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ldysmfrst · 5 months ago

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American Mate (10) - A Date in the Right Direction

Paring: Hybrid!BTS Ot7 x Plus-sized Human FemReader

Status: Ongoing series

Chapter number: 10 of unknown

Word count for Chapter: 11,976

Work count for Story: 65,512

Genre: Hybrid Playmate Au inspired by works created by @yoongiofmine

A little about the author: I am a mother of two beautiful children, one of whom has special needs, and the other loves everyone. I am currently not working because of a broken foot. I started a Patreon, and I would be grateful if you donated to help me make ends meet while I am out of work.

Warnings: (I am not good at this, but I will try. Let me know if I missed anything!!) NOT BETA READ!! This story will have a bit of angst, fluff, smut, f/m, m/m, and m/f/m. This chapter does have mentions of lost pregnancy, pack dynamics, comfort, Alpha/Luna vibes, and close proximity, but mainly, it is just Fluff.

BTS HYBRID ANIMAL TYPES: Seokjin - Roan Ferret, Yoongi - Black Jaguar, Hoseok - Marten, Namjoon - Alaskan Timber Wolf, Jimin - Red Panda, Taehyung - White Southwest African Tiger, Jungkook - Flemish Giant Rabbit

AMERICAN MATE MASTER LIST / LDYSMFRST MASTER LIST

The next morning is a complete departure from your usual routine. You had meticulously set your alarm for 7:30 am, anticipating a quick shower would suffice before your medical appointment. But fate had other plans in store for you.

Shuffling, giggling, and the hushed “Quiet Kookie” woke you. Wait… is that water running? What time… what?

Stretching as you blink your eyes, you end up face to face with Jungkook, “Ah! Jungkook! What are you doing?”

“Good morning, my sweets,” the bunny smiled brightly with his big eyes. No care in the world that he just spooked you await.

Still hearing movement, you take a look around. Jungkook is kneeling on the bed but not inside your fort. Yoongi has popped his head out of your bathroom, and Seokjin stands at the entry door with a tray.

“Good morning, Jungkook, Seokjin, Yoongi. What time is it?’ rubbing your eyes and stretching again. Man, that was the deepest sleep you have gotten in a long time.

Each Alpha wants to coo at your cute little stretches, which are maddeningly hidden by Taehyung’s blanket.

Seokjin is the first to snap out of watching you, “It’s almost 7 am, dear. I have a light breakfast, and Yoongi is drawing a bath for you. We want to make sure you're comfortable and ready for your day."

Looking at Seokjin with a bit of a question furrowing your brow. Yoongi retreats into the bathroom now that he sees you are not upset at the intrusion.

“Sweets, we heard your doctor’s appointment was this morning. I hate doctor’s appointments, and we thought it might be uncomfortable for you, too.” Jungkook says while he giggles at your expression.

“Thank you, Alphas. I was going to try a shower today, but a bath sounds good,” you say. A smile blooms on your face at the knowledge of the Alphas trying to make your day good.

“Princess, the bath is ready. I used the Cassia and Cherry scented bath bomb for you today. I set a towel to the side for you like last time. When you are done, please call for any of us to help dry your hair, okay?” asks Yoongi as he heads toward the door.

“Sure thing, Yoongi. Thank you again.” With another smile, Yoongi looks pointedly at the youngest packmate before leaving to get ready, presumably.

“Jin, is breakfast something that will get cold, or can I eat it after the bath?” you ask. Meanwhile, you note that Jungkook has scooted closer to you but still not close enough to touch you or your fort.

“It’s a simple breakfast: just some fruits and a bagel with cream cheese,” his eyes widened. He looked at the tray and then back at you. “You do like fruit, bagels, and cream cheese, right?”

Giggling, you kick out of the blankets and start scooting toward him. “Who doesn’t like those? They would be crazy not to like those!”

You look at the array of foods on the tray, “Thank you, Jin. It looks good. Oh, you got mangos, my favorite!”

You happily take a large bite of the slice and close your eyes to enjoy the burst of flavor. Seokjin watches you eat intensely, and Jungkook approaches your side.

Opening your eyes, you look back at the bunny, asking, “Can you have mangos?” At his nodding, you offer him to take the rest of the mango in your hand.

Leaning forward, Jungkook eats the mango from your hand. His lips barely touch your fingertips, temporarily short-circuiting you.

You immediately drop your hand and look back at Seokjin, only to notice he is watching Jungkook eat. You feel like you are getting too warm over witnessing something that should be between mates only.

“Umm... I am gonna go take that bath now,” you say softly.

Bolting into the walk-in closet, you look for something comfortable and yours to wear today. You pull out a pair of leggings, a sports bra, a crisscross tank, and a non-thousand-dollar sweater.

When you leave the closet, you notice that the tray has been left at the end of the bed, and the two remaining Alphas have left the room.

Softly, you bang your head on the door frame and mumble, “Good job, y/n. Way to keep professionalism.”

You could ask someone to take you to a salon to wash it.

Your mind didn’t focus on any one thing as you dried off and dressed. That seems to be your mode right now.

Your mind is like a laptop with 20 tabs open, and you cannot figure out where the music is coming from or what language it is even in.

Walking out of the bathroom, you towel off your hair and head to the door to ask Yoongi for help, as instructed.

At the sound of your name being called from inside the bedroom, you jump and spin around to see Seokjin sitting down with a brush and cordless hair dryer.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but it sounded like you were almost done with your bath. I wanted to help you with your hair,” Seokjin says, holding up the tools. “That and I wanted to talk to you while you ate.”

“It’s okay, Jin. I had joked with Yoongi earlier about getting him and Taehyung a bell, but now I think it’s not them being sneaky.” You shake your head and make your way to sit on the bed in front of the eldest Alphas.

You smile as you relish the feeling of someone else brushing your hair. Reaching out with your good hand, you pull the food tray closer and start munching. The mango, strawberries, and grapes are so fresh. The bagel and cream cheese also taste like they were made this morning.

Behind you, Seokjin noticed how tangled your hair was still. This prompted him to go into the bathroom and get some leave-in conditioner. Just like Yoonig, Soekjin brushes your hair gently.

When he goes to blow dry your hair, you turn around, stopping him from continuing, and ask, “Jin, umm… I wasn’t able to wash my hair as well as I would like to have. Can someone take me to a salon to wash it?”

“You could have asked one of us to help, dear.”Soekjin says, then quickly adds, “Like to wash it over the sink or something.”

“I didn’t think of that. Not used to having people willing to help me,” you respond, looking down shyly.

Putting a finger under your chin, Seokjin tilts your head back to look at him. “I understand. It will take time to depend on the seven of us, but we are all here for you. I will see what I can do about getting your hair done. For now, what would you like me to do, dear?”

“I would normally braid it, but that won’t work. Maybe a bun?”

“I can do a bun, or I can see if Tae is still here. He has sisters, so I am sure he knows how to braid,” he offers.

“A bun is fine. We don’t have much time, and you said you wanted to talk to me,” you say, turning around and resuming your munching.

“I did… wanna talk to you.” Finishing up the bun, he puts the brushes in your bathroom and asks, “Namjoon talked to you about the outings that the pack wants to do with you right?”

“Oh yes. I think it is nice of the pack to want to do that. I thought this would be more of a group activity kind of pack since you are all bonded. Goes to show you cannot make assumptions,” you giggle.

“Right, I may love my mates together, but sometimes you just need some alone or one-on-one time.”

Sitting on the other side of the food tray, his eyes take in that you have avoided all of the melons on the plate. “You don’t like melons?”

“Not really. I mean, I will eat watermelon and cantaloupe if that is the only fruit, but I am not much of a honeydew fan,” seeing his shoulders drop at your response.

You take a grape, eat it, and smile, “It was a great breakfast for not knowing me that well, Alpha.”

Smiling softly, he notes that he will tell the rest of the pack to avoid melons at all costs and stock up on strawberries, grapes, and mangoes.

“So the umm… outings. It will be interesting to fit them into your guys’ schedules soon. This first week is practically shot since it’s almost over, and the contract hasn’t even been finalized yet. So they will start next week if all goes well?”

“Actually, that is what I wanted to talk to you about,” Seokjin takes your hands in his. “Y/n, I know the contract isn’t finished, but it really doesn’t matter. It’s more like a formality than anything at this point.”

You think of how everything has not followed standard operational procedures. You can hear Derek yelling at you about legalities. You nod slowly in hesitant agreement, waiting for him to continue.

“With that being said, Miss Y/n, Soekjin looks into your eyes, allowing his confidence and childlike anticipation to show. “Would you do me the honor of going out with me tonight?”

You automatically feel your face burst into a blush at his question. For some reason, you thought they would just tell you who would take you and where.

But no. Kim Seokjin, the talented singer of the world-famous K-pop group, is asking you to join him… tonight. The contract is not set; you haven’t passed anything yet, and he is still asking.

Knowing that the pack planned and agreed upon this, you smile, “Tonight sounds great, Jin.”

Why does it feel like you just agreed to go on a date with the eldest member of the Bangtan pack?

Yoongi and Jungkook were the only ones left in the packhouse, Seokjin having left after your conversation.

At 9:30 a.m., Dr. Blackwell arrives with her bag and a smaller suitcase. The doctor has taken you into your room and done the physical exam, wanting to get that out of the way as quickly as possible.

Something about it makes the Alphas feel uneasy, given its vulnerability.

Now, you are all sitting in the dining room, an alpha on each side, with the focus laser-focused on Dr. Blackwell, who seems not to be affected at all.

“Miss Y/n, these questions are personal in nature, and you can deny the presence of the Alphas at your side. They would be required to leave the packhouse and be out of earshot so that you can answer comfortably.”

“Do you want them to stay or leave?” the Doctor asks.

Feeling the hybrids at your side shift at the notion of having to leave you, you answer, “They can stay, Dr. Blackwell. Everything you ask will be in a report for them all to see anyway.”

“Very well,” she finally glances at the two men. “If either of you think you may hear things you do not want to hear then please take your leave now.”

“We are good,” Yoongi replies, and Jungkook nods in agreement.

“Alright. Well, Miss Y/n, can you tell me of your family history, any health conditions, addictions, or genetic background?” the doctor asks.

“Sure. My brother is healthy as a horse and backpacking around the Blue Ridge Mountain range right now. My mother is relatively healthy but does drink heavily in social situations. My grandparents were healthy too and drank socially also.”

“Are those your mother’s parents?”

“Oh yes, this is all my mom’s side. I don’t know anything about my father’s side. He was only in my life until I was about 10 or 11. He and my mother divorced, and mom took away all contact with him and that side of the family.”

“You don’t know your dad?” Jungkook asks with a frown. Bunny hybrids live in large family colonies, so it doesn’t make sense to him.

“No, I don’t. I tried to find him when I turned 18, but my mother threatened to disown me and stuff, so … yeah. I had tried for almost a year before she found out. I figured he would have contacted me by now, if he wanted to.”

Placing your hand on Jungkook’s, you smile softly at him, “It’s been years, Thumper. I am okay.”

“What about your personal history, Miss Y/n?” the doctor says, getting everyone back on track.

“Well, besides my being considered obese by medical standards,” you hear a soft growl from the jaguar but continue, “I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. The main symptoms are tiredness, inability to lose weight, some food sensitivities and I am pretty much cold 24/7.”

“Can you list your food sensitivities, please? This is imperative for the contract, as all dietary restrictions must be factored in, Miss Y/n.”

“Umm... yeah. I can’t typically find my way around it, so they really are not restrictions,” you hurriedly say, trying to find a way to avoid the question.

“Princess, Hyung is going to want to know the specifics. His love language is food; remember his promise to keep you well-fed. This will help ensure he doesn’t hurt you in the process,” encourages Yoongi.

“Yeah, sweets. Even Jin-hyung is allergic to garlic, Tae Tae cannot eat spicy foods, and Joonie and Jiminnie-hyung don’t eat seafood. I don’t think it's an allergy for them, but it might as well be,” Jungkook adds, trying to help you feel comfortable.

“Okay,” you nod at both of them and turn to the doctor. I am allergic to chocolate. Citrus and spices give me blisters in my mouth. Sometimes, bananas and avocados make my mouth itchy because of my latex allergy, but I love them. I don’t have a gallbladder, so I avoid red meat for the most part.”

You glance at the jaguar hybrid beside you, expecting a negative response.

However, you are met with a gummy smile and a tail wrapping your thigh, “thank you for sharing, Princess. You and Joonie can share all the surf and turf meals.”

This causes everyone to laugh, effectively making the mood lighter than before.

You continue to answer a series of questions, and then you come to the questions that you hate: the social history, a.k.a. ‘how lame your sex life is’ questions.

“Miss Y/n, since the Bangtan Pack has requested not to include the rut clause. We do have to ask you about things that will affect that. It's best to rapid-fire these to avoid any awkwardness,” the doctor suggests while giving the two Alphas stern looks.

“Sure, rapid-fire works Dr. Blackwell.”

“Gender at birth?”

“Female.”

“Identify as?”

“The same.”

“Orientation?”

“Heterosexual and sapiosexual.” Piquing the interest of the Alphas at your side, but the doctor presses on.

“Ever had intercourse?’

“Yes.”

“Pregnancies?”

“Yes, one that failed. I had a miscarriage.” Jungkook’s hand squeezes yours as Yoogni’s tail softly brushes your forearm.

“Last sexual encounter?

“Th… three years ago. I.. I stopped when I had the miscarriage.”

“Birth Control?”

“IUD implanted shortly after the miscarriage.”

“Well, I think that is all. Your IUD is still usable for another 2 years and the bloodwork will tell us if there is anything else to worry about.”

“Thank you, Dr. Blackwell. I will walk you out and… I think I will take a walk around the property to get some fresh air.”

Both you and the doctor go outside, chatting about random things.

When she goes to get into the car, she stops you from walking off, “Miss Y/n, I didn’t ask with the pack there, but do you want any information on a therapist?”

“Oh no, Thank you, Dr. Blackwell. I can give you Ryan’s number if you need it for the report. He is the Licensed Social Worker that I was seeing until about a year ago.”

“Yes, unfortunately, without his report, I would need to do a psych assessment for the contract.” With that, you gave her all the information for Ryan.

You also decided to call him on your walk and to make sure to get the proper forms to release the sensitive information. Being a good therapist, he questions how you are doing, if you are having any complications with all the questions, and the change in your situation.

You don’t hold back. You let your former therapist know everything. At the end of it all, you realize you have no issues with what has happened.

You are playing your future with caution, and today’s visit wasn’t as terrifying or problematic as you thought it might be.

Inside the packhouse, however, Yoongi and Jungkook were very much dealing with how worrisome the doctor’s visit had become for them.

Once you and the doctor left, they went to Yoongi’s den and chatted with Namjoon and Seokjin. Yoongi went over everything that had happened during the doctor’s visit.

Seokjin was the calmest of the four. He was happy to learn about the dietary restrictions now and not during your date with him tonight. Being the eldest, he figured you had had an entire life before them.

Your reactions to their advantages, the level of panic in certain situations, and your negative self-image have already told him more than enough.

Namjoon remained primarily silent throughout the conversation. With every new bit of information, his resolve to talk with your family pack without you present solidified.

Not to mention, his Alpha now wants to ensure that your experiences with the pack are top-notch. He smiles, knowing Jin’s plans for tonight will hopefully start things off on the right track.

Ending the call, Yoongi and Jungkook head back downstairs and outside. They can hear you walking around the yard, but you are talking to someone about Dr. Blackwell and records.

Considering that you chose to make this call without them around, they sit on the back patio. This allows them to watch over you but respect your privacy.

Bangtan Pack Group Chat

Prime: Hey guys, I want to ask you all something. Hob-ah already knows about this because we talked about it last night.

Prime: After Y/n’s appointment today, which revealed a few new things, I think this idea is really our best bet.

Mochi: What is it, Hyung?

V: What happened at her appointment? Is she okay?

WWH: She is fine, but there were some concerns, which we will discuss later. Namjoon, what is your idea?

Prime: I want to go and talk to the Y/l/n Pack.

Bun: You did that already, though, with Jimin and Yoongi-hyung. You wanna go again?

Seokie: Let him talk Kookie!

Bun: Sorry.

Prime: It’s OK, Kookie. Thank you, Hobi-hyung. I want to go but I want to go without Y/n.

Yoons: You better have a good reason to see a pack without their Luna, Namjoon.

Prime: I want to tell them Y/n is our mate.

Bun: So we are okay with lying to her but not to her pack?

Seokie: No, Bunny. We are not lying to her. We are waiting til the right time to tell her.

Bun: Same difference.

Prime: Talking with her pack and letting them know might get them to tell us more about her and how to tell without her running from us.

WWH: I agree with Yoongi. This is playing with fire. But it may be our best chance. They could help open her mind to the idea.

Prime: Does anyone want to go with me?

Bun: Nope. Not even. She will be the next person I tell about the mate bond.

Yoons: I am with Jungkook on this one. I will stay out of this.

V: I will go with you, hyung. I would like to meet her family pack to start with.

Seokie: I will go, too.

WWH: When is this happening?

Prime: I don’t know yet. I was hoping for tonight.

Prime: but maybe this weekend would be better?

Mochi: Sorry, but Manager Sejin asked what was happening.

Mochi: He thinks this is a good idea. The weekend would work best.

Mochi: also, Seokjin and Namjoon should go, but no more than 4

Mochi: So I am out. I saw them, and I still have other stuff.

WWH: If you schedule it this weekend, I will go. Tonight, I am taking Y/n out on a date.

Prime: Okay, Jin and Hobi-hyung plus TaeTae and I. Got it.

The rest of the morning was quiet. Neither of the Alphas present sought you out, but you would see them skirt around wherever you were. You finally had enough of it and went back to your room.

Looking through the preliminary contract, you found Manager Sejin’s cell number. You decide to call him to ensure he is updated with everything.

“Hello, this is Sejin.”

“Manager Sejin, it’s Y/n. How are you today?”

“Oh Y/n! Hi. I am doing well. Thank you for asking. Yourself?”

“I am doing, umm… well, I’m ok,” you hesitate to ask why the two Alphas are avoiding you.

“Yeah, should I pretend to believe you?” asks the BTS manager. Of course, he isn’t going to notice, but at least he is giving you an out.

“Can we put a pin in it for now? I want to go over a few things with you first.”

“Sure thing. What did you want to discuss? Actually, how did you get my number?”

“Your number is the only number listed on the preliminary contract, Manager Sejin,” you giggle slightly.

“Oh yeah, sorry, most Playmates don’t get a preliminary contract. Anyways, is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes, but first– Dr. Blackwell has come and gone. She did the full physical exam, blood sample, and full history. I also gave Dr. Blackwell my prior therapist's phone number. After she left, I contacted him and he will send me the ROI.”

“Wonderful news. You can tell this isn’t your first rodeo, even if you haven't been a Playmate before. Aside from the mental health report, everything else should be done by tomorrow afternoon.”

“Ryan is already working on a mental health summary report and will have it ready by tonight. He is really quick with that. He is a PMS contracted therapist, Manager Sejin.”

“That is even more perfect. Nothing seems concerning on our end, or the doctor would have already called me.”

“Well, one would think that nothing is concerning,” you say, clearing your throat.

Glancing at your door and deciding you are unsure where the Alphas are now in the house, you move to the bathroom. Closing the door and turning on the sink.

“Miss Y/n are... Are you in the kitchen?”

“No, I am hiding in the bathroom. I don’t know where Yoongi and Jungkook are, but they have been… umm, well… they have been observing me from afar.”

“Observing from afar? Like, what do you mean?”

“After the doctor left, I took a walk outside because some of the information at the end was intense but not unpleasant... for me.”

You nibble on your bottom lip, “But maybe they aren’t okay with it.”

“Okay. I agree that their behavior indicates that something is off. Have you tried going to them? Maybe they are giving you some space.”

“No, I got nervous. I guess I got used to them always coming to me,” you contemplate. “Oh! Can you possibly have someone take me to the salon?”

“Umm, I take it you have no idea what you are doing for your date tonight?”

Your breath catches in your throat when he calls tonight a date. You turn off the sink and walk back to the bedroom.

Is that what this is?

Is that what he called it?

Does the pack know?

“Well, yes, to all of that. Jin said you accepted going out tonight with him. Is he supposed to call it something else?”

“Shit! I said that all out loud?”

Manager Sejin chuckles, “Miss Y/n. It is okay. All of them know about your date with Jin tonight. Actually, I think that may explain the distance.”

“They do? It does?” You sit on the edge of your bed. The revelation that everyone is calling this a date has you reeling.

“They do and don’t tell them I told you, but everyone is nervous about it. Seokjin may not be the Prime Alpha, but he is the oldest mate. There is a lot of pressure for him to make sure tonight goes well.”

“Oh, he could do a movie night in, and I would be happy.”

“Well, this is Kim Seokjin. I doubt you'll be having a movie night at the Pack House. I suspect he has more things planned for you than what you realize.”

“Oh boy, I really need to get my hair done then, ah… Where are we going? Do I need to go shopping? Do I have the right thing to wear?”

“Miss Y/n, now is not the time to spiral. He will let you know what is happening soon. Just be ready. Since it’s already lunchtime, I suggest snacking on something.”

“Wait, you still haven’t explained why tonight Jin has to do with Thumper and Yoongi staying away.”

“I'm going to try not to laugh at you calling Jungkook Thumper,” he says, clearing his throat and trying to mask his laughter. “I am sure you have heard that Alphas are territorial, right?”

“Riiiiight, but Namjoon said they weren’t territorial like that, and he didn’t think they would be with these… ah these dates.”

“They won’t. What Yoongi and Jungkook are doing right now is the reason why they won’t.”

“Oh, but we sat next to each other when I spoke to the doctor.”

“Well, if you want to have a super happy Alpha tonight, you might want to change clothes and wash your hands, but know that you really don’t have to. He isn’t the possessive one of the group.”

After the call, you followed Manager Sejin’s advice by changing your pants, which Yoongi’s tail touched, and washing your hands up to your elbows just to be safe.

You were too nervous to eat now, so you looked around for the other two Alphas, which you knew had to be nearby.

Only to realize that you, a human, were trying to hunt down two adult male Alpha hybrids.

One of them could turn into a bunny that could fit who knows where and has the prey instinct to hide.

The other was an apex-like predator hybrid. You have already threatened to get a bell for him because of his sneakiness.

Giving up, you returned to your room and wasted time scrolling through Tumblr and Insta.

It has just hit 1 pm when you get a knock on your door. When you answer it, you are met with a woman in a pantsuit who doesn’t say anything and hands you a phone. Looking at the screen, you see that there is an active call.

“Umm… Hello? This is Y/n,” you speak into the phone.

“Hello, my dearest,” replies the voice on the other end of the line.

“Jin! You had to send a bodyguard to call me?”

“How else would I contact you? I haven’t been allowed to get your phone number. Her name is Jen, and she will be your driver today.”

“Ah yeah, I should get that to everyone, but why do I need a driver?” Smiling at the now-named woman, you cover the mic on the phone, “Hello Jen, I am y/n.”

“Yes, you do. Are you ready for tonight?”

“No, not even close. I don’t know where we are going, so I don’t know what to wear. My hair is still in the bun. Yoongi and Thumper have been nowhere to be found in the last hour.”

You hear a low chuckle from the phone line and look at the phone with irritated confusion: “You’re laughing?”

“From now on, the only Alpha you need to worry your pretty little head with is… Me.”

His voice has taken a lower tone than other times he has spoken to you, and there is something so stimulating about it.

“Now, my dearest, please go with Jen. She will take you to Mare Salon in West Hollywood, and you will join me for an early dinner. Ready?”

“Yes, Alpha,” you respond quickly, not wanting to upset the Alpha, who controls the rest of your day. While you are not a pushover, you want to be open to tonight and figure you might as well go with the flow.

“Good. Please hand the phone back to Jen and get ready to leave.”

Following his instructions, you hand the phone over. Then grab your purse, phone, and jacket. When you return to the door, Jen is no longer on the phone. “Ready when you are.”

(NOTE: If you would like to see what is being described, please go to American Mate - Date with Jin Pinterest Board)

She leads you to a sleek, all-black Town Car and opens the back door for you. Taking your seat, you find an envelope with your name next to you. Inside is a handwritten letter which reads:

My dearest Y/n, I want you to know that I am in awe of your grace throughout this past week. Even in the ups and downs, you held your ground, spoke your mind, and brought a life to the pack that none of us knew was missing. Tonight, let us celebrate our paths crossing and our lives intertwining. Our first stop of the night is Mare Salon, and this is my first chance to show you that I can treat you as you should be. They will only show you options that can be completed in time to make our dinner reservation. Feel free to pick any of the packages offered. Enjoy yourself right now. See you soon, Kim Seokjin

You read the letter multiple times. He calls you his dearest as if you are something important to him, and he is treating you to a top-tier salon experience.

Seokjin may be known as World Wide Handsome, but he is a World Wide Charmer.

The experience at Mare Salon was something new and something you swear only the 1% would typically experience.

First, you had a personal attendant, probably because you were their only customer for the rest of the day.

Secondly, they offered you a smoothie of your choice, and you got a Peanut Butter Bananrama, which was so good.

Finally, you had so many spa packages to choose from. Ultimately, you picked a Tea Tree treatment and a hydration facial.

About halfway through your experience, you received a delivery with a large black box, a medium purple box, and a black bag.

Automatically, a smile blooms on your face, and around you, the sounds of the staff cooing at the gesture have your face tinting pink.

Attached to the large box is another envelope with your name on it. The letter inside reads:

Are you relaxing, my dearest? Let me know if they are treating you like the Luna you are. Do not hesitate to ask Jen or the salon staff for anything. Once you have completed your pampering, Jen will drive you to meet me at the restaurant. I know you were concerned about what to wear tonight. I hope you do not mind, but I took care of that. Just as I promised, I will take care of you. Please let the one who delivered these to you know if any alterations are needed, and they will make the adjustments per your request. It shouldn’t be much longer, my dearest. See you soon, Seokjin

You really shouldn’t feel an emotional response from a mated man, but his words are so sweet anyone would swoon. Over your shoulder, you hear the staff mention something about being committed to a fan service.

It’s like ice buckets get thrown over you—fan service. You have seen videos of Idols treating their fans to a day of fun with them. Just recently, you saw NCT 127 make dinner for a super fan.

You were becoming a playmate. This wasn’t much different. They would be paying you to be their friend, their companion. It’s nothing more.

You continued the services you had requested. The delivered goods are still sitting untouched after you read the letter.

You had been excited, but now the thrill of the letters and the day's excitement seemed dull.

“Miss Y/n, you have a phone call,” your driver, Jen, said while handing you the same phone from before.

Taking the phone, you smiled and nodded at Jen, then waited for her to move away.

“Thank you for call… wait, no. Sorry, Hello?”

You heard a soft sigh, “You didn’t open the gifts.”

Hearing the statement, you didn’t feel the need to say anything, but there was a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.

“Dearest, why haven’t you opened them? Did I overstep a boundary?”

You didn’t know what was worse: the sinking feeling that you had disappointed him by not opening his gifts or the feeling that you were making him feel guilty.

“Seokjin,” pausing to take a breath, you were interrupted.

“Seokjin? I am Seokjin again. What did… Y/n, please tell me where I went wrong?” His voice sounds weak, but somehow, he is still in control.

“You haven’t done anything wrong, nor have you overstepped any boundaries,” you respond. Muttering to yourself, “Your service is top-notch.”

“My what?”

“Shit. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I am sorry, Jin.”

“Explain,” he states, his voice a new tone you haven’t heard before.

“Fan service. The staff here is all giggly about how well you are treating me. Then, one mentioned something about how this was a committed fan service.”

Another sigh comes over the phone. “My dear, my dearest Y/n. This is not fan service. I have not, nor will I ever treat a fan in this way. All of this is for you.”

“You don’t have to do all this for me. I am just me.”

“Yes, you are just you. My promise to you and only you was to make sure you are eating well, so I am taking you to dinner.”

“Jin…” you breathed out.

“No, let me continue. I had promised to keep you happy and healthy, and spoiling you with this spa hair trip and the gifts was my attempt to follow through on that promise.”

“All this is so much. It’s more than I ever have been given,” you try to keep going.

“I want to impress you, Y/n. Not as World Wide Handsome or as Kim Seokjin of BTS but as Jin, the eldest Prey Alpha of the Bangtan pack. Can you allow me to do that for us?”

After Jin’s phone call, you finished your time at the salon. With the help of the delivery person, you dress in the outfit he sent you for tonight’s dinner. Surprisingly, no alterations were needed.

Now, Jen was pulling the car up to a very green door with a lovely painted woman’s face and the word Amore in green fluorescent lights.

The first room has vine-covered brick walls with glass ceilings, giving the feel of being outside. The booths out here are beautifully set with candles, and the room's center hangs a lovely chandelier.

Continuing inside, you are greeted by large wooden panels along the main wall with built-in wine racks, highly decorative green and white walls, and a classic bar in the corner to your left.

There stands the first person you have seen since you arrived. She smiles softly at you and tilts her head, indicating that you should turn in the other direction.

Following her subtle hint, you turn only to be greeted with a sight that steals your breath.

He is all in black.

Your eyes drop as you take in Seokjin’s appearance.

Classy wingtip dress shoes.

Dress slacks that are loose but accentuate the length of his legs.

The dress shirt with the top two buttons is undone, allowing you to glance at his collarbones.

Finally, you catch his eyes, which seem darker than usual. However, he doesn’t hold your gaze. Instead, his eyes travel along your body.

It’s like he was waiting for you to watch him as he assesses his gifts on you.

He has also dressed you in all black.

Your dress is made of tulle, and various parts have a dark silver metallic lining.

