#i miss that annual contest
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bovineblogger · 10 months ago
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hi hello! not a videogame cow BUT something i thought you might enjoy: in Galicia (a region of Spain) they do an annual cow beauty contest called Miss Vaca (Miss Cow). People get so excited about it and the cows are always GORGEOUS, these were this year's contestants :)
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AGHHH GUYS BLANCA WON!!!
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EVERYONE SAY CONGRATULATIONS BLANCA!!!!!!
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stylesxmunson · 2 months ago
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Miss Hawkins '86 | Serie Masterlist
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Eddie Munson x Metal!FemReader
Summary: After a bet with Hellfire, you decide to enter the annual 'Miss Hawkins' beauty pageant to show them that anyone is capable of winning that kind of contest.
Warnings: insults, violence, bullying, injuries, misogyny, mentions of blood, alcohol and drug use by minors, drama, angst, jealousy, emotions, slow fire, friends to lovers, eventual smut, no upside down
Author's note: So, this story came to mind after watching Little Miss Sunshine the other night, and I was also inspired by that episode of Malcolm in the Middle where Lois joins a beauty pageant.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story, and I apologize if at some point the narration gets a little confusing; English is not my first language :)
-> <-
Chapter 1 ______________________ (Coming Soon)
Chapter 2 ______________________ (Coming Soon)
Chapter 3 ______________________ (Coming Soon)
Chapter 4 ______________________ (Coming Soon)
Chapter 5 ______________________ (Coming Soon)
Chapter 6 ______________________ (Coming Soon)
Chapter 7 ______________________ (Coming Soon)
Chapter 8 ______________________ (Coming Soon)
Chapter 9 ______________________ (Coming Soon)
Chapter 10 _____________________ (Coming Soon)
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sycamorelibrary754 · 7 months ago
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Happy Easter
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Summary: You are three weeks from your due date, but the thought of you and Natasha missing Easter at the Barton’s farmhouse in Iowa was simply inconceivable. What will you do if your little bundle of joy makes an early, unexpected entrance?
Genre: Fluff
Pairings: Natasha x reader, Avengers x reader (platonic).
Word Count: 5.7k
Warnings: None
A/N: Happy belated Easter! I wanted to post this fic on Easter, but there wasn't enough time. This is part 3 of Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! I recommend reading those stories first, but it can be read as a stand-alone story as well. This was so much fun to write. I hope you enjoy it! 
"Does anyone know where the purple egg dye is?" you inquired, scanning the table as you addressed the Barton kids. "I could have sworn we had two cups of every color." Cooper and Lila were fully engrossed in the Easter egg decorating contest, meticulously crafting their designs, while Nate seemed to relish in using every color available on the table. "Oh, it's on the counter.”
You were just about to rise from the kitchen table, no easy feat at this stage of your pregnancy. It felt like yesterday when you surprised Natasha with your pregnancy at Thanksgiving in front of her family and announced to the team that they would all be aunts and uncles at Tony’s annual Christmas party. Your due date was three weeks away, but missing Easter with Clint’s family in Iowa was out of the question.
“Don’t get up, Y/N. I got it!” Nat said as she jumped up to grab the paper cup of purple egg dye behind you.
"Thanks, sweetheart," you said as Nat placed the cup on the table.
"How are you feeling?" Natasha asked as she gently caressed your cheek. "Maybe you should take a break?”
“Nat, I promise I’m okay. Come sit back down and color some Easter eggs with us,” you replied, trying to put your wife at ease. 
Natasha was looking forward to Easter, too, but she was more focused on you and the final weeks of your pregnancy. Dr. Cho had given you the green light to go, with the condition that you'd have daily check-ins by phone and go on bed rest as soon as you returned home.
"Auntie Nat, look at this!" Nate proudly showed off an egg with The Black Widow symbol on it.
"Look, Auntie Nat," you echoed with a smile.
"This is amazing! Maybe I should have you design my next suit instead of Stark," she said.
"Shall we start the judging?" Clint asked as he entered the room with Laura.
"Yep, all set," Cooper confirmed.
"Just a sec," Lila said, focused on decorating her egg. "There, done."
"Where are Yelena and Kate?" Laura asked.
"We're coming!" came a shout from the living room.
"It's not a Fabergé egg, you two, come on!" Nat yelled.
"Tada!" Kate exclaimed, revealing a beautiful purple egg with green and orange stripes.
You whispered to your wife, "So that's where all the purple dye went.”
You placed your egg on the table with all the others. Pink and blue with red polka dots. Symbolic of your current anticipation over the impending arrival of your bundle of joy. You and Nat both agreed you wanted to be surprised.
“Hmmm, this is going to be a tough decision,” Clint said, stroking his chin. “As you all know, you will be judged on creativity, technique, and presentation.”
Walking back and forth in front of the kitchen table, you couldn’t help but giggle at his mock seriousness. 
“Allow me to confer with my fellow judge,” he said. After a few moments of hushed whispers with Laura, Clint returned to the group. “We thank you all for your participation. You all decorated beautiful Easter eggs. The competition was tough this year, but one egg stands head and shoulders above the rest,” pausing for dramatic effect. “The 2024 Barton Easter Egg Decorating Champion is Nathaniel Barton!” 
You shouldn't have spent so much time on the sketches!” Yelena said, slapping Kate on the arm. 
“Yes!!” Nathaniel cheered. 
“You are hereby awarded this Lindt Milk Chocolate Gold Bunny,” his father said, handing him the gold-wrapped chocolate as big as his head.
“That you will share with the rest of the family and not eat in one sitting,” Laura added.
“Aww!” Nathaniel whined. 
*^~^*
You spent the evening on the porch, surrounded by the laughter of the kids playing on the lush green lawn as the sun set over the farm. Laura served her delicious homemade Lemonade as you shared stories and reminisced about old times. The air was filled with nostalgia so vivid that you could almost reach out and touch it. Natasha sat next to you, holding your hand gently, her calloused touch a reminder of the strength and resilience she had acquired through years of training.
You were taken by surprise as you felt the baby begin to kick.
"Wow!" You exclaimed as you gently placed your hand on your belly.
All eyes turned to you. Though unspoken, everyone shared the same nervous anticipation as your wife for the approaching due date.
"Are you alright, malyshka?" Nat asked, her eyes filled with concern as she squeezed your hand.
"I'm okay. The baby is kicking. Here, feel." You said as you took her hand and gently guided it to your stomach, trying to find the right spot. 
“Oh,” Nat squeaked. “I’ll never get used to that feeling.”
“Move aside, sestra; I want to feel my little plemyannitsa or plemyannik.” (Niece or nephew).
Yelena playfully bumped her sister out of the way with her hip and eagerly reached to touch your stomach.
"Wow, that's amazing!" she cried out. "Hey there, little one. I'm Aunt Yelena, and I will spoil you rotten!"
"Have you two settled on a name yet?" Kate inquired.
"No," you sighed. "We just can't seem to agree. Since we both want to be surprised, it's been twice as hard to come up with two names."
"Don't worry, you'll know when you see the little bundle of joy," Laura reassured.
"This wouldn't be an issue if either of you were open to any of the names I've suggested," Yelena added with a grin.
“Yelena is not an option,” Natasha frustratedly replied.
“What about—“ 
“Neither is Alaska! That isn’t even a name!” Your wife is exasperated.
“It could be!” Yelena said. “What about—“
“Or Wolfgang!” Nat interrupted.
“You lack all originality, sestra,” Yelena berated.
^*~*^
The soft glow of the table lamp reflected off your glasses as you delved into the pages of your latest beloved read. You placed your bookmark between the pages at the sound of your wife closing the bathroom door and crawling into bed beside you.
"Did you get a chance to talk to Helen today?" Nat asked as she helped me fluff up my pregnancy pillow.
"Yeah, I did. She was glad to hear that the swelling in my ankles went down and suggested taking a warm bath to help with the discomfort," you replied, shifting to get comfortable against the pillow.
"Mmm, a warm bath does sound amazing," Natasha hummed as she settled down on her side, facing me.
“Oh, I didn’t realize you’d be joining me?” You said softly, with a sly grin and a raised eyebrow.
“Of course I would, detka,” leaning over and kissing your baby bump. 
You gently squeezed Nat's hand, feeling a wave of anticipation as your due date drew near. Thoughts of what your baby would look like and who they would become filled your mind. Would they inherit Nat's fiery red hair, or perhaps have your Y/E/C eyes? The anticipation was almost overwhelming, but knowing that Natasha was by your side made it all feel possible.
"Are you looking forward to the Easter egg hunt tomorrow?" You asked, pulling yourself out of your daydream.
Nat giggled, "You make it sound like I'm the one participating."
"Well, you might as well be. I can never tell who's more excited, you or the kids," you replied.
Natasha glanced down at our intertwined hands and then back up at you. Her green eyes sparkled like emeralds.
"I think it's because holidays in my childhood weren’t real. We filled the photo album with fake pictures and empty boxes. But this," looking around at the small details of Clint and Laura’s farmhouse, "Is real, and I’ve always done my best to help ensure that Cooper, Lila, and Nate have everything I didn’t. A carefree childhood filled with love," Natasha explained.
"You’ve done a wonderful job with Clint’s kids, Nat. They love you so much, and I know you’ll be just as amazing with our little one," you said, doing your best to reassure her. “Goodnight, Natasha,” kissing her lips. 
“I hope you're right, detka,” Nat said, kissing your lips in return and laying a hand on your stomach. “Goodnight, malen'kiy (little one).
*^~^*
The following day, you awoke to the sun shining through the window and a soft breeze that caused the curtains to dance gently on the wind. Your back was aching, and you were tired, but you were determined to make it through today. You slipped into the most comfortable maternity outfit you had. Natasha helped you with your shoes, and you both went downstairs to the kitchen. 
“Happy Easter, you two!” Clint said upon seeing you two enter the kitchen. 
You sat down at the kitchen table as Laura placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of you and Nat, along with two glasses of orange juice. The kids were already eating and arguing over who would find the most Easter eggs this afternoon. 
Yelena and Kate walked in a few moments later, clad in bathrobes and their hair disheveled. 
“Against the idea of showering and dressing before breakfast, were you?” Natasha asked.
“Kate Bishop kept me up all night with her snoring, and Lucky and Fanny woke me up by sitting on my face,” Yelena mumbled as she flopped beside you. 
“Hey, that’s how dogs shows affection,” Kate interjected.
“So, I should consider your snoring a Valentine?” Yelena deadpanned. 
After breakfast, the kids ran upstairs to prepare for the Easter egg hunt while Clint got a head start on hiding the eggs. Nathaniel insisted Nat accompany him to help find his Easter basket, but she hesitated to leave you.
“Go ahead, babe. I’m fine.” Motioning for her to follow her namesake. 
“So, how are you really feeling?” Laura asked, now that Nat was no longer in the room. 
You let out a deep sigh, “Tired and sore,” resting your head in your hands. “But this quality time with you all means so much to both of us. I can make it one more day before going on bed rest.”
Laura rubbed her hand softly on your back, “Why don’t you sit in the family room with Kate and Yelena until the fun starts.” 
“Okay, that’s a good idea. Make sure Yelena and Kate haven’t snuck into the Easter candy,” you laughed. 
Laura helped you to your feet and then began to clear the table. As you started to walk, you felt a minor twinging pain in your stomach. You winced but thought nothing of it. With the amount of shifting the baby was doing these days, you had every spasm and cramp in the book. Unfortunately for you, you were in a house full of spies, and Laura picked up your discomfort. She made a mental note to watch you as the day progressed.
*^~^*
"Look, there's one!" Cooper exclaimed, pointing at the leather seat of the tractor in the front yard. He dashed towards it, but Lila beat him by a step. "Ha! Slowpoke," she teased.
From your spot on the porch, you glanced over and saw my wife hoisting Nathaniel onto her shoulders to carefully grab an Easter egg from the crook of an old sycamore tree. 
After about 15 minutes, everyone's baskets were full of eggs. Now came the fun of opening them all. You watched as all three kids dug into their baskets, opening the eggs to find mini Hershey bars, M&M's, jelly beans, or starbursts.
Nathaniel walked over to you and placed an Orange Starburst in your hand. "Here, Aunt Y/N. I know the Orange ones are your favorite."
"Aww, thank you, Nate," you said, kissing his forehead.
As you were about to open the soft toffy candy, a sharp contraction cut through my stomach. “Aaah!” you reached for your stomach as you bent over at the knees. Much stronger than anything you had felt before.
Natasha rushed to your side. “Y/N?! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Reaching for your hand.
"I don’t know," you grunted.
Natasha's voice quivered with anxiety as she tried to rationalize the situation. "This—this can’t be it. We’re still three weeks out," she said, her mind racing with worry. "Maybe it’s just false labor."
That was the moment when your water broke. "Oh God—" you took a sharp breath as another contraction hit.
"Okay, not false labor," Nat conceded.
"It’s okay, Y/N," Laura reassured you calmly, gently taking your hand. "Most first births are a long labor. But we’re going to get you inside, okay?"
You felt a surge of panic. "What? No, no. I can't have the baby here. I'm not ready. We had a birth plan; I don't have my overnight bag!" you started to ramble, the anxiety rising in your voice.
"You're not boarding a Quinjet now. “I'm going to call Helen,” Clint said as he started to run inside.
"What's wrong with Aunt Y/N?” Nathaniel asked.
"Nothing, sweetheart, but the baby is coming a little bit earlier than we thought," Laura said calmly as she and your wife Nat gently guided you up the steps and into the warm and welcoming embrace of the house.
"Cooper and Lila, please grab a soft, warm blanket and clean towels from the linen closet?" Laura called out to the older children, her voice steady and reassuring.
I'l boil some water and tear up some sheets!" Kate announced frantically.
"This isn't Little House on the Prairie," Yelena quipped. She looked at you and Natasha with a warm yet nervous smile. "I’ll call Mom and Dad.”
"I thought you said this was a long process?" you managed to say between deep breaths, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.
"Yes, but there's nothing wrong with being prepared, honey," Laura replied with a comforting smile, her hands steady as she and Nat helped you onto the bed.
Natasha gently grasped your hand and locked eyes with you. "Y/N, look at me," she said reassuringly. “You’re okay, and I'm right here with you. Let's take a deep breath together.”
You took a deep breath, trying to follow Natahsa's lead. The air came out shakily as it moved around the sharp pain of the contraction.
"Do you remember your Lamaze breathing?" Nat asked, her voice calm and reassuring.
"I think so," you replied, trying to focus on the breathing technique you had practiced during the prenatal classes.
*^~^*
Contractions came and went over the next few hours. You were thankful that childbirth was part of the first aid classes all SHIELD recruits were required to take. Otherwise, the prospect of giving birth in a farmhouse in the middle of Iowa would have been more terrifying than it already was. 
You heard the front door open and the screen shut behind it as footsteps hurriedly approached the bedroom. When you saw Dr. Cho, you just about burst into tears. 
Helen! Oh, thank goodness," you exclaimed just as another contraction began, your face twisted in agony.
"Y/N," Helen responded, rushing to your side and gently pushing the sweaty strands of hair away from your eyes. "Clint and Laura briefed me. They said that you're handling this wonderfully. Let me take a moment to set up, and then we'll check your dilation progress.”
Okay," you managed to say, catching your breath. "Where's Bruce?"
He's in Kamar-Taj with Wong. Something about ten rings? I'm not entirely sure, but don't worry, both of you," she reassured, meeting your and Natasha’s fatigued and apprehensive gazes. "I have a backup.”
Thor strode into the room, effortlessly carrying a collection of Helen's equipment that seemed as light as a feather in his hands.
"Thor? What are you doing here?" Natasha asked, clearly puzzled.
Thor glanced at your wife, then at you, then at Laura, and then at Helen.
"Hello, everyone," he said shyly. "I was, uh, Helen and I—Dr. Cho. She invited me for Easter, and we were enjoying a nice glass of Asgardian Mead when—"
"When Clint called," Helen finished. "Anyway, he's here to help, right?"
"Of course," Thor replied. "I've never witnessed a human birth before, but I've been present for the births of many Gods and am well-versed in many newborn blessings."
You and Natasha locked eyes, your nervousness quickly replaced with gratitude as you realized the significance of having another close friend by your side during this pivotal moment in your lives.
Natasha expressed her gratitude to Thor, finally breaking the silence. "We're both thankful that you're here," she said, her voice filled with sincerity. 
You nodded in agreement, silently acknowledging the sentiment.
"It's my pleasure, ladies," Thor replied warmly.
“Thor, can you bring the rest of my equipment in from the Quinjet while I check to see how far Y/N is dilated?” Helen asked.
“Sure, and do either of you need anything? He asked.
Some ice chips would be great, you said in a tired voice. “Thank you.”
“Water,” Natasha said.
Shortly after Thor departed, Yelena entered, engaging in small talk as they crossed paths in the hallway. "What's the God of muscles doing here?" she inquired.
"It's a long story," Helen responded.
"I spoke with Melina. She and Alexi are en route and should arrive by morning. At least, I think that's what she said. It was hard to hear her over Alexi's ecstatic screams in the background."
"Okay, Y/N, you've done most of the hard work in my absence. You're just about at 10 centimeters. It’s time to start pushing. You two are going to parents soon," Helen announced with a smile.
“Oh my God,” you said, looking over at Natasha. 
“Hey,” your wife said, running her hand through your hair, “I love you.” 
“I love you too,” you said.
*^~^*
“Push. Push, just a little more! Come on, push for five seconds. 5…4…” Helen counted down.
Gasping for air, you exclaimed, '3-2-1 oh!!' as you fought to catch your breath.
Thor gently wiped away the sweat from your forehead with a cloth.
“You're doing great, Y/N. The next contraction should be coming in about twenty seconds," Helen encouraged, glancing at the monitor. 
“I can’t,” you cried. “I can’t push anymore, I can’t.”
Natasha reassured you, "Yes, you can, Y/N. You're so close," she reached out and firmly took hold of your hand.
“Oh God, twenty seconds, my ass!” You shouted.
Natasha screamed in pain and fell to her knees beside you as you squeezed her hand. “Fuck, detka!”
"Here, Lady Y/N," Thor said, taking her hand in his, "Give my hand a good squeeze; you won't hurt me. And when you reminisce on this moment, you will remember that a God has faith in you. You can do this!" Thor's voice was solid and reassuring, his eyes filled with genuine belief in your strength.
Your eyes shone with tears as you held Thor's hand tightly, feeling the strength in his grip while Natasha enveloped you, her arm supporting your back.
I can see the baby's head. Are you ready to push one more time, honey?” Helen asked, “Here we go, on three: 1... 2... 3!”
You let out a final scream and then collapsed back onto the pillows, trying to catch your breath. As the room fell silent, the innocent cries of your and Natasha’s baby filled the air.
"It's a boy!" Helen exclaimed with joy.
Tears welled up in your eyes as you looked at Natasha, who was also crying. It was more emotion than you had ever seen Natasha show before.
Helen held up your son for both of you to admire. His little head was adorned with the beginnings of red hair. 
"He's absolutely perfect," Nat exclaimed with a radiant smile as she affectionately kissed your temple.
Thor carefully cut the umbilical cord, and then Helen gently passed the newborn over to Laura, who began to clean him up. 
Overwhelmed with emotion, you exclaimed, "He's so tiny! Where'd he go?"
Natasha reassured you, "It's okay. They're just wrapping him up," as she wiped away her tears. Concerned for the baby's well-being, you cautioned, "Okay, well, be careful with him. He's really tiny!”
Moments later, Laura tenderly announced, "Here he is," and placed your precious son on your bare chest, swathed in a soft blanket.
"Hi, baby boy," you whispered, tears streaming down your cheeks. "I know you."
As your voice reached his ears, his little Y/E/C irises opened, revealing a world of innocence and wonder.
At that moment, gazing at your son, you experienced a love so profound it felt as though your heart had been laid bare.
Natasha tenderly kissed his head and softly murmured, “Dobro pozhalovat' v mir, moy malen'kiy mal'chik.” (Welcome to the world, my little boy).
We’ll give you a few minutes," Helen said with a reassuring smile as she closed the door behind her. In the serene stillness that followed, the only sound was the gentle cooing of your precious newborn son.
“I can't believe he's finally here,” you said.
"I know. He’s so beautiful," Natasha said, her gaze fixed on the newborn.
"It looks like he’s going to take after his Mama," you chuckled, running your hand over the delicate red hairs sprouting from his scalp.
"Yes, but look at his eyes—sparkling Y/E/C like yours. Wow," Nat said.
You remarked, "I guess this narrows the names down, then."
Nat sighed in relief, "Thank goodness I don't have to explain to my sister why we didn't choose Yelena."
Looking into your wife's eyes, you asked, "So what do you think?"
*^~^*
A short while later, a gentle knock on the door signaled Helen's arrival as she peeked inside. "Hey, you three. I need to conduct a few routine tests, and there are some eager people outside who can't wait to meet your son."
"Please, come on in, everyone," you welcomed them.
You couldn't hold back the tears as you witnessed the heartfelt expressions on their faces as they laid eyes on your baby boy. It was as if he instantly captivated them, just as you were when you first saw him.
"Oh, my goodness," Laura exclaimed as Clint enveloped Natasha tightly. Tears glistened in his eyes as he held his best friend close.
"He's beautiful, Natasha," Yelena said, her eyes brimming with tears. "Privet, malen'kiy plemyannik," she whispered (hello, my little nephew).
"He's so cute, Y/N! Oh my gosh," Kate exclaimed as your son wrapped his tiny hand around your finger.
"He is lovely," Thor added, his voice filled with warmth. "Strong and brave, like his mothers."
Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel gathered around you, admiring the newborn in your arms.
"Everyone," Natasha began, her hand resting lovingly on your back. "We have someone special we'd like you to meet.”
“This is Nikolai Odison Romanoff," you announced with a proud smile.
"Nikolai! What a beautiful first name," Clint exclaimed, wiping his eyes. "It suits him perfectly."
"Oh, my, Odison," Thor said wide-eyed. "Ladies, this is an honor fit for someone else. I wasn't even supposed to be here, I—" 
"But you were, Thor. You were here when I needed someone the most," you said, looking at him with gratitude. "We'll never forget what you did for us."
The God of Thunder exhaled, visibly touched by your kind words. "I'm truly honored, Y/N. Thank you," he said, kissing your cheek.
Excuse me, ladies," Helen said, "May I borrow him for a moment? We'll be right back.”
Nikolai began to cry at the loss of contact with you, and the sound tugged at both your and Natasha's heartstrings. "It's okay, little one. It's okay," Helen soothed him. 
Then, looking up at your wife, you added, "There is something else we wanted to ask. 
“Clint and Laura, we would be honored if you would be Nikolai’s godparents,” Natasha said.
“Of course!” Clint declared.
“Nothing would make us happier,” Laura added.”
The couple hugged you both in appreciation as Helen returned with Nikolai. 
“You have a healthy little boy on your hands! Born March 31st, 2024 at 7:23pm. He weighs five pounds and eight ounces and measures 16.5 inches long," she said as she gently placed your son in Natasha’s arms. "He's a bit small, but that is because he was impatient and arrived a bit early," Helen explained with a warm smile. "Nothing to worry about.”
Natasha cradled the baby in her arms, swaying gently back and forth as a soft yawn slipped from his tiny lips.
“We’ll spend the night here, but I want to bring Mom and Nikolai back to the compound tomorrow. I want to perform a thorough examination in my lab before sending you all home.” Helen explained.
"Of course, whatever you think is best," you agreed.
Natasha nodded in approval before a sudden realization struck her. "Oh, Mom and Dad! They're on their way here."
"They can join us if you'd like," Helen suggested.
"That would be great," you said. "Right, Nat?"
"Yeah, great," Natasha said, her mind racing as she tried to imagine the chaos of the Quinjet flight home with Alexi and Melina.
Yelena couldn't help but burst into laughter, fully aware of what her sister was thinking, until Kate elbowed her in the ribs.
"We'll leave you all to get some rest," Helen said. "I'll be outside if you need anything, and I'll be back in a little while to help you with breastfeeding him.”
"Thank you, Helen, and all of you, for everything," you said, feeling the exhaustion and emotions of the day overwhelming you as tears began to fall.
After exchanging warm embraces, everyone exited the room, leaving you and Natasha in peaceful solitude with your precious newborn son, savoring the tender moment.
Natasha gently settled Nikolai in Nathaniel's bassinet, a family heirloom lovingly retrieved from storage by Clint and Laura. As your little one drifted into a peaceful slumber, you both couldn't help but marvel at the miracle of life, watching his tiny chest rise and fall with each breath. It was a moment you never wanted to forget.
“Rest, detka. I'll take care of Nikolai," Nat offered, her voice filled with warmth and reassurance.
"I can stay up; it's fine. You should rest," you insisted, determined to take responsibility.
"Y/N, you've just brought new life into the world. You deserve to rest for the rest of your life," Nat chuckled, her eyes filled with affection and concern.
She settled beside you on the bed and enveloped you in a comforting embrace.
"Look at your face," Nat suddenly remarked, her expression softening with genuine admiration.
"I must look a mess," you replied, a tired smile tugging at your lips.
"No, Y/N, you look absolutely beautiful," Nat insisted, her words filled with sincerity. "I've never seen your face more radiant than it is right now.
Natasha's soft lips met yours in a tender kiss, and in that moment, you felt the truth of her words resonate deep within you.
*^~^*
The following day, Laura prepared a delicious breakfast and brought it to you and Natasha in bed. Both of you had barely gotten any sleep with Nikolai waking up every couple of hours. Despite feeling utterly exhausted, you didn't mind one bit. This weariness stemmed from the joy of caring for your precious newborn son on his very first night.
Twenty minutes later, the tranquil moment was interrupted by familiar voices outside. Natasha gently pulled the curtain back to glimpse her parents making their way up the front porch steps.
Yelena strode into the room with her arms folded and a mischievous smile on her lips. "Brace yourselves," she teased, "The grandparents have arrived.”
"Where's my little guy?" Alexi eagerly shouted as he entered the room.
"Shh!" Natasha hushed him with a grin, motioning to Nikolai nestled in her arms. "Oh, look at him!" Alexi whispered in awe. 
"Mom, Dad, this is Nikolai,” Nat said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"He's beautiful, Natalia," Melina murmured.
"May I hold him? I washed my hands," Alexi asked eagerly.
"Of course," you replied, carefully passing the baby to Alexi. The sight of the mighty Red Guardian tenderly cradling your newborn son made you smile.
"Hello, Nikolai. I'm your dedushka," Alexi said affectionately. "You're so adorable; yes, you are."
As he spoke, Nikolai slowly opened his eyes, and you could have sworn you saw your father-in-law's heart swell with love. 
Alexi gently placed the baby in Melina’s arms. Your mother-in-law had always been a complex and enigmatic figure. She was one of the longest-tenured widows, and her resilience made her one of the strongest women in your eyes. As she cradled your newborn son in her arms, a single tear traced its way down her cheek, revealing a depth of emotion and vulnerability that you had never seen before.
Yelena inched toward you and whispered, “He won them over faster than you did.” 
*^~^*
The next morning, Thor joined in to assist with packing while Clint hurried to the store to purchase an infant car seat for Nikolai. You were a family of two when you arrived, and you were leaving a family of three.
After a swift diaper change, Natasha placed your precious bundle of joy in his carrier. "Time to head home, Nik," you said, taking his tiny hand in yours. 
You bid farewell to everyone and securely placed Nikolai's carrier beside you on the Quinjet.
Nat smiled as she prepared the Quinjet for takeoff. Your first Quinjet ride," she said. "You're already an overachiever, moy sladkiy mal'chik" (my sweet little boy).
Your phone suddenly vibrates with a flurry of notifications.
"The team group chat is blowing up, sweetheart," showing Natasha your phone.
Nick Fury: Congratulations on the arrival of your precious son, Nikolai! It's heartwarming to see the Avengers family welcoming the newest member. Everyone at SHIELD looks forward to meeting him and supporting you and Natasha.
Steve Rogers: Hey, Y/N and Nat, huge congratulations! I'm so excited to meet Nikolai, the newest addition to our Avenger family. 🎖️
Wanda Maximoff: Congratulations to you both! All those cliches, those things you hear about having a baby and motherhood—all of them are true. Motherhood is the most beautiful things you will ever experience. I’ll drop off some food for you both in the morning. 🥰
Clint Barton: Hey, Y/N! Make sure Nikolai is securely fastened in his infant carrier. I hope he sleeps the whole way back. If he gets fussy, ask FRIDAY to turn on the cabin pressure stabilization. It's a feature I insisted Stark add to the Quinjet after SHIELD found out I had kids. You're welcome. 😏
Laura Barton: I know things didn't go as planned, but I'm grateful we could share in your special day, Y/N. Nikolai is absolutely beautiful! Please let Nat know that I'll give her a call tomorrow. 😊
Tony Stark: Rushman! Y/L/N! Congratulations on the arrival of your precious son. Nikolai will bring you endless joy and fulfillment and become your favorite reason to lose sleep for the rest of your lives. 😉
Pepper Stark: Congratulations, you two! I'm so happy for you and Nat. I can only imagine how incredible it must feel to look into Nikolai's eyes and feel like everything is right in the world. Please don't hesitate to reach out if there's anything I can do to help. Sending lots of love! ❤️
Bruce Banner: I'm truly sorry I couldn't be there; I’m thrilled for you and Natasha. I can't wait to meet Nikolai! 💚
Maria Hill: Congratulations, Y/N and Nat, on the arrival of baby Nikolai Odison! I can't wait to meet the little bundle of joy and see those tiny fingers and toes. The name Nikolai Odison Romanoff is absolutely beautiful. I spoke with Thor this morning, and the honor deeply moved him. 🥹
Thor Odinson: I am incredibly grateful to have been present for the birth of your son, Nikolai Odison Romanoff. Your decision to include me in this momentous occasion is a great honor, and I want to assure you that I will always be there to support and care for all of you. The arrival of Nikolai is a joyous event, and I am committed to being a steadfast presence in his life. ⚡
Peter Parker: Y/N! Congratulations on the arrival of Nikolai! I'm so thrilled for you and Nat. What does he look like? Does he have your hair or Natasha’s? What color are his eyes? I'm already thinking about all the adventures we'll have with him. I'm going to text Nat right now. I can't wait to meet him! 💙
Yelena Belova: Give my little nephew a kiss and hug from me. Also, heads up - Mom and Dad are considering staying with you for eight weeks to help care for Nikolai. Happy Parenting! 😂
Kate Bishop: Yelena is sitting next to me, and she can't stop laughing, so I'm going to assume that everything is going well. Please give Nikolai a kiss and hug from me! 🩵
*^~^*
You and Natasha stood together at the front of the Quinjet, the hum of the engines surrounding you as the aircraft soared safely through the sky. 
“Nikolai is sound asleep. I don't think your parents have taken their eyes off our son since they got here,” turning around to see Melina and Alexi lovingly admiring their grandson. 
Nat lovingly reached for your hand. “Our son,” she repeated with a big smile.
Nat took her place in the pilot's seat and turned off the autopilot as you settled in beside her.
"Come on, Y/N. Let’s go home.”
541 notes · View notes
star-sim · 10 months ago
Text
supermassive blackhole ☆ jay park pt. 2
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☆ non-idol!jay x fem!reader
☆ summary: You and Jay Park couldn't stand each other. But after a drunk makeout session at your university's annual soccer mixer, combined with Jay's secret identity as the city's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, the two of you are pushed closer to each other than ever, challenging your long-time status as 'enemies.'
