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wolfs-archive · 6 months ago

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"So what? Does that change my love towards you?" Part 1

Masterlist || Part 2 || Part 3

Summary: A casual day to the coffee shop makes Hyunjin fall in love with barista Y/N who is also a student but with a different major at the same college, hiding his identity he catches up casually and they fall in love initially. What happens when Y/N finds the true identity about Hyunjin. Read more to know what happens.

Pairing: Student!Hyujin X BaristaFemaleStudent!Y/N

Genre: angst, fluff, suggestive, mentions of marriage, drunk confessions.

Note: The Hyunjin or the other members mentioned here are no where related to the idol Stray Kids and are just a fictional character. Minors DNI please!!!

"Hyun, how about we go to have some americano in the nearby cafe?" asked Felix. "Yep, let's go!!!! Han wanna tag along ?" asked Hyunjin. " Yep" Han replied.

"Welcome to Stay Cafe" said a sweet voice. "How may I help you sir?" asked the same sweet voice. Hyunjin whose eyes was fixated on the phone, " 3 large iced americanos please" he said. She repeated his order and handed the bill over to him. Hyunjin took away the bill and went with his friends to grab a seat. A few minutes later, "Order Number 143, your 3 large iced americanos ready to go" as she said, Hyunjin walked to collect his order; the first time he saw her, he felt something gravitated him towards her,like missing pieces in a puzzle or maybe a soulmate connection? Though Hyunjin came from an affluent family, he never played with the heart of other girls and had his own principles. He had never got interested in any girl either. The moment he saw her, "It would be nice if I marry her" he though. "Mr. Sexy dynamite Hwang? Why are you blocking the way?" asked Jisung snapping him from his thoughts. Seeing him all flustered and mumbling to himself the same words again, Han new what was going on in Hyune's mind. "Excuse me, what's wrong with you? Why are you looking as if you are possessed?" Felix asked. "I, I am going to marry her.... I don't know what her name is or who she is. But, she is going to be Mrs. Hwang" he said. The moment those words came out of his mouth, Han and Felix knew the real intentions. Hyunjin never liked the marriage talks, but something coming out from his mouth made the sunshine twins realise that he was not toying and he was serious. "Excuse me, may I know who that barista is?" asked Hyun to a barista who was cleaning the next table pointing towards the owner of the sweet voice girl. "She is Y/N, Y/L/N" replied the girl. She also added, "Y/N is a part timer and she is studying Computer Science in SKZ University". He thanked her and after she left, "Woah, I didn't know our college had such a beautiful girl. Computer major, then Lee Know and I.N must know her" he said.

Chan, Lee Know, Hyunjin, Changbin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, I.N were close friends since school, and got into the same university with different majors, but shared a house together. Though Hyunjin's parents owned the universities and some other too, he was never the type to show it off. It was just the group who knew about him, the rest of the college treated him as a normal person. Lee Know and I.N majored in Computer Science, Hyunjin and Felix in Designing, Chan, Changbin in Production, Seungmin and Han in Music.

Y/N, Y/L/N was a beautiful girl with boba eyes which always sparkled when she spoke. A friendly girl, talented one, helpful in nature, had a good attitude, also a good student. To be precise, she was just God's favorite child. She had caring parents, a doting sister. But life isn't life when everything goes smoot isn't it? Y/N's sister Yun Hee died 3 years ago. The reason for the tragedy, she loved Ha-joon, the only son of JYP Buildings, due to the difference in status, Ha-joon's family did not approve of their relationship. Rather than living apart after fighting for over 4 years, the duo decided to commit suicide. From then onwards, Y/N hated affluent people. She took a vow never to step into their boundaries at any cost.

"Lee Know, I.N where are you two?" shouted Hyunjin in excitement as he entered the hall of their dorm. "What is it?" asked Lee Know. "The thing is... there is this girl in your department right Y/N, by any chance do you talk with her? he asked. "When you yelled my name, I definitely knew nothing good would come out of it" he said. In addition to that, "Yea, Y/N is in my class, we do talk sometimes. She helps me a lot. A nice girl" he said. "You don't like her right?" a curious Hyun asked. "What do you mean like, I like her, everyone in our class likes her, even our I.N liked her" he said. "No.. Not like that, as in you don't have any feelings for her right?" he asked. "Ai... no way, she isn't my type." he said. Sensing these words come out, he further warned him, "Hyun, do you know what will happen if your parents come to know about it? " he asked. "Dude, I get that my parents are strict, but if it is something I really want, they wouldn't mind it" he retorted." If that's your choice, then we are no one to stop you. Hope you find happiness with her. She is really a nice girl." said Lee Know. "But from what I heard from one of her friends is that she doesn't like affluent people because...." and I.N said the whole story. "I'll take care of it" Hyun responded.

The next day, Lee Know, Hyunjin, and Chan went to the same cafe. Hyun had asked Lee Know to introduce her. When Lee Know went to order drinks, she got them ready and served it herself, just because she knew him. He then introduced the two naming their departments and as Y/N leaned forward to shake hands, "Y/L/N, I love you, would you mind being my girlfriend ?" Hyunjin had asked, leaving Y/N flabbergasted. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested" she said. "Woah, I knew Hyunjin was upto something, but I didn't expect something like this" Chan mumbled to Minho. "Why?" he asked her. An amazed Y/N said, "This is the first time we ever meet, I don't know anything about you. " she said. "Trust me, let's go on 3 dates, and by the 3rd date, if you still don't change your mind, then I promise, I'll never ever disturb you" he said. Y/N hesitated, but deep inside, the moment she met Hyunjin the first time, she felt butterflies. How could such a beautiful man exist she thought to herself. She made it a point to remind herself that he was just a customer and not to fall for him. Today when she saw him again she felt really happy. She didn't know the reason for her happiness. "Just believe me, you might miss wonderful days, if you don't accept it. I'm sure, I'll sweep you off your feet" he stated. "Okay, but just 3 dates, and you need to comply with my decision" she replied. "Deal" he challenged her.

"Y/L/N, are you serious? Did you really accept the 3 date challenge from the Design department Hyunijn? Wow, seems like fate. Just yesterday you told he was handsome and today you are telling me he asked you on a date. Sorry dates" remarked Lily, Y/N's dormmate, who has been Y/N's friend since elementary school. "He said, he'll sweep me off my feet, didn't he? Let me see what he is up to" she said sipping her beer.

The next day, Hyunjin came to Y/N's class. "Sexy dynamite Hwang, what are you doing in my department?" Lee Know asked with the hereditary Lee smirk on his face. "He must have come to see Y/N" said I.N. Hyunjin waited till Y/N's arrival, as soon as she entered, he went towards her, "Our first date is on Sunday, at 10:00 AM, wear comfortable cloths, I'll pick you up from your dorm" he said. Before Y/N could reply anything, he winked at her and left the class before waving to Lee Know and I.N.

Saturday evenings were usually for girls night, but Sunday being special for her, she didn't take the chance of partying. It would be a sin to lie if she said she was not excited for the date. Y/N tossed and turned the whole night and in no time she was sound asleep. Sunday arrived, she got ready, all dolled up with Lily helping her with her makeup. When she went downstairs, she couldn't believe herself; Hyunjin with his hair loose, and black shade wearing a white t shirt topped with a denim overcoat, ran his fingers through his hair looking like a sculpture. As they proceeded on their way to their date, Hyunjin spoke "Y/N iee I don't mind getting rejected by you, but trust me I want you to be yourself, I like you for who you are, and will love you no matter what. After all you are my first love." he said. A curious Y/N asked, "First love?". "Yep, I have never laid my eyes on any other girl. The moment I saw you I saw an instant spark. Maybe soulmate connection, that's why I asked about you to Lee know and I.N " he said. As they conversed, they reached their destination, the amusement park.

"Which ride do you wanna go first" Hyunjin asked Y/N. "Anything of your choice, but before this I want to make one thing clear. I will equally pay for everything. I don't like one person spending it. Deal?" she asked. "Y/N, I'm no man if I don't pay for you. Which man lets his date pay for herself?" he retorted. "Please Hyunjin" she pleaded with doe eyes. Too smitten by love, he accepted her request. The couple had fun riding the ferris wheel, the roller coaster and the bumper car. Hyunjin who wanted Y/N to feel close to him asked his mate's advice the previous day. "Hyun, rather than any nice ride, trust me; every girls would like the haunted house." said Changbin "When she gets afraid, you can tell her it is nothing and she would feel safe about the thought" he further added. Trusting him, he asked her if they wanted to go to the haunted house. Hyunjin had initially planned that Y/N would get scared and he could get close to her to pamper her. But the moment he stepped in, the complete opposite happened. The entire course of their journey through their haunted house, Hyun yelled like there was no tomorrow and clang on to Y/N who really had a hard time dealing with him. Y/N really felt butterflies inside her stomach the moment he clang on to her. Though he did not realise the effect he created on her. He had shouted the entire time that others around started looking at their direction. After the chaos at the haunted house, the duo had their lunch and proceeded to go home. Something in the corner of the heart made Y/N fall for him unknowingly to her. After dropping her in front of her apartment, before she could go inside he "Y/N than you for trusting me and coming out with me today. I'm not glossing over, but this has to be definitely one of the best days of my life" he said. Covering the blushing creeping up over her cheeks, Y/N smile and thanked him again, for she too spent a happy day with him.

From then onwards, Hyun rather than attending his design courses was found to be seen tagging along with Lee Know and I.N only just to watch Y/N. According to him, it was a face he would never get tired of watching. Also during the part time jobs of Y/N, Hyunjin made it a point to meet her everyday in the name of grabbing a drink just to refresh himself.

A few days later, the couple went on to their second date which was a beach, the duo enjoyed their time with the waves and decided to go to a park to spend the afternoon. Slowly, Y/N realised she was falling even deeper for the guy who confessed his feelings to her. A part of her wanted to enjoy the dates another part of her felt sad at the thought of getting apart after the event. It was like Hyunjin fell first, but Y/N fell harder. As days progressed, Y/N's thoughts were completely filled with Hyun. The number of text messages, calls and the meetings at the colleges increased day by day.

The final date was a dinner date, when Hyunjin pleaded he would want to pay completely for the so called final date. Y/N accepted. Hyunjin had told Y/N to dress up nice since he had other plans. Y/N who usually wore clothes which usually covered a lot of herself, today decided to go by knee length sleeveless black dress, Hyunjin at the sigh of Y/N was completely mesmerised and left speechless. The entire drive had Hyunjin focussing on Y/N rather than the road. After the dinner, Hyunjin proceeded to take her to her dorm. When Hyunjin was supposed to turn left instead of right, Y/N questioned him. "Y/N our date is not over yet. I have a little surprise for you" he said. As they drove towards a river, on the count of 5 fireworks filled the sky which was scenic. Y/N watched the sky with love and Hyunjin watched Y/N with love. The fireworks were progressing, he went to the car. When he came back, Y/N was still busily watching the beauty, he then suddenly went on one knee, "Y/L/N, never have I loved anyone like you, and never will I ever. You have been flooding my thoughts to the extent that I smile like an idiot even at the times of doing some serious work. I really love you, and wish to spend the rest of my life with you" he confessed. A teary eyed Y/N who planned on accepting his love during her 2nd date, hugged him and leaned forward to kiss him. Hyunjin who didn't expect that was confused but let it in after realising what had happened. He then drove her to her dorm, before letting her out," Thanks Y/N, I'll make sure you will never regret this decision in your life" he said. She again hugged him, "Thanks for showering so much love Hyunjin, I really don't know if I deserve those. But honestly as a man of your words, you did sweep me off your feet" she said.

Y'all, this is not the end. It definitely has a Part 2. I really didn't want to make the story too long, so I decided to make it in parts. Thankyou for all your support. When I initially posted a poll, I really didn't have any idea as to how to take the story further. But your guys' polls made me do it. Please feel free to correct if any errors in here and it would really be grateful to hear your comments about my story.

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stuff-i-found-while-crying · 5 months ago

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A stage of fire and dreams (2)

inspired by @ gwandas and they post: modern Neris AU where Eris is a trust fund asshole at Harvard Law, Nesta is a professional ballerina with the Boston Ballet

Second part! They meet and then they meet some more....

Part 1 - I changed Odette to Giselle because I got confused... but it was meant to be Giselle.

Also! English is my second language and I might accidentally messed it up.... just believe that my writing would be better in German and we can be friends (also not really proof read, because it's just for fun and giggles)

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO! PLEASE ENJOY THE SHOW

main role: Eris (xNesta)

also appearing: his mother, his younger brother, Nesta, her mother, a theater owner

Chapter 2 - red shoes

As glamoures the stage was, as messy was it backstage.

Eris followed his mother who was following Mr. Heartfelt. The man was as colourful as his theater and he was talking constantly while finding his way between costums, exhausted dancers and the smell of sweat.

Cyrus brushed up to Eris and whispered. "Bet I can get ten numbers tonight?"

"Just be back before we leave."

And with that his brother was gone, off to find the chorus girls. Eris did not care. His mind was on one woman.

Giselle.

Or Nesta Archeron, as the dancer was called. Would she be as enchanting as her character?

Suddenly Eris felt a rush of anxiety go through his blood. He pushed his shaking hands down into his pockets and tried for a neutral smile.

"We got lucky to find her", Mr. Heartfelt was babbling. "I already thought we had to go over budget, but then her manager called us and begged for a chance to audicion. And she was brilliant. But do not tell her I said that. She will expect more money if I start praising."

His mother furrowed her eyebrows. "Is the theater in need of money again? I thought with my last donation the budget for the year was almost dubbled."

Mr Heartfelt, realizing his mistake, turned to her and grapped her hands in his. "And it was. You are the most generous patreon we could ever hoped for. But most of the budget was needed for renovations. The Bathrooms, I am sure you noticed the new design."

Eris snorded.

"And we were able to get the most famous director Lucy Sky to come and stay with us for two plays."

Eris watched his mother relax. Her smile returned and he burried his hands deeper in his pockets. The smell of hairspray and sweat, the chatter of the people cleaning up and all the doors to uncertain rooms, he started to feel dizzy. With a small cough he got Mr. Heartfelts attention and raised an eyebrow.

"We are not here, to listen to your budget plan", he said.

"Of course", the man swipped away the sweat on his forhead and continued his way.

"Be nice", his mother said quietly to Eris.

"I am always nice."

She reached for his arm and pulled his hands out of his pocket. "Just a couple of minutes."

He wanted to lie. Anything to get her gaze away. But she saw him. And so he nodded and took a deep breath.

