#i once listened to a public speaker who came to my school to talk about mental health
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milktearosethorn · 10 months ago
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Choosing to be kind to others can be a form of self-care, it is not shameful 💕
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sexwithamanda · 1 year ago
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A deep dive, a hike let's say. Not physically but mentally.
Episode #345
Hello,
I make these when I feel the most inspired. This last week was lovely, I went out a lot but I spent time with both my lovers, I pray they never read these, but I am sure one day these will be read, not aloud in a classroom I hope. It's a humid, hot, cloudy, wet day in the beautiful state of Florida. I am sitting at a coffee shop where I've tasted butterfly tea, which tastes like lemonade more than anything. It has a dark purple color and on the counter, I spied a cake that resembled Oreo. I decide for that, it's gluten and vegan. If I told you that I was trying to be healthier would you believe me? I suppose I don't seem to be that way. It was yummy, and I read a few (more than a few) pages of this memoir that has me on my toes. She is a writer and went to school for journalism. I've always felt that writing and putting something out there is insane. We all have a voice to talk about anything, that's why music is universal. If all the lyrics are in a different language, we still can continue to feel exactly what they are saying regardless of the fact that we don't speak that language.
Last week I went into a meeting, I like to speak as you can tell from my typing. I suppose that it is obvious that my clicking and clacking on my laptop in this quiet coffee shop seems to annoy the men next to me, but I digress with I am being me. Let it be. Right at this split second the song playing, is by tears for Fears. You decide if my life is a movie because I have already decided that it is. Anyways back to the meeting, I am talking about. I don't look at people as adults anymore. I assume everyone is a child, regardless of how you think t might be, we can be professional but we are all children at a point. Things we do, mistakes we make, and accomplishments that occur all happen because we learn from others. This meeting was an intro to exactly what I've been wanting for a while. A taste of who I could be as a public speaker. I don't think I'm perfect, but I think that healing is a journey that rules us over. We tend to be selfish about our lives. I had a conversation last night with my friend, and each time we speak I feel we learn a bit more about ourselves rather than the other. I give her the space to speak as she gives me my space to speak as well. I learned that I get tired easily maybe I should get that checked out but I can confirm that I love someone that I really shouldn't. It is okay though. Life is too short not to face the facts. I think head-on, I want to be exclusive with this person but I also think that I want to be friends. I need to deal with myself first, but once I feel that I can finally trust myself to trust someone I think that's when I could commit to them.
In other news, we both discovered that we miss each other dearly all the time, because we are two peas in a pod, and we have each other's back. I think that my sense of self is reflected in the darkness of my sorrows, and probably for good I can sense that I will be way better off. I guess for a while I thought that the only occupancy of people's company came with an abundant reach for bad decisions. I then tend to let myself be swept away from all reality when I am with my friends. They make me feel so safe, kind, and sweet. I got really lucky.
Next topic of discussion; my podcast, sex with Amanda on spotify. It is my baby, but let me explain that I know that people listen to it, people I know. I am brutally honest, and I am myself. I think that it is my therapy, the raw truth of my thoughts when it comes to it. I think the people that I want to listen to it won't, which is good for me. But, in actuality, these secrets are for the entire world to listen to. It's not just relatable it's my life. Inevitably it is my happiness. I feel a sense of ease after every Friday session. My episodes are unedited, I speak my truth and let myself be completely honest. (sometimes it is mean.)
Now here is a side note, my favorite thing to talk about is sex, but it is the education, the feeling, and the love of intimacy in the space of someone else that makes me feel loved. I love love. I love sex. I love sex with someone who makes me feel as though everything is right and how it is supposed to be. I don't want to be rushed unless it feels right but I also want to be healthy. I want it to be sacred in a way. I don't have sex with anyone, but with someone who has a connection to me, with me, and makes me feel good. If I've been intimate with someone, (if I chose to, because in some instances that is not the case), you have made me feel at ease. I love the feeling.
I have an addiction that is hard for me to describe, if you come across this, go on spotify, look up sex with Amanda. Take a listen to one of my episodes or wait till this upcoming Friday for the newest one. I can't wait to have a conversation with you.
Thank you for reading, listening, and being.
Mahal Kita,
Amanda
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emerald-chaos · 4 years ago
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Touchdown
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*gif not mine, credit goes to the owner*
I just want to take a moment to say thank you for the love on my last fic! It made my lil ole heart swell to see that peopled enjoyed it enough to leave a like or reblog.
This is just something special I had in my arsenal that I wrote for a friend a few months ago. I touched it up a bit and added a few things here and there. It all started when we were talking about how much we loved when Chris' accent got heavier after he'd been drinking, and well, I couldn't help myself lol. I hope you enjoy the fluff! xoxo
I apologize for any grammatical errors, I tried to proof-read but am also a little exhausted lol.
Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader
Word Count: 2844
Warnings: I don't think there's anyway? Mentions of being drunk/drinking alcohol, cursing, and illusions to sexy times, but that's about it.
You hadn’t noticed how furiously your knee was bouncing up and down until the person sitting next to you on the subway got up to move seats once the train squealed to a stop. You sighed and ran your hands down the front of your thighs. Normally being a little late didn’t bother you as much, but tonight you were meeting him.
You flipped your wrist over to check your watch. 8:30pm. In all honesty, it had probably been only thirty seconds later than when you checked it the last time. Another deep sigh escaped from your lips as you started to become hyper aware of the train remaining still at the current stop. What could possibly be taking so long? You knew he wouldn’t care if you were running late, but the time the two of you had together already felt so minuscule. You wanted to capitalize on every second you could.
The train began moving again and you slumped back into your seat, feeling only a small amount of relief. It was becoming painfully apparent that you needed to try and relax. You could feel the sweat building up on your body, the sting on your palms from where your fingernails were pressing in with a vengeance moments ago, and you could hear your heart thumping in your ears. Your hand dug around in your purse for a few moments before finding the small case you were looking for. Opening it, you slipped your headphones into your ears and let your head rest on the window behind you as music intertwined with your thoughts.
Once upon a time, you made fun of people who decided to go to grad school. What kind of a clown would spend thousands of MORE dollars and go BACK to school?? Not to mention the stress of the assignments, the due dates - it was not for you...or so you thought.
Now here you are, a regular booboo the fool.
NYU’s graduate program for design and merchandising wasn’t necessarily part of your 5-year plan, but when the opportunity landed in front of you it was difficult to pass up. NYU was a school you had only dreamt of attending back in high school. When you were a senior in high school you were able to tour the campus and fell in love immediately. Hours upon hours were spent researching grants, scholarships, and all sorts of ways to try to make it happen. However, the dream ended as most teenage dreams do - crushed. There was no way you or your parents could afford the loans that it would surely wrack up to attend the out of state university, and there was no way you could ask your parents take on that kind of debt just so you could go to college. UMass was the way to go - close to home and familiar. Not to mention you were able to obtain several scholarships and grants that helped bring down the cost tremendously. Little did you know, boring ole UMass would bring you one of the most important things in your life.
Applying for graduate school wasn’t an easy decision and one you couldn’t really take all the credit for. A smile crept across your face as you reminisced on the night you nervously brought up the idea to your long-term boyfriend.
“I think you should do it,”
“I know, right?” you scoffed, “it’s insane, why would I do something so stup...wait, what? You do?”
“Of course I do. This is something you love and that you’re passionate about. Do you know how many hours of my life were spent listening to you ramble about NYU?” he questioned with a grin.
“It will open up so many doors for you. We can make things work,” a chuckle escaped from those beautiful lips as he saw your dumbfounded expression. He wrapped his fingers around your waist and pulled you close, “What? Did you expect me to forbid it? Cmon, baby, what kind of guy do you take me for?”
You didn’t have a lot of wins in your life, but you did have Chris.
When you got accepted, he took off a week from work to drive you 3 and a half hours south to help get you settled and moved into your temporary new home. The two of you ate a disgusting amount of pizza, moved a ridiculous amount of heavy furniture in the middle of a summer heat wave, and enjoyed each other’s company before the long-distance thing would set in. Chris spent that week encouraging you every step of the way, talking you off the ledge when you were convinced you had made the wrong decision, and made sure to help you christen every possible surface of your new place in the most deliciously sinful way.
You bit your lip slightly at the thought and a warm feeling spread across your face. Chris was one of the most incredible people you had met in this world. Kind, caring, funny, intelligent, passionate, and god was he sexy. The connection the two of you had was scary at first, but now you just couldn’t imagine spending your life with anyone else.
The robotic voice came over the loud-speaker in the subway car and you were rudely ripped back to reality as it pulled into your stop. You hurriedly scooped up your bag and jogged off the train.
It had been a promise between the two of you when you moved that there would be equal effort when it came to visiting and keeping in contact while having good, open communication. Long distance was hard but the two of you were determined to make it work. FaceTime calls, hours upon hours of texting, and even as far as writing the occasional letter back and forth (because your boyfriend was a hopeless romantic and you loved it so much). This weekend was your turn to come home to visit, and of course your last class had to go longer than anticipated. Fuckin’ Tiffany and her stupid ass questions.
The muscles of your calves burned as you kept up your hurried pace, weaving through the crowds of people gathered on sidewalks outside of various clubs and restaurants. It was a weekend night and the Patriots were playing, which meant the city was more alive than usual. New York was it's own beast, but it was a different type of hustle and bustle. Nights like these made your heart ache for home - the thick Massachusetts accents, the rowdy voices of bar patrons arguing about the game, the hugs shared between family members as they parted after dinner, and the faint smell of nicotine and alcohol that hung in the air.
As the neon sign that hung in the pub window came in to view you felt your heart dip down into your stomach. Last weekend’s visit had to be cancelled due to some stuff coming up with Chris’ work and a surprise assignment for you, so you hadn’t seen your boyfriend in 2 weeks. With a deep breath you swung open the door and scanned the crowd for him. He told you that he would be there promptly at 7:15pm for pregame shenanigans with his friends - which actually translated to how many pitchers of beer could they suck down before kick off.
“Aw, come ON! That is such a bullshit call!”
You heard him before you saw him. Of course. A grin spread across your lips as you shook your head. The thought of leaving to avoid secondhand embarrassment crossed your mind briefly before you picked up your feet and made your way through the crowd toward the sound. A room full of people from New England and you would still recognize that voice anywhere.
Everyone else seemed to fade away as you saw the outline of the tall, dark haired man standing at the bar. The slight freckles that spattered the back of his neck, the Brady jersey that he spent WAY too much money customizing, and the signature backward ball cap were ingrained in your subconscious memory. Not to mention if you didn’t recognize his outline or his voice, you would definitely recognize that ass anywhere.
You loved how passionate he got about sports and the way his Boston accent seemed to get thicker with each beer he consumed. Growing up in the area, you wouldn't think the accent would send a tingle down your spine the way it does, but it was different - it was Chris. Not to mention the sparkle in his eye when he would watch his favorite team or the way he would get in to arguments whenever someone tried to say something negative about them. You loved your big, handsome, over-sized toddler man so damn much.
A light tap on his shoulder made him whip around, his slightly opened mouth from his interrupted conversation curved upwards into a wicked grin as he made the connection of who was finally standing in front of him.
“Hey there, handsome. I don’t see a ring on your finger. You single?” You grinned, feeling your entire body fill with warmth as Chris leaned back and grabbed his chest as he erupted in laughter.
“Nah, nah, nah, unfortunately for you I am taken” he responded as he snaked his arms around your waist, sliding his hands into your back pockets as he pulled you into his figure.
“That is too bad,” you tsk'd, running a finger down his toned bicep, “she’s one lucky girl.”
“I think I’m the lucky one,” he grinned. He leaned down to meet your lips in a kiss. You sighed into it, allowing your body to mold itself so perfectly into his. The taste of beer on his lips and the smell of his cologne was intoxicating - it was home. You immediately allowed him entrance as you felt his tongue glide along your bottom lip. Your body felt small in his strong grip and you couldn’t help but laugh a bit as he gave your ass a firm squeeze. Normally, this type of bold, public display of affection would make you cringe away but at this point you were lost in Chris that you had absolutely no shame. Each time the two of you embraced had always felt like the first. Your heart still fluttered and your knees still got weak, like you were a 16 year old being kissed for the first time.
In the middle of your reunion moment, however, something happened in the game that made the entire bar erupt in boo’s and curses. Chris lifted his lips from yours to look over his shoulder and inspect what he had missed. You laughed and shook your head as you pushed him back towards his friends and took a seat in the bar stool he had been standing behind initially. His large hands found a natural place on your shoulders. While his eyes remained glued on the TV he began applying a moderate amount of pressure to your neck and shoulders. You didn’t realize how much your body craved that touch, his touch, until you immediately melted back into him.
The bartender slid a beer in front of you with a wink and you mouthed your thanks. You felt a twinge in your heart as you looked around, taking in the atmosphere of the bar. This was a typical weekend night for the two of you whenever you were living together. Football, drinks, pub food, and friends. If it wasn’t this pub it was your living room, just a couple blocks away. You didn’t even mind that it was your first night back and you weren’t alone, spending it immediately wrapped up in your satin sheets. The atmosphere, the people - it was so warm and familiar that you really wouldn’t rather be doing anything else. Plus, being wrapped up together in the sheets was sure to follow.
“I missed you,” hummed a pair of lips as they placed a kiss on the shell of your ear. A shiver shot down your spine at the sensation of his warm breath fanning over your neck. You reached up a hand and connected it to the nape of his neck.
“I missed you too,” you replied, turning your head to plant a kiss on his stubbled cheek.
His arms changed position as he wrapped them in front of your shoulders and crossed them, resting his chin on the top of your head. Your hand absentmindedly rubbed his forearms as you nursed your beer and placed your focus onto the game for the first time tonight.
The laughter seemed to escape from your chest naturally and effortlessly the entire night, as it always had a habit of doing when Chris was around. The camaraderie between him and his buddies during a game was something you’d grown to enjoy over the years. Chris’ competitive nature and the way his jaw clenched when something wasn’t going the way he wanted was always kinda...hot. All of his friends were huge assholes, but in the best way. It was always entertaining to hear them jab at each other and do what they could to rile someone up. They were the life of every party you had ever attended and they had a way of making a boring night a lot more interesting.
Thankfully (for the integrity of the bar) the Pats won the game with a surprise touchdown in the last 30 seconds of the game. Chris, being the guy he is, bought a final round for his friends and a nearby group they had been going back and forth with all night. You couldn’t help but laugh as he drunkenly leaned across the counter and slurred his order to the bartender.
“I need a round for m’friends and for these assholes over here who thought Tom Brady was anything but a winner!” the group started yelling in protest and he simply waved them off and started sliding beers down the bar.
The group eventually moved to a bigger round top so everyone could shoot the shit and banter about the outcome of the game. You were tucked into Chris’ side, hands intertwined as he was passionately discussing the importance of Brady’s legacy with a stranger who made the mistake of stopping to talk to him. Your eyes followed the motion of your thumb as it traced small circles onto the back of his. Your other hand under your chin, holding up the weight of your head as your exhaustion started to catch up with you. Chris, although slightly drunk, picked up on your body language and raised your hand to his lips for a kiss.
“Alright, fellas,” he said as he stood up from his seat, pulling you up with him, “the lady and I are gonna call it a night. See you boys next weekend”.
“Chris, we don’t have to go,” you began to protest as he tucked his jacket around your shoulders.
“Mm, ‘course we do,” he replied with a soft smile, “you’re so tired, baby. I can see it in those beautiful eyes”.
You could feel your cheeks turn a light shade of pink as you rolled your eyes at his attempt at laying it on thick. After what felt like a proper 10 minute goodbye session, the group said their final goodbyes, hugs included, and you walked out of the pub hand in hand.
The walk home was filled with the sounds of cars passing by and conversation of what each other had missed in the week prior. Small talk typically felt like such a chore, but with Chris every conversation came naturally. Even when he had absolutely no idea what you were talking about, he would listen intently and ask all the questions as if it was the most interesting conversation in the world.
The lock on the apartment door clicked as you pushed it open and entered. You smiled as you stopped into the middle of the living room, taking in the home you missed so dearly. A soft tapping of toenails against the hardwood made your heart soar as you met the eyes of your sweet pup, Dodger. A squeal left your lips as you squatted down to give love to the sweet boy. Chris always made fun of you when you came home, saying that you always seemed to miss Dodger more than you did him and I mean, he wasn’t entirely wrong about that statement.
Once again lost in your own world, you didn’t even notice Chris leaned up against the wall watching you with a smile.
“Oh my god,” you gushed, standing up, “do you like...like me or something?”
Chris grinned as he crossed the room and caught your belt loop with his finger, pulling you into him slowly.
“Yeah,” his voice had dropped down an octave, “you could say that”.
“Mm,” your tongue swiped across your lower lip and you wrapped your arms around his neck, “care to show me how much?”
The look in his eyes made your core burn. The tension building between you two became too much to handle as you crashed your lips into his. The kisses were messy and you could feel the sense of urgency between you two. His beard scratched against the column of your throat with a delicious burn as he left wet kisses across your jaw and down the side of your neck. Chris’ hands found their way back into the ass pockets of your jeans as he started walking you back towards the direction of the bedroom.
Soon, there was a trail of clothes leading to your bedroom and you felt very sorry for your neighbors. It had been a long time, but Chris always had a way of welcoming you home.
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moonlit-imagines · 4 years ago
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Misbehavior (Part 2)
Jason Todd x batkid!reader
warnings:
a/n:
prompt:
part 1
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Jason and you had completely lost track of time during the bonding session he’d enacted over ice cream, but that wasn’t a bad thing.
It was starting to get dark out, that meant that you’d have to start patrol soon.
“I guess we’d better get out of here.” You sighed while wiping melted ice cream off of your hands with a napkin.
“Yeah!” Jason slapped the table, making you jump back. “Yeah, we do! We’re going to see Bruce!”
“What are you going on about?” You asked while shoving your garbage together, a little intrigued by Jason’s sudden excitement to see Bruce. He was never excited to see Bruce. Ever.
“I’m gonna give that trust fund baby a piece of my mind.” Jason grabbed his trash and threw it away as he stormed out the door, giving you barely enough time to catch up. You rushed to the car and fell into the passenger seat, not even able to close the door before Jason his the gas. He had this look in his eyes, one that you only saw on special occasions. Like when Alfred makes margaritas.
“Wait give me your guns before we get anywhere near there.” You instructed as he swerved around three different cars. “And slow down, for god’s sake. Remember when Dick got in that car wreck? New stations ate that stuff up, we don’t need that kind of publicity again.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jason laughed at you as he flipped through the radio stations.
“Guns.” You demanded once more.
“Don’t have ‘em. Came unarmed. Because of the school.” You crossed your arms and stared at him until he noticed from the corner of his eye and groaned. “Under the seat.”
“Thank you.” You perkily answered while leaning over and fishing for his weapons. Crisis averted.
“Okay so, I’m gonna go in the Batcave and give Bruce a piece of my mind,” Jason explained over the blaring speakers, “I need you to stay nearby just in case he decides he’s sick of my shit and like, call’s Ra’s to undo my resurrection or something!”
“What?” You shouted back, trying not to laugh at his plan.
“Are you asking what did I say or are you asking what am I talking about?” You tried to reach for the volume knob, but Jason just pushed your hand away. “Don’t you dare turn my music down!”
“Jay, it’s a commercial!”
—————
Jason had stormed through the Manor full-speed while you loosely followed, wondering how this would turn out. The two of you arrived to the grandfather clock in no-time, Jason rotated the hands to open the wall.
“Why the fuck isn’t it opening?” Jason grumbled as you pushed him aside. “Don’t tell me he changed the code.
“You put in 10:46.” You poked the minute hand a smidge upwards and stepped back as the Batcave entrance revealed itself.
“So fuckin’ tedious.” Jason muttered while rushing down the stairs, leaving you to scramble after him. Your footsteps left an echo each time you hit the metal, which always scared you for some reason. Or maybe it was the fact that there were holes in the steps that revealed a drop into the great unknown. “Bruceeee!” Jason called into the cavern of delusional know as the “Batcave.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” The adoptive father that you had in common pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat before the Batcomputer. “What is it, Jason?” He asked, swiveling his seat to face the two of you. “Y/N, you should get ready for patrol.”
“No, no, no, y/n. Stay right there.” Jason commanded with his arm out, halting your from any further movement. “Bruce, are you fucking kidding me?”