☆genre: enemies to lovers, suggestive but no nsfw/smut, angst, fluff, spiderman! au, college! au, so incredibly american HELP, reader has glasses bc it's cute and jay has a lip piercing bc i said so
☆ warning(s) ? many mentions and instances of alcohol (all characters are of age), this is very suggestive but there is no smut
☆ word count:  16.7k ☆ tag list: @sophiko22 @yenqa @kwiwin @okikinshasthehiccups @lovelickies @siyen @blackhairandbangs @pjjongsaeng @chkltmlk
part 1
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The next day, exactly one week before finals week officially began, you and your friends decided to have a beach picnic to de-stress from the impending doom that was semester finals. It was your meeting place, ever since high school. Clad in a pretty yellow sundress, you entertained yourself with a sand-castle building contest between you and a few friends. Unfortunately for them, a course in urban design (which you shared with Jay Park) equipped you with just enough knowledge on how to build a killer sand-castle.
“Woah!” Isa, the one that you helped get with Jay’s friend all those years ago, exclaimed. You were crouched right next to her in the sand, using silicone molds to make sand seashells. Since junior year of high school, you and Isa have grown apart. It wasn’t the break up rift that caused the distance. In fact, you got closer because of the break up. People just grew on their own, and sometimes that growth was in opposite directions. Now that you were at the same university, you were still friends, but not as close as you used to be. “Specky, you’re really good.”
You grinned to yourself, melding the wet sand into a pillar. “I know.”
Even when your friendship thinned, there was one thing that made Isa distinct: the fact that she called you “Specky,” (short for “spectacles,” since you wore glasses) and no one else did.
“It’s what a course in urban planning and design gets ya,” you quipped, poking your friend with a sand-covered finger.
There were some things that you two disagreed about.
Like when Isa picked her major to be fashion design and apparel construction. Not the most useful or appealing to most employers unless she made it big, which was why you were so vehemently against it. Between the required courses in fashion design and political science (your own major), you argued that the latter would be much more useful. 
But that was two years ago, and now you joke about it.
“Yeah?” Isa cocked a brow. “But can you make leopard print look good?”
You smiled. “No, but I know how to pass a law that makes leopard print illegal.”
Isa nudged you playfully. It was supposed to be a light nudge, and it was. Except, your heads bumped together. After a bit of laughing and a few ‘sorry’s’ Isa stopped in her tracks, nose scrunching.
You glanced at her curiously.
Isa didn’t say anything, only leaning closer to you. This time, she pressed the tip of her nose against your exposed shoulder.
“Are you sniffing me?”
Isa only laughed before pulling back. You shot your friend a suspicious look. 
“You smell like someone.”
“Don’t I always smell like someone?” you molded the sand in your palm. “Like.. I dunno, myself?”
“Yes, but-” Isa leaned into you again. “You don’t smell like yourself.”
Before you could question her further, Isa called over a few more friends.
“Jake! Kazuha! Come smell Little Miss Specky!”
After having five whole people smell you, they all agreed that you smelled “un-[Name]-like” (whatever that meant).
Isa frowned, placing a thinking hand on her chin. “A-Ha!”
You watched amused as the woman jumped to her feet.
“I know who you smell like!” 
Isa threw an accusatory finger your way. 
“You smell like Jay!”
Jay Park knew there was something wrong when his toaster broke that morning. 
Him and his (your) friends were having a beach get-together, but you went first. He told you that he “had something to do for his job.” Probably easy to guess what he was actually doing.
He arrived at the outing an hour after you did. 
And the moment he stepped out of his taxi, there was an entire group of grown adults (read: his friends) charging at him. It wasn’t unnatural for this to happen, but it was what they were screaming and the person they were dragging along with them– You.
Except, when he made eye contact with her ,you looked away embarrassed.
And that was when he remembered the worst slip-up of his life.
“Yeah, I think Jay Park is in love with you. He tells me all about he’s liked you since freshman year and–”
Lying to you while being Spider-Man…. About how he, in his civilian form, liked you.
In his defense– he was panicking, okay? He didn’t know what to say! And he didn’t want to make it awkward either– ew, that would be so icky. 
Apparently making his enemy think that he was madly in love with her better than making the atmosphere awkward. When he went home yesterday night (that is, after dropping you back at his place and then making another round around the city so that you wouldn't suspect him), he almost jumped off a building without shooting a web to suspend himself. 
He chewed on the inside of his bottom lip.
Jay couldn’t make out any words they were shouting at him, other than your name, “fucking,” and “smell.”
“Okay, okay, shut the fuck up!” Jay finally yelled back at them. “All of you. Let me sit down first.”
When they got back to where all their other friends were, his friends sat him down, looking very serious, as if he was their teenage son who they caught drinking, or something.
“Why are you guys so serious?” he questioned suspiciously. 
“You know why!” one of his friends chided.
Jay really didn’t.
In the corner of his eye, he could see another one of his friends dragging you toward them. 
Dread. 
He could not face you after what happened yesterday.
Eyes narrowing, he turned back to them. “What is this about?”
“How ‘bout you tell us what you’re about?” one of them quipped. “Why does [Name] smell so much like you?”
What.
“Wait, what?” Jay’s lips curled. “What do you mean?”
“Let go of me, Jake!” Jake Sim finally managed to get you, who was kicking and screaming, to come over to where Jay was. You struggled out of his grasp. “Dude, I just want to build my sand-castle, Jesus fuck-”
When your eyes met with Jay’s again, instead of a glare or disgusted expression, you simply looked away awkwardly.
“[Name] [Last Name]!” Isa proclaimed. “Are ya gonna tell us why you smell like your sworn enemy?”
“I don’t know!” you shot your friends a glare. “What do I even smell like normally?”
“Sweet, kinda like an orange,” Jake answered matter-of-factly, smiling.
I would know that, thought Jay.
“And what does Jay smell like normally?” 
When Jay and you locked eyes, you knew the answer exactly. You both knew why you smelled like him, and it was an answer that was more complicated-sounding than it should be. 
You slept in his bed. Not because you slept together on his bed, but because he also used to sleep in that bed, so it was only natural that his scent wore off on you. You also used his shampoo and body wash. Not because you showered together (ew!), but because you lived in his house.
But if you told them that, there was no way in hell anyone would believe that there wasn’t some sort of relationship between you two.
“He smells like wood, but like, mixed with Axe body spray.”
“I do not!”
It was a silent agreement between Jay and you.
Act stupid.
“I literally have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jay grumbled.
You crossed your arms over your chest. “I knew you guys were stupid but I didn’t think you were that stupid.”
Jake and Isa sent each other suspicious looks, reconvening before a large grin spread across both of their faces. 
“I knew it,” Jake murmured. He got louder. “I knew it!”
Everyone looked at him curiously.
“What are you talking about–”
Swinging an imperious finger at Jay and you, Jake announced loud enough for surrounding people to hear and turn their heads. “These two are fucking!”
.
.
.
What?
The uproar that that single statement caused was uncontrollable. In your group of friends, it was common knowledge that Jay Park and [Name] [Last Name] had nothing to do with each other. If Jay was on one end of the spectrum, you would be on the other. Even suggesting that there may be anything more than simply hate was outrageous.
“No way, man….”
“That’s insane.”
“Impossible!”
When Jay looked over at you, ready to deny everything that they were saying, instead of your characteristic scrunched nose and curled lips in disapproval, your face was plastered with nothing but an awkward and almost embarrassed expression. 
“Y’know what?” one of their friends spoke up. “I saw Jay and [Name] kissing at the hockey mixer last week!”
You were completely out of commission, and uncharacteristically so, with a panicked and flustered face. Everyone else was consumed in such clamor. So Jay would have to take everything into his own hands. Taking a deep breath, he waited (while showing great disapproval) for everyone to shut up.
It wasn’t like they’d believe him if he explained the truth. 
“Are you guys done…?” he finally spoke, clear dissatisfaction in his voice. 
Everyone shut up. 
Jay Park was generally an easygoing guy. He didn’t snap at people, and if anything, he was often the butt of jokes. Not that he minded. He was hot-headed and an asshole, but he was probably one of the easiest people to joke with.
However, his censure was not something to mess with.
He was an older brother. He was a STEM major, which was already a rigorous department to go into, no less civil and urban engineering. He was the top of his class in high school (after a certain someone, of course), and ostensibly worked, like, three jobs.
If there was anyone who was normally very patient and smart, it was him. If he’s annoyed, probably shut the fuck up.
Plus, there was nothing like pissing off a tired college student a week before finals.
Jay wet his lips. “You guys are making [Name] uncomfortable. Look at her.”
It was true. You were literally cowering into yourself, frowning deeply and playing with the hem of your yellow sundress.
“Look, I get that you’re our friends, or whatever,” Jay huffed, folding his arms. “But maybe there’s a reason that we don’t tell you certain things. Maybe because everything gets so blown out of proportion and you guys assume the worst.”
He turned over to Jake. The scariest thing about Jay was that even if he was hotheaded most of the time, he was incredibly calm and laid-back when confrontational. “You– You especially. You constantly force [Name] and I together. Some people don’t get along, and that’s okay. Stop trying to force people who don’t want to be forced together.”
Jay wasn’t angry. He wasn’t even annoyed. Just trying to set things straight. When he was done, he looked at his friends expectantly. One by one, they apologized awkwardly.
There was no real resolution, just Jay saying, “Cool,” and walking away to talk to his other friends.
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To say that you felt awkward would be an understatement, and to say that you were comfortable with the fact that you were feeling awkward would be a lie.
There was a lot to unpack.
Everyone was trying to suggest that you and Jay had some sort of sexual relationship. People always joked about it, sure, but for an entire group to accuse you of it was beyond disorienting. Now sitting under the parasol with a floral-print towel beneath your sundress, drawing shapes on the sand that had gotten onto the towel, you wished you could have said something. Sure, they were probably being light-hearted, and you knew your friends had no intention to make you feel uncomfortable, but there was something else they didn’t know.
That the number one source of your discomfort was directly from Jay.
When Spider-Man detailed everything that Jay had apparently told him about you, you didn't know how to feel.
According to Spider-Man, Jay Park has had a thing for you since freshman year of high school, and he keeps the hero up until early hours of the day just talking about you. Initially, you were horrified. Could Spider-Man be messing with you? There was no way that Jay Park– the bitch-faced, uncouth, uncivilized, villain that was Jay Park– liked you.
Just the thought that someone like him saw you in a different light made you uneasy.
On the other hand, you were a bit flattered. As Spider-Man explained it, Jay had a thing for you but not necessarily a crush. Rather, he found you attractive. 
“And he still does,” the hero had added. “He still thinks you’re attractive, even if he argues with you.”
Jay was the victim of some of your worst moments. You’ve screamed bloody murder at him, shed hot tears, and shrieked so hard that you’d lost your voice. He’d point out your major flaws and insecurities, ones that you didn’t even know that you had. He’d seen your true destructive, tyrannical, and malicious self.
But he still found you attractive? 
That was terrifying.
Has he ever seen you with your friends? How you were you soft and kind, all affectionate and tender? How you’d take care of them, how you’d pet their heads and listen to them cry?
How could he ever find you attractive if he’d never seen you be a good person, when he’d only seen the monstrous side of you?
How could anyone find you attractive?
You got positive comments about your appearance many times before, but they were always followed up by comments about your character
You were snapped out of your thoughts when a familiar dark head of hair passed through your line of vision. You never took the time to observe what he was wearing: basketball shorts and a hoodie. It seemed like he could never dress for the occasion, regardless of where he was.
He had his earbuds jammed into his ears, an irritated expression on his face. 
After years of purposefully trying to make his life miserable, you could read his face easily
Jay was hot. Physically– Wait no. 
Jay was hot, as in ‘affected by the scalding weather.’ His brows always scrunched up with his bottom lip jutting out when he was feeling especially warm. 
Maybe if he took off that hoodie of his for once.
You looked down at your hands.
You were under a parasol. 
Which gave shade. 
Which would make someone feel less ‘affected by the scalding weather.’
“Park!”
You never really thought that you would be the one to invite Jay Park to sit under a parasol with you. Especially after such events that transpired earlier.
It was silent.
Awkward.
Usually, you’d be able to look him straight in the eye, but now equipped with the knowledge that he may or may not have been attracted to you this entire time, you felt queasy.
Maybe this was a bad idea.
He had his eyes glued to the book that he was reading. Upon closer inspection, you knew that book. In fact, you had it.
It was Design of Cities: Revised Edition by Edmund Bacon. The textbook for your urban design course.
And he had the audacity to call you nerdo freak all this time! 
He only looked away from his book to glance at his phone. 
To change the song that he was listening to.
When you peeked at his phone screen, you noticed a familiar album cover playing.
Bright orange and blue, four men gathered around the table.
Then you noticed the white text right below it.
Supermassive Blackhole.
Before your mind could even think, your mouth moved for you.
“You listen to Muse?”
Jay took his earbud out of his ear, looking up at you slowly with a questioning look.
.
.
.
This scene has happened before.
“You asked me that already,” Jay said simply. 
“I-I know.” Why were you stammering? “Summer of freshman year. We were at the beach then, too.”
He cocked a brow at you, and just as he was turning back to his textbook, you continued, voice meeker than usual. “I asked you if you listened to Muse because I also listen to them. But you.. You thought I was making fun of you.”
Jay looked at you slowly.
Why were you shy?
He fingered the earbud that he had removed. You seemed to notice, bracing yourself for the slight embarrassment that would come with his shoving that thing back into his ear. Except, he didn’t. Instead, he presented it in his palm before you.
Was he… offering it to you?
“If you’re just going to stare at it–”
You snatched the bud from his palm, prodding it into your ear.
When the music played, you were met with Matt Bellamy vocalizing into your ear and that iconic, yet rough, guitar rift. Weird that the very song that you listened to when working out was the one that Jay used to study urban planning and design.
You watched Jay’s focused face. The scar on his nose got lost in the divots on his skin when he scrunched his nose, presumably in reaction to something he had read. You never really noticed the birthmark on his neck either.
The next song played, but before it did, Jay paused it.
“What are you looking at?”
You recoiled.
“You were looking at me,” Jay remarked. “Is there something on my face?”
“No, there’s nothing.”
“Okay.”
He caught a glimpse of the song playing before pressing ‘play.’
“You must love this song,” he muttered.
You couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not, until you were met with a distinct drum, rugged bassline, and the 4-on-the-floor beat.
Exo-Politics.
That was the name of the song. 
The song that was playing was called Exo-Politics.
You were a political science major.
Was he trying to joke with you?
Was the Jay Park attempting to joke with you?
In the corner of your eye, you could see some children building sand-castles, just like you had been doing earlier. You then peered at the textbook he was reading.
Design of Cities: Revised Edition by Edmund Bacon.
You bit your lip.
“Do you…” you began. “Do you want to see who can build a better sand-castle?”
A civil and urban engineering major and a political science major. 
Both were taking the same urban planning and design college course.
Who would build a better sand-city?
“What the fuck is that?”
“I’m going for a high-rise look!”
Maybe it wasn’t the greatest idea. 
Especially when it was two ‘nerdo freaks’ trying to out-wit each other.
“The housing density is insane.”
“That settlement looks squatter.”
“That looks unsustainable.”
“That neighborhood is just looking to get gentrified.”
At that comment, you, who were only a few feet away from Jay, grabbed a handful of semi-wet sand and hurled it at the man. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hey!” The glob of sand had landed on one of his ‘high-rise’ buildings. “I’m trying to say that your neighborhoods look poor.”
“Poor?!”
You went for a more sustainable look. Geometric layouts, charmingly sinuous roads, mid-height buildings with only a few clustered high-rise ones, concise zones of income, and clumps of wet sand littered all across the sand-city, imitating trees.
“Is that… New Urbanism?”
You patted your hands off. “Glad that you can recognize it, Park.”
The detail really was something to marvel at. Each building had a indents into their surface to imitate windows, the sandy ‘roads’ were strategically carved with a sharp fingernail to replicate the different uses of land, and even the globs of sand that represented trees were fluffed up to look like actual trees rather than miscellaneous globs.
Jay rolled his eyes, going back to shaping the pointed tip of his building.
Whereas your city was terribly idealistic, he went for a more true-to-life replica. After all, it was his job to study and create infrastructural pieces for real-life cities. High-rise buildings, strong geometric structures, high-density housing, narrow spaces between structures, and little open space. They were built with incredible precision: all the lines were perfectly straight, all the shapes were beautifully even on all sides, and it genuinely looked true-to-life.
“Your city looks like something that would need protection from Spider-Man.”
Ironic.
Jay sighed to hide the slightly-amused grin that you had elicited from him.
“You like Spider-Man?” 
Your face contorted, eyes squinting. “In what way?”
“Whaddya mean ‘in what way’?”
You frowned. “I mean, economically and politically speaking, he’s kind of a disturbance, dontcha think?”
Do you even like Spider-Man? Has Jay been misconstruing everything?
Did he technically kidnap you?
“He’s, like, more effective than other law enforcement, but that’s really a testament to him as a protector and how shit current law enforcement is,” you thought aloud. “I think he’s good.”
“Just good?
You frowned again. 
“Aren’t you his friend?” you changed the subject. Even in your strange uneasiness, you didn’t find it hard to maintain steady eye-contact with the man. Given the fact that you’d cussed him out using all swears under the sun while looking him straight in the eye.
Jay feigned surprise. “Yeah, he is. How do you know that?”
The man watched as your bottom lip was taken under your teeth. “He came by last night.”
Jay quirked a brow.
There was a pulse of silence between you two.
Not quite comfortable, but not exactly hostile.
Other than the sound of soft breathing, seagulls squawking and people laughing in the distance, and sea waves crashing against the sandy shore, it was completely silent. 
Dare Jay say, a nice moment.
“Jay, come play football with us!”
That’s right. 
Every time they’d go to the beach, Jay would play football with the boys. 
He wanted to play. 
But he also wanted to show you up in your sand-city competition. 
As he constructed another sand skyscraper, Jay slowly looked up. His eyes met with yours. You gave him a sharp nod, as if to say, ‘Go ahead.’
The man sighed.
Dusting his sandy hands off, Jay rose to his feet.
“I’m not done here, by the way,” he remarked as he passed your crouched form. “I can still make a better city than you.”
Jay felt a glob of sand flicked at his leg, he knew that the feeling was mutual.
Jay lost control of his spider-like abilities sometimes.
His fingers would stick implacably to papers if he wasn’t careful, he’d turn a door handle mindlessly and break it with his inhuman strength, or be acutely aware of the most miniscule of all dust specks flying close to someone’s face.
Sometimes, he’d use those abilities to his advantage.
Like right now.
Jay wasn’t cheating!
Just making use of what his body can do.
Fast reflexes to dodge those that would charge at him head-on, incredible (in a human way) running speed, and probably the greatest throws, like, ever.
When Jake Sim passed the red-brown ball in his direction, who was he to not use those spider reflexes and catch it with larger-than-life precision? As his eyes scoped around for who to pass to, he found the perfect person. Preparing, he raised his arm, squinting for accuracy. At once, he hurled the football.
Except, he found that he’d lost control of just how much strength he was putting into the throw. 
At top speed, it began shooting through the air, its pointed tip charging like a missile. As if it was in slow motion, gravity dragged the leathery ball toward the sandy ground. Like a rocket torpedo, the football flung straight into the elaborate city of sand sculpted by your very hands.
If it was any normal, human-strength throw, only a portion of the sand-city would be destroyed.
But because Jay had an obscene amount of strength, the ball not only destroyed the entire city, but dug so harshly into the sand that it exploded it– debris-like chunks of sand just bursting everywhere. And especially all over you and your pretty yellow sundress.
The earth must have stopped spinning, the sun shedding a single ray like a stagelight in a theater over your now frozen figure.  It wasn’t just Jay’s super hearing senses. It was like all sound at this bustling beach died out in an instant, zeroing in you.
You turned your head slowly. Your expression was completely vacant, but that spoke volumes. There was sand all over your face, so with a willful arm, you wiped all of it in a sharp swipe.
Even though he was several meters away from you across the beach, and even though there was no way of telling who threw the ball, Jay could feel your stone gaze right at him. You took a deep breath.
Jay ran to you.
“I’m so sorry,” he breathed, swiping his tongue over his bottom lip. “I didn’t realize that it– the ball– was going your way– I–”
Everyone was ready to hear you shout your lungs out at Jay. In fact, Jay braced himself for the onslaught of profanities and obscenities that would be rightfully spewed at him.
But there was no yelling.
You breathed through your nose before rising to your feet and dusting off your sandy dress.
You looked at him.
“Thanks a lot, Jay.” There was a sliver of a smile spreading on your lips, but the way your teeth so clearly clenched together told a different story. You squeezed your eyes shut to conceal your bubbling anger, but you simply couldn’t take it. “It always seems like you ‘didn’t realize’ something all the time. But I’m not really surprised anymore.”
With that, flicked a piece of sand off your shoulder before snatching up your tote bag that was perched against the parasol and turning on your heel.
All Jay could do was watch your retreating back, football in hand, as you walked in the opposite direction away from him to the parking lot. 
He dug his nails into the leathery ball. Tearing his eyes away from you, Jay was about to turn back to his friends. 
Except, a massive crash erupted through the air.
With his spider-like reflexes, Jay snapped his head up. From behind the high-rise buildings and tall structures emerged a giant shadow. 
Almost immediately, in the distance, Jay heard cars honking, wheels screeching against the road, and screaming. There were mini fires in the distance from cars crashing.
As people scurried for their lives, the car smoke cleared, revealing a greater shadow in the distance. 
Six claws, seemingly mechanical and woven together with many tiny wires. Two antennas extending from the crown of the figure. Metallic body, with red and flashing accents.
Shit. 
He knew exactly who that was.
Doctor Discotheque.
Didn’t he fight him a week ago?
“Where’s Spider-Man?!”
Jay clenched his fist. 
He had to find a way to get into his hero suit without anyone seeing. Speaking of…
The man whipped his head around to where his friends were. Like everyone else, they were running for their lives. At least they were going in the opposite direction.
Clenching his fist again, Jay was ready to charge straight up to the supervillain, but his dark eyes incidentally caught onto the frozen figure of none other than you. You were completely frozen in your spot, unmoving as you gawked at the incredible size of the villain.
Damnit, [Name], Jay sucked in a sharp breath. It wasn’t abnormal for people to freeze in the face of danger, but he never thought it would be you. 
Shooting a web from his wrist, Jay retrieved a stray towel. In what was only a fraction of a second, he threw the towel over him before he changed into his Spider-Man suit. Fixing his mask, he discarded the towel.
The ground rumbled under his feet as Doctor Discotheque’s gigantic body terrorized the streets.
Jay’s feet immediately began moving, running toward your direction. As he approached her, he shot a sticky white web, sticking to your clothes back and effectively yanking you right into him. The hero threw you over his shoulder with an arm around your waist, and began running the other direction.
When you didn’t react, Jay gave a pat to your ass, the way a parent would do to their infant.
“Oi, [Name]!” Jay propelled himself off the sandy ground, discharging a few webs to allow him to swing. 
“S-Spider-Man?!” Finally, you snapped out of your dazed state. “What’s– What was that?!”
Jay tightened his grasp around you as he began climbing up a building. By now, he was far from where Doctor Discotheque was. Good for your safety, but not good for his own crime-fighting. 
“What, that big thing?” He felt you nod. “That’s just my good pal Doctor Discotheque.”
His tone was far too easygoing, and you audibly gulped.
“Relaaaaax, Angel,” Jay swung to another building. “He’s just a little villain. I beat him twice already. Nothin’ for ya to worry yer pretty head about about.”
“But he’s huge! And, you’re–”
Jay gave your ass another pat. “Just trust me on this, Baby.”
Finally, you reached the destination Jay had planned for you– the underground subway station. It was far enough from all the commotion for it to be calm, but just safe enough.
Jay placed you down. Despite all his reassurance, your face was twisted with concern.
You squeezed his shoulder, lips jutting out into a frown.
“I told ya already,” Jay knocked on your head. “Don’t worry about me.”
When you wouldn’t stop frowning, Jay flexed his bicep, placing your hand on it. With his hand over you, he squeezed his firm bicep.
“Ya feel that muscle?” you nodded slowly. “I’m strong. Spider-Man is strong.”
You stared at him.
“So you don’t hafta worry about me.”
Granted, Jay was talking to you the same way that he would talk to a crying six-year-old, but hey, it’s the principle of it!
“Just…” you took a deep breath. “Be careful.”
Jay unknowingly grinned. “Yeah, yeah.”
There was a pulse of silence between you two.
You looked up at him, with nearly glossy and wide eyes. You bit your lip.
“Before you go…” you murmured something under your breath. Abruptly, you grabbed Jay’s masked face, bringing it down so that he was eye-level to you. You pressed a quick peck to his cheek, before pulling back immediately. “Just…  Don’t do anything dumb.”
Jay stared at you, blinking a few times to absorb everything. He swallowed on his dry throat, licking his lips. Another wide grin spread over his face. 
“Of course, Gorgeous.”
Okkkayyy….
So maybe Jay was a bit of a liar.
According to the supervillain himself, Doctor Discotheque got access to some high-tech science shit and now had this supermassive mechanical body to control.
Just great.
Spider-Man was no wimp. He fought with all his might and was actually quite effective. Effective enough to damage Doctor Discotheque to the point that he ran away and yelled, “Damn you, Spider-Man!”
The only issue was that Doctor Discotheque was a little too strong for Jay to handle unprepared. 
The night was completely silent now. That is, if you didn’t count the police sirens and helicopters flying overhead, reporting on the incident.
There was an undoubted hush that fell over the city. The supervillain hadn’t done anything that was crisis-causing, but he was an unequivocal threat. According to the police reports, three people had died, while an entire block and a half of important infrastructure, including parts of the beach, had been subject to damage. The news, after collecting data, reported that quantitatively, 67% of citizens felt unsafe and were fearful of what was to come. Indeed, there was a threat.
And even worse, Spider-Man was injured.
Doctor Discotheque wasn’t lying when he said that he had “some high-tech science shit,” because one of his tentacle-like claws managed to stab Jay’s thigh. It was nothing fatal, but it was certainly debilitating.
“Ah– Shit.” Jay had to resort to climbing the walls instead of swinging around buildings. Before he entered his apartment complex, he made sure to tie a piece of cloth around his bleeding wound and change back to his civilian clothes.
When he cracked open his apartment door, he was surprised when you bombarded him with questions.
“Where the hell were you?” The you that Spider-Man knew was vastly different from the you that Jay Park knew. “We were all so worried– Shit– No one saw you, like, at all, at the beach– and you weren’t responding to any texts or calls– and–”
Jay blinked. 
“What were you doing all this time? You could have been killed, or injured!-- or– It doesn’t matter– Where have you been all this time and why haven’t you been responding to any of us, or–”
You dug your teeth into your bottom lip. “Look! Even your brother’s worried sick!” 
Jay looked over at Wonnie, who was eating chips (and getting crumbs all over) and watching TV, completely unbothered.
“I, um,” Jay stared at you. Quick! How was he going to get out of this one? “I was– I was at my internship. We.. uh, We were studying infrastructure… as a result of the… Incident.”
You eyed him suspiciously. “Was the studying so interesting that you couldn’t respond to any texts or calls?”
Jay fumbled with his phone that was deeply squashed in his pants pocket. “It was dead.”
It was now that he noticed the way that you were circling him, inspecting him like a hawk. It was a good thing that he changed into his civilian-wear, or else you'd see the cuts and bruises all over his arms, as well as the dirt and debris that had gotten into and onto his hero suit. 
“Oh my god, are you bleeding?!”
Jay looked down, and lo and behold, there’s blood dripping down his thigh, creating a puddle of dark red below him.
Maybe next time, he shouldn’t use a tiny piece of cloth to tie up such an absurd wound like that.
“Oh. I am.”
“?!”
And that’s how Jay found himself sprawled across the bathroom floor with one ear pressed against the bathroom door, listening to your voice on the other side.
“Is it bad?”
“Yeah, there’s blood everywhere.”
“?!”
He finally fessed up and admitted that he got stabbed in the thigh (with an appropriate excuse, of course). You were just going to leave it at that, snarkily saying, “Hope you know how to fix up a stab wound,” but when he responded with, “I don’t,” you grumbled under your breath and forced him to take a shower. You weren't exactly excited to see him naked and so bare (his thigh!) and neither was he, so your direction was all told behind a bathroom door.
It was a tedious task having to listen to you. 
But you were a tedious person.
Look for things in the wound like glass shards, disinfect it with alcohol, patch it up.
Except he couldn’t get past the second step.
“Shit, shit, shiiiiit,” Jay hissed. Rubbing alcohol burned.
“Park?” your voice resounded behind the bathroom door. “Are you okay in there?”
He fumbled with the various medical equipment. “Y-Yeah– It just kinda hurts.”
There was a silence.
“I’m fine.”
Behind the door, he heard you sigh.
“Put on some clothes, Park.”
“W-What?”
“You’re so fuckin’ incompetent that I need to help you. Put on some clothes so I can get in there, will ya?”
Now the two of you were sitting on the floor.
“Ow! That really hur–”
“Stay still then!” “I can’t when it’s burni– Ah.. Agh! It hurts!”
The wound was a lot worse than you had thought. Jay said that one of the interns dropped a saw knife on his lap, causing it to stab him. Honestly, you did not buy that story but it was the best he had so you just accepted it.
Unfortunately, this stab wound looked a lot worse than someone just accidentally dropping a sharp object onto his lap.
The two of you were now sitting on the cold bathroom floor, you in between his legs. Jay had shorts rolled all the way up, revealing his injured thigh. Other than the occasional hiss of pain, annoyed murmur, and sound of Wonnie’s TV channel in the background, it was completely silent. The early-summer night was only beginning to darken. If the night of the party was discounted, then this may have been the closest that you two have ever been.
Your delicate fingers against his skin, Jay sunk his teeth into his lip. Your glasses were at the very tip of your nose, almost falling off your face. He wanted to push them up badly, but decided against it. After all, you and him were not friends. Barely even acquaintances.
Well, you and him, a.k.a.  you and his civilian form, a.k.a. you Jay Park.
You and Spider-Man seemed to be great friends.
He wondered why you hated him so much. You got along well with Spider-Man just fine, and Spider-Man was probably the most free version of Jay there was. Was it just the very essence of Jay Park?
Thinking back to what happened earlier at the subway station, you were sweet. Too sweet. The sweetest that he’d ever seen.
Jay never thought that he’d look into your eyes and see genuine worry, concern.
The way you held onto him, those pouty lips, gleaming eyes that looked up at him like he was some god.
Jay’s lips parted unconsciously as he watched the way you were currently working between his legs. 
It would be a lie to say that Jay wasn’t, to some degree, attracted to you. He’s always been. Your [H/C] hair, those glasses that would delicately lay on your nose. Your mean words, nasty glares, critical eyes, and most strikingly, your wicked intelligence– they should have made him completely terrified of you, but for some reason, it only made him more attracted to you. 
Too many guilty nights were spent thinking about you, contemplating what he should say to you the next day to elicit a reaction.
Sometimes, at night, his mind would wander about what would have happened that night at the soccer mixer if Wonnie hadn’t called him. What would have happened between him and you? 
