#i refuse to put too much angst in my fun cool powers au

[georgescatcafe]

a quiet life (a handshake)

rating: g warning/s: non-graphic violence pairing/s: dreamnotfound genres/tags: royalty au, king george, knight dream, marshal sapnap, pining, fluff and angst word count: 2,322 summary: The first time he and Dream touch again after his coronation is an accident.

He trips. Dream catches him.

The strongest dam in Essempy will never break, no matter if it cracks or leaks. George is not the strongest dam.

+ao3

;;

George isn’t sure what to think as the crown is placed atop his head. It’s heavy, and when he had touched it the night before, waiting, hesitating, it was cool to his fingers. Even now, he feels the cold metal as it rests, nestled in his hair.

In his hands, George holds the orb and scepter, and they’re just as heavy as the crown. With them, he can’t use his hands, can’t carry anything else, only the duty that’s been given to him. George looks out across the crowd. This isn’t a celebration, it’s a shackling. 

The ceremony passes with ease. George is the crowned King. He’s never wanted to be anything less.

;;

“So… you’re King now.”

George looks back to see his knight standing in the doorway, cloaked in shadow. He nods, and the knight steps forward. George turns fully to greet him. “I thought you wanted this.”

“I do,” Dream replies. He comes closer. “For you.”

George raises a brow.

“Everything you could ever want,” Dream says. “Money, power. When you ride into battle, George, you’ll look so—,” he cuts himself off, clears his throat, “there’s nothing you could ask for that couldn’t be given.”

That’s not true. George swallows. “I’ve got the world at my fingertips.”

Dream nods. “It’s what you deserve.” His fingers twitch. George looks at them, wishes he could take them in his own—if only he weren’t King, if only he weren’t a coward. He wonders if Dream wishes the same. When he meets Dream’s eyes once more, the knight is watching him. His gaze is green, like grass, like the valleys and hills that he and George used to whisper of escaping to. His gaze, deeper, closer to his iris, is brown, like the bark of trees, like cool, damp earth. George can’t actually tell the true colors of Dream’s eyes. Dream taught him the colors, murmured them to him when they were kids, close and personal, trying his best to describe it in the clumsy way kids can. George had loved every second of it. “I really wanted this for you, George. I want you to be happy.”

But being King won’t grant George happiness. But Dream doesn’t know that. George smiles. “I’m really happy, Dream. Thank you.”

Dream smiles back. It doesn’t reach his eyes. George wonders if his own did.

;;

George does like the power. He likes the money. In terms of materials, maybe Dream’s right, this is all he could want. He’s never been happier. But each day he rises and sees the knight, catches his eye over breakfast, bumps into him in the courtyard, and each day the ache in his chest grows worse. Within him lies a want nothing but Dream can fulfill. He wishes he could cut it out, take a knife to his chest and be done with it, hands bloody, heart happy. But he can’t.

So he aches.

;;

There is no pressure for George to take on a consort of any sort, and for that, George is actually happy, smiling to himself the minute he’s alone after hearing the news. Even if there were pressure, George doesn’t think he would give in.

He doesn’t think he can give in.

His hands are tied with tasks as King and he can’t afford love, can’t even afford an heir. Not so soon. Not with Dream still so near. George’s gaze drops to the floor when he accidentally sees Dream across the hall. When they pass each other, George fights the urge to reach out and grab, hold onto and not let go, with all he has.

;;

George supposes he would love antagonizing the marshal, Sapnap, if Sapnap weren’t as entangled as tightly with Dream as he is. 

“He seems sadder nowadays,” Sapnap tells George as he saddles the other’s horse, not something either of them are wont to do, but today seems to be an exception. He runs a hand down the mare’s flank when he’s done, giving her a firm pat before turning to George. “I always ask him if he’s alright, but he just, y’know, shrugs me off.”

“He does that,” George says.

Sapnap nods.

George climbs onto his horse. “He is, though, isn’t he?” he asks. Sapnap looks up at him. “Alright.”

“For once,” Sapnap says, as he takes a couple steps back, allowing George to guide his horse outside the stable, “I don’t actually know.”

George’s ride is spent with only the company of unease. At one point, he stops the mare, nausea rising in his throat, only to dry heave in the bushes as the Sun passes over high in the sky.

When he returns, Sapnap is gone, and George leaves putting up his horse to the stable boy.

The rest of the day is unproductive. He spends most of it in his room.

;;

The first time he and Dream touch again after his coronation is an accident.

They walk, silent, side by side, down a corridor, both headed in the same direction. George refuses to look over. Dream seems to refuse to look away. Under his gaze, George prickles, tingles breaking out under his skin, pinpricks of feelings he’d wish go away.

And then he trips. And Dream catches him.

The strongest dam in Essempy will never break, no matter if it cracks or leaks. George is not the strongest dam.

;;

He starts planning after that. George has never been one for affection, but he craves Dream’s touch like a flower craves the Sun. And so he plans, every move he makes an effort to get Dream’s hands on him again. It feels perverse, wrong, and maybe it is—as a king, he shouldn’t want this. As Dream’s friend, he shouldn’t want this.

But he does, and it’s too late to deny these feelings now.

Dream has touched his hands, his shoulders, his waist, his arms. It’s all fleeting. It’s not enough.

He’s taking a break from work—tallies, taxes, treatises mocking him behind his eyes—in a landing between the second and third floor when he spies Dream and Sapnap. Together, they walk, and George envies their easy affection. Dream shoves, Sapnap shoves back. George wants that. They keep distance between them still. It’s friendly. They’re friends. George wants more than that. George thinks he might go insane.

He looks away. It’s best not to dwell on it. There’s other things to do.

;;

George thinks he’s alone on the trail when there’s a sudden burst of sound—the stomping of hooves—and Dream is next to him, atop his stallion, elegant and proud. For a moment, George sees him as King, sees the crown, the cape. It’s beautiful. 

It’s cold.

George smiles at him. “Protecting me from bandits?”

“I like your company,” Dream replies. “Besides, bandits this close to the castle?”

I like your company, too, George wants to say. “Just a joke,” comes out instead. 

Dream grins. “You’re so funny, George.”

“You sound like Sapnap,” George replies, “when he’s making fun of me. Are you making fun of me, Dream?”

“I’d never, George,” Dream says, and it feels so much like the past, this easy banter between them, that George almost forgets the weight of the crown, the chasm that lies between them. Almost.

Needless to say, most of his smiles are faked after that.

;;

George has never been in battle, nor does he ever want to be in one. The declaration of war that sits upon his desk spits in his face and tells him to get over it.

Dream reads it over his shoulder, his presence a steady warmth George knows if he weren’t King he’d easily fall back into. Instead he merely keeps it close by.

“We have to answer,” Dream tells him. “We can’t leave something like this undecided.”

“Get Sapnap,” George replies.

Growing up, he thought it had been a cliche, but he finds himself nodding along when Sapnap announces to his men that they’ll ride at dawn.

;;

“Dream,” George says, war on the horizon, but only one question on his mind.

“Yeah?” Dream doesn’t look up from the map he’s surveying.

“When I had been crowned,” George turns to the other, heart pounding in his chest, “you were telling me about what I’d get as King. You also said—you said when riding into battle, I’d look—I’d look so—”

“There aren’t many things I think you shouldn’t say before battle,” Dream finally rolls up the map, looks over at George, “but that’s one of them.”

“But you’ll tell me still, right?” George tightens his grip on his horse’s reins. “Right?”

“When we’re on the other side of the war,” Dream tells him. “Then I’ll know it’s true. And I’ll tell you.”

Neither bring it up again.

;;

The sky is black. Dream tells him it’s red. “Passion,” George replies. “Heat.”

From behind them, a rumble. Something explodes. George takes a steadying breath. “Blood,” he says.

“Don’t think about that,” Dream tells him, slicing through an approaching soldier, an enemy. George wonders if his family will miss him. If he even has a family. George lifts his shield to block the sword of another. Dream doesn’t have a family. George and Sapnap could be his family. Even if they weren’t, George would still miss him. Even now, George misses him.

George runs his sword straight through a man. He leans over and vomits on a corpse. He feels Dream’s warmth against his back. If George died, he bets Dream would miss him. He wants to know what Dream was going to say. George swings his sword towards the sound of footsteps. He slices a soldier’s leg open. The blood that spills out is black.

Don’t think about that.

;;

George never wants to go into battle again. He hates battle, hates war—he hates being King.

“I love the power,” he tells Dream. “I love the money.” He tugs bitterly at the petitions now spread across his desk. “But is that worth all this?”

“Isn’t it?” Dream asks. “I thought you were happy.”

“I’m—,” George doesn’t think he can say it. I’m happiest with you. He was happiest when they were kids, tagging and chasing in the grass, shouting and screaming in the forest, shrieking and swimming in the lake. He was happiest when they could touch, when they could shove each other, push and pull as equals, not as King and servant. He was happiest when blood didn’t stain his hands crimson and when the only circle of gold he knew was the halo around Dream’s hair and not the crown that sits on his own head. “I’m trying to be.”

Silence.

Dream unsheathes his sword. They sit on a bench in the courtyard, and Dream draws the blade through the dirt. George watches as the metal glints in the light.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m trying really hard to be happy.”

He hesitates.

“It wasn’t even the fight,” he says. “Not really. I can get my hands dirty. But not like this. Not when all they did was serve their own King. I like destruction; I like a mess.”

“But not like this.”

George nods.

Dream sighs. “I’m sorry, too. I really thought you wanted this, George.”

“It’s not like you made me King yourself,” George replies. “Not like this was a long time coming.”

“I could’ve done something,” Dream says. “You, me, Sapnap—the three of us—we could’ve left. Don’t you think?”

George shakes his head. “I still like Essempy. I don’t want to leave. I just… don’t want it to come with all this.” He doesn’t specify what this is. He doesn’t have to.

Dream takes a breath. “Well—”

“What were you going to say?” George cuts him off. “I’ll look so what, Dream? We're not about to go off to war; there's no battle to fight right now. Just… tell me.”

“Beautiful,” Dream replies. “You’ll look so beautiful. And you did.”

George freezes.

“I’m sorry,” Dream says.

There’s been too many apologies today. George looks over at him. Dream stares down his sword, eyes fixated on some point in the dirt. George places a hand on his arm. They’re in the courtyard. He resists the panicked urge to lower his hand. Dream looks over at him.

“If you were to die,” George says, “I would miss you.”

Dream turns, fully facing him. George puts his hands on his shoulders, holds tight. “Even when you’re next to me now, I miss you.”

“I wish I had run away with you, George,” Dream tells him. “Just so I could do this, and not feel guilty.”

George tenses. “Do what?”

Dream kisses him.

The strongest dam in Essempy will never break, no matter if it cracks or leaks. George doesn’t want to be the strongest dam.

When Dream pulls away, George tightens his hold on him where his hands have slid off his shoulders down to around his arms. “Don’t feel guilty,” he says. Their foreheads rest against one another, and George closes his eyes, every breath Dream exhales one he inhales.

“A knight isn’t supposed to be in love with his king,” Dream replies.

“A king isn’t supposed to be in love with his knight.”

George never wants to forget the feeling of Dream’s lips on his.

;;

“I’ll change the rules,” George tells him later. “I’m a king. I can do that. Just for you and me, for us—I’ll change the rules.”

Dream runs a hand through his hair, and George leans into the touch. He’s the sunflower; Dream is the Sun. “If it makes you happy,” Dream tells him.

“It would,” George replies. “And if I get told no, if I’m shut down—”

“You won’t be,” Dream says. “I won’t let that happen. Sapnap won’t let that happen.”

It’s nice, knowing Sapnap is on their side.

“I just want to see you happy.”

“I am,” George tells him. “I really am.” And finally, he means it.

[joonsdiary]

worth fighting for (06)

pairing: jungkook x reader genre/warnings: a pinch of fluff, a dash of angst / royalty au, historical au / tw: indignant!koo, apologetic!reader, jimin being the supportive bun that he is, if you came for a fun time this chapter probably isn’t? word count: 4,815

summary: fresh out of the perils of war, jungkook didn’t think that his task as the newly appointed general would be to look after you.

                                                                       SIX.

“Congratulations, Y/N. The distance you so crave is finally there.”

You mumble to yourself as you watch Jungkook’s back disappear into the horizon. Had it not been for your sharp tongue, perhaps you would’ve prevented the damage you’ve inflicted upon him. You hadn’t seen his expression as he didn’t bother to face you, but his slackened shoulders are enough to let you know how he feels. Your heart wrenches painfully as you swallow thickly.

Yes, his mistrust towards your capabilities is unwarranted, inflicting your pride. You aren’t some weak helpless princess who needs to wait around and be rescued – you are more than capable of saving your own ass. But that doesn’t give you the authority to overstep your boundary and bring up his dead brother, of all people.

You blink up at the sky, unable to keep the tears pooling from staining your flush cheeks. There’s no use in feeling sorry for yourself now, though. You have to apologize, and somehow make it up to him. An action that’s easier said than done if Jungkook does not brush you off with every attempt.

But he does.

Throughout the rest of the day, you chase him around like a puppy does their master. There’s not much left to do since Jimin gathered firewood when you were busy stomping on Jungkook’s feelings. The tents have also been set up, courtesy of both Miyoung and Jimin. That doesn’t stop Jungkook from coming up with creative ways to dismiss your presence, though.

“I’m going to relieve myself. Will you follow me there, too?” Jungkook deadpans and you wilt away, cheeks flaming with embarrassment.

“No,” you toy with the string of your dress. You look up at him and open your mouth to say the words that are eating you up. You don’t have the chance to, though, because he turns to leave in search of a dense forest area. Your shoulders slump in defeat as you massage your temples.

“Did something happen between you and the general?” Miyoung approaches you with caution. You don’t turn to address her presence, but you nod at her inquisition.

“I was being a dimwit.”

“You can be a bit dense at times,” Miyoung mumbles thoughtfully, and you give her a slanted gaze. She returns the favour with a playful smile. “What is it; you finally confessed, and he rejected you? It was so bad that he wants to avoid you, but you can’t help how your poor heart yearns for him.”

Her statement is like cold water being splashed to your face. “What do you mean finally?”

“I’m not going through the whole spiel about you acting jittery around him again,” she says wryly. “But you’ve been really, really obvious.”

Your face blanches, and Miyoung gives you a puzzling gaze.

He hasn’t noticed though, right?

You push the thought away since what she said hasn’t crossed your mind. You’re bound to someone by agreement, and you have no plans of tearing that for something as meagre as your feelings.

“Judging from your reaction, I’m guessing that’s not what happened?” her brows creased with worry, and you shake your head.

“Would you believe me if I say that I’ve done something more idiotic than that?” you give her a sheepish grin and dive into telling her what happened. Your gaze travels to Jimin, ensuring he doesn’t hear any of what you’re saying. It’s enough that one other person knows of your stupidity. She listens with intent and waits for you to finish.

“…and then he just walked away. I’ve been trying to apologize to him since, and you can guess how that went,” you awkwardly point to the direction Jungkook has gone. She doesn’t say anything for a while, and dread fills your chest. Her silence speaks volumes on her position in this matter; she thinks you’re in the wrong as well.

“I can see where you’re coming from,” she begins slowly, uncharacteristically picking her words as if not to say anything that will disfavour you. “But you didn’t have to bring up the topic of his late brother like that.”

“I know,” you exhale, feeling exasperated. “I know that. I slipped in the most immodest way possible. But he doesn’t want to give me the room to explain.”

“Perhaps you should give him some space. It looks like he needs it if he’s actively avoiding you.”

I know that, too.

You sigh defeatedly. “Maybe you’re right. It seems selfish of me to keep pushing myself where I’m not wanted.”

“He’ll come around,” she offers a reassuring smile, which lifts your mood in the slightest.

But two days pass, yet there’s still no sign of Jungkook’s temper thawing. He rescinded his offer to teach and you agree amicably, opting to listen to Miyoung about taking the diplomatic approach in order to give him the space he needs. It’s not like he had been willing to teach you more either way, so you graciously collect your losses. If avoidance is what he desires, it’s what he’ll get.

Jimin has noticed the surly atmosphere, but he doesn’t dare ask anything. You feel apologetic for placing him in the dark by not saying anything, but you don’t think your ego could handle another moral beating after confiding with Miyoung.

You’ve chosen to stay in the carriage in the instances where you’re not needed, which happens to be most of the time since they still refuse to task you with too much work. You occasionally volunteer with Miyoung but otherwise avoid Jungkook like the plague, and you refuse to eat any meals with them as you hide away in your tent. You delude yourself into thinking that it’s the easiest task you could possibly be assigned but hearing his laughter on the other side of the closed doors prove harder than anything you’ve ever done.

You prepare your heart, nonetheless, telling yourself it’s the punishment you deserve after breaking his.

On the third day post-Jungkook, a soft knock comes at the door of your carriage. You put down your embroidery — a suggestion from Miyoung you’ve gingerly agreed to complete despite how tedious you think it is. Hope blooms in your chest and you eagerly open the door. Perhaps Miyoung talked to Jungkook about your intentions to apologize —

“Your Grace.”

Jimin’s crescent eyes greet you, and you try to hide your disappointment with a stiff smile. He steps aside as you disembark, stretching your limbs that have been bent to one position for hours. The afternoon sun is hidden beneath grey clouds, and you don’t have to squint too much as your gaze sweeps the surroundings.

“General Jeon wants to unrein the horses. It seems like we might camp out for a while. He predicts a storm might be coming and would rather be stationary when that happens.”

You nod as your eyes search for the said general. Your shoulder deflates when you don’t find him.

“I can still stay inside though, right?” you offer a meek smile, hoping he’d say yes.

“Actually…” he trails off as he rubs the back of his neck bashfully. “I’ve noticed you’ve been keeping to yourself a lot and…well…”

He meets your gaze, a grin forming on his lips. “I was wondering if you wanted to go for a horse ride. Help you stave off some of that dark aura surrounding you lately.”

You allow yourself to laugh at his statement, already feeling more at ease than you’ve been the past few days.

“If you insist,” your words are filled with excitement. He offers his elbow and your palm rests on the crook of his hand.

“None of them are Luna, but I promise you they’re just as wild-spirited.” You allow him to guide you to where two horses await, saddled and unbound from the carriage. Approaching the caramel-coloured steed, you hold your palms out and run it along its neck.

“I’ve been so preoccupied these past few weeks to even ask if this was possible,” the horse neighs as you run your fingertips through its thick mane.

It doesn’t take long for you to settle down and once you do, Jimin mounts his horse.

“Thank you for inviting me,” you turn to him with a genuine smile. “And having a horse of your own to ride this time around.”

“I wasn’t going to let the same thing happen where you leave me behind. As powerful as my thighs are, I still don’t stand a chance in catching up to a horse,” his tone is bright as he claps his hand on his thighs for full effect. You laugh at the memory as your grip tightens around the rope.

“Don’t blame me for feeling excited. I’m sorry it got you in trouble though,” you lament, feeling apologetic since you heard he was severely punished by the stable master. You suspect the order came from your father, though, hence his reluctance for you to bring Jimin along. But in a scenario where you had to place your trust in the hands of a few, there’s not an inkling of doubt in your mind that he would be one of them.

“It was nothing I couldn’t handle.” The certainty in Jimin’s tone is enough for you not to press.

The two of you begin at a slow pace, and you welcome the cool breeze of tousling your hair in every direction possible. You bask in your false sense of freedom, your spirits already lifting the slightest.

“I’m sorry, too, for my recent actions,” you begin as vaguely as you possibly can. You’re not sure how much Jimin knows about your situation, but you have been ignoring him too as of late. It doesn’t feel fair, especially because he’s the one making an effort to bridge the gap you’ve built.

“That’s quite alright. Given your circumstance, I understand if you feel closed off at times.”

“Circumstance?” Your brows knit in confusion and you face Jimin. He returns your confusion with a small smile.

“Trekking an unknown path towards the Northern border, where no Southerner has been able to do in three generations since the conflict started. Not only that, but you’ll have to marry their monarch.”

“Oh, that,” your eyes flit back to the small patch of road ahead of you. You’re unsure what Jimin has in mind as a destination, but he promises it’s not a long ride. “The least I could do.”

Jimin dips his chin.

“I know you’re attempting to diminish the responsibility you’ve chosen to bear, but you have a lot to lose, too.”

You shake your head at him, unable to acquiesce with his considerate words.

“Compared to what you went through during the war…” you trail off, unsure of how to continue. The last time you talked to someone about death and loss, they walked away from you. Perhaps you’re not as eloquent as you’d like to think in spite of your status, so you don’t say anything further.

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but this isn’t a competition of who suffers the most like you make it sound to be.” His smile is mellow, his voice gentle but not condescending. The kindness in his eyes almost deceives you into falling infatuated with him. “You don’t have to undermine your sacrifice just because you think you’re not losing a limb or getting stabbed with an arrow.”