"Where is your brother?"

That lie was easy. She would know the truth anyway.

"Waiting in the car."

At the end of the hall Mr. Heartfelt knocked on a door.

"Nesta? You have visitors."

Eris felt his heart almost burst. His Giselle would open this door.

But it was not Giselle. Although the woman who pulled the door open and almost of it's hinges looked like her, but older. Honey blonde curls and piercing grey eyes starred them down.

"This is Mrs. Aurora Vanserra and her son", Mr. Heartfelt introduced them. "They are esteamed patreons of my theater."

The woman smiled immediatly. "What an honour. Please come in. My daughter will be delighted."

Her daughter did not look delighted. In fact Nesta Archeron looked like an arrow, ready to shoot anyone who got on her nerves.

She was still in costume, her shoes clonking with every step and her long hair swipping around her back. The make up had not survived the performance and the eyeliner was mixed with sweat.

To Eris she looked unhinged like the door almost was.

He loved it.

"Pleased to meet you", she said to his mother.

"Oh my dear", Aurora Vanserra looked like a proud aunt. For a second Eris thought she would hug Nesta, but then she just offered her hand. "You were magnificent. Absolutely perfect. I have never cried so much during Giselle. Eris too."

All eyes on him, Eris coughed. "Your first time dancing in the center?"

Nesta squared up her shoulders. "I am always the center."

Oh, he was in trouble. The grey of her eyes would hunt him for days, he was sure of it. He had never felt drawn to another person. But Nesta Archeron was pulling him in without even trying.

"My daugther has worked hard to be here", Nestas mother put an arm around her daughter. For a second Nesta froze. Then she pressed her lips together and lowered her head. But her mother was squeezing her harder until she lifted her gaze again. "Even as a child she had the graze and determination of a true Ballerina."

"I hope to see you in more plays soon", his mother said.

Before Nesta could open her mouth her mother was already answering. "That depends on Mr. Heartfelt. He has all the power." With a whistful sigh she looked at the man.

"Where did you learn to dance", Eris asked Nesta, just to hear her voice again.

"New York", her mother answered for her again.

"What part of it do you enjoy the most?"

Again her mother answered: "The performances of course."

"Actually", Nesta took a step to the side, finally freeing herself from the clutches around her shoulder. "I like the music the most."

"Performance, music. Isn't that the same?"

Mother and daughter starred each other down.

"It is not." Nesta stock out her chin, provocing her mother to fight infront of them.

Eris wanted to pull her behind him, protect her from the woman who looked at her like she was just a small girl and not the woman who enchanted an entire audience. But something in her gaze held him back. She was not delicate like Giselle. She was not mad. And she would not appreciate him over stepping.

He would have to find a different way to her, to spend time by her side, to her heart.

"It is late", his mother said and smiled. "It was an honour to meet you."

Mrs. Archeron wanted to say something more, probably try to charm his mother, but Eris raised an eyebrow and starred her down. "My brother is waiting", he agreed with her.

"Of course", Mr. Heartfelt looked to Mrs. Archeron. "Might we discuss the further performance plan in my office?"

What a show. Eris was sure that he only said it, because his most beloved Patreon was standing right next ot him.

He needed to get out of here.

He needed to get his mother far away from this woman.

He wanted to take Nesta with him.

They all left Nesta in her dressing room. Mr. Heartfelt took Mrs. Archeron to his office and Eris guided his mother to the car park.

"What a lovely girl", she said. "She will be a famous ballerina one day, i can feel it."

He patted his pockets. "I forgot my phone", he said.

Confused his mother turned to him. Then her eyes softened and she grinned. "Hurry, your brother is waiting."

Eris jogged back down the hall to Nestas dressing room and knocked.

There was shuffeling. Then she opened the door a little and peered out. When she recognized him she huffed. "Did you forget something?"

He smiled at her. "The flowers."

"Obvioulsly."

"And your number."

At that her eyes found his and she opened the door a bit more. He had interupted her in the middle of taking of her shoes. The blood on her toes seeped through her whites tights.

"I dont give my number to strangers."

His heart beat faster. Never had a woman been so stubborn with him. And still he felt more alive than ever. There was a spark in her that he wanted to see grow. He wanted to witness the spark becoming a wild fire and devouring the world.

"Then let me give you my number", he pulled out a business card.

She bit her lower lip. The lipstick blood red and smudged. Eris hadn't known Ballerinas looked more alluring after a performance.

"A lawyer?" she read the card surprised.

"For Finance and Business", he leaned against the door frame.

She studied the card. "You work for your family?"

"For my father", he nodded.

For a moment they looked at each other and he saw her walls come down.

"Mr. Vanserra", her mother was coming down the hall. Nesta took a step back, her walls back in place.

"Call me", he whispered to Nesta. "For anything."

She said nothing, only pierced him with her eyes.

Eris turned, nodded politely to her mother and then hurried back to the car. On the way out he stumbled into Cyrus.

"Eleven", his brother grinned at him, showing him proudly the numbers saved in his phone. "And you?"

Minus one, Eris thought. But he just pulled his brother out of the theater. "Mother is waiting."

Finally he breathed fresh air. The car ride home was quiet. His mother was humming softly next to him, while his brother was already texting the chorus girls.

Eris closed his eyes. His heart was still beating fast. And it would beat like that by every phone call he got, always in hope Nesta Archeron would call him. It took her three days.

___

Part 3 - Cinderella

as a dancer I love writing realistic backstage/bloody feet :)

#acotar #eris vanserra #eris x nesta #eris acotar #nesta archeron #neris #acotar fanfiction

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klbwriting · 8 months ago

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Not Romeo, Not Juliet

Chapter 9: A Little Wild

Fandom: Red Hood

Pairing: Jason Todd x f!reader

Warnings: minor violence, angsty af Jason, semi-bad father Bruce Wayne

Summary: Dick blocked YN's number and Jason isn't please

Notes: so this story is turning out longer than I imagined and I'm pretty sure it's going to have a sequel; I know where I'm ending this one but so much is going to remain unresolved that I'm going to need a second part, also I think my favorite thing in this fic is Jason's crush on Annabeth Chase, it makes me laugh every time it comes up

If by chance I talk a little wild, forgive me; I had it from my father.

— HENRY VIII, ACT 1 SCENE 4

Jason had texted YN that night from the ER and she had said she would talk to him the next day but then she didn’t text him that whole day. He thought maybe she had been scared, worried, annoyed, a plethora of less than flattering thoughts filled his head, but she had never just disappeared on him so at school on Monday, when he wasn’t under the watchful eye of Dick, he tried to text her and found that her number had been blocked and he wasn’t able to unblock it. He held tight to his anger that day, using it for play practice, enough so that the director asked for him to stay after. He didn’t want to, he wanted to get home and punch his brother in the face before demanding he undo the block on YN’s number, but his director had been nothing but kind of supportive to him, so he stayed, keeping the rage locked down, eyes a striking green at the moment.

“How do your eyes do that color changing thing?” she asked him as he sat on the edge of the stage by her. He shrugged; fist clenched at his sides. She could see he wasn’t in the mood for her jokes, so she took a more serious tone. “I appreciate that whatever you are angry about you are using for act five, but you actually punched Matt and that wasn’t great.” Jason nodded, he knew that had been too much, but he honestly thought Matt was lucky it would just be a black eye and not a broken nose. “You want to talk about it, or should I just send you home to glower?”

“My brother is being an ass,” he said, glancing at her to see if she would harp on his language. She just nodded in understanding. “There’s this girl and he doesn’t like me seeing her because of who her dad is. She is great, but he says we don’t actually know her.” Jason didn’t know why his theater director was so easy to talk to, besides his therapist and YN she was the only person who actually seemed to listen to him, and he needed that. He needed someone to see him as he was, not his past or what he could be in the future but who he was right now. Dick didn’t understand that, couldn’t settle on who Jason was in this in-between world. He wasn’t Robin anymore, but he wasn’t whatever was coming next, he was just confused and somewhat lost. She seemed to get that, and she probably saw a lot of kids like him wander through, trying to make sense of their lives, maybe that’s why she always knew what to say.

“Sounds like he has his reasons, they’re not good ones at all, but maybe you should talk to him about those reasons,” she suggested. Jason hung his head, shaking it. “Look, I have seen your file, it’s a very thick packet of papers, they describe a kid who came from a less than happy home life to become a child of one of the richest men in the world. Then you stopped being Jason Todd and because almost a carbon copy of Dick Grayson, your older brother. Bruce Wayne knew what he wanted in a son and you seemed to give that too him for a while. I can’t exactly say what happened after you were expelled from Gotham Magnet Academy, but I know that the fight you got in wasn’t your fault. There was nothing to suggest that you would attack anyone…”

“It was my fault,” he said softly. Jason hated thinking about that day, the day that Bruce had probably given up on him. Sure he had kept him, he was still Robin, but he had been pulled from school, forced into home school, all because Jason had refused to believe he was wrong. Bruce didn’t always know best, Jason was smart despite what his adoptive father thought. He knew that Penguin had an illegitimate son in his school and Jason would prove it, get the kid to talk. He had been a classmate of his in science, quiet, but with a mean streak that even Jason didn’t fully find out about until he found the kid cutting lines onto a girl in an empty classroom. She had broken up with baby Penguin after only dating a month, which in terms of 8th grade relationships, was a long time, and he hadn’t taken it well. Jason had stopped him, saving the girl, who had run out of school that day and never came back, never told anyone why Jason had put that boy in the hospital. Jason had been expelled, that boy had been proven by Bruce to not have any relation to Penguin, just a slight resemblance in how cruel his eyes were, that Jason took as proof. It was the same recklessness that had led Jason to chasing the Joker on his own. Led to him being cornered while Joker beat him to death in that empty funhouse. Jason still wasn’t sure whether Bruce left him to die or not. Jason was a ticking time bomb, maybe Dick was right to block YN from his life. He wouldn’t be any good for her.

“Jason, you were 14, kids get into fights and that kid was bad news if you ask me,” she said. Jason looked at her, how did she know so much? She smiled at him. “You’re a good kid Jason Todd and you’ll be a good man someday if you let yourself heal from whatever trauma you experienced. Right now, you’re holding onto the pain, and its going to take a long time, but you have to let it go and let yourself move past it.” Jason nodded slowly, still curious why his theater teacher knew so much about everything, but he was late, and he knew Dick was still tracking him. He said thanks and departed for home.

Dick was waiting for him when he got back, on the phone, and Jason’s blood ran cold when he heard what the conversation.

“Bruce, I have no idea who that guy in the helmet is,” Dick said, clearly agitated. Jason went up to the loft, pretending to do homework, but listening to every word his brother said. He was guessing the other side of the conversation, but it sounded like Bruce wasn’t easily convinced about Dick’s innocence.

“He used smoke bombs; you can literally buy ten of those in the Narrows for three dollars…”

“What are you talking about? Jason didn’t even like red…”

“Jason is dead Bruce, remember? You left him in the ground to rot…”

Jason still his fake writing, hating the reminder that his father didn’t really want him to be alive, had decided that instead of going to the league, which had paid Joker to be a distraction in Gotham that night, and make them right the wrong they had created he had wanted to leave him be. He heard a deep sigh downstairs.

“I know you’re listening, just come down and we can talk,” Dick called. Jason walked down the stairs, plopping on the couch. “So, I’m guessing you noticed I blocked YN’s number…”

“Ya and I really would like to know why,” Jason asked. Dick sighed again, the sound becoming second nature since Jason had moved in. “She isn’t dangerous, she just wants to be in theater, go to Gotham U, become a teacher. She’s not some greedy villain like her dad.”

“She could be one day though. We’re all just one bad day from being criminals,” Dick said.

“Yes, I know, Bruce and fear toxin showed us that,” Jason said, remembering that day quite well. Bruce had given him a scar across his stomach that until his dip in the Lazarus Pit had been a reminder that the Batman was always one step ahead of them.

“And you’re not exactly in the best place to be dating,” Dick continued. “That’s rich considering that when you thought I was dating some girl in my theater group you were giddy about it,” Jason shot back.

“That’s because when you talked about her I could see it wasn’t serious, you didn’t really have too deep of feelings for whoever you made up…��

“Annabeth, and I love Annabeth, she ever becomes real I am marrying her, Percy be damned,” Jason muttered, folding his arms. Dick ignored him.

“I saw it when I walked in on you and YN the other night, you really do love her. And I’m not watching you become Bruce with Selina,” his big brother finished. Jason paused, thinking back to what he knew of Selina Kyle, Catwoman, and sometimes Bruce’s lover. She had been the only person to make Batman lose his advantage, always getting away, sometimes staying around, but ultimately leaving again. The last time she had been in Gotham Jason was maybe 13 and he just remembered Bruce being upset about her leaving.

“She wasn’t that bad for Bruce,” Jason argued.

“You didn’t see them when they started, all the damage it did to Bruce and to Gotham. I was cleaning up messes for months because Bruce refused to do anything about her. Then she leaves and I’m sure you saw Bruce trying his best, but he was devastated, he was nearly useless. I was patrolling all of Gotham and Bludhaven to make up for his lack of care,” Dick said. “I know Alfred was shielding you from it, guiding you in that time, and I’m glad he did, you didn’t need to see your hero like that. But Jason, I will be damned before I see another criminal take one of us down like that.” Jason shook his head.

“I understand what you’re trying to do Dick but you can’t. You can’t just assume she is like Selina, who at the time all that shit went down, was a hardened criminal with years of built up anger and hate towards the city. YN isn’t like that and you keeping her from me, someone who wants to help her never become that, isn’t going to help,” he argued.

“I won’t risk it Jason, I can’t lose you again,” he said. Jason felt his heart tighten at that. His brother cared about him, he knew that, but how deeply he didn’t think he’d ever know. And maybe Dick was right to keep him away from YN, maybe she would become a criminal, or more likely, Jason would be the one who hurt her. He was reckless still, just like he had been in middle school, with Joker, even at the club the other night. He hadn’t thought things through, and he got lucky no one had been hurt, how often would that happen? What if YN was in the line of fire? What if she was holding the gun? He sat back and shook his head.

“Fine,” he said softly. Maybe he would give it time, see if maybe he just thought he was right again and that this feeling wasn’t what he thought it was.

He kept it up that whole week, but nothing changed. He felt empty when he couldn’t call or message YN, hated going to practice when he knew he wouldn’t be able to send her something stupid Jackson did, or she couldn’t send him stories about how bad her male lead was. He couldn’t tell her how he was lost right now, all the new information about Bruce, the digging into his past, how all of that was making him feel incredibly listless and apathetic. He felt like he’d never care about anything again. Then he left practice on Friday evening and sitting on a bench in the front courtyard was YN, with the seniors stomping right towards her.

