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citrustan · 4 months ago

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slipping through my fingers [5] (myg)

title: the storm-ish 1.0

pairing: min yoongi x reader

genre: dilf!yoongi, exes and co-parents au, angst!, fluff, smut

summary: you meet yoongi's fiancée for the first time and... don't care to get a good read on her. yoongi keeps upsetting surprising you.

warnings: [other parts should be read before this one] this one's frustrating, there's not much improvement regarding oc and yoongi, it gets worse actually. aand it's a teensy tinsy bit unedited bec j don't have access to my laptop rn.

"Here's the dining area!" Taehyung fakes excitement as he leads the party further into your home, "I set the table."

You crouch down, catching your daughter in a tight hug, “Hi, baby,” you whisper into Nao’s hair.

For a second, you could pretend everything was normal. Just you and your kid. No pink hair highlights.

But then you stood up and saw Yoongi standing awkwardly behind Naomi.

“Hey...” Yoongi greeted you softly. His eyes briefly met yours before flicking back to Nao, “Hyejin wanted to meet you, and, uh… she brought dinner.”

You forced a small, tight-lipped smile.

Dinner. She brought dinner. As if that made any of this easier. Still, you nodded once, knowing you had no choice but to go through with this.

Hyejin had walked into your kitchen by now, snooping around with curious eyes. She wants to know you so bad. Picking up a random iron skillet from the drying rack, she observes the room intensely.

She eyes the colour scheme you picked out for your whole house. It's plain but not bland, she notes. White. A little... woody. Vintage. Yet very colourful and so full of personality.

A lot of well-executed DIY projects, most likely done with your daughter--- a windchime, stained glass paintings, miniature clay figurines, jars of seashells, hanging jellyfish lamps, personalized ceramic plates and mugs with designs painted and characters sculpted onto them.

Hyejin finds you fascinating.

She noticed a bunch of crocheted tapestries. Similar to the ones in Yoongi's room. She had always found it an odd design choice in his home. But, it makes perfect sense in yours. And obviously, she finally understood where he got it from.

And she can't wait to finally get to know the woman who had her soon to be husband wrapped around her finger for years.

Yoongi never told her why you broke up but she intends to get that information out of the two of you today.

Suddenly snapping out of it, you speak stiffly, “Oh, um, thank you,” gesturing at the bags of food place on the coffee table.

Your eyes dart towards Hyejin, who was already gliding back to you sporting a bright, effortless smile.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, _____,” Hyejin smiled warmly, "Your home is lovely. You really are a true creative."

Whatever that means.

“I hope it’s okay I tagged along. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while now. Yoongi never talks about you."

Oh!

That definitely didn't hurt.

You smile, not knowing what to say. Simply nodding, “Thank you. And sure, it’s fine.”

But it wasn’t fine.

You still felt disrespected.

Taehyung’s brows raised slightly, but he didn’t comment either. Instead, he offered you a supportive smile from behind Hyejin and mouthed, 'You’ll be okay.'

You can only hope you would.

Yoongi knew how fragile you were, and how hard it was for you to see them together, but he had let this happen anyway.

Yet, you understood Hyejin too.

It isn't really her fault. You'd have felt better about it had this been your decision.

"Mimi, go wash up for dinner." Yoongi instructs his daughter.

Then Hyejin chimes in, "But remember not to get your hair wet! _____, do you have a shower cap she can borrow?"

Your mouth drops open a little and your ears start to heat up.

Who does this woman think she is? She's talking to you as if you're not Nao's MOTHER.

What the hell does she mean 'Do you have a shower cap she can borrow?'

That's your kid, not hers.

Not realising you were glaring at Hyejin, you forced out yet another smile. This time it was glaringly obvious.

"She has one. She knows where to find it. Don't you, Nao?" You smiled down at her fakely.

Your daughter grabbed at your dress, "Yeah. But it's okay if I don't use it. My school doesn't allow colourful hair. We'd get into trouble." She directed the last half to Yoongi's fiancée.

Oh, thank goodness it wasn't permanent dye. You breathe a sigh of relief.

Hyejin's smile drops a little but she recovers almost instantly. "Oh, wouldn't you want to twin with me though?"

Is this lady emotionally manipulating your kid?

You don't give Nao a chance to respond because you knew she'd never want to hurt anyone's feelings and you hate that she's pushed in a corner now. "Wash your hair, honey," you smile down at her sweetly, "Use mommy's shampoo if you need to."

Yoongi finally decides to intervene. "Or we could let Mimi make her own choice. She knows the consequences, and is smart enough to decide what's better for her."

And unsurprisingly, ever the diplomat (which is odd because he's literally a lawyer by trade), he won't take sides.

Sadly, he's wrong this time.

Your squint your eyes at him as if you can't understand him, "What consequences? There's a consequence. Just the one. And she already stated it. We'll get in trouble with her school."

Your anger is a bit misdirected when you demand your daughter to clean up, "Go wash your hair, Naomi. I don't want to see even hint of colour that's not natural."

Nao's eyes widen before she runs off pouting. She knew you hadn't meant to scold her but it still upset her.

This is exactly what you were worried about.

You look at Taehyung pleadingly, prompting him to check on Nao. He immediately complies and chases after her.

You weren't ready to deal with Yoongi's new life now because you knew you wouldn't be able to digest it. You did not want Nao taking the heat for something that isn't her fault. But you suppose that's inevitable because you still haven't learnt to process your feelings and emotions about Yoongi.

Also, in all honesty, you could've dealt with the school. It wasn't that serious of an issue. They aren't too strict on the appearance discipline, especially hair.

You're on a roll now though.

"And what the hell are you doing altering my daughter's appearance without consulting me anyway?" You don't know who you squeaked it at but it was definitely warranted for.

"She's my daughter too, _____." Yoongi speaks cooly yet firmly.

"Exactly. She's yours and mine. And I need to be part of every decision making process," you scoff frustrated, "I mean, how would you feel if Taehyung and I decided to chop her hair off? What if the three of us get... I don't know, bowl cuts?" You're on the verge of yelling.

Yoongi looks bewildered, "You wouldn't do that."

You record the time. This is the moment you think Yoongi finally understands you.

"That's the point, Yoongi!" You exclaim. "Of course I wouldn't because I'm not fucking stupid!" You place emphasis on 'stupid', "-and I respect you!"

The jab wasn't subtle.

"What are you implying? That Hyejin is? That I am? That we don't respect you?"

"Oh, am I wrong?" You raise a brow.

"It's just some hair dye."

"That's not the issue here," you suddenly point at his fiancée, "And why are you calling my kid Nao?"

Hyejin's eyes widen at the sudden attention. She looks to Yoongi for help.

Taehyung reemerges from Nao's room when he hears arguing.

He observes Yoongi's stance and his explosion radar goes off, "O-okay, why don't we just-" but before he could even try to diffuse the situation, Yoongi loses it on you.

"God, _____, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

A sharp pang hit your chest, it felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room.

He's never yelled at you before. He's yelled with you, around you, maybe even about you but never at you.

Moreover, he did not deserve to scream at you.

You wish you could just pout and run away into your room like your daughter had.

Instead you stand your ground and stare at Yoongi's face, challengingly.

Hyejin just stood back, a little bewildered. She's surprised Yoongi had it in him to scream this loudly. And he's the least angry, most stable person she knows. Though, she doesn't know how to feel about him treating you like this.

On one hand, she's elated that he's speaking in her defence. And on the other, she's worried she'd be on your bad side after this. And that you'd keep Nao from her. If she didn't have a relationship with Nao, she can't possibly continue being with Yoongi.

For a while, nobody said anything. Taehyung was too afraid to even breathe let alone say anything.

The two of you were like a pressure cooker.

And let's not get into what Yoongi said--- 'What's wrong with you?'

You'd like to know. Clearly, something must be wrong because you don't know why he'd marry a woman after months of dating but not you even after years of being together and even having a child with.

You watch as Yoongi's fiancée grasps his hand to calm him down.

There have been very few moments when you've wished you had one of your classic cream pies to smash in someone's face.

Now is one such instance.

And then it happens.

Your vision begins to blur.

Not wasting any time, you wrap your arms around yourself in a soothing manner and storm off into your room, refusing to break down in front of a stranger.

You wanted to make a good impression so badly but it was just too soon.

Yoongi swiftly shook Hyejin off of him to follow you but was pulled back by a strong arm. Taehyung.

He glares at the taller man before yanking his arm back, continuing after you.

Before you could slam and lock your door like a petulant child, Yoongi blocks it with his foot, "Stop."

"I don't want to talk to you." You assert.

"Then don't. Just listen to me." He suggests. More like demands. His face was stoic as ever with maybe a hint of discomfort and remorse now.

"Please?"

Outside, in the living room, Heyjin and Taehyung awkwardly lingered.

Taehyung breaks the silence, "You just had to do this now, didn't you?"

Hyejin doesn't reply but gives him a pointed look.

As much as she trusts Yoongi, she doesn't trust you and Yoongi locked in a room together. She noticed way too much passion for two people who've broken up.

Unfortunately having crossed way too many boundaries already, she can't help but just wait.

₊˚.🎧 ✩｡ rose blood by mazzy star ₊˚.🎧 ✩｡

note: fuck tumblr for posting my half-baked chapter im literally so fucking annoyed i had to redo all the changes but it's whatever!

exhales

and i am still sorry for the delay! please let me know what you think; love it, hate it, can't stand it, can't live without it? tell me! bec i wanna hear all about it

(anf did you catch a subtle Gilmore girls reference 😋)

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canine-witch · 2 months ago

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What do you bring to relationships?

Today, I had a dream of a person crying and asking "Why did you leave me?" Oftentimes, when we lose friends, partners, and the relationships we have with them, it can be hard to build the confidence again. My intention with this reading is to show my collective what people truly love and appreciate about them, and why others would be attracted to you.

Drink some water, pick a pile, and feel free to discard what does not resonate with you.

𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧

Group One ~ The Painting

You are confident and always bounce back. This doesn't mean that you don't have your off days or that you don't have insecurities. You have a sense of stability, confidence in yourself, and lots of hope and faith. You bring a lightness to any relationship, and you are a dependable person. I am seeing a school of fish swimming behind another fish, in the open sea. I am also seeing a sea turtle, not fighting against the waves, but gracefully moving with them. You are a leader, someone they believe in, and they admire your strength and your ability to go with the flow. Keep moving forward, you will have people in your life who admire you.

Group Two ~ The Jellyfish

You bring thoughtfulness to your relationships, seeker. You are aware of everything going on around you, and you aren't quick to anger or to fight. Your patience is a breath of fresh air. I am seeing the wind blowing through a field of flowers and refreshing a woman standing in the center of them. Your consideration, patience, and guidance make you a great partner and friend. Many do not have the skills and personality you possess, and it's refreshing to have you in their lives. Keep being yourself, and don't let people think that your kindness is weakness.

Group Three ~ The Lips

You fight for them, seekers. Many may have told you how they don't like your "aggression", when in reality you are loyal, know your worth, and know the worth of the people around you. You stand up for them, protect them, care for them with your fierceness. You do not tolerate for disrespect. I see a bull, pawing at the ground, about to charge at someone, while a young calf cowers behind him. The only reason others don't like your strength, is because they deserved it being turned on them. People love the way you fight for them and protect them, but be sure to rest afterwards. You have riteous anger for them, but make sure your fire doesn't burn yourself.

Group Four ~ The Bubbles

You call your friends and partners out. Everyone has vices, and you accept the darker parts of them. I see two people embracing in a seedy alleyway, a vision of kindness and warmth even in the darkest moments. But, you also don't let them hurt themselves or others. You care for them, and don't let them slip into illusions that they are always good or justified. You accept them, and keep them moving on the right path. You are precious to them because they know you accept all of them, and don't let their demons win.

𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧

Thank you for your energy and time, seekers. I know it's difficult sometimes to understand how people see you, and I pray this found you at the right time, and comforted you.

If you would like a clarification reading, or a reading on another issue you have, I am currently offering free readings from now until February 3. You can send through dms or through an ask, and I will answer it!

Thank you, I am grateful for you!

#tarot reading #tarot community #tarot #tarotblr #tarot witch #pac reading #pick a card #pick a picture #Pick a pile #pick a pile tarot #intuitive tarot #intuitive tarot reading #intuitive tarot reader

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cvntroach5000 · 1 month ago

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The Lads helping black reader maintain her curls

fem!reader, no use of y/n. zayne and rafayel refer to reader as "wife" (actual marital status irrelevant; in their heart you are always wife). caleb calls reader "buttercup" instead of the p-word

content warning: slight yandere vibes from sylus, the usual yandere vibes from caleb.

Xavier 💫

He wants to help, he really does

But it's so relaxing and you smell so good, he keeps dozing off

When he's focused, he actually does a pretty good job, but it takes forever for him to be done

Impatiently waits for your hair to dry, cause you can't lie down and cuddle with him when waiting for the products to absorb

Excitedly helps tie the bow of your bonnet when it's done and you can come to bed with him

If you wash your hair at his apartment, he revels in the lingering smell of you in his home

You're literally downstairs and he's curled up in his bed, sniffing your shampoo like "I miss her"

He can surprisingly do better braids than curls, cause he just focuses more on separating the strands and weaving them correctly, so he's too locked in to actually relax and fall asleep

Immediately tries to throw down if anyone tries to touch your hair or makes the slightest weird comment about your appearance

That shit makes him so incredibly mad, he could kill

Usually settles for at least a broken bone

Zayne ❄️

His steady surgeon hands are built for fine work like this

Enjoys this process a lot cause he gets to do something, but it's a relaxing activity

It took some practice for him to learn how to shape the curls properly, but he's gotten the hang of it at this point

Because of Caleb having helped with your hair since you were kids, Zayne is very keen on doing well, cause as your future husband, he can't afford to be anything less than perfect at this

That'd be embarrassing for him and unfair to you

Can do very good braids as well, just the right amount of tight without being too painful

Has basically developed a reflex where as soon as someone tries to reach for your hair, he'll grab their hand

"Please, refrain from touching my wife so casually."

He sounds calm but his eyes are so murderous, it sends people scurrying off before he can get angry enough to give them frostbite

Any time someone makes a weird comment about your appearance, this man unpacks a monologue about how beneficial high concentration of melanin is

Poor Zayne thinks people are just uneducated, but unfortunately a lot of the time they're also massive assholes

Rafayel 🪸

This is actually so exciting for him

There's moisture involved, he's practically sculpting your curls, it's art, you're beautiful, everything is wet. This is the life

You basically can't do your own hair anymore, cause this man insists on doing it for you

He's very talented at it, your scalp feels like heaven, and your curls are shiny and bouncy

Some woman at an event dinner tried touching your hair without permission, but Rafayel roughly grabbed her wrist before she could manage

"Do you also touch the artworks at exhibitions? Keep your hands off my wife."

He's kinda obsessed with your bonnets

He loves getting you ones with marine-themed patterns on it

And if you have one with a ribbon, he likes to elaborately tie it for you

You keep telling him he doesn't need to make the bow so intricate, since you're just going to relax, sleep and take it off in the morning, but he insists he likes giving you a cute little decoration

"You look like an adorable jellyfish~"

He can help you do braids as well, but actually prefers the curls and is better at doing them cause wet

Happy to pay for a salon too, if you want to get your hair done

One time a guy asked you "Where are you from?" in a really weird tone, so Rafayel replied "The ocean" and punched the guy in the stomach

Then he grabbed your hand and walked away, cause fuck that guy

Sylus 🥀

Ultimate provider of hair care products

He won't settle for any less than the best for his beloved

Learned how to help do your hair after he saw you painstaikingly maintaining your curls with pruney fingers

It took some effort but he has high standards, and wouldn't let himself not do justice to your beautiful hair

Gives you a massage when applying moisturising products into your hair

Hums a melody while he does so too

It's super relaxing, you can practically fall asleep when he does it

He's not usually one for delicate work—detailed, yes, but not delicate and soft—but for you, learning this skillset isn't an issue

Mentally clutching his heart every time he sees you wearing a bonnet because you're just so cute

If you even look at a picture of braids, he's already looking into salons and pulling out his card—If you wanna get braids done, say less

Anyone who tries to touch your hair is as good as dead

Weird remarks about your appearance? Worse off than dead

This man runs a criminal empire, what's another corpse to the pile

If there's anyone he must kill, it's those who would disrespect his beloved

Caleb 🍎

This guy knows more about your hair texture than you do, honestly

When you were kids, Josephine's idea of a solution was to straighten your hair with an iron and after he saw how your hair looked straightened he was like "Yeah, no way in fuck that's healthy" and got really into hair care

Never allowed granny near your head again, absolutely not

Has learned how to do a bunch of different braid styles to perfection, you don't even need to go to a salon

He hates to think of other people touching your hair, even if they're professionals literally just doing their job

The amount of bonnets you have cause this guy just keeps buying you more

Different colors, different patterns, with and without ribbon

He just really likes seeing you in different bonnets it's like an adorable little fashion show

Also you're wearing something he gave you, that you use regularly, meaning you'll think of him more and he loves that

He once broke a guy's arm after the dude touched your hair without permission

You had to gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss your way out of the situation so Caleb wouldn't get arrested but you managed

Now that he's Colonel he can do it without making you worry he'll be arrested

Honestly anyone who's ever been weird about your hair and appearance since Caleb became Colonel has gone missing so

"Don't worry about it, buttercup. They're just worthless trash that had to be taken out~"

#love and deepspace #roach on the typewriter #lads sylus #lads caleb #lads xavier #lads rafayel #lads zayne #lads xavier x reader #lads sylus x reader #lads zayne x reader #lads caleb x you #lads rafayel x reader #lads x reader #lads x black reader #lads fanfic #x black fem reader #lads fluff

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bernardsbendystraws · 10 months ago

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Pink Petals

Chris Sturniolo x Reader

See pinned post for (series) masterlist and (oneshots) masterlist and more.

Summary: Chris had a past with a few girls who had left him burned. Y/n had succumbed to the utter tragedy of giving up on her high school sweetheart a while ago. Chris walks into Y/n’s flower shop, searching for a bouquet of flowers for a girl. A blind date takes the lovelorn pair into fate’s hands. Chris isn’t holding back his true colors anymore. He’s a true romantic. Handwritten letters, cheesy compliments…and maybe some flowers.

Warnings: 18+. This series contains mature themes, read at your own risk. (SMUT, angst, parental troubles, mentions of SA, financial hardships, and more. Don't like, don't read.) This warning is made for all parts.

A/N: To be added to the taglist, send a request in my inbox or comment on the pinned post.

With love and big tits, Rose.

Part Four: A Pink Glow.

I loved animals. I really did. But, seeing how much Chris loved animals? It somehow made me love them even more.

“--this dude all like omg! I gotta–” he says.

His voice brushes his breath against my ear as we stare at the aquarium glass. He mocks the small fish with a high-pitched voice.

Any other man I had given a chance would’ve had a visceral reaction from me at the immaturity.

Not Chris though.

With him, I found myself struggling to contain my laughter to a respectable volume in the near dead silent building. It was genuine joy watching him match the voices to each fish. It also happened to be incredibly accurate, which I found endearing.

“Chris–”

Chris turns to me, but his eyes fall behind my shoulder with a subtle drop of his smile. I feel my face furrow with confusion as he replaces the sullen expression with a performed tug of his lips.

“Hi! Oh my god, could we get a picture?”

The unknown voice alerts me as I whip around to see a young girl, no older than 14. A middle aged woman stands behind her, phone in hand and ready to take a picture. I quickly side step, watching as Chris interacts briefly with the girl.

“Are Matt and Nick here too?” she quips.

“Oh, uh,” Chris stammers, pausing as the flash shoots from the phone camera. “--it’s just me, actually.” he finishes.

The girl's face falls slightly before nodding and walking off with her mother. Chris sighs, looking at the ground with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. “I…sorry. It’s a little awkward, I know.” he says.

As he looks up to me, my heart softens from the confusing tension of the encounter. There are subtle lines of embarrassment written in the purse of his lips as his eyes struggle to stay on mine. Walking back forward and placing a hand on his shoulder, I lean into him. I feel his stance soften.

“It’s okay, just part of your job.” I mention.

I feel him lightly rest his head on top of mine, the slight nod apparent. A moment of silence washes over us, the fond silence interrupted with an uncertain energy.

“Oh my god! Look!” Chris exclaims.

He shoots straight up, standing tall before mindlessly grabbing my hand and tugging me along behind him. I giggle while echoing his footsteps with my own. I frown, noticing the exit on the side after the glass he tugs me towards.

“Oh my! Those are so sick!” he says.

Moving my gaze back towards the exhibit, my eyes go wide. Neon jellyfish flounder in the tank, a pink glow illuminating from the creatures and through the glass. The thoughts run still in my mind as I immerse myself in the moment.

“That’s so pretty, my god.” I announce.

Chris’s head whips over his shoulder, looking down at me with a teasing smile.

“Yeah?” he playfully asks.

I shake my head while leaning myself to rest on his shoulder. The squeeze of his hand pulls me closer, my body weight following the direction of his movements. Seconds pass as the clogged air conditioning of the building suddenly seems to shift, bringing me a sense of fresh air in my lungs. Tilting my head along his shoulder, I see the peep of his face already trying to look down at me with the odd angle.

“Whatcha thinking gorgeous?” he asks.

Letting my emotions get the best of me, my hand squeezes his with excitement which earns a slight chuckle from his end. My flushed cheek on his shoulder lifts as I look towards the exit.

I want to tell him how I feel.

“I…” the statement lingers on my tongue as my eyes dart back to him. The pink and purple hues reflecting on his features brings sudden comfort. His eyes are trained on me, even with the enticing foreign animals displayed in front of us. “I’m sad it’s over, to be honest.” I admit in a hushed tone.

Chris’s smile grows with an impossible effort of joy. “It doesn’t have to be. In fact…I was, um…I was kinda hoping you’d say that.” he confesses.

His mouth shuts tightly. The inner part of his bottom lips starting to turn white as he sucks on it with a blush covering his face.

I let my shoulder nudge into him playfully. The anxiety leaves my system from the courageous effort of getting the truth to pour from my lips. A sense of proudness leaves me more confident than before.

Could I do it again?

“It’s really hot and I didn’t plan anything else, but we can look and cool off the car at the same time. I just, I don’t want you to be miserable in the heat.” he explains looking down at me.

I take a quick glance at the mesmerizing aquatic scene in the tank. Letting my eyes drift back to his, I nervously click my tongue along the ridges of my teeth. Chris meets my gaze with a soft endearment that calms the pulsing vibration in my ears. “I…” I trail off, becoming uncertain of my words.

My eyes drop to his chest. I swallow thickly, retracing to the same anxious thoughts that left my lips feeling stapled together.

The warm clasp of his fingers intertwined with mine pulls me to look back up at him.

“What is it, pretty girl? Do you have something you wanna do?” he interrogates playfully.

Losing my thoughts in the depths of his analyzing gaze, I nod affirmatively. “Yeah, I have a puzzle at home and air conditioning if you want.” I offer.

As my lips fall back shut, my mind starts to cloud with the inconclusive thoughts.

I just invited him to my home. For fucking puzzles.