The sentiment is enough to fill the corner of your eyes with fresh tears. You laugh softly, sounding slightly unhinged. “You make me sound so benevolent.”

“Aren’t you, though?” His lilt is playful, but you shake your head in disagreement.

“Far from it, actually.”

“You’re too hard on yourself, you know. You both.”

You don’t have to ask twice to figure out who he’s talking about. Curiosity is nagging you but you’re unable to find the right words, so you let silence permeate.

“Did he say anything…?” you whisper, and you’re sure Jimin didn’t hear it.

“About you?”

His reply catches you off guard, and you make an effort not to seem overly eager. “No, just… broadly speaking.”

“If you must know,” Jimin pauses and eyes you suggestively. You pull the ropes to halt the movement of the horse. He mimics your actions, and you fall in step with each other, pulling the reins so the animals would follow. His features soften as he looks ahead. “He hasn’t spoken much of anything. Of you.”

“Oh.” You try not to sound distraught, but your voice wavers. “I guess he must still hate me.”

“Do you think he’d still be here if he hates you?”

You blink up at him, and with the most impassive tone you can muster, you answer, “Yes.”

“You’re right,” he says after a short pause. “He’s hard-headed in that way where he’ll see this through to the end, regardless of how he feels.” Jimin chuckles as he shakes his head. You grin up at him. “You’re both stubborn— ”

“— as a mule, I am aware,” you finish for him, and his eyes twinkle in amusement.

“Am I that predictable?” He places his hand on his chest in mock offence. You nod at his inquiry, realizing that you’ve been missing this type of banter.

“Thank you, Jimin.”

His eyes form into crescents, smiling from ear to ear at your appreciation. He stretches his arms out wide. “Now that you owe me…”

“Name your price, Park.”

He throws his head back and barks out a laugh.

“It’s nothing complicated,” he begins once he’s calmed down. “But Miyoung refuses to tell me what went on between you and General Jeon. I know she knows.”

“And you couldn’t have asked Jungkook?”

“The man will snap me in half if I so much as attempt it.”

“You’re being dramatic,” you roll your eyes and bite back a smile. “Also, quite bold of you to assume that I’ll tell you. Is that why you’ve decided to bring me along on this trip with you — butter me up so you can get the answers from me?”

“It was worth the try,” Jimin grins, shrugging. “But really, I’ve brought you here because I think you need to unwind. You’ve been spending a lot of time stacking brick walls around you. Miyoung was starting to worry.”

Your heart swells and your face grows warm, thankful you have the company of the right people. You slowly realize you did yourself a disservice when you decided to close the door on the two people who care about your well-being.

“Now help me help you end this lover’s quarrel so we can move on along,” Jimin’s tone is still light. But you shake your head defiantly, ignoring the pervasive radiance of your cheeks. He pauses his walk, and you do the same.

“It’s not like that at all.”

You close your eyes, steeling your nerves as you let out a shaky breath. Jimin nods in understanding and patiently waits for you as you gather your thoughts.

*  *  *

Jungkook treks through the sparse wooden area. The task has been like clockwork every time you stay somewhere new. He doesn’t want a repeat of what happened weeks ago, so he’s thorough in his search. He wants to make sure no stone is left unturned, metaphorically speaking.

The only difference this time is he didn’t bring his horse along. When he told Jimin to free the horses for the night, the older suggested that he leave his horse to be looked after, as well. He agreed, but now he doesn’t think it was a good idea. Especially since his thighs are throbbing from all the walking he’s done. The weariness is enough for him to call it a day and head back to camp.

Until he hears an inconspicuous laugh. By a man.

His body goes rigid, his brain wires into autopilot as his legs deftly take him to the source. The closer he walks, the clearer it’s becoming that he’s heading towards the carved-out path he’s already gone through hours prior.

“…snap me in half…”

His ears perk up in recognition, eyes thinning into slits as he attempts to form the image of Jimin’s face from a distance. He steps closer but realizes he’s not alone, so he turns his back against a sturdy tree.

Your voice cuts through the air and arrests him on the spot. He still couldn’t make out much of what is being said, and he desperately wants to know.

“No, you don’t,” Jungkook grumbles to himself.

But his feet move closer and he stands behind another tree.

“…brick walls around you. Miyoung was starting to worry.”

Jungkook is beginning to feel like a half-wit. Nothing is stopping him from going up to them as a normal person would. None of this sneaking around horseshit. But he’s unsure what your reaction will be if he does show up all of a sudden. He has been the biggest idiot in the whole country the past few days, so he will not be surprised if you walk away and leave abruptly if he steps out.

“Should I really disturb them?” He mumbles to himself.

He’s surprised that you’re even doing something besides isolating yourself either in your carriage or your tent.

No thanks to you, his subconscious nags.

It isn’t his intention to push you out all the way. He wasn’t feeling bothered by your subsequent attempts to talk to him after he walked out on you as he makes it out to be. But his ultimatum had been the sword fighting lesson; your lack of protest when he revoked it made him think you gave up trying. He didn’t let his surprise be known – he’d been the one who wanted to cancel, anyway. Then so be it.

He’s not surprised when you took it even further and refused to converse or have a meal with anyone. The action feels like an exaggeration to him. He’s the one who lost a brother, after all, not you.

He is caught in a daze for a moment, lulled by the soft timbre of your voice. No discernible word files in his mind — it’s not information he doesn’t already know. He isn’t the least bit surprised that you chose your confidante to be Jimin; as Jungkook has learned himself, Jimin gives quite the advice. The man is practically like a walking library — at times he could be spewing utter nonsense, but more often than not he says the most knowledgeable things only an elder would know.

Yet it seems odd to Jungkook. Yes, you talk to Jimin and are friendly with him. But to be able to confide in a stable boy, of all people, when you are royalty? Technically you can command anybody to talk to you and keep you company, but that’s not the case. It seems to him that it had been Jimin who’s coaxed you into opening up; like how friends would.

Jungkook’s stomach drops. There had been a moment where he genuinely thought of you as a friend, but he needlessly threw it aside by being obtuse.

The next words you utter disarms him.

“...I didn’t mean for him to interpret as if I wish it had been him who died instead.”

A twinge of guilt carves out of Jungkook’s chest as he tries to remember exactly what you said that day. The more fragments of his memory slip through his fingers like coarse sand, the more foolish he feels. He scarcely recalls what you’ve told him verbatim that had him so irate at that moment. He can only remember his reaction to it.

The anger bubbling from the pit of his stomach. The jealousy and hurt coursing through his veins. The regret looming over him as he walks away.

“I shouldn’t be here.”

Stalking around private thoughts that you choose to share with anyone but him, feels all sorts of wrong. He shouldn’t pry, especially after ignoring your attempts at apologizing and pushing you away roughly like a rag doll.

He wills himself to walk away from the conversation. It’s the least he can do.

*  *  *

Speaking to Jimin after refusing to talk to anyone for a few days feels cathartic. You’re thankful that he provides a peaceful aura and being able to let everything out is invigorating.

“How do you know Jungkook’s brother, anyway?” Jimin asks as you descend back to the path you came from.

“Oh,” you blink for a few moments before chuckling. “I guess I haven’t told you. I grew up with them, so to speak. Hoseok taught me everything I know about bows and arrows. We were practically —”

“— attached at the hip,” Jimin cuts you off suddenly. You look at him quizzically, but nod in agreement.

“Are you sure you’re not my soulmate? We practically finish each other’s sentences all the time,” you tease. But his face is unreadable as if he’d gone in a completely different dimension without you. He grows quiet and you let him soak in the information.

“You didn’t grow close with General Jeon, though.” He says slowly, sounding more like a statement than a question. You nod your head, nonetheless.

“He was quieter and more distant back then if you can imagine,” you begin softly. “Although he was quite a pain to deal with at times; who isn’t at seven?”

Jimin laughs, nodding in agreement.

Your memories of Jungkook are sparse, but you’ll never forget the day he challenged you to a game of archery at the height of your lessons with Hoseok. You were eleven and Jungkook would only be around every so often, always getting called by his father for his own training. You shake your head at the thought, still unable to wrap your mind around how a mere thirteen-year-old boy could be shoved into the harsh environment of endless training.

“But he had always been competitive, especially against me. Although he still hasn’t beaten me at archery. Maybe that’s why he dislikes me so much,” your nose wrinkles at the thought.

Jimin scoffs and shakes his head. “On the contrary…”

“Hm?” you look up at him, and Jimin’s eyes widen in panic. He looks away momentarily before clearing his throat.

“What I meant was — you lied, completely! About having beginner’s luck.” Jimin’s cheeks are ruddy when he turns back to you, and you wonder what has him so flustered. “The highwaymen that stop us next time better be on the lookout. We have a master archer in our midst.”

You eyed him suspiciously, but a grin forms on your face all the same. “Flattering could only get you so far, Jimin.”

“I only aim to tell the truth, Your Grace,” his head shakes and you roll your eyes. Jimin hesitates before continuing. “I’m sorry for your loss, albeit belatedly. I’m sure you were devastated to hear about what had happened to him.”

Your mood plunges, but you muster a small smile. “Hoseok was like an older brother I always wanted to have.”  

Jimin’s forehead creases in confusion, but he nods in understanding. You swallow the lump that wedged itself in your throat.

“His presence was always so bright; his ability to bring a smile to everyone is such a gift. That’s why losing him feels like you’ve been robbed of warmth,” your eyes trail forward, but they’re unseeing. Your thoughts flit back to Jungkook; if you are here feeling like your heart has been ripped out of your chest, you can’t begin to imagine what he’s going through.

“You remind me a lot of him,” you beam at Jimin, anxious to shift your mood.

“Sounds like I have a lot to live up to,” Jimin chuckles.

“You have the whole radiant part down. You’re practically bursting with sunlight at the seams.” You squint and pretend to cover your eyes for full effect.  

“Flattering could only get you so far, Your Highness,” his eyes flicker with playfulness, lips unable to hold back a grin.

“I only aim to tell the truth, Jimin.”

His laugh bubbles from his chest as satisfaction fills you to the brim.

*  *  *

“I don’t want to speak out of turn…” Miyoung begins cautiously, but her lips are set in a straight line. “But will you stop pacing, for the love of god?”

Jungkook glowers at her, fists balled as steam billows out of his ear. The frigid wind does nothing to cool down his boiling body, but the grey clouds mirror his current mood. Despite the overcast masking the skies, he knows that the sun is about to set sooner rather than later.

Yet there are no signs of you or Jimin returning from your impromptu trip. He’s been mulling over the decision to leave you for hours, and every second that ticks by weighs heavier on his shoulders.

I knew I shouldn’t have left. He sighs in an attempt to alleviate the tension in his muscles. “They were supposed to be back hours ago.”

“I had no idea. It’s not like you’ve said it about five times in the last ten minutes.” Miyoung says sardonically, but Jungkook knows she’s just as anxious as he is. It’s evident in the way she looks towards the direction where he also came from every minute. “I’m sure they’ll be back at any moment now. I’ll start preparing a meal.”

She turns to leave just as the winds pick up their speed, ruffling Jungkook’s tunic. He nods wordlessly, but at her proclamation of finding something to do, Jungkook resumes his pacing. He’s thought about going to the same spot he saw you and Jimin, but that seems like a terrible idea the more he thinks about it.

One, you’re probably long gone by now and he wouldn’t know where you went next. Two, there’s an off chance that you’ll miss each other, so leaving would be futile and a waste of energy; you’ll be back, he’ll be gone. What a travesty.

“Why did I decide then to have some morals and leave them be?” he groans and dips his head into his palms, slapping himself in the process.

For a man with a calibre such as him, he’s currently lacking in all his areas of expertise. Nothing makes him feel more inept than his inability to care for you, which speaking candidly, is his sole task. Surely, he’s had more daunting responsibilities; one that requires him to think on his feet but at the same time not make haste decisions. So far, he’s done neither and no one is to blame but himself.

He feels the soft patter of the rain on his forearm, followed by the quivering rumble of thunder. Jungkook comes to a halt, his heart being propelled faster than a horse in a race. The light drizzle turns to a torrential downpour within minutes, and he curses the heavens; their timing couldn’t be more perfect.

“General!” Miyoung beckons, which compels Jungkook to run and seek shelter. Encased in the warmth of the tent, he shakes off the remnants of water in his hair as he heaves a deep sigh.

“There’s no reason why I shouldn’t go out there now.”

Miyoung rolls her eyes, and Jungkook gains an inkling as to why you insist on keeping her around out of all your chambermaids. If he didn’t know any better, he might think you two are cut from the same cloth.

“Terrible idea. Do you not hear that?”

As if on cue, the second round of thunder rippled through the silence. The wind howls louder, causing the tarpaulin to tremble with fear. A shiver runs down his spine.

“We don’t really have a choice—”

Jungkook is cut off by the pounding of hoofbeats against the dirt, which is all the consent he needs to bolt out of the safety of the tent. He squints against the rain as one horse approaches. His heart sinks.

“I was closer here than I was to her, so I assumed it would be better—” Jimin slides off the saddle and Jungkook quickly takes the ropes from him, not bothering to take his own ride.

“Where?” his tone is clipped, head swimming with endless thoughts as he awaits Jimin’s reply.

“She said something about dipping her toes in the water, I—” Jungkook’s feet slipped in his first attempt to embark and he cursed under his breath. Calm down, Jeon. His trousers squelch uncomfortably beneath him as he takes a seat, but that might be the least of his worries.

“Stay put in case she comes back.”

He doesn’t need to ask why Jimin had left you in the first place; you had probably forced him to go back on his own. Tugging at the reins slightly, he carefully steers the horse in the right direction. With one command he is off; his lungs burning in his chest as thousands of water droplets pellet his face, blurring his vision.

— previous ; next ; series masterlist

[smileyjaeminies]

Rocky Waters

Synopsis: A new person, a new relationship, breaks the delicate balance of an old friendship.

Word Count: 2,6 k

Genre: Bestfriend au!, side boyfriend au!, slight angst

Warnings: None

Member: Jinyoung, Yugeom

A/N: I wrote this for a friend very special to me. The characters have changed a little from the first draft but that’s okay. This person, like this work will remain the same no matter how much the world around us changes. I love you.

“JINYOUNG NO” you screamed at your best friend, running with your phone.

  “Y/N YES” he screamed right back at you.

  “PARK JINYOUNG IF YOU DON’T GIVE ME MY PHONE I SWEAR-” you keep chasing him around campus.

  “I’M GONNA TEXT HIM, I WILL” he threatened.

  He was talking about your new crush. This boy, Kim Yugeom, had just transferred to your school. He had suddenly walked into class one morning, with his chocolate brown hair and his warm smile and you had been smitten ever since. You happened to also have multiple classes with him, even having been paired up for a project together, which is also why you happened to have his number.

   However, Jinyoung texting him out of the blue would be a step too far. Sure you had talked about a thing or two before a class and even texted a bit, but he seemed mostly interested in the project and you weren’t about to be “that girl”. You couldn’t quite put your finger on what type of girl that was, but you weren’t it.

   You finally caught up to Jinyoung. Managing to grab a handful of his shirt and pull him back. That made you both stumble and fall down, him on top of you. The fight was not over though. You pushed him off of you and tried to go for your phone. He was quick to react, putting your phone on his other hand and rolling off from under you.

   You gave out a war cry and finally grabbed your phone. You pushed Jinyoung back to the floor.

    “DID YOU TEXT HIM?” you shouted.

     You were suddenly aware you were making a scene in the middle of campus and that made you really self-conscious. You felt yourself visibly shrink back, you wanted to disappear, the attention was too much.

    Jinyoung of course noticed the change in your attitude immediately. He got up and put his arm around you. You relaxed and allowed him to lead you back to your table with all your friends.

   “I didn’t text him. I still think you should though. Even if he doesn’t want anything romantically, you could gain a new friend. Just think about it okay?” he asked and then sat down as if the last few minutes hadn’t even happened.

     That’s why you loved him. Jinyoung had been your friend for a long time. He knew exactly how to push your buttons and when to leave you be, when he should force you out or join you for a movie marathon.

      You wanted to listen to him, you really did, but you just couldn’t be sure what Yugeom wanted right now. Maybe you should just go with the flow for a while.

      “Aren’t you gonna sit down?” one of your friends asked.

      You glanced at Jinyoung, who just smiled back at you innocently. You were aware you had a lecture in fifteen minutes but you let it pass and sat back down.

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

   “This is never going to end” you whined to Jinyoung who was sitting opposite you.

    “What is?” He asks without lifting his eyes from his laptop.

     “This stupid project… I hate it, I’ve done so much work and I still have like a million words to go” you keep whining.

     You were sitting at the library, both trying to get work done and both failing miserably. Projects had been piling up for the both of you and the only way to spend some time together was study dates, so that was exactly what you were doing.

     “What is this project on again?” He asks, taking his attention from his work and on you.

      “World War I and its effects on Europe” you answer him.

      “Wow that’s so boring” he says.

       “Yeah, thanks for the input Jinyoung. Truly appreciate that.” You tell him sarcastically.

       “Let’s go” he tells you, already beginning to pack his things.

       “Go where? It’s not even 7 yet, we have to continue-” you start.

       “We aren’t getting any work done anyway, let’s go do something fun, let off some steam and then we can continue tomorrow morning.” He cuts you off.

        What he was saying did make sense. You could recharge for a bit and then resume the next morning. You had to agree with him.

       “Where are we going? And who are you texting?” you ask him.

       “Well, what we need is fun, so karaoke night it is. And, I’m just texting the usual gang, Jackson, Jaebum… You can tell your boyfriend to come too if you’d like.” He answers you.

       “He is not my boyfriend!!” You tell him what he already knows.

       In fact, you and Yugeom had gotten quite close through the course of your project. At your last study session (you refused to call those dates) he had been particularly touchy, and even kissed you when you left. Your heart soared and your mind was running a million miles per hour but you tried to remain cool about it.

       You hadn’t hang out with him for almost a week though and you already missed him. You took your phone out and sent him a quick text.

      YOU

Hey! Some friends and I are hitting the karaoke… Would you care to join us?

       His reply came only few minutes later.

     Kim Yugeom

Hi! This is just the distraction I needed! Text me the address!

       Your heart rate picked up at his reply. This would be quite the night.

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

       You and Jinyoung arrived at the karaoke bar earlier that everyone else. You slid into your booth and started fidgeting with your hands, your leg bouncing up and down, but you couldn’t keep still. Jinyoung played a soft ballad to calm your nerves. He sang into the mic and you started to relax.      

       At last your friends arrived, Yugeom being the last one. You smiled to him as he came in and he took a seat next to you. The night was filled with snacks and drinks, slow ballads and uplifting songs that made you scream the lyrics to each other’s faces.  

       It was just what you all needed. When you decided to call it a night, Yugeom offered to walk you home. Jinyoung basically shoved you out of the door. On the way to your dorms, Yugeom leaned down to kiss you again.

       “I’ve been wanting to do that all night” he whispers almost, as he brings your foreheads together.

       “Why didn’t you?” you ask in the same tone.

       “I wasn’t sure what you were thinking… I didn’t want to put you in a difficult position in front of all your friends.” He says.

       “Well, as long as you buy me chicken and milkshakes tomorrow night… I think we’re at a very good place” you say as you smile up at him, pulling on his hand so you could continue walking.

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

       Mid-terms were so shitty. Just as you finished all your assignments and projects… It felt like you had to start all over again. Thank God, you were almost finished, having only one test on Monday to wrap it all up. It was currently Friday night and you had one single unit to finish before closing your books and getting a good rest.

       As you were approaching the end of the unit, your phone interrupted you. You looked at the screen “The pain in my ass” was written with bold colors. You quickly picked up.

       “Whaaaaat?” you dragged out.

       “Nice to hear from you too, best friend” Jinyoung sassed from the other end of the line.

       “Can I call you back? I have like 10 more minutes of work until I call it a night.” You ask.

       Jinyoung paused for a little bit. “Okay” he said and hung up.

       You start thinking that he was acting a bit weird… You push the thought aside. You are going to call him back in a bit to talk about it. You finally finish the unit and reach for your phone.

       He picks up by the 3rd ring.

       “What a pleasant surprise” he muses.

       “Oh shut up, you knew I would call you back” you tell him.

       “Did I? Did I know that?” he asks.

       “What’s that supposed to mean?” you fire back.

       “Oh I don’t know, it seems rare that you would remember me” he says, his tone accusatory.

       “What is your problem Jinyoung?” you ask, tired of his antics.