#jasontodd #jason todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd x you #jason todd x y/n #redhood #red hood #red hood x reader #red hood x you #red hood x y/n #notromeo

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missvelvetsstuff · 1 year ago

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Just A Number

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Reader meets Bucky at a party and the attraction is more than either one of them wants to resist.

Notes: Since most stories are younger readers I felt like having a more mature reader could be a nice change of pace. Especially since I'm creeping up on senior discounts and want to believe Bucky could fall in love with someone like me.

I try to keep my readers description vague but, as always, she's female, tall and this one is obviously 40+

This is what I have so far from the Bucky x Older reader story I've been working on.

Should I keep going?

Chapter 1

Y/N walked into the ballroom of Stark Tower holding hands with her sister, Dawn. She tried to keep her rubbernecking to a minimum but the decorations, the clothes and the celebrities! Too much going on.

She squeezed Dawns hand "Where is the bar in this place? I need a drink to take all this in. And where is Johnny?"

Dawn laughed softly and pointed "The bar is over there and I don't know where Johnny is." She rolled her eyes "Probably schmoozing with some politician or hitting on women while Olivia is too clueless to see it. I swear, she is too good for him."

Y/N nodded "That's not saying much, I know entitled Karen's that are still somehow too good for our dear brother."

They heard a familiar voice behind them "Would you stop saying I'm your brother Y/N? Foster families don't count. You're some orphan who tricked my dad into favoring you over his own son."

She laughed out loud "Oh dear brother Johnny, are you still mad that I wouldn't sleep with you when you were in high school? You would think you would be over that by now." and gave him a sweet smile "But thanks for getting us into this fancy shindig. Excuse me while I get something to drink."

She turned to her sister "Come on Sissy, Johnny is so dull."

Dawn nodded her head "That's for sure." They walked away holding hands and laughing at him.

Before they made it to the bar, Y/N stopped in her tracks and pulled Dawn back. "Ohmigawd. Lookit!! At the bar."

Dawn looked where she was pointing "Is that Sam Wilson? Shit! Does my hair look ok? My lipstick? Damn, look at him." She stared for a moment before flipping her hair, strutting to the bar and squeezing between Sam and some military stiff.

She ordered a drink and looked right at Sam "Hey handsome, you come here often?"

Sam almost choked on his drink at her forwardness "yes but I would have remembered you."

He gave her a big smile "How about I buy you a drink and we can talk about it?"

Dawn nodded and smiled at him before turning her head to look at Y/N "Text me if you need me" and winked.

Y/N chuckled at her sisters antics, she was never able to be so bold with men, and ordered a drink. She took her drink to one of the many tables scattered around and sat back to people watch. She saw the man that Dawn's new friend had been with, obviously the man formerly known as The Winter Soldier, trying to be subtle while checking her out. She hoped he spoke to her, she'd had a celebrity crush on him since high school and hadn't been laid in more months than she could count.

Bucky watched Sam walk away with one of the women who had been speaking to John Walker, and sat at the table next to the other one. He tried to be sly as he checked her out....a definite, what did Sam say? Right MILF. Not one of those desperate girls who tried to get his attention with too revealing outfits or too much make up but a woman. She wore a dress that didn't show much but was still sexy as fuck and she carried herself like someone who knew their worth without needing a partner to validate her. She was tall, taller than the woman she came in with. Probably 6ft or more with her heels. He thought about those long legs wrapped around his waist and felt the blood rushing south so tried to think of something else but her legs wrapped around his head flashed into his mind and he groaned softly.

She looked over at him "Are you alright? Don't tell me the food is bad."

Buckys face flushed and he chuckled "No, sorry. I was just thinking of something bad."

She turned towards him with a raised eyebrow and sultry grin. He couldn't help but stare as she crossed her legs and her dress rode up her thighs exposing more of her flesh.

"What kind of bad? The really bad kind or" she paused and looked him over, licking her lips "Or the good kind?"

Buckys breath hitched, why did he feel like a high school kid? She shifted slightly and the dress moved just enough for him to see the top of her stockings and the strap of her garter. He felt his heart stop, he had always loved the act of removing a woman's stockings, tracing down her leg, slow and sensual and-. Fuck, now he needed to adjust himself as he felt his pants tighten.

He flashed her a devilish grin and spoke softly "The kind that is so bad, it's really good."

He saw her gasp and heard her heart speed up. He knew he had to have her. So many of the women in this century were too damn easy and their idea of flirting was flashing him or shoving their tongue in his mouth. He had missed the chase, not that he didn't want her in his bed asap but he wanted to play with his meal first and the best meals played back.

"So why is a beautiful woman like you alone at a big party? You must have men and women lining up to be with you." He teased.

She giggled and he was entranced by the sound "No, there isn't anyone lining up for me. My brother is some kind of big deal with S.W.O.R.D. and my sister works at Stark. She didn't have a date so I'm her plus one."

"You sister the short blonde with Sam? She seemed friendly" he joked.

She laughed again and he wanted to know how to get her to make that sound all the time. "You're John Walker's sister, aren't you?"

She shook her head "Not if you ask him."

Bucky growled softly and she felt her panties moisten "I can't think of any circumstances that would make me ask him anything. His opinion isn't worth squat to me."

His nose flared, he could smell her, so sweet. He grinned realizing his growl turned her on.

"You have a husband or boyfriend?"

He saw a sad shadow pass over her face but it was gone so quickly he thought he might have imagined it. "Nope." She popped the p. "I'm as single as they come."

"I'm James" he offered his hand, she took it and they both felt it. He didn't want to let go of her hand, so soft and warm.

She gave him her name.

He flashed his best flirty smile "You wanna dance?"

She felt her face heat up and nodded shyly. He stood and pulled her up with him and out to the dance floor.

The song stopped and some 40s big band music came on.

She stopped at the edge of the dance floor "I don't know how to dance to this."

Bucky smirked "Don't worry doll, I've got you."

For the next 2 songs he led her thru some simple swing moves and she caught on pretty well between laughing at Bucky's stories.

A slow song came on and Bucky smiled before pulling her close. He whispered in her ear "You are so beautiful doll, you outshine every other woman here. And you smell so damn sweet. I could eat you right up" he growled when he realized that she liked hearing that and smiled at her shiver. He pulled back to look her in the eyes

"You wanna get out of here, sweetheart?"

Chapter 2

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #james bucky barnes x reader #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x older reader #just a number

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excelynch · 1 year ago

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are you the king, mirror, ghost, magician or dreamer?

(write the letter of the answer you chose on a paper, at the end you will have the result of each letter)

1 - are you a poet, king or soldier?

a) poet

b) soldier

c) king

2 - choose a part of the song meet me in the woods by lord huron.

a) "I took a little journey to the unknown and I've come back changed I can feel it in my bones"

b) "I have seen what the darkness does. say goodbye to who I was"

c) "meet me in the woods tonight"

d) "I fucked with forces that our eyes can't see, now the darkness got a hold on me"

e) "show me yours and I'll show you mine"

3 - choose one of my opinions about trc that MAYBE you don't agree.

a) the dreamer trilogy has a slightly more interesting story.

b) the raven king ending sucks. like what is that DEMON?

c) adam and ronan were a little quick (but they're perfect anyway, maybe because it was so sudden, i wasn't expecting ronan lynch's secret)

d) declan was right most of the time, he just wanted to take care of what was left of the family.

e) noah deserved at least a decent goodbye.

4 - pick a random thing that was mentioned in the books

a) the pig

b) squash 1, squash 2, squash 3...

c) adam parrish's worn clothes.

d) lampshade dress (or ronan's lack of interest.

e) blue's pink pocket knife.

5 - you woke up at 03:49 am and you feel happy but you don't remember what you dreamed about. later, as the day goes by, you reflect. what did you dream about?

a) I don't remember exactly, just one person in front of me, they says my name and then they hugs me and I feel loved and then aliens take us to a distant planet and I turn out to be that person is a little girl who stole a lego of mine when i was a kid and we started battling for the hand of the cockroach queen.

b) I woke up happy that I finally got some sleep, but dreaming? it's something I'm still trying to remember how to do.

c) I can't remember what I dreamed about.

d) me in front of a mirror and in that mirror I saw myself as a kid. they told me in a calm voice "you can grow up now"

e) a house with all the ghosts that haunt me, they say they can move on now. I'm alone in the house, there's nothing left, but that emptiness doesn't bother me. I like the silence after so much noise.

6 - choose a quote from the books

a) "he threw me out the window"

b) "excelsior"

c) "maybe i dreamt you"

d) "safe as life"

e) "i am being perfectly fucking civil"

7 - ok, without judging the inside of the books, just choose by the cover.

a) the dream thieves

b) the raven king

c) the raven boys

d) blue lily, lily blue

e) call down the hawk / mister impossible /greywaren

8 - which of Ronan's dreams do you most identify with?

a) adam's perfect teeth (i know, i know)

b) matthew, the golden boy who just wants to be a normal boy

c) the other ronan who was born to die

d) forests and more forests

e) a hoverboard that will save everyone in the end

9 - if gansey is the king, blue is the mirror, ronan is the dreamer, noah is the ghost and adam is the magician so henry is...?

a) the one that's left (maybe you didn't care enough to give him a meaning)

b) madonna's number one fan

c) the bee

d) the son

e) the master

10 - if someone came and told you that you were going to die in a year, how would you react?

a) "no shit, sherlock! now say something new"

b) I would accept my fate and live normally. "After all, we're all going to die, I'm just going to die sooner"

c) I would do what I was always afraid to do.

d) "I've been dead for seven years"

e) I would do anything to change my destiny.

...

if you chose king add a point for ronan. if you chose poet add a point for noah and gansey. and if you chose soldier add a point for adam and blue.

now just add which letter you got the most and tell me in the comments the result :)

a = ronan

b = noah

c = gansey

d = adam

e = blue

I hope that you enjoyed and sorry for any mistakes, I'm learning english :)

I was thinking of doing a "which brother lynch are you" and one about the marauders, what do you think?

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ofoceansandtombsanew · 1 year ago

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Lost Girl: Chapter 1

chapter list 🧣 next chapter 🧣 AO3

As a child, I loved the stories my father would tell.

They were best told after a long day of work and your hands were raw and the calluses on your feet had calluses. Our tribe had always been hunting people, he saw no reason to stop the traditions of the Nwabu with me. So at 6 I was given a rifle and taught to hunt deer and fowl, waiting hours on end until the opportunity finally struck. Tiring as it was, the stories at the end of the day somehow always made it seem worth it.

I loved the ones that had to do with my mother the most, rare as they were to hear. My memories of her were hazy; at most I remembered the faint sound of her humming as she held me close to her chest. She passed away when I was three, illness claiming her before we moved away deeper into the mountains. At least that's what my father told me. He didn't like talking about her and even as a kid, I felt that if I mentioned her, he would break. So I made it a habit not to talk about her unless he brought her up first.

Otherwise, the stories my father would tell always had to do with the orishaー the gods our people worshipped before they came to the Walls to escape the Titans. A lot of them had been forgotten, lost over the generations as our kind's numbers dwindled. The ones he did remember, my father made sure to tell me about.

Oshun who blessed my mother with boundless beauty.

Erinle who guides us while we hunt.

Oko who we thank for the food the earth provides.

I listened to every word as if honey dripped from my father's lips as he told me tale after tale about beings most of the Walls' inhabitants never even knew about. Instead they worshipped the gods that created the Walls we lived in, Maria, Rose and Sina.

"Then why don't we worship them when we live in the Walls they made?" I asked after learning of the three deities.

"Because they aren't our gods," he answered smoothly, as if he knew that question was coming.

I cocked my head to the side, "we can still be friends with their people even if we don't believe the same thing?"

That question made my father's nostrils flare. "Those people aren't our friends," Ba snapped almost immediately. My heart lurched then, fearful I made my father angry, or worse, disappointed in me. "We stick to our own and interact with the pale ones when we have to."

"... are we supposed to be afraid of them?" I asked quietly when I found my voice.

My father didn't answer my question immediately, dark brown eyes lost in thought as he stared into the flames. "A long, long time ago there were many kinds of people. That changed when the Titans came," Titans. Again, that word. I'd never seen one in all my young years of living, neither had my father. I couldn't even begin to imagine what these monstrous beings were supposed to look like. They were big, larger than the trees that surrounded our home. Still, it was hard to imagine something I'd never seen even if they were supposedly the cause of humanity's decline. "When the Titans came and began eating everyone, many kinds of people went extinct. Other tribes, other types of people besides our own. We're the descendants of the lucky ones who made it, but they couldn't have predicted the problems that came after. The pale ones don't think of us as the same even though we're humans hiding from the Titans like them.

"To them we're slaves for labor. Dirty people. Our men are worked until death in unsavory places and our women..." Ba trailed off. "Our people are dying." My father eyed my hair. For as long as I could remember, he kept it short and as close to cleanly shaven as possible. He said he wanted me to be tough, like a boy. He said it was to protect me from the pale ones. Back then, I just felt that my father wanted a son and he was compensating for it because he got saddled with me instead. " We're the last of our tribe, [First], probably even the last of our kind in these damned Walls. We don't live, we survive."

The quiet of the house felt eerie and it scared me. "I sometimes wonder if they had known this was the fate that waited for us, would they still have believed it was better than being put in the bellies of monsters."

"... Ba?"

My father sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before patting my head. "No more stories tonight, [First]," he whispered solemnly. "It's time for bed now."

"I'll be gone a couple of days, [First]."

"I know, Ba," you curl into a tighter ball, heart beat roaring in your ears. I still can't believe I'm doing this, one half of youー likely the sane halfー murmurs nervously. The other half of you shakes your head. I've already committed to this. I'm doing this! You knew as you lay in her your, ankle throbbing lightly, it is too late to turn back now.

"I really don't feel comfortable leaving you that long on your own," even without seeing him, Ba still sounds doubtful despite your nonchalant reply.

You feel your stomach lurch. Just go already, Ba! This is truly it, you know. You want so badly to just sit up and run, feeling the wind run over your head and not look back over your shoulder at your father who would be undoubtedly furious. Instead, you sit up up slowly before looking at him and blinking as groggily as you can. "Ba, you said we're low on food, I'll be fine here on my own. You really need to go hunting."

