what he will do but of what you want him to - but he won’t do.

your train of thoughts dissipates along with your worry the moment his lips touch yours. gentle. yet the hand pulling you into him is possessive. something in your stomach churns with butterflies.

you want to say you don’t know how you end up with your stomach pressed against his crotch or how his semi-hard arousal started rubbing into your abdomen. it’s supposed to be awkward but it isn’t and you know he’s refraining from addressing his aroused state to avoid making it uncomfortable for you - even though every time you shift and lean into him, you see his the gentle bob of his adam’s apple. it makes you want him even more. he leans into your touch as soon as you reach for him like moth drawn to flames.

“right.” he declares as if he’s been reminded of something when he comes in contact with one of the ridge of the rock on your middle finger. it’s your own engagement ring you ordered with seokjin’s. when the man spoke about getting you one, you’d held up your left hand and told him you already had one made. in fact, you never took it off since the day you put it on - which was the same day it came it.

understandably, you’re always wearing more than a ring on your hand - it’s easy to mix up between the ring from your personal collection or a ring of promise. especially when you didn’t tell him you got one made for yourself.

the hand on your cheek is warm as it brushes against your cheekbones, your rolls off his tongue like sweet honey, “what did i ever do to make you think i don’t love you?”

you blink once. you heard his words but your mind isn’t registering anything. but it seems your heart has seem to figure it out from the way it’s accelerating, you’re afraid seokjin might hear it. “wh-what?”

all of a sudden, you have this urge to pull the invisible blinds of his wall-window and hide from the peering rays of the sun. seokjin’s airy gaze. your fallen dress strap. the gentle protrusion in his pants. your own mussed up hair - you want to keep this moment all to yourself.

he pecks your forehead one last time. this lips curling into a smile - he knows you heard him. loud and clear and you have a feeling you’ll be hearing it at the most unpredictable moment from now on. so there’s no rush.

“where should we go for dinner?” 

x

seokjin knows they call him the doctor version of a mad scientist. he knows a plenty of many things. like how he’s more strict with the junior physicians under his care. but that’s only because if he treats them below their potential, they’ll end up being that.

but the part where suho jokingly told him that he was crazy for working on holidays - maybe he was.

he’d moved out as soon as he turned 18 and eventually cut off his parents. before, even if it was just for show, he still got to see them during those functions they held.

but by the time he graduated college and started interning as a doctor - he was already erasing part of his existence. and his parents didn’t seem to notice. it made it cutting them off effortless.

but then, loneliness - pure, unadulterated loneliness started to sink its claws into him. so he turned to work even more. built his life around it.

by the time he became a fellow, he had absolutely zero social life. the only human interaction he had was with his patients - but they come and go. sure they’re grateful for him - and since the private hospital he’s working at is frequented mostly by the richest, he’d received gifts like cars or gold bars from one of his elderly patients who were convinced they were going to die - until they woke up from a successful surgery done by seokjin himself. but they eventually forget him.

and of course, he returned those gifts. he’d be no different than his parents - than the people he wished not to see anymore after he left that world. but the one thing he thought he wanted - the one thing he thought would make him happy, started to burn him out. every birthday was just a reminder that he’s half the age his soul is. 

he’s worn and tired and losing sight of that man he told himself to be by a certain age.

that is, until you came along. at first, it was just courtesy that he listened to what you had to say - apparently you were the ceo. and quite literally, his boss. at first, he thought you were messing with him when you asked for his hand in marriage - no one just waltzes in and propose to someone they don’t know.

even those convenient marriages don’t go this way. but he’d accepted it anyway.

it has more to do with those eyes of yours than the chairman position. those eyes - they remind him so much of himself. the current him. except where his soul wanes, yours thirsts to thrive. like a dying cactus refusing to dry out.

you had thorns but picking them out wasn’t a problem - you’d been disconcerted at first but you’d quickly learn to use it to your advantage. telling him only the truth or nothing. since evasion and half-truths don’t work on him the way they would work on the people you probably surrounded yourself with. and he knew exactly what type of people they were.

eventually, you started telling him the blunt, honest truth. it threw him off a few times - like when you’d straight out told him that you knew who sowon was and still went for him.  and that time when you admitted that he was the second man to receive your proposal - the first being that brat, taehyung. and then, you’d straight out asked him about why he didn’t want you attending functions anymore instead of ignoring his request like his parents would. or flip out of shame for having your lie found out. you were forbearing but firm. sometimes, it felt like you were much older than him. 