       “What is my problem? No. What is your problem Y/N? Ever since you got that boyfriend of yours you dropped everything else. Then mid-terms came round and that was just the cherry on top, of course you didn’t have time for your stupid best friend, you had to study. Well maybe I'm tired of waiting.” He finishes. Jinyoung rarely raised his voice, especially at you.

       Tears had already welled up in your eyes. Was what he was saying true? Did you really neglect him that much? Sure, you weren’t stuck to the hip like you used to be but you didn’t think you were so much in the wrong.

       “Jinyoung-” you started, your voice breaking but he cut you off.

       “Don’t you go crying on me, because that’s not saving your ass. I want you to say you’re sorry and I want you to mean it. Just… Think of what you’ve done.” He says and immediately hangs up.

       You finally break down.

       You think and think, as you cry into your pillow. How much time did you spend with him? Were you really present when you were together? Did you say something, do something, to make him so angry?

       You call one of your best friends. She’s known you and Jinyoung forever, she’ll know what to do.

       When you finally hang up you are more confused than ever. Jinyoung? Jealous? Of Yugeom of all people? He was the one to push you into the relationship! This didn’t seem right.

       You decide to text him anyway.

YOU

Jinyoung… I don’t really know what to say. I’m sorry okay? I’m sorry if I neglected you, if I didn’t spend enough time with you, if I did something, said something. I’m sorry. Just tell me what it is and I’ll try to be better. I’m sorry. I love you.

       You throw your phone on your bedside table and lie down. As you snuggle into your comforter, your phone dings, indicating his reply.

 The pain in my ass

Of course you’re completely oblivious. Of course. Don’t bother Y/N. Just leave me alone for a while.

       His reply breaks your heart. You turn into your pillow and sob.

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

         Weeks pass. It has almost been a month since your fight. Since then Jinyoung obviously had done everything in his power to ignore you. He would never turn up when you and your friends hang out, he wouldn’t text or call you. When you happened to see him he would immediately put his head down and pretend like you weren’t there.

         It broke your heart, it really did. He had been your best friend for years, and he couldn’t even give you a good enough explanation to why you were fighting.

         You were sitting on your bed, binge watching “Peacky Blinders” yet again when your phone dinged beside you. The name that lit up the small screen made your heart skip a beat.

 The pain in my ass

 Hey. Can you come down for a minute? I need to see you.

           You shot him a quick text back, grabbed the hoodie nearest to you, put on some sneakers and took the stairs three at a time. You arrived to the front of your dorm building to see Jinyoung dressed in sweatpants and a simple sweatshirt, holding a box of what looked like your favorite candy and a piece of paper in his hands. You opened your mouth to speak but he stopped you before you could.

         “Don’t- Just don’t say anything. Let me finish first okay? Also try not to laugh. And let me read this through, see, I wrote it down” he tells you, showing you the piece of paper as proof and you swiftly nod. He takes this as his green light and after a deep breath he begins.

         “I, Park Jinyoung, am indeed, a huge asshole. I have come to this conclusion after much thought and consideration from my part, but also after other people in my surroundings have pointed it out. The first person to call me an asshole was Hansol in kindergarten, when I took his new pencils to draw a dragon and accidentally broke them.”

         “Since then, people have loved to remind me that I am, in fact, an asshole. But due to recent events I have realized it myself. I broke my best friends’ heart by holding onto my manliness while she was nowhere to blame. Only I and my stupid ego where at fault and yet I turned all my jealousy and built up anger and stress on her. It was a dick move. I regret it every day.”

         “The truth is, my best friend is a beautiful person inside and out. She has a heart of gold, she would never hurt a fly. She is devoted beyond any other and she knows exactly how to take care of everyone. She is shy, but her smile lights up every room she’s in, she is terrified of horror movies but she still watches them with me.”

         “Indeed, my best friend loves me very much. And I love her too.” He finishes reading and looks up at you. “I’m sorry, I’m an idiot, I’m an asshole, I’m every name in the book. I was hoping you could forgive me. I don’t want to lose you Y/N, I really don’t, this past month has been hell for me and all I want-”

         “Shut up” you cut him off, opening your arms and waiting for your hug.

         “Are you serious?” he asks, unsure.

         “I mean unless you don’t want to-” you drop your arms and turn to the door.

         He picks you up and turns you around in the hug. You are both laughing and he keeps whispering “I’m sorry” in your neck. You reassure him that it’s okay, it’s fine, you’re both fine. He then suddenly stops and takes a step back.

         “You don’t smell like you” he tells you.

         You look down at the hoodie you threw on. It’s one of Yugeom’s.

         “It’s-” you start.

         “It’s Yugeom’s isn’t it?” he asks you. You simply nod. “Well we have a lot to thank him for besides keeping you warm.”

         “What are you talking about?” you ask surprised.

         “Well let’s just say he gave me the push that I needed to come and talk to you” he replies, smiling down at you.

         You can’t believe Yugeom did something like that without even talking to you. Sure he had heard you rant about missing Jinyoung countless times but you didn’t expect him to reach out, to help you solve this.

         You bury yourself in your best friend’s arms once again. These are your boys. And you were planning to keep them both close for a long time.

         “What deodorant does he use?” Jinyoung asks against your hair and you groan loudly. “No, seriously, it smells nice!” he adds.

         You push him slightly and you say: “You are an idiot Park Jinyoung”

         His smile could light up the darkest sky when he replies: “I’m your idiot.”

[gamerwoo]

Wonwoo: Sunflower

Characters: Wonwoo x reader (gender neutral but if i slipped up on accident i apologize)

Genre/warnings: idol au, kinda slice of life, fluff, angst, some crack, a lil bit of suggestive/kinda sexual stuff toward the beginning, alcohol consumption and partying

Word count: 5,694

Summary: Then you’re left in the dust unless I stuck by ya. You’re a sunflower, I think your love would be too much.

a/n: (inspired by Sunflower by Post Malone and Swae Lee) I accidentally posted this from my drafts when it wasn’t done and I really didn’t want to rewrite it or post it at all but I did anyway because I like to torture myself so here. and i know the real meaning of the song is kind of flipped to how i wrote it but um i didn’t realize until i was almost done lmao and also shoutout to @neverknewgrey2016 and @dreamjunhui for not only dealing with my tantrum when I had to redo this but who told me I should still remake it if I really liked the idea :]

(original a/n was something cheesy about the song reminding me of wonwoo because like i say i hate him all the time or smth idk but i figured i could use the lyrics to make some kinda story and i could definitely see wonwoo calling his s/o ‘sunflower’ as a petname but anyway moving on)

Seventeen Song Series

[Needless to say, I keep her in check

She was all bad, bad nevertheless

Calling it quits now, baby, I’m a wreck

Crash at my place, baby, you’re a wreck]

Meeting Wonwoo was an accident. It wasn’t like you were childhood friends or had some cute/funny encounter in school to bring you two together. You became friends because you both had the same order at a coffee shop, and you both went to take it only to start bickering because you both insisted you ordered first. Wonwoo had on a black mask and cap so you weren’t sure who the hell this sketchy-looking dude was, but you were going to get your drink either way.

After becoming friends, Wonwoo realized your snarky and sarcastic nature wasn’t just him catching you on a bad day. You were always like that. He did, however, discover that it was essentially your way of hiding your feelings. You were a shy person who didn’t really do feelings, and you were bad at expressing them. You teasing him and giving him a hard time was your way of expressing your fondness of him -- and you did it a lot and didn’t hold back.

Wonwoo quickly found himself growing a feeling of responsibility toward you. He started watching out for you, making sure you were kept in line, and always made sure you behaved -- well, at least as well as you could. While most people blew off your personality as rude and annoying, Wonwoo found it cute; almost childlike. He was fond of you, honestly.

If you were being completely, boldly honest, you had feelings for Wonwoo, but you refused to ever let him find out about those. But truthfully, he felt the same way, and he could easily tell you liked him back. Maybe that was why he did everything in his power to make you as flustered as possible -- which wasn’t hard since you got shy when it came to compliments, physical displays of affection, and basically anything cute, cuddly, or touchy-feel-y.

“Yah, can you sit down for like, two seconds?” he groaned, pushing himself off the couch to follow you to the kitchen where you were going for your fourth piece of cake. “_____, you don’t need more! You’re going to get sugar high, and you’re going to get a tummy ache.”

You snorted, glancing at him over your shoulder, “Did you just say ‘tummy ache��? I’m not five.”

“Yes, I said ‘tummy ache’,” he stated, reaching out and grabbing your waist, pulling your back to his chest as he wrapped his arms around you and began to tickle your stomach. You squealed, your cheeks immediately going red as you shoved away from him.

“Don’t do that!” you whined, an embarrassed smile on your face. “I’ll leave this dorm right now and go home, I swear!”

“No you won’t,” he told you, crossing his arms over his chest as he blocked the way toward the exit which was the opposite way you were headed. “It’s too late, kid; you’re stuck here for the night.”

“I’m not a kid,” you stated as you rolled your eyes, mimicking him and crossing your own arms, “Then at least let me eat the leftover cake.”

“_____--”

“I don’t even need permission,” you scoffed, turning back toward the kitchen and marching straight there, “I’m an adult!”

Wonwoo groaned, his head dropping back as he heard you open the refrigerator. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered.

“Hey!” you giggled as you scurried over to him with a can of whipped cream in your hand. “Look what I found! Open!”

Wonwoo let out a short, airy laugh as he playfull rolled his eyes. Still, he complied and opened his mouth, letting you spray the sweet topping into his mouth before you put a dot of it on his nose, sticking your tongue out at him before running back into the kitchen before he could get you.

‘Oh, yeah,’ he thought to himself as he smiled fondly at your retreating form, ‘that’s why.’

❀━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━❀

[Thinking in a bad way, losing your grip

Screaming at my face, baby, don’t trip

Someone took a big L, don’t know how that felt

Looking at you sideways, party on tilt]

You’d never once questioned your friendship with Wonwoo. Sure, you were just some rando he’d ran into on the street and happened to get along with, but the fact you did get along well was why you never thought Wonwoo felt like he was above you. He never presented himself like the type to only befriend people on ‘his level’, either.

But then he invited you to a party. It was the birthday party of one of his idol friends -- or maybe it was a friend of a friend, you weren’t sure -- and Wonwoo wanted to know if you’d be his plus one.

“You don’t get out much,” he’d told you jokingly as he nudged your side.

So you agreed to go, and you were having fun at first. You had a few free shots, and Wonwoo offered to buy you some drinks. Even Seungcheol was asking you to do shots with him just for fun, so you did. But it seemed like the drunker you got, the more uptight you felt rather than letting loose. Your mind started to focus on how Wonwoo behaved around his idol friends, and you started questioning why the hell Wonwoo would even still be friends with you. Did he even actually like you or did he just feel bad when you’d text him asking to hang out? Did he invite you here because he felt bad for you? Was he hoping to hand you off to somebody else?

Wonwoo hadn’t seen you for a while. He’d gotten distracted talking to a friend he didn’t get to see often, so when he realized he wasn’t sure of your whereabouts, he went looking for you. It took him about ten minutes of looking and asking around before he finally found you in the bathroom, curled up in the corner with a tear-stained face and your arms wrapped around your knees.

“_____!” Wonwoo gasped, rushing over to you and immediately falling to his knees. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

You sniffled, looking up at him with bleary eyes. Your words slurred together when you spoke, “Why’d you c’m findme?”

“I hadn’t seen you in a while,” he told you, his arms wrapping around you as he sat down beside you. “What happened? Why are you crying?”

“Why d’you even hangout w’me?” you grumbled, wiping carelessly under your eyes with the back of your hand as you looked away from your friend. “You have cooler friends‘n’shit...”

Wonwoo shook his head as he tried to move hair from your face, “I don’t understand...”

Wonwoo had definitely had his share of drinks that night, but he was sober enough to now what was happening -- and he knew what was happening with you wasn’t normal. You never cried in front of him, and you never ever compared yourself to his friends -- at least, not out loud or in front of him.

“Y’re other friends ‘re idols!” you burst, turning to look at him as more tears welled up in your eyes. “Why waisty’re timeonme? ‘M nothin'...”

He frowned, cupping your face between his hands as he forced your eyes to look straight into his.

“_____, that’s absolutely not true,” he stated, looking more serious than you’d ever seen him -- even if you vision was a little questionable currently.

You whined, swatting at his hands even though it was like a baby tapping at his wrists with how drunk you were, “Go away!”

“You’re too drunk,” he sighed. “Calm down. Do you want me to take you home?”

You nodded, swiping at the water flowing down your cheeks again.

Wonwoo stood before he helped you up, keeping an arm around your waist as he put one of yours around his shoulders.

“I’ll get a ride and take you to the dorm, and I’ll make you some tea, okay? You can sleep this off afterwards, and if you still think I think you’re not worthy in the morning, I’ll still be there to tell you you’re wrong,” he promised as he led you out of the bathroom.

“Okay...” you mumbled, sniffling again. “Wonwoo?”

“Hmm?”

“Imight throw up ‘nyou...”

He chuckled, “That’s okay.”

He wanted to make a joke about how worst case scenario, he could borrow clothes from one of his ‘cool idol friends’, but he figured he should save that one for when you were sober.

❀━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━❀

[Ooh-ooh, some things you can’t refuse

She wanna ride me like a cruise

And I’m not tryna loose]

Neither of you were sure the reason, but the sexual tension between the two of you that night was much greater than it had ever been. It wasn’t the first time you’d been in tiny cotton shorts and one of Wonwoo’s old t-shirts to sleep in, and it wasn’t the first time the two of you sat so close together on the couch as you watched a movie at your place. But you both could feel how the air somehow felt thicker and hotter than normal.

“Why are we watching this movie again?” you asked in a sigh when you noticed the couple on screen was now making out, which definitely wasn’t distracting you from how you wished your best friend beside you would just push you down into the couch and press his lips into yours so hard that you couldn’t breathe.

“Because it had good ratings,” he replied nonchalantly, dumping a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

Despite how he sounded unfazed, Wonwoo was just as squirmy and uncomfortable as you. The couple in the movie reminded him so much of the two of you: a little unconventional, kind of crazy, but they still cared so much for each other. All he could think about the whole time was turning to you, pulling you into his lap, and making out with you until this stupid movie was over. He could even feel himself hardening under his shorts and hardly anything had happened in the movie! It was all just his own thoughts of you.

“I’m switching it,” you declared, leaning over to grab the remote from the coffee table.

Before your fingers could wrap around the black rectangle, Wonwoo’s hands latched onto your wrist, holding it in place.

“No,” he said sternly. “You can pick the next one when this is over.”

“It’s boring!” you groaned.

Truthfully, Wonwoo was nervous that if you turned your attention away from the movie, you’d end up noticing how turned on he was getting. So he insisted the movie keep playing.

“Not everything is about what you want,” he teased with a smirk.

“Jerk,” you frowned, sticking your tongue out at him.

You yanked your wrist out of his grasp and grabbed the remote anyway.

“_____!” he whined as you leaned over while he tried to reach for the remote, holding your arm away from him as you laughed.

“You can’t get it!” you sang in a teasing tone.

Wonwoo pulled the blanket off of his lap and completely climbed on top of you, pinning your wrists above your head by the arm of the couch. Both of you seemed to freeze as it set in how you two were positioned: Wonwoo straddling your hips with his hands around your wrists, and you below him and completely at his mercy. Your eyes were locked, somehow unable to look away even though you were blushing redder than a tomato.

But you didn’t make any moves to pull away, and Wonwoo knew that you probably would’ve shoved him off and called him an idiot by now.

Wonwoo smirked as you gulped, “You should see how red you look right now, _____.”

You stammered, trying to come up with a response, but the best you could do was avert your eyes and mumble a “shut up”.

Wonwoo leaned closer so his breath fanned your face when he spoke. Your eyes widened, unable to pick just one place on his face to focus.

“Do I make you flustered, _____?” he questioned, his voice low. You knew Wonwoo was a teaser -- he loved to tease you -- but you didn’t think he would be like this. “How come you haven’t pushed me off yet? It’s almost like you like having me over you like this -- like you want me to do something more...”

You stayed quiet as you and Wonwoo switched between looking in each other’s eyes and glancing down at each other’s lips. Finally, he closed the gap, pressing his plush lips against yours. His hands released your wrists, moving down your arms and down your sides to your waist. He sat back, bringing you up with him as your lips stayed connected in a kiss that quickly grew heated. You straddled his lap as your fingers tangled in his hair, your hips instinctively grinding down on his softly as your tongues moved together.

Wonwoo groaned softly into your mouth at the feeling, but he quickly held your hips still.

“If you want something more, you have to tell me,” he said, his voice soft but gravely.

“I want more,” you mumbled, pressing your lips back to his.

“No,” he smirked, pulling back enough so he could really see your reaction for this, “I want you to say the whole thing.”

You whined, your head falling forward into his shoulder, “Wonwoo, don’t do this to me...”

“If you don’t say it, I won’t do anything else,” he chuckled. “We can just sit here, watch the movie, and--”

“Fine!” you groaned, refusing to lift your head because you were sure your entire face and neck were red with embarrassment. “What do you want me to say?”

He shrugged, “Just tell me that you want me to fuck you.”

“Those exact words?” you whined. “Why?”

“Alright...” he hummed as he thought, making you think he was going to go easy on you. But he was going to get back at you for all the time you gave him a hard time. Finally, it was his turn to give you a hard time.

“Tell me that you want to ride me.”

You tensed at his words, but he also felt how your thighs tried to press together despite the fact they were spread open over his lap. He chuckled, letting his hands move up and down your thighs.

“Come on, you have a big mouth normally but now you suddenly can’t speak?” he teased.

“You’re the worst,” you huffed.

“I’m hearing a lot of talking but nothing of importance.”

You let out a loud sigh before mumbling words into his shoulder which he definitely heard, but he wasn’t done with you.

“I’m sorry, what was that, _____?” he smirked. “You’re gonna have to look at me when you talk.”

You lifted your head timidly. Wonwoo’s smirk grew bigger seeing how your cheeks were so flushed and your eyes could barely look at him. It somehow gave you an innocence that drove him crazy -- especially when accompanied with the words that fell from your lips in a shy, soft voice.

“I wanna r-ride you...”

Wonwoo bit his lip, cupping your cheek and pulling your face back down to his.

“Was that so hard?” he whispered before he pressed his lips back to yours.

❀━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━❀

[Every time I’m leaving on you

You don’t make it easy, no

Wish I could be there for you

Give me a reason to, oh]

You didn’t like watching everybody pile their luggage out of the dorms. You knew it was only for a month -- and you’d survived without Wonwoo for a month before -- but you were finally dating Wonwoo. You’d just started, and now he was leaving. 

Whenever Wonwoo had to leave, you always had this permanent pout on your face that Wonwoo never failed to find adorable. Even if he was upset seeing you upset, that cute look on your face made him chuckle and shake his head. He knew it meant you were sad, but he couldn’t help it.

“You know I’ll be back soon,” he reminded you, standing before you just outside the front door to the building. “I’ll call you whenever I can, okay?”

And just like every other time, you wrapped your arms around his waist with an iron grip. Wonwoo laughed, letting his arms wrap around your shoulders as he kissed the top of your head.

“You have to let go, y’know,” he told you, still chuckling at your actions.

You just whined in response.

“God, you’re never going to make leaving easy, are you?” he snorted, leaning away just enough to see your face that was still set in a pout.

You shook your head, “I’ll make it harder each time.”

“_____, please let go of our Wonwoo,” Jeonghan pleaded softly as he walked up behind Wonwoo to try to pull your arms apart.

“No!” you whined.

“Aw, c’mon, let’s just take _____ with us,” Wonwoo said, his head leaning against yours as he jutted out his lower lip, the puppy dog eyes aimed toward the manager that was standing by one of the cars.

“You know we can’t,” Seungcheol reminded him. “Come on, we have to go.”

Wonwoo did nothing to get out of your hold, keeping his arms resting comfortably around you while he laughed at his members struggle. When they finally did get him released, Seungcheol quickly grabbed him and dragged him away toward hip-hop unit’s car.

When Seungcheol had turned to get into the car himself, Wonwoo took off toward you. He crashed into you, barely managing to keep you and him up as his arms tightened around you.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he admitted in a soft whine.

“I know,” you sighed, rubbing his back, “but you have fans you have to see. You can’t disappoint them, right?”

“Wonwoo, what the fuck!” Jihoon groaned, noticing it was the taller member holding everybody up.

Even though you probably wanted him to stay even more than he did, you reluctantly pushed him away from you with a teasing smile, pointing to the open car door.

“Go on, you big idiot,” you told him with a light chuckle.

Seungcheol jogged back over to retrieve his member, dragging Wonwoo away by the arm.

“I’ll see you later, _____!” Wonwoo called, waving his hand over his head. “Take care of yourself for me!”

