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kimthwariru · 3 years

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Another Day

Jungkook x Reader

Mafia au

📍This chapter includes mature content

Page 16. A quick talk

“Just so you know, I think this is a terrible idea” Jungkook took a big sip out of his beer.

It was now around 3am and most people had already left the party. After the secret meeting between you Jin and Namjoon the members reached the decision of taking you up for the job. It was not such a big deal, they just needed you to translate some voice recordings. They said the less you knew the better it was for you.

You still can’t bare the thought that these guys were in the underworld. but the scariest thing was… you still liked them. The fact that they were literally criminals did not phase you anymore. The last thing you remember was you and May dancing before Jungkook pulled you to the side, telling you he wanted to explain more about this whole thing, and now here you are, on the small balcony in front of jungkook’s room, with a man who you learned was in an organized mafia clan just a few hours ago.

“Jungkook, if you brought me all the way up here in hopes to get me to back down from this, you’re wasting your time” It was true, no matter what Jungkook was willing to tell you, you had no intentions of not getting May that 10k.

Jungkook shook his head “We’re way passed that. There in no backing down from this now anyway…” he looked at you “Y/n, you do realize what we are, right?How big this whole thing is?”

“I’m still… processing it” you sight “ gotta admit, a bit cooler than ordinary delivery men” you chuckle

Jungkook laughed “I can’t believe you’re making jokes right now”

“Better than freaking out and calling the police, right?”

“God, much much better!” he paused “You know, I was so afraid that if you ever found out what we do you’d…” Jungkook suddenly had a bleak expression on his face

“You were afraid I’d leave?”

“Yeah…” he simply said

“Don’t worry Jeon, you ain’t getting rid of me that easy” you both chuckled. It was after a minute that you realized Jungkook was literally starting at you, like it was the first time he had seen you in a while. “Everything alright?” You question his sudden silence. You don’t want to misunderstand anything, especially when it came to Jungkook. But the way he was looking at you right now made you feel something in the pit of your stomach.

“I’m sorry-I just-“ he shook his head “You’re… stunning.”

You freeze. You don’t know if you can trust your ears or not. Where was Jungkook going with all of this? “I don’t get it” you shake your head “One minute you’re making fun of me and question everything I like, and the other you’re saying things like this…”

You thought he was like this to every girl he’d met. You’ve heard how flirty he is when it comes to women he wants to get. You always thought that whenever he was getting too flirty with you, he didn’t think much of it himself. But now, this whole thing felt a bit too personal.

“Both situations is me being honest” he suddenly grabbed your waist “And the truth is, I wanna kiss you so bad right now” he leaned in, his face centimeters away from yours. You could smell the alcohol in his breath. You hated the fact that you felt your knees go week.

Was all this because he was drunk? Was he playing a game like he has done with others a million times before?

“Jungkook, you reek of alcohol…” you turn your head to the side to break eye contact.

“No no no don’t give me that” his voice low, he turned your face towards him again and you thought you’d faint if you had to look at his Greek god-like features so up close for another minute.

Especially his fucking lips.

You wanted to taste them so badly. God, you finally admit it to yourself, as much as it terrifies you, you have something for him. You’re not sure what it is yet, but there is something… and the way he was looking down at your lips made you want to bite them down so hard.

“You have no idea how hard it was sometimes”he said suddenly, his gaze shifting from your lips to your eyes again.“Doing things-things that made me feel like a fucking monster. I used to look in the mirror and not be able to recognize my reflection.” He sighted and closed his eyes for a second.

You genuinely felt bad, It’s the first time you’re seeing him so venerable. You couldn’t possibly imagine the things he had to go through at such a young age.

“I thought I could just put a mask on and be ok, but I wasn’t. Even though the mask was damn heavy, I put it on anyways. I didn’t have a choice” He opened his eyes again and looked at you. “I threw away the mask when I met you…When I was with you I felt like I was myself again. Seeing you heals me.”

You swear your heart wasn’t even beating right now. You never imagined that the simple things mattered so much to him. Sure, sometimes he was an annoying know-it-all asshole but in reality, Jungkook was the most interesting person you had ever met and you were never going to tell him, but you sort of admired him. “You deserve good things Jungkook, and I want to be one of them”

Jungkook’s lips curled up into a smile before moving one hand from your waist to the back of your head, pulling you in for a soft kiss. He didn’t use tongue at first, but he was being passionate. You felt his palm caressing your back. God, this felt right. For a moment you forget even your name, the only thing you knew were his lips and his scent.

Judging from his skills, it’s clear to you that Jungkook had a ton of experience in this field. As the kiss started becoming more heated Jungkook suddenly stopped and jerked his head back. His prominent Adam’s apple and his neck muscles were your view. “I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself.”

He leaned back down and rested his forehead on yours. You knew Jungkook was more than turned on, you had be feeling the growing bulge in his pants for a while now. “Control is overrated” you smile

He quickly grabs the back of your neck and pulls you in for a completely different kiss. This time, you felt his tongue caressing yours. It was when he squeezed your inner thigh that you realized you wanted more, a lot more. “Should we go inside?” You hint and by the way he smirked at you it was clear that he understood immediately what you meant by that.

Jungkook closed the curtains behind him and threw you on the bed carefully. When he leaned on top of you, you see him grin “God, you look like you were made to be on top of my bed…”

Hearing those words made your head spin like no amount of alcohol could. He started kissing you, his erect member rubbing against your slit. Each stroke making you more light headed “Fuck” you moan in between rough kisses “I wanna suck you so bad” you surprise even yourself by saying that, but it was true, you were too aroused, and you wanted to taste him.

“On your knees then” he panted

You did as he said and watched him as his pale, long fingers worked at his jeans. You scooted down until you were face to face with his thick erection. You wrap one hand around him and started stroking him slowly “Fuck, it’s so big” you moan before licking it from ball to tip.

Jungkook couldn’t articulate anything other than loud groans. You sucked him enthusiastically, matching him noise for noise. You paid special attention not only to his arousal, but to all that lay below as well.

“You like sucking my dick?” He basically growled the words. You could feel your panties getting wetter by the minute.

“I love it.” You try to suck it all in but it was so big it made you gag. “See? I take it all like a little slut” Dirty talking wasn’t really something you did normally, but Jungkook made your insides stir up. All you could think was his dick and how good it would feel inside of you.

“You dirty little thing” he moaned and grabbed your hair into a ponytail, making you go deeper each time. You were surprised at his self control; most guys would have already come and you would have had to start all over again to get what you really wanted. “Show me how wet you are”

You put to fingers inside of you and softly pull them out again, bringing them up to show Jungkook your juices.

He shook his head “Naughty girl, what am I going to do with you?” He leaned down “I can’t have you dripping all over my new carpet” he bit your bottom lip while you were still giving his member subtle strokes. “How about you sit on my face instead?”

His words caught you by surprise. To be honest, no one has ever offered to pleasure you this way before. You were trembling even at the idea of Jungkook’s tongue touching you down there…

“Yes..” you tried your best to keep your voice steady, but you did a poor job. Jungkook noticed

“What’s up y/n? Am I making you too excited?” A cocky expression painted all over his face. Jungkook liked having you like this. He liked having control over you. You knew it.

“Maybe…” You get up as he lays down. “I’ve never tried this before…” you admit. To be honest, your experience with sex was limited. You could count the times you had sex with one hand. Sure, you had a little more experience with foreplay, but that’s it. You were sure Jungkook was much more experienced than you, but he was making you feel comfortable. That’s what mattered.

“Just sit on my face, let me do the rest”

You do as he says, and the moment his tongue touched your clit you knew you’d have to try not to come. “Fuck” you moan unintentionally. This felt too good. As he was massaging your slit with his tongue, he started squeezing your ass cheeks hard.

At this point, you felt yourself dripping on top of him. You’ve never felt so turned on in your life before. It almost scared you how needy you were for him.

You slowly get up and lay down next to him. Jungkook stretched himself over so he could climb back on top of you. His hips hovered above yours now as he held himself out. You could feel his balls slightly touching your tummy "Damn y/n, you’re driving me crazy” He whispered, the room suddenly feeling cold as his voice sent shivers down your back.

He leaned in, giving you a soft kiss as he played with your hair. His tone quickly becoming more aggressive by the minute, when he had you pinned down completely, he took a deep breath and slowly guided himself into you…pausing for a moment, and then he pushed in, groaning against your chest.

Your breath caught in your throat as you felt his thick member fill you up entirely. His dick was so hard and it felt so freaking good. You respond by digging your fingers into his back, shrieking in enjoyment. For a moment you wandered if your nails would leave marks. You pondered if those marks would be seen by other girls as well…

“Fuck y/n, you’re so tight” he exhaled. His strokes long and steady as you were still adjusting to his size.

“Can you feel how wet I am for you?” You sputtered, wincing as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders.

Jungkook met your lips with another kiss. "I could have you like this all day” He moaned loudly as he shallowly rocked his hips against your own. You gripped one-another with every fiber willingness, panting as Jungkook pushed in deeper, skin scraping on skin. He began to move, at first only in short, shallow thrusts, gasping against your lips as he did so. Jungkook was enjoying this as much as you did, you could tell because he could not contain his loud and impassionate moans that surfaced each time he met your hips with his in a steady rhythm.

He broke away from your lips again, this time hitching one leg up over his shoulders to push himself deeper into you and the ensuing pleasure that followed was almost enough for you to completely loose all of your other senses. You swear that if somebody had asked for your name, you wouldn’t remember it. You kept moaning as Jungkook continued to drive into you. You could feel every inch of his cock inside of you and it felt great.

You forcefully bit down on the inside of your cheek to keep from crying out when Jungkook entered you all the way...”I think I’m going to come”

Jungkook leaned down again, a smirk painted all over his face “of course you are..”

God, you hate the fact that you couldn’t even argue with him. This dude was good, if he deserved to be cocky about one thing, that was definitely sex.

As he shoved his dick deeper and deeper every time, you felt the tension inside your tummy build up. You couldn’t help it anymore. You can feel your toes curl as your walls started clenching around his dick. Fuck, that felt a hundred times better than you had excepted.

You could see it on his face that he felt you coming all over for him. “What a good girl…” he gradually stopped moving and gave you another quick kiss. “My turn… where do you want me to cum?”

Fuck this dude was hot. “My mouth, please?” you quickly place your face in front of his hard dick.

Jungkook took a good look at you before stroking his cock proudly. “Are you going to swallow it like a good little slut?” He tried to say without moaning but he failed miserably.

“Every single drop of it…” you tease, still not braking eye contact. You couldn’t possibly describe how hot Jungkook looked right now. His handsome face looking down at you as he stroked his dick with his tattooed veiny hand.

“Open your mouth then” he orders and you quickly follow, sticking your tongue out. “God you look so fucking hot like this” he barely manages to say as he jerked his head back and made a loud moan, followed by his cum flying to your mouth.

You give yourself a minute before you lay back down on his bed and he does the same, laying down next to you. A silence in the room. It felt…weird. Both you and Jungkook were just laying there, naked and sweaty after having felt each other like that.

You remembered what he had told you. ‘I don’t do relationships, I just fuck’. You kind of resented yourself for allowing you to be just another one of his ‘fucks’.

Jungkook seemed to notice your enigmatic expression “What are you thinking about?” He scooted even closer to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders

“Nothing…” you simply say without looking at him.

“Y/n” he suddenly says “I know I’m a different person to different people. Annoying to one. Talented to another. Interesting to a few. Unknown to a lot…” he paused and you took a second to look at him, his hair messy and his lips slightly stained by your lipstick. “But who am I, to you?”

His question caught you by surprise. “To me?” You repeat. “I don’t think you’re just one thing. I don’t think anyone is just one thing.”

You see him smile “Adjectives are a joke anyways…”

“Adjectives are not so bad. Without them you wouldn’t be able to describe anything.”

“You do have a point…” his chuckle slowly fading “Hey y/n, I have a question” he said all of a sudden

“What is it?”

“Have you and Tae ever… you know?”

You shake your head as a response to how ridiculous that question seemed to you “God. No. Not even close. We’re just… friends”

Jungkook closed his eyes “Thank god.” he exhaled

“Why?”

“I don’t like people touching what’s mine” he simply said leaving you speechless.

#jungkook smut #jungkook fanfic #bts smut #bts fan fiction #bts mafia imagine #bts mafia au #Jungkook #jungkook mafia au #jungkook masterlist #jeon jungkook fanfiction

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itsthestutterforme · 3 years

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Don't Pretend (Vincenzo)

Y/N is a very successful civil rights investigator and a friend of Cha-young. Cha-young called her when she needed help building their case against Babel. Chairman Han seo thinks she's a threat, but Jun woo thinks otherwise.

Pairings: Joon woo x reader (romantic), Cha young x reader (platonic), Vincenzo x reader (platonic)

I didn't even set foot in my apartment yet and Cha young called me for help. I love her and all but it seems like she's always in trouble with someone. She wants me to meet her at a theater because she wants me to meet someone.

She said it was urgent, so I didn't even stop by for food, so this person better be the President of South Korea or something.

I step out of my vehicle and walk through the entrance to see a swarm of reporters surrounding a group of people. One of those people was Cha young and I spin around on my heel, not in the mood for talking to reporters.

"Y/N!" Cha young calls. "Damn it," I say to myself before turning back around. "You didn't mention there would be reporters," "Surprise," she says.

I shake my head and she shrugs. I look to a random spot outside and say, "Oh my God, is that Jay Park and his new girlfriend? Look over there by the garden!" You point to a random couple that was walking past the garden.

"Jay Park! Where?" The swarm of reporters then went outside towards the garden. I roll my eyes and said, "They're like ants searching for food." I make my way towards the group and Cha young links her arm with mine.

"I missed you," she says and I grumble lowly. "Y/N, this is Vincenzo Cassano. Mr. Cassano, this is my colleague and close freind, Y/N," Cha young introduces.

"Seems like you're far from home, Cassano." I say in Italian, much to his surprise. He raises a brow at me and says, "I could say the same for you. The last I saw you, you were handling business in Siena."

"And you were handling business in Milano. Nice touch with the garden. It was beautiful," I compliment and he smiles. "Thank you, I try."

Cha young looks between me and Cassano and says, "You two know each other?" "Vaguely," I comment. "And who are they?" I add, motioning to the older woman, older man and two young men. "The enemy," Cha young says nonchalantly.

"For enemies, you seem awfully close," "Believe me, we're not," an older woman snaps. "Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm just making an observation." I snark. "Excuse me?" she steps closer to me and Cha young does the same.

"Careful, she hates being touched." Cassano states. "I'm heading back to my loft," I say before giving Cassano and Cha young a nod.

"Who are you?" The older woman asks but there was something about her that urked me. I give her a once over before walking back through the entrance.

"She's Y/N Y/L/N, a civil rights investigator and the top in her firm. Not only that, but she has correlations with mafias across three different continents. She has the resources to take us down," Han seo says and a small smile creeps on Joon woo's lips. "Why are you smiling?" Han seo asks.

"She's very accomplished," Jun woo answers. "And it's her accomplishments that scare me, brother." "Don't be. I'll handle her," "Handle her how? Like kill her?" "I don't want to, she seems interesting. But I will if she continues to be a threat to us."

I have to get back into the my workouts. I feel like I've put on a little weight while I was in Italy. It's not like I had any choice. Telling Nonna no is like kicking a puppy, no one can do it. Nonna offers you food, you always say yes. That's an unwritten rule that everyone follows.

My sneakers wrap around perfectly around my feet and I could barely feel the ground when I ran through the city park. I always make sure that it was light enough for things to be visible but early enough that there was only a handful of people in the park itself.

I was on my third and final loop when I saw the black van move across the street and park next to the sidewalk I was running on. I stopped to catch my breath for a moment before running in the other direction. I hear a door open and several footsteps run behind me.

I grab the nearest thick branch I could find and wait until they were close enough. I swing the branch as hard as I could, hitting three men in the face. They fell to the ground and I focus on the two guys rushing towards me at once. I duck around one and punched the other in the throat, leaving me with just the one man.

I bring up my guard and shuffle my feet but the man runs in back into the van and drives away. "You okay?" A voice asks from behind me and I feel a hand on my shoulder. I spin around and kick his leg out from under him. He falls to the ground and I apply pressure to his chest.

"Relax. I'm not the bag guy here." He strains. "Wait a minute, I know you. You're the-" "A friend of Cha young." He places his hand on my outter thigh and I say, "I wouldn't know if friend is a term I would use. She called you the enemy."

"She was referring to the rest of them," "What ever helps you sleep at night." I finally stand up from his chest and he takes a deep breath.

He stands up from the ground and that's when I notice that he was shirtless. My eyes softly scan the smooth, tanned skin of his pecks. My eyes snap up to meet his and he cocks his head teasingly.

"Speechless?" "I'll never give you that satisfaction," I snark as he steps closer to me so I have to look straight up just to meet his eyes.

The next thing I knew, I am washing off his touch and scent in the shower. Well trying to anyway. Halfway through my shower, he decided to join me and trail his hands down my hips.

I moan softly when he presses my body the cold tiled wall and kisses my neck. He hooks one of my legs around his waist and slowly trails his hand along my inner thigh.

My phone blades, scaring us both. I pull away from him and he says, "Just ignore it." "She's been calling me all day, she already knows that something is up." I walk out of the shower and dry my feet before wrapping a towel around my body.

I answer the phone and Cha young yells, "About time! Where have you been!" "I, uh, I went shopping. There was no food in my refridgerator or cabinets." I answer calmly.

"Don't you have a maid for that?" "I'm not lazy enough to have a maid, Cha young." "Well, you had me worried. I thought someone took you hostage or something." She finally says without yelling.

"You really think they are capable of that?" "They are capable of many things. Be careful, Y/L/N." Vincenzo says in Italian.

"Bene, ciao," I say before hanging up. I turn around to see Joon woo inches away from my face. "Did you enjoy the past few hours?" I ask. He steps closer to me and motions to the scratches on his chest from my nails.

"What do you think?" He says softly. There's just something about him speaking softly that makes my knees buckle. The worst part is, I think he knows that.

"Good, because that's the last time that'll happen." "Do you know how many times I've heard that? And how many crawled back to me?" He says cockily. "Yes, but I'm sure you'll be the one crawling." I say, tapping his chest before walking out of the bathroom.

My worst nightmare came true today. One of my closest friends was murdered last night by a rival mob leader. The boss says not to engage them and that he will handle it, and my anger dwindled down to sadness. I took a day to myself and cried my eyes out in my bed.

Goosebumps littered my body as cold chills rolled through. I wince as the cold, damp fabric of the t-shirt grazes over my warm back and I took it as a sign to hop in the shower. Squatting down on the shower floor, I duck my head under the scalding hot water. The water rakes through my hair and trails down my body when I hear the doorbell ring.

I dry myself and slide on some shorts and a sweatshirt Joon woo gifted me in attempt to see me again. It took Joon woo two weeks before realizing that I wasn't going back to him. After wards, he sent me flowers, teddy bears, sweatshirts and a 10k watch that looked like it costed a fortune.

I gave the teddy bears and flowers to random people in the street and the watch to Cha young and the look on Jun woo's face when he realized it was the gift he gave was aboslutely priceless. But I gladly kept the sweatshirts because they were too cute to give up. I walk down the stairs and wipe away my tears before opening the door.

Joon woo stands in the door way and he looked happy about something. But his smile soon falls when he sees that I've been crying. "You've been crying. What happened?" He tried reaching for my face but I slap his hand away. "Stop. Don't pretend like you care about me." I snap but he lunges forward to grab my face.

I take a few steps back and his hold on my face softens. "Of course, I care about you." He says, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. He takes my hand and leads me to the bedroom. I sniffle and wipe away more of my tears. I always hated crying in front of people, it made me feel weak.

He grabbed the remote and sat on the bed. He pulled himself to the head of the bed and takes me with him. He pulls me between his legs and leans my back into his chest.

He searches through the channels and stopped at a cartoon before wrapping one arm along the clavicle of my neck. He wraps the other across my waist and says, "You don't have to talk if you don't want to."

"Why are you here, Joon woo?" I croak, wiping away my tears. "We won our settlement case and I wanted to celebrate with you." "We're literally enemies," "Isn't that how it always is? Enemies and polar opposites attracted to each other?" He asks and I look up to meet his gaze from behind.

He examines my face as he waits for a response. "I guess that is how it goes, isn't it " I lean on his shoulder and he presses the side of his face against my temple. "I lost my best friend today," I add with a sigh.

#vincenzo #joon woo x reader #kdramafans #kdrama fanfic #fluff

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sweetestlamb · 4 years

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Call My Name

Summary: “I don’t know what to do I think I’m falling for you.”

Author's Note: Back with my longest update for this story, almost 10k!! I have only written that much for a chapter for IOTNBO, I’m so proud and excited. It’s thanks to many of you who have been messaging me to let me know how much you appreciate my story and those of you who are making artwork in any capacity based on my story, I am honored thank you!! I battled a lot with the ending but finally I just went with my gut, the characters wanted to act this way and who am I to fight it? I hope you enjoy and I will see you again in the next chapter! Amazing header by @ewolfwitchwisegirl every time I see it I can’t help but smile. Thank you endlessly.

She checks the time on her phone again, for no particular reason just curious about how much time has passed since she last checked. Five minutes. Interesting, she'll make sure to check again to see if her hypothesis is correct, that time seems to move slower in Ju-Kyung's house it feels as if they have been sitting here for hours yet her phone is displaying something completely different and there has to be a scientific explanation for that.

"You acted like you didn't want him to have your phone number but now you won't stop checking your phone." Su-ah teases across the room, hanging upside with her feet on the wall as her fingers move across her own endlessly buzzing phone. She's not jealous about that, not at all.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was just checking the time." She replies coolly pushing the phone away from her with complete disinterest.

She states blankly back at twin penetrating stares of disbelief, rolling her eyes she lowers her head onto the table picking at the skin on her index finger.

"I told you to stop doing that!" Ju-Kyung admonishes grabbing her hands and halting her abuse, they are hideous to look at the skin peeling all over no amount of lotion can rectify the damage she's done. They are one of the reasons she loves winter, she has a bounty of gloves to hide them from view. Self-consciously she tries to twist them away, they look even worst next to the soft plush skin of Ju-Kyung, who consistently moisturizes the appendages.

"Just leave them. They're ugly anyway."

The other girl ignores her bringing out the hand cream she's seen so many times, she simply sighs when the thick lotion is rubbed into her brittle skin. They both know that this is pointless because she'll soon wash away any benefits but Ju-Kyung is always persistent and she's given up on fighting with her. With a light pat and triumphant hum, Ju-Kyung releases her.

"There. Don't they look beautiful?"

They don't. Out of all the things she hates about herself and that lists grows more abundant everyday, her hands are high on the list. They make her feel hideous and as if anything she touches will also lose its beauty. A twisted nightmare inducing Midas touch.

She doesn't reply beyond shoving them into the pocket of her blazer.

"Su-jin?" Su-ah calls from behind her, sounding more serious than she's used to. She tightens in anticipation, barely turning her head.

"Are you okay? I've been giving you space but I want to know what's wrong. What happened at school?"

Her chest constricts painfully, she's not ready for this conversation possibly will never be but if she refuses will they shut her out? Will she be abandoned? Fear rushes through her veins at the very idea of being without them.

She forces herself to speak, "I...its-- what....I"

The words are lodged in her throat choking her until it's hard to breathe, she starts wheezing and then she's wrapped up in a tight hug, her last bit of oxygen squeezed from her body.

"Shhhh. It's okay. We love you, don't cry." Su-ah coos at her, stroking her head and mumbling soothing words into her ear. Ju-Kyung wipes away ardent tears she hadn't realized had fallen, her smooth hands soft on Su-jin’s wet skin.

"I can't. I'm sorry, not yet. Please don't go." For once she says exactly what's in her heart, people leave that's her reality but not them, she can't lose them death would be easier. So she begs tightening her once limp arms around Su-ah's small waist, clinging to the other girl like a weeping child. Her father has stolen everything she's ever loved from her, they couldn’t be another casualty.

"We're not going anywhere. We love you, no matter what. Nothing could change that."

She allows Su-ah to rock her back and forth, deep in her heart she knows those words aren't true, feelings change and once they figure out her secret, this love will fade and they'll grow apart; pity is the kiss of death. Once they know how truly pathetic she is they won't be able to look at her, she'll just be a broken doll that needs to be fixed.

"We love you."

Sure, but for how long?

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Becoming Sujin's friend wasn't easy she can remember the day she first saw the abnormally beautiful girl, she looked like a character out of a Korean drama with her perfect round face and effortless style. She'd simply stared in awe, too dazed to approach the other girl. When they crossed paths in the hallway she watched the other girl intently, she decided in that moment they had to be friends.

It was like destiny, they ended up in the same class and she started to follow the other girl around smiling warmly every time those cool eyes would look at her in question. She sat near her in the cafeteria and greeted her every morning, yet she was no closer to becoming her friend still skirting the edge of acquaintance.

Then one day out of the blue for the first time the other girl approached her, her face expressionless but the air around her was frigid. She gulped watching her draw nearer until they were face to face.

"What do you want from me?" She blinked at the unexpected question, rolling it over in her mind and still not coming up with an answer.

"What?" Was her eloquent reply, she was finally having a conversation with her dream friend and she couldn't get her thoughts together.

"You're always following me. Do you want something from me?"

She thought it was blatantly obvious what she desired from the other girl but she smiled before replying, "Friendship. I want to be your friend."

She'd never seen the other girl look confused before, her eyes got wider and her lips almost disappeared from how tightly she was twisting her mouth.

"Why?"

Her first reaction was to laugh because it sounded like a joke, who wouldn't want to be Sujin's friend she was one of the smartest and prettiest girls in the school but something about the look on her face told Su-ah those answers wouldn't suffice. The other girl was peering at her with deep searching eyes, waiting for her response.

Shrugging she didn't overthink her reply, choosing not to list the many reasons and going with the most basic, "I like you."

It was her first platonic confession, she almost blushed at the words and the potential misunderstandings but Sujin simply looked at her before walking away without another word. She sighed thinking she'd scared the other girl away, walking home crestfallen.

But the next day, Sujin said good morning to her first for the first time ever and they walked to class and as they say the rest was history, they became each other's confidant and best friend. Sujin, the first person to know about her crush on Tae-hoon, always there to wipe her tears after their countless break ups.

Su-jin is like a sister and that is why her breakdown feels even worst, she doesn't know what's going on, has never seen her best friend cry before. Su-jin isn't one to be open about her emotions, her smiles are as elusive as her tears. So her heart aches as Sujin shakes in her arms, wishing she knew what was hurting the girl this deeply so she could rescue her.

"I'll go wash my face." She's reluctant to let the other girl go but she knows the intricacies of her brilliant mind, knows that she's embarrassed and mentally ripping herself apart. Unwrapping her arms she lets her go, tears pooling in her eyes watching her friend suffer.

Quickly brushing the moisture away she turns to Ju-Kyung who isn't faring much better, dark mascara lines dripping down her cheeks. She laughs sadly wiping at the marks with her thumbs before pulling her fingers back and wiping them on her jacket.

"I'm sorry I'm crying, I know we need to be strong for her." Ju-Kyung apologizes but more stubborn tears rolls down her face and she hugs her tightly, needing the comfort herself.

"You're allowed to cry. We'll be there for her until she's ready to tell us what's wrong."

They nod and hug each other weeping for their friend who so solemnly weeps for herself.

It shocks them both when a loud vibration penetrates the silence of the room, the noisy disturbance makes them jump apart before they both glance at the phone on the table before looking at each other.

"Do you think it's...."

"What if it's.."

They speak at the same time and that's the exact moment that the door creaks open and Sujin arrives with red-rimmed eyes her hair now pulled back in a low ponytail.

Su-ah looks at the phone with wide eyes before looking at Sujin, then back to the phone before smiling innocently, "You should check the time."

Sujin doesn't react at first, standing completely still before she takes a hesitant step forward as if the phone has transformed into a bomb. Gingerly lifting it up she wipes go unlock the screen, trying to look unbothered her movements exaggeratedly slow. Su-ah sees right through her, sees the way her fingers twitch and how she takes a deep breath before opening the message.

She watches Sujin's face for a reaction, a smile or frown but there's no reaction until she huffs and throws the phone away with a sharp whisper, "That idiot. What the hell is that?"

Without asking for permission, they know each other's passwords there isn't much privacy between the three of them, she picks up the discarded phone, eyes bulging at the message before she starts to giggle. It was exactly who they thought and his first message to her is an image and the words, saw this and thought of you.

She grins at the message, wondering if Seojun knows how flirty the message reads. He'd openly let Sujin know that she was on his mind. She'd spontaneously decided to save Sujin under that name in his phone Ju-Kyung had told her about their interesting conversation and the pet name, then he used it again at the gate and she couldn't resist. What girl didn't like being called a princess?

"If he calls me that one more time I'm going to break his motorcycle." She winces at the threat, shifting her eyes. Okay, it seemed there was one girl. She needs to tell Seojun to never mention to Sujin that she was the one to save her under "princess" she had helped him get her number after all, they were practically friends now. He couldn’t throw her under the bus.

"Are you going to answer?" He wants to know if you want him to buy it for you." She giggles at the new message gasping when Sujin snatches the phone from her hands, she looks over at Ju-Kyung with a raised eyebrow at the show. They both watch with conspiring smiles as the commonly emotionless girl angrily throws herself into the bed and starts animatedly tapping on her screen.

She's never looked more alive.

It's the universe righting itself when she hears Ju-Kyung's mother yell up the stairs.

"Ju-Kyung, tell your friend Su-jin her father is here to pick her up."

Ju-Kyung's mother says the words upbeat, mumbling about doting fathers and harshly hitting her husband on the back of his head as she wonders to the kitchen. She schools her face into a plastic smile, despite the fear gripping at her and making it hard to focus. But she can't show any cracks in her display today, too much has happened and she can't allow anyone to be suspicious. They have to believe that her father is a loving man who picks up his daughter out of the goodness of his heart.

He almost looks normal smiling serenely in the doorway, even lifting a hand to wave at her. Cold ice chills run down her spine at the terrifying action.

"Why didn't you tell your mother and I you were going to a friend's house? We were worried sick about you."

She can hear the threat coded in those words, how dare you go anywhere without my permission, she rushes to his side knowing every minute she wastes he will punish her for. She'd inconvenienced him by making him pick her up. He would make her regret that decision.

Bowing to Ju-Kyung and her family, avoiding Su-ah's watchful eyes she rapidly puts on her shoes watching as her father bows as well thanking Ju-Kyung's parents for allowing her to stay so late and when they turn he grips her tightly all but dragging her out the door. His coat blocks the treatment from view and she grunts when he swings the car door open and tosses her roughly inside.

Slamming his door shut he glares over at her, "Do you know how hard it was finding this dirty shit hole of a house? Are you befriending anyone now? This is the kind of person you've deemed worthy of being seen with, you're a Kang for God's sake!"

She swallows her angry, desperately wanting to defend Ju-Kyung but his hands curled tightly in fists make her stifle her argument. Instead she bows her head quietly, letting him spew acid dripping words at her.

"You're not allowed to come here again. My daughter can't be seen with the help."

She anxiously claws at her hands in her lap, jumping when he yells in the confined space of the car.

"Answer me now! Do you understand!"

Staring out the window she replies, voice empty.

"Yes."

He doesn't wait for her to tug on her seat belt before driving off, done talking to her since she listened to his order.

When they finally walk through the front door she flinches when he grabs her arm suddenly, he rolls his eyes as if she's being dramatic. Seeming to get gratification from pressing his fingers deeper into her skin, she grits her teeth through it all.

"Don't flinch like that around others or I'll make you regret it. Tomorrow you are going on a date with a son of a very powerful man, make sure you hide all your bruises."

This time she can't stay silent, rage bursting to the surface.

"I don't want to go on a date with anyo--"

The smack of his open palm across her forehead drives her entire head to the side, her neck snapping so hard she imagines this is what it feels like to have whiplash.

"You shut your fucking mouth! Did it look like I was asking you a question? You will go on this date." His voice is hard and impenetrable, when her mother limps out with a black eye she gasps in shock unprepared for the gruesome sight.

Mom.