“What’s the problem this time?” He asked bluntly, seeming to just barely care about Jason’s anger. I mean, he was usually like this, it wasn’t new or anything.
“This kid right here. This one.” Jason pointed to you. Well, to the right of you. You weren’t exactly where he thought you were behind him. “You need to start giving a shit, because man, this kid is special.”
“I care about all my children equally.” Bruce’s lies rolled right off of his tongue, it was fascinating.
“Bullshit, man!” Jason shouted back at his father, you were beginning to think this was more personal than ever. “I’ve been talking to this kid for like, six hours. Bullied, ignored, talented, badass, and some other stuff! But do you care about any of that? You didn’t even care enough to pick them up from school!” Jason’s face was starting to get a little red, you were contemplating whether or not you shoukd step in and give him a break.
“I had work to do, Jason. You know this.” Bruce was showing absolutely no remorse, it was sickening. Your stomach was literally turning whike you watched.
“If it were Tim or Damian you would’ve sprinted out the door, don’t even lie!” Jason replied, watching Bruce’s eyebrows lift up. “I barely knew y/n before today, and that sucks. That’s my little sibling, I should know more about them. Quick, tell me their middle name.” Your dad was silent, proving your brother’s point. “Uh-huh. It’s m/n.”
“Jason, you’re out of line—” Bruce attempted to scold, but you couldn’t win that game with Jason Todd.
“I’m bot finished yet!” He snapped. “I fuckin’ love this kid. No joke, love ‘em. How can you not?” Listening to this boosted your ego more than you’d like to admit, you weren’t used to all this praise. “That’s my little sibling,” he repeated, “that’s family that gets it.” Before he could go on, a few more of your siblings entered the cave.
“What’s going on here?” Tim asked, triggering a vein-pop in Jason’s forehead.
“Wouldn’t you like to know, replacement?” He rolled his eyes and looked over to you, who was actually doing the same! Heartwarming how that happens.
“Jason has decided to lecture me on how I parent my children.” Bruce answered Tim’s question in such a generalized way that your brother just couldn’t stand for.
“Y/N’s been getting bullied at school and he doesn’t give a single fuck!” Jason announced the the Batclan.
“You didn’t have to tell them that part, Jay.” You whispered while tugging on his sleeve.
“Oh, yes I did. It’s a sympathy tactic.” He whispered back and went on with his speech. “He doesn’t pay any attention to y/n. None of you do! That’s no way to treat one of your own!”
“Get over it, Todd.” Damian clicked his teeth and shoved right past you two, ready to get on with patrol.
“Well, if that’s how you feel then fine! Y/N, pack your shit, you’re staying with me tonight. It’s too crowded in this stupid mansion anyway.” Jason rested a hand on your back and led you out of the cave. “Gonna stop me, Bruce? Didn’t think so.”
taglist: @thatwaspossession // @ravenmoore14 // @thisetaernallove // @kinoko-kai //
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rosepetalmark · 4 years ago
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too soon.
↬ Jung Jaehyun x Reader ↬2.5k Words ↬Warnings: Mentions of alcohol ↬ Got in my feels one night listening to Keshi so this is inspired by his song “2 soon”
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It hurt not having you there. After the breakup, which you both decided was amicable, something inside him snapped. 
At first, he let the sadness take over him. He knew these were all normal emotions to process once a breakup occurred, so he let himself mourn his loss. Just because you both decided you needed to focus on yourselves and careers, doesn’t mean it didn’t pain him knowing you wouldn’t be the first person he was able to hug when he got home from work, let alone kiss you whenever he looked your way. 
Most days he tried to distract himself, divulging himself into non stop practise, trying to work harder for the groups latest comeback, rather than drown in sorrow over his want for you and your relationship. 
Weeks had passed, and so did his urge to drink. At first he thought one shot would do, take the edge off and distract him from his thoughts and cheer him up a little, but five more shots later he was dizzy, sad, and still thinking of you. 
He reached for his phone several times in that moment, glancing at your name that’s been untouched for almost two months, desperately wanting to call you and ask if you’re doing well. If you miss him. If you still love him and much as he loves you. 
But each time he stopped himself, something within his heart knowing that you needed this time to heal as well. Hell, maybe you’ve already healed and want nothing to do with him. But he doesn’t know that, and he doesn’t want to know that. He just wants to be with you. 
And he knows this isn’t a healthy mentality to have. You both made it known that his career is at a very pivotal point, and that’s what he needs to be focusing on until he feels he is stable enough in his career to balance both being an idol, and a caring boyfriend to you. 
So each time he’s alone and in his thoughts, he gets wasted and cries about how he lost you, and how he wants nothing more than to put his career aside than to be with you. If you ever heard him say those words, he knows you’d be upset, wanting his happiness and career to be put first. It came before you after all, and you never wanted to be the reason for his career ever taking a negative turn. 
It wasn’t until he was at a yearly company party SM threw in December to not only celebrate Christmas, but all the successful comebacks and promotions each of their artists have done throughout the majority of the year. They may have worked NCT and Jaehyun to the bone this year, and this was just the slightest form of appreciation they had to offer. 
Yuta and Mark were joking about the time Jaehyun snuck you into one of SM’s after parties after the Golden Disk awards last year, focusing more on you than his friends and groupmates, never leaving your side or your lips for the matter; prompting him to drunkenly declare his love for you in front of the dozens of other celebrities surrounded in the same room as you all. 
Jaehyun was embarrassed when he remembered the next day, but you on the other hand thought it was sweet.  Knowing that he didn’t care what his repercussions were at the moment, only wanting to declare his love for you not only to you, but to those he's closest with and who know how hard it is to find love and maintain it in such a hectic and invasive career.
He got so drunk at this year’s party, that he locked himself in one of the building's bathrooms, tears streaming down his face because he knew the alcohol was not enough. It will never be enough. Alll he wants is you. 
Taking his phone out of his jacket pocket, he scrolled down to your name, and pressed “Call”. Knowing it was a long shot that you’d answer, considering you don’t have to associate with him if you didn’t want to, along with the fact that it was shortly after 1am, with you probably being fast asleep. 
With just two rings in, a soft “Hello” came from his speaker, nothing that you did in fact answer and were awake. 
“Hi.” Was all he managed to speak out, soft hiccups emerging from his throat, his cheeks getting hotter by the second as he doesn’t know what he’s going to say to you, let alone what you’re going to say back to him. 
“Are you okay Jaehyun? It’s 1am.”
Wiping his tears, he didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t outright blurt out everything he was thinking and feeling the past few months, not wanting to scare you away from the intense emotions he was feeling as of late. 
“I don’t think I am.” He spoke softly, loosening his tie as it was constricting him from breathing properly through his intense tears.
“I miss you, like a lot.” He said between gulps, trying to calm down but his hiccups having other plans for him. “And I know we said this was for the best, but us breaking up has been eating me alive and I can’t stop thinking about you and us and it just really sucks.”
“It’s been two months Jaehyun.” You say, not knowing exactly how to process how he’s feeling. “Why didn’t you call me earlier if everything’s been bothering you so much?”
“I didn’t want to bother you. I wanted to give you space and let you live your life without coming off as some pathetic loser who needs you all the time.”
“Well, you’re not a pathetic loser, Jung Jaehyun. You’re a human being who lives a hectic life, one with feelings who deserves to feel and process and be comforted whenever something’s going on in your life. Don’t ever feel bad about it.”
Processing your voice, Jaehyun couldn’t help feel the comfort and peace that flowed through his body whenever you spoke to him. You always knew what to say, and even when you didn’t, your presence was just as reassuring. 
“I miss you too, by the way.”
“You do?” He cries, trying his best to wipe his tears while maintaining his attention on your voice. “I thought if I called and you heard me like this you’d for sure be happy we broke up.”
“Breakups are painful Jaehyun. I can’t even imagine how you feel because I know you don’t have many people to talk about things so it must hurt to bottle things up.”
Which was true. Jaehyun kept your relationship a secret for six months before even letting his managers know, slowly waiting for the company’s okay with your relationship, but not wanting for it to be public. He never wanted to do that to you, hound you with the harassment and chaos that came attached to an idol. It was already bad enough when two idols dated, let alone when one dated a non- celebrity, fans worked even harder to learn everything and anything they could, potentially harming anyone at hand. 
Jaehyun first told Johnny when you two started dating, the smirk on his face never once fading whenever the mention of you came up. The rest of the members slowly began to find out, each congratulating him that he finally found someone who made him smile, and wasn’t with him because he was famous. Anyone he attempted dating in the past either wanted him for his fame, or was someone in the industry who wouldn’t shut up about the industry. 
Dating you was like a breath of fresh air, because compared to his hectic life, you were just a regular, comforting human being. You worked a part time job at the mall, attended university and were studying to be a social worker, and had a great obsession with baking banana bread. 
Whenever Jaehyun was with you, you reminded him of what it’s like to be a normal human being, not an idol stripped of all his talent, time, and energy to make a company even more rich and successful than they already were.
And it wasn’t to say you lived a boring life, but compared to him everything you’ve done and experienced was so mundane. Nothing made Jaehyun happier than when he showed you the tiny details that go on in an idols life, such as where he practises, to where he and the rest of NCT record their songs, even taking you behind the stages of award shows and comeback stages-wanting you to see the full effect and experience up close, rather than on a tv or in a dressing room away from all the magic. 
You were the clarity and compassion in Jaehyun’s life and it absolutely shattered him whenever you were unable to be with him when your lives and commitments came first. 
When you both decided it was necessary for you to break up, Mark was the first person who found out. Jaehyun entered the dorm quietly, his cap covering his eyes and mask slightly rising up the bridge of his nose, only exposing about a centimetre of his face. 
Mark knew better than to ask what was wrong, as past experiences with Jaehyun being angry never ended too well, so he gave him some space. But three days after entering the dorm pissed off and not leaving his room once, Mark took it upon himself to check up on him, only to find him curled up in a ball on his bed sobbing, discovering that you two broke up and clearly he wasn’t taking it well. 
It took him about 6 days before he left his bed to finally shower and eat something that wasn’t a granola bar or cereal stashed in his room or brought in by Mark, and 9 days for him to finally tell everyone why he was so distant and upset. 
Obviously, everyone was saddened that you wouldn’t be spending time with them anymore, but ultimately were hurting for Jaehyun as well, as they knew you meant a great deal to him, and losing you meant losing all the plans and dreams he had for wanting to marry you one day. 
Obviously not in the near future, but in around 5 years, when you were well out of school and had a full time job, and when Nct was well off enough to not be promoting as often as they had their first several years as a group; only ever promoting or touring for a portion of the year, rather than having breaks for a few weeks every few months. 
It took all the strength in Jaehyun’s body not to call you every night after you broke up, but clearly that did not work because here he was, unfortunately consumed by alcohol he used to help cope with the pain for the past several weeks, drunk and sobbing to you. 
“It’s just been really hard. I know we said it’s for the best but I hate not having you in my life. I miss going for food with you at 2am when you’re stressed about your assignments. I miss giving you long hugs when we go long periods of time without seeing each other and- fuck! I just am so in love and want to be with you the rest of my life and I hate how I let myself become so attached to you and this relationship but I cannot go on knowing there’s a chance you’re going to fall in love with someone one day and I won’t be that man marrying you or being the father of your children or holding you when you’ve had a hard day.”
“Wow, you’re really drunk.” You say, hugging your pillow to your chest because no one has ever uttered such raw, loving words to you before and you cannot help but fight off the urge to cry because you too, want that life for the both of you one day. 
“Yeah I know. I’m surprised I said all that right now because I’ve been fighting the urge to call you every night because I wanted to give you space.”
“I want all that with you, Jaehyun. I want us to get married and have three kids and two dogs and I want you to help teach them all how to read and for them to make you play dress up with them and have tea parties and make sand castles. I’m still in love with you and always will be so please don’t be sorry or surprised you’re feeling this way because we both know we deserve to be with each other.”
“I want you so much.”
“Do you want me to come see you? Just so we can talk and I can make sure you’re doing okay?”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I get if it feels weird or it’s too late.” He didn’t want to pressure you into doing anything, especially the need to take care of him when he’s drunk and sad and completely in love with you. You’re not his babysitter, nor his girlfriend for the matter- you are not inclined to care for him or even see him because he’s a mess. 
But you still want to. Because even though you haven’t spoken in weeks, you know that Jaehyun is the love of his life, and hearing him be so sad and lonely is more than heartbreaking. It’s complete agony. 
“Nothing is too late or too weird when it comes to you. I want to hug you and never let you go and tuck you in bed and make sure you’re safe and happy when you go to bed.”
“I’ll meet you back at my dorm if that’s okay? If I’m at this party any longer I’ll go absolutely insane.”
“I’ll see you there, Jaehyun. Please be safe and text me when you leave.”
“Of course, anything for you. And thank you, for even just listening. You’re an angel and I can’t wait to see you in a few minutes.” He chimed, shortly ending the call after he said those last statements to you. 
Jaehyun doesn’t know for certain where his future with you stands, but he’s okay with that. He’s seeing you soon, and you just confessed that you’re still in love with him and want a future with him, and that’s all he needs.
His conversation with you managed to clear his mind and body out of the abundance of alcohol that once consumed him, his attention  and newfound excitement now focused solely on seeing you, touching you, just being with you. He quickly ordered himself a cab, not even saying goodbye to his members, beyond ecstatic to be within your presence. 
And for now, that’s all he could ever ask for. 
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fattuccini-afraido · 3 years ago
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Tw: one shot, swearing, suicidal thoughts mention, mentions of bullying, mentions of child neglect, mentions of child abuse, mentions of discrimination, if I missed something, let me know
Requested by @princeasimdiya12
8:30 in the morning. Hundreds of children from ages 6 to 18 would already be there, ready to learn new information at school. At least, that’s how it was supposed to be, but the truth was, hundreds of exhausted children from ages 6 to 18 only wanted to eat lunch and sleep the day away. As they were sitting on their desks, an announcement was given through the speakers.
“All students are requested to go to the gym immediately for assembly.”
Sighs and groans filled every room in the school, immaturity out and in the open, but they heart-heavily walked their way to the gym, which reeked of sweat and jocks, and sat down on the squeaky clean wooden floor.
The atmosphere changed in a very second once the doors opened, and along with the headmistress and her secretary there they were. Pro heroes. Two of the most esteemed ones, even.
The headmistress stood in front of the microphone and introduced them, though there was no need. There wasn’t a soul in the entire country who didn’t know who they were. Deku, after politely thanking her, replaced her, but unlike her, he grabbed the microphone and sat on the floor to be closer to the students.
‘H-hey’ he said with an anxious smile, a hand on the back of his neck.
‘Um…sorry, I’m a bit nervous. It’s funny that after all these years I have stage fright. Hehehe. Let’s start from the beginning. Um, Dynamight, I call him Kacchan, and I went to school together.’
Bakugou gave a small and angry wave to the crowd from he was sitting. Midoriya panicked for a second.
‘I-I MEAN, NOT THIS ONE, NOT THIS ONE’ he realized how he had reacted and hurriedly tried to calm himself down with a sigh.
‘Sorry.’ He once again gave a cute, awkward smile which clearly said “hehe, I messed up” to the public, who listened intently. Katsuki’s foot started shaking a bit out of clear irritation.
‘So. Kacchan and I went to school together. I don’t mean UA, though we were together there as well. I mean in Junior High School. That’s actually why he came with me, though I’ll probably be the only one talking. This is really hard for me to talk about, so give me a second.’
He sighed and his expression changed. He was serious. It was exciting because that’s how he looked in fights.
‘I…I don’t have a lot of confidence in myself. I’ve worked it out a lot back when I was studying in the UA, and I’m still trying to have more self-steem, so I go to therapy as well. One of the reasons why is because I was born quirkless.’ A collective gasp took over the room.
‘I managed to get mine eventually, but I had to put a lot of effort into that, and because I was quirkless I was treated like a fragile, lesser person than those who had quirks. Doctors told me to give up on my dreams of being a hero who could save people with a smile, like All Might, and I was bullied a lot for most of my childhood and preteen years. So much shit happened, sorry for swearing, kids. I guess you can imagine how much my life was affected because of these kinds of things. My self-esteem and confidence. And it wasn’t because I didn’t have a quirk, not for the most part, at least. It was because of the discrimination I faced. So, I came here to give you a Ted Talk of sorts. I’ll take questions or testimonies now. Sorry that it’s so serious.’
It was dead silent for a while, the visit taking a darker turn than expected, but eventually, a single hand was raised.
‘There’s a classmate of mine who’s quirkless, and pretty much every day I walk into class their desk is all scribbled out with things like “die”, “quirkless whore”, or things like that. They’re always alone, and people throw their notebooks to the pond or take their shoes. I’ve…never done anything about it because I don’t want to be bullied too, but I hate it.’
‘Thank you for sharing’ said Izuku. ‘I hope you support your classmate from now on and stand up for other quirkless people, ok?’
Slowly, one by one, more hands rose. Questions were asked, testimonies of bystanders with a guilty conscience were given, and finally, one person spoke out.
‘Hi. Um, I’m Satou. I mean my name’s Satou!’
‘Hi, Satou-kun’ said Deku sweetly.
‘...’
‘Don’t be nervous, it’s ok. I won’t judge.’ Satou arranged his posture in determination, but he seemed to tear up.
‘I’m quirkless’ his voice breaking ‘and my entire family has been pro heroes for generations. Except my dad, his quirk was too weak, so he couldn’t be one, and he wanted me to be the pro heroe that he couldn’t be. But now he won’t talk to even though we live in the same house. And when he does speak to me, he always yells at me and he breaks stuff.’
‘I’m so sorry, Satou-kun.’
‘I used to be bullied too, until last year, when I made some friends and they’ve always defended me. And I’m so thankful for them, but they don’t get it. And It makes me feel so lonely, but also like I’m a bad person for thinking that, and I-’ he began crying. ‘and I want to die everyday.’
Deku, ever so gently, put the microphone down and on the floor, and stood up. As he walked, eyes of consternated students followed the steps of his shadow. Once he was where he wanted to be, he leanedown and asked;
‘Satou-kun, is it ok if I hug you?’
As Satou nodded desperately, his small body was surrounded by the kind arms of the heroe and he cried.
‘It’s okay, Satou-kun’ Izuku whispered so only he could hear. ‘It’s okay, I know what you mean. I wanted to die once, too.’
Satou’s eyes widden in shock, but his tiny figure wrapped his arms as far as he could reach in a hug, unaware that the pro heroe’s eyes watered as well.
‘Do think it would be ok if I talked to your dad for you? I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you.’
‘Ok’
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jatphantomsimagines · 4 years ago
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Before Us (1) | Luke Patterson
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Synopsis: In 1995, Sunset Curve was set to play The Orpheum. 25 years later they wake up in a whole new world and Luke finds somebody he once used to know.
Authors Note: So this is the official first part. I hope you guys enjoy!
START | NEXT
__/—–\__
It was the night. The night that would change all of their lives. In less than three hours, Luke and his band would be performing a sold out show at The Orpheum, the place where bands became legendary. Johanna listened to the sounds of her boyfriend’s band doing their soundcheck and couldn’t help but feel so incredibly proud of everything they had worked for and everything they had achieved. 
She knew how much this meant to Luke, she had been through it all with him. From the moment they had started dating, she had become the band's first unofficial groupie. She wore their merch, handed out flyers, listened to their music. Anything she could do, she did. All in an effort to prove to Luke that living his dream was what he needed to be doing. 
The music finished, the last chords fading out on the speakers and Johanna quickly started clapping, moving her hands to cup around her mouth so she could cheer loudly. It was all done in order to prepare the boys for the crowd that would be there later that night. She watched the smile on Luke’s face grow wider, and laughed loudly as he jumped down from the front of the stage. He ran over, picking her up and spinning before setting her back down. 
“Babe, that was incredible.” She kissed his lips absentmindedly, not being able to help herself when the two of them were in such close proximity to each other. 
“Just wait until there’s a huge crowd, Jo. It’s going to be amazing. The energy when we play, it’s exhilarating.”
Johanna smiled and rolled her eyes at her boyfriend’s over exaggerations. It didn’t bother her at all when Luke interlocked his fingers with her own and dragged her over to where Reggie and Alex were ruining any chance Bobby had at getting the number of the girl who was wiping down the tables. 
“You guys are really good! I see a lot of bands, been in a couple myself. I was really feeling it.” She spoke up. 