And when you kissed him earlier, he felt like a little schoolboy talking to a girl for the first time. Why was he so giddy?
He bit his tongue as you finished off your bandaging job.
He was going crazy.
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Yes, you did indeed need to ask Jay Park for help again. Normally that would be embarrassing enough. But now it was another level of embarrassment.
A few days had passed since the incident at the beach, and someone had the wonderful idea to have a frat party. In the middle of the week. Which was what you (and by association, Jay) were getting ready for.
You and Jay agreed that you both would be taking your car to the party, but under the condition that you went in at appropriately-spaced times to avoid misunderstandings.
Jay’s version of “getting ready” was literally nothing. He wore what he always wore to parties. On the other hand, you actually dressed up.
The only issue was you didn’t have your friends with you, who would usually help you get ready.
Which was why you were now embarrassingly asking Jay Park to zip up your tiny red dress.
“C-Can you– just–” you had to cross your arms to keep the thin spaghetti straps from falling off your shoulders. Even so, in front of him, you felt like you were practically spilling out of the dress. “Can you just zip up my dress?”
How embarrassing.
Jay agreed to it with a silent nod, but you could feel his judgment boring into the back of your head. 
You felt his large hands ghost over your lower back before stopping.
“Move your hair.”
When you didn’t respond, Jay repeated himself. “Move your hair. I can’t zip it up if your hair’s in the way.”
“O-Oh.”
How embarrassing.
When he was done, you instinctively turned around to face him. When you were with your friends and they zipped up your dress, you’d turn around and ask, “How do I look?”
Unfortunately, Jay wasn’t one of those friends.
Your cheeks burned in embarrassment when Jay gave a questioning look, ready to turn around and scurry off. However, you couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes clung to your dress-clad body, and especially the way that he gulped harshly, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
You couldn’t stop the self-satisfied curve forming on your lips.
“What?!” was the simultaneous reaction of Jay and you.
Inevitably, when you arrived at the party, you parted ways to go to your own friends.
“I don’t know how you could hate him,” a friend chuckled into your ear as you hung out in the billiard area, drinks in hand.
“Hate who?”
Another friend nudged you. “Y’know.. Jay.”
You grimaced. “What about him?”
The friend laughed. “Have you seen his arms?”
“No, I haven’t.” You frowned. 
Your friends shrieked, giving you a slap on the arm. “Christ, he’s, like, fine as fuck– oh my god, the lip piercing–”
The bespectacled you frowned again, taking a sip of your canned beer. “If you like him so much, you should tell him. His big ass head might like the attention.”
Your friends exchanged looks.
“Nah, I can’t do that.”
At that point, you weren't even paying attention, too focused on the pool game happening in the room. “Why not?”
“Because everyone knows that Jay Park is yours.”
.
.
.
“WHAT?”
Jay Park?
Yours?
?????
“He’s not-”
Your friend threw an arm around your shoulder. “Look, babe, we all understand. It’s pretty much an unwritten rule that Jay Park is reserved for you and you are reserved for Jay Park.”
You scowled, taking another long sip of your beer, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. Your neck felt uncharacteristically warm. “But, we’ve never even shown interest in each other!”
Another friend put a hand on your shoulder. “Everyone sees the way he looks at you.”
“But that’s just him!” you crossed your arms. “I do not like him!”
There’s cheering in the other room, which you momentarily poked your head out of the room to take a look at. Meanwhile, your friends shared a look.
“[Name], Sweetie,” they smiled when you came back. “Remember when he got his first girlfriend? You were glaring daggers at her.”
“Because she was an objectively bad person!”
“Then why were you crying into my shoulder for hours because you randomly ‘felt sad’?”
“Because I was randomly feeling sad!”
“Right…”
Your friend sighed. “You guys are crazily oblivious.”
You spluttered.
Likewise, Jay was having a similar dilemma.
“Dude, I don’t care if you think [Name] is hot,” the dark-haired man crossed his arms.
His friends stared at him. “Uh. I think you do.”
Jay’s nose scrunched. “I don’t.”
“She always looks like she’s gonna eat you up–”
Jay leaned back on the sofa, throwing an arm over his eyes. “Yeah, which is why–”
“And you always look like you want her to eat you up.”
.
.
.
“That’s not true.” Okay, so maybe Jay Park knew that it was true. When you called him stupid or cursed at him, it may or may not have been a turn-on. He’s not weird. “She doesn���t even call me by my name.”
“Right, [Name] exclusively calls you Park.”
Another friend chimed in. “She wants your last name!”
“Wha–”
Another one spoke up. “She calls you by your last name because she’s waayy into taking it.”
“Okay, okay,” Jay muttered. “But even if I did like her, I don’t think she’s like me back.”
“We never said anything about you liking her…”
.
.
.
“I’m leaving.”
He didn’t end up leaving. In fact, he and his friends ended up in the hallway bedroom along with an entire group of other people. Including you and your own friends.
“Let’s play truth or dare!”
The moment that that fuck-faced, son of a bitch Jake Sim reached for the glass Heineken bottle and gave it a spin, Jay knew he was doomed. Because the bottle landed on you yourself. And the mischievous look on his face told the room everything they had to know.
“[Name], I dare you to play 7 Minutes in Heaven with Jay!”
That’s how Jay Park found himself sitting face-to-face with you in a stuffy closet. 
Awkward.
Outside, you could hear the muffled voices of your friends, giggling amongst themselves. It was deathly silent in the closet, so quiet that Jay’s ears rung with static. Despite this, your eyes were not shy; steady and unwavering eye-contact was always the way for Jay and you, no matter the situation.
“Are they gonna kiss?!” someone whispered not-so-loudly on the other side of the door. You, staring dead into his eyes, cocked a brow, your lip twitching. 
“Six minutes!” someone shouted outside.
Jay was uncomfortable. You probably were, too.
How could he lighten up the mood?
Well, he’s comfortable with you when he’s Spider-Man, and vice versa. What’s something Spider-Man would say?
“You look great tonight.”
Good one, Spider-Man.
Your brows furrowed together, your entire face scrunching. Just as Jay was about to pray to the sky for the ground to swallow him up, you opened your mouth. 
“Thank you,” you said quietly, and for the first time since you got into the closet, averted your gaze from his. Your eyes dropped, before using your foot to nudge him. “Nice socks, Park.”
That’s right, tonight he was wearing… Spider-Man socks.
Oh man, he looked like a weirdo.
Jay chewed on his bottom lip. 
When he glanced over at you, for the first time ever, instead of feeling indignation or irritation, he felt something adjacent to admiration. 
Jay had seen you for every one of your embarrassing phases. And when he looked at you now, those dark and curly mascara-laden lashes, glossy pink lips, and shimmery eyeshadow lining your eyes, he only realized then how gorgeous you were. You had always been attractive to him, and he’d always known that. But now you were seriously beautiful. 
There was no doubt that you put effort into your appearance. He was stupid, and he knew he was, to indulge in the idea that, perhaps, you dressed up for him.
On your end, your heart was hammering in your chest. Which was weird. Because that only happened when you were nervous. And what was there to be nervous about when it came to Jay Park?
“Five minutes!”
Your friends’ words rang in your head.
Was Jay Park really that attractive?
He had honey-gold skin, strong and sharp features, tousled dark hair, and a pierced lip. If you looked past his smug expression when he got what he wanted or that slightly-pathetic look in his eyes when he didn’t, you supposed that he could be attractive. 
You glanced at him. His distracted gaze, pointed at the carpeted floor below their feet, was almost daunting.
Was there something between you and Jay, something that neither of you knew about?
If someone asked you that question years ago, you would have punched them square in the face for asking such a dumb question.
But now you didn’t know.
You would be lying if you said that you never thought of Jay Park in a different light. As much as you hated to admit it, there were times where you questioned your attraction to him. It wasn’t like he was going around charming you with physical affection. 
Instead, it was small actions.
Rolling his sleeves up, his large hands littered with rings, the bruises along his knuckles and splinters and cuts along his fingers because of his engineering workshops, licking his lips, that little side smirk he’d do when satisfied with himself, when he’d quirk his brow at you, when he’d correct people, when he’d speak academically, when he’d help people in class.
You were so immersed in thoughts that you didn't notice the way Jay was outright staring at you. 
You were only pulled out of it when you felt a finger push up your glasses.
Surprised, you jerked back, eyes looking up at a just-as-surprised Jay.
“I’m sorry,” Jay blurted almost immediately. “Your glasses– they were falling down your nose, so I–”
You bit the inside of your cheek, feeling your ears prickle with heat. Sheepishly, you pushed up your glasses, holding onto the rims as a way to hide your embarrassed face.
“I’m so sorry,” Jay rambled. “That’s so weird and I shouldn’t have and–”
“It’s okay,” you interrupted. You pushed up your glasses again.
Another silence fell over you, this time, even more tense. Until Jay broke the silence.
“How did we even start hating each other?” 
You cracked a small smile. “You don’t remember?
“No, I do,” Jay said. “I just feel like there were so many opportunities for us to become friends. We just never did.”
“I guess.”
There’s another pulse of silence.
“I don’t hate you, by the way,” you mumbled. 
“You don’t?”
“I mean, at least I don’t think so.”
“Then I don’t think I hate you either.”
“Thanks.”
Jay almost laughed. “‘Thanks?’”
You shrugged.
Your eyes met, staring into each other’s eyes for a few moments before a bashful expression spread across Jay’s face. “Y’know, I stopped talking to Taehyun after you yelled at me.”
Your lips parted. “Why?”
Jay scoffed, his brows knitting together in an attempt to explain himself. 
“I dunno. I guess you..” he trailed off. Again, those wide and glossy eyes that looked at him. This time, though, instead of gazing at him as if he was some god, you watched him as if he was a book, trying to read him. “You beat some sense into me.”
“Three minutes!” someone shouted. From outside, there were giggling and fake kissing noises.
You two shared a small laugh at your friends.
The remaining 3 minutes were quiet.
College student stress was no joke. That coupled with a pinch of sexual and housing frustration, and the result is a drunk you.
You really didn’t mean to drink so much tonight, but everything seemed to become a much bigger problem when on a dance floor next to a whole bunch of sweaty bodies, so why not drink your problems away?
Currently, you were on top of a guy, who was equally as drunk as you, in the guest bedroom of the frat house. Tangling your hands in his hair, you smashed your lips against his. Whoever you were kissing was a messy kisser– He shoved his tongue into your mouth, aggressively exploring every crevice. His kisses left your lips swollen and pouty, pink lip gloss leaving pretty residue at the corner of his lips. Cold metal pressed into your bottom lip– it must have been a piercing. It should have hurt, and it did, but the foreign and cold pain only made the kiss even better.
Meanwhile, his hands roamed.
Would it be a good time now to mention that the guy was Jay Park-- just that both of you were too drunk to even notice each other? For the second time.
Jay's large, ring-covered fingers gripped your hips, hard enough to leave bruises. With each passionate kiss, he pulled your hips against his, before sliding his hands down to your ass and giving it a squeeze, earning a squeal from you. 
You finally pulled away from each other only to catch a breath of air. You, with puffy lips and blown-out eyes, shifted in the man’s lap; you shoved your knee between his thighs, while your hands grasped his hair to tilt his head, giving you access to his neck.
Pressing wet kisses along his honey-gold skin, you took in his woody scent. Your fingers, laced harshly in his soft locks, pulled on his hair.
“Fuuuuuck,” Jay groaned. 
You gave his hair another harsh tug, pressing your lip directly against his neck– right at the crook where his jaw met his neck. You swiped your tongue over his skin. Grinning to yourself, you graze your teeth against him, before sinking them in and giving his plush skin a soft suck. He gasped.
“You like that?” you breathed in his ear. He shuddered, nodding quickly. 
Unsatisfied, you sank your teeth into his skin again, sucking harshly this time. “I wanna hear you fuckin’ say it.”
“Yes– shiiit–” your lips moved to the crook of his neck. Jay threw his head back, sighing loudly. “Fuck, I like that.”
Even under the dim bedroom light, when you pulled away,you could admire the red-purple marks left on his skin, along with the slight shimmery sheen of lip gloss left. Just when he thought it was over, you ran your tongue along the bruises that you left, pressing the sensitive skin. 
You ran a pedicured hand up his chest, before pushing him down so that he was lying flat on the soft bed. Currently, you were completely straddling his thigh, so you threw a leg around him so that you would be straddling his hips.
In your drunken stupor, you couldn't make out his features, other than a sharp nose and dark hair. Jay's hands came up to grip your hips once again, rocking yours against his just slightly and letting out a desperate cry.
You ran your nail along Jay's neck, admiring the marks you left.  You grasped his chin, shaking it side-to-side. “Uh-uh. Not until I say so.”
Yanking the hem of his hoodie, you pulled it up, revealing a toned and tanned stomach. You graze your nails against his skin, biting your lip.
“Raise your arms,” you slurred. He sat up and complied, so you pulled his hoodie over his head. With him still sat up, you pulled Jay close so that your chests were pressed right against each other.
Once again, you smashed your lips against his, engaging in another heated make-out session. Your nails dug into Jay's biceps, while his hands roamed your body– squeezing your ass, grazing your thighs, and tugging at the thin spaghetti straps of your dress.
“Take it off,” he whined against your lips, pawing at your dress. “Take it off, please.”
You chuckled, amused. You grabbed his chin. “What did I say earlier?”
“Please, please, please,” he begged, completely ignoring what you said.
You slammed your lips against each other, pulling him by his face. The room was filled with the sound of lips colliding with one another, and occasional whines and pleas.
Both far too intoxicated to focus on anything other than your desire, you didn’t notice the sound of footsteps and laughter approaching the guest bedroom.
“And I was like–” the door clicked open. “OH MY GOD–”
Why does this keep happening? 
The last time Jay went to a frat party, he nearly hooked up with you and got cockblocked one way or another. Last time, it was his kid brother. And now his friends.
As he ran out of the frat house (of course grabbing a water bottle and chugging it to sober up), searching for you, Jay couldn’t help but feel a harboring sense of disappointment and shame. His cheeks burned against the cool night air, his eyes glossy and watery with the initial surprise and now, shame. He tried to blink back the tears that were beginning to line his eyes, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood.
When two of your friends bursted through the doorway, the two of you were completely frozen. Jay was too drunk to even comprehend what was happening, but when he heard “[Name],” everything came back to him.
You didn’t seem to realize it was him either until you heard his name.
And the moment that you did, your face grew red, morphing and twisting. As crystal tears began to fill your eyes, you began hitting and punching Jay. Maybe he was too drunk to understand, or you were too drunk to generate coherent words. But he couldn’t understand anything that you said.
Not until you let out a loud sob, yelling, “I hate you, Jay Park.”
You jumped off of him, running out of the room, pushing past the group of friends that had formed a mini-crowd around the doorway. 
You must be disgusted with him. He was a fool to think that he could even have a chance with you.
Humiliated and disgusted with himself, Jay watched as you ran off into the night. His heart sank to his knees, an uneasy and nauseating feeling settling in his stomach. As his heart calmed down, Jay lowered his head in humiliation, unable to even face himself.
You said that you didn't hate him, but you surely must now.
Just as he was about to run back into that frat house and drink himself dead, he realized one very crucial thing: where the fuck was you going?
You were drunk. And crying. Even if you hailed a taxi, there was no way of knowing that you'll be safe.
Sucking in a sharp breath from his heavy breath, Jay looked down at his hands.
God, he was so ashamed of himself. He would love– and truly, love– to go drink until he was shitfaced drunk again. There’s no way that he could look anyone, and especially you, in the eye after this. He felt disgusting. Nasty. He must be a repulsive person.
But there was no way in hell that he was going to let a drunk and vulnerable woman run around the city late at night.
Which was why Jay found himself pulling the very woman that crushed his soul close under a street lamp. 
Of course, as Spider-Man. 
Luckily, you hadn’t gotten in a taxi yet. He found you sitting under a street light, crying. His heart ached, wrenching in his chest. 
Standing over you, he extended a hand.
“Let me take you home, Angel.”
Even with all the shame that befell over him, Jay was gentle with you. Even though you were the source of all his troubles, he couldn’t bring himself to treat you as anything less. In his heart, you were still the you that he knew (and loved).
Crouching down, he pushed your hair out of your face, running a thumb over your wet cheek to wipe away your tears. Patting your head, he couldn’t help but coo at your pouty face. 
He didn’t like to see you cry like this.
When Jay cupped your face, you grabbed his wrist, nuzzling your cheek into his warm palm.
“Please,” you whispered.
And who was he to refuse you?
You cried into his neck the whole way home. In a way, Jay felt like a fraud. The same person that ran you away from was the one holding you. If you knew who Spider-Man was, you’d run, too. 
“Don’t wanna go inside,” you murmured into his ear once they arrived at his apartment.
Jay stroked your hair gently. “Why not?”
“Because,” you sobbed. “Because— it’ll r-remind me of him.”
The hero frowned. “Of who?”
You cried harder. “Jay—“ you stopped yourself, only holding onto him tighter. 
“[Name],” Jay whispered against the shell of your ear. “How ‘bout I stay with you out here?”
You sniffled, glassy eyes shining in the bluish moonlight. You nodded your head profusely. Much to your surprise, Jay launched the two of you up onto the roof of the apartment complex. When you looked at him sheepishly, he simply muttered, “I go here when I want to clear my head.”
Ten minutes later, all of which were just filled with you sobbing in your drunken glory, neither of you wanted to leave your current position: Jay sitting cross-legged and you on his thigh so that he could see your face. The whole time, as you cried, Jay stroked your hair, occasionally whispering a few words of reassurance in your ear.
As you calmed down, Jay cupped your cheek. You must have been beginning to sober up, because you resisted his touch, pulling away to hide your face. 
“[Name],” he said against the shell of your ear, delicate fingers grasping your chin. “[Name], look at me.”
Rich from someone who could barely look you in the eyes right now.
“Nooo,” you whined, bringing a stray strand of hair to cover your eyes. “It’s embarrassing.”
Jay cracked a grin under his mask. “What’s there to be embarrassed about?” you didn't respond. “Yer embarrassed about crying in front of Spider-Man?”
“Am not!” you shot at him, but the way you continued to hide your face told Jay everything he had to know. “H-Hey!”
Jay forced your face to turn to his. He ran his thumb across your cheek, caressing your puffy and tear-stained skin. “Talk to me, Gorgeous.” Your lips pursed into a pout. “What happened? Did someone do something to make you cry? Do I gotta fight someone?”
Yeah, yourself.
He knew the answer to that.you were going to cry again, wail about how much you hated Jay Park, how disgusted and horrified you were with Jay Park, how it was him, that bastard of a man, that made you cry. Jay knew he wasn’t emotionally prepared for what you were going to say, but he wanted to hear it from your lips for some reason. He would at least gain some closure, even if it meant rubbing salt into the wound before he was going to inevitably beat himself up over it later.
But to his surprise, you shook your head. 
“No one did anything,” you sniffled.
“B-But–”
You looked down at your hands sadly. “It was my fault.”
How could it be your fault? Jay was certain that it was his.
“I’m such a bitch,” you breathed. “He… H-He didn’t even do anything– I– I wanted him– so bad– But I pushed him away…”
Jay tightened his hold around you. “What… What are you talking about?”
“If I talk about it, I’ll start crying again,” you murmured. When Jay gave your head a soft pat, whispering, “I won’t make fun of ya if you do,” into your ear, you took a deep breath. You turned over your shoulder to gaze at him. “But you have to promise not to tell anyone though.”
It wasn’t like Jay heard you say that though.
Because he might have been too fucking enraptured by you.
The yellow-marble moon shone behind her, giving you an ethereal backlit glow. Even so, the lights of the bustling city reflected off the sparkling luster of tears collecting in your wide eyes. Your hair was endearingly disheveled, and your nose and ears were getting sensitive from the cold night air. You were probably the loveliest person he ever-
No. He should stop.
Jay extended a pinky finger. “Promise.”
You sucked in another deep breath, fiddling with the hem of your dress. 
“Me and Park… We got drunk and almost…” you trailed off, hoping that he would get what you were trying to say. He hummed, signaling that he did. You opened your mouth to continue, but frustrated, shove your face into your hands, letting out a whimper. “And then… our friends walked in on us– And– I just– Felt so embarrassed.”
Embarrassed.
That word stung.
Your eyes began to quell, and the wet sniffles started again. “I got angry, I got so– Fucking angry– and I just began yelling and h-hitting him–” you cut yourself off with a sob, to which Jay squeezed your hand.
He let you cry into his shoulder.
“He– He–” you sobbed. “He looked so hur– hurt. A-And that’s why I-I’m crying!”
Jay sunk his teeth into his bottom lip. He urged you on, rubbing circles on your back. 
You used the back of your hand to wipe your tears. “J-Jay–” His ears perked up at the sound of his name. You almost never called him by his first name. “Jay-fucking-Park makes me feel so-”
Jay braced himself.
“-weird. I-I thought I hated him… B-But–” you squeezed Jay’s hand– “I…. I think I.. I…Ugh!”
You smashed your wet face into Jay’s shoulder in frustration. In his complete and utter bewilderment (you truly didn’t hate him?) Jay let out an airy chuckle. Feeling his chest rumble, you groaned, giving him a smack.
“Y-You said you wouldn’t l-laugh!”
Jay stopped, giving your head another pat. “Sorry, sorry. Ya said that Jay makes you feel weird? Whaddya mean by that?”
You ran a hand through your hair. “Tha- That’s the problem: I don’t know!”
You looked up at him helplessly, grappling onto his wrist. “Help me, Spider-Man!”
Jay let out another airy chuckle. “I mean, how do ya feel around him?”
You glared at him incredulously. “H-He– I normally d-don’t feel anything!-- But re-recently I feel… Hot.”
“Hot?”
“Like, like I’m about to b-burst!”
Jay studied your face. “Do… Do you just hate him?”
“I-It’s not hate!”
“Then I don’t know!”
“Spiiiider-Maaaan!”
He didn’t want to say it. Even suggesting it was probably too emotionally-wrecking for the two of you.
“Do you… have a crush on him then?”
You flopped over him.
“?!”
With your body thrown over his shoulder, you shoved your face into your hands, letting out a drawn-out groan. There’s a pulse of silence. 
Jay clenched his fists. There was a lot to take in. It could be the alcohol lingering in his system, or the overwhelming emotions he felt, but he genuinely could not process anything right now. He’ll sleep on it. All he knew was that he was on-edge.
You responded to his question with an inaudible, muffled, mumble. 
From the way that you stilled against him, not even uttering a sound, it must have been an utterance to yourself, something that he wasn’t supposed to hear.
You clearly didn’t want to confront it, so he won’t force you to.
With little thought, Jay frowned while he traced shapes against your thigh, while you were still sniffling away. You two sat in a comfortable silence, soaking in the moonlight.
“Did you just draw a poop?” you blurted.
“Yeah,” Jay replied. His gloved finger, laced with mischief, traced another figure– consisting of two circles and a long tube.
“I don’t even want to say what you just drew!”
Jay snorted. Wrapping his arms around your hips, the hero hoisted you up momentarily, before lifting you off his shoulder and onto his lap. It was only when you let out a short squeak when he realized that your legs were now draped on either side of his hips.
He deadpanned.
This scene has happened before.
But instead of you pushing him away and punching his chest, you simply giggled, cold hands coming up to grab his masked face. Jay was startled when you pulled his face closer to yours.
“[Na–”
You tried to squeeze his cheek under the mask. When you felt plush, warm skin, your face lit up. “Woahhh!”
“Why’re you so surprised?”
You squished his masked cheek again. “You’re real!”
Another thing about you that enamored him: your naïvete and nearly innocent nature (but only sometimes, when you weren’t trying to kick his ass).
Jay chuckled. “Of course I am. Didja think that I was fake?”
You hummed. Then ,you cupped his cheek, before pedicured fingers slithered toward the juncture between his ear and neck. You fingered the cloth there. Jay’s breath caught in his throat.
“I’ve always wondered who’s behind this mask,” you thought aloud, caressing his neck. Your voice was low and light, like a whisper.
Jay felt like a middle school boy; he was getting nervous just by how close you were to him. He could smell your perfume, and even your breath against his neck. His heart hammered in his chest.
“You…” he rasped, voice deep. “You don’t wanna know.”
“But I do!” you giggled. “Do I know you in real life?”
“Err… I can’t answer that.”
“Awwww.”
You stared at him, before cracking another grin. “I don’t care who you are in real life. I’d still be your friend.”
Jay quirked a brow. He slunk his arm back around your waist, pulling you in closer. 
“What if I was someone you hated?” he murmured. His dark eyes locked onto yours. Such an indulgent question. He was opening himself up to get hurt, but for some reason, he didn’t care.
“I wouldn’t care,” you breathed. “I’d love you either way.”
He knew that was a lie.
That night, you fell asleep in his arms up on the rooftop.
When he snuck back into his apartment, he placed you down on his bed, tucked you in, and whispered, “Good night, Pretty.”
The moment that he shut that bedroom door, Jay felt weak to his knees. His heart rate was picking up, nose suddenly becoming runny. He was in the middle of chanting, “Don’t cry,” to himself when the first tear rolled down his face.
A hand reached up to clasp his mouth tightly as he squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t wake you or Wonnie up.
Jay didn’t know how long he cried sitting with his back against the bedroom door, but when he was done, he felt dizzy.
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Jay went on an early morning patrol.
He didn’t get much sleep, but that sleep was indeed helpful in clearing his mind.
As he swung from building to building, occasionally scaring off criminals and sketchy people alike, his mind was occupied with thoughts about last night. It was hard to rationalize last night, and while it still was hard, the cool morning air kissed his cheeks just enough to give him the calm to think.
Okay, so, she doesn't think I’m disgusting, I didn’t actually do anything wrong, she was just embarrassed. I make her feel weird, and she might actually hate me. She says that she would still love me if I was… me, but like, “me” as in “Spider-Man” and the other “me” as me, Jay Park, and–
God, this was frustrating.
Even if you didn’t blame him, there was no way he could face you or any of your friends as Jay. His friends were blabbermouths. Everyone and their mothers probably knew by now the events that transpired.
His anguish built up. So much so that even when Jay was disarming a knife-bearing mugger, he couldn’t bring himself to make a few snarky remarks. His body was moving on its own, jumping around and soaring through the air. His mind was in a world of its own, running and drilling with little break, just mulling over all the possibilities.
He didn’t notice the time (three hours later) until all the delis and flower stores began opening up for the day. Plopping down onto one of the hedges on top of a building, Jay only realized how out-of-it he was; his legs were plagued with an abnormal ache, and his chest pushed out air using labored lungs.
Jay pulled off his mask, letting the cool air hit his face. He took a deep breath, peering down at the quiet bustle beginning to spread throughout the city.
He was about to sit there and contemplate, probably reflect on himself or simply relax. 
However, an ear-splitting ringing sound cut through the air.
Beep beep!
“Shit,” he muttered, slipping his phone out of the seamless pocket attached to his suit’s leg. “Whaddya need, Wonnie?”
“Mayday, mayday!” his brother whisper-yelled into his ear.  “Code red! I repeat: code red!”
“Why’re you whispering?” Jay jumped to his feet. He sensed the urgency in Wonnie’s voice on the other line, slipping back into his mask. “What happened?”
“I’m at school right now,” Wonnie hissed. “It’s your girlfriend!”
The man prepared for mobility, rubbing his wrists. “I don’t have a girlfrie– And why are you calling me at school right now?”
“Aghh!” Wonnie cried. “It’s [Name]!”
“Did something happen to her?” Jay’s voice immediately switched to a serious tone. He flexed his muscles, suddenly becoming hyper-alert of his surroundings. His eyes scanned the surrounding area. 
Jay heard fumbling on the other side of the phone, presumably Wonnie almost getting caught by a teacher or something. “Okay, okay. Downtown– the skyscraper along the greenbelt– yes, that one! Doctor Discotheque; I think he’s hanging her!”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Jay grumbled. 
He was on top of a retail store. If Jay’s urban design professor was correct, then there should be a big stretch of apartments in the next few hundred kilometers. In the center should be the CBD. The only issue was that those apartments were dense. If he wants to drill past them in time, then he would need to be quick.
With just his enhanced spider-sight, Jay could see all those hundred kilometers ahead, straight to the central business district. Doctor Discotheque was standing at the top of the downtown skyscraper, and apparently he ditched the massive mechanical body that the “high-tech science shit” gifted him. Instead, the supervillain wore a sleek spandex suit. Doctor Discotheque was laughing villainously, because next to him was a crane hanging right at the edge of the building. The silhouette that was dangling from the crane was you yourself.
Jay heaved. 
Let’s fucking do this.
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“Spider-Man did it better, by the way.”
“If you keep talking, I will drop you off the side of this building.”
You couldn’t even be surprised anymore. Somehow getting kidnapped by a supervillain was less outlandish than making out with you enemy twice.
This morning, when you were just starting to leave for class, the window shot open, revealing a goofy-looking villain in purple spandex that he totally didn’t rip off of Spider-Man. Seriously, it was the tackiest outfit ever. He had a sparkly panel as a recurring design motif and it seriously was not good.
Nowy ou were suspended 400 meters in the air, with your feet fastened to the lift of a construction crane. You crossed your arms over your chest. 
You should be scared. You really should. For God’s sake, you were dangling upside down over a busy road from an unsteady crane on top of a building that was 400 meters tall. 
But the sight of a supervillain wearing a sparkly suit was too unserious. If there was anything to be afraid of, it would be Doctor Discotheque’s little villain costume.
“Nice outfit, Sparkle Boy.”
And besides, you knew that Spider-Man would save you.
Doctor Discotheque ignored your not-so-subtle jab at his suit, too busy scanning the sky for a certain red and blue - clad superhero.
In fact, that really pissed you off.
How dare he, a sloppily-dressed, dilapidated-looking, old geezer, kidnap you and threaten your life? And when you tried to talk to him, he just ignored you? Such a poorly-designed supervillain. 2/10 from you.
“Hey!” you yelled from where you were dangling. “Hey, you! Purple Wurple!”
Doctor Discotheque ignored you again.
You huffed. “You motherfucker! How dare you ignore me!”
Nothing from him.
“Hey, answer me! Doctor Disgusting!”
Finally, the supervillain snapped his head at you.
“It’s Doctor Discotheque, not Doctor Disgusting,” he spat.
You snorted. “It’s a good thing you became a supervillain, and not a villain-namer, because wow, ‘Doctor Discotheque’ might be the worst deed you’ve ever committed.”
Doctor Discotheque narrowed his eyes at you, before a wide smirk spread across his face. “I had higher standards for Spider-Man.”
When you glared at him, he continued.
“I can’t believe he could date such a wretched person like you.”
“Date?”
“You seem more surprised at that than me kidnapping you,” Doctor Discotheque muttered. He observed your scrunched expression, his grin widening. “I saw you and Spider-Man getting cozy last night on the rooftop. Never knew that he would go for a woman as insufferable as you.”
“Hey, we’re not–”
“And, if you don’t shut your mouth,” the villain spoke through tight lips, “I’ll throw you off this building.”
Before you could retort, the man’s hand reached for the remote console that controlled the crane. Gloved hand palming the joystick, Doctor Discotheque let out a low chuckle, before giving it an experimental pull. Immediately, the lift of the crane shakily lowered.
“H-Hey–!”
He played around with the controls, philandering around as if it was some kind of children’s toy.