Retracting back into myself, I lose my breath with the lack of concentration.

“--go? Hello?” Chris asks.

I snap out of the dazed trance, panically looking up at him with bulging eyes. He shakes his head, turning to me as our chests stand inches away from each other. I open my mouth to say something, but fall silent as he does the same.

“Zoned out for a minute there?” I nod at his question as he purses his lips knowingly. “--it’s okay, I do that sometimes too. I said that’s perfect and are you ready to go?” he says.

“I, um, yeah,” he starts pulling me towards the direction of the door. He pushes the heavy gray door open, holding it open with his foot and his right hand as his left hand stays clasped in mine.

I clung onto him tighter out of instinct as a raccoon darted across the trash can just to the side of the exit door. Hearing the commotion, Chris yanks me quickly to his side. I nearly collapse onto him from the gesture, but he catches my weight by releasing my hand and wrapping it around my waist.

Breathlessly, we both look from the trash panda and our eyes meet, squinting as laughter bubbles through the intoxicatingly hot air.

I don’t know if it was the sudden change of temperature, the shock of the animal nesting, or the look he gave me, but I was in a state of blissful adrenaline that made every color a little brighter.

Maybe it was how he made me feel.

Coming down to a fit of breathless giggles, Chris pulls me gently by the waist as our steps clamber towards his car.

Settling into a comfortable position sitting in front of the coffee table on my floor hadn’t been difficult at all. Soft background noise seemed to fade out of hearing as I focused on his voice only.

“I really like monkeys. I…I still have a monkey stuffed animal on my bed.” he admits sheepishly.

I smile, prodding my tongue to the side of my mouth as I unbox the puzzle. Dumping the pieces on the table, I start flipping them so the design and colored piece faces upwards.

“Really?” I press, looking over at Chris.

Giving me a firm nod, he reaches out and starts helping. One by one, each piece reveals a shade of the design colors plastered on the packaging of the box.

“Yeah…” he trails off.

Grinning and licking over my lips, I nudge my shoulder into his playfully.

“I still got a stuffed animal too. It’s honestly a green flag in my opinion, don’t worry.” I state.

Chris chuckles dryly, his eyebrows flexing upward as he mumbles beneath his breath, “Good.”

Letting ourselves envelope deeper into the conversation, he starts explaining the history behind his monkey obsession. I frown as he stutters over the details of a house fire he had experienced. We both move pieces around, plucking the border puzzle scraps into place and sticking them together.

“I, I just kinda wish I saved Bobo, I guess.” he moves his piece into the puzzle shape I had been holding down. The pieces fit, sliding in perfectly to create a matching shade that fades from different vibrance of blue hues.

My cheeks flex upwards as I give him a pout-like smile full of sympathy. “That’s sweet, though. It’s good to care about things.” I point out.

Chris sits up taller at my statement, gaining a steady grip as he lets his hand graze my knee before darting up on the table again. He hums with a slight affirmation found in the tone of the noise.

“Tell me more. I... I really like hearing you talk.” I say shyly.

Chris gives me a quick glance with a grin. Letting his hand shift onto the ground to support his weight, he leans over. His lips graze my ear through the locks of hair treading down over my shoulder. My pulse throbs in my ears as I swallow thickly with wide eyes.

“I wanna hear you talk too, sweetheart.” he says.

Pulling back, he starts working on the puzzle as if the tension gained from the action didn’t exist. I stay in place, the thick air suffocating me with a fervent warmth. Chris turns over his shoulder, laughing at me as he witnesses my expression of shock along with blushed cheeks.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to make you nervous.” he laughs.

His right hand stays shifting the various puzzle components on the table as his other falls down to my calf, squeezing with reassurance.

“Wanna hear about the dumbest shit Nick, Matt, and I did as kids?” he asks.

Nodding my head quickly, he lets out a laugh before starting to think.

“Ummm…” his hand on my calf grabs slightly, shaking with excitement as he lets out a noise of realization. “Oh! You’re gonna love this one. One time, when we first started YouTube, I let them wax my legs–”

Bursting out in laughter, Chris looks at me with a knowing nod.

“I fucking knew that would make you laugh.” he exclaims.

I lean forward to the table, trying to calm my laughs to no avail. “I–” letting out a fit of giggles, his hand pats on my leg as he clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth. “--’m sorry!” I pronounce.

Holding back the laughter, I bite the inside of my lip roughly. Chris whips his head around to face me. My eyes go wide as I see his hand reach upward out of the corner of my eye. I feel his hand caress lightly against the side of my cheek. His thumb gently rests on top of my bottom lip before pressing down and pulling downward.

“Don’t be sorry,” my lips part as I let myself drown in his eyes. “--I wanted to make you laugh...” he says.

My lips form into a tight-lined smile as he lets his hand fall down my arm, squeezing at my thigh before resting back up and onto the table.

“As I was saying though,” he starts.

I listen intently as he goes into the details of the memory. The admiration floods my chest watching him reminisce on the previous chaos with his loved ones.

Maybe we could have memories like that one day.

The smile stitched on my face was becoming painful. My TV had been turned down from the random show we had picked out. I sat criss-cross beside Chris with my knee under his hand as he leaned over the coffee table, his tongue prodding from the corner of his mouth as he focused on the puzzle pieces in front of him.

“You know,” he places a piece to complete the border of the rectangular structure, “--I haven’t really ever done a puzzle. I thought they were boring, but–,”

My panicked eyes trace up to his as I open my mouth to apologize. His hand squeezes tighter around my knee, a soft laugh escaping his throat.

“But,” he repeats. “--this is really fun. I don’t know if it’s the cat puzzle or you, but…but, I’m having a lot of fun.” he says.

My lips fall closed, subtly forming into a pout laced with adoration from the sickly sweet confession. I let my hand wander down from the table. With a soft weight, I rest my palm on top of his hand on my knee. Giving him a smile of endearment, his eyes seem to soften while searching between mine.

“I…”

Say it.

I swallow thickly. The words stumble through my mind, seemingly tripping through a thick forest of doubt and uncertainty.

I can do it.

Say it.

“I…I am too. Puzzle or not, I’m just, I’m really glad to be here with you, Chris.” I whisper through a heavy breath.

His lips tighten into a thin line before his head whips around, nudging his neck to gesture toward the couch behind us. I follow his gaze, understanding the wordless notion.

I stand up and quickly seat myself on the couch. Chris follows, the both of us sitting semi-stiffly. I adjust my position. Throwing my legs underneath myself, I turn my body in towards him.

“I…” Chris' words fall inconclusively, yet my mind seems to understand him from the way his eyes admire my lips with a subtle desire whispering from his parted lips.

Leaning forward, I cup my hand underneath his jaw swiftly. I plant my lips onto his. A soft sensation of the delicate muscles tangled together brings me propping my feet up to rest on my ankles, desperately wanting to be closer.

Chris pulls back softly. Our eyes meet with a vanishing secrecy of thoughts that lay unspoken. I feel the cold fingertips of his hands search onto my body. Pulling my chest onto his by swarming his hands around my waist, his lips meet mine once more.

Movements exchanged are different from the last. His lips gathered every ounce of imagination, pouring a child-like excitement as he chased me closer with his mouth. I let my teeth graze on his bottom lip. Hearing a soft groan from him vibrate against my mouth sends a greedy desire for more. Helplessly succumbing to the thoughts urging for more of him, I tangle my hand to the back of his neck and pull him impossibly closer.

The kiss melted me with passion as I felt him grabbing the underside of my left thigh and pulling me onto his lap. The heat drifting from our bodies had my mind looping in circles. I could focus on nothing but him and how good it felt. His lips showed me passion and need. The lava of euphoria was met with a cooling sensation of softness buried between the tips of his tracing fingers along my sides.

My clothes clung to my skin and shuffled reverently with the movement of muscles contracting and pulsing with excitement. The roughness of his cold fingers trailed upward, cupping my face and brushing my hair back as he leaned back onto the sofa cushion comfortably.

Out of breath, we shared the prayer of silence with heaving chests and racing heartbeats. His hands fell onto my hips, resting with a secure grasp. I found myself leading my hands up from his shoulders and combing through his hair.

“Mmmm.”

The hum of content vibrating from his lips sent my stomach into a fluttering frenzy of endearment. The heat had settled into a warmth with the safe velvet touch of a silk blanket and a cool pillow that fit perfectly to my face.

I lean forward, unable to abstain myself from pressing my lips on the side of his neck. The exposed skin meets my mouth with a subtle rough texture of shaved facial hair. Hearing the noise grumble and vibrate from the back of his mouth and down his neck made me nearly shutter.

I was making him feel good.

The noise had described it to me just as much as his tightening grip on either side of my hips. Wanting to hear it again, I leave an open-mouthed kiss higher and more towards his ear.

A sharp intake of breath sounding from him leaves me grinning as I graze my tongue along the area. He lets out a shaky exhale, his grip on my hips shifting me back seemingly.

Noticing the hesitation in his actions, I break the kiss, giving him a questioning look.

“I…” he starts, his eyes darting to the side and avoiding my gaze.

“What’s wrong? Do you not want this?” I ask.

My ego falters, quickly assuming the worst as I try to shift myself out from his lap. His hands stay plastered on my hips, a sigh from his lips gaining my attention.

“No,” he shakes his head, “I want this, trust me—I really want this. But,” letting out a heavy breath and tossing his head back, I quickly retract my hands into a nervous pile in front of my stomach, shrinking into myself.

“It’s, it’s…it’s not you. I swear, nothing about you makes me not want this.” he explains.

With a sullen expression seeping through the blank facade on my face, I see his head straighten and his eyes land on mine. He observes the state of distress written in the lines between my eyebrows. I feel his hands drop from my hips, my gut pivoting with disappointment as I hold back a quivering breath. My eyes drop to my hands fiddling against my stomach.

“Hey,” Chris bends down, catching my glance as he looks up at me with a distressed appearance. The soft pads of his fingers trace down my forearms. He clasps my hands apart from each other, holding them in his own.

He slowly sits back up straight, tugging my hands against his own stomach as he lets his grip soften. “I–I want you. I do. I just–”

I look away from him, staring at the arm of the sofa. His hands pull mine upwards, I hear the pucker of a kiss as his lips greet the backs of my hands sweetly.

“Can you look at me? I want to explain.” he states.

I shrug, biting on my tongue.

“I…” I drift off, feeling the kisses from his warm lips gently placing themselves all over my hands. “I don’t know, Chris. You’re confusing me. You say you want me, but you obviously don’t, I mean–what am I supposed to think?” I stammer.

Hearing a hushed sigh, I look back to see him glancing down at my hands. Detecting the movement, his eyes drift up to meet my face with a slight frown.

“I don’t want to rush things, okay? I…” his head whips to the side as he scrunches his face up with a disgruntled breath heaving from his chest, “--I really like you. I want you. I don’t mean just sex, though. I…”

My heart softens listening to his confession. I let my hands rub over his own encouragingly with a reassuring tug of my lips forming as he looks back at me.

“I really like you too, Chris. I, can you just explain? I just, I’m jumping to a million conclusions in my own head and I—I just…I’m lost.” I ramble.

He sucks in his lips, nodding before his chest rises with a deep breath.

“I, I’m not used to this. I…I’ve never even actually had a girlfriend,” he sees my eyes widen, his cheeks tugging up awkwardly, “I don’t know what I’m doing and I guess…I guess I just don’t wanna mess it all up?” he says, his voice raising in pitch as if he was asking a question.

Pouting at the vulnerability of his stature, I take one of my hands out of his grasp. I let my finger sway back and forth on his lower cheek as I cup my hand beneath his jaw.

