#i love writing for my mutuals !!! 🥺🥺💖💖💖💖💖

[mandiemegatron]

  𝙎𝙢𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙊𝙪𝙩

𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙭 𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙛𝙚𝙢! 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 

♡ 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙙. ♡

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙: 18+. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙛𝙛 . 𝙑𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙.

𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨; 2,031

ᴀ/ɴ ; ʜᴇʟʟᴏ ᴍʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʟɪᴇꜱ!! ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴘɪᴇᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ 2024 !! ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜱᴏ ꜱᴏ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴜʀᴘʀɪꜱᴇ ᴍʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʟʏ ᴄɪɴ ( @sheerxfiction ) ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʟɪʟ ʜᴇᴀᴛ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴀꜱꜱ ꜱᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ, ꜱᴏ ɪ ᴅɪᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴅᴏ ʙᴇꜱᴛ - ɪ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙʏ ᴘᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʙʟᴏʀʙᴏꜱ ɪɴᴛᴏ ɪᴛ!! 🤭🤭😂😂 ɪ'ᴠᴇ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ʙᴇᴇɴ ɪᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀʏ ᴏᴜᴛ ɴᴇᴡ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇᴀᴛ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ᴍɪɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ꜱᴏ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ɢʟᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴ ɪᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜰᴜɴ!!! 

ɪ'ᴍ ꜱᴏ ʙʟᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ 2024 ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ ᴍᴜᴛᴜᴀʟꜱ, ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴡʜᴏ ɪ ᴀʙꜱᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴅᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ʜᴀᴘᴘɪᴇʀ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰᴀɴᴅᴏᴍ. ɪ'ᴍ ꜱᴏ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜰᴜʟ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴇxɪꜱᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ, ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜰᴜʟ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟʏ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙᴜᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀʟʟ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ, ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴛᴛᴏᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. 

ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀ ꜰɪᴄ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʟ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ 2025 ʙʀɪɴɢꜱ ᴜꜱ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ, ʜᴀᴘᴘɪɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴇʀᴇɴɪᴛʏ ᴡᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴅᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴇ. ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʟ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ! 💖💖💖💖💖💖 

Tossing and turning in your sleep, your nose twitches as it comes into contact with an acrid smell. A few more sniffs and you're shooting up in your bed in a panic, your eyes burning at the smoke that fills your shared cabin with Hip and House. 

“Oi, oi!! Wake up, wake up!! I think there's a fire on the ship!!” 

When you get no response, you hit the ground belly first and crawl under the dense smoke to the others’ beds, and your heart jumps slightly at noticing they're empty. You take a moment to gather your surroundings from the floor and rub at your eyes with a hiss, only to start coughing as you try to call out. 

You gather all your strength and finally pull yourself across the wooden floor towards the door, and with what strength you have left, you quickly spin onto your back and kick outwards, your bare feet slamming the door open only for more smoke to enter your room. 

You can hear shouting from a few rooms over, as well as downstairs in the galley. You're about to continue on when suddenly there's a loud, bone rattling BOOM, and within seconds, the smoke is sucked out of the hallway and spills out of the emergency portholes Kid put in place for situations like this. 

You cough again and wince at the tightness in your chest before you're able to finally stand, though you're shaky on your feet. Your head turns to look down either way of the hall, and you rush over to Dive, Emma and Quincy's door just as Dive tumbles out, her teal hair a mess on her head as she screeches out, 

“What the fuck happened?!”

You bend down and she's quick to jump into your arms, thankful for the quick hug as you look over to an equally furious Emma. “Y/N, you alright?” she asks, bending down slightly to place a hand on your shoulder and you nod, just as confused as your fellow crewmates. 

“Let's head down to the galley and see what the fuck is happening.” 

There's a fluster of energy and shouting as you all make it downstairs. Kid is shouting at an embarrassed looking Heat who sat with his head in his hands, his face and neck burning a vibrant pink and though you hear his low tones respond to Kid, you can't pick out the words. 

“What in the ever-loving FUCK is going on?” You snap out, all eyes in the galley turning towards you and the others beside you. “Just some casual suffocation this beautiful Friday morning, hmm?” Heats head snaps back down, eyes cast to the floor as the pink on his flesh takes on a darker red. You narrow your eyes in suspicion but say nothing, instead looking to your Captain with a serious glance as you walk towards them.

“All I'm gonna say is those emergency drop windows was a smart move. Is everyone okay?” 

Kid rolls his eyes, his arms crossing over his broad chest as he snarks back, 

“Nothin’ hurt but Heats fuckin’ pride.” 

Your hands meet your hips as you give an over-exaggerated sigh, looking back down at Heat who grumbles to himself. 

“Oh sweet man. What did you do?” Your words were tight but there was a light tone on your tongue as you bit back laughter. You'd never seen him look so physically embarrassed, wanting to crawl out of his skin or disappear completely and you had to admit, it looked a bit funny.

“He lit my goddamn kitchen on fire!” Killer's voice clips out from a few feet behind Kid, clearly distraught and irritated. You lean over slightly to look past Kid and you see Killer ready to pounce on Heat, steam spouting from his helmet. His partner stood next to him, trying to calm him down though clearly trying to hide her own laughter. 

“It was a fucking accident!” Heat bites out before he leans back in his chair with an annoyed groan, his hands rubbing over his face and Kid quickly barks back, “An accident that almost blew up my fuckin’ ship!”

At that point you can't help but just shake your head, barely hiding a grin as you reply lightly, “But at least we're all alive and safe now, and that's what matters, right?” Kid grunts with a frown, mulling your words over for a second but giving the exact same sound before he looks to Heat and sighs out, “Alright, yeah whatever. Just stay outta the fuckin’ kitchen from now on, I mean it.” Heat only gives a matching grunt, slouching in his chair with loosely crossed arms. 

Killer, on the other hand, gets exactly one punch in which Heat barely blocks and you're quick to grab Heat while Killer's partner jumps in, tackling him to the ground with a shout of “Alright, enough!” They tussle for a second before he stands with her thrown over his shoulder. 

“Go blow off some fuckin’ steam,” you joke, still holding onto Heat who leans into your arms. Killer grins under his mask, you can't see it but you know it's there as he jokes back, “That's the plan!” He gives a rough slap to his partners ass and she screeches out, ��Get fucked, I'll kill you!” You can't help but snicker as Killer stalks off.

“Are you mad?”

You turn your attention to the man in your arms, his eyes staring into yours and you can't help but sigh softly before you murmur back, “No hon, I'm not mad. I'm just glad everyone's okay.” 

Heat sighs through his nose before his hands go around and under you, lifting you gently in his arms. You're quick to slide an arm around his neck to stabilize yourself, watching him with worried eyes as you ask, “You okay, love?” 

Heat says nothing, keeping his eyes straight as he takes you to his room. The second he's inside, he lets you down and locks the door, his hands resting on the lock and the wood. His forehead meets the door with a soft thump, another sigh escaping him as he murmurs lowly, 

“I just wanted to surprise you.” 

You blinked a few times, unsure if you heard him right. “... eh?” You tilt your head slightly as you ask, “Surprise me with what?” 

Heat is quiet for a moment before he admits bitterly, “... cookies.” 

You bite back a grin as you push slightly, “You… tried to make me cookies?” 

Silence again. You tried again. “Heat…?”

The fire-breather turns and your heart sinks at the defeated look on his face. “Oh my darling,” you coo softly, moving to him and collecting his face in your loving palms. Your thumbs brush over his cheeks as you give his lips a few butterfly smooches. 

“Why didn’t you just ask Killer to make them? You've admitted to not knowing how to use the new ovens more than once, which isn't an issue considering only Killer and the Captain understand the dials…” You give him a loving grin as you joke, “They're big, stupid nerds, remember? And it's always better to ask the nerds for help, make it their problem, not yours.” Heat cracks a grin in response before nodding slightly. “Yeah… I suppose.”

He leans in and your lips meet, his kiss sending a swarm of gooey warmth through your veins like it always did, and you melt into him as he cups your butt and lifts you to his body. Your legs automatically wrap around his waist, and he kicks off his shoes before gently settling onto his bed, still clinging to you. 

“You should just stay in my room from now on,” he offers for the 15th time that week. When you sigh with a roll of your eyes, leaning back to stare him down, he just gives a fun-natured shrug, a slight smirk on his face as he half-jokes, “Well, you wouldn't be smoked out of your room if you stayed here - Oi!” He frowns when you pinch one of his pierced nipples, rubbing it with an offended look on his face. “I'm just saying - my light, please just let me finish,” he pouts slightly when you pinch his other nipple, gripping your wrist with an almost desperate hand. 

You shift slightly in his lap, looking away as you sigh out, “Okay, okay…”

Heat smiles softly before he pulls you close to pepper kisses across your lips, cheeks and jawline before he gives the space just under your ear a quick nip. 

You hum, pleased with the shivers running over your body and the warmth that settles low. “Just… is it so wrong of me to want to wake up next to you…?” Heat starts slowly, his lips ghosting over your neck, only stopping in a few seemingly premeditated spots as he whispers against your skin, “To show you off and be proud to call you mine? Just stay with me,” he nearly begs, his hands slowly roaming your hips and ass, giving a squeeze every few moments. 

A shiver runs over you though you're quick to try and remind him of his status. “But you-” A quick smack to your asscheek pulls a surprised squeak from you, your eyes wide as you stare at the man that looked like he wanted to devour you whole. 

“Commander or not, I need you. I need to make you happy, I need to love you and worship you, as you deserve and I need to be the man to do it. Me. No one else.” Your stomach flips and spins though your heart aches, desperate to be held by the hands that cradled you like a treasure. 

“Heat…” He cuts you off with a kiss, both drowning you and saving you from the push and pull in your chest. “Just stay,” he begs against your lips as one of his hands pulls at your sleep shorts. “Just stay,” he repeats, watching as you wiggle yourself up in his lap to slide the shorts off as he tugs his pants low enough for his cock to spring free. 

The second you're back in his lap, his tip slips into you and your voice catches in your throat as he pulls you into a suffocating kiss. He slides in further and you give a low moan against his lips, eyes slipping shut as your hands cling around the back of his neck, fingers tangling into his locs. 

“Just… stay.” The words leave him one last time as he fills you completely. Though your mind is blurry and filled with nothing but your lover, you can't help but grin and laugh out as you finally give in, “O-okay~” 

Funny enough, neither of you got any sleep that night. 

[blizzardfluffykpop]

By My Side

Summary: Your journey to the top and the man who supported you the whole way. 

Long Fic (Oneshot)

Fluff, Angst? (Mainly Racing Anxiety), Slight Suggestive Parts, Strangers to Lovers au, Opposites attract au?, Idol au

Word Count: 19,000

Idol!Hyunggu (Kino) X Racecar Driver!Reader

[Features: The rest of OT9]

[Long A/n: There is the barest of information about entries vs starting in Formula 1. The only information I was able to gain about it was researching women who’ve raced in the sport. Only two of the five ever got to race (vv sad news), so for entries vs starting it will be speculation but based off of the real races! Also Pentagon’s scheduling is going to be a little off, but it’s so it works for the story tbh.]

------

You’ve known since you were five that you wanted to be a Formula One racer. And when you were eight, your parents started taking you karting with them. It didn’t take long before you started taking karting lessons. You even taught classes to younger kids before gaining entry into Formula Three. As you practiced day in and day out, you knew there were no guarantees of getting into Formula One. But you never gave up, and maybe with some help from Kang Hyunggu, you finally obtained your FIA super license. 

You were twenty-three when you first met Kang Hyunggu by chance. And for some reason, the two of you hit it off instantly. It didn’t make sense because you were from two very different worlds. With him being an idol singer and you being a racecar driver, you were polar opposites. But you both shared the same love for coffee and flowers and had the same music taste. It started from there, with small meets at a coffee shop. At first, both of your managers managed your meetups. Something else you both had in common. But after a year of meeting each other and getting to know one another. Your managers had let up after they ensured you both knew the consequences if the public were to find out. But at the time, what would it matter to the world? You were just friends getting to know each other with what little time you had. 

You guys were lying on your bed in your apartment when he asked, “Do you think we’ll ever get our first win?” And you smiled, “Of course. Maybe it’s from a Universe's perspective at this point, but I feel that come this time next year, you’ll have gained one.” He smiled and thanked you, and you asked, “Do you think I’ll ever make it out of Formula Three?” He nodded, “With your talent, there’s no doubt.” You pouted, "How would you know?" And he continued, “What do you say if I come to one of your races, manager approved, of course, and I see for myself?” You smiled, “It’d be nice to have someone other than my crew cheering me on.”

After you both received approval, he was able to watch you race. It was slightly nerve-wracking having the guy you had a crush on watch one of your races, but you took it in stride. He walked you to your racecar, encouraging you the whole way. When you arrived at the garage, he said, “If you win, I have something important to tell you.” You raise your eyebrow at him, “And if I don’t?” He shrugs, “I guess you’ll never know.” 

For your past two seasons, your top place was fifth, and even that was an incredible feat for you. But with a good qualifying round, you gained pole position, earning you an advantage. You gulped as you watched the lights go and gunned it. Maybe it was because you wanted to know what he was going to tell you. Or perhaps it was sheer dumb luck. But somehow, you had not only won that race. You had also won it by a large margin, something you had been trying to do since you started racing.

You raced your victory lap and came back to the starting position. You gasped as you realized you only had one more criterion left to meet to gain a super license. You hopped out of your car to see your team readily congratulating you. And you cheered with them as they lifted you into the air. When you came down and hopped over the fence, you saw Hyunggu holding a flower bouquet. You blushed as he handed it to you, “What did you want to tell me?” You asked as you thanked him for the flowers and brought him into a hug. He smiled, “That you look cute in your outfit.” You shook your head as you blushed. Before you could ask him if that’s really what he wanted to tell you. They rushed you into an interview room, “Are you going to do your last requirement to gain your super license, Mx. (L/n)?” You nodded, “Yes, I’m going to go onwards and complete the safety regulations test at the end of this season.” They nod, satisfied with your answer. Before they could ask you more questions, your manager came in and took you out to treat everyone to a nice dinner. 

As you sat around the table, everyone chatting, the engineer turned to you. He smiled and announced to the table, “You’ve grown so much as a racer over the past two years I’ve gotten to know you. Are you ready for the big leagues, kid?” You looked at your plate, “I believe so.” The table laughed, “You’ll do fine!” And they were right. After years of studying up on the quiz, you passed it with flying colors. And Hyunggu was right there to congratulate you, holding another bouquet. 

You accepted the flowers as he pulled you into a hug. You held him tightly against you, your emotions getting to you as you shook with tears. And he went, “You did it. I knew you could.” You thanked him, and he said, “Let’s celebrate.” You nodded, and he took you both out to a little diner. After you order your meals, he tells you, “I think it’s time I tell you the important thing I wanted to tell you.” You pout, “So you didn’t think I was cute in my outfit.” He shook his head with a laugh, “I thought you were the cutest. But that wasn’t all I wanted to tell you.” You nodded for him to go on, “I like you a lot. And not just in a friendly type of way.” You pinched yourself as you said, “This has to be a dream.” And he shook his head, “No.” And you smiled as you grabbed his hand and interlocked your fingers, “I like you a lot, too. Do you want to consider this our first date?” He smiled, “I’d like that.” 

You finished up the racing season and relaxed a bit. But you didn’t know how much you were really up against. After all, no one ever mentions the people who don’t qualify for Formula One. It’s only about those who do. And when you put your name down and saw the list of other candidates. Who were just as hungry as you to be on the track.... It dawned on you that this may be harder than you believed. You told Hyunggu of your worries, and he held you close as he eased your mind. He assured you that you were just as capable as the other racers behind the wheel, if not more. It soothed your nerves and made you practice more for it. Whenever he wasn’t at practice, he was watching you in the stands, getting your time lower and lower. You just had to be a quarter of a second faster than your competitors. And you were doing everything to make that happen. 

You finished after eight hours of practice to see Hyunggu racing down the stands to greet you. His binoculars were hanging around his neck, and you giggled, “How long have you been watching?” He smiles, “A few hours.” You smiled as you pecked his cheek, “Thanks.” He shrugs, “You’re doing fantastic out there. You got this.” You shrugged, “I’m not so sure, but I’ll continue at it until I am.” He nods before asking, “Do you wanna watch me practice?” You agree, and he leads you by the hand to his car, “It’s weird to be in a slow-moving vehicle after eight hours.” He looks over at you with wide eyes, “You’ve been out here since six a.m.?” You nod, “I couldn’t stand to be away. You’re the same way when you practice.” He laughs, “Yeah, I guess we have that in common too.” You shake your head at him as he shifts out of park and drives to the company. 

He has you grab lunch in the cafeteria before leading you to the practice room. “(Y/n)! It’s so good to see you again!” Hongseok greets you cheerily, leading the rest of them into an uproar. You laugh as you greet them and walk over to the bench seat. “I’m just here to watch and eat my lunch~” Shinwon laughs, “You sure it’s not just to watch Kino?” You laugh, “You caught me.” Hyunggu winks at you through the mirror, and they start practicing some of their older songs. As you finish up your meal and throw away the trash, their choreographer comes in. “Hey guys! I’ve finalized some new moves for your new title and wanted to go over them with you guys.” You hold back your gasp as you realize you’re an outsider and fan getting to watch part of the demo for the first time. 

Hyunggu comes over to grab a drink of water before they start, and you ask, “Should I cover my eyes? I don’t want to offend or worry the choreographer.” He shakes his head, “Baby, I watch you practice new tricks on the track all the time. It’s okay.” You nod, and he kisses the top of your head before walking back. The choreographer reviews what they’ve learned and the new moves he is implementing. And you watch in awe as they move around the room. When they’ve finished the initial learning, they take a quick break. Then, the choreographer calls, “Let’s put this to music, guys!” 

He clicks a button on a remote, and they all start dancing as he oversees. As the music filters through the room, you can’t believe your ears. It sounds so delightful, and the dance seemed to encapsulate the melancholy feeling of letting someone go. As they started correcting things, you couldn’t help but wonder what inspired them to write it. When they finally finish up, you give a round of applause. The choreographer thanked you as he walked out of the room. 

Hyunggu slides down the wall beside your seat and asks, “So, what do you think?” “Well, the song is heartbreakingly beautiful, and the dance so far? It’s amazing! I can’t wait to see the finalized version.” The others laugh, and Hui lays on the floor and cheers, “You and me both!” You smile as you ask, “Who wrote it?” And he answers again, “Wooseok, Nathan, and me.” You nod and wish to ask him why, but feeling how heart-wrenching it was. You decide it was better to guess. You look at the clock to see it’s six and yawn, “Do you guys want to get dinner?” That seemed to bring their spirits up as they cheered and got ready. 

“Are you sure you’re not tired from your long day?” Hyunggu says, looking at the time. And you shake your head, “I gained my energy back while watching you dance.” You tell him, finishing off your sentence with a yawn. And he shakes his head, “Says the one who’s yawning. You can nap in my car.” You laugh and place your head on his shoulder, catching a few milliseconds of sleep as the rest rush around. You both walk out to his car, gaining a few passengers as you do. Knowing that if you weren’t fast from past experiences, you’d end up in the back, so you shout, “Shotgun!” And the other three groan, and you smirk, “I knew it.” And the tall ones groan as they file into his car. Yuto mumbles, “It’s always more cramped in the back!” And Wooseok grumbles in the middle, “My long legs have no room to go!” This causes Shinwon to whine, “Quit bumping into me!”  You laugh and tease, “I have so much legroom up here~” And the three roll their eyes as he takes off to the restaurant. 

You relax and enjoy your meal as they talk about their upcoming comeback that’ll happen in a few months. When the scheduler is about to drop, and how they’re excited to release another album. “It feels a little bittersweet to release one without Jinho.” You nod, and they talk about their worries and wonder if they’ll be able to gain a win off of this one or not. You cheer them up by telling them they’ve got their fans behind them every step of the way. And how Universes will do everything they can to make a win for them. They agree with you, and you finish up the meal happily. 

—---

When Hyunggu told you he was an idol, it took you a long time to check out his stuff. Mostly because you were busy but partly because you knew you’d fall even deeper for him. It was about three months into your friendship when you listened to ‘Shine’ for the first time. And before you could even blink, you fell into the world of being a Universe. It felt so exciting. While you had been fans of groups and bands before. This time felt different. As you got to know them and their 'idol-like selves,' it was hard to spot the differences. Yes, there were times when they had worn fake smiles and done scripted things. But you found they were just as genuine on-screen as they were off. Knowing that your crush had a wonderful friend group and a sweeter fanbase endeared you even more. 