Your neck was a halter with a deep V-neck, which stopped with a cinched high waist and bellowed out into an asymmetrical high-low skirt. You had found this in the large black box.

Out of the purple box, you discovered shoes that allowed you to show off your newly pedicured feet, colored with a deep blue polish. They were silver chain-buckled sandals with box heels that matched the lining of your dress.

Finally, the small bag contained a lovely pair of silver and sapphire earrings and a matching bracelet. The silver parts looked like a flower made of hearts, with gems lying between them.

As his eyes traveled back up your body, he found his voice, “You look stunning.”

“Thank you, Jin,” you say with a shy smile. “You are quite handsome as well.”

He holds his hand out to you, beckoning you forward and sliding your hand in his felt natural. His warmth even pulls you in. It relaxes the tension you didn’t realize you were holding.

“Thank you for my gifts, Alpha.”

“I am sorry about your experience at the salon. Please don’t ever feel like we are just going through the motions with you. Everything that I do and that the pack does is for you.”

“Jen said something about the staff being jealous Army and that I needed to get used to them if I stuck around.”

“Ah, yes,” he says while guiding you into a small half-circle booth. His Alpha growled in his head, still wanting to fire the one who made you doubt the night's intentions.

When you sat down, you had thought he would go to sit on the other side, but instead, he sat down on the same side, scooting you over to make enough room and draping his arm across the back of the couch.

“In Korea, the crazy ones are called sasaeng. Anyone with fame has to deal with them,” he comments with his eyes focused on you.

“Sadly, you will also have to deal with them. You may even get your own, but we do our best to protect you from them.”

“I have heard of them. Probably more often than you think. They would sometimes show up to the office either trying to apply to be a Playmate or trying to catch an Idol coming through the halls.”

Looking around the restaurant, “Jin, are we the only ones here?”

“Yes, I booked the whole restaurant. I wanted to make sure we had time to talk without getting bothered.” He gestures to the waitress that you saw when you came in.

“Jin, this is amazing. Have you ever been here?”

“Nope. It had excellent reviews online, and the chef was willing to accommodate our diets without complaint,” he said with a playfully bright smile.

He looks at the waitress and says, “Please let the chef know we are ready for the first course. For now, I will stick with water, but my lady can have whatever she wants.”

“Miss, would you like to see the drink selection?” she asks. Both of them looked to me for my decision.

“Water. Ice water would be perfect, please, and thank you.”

“Make sure the water does not have a garnish. She is allergic to citrus,” he tells the waitress. Your jaw drops at the fact that he already knows this information.

“Oh, and please make sure the chef has read the restrictions. I do not want my lady to get sick while eating here.” From your angle, you cannot fully see his face.

If the waitress's reaction was any indication, it was not the happy face from a moment ago. Soon, his attention was back on you, and the waitress was gone.

He must have caught your reaction somehow because he gave you a sly smile, “Yoon and Kook let me know of the food concerns right after Dr. Blackwell left, in case you were wondering.”

“Well, that makes sense. At least they talked to someone after the appointment,” you say bitterly.

“Did they do something wrong or make you uncomfortable with your appointment?” Jin asked, his face crunching with concern.

“Oh no! They were great and supportive during the visit. They actually helped me,” you quickly said. Looking down, you focus on the bracelet that he has gifted you. Jin waits patiently for you to continue.

“I spoke with Manager Sejin about their behavior. He said I shouldn’t worry.”

“Y/n,” he says. "What did the boys do to make you call someone outside the pack for advice?” Looking back at Jin, the seriousness of his face takes you back a bit.

“I don’t want to sound like a child, but” sigh. “they ignored me after the appointment. I don’t think they were comfortable with what they learned about me.”

You go to scoot back, wanting a bit of room between you and Jin. “Manager Sejin said that it was more of a courtesy thing for you.”

That information was like a light bulb turned on over his head. The stern face melted away to a warm smile, “Do you know about Alpha bonding time and possession?”

“The only thing I know is what Derek, my beta, said, but that included imprinting and territory domains.” Your words pulled a soft chuckle from Jin.

The waitress took that moment to bring your drinks and a lovely plate called a Caledonia Blue Prawn Carpaccio. It looks incredible with the thinly sliced prawns, some small piles of what looks like foam, and a yellow gastrique.

“Here, my dear.” While you had taken a sip of water, Jin had gathered some of the carpaccio and was now offering it to you. “I want to give you the first bite as a show of following through with my promise to always keep you well-fed.”

Blushing slightly, you lean forward and say, “Thank you, Alpha.” The bite offered is unlike anything you have eaten before. The play of textures and flavors sings.

Humming in delight, you watch as Jin tastes it as well. His instant smile shows he agrees with your reaction.

“Now, back to our jaguar and bunny. I think your Beta is pretty spot on. However, it’s called territorial dominance and not domain. You’re not a website,” Jin says as he continues to feed you bites of food while he talks.

“Oh. I knew it was something like that, but still, Namjoon said there were never any issues before. So what gives?”

“Oh gosh, how do I explain this to a non-hybrid?” He goes quiet as he contemplates.

Internally, what he is trying to tell you would require you to know you are his mate. Whenever one bonded Alpha claims a day or period of time with their mate, the rest of the pack will avoid that mate to ensure several things:

1- The called mate(s) is aware that bonding time is needed

2- The calling mate(s) makes preparations for the bonding time for themselves as well as the called mate(s)

3- The remaining mate(s) keep their distance from all mates involved for temporary scent fading

4- The one or more of the remaining mate(s) are put in charge to guard the involved mate(s) until it is time for the bonding

It is an older version of the bonding time rituals. Having all Alphas in the Bangtan Pack, this version allows the called to fall into a following-like state of mind while the calling falls into a leading-like mindset.

Sipping your water and watching Jin figure out how to tell you whatever it is, you take a note to ask Derek or Evie where you can find some reputable online courses to learn more about the Alpha sub-gender.

At the lull in conversation, the waitress brings out a tray with new dishes. The first is a Perigord Truffle Chawanmushi, Uni, and Trout Roe.

After looking at it closely, you determine it is something like a flan made with fish and something else on a plate. Next to it is this soup puree topped with sea urchin and fish eggs.

The second is known as a Comte Cloud, and that is when you have to try not to laugh because it is just a poached egg with shavings on toast: those 1% folks and their fancy-schmancy names for things.

You are 90% sure the soupy thing is raw and smells strongly of fish. The speckled flan looks interesting— until the server dumps it into the soup.

So, the only safe thing is the poached egg on toast. You quickly pull that dish closer to you and hope it shows you want that and not the other concoction.

“I guess the easiest way to say this is…” Jin watches you pull the plate to you with a raised eyebrow.

“I love eggs. May I eat this one, Alpha?” you say sweetly, attempting to get your way and not being forced to eat something raw.

“Of course, but here, try this too,” he agrees while he gathers a fair sample of the raw fishy flan dish. Bringing it up to your mouth to have you try it, you keep your mouth shut.

Looking at him with pleading eyes, you ask, “Can I skip the Chawanmush… chawamjush. That,” you say, pointing to the spoon. “Can I please skip that?”

Laughing. That was his answer to you. He laughed to the point where he had to put the spoon down or risk dropping it.

“Alpha, it looks raw and smells fishy. We just ate that prawn dish, it was nearly raw, and I am not much of a raw or smelly fish eater.” You continue to pout at the thought of the Alpha making you eat it.

“Alright, you don’t have to eat the Chawanmushi. I quite enjoy things in the natural raw state, even if it’s a bit fishy.” He watches you intently while saying those words, then takes a bite.

Why does it sound like he isn’t… wait nope. You are not gonna go there. You are going to eat your poached egg. Cutting into it, the yolk runs out just as it should, and you scoop it up and take a bite. Yum.

“Oh, good. It’s dripping nicely. It must be creamy and rich, too,” comments the Alpha, slightly causing you to choke on your bite.

Jin casually pats your back and reminds you of the water to help you swallow it.

You have got to get your mind out of the gutter.

You tell the doctor today that you have been on a three-year re-virginity plan, and now that you are at a high-end dinner with World Wide Handsome, everything is becoming an innuendo.

Get a grip!

“As with any hybrid, scents are very important to us. It allows us to identify many things. Pack bonds, mating seasons, emotions, and such.”

“When one of the individuals joining in the bonding time carries the scent of another pack member, no matter the sub-gender, it can block or alter the purity of the individual’s scent.”

Jin further explains, “Territorial dominance is not a bad thing. Since you are going to be with Bangtan now, we all want to bond with you properly. As an all-Alpha male pack, our individual Alphas can become quite controlling.”

“Wait,” you remember something from the scenting session. “The night you guys brought me the extra bedding, Jungkook wanted to scent before bed, right?”

Jin simply nods while continuing to eat the fishy soup.

“Yoongi said that Jungkook wanted to go last because he was my Alpha right now. Was your youngest mate controlling you and Yoongi?”

Jin's soft smile confirms it. He says, “In a way, yes. That wasn’t due to bonding; that was situational.”

“What do you mean? Do you guys switch who is in charge? Is there an Alpha of the Day or something?"

“No, no… The Alpha who found you in need of something was Jungkook, and therefore, he became the Alpha in charge of your bedding requirements. Yoongi and I supported him with that.”

“Okay. Okay, and I know that Yoongi is responsible for my wrist, I assume for similar reasons, but for how long is Jungkook going to be in charge of my bed?”

Seokjin, who has been fighting his laughter, finally loses the battle, and you look at him with a baffled expression.

“That is actually a question for you to ask Alpha Kook. You see, as the youngest Alpha in the pack, Alpha Kook has never had someone to take care of.”

“What about the other playmates? Most of them were his age or younger. Didn’t he take care of them like a proper Alpha?”

“Be careful with that,” warns Jin, his serious face falling into place.

“Not every playmate is the same. You are, by far, not the same. You are someone special to have gotten not only Alpha Kook and Alpha Yoon but also Alpha Tae to greet you.”

“What’s so special about that?”

“Since we are a mate-bonded pack, our Alpha’s tend to stay away from others unless there is a threat. You have never been a threat to us. What really is impressive is the fact that you met so many of our Alphas.”

“Topping it off with the fact that some of us don’t typically scent except for calming nerves, getting one of us out of Alpha Space, or during times of pleasure.”

Here comes the waitress again. Duuuddee… How many courses are there in fancy restaurants?

In front of Seokjin, she places a Colorado Lamb Saddle with a Cacao-Miso sauce, white truffle, and roasted Brussels sprouts on a bed of chimichurri.

The colors on his plate are vibrant. The lamb doesn't look dry, and the chimichurri is such a bright green, but the dark brown sauce stops you from wanting to ask for a taste.

“Did you say Cacao-Miso sauce? Did you not verify the restrictions?” Seokjin’s voice becomes dry and monotone.

“We did get it, and the chef and the rest of the staff reviewed the list several times.” Glancing onto the tray, she reads over what is written on paper.

“Ah, here. This Cacao-Miso sauce is made with carob. I suppose I could have called it a Carob-Miso sauce instead,” says the waitress, looking down to avoid Seokjin's piercing look.

“That is so considerate of the Chef to make that change, Miss. Since the dish is for him, he could have still made it with its original ingredients,” you comment, trying to ease the tension that now fills the space.

“Please give the Chef and the staff our gratitude for their consideration and follow through,” you smile brightly.

Glancing over at you, a softness blooms on his face. “If they did that, then I wouldn’t be able to share it with you, dearest.”

The endearment causes you to blush. The fondness in his eyes only increases it, but the silent coo from the waitress causes you to look away and fiddle with the napkin in your lap.

The waitress then places a Lavender Duck Breast with Carrot Puree in front of you and Endives finished tableside with a Romesco sauce. The smell was divine, and you couldn’t wait to try it.

Duck wasn’t something you had ever had before, but it was poultry, right? You were used to eating a lot of chicken, and, of course, you had turkey for most big holidays. Duck is just another one of the bigger birds that you could eat.

You wonder what Yoongi or Taehyung would think of your all-poultry-tastes similar thought process. You giggled at the thought. The sound fills the room like chimes, drawing the waitress's and Seokjin's attention.

In the silence of the room, you looked up from poking at the duck with your fork.

“What?’

“Does your food normally quack you up?” Seokjin asked with an exaggerated serious face, to which you could only giggle more.

Looking at the waitress, he asks, “Does she get any quackers with her Duck?” This caused both of you to start laughing.

“Should she be worried about quacking her teeth, or is it cooked to perfection?” he continued, but he couldn’t hold back this time and started laughing along with the two of you.

After clearing the table and refilling your drinks, the waitress leaves you two alone again. You cut the delicious food she brought out, and the taste shocks you.

Duck, in fact, is not like chicken because it is much richer and heartier. It is almost like eating a steak while still having that poultry gamey flavor.

Seokjin waits patiently, watching you take your first bite. Your moan of delight at the taste feeds right into this fixation. Quickly looking away, he cuts into his lamb and offers it to you.

Taking a sip of water to clean your pallet, you smile, “You trust them to make it without the cocoa, Alpha?”

Watching as a frown takes over his face, bringing the lamb up to smell. You wait for his reaction.

You have heard that a hybrid’s sense of smell is higher when smelling other people or hybrids, but you never thought it would be related to food.

“To be honest, it smells more like a lamb and has a musk scent. I am sorry for not checking first. I just wanted you to try it. I think you are safe, but if you would rather be cautious, then you don’t have to eat it.”

“I don’t have my Epi-pen on me. With past experiences, I would rather not risk anything. But I would love to try your Brussels sprouts, Alpha.”

“Ah yes, sorry again,” apologizes the Alpha.

He eats the bit and seems to enjoy it, but less than if you had been the one to eat it. Scooping up your requested bite, he offers it to you.

“Thank you for providing for me, Alpha,” you say before eating the bite. You watch as he opens his mouth along with yours. His eyes never actually look at the food offered.

It is a burst of flavor with the char on the sprout and the hint of the chimichurri it was served on. You hum in delight, wanting nothing more but to have another bite.

Looking down at your plate, you also desire to share with him. He has provided for you as an Alpha should, but you also want to care for him.

You know it’s part of your “job” that has yet to start, but it also seems more than that.

Deciding to follow your intuition, you cut a piece of your duck coated in the sauce and offered it to him. “Alpha?”

“Hmm?” His eyes were still focused on his plate.

“Can I offer you some of my duck?” You ask as you move the fork closer to his sight.

You watch as his eyes snap to the fork. There is a brief hesitation, which makes you second-guess him when offering him food.

You are not an Alpha.

You are not a hybrid.

Unlike offering food to Evie or Derek, you are not his Luna or of his pack.

Pulling back your offer, his hand shoots out and takes hold of your wrist. His eyes snap to you as he watches your face and eats the bite you have offered him.

Your eyes, however, glance at your now empty fork to his lips as he licks up the sauce and then down to his adam’s apple as he swallows. Finally, your eyes land back on his face.

“It tastes lovely, but was it Miss Y/n who offered me the taste, or was it Luna Y/n?” he asks, pinning you in place with his intensity, but he still has not released his hold on your wrist.

You swallow, searching his face for the correct answer. You should have kept to yourself. Your mother always said dotting on others was a sign of bad breeding.

Why did you do it?

Your scent starts to waver, pulling onto the side of the perfume, which alerts the alpha. You feel his thumb rubbing your wrist, and then you feel like you can breathe again.

“I don’t… I just..” You close your eyes and take a breath. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I wasn’t trying to take your position, Alpha. I promise.”

“Y/n, look at me, please?” You listen and open your eyes, preparing for whatever he says next.

“Y/n, I am Alpha enough to know that you are not trying to take my position. I am asking because I would like to gauge how to respond to you properly.”

“It's just me, Jin. I just felt I needed to share with you and take care of you in a way. I know I am human but I had to follow my intuition. I am sorry.”

As you speak, he smiles and shakes his head, “My dear, you have nothing to be sorry for. Trust me. Remember this is us learning about each other. For you, this is also you learning a lot about Alphas.”

“Then why does it matter if it’s Miss me or Luna me? I am me. I am not your Luna.”

“They are both you, this is true. I suppose I am trying to learn how much of a Luna you are.”

“You guys are the first to call me Luna outside of Evie and Derek. I mean, even Evie’s mate who is an Alpha doesn’t call me Luna.”

“How does it make you feel when we call you Luna? Is it the same feeling that you get when your family pack calls you that?”

“Ah, well, it’s not the same. Bangtan pack has only called me after I had to correct my Omega, but no one has used it since then. Well, until now, and even then, you weren’t calling me that. It was just a title.”

“But how did you feel when Yoongi and Jimin called you Luna? Did you hate it? Did you feel empowered, aroused, or silly?”

Your mind takes you back to the balcony at your pack house, Yoongi’s soft touch and hot breaths: “Your actions were a sight to see, Luna.” Next, you feel like you are back in Jimin’s arms as he holds you. Alpha Chim shines through with a playful smile: “Luna.”

As your body remembers the thrum of energy playing at their touches, at their words, a tang of arousal filters into your sweet pea scent. The change in your scent tells Seokjin more than enough.

You nibble on your bottom lip, debating what to tell the Alpha sitting next to you. “It was awkward to hear it from them. I felt a kindling, but I am sure it was just nerves.”

“A kindling? That is understandable. Thank you for telling me, dearest. Now, since you don’t seem to understand the difference between being human and Luna you, I will drop it, but that might be something to speak with Namjoon about.”

“Thank you, Jin.”

The rest of the dinner was almost generic. It was a simple icebreaker, get-to-know-you, 21-question conversation.

You learned about this family, including his older brother, who was … still... younger… than you. You also learned more about his and Bangtan's passion for bullying, which led them to become involved with UNICEF.

While you knew he had a fantastic voice because of the song Abyss, you still took the time to listen to his development and struggles as an artist and eldest member of Bangtan.

Dinner ended with a lovely traditional mille-feuille for the two of you to share. Jin had suggested a walk around the area, to which you agreed. You had eaten more than expected, and walking would do you good.

As you suspected, the BTS classic disguise was donned before leaving the restaurant. This time, the black bucket hat was replaced with a black fedora, which fit his suit perfectly.

He also offered you a black mask, which you obliged. Once outside the door, it was clear that the fall season had started to settle. When Seokjin requested that you walk to the side, away from the cars, you smiled and felt slightly giddy.

So far, he was a gentleman.

He had never interrupted you, never pushed too far with the conversation, and even though he was letting his flirtatious sideshow, it never made you uncomfortable.

You took about five steps before the Alpha covered your shoulders in his suit jacket. His naturally broad shoulders make it easy to drape across yours, even though you weren’t a skinny minny.

The scent of cherries and vanilla permeated the air. The scent brought a sense of calm over you. “Hmm… interesting.”

“What’s interesting?” asks Seokjin, though his eyes still look around at the passing cars and people.

“I think I am starting to determine your individual scents to a degree,” you say, smiling up at him as he stops.

“You can. Who have you figured out so far?” he asks, gesturing to a nearby bench.

Sitting down, you angle toward him, saying, “I am pretty sure I know Jungkook’s, Yoogni’s, and now your scent. Maybe even Jimins, but I am least sure about his. I haven’t a clue about the rest.”

Leaning back and bracing his arms along the back of the bench, he takes a moment to think about this. If you can smell the scents, do you also smell the mate scent?

“Let’s see how close you are. What’s our baby Alpha’s scent?”

“He smells like my favorite cookie, Snickerdoodles. Well, it may not be that specific, but it's sweet, like sugar, with a spice that reminds me of cinnamon and warm butter.”

“Very good. Cinnamon, sugar, and butter are his primary scents. He would love it if you told our Kookie he smelt like a cookie. How about Yoongi-ah?

“Now his… I swear his changes.” This comment causes the Alpha to sit up with attentiveness.

“What do you mean?” His Alpha is very curious to know what scents you have smelled when it comes to Alpha Yoon, especially since humans shouldn't be able to detect changes like that.

“Well, typically, he smells like Petrichor, my favorite scent that rain can have. But the other day, I swore I smelled like a stormy ocean-like scent.”

“Yoongi, smelled like a storming ocean?” You nod and look at him curiously while he tries not to look shocked. “Whenever he smells like the ocean, it means his Alpha is out in full force, and the storm is when he is mad.”

“Oh well, okay yeah, totally explains it.”

“Explains what?”

Your eyes widened a bit before you looked down and pulled the jacket closed more. “It was when Prime Alpha made the request before Yoongi took me upstairs.”

“Ah, yes. Not one of our finest moments. Alpha Yoon was not happy. Honestly, I don’t think any of us were. What about Jimin? You mentioned you might know what is his.”

“Well, I figured out his scent yesterday,” you start, trying not to remember his physical actions. “Jimin’s eyes. The darkness stole away the white and tinged red when Alpha Chim… came out?”

“Fronted. When our Alpha’s ‘come out’ as you said, it is called fronting. Our Alphas are always present in our minds but they only front when there is something they want.”

“Yeah, Alpha Chim called me Luna. He said I smelled of Alpha Yoon but that it was okay because he is a mate, but then he asked if it was okay to scent me, too."

Scooting forward, Seokjin took your hand and looked at you with a vulnerability you hadn’t seen before. “He asked; Alpha Chim asked to scent you. Did you let him?”

“Yes, of course I let him,” you smile. “I wasn’t about to turn him away after what he shared with me, and it felt like it was supposed to happen.”

“His oranges blended with Alpha Yoon’s, and it smelt like I was in an orange grove after a spring rain.”

Seokjin squeezes your hand with a soft smile, “Y/n, you don’t know how happy I am to hear that Chim scented you.”

“I am glad that your pack doesn’t get upset with everyone scenting me. Jimin’s was surprising to me because of how distant he has seemed from the beginning.”

“Jimin may be a bit more hesitant than his Alpha when it comes to you, not that it’s your fault.”

“I understand. He told me about what happened.” Looking down at your joined hands, you recall the story of Seul-ki. “He also said that everyone seemed to be okay with playmates aside from Hoseok and Yoongi.”

“I bet that is hard to imagine. I mean, with how Yoongi is acting around you.”

Seokjin notices that the temperature has dropped a bit more, and though you have his jacket, you are starting to shiver.

Using your jointed hands, he pulls you up and starts walking back to the can where Jen has been waiting and watching the two of you.

“I know it's been said many times, but things have been and will continue to be different with me for the pack. I haven’t been trained to be a playmate, and I don’t know much about Alphas.”

“Don’t worry too much about being a proper playmate. I, for one, don’t feel like that title sets well with you. You feel more important than that.”

When you approach the car, he waives off Jen to open the door for you himself—still being the perfect gentleman. The action, though simple, sets your heart a flutter and causes the vanilla of your scent to bloom as you hand back his jacket and enter the car.

Once you are in, you revel in the warmth it brings. The cold from outside had penetrated you deeper than you thought—one of the side effects of having an autoimmune disorder.

Seokjin joins you in the backseat but notices you still shivering, “Y/n, are you okay? Did you get too cold?”

“I will be fine. I am used to it. I have always run colder than the rest of the world it seems like. I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.”

Smoothing out your skirt, you continue, “I know you will get more information with the contract but just know, I have had it for a while and am used to it. So don’t worry.”

Next thing you know, an arm engulfs your shoulders, and you are being manhandled into the middle seat. You’re angled to have your back pressed against Seokjin’s chest, allowing his body heat to warm you up.

“Relax, dearest. As a hybrid, we run warmer than humans. As an Alpha, I run even hotter. Allow me to warm you up again, please?”

With every second that passes, you can already feel the tightness in your back release. The Alpha is almost like a heated blanket at your back. Nodding your head, you settle into his hold, “Thank you, Alpha.”

As you rest your head back, you take a slow breath. Smiling to yourself, you think about how safe and accepted Seokjin has made you feel all night.

Your previous dates, boyfriends, and even your brother never took the time to treat you like a lady. Replaying the night in your mind, the Alpha’s scent surrounds you in the backseat, “Cherries.”

“What was that dear?”

“Cherries, your scent is subtle, but it's cherries, right?” you ask, moving your body enough to still lean against him but see his face.

“Yes,” a shy smile tugs on his lips. “It’s not one of the stronger scents out of the pack.”

“Sometimes the best scents are not the powerful ones,” you notice the hint of sadness in his eyes.

It stirs a desire to get the smile to reach his eyes and prompts you to say, “They are meant to comfort and not intimidate. Any Alpha can intimidate, but it takes an amazing Alpha to comfort.”

“Thank you.”

The rest of the ride to the packhouse was held in comfortable silence.

Seokjin basks in the feel of your body relaxing against his, your scent seeping into his soul. Tonight was better than expected.

Aside from you confirming the things he had already suspected, he learned a little from you. You may either need to learn to yourself better or need to trust him more.

He understands that trust takes time and can be built on transparency, so he was happy to answer your questions. This dinner had more riding on it than he thinks you will ever understand.

Though he is not the Prime Alpha, being the eldest Alpha means he has been acting as the Pack Luna. His connection to you is just as crucial as Namjoons.

While it is clear that you have a connection with Yoongi and Jungkook, the mate bond must be solidified by all the mates.

It's an all-or-nothing kinda deal.

When the car comes to a stop, he gets out and then helps you as well. Ever the provider, he pulls you tightly to his side to keep you warm as you walk up the steps.

Shockingly, no one is waiting for the two of you to come home. While you look around, wondering where everyone has gone, Seokjin has hung his jacket and kneeled to help you remove your shoes.

“Thank you, Alpha,” you whisper, trying not to break the peace that seems to have settled over the packhouse.

Retaking your hand, he leads you to your bedroom door, pausing briefly before he leans forward to rest his forehead on yours.

“Dearest Y/n, taking you out tonight was a pleasure and an honor. I hope you see that I am more than just World Wide Handsome Jin.”

You nod and go to say something, only for him to continue, “Please think on tonight. How you felt going on a date with me, how it felt spending time with me, and how it may be with the rest of us.”

“I had a lovely time, Jin. I have never been treated like a lady of class before, and it made me feel special. Thank you for everything.”

“You are more than welcome. Thank you for giving us a chance.”

With that, Seokjin pulls back just enough to kiss your forehead. His Alpha rejoices as you step forward and wrap an arm around his waist in a gentle hug.

“Good Night, Alpha,” you say as Seokjin hugs back, rubbing his cheek on your hair in a small act of absent-minded scenting.

“Good Night, my dearest,” says the eldest Alpha before opening your door and backing away as you close it with a tiny wave.

Turning around, you lean against the door, your heart thumping faster than usual. Seokjin’s kiss still feels warm on your face.

Stepping out of his hold felt more challenging than it should. You weren’t just stepping out of his arms but leaving some of yourself behind.

That’s when you realize you will be a mess at the end of six more dates.

At least you have several weeks to sort yourself out before your heart breaks eight times.

Right?

Previous/ Next

Taglist - Closed

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thatbloodycountess · 2 months ago

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I know it’s been six years, and the fandom is mostly dead, but I’ve been thinking about FFXV lately. The story was great and I loved the characters, but there were holes in the plot and with character development. I get that the developers had an idea story-wise and made significant changes once Tabata took over. Even after six years, I can still see what was left on the table and I have some ideas on how to remedy these issues.

I loved the beginning where the Regalia broke down. But, the game could’ve started a day or two before the boys left Insomnia. We could’ve had some time with Regis and Clarus and get an idea how them and the boys felt about the journey.

They could’ve added the events from Kingsglaive to the game itself. I’m sure not everyone saw the movie and it would’ve been awesome to play as Nyx. This would’ve lengthened the first chapter too.

The DLCs could’ve been weaved into the main game. The Trails of Cold Steel series did a good job of diverging storylines. Events in these storylines were happening simultaneously and added impact to those plot points. It would’ve been easy to switch to Gladio once Noctis found the mythril, considering both events were happening at the same time.

The same goes for Episodes Ignis and Prompto. Ignis’ DLC could pick up immediately during the chaos in Altissia. The latter could’ve been placed after Prompto fell off the train and ended when he was captured by Ardyn. Or if his memories were being manipulated, when the player sees him strung up on that contraption in Gralea.

SE missed an opportunity to continue the story during the ten years of darkness. That chapter could’ve opened with the beginning of Ardyn’s story and spaced it out a bit until the DLC’s conclusion. Luna and Aranea’s DLCs could kick in here too, considering both would’ve fleshed the story out more. Then bring in Episode Noctis and perhaps have a FFVII lifestream moment as he obtains the knowledge of the Lucian kings.

I’ve read that the ending in Dawn of the Future isn’t canon. It’s an alternative ending like Ignis being healed by the crystal in his DLC. However, it could’ve been just as impactful as the canon ending. Since it makes Bahamut the villain and uses the trope that humans can become stronger than gods. It’s a similar situation Yuna faced in FFX, but she got to challenge her fate. Noctis didn’t.

The chapters were too short for my liking and there should’ve been more foreshadowing about Prompto’s origins other than Aranea’s comment outside of Steyliff Grove. Noctis didn’t find out that he has to sacrifice himself until he was absorbed into the crystal. He accepted his fate too easily. There was no point where he became angry over it or wonder if Regis or Luna knew what his fate would be. Again, he didn’t get the chance to tell Bahamut to go fuck himself.

The game is one of my favorites in the series and always will be. But there were so many missed opportunities and it makes me wonder what could’ve been.

#final fantasy xv #noctis lucis caelum #ignis scientia #gladiolus amicitia #prompto argentun #lunafreya nox fleuret #ardyn izunia #nyx ulric #aranea highwind

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zeravmeta · 2 months ago

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The Value of Rules, The Heart, The Soul, and The End of the World

So as we're entering the final arc of the series i wanna make my own theory on how things will shake out, specifically one question:

What is the Heart?

The final artifact that Luna put in place capable of harming Sol, the Heart is the third Sacred Spirit Treasure alongside Rebellion and Aegis which was never found in any of the past loops and something Fuuko theorizes only drops in the 101st loop.