Ba nods taking heavy steps to her bed. "The hunting is always best when we're together." He says, reaching over to squeeze your left ankle gently. You wince and recoil. Even if your hurt ankle had been planned, it didn't mean it still isn't hurting. The injury in its entirety is superficial but the pain is still vaguely there. Nothing to keep you from walking, but as far as your father knew, your injury made you immobile for the next few days. "You promise me that you remember to stay inside, there's enough food for you to take care of yourself."

"Yes, Ba," you nods. How your excitement hasn't shown yet, you are unsure but thankful. If Ba knew of your plans you doubt you'd ever be left alone again.

"Don't answer the door for anyone if they knock," he continues in a more grave tone.

"I know, Ba," you repeats, exasperation barely hidden in your tone. Why Ba insisted on repeating his many rules you know inside and out already, you don't know.��He'll stop with the rules once I prove to him I can take care of myself and there's nothing to be afraid of anymore.

"Hide immediately, don't let anyone see you. And make sure-"

"To always keep the curtains closedー I know, I know!"

Ba's expression is sharp and unrelenting like the earth itself, "I know it seems like a lot, [First], but it's all to protect us. To protect you. Your mother-" Would feel like you're driving her crazy too. You keeps the disagreeable remark to yourself, lest your father abandon his hunting trip altogether to re-educate you about your ancestors. How when the Titans first arrived, your tribe had been among the few to find refuge within the three Walls protecting them from the giant monsters roaming the world. "would agree too. Humans like us," Ba gestures to your matching brown skin. "you don't find many of. We might even be the last ones. There are many who would want to steal those like us away."

You barely stop yourself from rolling your eyes, the story hadn't changed since you were 6. The same one every year, and every year nothing happens. The few times you had ever gone to into town with your father, nothing ever happened. You took the furs and hides you tanned to the city, sold them and then went right back home as always. The rules then are strict as the ones you hear everyday for the house. Stay by Ba's side and don't talk to anyone, not even the kids that always stopped and gawked at the two of them as they walked.

"They only stare because they've never seen people like us," Ba had said when you begged him to let you play while he conducted his business. "They don't care about actually knowing us." You remember going to sleep bitterly that night. Even now you are doubtful of his claims. Ba might be smart but he can't know everything. Maybe they did want to know us, want to know me.

"These rules might seem strict, but it keeps the two of us safe," Ba says yet again. You huffs quietly but otherwise keep your mouth shut. You knew that day there is no point in trying to get your father to change without any sort of proof to get him to. Ba sighs, rubbing his hand across your head. Maybe he knew there is no point in arguing further either. "I'll be going now, remember everything I said. I'll be gone only a couple of days, you have the rifle if anything goes wrong." But nothing should. "The ones that barge in here aren't people, they're predators. Protect yourself if it becomes necessary." With that, Uba stood up and left your room.

It's only when you're sure an hour has past and that your father is most certainly gone did you finally toss off your blankets. Your hands shake in excitement and anxiety. You have only two days days, maybe three at most, to make good on your plan to put as much distance as possible between yourself and your home. Ba would be heading east down the mountains and you know his routine by heart after the many times you had left with him on these expeditions. Ba wouldn't turn you home until you had as many as two deer with a few ducks to spare. The ducks would be plucked raw, feathers washed and used for pillows. The deer would be skinned and most of the meat would be hung to dry. If Ba was really lucky, he might catch a wild hog. Erinle willing, the prey would be bountiful this season before the rain would arrive. Wonderful that would be for your belly, you also knew your chances of leaving would be completely diminished. You have to leave now when Ba's hunting trip is too important for him to skip.

Guilt hummed beneath your skin all-the-while as you rummage through the kitchen for loaves of bread. You won't take more than what you will need. Even with what you takes, there is still plenty of yeast for Uba to make even more bread for himself and he'd have plenty of meat coming back from his trip.

Ba can't keep me hidden here forever. You nod with determination, willing the guilt to leave you. There is nothing to be guilty of when this is for the better for both of their lives. Ba is heading east and you are heading west. There's no opportunity for you to accidentally cross paths. From the map in Ba's study, Leipmold is the closest town from where there home is located. You had traced it over many of time on your own parchment. You had always been indifferent to hunting, but now you appreciate the knowledge. You can hide your own tracks and hunt for your own food, then you would sell any furs you could skin herself in the markets and make money. Only once you are satisfied would you go back home.

Ba would be mad that you took off on your own, but you hope that with enough coin, his parental wrath could be assuaged.

I'll sell rabbit fur! There should be plenty hopping around. You stuff your blanket into your knapsack. Nothing'll change if I just do what he tells me all the time. Ba never talks about the day you'd be a grown up and forced to live on your own. You doubt he has even imagined a future like that, but you do. One day, you would live in town. You'd make friends with the city folk, unafraid and without hesitation. You wouldn't have to shave your head and you would be able to wear whatever clothes you desired. You've never been allowed to wear dresses. Ba said the pale-skinned humans would sell you off to do the unthinkable if they knew you were a girl, whatever that meant.

If Ma was still alive that she'd have let me wear dresses the color of the sky at dawn and let my hair grow as much as I want. A prickle of anger surges through you before you shake it away. You don't have to be upset anymore when you can grow your hair out in the city and buy whatever clothes you wants. Then when Ba realizes he has nothing to worry about, he will let you do as she pleases.

With that, you sling your rifle over your shoulder and packs the few bullets Uba had spared in your knapsack. In its place, you leaves a note.

Ba, I've gone to Eppelbog. I know you think that I'm just a kid, but I'm 10 years old. I'm going to sell our furs there and come back with money. Just wait here for me, okay? Eppelbog was south from their home according to Ba's map and nowhere near Leipmold. If Ba decides to track you down in his worry, his heading there first would give you plenty of time to get to Leipmold before he realizes that he's been duped.

Heaving a deep breath, you open the door.

Ba is gonna be gone for at least 3 days if I'm lucky. You relish the sound of the grass crunching beneath your feet and hope Ba didn't suddenly realize he had forgotten something. If he did, your journey would end before it truly had a chance to start. There's another mountain path I can take between here and Leipmold and I can get to it by tomorrow morning. Traveling through the mountain chains will be your best chance at throwing off Uba if he decided to track you when he realized you were gone.

You had two and a half loaves of bread, around five bullets and a wineskin full of the freshwater you could spare without taking too much from your father. This should be able to last until I get to Leipmold. Any rabbits you caught could be cooked completely, saving half the meat for the next day to stretch it out, something you and Ba would do plenty of times with your food. I'll be there before I know it, you purse your lips. On the map it didn't look that far away. I might even get there by tomorrow night!

Yet Leipmold doesn't come tomorrow night, nor does it come the night after next.

All that comes is disappointment, hunger and the fear that Ba's map wasn't a true representation of the distance between cities.

Your stomach growls but you refuse to stop and eat when the food you have needs to be saved. It's really bad about that goose. You had seen one yesterday, but by the time your rifle was ready, it had flown beyond the opening of the trees and the hunger pangs kept you up most of the night. Today will be different, you swear. You will catch something. The path you've been walking surely will end soon enough and you'd finally be close to your journey's end. The prey will be bountiful as well. Maybe there you will even find some berries or mushrooms to eat as there had been none to find so far on your trail.

Maybe I should have grabbed some of the meat they still had before Ba's hunting trip, after all. Ba would be coming back with plenty of food for himself, he wouldn't have notice the leftover venison missing.

With a sigh, you put her traced map back in your bag and stand on her feet, wincing at the aching sensation. Soon you'll be at the base of the mountain, you remind herself. There will be less undergrowth hiding food and there'll be berries and mushrooms that aren't poisonous. It'll definitely be easier finding rabbit burrows without all the shrubs. The path east that you and Ba took for hunting always seemed clear and kept in comparison to this wild path. Maybe Ba had been clearing it himself to make it easier to hunt. Mohammed at least wishes there would be a snake slithering along bushes, it tastes pretty nice all things considered.

Your stomach rumbles again. No more thinking about food, you groan.

It's then that you smell apples and you stop in your tracks.

As the smell continues to waft through the air, you lick your cracked lips. Apples were a rare treat back home. Ba had planted a few seeds on your land but your trees seldom had a good harvest making you treasure them whenever you could manage to grow a good few. I just wanna see where it's coming from. Suddenly your aching feet are easier to ignore, mouth watering the closer and closer you get to the source of the smell.

It doesn't take long for a small cottage to be seen through the trees. The back door wide open and from where you stand, you can see an open window with a pie sitting in the sill.

Who on earth leaves a perfectly good pie unattended?

Your stomach growls something fierce and you grabs it. I should just go. Hungry as she rea, you will be cursed if you steal from someone.

But no one is even here, the hungry part of you argues. If the pie is that important, the window and door would be both be shut and you wouldn't have smelled the pie to begin with. You lick her lips again but they somehow feel even drier. You look like a fox stuck in a trap, starving, with its own paw starting to look delicious after days of not eating. When your stomach rumbles again, your resolve solidifies. The gods might be upset you stole a pie, but your mother would be more upset if her daughter joins her in the heavens because you starved to death. You drop your bag and rifle behind a bush and stumble out of the brush, your pant leg catching on a few brambles.

You'd eat as much as you can before running away, that will hold you off the rest of the day if you ate half. Maybe you can fold the tin over afterwards and carry it back to your bag to eat the second half tomorrow. Two days worth of food, your mouth waters at the thought. This meal could be two days worth of food!

You rush up the few porch steps leading into the house, weary of the creaking of your boots on the floorboard as you search for the kitchen. It's a boon that the cottage isn't too big, you passed by two rooms in the hall that eventually led to the kitchen and dining room area. The last door, you assume is the front door. Even better is if the family is in front doing something else, distracted for long enough for you to leave without much of a trace. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but sorry will likely mean nothing to the family you are stealing from. If I come back home this way after Leipmold, I'll pay them back for the pie. I'll bring them a basket of apples so they can make another one!

You stand on a conveniently placed stool beside the counter and grab the pie with ease, reaching for a spoon in the sink that looked like it had been rinsed off recently and, guilt and all, digs right in.

It's on your third spoonful that you hear a soft gasp and freeze. Don't look, they aren't there if I don't look. Still, even at 10 you know that isn't how the world works. You spin around quickly, neck nearly cracking in the process as you see the girl standing behind you with her mouth agape. She's pretty, you think without trying. The girl's hair is long and black with dark eyes that almost matches. She also sees that the pie her mother probably worked on is now ruined.

You ignore how your hands burn when you pick up the pie tin and make a mad dash to the backdoor.

At that, the girl finally breaks out of her stupor. "W-wait!" She cries, storming after you. "Stop, you pie thief!"

"Mikasa?" The voice of a woman approaches closer and you feel like crying. "What's going on?! Are you alright?!"

"Some boy is stealing our pie, Mom!"

When the steps leading to the back door came into view, you prepare yourself to jump over them. You'll just have to hide under a shrub until they give up their search outright before you can grab her rifle and knapsack. That was the plan at least before a third person arrives, a tall man with blond hair appears. The way he's holding his arms out wide to prevent your exit that makes you skid to a halt in surprise before stumbling forward clumsily and crashing on the floorboard. You wince as your chin hits the floorboard and your teeth clash together.

"Oh no!" The young girl's disappointment is palpable. The pie tin had landed upside down in a sticky mess. "Mom, your pie..."

You groan and clasps your jaw. You struggles to sit yourself back up, your vision is cloudy from the hot tears welling in your eyes. "Ow ow..." You garble, it didn't feel like anything is broken but that didn't make it hurt any less. You sniff harshly, trying to blink your eyes into being dry. You don't want to cry in front of these people. Not when you know it's your fault you ended up like this.

The gods really have cursed you for stealing the pie.

Anxiously, Mikasa peers through the crack of the door.

Her mother and father had told her to stay in the kitchen after they had caught the boy trying to steal their pie, but she is still worried. Mikasa feels disappointment and anger swirling in her equally as she looks at the boy, brown hand clutching his chin. Sunny days seldom result in her having ample time with her parents and yet her mother made that seldom into definite that morning when she asked Mikasa to help her bake. It was her first experience baking and to see it stolen so callously and then spilled onto the floor dampered her spirit.

Now she watches in private, wondering what her parents will do next.

Your eyes suddenly catch gray and Mikasa ducks with a flinch to avoid the boy noticing her.

Why'd you hide? Mikasa scolds herself. He's the stranger here, you don't have to hide! Despite her self-scolding, Mikasa doesn't feel brave enough to look up again, fearing she'd be spotted again instantly. She places a small hand over her chest, hoping it will calm her heartbeat.

"I'm sorry about your pie," the boy's voice is barely audible from where Mikasa crouches. "I shouldn't have tried to steal it. I don't have any apples to give back right now. Please don't be mad."

"Where is your family?" Mother doesn't sound angry, so much as she sounds concerned. Like when she thought Mikasa had gone too far into the forest to play. She is always worrying about something, Mikasa's mother believes it is justifiable, however. In the forest they lived, there are wild animals and too many trees for Mikasa to get lost in. "What's a child as young as yourself doing alone in these mountains?" Her voice was gentle.

"Ba went to Eppelbog." The boy answers after a few seconds. "He wanted me to go to the Leipmold to sell furs."

"'Ba'?" Mother repeats, sounding as confused as Mikasa is. She never heard that word before. "Is that your father?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Father sounds surprised, "your father decided to send you on your own to Leipmold? That's at least two weeks away from here on foot! How old are you?"

"10," a year older than Mikasa's 9 and he looks so different from her and her parents. The boy taller than her and his eyes were a bright [color] with skin that is the color of Ms. Penny's feathers, their oldest hen who died the previous winter. Mikasa feels her courage return enough to attempt her peeking once again. She's never seen anyone with skin that dark before.

"10?" Mother brings a hand to her mouth in disbelief. "Who sends their 10 year old to sell furs that far away?"

Father glances at Mother with a reproachful look, "that isn't too young an age for some families to have their boys work, Shiori."

"13 is one thing," Mother argues, crossing her arms adamantly. "10 is another, Mikasa's only 9! He needs to be home with his mother, Abelard."

"Don't have one," the boy shakes his head nervously. "Ma's gone, been gone since I was three. It's just me and Ba now."

Mikasa eyes widened with a shudder of horror. His mother is gone? She looks at her own parents, unable to imagine a reality in which either of them weren't with her everyday. No longer seeing her mother's embroidery or welcoming her father home after he was gone for a few hours of hunting, bringing back something that would make her heart jump as she tried suppressing the vague feeling of fear witnessing it.

"Is this your first time going to Leipmold on your own?" Father asks the boy who then nods in agreement. "Your father was irresponsible to send you on your way without enough food to last you an entire trip. You're going on foot the entire way?"