"Look what you made me do to your mother. You better start obeying me again or things will get worst."

She's been selfish, she is knew what would happen to her mother when she didn't come home, knew that her father's fury would need an outlet but she couldn't bring herself to come here. Knowing what her fate would be didn't make her any else scared.

"You need to listen to your father."

She can't bear to look her mother in the eyes, she's been thrown to the wolves too many times to feel true sympathy for the woman who gave birth to her. They are both victims, that much she knows but she can't help the anger that has been present since she was young begging her mother to save her.

She knows now, nobody can save anyone else. If you can't save yourself you're as good as dead.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He knows he can't be upset with Ju-Kyung or Su-ah, they are unaware of what their friend is going through but dread fills his stomach when Ju-Kyung tells him that Sujin was no longer there, her father had picked her up.

He slams a fist into his pillow, wanting nothing more to smash the man's face in he's never seen the bastard before but he knows that he would hate him on sight. He was a coward and a bully and he could not stand those who picked on others, they were the scum of the earth.

He sends her another unanswered text message reading her last message to him.

Delete my number, I don't want to talk to you.

She hadn't been amused by the sparkly purple tiara, he'd seen it on display in a children's store and immediately her regal scowl popped up in his mind. He hadn't thought about it before snapping a photo and sending it to her. That had been hours ago and still nothing from her after a heated debate about whether or not she was a princess.

Sighing in exasperation he sends another message.

Let me know if you're okay.

He's sent five other unread messages, all variations of this message worry making him break all his rules about texting the opposite gender.

He glares at the phone as if it's to blame, tossing himself onto this bed and dragging a pillow across his face to groan into.

Almost choking on the cloth of his pillow he shoves it away when his phone finally vibrates on his stomach, eagerly opening it he smiles at the message on the screen.

I'm okay.

She's lying, he's certain of that he's seen the bruises first-hand without makeup lessening the effect. But she's cognizant enough to send him a message and despite the hell she must be going through she cared enough about him worrying to reply, something unfamiliar flutters in his belly. He writes it off as indigestion and flops into his pillow before sending his final message to her.

I’ll see you tomorrow, princess.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He's wondering the halls aimlessly sneering at everyone who looks his way, he doesn't mean to be this moody really didn't mean to snap at Chorong but he can't help it, Sujin is absent her empty seat mocking him in class so he had to escape. He's lost count at the amount of messages he's sent at this point, none of them have been read. He growls at the radio silence, he hates being ignored and when she's the one doing the ignoring his frustration only builds. He doesn't bother analyzing why.

"You look ready to kill the next person who stares at you the wrong way."

He glances at the near monotonous tone behind him, turning to face Suho. He doesn't know how the other boy was allowed to leave the classroom when he currently has the hall pass but rules are usually broken for the star student, he scoffs at the privilege. Nobody ever calls him a troublemaker though.

"Being a brainiac sure comes with perks." He drawls leaning against the wall.

Suho guiltlessly shrugs, crossing his forearms before grabbing his arm. He doesn't fight the grip allowing himself to be pulled, maybe this will distract him from his thoughts.

"Where are we going?"

Suho doesn't answer but he drags him up the stairs leading to the rooftop, he's instantly reminded of the last time he was here. Her tears warming his chest as she shook apart in his arms. He mentally groans, he’s supposed to be forgetting her why can’t he get her out of his mind?

"You know don't you?" Suho gently states, letting his arm fall between them and staring at him with sure eyes. He peers back squinting in response, uncertain if the other boy is truly alluding to what he thinks. He doesn't say a word, Sujin would never forgive him if he uttered her secret to anyone, he'd never betray her trust regardless of if she's fully given that to him.

"Know what?" He states slowly , watching his friend’s every move.

"About her father."

A deer caught in headlights, if you looked up that saying his face would be the accompanying image.

Forcing his jaw close, he shakes his head staring at Suho suspiciously.

"You knew."

Suho must feel his judgement because his face hardens before he looks away, "I did."

"Why didn't you do anything?" It's not his place but he can't help his vexation, how long had the other boy known and done nothing?

"We were......young. I slept over, I fell asleep on the couch and I heard him. The next morning she had a split lip and her father told me she accidentally fell down the stairs."

Disgusts winds through his chest at the story, this had been her life since she was a child. While he'd been mourning the loss of his own father, Sujin was being beaten and abused by her own. They were both fatherless.

"I felt guilty every day. I didn't know who to tell, her father was close friends with my dad and I didn't think he would believe me and...... I hated him. After my mom died I hated him so much. I didn't want to ask him for help."

He wants to scream, "What about Sujin? Couldn't you see her pain? Wasn't that enough to put your pride aside?"

But he doesn't because it won't do Sujin any good and Suho has been through his own trauma, he learned that his words have power and despite his anger he doesn't want to hurt his friend, never again.

"It's not your fault." He means it, they were both children. But he just wishes that Sujin had someone back them, that she knew that what was happening wasn't her fault. He just wishes he'd been there.

But he can't turn back time, no matter how desperately he wants to. All he can do is treasure the time he has now.

Her knows what he needs to do.

"I need a favor."

Suho stares at him before slowly nodding.

But not before asking his own question, "Why do you care so much?"

He opens his mouth but nothing comes out. The question spins around in circles in his head, no answer offering itself.

"Do you..... like her?" Suho cautiously inquires searching his face to see if he gives anything away. He doesn't try to hide his emotions.

"That's not important. She needs someone, I've decided to be that person."

The other boy looks at him like he's a puzzle he can't figure out but he nods as if that answer is enough. He'll store that question away for further inspection on his own.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There's no guarantee that this will work but he stands awkwardly on the sidewalk peering up at the intimidating mansion, it makes his own apartment look like a child's toy. Inadequacy pricks at his ego before he shoves it to the crevice of his mind, this isn't about him.

The driveway is empty that was a good sign. He hadn't thought ahead to what he would do if her father had been home, he wouldn't be able to control his rage. It's a blessing that he won't have to make that decision today.

Pulling out his phone he stares at her number before pressing the call button. It rings and rings and he's sure she's going to ignore him as she's been doing all day, he moves to hang up and call her back when he hears silence and then a quiet, "Why do you keep calling?"

He lets out a sigh of triumph, punching a fist into the air.

Collecting himself he states breezily into the phones, "When people call someone they usually have something to say princess."

Her reaction is immediate, "I told you not to call me that."

"I remember when you told me." He replies cheekily, unable to fight the smile that grows hearing her annoyance permeating through the line, just happy to hear her voice at all.

"Then why do you keep calling me that?" She tightly replies, sounding like she could turn a coal into a diamond in her mouth.

"It suits you."

"Why? Because I'm rich and spoiled?"

"No. Because you're pretty." He hears himself say, wondering if he's been possessed because he's thought that before looking at the girl he was still a man and he had eyes but he's never planned on saying his inner thoughts out loud.

It takes a moment to realize she hasn't responded, scared she finally hung up he cries out, "Hey! Are you still there?"

Another long pause drags out and he becomes really worried that she's gone after taking so long to get her to answer, maybe everyone's right and he's an idiot.

"Don't say stupid things like that." There's something about her voice, it sounds higher than he's used to and he wonders if maybe she's embarrassed. Maybe even blushing. He'd pay real money to see that sight.

Not wanting to push his luck any further he powers on, resisting the urge to ask if she's blushing. She wouldn't be honest with him anyway.

"Come outside I have something for you."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

She contemplates what she should do as she peers down at her phone. His name and number flash on her phone as the phone locks itself. She'd begrudgingly saved his number when it became clear that he had no intention of leaving her alone. Nobody besides Su-ah had ever texted her this frequently, she was earning scarily that she didn't hate it. Although she hardly replied, not knowing how to maintain a text conversation.

Su-ah had teasingly said she should save the boy as prince, so that they could match. She rolled her eyes at the suggestion, Su-ah was so cheesy sometimes they weren't a couple why would they need matching names? Instead she'd saved him as "do not answer" but she'd already broken that rule, she realized appalled at her lack of control.

Losing more control she sighs before crawling out of bed, not bothering to put on makeup to hide the mark on her forehead, he had seen worst. Her father left after taking her to the doctor, regaling another story of her clumsiness and they walked out with cream, powerful enough to ensure that no scar would be left behind. Nobody wanted scarred goods he explained.

The closer she gets to the door the faster her heart beats, how did he know where she lived? They had never discussed that and why did he come all the way here? Didn't he have anything better to do than stalk her? Taking a calming breath she reaches the front door, she can hear her frantic heart beats thumping in her ears.

She turns the door knob, pausing at the sight of his back. The sun is shining brightly outside, the direct opposite of her gloomy dark home. It was a sin for the day to be this beautiful when her life is so damn ugly. With the sun streaking his hair hues of dark brown he turns to face her.

She feels uncomfortable at the rush on emotions that bleeds across his face.

"Don't."

He looks at her quizzically, perplexed by her strange seemingly unprovoked request.

"Just don't.. emote so much."

Of course he doesn't listen, a smile stretching across his face as he steps closer to her. Reaching out with gentle fingers he brushes against the bandage on her forehead.

"Are you okay?"

He’s always asking her that.

She doesn't feel like lying at the moment, not with his gentle hands and soft eyes beaming at her.

She mutely shakes her head in decline. She doesn't miss how he freezes as if shocked by her honesty. He's not the only one.

"Is that why you didn't come to school?" His voice is barely a whisper now, as if they're sharing a secret only for their ears.

It's a question that doesn't need an answer so she chooses not to respond.

"What did you want to give me?" She breaks the moment, taking a step back until his fingers fall from her skin.

He stares at her for a moment before leaning forward, dangerously close and she tries to retreat but her feet are stuck to the floor as she watches his face get closer to her own. His hands reach over her shoulder and she tilts her head up to follow him, as he lowers his head and her heart skips as realization washes over her, he's going to kiss her. His lips are right there, supple and pink looming closer as her own drop open in surprise and....anticipation? She registers that he's going to kiss her and she might want him to. No. She does, she never knew she wanted this so ardently until it was just a breath away. And now she can't think of anything else but his lips on hers.

She's never been kissed before, never wanted to be either. In second grade and unlucky boy had tried to force a kiss on her, chasing her around the playground puckering his lips and tugging at her skirt. He'd only been able to kiss the sole of her shoe has she launched into a perfectly executed round house kick, shocking him more than hurting him but she'd been placed in time out for a week with no playtime or recess, she had felt no remorse. All the other boys who used to eye her with interest now looked terrified after that incident, no one ever tried to steal a kiss from her again.

She waits for her body's natural defense to kick in and for that itch under her skin to buzz, but it never comes because she doesn't feel unsafe. Knows that he won't hurt her despite her constant dismissal here he is, once again demanding a space in her sham of life. Instead of fear, nerves ravages her body as she pants loudly staring at his mouth only inches away. Is she allowed to want? She's never had the luxury before to desire such trivial things, it overwhelms her. Shocked by her own thinking and the dawning of feelings she didn't ask to have, she scurries backwards covering her mouth with her hands. Now that she knows that she desires this, she can't have it. She can't taint him with her darkness.

"What are you doing?"

He's smirking with a bag now in his hand intensely watching her and she feels transparent, he's looking straight through her and urge to hide is overbearing.

Turning around she sees his motorcycle and she almost laughs at her unnecessary mental break down.

He hadn't been trying to kiss her. That was merely a fantasy she created in her mind, whatever this was it wasn't romantic. Who could want something as broken and worthless as her, but more importantly her life was not her own to do what she desired. She was an object in her father's plan, a pawn that he could move as he saw fit. It was a mistake to yearn or even ponder, her fate had been decided long before she was born.

She shouldn't be here, should have never read his message or saved his number she's playing a dangerous game and in the end she'll be the one most damaged. She turns away, rushing to the door no longer curious about his gift. Curiosity is a privilege she isn't allowed.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He grabs her wrist, not scared to touch today. Her body is burning from all the spots he's already set aflame since he arrived.

"Let go!" She tugs her arm away and he sets her free at her barest resistance, but he leaves no space between towering over her and refusing to let her break eye contact. His cologne is distracting. Everything about him is.

"What were you expecting?" She fights the urge to blush as he glances down at her lips before focusing on her eyes.

"Nothing. I wasn’t expecting anything.” She will ensure that she doesn’t in the future, it’s not a lie but rather an oath to herself.

He stares at her unblinking, its unnerving and she squirms under the hard appraisal.

“Don’t you want to see your gift?” She shakes her head no, but it seems the question was rhetoric because he doesn’t wait for her answer or acknowledge when she refuses.

“I told you this reminded me of you.” He purrs softly, she’s never heard his voice like this. It’s so soft that it can barely be considered a whisper, he always acts like she is something fragile. She doesn’t know how to feel about it.

There's a rustle of a bag opening and then a weight on her head, reaching up she feels hard plastic and ridges and bumps. She knows what it is and she doesn't know how to respond, nothing has ever prepared her for this moment. She’d hidden it well while sitting in Ju-Kyung’s room looking at the child’s tiara, pretended to be annoyed to cover up the way her skin was sticky hot and sweaty.

When she was younger she had wanted a princess birthday party, with all the trimmings and decorations her eyes sparkled as she told her parents still full of hope and innocence then, believing that she could have anything she wanted if she asked. Her father’s guffaw had shattered that fantasy.

“We will not have a childish gathering, very important people will be there. You are not going to embarrass me.”

In the end there was no theme to her birthday and she didn’t get to wear the sparkling tiara she’d seen so many other little girls don on their birthday, she had no friends to invite and she sat alone and abandoned in her room.

And now, years later there is almost an identical replica sitting on her head. She sniffles looking hard at the ground, blinking rapidly but knowing it’s already too late.

“I told you to stop. Why won’t you listen? Just stop.” She’s crying now, there’s no way to hide the tears barreling down her cheeks. He looks taken back, hands reaching out for her and then dropping before reaching again.

“Sujin.”

Hearing him say her name instead of the persistent nickname only makes her sob harder, crying for the younger version of herself that just wanted to be loved and was beaten everyday instead. Wishing that Sujin had this, had someone who was willing to stay, who wanted to be there. She wouldn’t have dealt with such crippling loneliness.

“I have to go back inside.” She turns to unlock her door, scared of him and everything building between them.

He doesn’t stop her this time, she can feel his eyes heavy on her back and she halts when he calls out.

“Just.....don’t ignore my messages okay?”

She inhales, wiping at the wet sheet of tears on her face. She should ignore him, he is “do not answer” for a reason.

She nods slowly, “I won’t.” The scariest part is that she means it.

“Good. Come to school tomorrow, it’s boring without you.”

She doesn’t reply and closes the door without turning back, using it has support when her legs finally give out inside. All of her strength suddenly depleted.

She walks straight to her room, sitting at her large vanity looking back at a reflection of a girl she can't recognize.

The purple tiara sits ridiculously on top of her head, all flashy plastic rhinestones and glitter, something out of a child's dream. Her dream. She brings one trembling finger to touch it and without her permission her face breaks into a smile, it's small and fleeting but accompanied with the rosy blush on her cheeks she stares in shock at the face that looks so much like her but can't be.

"Who are you?"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seojun slips on his helmet roughly, he plans on texting her and making sure she keeps her promise. His heart is still recovering from her reaction to retrieving the gift, it was apparent she assumed something else was occurring. It almost looked like she thought he was going to kiss her but she hadn’t moved away, not right away. Did that mean.....

The engine of a sounds behind him shocks him out of his dangerous inklings and he twists his head to see sleek SUV pulling into the hidden garage, the metallic door lifting up to house the vehicle. He doesn’t move, eyes locked on the car. Hands tightening on the armbars he waits impatiently but determined. When the door finally opens and an older man steps out, shorter than him with salt and pepper hair and glasses on his weathered face his blood boils all at once.

“Can I help you? Do you have business here?”

Taking a deep grounding breath, he slides a leg over his motorcycle and revs it to life the rumbling engine calming his homicidal thoughts.

He will never forget this face, he looks like a normal middle-aged man nothing revealing the evil that lurks inside. Menacingly he slowly raises his hand, extending his pointer and lifting his thumb, darkly satisfied when a look of surprise flashes on the older man's face.

"Bang." He pulls back his finger sharply, and now the man is walking angrily towards him but he's ready for this and he twists the throttle and speeds off.

You're not going to hurt her anymore, I'll make sure if it.

The bike thundering beneath him echoes the powerful intent in his mind.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Her father’s pounding on her door shocked her so much the tiara fell off her head as she jolted, she'd carefully picked it up and hid it in a draw fiercely protective of the object already. She knew she shouldn’t keep it but she can’t imagine throwing it away.

Just for a little bit.

"You're meeting someone tomorrow, you'll go right after school. Stop at a store and buy an outfit, something fitting for a date. His father is someone I need on my side, don't mess this up."

She'd sat numb at her father's callous words, he clearly had no issue using his only child to gain favors from others.

"Oh and one more thing, I saw some delinquent outside he even threatened me. You better not know who that punk is. If I ever see him around here again I'll call the police."

That comment has been replaying in her mind all day, he shouldn't have come over yesterday and she shouldn't have humored him by going outside. She kept forgetting rationality around him and it would get them both in danger, her father had all but promised that.

After some careful consideration, she decides to seek him out because school is the safest place they can interact without her father knowing.

He's not in the classroom and she tries to think about where else the boy might be, he's usually never too far from her and she realizes that she hasn't seen him today besides their morning classes. He'd seemed distant then, barely looking at her before drooping off to sleep.

After searching the entire school she's no closer to finding the boy and she sighs in exasperation, why is he so elusive today when she commonly can't get him to leave her alone?

Pulling out her phone, she hesitates for a second before mustering the courage.

Where are you?

Staring at the message she clicks the heel of her shoe, watching the message change from delivered and to read. Her stomach clenches as she waits to see his response, maybe he's already tired of her and finally decided to listen to her advice?

Hating the way her heart thumps in anticipation she moves to pocket her phone but before she can complete the movement, it vibrates to life in her hand.

She freezes.

It's foolish because she sent the first message and she's looking for him but now she's too nervous to check her phone.

Thinking of the soothing beating of his heart on that day, she feels her own heart calming.

Feeling fortified, she lifts the phone and with a sigh opens the message.

In the gym. Why? You miss me?

Is this what this emotion is? This gnawing feeling in her chest when she couldn't find him, it can't be right? They are nothing to each other, correction she's nothing to him.

So no, she can’t miss him.

She clears her thoughts as she walks to the gym, wondering why she never considered looking there.

Sweat and musk clings in the air when she presses the double doors open and all eyes shift to her instantly, slipping on her mask she suppresses the nerves lurking behind her placid stare.

Meeting his eyes across the room, she can't help but notice how sweaty he looks his fringe sticking to his forehead and a droplet rolls down his forearm. Swallowing deeply she closes the gap between them, peering up at him. Discomforted at the way she feels when he slowly smiles at her.

"We need to talk." She doesn't wait for his answer, grabbing his wrist and tugging him from the room. Pretending she doesn't feel all the eyes watching their every movement, everyone needs to just mind their own business.

When they're outside, away from the audience she releases his arm. His heat warming her own cool palm. Suddenly he grabs her hand, twisting them and stroking at the raw shredded skin.

She snatches her hand away harshly, glaring at him. But his angry stare douses her own, a thick vein protrudes from his forehead.

"Did he do this to you? He growls, his fists tightening into balls again.

She stares at him in confusion, unprepared for the level of frustration he's exuding.

Feeling like honestly will be the best thing she shakes her head in decline, "No. I did this to myself."

Disgust. Malice. Contempt. She waits for any of those emotions to cover his face but he's never logical.

"Why?"

Concern. Always genuine concern.

She's never thought of the reason behind her strange compulsion, the desire to wash her hands overwhelming at times.

She's not ready to ponder the psychosis of her actions, not with him and not with herself.

"Did you see my father yesterday?" She changes the topic, regaining control over the conversation before he derails it too far off track.

His lips twists illustrating his displeasure at her obvious attempt to dodge his question but he looks away before replying.

"Yes. After you left, I saw him."

"Did he see your face?"

His eyes dart over her face, as he's searching for an answer to a question only he knows.

Slowly he drawls, "No. I had my helmet on. He didn't see me."

The same moment she releases a sigh of relief he cheekily asks, "Were you worried about me?"

Staring at his smirking face she feels her anger flare back to life passionately.

“Do you think this is a joke? He can destroy you! Stop acting without thinking about the consequences!” She whispers harshly at him, very aware of their precarious situation in the hallway and how easily rumors can spread in this god forsaken school.

“You are worried about me.” He looks even more pleased as he nods smugly.

“Are you insane? Did you listen to a word I said. Seojun, this isn’t a joke!”

He steps closer, eyes harden sharply like someone flipped a switch. “You don’t need to worry about me. He can’t do anything to me, I’m going to protect you.”

Protect her. No one has ever uttered those words to her, and she lets them wash over her before rejecting them, sneering at him with contempt at his brazen claim she says, “Stop saying nonsense. You need to worry about yourself.”

She walks away with her heart firmly lodged in her throat.

I’m going to protect you.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ju-Kyung and Su-ah are disappointed when she tells them that she can’t go with them for tteokbokki but they don’t ask her too many questions, easily believing her lie about going to night classes. She hates lying to them but there’s no way to explain what she’s doing without exposing too much about her father.

She rushes out of the school thankfully running into no one, not even a certain nosy shadow. He’s shrouded by his friends and girls who swoon at the sight of him looking in disdain she leaves the school, reminding herself this is how it’s supposed to be.

The boutique is expensive, a store associate greeting her at the door and showing her around immediately as if she can smell the money on her. She couldn’t care less about what she wears and she informs the clerk to choose whatever she thinks is appropriate for a date, the word poisonous on her tongue. It’s her first date and it’s with someone she has no amorous feelings for, someone she has never even met before. She walks out of the store with her uniform folded neatly in a bag as she decided to walk out in the new outfit. The clerk had chosen a soft lilac dress with chiffon ruffles lining the hem and shoulders, paired with a white heels and a matching bag. She allowed it because it felt nothing like her, she would have never chosen this for a date and that made her feel like she got to keep a little bit of herself, he wouldn’t be getting the real her.

She checks the address on her phone once more, walking to the street corner to hail a cab feeling like she’s off to an execution.

But that’s when she hears a feminine cry, looking around frantically she sees a young girl across the street surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves, high school boys. They are all laughing and rowdy, seemingly unbothered by the terrified wide gaze of their supposed prey. The cab driver beeps his horn at her impatiently and she ignores it, instinctively making her decision. Running across the street with no thought of her own safety, she smacks away a dirty paw that is reaching out for the trembling girl, her eyes made larger by the huge glasses resting on the bridge of her pert nose. She seems oddly familiar.

“What are you scum bags doing?” She steps in front of the girl shielding her from their unwanted attention.

They all cheer and holler, turning to jostle each other as if they have been given a gift.

With a smarmy smile, one of the boys steps forward pursuing her body with hungry eyes, “Well look here boys, we caught an ever better catch. Look at this sexy little thing.”

He grabs his palms together as they all shout in agreement and when she feels a hand on her wrist, she twists away pulling herself out her reach and swiftly kicks him in the knee he falls to the ground with a grunt of pain.

“What the fuck! You bitch!” He curses at her and another boy lunges forward to grab her but she easily ducks out of his reach and punches in in the chest. The other boys watch in clear astonishment, slowly retreating from her with their hands outreached trying to placate her.

“Hey, hey we’re sorry we were just messing with her. We’re going okay, calm down.”

But then she feels a hand on her ankle and she turns to dig her sharp heel into the offending hand, his scream of pain ringing pleasantly in her ears.

“Get out of my sight before I break your face.”

They all rush to follow her order, picking up their fallen friends on the ground hurling more curses in her direction but leaving with their tails between their legs, pathethic little vermin.

“Are you okay?” She turns to the younger girl with gentle eyes, looking over her body for any injuries and relaxing when she sees nothing out of place.

“Ye-s-s.” She stutters out looking at her with something akin to wonder and awe in her eyes, she shifts uncomfortably under the stare. She isn’t anyone’s hero, she just did what anyone would do.

“Okay. Get home safely. “ She starts to walk away but then a small hand grips her forearm, turning back with curious eyes she looks at the other girl waiting for her to explain.

“Thank you. This is the second time you’ve saved me.”

She looks at the other girl in confusion, taking in her face and those glasses and suddenly the memory resurfaces in her mind. The girl’s bathroom and all those jealous girls ganging up on her, breaking her down because she was better than them she hated those people the worst. Bullies that were so insecure that they lashed out and tried to hurt others, she had grown up seeing one her whole life.

“That was you.”

“You’re always saving me. Thank you so much.’

Shaking her head she replies, “I wasn’t the one who saved you that day. It as Ju-Kyung, I only came at the end. You don’t need to thank me.”

But the other girl ignores her and begins to bow deeply repeating her words of gratitude, she reaches out to bring her back up.

“Stop. You don’t need to do this.”

“Do you want to get some coffee?” She blinks at the sudden question, blinking and then staring some more.

“I just feel so grateful to you, I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t come. You’ve helped me so much, it’s the least I can do. Please.”

She checks her watch discretely, there is still some time before her “date” and looking at the round pleading eyes of the girl she feels her resolve weaken, sighing she goes against her good sense and nods.

“Okay, we can get some coffee. But I have another.....engagement.” She struggles to find the correct word for the sham of a date and settles on that. She would much rather call it a business transaction but that would yield too many questions.

The young girl beams at her, animatedly dragging her off her excited voice sweet and high as she praises a nearby coffee shop.

“My Oppa works there, he can give us free coffee!” She states with youthful entitlement evident in her tone, she has no doubt that she will be given what she wants. It must be nice.

The coffee shop is a quaint spot, she’s never noticed it before despite being in this area before. A bell rings announcing their arrival and they both walk up to the register.

“Oppa! I’m here!” The girl calls out, leaning easily across the counter with no sense of decency, there are no other customers in the store though so there’s no one to judge her and Sujin finds her behavior oddly cute, she’s quite the ball of energy.

“Oh, you’re here?”

A chill runs down her spine. She knows that voice. But it can’t be?

But life isn’t done making a mockery of her yet because Seojun turns around, coffee pot in his hand looking...interesting in his uniform she takes the image in greedily before forcing her eyes away.

“Can we have free coffee? This is my unnie Kang Sujin.”

“Unnie?” They both cry at the same time and the younger girl immediately grabs onto her arm, huge puppy eyes penetrating her face. “Can I call you unnie? You already saved me two times. I feel like you’re my guardian angel.”

She stands shocked by the girl’s admission but before the words are finished processing in her foggy mind, Seojun shouts out looking murderous “Saved you? Did someone try to bully you again? Who is it? I’ll kill them.”

Unsure of who she should reply to she just stares at them both like a fish on land. floundering around. They are both such forces of nature.

“I’m fine Oppa.” She watches the girl roll her eyes as if his behavior is common and something to be peeved about, “These boys were trying to bother me but unnie came and beat them up! It was like something out of a movie, they all ran away crying.” The girl tries to demonstrate the moves waving her arms and legs around wildly, almost knocking the coffee cup from her brother’s hand.

“Hey!” He yells in warning, moving the hot pot away. “Be careful before you hurt yourself.”

The younger girl looks chastised for merely a second before she’s announcing she needs to use the bathroom and running off, leaving them alone to stare after her.

Awkward silence remains in the wake of her departure.

She’s tempted to run away, he is the last person she wants to see right now.

“You really did that? For Go-woon ah?” His voice is soft, almost shy. For once he isn’t the same self-assured Seojun she’s used to see, he looks younger and the resemblance between the siblings is uncanny now with him looking at her with the same look of awe, his little sister had just minutes ago.

“I.....yes I helped her. They were idiots, I did for myself. They were an eye sore.”

But despite her dismissal, he smiles-toothy and ridiculously charming. It’s almost painful to look at, he shouldn’t be allowed to smile like that.

She stares at him lost in his smile and when he reaches out to grasp her hand, she doesn’t fight it helplessly leaning closer to meet him over the counter, their eyes are locked as the space between them shortens, their bodies moving as if they’re opposite ends of a magnet.

“Thank you for helping my sister.” He breathes out, his deep voice smooth and airy suddenly there isn’t enough air in the room. He rubs a thumb across the expanse of her hand, and she forgets to be self-conscious and simply enjoys the tender caress.

“Oppa! Can we get free coffee or not? Why aren’t you making it?” Go-woon’s loud voice shatters the intimate moment as they both fly apart, she moves halfway across the room in her shock.

Go-woon looks between them both suspiciously, “Did I interrupt something? You both look guilty.”

“No!” They shout in sync again, Sujin groans realizes that this probably only serves at making them look even more guilty. Go-woon’s mischievous eyes confirm her thoughts.

“I’ll make your coffee. You can both have a seat.”

Go-woon starts to walk away to find a table, but she checks her watch again realizing she doesn’t have much time left if she’s going to be on time, she has to leave now.

“Can I have mine to go? I have to be somewhere and I’m almost late.”

Then Go-woon chirps in, “Me too oppa! I just realized I have to start a project, I should go home.”

He stares at them both blankly before shifting his gaze to Sujin, “Where are you going?” He asks finally taking in her outfit, his gaze starting on her face and boldly sliding down her figure. His stare is hot enough to burn.

Go-woon giggles answering for her, “Oppa look at her, come on. it’s clear she’s going on a date. Boys really don’t know anything.”

She blanches as how easily the young girl is able to correctly assess the situation, she hadn’t thought it would be that easy to see.

Seojun’s eyes harden as he turns away, staring at the coffee brewer as it works. He grabs two cups and pours the dark hot liquid in, before adding milk and a syrup and a layer of whipped cream on top. Go-woon hums happily clearly this is her preference as he hadn’t asked her how she wanted her coffee.

He silently hands the cups to them both. His face is blank and unreadable vast difference from the beatific smile he had blessed her with earlier. She feels as if she has done something wrong, but she has no clue what that is.

“Go straight home and don’t talk to anyone. Call me when you get home alright?”

Go-woon is barely listening to him instead she’s happily licking at the thick layer of cream on her cup cooing at the sweetness.

“Unnie, thank you again. I hope you enjoy your date, I’ll see you at school!” She suddenly has an armful of Go-woon before the girl is bounding out the door with only a “Bye oppa” to her brother thrown over her shoulder.

“You haven’t said it’s not true yet?”

She turns back to look at him, tilting her head lightly before sipping from her cup. She’s never had coffee this sweet, but it’s delicious so she takes another sip humming at the flavor.

He looks away for a moment, his chest expanding deeply before he turns back to her.

“What are you talking about?”

“Your date. That you have a date, is that true?”

She raises an eyebrow at this straightforwardness, gone in the shy boy she only saw for a minute and this is the Seojun she is familiar with.

“I didn’t.” She agrees.

“Why?”

“Because it’s true. I am going on a date.”

During the conversation he started wiping down the already pristine counter but at her words his hand freezes and she watches his fist tighten in the wash cloth he ultimately throws it to the side to direct all his focus on her now, no longer nonchalant and unbothered.

“With who? Do you like him?”

She laughs meanly at his question, “You’re so naïve to my world. A date is just another business transaction, he is the son of someone my father needs on his side. I’m his peace offering.”

“What?” He barks loudly, looking like he wants to hurt someone. She can imagine who that person might be.

“Don’t get attached to me. My life isn’t mine to live.” She says tired of this discussion and all the feelings he has brought to the surface. Lifting her coffee cup she bids him farewell, “Thank you for the coffee.”

She doesn’t give him a chance to reply, already knows what he’s going to say but he doesn’t understand everything isn’t as black and white as he keeps assuming they are he needed a reality check, so she provided one.

Once on the sidewalk she checks her phone, she only has twenty minutes to spare. She can’t afford to wait for a cab so she opens the cab service app, entering the address and sighing in relief when the ETA says that she will arrive in fifteen minutes. Accepting the charge and confirming her location she sighs before lowering her phone, waiting.

But then she feels arms curl around her shoulder, bringing her back into a solid surface she almost fights the sudden embrace until he whispers in the side of her head, “Don’t go.”

She tries to pull away but he only holds her tighter, his arms are strong as he holds her firmly against his body. His warmth soaks into her skin and the urge to fight melts away as she relaxes into his embrace, he smells like the deep roast he had poured for them and something inexplicably Seojun that can’t be described with mere words.

