#i hope nothing comes off as aggressive i just want to explain the other side fairly

[weaselishmcdiesel]

AHSJSJ in reference to https://at.tumblr.com/weaselishmcdiesel/idk-if-youre-being-serious-in-the-tags-but-if-you/b7me6xnnx57f (i was the anon in question)

its definitely less “official” than proper therapist, but the letter of recommendation for an emotional supper pet you get is in fact from a Real Certified Therapist (at least mine was, i checked), and it carries no indication of being provided through the website, so i doubt people would be like “oh this isn’t legitimate”

in general is it cutting corners? certainly, but it is a good option if you dont have access to/funds for a proper diagnosis, and if you genuinely think an emotional support animal would make your life better, its worth researching. i dont know if i’d call it “fake” per say, but it is for sure easier to fake than yknow a proper diagnosis, so i see why this would be an issue nonetheless. two sides to everything etc etc

(if youre curious to know more or see my letter i’m happy to send it through dms or whatever)

oo, erm, please take the rest of my response in the context that i really have, maybe a collective of 3 hours worth of research on this topic as i was originally planning not to use an ESA site at all, and im not aware of the specifics of any experience using official, medical, therapy options.

im really glad that everything went smoothly for you, and i hope that more people can have access to treatment just as easily and with just as much documentation to prove it.

But the conduct surrounding the treatment of mental health is unfairly complicated so it's not unwise to be picky about which route one takes to receive the documentation and care they require. ideally, no one would have to worry if the letter they acquired IS legitimate and they could collect the proper benefits. unfortunately, i dont know if my school cares about my mental health more than their precious building so much so that they would dig around and find some critical loophole to keep my pet out

the research i DID do uncovered reviews stating that people had their pettable letters denied and in some cases there was fine print that prevented them from getting refunded. the question at the end of the day is do i trust the ESA site to give me valid documentation MORE than i trust my school to be OVERLY, even MALICIOUSLY nitpicky about the legitimacy of my paperwork.

and, i personally would have to be cautious since it's more than a simple drive my cat would have to endure but a plane ride too, and another one back if he's suddenly denied an ESA position, so i can't risk the letter having even one pitfall. i do hope you understand everyone's apprehension ^^ I will continue doing my research and hope that in the end i dont give my school one more reason to be even more strict with ESA especially for people who need them more than me (because there are, probably, people who poorly fake the papers and then make it harder for the rest of us as the other user is calling attention to)

[spookyserenades]

Trouvaille - Chapter Fifteen (M)

Pairing(s); BTS OT7 x Reader

Genre/Themes; Hybrid!AU, themes of the supernatural and the occult, religious themes, violence, hurt/comfort, horror, romance

Rated; 18+ for swearing, violence/gore, future sexual themes. Reader discretion is advised.

Word Count; 21.3k

Trouvaille Masterlist

Trouvaille playlist

Updates on the 7th of each month

HI HI HI! Thank you all for your patience for this update while I was recovering from my cold! I'm excited to share this chapter, it's jam-packed with emotion, some uncomfortable confrontation, fluff, and of course, some more depraved smut LOL. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you again for everyone wishing me a speedy recovery and your unwavering support. (also pls excuse any typos fdskafdjf) Love from Dana 💜

As an additional warning/reminder, for the smut: the scene is explicit, and is only intended to be read by those over the age of 18. Please practice safe sex, and readers please have discretion!

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

“I know you’re mad at me, but you know why I had to break that up, right?” Yoongi watched Y/N though slitted eyes as she poured a rather large glass of white wine for herself, scoffing. 

Ignoring him, she took a swig of the chilled wine and turned on her heels, returning to the stove to stir the onion she was in the middle of sauteing. Even she could feel her irritation and anger coming off of herself in vicious waves, perhaps stirring the thyme into her mixture of onion, celery, and carrot with too much aggression. 

“Y/N, come on. The silent treatment is really childish,” Yoongi’s deep voice had an edge of grit to it, Y/N snorting humorlessly. 

The sounds of the leopard hybrid storming over to her side filled her ringing ears, and when he gently grasped her wrist to pry the wooden spoon from her grip, she spun around to face him, gritting her teeth when he turned off the stove. 

“Childish? That’s rich,” Y/N eyed the way Yoongi’s spotted tail was flicking back and forth in agitation, hating having to argue with him at all. “You can’t just prevent me from talking to the others, Yoongi.”

A muscle pulsing in his jaw, Yoongi took a deep breath while pushing his hair out of his face, taking a better hold of Y/N’s hand and squeezing it once. 

“I get why that’s how you probably see it, but that’s not what that was,” Yoongi replied evenly, appearing to exercise his unending patience. 

“Okay, then explain! You know I’ve been trying to talk to Tae for days! Now he’ll probably never want to open up again,” Y/N had hysteria welling up in her, unable to decide if she was jealous of the way Yoongi always seemed to be so calm and collected. 

“Yes, I know, sweetheart,” Yoongi’s jaw tensed again, thumb brushing over her wrist bone. “But not like that. He’s never been that drunk, at least since we’ve known him. I was trying to prevent him from doing something he might regret once sobering up.”

Y/N blinked, reading the sincerity on his face, her shoulders relaxing down a couple of inches. 

“You know, the kid’s kind of grown on me in the last few months. I know that he’d be humiliated if things escalated further, that’s why I intervened. Besides, I didn’t want him to put you in a tight spot. I’m aware of how much you care about him,” Yoongi continued, the pinch between his brows loosening up when Y/N seemed to cool off. 

“Sorry…” Y/N murmured, suddenly embarrassed that she was so quick to lose her temper on Yoongi. 

“Nothing to apologize for. Just don’t clam up on me like that, and we’ll be good,” Yoongi softened, lifting her hand to his mouth to place a kiss on the back of it. “Let him sober up, sleep it off. Talk to him in the morning.”

Cheeks burning, she nodded, Yoongi letting go of her and swiping her wine glass, taking a sip with a purr. He took up the task of stirring the base ingredients of the tortellini soup Y/N was making for dinner, Y/N sighing and leaning up to stamp a kiss on his jaw, his still-damp hair tickling the tip of her nose. 

“You’re right. I wouldn’t have wanted things to escalate like that… thank you, my angel,” Y/N hummed, reaching up to give one of his ears a scratch, his posture stiffening then dissolving into shivers as her fingers stroked through the short fur. 

“You’re gonna take advantage of that weakness all the time from now on, aren’t you,” Yoongi’s voice was feathery, Y/N chuckling and mercifully releasing his ear. “Chop up that fennel, we’ll add it to the soup to bulk it up.”

Stealing her wineglass back, Y/N did just that, glad that her and Yoongi didn’t have to have an explosive argument over jealousy. However, as her knife sliced down into the bulb of fennel, her thoughts turned to Taehyung– reeking of booze, cornering her to a wall, unfamiliar flames in his eyes. She knew that the next morning, Taehyung would probably be avoidant and perhaps even embarrassed, and pinning him down to talk to him would be no easy feat. She had no doubt that the Kodiak hybrid wouldn’t be present for dinner, which heightened her concern– all that booze and no food didn’t add up to a hangover-less morning. 

“I’ll bring him up some of this later, in a thermos. Don’t worry,” Yoongi once again read her mind, Y/N using the flat of her knife to slide the sliced fennel into the Dutch oven the leopard hybrid was standing over. “He’s definitely passed out, at the moment.”

Nodding, she gave Yoongi a pat on the back, getting to work on prepping some of the other ingredients for dinner. The silence was amicable, comfortable, so the sound of the slider door scraping open had her squeaking in surprise, nearly dropping the loaf of garlic bread she was putting into the oven. 

“If you don’t get out of my face, fox, I’m going to take my Zippo to your running sneakers,” Jeongguk’s gruff voice bounced off the walls of the kitchen, brushing snowflakes off of the shoulders of his leather jacket. 

“What? I just asked if you had feeling in your antlers,” Hoseok defended himself, a thin sheen of sweat coating his skin as he returned from his evening run. “You don’t have to be so accusatory all the time.”

Y/N stifled a laugh, looking over her shoulder to take a better glance at the spectacle, Jeongguk scoffing sharply as he hung his jacket on the coat rack by the door. Apparently, it had begun to snow outside, both his and Hoseok’s hair dusted with powdery clumps of it. 

“And you don’t have to be such a nosy, irritating son of a bitch all the time, but sometimes we’re just created a certain way,” Jeongguk replied, Hoseok frowning as he caught a bottle of water Yoongi was tossing his way. 

“Forget it, I’ll just Google it later,” Hoseok muttered, collapsing heavily into the breakfast nook, his ears drooping. “Cold as shit outside, by the way. Y/N, you’re sure we can’t move to Florida?”

“What’s with you and Florida, Foxy? Got a secret past there or something?” Yoongi inquired, wiping his hands on a dishtowel after bringing the soup to a simmer. 

“Not particularly. It’s just warm and pretty there all the time. Didn’t you mention February can be even colder than January up here, Y/N?” Hoseok expertly dodged Yoongi’s line of questioning, redirecting his attention to Y/N. 

“Sometimes. Judging by all the snow we’ve been getting lately, it’s looking that way,” Y/N admitted, still put off by the idea of living through Floridian summers. “I guess I’ll have to look into booking a trip to Disney a bit more seriously.”

“Ugh,” Jeongguk was disgusted, usually the one to turn his nose up at a Disney movie Seokjin or Hoseok would put on during movie night. “At least they sling excessive booze there, so I’ve heard.”

“Yeah, we can drink around the world in EPCOT,” Y/N put a finger to her lips, trying to calculate how much park tickets, souvenirs, a villa, and transport would run her– she shuddered at the figure she came up with roughly. To boot, the three hybrids in the room stared at her blankly, like she started spontaneously speaking French. “It’s a park in the resort. You know what, I’ll tell you all about it if I can scrape up the funds for a trip in the fall or whatever.”

The slider was pulled open again, this time bringing Jimin and Namjoon in from the cold, Jimin with only sock-clad feet, his muddied boots stowed beneath a covered section of the patio to prevent tracking mess into the house. Namjoon had a stack of thick books tucked under one of his arms, his denim-sherpa jacket damp with snow, nodding once at Y/N before heading off in the direction of his bedroom, likely to deposit the materials. Ever since she gave the wolf hybrid the information about their upcoming consultation, he had been burning the midnight oil tearing through all of the books he had in order to prepare himself. 

“Hey, Jimin, how are the babies?” Y/N inquired about the animals, tuning out Jeongguk and Hoseok still bickering about his antlers, and whether or not they had feeling in them– secretly, Y/N was curious, too. “Oh shit– are you bleeding?”

Y/N dropped the knife she was using to shave parmesan slices for the soup with alarm, eyes bugging out of her head noticing the blood on his wrist. She flew over to him at lightning speed, hands outstretched to examine the damage. Jimin exhaled slowly, handing over his forearm, Y/N’s face settling into a deep frown. 

“I’m alright, now, Y/N. It was just Bandit up to his old tricks when I went to give the chickens their supper,” Jimin’s voice had amusement coloring it, a half-smile on his face when Y/N dragged him to the island to dab a paper towel over the minor wound. 

“That cocksucking rooster. We should just sell it,” Hoseok squawked from his spot on the breakfast bar, looking up from the noisy Tik Tok he was playing aloud. “I think it’s evil.”

Jimin rolled his eyes at the comment, one of his sandy ears twitching, before he placed his hand over Y/N’s tenderly. 

“It’s just a nip. I’ll go disinfect it and come right back,” Jimin assured her, Y/N’s stubbornness coming to a head. 

“Let me help,” Y/N tailed the coyote hybrid, reminded of the time he tended to her injury, and wanting to give a little bit back. “Bandit… appropriately named. Or perhaps Lucifer would have suited him better.”

Jimin snorted, letting Y/N grab a hold of the thick corduroy button-down he had over his tee shirt, dragging her down the hall and into his bedroom. The room, as always, had a sereneness to it. Dark blue colors, neat and tidy, and smelling like calming lavender and the crisp outdoors. 

“Okay, sit,” Y/N took control, pushing Jimin onto his bed by his biceps, his tail slightly thumping against his mattress as determination set the shape of her mouth. Making haste for his bathroom, she was easily able to locate his basic first-aid kit, one she had in every en-suite in the house under the sink, dragging it out to the awaiting coyote hybrid. 

Sitting beside him, Y/N held out her palm expectantly, Jimin placing his forearm into her grasp with a gentle sigh of resignation. Wincing at the torn skin, Y/N quickly loaded up a cotton square with alcohol, dabbing at the site gingerly. Jimin, to his credit, didn’t wince or flinch away, simply studying her actions with his lip tucked between his teeth. 

“Sorry, it probably stings,” Y/N mumbled, reaching for the soothing ointment in the kit blindly, applying it on the bite. 

“‘S alright,” Jimin shook his head, his hand curling into a fist before his digits relaxed, Y/N wondering if it was an attempt to get past the pain. “It’ll probably be healed up by the morning.”

Humming, Y/N smoothed a Hello Kitty bandaid over his skin, recalling how quickly hybrids recovered from injury. 

“I’m sure something like that happened from time to time when you worked on the ranch,” Y/N mused, reluctant to let go of the coyote hybrid just yet. 

“Yeah, perks of the job,” Jimin chuckled, making no move to peel himself away from her as well, Y/N feeling the brush of his tail against her lower back. “Thank you for patching me up. Beats my buddies telling me to rub dirt in it or threatening to kiss it better.”

Blinking at that tidbit of information, Y/N watched Jimin’s eyes go far away, a tiny smile on his full lips. Without thinking, and while he was distracted, Y/N ducked, pressing her puckered lips to the pink bandage. All she heard was a sharp, quiet, gasped intake of breath, Jimin’s strong forearm going limp in her palm as soon as she kissed him. 

“A kiss is better than dirt, no?” Y/N straightened back up, finally letting his arm go and pushing that pesky strand of honey hair over his forehead back to join the rest of his slicked-back locks. 

Jimin was stunned, effectively pulled out of his reminiscing, his butterscotch eyes wide as he stared down at her. In the distance, she heard Hoseok hollering about dinner being ready, Jimin’s downturned ears twitching, Y/N leaping from her spot and motioning for Jimin to follow. She was halfway through the door when Jimin replied, though she didn’t end up catching what he said. 

“Much better.”

The next morning, a Sunday, would have typically been lazy and domestic. Usually, her and her hybrids went about their own business; watching movies, playing board games, and attending to their hobbies. However, that particular Sunday morning, Y/N had left Jimin in charge of making sure no one got into petty arguments, and was carefully ascending the stairs with a plate of hot, greasy breakfast food. 

Much like Yoongi had predicted, Taehyung had not joined the rest of them for dinner, which nobody else saw as odd. Taehyung was still rather introverted and not so keen on befriending anyone besides Yoongi, and the others were of course happy to ignore him. The Kodiak hybrid hadn’t hauled himself downstairs for the Sunday morning fry up, and Y/N figured it was as good of a time as any to get their uncomfortable conversation out of the way. 

Reaching his bedroom door, Y/N balanced the plate of food on her forearm, a large glass of water in her grip, and used her free hand to knock on his door as quietly as she could. She heard a gruff groan in response, Y/N rolling her eyes and making her way inside the room, shutting the door behind her. 

The room was dark, all of the drapes pulled shut a little haphazardly, and Taehyung was slumped on his bed, his arm dangling over the side of the mattress and one of his cheeks squished on a pillow. His wild curly hair was matted and sticking up in several directions, and as Y/N held back a giggle when he moaned again, his eyebrows knit together and his nostrils flared. 

“Morning,” Y/N whispered, placing the plate of food on his dresser, putting a lid over the fried eggs, mountain of toast, and breakfast sausages so they wouldn’t get cold. Though she uttered the greeting only above a breath, Taehyung groaned, pretty much planked on his front on top of his quilt. “Oh, honey…”

Fishing around in her pocket, she pulled out a packet of Advil tablets, crouching down in front of him and offering both the medication and the chilled glass of water, one of his carmine eyes cracking open slightly. 

After a beat, Y/N watched the hybrid sluggishly turn onto his side, propped up on an elbow, his lips chapped as they parted slightly. Moving at glacial speed, Taehyung refused to meet Y/N’s eyes as he accepted both the pills and the glass, eagerly taking the medication and sucking down half the glass of water. 

“Bit too much to drink last night, huh?” Y/N began, planting her ass on the ground and wrapping her arms around her knees. Taehyung’s throat bobbed as he swallowed the Advil capsules, Y/N following the movement with rapt interest. “I brought you some breakfast. It’ll soak up some of that gin. You should take it easy today, Tae, I can bring up my laptop and you can do a little photo editing in bed or something.”

Taehyung sat up more fully, although the movement was clunky and lacked the typical brawn and speed that he usually operated at. Clutching his forehead, one of Taehyung’s sharpened incisors bit down on his lower lip so harshly he drew a bead of blood to the surface of the flesh. Sighing, Y/N got to her knees, reaching up and back for the plate of food, placing it on his bed in front of him. The Kodiak hybrid’s complexion turned a touch green, a large hand slapping across his mouth and nose, and Y/N swore she heard a guttural gag from the back of his throat. She’d been there.  

“I know the smell is probably making you nauseous, but you’ll feel better if you eat. I promise,” Y/N encouraged, Taehyung’s round ears pressed flat against his skull, an animalistic grumble vibrating his chest. “I… wanna talk to you, Tae.”

Appearing to catch him off guard as he poked at one of the fried eggs with his fork, Taehyung blinked at her, his expression blank. Y/N suspected, judging by the vacant expression, that he might have blacked out the previous night and couldn’t remember anything that happened; including but not limited to him pushing her against a wall and letting Yoongi spoon-feed him tortellini soup (or so her leopard hybrid had revealed to her over her morning coffee). 

“Do you remember anything about last night?” 

“No… No, I don’t,” Taehyung set his fork down promptly, unease turning down the corners of his mouth. “Did I do something wrong?”

Y/N shook her head immediately, though she knew that Yoongi– and the others, if they knew, would beg to differ. Unfortunately, the silent denial did nothing to make Taehyung’s alarm go away. 

“You definitely drank way over your limit, but you didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing I’ve ever done that drunk, anyways,” Y/N picked at the fringe on his rug, mind going to the memory of drunkenly pushing Yoongi against a wall and demanding his phone number. “Actually, I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while. I haven’t managed to corner you until now.”

“What did I do?” Taehyung ignored her latter statement, stiffening when Y/N leaned forward, plucking up a piece of toast and raising it to his lips with a cocked eyebrow. If he didn’t get any food into his system, he’d feel like garbage the rest of the day, hybrid healing skills or not. 

“You seemed angry with me. I came home, you were listening to some jazz on Youtube in the parlor, and you had finished about half a bottle of gin. With no chasers,” Y/N only began speaking when Taehyung reluctantly took a bite of the toast, chewing robotically and staring at his hands tangled in his lap. “I think you were trying to tell me something, but Yoongi interrupted before you could say anything… and then you ran up here.”

Taehyung was quiet, his dark eyebrows pulled together as Y/N fed him toast, apparently lost in thought. While disheveled and still dressed in his cargo pants and hoodie from yesterday, Taehyung was nothing short of effortlessly handsome, even if Y/N could smell gin on his breath. 

“Angry with you?” Taehyung mumbled, tongue flicking out to catch some jam on the corner of his mouth. “I don’t remember. I’m sorry…”

“It’s alright, Tae. Keep eating,” Y/N encouraged, placing the fork back into his hand. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of this anecdote, but people often say that drunk words are sober thoughts. If there’s something on your mind, I want you to be able to talk to me about it. I care about you a lot, and miss having you around all the time. I don’t like… the distance.”

Y/N surprised herself by being so honest, stopping just short of spilling her guts and revealing her feelings for her elusive Kodiak hybrid. As she spoke, Taehyung made it about halfway through an egg before he pushed the plate away on top of his quilt, a frown on his face but the guarded look in his eyes softening exponentially. Looking down at her through his eyelashes, Taehyung heaved a great sigh, head tipping backwards and collapsing on his pillow. 

“I’ve been acting immaturely, huh?” Taehyung breathed, his forearm draped over his eyes as he chuckled humorlessly, seemingly talking to himself more than anything else. “There’s no use in avoiding you, anyways. Stubborn and persistent.”

“So, you were purposefully avoiding me. Wanna tell me why? Does it have to do with… Yoongi and I?” Y/N probed, nearly whispering the last question. The corner of Taehyung’s mouth quirked up into a sardonic smirk. “Okay, I’m guessing that’s what it is.”

“I just,” Taehyung peeled his arm off of his face, sitting up and joining Y/N on the floor, pushing curls out of his eyes with annoyance. “Like Jimin. Wish you just told me.”

Y/N swallowed, looking down at her lap, shame filling her. Taehyung returned to his breakfast, munching on another piece of toast, leaning against his bed. She could hear him taking sniffs of the air delicately, probably smelling the emotions coming off of her, and Y/N couldn’t help but notice how he sat several inches away, rather than pressed up against her like normal. 

“I’m sorry,” Y/N’s voice was scratchy, picking at the rug once more. “You’re right, I should have told you.”

“That night, when I told you about how I ended up here, you said you trusted me. I trust you,” Taehyung admitted, Y/N slouching so low in response, she felt like she was curling in on herself. “I meant what I said, and I know you did too. But I couldn’t understand why you felt like you needed to hide your feelings for Yoongi from me.”

Not wanting to cry in front of the hybrid, pride somehow welling up in her and mingling with her shame, she willed her lip to stop wobbling, peeking at Taehyung out of the corner of her eye. While difficult to hear, Y/N could tell it took a great deal of courage for Taehyung to confess that to her. 

“I didn’t know how to bring it up to any of you. I felt like everyone was finally getting comfortable here, and I was worried about disturbing the peace. Of course, I managed to do that anyways,” Y/N stared out of one of Taehyung’s windows, keeping her vision on the horizon so tears wouldn’t spill down her cheeks. “I trust you, of course. It wasn’t about me not trusting you, but trying to protect everyone’s… peace, I suppose. Comfort.”

“You can’t protect us from everything, Y/N,” Taehyung told her softly, Y/N all too aware of that truth. “There are going to be times where shit gets rough or uncomfortable, but we’ve all been through tough situations before. We can handle the truth, even if you think we can’t.”

Y/N was stunned by Taehyung’s sage advice, even if he was scolding her slightly. Nodding, she swallowed thickly, Taehyung reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder heavily. The contact had her spine going rigid, as Taehyung hadn’t so much as glanced at her recently, let alone give her a friendly touch. 

“Is he… treating you well?” Taehyung’s low voice was barely audible, even right in her ear. The question made her cheeks burn, heart racing. Whatever she was expecting him to say next, it wasn’t that. 

“Um, yes, of course,” Y/N mumbled awkwardly, twiddling her thumbs. “He loves me, too.”

“I know,” Taehyung removed his hand from her shoulder, getting to his feet and beginning to rummage through his dresser. “He’s loved you from the start.”

Gawking at Taehyung, looking at him from head to toe while his back was turned, Y/N was at a loss for words. Taehyung spun on his heels, offering a broad palm to help her up, a change of clothes tucked under his other arm. With a shaky grip, she took it, trying to catch eye contact, but the Kodiak hybrid avoided it. 

“Tae…” Y/N began, feeling like the conversation wasn’t quite over, and she refused to let go of his hand even when he tried to pull away. “We–”

“Thank you for breakfast, you were right, it made me feel better. I’m going to shower, though,” Taehyung cut her off, squeezing her hand tightly before releasing it. “I’ll come down after… I’ll quit hiding, so stop worrying about me, please.”

“Oh, Tae–!” Y/N wasn’t fast enough, Taehyung’s hybrid strength and speed apparently returning to him, and he disappeared into his bathroom with a click of a lock, leaving her reeling in his bedroom, her palm tingling from his touch still. 

Absently, she collected Taehyung’s half-eaten breakfast, and when she heard the shower turn on, it prompted her to leave the room, wondering if anything was accomplished by that conversation, if he truly would stop avoiding her, and how he knew about Yoongi’s feelings for so long. Humming sadly, she set her destination to the kitchen, thoughts still occupied with the flash of hurt in Taehyung’s eyes. 

“Are you sure you know how to drive this thing, wolf?” Jeongguk shouted from the booth in the back of the old van, Y/N cringing in the passenger seat beside Namjoon, who had very sharply turned onto a side street. “Judas priest, try not to hit the curb.”

“Be quiet,” Namjoon barked back, pushing the pair of glasses he was wearing up his nose bridge. Y/N had gotten him blue light glasses so he wouldn’t burn his retinas while he was crouched over her laptop researching for hours on end. “You can’t even drive in general, so can it.”

Giggling into her palm, Y/N admired her wolf hybrid while he glanced at the GPS on his phone. His silver hair was parted and swept back neatly, and was wearing Y/N’s favorite sweater he owned, a cream cable-knit scoop neck. She tried her best to not ogle him too much, but the sight of his strong, tanned hands wrapped around the steering wheel and perched on the gear shift had her slightly squirming in her seat. 

“Are we almost there?” Jeongguk, in fact, did not shut up, the sound of his thumb flicking a lighter making Namjoon’s bitten ear twitch. 

“Excited, sweets?” Y/N tossed over her shoulder, adjusting the hem of her plaid skirt, Jeongguk snorting, though Y/N caught him twirling a pen between his fingers and tapping his foot eagerly. Jeongguk had also gone out of his way to look nice that afternoon, opting for a loose charcoal button-down and normal dress pants rather than his usual casual gothic attire. 

“Please,” Jeongguk muttered, his voice muffled by the cigarette pursed between his lips. Y/N felt her mouth water, the elk hybrid’s hair beginning to grow in a way that made him look like a 50’s style greaser, complete with the shiny gel. “The possibility of interacting with paranoid humans all afternoon isn’t exactly enthralling.”

Rolling her eyes, Y/N focused back on the road in front of her, not taking Jeongguk seriously at all. Jeongguk talked a big game, and certainly appeared intimidating with his glare, tattoos, and piercings, but deep down he was just as passionate about his interest in the paranormal as Namjoon was. 

“You guys will get your first paycheck by the end of the week, isn’t that awesome? I mean, if we can wrap up the investigation and cleansing by then,” Y/N changed the subject, rolling her window down (manually, with a crank) to filter out Jeongguk’s cigarette smoke, Namjoon grumbling about the frigid temperature. 

“Are you sure it’s legal for us to get paid?” Jeongguk asked incredulously. 

“Uh, good question,” Y/N admitted, watching Namjoon’s hands tense around the steering wheel. “One for Ben.”

“Says we’ll be there in three minutes,” Namjoon pointed to the GPS, Y/N leaning forward in her seat to get a good look at the suburban street they were driving down. 