It didn’t take long for you to start collecting their things. Hyunggu shook his head as he visited your room after you started collecting to see their albums on your shelves. “I could have gotten these to you for free. You know?” But you shook your head at him, wanting to give him at least a cent for his hard work. When you finally started dating, you had just finished collecting their albums. You happily showed him, and he just smiled and kissed the top of your head, “You’re cute, you know that?” But this time, when this comeback goes up for sale. It’ll be the first Pentagon album you’ll get to pre-order, and you’re so excited. As he drives you home, you tell him how excited you are, and he smiles and tells you he’s excited too. He doesn’t elaborate further, considering you’ve already heard his hopes for it at dinner. 

You still had a few weeks until you had to compete to start. And with every practice run on the track, your confidence grew. You spent less time with Hyunggu and more time there. It was funny how your heart wished to be with him instead. Before meeting him, all your heart ever wanted was to race. To feel the engine roar and tires burn down the track. But when you’d spot Hyunggu in the stands, you almost wished to stop the car and run to him. So instead, you raced faster to see him quicker. It surprised you how quickly he grew in your heart, but it was delightful, nonetheless. 

On the big day, you wake up with a start. Rushing around and gathering up all the things that you had prepared the night before for today. You heard a knock on your door as you were throwing on your shoes. And there he was, standing waiting with a bag of donuts and a coffee for each of you. You wrapped your arms around him, thanking him, and took your coffee from him and sipped on it. He led you to your car, and you drove up to the track. “You nervous?” “A little.” He nodded and placed his hand over yours. “I know, whatever the outcome is, you’ll do your best. And that’s all that matters.” You nodded and pulled in to see the lot filling up fast. “Are these all the racers for today?” He hums and goes, “Maybe some of them are crews?” You let that ease your mind as you parked as close as possible. You pull out your donuts and eat them before exiting the car. You lock it up, and he places his hand in yours. You squeeze it tight and walk up, drinking your coffee. “You know, I knew there would be at least twenty racers… But I wasn’t expecting a whole army of them.” He nods and squeezes your hand, “It’ll be okay.” It takes a little while to meet up with your crew. He lets go of your hand so you can get coached and change into your suit. You look at him for as long as possible before entering race mode. 

This is going to be the hardest race of your life, while yes, there have been races that were hard to go through. But this one, you had to prove not only that you're an excellent racer. But that you are better than the other eighty-some racers out here today. And that thought alone made you nervous. You listened to each of your crew member's advice and how to navigate the turns and when best to get around others. You’d get two laps to train on this new track before they started qualifying. The track owner came up and started greeting everyone before the races began. He was polite and wished everyone well, as far as you could hear. You head to your car to see Hyunggu talking to a few of your members. He saw them all look over at you before he turned around with a big grin. “You ready?” You nodded, “As I’ll ever be.” He smiled, pulling you into his arms, “Go get ‘em, baby.” He ruffled your hair before you put your helmet on and waited for their final instructions. 

You lifted your helmet one last time and said, “I’ll do my best!” The crew nodded and wished you luck, and Hyunggu smiled, “You always do. You got this! I’ll be watching from the inside!” When it was your turn to practice, you pulled out of the pit before driving onto the track. You snaked across the pavement, getting your tires used to the new pavement. The first turn came fast, and you memorized how the straightaways met the curves as you sped around. Mentally marking all the spots your crew said were good to cut around others. And you made plans as you made it back from your first lap. You did your last lap and felt your confidence go up. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as you feared. But as you remembered, some racers here had been waiting for their big chance too. And some had done this track a hundred times compared to you. It made your nerves spike back up, but you shook them off as you pitted. 

You popped your helmet off, and your race engineer came over, “What do you think?” You gulped, “It’s way more than I’m used to.” He nodded, “You are racing the Grand Prix now.” You nodded as he asked, “Did you see the spots we mentioned?” “Yeah, I made the plans on how to maneuver too.” He smiled, “Good. Now, I’ll let you talk to your lover boy over there. He was sweetly cheering you on in front of the screens. He’s a good guy.” You smile, “He’s the sweetest. Thanks.” He exits, and Hyunggu swoops in, “So, whaddaya think?” You nodded and told him all about it. He listened and asked some quick questions, and you answered with ease. He tells you, “I was watching you from the screen. You always look like you're in your element out there.” You smiled, and he kissed your forehead. He backed up as they announced the final racer had finished their practice run. “I’ll be watching.” “Like a guardian angel or private eye?” He laughed, “The former.” And you smiled at him as you nodded. 

They had you set up by your best time. So you would be racing with the 40s-60s. You placed forty-three, making you third in your set. Somehow, you would have to make it into this year's top twenty-two. When the first twenty finish their races, some of their times seem unreal. You gulp as you remind yourself that you only have to beat out fifty-eight racers to secure spot twenty-two. You pull your vehicles out to race next, and you hear the race official cheer, “Alright, I want a nice clean race. Remember your FIA rules. This is a no-contact sport. You will be disqualified if you do something intentionally. Do your best out there, and racers, start your engines!!” Your heart comes to life as you hear everyone’s engine roar as you press your engine on. Each racer starts at their own time. You stay for a moment, wanting the track to clear out a bit so you can get your head in the game. You only need to set your personal best. And once you lay your foot on that pedal, you better hit the metal. 

And so you do. You slam it down, easily make it around the curves, and even pass two people as you drive. Your engineer calls out for you to avoid hitting the guy coming up fast behind you. And you agree, but still try to go quicker. But they're slick as they slip past you and race ahead of others. You make it past two more racers on your first lap, coming out at '2:32.80.' You swear you were getting better times on your home track. You were getting to the 1:00s with no problem. You gasp into the mic, and your engineer goes, “Don’t lose your head. Just do this lap faster.” You do as you're told, getting out of your head, you speed around even faster, trying to set a personal best. And when you make it around, your time reads '1:59.343'. Every millisecond counts, and you look at your name to see it at the very bottom of the top twenty-two. You could live with that. All you needed was to stay in that spot, and you’d be okay. 

You come back and pit after pitting twice, once for refueling and once for tires. You pull off your helmet and cross all your appendages. Hoping and praying that somehow that time would be able to make it in. You jump out of your car before joining everyone in the garage and watch on, keeping your fingers crossed. The last twenty were up, each racing at their own pace. All it would take was one good time to beat you out. You knew it, and it terrified you, and as you sat there shaking, you felt someone place their hand on your knee. And you looked up from your internal plunder to see Hyunggu. “At least you can say you made it to the billboard, even if you don’t stay there.” You nod, and it calms you down for a moment. 

You watch as the racers return from their first lap and see their times start showing up on the board. Three racers placed in the top ten, officially sealing the deal for them. That meant you were out of the race. You hold back your tears as the rest of the racers finish up their laps. You don’t even notice you're crying until you are being pulled into multiple arms. One hands you a handkerchief, and you hold it to your face as you cry into it. It breaks your heart worse as you feel the others around you shake with their own tears. 

After fifteen minutes, you guys learn who’s in pole position. And the owner comes around to congratulate the winners. You successfully wipe your eyes and head out to congratulate them as well. Hyunggu stays behind you the whole time. His tears still streaking as you finish talking to others who have lost this year's race. One goes, “Better luck next time, huh?” The group of you laugh, “Yeah! We’ll get ‘em next time! And if we don’t. Well, we’ll just keep trying!” You laugh and wipe your eyes with your wet handkerchief. 

You head back to the garage and see everyone cleaning up. “Are you guys mad at me?” They shake their heads, and your manager answers for them, “No, honey, we’re proud of you for making it this far. Hell, you even made it on the chart for a moment.” Your engineer goes, “We’ll just have to keep training.” You nod, and they pat your shoulder as they exit, “We’ll see you again in a few months to start training.” You agree, and you walk back to your everyday car. Hyunggu has you sit in the passenger seat. And you finally crumble. It wasn’t your proudest moment. But you became inconsolable with tears and muttering. You could only put on that brave facade for so long. 

He turns on the radio and puts on your favorite sad songs. He tells you softly, “Come here,” after moving his seat backward to accommodate you. He pulls you over the console as you shake with tears. He holds you against him, and he can’t help but cry himself. It hurts him to see you so upset. He pulls out some napkins and wipes your cheeks, telling you kind and soft words. He rocks you in his arms as you mumble incoherent words. And he hums to them all. 

It takes a while for your cries to become sniffles. And for your tears to completely dry out, even though you wish to cry more. Hyunggu keeps you close through it all as you whisper little fears. He runs his hands through your hair, matching your worries with assurances. Reminding you about how loved you were, not only by him but by so many others. He lifts your chin and goes, “You know, I’ve never seen someone look so beautiful when they cry.” You sniffle, “Really?” He nods, “You’re beautiful all the time. It’s unsurprising to me that now would be any different.” You laugh, and he places a kiss on your nose. And then he kisses your cheek, your forehead, your chin, your neck, and everywhere he can reach before finally kissing your lips, making you giggle. He brings you out of your pool of sadness before setting you back onto your seat and buckling you in. “What do you say to wine and movies?” You smile softly, “I’d like that.”

He drives you back to your apartment and pulls out the wine he stored in your larder. He lets it aerate as you talk about all that could have gone better. And he nods but counters it before you can get too far deep into the rabbit hole. You do your best to hear him out, and he scoops two bowl fulls of ice cream before leading you to the couch. He brings the wine over and pours it into two glasses. He has you swirl it as he hands it to you. 

He puts on your favorite movie, and as your favorite scene comes on. Your tears have replenished, and you sob, which causes him to wrap you up in his arms as he quickly puts everything in your guy's hands down. “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.” He keeps repeating to you as you watch on, and you cry, “How can they get a happy ending?” He puts his head into your collarbone, “Well, maybe this isn’t your ending?” That shocks you enough to cause a hiccup of tears, “Wh-What?” He smiles, “You’re in the middle of the movie. You have to have your Disney heartbreak before you get your Disney ending.” You blink at him, your tears slowing to stop, and he grins, “I know it doesn’t seem like it. But this isn’t the end. This is just the beginning.” He wipes your tears as he sheds a few himself. And you quickly wipe them from his eyes. He puts his forehead against yours, “I promise. You’re okay. You’ll reach the finish line and make a faster time. I’m sure of it.” You hum, and he pulls away, “Do you still wanna continue watching this movie?” You nod, and he rewinds the movie a bit.

He tucks you into bed before climbing in, “I thought you had to be at the dorms?” He shakes his head, “You’re more important. I already texted Hui that you need me more.” You blink at him, “But you can’t miss practice!” He shakes his head, “No need to worry! I’ll be doing a late practice and taking you with me.” “Oh.” He laughs, kisses your forehead, and turns off the light, “Have sweet dreams.” You whisper, “You too.” 

Your dreams remind you of your loss, and you wake up crying. You scooted over and pushed yourself into Hyunggu's arms. He opens an eye and wraps himself around you, “You okay?” You shake your head ‘no,’ and he puts his hand on your head, “Do you want to tell me about it?” You whisper, “It was about losing the race…” “Oh…” You nod, pushing your head deeper into his chest as he holds you closer. “It’s just a reflection of reality. You’ll get them next time, I promise.” You nod, and it doesn’t take long for you to drift back to sleep cuddled into him. You dream of laying next to Hyunggu in a field of daisies, with nothing to worry or wonder about, just the two of you laughing and talking about everything. 

You wake up later in the day to find him waiting for you to wake up, “Do you want to get lunch with me?” You gasp, “Is it that late?” “It’s one in the afternoon.” “Oh, that’s fine. Let’s go.” You both get dressed and during lunch, you two cheesily drink a milkshake together, “Isn’t it like... fifty percent backwash by now?” He laughs, “I guess, but I don’t mind yours.” You laugh, reach over the milkshake, and kiss him. “Ah yeah, it’s better that way.” He giggles, “I agree.” He kisses you again, and your food comes a moment later. After lunch, he takes you to practice with him. 

You cheer him and the rest of them on, and they head to the studio later, wanting to finalize a few more things on the album itself. Hyunggu sits on your lap as they all try to fit in the tiny little studio. You laugh as the boys cry about how he was never this affectionate with him, and you stick your tongue out at them. As Hyunggu turns into Kino in the recording area, Yanan and Hongseok surround you. Hongseok speaks up first, “Hey, we heard about yesterday. Are you okay?” You look down at your hands, “I suppose so? I’m definitely not as okay as I wish to be right now.” Yanan asks, “But you did your best, right?” You nod, the two smile, and he continues, “That just means your best will get better.” You smile, and Hongseok says, “You’ll get ‘em next time. And then, when you win, we’ll do our best to attend your races.” You laugh, “Okay.” Changgu comes over, “For free, right?” You laugh even harder, “Yeah, of course, you guys are practically my boyfriend’s family.” The whole group cheered, except Hyunggu, who couldn’t hear anything behind the glass. 

You listen to his stunning voice, and he finishes quickly, joining you again, “How did I sound?” You smile, “Beautiful as always.” He grins and kisses your nose, which causes Shinwon to whine, “Cooties.” You smirk and kiss Hyunggu, “What do you call that for cooties?” Shinwon cries, ‘gross’ louder, and both of you giggle at him. And as you wait, the one and only Jinho comes in, and you jokingly salute him. And he stands at attention to do so, and you both laugh, “Good to see the soldier. Is this your goodbye track?” He nods, “Yeah, the kids complained that they’ll miss me worse if I don’t.” You smile, “As a Universe, I would too.” He laughs, “Yeah,” he turns to Hui and says, “I only have a few lines to fix, then I have to go back to base.” Hui nods, and Yuto exits the studio and joins the rest of you on the cramped couch. 

The seven of you happily listen to Jinho’s voice. Hui smiles, “I never tire of hearing his voice.” And the rest of you hum in agreement, and you cry a little as the song continues to play. Hyunggu immediately wipes your eyes, “Oh, you haven’t heard it that much…” You shake your head, “I knew it would be a goodbye song, but…” They all coo at you, and as Jinho opens the door, “Oh, I didn’t mean to make you cry!” You shake your head, “I just um… Wow, I know we get to see you a bit. But Unis, in comparison, I just, wow.” He pats your head, “You’ll be okay, kid.” You nod, and he lets the boys hug him as he leaves for base camp. “How do you guys do this with no tears?” Hui shakes his head, “I know you saw Spring Snow + Shine, so…” You sigh, “Yeah… I guess it’s a little easier now?” They nod, and Yuto says, “But we can’t help but miss him even when he’s here.” They all agree, and Jinho returns, “I forgot my hat!” And the eight of you cry, “Jinho!” And he looks at all of you, “What?” He sighs as he realizes he’ll have to do a round of hugs again. You give him one before you all give him a group hug. He mutters, “I’m going to be so late,” as he hugs back just as tightly, “Only fourteen months before we’re all back together.” You all nod and let him go this time, and he rushes to his bus.

After a few more tweaks to the songs, you head out to your cars, and when you part from Hyunggu, he asks, “You’ll be okay, right?” You nod, “If I’m not, I’ll head to the dorms.” He nods, “Okay. I’ll miss you.” You give him a soft smile as you open your car door, “I’ll miss you too. I’ll see you in two days?” He agrees and hops into the van while you head home. 

From that day forward, you take your time off seriously, working out, researching, and watching all the races to see what they did differently than you had. But that didn’t mean you weren’t spending time with the boys. Rather, that was how you spent the majority of your time. If it wasn’t night or early morning, you were following their schedules with them. It was exciting to see the finishing touches make the dance and song come to life. It went from disarray to a perfect ensemble. And you couldn’t help but clap after each practice. And before you knew it, Daisy was coming out. And you couldn’t be more excited. 

You cheered as you looked at his painting for the first time and asked him how he did it, and he happily told you his whole process. Explaining what brush stroke created, you couldn’t help but admire him as he did. “You know, you’re more beautiful than your painting.” He pouts, “What are you saying?” And you kiss his temple, “I’m saying that you made the most beautiful painting of a daisy that I’ve ever seen. But you, handsome, are more beautiful when you explain something you’ve created or are passionate about.” He blushes, “Well, I guess when you put it that way…” You shake your head, cup his face in your hands, and bring him in for a kiss. He kisses back just as feverishly. You pull away and squish his cheeks, “Yeah, you’re the finest artwork out there.” He pouts, and you giggle, “It’s even cuter when your cheeks are squished.” He gently pulls your hand away and captures you into another kiss. He pulls back to whisper, “I can’t get enough of you.” You blush, “Did anyone ever tell you that you look hot with silver hair?” He hums, “Just you so far.” You smirk as you kiss him again and pull him into your arms. 

He pulls back, “Let me put this away before we continue.” You sigh, “You’re a great killer of the mood.” He laughs, “Maybe, but I’ll bring it back up.” You raise your eyebrow, “You sure?” He smirks as he finishes putting his painting back into its spot, “Oh, I’m positive, baby.” He whisks you into his arms and kisses you deeply again. “That work?” You smirk, “I don’t know yet. I’m not entirely convinced~” He grins, “Well, I guess I’ll just have to spend all night convincing you~”

—---

While you had already heard the song a handful of times and saw how they prepared for and filmed the music video, to see the final cut and how it was compiled and edited would be different and magical. You stayed up the whole night, anticipating its release. Hyunggu stayed over at your place because it was closer to their first showcase. You had left the bed to watch it cause you didn’t want him to hear your reactions and wake up. As it drew to the last seconds and you refreshed the page, you grinned, it popped up, and clicked it. 

You smiled, seeing Kino first, and as the song faded in. You gasped. The music video made the song feel fuller, as though it were finally complete. It felt more like a tragic movie than a simple music video, and you were captivated entirely. Watching him fall back into the water as if he were drowning without his person broke your heart. And then the ending paragraph came, and you quickly scanned through it. But the line that stuck out most to you was, “Sorrow lasts a second, but what we share in our universe is eternal.” It resonated with you. It felt like your relationship with Hyunggu, how sorrow lasts a moment. While you may have lost that race a while ago, he stayed by your side. He shares all his highs and lows with you as you do with him. Because what the two of you share is forever.

You couldn’t help but hum the melody as you retired to bed. When you return, you see Hyunggu waiting for you to return. He patted your side of the bed as he told you, “I felt you leave and waited for you to come back.” You shook your head at him, “Come here, you amazing musical man.” He grinned as he scooted into your arms, “Did you like the music video?” You wrap your arms around him, “I think like is an understatement!” He laughs, “I’m glad. What was your favorite part?” You smile, “Other than your parts? Probably the ending. Especially the ending words, ‘Sorrow lasts a second, but what we share in our universe is eternal.’ Those stuck with me.” He nods, and you tell him, “Let’s get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow.” He agrees, and you shut off the lamp and settle in for the night. 

Hyunggu leaves for his rehearsals at the first stage, and you see your albums delivered. You happily opened the box and unboxed them, and to your luck, you pulled a ‘Kino’ bookmark and message card in one album. And a ‘Kino’ CD cover & photocard in the unseen version. Did you still find the Hongseok photocard and the Shinwon sticker cute? Yes, but would you be telling Hyunggu that? Not if you wanted to deal with a pouty baby. You sleeve the two cards, put the one in your binder, and replace your Universe: The Black Hall card with your newest We:th Kino card in the back of your phone. You smile and place the ‘old’ one into your Kino binder. You keep your unseen album out and head over to the showcase building. 

As you walk to the building, you spot a person selling bouquets. You grin as you pick out a beautiful one, “These have kind meanings?” The florist nods, “Yes! The pink gardenias and zinnias mixed with the red roses mean an everlasting romantic love.” You thank them as you pay for them and continue on your way. You show your badge to the security presiding outside, and the one leads you in and into the dressing room. You thank him and greet the rest of the staff on the inside. “It’s already started.” The hairstylist tells you, and you pout, “I didn’t mean to be late…” She pats your head, “It’s okay. I heard they were shipping out albums today, and seeing as you have yours, I see why you were late!” You laugh, “Yeah, I had to open them before coming!” She nods, “Did you pull a lot of Kino?” You smile, “Quite a bit! I’m just missing a sticker of his! I’ll probably have to collect a few of his preorder cards if they’re cute!” She shakes her head, “You have the real deal, though…” The makeup artist shakes his head, “If my husband were in an idol group, I’d be collecting everything of his and more!” You laugh, “He gets it perfectly!” Your conversation dies down as they start performing again. And you’re entranced as you squeeze the flowers close to you. 