“You– You little bitch!” you, though shaky from the mobility, yelled. “F-Fuck you and your sp–sparkly spandex!
Doctor Discotheque let out another low chuckle, before pressing a button. You weren't sure about the mechanics of a crane remote console, but it started shaking the lift from side to side. The crane must have been old, because the parts were moving so shakily. The lift was quite literally rocking in the sky, swinging you around slowly.
“One more word from you, and I’ll be releasing you,” Doctor Discotheque mused. “And by the way, it’s not spandex. It’s lycra.”
You were seriously considering shutting up. Your stomach did flips now that you looked down at the vast expanse of the city below you. The sound of cars rushing across the road, as well as the distressed crowd that was now gathering under the skyscraper, police cars with their loud sirens, and camera shutters did not calm you in the slightest. It was a miracle that your glasses were still intact at this point.
And still, Spider-Man was nowhere in sight.
Wait.
Spider-Man.
Your eyes flickered toward the villain.
There must be a reason that Doctor Discotheque kidnapped you. Other than the fact that he was, in fact, a supervillain, there must be another reason for his evildoing.
Why would someone want to kidnap a broke college student, unless there was something to gain from it?
There truly was only one thing notable about Doctor Discotheque, other than his horrible costume. And it was that he had major beef with Spider-Man. Unfortunately for him, Doctor Discotheque let it slip that he thought you and Spider-Man were dating. 
It was a perfect plan.
Use Spider-Man’s girlfriend against him.
The only issue was that Spider-Man had not yet arrived on the scene yet. Heck, no one even knew if he knew of the situation yet.
Doctor Discotheque wasn’t going to do anything to you. Not until Spider-Man made an appearance.
“Y’know, Doctor Disgusting,” you shouted. “You suck!”
Doctor Discotheque deadpanned. “Foolish woman! Did you not hear what I just said–”
“Drop me,” you demanded. You thrashed around, flailing your arms so that the rope fastening you to the lift shook. “Drop me, you fucking bitch! I dare you!”
Doctor Discotheque stilled. He said nothing, just simply grumbling something under his breath and dropping the remote control to the concrete ground.
You watched him, proud of yourself.
But there were bigger problems up ahead now.
Spider-Man was nowhere in sight. This maniac might actually do something to you if Spider-Man didn’t show up on time. With the size of this commotion– road blocks, traffic issues, a giant crowd pooling at the base of the skyscraper– it was no doubt that the spider-like hero should be on his way.
“Hey, fuckface!” 
A familiar confident and charming voice cut through the air suddenly.
Lo and behold, it was the great Spider-Man.
“Spider-Man-!” you blurted, relief washing over you.
Doctor Discotheque let out a laugh. That laugh became a cackle, before he was howling. Except, it wasn’t really laughing out of amusement, but him pushing air from his chest to create a sound. 
“So you’ve decided to show yourself, Spider-Man,” Doctor Discotheque rasped. He snatched the crane remote control off the ground, and fiddled with the controls just enough to shake you. You let out a small shriek. “One wrong move and this little girlfriend of yours will be dropped.”
Spider-Man clenched his fists.
“So choose wisely,” the villain furbished the remote with his fingers. “Or you'll be toppling to your death in no-time.”
Jay had to be quick with this. 
All eyes were on him, and you were genuinely endangered.
Doctor Discotheque’s main goal was and had always been to humiliate Spider-Man. Jay had no idea what types of things he had hidden up his sleeve, but if he was going far enough to endanger a civilian, it must be bad. 
Like his name would imply, Doctor Discotheque had the ability to generate sounds that transpired the ordinary human sonic level. A.K.A. Doctor Discotheque had a loud voice.
An ability like that would be extremely dangerous, considering that large sound waves are capable of killing people. Except, Jay had a crucial piece of information, thanks to the invaluable research of Wonnie: Doctor Discotheque’s body was not suited for his own ability.
While Doctor Discotheque was capable of pushing air from his diaphragm and vibrating his vocal cords, his own ears could not take it. Usually, those with superhuman abilities would have different bodily functions to accommodate the harm that the abilities would have. For example, those with fire abilities would have cooler and fire-resistant bodies in order to sustain the aptitude. Unfortunately, Doctor Discotheque did not have that.
That meant that while Doctor Discotheque could do basically anything with his voice, he wouldn’t, because that would bring physical harm to his own self, too.
The only issue: if defeated, Doctor Discotheque might take on a “if I die, I’ll take everyone with me” attitude.
Jay had to be strategic.
“If you don’t attack, Spider-Man,” Doctor Discotheque started. The villain sucked in a large breath, “I’ll destroy your eardrums!”
That last part was at least 90 decibels. Jay could tell by the way that Doctor Discotheque himself winced at the sound.
What a dumbass.
“I can’t believe I have to deal with you again, man.”
Jay shot a web to the water tanks behind Doctor Discotheque, thrusting him across the rooftop, which allowed him to extend his right leg in order to land a kick at the villain. The villain dodged his kick by stepping to the side. However, Jay’s lightning-fast reflexes saw that one coming, so he swerved his body to the right to attempt another kick. His elevated heel succeeded in scraping the crown of Doctor Discotheque’s head.
The villain stumbled backward, but continued to evade Jay. Shooting a web, the hero attempted to bring Doctor Discotheque to him, but he dodged it once again. Jay had to give him credit: he had pretty good reflexes.
Jay shot a web to the hedge the villain was next to, hoping to launch himself at him, but before he could, Doctor Discotheque landed a punch square on Jay’s nose.
“Ow! What the fuck, man?” Jay’s eyes watered at the impact. How embarrassing.
Jay continued his venture to wrap this guy in his webs, shooting multiple webs at once. A few of them landed, but Doctor Discotheque was able to dodge them.
“Come on, old man!” Jay grumbled. Finally, one of his webs effectively landed on the villain’s shoulder, allowing for Jay to grapple him toward him. Before Doctor Discotheque could react, the masked hero blasted him with a bunch of more webs, slathering him in those sticky white strings. 
The supervillain struggled against Spider-Man’s iron grip. Even with the tight webs binding him, Jay could feel him suck in a deep breath, an indicator that he was about to utilize that loud voice of his.
If Jay didn’t move now, his eardrums might actually get bursted.
Jay jumped away from Doctor Discotheque, except he kept his webs attached to him so that his previous binding work would not be rendered useless. Jay whipped his head around, eyeing your dangling figure.
“Cover your ears!” he shouted, before doing so himself. Doctor Discotheque let out a shrill screech, and although the sound was only large enough to send a vibration through Jay’s body, that was because Jay had the aid of superhuman abilities.
Everything else around them? Absolutely not.
The glass of surrounding buildings shattered, while the metal crane that was dangling you shook profusely. You screamed.
Shit, shit, shit.
While Jay was distracted, Doctor Discotheque squirmed free of the webs, crawling to the remote console he dropped to the ground earlier.
“Let’s play with your girlfriend,” the villain glowered. With that, he began tinkering with the controls of the console, shaking you around on the lift. This time, though, he was literally pressing all the buttons, giving you little time to anticipate what was coming next. The movement of the crane was unadulterated, so you shrieked in fear. 
“Are you gonna save her, Spider-Man?” Doctor Discotheque mocked.
Jay clenched his fists. It was a lot more important to save you before anything else. He could deal with this maniac later.
“Don’t you fucking dare, Spider-Man!” Much to his surprise, it was you yelling at him. “Don’t worry about me, just kick this lunatic’s ass!”
“How adorable!” Doctor Discotheque cooed. 
Jay wasn’t about to let a civilian, much less you, be in a position of severe danger. But Doctor Discotheque has been getting too confident and talking out of his ass too much.
Maybe he could do both.
If Jay could debilitate Doctor Discotheque, he could take the remote control. If he takes the remote control, he could easily save you.
When Jay started toward Doctor Discotheque, the villain let out a laugh. “You’re just going to ignore your little girlfriend like tha–”
“Shut– up!” Jay knocked him down with a kick to the cheek. 
When Doctor Discotheque was knocked to the ground, he dropped the remote control, too. However, the remote dropped face-down, so with the impact of its collision, it bursted and shattered into several pieces. The crane began to malfunction, waving around its lift erratically. The excessive movement made the ear-splitting sound of rust rubbing against itself. 
Not good. 
The head of the engineering department at the university always warned them about rusty construction tools. 
Oh, not good at all.
You screamed. Still pinning Doctor Discotheque’s hands to his sides, Jay grunted, snapping his head to you.
“Don- Don’t– Ah!-” you breathed. “Don’t worry about me!”
Jay clenched his jaw.
“I-I’m serious!” you squeezed your eyes shut. “I’m not sc-scared, or anything!”
No. That wasn’t true.
All those times that he carried you through the sky.
“Stop making fun of me, Spider-Man!” you lightly slapped his chest. “I’m just…– Eep!--” you squeezed his bicep again– “Scared of heights.”
The crane squeaked, as its spasms slowed. Except, its slowing down meant nothing. It only continued creaking. It was unstable, and by the looks of it, even Jay couldn’t guarantee that it wouldn’t snap off.
Doctor Discotheque threw his head back against the concrete ground, letting out another chortle. Before he could say anything, Jay raised his fist and punched him straight in the diaphragm. The villain groaned in pain, and before he could recover, Jay planted another punch in the abdomen, and another one square in the nose.
A punch in the diaphragm should debilitate him for just enough time to save you.
Jay swung toward the lift of the crane.
You were tied to it by the feet. The only way to get you to the roof was to operate the crane so that it was hanging over the building, or untie you. The former was impossible now, so the second option was the only option.
“I-I told you to–!” 
“[Name], you yell a lot.” Jay didn’t realize how out-of-character it was for Spider-Man to say that, but currently, he was plagued with urgency. He had to be serious.
You shut your mouth immediately.
“[Name], I’m going to untie you,” Jay instructed. “You are going to fall.”
“Wh-What?”
Jay was already untying the ropes. Which was oddly easy. 
Why were the ropes so loosely tied? 
He clenched his teeth.
He was going to destroy that maniac for putting you in harm’s way.
“When I untie your feet, you’re going to fall,” Jay asserted. When he heard your breath hitch, he sighed. His gaze on you softened. “Don’t worry, Pretty. I’ll catch you.”
There was one loop left to unknot. Your eyes widened as you felt your feet slowly slip.
“You ready?” Jay stared into your eyes. 
“Y-Yeah.”
He sensed the fear in your voice. “I got you, Baby.”
He untied the last knot. Immediately, you began falling down multiple stories. Your arms thrashed, and your eyes squeezed shut. You let out a loud, yet strained scream.
But then you stopped. Because you felt strong arms grip your waist.
“Spider-Man!” you cried, pressing your face into his neck, holding him tighter than you ever had before. Your eyes were watery with fear.
“What did I say, Angel?” You could hear the grin in his voice. “I got you.”
Jay swung the two of you up to the top of the skyscraper. He let you down at a roof-like structure at the very back of the roof.
“Stay here.”
“But you–”
“[Name], I need you to stay here,” Jay said, squeezing your arm. “Please.”
You sighed. “Fine.”
With that, he swung back to the front to fight Doctor Discotheque.
At that point, Doctor Discotheque was still coughing and heaving from the punch to the diaphragm, but was able to stand.
“I’m surprised you could still stand, you old geezer,” Jay mocked.
Now that you were safe, he regained his humor.
“Spider-Man, you may have beaten me three times, but not a fourth ti– AGH!”
Jay punched him. “Shut up!”
Then, Doctor Discotheque kicked Jay in the stomach. From there, they engaged in hand-to-hand combat. It was a shaky fight: Doctor Discotheque had decent strength, so his punches were indeed strong, but Jay had lightning reflexes that allowed him to dodge. Soon, Doctor Discotheque backed the hero up against the electricity pole. 
“Little punks like you–” Doctor Discotheque, finally, landed a successful punch to Jay’s cheek, eliciting a groan- “Need to know your place.”
Doctor Discotheque took a deep breath.
Fuck.
He was going to scream.
He couldn’t scream loud enough to kill or severely harm Jay because he would be inflicting that same pain to himself as well. But he could definitely debilitate him with a single scream.
Doctor Discotheque opened his mouth, his chest rising and falling to widen his vocal cords. 
Just as the villain was going to scream Jay deaf, he freed his hand from Doctor Discotheque’s grip. Jay punched the villain’s mouth. More specifically, he shoved his fist in his mouth.
Doctor Discotheque sunk his teeth into Jay’s fists, but he just ignored him. Instead, Jay pushed his fist deeper into his mouth, further lodging it in.
With the agility of a spider, he attached a web to the villain. With nimble, yet confident, fingers, Jay spurted webs to bind his hands and feet together. In between, he landed punch after punch and kick after kick at the man.
“Just” punch “go” punch “away” punch “already!”
The villain was now biting into Jay’s fist so hard now that he was sure the fabric was ripping. 
“Fuck!” Jay kicked him square in the abdomen, sending him flying across the rooftop. When he looked at his fist, it was bleeding with teeth marks. Whatever.
Jay approached Doctor Discotheque’s keeling figure. The villain coughed blood, hair frazzled with sweat and sticking to his forehead. The superhero stood over him.
Then, Doctor Discotheque started sobbing.
?!
“I… I did it all for my son,” the villain quivered, tears streaming down his cheeks. “My son… My beautiful son…”
Son.
Jay never had a father. The only person closest to a father was his uncle, who already died, leaving him to take care of his kid brother. 
“My– My so-son,” Doctor Discotheque sobbed. “He– He always wanted a c-cool dad.”
???
“I th-thought if I fought you… he would th-think his dad w-was cool!”
Jay took a deep breath. “And you can be a cool dad. If you just spent time with him instead of fighting me.”
“N-No,” Doctor Discotheque sniffled. “H-He’s obs–  obsessed with Spider-Ma-Man.”
Jay sighed. He crouched down beside the man. 
“Doctor Discotheque,” he began. “I didn’t have a father. I’d do anything to just spend time with him. Your son will love you ten times more if you were just there for him.”
“R-Really?” Doctor Discotheque looked up at him with watery eyes.
“Yes.”
There was a pulse of silence. Doctor Discotheque stared at Jay, before his fingers twitched. Before he could do anything, a loud clang! rang through the air.
“[Name]…!”
You, with a metal rod, wacked Doctor Discotheque in the back of his head, sending him forward.
“I don’t fucking care!” you spat at him. You were breathing heavily, before your eyes met Jay’s.
“[Name]... what are you–”
You dropped the metal rod. You grabbed the villain’s face, slapping him. 
“I don’t fucking care about you and your son!” Slap. “You wreak havoc on this city and you expect us to forgive you because you have a tragic sob story?!” Slap.“You almost killed me!” Slap.  “You’re wearing sparkly spandex!” Slap. “No wonder your son doesn’t think you’re cool!” Slap. “You bitch!”
“[Name], that’s enough…!”
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The aftermath of the incident was nothing to sneeze at.
Your face, as well as Doctor Discotheque, was plastered all over the news. Speaking of which, Doctor Discotheque was revealed to be some middle-aged professor, and was taken into custody for a court hearing.
It had only been a few hours ago since Spider-Man dropped you home. Meanwhile, he said that he had some “business” to attend to. Probably interviews and reporters.
It was the middle of the afternoon by now. The apartment was completely silent. Wonnie was still at school. And… Jay. 
You bit your lip as you remembered what happened the night before. 
You felt your neck and cheeks heat up. You really kissed him, touched him, whispered lewd words into his ear– Oh my god, you had to apologize to him! 
You brought two fingers to your lip.
His lips were chapped and the lip-piercing pressed against your lip in a way that was almost painful, but for some reason, the thought just sent butterflies in your stomach. His hands were so big, holding onto you with a desperate grip.
You shoved your face into your hands, squeezing your eyes shut.
How embarrassing!
How were you going to face Jay Park? 
Why were you worried?
“Do you… have a crush on him then?” Spider-Man’s words echoed through your mind.
Did you?
It would make a great deal of sense. 
Why you were feeling this way, why you got so angry last night, why you’d  been thinking about him at night for the past five years. 
Your heart began speeding up at the thought of having a crush on Jay Park. Not just the absurdity of the idea, but because you felt so childish. You were an adult now. How could you have such a petulant crush?
But then again, Jay Park made you feel childish. Like you were some middle schooler, all immature and giggly.
Before you could dig yourself further into a hole, a tapping came from the window. Stalking over to the sill, you spotted a red-and-blue-clad hero. 
He was lowering himself upside-down in his iconic stance, hanging onto a single spider web.
“Spider-Man!” you exclaimed.
“Hey there, Angel,” the hero grinned behind the mask when you opened the window. He was about to climb through when the unexpected happened. “H-Hey, what are you–!”
You grasped his upside-down face. You tore down his mask just enough to reveal the bottom half of his face, and pressed your lips onto his.
It was a chaste kiss, not meant to be sexual. Simply innocent.
Except, it felt familiar.
It was a soft kiss, but you could feel the hero’s lips. They were chapped, and there was a cold piece of metal on his lip. Like a lip-piercing.
When you pulled away, you gazed at Spider-Man’s half-exposed face, which wore an awkward, boxy smile.
“That’s what you get for saving me all those times,” you breathed.
Spider-Man’s lips curved. “What are you, a fairytale princess?”
You grinned. “You saved me like I was one.”
“Just my duty, Gorgeous.”
You caressed Spider-Man’s skin. Just like you expected, he had a strong jaw and sharp nose. His cheeks were a honey-tan color, with a twinge of red. 
And most notably, his lips.
Chapped, pink, but plump.
And pierced.
Her thumb pressed onto the piercing. 
His breath hitched.
You've seen that lip-piercing before.
You've stared at a certain somebody’s lips for long enough to recognize it.
No. It can’t be.
You touched his face, tracing his features slowly. 
“Spider-Man,” you drew out your syllables. “Can you stand up normally? I want to check something.”
The hero silently complied, climbing through the window sill. When he stood in front of you, swiping a tongue over his pierced bottom lip, you swallowed down hard.
Please.
In one, quick movement, you pushed Spider-Man against the wall, sliding your hands up his chest. Your hands slithered to his toned arms, grappling onto his wrists to pin above his head.
Your heart was about to fall out of yourc hest. You were breathless, eyes trained onto the hero’s lips.
A pedicured hand came up to grasp his chin.
“Are you Park?” you asked in a near-whisper. “Please. Please tell me. Are you Jay Park?”
Spider-Man stilled in your hold. He sucked in a sharp breath, taking his bottom lip between his teeth.
“Please,” you whispered.
As you gazed at him with wide, pleading eyes, Spider-Man was able to free one of his hands. Slowly, he grasped the tight material of his mask. He pulled the fabric up and over his eyes, before freeing his entire head and face.
What was revealed?
Dark hair. Dark eyes. Tan skin. A sharp nose. And that goddamn lip piercing.
Jay Park.
You audibly gasped. Your hold on his one wrist weakened, dropping all the way when you brought both hands up to clasp your gaping mouth.
Jay looked at you with an ashamed expression, yet his eyes were locked onto yours. He parted his lips to say something, but no sound came out.
This entire time… it was him?
Your body moved on its own.
You grabbed his face, and smashed your lips against his.
At first, Jay was completely still. 
But after a few seconds, he let out a low grunt against your lips, slithering his arms around your waist. That earned a small squeal from you, giving him the opportunity to shove his tongue in your mouth. Your hands roamed, sliding up and down his chest before resting in his hair. When you pulled on his dark locks, he groaned softly, allowing you to push his tongue out and put yours into his mouth.
Jay gave your waist a warning squeeze, as if to say, “Don’t try that on me.” But you only smirked against his lips, sliding your hand up his head to grab a fistful of his hair and pulling it.
When you pulled away from each other, you were breathless, both flushed in the face with blown-out, desire-filled eyes. You stared into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity.
“You…” you blinked. Then, your face contorted. With a fist, you began hitting his chest. “It was you this whole time? It was… It was you who carried me home, who took me out, who saved me, who– who comforted me when I cried!
“Why didn’t you listen to me when I told you to not worry about me?!” you continued pounding his chest. “And why the fuck would you try to sympathize with that lunatic?! You could have been hurt– He might have pulled out a knife, or something! I was so worried that he’d pull a fast one and try to stab you, you stupid, stupid, stupid–!”
It was Jay’s turn to smash his lips against yours.
Almost immediately, you stopped all of your movement, melting into the kiss.
“You’re-” Jay mumbled against your lips- “You’re always such a fucking brat.”
He laced his fingers with hers, holding your hands tightly. "Always givin' me hell, you know that?"
He was rough, a lot more rough than you imagined, but it wasn't like you were opposed to it. You tried to say something, squeezing his hands. You got a few sounds out, but they were all muffled by his kissing.
“Shut up,” Jay breathed against your lips. “Just shut the fuck up and let me kiss you.”
You whined, causing him to smirk.
This kiss was much more heated than any previous ones you’ve had with him. And also much messier.
When you finally pulled away, your lips were swollen, connected by a single string of spit.
“Oh my god,” you mewled, gripping onto Jay’s bicep. “Fuck, please, Jay.”
Jay swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. You never called him by his name like this. “‘Please’ what, Angel?”
“I want you,” you looked up at him with wide and glassy eyes, the same ones that he’s seen in his guiltiest dreams. “Oh my god, please, I want you so bad, Jay.”
“Are you gonna yell and hit me like last time?” he teased, hands already sliding down to grip your hips.
You pressed a wet kiss to his jaw. “Only if you won’t leave me in the middle of a hallway drunk like last time.”
You both stared at each other for a few moments, with cocked brows and narrowed eyes, neither of you wanting to relent your pride. Then, at the same time, broke out into a fit of laughter.
“I have high expectations for you, Park.”
“I won’t disappoint you, you fuckin’ nerdo freak.”
FIN.
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part 1 here
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knuttydraws · 6 months ago
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I don't know where all my free time went recenty and I'm not drawing as often as I would like to, but at least I managed to take part in our annual (ex)Templars themed exchange! This regency inspired piece is a gift for our lovely @charmcity-jess 💖 Captain Ruherford and miss Solona Amell in a stare-down contest with absolutely ZERO feelings involved! 🤭
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benebxmbina · 2 months ago
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Annually !¡ Spencer Reid x reader
Warnings !¡ Established relationship. Uh. Not proofread.
A/N !¡ My first request!!
Requested here
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Spencer never knew what to do when you cried. He tried his best, sure, but his best was usually something along the lines of a bouquet and a smile.
This time, however, you weren't upset because of him, you were upset because just as you were getting ready for the local county fair, Hotch had called with a case.
Ten hours away from home.
Seeing you upset, Spencer naturally tries to fix it. "Fall festivals near me," he types into the search as you begin to get off the jet. But this was only the first step.
He knew he had to find something that would not only take your mind off the fair, but let you unwind after the day of research and running around. The hotel had a jacuzzi bath, but that didn't seem appropriate to fix missing out on something, so he kept looking.
Then he found it. There was an event held every year to signal the beginning of fall.
"You get to pick fresh apples and pick out pumpkins that they let you paint to enter for a contest," Spencer explains.
"Wouldn't the presence of a serial killer stop this festival, Spence?" you ask, mind still on the case at hand.
"Actually," he begins. "It's about three hours west of here."
You raise a brow. The trip alone was six hours already, not to take into account the time you would spend there. There was no way Hotch would let the both of you go- especially in the middle of an active case.
"What about-"
"Hotch? Already have it taken care of." Spencer's smile brings one to your face. He was definitely proud of himself for this, and you couldn't blame him.
You were impressed by his level of preparedness, and all for something just to make you happier. "When do we leave?"
"The jet is ready for us now."
You grab his arm, pulling him into a short kiss. "Thanks, Spence."
"You're very welcome, but we do have to be back by noon tomorrow, so go, go, go!" He pushes you out the door, following close behind.
You kiss his cheek. "I owe you one."
"My services are free, sweetheart."
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bumblebeesfromvenus · 11 months ago
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Deck the Halls 🎻
Bale!Bruce Wayne x Wife!reader
A/N: This is the ultimate crossover, Bale!Bruce and Christmas, what more could you want??? I don't know quite how I feel about it mainly because I wrote most of it at 3 am lmao. Love-hate relationship, I guess. I hope you like it, anyway!
~Fi 🐝
Fi's Christmas Market ☃️
Warnings: implied angst?? Mention of his parents' death (very briefly), so much fluff omg, starring Alfred, Selina, and Lucius, Bruce is obsessed with you <3
Word count: 3.6k
Please don't copy my work! I put a lot of effort and heart into the things I write.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫
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.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫
"A Gingerbread house contest?"
Bruce gave you a skeptical look as you explained your idea for the annual Wayne Yule Ball. You were sitting at the meeting table in the office of Wayne Enterprises, brain storming ideas to make this years Gala a little more interesting. The events were always quite boring, the only thing keeping your spirits up was the bar most of the time.
You'd occasionally hang around on the side lines with Alfred, people-watching Gothams wealth. This year had to be different. You were sick and tired of the fad and dragging evenings.
This was the Yule Ball, after all. The Manor would be decked in lights and ornaments, the lovely tunes of Christmas would echo through the halls and you'd actually have some fun for once.
Bruce would try to make them more bearable for you, inviting you to dance as much as he could, even if it earned him detesting looks. He wasn't a huge fan either, but it was his duty. He'd rather be curled up with you, feeling your warmth against his skin while doing your favorite festive activities.
Selina was seated next to you, twirling a pen between her fingers, looking like she was about to collapse from boredom. Alfred sat next to Bruce with a notepad, writing down any ideas that had come forth. Lucius was there too, of course, hoping to aid in any technical things.
"Yeah, why not? We need to do something interesting this year, and a making Gingerbread houses is a pretty classic activity, no?" You responded, shrugging slightly.
"I'll definitely come to the Ball if you pull through with that." Selina smirked. Bruce sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, honey? I mean, most of the people that attend aren't really ones to get their hands dirty."
"If I may, Master Bruce, I think it's a great idea." Alfred interrupted politely, making you smile. "I think it's important for the rich of Gotham to not lose touch with the average life. And, it'd be quite sweet, wouldn't it?"
Alfred grinned, proud of the pun he just made. You let put a small giggle while Selina and Lucius were smiling slightly. Bruce, on the other hand, sighed as his brows pulled together.
"Alright, so if we do this, who's going to be the judge?" He asked, finally caving in to your request.
"I knew you'd come around," you smiled, watching as a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth, "I think it's pretty obvious. Alfred should judge the houses."
"Me? Miss, I'm flattered but I don't think I have the expertise to-"
"Nonesense, Alfie," Selina cut him off, "We've all seen what you can do in the kitchen. If anyone's going to judge anything, it should be you."
"I agree. He does make a mean Victoria Sponge." Luscius agreed, his reasoning strong enough to make Alfred ponder for a moment.
"It doesn't just have to be houses. We can just give them creative freedom, let them go at it." You suggested, earning nods of approval.
"I can't believe I'm about to say this," Selina mumbled, inhaling a sharp breath,"What if we make it a family event? Let them bring their kids. They'd probably be more open to the whole idea that way."
"Good thinking, Miss Kyle."
Bruce chewed on his lips as he thought. This would be very different than most years. His parents had started the tradition of a yearly Yule Ball, and he was afraid to make changes. But then he thought back to how his parents always tried to keep a somewhat humble life to be able to help the people in need more efficiently. Also, he could never say no to you.
"Okay. Why not. Even if they don't enjoy it, at least we'll have a good time." He smiled softly, looking at you. You almost beamed with excitment.
"We need a price too, right? What's the point of a contest without a price." Selina intervened. A silence fell over the room as everyone was thinking of what the price coule be.
"I say we give the winner an hour with Bruce's credit card and see how much damage they can do." You snorted, meaning it as a joke but when you weren't met with disagreement a surpirsed expression took over your face.
"Fine by me." Bruce shrugged. You forgot that he was a billionaire sometimes.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that but that just upped my determination by 100%." Selina grinned, making Bruce roll his eyes.
Bruce started talking to Lucius about the organizational aspects while you discreetly high fived Selina under the table. You'd talked about this idea before, your friend mostly finding it funny that the most esteemed people of Gotham would have to struggle with sprinkles and sticky icing.
She was quite impressed you pulled through, although that Bruce agreed wasn't a surprise to her. He'd do about anything you asked, which she sometimes used to her advantage.
"You truly have him wrapped around your finger, huh?" Selina mused, sending a sly smirk your way. You leaned back in your chair, inspecting the shimmering wedding band on your hand.
"Well, he wouldn't have put a ring on it if I hadn't." You grinned, making Selina shake her head with a chuckle.
"When do I need to be there to see Gotham get down and dirty?"
"December 25th, 8:00 pm, Wayne Manor."
"See ya then." The brunette gave you one last grin before taking her leave, claiming she had some 'business' to attend to. The so called 'business' would surely end up on the front page of the Gotham Gazette tomorrow morning. She was a great friend despite her passion for her illegal hobby. You couldn't really blame her, though. She'd grown up with nothing, and had to fight to survive.
You were the last one to complain if one of Gothams renowned business men mysteriously lost a couple of million dollars, which then appeared donated to a charity the next day. She'd never steal from you, or Bruce.
That's not to say she hadn't tried, but Selina did find that Martha's necklace suited you just a tad better than her. She had quite the soft spot for you, you weren't like the rest of the wealthy people she knew. You were honest, understanding and kind. Selina put a great amount of trust in you and she knew you'd never break it. If that meant having to put up with Bruce once in a while, so be it.
Alfred slipped into the seat next to you, Bruce and Luscius still discussing the guest list, when to send the invites, and to order all the necessary things for the contest.
"Truly a marvelous idea, Mrs. Wayne. He never dared to make any changes before you came along, you know?"
You turned you head towards him, a slight blush on your cheeks. Did you really have that much of an impact on him? To think that you were the one that made the Bruce Wayne soften and be more open to change made your heart swell with pride.
"Really? I thought he just never cared that much. For the Ball, I mean." You said, intrigued of what you were about to learn from Alfred about your beloved Husband.
"No, no, not at all. It was his favorite thing as a boy. What I'd do to see him happy like that again." The older man sighed, a melancholic tint in his eyes.
You smiled at the thought of Bruce being excited for Christmas. Just being a boy. You reckoned all of that changed after his parents' death. The warm and loving holiday was now left in gray dullness and the emptiness that he felt in his heart when he'd sit under the tree, all alone, yearning for a hug from his father and the gentle touch of his mothers lips on his cheek.
You were determined to fill that void, shower him in all your love until the gaping hole in his chest was fixed. Who knew if it was possible, but you were willing to give it your all.
"You will, I promise." You replied softly, gently placing your hand on his arm. Alfred gave you an appreciative smile, the sadness in his eyes wavering slightly. He softly padded your hand, resting it on it for a moment.
"You make him so happy already, though. I suppose I can't complain too much, can I?" He joked, making you laugh softly.
"I'm just loving him, that's all."
"That's all he needed." Alfred smiled softly.
Bruce glanced over to you, his heart pouding with pure love as he saw you laughing with Alfred. His two favorite people were getting along so well, it made unbridled joy bloom in his chest. You had changed his life, only for the better, you made him feel like a person again.
For years he'd been aimlessly wandering, hoping to find himself. He was lost in the dark, going through life pretending to be someone he wasn't. Or was he? He didn't know. But you were his guiding light, your gentle flicker lighting up his path. Your soft warmth getting him through many a cold night when the thoughts of self doubt and fear were gnawing at him.