“That’s what we do this for. I’m Luke, by the way.” Luke turned to Johanna, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. “This is my girlfriend Johanna.” 
The rest of the boys introduced themselves to the girl, Reggie openly flirting as he handed the girl a copy of the demo and a t-shirt that was much too big on her when she lifted it up to herself. 
“Don’t you guys have to go get hotdogs?” Bobby said, interrupting them before they could continue to talk to her. 
“Yeah,” Luke paused turning to the girl, “he had a hamburger for lunch.” 
Johanna followed behind the boys, pausing when she realized what Bobby had mentioned they were going to go get and eat. She couldn’t help it as her stomach flipped, the thought of eating those nasty hotdogs making her want to wash her mouth out. The last time she had one she took one bite and had immediately spit it out onto the floor of the garage. Luke had laughed extra loud that time. 
“Are you not coming babe?” Luke stopped as he noticed the absence beside him, having expected to see his girlfriend beside him. Johanna shook her head as Luke took a few steps back towards her so he could be next to her again. 
“I’ll stick around here till the show so I can make sure I get the best spot.” She winked, causing Luke to grin widely. 
“Haha cute, you just don’t want hotdogs.” He inched closer to her, his arms naturally finding their way around her waist and pulling her so their chests were touching. 
“Correction, I don’t want hotdogs from the back of some dude's car.”
“But babe!” 
“No Lucas.” She pecked him lightly before patting her hands against his chest. 
“I love you, Jo.” His tone of voice had changed, Luke’s voice dripping nothing but honesty and sincerity. 
“I love you, Luke.” She kissed the boy once more before watching him run away to go and meet up with his friends. They made their way out of the building and Johanna smiled, jumping at the sound of another voice.
“You two are cute.” Johanna turned, blushing and having been slightly embarrassed to have been caught being so open with her boyfriend in public. 
“Sorry about that, I didn’t think anybody was paying attention to us.”
“It’s all good, I’m Rose.” The girl smiled, outstretching her hand and Johanna took it excitedly. 
Without thinking, the two girls instantly engaged in conversation, Johanna telling Rose all about what it was like to act as the boys groupie. As she went on and on, she found herself talking about Luke, and about how he would find ways to be around her whenever he was writing music. He always looked to her first, always asked questions, and got opinions. 
Rose spoke up, explaining her process of songwriting and Johanna found herself enamored by the girl. The way she spoke so openly, her energy calming and allowing Johanna to completely relax and let her guard down. 
The two of them talked and talked, about anything and everything they thought of. Music, bands, life, what they were planning to do, what they were experiencing in their separate paths. Rose was interesting, and Johanna could tell as she laughed at a joke the other spit out that the two of them were going to be good friends. 
Neither of them paid much attention to the venue around them, that was until the paramedics burst in. Johanna’s head turned quickly, just noticing the sirens and lights coming in from the now open door. Rose’s face clouded over with confusion and she motioned to Johanna to follow her as she tracked the paramedics down to one of the back rooms. 
“What’s going on?” She asked, walking up to one of the other workers who were present. He was just about to open his mouth to explain why the ambulances had shown up when the first stretcher was pushed out of the room. 
Reggie writhed in pain, holding his stomach and gasping out. Johanna gasped and put her hands over her mouth, her eyes shooting into the room to try to catch a glimpse of him. She needed to know if he was in there. 
“Luke!” She called out, her feet moving towards the door. Arms reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back so she wouldn’t be in the way. Tears welled up in her eyes and a sob left her lips as Luke came out on the second stretcher. 
He was in pain. She could see it immediately in the way his face was screwed up and the sweat caused his hair to stick to his forehead. Without thinking she ran over and took Luke’s hand, his eyes opening immediately and locking with her own. 
“Jo.” He gasped, hissing in pain as her name escaped his lips. 
“Luke, oh my god, no no no.” She moved with the stretcher, following it to the door and holding Luke’s hand the entire way there. 
“I love you.” The words were whispered out and before Johanna could follow the paramedics out and to the ambulance, arms came out and gripped her shoulders. Johanna cried out again, watching the boy she loved as he finally lost consciousness. Tears were now falling down her cheeks rapidly, Alex finally passing on the last stretcher. 
“Hey,” Rose’s voice rang out in her ears. “It’s gonna be okay, I’m right here.” 
`
Riley maneuvered her way down the hall, pushing through the clumps of students and huffing as they continued to get in her way. She continued to walk, finally seeing the two familiar heads of her best friends. She approached the two of them standing next to the lockers and heard Julie laugh. 
“There’s that smile, now let’s go prove everybody wrong.” Flynn’s voice echoed around the hallway and it made Riley smile. She swung her arms around each of their shoulders and pinched Julie’s cheek lightly. 
“What a beautiful smile, mi cielo.” Julie rolled her eyes at the compliment, taking Riley’s words with a grain of salt. The nickname had been something she had said for as long as she had known the other, hearing Julie’s mom once call her by the name and adapting it quickly. “So do you know what you’re doing today?” 
“As I just told Flynn, I’ll know in the moment.” Julie responded. The three of them began walking in the direction of their music class, Riley’s arms still resting up on their shoulders. The girls were silent, content to just fill the silence with the sound of their footsteps. 
Julie had been having a hard time, after her mother had passed away. Her friends felt for her, Riley especially, as she had already lost her mother at a young age. It was their moms that had been friends, and initiated their friendship when they had been young. 
After Riley’s mom passed, her dad used to send her over to Julie’s after school to be babysat while he was at work. Now that the former was old enough to look after herself, he didn’t keep tabs on her all the time, but there was an unspoken agreement between them that a text would be sent whenever there was a change in plans and if someone would be out a little late. 
Riley snapped her attention back to reality as she and the other two girls headed into the classroom. The seats were set up in rows as normal, the girls quickly linking in the middle and claiming three seats completely to themselves. 
Flynn and Riley whispered to each other, discussing plans for after school about what they would be doing when they got to their respective homes. Riley had been planning on having a movie night, provided she finished all her homework, but was tempted to leave that behind when Flynn suggested the two of them should head to the mall. 
Of course Julie was invited, and the girls would never turn her down if she wanted to come, but staying at home had become a habit of hers recently. She had become more reserved, even refusing to perform in their music class. 
It had been so long since Julie had played anything, memories of her and the girl playing on the piano with Julie’s mom. Of course music had been a big thing in both of their lives, Julie’s mom helping both of them discover their talents and how to utilize them. 
It was Julie’s mom who inspired both of the girls to get into music. Of course her own mother had a love for it as well, Riley having been through some of her things in the past and seeing the songs she had written in her life. 
Riley looked up as Nick began performing on his guitar, a tune ringing out in the class and swallowing all of the students. Everybody sat enamored by the boy, Riley turning her head and seeing Julie looking at him in awe. Her crush was incredibly obvious and Riley playfully nudged her. 
It was time for Julie to go up and perform for the class, taking her seat at the piano. The teacher told her to take her time, knowing how hard it was on Julie to be sitting in front of everybody. Riley sat there, her hands clasped together and a quiet pray leaving her lips. 
“I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” Julie grabbed her things quickly and before Flynn or Riley could stop her she was gone. She left the classroom in a hurry. 
“I’ve got her.” Riley said, following after her best friend and chasing her down in the hallway. 
Riley followed behind the girl, tracking her down the hallway and seeing her sitting on the ground in front of her locker. Riley sighed, putting her hands in her jacket pockets and walking towards the girl. She didn’t say anything as she sat down next to Julie, bringing her knees up to her chest and staring at the courtyard in front of them. 
“I’m sorry.” 
“Don’t start with me, Molina. You do not get to apologize for working through your own stuff.” Riley reached out and gripped Julie’s hand tightly in her own, forcing the girl to look her in the eyes. “It takes time to recover, trust me Julie, I’ve been through it myself.” 
A few tears trickled down Julie’s face, and Riley didn’t hesitate to pull her friend into a hug. Julie gripped tightly onto the back of Riley’s jacket as she rubbed her back. The two of them stayed like that for a moment, Riley comforting Julie until her tears subsided. 
“Thank you.” 
“It’s what I’m here for.” Riley chuckled lightly, wiping Julie’s cheeks with her thumbs. “Mi cielo, don’t let these tears stain your cheeks.” 
Julie laughed now, rolling her eyes at Riley’s babying and pushed her away slightly. Riley smiled widely, glad to see her friend in better spirits after letting her feelings out. She stood, stretching her hand out to Julie who was still sitting on the floor. 
“You know you’re going to be the death of me one day.” Julie gripped her hand and pulled herself into a standing position. 
“Ahah, honey I’m the one who’s taking care of you.” Riley swung an arm around Julie’s shoulder as the two of them began walking together.
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forthemorefortunate · 4 years ago
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Live Like Animals
Nessian Modern AU
Merry Chris-  er, happy New Year to my secret snowflake!  @ncssian 💕😅
I hope you like the fic! I’ll be honest, when I filled out the application for the secret snowflake, I said I could make a fic believing that it was very unlikely somebody would ask for one 🥴🤔 But lemme say, I LOVED writing this, which is definitely something I didn’t expect. More than that, I’ve never been much of a Nesta or Nessian fan, but actually thinking through their characters and interactions for this fic gave me a whole new perspective on and appreciation for them (even if I’m not the best at writing their characters, aha), so thank you!
A few quick things about the fic:
(Ik I already told you this, but for anybody else reading this aha) This is my first fic! So please take it easy on me 🥺👉🏻👈🏻
Okay so this part is kind of weird, but there’s kind of a corresponding playlist 😅 Each part is named after a song. You can play the songs while reading or not, I know for me personally (*cough* my ADHD ass) it’s hard to listen to music and read at the same time. The title is also the name of a song! Except that one is more random, haha (I couldn’t think of a title, so I shuffled my entire library and chose the first song as the title, and it kinda worked so I went with it)
One more quick thing – thanks to @moussescientist @ko0mbayamylord @blxckbeak @chanberry @mikitheswiftie @potatoburp @dead-on-the-inside666 @queenoffortunes and two anons for answering a question, and a HUGE thanks to Skye, @oneoutofamillionbooklovers for all your help and for roleplaying the parts I got stuck on with me ❤️
Part 1: Distant Early Warning (Rush)
Nesta pulled the dress over her head, letting it slide into place over her body. Screw this, she thought for the millionth time, yet she continued to get herself ready, turning to glance at her reflection when she was finished. She raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly at the woman looking back through the mirror. The woman Nesta spied had on a satin slip dress, darkest blue. She wore no jewelry save for the small silver studs in her ears, and her hair was pulled into a neat-yet-simple updo.
Why Nesta even agreed to go to this party she didn’t know. There was nothing different about it, just another college booze fest. The music would be too loud, the air too heavy, the guys too grabby, and the company too... clubby. Feyre insisted that she would fit right into her friend group – her clique – but Nesta wasn’t sure she wanted that. She padded over to the door of her apartment. No, Nesta was quite certain that “fitting in” with Feyre’s newfound friends was something she didn’t care for at all.
Nesta’s phone buzzed on her kitchen counter as she slipped on a pair of black heels, and she picked up to Feyre’s forcibly perky voice. “Hey! We just pulled up, you coming?”
“No.” Response blunt, tone dry. The line was silent for a long moment, and Nesta held in a sigh. “Did I give you the impression that I was interested in coming?”
“Nesta, I’m not in the mood for fucking around,” Feyre said, perkiness mysteriously faded now. “It’s just one party! I promise you’ll have fun.” Bullshit.
“Since when have I ever-”
“And everyone else really wants you to come, too!” Feyre cut her off, “Rhys is excited to meet you!”
Rhys. Feyre’s boyfriend. Nesta groaned inwardly, truly dreading any interaction with the rugby star. Feyre had immediately caught the eye of the local heartthrob, and the two began a serious relationship shortly after meeting. And with one came the others. In high school they would have been labeled “popular.” They were quite possibly the closest group of friends at the college, almost all of them having known each other since childhood. And Feyre had slipped right in among them. Nesta had warned Feyre against making the tight pack of fourth-years her main group of friends, and she had her own opinions about a freshman dating a senior, but Feyre didn’t make a habit of following Nesta’s advice. Rather, she seemed to think she could give Nesta – a third-year – much more valuable guidance. Domineering bitch.
“I don’t give a shit about your friends, Feyre. I’m only coming because of our deal,” Nesta said. Feyre had been pestering her all semester, spewing crap about how Nesta and Feyre should spend more time together. Nesta should get out more. Nesta should tag along with Feyre’s friend group. Nesta should have some fun. 
More bullshit. 
As second semester began, Feyre had proposed a deal: Nesta would go to one party with Feyre and her buddies, and if she honestly didn’t enjoy it, Feyre would stop asking her to join them. 
“I’m on my way. Let’s just get it over with,” Nesta grumbled, and with that, she hung up the phone and opened the apartment door.
Part 2: Can You Afford to Be An Individual? (Nothing but Thieves
Nesta looked around the group of fourth-years–plus Feyre–arranged in front of her. Introductions were unnecessary; you couldn’t attend this school without knowing who they were. Her eyes fell first upon Rhys, his arm around Feyre’s waist. His chin lifted slightly as she made eye contact. Rhys: double major in history and foreign policy. President of the astrology club. Captain of the rugby team, possibly one of the best players the school had ever seen. He was the group leader, though nobody said it aloud. Nesta knew him well. Perhaps she only knew his type well, or her own perception of his type, but that didn’t keep her from holding his gaze a few moments longer than would be comfortable. Then she turned her scrutiny on his sidekicks, so she called them, Cassian and Azriel. The former wore jeans and a baggy black jacket over his rugby uniform in the school colors: black and red. The latter wore black pants with a dark blue button-down shirt untucked.
Cassian smirked as her eyes met his. “Glad you decided to make an appearance,” he drawled. She narrowed her eyes at him, and his smile widened in response. Cocky bastard. Azriel, double majoring in political science and criminology, simply nodded at her in greeting.
After the sidekicks came Rhys’s cousin Mor, an architecture major with a minor in design. She was entirely too peppy in a way that left Nesta exhausted, but Nesta wouldn’t give her satisfaction by scoffing at her cocked hip and half-grin, ostensibly projecting confidence. She held Mor’s stare, matching her asserted confidence with a cool security in her own assets. The half-smile twisted, just slightly, and Nesta moved on to the short girl farthest to the right: Amren.
Amren scared people. As in, people were genuinely freaked out by her. Aside from a few cultish tendencies, her occasional propensity for violence and/or verbal outbursts, and her sharp expression, though, Nesta couldn’t tell why. Amren majored in gemology and minored in linguistics, and was the only one in the group other than Feyre to have not known the others since they were little. In fact, she was studying here from abroad, though nobody actually knew where she was from. Unlike Mor, Amren presented a confidence that Nesta could believe in and respect. Nesta maintained her chilled posture, but let the bite in her expression retreat.
As for Feyre’s introducing Nesta, that was unnecessary as well. They all knew her; most upperclassmen did. Or rather they knew of her, by the name of heinous bitch. If she were being honest with herself, she didn’t mind the nickname.
“Okay,” Feyre started, her voice expectant as she tilted her chin to look at Rhys’s face, “Let’s head in?” Feyre, Rhys, and Nesta had met up with the rest of the group in the parking lot before they entered the party. Fashionably late, Feyre had told her on the drive in Rhys’s tesla. Rhys taught me that the key to maintaining his public image is in making grand entrances. God, Nesta wanted to laugh at Rhys’s influence over her.
As they entered the building holding the party Nesta immediately stiffened, and had to close her eyes for a moment against the harsh blue and purple lights cast by PAR cans. All senses at once were smacked by the presence of weed. The floor was vibrating, and speakers blasted near-deafening music so that all Nesta could really hear was thunder. Jesus Christ, I hate parties, she thought. A mass of sweaty bodies shifted and bounced through the too-heavy air ahead of her, some only silhouettes in the murky haze, through which Nesta saw red solo cups littering every possible surface. Suddenly she noticed Feyre standing next to her, fidgeting with her clutch and looking over expectantly. Nesta shot her a withering look that said, “This is not what we agreed to.” Feyre had the nerve to look guilty.
“Okay before you say anything,” Feyre began, “I know that look, and... I know this is a bit bigger than we talked about-”
“A bit?! This is a rager, Feyre. Do I look like I rage?”
“Okay no, but I promise Rhys and I have a plan.” Oh my God.
Nesta gave her another glare and plucked a cup off a nearby table. Sniffing it, she sighed and took a big swig. “Please, my dearest sister, do tell.”
“We’re going with a buddy system.”
Nesta coughed. “A buddy system – are you fucking kidding me?” She spied Rhys and his dickhead friends in the corner of her eye. “Wow, are arts and crafts before or after beer pong?”
Feyre rolled her eyes, calling a fresh wave of frustration to roll over Nesta. “Can you shut it with the attitude, Nesta? I already apologized for the crowd of people – it kind of got out of hand. Rhys told me before we left but I didn’t want to scare you out of coming.” She gave Nesta a pleading look.
“Tch, whatever. Who’s my buddy? I assume you’ll be with Rhys?”
Feyre beamed at her. “You’re paired up with Cassian!”
“Cassian.” Great. Alpha dickhead.
“Don’t be like that. He knows his way around these things and he’ll keep you from accidentally overdosing or blacking out.” 
“Who said that wasn’t my intention?” 
Feyre scrunched her face up. “Either way, you can’t deny that he’s bigger and taller than half the creepy guys here. He’ll keep unwanted attention away.” 
Nesta watched as Rhys, lead hulking rugby bro dickhead, caught sight of her sister and eyed her with what might have been lust or love – Nesta couldn’t decide. Cassian, approaching from Rhys’s side, cut Nesta a slow, purposeful look down and back up to her face. She felt an annoying tingle down her spine as the crowds parted for them. This was going to be a long night.
Part 3: Inhaler (Foals)
They had been at the party for less than ten minutes and Nesta already wanted to leave. Drink in hand, she aimlessly wandered around the outskirts of the crowd, hoping to find a place to sit farther from the lights that drowned out any rational thought that flashed through her brain. Cassian trailed a few steps behind.
“So, what do you do for fun?”
She twisted around to glare at him. “Why are you talking to me?”
Cassian puffed out a laugh and spread his arms wide, responding, “If you don’t recall, we’re kind of stuck together, darling.”
Right. Nesta rolled her eyes. “How could I forget?” Cassian left the question hanging, still following her, so she forged on. “I like to read. A concept that’s probably foreign to you.” She dodged a young couple parting from the fray to make out against the wall, and paused to reorient herself.
“You might be surprised.” Nesta groaned inwardly and arched a brow. “Oh I have no doubt.”
“None at all?”
“What. Are you on volume seven of Captain Underpants?”
“Volume eight, actually.”
Nesta stopped. She was pissed. Pissed at this party, pissed at Feyre for lying about how big it was, pissed that she was stuck with rugby bro sidekick, pissed that the purple lights suddenly seemed a lot brighter, the music a lot louder, her thoughts a lot fuzzier. “Look, Cassian. I only came here as a favor to my sister. We’re not friends.” He started to cut her off, but she continued, turning so that they fully faced each other, “You don’t have to stay, I can take care of myself.”
He leaned in close, the laughter in his tone suddenly gone. “Listen, princess. You’ve had two beers and you’re already tipsy. I get it, we’re not friends. But there are at least four guys looking at you like they want to take you against the nearest surface and I’m the only man within a thirty-foot radius that has any self-control. There’s no way I’m leaving.” He held her gaze firmly.
“So that’s it – I’m just supposed to trust you? My knight in shining armor, here to protect my virtue? That ship sailed a long time ago.” Fuck it. “I wouldn’t mind taking you for a ride though,” Nesta said, flashing a smirk at the end.
Cassian’s lips twisted into a half-grin, but she could see annoyance rising up in his eyes. “Nesta, you don’t wanna play with me.”
“Brute.” Nesta turned and started walking away again.
“Bitch.” He followed.
Nesta scoffed. “How original.”
“Not all of us are English Lit majors.” 
Somehow Nesta tripped on her own foot at that moment, staggering sideways into Cassian’s path. He lunged forward, arms going around her waist to hoist her upright. Her lip curled and she spit out, “And not all of us are rugby stars,” and shoved her way out of his arms.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Cassian asked, incredulous.