“Stop,” She pleads with him, she has to go even if the idea of going on a date with someone else makes her sick to her stomach.

Someone else. Where did that come from? Did that mean that she wanted to go on a date with Seojun?

She can’t answer that question, doesn’t want to deal with the reality.

“No. I can’t stop. I don’t want to stop. Sujin, don’t go.”

She shivers as his words curl around her just as warm and tempting as his arms around her shoulders.

“Why are you doing this?” She demands, her eyes already filling up with tears of frustration she’d convinced herself she had to do this, let herself be used. It was easier this way to listen to her father. But he’s making everything hard and she needs to know why he cares.

“Why do you care who I go on a date with? Why are you doing this?” She screams into the air, deflating into his arms after her tantrum. Letting him brunt the entirety of her weight, he doesn’t even budge easily holding her up. He shifts his body, bringing his chin onto her head and holding her tighter, leaving no space between them.

“Isn’t it obvious by now princess?”

She opens her mouth to berate him, not that damn nickname again. He seriously needed to stop that before she got accustomed to it even now instead of annoyance a foreign emotion rose up inside of her.

“I told you to stop calling me tha--”

“I like you.”

The breath is punched from her lungs and her head swims with his words and she has no retort, no quick rebuttal, nothing. He has left her utterly and devastatedly speechless.

#true beauty #true beauty kdrama #han seojun #kang sujin #Seojin #turning up the heat #I just love straightforward characters #your honor she's his princess #true beauty fix it

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passable-talent · 4 years

Note

i see z nation in your fandoms... 👁 could i possibly request a 10k x reader in which the reader and 10k have a heart to heart about something or in general have a soft moment? thank you... 💕

thank you @dreepiez, the best ever, for the lovely ask 💕, and for being my best friend and knowing exactly what i felt like writing today. I’m so soft for this boy its not even FUNNY.

Eight months since the world had ended, roughly. All things considered, you’re in a pretty good place- definitely a better one than you’d been in on Day One.

On Day One, you were absolutely alone in the middle of a national park near your home. You hadn’t known that the god damn zombie apocalypse was about to happen, so you were taking a walk- which wasn’t so unusual for little fifteen year old you.

You’d been ambushed and chased by Z’s, and managed not to die, but walked away with an extremely broken ankle.

And, that day, you’d met 10k.

He was leaving the area late at night when he happened across you, in the truck he couldn’t quite drive. Well, an ally with a broken ankle is better than none at all when facing the zombie apocalypse.

In the months following, you’d stuck together, becoming strong allies and close friends. You’d trust him with your life, and he you. You were the only person, in fact, who knew his real name. In the eight months since his father died, he hadn’t told a single other soul.

You weren’t like anyone else. You were there since Day One, you’d never left his side. Even when the two of you were found by a survival group, you stuck together. It was the two of you against the world- no matter how many others offered help, neither of you would ever let your guard down far enough to be without the other. Or, rather, neither of you would ever let your guard down far enough to leave the other alone.

You hated to admit it, but 10k was the only person that mattered to you. In the darkest of nights, when you laid in a bed that wasn’t yours and stared up at a ceiling so far from the home you’d grown up in, when you wondered if survival was worth it, thoughts of 10k would pull you through. No matter what you had to live through, you could never imagine leaving him alone. You’d stay alive, for him, for as long as you needed to.

Maybe it was a little sad. You’d only known him for eight months, you really had nothing keeping you friends other than necessity; it’s not exactly like the two of you went to movies together. Still, he was the most important person in your life- the only important person.

Your parents were gone, you didn’t know where. Your friends, from school, you didn’t even think about checking up on them before skipping town with 10k. There was no one left for you, other than him.

Still, you knew that no matter who you met, you’d always come back to him. It wasn’t like you didn’t get along- he was funny, and kind, and loyal, and, uh..

Well. You’re a teenager. And he looks like that.

You’d never act on it, even though you know he feels the same. Every time he looked at you, chose to eat sitting next to you, wished you goodnight before passing out on a couch, you knew he felt the same. After all, he was a teenager too. He was easy to read.

It was unspoken, really, how much you cared for each other. Neither of you would never dare to bring it up, no matter how much you felt it. Instead, you just showed it, checking up on each other, keeping each other safe. You rarely even talked- with each other, that is. It was a silent companionship, affection obvious through the way you always sat beside each other, even when there was no reason to.

It confused a lot of people at this safe camp, especially when you first arrived. Why are they always together, people would say amongst themselves, when they don’t even seem to like each other?

Little did they know that all of your time alone together was worth far more than the time you spent together in the presence of others.

Camp New World, as it was called among its survivors, was as safe a place as one could ask for. It was situated on the top of a mountain, right at its peak. In the time before day one, it had been owned by a single family, who built three homes on its peak as the generations passed. There was only one road up to the top, which made security from humans quite simple, and there were straight drop cliffs on all sides except for the road, which made security from Z’s easy enough. It was safe, and had been since the day it was made into a safe haven.

Thanks to its position on the mountaintop, Camp New World had some spectacular views. And thanks to your age, you and 10k were very rarely sent on missions outside of camp, such things being given to adults rather than the two of you.

And you did love going on adventures, you always had. The word had been well-soured by this eight month long, horrifying adventure, but sometimes you felt just a bit of that love when you sat back from the edge of the cliff and looked out across the valley. You could see to long-away mountains, turning blue with the horizon, and you could see roads crossing the fields that were once bustling highways. Looking out across a world that didn’t seem so much different than how it had been when you were fifteen, you always had just a little bit more to talk about. And with 10k sitting next to you, you always had someone to talk to.

You glanced over your shoulder, making sure no one else was nearby the two of you.

“It almost looks the way it used to,” you said, fixing your eyes on the silhouette of a town that must be miles away.

“What do you mean?” 10k asked, turning his head slightly toward you, but not looking right at you.

“All of it, out there,” you said, leaning back just a bit onto your hands. “If I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t know anything was different. The homes are in ruins and the towns deserted and the people scared, but from up here...” you trailed off, giving a light shrug. “You can’t tell.”

“But you do know better,” 10k said, and this made you look at him. He looked the way he often did- pulled away, reserved. But you knew him better than anyone wandering the earth, dead or otherwise.

He was comfortable. He was at least happy to be sitting with you instead of splitting wood, as they often asked him to do. He was interested in what you were saying, even if what he brought to the conversation was a little bit of cynicism.

You looked back across the world, lifting your chin.

“Yeah,” you said, “I do.” Another few minutes passed in silence between the two of you, being serenaded by the October air rattling through the trees that had begun to lose their leaves, and the sound of the raging river far below that was responsible for the steep-cliffed mountain.

“Still,” you said, “It’s peaceful. I’d be much more scared if I stood down there than I am sitting here.”

“I’d rather you be here than down there,” he said, choking on his words just after they’d left his mouth. You came to his rescue as best as you could.

“Well, last time I was down there, I had a broken ankle. I don’t want to be doing that again, either.”

All too used to it you were, reeling him back from the conversation that neither of you wanted to have. You had to assume that if the situation was different, he’d be a romantic- the way he gave you an extra blanket or let you borrow his jacket made you sure of it. So sometimes, when you were alone, little things would slip out from between his lips, little things that told you just how much he cared for you.

But caring for someone in this world was dangerous. You both knew it- he, who had had to mercy his own father, and you, who hadn’t seen your parents since the day it began. It was a lesson that held onto the two of you like burrs, hooking and holding deeper every time you tried to pull it away.

Even though the two of you cared for each other, would die for each other, that little stinging burr kept the two of you from saying it out loud. If it was said out loud, it was real, and that reality would be much more dangerous.

So you always deflected the attention away from his little confessions. Not maliciously, not to push him away, but to protect you both. It was the least you could do. After all- he’d saved your life, all those months ago.

You’d returned the favor, of course, a few times. The first being when he drove you back to your home to find your parents, and instead found a Z with its arm stuck to the front door.

The door was still locked, there was no forced entry, other than this Z on the outside of the front door. But your parents were just... gone. And there was nothing to suggest where they went.

You scooted a little closer to Tommy, trying to get refuge from the wind.

“Hey, Tommy,” you began, eyes cast over the edge of the cliff and to the riverbanks far below. “Do you ever think about what would’ve happened if we’d found my parents?”

He knew how much it stung that you didn’t know what had happened to them. He knew how much it had hurt you to leave your home town and travel to Camp New World, leaving behind the one place you might find them. But you’d been injured, and young, and vulnerable, and you’d had no choice. He knew that it was a particular crack in your heart that was still raw, and likely would be for a long time.

So he put his arm around you, letting you rest your head on his shoulder.

He still smelled like the cigarette he’d swiped from one of the men around the camp earlier in the day. At one time, you hated the smell of tobacco. Now, it just reminded you of him.

“No,” he said, “I don’t think about things like that.” His first finger drew little shapes on your furthest shoulder, and you let out a breath. “But I guess I would be a little happier if you didn’t have their loss on your shoulders.”

That one, you’d let him get away with.

The sun was near setting, the first brushstrokes of orange and yellow beginning to touch the western horizon. The sunsets from Camp New World were almost always spectacular, thanks to the wide expanse of horizon that one could view.

But you turned your head, laying your cheek on his shoulder, closing your eyes. This was the most you ever let your guard down; when you were alone with him, and the world was safe enough, for the moment.

“I hope they’re dead,” you breathed out, and you felt his arm tighten around you. “So they don’t worry about me the way I worry about them. Is that bad?”

Slowly, carefully, you felt Tommy lower his head down, resting his temple onto you.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said, and you pulled one knee closer to you. “And even if it is, I still can’t blame you.” You let out a heavy breath, leaning further into him.

If it hadn’t been for the zombie apocalypse, you never would have met him. And maybe you wouldn’t choose him over putting the world back to the way it was, but you’d definitely think hard about the decision. He was a bright side to the blackness that the world had become, the only person who kept you alive, who gave you a reason to stay alive.

In moments like this, in which you sat with him, felt his fingertips run over your arm; in moments like this, all of the pain, the death, the mercy, all of it- it almost felt worth it.

-🦌 Roe

#reader insert #angst #10k #10k z nation #Tommy z nation #z nation #10k x reader #Tommy x reader #Alvin Murphy #fics

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klixxy · 4 years

Text

weekly fic recs

(ft. my bookmark comments - mostly mha and voltron)

boku no hero academia:

what is right and what is easy - theroyalsavage

(bnha; tododeku; fluff + angst; 2k words; oneshot)

Midoriya Izuku is not chosen to represent Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament. He does not slay a dragon, or rescue innocents, or brave a maze of dark magic. He does not win accolades, or fame, or glory.

Instead, Izuku meets the son of the greatest dark wizard of the age, a Durmstrang student with hair like a sunrise and eyes like a war. And maybe, he just might win something else.

If I'm Being Honest.... by I_dont_know_man

(bnha; tododeku; fluff + crack/humor; 26k words; oneshot; truth quirk)

Midoriya scrunched up his nose in confusion. “Uh, Shouto, why are you glaring at me like that?”

“I-” Todoroki began to lie, until nausea slammed him like a door to any room that Bakugou entered. “I--” Todoroki grit his teeth, and glared daggers into the wall behind Midoriya. Goodbye, friendship. It had been absolutely divine while it lasted. “Because you’re very attractive.”

They say honesty is the best policy, but it sure as hell had a knack for Todoroki making a complete and utter fool of himself.

Or: In which Todoroki is placed under a mysterious truth-telling quirk and suffers, Uraraka laughs at him, Midoriya is confused but smitten nonetheless, and Twitter is the thirstiest site on the planet.

paint on our lips (paint on those fingertips) by spicanao

(bnha; tododeku; angst + magical realism; 11k words; oneshot; gallery au)

Galleries are wonderful places. The works seem so vibrant, so beautiful, so alive.

Until they're actually alive.

(Ib AU)

[my bookmarks: holy shit this is beautiful in an odd, poignant, dream-like way]

Todoroki Shouto’s Amateur Guide to Not Fucking Up The Timeline by Anubis_2701

(bnha; tododeku; crack/humor; 13k words; oneshot; time travel; future fic)

All that Todoroki had wanted was milk. Nothing drastic, nothing dramatic, just milk.

Unfortunately, in his quest to get milk, he ended up running into one of the saltiest, most impulsive people this side of the globe. Who also just so happened to have a volatile time-travel quirk.

So yeah, he was fucked. Just slightly. Being punted randomly through time wasn't exactly how he'd wanted to spend his Saturday morning. At least the younger versions of his friends are cute.

awake and (un)afraid, asleep or- by driedupwishes

(bnha; tododeku; fluff + angst + The Feels; 54k words; oneshot; social media/future fic)

“You,” Shoto says, picking his head up from where his screen is filled with The Worst Photograph Ever, curtesy of Shinsou, Jiro, Kaminari, his brother, and nearly everyone they know. “You are so dead to me.”

Kirishima blinks, mouth half open while Izuku mutters oh god, it’s too late, isn’t it on the other end of the phone, before Kirishima is leaning into his space to see his screen.

“Oh,” he says, in response to the photo someone in the crowd of civilians watching the fight had taken of them. “Oh, that’s-” he cuts himself off for a minute, leaning back to eye Shoto’s face while on the other side of the phone Izuku smothers what is probably a laugh, and then changes tracks.

“It’s super manly to love and support your friends,” Kirishima tells Shoto haughtily, as if this whole thing isn't his fault in the first place.

or: Kirishima and Shoto accidentally start trending on Twitter and in retaliation Shoto decides to make an Instagram to showcase all his Hero Deku merchandise, so that everyone knows how much he loves his boyfriend Izuku, and no one expects how quickly it will all spiral out from there

[my bookmarks: broke my heart. i teared up multiple times and even now I'm barely holding back tears.

pure beauty. pulls an incredible amount of emotion from the descriptive language and conveys the love and loneliness and that pulsing ache so well that i thought that my chest would cave in from the force of all the fucking feelings in it. this entire fic was a perfect, awe-inspiring package of fluff, beautiful shoto and class 1a interaction, heartfelt long distance tododeku feels, and almost every single paragraph had my heart fucking squeezing so hard in my chest that i could barely breathe.

i am in awe.]

Hooliganisms by aphrodaisyacs

(bnha; gen/todofam; crack/humor; 17k words; series; social media)

In which an anonymous artist’s street art of Bald Endeavor goes viral, causing a chain of coincidental events and ironic situations to ripple through the lives of everyone- heroes, villains and civilians alike.

[my bookmarks: i'm crying so much from laughter]

Part 1: Where it all begins- the origins of the street artist known as the "Bald Hooligan" and their rise to infamy

Part 2: The spin-off focusing on the unlikely trio whose friendship was borne from the events of Part 1

Daydreaming by AnonymousTwit

(bnha; gen/todobakudeku; angst; 7k words; oneshot; todoroki-centric)

If he'd been more careful, then they'd be fine. If he'd been paying attention, then he wouldn't be alone right now.

But he wasn't and he hadn't, so it's just him, now. It's him, his thoughts, and the unconscious bodies of two of his closest friends as he waits for someone to reach them.

Whether they be friendly or not.

Author has writer's block and coughed up some Todoroki angst in retaliation.

A Study in Firsts by Oceanbreeze7

(bnha; gen; angst + fluff + humor; 76k words; ongoing; class 1a-centric)

There’s a first time for everything.

The first time everyone crammed in Momo’s room to study, a mess of limbs and books on her bed.

The first time Mina burned crepes so badly the smoke alarm went off.

The first time a jumpscare got Sero so badly, he flipped off the back of the couch.

The first time Uraraka fell asleep at the table and accidentally sent it floating.

The first time someone realized Todoroki walked far too quietly, and far too cautiously around the dorms to be normal.

The first time Midoriya broke his toe on a door frame and kept walking through it.

The first time Kirishima woke up screaming through the walls.

The first time Tsuyu blanched at the sight of a needle.

The first time Bakugo dropped, clutching the back of his neck with eyes scarily vacant and detonating everything around him until Aizawa had to intervene.

It wasn’t always pretty, but the dorms were filled with firsts.

Responsibility by deafmic

(bnha; gen; angst + hurt/comfort; 94k words; series (complete); todoroki-centric; dadzawa + papamic)

“I told you outside,” Aizawa chooses his words carefully, reiterating the same point he’s made before. “My responsibility for you doesn’t end at the classroom. Every part of your life is partially my responsibility. Your father doesn’t scare or intimidate me. If you need help, I can get it for you, but you and I both know that you need to ask for it first.”

Aizawa organizes a way for the students to go home for the holidays. Todoroki Shouto, however, gets left behind by his father. Aizawa, annoyed at Endeavor, takes Shouto under his care for the night, and is joined by a certain Yamada Hizashi.

[my bookmarks: *unholy screaming sobbing noises*

an incredible and emotional journey from start to finish.]

the drip of melting ice by walking_through_autumn

(bnha; gen/platonic shintodo; angst + fluff; 19k words; oneshot; todoroki/shinsou-centric ft. dadzawa)

Aizawa found out within a day. It was quite likely due to the dish Todoroki had washed and left to dry in the shared kitchen after the kitten had been fed off it. Hitoshi was forced to reflect that it wasn’t any good hiding the litter and cat food in their wardrobes if Todoroki was going to make a fundamental mistake like that.

Aizawa stood in his door frame and raised an eyebrow. “Well? Where is the cat?”

Hitoshi gave his most disarming smile. “What cat?”

Todoroki chose that moment to exit his room, eyes on his phone, other hand holding a cat toy. He bumped into Aizawa and looked up slowly, like in a horror movie.

“...oh,” Todoroki said. Aizawa raised the other eyebrow. Hitoshi rubbed a hand down his face.

Herbal tea, weekly floor gatherings, spoiled surprises, movie marathons, shared custody over a cat, rain and ice and blankets and plushies, and the journey of falling into a friendship.

(Or: Hitoshi moves into the 2A dormitory at the beginning of his second year, learns who his neighbour is, and makes the friends he had declared he isn't there to have within the space of a semester.)

Hand in Hand in Hand by kngsbrg (Citlalcoatl)

(bnha; todobakudeku; fluff + strangers to lovers; 10k words; oneshot; tea au)

Boiling the water, choosing the right temperature for the right kind of tea, using quality leaves, scooping the precise amount, and letting it steep for just the perfect time...

All that and more is needed to make a delicious cup of tea.

A business that Shouto was quite knowledgeable about.

Spring begins and brings with it the hint of new fresh air, buds waiting to blossom, and just a bit of change.

[my bookmarks: featuring: oblivious teamaker shoto and pining firemen baku and izu]

even if i die (it's you) by monomoon

(bnha; todobaku; fluff + angst + strangers to lovers; 75k words; complete; paramedic au)

Or; where Todoroki never went to UA and, in rejection of his father's ambitions, became a paramedic; and where pro hero Bakugou Katsuki is just a little bit too intrigued with the heterochromatic man who always glares daggers at him whenever he sees him.

When Bakugou was suddenly and abruptly met with two cold, heterochromatic eyes glaring daggers right back at him, he had two immediate thoughts:

"Why does he look like he's plotting my assassination?"

and

"Why the fuck are his eyes so pretty?"

[my bookmarks: UGH THIS IS JUST FUCKING PHENOMENAL- GORGEOUS LOVELY INCREDIBLE HEARTSTOPPING HEARTBREAKING BEAUTIFUL RIDICULOUSLY GOOD POIGNANT I AM RUNNING OUT OF ADJECTIVES BUT IT'S GREAT TRUST ME AKDHJSFNW]

This Is Now by colormesherlocked

(bnha; gen; angst + hurt/comfort + fluff; 193k words; series (ongoing); todoroki-centric)

Todoroki Shoto will be a hero.

...But not just yet. Right now, Todoroki Shoto is a bitter, pessimistic, hurt teenager who doesn't want help, friends or hinderances of any kind getting in the way of his misguided goals.

Thankfully, there will soon be people in his life who will be more than happy to drag him into a place of happiness, safety, and acceptance - kicking and screaming the whole way, if they have to. All he has to do is survive his first meeting with them and all the incredible changes that will come after.

This is Todoroki Shoto's Hero Academia.

(Semi-canon compliant up to a point and told from Todoroki Shoto's POV.)

the league of anti-villains by aizawa_wears_crocs (avenris), avenris

(bnha; gen; angst + fluff + humor; 35k words; ongoing; todobakushinmono-centric)

When he's secretly tasked to find the UA traitor, Todoroki isn't expecting help. He's especially not expecting it from the three other first year students perceived as villainous in their own ways. Unfortunately for him, Shinsou, Monoma and Bakugou have all got something to prove, and his solo mission turns into a team effort that rapidly spirals far beyond what they were expecting to find - but hey, they're in too deep now.

Or: in which the gang solves the mystery of the traitor feat. todoroki family shenanigans, copious amounts of dadzawa, backstory for my favorite 1-B gremlin, and good old-fashioned illegal vigilantism.

such eloquent graffiti by firelilyblooms

(bnha; todobaku; angst + hurt/comfort; 9k words; oneshot; todoroki-centric; future fic)

Todoroki Shouto is sitting cross-legged at his coffee table, hunched over a bowl of instant ramen, when he finds out along with the rest of the world that the Flame Hero, Endeavor, is dead.

Or, Shouto's guide to dealing with death.

[my bookmarks: i am in ✨pain✨:)]

Tell-All by HopeNight

(bnha; todofam; angst; 4k words; oneshot; todofam/natsuo-centric)

When Natsuo is twenty-years-old, he publishes a tell-all book on his father and growing up in his house. This starts a domino effect, of course. With the book comes an investigation and sets the groundwork for the Hawks scandal in several years’ time that will see the disbandment of the Heroic Public Safety Commission and the ascension of pro hero Deku to the Number One slot. This will also lead to a decades long chain of change and progress with Deku wielding his influence and charisma like a sword and shield to make society and the world a little better than when he found it.

In essence, you can say, that Todoroki Natsuo is the true hero of this story with his fake quirk and an anger burning in his gut. Just one small book and suddenly…everything changes. The future is brighter for its existence. The curtains are thrown back and the light begins its work to disinfect and cleanse.

When Todoroki Shouto is in his second year of UA, his brother, Natsuo, publishes a tell-all book of essays about growing up in Endeavor's house.

This is Natsuo's story about how he really changed the path of things.

like an open wound by filzmonster

(bnha; gen; angst + hurt/comfort; 5k words; oneshot; todoroki-centric; manga spoilers)

It's a Sunday and Shouto is making gyoza in the dorm kitchen - or: It's a Sunday and Todoroki has an existential crisis over food.

[my bookmarks: oh my GODDDDDDDDD

*screeches while crying**is a blubbering mess*]

Shouto Todoroki and His Stuffed Eeyore (And Also Childhood Trauma) by ThatSpicySeaFlapFlap

(bnha; gen; angst + MORE ANGST; 42k words; complete; todoroki-centric)

Aizawa looked him in the eye, placed a gentle hand around his bicep (not like Endeavor, his father had only ever touched him with the intention to burn) and asked, “Are you okay?”

People don’t usually ask him things. They like to tell him things, like where to sit or what to wear or how to talk or how to be a hero or how to be himself.

‘Am I okay?’ He thought. He realized he doesn’t ask himself things, either.

Shouto didn’t have an answer to Aizawa’s question, so instead he said:

“A very long time ago, my mother did something....highly upsetting.” The boy was tracing the outline of his scar, his calloused finger stopping and jumping around the bumps and ridges of the burnt skin. “Something today reminded me of that.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” His teacher asked.

“No.”

“Okay. I’m here when you do. I’m always here, kid.” Shouto only responded with a sob. He felt as if he’d earned that right after all the emotional labor he had been put through tonight.

days by chibistarlyte

(bnha; todobaku; angst + hurt/comfort; 19k words; series (complete); todoroki-centric)

Most days, Shouto is fine.

But some days...

Some days, Shouto falls apart.

Location Sent by sunflowerstorm

(bnha; gen; angst + hurt/comfort; 15k words; oneshot; todoroki-centric; third year 1a)

In their first year at UA Midoriya sent his location to the class 1-A group chat during the Hosu incident because he didn't have time to do anything else before rushing to Iida's aid.

Now in their second year, Todoroki sends his location to the group chat at 6:30am on a Saturday morning after going home for the weekend. Midoriya knows immediately that something is very wrong and takes off, Bakugo hot on his heels.

-----

"They’d known each other long enough to be able to communicate practically wordlessly. The quiet rage on Midoriya's face was extremely telling, this was bad. Bakugo braced himself as Midoriya shuffled to the side to show where his hands were hovering over what was most certainly a burn and a serious one at that. Todoroki’s own fire didn’t burn him but they all knew that didn’t make him fire proof. Bakugo could do the math."

Faith by phinnium

(bnha; gen; angst + hurt/comfort; 7k words; oneshot; todoroki-centric; manga spoilers)

"You wanted to open a case?"

Aizawa frowned, "uh, yeah. Someone showed you Dabi's video, didn't they? And I don't doubt Todoroki himself has told you bits and pieces."

Izuku did not expect this to be how the conversation went.

"Yeah. But Todoroki isn't being hurt now. He's fine. Endeavour's changed."

Or: Midoriya trusts the Hero Commission far more than he should, especially given the situation at hand. Todoroki isn't available to explain what's what, so Aizawa and Bakugou do it instead.

(Written after the release of issue 293 of the manga, and in the aftermath of the current arc. Spoilers ahead.)

Incendiary by macrauchenia

(bnha; gen; angst + hurt/comfort; 17k words; ongoing (hiatus?); todoroki-centric)

"You're going to die, little Todoroki. And if you don't, your classmates will instead."

A training exercise backfires when Izuku and Todoroki become tangled in an escaped villain's vendetta against Endeavor. Alone in a perilous situation due to the villain's barrier quirk, Todoroki must take desperate and creative measures to save his classmates.

[Class 1-A Teamwork/Bonding]

Parallax by petrichor (findingkairos)

(bnha; gen; angst + hurt/comfort + fluff; 64k words; ongoing; todoroki-centric)

Todoroki Shouto has memories that he didn't make on his own, motor skills that his brain doesn't know how to parse, and a love of science and mathematics and physics that means he broke down his Quirk into its most intricate, universe-bending components at the age of seven.

In one universe, he wants to become a hero. In this one, even though he doesn't want to, he might have to.

(Featuring: a rapidly developing Shoutosquad, Quirk science, headcanons of all flavors, healthy and supportive sibling and sibling-like relationships, and Dadzawa.)

[notes: one of my current favorite fics that i’m eagerly following for the next update. :D]

Caturdays by staqua (aka my fav todobaku author)

(bnha; todobaku; fluff + angst + enemies to lovers; 10k words; oneshot)

"Hmm... It's lunchtime now isn't it? You should have lunch with him."

"With Bakugou?" He blanched. "I think he would refuse and then murder me."

Rei chuckled softly as if death was a joke and held his hand tenderly. "If he's in the hospital, someone he cares about must not be well. I think anyone going through that should have a nice meal with good company."

"You overestimate me," Shouto pointed out and she gave another laugh.

OR: Shouto's usual Saturdays included visits to his mother and the cat cafe; he wasn't expecting Bakugou to get thrown in the mix.

voltron: legendary defender:

*hacks twitter in space* by Zakyuu

(vld x marvel; gen/klance; crack/humor + fluff; 17k words; social media au; ongoing)

the voltron paladins arent as popular as the avengers, obviously — in fact, no one even knows they exist. but they still radiate the same kind of dumb gay energy like the rest of the world.

or: pidge somehow manages to connect voltron's communicators onto earth and virtually nothing is the same. voltron also collectively makes everyone lose their marbles while they play hot potato with the fact that theyre in a ten thousand year war with the galra.

the fear of falling by amillionsmiles

(vld; gen; angst + fluff; character study; 3k words; oneshot; keith-centric)

Keith can pull off a downward spiral. It's the kind of maneuver he does in his sleep.

[my bookmarks: stunning. beautiful. breathtaking. poignant.]

Recoil/Release by Cheshyr

(vld; gen; angst + hurt/comfort; 22k words; oneshot; keith-centric)

When Keith is bitten by an alien creature with venom that causes your dominant emotions to be amplified, the team is ready for a day of dealing with an incredibly angry paladin.

Which means they're not ready at all for what actually happens.

hound by story_monger

(vld; gen; angst + hurt/comfort; 47k words; oneshot; keith-centric)

Keith has a lot of practice being alone; you might almost say he's good at it. When he finds himself seriously injured and stranded on an unknown planet, he knows he's not alone there. And here's the worst part: even after rescue and after things return to normal, Keith gets the distinct sense that whatever was on that planet has followed him. He doesn't have proof. But he knows it's there. He knows it's not going to stop until it gets what it wants.

Keith's 'Physical Contact' Initiation Program by alisayamin (sh_04e)

(vld; gen; fluff+ angst + hurt/comfort; 26k words; oneshot; keith-centric)

Keith didn’t move and neither did Pidge. It was a little awkward until Keith finally said, “Maybe we could officially officiate this..?”

“What do you mean?”

“Fist me.”

Pidge recoiled and sputtered, “Keith, what the f-” She was cut off by Shiro’s bellowing laughter from the observatory deck.

With his straight face unchanged, Keith lowered his left hand with the stopwatch and lifted his right hand, fisted.

Pidge actually sighed with so much relief, “OH. You mean fistbump! Right.” She slapped her forehead to remove the very very wrong image her imagination drew for her, “Holy shit, Keith, we need to work on that but yeah sure, I’d be honoured to officiate your physical contact program whatever.”

That one time Coran realized Keith was too distant and decided to make him undergo the 'Physical Contact' Initiation Program which then led to --> 5 times the paladins realized Keith was an actual cat.

The Red String by Le_Tournesol

(vld; gen/klance; angst + fluff; 19k words; series (ongoing); keith-centric; pre-voltron au)

Lance and Keith keep coming across one another at different points in their lives.

[my bookmarks: this is so sad and sweet and lovely]

All that is gold does not glitter by Rangergirl3

(vld; gen; angst + fluff + hurt/comfort; 28k words; complete; keith-centric)

Keith isn't what most would call a 'people' person, but that doesn't stop him from caring about his team.

aka

Five Times the other Paladins learned something about Keith, and the One Time he learned something about them.

[my bookmarks: fuck. just- fuck.]

Miscommunication Celebration by SleepySsnail

(vld; gen; fluff + hurt/comfort; 4k words; oneshot; keith-centric; birthday fic)

Keith was never too focused on his birthday, but when it rolls around he hopes his team remembers it. When Keith's birthday is full of quality time and fun, he doesn't even question why his friends haven't said "happy birthday" to him.

Or: Where Keith thinks everyone is celebrating his birthday when they really forgot about it.

Keithtober 2019 Day 23: Birthday

avatar: the last airbender:

Change of Address by hearmerory

(atla; gen/zukka; ANGST + fluff + hurt/comfort; 89k words; series (ongoing); zuko-centric; modern au)

A collection of instances in a modern AU of Zuko's shitty childhood, featuring Ozai's dislike of his son's autism and sexuality.

[my bookmarks: FUCK F U C K WHAT THE ACTUAL F U C K.

I CAN'T WITH THIS ANYMORE.]

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the-daily-multi-fandom-post · 4 years

Note

✨Hi✨

Can I have murphy x reader ???????

Reader tends to hold their breath and not breathe when they're scared. Murphy finds this out when reader holds their breath for so long that they pass out from lack of oxygen?

✨Thank you✨

A/N: I hope you like this. I havent wrote for Z-nation yet. So I am very excited! Thank you for requesting, if you have any more for z-nation please let me know!

Summary:

Warnings;

Show/movie: Z-Nation

Paring: Murphy x reader

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

You’ve had this habit since you were a kid. Every time you were scared you would hold your breath. It was like if you held your breath then time would stop, like nothing could hurt you. You’ve only passed out once from holding your breath and that was when you were in high school having to present your paper in front of your whole class.

You were walking beside Murphy as horse of Zombies rounded a corner. You were spooked and stumbled backwards, but you quickly got up aiming your silver and white .45 pistols at the zombies foreheads. Everyone around you doing the same. You were fine, this was fine, but when you found your group cornered it scared the hell out of you.