All he needed was you pressed against his chest, your soft breathing like a sweet lullaby to him as you slept peacefully in his arms.
"Mister Wayne? Mister Wayne-" Lucius voice broke him out of his daydream, his back straightend and he cleared his throat, hoping no one caught him. You were still chatting on with Alfred, so you hadn't noticed, good. But when he looked over to Lucius, there was a knowing smirk on the man's face.
"Yes, Mr. Fox? Do you have the guest list ready?" Bruce questioned, fiddling with his fingers. He looked at Lucius expectantly, trying to hide his slight embarrassment.
"I don't blame you for staring. She fills the role of Mrs. Wayne perfectly." He answered, a gentle smile on his face. Bruce's shoulders immediately dropped, the tension fading away. He let out a small huff through his nose with a tight lipped smile.
"She does, doesn't she? It's like she was made for this. Made for me." He said quietly, the adoring look in his eyes as he admired you not being missed by the Inventor. Lucius placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"Why don't you spend the day together? I'll take care of everything." He said reassuringly.
Bruce's eyes widened slightly and he turned to face Lucius.
"Lucius-"
"No, I won't hear it. Go on, spend the day with her." He gave him chuckle before patting his back and gathering his things.
"We're done here, Mrs. Wayne. You can have your husband back." Lucius laughed, packing up the last of his documents. You giggled, which immediately set Bruce's heart aflame.
"How gracious of you, Mr. Fox." You teased, getting out of your chair, Alfred by your side.
"Let's go, my love. We have Christmas movies to watch and a dog to cuddle." You chirped, dragging him out of his chair.
All he could do was smile as he let himself be taken by you and wonder how he got this damn lucky.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
You were now curled up on the couch, Bruce by your side, his arm draped around you. Your dog, Rudy, was snoozing on your lap as you scratched his head. The extra weight and warmth of your pup made it hard to keep your eyes open.
You were resting comfortably against Bruce, who traced gentle patterns on your arm as he was tentatively watching the TV. A smile tugged at your lips at Bruce's soft breaths, his strong chest falling and rising, lulling you to sleep. Your smile was cut off by a yawn. You lifted your hand from Rudy's head to cover your mouth, but he let out a whine, immediately nudging at your hand.
You chuckled groggily, trying to keep the sleep at bay so you could enjoy your moment with Bruce.
"'M sorry, buddy." You cooed, going back to petting your fur baby.
"You're tired, honey, I'll take over. Go to sleep." Bruce said softly in your ear, gently moving your hand and replacing it with his, making Rudy's tail wag slightly.
"S'your fault for being so warm and comfy and- you." You mumbled, letting your head fall against his shoulder.
"I mean, I can stop." He teased, taking his arm away from around you. You caught his wrist in a surprisingly tight grip.
"Do it and see what happens." You slurred, eyes still closed. Even in your sleepy state, you were still your feisty little self.
"Alright, I'd like to keep my arm, please." He laughed, wrapping his arm around you again, just a little tighter this time. You nuzzled closer to his side, making Rudy begrudgingly adjust his position as well.
"Are you excited for the Yule Ball?" You asked quietly, looking up at your husband as best as you could with sleep tugging at your limbs.
"I am. For the first time in a while, actually. Thanks to you." He replied with a soft smile, placing a chaste kiss on the tip of your nose. A lopsided smile crept onto your face, and you stretched your neck a bit to press a sweet kiss to his lips.
"I love you." You mumbled before finally dozing off with a smile on your face.
"I love you too, honey." Bruce whispered gently, his lips pressed to the top of your head as he sunk into the couch.
He couldn't wait for the Ball. Something he loved so dearly that was tainted for him for many years was now coming back to him brighter than ever. All thanks to you, the lovely woman he chose to marry.
He'd marry you anew every single day if he could.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
The day had finally come, and you were a nervous wreck. You really didn't want to mess this up. You had big shoes to fill; Martha Wayne was loved by Gotham, and now that you held the title of Mrs. Wayne, you didn't want to disappoint anyone.
Not the people of Gotham, not Martha, but most importantly, not him. You'd been running around like a headless chicken the entire day, double checking everything so nothing could go wrong.
The decorations were being set up, and you might've snapped at a poor worker for hanging one of the garlands a little too much to the right. You were stressed out of your mind, regretting ever suggesting this. Right now, you were checking if all the sheets of Gingerbread had arrived and if all the decorations were set up.
The gentle touch of Bruce's hand on your shoulder snapped you out of the frenzy in your head. He guided you to a quiet corner with a hand on the small of your back.
"Bruce, I have to get back to-"
He interrupted you with a firm kiss, cupping your cheeks.
"No. You're completely stressing yourself out, and we can't have that. I'll take care of everything. And now you need to take care of yourself. Take a bath, get ready, do whatever you need to do. Please, calm down. Everything will be perfect, I promise." He said it so softly you could feel all the anxiety and stress fall away.
You let out a deep breath as you leaned into his touch.
"Okay. Thank you." You sighed with a small smile.
"Good. You know very well that tiring you out is my job." He said lowly with a glint in his eyes. You huffed and playfully hit his arm.
"Go check on the sprinkles."
"Yes, Ma'am."
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
You did as he said, you took a bath to ease the tension in your muscles that had been building up throughout the day.
Now, you were sitting at your vanity, adding some final touches to your make-up. The guest would arrive soon, and you were glad the excitement took over the anxiety.
Bruce walked into your shared bedroom, fixing his cuffs.
"Are you almost ready?" He asked, not looking at you, still fiddling with his suit. You responded with a small 'Mhm!' and walked over to him, brushing some wrinkles out of your gown. When he did look at you, he visibly stopped in his tracks.
You were wearing a green velvet gown with lace accents, and he was completely enarmoured. When his gaze trailed upwards, he caught sight of his mothers necklace sitting around your neck. If you weren't already married, he'd would've proposed right now.
"You look stunning." He breathed out, hie pupils dilated. You chuckled softly, brushing your hand over the lapel of his jacket.
"Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself." You teased, earning a small smirk from him. His hands settled in your waist. Bruce hastily pulled you in for a passionate kiss.
The air was knocked from your lungs as his lips moved so perfectly against yours. You melted into his touch but caught yourself before you'd do something that'd make you two very late.
"Alright," you breathed heavily, steadying your hands on his chest, "that's enough, Lover boy. We have a Ball to host."
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
All the guests had arrived and Bruce stepped into the center of the room, beginning his welcoming speech.
"Welcome, Everyone, I'm very glad you could join us here today for the annual Wayne Yule Ball. This is a tradition that my parents started that I wish to keep on as long as I can."
"This year will be a little different. Courtesy of my lovely wife, Mrs. Wayne," he looked in your direction and reached out his hand for you to take with a gentle smile, which you did without hesitation,"there will be a gingerbread house contest. I see you've brought your little ones and I hope that this will be a pleasant and memorable evening for us all." He ended his speech with a soft smile.
"Feel free to take as much times as you desire. Everything you need is provided, so all you need now is your imagination and creativity." You spoke up.
"Your delicious creations will be judged and the winner gets a nice reward. I hope you have a lovely time and a Merry Christmas!"
There was a small round of applause before old and young scrambled towards the tables decked with gingerbread, sprinkles and icing, to begin their gingerbread builds. You participated too, you'd teamed up with Selina, who had been nursing a flute of champagne until now.
Bruce and Lucius decided to indulge as well, already planning out their engineered masterpiece.
"Let's show 'em our claws." Selina smiled slyly. The lights made her dark blue dress embroidered with sparkling stars stand out. She looked very good this evening.
And Bruce might've paid for that dress... unknowingly.
"You got it, kitty." You replied with a smirk.
You were going the classic route. It would be a house, but more of a whimsical cottage type. Vines if icing were woven around the gingerbread walls, blooming into blankets of Ivy. The roof would be decked in sweet snow and delicate sugar flowers.
Selina couldn't help but add a tiny cat hidden at the back of the house. The atmosphere was delightful, laughter and chatter whisked through the room accompanied by the tunes of Christmas songs.
The decorations that adorned the walls and ceilings of the Manor dipped the room in a warm glow. You decided to glance over at Bruce and Lucius, to see what they'd come up with. When your gaze met their creation the piping bag of icing slipped from your hands and your jaw slacked.
"They built the goddamn batmobile." You said in disbelief, making your partner perk up.
She scoffed and went back to, now aggressively, pushing small sugar decorations into the icing.
"Show offs." Selina grumbled.
Bruce noticed your staring and shot you a toothy grin.
"A sweet ride, don't you think?"
You groaned at his terrible joke and shook your head.
"Unbelievable." You muttered, going back to perfecting your little house.
The chattered had died down as the judging began. Everyone watched in anticipation as Alfred made his way through room, inspecting each Gingerbread sculpture carefully. He made some small comments here and there, mainly on the ones the children had made.
In the end, a little girl and her sister won- they'd built, or at least tried to, a castle. Alfred thought it was very charming, and it reminded him of home, so naturally, he picked them as winners. They were overjoyed, jumping around excitedly, gushing it about it to their parents.
The girls earned a round of applause, and an arm slipped around your waist.
"A shame we didn't win." Bruce sighed playfully.
"I can't believe you built the batmobile. I expected a lot, but not that." You laughed, the lights reflecting off of you perfectly. Or at least that's what Bruce thought.
"But it was fun, don't you think? Thank you, again, for agreeing." You said softly. Bruce smiled at you, and gentle squeezed at your side.
"Anything for you. I can't wait to see what you come up with next year." He kissed your cheek, pulling you closer as you watched the joy and holiday cheer fill the room.
He truly couldn't wait for next year, to deck the halls with you by his side.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫
It didn't turn out as Christmas-y as I wanted it to, but I hope you enjoyed reading it nonetheless! <3
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97linelover · 14 days ago
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You and your dumb vampire costume - Jeon Wonwoo
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summary: after an ugly break up with your first love and former colleague, you meet him at the annual Halloween party.
Maybe some sparks will fly again.
content: non Idol Wonwoo x non Idol reader, fight,angst,,fluff,smut, drama, heartbreak, love happy end
wc: 1 k
a/n: Wonwoo as vampire? Yes please.
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The invitation for the company Halloween party sat in your inbox for days before you even considered opening it. When you finally did, your stomach dropped as you scanned the names on the guest list. Wonwoo. You hadn’t seen him in nearly a year, not since the night of your explosive breakup.
The argument had been brutal, the kind where neither of you held back, where every grievance you had ever bottled up came spilling out. You’d stormed out that night, and the two of you hadn’t spoken since.
At first, you thought about skipping the party entirely. It wasn’t worth reopening old wounds just for a costume contest and some cheap office punch. But a small part of you, the part that had never fully let go of him, told you to go. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was the need for closure. Maybe you were just tired of pretending that he hadn’t once been everything to you. So, you RSVP’d with a forced smile and a knot in your stomach.
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The night of the party arrived, and the office building had been transformed. The usual sterile cubicles were draped in cobwebs, pumpkins lined the hallways, and eerie music hummed through the speakers. You’d gone all out for your costume, hoping the boldness of it would mask the anxiety bubbling up inside. You were dressed as a warrior queen, your armor glinting under the dim lights, your confidence (or at least the appearance of it) radiating from the strong lines of your costume.
But no amount of costume design could prepare you for the moment you spotted Wonwoo across the room. He was dressed as a vampire, of course. Dark and brooding, with his usual effortless charm. His long black coat and the blood-red accents made him look even more striking than you remembered, and for a moment, it was as if the air had been sucked out of the room.
He hadn’t noticed you yet, but you could feel the tension building, like a storm cloud gathering on the horizon. You tried to keep your distance, busying yourself with small talk and making rounds among your colleagues, but it wasn’t long before you felt a presence behind you.
“Y/N.” His voice was smooth, familiar, and painfully full of things unsaid.
You turned around slowly, forcing a neutral expression onto your face. “Wonwoo.”
For a moment, neither of you said anything, the weight of the past year hanging heavily between you. The last time you’d spoken, you’d both said things that couldn’t be unsaid. Accusations, anger, and resentment had defined your last conversation, and standing here now, you could feel the remnants of that night simmering beneath the surface.
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he finally said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his coat. His tone was casual, but there was an edge to it.
“Well, it’s my company too,” you replied, trying to sound just as indifferent, though you could feel your heart racing. “I have every right to be here.”
“Of course you do,” he said, his gaze flickering over your costume briefly before meeting your eyes again. “I just thought… after everything… you wouldn’t want to.”
His words sent a sharp jab through your chest. After everything? As if he hadn’t been just as responsible for the mess you’d both made.
“Well, I’m not here for you,” you snapped, crossing your arms over your chest. “I’m here for me. Just trying to have a good time.”
“Right,” he said, his jaw tightening. “A good time. Just like old times, huh?”
The sarcasm in his voice was impossible to miss, and it stirred something in you, something that had been buried but never really gone.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” you asked, your voice colder now.
Wonwoo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly frustrated. “It means… you’re acting like everything’s fine. Like we didn’t—”
“Like we didn’t what? Have a massive fight and end things without ever really talking about it?” You interrupted, your voice rising. “Yeah, I remember that part pretty clearly, thanks.”
His eyes darkened, his frustration now matching your own. “You think I don’t remember? You think I haven’t thought about it every day since then?”
“Could’ve fooled me,” you muttered, turning away slightly, but the anger bubbling up was impossible to hide.
Wonwoo stepped closer, his presence looming as you fought to keep your composure. “Don’t act like I’m the one who walked away, Y/N. You left. You didn’t even give us a chance to fix it.”
You spun to face him, the anger you’d held back for so long finally breaking through. “Because you didn’t care enough to fix it, Wonwoo! Every time I tried to talk, you shut down! You pushed me away until there was nothing left of us to save!”
His jaw clenched, and for a moment, you saw the hurt flash across his face before the anger returned. “I was trying to keep us from falling apart! I didn’t want to drag out fights over things we couldn’t change, Y/N. But you couldn’t let anything go.”
“That’s because you never wanted to deal with anything, Wonwoo! You never wanted to face the fact that we were both unhappy!” Your voice wavered slightly, the pain of old wounds reopening. “We couldn’t keep pretending everything was fine. I wasn’t happy, and neither were you.”
The words hung between you, raw and exposed. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the sounds of the party fading into the background as you stood there, locked in a battle of words and emotions. It felt like the same argument you’d had the night you broke up, only this time there was no escaping it.
“So what now?” he asked, his voice quieter but still tense. “We just keep rehashing the same old arguments until we hate each other even more?”
You swallowed hard, feeling the sting of his words. “Maybe we’re already there.”
His face fell slightly at that, and for the first time that night, you saw something other than anger in his eyes—regret. The kind of regret that lingered, that didn’t go away with time.
Before either of you could say anything more, the music changed, and you heard someone shout for the costume contest. The emcee announced a dance competition, calling for volunteers from the crowd.
Of course, in the twisted way that fate worked, someone from your group shouted your name and Wonwoo’s, urging you both onto the dance floor. You tried to decline, shaking your head, but before you knew it, your coworkers were pushing you forward, insisting it would be fun.
You stood there, glaring at each other, while the music started. It was some upbeat, ridiculous pop song that didn’t match the mood between you two at all, but the crowd was watching, and there was no backing out now.
With a heavy sigh, you started moving, doing your best to make it through the dance-off without further conflict. But Wonwoo, always competitive, wasn’t about to let it be that easy. He threw in dramatic spins and ridiculous moves, clearly trying to one-up you, and it only fueled your frustration.
“Are you serious right now?” you hissed as you stepped closer, trying to match his exaggerated moves with your own. “You’re making this a competition?”
He smirked, that same infuriating smirk that used to drive you crazy, but in a different way. “Why not? We’ve always been good at those.”
You glared at him, your movements growing sharper as the music continued, the two of you locked in this ridiculous, heated competition that mirrored the tension between you.
By the time the song ended, you were both breathless, not from the dancing but from the weight of everything unsaid. The crowd cheered, oblivious to the emotional warfare that had just taken place on the dance floor.
As you tried to catch your breath, Wonwoo grabbed your wrist, pulling you aside, away from the noise of the party. You let him, too emotionally drained to protest. Once you were in a quieter corner, he turned to face you, his expression softer now, though the tension was still there.
“This can’t be how it ends, Y/N,” he said quietly, his grip on your wrist loosening but still firm. “Not like this.”
You looked at him, really looked at him for the first time that night. Beneath the anger, beneath the frustration, you could see it—the same hurt, the same unresolved feelings that had haunted you both for the past year.
“I don’t know how to fix this, Wonwoo,” you admitted, your voice small. “I don’t even know if we can.”
He let out a long breath, his hand dropping from your wrist. “I don’t either. But… I don’t want this to be the end.”
You stared at him, feeling torn between the anger that still simmered in your chest and the part of you that had never really stopped caring about him.
“I don’t want it to be the end either,” you said finally, your voice barely above a whisper.
And in that moment, standing in the midst of a Halloween party you hadn’t even wanted to attend, you realized that maybe, just maybe, there was still something worth fighting for. Even if it wouldn’t be easy, even if it meant reopening old wounds, you weren’t ready to walk away. Not yet.
The air between you seemed to thicken with the weight of all the things you both weren’t saying. Wonwoo stood there, his face a mixture of determination and frustration, the hurt from your past argument still simmering beneath his calm exterior. You could see it in the way his jaw clenched slightly, how his eyes softened as he searched your face for some kind of answer, for something to grasp onto that could lead you both out of this mess.
But there was no easy fix. No simple solution that would undo all the pain, the anger, the words that cut too deep.
“I don’t know how to fix us either,” you admitted, your voice cracking just a little. You hadn’t meant to sound so vulnerable, but after a year of pretending everything was fine, of trying to move on, it was impossible to hold back any longer. “Maybe we’re too far gone.”
His eyes flashed with something like panic for just a moment, but then it was gone, replaced by that stubborn resolve that had always defined him. “We’re not too far gone, Y/N. We can’t be.”
“Why not?” you challenged, folding your arms over your chest defensively. “We’re still the same people who hurt each other, who couldn’t get past our issues. What’s changed?”
Wonwoo sighed deeply, running a hand through his messy hair, the motion betraying just how tense he was. “Because I’ve had a year to think about it. About us. And… I wasn’t fair to you. I shut you out when you needed me, and that wasn’t right. I just didn’t know how to handle everything. I thought I was protecting us by avoiding the fights, but I only made things worse.”
Hearing him admit that felt like a punch to the gut. For so long, you’d convinced yourself that he didn’t care, that he hadn’t fought for your relationship because he simply didn’t want to. But now, as you looked at him, standing there raw and honest, you realized that maybe you weren’t the only one who’d been hurting.
“You did shut me out,” you agreed quietly, your voice trembling with the emotions you’d buried for so long. “And I didn’t know how to deal with that. I felt like I was screaming into a void, trying to fix something that was already broken, and you didn’t seem to care.”
“I cared,” Wonwoo interrupted, stepping closer. “I cared more than I could say. But I didn’t know how to show it. I didn’t know how to… fix us without making things worse.”
You stared at him, unsure of what to say. His honesty was cutting through all the walls you’d built up around yourself in the past year, and suddenly, you weren’t sure if you were ready for that. You weren’t sure if you were ready to let him back in, to risk the possibility of getting hurt all over again.
“Then why didn’t you try?” you whispered, feeling the tears prickling at the corners of your eyes despite your best efforts to keep them at bay. “If you cared so much, why didn’t you fight for me? For us?”
Wonwoo looked away for a moment, as if searching for the right words. When he finally met your gaze again, his expression was softer, almost broken. “Because I didn’t think you’d want me to. You walked out, and I thought… I thought that was it. That you were done with me, with us. And I didn’t want to make things worse by chasing after you when you’d made up your mind.”
His words hit you like a tidal wave. All this time, you’d assumed he didn’t care, that he hadn’t tried because he wasn’t willing to fight for your relationship. But now, hearing him say it, you realized just how wrong you’d been. You’d walked out that night because you were angry, because you needed space, but you’d never expected him to just give up. You wanted him to come after you, to show you that he still cared enough to make things right. Instead, you’d both fallen into this painful silence, each of you too hurt and too proud to make the first move.
“I didn’t want you to give up,” you said quietly, the tears finally spilling over. “I just… I just didn’t know how to fix things. I was so angry, and I needed space, but I didn’t want us to end like that.”
“I didn’t want it to end either,” Wonwoo said softly, reaching out to wipe a tear from your cheek. His touch was gentle, and for the first time in a long time, it felt like there was a glimmer of hope between you. “I never wanted it to end, Y/N. I just… I thought that’s what you wanted.”
You took a deep, shaky breath, trying to steady your emotions. “I wanted you to fight for me, Wonwoo. I wanted you to show me that we were worth fighting for.”
“I should have,” he said, his voice filled with regret. “And I’m sorry I didn’t. I should have fought harder. I should have fought for us.”
The sincerity in his voice broke something inside you, and suddenly, all the anger you’d been holding onto didn’t feel as important anymore. You could see now that you’d both been hurting, both struggling with the weight of your issues, and neither of you had known how to fix it. But now, standing here, with the autumn air swirling around you and the sounds of the Halloween party fading into the background, you realized that maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe you could still salvage what you had.
“Wonwoo,” you began, your voice still shaky but filled with determination. “I don’t know if we can fix everything. I don’t even know if we can go back to how things were. But… I’m willing to try. If you are.”
His eyes lit up with something you hadn’t seen in him for a long time—hope. “I want to try. I don’t want to lose you again.”
You took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the past year slowly start to lift from your shoulders. It wouldn’t be easy, and there were still a lot of things you needed to work through, but for the first time in a long time, you felt like there was a chance. A chance to rebuild, to start over.
“Okay,” you said, your voice steady now. “Let’s try again.”
Wonwoo smiled softly, the tension in his body easing as he stepped closer, his hand reaching for yours. “No more running away this time,” he said quietly, his thumb brushing gently over your knuckles. “We face it together.”
You nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over you. “Together.”
And for the first time in what felt like forever, you allowed yourself to hope again. Maybe this was the beginning of something new—something stronger. Something worth fighting for.
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megumimania · 1 year ago
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TRICK OR TREAT - gojo satoru
summary: gojo takes halloween very seriously to the point where he competes against his neighbour for best decorated house in the neighbourhood.
warnings: fluff, married!au, gojo is a bit extra in this, halloween ends when i say so! petty gojo, the trio would definitely go as the plastics, gojo beefing kids, i miss him
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if there’s one thing gojo satoru doesn’t play about it’s the holidays. particularly halloween.
he’d been dragging you out for the past month to different stores for decorations in order to transform your home into a terrifying haunted house. he’d brought out all sorts of candy that he hid around the garden for the annual scavenger hunt that the neighbourhood kids often enjoyed doing. to say he didn’t enjoy halloween was an understatement—he loved it and took pride in it.
“don’t you think this is enough?” you asked, as you placed the last of the decorations down on the front yard. “it’s never enough honey.” he replied in a sing song voice, placing a kiss on your cheek. you grumbled in response but it was hard to stay annoyed at him considering how fine he looked in his costume as gomez addams, even temporarily dyeing his hair black to commit to the look.
“take a picture, it’ll last longer.” he smirked, before doing various poses which made you giggle. “I don’t think i wanna remember that.” you retorted but your comment fell on deaf ears as satoru was once again butting heads with your next door neighbour mr yamaguchi. you were cordial with the yamaguchi’s and had been invited back to their place for dinner many times unlike satoru who had been invited once and never again.
it’s probably because of his ongoing pissing contest with mr yamaguchi, who like satoru, takes much pride in decorating and the holidays. halloween is a more of a contest than a holiday for them both as they go all out with the lights, decorations and candy as they try to win the bragging rights for ‘best decorated house’. which often leaves these grown men (mainly satoru) to engage in childish and petty antics like stealing decorations, bursting inflatables and defacing pumpkins.
satoru stalks back to the house with a annoyed look on his face, he rests his head on your shoulder letting out a deep breath. “can you believe that he’s hiring actors for his haunted house? that haunted house thing was my idea first and two—thats so exploitative! depriving these actors from experiencing halloween joy, what a cruel world we live in.” he sighed dramatically looking over at the lawn. you’re barely listening, focusing on how cute he looks when he’s angry.
“babe you’re not even listening to me.” he whines burying his head into your chest. “i am!” you protest in response rubbing his back soothingly. “im sorry that he stole your idea that has totally been done before.” you say in a comforting tone, trying not burst into a fit of giggles.“well no one was doing haunted houses before we arrived anyways! so he totally stole my idea!” he continued still pissed at the whole ordeal.
“satoru, honey, you can’t call his idea exploitative when you’re literally paying your students to do the same thing.” you countered brushing the stray hairs away from his face, satoru frowned knowing you had a point but still continued his defence. “megumi, yuji and nobara volunteered their sweet and precious time to help their old sensei out. i didn’t have to bribe them to help me.” he said matter-of-factly denying your claims. you folded your arms giving him a look that told him that you didn’t believe him at all.
he raised his arms as if to surrender. “alright you got me. i had to resort to bribery to get them to help me. i didn’t want to deal with the mean teens this year.” he pouted crossing his arms. “it’s no fun scaring kids who call you an ‘overgrown furby’ or a ‘jack frost reject’.” you let out a small laugh that is quickly shut down by satoru’s glare. “is that why you wanted us to go as gomez and morticia this year?” you asked quickly changing the subject.
“maybe,” he replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “i knew you’d make a fine morticia and i was right.” he takes your hand and twirls you around slowly taking in how gorgeous you look, he still looks at you with the same twinkle in his eyes from when you first met, making you giddy. “can’t believe i married the finest woman in the world.” he smiled softly before pulling you into a passionate kiss. the loud blare of a car horn made you two jump. “oi lovebirds, do you want our help or not!” nobara yelled out from the car.
she stepped out the car a few seconds later with yuji and megumi in tow, all dressed in pink. its clear that they had better places to be than here right now. evident from the bits and pieces you picked up from megumi’s mumbling about ‘missing the party of the year’ and this being a ‘complete waste of time’, you kinda felt sorry for him but you knew that no one was safe from being roped into your husband’s schemes.
“from the all pink outfits im guessing mean girls?” you smiled taking in their outfits. nobara beamed pulling yuji and megumi together. “im regina, yuji’s karen and megumi is gretchen.” apart from megumi’s usual sullen expression that was more prominent after having to wear a shitty party city wig and a thin crop top—a testament to how much gojo spoiled him, you couldn’t deny they all looked adorable.
you gave them a sympathetic smile, as satoru whisked them away to the garden to help them prepare for the scaring they were going to do later. in the midst of your husband’s usual antics you found it adorable how he put so much thought and energy into halloween to make it an enjoyable experience for you both as well as the neighbourhood
halloween night was underway and it was a success, satoru basked in the praise about the decor from the other neighbours and passer-by’s who were in the area, you also received many compliments for your costume. you resigned yourself to trick or treat duty partly because of the cute and creative costumes you got to see every time you opened the door and the fact that satoru brought out his best candy only for halloween that you could snack on.
the doorbell rang again whilst you were refilling the bucket of candy. you ran to open the door it was kei mr yamaguchi’s son aka the son of the enemy. “trick or treat!” he smiled waving his bucket in front of you. he looked adorable in his spiderman costume and thanked you as you filled his bucket with extra candy. you heard a loud gasp from behind you, you let out a sigh as it came from none other than your husband.
“so you’re fraternising with the enemy now?” he said feigning shock. you chuckled at his question, not thinking he’d stoop so low that he’d beef with a five year old. “‘toru he is five years old, i don’t think he has any hidden agenda against you.” you looked at kei who seemed unaffected by the conversation. he looked more interested in the screams coming from the haunted house garden. “can i go into the haunted house now?” he asked clearly not wanting to be stuck in this conversation for any longer.
“of course sweetie, in fact satoru will take you!” your husband stopped mid chew of his candy, opening his mouth to protest but the look on your face made it clear it wasn’t up for any discussion. “c’mon little man let’s go.” he sighed before leading kei into the garden, sticking his tongue out at you as he walked past.
as the night drew to a close, you slumped down against the kitchen island, as the last of the kids left the house. gojo walked in with a smile on his face, “how was it?” you asked with a tired smile as he bent down to give you a kiss on the top of your head. “i’ve practically won halloween this year. mr yamaguchi ain’t got nothing on me!” he says proudly before stifling a yawn.
“i think we should celebrate by calling it a night.” you chuckle looking at his weary expression. he’s ditched the contacts and reverted back to his blindfold, it seems that even the strongest needs to recuperate sometimes after engaging in a month long battle with his neighbour. you yelp as he uses the last remainder of his strength to carry you to the bedroom, bridal style.
“is it bad that im already thinking about what we’re gonna do for christmas?” he whispers in your ear, holding you close against him. on most nights you’d entertain his thoughts but after today’s events you’re too tired to even give him a coherent reply. “satoru it is three am go to sleep.” you groan annoyedly to which he chuckles in response. “just messing with ya babe, goodnight.” he says softly before turning off the lamp.
later whilst he dozes off, you silently thank whoever’s above that you’ve managed to survive the worst holiday of the year before closing your eyes for the night.
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galaxysupreme17 · 25 days ago
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The Storm and Revelations
Y/n = Your Name
AgathaRio x daughter!reader
It was a perfect autumn day in Westview, making the whole town seem as if it had been plucked straight out of a postcard. The air was cool and crisp, but the sun's warmth kept the slight chill at bay. Orange and red leaves drifted gently through the air as families bustled toward the town square for the annual Harvest Festival.
Agatha and Y/n agreed to meet with their neighbors, Wanda and Vision, along with their twin sons, Billy and Tommy, for an afternoon of games, food, and laughter. Y/n, eager to escape the house's stillness, had convinced her mother to come out, even though Agatha had initially grumbled about being surrounded by mortals for hours.
"You're cheery this morning," Agatha teased as they approached the event. Her lips curved upward in amusement as she caught sight of Y/n's eager pace. "What, no moody teenage brooding today?"
Y/n rolled her eyes but smiled back. "I thought it'd be nice to get out for once and enjoy the day." She adjusted the scarf around her neck, trying to hide her excitement.
"Just so we're clear," Agatha added with a sly smirk, "if you end up covered in caramel or dragged into a pie-eating contest, you're on your own."
Y/n snorted. "I'll keep that in mind."
As they walked, they spotted Wanda and Vision waiting by the festival entrance, and Billy and Tommy were already running ahead toward the booths.
"There you are!" Wanda called out, waving enthusiastically. She looked radiant in her red jacket, her auburn hair catching the sunlight. "I thought you two were going to ditch us."
"You know me, darling. Never one to miss out on a spectacle," Agatha replied, her tone playful but with that edge of dry humor Wanda had grown used to.
Vision smiled warmly, ever the picture of calm and composed. "The boys have been talking about this all week. They may exhaust themselves before we even reach the games."
"They're kids," Y/n said with a chuckle. "I doubt anything could tire them out."
With that, they all headed deeper into the festival grounds. The town square was alive with activity. Booths lined the streets, offering games such as tossing rings or popping balloons to win prizes. Food stalls filled the air with the mouthwatering scents of kettle corn, roasted nuts, and apple cider. A local band played upbeat folk tunes from a stage at the center of the square.
Billy and Tommy were already darting between booths, dragging Y/n along.
"I bet you can't hit all three targets!" Billy shouted over his shoulder, eyes glinting with mischief.