Truthfully, Wonwoo didn’t want to just leave like that -- in fact, Seungcheol was still dragging him to the car before shoving him inside because Wonwoo didn’t want to go. He wanted to put up more of a fight, but he knew he’d get in trouble if he did. So he complied with his manager and his members, pressing his face up against the tinted windows as they drove away and out of sight.

And just like every other time, you waited until Wonwoo was gone to let your tears escape.

❀━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━❀

[Every time I’m walking out

I can hear you telling me to turn around

Fighting for my trust and you won’t back down

Even if we gotta risk it all right now]

You were still giggling at the lame joke Wonwoo made as the two of you laid on your bed. It took a little bit of coaxing for you to cuddle with Wonwoo despite the fact you really really wanted to -- you were just a little shy about it, and Wonwoo’s teasing tones and smirks weren’t helping that -- but he finally had his arm around you with your head on his chest as he smiled up at the ceiling. Moments like these were ones he really enjoyed -- and there were plenty of them after that night in your apartment. The both of you knew there was no going back after having sex, but things just felt...right after that.

Now, here you were, spending your three month anniversary together with takeout, music, video games, and cuddling.

“You still owe me a rematch in Smash since you cheated,” Wonwoo reminded you.

You just scoffed, “You’re just mad that I’m better at playing Kirby than you are at playing literally anybody.”

“Being better at playing a character does not require stealing my controller and tossing it away from me,” Wonwoo frowned, poking your side to make you squeak.

“It just means I’m a better player!” you insisted.

“No, it means you’re a little cheater,” he told you, continuing to tickle your sides.

As you giggled and squirmed, swatting at Wonwoo���s hands while he kept an arm locked around your waist to keep you in his hold. When he noticed you were gasping for breaths was when he finally stopped, chuckling just at your laugh alone. It was possibly his favorite sound.

While your laughter was still dying down, Wonwoo placed a finger under your chin to make you look up at him.

“I love you.”

Your eyes widened. Neither of you had ever said the ‘L’ word to each other, and Wonwoo had just dropped it out of nowhere. You were definitely taken off guard to say the least.

Wonwoo just laughed softly at your expression, softly stroking your cheek with his thumb, “C’mon, say something.”

Your mind was racing with different things you wanted to say and do. You wanted to squeal with happiness and just yell about how much you loved him. You also wanted to bury your face in his chest just so he wouldn’t have to see you blushing as much as you were.

He smirked, “I haven’t seen you look this flustered since our first night together.”

“Ugh, don’t start,” you groaned, practically throwing your face into his chest as you gripped his shirt.

“Do you have anything to say back?” he wondered as he pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head.

You sighed dramatically as you lifted your head, playfully rolling your eyes, “No...”

“That’s not what you said in your sleep last week,” he smirked, quirking a brow.

Your eyes widened, “What?”

“Yeah, you talk in your sleep sometimes.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“I just did!”

As Wonwoo smiled brightly, you groaned in embarrassment and hid your face again as your cheeks heated up. Wonwoo just laughed warmly, hugging you tighter.

“It’s okay,” he assured you, “because I love you right back.”

When his laughter finally died down was when you finally decided to peek up at him to try to tease him back, but you saw something was different. Even the air felt different.

Wonwoo’s face had fallen, the happy twinkle in his eyes dulled. He let out a soft sigh as he looked up at the ceiling, his ‘thinking face’ on which included furrowed brows and his nose slightly scrunched.

“You okay?” you wondered quietly.

Wonwoo was silent for a moment which made your stomach do nervous flips. When he did finally speak, his words were soft and murmured with his eyes still glued to the ceiling.

“We’ll have to tell people at some point, won’t we?”

When you didn’t answer, Wonwoo looked down to see the panic in your eyes that was gone almost instantly, already shoved back down inside you to cover the vulnerability. He knew you hated the uneasiness of not knowing the future, but he also had to bring it up. You two were admitting you loved each other, which meant he had to start thinking about what would happen next.

“When do you want to?” you wondered, your voice quiet.

Wonwoo let out a short laugh that sounded more stressed than joyful, “Never.”

"C’mon, I’m serious.”

"So am I.”

You sat up, your hands on Wonwoo’s chest to push you, “You’re going to hide this?”

He sat up as well, “Are you going to force me to tell people?”

“Well, it just kind of seems like you want to hide me,” you admitted.

Wonwoo let out a short, dry laugh, shaking his head as he got up from the bed.

You sighed, standing up as well as Wonwoo left the bedroom. You followed behind him, watching as he went through the living room on his way to the door, grabbing his jacket off the back of the couch.

You continued to follow after him, calling, “I don’t get why this is such a big deal to you!”

“Really? _____, have you seen how other couples are treated in this industry?” he asked in a loud voice, one hand running through his hair, “I don’t want you getting hurt or feeling bad about yourself or--”

“Wonwoo, stop,” you said, walking over to him and taking his hands, tugging softly to get him to look at you. “That doesn’t matter.”

“_____, you can’t just blow over this, too--”

You put your fingertips to his lips as he sat up to argue this, quickly shushing him.

“It doesn’t matter because nothing’s going to change us -- I won’t let it. It doesn’t matter if people hate me or they hate us being together or whatever it is that’s bothering you. I love you and it’s not going to change. I have you with me, so what is there to be scared of, right? Nobody can force me away from you.”

A smile slowly started to spread on your boyfriend’s face as he wrapped his fingers around your wrist to move your hand from his lips, “When did you get good at expressing your feelings?”

“From constantly talking to myself when you’re too busy playing video games,” you told him, sarcasm dripping in your tone.

Still, your words meant a lot to him. He knew that you could’ve panicked, too. He knew you could’ve just made a joke about it like you did with most things. But you still tried to comfort him, and he knew it was something you didn’t think you were good at. But you tried for him.

He wrapped you in his arms, knowing he’d just have to trust you on this one.

“I love you,” he told you.

Your arms wound around his waist, letting your head rest against his shoulder.

“I love you.”

❀━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━❀

[I know you’re scared of the unknown

You don’t wanna be alone

I know I always come and go

But it’s out of my control]

It didn’t matter how many times you teased Wonwoo or shot a sarcastic comment at somebody. It didn’t matter how strong you acted or pretended how little you cared. Wonwoo knew you were scared of a lot of things: the future, things you couldn’t be sure of, and even being alone. You always tried to act like you were fine with all of those things -- especially the latter since you would insist you didn’t like people and preferred holing up in your room -- but Wonwoo knew you better.

Especially when he was announced to leave for six months.

The day before he had to leave, he wanted to spend it with you. He didn’t show up until the evening, though, since he was busy that day. He had been busy a lot, and this wasn’t even his first time leaving, but it was so much longer than you’d ever had to endure. You were terrified of what could possibly happen because of this long period of time away from each other, and Wonwoo could see that as soon as he came in.

All day, you’d been thinking about how Wonwoo would leave early in the morning. You couldn’t help but get upset thinking about how you’d have to spend those six months without the one person you loved and trusted more than anybody else. You’d basically be alone. Yeah, you’d have your friends and your family, but that was different. You loved Wonwoo differently than you loved them.

“Hey,” Wonwoo frowned when he opened the door to see you curled up on the couch with an odd look on your face -- it was some weird mixture of sadness and confusion, and he didn’t like it, “are you okay?”

You kept your eyes locked on the same spot across the couch up until the last word of your question, afraid of crying when you looked up at him.

“What if something happens to us when you’re gone?”

Sure enough, as soon as your eyes met his face, your lower lip started to quiver. You weren’t going to see that face in person for six months. You weren’t going to be able to hold or kiss him for 26 weeks. You would feel the same, empty, lonely feeling for 182 days, and all the anxieties that came with it.

Wonwoo walked over to you, sitting on the couch and pulling you into his embrace just as you broke down. He moved you into his lap as he shushed you and rubbed your back, keeping his hold on you tight and comforting.

“I know you’re afraid, baby,” he murmured, his lips against the side of your head, “but we’ll be okay, I promise.”

“You can’t know that,” you sniffled, your voice breaking twice.

He frowned hearing you sound so worried and broken. He wished he could somehow take all of your worried and anxieties and get rid of them forever. He wanted you to feel calm and secure all the time, but he knew you worried about a lot of small things even when you knew deep down that there was no point in worrying. You just couldn’t help it, and he understood that.

“I’ll video chat with you as often as I can, and it’ll be almost like I’m beside you,” he promised. “Try to visit your parents or a friend when you feel extra lonely, though, okay? I know you don’t like feeling vulnerable, but do it for me, alright? You have to take care of yourself while I’m gone -- I’ll be checking.”

You nodded, but you didn’t trust your voice enough to answer him with words. You already didn’t like that he could feel your body shaking with silent sobs, you didn’t want loud whimpers and cries to escape, too.

“I wish I didn’t have to leave you,” he sighed softly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “I’d stay with you all the time if I could.”

“I wish I could go with you,” you told him just above a whisper. “I don’t wanna not have you around.”

But neither of those options were possible. Wonwoo and the rest of his members had already tried asking the staff about you tagging along, even for a little bit, but they were all given the same answer: no. It was completely out of his hands, no matter how badly he wished he could do something about it. The next morning, he’d be up before the sun to get on a plane to go to a different country.

But for the night, he could have you in his arms until he had to go, leaving you alone back home.

❀━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━❀

[Then you’ll be left in the dust

Unless I stuck by you

You’re the sunflower

I think your love would be too much

Or you’ll be left in the dust

Unless I stuck by you

You’re the sunflower

You’re the sunflower]

"Are you eating enough? You look thinner.”

“Yah, are you my mom?”

“Sorry, I’m not into that.”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes as he tried to suppress a laugh. Meanwhile, you laughed loudly, not caring if anybody on his end might hear -- the only other person in his hotel room was Seungcheol, but he had headphones in while he played a game.

“I’m eating, I promise,” Wonwoo nodded, smiling at your face that was currently on his phone screen. “Are you doing okay?”

You shrugged, peeling your eyes away from your phone where you could clearly see your boyfriend laying down in bed to check your water that was boiling for ramen, “I guess. I miss you a lot, but school kinda keeps me distracted sometimes.”

“Sometimes, huh?”

“I’m paying attention, I swear! I promised I would, and I keep my promises.”

He chuckled, “I know you do, baby. I’m sorry I couldn’t call the last week, but I got all of your texts about your exams. I’m proud of you.”

You flashed him a proud grin as you stirred your ramen, “Thanks! I’m, uh...sorry for spamming your phone. I tried to keep it to just good morning and goodnight texts.”

“I like it. It lets me know that you didn’t forget about me.”

You never failed to send him a text at least once a day, and while he couldn’t reply, it made Wonwoo feel so warm inside knowing you were still keeping him updated and checking on him. You really were so loyal and caring toward him, which he didn’t even understand. He’d been gone for three months now, and he thought you would’ve given up or moved on by now -- anybody else would’ve.

But you weren’t just anybody.

You scoffed, “Shouldn’t it be the other way around? You are the famous Jeon Wonwoo, after all.”

As Wonwoo watched you make your late dinner in just a big t-shirt he’d left behind for you, and your hair still messy and damp from a shower, he suddenly got hit with one of those ‘wow, I really love you’ moments, and all he could do was stare at you. Stare at how your hair fell in your face as you cracked an egg into your ramen, and how your lips moved as you softly mouthed the words to a song he couldn’t hear, and how you were doing literally nothing of significance but he wanted to watch you forever.

When Wonwoo didn’t reply, you looked at the phone to make sure the connection wasn’t lost, only to find Wonwoo looking at you almost dreamily.

“What?” you asked.

He just smiled softly and shook his head, “You don’t ever have to worry about me forgetting about you.”

[authenticaussie]

Hmm... 18 (soul eater au), 52 (roommate), 42 (marvel), 98 (leverage), and or 14 (lantern lights)

babe……….you’re my Favourite™

also, under a readmore because this got LONG as SHIT

8. Soul Eater au

the soul eater au is really scattered because my wifi sucked on that particular day and I was posting it in the mas chat (sunshinepunks) BUT the basis is weapons ace & sabo and meister Marco. It’s a lot of “dumbasses refuse to accept New Friends (because TraumaTM)” and Ace/Sabo being dicks to Marco because he refuses to give up on them. (ahhh my favourite dynamic //swoons)

Part of the plot - my favourite part of the plot - is that Sabo spends a lot of time spying on Marco to try and catch him out as Secretly A Dick and Manipulating Them, and ends up finding out that Marco really really cares about him and Ace? And the way to Sabo’s heart is thrrrroooough his besssstieeeee lmao. So Sabo ends up crushin’ hard first, but then SPYING BACKFIRES and paranoia kicks his butt and he Feels Bad because he was ONLY MEANT TO TRUST ACE and Marco HURT HIS FEELINGS (sabo you moron it’s your own fault). Anyway Ace and Marco pair up to try and make Sabo feel better and it drives Sabo even Nuttier until there is battle couple stuff and a mid-fight Feelings Fight and then a confession and then they become the DMCA power couple. Ta-da!

Ace was a pipe and Sabo was a knife! Or…..you know, something in that realm pft. Basically hitty-stick and stabby-stabby, because you could make a) an argument for their personalities Being Like That (ace is blunt and strong and easy to just hit with but if you’re clever about it he’s awesome, and has the reach to be a longer weapon, sabo is more…well a knife can be used for a lot but also it’s very….vicious. There is very little you can do to Incapacitate with a knife that is not Wow Stabbed. Which I feel is very Sabo, he’s kinda…harsh??? in his way of handling battle, I think.) and b) because in canon, Sabo’s weapon is a pipe and Ace has that knife, and I thought it’d be cool to match that.

42. New Roommate Wanted

an OC-based commission!! James moves in with a shape-shifting thief and her GF and accidentally Falls In Love snickers

It is………..I wrote it a while ago so you can definitely see the self-projection of “I want cute rich gfs to love and adore me so I don’t have to stress about a job”

52. 5+1 Marvel AU

in the actual word document the title is “If you’re broken I will mend you” (Or 5 Times Sabo was There for his Team (and one time histeam was there for him). Sabo is Coulson and Marco is Hawkeye and Ace is a Black Widow (codename: Redback). It fluctuates between sorta implying MAS (but with a definite focus on Marco/Ace) and Coby/Sabo mainly because I made Coby Captain America (YOU CAN’T!!! ARGUE!!! WITH ME!!! HE IS!!!! PERFECT!!! AS CAP!!!) and I love fics that have the lowkey “Coulson has a fanboy crush on Cap.” lol. 

(also coby/sabo is. fun? crackship but So Fun.) 

Here’s the shortest one haha

It takes about five minutes after the comms. go silent forSabo to know that something is wrong, and two minutes afterwards to gear up.

It takes him approximately four seconds to tear through the people trying to keep him from helping Ace and Marco.

(It takes two weeks for them to heal, no matter how fastSabo was, and a month for Sabo to get off desk duty, but Ace and Marco refuseto do missions when he’s not their handler. They refuse to do anything thatinvolves leaving his side until after he assures them he’s fine, and that hewasn’t just a S.H.I.E.L.D agent because he had a pretty face - though that hadprompted an argument about Sabo’s ‘pretty face’ that he’d had to steadfastlyignore.)

88. LEVERAGE AU MOTHERFUCKER

THIEVES! CON ARTISTS! So this one is actually three different aus in one file - there’s a “MAS but as Leverage” and it starts out as “Ace and Sabo who fill in Every Job They Can (but their specialties are Ace = grifter/hacker and Sabo = hitter/thief and I have reasons, okay) and then they try and run a con on Marco but he’s like Um Excuse Me? And then he gets dragged into their Bullshit snickers. Oh ALSO they ONE THOUSAND PERCENT do not realise they are Madly In Love With Him (but he does. And he’s trying to be patient. But also. Dying. Because wow it’s kinda awkward being in love with. two daredevil thieves)

The second one in the doc is the Leverage trio in the OP world, ‘cause duh, and Parker starts off like…trying to steal kids from being SMILE experiments? and hires Eliot and Hardison to help her. Um I think I wanted to give Hardison a DF?? But I had a whole list: there was altering people’s sight/perceptions, being able to edit vision/specifics of reality in lines of like, code?? (aka he could do Little Changes but they could affect Big Things, a butterfly effect sort of DF). A lot of them were trying to give him a way to…manipulate stuff in a world where tech wasn’t as big a thing.  

And the third one is ASL leverage! Marco still gets dragged into the disaster but it’s more found family stuff. 

14. Lantern Lights

Lantern Lights is technically posted [here] under “all the light we cannot hold” BUT I have MORE. I wanted to make it longer when I originally posted it - mainly because Lea asked for angst - but I ended up running out of time (I am………so bad at deadlines, jfc). Plus, with all the things I wanted to include it honestly would’ve turned into something RIDICULOUSLY long and I was already pushing 5k when gifts were a minimum of 1k.

This was the original start / end bracketing.

START:

HiAce.

Hispencil hesitated above the empty page, only a single lead smudge marring theotherwise blank paper, and Sabo sighed softly. Eraser nub ticking against thedesk, he bit his lower lip and tried to think of what else to write. He had somuch to say – about Marco, and the Whitebeards, and about the new friends he’dslowly been making, like Koala and Hack and even the standoffish, arrogant Law,but it’d been so long since he sat down to write Ace a letter that the wordsseemed to have vanished.

Hi Ace, heread, as though the greeting would organise what he wanted to say intoneat lines for him to write. He heaved another sigh, resting his chin in hispalm. Casting his eyes up to the window above his desk he watched as theburning dusk faded into twilight blue and the stars began to shine, silverglints of light that were mirrored by the compound’s lanterns flaring to life.The gleamed against the darkness and Sabo couldn’t help but be reminded ofAce’s fire. How it glowed beneath his skin, lighting him bright red in fury orembarrassment or glorious gold in his joy. Sometimes Sabo couldn’t help butwish – but hope – that Ace was still burning, somewhere out there. In the sky,with the stars-

Hecouldn’t help but selfishly hope that Ace had given part of his fire to Sabo’sheart, to burn within him.

Sabogrowled, burying his face in his hands to try and stop the subtle sting formingin his eyes. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that so many simple things couldremind him of Ace, that undeniable frustration at his uselessness still restedheavy in his every thought, that the feelings he wanted to put to paper wereimpossible to articulate.

Thesharp tip of his pencil cracked as he pressed it into the paper, and the threewords he wrote turned from his usual neat cursive into a jagged scrawl.

I miss you.

END:

-Marco thinks that ouranniversary is the battle, but I don’t like it there. Besides, having ouranniversary on your birthday? You’d expect double gifts, and we can’t havethat.

Sabo’slips quirked into a bitter smile, his eyes drawn up to the small gift stillwrapped on his desk, bow deflated from his constant touches but nonethelessstill stubbornly holding onto the silver wrapping. He’d never had a chance togive Ace his birthday gift, and was sure that Ace wouldn’t have expected it.Would he have even been given gifts, when he’d been kept on the candle wick? Orwould the gift have been an extra moment of freedom, so painfully perfect in its rarity?

Pullinghis hair away from his face, Sabo gently bit his lip and scanned what he’dalready written, trying to figure out what else to say. His fringe curled infront of his eyes when he took up his pen again, but he barely paid attentionto the soft brush of hair against his scar tissue. Two years of having them hadgotten him used to his limited vision and things in front of his face that hecouldn’t see. 

He’d never seen Ace’sflustered thoughts, nor known what each fleeting touch had meant until it had beenfar too late, and couldn’t help but wonder just how blind he’d been back then.

Did I tell you thatMarco finally stopped being chickenshit and used the word ‘boyfriend’? I feellike that counts more as our anniversary than the battle, especially consideringI wasn’t much better about speaking up about “feelings” after you left. Twomonths of not talking over the topic because one third of the topic up and-

It’s pretty stupid ofus, huh?

I mean, you werepretty fucking stupid when you-

Sabocrossed out the last few words with two strokes of thick black ink, his teethgrit in a way that made his head pound.

Regardless, everythingis going fine, now. I’m sure you’d be happy to know that Marco and I havegotten past awkwardly refusing to admit to holding hands and have nowprogressed to awkwardly kissing each other on the cheek (and then refusing toadmit to it, of course. Got to keep consistency). You’d think that as someoneso attention-starved I’d be better at this, but it always feels…not wrong, persay, but, like something is missing because you’re not here.

You’re a dick forthat, Ace.

Anyway, this will bemy last letter for a while. I’m sorry it’s short, but I’m already running late;Koala and I are set to sail with the afternoon tide, for Flevance, and Marco isgoing troll hunting. Whitebeard heard there was trouble with the gnomes in thefar north mountains, so he’s going to check them out and I want to say goodbyebefore we part ways.

As always;

With love, Sabo.