It was just an average looking neighborhood in Newton, about twenty minutes from their own home, the houses sleepy Victorians and sidewalks studded with ancient trees. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, even when Namjoon parked his van outside of a little blue house shrouded by great oak trees. 

“Is this it?” Y/N leaned across her armrest to check out the front of the building, squeaking out an apology when Namjoon jerked in his seat from the proximity, her cheek smacking into his chest. “Shit, sorry Joonie.”

“No, it’s the post office. Why else would he park here?” Jeongguk flicked the back of her head, Y/N flinching when one of his icy silver rings made her scalp smart. “Let’s go, we’re late.”

Muttering, Y/N massaged the back of her head, hearing the elk hybrid rummage around behind her for his bag, Namjoon unfastening his seatbelt with an apologetic grimace. Ever since she had scolded the wolf hybrid for speeding, he began going under the speed limits. The man was never really one for gray areas, moving from one extreme to another. 

Pulling her coat closer around her body, Y/N jumped out of the old van, clutching her notebook to her chest and expelling a deep breath. While Namjoon locked up, she tucked the dangling wires to his Walkman deeper into his bookbag, snorting softly at the excited twitch to his tail. 

Once in front of the door to the home, Y/N rang the doorbell, feeling the delicious heat of her two hybrids behind her like a solid wall. She hadn’t been that excited for an event in a while, even though it involved the unknown and people in trouble– the chance to spend one-on-one time with Namjoon and Jeongguk had her bouncing on her toes while she waited for the door to open. 

Moments later, the heavy door creaked open, a thin, short woman appearing in the darkened threshold, a screen storm door separating her from the three lingering on her porch. The woman took in the sight in front of her with darting eyes, which had purplish circles beneath them, her hair a bit unkempt and hands shaking as she placed one of them on the handle to the storm door. 

“Are you… Y/N?” The woman asked, her voice small, scratchy, and weary. 

“Yes, are you Ms. Sanders? I work for Judy, I’m taking over her home consultations. She sent me all of the information you gave her about the situation in your home,” Y/N hoped that the woman would invite them in soon, the wind was biting and she could sense Jeongguk’s impatience without having to look at him. 

“Please, come in,” Ms. Sanders– Erika, Y/N remembered her first name from the packet– pushed the remaining barrier between the outside and the apparently haunted house aside, Y/N promptly stepped into the house once the woman moved. “Also, please excuse the mess. I haven’t had much time to, um, clean up, lately.”

Namjoon shut the door behind him once everyone was inside, Y/N sneaking a peek at him sniffing the air with a thoughtful expression, Jeongguk looking awkward and unconfident, for once. Contrary to what Erika said about the state of her home, things seemed tidy, eerily so, and in the small den that they were led to, nothing seemed out of place, just lonely. 

“I’d like to introduce you to my two hybrids, they’re here to help, as well. This is Namjoon, he’s very knowledgeable about all things paranormal, actually, all things in general,” Y/N gestured to her wolf hybrid, who exuded the confidence that Jeongguk seemed to be lacking. “And this is Jeongguk. He’s worked with a paranormal investigative group and has years of experience. Both of them successfully helped me rid my own home of an entity.”

“Y-yes, Judy mentioned that she’d be sending a team here for me,” Erika eyed the two hybrids standing behind Y/N like bodyguards, Y/N comforted by both of their contrasting scents in an unfamiliar place; floral honey and leathery smoke. “Make yourself comfortable. Can I get anyone anything to drink?” 

Y/N shook her head, the two hybrids following suit, sitting on her either side on the lumpy sofa in the living room. Y/N had to admit, there was a hair-raising, peculiar feel to the energy in the home, one that set her teeth on edge. Definitely different from the way it felt in her own house, Y/N could tell Jeongguk could sense it too, his dark eyes narrowed as he scanned the room. 

“So, Ms. Sanders–”

“Please, just Erika is fine,” she sat on the sofa across from Y/N and her two hybrids, her frame sagging tiredly. The woman watched Namjoon methodically place his Walkman onto the coffee table, feeding a blank tape into the device. “Should I get the kids?”

“Actually, we were thinking that getting your explanation of what’s been going on first would be best. That way we can compare each family member’s experience to one another,” Y/N held her hands up, Erika halting her movements to rise from her seat, definitely a little bit jittery. 

“Would it be okay to tape the interviews so I can review them later?” Namjoon addressed the young mother suddenly, his fingertip hovering over the record button and ears forward and alert. 

“I’d let you film and broadcast on national television if it gave you an edge over whatever has been tormenting my family,” Erika insisted, Namjoon raising a brow but pressing down on the record button anyways, angling the device closer to the woman so the microphone would better pick up her voice. “So, where should I start?”

“How about when you first noticed things were becoming out of the ordinary. Nothing is too insignificant, so speak freely,” Y/N encouraged, Jeongguk leaning backwards on the couch beside her, ankle over knee, his journal opened up to a fresh page. 

“Well, we moved here a little over a year ago. From Colorado. I separated from my husband and the kids and I needed somewhere safe to stay, far away… he’s an alcoholic, you see. My family is from Massachusetts, so I wanted to be near my folks god forbid my ex ever tried to come and find us…” Erika’s eyes became glazed over, Y/N trying not to react to her hybrids shifting and coiling in alert when a thump-thump-thump came from a wall behind the young mother, who apparently didn’t notice or was all too used to the sound. “Everything was normal, at first. The first six months here were perfect, idyllic, even.”

“When did that start to change?” Jeongguk spoke up for the first time, the tip of his pen tapping his lower lip. Erika glanced at Jeongguk, pulled from her reverie, and her expression became sharpened as if icy water was dumped over her head. 

“It happened gradually. My son, Thomas, is non-verbal, but he started having nightmares eight months ago. He’d come into my room and climb into my bed, shaking. While he’s non-verbal, he’s always been quite independent and brave, so this struck me as odd– especially when the nightmares became a nightly thing. Unfortunately, I don’t know what his nightmares are about, because he’s refused to even write anything down about them, but I know they terrify him. That was the first instance of strange events, and he still has them almost every night.”

Y/N nodded, the sounds of Jeongguk hastily scribbling his notes down on the linen page of his notebook, and the crackling of the Walkman, filling the sad silence of the home. Y/N was reminded of her own nightmares that came with the haunting she experienced; the creature that chased her in her sleep, and the fear that crept down the notches of her spine had Namjoon scooching an inch closer to her subconsciously. 

“After that, my Jules… She's always been a sort of flower child. But ever so slowly, that bubbliness has gone away, she’s been more introverted, edgy. I thought maybe it was just because she’s entering her teenage years, but she’s made some new friends at school. Ones that I’m not sure have the best influence on her.”

“How do you mean?” Y/N furrowed her eyebrows, wondering if there was some kind of entity Namjoon had learned about that was summoned when one makes shitty friends. 

“They’re older than her, and whenever she hangs out with that group of kids, she’s out all hours of the night, ignoring her curfew,” Erika sighed, tearing her eyes from Jeongguk and shaking her head. “I’m not usually like this, I mean, my brother was goth growing up, so I’m more than used to the culture. But these kids are bad news, I know it. They’re less about music, politics, and fashion and more about teenage riot. Property destruction, drinking on the train tracks. Jules was never like that, so her sudden change in personality concerned me.”

“So, your daughter made a couple of friends who turned out to be punks, and her whole personality changed?” Jeongguk confirmed, though his usual condescending tone was absent. In fact, Y/N was very impressed by how much the elk hybrid reined in his attitude. 

“I know what that sounds like, like I simply don’t care for her friends. But the more she hangs out with them, the darker her personality becomes,” Erika’s voice went rather quiet, now refusing to look towards Jeongguk at all. 

“Sometimes, what ends up happening in a haunting involving children, particularly young teens, their moods are influenced heavily by whatever has attached itself to the teen’s home or even the teen themselves. There’s a chance that your daughter acting out, especially in a way that you disapprove of to provoke a reaction, is not due to her new friends, but instead, it’s something above her control entirely.”

Namjoon’s insight had Y/N blinking in surprise. Instantly, she felt a little sheepish about that shock, as she knew he had been doing extra research for the past several days– not to mention his lifetime of knowledge he was already sitting on– but it was impressive to hear him relay information like that. Y/N recalled how Seokjin had mentioned Namjoon was different in group settings outside of the home, more vocal. Perhaps that’s what her wolf hybrid was like at the book club, take-charge and confident. Y/N thought that Jeongguk would be more like that, but she was equally surprised by the elk hybrid’s quiet observations. 

“So, you think the… ghost, or whatever, is what’s causing Jules to behave so differently?” Erika chewed on her lip, the thump-thump-thump sound returning, this time overhead, Y/N trying her best not to react. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jeongguk jot something down urgently. “I mean, she won’t even talk to me. I don’t even know if she’d be willing to talk to you.” 

With that, Jeongguk sat forward, unbuttoning his shirt cuffs and rolling the fabric up over his forearms. Raising an eyebrow at him, Jeongguk’s eyes flickered playfully in her direction, sticking his pen behind his ear. 

“Is there any chance Julie’s friends look like me?” Jeongguk drawled, again, without any judgment, miraculously. Erika appeared embarrassed, nodding slightly.

“I–I mean, without antlers, of course b-but I didn’t mean to insinuate–”

“It’s alright, Ms. Sanders,” Jeongguk held up his tattooed hand indifferently, rising to his feet. “Julie might be more willing to open up to someone who shares a similar… aesthetic. The wolf, here, is too granola-crunchy, and Y/N certainly has more questions for you.”

Namjoon growled lightly beside Y/N, staring at the elk hybrid resentfully. To her wolf hybrid’s dismay, she was once again agreeing with Jeongguk. 

“You think she’d be…? I mean, if you can get anything from her, please, try. I just want to know if she’s, um, as scared as we are. Her brother and I. If she’s seen things like us,” Erika, too, stood, her movements wobbly and frail. “I can show you to her room, ask if she’s up to meeting you. She knows that I’m having this consultation, anyways.”

“Ms. Sanders, Y/N and I are going to take a quick walk around the property while you and Jeongguk speak with Julie. When you return, I’d like to ask you about specific instances of activity,” Namjoon hooked a large hand around Y/N’s elbow, manhandling her to a stance, pausing the tape recording. Without even glancing his way, Jeongguk caught the Walkman Namjoon sent hurtling towards his head, the two of them having an unspoken plan already, apparently. 

The young mother nodded, ushering Jeongguk up the narrow staircase to the second level of the home, Y/N spluttering as Namjoon dragged her outside, his grip strong as always, but tender and steadying. Heart racing, she grit her teeth at the nasty wind chill that greeted them once they were on the lawn, and naturally, Y/N clung as close as she could to Namjoon’s side without him growing uncomfortable. 

“Why are we–?” Y/N began, Namjoon leading her to his van, letting go of her elbow once he yanked open the passenger seat, rummaging through his disorganized glovebox. “Joon.”

“Hold on, Y/N,” Namjoon mumbled, barely noticing that she was stuck to his back like a jetpack to shield from the bitter cold, teeth beginning to chatter. “I have an idea.”

Finally, he turned, his burnt honey eyes the only whisper of warmth amongst the gray of the sky, holding an array of objects in his arms; what appeared to be two, long, L-shaped pipes, a spool of red fabric ribbon, and a couple of packets, by the looks of it. 

“Whatcha got there?” Y/N snorted, loving how much Namjoon was getting into the whole situation. 

“Here,” Namjoon ignored her question, shifting everything but the little packets into one arm, taking one of her wrists, and aggressively shaking the pouches with a concentrated expression. 

In the palm of her gloved hand, Namjoon placed a hand warmer in the center of it, promptly manipulating her wrist into the pocket of her coat, and repeating the same process with the other hand. Stunned, she stared at her wolf hybrid and registered the out-of-character action like she was a third party looking on, and Y/N wondered if the pink hue of his human ears blossomed because of the wind or bashfulness. 

“Have you ever heard of dowsing rods, or people using them during paranormal investigations?” Namjoon asked after clearing his throat, turning again to lock up his van and break eye contact. 

“Um, vaguely. I might have seen them use them on Ghost Adventures,” Y/N managed to choke back, the hand warmers keeping her fingertips toasty in her pockets. “Is that what those poles are?”

“Yeah. I figured we could just take a quick walk around the house with these, and we can mark areas that show any sort of reaction with the ribbon tied around a tree. While I handle the rods, you can try and read the energy beside me,” Namjoon motioned for her to follow him back up the driveway, thoughtfully reading her skeptical reaction. “I know you’ve been working on your energy readings lately, Y/N. You can do it, I believe in you.”

It was Y/N’s turn to be bashful upon hearing those words from her wolf hybrid. Namjoon’s approval was something that was hard-won, so the encouragement and praise had her floating straight up into the clouds. With those words, she thought she could probably scale a mountain if he was by her side. 

Without hesitation, she trailed after Namjoon, curiously watching him shift the metal rods in his hands, and when they reached the side of the house where a large window looked into the living room, the wolf hybrid paused. Shivering, Y/N felt unease well up in her gut, the sensation of one thousand ancient eyes on her causing her skin to crawl. There was definitely something there, lingering around that window, perhaps in the brush, and judging by the movements of the rods in Namjoon’s hands and the frown on his face, he was coming to the same conclusion. 

Saying nothing, Y/N simply sticking close to Namjoon as they made a slow circle around the yard, she concentrated on opening herself up to the energies of the backyard as much as she could, without risking attachment or harm. Namjoon was right, her practice was paying off, because she was starting to get a better sense of the types of entities that were lingering in the yard alone. 

“Okay, get anything?” Namjoon asked, once they had landed back to the side of the building they first began canvassing, using his sharp teeth to tear a strip of red ribbon from the spool he was holding. “This window here seems to be the hotspot, but the house feels like it’s almost shrouded in something…”

“I think we’re dealing with more than one entity here,” Y/N admitted quietly, while Namjoon tied a knot around a little sapling under the window. “I felt a few different energies. Only one, in this particular spot, made me uncomfortable. Like I’m being watched. The others felt more organic, human.”

“And that’s just out here,” Namjoon added, but it sounded like he was talking mostly to himself. “Come on, let’s head back in. Jeongguk is done talking to the girl already.”

Absently, Namjoon reached backwards, one of his hands still adjusting the ribbon on the sapling, his fingers wiggling as he searched for Y/N’s grip. Mouth dropping open, she automatically slid her gloved hand into his, listening to his chest rumble as the residual heat from the hand warmers melted into his chilled skin. Never one to deny Namjoon his rare moments of actively seeking out any sort of affection, Y/N soaked in the moment as best she could. 

“You still have that list of questions to ask?” Namjoon held her hand tightly as she walked up the ice-slick concrete steps into the house, so she wouldn’t slip. 

“Uh-huh. We’ll probably be able to wrap up the consultation afterwards, schedule the investigation. With the energy I’ve felt so far, I think it’s best we get in here as soon as we can to clear it out.”

Back inside, Namjoon let her go, and the first thing Y/N registered was the teenage girl that was now sitting in the living room, beside Jeongguk, her hands tangled in her lap. Exchanging a sideways glance with Namjoon, she hurried into the room, taking a seat next to Erika and her son, Thomas, who had also chosen to join the consultation. Y/N noticed that the young boy was holding onto a plastic toy robot tightly, like someone was going to take it away from him. 

“Tommy, this is Y/N, she’s going to help us,” Erika smoothed a hand down her son’s back, the kid blinking at Y/N in acknowledgement, similar dark circles under his eyes that mirrored his mother’s. Her heart broke, in consequence. “That’s the wolf hybrid I was telling you about, too, honey. Namjoon is his name. Tommy loves wolves.”

Tommy, indeed, was staring at Namjoon with stars in his eyes, squirming in his seat, Erika affording all of them a tender smile for the first time Y/N and her two hybrids had stepped foot into the home. Namjoon, embarrassed, sat on Jeongguk’s free side, offering Tommy a little wave, one of his sharp incisors biting down on his plush lower lip. 

“Alright, kiddo, she’s probably got a few questions for you. She’s cool,” Jeongguk set Namjoon’s Walkman back onto the coffee table, Y/N’s eyebrows shooting into her hairline as the elk hybrid used the nickname he usually saved for her on the teenager that only seemed to be at ease because of the burly hybrid beside her. 

Getting a good look at Julie, Y/N felt herself take a step backwards in time, the girl looking quite a bit like she did as a teenager; dark eyeliner, graphic band tee, chipped nail polish and holes in the knees of her skinny jeans. Julie regarded Y/N carefully, only after shooting a doubtful look at Jeongguk, then a resentful one at her mother, the girl’s dark eyes narrowing a tad. 

“She’s how you described her,” was all Julie said, the corner of her mouth curling up in amusement as Y/N tried not to clench her fists– leave it to Jeongguk to offer up a sarcastic caricature. 

“Hey, Julie, nice to meet you,” Y/N ignored Jeongguk’s smug, shit-eating grin, clearly pleased with himself that he was able to get Julie to be comfortable around them. “I do have a few more questions before we go ahead and plan the investigation. Which, when the three of us do conduct the investigation, you and your family will be safe and sound staying at a nearby hotel.”

“You’re not planning on instigating angry spirits, like those quacks on TV, are you?” Julie crossed her arms across her chest with a scowl, several brightly colored rubber bracelets around her wrists. Namjoon was busying himself with straightening out spare blank tapes on the table– he was always a little bit awkward around children. 

“No way. That’s all Hollywood, anyways,” Y/N resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at Jeongguk, who was biting down on his fist to prevent laughing, which Y/N found both unprofessional and annoying as a gnat in her ear. “We just want to help get rid of whatever is bothering you. I’m sure Jeongguk told you a little bit about what was hanging around our house a few months ago… we were able to banish it permanently. I, and I’m positive my teammates as well, have no interest in provoking spirits for any kind of viral recognition.”

Y/N tasted the word “teammates” on her tongue like a saccharine hard candy, after all, it was the first time she was using it in reference to the sort of operation she had created with Namjoon and Jeongguk. Neither of them seemed to notice the significance, but both of them sobered with her words, nodding in agreement. Jokes aside, the situation was serious, and helping the family was top priority– thirst for knowledge and experience aside. Julie seemed to relax in response to Y/N’s promise, and without further ado, Y/N waited for Namjoon to start up the tape again, and she launched into her list of questions. 

“Has the spirit ever shown itself physically to any of you?”

On the way back home from the Sanders’ residence, Y/N felt her frame sagging into the worn leather seat beside Namjoon, the tense of the house energy dissolving the further Namjoon drove from the address. She was ready for a hot bath and some mindless television, having more than enough of the paranormal for one day. A bit loopy, Y/N focused on the air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror, the shape of it a cartoon flying saucer. 

“So the mother has seen a shadow in the hall at night, usually when she gets off from work. Then we had the kid point at the window, which Y/N mentioned feeling like an entity watches the family from there–”

“Jeongguk, you can take notes silently,” Namjoon sighed, probably sensing how exhausted Y/N was, even over the folk tape he was playing quietly and Y/N’s attempts to stay awake by pinching her thigh periodically. 

“Fuck off,” Jeongguk muttered, but lapsed into silence anyways. Y/N stole a look at him over her shoulder, and he was lazily propped up on his side in the booth, a pen cap sticking out of his mouth while he scanned his notes. 

Namjoon had cleaned up the van in preparation for their journey to the Sanders’, stacking his books neatly and moving most of them up to the loft where the mattress was, considering it was not being used. He even brought in a few blankets and pillows to make things a little more comfortable, one of the throws currently over her lap. Y/N, as well, added her own touch to the van– upon the wolf hybrid’s insistence– and taped little battery-operated fairy lights around the ceiling of the vehicle. In the short few days the three of them made the van ready for longer trips, Y/N had grown quite fond of spending time in there, and her and Hoseok had coined it the “mystery van”. 

“Joonie?” Y/N spoke suddenly, her voice definitely weary but catching the wolf hybrid’s attention nonetheless, his ears perking up cutely even with his eyes still trained on the road. 

“Mmm?” Namjoon pushed his glasses up his nose again, turning down the radio.

“How did you get this van?” Y/N dared to ask. She hadn’t done much prying into Namjoon’s past, heeding the advice in her wolf hybrid guidebook to let him present information when he’s ready, but since he had softened up so much, she figured asking wouldn’t do too much harm. 

“It was given to me,” Namjoon replied cryptically, though Y/N was pleased enough that he actually answered her to not pout about how little that was revealed. “Shortly before you adopted me. In Wyoming.”

“Did you teach yourself how to drive?” Y/N figured she might as well go along with it if Namjoon was okay with that line of questioning, and didn’t seem peeved she was being curious. 

“No, someone taught me,” Namjoon’s lips were twisted up in amusement, casting a brief look in her direction. “Some things can’t be learned from books.”

“Ah, I see,” Y/N didn’t want to push her luck, wiggling further into her seat to get comfortable. She had about one thousand follow-up questions, but she had all the time in the world to get answers from Namjoon. 

“I lived alone most of my life, in the woods, abandoned cabins. I never liked to stay in one place, mostly because I avoided running into humans… I came across this van deep in Yellowstone park one night in the spring a few years back, the awning was out, and an old woman was sitting in a lawn chair in front of a campfire. I’m not sure how she managed to spot me, but she did,” Namjoon shocked Y/N by actually launching into a story, her mouth agape and even Jeongguk’s furious notetaking had ceased. “I hadn’t had a real meal in… well, ever. She offered me some dinner. At that point in my life, I didn’t trust humans as far as I could throw them. But I could smell her sincerity.”

Y/N had no idea what to say in response. An innocent question turned into a whole lot of background on her wolf hybrid, and she didn’t know whether to begin recording him or stay statue-still. 

“Her name was Joan. Most of the stuff in here is hers, she had quite an interest in UFOs and ‘mythical’ creatures. Over the next few weeks, I’d check in on her… she was quite old, and by herself, and I suppose having access to real food was tempting to me as well. I’d listen to her prattle on about things she’s seen in the woods, I’d share things that I had experienced in the wilderness over the years,” Namjoon continued, turning the windshield wipers on when a flurry of snow began to fall. “After a few weeks, I trusted her enough to take her up on the driving lessons, joining her on her trips to town for provisions. I didn’t live with her, but I’d spend time there every few days.”

“Did you steal an old lady’s camper van?” Jeongguk exclaimed from the backseat, a throaty growl coming from Namjoon in consequence. 

“No, you asshole. There were a couple of weeks where I’d go to the van, but she wasn’t there. It was confusing, like she had just vanished, but I wasn’t so attached to her that I was overly concerned. While she was old, she was still a decent hiker. I guessed she had just taken a tent and gone for a little trip,” Namjoon turned off the highway, taking the ramp that would bring them back into their town. 

“I was wrong. The last time I went to check on her, the van door was open, but there was someone else inside. Thinking it was an intruder, I took a look inside, but I recognized the younger woman from pictures Joan had, it was her daughter. Her daughter told me that Joan had checked herself into the hospital following up on her heart condition, but it was too late. She died within three days of being in the hospital, heart failure,” Namjoon frowned, ears flattening to his skull. “The daughter said Joan mentioned me. Wanted me to have the van. The daughter had no use for it, anyways… She was just collecting some photos. She said I could have it, gave me the keys, and I never saw her again. It was convenient, so I just started living in here.”

Ears ringing, Y/N couldn’t believe how much she had gotten from Namjoon with just a few questions, and she felt somewhat guilty that she hadn’t tried to get closer to him in that way, blindly following advice from a stupid guidebook. That aside, her heart swelled a few sizes; if Namjoon felt comfortable enough to share all of that with her and Jeongguk, he had really come a long way since his initial adoption. 

“I’m sorry about Joan,” was the first thing Y/N could think of as any sort of coherent reply, putting her hand over Namjoon’s that was resting on the gear shift and squeezing. “She must have liked you quite a bit to leave you this van.”

“I suppose,” Namjoon agreed, letting Y/N keep her hand on top of his, navigating his way through the town square. “She probably just preferred someone keeping all of her stuff safe after she died.”

“What made you want to come all the way to New England?” Jeongguk’s voice was suddenly right beside Y/N’s ear, making her flinch and push his shoulder. He was squatting between her and Namjoon, staring out the windshield with boredom, and a piece of gelled hair sticking to his forehead. The elk hybrid ignored Y/N’s pleas to sit down for safety, much to her chagrin. 

“History,” Namjoon shrugged, shutting off the GPS once the familiar streets of their suburb were in view. “I wanted to see what a city was like. New York City seemed too big, and Boston is certainly historical. Plus, I had never seen the ocean before.”

“Weren’t you originally from Los Angeles, Jeongguk?” Y/N changed the subject, emotions welling up in her. As time went on, it was clearer and clearer to her that she and her seven hybrids, by some cosmic intervention, were destined to be together, considering they had come from all over the country at the same time. 

“Yeah. Shithole,” Jeongguk rolled his eyes, using a wrist to smack a fresh pack of cigarettes against. Before she could ask him what he meant, Namjoon pulled into the driveway, the sky turning lavender as the sun disappeared over the bare willow trees. “I’m starving. Want a drink.”

Jeongguk straightened up, snatched his notebook from the booth he left it on, and with a flick of his lighter, was jumping out of the van and into the snow. 

“Guess he had enough of us,” Namjoon remarked, unfastening his seatbelt and stretching his arms upwards, his shoulders popping with the movement. Snorting, Y/N shook out her stiff legs, folding the blanket over her lap and gathering her tote bag. 

“He’s bratty when he’s hungry,” Y/N smirked, waiting for the wolf hybrid to lock up the van before heading to the house. “Maybe I should order pizza tonight, unless Yoongi made something already.”

Namjoon sniffed the air, shaking his head.

“No, nothing’s cooking. Just the fire in the living room is going,” Namjoon matched his stride with Y/N, his tapes and Walkman tucked under his arm. “Order pizza, I can tell you’re tired. The energy work must have taken a bit out of you.”

Preening under Namjoon’s observation, she stared at the snow-dusted grass, feeling closer to him than ever. 

“Yeah, I think I’m going to take a bath before dinner. Put some cleansing herbs and salt in the water just to make sure nothing from the Sanders’ house is clinging to me,” Y/N watched Namjoon unlock the front door with the house key he kept in his pocket, her own hands reaching up to dust snow collecting on his shoulders. 

“Good idea,” Namjoon let Y/N into the house first, Y/N sighing at the cozy heat and ambient lighting. “Thanks, by the way.”

“Huh?” Y/N spun on her heel, gawking at the wolf hybrid, who was blushing. 

“For including us in these investigations,” Namjoon said simply, a faint dimple appearing on his cheek. 

“Oh,” Y/N blinked, pausing in front of Namjoon’s bedroom door. “I don’t think I would, or could do it without you two.”