"I was supposed to catch rabbits on the way, I thought I could eat them on the way." The boy explains before wincing briefly. He rubs his chin again tenderly, the fall from earlier clearly taking a large toll on him. "There weren't a lot of rabbits though. I thought Leipmold was closer on the map my dad had in his study."

At that, Mother and Father both exchange a look that Mikasa didn't understand. Neither did the boy it seems as his expression is one of worry as he looks between the two of them. "Please don't tell him about the pie, he'll be mad," he begs.

"We'll keep the pie to ourselves if you answer some more of our questions," Father reassurs him with a smile. "When is your dad going to return home?"

"A few weeks," The boy's answer is slightly muffled. "He has a lot to sell."

"And you're absolutely sure he'll come no sooner than that?"

The boy nods again.

"What's your name?"

The boy hesitates at that, looking elsewhere. Mikasa is prepared to duck again if he's going to look in her direction again. "It's alright, dear." Mother's voice is soothing as she speaks and Mikasa can see she is smiling softly. "You can trust us."

"... [First]," the boy said after another moment passed. "[First] [Last]."

"[First]." Mikasa's mother repeats, copying the syllables slowly. "That's a lovely name, did your mother pick it?"

"Ba did."

"Well at least your father had good sense to pick a decent name." Mother murmurs to herself. Mikasa wonders if her upset towards the boy's father would last until she met him. Mikasa has never even been to Shiganshina, south of their home in the mountains which is an intimidating enough thought. Traveling alone in the mountains seems even scarier. She wonders if that's why the boy ended up eating their pie. "How about this, instead of going to Leipmold, you work here for us for a few weeks while your father is in Eppelbog and we pay you for it? Then you can leave for home from here and we won't even have to mention the pie."

[First] blinks and pulls away from his hand in his surprise. "Really?"

Mother and Father nod in unison. "It would be a lot safer for you to do this instead, I think your father would understand," Father beams with his hands on his hips.

"The mountains are no place for a child to be traveling on their own," Mother continues sounding resolute. "We'll have no problems letting you stay here in exchange for help with the chores around here. And you'll have to get along with our daughter, of course," Mikasa bites her lip and had to stop herself just barely from shuffling her feet. "She can be a bit shy, so you'll have to be patient with her."

"I- um-"

When Mother claps her hands together, Mikasa knows there will be no arguments further on the subject. When Mother makes up her mind, it can't be swayed by outside forces. "You can call us Abelgard and Shiori. Please make yourself home, [First]."

Father's eyes glance at the door and Mikasa takes a few steps back, but it's too late. "We know you're there already, Mikasa," he says with a knowing smile on his face. Mikasa groans quietly at the failure of her hiding place as she slowly opens the door, the creaking sounding ten times louder than normal. "There you are. Say 'hello' to [First], he'll be staying with us for a little while to make up for the pie, okay?"

Mikasa hides behind her mother to avoid looking their guest in the eye. "Hi," she grumbles quietly, hoping that would suffice.

"[First] will stay in your room while he's here, okay, and you can sleep with Mom and Dad, alright?"

"Mmhmm."

"Um," [First] pipes up after all his silence.

"Yes?" Father turns his attention back to their guest who would now be staying in Mikasa's room with her favorite dolls and the perfect view of the flower patch she had planted that was finally starting to sprout.

"I'm not a boy," [First] coughs as light coincidentally peeked through the curtains to shine on her head from the window. "Ba just shaves it off all the time."

Mikasa looks from behind Mother to stare at the girl curiously in her dirty shirt and pants and shaved head. It isn't long before she is hissing from the light pain of a pinch. "Ow!"

"It's rude to stare, Mikasa," Mother warns but her voice isn't harsh. "Remember? We're supposed to be polite when someone is in our house."

I know that already! Mikasa's eyes stare at the floor embarrassed to be scolded in front of someone so publicly. "Sorry," she murmurs instead.

"We should get you some fresh clothes so you can have those washed," Mother looks back at [First] as if there were no interruptions. "Do you like wearing dresses, dear?"

[First] shrugs. "I've never worn one. Ba said I couldn't."

"We can set out some clothes for you to pick between after you have a bath. Dear, you should get some water and heat it up over the fire for her in the mean time." Mother's attitude had shifted completely and Mikasa feels her embarrassment fade away as she watches in awe of how her mother seems to command the room. Father gave her a playful salute before leaving to do exactly as she asked. Mikasa can only hope that one day she would be just like her. Someone everyone could respect. "Mikasa, you should show [First] to your room and maybe you can even give her a tour afterwards. Do you think you can do that?"

Mikasa nods, not wanting to disappoint her. "I can do it!" She beams when Mother gives her a proud smile. "You're my favorite little helper, Mikasa!" Mother tells her often, it makes Mikasa warm to be.

"[First], where are your belongings?" Mother asks without missing a beat.

The girl points out of the window. "I left 'em under a bush."

"Alright, then you should get those before anything else," with a hint of finality, Mother claps her hands together to signal she is done for now. "Go on now," she places a hand on Mohammed's back and gives her a few pats to encourage the girl to stand. "It shouldn't take but twenty or so minutes for your bath to be ready and the warm water should help with any soreness. Then you can relax for the day before you can help with chores tomorrow."

She stands but the disbelief on [First]'s face is clear to see. She waits a moment, possibly pondering if she should say what's on her mind before ultimately deciding to gather her things without a word. I wonder if we can be friends, Mikasa stares at her back. It's not easy thinking one can be become friends with a pie thief, but if they will be living together Mikasa is sure she'll have to try her best to be polite at most. She will be just as long as no more pies would be lost to acts of thievery.

When the girl is finally out of an earshot, Mikasa asks, "Why would her dad cut her hair off, Mom?"

Mother only sighs, placing a warm hand atop her head gently. "I don't know, dear. And you shouldn't ask unless she tells you she might be very sensitive about it. Her father might not be a good person, letting her on her own like this. So we need to be kind until we're able to get home safely, alright? Can you do that for us?"

Mikasa doesn't understand completely, but she nods anyway. "I can."

Mother smiles brightly, "that's my girl."

You fidget uncomfortably in your dress. I thought dresses were going to be comfortable. They at least looked comfortable from how you saw other girls running in them in Eppelbog the few times you visited. Perhaps comfortability is subjective, though. At least, that is how you feel as your legs feel bare without the sensation of fabric hugging them on all sides closely. Maybe Ba knew they were uncomfortable and that's why they were forbidden. It's a pretty dress you can acknowledge. It is one of the daughter of the house's dresses. It reminds you of the sun with its warm yellow coloring, but it's nothing like how you had imagined wearing dresses. You spin around in the full body mirror, watching as the skirt flutters in the reflection.

Dresses aren't for me, I don't think. But your clothes wouldn't be ready to wear for another few hours after they finish drying.

"Um..." You almost jumps when she finally notices another face looking back at her in the mirror's reflection. "Mom asked me to give you a tour around our home right now."

Mikasa, Mr. Ackerman had said her name was. "Oh, um, hi," you turn around to face the girl properly. You hadn't expected your attempt at theft to turn into this, but it's a lot better than you getting in trouble and going to jail over it. It isn't quite Leipmold, but it still falls in the line of your original plans. You get to interact with different kinds of humans and you make money. Ba wouldn't be mad at that, at least not by much. Then his strict rules would fall by the way side and you would be free to live her life as she desired. You could make friends.

It's just not exactly promising that your first prospective friend is one you tried to steal a pie from. I'll make it work. "You're Mikasa, right?"

The black-haired girl nods, "and you're [First]."

An awkward silence passes between the two of them before you speak up again. Even if the start was the rough, you aren't letting a new friendship fall through your fingers. "Thank you for letting me wear your dress, Ba never let me wear them before. It's very pretty." Uncomfortable but pretty nonetheless.

Mikasa cracks a small smile at that.

"I'm ready for your tour now," you gesture to the door.

Mikasa leads the way with her flats tapping nicely against the wooden floors, your own footsteps in your boots sounding heavier. But you still your their way outside while there is still plenty of sun gracing the cottage. You sighs in relief. The air smells sweeter now that you don't stink among shrubs anymore. The Ackerman home is a nice home even if there isn't much on the land beyond a garden, a shed and a chicken coop. "This is Eunice, Bonnie, Claudette, and Dana, our hens." Mikasa's voice is light with a small smile gracing her face as she points at the birds. "We don't eat them because they lay eggs for us."

"I like Claudette the most," you point at the black hen's speckled-with-white feathers.

Mikasa shakes her head almost immediately. "Eunice is the prettiest," she gestures at the burgundy hen with gusto.

"Claudette."

"Eunice."

"Claudette."

It is a battle with no end before Mikasa's tour takes them away from the coop and to a garden area. "Eunice," you think you had heard under the girl's breath but your belly grumbles when she spots the blackberry bushes.

You coughs do cover the noise, "did Mrs. Ackerman plant everything?"

Mikasa shakes her head and kneels beside a small patch of dirt with buds separating from the main garden. "These are the flowers I planted," the girl says proudly, the sun beaming down on her. You kneel beside her as best you can without getting dirt on your borrowed outfit. "Mom let me do it all by myself and she said they'll finally be flowers in a couple of months!" You know she won't be there long enough for that but you smile anyway.

"Can you eat them?"

Mikasa looks aghast at the very thought, "of course not!"

"You can eat some flowers though," you points out. Like the lavender that grows near her home. Ba sometimes had you collect flowers like chamomile for tea he would brew when it was especially cold.

"These flowers are for being pretty," Mikasa looks at her buds again proudly. "Mom said we can make flower crowns with them and press them too and that I'll be able to keep them forever that way." She stands up, dusting what few specks of dirt that managed to get on the bottom of her dress. "The rest here are vegetables and fruits Mom grows." You try not to look too excited when you stop in front of blackberry bush but it seems Mikasa already has similar ideas. The young girl plucked a berry right off the bush, holding it for you to take. "The berries are ripe enough to pick right now." I'm really happy I tried to steal that pie! "You can try it, if you want."

You take the berry all too eagerly, relishing the sweet taste on your tongue. "Can I have another?" You asks but Mikasa is already picking more, munching on a berry of her own as she places two on your palm. Yes, you will enjoy living with the Ackermans very much.

#look she's writing #snk x reader #aot x reader #mikasa ackerman x reader #mikasa x reader #mikasa ackerman #mr and mrs ackerman

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flower1622 · 7 months ago

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Ranking Female Characters of PJO:

1. Sally

It's Sally. She is totally a survivor. She has to worry many times about her demigod son, who doesn't live for a long time. Despite being a human, she is not afraid to face a god or monster to protect or save her son.

2. Rachel

If People hate her, so I like. She is really amazing on her way. She is nice and kind to everyone else, especially to Percy. She is so much better than another girl that doesn't care to be rude to other people, even her boyfriend. Rachel is a special human since she is an oracle. Despite not being a demigod, she is not afraid to face monsters or gods either. She is really a person that has to deal with many visisons and possible nightmares in her head. For me, she is still the best option for Percy. The most healthy one.

3. Clarisse

Totally a badass. Even though she is a bully, I guess she got a little better over the years. Except maybe for her dad, Clarisse is also not afraid to face any god or monster, even without her weapons. If she has to fight using only her hands, she will. Annabeth is not the only smart girl in pjo, Clarisse is still smart and strong. I guess she can understand about battle strategies since her father is the god of war. Clarisse is a survivor too. She survived with zombies (I don't remember what they were) and went to rescue Chris all by herself (If I'm not mistaken).

4. Hazel

I don't know much about Hazel since I didn't read HOO (I can't even remember much from PJO either), but from I saw people commenting, she seems a nice and kind girl that may have suffered a lot in the past. Just like Nico, I think she is also stuck in time?

5. Silena

She seems really kind and nice. Unfortunately, the girl was manipulated...but in the end became a heroine. Her mother Aphrodite also looks pretty awesome!Like mother, like daughter!

6. Thalia

She is not one of my favourite characters, but she seems the kind of person that would save the world at any costs even if she had to sacrifice her own family and friends. She wouldn't let emotions take control over her. Not only her, but also Artemis and the other hunters.

7. Meg:

She seems pretty smart and cool! I like that she was the only one (from what I could see) that chose stay by Apollo's side even with his arrogance. I think she always saw that he wasn't so bad after all.

8. Persephone

So sweet and kind. I guess she would be Solangelo number 1 fan. She likes them. I think she may see Nico as her own son. She always tries to be friendly to others, which is good because she can kind teach Hades to be more gentle with others. She is really a good influence for him.

9. Demeter

This goddess can be a little scary sometimes, but I understand that she worries about her daughter in the underwold. It's so nice to see Demeter tolerating Hades because of Persephone.

10. Juniper

I don't remember about this character (I'm not reading the books anymore), but from I can see she is the romantic partner for Grover if I'm not mistaken. She seems nice and sweet. I think they would make a cute pair.

#greek posts #greek mythology #greek tumblr #greek gods #disney series #disney plus #disney #sally jackson #perachel #rachel elizabeth dare #clarisse la rue #hazel levesque #thalia grace #persephone #meg #juniper

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give-seconds · 2 years ago

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A Husband and His (Ex) Best Friend

Paring: Johnny x female reader, past Jaehyun x reader

Summary: With all the planning for your wedding coming up, everything feels like it is going right. Soon, you and Johnny will be happily married and all that is left to do is to wait. But what happens when Jaehyun shows up out of the blue?

Part 1

Warnings: mentions of cheating, none others that I can think of but let me know

Word count (part two): 7.8k

This is not proofread so let me know about any errors!!

“Are you sure you got the address right?” you ask.

It is the day before the wedding, and Johnny disappeared, only sending a quick text saying something came up. An hour and a half later, he sent you a text telling you and Jaehyun to come meet him at an address.

Jaehyun nods his head. “Yeah.”

“Johhny?” you call, opening the door to the room. You feel around the wall for the light switch, jumping when you’re met with a chorus of “thank yous.”

You stare in shock at the smiling faces of Johnn's family and friends standing under a ceiling of gold and blue balloons. You smile at the colors, instantly recognizing your favorite colors. Standing in front of them is Johnny.

“What is this?”

“Let me show you,” Johnny smiles, holding his hand out to you.

You take it, letting him guide you to his mom and dad.

“Y/n, dear,” his mom starts, smiling at you as if you were her own child. “It has been a pleasure getting to know you. I always enjoy our lunches when you visit or we come to see you. I remember when Johnny called me, telling me he met the best girl and needed ideas for an interesting first date.”