[missile-silo]

More headconons because I feel like it

* They adopted a cat and called it Schrödinger . He’s a Maine coon cat (they think, he was found in a box). He’s an old cat, about 10.

* They also have a little Russian blue (again they’re not sure, he was found near an airfield)cat called Yuri (after Yuri Gagarin) but they only got him a year before the show started. He’s only a year and a half old.

* Alya comes to Marinettes apartment one time and is complaining about getting a low score on her science test. Mendeliev is marking papers while banging her head on the table saying “they’re so f**king stupid” and Alya starts screaming.

* Marinette learns how to bake through Gina, so she still makes things for class gatherings.

* When she was first taken in Marinette ate a lot of pizza. Like a lot. She can’t stand it now.

* The morning routine consists of: coffee, breakfast (cereal, they go through so much), get dressed and leg it because Mendeliev forgot she had a meeting.

* Marinette finds out about Mendeliev and Bustier by walking into the apartment to see both of them chatting (flirting) in the couch. School was bare awkward.

* The above has also happened to Alya, Nino and Adrien, but Nino saw them kissing so he’s scarred.

* Mendeliev smoked. Marinette poured water on her when she did. Mendeliev no longer smokes (she has an juul instead)

* “Ms I haven’t done my homework, what should I do?” 

 “Perish”

* Marinette purposefully tells Mendeliev about trends in the hope that she’ll pull some weird crap in class. So far, she’s heard three screams from Mendeliev saying “oh wig?” to people not finishing work.

* An incredibly distraught Mendeliev asking Damocles for help to learn how to raise a kid (I feel like she’d be 27 when she got Marinette, so she would have been teaching for 6 years). Damocles doesn’t know Marinette is Mendelievs kid, but knows she has one.

* Jagged Stone being involved with Marinette in more of an uncle/godfather way after finding out about her being adopted. Offers to look after her during holidays and after school when there’s parent evening. Not over the top, but he has definitely been called into school (during school hours)when Gina couldn’t make it.

* The bro relationship Adrien and Mari have. They act like siblings because they can relate about parents being gone and the trouble with that. They get put into groups for science classes with another random person (they good at science minus biology) and the bickering would be real.

* Nino and Adrien are also like bros, but they’re like best friend bros.

* Alya and Marinette have a healthier and more positive relationship, with Marinette being blunt about relationships. Marinette helps Alya with physics and chemistry homework in return for biology homework. The dynamic duo have lots of fun together, and neither end up third wheeling because the group ends up getting pretty close.

* Alya still falls for Lilas lies at the start , but Marinette talks her into publishing the video in a sort of speculation/public opinions based column. This would save the reputations the ladyblog when all comes to show.

* When Lila comes into the class, she lies about knowing ladybug first and Maris like oh dope. Then she says about the miraculous and Maris like “ookay bit weird” but nothing comes out of the volpina episode that damages Marinette (Adrien voices concern about her not taking being rejected well, but Marinettes like “you should be able to reject who you want bro”). Mari mainly doesn’t like her because of the lies and her ignoring Adriens attempts to get away from physical contact.

* Then comes the bull crap about the bakery girl being her best friend and Maris like “lmao what no mate” and Lila puts on crocodile tears. People react with hostility, but Alya runs her mouth and says that Mari is the bakery girl. She later gets thanked for this, but admits she wasn’t thinking straight.

* Some people are hostile to Marinette after that, with Lilas tinnitus. At break time Marinette admits she didn’t manage to get any work done. This is where Marinettes head injury rears it’s head, because she has difficulty with focusing in class because of it (I do my research this is a real thing I think). She asks why Lila didn’t move to the front row replacing Nino or Adrien (or even Chloe and Sabrina). There’s a bit of owopsie and Adrien moves himself to the back (leaving Lila with marinette, much to Lilas dismay)

* Lila tried to claim that Marinette wanted to keep her away from Adrien, to which she’s like “yeah, you don’t respect his boundaries despite his clear dislike for you touching him”. There’s a whole woe is me part, but then Alya and Nino step in like “tf dudette, thought you weren’t interested”. Then Lila cries to her mum and...

* They are “revealed” when Lilas mum demands to see Marinettes mother (to talk about how horrible she is and why she shouldn’t “bully” her kid) and despite the school offering multiple times to call Gina she refuses saying “I’m lilas mum, I should talk to Marinettes mum” and Mendeliev just sort of says “oh yeah let me get her” and she spins around and is like“hi you wanted to see me?”

* There’s a big oh feck.jpg moment in the class, but it explains a lot about Mari (why she despised Lila for using her parents death for fame, why she was so big about Adrien being able to choose if people touch him or not. Ms Mendeliev raised her that way)

* People are surprised that she doesn’t get favouritism from Mendeliev, but they both explain that they hate that (miss bustier is making notes)

*Sabine and Tom were once Ladybug and Chat Noir (for like a week) and Gina sees ladybug and chat acting like bros and is just like :,) cod they act like Sabine and Tom but less romantic and more familial.

* Marinette and Kagami just... end up together. Only Nino knows why. It does involve a can of squirt cream, a kitchen knife, three packs of blu tac and a whoopee cushion.

* The group happily integrating other people (Aurore, Mirelle and Marc) because the power of a found family is just THAT strong.

* Weredad doesn’t happen (obviously. Unless I wanted to douse this with ridiculous amounts of angst in which I would have Toms ladybug ghost being akumatised because he missed so much in his babies life)

* Marinette isn’t obsessed with Adrien, so she just has obscure sci-fi references on her walls like from “The cone heads”

* Mendeliev used to have a mild heart attack whenever she saw Marinette trip or fall down the stairs, but now it’s like “oh ya....there she goes”.

* One of the office women (receptionist?) taught Mendeliev little tips and tricks about raising the gal. Ended up being one of those people you call auntie but really isn’t related to you. (Her name’s Linda and she knows everyone’s name)

* Marinette found some heelies in a charity shop when she was about 6, and just sort of clings to Mendelievs jacket when she walks because that woman is fecking tall.Whenever she outgrows them, someone from her extended family gets her a pair. This carried on for years. Almost gave Chloe an aneurism when she first saw them do it on a school trip.

* The group all does it now. Sometimes Alix tags along, but grips onto Kim instead.

* Someone (Rose) asks Marinette whether she has an adoptive Dad and she’s like “no but I might get another Mum if she ever learns how to flirt” and Ms Mendeliev is embarrassed but Bustier is deciding if she’d want a daughter

* Post “reveal” Lila runs to the media and now the class has a daily game of finding out who are Marinettes illegitimate parents that week

* “Who am I related to this week?”

“You’re Jagged stones and... Adriens’ Mums kid now.”

“Damn, I always thought I’d be Jagged’s and Audrey bourgeois’ kid”

* Someone gets akumatised because they think they were a bad parent.

* It’s probably Astruc.

* One of Marinettes favourite childhood toys is a furby but Mendeliev is terrified of them so if Mari gets annoyed at her she just whips out the furby

* Marinette tried to be all cool about her Ma but she does say the occasional cursed thing like “She sleeps in her lab coat. What you don’t know that scientists shed their coat once a year? Wack”

* The phone conversations that consist of other cursed things:

“No you can’t eat cheesecake. Why?! It literally has cheese in the title. YOU’RE ALLERGIC TO MILK! Why did you do that? Yes I’ll tell school to get a supply in, just try not to puke on your phone. Please don’t do this every time you have a meeting you don’t want to go to. ”

* Marinette has a lot of extended family past her own, but doesn’t get to see them often cos Mendelievs family all live in Eastern Europe.

* Max gets Marinette to help with Markov (working out how to get him to hover idk I haven’t seen the episode)

* Buffinette is real. But not from fighting or weights. It’s from dragging Mendelievs’ student’s books up four flights of stairs to get to the apartment.

*Theres no balcony scenes because having a balcony increases rent and Paris is already expensive.

* Marinette has heterochromia (an eye for each parent) because I’ve been playing overwatch and I like Moira’s design. She’s definitely more obviously half Chinese, and her hair is more a warm black (incorporating Toms hair a bit). What, this is my Au I’ll design Marinette how I want to.

* Although realistically Marinette should have green eyes after Tom because that’s how google says alleles work but idk. God maybe powerful but I’m a tired Brit who’s results day is far too close.

* Ladybugs outfit is more than just spandex. It’s modelled after Chinese martial arts and roman gladiators (the armour).

* Marinette tends to struggle to empathise with people but is compassionate. If someone cries infront of her she’ll comfort them but won’t really get why until it’s explained.

[sugar-petals]

Omg I love your writing style so much ❤️ It always hits in the right places 😏 As I see you have requests open may I ask for historical AU with Taehyung being a nobleman son and his and reader's wedding night when they never (or barely) saw each other before a wedding? You know they don't know each other but they have to do it 😩 If you don't feel like writing this anything else with Tae will be fine with me 😉

My Word To Treat You Well [M]

length | 3.5kgenre | angst, soft smut, enemies to lovers, fluffy endnote | The other members are side & main characters!warnings | bullying, homophobia, child abuse, evil kings… doing evil things 

Appalling. Twenty or more people would offer you a hundred bucks to know whether Prince Taehyung was good in bed or not. 

Probably to sell the juicy secret to The Daegu Herald or Gyeongsang Sentinel for twice the money. You’d get extra pay for revealing what he was into. Meanwhile, you yourself wondered about that. The cash went past your gloved hands under mid-July’s oppressive evening heat, waiting for the crowds to disperse with your relatives departing, too. The tedious diplomatic talks, over-the-top banquets, shrill music, and painful dances were over. Familiar stars shed soft lights on the rattling carriages that headed north from the Kim Palace. That was the only thing good about this day. It was hard knowing Ilsan was so far away. You mother, widowed Queen Choi, had left you with a plea to all the strength you possibly have. And she must know how it is. 

You were looking forward to throwing your heeled shoes into the palace pond, not fucking the Crown Prince. He had been acting arrogant with his friends all day, tripping waiters. In fact, you thought he was Daegu’s number one blockhead. Next to his unruly partner in crime: Yoongi from the local Min family. He loved to harass and mock the elderly guests while Taehyung laughed along. The Min clan wears their blue emblem with such a toxic haughtiness, even Prince “Phony” Jimin of Busan wouldn’t compare. Thankfully, the latter had remained absent today and didn’t make things worse. Because that Min guy was already prickly, a textbook bad influence to Taehyung. The kiss in front of the altar had been enjoyable, that was true. He didn’t smell, he didn’t use tongue or teeth, he kept it short and smiled courteously. The Prince was attractive and well-dressed, sure. That was good enough down the aisle. He wouldn’t start too many dances either. But Kim had soaked up the aristocratic mannerism so much, at the ball it felt like he wanted to own this place. Which he didn’t. Namjoon was still the one in charge in both this province and the palace. It seemed like the Kim patriarch’s iron rule had raised a glaring thorn in his crown. And you had to deal with him now: In bed. It’s a cruel world.

Prince Taehyung comes waddling along the marble corridor with relative unease. He seems aimless, maybe drunk. Prince Prick is not with him. They had been glued together the entire day, more than you were supposed to spend time with Taehyung instead. On the one hand, protocol breach would cause atrocious chatter. On the other hand, having Taehyung off the hem of your hanbok frankly was congenial. Maybe Yoongi was quite a convenient figure on this chess board. You’d keep that in mind. Waiting for Taehyung to arrive was awkward enough. But as he just stood there blank-faced like a statue for a solid minute, you took the liberty to just drag him to your chamber by the lapel. What a huge moron. He lands on the canopy bed quite frightened, but it leaves you cold. “Let’s just get it over with,” you tower at the lower end of the bed, “you whip your cock out, shove it in three times, dump your jizz so Daegu gets an heir, and we’ll go to bed. Me, I’ll just pretend I’m dead.” 

Taehyung looks even more flabbergasted. You don’t know if it was the language or the directness. Probably both. You let yourself fall right next to him, kicking off the nasty restrictive shoes. The chambermaids had at least managed to remove your bride headpiece and the ridiculous, scratchy ceremonial wig. It was one of the major reasons why you hated marrying in summer. They also fidgeted at your head to wipe off the goo that was supposed to be face paint before you snapped and sent them away. They should enjoy the evening and not bother with your oh-so costly attire that was only designed to trouble you anyways. It didn’t even look as beautiful and regal as what Taehyung had worn. He was all the rage while people slandered you the second you were out of sight as your mother had remarked. It was just important that he was married. It preserved the patrilineage and elevated his status, not you as the wife and new member of the family. The future Queen of Daegu, in fact. But they didn’t seem to respect that.

That way, they had “decorated” you. Criticizing all sorts of things about your appearance. Nobody in Ilsan had bothered, thought something was not right or good-looking. Nor did you. Queen Choi had insisted beauty was not a female ruler’s most important asset. It was power, plain and simple. That is what rulership is about. She warned you that the house of Kim had more double standards. You yourself didn’t think making a Princess less confident and secure in herself was particularly benevolent. Nose too long, hands too broad, voice too loud, height too tall, hair too coarse, eyes to narrow, skin too tan, hips not wide enough for having kids? All they wanted was a weak, pregnant fairy glued to Taehyung’s side by day. And a mute fuckdoll to keep his dick wet by night. You weren’t wrong saying you would play dead. That is how passive they wanted you to be here. And as anxious and self-conscious as possible, that no deeper thought about this rotten palace would ever cross your mind. “My ears are too ugly for me to have authority!” thought no king ever. 

You undress ripping away the satin, pearls, embroidered sticks, emeralds, ribbons. All the layers of hanbok have to go. They land on the floor while Taehyung remains dumbfounded. Once the work is done, you’re in the underwear that’s been itching and sweaty all day. You lift the blanket, then roll your eyes at the Prince. “I’m kidding. Move, I want to sleep. Everything hurts.” You’re about to blow out the candle on your nightstand that Taehyung finds his words. “Hey, I’m sorry,” he murmurs, “I had hoped you had fun with us today.” He looks depressed now. “It’s arranged, this is not cloud nine,” you reply, “Good night, I don’t need your fake concerns.” Taehyung jumps up from the bed. “At least put on something comfortable, Princess,” he points to the showy wardrobe left to the entrance. “You just wanna see me naked to jack off while I sleep,” you growl, pulling the blanket tight over your chest. Taehyung rummages in the wardrobe, then tosses over a plain, long nightshirt. “I’ll go to the other chamber until you open.”

And indeed, he slips into the adjacent dressing room and closes the door shut. He turns the key, flicks it into your boudoir underneath the door. You quickly change into the green gown in a dark corner. It’s light and cooling. You tiptoe across the room and yank open the door after you unlocked, suspecting to catch Taehyung while he eavesdrops or looks through the keyhole. But no, he’s sitting at the window in a chair watching the night sky, startled at the vehement entrance. “Y/N, what’s wrong?” he whines, pale and daunted in the moonlight. “Nothing,” you snarl and return to bed. He just follows reluctantly. Where did insolent Prince Taehyung go? It has to be another joke or farce. He had entertained everyone with offensive shenanigans all day. 

You curl yourself together at the farthest possible point from him as he comes to lay down. Soon, some of his warmth sneaks across underneath the blanket. Disgusting. The topmost dipshit of Daegu is in the same bed as you. That alone makes you want to puke. On Namjoon’s throne, at best. He raised the scum. For a while, everything remains silent. But the heat, moonlight, and his breath won’t let you sleep, let alone his mere presence. Who knows what he does to you when you don’t pay attention any longer. You would be glad to pass the night without getting groped at least once. After what felt like hours, you just wind back and forth. At some point, you accidentally ram him hard in the flank with your elbow. The following whimper sounds so horrifying that you jolt up in a cold sweat. “Please, please don’t hurt me,” he trembles, holding his ribs in pain. Serves him right. “I didn’t want this either. He beats me already. Please don’t hurt me, please!” He’s almost bawling. You’re quite impressed by these acting skills. “Calm it Kim, I was just trying to turn around. Can’t sleep, thank you very much.” - “Me either… I’m very sorry!” Now you bellow at him. “Sorry, sorry, I’m sorry all the time. Are you no longer mean or what?” Taehyung looks like he might as well wet himself any second. The guards might have heard, but you’d be happy to get thrown into a cold jail cell. “Y/N, if I’m not acting like that I’ll get hit,” he answers, pulling down the impossibly high neckline of his gown. 

Oh.

Fuck. 

Green and blue marks — everywhere. One above the solar plexus looks new. Taehyung notices you staring at it. “He did it so I would promise to be tough with you tonight,” he says, covering his chest once the shame becomes too unbearable. “It’s really all an act?” - “It’s how everyone here does it, it’s normal. But we shouldn’t speak about it…” - “And Yoongi? Jimin?” - “They’re not like that when we’re alone,” he affirms, “it’s all to play along. Jimin got shoved down the stairs by his dad last week. He broke his leg just because he refused to marry an unknown woman. Yoongi’s dad threatened to do the same. All three of us have to marry this year, it’s protocol. Jimin got denied medical attention by King Park. That’s why he’s not here.” 

Now you get why Taehyung showed up dizzy and shut down after you grabbed at his suit. The dressing room reaction was similar. He’s not drunk, or anything like that. The King just gave him a heavy disciplining minutes before he appeared in the corridor. And Jimin — there’s no way the life of the party would stay at home without something this severe going on. It’s Prince Taehyung’s wedding, after all, the event of the year. They really pushed him down the stairs. You can’t believe it. He could be dead by now. The southern royals are as fucked up as you suspected, just in a way that’s… ten times worse than you’ve seen at the ball. 

There’s a legitimate reason as to why you thought they were all completely unlike themselves. It really is a tragedy behind the scenes. You enclose Taehyung in a caring hug while he’s crying his eyes out, your nightgown soaking it all up. “I have to apologize, too,” you soothe while he hangs feebly in your embrace. The tears slowly disappear after you’re petting his hair, mumbling excuses. His body feels slack and empty. You suggest going outside to visit the small palace garden. Walking through the solemn corridors barefoot, hands intertwined, it feels much closer to how you wished your day should have been like. The guards at the main gate appear quite surprised to see you walk around at such a late time. But both stand tall with a nod and the obligatory congratulations as you state the destination. Taehyung hides his swollen eyes behind his bangs as you inform them. They let you pass without resistance. 

You seat your husband on the edge of the central fountain. The surrounding roses, hydrangea, and dahlia flower beds emit a tranquilizing haze, along with the bubbling water and warm summer breeze. Your throbbing headache says goodbye. Walking on the tingly grass is a welcome relief, too. There are no clouds above you, the sky is lucid. The Prince looks up sighing deeply. “Taehyung, you like the stars, too?” He nods. You point out your favorite constellations to each other. Boötes, Virgo, Scorpius. Cassiopeia, too, she’s among the easiest to spot. Taeyhung looks handsome and frail in the tender moonshine. He’s really a beautiful man, rivaling the stars. Or complementing them. You pluck a cream white rose for him to hold, and he is careful with the thorns. “That’s for scaring you.” You pick another, coral red. “For the elbow accident.” A third one is bright orange and yellow. “To heal your chest.” You lean close to his face for the fourth flower – your mouth brushing over the bridge of his nose, then uniting your lips. “And this, Prince Kim, is my word to treat you well.”

Back in bed, you’ve cast away the heavy blanket and gowns. The clear moonlight has come to serve as an advantage now. Taehyung’s head is buried between your legs, tongue curling up and down gently. His large hands cup at your hips with fondness. You’re mindful not to put pressure on his upper body while you’re above him, facing his feet. His chest looks times worse than what you’ve seen when he first showed it. There are thin scars on his legs, too. You hope that every kiss mends them just a little bit, even if it’s just inside his heart. Taehyung tastes balmy and mellow when you circle your tongue around his length. It’s fun to plant your lips on his tip to sink down swaying right and left with your head, feeling his serpentine veins brush past the corners of your mouth. That’s a dick you’ll keep wet three times a day when the mood is right. He’s magnificent, better than all the savory cakes from the buffet. You regret having rejected a bath in your imperious fury earlier, now feeling ready to earn the title: Most obnoxious and smelling Crown Princess that the kingdom has ever seen. But Taehyung doesn’t care one bit, indulging you with graceful little flicks and dips at your clit. It’s so amazing. Maybe you’re not as malodorous and unbearable as you think. Because you’re comparing yourself to the sky-high golden standards of Taehyung. Which is probably what Namjoon’s mind control aims for. Then you will indeed think you’re just a meaningless fairy puppet by sheer comparison. That, you realize, is something to cast away. Taehyung is Taehyung, a wonderful delicate person and spouse. You are you. Queen Choi’s most unyielding daughter, to-be sovereign among her ranks of power, and impending defender of the Prince to install justice. Namjoon will pay for every mark he left. 