"Oh, you're on!" Y/n called back, laughing as she followed.
Agatha watched them go, her usual aloof exterior softening slightly. "She's been spending too much time with those two troublemakers," she remarked to Wanda.
Wanda chuckled, her eyes following the kids as well. "They bring out the best in her."
The group spent the next hour enjoying the festival. Billy and Tommy pulled Y/n into nearly every game while Vision dutifully carried their growing pile of prizes. Agatha and Wanda strolled behind, occasionally stepping in when the twins tried to use their powers to cheat.
"Not so fast," Wanda chided when Tommy attempted to use a burst of speed to swipe an extra prize. He flashed her an innocent grin, but she wagged her finger at him. "Play fair, or we're leaving early."
It was all going perfectly. Everyone was laughing, eating, and just enjoying the carefree day. But then, without warning, the mood shifted.
Dark clouds rolled in overhead, casting long shadows across the town square. The once lively chatter of the crowd grew tense as a biting chill swept through the air.
Y/n, standing near one of the booths with Billy and Tommy, looked up at the sky, frowning. "That's weird," she muttered. "There wasn't any storm in the forecast."
Agatha's eyes narrowed, and her senses were immediately on high alert. "Wanda," she murmured, stepping closer to her friend. "This storm... it's not just weather."
Wanda looked up as well, her expression hardening. "I know. Something's off."
The wind began to pick up, stirring the leaves into a frenzied dance around the festival. The once lively chatter of the crowd grew tense as families started packing up, rushing to get away from the brewing storm.
"We need to get the kids inside," Vision said, his calm demeanor slipping as he noticed the growing agitation in the crowd.
"Our house is closest," Agatha said quickly, moving toward the square's edge. "Follow me."
They gathered the children, looking around with wide, confused eyes, and rushed toward Agatha and Y/n's home. The storm seemed to chase them, the wind howling at their backs as they hurried up the front steps.
Agatha waved her hand, the front door swinging open just as the first raindrops began to fall. They all rushed inside, slamming the door behind them just as the sky opened with thunder.
The sudden silence inside the house was jarring. The thick walls muffed the storm outside, leaving the group standing in a heavy, tense quiet. Agatha took a deep breath, her sharp senses scanning the house, ensuring they were alone.
Or at least, that's what she thought.
"Mom?" Y/n's voice cut through the silence, confusion lacing her tone.
Agatha turned toward her daughter and immediately felt the air leave her lungs. Sitting casually on the couch, as if she had been waiting for them all along, was a woman Agatha hadn't seen in years.
Rio.
Agatha's ex-wife and Y/n's other mother.
For a moment, Agatha felt time slow down. Her heart raced a mixture of shock, anger, and something more profound-something she had long since buried-rising to the surface. Rio hadn't changed much. Her long dark hair framed her face, her eyes sharp and calculating, just as they had been the day she left. But there was something different now, an edge of weariness, perhaps regret, that Agatha couldn't quite place.
Rio's eyes flicked up from where she sat, landing directly on Agatha. "Hello, Agatha."
Agatha's breath caught in her throat, and her entire body went rigid. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was sharp, laced with a barely concealed fury.
The tension in the room was palpable. Everyone remained still as they sensed the sudden shift. Wanda glanced at Vision and then at Agatha, reading the unspoken energy between the two women. Something was wrong.
"Let's give them some space," Wanda said gently, herding Billy, Tommy, and Y/n toward the kitchen. Y/n tried to protest, her eyes wide with confusion, but Wanda shook her head. "Come on, let's make some hot chocolate. Agatha will explain later."
Reluctantly, Y/n followed, though her eyes kept darting back to the woman on the couch-the woman she didn't know but who, somehow, seemed to know her mother very well.
Once they were out of earshot, Agatha crossed her arms tightly over her chest, her magic sparking faintly at her fingertips. "I asked you a question. What the hell are you doing here, Rio?"
Rio stood slowly, her movements graceful but deliberate. "I came to see my daughter."
Agatha's expression hardened. "She's not your daughter anymore. You left. You gave up that right."
Rio's eyes softened slightly, though there was a steely determination behind them. "I never wanted to leave her-or you."
Agatha's breath hitched at that admission. Her pulse quickened, and her heart raced. "What?"
"I never stopped loving you," Rio said, her voice soft but firm. "Not for a second. Leaving you both... was the hardest thing ever, and I regret it daily."
Agatha's chest tightened. It had been years since Rio walked away, years since she had allowed herself to think about the love they once shared. Hearing Rio admit she still loved her stirred emotions Agatha had tried so hard to bury. She clenched her fists, willing her magic to calm, but it flared at her fingertips, betraying her inner turmoil.
"Then why?" Agatha demanded, her voice trembling with anger and hurt. "If you loved us so much, why did you leave?"
Rio's eyes filled with regret, her posture stiffening slightly. "I didn't have a choice. There were... forces at play, things I couldn't control. I thought I was protecting you and Y/n."
Agatha's laugh was bitter and sharp. "Protecting us? By abandoning us?"
Rio winced, her expression pained. "I didn't want to. But I thought if I stayed, I would bring danger to our door. I thought leaving was the only way to keep you safe."
Agatha shook her head, her anger and pain swirling in her emotions. "You should have trusted me. We could have handled it together."
"I know," Rio said quietly. "I realize now that I made the wrong choice. I thought I was doing the right thing, but all I did was hurt the two people I love most in this world."
Agatha's heart clenched at those words, their weight pressing down on her chest. She had been so angry for so long, so focused on protecting Y/n from the pain of losing her other mother. But now, standing here, hearing Rio admit her regret, Agatha felt something inside her shift-just a little.
Rio took a tentative step closer, her eyes searching Agatha's face. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. I know I don't deserve that. But I'm here now, and I want to make things right. For Y/n. And for us."
Agatha swallowed hard, her mind racing. She didn't know if she could ever truly forgive Rio for leaving, but she also knew that Y/n deserved the truth, even if it was painful. And maybe, just maybe, there was a part of her that still cared for Rio despite everything.
"I don't trust you," Agatha finally said, her voice steady but cold. "But for Y/n's sake, I'll give you a chance to explain. Just know this-if you hurt her again, I won't hesitate to make sure you regret it."
Rio nodded, her expression softening. "I understand."
Just then, the kitchen door creaked open, and Y/n poked her head out. Her eyes flicked nervously between her mother and the strange woman in their living room, and she cautiously made her way into the room and toward her mother.
"Mom?" Y/n asked hesitantly, her voice small. "Who is she?"
Agatha's heart clenched as she looked at her daughter standing there. She was so young and vulnerable, unaware of the complicated history she was now caught in.
Taking a deep breath, Agatha met her daughter's gaze. "Y/n... this is Rio. She's-" Her voice wavered momentarily, and then she steadied herself. "She's your other mother."
The room fell into an almost suffocating silence as Y/n's eyes widened in shock, her gaze shifting between Agatha and Rio. "My other mother?" she said barely above a whisper. "But... I don't remember her."
"I know," Agatha said softly, gently stepping forward to place a hand on Y/n's shoulder. "She left when you were very young."
Y/n's gaze snapped back to Rio, her expression a mixture of confusion, hurt, and something else-something Agatha recognized all too well. "Why?" Y/n asked, her voice trembling. "Why did you leave?"
Rio took a step forward, her face etched with guilt. "I... it isn't straightforward. I didn't want to leave, but I had to. I thought I was protecting you."
"Protecting me?" Y/n echoed, her eyes narrowing. "From what?"
"That's enough for now," Agatha interjected, sensing that Y/n wasn't ready to hear the truth yet. "We'll talk more later. But for now, know that I've always been here for you. And I always will be."
Y/n looked between them again, still reeling from the revelation. She bit her lip, then nodded slowly. "Okay."
Agatha smiled gently, pulling her daughter into a protective hug. Over Y/n's shoulder, she locked eyes with Rio, her expression hardening again. Whatever Rio's reasons for leaving, whatever danger she thought was coming, Agatha wouldn't let her hurt Y/n again.
No matter what.
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hearts4yawnzzn · 3 months ago
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˚ · .˚ ༘🦋⋆。˚ My First Love // Choi Seungcheol
Idol: SEVENTEEN - Choi Seungcheol Pairing: Choi Seungcheol x fem!reader Genre: HighschoolAU, Strangers to lovers, Soft Popular boy Seungcheol, Choir Leader Seungcheol. Did I miss anything? Warnings: Giselle from AESPA, Jeno from NCT DREAM, heavy language, hair pulling, swears, slapping, punching, blood(a bit), cursing, broken bone, first kiss, New Year's kiss, pet names/nicknames, pinning! Let me know if I missed anything Word count: 7.4k Please tell me if it's rushed <3 Likes and reblogs are appreciated!! <3 DISCLAIMER! This is only the first part!! There will be a second part published soon!
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A Saturday unlike any other... Or was it?
Saturday, December 31th, 2023 marks the annual school festival before the New Year. The students of the school would participate in various activities, or volunteer to help with setting up or making booths for the festival.
When the festival starts there are various things students, parents, and friends can do; such as check out food stands, try out the games, or even participate in different shows!
But the highlight of this festival is the performance contest, where students compete with various songs and dances to perform in front of the audience in order to win first place.
You sent in your volunteer form to the class president on Friday and got an email the same day stating that they would love your help with volunteering, and so you slept with no worries on your mind.
Saturday morning, you woke up and washed up quickly, taking out your school's training uniform from your closet to wear as well as an outfit to wear for the festival as you neatly placed it in your bag and zipped it close.
After you finished changing, you came down from your room, the smell of breakfast travelling through the house as your mom was cooking from the kitchen. “Mom, what's for breakfast?” you inquired as you stood behind her with a yawn and stretched while watching her set the table. “Kimchi jeon. Has your father not woken up yet?” she replied quickly, seemingly busy and focused on setting the table.
“It smells so good!” you smiled and spoke enthusiastically before thanking her, but shook your head to her question as you sat down at the table. She groaned before massaging her forehead, making you giggle as she stomped to their room with a look of anger and annoyance overtaking her.
You could hear the sound of her yelling as well as a thud, you guessed it was your dad falling onto the floor after being woken up by your mom. A
chuckle left your lips as you shoved a few pieces of kimchi jeon in your mouth and watched them walk out and approach the dinner table. You munched on the food happily while smiling at your dad as a greeting, holding back your laugh as you stared at his dishevelled hair.
Your eyes drifted to your mom as you thanked her for the food and happily continued eating, giving her a thumbs up to express your feedback.
She smiled as she put more on your plate, “Eat a lot before you go to school, okay?” you nodded and happily took the kimchi jeon she gave you, eating it with joy. When you looked up from your plate you could see your father pouting at her, causing you to giggle at his childish antics. Your mother stared at him with disbelief before putting a piece on his plate, he smiled like a puppy before kissing her on the cheek and eating his share joyfully.
Once your plate was empty, you put your chopsticks down and got up, putting on your shoes that were beside the table. Your dad noticed you acting in a hurry, “Sweetheart, do you want me to give you a ride to school?” you shook your head and thanked him, sending him a final smile as you blew a kiss to your mom and rushed to the front door.
“No, thanks dad! I’ll take the bus instead!” he nodded and both of your parents bid you goodbye, you doing the same gesture as you ran out of the door.
You hurried down the road, your eyes catching the bus as you motioned for the bus driver to wait for you as soon as he was about to leave, which he thankfully did, you hopped on and paid for your fare, bowing to the driver hurriedly as you looked for a seat to sit in.
All of the seats were occupied except for one next to a boy, you quickly walked to it and excused yourself as you sat beside him, staring at the window as a distraction to pass the time. When your eyes drifted towards the window, you noticed the attire the boy was wearing and it was your school uniform with a grey jacket over the shirt.
Unconsciously, your eyes travelled up to stare at his face, widening a bit at the sudden familiarity before staring back to the window. It was Choi Seungcheol, the most popular guy in your highschool. You almost slapped yourself for being so stupid. How did you not recognise him? Who wouldn’t recognize him?
When you walked on the bus, Seungcheol was too busy staring at his phone to notice you but as soon as he heard you excuse yourself and sit down beside him he immediately looked up to capture your face. He’s seen you before, he thinks, but he doesn’t remember your name, and then he remembered.
Once you both locked eyes he was stunned, both of your eyes widening before Seungcheol cleared his throat and stared ahead of him as he broke eye contact. He didn’t expect you out of all the people to be sitting next to him, of course he had nothing against you, but it was only a surprising encounter.
Your eyes couldn’t help but wander over to him every now and then, it was impossible to keep your eyes off of him when he’s sitting right beside you.
“The next stop is: Jikji-daero.” The loud monotone voice of the driver spoke through the speaker, alerting both of you and making your ears perk up as you and Seungcheol both got ready to hop off.
There was only a couple of metres until Jikji-daero, making it rather awkward for the both of you as you cleared your throat, gripping the strap of your backpack as it rested on your shoulder. You wanted to start a conversation and clear the awkwardness so you cleared your throat.
“Are you participating or volunteering?” You asked him, he gave you a confused look and pointed to himself, wanting to make sure he was the person you’re talking to and you nodded, “The school festival.” you cleared your question more in case he did not understand.
But he gave you a nod, understanding what you were talking about. “Kind of both.” Seungcheol replied, making you nod your head as you went back to staring ahead of you. “What about you?” you weren’t expecting him to continue the conversation, but you looked back at him and tilted your head as you locked eyes.
His eyes looked soft as he stared at you, the little pout he made while concentrating on hearing your answer made your heart flutter.
Wait… What?
You shook off the sudden thoughts, clearing your throat as you blinked and spoke up. “Oh- uhm I’m volunteering.” He nodded in return, quite interested in your answer. It was the first time he’s been like this, with every other girl it was different, whenever they would ask him a question or start a conversation he would either nod, shake his head, or shrug his shoulders as he zoned out because he wasn’t interested in whatever they were talking about at all.
But this was different for him. Why? Were you the reason, or was it the subject you were talking about?
“We have reached: Jikji-daero.” The driver’s voice was heard once again, both of you stood up as you hurriedly rushed to the door of the bus to avoid bumping into people, hopping off and running towards your school.
Seungcheol giggled at that as he watched you rush out of the bus, he took his time as he hopped off, bowing to the driver as he walked in the same direction as yours. Once he was a couple of steps away from the school's gate he put up the hood of his jacket to prevent being swarmed by his 'Fanclub'.
It was funny to think about, that he was that famous to have a fanclub to himself.
But in all honesty, Seungcheol hated the attention. He never asked for it and it made him look like an attention seeker which only made his situation worse. Especially since his friends around started applauding him for it, it has gotten more and more obnoxious to handle each day, but he couldn’t say anything because he doesn’twant to ruin his friendships that he’s built over the years.
You rush past the school’s gates and head inside, squeezing through the crowd of students in the hallway as you navigate your way to the president’s room.
Once you found the room among the students almost being squished together, you knock on the door before going in, bowing to the class president as he looks busy with the papers on his table.
“Jeno? I’m here to take the schedule for the festival. You sent me an email yesterday?” His head lifted from the papers at the sound of your voice as you announced your presence, he seemed to be so immersed in the papers that he didn’t notice you coming in.
A soft smile appeared on his face before nodding. “Ah yes, here-” He bent down from his sitting position on the chair, opening a cabinet and taking out a paper. He closed the cabinet and sat back up, stretching out his hand for you to take the paper. “It is.”
“Thank you! Is there anything you need from me before I head out?” You asked after thanking him, looking at the paper and reading the times that you should be there at. Jeno nodded, “Actually, I was wondering if you could help take over the kissing booth today? Yujin called in sick so she won’t be able to attend.”
You stared at him in shock, there was a kissing booth? Nevermind that, you had stuff to do and organise, your schedule would be crammed if you agreed and you would have too much on your plate to handle.
“Don’t worry about the other tasks I gave you. I already gave them to other students so you wouldn’t be stressed out about having a crammed schedule.” Your eyes widened in relief and shock, you didn’t expect him to take you into consideration and do this for you and it was really kind of him to care about your worries.
“Thank you so much, I didn’t expect you to take my old schedule into consideration…” an awkward chuckle left your lips as you spoke, and upon hearing your chuckle Jeno could feel his heart flutter, causing him to chuckle back happily. “Of course I would, I read your entry email. You seemed hardworking, and I needed that kind of student for volunteering.”
Your face flushed a faint pink as you slowly nodded, smiling as you thanked him. “Thank you. I should head out and get started, I don’t wanna be late.” Jeno nodded, smiling back as he went back to working on the papers.
Bowing to Jeno as a goodbye, you left the room and made your way outside to the area where the kissing booth was being held. As soon as you got outside you looked around, the school had already started preparing and building structures and stages for the booth. You quickly spotted the kissing booth so you made your way over.
Your eyes caught the figure of your friend Giselle, so you waved to her while walking over as you spoke up. “Giselle! You signed up to volunteer for the booth?” Giselle nodded as she gestured for you to help her with the sign. “Yup! Did you sign up for it too?” You chuckled at her as you sat down, helping her stick the red cardboard letters onto a piece of big foam board. “Not really, Jeno gave me Yujin’s position since she called in sick.”
Giselle nodded, understanding as she giggled, “I bet he was all smiley when you were with him.” You stared at her, surprised at her words as if she was there with you when you spoke with Jeno. “How did you know?” She laughed loudly and gave your shoulder a playful shove. “Girl! How did you not realize it yet? He has a thing for you!!” You immediately turned red, shaking your head as you protested and shoved her back. “Me? No no! He was just being nice like he always is!” Giselle gasped dramatically as she playfully smacked your shoulder causing you to fake a pained look as you held it momentarily.
“Absolutely not! He’s had a thing for you for like three weeks now!” You decided to ignore her teasing, working on sticking the letters ‘T’ and ‘H’ to finish the banner. “Anyway… Could you grab the paper kiss pieces? They're in a small box behind the booth.”
You nodded with a playful groan which Giselle laughed at, standing up  and dusting the dirt off of your pants before walking behind the booth. Your eyes wandered around as you walked in further and started looking for the box amongst other boxes and materials.
A noise caught your attention which made you look up and from your search and stare in the direction of the noise. It was a group of 3 female students and they were carrying boxes and bags as they surrounded a male student which you soon deduced was Seungcheol. It looked like they wanted to give the stuff to him, but he was ignoring them and refusing repeatedly as he kept trying to walk away from them.
A giggle left your lips as you continued watching them, not only was he trying his best to escape them but the students were disturbing everyone with how loud they were being as they urged him to accept their stuff.
An idea popped into your head so you raised your hand and waved to him, calling out his name and hoping he could hear you. “Choi Seungcheol!” Your voice successfully managed to gain their attention, the 3 girls sending you dirty looks as Seungcheol pointed to himself, looking confused.
“Yeah you! You were supposed to help me with these an hour ago! Hurry over!” You faked an urgent tone in your voice which made him seem to understand what you were trying to do, excusing himself from the students before hurrying over to your side. Seungcheol stops right in front of you, a relieved smile on his face as he sends you a smile while thanking you. “Thank you.”
You looked at him, feigning confusion. “For what? I do actually need your help.” shrugging, pointing to the mess of boxes and materials around you as you gave him a tight lipped smile. He replied with a confident and relieved tone. “For whatever the reason, I needed a break from them.”
He scratched the back of his head and nodded as he focused on the mysterious task that you needed help with. “What do you need help with?” Seungcheol asked and watched you walk over to a pile of random stuff in the corner, expecting him to follow you which he did. “I need to find a small box with the paper kiss pieces. But I have no idea what it looks like since Giselle didn’t specify…” he nodded again and stood beside you as he followed your lead, gently moving away some stuff so they wouldn’t break as he continued looking with you.
After almost 30 minutes of rummaging through boxes and bags, you heard an exclamation from Seungcheol. “Found it!” Your head whipped around to his voice as you let out a long relieved sigh and faced him, hurriedly walking over.
“Let’s go!” you cheered as you reached up to give him a high five, he raised his hand and accepted the action. And then you both paused, why were you celebrating and giving high fives? An awkwardness fell between you as you realised what happened, clearing your throat and giving him a small smile.
You took the box from him and spoke up, “I’m gonna go back to helping Giselle…” You didn’t know what to say, it was still awkward between you two and you were a bit embarrassed. “If you wanna come and help…!” You nodded with a pursed smile before turning away and walking back to where Giselle was.
A small chuckle left his lips as he watched you walk away from him, stuffing his hands in his pockets, he shook his head before walking away from the booth, looking around briefly to make sure no one was following him.
“What took you so long?!” Giselle exclaimed and stood up from where she was sitting, walking towards you and taking the box from your hands with a joking glare. You let out a loud groan at her as you returned her playful glare. “The box was hidden really well, I had to ask for someone’s help to find it!”
She tilted her head in confusion but then raised her eyebrow as a smirk slowly made its way onto her face. “Who’d you ask? Because most of the students here have class.” You slightly panicked  at her question, as much as you loved Giselle you couldn’t tell her that the most popular guy in school was helping you find a small box that you couldn’t even see.
You shrugged, looking away from her and pursed your lips as you spoke nonchalantly. “I don’t know, just some freshman who ditched his class.” Lying was your best option, you didn’t want your friend to assume stuff and tell everyone else as you don’t trust her that much with that type of information. 
“Ah.. Okay, just help me stick these and we’ll be all done for the sign of the booth.” You nodded and sat down slightly smiling to yourself happily as she believed your lie, you opened the box and grabbed the glue from a bag on the ground as you turned it open and began applying some on the back of a paper kiss cut-out as you squeezed the bottle before putting the glue down and sticking the cut-out on the foam board. You and Giselle continued doing this until all of the cut-outs were randomly and neatly placed on the foam board.
Once the sign was finished, you and Giselle stood up and carried it carefully to the stage. “Thanks for the help, I’ll let the guys know the sign is ready to be hung.” You nodded at her thanks and her information as you spoke up, wanting to help out more. “Is there anything else I can help with?” She tilted her head in thought before shaking it, pointing to the guys who were hanging the curtains up.
“It’s fine, we’ve got everything covered. I’ll text you an hour before opening!” Giselle spoke with an excited tone as she gave you a quick hug before pulling away and focusing with the other volunteers. You nodded at her response, smiling at her before making your way to the cafeteria.
Why did Jeno clear the rest of your schedule just for this? You certainly thought you’d stay there and help out until opening but here you are, walking to the cafeteria to get some lunch as your stomach was yelling at you for food.
The cafeteria wasn’t as crowded as it usually was, which made you sigh and smile in relief since it was a good thing, meaning you can take your food and quickly sit on an empty table before someone else steals it from you.
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝
You ended up spending some extra time at the cafeteria, reading a random book that you found in your bag as you waited for the time to pass. You were focusing on the current page, eyes burning into the book with concentration until you heard the chair slide from across you, eyes slowly lifting up with your face as you looked up and saw him, Choi Seungcheol.
You looked at him in confusion, head tilting and brows furrowing as you spoke, “What are you doing?” he only looked at you desperately, sitting down and putting his elbows on the table as he raised his hands and intertwined them. “I need your help.” his voice pleading, practically begging for your help as you continued to stare at him.
 A soft sigh escaped you as you pointed at yourself  to confirm that he was addressing you and not someone else, and he nodded immediately. You didn’t even get a chance to agree or deny his request as he spoke up right after.
“See that table behind you?” Your face softened now, curiosity written all over it as you turned around to look, but before you could he reached out across and gently grabbed your wrist and tugged at it, successfully preventing you from looking behind you. You tensed up, a strange feeling in your stomach as your face heated up and your body tingled at his sudden touch, but you weren’t even aware of it. “What about it?” you spoke in a slightly mumbling tone, clearing your throat as you slowly pulled your wrist out of his grip and brought it towards you.
He sighed as his eyes flickered to your hand as you retracted it, biting his bottom lip as he then answered her question. “Same students, they haven’t left me alone since you helped me out.” You nodded, letting out a low ‘ah’ and closing the book in your hands as you understood him perfectly. They’ve been clinging to follow him ever since you called him over a while ago.
An awkward silence then settled between you, which made you feel slightly uncomfortable so you decided to break it by clearing your throat. “But won’t you sitting here with me make them think we’re together?” You pointed to each other as you spoke in a matter-of-factly tone which made Seungcheol stare at his hands before fiddling with them, a small smile on his lips.
“I’m sorry, I am. But I had no idea how to get rid of them.” You knew he was desperate just by the sound of his voice so you nodded in response. “Don’t worry about it, we can just sit until it’s time for me to go back.”
He looked up at you, nodding and smiling like a happy puppy as the corners of his lips would almost reach his ears from how he was smiling so brightly. And his smile made you smile as well.
You spent a while conversing with Seungcheol and you had to admit, he was fun to be around with and you enjoyed his company more than you thought you would. He even let you call him ‘Cheol’, which is a nickname only used by his friends, and you appreciated it and wanted to call him by his nickname badly, but you knew you two weren’t even remotely close.
The sound of a ring of a bell came from your phone which prompted you to stop the conversation, excusing yourself as you took it out from your pocket and stared at the screen. “It’s Giselle, she said she’d text me an hour before the festival starts.” you explained to him so he wouldn’t get confused and misunderstand you.
He nodded and smiled widely. “It’s fine, I had a nice time talking to you. And thank you, again.” he voiced his thanks once more, making your heart melt as a shy chuckle left your lips and you smiled back at him while nodding as you replied to him. “It’s no problem, Seungcheol. I had fun talking with you.”
You stood up from your seat and sent him a small wave, bidding your goodbyes and making your way out of the school building and towards the kissing booth.
Once you arrived Giselle spotted you immediately and waved excitedly as she pointed to the finished outcome of the booth, you smiled at her as your eyes flew to the booth, admiring the structure of it. The sign turned out really nicely, and the small stage was neat and clean, the pink curtains were closed concealing the backstage as you saw one of the students holding a checklist paper, checking and making sure everything was perfect before the festival started.
“Everything’s ready?” You asked Giselle who only nodded, smiling widely as she looked very excited and proud at her hard work and you couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Yeah! We just need to make some adjustments for the lighting and we’ll be all good.” You nodded to her reply as Giselle handed you a clipboard with an attendance paper attached to it for the volunteers.
“Make sure every person on that paper is here, we need to make sure everyone on the paper is present. Otherwise we’ll be ‘short staffed’.” You nodded again, taking the clipboard from her as she handed you a pen which you gladly took too. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to check everyone off.”
You started walking around the booth, asking every student for their name before you ticked them off and applauded them for their hard work.
After everyone’s name was checked off, you reported back to Giselle who seemed delighted with you working hard and accomplishing your tasks. She smiled softly at you, nodding after you handed her the clipboard with everything checked off and completed.
“Everyone’s checked off for right now, there are only 2 people that I couldn’t find… I’m assuming they’re in class.” You showed her the names of those people, ‘Park Seobin’ and ‘Hwang Minji’. Giselle nodded, grabbing the pen and crossing them off, you looked at her in confusion.
“Those two already said they won’t be able to help out, I’ve already replaced them so it won’t be a problem.” She informed you as she started writing down the names of the new volunteers and checking them off, scratching out the old names.
You nodded, staying silent as you waited for her to give you another task, “Oh, right-! Can you head to the back to check the lighting? I need to make sure everything’s working before we start and I don’t have time to check.” You nodded again, assuring her that you can take one task off her back as you smiled brightly and ran to the back of the stage.
Once you passed the stage and kept walking, you saw a male student hunched over the light system that had a laptop next to it. “Is everything alright? Everything’s working?” his ears perked up at the sound of your voice and he lifted his head, a shocked expression on his face once he saw you.
“Jeno?” “y/n!” both of you spoke up at the same time as you smiled and approached him. He stood up, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of his neck. “I had no idea you’d be here… I thought you were supervising the other booths?” you asked with a curious tone.
“I was supposed to do that, yeah… But I thought I’d check out this one first.” you tilted your head, not fully convinced with his reason but you nodded anyway. “I had no idea you could do this..” you responded and gestured to the light system as he nodded.
“Yeah… My dad works with these things, he has his own company that sells them.” a long ‘ah’ left your lips in understanding as you stood next to him, he started going over the basics of the lighting system; picking the colour, changing the brightness, the patterns… etc.
You were pretty intrigued, that you were learning something new and it looked quite fun to do. “But yeah, aside from that everything’s ready.” he assured you with a soft look as a sigh of relief left your lips, smiling as you pointed behind you. “Okay.. Then I won’t take up much of your time, I have to-”
The sound of someone yelling your name cut you off, you turned to look back to see who it was. A group of female students, specifically 3 of them as they approached you with their arms crossed. “There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you!”
Jeno looked at you, you looked back with a slight shrug and a shake of your head as confusion was written all over your face. “Who are you..?” you answered and watched as they stepped closer to you, and you didn’t bother to hide your confusion from them.
One of them smiled weirdly, holding back her laughter as the girl beside her nudged her to not lose her composure. “We’re Giselle’s classmates! She wanted us to come and get you for something.” This definitely seemed fishy. Why did Giselle need you? You thought you were done with everything? “But everything’s done? Why would she need me?” The girl looked at you with a dirty look, but quickly masked it off with a forced smile.
“Apparently the banner for the booth fell onto the stage, she needs your help to find something to stick it back on.” you slightly tilted your head at her response, your eyes looking between them and reading them carefully before nodding, looking back at Jeno and sending him an apologetic look.
He nodded, understanding the situation and smiled softly and you took this as your queue to agree to them. “Okay, where is she?” One of the girls shook her head with a chuckle, walking towards you and wrapping her arm around your shoulders. “Don’t worry, we'll take you to her!” you were a bit surprised by her sudden grip but you nodded anyway and followed them to wherever Giselle was.
You didn’t trust them at all but you needed to play along and allow yourself to be dragged by them to not look suspicious. “How did the banner fall? I thought it stuck on really well.” They all chuckled in unison, it seemed very forced and fake but you decided not to mention it. “Oh some dumb nerd was trying to fix the angle of it and he knocked it over.”
You nodded slowly, following them to the basement of the school to the storage room where all the materials for the booths were being kept in. And once you reached your destination, the girl let go of her grip from around your shoulder, her arms crossed over her chest as she stood beside you, and signalled for the other girls to open the door.
You walked in first and soon confusion hit you like a slap to the face. “Where’s Giselle?” The girl pushed you deeper inside the room causing you to stumble forward, a bewildered look on your face as you sharply turned around and stared at them in disbelief.  “What the actual fuck?”
“I can’t believe you were stupid enough to believe us.” the girl with blonde hair stated, a dry chuckle left her lips as it was soon followed by the same dirty look as it returned to her face. The girl on her left scoffed, her eyes searching the room before landing on something next to her. A wide smirk spread across her face as she slowly walked forward, grabbing the wooden plank that was thrown onto the floor.
“Especially since you were all lovey dovey with Cheol almost all day, he would never like someone like you.” a scoff left her lips as she spoke mockingly, tightly holding onto the plank while looking you up and down with a disgusted look on her face. You scoffed, that’s what this is about? Because you were close to him for the day?
You scoffed loudly, crossing your arms as you looked them up and down. “What and do you think he’ll like you? A piece of plastic?” The comeback came to you almost instantly, a sly smirk plastered onto your face, seeing their shocked expressions was very funny to you.