“What do we do?” Addy asked warren taking the words from you. “Over here!” 10k said as he found a building that was just a couple meters away in the woods. “Come on.” The group ran. Warren, Addy and you were the first ones inside aiming your guns making sure there wasn’t any zombies. When it was clear the others came in.

It was a small little shack of a house in the woods. It had two bedrooms, a small living room, one tiny bathroom, and the kitchen that looked like it was out dated by 30 years.

“Will stay here until the horde passes.” Warren said as she shut and locked the door. You looked through the shack trying to find anything useful that’s when you opened the bedroom door. A couple bats flew out of the room making you jump and Squeal. Murphy laughed as he sat down beside you on the dusty couch. “What scared of a couple bats?” You shook your head as you continued going into the room.

Whoever was in the room left in a hurry. The Drawers were pulled out of the dresser. Clothes were thrown over the bed. A few pictures crooked on the wall, a few empty, dusty spots on the wall were pictures once were. You heard footsteps behind ou and you turned seeing warren.

“A family.” She said looking at the picture you had plucked from the wall. You nodded, your fingers cleaning the dust off the frame. “You have a family before this?” She asked, you nodded, but also shurgged.

“My baby brother. I took care of him. He, Umm. He died back when all this shit began. He didn’t listen to me and ran out of the house while two or three zombies were right in front of the house. He ran too fast for me to stop him and they killed him right in front of me. Mom, well she’s been out of the picture since I was 13. She decided I was old enough to take care of brother, who was just a baby then. So she ran off with some dude paying for her drugs and my dad died in the service. Back when my brother was born.” You answered tears pricking your eyes but you quickly whiped them away.

“I’m sorry.” Warren sympatheticly Said to you. You nodded as you whispered a “me too”. Warren walked out of the bed room as you sat down on the bed. Just staring at the picture in your hand. You weren’t an emotional person. You rarely showed when you were upset. Ever since you were young you had to act like nothing was wrong. As if your life was just sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. But truthfully you just felt overwhelmed. Life was just being overwhelming.

“Can I come in?” Murphy asked as he walked up to the door frame. You looked up at him nd nodded. “What’s up, buttercup?” He asked sitting beside you and bumping your arm. “The sky.” You joked sarcastically with a smile. “I have got to learn to stop saying that. You say that every time.” You giggled as you looked down at your hands. Putting the picture frame onto the dresser then laying down on the bed.

“Do you ever feel overwhelmed?” You asked, completely forgetting who you were talking to. “Uh, hi my name is Murphy. People call me the Murphy. Nice to meet you.” He said sarcastically. You rolled your eyes as you faced him. “I hate you.” He knew you didn’t mean that. The two of you had a weird friendship. You both ran into each other when he first became the mission. You actually talk to him as if he were a person, not as “the package.” You friendship grew into more of an relationship but neither would admit it. I mean the two of you have came so close to kissing but 10k or doc always interrupts.

“Sorry, bad question.” You spoke. Putting your arm over your eyes, blocking the sunlight. You felt the bed shift and automatically assumed he was leaving. But when you felt the bed shift and an arm slip around you, you didn’t jump. You knew the only person who would wrap their arms around you would be Murphy.

“What’s got you so stressed?” He asked his arms wrapped around you as the two of you spooned. Him being the big spoon holding you. And you resting against his chest enjoying the comfort.

“I don’t know. Life.” You laughed and shrugged. “It’s just. We’re taking you to California and we don’t even know what’s going to happen to you. I mean, they could just be killing you. Or torcher you or something. I don’t know. I-I’m just over thinking is all.” You spoke looking at the white wall in front of you. Murphy sighed as he pulled you so he could look at you correctly. He stared into your Y/e/c eyes and smiled. He leaned forwards kissing your forehead.

“You don’t have to worry about me.” He tried to get her to stop worrying. He didn’t want to go to California. He too was worried about going. He wouldn’t tell anyone that but he truly was.

“You guys are gross.” 10k said as he just so happen to walk into the room. “Kid, you don’t know gross.” You told him with a laugh. He nodded as he looked at you. “I just wanted to sleep on a bed while we had one, but you two have this one occupied and warren decided I could sleep in this one since addy had called the other one. Just as Murphy was about to say something you covered his mouth with your hand. “Of course. Come in lazy get up!” You said as your tried to pull out of Murphy’s thought grip. He groaned as he released you. “And for a minute I thought we were having a moment.” 10k laughed, “yeah a gross moment.”

An hour passed and the horde passed. You sat on the couch as Murphy laid across it, his head lying on your lap as doc sat across from you on a small love seat. “Is it weird?” Doc asked looking at you and Murphy. “Is what weird?” You asked completely confused at what Doc was asking. “Being in a relationship during the zombie apocalypse.” He answered looking at the two of you. You looked at him bewildered. “We-” “we’re not in a relationship.” Murphy ended the conversation quickly. He got grumpy all of a sudden. As if someone had just bursted his bubble. “Oh, sorry. It just seems like the two of you are a couple. I could’ve bet the two of you were together like a couple.” You nodded not knowing what to say.

“I don’t think he likes me like that.” You say all of a sudden without thinking. Murphy grows stiff and then tried to relax. “How is that? I mean he is literally only nice to you.” You just then began to think about it. Yeah the two of you flirted all the tile, but you never thought it was more then a flirty friendship.

“Alright, it’s clear of puppies and kittens I think we should get going.” Warren said as she came back inside the house. “I found a truck well take that. It’ll get us pretty far. Grab your stuff and take it to the truck. We’re leaving.” You grabbed your book bag and your rifle you carried. Your book bag had what you needed in it. (First aid kit, emergency food that you don’t plan on telling anyone about until it is needed. A water bottle. Stuff to make a fire, And girl stuff aka (pads, tampons, and Midol, and other pain meds.)

You sat in the bed of the pick up truck. The inside on fit three people. So you, Murphy and 10k sat in the bed of the truck. Addy, warren and doc sat in the cab of the truck. The truck was running good and somehow had a full tank of gas with an extra tank of gas on the back of it. It was complete luck finding the truck.

Days passed when you guys finally ran out of gas. The only thing was a storm had came. You hated storms. It was like it was a little bit of rain and wind. Heck, you would welcome that with open arms. But no, it had to be nothing but wind that seemed to be going 30 miles an hour, it was pouring rain and the thunder and lightning scared you every time you would hear the loud crashing boom.

“Are you okay?” Murphy asked, you jumped as the loud boom shook the store the group had found. “Yeah, just hate storms is all.” You spoke quickly looking at Murphy then jumping Sharon as you felt the store shake. Holding your breath as you sat down with you back against the wall and you head in your hands.

The group left you alone for a few minutes, just thinking you needed to be alone for a few minutes. But that is until you had passed out. Murphy was right by your side before anyone could get to you.

You had stopped breathing which worried him to death. “She’s stopped breathing!” He stressed looking at the group. He shook you some then he decided to give you mouth to mouth. (That’s how bad you had stopped breathing he thought you were dead. Geez gotta worry the group girl. 😂)

With a gasp you woke up. Looking at Murphy as he was practically holding you in his arms. “Wha-t happen?” You asked while sitting up. “You passed out from the lack of oxygen.” You looked at doc confused until you remembered. “Oh,” addy nodded, “Yeah, you have a bad habit of holding your breath while your scared. You gotta get out of that habit.” You nodded as you looked at Murphy and then to 10k who was just staring.

“What ya staring at?” You asked the kid. “Nothing, it’s just. Nothing.” He shook his head. “What I think he’s trying to say Is the two of you are still holding onto each other like it’s y’all last day on earth.” Doc finished for 10k. “Y’all need to kiss already and get the gross part over with.” Everyone looked at Warren shocked. She usually was not really into the gushy relationship stuff.

Murphy rolled his eyes as he looked down at your blushing self. You looked at him and shurgged. “Just get it over with. I can’t deal with you two staring at each other while the other isn’t looking.” Both of you rolled your eyes as you looked at each other. Looking into his eyes you placed a quick kiss to his lips. Everyone sighed shaking their heads. “That wasn’t barely even a peck.” Addy teased looking at you and you shook your head at her. Murphy pulled you closer stopping you from asking what he was doing with a passionate kiss.

“Wow.” You whispered, looking into his eyes. Kinda in shock. “Yeah,” he agreed looking in your e/y/c eyes. “That was cute, but now we need to get some sleep if we’re gonna get walking tomorrow.” Everyone nodded grabbing blankets they had found in the store making a makeshift beds and trying to go to sleep. Warren deciding to take first shift to stay up. Taking her spot beside the only entrance to the store.

You lied down beside Murphy. His arms comfortably wrapped around you as the two of you quickly fell asleep. This is where your safe place was, Murphy. He just seemed to ground you. And that’s the way he felt with you. The two of you just grounded each other.

And that’s the way I’m ending this story. Lol 😂 hope y’all liked it! ❤️🖤

Request for Z nation are welcome.

-No smut request-

#Z-nation #Z nation x reader #z nation imagine #z nation murphy #Z nation murphy x reader #z nation 10k #z nation Warren #Z nation Addy #Z nation mack #Z nation citizen Z #Z nation Doc #Z nation Vasquez

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hils79 · 4 years

Text

Monday Fic Recs

Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji (The Untamed/Mo Dao Zu Shi)

Deeper grows my longing by feyburner

Jiang Cheng stared at him. “How are you this dense,” he said flatly. “Wei Wuxian. The common people aren’t scared of you, they’re scared of your husband."

“My what,” said Wei Wuxian.

I love post-canon fics where WWX starts to rebuild his relationship with JC, and this has the added bonus of him finally catching a clue about his feelings for LWJ as well

Attached to shadows by LtLJ

It was either a kidnapping or an invitation to a sleepover; Wei Wuxian honestly couldn't tell which.

I really want more post-canon fics about NHS. This is absolutely delightful.

golden by queen_gee

Wei Ying sees him through the flowers and silk and his heart whispers, oh. There you are.

It is there in one moment and then gone in the next, just a fleeting hint of recognition, relief that spreads through his chest with intensity that makes his knees wobble. There is a beautiful man at his sister’s wedding and he is looking at Wei Ying as if he has been struck speechless and something about the curve of that man’s bowed lips, the molten gold of his eyes, the way his throat bobs and his jaw slackens—it feels like coming home.

----------

A beautiful stranger asks Wei Ying to dance.

This is absolutely beautiful

Death of a Ghost by gotcocomilk

There was a ghost that haunted the decks of Lotus Pier, it was said. If you stepped across the wooden planks at night, walked along the endless docks and flying purple banners, he would appear.

He was always in darkest black, dressed as specter and shadow. In the emptiness where a face should be was a thick fog, features washed away and leaving behind only glimmering red eyes.

He looked ferocious as a ghoul, it was said.

Jin Ling thought he looked sad.

I think what I love most about this one is the fact that yes, WWX and LWJ get together in it, but that’s not really what it’s about. It’s about WWX repairing and rebuilding relationships and it’s really beautifully written

Bodega Love by cicer

Wei Wuxian meets his soulmate when they reach for the same bunch of daffodils at the local bodega. Too bad he immediately puts his foot in his mouth. How can he repair the damage and convince this beautiful man to date him?

Let the group text conversation begin!

I kept having to stop reading this because I was laughing so hard. It’s absolutely delightful.

Zhao Yunlan/Shen Wei (Guardian)

Yes, I have fallen into a new fandom and with it comes fic recs. These are all short (less than 10k) as I’ve bookmarked a bunch of longer ones to put on my kindle. There is A LOT of hurt/comfort in this fandom, which is a favourite trope of mine so if a lot these have a theme that’s why :D

Ice and Shard by frith_of_thorns

Zhao Yunlan didn't know what made him realise that something was wrong. But something definitely was.

This is wonderfully written and also gave me a lot of feelings

i would give you the world (but unfortunately, i only have this tea set) by blackwatervial

There is a lot that can go wrong when giving someone a gift - that's a lesson Zhao Yunlan has to learn the hard way. At least the entire SID is there to suffer with him. OR Five times Chief Zhao doesn’t manage to court Professor Shen, and the one time he does

This is adorable and hilarious

turn the lights off, carry me home by xparrot

"I don't need to be indulged," Zhao Yunlan told him.

"Naturally not," Shen Wei said.

Zhao Yunlan grinned back at him. "I like it when you do, though."

I am honestly just living for soft sweet fics like this

Momentary Reversals by laireshi

He looks up as if feeling Zhao Yunlan's gaze on him. Their eyes meet across the battlefield, and the naked relief in Shen Wei's eyes hurts. His lips shape a word Zhao Yunlan can't hear across the distance, but he knows what Shen Wei looks like when he says his name, be it Zhao Yunlan or Kunlun.

And then Shen Wei just—falls down.

I definitely need to find more fics about ZYL’s time as Kunlun but this was a lovely little story

We are all still standing by frith_in_thorns

Episode 33 tag/missing scene.

Shen Wei wakes up on a bench and things go slightly downhill from there.

As soon as I saw this episode I know I wanted an additional scene, and this is pretty much exactly what I wanted

Parachute by frith_in_thorns

Shen Wei doesn't have time to be ill. Not on a day full of classes. Which, thankfully, he's already prepared, because otherwise this would be a complete disaster. He gives himself the time to make a hot cup of tea and then grimly embarks, with the same determination he's previously entered battle under.

Just a lovely little sickfic

my heart broke loose on the wind by sarahyyy

If Yunlan is going to learn how to make actual food that requires more effort than just boiling water and putting hot water into stuff, he’s going to have to take all the notes.

“Right,” he says to himself. “How hard can it be?”

He watches all twenty-two minutes and fourteen seconds of Chef Shen's video without fast-forwarding. When it comes to an end, he clicks on the replay button.

He ends up taking zero notes, and the only thing he manages to learn from the whole exercise is that Chef Shen -Shen Wei- is really fucking beautiful when he smiles.

When I get into a new fandom I like to read a few canon based fics before I start on the AUs. This was an adorable AU to start with. It made me smile a lot.

honey, let me show you where your heart is by sarahyyy

“The touching, for example. The teasing. The gifts.” Yunlan smiles a little at that. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” Shen Wei whispers, unable to help himself.

“Okay,” Yunlan says, and his smile could light the entire goddamn city.

Shen Wei is so fucked.

(Or, the one where Yunlan asks Shen Wei to be his boyfriend.)

Ahhhhhh! This one is so SWEET! My heart melted

I Call 'Do Over' by PK20

The Hallows have one final trick to play, and Zhao Yunlan is going to grab it with both hands.

This was exactly the fix-it fic I needed

#fic recs #the untamed #guardian #wangxian #weilan

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heyyyharry · 5 years

Text

Chapter 6: Cottage in the Woods

(from ‘The Conman and the Maid’ Series)

…in which the king is dead, Y/N faces a tough decision, and Harry thinks this might be goodbye.

Word count: 10k

Warning: smut and angst (please don’t hate me or Harry lol)

AU: princess!y/n, conman!harry, prisoner!harry.

Series description: Y/N is a princess and Harry is a prisoner in her castle. With his help, she escapes from her arranged marriage in search of a happy ending, if there is one.

Wattpad link (original character: Reyna as Y/N)

Willem’s sickness had only gotten worse since he received the news that his daughter had fled the kingdom with a prisoner. He’d sent people to go after her, find her, and bring her back, but it had been almost two weeks and the missing princess still hadn't been found. Prince Kavan and his retinue had cancelled the wedding and returned to Attwell, and the King of Attwell had been furious. He had broken the alliance with the North and declared to cancel military aid and political support when Isolde was to be at war again. Never had Willem thought his dynasty would crumble because of a woman, but now he was starting to believe in the prophecy.

Could Madam Maggie be right when she said the faith of his kingdom was entirely in the hands of his only daughter? Everything had gone wrong since she left, and if she didn’t come back, if there was no wedding, if Egon became King, then Willem would lose it all. He had failed to be a husband and a father, and he might fail to be a king, too.

This morning when he woke up, the sky was grey. The castle was engulfed in dark clouds and the snow was falling so hard and thick that he could only see a white grey snow curtain when looking out of the window from his sickbed. Another storm was coming, one he had expected for a really long time.

“Josephine is here, Your Majesty.”

“Send her in.”

The guard opened the door for Jo to come in. She kept her head down and stayed close to the entrance as the door shut behind her.

“You asked for me, Your Majesty?”

“Come closer,” Willem said, his voice was low and unsteady. Jo hesitated before walking towards him to stand at the foot of his bed and only looked up when she’d been given permission.

Willem had only allowed his subjects to see him when he was well, so when Jo was requested to come to his chamber, she thought there had been a mistake. But there he was right in front of her, white as a corpse, nothing but skin and bones. Most of his hair had fallen out and there were more wrinkles on his face than she could recall. He was dying, and he knew it.

“Jo.”

“Yes, my lord?” Jo walked around the bed to stand beside him. Willem coughed while struggling to open his eyes.

“I asked to see you because you are the closest to my daughter. Did she tell you where she was headed?”

“No, my lord. Y/N--Um...Princess Y/N...didn’t tell me that she was going to run away, but my guess is that she’s heading to Theros.”

“To see Edgar?”

“I think so, my lord. She had always talked about how much she missed her uncle.”

Willem gave a low “hmm” and asked no more questions as he lifted his shaky finger and pointed to the desk facing his bed. “Bring me that envelope.”

Jo hastened to get the white envelope with the red royal seal and bring it to the King.

“Keep it,” he said, pushing it back into her hands. “Give it to Y/N. I might not be here when she returns and I need her to read this...”

“Your Majesty--”

“It’s all right, my child. Everyone has their own time.” Willem flashed a weak smile at the distressed maid. “I couldn’t love her the way she wanted me to. But I know you did. And if you still do, please look after her.”

Just as Jo opened her mouth to respond, a guard walked in and she hurriedly hid the letter behind her back.

“Prince Egon has arrived, Your Majesty.”

Willem nodded and gave Jo a dismissive wave. She did a small curtsy before making her way to the entrance, following the guard and walking right past Egon without making eye contact. She brought the letter to her front before his eyes could catch it and just continued walking.

“Why did you ask to see Jo, father?” asked the Prince as soon as he entered the room and shut the door. He made his way to his father’s bed and stood beside it with his hands behind his back.

Willem had his eyes closed as he sucked in a breath. “I asked her about Y/N. I thought she might know where your sister went.”

“I already interrogated her as well as all the other servants in the castle. Nobody knew about Y/N’s plan to rescue a prisoner and run away with him. And forgive me if I’m wrong, but I believe that is treason.”

“She was scared. I was hard on her.”

“She was weak and could not fulfil a simple task. It was her duty to marry Kavan Gennady but she failed, and not only have we lost our strongest ally from the West, we will also be fighting on our own if Theros--”

Willem put up one hand and Egon’s mouth clamped shut. The Prince clenched his jaw as he inhaled deeply, trying to keep his irrational feelings of malice to himself.

“I didn’t ask to see you so you could tell me the things I already know,” the old King said. “Are they still looking for her?”

“Yes, father. I ordered our men to search every little corner on the main road through the towns, but we couldn’t find Y/N and the thief. They must have taken the trail through the forests and the North mountain. They’ve been on their own for a week without food and water, so it’s very unlikely that they are still alive.”

“She’s alive.”

Egon froze as his eyebrows knitted. “Yes, father?”

“Y/N is alive. I can feel it,” Willem said breathlessly as he started coughing. “Bring her back. And do not harm her.”

Egon released a sharp exhale as he straightened his back and lifted his chin. He had been patient, thinking he had got Isolde in the palm of his hand, but it seemed more difficult than he’d expected as Willem was too stubborn to let Y/N go.

“Father,” he spoke after a moment of silence, “you’re already on your deathbed. So why don’t you shut your whiny mouth and let me have the fucking throne?”

Petrified, Willem pointed his finger at Egon’s face. “How dare you--”

“Speak to you like that?” Egon scoffed. “But I am. What are you going to do?”

“G-Guards!”

“Go on. Scream louder. I’ve sent all of your guards away for a reason.”

Willem trembled as the last bit of colour on his face drained out and Egon stepped closer, smirking down at him, his nostrils flared and his eyes turning dark.

“You are a foolish man,” he told the King. “For all your life, the only thing you’ve ever cared about was the crown on your head.”

“Guards!”

“You spoiled me when you thought I was going to be your heir, and tossed me aside like a bone when you found out it was your precious daughter who would be ‘the saviour’.” Egon shook his head, laughing mockingly. “You were going to put the fate of your kingdom in the hand of a useless woman and a foreigner, and for what? A stupid prophecy that was told by another woman?”

“You are a disgrace!” Willem barked. “All you’ve done since your mother died was getting drunk and fucking whores. Anyone could be a better ruler than you!”

“Hmm, you might be right. Anyone could be a better ruler than me.”

“What are you doing?! Stop--”

Egon shoved the pillow to Willem’s face as he jumped on the bed, throwing one leg over his torso and sat on top of his chest. The old King was unable to fight back as he was too weak compared to his twenty-year-old son.

“But. Only. I. Will. Be. King!” With every word, Egon pressed the pillow harder, using all the strength he had as his knuckles went white and his face was damp with cold sweats. It didn’t take longer than two minutes for Willem to go silent and stop moving.

Egon removed the pillow slowly, his lips curved into a smile. He let out a joyous laugh and continued laughing for almost a minute before getting off the bed and fixing the duvets and the body’s position.

Before he ran out to find a guard and announce the death of the King, he took one last look at Willem’s face, admiring it for a second.

“See you in hell, father.”

Three days later...

“Welcome to Leslie’s whorehouse, gentlemen! We have all the best ladies—”

The commander slammed his fist on a table, making Leslie shrink back behind her counter. He scanned his eyes around and scowled at whoever dared to look. “We have been told two wanted subjects are taking shelter in this house. We’re here to bring them back to Isolde.”

“We don’t take orders from Isolde.” Leslie scoffed, squinting her tiny eyes. “Besides, how are we supposed to know these people? What do they look like?”

“It’s the prin--”

The commander raised a fist to stop his subordinate so he could continue, “we’re going to search every single room in this house. If you want to keep your head on your neck, do not get in our way.”

As no one dared to object, the commander turned back to his men, “I will search upstairs, one man downstairs, the others stay here and make sure nobody leaves.”

A guard rushed forward and whispered to him, “should we send more people in, commander?”

“We’re not sending ten men to catch a street rat and a girl,” the commander grumbled. “Stop questioning what I asked you to do and follow my order.”

“Yes, commander.”

“If you see the prisoner, kill him,” he said loudly to the guards but made sure everyone else heard it too. “Attack the important subject if you must, but keep this one alive. Prince Egon’s order.”

“Yes, commander!”

Everyone made way for the commander as he headed to the wooden staircase. On the first floor, he met a long corridor with numerous doors on each side. He started from the closest one, banging his fist on it until someone answered, but it was always the prostitutes and their clients who cowered or huddled in the corner as soon as they saw him.

In every room he passed echoed the moaning and laughing and the sound of bedframe slamming against the wall, but one room caught his attention as it was suspiciously quiet. He stopped and banged on the door. “Open the door! Prince Egon’s order!”

As he got nothing but silence, he raised his fist, about to try again before he had to use the last resort and kick the door down.

Click! The door was pulled open.

He saw Harry waving at him as Y/N jumped out and shattered a vase over his head. He stumbled back, losing his balance on the broken pieces and one jolt of her knee to his crotch made him drop to the floor. The princess drew out her sword before the man could get up, but as she raised it above her head, she stopped abruptly.

He took the opportunity to kick her in the knees and stood up when her body hit the ground. He raised his blade to strike, but Harry charged straight at him and cut his throat with Stefan’s hunting knife. Blood splashed all over Y/N’s clothes and face as the guard collapsed right in front of her.

Harry immediately dropped his weapon. He stepped around the dead body and wrapped his arms around her, her body had gone stiff and her face was pallid.

She knew that man. He had been her mother’s guard for the longest time before he was her brother’s. He used to carry Y/N on his shoulders when she was small, but today he was going to hurt her and she had to watch Harry kill him.

“Peach! Are you okay, love?” Harry frantically asked as he used his sleeves to wipe the blood off her face.

She kept gawking at the body lying in its pool of blood. “He—He was going to hurt me.”

“But you’re okay now.” Harry held her face, turning her eyes back on him. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”

“Guys! Terrible news—Holy shit!” Stefan covered his mouth, grasping the door so he wouldn’t faint. “That—That’s a dead body! A bloody dead body in the middle of our room!”

He looked at Y/N first as she was the one covered in blood, but Harry didn’t give him a chance to assume it was her.

“I did it,” he said and continued to clean Y/N’s face. “I had to. He was going to hurt Peach.”

“Well, what are you still doing here then?! You have to go!” Stefan hopped over the dead body to pick up the swords and Y/N’s satchel. “I was downstairs when they arrived! They said they’d kill you and I’m sure the 'important subject’ they mentioned was Rain. They would take her back to the castle for that bastard Egon!”

“Over my dead body.”

“I’m pretty sure that was what they meant, Harry.” Stefan rolled his eyes as he shut the door and locked it.

“We have to jump out of the window,” Y/N spoke, causing the men to freeze. Stefan opened his mouth but she shushed him and darted across the room to lean out of the ugly squared window.

“I think if we fall into the giant haystack down there, we’ll be fine.”

“Oh, she’s serious then,” Stefan mumbled, taking a shaky deep breath.

Harry exhaled through his mouth as Stefan gave him a nudge. “Fine. I’ll go first and I’ll catch yo—PEACH!”

Both men fled to the window, poking their heads out and sighing in relief when they saw that Y/N was fine. She pushed herself out of the haystack and stood up, fixing her clothes like it was no big deal.

“Wow, that was sexy,” Stefan said, and Harry shoved him out of the window.

Screaming, he slumped into the haystack and Y/N pulled him out of there so Harry could jump. Harry landed with a sharp cry, making Y/N push Stefan aside and drop down on her knees beside him. She carefully rolled up his sleeve to find blood soaking through the cloth around his wound.

“Harry, you’re--”

“Don’t worry,” he told her, pushing himself up. “Come on. We have to go.”

“This way!” Stefan told them and Harry quickly followed, but Y/N didn’t move. A young girl was looking straight at her. Before she could react, the girl picked up her dress and ran away. It took Y/N only two seconds to recognise her.

It was the same girl she had kicked out of her brother’s chamber when she needed to speak to him about Jo. That girl remembered her. That girl knew she was the Princess. That girl must be one of Leslie’s prostitutes and the one who had ratted them out.

Shit.

“Peach!”

“Coming!” she shouted back and raced after Harry and Stefan.

Five men were guarding the stable door as they looked for Thunder and Lightning. Y/N joined Harry and Stefan behind a wall, leaning her back against it as her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.

“They’re going to take our horses,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut.

“They can’t,” Stefan turned to her, “I already hid Thunder and Lightning where they couldn’t find. But we have to cross the stable to get there.”

“Shit,” Y/N muttered, looking at Harry. “Maybe each of us can take down two guards? I’m sure Stefan can handle one.”

Stefan flinched. “I’m not sure about that…”

“Bad idea,” Harry said, making his friend sigh in relief. “We cannot make a scene. Willem’s men are everywhere in this area. They could shoot us if we show our faces.”

“So what are we--”

“They went this way!” the female voice made them all jump.

“That sneaky little bitch!” Y/N muttered.

“Who?” Stefan asked but she didn’t care to answer. She looked around and spotted a hay wagon nearby.

“There! Hide in there!”

“We’re diving into hay again?”

“You don’t get to be opinionated now, Styles!” she scolded him and forced him onto the wagon. They lay down together for Stefan to cover them with hay. Nobody had seen Stefan run away with them so those guards didn’t bother to take a second look at him when they passed by.

He held his breath until they were gone and turned back to the wagon to tell his friends, “I’ll get the horses for you and we’ll get out of here.”

“Stefan, wait!” Y/N said as she heard his hurried footsteps fading. Harry pulled her to his chest and started rubbing her back to put her at ease.

“He’ll be back, just trust him,” he said, and she gave a nod, nuzzling his neck and closing her eyes.

Suddenly, they heard a voice. “They killed the commander.”

“Fuck that little bitch,” spoke another guard. “The Prince won’t be happy. He wants her back before his coronation.”

Coronation?! Y/N covered her mouth with her hand, her heart almost stopped. If her brother was having a coronation, it meant...it meant -- She couldn’t even finish that thought. She couldn’t accept it. Her mind went blank for a second and she heard Harry asking if she was okay, but she couldn’t tell him. If she removed her hand, she would start sobbing so loud she wouldn’t be able to stop. So she buried her face into his chest and forced herself not to cry.

They lay there for a long moment until the wagon began to move. Y/N knew it wasn’t Stefan because whoever was riding the wagon was too quiet. As she and Harry were trying to figure out what to do next, this person spoke to them, “your friend will catch up with us. I already told him where to find you.”

It was a woman.

Harry muttered into Y/N’s hand something sounded like “what the fuck?” but she only glowered at him and asked the lady, “who are you?”

“Someone who wants to help,” she said. “Now be quiet. And trust me.”

They didn’t have any other choice. Their fate was in this woman’s hand, so this could either be the luckiest day of their life, or the very last.

As the room faded into view, the first thing Harry saw was two beautiful women staring down at him. He thought one of them was Y/N, but when the blinding light started fading, he realised he had never met either of them. His eyelids fluttered as he kept on blinking. He thought he was dead for this was what heaven looked like in his imagination, he’d be surrounded by beautiful women, but if he was in heaven, where was Peach?

“Where’s Peach?!” He sat up straight, causing the girls to jump away from the bed.

“Who?” the taller one asked before giving a smile. “Oh, you mean the girl?”

“I thought her name was Rain,” said the other.

“I thought so, too.”

“Who are you?!” Harry’s face twisted as he shifted his eyes back and forth between the girls. They exchanged some funny looks while giggling, which made him more confused.

“I’m Mary, and this is my older sister, May,” said the tall one, “I was the one who saved you in the village. Don’t worry, you’re safe here in our home. You passed out on the way here so we brought you inside. Rain just went out a moment ago for some fresh air.”

“Where are we?” Harry asked, still breathing hard.

“I wish I could give you a specific answer. But all we can say is that you’re in the middle of the woods with two beautiful ladies,” Mary said, making May scoff as she swatted her on the arm.

“We don’t have friends or even neighbours so we’re so happy to have you here.” With a beam, May handed him a cup of tea, but he shook his head and waited for his brain to catch up with what they were saying.

“So the two of you live alone in the woods?”

“Yes, but we’ve been living here for a very long time. We have another sister who’s away at the moment. Her name is Maggie, you’d like her. But by the time she gets back, you might not be here anymore.”

Harry rubbed his forehead, his eyebrows knitted. “Isn’t it dangerous for the three of you to live here on your own? Aren’t you afraid?”

“Oh, we’re not afraid,” said May.

“In fact, danger should be afraid of us.” Mary laughed along with her sister, but then she noticed the blood soaking through his sleeve and she gasped. “Oh sweet thing, you’re hurt!”

“It’s okay.” He pulled his arm away before she could take it. “I got this wound a few nights ago. It must be bleeding again because I jumped out of a window.”

He expected them to question why he’d done such a crazy thing, but those ladies didn’t even seem surprised, as if people jumping out of windows was a normal thing that they saw every day.

“Come with me,” Mary said as she grabbed his hand, pulling him up. “Lucky for you, I know a lot about medicinal herbs.”

As he hesitated to stand, she chuckled. “Are you still worried about your lady?”

“Is she all right?”

“Yes. But you’re not, so worry about yourself,” Mary said as she led him to a different room.

This one was smaller, with two narrow rectangular windows for sunlight to enter, but not enough to brighten the whole room. There were dry flowers hanging on the ceiling and crooked shelves on the walls that kept jars in various shapes and sizes and clay pots of exotic plants.

Mary told him to wait at the dusty table in the middle of the room while she prepared the herbs. He took some time to look around before she returned and pulled up a chair. She sat in front of him, their knees touching.

“This is what I’d like to call my medical room,” she said and gave him a reassuring smile. “Pull up your shirt.”

“What?”

“Pull up your shirt.”

“But I’m not--”

Mary pulled up his shirt before he could stop her and his eyes stretched as he saw the large bruises on his torso. Mary released a breathy laugh and began to apply the herbs topically. Her fingertips felt cold against his skin, making him shiver and she would stop to make sure he was okay before she continued.