You laugh softly, looking over to the man in question, lightly squeezing his hand.

“And after going through some ideas, we landed on a winery tour. Had I known you don’t drink, I never would have suggested it, so I am sorry about that. But I wouldn’t trade the outcome for all the money in the world. My dear, you make my son so happy. As a mother, I thank you for accompanying our son on this journey.”

Before you can say anything, your fiancé lightly pulls you to the next person.

“Hey, y/n,” Mark says. You smile widely at him; the serious look on his face feels out of place. “You wouldn’t know this, but the first time I saw you was actually by the Statue of Liberty. Hyung told me he was dating this girl who was a part-time tour guide who gave German tours of the Statue of Liberty. I asked to meet you way before I actually did, and he told me no and that it would be creepy to stalk you on one of your tours. So I asked this boy in my German class, YangYang, to come with me, and we waited until you came by with a group. I asked him what you said on your tours and how you seemed personality-wise. I remember he called me an idiot. Nevertheless, he went along with me and said you made the tour sound interesting by slipping in jokes and even singing a popular german song at some point. Anyways, long story short, thank you for making my brother so happy and for showing me the kindness of a sister.”

You bring a hand to your mouth, feeling tears well in your eyes at the sincerity in his voice. Again, before you can say anything back, Johnny pulls you to the next and last person.

“I don’t believe we’ve met.”

She smiles. “No, we haven’t. My name is Dylan. John and I went to the same high school; we were friends all four years. So you can imagine—randomly meeting him here in Brooklyn—it felt like fate. When I saw him, we exchanged numbers, and I asked him on a date. He turned me down because he ‘met the girl of his dreams.’ And I will admit, it is a little nerve-wracking to stand here in front of your family and friends. But when John texted me asking if I would come here to convince you you are the love of his life, I couldn’t exactly say no.”

You laugh, happy tears falling from your eyes.

“And now, it’s my turn,” Johnny whispers, moving to stand in front of you. Still holding your hand, he clears his throat dramatically. “Hi.”

“Hi,” you whisper, not trusting yourself to speak much louder.

“Now, at risk of spoiling my vows, I’m not going to say much more than what they said. I am sorry I’ve been gone so much the past week, but I did get you a few things.”

He lets go of your hand and turns to grab something behind him. “This,” he says, turning around, “is a bottle from the year we visited the winery. Now I promise not to drink it if you don’t.”

You laugh, fanning your eyes. “I promise.”

“Great!” He places the bottle on the counter behind him and grabs something else. “This is a postcard from Ellis Island, where we had our first proper conversation. I’m thinking, we frame this, and it be our first piece of art.”

You reach out to take the postcard, running your fingers over the front. “I love it.”

“And this,” he bends down on one knee, pulling out your engagement ring from his pocket, “is my gift to you. This is the start of our promise. My promise. That every day of my life will be about repaying you for all the joy you have brought me.”

You don’t know if he is done speaking when you throw yourself onto him. He laughs as he lowers you both into a sitting position, wrapping his arms around you and lightly kissing your head. “Are you going to accept my proposal, or is this about to get really awkward?”

Pulling away from him, you sit between his legs, wiping your tears. “Is that even a question that needs to be said?”

He shakes his head, grabbing your left hand and gently sliding the ring back onto your finger, whispering a soft, “back where it belongs.”

“Okay, everyone,” he announces, not moving up from the floor. “I’ve made reservations for us in about an hour. Sadly, we cannot pay for everyone as we are planning a wedding. So if you don’t want to pay, that’s cool, but we would love to have dinner with you before the stress of the rehearsals. I already sent you all the address, so Suh squad, move out!”

Everyone chuckles, talking among themselves as they file out the door, leaving only you, Johnny, and Jaehyun—who you forgot was in the room—behind.

“Where are we?”

“This is the air b&b I rented for Yoonoh and me to sleep in tonight. The owner said no one was staying in it before us, so she said I could show up whenever. I took 'show up whenever' to mean spending an hour setting up and executing a surprise for my lovely fiancée. Figured it would throw you off.”

You laugh, taking a moment to commit the way he’s looking at you to memory. You want to remember this moment forever. “Consider me thrown off. You didn’t need to do this for me, by the way. Just getting married is enough repayment.”

“But I did. I was planning this before, but then you asked me if I still wanted to get married, and that only motivated me further. I wanted to show you I have no doubts about this wedding.”

“Stop, you’re going to make me cry again,” you whine, pulling him into another hug.

He chuckles. “I love you too.”

—

“Hey, y/n?”

You hum in response, not looking away from the television. Since tomorrow is the wedding, and you invited your brother over to spend the last night as unmarried siblings together.

“Johnny’s friend, Yoonoh, he looks familiar. I only saw him in passing at the rehearsal dinner, but he looks familiar. Where is he from again?”

“Korea,” you answer in what you hope is a non-suspicious tone. You hadn’t even thought about this. Of course, your family would remember him. You dated him for three years, and even if it's been years since any of you have thought of him, it’s not like they’re just going to forget him.

“Are you sure?” Your brother shifts on the couch to look at you. “Because now that I’m thinking about it, he looks like that jerk you dated in high school? It’s not just me who sees that, right?”

You lightly chew your lip, weighing your options. You can pretend you have no idea what Deven is talking about or admit the truth. Both feel like you’ve lost in some way. If you admit he is the man who cheated on you, you know your brother is going to disagree with you, leaving you with at least the slightest hint of guilt. If you choose to lie to him, then you have to deal with the guilt of not only lying to your fiancé but also your brother.

You sigh. “Okay, I’m going to tell you this, and you have to promise me not to freak out. Do you promise?”

You wait for him to nod his head.

“So, Johnny’s friend Yoonoh is the same guy I dated in high school. And I haven’t told Johnny yet because he’s really excited to have his friend back. I thought I was going to tell him, then I decided not to, and now we’re getting married tomorrow, and there’s not a lot of time left.”

He stares at you in shock, jaw slightly dropped. “So you’re telling me you’ve had the guy you’re getting married to and your ex-boyfriend sleeping under the same roof, and the only people who know are you and Jaehyun?”

He holds up a finger each time he mentions one of their names, bringing them together when he talks about them sleeping under the same roof. The whole time, you nod your head. The longer he talks, the heavier the silliness of the situation feels.

“Or is it Yoonoh?” He backtracks, separating his hands. “Because I swear his name was Jaehyun.”

“No, it was. I guess he changed it before he met Johnny. But you need to help me out. As my younger brother and the only one in our family willing to ask me about this, it is your job to help me figure out what to do.”

He huffs, picking up the remote to pause the tv. “You got two choices: tell Johnny or don’t. Choosing the don’t option would include maybe telling mom and dad, so they don’t go telling anyone.”

You groan, throwing your head back. Your parents wouldn’t intentionally go around telling people the guy who cheated on you is a groomsman at your wedding; rather, they would go down the same route Devon did. They mention that he looks a lot like the “guy you dated in high school” as a joke and unknowingly make things awkward.

“But it isn’t just my wedding, you know? He likes Jaehyun, and if he wants him there he should be allowed to have him there. It doesn’t matter that we used to date, and it doesn’t matter that I don’t like him. That’s what a relationship is: it’s a give-and-take. This is me giving.”

“Y/n, he loves you. Do you remember, as kids, how we always loved how our aunt and uncle were? You can tell they love each other. I don’t believe romantic soulmates exist. But if they did, they would be our aunt and uncle. And that’s exactly what you and Johnny have! You two are as much of soulmates as can be.”

A small smile slips onto your face. “Thanks, Deven. I’m so glad you think that. Having Jaehyun here has messed with my ... everything, and hearing you say that makes me feel warm. But I feel like that proves my point. I know we’re great together, so what does it matter that my ex-boyfriend is here so long as it makes him happy?”

“Because he cheated on you!” your brother exclaims, throwing his hands up. “Because while he may not have told me directly, I can feel that Johnny would be angry that someone hurt you as he did. I’m angry knowing he has the nerve to show his face at your wedding, let alone sleep down the hall from you! I can’t imagine how Johnny would feel. All things considered, I think he’ll be sad once he finds out.”

“Alright.” You chew your lip, bringing your attention back to the paused screen. “You’re probably right.”

“I’m always right.”

—

"So Yoonoh- can I call you that? Or do you prefer Yoonoh Hyung or something else?"

Jaehyun chuckles at Johnny's little brother's rambling, not looking away from the mirror as he and all the other groomsmen finish straightening their suits. "Yoonoh Hyung is fine."

Mark nods his head. "Hyung, what do you think of y/n? She's the best, isn't she?"

"Mark, leave him alone," Johhny says, tapping his phone to check the time.

Mark holds his hands up. "I was just starting a conversation."

"Well, that's a weird start. He barely knows her."

Jaehyun smiles, looking back at the mirror to fix his hair. He wishes he didn't have to lie to his friend. In the end, though, it's better for everyone if your secret stays just that; a secret.

"Well, he's lucky," one of Johnny's friends, Parker, says. "The same day I met her, she treated me and my wife like old friends. She's one of the warmest people I know."

Jaehyun turns to look at his friend, instantly noticing his love-struck smile. He is envious of how much you and Johnny love each other. He wishes he had someone to look at him like that.

"Shouldn't we be talking about me?" Johnny jokes, clearing his throat. "Anyways, we should go out. Deven will meet us out there and then the wedding will get started!" He shakes out his hands, rocking on his feet. "Are you guys ready to accompany me for my only wedding?"

His question is met with cheers, and with a final rock, Johnny leads the way out of the room. He leads them to a room across the hall, knocking on the door.

"Hey, Johnny," a woman greets, only cracking the door enough to poke her head out. "Ready to get this party started?"

He nods his head. "Yep. Are you girls ready?"

"Yep! We'll meet you at the end of the hall, okay? We can't risk you getting a sneak peek of your bride."

Johnny laughs, nodding his head. He guides them further down the hall, stopping in front of a set of double doors. He greets the man standing outside the doors, looking at his phone. Jaehyun tilts his head, watching Johnny exchange a quick hug with the man. He looks so familiar.

"Okay, guys," Johnny announces, drawing his attention away from the other man. "When y/n's bridesmaids come out, you'll all pair up with one of them. Parker will be with his wife, and Mark will be with her maid of honor, J.J. Other than that," Johnny looks at him and the other man, "you two choose whoever is standing closer to you. It doesn't have to be the same person from rehearsal."

"You already said this at the rehearsals, dude, chill," Parker laughs, patting him on the shoulder.

"Do you remember how nervous you were before you had to do this? I'm calm compared to you."

Parker chuckles, shaking his head dismissively, and Jaehyun smiles at the interaction. Before Parker can respond, the sound of whispers draws the group's attention to the group of women in red dresses quickly walking toward them.

"Okay, order, everybody!" Johnny announces, and everybody falls in line behind him.

Contrary to what Johnny says about not needing the same person they paired up with during rehearsals, the girl Jaehyun walked with smiles at him in greeting. He smiles back, extending his arm for her to grab.

"Ready?" she whispers.

He nods, looking forward as his friend pushes open the door. "Ready."

Despite it not being his wedding, he can't help but feel a little nervous as everyone stands up, eyes turning to look at them as they walk down the aisle. His heart skips a beat when he passes your family, focusing on looking straight at where he is going. It’s unrealistic, but he hopes they don’t see him.

When they reach the base of the stairs, he smiles at the woman on his arm before they part ways. He feels eyes burning into his back, dreading the seconds until he has to turn around again. They're looking at me—there is no way they don't remember me. And he’s right. When he turns around, your family is looking in his direction. But it's not him they are looking at.

Instead of the hot stare of hatred he expected directed at him, he sees your mom lovingly look at Johnny. She's gripping her husband's hand, saying something to him as he turns his head to look at Johnny. With all the commotion he caused by staying at your house, it never really hit him how little he actually means to your family. The realization is somehow shocking—despite him and his family feeling the same towards you, and something in him breaks at the knowledge that he barely means anything to you. Until now, a part of him thought this would all blow over after you realized how much he has changed, and things could return to how they were before you and he dated; you could be friends.

The music changes, and the room's attention is brought to the doors as everybody waits for you to appear. Watching you walk down the aisle, Jaehyun is thrust from his previous thoughts by how beautiful you are. He always thought you were beautiful, but seeing you years later—really seeing you— you are even more stunning than he remembers. He flicks his eyes to the left to look at Johnny’s face, and he smiles at the pure look of love on his friend’s face. His heart warms, and suddenly not meaning much to you doesn't seem like such a big deal. He misses you, misses how good of a person you are, but his longing is nothing compared to Johnny's happiness. While he wants a second chance, he can give it up for his friend. He can let you go again.

The rest of the ceremony passes by in a blur, and Jaehyun can't wipe the smile off his face. He hasn’t been to many weddings, but this is the first wedding he has attended to make him feel this way—that true love exists. He couldn’t wish for a better happy ending for his best friend.

At the reception, between meeting various friends of yours, Johnny and you catch his eye. All the stress the wedding put on you two forgotten as you laugh, patting Johnny’s arm as he looks away, laughing. Even toward the end of the evening, and only a few people left, the love felt at the ceremony is still in the air, painting everything in a rose tint.

“Hey,” someone taps his shoulder, drawing his attention away from your laughing figure. When he turns around, he sees the unknown groomsman from in front of the doors. His eyes widen as he realizes who it is.

“You’re Deven, right? I guess-”

Before he can finish his sentence, your brother throws his glass of wine in his face. He gasps and takes a step back in shock, wiping the liquid from his eyes.

“That’s for showing up at my sister’s wedding.”

—

“We need to tell him,” you say, pushing the door to the guestroom open. Johnny had to take a work call, so you took the opportunity to talk to his friend separately. “You’re leaving soon, and I can’t stand keeping this from him anymore. We don’t lie to each other, and now that I’m his wife, it feels even heavier.”

“If you want to of course I’m not going to stop you. But really, do you think that would be the best course of action? Things might take a turn for the worse.” He says, his face void of emotion. His lack of emotion mixed with his words lowers what little patience you have with him.

“Can I be honest?”

He nods his head.

“I don’t hate anyone. Hate and love are two very strong emotions, and it isn’t fair to throw them around randomly. So no, I don’t hate you. But you are the closest person I have to hating someone. So if you think this act here will change my mind somehow, you’re wrong. If you and Johnny stay friends after this, you are not welcome back into my home. Do you understand?”

He looks at you, eyes seemingly blank. But you know him better than you like to admit, and his trying-to-hide-emotions face hasn’t changed since high school. Something in him is hurting. “I understand.”