When they finish the showcase and say their goodbyes, they come back to the dressing room. You greet them, and they smile, giving you small greetings, and when Hyunggu enters, you get up and present him flowers. “For you, my love.” He grins, “Thank you.” You smile and tell him, “You did well today. I’m so proud of you!” He grins and brings you in for a hug. From behind, you hear a cry of, “Where’s our hugs?!” You both laugh and part and hug them and congratulate each other for their performance. You sit back in your seat and wait for them all to collect themselves before asking, “Is there any way I can have you guys sign this lovely album?” They nod, taking turns signing it, and you thank each of them as they do. 

You come back to Hyunggu with your pen, “Mr. Kino, may I have the honors?” He laughs and teases, “But you’ve already had so many others sign your album~ Shouldn’t you only want mine?” You blink at him, “I’d only want yours on a marriage certificate.” And the other boys snicker at him, and you watch his cheeks turn red as he asks, “You want to marry me someday?” You laugh as if the answer is obvious. As he finishes signing, you tell him, “Of course I do.” He blushes, “Me too.” It was your turn to blush, and you kissed the top of his head. As you sit beside him and place the album onto your lap, Wooseok sits beside you, “Where are you going to put our signatures?” You smile, “I have this standee waiting at home on my shelf for it~” He smiles, “Oh, that’s sweet.” You nod and continue talking to Wooseok. And feel Hyunggu’s hand rub against your own, and you link your hand to his. 

When a break in the conversation happens, you sneak a smile at him. Yuto joins the conversation, and they talk about their upcoming promotions, and you listen intently and ask, “Are you guys up for an award?” They agree, “Every time we have a comeback, yeah.” You smile, “The Show, right?” They nod, and Changgu comes over, “We don’t expect anything, but we hope we gave Unis a good song.” You smile, “I think you guys did more than that.” He hums, “I guess only a universe would know~” You laugh and nod. At home, you put your album up on the shelf with pride, head to your phone, log into Star Pass, and vote continuously with the points you’ve garnered.

Time flies, and the day of ‘The Show’s’ showcase came faster than you expected. Maybe it was because of your constant voting and cheering that made time pass quicker. Or it was because you followed the same schedule as them. When they left to go somewhere, so did you, and with what little free time you had, you were voting. While, you would have voted for the beautiful song regardless if you weren’t dating a member. It felt more special because you thought you helped give him the gift he always wanted to achieve. Like how you could have gotten their albums for free, yet you still pre ordered them. You’d do anything to support him. It’s what made your guy’s relationship so special. Your endless support of each other’s dreams was unmatched. And you wouldn’t trade that devotion for the world. 

Jinho came to the pre recording of ‘The Show,’ hearing that they were up for an award. It was fun to watch them all chat and get ready to perform. The nine of them combine after some bickering. They put their hands together and cheer, “Just do it. YO!” And you grin and wish them well. While they head up to the stage, you wait in the back with Jinho. The two of you start hoping and praying that somehow they would win. “Do you think it’s possible?” He nods, “I believe in them. I know we’ve been through a lot. And we've come close before. But I’m sure this time will be different. I feel it in my bones.” You smile, “Yeah, I know I haven’t been here long with you guys or as a Universe. But I did my very best to vote and hopefully ensure one. But I think you’re right.” He smiles and nods, the two of you intently watching the eight of them perform their hearts out on stage. 

They return from the stage, and you two congratulate them on their performance. And Hyunggu rushes over, “Sweaty hug?!” You groan out, ‘No’ as he hugs you tightly. You sigh and hold him anyway, “You did well, baby.” He thanks you, and you ask, “Can I please get some Febreeze or something?” He whines but hands you some, and the staff moves around to fan and get them dry before they’re due on stage again. You hand the spray over to Jinho as he complains, “At least you only got one…” You laugh at him, “Eh, they’re happy, and that’s what matters.” He shakes his head and mumbles, “Kids…” 

They’re called up to the stage about thirty minutes later when they’re all fresh and dry to accept the award. As the last performing member exits and the door closes, you tell them, “I got flowers in my car. I’m going to run to grab them while they make announcements.” They nod, and you speed out and show your tag to each security officer. And rush to your car, pulling out a big bouquet, hoping this one would be a celebration bouquet rather than one to cheer them up. You finally make it back in time to see the announcers getting ready for them to tally up the points. 

You cross your fingers and all the appendages you can twist up in hope. You gasp as the views and preorder score pop up. Weki Meki’s and Weekly’s numbers don’t even come close to adding up to 5000. The pre-voting numbers make you slightly nervous. Weki Meki comes ahead of them by 890. But they’d have to pull off an impressive feat to beat Pentagon in the real-time voting category. You gasp as the last number and the totals come up: they won. Your eyes turn bleary as you cry, “They did it!” The two of you hug as you cheer them on from the inside. You smile as you watch them high-five and hug and listen to their speeches as tears run down your cheeks. You pat Jinho’s back, “I can’t believe they did it…” He nods, “Hyunggu told me to watch while I was away because they’d win, and they did.” You look to see his proud smile before returning your eyes to the TV screen. 

The two of you giggle as they lift Hui into the air, and their little ‘thank you’s cause you to cry more, and you give up and grab the tissue box. You wipe your eyes as you watch them. They did it, they really did it. You watch Shinwon hand Hyunggu the award and whisper, “Oh no, he’s crying…” Jinho takes his turn and pats you on the back as you cry harder. You were so thankful Shinwon and Hui were up there to hold and take care of him. You laugh through your tears as Changgu laughs at him but still helps him walk it out. They gather him and help him to the back. And you do your best to wipe your tears away and dispose of your used tissues. Jinho whispers, “I’m so proud of them.” You grin back at him as you both stand there waiting for them, “Me too.” 

When the door opens, you congratulate them all, and Hyunggu immediately wraps himself in your arms. He finally bursts into tears, and it breaks your heart into pieces. You whisper the phrases “You’ve made it,...” and “I’m so proud of you...” over and over into his ears. The boys come over to check on him every so often. And when Jinho comes over, you release him, and Jinho tells him, “You promised me, and look at you, you did it!” Which makes him start to hiccup as he finally regains his senses. 

You go over and grab the ‘large bouquet,’ which were small bouquets individually wrapped inside a large parcel as you had asked for. You hand them out, congratulating each of them on their success. In the end, you face them all except for the two in the corner and tell them, “You boys did so well. I’m so proud of you. And I know for a fact Universes have been trying to give you a win, and I’m so glad they accomplished that feat for you guys.” They thank you, and you shake your head as you tell them, “No, thank you for giving us such an amazing album.” They laugh, and you head over and hand Hyunggu and Jinho their flowers last. As you move your hand away from Hyunggu’s he grabs your pinky in his and holds it the whole time as you tell them you're proud of them. 

You leave to the couch so they can take photos, and once they change, they shout a vlive immediately, thanking all of Unis, and you couldn’t be happier as you watched both on screen and in person. The staff and you take the nine of them out on the company card and treat them to whatever they want. Hui clinks his glass and gives a huge cheer to his members, and you all clink your glasses and drink. You bring Hyunggu into you as he becomes soft and mushy about it again. And you can’t help but grin and kiss his forehead, “You’ve done wonderful, lovely. Eat the rest of your meal, okay?” He nods and does as you ask. You all have dessert and do one last hip-hip-hooray for the nine of them. 

Your training started after their promotions ended. You were on that track: rain, snow, or shine. Well, you were inside karting when it snowed or rained. But regardless, you trained as often as you could. It would get pretty tiring if you weren’t in love with the sport. That every day you woke up excited to race. But today would be different. You were acting like you were heading out to race as Hyunggu showed up. “Hey, baby, are you going out today?” You tell him you are as you tie your last shoe, “Wait for me!” You grin as you watch your boyfriend scuttle around and gather his things to head out with you. You were planning a little karting date for the past week, making sure no other drivers would be there and it would be clear outside on your date. 

You hold out your car keys to him, “Wanna drive?” He raises an eyebrow at you as you do and grins, “I wanna be the passenger this time.” He laughs and takes the car keys, “It’s not often you get to chauffeur a world-class driver.” You giggle and kiss his nose before heading to the car and opening the door, “My prince?” He grins and pops open your door as you get to the passenger's side, “Your ride awaits, your highness.” You laugh and get in, and he reaches over and clicks your seatbelt on around you. You grin as you thank him, and he pulls on his belt and takes you to the practice track. 

You both get out, and you hold back your grin as you ask, “Do you want to try karting with me?” He furrowed his eyebrows, “I can?” You laugh, “Yeah, the smaller building houses karting while the larger is for Formula cars.” He asks, “Really? You’d want to do that with me?” You laugh, “Why wouldn’t I?” He shrugs, “I thought it was only big leagues allowed here.” You shake your head, “Well, when others are here, yeah.” He raises his eyebrow, “Are we gonna get caught?” You shake your head, “They already know.” He gasps, “You planned this?” You nod, “Yeah… For about a month now.” He smiles, and you continue, “Also, it’s not illegal. Just would be a little dangerous since you’re new, and the people here would run circles around you.” He pouts at that, and you shake your head, “I just mean they’re trained professionals.” He agrees, and you capture his hand in yours, “And lastly, I think it’d be fun to show you the ropes and everything I do. Like how you’ve shown me.” He smiles, bringing your hands up, and places a kiss on top of yours, “I’d love that.”

You get him outfitted into a helmet and mic, “This part kind of reminds me of my career.” You nod, “Well, if we wish to talk on the track, it’s a lot easier this way. And I’m not allowing you to race without safety.” He raises an eyebrow, “Have you raced without safety?” You shrug, “By myself, yes, once or twice when I’ve forgotten. With others, no, I don’t want a head injury.” His eyes go wide at that, “You mean?” You nod, “Yeah, it’s possible karting, but we won’t be doing anything risky, so no need for concerns.” He lets out a sigh of relief, “Good.” You ruffle his hair before he puts on his helmet. You ask, “Alright, lift your visor for me.” You grin, “I just wanted to see your pretty eyes.” He smiles and lifts yours, “Yours are pretty, too.” You blush and shake your head, “Okay, I’ll explain the rules and how to drive it. But follow me the first time around the track, and I promise you’ll get the hang of it from there.” 

You explain it all to him before shutting your visors and showing him around the track, and he eventually gets the hang of the gas and brake. “You got it?” He holds his hand out and shakes it as if to say, ‘So-so’. You nod, “Wanna drive beside me?” He nods, “I’d like that.” You take him around the track with you. You whisper, “It’s kind of fun to be beside you like this.” And you hear him hum before he says, “I see why you love it. When I’m beside you, it’s a lot more fun.” You smile, “Karting with you is fun.” You go through the track together, and he has a better time handling it. You ask him if he wishes to race against you this time, and he agrees. 

You two race around for a few rounds, with you coming in first with ease. This track has become etched in the back of your mind with how many times you’ve raced it. You speed around and giggle as you hear his laughter as he’s managed to get in front of you. You smile to yourself. Doing this for fun always reminds you of your zest for it. You cackled as you bumped into him again, “Hey! No excessive bumping! This isn’t bumper cars!!” You make an ‘L’ with your fingers at him and jeer, “Loooooseerrr!” And zoom past him and cross the finish line again. You wait for him to return and see the pouty baby, and you giggle and pull him into a small hug, “Aw, come here, you’re my favorite loser.” He whines at that as you pull away, “You have years on me in this!” You giggle and make a cute gesture, “I know, just like how you have years on me as a singer.” Seeing his window of opportunity, he hits the gas, “Catch me if you can~” You shake your head and let him have his five-second head start. You decide on taking it slow behind him, maybe a turn away from where he is. And he gets this determined look on his face as you grow nearer. 

You grin, realizing he’s feeling the need for speed, and start to tail him, making him go around faster. He starts snaking so you can’t go around him, and you laugh. “You know that’s an illegal move~” “You didn’t say so until after we started, so it’s not a rule~” You shrug, “Fair enough.” You rev your kart behind him every time he slows down, which has him snake around faster. You slow down around a turn to see how quickly he’d make it to the finish line. And you grin as you see him speed to the checkered line. You speed up behind him, “You beat me!” You cheer, and he chuckles, “I did!” You ask, “You know what winners get?” “A kiss?” You nod, pull up next to him, and lift your helmet off to see he’s patiently waiting. You shake your head at him before pulling him in for a kiss. “One more round?” He nods, and you smile, “Let’s race together?” He nods, and you pull on your helmet again, and you make little vrooming noises in the mic, which causes him to laugh as the two of you take off again.

After finishing your last race together, you put your carts, helmets, and padding in their rightful spots. You head over to the lights and turn them off one by one. You whine, “I hate this part.” He laughs, “I can see why. It gives backroom vibes.” You groan, “Yeah, exactly.” You both rush to the big door, “Alright, time to lock up.” You turn off the last light and get out into the night air. You lock the door, and he wraps his arm around you, “This was a pleasant surprise.” 

You smile and wrap your arm around his waist, “I was hoping you’d like it.” He nods, “It’s just as fun as watching you race.” “You think so?” “Seeing you have fun and live your dream is thrilling to me. But karting with you today gave me a taste of the dream you follow. And it’s wonderful.” You smile, and the two of you walk back to your car. And you drive you both back home, “Do your legs feel like jelly?” He laughs, “Very much so. Is this normal?” You grin, “Yeah, but you get used to it, especially because it doesn’t compare to the speeds of the cars I usually drive.” He nods, “Makes sense.” 

—--

You continue your practice racing, but every once in a while, when all the drivers have left. And Hyunggu was the only one in the stands. After practicing, you’d head and do a few rounds of karting together. The joy of seeing him get his first ‘real’ win felt unbelievable, and you couldn’t believe he had beaten you. You could have chalked it up as being distracted because of his charms. But really, he had just learned your tricks from watching you every day. “I’m proud of you, baby!” He boasted about it on his social media, and you took photos of him being so triumphant. You couldn’t help but feel proud as you had taught him everything. 

He asked while you were going home that day, “You know how you let me kart with you? Maybe someday I can get your vocals on an album?” You blushed, “You’d like my vocals on an album? But you’ve heard my voice…” He shakes his head, “I love your voice. I like hearing it when you sing softly along to our songs or the radio. It’s pleasant. Of course, you never have to if you don’t want to. But if you’d like and the opportunity comes, I’d love to have your voice on one of my tracks.” You nod and tell him, “Maybe someday… I’m glad we can share our careers with each other.” He smiles and places his hand over yours, “Me too.”

—---

It felt unbelievable to believe you were back here on this track again. Hyunggu holds your hand the whole way up to the garage. You had practiced the entire night, only going home when Hyunggu phoned you through the mic to go home. You were so nervous that you barely slept. You didn’t want a repeat of last year and worried throughout the night, even with him beside you. He pats the top of your hand, “You got this baby. I know you do, you’ve trained harder, and you know this track this time.” You gulp, “Are you sure?” He stops you halfway to your team and puts his hands on your shoulders, “I’ve never been more sure of something or someone than I am of you right now.” You lock eyes with him, “You mean it?” He nods, “With every fiber of my being.” You wrap your arms around him, “Thank you. I’m gonna win today.” He chuckles, “I know you will, baby.” 

He was right. You knew the track, and you were more prepared. You spent your first practice run jogging your memory of each curve. And you felt more confident with each one you took. When your second practice run began, you did as if you were qualifying. As you return to the finish line, you see your clock, the time reads back ‘1:47.03’, and you hear your race engineer go, “You can shave that down. I know you can.” And you agree as you pull back into the pit. “You ready to show them who you are out there?” You nod at your race engineer, and he smiles, ���I believe in you.” You smile, and Hyunggu comes over with a big grin, “You did so well, baby!!” You tease, “Maybe it’s because I had to finally challenge myself in karting~.” He laughs, “I don’t think so. But I love the thought, baby. Now, go out there and knock ‘em dead. Or drive faster than them, whatever works.” You laugh at that and blow him a kiss before he heads off. 

Unlike the last race, you were in spot twenty-five to start, an incredible placement as opposed to last time. When they call for the twenties to thirties to race, you strap in and wait for the signal. You exit the pit and stop at the line momentarily before barreling down the track. You took the turns more sharply but just as safely as your coach called out the shots. You listened to them as if they were second nature, “Coming up on your left!” You nod and see the car catching up to you, and you shake your head, “Do I have leverage up on the right?” “Yeah! Gun it!” You gas and spin the wheel quickly to make a faster turn, leaving the competitor in the dust. You let out a huff and make it back to the line. The numbers read back to you, “1:38.34”. You scoff, catch your breath, and see your competitor come up beside you and quickly start their second race. You hold back for another moment, wanting a clear track for at least two curves. 

“Ready, (Y/n)?” “As I’ll ever be.” And with that, you punch it, going faster than you last had, wanting desperately to make it and stay on the board. Unlike last year, there would only be twenty spots, and you were determined to be one of the twenty. You gulp as you reach the finish line and speed up even faster. “Come on, come on, come on!” You cry as you cross the finish line, and the numbers flash, “1:30.985.” You gasp. You shaved seventeen whole seconds off of your original time, and you can’t help but cheer as you pit. “I think I may have it this time!” The crew all cheers as you get out and wait. Hyunggu wraps you up in a hug and excitedly says, “Let’s watch!” You nod and watch the screens as everyone whizzes by. You hear, “Was it easier this time?” One of the members who changes tires asks. And you nod, “Yeah, knowing the track helped.” They pat your back, “I believe we’ll make it this time.” You smile and start silently praying that you will. 

You get booted from the top ten and let it roll off your shoulders. One day, you’d make it into the top ten with ease. When the last racer finishes their laps, you gasp, “I’m still in…” It stuns you as you look at the screen in shock and hear everyone erupt into cheers, “You’re in spot sixteen!” They pick you up and lift you into the air, “We’re going to the Grand Prix!!” You can’t believe your ears, your biggest dream since you were little, and you were about to live it. You didn’t even realize you were crying until you were put back onto the cement again. You hear cheers of ‘We’re so proud of you!’ ‘We made it!’ and ‘That’s our racer!’ but all you see is Hyunggu. He picks you up and spins, “You’re going to be a Grand Prix racer! I’m so proud of you! I knew you could do it!” You wipe the tears from your eyes as you thank him. 

You head and thank the other racers who didn’t make it to the Grand Prix for racing with you today. And some of them congratulate you because they met you last year. You head out to the racer’s circle, “You twenty are going to be racing the next twelve races together.” You gulp, and the track owner asks, “Is anyone new to the Grand Prix?” Although he wasn't trying to single anyone out. Alas, he does. And you wave your hand, “Our only newcomer this year! Well, you already know what it takes to get here. But please get to know your fellow racers and good luck!” You smile and get accustomed to the other nineteen. And they welcome you in, and the one goes, “I can’t guarantee we’ll be friendly out there to you. We’re all trying to win, after all. But we do fight fair.” “Welcome to the big leagues, kid!” You laugh, “Thanks, but isn’t that what they say in baseball?” He nods, “Yeah, but we say it here too.” You smile, get to know the racers, pose for the camera, and introduce your car. 

And go about the mini-press meetings. One of the racers, Carlos, says, “This will get easier by the second race.” You sigh, “I hope so, 'cause I have a lot of nerves right now.” He pats your back, “I promise, their questions will pertain more to your car and racing capabilities the longer the races go on.” You nod, “That’ll be easier.” He nods, heads to his car, and chats more to the presses. You find your way back, “I don’t know how you deal with that constantly.” Hyunggu looks over to the crowd of mics and cameras, “We’re trained on how to talk to them early on. So, it’s not as hard.” You laugh, “I wish. I just did my best out there.” He smiles, “That’s all anyone can ask.” He kisses your forehead, “So, do you want to go out and celebrate?” You grin, “I’d love to.” 

The crew was already out celebrating, seeing as they had more to prepare for the upcoming twelve races than you did. “When will you be back?” You look at the chart they sent you, “After March fifteenth... And to officially stay at home? Not until November.” He nods, “We’ll be away from each other for a long time…” You sigh, “But I’ll always be a phone call away, I promise.” He nods, “I’m going to miss your first race, aren’t I?…” You nod solemnly, “I know it’s okay… I think I’ll miss your performances, new album…” He sighs, “Yeah, that’s going to be hard.” You grasp his hands in yours, “It’s going to be okay. You can watch me on your TV race, and I can watch you on mine in the hotel perform your heart out.” He gives you a small smile, “I’ll try to make it to one of your races.” You squeeze his hands, “I’ll try to make it to one of your performances.” 