After sunrise, you already have to confront a perverse mob of “two hundred bucks? three hundred bucks?” fanatics led by chief servant Hoseok. You command them to rather spend the money on sending Prince Park a proper doctor. They swallow the bait, pester for details. You know better not to get hanged for treason on your first day as Princess of Daegu. Instead, you send them off with a trusted contact’s name at Park Palace, knowing they will not stop until they discover the truth. If they can expose the secret on their own, they’ll think they’ve invented it. And then comes the craving for big money, and more investigation. Especially the Daegu Herald is predictable in that regard. You hope the story blows up. Someone has to take care of Jimin. Maybe you should send a letter.

The throne room is the next obstacle. You’re glad there was no breakfast yet so you are maximum ill-tempered. A heavily bearded King thrones golden at the very end, and almost loses his crown when you enter without bowing, still in your plain dress. But he catches himself – back to the fake smile, fake words, fake posture. “Ah, this is what I call a regal sense of duty. A good early morning!” he says jovially. His own father must have slapped him into this demeanor. They’re all despicable. This is the generation where it ends. “The whole palace talks about your tryst. Everyone is impressed by the Rose Prince! Truly a man. Making such romantic gestures.” You’re angry that someone watched and couldn’t keep it to themselves. But then again, the palace harbored many guests tonight that had been equally restless and curious. The garden is public anyways, and visible through many windows. But it seems like everybody had twisted the story around and pretends you’re not even part of it. “I’m not here to talk about that. I have a request, actually.” - “Oh sure Princess, go ahead?” Namjoon falls somber now. “I’m not happy with this situation,” you furrow your brow. “Just like I expected it to be,” he huffs into his beard, “Well, we can always nullify the marriage after a certain time. But that needs a special legal procedure and at least two produced infant heirs. I advise you to wait anyways. Taehyung will become a good man for you even if you don’t like him now.” This place is truly hell. Produce an infant heir. King Namjoon has lost his mind. You fortify your stance before the throne. “I wouldn’t divorce because of Taehyung. I would divorce because of you. I’ll take him back with me to Ilsan.”

“Because of me? You wouldn’t dare. I have organized the best wedding of the last fifty years. Kim Seokjin is not ready to become the Crown Prince yet! Taehyung is the heir. You have to be his Princess. The alliance with house Choi is important for trade, too.” - “All the reasons to leave. Without heirs. Just with Taehyung. From your words, I can tell he’s not as important to you as the lineage and your reputation. Nor am I.” The King looks like he is about to combust. He can’t hurt you. Taehyung needs kids and Daegu resources. “Choi, what do you want?” he bursts out, hammering his staff on the ground. “Stop beating Taehyung. And don’t treat me as secondary. That’s all I ask for.” - “But this is protocol!” - “Then why do you keep it hidden when it’s all fine and necessary?” There it is. The King is gritting his teeth hard. Who would have known the doll bride would have this much leverage. “I’ve sent a giant horde to Park Palace. If you don’t put King Park and King Min in their place and abolish the protocol, they will. If my mother comes to know about it, Ilsan and the Northern Kingdom ban trading gold, silver, spice, and silk. Say goodbye to your dynasty and alliances.” - “You’re lying…” - “Then wait and see. It’s the truth. The crowd just left. Jung Hoseok called in sick today, didn’t he? Guess why.” - “Stop, stop the crowd! We’ll revise the protocol all you want, just stop the crowd!” 

For five hundred bucks, Hoseok gets an in-depth story about the ‘Rose Princess’ garden tryst. With a lot of embellishments and inexplicable plot holes, but still immensely detailed. Two days after, even the notoriously stuck-up Gyeongsang Sentinel readers send you presents after Hoseok sold them the story for a fortune. The five hundred bucks you spend for the messenger on horseback who had raced to the neighbor province, calling back the wild mob headed to Busan. Instead of you having to write a letter, Crown Prince Jimin sends you one instead. His leg has received treatment by the kingdom’s most expensive doctor. His father begrudgingly appointed him. Jimin is delighted to marry his lover in October – the beloved childhood friend and son of Busan’s Grand Duchess, Jungkook. An adoption is already on its way. The public is nowhere near as enraged as Jimin’s father had dreaded. Jungkook is very popular for good looks and charm and already well-known as Jimin’s second half. Queen Park appears to be very excited, too, especially since lifting the protocol has impacted her beneficially. 

You’ll have to live with the fact that King Namjoon cares about grandchildren more than Taehyung’s less “tough” side or, well, you. That you hope will change with time. But he busies himself with Seokjin instead of you where his prospects fall on fertile ground, and Queen Kim keeps an eye on it. At least he is happy that Jimin’s marriage does take place and has decided for the family to travel to Busan in late September. Taehyung has developed a habit of walking in the park with you often in the meantime. Also, you meet with the citizens on the farmer’s market by horse. Huge masses of people gather to see and talk to you. Namjoon had security concerns and sent fifteen high-strung guards along. But Taehyung allowed them to stroll on the market (you called it “patrol”, tongue in cheek), keeping only the four that seemed not exhausted from being constantly yelled at by the King. It was about time anybody left the dusty walls of the palace. Many had only seen you in the drawings of herald papers and heard mostly peculiar stories save the garden one. After a pleasant afternoon you buy Taehyung fresh apples and tangerines, pick up the guards and ride towards the forest. There, you spend time with Yoongi who has earned your nickname of “Prince Perfect” after some initial misunderstandings. Together you practice arching or swim in the river, and discuss wedding presents that Jimin might like. You’re very happy with Taehyung who’s always watching you with a beaming smile, and glad that he’s able to wear normal necklines again. 

My, this was a great prompt as usual. Thank you historical Tae anon (I’ll just call you this way) for the request. Asks: Always welcome my sweet cubs 🐯 I love you. - Caro

[aglionbys]

trc harry potter au

because every fandom needs at least one and up to many, many hp aus. probably safe to assume this has already been done but heres my take (this became a Very Long Post sorry)

•blue is a gryffindor and she’s kind of one of the obnoxious ones -consider: PROUDLY gryffindor blue sargent reppin that red and gold 24/7 -consider also: Down With The System Blue Sargent intentionally losing house points after discovering that gryffindor has won the house cup like every year due to just. blatant favoritism @dumbledore

•gansey’s a ravenclaw no contest he’s always in the library -when he’s not in the library he’s interviewing ghosts -or statues. or paintings. they all have interesting things to say -or trying out new incantations -or wandering around the castle with his gang searching for hidden passages or rooms or corridors

•slytherin adam -angst? -no but he’s so driven like that boy is going places. he hates his housemates mostly but he w i l l be the best and he will do it himself ! -good for you adam we love you

•Ronan’s in gryffindor too -street racing whom ronan lynch the wizard is the gryffindor seeker and is often flying around the grounds at night -always a l w a y s losing house points -surplus of daring and nerve. jury is out on chivalry

•hufflepuff ghost noah -so there’s this ghost that’s always hanging around everywhere -gansey thought noah was his roommate for like. three months. because he doesn’t pay attention to things sometimes. including the fact that a. noah is wearing hufflepuff robes and b. noah is both dead and semi-transparent -he’s chill everyone likes him

•ravenclaw henry -because absolutely ravenclaw henry -“language of thoughts” henry is absolutely a ravenclaw -gansey’s always testing out new incantations but henry actually thinks of the ones that work -he and gansey are roommates! noah is not

•the gangsey is bad and often hangs out in the forbidden forest -especially adam and ronan sometimes they run into each other there at night

•Quidditch whom -Ronan’s a seeker as stated above and he’s damn good at it too -he does get a lot of penalties though -Blue’s on the team too. she’s a Beater and will whoop you despite her small stature -Henry’s the ravenclaw seeker. he and ronan have a friendly-(ish) rivalry -and kavinsky. is the Slytherin seeker. he and ronan have an unfriendly-(ish) rivalry

•it is a school too I guess they go to class -blue never pays attention in divination and actively hates it but keeps taking it as a class. she’s a classic DADA loving gryffindor student -noah is a Disruptive Influence but none of the professors can really do anything about it which he l o v e s. he and peeves sometimes get along -Ronan’s kind of unreasonably good at everything spellcasting but he never does his classwork/homework/anything he’s assigned. McGonagall likes him but pretends not to because he’s a terrible student but he transfigured his teacup into a live mouse on the first try and then just to show off transfigured the mouse into a flock of birds -gansey is a nerd and has a time turner and loves taking every class -as previously mentioned blue likes DADA. adam likes herbology and DADA too, ronan pretends not to like anything but reads about potions a lot; henry’s into charms most of all but also likes care of magical creatures and astronomy; gansey’s just a nerd and always on about something. he’s the only student who likes history of magic and actually does his muggle studies ad divination homework

•gansey is a pureblood and comes from a long line of wizards and witches (so probably has a weirder last name and goes by his middle name or smth in this au?) -helen is slytherin head girl -and declan is slytherin head boy actually •adam’s a muggleborn. it’s kind of a sore spot. his fellow slytherins use to give him bs about it, but if you call him a mudblood that ronan lynch kid will probably hex your arms off •speaking of ronan,,, he’s a half-blood. niall was a super-powerful wizard and aurora– there’s a lot of rumors about her lets put it that way -but yeah declan’s a slytherin and matthew’s a hufflepuff •blue’s a half-blood too her dads a tree and her moms a witch -they thought she was a squib for a long time turns out she’s not but just has no gift for divination •henry’s a pureblood as well but he doesn’t like to bring it up. because why would he? blood status doesn’t matter -adam holds that “oh yeah blood status doesn’t matter, unless you’re a muggle born or a half-blood” which always makes for fun conversations!

•their patronuses!! -gansey’s is a stag! harry potter w h o m but idk it just seems fitting after trk… I didn’t think it through really it just seems right -henry’s is a bee!! because naturally it is. gansey was not overjoyed at this discovery as it turns out -adam’s is a crow! which he initially thinks is really disappointing (especially since it took him so long to finally produce a corporeal patronus and then it ended up being… a crow.. ) it’s not even a raven. but it is close enough to a raven that uh he does some self-examination after he casts it for the first time what does this mean -ronan’s is a unicorn. when he first casts it everyone is like w h a t the hell ronan what’s going on here why’s that so cool and so… Not Ronan Lynch? but at the same time… -and blue’s is a doe. which isn’t something she is going to think about very much no there is no significance to this she refuses (cinematic parallels…..)

•they’ve got pets too -ronan’s got chainsaw and it makes him look metal af. are you allowed to have a pet raven? no. can they really do anything about it if you transfigured one of your pillows into a raven while sleeping in the middle of your second year? not really no -blue has a toad AND a cat and if you insult them bad things WILL happen to you -adam didn’t have a pet at first but basically adopted one of the owls in the owlery after it kept following him around

and a note because they’re at hogwarts so they must be from the uk -gansey’s from england. because he’s gansey. he’s got this posh southern accent and everything. but don’t worry he’s highkey spending all his time in wales -blue is scottish because. angry and down with the establishment and such (plus just let me have scottish accent blue okay that’s good thats a good thought) -ronan’s irish. because ronan lynch. -adam’s english too but he’s a northerner -henry’s a l s o english and he’s from london -noah? northern ireland. I don’t know what’s going on in northern Ireland.

•other things -adam, gansey, and blue all make prefect (yes all of them..) adam ends up being head boy -noah mostly hangs out with them and acts like a regular student but sometimes he puts his ghostly powers to good (read: bad) use. like scaring people while they shower, for instance -the gangsey is like the inadvertent model for inter-house cooperation how did they become such good friends nobody understands (it’s shared adventures/detentions of course) -kavinsky and his gang? mostly slytherins, nobody likes them, no wonder Gryffindor keeps winning these losers are always dueling people for the spectacle -look this is so much I got really into this AU and I keep coming up with more and more ideas

add more please I want to amass this giant collection of HP AU ideas thanks

[yoongiandchiminie]

KISMET. {MAFIA & SOULMATE AU) PART 1

Series: When you’re born, you can’t see a color until you meet the eyes of your Soulmate for the first time. Bangtan is known as one of the most infamous gangs around. This series will focus on the lighter side of things, their soulmates- Well, maybe they’re lighter. Maybe.

[Part 2]

Genre: Angst, Mafia!AU, Soulmate!AU, Fluff

Pairing: Hoseok x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, mature themes, strong language

Word count: 4,007

Summary: Hoseok meets his Soulmate during High School and she’s there through it all. There’s nothing that could come between the idol pair of Soulmates living in house Bangtan, right? 

Jung Hoseok’s soulmate was basically a mystery. Outside of his gang, people just thought you were a figment of his imagination because he’d never truly met you according to them. The other gangs were convinced this man they knew as J-Hope was absolutely insane. He had the eyes of a bird and the aim that people wished they could have. He never missed a second and was always in tune with the twists and movements of his long body. He was truly a sight to see when it came to hand-to-hand combat, even though his specialty was sniping.

Hoseok had made this persona to those outside of his small circle that his mental health was on a downward slope. It was all a ploy to keep you safe in the long run, but also so he could brag about you and your twin children as a mocking thing during a fight. If he wasn’t lowkey endangering your safety you could have seen it as endearing. Whenever he would tell you about the way he talked about you during these, it easily churned your stomach.

The two of you had met in middle school during Science. You’d always liked the subject due to the logic of it while Hoseok enjoyed it for the mysteries. He loved those. The teacher had thought it would be fun to make the lab partners those with similar birthdays. It was a cool coincidence you both happened to be born on the same day. When he’d stepped over to your desk to introduce himself, he found himself seeing the beautiful hues of green inside of your eyes.

His face lit up and within moments he was behind you and holding you tight to him. You coughed as you were shy and a stranger holding you like this made you uncomfortable. As normal as it was, you’d never been any bit as intimate as this with a man let alone a stranger. As the brown’s around the room began to shimmy into your view, you were lost in your head until the school bell rang signaling the end of the day.

From there he’d taken your arm and the rest was history. The beautiful tale of Hoseok and Y/N. Everyone at school called you two the power couple and were extremely jealous when you’d walk down the halls hand in hand. He was handsome and fun and had a bubbly and charismatic personality that everyone was attracted too. At first it made a you a bit uneasy that you were always surrounded by people, but he made you feel comfortable and wanted at all times. His attention was always on you.

It wasn’t until High School was almost over that things got sort of complicated. Something was happening with Namjoon, the guy you felt was a little brother to you and the rest of the boys were there for him. You wanted to be there for them the day they created Bangtan, but Hoseok wouldn’t allow it. You promised and promised that you’d stay out of trouble, but he refused to let you become an official member.

You weren’t quite too sure what happened behind the scenes, but they didn’t stop you from being there. They didn’t throw you out. Almost all of the boys had these tight views on soulmates and that they were important for themselves. So they could never outcast you. Hoseok loved you too much for that to happen. The other boys had become your friends along the way as well and cared about you too.

“Are you gonna have a codename?” you joked with him about two weeks after they’d begun doing things they wouldn’t tell you of. You lightly punched his arm. “How about something cute? J-Hope?”

“J-Hope?” he was a bit confused, but he seemed to like it. His face was bright as he placed a soft kiss on the corner of your mouth. “That’s not really a mafia esque name, but I kind of think it works.”

“J for Jung and Hope- well. You know yourself.” you kissed his chin as you laid on top of him in your bedroom. He’d been staying with you as all of the boys had recently sold their homes to put the money towards the drugs and buying a base.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s really nice. It’ll keep up my incognito appearance, you know?” you both broke into full blown laughter and he leaned over you to place a kiss on your lips. “Can you do me a favor, Y/N? I know you’re already doing so much by keeping this secret and not staying involved but do you wanna get married or somethin’? We could go to the town hall or whatever those quick ones are. I just don’t know if when we take off I’ll die or something and I wanna tell whoever put us together that I got to marry you.”

You were at a loss for words as he rambled on. You sat up and swiveled your body to face his, locking with his beautiful eyes. “You wanna get married? We’re kids-” Before he could interrupt you you held a hand to his mouth and cut off your own train of thought. “Fuck it. Let’s do it.”

His smile lit up and he kissed you again. “Sometimes I’m like, Gee I miss when Y/N was shy and then you do this stuff… Man, I love you.”

“You know I love you, Hobi.” his smile somehow got bigger at the mention of your favorite nickname. “I’m supporting you joining the mafia.” you rolled your eyes with the statement as you almost wished it was a joke in the moment. You always had this habit of blindly following whatever the free spirited you had fallen in love with was ready to do.

As Bangtan got bigger, all seven of them dropped out of school. You hadn’t decided to follow their lead in that and they supported that. They didn’t want you to follow them the way they did as they feared for your safety, but they knew they couldn’t stop you. Soulmates were… soulmates. Love was love.

You stayed until you graduated and Jin even went as far as to drive you everyday. This was when he was your friend, before he slowly began to resent you for being Hoseok’s soulmate rather than as a friend. You knew bits and pieces of what was going on in the oldest’s head, but you never wanted to pry into his bitterness on the subject. You just knew he was hurt and you left it there.

Once you’d graduated, they’d moved you into the Bangtan Base (as they called it) to keep you safe. For the last bits of high school you tried to make people forget you were in a relationship as ‘J-Hope’ had to become a fresh face in the world and not ‘Y/N’s boyfriend’. Sadly it meant you had to flirt with people and make new friends, but when Namjoon told you to do that he made sure neither of you mentioned it to Hoseok. At least the forgetting part.

At first you were almost depressed about being trapped in the house, but that was the life you chose. Hoseok had always given you outs before and even after you got married. He’d always tell you he would help you run away and give you a safe place to feel free, but all you wanted was to be with him. There were times when you even felt a little pathetic about it, how dedicated you were. Love was love and the Soulmate system was overbearing and terrifying. It just enforced the feelings you would have run into eventually with a strong push.

Every Soulmate was always fated to meet, even before the sight of colors was a push. It was something that had been studied by some of the world’s smartest people and they confirmed that fate was bound to have the two of you cross paths in probably the same way. People liked the system, the natural system. It made less of a witch hunt about finding the person you were destined to be with forever. The red string of fate was there all along.

“Hey.” It was a night about a year after you had graduated and Hoseok had just come home from a drug deal. He’d showered twice and couldn’t shake the stench of weed from his body, but you’d learned to accept it. “How come I can’t ever go out with you guys? I help at home and it’s nice- but I worry while you’re gone.”

“I’d worry even more if you were there, you know.” Hoseok’s response came in impeccable time.  “You’ve never been a fighter or too much of a talker.” he pinched your cheeks and you made a sour face into his smile. “You’re good here and you can step outside and live a life without fear that some random guy is Big Bang or SNSD’s lacky and ready to give away your location instantly.”

You sighed and began to walk towards your bedroom instead of being in the common rooms for the rest of this conversation. You heels clicked against the newly wooden floor since a new carpet had to be installed from the last shootout they’d been to. Jungkook and Taehyung came home completely bloodied up and in the process of sewing their wounds, both of them had dripped a lot of blood onto the carpet. It wasn’t even salvageable.

Today you had gone on a job interview working in an office building and was currently dressed to the nines. Namjoon had thought it was a good idea to get you out of the house and also keep up an alibi or something if things went wrong. Even if you were technically not doing anything, you were still heavily involved in Bangtan’s affairs. Having your own money sounded like a good idea to you on top of that. Sometimes you’d feel guilty about spending their money with the way the boys spoiled you.

“Anyways, how’d the interview go?” he was quick to avoid awkward conversation that could lead to an argument. It was easily a trait he had that got on your nerves, but you couldn’t change his attitude towards arguments at this point.

“Great, great. I think he loved me.” you rolled your eyes at his attitude switch and awkwardly bent your arm around to unzip the dress you had on. His nimble fingers attempted to reach forward to help but you stepped out of his reach. “I can help myself, Hobi. Can you go shower again?” He groaned and stood up, leaving you to your lonesome.

After about a week the job had called you back and of course you landed it. Straight A student going to a nice school for marketing? A perfect shoe in if you ask anyone. They couldn’t help except to quickly want you. Trying to keep a normal life was a bit tough at this point but when you weren’t home you were almost nailing it on the spot.

It wasn’t until about 3 years later that anything was off from the normal helping Jin patch up the torn and tattered gang members. You’d moved up in your company and was now one of the managers to match your degree. Then you got pregnant. You didn’t really know how to go about this situations. Most gang members didn’t even have a wife, at least unbeknownst to the outside world. They were good at secrets, as were you.

Hoseok found out on a day that he didn’t have any meetings, raids, fights, or anything Bangtan related to do. Well, you told him on that day to ease the tension he could possibly feel. Except, nothing was wrong. He was ecstatic. Happier than you had been when you found out a month prior. He was almost bouncing off of the walls and poor Bangtan for having to experience his talks and talks and talks about the baby that looked like him that was on the way. It got even worse when the doctor had informed you that you were expecting twins.