“Cassian, I’m sure there are plenty of girls here that would love your attention. But I’m not one of them.” She turned around to face him, walking backwards, and almost tripped again. “So go on and play with someone else. I don’t care. Just leave me alone.” With that, Nesta thrust herself into the fray, pushing her way through the mass of shouting people, making the crowd a barrier between herself and Cassian.
Part 4: Emergency (Nothing but Thieves)
After five minutes of random college students bumping into her from every direction, her head pounding and thoughts muddled, Nesta realized she didn’t know which direction the exit was in. Fuck. She was disoriented and exasperated, her frustration now showing in her usually unshakable expression. She couldn’t even tell which direction the light was coming from. How many beers had she drunk? Two? Three? She wasn’t usually a drinker, and it hit her then that she hadn’t eaten for hours before the party started. Stupid, she thought. This was why she didn’t do parties.
She was so distracted trying to figure out where the light source was, trying to get her bearings at least, that she didn’t catch sight of a brooding figure wending its way toward her until the man had a hold of her wrist and was pulling her to the side of the room, wherever that was. 
“Hey! Get the fuck off me!” Nesta shouted over the crowd, but couldn’t get a response from the man until they found one of the cinder block walls.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice cruel as he tried to pull her closer. “We’re just having a bit of fun, that’s all.”
“Excuse me?” Nesta ripped free of his grasp, but he backed her into a corner. He had a drink in one hand. Not good.
“Hey, hey, no need to get worked up,” he drawled, “I saw the way you were looking at me.” Looking at him? Nesta thought. This was the first she’d seen of him.
Nesta tried to step to the side, but the man followed her, his senses keener than hers in her condition. He reached out for her arm again, and Nesta shouted this time. “Don’t touch me!”
He put his hand up as if in innocence. “Come now, I’ll make it fun for you. Just have a drink.” He brought the cup toward her face, his hand now reaching behind her head, which she snatched away.
“I swear to God, can’t you bastards understand that no means no?”
“You-”
“Get the fuck away from me, creep!” She aimed a kick at his groin, but he easily dodged it.
His mouth hardened into a line, and he growled, “Just take the damn drink, bitch!”
The man shoved her into the corner, her head hitting the wall. He brought his hand up to hold her back by her shoulders as he brought the cup up toward her lips and-
“Let me go or I promise you’ll regret it.” Last resort. 
He shot her a crooked grin and began to reply, but whatever response he had in mind was cut short.
A voice from behind him said, “And she never goes back on a promise, asshole.” The man was wrenched off her body by two strong hands, and pulled over to the side to give her an out, which she quickly took advantage of.
And there, dragging the man away from her, was Cassian.
The creep tried to play it cool. “Hey, Cassian, bro, what’s up, man?” he said mock-casually, “I caught your last game! great playing, dude!” His demeanor shifted completely as he turned on his bro mode.
Cassian’s jaw was set. He tightened his grip on the man’s shoulder, his stare withering. “You need to leave. Right now.”
Yet the man kept going with a smirk, “It’s all good bro, we can share.” 
That was a step too far.
Cassian grabbed the man’s shirt, pulling him close. “That’s the thing – I don’t share. I don’t play nice.” Cassian thrust his face forward so they were only a couple inches apart. “You said you caught my last game, right? So you know I don’t go down without a fight. Touch her again and you’ll regret it.” With that, he shoved the guy into a table, and turned to Nesta. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
Part 5: Before We Drift Away (Nothing but Thieves)
Dizzy and shaken, Nesta let Cassian guide her through the crowd to the exit. Once they were outside in the cool night air, he pulled her aside, gaze dark.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.”
“Did he force you to drink whatever was in that cup?”
“No.”
His eyes closed and relief flooded across his face. “Good. God, some people are fucked up. I don’t know what I would have done if he had drugged you, or taken you away, or...” He trailed off, leaving anything further than that unsaid. 
They were silent for a minute. Nesta looked up at him, a bit of worry still etched across his features. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you care so much?”
He looked over to her, something strange in his expression that Nesta couldn’t place. “I don’t know. You’re a human being, and your safety was left in my hands.” He paused and looked away. “If I’m being honest, when I saw that guy put his hands on you... I don’t know. Something flipped inside me.” At that moment he looked down to her bare shoulders, noticing that she was beginning to shiver. “You’re cold,” he said softly. “Here, take this.” He removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, even when she protested.
Nesta frowned as she gave in and pulled his jacket tightly around her, annoyed at the way her body betrayed her. “I don’t need protection. I’ve lived a long time without people to care about me.” She started walking toward the parking lot, and he followed.
“You shouldn’t have to live like that, Nesta. You’ve been pushing me away all night, but listen to me – don’t you understand? I’m not just talking to you because I’m bored. I don’t smile at you as a game, as if you’re some prize for me to win. Can’t you see by now that I’m doing literally everything I can just to stay by your side? Damn it, I asked Feyre to pair us together at the party.”
Nesta had stopped walking and was speechless for once.
Cassian stepped closer tentatively, as though she’d back away. He ran a finger over Nesta’s wrist and looked up to the sky. “Please, just don’t make me say anything else completely insane. I promise I’m not in the habit of sharing intense moments with perfect strangers.”
A rush of anger coursed through Nesta, and she shoved him back. “Don’t,” she said. “Don’t talk to me like that. Despite what you must think, I’m not an idiot. I’m not naive. I am well aware that this is all a favor to my sister. Stay with my lame, antisocial sister. It might be fun, right?” She paused, any restraint she had used earlier having completely abandoned her.
“That’s not what I think at all, Nes-”
“Fuck you, Cassian.” She shoved him again, more aggressively this time.
Cassian caught her wrists and pulled her closer. “Try that again.”
Nesta glared. “Bite me,” she spit out.
“Maybe I will.”
And as though drawn to her by some gravitational force, Cassian’s mouth came crashing down onto hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist, seeming to lift her off her feet. Nesta’s bare skin burned where Cassian touched her, and she pushed back against his touch to gain control. Everything, every thought was fading to nothing. Biting down on his lip drew out a low groan from Cassian, and Nesta broke free.
Cassian put his hands up as though to make a barrier between them, as though he wouldn’t be able to control himself without it. 
“So much for being the only man with self-control,” Nesta said. Cassian just shook his head, earning a light snort from Nesta. “I shut everyone out--even pretty jocks like you. Don’t take it personally. It’s just easier.”
Cassian smiled his easy smile, and he reached up to touch his lips with a thumb. “You think I’m pretty?”
Nesta scoffed. “The prettiest.”
He stood there for a moment, just smiling at her, before turning back toward the parking lot. “Okay, princess, allow me to introduce you to the pinnacle of after-party activities.”
Nesta raised a brow, and Cassian let out a bark of laughter.
“Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m talking about pancakes.”
She looked skeptical. “Pancakes?”
“Yes. And after the night you had, you deserve an entire plate of them.” Cassian reached out to her with his big, warm hand, and Nesta hesitated.
“Cassian-” She started warily.
“Hey – I’m not asking you to marry me, it’s just pancakes.”
Nesta waited a moment more, then took his hand. “Fine. But I’m not sharing the chocolate sauce.”
“I wouldn’t dare ask you to. Besides, you already know how I feel about sharing.”
Nesta smiled a bit. “Hey Cassian?
“Yes Nesta?”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
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gogoseijoh · 4 years ago
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losing - kageyama x reader x tsukishima
summary: kageyama realizes he’s losing his best friend, and longtime crush, to his rival.
genre: angst with a little fluff?
a/n: welcome to my first fic :) angsty kageyama and lovestruck tsukki... i couldn’t help myself. i think this is gonna be multiple chapters i have a lotttt of ideas. also trying to make tsukki soft while still being in character?? tough
word count: 2.2k
part 2
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Kageyama could not imagine you not being by his side. You had been best friends since you were in diapers, and there were pictures of you two in the bath together from before you could remember each other. He didn’t deserve you, and he knew that. You had stood with him through every temper tantrum and bad mood and had done it with a gentle smile and comforting words. You were the only person that Kageyama consistently apologized to, always shyly hanging his head and whispering the words, only to have you laugh and take his hand, “Oh, Tobio, you silly boy. I’ll always forgive you!” He never understood why you stayed, but he was happy you did. Some of your other friends questioned why you were so steadfast in your loyalty to the dark haired boy, and you always responded calmly, saying, “Well, what would he do without me?” You were everything he wasn’t, a level headed companion to a boy prone to raging when things didn’t go his way. Your dynamic was one not understood by anyone else, but the friendship did not require understanding. You were the kindest person he knew, and he would be damned if he let go of you. 
It was around the entrance of high school that Kageyama realized he had begun to like you, or at least to realize that he liked you. You had chosen to go to Karasuno, and when he didn’t get in to Shiratorizawa, it seemed like the natural choice to follow you. He had heard rumors that the old coach Ukai was coming back, and that was just a bonus to getting to stay with you. He made his choice directly after finding out he hadn’t gotten in to Shiratorizawa, when you held his head in your lap, carding your fingers through his hair and told him that he could be the best no matter where he went. That was the first moment that he felt his heart swell in his chest, snuggling down into your thighs as you reassured him. He could smell your laundry detergent, a scent that curled around him and held him close. He sat up and looked at you, which made you blink in surprise, but not as much surprise as you felt when Kageyama mumbled, “Thank you for being here for me.” You didn’t know what to say, so you said nothing, instead opting to lean forward and pull him into a hug, your arms tight around his neck as his slipped to hold your waist. He felt so comfortable there with you, wishing he could stay there with you forever. 
Once beginning high school, your enthusiasm for Kageyama’s love for volleyball only grew when he found a strong team, and was stoked even more when Kiyoko asked you to assist her in managing them. You accepted immediately, and thus began you spending all your time with the Karasuno volleyball club. You were startled at first, not expecting how ferocious Tanaka and Nishinoya would be in their attempts to woo you, but them flirting with you became a source of entertainment, and unbeknownst to you, something that aggravated Kageyama to no end. He did his best to hide how much it bothered him, and did pretty well for the most part, except for the time when Hinata asked him what was wrong with his face. Things only got worse for him from there. Kageyama walked you home religiously, and when you started managing with Kiyoko, the rest of the team joined you on at least part of your journey. You typically stuck close to the setter, chatting animatedly about you day while he munched on the snack you always brought him for after practice. It was one night that you were walking along, giggling and messing around with Hinata, when Kageyama felt a presence next to him. He rolled his eyes when he saw Tsukishima, the blonde’s headphones pulled down around his neck. He had been bugging Kageyama more than usual lately, and it seemed as though it wouldn’t be stopping any time soon, “You know, I have no idea how she puts up with you, your Majesty.” He didn’t need to question his meaning, only rolling his eyes once again and taking larger steps to get away from him, but he paused when Tsukishima’s voice met his ears again, “She’s too good for you, but you must know that, right?” 
Kageyama was about to snap back when you joined him once again, slipping between him and Tsukishima. You didn’t seem to pick up on any of the tension between the two young men, instead turning to the bespeckled boy, “Tsukishima! You did great at practice today!” Kageyama didn’t miss the way your cheeks began to blush when you looked up at the other first year. All of a sudden, what Tsukishima said sunk in for your best friend. He did know you were to good for him, and that was part of the issue he was having. He had been desperately trying to ask you out for a few months, but every time he tried, he started thinking about your best qualities. You were selfless, sacrificing your own needs to satisfy those of the people around you. Your heart was so excessively big, wanting everyone around you to be happy, and sometimes Kageyama was forced to wonder what he brought to your friendship. Every day, he felt honored that you had chosen him to bestow your friendship on, but what did he give you? Those things ran through his mind even deeper as he watched you interact with Tsukishima. His eyes flitted between you and the taller boy, and he was even more shocked at what he saw. Tsukishima’s lips were fighting the curl of a smile as he looked down at you, a dusting of pink across his cheeks. That was the moment he realized that Tsukki hadn’t only said those things to torment him, but also out of jealousy. 
Heat crawled up the brunette’s neck, abruptly interrupting your conversation, “(y/n), let’s take the shortcut today.” He nodded towards the side road to the right of him that you two had found out cuts about five minutes off your walk home. You never took that route on nights you walked home from volleyball, instead choosing to stay with the rest of your classmates, but Kageyama wanted to get you away from Tsukishima. 
Your eyes shifted to Kageyama, then back to Tsukishima, a shy smile on your face, “Okay, Tobio. Bye, Tsukki!” You bounded behind Kageyama, who had already begun taking large strides away from you. Tsukki. You called him Tsukki. Yamaguchi was the only one who called him that. Yamaguchi was the only one who he let call him that. That nickname usually caused Tsukishima to snap at the speaker, but when you said it, he was quiet, the ghost of a grin on his face as he slipped his headphones back over his ears. That was the first moment that Kageyama felt you slipping away from him. 
The second came a week later, again after a practice. As your group made its way out of Karasuno’s campus, you dug in your backpack for the snack you packed for Kageyama, Hinata was bouncing around him, talking about how cool it will be when their quick attack is perfected, and Kageyama is attempting to listen, but when he sees you pull a protein bar out of your bag and hand it to Tsukishima, he nearly felt his head pop off. Tsukishima paused when you offered it to him before slowly taking it, his fingers brushing yours as he thanked you. You blushed before pulling another bar out, turning your head over your shoulder to call Kageyama over, slipping it into his hand when he met you. You walked between the two again, chatting to Yamaguchi, who was walking on the other side of the tall blonde. Kageyama zoned out, his mind racing with thoughts. Part of him felt like he was majorly overreacting, as it really was just a snack, but he knew you. He knew how you acted when you liked someone, and it always starting with the sharing of snacks. In middle school, when you liked Kunimi, you always brought extras in your lunch to share with him. Typically, you were picky about sharing your food, only doing it for Kageyama, but once you started crushing on someone, it was a given that you’d begin doing it for the person as well. It wasn’t a good sign for Kageyama.
Then the texting began. You were in Kageyama’s room on a Saturday, sitting on the floor with books sprawled all over between you two. You were trying to help him with mathematics, and he was doing some practice problems while you laid down across from him. Your phone kept pinging, messages flowing to your inbox. Each time you picked it up, you’d smile and type something back, before putting it back down and sighing. Then the cycle continued. When you eventually went to the bathroom, Kageyama couldn’t help his wandering eyes.
[tsukki :)] 3:47 pm 
I like talking to you too.
Kageyama scowled. Tsukishima wasn’t nice. He had never been that nice to anyone, not even Yamaguchi, at least not in public. But now, here was this text, confirming that Tsukishima had some sort of positive feeling for you. Kageyama liked to think that he’d be okay with it if you were just friends with him, but he didn’t even want that. He felt stupid, you could be friends with anyone you wanted. You weren’t his girlfriend, and even if you were, he knew he would never tell you whether or not you could be friends with anyone, but it wasn’t just anyone. It was Tsukishima. Tsukishima, who constantly did his best to get under his skin. Tsukishima, whose smile was almost always caused by jokes at others expense. How could it be him? Kageyama would understand if it was anyone else. If you found yourself swept off your feet by Sugawara or Yamaguchi, he would have been more understanding. Even if you had begun to date Hinata, God forbid, he would have been able to calm himself down. But Tsukishima? How could someone as kind and caring as you like him? You, someone who was willing spending her Saturday with him, trying to help him understand schoolwork. He couldn’t understand. He pretended he hadn’t seen the text, but you knew something was off, because for the rest of the day, he was easily frustrated and unable to focus. You hummed, “Kageyama, let’s take a break and watch a movie or something.” You played with his hair while you watched whatever he put on. The only thing that he could think of the whole time was that eventually, Tsukishima would be the one getting this attention from you.
Things started to really change after that day. Twice a week, you started eating lunch with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, which you invited him to, but he refused. He didn’t want to be around the two of you, with your shy glances at him and his eyes drinking in your every move. He didn’t want to see the way he looked at you. Kageyama knew that he likely had the same look when he saw you, but he hated seeing that adoration for you in someone else’s eyes. It was even worse when you were at practice, standing next to Kiyoko and watching Tsukishima with wide eyes. Kageyama wondered if there had ever been a time where you looked at him with the same amazement. For a while, your interactions stayed friendly, the only real giveaway being your eyes. Then, one day during the walk home, Kageyama noticed that Tsukishima had traded his headphones in for earbuds. The reason was clear when he passed one earbud to you, placing the other in his ear as you two walked side by side. Tanaka and Noya were cackling behind the two of you, joking about how the typically apathetic boy was going to get a girlfriend before any of the rest of them. You were far enough ahead of the group that you didn’t hear them jesting. Then, the unthinkable happened. The whole team watched as Tsukishima slipped his hand into yours, his entire face engulfed in a crimson blush. Your steps slowed down, looking at him in pure awe. He had continued on, and his hand tugging you along, causing you to jump forward to catch up to him. All your friends were chattering behind you, all except Kageyama, who had fallen to the back of the group. He didn’t want to see the two of you. His eyes were locked on his feet as he walked, and it wasn’t until a hand clasped on his shoulder that he looked up. It was Suga, whose warm eyes held an understanding that soothed Kageyama. “You doing okay, Kageyama?” Suga’s gentle voice lilted. Kageyama shrugged, causing the older boy to speak again, “I know it’s hard, but just give it time.” Time. Kageyama wanted to scoff at that, but instead he just nodded, not wanting to seem rude when his upperclassmen was trying to comfort him. If time was any fair, wouldn’t you be his by now? “Fair” wasn’t a word he would apply to this situation at all. The way he felt now was the same itch he got when he lost a game, and the ache that came with losing settled in his spine, making a home in the base of his neck. Losing, and to his own teammate no less.
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simplybakugou · 5 years ago
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The Villain -- Ch. 8: Coming Clean
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A/N: the fact that I started this in 2018… I’M SO READY TO FINALLY FINISH THIS SHITTY STORY SO I'M SORRY IF THIS IS ACTUAL GARBAGE, I'M JUST DONE WITH THIS LMAO
Pairing: villain!bakugou x female!reader
Warnings: swearing; a little steamy 👀
Word Count: 3,539
Remember, if you want to be tagged in future chapters, comment below and I’ll add your username to the list!
LINKS TO NEW CHAPTERS
✐posted 06.03.2020✐
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Bakugou kicked open the door to the Kamino Ward, feeling absolutely enraged with his fists clenched at his sides. “Where are you, Warp Gate fucker?!”
Kurogiri felt himself flinch behind the bar as Bakugou trudged inside the building, slamming his palms down onto the table. Even he felt himself shudder under the piercing gaze of his vermillion eyes, shifting in place in discomfort.
“What is it, Ground Zero?” Kurogiri asked.
“What the fuck did you do to the Comission Center? I didn’t give you any orders to pull that shit,” Bakugou grunted, feeling his palms sweat as little sparks erupted from his palms subconsciously.
Kurogiri looked back at Bakugou plainly. “With all due respect, Ground Zero, I don’t think what you’ve been doing has been benefiting the League of Villains. In addition…”
Kurogiri paused looking up to meet Bakugou’s gaze. “It seems to me that you have personal feelings for (H/N), which is what is holding you back. And frankly, I do not support this as our cause is completely different from those heroes.”
Bakugou laughed humorlessly, not believing a single word he was hearing. “Alright, let’s say you don’t trust me, which I don’t give a fuck about because I’m the leader for a reason. But who the fuck was with you ‘cause there no way in hell you’d be able to cause that much damage with that shitty quirk of yours.”
Kurogiri sighed. “The second person in question was a fake. There was no one else there. I used explosives to cause the damage to the area. Those heroes misread what they saw and relayed the information incorrectly. We must increase the pace in which we’re taking to finalize our goal: destroy every single hero there is.”
Bakugou scoffed, nodding along to his story. He didn’t believe what he was saying, realizing that Kurogiri was most likely covering for the person most likely behind all of this. Nevertheless, Bakugou was willing to put up with Kurogiri’s antics… for now.
“Alright… I’ll let it go for now, but next time tell me first before you do some dumb shit like this,” Bakugou said curtly, pushing back and moving towards the exit. He stopped in his tracks, looking back at Kurogiri in annoyance. “And I don’t like that shitty girl either so get that thought out of your fucking ass!”
***
“Are the reporters all out there?” You asked, wanting to peek behind the curtain in the conference hall.
Tsubaki, the one who called you immediately following the incident at the Hero Public Safety Commission Center, peeked through the curtain gasping at the sight. “There’s so many of them out there!”