but then you had a childish side to you too - it was food for his soul. every time he was with you, he felt like himself again. like that boy who applied for a job at the hospital with only his wits and his will backing him up. at first, he’d only saw that side of you in front of your most treasured people. your father. your mother. taehyung.

what you and taehyung have - seokjin will never come close to comprehend. a bond so strong, not even death could tear you apart. it became apparent too soon to seokjin that taehyung dominated parts of your life and he’ll only have a but a crevice of his presence in yours. your smile would always be a little brighter when you’re with the younger man. eyes always drifting away from him to taehyung.

and he was content with that but he thinks you’ve changed. or maybe it’s him that did. because you’re grinning at him now - like there’s something up your sleeves. and there is - his eyes widen at your brazenness. one minute he was admiring the way you lasted for hours in those heels that you just kicked off - you’d been wearing them starting from the ceremony to the reception and finally the after party but the next minute, you were grinning and pulling him with you down onto the velvet sheets. the your dress has ridden up to just below your knees in the process and seokjin’s caressing your exposed calf - he thinks you’re all the more delicate. your skin, too soft. he’s afraid he might bruise you.

“oh,” you speak into his mouth before pulling away without even a peck on his lips - but there’s a twinkle in your eyes when you pick up a small golden box that sat prettily on the night stand, “almost forgot. for you.”

“i didn’t get you a wedding gift.” he announces, pushing down the suspicion dominating his brain but how can he not pull out the ribbon to find out what you’ve prepared for him, when you’re looking at him like that? all grin and proud and saying something like you didn’t need one.

then his face falls and he’s looking at you deadpanned in the eye after noting the too familiar tablet of blue pills. but the frown doesn’t live long - he finds himself shaking his head. a smile wedging itself on  his own face, “viagra. really?”

“better safe than sorry, right?” it's not right context - usually, a condom would be involved where that sentenced is used. but you know from seokjin’s dazed stare that he doesn’t get it - but he chooses to admire your features instead.

it takes everything in you not to bury your face in his chest just because his stare is making you feel like a high school girl with a crush. his eyes don’t make you want to reel away from him and cover every scar and lies with a thick blanket anymore. perhaps it has something to do with the fact that there isn’t any that he hasn’t seen. both your flaws and your virtue - if he wanted to run away, there were plenty of chances for him to do so but he stayed and now - now, you’ll never let him go. hold him captive in your castle, smooth criminal. you lean and press a kiss on his lips - just to make him close his eyes.

when you pull away, his lips chases yours. just like moth drawn to flames. you can’t help but giggle - it’s cut short when his hand weaves itself into your hair and bring you down to him.

you barely notice the hand that wraps around your wrist before your back hits the soft mattress. his shoulders appear more broad now that he’s hunched over you like a beast who hasn’t had a drop of water since the drought. at times like these you’re reminded of how man he is and how woman you are. a fact you seem to forget because he’s been playing along with your little games like a well-behaved child.

“hey, no fair!” lips pursed, you cross your arms in a show of protest. but he chuckles that soothing chuckle and he’s standing on his knees while the frame of his belt glints in warning.

your heart skips a beat at the sight of his arousal that was begging to be released from the confinements of his cobalt blue pants. the sigh he breathes out when he pulls down the zipper, sends shivers down your spine.but disappointment makes your face fall when he leaves it like that instead of pushing his pants down along with it.

that’s okay. you tell yourself. we’re married now-

you reach out for him only to have a hand wrap around your wrist, your fingers hovering achingly close to the gentle protrusion in his black boxers but not really touching.

you crane your neck to look at him but when your eyes meet, your words die in your throat. the smile is gone and in its place, is a tilted smirk, “are you sure? once we start i might not be able to stop.”

it’s that question that gets your heart writhing and crying to be set free from the confinement of your rib cages.