Namjoon took it well. He was quite excited to have a baby running around the house. Since none of the other gangs knew where their base was, he figured it was a safe place for a child. Almost everyone agreed except for Yoongi. One night you’d even overheard him talking to his basically boyfriend, Hoseok. The two of you always got along because you both always strived to make Hoseok happy. Yoongi was the closest to Hoseok and possibly yourself at times.

The two of them were sitting outside on the front porch on a nice fall night. It wasn’t too cold and there was a nice breeze running through the air. You went to go take a walk around the acres of ground only to be stopped by Min Yoongi’s harsh tone.

“-let her leave, Hoseok!” he was screaming and it didn’t seem like this was the start of the argument. “She’s having your babies! Babies, for fucks sake! You’re bringing children into a mafia den! It’s bad enough you brought the love of your life here when you could easily die everyday! You could have let Y/N go to a straggler! They all have hope for when they lose their soulmate. You could have let her go.” Yoongi sounded almost hurt.

“But- Yoongi, I’m her hope. I have to- I can’t ever leave her-” Hoseok was crying and all you wanted to do was hold him. Take his lanky figure into your own and wipe away his tears.

“And you’re in so fucking deep I can see you getting yourself killed if she left. You’re gonna slip up, Hoseok and it’s gonna suck when all of us are gonna pick up your pieces and hers. She’s not just a thing and I hope you know that. Take fucking care of your shit, Hoseok. You got yourself to the bottom of the god damn pit and our ladder isn’t long enough without you. Better find a fucking lift.” Then Yoongi walked in and slid right past you. He probably knew you were listening. His smart ass definitely knew.

Your steps had gotten heavier and were fully audible as you stepped through the door and sat on the step next to him. His face looked hurt and you didn’t even have any words to say as a response. There really wasn’t anything to say. The two of you knew that his hyung was right. There was no doubt about it and if he was saying this after the fact, the thoughts of what he’d said before were starting to turn your mind against itself.

“You know he's right.” Was the only thing he said to you that night. You knew it and he knew and everyone fucking knew it. But you didn't leave. It wasn't that you couldn't, there was no reason for you to want to leave. Yeah the danger and everything of being associated with Bangtan, but you didn't want to raise kids without their Dad. Sure he could die, but so could any person in this fucked up world. It was too late to leave.

Then they came. Kira and Jae. The names had come right out of nowhere, but they felt right to both of you. They felt like your childrens names. The day they were born was stressful since you were alone when your water broke. You left a voicemail on Hoseok’s turned off phone and continued to call through each of the Bangtan boys as you drove yourself to the hospital in a car you’d bought about a year ago with your own money.

He showed up about halfway through delivery. Your phone had died and he basically barged in with a trail of nurses behind him. “I swear this is my wife!” he yelled to them as he ran over to grab your cramping hand. Through your pain you nodded at them and took ahold of his hand. In those few moments you let out all of the frustration and pain you’d been feeling lately towards him and your entire life.

Then something weird happened to you. There wasn’t any kind of loneliness you’d been feeling before, because someone always needed you. Of course your husband had always needed you, but he was an independent guy a good amount of the time.

He never tried to withhold secrets from you or anything of the sorry, but he still did. There were things he kept from you and you knew it. He figured it would make you feel safer, but it made you almost feel pushed away. He never wanted things to be like this, but it seemed alright now. It seemed okay.

The twins brought a light back into your life that you’d thought you had lost being isolated outside of work. Once they were born you decided to quit your job and devote time to giving them good lives. They deserved it. A thought that always roamed through your mind as was what color couldn’t they say? When you dress Jae in blue could they both see it? Could they see the vibrant colors decorating their room?

They could definitely see the red of the blood that scattered the house. Whenever you noticed a new stain, you’d put them in a playpen to scrub it off on the mostly white walls. When the bleach stopped resorting the walls to their normal color was the day you made the executive decision to paint the walls a beige color. You took the task upon yourself for the days when you were alone with the kids and they were asleep, you’d paint.

Then when that was done, you decorated. You put up pictures from High School and with the lack of photos of recent times, you became dedicated to taking more pictures. You bought each members of Bangtan a camera and dragged Hoseok to get a professional family photoshoot. He was actually all about it. Then he joked for a good hour about how it was times like this that only being known as J-Hope came in handy for him.

The twins were one by this time and growing up beautifully. Now that they were crawling, the excessive weapons that laid around the home began to scare you even more. So you had a meeting and everyone began cleaning up better after themselves. Now, if the base ever got discovered you probably wouldn’t be able to find a good amount of evidence signalling them into being a gang. Just a bunch of broke High School dropouts living together.

Now, here you were, two years later and fucking your husband senseless into the night. Every other member of Bangtan was gone and Suga and his girl had even taken the kids, so you two took advantage of the situation. His flexible body was putting yours out of commision and you couldn’t help but enjoy every moment of it.

“Hoseok.” his name left your urgent mouth after your climax and once he was next to you on the bed instead of above you. “Can I ask you something?”

“You wanna go again?!” his voice was full of excitement as your pursed your lips and mouthed no. He let out a little chuckle and grabbed a towel to clean you off from the earlier activities.

“Did you marry me so I couldn’t leave?” He choked on the thin air that now flooded the room. His eyes darted away from yours and in that moment you knew it was true. It was a thought that had been braving your mind since you’d overheard one of the other boys telling Yoongi to do it. He simply responded that he didn’t want to tie her down so quickly and you wondered why Hoseok did.

“I did love you, Y/N. I do love you and I always will- I was just afraid you would run away from this.” he threw the towel towards the laundry basket and grabbed a long shirt for you to sleep in.

“I promised you I wouldn’t!” your voice sounded broken as you got dressed and slowly pushed yourself off of the bed. You leaned on the walls for support as you went to grab yourself a pair of sweatpants. Hoseok simply watched you, knowing that you’d freak out if he came anywhere near you in this moment. “Did you not trust me?”

“Of course I trusted you! I just didn’t know who else I could trust in the world. There’s a lot of fucking cool guys who aren’t in gangs, Y/N! You could've left me for a straggler if I didn't act fast!” You weren’t sure if he was crying too in this moment, but he rarely swore at you so you knew he was angry. His eyes burned holes into your skin as you got yourself decent enough to sleep in another room tonight.

“I’m not too sure why you’d think that Hoseok, but I can tell you I have some thinking to do tonight. You should spent some time with my kids when they get back.” You spoke with a harsh tone and slowly stepped out of the room, slamming the door behind yourself. The home was still empty at this point, but almost on queue as you sat on the couch the rest of the guys walked in covered in dirt with a bunch of prizes and candy. They must’ve gone to a fair.

Blue and Suga were caught up in each other as they handed the babies off to you, telling you how good they were and how much fun they had. The rest of Bangtan seemed at odds with each other and you couldn’t help but wonder what had happened at a fair. RM took notice of your stained face once Hoseok walked out to take the tired twins from your arms and the leader took a seat next to you.

“Ahh, is J acting up?” he laughed and you just shrugged. He ruffled your hair and you couldn’t help but to laugh.

“You’re too good at this.” you spoke normally and leaned back into the couch. “This whole leaderesque Dad thing.”

He smiled at your words and copied your motions. “Yeah, it’s a talent.” The two of you laughed. “I gotta be ready for when she’s ready, you know?” He cleared his throat and sighed. “Are you planning on leaving?”

“I had the thought a few times.” your response was almost instant.

“Just let me know and don’t run off. Please. I can’t handle a broken sun when I have people to kill.” he cracked his hands and stood up. “You shouldn’t though. We like having you here.” Then you were alone again in the most public area of your crowded home.

Thoughts blurred through your mind and you made a choice. It wasn’t forever and you’d hope he knew that. You hoped all of them knew that the three of you would eventually come back and with that notion you weren’t sure why you were going. It was a break. You needed a break from all of this shit and you wrote that in your letter goodbye.

                                                         Hey Hobi,

                                                        I love you. 

                   I hope you know I love you and always always always will. 

                   I hope you know me well enough to know this isn’t the end 

                                        and that we’re coming back. 

                                  I won’t deprive our kids of a father.

                    I’m going to take them away from the noise for a while. 

                                                Don’t look for me. 

                         I know you’d be able to find me if you did that. 

                                       Just let me rock for a while. 

                                      Just love me from far away. 

    I’ll be back so so so soon and the house better be in mint condition when I do.

              I love you and I hope you love me enough to understand this.

                                                       Love,

                                              Your Soulmate.

Author’s Note: Hey everyone! I hoped you like part one of Kismet! This one was really tough for me to write for no good reason, so your feedback would be appreciated as always! I’d love to know what everyone thought of this.

Yoongi’s installment!

Jimin’s installment!

Taehyung’s installment!

Jungkook’s installment!

Jin’s installment!

What happened to them before Bangtan?

Next part

[whale-shark-queen]

You mentioned fucked up weird AUs in your one post? I'm interested. Tell me about your favourite one(s)!!

AAAaaaah thank you so much!!

Uhhhhhhh heck most of them involve N turning into some horrible Thing because he’s the Estranged Outsider with a Connection to the Bad Guys Even If It’s Not Willingly (yknow like how Eren from snk is a titan shifter or Rin from blue exorcist is part demon) and all of them involve vuvuzelashipping (Nxall the Nuvema lot) I don’t really have a single favourite but I’ll summarize the ones I like most (also note that some of them are good dad Ghetsis/Dadsis aus because u gotta balance out the angst somehow plus dadsis aus are Cool)

Under the cut because I literally can’t summarise for shit and I’m sure no one wants to scroll past 3 pages worth of this (mobile users I apologise since the app is SHIT and refuses to even acknowledge these) 

Also here’s a bit of an index so u can skip to ones that sound interesting instead of going through them all but first u should ask nationalharmonica about her aus bc I love all of hers and they’re awesome and need more love and she also helped with alot of these aus too!! ESPECIALLY the Dragonflower au which I won’t include here because I think she has it on her blog somewhere already.  If ur wondering why I haven’t posted any of these it’s because a) i have neither the skill, time or patience to draw up proper references for all of the characters involved and b) I’m always worried theyll seem too Out There for some people but here we go au masterpost i guess, if anyone reading would like more info feel free to ask!!!

Bacterial Contamination inspired au aka bacterial pestileNce

BotW au

Ib au

PMMM au (the longest one)

Plasma/Aether swapover, N wins+UB monochromeshipping au

Simple fNaf dadsis au

sister locatioN dicksis au (yes I have two for that because I only found out about the secret springtrap cutscene at the end of SL that changes everything the other day)

Nombie (dadsis) au

isolatioN au- Au based on the song Bacterial Contamination.  N goes to the snobbiest most pretentious school you can imagine only because his ex mafia boss dad wants the best for him.  N hides the fact he’s being relentlessly bullied until a teacher phones Ghetsis up asking why N is in such a state whenever he comes into school (BC bruises and cuts and looking roughed up in general).  N goes to therapy and gets meds but surprise they’re an experimental drug and he’s a bug boy now

- BotW au where Touya is Link, Cheren as Revali, Bianca is Mipha and Touko is Zelda.  Ghetsis (who is kinda like Demise if he hung around to make sure his curse worked) is the king of a neighboring region who’s a bit of a warmongering asshole but his son N is friends with princess Touko and her…ahem, associates, which is the only reason Touko’s dad stays civil with him at all.  He uses this to his advantage and infects N with the Malice and reveals his plan to take over Unova, knowing fine well that N would run away to Touko for help.  The truth is he’d set up N to be a ticking time bomb and eventually he becomes the Calamity.  After the whole ~100 year coma and releasing the divine beasts~ thing Touya only remembers who N is after killing him but dw there’s a blood moon just as Touko is sealing the Malice away and N’s freed spirit is brought back to become a friendly giant fluffy spider boy just because I said so

- Ib au with N as Mary (obv Ghetsis is Guertena) except instead of going crazy and trying to kill everyone and being burned up and dying himself the toutous make him sit in the frame while they drag it out of the portal to the real world: problem solved.  I have all this stuff about the others being able to step into his frame but he can’t leave unless someone else draws him so he can possess the drawing but I won’t go into it here BC this post is gonna be long enough already

-Okay I have two madoka aus because possibilities for N are Ndless but I’ve only really developed the dicksis version whereas I only have a witch design for a possible dadsis version so here’s the dicksis one.  The first: Ghetsis is kinda like Walpurgisnacht and N was originally a familiar that represented Ghetsis’ interest being only in things that directly oppose him who was becoming powerful enough to become a witch of his own.  Not wanting him to have even a fraction of power himself Ghetsis transformed him into a human shape, gave him sentience and intelligence and as close to a pure heart as possible so he would be easier to manipulate and led him to believe that magical girls/boys hunt down innocent witches for fun and have witches trapped in their soul gems and tasks N with stealing people’s soul gems to ‘free the witch inside’.  The problem is that the alteration gave N the mindset of ‘innocents who aren’t involved must be protected at all costs’ rather than Ghetsis’ mindset of ‘don’t give a fuck about anyone unless they’re a problem’.  N is also sent to integrate into human society so that he can find magical peepos easier so he ends up coincidentally going to school with the Nuvema kiddos.  He ends up becoming friends with them until he finds out Cheren and Bianca are magicas (I’m just gonna call them that for simplicity) but even though the toutous arent magicas they still support them which is all very upsetting and conflicting for N but he tries his best to protect the witches and steal more soul gems until the others eventually call him out on it and prove to him that the shit Ghetsis told him is bull.  When he goes to confront him about it it’s too late, Ghetsis has absorbed enough witches to become a Walpurgisnacht-like entity, and finally allows N to become a witch.  I’ll link the drawings I’ve done of him but basically his labyrinth would be like a puppet theater and even tho hes the witch he’d have this fuckin giant messed up ghetsis-lookin puppet master familiar who pulls at his strings and coordinates his attacks.  There’d be an audience of masked figures that look like all the magicas he’s caused the deaths of, tiny animals with scissors to represent his wish for freedom and also his fear of his ‘father’ since they never actually get to cut the strings holding him up, and figures that look a heck of a lot like the nuvema kiddos watching in a balcony.  This is all tied into a theory I came up with that almost all the witches are able to be saved since yknow how Homura had that figure of Madoka locked away and Madoka was able to bring her back, and how Sayaka had the violin guy and Charlotte had that doll that probably represents her dead mother? My guess is that if the people those figures represent are brought to the witch and reach out to them the magical girl inside would be able to be freed.  But yeah since N was never really a human the Nuvema kiddos can only really save a fraction of his conscious and he ends up like Bebe.  They all beat the shit out of Ghetsis and everyone lives happily ever after with their pocket witch bf

- the au where 1) plasma and aether are sort of swapped around and 2) N beats the toutous in the final battle.  This is actually based on nationalharmonica’s courtesaN au which is awesome BTW (but it doesn’t involve actual courtesans or N being a courtesan at all but its Sarah’s au so if you’re interested you should totally ask her about it).  Ghetsis keeps Touko and Touya prisoner and just to rub it in their faces blackmails Cheren and Bianca into joining and doing sciency experiment shit which ends up with Touko and Touya becoming UB fusions/hybrids themselves; Touya with Kartana and Touko with Celesteela.  Ofc in the later stages they are able to destroy their place of confinement and escape with Cheren and Bianca to find N who becomes understandably fucked off and upset that his friends have been put through all this shit but begs them not  to kill Ghetsis so he can ask what’s going on.  When he does Ghetsis stabs him with a syringe full of UB fusion shit because he knows fine well hes gonna die he just wanted a final ‘fuck you’ before he is killed by both fire and paper cuts.  Surprise! It’s a Guzzlord.  N becomes a big squishy boy. I’ve done drawings of N in human Guzzlord fusion/hybrid form but I’ve been afraid of posting it but uh if anyones interested i will

- Simplified fNaf dadsis au - basically N and the Nuvema kiddos are the ones that were killed and stuffed in the animatronics, Ghetsis owns the place but risks going bankrupt pouring money into helping find the culprit and also his son and his friends when they’ve been stuck in the one restaurant he kept open to stay afloat.  Nate is the new nightguard and they decide to fuck with him to get rid of some of the boredom of being alone together in the one building for like…30 years or so.  In the end they fess up and make Nate pizza as an apology and they’re chill again

- sister locatioN dicksis au - I already summarised a thing i wrote of it in response to an anon but I’ll include here too.  Once again Ghetsis owns all the shit with the animatronics.  Anthea and Concordia get killed by one of them when they were young so years later Ghetsis sends N down to ‘free’ them (surprise he only wanted to get rid of N) but since their spirits have been fused into one hideous amalgamation of animatronics they’ve gone a bit loopy and want to leave.  The whole scooping room thing ensues and they accidentally turn their brother into a zombie

- Nombie au bc Z is a sideways N heheh I ahven’t thought up much of the background for it but it involves Plasma being a pharmaceutical company that is sort of accidentally being the cause of it.  N gets separated from his dad who ends up being the leader of a large group of people in a little town sort of thing they were able to reclaim but is Sad bc he thinks his son is dead which ends up being half true bc surprise N is half immune and ends up being a conscious zombie boy who wears a curtain as a cloak so he doesnt immediately frighten people bc he got his eye shot out by hillbilies, his face scratched up, his throat bitten out and his heart impaled on a pole (hes a freak without a human heart geddit) zombie apocalypse stuff happens

- isolatioN au - basically spawned from the thought of ’what if N was kept even more hidden away/locked up/never even left at all’.  Plasma is instead secretly in the Pokemon poaching/hunting/selling business but are disguised as…well you already know about Plasma.  The nuvema kiddos had varying levels of rough childhood and were desperate for money so they all joined up; the toutous as night guards and the dualrival s as researchers.  Hidden deep in the facility is a certain tree haired manchild who has been kept in a cage for pretty much his entire life.  Ghetsis does a mother gothel and makes out its to keep him safe and brings him Pokemon to ask about where they live and what other kinds of Pokemon live there so that Ghetsis can release them safely back into the wild go hunt for more Pokemon in the area if there’s anything good there

There’s a few more that I have but I won’t include them because im worried it’d be a waste of time if no one takes interest in any of these but uh thanks for asking and reading if you did!!!

[abigail-mcnatt-photography]

You’ll Never See The Bigger Picture If You’re Standing That Close by Atlantic Wasteland

There are plenty of perks to being a fan of local bands. From the ridiculously cheap merch, to becoming close friends with the band, to being able to get into shows (for me as a photographer). Those perks also included the opportunity to listen to a full-length album in advance and getting the chance to review it from front to back. Atlantic Wasteland’s frontman, Sam Quatrini, asked if I was interested in getting the album in advance and writing a review, to which I of course said yes. This is definitely something I’ve never done before but am extremely excited to dive right into.

If you follow my blog and my other forms of social media, you may know that my boyfriend has his own movie review blog, under the alias Oberrated. Being that we are both such avid local music fans, with my foot deep into the world of music and his analytical mind for reviewing movies, I thought it would be a great idea for us to team up for this review. So without further ado, let’s dive into the new Atlantic Wasteland album, You’ll Never See The Bigger Picture If You’re Standing That Close.

1.But If You Take a Step Back

https://open.spotify.com/track/5mkJh2D1Hu347chBqAwbke?si=VeTki_qpQb2J3DZzf6Krgw

A haunting introduction to the album. As a whole, we can both see the band playing this song as an introduction to a show, adding a suspenseful feel to the start.

2. Paradox

https://open.spotify.com/track/4lMc2L3GfrrtBeNaQjGrcN?si=ECgRB-DuRBOAYQ0NY4jZdg

The first full length track on the album. It mixes melody and energy with heavy and relatable lyrics.

Abby: This song definitely plays off of Atlantic Wasteland’s familiar sound. Current fans of the band will specifically like it for that reason. It is also one of the many songs that will speak to many, being as relatable as it is. I really like the line, “I’m learning how to cope with what I feel”, mainly because I’m sure many of us have had moments in our lifetime where we struggled to figure out how we were supposed to feel, instead of just focusing on how we do feel. We’re just stuck in this constant battle.

Chris: Ausinette’s (Rodriguez, Aus for short; lead vocals, hype woman) first intro to the song is incredible. She counters the heavy tone of the lyrics with melody. The joining of Sam and Aus creates a battle between two parties or even a person versus their own mind.

3. Don’t Call Me Your Bud

https://open.spotify.com/track/4xyeyUsoqlAwq5gCcOHURI?si=RXq0l5FPT3q2j6xhHS5WkA

Track 3 is a punk heavy pop/punk song, seemingly about betrayal, with intense lyrics and lots of lyric screaming. Oh, and a cool Johnny Cash-esque bridge.