When they both looked up and made eye contact, he shyly looked away. He heard her giggle as his heart started beating like a drum, but when he saw the bloodstain on his other sleeve, he thought about Y/N.

Mary let down his shirt and went for the wound on his arm. He hissed when she applied the herbs to it and breathed out steadily once he had gotten used to the burn.

“So the girl, Peach,” she said, smirking at the nickname. “Is she your lover?”

“No.”

“Really?” She arched an eyebrow. He said nothing, so she went on, “well, if I were your lover, I’d be very jealous of how much you care about her.”

“She’s my friend, so there’s nothing wrong with me caring about her,” he said, sounding more like he was explaining to himself than to the girl. “Besides, I’m not in love with anyone.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Mary said and pressed her red lips into a smile.

Harry was no stranger to having women flirt with him so he knew exactly what Mary was doing. The tingling feeling in his stomach made him shift on his chair, but he soon realised it was only because this woman looked like Y/N, not exactly the same, but enough to make him feel something he shouldn’t.

He decided to change the subject, “this must be the herbs Stefan mentioned. He told me he'd get them for my wound.”

“Impossible." Mary scoffed. "These are very rare. My oldest sister had to bring them back from the highest mountain in the East. So unless your friend often travels there, I assume he was talking about the ordinary kind, you know, the useless one."

Harry laughed along at the joke. He had a few questions about this mysterious sister but didn't think it was necessary to ask, so he went on, "you said that Stefan knew we were here, right?”

“Yeah, I saw him hide you two in my hay wagon, so I offered to help and told him to bring the horses here tonight. It’s too risky to go during the day as those Northerners are everywhere in the village now.” Mary rolled her eyes, pursing her lips as she started dressing his wound. “Why are they after you anyway?”

Harry stayed silent, his eyes shifted to his lap.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Mary chuckled as she finally finished and cleaned her hands with a cloth.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

As she gave him another smile, he had to ask, “do you always help strangers like us?”

“Only the ones who deserve our help.”

“And how do you know who deserves it?”

“We just know.” Mary gave a shrug and kissed his arm before standing up. “We’re done, love. You’re good to go.”

Y/N had never seen the sky so blue. She was used to the washed-out grey so characteristic of wintry afternoons that when she stepped outside, she thought she was lost in a daydream. She sat on the grass, hugging her knees to her chest, just watching the clouds float across the pretty blue sky and forgetting how much time had passed since she got there.

The weather felt like a kiss of summer without the fiery heat, and the grass was a soft green with a hint of yellow. Seeing all these vibrant colours instead of the usual dull grey and white, she knew she was close to her destination. But the invisible weight resting against her chest didn’t allow her to feel any sense of joy.

Her father was dead. She’d watched the person she cared about kill someone she’d known her whole life. She’d even dragged poor Stefan into this mess and made him risk his life for her.

And Harry, her Harry…

Had they been caught at the brothel, he would have been killed. They only wanted to keep her alive because she was the princess. Harry didn’t matter to them. They didn’t care about the life he used to have, his dreams, his family, all of which mattered so much to Y/N that she wouldn’t forgive herself if he never got to have them again.

“Hey.”

She flinched and turned around, smiling as she saw him approach. The sun was slowly sinking into the woods and painting the sky shades of red and pink. Harry sat down by her side, resting his elbows on his knees, one hand holding the other wrist.

“Are you okay?” she asked him.

“Yeah, you?”

“Yeah.” She tucked a strand behind her ear and took his arm to check the wound. “Wow, the girls did a pretty good job.”

“They really did.” He chuckled. “I think they’re witches.”

“They saved us, didn’t they?” She lifted her shoulders in a half shrug. “If they’re witches then they’re good ones, and we should be thankful.”

As he said nothing and kept gazing at her, she bashfully wiped her cheeks, thinking there was something on her face and was perplexed as he let out a soft laugh and held her hands to stop her.

“I just think you’re very...pretty,” he said, making her blush.

“You think I’m pretty?”

Harry gave a shy nod, and her heart felt like it could explode. That feeling of ecstatic elation was so out of this world, yet it disappeared as she woke up from her short-lived daydream. Despite knowing this would not last, a part of her was still holding onto that fantasy, in which they met as different people in a different time and maybe then they would have fallen in love.

But the reality was this, them sitting side by side, silently wishing they could live in this moment forever until their shadow started shrinking towards their feet and they knew ‘forever’ had come to an end.

Y/N wrapped her arms around herself, her skin cooled by the breeze. Harry noticed so he asked, “do you want to go inside?”

She shook her head. “Can we just enjoy this beautiful sunset for a bit more?”

“Okay.” His mouth twitched as he watched her watching the sky. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. What’s wrong with you?” She chuckled, turning to look at him but his serious expression remained.

“Are you really fine?” He paused to let her answer. To his disappointment, she gave him nothing.

She wished she could tell him everything, from her true identity to all the demons that were chasing after her, to the childhood memories she refused to let go, to that summer day at the Vidarr River with the boy who had saved her life, to how she was falling in love with that boy and had not realised it until this very moment, to how much it scared her that she would ruin him before he could love her in return.

Everything.

How sad it was that their entire relationship had been built upon a lie. Would he still treat her this way if he knew who she was? Or would he look at her in disgust and assume she was just like her father and brother? Or worse, he could hate her for lying to him.

Before this day, she had feared that he would hurt her. But now, she just wanted to protect him from everything bad in the world, including herself.

“Peach...”

She jerked away when he reached out his hand to touch her shoulder. The look on his face almost broke her heart. He was shocked, but he’d seen it coming. His hand fell back to his lap as he broke the eye contact, his mouth opening and closing as if he had run out of words to say. She wanted to tell him it wasn’t something he’d done but she didn’t know how to even begin so she let him get up and walk back to the cottage.

Watching him go, she wondered if she should stop him and tell him the truth, but a voice in the distance knocked her out of her own head, “Rain!”

“Stefan!” Y/N got up quickly and ran to Stefan as he got off Thunder’s back and gave her a big hug.

She held his face, laughing with her mouth wide open. “You’re here! I was so worried!”

“You were?”

“Yeah, I thought they got you.” She pulled him in for another hug, closing her eyes. “God, I’m so relieved.”

Stefan was hesitant to return the hug but once his arms had locked around her, he didn’t let go. She was the one who pulled away and turned to Thunder, giving her horse a warm hug as well.

“Where’s Lightning?” she asked Stefan as the smile slipped from her face. “Did they take her?”

“No, I would come back for her tomorrow. Leaving the village with both of them would’ve been too suspicious.”

“You’re right. Thank you so much for helping us.” She smiled, patting him on the back. “Come with me. Harry will be so happy to see you.”

“Wait, Rain,” he stopped her in her tracks.

She turned around, raising her eyebrows at him. “Yes, Stefan?”

Stefan took a deep breath, stepping closer and running his fingers through his short brown curls. His cheeks were flushed from the cold as night fell which made her wonder why he was reluctant to go inside.

“I have to tell you something.”

“Oh, okay…” Her lips parted as she tensed her shoulders while hugging herself. She hoped he wasn’t going to break some terrible news. Even though she couldn’t guess what it was, she didn’t think her heart could handle it.

And she was right.

Stefan took her hand as he got down on one knee and she recoiled in shock, her eyes bulging. “What are you do--”

“Marry me.”

“What?! This isn’t funny, Stefan. Get up.”

“No, this is not a joke. I love you, Rain.” He reached for her other hand but she withdrew both and took two steps backwards, shaking her head.

“No, you can’t. You can’t!” She kneaded her forehead, her breaths quickened. “Look, you are a nice man and--and I-I’m very flattered. But you don’t want to be with me--”

“But I do. I want to be with you so much and I want to be the one who takes care of you--”

“No, stop!” She covered her ears and he hurriedly followed as she walked away.

“You’ll be happier with me. You can finally have a family and a home. You don’t have to keep on running!”

“I have a family and a home!” She turned around, raising her voice, “I’m going back to Theros. That’s my home, and my uncle is the only family I need.”

“How do you know your uncle is still alive, Rain?”

“I just know, all right? And you--God, Stefan, please don’t make this harder. I can’t...I can’t marry you.”

Stefan shoved his hands into his pockets and let out a sharp breath, his head hung. She sucked in her lips while picking at her nails. She kept shifting from one foot to the other, unable to stand still as her heart was beating so loud in her ears. She thought she knew what he was going to say. She was praying he wouldn’t say it.

“You’re in love with Harry.”

“No,” she blurted, shaking her head.

“But you are, Rain.”

“I’m not in love with Harry. I’m not in love with anyone. Not even myself.” She held her head, holding back her tears as her voice trembled. “I’m not what you think I am. I’m...I’m trouble--”

“I can handle it, like today--”

“Today could have been worse. We could’ve been killed. And we might not be lucky like today if they find us again, Stefan. I--”

I broke my father’s heart and killed him. I denied my responsibility and betrayed my kingdom. I put innocent people like you and Harry in danger. I don’t deserve to be loved.

“Hey, it’s all right,” Stefan spoke as Y/N couldn’t finish what she was saying. He put his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close as she unclenched her fists and let her arms dangle at her sides.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “I don’t know about your past, and I don’t care how awful you think it was, because I know you have a good heart and you deserve to be happy. I lost my family too, so I understand what it’s like to feel like you don’t deserve what your loved ones couldn’t have. But we can change that. Marry me and let’s be happy together. We’ll have a normal life just like you’ve always wanted.”

Y/N took a deep breath and slowly lifted her hands to rest them on his back. Though she knew her heart would break if she chose not to break Stefan’s heart, it could be the only way this could end without anyone getting hurt.

Harry was pacing back and forth in the cottage while waiting for Stefan and Y/N. May and Mary were making dinner and didn’t bother to question why he appeared to be so upset. He’d tried not to let it show, but jealousy had got the best of him. Half of him wanted to go outside and see what was taking them so long, whilst the other half couldn’t stop thinking about the way Y/N had jumped into Stefan’s arms the second she saw him.

Chewing on his lips, Harry reassured himself that Stefan was probably giving her updates about what was happening at the brothel after they had left. Y/N had never shown interest in Stefan before, so he had no reason to worry. Right?

The handle on the door shook slightly and Harry flew straight to it and opened the door, glowering at Stefan the second he saw him alone. “Where’s Peach?”

“Oh, she’s checking on Thunder.” Stefan stepped around Harry to walk in as May and Mary came to introduce themselves.

Harry couldn’t care less about what they were saying to each other. He continued pacing back and forth and pinching his bottom lip anxiously until he heard, “you’re welcome to stay with us, Stefan.”

“You’re staying?” He shot his head up, his eyes went round.

“Yeah.” Stefan nodded happily. “I’m going back to the village tomorrow with Mary to get Lightning. I couldn’t bring both horses here as it might have been suspicious.”

Mary put her hand on Harry’s shoulder, giving him a warming smile. “You and Stefan can sleep in the shed and Rain will sleep here with May and I.”

“Can you give us a moment?” Harry told her and pulled Stefan back to the entrance. He watched the girls set the table and turned to his friend, lowering his voice to a whisper, “how was Peach when you talked to her? Did she tell you why she was so upset?”

“No, she didn’t say anything but she was very emotional. Did you do something wrong?”

“Fuck, I think I did,” Harry breathed into his palms, his eyes squeezed shut, “she was terrified when she saw me kill that guard. I bet she only sees a murderer when she looks at me now.”

“That’s not true,” Stefan said, putting both hands on Harry’s shoulders. “You only did that to protect her and I know my lady won’t ever think so about someone who has saved her life.”

“Your lady?”

Despite Harry looking distressed, Stefan proudly raised his chin. “I just proposed and she said she’d think about it.”

Harry froze as those words hit him like an arrow, yet his heart didn’t stop, it kept beating faster and louder.

“I think she’s going to say yes. God, I cannot wait until tomorrow!”

Stefan was on cloud nine so he could not see through Harry’s fake smile. He patted Harry on the back and joined the sisters at the table. Meanwhile, the heartbroken man went limb by the door as his shoulders slumped and his face turned blank.

He wanted to be optimistic and believed that maybe meant no for Y/N. Still, if she had wanted to turn Stefan down, she would’ve done it right when he asked. So she was actually considering it. Y/N believed that marriage was the ultimate happy ending for a woman, and one would be happy if they married the right man. Stefan seemed like someone she could fall in love with. If Harry was her, he would rather stay with Stefan than continue to wake up every day wondering if it would be the last.

Despite knowing the reason she would consider marrying Stefan, Harry still could not accept it.

When Y/N entered, his entire body stiffened. She stopped at the door and gave him a smile, one too gentle, almost forceful that it made his skin crawl. Stefan was being distracted by whatever Mary was telling him about and so he didn’t notice Y/N coming in. Harry grabbed her elbow as she walked past. She looked at him, flustered as he gently pulled her closer.

He brought his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. “Stefan and I are staying in the shed tonight, so...uh...if you can’t sleep, you can come over. We can...cuddle again.”

“Okay,” was all she said before giving a small smile and joining the others at the table.

That night, Harry couldn’t sleep. He kept tossing and turning while Stefan was snoring next to him. He would prop himself up on his elbows every few minutes to look at the door, hoping Y/N would enter and join him under these covers.

He missed her soft skin, her sweetness on his tongue as he held her legs apart and watched her squirming and gasping his name. But most of all, he missed falling asleep holding her and waking up smelling just like her. If she came to him tonight, then he would know that she chose him over Stefan. But he waited, and waited, and waited, until he fell asleep.

The next day, he woke up alone. He didn’t know how late it was, but his head didn’t hurt as much as yesterday and his wound wasn’t as painful anymore. He rolled out of bed and put on his shirt before taking a heavy-footed walk outside.

The sky was so pretty today, blue, bright and soft all at once. Harry filled his lungs with fresh air and the soft smell of the morning’s dewy grass. He couldn’t help but notice the red and yellow wildflowers growing along the path. Thinking for a second, he decided to pick some for Y/N.

He walked around the cottage and found her, Stefan, and May at the stable getting ready for the trip back to the village. He watched Y/N from a distance, and his heart pained when he saw Stefan give her the same flowers. He looked down at the ones he had picked, his heart slowly sinking and he heard Mary’s voice from behind, “are you okay?”

“You scared me,” he said as she approached.

She pointed to the flowers. “Are those for Rain or for me?”

“No one. I just thought they were pretty,” he said reluctantly. “You can have them if you want.”

Mary took the flowers without faltering and told him she loved them very much.

“May, look!” she shouted at her sister who was following Y/N towards them. “Harry picked these flowers for me! Are they pretty?”

May rolled her eyes, laughing slightly, but Y/N’s expression stayed the same. She was looking at Harry, who was staring at his feet as if he was afraid to see her reaction.

May told Mary that Stefan was waiting for her, and as Mary said goodbye to Harry and Y/N, she didn’t forget to give Harry a kiss on the cheek. Y/N didn’t ask about it, not even after Stefan and Mary had left. Harry assumed she was upset about him and Mary, but he didn’t think of it as an achievement.

If only he could go back to when he didn’t care if she ignored him, but as he watched her helping May with the housework just to avoid him, all he wanted was to tear his head off and set himself on fire.

In a moment of selfishness, he wished Stefan wouldn’t return.

When Stefan and Mary came back, the sun was setting and Harry had just woken up from a long nap.

His wound didn’t hurt anymore and all the bruises had magically disappeared, but he had been weary all day long and didn’t want to leave the bed. He covered his face with a pillow, trying to fall back to sleep when a knock on the door made him jolt right up.

“Harry! I’m back!”

And so is Stefan, he thought tiredly and ran his hands over his face.

He came to open the door as Mary kept on knocking but she was too impatient to wait. She burst right in before he could touch the handle and slammed the door shut, standing with her back against it and her hands behind her back.

“May and I had to go outside so Stefan and Rain could talk,” she said, biting her lip. “Would you escort me to their wedding?”

“There won’t be a wedding.”

“Why not?” Pouting, she followed him to the bed and stood with her hands on her hips as he sat down.

“I know Rain. She doesn’t want to marry Stefan.”

“That’s not what she told May.”

His eyes popped out as he looked up at the girl. “What did she tell May?”

Mary plopped down by his side, hugging his arm and resting her chin on his shoulder. “She said she was going to say yes.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not!” Mary shook her head. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask May. Or you can see it for yourself!”

She got up and pulled his arm but he didn’t move. She huffed, her nose crinkled like a little girl. “Don’t you want to congratulate them?”

“I’m too tired, Mary. The only thing I want right now is some ale.”

“I have ale!”

Harry was surprised when the girl ducked under his bed and pulled out a wooden box full of ales. His eyes grew large as she put a finger to her lips to tell him to be quiet.

“I have to hide these from my sisters. They hate it when I drink, but I’m not a baby anymore, I just turned eighteen last month.”

“Eighteen?” He chuckled. “You’re the same age as Peach and you look quite like her.”

“I assume that’s a compliment?” She smirked.

“It is.” Harry sighed sadly as he took the bottle from her hand.

Y/N was waiting for Stefan by the fireplace when he walked in. From the cheerful look on his face, she guessed May had told him something before he entered, which would make what she was about to say so much worse. But he might already know that as he took a seat on the opposite side of the table and saw the massive frown her face.

“I’m sorry, Stefan,” she told him, the flame glowing in her eyes as she met his disheartening gaze.

Stefan swallowed hard, running his fingers through his hair. He knew this was going to happen, and yet he was brave enough to hope it would go differently.

Before he came back, she had prepared a long speech to turn him down, thinking if she gave him reasons then her answer would hurt him less. But after spending some time to think it over, she realised people would only hear what they wanted to hear, and the other things, no matter how genuine, would be a waste of time. She was not going to waste his time, and only going to say what she thought was important.

“I actually considered it, you know,” she spoke with a faint frown. “I thought about how marrying you would be the perfect escape for all of us. And I even told May that I was going to accept your proposal.”

“So what changed that?” he asked calmly despite being everything but calm. She appreciated how he was trying to understand instead of being bitter about her decision.

She sucked in a breath, kneading her temple. “When you came back and I heard you outside, there was this unsettling feeling in my stomach. It was not only sadness but also guilt. And I thought, if I felt that way about accepting your proposal then how could I spend my whole life with you and feel it every day? You don't deserve that. And I don't either.”

Stefan nodded. Though disappointed, he didn't interrupt her.

“I ran away from the place where I had to pretend to be someone I wasn’t, and I don't want to go back to that same life. I can’t love you the way you want me too, Stefan. I’m so sorry, but I can't, and you deserve a wife who will love you until her very last breath. I’m very sorry.”

“It’s okay, Rain. You don't have to apologise,” Stefan said as he reached across the table to hold her hand. “I’ve spent some time to think and realised I was wrong to put you into this position. I wouldn’t be happy if you marry me only because it felt like the right thing to do. I don't want to be the greatest mistake of your life.”

She rolled her eyes as they shared a laugh. “Well, it would be a real challenge to become the greatest mistake of my life.”

Stefan pressed his lips into a smile as he gave her hand a squeeze. “I know someone else will fall in love with you, Rain. Trust me, it’s very hard not to.”

Harry gripped the bottle in his hand, his eyes swivelling towards the back of his head in a distressed sense of a headache. Mary was rambling on about something to do with magic and potions, which made no sense to him but he wasn’t making an effort to understand.

They were sitting on the floor, he tilted his head towards the edge of the bed, sighing as the walls started changing figures and the ceiling was expanding and shrinking in a blink of an eye.

With her head on his chest, Mary was singing a song she didn’t know the words to, so she replaced most of the lyrics with his and her name and both of them dissolved into laughter every time she shouted them out loud.

He felt shivers down his spine as she nuzzled his neck, her warm breath tickling his shoulder whilst his own breath was the underlying cause of the smell of alcohol that entered his nostrils. His mouth was sore and dry so he poured the rest of the ale down his throat and put the empty bottle back on the floor with the other ones.

He gently pushed her head off his shoulder, clearing his throat as he stood up, just to fall down on the bed in an unbalanced attempt to walk to the door. He lay there, his arms spread, feeling the comfort of the mattress overtaking the state of drunkenness.

“Peach,” he mumbled while covering his eyes with his forearm. He felt the bed weighing down as Mary got on and mounted him. She straddled his waist, giggling like a madwoman as she lay flat on top of him, her chest against his chest and he wasn't in his right mind to push him off her.

As she put her lips to his neck, he cupped her cheeks and brushed her hair out of her face. His vision was blurred as her face faded out of focus only to fade back in while spinning in circles with the ceiling.

“Peach...you’re here,” he mumbled out of desperation as he sat up, locking an arm around her waist. Mary couldn’t stop laughing. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed her forehead to his.

“Peach? I like Peach, the best fruit in the world!” she said drunkenly, but all he could see was her mouth moving in silence.

He stroked her bottom lip with his thumb and she sucked it into her mouth, holding his wrist so he couldn’t pull away. But he didn't want to. His eyes bored into her as his eyelids drooped. He smiled, staring at his finger between her lips. He adored Y/N’s full lips. Y/N’s bright eyes. Y/N’s pink cheeks...

It was Y/N that he saw sitting on his lap. It was Y/N who was whispering into his ear how much she wanted him. It was Y/N whose lips he was kissing, whose hands snuck under his shirt, whose dress he was taking off. It was all her.

Kissing him passionately, Y/N combed her fingers through his hair and he closed his eyes at the comforting feeling. She took the opportunity to slip her tongue in, and instantly he responded by gliding his tongue against hers. She leaned back to flick her hair out of the way, reaching down to put his hands around her waist and rubbing her crotch against his thighs. She began to pant a little as she cupped his growing bulge.

“You're hard,” she whispered in his ear, ending it with a moan and grinding down more urgently.

His hands had to steady her, and her head fell against his shoulder, breathing heavily and her eyes fluttering.

"G-god," she moaned. "You've got me so wet."

Harry moved her hips faster in circles, eyes rolling back at the sensation of the pressure on his cock. "I need to touch you..."

"P-please," she whimpered, and he lifted her off him and slid her underwear off her hips, his body reacting strongly to the sight as he pulled his pants down to release his erected cock, sliding his fist up and down the length as she started kissing him again...

Everything after that was a blur…

The next time Harry opened his eyes, he was lying naked on the bed, tangled up between the sheets, and the sunlight was shining through the high window on the wall. He wasn't sure the images in his mind were a crazy dream or actual memories of the night before, until he flipped onto his side and saw the girl’s bare back as she was sleeping beside him.

“P-Peach?” he whispered, reaching out to touch her shoulder. His slight movement made her stir awake, and he was petrified when she turned over.

He instantly sat up as Mary propped herself up on her elbows to look at him. The blanket slipped down, exposing her perky round breasts and he quickly looked away, making her chuckle.

“You loved them last night. Don't hurt my feelings.” She smirked and threw her legs off to the side of the bed. He sat on the other side, his back facing her as they silently put on their clothes.

“I can’t get pregnant, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” she told him, but he kept on getting dressed and didn't say a word. She broke the silence once again, “you don’t remember anything we did?”

“Only a bit, ” he finally said, “but I thought...I thought…”

“You thought I was Rain, right?”

He did. He fucking did, and he was so ashamed.

Lucky for him Mary didn’t look angry or bitter. She turned and patted him on the back. “It’s okay. I don’t remember much either. Except for a few things you said--”

“What did I say?” he asked quickly.

She chuckled at his worrying look. “When you came, you said you loved her. I thought it was so sweet.”

He wished she had been lying, but he knew himself and that was definitely something he had said when he was drunk and missing her.

She might have left with Stefan already or was getting ready to leave, and he couldn’t deal with either way. He just wanted to stay in this shed, alone, until he accepted that he’d lost her and a chance to say goodbye.

He wasn’t sure if it was love as he had called it, but the way he felt about her had been the most exciting and frightening and disappointing and comforting feeling he had ever felt. And now he couldn’t accept that it was over, but he couldn’t hide from it forever.

Once he and Mary had finished getting dressed and cleaning the bottles on the floor, she gave him a hug and told him she was sorry about Y/N. He wasn’t sure if she was sincere, but he would take all the sympathy he got. Mary opened the door and walked out first, he reluctantly followed.

His feet turned to stone the second he saw Y/N right outside the cottage with Thunder and Lightning. Mary had gone somewhere but he didn’t care. He turned his head from left to right, looking for Stefan, and when he couldn’t find him, he gathered all of his courage to approach her.

Lightning reared and neighed when she saw him, but Y/N and Thunder’s reaction was the opposite of such excitement.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she quickly told him, “get ready, we’re leaving.”

“Where’s Stefan?”

“He went home last night. You missed the chance to say goodbye,” she said, not looking at him. He was supposed to be elated, but all he felt right then was just guilt.

“I need to tell you something,” he blurted.

“If it’s something about last night then don’t,” she said with a straight face. Y/N was always so scary when she was too calm. She let go of Thunder and finally looked at him, her glare was as cold as ice. “I couldn’t sleep so I came to find you. I didn’t come in, don’t worry. But I could hear everything from the door.”

Oh no...

“I was drunk…”

“So that’s what you do every time you get drunk? Take a girl to bed?”

“No!” He shook his head rapidly as she let out a sigh.

“Just go get ready.”

“Peach.” He caught her arm before she could leave. He almost told her that he had been so drunk he thought it was her instead of Mary, but he was tongue-tied as his fingertips pressed into her arm.

“What happened between you and me,” he breathed, “was different. We were different. You’re...special to me.”

She gave a mirthless laugh and yanked her arm away. “We were only different because you can’t have me. Things are always so great when you can’t have them, but when you do, you’ll realise how unspecial they are. And then I’d be like Mary and the girls at the alehouse to you.”

He didn’t know what hurt more, hearing those words from her or knowing that it was what she really believed.

She crossed her arms over her chest, making herself look small as her forehead puckered. “I’ve been distracted, but from now on, I’m not letting stupid men slow me down anymore.” She swallowed, pressing her lips together. “But...I can’t lie and say I don’t care about you. Because I really do, and I h-hate that. So we’re going to finish this journey together, try to keep each other alive, and then...and then we can finally separate.”

She shoved Lightning’s saddle into his arms and ran back to the cottage, leaving him there to wonder if this indescribable pain deep in his chest was what he was supposed to feel when he lost Kenny.

“I can’t believe you slept with him!” May said as she slammed her palm on the table, but Mary didn’t even blink as she continued sewing her dress.

“I was drunk,” she rolled her eyes, “and have you seen him?”

“You’re such a whore, Mary. Maggie won’t be happy about it.”

“Yeah, well, Maggie isn’t here, is she?”

Right as Mary finished her sentence, the front door flew open and the two sisters jumped out of their seats. A tall and slim woman walked in. She shrugged off her black cloak, letting her long black curls fall down past her waist as she marched towards the table, glaring at the girls.

“Did I just hear my name?”

“Maggie!” Mary wrapped her arms around her oldest sister, hugging her tightly.

“How was the trip?” May asked as she got up and also shared a hug with Maggie.

“Extremely unpleasant,” Maggie said, her golden tooth sparkled as she gave a wide grin. “Did you two behave when I was away?”

May elbowed Mary, who scoffed and rolled her eyes but she didn’t speak so May did, “the princess just left and Mary slept with her man.”

Maggie didn’t react the way May had when she heard it, but she didn’t look very pleased. Her thick eyebrow arched high as she raised her voice, “explain, Mary.”

“I’m so sorry!” Mary clasped both hands together in front of her face. “But--But everything is fine now. They’re still heading South to see King Edgar!”

Maggie sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “But you could have ruined everything, Mary! If she had changed her mind because of what you did, we would all be dead!”

“I know, sister...” Mary swallowed, her head hung.

“That princess is much stronger than she looks,” May said.

Maggie released a sharp breath. “But she would give up everything for that boy. And we cannot have that, can we?”

#tctm series #harry styles smut #harry styles angst #harry styles fluff #harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #harry styles x y/n #harry styles writing #harry styles series #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfics #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfictions #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines

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timetoresurface · 4 years

Text

pick up the pace (1) / park seongwha

PART ONE // PART TWO

Summary: You weren’t the type to go to college parties, but somehow you ended up at the most notorious frat of your campus. They threw the wildest parties, and were known to be the hottest fuckboys. Somehow you ended up with a crappy vampire who took an interest in you.

Genre: fluffy college au Pairing: Reader x Seonghwa Word count: 10k ( I honestly never know when to stop, and I have another 10k ready, my god )

A/N: I know nobody has asked for this fic, but why would I let that stop me? It’s a very slow fluffy college au thingy which is in contrast with the title, because I really don’t know how to pick up the pace. (one of my favourite songs of drowners, if you’re interested)

act one: “you don’t need to be stressed!” okay but consider this: i am

You picked up your hair into your usual, lazy, bun with half your hair out. You grabbed a cup of ramen noodles and poured some water into it, placing it in the microwave. You just had morning classes that followed with your afternoon job at the coffee shop. You quickly changed into your sweats, not caring about your appearance. You began to eat your noodles when your roommate Sana walked in.

“Hey. How were your classes?” She asked you without any interest in her voice. She simply asked out of politeness. You guys were more roommates than friends, but it worked for both of you. She was more outgoing and didn’t really take school too seriously. You, on the other hand, were way too invested in your academics.

“It sucked.” You told her with a mouthful of hot noodles. Why did you always buy the spicy ones? You weren’t really a fan of spicy things, but you were an idiot.

“How come?” She asked you while taking off her shoes. She hummed softly to a melody you didn’t know. She was always making up melody’s wherever she went. You did like that about her. It fits with her carefree personality.

“Someone else is top of the class. Someone dethroned me, and I don’t even know who he is.” You explained to her, frustrated. You had been the best in your class ever since you started that class. That’s six months ago, why did Someone have to take your gold? Sound like a selfish guy.

“What’s his name?”

“The teacher didn’t want to give me his name because it would spark my unhealthy competitive side.” You told her while rolling your eyes. Your competitiveness was your most charming side, or at least that’s what you thought.

“How do you know it is a he?” She asked you.

“Mistake on her part, which she deeply regrets. There are more females in our class, and I can eliminate them all. How hard can it be to find that guy?” There was no way you were letting that guy win. It was your spot, and no one else deserved it, but you. You had worked your ass off to get an almost perfect score. And apparently almost perfect was still not enough to be the best.

“I will start my mission next Monday.” You told her determined. Usually, people would get scared when you flashed them your crazy eyes, but Sana had gotten used to this side of you.

“How was work?” She asked you again while rummaging through the fridge for some food. Both of you weren’t really cooks, so food had to be ordered in most of the time. You did have fruit in your fridge. You are kind of trying to be healthy, but most importantly, ready for summer.

“Terrible.” You sighed dramatically while falling on your shared sofa. You were one of the better actresses of your town. You did play the lead in one of your school plays, and it was the one with the best reviews. Not that you’re bragging or anything.

“Everything okay?” She asked you with concern laced through her words. Sometimes you were more like a therapist and patient than roommates. She was 90% of the time taking on the therapist role, and she did it incredibly good as a psychology major. Sometimes you thought she used you secretly as a subject for her class, but you never really asked her if it was true or not. You rather not know.

“Yeah.” You mumbled softly, disappearing in your favourite blanket. You searched for the tv-remote, but Sana quickly took it before you could even locate the thing.

“You sound like you need a night out.” She stated firmly while crossing her arms. She did this every month, trying to get you outside. You usually followed her, but you never really had any fun at her party’s. They were just too loud, and to be honest, drunk people scared the living shit out of you. One second they’re fresh and talking to you, and the next second they vomit all over the place. Drunk college boys were honestly the worst. You could deal with the girls, they were nice when they were drunk.

“I need a night to catch up on some school work.” You reasoned with her, but she eyed you suspiciously. Why were you getting comfortable on the couch when you were planning to catch up on some homework? She always sees through your lazy ass.

“It’s Friday?” She asked you loudly while simultaneously pulling the blanket from your body. You glared at her, but you didn’t protest. There is no way you can fight her in this state. She’s a strong-willed person, and you were far too weak today. She knew when to fight her battles.

“Yes, it is. I respect you for knowing what day it is.” You deadpanned. Maybe she would leave you alone if you were a little bit more annoying than usual. It had never really worked.