As you pack your last things to head out onto the plane, Hyunggu comes over, “I’m going to miss you.” You sigh, “I’m going to miss you too.” He nods and helps you sort the last few of your things. You zip up your suitcase as you sit in front of him. He grabs your hands, “What’s wrong?” You sigh, “We won’t be able to be there for each other this time around.” He nods, “I’ve been thinking about that too…” You nod, “I know we have our staff and friends, but I don’t know… It’s just not going to be the same.” He nods, “You’re a constant presence in my life. It’ll be weird to be apart.” You interlock your hands, “I know we’ll be fine on our own. And that being apart is good for a healthy relationship to flourish. But I really wish to be by your side.” He squeezes your hands in his, “I wish we could stay like this for longer.” You sigh and look at his candy-floss pink hair, “I can’t believe you’re pink, and I’ll get to miss a majority of it…” He laughs, “I’ll be missing you in that uniform.” “Kang…” He smirks, “How long before you need to be at the airport?” You look at the clock before smirking, “A few hours.” And he captures your lips in his, “Let’s make the most of it, shall we?” 

—---

You arrived in Melbourne and settled in for the next two days, seeing sights and getting used to the climate. As you were on your way to Australia, Pentagon dropped their new album, and you listened to it. You loved the whole album and told Hyunggu happily about each track when you landed. When the race drew closer, they allowed all the racers to start practicing on the track. The songs were so catchy that even with the roar of your engine, you could hear them as you whipped around curves and learned the road. It was good enough fuel to keep you racing. 

Off the track, you spend the majority of your time watching their music videos, behind-the-scenes, and stages. Hyunggu texts you when he finishes his last interview of the day, and you call him up, “I miss you so much.” And he sighs out the same, “I feel like a piece of me is missing without you here.” You agree, and he asks you about your day, and you tell him about how the track feels and how fast your times were. He was proud of you for having good times, and you asked him to tell you about his day. And his day started at three in the morning and didn’t finish until six in the afternoon. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” He hums, “No, I’d rather talk to you.” You sigh, “I’d rather talk to you too… But baby, your sleep means more to me than that. So, go to bed, it’s okay. I’ll be here for you to talk to tomorrow.” You can almost hear the pout in his voice as he says, “Okay…” You smile, and you tell each other your goodbyes. 

You slept restlessly, tossing and turning, knowing that tomorrow was the big day. And not having Hyunggu to calm you down drove you insane. Even the teddy bear he gave you wasn’t enough. You were so thankful for the morning to come as you got ready. Hyunggu called you up, “Today’s the big day!” You gulped, “Yeah…” He reapproaches that subject, “You nervous for today?” You softly agree, and he says, “I know you have numerous reasons to be nervous, but I’ll cheer you on no matter what happens. I know you’re an amazing racer. You just need to show them.” You smile, “You think so?” He chuckles, “Think? I know you are, dear. Do you want me to talk to you all the way there?” “Yeah, if you could… It would take my mind off of it. Tell me about everything.” He fills you in on everything from the stage lights to the eating habits of Hui’s dog, Happy. It keeps you calm as you're driven to the event. 

“And then, because Wooseok was messing with Changgu, Yanan moved his chair slightly to the left!” “What?” “Yeah! And when he went to sit on the chair and slipped right out of it 'cause it wasn’t where it was!” You laugh, “You boys certainly get up to madness.” He laughs, “Oh, I have more stories if you have time!” You smile, “I have time for one more.” You leave the car and head to the garage where the rest of your crew is, politely greeting them while listening to Hyunggu tell you about everything happening in Dorm A. He finishes as you sit down, “I’m at the garage… I’ve loved listening to you…” “But you have to go?” You hum, and he says, “I love you, baby. Go get ‘em!” You smile, “I love you too, and I’ll do my best.” “That’s all I ask.” You say your last goodbyes and hang up. 

You get suited up and get good coaching from your crew members. “You’ll do just fine. Just listen to the car and your engineer, okay?” You agree, and they pat you on the back before helping you into the car. They have you do two practice rounds before they start qualifying. You make it through the first round and make spot eighteen. It made your nerves itch. It was close to the end. But your team still cheered you as you returned, “It’ll be okay. It’s your first race in the Grand Prix. Hell, it’s our first race, too. So just do your best.” You agree, wait for them to call the racers, and do your best to calm your nerves. You calm down after qualifying and get into spot eighteen. When the race portion starts, the first thirty minutes fly by. You did everything to stay in your original position, but once you lost that position, you quickly lost the nineteenth.

They ate you alive out there… They were kind people off the track, but they weren’t kidding when they said they weren’t going easy on you just because you were new. You did everything right. Your car was in mint condition, and you sped around the curves, even with those two practice rounds. But it wasn’t enough. You came up short. For the longest time, you couldn't even see number nineteen, let alone its bumper. But at the end of the last five laps, you could see their bumper. You couldn't get around them even if you wanted to, and your engineer calmed you down from above, “You’re doing as good as you can. This is all new to you. It’s okay to come in last. Someone always has to. This time it’s you. Maybe next time it won’t be.” You agreed, and in the end, you ended up beside the car in front of you. At least you accomplished that small feat. You could only hope to grow better. 

------

You call Shinwon up, knowing he’d be able to keep the secret of you being able to make it to one of their performances. “We’ll be performing on M Countdown on the first. You’d have to be in the back by 3 a.m. That’s when we’re going to be arriving.” You agree wholeheartedly, and he goes, “We watched you race, by the way.” “We?” He chuckles, “All of us did. We were cheering you on the whole time.” You don’t let any tears spill as you thank him, “You did well for your first race in the Grand Prix.” You sigh, “Last place?” He says, “Yeah, it means you got nowhere to go but up from here.” Your tears leave your eyes as you whisper, “I guess you’re right…” 

“You want me to transfer you to Hyunggu?” You mumble a ‘yes’, and he shuffles on the other end as you do your best not to cry, “Console your lover, man.” You let out a light laugh as Hyunggu’s voice rings through, “You okay?” You shake your head and remember he can’t see it as you whisper, ‘No’. “Oh, baby, why are you crying?” You whisper, “Shinwon has some kind words…” He laughs, “Yeah, he can probably make a building cry with his kindness.” You sigh out a laugh and say, “Yeah…” “What did he say?” “That I got nowhere to go but up.” He smiles, “Well, he’s right. We watched you race, and you were driving well, but the other racers had you because you were new to their racing styles. All you have to do is adjust, and I promise you, you’ll have it.” 

He was right, and at your next race in Sakhir, Bahrain, you proved you were a racer worthy of being up in the ranks of Formula One. You made it to seventeenth place. It took everything out of you. But you were so proud of yourself, and as you sat in a diner with the rest of the crew, Hyunggu congratulated you. And you heard the rest of the group in the background cheering for you, and it warmed your heart. Your handling was well. And you were getting used to the races, the racers, and everything. It’s exactly how you hoped. Maybe you weren’t winning, but you were driving in the Grand Prix, and that’s what you wanted. 

The next morning, as you were finishing packing to head home for at least a few days, your manager reminded you, “Remember, by the tenth, you have to be ready to fly out to Shanghai.” You nod and thank them, “I’ll see you then.” They laugh, “You’ll see me on the eleventh. I’ll be in Shenzhen until then.” You smile, “That sounds wonderful, enjoy your time!” “You too!” You head to the airport, excited to go home. You sleep the whole way there on the plane and take a cab home, not wanting Hyunggu to know you were back yet. You pick up your packages from the mailbox and cheer, “My albums!” And quickly rush up the stairs before unpacking some souvenirs and other little items you got along the way. 

You spend the next day resting and getting used to your apartment again. But when it strikes 2 a.m., you text Shinwon asking if he can ask their manager to sneak you in. And he texts back, “He said yeah.” And a half hour later, you were in the car, “So how’s your racing life?” You smile, “It’s getting better.” “I watched your recent race on and off again. You did well.” “Thank you.” “Where’s your closest race?” “Suzuka, Japan, on the seventeenth of September.” “Oh, that’s a long time from now.” You nod solemnly, “But my next race is Shanghai!” “Oh, where Yanan is from!” You smile, “Yeah!” He pulls into the parking space, “You got your badges, right?” You nod, “They’ll let you in with no problem. I already informed them.” “Thank you for everything.” He smiles, and you get out and wave goodbye. 

You walk in, scan your security tag, and talk to a few people as they lead you to Pentagon’s dressing room. You thank them and see a few of the stylists, “I didn’t expect to see you so soon!” You laugh, “Surprise!” She laughs, “Here to surprise Kino and them?” You nod, “Well, all except Shinwon, he helped me organize this.” She smiles, “It’ll be a lovely surprise then.” You smile and order breakfast for everyone while you wait. It arrived fast, considering it was from the inner cafe, which was currently bustling with orders. 

You wait for the door to open and wave to the incoming boys. When Hyungggu comes in, you open your arms wide for him, “(Y/n)?! What are you doing here?” Hyunggu rushes into your open arms. You giggle as you wrap your arms around him. “I wanted to surprise you.” He nuzzles his face into your collarbone, “Best surprise ever.” You smile as you reach up and run your hands through his pink hair. “I’m glad you like it.” You eventually pull away and thank Shinwon, who shrugs and says, “It’s the least I could do.” You smile and greet the rest of them. Ensuring they all have something on their stomach before getting their makeup applied. 

“You know the best thing about having at least seven other members…” “Hmm?” He smiles, “I get more time to spend with you while I wait for an empty spot.” You laugh, “It is nice.” He leans his cheek against your arm, and you pull out your phone to watch videos together while you wait. He kisses you as he’s called to put his makeup on, and you put your phone down to watch them pretty him up. You make faces at him as they put lipstick on him, and he scrunches his nose up, trying his best not to laugh. And you grin as you make one last face, and he lets out a slight giggle as they move the brush away from him.

Yanan comes over with a smile, “I heard your next race is supposed to be in Shanghai…” You smile, “Yeah, I’m very excited about it. Do you have any suggestions of where I should visit there?” He lights up as he tells you about his hometown. You hang onto his every word and make mental notes on places to visit. As they’re called up to the stage, you tell him, “Feel free to text me more if we don’t get time to talk after this!” And he grins, “I will!” While they’re still in your head, you write some of the things he talked about. While you wished you could spend it with them, you knew the reality. And while you and Hyunggu had made it public to the media that you were together not too long ago. It still wouldn’t make the timing any better. 

You cheered them on as you watched them perform, your heart enamored by the song, seeing it more in person than before. As you wait for them to return, you ask if they have anything after this. The staff shakes their heads, “Probably resting. They have to do this tomorrow, too.” You nod, and in come the boys. You grin as you tell them they all did a fantastic job as they wait around for the call-back to do the actual recording. 

You hand Hyunggu tissues as he talks to you about your career. You shrug and tell him since you’re still starting out in the big leagues, it’s a lot to wrap your head around. And he pats your knee, “But you’ve gotten better. You just placed 17th not too long ago. That’s better than before!” You smile, “Yeah, I hope by the last race of the season, I'll be able to pull off a win.” He nods, “I know you’ll work hard until you do.” You smile, and he kisses your cheek and giggles. “You got a glossy mark on you now.” You flip your phone camera to see that he’s right. “You have to reapply your lipstick and gloss now…” He laughs, “Already had to.” You shake your head and wear it happily as he bounds into the chair. 

When he finishes the live recording and changes into his regular clothes, you ask if he can go home with you. And the others agree you have the managers escort you back, dropping you two off first before they head to drop the rest of them off. Changgu asks as you get out, “When will we see you next?” You sadly smile, “As soon as I can make time, but the next few races are a little close for a break…” He nods, “We’ll take care of Hyunggu until you return.” You put your pinky out to him and ask, “Promise?” He smiles and wraps his pinky around yours as he promises to take care of Hyunggu. “You’ll take care of yourself out on that track too.” You nod as you promise to do that, too. And with that, the door closes, and the two of you head up to your apartment. 

You ask on your way up, “Do you want to open albums with me?” He asks, “Which artist’s album did you buy?” “Yours.” He blushes, “Why?” You roll your eyes and sarcastically say, “Well, I want to be able to giggle over Yuto’s handsome pictures to someone…” Which immediately causes him to pout, and you push his arm, “I can’t wait to see how handsome you look, and I can’t wait to kiss you every time I find you handsome.” He grins and squeezes your hand as you open your apartment door, “I like that idea.” And you do just that, hiding the inclusions from yourself as you look through the photobook. You kiss his cheek every time you find him good-looking, “I never understood the appeal of someone blowing bubblegum bubbles until today!” He hides his face in your shoulder, “Baby…” You shrug, “It’s the truth! Remind me to get some bubblegum for you.” He groans, and you smirk, “Huh? Are we getting shy now?” He whines even more, and you pull him to face you, “You’re so beautiful, my love.”

When you pull away, he goes, “Thanks for the reminder…” You smile, and he wraps his arm around your waist as you pull out the photocards. Not one Kino. Which causes you to pout, “I thought you were supposed to make all my album pulls…” And he goes, “Maybe you pulled me as the poster?” And you nod as you pull away the cover to reveal Hui. “My favorite version, and I can’t pull my man… What luck…” He runs his fingers through your hair, “But you have the real deal.” You glance at him and mumble, “I guess,” which causes him to pout right back at you. You put the album aside before opening the sporty version and have better luck. 

And you do! You pull his poster, and that’s it… You pout over at him again, and he kisses your pout away. Although you happily keep the ones you’ve pulled, at least until you can trade for Kino’s. With the mild version, you open it up full of hope. You groan, “You look good in suspenders…” He laughs, “I guess?” You nod, “You do.” He smiles, and you look to see your CD case, says Wooseok. And that your cover is Yeo One, but then you squeal as you check the photocards to see you pulled not one but two Kino’s! “I was hoping I’d pull one of your cards!” He grins, and you kiss him, “Now I got something new to put in my phone case!” He smiles as you switch out your we:th card for your favorite mild card. You give him one last kiss, “Thanks for packing this one at least!” He shrugs, “I didn’t, but I was hopeful you’d pull a card of me.” You smile, and he asks for you to take a photo with him as you start putting your albums back together. 

“Why?” He smiles, “I want a new lock screen.” You laugh and pose with him cutely, and he kisses your cheek as you smile, and he goes, “Perfect.” He quickly sets it as his new photo, and you get up and put your albums and photocards away. “What do you say to some takeout?” You grin, “Good enough for me!”

—---

After a few days of relaxing, you were on the next flight out, but Hyunggu saw you off before you went. The media after you both like flies, but you didn’t bat an eye as you gave him a tight hug before checking into your flight. You saw as many sites as Yanan had listed and told him what you thought of each place. And he grinned as you sent him pictures, “It’s practically like being home.” You smiled and sent him some more before you were behind the wheel. You called Hyunggu on the way and talked to him about China and how lovely it was before strapping in and getting ready for the race. “You’ll only get better with time, I promise, my love.” You thank him for his advice as you hang up and hand your phone over. It was different not to have him walk you up and console you in person. But you supposed it would have to do. You put on your helmet and flicked it on before beginning the race and placing 18th, one placement lower than last. You sighed heavily as you got back to the pits, ashamed. They cheered you up, “You’re going to have good days and bad. Let’s pray that the next ones will be better.” And so you do. Even if it seemed silly, it still gave you some hope. 

It took several races to break the mold of being in the teens. At your race in Spielberg, Austria, you cried as you crossed the finish line. Your whole crew started cheering for you over the mic, happily congratulating you as you did. You made 10th place for the first time, and you all celebrated with a good drink. And from there, you only did better, gaining 8th at the next. And while a minor accident had led to you being in 4th at the next race, you still couldn’t believe your eyes. You did worse in Italy with 6th place, but considering it was in the tens, you couldn’t be more proud. You called Hyunggu after every race, and he celebrated every single one of your victories, and you encouraged him to continue working hard. While you couldn’t be together physically, knowing you always had each other’s support made the difference.

The next race is like a whirlwind, in the closest race you’ve raced the whole season. You placed third in Singapore. You get cheers from all of your crew. You get to be in the winner’s circle for the first time. And you laugh as you watch your fellow racer get sprayed with champagne, and you hope one day you'll experience that as you head off the pitch. You’re on the line with all of Pentagon as they cheer you on. Yuto goes, “Jinho and Hui wish for you to know they’re very proud of you too!” You grin and thank them as Hyunggu takes over and tells you how much he loves you. And how he thinks you're the 'coolest racer in the world.' And how he can’t wait to see how you’ll place in the next race if this is anything to go by. You grin as you thank him and head home, smiling the whole way to bed. 

—---

It’s seven a.m. in Suzuka, and the birds are chirping. It looks as beautiful as it sounds out there. You wonder if today will be your lucky day as you wipe your eyes. Maybe a peaceful morning would be the perfect way to spend it. After all, you have three hours before you need to be at the track. That’s until you get the call from your race engineer, “Hey, can you be out here early?” You sigh, the idea of a relaxing morning ripped away from you immediately, “Can I get a shower in before then?” He agrees, “Yeah, of course, but before nine.” You agree, groaning as you get off the call and fight your way out of the comfy bed. After a vicious battle with the blankets, you get prepared for the day. 

You walk into the pit and see your race engineer who stops you, “I’m glad you could make it this early.” You nod, “What’s it all about?” He looks down at his shoes before looking at you, “Maybe you should head into the garage…” His face doesn’t give any clues, so you assume the worst. Your car’s engine has exploded, and they don’t have a spare, which sounds outlandish to your rational mind, but it’s the only idea popping up. So, when you walk through the side entrance to see it’s pitch black, you don't know what to think. You squint as you search for the light switch, “Why the hell did he turn it off…” You flick it on and see your boyfriend and friends all happily sitting there and waiting for you. You break out into sobs, and they immediately wrap you up into a group hug.

Hyunggu asks softly, “Oh, why are you crying?” Just for him to hiccup and cry, too, which causes the softer-hearted members to cry as they hold you closer. Well, the best that they can since it is seven people surrounding one. When they break away, your tears slowly stop. And they ruffle your hair. “I’m so happy to see you all…” They all say their various agreements, and Hyunggu kisses your forehead and wipes your cheeks of any remnants of tears. “How the hell did you guys get a day off…” Hongseok answers for them all, “We’re quite persuasive, and also, Hyunggu wouldn’t stop crying to them about you.” He pouts, “I was not crying.” The others laugh, “Yeah, sure... that’s not what you were doing.” You look into his eyes and ask, “You did this for me?” He nods, “Of course I would.” You push your head into his chest as you shake with more tears. 

When you finally collect yourself, they ask you to teach them about the car. And so you do. You have them get in and try sitting in it. They do their best to get a feel for it, and you laugh as they tell you it’s uncomfortable to sit in, and you shrug, “It’s made for me. It’s not supposed to be comfortable for anyone else.” They nod, and you show them some background things and how it’s supposed to work. Your manager comes in, “Oh when he said there were a lot of people back here, I didn’t think he meant your friends.” You all laugh, and they say, “We got thirty minutes until qualifying.” You pout, “Really?” They nod, “Sorry.” You sigh, “Well, where are you guys sitting?” They tell you about the VIP rooms they secured, and you go, “You could have just asked me?” Hyunggu shakes his head, “Wouldn’t have been quite a surprise then?” You laugh, “I guess not.” The others wish you well, and before Hyunggu leaves, he kisses you before saying, “Do your best out there?” “Always. I love you.” He grins, “I love you more.” He races off to follow the others, and you get suited up for the race with ten minutes to spare. 

As qualifying finishes, you place eleventh, which is a neutral position. Not giving you any indications of how it’ll end, but you don’t mind. You have your tires changed out for mediums as you return, “Yeah, I think for this track, it’d be better to get soft last.” You converse with them and see a colorful crew sitting in the back. You remember who’s there, and without a second thought, you fly out of the car, so excited to see them all again. “It’s wild to see you guys. I just can’t believe my eyes.” They laugh and sweep you up into another hug as you all converse. 

You spend your time with them until you both have to leave. You get into race mode while they get into cheerleader mode. You nearly cry as they give you a “Just do it. Yo!” send-off. You settle back into your car, and if you were Lighting Mcqueen, you’d be giving yourself the ‘I am speed’ chant as you place your helmet on again. Rather, you’re humming the lyrics to ‘Just Do It Yo’ as you strap yourself into the seat. You get taps onto your helmet as well wishes.