“What the fuck did you just call me?” her voice had gotten slightly louder, despite her ‘minions’ glaring at her to quiet down, she was beyond angry. You stepped forward, opening your mouth wider as you spoke again. “A piece of plastic. Have you gone deaf?” she gritted her teeth, her hands gripping the wooden plank and raising it as she harshly smacked your head, a clear thud echoing through the room. “You bitch! No wonder you keep sticking around him! You’re such a slut!”
The impact of the plank sent you stumbling back, a small grunt of pain leaving your lips as you raised your hand to touch your head but immediately retracted it, hissing as you looked at the tips of your fingers. Blood. 
Your head was ringing, your vision getting slightly blurry as you looked up at them. “What the fuck is wring with you?!” you yelled as you stood up. They all chuckled, one of the girls raising her leg and kicking your stomach. “Stay down, slut.” 
Your body hit the floor, holding out your hands to keep yourself from getting more injured, but they scraped against the floor making you hiss in pain once more. The blonde stepped forward, crouching down to your level as she grabbed you by the collar of your shirt, “This is a warning.” she spoke quietly, her voice laced with venom as she raised her hand, slapping you once. “Stay away-” twice. “From Cheol.” three times. Her other hand moved up and gripped your hair, pulling it back quickly as you let out a yelp, feeling your hair harshly pulling at your scalp. She looked satisfied, letting you go and gesturing for the other girls to have a go at you.
It didn’t stop.
The punching, the beating with and without a plank, and the constant pain your body was in. You were pretty sure some part of you was broken, everything was blurry to you and you could feel the blood running down your face from the hit on the head.
It was way past the time for the festival to start, and you knew Gisellewould be worried sick about your absence and about who would help her organise.
And you were right, she was running frantically around their booth as her eyes searched for you like a crazy woman, everyone noticed her distress and offered their help to look for you when she told them you couldn’t be reached. And one person in particular noticed as well. Choi Seungcheol.
He was walking through the festival as soon as it started, looking at the different booths and activities that the students had worked on, but something was weird for him, when he looked over to the kissing booth he’d seen the state Giselle was in and he couldn’t help but walk over to find out what had happened that caused the booth to be delayed.
Giselle bit at her thumb anxiously as she looked around, her eyes noticing him as he approached her. “You’re here??” she asked in the most surprised tone ever, which caused him to tilt his head in confusion as he stopped to stand in front of her. “What’s going on?” he asked back with a serious tone that was slightly laced with worry.
She explained everything to him, finally getting to the point that you were missing. His eyes briefly widened at the information as a long sigh left his lips, how could you go missing in a school full of students? He nodded mostly to himself, his hands resting on Giselle’s shoulders in comfort. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.” he tried to reassure her or at least bring her stress level down a little bit. “I’ll start looking for her inside the school.” And before she could even give him a response he was running through the crowd of students to make his way inside the school.
Meanwhile, you were still cornered by the group of girls as you managed to cover your head from them continuously attacking you, eyes shut as you tried to endure the pain but your hands had gotten the worst of it.
“That’s enough.” You heard one of the girls say, but you couldn’t tell which one it was as the ringing kept running through your head on a loop. “I’m bored, let’s go enjoy the festival.” she spoke with a bored tone, scoffing as she stared at your body on the floor one more time before turning around and walking away, and the other girls following right behind her.
You could hear the shuffling of their feet as they walked away from you, and the sound of the plank being dropped to the floor as they walked out.
After waiting for a few minutes and slowly opening your eyes, you managed to help yourself up, your entire body shaking from pain and the lack of strength you currently had. You tried grabbing the nearest thing close to you to balance yourself, but you couldn’t focus your vision at all so you ended up stumbling against the wall, and you used it to your advantage as you leaned against it, taking a few breaths before pushing yourself to stand as you aided yourself out of the room. 
You dragged your legs across the tiled floor as you walked slowly, your shoes making a screeching sound as they were dragged against the floor and you made sure to be out of sight from any student that was aimlessly walking inside the school, not wanting to stumble upon anyone in your current state. Every single bone in your body was screaming at you for being so stupid and allowing yourself to get hurt, your whole body was hurting and burning from the cuts and scratches but you didn’t know who to call for help.
As you pushed your body further and walked up the stairs, you immediately sat down on the floor of the empty and dim hallway, your back hitting the cold metal lockers as you groaned at the pain you were in. You slowly took out your phone from your pocket and stared at it, noticing the slightly cracked screen as you put it beside you.
You wondered if someone went looking for you, knowing Giselle would try to find you even if it meant closing the booth for a few more hours. But what you didn’t know was that an unexpected person was searching for you as well.
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 l
Seungcheol didn’t know what came over him as he ran away from Giselle and made his way into the school, he barely knew you and the most interactions he had with you was today. So why was he hell bent and broken with worry on finding you when he found out you were missing?
He didn’t know the answer himself, that’s why he felt his confusion battling with his other emotions. What intrigued him even more was the side of himself that watched you ever since a few weeks ago and he was so enamoured by you, stealing glances whenever you weren’t looking his way, and following you whenever you go to the library or outside campus. He succeeded in keeping his secret as discrete and unaware as possible, but at what cost?
That’s why he slowed down his pace in the hallway, being out of breath from checking every classroom and every hidden place he had known. His steps echoed throughout the supposedly empty hallway as he breathed out his exhaustion softly, but that didn’t stop him from looking for you. Seungcheol’s eyes looked around in pure worry and concern as he slowed his pace and turned the corner of the hallway, but what he saw before him shocked him completely.
And as if on time, your ears picked up the sound of his footsteps which sent you panicking. Why would someone spend their time here instead of having fun at the festival?
So you froze, not knowing what to do as you awaited the person to approach you, your eyes widening as soon as you made eye contact. Why would he be here? Your words caught in your throat as you kept your eyes locked onto his, but what surprised you even more was his eyes widening too.
You wanted to move but you didn’t have the energy to do so, all of it being drained by walking over to this spot. His lips slowly parted, causing your breath to hitch softly as you waited for him to speak up. “y/n?” his familiar voice rang through your ears like a melodic bell, your vision was still a bit blurry so you couldn’t see his face properly but you still recognized him by his voice.
When Seungcheol approached you, you instinctively pushed your back further into the lockers, an unidentifiable look on your face as you kept blinking to restore your vision. “Hey…” he spoke softly, his voice quiet and sweet as he watched you blink repeatedly. “It’s okay.” he crouched down in front of you and gently placed his hands on your shoulders. You tensed under his touch, but soon realised that it was only soft and of comfort which made your body relax slightly.
 You finally calmed down as your vision started to clear from your blinking, clearing your throat quietly as you spoke. “Cheol…?” your voice was expectedly quiet, but no pain could be felt as the adrenaline started rushing through your body. Seungcheol took in your state, eyes widening and full of worry as they roamed around your face, noticing as they lingered on the scratches and small bruises that littered your face but his heart skipped a beat when you called him by his nickname.
“What happened?” his tone was demanding, feeling him stare at you with anger flaring in his chest. But he didn’t show it in front of you, he didn’t dare to do it in the state you were currently in.
Seungcheol took notice of your laboured breaths, his thumbs gently rubbing small circles in your shoulder blades to help calm you down, and you did all thanks to him. “Who did this to you?” that was the question that sent butterflies in your stomach, your eyes never leaving his as your gaze softened, feeling yourself about to cry as you thought back to what happened earlier
But surprisingly you didn’t cry, opening your mouth to reply as you felt your lips trembling, a bit shocked as you weren’t expecting your voice to still be this quiet. “S-Some girls, they were obsessed with you or something...” fuck you stuttered, but in your situation and after all you’ve been through who wouldn’t?
A deep sigh left his lips, cursing under his breath as he slowly leaned towards you and helped you get up, his arm snaking around your waist as he kept a firm grip on you to prevent you from falling, the sudden change of movement eliciting a whimper of pain out of you.
“Let’s get you to the nurse’s office.” he said and looked at you, carefully studying the places of your injuries as he then broke his gaze to look forward. The sternness in his voice left no room for arguments so you purse your lips into a thin line as you nodded slowly while he continued his response, “I’ll help clean your wounds.” you nodded, leaning against him  to support your body as you felt the energy draining out of you, but he understood so he nodded in return.
Your body almost immediately got used to his touch, puzzling you as to why you can feel comfort and safety just by his skin making contact with you. You didn’t admire him just by his looks like any other schoolgirl, but by his kindness, wits, and the big smile he always carried around on his face with him.
But you didn’t notice your body reacting to his presence, blushing whenever your eyes caught him, and feeling your body tingle when he was close to you. You didn’t notice until now, feeling the tingling in your body and your slightly heated cheeks.
And now you realize that he was indeed your first love.
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝
read part two here...
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hannahhook7744 · 6 months ago
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got any Auradon prep hc ?
This is a mix of canon info and headcanons on Auradon Prep I have;
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Headcanons:
You know Askauradonprep? Well, there actually is a couple of social media accounts run by someone who goes by that name and goes to Auradon Prep. No one knows who they are. They answer all sorts of questions regarding Auradon Prep, its various students and staff, its urban legends, and on a good day, just random questions.
They stop doing plays about the RECENT past (i.e no more plays about Maleficent and Snow White) and start doing plays on various books, urban legends, and other things instead.
They have a lot more clubs than mentioned in canon and Doug is in a surprising amount of them. No one knows how he has the time.
FG eventually retires/takes short of a break so she can learn more about teenagers/human children in general.
Mr. Deley, after getting thoroughly chewed out by Coach Jenkins and Fairy Godmother when they get word of him threatening to expel Evie over a first time offense, apologizes and educates himself on isle culture.
The History of Woodsmen and Pirates class was inaccurate until ACTUAL pirate children started attending Auradon Prep. There was then a complete overhaul of the class.
They have a good school counselor.
Canon:
The school colors are blue and gold.
Their Mascot appears to be a knight and horse duo. 
There is a statue of Beast outside. 
The school is quite big and the food they serve isn’t typical public school food.
You aren’t really supposed to go into the kitchen (especially after curfew) but most of the staff tend to turn a blind eye as long as too much food isn’t missing and as long as the kitchen is back to the state it was when the kitchen staff left it by the time a student leaves.
Auradon Prep in canon, has an ‘Auradon Prep Spirit Book: Highlights and Memories’ book and has yearbooks and an Insider’s Handbook. As well as ‘The Villains Kids’ Guide’ for the newer vks (none of these seem to be proofread by the staff, btw).
Judging by the class schedule found in ‘Secrets of Auradon Prep: an Insider’s Handbook’, classes are held from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM (or 15:00 for non Americans). 
Based on the same schedule, All students have a homeroom as well as 8 total classes, 1 free block, and daily lunch that they alternate between during the week. All cut up to be hourly.
They also have an annual events calendar/roster that everyone seems to have access to. On this calendar/roster, there are activities such as: Auditions for School Play, Unification Day Holiday, Spirit Day, Family Day, School Closed for Fairy Convention, Heroes and Heroines Festival, Annual Knights Ball, Annual Singing Competition, King Beast Honorary Holiday, Archery Finals, Tourney Final, Science Fair, Hip Hop Dance Contest, and Coronation.
Since Lonnie was able to sneak cameras in without anyone noticing and all the kids are all to sneak out without being noticed, security is either very bad, very limited, or non-existent. 
They do the ‘A-F’ Grading system. 
The sports they have are but not limited to: Archery, Tourney, and Swords & Shields/R.O.A.R. They likely have other sports/clubs as well.
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If anyone is interested in more canon info about the school, lmk and I'll see what I can find in the yearbook, spirit book, Audrey's Diary, insider's hand guide, and Vk Guide.
If anyone wants to add to the canon info, feel free to!
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80345i · 3 months ago
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✸      ϑℓ‎ ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈ )ʃ     official debut     ;     the park series ───── 010124 020124 030124 @ playlist idea
the park at starnoon is the official debut album of for romance's the star at noon, released january first 2024. the album's full tracklist would be performed at their debut showcase, known popularly as the first annual garden party. streamed on youtube ( and later made unavailable ) this was the stand in for an actual stage performance and music video — a fact many fans disliked and even questioned. this era would see the debut of the noonstar uniform—both loved and hated by aoi fans who miss the style of the earlier dresscode.
▊▍ also check out ⋆ᝆ : teaser one. teaser two. teaser three. article. debut showcase.
the garden party was the source of jealousy for the newly named fanbase, oddco. only few fans got to attend such an event, and all refused to share the details as it was a special promise they made with the stars. rosing, the head of aoi's fanclub, gushed all over twitter how friendly and sweet the members had been to her as they remembered her from their aoi days. they even spent more time with her after the event, talking for hours until they eventually had to leave. though, she said they gave her something special in return, she's refused to share what this special thing is. this account would set social media on fire with fans tagging for romance in posts to explain why only some were allowed to go to the event and why they'd removed the performance from youtube.
it seemed for romance regretted the decision or at the very least felt sorry for the fans that weren't invited to the garden party as mbc would air the garden party in three parts: the performances, the interviews, and the fan interactions. but it wouldn't just stop there. on february 1, the park at midmoon would be released and the next month they'd release the park on saturn. together, these two releases mark the people's edition of the park series.
on february 14, the birthdays of 4/5 of the members, the park at starnoon would be completely free to purchase. however, the free versions contained different inclusions from the paid versions. in the paid versions, people were surprised to find they'd received special hand written letters for the members, tailored for each individual.
on marchen's birthday, march 14, the people's versions would be free, with the paid versions differing from the free version in the same way.
notably, those at the garden party were given a different version of the park at starnoon. this version included the full version of the bunny hole track: sunset/sunrise that had caused so much discourse online. the park on saturn's paid version had the bunny hole track, as well, except it wasn't sung by any of the members. it was sung by a completely new person, leading lore fanatics to theorize this was another part of for romance's newest music project. still, no one could come up with the reason why noonstar would steal a song from a nobody group. during one of the interviews, marchen told fans regarding the single: "somethings fall down a bunny hole and get lost. i was just trying to help my missing piece."
this sparked rumors that many was tied to for romance, but their fans contested this, claiming that the band has always been funded by the wealthy members not for romance.
this would spark a fanwar with oddcos as they believed many's fans were acting too high and mighty for a group nobody listened to. in defense, many's fans would point out their nobody group had a song on their fav’s album. from there, as you can imagine, it would escalate 😭😭.
all tracks were produced, penned, and composed by the staff team — cloud in a bottle, the same staff that handled all of aoi's releases when they still existed.
▊▍ THE PARK AT MIDMOON ⋆ᝆ : SOMEBODY SAID ONCE. FIREFLIES IN A BOTTLE. SWEET MOONSET. CHERRY SWEET DAY. LOOKING GLASS.
▊▍ THE PARK ON SATURN ⋆ᝆ : YESTERDAY . WALK ON MEMORIES. DEATH OF EGO. LAPS AROUND SATURN. THE MOON WAS ONCE A STAR.
in the days of aoi, every track included a letter from for romance, highlighting how to navigate the story they were telling. with noonstar, for romance has abandoned this method deciding to put the story in the hands of the listener. as lore fans do, they conducted hour long streams dedicated to breaking up the story, mapping out where it started and ended, and exactly where all the members fit into it.
the park at starnoon is noonstar's official hello to the world, including a brief overview on their feelings of having to leave all those years ago. if starnoon is a hello, then midmoon is their goodbye, but this goodby isn't really a sad one. in fact, it's more of a see you soon echoing konfyt's earlier statement at the garden party: "i'll leave you a map on how to find me."
but what about the park on saturn? for fans, this is the album for the other selves of the stars that are on their own solo adventures on saturn—navigating a different space and time, far away from where they should be. it's still debated if these really are other selves or new people entirely, but the message is clear: noonstar is saying please come home. home that is officially called rosemary or maybe even the tower no one has ever seen.
 ‎ ∯.    ⟢     ᨳ᭬(੭ ˊ ˋ)੭ㅤㅤ     gift boxes     ;    the album inclusions
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the park series has three official versions: starnoon, midmoon, and saturn. the albums were intended to be viewed as a gift from a friend hence why the albums are referred to as gift boxes. the gift boxes were shaped in a yellow moon, a green saturn, and a pink star. fans could pink to include a nightlight option, meaning their boxes would be made in a way that they could be reused as a hanging light in their rooms. fans could pick a usb drive or actual CD to include in their album. only the cd included a music video for each track on the park at starnoon, but the usb had an encrypted video for the bunny hole track which is counting down to 021425.
there were eighteen versions of the posters: each member received their own as well as a group photo. the posters would vary based on the albums, signifying they were taken at different locations in relation to the album's title.
the letters were individualized per consumer as opposed to per album version. at first, it was assumed that the letters were all the same, but when fans on pinknote compared the letters they were suprised at how different they were. all the letters were handwritten by the members. to this day, no one's certain how noonstar was able to individualize such thoughtful letters, but it definitely helped rack up album sales.
the storybooks were the most interactive of the albums. on for romance's website, fans could put together a picture story based on the images they could find on pinknote and noonstar's section of the website. when they albums were received, there'd be a "sweet treat" —a colorful jar full of small items noonstar had found on their adventures outside of rosemary. based on what fans included in their storybook, the treats would reflect the story. the storybooks featured keychains based on the member's items and were stored in a six ring binder, with a waterproof cover designed with a heart emblem. the pages were interchangeable allowing fans to trade pages with other fans, create their own pages online with the generators fans were coding, or purchase more pages from for romance.
the sticker sheet had three versions: space themed, bunny themed, and one that consisted of both.
lastly, pale pink is a special mask for romance created specifically for fans. the butterfly shaped item wasn't available in every album, and no one could figure out how exactly to get one. it was theorized the company was test running the product, seeing if it was something fans even wanted.
though, the free version of the people's editions included only the photocards and the CD a few fans had mentioned receiving extras. one, in particular, received a stuffed brown bunny from rabbit and a note saying: please take care of him until we can meet again.
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watchinghallmark · 2 months ago
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Alright! I was at work this morning (not necessarily working because how could I with all the excitement??), so here is the deep dive no one asked for.
This is extremely long because I posted the summaries but if you want to know my thoughts on each movie/program, join me under the cut! This is just for Hallmark Channel. Another post coming for Mystery and Hallmark+ later on.
Hallmark Channel
🎄 ‘Twas the Date Before Christmas  Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 18 at 8/7c Cast: Robert Buckley, Amy Groening Premise: To prevent her family from canceling the “Chamberlain Family Christmas Olympics,” Jessie (Groening) lies and says she’s inviting a date to the long-standing holiday tradition. She meets Bryan (Buckley) on a dating app, and he agrees to spend the holiday with her and her family. As Jessie and Bryan engage in eccentric activities like the search for the Christmas tree star, gift wrapping contest and snowball fight, they start to develop real feelings for each other. Soon her family begins to catch on to their secret and Bryan suspects she may be hiding the real reason for her unusual Christmas date request. As the celebrations continue, Jessie must work to keep all her stories straight and save her date with Bryan.
I love this pairing! It's so great to see Amy as a lead. She was so fun in The Santa Summit last year. This sounds like a fun one and a great way to kick off the festivities. What is she hiding???
🎄 Holiday Crashers  Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 19 at 8/7c Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Daniella Monet, Chris McNally, Jag Bal Premise: Best friends Toni (Fonseca) and Bri (Monet) have worked at the same card shop for more years than they should as both struggle to find their true life’s path. This holiday season, Toni and Bri decide to shake up their humdrum world by creating new identities to crash the amazing Christmas parties from the shop’s confidential invitations. All harmless fun! Until Toni gets mistaken for a lawyer, which isn’t too far off the mark since she did finish law school… just never completed the bar exam. Toni and Bri are then whisked away to a fancy corporate Christmas retreat in the snowy Vermont mountains by handsome business mogul, Justin (McNally), whose crush on Toni is real even if her legal career isn’t. And Bri is along for the ride as she has eyes for Vinny (Bal), a valet who may have a secret of his own. Can a distraction help Bri find what path in life she’s supposed to follow? Will Toni end up with the guy of her dreams or in a blizzard of trouble? This fun Christmas crashing romp will either end in disaster or two happily-ever-afters!
This sounds like a wild ride and I'm here for all the shenanigans! Great cast. It's nice to see Daniella acting again.
🎄 Scouting for Christmas  Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 20 at 8/7c Cast: Tamera Mowry-Housley, Carlo Marks, Marci T. House Premise: Angela (Mowry-Housley) has been a busy realtor since her amicable divorce a couple of years ago to Dakota (James Paladino, Lucky Hank), a paleontologist whose adventures kept him anywhere but home. Now, she is a devoted if often harried, single mom to a smart and loving 10-year-old girl, Brooklyn (Audrey Wise Alvarez, The Good Doctor). Angela’s busy schedule makes it hard for her to find time for much of anything — or anyone — else. As it is, she can barely get Brooklyn to her scout meetings on time, much to the disapproval of the other mothers. When Brooklyn gets the idea to have William (Marks), the owner of her favorite bakery, cater her scout troop’s posh annual holiday event, she asks Angela to work with him on pitching the idea to the moms in charge. Despite sensing that her daughter might be trying to play cupid, she agrees to help and finds herself enjoying time with him, but is reluctant to open her heart and life to someone new. When Dakota returns, missing her, Angela must decide what is best for her daughter and best for her heart.
The daughter is sweet mute orphan Millie from WCTH! The one who was obsessed with Henry (same girl same). Love her. Anyway. Carlo is one of my faves. He's just so cute! This sounds like there will be some drama with the ex and that's fun. Throuple?
🎄 Operation Nutcracker (Previously on Hallmark Movies Now) Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 25 at 8/7c Cast: Ashley Newbrough, Christopher Russell Premise: When an antique nutcracker set to be auctioned at the Warby family Christmas charity goes missing, a demanding event planner (Newbrough) and the heir to the Warby dynasty (Russell) try to track it down.
I've already seen this and it surprised me. I don't necessarily care for either actor but it was actually really enjoyable.
🎄 The Christmas Charade  Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 26 at 8/7c Cast: Rachel Skarsten, Corey Sevier Premise: Whitney (Skarsten), a cautious librarian raised by home security experts, finds herself in a real-life adventure when a blind date mix-up leads her into an undercover FBI operation. Forced to pose as the girlfriend of Special Agent Josh (Sevier), she helps him track down an art thief targeting the Saint Nicholas Ruby at a Christmas Eve charity ball. As the stakes rise, Whitney must embrace her inner action hero to save the day—and her family—just in time for Christmas.
This sounds incredible. Sort of reminiscent of The Royal Nanny but that's a good thing because that was so different and fun. I'm here for more Christmas action movies. I like this pairing a lot too.
🎄 The 5-Year Christmas Party Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 27 at 8/7c Cast: Katie Findlay, Jordan Fisher Premise: Over five years, Alice (Findlay) and her old theater school rival, Max (Fisher), reunite each holiday season to work at a Chicago catering company’s Christmas parties. While their undeniable chemistry grows, the timing is never right for romance – until the company’s final season pushes them to confront their true feelings. As they say goodbye to the job that brought them together, they might finally find love in the most unexpected way.
Sounds cute! I like when we get to see a couple through time.
🎄 A Carol for Two  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 1 at 8/7c Cast: Ginna Claire Mason, Jordan Litz, Charlotte D’amboise Premise: After moving to New York to make it on Broadway, Violette Wagner (Mason) gets a job at Fiore’s, a legendary theater district diner, famous for its singing wait staff, who bide their time there, while awaiting that big break. Luck seems to be on her side when she gets a coveted slot, singing during Fiore’s annual Christmas Eve concert, which is attended by a who’s who of the theatre world. But her big opportunity turns out to be a duet with Alex (Litz), who has been less than welcoming, and believes she was only given the job because the owner of Fiore’s is a family friend. They’re stuck with each other, though, since people have been plucked out of that show and put right on Broadway. As they rehearse together, Alex’s cousin, Brad, takes an interest in Violette, and they begin dating but, unbeknownst to her, Alex has been feeding Brad information about her, Cyrano-style, to win her over. However, when Alex begins developing feelings for her as well, a love triangle ensues, and things come to a head when their deception is uncovered, which, in turn, threatens Violette and Alex’s big opportunity.
Well this sounds messy! I love mess! Great casting for Broadway fans.
🎄 Our Holiday Story  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 8/7c Cast: Nikki DeLoach, Warren Christie Premise: As Dave (Christie) and Nell (DeLoach) recount their love story to their daughter’s boyfriend Chris, we follow them through one special Christmas where fate routinely brought them together – and kept them apart. But as Dave and Nell tried to find one another, they were oblivious to the fact that they were work nemeses paired together to throw a Christmas festival for their town. Meanwhile in the present, Chris struggles with relationship issues of his own as he attempts to say “I love you” for the first time to his girlfriend Jo. As our two couples and storylines intersect, lessons are taught and learned about communication, honesty and the capacity for change — in ourselves and in others.
I'm confused by this summary. How were they oblivious that they were working together and didn't like each other? Are we getting young versions of Dave and Nell? Why the boyfriend and not the daughter? Overall just a big HUH? from me. It's Nikki and Warren so I feel like it'll be good but I simply just do not get what this movie is about.
🎄 Holiday Mismatch  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 3 at 8/7c Cast: Caroline Rhea, Beth Broderick Premise: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch reunion! When free-spirited Kath (Rhea) and uptight Barbara (Broderick) clash at a Christmas committee meeting, they’re shocked to discover they’ve accidentally set up their adult children via a dating app. Determined to stop the romance, the two mothers team up, only to realize they have more in common than they thought. As their kids’ love blossoms, so does an unexpected friendship between their meddling moms, bringing both families together for a festive Christmas.
So excited to see Hilda and Zelda back together. This sounds like so much fun. I love that we're getting romance and friendship in a lot of movies this year. I need to know who the children are played by.
🎄 Trivia at St. Nick’s  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 8 at 8/7c Cast: Tammin Sursok, Brant Daugherty Premise: Pretty Little Liars reunion! When students all flee an elite university in Vermont for winter break, the locals and faculty hunker down for their favorite time of year – the annual Christmas Bar Trivia Tournament! For Celeste (Sursok), a Type-A astronomy professor, this event combines the magic of Christmas with her greatest comfort in life: knowing the right answer. But when her colleague drops out of the tournament to do a month-long lecture tour in Asia, Celeste’s team must adopt Max (Daugherty), the football team’s new offensive coordinator. To Celeste, Max seems like nothing more than a grown-up class clown – though he brings an undeniable knowledge of sports trivia (a category their team has always fallen short in). Initial clashes between the two eventually turn into mutual appreciation as the team enjoys scavenger hunts on campus, decorating the international house with Christmas lights, baking Christmas cookies, and advancing toward the championship trivia game. Celeste can’t help but delight in Max’s infectious enthusiasm, love for all things Christmas and perhaps most importantly, his comfort with the unknown. And after a romantic wintery night at the campus observatory with Max, Celeste starts to wonder if being open to life’s surprises is more important than knowing the answer to everything.
Another fun reunion. This sounds cute.
🎄 Santa Tell Me  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 9 at 8/7c Cast: Erin Krakow, Daniel Lissing, Benjamin Ayres, Christopher Russell, Kurt Szarka Premise: When Calls the Heart reunion! When Olivia (Krakow), a successful interior designer, finds an old letter from Santa promising she’ll meet the love of her life by Christmas Eve—and that his name will be Nick—she’s stunned to meet not one, but three guys named Nick (Ayres, Russell, Szarka). As she navigates these holiday romances, Olivia also finds herself drawn to her charming co-worker, Chris (Lissing), throwing her magical Christmas quest into question. With the clock ticking toward Christmas Eve, Olivia embarks on a heartwarming and humorous journey to uncover her true soulmate.
This is one reunion I actively dislike. Daniel Lissing, the quitter. But honestly bless him for not having the ability to be a lead in a show so that we could get Kevin McGarry. Obviously a huge upgrade. I hope she makes out with all of these guys. I definitely didn't expect this movie to have so many men when it was first announced so that was a pleasant surprise.
🎄 ‘Tis the Season to Be Irish  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8/7c Cast: Fiona Gubelmann, Eoin Macken Premise: Rose (Gubelmann), a nomadic house flipper, heads to Ireland to renovate and sell a cottage, but her plans are upended when she meets Sean (Macken), a local realtor determined to preserve his town’s heritage. As she works on the cottage and embraces Irish Christmas traditions, Rose finds herself falling for Sean and questioning her fear of settling down. Together, they must confront their pasts and discover if love is worth taking root.
This summary doesn't really give me any feels but I'm sure the movie will be pretty and Eoin is a hunk. It'll be nice to be transported to Ireland at Christmas.
🎄 Christmas With the Singhs  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 15 at 8/7c Cast: Anuja Joshi, Ben Hollingsworth Premise: For Asha Singh (Joshi), Christmas is the most important time of the year. But when she’s stuck working at the hospital during the holidays, she wishes for some much-needed Christmas magic. Enter Jake (Hollingsworth), her former high school classmate, who unexpectedly reappears in her life. After a magical year together, Jake proposes. But their first Christmas as an engaged couple isn’t exactly the fairytale they imagined. When they head home for the holidays, they quickly discover their picture-perfect romance is about to get a serious reality check: their families couldn’t be more different! Juggling various holiday traditions, big personalities, cultural differences and complicated family dynamics proves to be a challenge as Asha and Jake have to learn if they can bridge their two families and survive a Christmas with the Singhs.
I really like this premise. It's nice to see different kinds of families and cultures represented on Hallmark. It's shocking, but Christmas isn't just for white people.
🎄 Jingle Bell Run  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 8/7c Cast: Ashley Williams, Andrew Walker Premise: Avery (Williams) is an unadventurous schoolteacher whose sister secretly signs her up for The Great Holiday Dash, a Christmas-themed reality competition show where she’s paired with former hockey player Wes (Walker). Despite clashing at first, Avery’s puzzle-solving skills and Wes’ physical prowess help them excel as they travel from city to city and compete in festive feats that have a local flavor. It’s not long before a real connection between these opposites begins to blossom. But when Avery overhears a conversation between Wes and a show producer it threatens to derail their budding romance. Keeping their eyes on the prize, the duo continues to dash to the finish line but there may be a more personal adventure for them still in store.
This sounds like a blast. I think they're a good pairing.
🎄 Confessions of a Christmas Letter  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 17 at 8/7c Cast: Angela Kinsey, Alec Santos Premise: Settie Rose (Kinsey), a quirky family matriarch, enters her town’s annual holiday letter-writing contest but needs help, so she hires struggling novelist Juan (Santos) to craft the perfect letter. When a mix- up leads to the rumor that Juan is engaged to Settie’s daughter Lily (Lillian Doucet- Roche, The Cases of Mystery Lane: Death is Listening), the whole family scrambles to keep up the charade. As Juan bonds with the Roses and overcomes his writer’s block, Settie learns that embracing her imperfect family is what truly makes her story special. Features a cameo appearance by Brian Baumgartner (The Office).
If Juan isn't gay I'm gonna riot. Happy to see Angela in a movie with a bonus reunion too. Seriously though. He better be gay. Where are the gays???
🎄 Christmas on Call  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 22 at 8/7c Cast: Sara Canning, Ser’Darius Blain Premise: In the lead-up to Christmas, emergency room doctor Hannah Michaels (Canning) juggles her demanding job and a budding romance with EMT Wes Sullivan (Blain) in Philadelphia. They spend time together as Wes helps her become more acquainted with the sights, sounds and tastes of Philadelphia, it’s clear that they’re starting to fall for each other. As the local First Responders balance duty with holiday celebrations, they come together to face challenges, support each other and find moments of joy. Features a cameo appearance by Donna Kelce.