Namjoon’s ears were a vibrant shade of red by now, and with that final comment, he ducked his head, mumbling something about reviewing the tapes before dinner. She let him disappear into his bedroom, and in a sort of daze, Y/N found her way to her own room, opening up her notes app to find the pizza order document with a grin. 

February had finally rolled around, and as Hoseok and Y/N both dreaded, it was colder than January. At the very least, the sun was staying up later and later, to her relief, but there had never been so much snow in recent years. She was up to her ears in shoveling the walkways, scraping ice off of the cars, and making sure there was plenty of salt and gravel on the well-walked areas of her yard. That particular afternoon, the first Tuesday of the month, Alice happened to have a day off from the newspaper, and offered to swing by for a bit to catch up. 

“Where is everyone?” Alice accepted a hot chocolate from Y/N, sitting in the breakfast nook, glancing at the noticeably hybrid-free kitchen. 

“Taehyung officially got his driver’s license recently, he took himself, Yoongi and Hoseok up to the rec center to sign up for the spring activities. Jimin’s out with the horses, Jeongguk and Namjoon I think are in the van researching some equipment we need to order for the investigation in a couple of weeks,” Y/N slid into the booth beside her friend, blowing the steam from her own hot chocolate. “Seokjin got roped into joining Hoseok. He pretty much got dragged out of here.”

“So what you’re saying is, no one will hear us if we talk shit?” Alice grinned, Y/N already knowing what direction the conversation was going to take before Alice said another word. “Spill. You have a glow, so things must have worked out with Yoongi.”

“Between him and I? Yeah,” Y/N grew a bit shy, even if Alice knew pretty much everything about her already. Except for the fact that she had fallen for all of the hybrids, not just Yoongi, and that fact was something she was ready to share with her best friend once and for all. “Some of the others? Not so much.”

“Oh no. Tell me,” Alice scooched closer to Y/N, her arm slung around her shoulders comfortingly. 

“Basically, the rest of them caught Yoongi and I in the kitchen in a… compromising position, and that’s how they found out about us,” Y/N grimaced, Alice gasping. 

“No way. You weren’t fucking in here–”

“Christ almighty Jesus! No,” Y/N squawked, blood pooling in her cheeks. “We were just kissing. I’m not that much of an adrenaline junkie!”

“Okay, I was gonna say, Y/N. Way to go,” Alice snorted, taking a merry sip of her hot chocolate. “So I’m guessing a handful of them weren’t stoked about walking in on that.”

“Actually, the ones I thought were going to be weird about it were totally fine,” Y/N chewed her lip thoughtfully, aware that Alice wasn’t too familiar with the nuances of each hybrid’s personality. “Jimin and Taehyung were really disappointed that I felt I couldn’t confide in them. Jimin has forgiven me, but Taehyung still seems a little off, even if he insists he’s cool with it. He asked me recently if Yoongi was ‘treating me well’.”

“Damn. He sounds jealous,” Alice leaned back with a wag of her eyebrows. “What I know about hybrids, especially the types you’ve adopted, they can get hella territorial. Maybe it's his instincts screaming at him to protect you.”

“Could be,” Y/N muttered, her cheeks getting even hotter at the thought. “Then there’s Seokjin. He hasn’t addressed it at all, it’s like he’s pretending it’s not even happening. He used to be the clingiest, but now it’s rare he’ll initiate any kind of physical contact at all.”

“Again, babe. Sounds like jealousy. I remember Seokjin, he stuck to you like a starfish and looked at you like you hung the moon. He’s probably in denial,” Alice frowned, watching Y/N’s expression become stormy. “What’s wrong? You have that look on your face like you’ve left something out.”

“Alice, it’s not just Yoongi I’ve fallen in love with,” Y/N rubbed her temples, deciding to just bite the bullet already. “It’s all of them.”

There was a beat of solemn silence, and Y/N could almost smell the wheels in her best friend’s head turning. Alice tightened her hold around Y/N’s shoulders, the smell of her caramel perfume wrapping her up in a deeper hug. 

“I had a feeling,” Alice admitted quietly, squeezing Y/N once again. “That’s why you feel guilty that those three are keeping their distance.”

“Mm-hmm,” Y/N felt the hot chocolate go sour in her stomach, though she should have known that Alice had caught on by now. Y/N wasn’t exactly subtle with her heart-eyes around the boys, even with others present. “I talked to Ben about it. I know it’s high school for me to say, but I’m so uncomfortable with the idea of confessing to any of them myself. The possibility of rejection is scary, of course, but seeing how much the boat was rocked when they found out about Yoongi and I…”

“I don’t have to tell you this, babe, but this isn’t something you can run from forever. I think all you can do is take it one step at a time… if you were to sit everyone down at once and admit your feelings to the six of them in one breath, I have a suspicion not a lot of them will take that confession seriously,” Alice mused slowly, Y/N already holding the same opinion. The last thing she wanted was to lump every confession into one sort of sit-down conference, for some reason, the potential scenario came off as cheap and rushed, to her. 

“I just. I don’t even know who to start with. Maybe one of the boys that aren’t avoiding me like the plague,” Y/N said miserably. 

“You know, there’s a chance one of them may come to you,” Alice encouraged, wanting to cheer up her friend. “You never know. Yoongi felt the same, maybe a few of the others have feelings for you, too.”

Perking up a little bit, Y/N let herself believe that for a few moments, imagining how nice it would be to be past all of the drama and confrontation, and simply living in love and harmony with all of her boys– like a storybook. Unfortunately, Y/N existed in reality and not between the pages of a children’s book, and she shook away the vision dancing around in her head quickly. 

“I suppose we’ll see… Yoongi and I are still navigating how we act around the others, anyways. It’s a little tricky,” Y/N changed the subject slightly, knowing that Alice would be interested in some of the spicier things that had been going on in her life, rather than the tangled and complicated. 

“I’m sure. If my man was half as sexy as your Yoongi, you’d need a crowbar to pry me off of him at any given moment,” Alice deadpanned, Y/N choking on a sip of her drink, Alice’s throaty laugh filling the empty kitchen. “How does that work, by the way? I mean, with hybrid hearing… have you guys even…?”

“Uh… yeah, we have,” Y/N shrunk down in her seat, embarrassed. “The music room is soundproof.”

“Y/N, you naughty girl! Wait, so like. Is that going to become like the Red Room like in 50 Shades? Like, you’re only going to fuck in there?” Alice, true to herself, brought some humor into the situation, Y/N giggling despite herself. 

“I mean, no, I don’t think so,” Y/N managed through laughter, relieved to have some time with her friend and talk about such things. “As hot as it was… I mean we’re probably going to end up sleeping together in a bed at some point. I think it’s futile to pretend we’re not going to be intimate, the others aren’t stupid. I suppose I’ll just have to keep my sound level in check.”

“Okay, so clearly he doesn’t suck in bed, if that’s your response,” Alice teased, poking Y/N in the cheek. “Lucky lady. You do deserve it though, after all those years of The Great Dry Spell.”

“He’s perfect,” was all Y/N responded with, trying not to let her eyes glaze over with the memories of their tryst in the music room. “God. I’m sweating. Let’s talk about something else before I start chewing on the table.”

“I have an idea,” Alice straightened up after several moments of the girls laughing at Y/N’s fluster, taking up one of Y/N’s hands with mischief in her eyes. “Before you shoot it down, think about A) how fun it would be, and B), the potential amazing rewards.”

Making a motion for her to spit it out, Y/N braced herself for something ridiculous. 

“You’d do this in small doses, of course– the fact that some of them seem to be jealous is evident. Why not tease them a little? Give Yoongi a kiss here and there in front of them, bat your eyelashes… I’m not saying be a menace with the PDA, but I think well timed PDA might coax one of them into slipping. I know you, if you had more of an idea that one of them had romantic feelings for you, you’d feel better about confessing. Just a thought.”

Y/N mulled that over while draining the rest of her mug, furrowing her eyebrows. That was the exact kind of scheme her, Alice, and Laura would pull when they were teenagers with their high school crushes, and usually, it worked like a charm. Now, however, Y/N felt a little funny about it. 

“I don’t know… wouldn’t that be manipulative? Wouldn’t I be using Yoongi?”

“Y/N. Do you seriously think your leopard male hybrid who is in love with you would be upset that you kiss him in front of others? Hello? They’re all about possession. You’re not manipulating, either. Just think of it as a gentle kick in the ass for the others to sort out how they feel,” Alice rolled her eyes, Y/N regretfully realizing her friend was right. 

“I’ll think about it. If it blows up in my face, though–”

“If it blows up in your face, I’ll take responsibility. It won’t though,” Alice collected the empty mugs, standing from the breakfast nook. “Alright, babe. We need to catch up on some Below Deck, and I want some dirty details about your man.”

Snorting, Y/N nodded, ready to have a couple of hours to gossip and watch trash reality with a girlfriend. She felt lighter, truly, that she told Alice how she felt about all of the hybrids, and was grateful that Alice not only offered her advice from a different point of view, but made her smile, too. As Alice dragged her to the parlor, Y/N wondered who she was in her past life to not only deserve her boys, but her friends, as well. 

“Come on, Y/N, try it!” Hoseok attempted to grab Y/N by the ankle, his russet tail wagging happily as he teasingly pressed the ‘on’ button to his Hypervolt. “You’re being a wuss.”

“Hoseok. I have tried it. Last time you pressed that against the back of my neck without me knowing, I thought I was having a stroke,” Y/N was able to wrestle her ankle free from her fox hybrid’s grip, her ass sore from sitting on the rough surface of the rec center’s indoor track. “I’m not the one about to run a mile. Focus on your own calves.”

“Oh, please, just a couple of seconds,” Hoseok was too quick for her to evade his grabby hands for long, his strong, nimble hands clasping around her ankle again with a cheeky grin. 

“Ho-seok,” Y/N groaned as soon as the vibrating tool dug into the meat of her calf, and regretfully, she was eating her words– after a few days of being on her feet at work, the sensation was delicious. “F-focus, honey. It’s the first meet of the season.”

“Yeah, so? You’re the only one who came. Even Jinnie abandoned me, reading his stupid books,” Hoseok ignored her plea to focus on his warm-up stretches, moving the Hypervolt further up her calf, Y/N praying she wouldn’t melt into a puddle of moans and groans at the sensation. 

“They’re r-reading a Murakami book this w-week. Hoseok, stop!” Y/N weakly pushed his hands away, pouting at him. “It’s like almost 1,000 pages. He wasn’t doing it to spite you.”

“He could have read it here!” Hoseok countered, though obediently put his Hypervolt back into his gym bag and began to stretch out his quads in front of her. “Whatever. I’m only doing one event tonight, we'll be outta here in like an hour or so.”

“What do you want for dinner? We’ll pick up something on the way home,” Y/N pulled Hoseok’s number from his gym bag, shifting forward on her knees so she could pin it to his jersey tank. 

“Chinese. I want a bucket of fried rice,” Hoseok replied without hesitation, Y/N making sure his mahogany waves were suitably held back by the sweatband around his forehead. 

“That can be arranged,” Y/N agreed, squeaking in surprise when one of the announcers reminded the mile runners that they had ten minutes before they had to be at the starting line, Hoseok perking up. “Couple of questions for you?”

“Darling?” Hoseok cocked his head, nose twitching in her direction. 

“Your birthday is this month. What would you like to do, my social butterfly? Wanna throw a party, or go somewhere specific? A club, a bar?” 

Any trace of sly humor disappeared from Hoseok’s face in a flash, astonishment replacing it, before he ever-so-elegantly recovered, a neutral expression taking over. 

“That’s a lot to think about. It’s still a little ways away, can I think about it?” Hoseok responded carefully, his hands coming up to rub his lean biceps. 

“Think about it as long as you need. Unless you actually want to go to a club, I’ll have to book that ASAP,” Y/N leaned back on her palms, praying that his event would go by quickly so her ass wouldn’t be scraped up any further by sitting on the rough concrete. “Gift ideas, too. You like clothes, but you have a bunch of those already… we could go to a sports game? Or we could go to a music festival, I know you’ve been interested in that. There’s one next month here in Boston, I heard The Foo Fighters are headlining one of the days.”

“Y/N, that’s a lot to give a guy to think about before he has to perform athletically,” Hoseok whined, but Y/N could see embarrassment plain as day in his mocha eyes. “I’ll let you know, alright? Whatever you do for my birthday will be more than enough, though, without a doubt.”

Mouth open to reply, Y/N was cut off by a whistle blowing, Hoseok nimbly hopping to his feet, his cheeky, gorgeous grin back in place. He looked like a young god in his uniform, full of life and vigor, one that governed over the sun and daylight. Before she could speak, Hoseok used his hybrid swiftness to bend forward, pressing a light kiss to Y/N’s forehead at lightning speed. 

“Wish me luck, my darling! Order some egg rolls for Jinnie while you’re at it, too, alright?” Hoseok winked, whistled his trademark, and jogged off towards the starting line, leaving Y/N wooden and staring after him. 

Of course, Hoseok ended up winning– he had a streak, at that point, and was considered the star of the team, especially for his particular event. It was a shame, truly, that the rest of her hybrids didn’t want to be there to support the fox hybrid– but Y/N supposed with the near-weekly meets, it interfered with their own interests and hobbies. Besides, Y/N never missed a track meet, a basketball game, or a photography expo. Hell, if there were oral reports during her mother’s book club, she’d be there an hour in advance to hear whatever Seokjin and Namjoon had to say about a book she had never read. 

The next day, Wednesday, Y/N was beat from work, after Judy had her totally rearrange the store’s inventory for the spring. There was enough leftover Chinese food for her and the hybrids to pick at for dinner over a marathon of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and by the time she dragged herself to bed, her eyes were nearly crossed. The only thing that prevented her from drooling into her pillow immediately was the sound of her phone chiming on her nightstand, Y/N grumbling and blindly reaching for it, tapping on the text notification. 

Yoongi 👼🏻: can’t sleep : (

Y/N: sorry, angel 😭 something wrong? Need some tea?

Yoongi 👼🏻: no, just u

Yoongi 👼🏻: come up, stay with me?

Suddenly wide awake, Y/N sat up in bed like she was electrocuted, her heart hammering in her chest. Bunching her quilt up in her fists, she was torn– there was nothing she wanted more than to sleep with Yoongi, but she dreaded the thought of sneaking out of his room in the morning and stumbling into Seokjin, Taehyung, or Jeongguk on the second floor. 

“Fuck it. We’re going with Alice’s plan,” Y/N muttered to herself, and as if on autopilot, she made her way to the second floor miraculously without turning on any lights. 

Yoongi’s door was ajar, and it appeared that he was the only one still awake, lamplight only coming from his room, fortunately. Promptly, she slipped inside, chest rumbling in satisfaction when Yoongi’s scent filled her senses powerfully. 

“That was fast for a little human,” Yoongi emerged from his bathroom, Y/N trying not to drool out of the side of her mouth with his bare chest on display. His sweats were slung low on his narrow hips, spotted tail curled around one of his legs, and Y/N suddenly felt exposed in her own tank-and-shorts pajama set. 

“Do you want me to stay or not,” Y/N hissed, hands on her hips. Yoongi rolled his eyes, tongue poking into his cheek. The leopard hybrid shuffled over to his bed, dramatically collapsing onto it, his arms behind his head with a smirk. “Are you trying to smize your way out of a smartass remark?”

Y/N swallowed, her throat completely parched, dragging her eyes over his strong arms; the veins mapping his forearms, the pink tint to his bent elbows, the dark hair of his armpits. Briefly, Y/N internally cursed Yoongi for making her so whipped for him, she was attracted to armpits. 

“Is it working? Smells like it is,” Yoongi lifted a brow, tongue swiping over his lower lip and a free hand reaching up to fiddle with the silver chain around his neck. “Come here.”

“Yoongi. We’re just sleeping. You have a game tomorrow,” Y/N warned, though she lowered her knees to his mattress, crawling up the length of if so she could lay beside him. “Don’t seduce me.”

“Speak for yourself,” Yoongi accused, his eyes darkening as he watched her climb to his side. “Miss you.”

Y/N hummed, rolling onto her side, sticking her face into Yoongi’s neck, breathing in his cologne. Automatically, Yoongi began to purr, using one of his hands to grasp onto Y/N’s thigh, hooking it over his body. Her skin tingled where he touched her, especially when he began to trace shapes over her thigh, just below the hem of her shorts. 

“Miss you too,” Y/N mumbled into his neck, planting a gentle kiss on the tender skin, Yoongi shivering beneath her. Already, her eyes felt heavy, tangled up with her lover, his soothing purrs like a sweet lullaby. “Turn off the light. Early morning.”

Grunting, Yoongi yanked on the chain to his lamp, plunging the room into darkness, Y/N sighing happily when he pulled his quilt up over the two of them. Y/N rested her palm over Yoongi’s heart, the steady beats of it beneath her touch comforting. 

“Love you, baby,” Y/N whispered into the darkness, Yoongi’s tail wrapping around her waist, and she could tell he was already slipping into unconsciousness by the way he murmured the same sentiment back, slurred and heavy. 

The next morning, Y/N pretty much had to push Yoongi off of her, his body on top of hers, cheek squished against her chest, his twitching ears tickling under her chin. He groaned and complained when she rubbed his back to wake him, and Y/N fought the urge to simply fall back asleep with him on top of her. 

“Come on, you big kitty, gotta have some breakfast before the game,” Y/N wheezed as she managed to roll him onto his side, his long hair sticking up in the back. His eyes were still shut as he stumbled out of bed, making Y/N snort into her palm. Usually, Yoongi was one of the first hybrids up in the morning, but Y/N had never seen him before his first cup of coffee. “I’ll make something for you while you get ready.”

Yoongi frowned, not wanting to part with her yet, but she left his room with a grin as he shrugged on his jersey with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. No one else appeared to be up yet, all of the bedroom doors on the second floor still shut, so Y/N was able to tip-toe down the creaky staircase without a confrontation. 

After a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, Y/N was writing a brief note to tell the others where her and Yoongi were that morning, they were off to the rec center, Y/N letting Yoongi drive there. The weather was cold and damp, but at least there wasn’t any snow coming down from the sky on their drive in, but Y/N barely felt the chill with Yoongi’s hand on her knee while he drove. 

It wasn’t her first time in the rec center’s indoor gym, the floors buffed to a blinding shine and wooden bleachers surrounding the court, but because it was a new season, she felt like it was a different place. Once Y/N tied up Yoongi’s hair and pressed a kiss to his cheek, he was off to warm up with his teammates, and Y/N found a spot on the bleachers to watch the game. One eye on her leopard hybrid, she fumbled for her phone, which was buzzing away in her pocket. It was a notification of a reminder– in three days time, Valentine’s day, was the cooking class with Seokjin. Smiling a bit wistfully, she screenshotted the reminder, sending it to Seokjin over text. 

Y/N: excited for our class!! 

Seokjinnie 🌸: me too ≽^•⩊•^≼

Y/N: cute emoji omg! Is that supposed to be u? 

Seokjinnie 🌸: ᡣ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶𐭩 ♡

Y/N flinched when Yoongi’s coach blew her whistle aggressively, promptly setting down her phone and getting ready to watch Yoongi play. He dropped into total concentration, listening to his coach with his lip tucked between his teeth, before getting into position and watching the coaches to a coin flip. She was getting lost in checking him out when she was rudely interrupted by someone saying his name– several feet from beside her. 

“Number 54? Yeah, his name is Yoongi,” a high-pitched, girlish voice declared to her friend, and Y/N knew that she was gawking at them, but she wanted to know how she knew her leopard hybrid’s name. “Isn’t he hot?”

Y/N grit her teeth, realizing the two girls were actually hybrids, dressed in tennis skirts and both with canine sets of ears. Y/N recognized the uniforms they were wearing, belonging to the rec center’s tennis team, which means it was likely that they had seen Yoongi around before. Instantly, jealousy bloomed in her gut, and she had to tear her eyes from the two of them, fidgeting in her seat. She was pretty sure neither of the girls had noticed her staring at them, but she didn’t want to get caught, so she chose to discreetly eavesdrop instead. 

“He’s super hot. Like a rockstar or something,” the second girl, the one with darker hair, agreed. “I heard he’s like the best player on the team.”

“For sure, that’s what Trixie said. She used to watch the basketball team practices last season just to see him play.”

Now, Y/N was absolutely positive she was filling the gym with the acrid scent of jealousy, but if the girls noticed, neither of them even looked in her direction. Y/N wasn’t stupid or blind, she knew how gorgeous and talented Yoongi was, but it was never fun to hear others fawn over one’s boyfriend. Gripping the bleachers tightly, Y/N tuned the hybrid girls out, focusing on Yoongi, who had already stolen possession of the ball. 

Luckily, the game became a nail-biter, enough to distract her from the girls beside her. Y/N’s throat was hoarse from hollering Yoongi’s name, and she managed to get a pretty decent video of him scoring– by the end of the game, Y/N could barely speak, but Yoongi’s team had won. Before she could launch herself onto the court to give him a hug, he was pulled away by his teammates, who were thumping him on his back and pushing him towards the locker room. This made Y/N pout, but she knew that Yoongi would want to take a shower before they hit the road, so she busied herself on the phone, ignoring the giggles of the two hybrids beside her.

Hoseok 🦊: heads up, darling

Hoseok 🦊: we’re all heading out, taking the car. Errands to run!

Y/N: errands???

Hoseok 🦊: ye, ghostbusters need some equipment. Jinnie wanted to make something for dinner so gotta go to the store. The bear needs to pick up his photos while we’re there, and we’re dragging Jimin along so he can spend time with beings that AREN’T horses

Y/N: okay, thanks for letting me know foxy

Y/N: have fun, be safe, and think about plans for your birthday, pls! 

Hoseok 🦊: i’ll make a list :3 

“Ready to go?” Yoongi approached her, his hair damp and his gym bag slung over his shoulder, his footsteps echoing in the near-empty room. When he was in front of her, a smirk on his face, the two girl hybrids stopped whispering, and Y/N knew that they were checking him out, and she didn’t like that one bit. 

Pocketing her phone, she recalled her earlier jealousy, and apparently catching him off-guard, Y/N launched forward, jumping up into his arms with an oof coming from the back of his throat. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Y/N held him tightly, hiding her face in his neck. 

“Whoa, I didn’t win the NBA finals,” Yoongi chuckled, using one arm around her lower back to keep her supported, his chest vibrating with purrs. “Sweetheart–”

She cut him off, cupping his face urgently, descending her lips on his in a powerful kiss. He made a feline noise of surprise, his mouth parting, and Y/N took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, trying to inject every ounce of passion she had into it. After a split second, Yoongi recovered, kissing her back, his arm tightening its hold on her. Not wanting to draw it out too much, her jealousy melting into sheepishness, she broke away with one last peck to his lower lip, Yoongi’s eyes full of surprise and delight. 

“What was that for?” Yoongi asked, breathlessly, Y/N giggling like a schoolgirl as he lowered her back to the ground. 

“What? I can’t kiss my man?” Y/N replied, parroting his sarcastic remark he had once made in front of Taehyung. Yoongi blinked, stunned out of a response, Y/N tucking a lock of hair behind his ear before tangling one of her hands with his. “Let’s go home, angel.”

Y/N didn’t even look at the two girls that were gaping at the pair of them, but she knew that they were so caught off guard, they forgot to “congratulate number 54 when he comes out of the locker room”. Smugly, she left the gym with Yoongi on her arm, and she realized once they got to the car: Yoongi didn’t even notice those two girls, his attention had been on her completely. 

“Where’s the other car?” Yoongi frowned, pulling into the driveway carefully, never once letting go of Y/N’s hand. 

“Hoseok took it out with everyone to run some errands. On the bright side, I don’t think either of us will have to cook dinner, Seokjin wants to make something tonight,” Y/N hopped out of the car, suddenly struck by the fact that the two of them were alone, which had her pulse speeding up. 

“Ah. Giving us space,” Yoongi read her mind, chuckling. She stuck her tongue out at him while his back was turned, dragging his gym bag out of the backseat, and ditched him in the driveway to unlock the front door. 

Y/N headed straight for the kitchen for a glass of water, lamenting the fact that it was still too early for a glass of wine. Bouncing around in her skull were not only images of Yoongi jogging up and down the court, commanding the respect and admiration of his teammates, but the sounds of the two hybrid girls gushing over him. Embarrassingly, Y/N felt her jealousy return, hardly noticing Yoongi in the foyer as she stomped up the stairs, scooping up his gym bag as she went. She thought perhaps doing something as mundane and mind-numbing as a load of laundry would help her get a grip. 

Grumbling, she tossed Yoongi’s sweaty uniform into the wash along with Hoseok’s, adding a few more articles of the boy’s clothes from the mountain of dirty laundry in the corner of the little room. Eyes glazed over as she tossed laundry beads into the machine, she stared at the little chart taped to the wall, the one that she and Seokjin had created so laundry duty was tackled by a different housemate every day. 

“What’s the matter?” Yoongi startled her in the doorway to the laundry room, making her whack a knee against the dryer with a cry. 

“Nothing,” Y/N composed an innocent expression on her face, folding a pair of Jimin’s jeans and stacking them on the shelf. 

“Y/N,” Yoongi’s voice had a warning tone to it, Y/N cursing the hybrid ability to sniff out deceit. “You were fine just a second ago.”

“Why don’t you just take a whiff and guess,” Y/N grouched, Yoongi’s hazel eyes flashing. Without another word, Yoongi was pulling Y/N out of the laundry room with a tsk and a finger hooked in the pocket of her leggings. 

“Fine,” Yoongi growled, pushing her against the wall in the hallway, pressing a knee between her legs and keeping her pinned with a hand flat on her hip. His face was in the crook of her neck, Y/N growing stiff as she felt his eyelashes brush her skin. “Ticked off. Insecure.”

Heart falling to her ass, Y/N squirmed against the wall, trying to get away from the leopard hybrid, humiliated beyond belief. Served her right for challenging a predatory male hybrid, in hindsight. 

“Oh. Jealous,” Yoongi froze, drawing away from her throat, staring Y/N dead in the eye. “Why are you jealous, baby?”

Swallowing, Y/N shook her head, desperate to deny the accusation, but it was too late. She couldn’t weasel her way out of that situation, not with him pinning her down. Heart pounding in her chest, she shook her head. 

“It’s nothing, Yoongi. Just forget it, I’m being stupid,” Y/N attempted to diffuse the situation, furious with herself that she had potentially spoiled the rare alone time that the two of them had. 

“Is this about those girls sitting next to you at the game?” Yoongi asked incredulously, Y/N’s eyes widening a fraction. “Uh-huh. That’s a yes.”