Looking back and forth between both of his piercing blue eyes that seemed to have a layer of glass, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Chris,” I breathe out, “I…that’s okay.” I assure him.

The distress printed on his face seems to relax.

“I’ve…”

My stomach lurches at the vulnerable words prancing on my tongue. Taking in a limited breath of air, I speak quickly, not letting my thoughts disturb the statement.

“I’ve been in a relationship. I…it lasted a while, but it wasn’t good. It was years ago, and—and I still haven’t dated anyone since. It’s not that I still have feelings for him or anything, I just—this is scary for me too.” I announce in a hushed tone.

Chris frowns slightly at the admission. His eyes drop to my shoulder, slowly tracing back up to mine. He grabs my hand from his face, tugging it into his own once more before softly letting them drop.

Sitting further up, he quickly wraps his arms around my waist, burying his face in the crook of my neck. My bones lay stiff from shock. Shifting quickly, I reciprocate the embrace by letting my arms loop on top of his shoulders.

“Thank you for telling me.” he says.

The warmth of his breath fanning through my hair and onto my neck gives me a hopeful void in the doubtful thoughts that had swarmed my head from the confession. A weight had lifted from my shoulder as I clung onto him tighter.

“Thank you.” I mumble.

His arms stay in place, his hand flattening against either side as he hugs himself to me. My pulse relaxes, my ears no longer pounding with the rhymatic anxiety. I loosen my arms, letting my chin deplete onto his shoulder.

His hand swarms up, cupping around the back of my head. I feel his lips plant a soft kiss with a hum of contentment onto my clothed shoulder. The skin tingles through the fabric of my shirt. I let myself bathe in the sensation traveling behind my neck as the hair stuck up with goosebumps.

I felt thankful as I rested in his arms. With each passing second, the wall of bricks came crashing down as I let myself crumble completely into his embrace. The looming ghosts and haunted thoughts left as I admired the warmth of his body radiated onto mine. A lively sensation of soothing calmness rushed through the aura surrounding us.

Resting in the silence became a moment I felt myself trying to engrain the lightness of my chest as a memory in my mind. My lips felt as if they were blossoming from the new found confidence and ease around his presence.

I want more too.

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freyadragonlord · 2 months ago

Text

A comprehensive list of all romantic/sexual interactions between a man and a woman in The S-Classes That I Raised:

Liette propositioning Han Yoojin; it's one sided

Liette propositioning Han Yoojin again; still one sided, and Sung Hyunje suggests a threesome

Kang Sooyoung pursuing Noah; it's one sided, and it only lasts until Sooyoung meets Liette

Chatterbox's love for Jellyfish; it's pathetically one sided

Han Yoojin confessing his love to Chloe; one sided, Yoojin takes the rejection mostly well but then has a breakdown 5 minutes later when Sung Hyunje rejects him

Valerie asking Yoojin out: one sided, also she was mostly into Yoojin turning into a cat

Mary kidnapping Sung Hyunje to marry him: less than one sided because she wasn't even truly into it herself

Isabella and "Sung Hyunje"'s engagement: a political arrangement, also "Sung Hyunje" was a literal child in disguise

Moon Hyuna propositioning Song Taewon; one sided, and Sung Hyunje suggests a threesome

#sctir #the s classes that i raised #most of the heterosexual content in this novel happens in yoojin's head when he assumes other people are dating #i think about this sometimes #tsctir

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hiramaris · 4 months ago

Text

Kiss It Off Me

CHAPTER 9

Chapter Summary:

If she's second-guessing everything she ever thought was platonic and casual between the two of you, is this still casual? They should have meant nothing but it's starting to feel like there is something.

Pairings: Haley x Fem!Farmer

Disclaimer: I do not own Stardew Valley or any of the related characters. Stardew Valley is created by and owned by ConcernedApe. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Stardew Valley story belong to ConcernedApe.

Warning: None?

Notes:

I know, I know I'm such a horrible person for leaving this story hanging loose in the air. I've honestly had this chapter rotting in my drafts because I didn't have the motivation to write anymore, not to mention the lack of luxury with time. I just recently graduated as well so I was busy preparing for that back in July-October (I'm a working woman now, hooray! [Not 😔]) Nobody told me that working a 9-5 job (or more like 8-6 in my case) is going to be the end of me. That doesn't even include the 6-hour commute back to back. So as you can see, I'm dying here. I don't really have the time to sit in front of my laptop after hours of sitting in front of my company laptop 😔 I'm really sorry for the long wait, and I still can't promise an immediate update after this. This chapter serves as my apology to you guys. Hope you like it!

Fall 1

"Tell me. Are you and Y/n/n dating?"

Haley nearly choked on her food. Emily said it so casually that she wasn't prepared how to react properly.

So, as opposed to her usually calm and composed demeanor, Haley only managed to sputter a pathetic "what?" as she sat down her toast and reached for her glass of water in hopes to wash down the piece of damn bread she had swallowed accidentally without chewing it properly, courtesy of her sister.

"Are you and Y/n/n dating?" Emily repeated, unabashed and with her annoying eyes crinkling from the side, a look Haley knew all too well when Emily was trying to rise up something in her.

"No, I heard you the first time!" Haley exclaimed, her face turning red as she slammed the empty glass. "I mean–what the hell, Em?"

Emily raised an eyebrow, taking a leisurely sip of her coffee, acting like she was not actively ruining her little sister's evening right now.

"You mean to tell me you're not after your whole public display of affection on the night of the moonlight jellies?"

For a brief moment, the events flashed back on Haley's mind– your silent tears, quivering lips, Haley's arm wrapped around your waist in an almost protective, comforting way as you shared your thoughts with her for the first time since you came here. It was a casual and completely platonic thing to do.

She could vividly remember how fresh tears bested up on your eyes as a baby jellyfish separated itself from its group and went towards you, almost peering cautiously at the human before her.

It was beautiful, you said that night. The night was magical. and that only sank into you that you were no longer Joja's prisoner. You're here, in Pelican town, making a name for yourself, with townspeople who loved you and treated you as an equal. You have actual friends that care for you and most importantly, you found a home.

Was it casual for her to know all this?

"Y/n was feeling emotional at that moment. I was just trying to be her friend," she finally said after a moment of silence.

Yes, it's casual.

Emily must have noticed her pausing as she scoffed behind her toast. "Friend? I certainly don't kiss Sandy's forehead, and she's my best friend."

"Because you're doing way worse with her." Haley rolled her eyes at that. "Seriously, Em, get off my back. Y/n and I are just good friends."

"Okay, I'll get off your back if you can counter my arguments," Emily challenged, leaning forward the table with a mischievous glint in her eye.

She should say no. Emily's just giving her something else to bite on knowing fully well Haley's bound to bite more than she could chew.

Say no. There's nothing to counter because there's nothing to even argue about.

Say n–

"Yoba, fine, if that will shut you up." Damn it, Haley.

Emily's smirk grew and Haley dreaded the first thing that would come out of her hippie mouth.

"You don't kiss Alex on the forehead at all. You don't even hug him for Yoba's sake, and he's your best friend. You're going to tell me everything that's going on with Y/n is entirely platonic and casual?" Emily's expression was triumphant as she laid out her case.

Haley lets out a grin of her own. If Emily's going to lay out obvious bullshits like this then she can definitely handle whatever her sister's planning to throw at her.

"First off, Alex stinks—"

"Y/n/n's job makes her friends with dirt and sweat, no offense to her, but isn't that an ick already to you?" Emily interrupted, smirking.

"I wouldn't know what you're talking about because her hygiene is almost as impeccable as mine," Haley retorted, a smirk of her own forming as she took a defiant bite of her bacon.

"Okay... Were you practicing your answers before?" Emily narrowed her eyes at her, suspicious. "There's no way you're this prepared to counter my arguments!"

"So, I won?"

"Ah, ah... not quite, little sis." Emily stopped her from standing up. "How about the sunflower? That girl planted a whole yard of sunflowers in her yard and you mean to tell me there's nothing homosexual happening around you guys?"

"She's a farmer, duh. Of course, she's going to plant sunflowers at some point. They're pretty and very much profitable."

"Not as profitable as blueberries, corn, or cranberries. Plus, I've been there, it's almost half a hectare, it's crazy."

"You're kidding?" Haley's eyes bulged at that. She's got to admit, she did not see that bullet coming. "Last time I was there, it was just in her front yard."

"Half a hectare," her sister affirmed with that stupidly annoying knowing smirk. "You didn't see that coming, did you? Got no counter for me?"

"Shut up. If you're so curious about her lack of good strategy with her crops, you should talk to her yourself." Haley finally snapped, pushing her plate away.

She's done humoring Emily with her shits.

"Oh, I'll do just that." But it seemed her sister wasn't done with her either. "Anyway, moving on. How can you explain the holding hands?"

Haley visibly relaxed at that. She has some sensible explanation for that, one she's certain Emily wouldn't be able to counter.

"Female friends do that."

"Hmm... So if she were to hold hands with her best friend, Penny, that would be alright with you?" Well, shit.

That made her pause for the second time this evening.

"Of course," she scoffed. "As I said, it's normal for female friends to do that. It's a casual thing girls do. Nothing to bat an eye for."

Sensible explanation her ass. That wasn't even half-sensible, if at all

"I figured," Emily responded, expression turning much more serious now that it kind of made Haley even more nervous. "I just thought if she were this mushy with you, and you're just friends with her, then she's probably mushier with her best friend."

Silence.

Because what the fuck is she supposed to respond to that? This is a piece of information that hadn't crossed her mind, ever. She knows you're a sweetheart to everyone. It's as if it was second nature to you. It was a casual and completely platonic of you to do. Nothing to bat an eye for.

Nothing.

Still. She just hadn't considered the possibility of you being mushier to others.

Were you also comforting Penny the way you were comforting her?

So caring and protective that it felt like those warmth were exclusive just for her only?

She just couldn't imagine it before and now it's physically making her sick in her stomach. Was this still casual for her to even feel?

"She's pals as well with Leah, I heard they'd occasionally do sleepovers in their cabins. It's so cut–" Emily went on before finally noticing the turmoil in her sister's eyes cascading down to her hands. "Okay, what did that tissue ever do to you?"

Haley stopped, noticing the crumpled piece of tissue against her clenched fists. She looked up to Emily with a sharp glare and found her sister staring back at her, not even flinching away from her dissecting gaze. "Why are you even saying this to me?"

"Nothing. Just thought it would be best to talk to one of the possible sources. I heard from Abigail that Y/n/n just recently purchased a bouquet of flowers so I thought she might have given it to you."

Emily's sudden nonchalance at this conversation is infuriating her to a certain degree that she felt like she wanted to barge inside Clint's sorry-ass-of-a-shop and beat the living shit out of him.

Emily went on, humming casually as she piled up the dishes to wash them in the sink. "Hmm, I couldn't believe I was wrong. You were so close with her that I thought she'd give it to you. I guess she's been secretly seeing someone else then."

"She what?" Her stomach dropped.

Haley was so caught off guard at her last sentence that she couldn't help but rip the tissue on her hands. So much for that.

"It's been the talk of the town, you know? There are even bets going on but it's kind of hard to pinpoint who exactly, not when she gets along with all the bachelors and bachelorettes here. Some even bet on themselves, like Abigail. I mean, it does make sense. She and Y/n/n spent an awful lot of time on those mines."

That made Haley stand up from her seat, her form indignant. "So, you bet on me? Is this why we're having this conversation?"

"Of course, I would support my sister!" replied Emily, briefly looking behind her shoulder just in time to catch Haley scowling from where she stood. She went on, almost saying the words in a singsong voice as she continued soaking the dishes. "But if you want, I can always bet to myself. Y/n is a cute gal after all."

"I hate everything about you."