This sounds really nice and it's fun that they gave Donna the opportunity to be in this one too for fairness sake.
🎄 Three Wiser Men and a Boy  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8/7c Cast: Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, Margaret Colin Premise: The story begins five years later with the Brenner brothers preparing for another memorable Christmas. In a crazy turn of events, possibly brought on accidently by the brothers themselves, the director of Luke’s (Walker) son Thomas’ (Miles Marthaller, Round and Round) school holiday musical steps down. Luke is desperate to make his son’s stage dreams come true, so he enlists the help of his brothers Taylor (Hynes) and Stephan (Campbell). Meanwhile, the trio navigates meeting their mom Barbara’s (Colin) new boyfriend and the brothers grapple with their own feelings about this relationship. In true Brenner brother fashion, they are all in for a Christmas they will never forget.
Ok but what about the girlfriends?? Where are they? There's a lot of pressure on this one to be great so hopefully they can deliver.
🎄 To Have and To Holiday  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 24 at 8/7c Cast: Madeleine Arthur, Robert Bazzocchi, Eric Close Premise: When Celeste (Arthur) gets engaged to Jason (Bazzocchi) after just a few months of dating, her father and the couple’s would be officiant, Pastor Mark (Close), insists on putting them through a pre- wedding “bootcamp” filled with Christmas-themed challenges. As the couple grows stronger through the festive activities, Celeste considers following her dreams in the fashion industry. Meanwhile, Pastor Mark learns to trust his daughter’s choices, leading to a heartwarming holiday season for the whole family.
Love to see the ghost from 3 Bed get to be a lead. She was lovely in that movie.
🎄 Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle  Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 28 at 8/7c Cast: Rachel Boston, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Tanner Novlan, Matthew James Dowden, Max Lloyd-Jones Premise: Three adult siblings (Lamothe-Kipnes, Dowden, Lloyd-Jones) return to their childhood home at Christmas to honor their late grandmother’s wishes and try to agree on new leadership for the family’s company. Enter Annie Merkel (Boston) – also known as Mrs. Miracle – who poses as an estate planner and uses her special brand of Christmas magic to help the family find common ground and rekindle their bonds. As the siblings try to sort things out, Charlotte (Lamothe-Kipnes) also finds herself reconnecting with Austin (Novlan), the manor’s caretaker and her first love.
I'm gonna need one (or both) of the brothers to be gay, thanks.
🎄 A ’90s Christmas  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 29 at 6/5c Cast: Eva Bourne, Chandler Massey, Katherine Barrell Premise: Workaholic lawyer Lucy Miller (Bourne) is celebrating her promotion alone on Christmas Eve when a mysterious rideshare experience transports her back to 1999. Reliving the holiday with her mom, sister and best friend – not to mention her high school crush – Lucy gets a second chance to understand where her relationships went wrong. Will this magical journey help her rewrite her future or leave her destined to be alone?
Did her Uber driver drug her? Also, how were they high schoolers in 1999? Kat and Chandler were both born in 1990. Maybe it's just weird phrasing? Concept seems fun I guess.
🎄 Deck the Walls  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 29 at 8/7c Cast: Ashley Greene, Wes Brown, Danny Pellegrino Premise: Rose (Greene) is a Chicago-based interior designer, whose brother Sal (Pellegrino) is responsible for a Christmas Charity House Flip back in their suburban Ohio hometown. When a budget crisis puts this important project in danger, Rose reluctantly returns during the holidays to try to save the day. Not ready to face the ghosts of her past, Rose’s plan is to get in, get it done, and get out ASAP. But before she knows it, she is face-to-face with Brysen (Brown), her brother’s best friend, contractor and who just so happens to be the bane of Rose’s youth. With the help of friends and family, and buoyed by the season of giving, the trio figures out a way to work together for this worthy cause. As Rose works, she discovers unexpected love and deeper purpose along the way.
Oooh we love a brother's best friend enemy to lovers romance!
🎄 Believe in Christmas Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 30 at 6/5c Cast: Meghan Ory, John Reardon Premise: When Beatrice (Ory) reluctantly joins her best friend on a trip to the enchanting Christmasland, she’s skeptical of the holiday magic surrounding them. But as she experiences festive traditions and meets a charming stranger named Ethan (Reardon), she begins to question what’s real and what’s part of the experience. In the end, Christmasland helps Beatrice rediscover hope, love, and the magic of new beginnings.
Very cute that these two get to do a movie together and it sounds intriguing.
🎄 Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 30 at 8/7c Cast: Hunter King, Tyler Hynes, Ed Begley Jr., Richard Riehle, Diedrich Bader, Christine Ebersole, Megyn Price Premise: Alana Higman (King) is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest. Derrick (Hynes), Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana and her family stack up against the other two finalists. As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfather’s (Begley Jr.) vintage Chiefs good-luck winter hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick – unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary. Features cameos by Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid, Chiefs Players Trey Smith, Mecole Hardman Jr., Clyde Edwards-Helaire and George Karlaftis, Donna Kelce, and Jenna Bush Hager.
There's so much hype for this one so it better be worth it.
🎄 The Finnish Line  Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 6/5c Cast: Kim Matula, Beau Mirchoff, Nichole Sakura Premise: Inspired by her father’s acclaimed legacy in dog sled racing, Anya (Matula) decides to follow in his footsteps. After his passing, she heads to Finland to participate in the 40th annual Joulurauha race, her father’s final race where he fell short of the victory. Following an injury to her lead dog during the qualifying race, Anya finds herself partnered with a new canine companion owned by journalist and former racer Cole, (Mirchoff) who aims to pen a story about her journey. Struggling to build trust with her new dog and facing her father’s rival, Monty, (Páll Sigþór Pálsson, Mr. Murphy) Anya must navigate many challenges as she strives to win the race.
Really looking forward to this one! Fun, different plot and punny title too. I also really like the leads.
🎄 The Christmas Quest  Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 8/7c Cast: Lacey Chabert, Kristoffer Polaha Premise: An archeologist (Chabert) and her ex-husband (Polaha), an expert in ancient Norse languages, are sent to Iceland at Christmastime to search for the legendary treasure of the Yule Lads. When others join in the hunt, the pair find themselves swept into a thrilling adventure as they race to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.
It'll be great to see these two together for the first time and I love that it's an adventure. We need more of those.
🎄 Private Princess Christmas  Premiere Date: Friday, Dec. 6 at 8/7c Cast: Ali Skovbye, Derek Klena, Erica Durance Premise: Vi (Skovbye), better known as Princess Violet of Wingravia, adores the privileges of being a royal, if none of the responsibilities. After being disappointed by Vi one time too many, the Queen (Durance) decides to test her daughter’s mettle once and for all and issues an ultimatum: Vi must pass a vigorous leadership boot camp in Colorado or lose the throne to her uncle. At boot camp, Vi and her fellow cadets are put through a rigorous grind under the uncompromising supervision of Captain Ryan Douglas (Klena).
I'm not sure what a leadership boot camp is. Zoom meetings? Telling people they won't be getting a bonus? Concept sounds fun though and the romance maybe a little forbidden which I'm into.
🎄 Sugarplummed  Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8/7c Cast: Maggie Lawson, Janel Parrish Premise: Emily (Lawson) has always dreamed of creating the perfect Christmas, meticulously planning every detail year after year, only to feel like she’s falling short. Hoping to bring her family closer together, she makes a wish for a holiday as picture-perfect as the ones she sees in a made-for-TV holiday movie. To her shock, Sugarplum (Parrish), the film’s relentlessly optimistic main character, magically steps off the screen to make Emily’s wish come true — whether she’s ready for it or not. As Sugarplum applies her movie-world rules to real life, Emily gets caught up in the possibility of finally achieving the flawless family Christmas. But when Sugarplum’s magical fixes start to backfire one by one, Emily begins to question what an ideal holiday really is. With time running out, Emily and Sugarplum find themselves on a heartwarming adventure – one that might just amount to an entirely different kind of Christmastime perfection.
I think this one will be a lot of fun and really unique which is nice. Very curious to see how it all comes together.
🎄 Leah’s Perfect Gift Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8/7c Cast: Emily Arlook, Evan Roderick, Barbara Niven Premise: Leah Meyer (Arlook) is a bonafide lover of Christmas – the trees, the ornaments, the eggnog! But she has always admired the holiday from afar because she’s Jewish. Though her family celebrates Hanukkah, Leah has longed to experience a traditional Christmas. When her boyfriend Graham (Roderick) invites her to spend the holidays with his classic Connecticut family, she eagerly accepts. Excited to dive into the quintessential Christmas she’s always dreamed of, Leah quickly discovers that fitting in with Graham’s uptight family and his not-so-welcoming mom (Niven) is easier said than done. As holiday traditions clash and awkward moments pile up, it is not quite the cozy Christmas that she expected.
A mean mom is a really fun twist. I like the concept. Not familiar with Emily so it'll be nice to have a new face.
🕎 Hanukkah on the Rocks  Premiere Date: Friday, Dec. 13 at 8/7c Cast: Stacey Farber, Daren Kagasoff, Marc Summers Premise: One week before Hanukkah, corporate lawyer Tory (Farber) finds herself unexpectedly unemployed and questioning the career she’s dedicated years to. As she helps her Bubby prepare for the holiday, she embarks on a quest across Chicago to find the last box of coveted Hanukkah candles. Her search leads her to Rocky’s, an Old Town bar, where she encounters Jay (Kagasoff), a charming doctor from Florida, his grandfather Sam (Summers) and a cast of quirky regulars who make her rethink everything. Torn between keeping her job loss a secret and embracing a newfound sense of belonging, Tory ends up bartending at Rocky’s, transforming it into the vibrant “Hanukkah on the Rocks” celebration. Through festive food, drinks, and games, she revitalizes the bar, bonds with Jay, and finds the courage to pursue her true calling. As Tory navigates the holiday, she learns that sometimes a detour can lead you exactly where you’re meant to be, lighting the way to a future filled with joy, romance, and self-discovery.
Could be fun. Haven't seen Daren around in a while so that's cool.
🎄 The Santa Class  Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8/7c Cast: Kimberley Sustad, Benjamin Ayres Premise: Kate North (Sustad) finds herself reluctantly taking over her father’s once acclaimed and now struggling Santa School. In the weeks leading up to Christmas and the school’s next session, Kate and her new co-worker Dan (Ayres) discover who they believe to be the real Santa Claus, lost and without his memories after his sled steered off course and crashed near the school. They decide to help him remember who he is by inviting him to participate in the intense Santa training program. There’s a lot at stake this year with Kate’s school needs to best the rival St. Nicholas School or be forced to close their doors, and Nick (Santa Claus) needs to remember who he is, or the fate of Christmas might be at stake.
Bonkers but ok! I always love Kim.
🎄 Following Yonder Star  Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 15 at 8/7c Cast: Brooke D’Orsay, John Brotherton Premise: Abby Marshall (D’Orsay), once celebrated for her role as an inspirational mother on TV, is finding her real life in shambles after dealing with a scandal. She retreats to a luxury Vermont resort for Christmas only to find herself without a room due to a booking mishap. All the local hotels are booked up due to a rare astronomical event – a beautiful star said to mirror the Star of Bethlehem will appear on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, Abby finds a room at a quaint B&B, owned by Tom Maguire (Brotherton), who is also a high school astronomy teacher. Since his wife’s passing, Tom has taken on a lot of extra responsibilities, including running the inn and directing the local church’s Christmas pageant. Empathizing with Tom, Abby offers to help with the pageant and various activities around the inn and finds herself enjoying both the projects and Tom’s company. Through newfound community, family and love, Abby discovers that hope sometimes comes in the most unexpected ways.
This sounds sweet.
🎄 Happy Howlidays Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8/7c Cast: Jessica Lowndes (Major Crimes), opposite the to-be-announced winner of Finding Mr. Christmas Premise: Mia (Lowndes), a meticulous webpage editor for the Seattle Tourism Board, finds herself unexpectedly navigating the holidays alone. As the only one working, she’s drawn into an unusual encounter when she encounters a stray dog. Unsure how to handle the situation, she crosses paths with Max (Winner of Finding Mr. Christmas), a dog shelter owner. Mia agrees to let Max’s ailing dog find solace with her newfound companion, in exchange for Max showing her the hidden gems of Seattle. Through their journey together, they both step out of their comfort zones, discovering new perspectives and forming a meaningful connection.
Sure. I guess it'll be fun to watch Finding Mr. Christmas and then get to watch him in action.
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rainbowfey · 1 month ago
Text
10 Bet, Game, Contest
@flufftober
Disclaimer: My story is inspired by this artwork. As far as I know, it's from the Rengoku Volume 0 by Koyoharu Gotouge. This art is not my own and I am including it for inspiration and appreciation.
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„Ladies and Gentlemen,“ Tengen proclaimed, dramatically waving his hands through the air, “welcome to the fourth annual round of the Hashira arm wrestling contest! It’s once again time to find out who is the flashiest and strongest of them all!”
He bowed deeply, satisfied at his grand entrance. He still heard the beads of the curtain behind him tinkle as it gently swayed from one side to the other. Of course, Tengen would never admit that his muscle mice had agreed to help him but if he wanted to make the impression he wanted, he could not rely only on his own flashiness. Thus, one of his muscle mice was positioned behind the curtain which he had just walked through, softly rustling it to produce the light tinkling that gave Tengen’s appearance a mysterious touch. Or at least, that was what he hoped for. And even if this failed to have the desired effect, the soft spotlight another two muscle mice operated probably would do the trick.
Tengen smiled majestically into the light that overflowed his impressive body, making his rings and headband sparkle. After he had basked in the glow of his own glory for a moment, he looked down at his audience, expecting to see their jaws hanging open, admiration in their eyes. And in fact, he did see one mouth slightly open – he decided to not take notice of the fact that it was Giyuu who stared at him rather incredulously – and even from where he stood, he could see Mitsuri’s gleeful smile as she beamed at him. He nodded gracefully and ignored the flabbergasted expressions on the other faces. Instead, he now focused on the one person who was the second star of tonight’s show.
Kyoujurou grinned at him when Tengen majestically held his hand out to him. “And as you all know,” he continued, “tonight will be all about who can beat last year’s champion, the one who beat them all, the beast – Rengoku Kyoujurou!”
Mitsuri cheered and clapped when Kyoujurou stood up and took Tengen’s hand, letting Tengen lead him to the table that already waited for him on the stage. And when they reached it, Tengen only reluctantly let go of him. His hand felt cold when Kyoujurou let go of it, sat down at the table and smiled at him expectantly. Tengen quickly shook the strange feeling off and put on his brightest grin when he turned back to his audience.
“So, who is our first brave contender today?” he asked eagerly, letting his gaze wander over the Hashira that sat in front of him. Shinobu had done a good job at gathering most of them even though in some cases it had taken a few threats here and there before they promised to show up. Only one person was missing which came as no surprise since Gyoumei had never participated in the annual contest, citing that he could not partake for religious reasons. Of course, Tengen knew very well that this was only a poor excuse but even he, the god of festivals and ex-shinobi, had to admit that Gyoumei’s strength was from out of this world. Should he participate, even Kyoujurou, Mitsuri and Sanemi would stand no chance and thus, all of the Hashira silently accepted Gyoumei’s excuse.
A movement at the peripheral of his vision caught his attention and Tengen quickly turned towards it. He gasped audibly when he saw Giyuu who had used the exact moment Shinobu had let go of his wrist, not keeping him restrained to his seat any longer, to try and sneak away.
“Get him!” Tengen shouted and pointed accusingly at Giyuu who stopped dead in his tracks and stared at him like a deer in headlights. “No one is leaving this room before we haven’t crowned this year’s champion!”
And to his amusement, out of all people it was Sanemi who grabbed Giyuu and forced him back to his seat, a malicious smile on his face. And if he listened closely, he could hear Sanemi whisper in Giyuu’s ear, “If I have to sit through this, you have to suffer too.”
Tengen smiled satisfied and nodded. “Now that this disturbance,” he shot Giyuu a stern look, “is solved, we can get to the good part. Who goes first?”
For a moment, everyone kept quiet. Tengen watched as the Hashira eyed each other, varying degrees of exasperation and reluctant compliance on their faces – apart from Sanemi who cracked his knuckles and Mitsuri who beamed at Kyoujurou.
“I’ll go first,” Shinobu spoke up and smiled at Tengen. He returned her smile with an enthusiastic grin, ignoring how forced her expression looked. Shinobu, the shortest and most petite of them all, had many merits but due to her build, she did not possess a lot of physical strength. And for this very reason, Tengen gave her great credit for participating anyways. She was a kind soul, always trying to strengthen the bonds within the Hashira and for this purpose, she took her annual defeat in stride.
Tengen winked at her when he helped her climb the stage and led her to the table where she took a seat across from Kyoujurou who greeted her with a warm smile.
Kyoujurou and Shinobu both placed their elbows on the table and gripped the other’s hand, their eyes locked. And when the room fell silent, Tengen gave the signal and they both started putting pressure on the other. As expected, Shinobu did not put up much of a fight. Within less than three seconds, Kyoujurou pinned her hand to the table and shot her such a rueful look that Shinobu quietly laughed to herself. She got up gracefully and walked off the stage – but not before she had ruffled Kyoujurou’s hair, putting an adorable smile on his face that made Tengen’s heart melt.
“I’ll go next,” Obanai chimed in before Shinobu had even sat down. Tengen looked at him in surprise. He had not expected that Obanai would join in without any force behind it but when he saw the look Obanai and Kyoujurou exchanged, he understood. Both of them had somewhat grown up together and even though Obanai had lost to Kyoujurou last year, he seemed up for the challenge. Under his bandage, Tengen could see the corners of his mouth moving and he absentmindedly thought to himself that he had never seen Obanai this excited before.
When Kyoujurou finally slammed Obanai’s hand on the table after an intense moment of fighting, they both grinned at each other and instead of going back to his seat, Obanai positioned himself behind Kyoujurou as Shinobu shoved Giyuu gently towards the stage. Reluctantly, Giyuu sat down across from Kyoujurou. His hand landed on the table so fast that Tengen asked himself whether Giyuu had even been trying in the first place. Giyuu’s relieved expression when Muichiro took his place only added to this suspicion but Tengen decided to let it go. Instead, he danced around the table while Muichiro and Kyoujurou stared each other down while gripping the other’s hand. And even though it took him considerably more effort, Kyoujurou was able to secure another win.
When Muichiro nodded to Kyoujurou, he grinned at him and ruffled his hair which made Muichiro’s eyes light up before he quickly put on an unfazed expression again. But instead of leaving, he assumed a spot next to Obanai, cheering Kyoujurou on when Mitsuri finally stepped onto the stage.
“And there we have it,” Tengen loudly exclaimed. “The student competes against the mentor! Let’s see whether you can surpass him. Give it your all, Mitsuri!”
Mitsuri beamed at him when she danced past him and sat down across from Kyoujurou who greeted her with a big grin, very obviously excited to compete against her. He invitingly held his hand out to her and Mitsuri grabbed it joyfully.
Tengen noticed how Obanai leaned closer, his eyes fixed on Mitsuri, seemingly unsure who to cheer on. Tengen grinned and prepared himself to give the signal. And when he did, the trial of strength started. Mitsuri and Kyoujurou both grinned at each other, their faces looking relaxed while the muscles in their arms started showing as they both fought to pin the other down. But when the fight raged on, their faces tensed up while they stared each other down, neither one willing to give in. The room sizzled with excitement and everyone leaned closer, cheering both Mitsuri and Kyoujurou on. And after what felt like an eternity, Mitsuri’s hand landed on the table.
“Congrats,” Mitsuri said cheerfully, “You are incredible, Kyoujurou!”
And while the others congratulated both of them, Kyoujurou gave Mitsuri a high five and smiled at her proudly. “Next year you’ll beat me, Mitsuri. You’re growing stronger every single day!”
Tengen smiled at their very apparent affection for each other and turned his attention to the only person who was still sitting in the audience instead of standing on stage next to the table.
“That makes you our last contender, Shinazugawa,” Tengen shouted and dramatically pointed at Sanemi, his rings sparkling in the spotlight. “Ready to get slammed into the ground?”
While this sassy comment made the other Hashira laugh, Sanemi gave Tengen his most menacing grin as he made his way up to Kyoujurou. “We’ll see about that, Uzui.”
Now that nobody was sitting in the audience anymore, Tengen himself got closer to the table that was now surrounded by a circle of excited faces. Their previous reticence had entirely vanished – as it did every single year once the contest had really started. Instead, they now leaned in, enthusiastically cheering Sanemi and Kyoujurou on as they sat down at the table, sizing each other up, determined expressions etched in their faces. Tengen eyed them attentively, asking himself whether Sanemi would be able to beat Kyoujurou. He was indeed very strong, maybe even stronger than Kyoujurou but he was also hot-headed and relied more on brute strength than strategy. However, Kyoujurou had been in five matches already while Sanemi was still completely rested. Now that he thought about it, this did seem like a promising match.
Tengen walked over to the table and positioned himself between both of them. Behind Sanemi, Shinobu and Muichiro stared down at the interlocked hands while Obanai and Mitsuri stood left and right to Kyoujurou. Giyuu had weaseled himself to the back, standing far enough to look as if he had no interest in the contest at all – but Tengen noticed that he had decided on a spot from where he still had a good view of the table. He grinned to himself. Even the untouchable Giyuu was invested in this and Tengen was sure that this final match would not disappoint.
He took a deep breath before he bowed down to the contenders. “The time has come,” he proclaimed dramatically and this time, nobody rolled their eyes. Instead, they collectively held their breath and looked up at him. “In a few moments we will find out who wins the title of the flashiest arm wrestling champion! Are you both prepared and aware of the rules?”
While Kyoujurou nodded with a smile, Sanemi furrowed one eyebrow. “The rules have been the same for four years now, Uzui. Let’s go already!”
And Tengen shrugged with a grin and gave the signal to start. Instantly, Sanemi put all of his power into his arm, tightening his grip so much that Tengen thought to hear a small pop from Kyoujurou’s wrist. Kyoujurou’s hand got worryingly close to the table before he matched Sanemi’s attack and brought their hands back to the middle. The smile had vanished from his face, he now looked entirely focused while Sanemi’s features were twisted with grim determination. Again and again, he flexed, the muscles of his arm standing out sharply. More than one time, it looked like he would overpower Kyoujurou and once, his hand almost grazed the surface of the table. But each time, Kyoujurou worked his way back to the middle with his stoic calm. His muscles rippled when they tensed and for a moment, Tengen lost himself in the sight before he quickly brought his attention back to the fight raging right in front of him. Even though it felt like an eternity, the fight had only been going on for a minute – which was quite a formidable time, considering that most matches were won in less than a minute, sometimes even in seconds. By now, it seemed like Sanemi and Kyoujurou had both exhausted their strength as their faces took on strained expressions. Tengen held his breath when Sanemi clenched his jaw and started another attack, seemingly using all the power he had left. Kyoujurou hissed through his teeth when he fought back, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. And then, all of a sudden, he started smiling at Sanemi – and pressed against his hand with almost incredible strength. Sanemi’s eyes widened as he held against it but with his own attack, he had used all of his remaining strength. And with an earth-shattering thump, Kyoujurou slammed Sanemi’s hand on the table and the Hashira all erupted into deafening cheers, jumping up and down. Tengen patted Kyoujurou’s back so enthusiastically that he almost fell face-first into the table. But before reacting to anyone else, Kyoujurou looked at Sanemi and held his hand out to him.
The room fell silent when all eyes locked on Sanemi. He paused, stared at Kyoujurou’s hand – and with an approving nod, he accepted it. “Good job, Rengoku,” he said earnestly, shaking his hand. “Next year, I’ll crush you.”
And Kyoujurou threw his head back and laughed, nodding empathically. “I’m sure you will! Just make sure that Mitsuri won’t overpower you afterwards.”
The crowning of the champion and the following celebration lasted until well after nightfall. For this special night, they had allowed themselves to drink sake along to their delicious feast and when Tengen finally saw off the last guest – coincidentally one of his muscle mice – he felt a bit tipsy. When he closed the door behind the mouse, silence engulfed the room. He turned around and his gaze wandered over the now empty rows of seats. And when he looked up to the table, he met Kyoujurou’s eyes. Without even talking about it, they had silently agreed to stay back when all of the others left. After all, this was not the first year that they ended up as host and champion.
Kyoujurou smiled at him when Tengen came back to the stage. His topknot had loosened and his red and yellow hair was now flowing freely over his shoulders, giving him a relaxed look. Tengen’s heart softened and he had to fight down the urge to run his fingers through Kyoujurou’s hair. Instead, he cleared his throat and took a seat across from Kyoujurou. Coincidentally, they were sitting in the same positions as Sanemi and Kyoujurou had during the final match.
“So, you’re the champion again,” Tengen said, propping himself up on the table with his elbows. “How does that feel?”
Kyoujurou tilted his head and grinned at him. “Come on now, you don’t have to play the host anymore. We have the room all to ourselves now if you haven’t noticed yet.”
Oh, Tengen had noticed this. In fact, he was so aware of it that his skin started tingling. In his mind, an idea formed and he casually leaned closer to Kyoujurou. “I guess you’ve just gotten lucky that I’m such a flashy person,” he said with a taunting smile.
Kyoujurou took his bait and looked at him curiously. “How so?”
Tengen had suppress his grin when he sprung the trap on him. “Well, you’ve only won because I graciously decided to play host. Otherwise, you’d be worshipping the ground I walk on now.”
And as he had expected, Kyoujurou fell for it. He crossed his arms and grinned at him. “If you’re so sure about that, why not settle it in one last match?”
And instead of replying, Tengen placed his elbow on the table and held his hand out invitingly. When Kyoujurou placed his hand in Tengen’s, a pleasant shiver ran down his spine and when he gazed into Kyoujurou’s warm eyes, he felt like falling. He quickly shook his head to snap himself out of it and pretended not to notice Kyoujurou’s asking look.
“Count from three?” he asked and Kyoujurou nodded, his face taking on a concentrated expression.
“Three,” Tengen said, his heart starting to beat faster. Suddenly, he was not sure anymore whether he should go through with his plan. “Two …”
For a second, he paused and Kyoujurou looked up, a soft smile curling his lips even when he focused. And in this moment, Tengen made his decision. “One,” he said and instantly felt Kyoujurou’s grip tighten.
Almost without noticing, Tengen matched Kyoujurou’s strength. His hand felt warm against Tengen’s skin and he watched mesmerized as the muscles in Kyoujurou’s arm tensed up once again. He quickly focused back on the match when his hand came dangerously close to the table. It did take him quite a bit of his strength to move their hands back to the middle. For a moment, he asked himself whether he had overestimated his own strength but then he shrugged the thought off. He glanced at Kyoujurou who looked down at their hands, his brows furrowing in the adorable way they always did when he was exerting himself.
Now or never, Tengen thought to himself when Kyoujurou pushed his hand closer to the table again. And before he could get cold feet, he leaned over the table and gently cupped Kyoujurou’s face with his other hand. And when Kyoujurou looked up in surprise, Tengen kissed him. He felt the pressure against his hand lessening and when he felt Kyoujurou’s soft lips on his, he almost forgot about his plan. And before he lost himself in the tender touch, he gently pushed Kyoujurou’s hand down on the table. He moved a bit away and smiled at Kyoujurou who stared at him with big eyes. “I win,” he whispered.
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denaliwrites · 1 year ago
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Regale You With A Gourd-geous Tale
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Alec Hardy x GN!Reader
Summary: You and Alec partake in the annual Broadchurch Pumpkin Carving Contest, but things go rather sideways.
Soundtrack: Pumpkin Cowboy by Brian David Gilbert
Requests: Open!
Warnings: Alec is not a basic white girl.
You had thought that convincing the Broadchurch DI to enter the annual Pumpkin Carving Contest would be fun, help him integrate into the community better, and meet people in a context that did not involve crime.
You had been wrong.
Sure, the actual contest had gone swimmingly up to a point. You didn't win, but it was fun. Until it wasn't.
First, one of the local pub owners had gotten too drunk and caused a scene. Then, one of the village kids had gone missing (he was found an hour later eating a candy apple as if nothing had happened). Then, someone had injured themselves with the carving tools (how? you were unsure).
Overall, it was just hard to really focus on the activity at hand.
Also, your pumpkins sucked.
You blamed the multiple distractions.
You did get a consolation prize of a free drink ticket, which you used for a pint of Guinness, so at least there was that.
"I'm sorry," Alec said as you walked home. "I know you really wanted me to be normal today."
You sighed. "It's not your fault." He had his arm around your shoulder, making it easy to lightly bump against him as you walked. "I know it's hard for you to shut work off... especially when it just keeps coming at you like that."
"It really did," he groused, rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. "Just one thing after another, all day."
The two of you walked in silence for a stretch after that, until Alec brought you to a halt outside a coffee shop. "Would you like something?" he asked, tossing his head towards the cafe. "Something to make up for today."
"You don't have to do that," you said, smiling. "But, sure. Large pumpkin spice latte, please."
"Y'ken," he said as he parted from you, "I've never had a pumpkin spice latte."
He did not give you the opportunity to respond. He was gone in an instant, stepping inside to order your drinks. You waited outside for him to come back, your stunned expression never leaving you.
He eventually returned, handing you your drink. It took him a minute to notice your shocked look.
"What is it?" he asked, and you could tell he was totally oblivious.
"You've never had a pumpkin spice latte?" you finally asked.
"... No," he answered unsurely, blinking. "Should I've?"
"Well... I mean... probably? Maybe? It's just that, like, everyone's had at least one by now."
"Except me."
"See, that's where you're wrong, because I have a pumpkin spice latte right here, and you're going to try it." You plucked his coffee out of his hand, replacing it with your latte.
He stared dumbfounded at it for a moment.
"You're supposed to drink it," you said in amusement, watching him. "It won't bite, Alec."
Hesitantly, he took a sip. The expression he made afterward was not entirely pleased, but it wasn't completely disgusted. In terms of Alec's reactions, that wasn't a terrible sign.
He handed the latte back to you and took his own coffee back in one swift move, then took a palette-cleansing sip of his drink. "I never want to taste that again," he said, motioning to your latte.
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad!"
"Is this because we lost the pumpkin carving contest? Are you punishing me?" he asked jokingly, turning to look at you. "I did say I was sorry."
"It's not that!" you whined, shoving at his shoulder playfully. You were met with a chuckle. "Do you really not like it?"
"It's... fine," he answered honestly. "I'm not gonna go orderin' it but it's not the worst thing I've ever had, either."
Well, for Alec, that was a win.
"I'll get you," you said jovially with a smirk. "One of these days, you'll like pumpkin spice."
What he couldn't bear to tell you, was that he'd hated it. Could not stand the taste of it. And the idea of having to ever have that terrible flavor anywhere near his mouth ever again terrified him.
But, the idea of "converting" him made you happy, so he played along, hoping for his own sake that he did end up liking the stuff through sheer force of will.
And, he still felt bad about the pumpkin carving contest. While you were still asleep in the early hours of the morning, he snuck out of bed and ran to the shops, picking up two pumpkins and a carving kit for the two of you to enjoy alone at home.
When you woke up and saw his gift, not only were you pleased as punch, but you insisted on carving them right away.
The previous day had had some bad spots, but that day was perfect.
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