“You’re young. You should be going out on a Friday night.” She said while throwing her arms in the air in disbelief. Or that was what she intended to do, you think. She wasn’t as great of an actor as you were. It really showed from time to time. You need to believe in your dramatics. The first rule of acting club.

“Why?” You asked.

“Because you’re young?” She stated uncertain, her confident front wavering.

“You already said that.” You had no intention to let her win easily. She would win you over eventually, but where is the fun in agreeing immediately? For all you knew, she could finally back down and let you live your fat ass in your favourite spot.

“Because you deserve some fun.” She finally said after gathering her thoughts. And you actually agreed with her, that’s why you were ready to binge-watch something on Netflix. That’s something fun you deserved.

“I don’t really think parties are fun.” You told her honestly, but she did already know that information. Once she had forced you to go to a party where you ended up being kissed against your permission, and Someone had thrown up. It was the same guy. It most definitely wasn’t the best night of your life.

“It’s a small gathering.” She told you with pleading eyes. She knew you were not immune to her puppy eyes, and she liked to use is from time to time. She barely used it, so you knew tonight meant something important to her. Sometimes you’d like to be more friends than roommates.

“I know when you’re lying. We’ve been roommates for far too long.” You told her while getting out of your spot to throw away your leftover food.

“No honestly, it’s going to be small. Last week was wild enough.” She explained while following you into the kitchen.

“Define small?” You asked her with arms crossed.

“Just my friend group with a few extras like you.” She told you with a big smile. She noticed you weren’t really putting up a fight anymore, meaning you’d probably agree to whatever she had planned.

“That actually sounds nice. You know I don’t like big parties where I can’t dance freely.” You nodded your head, pretending to be rooted in thought when you had already agreed internally.

“They will provide an extra dancing space just for you.” She told you happily, taking your arms to start dancing. You let her.

“Interesting.” You told her while moving a little to an imaginary beat as there was no music playing. You did like to dance at small gatherings.

“You need to dress up.” She finally said after both of you danced freely for a couple of minutes. Sana is not really a dancer, but she was pretty so she didn’t really need to be able to dance.

“As what?” You asked her. She did get your attention with her final sentence. party’s where you had to dress up were the best in your opinion. No one knew you, and no one would bother you. You could just drink and dance in your reserved dancing spot.

“Something Halloween related.” She shrugged her shoulders, not really caring that it was a Halloween themed party in spring.

“Halloween? It’s may? Isn’t that a bit too late?” You asked her in disbelief.

“Or too early. It depends on what your view on life is.” she shrugged again, and you couldn’t believe why she was so indifferent.

“Why Halloween? I don’t really have anything scary hanging in my closet.” You pouted softly. It would have been nice if she had given you a heads up.

“I’m just going as a cat. You don’t have to put too much effort into your costume.” She tried to comfort you, but she had to know you better by now. You liked to plan ahead, and you wanted to plan your costumes. You were a simple kind of girl.

“But that’s the fun part.” You dramatically stated, slapping your hand against your head as a special effect.

“You’ll find something. Be ready in half an hour.” She ignored your dramatics.

“But I still have to shower.” You yelled at her while she was walking toward her room to get ready.

“Better make use of these minutes you’re wasting by standing in the kitchen.” She laughed before slamming the door.

“You’re cruel.” You whispered while walking past her room to get your things.

“That I am.” She yelled, and both of you laughed. She did have a good hearing. She could’ve been a music major, but unfortunately for her did she have controlling parents who hated everything that was related to art.

act two: i have feelings for u. not telling u which ones.

“I’ve got to say you do work better with a time limit.” Your roommate said when she saw your costume. It was nothing too extravagant, but it was all you could do in such a short period. “But I’ve got to ask you, why are you doing your make-up when your face will be covered?” She asked you while tilting her head, trying to figure you out.

“If it gets too hot underneath my blanket, I still want to look presentable.” You told her matter of factly. Your costume was just a white blanket you had found in your closet. You had cut out a face, and voila. You’re a ghost.

“Smart.” She said while putting on her shoes. Sana looked incredibly good, and her outfit told you it was going to be more party-minded than small gathering. It didn’t really matter anymore as you were almost ready to go. Sana had on a black dress that showed of everything she got to offer without it being slutty. She didn’t have a tail, but she did put on cat ears and painted her face to match the look.

“You look good.” You complimented her when you finished your make-up. She blushed slightly, and you thought it was cute. She really wanted to look good for Someone, and you were going to figure out who it was. Sana doesn’t do dating or pining for a guy. This must be a first.

“You look incredible yourself.” She said when you were examining yourself in the mirror. You did look good. You also wore a simple black dress, but not as tight fitted as Sana’s. Yours was more the casual kind with a little twist. When you put on your blanket, it did look like you weren’t really wearing anything underneath, but it didn’t bother you. Sana had on high heels, but you weren’t that kind of girl. You did like heels, but you were a messy drunk, and you didn’t want to break your legs. You opted for simple white sneakers that matched your ghostly outfit.

“We do look good.” You said out loud while exiting your apartment. Sana laughed softly while she was sipping from a cheap bottle of wine.

“Can I also have some?” You asked her uncertain. She didn’t really like to share her drinks. Not that you minded as you usually don’t try to drink too much when going out.

“You’re drinking tonight?” She asked you worried.

“Yes, otherwise I’ll start thinking.” You explained to her, and she handed you the bottle. You took the bottle in both your hands and downed half the bottle in one go.

“I’m not carrying you home tonight.”

“I also don’t want you to carry me. I still have the bruise from last month when you decided to bridal style me.” You giggled already feeling the alcohol in your system.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.” She told you while putting her arm over your shoulders. “You’re going to be the cutest ghost at the party.”

“You’re going to be the cutest cat at the party.”

“I was going for sexy, but I’ll take it.”

The party was located just a little bit further away from your apartment. It was a frat house where all Sana’s friends were in. It was a shame it was only for boys; otherwise, Sana had already moved out of your shared apartment. When you arrived at the party, you were surprised that there was a line outside. It might have been one of the weirdest things you had ever seen. The sun was softly setting while a line of dressed-up cats and vampires were waiting outside a white picket fence house.

“Sana! You made it.” San screamed, storming out of the house while wearing a tiger suit. Not very Halloween related, but he did look good in the onesie. Who were you kidding? He did look good in everything and anything. It’s unfair, really.

“Of course. Did you ever doubt me?” Sana smiled at San before hugging him.

“No, but I doubted Y/N.” San spoke, hugging you. You did like the fact he recognized you through your ridiculous blanket. You were flattered.

“It has been five weeks, so I thought it was a good time to show my face again.” You joked, letting him go before it got too awkward for a friendly hug.

“Have you been drinking?” He asked you while eying the two of you suspiciously. You looked Sana in the eyes before confirming his suspicion.

“I’ll make you your favourite drink,” San told you while putting his arm over your shoulder, letting you inside. You felt the stares of some people on your back. Why was the hottest frat guy letting a ghost inside when there was a huge line waiting outside? A line filled with sexy cats.

“So, what’s going on?” San asked you while handing you a drink he had just mixed. It was a simple vodka orange, but you really liked the drink. You loved it when San made one for you. You loved it that he remembered what you wanted.

“Nothing much.” You told him honestly. You wanted to shrug your shoulders but didn’t want to seem too pathetic. You did enjoy your life, maybe not to the fullest, but you did do fun stuff.

“Life is more than just existing, you know?” He told you. His eyes were scanning the crowd, and you felt him leaving you. This always happened when you went to these parties. He would be sweet and all over you at first, but when he noticed some fresh meat in his house, he would bolt. Not that anything was going on between the two of you, but you would like for something to be going on.

“You sound like Sana.” You laughed, trying to get his attention back. Maybe you should’ve dressed up as a sexy vampire too. Perhaps he wouldn’t be scanning the crowd but examining your body.

“Maybe you should listen to her.” He told you after taking a long sip of whatever he was drinking. He liked his liquor strong, so it was probably something that should be mixed with a soft drink.

“What’s up in your life?” You asked him softly. You hated how insecure you sounded when San was near.

“We’ve been busy organizing this party, and I’ve been studying.” He told you, finally making eye contact.

“You? Studying?” You asked him with a shocked expression, hiding the blush that was showing in your cheeks.

“Don’t be so surprised. I do study from time to time. I don’t want to be here forever.” He explained after taking another long sip from his cup. Something was going on with him tonight. He’s usually not drinking as much as he was doing now. He did plan this party, and when you organize something you probably shouldn’t be getting drunk.

“That’s not what you said three parties ago.” You joked.

“People change.” He commented, and boy did you hope he could change and recognize your potential. His eyes were fixed on other people again, a very very sexy vampire to be more correct.

“They can change their habits, but you can not change your core.” You told him, trying to hide your disappointment. Maybe you should give up on San, and try to find a guy yourself in this place. But how could you when San looked so adorable in his tiger suit.

“That’s depressing.” He said monotonously. His head had already left your conversation, but his body was still present.

“I’m a ghost. I’ve seen things, you know.” You tried to lighten the mood, but San wasn’t having it.

“I’m going to look around. See if people are not breaking our stuff.”

“Catch you later.” You told him while he was already out of earshot. He made a straight line to above mentioned sexy vampire, and you had to look away. It wasn’t always like this, you know. There was a time where you and San were kind of best friends. He would study with you in the library. Well, you studied while he was playing games. There was a time where you both went out for dinner and roamed the streets looking for something to do. And suddenly it all changed. He started to ignore you, but he always had an excuse, though. It’s around the same time where he began to fuck his way around campus, making him the number one single guy that girls wanted to tame. But you can’t really tame a tiger. You can change some of its habits, and you can learn it some tricks, but it will never lose its instinct.

You quickly drowned your drink before making your way to the dance floor. There weren’t a lot of people dancing, but that’s how you like your dance floors. You love them to be empty, so you had space to move. You liked the fact that if you simply enjoyed yourself, other people also wanted to dance to get to your level of happiness. You started to make your way to the dance floor when Sana stopped you.

“Y/N! There you are.” She yelled, already looking a bit too tipsy.

“Here I am.” You stated dryly because you really wanted to dance. You weren’t in the mood for talking.

“Please dance with me. The guy I like is here, and I want to show him what he’s missing.” She was slightly slurring, but it did make her look cute. It’s like everything in the world. If it was a bad look on anyone else, Sana made it work for her. She had this gift.

“You like someone?” You asked her with shock written all over your face. Sana doesn’t do dating. She does guys.

“Now is not the time for an explanation. Be my wing woman, please.” She begged you while dragging you to the open space. You followed her and started to dance. You threw your hands in the air and started to shake your whole body to the beat. You almost forgot Sana was dancing right beside you, but she was way too obvious. Her eyes were constantly scanning the crowd while she forgot to move to the rhythm.

“Don’t be so obvious. Dance with me.” You whispered into her ear. You took hold of her hands and spun her around. She quickly forgot her worries and started to have fun with you. It only lasted for a couple of minutes before a guy made his way over to her. He had also brought a friend, but he didn’t really want to be here. You were actually quite sure he didn’t want to be here in this room. His friend was dancing, but he remained still. He did look good, but it was the kind of good-looking where he knew he was handsome.

Sana and the fun guy started to dance together, leaving you alone with the statue. You tried not to care too much, but he was bringing down your vibe. But you couldn’t just go, you had promised to be Sana’s wing woman, and once you take an oath, you stick it out to the end. Or that’s what Rihanna says, and you always listen to Rihanna.

“I’m Seonghwa.” The statue suddenly introduced himself to you.

“Okay.” You told him trying to get into the rhythm of the music.

“What’s your name.” He asked you, still not moving to the beat.

“Casper, the friendly ghost.” The only reason you stayed in his orbit was so Sana could have some alone time with her man.

“That’s a long name, and strangely related to your outfit.” He told you, but he didn��t seem amused. He didn’t really look like the type to smile. He looked more the brooding kind of person. Sitting in a dark room while plotting to kill his worst enemy.

“You’re not even wearing an outfit.” You told him, eying him from his face to his feet, trying to understand the situation. He did have a beautiful body. He was dressed in all black, and you did like your guys to be covered in skinny jeans and leather jackets.

“I have teeth to match the black outfit.” He told you. He must think the only remarkable feature of a vampire was the teeth.

“I still don’t know what you’re supposed to be.” You played dumb.

“A vampire.” He told you, rolling his eyes in the process.

“Okay.” You told him trying to get into the rhythm of the music, again. It’s like he sucked all the fun out of the room with just his presence. There weren’t a lot of people who could do that, but he was the star.

“I’m getting a drink, would you like one?” He asked you after a couple minutes of silence. You quickly nodded your head, but he didn’t seem satisfied.

“What would you like?” He asked you annoyed. Since when do people ask what the other wants to drink. Just get them something. We’re all just trying to get drunk here.

“Anything is fine.” You told him, turning your back to him so you could finally start enjoying the music. You looked for Sana, but she was nowhere to be seen. Good for her, you thought. You did feel a little left out as all the girls were wearing something pretty, and you were covered in a blanket. Maybe you should stop caring what other people think, and finally enjoy yourself. You really did hate parties. They always made you feel like you weren’t part of anything.

Finally, you were dancing. You were shaking your body while laughing, and it felt like you were all alone in the room. But the right kind of alone, where you’re satisfied with purely existing. That existing did get you worked up, and the blanket was soon too much for you to handle. You quickly threw the white sheet of your head and wrapped it around your waist. It felt like you could finally breathe. You wanted it to be like the smell of the air after rain, but it smelled like sweat and alcohol. Still, it was better than suffocating under your costume.

Suddenly you felt some hands snaking around your waist, but you didn’t need to look up to know who it was. When San had a bit too much to drink, he would always come dancing with you. His hands would always find their way to your body, and you didn’t mind at all.

“You look really pretty tonight,” San whispered into your ear, leaving goosebumps all over your body. You turned around and were met with his hungry eyes. He’s never really showed you this side of him, but you were intrigued.

“I’m sorry. Here’s your drink.” Seonghwa interrupted the moment. If you didn’t hate him already, you certainly did now. Why did he have to ruin such a perfect moment? San’s eyes quickly lit up when they landed on Seonghwa, and you couldn’t understand why?

“Hi, Seonghwa,” San said happily. You didn’t know they actually knew each other, but apparently, they did. San knows everybody, and everybody knows San. That’s the golden rule of this place.

“Thanks.” You said before taking the drink that was offered to you. It was vodka mixed with something, and you were actually impressed he didn’t bring you beer or wine.

“If you don’t like it the kitchen is over there,” Seonghwa told you while pointing towards the designated drink station. San laughed beside you, but you simply glared at him.

“I know. I’ve been here before.” You told him firmly. Who the hell was he?

“You have?” Seonghwa asked, not even trying to hide his shocked expression.

“It has been a while since you were here.” San entered the conversation, but you didn’t listen to him. Seonghwa has gotten under your skin, and you weren’t the type to back down.

“Surprised?” You turned your body to Seonghwa while asking him.

“I would’ve recognized you if you were regular.” He simply stated, taking a sip from his red cup. There was a sparkle in his eyes and boy, did you hate that mischievous sparkle.

“Is that a compliment?” You asked him, eying him suspiciously. What was he trying to get out of this situation? He seemed to be rooted in thought, and it didn’t make him look smart if he had to think this long for such a simple question.

“You can take it as a compliment.” He finally said after a few seconds of silence. San was silently examining the two of you, but you were too busy to examine his expression. You simply scoffed at Seonghwa’s answer and made your way to the kitchen. His eyes followed you as you had hoped. You remained eye contact when you drained the whole drink in the sink. A small smile appeared on his face, and it did make him look 100% more attractive, but you tried to ignore it.

“Why are you pouring out a perfectly good drink?” Someone asked you, and you recognized it to be one of Sana’s friends. You think his name was Yunho, but you weren’t sure.

“It wasn’t my taste.” You simply told him while pouring yourself a new drink.

“Always a troublemaker.” He grinned. You silently took a sip of your drink while Yunho was eying you. Both of you stood there for a couple of minutes before Seonghwa made his way over to the kitchen.

“You should’ve told me you what you wanted.” He whispered into your ear, sending shivers over your body. You didn’t like the fact that he was having an effect on you.

“Seonghwa. I didn’t think you would still be here. You usually bolt when the house is full.” Yunho exclaimed in surprise when Seonghwa was done annoying you.

“I feel like staying a little longer tonight,” Seonghwa said with his eyes locked on you.

“You guys want to dance?” Yunho asked both of you while softly moving out of the kitchen. You quickly nodded your head before following him. Yunho was a great dancer, and like you, didn’t really mind acting a bit weird on the dance floor. You felt Someone’s hands on your waist the moment you started dancing, but you didn’t care, thinking it was San again. After a couple of minutes, you noticed San kissing Someone else on the other side of the room, and you quickly turned around. In the end, sexy vampires always won.

“You.” You stated with venom in your voice. Seonghwa just shrugged, and kept his hands on your body, guiding you through the rhythm. He was actually a good dancer, and you were impressed. Why couldn’t he dance like this when you first met?

“I don’t mind making him jealous,” Seonghwa whispered into your ear, still moving your body with his hands. You couldn’t move on your own. Seeing San kiss somebody else always hurt. It wasn’t the first time you had seen it, but it still left a nasty taste in your mouth.

“What?” You asked Seonghwa.

“Use me to make San jealous. Isn’t that the guy you like?” He told you with his hand cupping your face.

“How?” You asked him, moving his hand off your face. It felt way too intimate with the way he looked at you. You barely knew the guy.

“You’re not very subtle.” He laughed softly, turning you around in his arms. Your back was now pressed against him while he kept moving your body to the beat.

“What?” You asked him, moving your head to look up at him.

“You’re eyes light up when he’s near.” He explained in your ear, leaving you breathless for a moment.

“You’ve known me for five minutes, and you think you can read me?” You asked him, shocked. Who was he to understand your feelings? Even Sana didn’t know about your little unhealthy crush on the fine young man she called her friend.

“If you don’t want to use me, that’s fine.” Seonghwa said while removing his hands from your body. You immediately missed the warmth and turned around to face him again.

“No.” You said quickly, putting his hands on your waist again. This time you placed your hands around his neck and moved your body close enough for him to feel every curve.

“That’s more like it.” His low voice was very close to your ear, surprising you. You looked at him, but he was already looking at you. His eyes softened a little bit, but you felt his hands scanning your body. Surprisingly, you didn’t mind Seonghwa touching you. It was oddly comforting and oddly familiar.

“San is fucking weird for not wanting you. If a girl like you looked at me like that, I would do everything in my power to make her happy.” He said after dancing to a couple of songs. To be honest, you didn’t care what music they were playing. You were so lost in the presence of Seonghwa, you didn’t mind moving wrongly to the beat.

“Is this a confession, Seonghwa?” You asked him softly while your hands were locked in his dark black hair. The moment you touched his hair, you didn’t want to let go. It was so soft, and this combined with his smell, made you lose a sense of what to do in situations like this.

“Don’t flatter yourself too much.” He whispered into your ear, breaking eye contact. His lips softly brushed against your skin, leaving you shuddering in want. “But I think this is working.” He said while is hands started to explore your body again. He was close to your ass but seemed to hold himself back. He didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. He might seem a bit straightforward, but he didn’t want to make you feel awkward. He didn’t want to use you, and you felt grateful.

“Thank you.” You whispered into his ear, and you felt him tensing up beneath you. He quickly tore his body of you, leaving you confused.

“I’ll see you around.” He told you before leaving you alone on the dance floor, confused. Why did he go so suddenly? You were actually having fun with him. Did he really spend time with you just to make San jealous? Wasn’t he enjoying himself while dancing with you?

act three: *pats my own shoulder* it’s gonna be okay dumb bitch

“You’re home late.” You said when Sana entered your shared apartment the next morning. You couldn’t sleep due to alcohol and a boy named Seonghwa, so you were up early. “Or early. It kind of depends on your perspective.” You laughed when you saw her shocked expression. Her make-up was gone, and she had her shoes in hand. She looked like the definition of a walk of shame.

“Before you judge me. I didn’t do anything sexual. We actually talked all night and fell asleep. Wooyoung is a real gentleman.” She stated, trying to defend herself. Which she has never really done before. Usually, she would tell you about the guy’s penis and if he could work with it or not.

“You still kissed him as your lipstick is smudged.” You laughed. She went to sit next to you on the couch while holding your hand. She had a lovesick look on her face, and it looked adorable on her. Any other girl would seem a bit pathetic, but as always Sana made it work.

“It wasn’t a sexual kiss. It was a passionate yet soft kiss.” She explained while hearts were flying out of her eyes. She was in love, and she couldn’t hide it any longer.

“You’re living the romantic comedy life. I’ve never seen you so soft.”

“Don’t get used to it.” She stated before walking to the bathroom, leaving you alone with your thoughts again. Your thoughts consisted of San kissing Someone else passionately, and Seonghwa leaving you alone on the dance floor when things were finally starting. He said it had worked to make San jealous, but you hadn’t seen San afterwards. He probably went to fuck that sexy vampire, so Seonghwa’s little game hadn’t worked in your opinion.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Sana asked coming out of the bathroom, freshly washed in her pink pyjamas.

“Nothing.” You told her trying to hide the blush that crept over your face.

“Is it maybe the guy from last night?” She tried again, and you couldn’t hide your blush anymore.

“Do you know him?” You asked her uncertain. You never really talked about guys with Sana. She told you her stories, but you never really did.

“Seonghwa? Everyone knows him.” She told you, turning on the tv.

“That doesn’t sound good.” You told her trying to get more comfortable under your blanket. Sana put on something random about blind dating on Netflix, but you weren’t really paying attention.

“He’s a nice guy. He’s in the frat, but not really party-minded.” She told you, and you simply hummed in acknowledgement. That’s something you had already figured out.

“I’m sorry if he bothered you,” Sana told you apologetically, but you quickly shook your head.

“It’s fine. It did give you some alone time with Wooyoung.” You told her finally looking at her, and you noticed her already looking at you. She was studying your face, but you put on your best poker face.

“And I’m really thankful.” She told you before returning her attention to the large television.

“He’s actually quite a playboy. Don’t worry too much about the things he might have said.” She started the conversation again you so desperately wanted to drop.

“He seemed like an asshole.” You told her earnestly.

“Really?” She asked you, but you simply nodded your head again. She didn’t seem to know what to say after your remark.

“I don’t want to go to work.” You told Sana after watching two episodes of the dating program. It had drained all the energy out of your body, and both of you hated the program, but couldn’t stop watching. That’s the problem with reality TV, but also the beauty of it. You could forget everything for a moment while you watched a TV show that reduced the cells in your brain.

“Don’t go.”

“I need the money to afford this apartment.” You whined before getting up from the comfortable couch. “Don’t you dare watch the other episodes without me.” You told her on your way to the bathroom to freshen up.

“I wouldn’t dare.” She laughed while continuing to watch the episode you told her not to watch without you. You didn’t really mind, though. You would’ve watched without her too if she was the one leaving.

“What can I get you?” You asked the customer before you. He seemed to be in deep thought, but you were used to it. The place you worked had the weirdest coffee names in history, and people always took five minutes before deciding witch poison they would like.

“I’d like a venomous teaser.” The customer told you uncertain, and you knew he wouldn’t be coming here again. Some people loved the weird names, and others would just like to order an americano without having to call it something else.

“Coming right up.” You told him in your fake customer voice. He did seem to relax a bit more by your kindness.

“Venomous teaser.” You called out, and the guy quickly took the drink you offered him and bolted straight through the door. You were left alone in the shop as there were no other employees or customers.

At first, you hated being alone in a shop that wasn’t yours, but you grew to like it. You could choose the music. You could sing and dance to your heart’s delight. It was actually quite freeing. This could only happen on Saturday morning shifts as this was the moment no one really came in for a cup of coffee. Most students on campus were sleeping or recovering from last night. Professors weren’t seen during the weekends, probably spending their free time with their families.

“Wow, you dance way better than you can sing.” Someone said out loud before entering the shop. You turned around, looking straight into the eyes of the main character of your thoughts.

“Hi San! What are you doing here?” You smiled. You always smiled when you saw San. He always looked good, and he always made you feel really good. Have you ever met someone who radiates warmth like the sun on a spring day? Well, to you, San was like a ray of sunshine, warming you up to your core.

“I wanted to surprise you.” He told you excitedly.

“What can I get you?” You asked him when he didn’t elaborate more. You also didn’t know what to say. San hasn’t visited you for over two months. Why did he so suddenly enter the coffeeshop now?

“Whatever you think is worthy for my tiny hangover.” He smiled while leaning on the counter. He was dressed in comfortable clothing, but to you, he still looked like he just came from the catwalk. He once received an offer to model for some unknown company, but he refused. He was shyer back then. If Someone asked him today, he would probably accept.

“Coming right up.” You told him while staring his drink. An iced coffee would be best for his upset stomach. Something that wasn’t too strong. He kept looking at you while you were making his drink, and you started to get uncomfortable.

“So, you and Seonghwa?” San suddenly asked you, and you couldn’t hide the shock on your face. Had he seen you dancing with Seonghwa? Had he seen that your hands were curled into his hair while dancing rather seductively.

“What about Seonghwa?” You asked him shyly. You couldn’t look him into the eyes. He could always see right through you after years of knowing each other.

“You seemed to like his presence.” He told you softly, and you couldn’t figure out what his issue was. Could he be jealous? Probably not. He’s not the type to get jealous, and you should’ve figured that out yesterday when Seonghwa suggested making San jealous.

“Not really. He’s kind of rude.” You told him honestly. Yes, you thought he was hot. That didn’t mean you thought highly of him. Your body and brain were two separate identities.

“I’ve known Seonghwa for a while now. He usually doesn’t talk to someone he doesn’t know for that long.” San explained his thought process.

“Oh, we were both the chosen wingmen for our friends. Sana and Wooyoung are courting each other.” You told San while finishing up his drink.

“Oh.” Was the only thing he said.

“Here’s your drink.” You gave him his iced coffee, but he didn’t seem to care about the drink.

“So, you don’t like him?” He asked you again, making you frustrated. Why did he suddenly care about your life?

“Why is this information so important to you?” You asked him with your annoyance barely hidden.

“Because you never like anyone.” He told you after taking a sip from the coffee.

“How do you know? You only see me at parties. You don’t know what I do and don’t do outside of these events.” You readily blamed him. The first weeks were hard when he decided to ditch you for one night stands, but after a while, you got used to it thanks to Sana. But you still felt a bit mad toward him, even though he hadn’t actually done anything wrong. Everyone had the right to decide who could play an active part in their life, and San had decided you weren’t good enough anymore. That’s life, but you would’ve liked an explanation.

“Is there anyone you like?” He asked you softly, trying to read your reaction. Luckily for you, you had mastered the art of the poker face.

“Again, why is this so important to you?” You asked him harshly. He dropped his shoulders before answering your question. He looked like a beaten dog, but you didn’t feel guilty.

“Can I not care about my best friend?” He told you softly, trying to maintain the eye contact you decided to avoid.

“We haven’t been best friends for months now.” You told him, turning your body to clean something imaginary. You heard him scoff before he left you alone. Maybe Seonghwa’s tactic had worked and did you actually make San jealous with your behaviour of last night.

act four: men are attractive only if they are completely and absolutely unattainable

Fuck. You were going to be late to class. You didn’t want the professor to think you were late due to not being the top of your class anymore. On the contrary, you wanted to show your dedication to the subject. You wanted to show her that you were way better than the other person that had dethroned you.

“Hold the door.” You yelled through the hallway. The student who wanted to close the door looked startled by your loud voice. He didn’t close the door, so you were incredibly thankful.

“Thank you so so so much.” You told him while entering the classroom. The class hadn’t started yet, but everyone seemed to be present. You hated being one of the last ones to enter as your usual spot would be taken. You didn’t like sitting in the back as you couldn’t see the screen very well, but you also hated being in front because you thought everyone was looking at you. You decided to take a seat at the front as not too many people were there. You didn’t want to be distracted by other people who didn’t take this class seriously. They would just scroll through tinder or Instagram without taking notes, and you didn’t really want to be associated with any of that.

“Look who we have here?” Someone spoke up when you had just finished taking out your iPad for note-taking. You turned around and were surprised to see Seonghwa. He wore the same kind of clothing like the last time you had seen him. Black and comfortable. He didn’t wear the vampire teeth today though.

“Seonghwa?” You asked, shocked. You had never seen the man in this class before. Well, you couldn’t really tell who was in your class, but you would’ve recognized Seonghwa. Or so you thought.

“Don’t be so surprised.” He said while taking the seat next to you. You felt everyone’s eyes on the two of you, but you tried to ignore it.

“What are you doing?” You asked him. A guy like him wasn’t the type of person to just sit casually next to you.

“I’m taking this seat.” He stated before taking out his laptop. He probably just used it for playing games instead of taking notes. You hoped he would at least be quietly playing.

“Why?” You asked him again. Some girls changed their seats to sit closer to Seonghwa, and your point was proven. Someone like Seonghwa doesn’t just sit next to someone like you. Suddenly the front rows were filled with more people.

“If you don’t want to sit next to me, just say so.” He told you not trying to hide his annoyance with you. Some people greeted him, but he seemed to ignore every one of his fangirls. Which they didn’t really take well.

“It’s fine.” You ended the conversation. The teacher had just entered, and you hated to miss a moment of class because of a rowdy neighbour.

“But please, keep your entourage quiet.” You ended the conversation.

“They’re not my friends.” He told you loudly, making some people turn their heads in surprise.

“Do they know?” You asked him softly, not trying to make more people notice the two of you talking.

“Some people just want attention, and my attention you have to earn.” He quickly explained while simultaneously taking notes.

“I didn’t do anything to earn your attention.” You remarked, which resulted in him giving you a small smile. Your competitiveness ass liked the fact he had given you a smile and a response and didn’t even glance at the other girls trying to get recognition.

“True. So be quiet. I’m trying to pay attention.” He told you, and you simply scoffed. You had asked him to be quiet first, but you couldn’t help but smile.

It was challenging to listen to the teachers’ words when Seonghwa’s hands were distracting you. He kept typing on his laptop, and you quickly learned he was actually writing everything down what the teacher had said. He even added some remarks of himself. You were surprised to learn that Seonghwa was actually a good student. He lived in a frat house that threw the wildest parties on campus. He was apparently known as a semi fuck boy. And he wasn’t really nice at all. So yes, you were surprised he actually went to class, let alone take excellent notes you would want to copy.

“Is there anything you need?” He asked you after you stared at his hands for the tenth time under an hour. His hands were a perfect representation of his handsomeness. He’s slim, muscular with an almost perfectly symmetrical face. Everyone seemed to love him, they seem to be drawn to him. You noticed it with your friend San at the party. You see it here in the auditorium, where everyone seems to hang on his every word, and reciprocating his smile. If he wanted he could have more friends than days in a year, but somehow he sat next to you. Somehow he had kept by your side at the party, not wanting to interact with anyone else.

“No.” You quickly recovered your thoughts, taking a look at your almost blank note app. You sighed and returned your attention to the teacher. Seonghwa stopped typing for a while, giving you some space to get into the zone of note-taking. You felt his eyes on you, but you barely noticed his intense stare.

Class was quickly over after you had found your rhythm again. You had ignored Seonghwa for the remainder and kept on taking notes like your life depended on it. It actually did, you really needed to be top of your class as this was the only lesson you could excel in. You needed to have an almost perfect average to get to your favourite internship.

“Have you talked to San?” Seonghwa asked you when you were putting all your stuff in your bag. You looked up at him in surprise. He was all packed and ready to go but waited for you to follow him.

“I’ve seen him.” You told him, speeding up your packing process.

“And?” He asked you again, waiting for a more juicy story, but there wasn’t really one.

“I don’t really know him anymore.” You confessed to him. Apparently, Seonghwa was the only one you could talk about this stuff. You didn’t want to burden Sana with your crush on one of her friends. You also didn’t know many people outside of the frat house, which made talking about San a bit awkward.

“Well, I do, and I can say he was most definitely jealous. He has asked me hundredth of questions about you. He has never been interested in the girls I’ve danced with.” Seonghwa explained to you, but you were more interested in his girls.