"You don't!" Emily readily chirped out behind Haley who had enough of this conversation and was already stomping her way into her room.

"Good night, Em!"

With that, she slammed the door to her room in hopes of finally ending this damn conversation. If she knew this was where it would have led, she would have bolted out the moment Emily opened her mouth.

She didn't need to know all this particularly if you hadn't even said anything else to her about this.

She scoffed. 'I thought we were close enough for her to share something like this with me. Afraid not.'

"I'm just saying, sis. Y/n/n is one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the valley. Anyone would be lucky to have her."

Emily's voice came once again just behind her door making her groan against her pillow. Hadn't she had enough?

Haley briefly considered running towards her dark room just to tune out whatever Emily was going to say but she stopped dead in her tracks when her sister's words next came through.

"There's going to be a competition. If you don't get your shit together soon, someone's bound to steal her heart. I just hate to see you getting hurt."

Was it casual for her to admit that hearing this news was already starting to hurt her?

This could mean nothing. Right?

****

Fall 2

A day of shopping in Zuzu City was just what Haley needed. While she had promised herself to tone down on hoarding clothes, she made an exception just this once. Shopping was one of her ways to cope with stress, aside from photography, but she had scratched the thought of using her camera for today because she didn't feel like spending her day wandering around town. With the bets on whom Y/n was giving the bouquet to, she knew the townspeople's eyes were hot on her trail.

The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape when Haley stepped off the bus, her arms laden with shopping bags from her trip to the city.

She had noticed Pam looking her way since the trip began, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what the older woman wanted to hear from her. That's why when the bus pulled to a stop, Haley was quick to bolt out of the vehicle.

"Oi, kid." Haley froze at the sound of Pam's voice. So much for her plan to escape. "Haley."

"Oh." Haley whirled around, fighting back a wince at what was about to come. "Hey, Pam. What's up?"

Pam's steps were slow and deliberate as she stepped off the bus and Haley had no choice but to watch and wait expectantly for the words to finally come out.

"Are you and Farmer Y/n dating?" There it is.

Despite expecting this topic, Haley couldn't help but feel her face flush slightly under Pam's scrutinizing gaze.

"Uhm... no?"

Pam raised an eyebrow. "Why do you sound so unsure?"

Haley shifted on her feet, glancing down at her shopping bags as if they might provide an answer. "We're not dating," she said more firmly this time. "Why?"

"Good, then that scratches you off the list."

"Excuse me?" Haley's brows knitted in confusion.

"You see, kid. There have been bets going on about who Y/n will give the bouquet to. Of course, I'm putting all my beers on my little girl. She's the closest to the farmer, aside from you. So, if you weren't dating Y/n, then my Penny's definitely got a shot."

Haley blinked, taken aback. "And you're okay with that? I mean... Y/n's a girl and all..."

Pam raised an eyebrow, her expression turning serious. "I didn't know you were homophobic, kid."

"I'm not! I swear. It's just that… things are a bit different now compared to your—well, generation. I doubt my folks would be as accepting as you."

Pam's face softened slightly as she sighed. "Penny's father left us when she was really young. So, I don't wish for her to experience the same thing. Y/n's a good kid. Responsible and has a sense of direction. Far from my dead-beat husband. Penny's happy with her, and that's the only thing that matters to me. And it's not bad that the gal is well-off. I heard she was supposed to be Joja's heiress. But even so, that farm of hers is enough to provide for generations of her future family. I could never ask for more capable hands to take care of my kid than Y/n."

Haley couldn't help but tune out of this conversation. She didn't need to hear all the right reasons why Penny's the best shot for your heart. Penny's a sweetheart and all, has her heart set in the right direction, a characteristic that perfectly compliments your lifestyle.

But why does this feel like Emily stabbed her with her kitchen knife and twisted it for good measure just to spite her?

Wait... what did she just say?

"Joja?" She furrowed her eyebrows at this information. "Where'd you hear that?"

"From the mayor, but don't tell him I told you. I think it was supposed to be a secret or some shit." Pam shrugged. " Still... word gets around, you know? Small town and all. People talk. But it doesn't matter where she came from. What matters is who she is now and how she treats the people she cares about."

Haley nodded slowly, absorbing Pam's words but couldn't tell exactly why there was a lump in her throat she couldn't swallow.

"I guess you're right. Y/n's a good person. Anyone would be lucky to have her." Haley faked a smile, desperately hoping the older woman didn't catch her in her lie.

Pam smiled, her stern demeanor softening. "Exactly. So, if you're not interested, that's fine. But just know that I know when people are bullshitting me. I know, I know it's not any of my business. But if you really do happen to have something going on with the farmer, get your shit together soon."

"I'll..." She didn't know it was possible to have the lump in her throat grow even more, she could feel a twinge of something else she couldn't quite identify. "I'll take note of that. Thanks for the chat, Pam. I'll see you around."

"Likewise, kid," Pam replied, waving as she climbed back onto the bus. "Oh, and Haley?"

"Hmm?"

"You know what you feel, don't let fear stop you from following your heart, or else you'll spend the rest of your life wishing you had."

When even other people can point out how non-platonic and far from casual the things you and she do are, is it still casual now?

****

Fall 9

It's been an excruciating week of being asked if she was dating Y/n, and it's starting to get on Haley's nerves. Not because she was entirely opposed to the idea, but because she knew it wasn't even her to begin with, and she didn't need everyone rubbing salt in her wound every minute and every second of every damn day.

She didn't need to hear Abigail bragging to Sebastian and Sam that any day now, she'd be receiving the same bouquet she had arranged that you bought from Pierre, and how ironic it would be if she were to receive them, and how she wasn't actually opposed to the idea.

"I haven't really considered that I could possibly like a girl, but hey, it's Y/n. I'm not complaining. If she were to give me the flowers, I'd say yes in a heartbeat," she had even said. That's all Haley needed to hear to decide she wasn't in the mood to shop right now at Pierre's if she was going to hear bullshits like that.

She also didn't need to hear any sort of development you have with Penny. She didn't need to know you went with her to Zuzu to buy some school supplies for the kids on Penny's birthday. She didn't need to hear you gave the teacher and her students a tour of your farm.

She didn't need to hear any of it.

Because how in Yoba's name had she not considered your growing friendship with the redhead?

"Miss Y/n? I have a question," Haley heard one day from behind the trees by Cindersap Lake. She lowered her camera from her eyes when she recognized Jas' voice followed by yours.

"What is it, Jas?"

"You're from the city, right? How do you court someone there?"

She heard you chuckle. "Well... We go on dates, walk our dates back to their door, and then... That's when our date will decide if they still want to see us for our next date."

You paused, and Haley thought that was it, but the next words you uttered almost made her pack up her equipment and go home.

"And if we're worthy of being kissed."

"Y/n!" came Penny's scandalized gasp. "They're kids. They don't need to hear that!"

"Right, right... Sorry, Pen!"

"Ohhh." That's Vincent. "So, are you like courting Miss Penny since you're walking her home, too?"

"Vincent!" Penny scolded, sounding almost aghast at her student's blunt question.

Haley could only allow herself to breathe when you finally answered Sam's brother.

"Haha, we're walking Jas home together, remember? If anything, it seems you were the one courting her since you wanted to come with us to walk her home," you teased him.

"Ew! I don't want Vincent to court me!"

"Hey! What's wrong with me?"

"You're too childish like your brother! No wonder Miss Penny turned down Mister Sam. I bet you she likes someone like Miss Y/n. I know I would."

"Hey!" yelled Vincent, obviously offended.

"Okay, that's enough kids," admonished Penny, and Haley could only imagine the horror on her face at Jas' comment. "It's not good to gossip, Jas, and it's not polite to ask adults things like that, Vincent."

"Alright, Miss Penny. I'm getting inside. Thank you for walking me home," Jas replied, her tone still somewhat defiant.

"Bye, Jas!" you called after her, followed by the sound of Vincent sniffling. "Hey now, little dude... don't be upset. I'm sure Jas was only joking."

"I don't understand why she needs to be mean. Am I not likable?" Vincent's voice wavered.

Haley dared to take a peek behind the bushes. She watched as you knelt down to be at eye level with Vincent, your smile as warm as the setting sun.

"Anyone can be likable to a certain someone. Like you," you said, ruffling his hair. "But we can't really force someone to like us the way we want, you know?"

"But... are you just going to accept they don't like you even though you're nice?" Vincent asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

You chuckled softly, briefly looking up to meet Penny's eyes, which had been fixed on you with such fondness that it tightened the knot in Haley's stomach.

"Well... I didn't say you have to give up. Sometimes people say mean things to protect themselves. You just have to be patient, and I'm sure they'll come around eventually," you explained gently.

Vincent nodded, his big brown eyes hanging on to every word you said.

"But..." you continued, "if this person has made it clear they don't like you, then you have to accept their boundaries, okay?"

"Eh..." He pouted. "I don't get it. Adulting is so confusing."

You barked out a laugh. "Don't worry, you have plenty of time to grow up, buddy."

Vincent's expression brightened a bit at your words. "Okay, I'll try to remember that."

"That's the spirit," you said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Penny smiled, her eyes softening as she looked at you. "Thank you, Y/n. You're really good with them."

"Thanks, Penny," you replied, standing up and stretching. "They're good kids. Just need a little guidance sometimes."

"Are you feeling any better now, Vincent?" Penny asked gently. "Don't take Jas' words to heart, okay?"

"Uh-huh! I'm feeling a little better, Miss Penny! But... could Miss Y/n carry me until we get home? I'm..." He yawned. "I'm a little tired."

"Uhm, I don't think..."

"... alrighty then, let's get this little guy home as well," Haley could hear you grunt, and she could only imagine you carrying the sleepy Vincent in your arms.

"Your farm's right there, Y/n/n." Penny pointed out gently. "I can walk Vincent home. You don't have to make a detour."

"Nonsense, a little walk isn't going to kill me. Plus, I want to walk you home as well."

The redhead giggled softly. "I wasn't informed you were courting me."

"Oh, really now? I wasn't informed either," you joked, and Haley could feel herself dying a little on the inside.

****

Was it casual when you gave her daffodils every chance you could get when you barely even knew her?

Was it casual for you to have a daily mandatory breakfast with the Carter siblings?

Was it casual when you gave Haley her favorite gift on her birthday even though coconuts aren't something you can just spawn at hand when you need them to?

Was it casual that you managed to pay attention enough to actually know what her favorites are?

When you were drunk and Haley made her way outside to get you, in a greasy saloon of all places, even though she's not yet finished with her skincare, was it casual now?

Was it casual when you called her babe while you were drunk?

Was it casual when you declared you'd only allow yourself to be this close to her is in the reality you created in your dreams?

When she stayed at your place, took care of you, and cleaned your vomit-stained shirt and mattress, was it casual now?

Was it casual when you avoided her for four days because you thought you ruined her pampering day?

When she started minimizing her makeup because you told her once she's pretty even without them, was it casual?

When Haley was upset at the thought you'd be dancing with someone else, was it casual now?

Was it casual when you assured her you didn't want to dance with anyone but her?

When Haley, for once, didn't think about winning the flower dance and was focused on your endearing smile and relaxing embrace, was it casual now?

Was it casual when you were bloody and wet from the rain and the first thing you thought was knocking on her door?

When she could only focus on your wounds rather than your dirt-stained body staining the carpet, was it casual?

When Haley tried her hardest to treat your wounds despite fearing the sight of blood, was it casual now?

Was it casual when you almost died to get her a gift just because you thought she'd find them pretty enough to be the subject of her camera?

When Haley kissed your forehead the same way her grandmother used to do on her to kiss the pain away, was it casual?

When Haley forced you to take her bed because she couldn't bear to let your injured self sleep uncomfortably on the couch, was it still casual?