“It’s dumb, but I can’t help it,” Y/N broke down with a whine, already feeling pitiful enough. “They were talking about how hot you are and how you’re the best player… ugh, it just triggered me I guess, you’re mine and I–”

Her words were stuffed back down her throat, because Yoongi’s mouth was on hers, hot and desperate, the force of the kiss causing her head to bump into the wall behind her. The hand that was on her hip moved, a forefinger and thumb pinching her chin to keep her in place, Yoongi already licking into her mouth with borderline abandon. Wide eyes slipping shut, Y/N released a ragged moan, her hands scrabbling to get a grip on his hoodie. Cocking his head, Yoongi bit down harshly on her lower lip, pressing his hips into Y/N’s before breaking away, his chest heaving. 

“How could you think,” Yoongi began, interrupting himself by giving her another swift kiss, his eyes lidded. “That I’d even look at anyone but you?”

Y/N couldn’t respond; she was too distracted by Yoongi’s hand under her shirt, tracking a path up her abdomen, and his plush lips suckling the skin under her jaw. Gasping, she let go of his hoodie, hands pressing to the wall behind her, heat flooding through her system. 

“If anyone should be jealous, it’s the other poor fucks who live with us,” Yoongi added roughly, bending to get a hold of her thighs, hoisting Y/N up into his arms, using his sharp incisors to nip at her collarbone. “They haven’t heard the noises you can make, haven’t tasted you…”

Y/N felt her head spinning as Yoongi carried her down the hallway, fisting a chunk of his long, inky hair tightly, the sound of Yoongi kicking his bedroom door open making her go limp in his arms. 

Y/N yelped when Yoongi let her go, all but tossing her onto his bed, standing before her like a predator stalking its prey. In a wild turn of events, they both became possessed by lust, Y/N already feeling her core throb against the material of her underwear. Yoongi had a filthy mouth, she was already aware of that, but when he used it against her– she swore nothing was sexier. 

“Don’t you know how I feel about you?” Yoongi rid himself of his hoodie, tossing it carelessly to the floor, swinging a knee over the mattress to cage Y/N beneath him. Y/N could only stare up at her beautiful leopard hybrid, his ears twitching with agitation, his silver chain dangling in front of her face. “Hmm? Love?”

“Y-yoongi,” Y/N breathed, overwhelmed. She reached up for him, hooking her hands around his neck, reveling in the quiet groan he made when she brought him down for a kiss, this one sweeter, more full of meaning, than the desperate lip-lock in the hallway. 

“There’s my girl,” Yoongi murmured between kisses, probably smelling the love and affection she had for him rolling off of her in waves. Seizing the moment while he was lax above her, Y/N’s hands shot out, landing on his chest, sending the leopard hybrid sideways and onto his back, Y/N straddling his lap with a doped-up grin. “Fuck.”

Snickering, Y/N squirmed on his lap, watching his eyes roll back into his skull, his hands still on her outer thighs. Y/N couldn’t believe that she was as turned on as she was, trailing her fingertips over the smooth skin of Yoongi’s flushed chest, and further, she felt satisfaction fill her with the hardness she felt beneath her hips. Yoongi’s breath caught as one of her thumbs brushed over a nipple, his pupils dilating with pure want. Unable to help herself, she ducked down, mouthing at his chest, and experimentally, she grazed her lips over his nipple, Yoongi’s hips bucking up into hers with the action. 

“Baby,” Yoongi’s voice came out strained, his hands squeezing her thighs painfully, one of them moving to tug on the back of her shirt, Y/N busy kissing a trail down his sternum. 

“Yoongi,” Y/N returned, tracing the lines of his toned obliques, teeth scraping against his left pec. 

Getting the hint once Yoongi yanked at her shirt once more, his other hand bruising the skin of her thigh, Y/N sat up, crossing her arms and pulling the material off of her torso, tossing it aside. She wasn’t exactly expecting to be in that position with Yoongi that afternoon, so regretfully, she was wearing a simple black bra, but Yoongi appreciated it with widened eyes nonetheless. 

“Kiss me,” Yoongi requested, breathlessly, his hands trailing from her thighs to her bare waist, eyes nearly emerald with how much they had darkened. Not daring to disobey, Y/N fell forward, whimpering at the sensation of their torsos pressed together, cupping his jaw and giving him the kiss he asked for. 

Not knowing where Yoongi ended and she began, she felt their legs tangling, Yoongi’s rough, jean-clad hips scraping against the soft material of her leggings, which were truthfully starting to become a little damp. Yoongi kissed the breath from her lungs, his tongue sensually rolling against hers, his purring chest pressed right up against hers.

“God, I–” Yoongi ground out, his form tensing beneath her when Y/N traced her tongue up the side of his neck, the taste of his sweat sweet on her tongue. “Fuck. Fuckin’ love you.”

“Love you more,” Y/N countered, directly in his ear, nipping at the shell of it, shuddering when his hands slid up her back, fingertips wiggling beneath the strap of her bra. With that statement, Yoongi grunted sharply, and before Y/N’s brain could process it, the world turned upside-down, the wind knocked from her lungs as she found herself underneath Yoongi again. 

“None of that,” Yoongi smirked at her bewilderment, using a large hand to press over her mouth, his free hand ghosting over the center of her chest. A primal sort of glint took over his feline eyes, Y/N automatically opening her mouth to respond. Unfortunately, Yoongi was a step ahead of her. “Uh-uh.”

Y/N’s lips were pried open, two of Yoongi’s long, slender fingers pressing against her tongue. Two could play at that game, Y/N thought, her tongue swirling around the digits, hollowing out her cheeks. Frowning, Yoongi watched her expression grow coy, her legs wrapping around his waist. 

“Smart mouth, should keep it filled,” Yoongi muttered acidically, pressing the pads of his fingertips more harshly into Y/N’s tongue, a tiny gagging sound coming from the back of her throat, making the tips of her ears burn. “Let’s get this off, huh, sweetheart?”

Unable to respond with his fingers stuffed in her mouth, Y/N watched helplessly as Yoongi slid a hand behind her back, unclasping her bra and pulling it off with a dark chuckle. One day, Y/N would learn not to provoke a hybrid, but honestly, the consequences didn’t seem to be so bad. 

Finally pulling his saliva-slickened fingers from her mouth, Yoongi helped Y/N out of her bra, absently pushing the garment to the side so he could get a good look at her chest, a hand resting over her throat, feeling her pulse flutter erratically. Desperately, she was trying to pull him back down to her mouth with tugs to his belt loops, but Yoongi ignored her silent plea, both hands cupping her chest. Y/N arched into his touch with a soft cry, bringing his face down to kiss between her breasts, and in retaliation for earlier, used the rough pads of his thumbs to outline circles over her nipples. 

“Hnngh,” Y/N winced, so sensitive his gentle touch was almost painful, Yoongi humming as he toyed with her chest, kneading the soft flesh in his hands, pinching one of her buds between his fingertips and pulling, rewarded by a heavy moan from Y/N. “Oh, b-babyy–”

Growing frustrated with the remaining barriers between himself and Y/N, Yoongi’s touch migrated to the waistband of Y/N’s leggings, using his strength to strip the article of clothing from her body, nearly passing out once he realized she wasn’t wearing panties beneath, her entire body bare beneath him. 

“What are you doing to me,” Yoongi groaned, his jeans starting to choke the life out of his cock, and not in a good way. “Shit…”

“Need… n-need you,” was all Y/N could hiccup, completely exposed for him, but not feeling a single semblance of embarrassment about that. Tail curling behind him in mesmerizing shapes, Y/N gripped at his solid biceps pleafully. 

“Needy thing,” Yoongi commented, sloppily kissing over the swell of her breast, enjoying the sounds of her helpless mewls. “God, I can smell you.”

Clumsily, Y/N tugged the zipper of Yoongi’s jeans down, yanking the fabric halfway down his legs, her breath coming out in pants as Yoongi laved his tongue over her nipple indulgently, hardly noticing she was trying to strip him. Gasping when he took the bud into his mouth, sucking and scraping his teeth over the sensitive flesh, Y/N felt her thighs get tacky with moisture, impossibly turned on and wanting. 

“Please, Yoongi, please. Fuck me,” Y/N wasn’t above begging at that point, far past the point of no return, Yoongi distractedly shucking off his jeans and slotting himself between Y/N’s parted legs. The weight of his hips against her bare core had her clenching around nothing, and she arched upwards to seek out the hardness in his boxers eagerly for any kind of friction.

Yoongi simply hummed at her request, releasing her nipple with a lewd pop, one of his hands tracing over her hip bone before he mercifully ghosted his digits over her dewy sex, a low hiss coming from the back of his throat when he realized how wet she was.

“Always so fuckin’ wet,” Yoongi teased, batting her hand away when she reached for his wrist, a drenched forefinger swiping through her folds. “All for me?”

“Uh-huh,” Y/N canted her hips upwards, chasing his touch, whining thinly when he just missed grazing her clit. “Please. Want you, want you inside of m-me.”

“Wanna taste you first,” Yoongi smirked devilishly, Y/N beginning to protest, just wanting to feel him, but he moved too quickly, and all Y/N could do was sink her hands into his long tresses, his face now eye-level with her cunt. “All of this, and I’ve hardly done anything.”

Too caught up at staring at his fucked-out expression, Y/N didn’t have time to feel embarrassed, Yoongi using his strong grip to maneuver her legs over his shoulders, making himself comfortable between her legs. Whether or not he noticed that her thighs were coated in her slick was beyond Y/N, and due to the position he had manhandled her into, she couldn’t close her legs to hide the evidence of her overwhelming arousal. 

Transfixed, Yoongi’s touch returned to her pussy, biting his lip when more wetness leaked out of her when his thumb brushed over her clit. She was so sensitive, responsive, tiny cries of pure want filling his ears, and it drove him absolutely crazy, paired with the scent of her lust. Wasting no more time, he locked eyes, her pupils blown out, eyebrows pinched, and kissed right above the hood of her clit, chuckling when her hips jerked in consequence. With a deft lick, Yoongi dragged his tongue through her folds, feeling Y/N’s legs shaking over his shoulders, a wail leaving her throat. 

Y/N couldn’t help her spine from contorting off the mattress, yanking on Yoongi’s hair sharply, a muffled grunt coming from his lips as he wrapped them around her clit, humming lightly and making Y/N see stars. It was almost too much to bear, Yoongi’s sinful tongue dipping into her entrance, his forearm keeping her hips pinned down. Alarmingly, Y/N felt herself already hurtling towards her release, Yoongi’s mouth on her paired with the unbroken eye contact had her stomach tightening quickly. 

“Yoongi,” Y/N whined, pressing herself into his face desperately, cheeks on fire when he raised an eyebrow, using the flat of his tongue to collect all of the wetness that had gathered between her legs, the erotic visual making her eyes roll shut. “Ah!” 

Yoongi paused, assessing the mess he made of her, using a free hand to stroke through her folds, Y/N begging for more, for anything, and Yoongi didn’t want to tease her too much, so with one last breathy please, Yoongi sunk a finger into her cunt. Cursing at the tightness, he curled his finger, attempting to open her up a little bit, a second digit joining the first, Y/N writhing in his grip. 

“Squeezin’ me, baby, are you gonna cum already?” Yoongi taunted, feeling her clamp down onto his fingers even tighter, her lip bitten raw as she cried out his name. “That’s it, honey.”

“Yoongi, want you,” Y/N managed to gasp, gripping the wrist that was between her legs, halting his movements. “Please, now, want you.”

“Yeah? Want me to fuck you?” Yoongi asked softly, pulling his fingers from her cunt, sliding the coated digits into his mouth, his free hand moving to the hemline of his boxers, Y/N’s eyes immediately dropping to the bulge beneath the fabric, her mouth watering. “Turn over.”

Blinking, Y/N shakily scooched up the bed, rolling onto her front, hearing Yoongi shuffle forward on his knees, his boxers tossed on the floor, Y/N turning her head slightly to get a good look at him, his sharp teeth prodding at his fleshy lower lip. Sighing blissfully when his hands caressed her hips gently, she squealed when he dragged them up, using his other hand to reach for a pillow, placing it underneath her, arranging her limbs so she was resting comfortably. Cheeks burning, she felt the pillow beneath her hips and lower abdomen, her ass on display as she arched her spine, leaning on her forearms. 

“Look at you, waiting so patiently,” Yoongi’s touch returned, his palms landing heavily on her ass, making her shudder and keen, opening her mouth to tell him to hurry up. Before she could, however, Yoongi spoke again. “Ready, baby?”

“Please,” Y/N wiggled her hips, hoping to tempt him into picking up the pace, feeling sweat slip down her spine. She sounded wrecked, eager, and Yoongi groaned, holding the base of his cock in one hand, the other squeezing one of her cheeks. 

Shaky breath rounding out into a moan, she felt him press against her weeping sex, running the tip through her folds teasingly, his own breaths coming out in labored pants, slowly losing control as he ground against her. Gripping Yoongi’s sheets for dear life, she huffed in annoyance at his teasing, feeling wetness dribble down the inside of her thighs in anticipation. After what felt like minutes, Yoongi stopped messing around, lining himself up, using a palm splayed across Y/N’s lower back as leverage and finally pushed in, only an inch or two, Y/N instantly clenching down on him with a broken whimper. 

“Holy fuck,” Yoongi grunted, moving as slowly as he could, and when his pelvis was flush with her ass, he weakly collapsed on top of her, bracing a hand beside her head. Y/N felt her walls fluttering around his generous length and girth frantically, the position she was in making him feel like he was in her guts, and she was hardly aware of the pathetic sounds spilling from her mouth. “This pussy…” 

“F-full,” Y/N stuttered, Yoongi’s breath on the back of her neck as he let her get used to the feeling, grazing his teeth along the junction of her shoulder and throat. “Hnngh–”

“Yeah? Stuffed full of me?” Yoongi’s voice was dark, dulcet, and in her ear, and Yoongi was all Y/N could feel– pressed against her back, scent clinging to the sheets, cock buried in her pussy. “Fuck. Stop clenching.”

“C-can’t help it,” Y/N replied, Yoongi wrapping his hand around her waist, giving his hips an experimental roll, Y/N choking on an intake of air with the movement. “Oh, d-don’t stop–”

Moaning into her neck, Yoongi snapped his hips forward, setting a strong, almost punishing pace right away, unable to hold back, and wanting to fuck the jealousy out of her. Yoongi was always more fond of showing, rather than telling, anyways. 

“I’m yours,” Yoongi mumbled into the skin over her shoulder blade, sucking a bruise into the flesh, the sounds of flesh hitting flesh filling his bedroom, Y/N’s voice scratchy from the constant mewls leaving her mouth. “Got that?”

“Nn– ah! Oh,” Y/N felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, the support from the pillow beneath her adding even more pressure to the way he was pounding into her, even the fabric of the pillowcase adding friction against her clit in the most delicious way. “Mine!”

“That’s right,” Yoongi peeled himself from her back, adjusting his position so he could fuck into her with greater strength, gathering up the hair along the nape of her neck and wrapping it around his wrist. “All for you, baby. Say my name.”

“Yoongi, oh my g��� fuck, gonna cum soon,” Y/N wailed, the way he was tugging her hair back making her scalp smart, but between the pain and the pleasure, Y/N was nearly careening off the edge of sanity. “Please.”

“Please, what?” Yoongi spat through his teeth, not letting up on the pace one bit, kneading the flesh of her asscheek. “You’ve already got my cock, you need more?” 

Contrary to his taunts, Yoongi gave her more, reaching underneath, using a forefinger to rub circles around her clit, Y/N’s vision going white as she came without warning, clamping down on Yoongi so hard he swore colorfully, hips stuttering against her ass as she writhed from beneath him. He let go of her hair, kissing down the length of her spine, helping her through her orgasm as best he could while keeping up the swift pace of his thrusts. 

“Can you take a bit more, love?” Yoongi soothed a hand down her back, her body shivering with the aftershocks of her orgasm, nodding dazedly as she pressed her ass backwards into Yoongi. “Come here, roll over. Wanna see your face.”

Y/N was boneless, but Yoongi helped her flip over, tossing the pillow to the side. She whined when his cock slipped from her, but Yoongi was quick to remedy that, pushing back in as soon as her limp arms looped around his neck. Groaning at the new angle, Yoongi kept his thrusts slow, punctuated by a light grind to the spongy tissue of her G-spot, Y/N dissolving into a complete mess. The mood turned sensual, Yoongi leaning down to press his lips to hers, and even if Y/N wasn’t a hybrid, she could sense his love for her by the way he held the side of her face tenderly. Tucking hair behind his ear, Y/N crossed her ankles behind his back, feeling the way his cock throbbed inside of her– he must have been getting close. 

“Come, Yoongi,” Y/N pressed her forehead to her lover’s, raking her nails down his chest lightly. “Wanna feel you come for me.”

“Y/N,” Yoongi gasped, Y/N feeling her gut tighten once again when he hit a sweet spot inside of her, and after two more strokes, she was coming again, gasping and moaning into the leopard hybrid’s mouth. “I–”

Without warning, Yoongi stilled, his mouth on her collarbone, teeth sinking into the flesh, heightening the bliss of her orgasm. She felt him spilling inside of her, sweet, filthy nothings falling from his lips as he came, tongue swiping over the bite he had given her absently. Hazy from the scenting, she let Yoongi roll the two of them onto their sides, his cock still nestled between her walls, the leopard hybrid cleaning up the wound on her neck in a way that was more primal, feline, than ever, his chest rumbling with loud purrs. 

Limbs like jelly, Y/N closed her eyes, melting into Yoongi’s sheets as his tongue dragged over her neck lazily, the post-fuck and post-scenting haze having her so lax, she hardly noticed the mixture of their releases rolling down her thighs. She didn’t have enough energy to say anything, simply clinging to him like a baby kangaroo, fingers gliding along his sweat-dampened back. 

“Still jealous?” Yoongi broke the content silence, tracing shapes along her ribcage lovingly, his purrs unbroken and strong. 

“No,” Y/N replied meekly, hiding her face in his collarbones, suddenly embarrassed she entertained any feelings of envy at all. 

“I know, can’t smell it anymore,” Yoongi snickered, Y/N rolling her eyes at the fact that he was back to his sarcastic, deadpan self. “Guess I just had to fuck it out of you.”

“You’re so vulgar,” Y/N lightly shoved his chest away, wincing when she felt him pull out of her, and the sensation of his cum dribbling out of her. “I never would have thought.”

“Gotta keep you on your toes,” Yoongi retorted, kissing her forehead gently, his lips bent upwards in a tiny smile. “Wanna get cleaned up?”

“Mmm,” Y/N groaned noncommittally, knowing that walking would probably be an issue. “Not really.”

“I can carry you,” Yoongi’s laughter grew in volume, clearly enjoying that he had completely ruined her, squeezing the meat of her ass in one hand playfully. 

“Fine,” Y/N pouted, not ready to break free from their post-coital bliss, but knowing that it would probably be wise to bathe and attempt to look normal before the other hybrids came home. 

Yoongi carried her bridal-style into his bathroom, and Y/N leaned on his shoulder while the water heated up, enjoying his warmth and presence. Once in the shower, the leopard hybrid supported her, her back to his chest as the hot water beat down on their skin. Hooking his chin over her shoulder, his wet hair tickling her cheek, Y/N gripped the forearms he had wrapped around her middle, sighing. 

“I love you,” Yoongi said quietly, planting a kiss on the bite he had given her. 

Turning in his arms, Y/N chose to respond by leaning up, brushing her lips against his softly, hands winding around his neck as steam filled the shower. 

“Hope you didn’t fill up too much on the toffee,” Y/N unbuckled her seatbelt, making sure the parking ticket for the garage she parked in was stuffed in her wallet. 

“I didn’t! I skipped lunch, too,” Seokjin was hurrying out of the car, glancing around the parking garage curiously, correcting his stride to match Y/N’s, pulling his wool coat tightly around his body. 

“Aw, you didn’t have to do that. You must be starving,” Y/N pouted, her fingertips twitching to hold his hand. It was Valentine’s Day, and most of the day had passed by uneventfully, but that evening, she and Seokjin traveled into the city for the cooking lesson. 

“I just didn’t know how much we’d end up cooking, wanted to be prepared to stuff my face!” Seokjin joked, a merry smile on his face. After she had given him his Valentine that morning, it seemed that goofy, fond Seokjin was back, and he could finally smile at her with it actually reaching his eyes. Progress was progress, she supposed. 

“I think we’re making three courses,” Y/N grinned as Seokjin pulled the door to the mall for her. He looked gorgeous, as always, in black slacks and a powder blue button down, his wavy hair swept off his forehead. “Three courses, three different wine tastings. I’m excited!”

Seokjin’s sleek black tail flicked behind him, sticking close to Y/N’s side as they navigated through Copley Place, and when she felt him growing nervous with the amount of people clogging up the narrow aisles of Eataly, she hooked her hand around his elbow, pulling him into her side for comfort. 

Fortunately for Seokjin, the actual classroom where they were going to cook in was spacious, at the back of the market, and there were only a few other pairs of people taking the class with them. Seokjin appeared to be the only hybrid, however, and naturally every pair of eyes in the room was on him as he draped his coat on the rack by the door, his ears fluttering excitedly as he noticed the station that had a card with Y/N’s last name printed on it. 

The instructor appeared to be an older Italian man, one with a thick accent and golden skin, greeting everybody happily. To Y/N’s relief, the instructor didn’t greet Seokjin any differently than anyone else, simply handing the jaguar hybrid two red-and-white striped aprons for them to wear. 

“Today, we’ll be learning about the cuisine of Rome, and cooking some of my favorite dishes from all over Italy,” the man began once all of the students were in their aprons and standing eagerly behind their stations. Y/N noticed that most of the people in the class were older, perhaps married, couples, with one pair of college students in the back of the room. “We’ll be making a bruschetta, linguine alle vongole, and saltimbocca for our three courses, all paired with a lovely wine.”

Seokjin was nearly shaking with excitement beside her, checking out all of the dials on the stovetop, the raw ingredients in front of them, and the array of kitchen tools available for their use. He paid rapt attention to the man explaining the origins of the dishes they were going to prepare, his ears perked up. Once the little history lesson was over, the instructor walked them through the steps to make fresh pasta for the vongole, and she and Seokjin exchanged smug smirks– they both already knew how to make fresh pasta, and while some of the other couples were struggling to assemble the dough, her’s and Seokjin’s was plastic wrapped and chilling in the mini fridge already. Seokjin positively preened under the praise of the instructor, his neck turning red, and Y/N snorted and shook her head as she sliced through some tomatoes for the bruschetta topping. 

Meanwhile, Seokjin handled the veal steaks for the saltimbocca, using a mallet to pound the meat to a certain thinness, and the first round of wine came around, the glass they were to nurse while they cooked. Here and there, Seokjin would crack a joke or two, corny as ever, but they made her choke on her wine and laughter. 

“When asked about his cooking skills, the sage replied, ‘I’m herbally gifted’,” Seokjin held up a sage leaf he was using toothpicks to attaching to the veal steaks, waving it in front of Y/N’s face with a goofy grin. 

“Jin, stop, I’m gonna pee my pants,” Y/N whispered, cheeks sore from smiling so much. It had been a while since she spent such quality time with Seokjin, and she realized how much she missed him, with a painful twang of her heart. 

Seokjin’s grin only grew wider, hand reaching up to ruffle Y/N’s hair affectionately, one of the first times he actually touched her since finding out about her and Yoongi. Delighted, Y/N took a happy sip of wine, getting back to work on the sauce for the vongole. 

Once everything was cooked, chairs were brought out, along with the fruity pinot grigio to be paired with the bruschetta, all while the instructor answered questions about Italian cuisine, and told stories about his childhood in Rome.

“This is so good,” Seokjin sighed, munching on a piece of bruschetta, his orange eyes wide as he tasted all of the flavors. “We get the recipes after, right?”

“Yep! We can make this whole meal again for the others. I think Hoseok would really enjoy this, too,” Y/N clinked glasses with the older woman from the station behind her, Seokjin’s cheeks beginning to color with the alcohol, already. 

“This is so much fun, Y/N. We should do this again,” Seokjin suddenly became serious, glancing around the room, before his eyes softened and he made eye contact with her again. 

“Absolutely. I’ve missed spending time with you,” Y/N replied without hesitancy, Seokjin’s neck turning red again when she admitted that. 

Looking away, their interaction was interrupted by the instructor telling them to finish off the sauce for the vongole, and Seokjin drained his wine glass urgently before hopping to his feet to turn on the burner. 

After two more glasses of wine and two delicious entrees the two of them cooked, her and her jaguar hybrid were loopily weaving their way through the market with a packet of recipes, a bottle of wine Seokjin liked the most, and free Italian cookies in their arms. Seokjin, bolder now that he was tipsy, insisted on holding the bag with all of the items, and finally, he offered her a hand as they walked through the mall. 

“Want to go for a little walk before we head back to the car?” Y/N asked, threading her fingers through his, Seokjin staring down at her through his eyelashes with that thoughtful expression she had seen on his face only once or twice before. Truthfully, she both wanted to spend a bit more alone time with Seokjin, and she felt like some cool nighttime air would sober her up enough to drive home confidently. 

“Okay,” Seokjin squeezed her hand, following her down the escalator to the street outside of the mall, the sky already dark and the city lights keeping the streets illuminated. 

Not too many people were out, everyone seemed to be having their romantic Valentine’s Day dinners in the multiple restaurants studding the sidewalks, and it was much too cold for a leisurely stroll for most people. Tummy full, she stuck close to Seokjin, who radiated heat like a furnace, and Y/N was grateful for the slight buzz from the wine that was keeping her warm as well. The two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence, only broken once or twice when Seokjin would ask her about a restaurant they would stroll by. 

“Thank you for tonight,” Seokjin spoke out of the blue, letting Y/N hook her arm around his in an attempt to steal some of his body heat. 

“You don’t have to thank me, honey, it was for your birthday!” Y/N insisted, reaching up to flick the dangling earrings that were threaded through his left earlobe– another birthday present from her. “I should thank you for letting me use the other ticket. I learned so much, got to hang out with you for a while, ate yummy food…”

Y/N paused, feeling cold and wet hit her forehead, stopping in front of an old church, the lights from inside making the colored stained glass glow and cast pretty hues over the sidewalk. Looking up, she made a soft noise of exclamation, clumps of snow falling from the sky. Letting go of Seokjin temporarily, she did a twirl, head craned skyways, admiring the way the snowflakes floated gently through the air. She didn’t realize Seokjin was repeating her name until his hand was on her shoulder, his lip tucked between his teeth. 

“Ah, we can head back now. You’re probably freezing, huh?” Y/N held her hand out for him again, but this time, he didn’t take it. 