But now in the final battle, it's still nowhere to be seen. We've seen the other two Sacred Spirit Treasures, but despite being weapons that Luna herself made that are capable of slaying Sol, we've also seen throughout the manga that the game was HEAVILY rigged against humanity with their actual effectiveness in Loop 100 showing them to be kind of weak compared to Sol himself. Loop 101 Union maybe has two of the three already, and yet despite the promise of the Heart dropping through quests, we have long skipped past that opportunity, so now we need to determine how the Heart will come into play.

So, here's what I think: I think the Heart is Apocalypse, or rather the completed form of Apocalypse.

(books are heart shaped lol)

Since I started reading, Apocalypse has always had this weird role in the story to me: It's an Artifact placed by God to add more UMAs and help along the end of the world, but it specifically gives quests for the Negators to complete and gain more advantages for when Ragnarok comes. Moreover, they make sure to specify that Apocalypse is an Artifact instead of an UMA, even though it seems to act so much like the latter. There's even the joke in one of the end pages of Clothy and Apocalypse fighting like small dogs held back by their owners, and one of the only other Artifacts we see with sentience is Rebellion, one of the Sacred Spirit Treasures.

So what's the deal here? If Apocalypse is the Heart, how is it that it was never discovered, how is it that it's never been "properly" activated? What's the true purpose of the Heart? How will it slay Sol?

Well, the true purpose of the Heart is meant to show the value of the rules, not as enemies of humanity but as companions to them.

As much as they deny it, Apocalypse does care about Juiz personally. Even though it's the instrument of humanity's destruction, Apocalypse aligned with Victor's motives in letting Juiz die so that she can reincarnate and have a peaceful, happy life away from this war with god. He's even infuriated with Fuuko for trying to get Juiz in Loop 101 because he doesn't want her to be involved in this anymore. You can't spend 455.4 billion years alongside someone without caring about them at least on some level, and ironically both Victor and Apocalypse shared this mentality in never realizing just how much they cared until she was finally gone. Apocalypse, one of God's instruments to make humanity suffer, is capable of displaying compassion for them.

But that's not the full story. The Heart as a name is also to note, and I think maybe we can look at this manga's tendencies to play around with language as a base. In Japanese, "Heart" is usually said phonetically as "Kokoro" / written as "心" and tends to just mean "heart", but it actually has multiple meanings depending on the context used, specifically mind and spirit.

One's spirit. One's soul.

I think that Soul plays a part in the Heart artifact, not only due to the power he grants humanity but also that of the UMA, as well as his weird parallels with Apocalypse: Soul is the only known UMA made by Luna, whereas Apocalypse is the only known Artifact placed by Sol. Soul is the only UMA shown to be capable of directly controlling Apocalypse, and has been capable of warping it to his needs. Soul is the rule which gathers information and memories from the past and transfers them to the living, and Apocalypse is the book which stores the information of the past loops, the past lives of the world. Juiz in the very beginning of the series even says that "God resides on the other side of Apocalypse", where we know that the Superior 10 Rules are housed inside of the Sun itself.

And critically, one of the goals of the wager between Sol and Luna is to see if humanity is capable of reaching the Gods. Soul and Apocalypse both provide the potential for that above all others.

So, I believe the Heart artifact comes from combining the two, combining Soul and Apocalypse. And how would this theoretical combination come about?

Well, I think Soul is going to be the true final antagonist of Undead Unluck, slaying both Sol and Luna to usher in his own validated world, one that is also free from the whim of the gods and lets the UMA live freely.

A critical point to note is that the UMA, despite the pride many of them take in their purpose in tormenting humanity, are just as much victims of this game between gods as humanity is. They are concepts given form and made specifically to torment humanity for the goal of "finding the greatest life", but we see that this mentality is still a choice in and of itself. UMA have distinct developed personalities and can clash, as seen with Seal and Spoil when they interact with other UMA.

Clothy, Spring, Blood, Shadow, Move, UMA have also showcased that they can peacefully interact and coexist with humans, even care about and love them. If anything, from how Seal talks, the main point of contention UMA seem to have with humans and Negators is that humanity is somehow seen as "worthier" than they are to garner so much personal attention from the gods. Most UMA seem to mainly just be interested in expressing their rule's function over anything, and humanity just happens to be the target they're pointed at to put those rules into action. Seal himself even has the aspirations to be the "King of UMA" just because he feels like he's special for the scraps of attention that Sol gives him. The parallels with Ruin are Not subtle whatsoever in this department, especially as Ruin's abusive parent is depicted as just a black void that burned him (how sunshine burns his skin), eerily similar to the way Sol appears as an avatar.

If humans are dolls that the gods play with, then the UMA might as well just be the stage which the gods use, a mere backdrop item for the Negators to break as necessary for their development.

Negators being "vessels" for these rules has also always stuck out to me, because we see that the UMA and the corresponding Negator can be two separate beings; they're not really possessed in the conventional sense. Fuuko even points out during the Beast fight at Beast's mention of "UnBeast" that there are far fewer Negators than UMA and their rules, further pointing to a discrepancy in the advantages given to each side. It may seem like it's the UMA who are winning, but it's actually humanity; Ragnarok necessitates Sol himself to come down and destroy the planet, meaning that the UMA themselves aren't actually capable of defeating humanity. Juiz alone was able to hold off the Superior 10 Master Rules by her own ability, and it was only to hide her trump card, no less.

To add to this, when I thought of what vessel could mean, what immediately came to mind was not only how the souls of previous Negators are carried over to each new one, but how Rebellion could possess Victor.

Perhaps Soul will have Apocalypse possess him (or vice versa), and this will create the Heart artifact? It should be capable of slaying Sol as Luna said, but it's just as likely that Soul could point this weapon at her too, and given that Luna's domain is in the spiritual as stated by Language, if anyone would know how to exploit her weaknesses, it would undoubtedly be Soul.

Apocalypse being the Heart would also work with Undead Unluck's meta-narrative aspects as well: From Me, To You was a manga which prophesied the events which would take place in both a narrative (Anno Un) and meta-narrative (shoujo manga romance that Udul uses for inspiration) sense, much like how Apocalypse is a book which prophesies the end of the world. Perhaps it prophesies Ragnarok, the physical literal end of the world at Sol's hand, but it could also prophesy the end of the manga itself by way of slaying its final antagonists.

And this would all be Soul's ambition to free them from the gods. At this point, we don't fully know what Soul's feelings on humanity are, given that he does hold them in high esteem while also being willing to exterminate them, but perhaps he would care more about saving the UMA from the gods instead of further tormenting humanity.

A goal that Fuuko Izumo would agree with because it will free both of them from this endless blood feud.

Mutual understanding. A Heart.

The Negator powers which cause tragedy and invalidate the rules will disappear, the UMA as avatars to make humans suffer will disappear, but all the rules which the UMA embody will apply in a completely validated world, not made by either of the gods, but by both humans and the rules themselves.

I think Undead Unluck will end not with the Negators or UMA winning one over the other in the conventional sense, but coexisting and ending the gods as a collective.

Soul's ideal world. The character who understands even more than Sol or Luna the power of both Humanity and the Rules. The power of the Soul, the Heart.

small tinfoil hat subsection but tangentially related to this I also think Ruin's comeback as a good guy (lets be real its gonna happen) will come from him gathering the UMA as a force to work with the Negators against the gods because he refers to all the UMA as his friends, and I think an interesting comeback here will actually be UMA Galaxy.

Fuuko's strength as a character lies in her acceptance and understanding of others, even the people she dislikes. It's why Andy himself says that Unluck is "the world's cruelest ability within the world's kindest person" because it specifically targets the people she loves the most, leaving her alone. The imagery of the round table Ark (Apo on it makes it look like a sundial lol) compared to Luna's own table on the moon is intentional: Luna (and perhaps even Sol) have a profoundly lonely existence. They've set themselves up in this wager where they torment everyone for a potentially unreachable goal. Luna created Soul but she doesn't understand humans the same way she doesn't understand rules, and the UMA who have souls as well are also something she does not see the value in. Neither Sol or Luna understand anyone nor have anyone who understands them, and it's Fuuko's Unluck, which necessitates understanding, which CAN reach them.

UMA Galaxy itself was the Master Rule added after Loop 100, as well as being the first proper UMA we see in the series AS WELL as being the UMA most tied to Sol and Luna in general by concept alone (outside of Soul), so I think it'll be interesting if maybe UMA Galaxy comes back as a critical supportive ally to stop both Sol and Luna from destroying the Earth/ending humanity or UMAkind, and that the way the UMA help in stopping the gods is by using their rules in tandem with the Negators against the gods, especially UMA Galaxy using their literal cosmic scale to let Earth escape the gods grasps. All in gratitude for the one Negator who dreamed of them existing in a validated world.

#zerav meta #undead unluck #theory #i believe in statements man!!!!#I also believe in fuuko izumo and that idiot book on her table

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colleybri · 4 months ago

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Cassian x Bix and Rebelcaptain: Please let these ships be friends !

I ‘ship’ Cassian x Bix AND Cassian x Jyn. I see there has been some conflict in the past when the “new woman” was first brought in with the series, some that remains now, and I’m both saddened and bemused by that.

Rebelcaptain for me is a canon relationship… to a certain extent. I have no doubt that these brave heroes would have ended up together had they lived. That’s why I love it… the whole beautiful tragedy of what might have been, and the loyalty that binds people together when making a sacrifice like this. Were they actually in love, in canon? For me – no. Not yet. And that’s important for my personal enjoyment of Rogue One, especially its ending. As the novelisation stresses, Cassian dies without knowing Jyn as “There wasn’t the time”. And I simply don’t believe you can love someone without knowing them . But I enjoy the idea of exploring what would have happened had they lived. They are a perfect loyal “battle couple”, definitely my favourite fanon SW couple and great to imagine together. I see Rebelcaptain also as a way of giving them the happy ending they deserved. Oh - and the chemistry between Felicity Jones and Diego Luna on-screen is absolutely electric. In short and again: I have no doubt that they would have fallen in love had they lived and would have been perfect for each other. And they are a perfect fanon ship.

(^^ And I I think this is the exact moment in canon when they both acknowledge the loss of what might have been. It’s just heartbreakingly beautiful… )

Cassian x Bix - I don’t even think of it as a ‘ship’ per se as it is a 100% canon relationship, and one that is currently ongoing as we wait for Andor S2.. It’s fascinating to me – 17 years of friendship that has occasionally blossomed into a romantic/sexual relationship. It’s a genuinely unusual set up too. I’ve read a few takes that they are “over each other” by the time of the start of the series, to which I want to say … watch again, closely! They certainly have moved on to date different people, but it’s also very clear from their interactions (especially in the intense scene in Ep 7) that there is still a lot of extremely deep feeling between them – even if some of it is very negative. In the S1 production notes, the show’s creator Tony Gilroy says that they “are meant to be together… but it’s been impossible all these years. Now, she’s done with him … he’s burnt every last bridge .” Why? The series also provides the answer – Cassian is in many ways an absolute mess at the start of the season and Bix was quite rightly fed up with him as a boyfriend. He’s completely unreliable, likes short-lived affairs (often with married women - so no risk of commitment!), isn’t working regularly and has debts all over the place. This largely stems from his “unresolved childhood trauma”. He has a fear of “leaving people behind” and despite having a lot of love to give “ is so scared of being loved”. But he and Bix nonetheless prove to be incredibly loyal friends and their love in this platonic sense clearly runs very deep indeed. They have known each other since he was 10 so she is also something like a sister figure. Bix is still very protective of Cassian and takes personal risks for him… and he finally comes to appreciate this and pay back his metaphorical debt to her in the finale. The question now is what season 2 holds for them, if anything.

(^^ I love the way she is using her fingertips to push his hand off, as if to avoid the risk of too much touch. The gesture and look that says “Please don’t try and get close to me again because we both know how bad that is for us… but I’m such a total idiot when it comes to you that I will still very unwisely go out of my way to help you, especially when you look at me like that so please just don’t”)

Does loving their messy and complicated relationship mean that I want Cassian and Bix to ‘end up together’ ? No, and the obvious additional point is that they don’t! They are both going to be very different people at the start of S2 and over the following years of the story . Bix has been traumatised; Cassian has been radicalised. And that’s just the start. Perhaps they quickly drift apart. Perhaps some kind of betrayal is involved. Perhaps one or both of them will want to commit again to a relationship, but it’s impossible because of the demands of the rebellion (like Vel /Cinta). Perhaps Bix “ends up with” someone else (Brasso, ideally, especially if they both survive the season). Perhaps they will get back together at least for a while and enjoy a little last happiness before inevitable heartbreak. Perhaps all, some or none of these. But none of that stops me from loving and appreciating what they do have, what they have had up to now, and the intriguing dynamics of when they do interact on screen. Bix x Cassian attracts me as a fanfic ship because it’s all about exploring what is there and how it came to be, which is why I currently don’t write them beyond the present time of season 1. I’m waiting to see what happens next in Canon, as it were, because that to me is an important part of writing them. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying analysing the relationship by imagining them in the past.

So for me Bix x Cassian in no way impacts on Jyn x Cassian or vice versa, especially if you apply… real life principles rather than the ideals of fandoms: “soulmates” and OTPs. Many people – most people – will have a beautifully intense and loving relationship with more than one person at different times of their lives. I’m old – trust me on this one.

^^ Both relationships in these two scenes go way beyond romance. In the first - many years of close and loyal friendship. In the second: a bond created through brave and selfless sacrifice together. And for both: Cassian’s absolute hatred of being “someone who leaves people behind”: the quality that I love best about him. And saving each other. Literally and metaphorically.

And oh… it’s beautiful. Both moments are beautiful.

Edit: I won’t do any speculating here about the content of the trailers and articles. Except to say that there’s nothing in them that detracts from the emotional power of both ships. They can continue to happily coexist.

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mrsbrookemunson · 2 years ago

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For the insecurity prompt, could I request a nsfw scenario involving the reader feeling self-conscious about being quiet in bed? It'd be lovely to see Eddie being plenty turned on by a reader who is quieter during sex and not expecting a performance or forced moans.

Mhmmm— I love this one!!! I do feel there is a lack of diversity with in the nsfw Eddie community—reader is always loud, but what about the people who are quiet? We need to be represented!!!

Warnings: 18+, implied fem!reader, no use of 'y/n', insecure!reader (obvi), oral (f receiving), swearing, excessive use of the pet name 'baby' (I'm sorry), weird emphasizing, porn with a splash of plot, soft dom!eddie if you squint, slight aftercare, the fluffiest ending, most likely grammar and spelling errors, kinda shit writing, but hey—we all have our off days. I still hope you enjoy :)

Word Count: It's a blurb, so it's short and sweet.

Taglist: @strangerthingsstories5255 @totalmesstm @kiszkathecook @poofyloofy @beeblisss @stylesxmunson @munsonsguitarpick @mlvgren @dream-a-little-nightmare @munsonsuccubus @katsukisimpsblog @iheartyouyou @eddiebaemunson @emma77645 @eviethetheatrefreak @pappachismoth @erinsingalong @letitiasleftfoot @eddiesguitarskills @trixyvixx @myfangirlheartsblog @emxxblog @hufflepuffobsessedwithmarvel @prettiest-angel @ajokeformur-ray @livsters @cherrycolas-things @chloe-6123 @hazydespair @wolfstarsiriusly @steveharringtonswifey-09 @avobabe87 @expiredcum21 @luna-munson83

Series Masterlist | Eddie Munson Masterlist

~ Actions Speak Louder Than Words ~

Your back arched off the bed ever-so-slightly.

"Feels good, doesn't it baby?"

You nodded.

He mimicked you, tauntingly. "I know it does baby—shit—keep grinding on my face, just like that." He gripped your hips tighter, guiding you, setting a faster pace as his tongue flicked at your clit.

You let out a low hum, eyes rolling back into your head.

"So, wet for me—" He moaned into your folds.

You tried to respond with your own forced moan, but that made him stop abruptly.

"No, none of that fake shit, 'kay? Eyes on me—I know when I'm doing my job right. Just sit back and let me do my thing." When his mouth finds his way back into your pussy your eyes squeezed shut immediately. "Yeah—that's it." He sucks at your clit.

You whined, softly. "Eddie," you whisper. Your hand flies down to tug at his hair, roughly.

"Oh, fuck, baby—gonna make me cum and I'm just the giver here. See? No need for that pretty little mind of yours to go overthinking about things that don't matter, right? Right." His tongue slips easily into your hole, plunging in and down.

You tugged at his hair harder, making him moan loudly. You felt the bed begin to move as his own hips rut into the mattress.

"Keep rolling your eyes back like that f'me. Oh god," he moaned again. "You're so goddamn sexy, you know that?"

His nose brushed your clit, a breathy moan escaped you. Your hips start moving against his face faster, his tongue meeting your pace. Your right hand gripping his hair while your left one grips the bedsheet. Your toes curl as he laps his tongue over your clit over and over again. You almost begged him not to stop, but it all felt too good, you couldn't find it in yourself to speak.

Instead you indulged in the feeling of pleasure, selfishly.

"Gonna cum, baby?" he asked. His voice was high and breathy.

You nodded. And finally whispered a 'yes'.

"Fuck—me too. Gonna make me cum in my pants with how good you taste, and that face of yours. God, that face of yours." He chuckled, sending vibrations up your body. "The way your body reacts to me... Jesus, it by itself could send me to Hell with the thoughts it gives me." He hummed into you.

You shuddered, and squirmed. He had to press your hips down into the mattress with his hands just to get you to stop moving. But, he didn't mind, he loved the way you sighed, and the way you threw your head back, and the way you arched your back for him while you grind yourself into his face over and over again, tasting the sweet taste of you on his tongue, and—

"Fuck, fuck—baby, I'm gonna cum," he whimpered. He dug himself deeper into your pussy, set on getting you to cum on his face. "C'mon baby, c'mon please cum for me, need you to cum on my face."

He heard your breath hitch in your throat. Your chest heaving as you choked on your own breaths that quickened.

"Yes just like that, baby, just like fucking that," he growled.

"I'm cumming, Eddie," you warn, in an airy whisper.

Incoming slick covered his nose, mouth, and chin. Moaning when he felt a new wetness, a sweeter, more richer taste that graced his tongue. You loudly sighed, mouth opened in a silent scream as your body convulsed, waves of pleasure rifled through you. Eddie's moans got bolder as he drank in your cum, harshly humping the bed as he whimpered and cried into your pussy when he came along only moments after you.

You slightly whined due to overstimulation, but he was quick to pull away to get a closer look at your dazed expression. He stood upright off the bed. "Be right back," he mumbled.

You only nodded, watching him, lazily, as he ran out of the room. Only a minute later did he come back in with some water, and a clean face. "Got you this," he said, setting it down on the nightstand beside you.

He looked down at you with a soft smile in which you returned. He reached out and brushed some strands of hair away from your face. "I want you to know that it doesn't—it wouldn't matter if you were loud or quiet in bed. That would be weird if I only liked you because you were loud during sex."

You laughed a little. "Yeah... just a bit, but it happens, you know?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, well... you have nothing to be worried about with me. I love you, and you... I hope you know that you can turn me on with just one look—even a hug or a light touch on my arm for christ sakes," he claimed, dramatically. "There's not another person in this world that gives me the same effect you give me..." His smile turned sheepish. "Which reminds me that I need to go clean up. But, you—you stay right here. Get under the covers, get comfortable, I'll be right back." He rushed to his drawers, pulling out a new pair of boxers, nearly tripping on the way out to the bathroom.

You found yourself smiling as he did so. You got up and grabbed a shirt and a pair of his boxers to put on yourself and got under the covers on his bed. The smell of his cologne, the smell of weed and cigarettes, all in which lingered on his bed engulfed you. You found peace within it. Feeling a warmth in the center of your chest as you closed your eyes.

You soon felt the mattress dip beside you, a new weight of Eddie's arm around your stomach, pulling you into his chest.

"I love you." He pressed a sweet kiss against your temple. Another one on your cheek.

Your heart skipped a beat. "I love you too," you replied.

Then his heart skipped a beat.

Next Chapter: ... We don't know, yet.

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veronicaphoenix · 6 months ago

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Series: Into the Abyss of Bad Habits | masterpost Pairing: Noah Sebastian x Reader x Oliver Sykes

Hearts Like Ours. Additional multipart. Chapter 2: The Angel of Death | Words: 8k Summary: The morning after her breakdown, Reader does not expect to get any better until a certain person unexpectedly appears at her front door.

Tags and trigger warnings: established polyamorous relationship, angst, hard truths, anxiety, mentions of parent's negligence, comfort/fluff, noah only appears on phone in this part but he's mentioned throughout the entirety of the chapter, soft!oli, mentions of blowjobs, sexual content (spit used as lubricant, p. in v., protected).

Author’s note: this is mostly self-indulgent so bear with me, i love softness 🥹 It's also another attempt at writing something short and ending up with 8k 🫠 Regarding tags, I'm trying something new and tagging everybody down below in the comment section, given that as of lately a few people have reached out to tell me they didn't get the notification and I've read somewhere that tags indeed are not working well. So let's see if this does the trick.

When she woke up the next morning, her neck and stomach ached, a remainder that she had skipped dinner the night before. Sitting up, the two shirts she had slept with clung to her and then fell to the floor, reminding her why she had chosen to sleep on the sofa instead of the bed. She was alone. Noah wouldn’t be home for another three days, and Oliver was lost somewhere in the southern United States.

It was Saturday. How was she supposed to spend the entire day alone at home, with no work and no one around? She felt even more pathetic than she had the night before. What was happening to her? She hadn’t always been this dependent; she hadn’t always felt this miserable.

But then again, it wasn’t every day that your mother hurled insults at you and made you feel dirty in a way that was far from the real thing.

She ran her hands over her face. If only Luna were here... Given her age, Oliver had decided not to bring her to America, and now his father, Ian, was taking care of her.

Last year, they had talked about adopting a dog, mostly so she would have company when the boys were away, but with work and the idea of getting married, adoption had been pushed aside. Now she regretted not insisting more.

Still holding the shirts, she went upstairs and made a quick trip to the bathroom, overwhelmed by another wave of misery as she caught sight of herself in the mirror—eyes swollen from yesterday’s crying and her face as pale as a ghost. The sight of Noah’s and Oliver’s toiletries—their toothbrushes, shaving cream, face wash from different brands, a facemask Oliver had recently got from Lush…—only deepened her sadness.

Her deep sigh echoed in the empty space.

She had to eat something and get out of the house, get some sun and fresh air. She’d told Jack she would visit Sylvie, but the truth was she didn’t feel like it. She was happy for them. She was going to be an aunt. But she was feeling so blue that, she knew if she met Sylvie, both would end up crying, for totally different reasons.

So, she opted to tidy up and spend the day cleaning. That’s one of the things Noah used to do whenever his mind was not in the right place.

Before breakfast, she checked her phone, tempted to message the boys and tell them she was going through hell, that she couldn’t silence the voices in her head —especially her mother’s— and that she needed them because she felt like she was sinking. She wanted to swim to the surface but felt like she had a rock tied to her ankle, and she would probably drag herself to the bottom before they came home.

She hated being aware of the self-destruction her own mind subjected her to and not being able to do anything to stop it. It was a battle against herself that she couldn’t win. A battle she had fought before, and although it seemed she had won many times, those demons always came back sooner or later.

In the end, she just let Noah and Oliver know she was awake and, to distract them, sent a couple of photos of her underwear abandoned on the floor when she changed into somehting more decent. She knew that spending the whole day in pajamas would only worsen her state.

In the kitchen, she made herself a cup of tea and something to eat.

After having lunch on the back porch and letting herself be caressed by the sun in one of the hammocks, she went back inside, ready to spend the next few hours watching a comforting movie on the couch. Or perhaps an angsty one, and cry a few more tears. What did it matter now?

She remembered then she hadn’t picked up the mail for the past four or five days. A mix of excitemend and dread flooded her at the thought that maybe Oliver had sent a postcard from wherever he was, even if it was just from somewhere else in the country. He’d started doing that the previous year, and it was a sweet gesture that always warmed her heart.

Stepping outside, she found her neighbor Marina tending to her plants and flowers in the front yard, a lovely married woman in her forties with two children. They greeted each other, and Marina asked about the boys. She replied that there were still a few days left before they returned, and Marina, probably sensing her sadness, kindly suggested joining her at her house any afternoon for tea. It was a comforting gesture, though still far from the kind she truly wanted.

With only a couple of letter in her hands and no postcard from Oliver, she made her way back to the front door, only taking a couple of steps before the sound of a car pulling into the driveway and stopping made her turn around. The sight of the black Range Rover made her heart flip and almost lose her balance.

Oliver stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him without taking his eyes off her. During the short walk toward her, his green gaze remained steady and unwavering. He wore casual jeans and a t-shirt, exuding calm determination.

Before she could even react, he was in front of her, gently holding her face in his hands, and then he kissed her.

Her hands instinctively moved to his chest, her right one still clutching the envelopes. However she could, her fingers gripped his black tee tightly, as if fearing he might disappear at any moment.

His mouth was warm, his kiss passionate and urgent. She was left nearly breathless.

When she finally lowered herself from standing on her tiptoes and opened her eyes, her heart was pounding wildly.

“What are you doing here?” she managed to say, it being the only coherent thought she could muster. In truth, she didn’t care about the answer. It was enough that he was there in the flesh.

Oliver let out a sardonic smile. “Hello to you too, love,” he said, poking her nose. “Where am I supposed to be when my girl needs me?”

His words stunned her for a few seconds as he took her hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb.

Of course, it had to be Jack who told him.

“But—What about the tour? How did you get here so fast?” She asked, still gripping his t-shirt with one hand.

“We’d better go inside,” he suggested, nodding towards the house next door where Marina was watching them absently as she trimmed the dried leaves from her plants. Oliver waved at her, asking how she was with the easy charm of a gentleman.

Marina would have chatted for quite a while, likely making mention of his girl’s mood and asking Oliver the very questions she wanted answers to. But Oliver, sensing this, skillfully dissuaded her in less than thirty seconds, practically dragging his girl inside the house.

Once inside, with the door closed behind them, she dropped the letters on a small table in the entryway and threw herself into his arms, bursting into tears on the spot.

Having Oliver there, being able to hold him, inhale his masculine scent mingled with his perfume, and feel the brush of his long hair against her cheeks, felt like a miracle.

“Please, don’t go.”

“Love, I just got here.”

“I know, but I’m sure you’ll have to leave again in a couple of hours.”

With a resigned sigh, Oliver took her hand and guided them both into the living room, settling onto the couch.

Oliver observed her silently for a moment, studying her face for signs of the previous day’s tears and the sleepless night. They were all there, all too evident.

He gently stroked her cheek, and she leaned into his touch, savoring the moment, the warmth of his skin against hers.

“I can stay until tomorrow night,” Oliver murmured softly. “As soon as Jack called me, I booked the first available flight out of Houston. We have two days off until the next show. I have to be in Kansas City the day after tomorrow. But please, don’t worry about that now. What the hell happened?”

She struggled before mustering the courage to tell him.

She began with a vague summary of the events, but Oliver insisted on the details, wanting to know every word her mother had spoken.

She watched as he clenched his jaw, holding back a torrent of curses.

As a few more tears traced down her cheeks, Oliver gently pulled her into his embrace and fetched a box of tissues from a nearby coffee table.

“Why didn’t you wait until Noah and I were back?” He questioned, watching her wipe her tears. “We said we’d tell her together, precisely to avoid this,” he said, not intending to scold her but clearly unsettled by her decision to face her mother alone.

“I know, but I couldn’t shake the thought, and I didn’t want her saying anything hurtful to you, so I thought I could handle it on my own,” she confessed, sniffling into the tissue then dropping it on the coffee table.

“And did it do you any good?” Oliver asked, his tone soft, his gaze tender as he peered at her.

“No,” she replied, shaking her head, defeated. “It just made everything worse. I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours feeling miserable and missing you both terribly. Last night, I felt like I couldn’t breathe without you guys around. I just wanted to protect you…” she trailed off, her voice heavy.

“I know,” Oliver murmured, gently touching her face again. “But we protect each other, don’t we? We’re stronger together. If Noah and I feel low, we lean on you, and you make us feel better. That’s how it works. You have to let us do the same, doll. It’s taking you too long to get rid of this habit.”

She sighed, but she knew he was right.

“If you keep everything to yourself, then what’s the point of this? Of us? Of being in any relationship, for that matter?” Oliver continued, his eyes reflecting her own sadness. “We’re together because we love each other, and by love I mean that we’re by each other’s side under any circumstance. Loving us is not just you giving me and Noah blowjobs and letting us have our ways with you, baby. Loving us means you’ll let us know when you’re anxious, when you’re sad or angry. You’ll let us help you because we want and we love every part of you—the good, the bad, and everything in between. Wasn’t that clear?”

His words made her feel terrible, very aware of her mistakes, but she deserved it. If anything, to at least make her understand for once and for all that she had to lay her head on their shoulders whenever she needed, without a second of hesitation.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s just hard… because loving also implies that you don’t want the other person to get hurt, and all I was doing was…” she trailed off. There was no point. Her voice turned into a whisper and then into desperation fading into nothing.

Oliver squeezed her hand and placed it on his thigh, speaking gently.

“Listen, I know this is hard to accept, but you don’t owe anything to your mother,” he began. “Our parents made us, but we’re not meant for them. You’re meant for me and Noah. Everything else, everyone else, is just a bystander to your story. You can’t force them to be a part of your life if they don’t want to, darling. It sucks. It fucking sucks because sometimes you want people to be part of your life so bad… but they don’t want to be; they don’t want to share your happiness, they might not even understand it, and that’s okay.” When he saw her face, Oliver chuckled softly. “I’m not saying that the things your mom said were okay, but you get my point. You’re not meant to live your life by your mom’s wishes or follow in her footsteps. You don’t have to walk with her. You’re walking with Noah and me.”