Was it casual when the first thing you thought upon waking up was to let Haley sleep on her bed because you didn't want her to suffer any back pain from her sleeping position on the foot of the bed even though you're injured yourself?

When Haley thought you hated her for the poisonous words she spouted on you that night and hated herself for it, was it casual now?

Was it casual when you tried your hardest to find her great grandma's bracelet because you couldn't bear to see her so upset despite your injuries?

Was it casual when you crafted a bouquet of sunflowers to make up for giving her a hated gift?

Was it casual when you planted a whole yard of sunflowers on your farm when Haley mentioned in passing that she loves them?

Was it casual when you helped her with her shopping bags even though you were obviously going somewhere else?

Was it casual for you and her to walk in the town, hand in hand? It could mean nothing.

When Haley's view of success was you beside her, was it casual?

When Haley couldn't handle the feeling of disappointing you, was it casual?

Was it casual of you to magically appear whenever she needs you?

Was it casual of you to be her number-one supporter in everything when she couldn't even believe in herself?

Was it casual when you made it your personal mission to keep her happy no matter what?

Was it casual when you made sure that no dirt could touch her not when you're around because you know how much she hated getting dirty?

When Haley no longer minds the feeling and smell of dirt, especially when you're around, was it still casual now?

Was it casual when you modeled for her despite hating modeling itself because Haley needed some new variations for her photography?

When Haley tried to conquer her fear of the ocean because she saw you once having fun with Leah swimming along the shore, was it casual?

Was it casual when you helped her conquer this fear even though you had plans for the day?

If she's second-guessing everything she ever thought was platonic and casual between the two of you, is this still casual?

They should have meant nothing but it's starting to feel like there is something.

****

The general store was quieter than usual that afternoon, with only a couple of customers browsing the shelves and the faint hum of Pierre’s old radio playing a static-filled tune in the background. Haley placed her basket of groceries on the counter with an air of casual confidence, her hair shimmering under the warm glow of the store's lights as if she had just stepped out of a magazine.

"There's my favorite blonde," Pierre greeted her with a grin, his tone far too cheerful to pass as entirely neutral. He adjusted his glasses as he began unpacking her items. "You got everything you need?"

Haley offered a small, polite smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I would appreciate it though if you restocked your peppermint coffee. Winter's coming soon, and I need my coffee to survive the whole season."

Pierre chuckled, nodding as he scribbled something on a notepad beside the register. "I'll keep note of that."

The rhythmic beep of the scanner broke the silence, but Pierre seemed to drag out the process, deliberately slow with each item. Haley tilted her head, pretending to examine the jars of preserves on a nearby shelf, though her curiosity flickered with each stolen glance Pierre gave her from behind the counter.

Her patience thinned as the seconds stretched on. She crossed her arms and finally turned back to him, narrowing her eyes. "What?" she asked, her voice sharp enough to slice through his act.

Pierre blinked, his hand pausing mid-air with a can of soup. "What, what?" he asked, his tone layered with faux innocence.

Haley raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting into one of exasperated suspicion. "Nothing. It's just... you looked like you wanted to say something."

Pierre hesitated, scratching the back of his neck as a sheepish grin spread across his face. "Has farmer Y/n told you who she gave the bouquet to?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Is this about the bet?"

"Sort of," Pierre admitted, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "Come on, I gave Gus five grand. I just know my daughter caught her eye. Why else would Y/n be here every other day just to give Abigail her weird collection of stones?"

Haley rolled her eyes so hard it felt like they might stay that way. "First off, it's none of your business. Secondly, even if I did know, I'm not about to spill it to the entire town."

Pierre's grin faltered slightly, but his persistence didn’t waver. "I get it." He sighed dramatically as he began to load her bag, though his eyes darted toward her with a flicker of mischief. "She gave it to you, didn’t she? I mean, it makes total sense."

Her irritation bubbled just beneath the surface as she prepared to unleash a sharp retort, each word she'd make sure colorful enough to crush Pierre's so-called pride.

Her fingers curled slightly around the edge of the counter, her nails digging into the wood as her lips parted to speak.

But then it happened—before she could form a single syllable, the distinct scent of freshly cut grass and minted soap filled her senses. Haley froze, the small hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as warmth radiated from the figure now standing just behind her.

"Hey there, doll," your voice was soft, low, and entirely too close for her comfort—or rather, for her ability to maintain composure. Haley could feel the faint brush of your breath against her skin, and she clenched her jaw to stifle a gasp.

Pierre perked up, his eyes sparkling with newfound interest as he set the last of Haley’s items into her bag. "Well, speak of the devil," he quipped with a knowing smirk, crossing his arms. "The farmer of the hour. What brings you here, Y/n?"

"Oh, I'm just out to get Haley," you replied smoothly, your tone casual as if you weren’t practically pressed against Haley’s back. You leaned slightly to the side, catching her narrowed gaze as she turned her head just enough to glance at you. "Emily told me she'll be here."

Haley’s lips twitched, fighting to suppress the blush creeping up her cheeks. "Do you mind?" she asked through gritted teeth, her voice laced with a mix of exasperation and something she refused to name.

She instinctively took a step forward, creating a thin barrier of space between the two of you. The distance was barely anything, but it felt monumental to her frayed nerves. You noticed it, of course—you noticed everything, just as you’d noticed her avoiding you the past few days. She’d orchestrated this whole "not a date" movie outing at your farm a while back before she started this shindig of avoiding you, and yet here she was, cornered by her own choices. She knew you'd confront her eventually; she just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

Damn you, Emily. Haley cursed internally. Her sister's meddling defies the bound of the universe.

"Oh! Out for a date, I see," Pierre chimed in, his tone laced with playful curiosity. His eyes darted between the two of you, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

Haley's pulse quickened, and she forced herself to remain calm. She looked at you, waiting—no, daring you to deny it. Say something, she thought. Deny it. Deflect. Anything.

Your eyebrows shot up, disappearing behind your bangs as you opened your mouth, undoubtedly preparing to clarify the situation. But before a single word could escape, the bell above the door jingled sharply, drawing all attention to the entrance.

Morris stepped inside, his smug face immediately souring the air. His presence was an unwelcome shadow, sharp and intrusive, like nails on a chalkboard.

Haley caught the subtle change in your demeanor, a storm cloud rolling across your features. You muttered a string of profanities under your breath, quiet enough that most wouldn't catch it. But Haley was close—too close—and every word hit her ears like a sharp note.

It startled her; you rarely, if ever, swore in her company.

The tension in your frame said everything she needed to know. Your clenched jaw, the way your hand flexed and then balled into a fist by your side, all screamed one thing: you loathed the man in front of you.

Haley felt her blood begin to boil, mirroring your intensity. You’d never told her exactly what had happened during your time with Joja, but the bitterness in your expression now, the way your muscles coiled like you were ready to fight, painted a vivid enough picture. That, and the sight of Morris’s condescending grin, was enough to make her want to deck the man herself.

"Miss Y/n!" Morris's oily voice filled the space, louder than necessary. "What a pleasant surprise! I finally got ahold of you." His gaze flicked briefly to Haley, dismissing her with barely a glance before returning to you. "When my employee Shane told me the new farmer who’d taken over the rundown farm was named Y/n, I didn’t think it was you at first."

Haley's fists clenched around her grocery bag. Her heart thudded with protective anger, but she said nothing, instead glancing at you from the corner of her eye. The slight twitch in your brow, the way your jaw tightened, and the stiffness in your stance spoke volumes. You were trying to keep calm, but Haley knew it was taking everything in you not to snap.

"Folks kept talking about a lovely farm you've got there," Morris continued, clearly not picking up on the warning signs. Or maybe he simply didn’t care. "Imagine my surprise when I found out you’d gone from our... employee of the month to a simple farmer in the middle of nowhere."

You took a deep breath through your nose, the air between you practically crackling with suppressed emotion. When you finally spoke, your voice was calm—too calm. The kind of calm that preceded a storm.

"Morris," you said curtly, your tone colder than Haley had ever heard it. "Piss off."

Haley's eyes widened slightly at your words. She'd never heard you speak like that before, not even when you were angry. There was venom in your tone, something raw and unfiltered.

"My, my... what foul words you have there, miss," Morris said, raising a hand to cover his mouth in mock disbelief, though his smirk betrayed his true intent. "Anyhow," he continued, his voice oozing false geniality, "I received a call from your mother stating that you had AWOL'ed from your job and left the city. This only spurred me to seek out the new farmer in town with the same name as you. It couldn’t have been a coincidence, right?"

Your jaw clenched, and your knuckles turned white as your nails dug into your palm. Haley could feel the tension radiating off of you like heat from a furnace. "Shut up," you hissed, your tone low but charged.

"But you were sleek," Morris went on, as if he hadn’t heard you—or more likely, chose to ignore you. "For months I tried to get a sight of you. It should have been easy, given how small this town is, but I never caught even a glimpse of you. Tell me, were you avoiding Joja on purpose?"

Haley's stomach churned as she watched you struggle to keep your composure. She'd never seen you like this—on edge, restrained, a storm barely contained behind your eyes.

"I don’t want anything to do with Joja," you spat, your voice trembling slightly, not with fear, but with the effort it took to hold yourself back. "And I don’t want anything to do with my mother. I left Joja for good, and I have no desire to take over that hell of a company."

"Joja needs its heir, Miss Y/n. No matter how far you run, Joja will always be one step behind you." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I’ve already informed your mother of your presence here in Pelican Town, and she is beyond displeased."

Haley saw your breath hitch, your shoulders stiffening as Morris’s words hit their mark.

"You’re wasting your time," you bit out, your voice quieter now, but no less fierce. "I’m not going back, and there’s nothing she—or Joja—can do to change that."

Morris chuckled, a low, condescending sound that made Haley’s skin crawl. His smirk widened, and he tilted his head in mock pity. "Oh, Miss Y/n, you underestimate Joja’s reach. This quaint little farm life of yours is nothing but a detour. We both know that."

Your fists clenched at your sides, trembling slightly, not out of weakness, but from the sheer force of holding yourself together. Your breath came out unsteady, the weight of his words pressing down like an iron vice.

"I don’t care," you spat, your voice cracking under the strain of bottled-up frustration. "I’ve spent blood, sweat, and tears on my grandpa’s farm—making it thrive, grow, and function all on its own. Every single effort I’ve made here has been worth something. Something the company never gave me."

Haley froze, her eyes darting to you. There was a rawness in your voice she wasn’t prepared for, an unguarded glimpse into a part of you she’d never seen.

"Even if I tried—even if I died trying—my mother would never be satisfied with my work," you continued, your voice rising with every word, trembling with pent-up anguish. "So how dare she? How dare she say she’s disappointed in me, like I’m supposed to care, when that’s the only thing she’s ever felt at the very sight of me?"

Morris let out a low hum, his fingers tapping idly against the counter. "Joja is all about hard work, Miss Y/n. Maybe she just hasn’t seen it on you?" His tone was measured, almost bored, but his words were like a needle aimed directly at the cracks in your armor.

You let out a sharp, bitter laugh, the sound harsh and devoid of humor. Haley flinched at the sound, her heart clenching as she watched you unravel.

"Hard work?" you echoed, your voice dripping with venom. "Hard work means nothing to Joja. It doesn’t matter how much I gave, how much of myself I sacrificed, it was never enough. It was never going to be enough."

Morris raised an eyebrow, as if amused by your outburst. "Look," he said with an air of condescension, "the missus, as much as she is strict and calculated, is only doing this to ensure you’re capable of handling the company once she steps down as CEO. Surely, you must be aware of that?"