“I don’t.”

You and Jaehyun jump at the sound of your husband’s voice, and you stare wide-eyed as he pushes the door open.

“Why do you hate Yoonoh? And why wouldn’t we be friends?”

You feel your heart stop at his questions. Yes, you wanted to tell him, but not like this. It made you feel like he caught you cheating. Jaehyun looks expectedly to you, effectively making you feel more trapped. You hold Jaehyun's eye, wanting to cry at the expectation he is now placing on you.

“Listen,” you start slowly, looking away from the man next to you. Just looking at Johnny makes you want to curl into yourself. “It’s a long story, okay? Well, not a long story. Rather, a really hard truth to say and something I did because I thought it was right. But now, I’m not so sure.” you ramble, walking towards him. “You can be sad, mad, or anywhere in between.”

He smiles nervously, eyes flickering between you and Jaehyun. “Thanks for the permission.”

You let a silence fall between you three, and you feel the nervousness from Johnny mix with your anxiousness. You don’t know what Jaehyun feels, nor do you care. You’re too busy trying to think of how to start this.

“I’m the one who cheated on y/n.”

You quickly turn your head towards him, eyes wide at Jaehyun’s sudden confession.

Johnny laughs, the look on his face showing he doesn’t understand the comment. “What?”

“I-um, remember the guy I told you about that cheated on me in high school? Yeah, that is Jaehyun- I mean Yoonoh.”

Any trace of a smile falls off Johnny’s face, and he tears his eyes away from you to look at the other man in the room. “And that’s true? You guys are from the same area of Connecticut, and you’re the guy she dated for two and a half years before he left and had his best friend tell her you cheated on her?”

Jaehyun nods his head, eyes looking away in shame. “I can’t imagine how you feel—”

“You’re right; you can’t. Because I’m sure you think I feel angry—and believe me, I am—that you did that to my wife. But more than angry, I feel stupid. I mean, the entire time you’ve been here, you’ve been dropping hints. You knew stuff about her that you wouldn’t have known unless you were close. And yeah, your excuses made sense at the time, but now that I think about it, I never would have mentioned y/n’s second flavor of ice cream to you in Korea. And you,” he looks back at you, and you feel another wave of anxiety rush over you. “I feel so stupid that I didn’t notice how uncomfortable you were. You only gave him short answers, and I’m sure you never looked him in the eyes for longer than three seconds.”

He laughs, running a hand through his hair. “God, I feel like such an idiot. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it wasn’t just my wedding; it was yours. And you wanted him there, and it shouldn’t matter my past with him.”

“Yoonoh, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Y/n told me not to. She wanted you to be happy.”

Johnny nods his head, scoffing. “So she did it for me, and what? You did it for yourself?”

Jaehyun hesitates to answer, but, to his credit, he never breaks eye contact with Johnny. “I don’t know if I would say it’s that simple.”

“No, it’s simple. You broke her heart and made her feel worthless. But she set it aside because she loves me and wanted someone I considered a friend at my wedding, despite how she feels about you. But you, you kept it from me because you were scared. You were scared of how I would react. Instead of manning up and doing one good thing for y/n, you decided to keep it to yourself.”

Your heart melts at his speech, and you reach out to grab his hand. “Johnny.”

He smiles sadly at you, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Can we talk in private?”

You nod your head, letting him pull you out of the room. Johnny leads you to the kitchen, letting go of your hand to lean against the counter. He rubs a hand over his face, and despite his conflicted emotions, you feel a little of your anxiety melt away now that you’re away from Jaehyun.

“Is that really why you didn’t tell me? You wanted me to have a friend there? It’s not because you don’t trust me or anything?”

“No, of course, I trust you,” you say, grabbing his free hand in both of yours. “I just, I don’t know, I wanted you to have everyone you wanted at our wedding. You were so excited to have him there, and I couldn’t take that away from you. It’s supposed to be the best day of your life. You deserve to have the people you love there.”

“I don’t know what to say to that. That’s so stupidly selfless, and I wish you had told me. We’re a team now. We need to tell each other these things.”

You vigorously nod your head, hoping to show him you agree. “Yes, of course. I have never lied to you about anything else. Please know I trust you unconditionally.”

He sucks in a breath, tilting his head to the side. “I don’t like the idea of unconditional anything. I want you to trust me because you love me and believe in me. Not because you feel you need to because of this or because we are married.”

You nod your head, whispering an okay. You feel like you're grasping at straws; everything you say feels wrong. Maybe it's the anxiety that has been building up in the past five minutes, but you feel like one more wrong word from you, and you'll spiral into a crying mess.

“Now,” he clears his throat. “I have to go talk to him. But when I get back, let’s go out, okay?”

You lightly chew your lip, watching as he flashes you a fleeting smile before making his way back to where Jaehyun is.

—

Jaehyun felt the air leave his chest once you and Johnny left the room. While not physically hit, the look on his friend's face felt like an emotional punch.

After you two left the room, he sat on the bed and threw his head into his hands. In hindsight, he probably should have let you tell him. Maybe Johnny wouldn’t have been as mad. Then again, Jaehyun has no idea how mad his friend is. He has a feeling that he’ll find out once he returns.

“So you really cheated on my wife, huh?”

Jaehyun chuckles, raising his head out of his hands to look at Johnny, who closed the door behind him. “I bet you never thought you’d say those words.”

“Come on. We need to have this conversation.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” he sighs, pushing himself up from the bed. “What do you want to know?”

“I don’t know, so just let me talk. So when your family moved here, you moved to the same city as y/n, met, and started dating. At some point, you started cheating on her, but then moved back to Korea and had one of your then friends tell her?”

Jaehyun can’t bring himself to look Johnny in the eyes. Seeing you had kicked him in his ego. It reminded him of the person he used to be. But now, having to tell your husband about how horrible of a boyfriend he was really made him feel small.

“I didn’t ask him to do that. He just decided on doing that. Not that I blame him.”

Johnny nods his head. “I don’t need to know why—it doesn’t matter. But do you know how worthless you made her feel? Just the other day, she asked me if I still wanted to marry her because she was thinking about your relationship. She told me I deserved better. And I’m sure some of that came from keeping this secret from me, but a majority of it came from you.”

Jaehyun looks up to see if he is done. The first night he got here, and almost every night since, he thought of the things Johnny might say once he found out. He would never describe his friend as violent, so he wasn’t worried about getting hit. He would prefer being punched to the look on his friend's face.

“I invite you to my wedding,” Johnny continues, seemingly annoyed at Jaehyun’s lack of response. “And invite you to our home. When you see your ex-girlfriend open the door, instead of being a decent human and telling her you’ll stay somewhere else, you stay in our home. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that probably made her?”

“I did offer to leave, but she told me it was okay. She said she didn’t want to influence our relationship. She also said you’d pick her over me.”

Johnny sighs. “What do you expect me to say to that?”

Jaehyun shrugs. “I don’t know, but I do want to apologize. I’m sorry I put you in this position, and I’m sorry I lied to you. I never meant-I don’t know what I meant. I just know I never intended to cause a problem between you and y/n. I came and stayed because you’re my friend, and I wanted to celebrate one of the biggest days of your life.”

“You’re not listening,” Johnny insists. “I’m not mad because you’re the guy who cheated on her. I’m mad because you didn’t say anything. I can’t say anything would be different if you had told me before, but it might have been! We could have talked it out, and you could have convinced me you changed. But now, instead of looking at you as the guy who broke her heart, I’m looking at you as the guy who also made her uncomfortable in her own home. At her wedding! How could you do that to her?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re going to have to do better than that.”

Jaehyun sighs. He knows this is a losing conversation. Nothing he can say would make this situation better. “I guess I was being selfish. I wanted to protect my friendship with you by not telling you this. Yes, of course, I felt guilty for what I put y/n through. But she said she wanted me there for you. I felt trapped because I wanted to be there, you wanted me there, and she wanted me there for you but not herself. What was I supposed to do? Go against her and tell you?”

“Yes! Yes, you should have told me. Because she cares for me, she put me first. She decided she was less important than I am, and you are the only one to blame for that. And that is unacceptable. As my friend, you should have told me.”

“Hyung, I’m sorry.”

His friend takes a deep breath, running his left hand through his hair. The silver band on his finger catches his attention, and he feels another wave of guilt wash over him. “You know you need to leave?”

Jaehyun nods his head. He didn’t know what the outcome of this conversation was going to be, but he knew this was bound to happen.

“Good. Y/n and I are going out, so if you could be gone by the time we get back that would be best. I’ll still drive you to the airport, and maybe then we can talk about where our relationship goes from there.”

He nods his head, feeling too lost to say anything. Johnny silently leaves the room, and a few minutes later, he hears the front door close. He wishes he isn’t the one to blame. That he can blindly call you and Johnny jerks and leave with his ego intact. Now that he had that conversation, though, he knows there is no other narrative to possibly tell.

He is the villain. No longer is he the friend who came all the way from South Korea for his friend’s wedding. Now, he is the guy who cheated on his friend’s wife and had the nerve to stay in their home and attend the wedding. He chuckles, finally moving from his spot.

It’s almost funny. All this might have been avoided had he come clean in the first place. If he had just been honest, maybe he could still call Johnny his friend. But if history is any indication, Jaehyun has a problem with the truth.

—

“So where are we going?” you ask, following Johnny as he starts down the street.

He shrugs his shoulders. “I was thinking we could just walk and talk.”

You nod your head, pursing your lips as you reach out to grab his hand. You don’t know what to think.

“Y/n, I just don’t understand. When you told me someone cheated on you, I was so confused. I was both mad and sad for you. You knew what I thought about the man who cheated on you, and you still didn’t tell me it was him. I would’ve worked with you. Worked to make you comfortable.”

You sadly hum, the constant weight of the situation settling on your chest and making it hard to breathe. “I know, honey, I know. And that’s why I didn’t tell you. It’s only a big deal to me—”

He interrupts you with a laugh. “That’s false, and you know it. Don’t even give me that. You knew it would be a big deal to me, and that’s why you didn’t tell me. And yeah, Yoonoh told me that you wanted to protect my relationship with him. That because it was also my wedding, I should have whoever I wanted there. But that’s crap, and you know it.”

You squeeze his hand, looking at all the passing people. All these people passing by, and none of them have any idea about your situation. To them, you’re just another couple having an average conversation. You’re envious of their ignorance but thankful for the hope that maybe it isn't as world-shattering as it feels.

“I don’t know what to say. I understand why you’re mad. I don’t know how I’d feel if some girl who cheated on you came to the wedding. Because I hold such a high opinion of you, I would think she doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near you. But he’s your best friend from an amazing time in your life, and I couldn’t be the reason you two don’t talk.”

A silence falls between you two, and to try and avoid your thoughts, you focus on the sound of cars passing by. When you were younger, you never imagined your life in New York. You love Connecticut and had every intention of moving back after finishing college. Enter Johnny.

When you first met Johnny, you paid him no mind. He was just another face in the crowd. After you met him on Ellis Island, you started noticing him more in the crowds of people you passed every day.

Apparently, he felt the same. He started smiling at you when you passed in the halls, occasionally exchanging greetings. Then, one day in psych, he deviated from his usual seat in the middle and joined you in the front.

“Can I sit here?”

You smile at him, hoping he can’t see how happy you are to see him. “Yeah, of course.”

You silently watch as he sits down, pulling out his notes. “Oh,” you start, not wanting the conversation to end just yet. “I never got to thank you for helping me with that boy the other day. It meant a lot to me.”

“It was the least I could do. You looked like you had your hands full.”

You laugh, nodding your head. “Yeah, I was. I don’t know if you noticed, but that little boy and I had a bit of a language barrier.”

He hums. “Well, I am happy to lend a helping hand when I notice a damsel in distress.”

You laugh at the remark, not missing how the comment made your heart light. You quickly shut the feeling down, choosing to focus on your notes. You haven’t seriously dated anyone since Jaehyun, and you don’t know if you’re ready. Throughout the class you tried to ignore the urge to look at him.

“Hey, so I’ll see you Friday for class?”

You smile up at him, happy he wants to see you again. “Yeah, see you Friday.”

After that, you two started talking more, and eventually, he asked you out. You were hesitant at first, still nervous after everything that happened with Jaehyun. Around your third date, you told him that. Told him that if he wanted out now, he could take it, and you wouldn’t blame him. He smiled, shaking his head softly before telling you there was nothing to worry about. From what he had seen so far, there was nothing that would make him think he needed to use that out.

“We’ll work past this, right?” you ask softly, not wanting to hear an answer. “You don’t think poorly of me?”

He squeezes your hand. “Sweetheart, do you think something like this would make me care for you any less?”

You feel the tears prickle in your eyes, and you hug his arm with your free hand. “I love you.”

—

Jaehyun heaves a nervous sigh, bouncing his leg nervously as he waits for Johnny's call. He hasn’t spoken to his friend since he was kicked from your apartment—the last conversation he shared with him has replayed in his mind for the past few days.

When Johnny's contact photo pops us—a dumb photo he took of a drunk Johnny in a party hat—he feels his heart stop. What am I going to say? How do I act normal?

He clears his throat, trying to rid his body of the nervousness. “Hey, you out front?”

“Yeah. As soon as you leave the building, I’m there.”

“Okay, see you in a second.” Jaehyun pushes himself up, hanging up the phone as he walks the few steps out of the automatic doors. His friend wasn’t kidding. As soon as he steps outside the hotel, he sees his friend’s car trunk popped open for Jaehyun to load his things.

He walks as slowly as he can without it being obvious, mentally building up the courage to sit with Johnny and have what he can imagine is the most awkward conversation he will ever have in his life.

“I’ve done a lot of thinking,” Johnny starts, not leaving any time between the start of the drive and the start of the conversation, “and a lot of talking with y/n, and honestly, I don’t know what to do. I talked with her, and she wants me to keep you as a friend if that is what I want without thinking about her.”

“And is that what you want?” Jaehyun keeps his eyes on the outside world. He doesn’t know if he can stand to see any of the left-over disappointment.

“I don’t know what I want. Even if she says not to keep her in mind, she’ll always be in my mind when I look at you. I mean, no offense, but now when I look at you, I am reminded of the secret you guys kept from me and how I felt when I found out. I mean, I felt like you guys played me, and it was all some sick joke.” Johnny sighs, and out of the corner of his eye, Jaehyun can see him shake his head. “But that is beside the point. I asked her if she could ever forgive you for what happened.”

Jaehyun sits straighter in his seat, turning his head to face his friend. “And… and what did she say?”