“Y/N, I have something I want to tell you, but I’m not sure how you’ll take it,” Seokjin looked from her flushed face to the windows of the church, shades of blue, green, and red highlighting his features. A ball forming in the pit of her stomach, she dropped her outstretched hand, nervous about the seriousness of his tone, his whole voice going down a pitch. 

“It’s okay, tell me,” Y/N, while nervous, was curious as well, freezing when Seokjin released a breathy exhale, gathering up her hands in one of his, the contact appearing to ease his nerves. 

“I– I know you, um. You’re with Yoongi, you love him,” Seokjin swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. Wine churning in her gut, she nodded, taken aback that that was the night he chose to first address the relationship. “And I’m happy for you, I am, Yoongi too. But…”

“It makes you uncomfortable?” Y/N murmured, heart beating painfully in her chest. Seokjin bit his lip again, shaking his head, but conflict flashed in his eyes. 

“No. I mean, somewhat, yes,” Seokjin sucked his teeth, tugging her closer into his proximity. 

“Is there a specific reason why, Seokjinnie?” Y/N would be heartbroken if Seokjin would push her away after such a wonderful night spent together, but she would deal with it if it came to that. 

“I’m,” Seokjin swallowed thickly again, before squaring his shoulders with his ears flat to his head, lowering his face closer to Y/N’s like he was about to tell her a secret. “Because I’m in love with you, too.”

Taglist; @blancflms @grazysf @sbromp @jaxavance @sunderlight @ot7nem @mageprincess7 @wittyreader @drenix004 @mayla548 @skyys-universe @ddaeng-angmoh @trtlthts @exfolitae @kalala22 @xiusmarshmallow @bangtans-momma @zae007live @paigetj @singukieee @lilacdreams-00 @dreamerwasfound @ninjacups @osakis-gf @itwillbealways-d @xthefuckerysquaredx @momowantscats @molshole @gooooomz @uarmyhore @lopprhe @oopscoop @xicanacorpse @i-like-anime12 @hemziii @demarie04 @im-sinking-in-mud @talkyoongitome @bangtxnbxunch @primrose2507 @kihyunniesmonbebe @7evensin @lilmxchis @00ihatesnaku @neverthefirstchoice @missyoueverysingleday @cathy-1997 @prybts @doublebunv

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[garpen]

your twitter series is mad good but please cut it out with the fat jokes it’s 2024

I'm really glad you're enjoying the series!

Also, pretty sure it was only one nd not multiple, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong?

The joke was also not much of a fat joke, was more of an "I'm old" joke. Nor was it distasteful, am pretty sure an actual fat person wouldn't be offended. How do I know? Because, surprise: I'M FAT. Have been my whole life, inherited it from my momma. Ngl like 75% of my fam is, on both sides.

Fun fact: That Damian nd Dick interaction in pt.12 was actually a paraphrased interaction between me n my niece I had the other day that I thought was funny nd wanted to add into the series. (I do that a lot, add in my irl interactions nd put them in the series cuz I think they're funny.)

Aint nothing wrong with being fat! Especially in this day in age, body positivity, baby! Fat is not a bad word!

Hope this don't come off aggressive or mean, just tryna explain myself lol

[desires-of-chain]

can i request make up sex with wild 🥺 like he did something stupid that pissed you off and now hes making it up to you? thank you in advance 💖

Say less now 😏 GN! Reader (No specifics) Content: Make-up sex, Sub Wild, Dom Reader, Angst MINORS/AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT REQUESTS ARE STILL CLOSED.

The recent stunt he pulled today was enough to anger you. You were sure with the move that he did, it would be the end of him, and you would have to say your goodbyes to him quickly. You love him, you really do, but there's so much you could take without wanting to tear your hair out and scream in frustrated worry to his face. It may be seen as childish by others though in your own eyes, it was a way for you to calm down without the threat of blowing up on Wild.

You ignored every conversation he tried to have with you, the affection he placed upon your skin in hopes you'll yield, but you stood stubbornly before it all. Even if it sent pangs of hurt to your heart when seeing the downward smile on his lips and the hint of distress on his features. Seeing him continuously looking over his shoulder in hopes you'll smile, only to be met with a glare of frustration. You know he means well, but your heart put the walls up again, keeping him locked out until you felt ready to explain.

Your mind was in a battle with itself, the yelling back and forth between the mediator and the head-front aggression. There was no middle ground they could agree on, just endless bickering.

"You're staring awfully hard into that bowl there; what's on your mind?" A short huff left your lips.

"What do you want, Link?"

"Ooh," he sucks in a breath through his teeth, "what did cub do now?"

"You know what he did," sending a short flat look towards him before picking up a spoonful of roast and aggressively chewing it.

"True," He shrugs, "however, I wanna hear it from you; I never seen you this mad before."

"Well, congratulations, you have now," you wanted nothing to do with this conversation. There was no point in adding more water to an already overflowing pot. Twilight nudged his elbow against yours, gesturing his head to the side,

"He's upset."

With a quick glance, Wild sat before the pot with slumped shoulders, slowly stirring the spoon in the pot around with glazed eyes. A deep inhale through the nose was the only response; you slammed the bowl harshly onto the tree stump. The noise gathering eyes onto your form,

"Wild," you jerked your head to the side, gesturing him to follow. Not even look back to see if he did; everything flew by you like a blur until coming to an abrupt halt.

The world almost sounded as if water had been placed within your ears, muffling the forest around you and replacing it with the drumming of your heart.

"Nmmh, fuck, it's reaching so deep," your head flung back to release a gasp, ignoring the loud whimper that escaped his lips from under you. The noises echoing outward would surely bring someone's attention to witness the sight of you slamming your hips down on the champion's cock. Feral grunts and groans through clenched teeth, globs of cum dripping down your ass and onto the clothes, staining them dark.

Fingers dug deep into the skin, thrusts becoming more frantic, vicious and erratic.

"Sh-Shit!! I'm about to c-cum!" Wild wailed. 

Quickly pulling yourself off, you grabbed his cock, tugging rapidly before sliding your mouth over the head. A loud keen escaped him as his hips jolted wildly, and spurts of cum made their way down your throat, greedily drinking it as if it was ambrosia.

"If you thought you were done," you panted, hand stroking his cock; licking the underside, "you got a whole thing coming. You promised to make it up, so be a good boy for me and do just that."

[acourtofbooksandshadows]

Not So Routine - Chapter 2

Summary: You try to process the discovery of your mates. The only place you can think of doing that is Rita's.

Pairing: Nessian x Afab!Reader

Warnings: Cussing, drinking, pleasure hall, dancing and sex. 18+ Minors do not interact.

Word count: 1977

Bookshelf Series Bookshelf

You stood staring at the door where your mates had slipped through mere moments ago. A foggy haze had overtaken you as you tried to process what had just happened. You weren’t sure you had blinked while you stood there until your best friend slipped back through the door. 

Suddenly you weren’t sure what to say to her. How do you explain to her that you just found not only one mate but two. Not only that but that they were already mated. Then on top of that they were esteemed members of the Night Court. In the time it took for her to come to the counter beside you, you decided not to tell her. 

“Would you be okay to run the shop the rest of the day?” She gave you a bewildered look at the question. But you must have been wearing an absolutely dreadful look because she was responding to you quickly.

“Are you feeling alright? Did something happen while I was at lunch?” her eyes scanned the store quickly and she didn’t see a thing out of place. The almost horror on your face was still worrisome however. She scanned your body quickly and didn’t see anything visibly wrong. 

“I’m just not feeling very well, I think I need to go home and take a tonic.” You wanted to get out of the store as quickly as possible. Needed to leave the place where their scent lingered. The combined smells left you in a frantic panic to seek them out.

“Yea go ahead. Do you want me to stop by your apartment later and check on you?” You had never shaken your head so fast in your life. Your neck ached a little at the aggressive movement. You wanted to tell her about what occurred. Neither of you kept secrets from the other. But you knew you couldn’t handle the reality of the situation at the moment.

“No, I'll be fine. Thank you though. I will see you tomorrow.” You grabbed your things and were winnowing home instantly. The floor was rough on your knees as you collapsed against the ground. Hands threaded through your hair wildly as you tried to clear your thoughts. Your heart beat suddenly decided to become erratic as the thoughts of them swirled through you. Every moment they were in your presence replaying on a loop. 

You needed a drink you concluded after sitting on the floor so long your stomach growled. So you stood up and went through the motions of getting ready for a night at Rita’s. The pleasure hall always seemed to ease you. You’d always tell people it was the drinks and the music or even the large array of food when they asked why you enjoyed it. But it was actually a certain blonde that frequented the establishment that had you going back every time. 

You put on a dress that was just tight enough to show off your curves but loose enough to not feel suffocating. It reached the top of your feet before stopping, two slits went down both sides starting just above your knees. The material was light which was appreciated as it made moving easier. A pair of short heels that matched your dress perfectly were slipped onto your feet. You did a simple look with lipstain and kohl, wrapping your hair in a put together messy bun. You gave yourself a once over appreciating the simple jewelry you chose before leaving your apartment in a hurry.

There was nothing saying that the blonde you were seeking would be there. In fact you hadn’t seen them around in a few weeks. But you were hopeful as you came up to the building after the short walk there. You breathed in deeply as you entered, the smell of wine and sweat took over your senses. It had the smell of your mates that seemed to be plaguing you even after leaving the boutique clearing your head. You had a few drinks in you by the time you saw the reason you came in the first place. 

“Mor!” The name left your mouth excitedly as she came closer to your spot at the bar. Your body immediately started to heat in anticipation of where the night may lead. She licked her lips as she came to the same conclusion. 

“Take an early day?” She was surprised to see you here at this time. She was even more surprised to see you alone. You normally came later in the day and with one or more of your friends. But neither was the case today it seemed. Which wasn’t something she was complaining about. It made leaving together immensely easier. 

“Had something happen. But I don’t want to talk about it.” You gave her a shrug as you waved down the bartender. You ordered yourself and the delicious looking blonde beside you a glass of wine which was much appreciated by the female. 

You’d known each other for decades. She had stumbled into your boutique and invited you to this very establishment after a simple conversation. After you’d had a couple drinks and a few dances you woke up the next day tangled in sheets and limbs. The relationship has proven beneficial for the both of you since then.

“Why don’t you tell me about you? I haven’t seen you around in a while.” A smirk adorned her lips as you mentioned noticing her absence. You bit your lip at the look she gave you. Her eyes raking up and down your body. But you couldn’t help but think about the fact that it wasn’t the way Nesta had raked her eyes over your body earlier in the day. 

“I was away in Vallahan, I think I’m close to winning them over.” The bartender placed your glasses of wine down in front of you and you were both quick to take a sip. She continued to tell you some vague details of her trip as you both drank. You would pipe up occasionally with questions or comments. 

Once your glasses were empty you were being pulled away to the dance floor by the striking blonde. You danced against each other, getting lost in the familiar beat of the music. No one paid the two of you any mind. You looked like any of the other pairs of female friends dancing together on the crowded dance floor. 

A male came up and offered you both drinks which you graciously accepted. The liquid burned in the best way as it slipped down your throat. You took in her scent that normally drove you into a frenzy but it missed the mark this time as you realized it wasn’t the smell of leather and sandalwood that was so distinctly Cassian.

“I found my mates.” You leaned in and whispered to the dress-clad female that was grinding her ass into your front. She paused and turned around to look at you. Shock was a clear emotion as she took you in. Her head nodded towards an empty table in the back and you were quick to follow her to it. You told her what had happened once you sat down. Worry set in as she sat and stared at you. 

“What are you going to do?” Your shoulders sagged at the question. You didn’t want to think about that right now. You just wanted a distraction from the problem you had been dropped in thanks to the Mother. 

“I don’t want to think about that tonight. I just want a distraction.” You looked at her with a familiar cloud of lust in your eyes and she was nodding at you quickly. This was familiar territory for the two of you.

“Let’s get out of here then.” You reached across the table at her words and she grasped your hand with her own. You didn’t bother about paying your tab knowing they had your information as you winnowed away. 

Your lips were locked together the second your feet hit the floor in your apartment. The feeling of your dress leaving your body had you trembling in anticipation. You and Morrigan had come to an understanding some time ago. The two of you enjoyed each other when you could. You kept the friends with benefits situation under wraps. 

As you both frantically became a mix of limbs and lips within the confines of your bed you were hit with feelings of lust. Which would have been fine but the feelings weren’t your own. You tried to push them away. But the feelings only got stronger. You pulled away from where you were locked into a heady kiss and took a large shaky breath. 

“Fuck.” Mor pulled back as well, her lust filled eyes slowly blinking open. She took in your breathless state and figured it was just because of the current activities. One of her hands carded through her blonde locks as her chest heaved slowly. 

“We’ve barely gotten started.” Her words seemed to shake you from your thoughts. You turned your attention back to her but as you roamed your hands over her body all you could imagine was the body of your female mate, how her beautiful skin would feel as you trailed your fingers along her. As her lips met yours again you were desperate for them to feel like those of the handsome Illayrian you had met hours before.  

“Mor.” You said the word in a defeated manner. You couldn’t stop the thoughts of your mates swimming through your mind. Especially as their lust filled the one sided bonds inside your soul. You started to wonder what they were getting themselves into. Which of them liked to leave trails of kisses upon the other's skin. Whose knees would hit the floor in anticipation of giving pleasure. Couldn’t stop the thought of how they would moan and praise you as you all laid wrapped up together in a mess of bliss. 

“Are you feeling alright?” You were so sick of people asking you that question today. But still you reluctantly shook your head. She could scent the mating bond in the air and gave you an understanding look. You knew she would be the last one to judge you. 

You had held her many times as she wept. The feeling of not being able to be open about her sexuality was something that plagued her relentlessly. You were always quick to soothe her on those nights. You held her as the weight of the court fell on her shoulders when her cousin was locked under the mountain. You did your best to ease that stress from her as well. 

“Do you want me to stay?” The question caught you off guard but you nodded your head anyway. She was quick to snap night clothes on the both of you before she laid back and opened her arms for you. You moved across the bed until you were laying your head upon her chest. She ran her hands through your hair while whispering reassurances to you. 

Through your weeping you told her of your worries and concerns. About the way you were terrified they would find out. That you were terrified that you would be banned from the city you had called home for so long. But she reassured you that she’d never let that happen. As you shook against her chest she swore to you that she’d help you any way she could.

You laid there for hours after that and talked about anything and everything either of you could think of to distract you from the looming problem. She told you of her friends in other courts. You told her of a new material you got in recently that you thought she’d look delectable in. Eventually you both slipped into the throws of sleep together. 

A/N: As always thank you all for reading! Likes, comments, reblogs and follows are much appreciated.

Tags(open): @kmc1989 @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @luvmoo @wolfsbane44 @acourtofinkandpapyrus @moonlwghts @maddietheshoe @hyemishii @fanboyluvr @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @pinksmellslikelove @waytoomanyteenagefeels

[werrrrrd]

CHARLES XAVIER X OC pt.2

SUMMARY: May is a Mutant, she doesn't want to be and neither do her parents. She has the ability to control blood and after showing signs of aggression and poor control of her powers, her parents put her through treatment at an institution run by Doctor Shmidt. After going through horrendous things at the mutation corrective institution, she is forced to stay with Shaw, the man who put her through those things in the first place. Working with Shaw she explores the many things her powers allow her to do in mostly uncomfortable ways. She runs into Charles Xavier while his team tries to capture and detain Shaw and they have a stand off amongst mutants on both sides. Charles and May have an immediate connection that neither can explain and try reason with themselves while also trying to find a way to be near each other. Despite the things that May has experienced and the punishment she will receive if she is caught, all she wants to do is help Charles. With so much happening, May isnt sure how this is going to work or if she can make build up the courage to completely severe connections from Shaw

WARNINGS: shock therapy, Inappropriate touching/sexual assault, manipulation, death, suicide, surgery is mentioned including an undetailed description, slight malnutrition, forcive murder, abuse of authority, blood, lots of blood stuff since this is like her power, anger issues, aggression, mentions of murder as well as the actual murder, mind reading, OC is not very kind to herself, let me know if you notice any others. No sexual assault but definitely Shaw being creepy.

AN: First off, this story is VERY loosely based on x men first class and the happenings in that movie. I really don't regard what happens in the actual story line or the accuracy of setting or characters just because I felt like focusing on the romance plot line between May and Charles. I'm guessing you already know what the movie's plot is and you don't want to read another story that just follows along those exact lines. I hope that this doesn't bother anyone. Second, this story has a very long prologue. I wanted to give the character more backstory so that she could be better explained and her behaviors and tendencies made more sense to y'all. I hope that this does not discourage you from reading cause she's pretty cool. Of course you could skip the prologues and read the part where she actually interacts with Charles if you'd like but the prologue helps enrich the story so I hope you do read it. My OCs name is May but of course you could read it as a reader insert if you like, I didn't really describe her too much so this wouldn't be too hard to do. I honestly didn't put too much effort into writing it because I wanted to get it all out before I lost motivation. If you notice spell issues or parts that don't make sense feel free to let me know but most likely I will not be doing anything about it. Bear with me, there are plot points that don't really connect but please ignore because like I said if i don't get this out like RIGHT NOW, I will lose interest and ill have this whole thing that doesn't have an ending and that makes me sad. ANNEEYYWAYYS Tehe! Please enjoy

PROLOGUE II

Three years later 

"Lou?" My voice rang out in the dark room. I wasn't sure if she was awake or not, it must have been 3 in the morning. I couldn't sleep, thinking about the look in Lou's eyes when she had gone to bed earlier. Something about it haunting. She was quiet but I heard her turn her head towards me. Hoping she was awake I asked my question 

"What happened? Was that your mom that came to visit?" 

She was quiet still but soon I heard her voice respond 

"Yeah, that was my mom." 

"What did she say?"

"Nothing." 

I sat up and went to sit next to her on the bed. As I came she sat up and put her back against the wall. 

"She just looked at me." It had been visitation day. The day when mutants parents could come to visit them. We considered ourselves lucky that our parents at least showed up. Some kids had to sit and watch the others talk with their families since theirs didn't come. Others didn't even bother leaving their rooms knowing they wouldn't get any visitors. Lou had run off to her mom while I talked with my sisters and parents. 

"Have they made any progress?" My dad asks as he pulls me into a hug. 

"I think so," I say smiling, "it's painful to use my powers. They said that that's a good sign and that my body will start to reject them soon." 

My dad holds me in the hug for a second longer than usual. 

"That's good news!" My mom adds. "maybe you'll be out by your birthday!" 

Ellie, my youngest sister, hugs me next. "the neighbors are asking about you. We told them you'd be home from boarding school soon. Let's make that happen huh?" I smile and ruffle her hair. "I miss you" she frowns 

"I miss you too" 

Maxine sat on the chair, her recently born child in her arms and her husband sat behind her on his phone. She passed the baby to him before coming to hug me as well.

"How is she?" I asked, peeking over at her. 

"She's fine." Her husband Calvin said shortly. 

Maxine sighed, "she's healthy, smiling already." She said as she gently touched the ends of my hair. "You need a trim." She said

"I'm not allowed to have scissors but I'll see what I can do," 

"Why aren't you allowed scissors?" My mother questioned. 

"A kid killed himself a couple months ago" I said remembering when the news had been broken to the rest of the kids. He was only 14, his name was dakshi. He had x-ray vision, but he couldn't turn it off, he constantly saw through things without being able to see normally. After months of shock therapy and other medications and treatments that had been completely ineffective, the scientists tried surgery. He ended up losing his sight completely. I had met him twice, once before the surgery where he had been a smart and clever boy who I was surprised how well he got along with the older kids. The second time was after the surgery. He stared blankly at the table as we ate our lunch. His tray was untouched and his friends nudged him to at least try and eat the lasagna that was in front of him. He didn't respond. Only two weeks later he had hung himself. A funeral was hosted in the institution so all of the mutants who knew him could say goodbye. His parents were there. Watching them as the kids came up to his coffin, they seemed unphased. If anything they seemed relieved. They didn't have to worry about their messed up kid getting fixed anymore. They were probably glad they didn't have to pretend to care anymore. After that the scientists decided to be more careful about the things we had in our rooms. Nothing about the experiments changed though. 

"What a shame," my mom said. 

I turned my attention back to the baby, trying to get closer so I could squish her cheeks or at least get a good look at her so I could see how much she had grown by the time I came back home. Calvin stood from his chair and stepped away from me staring at me defensively. I looked around confused before I felt a hand on my shoulder. Maxine sighed again. 

"I'm sorry, we just think that it's for the best that you're not around the baby. At least until you're better" she looked at me sympathetically. My heart broke in my chest. The sadness was brief before I could feel my anger coming on. My outbursts had become more frequent and harder to keep under control as the years went by. My hands clenched and heat rose up my neck. I could've pushed the blood back down to hide the fact but it would have started one of those headaches that using my powers always started after the shock treatments. Instead I fumed silently. Maxine looked at me with just the slightest bit of fear in her expression. she had been afraid of me ever since I shut her mouth that day. She tried to conceal it but I could tell. 

"Soon," my dad said putting his hand on my other shoulder, snapping me back into the room 

"Maybe we should go now," Maxine swallowed 

"We'll be back next time, I promise." With that they packed up and left. 

I had been still standing there almost seeing red for several minutes afterwards. That's when I saw Lou. In front of her stood her mom, her back towards me. The look in Lou's eyes jolted me out of my fury. She shrank back out of the gaze of the woman, guilt and embarrassment flashing across her striped face.  

Once Lou had come back to the room she looked sick and pale like she needed to vomit. I had asked her if she was ok and she only nodded softly. Soon she was in bed and I had laid down as well, too afraid to ask her what was wrong until it was hours later and the question was keeping me awake.

 Then there with her back against the wall, she explained. "It seemed like a goodbye. Somehow. Just by the shame on her face, she told me she's not coming back next time. I don't know. I think she's just gonna leave me here." 

"Lou," 

"It's fine." She said firmly. "It's fine because it's gonna work." 

"Yeah..." If I'm being perfectly honest I had already begun doubting the effectiveness of the treatments. I mean I knew they were just experimenting but doctor shaw said they would take up to four years. That it wouldn't be a short process but it would be worth it. I hadn't lost all hope but it was slipping. I knew that. 

I hear Lou's sniffles next to me. I turned to her to gather her into a hug that she willingly entered. 

"It's gonna work." I said. Even if I didn't entirely believe it, I knew Lou would be ok anyways. I would love her no matter what. It was for Lou's sake that I hoped it would work. I don't know if she would be able to live with herself, looking in the mirror and seeing what her mother saw.

Lou began to slump in my arms. I laid her down gently and stroked her long black hair out of her face and wiped the tears from her cheeks. 

"Goodnight Lou, I love you." I whispered

"I love you too much."

In the morning Lou woke me. 

"Hey, we got to go to our appointments."

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. The thought of doing everything again was unbearable. But I slowly got up and dressed. If I wanted to go home I would have to do this. I wanted to be better. To be fixed. To make my parents proud of their family. I didn't want to be the mutation anymore. 

I was back at the metal desk. Another volunteer standing in front of me, this time a girl. A makeshift running track was wound out in front of me. As The years went by the scientists had upped the challenge from single fingers, to arms and for the first time today, entire bodies. The girl was stretching just next to it while doctor Schmidt himself hooked me up to the wires that were connected to his computer in the other room. He had been monitoring my processes more closely the past few months. He kept telling me I was getting close. That I was the closest to rejecting my mutation of all the kids. 

"We're doing something a little different today," he said "I want you to keep using your powers for as long as possible, even while being shocked. We'll lower the voltage for now so that you will be able to focus on them." He finished taping the last wire to my temple. "Do you understand?"he turned my head to look at him. 

"Yes doctor,"

"Good," he smiled "Amanda, begin." 

The woman began running on the track. 

"Now you, May" Shaw stepped back with his clipboard in his hand. I focused my mind on her blood, feeling it flow in her body through her entire system. Pumping faster the longer she ran. I felt her heart beating in her chest and the blood rushing in her head. I made it all stop. Suddenly the runner stopped and she didn't crumble. I kept her held up, suspended where I held her blood in place. The shock began, 

"Nnngh," I whimpered, trying to keep my hold on her blood but it slipped and she collapsed as my hands went still. 

"Without your hands remember,"

"I'm sorry," we had been working on keeping my hands still and doing it with just my mind. My hands seemed to help me keep control of where the blood went. But the scientist thought I would benefit if it was better controlled in my mind. 

"It's fine, just try again. We didn't expect you to get it on the first try." Shaw said calmly. He didn't look calm. He looked itchy, tense. 

Amanda rose from the ground panting

 "I couldn't breathe" she turned angrily toward doctor shaw. "You said it wouldn't hurt."

"I apologize Amanda. May here, hasn't been able to control blood without letting some of it remain to pump through the heart and keep your system running. It should cause slight issues for only short periods of time. Can we continue?" He said impatiently. She breathed hard but seemed to shake it off. A stab of guilt coursed through me. I had hurt someone again. 

"Fine, we can keep going." She said before starting up a jog once again. Shaw looked at me to go again. 

I felt her blood again. This time I tried to leave enough of it to keep her alive. I used my mind to stop her run. Once again she was suspended, her eyes bulged slightly but I felt some of her blood remain running through her body and through her heart and up to her brain. My hands flexed and twitched again. The shock began and I winced again. This time I could keep my focus for a little while longer. Soon though, I began panting under the strain. Sweat glistened on my face and my body tensed under the electricity. I lost my hold and Amanda dropped again, this time she caught herself. She muttered a curse but seemed to recover quickly. The shock stopped and my muscles eased, some of them cramping up. I was given a minute or so to recover and wipe the sweat off my face onto the sleeve of my shoulder. 

"Great job! She didn't go pale this time, you must have figured out how to leave some left over for her to keep breathing. Unfortunately we are not here to fine tune your powers but to get rid of them. We're going to up the voltage again."

Inwardly I wanted to cry. It already hurt too much and added with the mental strain was exhausting.

"Can we get those hand binds again," he said to the room. Soon someone came in with the two metal slots that were locked to the desk that my hands were secured inside of to keep me from moving them. 

"Again." Shaw demanded 

Amanda begrudgingly began running again. I tried to do the same thing again. Leave her system enough blood to run her main functions, but without hands I couldn't be so precise. She froze in the air. Her eyes bulged again, wider this time and I quiet whine sounded from her open mouth. The shock began. I could feel my mind take control of her entire blood mass. All of it freezing up in her veins and her head going fuzzy and eyes unfocusing. I could feel her heart stop. My eyes widened too, I tried to stop but the electric shock was causing my body to seize, my hands flexed in their slots and my wrists strained to try and pull them out

"S-stop" I said 

"We can't stop the shocks May, you know this," shaw said but wasn't looking at me 

"I cant. She's gon- ah -gonna die!" I shook in my chair. Shaw didn't respond, he only stared at Amanda. My mind was racing, I looked between Shaw and Amanda and opened my mouth to scream. My powers were taking over and I couldn't override it. Amanda's eyes began to roll. A sick choking sound erupted from her throat. 