Haley could see the way your shoulders stiffened, your lips pressing into a tight line, and your chest rising and falling as you struggled to control your breathing. She knew that Morris’s words had struck a nerve, and her patience finally snapped when she saw the flicker of doubt in your eyes.

"She doesn’t care about me being capable," you said quietly, each word laced with bitterness. "She only cares about molding me into her image. Into something I’m not—and something I never want to be."

Haley stepped forward without hesitation, planting herself firmly between you and Morris, her eyes blazing with a fury that caught everyone off guard.

"Sorry to intrude," she began sharply, her tone like ice, "but have you even seen Y/n’s farm? That place was a dump before she came here, and now it’s practically a well-oiled machine. Her farm has boosted this town’s economy more than you and Pierre’s businesses combined. And you know why?" Haley tilted her head, her voice turning venomous. "Because of Y/n’s dedication and hard work. So don’t you dare stand there and act like you have the right to judge who’s ‘working hard’ when you couldn’t lift a finger to do it yourself."

Morris’s smug expression faltered for the first time, but he quickly recovered, his smirk widening as he saw an opportunity to strike back. "Ah, I see what’s going on here," he drawled, his tone dripping with condescension. "If you really want your fair share of Joja’s wealth, you should convince your girlfriend here to come back to Zuzu City and manage the company like the true Joja she is." His eyes gleamed maliciously. "Though I doubt the missus would approve of this... kind of relationship."

Your body moved before your mind could catch up. Stepping forward, you shoved Morris back a step, your voice low and dangerous. "Fuck off. You don’t get to disrespect her like that."

Morris’s smugness wavered, but he tried to rally. "But I—"

"I don’t want to hear another word from you," you snapped, your tone brooking no argument. "Leave. Now."

Morris opened his mouth to retort, but Haley cut him off, her glare sharper than a knife. "You heard her. Get lost."

Morris huffed, his composure cracking slightly. "Hmph. I’m not leaving until I distribute my 50%-off Joja coupons to these fine customers." He raised his voice, addressing the room. "Anyone who wants a discount, feel free to take one from me."

Before the murmurs could start, you turned sharply to Pierre. "No one moves a foot," you commanded, your voice firm and unyielding. "Pierre."

"H-huh?" Pierre stammered, clearly caught off guard.

"Everyone shopping here right now—everything in their carts, ring it up. Put it on my tab," you said decisively. "I don’t care how much it costs. I’ll stop by later to settle the bill."

Pierre blinked, stunned, before nodding quickly. "O-okay. Got it."

You turned back to Morris, your voice colder than ice. "No one here wants your fucking coupons. Get the hell out."

Morris narrowed his eyes, clearly frustrated but unable to retaliate effectively. "You can’t pay for their tabs forever, Miss Y/n," he sneered. "Not with the little money your farm is making."

A smirk tugged at your lips, sharp and defiant. "You haven’t seen the progress of my farm, have you?" you asked, your voice filled with quiet triumph. "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you never do. By the end of the year, the community center will be fully restored, and Joja—" you jabbed a finger toward him, "Joja will never taint this town again."

Morris’s face darkened, but he said nothing as you turned to Pierre and motioned to the grocery bag you took from Haley. "Please ring this up as well, Pierre."

****

"Y/n... are you okay?" Haley's voice was soft, tentative, her usual sharpness dulled by concern.

You didn’t meet her eyes, your voice steady but distant. "I’ll walk you home, and then I’ll get going. I need to be alone for a while."

Haley hesitated, searching your face for something—anything—that would let her help. But all she found was a wall she couldn’t push past. "Oh... okay," she murmured.

****

The walk to her house was quiet, the air between you heavy with unspoken words. When you reached her door, Haley turned, her expression uncertain. "It’s only a raincheck, right?" she asked, her voice almost hopeful. "You’re not canceling our movie night?"

You gave her a small, tired smile, though it didn’t quite reach your eyes. "Hmm. Maybe we can do it tomorrow instead."

Haley nodded slowly, watching as you turned to leave. "I’ll see you later, Y/n," she called softly, her voice lingering in the quiet night.

You didn’t look back, but you lifted a hand in acknowledgment before disappearing into the shadows. Haley watched you go, her chest tight with a mix of worry and something else she couldn’t quite name.

****

After you had dropped her off at her home, she moved quickly towards her kitchen, her movements deliberate as she retrieved a well-worn piece of paper. A single recipe sat tucked away for ages, something she hadn’t thought she’d use anytime soon. Yet, here she was, baking in autopilot, determined to bring you something that might make the silence a little more bearable.

It only sank in for Haley that you might have been serious about wanting to be alone for a moment when you opened the door to your farm after she knocked.

Well... No going back now.

"Hey..." she greeted hesitantly, her voice soft and uncertain. "I know you said you wanted to be alone, but I just... I thought it would be unfair that you're always there for me when I need you, and I left you alone just because you asked me to."

You didn’t speak immediately. The silence between you stretched, heavy with unspoken thoughts. For a moment, Haley worried she had crossed a line, overstepped some boundary. But before she could apologize, you offered her a faint, weak smile—a small curve of your lips, almost imperceptible, but a smile nonetheless.

"Are those cookies...?" you asked softly, your eyes landing on the tray she held out.

"Granny Evelyn's secret recipe. Freshly baked from the oven." Haley’s voice was gentle, almost a whisper. "Thought this might cheer you up."

You took a slow breath, the air between you carrying a quiet weight. You stood a step closer to Haley, your hands clasped loosely in front of you.

"I can just go and leave, you know? I just really want to bring these cookies—"

Before she could finish, you cut her off with a warm, comforting hug, wrapping your arms around her gently. Your embrace was steady, grounding, a silent reassurance. The scent of fresh soap mixed with the faint aroma of wood and grass on your worn flannel shirt created a sense of familiarity.

"Of course, you’re always welcome here, silly, with or without cookies," you said softly, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes.

"You say that but wait until you have a taste in them first," she teased, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I'm sure they'll taste delicious. Come," you urged, motioning her inside. "It's freezing outside."

"Thanks," she murmured, stepping past you into the warmth of the house.

"These your stuff?" you asked, noticing the bags she struggled to carry. "You should have called me so I could have helped you bring them here. It must have been a tough walk from your home."

"Yeah... sorry, I know it's a lot. Had to bring my skincare, you know?" she replied with a sheepish smile, setting the bags down on the worn wooden floor.

"Heh, if I didn't know you any better, I’d think you were moving in," you joked, giving her a playful nudge.

"Shut up, goof."

"Now, now... I didn’t say I was exactly opposed to the idea, m'lady," you continued, a grin tugging at your lips. "I would love it actually. It’s getting kind of lonely in here, you know? Sometimes I even question myself why I asked Robin to renovate the house this big when I’m all by myself."

"What? So you're saying you wanted me to stay here?"

"Would it be so bad?" you asked with a playful shrug.

"Perhaps? Especially if you're supposed to be saying these sappy things to your girlfriend." Haley's tone was teasing, but her smile faltered slightly as she added, "Yoba... I just realized. Penny won't be mad if I stayed the night, right? Or would she?"

"Huh? Why would she?" you asked, confused.

"Isn't she—" Haley began as she walked towards your room.

"Wait, Haley—" you called after her, a hint of worry in your voice, but it was too late.

"Oh..." Haley paused at the sight that greeted her eyes—a bouquet placed carefully on your bed, sunflowers nestled in among them. You were arranging them yourself, the soft glow from the bedside lamp casting a warm light on the delicate petals.

It took a moment for Haley to gather her thoughts. Her mind raced a thousand miles per hour, processing what she saw and the implications behind it.

"I thought you'd given Penny the—the uhm..." she began hesitantly.

"The bouquet?" you finished, your voice quiet. "What made you think so? And how'd you even know I have a bouquet?"

"I think what you mean is 'who else didn't know you'd bought a bouquet'," she replied, a sly smile creeping onto her face.

"Damn it, Pierre." You ran a hand through your hair, cursing under your breath. "Shit— you aren't supposed to see all these."

You sighed heavily as you walked toward the edge of the bed, keeping your gaze firmly away from her. The bouquet lay forgotten on the bedspread, the sunflowers blending with the faded, dried-out petals of the original flowers.

"I bought this days ago and I couldn't find the guts to give it to you. I guess I was waiting for the perfect timing or maybe I was chickening out. Shit, I don't really know..." you murmured, your voice shaky as you ruffled your hair anxiously. "All I know is the flowers dried out because I was a coward, and now I was planning to spend the whole night replacing the flowers with sunflowers instead of having our movie night because I'm mentally and emotionally unable to think straight because of what happened with Morris earlier, and now I'm babbling this to you like a fool and—"

"Breathe, Y/n." Haley’s voice was soft and soothing, her expression gentle as she stepped closer, her eyes warm and understanding. "It’s just me."

"Breathe... I can do that," you said, taking a slow breath and closing your eyes for a moment to collect yourself.

"Now..." Haley continued, a teasing smile playing at her lips, "Can you clarify the part about who you were planning to give the bouquet to because I’m a bit slow and I’m going to have to assume it’s me if you don’t."

"It's for you," you finally confessed, your voice barely a whisper. "I thought the sunflower already gave it away?"

"I..." Haley’s brows furrowed slightly, her voice softening as her expression turned thoughtful. "I thought you liked someone else..."

"And I thought I was pretty obvious," you said, a faint smile tugging at your lips.

"You probably would have if I hadn't seen you treating others the same way you do to me," Haley said, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her expression was thoughtful, but there was a hint of uncertainty behind her eyes. "I don't really want to assume."

"But I don’t treat others the same way I treat you," you replied gently, your voice calm and steady.

"Giving favored gifts to every possible living thing you can see, walking Penny home, exploring mines with Abigail, painting with Leah..." Haley paused, glaring at you with a raised brow when she noticed the corner of your mouth twitch into a sly grin. "Do you honestly want me to continue the list?"

"No, no need. I got the message," you said with a soft chuckle, shaking your head as you stepped closer to her. You reached out slowly, taking her hands in yours with a tenderness that spoke volumes. Your thumb brushed gently against her knuckles, grounding the moment in a sense of intimacy that neither of you could ignore. "I guess I do those things with everyone. It was almost a natural instinct that I didn't need to bat an eye. It was normal for me. It was casual."

As your touch lingered, Haley’s breath hitched for a moment, and the rapid beating in her heart began to slow. What was once chaotic and unsure began to calm down, her mind finding clarity amidst the confusion.

"But for you... everything is complex," you continued, your voice steady, eyes locked onto hers. There was a sincerity in your gaze, a vulnerability in your words that couldn’t be dismissed. "And I don’t mean it as a bad thing. You made me second-guess everything I do. I was afraid I was being too obvious because I was doing too much. I was afraid that what I was doing bypassed everything I thought should be normal between friends. I was scared I was doing too much that I might scare you away."

Haley let out a soft, watery laugh, a quiet chuckle that broke through the tension between you both. She shook her head lightly, realizing you were both overthinking the same thing all along.

"So yeah... everything I did, everything I said from the start—it was never casual," you finished, your voice gentle but unwavering. "Simply because I like you, Haley. I’ve liked you for a long time."

There was a long, charged pause. It probably felt like an eternity to you, but it could’ve only been a minute or two—maybe more. You weren’t sure anymore. If the roles were reversed, if Haley were in your place, she would’ve bolted in embarrassment, rushing back to her home to cry her heart out the moment you didn’t respond to her confession.

But this is you. You have always been patient. You still wore the same loving face the moment you started your confession and the moment you let out the last word. Nevermind your face is in a deep shade of red.

"You..." she breathed out, her voice barely above a whisper before rising drastically. "You fucking idiot!"

"Huh?" you managed, taken aback by the sudden outburst.