“seokjin,” the name tastes delectably sinful tonight, “i’ve never wanted anyone to fuck me this badly.”

maybe it’s the vow you’re making on the absolutely zero occasion where you’ve been this rapt by a man. maybe it’s your out of character use of the curse - that’s just how much you want this. or maybe it’s both. either way, seokjin’s gripping handfuls of your dress and you wordlessly raise your hands up for him to pull your dress off you.

it’s the way his eyes travel down your body. hunger. madness. lust. they meld together in those darkened eyes of his yet you’ve never felt so safe. he dives in for a kiss. this time, it’s raw and passionate and has no intention to stop halfway - not after he made it clear that he couldn’t and not after you pleaded for him to take you.

your white cotton bra is first to go - you only wore it because the straps won’t contrast too much with the strap of your dress. initially, you were going to tease him a bit and disappear into the bathroom to change into the lacy black lingerie set you’d specifically ordered to be custom made by victoria’s secret. but with the way he’s kneading your breast in his palm and the way you’re clawing against his clothed chest like a ravenous creature - the lingerie can wait.

“take off your clothes.” in your head, it sounded more demanding - but it comes out breathy and begging. a part of you chide yourself for waving the white flag before the game even began but another part of you is tired of being the only one bare and naked.

there’s a godless gleam in his eyes the moment he heard your request and you should have known seokjin wouldn’t make it that easy for you. this is karma coming back to bite you in your butt naked state after all those times you spent teasing the man and him accepting it without any complaint. you thought he was just mature enough to get over it. it turns out he was just a beast laying in wait to claim what he deserves, “what’s the magic word?”

“please.” you answer in a heartbeat.

that same heart stops beating the second he shakes his head. no. wrong answer. “the other one - do you really think i didn’t notice? the way you tease me - the way you know i won’t do anything about it because i’m older, i have to be a bigger person?”

that’s when your pride comes crashing in like tidal wave. walk away, it says. you take back what you said about having nothing to hide from seokjin - there’s one. and you thought you’d keep it with you. let it be buried in your grave. but he knows - like he knows every layer of your existence. your every desire and compulsion. it’s disgraceful and mortifying, for you. but seokjin holds your gaze and wait, wait, wait - he doesn’t seem to share your thoughts - doesn’t look disgusted either.

“daddy.” the moment the word leaves your mouth, you feel liberated. freed. like a long overdue confession. the pleased look on seokjin’s face is everything and more. “daddy, please.”

“as you wish.” he’s your liberator. your freer. and he’s about to grant your one carnal desire.

his clothes hit the ground within less than a minute. you can’t help but gawk at his perfectly sculpted physique. it’s like gods personally descended the heavens and blessed him in his mother’s womb and stayed by his side up until now - only for him to scorn them right in this moment. your body bounces off the bed lightly when his fingers dig in your thigh, pulling you closer like a ragged doll. a small yelp escapes you.

your panties are the last to go. discarded somewhere on the floor along with yours and his wedding attire.

the first whimper escapes the moment he slips into you, but not fully. he lets you take him in, get used to his size and directs your hand to his lips before placing it on his shoulder. as if telling you, you can hurt him, claw him until his back is raw and bleeding.

you wouldn’t at first - opting to keep your hands fisted while you try your hardest to suppress every moan that erupts from your mouth with every stroke. but then he hits that sweet spot. your back arches forward and you think it’s that moment when your fingers break the delicate skin on his back - but you can’t remember. it’s a blur - the electricity coursing from your heart through your veins and curls your toes. the stars you see in the back of your mind and the way you tighten around him when the delectable sound of his moans brushes the shell of your ear as he holds you against him.

he almost crushed him underneath his weight when he pulls out of you. the traces of his arousal pressing in between your bodies as he forces himself up by propping himself on his forearms. his labored breath fans your face and he’s all you see.

there’s still a surplus of tingle in your lower abdomen how high he takes you - almost like cloud nine. and you’re slick with sweat and body fluid but there’s no where you’d rather be than here, in your husband’s arms.

five months ago, you approached him with the objective of gaining a husband to take the chairman position and maybe give you the grandchild that your mother’s been asking you for. you didn’t expect for anything more than what you bargained for. but the first time he told you how he felt - you still didn’t believe him. 

it was too surreal. and seokjin probably saw the tendrils of doubt every time he tells you how he feels - at the most sporadic moment. but he kept picking your thorns one by one like he could do this for a hundred years and more. you think i was that day when he found out about your past feelings for taehyung that he started. and he finally picked all of your prickly spikes - and now, he’s holding you like a child. head buried in between your breasts, muscled arms loosely hugging your waist. what a contrasting different to the man he was half an hour ago but so very seokjin of him.

the elated breath he lets out with his sigh is warm on your skin, “you know how to make an old man feel young.”