Finally the shock stopped and I took control of the power and stopped it completely. Amanda crumpled to the ground and shook. She didn't gasp for air, only convulsed on the track. My hand binds unlatched on their own and i shot off the chair towards her

I reached her and knelt down beside her on the rough track. The blood in her body moved extremely slowly through her heart and to her brain. I could feel it beginning to still, something must have responded to the complete lack of motion in her blood and was shutting her entire body down. I didn't know if this meant she was dying or if she was just going unconscious. I was too afraid to think coherently. I just put my hands on her chest and pushed the blood through it, hoping her body would catch on and begin pumping blood itself again. 

My ears began ringing as I used my powers, a strong headache forming. It started off small and ignorable but grew to pound in my head and make me feel dizzy and lightheaded. I'd never had a reaction to using my mutation like this before. It was causing my vision to go in and out of focus. I still pushed Amanda's blood through her body, Color was coming back to her face but I didn't know if that was because of me or because it was actually working. I felt sick to my stomach, Like I could throw up. Suddenly Amanda shot up, gasping for air, and her hand flew to my face. A loud smack sounded in the otherwise silent room. I reeled, my hand going to where she had smacked me. A sharp stinging blossomed on my cheek. Tears pricked my eyes as the sensation of the smack and the lingering migraine overwhelmed me. Amanda heaved and got to her hands and knees

“You almost fucking killed me!” she screamed. “I-im sorry I didn't mean to! “ She lunged at me, pushing me to the ground, pulling at my hair and scratching me. A fist landed on my cheekbone but I was unable to protect myself. Soon Scientists and assistants came running in to pull her off me. I was left panting on the ground while Amanda tried to reach for me while being dragged off. Once she was out of the room Shaw walked up to me. “Up,” he demanded. I blinked at the ground. So much had just happened and My mind hadnt quite caught up with me yet “up! Now.” his voice was raised. It took me a moment before I finally came to a stand, my knees wobbling.

“You know you aren't allowed to use your powers unless you are hooked up and able to receive the shocks.” Shaw looked at me with disappointment in his eyes. “This is what you mutants do, your powers hurt people. You cannot be trusted.” something flashed on his mouth for just a moment, it looked like a slight smirk before it slipped back into his stern angry frown.

“But i-”

“Shut up and go to your room.” I was shocked by the harshness of his words. He hadn't ever been so angry with me before.

As I walked through the fluorescent lit halls past the courtyard I wondered If I had ruined everything. Had that single moment of using my powers set myself back years of progress. The thought made me want to cry, want to scream, want to bang my head on the walls. I had almost killed someone that day, and yet Shaw had made me feel as though my saving her was the worst thing of all. 

[42bakery]

This Pecco-Alex thingy has kinda reminded me of when that Italian (?) journalist said it was Marc's fault that Jason, Hugo and Dean had died in 2021 and it makes me maaad. The hate they both get is ridiculous and they fact that there are death threats being sent their way while we have 2 races and a test there doesn't make me happy at all. Do I thing anyone would be crazy to do anything? I surely hope not, but then again you can't predict what crazy people will do. According to some journalist there is already an anti-marquez sector at Ducati planting things for the press (how believable is this, I don't know, but considering people are saying Aragón was rigged for Marc to win...)

I think I'm here in the side that Pecco had every right to be upset after his race was ruined BUT should have dealt with it better and measured his words and that Alex (if everything happened as it has been told) shouldn't have told Pecco to fuck off and instead explain that he preferred to talk when they both had calmed down AND in private.

But the way this all goes back to 2018,really. Because yeah, Marc hasn't been the cleanest always and he has done unsportsmanlike and questionable shit, but Alex has always been pretty clean and level-haded and it's not fair that the way people view Marc paints the way they view Alex. It upsets me when people say he only got his ride because of Marc, forgetting that he has more championships that half the grid (the only ones who have more are Pecco and Marc, while Pedro, Zarco and Joan also have 2 and the other ones either have one or have none).

Hi there anon 👋👋👋👋

Yes I remember that, the Marc being responsible for those death, and honestly I thought it was just anti-Marc shite. True that Marc IS a very aggressive rider, but so does Brad and Pedro. Even Vale was an aggressive rider, so you can't just blame 1 rider. The blame is on the system that 1) allowed riders that young come through the ladder, and fortunately got 2 years delay now (although for like 2 years allowed very unprepared riders to go straight to Moto3 to avoid having to wait 2 years (re: David Muñoz to say one) and 2) a system where no penalty was really applied for those behaviors. In some ways it was even rewarded with media content for the fans.

About the anti-Márquez, I'm truly sad for Álex. He did nothing to deserve this except be Marc's brother. He didn't deserve it in 2015, and he doesn't deserve it now. I'm very sure that if it had been any other rider except Álex and Marc, Pecco wouldn't have said that, because as much as he seems okay with Marc as his teammate next year, he hates it. He hates it because it's Marc, so he has to play nice, but he also wants to show who is in control of the game, and honestly if Pecco is doing this now, it shows how afraid he is. Also MArc will eat him alive. Marc is like a beast, in the moment he's cornered he shows his worst-self, and now that he has the experience of 2015, Pecco is nothing.

Also Ducati rigged it for Marc? Bullshit. Marc was untouchable. No other Ducati could get close to him, and if was something rigged, they would had been closer. Also Acosta was there too, which means it was more dependent on rider stuff than bike itself (also note that when the bike is not as an important factor some Ducatis just disappear).

Okay Pecco's race wasn't ruined, he ruined it himself since Friday. Pecco cut that line that way (which he's entittled to do, but it was irresponsable and dirty racing) because he was frustrated. He was just a kid throwing a tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted. So he acted entittled Ulike always) and drove in a dangerous way. They made contact, which is what made Álex lose the bike, the one that could have prevented that first contact was Pecco, but then he keep going and cut even more the like. If Álex hadn't lost the bike, by trajectories, they would had crashed. Pecco like always expected that another rider moved away to give him the space. And this is something I hate. The more closer to the 1st MotoGP tittle the more entitle he got and now he believes no one can touch him or race him. He had a bad Friday, and when that happens he gest lost in his mind, starts blaming everyone and then does rookies mistakes and blames everyone and their mother, and the worst part is that he never learns.

He's right to be upset, but he wasn't. Pecco is a master manipulator. He took the time, and choose to blame Álex, who honestly is one of the cleanest riders. He choose Álex because he can't go after Marc because he has Ducati protection, but not Álex. He choose Álex because this way he would hurt Marc. He's trying to play 5-D chest with Marc, and unfortunately Álex is just a pawn in his game.

Anon I don't now what you heard, but they did talk. And Álex didn't talk with the media after he talked with Pecco (at least to the Spanish media). Pecco is the one who jumped the gun, like always, to control the narrative (at this rate it seems I'm a Pecco anti, but this guy is fucking annoying and the media and some people eat from his hand).

This doesn't go just to 2018. This goes back to 2015. Do you really think that Vale is happy to have a protegée paired against Marc. No he doesn't, but he doesn't have the control over Ducati. They are trying, with those pathetic games. Pecco pretending to be welcoming, but endarrerint what matters to Marc. Also Marc isn't the only one. Aleix hasn't always been clean, or Vale. Pecco either, but he pretends to be.

[notsocheezy]

V-Day - The End of the Beginning

Yesterday I woke up from another night of little sleep and much acid. I took Pepto Bismol just about as fast as they'd let me - hourly - throughout the night, and it only barely took the edge off enough to "sleep" sitting up with my head at a bizarre angle. Eventually the nurse got the go-ahead to give me Prevacid, which I'd never taken before but I was willing to try anything.

To its credit, it did reduce the acid in my stomach. But it did so by flushing it out the other way, so I woke up with a tummy ache. Great.

Listen, you really don't want to experience a tummy ache while your tummy is literally riddled with slices. There are glued-together incisions all over my abdomen, some of which certainly go straight through the abs. That explains why it hurts so bad to cough, and to vomit for that matter. Or laugh. Wasn't doing much of that last one, though.

Anyway, I spent the morning in and out of the bathroom, but it wasn't loose like before, so I was confident I could go home. The doctors came in, removed the catheter (OUCH! FUCK!) and offered to remove the packing and teach me dilation right away or some back later. I said "come back later" - my urethra was on fucking fire!

I took that time to pack and try to remember how to pee. I didn't have to pee yet, so it was purely academic, but I did go for a bit of a walk by myself - not something I was inclined to do while holding a bag of piss. But moving around was good for me, and I finally peed in the toilet. It was a damn mess. I was warned, I suppose, I just hope it stops doing that when the swelling goes down.

At this point I knew my indigestion would only get worse if I didn't eat something, but I also knew I desperately needed safe foods. I ate some of what the hospital gave me that day, but it did nothing for me. I needed my black bean crunchwrap. I would not be able to properly rest without it. Granola made a poor substitute.

Honestly, tangent here, but what the hell did that hospital kitchen have against beans? They had green beans, but other than that? Forget it. They had goddamn cheesesteaks but I couldn't get a comforting and nutritious burrito even if I asked. Disgraceful.

Another disgrace was that hospital bed. It was tilted to the right. If you have GI issues, you might immediately recognize the problem here, but I'll explain anyway: Sleeping on your left side reduces acid reflux symptoms, but I was unable to do so since I had a catheter. I had to sleep on my back. But you see, while I slept on my back I was sleeping in the worst orientation for my esophagus. I never had a chance.

The surgery team came back, un-slurped my packing gauze, and taught me how to dilate a little bit too aggressively. It as fucking painful. But at least that meant I'd done everything I had to do to go home. It was just a waiting game at this point. I used some of my remaining time to try dilating again in private, and it was still awful but at least I managed to hold the smallest one about halfway in for ten minutes. A decent slow start.

This is running long, so I'll gloss over the rest. I got carted out in a wheelchair, enjoyed the cool breeze, and took a bite of that black bean crunchwrap. I knew then that I'd be alright.

I got home, showered, and properly slept for the first time in days. I'm alive again. I'm back.

[wonopia]

NUISANCE | 007. better person because of you

[WC] . 1900 prev ! mlist ! next

once lunch ended, soyeon was one of the first people to leave the table since she didn’t eat anything, she immediately started to walk back to class.

on her way back, she was surprised to see jungwon at the end of the hallway beside sumi. they were both smiling. i guess she was so stuck in her head she didn’t even notice that jungwon wasn’t sitting at their lunch table.

sumi was smiling brightly, she didn’t notice until now that sumi was one of the prettiest and nicest girls in school. in fact, she was never the type of girl to ask anyone out nor accept anyones love. knowing she asked jungwon, she must’ve really liked him. 

soyeon could feel her heart tighten. for some reason seeing them happy with one another made her.. sad? why? i should be happy for jungwon. but seeing them together answered her question that she never got to ask him, what’d you say to sumi about prom?

this was definitely something that topped her day. it felt like this was her last straw. she was frozen in her spot until she realized that jungwon was looking right back at her.

she turned almost immediately and ran into the janitor's closet. oh my god, did he see me? she heard the bell ring from the hallway, hoping he’d left already, she decided to head to her classroom now.

she turned around, twisting the knob. soyeon shook the knob as hard as she could before she realized it wasn’t gonna open.

“is anyone out there?” she yelled. the chatter on the other side of the door becoming quieter.

she reached for the light switch on the wall, flicking it up and down but nothing happened. she tried to yell one more time before hoping that the janitor needed a broom or something and that he’d come save her.

“is any..“ but the door opened before she could finish her sentence, she was pulled out of the closet by jungwon.

“you do realize that this janitor's closet is not used, right?” jungwon asked with a teasing smile.

“uh yeah,” she nodded, smiling at him. his eyes widened the slightest at her, “what.. what? is there something on my face?”

he chuckled before smiling wider, “it’s just that it’s the first time i’ve seen you smile in a while.”

her smile faltered before making up an excuse to go to class. that night, soyeon was in her room doing some work for class before sunoo walked in. he was dressed up in an outfit other than house clothes.

“where are you going?” soyeon asked, looking at him through her glasses.

“i’m going to hana’s party.”

“what?”

“not a crazy raid party or anything,” he nodded, “all our friends are showing up. you should go too.”

“i’ll think about it.”

sunoo shut her door as she put her focus back on her history homework. for some reason she couldn’t understand any of it so she reluctantly opened her phone to message jungwon.

they’d exchanged numbers the day they decided to be friends. she clicked yes on the incoming call, propping her phone to stand up against her monitor.

“hey, jungwon,” she beamed, waving as his face filled her screen.

“hey yeonie,” he waved aggressively, his voice was a little raspier than usual, “since when do you wear glasses?” he asked, she could hear the sound of him shuffling around.

“i only wear them when i’m reading,” soyeon explained, pulling her leg up on her seat.

jungwon nodded, propping his phone up somewhere on his table so she could see him. his lights were off and the screen was lighting up his face.

“why’s it so dark in your room?”

“oh i just woke up,” he mumbled quietly, she could see his eyes close shut, “keep talking. you can ask any questions you want and i’ll answer them.”

soyeon watched him carefully, her cheeks flushing, “okay. what was the main motivation behind hangul?”

“to simplify the writing system so it's more accessible for common people,” he muttered loud enough for her to hear him.

“can you repeat that one more time?”

“to simplify… the writing system so… its more accessible-“

“slower!” she spoke, writing as fast as she could.

he laughed. even with his eyes closed he could see how flustered she was, “okay okay, let me know when I can continue.”

he squinted his eyes open, his eyes hurt as they adjusted to the bright light. when it settled, he could see her writing, her face focused.

“okay, you can continue,” she smiled.

jungwon paused, looking up as he thought, “where’d i leave off?”

“the writing system so it’s more..”

“so it’s more accessible for the common people,” he nodded.

“next question,” she started, “what was the significance of the gwangju uprising in korean history?”

“it was a student-led protest against government corruption,” he told her.

“do you remember this by heart?” she laughed.

the sound made him feel giddy in his heart, it felt like she was right beside him when he shut his eyes. 

he shrugged with a lazy smile, “maybe.”

it continued for a while as jungwon felt himself dozing off.

“okay, we’re almost done,” she clapped, “what was the gyeongbokgung palace used for during the joseon dynasty?”

when soyeon didn’t hear a response, she looked at her phone. jungwon had fallen asleep.

she picked up her phone, unsure if she should hang up. he had his gray blanket up to his chin, his arms disappearing in the blanket. he looked so peaceful.

she could hear his light snores, unknowingly she smiled. she tested her limits, taking a couple pictures of him. she stretched her arms out before turning off her laptop, putting her school books away shortly after. she didn’t realize until now that she was wearing jungwon’s jacket.

she looked back at her phone, jungwon still sound asleep. she didn’t want to disturb him, muting. soyeon turned her light off before crawling in bed, charging her phone before placing it horizontally against her grandmother's lamp. she laid down, facing her phone looking at jungwon before falling asleep.

it’d been a week since she fell asleep on call with jungwon and they’d been talking a lot. hana occasionally gave sunoo and soyeon a ride to school which meant she could hang out with jungwon twice as much.

turns out jungwon and sumi were going to the prom as friends. sunoo had found a way to ask him about it in the car as nonchalantly as he could.

soyeon didn’t want to seem like a quitter but she never felt like wanting to go back to soccer so she decided to switch the sport to photography so in a way she was able to still be around it. they accepted her almost immediately. 

for this whole week, guys had been asking girls out to prom and occasionally girls would ask out guys. many flowers, candies, signs, and worse of all.. newly couples.

she was kind of sad that she wasn’t able to experience that part of going to prom. instead she was just asked a simple question. she wasn’t sure if she even wanted to go with hyunjin just as friends. After all, all she could think about was what if she beat sumi to asking jungwon.

would she and jungwon go as friends?

she was now waiting in her room on her bed for jungwon as he walked to her house. he was going to help her finish her history assignments because if she didn’t turn it in tomorrow then she wouldn't be able to attend the prom tomorrow night.

jungwon of course made time to help her with it. as for soyeon, she wasn’t sure if she was back to her old self yet.

ever since the viewing, everythings been different but it seemed better in her opinion. although she wasn’t as optimistic, she was still herself.

jungwon knocked before walking in, immediately in awe of her bedroom. his eyes exploring everywhere, except the drawers (kid friendly).

“c’mon jungwon,” she smiled sheepishly as he walked around her room, looking at the little picture frames planted around.

“aw you look so cute in here,” he pointed, holding it in his hands smiling- his dimple showing.

“your dimples are cute,” she said bravely, “now come on.”

he laughed, ignoring the pink on his cheeks and sat beside her on the bed. they quickly started to work. jungwon tried to explain everything as best as he could, examining the article.

“that should be right,” jungwon nodded as he overlooked the paper for the millionth time, not finding any mistakes.

“finally,” soyeon exclaimed, flipping onto her back to stare at the ceiling.

“took us long enough,” he commented, collecting all the papers to putting them back in her folder. soon sliding it in her backpack before laying beside her.

soyeon sighed, feeling jungwons head right beside her own. butterflies erupting in her stomach, the presence of him was causing her to burn up.

recently, this feeling in her stomach had been occurring a lot, especially when she was with jungwon. even now she was feeling them again, she wasn’t too worried if she fell hard for him.

she was just worried about how he’ll react. knowing jungwon he definitely wouldn’t end their friendship because of this.. right?

she channeled her breath as she closed her eyes. soon falling asleep, rolling onto her side unconsciously.

jungwon too had a lot on his mind. he remembers that one time eunbi had asked yeonie about hyunjin asking her to the prom, turns out it had been true. they were going to go to the prom together, as a couple.

he shook his head realizing how mad he was getting. no, not mad, jealous. he was jealous that all hyunjin had to do was ask her. he didn’t know they even talked.

he could feel the bed dip closer to him. naturally jungwon turned his head to the side to see yeonie about an inch away from his face. he didn’t move, he just stared.

he began to hold his breath. her eyes were closed, he was sure she was asleep. just to test it, he called out her name, “yeonie?”

as expected, she didn’t react. instead she adjusted her position, using her hand as a pillow.

jungwon took this moment to examine her face. the sun shone through the window and beamed onto her. soyeon’s hair effortlessly falling on her face, he felt mesmerized by her beauty.

he could never tell her this. knowing her state and how much she’s been through this past month. it must be hard. still, he was able to show her that she could depend on him.

slowly and hesitantly, he traveled his hand to her right cheek, moving the strand of hair back into place behind her ear. his palm brushing against her cheek ever so lightly. all he could hear was his heart beat fastening at the touch.

her skin was just as soft as it looked and she had light freckles spread across her cheeks. yeonie’s hair is a dark brown but in the sunlight it looks much lighter, he’d never been so close to her before.

jungwon gulped, retracting his hand before mirroring her. using his hands as a pillow to face her. he let his eyes shut due to tiredness.

note: im sulking. i love them.

© wonopia 2024

open TAGLIST: @seunghancore

[lootsofathousandsworld]

Life of  a Pirate Chpt 5

Here’s a new chapter for you all. *Falls on ground.* 

Hope you like it and sorry if grammer is wonky. 

Preview: https://at.tumblr.com/lootsofathousandsworld/life-of-a-pirate-chapt-4/7yyz0xb47e3i

I manage to get some dishes off the sink without gagging. It was because some of these plates still had some unknown go, and I dared not think about what it was. Not wanting to get my stomach turned.

I put the bucket in the sink and reached my hand for the faucet. But realizing seconds later my hand couldn't find one. I blinked in confusion and saw this sink didn't have any faucets for me to turn on the water.

"What?" I leaned over the sink to look for anything to start the water, but there was nothing to turn on. Then I caught a glimpse of rope close to the sink. I hummed and looked at it for a second. Believing this will give me some, I reached over and was about to pull it.

"NO! DON'T PULL THAT!" I yelped in startle and B.E.N came zooming in out of nowhere and stops right in front of me. While I was getting my heart to beat normally, the robot touched the rope and points up where it leads to.

"This is the food bell." He explained. "It's where one of us rings the bell when food is ready." I took a glance up and saw one silver bell attached to it.

"Oh," That's all I can say, and B.E.N. gives me a sheepish smile.

"Sorry to scare you. I didn't want you to deal with men coming crashing in. They're pretty aggressive whenever a meal is ready."

"It's alright," I replied but asked." But if that's the food call, where I can get water?"

"Oh, it's right over there." He casually points toward a few barrels in the corner. Noticing the water was there the whole time, I can't help to let out a huff and pull my bucket out from the sink.

"Getting all that dirty dishes out was such a waste," I grumbled while setting down the bucket and grab many dirty dishes as I could to put them back in.

"Hey let me help," I saw B.E.N get on his knees, grab some dishes, and begin talking, "I'm really sorry about the mess here. I was supposed to get them clean. But Captain Flint wants me to be at his side all the time."

"And why he wants you at his side?" I asked. I sort of knew the reason why due to reading his character description, as he was paranoid about one of his men deciding to take B.E.N away. To either kill him or sell him on the black market for tons of money.

But I want to see his point of view on this. Since he had been living on his ship for who knows how long. Maybe it was something else that wasn't brought up in Flint's description. I saw him only shrug and answered.

"I don't know. Maybe he's protecting me from his men? He tells me how when he's not around the crew will do something to me. And he's not there to save me,"

Definitely paranoid, I suggest, almost rolling my eyes. As we both get the rest dirty dishes back in the sink. I took the empty bucket and make my way toward the barrels.

"Try on the left," B.E.N. called. "Its has half full in it."

" Um, thanks," I said. I turned on the faucet that was on the barrel and fill the bucket with water.

"And the soap is right here!" I gasped when he proudly handed me a bar of soap on my palm. "Just don't use it all."

"I know," I replied. The old crabass turtle informed me."

"Oh good!" B.E.N smiled.

"Still though, he never told me where the water is,"

"Oh?" B.E.N added.

"Yep," I snorted and mimicked while adding a little soap to my bucket. "Just get down there and fill it up blah blah blah,"

The robot almost snickers at my Bone's impression and puts his arm around me. "Aw once you get the hang of living here, things won't be that bad,"

"Won't be that bad?" I glance at him oddly. He uses his other hand to rub his back neck after he saw my puzzled look.

"Well, won't be that bad is not the right term for living here huh?"

"Even when you are living with the scariest pirate for life," I said. But after my replying, I was surprised he just shrugged it off.

"Sure he can be. But I promise once you get to know him, he's not a monster as you may think." Not sure if his words are just him being Stockholm syndrome since he has been living with him for so long.

Still, I have a hard time believing it. Reading about how Flint abused him despite acting like a father figure to him. I'm just secretly surprised he kept B.E.N alive until upon his death he took his memory away. He could've just murdered him after B.E.N had done helping him set up his booby trap.

I just shook my head and pick my water bucket up. "Sure I'll keep that in mind." I got up as he did the same. " But when the bargain is done, I'm going home,"

"Home?" He blinks but then soon understands it was part of the parlay, and his face turns disappointed.

"Oh."

With that face he made, I felt guilty for leaving him. But if I take him now, the treasure planet timeline will mess everything up with him not meeting Jim and starting a good new life from there.

But then he asks this question that made me lose my breath.

"Where are you from?"

I bite my lips on what to fib and then answer with one planet I can think of. "Its...Montressor. It's where I came from,"

"Oh, Montressor!" B.E.N's facial beamed, clasping his hands together. "I hear so much about it! Wonderful planet despite its only for mining. And of course, I knew you might be from there. Mostly terrians are born from there am I right?"

He winked at me and I quickly made my more fibbing answer.

"Yes of course! You got that one right," I winked back at him, smiling despite feeling more guilty. Then B.E.N. gets all excited and speaks fast.

"Oh, I have so many questions about your planet! I want to know everything like does your planet has gems, gold, or silver when you mined. And I'm curious as your queen ever come to visit the planet? I'm sure she had and.."

I grit my teeth in silence when he begins rambling about his curious questions, and I have zero knowledge about that planet. I almost panicked about how am I going to answer all of this after I made a lie. I don't know anything about Montressor besides that it has a spaceport and Benbow inn.

I felt relief when B.E.N starts talking about food his eyes lit up. "Holy Nebula supper! Captain Flint is going to kill me!" Before he dashes, he turns to me.

"We'll talk later! See you soon new friend!"

New friend? His words stabbed me with much more guilt to see he fully trusted me. I forced myself to smile and made a little wave.

"Yeah! I'll see you soon. Thanks for your help," He gives me a thumbs up and hurries to the stove to prepare Flint's cooking. With that, I made my way to the deck to start mopping as my heart was still sinking on B.E.N seeing me as a new friend.

I muttered to myself. "B.E.N, I hope you can forgive me when you find out the truth."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few hours of mopping the deck, I hear the food bell ringing. I let out a huge sigh of relief due I was already tired with sweats running down my forehead. Not to mention my arms and back were sore.

I saw all men charging toward the gallery like hungry hippos and I followed behind so I won't get stampeded on. Soon I was in line to get my food.

About a few minutes later, it was my turn to grab mine. A large alien with a weird squidlike shape face handed me a bowl with soup in it. I winched when I saw it was bubbly and had some strange meat in them.

He notices my facial he grunts. "What?"

"What kind of meat is in this?" I asked. The tentacle alien face looks down at my soup.

"I don't really know,"

"You don't know?" I gulped.

He snorted. "It could be from orcus galacticus or something. Now move along ye holding the line!" One of the men behind me give me a nudge and I grunted, moving aside for him to pass.

I let out a sharp sigh and walked to the other side to find a table to sit at. I spotted one empty in a corner which was perfect since the table was a bit away from the crew. I sat down with my soup and glanced down at it.

Using the spoon, I scooped a few chunks of meat and brought it close to my face. The smell itself wasn't too bad, but the taste however would be different.

I lick my lips nervously. "Well, like Simba says, hakuna matata," I slup my soup and chew it. After a few seconds, I swallow it and hums.

"Hey, it's not bad. Short of tastes like steak."

While I was eating my soup, I overheard a few pirates speaking and in corner of my eye, some were looking at me. I looked down to avoid their contact and try to enjoy my soup. But then I overheard someone muttering. I looked over my shoulder and saw a bird-like alien, having blue-green peacock feather hair.

Unlike the other pirates, he looks clean with small spectacle glasses on his beak. Like he'd just come from a wealthy home, having a bit snob look on his face. He was writing something down on his notes beside his bowl while eating. I blinked and couldn't help to wonder what he was writing. All of a sudden he stopped his writing.