Seen that way, from that perspective, Oliver was undeniably right.

She had spent much of her life trying to please her mother, striving to be a perfect daughter even when she wasn’t consciously aware of it. Since formalizing her relationship with Noah and Oliver, she had come to realize how many decisions she had made in the past with her mother in mind rather than herself. And now, with her mother’s rejection of her relationship with the boys, all that weight came crashing down on her.

Her mother didn’t want her, didn’t want a daughter like her. But as a parent, there’s only so much control one can have. She wasn’t a child anymore, she was an adult, and she had done nothing wrong. She had simply fallen in love. Hard and twice.

Loving wasn’t a crime, and as much as it pained her not to be able to share that happiness with her mother, as much as her mother couldn’t see how happy Oliver and Noah made her, she realized that her attempts to make her mother understand had to come to an end. After all, Oliver’s words spoke the truth: the most important people were the two of them, her fiancés.

Staring at the ring on her finger as realization dawned on her, she was filled with profound sadness. She had lost her father long ago, a man who had chosen to go his own way, unable to wait until his children were old enough to let them walk their own path and make their own decisions. And now, she felt she had lost her mother, too.

One parent had not waited to see her grow up; had not held her hand as she learned to walk the path of life. The other one was unwilling to see her walk hand in hand with two men.

Tears welled up in her eyes once more before she could stop them. She was a mess.

“I know it hurts,” Oliver’s voice soothed her, his hand running gently throught her hair, “but you gotta let it hurt until it doesn’t anymore. There are some things we cannot change, and this, I’m afraid, is one of them, baby.”

Seeking solace, she moved to straddle him, unable to bear the distance anymore. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head on his shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks and staining Oliver’s tee’s fabric. She let him envelop her in his embrace, pressing herself against his body as he held her close. He placed a couple of tender kisses on her shoulder and neck, offering her the comfort she needed.

She remained in his arms for a while, relishing the warmth of his body, the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat against her own, and the security of being in his arms. His whispered words of comfort in her ear were like a balm to her troubled soul.

She could easily drift off to sleep there, cocooned in his arms , feeling grateful that Oliver had dropped everything just to come home and be with her.

“Did you tell Noah?” She whispered, her lips brushing against his neck as she resisted the urge to move even an inch away from him.

“Yes, of course I did,” he replied, his hand finding the hem of her shirt and sneaking in to rub her back. She was soft as silk and he would be lying if he said he hadn’t missed the feel of her skin under his hands every single day and night he spent away. “But I want you to call him and talk to him. He’s worried.”

The sigh that escaped her this time was heavy.

“What?” Oliver said, teasing her. “Did you think that picture of your underwear on the bedroom floor was going to do the trick?”

She shrugged, not particularly caring.

“Come on,” he encouraged, pullling out his iPhone, resolute on not extending that dispiriting situation any second longer. “He might still be up.”

Without a chance to compose herself or check her appearance in the mirror, Oliver was already Facetiming Noah.

As soon as Noah’s face appeared on the screen, looking all cozied up in a hoddie and sat on his hotel bed, he saw her curled up in Oliver’s lap, her head resting on his shoulder with her tear-stained face, and his expression fell. Noah clicked his tongue, his brown eyes filling with sadness.

“Kitten..”

She tried to hold back another wave of tears and sobs. She sniffled and attempted to smile. But as soon as she uttered “I miss you”, she had to take a moment to steady her breathing and control her sobbing. Oliver pressed a kiss to her forehead.

A few moments were filled only with her soft crying, then, with some self-control, in the quiet of the house, she began to talk to Noah, recounting every hurtful thing her mother had said. Instead of feeling tortured by reliving those moments, she focused on the relief of sharing her pain with her boys, feeling lighter now that they knew.

Noah did his best to offer comfort from the other end of the line, though he knew it wasn’t a simple fix. He was just grateful that Oliver had rushed home to be with her, knowing that besides words of reassurance, she needed their physical presence.

Just as much as she needed them, he needed her and Oliver.

All those nights on the road, sleeping in bunk beds or alone in hotel rooms, had been manageable until he fell in love. Suddenly, sleeping alone felt like a punishment for every misstep in life. He understood her perfectly. And considering what her mother had said… Fuck. All he wanted was to be there for her, to hold her while Oliver comforted her, feeling complete with them by his side.

It was late where he was, and she could tell from the exhaustion etched in his eyes. Her own state wasn’t helping him at all, so she mustered the strength to encourage him to end the call and get the rest he needed. He promised her he’d be home soon. Just a few more days. Nothing would keep him from coming back home to her.

After hanging up, Oliver tenderly touched her face, his thumb stroking the side of her jaw as she breathed against him.

“You look tired, too,” he remarked.

“I didn’t sleep much last night,” she admitted.

“Want to take a nap? I could use one myself,” he suggested.

With a nod, she attempted to rise from his lap, but Oliver shook his head. He grabbed a folded blanket from the sectional and urged her to lay down as he nestled in beside her, letting her find a comfortable position with her head on his chest and her legs intertwined with his.

He enveloped her and covered them both with the blanket. He kissed her hair tenderly and she reciprocated by pressing a kiss to his clavicle. After exchanging whispered “I love yous”, she finally allowed herself to drift off to sleep, comforted by the presence of at least one of her boys being home.

Despite his own exhaustion after an impromptu flight and the whirlwind of the past twenty-four hours, Oliver found it difficult to fall assleep. He waited until her soft breathing indicated she was in a deep slumber before carefully disentangling himself from her arms and legs.

Ensuring she was covered with the blanket, he tiptoed to the kitchen, where he leaned with his forearms against the cool marble tiles of the island as he unlocked his phone and texted Noah.

Oliver: Still up?

Noah: Yep. Can’t sleep.

Without a second thought, he dialed his number, making sure to keep his voice low as to avoid waking her up. By the time he had filled a glass with water, Noah’s voice was on his ear.

“What’s up? Is she feeling any better?” Noah asked.

“She’s passed out on the sofa,” Oliver informed him after taking a sip. “But she looks tired, and sad,” he continued, glancing towards the open hallway door that lead to the living room, as if he could see her. He could picture her gloomy features from before she’d fallen asleep. “How about you coming back earlier? Could you make it?” He asked, aware of the significant distance separating them. Noah was in Europe, not just a few states away. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but if you could make it, give her a surprise, cheer her up… She doesn’t just need me. She needs both of us. And,” he made a pause before changing his tone, “you owe me a blowjob.”

“I don’t owe you a blowjob,” Noah replied, his voice rising slightly. “You didn’t send those tacos, man.”

“I’ll drive you to the damn restaurant.”

“Needy, huh?”

“Very. I want to see you before I hit the road again,” he admitted, then softened again. “She needs you here, Noah. Think you can make it earlier than scheduled?”

“Yeah, yeah…” he trailed off, as if preoccupied with something else. Oliver heard the clicking of a keyboard, muffled in the background. “I was actually just checking flights…”

“Oh, good.”

“The first one is in three hours. I could catch that one and—”

“In three hours?” Oliver exclaimed, furrowing his brow. “Dude, get some sleep first. I didn’t mean for you to—”

“I can’t sleep knowing she’s upset because of what her mom said to her,” Noah retorted, setting his MacBook aside and getting up from the bed. “We have a couple of interviews scheduled for tomorrow, but I’ll ask Jolly and Folio to handle them. I’m nearly done with my packing, so I can head to the airport in less than twenty minutes. If I catch that flight, I can make it home tomorrow before evening.”

“Fuck. Okay. That’s great. It’ll give us a few hours together.”

“Yeah, just come pick me up at the airport, all right?” he concluded. “Keep her distracted with something. Tell her you’re going to get a haircut.”

“Dude, she’s going to be glued to me the whole time because I’m leaving tomorrow night. And a haircut? That would be the lamest excuse after I left my own tour to be home with her. You have the worst ideas,” he complained as he shook his head. “Can you not get an Uber?”

“Just come pick me up,” Noah said, resolute, “and you’ll get that damn blowjob.”

An hour and a half later, her voice calling out for Oliver echoed through the walls of the house’s ground floor.

Oliver appeared at the threshold of the archway into the living room, holding a tray with pastries and two mugs of hot chocolate.

She blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes with one hand still half-covered by the fluffy blanket. Oliver struggled to decide if she looked adorable or too tempting to resist making love to her right there on the sofa.

“Am I dreaming?” She mumbled, prompting Oliver to let out a chuckle.

“Nah,” he replied, walking towards her. “These croissants were frozen. I thought Noah got rid of them after his lecture on how unhealthy and useless it is to buy frozen food, but surprise: he didn’t. So now I get to treat you,” he finished, setting the tray next to her. The smell of freshly baked croissants and hot chocolate filled her senses, and for a moment, everything felt perfect.

She gave him a tiny smile.

“Just don’t tell him I baked them for us,” Oliver added, his tone hushed, as if Noah was there and could hear them. He had changed into more comfortable clothes and was now wearing a white t-shirt and dark grey sweatpants she had washed and ironed more than two weeks ago.

“I will tell him,” she whispered, with a hint of mischief in her voice. Her sleepy face, however, made her look more adorable than mischievous.

Oliver rolled his eyes. “He’ll make me wear the maid costume and cook homemade sugar-free croissants for him as punishment.”

“You look adorable in that, though,” she commented, grabbing one of the croissants and using her other hand to catch the crumbs.

“Do I, now?”

She nodded, her mouth already stuffed with a big bite. Oliver smiled and touched the corner of her lower lip, wiping away a crumb with his thumb.

“Feeling any better?”

Swallowing, she nodded.

“What do you feel like doing?” he asked, still concerned. He had dropped everything to be home with her, so he would only do as she pleased. “Movie and cuddles?” he guessed. “We can take it easy and spend the rest of the day snuggled in here. We don’t have to go anywhere. We’ll order takeout for dinner, then maybe a hot bath before bed.”

She absorbed his words, blinking and chewing slowly.

That sounded like… Heaven.

Instead of quickly agreeing to his appeal, which was irresistible, she asked, “What time do you have to be at the airport tomorrow?” There was a note of anguish in her voice because she dreaded the answer. She just wanted him to stay for a while longer, to extend that dreamlike weekend that was, in fact, her real life.

“Not ‘til late at night. We have the entire day together tomorrow, don’t worry,” he reassured her again, taking his mug of hot chocolate to his lips. She watched as the dark brown liquid touched his lips and how his own tongue licked them clean afterward. “Let’s choose a movie and get comfy, yeah?”

The next fifteen minutes slipped away as they struggled to decide on a movie. By the time they settled on one neither had seen, the croissants were gone and Oliver had finished his chocolate. They cuddled through the entire film, occasionally shifting positions, playing with each other’s hair, and kissing. They made comments about the movie and chatted about he film and other trivial things.

By the time the sun began to set on the horizon, the house was enveloped in the serenity their nearly routine evening. She was in the living room, tidying up the small mess they had made, folding blankets, and arranging the cushions on the sofa. Meanwhile, Oliver busied himself in the kitchen, plating the takeaway food that had arrived just minutes before.

If Noah had been there, he would have been nearing his time out in the studio. Then he would’ve joined oliver in the kitchen to set the table.

That was a familiar routine, which happened at least once a week, usually on Fridays, marking the start of a long weekend where work was left behind and their time was fully devoted to each other.

Whenever the three of them were engrossed in individual tasks, especially in the afternoon or evening, the house exuded a peaceful ambiance. Sometimes, Noah would light incense and play relaxing background music as they went about their activities. If they crossed paths in the hallway or in any other room, Noah would grab her waist and pull her in for a kiss. If he encountered Oliver, she would hear a sweet exchange of words and laughs between them from the other room.

It was lovely, what they had built. A precious home and a beautiful family.

After filling their stomachs and clearing up the kitchen, Oliver urged her upstairs for a well-deserved hot bath, but she declined, stating that she prefered the shower.

As mesmerizing as the idea of a hot bath sounded, the reality was that, despite their efforts to get a larger-than-average tub for the master bedroom’s bathroom, Oliver was too tall to fit comfortably if she was also inside. What to say about Noah? He just outright hated bathtubs and found it a waste of space. It wasn’t that he couldn’t fit in with either of them; he simply couldn’t fit comfortably on his own.

After some persuasion, she finally found herself naked under the hot shower, with Oliver’s bare body behind her, his hands massaging shampoo into her hair. The intimacy of the moment was heightened by the familiarity of the shampoo the three of them shared.

They took turns washing each other, making sure to apply a bit of pressure here and there to relieve sore muscles, especially Oliver’s, strained from days of performing on stage for over two hours and getting to bed late. The physical demands of his routine weren’t always ideal, but she appreciated how they had toned his body over the years, giving him strenght and stamina. She relished his manly physique, a mix of rough and soft areas that she found squishy. She just loved every part of him.

When he got down on one knee to soap up her thighs, she took the opportunity to wash his hair, enjoying the sweetness that spread through her veins and to her heart when he pressed a few kisses from her navel down to her lower belly.

After they were thoroughly washed, Oliver rinsed his hair under the water one last time, throwing his head back and closing his eyes, lips parted, neck exposed and muscles on display as he moved his hair back with both hands.

As attractive as the sight was —which, under other circumstances, would have just gotten her on her knees, and not exactly to wash his thighs—, the part of her that craved a deeper connection took control. She wanted a closeness that went beyond the physical act of giving each other pleasure.

She wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her cheek to his chest, acutely aware of the ticking clock and the precious time slipping away from them.

Oliver didn’t say anything. He kept the water running and hugged her back, resting his chin atop her head. The mirror above the sink and the window overlooking the garden had fogged up, and the vapor was filling the room even though they had left the door open.

Minutes passed, the water turning cold, droplets hitting the tiles, her breaths soft and steady, following the rhythm of Oliver’s heartbeat. When she lazily ran her fingers down his back and wandered down to one of his buttocks, she felt him shiver slightly, and her curse nearly disrupted their peace.

“You’re cold,” she pointed out, peering up at him.

“It’s okay, love.”

But it wasn’t. Taking his hand, she turned off the water and pulled them out of the shower, handing Oliver his towel while she grabbed hers.

Oliver wasn’t done soothing her. He let her dry herself up and brush her hair. He left the bathroom for a couple of minutes to get some underwear, finding another one of Noah’s boxers in his drawer. Instead of pointing it out to her and reminding her that the boxers with the chibi drawings of Titan were Noah’s, he laughed and opted to keep them there. He would enjoy watching Noah huff and rummage through his own underwear looking for those specific boxers when he returned.

Returning to the bathroom only wearing black boxers, his wair still wet and dripping, he used the towel to dry it a bit before discarding it on the floor and refocusing his attention on his girl. She was occupied checking her eyebrows in the mirror, a habit he found amusing because he could never understand what she thought was wrong with them. Taking advantage of her distraction, he poured some hydrating lotion into his palm, rubbed his hands together, and kneeled to spread the cream on her thighs.

She let out a cry of surprise at the sudden cold sensation, but quickly adjusted to it and found herself enamored with the way he looked up at her as he massaged her body once more, tenderly applying lotion to her skin. The smell of lavender filled the room as he stood up to gently smooth it onto her shoulders, his hands moving in slow, soothing circles. She was truly getting spoiled as his touch traced the contours of her arms and back, each caress a silent promise of his love and devotion. She closed her eyes when she felt threathened by another wave of emotion and gratitude. She wouldn’t be hard on herself again and say that she didn’t deserve him, or Noah, but the truth was that they were too good to her, and her heart kept on swelling every time they shared a simple yet intimate moment as such.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said, her cheeks red—perhaps from shyness or perhaps because it was too hot in the bathroom.

“Shh. I love pampering you, and that’s why I’m here now. In two weeks I’ll be back to busy boyfri—fiancé, sorry, mode, with no time to shower with his loves because the artist’s life is a twenty-four hour job. So, rejoice,” he finished the sentence by touching her nose and leaving a stain of cream for her to spread.

She muttered an “ouch” and glared at him, nearly pouting at the truth of his words.

While that had been an isolated scenario and the timing of both bands’ tours had coincided leaving her alone for quite a long period of time, she couldn’t really complain about her job or about her life in the big picture. She was as happy as any girl could be with two men loving her unconditionally day and night, which made her aware that if somedays they were not attentive as she wished, it wasn’t because they chose to be distant. It was their demanding jobs, so different from her mundane one. Their careers sometimes took a toll on them, but it was a sacrifice they made for something they loved, and she admired them for it. They were passionate and dedicated, as they were with her, too. She would never ask them to prioritize her over their bands because they themselves knew when to put a stop to it and get their feet back on solid ground. It was sometimes a difficult balance to navigate, but with each other’s help, they knew how to make it work without letting it consume them anymore.

Her eyes followed Oliver as he walked barefoot to the other side of the bedroom, heading towards the drawer where he would find his worn-out clothes for sleeping. She watched with a tender expression as a smile appeared on his face when he spotted how neatly his t-shirts and sweats were stored in the drawer. As mundane and tedious as the task of folding clothes may seem, it was something both of them enjoyed doing together every once in a while—seated on the carpeted floor, picking up each item from the laundry basket and adding it to one of the three piles next to them: Oliver’s, Noah’s, and hers.

Folding clothes was sort of a meditation, and given that she had spent the last weekends alone, one of them had been dedicated to reorganizing the cupboards and drawers, including refolding all those clothes that had been thrown to the back of the cupboard.

She could have stared at Oliver for hours, but the clock would still keep ticking.

Licking her lips and rubbed the heel of her left foot on her right calf, her expression fell a little as she called out to him.

“Yeah?” He asked.

“Make love to me?”

Her voice came out as a whisper, a plea that he didn’t understand, for she didn’t have to ask for that. Ever. So he nearly laughed, but aware that maybe it wasn’t the best reaction, he dropped back into the drawer the clothes he had picked and walked to her, with determined strides, his green eyes focused on her as if nothing could make him look away.

“Did you even consider I wouldn’t intend to?”

�� Uncertainty clouded her eyes, but her hand released the corner of the towel she had secured atop her chest, letting the only fabric covering her body fall to the floor.

Oliver’s gaze fell to her breasts, and then down below, as if he hadn’t seen that same beautiful body, those edges and curves, merely five minutes ago.

She parted her lips to speak, to ask him to touch her, but Oliver was quicker. He picked her up in his arms, prompting her to wrap her legs around his waist. She stared down at him for a few seconds, struck by the light those green eyes contained, how much power to turn someone’s life into something beautiful with just one look.

Oliver carried her to bed. He laid her down on the mattress, her head propped up on the numerous pillows that Noah, ever the minimalist, didn’t understand. In a matter of seconds, Oliver discarded his boxers and crawled up to cover her body with his. Holding his weight on hands and knees, he bent his head down and kissed her, her hand sneaking up to the back of his head and tangling in his curls, still damp from the shower and with the lingering scent of the shampoo.

The kiss was hungry, desperate, wet. She kept pulling him down to her, as if she could do more than just kiss him; as if she could just drink him in, swallow him, keep him in her heart forever.

He already was.

His hand pushed at one of her knees, silently instructing her to open her legs for him. When she complied, he touched her folds, his fingers navigating her delights just for a couple of seconds before sinking two fingers inside of her, letting her wrap around his digits with welcoming warmth.

Her hips arched towards him.

“What do you want, love? Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you,” he murmured.

“Just you,” she sighed, knowing that he would always keep his promises.

Skipping foreplay, he removed his fingers from inside of her and sat back on his heels, asking her for a condom that she retrieved from one of the drawers on the other side of the bed. He put it on, then spat on his hand and covered her core with his saliva before leaning over her again, fusing his body with hers, one inch at a time.

He loved how her breath caught in her throat with every movement, every push in. Her eyes widened and her expression contorted into one of pleasure.

When he was finally settled in to the hilt, he sought her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers before placing their hands above her head, on the pillows.

He began to move. A delicate, sweet and hot cadence.

He understood that this time it was not just about pleasure; it was about the connection that having their bodies merged brought to each other. It was about finding peace and safety in the vulnerable state of offering yourself to the other, about the relief that it brought to her —and him— knowing they had found each other in this massive universe and that nothing else mattered at the time.

Just him, her, and the ghost of Noah, the lingering scent of him that still permeated his side of the bed, on the sheets that she had refused to change after they had left.

They kissed. Oliver swallowed her moans, relished in the way her nails dug onto his back, the way her thighs pressed him to her, the way she breathed him in and held him, wordlessly telling him she would never let him go.

Making love like that focused on the fire of their sexual energy, their passion, and desire, and let those align with their hearts and souls with every thrust and every cry in response. It brought them balance and harmony. It was something beyond the drive and rush experienced any other time, yet someething they needed all the same.

That night, she needed that, the slow pace, the eye-contact, and he didn’t mind. How could he? He was benefiting from it all the same.

Ever since Noah introduced them to this slower, more mindful practice, Oliver’s connection with both of them had deepened, and it had brought him closer to them (if that was even possible).

Lost in the passage of time, Oliver whimpered against her, his breaths ragged as he penetrated her over and over and as he looked down at her expression, her eyes closed because she was getting close, her mouth agape in pure bliss, little sweet and honeyed sounds coming out in waves, music to his ears.

A few thrusts grew harder and rougher unintentionally, and she moaned loudly, trying to supress a scream by biting onto his arms, right onto the inked angel of death that adorned his skin. One of his hands cupped her breast, squeezing and rolling her nipple between two fingers, giving her just the touch she needed. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, but his voice reached her ears as he told her he was about to come and needed to feel her climaxing around him, too.

The seconds that followed were intense, but not very loud. He spasmed inside of her at the same time that she arched to him, their hips meeting. They rode each other’s orgasms, and the mattress welcomed the dead weight of their exhausted and sated bodies a while after.

The bliss that came after that moment gave way to a heavy, contented silence filled with the heady and comforting fragance of sex.

Oliver’s body pressed down on her, just a tad sweaty, but she found her sanctuary in his embrace, only imperfect due to the missing weight pressing on her from the other side.

“Thank you,” she whispered after she removed some hair from her face and brushed her lips against Oliver’s stubbled chin. Her thighs trembled a little after she let them fall on the mattress, on either side of Oliver’s legs.

“Always,” he replied, tickling her cheek with his wild strands of hair and tracing a path of kisses down her jaw and neck until he could taste her nipple in his mouth. A moment later, he was back at her mouth, his large hand cupping her cheek, his words seeking reassurance of her well-being.

She sighed for what felt a long time. Her fingers, in the meantime, weaved into his damp hair, holding him close. The weight of his body on hers felt grounding, a reminder that he was there, real and solid. His presence and the feeling of him filler her, from the spot between her legs to her heart and soul, was a balm to her frayed nerves, soothing away the remnants of her ealier distress.

But still. Something was missing. Someone.

“I’m still upset,” she admitted after a breather from his kiss. She didn’t want to say it right after they made love, but she knew Oliver would understand. That’s what that entire day had been about: her understanding that he would listen, try to comprehend, and never ever diminish fer feelings and emotions.

“Why?” he asked. Their voices mere whispers in the night, in a room that also seemed to miss Noah’s presence. “Is it because I have to leave? Doll, Noah will be here in no time.”

“I know… I’m so happy that you’re here, that you came for me…” Her eyes had wandered down, slightly conflicted at her complaint. “But I want you both,” she confessed, loking back up at him. It wasn’t much of a confession because he already knew that. That had actually been the truth that had got them three together in the first place, the confession to Noah that had urged him to find Oliver and propose to him to share the girl of their dreams in the middle of a tour in the UK.

“I miss him, too,” Oliver reminded her, palming her hair, his cock still inside of her. He wouldn’t leave the warmth of her body until she asked him to. Missing Noah was one of the things he hated the most in their relationship. Sometimes they spent months without seeing each other. Oliver would come home and Noah would have left the day before, keeping them on opposite schedules. That was why last year, Oliver had tried to get Bad Omens to play in the same summer festivals as Bring Me The Horizon, so that at least they could be together after their performances and while traveling from one country to another, sparing the enormous pain of coming back home to realize the other wasn’t there yet.

It felt relieveing to share that feeling with her. It felt like missing him together took some of the weight off their shoulders. They would lean on each other and wait until Noah was back. Luckily for her —and for him— Noah was now on a flight on his way home, and unbeknownst to her, she would have both his boys home tomorrow, all devoted and willing to kiss the same ground she walked on.

“You know what I miss the most about him, actually?” Oliver started to say, his tone a bit more earning and cheerful as he rested his body weight on his elbows and as his fingers moved to reach her ears and start to play with her earrings.

“What?”

“That annoying habit of his of touching my legs with his bare feet under the blanket.”

Her laugh filled his heart with such relief that he couldn’t even put it into words. He had felt so anguished when Jack called him the day before. All he could think about was how she must have been coping alone after meeting her mother to tell her about the wedding. As Jack spoke to him on the phone, Oliver recalled that night after Jack and Sylvie’s engagement party. Noah and he had tried to make love to her to keep her racing thoughts away from the disastrous first meeting with the woman who would be their mother-in-law, but she had been totally restrained by her anxiety and so upset that they hadn’t been able to calm her down for two days.

He didn’t want her to feel like that again, and he knew her state would be even worse now since they weren’t there with her. That’s when he grabbed his phone, wallet, and passport, and headed to the airport.

“You know he does that on purpose, right?” she told him, remembering all the times she had been pissed at their antics on either side of the bed. She often found herself squished between their two bodies as Oliver kicked Noah to keep his naked feet away from his calves and Noah pretended to be half asleep while trying to touch him again. In the meantime, she was getting knocked from both sides, suffering Oliver’s kicks and the brush of Noah’s cold feet against her own. “He loves it when you squirm under the sheets.”

“Of course I know,” oliver admitted. “I’m going to make him pay for it one of these days.”

“I’d love to see that.”

Wriggling underneath him, Oliver understood she was getting uncomfortable.

He got up only to remove the condom and clean them up a bit, then tucked them both under the covers, letting her find her safety cocoon not on his chest or in the crook of his neck, but on his bicep, which she often mentioned could be used as a pillow. She found exceptional comfort in resting her head against the angel of death tattooed on his arm, his bicep big enough to offer the perfect-sized spot for her to drift into the realm of dreams.

The only thing missing was Noah’s arm around her stomach as she lay on her side, keeping her protected from all the evil in the world as he reached over to grab onto Oliver as well, his palm finding his place on Oliver’s hip.

They would keep their bodies connected and fall into a peaceful sleep, as if enchanted by a magic they couldn’t see but that was always there, always present in their love for each other.

CHAPTER 3: THE CROW WITCH - COMING SOON

#into the abyss of bad habits #oliver sykes x reader #noah sebastian x reader #bad omens #bmth #bring me the horizon #oliver sykes x noah sebastian #noah sebastian fic #oliver sykes fic #noah sebastian fanfic #oliver sykes fanfic

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ahgasegotarmy116 · 8 months ago

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Still With You | A Jeon Jungkook Series | Chapter Seven

Summary: Jungkook introduces you to his Hyungs but his jealous streak comes out and shows you the worst of him Pairing : Luna (reader) x Jungkook and Jimin, f2l love triangle Word Count: 4.5k~ Warnings: JEALOUS JUNGKOOK like I mean jealous, possessive, territorial the whole nine yards (and it's pretty hot ngl lmaooo) which leads into an argument, explicit language (I think?) making out and all that stuff a/n: I have part one through eleven written already so I figured I would just post this to fill up some space until the next update for my other stories :) Start from the beginning

As Jungkook leads me towards his hyungs I feel myself getting a little anxious. I know I'm safe with Jungkook but I'm on edge nonetheless since I'm still not sure why we're here. The guys turn their backs and start walking towards the building behind them and we follow close behind.

Looking around I notice that this place almost looks like the bare bones of a warehouse but from the looks of it someone has been working on remodeling it.

Once we get to the back Namjoon opens a door and leads us down a set of stairs onto what looks like a boardwalk. I knew we were getting close to the coast but I didn't realize we could get to a place like this so quickly.

As we make our way down the boardwalk I take that time to look at all the little shops lined up on either side of us that have been long forgotten and start to imagine what this place might've looked like in its heyday.

Getting too lost in thought I feel myself trip on a loose board, and before I even have a chance to react I feel a pair of hands on my waist steadying me before I fall.

"Hey daydreamer, you alright?" Tae says with an amused smile. "Yeah, sorry" I say, quickly tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear that had fallen out of place. "You don't need to apologize" he says warmly "Just watch your step okay? Do you want to hold my hand just in case?" he offers.

"No she's fine, I'll help her" Jungkook says coming out of nowhere and pulling me in by my waist from behind. With my back now up against his chest and his arm wrapped around my waist protectively I give Tae an awkward smile but I can see from his expression that he's clearly enjoying Jungkook's reaction. "Let me know if you change your mind" he says sending a not so subtle wink my way and giving Jungkook a devilish smile clearly taunting him.

"What is this place?" I ask aloud in hopes to direct Jungkook's attention to something other than boring holes into the back of Tae's head. "It's an old boardwalk that my uncle just bought" Namjoon answers having overheard my question.

"It used to be super popular back when he was younger but I guess people stopped coming once that new shopping mall opened up a couple of miles down the road. They ended up losing too much business so they finally closed up about 20 years ago, it's kind of been frozen in time ever since. He just started working on restoring it and he finally finished the arcade about a week ago, so I thought I would finally invite you guys to come and check it out!" he continues. He seems to be putting on a laid back act but I can tell he's really excited to show us.

I look up at Jungkook with my back still pressed against his chest and notice that he hasn't made an effort to follow the guys into the arcade. "Is everything alright?" I say seeing his jaw clenching. "Jungkook" I say hoping to bring his attention back over to me.