Everyone brings themselves onto the track in their positions, and you sigh as you wait for them to signal you to start your engine again. You hear your engineer’s gentle encouragement as you look around at the other cars. You look up as best you can to see the stand your favorite people are in, and while you can’t see them, you can only imagine them fogging up the windows and watching. Maybe even eating the food from the stands below. You start your engine on cue and hear over your mic, “On your mark, get set, go!” 

You waste no time snaking side to side, getting your tires into the feel of the road. It isn’t until you hit that first curve that everyone starts zooming, and you’re right alongside them. In no time, you make tenth, and you can’t help but pat yourself on the back. Each lap draws you closer to the next car you speed around and eventually end up in ninth. You don’t hold back, not that you did before, but now, you have a reason to win. Maybe it was an inner show-off thing. But with your friends and boyfriend watching. You couldn’t help wanting to win even more. “And when you make this turn, you’ll be able to secure spot seven.” You agree as you gas it even further and speed around the curve. If this were an average car, you’d flip over as both accelerations changed, but you don’t let it phase you as you spin around the curve and into seventh place.

You let out a sigh of relief. Still, another thirty laps to go, and you were making good timing. You can’t see the cars in front of you just yet, so you do your best to start catching up to them. You close the gap with twenty-three more laps to go. Behind sixth, with seventh place far behind you now. You listen to your engineer make moves for you and execute them without problems as you slip in between the sixth and the red-and-white striped line. It was a little daring, but if your engineer cleared it. It was fine. After that, you take your pit stop before returning to the track. Thankfully, in front of seventh.

You watch as the fifth is doing everything to keep in that spot as they cut the corners tighter and do their best to stay right in front of you. You glare, not seeing an opening. That opening doesn’t come for another four laps. And when your engineer sees it, he has you seize it. You have no thoughts except winning on your brain as you start gaining on fourth. It takes a whole lap to catch up with them, but when you do, you waste no time as you cross the line again and take the lead in front of them. The first three were close to encountering the twentieth car as you came up behind them. 

You gulp, wanting this to go easier, and eventually, the car in the twentieth position manages to escape their grip. Making one last obstacle you’d have to encounter to become first place. It takes forever to sneak in between the third and second, and even then, she’s right on your tail. You finally lose her on lap forty, but you still have to beat second to be head-to-head with first. This would be your first-place win if only you can manage it. 

Your engineer encourages you with every step before he goes, “Hey, (Y/n), you’re going to want to hear this, don’t worry if needed, I’ll transfer the lines back, but listen to this-” And you hear the line transfer over and hear Hyunggu cheering, “Look at them go! That’s my lover, that’s my everything!!” If your heart was a little bit more fragile, you’d cry. You make moves to pass the car in front of you as he cheers, “Yeah, cut around in front of them! You got this! I believe in you!” You grin and whisper, “I’ll see you at the finish line.” He gasps, “You could hear me?” You laugh and tell him you can, and he says, “I’ll see you when you win, baby.” And with that, it transfers to your race engineer, “One more car, and you’re in the lead!” You smirk, “I know. We’re going to win today.” You hear him chuckle, “Yes we are, now gas it, and give ‘em hell, kid.” And you follow along like it’s second nature, gaining on the Ferrari-Mercedes. 

They take a tight right turn, cutting you off from speeding below him. You scoff as you follow behind them, looking for an opening, willing to take any risk if it means the big reward. And with it drawing down to the last three laps, you had to make your move, and now… You gulp as you hear, “Now!” Without a second thought, you nail it, pushing your car harder than before as you speed around them. It was terrifying. More so than the last because now you’re in the lead. If this were Mario Kart, there would be shells and hellfire raining on you right now. You sigh as your race engineer cheers you on, “Okay, just keep this up for…” As you pass the finish line again, he goes, “Two laps!” You hold back your smile, knowing if you start feeling giddy now, you'll blow the whole race. 

You don’t hesitate gaping yourself from the rest of the racers. You end up behind the twentieth car again. Who’s told over their mic to let you pass, and you do, you feel a little bad about it. But if it meant another car between you and second, then you’d take it. You pass the line again, “Last lap!” you both cheer in unison as you race around the track, eventually seeing nineteenth as you take the final curve to the finish line. And you almost can’t believe your eyes as you see the checkered flag signaling your win. You fly through not believing your eyes. The rest of the cars finish the laps they’re on before you start your lap of victory. You engineer joining the boys in their air-conditioned room. You start hearing all their cheers. You grin as you finish your lap and park your car on the finish line, excitement riddling your bones. Today marks your first big win in Formula One. You get out of your racecar as a crowd of people starts gathering around you. You stand up on top of it, raise your arms above your head, and let out a victory cheer.

You pull off your helmet and place it on the roof, catching a puff of pink in the crowd. You grin as you see Hyunggu pushing through the crowd to get you. He makes the final push as you smile. He puts his arms out to catch you, and you hop right into them. When you’re at ear level, he whispers, “That’s my baby. I’m so proud of you!” You kiss his cheek, “You gave me that extra push to want to win.” He blushes, and the crowd starts absorbing the two of you, bombarding you with questions about the race. You thank them and answer as many as possible before your crew and staff pull you and Hyunggu away. 

They take you alone to the winner’s circle, and you find Hyunggu off to the side. Your crew spills champagne over you, and you laugh as you close your eyes. And do your interviews after wiping your face with a towel. “What’s it like to win?” “Better than I imagined.” “What was the journey like getting to this point?” “Long but worth it.” They keep bombarding you, and you wait for one of them to catch their breath before you sneak out of the light. Wanting nothing more than to be out of your sticky champagne-ridden clothes. 

When you escape the camera’s eye for the second time, you see Hyunggu being interviewed. And you listen in, “Oh, Mr. Kino! We heard you were dating the winner of today’s race, (Y/n).” He goes, “Yes?” And they ask, “What’s it like to date a racecar driver?” You can’t wipe the grin off your face as he goes, “The best feeling in the world.” You come over slowly, “I’d love to talk more about my feelings for (Y/n). But it’s their day, so please shine the light on them.” You grin, and they ask you a few questions before you’re on your way again. “Want a sticky hug?” He shakes his head, “I like these clothes.” You fakely pout, “Aw, okay,” before laughing and grabbing his hand, “I’m so excited to change.” He laughs and agrees.

And you make your way back to the pit and see your crew. They hand you fresh new clothes after you wash your hands off. You head to the bathroom and quickly shower, ridding yourself of all the sparkling wine residue. Once you're all cleaned up, you come out to big cheers, pizza, and a cake. You nearly cry as you watch them light it up all for you, “For (Y/n)’s a jolly good racer, for (Y/n)’s a jolly good racer, for (Y/n)’s a jolly good fellow, which nobody can deny!” You laugh as you blow out the candles and thank them all. Your engineer says, “Sorry, it’s not up to par. We ordered it at the last minute when we realized you may win today.” You shake your head, tears brimming in your eyes, “It’s perfect.” He pats your head, “Good job out there, kid. Now, let’s celebrate and eat good!” You cheer as they have you sit in the middle of the two long tables they put out. 

All of you chat happily, celebrating your win. You cheer with your pop cans, “I owe it to all of you guys. If it wasn’t for you guys, I don’t know if I’d even be out on that track tonight!” They laugh, some disagree, and you take the time to thank every person seated with you. When you sit back down, Hyunggu wraps his arm around your waist as he eats his pizza happily. You finish your pizza before eventually cutting everyone a piece of cake, “A big slice for my engineer, who called all the shots.” “A big slice, for my loving boyfriend.” Your manager jokes, “It’s a big slice for everyone, isn’t it?” You smirk, “Yes, but I get the biggest!” They all laugh, and you finish cutting the cake and sit back down. And when the party ties down, you clean up after everyone, your crew leaving to enjoy the rest of the night. 

With the help of your friends, you’re able to clean up. Lastly, you put your car into neutral and push it back into the garage before parking and leaving. As everyone heads to their cars, you ask, “What hotel are you guys staying at?” “The APA” You grin, “Me too!” Hyunggu hops into your car immediately, “I can’t even begin to explain the joy I felt seeing you this morning.” He smiles, “I’m so glad I could surprise you.” “Best surprise ever.” He squeezes your hand, and you drive back to your hotel. You meet back up with the guys and talk for a while in the lobby before you let out a yawn, which causes a chain reaction. As you guys start heading for your rooms, Yuto asks, “We’re going to make the trip over to Nagano, my hometown, tomorrow if you want to come with us?” You smile, “I’d love to.” Hyunggu makes no effort to follow the boys, “You’re all mine tonight?” He smirks, and as the elevator door closes, he goes, “Yeah, and I have just the idea on how to celebrate your win~”

—---

Your next races weren’t as successful as the Suzuka race, but you didn’t mind too much. After all, considering all the celebrating. The little trip you got to spend with the seven of them in Nagano while it wasn’t long. It made you feel refreshed, and nothing could change that. Your giddy feeling didn’t fade no matter your placement, even when you placed 11th in Brazil. You were proud you had made it either way. Maybe you weren’t winning a cup for your performance, but it was a wonderful feeling to say you won a race in the Grand Prix. Your last place in Abu Dhabi was 2nd, and you finished on a good note, too. And you couldn’t help but feel more accomplished as you returned home. 

You get off the plane, excited to be back home. You make your way to the exit when you see someone holding a sign with your name. “Welcome home, (Y/n)!” You get up closer and see it’s their manager. He smiles as you reach him, “The boys sent me to get you.” You grin, “Thanks,” He grabs your luggage and says, “Allow me to take that. The car is waiting for us.” You smile and thank him again as you make your way there. He opens the door for you, you get inside, and he quickly shuts it. You decide where to sit and look back to the backseat to see a grinning Hyunggu. You gasp, and he cheers, “Welcome home!” You waste no time getting into the furthest seat back and flinging your arms around him as the trunk pops and his manager puts away your luggage. Hyunggu giggles as the tailgate shuts, and you smile, “I’m so happy to be home.” He squints at you, “But you’re not at your apartment?” You smile and kiss his nose, “I’m in your arms. That’s home enough for me.” He laughs, “You cheese ball.” 

His manager pops into the driver's seat, shuts the door, and you separate enough to put your seatbelt on. Still holding his hand, he goes, “Do you want to celebrate with the guys today or tomorrow?” You think, “Tomorrow, I’m kind of tired.” He nods, “I figured you would be. Tomorrow it is then.” His manager starts driving you back to your apartment, “So, tell me all about your past racing experiences.” You smile and lean your head on his shoulder as you try to recount everything back to him. He listens well, making sure you know with little hums of agreement when necessary. You continue until you’re almost back, “And that’s pretty much everything you’ve missed. What about the guys?” He laughs as he tells you about their laser tag adventures and how you should come along next time. As you hop out of the car, he gets your luggage, and you both thank his manager, who tells you guys to be safe. You both laugh as you remind him you will. 

You walk up to your apartment hand in hand. And Hyunggu finishes his stories before you reach the door. He asks, “You wanted ramen when you came home, right?” You go, “Yeah,” He nods, “Great, 'cause I ordered some.” You smile as you unlock the door and head inside. You put away your stuff, clean your luggage case, and throw your clothes into the dryer. Hyunggu pulls out the takeout and heats it as you clean up. Lastly, you pull out your trophy and smile at it. You didn’t come home a world champion trophy holder, but you came home with a Grand Prix race trophy, and you couldn’t be more proud to display it. You place fake daisies inside and shine the outside up before putting it into a glass cabinet. 

Hyunggu comes up behind you and wraps his arms around your waist, “I’m so proud of you, baby.” You smile and lean into his hug, “Thank you.” You turn your head to kiss him, and he grins as he kisses you back, “We’ve made it.” He smiles, “I think so.” You hold one of his hands in yours and squeeze it, and he does it back, “Yes?” You smile, “I’m so glad I have you.” He kisses your nape and says, “I’m grateful I have you too.” You smile, and the two of you stand in front of your display case. Inside, sitting side by side is his replica of their ‘Show!’ award and your Suzuka triumph. Through the trials and tribulations, you both came out victorious together. And the rewards were just a mere show of that. The love you held for each other through it all was the true testament of it all.

[melobin]

it’s our one year anniversary!! and it’s absolutely surreal to me how much we’ve grown over the past year. i love melobin so much, i adore being here and i adore being able to share things with all of you and i can’t wait to share more of the things i have planned !!

the past year has definitely been a little rocky LFMAO i’ve been through three url changes and more than one silly ot6 accusation exposing post but i’m still here ! and i’m still adoring and supporting riize as a whole. it’s been a few years since I’ve found myself as in love with a group as i am with riize and im so incredibly grateful that i got to meet so many wonderful people because of them. from mutuals to anons to just people who interact with my blog, i really adore and appreciate you all, more than i can express in words. i’ve taken a few breaks in the past year, all mental health related but you’ve all been so understanding and i cannot thank you enough for that.

it’s quite overwhelming that melobin has gained over 3.7k followers in the past year, i never really expected much other than a few people to talk to when i first started my blog but im so happy with the little community we’ve created here and i can’t wait for it to continue 🥺 i truly adore you all.

the melody and friends discord server has been a highlight of melobin for me !! i love that server and everyone i’ve met through it, i wanted to create a community that was welcoming and comforting and friendly and i truly believe i’ve done that.

not to be too soppy but there’s definitely some people i’d like to personally thank for being here this past year.

@kkurokitty my jaye !! i love you and everything you do so much. you were there when i first created melobin, we had our little taerae pfps and urls 😭 things have definitely changed a lot since then but you’re since as wonderful as the day we met all those years ago and im so thankful to have you.

@leejeongz amy ☹️ not even god knows how much you mean to me. everyday we speak i feel like we’re closer even if we’re a whole train ride apart. having you back in my life has been one of the best things to ever happen to me and i can’t wait to see you again. manifesting riize come to the UK soon so we can go and see them together. forever the moon to my stars 💔 i love you so bad :(.

@rishimuras melomiu <3 i’m so glad tals forced you to join my server the day it was created. it’s insane to me that we’ve been friends for almost a year now because i still feel like the same girl who was scared to message you whilst also feeling like ive known you for years. you’ve been a big part of melobin and my life for the past few months and i adore you so much. i only ever wish you the best and im more than ready to take on anyone who threatens that. i love you !!

@01zfan parter in crime i fear … the only person im honoured to lose 100 lp with in one day after spam playing tft with our little duckbills and dowsies. i was your biggest fan before we ever spoke and i remember almost doing a (metaphorical) backflip when i found out you already followed me 😭 your writing has changed me as a person and im so thankful to have become friends with you over the past few months. we fight the ot6 accusations together and we get you to plat SOON. i love you !! 💖

@tsandoll bunny !!!!!!!!! i love you !! you’ve been such a support for me with melobin and i can’t thank you enough! i love our little roblox games and the amount of shit we talk, i’m always laughing whenever we talk it’s almost impossible not to. you understand my humour so much and even when you don’t you still laugh .. true friend !!! i really hope soon you can feel better and feel like yourself again, i love you 💗

@sonjuyeonnie i wish i knew what blog to tag .. my fake text proof reader .. but seo i love you you’ve been such a sweetheart to me since you joined my server and i’ve been nothing but proud of you since then. you’ve accomplished so much and im so happy to see you thriving in life. i know we haven’t been able to talk much lately because of work but never forget how much i adore you and how im always here 💖

with some other people .. @antoncore my cee, you’ve grown so much in the few months we’ve known each other and i’m forever proud of you and i can’t wait to watch you grow more, i love you !! … @bbina my smau queen, btl changed me as a person and i’ll always support you in every smau you write even if i don’t know the idol you’re just TOO good. you’re so lovely and sweet and funny i luv yewww !! … @wonbin-truther the prettiest girl !! you’re so sweet and funny and so so talented, your sohee smau was pure GOLD i loved every second of it and i love seeing you pop up in my dms with the most random message, i fear i love you so bad 💔

there’s definitely others and i do adore all my mutuals so much !!! you all mean so much to me and i can’t wait for melobin to grow more. to one year and many more ! 💖

[a-doubleh-x]

Buttonblossom Analysis in TADC Episode 2

(Background rainbows: hint, hint)

Ragatha was so sweet to Pomni in episode 2 🥺💖 Most people caught onto the obvious fact that Raggs is being codependant and leans onto toxic positivity on the way she tries to cheer up Pomni, but I still think for the most part her heart is in the right place.

I liked their dynamic in episode 1, but I liked it so much in 2 I decided to write a little analysis on it (plus the ship fuel 👀) in preparation for the romance fic I'm writing about them.

Without further ado, let's go!

Looking back at Ragatha, on the good side, she made some very strong, active efforts to help her during her transition into the digital realm. She checked first thing in the morning if she was okay, she tried to make her feel included in the adventure at the beginning and showed care for her safety overall.

My favorite scene, though, is when the circus gang falls into the fudge river and after checking in on them, the first thing she says is: "Poor Pomni!" 😭 Girlie is so empathetic she even manages to care for someone who's not even there, while she's in a terrible situation herself!

I think this proves how much of a good person Raggs is. She doesn't just help people to feel good or superior, she does it because she geniuenly cares for other people's wellbeing and I find that very noble 😊

On the negative side, she seems to have some very particular communication issues with Pomni, even though she seems to be the circus memeber she cares the most about at the moment.

For starters, her attitude comes off as a little condescending very often. She hardly asks questions to Pomni and tends to assume for her. She hardly acknowledges some of her struggles and tries to downplay them, like when she degrades their experience as "larping". Also, she makes Pomni feel like a child when she tries to "hype her up" in her own words.

If we take Pomni's nightmare into consideration, it seems she believes Ragatha thinks Pomni is not "cut out for it", which might be a result of her condescending behavior I just mentioned.

This makes sense to me and also sheds a little bit of light on how Pomni sees herself as: small and insignificant. It's unclear at the moment how she was before on the physical world, but I speculate based on this evidence she probably didn't think she had much agency in her life (just how she feels in the circus).

At the end, however, thanks to her experience with Gummigoo and looking at the crew grief over Kaufmo's abstraction, Pomni opens herself more to the crew, which is a very good sign.

I think her current dynamic with Ragatha is wicked cool! ✨️ There's a lot of room for growth, which is good in my opinion. Ragatha clearly cares a lot about Pomni and I think with time she could grow to reciprocate her as well.

Despite her cowardness in episode 1, I always had the feeling that Pomz was deep down a caring individual as well, which was solidly proven in 2 with her interactions with Gummi.

On the fanon side, I saw a lot of fans foaming at the mouth (myself included) over the fact that Ragatha was such a tryhard with Pomni (which was anticipated to be the contrary). Some fans have interpreted their potential dynamics as both being shy, which I really, really like.

I believe I will definitely include that in my future fanfic. Another idea I wanted to explore is Pomni talking to Ragatha about her overbearing issues, while still appreciating her good qualities at the same time.

I think it's going to be great ☺️❤ I already look forward to what the end result is going to be. I love mutual pining and I love sweet lesbians caring for each other (even when they're silly girlfails). I'm planning to start by submitting chapter 1 by next Friday and submit a new one every following one, as I've done before.

Get ready for digital lesbian shenanigans 🎪💙🎀 See ya!

[bangtanintotheroom]

6:42 AM (M)

Every hour, every minute, every second You know night after night I'll be fuckin' you right Seven days a week

• Pairing: Jungkook x (F)Reader

• Genre: Non-Idol!AU, Fluff, Smut, Established Relationship

• Rating: 18+

• Words: 1,973

• Summary: Jungkook is ready to kick off a new day of loving you.

• Warnings/themes: JK and Y/N are horny but in love 🥰, mentions of sex all over the house, mentions of oral (f. receiving), lots of kisses 🥺, fingering, hitting it from the side, unprotected sex, c*ckwarming

• Song Inspo: Seven - Jung Kook (Spotify | Soundcloud)

• Notes: As much as I loved Seven, I didn’t plan to write anything related to it until I got the sudden urge this past weekend. I’m in a fluffy mood lately and it clearly shows in this fic 😳 If anyone can guess what anime I’m talking about, I’ll give you a platter of cookies because wow, was it a passing line 😂🍪

• Notes (2): Thank you to my lovely Sunclair @minisugakoobies​ for reading over this for me! ☀️💖

• Taglist: @jimilter​ @joontied​ @minisugakoobies​ @minttangerines​ @sugalaritae​ @crisle19​ @codeinebelle​ @kookprada​ @saweetspoiled​ @effielumiere​ @m1sss1mp​

When Jungkook opened his eyes, the only thing he could see was the tangled mess that was your hair. Blinking to clear the sleep out, he pulled his head back to get a better survey of the bedroom. It wasn’t as dark as the last time he’d had his eyes open, but not bright enough to make out every feature.