I swallowed when he perks up as if he sense he was being watched. He turns over to me and I quickly glance away. I breathed and scooped some more meat to finish eating.

"You know it's rude to stare at people,"

I almost choked my food in startle when I heard a person speaking. I coughed and find the person who spoke. It was the same bird alien. He tsks while I use my sleeves to wipe my saliva mix soup off my chin.

"Careful about how much you put food in your mouth unless you want your trachea to open in the wrong lane.

"Well if you haven't... frighten me, it won't go down the wrong tube," I manage to speak. The bird alien watches me still coughing and walks over to grab a cup of water which was beside his bowl.

'Here drink this, it'll soothe your throat." I grab his cup and drink a little. I sighed a second later, putting the cup down after my cough went away.

"Thanks,"

"So you are new to the crew yes?" He sat down in front of me and put his hands together.

I shrugged and kept on eating my soup. "Not really. Once the merchant ship, the Captain made a promise to release me."

"Release you?" He made a laugh. "Don't get your hopes up,"

"What do you mean?" I frowned at him after swallowing my food. He looks at me seriously and leans toward me.

"You are on a ship where many of us double-crossed one another." He spoke lowly. I suggest you be careful about who you are dealing with."

I felt my stomach turn when he says those words. There is no way their Captain will do that. We shook on it.

"But, the Captain and I made a paraly. That is one of the codes," I said.

"And some codes can be broken miss," He replied. "And this Captain you dealt with can be the one you will regret." I was silent as he gets up from his seat. Before he leaves for his table he turns to me.

"By the way, names Nicolas D. Allyrdace in case you wish to talk to me again." As he left, I looked down at my soup. Now losing my appetite for worrying about that bargain.

I huffed and scooted the bowl away. I'm not letting his words get to me. I was determined to be free and find a way to fix my wish no matter what.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Third's person POV

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, B.E.N was on the other side of the room. Sitting on his chair, he was looking through his compass disc. He gulped at how his captain is in a bad mood right now. Due to there being no merchant ships to raid for the evening.

Flint was studying his sphere map while calculating the distance of his other map on his desk that contain the whole Etherium universe. Trying to make him in a better mood, he spoke out.

"Don't worry Captain! I'm sure tomorrow will be the best day to plunder,"

Flint grumbled and snatches his rum bottle beside him. "It better be," The robot gulped at his tone and watched him drink his bottle down.

"Y-you shouldn't drink that much. Remember what Nic said?"

"I know!" Flint barked. "I'm aware of my drink, I don't need a reminder," B.E.N shrinks down from his yell. The whole cabin was quiet for a moment until Flint clears his throat.

'Have you spoken to our new crew member?"

"Oh yes! Yes sir," B.E.N replied.

"And how is she?" He added.

The robot almost smiles. "She sounds wonderful! Even though I think she could be homesick." Flint raises one of his eyebrows.

"Homesick you say?"

"Yep," B.E.N nodded. "I didn't know this paraly you and her made was the key for her to go home."

"Hm how interesting," Flint hummed while playing with his half-empty bottle of rum. And then asks this question.

"Had she said why she wants to go home?"

"Well, I think she's scared of staying here sir. Which I understand why since being on your ship is scary," Then B.E.N looks down sadly. "Still though, I'm going to miss her when she leaves,"

Flint almost smirked when he saw his robot looking gloomy. For him, it was the perfect way to have this woman stay longer. He pretends to act in sympathy for him.

"Aww don't worry B.E.N. She won't be leaving anytime soon."

"Really?"

"Sure," Flint replied. "If you try convincing her how my ship is not that scary she might change her mind. Calling her parlay off,"

"Oh maybe I can," His robot grinned. "I can show her being on a ship won't be that bad, after my experience of course." He points to himself proudly.

And then spread his arms out excitedly. "And we're going to be best friends in the whole galaxy,"

"Ah, I'm sure you both will," Flint chuckled darkly. His plan was coming along good than he expected. Tomorrow he might be able to find out her secret sooner. And whatever the secret she is keeping, he will make sure to make her spill it all out.

[vintagedaydreams]

Long winded paragraph anon here again.

GOD. I want to slurp Marcus up like some pan cooked egg yolk. …Pardon my strange phrases of affection. Oh to be swept off my feet by some old downtrodden vampire that for the first time in centuries has a little bit of life to his eyes.

Y/N “WHATS WITH VAMPIRES ASKING ME ABOUT THINGS I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT?!” L/N

As I am ever the drama enthusiast, I’d like to see some jealous Carlisle and protective smug Marcus. I want Marcus to treat the reader with absolute love & attention and I want to see Carlisle suffer through the everbreaking bond on what he ruined. I want Marcus to flaunt the reader’s happiness, knowing Carlisle will forever regret what he’s missed out on. But I am as ever a Carlisle girlie (/gnc), so that may just be my urge for Carlisle angst.

I hope Marcus & the reader cuddle and kiss and get everything good in life. I genuinely love the wives & the Volturi. I think it would be interesting for the Cullens/Hales to have broken Y/N so far, only for Y/N to stand back up and end up having… accidentally grown the favour of The Vampire Royalty™️. Of course, Caius has yet to be introduced, and he may not ever be. But I think he’s on Y/N’s side, though perhaps more violently inclined than the rest. …As usual, carry on, Caius.

Seeing Marcus GET ON HIS KNEES? Goodness. Goodness Gracious. An old king, on his knees to worship his newly found love… Delicious. He definitely knew we, the reader, had no idea what he was asking when it came to him being our protector. I think he relishes in knowing so much more. In a way, I think he wants to guide the reader, to spoil them. …I’m sure there’s specific tangents that his mind may wander to relating to knowing more but I digress. ;)

Hilarious to think about everyone getting on a plane together awkwardly. Living for the bordering-pain silence that will happen. Or the near constant fighting. I wish luck & money to the pilot. 🫡

Still, completely awed, inspired, and in love with your writing. Your descriptions are not overly detailed, but still descriptive to not leave anything unwanted. Which… I’m unable to explain how much I envy & admire that skill. Whether or not you continue, is absolutely up to you. Of course everyone wants it continued but you’re not a failure if it isn’t. Things change as time goes on. Sometimes things end. That’s life, :)!

I think everyone is far more chaotic when it comes to writing, but something that may help is simply listing big plot points you want to put down. If you’re stuck between an awkward plane scene or a fierce one, maybe have either route hold a different side of the scene. Carlisle’s route, maybe he’s too busy drowning in himself to say anything, and no one wants to inflict Y/N’s wrath again, lest they lose the reader forever. With Marcus’ route, Carlisle is, as much as he can, holding back… until Marcus/the reader is ‘overly affectionate.’ So he gets snarky, passive aggressive, low growls. Etc, etc.

ANYWAYS, sorry to strain your eyes. I hope this wasn’t bothersome. I’d love to read your other stories when I have time. If you ever plan on posting these to Ao3, I’d love to know the username but you’re not at all forced to share. Have a lovely evening, morning, and/or noon! ❤️

Anon,

THANK YOU for the incredibly kind words!!!! I have to admit, I have not been interacting with my blog/my stories on here for so long- this was such a treat to come back to!!!

I’ve never been officially diagnosed with anything, but I do have the attention span of a walnut. So it is hard to say if this series will ever be continued- the walnut is on to other things at this moment, unfortunately.

But I am so humbled by your appreciation for my writing! And I wish I could be more consistent with it.

You are an amazing person, Anon. Thank you.

Never change. 💜💜

[total-shipper]

i think that insinuating that people who disagree with your interaction with the hp franchise agree with sending death threats is a tad unfair. there are people who go to extremes from all sides, and to lump them all together to prove your point would make as much sense as me saying that you engaging in harry potter means you personally agree with violent transphobia

i get that hearing that the person behind one of your favourite franchises is rough and youd rather seperate the art from the artist. hp was the first thing i got really into and it shaped my childhood in a way that nothing else did. it was there for me when nobody else was. i read the books countless times and i have pretty much every fact about the world memorised. hearing what jkr was saying sucked

but im a trans person in the uk, so it's not just a case of seeing some bad takes on twitter. the causes she donates to, the rhetoric that she spreads, impacts me personally. it impacts thousands and thousands of people like me personally

and yeah, making a hp au doesnt directly give her money. but it can very easily appear as a show of support, whether you say you personally disagree or not. and if you dont care that terfs will see your account and think you're one of them, then fine. if you don't care that a majority of trans folk won't fully trust you because of that, that's your call. i mean that genuinely, not passive aggressive or anything. you can do what you want.

but while you can do what you want, please don't act like the people who disgree with your actions are being irrational or inflammatory. just because it doesnt seem like a big deal to you doesnt mean it isnt huge deal to others.

i hope this didnt come off as an attack! i just wanted to try and clarify the perspective of the anons you've recieved recently, and feel free to dm me if you'd like to discuss anything

Thank you for your reply and thank you above all for not using anonymity to express your opinion.

So I perfectly understand that many people find me having to say because everyone can have a different opinion from mine, everyone has the right to think what they want without falling into vulgarity or offenses, that's obvious.

People who disagree with me don't consider them stupid on the contrary I am happy to discuss opposing opinions so that we can have a civil conversation, what I hate is when some people take only a part of my speech to not understand all the rest just because they only want to understand what they want.

I'm not an egocentric Harry Potter fan because I'm the first to say that part of the Harry Potter fandom is extremely toxic, perhaps one of the most toxic of all fandoms, but not all of us are like that.

I understand being angry with Rowling who started saying obscenities and bullshit about the trans community and I'm sorry it made you suffer I can't even imagine how you felt, but is it necessary to blame people who want what they love?

I understand your point of view perfectly but you understand mine too, right now I feel accused of something that I don't think in the slightest and that I have never thought of in my life because I've never broken anyone's balls, everyone has the right to do and be what they wants but they must not in turn become a persecutor of others.

I didn't see your comment as a threat and I hope you don't see mine as a message of aggression either.

This is my most honest opinion I respect yours, but mine will remain this that I explained.

[viviennevermillion]

Spoiling Malleus with love and affection

notes: Did I just spend the last 4 hours writing Malleus fluff? Yes. I have a life, I promise

contains: reader aggressively flirting with confused dragon fae, lots of romantic stuff, mutual pining, very obvious pining, reader has magic and is in their third year at NRC, me making up NRC subjects for nothing but plot convenience, me making up Briar Valley courting customs for nothing but plot convenience, me (re-)defining the Twisted Wonderland laws of alchemy for nothing but plot convenience, the Malleus Draconia surprised pikachu face™

warnings: none

Malleus loves receiving affection. Or that you're spending your time with him. Even as friends, he treasures every bit of appreciation you openly express towards him. He's never had anything like that (Sebek aside). He has people who are dear to him, yes, and he's starting to bond a little more with other people but there was never anyone who went out of their way just to make him smile. To show him he was loved and cared for regardless of his status and power. Who wouldn't mind him just coming over to spend time with them and always seemed happy to see him. You already got a special place in his heart just from inviting him to something and joining him on a nightly walk, letting him ramble about gargoyles and actually listening to what he has to say. He'll be so happy if you respond by asking him more questions. When you fell for Malleus you fell hard. And fast. How could you not, seeing how his eyes lit up when you suggested to spend time together, how he smiled when you showed him you appreciated him. How passionate he was about the things that interested him and how gentle and caring he seemed to be despite his amount of power and the years he spent alone in a castle. He could have become bitter and hateful, yet he met the world with curiosity and hope. You couldn't help but want him to see how special he was to you.

It's not like Malleus didn't suspect you were in love with him. It took him a bit longer than it would have most, especially realizing that he felt that way for you, but he eventually caught on. It's just that the sheer possibility of being wrong resulted in him never bringing it up. He didn't want to scare you away or make you feel pressured into accepting his love, given that he was royalty and one of the most powerful mages out there. So he waited in silence for the day you would confirm you were as hopelessly in love with him as he was.

What brought you closer together started with Malleus often mentioning that he didn't know what he was supposed to learn at Night Raven College, given that he might even know more than his teachers. But the more time you spent around him, the more you noticed how little he knew about the modern world. Or people. Which he eventually confirmed with mentioning that he had spent most of his life inside his castle, learning about the world from old books or the stories Lilia told him. So one day you told him to meet you in front of the mirror chamber at midnight. Whatever protection spells Crowley had placed on the Dark Mirror was nothing that could withstand Malleus' magic. So on the weekends you'd often meet late at night and you'd sneak Malleus out through the Dark Mirror to far off places. You'd explore malls on the other side of the world, you'd check out sights and museums. You visited cathedrals, parks and mountains. And all of a sudden Malleus realized he had so much to learn about the world. And right there by his side were you, ready to explain to him whatever confused him, to introduce him to human society and what it had created. Malleus had never done anything that could be considered rebellious, aside from teleporting away from his guards to spend some time alone. But curiosity got the better of him when you took him on a trip for the first time. And after that the temptation was just too strong to resist. Seeing the world with his own eyes like he had always wanted to and making countless of memories with a new friend... after a century of being lonely Malleus couldn't say no to the experiences you served to him on a silver platter.

You'd never shy away from calling him a friend, complimenting him when you found something he did impressive and telling him you enjoyed your time together. But the more time you spent around him, the more you saw him react to new experiences the world had to offer, the more you noticed how breathtakingly beautiful he was in every possible way. So the more comfortable you became around him, the bolder you got. One day in alchemy class, you were learning how to transmute objects and shape them according to your will. Professor Crewel tasked the class with picking a material and shaping it into a different form. Of course your abilities couldn't hold up to what Malleus was capable of, but you managed to transmute a rose out of gold. Crewel complimented your work and so did Malleus as your desk neighbor. You smiled at him, handing the golden rose to him. "I made this for you", you said, being met with Malleus' surprised expression. He smiled and thanked you for this gift. Eyeing him from the side you could see that throughout the rest of the class, Malleus would often turn the rose in his hands with a soft smile on his face. He'd later put it in his room, making it part of his treasure.

After another instance of Malleus not understanding Cater, Lilia eventually had to teach him the purpose of a highfive. So Malleus decided to try this gesture when you excitedly informed him about getting a good grade in a subject you didn't feel very confident in. He held his hand up, expecting you to reciprocate the gesture. Instead you gently put your hand on his and intertwined your fingers with his. Malleus' mind was racing because "oh my god this isn't what Lilia told me would happen, what do I do now???" and Lilia is having a field day in the background, wheezing and trying to catch his breath. You'd invite Malleus to have lunch with you, pulling him along by his hand but letting go soon enough. The prince noticed immediately how he already missed the warmth of your hand in his and whatever just happened was way better than a highfive.

Malleus and you had a lot of fun spending Halloween together as well. You enjoyed yourselves at the Halloween parade, celebrating with the guests and all the other students. After the party, you sat down in Malleus' room, reflecting on Halloween week. "What was your favorite part about Halloween at Night Raven College?", Malleus asked curiously, given that this Halloween was such a rare experience for him compared to you, who was used to these Halloween customs. "Getting to spend it with you", you replied honestly, looking into his eyes. Malleus is trying very hard not to show how rapidly his heart is beating in his chest. No one ever seemed to miss him when he wasn't at celebrations, yet here you were, affirming that his presence was such an important part of the experience for you. He felt the same way.

Not knowing how to respond to this, Malleus took out a bag of candy he had brought from the Halloween party, plopping one into his mouth to have an excuse not to talk and collect his thoughts. You sat down next to him, reaching into the bag and pulling out candy as well. Malleus gave you a teasing smirk. "Didn't anyone teach you not to steal from a dragon?" You chuckled, shoving some of the candy into your pockets. "What if I steal your heart? Will that get me into trouble?" I can assure you you've already stolen that. But cue Malleus' shocked expression once again, fighting the urge to confess his love for you on the spot. He could feel his cheeks heating up. Somehow you managed to be so casual with him and then once in a while you would say things like this out of nowhere. Just when he wasn't expecting it. So that was what people meant when they talked about butterflies in their stomach, he thought. It was those moments he desperately wished for you to say what you felt for him out loud. To just give him the confirmation that you loved him and he was ready to give you all his love in turn.

When he showed you GaoGao Dragon-kun, explaining how it is an important treasure to him because Lilia brought it back from one of his travels for him, he asked you whether you had a treasure as well and you'd cup his cheeks and tell him "That's you". He'd laugh and remind you how bold you are, hoping you wouldn't notice how much he wanted you to pull him into a kiss. Or that you would notice and actually do it. This would be one of those moments he'd remember late at night when thinking about you. Malleus doesn't need a lot of sleep but if he did, I assure you thinking about you would keep him awake once in a while. Occasionally Lilia would enter his room to bring him a tea, or in a worst case scenario, a dish he cooked, and sometimes find Malleus just laying there and smiling happily without even noticing.

If you give him a pet name even before dating him, he wouldn't even question it. Yes, he'd take it as even more evidence that you were attempting to court him, but he accepted the nickname just like that. You could call him dearest or sunshine and he would just roll with it, possibly address you with "my dear" once in a while. But he loves it. Regardless of its meaning, it was proof that he was very special to you. That you indeed looked at him with the adoration he could see in your eyes. It'd never fail to make him smile. It also prompts the "LILIA YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED" conversation, which makes the older fae realize that oh boy the dragon fae he helped raise from the time he still had an eggshell on his face had his first crush.

One day you two got paired up for an astrology homework where you had to read each other's palm. Malleus reached out his hand to you, expecting you to begin. He obviously enjoyed the sensation of your fingertips gently moving along his palm and when you looked up you could see he had closed his eyes and his pointy fae ears were twitching slightly. You took a lot longer reading his palm. On purpose. Your fingertips eventually left his palm, moving on to caress his fingers, the back of his hand and his arm, obviously no longer having anything to do with the homework. He wanted to pull you closer, to wrap his arms around you and just hold onto you like he had been missing you for years. Through it all, Malleus remained silent. He feared breaking the silence would make you stop. He missed your touch the second it was gone. As a fae he felt time pass differently from humans but since he started longing for your love, the days seemed to have no end, especially during busy weeks when he didn't see you a lot. When you stopped, he opened his eyes and you told him the results of your palm reading so he could note it down. But before letting go of his hand, you gently pulled it closer to your face and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, telling him his future is one of being loved and cared for. He's pretty sure that was NOT part of the palm reading but it could just be an honest mistake on your part. And the kiss could be explained as a gesture of respect towards royalty. Maybe you were trying to adapt more to his fairly old-fashioned customs? His heart told him you loved him but there was always this fear in the back of his head. The fear of scaring you. Of making you accept a relationship with him because you feared rejecting him. Of seeing you leave. He felt bad about the fact that there was a chance in his mind that this was purely platonic for you, yet he was over here fantasizing about the idea of spending his life with you. Meanwhile while you were sure he was obviously enjoying your affections, you weren't always certain how Malleus interpreted them. Whether he'd even put a label on them at all. You didn't want him to worry about the nature of your bond for now, you simply wanted to see him happy. You also feared his rejection. But none of that stopped him from reciprocating your gestures when it was his turn to read your palm. And you let him, eyeing him curiously when he wasn't looking. You couldn't help but smile at how he held your hand like it was the most vulnerable but precious thing in the world. Because that was how he felt about you. Like you and everything you two had was fragile but unique and irreplaceable. You relaxed under his touch, listening to the calming sound of rain on the windows. Malleus also placed a kiss on your hand. If you're visibly flustered, he'd smirk at you, asking you if something was wrong. "You guys do know this isn't supposed to take you over an hour right?", Lilia grinned, standing in the doorframe, "I made dinner."

Malleus has a lot to experience when it comes to modern society. That goes for entertainment as well. He doesn't know much about movies, games or modern music. But if you like it, he'll gladly listen to music with you. He likes slow, meaningful songs and he'll tell you which ones he likes best. So eventually, thanks to either online algorithms or your vast library of songs, you'll find a bunch of things you think he'd like. So whether you put them on one of those old mp3-players, a CD or on a playlist that you sent to his phone in the hopes he won't blow that one up, Malleus is overjoyed about the fact that you found so much music that made you think of him and that you went out of your way to compile it for him because you thought he'd like it. He listens to it a lot. When coming across some cheesy love songs he'd ask himself whether that was what you felt for him. Whether those lyrics were a message to him or whether he was just reading too much into it. He knew he felt that way about you.

When Ghost Marriage rolled around, you had your hands full trying to help your fellow students to free Idia from Eliza's grasp, so you were glad when it was over and everyone was celebrating her wedding with Chubby. When visiting the Diasomnia dorm, you noticed Malleus seemed upset. You eventually noticed he was sulking about not being invited to the wedding celebration after the fighting was over. He told you he'd never attended a wedding before. You would have loved to have him there. So you did the best you could do, considering the celebration was already over: You put on a slow song and asked the fae prince for a dance. Malleus looked at you surprised and then smiled, taking your hand and beginning to dance with you. It was a slow dance that paid no mind to being perfect. You'd eventually rest your head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He wrapped his arms around you, finally being able to experience the embrace he had longed for. He gently held the back of your head with his hand. You don't know how long you remained like this. Several songs had passed in the meantime but neither of you wanted to let go. You started gently running your fingertips up and down Malleus' back and he let out a sigh, pulling you closer to him. Your embrace only ended with Lilia knocking on the door. But that was the day you decided you couldn't stay silent any longer. You needed to tell him. You wanted him to know how much you loved him.

You eventually got around to talk to Lilia about that night of the wedding, offhandedly asking whether there were any traditions or customs in Briar Valley through which people expressed their romantic love for someone. Lilia explained that similar to how people give their loved one flowers, in Briar Valley people expressed wanting to court someone through giving them rare treasures, commonly gemstones. Great, where the fuck do I get a gemstone from?, you thought. As anything you wanted in this school, the solution had to do with fighting an overblot. In particular one that occurred during your previously uneventful holidays that you spent missing your friends and Malleus specifically. As a thanks for saving Jamil, Kalim told you you could pick an item from his treasure vault and take it with you. "When are you going to stop giving people random treasures for free? One day someone is going to try and rob that thing and you're gonna stand in the doorframe with a smile and tell them 'Sure! Take everything you need!'", Jamil scolded Kalim. Your eyes fell onto a green gem lying around on the floor. It reminded you of Malleus' eyes. It was perfect.

After the holidays, Trein paired you up with Malleus in literature class for a project, asking you to pick a book of poems from the library and reflect on their meaning together, using what skills you had previously learned about analyzing poetry in class. You sat down with him in a corner of the library, speaking about several of the poems from the book you picked. Your eyes fell on one that said "Meeting you was like listening to a song for the first time and knowing it would be my favorite." You tapped Malleus' shoulder and showed it to him. "This one made me think of you." Of course this warmed Malleus' heart but he was past the point of his heart beating wildly in his chest. He simply smiled softly and wrapped an arm around you, leaning onto you while holding your hand. "Me too", he pressed a kiss to your hand. He let go of you after that, wanting to avoid somebody coming around the corner and ending up spreading rumors about the love life of the next king of Briar Valley.

Not soon after that day, Malleus' birthday rolled around and you were looking forward to giving him his presents. You were waiting until he had unpacked Lilias, Silvers and Sebeks presents and greeted him with a "Happy Birthday", handing him the bouquet of roses you got him. Lilia grinned at you from the corner while giving you a thumbs-up while Silver had to hold Sebek back from interrupting you two. "The flowers are beautiful", Malleus remarked, putting them in a near-by vase and his eyes lingering on them for a moment before he turned back to you. "Just like you", you replied and he chuckled, shaking his head at how different you were from all these people who wouldn't even dare to approach him. You handed him the rest of his presents, a good portion of it consisting of candy and chocolate from countries he'd never been to. "Did you travel to all of them just to get these for me?", he asked in awe. You sighed. "Malleus you still need to learn a lot about the concept of online shopping." He opened the envelope that was attached to the gifts. My dearest Malleus, I know you've lived for a long time now and that birthdays may lose their meaning after a while, but I hope that this one will be special to you. I wish you only the best life has to offer, that you'll always be happy and loved and that you get to see everything in the world that you want to. Throughout the time I've known you you've become one of the most important people in my life and I'm grateful for having met you and being able to spend time with you. I am looking forward to another year of making memories with you. Sincerely, y/n." Malleus put the card aside and pulled you into a hug, burying his face in your hair. "Thank you, my dear. These words mean a lot to me." He picks up a small card that was also added to the envelope. "What's this?", he asked. "A coupon", you explained, "they got this HUGE ice cream parlor over in Pyroxene that has over 50 kinds of ice cream, flavors you never tried before in your life and they have these big, creative ice cream cups, we could share one!" Malleus let out a laugh. "You know my tastes..." "Anything for you", you winked and told him to open the other presents. One was a book about gargoyles that had just recently been released and wasn't in the library, so there's no way Malleus could have read it. You could tell how his eyes lit up and how excited he was. "People still write books about gargoyles?" You shrugged. "Guess there's other gargoyle enthusiasts out there aside from you", you chuckled and leaned closer to him, "but don't worry, you're my favorite." Malleus raised an eyebrow and smiled at you before opening the last present. "I am sorry to have to ask this again but what is it?", he asked, inspecting the machine in his hands. "It's a polaroid camera", you said, "it doesn't need electricity so you can also use it in Briar Valley. I thought you might want to keep some of the memories you make and always have a photo to remind you of them." Malleus commented on how you kept surprising him with how well you managed to find not just one but several gifts that were perfect for him. You showed him how the camera worked, taking a photo of the two of you. "I don't see anything." "Patience, Malleus, patience." You couldn't help but chuckle at how fascinated he seemed at the photograph. He thanked you once again for all you had given him. "Oh but I still have a surprise for you", you told him and asked him to meet you after curfew in front of the mirror chamber again.

"Where are we going this time?", Malleus asked while you led him through the dark mirror. Once you stepped through it, you saw wide grasslands and in between them an old castle. Parts of it have crumbled to pieces already, yet it looked beautiful. "I looked up the best abandoned ruins online and I picked out some of them. All of them have gargoyles", you explained. Malleus pulled you into another embrace. Did you know what you were doing to his poor heart? You spent the rest of the night exploring the ruins and Malleus noticed how with you around, none of them seemed as abandoned anymore. Just like him.