there he does it again. he’s been saying he’s old even though he’s only in his 30′s. at first you thought he was joking but over time - you think he truly believes he is. but when you agree with him-

“is your back okay? wouldn’t want your ancient bones breaking.” you pat his head sympathetically. 

almost as if you’ve pushed a that button with a flashy warning red on it, his fingers twine around your wrist and pull it away from his head. the bed shifts as he hovers over you with an aggrieved glint, “i’m sure there are greater things that little mouth of yours can do than express your concerns for my back, sweetheart.”

your heart skips a beat.

x

epilogue.

you love being married.

not because you can strut to seokjin’s office and have everyone know you have every right to be there. nor because the board can’t really say anything since seokjin fits every characteristics of a chairman either. but because-

“we’ve been at it like rabbits,” seokjin shoulder line jolts slightly when your arms gently wrap around him from behind but there’s a sort of mirth laced in his voice, “you’re still not tired?”

“what ever do you mean, dear husband?” your voice is sweet but not entirely innocent.

sure, you did it an hour ago and you’re both supposed to get ready for bed but when you stepped out of the bathroom and find the bed empty, you had to wander outside. you know he’d be in the living room reviewing past years’ reports in his preparation to take on your dad’s position. he could just step up first and get familiar with his job along the way - but it wouldn’t have been very seokjin to enter the battlefield without polishing his armor.

he smells like peppermint and lavender. donning a plain white shirt and grey sweats - it’s the second most dressed down you’ve ever seen him in compared to the white-collars you’re so used to seeing him in. the first, being when he’s in bed, of course.

“okay, well, i’m going to bed first.” with a peck on his cheek, you bid him a good night.

but it’s not in your nature to give up without a fight - or rather, without sauntering in front him in your pastel pink camisole. you put on the a black and gold corset on your first monthivasery - it was just an excuse for you to try on the lingerie and it paid off. but there’s just something about camisoles - floral or plain pastels are what gets him prancing on you like a hungry beast. it looks like you’re not the only one with a fetish.

the cleaner comes in every twice a week and you’re not here enough to mess up the place except the master bedroom - like seokjin said, you have been going at it like rabbits. still, you bend down, making sure your ass is perked a little higher as you rearrange the picture frames on the rack under the tv.

a tune of your favorite song vibrates against your throat for thirty-six seconds before you straighten your back and begin to walk towards the bedroom. but something you caught in your periphery halts your steps, “did you just check out my ass then bite your lip? ‘cause if you did we’re having sex. right now.”

that seems to catch him off guard - you’ve been finding new and creative ways to get fucked. some worked. and by worked, you mean it had you moaning and writhing as he took you raw. some failed. meaning he had relented mainly because you were asking and he wanted to please you - at times like those, he was the one lying down, watching you ride him but halfway through, he’d pulled you down and started fucking you missionary because ‘you were good darling, but watching you makes me want to personally fuck you senseless. you can ride me next time, i promise.’

either way, your work life is superb and your sex life is out of this world. especially with a husband like seokjin. guess that dry spell has finally lifted and unleashed the hungry beast in him.

seokjin sighs, eyebrows coming together in a troubled frown but the lump in his pants say otherwise. “when you’re sore and need me to walk you to your office tomorrow, remember you asked for this.”

something in the pit of your stomach churns. your heart races with adrenaline as he takes two steps with those long legs of his and close the distance. a yelp escapes your lips, not expecting him to hoist you over his shoulder like you weight nothing and landing a smack on your ass like he’s reprimanding you.

“seokjin! put me down, i’m heavy!” you cry out, smacking his back in protest. when you wanted him to take you, this wasn’t exactly what you had in mind - it’d be a completely, perfect lie if you say you weren’t dripping with excitement.

“this way’s faster than your tiny little legs, darling.” you can hear the smirk in his voice before he kisses the exposed skin on your hip.

x

note: and that’s it. but it’s not over yet! there might be drabbles coming up on our fav couple’s adventure as they try to get preggo lmaooo also i’ll be doing a ‘story time’ where i talk about the background of this fic - what inspired me to write it, why i titled it like the way i did and i’d like to dissect and oc and tae’s relationship and so much more. send me an ask if you have something in particular you want me to address from the fic!

if you like this fic feel free to check out namjoon’s version called good guys finish last. i’m also planning to turn this au into a series for every member. taehyung or yoongi will be next!