"Huh? What? What'd you say?" he says finally breaking out of that possessive headspace. "I asked you if everything was alright? You seem a bit tense" I say turning around to face him. "Everything's fine, it's just, I didn't like the way he was looking at you" he says finally admitting to his jealousy.

"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, from my perspective it seemed like he was trying to get a reaction out of you and you gave him exactly what he wanted" I say placing my hand on his arm.

"Kook I'm here with you. I came to meet your friends but I promise you, you have nothing to worry about" I say looking into his eyes trying to convey my sincerity. He looks away from mine and huffs, "Maybe it wasn't a good idea to introduce you guys".

"Aw come on they're harmless!" I say laughing at how moody he's been ever since we got here. "Plus Tae was just trying to make sure that I didn't fall" I say explaining the situation. "Yeah I know, I saw" he says looking back down at me. "So then why are you still upset?" I ask hoping to help him make sense of situation.

"I didn't like the way he was touching you either" he says, continuing to justify his reaction. "Oh come on it wasn't that bad, see?" I say placing his hands where Tae had touched me. Looking back up at him I now realize what he meant, and feel my heart rate pick up under his gaze.

"See" I say, clearing my throat, "It's nothing" I continue trying my best to convince him. He looks down at me and I can feel my skin burning up from the intensity of his stare, and then let out a small gasp as he quickly pulls me in by the waist.

"Now is it nothing?" he says into my ear in a tone that wakes up all of my sense. "Tae didn't do this" I respond in a breathless tone feeling the mood change drastically.

"Yeah, but he could've" he says continuing to speak directly into my ear, feeling his warm breath fanning my neck. He leans in closer and I soon feel his soft lips placing feather light kisses on my neck and now exposed shoulder.

"Jungkook" I choke out trying to keep a level tone. "What if someone sees?" I continue once I realize he isn't stopping. "Good, because then they'll know who you belong to" he says stopping his kisses only long enough to respond. He increases the intensity of his actions and walks towards me placing my back up against the wall of the building behind me.

I hiss slightly once I feel him start to bite and suck one spot, now realizing what he's doing. Before I'm given a chance to protest he crashes his lips against mine, swallowing the beginnings of an argument.

The kiss is rough from the very start, feeling him kiss, bite and suck on my lips with more intensity than I've ever felt. I try to suppress a moan from coming out but it's impossible from the way he has my head spinning.

Feeling myself running out of breath I press on his chest firmly and he pulls away from the kiss, resting his forehead against mine. Looking into his eyes and seeing the way he's looking at me makes it even harder to breathe let alone think and before I have a chance to say anything he whispers "Mine".

"Hey are you guys coming in or what?" Jin yells from the doorway. Jungkook takes a deep breath and calls out "Yeah we'll be there in a minute Hyung" not making efforts to move away from me just yet, but nonetheless Jin in turn retreats inside.

"I don't want anyone else touching you like this. Do you understand?" He says firmly. "Jungkook I already told yo-" I start in protest still feeling breathless. "I don't care. I just want you to know that I don't want anyone else being this close to you" he says cutting me off and making his stance clear.

"Okay" I respond, not really knowing what else to say. "But did you really have to give me a hickey to prove your point?" I question rolling my eyes at him.

"No, but it was a nice touch" he says with a smirk rubbing his thumb over the mark. "Oh so giving me swollen lips from making out wasn't gonna be enough for you?" I call after him as he walks away towards the arcade. "Nope" is all he bothers to say before opening the door and waiting for me to catch up.

"You're insufferable" I say as I walk past him and he gives me a light slap on my ass in response. I glare at him but am cut off before I can even utter a word of scolding by Namjoon asking me to come and play a basketball game with him. Gladly accepting I take the first chance I have to escape Jungkook before giving it a second thought.

"Have you played this game before?" he questions and then glances down at my neck where I can only assume is the place where Jungkook's mark has started to bloom.

"Uh yeah I have" respond shortly, turning away from him to place it out of his line of sight. He starts the game without any other questions and we keep going until the timer runs out.

"Yes!" he says exclaims in victory. "Yah!" Jin exclaims, having seen the exchange. "Don't be rude, you challenged her to your favorite game so of course you won" he further scolds. "It's okay Jin, I'm not very good to begin with but it was still fun!" I say trying to lighten the mood.

"Why don't you pick out a game and then we'll see who wins next" he says giving me a genuine smile which happens to be accompanied by two adorable dimples. "Sure! Best two out of three?" I propose excited for another chance at victory. "Best two out of three" he repeats in agreement.

"I would propose to play a few more but my guess is that he won't let me keep you for that long" he continues, nodding his head towards Jungkook who has his eyes trained on the both of us. "He can get over himself" I say turning back towards Namjoon.

"Now, what would you say to playing a round of Guitar Hero?" I ask excitedly. "I would say I should just accept defeat right away" he admits laughing at his lack of luck with said game. "Oh come on it'll be fun!" I say trying my best convince him to play. "Alright let's get this over with" he says shaking his head and laughing, knowing the future result.

"Man... you really do suck at this game Hyung" Tae says after watching the beating Namjoon just took from me. "Hey he tried his best" I say placing a hand on his shoulder trying my best to keep my composure.

"It's okay Luna you can laugh" he says giving me a painful smile. I can't help but break after being given permission and feel Tae joining right along side me as we laugh for a bit at Namjoon's clumsiness.

"I'm sorry Namjoon" I say, still trying to calm down. "It's okay, and call me Joon okay? Namjoon sounds way too formal coming from you" he says playfully.

"Alright Joon" I start, complying with his request. "What should our tiebreaker game be?" I ask, feeling the tingling sensation of victory continue to run through my veins. "Hmm" he says looking around the room before laying his eyes on a particular spot.

"Air hockey?" he suggests. I can see from his expression that he's trying to hide his confidence under an indifferent demeanor but what he doesn't know is that I haven't lost a game of air hockey in 7 years. Even Jungkook with his competitive spirt refuses to play with me anymore. "Sure, why not?" I respond following suit in trying to conceal my excitement.

Walking up to the table I look over at Jungkook and see he's still there watching me closely and I can see a smirk slowly growing on his lip. I don't make an effort to give him a reaction in return and turn back towards the table to grab a hold of the mallet. I feel the air turn on and notice that the puck comes out on Namjoon's side.

"Why don't you start?" he says making moves to hand me the puck. "No that's okay, age before beauty" I say and hear the boys laugh at my response as they all seem to have drawn their attention towards our tiebreaker challenge. "This is gonna be good" I hear Tae whisper to Hobi but I try my best to not let our little audience psyche me out.

Taking a deep breath I watch as Joon starts to place the puck on the table and sends it my way. I in turn send it back to him but bypass his mallet and hear the clinking sound signaling my first point.

All the guys react by laughing, cheering or teasing, but as the game continues I have yet to hear one voice during the entire match but I do my best to keep my head in the game nonetheless.

Once the time clock is close to running out I hear the boys countdown from ten and then feel that same thrilling sensation of victory I've felt time and time again as they finally shout out zero.

I celebrate my victory for a second or two along with the guys but after taking a couple of steps back from the table I cut my cheers short as I feel myself hit a wall of muscle accompanied by arm slowly wrapping around my waist.

"Good job Noona" Jungkook says in a low voice fanning his breath against my neck again making me shiver at the unexpected contact. "How many wins in a row is that now?" he continues, speaking softly enough so I'm the only who can hear. "I-i've lost count" I stutter for a second and clear my throat immediately after.

"I'd expect nothing less from my champion" he says as he rubs his nose into the side of my neck, taking a second to gently breathe in my scent before taking a step back making his hold a little less intimate.

"Wow Luna! I had no idea you would be that good! I can see why Jungkook has always been so competitive being friends with someone like you" Hobi says with a big smile on his face. "Thanks! I think?" I say confused as to if I should take it as a compliment.

"You're a worthy opponent Luna, I'll give you that" Joon says coming up to me and giving me a high five. "You too! Not gonna lie, it bruised my ego a bit losing the first game but I guess you could say it kickstarted my competitive nature" I laugh.

"Thanks for asking me to play with you!" I continue, giving him a friendly smile. "Anytime" he responds reciprocating my smile. "Hey Hyung I think Jin Hyung is looking for you" Jungkook says while pulling me in closer. "Oh alright, I guess I'll go see what he wants then" he says and makes his way over to the man in question.

"You know you don't have to do this right?" I say turning around to face Jungkook who is still holding me. "Do what?" he says feigning innocence. "This" I say running one on my hands up his arm. "I always do this though" he says in defense. "Jungkook I already told you that I'm not interested in any of them" I say trying to reassure him yet again.

"It's not you that I'm worried about, it's them" he says glancing over at his Hyungs, now surrounding Yoongi and Hobi while they compete in some sort of racing game. I don't bother to look at them for too long so as to not give him another reason to be jealous and continue on with our discussion.

"What about them? They didn't do anything" I say confused, "We were just playing games, it's not like they hugged me or something. You made it very clear from the start that you didn't want that to happen" I say trying to explain away whatever he was worrying about.

"You do realize that almost all of them were checking you out the whole time right? Especially when you were leaning over the table" he says sliding his hand down lower on my waist. "Jungkook it's whatever, don't let it bother you" I say trying my best to get him to drop it but he persists nonetheless.

"But it does bother me Luna. I'm in love with you, and I know you haven't fully figured out how you feel about me so, I don't know, I can't help but feel insecure" he finally fully admits.

"Jungkook I'm sorry but I don't want to rush into something right now. Give me some time and I'll let you know soon okay?" I say in hopes to reassure him that I'm still thinking about us. He nods his head in response and leans in to kiss me and I turn my face to the side and make him place it on my cheek instead.

"Time Kook" is all I say and pull away from him before he can pout any further.

Walking over to watch the madness that is this racing game unfold I feel someone take a hold of my hand. "Luna can I talk to you for a second?" Jin says as I turn and make eye contact with him. I politely slide my hand out of his grasp and nod my head yes, following him to the other side of the room so we can talk.

"What's up?" I ask looking up and seeing his unreadable expression. "Is everything alright between you and Jungkook?" he questions straight away. "Yeah! Why wouldn't they be?" I question trying to figure out exactly what he's trying to ask me.

"Well, ever since I saw you guys get out of Jungkook's car I noticed that things were really tense between the two of you. I know we just met, and I haven't really seen what your relationship with Jungkook is like normally, but I can tell that there's something going on" he continues doing his best to be considerate but also wanting to get some answers out of me.

"I just want to make sure that you're feeling safe and comfortable around him. I know you guys have been friends for forever from what Jungkook has said but I just want you to know that if you ever need to talk or want me to talk to him just let me know" he finishes, fully explaining his motives. I'm taken aback by his maturity and observation of the dynamic that Jungkook and I have going on and am honestly touched by his concern.

"Thank you Jin that really means a lot to me. Things are kind of rocky and uncertain between us right now but we'll get through it" I say trying to wrap things up neatly. "How long ago did he tell you he has feelings for you?" Jin says not wanting to drop the subject.

My eyes widen realizing that Jin saw a lot more than I wanted him to when he came outside. "I- um-" I fumble for a second before settling on just telling him the truth. "Last night" I admit.

"And what did you say?" he prods further. "I told him that I needed time to figure things out. I just barely caught onto the fact that he might have feelings for me a few days ago so everything about our relationship has just switched up drastically and I just haven't had time to think about it all" I respond dropping my gaze to the floor.

"You're scared of losing him aren't you?" he ask when he knows for a fact that he's right. I nod my head in response not really knowing how else to respond. "Luna, that boy is crazy about you! He's always thinking about you and bringing you up in any and every conversation he can. Not to mention how many times he's ditched us to go see you. Not that I'm complaining" he laughs trying to lighten the mood.

"He would always tell us how much he likes you and would pout when you were taking too long to respond or had to cancel on him because of work. I highly doubt you would ever lose him even if you tried" he says smiling down at me. "

All I'm trying to say is that he loves you and cares for you a lot. If you want him to back off let me know and I'll talk to him. I know what it feels like to be put under pressure, especially when it comes to relationships so know that I'm here for you if you need anything" he finishes.

I thank Jin for his advice and make my way back over to the guys just in time to see Yoongi cross the finish line. Unfortunately for Hobi he comes in last, having somehow managed to get his car stuck going backwards off a cliff and can't seem to get it to respawn in time to catch up.

While Hobi does his best to get Yoongi to give him a rematch I feel someone bumping their shoulder into mine and turn to see Tae looking down at me. We make eye contact and then see him turn his head over to another part of the arcade and makes his was over there.

I turn back towards the group of guys trying to find Jungkook in the crowd and notice that he's finally taken his eyes off of me to talk to Namjoon. I take that as my chance and follow after him to see what exactly he's wanting to do.

"Hey Luna" he says with a soft smile leaving me retuning his greeting and inquire as to why he's brought me over here. "I just wanted to see if you're having fun. You really killed it in that game against Namjoon hyung" he says with an amused smile. "Yeah it was really fun! I'm glad he asked me to play" I say truthfully turning my attention over to the other games in that area.

"Have you ever played this game?" he motions over to a Zombie Apocalypse simulator. He walks over towards it and I watch as he climbs inside the little two seater cubby that shows the war torn landscape on a big screen. I walk over to it and observe the setup.

"I haven't. Is it scary?" I ask, apprehensive to trying out such an immersive game. "I don't really think so, you just gotta keep on telling yourself it's not real but also do your best to defend yourself. It's a delicate balance" he says with an encouraging tone.

"You wanna try it out?" he offers, scooting away from me so I can sit next to him. "Sure" I say coming around to the idea after hearing his explanation. He pats the space next to him inviting me inside and hands me the gun that is directly in front of me once I get inside.

I mutter a quick thanks and feel myself getting a bit nervous from being this close to him but I do my best to focus on the task at hand.

"You ready?" he asks making moves to set up the game. "Ready as I'll ever be" I say with a nervously. "You'll do great!" he says giving me a warm smile. He pulls the trigger after having chosen his gun and has me do the same.

The pace starts off slow with a couple walkers here and there and soon escalates to more and more coming faster and faster. I flinch a bit seeing one having jumped on to the screen and do my best to get him off of me.

Tae aims his gun over onto my side of the screen to help me out and we quickly get it off and we continue on finishing the final round.

"Wow you're really good at this!" I say impressed with his skills. "You're not too bad yourself" he says bumping his shoulder against mine again making me smile at the friendly gesture. "Do you wanna play again?" he proposes the idea but I'm soon cut off by another voice.

"Hey no fair! You can't keep her all to yourself! Luna why don't you come play with me? I'm sure you'll find it very... stimulating" Hobi says in a suggestive tone while leaning on the side of the game where I'm now held captive between the two of them.

But yet again before I'm able to respond I see Hobi being pulled back and feel someone yanking me out by my forearm.

"Luna get your stuff we're leaving" Jungkook says dragging me towards the exit. "Jungkook hold on a second let me grab my bag!" I say trying to pull out of his grip. He loosens his grip on me just enough to place his hand in mine and have me lead him towards the spot I had left said bag.

Once I do he pulls on my hand and leads us towards the exit yet again. I see the guys take notice and send me a questioning look, observing the situation and contemplating whether or not to intervene. "Bye Luna" is the last thing I hear before the door closes behind us.

"Jungkook wait!" I say in protest waiting for him to listen to me yet he continues to pull me towards the building we had once come through.

"Jungkook STOP!" I yell at him finally being able to yank my hand out of his grip. "What?" he exclaims but does his best to keep his voice level. "What was that all about?" I say, finally given the chance to question his behavior. "I told you I didn't want them to be that close to you!" he says defending himself.

"Tae and I were just playing a game and then Hobi came over seconds after we had finished our game. It's not my fault that he was trying to get closer to me. And if you had given me a chance to speak for myself I would've taken care of it" I continue, poking holes in his argument.

"You shouldn't have been that close to Tae in the first place. I told you how it makes me feel when stuff like this happens" he continues trying to patch up his reasoning.

"Jungkook you're not my boyfriend!" I say finally fed up with his controlling behavior, but immediately regret it as soon as the words left my mouth. Seeing the slight change in his already frustrated expression I know I've hit him where it hurts. "You're right, I'm not" he says and turns his back to continue down the path leaving me behind.

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fanfic-lover-girl · 10 months ago

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The HP Epilogue: JKR's trashfire ending to a trash book series

I was reading snippets from the epilogue for the first time and everything about the epilogue is just frustrating. And I want to share things I found intolerable about it to let off steam. These are MY opinions so if you feel differently, I am happy for you. But here is a summary of my gripes.

The names of the Hinny Harry's kids

James Sirius. Albus Severus. Lily Luna. I can empathize with wanting to honour people you love by naming your kids after them...but this is just overkill. Not one of Harry's kids has an original name. Not one! And I said Harry's kids because it seems like Ginny had absolutely no input in the names. If I am being generous, maybe the Luna name was hers, but given the naming pattern of the kids, I am sure that Luna references Lupin and not Luna Lovegood. Sometimes I feel as if Harry has a domineering vibe in Hinny and the kids' names are not doing any favours to combat that. Not surprising as everything about the Hinny romance was dictated by Harry's wants. Who cares about Ginny?

Muggleborne discrimination is bad but pureblood discrimination is A-ok

‘You’re right, sorry,’ said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, ‘don’t get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pure-blood.’

I could not believe my eyes when I read this. It's like Ron forgot that HIS family is pureblood! It's the same vibe as a black parent telling their black or mixed kid not to marry another black person! Luna is pureblood! Neville is pureblood! Do the Weasleys have some kind of self-hatred?? Another point to purebloods slowly dying out but who cares? As far as JKR is concerned, the wizards should be aiming to all be mutts with mixed blood :)

BTW the Scorpius/Rose pairing fills me with revulsion. I like Albus and Scorp as friends though! But not so much as lovers.

Marriage is the only way to be truly part of a family

‘Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!’ whispered Lily ecstatically. ‘Teddy would really be part of the family then!’

Got some heavy Hinny vibes from this line of dialogue. Harry did not become a true Weasley until he got with Ginny after all :)

I know Lily is a kid and she means no malice, but I truly felt disgust towards this line. It just bothers me, especially in the context of Hinny and how Ginny functions as a way for Harry to become a Weasley member. Teddy is Harry's godson, he should be like a big brother to Lily. How does becoming a cousin-in-law make him more of a family member compared to being her surrogate big bro??

Do Hogwarts alumni swear an oath of secrecy?

‘And you don’t want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts,’ Harry put in.

He had never told any of his children that before, and he saw the wonder in Albus’s face when he said it.

So James Sirius is telling Albus Severus exaggerated tales about Hogwarts similar to what the Weasley twins did to Ron. But how is this possible? Do the parents not talk about Hogwarts to their kids? If my kid was going to my alma mater, I would tell him/her all about the school when I went there. I don't understand why it seems like parents don't talk about Hogwarts. At least Draco's parents seem to talk to him about the school at least.

Muggle abuse is still funny Ha. Ha.

‘As a matter of fact, I did Confund him,’ Ron whispered to Harry, as together they lifted Albus’s trunk and owl on to the train. ‘I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let’s face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that.’

Remember that Ron is an Auror! A wizarding cop! But nah muggles are still lesser than wizards so even a guy like Ron who's supposed to be a good hero character feels no shame in messing with their autonomy. Ron is literally so disgusting in the epilogue. Never thought I would end HP finding Ron the least tolerable of the trio when Ron is usually my fav of the 3. Not that the bar is very high for the other two.

JKR really does not like Draco

His hair was receding somewhat, which emphasised the pointed chin.

Of course, JKR can't end the series without throwing more shade at Draco. He's rocking the middle-aged man look, only has one kid and has a love interest that we know squat about. And then in CC, Draco's wife dies! Sigh, I really hate Drastoria...

All is not well

There is still house discrimination. Magical creatures likely still have fewer rights. Aurors like Ron and everyday wizards abuse their powers against muggles. Purebloods are dying out. Wizards like Albus act like they did not grow up in a magical world, aka wizards still have low brain cell counts. But sure, Harry's scar is fine so ALL IS WELL!

I can't believe there are people out here calling JKR a good writer! I see the vast potential of the book series and I feel so sad sometimes. I am so happy that HP never existed in my childhood.

#harry potter series #anti harry potter #harry potter epilogue #hp 19 years later #weasley family #anti hinny #ron weasley critical #anti jkr #draco malfoy #harry james potter #james sirius potter #albus severus potter #lily luna potter #anti scorose #anti drastoria #muggle discrimination #pureblood discrimination #draco deserved a better author

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loraluna · 1 year ago

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Rating Rune Factory Children

(Because I play favorites)

Rune Factory (1)

1/10

Cute but not much else to say. You have to wait a ridiculous amount of in-game time to get one short cutscene meeting your genderless nameless child (Game doesn't even bother to give them pronouns) and then never get to interact with them again. Disappointing.

Rune Factory 2

8/10

A unique idea that the series has yet to implement again, this game let you play through the second half of the game AS your child from the first half, and honestly It was a cool concept even if the gameplay got a little wonky and unbalanced near the end. The game also introduced the first female protagonist to the series, Aria (left). She and her twin Aaron (right) actually had some personality of their own and even had unique interactions with the other villagers and children of the town. Cool concept and solid designs. I just wish you could interact with them a little more as a parent before the timeskip.

Rune Factory Frontier

7/10

I may be a little biased here, as this was my intro to Rune Factory, but I love these kids. Default names; Leif and Leona, are the first, and so far only, RF children you can interact with at multiple stages, these kids have several cutscenes documenting different milestones and are quite cute to watch. Once they reach the final stage, they don't do much besides toddle around the farm and look cute. You can gift them certain items but that's about it. Still, It's refreshing to watch your kid grow over time as apposed to the usual montage you get with RF kids.

Rune Factory 3/ Rune Factory 3 Special

3/10

They get bonus points for being the first in the series to let you have multiple kids (up to three) problem is, there's not much difference between em. The birth of each one plays about the same and while there's technically some different "personalities" it's more like each kid get a random lot of four or so unique lines of dialogue and that's it. There are also just the two sprites so if you have two or more of either gender they'll be identical, no matter the age difference. You can't gift them and they don't sleep, leave the house or even show up on the map. Honestly they're little more than cute house accessories.

Rune Factory Tides of Destiny/ Rune Factory Oceans

4/10

First off, please pardon the crappy quality. This game doesn't have traditional character portraits so it's hard to find decent quality pics. Tides of Destiny kiddos were the first in the series to inherit physical features from the player's spouse. (Pictured are Electra's daughter and Sonja's son) They appear to use the same child models as Frontier with some minor cosmetic changes but I liked Frontier's kids so no complaints there. I do wish they had real portraits and more dialogue but they're okay. At least they'll accept gifts and the events leading up to their births are quite wholesome.

Rune Factory 4/Rune Factory 4 Special

9/10

RF4's kids are darn near perfect. Luna and Noel have identical dialogue but they have more to say than any RF kids before or possibly since. There are TONS of unique exchanges and events with them, they participate in festivals, and most interesting of all, you can equip them with gear and take them adventuring! These babies are really something special. If I had to pick one complaint, I'd say I wish they looked liiiittle more like their concept art. They look like they both got aged up a little, which isn't bad but they do look barely younger than some of their possible parents...

Rune Factory 5

9.5/10

Rune Factory 5's children are right up there with Noel and Luna, but they get a slight advantage when it comes to customization. Like RF3 this game lets you have up to three kids, but unlike that game, these kiddos are treated like actual characters. Depending on your choice of spouse and your answers in a particular conversation, your kids can have a variety of looks and personalities, including the fan favorite feature of inheriting hair and eye colors from the spouse, and continuing along that customization train, these babies can once again go adventuring! My one, one small gripe...It'd be nice if your eldest could grow a little by the time their siblings are born. Heck, it'd be cool if the villagers kids could grow too. I'd love to see teenaged Julian and Hina~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So there's my thoughts on the Rune Factory children. I hope future installments continue the trend of more giving their kids more personality and better customization, maybe someday we'll even see kiddos inherit traits from non-human parents? How cool would that be if your kid could actually look half elf or mermaid or furry wereanimal? XD

If you agree with me (or strongly disagree) feel free to comment. Always up for discussing my favorite franchise~

#rune factory #rune factory 2 #rune factory 3 #rune factory 4 #rune factory 5 #rune factory frontier #rune factory tides of destiny #rune factory oceans #rf4 special #rf3 special #rf

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marta-diablo · 1 month ago

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‘Noel and Julian were possibly aroused’: The Mighty Boosh turns 20 – in pictures

‘Something magic happens when they get together’

While filming the surreal comedy, Dave Brown AKA Bollo was on hand with a camera to snap awkward kisses, creepy venues … and crack foxes ordering pie and mash

Tony & Dennis (Series 3 – The Strange Tale of the Crack Fox, 2007)

Dave Brown: ‘Lunchtime on set was a feast for the eyes. It was always a treat seeing cast members milling about munching on a jacket potato with ridiculous full face of makeup, asking for more cheese on their beans. Here, Noel Fielding (Tony Harrison) and Julian Barratt (Dennis the Head Shaman) pose for a quick shot before tucking into their pasta bake. Behind the Boosh 20, an exhibition by Boosh cast member Dave Brown AKA Bollo, is at the pop-up Behind the Gallery, London, 10-13 October. All photographs Dave Brown

Up on the Roof (Series 3 – Party, 2007)

‘During a particularly long scene, Noel and Julian look a little nervous and possibly slightly aroused as they contemplate their upcoming big kiss scene. I love the light and composition of this shot’

Tony & Saboo (Series 3 – Eels, 2007)

‘This was a particularly special scene. On Head Shaman Dennis’s stag do, Saboo rubs sun cream into Tony Harrison’s smooth pink crease, saying: “Don’t leave it in thick blobs, rub it in. Factor seven?! Shit off! I need factor 67 you ball bag!” It was always a hilarious pleasure to witness Noel and Richard Ayoade riffing off of each other in scenes, kinda like jazz, but jazz on bikes. Two very funny humans in ridiculous costumes at the top of their game, trying to out laugh each other with hilarious absurdities’

Luna Looks (Luna Park, Melbourne comedy festival, 2001)

‘Noel throws me his best blue steel look beneath the giant face of Luna Park as I lie on the pavement among the chewing gum and cigarette butts trying to get the angle. Melbourne festival was always very special, such an amazing city with brilliant crowds’

Come Play With Us (Aberdeen Future Sailors Tour, Press and Journal Arena, 2008)

‘The last gig of an insane tour. A strange place to end things after 99 dates that included Brixton, Wembley, Manchester and Sheffield but still, it was a great gig. Rich Fulcher was doing his usual dicking about pre-show in the corridors, grooving to tunes, practising his fossil moves. As I walked around the corner he was at the end and the blue suit reminded me of the Shining twins. I took two shots of him stood holding his own hand then comped them together. Way more terrifying than Kubrick’s version’

Hitcher Nabootique (Series 3 – Eels, 2007)

‘Loved this set: the sign, the lighting and one of my favourite characters, the Hitcher. Him walking up to the door in the rain was just a perfect moment to capture. All undercut by the ridiculous graffiti. Not sure why “loose change” makes me laugh so much, it’s one of those perfect examples of Noel and Julian’s writing and their way with language’

Noel Draws (Noel’s House during the Future Sailors Tour, 2008)

‘I spent many an evening pre-tour and sometimes during tour, in my flat or at Noel’s place, scribbling artworks for tour posters, DVDs, the book. The two of us produced all of that material. Old art school mates getting busy with the fizzy. We could draw those Boosh faces in our sleep, which became a bit of a problem some nights on tour in posh hotels’

Moody Naboo (Series 3 – Journey to the Centre of the Punk, 2007)

‘Naboo was indeed an enigma. Often found gazing into the middle-distance meditating deep astral conundrums, solving some of the world’s biggest problems and answering those age-old impossible questions like what flavour Pot Noodle he was going to have later when watching Columbo. Here is one of those moments in-between scenes shooting series three in a warehouse in a disused Ministry of Defence site somewhere in Surrey’

Foxy Man (Series 3 – The Strange Tale of the Crack Fox, 2007)

‘One of my favourite characters: those two voices, the laugh, the costume and makeup, terrifyingly hilarious! This is me capturing Julian just after lunch break walking back on set. It was a wonderful vision seeing the Crack Fox stood upright on two legs by the catering van ordering pie and mash from a visibly disturbed catering assistant, all while the real hungry Hackney crack foxes looked on through distant bushes in awe and jealousy’

Fossil Faces (Series 3 Rehearsals – American International Church, London, 2007)

‘Rich isn’t really acting in The Boosh. The character Bob Fossil is 92.4% Fulcher. A force of nature, he will crush any down moment anyone is having with his comedy fists and have you wetting your little blue pants in a hot minute. These shots were taken during rehearsals for series three in the American church on Tottenham Court Road in London. It was a pretty intense afternoon with some writing issues and a few moody clouds brewing. Then Rich provides these six faces and everyone’s laughing again’

Hippy Boosh (Series 2 – The Call of the Yeti, 2005)

‘Vince, Parsley and Naboo in full Polyphonic Spree get-up in front of the big blue studio 11 doors at 3 Mills Studios in east London. We’d just been shooting the song scene in Call of the Yeti and I was still in my Bollo suit. It always amused me when cast and crew from other shows filming at 3 Mills would walk past and assume this show had a Gorilla as the official set photographer’

Bendelack Directing (Pilot Episode –Tundra, Pinewood Studios, 2003)

‘Steve Bendelack directed loads of our favourites: Lee and Herring, Newman and Baddiel, League of Gentlemen. So when he was directing the pilot episode of Arctic Boosh at Pinewood Studios it was a pinch-me moment. Paul King took over from Steve when the first series was commissioned by the BBC. Steve was no doubt busy on something else. Or maybe he swerved it? Stewart Lee, who directed Noel and Julian in the Arctic Boosh stage show for the Edinburgh fringe in the late 90s, said it was like ‘trying to direct smoke’

Mutant Readers (Series 1 – Mutants, 3 Mills Studios, 2004)

‘Mike [Fielding] having some down time in his dressing room sipping on a brew and glancing across at a coupon for 10p off Monster Munch. Two trained thespians sit beside him on the smallest sofa in Europe; one reads a crime novel and an unshaven Pete from Dixons in the middle reads about how Bolton are on the brink’

Graffiti (Series 3 – The (Power of the) Crimp, 2007)

‘I’ve known Noel for over 30 years and Julian for over 25. Something magic happens when those two get together. They’re one of the great double-acts. It was never easy getting a decent shot of them together. Noel on his own was easy; he’d spot a camera lens a mile away in heavy fog. Julian, on the other hand, was usually eating, talking, squinting those already tiny eyes or hiding somewhere in a cabinet. I love these two nincompoops like brothers’

#Noel Fielding #Julian Barratt #Dave Brown #Mike Fielding #Rich Fulcher #The Mighty Boosh

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cherryslyce · 2 years ago

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Second Son (VII) | Regulus Black

Series Synopsis: Forbidden from contacting Harry over the summer, you opt to explore the eerie halls of Grimmauld Place where you stumble upon a lonely portrait of the House's second son.