Shifting his body enough that he wouldn’t wake you, he glanced at the clock on the nightstand.

6:42 AM.

Normally, Jungkook would grumble before rolling over and burrowing himself deeper into the Downy-scented covers. Why the hell would he get up at this time if he didn’t have anywhere to go?

But today?

His pierced lips curled with eagerness.

Today, he had a mission to complete. The earlier, the better.

Resting his body completely now, he watched your profile as you still ventured in dreamland, lips parted as you let out soft breaths. You always lamented the fact that you tended to drool in your sleep, but Jungkook wouldn’t let you finish before telling you that he thought you were the most beautiful thing in the world, drool on your face or not.

Even as he admired you, he felt his heart picking up in rate and a stirring in his groin.

It didn’t help that your bare body was pressed against every inch of his under the comforter, legs tangled in the mutual desire to be as close to each other as possible as you fell asleep last night.

He could visualize every inch on the fly. Every scar, mole, stretch mark.

Then again, if he didn’t by now, he’d be disappointed in himself. Spending the last few days inside of you in some way or another was guaranteed to sharpen his memory.

Jungkook licked his lips as he reminisced on what the two of you had been up to. You both agreed to take vacation around the same time, planning to go somewhere to relax. But when it came closer, no one had any suggestions nor the energy to travel. It was a mutual decision to remain home and just take it easy.

Although, take it easy was far from what was happening.

On Saturday night, the two of you shared a bottle of wine and somehow, some way, the conversation ended up on sex. It wasn’t the topic itself that was unexpected, but how it deviated that made Jungkook hold back a giggle just now.

You had questioned whether it was possible to have sex for a week straight, thanks to a passing line in an old anime you revisited. Your boyfriend humored your sudden query, entering into a conversation that should not have lasted almost an hour. But you had opened up a box that neither of you wanted to close.

By the time the bottle was on its last drop, you and Jungkook decided to test this theory out, starting on Monday. Sunday was designated as laundry day and neither of you planned to shake up the tradition.

As soon as the two of you woke up Monday morning, your boyfriend was grabbing at your half-asleep form. You had called him an ‘insatiably horny monster,’ but he was quick to defend his desires as he worked at your clothes. He just had so much love to give you. It made you give a laugh that swiftly morphed into a gasp as a tattooed hand dove between your legs.

And then the rest was history.

Sex wasn’t delegated to the bed only.

Jungkook would make love to you on the couch.

Jungkook would fuck you while you were bent over the kitchen counter.

Jungkook would hold you up against the wall if he was feeling adventurous (although you freaked out when you felt him nearly drop you a couple of times).

Jungkook would even have you ride him as he sat on the bench in the shower, the water making every inch of your bare skin glisten like diamonds.

No area in the house was off-limits.

While he was reminiscing on the last few days, you were beginning to wake up. Opening your eyes a mite, you could tell it was earlier than expected. You figured that Jungkook was still asleep as well, but when you turned your head, you were greeted with dark, loving eyes. A sight that never failed to bring a smile to your lips.

“Good morning.”

“G’morning, babe.”

He was quick to place a peck on your slightly chapped lips, lingering for a moment before pulling away.

“Slept well?”

“Mhm. You?”

A bunny-like grin sprung up on his handsome face.

“Of course.”

A giggle left you at his answer. He didn’t stay with the world of the living for long after laying down in bed; the much-needed shower the two of you had taken before sapped the last bit of energy he had. This was pretty much what had been happening since Monday night.

But judging by the way his hands began roaming your body, he was wide awake now.

Someone didn’t want to waste time today, huh?

“Kookie…”

“Yeah?”

You bit back a smile as you felt his fingertips dancing under the curve of your breast.

“What are you doing?”

Jungkook kept them moving as he leaned in next to your ear, sleep still lingering in his voice as he whispered, “Starting our day off right.”

Your hunch was correct as he started decorating your neck and shoulder with kisses, each press kicking off sparks underneath your skin.

“What about breakfast?”

Another kiss.

“I ate last night.”

You hummed, both at the feel of his lips and his reply.

“Pussy doesn’t count as actual food, baby.”

Now a light dig of teeth into your skin.

“It does to me.”

You weren’t surprised at his insistence; once his mind was set on having sex, there was little that could sway him off the path.

It was a new day, also…

Making your decision, you shifted your body to press back against your boyfriend, feeling his cock twitch from the movement. You slowly wiggled your hips, making deliberate grinds with your ass on him. The act earned a quiet groan from Jungkook, the arm underneath your body tightening its hold while his hands slid up to cup your breasts, fingers greeted by your stiff nipples.

He immediately began teasing them, savoring the breathy sighs you made as you kept rubbing back on him. Every second that passed ended up with the warmth between your legs increasing because of his touch. You could feel him getting harder and harder, starting to hear him make sounds of his own as well. Your lover must have been running out of patience as one hand began trailing down your body, its intended destination clear.

You were about to roll onto your back to give Jungkook easier access until you felt that same hand take a hold of your hip. He eased your confusion by saying softly, “Stay like that.”

Relaxing into the mattress again, you were bombarded with kisses and bites to your neck once more, the sensations of that and the fingers on your nipple combining into something wonderful. Wonderful enough that you were caught off-guard when you felt the other set of digits beginning to explore a more intimate part.

Jungkook knew your body like the back of his hand. Knew what areas made you keen or tremble with need. How to get you so worked up that you would be begging for him to fuck you silly. He tended to like bringing you to that point.

Yes, it was a bit selfish on his part, but he couldn’t help but admire the faces and sounds you would make in such a vulnerable state. It made him feel good that you granted him the privilege to witness that sight and also be the one to fix the problem.

As of now, said problem was a result of you rolling your hips down on his hand as two of his fingers took their sweet time massaging and stretching your inner walls. The side of his thumb would brush against your clit, but it just wasn’t enough pressure.

“Jungkook—”

Pausing his movements at the frenzied way you said his name, Jungkook realized that he wasn’t feeling very patient himself this morning. He was quick to slip out of you with a light squelch before taking your leg to rest it on top of his muscular thigh. Taking a hold of his stiff cock, he lined himself up with your entrance and slid into his rightful place with little resistance.

The sounds of satisfaction the two of you made melded and joined the early morning air in the room, quickly followed by the occasional smack of your bodies against each other. Every loving whisper he’d utter into your ear would be returned with words of your own, ranging from praise to pleas for him to not stop.

A useless request, honestly. He would never stop. Not when you felt this amazing.

At some point amidst the fog of pleasure shrouding your brain, you realized that the two of you hadn’t kissed since waking up. Wanting to fix that immediately, you turned your head back, almost enough to pull a muscle in your neck. You husked your request, your boyfriend jumping on it with lightning speed.

The angle made it a little uncomfortable, but you couldn’t care at the moment. Not when he was filling you up and loving you so well.

Just as you felt a jumble of knots deep in your belly, Jungkook’s movements became less fluid and moderate, bringing more speed and power into it. He was just as close as you were. But you didn’t even have to ask him to help you with hitting that high point. As soon as you opened your mouth, his hand went straight to working over the bundle of nerves above where you two were joined.

His actions caused the heat in the bedroom to rise higher and higher until it became unbearable. Just when you felt like you were at your limit, shock-waves slammed into your body. They rolled through you and towards Jungkook as well, announced by the desperate groan he gave as he buried himself and painted your throbbing walls.

Neither of you wanted this beautiful moment to end.

But alas, the pulsations slowed down, leaving your sweat-soaked bodies to assimilate to calm again. You could barely register the warm palm rubbing your waist gently, only able to fully focus when you felt a kiss to your cheek. Your head turned back again, ignoring the slight twinging ache in your neck, to take in your boyfriend’s flushed and damp face.

Jungkook was quick to give you one of his winning smiles, chocolate brown eyes damn near sparkling. Now that the room was brighter, you could see more of the little details you loved. Taking everything only made your still pounding heart skip.

A swell of emotions inside made your voice express them openly, watching the corners of his eyes crinkle at the three words you often told him. He repeated them back to you, followed by a long and languid kiss. The two of you stayed like that for a while, him still nestled in your warmth while words continued to be traded, the sun rising further and further in the sky to illuminate the bedroom fully.

At some point, you remembered that it was Friday. Which meant there were still two more days of you and Jungkook indulging in each other’s bodies.

You couldn’t think of a better way to spend your vacation.

©bangtanintotheroom, 2023. Crossposted to AO3. Do not repost to other sites or copy without permission.

[mellyssecrethideout]

𝖜𝖊𝖑𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖞 𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖉𝖔𝖒👑

𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓾𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓯𝓪𝓻 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓾𝓹 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮. 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓻?

🔞❗𝕄𝔻ℕ𝕀❗🔞

💖this is my nsfw blog. there is no real theme, it's a collage of the things that make me tick.🩷

i post my own pictures/writing once in a while, i share updates on my slave training, and mostly i just reblog things that make me ache.

#mellythinkssometimes

is my tag for my own content (pictures, writing, and everything inbetween) as well as #mellyspictures on my posts with pictures.

#answered asks is self explanatory, and if you have an emoji, the post will get tagged with that emoji as well.

🥰i have a long term partner

😋𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖕 𝖎𝖘 𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖓, 𝖋𝖊𝖊𝖑 𝖋𝖗𝖊𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖋𝖑𝖎𝖗𝖙 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖒𝖊💅🏼

🥰my dms and asks are always open and very encouraged!!😇

i'm shy so you should message me first 🥺👉🏼👈🏼

✨i love making new friends✨

🎮i play videogames and am always looking for more friends to play with💻

i have a guard dog and she does bite

🩷𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓶𝓮💞

✨he/they/it pronouns please✨

🧜🏼‍♀️Mel/Melly/Melody

😵‍💫Bambi/Bambina

🐶puppy!! (this ones a favorite)!

🐇bunny/kitten

👸🏼princess/angel/baby

🧸doll/dollie/toy

💖honey/love/darling/etc

❗ just don't be mean or degrading without consent (but if you want to, just ask 🫣)

⛓️𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖐𝖘🕯️

{these are in no particular order, just things i like that you may or may not find on my blog. this list will be updated as needed.}

🍃intox

🖤shadows

🗡️horror

🎭masks

🔪knifeplay/bloodplay

💋bruises/marks/bodywriting

🐶petplay!! (my absolute favorite)

����degradation/humiliation/objectification

🥹praise & wholesome slut things

🫣overstimulation

🔒orgasm control/denial

🌊watersports

🫧bimbofication/dumbification

🤫cnc/r@p3 play/somno

🚚stalking/kidnapping/blackmail

😵‍💫hypnosis

👗dollification/dronification

🐄hucow

🤰🏼breeding

💄bdsm

⛓️bondage

🔨masochism

🧎🏼‍♀️domestic discipline

🎀Ⓔⓜⓞⓙⓘ Ⓐⓡⓜⓨ💖

🍄 | 🧡 | 🫀 | 👺 | 👻 | 🗝️ |🐉| 🦈 |

*if you want to be added to the list, pick a not taken emoji(s). this also applies to mutuals, not just anons.*

𝕚 𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥 𝕙𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠𝕦𝕥🥰🩷

here's 10 dabloons for your travels 💰🪙

⭐please like this so i know you've read it⭐

✨this post will be updated as i see fit✨

[lokimobius]

✨ 2024 in gifs ✨

rules: post your favourite and most popular post from each month this year (it’s okay to skip months)

Tagged by @mobius-m-mobius, whose gifs are absolutely gorgeous! thank you for tagging me! i love seeing you and your creations on my dash 💖

January - favourite: it HAS to be my set of mobius writing SKIN? and sulking - most popular: taylor swift performing anti-hero at the eras tour! February - favourite: literally just mobius and his milkshake 🥺 he's so cute!!!! - most popular: the iconic "i was following you." "no, i was following you!!!!" March - favourite: this set of mobius talking about jet ski's and the difference between how loki & brad listen to him. also the bonus of loki remembering what mobius said and repeating it to don 🥹 i wish that i'd added the bonus gifs in the original post, but alas, i wasn't that forward-thinking - most popular: loki and mobius smiling/laughing with each other! i love this set so much! they're everything to me. April - favourite: this lokius set i made with lyrics from taylor swift's loml. i'd never made any gifs with transitions before, so it was new to me. but i looooved the way it turned out. i also really leaned into the green/gold theme when colouring the set too! it was a lot of fun to make! 🥹 - most popular: literally just lokius standing together looking smug as brad is taken in. May - favourite: lokius + elevators!! they're always going somewhere in an elevator so i wanted to compile those moments together! i love how this set turned out bc the colour difference between s1 & s2 is literally hell and i think i managed to match them well! - most popular: lokius in their tuxes in breaking brad. breaking brad you will always be famous to me!!!! June - favourite: can i offer anyone some thor/jane & loki/mobius parallels... - most popular: tom hiddleson behind the scenes of the actors on actors photoshoot! July - favourite: the legendary "it is adorable that you think you could possibly manipulate me" scene 🤭 - most popular: tom hiddleston for the 2024 paris olympics!!! August - favourite: just a general lokius in s2 gifset bc i love them - most popular: IT'S GOT YOUR SHAPE TO IT September - favourite: mobius in the ikea scene looking frustrated and cute - most popular: "i'd never stab anyone in the back! that's such a boring form of betrayal!" 😔 October - favourite: the variant/breaking brad parallel with loki leaving/staying - most popular: lokius on their date at the worlds fair eating cracker jack! "it tastes like ash." November - favourite: it's never too late to change / trying to fix what's broken is hard. hope is hard. - most popular: what did you expect? it's president loki! December - favourite: owen knocking something over in r&a and being cute af about it in the loki s2 bloopers! - most popular: lokius (tom & owen) in the s2 bloopers wearing the tuxes

apologies for the long post, i did a little bit of yapping and now i'd like to do a little more...

i've had SO much fun creating gifs this year, especially for lokius! seeing everyone screaming, crying, theorising, etc., in the tags is literally my favourite thing ever - i literally read ALL tags so pls keep them coming.

thank you for supporting the lokius brain rot. i love this fandom so much, and i'm grateful for all of the friends/mutuals i've made 💖

tagging @dilfmobius, whose gifs i also love! 🥰

[sonics-atelier]

Appreciation Post <33

Happy New Year fellow unhinged people, the past year has been one hell of a Rollercoaster and I'm glad I got to share it with everyone I love. I've made so many amazing friends and I'd like to tell them how appreciated, loved and cherished there are, hence this post. Wishing everyone so much happiness and success in this year and I hope your days go by filled with peace and joy, I love all of you very much 💗. ( Apologies for being late )

@shadowqueenjude - My Wife, My Love, You are charismatic, powerful, stubborn ( ily for that btw ), passionate and so damn hard working. I am the luckiest person on earth to have you as my confidant ( still dont know that i did to deserve you ). I remember last year when I randomly dmed you to vent about the fandom and you understood me so well, and how I stayed up till 4 am just to talk to you and how I had been searching all my life for someone like you and we found each other like it was always meant to be. The rest is history. We've been through sm together and never once has my love for wavered. You're just that amazing. I am yours, for now and ever. Keep being amazing 💕

@decadentpostnacho - Meri Jaan, You walked into my life and you were like the missing puzzle piece that instantly fit into my life and heart ( destiny fr ) You are the fuzzy green blanket I can wrap myself in when things get too much ( you're entire presence is calming ✨️ ). You're one of the most kindhearted and beautiful people I've ever known. We were put on this earth to find our ways back to each other ( long live the teatectives ). I love you more than words can ever express 💖

@mintedwitcher - I LOVE YOU. you are so fucking brave and amazing and I've come to cherish everything about you, I'm so grateful that cherik brought us together. Our late night conversations about our Headcanons and wips and your ability to make me sob have been the highlight of my year, ty for making things bearable and for going above and beyond for me, I will hold you dear always 💕

@achaotichuman - At the risk of repeating myself, you're a great person and an even better friend. You've been there when I've needed you most, you've been kind, understanding and unapologetically honest ( which i love ) and for being an amazing writer ( kaimond *sobs* ) and for all the amazing recs. I hold all our unhinged convos close to my heart. Thank you for being yourself 🫶

@matrixsss - YOU ARE PHENOMENAL. Becoming mutuals then friends with you was one of the best decisions I made this year. You're so talented and kind I am over the moon how our vibes match instantly ✨️. Thank you for being someone whom I could rely on and being the personification of comfort. ( we're Kakashi and might guy coded lmao ) Ilysm ( I'll always be there for you ) 🥺💗

@yaralulu - ILY, you're so sweet and fun to talk to. I AM IN LOVE with your writing. Getting to know you and becoming friends was by far one of the best things to happen in 2024. I adore your sense of humor and how you're able to be both sweet and sassy, like 🤌. tysm for dealing with my screaming about itwv ( I still need therapy btw ) and being awesome. Keep slaying ✨️

@praetorqueenreyna - MOTHER, I still remember how I screamed when I saw we were mutuals ( yes I'm an unashamed fangirl ). Thank you so much for introducing me to so many amazing fandoms like iwtv and the captive prince. You are a treasure and I love you so so so much. You're quite literally a role model. ( also tysm for holding my stupid ass back from doing things that would get me cancelled ) KEEP BEING THE ICON YOU ARE 💕

@highlordofkrypton - Awesome falls short for how awesome you are ( I'm lame Ik ). The way we instantly connected and then proceeded to bitch about a situation was the best bonding experience ever. I am in awe of how great of a writer you are. Your stories have me by the throat and what I love most about it is how you include cultures and history and motives in it, It means so much to me. You're an amazing friend ( I am so sorry for all the times I was ready to go to war and you had to keep me in check 😭 ) your intuition is always right, you're multitalented ( an artist now too !!! ). All hail agent Reacher 💗

@thegolden-tigeress - Shree, My Sweetheart, I love you to Saturn and back. Thank you for being the shoulder I could cry on and always uplifting me even I'm going through things. I don't know how I can ever thank you enough for that. You're invaluable to me. My life has been lit ( pun intended ) ever since you walked in it. Tysm for making me laugh, for loving my writing and for always having my back. I couldn't have asked for a better friend 🥺💗💗

@watcherintheweyr - SOULMATE, Oh how I love you, I was so elated that we share sm fandoms and interests. It's usually very hard for me to become friends and then have that bond stay strong but you've proven me wrong. I usually never took the initiative of caring about things happening in people's lives but for you I changed all that. You are like the elder sister I never had, you understand me so well and I love you sm ( totally didn't fall for you just because you had horses ). You're an amazing writer too, I'm OBSESSED with your wordlbuilding and ocs 🛐. I vow to be your hua cheng for eternity. Shine like the star you are Vira, ily forever 💗

[crystallizsch]

Hey! i'm new to the twst fandom, and i love ur work! is there any blogs like urs, that does art or writes /reader fics that u would recommend?? i'm trying to find some more to follow! thnx 💕

AAAGHGJJ THANK YOU SO SO MUCH THAT MEANS A LOT ANON 🥺💖

and welcome to twst fandom!! i hope you have fun during your stay and find the perfect corner of the twst fandom that is right for you!

also i'm so happy that you trusted me with recommendations??? 🥺🥺🥺

im not sure if you lean more into my general twst stuff (and by general i mean 99% jamil LMAO) or my oc x canon stuff

i guess i'll get you started with blogs that i personally like!! and i hope you can go from there, especially since i don't know what type of content you're particularly into 🙏

anyways i rambled on for too long ;; let me get to it below the cut:

(i'm not going to tag anyone i'm too shy and terrified so i'll just link to their profiles instead; also they are not recommended in a particular order)

(and if you see yourself here uhhh hi ily guys (platonically) 🫶🫶🫶)

(i wish i have the words right now to individually gush about each and every one of them but the brain is not brain-ing right now and i really shouldn't hold this ask hostage for too long 🙏)

/reader fics: - natsukishinomiyaswife - viperwhispered - diodellet - rooksamoris - twstbookclub - twstowo - kalims - yaksha-lover

art/ocxcanon: - midnightmah07 - jovieinramshackle - oya-oya-okay - skriblee-ksk - cheerleaderman - boopshoops - twstgo - fell-fell - egophiliac - terristre - thecoolsquirrel - rizdoodls - cheekinpermission - flipppyflopp - daily-trey - medicine-san - pointy-spiral - mintmoth - lico-arts - offorestsongs - 0honeybones0 - ashipiko - r-aindr0p

honorable mention to these blogs too if you'd like to read info about twst in general!