“She says that when you’re with her, it feels like you revert to who you were in high school. That she can still see traces of the same man who hurt her. But when you’re with me, she sees the man I view as my best friend. She said she likes Yoonoh much better than Jaehyun and that if you can continue to be that man around me, then she can understand if we remain friends."

"I change that much?”

Johnny shrugs. “I don’t know.”

He nods his head, looking back out the window. He lets a few seconds of silence pass by as he decides if he wants to hear the answer to the question that still needs asking. “And you? What do you think about still being my friend?”

“Right into it, huh?” His friend laughs humorlessly. “I don’t know, Yoonoh. You were part of the reason I had such a good time in Korea, and without you, I don’t think I would have enjoyed my time as much. I made other friends there, but none I clicked with like you, and none that I still talk with to this day. So you matter to me. But at the same time, you cheated on my wife before we met. When she told me about this, she told me about the pain and the self-esteem issues that came with being cheated on. And then you lied to me about it. Sure, so did y/n, but she did it selflessly, and you lied for you. I don’t mean to put it so bluntly, but I don’t know anymore.”

“I don’t mean this in a joking way, but I agree. I don’t know what you should do either. I want to say you should forgive me, but I don’t know if that is the ‘right’ thing to do. What would make you feel less guilty?”

“I have been thinking about this for the past three days, and I can’t say what that would be. I tried to imagine my life without you and my life with you. I feel like I have to choose between you and my wife, and I don’t want to make that choice.”

“You know, you don’t need to make that choice now. I’m not going anywhere, and neither is y/n. You can text me whenever you have made your choice—whatever that may be. If you don’t want to talk to me, then I will respect that, and we go our separate ways. You and y/n are right—I have been selfish during this whole thing. It’s time for me to be as unselfish as I can and tell you that you can take as long as you need. Know there is no pressure on my side of this.”

Johnny sighs. “You know, saying things like that reminds me why I like you.”

Jaehyun laughs, happy to have something lighthearted in the environment. The comment gives him hope that maybe things will be okay between them. Even if it isn’t okay, he meant what he said; whatever Johnny decides, he will respect it. He wouldn’t ask his friend to do anything that might cause an issue in his marriage. Not when he found you.

—

“Talk later then?”

“Yeah, let me know when you land in Korea. Safe flight.”

Jaehyun nods his head, waving goodbye. Johnny sighs, watching his friend walk into the airport. He feels like so much happened in four days, and now, more than ever, he is ready to go on his honeymoon and have a week dedicated to just you and him.

Ten minutes into his drive back and five minutes into sitting in traffic, the loud ring of his phone causes him to jump.

“I gotta see if I can make this quieter,” he mumbles, pressing accept on the steering wheel. “Hello?”

“Hey, did I time it right?” you start, skipping the greeting. “I added an extra twenty minutes to the hour drive from when you left the hotel to make sure you had dropped him off. Not that I would mind calling you while he is still there, I just wouldn’t want to get in the way of you guys spending the rest of the time together. And now I’ve been talking for too long. You really need to learn to interrupt me.”

Johnny laughs. “I love it when you talk. Don’t worry about it, Love.”

You laugh, and he imagines you throwing your head back. “Love? That’s a new one. Anyway, I looked at the weather for when we’ll be in Italy, and it looks perfect! Low seventies, high sixties.”

He laughs, resting his head against the driver's window as he watches the cars barely inch forward. “And to think, you had your doubts about the Amalfi Coast.”

“Hey! First, we both put suggestions into the hat, and it isn’t my fault your brother picked your suggestion. Second, I never had any doubts about Italy. Don’t lie.”

“You’re right, you’re right, I’m sorry. The weather sounds great. I’m stuck in traffic right now; I guess there was some accident on top of the normal traffic. So I’ll be home in like one hundred years.”

“Aw, I’m sorry. Want me to pick some food up from that Greek place around the corner? A little comfort food for us?”

He smiles, knowing you mean comfort for more than just the traffic. “Yeah, that sounds great. Get me the gyro-”

“Gyro chicken mix plate. You really should change it up now and again. You’re getting too predictable.”

He laughs. “Yeah, maybe next time. Once you find the good stuff, it’s too scary to try new food.”

“Whimp.”

“Whatever you say. Mind you I am also driving. It’s not like I can check the menu. That would be unsafe.”

“Excuses, excuses.” You sigh, and Johnny can hear the shuffling of papers. “Alright, I’m going to head home now. I gotta write this substitution plan before we can leave. But I’ll get the food, and while we feast, why don’t we watch some tv?”

“Sounds like a brilliant plan. Love ya.”

“Love you too.”

---

Thank you for reading! This as been a wip forever now and it feels really good to finally put this out (even if it is a few days later than I thought). I would love to know what you thought!!

Have a great day/night <3

Taglist: @legbouk @lydinews

masterlist

#NCT-WRITERS #NCT #nct johnny x reader #nct johnny #johnny seo #nct jaehyun #jung yoonoh #jung jaehyun #nct fluff #nct imagines #nct scenarios #kpop #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #nct 127 fluff

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harlowtales · 1 year ago

Text

Reader is pregnant with her 4rth child with Jack and gets a disturbing phone call. ***High Drama/Romance***

The triplets were tearing up the house. They were walking now and there were pads on corners and gates everywhere so they wouldn’t hurt themselves with their shenanigans. 3 daughters in one go and you were pregnant with your fourth. Thankfully it was only 1 this time. You and Jack had broken up a few times. During those breaks you both did things you weren’t proud of. He took you on a ski vacation in Aspen and that’s when it happened. Baby number 4. At first you were so upset, but now as you rubbed your belly getting a moment of peace while Maggie played with the girls, you couldn’t be happier. That’s until the phone rang.

“Hello?” You didn’t recognize the number.

“Tell your man I need my child support!” The voice said rudely

You froze. “I’m sorry? I think you have the wrong number.”

“Oh I got the right one bitch, and I’m the wrong one to fuck with. Tell Jack to pay today or I go to TMZ.” With that the voice hung up.

You went cold and felt faint. You moved to stand up and stumbled back.

“Y/n!” Maggie said concerned and dashed over to you. “Katrina take the babies outside” she ordered your nanny. “Y/n I’m calling the doctor now!”

The next thing you knew you were in you andJack’s room. You blacked out a bit. “You’ll be fine, just a sudden stress that hit you. I’m ordering you on bed rest for 3 days and I’ll come back and check on you. Don’t get up and move around without help.” The doctor ordered.

Just then Jack rushed in the room. “Baby!” He said almost knocking the doctor over.

“Now Jack please be calm around her.” The doctor said softly “She can’t handle any excitement ok?” He said looking Jack in his eyes. “This is serious son. She’ll be fine, but she needs peace and quiet.”

Jack had one of the girls on his hip, one holding onto his leg and one was holding onto his shirt sucking her thumb. Their hair was in curly mops and they were in their pyjamas. It was turning into evening now. You missed the whole rest of the day. Jack leaned in and kissed you on your forehead. The girls toppled you but he firmly instructed them to leave you alone. “Hey, get off mommy ok?” He said in that firm but gentle way that he always spoke to them.

“I’ll take them away to bed now hunny, and I’ll stick around for a few more days and help Katrina with the babies” Maggie said leading the girls out of the room. She was so worried about you as you were unresponsive on the couch. You had fallen back and your cell phone hit the floor. She had called Jack in tears and he went straight to the airport from recording in L.A. and caught a private jet.

“Do you need anything baby girl?” He said sweetly petting your hair

“Yes I do.” You said the tears were like a damn held back only by your anger, but they were about to come crashing through. “I got a phone call today. So what I need is the truth.”

Jack’s face went pale and his blue eyes widened. He genuinely looked confused but frightened as you were so obviously in a crisis, so much so you had fainted. You weren’t a stranger to women throwing themselves at Jack and constant rumours. That didn’t even bother you anymore. In fact, both of you often joked about it. “Hey baby guess what? You said one morning as you were both having coffee. You’re leaving me for Chloe Bailey….again.” You chuckled one day as you read a fictitious story on-line “and Halle is pregnant with twins for you, and her and Chloe are fighting”

“Oh yeah?” He said smiling adorably with his hand to his mouth to control an outburst of a belly laugh “I didn’t know that.”

But this was no joke and you wanted answers. NOW.

“A young lady phoned me today and demanded child support from you.” You said straight. You had no time for games.

When Jack saw you weren’t even crying or stuttering and looking him dead in his eye he straightened up. You were sweet but you didn’t play about shit like this.

“Sounded like you know who” You said shaking with rage now and feeling a bit weak from fainting. You laid back on the pillows in exhaustion and now the tears came like a river. “Why Jack? We were happy! How could do this to the girls? To me? To our lives? We’re a whole family here!” You sobbed. “Was it one of those times we broke up? Or did you cheat on me?” You demanded

Jack was primarily concerned for your health. If he lost you….if the girls lost you…he was on the verge of tears but was keeping it together to explain. “Y/n, I know what this is about and I can assure you it isn’t mine and yes it was her.” He said truthfully. “We messed around when you and I we’re broken up. I wore a condom and she claims it broke. Then she went back to her man and I came back to you. I’m sure it’s his. I took a test and I’m waiting to see what happens. I didn’t tell you about all this because I have nothing to do with her anymore and and if the child isn’t mine then you didn’t need to worry while you’re pregnant. Now obviously I should have told you.” He held you under his gaze to see your reaction and was holding your hand nervously rubbing it waiting for you to say something.

“Get…the fuck…away from me.” You said coldly “You pack your shit and leave me and my children alone. I don’t want your fucking money, just get the fuck away from me.” You withdrew your hand and reached for Kleenex to dab your eyes. You felt so strong all of a sudden. You were so sick of all this shit. If it was you and the girls… so be it.

“Oh fuck no.” Jack said angrily “Give me your phone.” He demanded

“No.” You said defiantly

“Y/n, give me your phone I’m calling her” Jack said

“No you’re not because she’ll take that to TMZ like she told me. That conversation will “leak” and you’ll be ruined.” You said. Jack was in shock you had the wherewithal to think in your condition. One of the reasons he admired you so much.

“So what do I do?” He asked in distress his head in his hands “You and the girls are my world.” His shoulders started shaking as he began crying. Just then your daughter Violet was standing there looking at both of you rubbing her eyes and yawning.

“Mama sad.” She said wobbling over to hug you.

“Oh sweet pea.” You said kissing her as she climbed into bed with you. “Mommy is fine. We’ll all be fine. You and mommy and Sarah, and Misty. Mommy will make sure of that forever and ever.” You couldn’t hold back some tears as you tried to stay strong for her.

Jack got up from the bed and went downstairs to the studio to think and give you space. He was not going to be packing up and going anywhere even if the results came back it was his. This girl he knew from back in the day had stayed in the background for years and was always available when things didn’t work out with other girls. When Jack met you, she knew it was going to be different and turned up the heat when he proposed to you and found out you were pregnant. She had been an issue a few times. Jack was weak the last time you and him had a big fight. He had to be out in L.A. recording with Em and he called her to hook up. Even if she wasn’t on a break with her man she would never turn Jack down. Now it was a big mess.

“Urb, you up?” He called his best friend.

“Sup bruh, I am now.” Urban said sleepily

“She called y/n.” Jack said

“Shit!” Urban said sitting up in bed suddenly

“Y/n wants me out.” Jack said fiddling with some dials on a soundboard in his home studio. When he felt this way it was down to music or girls, and now he realized the girls had to go.

“So…are you leaving the house?” Urban asked concerned “Cuz you can always crash here.”

“Fuck no.” Jack said absolutely “This is my fucking wife and kids man.”

“Y/n’s got every right to want you out bro.” Urban said “On some real shit.”

Urban was Jack’s best friend because he always told him the truth. “But my advise is, stick with her. She’s pregnant and she needs you.”

“Thanks bro.” Jack said appreciatively “Thanks for picking up at this hour.”

“No worries bro I got you for life.” Urban said

Jack crept back in the room. The lights were off now and Violet was sprawled across his side. He picked her up and put her back in her room. But before he tucked her in he whispered “Daddy will always be here for you.” Violet rubbed her ear still asleep as if she was rubbing her dad’s loving message into her ears and her heart. He placed her in bed, only her curly mop showing from under her quilt. He had to keep everything together. It meant too much to him. He just realized how much.

He tipi toed back into the room to find you up in bed on your phone texting. “Who are you texting?” He asked

“None of your business.” You said sharply

“Who….are….you….texting.” Jack said slowly and firmly

You hit send, turned off the bedside lamp, and laid down tuned away from him on your side in a huff angrily fluffing up your pillow. Jack knew as pregnant as you were you had options too. You were gorgeous and some other guy would have no issue stepping in to play daddy but that wasn’t about to happen.

“Baby. Who…” he started saying again but you cut him off

“We all have options Jack.” You said “I just put mine on notice to stand by.” You had just texted your mom that you were ok because she couldn’t reach you with all the drama. Maggie had called her and she didn’t know what was going on. However, Jack deserved to be messed with.

“I’m not fucking going a damn place, so tell whoever da fuck that is that if I catch him anywhere near my family TMZ will have something to talk about” he threatened

“Yeah ok, I’ll let him know.” You said sassily rolling your eyes still turned around.

Jack lost it. He turned you around and looked at you red with anger. “I’m not leaving, and I don’t fucking love her. I had to tuck my daughter in just now and tell her I’ll never leave and I’m not breaking that promise. Do you hear me? If it’s mine, which it’s not, I’ll handle it.. fuck we’ll handle it.”

“We who?” You said directly challenging him now. Jack backed up. You were about to throw hands. He could tell by the look on your face. “Just know I have four of my own and if that baby is yours you will be out of this house dealing with YOUR own shit on your own do you hear me?” You poked him in the chest. “You don’t tell me what WE will be doing.”

“Ok baby. I get it. Please you’re not well.” He said

You started to cry loudly and hitting the pillows in frustration. Jack put his arms around you, holding you back. He held you to his chest closely “come sit here.” He motioned for you to sit in between his legs on the bed.

You wearily rolled into the middle where he was patting for you to be. He rubbed your tummy and started singing to you an unreleased song he wrote about you. He wasn’t sure he was a good singer so only you knew about it. You calmed down, wiping your tears so tired and fully relaxed leaning on him like the support he was determined to be for you. Not just now that he had screwed up…but forever.

@itsyagirljaz @killatravtramp @angelbae05 @jacks-daycare

#fanfic #jack harlow #hip hop #writing #dramatic #romance #pregnant

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