— Chapter Synopsis: The summer before your sixth year is another fruitful one spent at Grimmauld Place. Regulus and Y/N have an insightful conversation and grow closer than before.

Part VI / Part VIII / Series Masterlist

Pairing: Regulus Black x GN!Reader

Notes: Cheers to another summer break! The not canon compliant warning is starting to become more apparent. The slow burn is burning a bit.

The weeks following the confrontation at the Ministry left the Wizarding World at a standstill, the alleys and streets seeming to grey and titter in jumbled whispers and conspiracies. Minister Fudge could no longer make a public enemy out of Harry, having witnessed the return of Voldemort for himself. Unsurprisingly, Fudge resigned shortly after Dumbledore was reinstated.

Despite the retreat of public scrutiny from his back, Harry fared no better than he had the summer before, conceivably managing far worse. You don’t remember much after Sirius’ attack, only that Luna quickly rushed to your side and grabbed Regulus’ portrait from your hands, hiding it in your jacket as Auror Tonks made her way over to your glass-eyed form.

You could never thank Luna enough because you distinctly remember being unable to feel your limbs due to shock, and you’d rather not have to explain your portrait predicament. Tonks’ words barely registered, but you heard one thing loud and clear: Sirius was not dead.

But he did not get better.

Currently, he occupied a suite room at St. Mungo’s, his consciousness torn away as he remained in a frigid coma. After Harry had recovered from his clash with Bellatrix and Voldemort, he had nearly tackled you to the ground, realizing that your quick thinking to grab Sirius with your spell was the only reason he was still alive.

Breaking the news to Regulus was difficult since you knew how much he loved his brother, despite the strained relationship they had. Regulus was devastated by the news and he seemed to pale further when you told him that it was Bellatrix that got him. Pureblood family issues were so complicated.

After your brief conversation about Sirius’ status, neither of you had the energy to talk about Regulus’ disappearance, so you ended up pocketing away his portrait.

Despite the relief you felt because Regulus was back with you, you couldn’t bring yourself to face him just yet. Your reluctance to face him again led you to leave him in your pocket for a few weeks without talking to him.

However, you knew you’d have to face him eventually, and it was just the opportune time to do so. Harry and the Weasleys were going to spend the summer at the Burrow, but you pleaded with Dumbledore to allow you to return to Grimmauld Place under the guise that you would research ways to help Sirius.

Bellatrix had hit him with a highly complex dark curse, one that was foreign to the healers at St. Mungo’s, meaning that it was likely a curse found in the Black library.

Your excuse wasn’t a lie, but it was far from the whole truth. You also wanted to further explore your magical connection with Regulus and the disappearing room, still perplexed by the wisp of magic you felt last time. But it seemed that there was little use hiding that fact from Dumbledore, as he gave you a small, all-knowing smile before giving you permission, “The world seems to have strange ways of bringing people together. I do hope you find what you are seeking.”

At first, your heart nearly gave out because you assumed that he had used legilimency on you, but your ring gave no indication of it, so you presumed it was just a Dumbledore thing.

It seemed that Dumbledore and Luna were aware of Regulus’ existence to some degree, which was no surprise, one was a legendary wizard, the other an understated seer. Their knowledge only served to worry you though, as you weren’t confident that Voldemort was none the wiser to Regulus’ existence now.

If Dumbledore knew with what limited time you spent around him, there was no doubt Voldemort was itching from suspicion.

Vengeance was practically Voldemort’s middle name (even if Harry insists that it’s Marvolo). You still had no idea how Regulus had wronged Voldemort, but you weren’t sure if you wanted to find out for the sake of your own sanity.

As the green flames engulfing your vision slowly dissipate, you carefully step out from the floo network and brush away the ash from your clothing. Spinning around, you faintly smile at the nostalgic environment. Grimmauld Place was far from a welcoming home, but it had a certain knack for bringing along pleasant surprises.

Before you can set out to dive into research, a popping sound has you whirling your head downwards towards the noise.

“Master Regulus’ friend is back” Kreacher’s voice is tuned with surprise, but he looks pleased to see that you’re alone, evidently still not as accustomed to your friends or the Order members. You were secretly quite flattered to have the elf’s approval–not that you’d ever admit it to anyone.

Grinning down at the elf, you wave as he moves to grab your trunk, “Hi, Kreacher. I’ll be here awhile, I need to research a few things to help your Master.”

“Help Master?” Kreacher turns his eyes to you in apprehension.

Nodding solemnly, you release a small sigh before answering, “Yes, he’s been in an accident.”

At your words, Kreacher’s grip on your belongings loosen, turning to look at you with a face full of anguish, “What is wrong with Master Regulus?!”

Sputtering a little from shock, you quickly placate the elf, still reeling at the fact that he was capable of that much worry, “No, no, Regulus is fine. I’m talking about Sirius, he was cursed by a dark spell and the healers don’t know how to fix it.”

Kreacher’s tense form relaxes considerably and he grunts, turning back to his task of gathering your items, “So, Master Sirius still breathes? Pity.”

Expecting a far more violent response at the news, you simply nod, allowing silence to blanket between the both of you. You briefly considered asking the elf if he was knowledgeable of Bellatrix’s ledger of favorite curses, but decided it would be your last resort.

You weren’t sure if Kreacher would be of much help considering it involved Sirius.

“Kreacher, I’ll be in the library. You can put my things in the guest room I stayed in last summer.” Your words are met with a slight nod and that’s all the sign you need before you’re bounding up the stairs and in the direction of the expansive library.

Much of the content filling the shelves of the sealed library were enigmatic, but you hoped that you could kill two birds with one stone and find information for both of your goals. How lucky that both of your problems involved the Black brothers.

As you trailed through the aisles of shelves, running your finger along the leather-bound books, you sighed as you realized you were putting off your chat with Regulus. At first, it was truly because you didn’t know how to breach the subject of his portrait traveling, but now it was also because you felt guilty for avoiding him for so long.

Rip the bandaid off, stop stalling or he’ll really leave this time around.

Reaching into your jacket, you carefully extricate the frame out of your pocket, bringing it to eye-level. Plastering on an unsure smile, you feel relief flush through your veins as Regulus greets you with his own soft smile.

“Little bird, it’s been a while.” Regulus’ voice is smoother than you remember, and you find yourself shuffling around as your heart begins to pound uncomfortably. Bloody crush giving you heart palpitations.

“Hi, Reg. It has been. I’m sorry for not talking to you sooner, I’ve just been thinking.” Even though your excuse was flimsy at best, Regulus shakes his head firmly, as if all was forgiven on your part.

Warmth shines in his eyes as he alleviates your worries, “It’s not your fault, it is entirely mine for mindlessly leaving you alone that day without a word.”

Shocked by his initiative to bring it up first, you can only nod mutely as he continues, “I’m sorry, Y/N. My reason for leaving…it was entirely childish, and these few weeks of not communicating with you allowed me to contemplate some more. I want to be honest with you, if you’re up to hear it.”

“Of course, and I want to be honest with you as well, Reg.” Your nod and soft smile seem to strike a chord in him, causing him to emit a low laugh of fondness.

Tilting his head to the side, his eyes seemed to shine brightly at you, “You’re always honest with me, little bird. I think I owe it to you—to us, to be transparent this time around.”

You have to make a conscious effort to stop his ‘to us’ from replaying over and over again in your head.

Huffing in playful annoyance at his ability to endlessly fluster you, you decide to take a stab at his declaration, “Alright, if you’re sure, then…I guess we should start with the most obvious question, why did you leave that night?”

Dragging his hand up to tuck a loose curl behind his ear, he gives a little pause before answering you, “I was scared.” Seeing your confused look, he continues, “I was scared because…your injury. When I saw it, I was furious–and not at you, but towards Umbridge. I was terrified because I care for you… so much, but there’s nothing I can do to help you in those kinds of situations.”

He cares. It was so different hearing it verbalized by him.

The stress weighing on you seems to melt away, the furrow between your brows letting up as you lightly come to your own conclusion, “So you left because you were angry.”

He shakes his head lightly, “It was not just anger, but also fear. Frankly, I feel a sense of devotion to you and I was frightened by it. I left because I thought that it would be logical to languish my connection to you, but I realized how foolish my thoughts were. I am stuck with you, just as you are stuck with me.”

His words were genuine, but you could tell he was dancing around a deeper meaning. Still, you were glad for his honesty. It was a step forward in your relationship.

You feel yourself getting choked up by his announcement, but before you can even muck up a response, he continues, “I was anxious that day, before I even took notice of your wound. Before you casted that muffliato, I had heard the blast and thought that you were being attacked. But I waited to hear your voice, maybe a reassurance that it was all okay. When everything became muffled, I was worried that you were hiding everything from me because something was happening to you.”

“Oh.” Well, when he put it like that, it’s no wonder he was so furious that day.

He nods at your realization, finishing his explanation quietly, “You are so kind, little bird. Even in that moment where you could have been in danger, you still put your consideration for me first. It’s scary to think, but I know…I know that I would do the same if the roles were reversed.”

“You know that I care for you deeply as well, Reg. We’re in this together.” It comes out slightly watery, but your words are firm and the vulnerable glint in your eye eased Regulus’ tension.

Reinvigorated by Regulus’ words, you decide to bring up the topic that had been troubling you for a while, “I was honestly unsettled by my attachment to you as well. I’m unsure of what to make of it, some days it feels unreal. I just don’t understand it all because logically, you’re a portrait, but deep down, I know that there is so much more to you. You’re not like any ordinary portrait I’ve stumbled upon.”

Nodding as if expecting the topic to be brought up, he straightens up and clears his throat, “I suspected you felt this way, and honestly, I’m not entirely sure why I’m so different. I know there might be a few possibilities as to why, but I feel as though I am missing a part of the answer, myself. When I left you that night, I was able to spy on a few portraits in the castle. Of course, I couldn’t reveal myself since they would have recognized me, but, from what I observed, most portraits are not as…dynamic as me. Even the most complex ones at Hogwarts seem to be entirely derivative.”

Not quite expecting Regulus’ loss for answers as well, you can only seem to reach one conclusion, “So the answer to all of this…it happened shortly before your death then?”

“Yes, it’s highly likely. After all there was a two week gap of radio silence between the last visit from my living-self and his untimely death.” Regulus’ confirmation has you suppressing a groan. It seemed like you wouldn’t be getting a clear answer so easily, but perhaps Regulus left clues on the research he was doing before his death around the library.

Humming as you feel a headache coming on, you decide to let the topic drop there, “It’s okay, we don’t need all the answers right now. But I’m glad we had this conversation, and I hope that in the future we can continue to be honest with each other.”

Regulus smiles at you, “Of course, little bird. But I’m curious, any news on my brother or about the Dark Lord?”

A small frown tugs at your lip as you’re brought down to reality, “No changes in Sirius’ condition, but I’m hoping that maybe we can find some clues here. Unfortunately, Voldemort is making his move in bold ways, he’s truly an incisive foe. He murdered Amelia Bones last week, it was all over the press, even the muggles covered it.”

Taking notice of how your voice catches at the end, he returns your frown, “I didn’t know you were fond of Madam Bones.”

“I was quite partial to her morals, and she was an accomplished witch, to boot. Plus, I know her niece. She has no guardian now. Voldemort murdered her parents during the war.” Shaking your head at the turn of events, you can’t help but feel a sense of unease at Madam Bones’ death.

Voldemort was moving rather quickly. There was no telling what his next move was going to be. This wasn’t the first time he was able to strike down a famously powerful wizard or witch, even in his revived state, he was just as remarkable of a wizard. He was slowly removing the pillars that held up the Light side’s confidence, at this rate, Dumbledore was going to be the only one left to look to.

No use in overwhelming yourself, take it one day at a time.

Lowering Regulus’ portrait slightly, you begin to peruse through the book titles on the shelves, trying to find anything synonymous for “dark curses and hexes”. You were hoping that the search for the curse would be quick, but unfortunately, it seemed that the entire library was just pooling to the brim with parchments about the Dark Arts.

“Hey, Reg. Do you have any idea where Bellatrix might have learned such a troubling curse? Any area of the library I should focus on?” Your words were meant as more of a joke, but Regulus’ contemplative expression has you stopping in your tracks to focus your attention back on the boy.

Rubbing his chin, he seems to map out some ideas in his head, “During our last conversation, the day Sirius was cursed, you said his muscles seemed to constrict before he went limp and then he dropped into a coma?”

You nod in confirmation at the pointed assessment, wondering just how useful the symptoms could be at narrowing down the possibilities.

Why couldn’t Bellatrix have used another curse of milder lethality with far more ridiculous effects? Coma, really? Why not puking up tarantulas or something? While it would make for a ghastly sight, it would be ridiculous enough to make the hex more apparent.

After a few more moments, Regulus seems to have a lead of some kind, “I don’t have an exact answer, but it does remind me of a time when I was younger and Bellatrix would talk in circles about experimenting with soul magic. She wanted to impress the Dark Lord, so it’s no doubt something of that caliber.”

“Soul magic?” You punctuate the words in disbelief, realizing that the circumstances might be far more dire than anyone could have fathomed.

Realizing that you had no idea where to even begin, you decided to enlist some help, “Kreacher!” You weren’t exactly sure if it was necessary to yell, but the action soothed some of the stress you were suddenly feeling.

A pop echoes around the library and Kreacher stands before you in mild irritation, “Kreacher has been called?”

Placing a hand on your hip, you try to seem authoritative with your command, “Yes, Kreacher I need your help. Could you gather up all the books on the property that concern soul magic or soul hexes?”

The elf’s eyes seem to light up at your words, clearly thinking that you were taking interest in the Dark Arts. The prospect wasn’t exactly improbable, but you were much too reluctant to choose soul hexes as an introduction.

“As you wish. Kreacher will begin right away.” After giving you a razor-sharp grin, he’s gone in the blink of an eye and you hear a distant pop ring from deeper in the library. Hopefully, Kreacher could be trusted to keep your little research topic a secret, you would not fancy having to explain to your friends why you were researching such a dark subject amidst Voldemort’s return.

As you begin to make your way out of the room, you bring Regulus’ portrait back up to your face, “Reg, there’s something interesting I discovered the night you left. I was wandering around the castle-” looking for you “-and I spent the night in the Room of Requirements. Except it wasn’t exactly the Room of Requirements.”

Regulus looks both intrigued and full of reproof at your words, compelled to hear about your adventures, but displeased by your decision to break the rules and risk being punished further.

Brushing aside his concerns, you continue, “Well, while I was wandering around, I was thinking about you and where you might be, and the room that ended up appearing was the disappearing room that your portrait was originally in.”

Finding yourself in the kitchen, you carefully prop Regulus up against an empty fruit bowl before rounding the table to raid the cabinets. To your utter dismay, all the cabinets are empty, save for one filled with numerous knives. Groaning at the lack of food, you decide to plop back down in front of Regulus, cradling your empty stomach pitifully.

Shooting you an amused eyebrow raise, Regulus seems to consider your findings as you continue to mope, “That is fascinating. If it was truly the same room, then it must be as a result of something my human counterpart did whilst he was still alive. When I was first painted, the room already existed–that much I know. Although he was the only one who ever came into the room, I thought very little of it at the time.”

“It seems that all the answers about the strange magic surrounding you and the disappearing room vanished with him. How frustrating.” Your groan is cut off with a loud grumble from your stomach, causing you to slap a hand to your middle bashfully.

Entertained at your embarrassment from the strident noise, Regulus chuckles before putting you out of your misery, “Kreacher will be awhile with the books. It’s fine, go out and grab some food, we can talk after you’re done.”

Nodding glumly at his suggestion, you quickly pocket his portrait and feel around for your pouch of galleons. Once you’re ready to head out, you grab a handful of floo powder and ready yourself for human interaction.

Merlin, you were so looking forward to being a recluse the entire break.

The feeling of becoming a hermit only grew as the rest of the summer dragged along. Kreacher managed to snag a little over a dozen books about soul hexes and magic for your research, keeping you occupied indoors for a majority of the break.

You only managed to stay sane because Regulus kept you company, and for that, you could never repay him enough.

The last few days of July flickered by and soon you were preparing yourself to enter the familiar floo network to make your way to the Burrow. It was finally Harry’s 16th birthday, and you intended for it to be a happy one, needing some semblance of normality as war shifted on the horizon.

“Little bird.” Regulus’ voice pierces through your concentration as you finish taping the last fold of wrapping on Harry’s gift.

“Hm?” Your distracted hum has him rolling his eyes playfully.

Tilting his head, he finally speaks up once your eyes meet his, “You do know that there’s a spell to do the wrapping for you?”

“What? And miss all the fun?” Your teasing words have him looking unimpressed, “Besides, it has more meaning to do it by hand, Reg. You can see all the little imperfections, for example, this little uneven crease on the bottom.” As you show him the bulky wrapping, he can barely disguise his look of amusement.

Shaking his head, he crosses his arms as a pensive look crosses over his expression, “We should try something before you head out.”

Tying a silk ribbon around the wrapped gift, you peer up at him in interest, “Sure, what’s on your mind?”

“I think we should try out those charms you found a while back.” His words surprise you since you figured he still held reservations about the risks of the Mens est Oculus charm.

Sitting up straighter and reaching for your wand, you can’t help but voice your confusion, “Not that I’m opposed to it, but why now?”

“It would put me at ease to be able to talk to you, just in case.” His words are touching and you’re much too pleased to dismiss his concerns. On the one hand, you were only going to the burrow, on the other, you were aware of how risky it was to be out and about since death eaters were slowly strengthening their forces.

Giving him an understanding nod, you furrow your brows in concentration before casting the charms. Luckily, you had much time to imprint the movements and incantations in your head so it only took a little pause to cast.

Quirking your lips in uncertainty, you slowly bring your wand down, unsure if the charms were put into place.

‘Reggie? Can you hear me?’

‘Impressive work, little bird. Not that I doubted you.’

Gasping loudly at his voice, you reel back in your seat to gape at a pleased looking Regulus, “Woah!”

Laughing at your shock, Regulus opts to merely respond through your newfound mind link, ‘Woah indeed. Now, it’s about time for you to head out, no?’

As you tucked Regulus’ portrait away underneath your pillow and headed down to the floo network, you couldn’t help the victorious laugh that escaped you.

It seemed that every summer was more eventful than the last, and you were hopeful that you could spend many more summers in the future with the boy who was slowly winning over your heart.

Reaching out into your mind link one last time, you send Regulus a fleeting farewell.

‘Stay safe, little bird.’

And then green flames were filling your vision.

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ldysmfrst · 3 months ago

Text

American Mate (12) - Everyone Deserves a Second Chance

Paring: Hybrid!BTS Ot7 x Plus-sized Human FemReader

Status: Ongoing series

Chapter number: 12 of unknown

Word count for Chapter: 9,756

Work count for Story: 86,779

Genre: Hybrid Playmate Au inspired by works created by @yoongiofmine

A little about the author: I am a mother of two beautiful children, one of whom has special needs, and the other loves everyone. I started a Patreon, and I would be grateful if you donated to help me make ends meet while I am out of work.

Warnings: NOT BETA READ!! This chapter does have pack dynamics, comfort, possessiveness, angst, minor mentions of past trauma, and self-doubt.

AMERICAN MATE MASTER LIST / LDYSMFRST MASTER LIST

Can you do that?

Can you give them a chance?

Yoongi has more than once said that he would protect you, and now he seems also to want to protect you from his pack if they overstep. Is that something you should be worried about? Could you really ask him to stand against his pack for you? No, not really.

Then again, they are already protective of you– like all of them. They want others, non-pack mates, to know that you are theirs. If this morning was any example of them being protective or possessive, does it get more or less dramatic from here?

Are they just words they will use, or are they actions, too?

You are special to them. Jin told you this during your non-date date and made a change in the contract. The rest of the pack is drawn to you and finds ways to get close to you, seemingly without your knowledge. But oddly enough, you are not offended that they are doing such a thing.

The bigger question is, what will they show you off as?

As of right now, you are only you.

You will find your answers over the next few weeks – you have to.

“Prime Alpha? Luna is ready for us to return to the conference room,” Derik informs him with a smile as he takes in the stressed appearance and scents of those in the breakroom. Knowing these Alphas are mated to his Luna calms his heart and his Beta.

“Thank you,” Namjoon says as he moves to leave.

Yoongi bolts from the room faster than the rest as his Alpha tries to claw his way out from being separated from you. At this point, he could care less about following any kind of protocol. His only goal is to make sure you are alright since he was not around to protect you.

Jungkook flits between wanting to go after Yoongi and wanting to respect his Prime Alpha. Unlike Yoongi, he knows he cannot test Namjoon the way Yoongi, Seokjin, and even Taehyung can.

“Joonie.” Jin calls, pointing to the fidgeting youngest mate, which causes both of the remaining older Alphas to smile.

“Jungkook-ah,” Namjoon says, gaining his attention with wide doe-like eyes. “You can go ahead. Make sure Yoongie-hyung is allowing our new mate space to breathe. We will follow.”

Breaking into a big toothy smile, Jungkook nods rapidly with his bunny ears flopping along. He takes off down the hall without a glance back, leaving Derik, Namjoon, and Seokjin chuckling.

“Common, let us go and see if everything has settled with your Luna, Derik,” Seokjin says, taking Namjoon’s arm and pulling him along. He is just as excited as he is worried about the answer.

Walking down the hall, the conference room door is still open, and the scent of vanilla and sweet peas soothes the frazzled nerves of the Bangtan packmates as they reenter.

At this point, the Director has moved to the head of the table, and Derik moves to an empty seat next to him. Y/n is sitting with Yoongi to her right, Taehyung to her left, and Jungkook standing behind her with Jimin and Hoseok on each side.

Not wanting to crowd her anymore, Jin and Namjoon return to their seats and smile at the sight of their mates. All of them happily talk together, and all of them touch each other in some way.

You rest your good hand on Jungkook’s while it is resting on your shoulder as you talk to Yoongi. Yoongi has his tail wrapped around you again but is leaning against Jimin. Hoseok runs his fingers through Taehyung’s hair while listening to him talk about what happened this morning. In the meantime, Jimin is holding onto Taeyung’s hand.

“If I didn’t know any better,” Seokjin whispers to Namjoon. “ I’d say she was already bonded with all of them.”

Before Namjoon can reply, Manager Sejin enters the room with a stack of papers in hand, “Well, the contract has been finalized with BigHit, and I have everyone's copy with me. Prime Alpha, do you want me to keep the pack’s contract in the main binder?”

Namjoon’s eyes crinkle into small slits as his posture visibility drops in relaxation as he hears the news. Looking at you after, he says, “You signed.”

You return his smile; this time, it reaches your eyes as you nod your head, “Yes, Prime Alpha, I signed. I had some worries,” you glance at the three you kept behind, “but your pack is very convincing.”

That breaks the gate for celebrations all around. All you can do is giggle as the group of Alphas acts like clowns with funky dancing, shouting, and hugs.

“Well then, I’d hate to disrupt the mood, but Mr. Gulley and I must return to work,” Director Johnson announces as he and Derik stand to leave.

You also stand, “Thank you for your time, Director. I will maintain reports to you as required. Also, if the new girl needs any advice or help, please let her know to give me a call.”

“No worries, Luna. She is doing great, but we will keep that in mind. You just worry about healing and seeing where this,” Derek points around the room at the Bangtan pack, “all goes.”

“I think I have no choice but to heal,” you respond, shaking your braced hand at him with a chuckle. However, the look on Derik’s face makes you slightly falter because his eyes are reflective, making you think he is talking about something other than your hand.

After those two leave, Manager Sejin announces that he has arranged to have food delivered to the pack house soon since it is past lunchtime. This prompts everyone to head out to the vans.

Like the last time you left the office, you find yourself stuck in the middle, but the whole pack is present this time. Everyone has started talking in smaller group conversations that you end up just listening to, as most of it is in Korean.

One thing is certain: your Korean should improve by the time you finish the contract. The thought causes you to sigh to yourself and catch Jimin's attention.

“You okay?” Jimin asks, coming to walk by your side.

“Yeah, everything is going to be okay. Just realizing that I will need to brush up on my Korean more to keep up with everyone but other than that I am actually okay,” you smile.

“That’s good. You can also help us with our English. Remember, if we are ever too much, which we will be, you can always go to your den. That is your space, and we will only enter if you request us to or if we think you are in danger,” he says with a seriousness that resembles your time with him on the balcony.

“I will and I will follow the same respect with each of your dens.”

Exiting the elevator, which surprisingly held all of you, the boys come to a stop. Glances are passed between everyone, and some are glaring at the vans.

“What’s wrong?” you ask them with a sigh. You hope they are still not holding on to what happened this morning, but Taehyung won’t meet your gaze, and you are pretty sure it is still the issue.

“Do you guys still have an issue with James?”

“No, we don’t,” responds Namjoon, to which you raise your eyebrow. “Mr. Green is fine, and we will be fine with him as one of our drivers.”

“So what’s with all the glances and glares?”

“Sugar, the vans only fit five passengers,” Jungkook says as if you should know what that means.

“Yeah, I know. There are eight of us, so we have to split up. We did that before,” you say with slight confusion. “Can we not do that again?”

“What our youngest isn’t saying, Princess, is that everyone wants to be in the van you are in.” Yoongi clarifies, which makes you blush slightly.

“So what do we do? Play rock, paper, scissors?” You say jokingly. Only they don’t see it as a joke, immediately turning into a circle and standing at the ready. “Wait! You aren’t really gonna do that, are you?”

“To be honest, it is the fairest thing to do,” Taehyung says. “However, I get an automatic seat because I am in service to you, right Namjoon-hyung?”

“True, he has to stay with you. However, the rest of us will play gawi, bawi, bo, which is the Korean version of your game of luck. Everyone ready?” Namjoon asks, and everyone nods.

“Taehyungie, call it out.”

After a hysterical match, your van ends up with Jimin and Namjoon. To your surprise, the driver is James. Before you can say hello or get in the van, Taehyung walks up to James and bows, “I am sorry for my rudeness this morning, Mr. Green. I was not aware of your friendship with Miss Y/n.”

James happily accepted the apology but still seemed stiff around you. You don’t blame him for how things went down. Though, you do hope that he will relax around you again. Maybe he will when he doesn’t have a tiger hybrid looking like he is still about to hunt him down still.

Getting in the van, you sit in one of the swivel chairs, only to be pulled onto the bench seat with Taehyung to your left. Glancing at him, you can see that his face is trying to be relaxed, but the thinness of his lips gives him away.

“Still feeling possessive, Taehyung?”

His eyes widen at your question, “Sorry, I struggle with that often, especially when there is someone new to the pack. Are you okay with this? I mean, with me sitting here?”

You glance at Namjoon and Jimin, who are observing. You know, somehow, that if you had a problem with the seating arrangement, either would switch in a heartbeat.

“The driver doesn’t know about the agreement, and even though he signed an NDA, you can never be too cautious, but if you require me to kneel,” Taehyung glances at the open petition, his voice soft as not to carry. “I would kneel as ordered.”

Returning your gaze to Taehyung, you consider his words. He is right. Unfortunately, some people don’t follow the NDAs, and you don’t know James that well yet. There is no promise that Taehyung’s submissive behaviors won't get out to the wrong people.

“No, this is fine besides you need to wear a seatbelt.” You agree but decide to clarify: “For safety reasons, I would like to modify the Acts agreement when dealing with transportation. I propose that you sit behind me, and if no seat behind me is available, you will sit to my left. Are the modifications acceptable?”

“As you wish,” Taehyung agrees. His posture still remains slightly stiff as he buckles up. He doesn’t think you fully understand your position, but you will in time.

“Ooohoo, it is always a treat to see a tamed tiger every once in a while,” Jimin smiles, and you giggle.

Tamed tiger, your ass.

He is stronger and an Alpha, and nothing is tame about him. Even so, his choice to be put in this position is entirely on him. You are sure there are 100 different things he could do to get out of having to be like this with you, but for some reason, he didn’t argue about it.

Trying to avoid that thought process, you redirect the conversation, “I told Yoongi that I wanted to get him and Taehyung a bell because they are both sneaky. Jungkook is sneaky, too. If it weren’t for your manager, I would have been so upset with Thumper and Kisa when they hid from me.”

When Yoongi’s nickname is used, Taehyung and Namjoon start chuckling. You get slightly embarrassed thinking that maybe you should only use the nicknames when talking with the corresponding person.

“Oh, don’t mind us,” Namjoon says. “We are just remembering how excited he was to tell us you gave him a pet name.”