“Do you dance with other girls? I thought you only took them upstairs?” You asked him while winking at him. He looked amused by your behaviour, and he suddenly changed into a more relaxed person.

“I was polite. He’s never been interested in the girls I hook up with.” He laughed while remaining eye contact. You had left the auditorium, walking toward the exit of the building. You didn’t have any other classes today, but your shift would start in an hour. You didn’t know if Seonghwa still had classes, but you didn’t ask. Not wanting the moment to end. It was nice to talk to someone.

“Because we didn’t hook up.” You told him, pointing at the two of you while simultaneously shaking your head.

“I don’t think San knows that.” Seonghwa told you, holding open the door for you. You thanked him softly before making your way outside. He could be nice if he wanted to apparently.

“He was too busy shoving his tongue in another girl’s throat.” You said, stopping in front of the building you just exited.

“I think if we continue what we started last Friday, we can make him realize he actually likes you too.” Seonghwa told you, shoving his hands in his pockets. How his big hands could fit into the tiny pockets of his skinny jeans was beyond you.

“Why would you do that? What’s in it for you?” You asked him suspiciously. You mimicked his behaviour by hiding your hands in your hoodie.

“Maybe I could get rid of my fuck boy image.” He told you honestly, and you couldn’t hold in your laughter. Did he realize how ridiculous he sounded? A fuck boy could never get rid of his title.

“But you are a fuck boy.” You told him a matter of factly, and you thought you saw hurt crossing over his eyes, but he quickly covered it up.

“I’m actually not a fuck boy, thank you very much.” He told you defensively.

“What are you?” You asked him genuinely interested in his answer. Somehow you wanted to know more about the boy named Seonghwa. He’s just a walking contradiction, and not in a profound way. He just seemed to be someone who still hadn’t figured himself out. And that’s okay, not everyone knew what they wanted in life. Including you, but you felt like you were on a better track than Seonghwa.

“I always think I’m in love and realize too late that I’m actually not.” He told you while avoiding your eyes. It was weird to see Seonghwa so shy and vulnerable, but it did tickle your interest.

“Love isn’t for everyone, you know.” You told him softly. He looked up and his eyes connected with yours, both of you smiling. To other people, it might look like you two were something more than acquaintances.

“That’s depressing.” He finally said, hiding his smile, but he couldn’t fool you anymore.

“I never said I was good company.” You laughed while crossing your arms. You actually needed to go to your part-time job, but something was keeping you here. That thing being Seonghwa.

“I never thought you were.” He said so quickly you almost believed him, but the look in his eyes told you he was just teasing you. Or at least, you hoped.

“That hurts. I thought you wanted to date me.” You said while pretending to be hurt by his words. You pouted while glaring at him, but he seemed unfazed.

“Fake dating.” He emphasized.

“Potato, potato.” You shrugged. “As much as I like standing in front of buildings, I really need to go.” You told him while waving your hand, signalling you were leaving him.

“Wait.” He said a bit too loudly, making people turn their heads. You turned around, giving him a confused look.

“I’ll walk you.” He explained while walking up to you.

“You don’t have to.” You told him softly with blushing cheeks.

“If we’re going to fake date, we’ve got to make it believable.” He told you determinately.

“I actually don’t want to fake date.” You confessed silently, not wanting to hurt his feeling or anything. He seemed so pleased with the fake dating thing, but you really weren’t a fan.

“Am I not handsome enough for your high standards?” He joked, and your body finally relaxed. He didn’t seem like the type of person to push other people into doing something they were uncomfortable with.

“It’s not that, but I’ve read many stories and watched many movies. It’s never a good idea to fake date.” You explained.

“Are you scared you’ll fall in love with me?” He laughed while poking your side teasingly. You couldn’t control your laugh when his hands touched your side.

“I’m more scared that you’ll fall in love with me. You just confessed to me that you easily fall in love.” You told him when he had stopped attacking your sides.

“Touché.” He ended the conversation while maintaining his spot next to you. You were almost at the coffee shop you worked at, and you didn’t know what Seonghwa was going to do when you finally got to your destination.

“Let’s be friends.” He suddenly spoke up. You stopped walking and just stared at him. Why would Someone like him want to be friends with someone like you? Like you had stated before if he wished he could have more friends than days in a year.

“I don’t really take any applications at the moment, but I’ll consider if you’re worthy enough.” You told him, and you started walking again, leaving him behind. He quickly jogged to your side, not wanting to miss a moment of the conversation.

“How long will it take?” He asked you eagerly.

“Usually two to five business days.” You shrugged, keeping your cool.

“Is there a way to speed up the process?” His question caught you off guard. Why was he so determined to be your friend? What game was he playing?

“That’s something for you to figure out.” You told him, stopping in front of the coffee shop you worked at.

“Can I get a hint?” He pleaded with his eyes big and eager. You hadn’t seen him like this before, and your cold heart melted just a little bit.

“I trust you can do this on your own.” You told him while opening the door. He followed you inside. “My shift starts in a couple of minutes. Are you planning to help out?” You asked him abruptly.

“I could use a coffee.” He simply stated.

“You can order there.” You pointed at the right spot to order where your coworker was playing on her phone.

“I’ll wait until you start working.” He said, and you looked puzzled by his words. “It gives me some time to think about what I want.” He explained quickly. You nodded your head and made your way to the back room.

“Do you know Seonghwa?” The girl who’s shift was about to end asked you. You simply nodded your head, not wanting to draw too much attention to your blossoming friendship with the handsome man.

“Can you like introduce me to him? He’s just so damn dreamy.” She kept on talking while you were changing into your work clothes. You had never really spoken to her. Well, you had tried but she usually just ignored you. You didn’t really know what to do with this attention she was giving you.

“I don’t really know him that well, to be honest.” You confessed to her, but she didn’t want to take no for an answer.

“I just tried to get him to order with me, but he was waiting until you started working. You seem to know each other pretty well to me.” She spat.

“He probably just needs some time to think. We don’t have the most basic orders here.” You tried to fight yourself out of the awkward situation. You put on your cap and made your way to the bar. Seonghwa’s face lit up once he noticed you in your work outfit.

“Never wear a cap again.” He joked, but you simply glared at him. You felt the eyes of your coworker on your back, but as always you tried to ignore them.

“What can I get you?” You asked him politely, and he seemed taken aback by your change of attitude.

“What can you recommend?” He asked you softly while looking at the menu over your head. You had carefully written the menu on the chalkboard a couple weeks ago.

“I don’t know what you like.” You told him.

“I like something sweet.” He said while winking at you, and your heart almost combusted by his cuteness. Why was he doing these things to you? What did these things work on you?

“Okay, I can work with that.” You smiled softly at him while prepping his order.

“Are you coming to the party this Friday?” He asked with his elbows propped on the bar while his head rested on his hands. Your coworker nearly choked on her drink, but Seonghwa ignored her presence altogether.

“I usually don’t go for two weeks in a row.” You explained to him while giving him his iced coffee with some whipped cream.

“But I’ll be there.” He pleaded with his adorable puppy eyes.

“You live there. I hope you’re there.” Was all you said.

“Isn’t that enough reason for you to come?” His lips formed into a pout, but you remained calm and unfazed by his actions. You never went out two weeks in a row, and Seonghwa wasn’t going to change your routine.

“I’ll be going.” Your coworker suddenly entered the conversation. You and Seonghwa both looked at her with questionable eyes.

“See, you’ll have company.” You tried to cut through the awkward atmosphere that had formed.

“Do you know anyone to get in? It’s more like a private event this Friday.” Seonghwa quickly dismissed the girl’s self invitation.

“I know you, maybe you can get me in?” She asked him seductively. You noticed she had popped open a button or two extra of her shirt. You rolled your eyes at her behaviour and noticed Seonghwa wasn’t affected by her tries at all.

“I’m already taking Y/N.” He told her off, turning his attention back to you. A small smile appeared on his face, but you quickly shook your head.

“Seonghwa, I already told you I’m not going.” You pleaded with him?. You really didn’t want to go.

“Please?” He asked you softly.

“No!” You practically yelled at him.

“For me?” His low voice making you doubt your persistence. Would it be so bad to go for two weeks in a row to a party? You were a good student. Everyone knew that.

“Why?” You challenged him.

“Because I enjoy your company.” He looked please by your question, noticing your wall crumbling down.

“Because I don’t open some extra buttons of my blouse when you’re near?” You asked him sarcastically, and you heard your coworker cough in the background. Served her right. Karma’s a bitch.

“I wouldn’t mind if you popped them open.” Seonghwa seductively said while winking at you, but you quickly covered your chest.

“Seonghwa!” You yelled at him, but a smile showed him you weren’t mad at him for this dumb comment.

“I’m sorry, but please, think about it. I’ll add your name to the list.” He told you, taking a drink of the cold beverage.

“Two to five business days.” You simply told him.

“See ya!” He yelled out before exiting the coffee shop with his iced coffee in hand. Your eyes followed him out until he couldn’t be seen anymore. Your coworker left the shop while glaring at you, but you didn’t care. You were actually quite pleased with yourself for once.

#ateez #ateez fic #ateez fanfic #ateez college au #Seonghwa fic #park seongwha #seonghwa fanfic #collega au #Seonghwa

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inevitably-johnlocked · 5 years

Note

Can I be THE FIRST person that asks for your offline h/c fic recs? 😍 hurt/comfort is my absolute FAVOURITE genre, especially if Sherlock is the one sick/hurt....I’m a terrible human I know >_

Hi Nonny!!

AHAHAHAH OKAY SO HERE’S THE THINGS:

I just realized I lied and I HAVE actually posted some H/C fics before, so those will be below. I’ve Emotional Hurt/Comfort as well, but I’m going to assume that y’all are looking for Whumpfort, LOL.

I have a LOT OF H/C fics, and because of that, I have to split them up into manageable chunks, so I’ve currently 2 sets of H/C fics already sorted offline. Both are updates to other H/C lists I have, so I’m going to pick the longer of the two. This one has some nice shorter fics, so you can probably yum up this entire list in one day, LOL

And because you mentioned Sherlock Whump, I’ll link you to that list as well :D

So YES. I really gotta get my shit together and finally post all the chunks of H/C fics I have so that I have so I can finally remove that giant list from my Angst list LOL. ANYWAY, here’s what I’ve got for you today!!

HURT / COMFORT Pt.2: 5K to 10K WORDS

See Also:

Hurt / Comfort Pt. 1: Under 5K Words

Doctor / Caretaker John

Doctor / Caretaker John Pt. 2

Doctor / Caretaker John Pt. 3

Sherlock is Sick/Hurt (Sherlock Whump)

Sherlock Whump Pt. 2

Angsty Fluff

Self Harm, Danger Nights, and Drugs

Nightmares, PTSD, Panic Attack, & Mental / Emotional Turmoil

Sick Fics Master Post (May 2019)

Bed-Sharing Between Flatmates by testosterone_tea (T, 5,053 w., 1 Ch. || 5 and Ones, Bed Sharing, PTSD John, Science, Whump, Insecure Sherlock) – 5 times Sherlock had an excuse to share John’s bed, and the one time he didn’t need one.

Winter of Life by You_Light_The_Sky (T, 5,178 w., 1 Ch. || Christmas, Fluff & Angst, Magic Realism) – It was an experiment, really. On Christmas, Sherlock wrote to Santa asking for a friend. He got a broken toy soldier instead. This is the story of how he finds him again and again.

I think You Need A Doctor by TheGoodDirector (M, 5,254 w., 1 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Sherlock Whump, Mistaken Couple, Humour, Platonics, Mary is Nice) – John’s not been to Baker Street in four months and returns to find a bleeding Consulting Detective. John can’t help but take care and put up with him. Set after The Sign of Three/Before His Last Vow.

The Refining Fire by Arwen Jade Kenobi (T, 5,451 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TGG AU, Angst, Friendship, Alternating POV (Lestrade, Mycroft, Sherlock), Worried Sherlock, Hospital Recovery) – Fire can burn things to ashes, but it can also burn things together.

Sleepless nights by El loopy (T, 5,467 w., 3 Ch. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares/Insomnia, Panic Attack, Worried Sherlock) – Sherlock has a nightmare and John wants to know what it was about. Set during season 1. Three-shot.

EMERGENCY CONTACT: Sherlock Holmes, RELATIONSHIP: n/a by blueink3 (M, 5,533 w, 1 Ch.. || Hurt John/3G, Fluff & Angst) – The first time John Watson’s emergency contact is called is the first time Sherlock Holmes finds out that he has the job. Part 1 of The Emergency Contact Series

Recovery by thesignsofserbia (T, 5,948 w., 1 Ch. || HLV-Fix It / Rewrite, Villain Mary, Pining Sherlock, Major Character Injury, Scars, Self-Hatred, POV Sherlock, Doctor John, Friends to Lovers) – Set after the confrontation with Mary, and Sherlock’s cardiac arrest, John stays at 221B to aid Sherlock’s recovery, forcing them to confront wounds both old and new as they try to heal their damaged relationship.

Not The Hands That Kill by You_Light_The_Sky (M, 6,201 w., 1 Ch. || Winglock, Whump, Mentions of Drug Use) – Having wings does not make Sherlock Holmes a guardian angel, not in the way that John Watson is his.

EMERGENCY CONTACT: John Watson, RELATIONSHIP: Saint by blueink3 (M, 6,229 w., 1 Ch. || Hurt Sherlock, 5+1, H/C, Caring John, Scars) – The first time Sherlock Holmes realizes he needs an emergency contact is the first time he mentally appoints John Watson with the job. John, of course, does not know this and neither does the local hospital. Part 2 of The Emergency Contact Series

Life and Death by patemalah21 (K+, 6,457 w., 3 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Sherlock POV, Sherlock Whump, Fun With Words) - Sometimes a small incident can lead to unexpected results. Sherlock and John explore their friendship. A bit humourous in this too, ends with a giggle.

The Death of Doubt by Gingerhermit (E, 6,584 w., 1 Ch. || Alternate Canon, BAMF John, POV Sherlock, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Hurt/Comfort, Angst/Drama, Meddling Mycroft) – Mycroft asks for John’s help in rescuing Sherlock from his Serbian captors.

When We Sleep by PrincessNala (K+, 6,660 w., 1 Ch || Post-TGG, Alternating POV, Bed Sharing, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Hurt/Comfort, Hugs) – Sherlock needed to feel every beat of his heart, every rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. It was the only way to completely assure himself that John was alive and right there next to him, and not dead, no, never dead…

Bound Into the Fire by Tara Laurel (T, 6,672 w. || TEH, Suspense, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Bonfire Scene, John Whump, Mary is Nice) – “John sometimes compared Sherlock Holmes to the flaming beast in his mind…Not such a bad way to go, John mused. Being consumed by Sherlock. Dying in his fire. No. This was different. He was burning alive. Not figuratively. Not some flowery metaphor. Burning.” There was no two minute stay of execution. “Amazing how fire exposes our priorities.”

Lost for Words by notactivesherlockaccount (T, 6,709 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, John Whump, Temporary Mute John) – While on a case, John temporarily loses his ability to speak, and he and Sherlock have to find a new way to communicate.

A Kiss and a Cuddle should be Sufficient by Evenlodes_Friend (E, 6,853 w., 3 Ch. || Gay Sex Club, Fake Relationship, PWP, Orgies, Rimming, BJ’s, Violence, Case Fic, Voyeurism) – Going undercover, Sherlock and John pursue a vicious killer to a gay group sex party. Not unexpectedly, things get a little out of hand. Set after Baskerville, but before the Fall.

BANG by ElvendorkInfinity (T, 7,016 w., 3 Ch. || Post-TGG AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Worried / Scared Sherlock, Alternating POV, Whump, Hospital Recovery, Open Ending) – ‘I should warn you,’ Sherlock says, his voice steady and his eyes fixed on Moriarty. 'You are sadly misinformed.’ And he fires. Prequel to M Is For Moriarty

Not Alone by taliapaxton (K+, 7,034 w., 6 Ch. || Angst, Friendship, MCD, Euthanasia) – Alone on the Water from Sherlock’s point of view. Inspired by the wonderful fiction, “Alone on the Water”

Inconvenient Timing by TheMadKatter13 (M, 7,072 w., 1 Ch. || Omegaverse || Omega John/Alpha Sherlock, Romance, Public Heat, Scared John, Protective / Worried / Possessive Sherlock, Post-TBB AU, Caring Sherlock, Pre-Slash, Happy Ending) – When John’s heat failed to appear three times in a row after he was shot, he figured it was just another broken piece off the broken toy soldier. So he was rather surprised to feel it start out of the blue…and not at all pleased with it starting while he was on the tube.

In Which “John” Becomes a Synonym for “Help” by asignoftwo (T, 7,391 w., 1 Ch. || Injured John, Worried Sherlock, Fluff) – After the fall Sherlock returns to Baker Street and is reunited with John. When John is injured on a case Sherlock is faced with the reality that he could lose John again, and it tears him apart.

Drowning in Darkness by chappysmom (T, 7,575 w., 4 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapped John, Post-TRF Hiatus / Reunion, John Whump, Angst with Happy Ending, Depressed John, Background Case Fic) – He couldn’t decide if it was a relief or a curse that he’d been left completely, absolutely alone. You couldn’t fight darkness with your fists, and no matter how strong your will-power, it could be beaten down by the constant monotony of nothingness. Nobody needed John.

On Favors and Keeping Score by Ewebie (G, 7,622 w., 1 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Sick Fic, Fluff, John Whump) – John woke up to the horribly unpleasant sound of his clock alarm. Which meant he’d slept through his phone’s alarm. And for a moment he glared blearily at the noisemaker before smacking at it with his palm. Ugh, he felt like rubbish. The back of his throat was burning with the irritation that heralded a proper dose, his nose was threatening to drip every few seconds, and he had the uncomfortable flush that normally suggested a fever. Nothing high, just uncomfortable. Nothing deadly, just irritating. Nothing worth calling in sick with, just a full day of discomfort in the face of other people’s discomfort. It was going to be a day where he was forced to bite his tongue from telling people off. “You’re not as sick as I am, so off you pop.” Part 7 of Tumblr Shorts

Sometimes When We Touch by kedgeree (M, 7,755 w., 6 Ch. || Post-TRF, First Kiss/Time, Inappropriate Giggling, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Virgin Sherlock, John Whump, Touching) – John might be touching Sherlock a little more often than is strictly necessary. Sherlock probably hasn’t even noticed. Right…?

The Hours Before Midnight by Lady Sam Mallory (T, 7,773 w., 1 Ch. || TGG Fic, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Torture / John Whump, Kidnapping, Drugging, Alternating POV, Worried / Protective Sherlock) – Moriarty doesn’t play fair. John must deal with hours of torment from Moriarty before going to meet Sherlock at the Pool at the end of the Great Game and Sherlock must deal with the consequences of his boredom.

What Did I Do Wrong? by Starlight05 (T, 7,880 w., 5 Ch. || Hurt Comfort, Angst, John Whump, Hospitalization, Worried Sherlock, Emotional Turmoil, Nightmares, Sherlock Being Dumb) - After John almost dies on a case, Sherlock disappears. So John is left to figure out what he can do to get his best friend back. Meanwhile Sherlock, guilt-ridden and willingly alone, is doing everything he can to stay away.

Victim, Bait, Hero, Friend by KimberlyTheOwl (T, 7,887 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TGG Epilogue, Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Past Kidnapping / Torture / Implied Rape, Panic Attacks, Worried / Possessive Sherlock, Lestrade is a Good Friend) – Some insights into why John was perfectly willing to throw everything away for a chance to kill Moriarty at the pool. Trauma, ugliness, and finally healing. Some nice supporting work by Lestrade as well.

A Dangerous Mix by thebakerstreetgirl (K, 8,077 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Whump, Drugs, Hurt/Comfort) – During a case, John gets attacked and Sherlock and Lestrade find him with a mysterious drug running through the army doctor’s veins.

Beyond the Vow by tunteeton (M, 8,994 w., 1 Ch. || Love Confessions, Angst with Happy Ending, Post-S3, Explosions, Mary is Good-ish?, 3G, Infant Death) – Being a sociopath was never this emotionally exhausting.

With This Ring by Quesarasara (E, 9,121 w. || Est. Rel., Marriage Proposal, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Idiots in Love, Embarrassing Hospital Visits) – Sometimes even the best of plans go wrong. And sometimes wrong turns out to be exactly right.

Five Times Sherlock Realized He Was Getting Older by Mildred Graves (T, 9,215 w., 6 Ch. || Five and Ones, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Old) – … And one time it didn’t matter.

Incapacitation by Cumberbatch Critter (T, 9,424 w., 6 Ch. || Hurt / Comfort, Friendship, Sick Sherlock, Doctor John, Appendicitis) – The doctor had just asked how bad the pain was when the pain spiked. Sherlock’s initial response was a gasp that evolved into a whimper. “Ten,” he gasped. “Ten…”

Drive by lifeonmars (M, 9,537 w., 1 Ch. || Virginity, Awkward First Times, Minor Injuries) – John and Sherlock are stranded by the roadside, and John is injured. They need to spend the night in the back of a humvee. Sherlock is confused. John is understanding.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #hurt comfort #angst fics #my fic recs #fic rec sunday #Anonymous

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spunky-89 · 4 years

Text

Sneak Peek

A/N: Okay, so I saw that at least some people were interested so I am going to go ahead and publish my Titans!Jason work. I am going to make it a reader insert, but there are elements that give the ‘reader’ certain features. I know that’s a big no-no, and I do hate to do it, but it just makes this story work a bit better :/ Also it is somewhat a crossover. In this particular section, it isn’t super important, but it makes the backstory juicier IMO. So I’m doing the crossover with Percy Jackson. But this story takes place after the end of Blood of Olympus. You don’t need prior knowledge of the series to understand the story, but like I said, the ‘reader’ being part of the PJ world makes the whole story *chef’s kiss*

I’m going to give a quick sneak peek of the story as well as the little bit of background I feel you need for this story to make sense :) (background will be at the bottom if you want to read it)

“It's been years, you've changed a lot since then. Maybe he has too.” Nico tried to gently explain.

“Why are you pushing me about this? Just take me home and let me forget this place and the people in it.” (Y/N) exclaimed, sitting up and glaring at him.

“Because I care.” He started. He knew he had to be careful with his approach or she would clam up and he would lose the opportunity to talk some sense into her. “You're my best friend and you pushed me when I was scared to give Will a shot. And look how good that turned out. I'm just returning the favor.” He said gently, squatting next to her.

She covered her face and let out a frustrated “Uuuuhhhhgggggg”

Nico laughed at how dramatic she was being. She always said Percy was the dramatic one but at that moment, she easily matched him. But he did his best to calm himself fast, knowing the consequences of laughing for too long (last time he ended up in the lake, it sucked).

“Look, take the evening to decide. I'll be here at noon to get you tomorrow.” He said finally.

“That seems unnecessary. Give me five minutes to grab my shit.” She said, her words begging him to take her away, but her eyes conflicted with a need to stay.

Nico sighed and added, “I'm serious. He seems like he really cares.”

“Just because he's listening in doesn't mean he cares. It actually is kinda stalkerish.” (Y/N) pointed out.

Nico rolled his eyes and got up. “Well, you do you. But in my opinion, it’s stupid to sink a repairable ship.”

She gave him a glare and flipped him off as he walked into a shadow on the wall. Once Nico vanished, she got up from the floor and turned towards the door to see Jason step out of the shadows he thought he was hidden in.

“What the fuck was that?”

She ignored him and pushed him aside to head back through the door.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!” he said grabbing her arm in an attempt to stop her.

She yanked her arm free and growled, “Fuck off”

He chased her down the stairs back into the main floor.

“I’m not just gonna let you leave!” He yelled as he grabbed her arm “I care about you too much to just let you walk away without trying to fix us”.

She growled and went to punch him, but he blocked her. She started talking as she attempted to land a hit on him.

“You don’t get to stand there and tell me you care! I know you saw me when I came looking for you and you know I saw you. I tried everything to get you to talk to me.” She landed a hit to his side and shoved him into the wall behind him. “So don’t you fucking dare tell me that you fucking care because if you did we wouldn't be having this conversation!”

He righted himself and went on the defense, not wanting to hurt the girl in front of him. He was damn glad the team was out or this would have made this confrontation worse. He steeled himself and started to argue with (Y/N). “Of course I care! Don’t ever fucking tell me I don’t. I stayed away to pro-”

“Don’t you dare feed me that bullshit!” She yelled as she threw another punch to his face, “You know I can take care of myself. So you need a better goddamn excuse if you want me to believe your FUCKING LIES!!!!!”

He caught both her hands and pushed her back to try and put distance between them, even though every cell in his body was screaming at him to hold her close.

“I LOVE YOU DAMNIT! I KNOW YOU CAN HANDLE YOURSELF. I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU.” He screamed.

“YOU KNOW NOTHING! ITS BEEN 4 YEARS TODD, 4 FUCKING YEARS!” She screeched.

To Be Continued.....

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

A/N: It’s not much, but it’s a small look into an almost 10k fic.... Which after thinking about it, I might split it into two, just so they’re a bit easier to read 🤔

Background: ‘Reader’ is a demigod, full blood twin of Percy Jackson. The two were separated at birth, their mom only being able to handle one powerful half-blood. So Percy stays with their mom and the ‘reader’ is sent away. She ends up in Gotham. She’s in the system for a while, but ditches pretty young. This is how she met Jason. The two were best friends from the day they met (both being 8ish years-old). When crazy things started happening when she was getting ready to turn 12, she met her brother. When she found out that she was the daughter of Poseidon, a lot of things suddenly made more sense to her. Naturally, Jason was the first person she told. After spending her summer with Percy and in the world of the mythological, she decided to return to Gotham, feeling that it was more her home than living with a mother and a brother who she didn’t know. It was around this time Jason got adopted by Bruce. They stayed friends up until she left to go on a quest during winter break. When she came back, Jason had disappeared. She looked and waited on him, but he never came back. So the next summer, after she was going to head back to Gotham, she stopped herself. Jason had ghosted her, so she decided to stay in New York with her new family.

Four years have passed and both Jason and she are 17/18 yrs old.

P.S. Nico is mentioned a lot... he is the son of Hades and can disappear into shadows and reappear in a different shadow he chooses.

#Jason Todd #jason todd x reader #titans!jason todd #crossover #percy jackson crossover #dc #dcu #angst #background #sneak peek

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pikapeppa · 5 years

Text

Cullen/Lavellan & FenHawke pirate AU: Kindness

YAY @schoute AND I ARE BACK with another chapter of Where The Winds Of Fortune Take Me!!

In which Piper, Cullen, and a handful of friends go on a rescue mission.😱 The full chapter is >10k words; only a small excerpt here. Read the whole thing on AO3.

************************

- PIPER -

The moment they stepped back into the Arlathan Forest, Piper heard it.

Garas amahn. Come here.

It was the voice again, and it was clearer – and louder – than before. She rubbed her forehead uncomfortably, and Cullen grasped her arm. “Piper, what is it? Are you all right?”

Cole answered for her. “He calls to her, calls through her, louder through the link. He misses her, but it’s not her that he’s missing.”

Merrill’s eyes widened. “Does Fen’Harel really think that Piper is his lost love, then? Is that why he’s calling to her?”

“Confused, clouded with rage and revenge,” Cole said sadly. “He doesn’t understand.”

“That makes two of us,” Piper muttered. She patted Cole’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s move. The faster we get to the temple, the sooner we can figure out how to stop this curse.”

They set off through the forest at an even jog, and Cullen spoke to Cole. “Do you really think it’s possible to make this… this Fen’Harel monster understand that Piper is not his missing love?”

Cole shot him a worried look. “He didn’t want this. Justice, not revenge, but–”

Dorian interrupted. “The faces were close, yes yes, you’ve said this already. But Cole, if you tried to explain to him that we were here to help and it didn’t work, then why do you think persuading him will work a second time around?”

“We have to try,” Merrill said. “We have to try every option to get Hawke and Sutherland the others back from the Well.”

“But what if persuasion doesn’t work?” Dorian said.

Cullen scowled. “Then we destroy the temple if we must.”

Dorian grimaced. “Won’t that just make Fen’Harel more angry?”

“Angry, yes,” Cole said anxiously. “He’s angry already, and that will make it worse.”

Dorian awkwardly rubbed his chin. “So if persuasion doesn’t work, and destroying the temple won’t work–”

“We kill him,” Piper said.

They all looked at her, and Dorian raised his eyebrows. “What’s that now?”

“You heard me,” Piper said in a hard tone. “We’ll kill Fen’Harel. If he doesn’t give Rynne back, I’m going to kill him.”

Merrill wilted slightly. “But Piper–”

Piper cut her off. “I’m sorry, Merrill, but I mean it. I know you’ve been looking for evidence of the elven gods for years, but he took my fucking crew. He gives them back, or he dies.”

“No,” Cole protested. “No no, that’s not helping. Protecting and caring, yes, but not kindness.”

Piper shot him a chiding look. “Listen, Cole, you’re a sweet kid, but if you brought us here because you thought I could be kind to this magical fucking fog that stole my crew’s souls and is keeping them trapped in a nasty black pool underground, then you picked the wrong girl for the job.”

“Wait,” Cullen said suddenly. “This just occurred to me.” He slowed to a stop and folded his arms. “Cole, did you make Piper crash the ship on the shore of Arlathan Forest?”

Merrill’s eyes went wide, and Piper looked at Cole in alarm. Had Cole been the reason for their near-shipwreck on the shores of the Arlathan Forest? He had been oddly calm during that insane storm, after all. And now that Piper was thinking of it, he had told her to listen to the mysterious voice…

“No,” Cole said.

Cullen’s frown deepened. “The way you spoke of Piper made it sound like you led us here on purpose,” he said accusingly.

“Not led,” Cole said. “Being led. It was always her choice. I waited, wandering, watching for someone who felt like her.” He looked at Piper with his vacant blue eyes. “You feel like her: helping, protecting, save the small and heal the hurts. That’s why I came. That’s why I joined.”

She raised an eyebrow. “So… so you purposely joined my crew because you thought I could help Fen’Harel?”

He shook his head again. “Because you helped them. All of them. ‘Crew, lazy load of layabouts, beautiful bilgerats’: different words when they leave your lips, but they sound the same in your heart. Family.”

Her stomach jolted. She stared at him, stunned into silence by how personal he was being. And also how correct he was.

A tiny smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Save the small, heal the hurts, join the Lady Luck if they want to. Part of the ship, part of the crew.” He nodded approvingly. “You helped them. You can help him, too.”

His words hung softly in the warm forest air, and Piper looked away from him to hide the sudden and inopportune burn of tears in her eyes. All these things Cole had said, nice things about her helping people and the crew being her family and his weird and likely-incorrect belief that she could help Fen’Harel… She couldn’t quite decide if she wanted to hug Cole, or smack him for exposing her so thoroughly in front of the others.

Cullen took her hand. She darted a quick look at him, and the tenderness in his eyes made her heart swell even more.

She squeezed his hand and rubbed her nose, and Dorian jauntily clapped his hands. “Well, I’m certainly won over by that speech. Captain, any thoughts?”

She cleared her throat before speaking. “Let’s just, um, get to the temple and see what we can find. The plan still stands: we’re looking for a way to break this curse, not to put it back into the orb.��

Cullen nodded. “All right, Captain. We will follow your lead.”

She looked up at him. His tone was businesslike, but his chestnut eyes were soft and warm.

Piper smiled at him, then playfully patted his bum before leading their little group through the forest at a brisk jog.

Min vir. This way.

She gritted her teeth and reluctantly followed the voice as it led her deeper into the fern-laden forest. A minute later, Merrill sidled up to her.

“Piper,” she panted. “I just wanted to say I – you – do you think this is my fault?”

Piper glanced at her in surprise. “Huh?”

Merrill winced. “I just… Fenris thinks this was all my fault, but he’s so grumpy and always looking for a reason to fight. But do you...” She broke off, then gave Piper a pleading look. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t think anyone would get hurt!”

On Piper’s other side, Cullen spoke up. “There were clear signs of danger, Merrill.”

“But I thought that being with us elves would protect you!” Merrill protested.

“It’s okay,” Piper said firmly. “It’s… nobody could have known. Everything here is weird. And…” She sighed. “I’m the captain. I could have ordered us to go back to the Lady Luck at any time. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”

Merrill’s face fell with dismay. “Piper...”