You sighed, your heart feeling heavy due to the large amount of people in one room awaiting for Natsuya’s speech as well as the reason for the press conference. Although you were never close to him, you felt awful about what had happened to Hawks as he was a major hero when you were still a teenager in U.A.
“I’m surprised Yamashita got so many people here at once in such a short amount of time!” Tsubaki exclaimed.
You nodded in agreement. “I mean, what else would you expect from the Chief of Police?”
Natsuya emerged from the conference room where other officers, the head of the Hero Commission Center, and other officials followed. Natsuya shot you a small smile, his nerves skyrocketing as he was instructed to go out onto the small stage placed in front of all of the reporters. The curtain pulled back and flashes of cameras glowed in the room as the reporters rapidly took pictures.
Natsuya took a deep breath, standing in front of the podium as he was chosen to deliver the news to everyone. You stayed behind the curtain with Tsubaki and other heroes who attended.
“The events that took place yesterday were horrific and outright evil. We have confirmed that the villain Kurogiri and an unidentified second villain were the ones responsible for this atrocity. We have also confirmed that villains Dabi and Ground Zero were nowhere to be seen during these events, therefore are not responsible. Nevertheless, the League of Villains are still held accountable for this, and will be held accountable for the health damage that hero Hawks faced. The hospital also confirms that Hawks had his quirk taken away from him through the Quirk-Destroying Drug that hadn’t been used for years since Shigaraki was the original leader of the League of Villains.” Natsuya continued to relay crucial information to the crowd as they typed vigorously, trying to keep up with him as he spoke. 
“What do you plan on doing, (H/N)?” Tsubaki asked you, half-listening to Natsuya and half-anticipating what you were going to say.
“If it wasn’t clear before, it’s clear now,” you stated. “We have to take down the League, no matter who stands in our way.”
***
“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?” Natsuya’s concerned voice came through the speakers of your car as you drove down the highway.
“Stop worrying about be, Tsuya, you’re going to burst a blood vessel,” you joked. “I’m just visiting home. Things are getting suffocating so I just need a breather.”
“Alright, let me know if there’s anything I can do,” Natsuya said, causing a smile to tease at your lips.
“I know I can rely on you for anything. I’ll talk to you later.” You ended the call, parking your car in front of your childhood home. Exiting your vehicle, you stood in front of your house where your father still resided, hesitant to enter. Your fingers curled into fists, deciding to not go in anyways and you made your way towards the opposite direction of the street. 
Since your mother’s passing, your father had been adamant about his disapproval of your passion and profession. No matter how many honorary medals or titles you earned, your father never approved of anything. By the time you had officially become a pro, having just graduated from U.A., your father vowed to never speak to you again. It had been years since you’d spoken to him and you were nervous to encounter him again despite how many times Natsuya, who still was in contact with him, pushed you to make the first move. But you simply couldn’t. 
You didn’t know where you were going, your feet taking you down the trail. Your old neighborhood was quiet and pleasant, trees, flowers, and bushes littered almost everywhere. That was why it felt like second nature for you to walk to the old park by your home, one that you and the rest of your friends from U.A. would spend time after school. But once you had finally reached the park, you felt heartbroken at the sight.
The previously lively park with acres of land and trees had been ripped apart, now a construction site with heaps of trash littering the area. It had been too long since you had last been here so you knew things would be different. Nevertheless, you hopped over the fence that stood in front of the site to keep away trespassers. You didn’t care about the consequences at the moment, wanting to sit somewhere, not caring where it was so long as you were able to clear your head somehow.
There were numerous cranes and other machines and equipment scattered across the yard. Having picked a random one, you used your quirk to push yourself atop an excavator. A deep sigh escaped from your lips as you looked out into the horizon. You could see your house from here and even some of your friends’ old homes. You stared particularly at the biggest house in the area, the Bakugou house, that was now empty. After Bakugou had turned to the League, his mother and father left the city and no one knew where they resided now. It seemed wherever Bakugou went, he brought pain and misery along with him.
“The hell?!” A certain gruff voice exclaimed from beside you. You looked to the left, eyes widening at the sight of Bakugou staring back at you with a similar expression. He was lying on the ginormous machine. You hadn’t noticed him as the space was so large and your mind was racing at a thousand miles per minute that you couldn’t even acknowledge his existence.
Before you could open your mouth to utter even a word, Bakugou was quick to jump down from the machine, avoiding you at all costs. But you were even quicker to create a gravel barrier between him and the fence using your quirk, trapping him in the space. Bakugou cursed under his breath as he was too flustered to react quick enough. You created an elevator-like step underneath Bakugou’s feet, maneuvering him back up the excavator. He didn’t utter a word nor did he attempt to flee this time, staring at you silently as he stepped back onto the machine.
You were surprised, looking at him curiously. “You’re not going to try to run, Katsuki?”
Bakugou sighed, plopping back down onto the metal surface, criss-crossing his legs. He scoffed, avoiding your gaze. “And you’re not gonna arrest me, hero?”
You rolled your eyes, pulling your legs to your chest. You wrapped your arms around them, leaning your head on your knees. “I’ve got a lot on my mind right now. And what about you, villain, you’re not going to wreak havoc on a city?”
Bakugou smirked at your wit, shrugging. “You’re not the only one with a lot on their mind.”
You sighed for what felt like the hundredth time all day. You were tired, absolutely exhausted. It seemed like you were battling the whole world at times, especially with the best pro heroes being targeted now. What happened to Hawks made you feel unsettled, like the League was going after specific heroes. It didn’t seem right that just as Hawks had advised for you to back down from any League related business, he was permanently out of commission. And it made you feel disquieted as the fear that Bakugou was behind this attack was in the back of your mind, no matter if he was there at the site of the attack physically or not. It made you feel like you couldn’t continue fighting for his innocence and you had to hold him accountable now.
“Were you the one behind the attack at the Hero Commission Center?” You asked bluntly, astounding Bakugou with your straightforwardness.
“Tch, as if I would be behind the attack that hurt my fucking boss.” The words echoed through your head, despite Bakugou mumbling it in an attempt to not let you catch on. But you heard every word, the words that you were waiting to hear for years.
“What? Your boss?” You repeated in shock.
Bakugou’s vermillion eyes flitted over to you, shining brightly against the beam of the setting sun. “You heard me. Hawks is my boss.”
He chuckled humorlessly at your bewildered expression, your lips parted as you attempted to find the right words to say and your eyes like the shape of saucers. “Got nothin’ to say? It’s what you’ve been waiting for all this time.”
“You’re an idiot,” you grunted, angered to no end. Bakugou looked at you, confused beyond words. 
“What?” He knew one day he would have to come clean to you, the one person who saw through his act. He anticipated tears, confusion, shock, and happiness. But you were reacting in a way he had not expected.
“It’s about time you came clean!” You exclaimed, your voice echoing through the streets.
Bakugou closed the space between the two of you, clamping a calloused hand over your lips. “Be quiet! You’re gonna let the whole world fucking hear!”
You shook his hand from your face, turning your body to face him completely. Crossing your hands over your chest, you glared right at him. “Tell me, tell me everything.”
Bakugou rolled his eyes, looking off into the distance and avoiding your gaze once more. “There’s nothing to it really. Hawks and the Hero Commission Center came to me right after the Kamino Incident to act as a double agent. Those shitheads still want me working for them to find the real leader behind the League but I’ve got no clue right fucking now.”
He glanced over at you, and although he would never admit it, he felt slightly intimidated under your glaring stare. “What? That’s everything, I mean it.”
“So you have nothing to do with the League, right?” You clarified, wanting to make sure that Bakugou was innocent. “You never hurt a single person, right? All those people are telling lies, right? You didn’t kill Shigaraki?” You were referring to all the people who were witnesses and victims under Bakugou’s supposed kidnapping.
“Can’t say I’m completely innocent. I’ve definitely hurt people, punched a civilian or two to make sure my act was solid and believable. But I didn’t kidnap or kill anyone.” Bakugou felt slightly relieved once your stare faltered a little. “All I know is the real leader is acting like me and putting up with my act. Seems like whoever it is, they want me to take all the heat and blame for now. And that person’s the one who killed ole crusty face, not me. I was just the one who found his body and was blamed for it.”
Your brows furrowed in confusion. You had dreamed of this day, the day where everything would make sense and you would understand Bakugou’s actions. But here you were, utterly confused beyond belief. “Why would the real leader go along with your act? How is it benefitting them?”
“My guess is that it’s probably someone on the other side. A hero, officer, someone in the commission center? One of those fuckers has to be fooling all of us and running this shit on the sidelines.” Bakugou paused momentarily, looking ahead. “With me around, that asshole can put the blame all on me while working with that Warp Gate fucker. But I’m close, I know that for sure. Soon enough I'll be allowed to finally be free and not have to worry about living this fucked up life anymore.”
You continued to look at him, smiling at the sight of the ends of his lips curling upwards a little. You had missed that smile. “And what do you plan to do? Once you’re free and don’t have to follow anymore orders?”
Bakugou shrugged, running a hand through the ash blonde spikes on his head. “Do whatever the fuck I want. Can’t be a hero, that’s out of the question. I’ll worry about that when I’m free.”
You smiled and nodded, a weight lifting off your shoulders. You felt a surge of relief run through your veins, a feeling you could never describe into words. You felt proud for believing in him all this time, believing that he was innocent. And you missed him, missed your dear friend from childhood.
“It must’ve been lonely… dealing with this and losing your adolescence,” you muttered, looking away from Bakugou and looking down at the horizon where the sun had painted the sky with orange and pink hues. Bakugou looked over at you, startled by your statement. There you were, not blaming him for anything, not for the lies or the deception. Instead you were selflessly worrying about him and the time that was taken from him living his life. 
“Calling me an idiot… you’re the real idiot here,” Bakugou grumbled, narrowing his eyes at you.
You looked over at him, confused by his words. “What?”
Bakugou stood up, taking a few steps towards you, and kneeling down in front of you. His face was inches from yours, alarming you from his quick movements. He stared into your (E/C) eyes for a moment, sighing again and looking down at your feet. “I was told that all I had to do was keep this act up and soon I’d be done. But now Hawks is outta the picture and I don’t know what the fuck to do. I can’t do this alone, I need help. That asshole behind this is probably gonna pull another one on me and then I’ll be helpless. My head’s all fucked up right now.”
“And as if my head isn’t already fucked from all this villain-hero shit goin’ on…” Bakugou swiftly pushed you back down onto the cool metal surface of the excavator, his body hovering over yours and his hands pinning yours on either side of your head. His legs straddled your body down as his scarlet eyes pierced right through yours. A whimper escaped your lips as your cheeks heated up from the proximity of your bodies. Bakugou stared down at you, his face twisted in dubiety. “You’re makin’ it worse, driving me fucking insane. You’re the only one who’s ever believed in me, and you’re driving me insane. You’re making me fucking fall for you.”
The world felt still in that moment and you didn’t even feel the breeze drift off in the air. All you could was the intimidating stare Bakugou had on you, sending shivers down your spine and his touch sending electricity down your veins. “What are you-?”
Before you could finish your question, Bakugou closed the gap between your head and his, slamming his lips on yours. A gasp escaped your lips as he pushed his lips roughly against yours. He lowered his body on you, hips grinding into you. You pried your hands free from his hold, one hand clutching his blonde locks while the other gripped onto the nape of his neck, wanting him closer to you. You felt hot and bothered, bothered at how turned on you were by this whole situation.
Bakugou’s lips were warm and soft against yours, moving in a rhythm you were having difficulty keeping up with. He made your body feel a way that you had never felt before as you felt hot yet cold at the same time. You were gasping for air, moans escaping your lips as you could barely keep up with his body grinding against you. You had never felt this way, no one made you feel this way, not even Natsuya.
That was when yours hands went down to Bakugou’s shoulders, pushing him back up and his face away from you. Bakugou stared down at you, angered that you had cut this moment short as you both attempted to catch your breaths and come down from the high you were on.
“Natsuya…” You uttered simply, causing Bakugou to scoff harder than he ever had. He didn’t care for your police boyfriend, never really caring for him even when you were teenagers. 
“Forget it,” Bakugou grunted, standing to his feet and jumping down to the ground.
“Katsuki, wait!” You called out, sitting up and looking down. But you were too late, he was already gone.
***
You kicked a loose piece of gravel on the path, your hand shoved in your pocket as you made your way down the cemetery. Your other hand went up to touch your lips as the images of Bakugou’s body atop of your own made you feel both flustered and guilty. You cared for Natsuya so much as he was your closest friend and you had just quite literally cheated on him. But he never made you feel the way Bakugou did when he was around you. Nevertheless, it didn’t excuse your actions and you knew you had to make it right once you got back.
But now you stood in front of the main reason why you even visited your hometown: to see your mother. 
You knelt in front of her tombstone, clapping your hands together and bowing your head. “It’s been a while, Mom. I’m sorry I haven’t visited.”
A sigh escaped your lips as you sat your rear down in front of her grave, staring at the engraving of her name. “I don’t know what to do, Mom, I feel so conflicted. I’ve been waiting for this moment, waiting to find out about Katsuki’s innocence. And now I know about it, and I think he was indirectly asking me for help. But he… asked me in such an odd way, like he had been waiting a long time to do… that.”
Your hand rose and pressed against the cool stone, your finger tracing the engraving. “I want to help him. I want to be there for him while also doing my job. What do I do, Mom?”
You sat there for a few minutes, as if you were waiting to hear a response. You chuckled, shaking your head at yourself. What am I even doing?
You rose to your feet, making your way back to your car until a blunt object hit the back of your head, causing your body to crash into the dirt. Your head was throbbing and you felt the object hit the same spot again, a scream erupting from you in pain as you attempted to take a look at the perpetrator.
A man laughed. “You couldn’t just keep your nose outta this one, huh, hero?”
And just like that, the world went black.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Tagging: @chims-kookies @bokunoheroes-stories  @iamthe-leaf @simplysymphonic @mylittlesunshineblog @imyourliquor-youremypoison @sunflowerchild27  @geesshoku @ghoularaki @katsukiwonu  @kotakingly @tyongflight @sparkexplosive @minniepresents @thorohdamnson​
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pawprintsmoon · 4 years ago
Text
You and me, Part III
https://archiveofourown.org/works/30337365/chapters/74893146#workskin
The proposal
After a shower and clean pajamas, Alex finished packing his suitcase, tucking the ring safely inside. The next morning, he was so focused on not losing it again that he ended up misplacing his coffee filled travel mug. He had put it down for one second, and suddenly it was nowhere to be seen. Henry found it in minutes and they left for the airport. Distracted beyond reason, Alex had to hop out of the car to race back inside to grab his wallet. Then he had to hop out of the car again to run inside and get his phone.
After speeding to the JFK airport, they crossed the Atlantic and spent one night in Kensington recovering from jet lag. They spent their first full day at a trans* equity conference. The English press greeted their visiting prince with union jacks and rainbows. Naturally, they responded with charming comments and smiling photos. Alex took the opportunity to livestream a message to his followers: ‘of course transgender high schoolers should be allowed on the sports team that aligns with their gender, and here’s why…’
Privately, in the car back to the palace, Henry expressed the opinion that public schools ought to have polo teams, because it’s a coed sport and ideal for nonbinary teens who don’t like to rock the boat. Alex responded with similar sentiments about quidditch. The rest of the drive they shared a familiar rant about how Harry Potter belongs to the fans (including the trans* fans) and not only to JKR.
That night, just past 2am, Alex turned over in bed to ask, “You awake?”
“Always.”
“Good. We’re going on a fieldtrip. Come on.” Alex pulled them both out of bed, and they got dressed, Alex swinging on his Gucci jacket. He would have worn a hoodie, the incognito uniform of the internationally recognizable, but tonight he didn’t want to hide himself. It was worth the risk. Besides, they didn’t really need to sneak around anymore, did they? Old habits.
He led them out of the palace, down Prince Consort Road. He stopped for a selfie with the sign, because he really had wanted to last time. A second selfie included them both, looking goofy and not caring. When they reached the back entrance of the Victoria and Albert Museum, they kissed lazily against the wall. Once Henry’s lips melted Alex’s nerves, he drew back to take the next step.
“Thing about dating the prince,” he said, holding up keys, “is that you can borrow pretty much anything he owns. And he can get the keys to anywhere if he asks nicely.”
“You’re a thief,” snarked Henry, walking through the door that Alex held open for him. “And a knave, and a scoundrel.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Alex gave the security guard a wad of cash. “Thanks, Gavin. It’ll be Renaissance City.”
They walked past sculptures, artifacts, and paintings, surrounded by the history that they were a part of. They got to the piazza, Henry’s sacred place. Just like last time, the first statue, Samson Slaying a Philistine took away what little breath Alex had, and he had to lean on Henry for support. Like windswept magnets, their lips met, for no reason at all.
Most of the time, Alex had a strong sense of Henry and himself being part of the current moment of history, changing the world in the here and now. But right then, time seemed to melt, and they were surrounded by historical sculptures telling timeless stories. Zephyr the Greek god of the west wind, Proserpina in the underworld, and Jason and his golden fleece. Archetypical and expansive.
And then there was Henry: the national gay landmark, prince charming, an obtuse fucking asshole. Hopefully his future husband. Sticking with his plan, he pulled away from Henry and got out his phone to open Spotify. Taking a deep breath, he pressed play. “Your Song” came from the tinny speakers.
“It’s a little bit funny, these feelings inside. I’m not one of those who can easily hide.”
“Why am I getting deja vu?” Henry asked, as Alex wrapped his arms around Henry’s waist.
“No clue.”
They began to sway, slow and intimate, cheek to cheek. He recognized the swelling in his chest as the same ache he’d felt when Henry first played this song for him years ago in the music parlor. Back then, he’d been trying so hard to repress his love for Henry, gripping the settee and wondering how long they would fly across the world to touch each other without talking about it. Now they let love dance around them, unbridled and openly declared in front of the world.
Other memories stirred up unbidden. Henry ghosting him after their first kiss, leaving him out in the snow and questioning everything. And then again when Alex hinted at love, leaving him in the lake with his heart carved out. Twice is not a pattern though, is it. Ever since the last time they were in this museum together, Henry had given his entire self to Alex. He had decided to be with Alex for real that night. That had been when they decided to love each other on purpose.
“I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words. How wonderful life is, now you’re in the world.”
For several beats of silence, he just looked at Henry. And Henry looked at him, and the museum disappeared. The whole world faded away except Henry and himself. It was now. He knelt down to one knee slowly, never losing eye contact. Henry’s loving smile showed no surprise as Alex spoke.
“Henry George Edward James Fox-Mounchristen-Windsor,” he said, making Henry roll his eyes. “I have a question to ask you. You see, my mom asked me, back in our early days, if I felt forever about you. I knew it then, and I know it now. I want to spend my life with you. So... ”
He paused, reached into his jacket, and pulled out the bedazzled box, rhinestones spelling out ‘love.’ Henry had probably guessed that it was never intended for June’s earrings, because he laughed like the box was an inside joke. Despite knowing what was coming, he inhaled audibly when Alex opened the box to reveal a simple silver ring.
“Will you marry me?”
Henry laughed again, a laugh like the birds of sunrise. “Yes, Alex. I will marry you.”
The prince reached into his pocket and pulled out a small leather box, the same size as the one Alex held. Then, he knelt down on one knee as well, mirroring his fiancé. He opened it to reveal a thick antique gold ring inlaid with a gem that Alex couldn’t identify. Beautiful. “Alex Claremont-Diaz, will you spend forever with me as your partner, confidant, and best friend?”
“I,” Alex choked, “yeah, fuck, of course-”
Henry cut him off with a swift and passionate kiss, both of them on their knees, fumbling the engagement rings onto their fingers. Alex felt like the deceased king that had probably worn his engagement ring. They kissed until their knees grew sore, and they collapsed on the tile.
“How did you think to bring a ring and everything?”
“Believe it or not, I somehow predicted that you might do this,” Henry teased.
Their buzzing bodies urged them to get back to the palace, to Henry’s room, to the bed. So they pulled each other to their feet, both dizzy and desperate. Before leaving the piazza they held each other for just a little longer.
“I love you,” whispered Henry.
“Fuck, I know you do.” It’s an amazing thing, to know completely and utterly that somebody loves you. “I love you too.”
“I know.” Henry held him around the waist and their foreheads pressed together. “Hey, so, I know we’re going to have to have a big, gay, traditional, royal wedding and all that -”
“Which we’ll make fun!” Alex said, with the positivity of a camp counselor. The world could really benefit from a big, gay, royal wedding. “There will be so many rainbows, even only if the crowd brings them.”