You eventually returned to Night Raven College and sat down on Malleus' bed. He thanked you for making his birthday such a memorable experience and said he couldn't put into words how happy you made him. "I....have another gift for you." Malleus chuckled and shook his head: "How many more gifts do you have for me?" "Just this one", you said and he noticed how you were nervously fidgeting with your hands, "for quite a while I was scared of your reaction. But I thought now would be a good time to give it to you." Malleus looked at you curiously as you pulled out a small gift box from your backpack and handed it to him. Okay, here we go, moment of truth...., you thought as Malleus opened it. His eyes widened as they fell upon the green gemstone you got him from Kalims treasure vault. "Lilia told me it's a custom in Briar Valley that you give it to-" "I love you", Malleus blurted out without hesitation like he'd been waiting to say it for centuries. You instantly went silent, processing his words. "I've loved you all this time....", he reaffirmed quietly, pulling you into his arms, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. You tightened your grip around him, clinging onto him like you were afraid that if you let go, he'd disappear. "I love you too, Malleus", you said with your voice trembling and leaned your forehead against his. Malleus smiled. "How am I ever going to thank you for today?", he chuckled. You held his cheek with your hand and gave him an affectionate smile. "How about a ki-" Your words were cut off by Malleus' lips crashing onto yours. Granted, he needed a while before getting the hang of it, given that it was his first kiss. But soon after he'd pour all his love into them, kissing you passionately, yet softly, while having you tightly wrapped in his arms. He'd whisper how much he loves you between the kisses, before pulling you into another kiss, not being able to get enough of your lips on his own and your tongue circling around his. Malleus could kiss you for hours. However given the fact that you were spending the whole day celebrating his birthday and the whole night exploring abandoned ruins, tiredness eventually settled in and you snuggled close to his chest, his arms protectively wrapped around you. He intertwined his fingers with yours again like you had done before, however this time he noticed how well your hand seemed to fit in his. Like you were made for each other. Malleus pressed another kiss to your forehead as he realized you were drifting off to sleep. You were worth waiting for. Malleus would have waited a lifetime for you if necessary. As long as he'd get to spend the rest of his life by your side.

[thesunshineriptide]

Could I request the vice housewardens + Ruggie play fighting with the reader, is there a certain way they initiate if they play fight at all? Do they smack talk? I NEED TO KNOW

Also don't forget to drink water and consume your fruits and veggies 💛

This request made me so happy and it was hilarious to think about someone fighting a bunch of cryptids for fun. Anyway yes absolutely I hope this if acceptable and thank you for reminding me, I am currently drinking water now

Okay so the vice housewardens (or second in commands, which is more accurate) are the feistiest group at NRC. They are all shady or ready to deck someone which makes me think that it’s simply a trait housewardens look for. I’d imagine they all play-fight, but where and how varies greatly. Also the tags look so gnarly but I swear none of them are that violent

Hit me with your best shot

Characters: Trey, Ruggie, Jade, Jamil, Rook, Ortho, Lilia, Floyd (mentioned)

Tw// fighting, violence, drowning (mentions), biting, hunting, Rook typical behavior, Leech typical behavior, food, bruises/marks, blood mention

Trey

Definitely a play fighter in the casual way.

Most likely to poke at you, smack you with a pillow, throw something at you, etc.

He’s probably the second gentlest in this regard because he’s human and not training to beat the fuck out of someone

When you play fight it’s probably because one of you is being snippy after a long day of dealing with other peoples bullshit.

You aren’t likely to end up actually injured or bruised or anything, but you may end up wrestling on the floor of Trey’s room or smacking each other with pillows.

He’s an older brother so he knows restraint but the urge to pull hair and smack the shit out of someone is strong.

Instead he just pins you to the ground and dramatically lays on you to keep you there

You guy definitely have a food fight.

Not like, with finished dishes or anything, but in a ‘I dropped some ice from the freezer and instead of kicking it under the fridge, we’re playing ice soccer in the kitchen at 3 am’ kind of way.

Or sometimes when you have leftover frosting from a cake he’s made you end up flinging it at each other.

If you ever cover his mouth he will lick it and give you an evil smirk

His trash talk is somehow both very good and very bad at the same time.

He gets into it but he also uses stupid insults like “you’re a poopface” mostly because he wants you to know he’s joking because onetime he called riddle an asshole and he cried so now he’s careful

Please take a boxing class with him you two would have so much fun

Ruggie

Initiates by walking up and biting your shoulder or sometimes just shoving you and running.

If you accept playfighting him at least once be prepared he’s going to do it a lot.

He has so much pent up aggression.

Half of the fighting is smack talk and boy does he have a MOUTH.

Hopefully you have thick skin because otherwise when he says shit like “you look like a gazelle ass fucked a cactus” you might actually cry

Definitely rougher when he plays.

Expect claw marks, bites, bruises, and sore limbs when you’re done fighting.

Try to ignore the stares you get from everyone when they see a bite mark on your shoulder because how do you explain you didn’t do that you were actually just beating the shit out of each other

He will start a fight literally anywhere and you two probably go at it for at least an hour before he gives up

If he ends up drawing blood he’s frantically making sure you’re alright and patching you up

Probably play fights with you as warmup for spelldrive practice.

This entails him coming to your room, pouncing on you to wake you up, then maniacally laughing when you fight him off with a scowl.

But on the bright side, he brought you breakfast (Leona paid for it, shhh) so it wasn’t for nothing

Jade

Jade isn’t one to play fight normally, he has a reputation to keep up.

So he won’t usually initiate that.

If you start to goad him into it, he just gives you a menacing smile then turns you over to Floyd to play like that.

If you still insist on playing with him, he will literally just pick you up and sling you over his shoulder until you promise to stop.

Then he drops you on the ground.

Now, that’s how it goes on land, anyway. But in water? Hooboy, hope you can hold your breath.

Jade’s third favorite thing to do is drag people underwater (the first two are hiking in the mountains and teasing Azul) and luckily for you, he remembers just how much you like play fighting!

And since Jade’s in the water, chances are Floyd is too.

They rarely do fun things without each other.

So now you’re going to be fighting for your life from two mischievous mer-eels.

Jade wears a darkly serene expression as he asks you whatever could be the matter and Floyd looks like he’s won the fucking jackpot when you surface from getting dragged into the water with them

You will not win this playfight, because there is little distinguishing it from a real one.

The only difference is that they aren’t actually trying to harm you, but you probably won’t realize that when Jade repeatedly drags you under water to see how long you can hold your breath, trapping your legs with his tail.

He finds the way you beat at him with your fists pretty adorable, which is lucky because that means you won’t drown today!

You will receive 0 aftercare from him for this traumatic experience, but he may invite you to do it again.

Don’t accept it’s a tr-

Jamil

You’re not so much play-fighting Jamil as you’re training with him.

Which is probably good, it means there’s rule and a time limit.

Anyway, most of his comments are half trash talk and half trying to get a rise out of you.

Very “is that the best you’ve got?”

Sparring with him is fucking exhausting so you likely do it mostly in the evenings or when Jamil is training some other students.

Sometimes he gets way too into it and ends up mixing breakdance moves and martial arts to kick your ass.

He has knocked your feet out from under you before and he will do it again

Moves so confidently and quickly you think he might moonlight as an assassin

Chances are you’re not gonna beat him, he’s got years of experience, but you’re getting stronger and faster when you’re with him.

If he ends up hitting you too hard he apologizes quickly and you don’t usually have many bruises due to the fact he makes you wear padding and you spar on a mat

Dude can totally take a hit so you don’t really have to hold back (he prefers if you don’t, it tests him more)

so don’t be afraid to smack him around.

Genuinely appreciative of you doing this with him and makes sure to let you know every time you take up his offer to practice together

He repays you buy providing you with snacks light on the stomach after you’re done working out together, usually some lightly chilled water and a piece of fruit.

Also sends you home with leftovers of whatever he made for dinner that night

Rook

Hahahaha….oh dear lord. So listen, there’s two types of play fighting.

There’s the one you initiate, then there’s the one he initiates.

One of them is fun!

The other is straight from a horror movie

If you initiate, he’s happy to indulge, and he hits a littler harder than he means to sometimes but overall it’s pretty chill.

You two end up chasing each other around campus, playing what could be described as a really intense, violent game of tag.

By the time you’re done, you’re both covered in dirt of mud and have sticks and leaves sticking to you.

If he initiates, please don’t take his offer.

This is the scary one.

His version of play fighting is chasing you through the woods behind campus with a bow and arrow and yelling vague threats about “ahh, you’re close! I can almost smell you~” and occasionally shooting an arrow that is ENTIRELY TOO CLOSE for comfort.

If he catches up to you - or just decides this is the right moment - he’s tackling you to the ground.

He’ll tease you for losing before attacking you with tickles, the most terrifying of all weapons.

So maybe it isn’t scary in the end, since he was never gonna hurt you, but running through the forest with nobody nearby except for a guy armed with a long ranged weapon is absolutely terrifying, and there’s always the slim chance he misses….

Ortho

Gentlest of the list.

He’s more sure how much pressure to apply when play fighting, so it mostly ends up being pillow fights, or something else that’s soft.

Poking, bumping into you, very very gentle punching, that’s all on the table.

If you try to initiate, Idia will get very pissed.

All of his internal components are extremely sensitive, you can’t just smack him! And besides that, he’s tiny, and his brother! Why would you do this?

Idia is genuinely terrifying when his entire attention is focused on you, and hes pissed.

The flames of his hair are growing and flickering wildly as his gold eyes glare down into yours.

The only thing that calms him down is when Ortho begs him to

So you don’t really get to physically play fight with him anymore, but you do get to game together.

With Idia’s supervision.

He’s not going to be letting Ortho around you anymore since you decided to fight a literal innocent child

Lilia

I’m fairly certain that play fighting is Lilia’s love language.

He loves to beat the shit out of people.

Least gentle next to Jade, because he will literally grab you and throw you in the air.

You’re not in danger, but his awareness of the human limits is limited, unlike Jade.

Probably isn’t a fan of shit-talking in person, but definitely does it when he’s gaming late at night.

Probably play fight in the Diasomnia lounge.

There’s an audience there to watch you get your ass kicked by an old man, as well as to see you fling the five foot nothing bat across the room.

Most intense play fighting imaginable.

He’s a big fan of flipping people and literally just throwing people around.

He’s completely fine with people doing it back to him, he finds it fun.

Playing with him is like trying to fight black widow, except if you call for a time out he’ll let you.

Silver and Sebek both try and warn you not to do this.

They literally trained with him as children they know he does not fuck around.

You ignore their advice and end up with a broken leg and a bowl of Lilia’s soup.

[plus-size-reader]

Should Be

Damon Salvatore x Plus size!reader

Word Count: 2897 words

Warnings: none

Summary: Damon’s human partner gets jealous of Katherine when she gets out of the tomb.

—————————————————————————————————

Katherine coming back from the tombs wasn’t ideal for anyone.

There was a reason she’d been locked away for as long as she had and really, you didn’t get why they were letting her out in the first place.

The world was going to keep turning whether or not they let her be a part of it. At least, that was what Damon had assured you when the news broke that she had resurfaced.

You didn’t want to care.

In reality, her coming back to Mystic Falls wasn’t any of your business. You hadn’t ever had anything to do with her, and you wouldn’t, even if she came back.

Still, it would be a lie to say that you weren’t really comfortable with it.

The two of them, Katherine and Damon, they had quite a bit of history and you just couldn’t fit the feeling in the pit of your stomach that it was going to be bad news for you. It just didn’t seem right.

Maybe you were jealous, or insecure, or something like that but it didn’t really matter. All you knew was that you weren’t itching for her to come back into any of your lives.

Damon was different, for the better, than when the two of you met but Katherine had quite the hold on him for a really long time and you were worried how her poking around in your lives would affect him.

It couldn’t be good, even if she was magically on her best behavior, somehow.

You just didn’t see that happening.

You weren’t jealous, of course, you had to keep reminding yourself of that. You and Damon had been together for several years, and you knew that he loved you. It was the sort of connection that you’d never had with another person, having been enthralled with him ever since he saved your life.

As it would turn out, that was quite the bonding exercise.

However, no experience you and Damon had ever shared could compare to all the time he and Katherine had been together.

They had been in love, and whether it was real for her or not, Damon had never really even gotten over her betrayal. He cared about her deeply, and you couldn’t imagine how seeing her again would make him feel.

Until recently, you thought that you trusted Damon more than anything.

You trusted him with your life for God's sake and you were sure that nothing would ever change that, but evidently, Katherine had decided to challenge that notion.

Ever since she’d come back into all your lives, she had made a choice to just inject herself into every situation you were in. Even now, from where you were in the bathroom brushing your teeth, you could hear her talking to him in the adjacent bedroom.

It was nothing more than pathetic small talk about their past together but it was more than enough to make your blood boil.

You knew more than enough about the bond they had shared and the time they spent together, you didn’t need to hear it from her on top of everything else that was on your plate.

She might not have been too much of a real threat to you, because you knew that no matter what she did, there was no undoing what she’d done to him but that didn’t make you like her any better.

Frankly, even knowing that, you’d had enough of Lady Katherine.

Her presence here, where you lived, was like a slap in the face.

Decades had passed since they were even in the same room and even then, she had done nothing more than treat him like dirt.

It seemed like common sense that she was just going to do it again, but he was letting her. Damon was barely even putting up a fight and really, you were finding it hard to believe.

After everything that she had put him through, why would he even entertain her presence in this place.

He didn’t owe her anything, not anymore.

You thought that what you and Damon had was more important to him than anything else, but if her coming back into his life was enough to make him question that, it said a lot.

So, even though you wanted to go tell her to get out, you kept it to yourself.

Not well, but you kept it to yourself.

You may have been brushing your teeth more aggressively than you ever had in your entire life, but you hadn’t said anything yet.

For you, that was a win.

Deep down, you weren’t really worried about losing him to her. If Katherine had actually bothered to get to know him all those years ago, she would know that Damon was one of the most devoted and loving men in the world.

He was now, and you were sure that he had been before all this.

You just had to break down those walls of his first.

It took some time but it was well worth it once you earned his trust. You knew that he would do anything for you, and anyone else he loved, she just didn’t actually care.

Not that it mattered to her what kind of bond you two had.

As far as she was concerned, you were just some temporary fling that Damon would get bored of and feed off of at some point, like he did most of the others. He had never actually kept a girlfriend around for very long.

He wasn’t the kind, and in any case, she was sure that you couldn’t hold a candle to her.

She had a hold on him that had lasted, at least somewhat, for all the time that she’d been locked away and in a matter of days, she was sure she could have the raven-haired male eating out of the palm of her hand.

It was that easy.

All she had to do was prove it, and at this rate, it wasn’t going to take long at all.

Here she was, sitting new to him on your fancy little bedspread with him, practically hanging on her every word while you were tucked away. Before long, she wouldn’t have to put up with you anymore at all.

He was bound to come to his senses at some point, and she had nothing but time.

She could wait it out.

Tonight though, she couldn’t have gotten away from you that easily.

You could only hide away in the bathroom for so long and once that time had run out, you entered the bathroom with a casual sigh leaving Katherine’s lips at the sight of you.

Just when she was starting to bring up all those good memories they shared, here you came to ruin it all.

“Could you please move over?” you asked, only looking at her as much as you absolutely had to, catching the tail end of an eye roll that you would have been okay with missing entirely.

All she did was scoff, clearly inconvenienced.

“Why? Am I hurting you here?” she asked, not bothering to cover up the hatefulness in her tone, not that you or Damon was surprised. Speaking of, the dark haired male was still just sitting there, waiting for someone to lunge at the other.

He wasn’t a huge fan of her being here either, but he was trying to be civil.

There was a chance they would need her and burning that bridge too early could cause problems along the way, or at least that was what Stefan told him.

He’d lived without her for a long time and he’d be fine if she fell off the face of the earth tomorrow. Though, if she kept testing you, she may not make it until tomorrow.

She may have had the upper hand over you as far as vampire strength was concerned but you all knew that if she tried to do anything to you, he would turn her head so far around that she’d be the one really out of place.

He wasn’t going to let her hurt you, not if it really came down to it.

“That’s where I sleep,” you explained, gesturing to where she was, sprawled out on your side of the bed, without a care in the world. It wasn’t the kind of thing that you even thought you had to explain but she was pushing you.

She wanted to start a fight.

To Katherine, this was all a game and she had nothing to lose.

There were no rules and she was betting on the fact that she could break you with very little effort.

However, there was one thing she was forgetting. You and Damon shared something she could never hope to have with him, something she had given up a long time ago.

Love

You respected Damon and you cared about him.

The two of you were together through the good times and the bad, not just when you needed something from him or you were bored. In that way, she couldn’t hope to touch what you shared.

Still, there was one thing that worried you.

Katherine was gorgeous.

Her body was incredible, and she had no problem showing it off which she had made very clear tonight. Where you would have wanted to hide away and never go outside again, she just strolled around in nearly nothing, without a care in the world.

Emotionally, you and Damon couldn’t have been closer but physically, you couldn’t help but feel like she would beat you had there been some kind of competition.

Even you would have chosen her over you in that regard.

When she stood from the bed, dramatically throwing her hair over her shoulder to give Damon one final wink before leaving, you got a good look at her long legs, even further making you rethink yourself.

Why was Damon with you when he could have had her all this time? Sure, he didn’t know she was down there until today but now that he knew, there was nothing keeping him from picking her.

After she’d left, you plopped down on your side of the bed, immediately turning away from Damon and cuddling into your pillow.

You knew it wasn’t his fault you were having these thoughts about yourself, but you didn’t want to be around him right now.

You didn’t want him to be reminded of what he could have had.

“What’s going on with you?” he asked, after a few seconds of sitting in the dark, staring at the back of your head without a kiss on his lips. You always kissed him before bed, but tonight, you didn’t even seem to care if he was breathing.

It was unlike you and it worried him, not that he would ever admit it.

You didn’t answer right away, letting his words simmer in the air for a few moments as you thought about what you wanted to say. There weren’t really words that would make any sense to him.

From where he was sitting, you would seem jealous and out of your mind but this wasn’t about Katherine anymore.

For you, this was about how he’d settled with the wrong woman and you couldn’t help but feel like he was lying to you about his feelings.

How could he be attracted to you when you looked like you did?

You had asked him before, on a bad day when you woke up feeling huge and ugly, but this was different. Katherine prancing around here had shown you everything that you could have looked like.

What you should have looked like.

“It’s nothing, let’s just go to bed” you tried, far too physically and mentally exhausted to have this conversation.

For now, you just wanted to get some sleep, you could deal with Katherine and all her business tomorrow.

As for your body, that was just going to have to be tomorrow's problem as well. Physical exhaustion always won out over mental anguish, no matter how much you tried to force your own hand in that regard.

All you could hope was that you felt better in the morning, and maybe then, you could explain all this weird stuff to Damon.

~

You woke up to a cold bed, which was pretty much par for the course when it came to sleeping next to a vampire but when you rolled around and found he was gone, that was when you got a little worried.

That was new.

Damon never got out of bed before you, if he even got out of bed when you did, and you couldn’t help but be concerned about what he could have been doing.

Knowing Damon, it could have literally been anything.

Though, the last thing you expected to find when you turned the corner was the man you loved, trying and failing to make what smelled like chocolate chip pancakes and scrambled eggs.

“Good morning my love, would you care to explain why I went to bed without a goodnight kiss?” he wondered, focusing more on the glass of bourbon in his hands than the breakfast that was surely burning on the stove.

He always tried his best where the more domestic stuff was concerned but it just wasn’t his strong suit. He just wasn’t as much of a wiz in the kitchen as he liked to pretend that he was in moments like this.

“After I put out the grease fire you’re about to start” you sighed, moving the pan from the fire and setting it in the sink.

Damon wasn’t going to let you get off easy after last night, but the most you could do was buy yourself some time before you made an absolute fool out of yourself.

He wasn’t about to just let this go.

He never did.

“I’m serious, you got all squirrely after Katherine left” Damon prodded, his hands falling on your hips, which he used as leverage to turn you toward him, trapped between his body and the sink.

You sighed, desperately hoping that you wouldn’t have to have this conversation but knowing that you would.

It was embarrassing.

Part of you, the mature part, knew that this wasn’t that big of a deal but the other part couldn’t help but hate her. She wasn’t just some beautiful girl, Mystic Falls was full of those, but Katherine was a threat.

This was much more about how she was clearly trying to take Damon from you than actually just trying to be a friend to any of you.

She wasn’t that kind.

“Excuse me if I’m not thrilled to have your psychotic ex girlfriend prancing around in her underwear” you scoffed, not understanding what it really was that he was missing.

You were projecting, of course, but there was no real way around it. As insecure as Katherine made you, her being here was just as much of the problem. You didn’t want her injecting herself into your life.

It wasn’t her place, and the idea that he wanted you to somehow be okay with it was really messing with you.

“Cute”

From Damon, that was little more than a casual huff but he knew you better than to just believe that. It wasn’t like you to act like you did last night, not with him, even where she was concerned.

You were better than that.

You were better than her, that was why he didn’t think anything of her immature little games.

“Now the truth” he prompted, a soft smile on his face as he waited for you to tell him what was really eating at you. This had been dragging out for way too long, and he really just wanted to get it over with.

He wanted to help  you feel better, and he would do anything he could to make that happen, you both knew that.

Damon would have gladly turned her inside out if it would make a difference, but first, you had to tell him what was bothering you. He was good, but he wasn’t that good. You had to give him something to go off of.

“She is what I should be, what you deserve” you muttered, the words barely leaving your lips as you thought about them. You didn’t want to admit it to him, almost as much as you didn’t want to admit it to yourself.

You didn't like that she got under your skin, because she knew that she could. The more you let her, the more she got what she wanted.

...and you hated that.

“I think I’d rather have you” Damon shrugged, not even hesitating in his response. Given the two of you, and the person that Katherine was, there was nothing in the world he would have rather had than you.

He definitely didn’t want her.

Katherine had turned her back on Damon a million and one times, and at the end of the day, she couldn’t have given a damn what happened to him but you weren’t like that. You had the biggest heart of anyone he’d ever known, in several lifetimes.

There was nothing he wouldn’t trade, if it meant that he got to keep you.

At the end of the day, you were his person and he knew a good thing when he had it.

[applejacks1552]

Favorite Rogue and Gambit Quotes

Gambit: "Rogue. Never use last with us." Rogue: "Okay." R&G #4

Rogue: "Don't sass me none, Gambit." X-Treme X-Men #16

Gambit: "Names don' make us what we are inside. An' I know what's inside you, chère. An' that's all that matters." X-Men #2

Rogue: G-Gambit. Gambit … Ah loved you. Ah … always … loved you. Gambit: As if I'm gonna let you punch out on an exit line like dat, chère? UXM #343

Rogue: "Get outta here, Remy! While you can! Don't throw your life away! Gambit: "Girl, don' you ever listen? Wit'out you, I don't have much of a life!" UXM #343

Rogue: "Hold me. … Just … hold me." Rogue '95 #2

Rogue: "This...is crazy." Gambit: "Have you met me?" XM: Gold #30

Rogue: "Wh-Why would you -? Gambit: "I don't even know, chère. I saw you fighting is all. And I knew what side of the fight I wanted to be on." Age of X: X-Men Legacy #246

Rogue: 'Sigh' What am I going to do with you, Remy LeBeau?" Gambit: "I have a list, but I left it in my other pants." AoA: Astonishing X-Men #1

Rogue: "So. That happened." R&G #3

Gambit: "Trust Me." Rogue: "Always, Remy." UXM #385

Gambit: "That's a fine hello to the love of your life." Astonishing X-Men '17 by Soule

Gambit: "You are in my heart an' soul." X-Treme X-Men: X-Pose #2

Rogue: "Gambit … You're about to blow off your hand. And don't call me, "chère", sugah." XM #81

Gambit: "That enough wow, wife?" MMX #4

Gambit: "And I was what you wanted to see? Very touched, chère." Rogue: "I ain't got time, you insensitive rube." UA 2015 #9

Rogue: "There's a part of me that's always been joined with you. Even when we couldn't touch. And when we could - Mah lord, Remy, Ah felt like Ah could never get enough of you even if Ah melted into you like snow on wet grass. " X-Men: Legacy #234

Gambit: "Je t'aime de tout mon couer." X-Men '92 #10

Rogue: "REMY!!! uhm... an' Betsy too, o'course." XM #34

Gambit: Well I'm right outside. Waiting to celebrate your success. Rogue: "You're a Prince, Remy LeBeau." Gambit: "Prince of thieves. Let's steal one more from fate, hm?" X-Men: Legacy #265

Gambit: "M'Heart's nearly contented about now." X-Men Annual #1: Shattershot Part 1

Gambit: "I went a long way away from you, Rogue. Without explaining. Without saying goodbye. And then I went a long way away from myself. Now I come back and you're already gone. But you gonna survive this. Je te jure. Even if you spit in my face. Even if you never let me explain. You don't end here. And you don't end like this." X-Men: Messiah Complex

Gambit: "Maybe your heart, it remembers what your mind misplaced." Rogue(2004) #12

Gambit: "Anytime's th' time t'die, long as it's by your side, chère." Gambit '99 #10

Gambit: "I'm jus' glad you bout ta take that aggression out on someone else." Rogue: "Don't worry, sugah -There's plenty ta go 'round." Gambit 2012 #11

Gambit: "Don't be dense "sugah". Dis be reality!" X-Treme X-Men 42

Rogue: "But I'll take messed up with you any time, Remy LeBeau." R&G #5

Gambit: "Leave it to you to go right for the whip, girl." MMX #1

Gambit: "I love you Rogue. I've always loved you. You need to know that." UXM #375

Gambit: "You wan' feel bad 'bout dat, your privilege. Jus' like it's mine t' hold you close an' give you comfort. For as long as you need. For as long as you want." UXM#385

Rogue: "Silver-tongued devil." XM: Gold #30

Rogue: "We've had our moments, Remy. They're not enough. They've made me greedy. Ah want a lifetime" X-Treme X-Men #19

Gambit: "I'm your home and your harbor. Your end point. Not a station along the way. Not a gamble. Or an experiment." X-Men Legacy #248

Rogue: "Ah just couldn't die without kissing you once, Remy." XM #45

Rogue: "Oh, so you're a gentleman?" Gambit: "Depends who you ask …" R&G #2

Rogue: "Sweet nothings and kinetic explosions? Must be love." Gambit: "Must be." R&G #3

Rogue: "For the first time in my entire life, ah felt ... HOPE". UXM #349.

Gambit: "Dis "proper" enough for you, chère?" X-Treme X-Men #7

Gambit: "A man must have reality, flaws and all." Rogue (2004) #6

Gambit: "Now isn't this a cozy little tête-à-tête, chère?" Gambit(1993) #1

Gambit: "Anyth'ng dere I should be jealous about?" Rogue: "Absolutely." UXM #386

Rogue: " - You feel it?" Gambit: "I feel it, chère."R&G #3

Gambit: "I'll stay with you every second. Always." R&G #5

Gambit: "Not having you in my life ...? DAT was hard." / Rogue: "Ready?" Gambit: "Always." UXM #336

Rogue: "All you're thinking about are honeymoons." XM: Gold #30.