[marvelslut16]

Stick and poke

Prompt number: 7 “yes I did, what about it?”

Fandom: IT

Paring: Eddie Kaspbrak x reader (aged up to 17 or 18)

Rating: T

Word count: 1.7k

Warnings: Mentions of underage drinking. Mentions underage smoking. Mentions teens giving each other stick and pokes- I beg of you not to try at home! Swearing.

A/N: First time writing Eddie! I feel like all I write for now are Marvel and IT. Borderline punk and/or rebellious Eddie. 

You and the rest of the losers are sitting in a circle on the floor of your underground clubhouse in the barrens playing a game of truth or dare. In the middle of the circle sits a large decanter of some brown alcohol you can’t be bothered to remember the name of, each time someone calls chicken they have to take a swig of the drink. As the game progresses, the liquid starts to steadily decrease, most of the time due to Richie’s questions. 

The losers not caring if they get drunk, each one lied to their parents and said they were spending the night at one of the others houses. So none of them have to worry about stumbling home drunk in the middle of the night, instead all of them staying overnight at the clubhouse. 

“Dare,” you smirk confidently at your friend with coke bottle glasses. So far you’re the only person to pick dare with the trashmouth, the rest choosing truth and most using chickens.  

“(Y/N/N), I dare you to” Richie smiles mischievously, you regret letting the trashmouth in on your feelings for his best friend. “To kiss Eds.”

“What?” Eddie looks panicked and starts hyperventilating. He reaches for his inhaler, quickly taking two puss from it. “That’s disgusting! Do you know how many diseases you can get from a single kiss?”

Eddie continues to ramble on about how unsanitary it is and you eye the decanter, which Richie stole from his father’s alcohol cabinet, in front of you. You’ve had the least amount of alcohol so far this game and the only one not to chicken with Richie, you aren’t about to start now. You roll your eyes and turn to your left, where Eddie’s sitting beside you, you grab him by the face and pull him in for a quick peck. 

Richie’s eyes grow considerably larger behind his glasses, Bev’s cigarette almost falls from her mouth as her jaw goes slack, Ben’s giggling at what just happened, Stan’s slapping a five into Bill’s hand losing a long standing bet between the two, Mike is whooping at you two. And poor Eddie is gaping at you, clearly flustered and looking for words. 

“You kissed me!” you aren’t sure if it’s a question or an exclamation. What surprises you though, is that he doesn’t go for his inhaler again, nor does he reach into his fanny pack for one of his many pills. 

“Yes I did, what about it?” you aren’t sure how you want him to respond to that, but you know it’s not the silence that you’re met with. 

A few hours later you’re sitting in folding chairs in one corner of the clubhouse with Richie, giving him a stick and poke as he tells you about the latest prank he pulled at school. It’s a prank you witnessed, but that doesn’t seem to register in his slightly fuzzy tipsy brain. By now the few shots you had to endure our pretty much out of your system, feeling and abating completely sober unlike the rest. 

“Quit moving!” you scold Richie for what feels like the hundredth time, he’s moving his hands while telling his story. Which isn’t helpful since you're trying to do his stick and poke of a pac-man ghost on his inner wrist, and he keeps almost screwing you up. Eddie’s eyes are on you as you finally wipe Richie’s arm clean, done with the little tattoo.   

“You want one Eddie spaghetti?” you hold up the needle you just used on Richie. You reach into the fanny pack wrapped securely around Eddie’s waist, which causes the poor boy to grow flustered again, pulling a disinfecting wipe out of it to wipe the needle clean. After that you use Bev’s lighter, running the flame over the needle to make sure it’s sterilized. 

“N-no, he stutters out, eyes focused on the way your lips form your words. “My mom would kill me.”

“She doesn’t need to find out about it Eddie,” you wave the needle teasingly in front of his face. He’s as sober as you, possibly even more than you, so you trust his judgement. If he had anymore than two shots all those hours ago you never would have asked. “You just need to hide it until you move out in a couple months.”

“Okay!” you’re surprised when he agrees, so is Richie who is staring with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. 

“What do you want and where do you want it?” you ask, quickly adding the next sentence when you notice Richie about to speak. “Beep beep Richie.”

“I’m not really sure,” Eddie plays with the zipper on his fanny pack, taking a seat across from you in the chair Richie recently abandoned. “But it has to be somewhere I can hide it.”