“It’s fine, really,” she said quickly. “I’m going – no, we’re going to fix this. All of us together. We’ll make it fine.”

Merrill blew out a breath. “Yes, exactly. We’re going to find a solution at the temple, no matter if we have to look all night long! Though I hope we find a solution before it gets dark, it’ll be much harder to see in the darkness, although that’s what lanterns are for–”

Cullen cleared his throat, and Merrill broke off with a giggle. “Oh dear, I’m babbling again. I’ll just, um, pop over to Cole and see what else he can tell us about the Dread Wolf’s lost lady. If she was anything like you, Piper, she must have been lovely!”

Piper snorted and elbowed her. “Suck-up. Get out of here.”

Merrill giggled and fell back to join Dorian and Cole. A moment later, Cullen took her hand.

She shot him a sidelong glance. His eyes were on the forest ahead, but his expression was quite relaxed, and Piper tilted her head quizzically. Given the seriousness of the situation, she was frankly surprised that he wasn’t wearing his usual worried frown.

He glanced at her, then tilted his head. “Is something wrong?”

“No, actually,” she said. “You just… you don’t look worried. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer you looking not worried, but I’m surprised.”

He hummed a rueful acknowledgement. “Truth be told, I am worried. But not in the same way as before.”

“Why aren’t you as worried?” she asked. “Things are just as bad as they were yesterday.”

He gave her a fond look. “Because you told Merrill we will fix this together as a group. You’re willing to accept our help.”

She wilted a bit. “Was I really scaring you that much yesterday?”

“It scared me that you wouldn’t talk to me,” he said gently. “You wouldn’t let me be privy to your thoughts. But we are working as a team now, as it was in Kirkwall during Meredith’s attack on the docks.”

She grunted. “Probably not a great sign that you’re pleased about things being like they were during Meredith’s attack on the docks.”

He squeezed her hand. “I gave you a hard time last night, and I am truly sorry for that,” he said. “But now, this feels… I have more hope now.”

“Okay,” she said softly. “If you’re less worried, then I’m glad.” But in truth, her stomach was churning with guilt. She’d been so preoccupied trying to make up for the disastrous consequences of the storm that she hadn’t realized just how much of an impact her attitude was having on Cullen’s state of mind.

They spent the majority of the day running, albeit at a more measured pace than their frantic race back to the Lady Luck the day before. By the time they reached the ancient elven temple, evening was falling and the forest was growing dark.

Piper and her companions paused at the mouth of the temple to catch their breath and light their lanterns. Merrill looked at them all with wide and worried eyes. “Should we start by searching the outside the temple for engravings? We know there was only the one obelisk inside, so maybe there’s something more on the walls out here.”

Dorian shrugged as he lifted up a lantern. “It’s as good an idea as any. Piper, what do you think?”

“Huh?” Piper said distractedly. “Uh, yeah. Search outside.”

Cullen placed a gentle hand at the small of her back. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, I’m… it’s just loud,” she said. “And annoying.” She rubbed her forehead and looked at Merrill. “It’s not bothering you? The… Fen’Harel’s voice?”

To Piper’s dismay, Merrill made an apologetic face. “I… I don’t hear it anymore, Piper. I think maybe only you can hear it now because of the cur– er, the light in your hand.”

Piper frowned to hide her growing distress. She was annoyed and scared and further annoyed by how scared she was. It was just a stupid voice, after all, and she was going to get rid of it, so there was no point in being scared.

“Do you understand it?” Merrill said softly. “The voice?”

“Yes, actually,” Piper said slowly. “Which is weird, because I didn’t really before.”

“What is it saying?” Cullen asked.

Piper licked her dry lips. “It’s…” She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes to let the voice enter her mind.

You found me, at last. Come, vhenan. This way.

She blew out a breath and opened her eyes. “He thinks I’m her,” she said. “The old Lavellan. He called me ‘vhenan’. He wants us to go back inside the stupid temple.” To ward off her growing fear, she elbowed Merrill playfully. “You think this Fen’harel fog thing is going to try and, uh, commune with me?”

Cullen eyes widened, and Merrill let out a little giggle, albeit a nervous one. “I doubt it. Why don’t we–”

“You doubt it?” Piper interrupted in surprise. “What does that mean? You think there’s a possibility?”

“Yes, what does that mean?” Dorian piped in. “I’m torn between being horrified and intrigued.”

“That is not going to happen,” Cullen said loudly.

Despite her nerves, Piper gave him a roguish smile. “Feeling a little possessive, Golden Boy?”

He scowled and folded his arms. “I can hardly be blamed for wanting to keep a confused and lustful, er, god-entity away from my future wife.”

Piper snickered and elbowed Dorian. “He really knows how to woo a girl, wouldn’t you say?”

Dorian chuckled, and Merrill shook her head in despair. “Oh Piper, you’re so silly. We should stay on track. I think we should follow the voice.”

Cullen wilted in exasperation. “Merrill, following the voice is what led us into this trouble in the first place. Perhaps we should consider doing the opposite of what the voice tells us.”

“But that means just standing here and doing nothing!” Merrill complained.

“Or,” Cullen said pointedly, “it means following your original plan of searching the outside of the temple for clues.”

Merrill frowned at him, then sighed and turned to Piper. “Captain, it’s your call. What do you want to do?”

Piper hesitated. She was genuinely torn about what to do next. On the one hand, searching the outside of the temple was the more logical plan for the reasons that both Merrill and Cullen had outlined; they had come back in the hopes of finding information that might help them to break the curse, and the last time they’d followed the voice, only harm had come of it.

But Piper couldn’t stop worrying about time. The faster they fixed this problem, the faster Rynne and Sutherland and Shayle and Marie would be back to themselves.

She nibbled the inside of her cheek for a moment. Follow your instincts, Fenris had said. It was advice she’d never needed before; she’d always followed her instincts before, unless both Varric and Fenris had expressed very clear and vocal concerns about her course of action. But now that this series of disasters had occurred, Piper was full of doubt about her own instincts.

She toyed with her braids while she tried to think. Then her gaze fell on Cole.

He was standing near Dorian and looking around at the forest in his usual dreamlike manner, and Piper eyed him speculatively for a moment. She’d honestly never paid that much attention to Cole, even on the Lady Luck; she’d sort of gotten into the bad habit of seeing him as an extension of Dorian, given how closely they worked together in their navigating roles.

But Cole wasn’t anything like Piper had thought. He wasn’t just a strange young man she’d recruited during one of their shore leaves. He was some sort of… spirit-god-boy who was friends with the trickster god of elven legend, and was somehow able to pick his way right down to the most sensitive parts of everyone’s souls.

If Piper was honest, it made her scalp crawl a little bit to think that Cole might know everything that was going through her mind. But at the same time, Cole saw her intentions. He saw that she meant to take care of her crew – her family. He saw what she was trying to do, and he seemed to think she was on the right track, even if she’d fucked it up along the way.

On instinct, she made her decision: to leave the decision to him. “Cole, what do you think we should do?”

“Inside is where he hurts the most,” Cole said. “Hurt and hurting, howling, deep and drowning in the well.”

Merrill raised her eyebrows. “Do you think we’ll find more information on how to break the curse if we go inside?”

Cole blinked at her. “I tried before, but I tried alone. If we try, we aren’t alone, and he might see.”

“See what?” Piper said.

“That he’s not alone, either,” Cole replied.

Piper frowned. This didn’t really make sense, but it seemed clear enough that Cole thought they should go inside.

She shrugged. “All right. Let’s go on into the temple, then.” She swallowed hard, then squared her shoulders with a confidence she didn’t feel and led the way.

Read the rest on AO3!

#where the winds of fortune take me #pirate au #cullen rutherford #cullen/lavellan #cullen x lavellan #cullavellan #piperford #piper lavellan #may the dread wolf take you...#O_o #pikapeppa writes #pikascout #cole #cole dragon age #merrill #dorian pavus

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shardminds · 5 years

Text

The Swan that fell for the Sea (2/3)

Thank you to @itsfabianadocarmo for being so patient with me! This story, at this chapter, clocks in at 10k which is the longest thing I’ve ever written and there’s still one chapter to go! Your gift, my sweet, will continue on into 2020 as work and Christmas and other commitments have kept me from it :( I’m sorry for keeping you waiting but hope you continue to enjoy where this is going ♥ It’s been a pleasure to write for you!

Another big thanks to @cssecretsanta2k19 for running this fantastic event! You ROCK!

And, last but not least, we ALL owe a round of applause to @thisonesatellite for 1) putting up with me, 2) calling me out when things don’t make sense and 3) being an unwavering pillar of support through this whole process. THANKS LOVE!

Emma Swan falls for a man of the sea. She doesn’t mean to but she does all the same. The scent of salt and leather and rum lingers on her skin long after he’s gone and, as the warm summer breeze makes way for winter’s icy chill, she wonders if he’ll ever return.

He does, and things will never be the same again.

Part 1 ¦ Also available on AO3 ♠

Emma waits for him.

She waits and waits, dismissing any rational thought that tells her to stop. Four months is a long time but, despite the fallen leaves turning to mulch on beaten passageways in the town, she waits. Sweet ale in her tankard. The memory of a kiss on her lips.

She sneaks out of the palace nearly every night, dressed in plain skirts. The ones that now had her fading into the background, not to be noticed other than by those that looked too closely.

Ruby tries her best to bring the smile back to Emma’s eyes. Sometimes it works; dragging her up to dance and sing, around the people she’d come so close to, unlikely friends among the dirt, slamming tankards together in cheers and living in the moment. Those moments helped, patching up the longing in her heart, however temporarily.

The docks die down in the cold, the revelries of summer no longer calling forth traders and night markets, performers and tourists, or pirates. Emma still visits, hoping to see The Jolly Roger moored up, the crewmen she’d grown familiar with greeting her with fond smiles and the Captain she loves wrapping her in his warm arms, fighting off the ache in her chest that had settled when he left.

It hurts to see it empty.

After such time apart, their summer together seems like a dream. If it weren’t for the chain at her neck, she’d wonder if it happened at all.

She’ll know soon enough. Solstice is tomorrow.

The preparations spread throughout the palace with the first frost; wreaths and garlands adorning the entire place in swaths of green, red and gold, fireplaces eternally lit in an attempt to warm the cold stone floors to no avail. On the rare nights Emma didn’t venture down to the tavern by the shore, burrowed into soft blankets and furs smelling of woodsmoke and frost, she wishes that she wasn’t alone.

A giant spruce, felled recently, lays in the courtyard, a smattering of snow covering its evergreen foliage.

Emma uses it as cover, walking behind it’s thickest part to obscure herself from the prying eyes of servants whose whispers would inevitably make their way back to the ears of her mother. She hasn’t been caught yet, in her months of running away to the docks at the fall of night and crawling back home in the early mornings, but she dreads what would happen if she did.

She dips past the thick shrub along the palace wall that hides a long forgotten passage up, up and up until it reaches just shy of her chambers. In the past, they’d probably been used for more important things – escaping assassinations, fleeing coups but those days were long gone. Misthaven was at peace; her father made sure of that.

She climbs the staircase in the dark. It takes minutes to get to the tapestry-covered exit but, in the pitch black, it stretches seemingly into hours. The sensory deprivation is all-consuming, but she continues on. Exhaustion tugs at Emma’s limbs, causing her to almost lose her footing a couple of times, grabbing the cool stone walls for balance. How long has it been since she slept? Two days? Three? Between fulfilling royal duties and drowning the dull ache in her chest, there isn’t a lot of time for sleep.

When he returns. That’s when she’ll sleep.

Before she can reach to pull the tapestry aside, it’s already gone.

In its place, the Queen.

She’s cast entirely in shadow, light from the corridor outlining her in an ethereal glow but Emma would know that silhouette anywhere.

Fuck.

“If you don’t want your Father to chain you up, I would suggest using the south entrance to sneak in, far less prying eyes this time of year. People are getting wise to your ways.”

Her mother, cinched into an opulent gown that makes Emma’s threadbare and frayed skirts look like rags, fixes her with a questioning look. Despite her age, Queen Snow has always been beautiful, once holding the title of fairest in all the realm for both her rule and her appearance. As her daughter, Emma held a biased opinion, of course, but now, with one groomed eyebrow hiked up, she cultivates the seed of anxiety in Emma’s stomach until its vines wind around her limbs, rooting her in place.

“Mother, I–”

Snow’s expression softens, a cheeky knowing smile replacing any animosity Emma could’ve sworn had been there not seconds earlier. It knocks her back like an unexpected wave.

“Hush, Emma.” She steps to the side, allowing space for Emma to emerge into the empty corridor. Hesitantly, she takes it. The light, albeit dim, is still enough to be blinding after the total void in the passageway. “I too was young once. Come along now.”

“I think the circumstances were slightly different then,” They fall into step together, heading in the direction of Emma’s chambers. Nerves still tingle in the pit of her stomach, sharper and heavier than the crown her mother wears. She hadn’t expected such a… non-issue. If her father found her, she’d be having an entirely different conversation right now. “You were running from a power-hungry sorceress who tried to turn the kingdom against you. I, on the other hand, am under no such duress.”

“My stepmother was– yes. I suppose you’re right.” She muses, looking off into the middle distance as Emma pushes against the dark wood of her bedroom door.

The whole room is immaculately kept, further evidence that it had not been slept in for some time, but the hearth is lit, embers glowing, warmth only spreading as far as the dressing table and doing nothing to bite off the bone-deep chill that settled in Emma’s bones from the walk. On the bed, atop furs and throws and soft pillows, is a dress.

“I assume Father expects me to wear that.” She sighs, picking up the offending article between two fingers. It’s softer to the touch than she expected, pleated silk and silver beads, with elaborate lace sleeves that flare at the wrists.

“You assume correctly.” Her mother nods, taking a seat by the fire and swiping an apple from the fruit basket on her way. “Johanna prepared you a bath so you can make yourself a little more presentable for later.”

“Later?”

“Yes, your Father has requested our presence in one of his meetings this morning, which is why I was so anxious for you to arrive,” Emma rolls her eyes and starts towards the bath, peeling off her outer shirts and leaving a trail of clothes on the floor, leaving her undergarments until she’s safely behind the screen separating the clawfoot tub from the rest of the room. Snow tuts at the mess. “but enough about all that, I do believe I am owed an explanation.”

The water is just a touch cooler than scalding when she steps in, but her mother’s words send a spike of fear down her spine. The girl that exists there, at the docks and taverns, she has no place in this palace. Emma tries her best to shove her down, letting only the Princess remain.

“In order to rule the people, one must know the people.”

“Oh, how diplomatic! We’ll make a Queen of you yet.” Snow calls back, voice laden with sarcasm. “Now, the truth, if you will.”

Emma pauses, letting the heat from the bath sink deeper into her bones. How does she even begin to explain?

Oh yes, Mother. I spend most of my nights at the docks staring at the horizon, waiting for a Pirate, who I seem to have fallen in love with, to return from a voyage I regret refusing to join him on and when it all gets a bit too much, I find solace in drink and frantically attempt to sober myself up on the walk back to the palace at sunrise because I fear you and Father finding out the truth of my whereabouts.

“That is the truth, partly.” Letting her head sink under the water’s embrace, she sighs. The bubbles rise and pop, words she wishes she could say. She trusts her mother implicitly.

She doesn’t, however, trust her father, who would see Killian’s head on a spike if he ever found out.

Her lungs burn when she comes up for air.

“I’m suffocating here.” Emma can’t stop herself, words spilling forth like a burst dam. “My duties are limited to appearances and dinners, where all anyone wants to talk about is who I’m going to marry. I’m the fucking Princess, adored by all and all that rubbish, but I’ve never felt more alone than when I wear that tiara. I’m nowhere near ready to rule. I don’t know the first thing about defending my country and that scares me, but when I’m down there with the people– our people, I can be someone else, even if it’s just for a night.”

For a second, the only sound in the room is the gentle splash of bathwater and the faint crackle of embers.

“Emma–” There’s a creak of furniture followed by the soft clack of heels on the stone floor. Her mother pauses and Emma can see her shadow against the screen.

“Please, Mother.” She pleads, voice unbroken. “Don’t take this from me.”

Snow emerges from behind the screen, an apologetic look casting her face in a sad smile, and reaches for one of the perfumed soaps that had been laid out for Emma to bathe with. Unperturbed by Emma’s nudity, she comes to kneel behind her daughter’s head.

“I spent so much of my youth fighting to get into a palace that I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be trapped inside one.” Her fingers, small and dexterous as they are, massage the soap into Emma’s scalp, forming a liberal lather. Tension leaks out of Emma’s shoulders with each touch and, before long, she’s completely lax. They don’t speak, but Killian’s name sticks in her throat, a lump she can’t shift. In another life, were she not a Princess, perhaps she would have the courage to speak it.

Her mother and father have so many tales, stretched across years of rebellion and revolt; of the Evil Queen, of the dwarves sworn to fight by her side, of banditry and betrayals and true love– that’s what Emma had been searching for each night, between dirt and flame and ale. A story, an adventure, something for people to talk about in hushed whispers, of the Swan that fell for the sea.

They don’t have to know that the Swan is their Princess.

Not yet.

Her fingers are pruning in the lukewarm water, body lulled half to sleep, by the time her hair is washed and towel-dried. Her mother sighs, knees creaking as she stands – age has been kind to both her parents but it creeps in slowly, in the silver gracing their temples hidden by golden crowns. It comes for everyone eventually.

“I’ll ask Graham to scale back patrols on the south gate and Johanna to fetch you a better cloak than that which you’ve taken to using,” She starts, placing a fresh towel by the bath side. The satin skirt of her gown is darkened with damp spots from the water, but she pays them no mind, pressing a kiss to the centre of Emma’s forehead. “and please remember that I am always here for you, Emma. I mean it.”

There’s sincerity in her eyes, sincerity and love— so much love, more than Emma can even begin to comprehend, but she trusts it. In the list of moments she would pause for an eternity, this is one of them.

“Mother.”

“Yes, dear?”

Her voice catches, a soft hopeful smile making its way to her lips. “I love you.”

“And I you.” Snow nods, making her way behind the screen, leaving Emma to dress alone. “Meet us in the great hall in an hour.”

When the door shuts softly, confirming her mother’s exit, she emerges from the water.

Cold stone walls, cast-iron chandeliers with tall flickering candles, fires in every hearth, stained glass effigies of past kings and queens lit with the late morning sun, eaves decorated with garlands of holly and ivy, and, raised on marble steps, three golden thrones. The great hall really is just that. Great.

Emma grew up here, excited to be involved at first, to wear the tiara her father said she was born to wear.

As time moved on, so did she.

“Emma!” A voice rings out, echoing against stone.

Her father, the King.

Seeing him smiling, lines of age forming around his eyes and mouth, has her own smile falling into place as he walks across the great hall to embrace her, posture never slipping.

As much as she may not enjoy the formalities of her role within the court or the isolation that it’s afforded her, she holds nothing but love and respect for her father. Love and respect and a sliver of fear.

“I was wondering where you managed to run off to.” Emma leans into his embrace, letting herself be wrapped up in his arms. One hand cradles the base of her skull, the way it always does when her father holds her. He pulls back to adjust the silver circlet woven into her curls. “I take it you like the dress, then?”

He takes a step back, admiring the fabric with its delicate drapery and flowing skirts, letting Emma twirl for him to better view the garment. Killian’s ring, tucked between what cleavage her bodice creates, threatens to come free, the weight of it tugging as she turns at her Father’s request. It longs to be free. “I do, Father. Thank you.”

“Excellent.” He nods, holding his arm out for her to take, and she does. “There’s only one audience today so this should be short but I wanted you here as a witness.”

Arm in arm, they walk the carpet running the centre of the room, ascending the marble steps to where their thrones, forged by the finest smiths in Agrabah, stand tall and proud. Emma slides into hers, the metal cold against her legs. It’s the first time in weeks she’s had to be present for an audience, usually boring affairs, with very little involvement on her own part and more just an excuse for David to assure the people of their strong and unified family. It’s true, for the most part.

“I must apologise, Emma,” Kneeling by her feet, David starts. Like this, she can see just how much age has crept into his features, how it lingers in his eyes and in the recede of his hairline and the grey and white peppered throughout his dark blond. “I feel like I’ve been lax on preparing you for what will inevitably be yours.”

“Father–”

He takes her hand in both of his, squeezing reassuringly as Emma’s face changes from confusion to acceptance.

“The crown will be yours, Emma, and I won’t be here to guide you forever. I should’ve done this sooner. From now on, I want you to shadow me in all audiences, all council meetings, everything. If I’m there, I want you by my side. I want you to speak up, to learn, to build your own opinions. I hope I can save you the struggle of finding your feet so, when the crown does come, you’ll hit the ground running.”

The thought of ruling is terrifying.

The thought of ruling without her father’s guidance? Even more so.

If she agrees—

She will never be Swan again.

She looks down at him, a smile, soft as the fur around his neck, meets her there.

“I’d like that.” She nods, wondering if he’s convinced by the lie that comes so naturally.

“Wonderful!” Her father beams, pulling her in for a hug. It’s an awkward angle but it doesn’t last for long. “We’ll start proper preparations after Solstice.”

Soon, David is standing, smoothing the wrinkles from his slacks and shirt before righting the fur edged robe around his shoulders. He’s a picture of opulence and authority. If Emma hadn’t seen him wear his royal garb over a thousand times already, she’d be in awe of it. Privileges of royal life, such as fancy silks and furs, didn’t draw her as they once had. She craved leather and linen and simplicity.

Summer had changed her.

“Who is it that’s requested an audience then?” Tracing the indentations in the arm of her throne, she probed, noting that her father had not divulged that particular information.

“Ah, yes.” He starts, lips pulling into a tight line as he paces before his throne. “I hired some external support on retrieving an item of extreme value from the edge of our kingdom. Upon my wake this morning, I received word that they’d returned and had requested to meet. That’s why I wanted you here today, Emma. To show you that, sometimes, even Kings have to convene with miscreants.” His voice drips with venom on the tail end of his sentence, as if the words burn as they leave his mouth.

She stays silent, the admission, dying on her tongue, that sometimes Princesses convene with miscreants too.

“Your mother will be here soon,” Taking his own seat, her father continues, picking invisible traces of lint from the flowing fur of his robe. “She’s just overseeing Graham’s security detail for the festival, you know how it is.”

That is not, in fact, what her mother is discussing with Graham but it doesn’t seem appropriate to mention it now.

They make idle conversation, discussing alliances and trade deals and all the politics that Emma is expected to learn when she takes her father’s throne. Most of it, she knows from the tutors of her youth but there are intricacies she’s not privy to that David is keen for her to learn. Agrabah will trade wine and jewels for grain when the harsh summers perish their harvests, Arendelle will trade furs, silks and meats when the arctic winters perish theirs. They will reach out in times of bountiful harvest too, offering to send what exotic fruit and spices will survive the voyage. Neverland rarely makes trade requests, their young ruler too stubborn to accept the aid of those his senior.

“Is it true his court is filled with children? I imagine that’s difficult come nap time.” Emma jokes, curiosity sparked by the mention of their most mysterious neighbour.

“Emma!” David scoffs, trying to stifle the laugh that breaks free. Like this, unconcealed laughter causing him to squint, crows feet deep and apparent at the corners, he’s no longer the King. He’s the man that wrapped her up in his furs after she’d fallen through the frozen lake as a child, who smudged cake on her nose every birthday until she was old enough to evade it, who would do anything to see her safe, no matter the consequences. “Wherever did you hear such a thing?”

Killian had told her. They’d been looking through his maps, his shirt covering her modesty and his arms circled around her waist. They hadn’t even made it to the tavern that night, need too prevalent, and after, when they were fully sated, she’d explored his cabin. He let her, watching from the bed as she went from shelf to shelf, admiring his treasures. He’d joined her by the time she reached his desk, never a fan of the distance between them. The maps outlined each realm, annotated with notes in Killian’s own cursive script.

“Neverland,” He’d said, pressing a kiss to her bare neck. “Would be far less treacherous if it wasn’t governed by children.”

She’d raised an eyebrow at him, reluctant to believe, the silent How? written all over her face. He shrugged in response, a smug smirk peering back at her.

“Magic, love.” He’d punctuated the words with a wink and they’d fallen together again, maps forgotten beneath them.

Emma can’t help her own laugh, partially at the memory but mostly at her father. It joins with his, ringing out in the echo of the hall. It’s been a long time since she’s been able to laugh with her father. It feels good.

Her mother appears, hurrying along the carpeted walkway with a determined look on her face. Their laughter dies down as Emma and her father both take her in. She’s flustered, taking the marble steps two at a time before sitting back in her spot on the King’s right. Emma gives her a questioning look at the same time David does. She smooths down flyaways at her temples and adjusts her dress to sit better against the throne before looking up at her family and nodding.

“He’s here.”

As if summoned, there’s a loud knock against the grand wooden doors directly ahead of them, at the foot of the great hall. It echoes against the stone walls, causing the chandeliers to shift slightly with the power of it.

The King straightens up, matching his posture to that of his title, and bellows in response.

“ENTER!”

Emma can feel the creak of the door in her bones as it screeches from the protesting hinges, it swings open slowly, only enough to let through one man before shutting with a slam. The man does not flinch; instead, he begins his walk towards their thrones. He’s familiar in a way that has her on the edge of her seat but his head is hung, thick dark hair touched with grey and white and the angle of her position obscuring his face.

With each step he takes, her heart stutters, he looks like– no, it can’t be. She’d been at the docks the night prior, The Jolly Roger nowhere among its moorings. She’d asked countless merchants and fishermen over the months for news of its return but none could provide any more than Killian had provided her on his departure.

I’ll be back when solstice comes.

Yet, this man, with his battered leather overcoat and dark embroidered waistcoat, strikes a pang of similarity in her she’s never quite felt. If it weren’t for the hook in place of his left hand, she’d have been entirely convinced that the man before them is, in fact–

When at the foot of the marble steps, he raises his head.

David tuts. “Captain Jones. You’re late.”

Emma’s breath catches.

It is him. Killian.

Her Killian.

Here.

She fights– oh, she fights – to keep her face void of emotion, praying the well of tears that threatens to spill at the sight of her love to lay dormant. He’s here. he’s here he’sherehe’sherehe’sherehe’s–

He’s here?

Joy turns to terror in her blood, clawing away until it’s consumed her entirely. He hasn’t yet noticed her or, if he has, he shows no indication of it. His eyes, as tempestuous as the day they met, are rage and fury and fixed only on her father.

Why is he here?

“Apologies, your Majesty.” He bites out, voice clipped and sarcastic. She has to bite the inside of her mouth to stop from smiling. “I’ve had to adjust to captaining a ship with one hand as the bloody dragon you neglected to warn me of seemed to enjoy slicing off my other one.”

He holds up his left arm, from under the wind-battered leather sleeve of his overcoat, the awkward brace of the prosthetic sits, a vicious curved hook attached to its end.

Emma gasps. The Swan he loves writhes beneath the surface of her skin, itching to be free.

“You knew the risks, Captain.” Her father adds, flippantly. “Treasure troves often acquire pests.”

Killian’s stare is fire and daggers, meant for no one but the King. It fills her veins with ice in a way she never knew he was capable of. In their time together, this was a side of him he’d never had to reveal. Emma wants nothing more than to go to him but she’s stuck on her throne, it’s golden embrace holding her tight as she watches steel form in her lover’s eyes.

“I have cleared you of all outstanding sentences, bounties and warrants held against you and your men and there’s five hundred gold ready to be transported to your ship,” David continues, motioning to the same doors Killian had entered through. His tone is terse, sharp as a blade’s edge. “I have upheld my end of our agreement.”

Killian scoffs, his eyes glance at her for less than a second and Emma’s stomach drops, but he doesn’t seem to pick up on who she is, refocusing his sights on the King.

She’s not sure what would hurt more, for him to know she lied or for him to not recognise her at all.

“I lost four men and a hand. Aye, we knew the risks, but the situation was not as you’d explained. We walked in unprepared and were almost destroyed because of it.”

“I trusted you with the information from my scouts, Captain. I hid nothing from you. Your lack of preparation is through no fault of mine.”

“Had I known the truth, I would not have lead my crew like lambs to the slaughter!” He shouts, looking for somewhere, anywhere to plant the seed of his own mistake. Beneath it all, Emma knows he’s in pain. She can hear it. She longs to soothe it. She cannot.

The King matches his shout, standing in the process. “That was your decision to make!”

A low growl rumbles between them and Emma doesn’t need to see it to know it’s Killian’s. The sound of it has imprinted itself in her mind, from when times were much simpler. He takes a step forward, but before his boot can even make contact with the polished marble step, David reacts.

Time slows to a halt with the familiar sing of unsheathed metal as her Father trains his sword on the approaching threat, poised to strike at a seconds notice. The breath leaves Emma’s lungs, stolen by the deadly sheen of steel forged in the belly of a long-dead beast. She wants to scream, to put herself between her lover and her father, she wants to but her feet are lead and her tongue is ash and all she can do is watch as Killian stares down the length of the King’s blade.

Killian’s eyes widen momentarily, fixed to the point mere inches from his face. It reaches almost to his throat, barely a step separating the tip of the blade from its target. Her father, the King, is power and justice with calculating eyes and, in that moment, Emma is afraid.

“One more step, Pirate.” The King spits, blade unwavering in his palm.

Emma’s heart stops, or maybe it’s racing, anxiety permeating every pump as it speeds faster and faster, fight or flight response triggered by the furrow forming in Killian’s brow. He does not step back and his eyes do not leave David’s.

“Don’t think the presence of my wife or daughter will impede me.”

“Father.” Her voice catches before she can even think to stop it, more forceful than she anticipates. David turns to her in complete silence, his gaze smouldering anger and his sword still trained mere inches from Killian’s throat. He’s met with her own powerful stare. One day, he expects her to rule this kingdom. One day, she will. It’s frightening and her stomach churns as the urge to bend to her father’s– no, the King’s will stirs within her.

Emma ignores it.

“Be rational, there’s been too much blood spilt already.”

The King’s fury softens, but doesn’t disappear completely. She half expects a reprimand for her outburst or at least a look to convey his disapproval but it never comes. He turns back to Killian, allowing Emma to do the same.

If he had been ignorant of her identity before, there’s no way to hide it now.

She can see the cogs turning in Killian’s mind as he takes her in; the top of her head and the circlet glinting in the sunlight streaming through the windows, her face and the sad eyes he’ll find there, her neck and his own thick chain tucked beneath lace. He goes no further. At the sight of his own ring, something breaks within him. Emma can almost hear the shatter from where she sits. He is here but he’s never been further away and it’s killing her.

So many things she should’ve said cross her mind all at once, screaming inside her skull, begging to be freed.

Despair and disbelief flash across his features–

And then it’s gone.

He faces David once again, the fire and fury he once held now calm and cold.

“I apologise for my manners, your Majesty,” He begins, his voice is controlled and a vision of decorum. Not Killian. Not her Killian. “I am not myself. Those men, they were brothers to me. It’s– It’s my fault. I could not protect them.” Taking two steps back, he bows, low and deliberate. David lowers his sword but doesn’t sheath it.

“My daughter thinks you’re deserving of mercy.” He muses, waving a hand towards her that Killian’s eyes don’t follow. It hurts a little. “I suggest you take your gold and leave before I ask my wife what she thinks.”

The Queen, sitting silently throughout the whole exchange, raises a single brow at Killian.

He nods, opening his mouth as if to speak before thinking better of it and turning away, coat billowing behind him, footsteps muffled by the carpeted walkway.

“I thought you a better man than most, Captain, agreeing to undertake such a perilous task for the chance to pardon your crew, give them clean slates. I admired you for it.” David shouts after him, returning his sword to its place at his hip. Killian stops in his tracks, turning only slightly to look upon the King’s face. For a second, there’s grief in his eyes, genuine hurt that Emma knows she put there. He blinks it away without acknowledging it ever existed.

“I am truly sorry for your loss.” David continues, all traces of anger gone from his voice. “But, disrespect me again and I’ll have you hanged.”

The slam of the door shatters the paralysis she’d fallen under, lips parted and eyes wide, watching the space where Killian had been not seconds before. The weight of David’s words hang in the silence.

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