“Oh, I am glad he is excited and not ashamed.” You smile, still making a mental note to talk to them about when it would be acceptable to use your names for them.

“Trust me, Hyung is not one to keep quiet about something he doesn’t like,” Jimin adds. “He can be kind of rude about it sometimes, but he will also apologize right after.”

“Good to know the jaguar is hot-tempered like a normal feline. Gotcha.” You shake your head and smile. “Are you also hot-tempered, Taehyung?”

“Could you not tell this morning?” he snarkily replies.

“Miss Y/n,” Namjoon calls your attention.

“Namjoon, you are stuck with me for the next two months, and the rest of the pack has dropped the formalities with me, and I with them for the most part. You can too, if you want to,” you offer.

That pulls a smile from Namjoon, “I would like that. I do have something that I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Sure, what’s on your mind?” You sit back in your seat more and turn to face him fully.

Taehyung has angled himself in the corner while his tail brushes your arm slightly, his eyes also on the Prime Alpha. Jimin has also rotated the chair to face Namjoon as the van becomes quieter.

“Well… ah… now the contract is signed,” Namjoon licks his lips and glances at the other two hybrids. “You went on your date with Seokjin-hyung. Did you think it went well?”

“Hyung,” says Taehyung with a sneer. “You know it went well. I heard you and Jinnie-hyung talk about it after they got home.”

You put your hand on Taehyung’s knee, which shocked him. You answer, “Yes, Namjoon. It went well. I have never had an experience like that. It was nice to get to know Jin. I am sorry, was I supposed to report that to you?”

“Oh no. You don’t have to report anything like that to me. I was just,” Namjoon pauses. “Y/n, I want you to accompany me tomorrow night.”

“Oh, of course,” you respond, pulling out your phone to enter the request into your calendar. Part of being a Playmate means that each Bangtan Packmate is able to request you, and it’s more on a first-come, first-served basis.

“What times are you requesting? I think Hoseok was wanting to request time tomorrow with some of the others as well but I didn’t get a time frame from him. Maybe you can join?”

Looking at the calendar, you notice how blank it is right now. Your life is so simple. Each day is practically clear, but you have a feeling it's about to get filled quickly.

You hear snickering coming from Taehyung. “Hyung, that isn’t how you ask a lady out.”

“Ask out?” Then it hits you. Namjoon wants his not-date date with you to be tomorrow. Looking up from your phone, you see the Prime Alpha, the Alpha Wolf, blushing.

“Yah! I was getting there,” Namjoon sighs. Clearly flustered with the situation.

“Namjoon,” you sweetly say his name. “Are you asking me to join you like I did with Seokjin?”

Another sigh leaves the Alpha sitting before you, “Yes, but it would be in the evening. You would have time to spend with Hoseok-hyung in the morning. Maybe.”

Namjoon straightens his back, causing you to do the same, and looks at you, “Y/n, would you please be my date to the LACMA Gala tomorrow night? It would be an honor to have you by my side, not only to get to know you better but to show you to the world.”

“You want me to go to the LACMA Gala? With you? There will be paparazzi there, and it’s a Gala. A huge, fancy, very publicized Gala!” While you were ready for another swanky dinner, you were not ready for an event as publicized and extravagant as this.

After taking your phone and passing it to Jimin, Namjoon holds your hands in his, sending out his vanilla and leather scent in hopes of calming your nerves.

“Y/n, there will be cameras, but there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that would stop me from having you by my side. I have arranged for gowns to be brought to the pack house, as well as make-up and hair noonas to help prepare you,” informs Namjoon without any hesitation.

“Hyung is going to take care of you, Y/n,” Jimin voices. “You will be treated like a royalty. If there are too many cameras too soon, we can arrange something so that you don’t have to walk the carpet. But you are going to have to get used to cameras eventually. It's hard not to when you are around us.”

“Are you sure you want to be pictured with me? Like at all?” You question Namjoon, but look at everyone in the van. “I wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation.”

Growls resound through the van, causing you to jump slightly, but Namjoon only holds your hands tighter, “Y/n, I thought Hoseok covered this earlier, but let me remind you… Bangtan Pack does not allow for any self-deprecation.”

Shit.

“I… I wasn’t. I was worried about Army,” you scramble to cover what you said. “They don’t know you have a new playmate, and it may cause a backlash.”

“Nice try. We smelled your scent tinge like perfume when he brought up the fact that it was a Gala, which means you are worried about getting your photo taken, how to behave, or what to wear,” points out Taehyung.

“I know how to behave at a Gala. My mother used to make me go to them all the time. That is the easy part. I was worried about the attire and the photos but also Army.” You defend yourself. “I know how much they mean to you all.”

“Let us worry about the fans. I am sure Manager Sejin and PD-nim have a press release ready to send. Our true Army will be happy for us, and those who don’t will have to deal with it,” Jimin adds.

“We have everything covered. We have been working on everything since the day you greeted us, as Hobi-hyung said,” continues Jimin. “Let Namjoon-hyung escort you to the Gala, please?”

You are amazed at the confidence the three Alphas before you have regarding this very public event. More so, the intonation that you are more valuable, maybe more so than their Army, sends a slight tingle up and down your spine.

“Alright. I trust you three.” Focusing back on Namjoon, you smile. “Namjoon, I would be honored to be your plus one at the Gala.”

The rest of the afternoon was relatively simple. Everyone ate the late lunch together and then broke off into different activities. The maknae line decided to play video games while Jin and Hoseok were watching. Namjoon and Yoongi decided to work on some new tracks.

You decided that it was a good time to unpack. With everything signed now, there wasn’t this hovering anxiety that they would suddenly shove you out the door.

You left the door open a crack in case anyone needed you or for when they would call for dinner later. Supposedly, Jungkook was to cook tonight. You would have to learn their cooking and cleaning rotations to see where you could help them or squeeze your way into a slot.

As a child who spent a lot of time alone, you tended to listen to music while doing things. You put on your Pandora, mainly listening to Alternative and American Pop music from your youth and K-pop.

Currently, you were rocking out and dancing, as much as you could, to God’s Menu between re-folding the clothes you dumped out of your luggage bag Jin let you borrow.

Unknown to you, Taehyung had lost at the video game and came looking for you since it was his “punishment” to help you. Hearing the music coming from your room, he figured you were just relaxing. He looked through the crack in the door to watch your body move to Felix’s part.

It became a mini battle within himself to watch you.

He loved how your body moved, even when you had a miss-step. Your musicality was pretty spot on, and your voice was cute when you tried to hit the epically low notes for which the blonde-haired Stray Kids member was known for.

He knew he could watch and listen to you for hours.

However, he was jealous that you were dancing to Stray Kids and now to the song One by Astro. Why were these not BTS songs?

He wants to hear you sing their songs.

He wants you to be Army.

He wants to watch you move to the sound of his voice in more ways than one– preferably while under him.

It wasn’t until It’s Gonna Be Me from N*Sync came on that he couldn’t stay away. He knew this one, and it wasn't a rival K-pop band. When the chorus hit, he pushed open the door and joined in your dancing and singing.

“But I'm not like them. Baby, when you finally get to love somebody, Guess what?” he croons along with the boy band and dances his way to you.

“Taehyung!” you exclaim, shocked at the hybrid tiger’s entrance and intense look.

Pulling you close at the end of the chorus, he looks you in the eyes and sings, “It's gonna be me.”

You would freeze in your step, but the ‘lady’ that your mother trained into you keeps moving.

“Keep dancing with me, Y/n. You have great rhythm, and it looks like you know a few different choreographies,” he comments, hoping you will allow him a few more moments of your body moving with his.

“Oh no. I just play around with what I have seen.” Then it hits you… he said a few. Pulling out of his hold, you back up to your phone and pause the music, “How long were you watching me?”

Biting the inside of his cheek at his misstep, he says, “Just two songs. Astro and Stray Kids. Really? No BTS songs?”

You smile softly, thinking this could go one of two ways. Either he will understand that you do like BTS but that they weren't in your Top 3, or he will get possessive because you’re his Playmate and had better like BTS.

“There are BTS songs. Like Zero O’Clock, Run, ah um… Oh, I have Rainy Days and Arson too,” you scramble to list the titles of songs you think deal with BTS. Silently hoping to mention his song gave you bonus points.

Your response grants you a smile from him, “Alright. One of these days, I want to hear you sing one of our songs.”

“Ah, no, thank you. I don’t sing,” you say as you return to folding clothes. Wait, these look already folded.

Damn.

“You sounded pretty good to that Astro song. I am sure Eunwoo would appreciate your rendition of his part,” he says, joining your side and folding clothes.

“Not gonna happen. Like I will ever get a chance even to meet a member of Astro, that is if Astro still will stay together after everything,” you said absent-mindedly, rubbing the memorial tattoo for Moonbin on your arm.

“Are you okay?” Taehyung asks, noting the sadness in your voice and the hint of mold in your scent.

Glancing up at the man next to you, you see the concern on his face, and his ears are trained on you. Smiling through the sadness of the industry's loss of such a talented person, you nod, “Moonbin’s passing still kinda hits me hard, ya know?”

“He was my first bias, I guess you could say.”

Holding back a growl at the idea of you liking someone else as your bias, Taehyung wraps his tail around your thigh to show comfort– not possession.

While he wasn’t close to Moonbin, they were all acquaintances because Kookie and Eunwoo were close. A death in the industry hits everyone hard because they all know how hard it is.

“Facebook showed me an ad for True Beauty, starting with Cha Eunwoo, which led me to find out about Astro and, in turn, Moonbin. His dancing was on point, his voice soothing, and his looks were unique in their beauty. I wouldn’t know much more about the industry or Korea if it wasn’t for him.”

“When he passed away, a bunch of Aroha designed this tattoo,” you pull up your shirt, showing your side and the purple crescent moon with the Astro band’s star logo.

“That is a great way to honor him,” Taehyung says as he traces the outline, which shudders your body.

Dropping your shirt back down and blushing, you pick up your clothes and put them away. “What is it that you need?”

“Well, you should be sitting and telling me where to put those. Remember,” he points to himself. “Servant for the foreseeable future.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot that part. Umm… well, can you hang up those up and give Seokjin the luggage cases back, please?” you ask.

“You got it, but I think his intent was giving them to you,” the tiger says, moving to do as you requested.

“Oh. He doesn’t need to give me his stuff. I have a smaller set that I can use for now. If I need to buy something bigger later then I will.”

“Who’s buying something bigger?” says Hoseok from the doorway. “Are we going shopping? You know you need me there if we are gonna shop.”

Coming out of the closet, Taehyung smirks, “Your Doll thinks she is gonna get away with buying a new luggage set for when we move cities.”

You scoff at him. What does he mean you think, you know. There is no thinking going on.

“Oh, a luggage buy, that is a Jinnie-hyungie department. He likes everyone having the same set in their color of choice. You better talk to him first,” advises Hoseok.

“I am perfectly fine with getting my own. It doesn’t have to match anything,” you grumble to yourself; like hell, you will be able to afford to buy a matching set.

“Ahuh, yeah, sure I will let him know you need to talk, Y/n. I'm going to give these back to him and see if there are any plans for tonight, and then I'll be back. Is that okay?” Taehyung asks, his hands full of empty cases.

“Yeah, that’s fine. It’s late though, I think I might just get something small to eat then head to bed,” you say.

“I will tell him you are hungry too,” notes Taehyung, and out the door he goes before you can stop him.

Seriously, you just said you might eat.

Restacking the clothes in the open drawer, your mind wanders off to how you might have to watch everything you say because it seems like someone has something to do with it, no matter what you say.

“Doll?” Hoseok calls for your attention. “Out of all of us, Seokjin is the most caring. He basically is our Luna, and with that, he makes sure to feed the pack and he ensures we have everything we need. That includes you now, too.”

“I know. I mean, like, I know, but I don’t know.” You let out a slight whine as you shut the drawer and walk back to the bed. “I know because I have been told, but I have never had someone who would take that role with me.”

“I am Luna of the pack. I am the friend who stops the fights, even if they get physical. I am the one to buy things for people in need,” you tell Hoseok.

Taking a seat next to you, Hoseok smiles his bright sunshine smile. “Doll, you can relax now. You have seven mates all looking to spoil you silly.”

“Seven mates that are bonded to each other, you mean?” you correct his statement, which causes him to panic internally because he didn’t even notice his slip-up.

“Bonded or not, you are part of our pack for now. So much so that I heard you have a Gala to attend tomorrow.”

“Yep.” You pop the ‘p.’ “Namjoon apparently wants to introduce me to the world.”

“As he should. The Prime Alpha should be the first person to be seen with you in public. It’s his honor to have that privilege,” says Hoseok.

You nod in agreement. It's odd to think that doing anything with you would be a privilege or an honor, but hybrids have their own culture towards that stuff.

“I know that I mentioned spending time with you and a few others tomorrow.” He puts his hand up just as to snap to him with an apology on your lips.

“We would still like to spend time with you tomorrow. The team of noonas that will get you ready will come around 11 am so we can have breakfast together and help you get ready for your debut,” he excitedly tells you.

“That would be wonderful. Thank you for understanding, Hoseok,” you say as you lean against him.

“Of course, doll,” he says, loosely wrapping his arms around your shoulders, allowing you to pull away if you didn’t want the skinship. When you relax more into his hold, he can’t help but chatter quietly in happiness.

The rest of the night is simple.

Jin orders food for everyone because you are hungry now and wouldn’t listen to you saying you could just have some fruit, telling you that fruit is a snack and not a proper meal. Also, allowing the youngest to cook would “take too long.”

He also makes you sit with him to order you a new matching suitcase set in a deep purple. He refuses to let you pay him back, nor will he tell you how much it costs.

All of Bangtan is amused by your interactions and the thought that you still believe you have any choice in matters involving Jin and his deep-seated need to care for others.

When you woke up the following day, you found yourself lying on top of Jimin and Jungkook’s body pillows, with Hoseok’s pillow under your head, Yoongi’s pillow between your knees, and Namjoon’s blanket covering you.

You had no idea how you got from where you started to where you were, but someone must have carried you to bed since you last remembered watching some Marvel movie.

Fluffing the pillow under your head a bit, you frown. Something feels off. Maybe you should get your own bedding soon. The ones the boys gave you are starting to feel like they aren’t enough. It’s not that they are flat, but they just feel off.

It doesn’t surprise you, though. Back at your place, your coat closet is more like a linen closet just for blankets and pillows that Evie’s family and your pack keep rotating in and out for you.

After washing your face and throwing on a tank top with a built-in bra and yoga pants, you start to break down your blanket fort, smelling each one along the way to see if it needs to be washed before you return it.

Knock knock

“Come in, I am up,” you call to whoever is on the other side of the door.

Glancing at the opening door, you are greeted by a sleepy-looking shirtless Taehyung, who zombie walks over to you and promptly falls face-first on your pile of folded bedding.

“Tae, I just folded those. If you are so tired, why are you down here?” you question, pulling some of the blankets out from under him.

“Because a certain rabbit told me my Mistress was awake and moving around too much,” he says, grabbing the blanket and pulling, which effectively pulls you down with it.

Grappling you like an octopus, Taehyung makes you lay with him. With one eye open, he asks, “Why are you up at 7 am?”

Mind you, he completely ignored the shrieking epp sound coming from you as he maneuvered you to where he wanted you, which caused a stampede to come running down the hall.

Meanwhile, all you could do was try not to die.

Your mind short-circuiting at the fact the stoic, possessive tiger-turned-koala now has his legs intertwined with yours, his nose pressed into your hair as he buries your face into his non-shirt-covered chest.

“Sugar?” comes Jungkook, leading the mini stampede into your room only to come to a dead stop and get hit from behind by Jimin. Both are now gapping at the image of your entwined bodies.

“What the…” breathed Jimin as he noticed your tank top had ridden up, allowing them a glimpse of your lower back and some kind of purple ink on your right side.

“You said Y/n was awake and now I am making her go back to sleep. It’s only 7 am. That is no time to break down a nest,” muttered Taehyung as he attempted to pull you even closer.

“Y/n, why are you breaking down your nest?” asked Jimin, stepping around Jungkook. His eyes take in the almost put-away nest, his memories trying to take over his mind. “Taehyung, who said you could be in her nest without permission too!”

“Minnie-hyung, it’s okay. She isn’t in trouble. You aren’t in trouble,” Jungkook says, pulling Jimin into a hug as his scent starts souring.

“Taehyung! Let me at least look at them to talk to them,” you command as you try to turn around with your eyes closed while trying not to touch the firm expanse of chest before you.

Reluctantly, he loosens his hold and helps you maneuver to make you the little spoon to his big spoon. Burying his nose in the back of your neck and shoulder, he breathes deeply, allowing your sweet pea and vanilla scent to soak in.

It’s then that he realizes that you have a tank top on. Nothing stands as a barrier between him and your pure morning scent at your neck. There are faint traces of some of the pack on you from the bedding, but it’s very faint compared to your natural, untainted scent.

Your skin feels warm against his face and under his arm from where your tank has moved. He melts into that feeling of warmth and belonging.

You belong in his arms, even if you don’t know it yet.

“It’s a habit to put away and make my bed every morning, mother’s rules. That and I figured that you guys might want your things back. I can ask Derek or Evie to bring over some of my bedding or buy new ones,” you say in an attempt to calm Jimin.

“It is also about time some of it gets washed, Jimin. I just don’t want to make a bad impression on you guys,” you continue to focus on the now teary-eyed red panda.

“You don’t,” Jimin starts before he pauses to wipe his eyes. “Sorry...” he clears his throat. “You can keep your nest up all year if you want to. No one will make you break it if you don’t feel the need to.”

“Oh, it’s not a nest,” you smile and giggle. “It’s just bedding. Like a mountain of fluffiness with amazing smells.”

A low growl from the base of your neck vibrates through your body from the hybrid behind you, “It is a nest.”

Moving to lean over you, Taehyung pulls you to lay on your back. “You have scented bedding from each mate of Bangtan that you surround yourself with every night.”

Jungkook sits next to your head, looking down at you, “You couldn’t sleep until you were surrounded by us, so to speak. Your instincts only settled once you smelt the pack.”

Your mind kind of blimps out at the mention of instincts settling. You always knew the scents were important to you but that’s just because you associated them with good things. So, why would the pack’s scents already be a good thing for you to relax into?

“My previous owners used to make me sleep without a nest,” Jimin says. “If I built one and didn’t break it down before anyone noticed, then I would be beaten like a misbehaving animal.”

Your heart clenches at the similarities in your history, “My mom always said if you couldn’t make a proper bed then how could you do anything of worth in a day. She would take a belt or shoe to me until I had it all put away.”

Watching as silent tears fall down Jimin’s face, you continue, “I learned to go to bed after she did and to wake up early enough that she would never know that I made my blanket fort.”

Low growls resounded from the two closest to you.

“No more. If you want a nest or whatever you want to call it, in your room then you can make one and keep it up,” says Taehyung.

“If you need new bedding because they are dirty or our scents have faded, then let us know. We will give you something else to add to your nest so that you will always feel at ease,” offers Jungkook.

“You could also, I mean, if you wanted to,” struggles Jimin. “You can also use our pack nest. I am sure the hyungs won’t mind. Or we can make a big one in the living room.”

“Jin had mentioned you are the one who makes the nests for the pack, Jimin. He mentioned maybe we can make one together. I told him I didn’t have a clue how to make a nest just a fort,” growl “ but maybe you can teach me more about what makes a nest… well a nest?” you offer.

“Really? You mean it? You want to make a nest with me?” he lights up, effectively melting the three of you on the bed. “I would love to teach you about nests. I haven’t seen yours fully made, but I would love to.”

“Then it is settled. We will make one together soon. I don’t know how late Namjoon and I will be home tonight, so I might not get a chance to make one before I crash out,” you thoughtfully mention.

“We got you. Just show us the nesting materials that need to be replaced and maybe,” Hoseok glances at Jimin, “Jimin can have a nest built for you when you get home?”

“Ooohh a personally built nest from Jimin? How come I don’t get that?” whines Taehyung as you giggle.

“I could do that for you, Y/n. Only if you wanted though. I don’t want to overstep any boundaries,” offers Jimin, stepping closer to the bed.

“I would love to come home to a nest made by you,” you agree with a smile.

Jimin only responds with a deep blush and a stilted whine, to which Jungkook and Taehyung chuckle.

Taehyung looks at Jungkook and says, “That’s three times now she has done it.” Both of them picked up on you calling the packhouse “home.”

“It’s instinctual,” responds Jungkook as he leans forward, giving Taahyung a soft peck over you. All you can do is watch, but then you realize what you just saw and look away.

“Ah, guys, umm.. I think I should get to separating and oh yeah! Breakfast with Hoseok,” you say as you wiggle your way out from between the two lovebirds.

Standing up, you and Jimin make a lovely blushing pair, which just makes the other two laugh even more. The three of them end up helping you strip your bed completely, deciding that the main sheets were too chemical-smelling for them.

You end up with three piles: those that need to be washed, those that need to be scented, and those that need to be tossed out altogether. Walking out of your bedroom with the maknae line in tow gains you some smiles from the rest of the pack.

You are immediately brought into a hug by Hoseok, who is the only one sporting a frown. “What’s wrong, Hoseok?”

“I will have to cancel helping you get ready for the gala. I forgot that I have to go with Jin-hyung and Taehyung-ah to a meeting Namjoon-ah scheduled this morning at,” he tells you.

Pulling out of his hug, you look at the rest of the pack, who all have dopy looks on their faces. “What?”

Yoogni walks up next to you, his tail wrapping around you. “You smell like the young ones, and you let Hoseok hug you, Princess. That is a big step for you, no?”

Your face drops into thought at his comment.

First, Taehyung grappled you while (and still) half naked, then Jungkook kept leaning against you to grab stuff, and Jimin laid his head in your lap as you discussed why you didn’t like how some of the material felt, hence the toss out pile.

That was a lot of touching.

Now Hoseok is hugging you, but you don’t pull back until you notice the others watching the two of you.

“I guess I am just trying to follow the hybrid pack mentality. Evie and Derek are also very touchy-feely. Getting around your idol and bonded mate status just takes time,” you attempt to reason out.

“Anyways,” looking back at Hoseok. “I guess then it’s just breakfast with you, Tae, and Jiminnie? If that’s okay with you? It’s almost done. Jin-hyung is making us quiche,” he says with hope.

“Sure! I love quiche. Especially with spinach or mushrooms and tons of cheese!” you say, licking your lips. The action caught everyone’s attention for very ‘innocent’ reasons.

“Where are we going to eat?”

“We can eat in the dining room, living room, or one of the den’s really wherever you want to?” offers Jimin.

“Well, I normally don’t eat in bed,” you say, making a few of them give you a shocked look. “Unless it's for a special reason. So I think that living room would be more comfortable but what about the rest of you?”

“I am headed to the gym near the guest house with Namjoon,” Jungkook says. “I'm going to grab my towel and meet you there, hyung.”

“I am going to head to the in-house studio and work on some solo stuff. Call me if you need me, Princess,” Yoogni says, kissing softly on your hair before going down the hall with his coffee.

“I will eat in the kitchen and then get ready for the meeting,” Seokjin mentions as he bolts to the kitchen, hearing the timer.

Watching the pack runoff, you shake your head, “You guys really take things seriously, don’t you?”

Grabbing your hand, Hoseok pulls you to the couch and puts you in the middle, with Jimin on the other side. Taehyung heads to the kitchen to help Seokjin bring out everything.

“With a pack like ours, you kind of need to. I don’t understand how Alpha Seung-cheol does it with 13 pack members,” comments Jimin. “Then again, they mostly have Betas and Omegas. Maybe it’s easier that way.”

“My Omega, Evie, comes from a pack of 10. They didn’t have an Alpha either, but her dad, Papa Earl, sure as heck acted like one.” Settling back against the couch, you smile softly, remembering the mixed cat pack.

“Besides being a larger pack of Alphas, I will always be serious about spending time with someone I think is worth it,” Hoseok says. “So yes, if anyone had stayed behind, they would have been sent off with orders to practice the updated dance routine or something.”

Draping himself over your shoulders again, he continues, “This is my time with you, doll. Jimin-ah is lucky to be allowed to join and well… Taehyung has no choice.”

“I heard that,” Taehyung says, bringing in plates of food. “She could have sent me away if she wanted me to go, but she is the only one who can right now.”

“Thank you, Taehyung,” you say as you accept your plate. “Wahhh, this smells amazing, Jin! Thank you for making it!”

Seokjin carries a tray of drinks as she blushes at your comment, “It’s nothing. I figured this would be quick and easy to make. There is more in the kitchen. I already saved food for anyone else who might eat. Now you all have fun.”

Seokjin follows through with what he said about eating in the kitchen and then going upstairs. Literally, no one walks through the living room while the three of you talk about what is to come for the boys concerning the tour.

Taehyung adamantly chooses to sit on a pillow at your feet and feed you. Hoseok and Jimin tease him for being a ‘good boy.’ You don’t mind; eating hasn't been easy with your dominant hand in a brace.

However, your eyes keep wandering to his bare chest, and you continuously internally scold yourself for the distraction. He is just helping in penance; it’s not sexual, it’s not flirting, it’s not the K-drama male lead feeding his lover move… it’s not!

Thankfully, no one has commented on your distraction, even though they have all noticed it.

Taehyung keeps a mask of indifference while feed you but still attempts to find ways to flex more when you are looking his way. There is a slight disappointment in your lack of reaction to his physical display but he thinks you may be more for one to be chased. His Alpha doesn’t mind playing a game of cat and mouse with you– he is a tiger after all.

Jimin internally laughs at your reluctance to give in and watch Tae’s muscles move with the darkness of his eyes as he feeds you. Meanwhile, when you aren’t looking at him or he is not feeding you, Jimin notes that Taehyung is always eyeing your feet. Jimin wonders what color the tiger is wanting to paint them for you.

Hoseok, on the other hand, attempts to keep you engaged and help you while mentally preparing to scold the younger one for not getting dressed appropriately. However, the tint of arousal in your scent makes him question if he should praise the tiger instead.

By the time you are done eating, your stomach is full, and so is your calendar. Hoseok had noticed that you had not been added to the group calendar or the group chat since the meeting, so he added you to both.

“Well, doll, it was a pleasure having breakfast with you, but Tae-ah and I have to get ready for our meeting. We have to leave in about 30 mins,” Hoseok says, taking Jimin’s plate and nudging the tiger to stand.

“I think Hyung said that the team would be here around 11 or 12 to have you ready. He also ordered you lunch,” Taehyung added as he took your plates and his to the kitchen.

“So I have a couple of hours till then,” you hmm, thinking of what to do.

“I could show you the pack nest so you can see how big they can be,” timidly asks Jimin.

“Oh sure,” you smile at the thought of seeing such a precious area. “Hoseok and Taehyung, I am going with Jimin. Have fun at your meeting. I guess I will see you later.”

“Probably not, actually,” Taehyung says with a scrunched-up brow. “I think Jimin and Yoongi are on guard for today.”

“Yeah. So Yoongi and I can be around you until the noonas come. When they arrive, we will make sure no one bothers or scents you until you are with Prime Alpha for the date tonight,” informs Jimin.

“Oh, that’s right,” you frown.

“Hey, hey,” Hoseok says, taking your hands in his. “Remember, no one is leaving you behind. We wish we were around you, but this is just something that helps our Alphas. Also, please give Namjoon the opportunity to show you who he is.”

“I will,” you smile. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

You have never… NEVER… seen a pack nesting room that big. Maybe it was because they are all Alphas? You know from Evie’s family that Omegas can get really picky about how a nest is set up. So her pack ended up with 4-5 nests at a time.

The other glaringly obvious difference between your ‘human nests’ and a hybrid Idol’s nest was the quality of the nesting material. If you thought the bedding in your room was luxury, then the nesting room was made for royalty.

There were plans made to take a trip to a place called Hastens to pick out new materials for both the pack nest and your human nest. You tried to look it up only to have Jimin take your phone away.

Apparently, I shouldn’t waste my time looking because it can only be felt, and he was paying, so picking the cheapest won't work, especially since they don’t have a website and don’t list their prices. It’s one of those places you must reserve and leave your credit card on file to walk through the door.

While in the nesting room, you respectfully stayed off the actual nesting bed out of respect, but that promptly went out the window when you stood up to hug Jungkook, and he bulldozed you on it. The excuse is that you can’t plan what you are doing if you don’t know how it feels.

It was like a cloud and a lot colder than what you were expecting.

“How is it so cold with all these blankets on it?” you asked no one in particular.

“Cooling water system,” replies Namjoon, standing in the doorway in a gunmetal gray suit and tie similar to the one he wore yesterday. “Since hybrids run warmer than humans and Alphas run the hottest, they came up with a tube-like cooling system with water that runs under the mattress.”

“Does it only cool or can it heat?”

“Y/n, with seven Alphas around, if you ever get cold… I am sure someone would be willing to warm you up,” says Taehyung as he walks into the nesting room dressed in a solid black-on-black three-piece suit.

You unabashedly trail your eyes over his form. Like you can’t help it, his pants hug his legs almost like skinny jeans but formal. His jacket accentuates his muscular but slim build.

“I, umm,” your eloquence is astounding. Luckily, a flying pillow from Jimin saves you.

“Yah, you can’t just go around saying things like that,” the panda yells.

Namjoon picks up the pillow and tosses it back on the nesting bed, “Taehyung isn’t wrong though is he? Tell me which of us would deny a request to cuddle with Y/n to make her more comfortable in the nest.”

“Who is cuddling with my dear in the nest? I get first dibs,” Seokjin says, wearing his drop-dead gorgeous brown sandstone suit.

The hell?

When did you walk into a CEO/Hot Professor Fanfic?