Before you could process what was happening, her fists slammed hard against your chest. The force wasn’t enough to cause real pain, but the impact was enough to send a slight jolt through you. You wheezed softly between bursts of laughter, breath escaping in short bursts as she continued her assault.

"You liked me all this time and you didn’t say it earlier?!" she demanded, her voice rising with each word.

You let out another laugh, struggling for air as her fists smacked your chest again. At this point, it wasn’t about the physical impact—it was the sheer force of emotion behind it.

You must have had enough with Haley's fists dealing little to no damage on your ribcage because the moment she lifted her hands to strike again, you caught them gently in yours and leaned down to capture her lips, silencing the stream of profanities leaving her mouth.

When your lips finally parted, a brief, lingering pause stretched between you both, the air thick with emotions you both hadn't fully acknowledged yet.

"You could have said you liked me, y'know? No need to hit me." You said softly, a teasing smile playing on your lips as you pulled back.

"I hate you," she grumbled, her expression softening despite the harsh words. Her gaze lowered, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks as the embarrassment of her outburst settled in.

"You don’t." You sounded far too smug, watching her squirm just a bit. "Emily said so."

Haley’s brow furrowed deeply as the realization dawned. Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes narrowed in disbelief. She thought back to that conversation, recalling her sister’s confident assurance. "You know about the bet all this time?!"

"Yup." Your grin widened.

She stared at you, her expression a mix of incredulity and irritation. "You asked my sister if you have a chance with me, didn’t you?"

You smirked but remained silent, letting the unspoken answer hang in the air.

"Good Yoba… Why did I have to like such an idiot dork." She huffed, puffing out a breath as her frustration began to give way to amusement. Her lips twitched into a small smile despite herself. "Come here and let me wipe that stupid smirk from your face."

"You'll do that by?"

Her eyes rolled again, but the playful edge remained as she replied with a small, amused grin. "By kissing it off you, what else?"

~~~~~~

taglist:

@joordynn

@taliiiaasteria

@iluvwomen01

@tekanparadiae

@slug-on-bike

@prlan

@mit-suri

#stardew valley #stardew haley #stardew farmer #stardew fanfic #haley x farmer #haley x female farmer #haley x reader #stardew emily #kissitoffme

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cupids-patheon · 1 year ago

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Doing a new introduction to tumblr bcs things have changed.

Im cupid, my main interest at the moment, and what i will talk abt on here most of the times is arknights. But I do occasionally talk abt my other interests which is hi3, hsr, Chainsaw man, hollow knight, jujutsu kaisen, trigun(not tristamp i don’t like tristamp) and project sekai. Im currently in the process of getting into Punishing: grey raven and Wuthering Waves. From here i will leave my cardd so ppl are aware of important information.

My number 1 fav character is whisperain, and i ship a rarepair between whisperain and specter. 99% of what i ship is WLW , and i hc noir corne, ulpian and mr.nothing as transfem. Thats all

#i love the nugu jellyfish woman

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sylusjinwoon · 11 months ago

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{ 166 }

too sweet.

jinwoo sung x fem.reader

{ you know, you're bright as the morning, as soft as the rain | pretty as a vine, as sweet as a grape | if you can sit in a barrel, maybe i’ll wait until that day… }

@nyashykyunnie said: HELLLOOOO. Since you granted me permission to request a daydream uhm… Jinwoo with a reader who hyperfixates on a lot of things! The fungi, the stars and most especially the sea!! Reader lovesloves whales and jellyfishes and sharks lots!! She loves the sea so much,,!!!!, She also draws a lot><!!! Art is her biggest passion most of all!! She’s like a free bird always so cheery and happy!! Loves all things pretty and cute! A very very childish reader who is just a ball of sunshine and energy!! Loves messing ariund with Jinwoo by putting little dabs of paint on his face heheh… And loves comparing hand sizes and cuddless><!!! Sorry it’s so long ueueueu

there were times when jinwoo sung had to wonder just how he got so lucky to be with someone as bright as you.

whereas he was the pure and true embodiment of darkness-

jinwoo was certain you were light personified.

everything about you was achingly sweet to the core-

too sweet, actually.

the moment he had fallen in love with you was one that happened so… naturally. that day, he had taken some time off in order to take his mother and sister to the nearest beach. he rented out a tiny cottage by the sea, giving them the perfect view of the ocean.

while his mother and sister spent some time walking on the beach together, jinwoo wanted to give them a chance to have the much needed mother-daughter moment they both deserved, deviating from the mainland beach when he sees rugged rocks with tide pools settled beneath the harsh terrain. he thinks about all the fascinating creatures that lived within such little pools and steps closer to the area.

however, the closer he got to the tide pools, the quickly he realized that he was not alone.

for settled against one of the rocks was a young woman that was sketching within the confines of her sketchbook-

it was you.

jinwoo was suddenly rendered speechless at the mere sight of you, taking a moment to admire the way your hair shone from beneath the sunlight. your cute features were turned into a look of concentration, with your lips pursed and your eyebrows furrowed in response.

as you inched closer to the shallow pool, you had somehow lost your balance and nearly face-planted within the waters-

had it not been for jinwoo’s quick thinking, making a mad dash toward you as he captured your frame within his arms. his eyes were glowing with amusement, fighting back a smile when he sweetly asks, “are you alright?”

jinwoo helps you safely lean back against the rock, with your hands gripping on tightly to his wrist before meeting his gaze.

not a hint of fear was seen settled in your eyes, and jinwoo found that he couldn’t look away from you. your smile goes wide as you eagerly introduced yourself to him. already mesmerized by your bright and sunny nature, he repeats your name, ready to introduce himself as well when you suddenly beat him to it.

“you’re jinwoo sung, i know.”

you know?

“that’s interesting.” jinwoo couldn’t stop himself from letting out a chuckle. usually, those that met him treated him like some celebrity or idol, getting tongue tied as they bowed down to him, stuttering out their greetings while avoiding his gaze-

but you-

you were oh so different.

your gaze met with his in an unflinching manner, with your lips tilted up in a smile that manages to make his heart pound in response. the more he looked at you, the more he could feel his heart becoming filled with your sweetness and light.

after trading pleasantries, he helps you down from the rock, walking along the beach with you while softly asking if he could see your sketchbook. you would give him a sheepish expression, your cheeks being filled with heat before giving him your sketchbook as you told him your sketches “weren’t much.” as he flips through the pages, you were clearly downplaying your talents as each and every sketch was filled with a vibrancy he had never seen before.

but that all changes when jinwoo sees a sketch of himself hidden amidst the pages.

your gasp and the way you immediately tried to take the sketchbook away from him was amusing, with jinwoo holding the book up high, his eyes glowing while they took in the sight of the drawing you had made of him.

from the soft expression to the way his hair was carefully layered, jinwoo couldn’t help but feel a hint of pride, seeing how pretty you had made him.

“beautiful…” after ensuring that your sketch of him was burned into his very memories, he returns it back to you, basking in your shy expression and the way you suddenly couldn’t meet his gaze.

“you weren’t supposed to see that. now, i’m sure you find me… strange, right?”

yet instead of teasing you further-

he asks you out on a date later that night.

and the moment you accepted his offer for a date-

the rest was history.

a single date meant as a simple thank you for allowing him to see your sketches turned into something a bit more frequent; a bit more permanent.

jinwoo would find himself spending every weekend to visit you, allowing the seemingly simple and innocent crush to grow into something much deeper.

and truly, how could he not fall in love with you?

each time you spoke passionately about your interests-

(of the sharks and colorful jellyfish that lives within the crystal blue depths of the ocean;

of the strange mushrooms seen growing within your backyard, seeming to have a life of their own as they lengthened and grew beneath the emerald green grass;

of the constellations seen shimmering within the night sky from beneath the light of the full moon…)

never once did jinwoo get tired of hearing your musings and rants that pertained to your current hyperfixations, and more often than not, he would find gifts for you that further helped strengthened your love for each and every one of your interests.

(an encyclopedia for the ocean creatures and various fungal life; a book that goes into each legend of each constellation seen within the night sky and a telescope…)

in jinwoo’s eyes, no gift was ever too much for you. for you were the sole person that stole his very heart at first sight.

when he finally put a label on his relationship with you, he swore he would never forget the look of utmost joy within your eyes. your sweet voice would call out to him before you wrapped your arms around his neck, already planting a kiss against his parted lips.

a choked sound of surprise escapes from jinwoo, making you gasp as you quickly pulled away from him. a slew of apologies were heard coming from you-

and jinwoo wasn’t having it.

with a grunt of your name, he keeps your head still before diving in for another kiss, basking in the way you momentarily let out a gasp before practically melting against him. in mere seconds, jinwoo quickly became addicted to the soft and sweet taste of your lips.

already so enamored with you, he pulls away from you, only to murmur against your lips, “you’re too sweet for me… but… i have a feeling i could get used to your taste…”

it came as no surprise when jinwoo decided to move in together with you, not being able to handle a single moment spent separated away from you. each and every day was spent in an almost blissful manner, with the s-rank hunter cherishing each and every part of you.

and tonight was no different.

for your one year anniversary, jinwoo had taken you back to the beach where you had first met, preparing a home cooked dinner that consisted of all your favorite foods. after your meal, you had laid against jinwoo’s chest while resting on the blanket, simply enjoying the colors that seemed to set the sky aflame while the sun began to set over the horizon.

jinwoo’s eyes were closed, simply basking in your warmth and the way the setting sun had painted his whole world in hues of a gentle twilight. while he was resting, he could feel your hand inching closer to his as you carefully held on to it. jinwoo could feel a smile begin to spread across his full lips as you flattened the palm of your hand against his, clearly measuring the size of your hand in comparison to his.

a soft chuckle escapes from him, “sarang, silly love of mine, just what are you doing?”

he opens up one eye to look at you, a half-smile painting his handsome features as he allowed an arm to wrap around your waist, bringing you closer to his chest as he remained laying down. basking in your giggles once more, he feels his heart began to race again the moment you lean down to press a kiss against his chest.

“i love you so much, jinwoo.”

“heh, i love you more, sarang.”

jinwoo presses a kiss against your hair while letting you play with his hands. he watches you with adoration, seeing you pick up his hand before interlocking your fingertips together. a wide grin paints his features when he gives your hand a squeeze before turning you around so that you were now settled with your back against the blanket.

your breathing comes out as gentle giggles, and jinwoo takes this chance to press several, audible smooches against your features. the more you let out those melodious sounds of your laughter, the more he kept littering your face with those achingly sweet kisses.

jinwoo successfully distracts you, and you couldn’t help but frown when you felt a sudden weight against your left ring finger. catching your shocked expression, he allows you to sit up while looking at the ring settled against your finger.

it was an incredibly cute and endearing ring, with your favorite gemstone shaped into a heart as you met jinwoo’s gaze, eyes going wide with your lips parted in response. “jinwoo… what’s this?”

“a promise.” his reply comes out as hoarse and shaky, taking your hand as he presses a kiss against the ring he had just gifted you. “i know it feels… a bit too soon to propose any… ah… commitment. but still, i wanted you to know that i’m completely serious about you.”

“this ring will serve as my promise to you… of what is to come.”

with a choked sob of his name, you lean forward to kiss him once more, perfectly slotting your lips against his as jinwoo kissed you back with just as much passion.

jinwoo knew right then and there that he had made the right decision of keeping you; for you were (and always will be) his sole light.

a.n. - when kyunnie made a second part to her most gut wrenching angst, i was so elated and happy that i wanted to write / make a daydream of hers come true. i hope i wrote your daydreams well enough! 🥹

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

#sung jinwoo x reader #jinwoo sung x reader #sung jinwoo x you #jinwoo sung x you #solo leveling x reader #.stories

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