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bvidzsoo · 1 year ago

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Nowhere we won’t go

Author: bvidzsoo

Warning: violence, murder, blood, some swearing

Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x female reader

Word count: 27, 401

Summary: Life had mysterious ways of working, and it took you off guard when you lost your best friend to a ruthless criminal. No one knew who did it, the whole town was in terror. However, it didn’t stop there, more people were dying and your suspicions of the murderer started raising. Could it really be your boyfriend?

A/N: Hiii lovelies! I’m back from the dead lol. College always takes a tool on me, so I barely have inspiration to write nowadays. I watched Scream lol and this oneshot came into fruition. Ofc it’s heavily inspired by the movie so don’t come at me, but I tried to be original still. I might be a little rusty crusty dusty, but I hope it’s not that noticeable. Please leave feedback, you know I love it and I hope everyone enjoys this! Happy reading!

This morning wasn’t any different compared to other mornings. The sun was slowly rising, beaming down on our little borough and letting its rays spread some well needed warmth as autumn has approached, coating the town in a grey fog as a result of daily rain. I missed the summer days, when the temperatures were high and I was carefree and able to spend my time doing what I liked. School takes up a large amount of effort and energy, and sometimes, I’m drained by the end of the day. I am conscious that going to school is crucial as it’s supposed to educate us and develop us into mature and smart young adults, ready to pursue our dreams and goals once we’re out of high-school, but most of times it’s just a buzzkill. The teachers are always dull and mean to us, as if they hate us for being in their classes, and most things we learn seem useless once we have stepped out into the real world. I like studying, but I am not desperate, and find myself spending my time doing something else quite often. This has always been an issue with my mom, as she’s a hardworking nurse and stern woman, only expecting and accepting perfection. But we got past our differences a few years ago and now, if I get good grades, she allows me to do whatever I like on the weekends. When I was young, I was supposed to attend various activities which my mother enjoyed while she was young, like: swimming and ballet classes. I have always hated ballet; it gave me bad ankle and toe aches making me unable to get out of bed on some lamentable days. But my mother wouldn’t accept my whining and forced me to continue ballet, only allowing me to stop when I told her I had no interest in being a ballerina. That was three years ago. Mom was quite disappointed but when I told her I wanted to take up some drawing and painting classes, reluctantly, but at last she agreed. Now, I can see myself being an artist, attending a prestige arts college. I only have to convince my mother at this point to oblige to my wish. I don’t know how I’m going to do that, but I’ve still got two years to come up with a good solution. Perhaps if Wonwoo and I can go to the same college she’ll let me be. Wonwoo, my boyfriend, is someone who my mother adores. She’s loved him from the very first moment they have met. He’s soft spoken and kind, a little withdrawn, but nonetheless friendly once he opens up to you. We’ve known each other since we were kids as we’ve been living on the same street for our whole lives, but our romance only began in high-school, last year. It took us some time to mature and notice each other finally, but when it happened, I couldn’t have been happier. He was so attentive to me, always listening closely to what I had to say. He made me laugh and smile, sometimes even without trying to, and filled my heart with warmth I didn’t know was even possible. I found a confidant and friend in him, someone whom I could love freely and carelessly, never doubtful or uncertain of his intentions. Wonwoo was direct and honest from the get go and it made me like him even more. We had our ups and downs, just as any couple, but managed to work them out and move forward as a stronger couple. He had moments when I couldn’t understand him, questioning whether I was imagining his lack of empathy or he really lacked of it, but never thought too hard about it. After all, both of us were enamored with each other, living under our pink cloud as any newly formed couple.

I had dressed up after waking up, realizing I needed to hurry up if I wanted to catch the bus, mom had a nightshift and wouldn’t be driving me to school today. I could smell bacon and eggs wafting through the downstairs as I descended the stairs, headed for the kitchen. My mother was still in her nurse uniform, her blonde hair pulled in a tight bun as she placed the fried bacon on a plate next to the already done eggs.

“Good morning, mom.” I greeted her with a smile and she turned around, dark bags under her eyes as she returned a smile.

“Good morning, slept well?” She asked as she handed me the plate which I took eagerly. I didn’t have dinner last night as I was too lazy to cook something and my stomach was screaming at me right now to fill it with something.

“Yes, although the storm did wake me up…” I trailed off as mom hummed, sipping some orange juice as she sat down opposite of me.

“It was quite bad; the wind tore a few trees out around the hospital.” She said and I hummed in surprise, not having thought the storm was actually that bad. My mom looked behind me with furrowed eyebrows as she quickly went to grab the remote control. I was just chewing on my breakfast as she turned the volume up of the TV behind me, making me turn around to see what has caused such interest in my mom suddenly. However, the words of the reporter made me drop my fork.