Abby: Well, if you enjoy songs with some screaming in them, this one is for you, lol. Although I’m not the biggest fan, I don’t find it to be all that distracting like I normally would. To me, it feels like a classic revenge song. Lines like, “I hope the weight you carry never loses weight” and “now you’re deep/ you’re deep in this mess you’ve made/ and now you’ll sleep/ you’ll sleep alone in an empty bed,” really hold their weight. It’s a reminder that someone really screwed up and there are no chances left for them. They are cut off. I know I personally can relate, on my own level, to the premise of the song. We’ve all had our share betrayal, and I feel this track really portrays that feeling extremely well. From the screaming to the cutthroat lyrics, it is an intense way of expressing the feeling of this betrayal.

Chris: Starts off with a frantic pace, which carries throughout the song. Quickly met with an angst-filled Sam, seemingly yelling at the thought of an old friend or an individual. To me, it seems as if this song comes from the perspective of one side of a former friendship. Aus and Sam join to sing about their ill feelings about the other party. The energy of this song is simply infectious.

4. Unfamiliar Home

https://open.spotify.com/track/13Qt3p0azCitDoPOxvFdAB?si=KCnxhP9SQTGDGnqg5tneRw

The next track is one of three pre-released singles. A song about a home that may have never truly been a home that has a sick lead in to the next song on the album.

Abby: I don’t really have much of an in-depth analysis on this song. Maybe it’s because I have heard it at least a million times, since it was one of the three singles released. It has less of Sam screaming in it, but that doesn’t keep the passion from seeping through every lyric. If I’m being honest, I’m having trouble pinpointing what I feel the song is about, but I’m sure it’ll be different for different people. From what I’m gathering, it makes me think about our life’s journey, whether we know exactly where we are going or not. One of the lines that really stuck out to me was “it was the people around me that made me feel alive”. It’s definitely a song that isn’t as obvious with its deeper meaning. I guess that’s what makes it fun, though. I also love that it transitions right into the next tune without even skipping a beat.

Chris: When I think Atlantic Wasteland, I think of songs that sound exactly like this. As always, a high energy track that blends emo vibes and lyrics from the perspective of someone wishing for different outcomes.

It’s strange, but when I listen to this song, I can envision a music video of something like “Perfect” by Simple Plan, with Aus and Sam screaming the lyrics of “Unfamiliar Home” alone in their bedrooms, plastered with pop punk and punk rock band posters, with the occasional Taylor Swift cutout.

5. It’s Rude to Point Fingers (And With Nails That Sharp, I’ll Be Missing an Eye)

https://open.spotify.com/track/18hxvxwbyScqLml0nVTdWg?si=5KZBsPr3QE-ZHYhAevNbyA

This song is an edgy and emo track with an overwhelmingly powerful meaning behind it. It was released with Unfamiliar Home as the third and final single prior to the album’s release.

Abby: Really long song title, haha. This was also another one of the singles released in advance of the album. Of course, it is the heavier single, but it’s got a strong tone to it. It seems to be from the perspective of someone who was abused, in some way, in one of their relationships (significant other, friend, family, etc.). The victim in this case is finally putting their foot down to this person and not letting their fear of them get to them anymore. This person has mistreated them for far too long. Lines such as, “I refuse to be a body bag”, “the condescending words you spoke, they echo through my mind with every note/ I understand that I’m the enemy/ I’ll have those scars for eternity”, and “if I spoke my mind, you’d say I was wrong”, are some of the real kickers for me. This is a very strong song, and it’s definitely one of my favorites. From the absolutely crazy guitar and drums, to Aus’ melody, Sam’s passionate screams at the end, and the resilient vibe the lyrics bring, make it an all around great song.

Chris: From the title, it seems to be about someone who doesn’t pay any mind to the things they say and do, causing damage to everyone they connect with. The main person affected, is the one in which the lyrics are spoken for. The guitar is unreal here. It matches the vibes and the energy of the song, just to lead into one final screaming hook.

6. Acquaintance

https://open.spotify.com/track/7IDNMmImKYw7C4SaRbvp0T?si=RgaFOEGzQeypzf_BayEp4w

Track 6 is a song about losing touch with a friend/family member, in which the melancholic tone is captured within the lyrics and the consistent beat.

Abby: When it comes to new albums, I’m always interested in what the slower songs are gonna be about and how they’ll sound. When it comes to heavier genres, such as pop/punk, the slower/sad songs are still a little more upbeat as far as the music goes. Acquaintance is a song about fading friends. I think my favorite line is “… and I blame this all on journey”, because it’s very true. Most friendships fade because of individual journeys taking us in separate directions. It’s about those moments when we reminisce about the ‘good old days’ and wanting to reconnect. It’s a relatable and powerful song and I really feel like the background music (drums, guitar, bass, etc.) just add more to the solemn vibe of the song. If you ever had a close friend in which you two just lost touch, you will really feel every single lyric of this song.

Chris: This is easily the one song that struck the hardest chord for me. Personally, it reminded me of friends lost, even to the point where a couple tears came from my eyes. Acquaintance, I feel, will be one of the most relatable songs to listeners in multiple ways. Whether it be a former friend, loved one, family member, etc.

7. Whether You Think You Can or Can’t, You’re Right

https://open.spotify.com/track/7uNDw5hCG2wmXVTIfFfDx3?si=5TFyZSJfRPqsYKaNpc1AIw

The next track is a BOP. From the inspiring and eye-opening lyrics, to the foot tapping beat, it’s an all around lighthearted tune that will make you want to get up and dance.

Abby: Here we change gears a bit from the last song, and get a little more upbeat. Atlantic Wasteland is one of those bands that has songs that never say the title in the song. But they actually say it in this song, which caught me by surprise. Aside from the singles, this song is one of my favorites. It talks about believing in yourself and that if you surround yourself with negativity, that’s all you’ll ever see. On the contrary, if you surround yourself with nothing but positivity, you’ll start to see a lot more of it. It’s a very inspiring tune and it’s got an upbeat and fun sound to it. The guitar is fantastic, as always, and the drums (especially at the beginning) will make you want to tap your foot along with them. It would be a great song live, for many reasons, specifically because of the echo in the bridge. It’s a great song to keep the audience engaged.

Chris: Entertainment wise, this is probably my favorite song off the album. The pacing, the energy, the lyrics. It’s just overall a fun yet pop/punk, edgy, F you kind of vibe. Beyond my enjoyment of the song, the title and the lyrics are quite unique. To me, it’s all about mindset. “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right”. You are exactly what you think. If you set your mind for failure, well you’ll fail. If you think you can, you will. Don’t let the fun of this song distract you, it is hella important.

8. It’s Mid-July, Take Off The Beanie

https://open.spotify.com/track/5brIqAYP4kMF8PO64NYTpM?si=rQgobuzpSIOQqvfysRjiFg

Track 8 was the first single released from the album. It’s a super funky and fun song that you won’t be able to sit still while listening to.

Abby: Heck yes, probably my favorite song off of the album. I knew it was going to be as soon as I first heard it live. It’s super funky and the beat is just so damn catchy. For real, it’s an ear worm. I’ve heard the origin story a good number of times since I see the band live so often. It’s fairly obvious, but it’s basically about a person who is a player, and the words are being spoken from the perspective of a friend of the person being flirted with. I can’t say enough how much I love this song. It’s got a very different sound than the entire rest of the album, and differs from the typical sound you’d expect from Atlantic Wasteland. They are just putting their toes in the water of the pop world but speaking as someone who has loved pop music her whole life, they do it justice. This would be a great radio single too… although I’d rather it not be overplayed, like every song on the radio is, lol.

Chris: The very first track released as a single. Easily the most fun and differently styled song from Atlantic Wasteland. I remember having a conversation with Aus and Sam about a song that was “way more funkier than what we’re used to”. I first heard this song at Four Chord Music Festival and I was INSTANTLY hooked. After the performance, I remember talking to the duo and told them that as soon as I heard the rhythm of the song I went “OOOOOOOOOOOOO SHIT!”. That type of energy stills stands today every time the song hits my Spotify. Get down with you funky selves, Atlantic Wasteland.

P.S. F dudes who wear beanies mid July.

9. A Dog Named Fletcher

https://open.spotify.com/track/2SqUavFkcpnddrJL3Uqdfy?si=5SYcKXbrQ96iyDi1EyS9Bw

For the next track, we slow things down with a sad song from the perspective of a scared dog. Have tissues nearby.

Abby: So I have mixed emotions with this song. On one end, it’s a genius song idea. It’s written in the perspective of a dog at the veterinarian that doesn’t know what the heck is going on. And on the other end, IT’S SO SAD. If you’re anything like me, you hate watching dogs/animals die in movies (I live for doesthedogdie.com). If you are, worry not! The dog LIVES. Sam’s idea for the song came from a friend whose dog ate a towel (or a sock.. he’s changed the story) and had to get it removed. The bridge gets me every time. Aside from the lyrics, I freaking love everything else about the song. I’d only ever heard the song acoustic and it just works. It’s the only song on the album recorded with acoustics. Sam and Aus’ vocals really shine in this song. Aus has a note at the end of the bridge that is just captivating. (If you listen closely, you can hear Sam scream something like “oh yeah!”)Fair warning, if you have any kind of a heart, you will need tissues at your side. Can’t stress that enough.

Chris: Listened to this song many times acoustically and live. Always been emotional and great to listen to. For some reason, despite listening to it so many times, hearing the studio version still struck a nerve in me and ignited my tear ducts. This song will have you running to your doggo, cat, bird, alligator, etc. and cuddling up to them telling them how much you love them. Alternatively, this song is such a unique perspective to envision. From the eyes and mind of a pet in the vet hospital. Heart-breaking, man.

10. Thin-Skinned

https://open.spotify.com/track/1JOR0HNcMIUoE5OmluFueZ?si=XLN3O-6MSW64dY1y5t5Zhg

For the next track, we pick up the pace again. With lyrics and music that embody what it’s like to be human and have feelings, and vocals that are just powerful, we have another important message portrayed through song.

Abby: Once you’ve wiped your eyes, you can recover by enjoying the next track on the list. It seems to be a song about embracing our humanity and allowing ourselves to just scream. We can only handle so much and bottle things up, claiming that we have thick skin and can handle it, when in reality, it does affect us and our, “skin isn’t quite as rough as I’d proclaim”. I do think this is a great song, incorporating their newfound sound, as well as their ‘old’ sound.

Chris: Of all the tracks on the album, I feel as if this may be my least favorite. I can’t exactly put my finger on why, and this is also not saying that I dislike it cause I do like the energy and sound but it just sounds very similar to basically any other song within this genre. I didn’t find much to dig deeper into. Just simply a high energy song to jam to.

11. The Corpse Bride & Flat Stanley

https://open.spotify.com/track/1gGCdvCOBIZDSkNh2avEzU?si=XLV4E2v5QdCSRzFK5bBBTQ

Our second to last song on the album, is another banger. The title is… interesting. But it’s written from a personal experience. It’s a mix of classic pop/punk and the band’s ‘newfound’ funky/pop sound.

Abby: This song, to me, feels like a song about celebration. It feels like a song meant for a significant other, or a friend, promising to be by their side and to love them unconditionally. We all have our baggage, and some of our pasts are worse than others. But the people we keep in our lives that make us better people, are more important than anything we’ve dealt with in the past. If I remember correctly, Sam wrote this song about someone who flirted with his fiancé and he compared the person’s appearance to a character called Flat Stanley. Where the Corpse Bride came from, you’d have to ask Sam, hahaha. It seems like a song celebrating love of all kinds, I think. The sound still feels like an Atlantic Wasteland type sound, but, like the last song, it incorporates more of what I like to call, their newfound sound. It’s a great song to help close out the album. It also sounds great when played live. After all the emotions this album has made us feel, it’s a nice way to celebrate the life we live.

Chris: The last two songs are evident to hit close to home for Sam. He explained at a live show that this one was inspired by personal experience and that carries a long way to me as a listener. As always, not only is it an enjoyable song audibly and lyrically, but also as an interesting story.

12. …You Just Might See It

https://open.spotify.com/track/5EdvAaOMAl7y9XOfOU0mBd?si=j14uf6CwQQWYW9VgJn7V0A

Track 12 is our closer to the album. It’s essentially a mix of all of the different sounds AW explored throughout the course of the album. It seems to take all of the feelings we felt and ties them up in a pretty bow.

Abby: Here we have our finale to the album. First off, this song would make a great closer to a live show.. or before the encore. To me, it feels like a song of hope. Written from a semi-religious standpoint, the song shows us that we cannot get so caught up in all of the problems and obstacles life throws at us, which is all too easy to do. It’s our reminder to look at ourselves from an outside perspective and see all of the wonderful things we get to experience in our own individual adventures. It really drives the album title home, by literally finishing the statement about perspective. Fantastic way to wrap up the album.

Chris: …You Just Might See It is an exceptional song on multiple fronts. 1. It is a beautiful reflection of Sam and company and the point they have gotten to thus far in life. To be thankful and to see the bigger picture in all things. 2. It is a near perfect wrap-up of an album about perspective. Throughout the whole album, we’re taken on a journey of multiple perspectives and different stories that tie to them. With this, we come to the finale and, once again, a way to look at the bigger picture in life and appreciate it and be thankful. 3. Track 1 vs. Track 12. Us, as an audience, are given an album by artists and we listen from beginning to end or shuffled. Analyzing, listening, and enjoying each song, but do we actually pay attention? Take a step back, take everything in, look at the bigger picture from all angles, and You.Just.Might.See.It.

The album as a whole:

Abby: Just… wow. This album was incredible. I expected nothing but the best from Atlantic Wasteland, and yet they exceeded my wildest expectations. The music was a wide variety of different sounds from their pop/punk roots, to adding a bit of funky pop to the mix, down to acoustic pop/punk, as well as a mixture of it all. It was an emotional roller coaster. It will make you want to scream at the top of your lungs, it’ll make you want to cry, it’ll make you smile, and it’ll inspire you. It’s an album all about perspective. Each song is written in a different perspective, from someone who has dealt with abuse, to the loss of a friendship, to a scared doggy, it’s a vast mix of everything and it’s quite genius if you ask me. I’ve never listened so in depth to an album from the beginning to the end and this one was certainly an experience. This album made me feel like I was watching a movie. From the introduction to the band at the beginning, with their traditional pop/punk roots, with songs such as, Paradox, and Unfamiliar Home. To the middle of the album, where we see all of the different problems and changes come into play. Here we have songs such as It’s Mid-July, Fletcher, and Whether You Think You Can Or Can’t. These are songs in which I noticed a major change in sound versus the songs I’ve heard from them before, which I love. And lastly, we have the “happy” ending if you will. The ending is a revelation, of sorts. It reminds us not to sweat the little things and to focus more on the bigger picture as well as the things that make us happy. Our last two songs, Thin-Skinned and …You Just Might See It give us inspiration. They gave me hope. If you haven’t already, look at the album title. Then, check out the title of track 1. And finally, the title of track 12… mind blown 🤯 I don’t have anything bad to say about this album. It took me places, mentally, that I didn’t even realize I knew. It scared me, even, to think about some of the ideas these songs covered. It was an incredible piece of art that I’m so happy I had the chance to experience. To my friends in Atlantic Wasteland, I’m so proud of you and so proud of this album. Great work. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for you next. I also can’t wait to see the live shows that follow the album, and which songs will be played. Bravo.

Chris: Arguably one of my favorite albums released among my favorite local artists. I will be jamming to “You’ll Never See the Bigger Picture If You’re Standing That Close” for the remainder of the year and on. If you want to jam out and go off, this album is the proper one for you. If you want to sit at the bottom of your bath tub and pretend like you’re not crying and that it’s just the water from the shower head, listen to these tracks. If you want to be taken on a journey through different perspectives from different walks of life, this is undoubtedly the album for you.

___

If you read through all of this, thank you! I put blood, sweat, and tears, into this review and hope it, at the very least, got you to go listen to the album, in full, on your own. Legit though, I lost the last part of this post because it didn’t autosave and had to completely redo it, lol. Below are some photoshoot photos I did of the band that I never shared. Thank you!

REVIEW: “You’ll Never See The Bigger Picture If You’re Standing That Close” by Atlantic Wasteland You'll Never See The Bigger Picture If You're Standing That Close by Atlantic Wasteland There are plenty of perks to being a fan of local bands.

[wiiindyblathers]

RULES: Tag nine people you want to get to know better!

Relationship status: can relate to the Wholesome S/O Memes because of my intelligent, creative, badass, and absolutely beautiful girlfriend @catlily1 <3

Lipstick or chapstick?: Chapstick, because I am always Stressed™

Last song I listened to: “2-1″ by Imogen Heap

Last movie I watched: Moana, for like the third time this week lmao

(gonna need multiple paragraphs for these last two bc I have a lot of feelings) Top 3 Characters: Now, I know I talk about Sans and his many variants a lot, but Undyne is the bomb. You can never have enough of this determined fish warrior. She’s simply too awesome. You can do anything while listening to “Spear of Justice”; “Battle Against a True Hero” is a writer’s best friend for hyping up for fight scenes; knowing anime songs by heart is cool when you remember she probably does, too. On a more serious note, though, as a lesbian, she is hugely empowering to me. I know, “she’s just a character” and all that, but... Seeing somebody like her, who never backs down and strengthens everyone around her, who loves her friends with her entire Soul, who isn’t demure or quiet about things that may alienate her and yet succeeds in so much, makes me think that just maybe, I can succeed, too. I can be powerful; I can be important; I can find love; and most of all, I don’t have to be shy about any of it. Next, let’s talk about Symmetra. I’m sure you guys know this already, but, holy shit, she’s autistic! Another role model!!! This lady is the classiest of the classy, the smartest of the smart, and the most badass of the badass. Yeah, maybe you don’t have to aim with the short-range gun, but she still takes skill to play well... And also, when you get stuck with an awful team, it’s fun to put the teleporter off the edge of a cliff and watch them burn, baby, burn. To the enemy team: enjoy getting cooked alive by the Sentry Gate. Oh, you’ve got a nice little sniper perch? Say hello to my supercharged death orbs. Don’t screw with Symmetra - especially before they fix the buff. MotherfUCKING,,, CHALUPA TAACO-BLUEJEANS. The name explains itself, but I’ll infodump anyway. This theory got out of control, and I could not possibly be happier. If she turns out to be canon, I’ll be overjoyed - and if not, we can still keep her as an AU, right? Gotta love AUs. Not sold on the concept? Just imagine Leon turning into a fucking ice sculpture of rage and fear when he sees Taako has a twin. She’s spent the entire series doing nothing but chilling out in a cave, supporting her bro, burning macaroons, and voring evil wizards. What’s not to love? Please, Griffin, give us the butch lesbian wizard icon we need. We can pay you in preemptive fanart. Honorable mentions: Bismuth (she was tied *this close* with Symmetra), Maggiequinnus Burnsides, Peridot, Cecil Palmer, and Sayaka Miki

Top 3 Ships: The number one spot has to go to Hurloane. Hurley did everything in her power to save Sloane until the very end, refusing to give up at every step of the path she knew was treacherous and would probably not survive. Sloane showed Hurley how to enjoy life and look beyond the black-and-white mold without losing integrity, and even when Hurley was at the end of the line because of something she could’ve avoided, she wanted the best for everyone and gave her all to keep Hurley safe. Four arcs later, I’m still holding out for them to be brought back in some wild, convoluted way; maybe as robots like No3113, or the Raven Queen’s new bounty hunters, or perhaps as a sentient tree fusion. I don’t care how it happens, I just want the racing lesbians back. One day, I’ll be able to reblog artwork of Discovery/Recovery without crying, but today is not that day. Nor is it any time soon. I swear, Griffin’s heart-wrenching shenanigans are going to be the end of me... For two, CD!Connverse, because I’m too invested in my own AU and really want these poor children to get a happy ending. Seriously, they’ve been through a lot for their ages; no kids should have to deal with what they have, and yet, they persevere, and through thick and thin, they have each other’s backs. Plus, Stevonnie would look awesome in this AU. Just sayin’. And third, Cherryberry (yes, I know that a lot of people who ship this are creepy as all hell, and I’m just gonna try and stay far away from that), because aesthetic and also I am a mentally ill nerd who has no idea what she’s doing or who she is as a person and clings to the idea of being able to reinvent one’s identity and find love despite whatever damage you’ve endured to remake that identity and survive. Idk bud, I just think it’s cute. Red is really in need of a “knight in shining armor” type to help him through all that angst. Honorable mentions: ALPHYNE, Team Sweet Flips, Taakitz, Polygems, Magnulia, Sans x less existential terror than usual

Tagged by @archival-hogwash

Tagging @supersexyghotmew95 , @withusgranite , @catlily1 , @maidsonas , @theperfecta , @thesketcherlass , @the-final-pam , @squaremomgsquad , and @diet-deity