“And we’ll definitely have an adequate number of champagne fountains.” Henry winked at him. “But you interrupted-”
“Sorry!”
“-me. I was saying that I know we’re doing the public wedding for the audience, and the press, but...” Suddenly Henry looked nervous. “Well, would you maybe want to…”
“Spit it out babe,” Alex kissed Henry lightly on the lips before pulling back to show that Henry had his entire attention. “I’m listening, for real.”
“Would you, would you maybe want to elope first?”
“I… um. Would we, you know, still do the royal wedding afterwards?” Alex asked. “Keep it a secret?”
“Well, yes.” The words tumbled out. “But it would be a secret that we’re keeping for ourselves. We wouldn’t be keeping a secret for an election, or family expectations, or our god damned publicists. It would be ours, and we would keep it because we want to.
“Because I want to keep you to myself, just a little bit.” Henry shrugged, sheepish. “You give so much of yourself to your country, to the world, and I love that about you, but I want this to be just us. I’d be open to inviting Bea, Pez, June, and Nora, and our parents too, if you want.”
“And honestly, I don’t really want there to be a minister or priest… maybe Pez could do it?” Henry continued. “It doesn’t even have to be legal, so people don’t find out. I don’t know, I just thought, it could be just us, making a promise. Not with the crown, not with the church, not with all your adoring fans. Just the people that really matter.”
“I…” A grin spread slowly across Alex’s face. “I love it. Yes. Hell yes. Where? Not Vegas. Paris?”
“Paris.” Relief sweetened Henry’s smile. “And I could play my vows for you on the piano, if you’d like.”
“Yes I’d like! We could do it on a sailboat with a captain! Can you bring a piano on a sailboat?” Henry shook his head and kissed Alex’s grin, nuzzling their noses together. Alex whispered, “Okay, I’ll slow down and we can figure it out together. You and me.”
“You and me.” They fell into each other, a blissful act of entropy, all lips and hands.
“Besides,” Alex said as they stopped to catch their breath. “Secrets can be kind of hot if I remember correctly.”
AN: So, I thought I'd end with the proposal, but I feel like there's maybe more here? Like, this scene was kinda building up to some 'just got engaged' smut, or it could go on to show their elopement. I'm feeling a tinsy bit uninspired for their vows though, so if any of y'all feel like writing those, I could insert to the rest of the marriage scene that could be fun. If anyone feels like doing the post-proposal smut (or the wedding night smut lol) lemme know! Otherwise, thank you for reading! Check out my other rwrb fics, if you feel like it :)
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tenglows · 5 years ago
Note
hi! could you do 9 + 49 with yangyang? 💜💜💜 love your work! :)
[ 9: i wanna know just how to love you ] + [ 49: you really didn't realize it was me all along? ]
the prompts ✧ inspired by to all the boys i've loved before
it was bad. how you got to school and everyone was crowded up against the walls, laughing at something you couldn't get to see.
it was worse when your best friend yangyang joined you, tightening his grip on his backpack straps.
“have any idea what this is about?”
you shook your head, and was about to talk when one boy whose name you didn't know turned back, wide smile on his face.
“some letters have been scattered around school, like, love letters”
that's when you felt it, the first pang in your chest. then another, as you saw your friend's laugh in amusement. and another, when you dawned on what really was happening.
“no way, from who?”
“it doesn't say. they aren't signed, just named. i heard there's one about you, yangyang” he kept talking, and you wanted him to stop. to leave, to pretend this wasn't real. but he only came back with a piece of paper, handing it to your friend. you wanted to cry.
“this is sick! look y/n, someone's in love with me” he cheered as he wiggled the letter in front of your face. upon seeing no reaction, he moved it faster, insisting. “come on, read it” you gave him a half smile and pretended to read your handwritting.
“that's cute” you said in an almost non audible voice.
“i know right? i should find her and take her out, it's been so long since i've had some action” he winked.
of course he'd say that. you were struggling to keep yourself together at this point, legs shaking and heart thumping. how had the letters come out?
days passed and the scandal of the love confessions had died down a bit. people were still interested in finding who had written them, but they had no clues whatsoever. you also tried to avoid all the names from the letters: huang renjun, the boy in your art class who had been your unrequited crush for a few months, until you kinda forgot about him over winter break. choi san, the cute guy who got in trouble for bringing his cat to school. lee donghyuck, the class' president who helped you pass a physics exam.
your evasion was succesful, and the boys never approached you either. so you assumed they didn’t suspect it was you. nevertheless, you couldn’t stay away from the most important name on the list. the only one who still remained true, who you still hadn't gotten over. liu yangyang.
sure, everyone at school had started to ignore the topic. everyone but your friends, who were yet to let it go.
“what about that girl you got partened up that one time in biology? ella was it?” yukhei inquired, as he crossed out the possibilities on his mind.
“i don't think so, i think she even hated me for taking too long to do my part”
“clearly whoever wrote this didn't want the letters spreaded around. she's not making it easy to be found” your friend added and you almost rolled your eyes at that. smart observation, yukhei.
“anyways” ten, who was clearly done with it as well, changed the topic, focusing his eyes on you. “y/n, what poem are you going to present today?”
you had almost forgotten. you had to hand in your final work for this semester and read it for the class. you always liked poetry, so no one was surprised when you chose it as the subject for your writing class.
“i think i'm just gonna gather up some of my previous works and read some of them. i can't come up with new ideas”
“well, it's gonna be great no matter what you read” yangyang assured you, squeezing your arm, and you smiled at him. getting a little bit too lost in his eyes.
standing in front of your entire classmates, you were a bit nervous. you had settled on what to read a few minutes before the bell rang, and you hadn't even had the time to proofread it.
but you had done this before, and you always enjoyed it. so you introduced yourself, the title of the poem, and let the words easily slip from your mouth.
claps filled the room when you finished, and you caught sight of your friends, cheering loudly and raising their arms. when you got back to your seats, they hugged you, still praising you. no matter how many times you'd exhibit your writings in public, your friends' reaction was always encouraging. you loved them for that.
“that was so good!” yangyang celebrated. “have you showed it to me before?”
“no, i don't think so”
“hm” he uttered, eyebrows arched in confusion and concentration. “sounds familiar”
it was evening now, and you were getting some homework done in your couch, when you heard a knock on your door. puzzled, since your parents were meant to come home later, you opened the door. yangyang was there, an arm hiding behind his back, and a serious expression on his face.
“and i don't think i've ever loved anyone this much. but it feels familiar, it was in another life that we perhaps met” he quoted the poem you had read that day. “such love is only found once. did i find you in this lifetime? i still don't know” he finalized, reading the last part from the paper he revealed.
realization hit your face like a thunder and your heart almost escaped your chest. you did collect the poems from older ones, and you didn't notice the one you had recited was one you wrote together with the letter to yangyang. so it had some shared extracts.
your friend was still standing in your doorstep, and figured you could run away. shut the door in his face and leave town, start over. you would miss your friends, yeah, but it was better than the shame you were facing now.
“hey, it's okay” he said softly, as if he could see all thoughts plastered over your expressions. “can i come in?”
you sat away from him on the couch. it was maybe the first time you had had this much distance in between you.
“you really didn't realize it was me all along?” your voice was small, scared of coming out, scared of what this story held.
“i never thought you would see me like that” he replied, similar tone as yours.
it was bad, how you felt as if your tongue was tied and couldn't articulate any words. you wondered if this was the end. the end of all the late nights at the arcade, of the bike rides, of the netflix's recommendations. the end of your friendship.
“i wanna get to know you” he distracted you from your thoughts, but only managing to confuse you more.
“what do you mean?”
“romantically wise. let me take you out on a date, i want to know the in love you. i wanna know just how to love you. even if i already do”
he had gotten closer to you now, shoulders brushing and hesitant hands that dithered wether to hold yours or not.
“you like me?”
“you really didn't realize it was me all along?” he mocked you, repeating what you had said earlier. you felt your face flush. “the one who is completely head over heels for you?"
he lifted your chin for you to look him in the eye. he gave you one of those smiles you so deeply adored, and when he leaned in to leave a small peck on your lips, you felt you could fly. your body was floating and everything was too, the boy holding your face, your furniture, your notebooks, all the poems you've ever dedicated to him.
yangyang's phone vibrated in his back pocket, bringing you back to earth from the daze of staring shyly at each other's eyes, feeling like little kids in love.
“it's yukhei, i told him i was gonna come here” he picked up the call, putting it on speaker.
“hey yangyang, hey y/n” the voice spoke, as if he already knew both of you were listening. “thank me yet for sending out your letters?”
“what?” you screamed jumping from your seat, yangyang bursting into laugher.
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xthelastknownsurvivorx · 4 years ago
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Hamilton!firstprince au
(cross posted from twitter with a couple of edits b/c i couldn’t make them there)
in which i loosely follow the plot of hamilton except its firstprince and alex and henry get a happy ending. inspired by the striking similarities i noted between our favorite first son and his namesake hamilton in the broadway musical
the similarities:
both have/will have a political career
both often talk too much/don't mind their words
both began as lawyers
both extremely motivated but overwork themselves (“nonstop” +  “you have a fire under ur ass for no good goddamn reason)
both had some sort of sex scandal that impacted their career plans
hamilton speculated to be bi
the story
the setup of the colonized country alex lives in is similar to the usa vs england but fictional bc alexs race would have limited his opportunities in america's early years
idk names for either of these countries so its now the colony and the motherland
alex + his mom live alone in the poorer southern part of the colony
but his dad + june live elsewhere + they dont rly contact e/o (tho they do know of e/o’s existence)
june becomes a journalist who writes important pieces abt independence
when alex comes of age his mom reveals she used to be part of the rebellion
thats actually why his dad left to raise june bc it was too dangerous
his parents met in the rebellion but oscar left first for june while ellen stayed until she realized she was pregnant w alex
ellen still has some rebel contacts but she mostly sheltered alex to keep him safe
now tho alex decides to join too + the rebellion sends him up north to the capital for an education bc he's smart + they need people like that
he attends uni + meets like-minded people there
tension grows btwn the colony in the motherland, and alex + his friends write/speak out often and this goes on throughout their schooling
they’re also troublemakers in general too, much to the annoyance of the motherland soldiers stationed in the capital to prevent rebellion
henry is one of those soldiers
he's from a noble family in the motherland but was sent overseas as the sort of black sheep of the family due to his sexuality
the idea was to let him be in charge in the colony + reestablish a reputation there w/o embarrassing the main family back home
henry hates his job + feels bad for the colonists but still does what he's told anyway
alex + fhis riends like to bug motherland soldiers for fun
nothing  enough to put their lives in danger too much (although yes that too esp when drunk)
henry becomes a favorite target of alex's bc he's awfully stoic + statue like + on the way to uni - overall fun to antagonize 
there's also the fact that alex is angry at all the soldiers for oppressing the colony + holding up the motherland monarchs tyranny (but also alex just is the type to fight literally everything and anything) 
it becomes almost a daily ritual for them to argue 
henry wonders why this colonist keeps on picking a fight w him but soon almost looks forward to it
many of the other soldiers know or speculate why henry is in the colony but none make the effort to get to know him; some even call him arrogant or undeserving of his position
alex doesn't 
of course alex also doesn't know him
and alex hates him
but he doesn't whisper behind henry's back
henry comes to read some of the essays alex publishes speaking out against the monarchy + also hears alex speak to crowd in the square
alex is a talented + charismatic public speaker
henry finds himself growing increasingly sympathetic to the colonists cause
at the same time he and the other soldiers are order to be stricter and dole out more punishments
the others gleefully do so which makes henry concerned about alex's safety bc alex often seems to have no self-preservation skills
henry asks alex for a word when he's alone 
“am I in trouble?” “no but you bloody will be if u keep going on like this” 
“this is serious” “so am I” “you can't go around saying things so openly you'll get yourself killed”
alex tries to leave at this point “I think I'll be ok” but henry shoves him against the nearest wall 
“listen to me! stop acting like this is a game! ur putting ur sodding life in danger! I dont bloody care what ur opinions r but why must u declare them around enemy soldiers? how is this helpful 2 ur cause? u cant fight if ur dead” 
“you'd b surprised how effective martyrs are” 
cue enraged henry noises 
alexs gaze turns hard “listen i  appreciate/the advice” he says sarcastically “but I dont need an enemy telling me what to do. I can take care of myself” 
there's a stirring in alexs chest after he removes henry's hand and stalks off that he's pretty sure is anger
like it can't be anything else 
while alex is trying to convince himself of that, the tensions boil over + soon the two sides are on the brink of war then the fighting starts
henry + alex don't talk much for a while bc they're both busy on their sides preparing
school is on hold during the war so alex + his friends are looking to serve + bring glory to their names 
alex esp is recognized for his intelligence + becomes the recognized general rafael lunas secretary
luna is the george washington figure in this case who is impressed by alex wants him as his right-hand man
alex is disappointed his role is not on the battlefield bc he knows he has a good tactical mind + he could change the tide of a losing war + gain honor and status thru it, which would put him in a good position to be elected in the future
as secretary, alex is in charge of a lot of important correspondence eg for more supplies + men, so the motherland soldiers figure ambushing him off the battlefield would make things hard for the colonists
henry overhears this plan + immediately worries for alex's safety but he's cornered by another soldier to talk strategy + misses the chance to take out the men then
henry manages to catch that they're going to attack alex at night when he leaves + henry arrives just in time to kill them in a panic
alex hears the gunshot + yells “drop ur weapon”, drawing his own gun
henry obviously does + alex inspects the scene he keeps a gun fixed on henry
“what's going on?” he asks, eyeing henry w/ suspicion
henry explains everything + looks positively terrified bc he just betrayed his side even tho the motherland and his family has treated him like shit since he came out but still. 
becoming an outright traitor is not something henry ever planned + leaving behind everything he's ever known w no hope of ever going back is terrifying
but he also doesn't regret protecting alex
alex questions henry but can quickly tell henry is sincere + is telling the truth
henry explains his change of heart + they have a heartfelt moment in/just outside luna's office.
alex almost died + henry just switched sides, emotions are running high and they escalate into a kiss. the moon is out + it's all very romantic but they don't admit their feelings yet
soon after they go to luna, explain the situation + talk w the other generals/people in charge
henry is sent away on an assignment + is watched closely at first but he proves his loyalty quickly
henry and alex write letters back + forth that turn into love letters 
besides managing correspondence for luna, some of alexs ideas of sneak attacks/stealing supplies help turn the tide of the war andhe also writes to other countries for foreign aid
eventually the colonists win in this huge up start that no one anticipated bc the motherland is known as the most powerful country in the world
he + henry reunite in the capital of once the war is over
alex finishes up his studies + practices law + soon is chosen to be part of the new lawmaking body
things are going pretty well for alex w his legal + political success and his relationship with henry
they dont live together but theyre dating tho no one else knows
alex pretends to be single instead + says he doesn't want to be tied down
it works while he's still in his early 20s but as he gets closer to 30, people start to find it strange + tell him he needs to settle
being married to his work is also not a valid excuse anymore
it turns out alex made quite a few political enemies due to his strong opinions that he always vocalises + can be unwilling to compromise on
they don't like his ideas or more often hate him and hence his ideas too
they look for some dirt on him bc atm he has lunas support which has a lot of sway + decide they need to find out why he hasn't married
they manage to find out about henry + threaten to tell the public
alex is obviously distraught re the consequences personally + politically
so alex and henry discuss what to do 
henry is willing to put alexs political career 1st but firmly explains their relationship can't continue if that's the case
henry gave up his whole life + any possibility of going back to his family so he's not willing to be someone's dirty little secret  
alex doesn't know what to do so he goes to consult luna who he's become very close with over the years
luna is not quite old enough to be his father but he's like an uncle + he always calls alex “kid”, much to alex's annoyance
but alex knows he'll have some good advice
alex + luna end up having a long conversation
like washington luna has always been very vocal abt his regrets re his naivety + desire for glory back in his youth
hes always said that this was his greatest regret in life. but then he tells alex like he had another great regret in life- letting go of the love of his life
alex is surprised bc luna's never mentioned anyone special
“who is she?” 
“he” luna corrects “he was my best friend. we had something a relationship but it was short-lived bc I decided I wanted to join the military + attain glory. i thought thats what i wanted in life. turns out that stuff is meaningless w/o anyone to share it w. nor did I even achieve it. perhaps i did accomplish some things but now in my retirement I have no one by my side. i have found that life is meaningless without love and family.  
“i tried to find my friend to reconnect after all these years even as simply friends but he died in the war. alex, I see many similarities between us. don't make the same mistake that I did, alexander. glory + lasting legacy mean nothing if you're alone in the end
“if you make choices that are motivated by love and family you will be a lot happier”
alex takes his advice even though he kind of hates sort of giving up to his enemies
he decides to choose henry and his own happiness over politics bc in the end he's done a lot of good work and that much is enough
also his enemies probably would try to blackmail him throughout his career if he was doing something against their interests
so he + henry leave the capital and move uptown and the two of them have a quiet retirement + engage in philanthropy for the rest of their lives
separately they've amassed a decent amount of money - henry kept a portion of his inheritance despite being unofficially disowned and alex made a lot of money as a lawyer and then politician
as it turns out alex still has a tangential role in politics when some of his former allies go to him for advice
all in all, alex happy with his final decision to be with henry and step away from politics
the two of them live happy and full lives together
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kpoptrashibnida · 4 years ago
Text
Enchanted Pt. 1
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A/N: So I am a total liar because I said I was going to do a Taehyung One Shot, but I am not. I don’t think I was meant for the One Shot lifestyle. I think my problems stems with having too many details in my work :( but I hope that you guys enjoy the beginning of this Tae mini series. I am going to try and stick to 3 to 4 parts, but we shall see. Happy reading! And as always, constructive criticism is always welcome/appreciated!
Moving to South Korea on your own seemed like a good choice at some point. Especially since you came to live with a boyfriend you made online and he promised you a wonderful life in an exciting country. Of course you were too naive to see what was really happening even though your friends and family tried talking you out of it the whole time, up to the day you were due to leave for Incheon.  
It was a big surprise to you when you arrived at the airport and he wouldn’t answer your texts. You figured he was stuck in traffic or on his way and didn’t want to text while driving, which is a good thing. But after waiting at the pickup curb for half an hour with still no answer, you started to worry. What if he got in an accident? Is he okay? He couldn’t have forgotten that you were arriving today because you sent him a screenshot of your flight info. Deciding that you had enough, you finally decide to call him. 
We are sorry, the number you have dialed is disconnected or no longer in service. Goodbye. 
“What the heck?” You whisper to yourself. You try it one more time and get the same message, your heart sinking. Is he ignoring you right now? Why isn’t he picking up? You log into your instagram to message him and your stomach twists in knots when you realize he blocked you. Your chat was no longer available and when you looked him up by username nothing came up. Tears welled up in your eyes at the realization that he was not coming for you and he just completely ghosted you. How could he do such a thing? Why would he promise to live his life with you and have you come out to a foreign country where you only know him just to abandon you? Did he mean it when he said he loved you? Or was it all just a game for him? 
Deciding that wallowing in self pity at the airport surrounded by strangers was not something you were about to do, you wipe away the stray tears and get to work.
‘This is why we came with a plan.’ You say to yourself, glad that you didn’t just come without a proper plan in place and blind trust on that bastard you once called your boyfriend. 
You looked up a hostel near the airport that was accessible by bus and started on your new journey. Thankfully the public transportation in Korea is amazing and you didn’t have to wait long to get on the bus. Once there, you made sure you kept your ears open for the name of your stop, grateful that you were smart enough to learn some basic Korean so you can get around without a problem. 
Taking a deep breath you try not to let your pain crush you and you manage to keep your tears at bay. Even though things are not going the way you planned, that was not going to ruin your plans to live in this country. You are going to make it work and show that bastard that you don’t need him.
****3 months later****
“Hey do you think you can cover my closing shift tomorrow? I have to go wedding dress shopping with my sister.” Minyoung, my coworker asked.
“Yeah that’s fine.” You say with a smile. Any extra income is welcomed especially because rent is almost due and you’re short. 