You aren’t even walking; you are just lying there… they came to you.

“Sugar, you are starting to smell even sweeter. Are you gonna survive when all of us have to suit up for an interview or an awards show?” whispers Jungkook.

Looking quickly at him, you see his face is super close to yours, and your breath catches.

“Yeah, no, maybe. Do I have to be there? I don’t think… won’t I be in the way?” You say again, showing exactly how much you didn't learn much in college, which is why you left.

“Alright, that is enough from you, mister,” Yoongi instructs from the door. “Give my Princess room to breathe. Namjoon-ah, the car is ready to take you to your meeting.”

“Thank you, hyung. Y/n, I will see you tonight. The team will be here in about an hour. I told them to set up between the living room and your room,” Namjoon says.

“Have a good time with our Prime tonight, Y/n. I hope I get a glimpse of you before you go. I missed seeing you dressed up for Jin-hyung,” sighed Tae.

“Maybe one of your guards will grace us with a quick shot, with your permission of course, doll,” mentions Seokjin.

“I wouldn’t mind that. Yoongi? Jimin? Would either of you be willing to do that for your mates?” You ask, looking between the two of them.

“We can try, but we can’t get too close. Maybe we can find a way to do it when you walk to the car,” thinks Jimin aloud. “The open-air will help our scent not cling to your dress.”

“Gotta get you used to all the camera flashes before you leave,” he teases.

“Oh, that’s right, Y/n. PD-nim sent out the announcement that you would become our playmate this morning. Your Director thought it would be best to do it now since the contract is signed,” announced Namjoon.

“So I have to face the paparazzi, then,” you sigh. “There's no point in trying to skirt around it. All that would do is make me look weak and give you all a headache.”

“You will look amazing, my dear. Now, we better go. Yoongi, make sure she relaxes and enjoys her time getting ready,” says Seokjin, hooking his arm in Taehyungs and pulling him out the door.

“Bye, guys. Love you all!” Namjoon says as he bids farewell. You sigh internally, rolling your eyes because you know Lily would faint if they ever heard Namjoon say that.

“Wait for me!” yells Hoseok, running down the hall. Practically skidding to a stop, he pops into the nesting room.

Yeah, you have Jungkook’s answer. You won’t survive all of them in a suit. You might have gone up in flames after seeing Hoseok in a fire engine red suit.

“Hey, Doll. I just wanted to say have fun tonight. Namjoon-ah is more nervous than you are. I can promise you that! Bye.” And off he goes to join the others.

You end up staring at the space where he was, flashes of the boys going around in your head with snippets of things they said like “Love you (all)” and “Someone would warm you up.”

“I think we lost her,” Yoongi says, now standing a lot closer than before. When did he move?

“Sorry, I was just thinking of ways to… deal with tonight,” you lie, trying not to reveal your not-so-innocent thoughts.

“Ahuh, we are just gonna pretend to believe you on that one,” comments Jungkook as he takes in the sweet tang of your arousal.

Pushing Jungkook away, Yoongi offers to help you up, “Come on, I think you have time for a bath. The noonas have some way of washing your hair.”

Taking his hand, you stand up and follow him towards your room, “I already started a bath for you, but I think I may have to add more hot water. Namjoon asked me to use the vanilla bath bomb today. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure, vanilla or jasmine would be nice and calming, but can you put my hair in a bun so it can stay dry till the team gets here?”

Yoongi nods as you enter the bathroom. The scent of vanilla is light and pure, the tub is filled with bubbles, and some soft music is playing in the background.

“I put a towel on the toilet again, but Namjoon’s bathrobe for you to use,” Yoongi points to the dark blue, almost purple silk robe hanging up. “As the Prime Alpha, he enjoys when his called upon to smell of themselves and him only.”

“So, Namjoon’s scent is vanilla?” you ask, your brain cutting through all the times you smelled vanilla. You could swear it was on everything, but it was never vanilla alone.

“Not exactly,” Yoongi hesitates to answer honestly because he cannot just say it is the pack's mate scent. If you knew that and could smell it, you were smart enough to know that 1 + 1 equals you’re their mate.

“The vanilla compliments your natural scent, Princess, and it is considered a pack favorite,” offers Yoongi, hoping that he sounds convincing.

Still, considering the different scents you have smelt with the pack, it would make sense that they all enjoyed it. You have also always loved vanilla-scented candles and flavored candies.

Taking off your brace as Yoongi warms the bath, you ask, “So, I take it after I get in I won’t see anyone till you and Jimin send me off like parents with their kid going to prom?”

“Prom?” Yoongi questions as he dries off his hands. “I think that is an American thing. But, yes, you won’t see us much until then. If you need anything you can message the group chat or either of us individually.”

“Thank you,” you say as he excuses himself and closes the bathroom door.

Stripping down and getting into the bath, you shake your head at the fact that here you are again, in the bath, thinking of how crazy things have been. This time, however, you are not as panicked.

Well, sorta.

The contract is signed because everyone wants you here. You want to be here. They feel something special is happening between the eight of you to the point of possible integration. 4/7 of them look damn good in a suit, and you are going to go to hell for your non-good girl thoughts.

If they keep up the teasing, flirting, and various states of dress (Taehyung’s bare chest flashing through your head), you will have to find some personal alone time to release some of that particular tension.

Finding that private time when Jungkook can apparently hear you roll over in bed is gonna be a problem. Maybe your bathtimes can be a bit more relaxing…

Oh, who the hell are you kidding? You haven’t been able to get off since, like ever. Toys used to work until you lost the baby. Now, nothing works, just like your ex used to say.

You are broken and disgusting.

But the honest attentiveness toward you and the heated looks from a few of the Bangtan pack have lit something inside you that you thought had been long dead.

Maybe you aren’t broken, and maybe you aren’t that disgusting.

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disturbingstar · 2 months ago

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The last of us trivia

TV show

• Pedro Pascal agreed to play Joel within a day of being sent the script.

• Neil Druckmann (the writer and director of the games, and the co-creator of the HBO series) watched over 100 auditions for Ellie before seeing Bella Ramsey's audition, of which he said, “It didn't feel like I was watching someone acting like Ellie. I was watching Ellie.”

• The TV adaptation offered the opportunity to expand on characters' backstories like Marlene and Ellie's relationship - as they weren't limited to a first-person POV.

• Huge apocalyptic sets had to be made for the show that were only used once - like the interior of the Capitol Building, which was built on a soundstage from scratch. Matching the lushness of the game while making it more realistic was the end goal, and art books from Naughty Dog (the company that developed the video games) were used as a jumping off point.

• Tess is portrayed by Australian actress Anna Torv. She was aware of the games but had not played them and watched the cutscenes after her casting. Torv felt her performance required consistent truthfulness due to its subtlety.

• Anna Torv and Pedro Pascal who portrays Joel decided that Tess and Joel had been lovers for some time but, like in the game, were subtle about their relationship.

• Sarah is portrayed by English actress Nico Parker. Parker watched videos of the original game years before getting the role. She wanted to stay away from the game version and provide her own interpretation of the character.

• As the clickers were a “home run” in the games, prosthetic artists from Game of Thrones were brought on to make them look as close to the source material as possible.

• There was even a movement bootcamp to train extras how to move like infected.

• The art teams were given the direction to find the beauty in the fungus. As Neil Druckmann said, “When you see the beauty in these monsters, it somehow makes them creepier.”

• It was Bella Ramsey's suggestion to have Ellie sleep with a switchblade during her first night with Tess and Joel.

• Neil Druckmann always thought of Joel and Tess's relationship as romantic, and the TV show offered the opportunity to make that explicit.

• Neil Druckmann is open to a The Last of Us Part 3 game, but it depends on whether the team can “come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love.”

• Pedro Pascal was chosen to play Joel Miller because of his ability to portray a tough, tortured, and vulnerable character who suppresses his emotions until necessary.

• Pedro Pascal based Joel's voice on his own experiences growing up in San Antonio, Texas, paring it back from the Southern accent used in the games.

• Bella Ramsey was aware of the game before their audition, but was encouraged not to play it to avoid replicating Ashley Johnson's original performance, instead watching some gameplay on YouTube to get a sense of it. As of filming the series, they still hadn't played the game.Ramsey wanted their performance to be reminiscent of the games without copying them.

• Unlike his counterpart from the video game series, Joel is more vulnerable in the television series; he is hard of hearing on one side due to a gunshot, his knees ache when he stands and he also suffers from nightmares and panic attacks. Co-creator Craig Mazin felt Joel should be less resilient than in the game to show the toll that living in the post-outbreak world has taken.

• Tommy is portrayed by American actor and producer Gabriel Luna. About a month after the casting of Pascal and Ramsey as Joel and Ellie respectively, Luna was asked to submit an audition tape. He was familiar with the work of co-creator Craig Mazin and executive producer Carolyn Strauss, and had previously worked on HBO's True Detective. About a week after submitting his tape, he was offered the role and, according to Luna, they instantly knew he was the one. He was enthusiastic for the role, having lived in Austin, Texas—Joel and Tommy's hometown—around the same time as the show's setting. He was also given a PlayStation 5 during production to play the games as research.

#horror blog #the last of us #TLOU #the last of us trivia #the last of us season one #the last of us tv show #the last of us fandom #the last of us franchise #the last of us spoilers #tlou hbo #tlou show

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deansapplepie · 10 months ago

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Till THE DEAD do us part |Chapter 18

Chapter 17 Chapter 19

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Chapter 18: I ain’t sleeping with Hershel

Summary: The group is hopeless until they find the prison, now they try to build a new home. While which one of them have to deal with their own issues.

Warnings: swearing, outbursts, walker killing, blood, gore, nightmares, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of baby being possibly dead, misunderstanding, fights, reader can be a brat, insecurities, jealousy (nit the reason for insecurities), reader and Lori implying Daryl would substitute reader for Rick (that’s a joke). Minors do not interact. (I probably forgot something because this chapter have a lot of things happening)

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Grimes!Reader (Rick’s Sister)

Word Count: 4,615

A/N: Not proofread. Not one of my best writing. This was a chapter I was expecting to write since I started, and I’m a little disappointed on how it came out. My summary also sucks.

It had been 8 months, 8 long months of survival on the road, finding shelter here and there but never for too long. You had found a house near a small road, the men and little specimen of man (Carl), went to the house to clean it of walkers. You preferred being in action, killing walkers and shit, but Lori had a enormous belly, soon she was going to give birth, so all care she could have was necessary, so you’d better stay behind and take care of her.

Hershel was trying to teach you how to deliver a baby, well you knew the basics, you had already helped many puppies and kittens born. Ok, it wasn’t the same thing, but… you had also told Hershel you didn’t know if you wanted to do this. She was your sister-in-law, medically speaking you shouldn’t perform any surgery on her. ‘If something happens to me, I need someone that’s going to be able to do so.’ He used to say, and you would always say the same ‘nothing is happening to you, I’m protecting you.’. To which he always replied he was too old, and you couldn’t protect him from that. Being responsible to act on big medical ‘events’ of the group still made you nervous and uncomfortable, you wish you had an actual doctor in the group so you didn’t need to be one of the docs and be put in the same level as Hershel, when you clearly wasn’t. You still doubted your abilities as a vet, which you studied to actually be one… how could you take care of humans? You knew it wasn’t like there was many doctors around, so you’d have to do.

You entered the house carrying all the things you’d need, it was a lot of things for people that didn’t have a place to live. There were days since all of you had a decent meal, everyone looked apathetic, as if life had been drawn from you. You gathered around what looked like a living room, silent… Daryl sat by your side, an owl at his hands, plucking it. You used to love owls, so beautiful and majestic, symbol of wisdom… but at this moment you couldn’t care less and was even proud your man had caught it.

You noticed Carl at the corner near Beth, he had a can of something in his hand and was opening it. Was it dog food? God, how did you end up like this? You’d eat it and wouldn’t complain. You’d be happy to have whatever in your stomach. Looking at that food, you remembered Luna and how you had missed her all those months… before you could go deep into your thoughts you got startled when Rick took the can from Carl’s hand and threw it to the other side of the room, making a resounding noise that echoed around the house.

What was his problem? That was food, regardless of what kind! You were ready to get up and tell him off, but Daryl grabbed your hand and motioned with his head for you to not do that. You deep breathed and started counting… until T. announced there were a large group of walkers coming and you need to flee as fast as you could.

At some point you stopped again to make some fire and cook the owl Daryl had killed. Owls were mostly made of feathers, there was little meat, but beggars can’t be choosers… so each of you got your small share of it.

“Let’s go hunt something.” Daryl told Rick. “The owl wasn’t even a starter.”

“I’m going with you.” I promptly said, but I already knew they would refuse my company, again. They often did it, and it was annoying.

“Stay with Lori, she might need you. Besides that you’re better trained than the others, I need your protection here.” Rick stated and you just rolled your eyes.

“You don’t even believe your own words.” You said, then you turned to the hunter. “Don’t take too long and bring something delicious, ok?”

“Yes ma’am! I’m at yer orders.” He kissed your temple before taking his crossbow and disappearing with Rick.

You stayed behind with the others against your will, you crossed your arms and observed the two men disappearing in the woods. Soon Lori, Carol and Maggie joined you. “Stop pouting, they just went hunting.” Maggie elbowed you playfully.

“Without me.” You stated. You got frustrated every time they left without you, especially Daryl. “They spend more time together than with me! It’s like they’re substituting me.”

“Seriously, Y/N/N? Are you jealous of them?” Carol asked with a smile of amusement.

“Rick can substitute you, but Daryl can’t…” Maggie affirmed. Rick couldn’t, he was substituting you… it was rare when he seek you to talk or advice.

“Rick, it’s true. But Daryl… I don’t know, Rick has a quite beautiful ass.” Lori joked, Rick and she were still not talking, but moments like this would bring her some sense of normalcy, just as if they were friends gossiping in the kitchen and there were no walkers around.

“Hey! I have a beautiful ass too.” You protested.

“Of course, you’re siblings.” Lori shrugged then she put one of her arms around your waist. “You worry too much, they’re men. They need this time away from us. Besides… I need you here, I feel better with my sis and the baby too.”

“Ugh… you always know the right words to convince me. Ok, let them be. I’d rather pass my time with my girls.” You told them and hugged Lori resting your hand on her belly.

“Or boy.” Lori completed, because you didn’t know the baby’s gender.

“Nah, I have a feeling it’s a baby girl. So, I prefer to pass my time with 4 of my favorite girls.” You said a grin on your face.

After a time, that felt like eternity, they came back with news that they found a place, a prison and you could stay there and make it your home. You just had to… take it back from the walkers.

You had to work together to take the yard. First you had to cut the fence so you could enter and after it you needed to close it again. That wasn’t the most difficult part, there was no walker in the corridors around the fence, but the yard…. It was full of them. Also, one of the gates was open and it needed to be closed otherwise you’d not be able to fight all of them. Rick wanted to close the gate while the rest of you distracted the walkers and covered him. The plan was perfectly executed and you could all clear the yard out of walkers.

It gave hope to all of you. If you could clean part by part, soon you’d have a place you could call home. A safe place to live. A place for Lori to have the baby, a little bit of the domestic life again. Later that day you were all reunited around the fire, eating the little hunt Daryl and Rick got earlier. Some chatted, Beth sang a beautiful song… Rick was near the fence that separated you from the walkers on the patio, it was safe, he could come to the fire, but he wouldn’t. You could go and try talking him into resting and relaxing near the bonfire, but you knew he wouldn’t listen to you. He never did. Not anymore.

Daryl was on top of a toppled bus, watching or something. Carol went there to take some food for him. They had developed a nice and kind friendship since the farm, you were glad he was getting close to everyone in the group. Even though you sometimes felt jealous, you just pushed this feeling to the coffins of your mind and didn’t think about it. You knew him, you trusted him. You knew Carol, she was your friend. Besides that you were also jealous of him and your brother, so this wasn’t something you had to take seriously.

Later that night, you were laying on a blanket close to the fire and in Daryl’s arms, and you couldn’t help but think about the future. “Do you think we’ll be able to make this our place?” You asked him, your hand playing with a thread from his poncho.

“Ya’re the positive one ‘ere. Don’t you think we’ll make this place our home?” He told you. You had changed during the last months, all of you. You and him, you that would always reassure him, not the opposite. You used to always see things on the bright side of it, but you found closure and lost it so many times already, that you didn’t know if you could be like that again.

“I dunno. It’s just… we’re looking for a place for so long that it all just seems unreal. It’s like tomorrow I’m opening the eyes and we’ll still be on the road, or maybe something will happen and we’ll need to leave.” You tried to explain what you were feeling, but that wasn’t even the start of it.

“We’ll be fine. We can do it. I know. We’re making it a home.” He told you, he didn’t even know if he believed in his own words, but he trusted Rick and he said it would work. Also, he’d do anything to take those worries from your mind.

You snuggled into him and the warmth of his body and his unique scent, even when you didn’t have a descent bath in ages, engulfed you in comfort. After some time of comfortable silence between you, you drifted to sleep letting the exhaustion take you.

The next day you needed to take the patio and try to clean one of the cell blocks. Rick, Daryl, T.Dog, Glenn, Maggie and you worked together on taking the patio while the others kept at the fence trying to distract them. You used your crossbow and knife, you also had a gun, but all of you would rather not use it, since you were low in ammo and of course it attracted many of the dead if you used it. Some police walkers gave you a hard time, but soon Maggie discovered how to kill them and it became easier for you. As soon as you finished, you entered Block C and killed the few remaining walkers that were still inside.

After, all of you started to enter the Block and settle in, bringing your belongings and cleaning what you could and the best way you were able to. While that the men started to carry the corpses from the block and from the patio so they could burn them and finish cleaning the place you already had. You chose a cell in the upper floor, you looked at it and could already see you and Daryl living there.

You let your belongings outside of it and started to clean. You shook the bedsheets to take away the dust and then arranged it all again. The bunk was rather narrow, but you two pretty much slept so into each other that it wouldn’t be a problem and you could arrange it in the future. For someone that the day before wasn’t so sure if you could make this place a home, you were very excited.

You heard some cries coming from some cells away from yours, you walked there and found Lori. Carol was squatting in front of her, trying to comfort the pregnant woman. “What if the baby is dead?” She cried. “I feel like there’s something wrong.”

“There’s nothing wrong. You’re good, the baby is fine. Your belly is perfectly normal.” Carol reassured her.

“Yeah” you intervened, sitting by your sister-in-law side and caressing her back. “Don’t worry. I’m a doc, ain’t I? I’m saying it and you can trust me.” You weren’t sure of your words, you were not this confident about treating people, but you wanted to soothe Lori in some way. “Do you want me to take Rick?”

“No! Not him. I… bring Hershel, please.” She asked, Rick wouldn’t give her any comfort. He didn’t even hug or kiss her in months… what good could possibly do having him around right now?

“Ok. I’m gonna take Hershel.” Carol got up and left to find the old man.

When the doctor of the group arrived, you left to give them some privacy, even though you already knew her worries.

Later that day everyone that hadn’t claimed a cell yet, was claiming one and preparing to have a well deserved rest after such hard work. You approached Daryl, excited to tell him about the cell you had arranged for both of you, but you weren’t expecting his answer. “D., I cleaned that one for us. We just need to take our things there.” You said pointing to a cell further in the end of the corridor upstairs.

“I ain’t sleeping in a cage like a damn animal.” He was quick to answer, giving you his back and going to a place on the stairs where he’d placed a mattress and his things. He didn’t know his words had come so harsh, he didn’t even reflect about it before saying. His aversion was exclusively, because his brother had already been in jail, also being on jail was something that everybody where he came from expected from him, even though he had never been, not even because of bar fights or shit, and let’s say that the Dixons never ran from a good fight.

He had hit right at your feelings. You were taken aback by his harsh words, you weren’t expecting this. You were tired, the last months had been exhausting and for the first time in months you had a safe and rather decent place to rest. You turned your back and walked in the direction of the cell. When he turned back he saw you getting distant, with your back turned to him, he didn’t see the hurt you were feeling, but he was also with questions on his mind, why wasn’t it obvious to you that he didn’t want to sleep on a cell and neither alone? He had no reaction.

‘Maybe she needs some time alone’, he thought throwing himself at the mattress not even caring about taking off his boots.

‘Maybe he doesn’t want me’, that was what was in your insecure ass mind, everything was so good, so why couldn’t you just get over it.

You took your things from outside the cell and entered it, throwing you shoes anywhere and after jumping on the bed. This was the most comfortable bed you had had in months, but you felt there was no joy in it, if you weren’t sharing it… well at least he had his own mattress all alone somewhere. The exhaustion took your body and soon you drifted to sleep, but that didn’t mean it would be a good restorative night of sleep.

You were at the prison patio, the sky was cloudy and the air was sultry. Near the gates you saw a group of people, they were inside and had their back turned to you… but their silhouettes were so familiar… one of them wore a fisher hat and wasn’t very tall. “Dale? Is that you?” You asked, it just could be him, but how was it possible. Then they turned one by one…

Dale with his guts falling outside his stomach, a walker. Also, Amy, Jim, Jacqui, Sophia, Jimmy, Shane and Patricia. All of them walkers, even Amy, Jacqui, Dale and Shane that you knew there was no chance of being there. And then, contouring them, came a dog, a german Shepherd, your Luna and god… how you missed her! But she wasn’t her anymore, she had also become a walker version of herself. You didn’t even know if the animals could be affected, but you didn’t have time to care, because she ran in your direction and jumped on you.

You woke up sitting in the bed. You were sweating. A scream caught in your throat, unable to get out. That was better, you didn’t want to wake everybody up. One hand on your chest feeling a burning sensation you always woke up with when you had nightmares. The other hand on your mouth muffling your sobs. You were tempted about getting up and looking for Daryl’s arms, but you resisted the urge. He was the one that made you sleep alone. You weren’t thinking straight. It wasn’t that you never had nightmares sleeping with him, you still had them from time to time, but at least you were in his arms and felt protected. It didn’t let you sink in your intrusive thoughts.

After some time, you didn’t know how long after, you laid again in bed and tried to think about anything else else that wasn’t that nightmare. It would be good if you found the infirmary, you would complain if the library was still good and had good books, you’d love if you found some ammo…

You woke up with the sun touching your face, you felt as if you had been hit by a truck. Your body was painful and you were super sleepy. You put your shoes on, the gun in the holster, the knife on your waist and the crossbow across your body. You left the cell while you made your hair into a ponytail and walked to the stairs. Daryl was already up, he stopped everything when he saw you. You looked at him and remembered what you went through having to sleep by yourself. “Good morning.” You said, you were still a polite person after all, even angry at your boyfriend.

“ ‘morning pup.” He caught you when you passed by him, before you could finish descending the stairs. Both of his arms wrapped around you, he pulled your back against his chest and his face on your shoulder.

Ok. You were not understanding him at all. The day before he pushed you away, and now he’s all lovely to you. You inhaled, and delicately you took his hands from you and left his embrace and went down the stairs. He didn’t understand a single thing. You loved morning hugs, you needed them to start your day and he was there giving you that without caring if anyone would see and he would feel embarrassed, so why were you so cold?

You walked to the common area where most of the awake people were gathered, you didn’t have anything to eat, but it wasn’t any news. You saw Rick, wished him a good morning and hugged him. Ok, now Daryl was remembering every step he gave in the last months just so he knew exactly what he did wrong. “Your eyes are swollen, have you been crying?” Your brother asked, first time in a long time he noticed something about you.

“No, why would I? Just If I was too happy we have a decent bed to sleep after a long time.” You said, a tad bit of acid in your tone. Your brother knew better than pushing you, so he let it be. He looked at the archer, which he discovered to be a good friend after many months on the road, and Daryl’s eyes showed he was as clueless as him.

You soon start talking about going further in the prison and cleaning other places, finding new places and supplements. “ I’ll be very glad if we find the library!” You said getting a little bit excited just by thinking about having books to read it.

“Oh it would be fantastic!” Hershel agreed. “I haven’t found a single good book the whole time we were in the road.”

“Alright” Rick said after you finished talking about everything that you could find in the prison. “I think we can go.”

“Don’t go.” You heard Daryl by your side, a gentle hand on your upper arm.

“Why shouldn’t I, Dixon?” God, he was so screwed… now he knew he was the problem, you almost never called him Dixon, not even in a sweet playful manner. So he knew it.

“Ya don’t look good.” He tried again.

“Well, good thing I’m going to kill walkers and not to a fashion show.” You faked a sweet smile.

“Wha’s up with the attitude?” He asked, he himself already getting annoyed.

“Just, I’m tired of being left out. I’m no damsel in distress so you have to tell me all the time to stay behind. Also, I’m not staying to be ‘protected’ by a 12 year-old.” You finally took a breath between your words. “ ‘sides that you’re not my father, nor my husband to tell me what to do. Even if you were…”

“Are you two done?” Rick tried to intervene while everyone watched the discussion without understanding a single thing, just as lost as Daryl was.

“Shut up Rick, I’m not over.” Your brother’s eyes popped and he was ready to tell you off.

“Also, you are taking Hershel with you, an old man, but the idea of me going is so absurd! No offense Hershel, but you guys are taking our best doctor in a risky mission. And I should not go, because I don’t look good?!” You vomited facts all around that weren’t needed to be said, none of those people around you were the reason you were so pissed off. Maybe Rick, because he was always leaving you behind.

“Well, I ain’t sleeping with Hershel!” Daryl blurted out the sentence, losing his temper.

“Neither with me, apparently.” You retorted, and realization hit him.

“That’s why ya’re upset and causing an scene?” He threw at you.

“Upset? I was upset yesterday. Now, I’m angry.” You took a breath and just as if nothing had happened you told the others. “I’m waiting for you on the patio.”

You left and everyone stayed behind sharing looks and glances between them. Daryl grunted in frustration, god damn, he thought you wanted to be alone the day before, but in fact you probably understood he didn’t want to sleep with you.

“When you wanted relationship advices you should have asked Hershel, not me.” Rick patted his shoulder before leaving.

“Yeah, guess so.” Daryl mumbled under his breath.

“Son, you two need to communicate better.” Hershel said to him. “Also, be grateful you don’t sleep with me, I snore quite a bit.” The old man joked.

Daryl breathed one more time and looked around, his eyes landing on one of the bulletproof vests that you were able to find. He took it and his crossbow and left block C, joining you on the patio. He came in your direction holding the vest and you almost rolled your eyes.

“Hands up.” He said.

“I’m not wearing this shit. It’s heavy and I can hold myself well without it.” You said.

“Yes, you are if ya wanna go inside with us.” You laughed.

“And what are you going to do? Are you going to lock me up in a cell.” You teased.

“If ya continue to act like a fucking brat, yeah” he said. “Now put yer arms up. We’ll talk later. We suck at communication sometimes.”

“You two, stop it. We have work to do.” Rick told you, a finger pointed in your direction. “Watch duty for both of you tonight, and you better make up.”

You rolled your eyes and put your arms up, Daryl slid the vest through your arms and then adjusted it on your body. “Stay close, and dun do anything reckless, ‘kay? I ain’t protective ‘cause I think ya’re useless. It’s ‘cause…” ‘I love ya’, he completed in his mind. Why was it so easy to tell you while you were sleeping, but so difficult to say with you wide awake. “… I can’t lose ya.”

You really wanted to be mad at him, but you just couldn't. You almost broke when he back hugged you earlier, and now even if he called you a brat, and was even harsh, you just couldn’t when you saw his blue eyes soften on you. You had really been a brat, but who wouldn’t in your place? Rick retold all of you what you were supposed to do and reaffirmed you shouldn’t leave formation, and like this you entered the building.

It was very calm at first, no walking corpse on sight, but soon they started to appear, small groups of them, you killed one by one. You used the crossbow to stop them from coming closer, but when they did you’d use your knife. That was great until a group of them separated all of you. “fuck…” Where was everyone? You kept walking in the dark trying to avoid the walkers and killing them before they’d kill you.

You walked on your side trying to maintain your eyes everywhere until you knocked into something and almost panicked before discovering the something had arms and wrapped one around you and covered your mouth immediately so you didn’t scream. “Told ya to stay close.” Daryl whispered.

“I can guarantee, I didn’t separate from you on purpose.” You whispered as soon as he took his hand from your mouth.

You continued to walk together, till you reunited with the others and… the worst had happened. Hershel was bitten, god damnit! Couldn’t they just say no to the old man and have left behind? You were all cornered in a corridor when you found the cafeteria, without much thinking you all got inside and ran to Hershel’s aid.

You ripped the leg of his pants and looked at the bite. Fuck. Your doctor was bitten. You had to be the doctor. ‘Think fast! Think!’, you repeated it like a mantra inside your head, and then the idea hit you.

“A BELT! Someone give me a belt!” You commanded and Rick was fast to give you his. “I’m sorry Hershel, we have nothing to lose anymore, so I need to try this.”

You put the belt around his leg and restrained his blood from flowing. “Rick, you do it. I don’t think I’m strong enough to do it in one.” Rick took his hatchet and did what he had to cutting off the bitten part of Hershel’s leg. The doctor got unconscious, Maggie was despaired and blood was everywhere. Suddenly you heard a sound coming from the very end of the cafeteria, most of you aimed your weapons in the direction of the sound just to be met by 5 strange faces and none of them belonging to a dead person.

“Holy shit!” Exclaimed a ginger man.

Wanna be added to my tag list? Let me know. (Please tell me if you want to be tagged on everything or just specific series) Everything Taglist: @lilyevanstan1325

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#daryl dixon #the walking dead #the walking dead daryl #twd #twd daryl #daryl x reader #daryl fanfiction #daryl x y/n #daryl imagines #twd daryl dixon #imagine daryl #daryl twd #the walking dead daryl dixon #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon fanfic #daryl x you #daryl x female reader #till the dead do us part #deansapplepie

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