“Hmmm,” you start mentally ticking off places you can’t do the tattoo, your mind coming up with multiple scenarios on Mrs. Kaspbrak accidentally finding the tattoo. “I could do the base of your neck, like where the collar of your shirt goes. Or I could do your side, below your ribs.”

“How about my side,” it isn’t a question so much as a statement. “I want to be able to see it.”

“Any ideas on what you want, or do I get to surprise you?” Eddie fiddles with the bottom of his shirt and you wonder if he’s going to back out. 

“Surprise me,” Eddie nods, confident in his decision. 

“Do a penis!” Richie hollers, taking a swig of the alcohol left in the decanter. 

“Shut the fuck up Richie,” Eddie snaps and you giggle at the two. 

“You need to take your shirt off Eds,” you both blush at your words, causing Richie to wolf whistle. 

“Look at the Edster stripping for (Y/N)!” Richie hollers a little too loud, not that you’re worried anyone will hear you in the middle of nowhere. 

“Beep beep Richie!” Bev calls back, leaning her head on Ben’s shoulder. 

You scoot your chair beside Eddie’s, facing his right side you put one leg going behind his chair and the other towards the front, sitting in a v-like shape. You grab another wipe from Eddie’s fanny pack, cleaning the area of skin below his ribcage, Eddie’s right hand shoots out and grabs your knee, squeezing his eyes tight before you even have the chance to dip the needle in the ink. 

“As much as I enjoy your hand on my knee,” you admit. “It’s kinda in the way.”

You pry his right hand off of your skin, placing it on the back of your chair. He reaches his left hand across his body so he’s once again holding onto your right knee. You let him stay in the position, knowing he needs it mentall, and he’s managed to not twist his side and mess up your tattooing area. 

You decide to do a larger tattoo for Eddie than you did Richie, go big or go home. Right? You contemplated doing a small little fanny pack, but you didn’t want Eddie to take your teasing as an insult. Instead you decide on a basic mountain range, three overlapping triangles, and a sun poking out from behind them, a simple circle. A simple serene tattoo that Eddie can look at and calm down to when he has a panic attack.

As you actually start to tattoo his side, his grip on your knee tightens. You don’t mind though, you’re enjoying the weight and warmth his hand provides. Eddie’s eyes are on you the entire time, committing your concentration face to memory. He tries not to shiver every time your fingers run over his exposed skin, a warm fuzzy feeling growing within him. 

You’re focusing so intently that you don’t notice when Eddie becomes slightly more adventurous and lets his hand drift up to your thigh. Finally done with the tattoo you wipe it clean a final time, leaning back to admire your work. It’s your best tattoo yet, if you do say so yourself. 

“Remember to clean it everyday,” you aren’t sure why you’re giving Eddie, of all people, hygiene advice. He isn’t Richie, he has common sense. “And if it gets infected tell your mom right away, don’t try to hide it out of fear of getting in trouble. I’ll take all the blame Eddie, say I made you get it because I wanted to practice.”

Eddie squeezes your thigh as he compliments your work, sending a bolt of electricity from your thigh to your heart. Before you know it his lips are crashing into yours, this kiss far better than the one earlier in the night. The thumping of the blood in your ears drowns out the whoops and hollers from your friends. All you can focus on is Eddie; his soft lips on yours, the softness of his hair beneath your fingers, and the feeling of his hand moving from your thigh to your hip- his free hand also going to your hip, fingers digging in. 

When you pull apart for air, he uses his grip on your hips to pull you onto his lap. Now straddling him, you comb your finger through his dark locks with blonde tips. He begged and begged Mrs. Kaspbrak to bleach them and she kept saying no. So finally Richie and Bev bought bleach from the store, and did it themselves. Needless to say she wasn’t happy, but after two doctor's appointments, with two different doctors, she finally concluded that Eddie wasn’t going to randomly fall over and die from the bleach. 

Stan slaps a hand over Richie’s mouth to keep him from ruining the moment going on in front of the group. He’ll let Richie make fun of the two afterwards, but he doesn’t want his friends to get this close to finally being together, just to have Richie’s teasing make the both of you chicken out and ignore each other. He’s not sure he can handle all that pining again, the entirety of the losers club isn’t sure they can handle that again. Your hands slide down from Eddie’s hair to his still bare shoulders, pulling him in for another searing kiss. 

Permanent tags: @crimson-knuckled-queen​ @rexorangecouny​ @mrs-malfoy-always​