Working at the cafe part time makes you just enough for your rent, but it’s still not enough. The cafe is close by some entertainment agencies and it’s always filled with crazy hopeful fans and on rare occasions, the idols themselves. It was hard to know sometimes because most of the time they were wearing face masks, but on rare occasions they came in without one. You weren’t particularly a big fan of any of these artists but you could say that they were very talented. Minyoung was your closest coworker and she was extremely obsessed with them. She would listen to their music all the time and talk about them non-stop. It was endearing but you were lost half of the time. She tried getting you into it but you were busy with work and your side job as an English tutor, that you didn’t really have a lot of extra time available. Binge watching music videos and tv performances is a luxury you couldn’t quite afford. 
Your English tutoring was what made it possible for you to survive without having to eat ramen all day every day. It was great because that way, you didn’t have to call your family and ask them for help. Your parents were no longer angry with you, but they were concerned. You assured them that you were fine and everything was under control, even though they didn’t know that you were actually ditched the second you arrived in the country. You were going to tell them, but you wanted to wait and make it seem like you broke up later on. 
Now, however, you were struggling to make ends meet because the family you tutor for left for a two month vacation and you were out of that extra income for that time. So you were more than willing to cover as many shifts as possible, even if it wasn’t the same as your tutoring job. What mattered was that your bills were paid on time, even if you had to eat ramen with Kimchi every day. 
You sighed a breath of relief when it was finally time for you to clock out for the day. Your back and feet were so sore, the thought of a hot shower excited your tired limbs. You bid goodbye to your coworkers as you grabbed your purse and left the building. You saw a huge black van park in front of the cafe and you felt grateful that you were off and didn’t have to help the huge group that was coming in. It looked like the type of vans that idols use, but it could also be a school group or even a church group. Regardless, you were glad it wasn’t your problem and you can go home to relax. Besides, who gets coffee this late? The cafe was practically empty now. 
Your apartment was close to the coffee shop therefore your commute was short. You lived in an older building but the rent was low and your landlord was nice. She was a sweet old lady that helped you out and didn’t treat you differently just because you were a foreigner. She checks up on you a lot and gives you some banchan from time to time, which you always appreciate because her cooking is amazing. 
You take your shoes off as soon as you enter your apartment and sigh at the mess you left in the kitchen this morning before going to work. You woke up late and in a rush to eat some breakfast and make some coffee, so it looked like a tornado passed by your kitchen. You were extremely exhausted and decided that the kitchen could wait until after a nice hot shower and maybe some fried chicken from the place down the street.
After your much needed shower and a clean kitchen, you were able to enjoy your fried chicken while watching some TV. You didn’t watch a lot of Korean TV, mainly sticking to streaming apps like Netflix. But you did enjoy watching the music shows from time to time and tonight was some kind of comeback stage. You watched as the myriad of girls screamed on the TV screen and rolled your eyes at the noise, extremely amused at how they idolized these people. You had to admit that these artists were all gorgeous- men and women, although you knew that the makeup was attributed to it as well. You never knew that men could be cute and sexy at the same time. These pop idols were not afraid to rock some femininity but still managed to look manly and sexy all in one. It was something completely different than what you see back home, but you were not complaining. Before you knew it, exhaustion crept over you and pulled you under without warning. 
*
The second you walked into the cafe you could feel a buzz of energy in the atmosphere that was a little too much for you at such an early hour. 
“What’s going on?” You ask Minuk, taking in the giddy whispers of some of the female staff.
“They’re losing their minds because BTS came in yesterday to get some coffee and they are practically drooling.” He grumbles, rolling his eyes at the ridiculous situation.
“They would.” You shake your head, knowing that Minyoung is going to cry the second she hears that BTS was here after she had gone home.
“When did they come?” You ask the group of giddy girls.
“Literally like a minute after you left yesterday! If only you had stayed a little longer.” Bora answers, she was the one who worked the evening shift with you yesterday and she stayed to close the shop.
“It was so amazing. They’re all so nice and down to earth.” She swooned, tying her apron around her waist.
You chuckle at her dreamy expression, thoroughly amused at the whole situation. BTS are a very popular group so it makes sense that they came to get coffee once the place was empty and they had a low chance of getting mauled by crazy fans. You had to admit that they are very talented and passionate about what they do. Since Minyoung is a huge fan of theirs, she would force you to listen to their music and stream any music video that they would release. You would oblige but you haven’t gotten too into KPOP. While you enjoyed listening to it over the speakers at the cafe, the grocery stores and basically anywhere you went, you weren’t a hardcore fan by any means. You were still trying to get fully settled in this country and your priorities were different right now. Perhaps in the future it’s something that you can get more into. 
The day went by in a rush and you were surprised at how tired you felt once you finally sat down to have your lunch. Well, it was more like dinner because you were all so busy that getting a break was almost impossible. Today was the first day of the holiday drinks and it seems like all of Seoul was anticipating this day because the incessant line of customers just died down five minutes ago. You were closing for Minyoung today and you were working the closing shift with Dara. she insisted you take a break to eat something before she headed home for the night. You were very thankful because you were starving and your feet ached. 
“Okay I’m all done.” You say, coming back from the back room. 
“Did you chew your kimbap at all?” She teased, noticing that your break was way too short.
“It’s fine.” You waved her off, you much preferred to get your cleaning tasks out of the way to make closing easier. 
“You know what I noticed? Since it was busy all day no one ground the coffee beans for tomorrow’s opening shift. I’m going to do that right now before I leave. It should take me about twenty minutes.” She informs you.
“Oh gosh, yes please. We cannot leave without doing that first. Are you sure you want to stay and do it? Your shift is basically over.” You say, not wanting to keep her here unnecessarily. 
“Of course. Besides, it's dead right now and I doubt anyone is going to come in within the next twenty minutes.” She brushes you off and heads to the back where the coffee grinder is. 
Thankful for the help, you decide that you should start on your cleaning tasks so you can get out of here soon too. You were concentrating on trying to get a stubborn stain off a table that you were startled when you heard the door’s bell jingle, signaling someone coming into the cafe.
“Welcome.” You quickly greet, bowing at the customer. 
“Are you still open?” The deep voice asks, his eyes looking at you intently.
“Yes we are, no worries.” You say, quickly walking back to the register. “What can I get for you?” You ask, taking in the customer’s appearance. He is wearing a black cotton face mask so you can’t see his face that well. 
“I’ll have a medium hot chocolate.” He says, looking right at you.
You type the order in the POS system and try not to turn red under the strangers gaze. You are a foreigner after all and you should really be used to the stares by now. One thing is seeing a foreigner on vacation, another thing is seeing them working and living here. 
“Okay, anything else?” You ask, briefly glancing up to look at him.
“Just that.” He answers, shaking his head lightly. 
“Is it for here or to go?” You ask as you run his card for his total.
“Here.” He says and you quickly look up at him. He just stares back at you and you quickly look back down, the heat now spreading all over your face. It wasn’t very often that people would have their drinks in the cafe this close to closing time, but you couldn’t complain. You informed him that you would bring his drink to his table and he thanked you in that deep voice of his.
You quickly got to making his drink and you carefully took it to his table. As you approached, you could see that he removed his face mask and it was dangling from one of his ears. You were curious to see if his face was as attractive as his voice. The moment you were in front of his table, your breath hitched in your throat. He was very handsome, his smooth skin looking beautiful under the cafe lighting; his hair was fluffy and it looked so soft, making you want to touch it.
“Here you go.” You say with a smile, carefully placing the mug in front of him.
“Thank you.” He says, looking right at your face. You held eye contact for about two seconds but inevitably looked away and walked back to the barista station, deciding that it was the perfect time to clean the area. 
You kept glancing back to the table where the guy was and noticed that he would be looking in your general direction and that made you nervous. You hated being watched as you did your job, but he was the only person here.
“Hey, I’m all done with the coffee, I’m going to head out.” Dara says, coming from the back and breaking you from your inner freakout.
“Okay, thank you so much for that.” You thank her, glad that your workload has lessened.
“Oh, I didn’t hear the customer come in.” She says, barely noticing the man sitting at the table. “Oh my gosh.” She suddenly whispered, her eyes as wide as saucers.
“What?” You ask, looking back at the customer and noticed he looked away the second you looked his way.
Dara quickly pulled you to the back, away from his sight.
“That’s Taehyung from BTS!” She whisper-shouted, her body trembling slightly out of excitement.
“Oh. No wonder he looked kind of familiar.” You shrug, his ridiculously good looks now making sense. 
“How can you be so passive about this? He’s BTS’s Taehyung!” Dara shakes you slightly, making you laugh at her excitement.
“He’s just a human being.” You reply, rolling your eyes.
You walk back out to the front of the cafe and almost jump back when you see that Taehyung is no longer sitting down but standing right at the counter. Dara eyes you nervously but says her goodbyes, leaving you alone with Taehyung.
“Sorry about that wait. Is there anything else I can help you with?” You ask, your customer service voice on.
“No that’s all, I just didn't want to leave the mug on the table.” He explains, smiling at you. 
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that. Thank you.” You say, bowing slightly and picking up his mug.
He stood there watching you place the mug in the sink, making you feel self conscious about your actions. You slowly turn to look at him, his soft eyes watching your every move. He held eye contact with you for what felt like an eternity but was probably about five seconds. Before you could break eye contact or say anything, he gave you a cute boxy smile, your heart beating irregularly at the sight. 
“Have a good night.” He finally said and bowed, before turning around and heading out.
“..Um, uhhh, yeah you too.” You mumble, watching his figure walk out to a car that was parked across the street. 
You shook your head and tried to forget the odd encounter, focusing now on locking the door and making this place sparkly clean for the morning shift… which you are working. 
By the time you made it to your front door you were practically dragging your feet, exhaustion wracking your whole body. You went straight to the shower and then straight to bed, too tired to even feel hungry.
*
“You freaking bitch, tell me all about it!” Minyoung screeched the second she walked through the doors of the cafe, which thankfully was empty at the moment. 
“Will you keep it down?” You chastise, worried that customers are going to be coming in while she is screaming and cursing. 
“Dara texted me last night and said that Kim Taehyung, THE Kim Taehyung was here last night! Is that true?” She questions you, wanting all the details. She is a hardcore BTS fan after all. 
“Yes, I didn’t realize who it was until Dara told me.” You tell her, rolling your eyes at her whines about how she can’t believe that you didn’t recognize someone as amazing and handsome and Taehyung.
“Okay but all that aside, I do want to ask you something.” She says after the first wave of customers finally leave. 
“What’s that?” You ask, scared of what she might come up with. 
“Want to come to a BTS concert with me? My friend and I bought tickets a while ago but she can’t go anymore. If you’re interested, you can have her ticket. You haven’t been to a kpop concert yet and it’s a great experience you should have.” She tried to convince you.
A concert sounded like a lot of fun, especially since you haven’t done many fun things since you arrived in Korea. Minyoung is the first friend you made and you haven’t been able to spend much time with her outside of work because you’re always so busy and you need some distraction. 
“Okay, I guess I’ll go.” You give in, smiling at her excited jumping. She promised that you would have a great time and not regret it, which you hope was right. 
*
It was the day of the concert and you were excited to go with Minyoung, even though she was literally going crazy with excitement. She coordinated your outfits in case you got to meet the boys; which you knew was almost impossible but you let her be with her wishful thinking. You felt comfortable and confident in your all-black ensemble, your cute skirt and top giving you a confidence you have not felt in a while, ever since your ‘boyfriend’ ditched you the second you got to this country.
This concert was unlike anything you have experienced back home and you were feeding off people’s energy. Everyone in the stadium was excited and you could feel it in the air and it was contagious. You laughed at the way everyone screamed at the top of their lungs the second the stage started to rise, indicating the start of the concert. The noise was deafening, especially since you had tickets in the pit, right below the stage. Words couldn't describe what you felt throughout the concert. These guys were not just excellent artists, they were amazing performers. The energy they radiated was incredible and you soon found yourself screaming along with the thousands of fans. You were familiar with BTS and knew the name of the different members so it was easy to follow along with the fan chants. There came a point in the concert where the members went to different parts of the stage and they were singing, dancing, being silly and waving at the fans and the cameras. You immediately recognized the member that went to your side of the pit, since he was just at the coffee shop not that long ago. Minyoung was next to you, singing at the top of her lungs while you swayed next to her, smiling at the soulful way she was singing. You were so busy taking everything in, you didn’t notice the person staring at you; his eyes glued to your face and not looking away.
“Omg, look!” Minyoung practically shouted in your ear, your eyes following the direction her finger was pointing. 
You see Taehyung walking in front of your section, singing his part of the song, all while looking right at you. You made eye contact with him and he did not break away. You telt like you were in a trance, his brown orbs so tantalizing you couldn’t look away even if you wanted to. You felt as if the earth stood still and the only people in that stadium were the two of you. It felt silly to say, but you honestly felt as if there was an invincible cord pulling you towards him, strong and unrelenting. You don’t know if he felt it too, but the way his brown eyes looked at you, it made you feel like perhaps he did. 
The moment was broken when he suddenly looked away and ran back to his members that were standing in the main portion of the stage again. The beginning of their last song for the night started and you watched amazed as you still felt that strong pull. Was this something all the fans felt? If so, you totally understand now why they’re so loved by them. The concert ended with a spectacular performance and you were surprisingly sad that the concert was over. Perhaps it was time for you to start finding some time to get more into this band. 
“Okay, bitch! What the hell was that?” Minyoung asks excitedly as you walk back to the subway station. 
“What was what?” You ask innocently, hoping she would buy your bs lie.
“Girl don’t play dumb with me, you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Minyoung was not having your faux innocence today.
“I honestly have no idea what you are talking about.” You try to play it off but it was no use. You knew she was not going to let you off the hook that easily. 
“Come on, don’t be a jerk and tell me!!!!” She practically yelled, earning some glares from a few of the older people waiting for the subway.
“Okay fine.” You relent. “I honestly don’t know what that was all about, but it looked like Taehyung was looking at me. It could have just been a coincidence though.” You try to brush it off, but your heart was being fast at the memory, calling you a liar because it knew that it wasn’t just a coincidence.
“Yeah, okay, coincidence my ass. He was looking right at you and you know it.” She insists as you enter the subway, sitting down on the empty seats.
“Do you think he remembers you from the cafe?” She asks, eyes twinkling at the possibilities.
“I don’t think so. They see and meet a lot of new people all the time, I highly doubt he remembers me. Maybe it’s odd for him to see a foreigner at a show here in Korea.” You offer, not believing that you were special enough for such a successful man to remember.
“Whatever! There are tons of foreigners at their shows here. Trust me girl, I know what I saw. And if he comes by the coffee shop by himself again, then I know I’m right.” She insists as the both of you get off at your subway stops. 
“Well if you insist, but I don’t think that’s true.” You say with finality. 
“Yeah yeah yeah.” Minyoung waved you off, the both of you parting ways.
You arrive at your apartment and make a beeline to the shower, wanting to wash off the sweat and makeup from the night. Your mind was still buzzing from the encounter at the concert, your stomach fluttering with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Your mind told you that it meant nothing, that it was pure coincidence. But there was a small part of you that wondered if he really remembered you and the look you shared meant something more.
You fell asleep still thinking of those brown eyes, their warmth encompassing you into unconsciousness. 
*
It was two days after the concert and you were exhausted from working two double shifts in a row. Dara had covered your shift so you could go to the concert and now you were paying her back. You also picked up an extra shift because you wanted to eat more than just ramen once your rent was paid. It was an hour before closing and Hana had just left since it was a slow night. You sat at a stool and rested your back for a second, your lower back killing you. The cafe was empty and you needed a small break before you started to clean all the tables. Hopefully you wouldn’t get many more customers at the end of the night. 
“Hi, are you still open?” You hear a gruff voice say as they enter the cafe. You stood up at the speed of light and walked back to the counter, embarrassed that a customer walked in and you’re just sitting around.
“Yes, welcome.” You say, bowing slightly. 
You look up to take the order of the customer and your breath hitches in your throat, your eyes not believing the sight before them. There stood Kim Taehuyng, his mask hanging from one of his ears. 
“Hello, can I get a medium hot chocolate?” He orders, a small smile gracing his lips. 
“Oh, of course. For here or to go?” You ask, suddenly wishing that he says to go. 
“For here.” He answers.
After you collect payment, you quickly get to work on his hot chocolate. You notice that he sat at the bar and was watching you make his drink, which was extremely nerve wracking. You take a deep breath and turn around, meeting his curious brown eyes. 
“Here you go.” You say and place the cup in front of him, averting your gaze.
“Thank you.” He says, his soft deep voice sending a shiver down your spine. 
You get to work, hastily cleaning up the tables and hoping that he leaves soon. He makes you oddly nervous and you don’t know why. It could be the way his eyes seem to stare intently at you, but you can’t be sure. Maybe that’s the type of person that he is and it means nothing. But something in the depths of your stomach makes you feel like that’s not the case. You’re almost done cleaning up the cafe when you hear the stool scrape against the floor, indicating that he has gotten up. You look over, expecting him to be halfway to the door by now but were surprised to see him still standing by the bar.
“Can I get you anything else?” You ask, wondering why he is still here.
“No that’s all.” He says, still staring.
“Okay.” You answer, staring back at him. 
The silence was very awkward and you didn’t know what to do so you stood in place. He was just looking at you and you could feel your face getting red, giving you away. Could you be blamed? He is such a gorgeous person, you really did not know how to react to him standing there and looking at you like he’s never seen such a monstrosity before. 
By the grace of all things holy, he finally broke the silence.
“What’s your name?” He asks curiously, confusing you further. 
You stared at him in awe, wondering why the hell Kim Taehyung wanted to know your name. After a few seconds of stupefied silence, you mumbled your name, hoping it was coherent enough.
“I’m Kim Taehyung.” He introduces himself, such a silly thing.
“I know.” You say without thinking, mentally slapping yourself for being so stupid.
He chuckles slightly and you can feel the redness coating your face once again. Great. 
“Were you at our concert the other night?” He asks and you swear you have to be dreaming. None of this is real. 
“Um, yeah?” You say uncertain, not understanding what’s going on at all.
“I remember you. I hope you enjoyed it.” He flashes a heart stopping smile and you swear you have died and gone to heaven. What the hell is going on?
“Yes, um, I had a great time.” You nod, the urge to pinch yourself very strong because you swear this is a lucid dream. 
“Good, I’m glad. I have to get going now.” He tells you and you nod, not understanding what he wants you to do with that information. Of course he has to get going, he can’t stay at the cafe all night.
“I don’t normally do this but, I was wondering if I can get your number?” He asks and has the audacity to look shy and cute and hot all at the same time. Who is this man?
“Uh, ye-yes.” You mumble and write your Kakao id on a sticky note and hand it to him. 
“Thanks.” He flashes you a bright smile and bows, waving goodbye.
You bow back and watch his frame walk out of the cafe and into the night. Slapping yourself across your face, the sting indicates that indeed, you did not dream all that up. It was reality and you had no idea why Kim Taehyung wanted your phone number. 
You quickly finished cleaning up the last few things you needed before finally closing the cafe and heading home. It was a chilly night and your light sweater was not enough to stop the nippy air from hitting your skin. You power walked home and sigh in relief when the warm air thawed out your skin. After your shower, you had some leftover kimbap for dinner and settled on the couch to watch some late night tv. You were so concentrated on the show that you jumped at the sound of your KakaoTalk chime, indicating you got a message. Reaching for your phone, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you see the unknown sender’s message.
KTH: Hey this is Taehyung. Did you get home safely?
You jumped on your seat and blinked your eyes repeatedly, not believing what your eyes were seeing. Was he actually serious?
Me: Hey, yes I did. Thank you for checking in.
You sat on your couch in anxious excitement. Biting your thumb nail, you were staring down your phone to see if he would reply. When did you turn into this person?
KTH: Good, I’m glad. I was wondering that if you are available, would you like to get something to drink tomorrow night?
Oh crap. Is he serious?
Me: Sure, that sounds great.
Your knee was shaking in excitement, the disbelief coming and going in waves. Was this actually happening? What did you ever do to deserve this? 
KTH: Great! I’ll text you the details tomorrow. Good night :)
Me: Good night
You screamed into your pillow, heart racing at the possibilities that tomorrow will bring. You? Getting drinks with THE Kim Taehyung? You don’t know what brought this on, but you will not question it, that’s for sure.