- raven-at-the-writing-desk - yuurei20 - mysteryshoptls

these are my admittedly not-100%-objective recommendations bc half of them are friends/mutuals and i genuinely enjoy their content <333 and i tend to particular about stuff that i like 😭

so like i said, i encourage you to look for others beyond the blogs that i recommend! and don't forget to have fun while you're in the fandom!! 💖💖💖

[hoovesandfloorpaws]

mutuals as fitf songs for the anniversary 💗

EDIT: oh my god, i misunderstood the assignment 🤣 i read Made In The AM in my mind - my apologies hahaha! i’m half asleep already, but i’ll correct it tomorrow 😭

-

Hey love, thank you!! And Happy Anniversary to an incredible album! ＼（＾○＾）人（＾○＾）／

oh gosh, I'm so freshly back here, I don't even have 17 mutuals with this blog anymore/yet 🥺 - so all of my wonderful mutuals will get two songs plus my unreleased favorite, hehe 💙💚

Hey Angel + Olivia - @notlivys

Drag Me Down + What A Feeling - @larry-lives

Perfect + Love You Goodbye - @miomiomate

Infinity + Temporary Fix - @sarafinaslarrylovinlife

End Of The Day + I Want To Write You A Song - @lovelouistomlinsonordie

If I Could Fly + Already Home - @twopoppies

Long Way Down + Wolves - @whataboutthechicken

Never Enough + Walking In The Wind - @it-justkindahappened

History + A.M. - @princess-lou

i love all of these songs so much, as i love all of you! thank you for being you x 💖

*-but

[kassiekole22]

Josh being in love with an oblivious reader and the twins are alive and trying to create situations to get them together 👉👈👉👈👉👈

Best Day Ever

Picture lightly edited by me.

Pairing: Josh Washington X Fem!Reader Description: After a spur of the moment decision, Josh takes you and his sisters to a carnival. Hannah and Beth decide to take this opportunity to push you and Josh together, since Josh has had a massive crush on you for a long time and has been too afraid to make a move... Warnings: Fluff, Maybe A Pinch Of Angst, Kind Of Mutual Pining (But Very Intense On One Side. 👀), Friends Turning Into Beautiful Lovers. Word Count: 4.8k (I haven't written a fic this long in quite a while. 😅) A/N: This took an embarrassing amount of time, I know. I was just in no mind state to write and I wanted it to be perfect, so I decided to wait. And it took even longer because when I was editing it one last time, the final copy got deleted so I had to reedit the whole thing and rewrite the parts I had added in there. @108garys requested a carnival fic for Josh a few days prior to this request, so I got the idea to combine them together. I hope that's ok. 🥺👉🏻👈🏻 This is actually my old Jalim fic, Just For Fun, too. I always wanted to rewrite it because I felt like it could have been better than what it was. So, when I got the opportunity to do this, I decided to finally do it and I am happy with the results. Anon requester and @108garys, I want to thank you for giving me this request. It really made me happy, knowing that people wanted me to write a fic for them, especially when I was so new to the Until Dawn fandom. Anyway, I'll quit my rambling now. I hope you all enjoy. 💖 Josh's MasterList: 🖤 Main MasterList: 🖤 Josh's Angels: @lorebite, @house-of-kolchek, @koexchange, @yesitsloulou, @mistmoose, @jasonexo, @mornandil, @fortune-fool02, and @raven-the-cryptid. (If you want to be added to the taglist, let me know in the comments! 🖤)

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Me, (Y/N), Hannah and Beth were driving from the store one sunny afternoon. We weren't there long; only to grab some microwave popcorn and chips for a movie we were planning to watch. It was a short trip but everybody insisted on going along for the ride. It was nice, having the three most important women in my life with me. Even if it was just something as simple as going to the grocery store, it was memories like these that I cherished the most.

The ride was pretty silent other than a song playing quietly on the radio, but it was nice — it was peaceful. A couple of minutes passed and we drove passed a carnival. That's when I noticed (Y/N) turning her head to look out her window.

"Oh, looks like they set up a carnival for the weekend." I mentioned, just to see how she would react.

"Yeah, I noticed." She said just barely above a whisper whilst still staring out her window. "Haven't been to one in years."

"Jesus, us neither." Beth spoke up in the back.

"Probably since we were sixteen." Hannah recalled quietly.

I sat in silence and pondered for a minute, taking my eyes off of the road for a quick moment to watch (Y/N) whilst chewing on the inside of my cheek. She looked sad — or maybe disappointed. Now that I had thought about it, I hadn't been to a carnival in such a long time. We really weren't in too much of a hurry to get back and I was sure that the movie could wait.

"You wanna go?" I finally asked and she took her eyes off the window to gaze at me with uncertainty.

"W-What? No, we can't. We have groceries in the back seat." She looked down at her hands folded in her lap, her lips turned down into a disappointed frown.

"Oh, fuck yeah!" Beth cheered behind me, startling me and nearly making me jump out of my seat. I shook my head as I let a short chuckle roll passed my lips.

"The groceries can wait. Nothing's gotta go in the fridge." I mused. "It'll be fun."

Before she opened her mouth to protest again, I turned the car around and drove in the direction of the small carnival before us. I pulled into a free parking spot, got out and rounded the side of the car before opening the door for (Y/N) and giving her my hand to help her up. Her eyes lit up with wonder as she studied the crowds and the attractions around her.

"What should we do first?" She asked me as we walked in, hand in hand, to ensure that we would not get separated.

We had done this before but only so we don't get separated in big crowds because (Y/N) hates to be alone. I wish it meant more to her than that. I wish she knew that when I held her hand, it's not just because I don't want to lose her in a big crowd…

"Fuck, I don't know! I'm so excited, I can't think!" Beth said eagerly with nothing but pure excitement in her voice and I chuckled at her enthusiasm. "This is going to be the best day ever!"

"I'm excited too." (Y/N) giggled. "What do you think, Josh?"

"I don't know. We haven't had lunch yet — you wanna get something to eat? My treat." I suggested as I pulled out my wallet and smiled kindly at her.

"Yeah, I am pretty hungry." Hannah expressed and I nodded before grabbing plucking out a twenty. Luckily, I went to an atm before heading to the store and had enough cash on me for the day.

"Yeah, I'd love that." (Y/N) expressed. A look of adoration melted into her soft eyes as she gazed up at me for a moment and I swear, it made my heart stop. I felt heat creep within my cheeks and I looked away quickly, hoping she wouldn't notice.

We went to the nearest food stall and I ordered some burgers, some fries and Pepsis for us all. After, we found a bench close by and sat down with our lunches. (Y/N) took a bite out of her burger and her eyes lit up before closing to appreciate the taste.

"This is amazing!" She took another big bite. "I forgot how good carnival food is!"

I couldn't help but smile at how happy she was over something as simple as a burger. I admired how she enjoyed the small things in life. Even something as small as food could cast the biggest smile on her face.

"Jesus! Ok, Josh! You are taking all three of us to carnivals more often! It's a must!" Beth declared before taking a bite out of her own burger.

"Yeah, you'll have to become that big movie producer fast so you'll have enough money to splurge on us!" I couldn't help but full out laugh at Hannah's comment and, by the looks of it, (Y/N) and Beth couldn't either.

"(Y/N), back in California, we have the biggest fairs and carnivals! Like rollercoasters that could last an hour, I swear to God!" Beth mused once she calmed down from her fit of giggles, wiping a tear from her eye as she did so. (Y/N)'s eyes widened before she turned to look at me for conformation and I nodded as a smile crept upon my lips.

"Shit! Yeah, I have to see that!" She giggled excitedly in agreement.

Beth finished her meal first and waited a minute until (Y/N) was finished before taking her hand and nearly dragging her off the bench.

"We have to go do something really quick." She said and both me and (Y/N) raised a brow in confusion.

"What about me?" Hannah asked, a frown forming where her smile used to be from being left out.

"If you weren't such a slow eater, then you could come too." Beth teased and Hannah's lips turned up into an awkward smile as she adjusted her glasses.

She always did that when she felt nervous.

"Well, Jesus! At least she paces herself — unlike some of us." I said, gesturing to Beth and she scoffed.

"I would watch yourself, big brother." She approached me slowly as a mischievous look formed in her eyes. I clenched what little I had left of my burger in my hands, in fear that I was about to lose it. "You know, I'm shocked — you're usually the fastest eater out of all three of us."

She stopped right in front of me and froze for a moment, making me feel both confused and worried. Before I could even attempt to react, she booped my nose and when I winced, she plucked the remainder of my burger from my hands and pushed it all in her mouth, smiling wickedly at me as her cheeks puffed out as if she was a chipmunk.

She skipped off with (Y/N) and I yelled a threatening, "I'll get you back for this!" Over my shoulder and I just barely caught Beth giving me the finger as she walked away.

I stayed seated on the bench with Hannah and watched all the children playing before us. I began imagining what it would be like taking my children to the carnival, watching their excited expressions as they went on all the rides and ate as many sweets as they could while (Y/N) is scolding me for giving them too many. Aw hell, who was I kidding? (Y/N) was just as much of a push over as I was. We would all probably spend the night with stomach aches. I was so deep in thought about my future that I failed to notice the small smile on my lips as I watched the children play.

"You can't fool me." I heard Hannah speak up beside me as she nudged my shoulder with her own. She had closed the little distance between us so she was sitting by my side now, finishing up her food as she watched the children play as well. "You can put on that "player" act all you want, but I know the real you. I see the way you look at (Y/N). Face it Joshy — you're smitten."

"What? Nah!" I scoffed with a roll of my eyes and Hannah rolled hers as well. Why do siblings gotta be so good at reading each other?

"You are with her every day, you talk about her constantly during the times you aren't and you can't tell me that you wouldn't do absolutely anything for her." She accused. "And you also can't tell me that you weren't just imagining those kids over there as your own."

I stayed silent for a moment, realizing that my sister was right. She knew that that front I always put up was a lie. I had always wanted a family of my own, and I think I had finally found the girl that I wanted to start it with — if only I had the fucking balls to tell her how I felt.

"Well, lil sis — I think you might just be right." I muttered, mind only half in reality as I pondered actually telling her that I had feelings for her.

"Look what I got!" Beth sang behind us and I jumped, hoping that her and (Y/N) did not just hear my confession. I turned to see them both holding cotton candies and, judging by their facial expressions, they didn't hear a thing. They handed me and Hannah ours before sitting down beside us on the bench.

"It's so sweet." (Y/N) said as she licked her lips. My eyes lingered on them for a second, admiring how soft they looked before I noticed Beth smirking at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Sure is!" I agreed, turning my attention back to (Y/N). "But, not as sweet as you."

She giggled at my comment and Hannah and Beth made gagging sounds. After we finished eating our cotton candy, we decided to go on some rides. Can't go to a carnival and not go on the rides, right? After all, it's good to get the heart racing every now and then.

After walking around for awhile and trying to agree on what we would all go on first, my eyes met the one that I was definitely not going to skip. I pointed at the Drop Tower, "Yes! We're doing that!" I demanded as I pulled on (Y/N)'s arm.

"I don't know, Josh…" She looked up at it reluctantly and then looked at me, a worried expression on her now pale face. Hannah and Beth walked up beside us and looked up at the tower as well. Hannah looked so pale that I already knew her answer, and Beth looked so excited that I thought she'd for sure join us. But then that excitement in her eyes turned into mischief as she peered over at me and (Y/N).

'What is she up to?' I thought to myself as I glanced at my sister out of the corner of my eye.

"I think I'll sit this one out. (Y/N), why don't you try it? Josh will be there to protect you." She nudged my shoulder and I glared back at her. I couldn't believe she was going to do this — she was going to leave us alone to push us together.

"But Beth, you love these kinds of rides." I said through gritted teeth, giving my sister the 'don't you fucking dare' look. She just smirked at me and then turned her attention back to (Y/N).

"Come on! It'll be fun! Please? I just know you'll love it!" She begged her like a bratty little child.

(Y/N) heaved a sighed. "Fine."

We got strapped in and before we knew it, the ride started to go up. (Y/N) closed his eyes as tightly as she could while her fingers clenched the safety bars and I couldn't help but feel bad for getting her in this situation that she very clearly didn't want to be in.

We got strapped in and before we knew it, the ride started to go up. (Y/N) closed his eyes as tightly as she could while her fingers clenched the safety bars.

We were finally at the top and I never felt more alive. The adrenaline felt better than any drug I have ever taken. I wanted to throw my hands in the air and scream it to the world.

"This is awesome!" I yelled with a laugh following my words. (Y/N), however, did not look like she shared my enthusiasm. Her eyes were still clenched shut and she now was shaking like a leaf! Now, I could have been my usual cocky self and acted all brave in front of her, as I usually did. But seeing her this scared hurt my heart.

So, instead of acting like 'the big man', I decided to look down and scream at the top of my lungs, "FUCK! SHIT! OH, HELL NO!"

She bursted out laughing at my reaction and just by looking at the sweet smile on her beautiful face, I knew that all the teasing I was going to get from Hannah and Beth was worth it. The ride dropped down and I screamed again but more dramatic and dragged out compared to the last time.

I got off of the ride first, staggering a bit to make (Y/N) giggle before giving her my hand to help her down. Then we headed back into the crowd of people to find my sisters.

"That was fun!" (Y/N) smiled up at me and I felt my heart swell.

"Hey, big brother! Have any vocal cords left after that big performance you gave the whole park up there?" Beth teased with her famous cocky smirk plastered on her face and I literally bit my tongue to hold back my bitter reply that was practically pushing through the seam of my lips.

"Yeah, you sounded like you were being chased by some blood-thirsty monster or something!" Hannah laughed and I rolled my eyes. But (Y/N) giggled as well and I remembered that it was worth all the torture just to hear it.

'Remember her smile. Just remember her fucking smile.' I thought to repress the urge to give my sisters nice Indian burns on each of their arms.

"How about some games?" I attempted to change the subject as I pointed over at the game booths. The girls snickered as they followed me, reminding me that although I was able to change the subject now, it didn't change the fact that I would be getting the worse of it later.

We walked up to a target shooting game and I slammed a few dollars down on the counter.

"This is gonna be too easy." I smirked. The carny took the money and handed me the gun.

"You get three tries. If you get three out of three, you get a big prize. If you get two, you get a medium prize. You get one, you get a small prize." The carny explained and I nodded.

I aimed the gun at the target and after a few moments of making sure the tip of my gun was perfectly aligned with the target and Beth nagging at me from behind, I fired… And missed. I felt my cheeks heat up from extreme embarrassment because I could hear the giggling of three girls behind me. I fired again and missed, letting out a frustrated grunt and cursing under my breath.

"Need me to show ya how it's done?" Beth teased as she patted my shoulder and I glared at her. She put her hands up in defense as she let out a chuckle. But I could see in her eyes that she regretted nothing. After letting my eyes linger on (Y/N) for a moment, I looked back at the target.

I really needed to focus this time. I aimed for the target one last time, fired, and missed again.

"Fuck!" I slammed my hand down on the counter. Being a perfectionist, this was frustrating as all fucking hell.

And it was even more frustrating because I knew my way around a gun. Growing up, I spent a lot of time fucking around at the shooting range at our lodge, so I was a pretty sharp shooter. But (Y/N)'s gaze heavy on my back was making me nervous as all fuck.

"It's ok, Josh. You're probably still lightheaded from the ride." (Y/N) spoke softly beside me as she placed her hand gently on my tense shoulder.

"How's this; I'll give you one last chance — if you hit the smallest target, I'll give you the big prize." The carny offered while smiling kindly at me and I nodded in agreement.

I aimed for the smallest target, took a moment to make sure I was perfectly aligned with it, and took a deep breath. I had to get it this time. I closed my eyes, carefully squeezed the trigger and the gun went off with a loud bang one last time. I opened my eyes and my heart jumped into my throat.

"Fuck, Yes!" I yelled excitedly.

I fucking got it.

I hugged (Y/N), who had been clapping beside me to cheer on my victory. The carny handed me a big, fluffy, black teddy bear with a red bow around it's neck and a big red heart between it's paws that said, 'love'. I didn't hesitate to give it to (Y/N).

"—For you." I declared proudly. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell agape.

"Really?" She looked unsure for a moment as she hesitantly took the bear from my hands.

"Of course! I have to give you the prize, since you're my biggest cheerleader." I nudged her shoulder playfully and she blushed as she hugged the bear while smiling up at me.

"Hey, love birds!" Beth called out to us and I mentally face palmed at her ruining our moment.

'Dammit, Beth!' For all I knew, it could have turned into our first kiss.

"Don't mind her." Hannah rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "We were wondering if you guys wanted to continue going on some other rides?"

"Sure! Why not?" I agreed before following my sisters to their next ride of choice.

We decided to go on some calmer rides, since Hannah had a weak stomach. The Carousel was Hannah's first choice because she loved the horses. When I went to sit on the horse beside Beth's, Hannah pushed passed me and jumped on it before signaling behind her. I looked behind me to see (Y/N) already on her horse and the one beside her empty. I glared at my sisters, seeing right through their little plan and went to sit beside (Y/N). Not that I'm complaining though — we had a good time and it was pretty fun.

And then, after that, we tried the Bumper Cars. Me and Beth got a little too competitive there, ending in a couple of cars getting a bit damaged. After awhile, Hannah and (Y/N) stayed parked on the sidelines and watched the shitshow of a war that me and Beth created in the middle. She will never admit it, but I clearly won that round.

And we also tried the darts game, where (Y/N) won a small, light brown puppy plushy that had really big and buggy sad eyes.

"Ha! It looks just like you! It's got those big—" Beth couldn't finish, because I interrupted her quickly, trying to avoid being embarrassed for the— however many times it's been today.

"DON'T!" I growled as my eye shot daggers towards my sister.

"But you didn't let me finish, big brother." She smiled innocently and I looked over to Hannah and (Y/N), who also looked weary of Beth's attitude as well.

"Fine… Go ahead…" I sighed, defeated and finally accepting my fate.

"It's got those big bug-eyes, just like yours!" She reached up and patted me on the head and I clenched my teeth. I glared at Beth and Hannah held the toy up beside my face.

"It's uncanny!" Hannah laughed and I just about ripped the toy right out of her grasp.

"No need to be a smart-ass!" I grumbled as I folded my arms across my chest.

"Oh, but it's cute." (Y/N) chuckled as she took the small toy from Hannah. I felt a familiar heat creep upon my cheeks as she spoke and turned to look at me with a softness in her eyes that could bring light to any dark heart.

"Really?" I said, barely above a whisper after swallowing thickly.

"Yeah." Her voice was so soft, it almost made me cry.

"Uhhhhh— W–Why don't we try the haunted house?! That should be fun, r–right?" I attempted to change the subject as I tore my eyes away from hers. The girls agreed and we headed towards the ride.

Of course — as I expected — Hannah and Beth ditched me and (Y/N) for their own cart, leaving me alone with her YET AGAIN! I didn't know how much more I could take. I loved being around her — don't get me wrong — but for the last month, my little crush on her had been growing stronger and being alone with her was painfully awkward, especially since she didn't even realize that I had feelings for her. Nope! After all the regular compliments I gave her, she still hadn't figured it out! Well — to be fair — I make comments towards lots of girls but those are different. Those are just dumb sex jokes I make to be funny and sometimes weird people out. With her, it's different — it means something. I just wish she knew that.

Maybe I shouldn't be so annoyed with Hannah and Beth trying to put me in these awkward situations. They just want me to be happy. But what people don't know is that I'm a lot more insecure than I let on. Yup! That's right! Mr. Bone Zone isn't so confident after all! So shocking, right? So, being alone with a girl as pretty as (Y/N) is basically fucking torture for me.

Our cart began to move towards the entrance to the ride and I sneakily put my arm around (Y/N). It was a bold move but I had to do something! I felt her tense and for a minute, I thought it was because of my arm and I went to pull away before realizing that it wasn't my arm at all, it was because she was scared.

As our cart moved throughout the ride, I noticed her getting more and more tense. I then shuffled closer to her and she — I am assuming subconsciously — leaned into my body, as if she was hoping for my protection. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her and began explaining how each prop was made and every gory and ghostly illusion was done. It seemed to calm her and she eventually relaxed into my embrace — just another perk to having a father in the film industry.

Once the ride began to slow — or as I like to say: the calm before the storm — she began to melt into my arms and rested her head on my chest. Trying so hard to keep it cool, I rested my head on top of her's and closed my eyes, enjoying the moment of peace we had.