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hazbbyhaz · 4 years ago
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sleepless || harry styles
eight
pairing: Harry Styles x OC
synopsis: a night out on the town
disclaimer: cursing, bars
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Forever is composed of nows
Avery watched Harry decline the incoming call without a second thought. “We should get going.” He said, already making his way to the door. She quickly grabbed her keys and her coat before following him out of the flat. There was something impatient and troublesome about his presence as he waited for her to lock her front door.
“How are we getting there?”
“We drive.” He must be a damn good photographer if he could afford a car. As if he could read her mind, he soon spoke, “The car’s not mine, It's my uncles.”
The vehicle was small but cute. It seemed to fit him well. During the drive to the club, Harry was rather quiet and closed off. Later saying that his friends were already there, quickly assuming she still remembered them from his birthday
“So, you're a photographer, right? What do you photograph?”
“I like black and white photographs,” He said. He stopped to think about what he was going to say next before he continued. “When I got into photography I used to just take pictures of my friends without them noticing. Then I moved on to public transport, parties, concerts. All those places where you can catch a glimpse of people's souls. I quickly threw out all of my colored films and switched to black and white. There's something so much more vulnerable and secretive about it…”
“I like that.” She imagines Harry with a camera in his hand, spending his days in London looking for the mystery in every person who passed him.
He gave her a small smile, which did not reach all the way up to his eyes. “Me too. However, I can't make my money with that. It's not good enough to stand on its own, so I work for a modeling agency as a photographer. It's not bad, they pay good enough but it also shows me just how much I hate staged photographs. What about you then? What's your passion?”
She shrugged, moving her gaze to the front. “Writing, I guess.” The truth was, she had no idea. In her opinion, it was too hard for her to organize all of her thoughts inside of her head, let alone sit down to put them to paper. She wanted to be a writer. She did. It was one of the only things she really wanted, but she knew she didn't have the talent or skill set for it.
“So you want to be a journalist? Or a writer?” Harry asked. She struggled with finding an answer since nobody had ever shown that much real, genuine interest in her.
“Just a writer, I think… but journalism sounds nice too.” In reality, she'd like to tell him that she didn't know what to do. Tell him that she was lost. Completely and utterly lost. In her childhood, she was never given the chance to find her talents or develop specific abilities. She had never shown her work to anyone, only submitting a handful of short stories to magazines just to receive no reply in return.
“Can you tell me more about your photographs?’’
He grinned and told Avery more. He spoke with so much emotion that Avery found herself wondering if she had sounded the same when she talked about writing. Most likely not. I felt like he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew how to capture an image and turn it into the most wonderful masterpiece.
Soon after, the club came in sight. Harry parked the car at the side of the road, and as they were getting out, a sudden wave of exhaustion overcame her. Just thinking about meeting his friends, for real this time, made her mind so tired, “You ready?”
“Sure.”
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Avery had never been much of a club person, always liking the warmer feeling a pub provided. She didn't like the loud music, the overwhelming smell of pure sweat, and just the overall pace of it all. She felt like everything went so much faster. Harry helped her take off her coat as they got inside. Despite her objections, he paid for both entries, emitting a small chuckle when she tried to argue with him.
The entire place was filled with people and the music was being managed by a DJ in the back of the room. Different colored lights flashed and moved through the crowd. Harry soon took her hand into his own, leading her through the crowd, and down a small flight of stairs to a much quieter area.
The brunette girl was the first person Avery spotted. “Emily, How are you? Why are you down here?” Harry greeted her with a hug, letting go of Avery's hand in the process. “Not bad, the DJ is kinda wack.”
“Well, look who's talking. The girl who said we HAD to come here.” A guy standing close by said, mimicking Emily.
“Shut up, George.” Harry greeted the others. Some of them she recognized from the party and some she didn't.
“This is Avery.” He introduced her and all of his friends' eyes stopped on her for a moment, looking her up and down, making her feel like a rat on a doctor’s table.
“Nice to see you again,” Emily said, the others nodded in her direction, but a second later all of their attention was back on Emily. She let out a dramatic sigh, “So, what are we going to do? Stay here, or go somewhere else?”
“I vote that we stay here.” A rather tall man, Harry had introduced as James, said. The brunette rolled her eyes, all of them making their way to the dance floor nonetheless, George making it his responsibility to get drinks for everybody.
It was hard for Avery to enjoy herself. She felt incredibly awkward while dancing, or trying to anyway. All the others had some type of rhythm in their blood, while she was desperately trying her best. Once “Low” by Flo Rida started to pour out of the speakers, she made a mad dash to the bathroom, staying there until the song was finished. Harry didn't drink, as he had to drive them both back afterward, so Avery did the same. Wanting to avoid all possible realms of embarrassment.
He gave her a small backstory of his mates. James has very rich parents, his dad paying his way through law school just so he can tell his colleagues that his son is a successful lawyer. James has a twin brother named Jasper, he ended up leaving home the first chance he got. George is a failed musician who has the entire second verse of Piano Man tattooed on his ass. Emily is into fashion, but she lost per passion for it after she got rejected from a school in Amsterdam. They all seemed to be on some kind of path. Every one of them working their way to the future, attempting to reach some sort of goal.
And Harry had taken photos of all of it. Documenting their entire lives as these individuals. He had taken photos of James passed out on the floor with numerous textbooks open around him, all just to live up to his father's standards. There were pictures of George playing the piano in many different pubs, several pints sitting atop the instrument while his friends listened to him play a tune. A few were taken of Emily hard at work, sat by her sewing machine, or window shopping at nearby second-hand dress shops. And when Jasper was around, there were a couple of him trying to learn how to juggle, the instructions given to him by a homeless man.
Their lives had been documented in a way so utterly beautiful. Photographs were taken in moments that seemed worth freezing. Moments that a curly-headed boy thought deserved to be remembered forever. Knowing all of this made Avery feel so unexplainably lonely, especially while being in their company.
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“Did you have fun?” They had made it back to the car at 2 am. Harry took a quick look back, seeing all of his friends laughing, and stumbling while making their way back home.
“Yes, thank you for inviting me.”
“My pleasure. What are you going to do when you get home?” He backed out and drove onto the main road.
“Probably make a couple of cups of coffee.” She still hadn't made it out to the grocery to pick up more tea.
“You don't sleep often, huh?”
“What makes you think that?” The answer was obvious.
“You look tired a lot. Why don't you sleep?” Avery ignores his assumption. She wasn't offended, it was easy to assume without being incorrect.
“I don't like it,” She shrugged, feeling like a child. “I prefer to stay awake.” Avery could tell that he wanted to ask more questions. She would have been fine with this, but at this point, she was beyond exhausted and couldn't handle giving any more answers. “Can I ask you a question?’’
“Shoot.”
She waited a moment before continuing. Not for dramatic effect, just to figure out how she wanted to go about it. “What do you dream of?”
Harry's eyebrows pulled together, and he looked her way. “Uhm… I guess making a living off my-”
“No,” She quickly stopped him. “I mean… When you fall asleep at night. What do you dream of?”
“Oh… I don't know. I forget most of the time when I wake up, but last week I dreamed I had adopted a puppy and he ran away the second day I had him. I oddly enough didn't mind that he had run away. He ended up coming back on the third day. Quite random, but that was that… Why are you asking me this?”
Avery smiled at the description of his dream. So innocent and childlike. He didn't have to worry about what would appear before him when he fell asleep, and she was glad that he didn't have to. “No reason.”
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let-me-write-shit · 4 years ago
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Somebody To You: 6
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Friendly reminder to please Like and/or Reblog. It helps more than you think! :)
This chapter is more of a filler, but it’s got some really important details in it.
Word Count: 2,857
Click Here For Previous Chapter & Other Completed Stories
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CHAPTER SIX
It’s been a long two weeks. Between work and friends, Zoey didn’t feel like she had any days off to relax. Ever since their double date, Brett and Zoey have been hanging out a lot more. It seemed like he was over practically every day to hang out with her and her roommates. He’d occasionally come over before his shift started, but more often than not it was late at night after she got off to have a game night, and Nancy and Rory would wait up for them to join. The girls quickly became fond of him and formed a friendship much like hers with Harry.
They were all constantly making plans to hang out, and although she had so much fun with them, Zoey felt like she rarely had a moment to herself anymore. The only time she felt like she had a minute to breathe or think was her morning phone calls with Harry. Sure, they texted occasionally throughout the day, but that phone call was the time when both of them could sit down, talk, and reflect on what was going on in their lives. 
Harry seemed to be going through a rough patch. She missed him before he left the last time he came out as he had to be up super early the following morning so he didn’t miss his flight, but he did call Zoey when he landed to fill her in on the details of the conversation she caught him and Rory having.
Rory was honest with him and told him how she felt. She liked him, but she didn’t want to be with someone who wasn’t sure if they wanted to be with her. She understood his hesitation because of his past experiences with relationships while on tour, but she didn’t appreciate being grouped in the same category with his exes. She told Harry that she had no problem waiting if that’s what he wanted, but only if he was sure he wanted her. Otherwise, he’s just wasting her time. 
“I’m not giving you an ultimatum or making you choose right this second because that’s not fair,” Rory said to him, “I’ll give you some space and time to figure it out. We can still talk and be friendly in the meantime, but I’m not going to wait forever.”
No one could fault her, and Zoey respected the hell out of her for standing her ground and noticing her own self-worth, but Harry was really struggling to decide what he wanted to do. To him, it wasn’t as simple as it was for most people. He has eyes on him at all times. Not only does he have to navigate the ups and downs of a relationship, but he has to do so in the public eye. He had to find a way to protect the sanctity of his relationship from the press and people with malicious intent and he had to somehow find a way to shield his partner from negative media and online attention because the hate is inevitable. To him, relationships were terrifying.
Zoey helped by listening to his rants and concerns, offering bits of advice, but always remaining neutral. No matter how many times Harry asked her what he should do, Zoey refused, telling him it was his decision to make while always reminding him to stop overthinking everything and to live the life he wanted without worrying about what might go wrong. Easy for her to say. She’s not famous.
Luckily, Rory kept her word in not putting any pressure on him to make a decision. They still spoke and flirted every now and then, though it wasn’t as often as before. Most of their conversations these days consisted of work-related things or Rory filling him in on all of the fun she was having with the girls, Andy, and Brett. She was spending a lot more time with Zoey’s new friends, and from what Rory said, it sounded like Zoey was having a lot of sleepless nights with Brett.
Zoey’s sex life was never really a topic of discussion when they spoke. She never really went into detail or stayed on the subject no matter how much Harry tried to pry. Of course, he knew they saw each other, but the only reason he knew when Brett spent the night was because Nancy or Rory mentioned hanging out with him and how he stayed over. During their text conversations, Zoey always seemed so nonchalant and never alluded to the fact that Brett was even there. She didn’t care to talk about their ‘relationship’ much, and he couldn’t tell if it was because she was trying to hide the fact that she was actually falling for him, or because she really didn’t care and it was just as casual as she intended it to be. The only thing Harry managed to get out of her was that she wasn’t a fan of his kissing. Either way, she was great at keeping her private life private, which was something he respected, all things considered.
Finally, it was Friday, and the last week of May, so Andy, Brett, and Zoey decided to go to the beach early in the morning so they had enough time before work tonight. Nancy and Rory tagged along, for once not having any work they needed to do. The sun beamed brightly, not a cloud in sight. It was only 80 degrees. Not too hot, not too cold. It was the perfect beach day. Andy helped Zoey apply suntan lotion to her back as Nancy and Rory sprayed each other down and Brett didn’t bother, laying out everyone’s towels on the hot, golden sand beside their beach bags.
At first, the group stayed on their towels, letting the sun warm up their skin and adjust to the temperatures. Eventually, Nancy, Zoey, and Andy made their way to the water, leaving Brett and Rory to tan. They eased their way into the ocean until waist level, waves whipping at their hips. An hour in and they had gotten more comfortable, diving underwater, laughing as they pretended to be mermaids, screeching whenever seaweed brushed against their legs and sputtering as the salty water had gotten into their mouths. Rory and Brett had finally joined them, but it didn’t take long before they all headed back to their setup, letting the sun dry them off.
The beach had always been Zoey’s happy place. She had always been the happiest in the water. It’s why she was on the swim team in school and why she frequently slept at Jess’s house to enjoy her pool. Her parents used to call her their little fish when she was a kid because she could be in the water all day. Jess was the first to get her license, and every day off in the summer since Jess turned sixteen, she’d drive the two of them to the beach just for Zoey. It was nearly a three-hour drive just to get there. They’d be up and out the door by 6 AM just so they could be there by 9, and wouldn’t leave until long after the sun had set just to do it all over again the next day. Every now and then they’d get lucky enough to rent a hotel, but they never complained about the drive. It was worth it to Jess if it made Zoey happy. It became their tradition to see how many times they could make it down to the beach in one summer and if they could top it. It’s been a year since she’s been to the beach. And it’s just as amazing as she remembers it being.
Brett had brought a football and they all were tossing it around to each other in an unofficial game of football. Zoey screamed as he ran up, scooping her into his arms and tackling her into the sand, laughing as sand shot up into their face from the impact on the ground and covered their bodies. 
“Absolutely not! I saved that!” Zoey exclaimed, lightly smacking Brett’s sweaty, back as he pushed himself off of her.
“Tell that to the ball on the ground,” Brett shot back, panting and scooping a heaping pile of sand onto her stomach in retaliation causing Andy and Rory to laugh.
A ringtone was heard in the distance by their towels and Nancy called back, “Someone’s phone is ringing!” as she jogged towards their stuff, rummaging through the bags. She pulled out Zoey’s phone, looked at the screen and held it up, calling, “It’s Harry!”
“Answer it!” Zoey called back, standing up and dusting the sand off of herself.
Nancy plopped down on the towels as everyone slowly caught their breath, making their way over towards her. She answered the phone on speaker and put on her best stern voice, “How come you never call me?”
“Who’s this?” she heard Harry’s muffled voice from a few feet away, “Nancy?”
“I’m clearly Susan Sarandon. You can’t tell by my voice?” she joked as Andy, Brett, and Rory had sat around her, the rumble of voices and children laughing surrounding them.
Harry laughed, ignoring her, “That’s a lie. I just called you yesterday!”
“That’s true. What’s up?”
“Nothing much, going to be heading to soundcheck soon. Where’s Zoey?”
“Here!” Zoey called, finally reaching the edge of the towels, hovering over everyone.
“Where are you? It sounds loud?” Harry asked.
“We’re at the beach,” Nancy spoke, “Everyone’s here except you. Me, Zoey, Rory, Andy, and Brett.”
“Am I on speaker?”
“Yeah, say hi!”
The group sang a chorus of greetings while Harry responded an almost shy “hello” back. Zoey smiled, extending her hand out and grabbing her phone as Nancy passed it over to her. She placed it to her chest and turned to Brett, softly saying, “Hey, I’m getting hungry. Can you grab us some lunch? I’ll pay you back.”
“Yeah, no worries. I can pay. Anyone want to come with?”
“I’ll go!” Nancy offered, standing up.
“Yeah, I’ll help,” added Rory.
Andy scoffed, “My ass is staying right here. But I will take a slice of pepperoni pizza, please,” he slid his sunglasses back onto the bridge of his nose and slid back onto his beach chair.
As soon as the three were off, Zoey took her phone off speaker and brought it to her ear, walking towards the dunes where there were fewer people and it was slightly quieter. 
“Sorry, I’m here,” she spoke, “they’re gone.”
“No, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to interrupt. You can get back to them.”
“Shut up,” Zoey laughed, dragging her feet in the sand as she spoke, “What’s up?”
“We were going over the next few cities we’ll be in, and guess where I’ll be next weekend,” Harry said excitedly.
“New York?” Zoey guessed.
“Well, yeah. But I’ll also be in Philadelphia next Saturday.”
“Philly?” Zoey gasped, halting in her tracks, “You’ll be maybe twenty minutes from my family.”
“It’s that close? Where did you live?”
Zoey sat in the sand, knees to her chest, and told Harry about her hometown and where she grew up. She scooped sand in her free hand and watched as it fell to the ground like a sand shower as she recalled memories of her and Jess running around their town as teenagers and all of the trouble they got into. And Harry listened, interested in every detail. 
Somehow they got onto the subject of Zoey’s past childhood boyfriends, where she had her first kiss and her first heartbreak. This eventually led to a conversation about Brett. It’s not that she avoided talking about Brett, but there was nothing to really say about him. They hung out. They screwed. That was it for the most part. Except there was a little news about him this time.
“He asked me on another date,” Zoey informed him.
“What, a double date again?”
“No, one on one.”
Harry paused in thought before speaking, “I’m confused. I don’t get what’s going on between you two.”
Zoey laughed, “I don’t either.”
He continued, “I mean, you say it’s just a casual thing. Hanging out and fucking around. So what’s the point in going on a date if that’s all it is? Or is it more than that?”
Zoey pursed her lips and blew hard, making a horse snorting sound before groaning and resting her head on her forearm that was resting on her knees, “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s more than that, but it seems like it’s getting more serious. I mean he stays over so often we should start charging him rent. I feel like I see him more than Nancy and Rory between work and home.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Harry asked, curiously.
“I don’t know,” she whined, sitting back up, “The girls love him and he’s a lot of fun. And he’s getting better at the kissing thing. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there’s still work to do, but he gets the job done if you know what I mean. Oh my god, speaking of,” Zoey started cackling to herself, “we got caught yesterday.”
“What do you mean ‘you got caught’?” Harry chuckled at the vagueness.
“At work.”
“At work?!” Harry repeated, the sound of shuffling could be heard from his end as if he had quickly sprung up from a seat.
She nodded to herself, wiping away a tear that teetered at the corner of her eye, which was probably a mistake because she now felt sand on her cheek, remembering the incident last night.
“Oh shit! My bad!” Andy apologized to her, shoving the beer bottles he carried into the crook of her arm and wiping at the wet spot he had left on Zoey’s black shirt when he collided into her after she suddenly appeared from the storage closet.  “I was looking for you. You alright? You look like you’ve been crying.” He asked, noticing her flushed face and loose strands of hair dangling from her messy bun.
The storage closet door suddenly opened beside them and Brett stepped out, forehead beaded with sweat, hair tousled, lips red raw, straightening out his shirt. Brett paused when he saw the two standing there, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. Andy’s eyes shot between the two as realization sunk in and he groaned.
“Jesus Christ!” Andy whispered, “Y'all are nasty!”
Brett chuckled and winks as he scooted past them, returning to the busy bar to finish off his shift.
“Sorry, Andy!” Zoey sheepishly smiled, biting her lip.
Andy shook his head, laughing in amusement, “At least one of us has a good sex life. Fix your hair. You look crazy,” he walked away.
Zoey shook her head, snapping back to the present and she chortled, trying to stifle her laughter as she looked over to see all of her friends back on the towels and enjoying their lunch together. 
“It was just a quickie in the storage closet, but we ran into Andy on the way out and it was super embarrassing. I mean, at least it was just Andy and not our manager, but still,” she explained.
“You couldn’t wait a few hours?” Harry laughed.
Zoey giggled, “You gotta do what you gotta do.”
The two finished catching up and Zoey wished him good luck before ending the phone call and heading back to her friends. There was a slight burning feeling on her shoulder blade as the suntan lotion began to wear off and knew she’d have a sunburn tonight. She tossed her phone back in the beach bag and took a spot between Nancy and Rory while the group had laughed about something Andy had said. 
Andy looked over at Zoey and smiled at her grin, “You and Harry talk a lot,” he noted.
“Yeah,” Zoey nodded, picking up her slice of pizza that had now cooled down, though had a little dusting of sand on the top, “We’ve been through a lot of similar situations, so it’s easy to talk to him about it.”
Andy nodded, understandingly, being the only one that knew of Jess. Aurora nodded in agreement, “I like how quickly our little friend group formed and how well we all get along.”
Nancy laughed, “Could you imagine we all hated each other?”
“Imagine them thinking I don’t hate them,” Andy joked, turning towards Zoey and scoffing which caused Nancy to pounce on him. 
This caused an all-out war and Zoey laughed as Nancy chased Andy towards the water and Brett had practically dragged Rory behind them, letting Zoey finish her lunch, happy to be with friends. But she couldn’t help to feel that pang of sadness as she thought about how much Jess would have loved to be apart of this, too. 
The realization hit, nearly knocking the wind out of her. In just over a week it would be Jess’s birthday. The one year anniversary of her best friend’s death. And the happiness she felt just moments before was replaced with gloom. How was she going to manage this?
KEEP READING
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