"Thank you, Josh." She whispered and I felt my heart stammer a little, until— "You're a good friend."

'Fuck! You're kidding, right?!'

I felt my heart drop at her words and squeezed my eyes shut as hard as I could, trying to ignore the disappointment and small bit of heartbreak I was enduring. The ride eventually came to an end and we were greeted by Beth and a very pale Hannah, who looked as if she was about to vomit. Laughing and trying to ignore what had just happened, I wrapped my arm around my little sister to give her a comforting side-hug before we continued on to do something new.

A few hours later, we all decided to go on the Ferris Wheel before finally going home. Again, Hannah and Beth insisted on going on their own cart, leaving me and (Y/N) alone for what I was hoping was the last time today. After being taken to the worst zone of all — the 'friend zone' — I really didn't want to be left alone with her any longer.

We reached the top and (Y/N) leaned into my side and I subconsciously wrapped my arm around her shoulders. It was dark out now and the park was lit up by all the lights from the rides and the games. It was a breathtaking view and judging by the smile on (Y/N)'s face, she thought so as well. She rested her head on my shoulder and I froze, not knowing what to do.

"It's beautiful." She whispered as her beautiful eyes lit up from the lights of the park and I couldn't help but notice how they illuminated her face just right, showing off her best features.

"Just like you." I murmured without a second thought. But her body tensing up and the sudden movement of her pulling away from me made me snap out of whatever fucking trance I was in at the moment.

"W–What?" She stuttered her question as nothing but pure shock painted over her calm expression that her face held only second ago.

"Oh— Uh— I was just saying— You know, like I always do?" I tried to brush it off but the look on her face told me she didn't believe me.

"You never said it quite like that before." Her voice was barely above a whisper. And in that moment, I knew I couldn't keep it from her any longer.

"(Y/N)… There is something I have to tell you…" I admitted as I looked down at my shoes, terrified to meet her gaze. "I like you — a lot. Hell, I might even love you! I'm sorry, but I can't hold back my feelings any longer."

After a few seconds of silence that felt like hours, I decided to glance up — only to see her staring at me with an even more shocked expression. Her eyes were wide, mouth agape, pale; she looked like she had just come out of a horror movie!

"I–I had no idea, Josh…" She whispered as she looked down at her hands that were now folded in her lap as she picked at her nails nervously. I fucking knew it was coming to a rejection. I wasn't too familiar with the whole thing. Babes would go with me even if they didn't like me, just because I had money. But I knew (Y/N) was better than that. And I knew that because of that, I was going to lose her.

"I'm sorry if this has ruined things between us." I look away from her, mentally kicking myself for being so dumb. But then I felt two soft hands over my own. I hesitantly peered back at her to see her staring at me with warmth in her eyes that no fire could create and a smile that could bring me back to life if I had died.

"I never said that it did. I like you too, Josh — a lot, actually. I just didn't think that you liked me back." She explained and my eyes widened in shock.

"Y–You like me too?"

"Yeah!"

"Holy shit!" I yelled excitedly, standing up but then remembering that I was hundreds of feet in the air, so I quickly sat back down, making her giggle. "S–So, you'll be my girlfriend then?"

"Of course, silly!" She chuckled and with that being said, I placed a gentle kiss upon her soft lips. Finally, I have gotten what I have truly desired for so long.

'I'll have to thank Hannah and Beth for this later.' I made a mental note after we broke away from the kiss after a minute or two. She rested her head on my shoulder and I rested mine on top of hers as we enjoyed the rest of the ride.

Driving home, we were all exhausted from the day we had. I looked in the rear view mirror to see Hannah and Beth, completely knocked out from exhaustion and I just chuckled to myself — it was the first time Beth had been quiet that day.

Then I looked over to (Y/N) — who was fast asleep in the passenger seat while cuddling her bear with a big smile on her face. My heart felt so warm at the sight of how happy my girl was.

And nothing has ever made me happier.

It truly was the best day ever.

》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《

[starleska]

Yeah I think you pulled me down the Toymaker rabbit hole. My beloved mutual wants to steal his gender and I need to put him on a conveyor belt and rearrange his insides methodically.

Your guide to his German accent was impeccably brilliant, by the way! Your written Toymaker is alive and I hear him speak when I read your writing. That happens very, very rarely.

Would love to see more of him, though you did mention something being in the works in the Archive! :)

hehehe yes!!!!! i love being insane enough about a fictional character to produce my own mavitational field and drag other people down with me!!! welcome to Toymaker brainrot hell 😉💖

god, who doesn't want to steal the Toymaker's gender or open him up to figure out what's wrong with him?? he's that classic slaying combination of 'do i want to be him? do i want to be with him? do i want to run away as far as possible? or do i want to study him like a bug under a microscope?' 😭

awww my gosh thank you so much, you're so sweet!!! 🙈💖 i can't believe my silly little hyperfixation ramblings have gained so much traction and helped lots of folks with their own writing!! i absolutely love analysing and breaking down the way characters speak, and the Toymaker's ridiculous false accents scratch the oft-unused linguistic parts of my brain so well 🥺💖 hearing you say he feels alive is the most wonderful comment a writer could receive!! thank you 😭 oh, yes yes yes!!! don't you worry - i can confirm that Dollface is getting a Chapter 2, which i am very excited about 🥳 i am also working on a super special ultra secret project which i cannot breathe a word about...folks in the Toymaker Discord server i'm now a mod of have been treated to a couple of hints, and will be finding out more in the coming weeks. i'm not alone on this particular project either...it's gonna be very fun when it's finished 🙈💖 but alas, i've said too much!

just, thank you so very much for being so nice to me!!! especially on the day before my birthday...as i turn 26, i am overwhelmed with love and creativity and fantastic vibes. you are wonderful, and i hope you have a magnificent time with your new blorbo 😉

[doodle-pops]

hey, I just wanted to stop by and say how much I appreciate you and the other blogs for existing. what I really wanna say is I get so excited whenever I see you and the other blogs/writers interacting whether it be through asks or reblogs. it makes me really happy to know that some of my favorite writers are supporting each other. it's really nice to see you all supporting one a other through reblogs, comments, asks ad requests.

so tldr: thank you for being so kind to interact with other blogs and thank you to other blogs for interacting. and through you, I was introduced to @lamemaster and their wonderful angst work 😁

a shoutout to @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @animatorweirdo @someoneinthestars (I enjoy seeing you interact with Cami, it's pure chaos) @asianbutnotjapanese and @batsyforyou a d all the other frequent anons for being so kind and interactive 💖. you guys are my favorite blogs a d make the community come to life!

Oh, this such a wonderful message 🥺. Why, I do enjoy supporting and interacting with my fellow bloggers. It's mutual love ❤. I'm also glad you mentioned lamemaster and their ANGST, might wanna throw in animatorweirdo in the mix. I'm convinced they're the same person at this point with all the hardcore ANGST they write 🤔. They are made up of angst and nothing else (still love them).

But, I can't stop reading this and be amazed at how those little interactions get you excited. It does for me as well! And yes, Cami is high chaotic. Her blog's name should be chaoticcami 😂.

Overall, indeed a huge shout out to these amazing blogs for existing and making the writer's multiverse a real place and the community thrive 🥳. Thank you for your appreciation and love, we are most grateful 💖💖

[vivvy-of-the-lake]

Bocchi is Trans and Gay and Yuu has Autism and ADHD

Welcome to my blog! You may have known me as needy-cute-transgirl but I've gone through a rebrand :3

My two brainrots are Bocchi the Rock! and Hoshikuzu Telepath, both of which are kirara series (and also i have begun brainrotting over Nichijou so expect that too!)

...and also Little Goody Two Shoes. It's consuming me 💀

I also write fics! For now I have just some Bocchi the Rock! fics, but I plan to write for other fandoms at some point! :3

I am also madly in love with my girlfriend @lambdaupsilon who got me into writing these fics in the first place, and my other girlfriend @keyboardcait!!! :3

For horny stuff, check out my sideblog, @needycutetransgirl :3

I hope you enjoy your stay at my blog!!! Reblogs are always appreciated, especially if you leave notes in the tags - I love reading them!!! <3

I will probably add to this post later, but below is a list of tags that I will use to organise my posts!

#vivi's elise - Posts about my girlfriend @lambdaupsilon!!! In particular how hot she is and the things she's able to make me feel, but also cute dumb stuff she does that makes my heart flutter 💖💖💖

#vivi's cait - Posts about my other girlfriend @keyboardcait!!! In particular the infinitely charming and dorky hijinks she gets up to 💖💖💖

#vivi the bocchi the rock - Bocchi brainrot, very much the primary content on this blog now :3

#vivi's foreheadpathy - Hoshikuzu Telepath brainrot. Umika is autistic and Yu has autism and ADHD and they are so fucking gay for each other

#vivi's ordinary life - Nichijou brainrot. Yuuko has ADHD and Nano is a trans allegory :3

#vivi's ruby red shoes - Little Goody Two Shoes brainrot. WHY ISN'T THERE A POLYCULE ENDING 😭

#vivi's piloting skills - Things to do with my desire to be a cute and cool WWII fighter pilot :3

#vivi's writing - Occasionally I do writing!!! You can find my AO3 account in the link above :3

#vivi's yuri - Lesbians and sapphic relationships without necessarily being horny! Also used for yearning 🥺

#vivi's social skills - Mostly anything that doesn't fit any of the above categories, often includes reblogging and interacting with mutuals <3

#vivi's humour - Funny things, not always consistent with the theme of the blog - just things I find funny! (As if this blog has a 'theme' anyway ;3)

#vivi's asks - Responses to any asks I receive! (They may also appear under #vivi's social skills if they're particularly old posts)

#vivi's vents - My ramblings whenever something upsets me and I just need to get it out. Not common, but if that bothers you don't be afraid to block this tag!

#vivi's mutual bait - Anything that I just know some of my mutuals will eat up! ;3

#vivi's goals - Things that I want to look like - this used to be typically not horny but that line is a little less ambiguous nowadays O_O

[theflyingfeeling]

Aaaaaaa OlliAllu crushing on each other aaaaaaa 🥺💖💕

I wanna know everything about the timeline! 😍

Thanks for asking!! My favourite topic!! 🥺

So just as a disclaimer: the following is based on nothing much but my vivid & delusional imagination (except that it's all totally true and real 😌)

Behold,

💖 The Olli/Allu Love Story Timeline* 💖

(*according to theflyingfeeling / this is gospel truth okay don't fight me)

Pre-Aleksi-joining-the-band / Timebomb -> becoming friends 👨🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻

So I imagine that before Aleksi joined the band, he and Olli were friendly but maybe not super close (or as close as Aleksi may have been to Joel/Joonas/Niko). They respected each other as musicians and, as time passed, figured the other is a pretty cool dude to hang out with and fun to play shows with 🤝 By the time Aleksi joined the band, they were already good friends 😌

(I love how from the very beginning it was not unusual to spot them next to each other in pictures (yes yes I know about their team short/team tall arrangement in pictures, humour me a little here though)

Can we also cry about this (irrelevant to Olli/Allu (unless Olli wrote this)):

"our lovely friend" 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

*

2021: UMK / Eurovision / post-Eurovision -> developing the crush 💕

They started working on Dark Side pretty much right/around when Aleksi first joined the band, right? By then they all, including Olli, had spent more and more time with Aleksi in the studio as well as on stage before he officially joined the band. During the UMK/Eurovision project, however, they were suddenly working together way more intensely (especially after winning UMK), so I like to think that was when their friendship deepened and they found out just how much they have in common (e.g. all their nerdy mutual interests). They probably started to chat more just the two of them (in the UMK video 15 facts about Blind Channel, Aleksi mentioned calling Olli (and always catching him biking lol)) and sort of just drifted towards each other so that they were frequently seen together (the screencap on the right is taken seconds before they stop to stare each other in the eyes, sorry I don't have a gif of that) 💕

(and no I haven't done extensive research on how much more often they were spotted together in comparison to how often they were spotted with other band members just sshhhhhh it's not like this is a doctoral thesis)

If I recall correctly, they also did some interviews together, at least this one where they look like they had just woken up from a nap with lots of cuddles (and maybe even some shy kisses for fun (because sometimes good friends make out for the lols, right??), I mean come on, they look so soft 🥺💓

They also sat (and partied) next to each other during the finale, and shared that one looooooooong hug I mean COME OOOOOON they don't want to let go of each other 😭

Of course, we cannot forget about the tipsy/drunken cuddles during that interview (and in the hotel room a bit later, source: I just know it in my heart) 💞

(remember also the other, less known drunk interview that showed Olli staring at Aleksi dreamily 🥺)

I think around this time they also got a bit flirty with each other for the first time? At least if one is to interpret the way Olli "mocks" (lovingly <3) how Aleksi says his middle name in the hotel room IG stream they did (and of course we're going to interpret the heck out of that, that's why I'm writing this whole thing for 😌 (I still crack up at Niko's "I thought it was Mattson" every time though lol))

Another highlight from 2021 was obviously the moments they shared in the Posse shower stall we have been discussing lately, which show exactly how comfortable they are with each other 😩

Also, I can't remember for sure and I can't find the ask for reference, but was it the summer of 2021 when Aleksi had to miss a show (because he was sick or something?), and reportedly Olli had been all quiet and gloomy that day, to the point that Niko pointed it out on stage during their show, telling the audience (jokingly) that they're sorta worried about Olli because he has barely said a word all day? I remember talking about this with someone and they had videos/pictures/?? about it too, but until I have some actual evidence of this, you're just gonna have to take my word of it 😌 In any case, it goes to show how much they meant to each other already back then 😭

To conclude, I think the year 2021 was the year they slowly developed their (mutual) crush, but without fully realising what was happening. There were some cheeky cuddles (perhaps even sleepy/drunken kisses) and friendly teasing which was totally NOT flirting although it totally was, they weren't just ready to admit it and butterflies in the stomach that they tried to ignore; they're fairly certain they like each other platonically and nothing more, even though they can't help but smile a little more brightly when they get a text from each other and they miss each other a little too much when they're apart... 💕

*

Spring/summer 2022: the US tour / the EU tour / the summer (tour) -> getting together 💞

Let's start off with this poor-quality gif I just made, for no particular reason except that I want y'all to look at how cute they are 🥰

According to Niko (source: just trust me alright, I think he said it on twitter but naturally I can't find anything rn), as I'm sure many of you know by now, during the US tour Olli and Aleksi were often the last ones awake in the tour bus, drinking Mountain Dew and chatting away about nerdy stuff. I think this is when they really grew closer and I can easily imagine that around this time the first thoughts of "what if..." entered their minds 😳

Maybe they sometimes ended up just staring into each others eyes lovingly, before realising neither has said anything for a while (and it was sort of awkward when they did realise, but they just laughed it off), or maybe there were accidental/absentminded touches; maybe they both just felt so warm and cozy in each other's company, and even though they were both getting a little sleepy, they kept on talking for a few more moments because they weren't ready to let go of the moment and "burst the bubble". Maybe they were joking around and being low-key flirty, and when they finally went to bed, they'd be going out of their minds in their bunkbeds, trying not to think about all that too hard.

I like to think that eventually they got more daring, sat more closer to each other, and suddenly the small touches weren't accidental anymore. They could have an entire conversation with Aleksi's hand on Olli's thigh or vice versa and it would feel so nice and so natural 💞 There may have been a few kisses too, just for fun and because the vibes are right, and maaaaaaybe they don't really talk about it that much, but they definitely can't wait to try that again somewhere a bit more private 👀

Speaking of which, we also know that they roomed together at least once ("Little Man asked first"), and by some inexplicable coincidence, the two of them were the only ones in the band who got ill during the tour? Huh, that's strange 🤔😌 So I have a reason to believe the US tour was when they first got together, even if they thought they were just fooling around back then 🥰

(can't think of anything in particular to say about the EU tour in the spring, but we can look at these pictures nevertheless 💗_💗)

and then 🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭😭😭

Getting emotional receiving the gold records in Ruisrock, hugging each other the first thing because who else would they hug, what more prove do you even need to see how much these two love each other 😭

We also know that in the summer 2022 Olli stayed at Aleksi's when he was in Helsinki (not sure if this happened every time he was in the capital but there were a few occasions), I think they were spotted grocery shopping together or something? They also participated in this interview together, providing us moments such as

1) the two of them sitting tightly in Aleksi's (?) car,

2) hearing that they had spent the night together watching old tour videos,

3) Olli commenting on Aleksi's outfit ("I warned you..." = he had been looking at Aleksi's dick through his pants 🥰 (at least I assume it's about the romper that showed the outline of his peepee? he says "last summer" but I don't think his outfit in the 2021 summer tour was as controversial? it was literally just a black t-shirt (with a white long-sleeve underneath sometimes) and black trousers, so I assume he means "the summer that has passed" (the interview took place in August))

4) Olli's surprise when Aleksi says he, too, would like to collaborate with Skrillex and Aleksi teasing Olli about "having thought about Skrillex last night" (don't worry Aleksi, I'm sure he was thinking more about you than Skrillex 🥺)

To sum up, in the first half of the year 2022, they got together for the first time and formed a special kinda bond, slowly falling in deep, soft love 🥺💕

*

Autumn 2022: the EU headline tour, the London & LA song-writing camps -> honeymoon time 💖

...yeah, I wonder what happened during the EU headline tour 😳

(they fucked. a lot. rough. this is the truth.)

...and before they left for the honeymoon song-writing camp, they did the cutest thing that any two humans have ever done in the history of the universe 😭

I mean 😭😭😭😭 are y'all still crying about this?! because I never stopped 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 you can just imagine them grocery shopping for studio snacks together and they spot this card (I do wonder what the picture on the front is) and have this grand idea and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the giggles when they wrote the card and gave it to daddy!Johnny AAAAAAAAAAA I'm going to explode if I think about how unbelieavably cute it all is, is this not something you do with a very special bro of yours?! I cannot handle it 🥺💕

In London they went on a date on Olli's birthday (yes I have decided the others weren't there 😌) and Aleksi took the most boyfriend picture of him because they're boyfriends in love 🥺

In LA we know they shared the bed (source: you can't prove they didn't!!) and looked very very soft and boyfriends; in conclusion, they were on a honeymoon 💖

*

2023: boyfriends boyfriending 💓💞💕💖💗

And yeah, that sort of brings us to this year and the way they are now, so cute and sweet and boyfriend and touching each other for no reason thinking they're being discreet and playfighting and giggling at each other's joke like they're the most hilarious person that ever lived and smiling sweetly when they see the other has replied to their text and being so fucking cute in Aleksi's twitch streams without Olli even physically being there and getting engaged for real and just 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Of course there are soooooooooo many moments over the years that I also want to mention but can't really pinpoint in the timeline, such as all the clothes/accessory-sharing and adopting each other's style (cuffed jeans and tucked-in shirts) and the wine drinking while listening to soft music and cuddling in meet-and-greet pictures and looking so happy about it too and in general always sitting/standing next to each other in pictures ("but they don't always--" YES they do always, don't even fight me about this 😤), the evidence is right there in front of your own two eyeballs if only you choose to see it and live like a king the way we do here in the Olli/Allu Delulu Land ✨

Finally, let me do a random photo dump to further illustrate my point if you're not yet convinced for some reason (and to reach the 30 pictures per post limit) 💖

(sorry for no sources, if this is the reason I go to jail I'm going happily)

[spideyanakin]

Hi! I’m just wondering if you do Max Verstappen if you do- could you please do a fic where his annoyed from the race and the reader blocks him from speaking to the press and literally everyone because she just wants to look after him and could see he didn’t want to speak about the whole race- and then something like the reader taking care of him like running him a bath and I can just imagine like Max just relaxing in the bath- and the reader is sitting on the floor or on her knees next to the bath and has like one arm on the side of the bath and is resting her head on it while their both reminiscing on their relationship and funny times. And then the reader goes and gets them some food or orders then some food, and when she comes back to max he just hugs them and thanks them and then like later that evening they’re laying there in bed like his laying on the reader and like says he loves them for the first time… if you wanna leave it there then that’s absolutely fine or if you had your own idea to add to it or throughout I would love! And then you do much if you can do this fic 💘 also love your writing!!! 🥹

hi bubs 💖

I unfortunately don't write for max 🥺 But please, you can take your requests to some of my amazing mutuals who do write for him!! I know @illicitlimerence-writes is one of the best writers out there in terms of f1 🫶🏻