“Breaking News.” Her voice was loud and clear, eyebrows furrowed as she stood in front of a white house, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Trees getting torn out of the ground during last night’s storm wasn’t the only unfortunate thing to happen. It has come to our attention, that a beloved citizen of our serene city has been murdered in cold blood last night during the storm. Her name is Myoi Mina and she was a student at Primrose High-School. Not much is known as of now about her death, the police are still investigating the crime scene, however, I managed to find out before going live, that she’d been stabbed in the chest three times and suffered a fatal trauma to her head. I offer my sincere condolences to everyone who knew her. Stay tuned for more news about the terrific death of Myoi Mina, a bright girl who will never be forgotten. I am Park Sooyoung and you’ve been watching Prime News.”

For a second the world went quiet around me as I continued staring at the TV with my mouth open in shock. If it weren’t for my mother calling out my name, I probably would have stayed longer in that trance.

“Honey!” Her voice rose an octave and suddenly I felt her gripping my hand, eyes searching mine.

“Mom—” I managed to whisper as she pulled me into a hug, offering me support. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. Mina…dead? How is that possible? Who would do that to her? We weren’t friends, but as we go to the same high-school we’ve known each other. She was always bright, and friendly, just as the reporter has said. Who would want to take away her life? When she was so innocent—oh, poor Wonwoo. If I was this affected by the news, I couldn’t imagine what he was going through. They had been exes and despite a tumultuous relationship, they managed to figure things out and stay somewhat friendly with each other after their breakup. Still, she was a person he once had loved and I would totally understand if he needed time to sort his thoughts out.

“Honey, are you alright?” My mom whispered and I lightly nodded, pulling away from the hug. I wasn’t very alright, confusion and fear meshing together, but I needed to stay strong. For Wonwoo, probably.

“Yes, just very…shocked.” I answered mom and she nodded; eyebrows downturned as she understood my feelings.

“It’s going to be fine. The one responsible for this will be found and held responsible for their actions, don’t be afraid.” Mom tried to cheer me up and offer some security, but it didn’t do much. However, I did appreciate her attempt.

“You’re right.” I tried to give her a smile, but I wasn’t able to.

“Let me drive you to school today—”

“No, don’t worry! I am fine, really. You look very tired, just go get some sleep. The bus is coming in five minutes.” I reassured her and got up from my seat, appetite gone as I quickly filled my water bottle with some orange juice.

“You’re sure?” Mom raised her eyebrows and I nodded, going up to her and kissing her cheek.

“Go rest, mom.” She hummed and patted my head before I hurried into the hallway to pull on my shoes and take on my coat. I opened the front door and took my keys, locking it once I was out of the house. Just as I walked down my porch the bus approached and I got on it, noticing the silence and somber faces of the rest of the students on it. Today was a grey day and nobody could deny it.

My first task after getting off the bus was to find Wonwoo and check up on him. I kept biting my lip nervously as I looked around the halls, even going up to his locker. He was nowhere to be found and it made me even more nervous. I walked up to his classroom and peeked inside, but his usual seat was empty, not even his bag was there yet. Classes would start in ten minutes and I was panicking, about to grab my phone to call him, when I realized I hadn’t checked one place yet. The spot designated for the students to park their bikes and motorbikes. Of course he’d be there, why hadn’t I thought about that earlier?!

I ran down the hallways and finally exited the school, beelining it for the parking lot. Nobody was laughing this morning, people whispering amongst them, some even crying. Mina’s closest friends weren’t even seen at school, I understood why. I greeted a classmate of mine in a rush as I passed by him, he had just gotten out of his car and was taken aback by my presence, but by the time he greeted me back I was already facing the motorbikes parked in the corner. And there he was, Wonwoo, dressed in all black, his helmet in his hands as he got off his bike. His black hair was badly ruffled as he hadn’t run his fingers through his hair yet, and I suddenly took off, running towards my boyfriend. He had placed the helmet where he was sitting just seconds ago when I crashed into his back, hugging him from behind. I rested my cheek against his shoulder as I squeezed my arms tightly around his middle, making Wonwoo let out a surprised gasp.

“Hey, there, sugar.” He chuckled and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Just as I pulled my head away from his shoulder he turned around in my embrace and hugged me back, just as strongly as I had hugged him. He was crushing me, but I didn’t care.

“Wonwoo—” I managed to mutter out as I wiggled out of his embrace, torso aching in certain spots, “Are you alright?”

Wonwoo’s eyebrows furrowed as he ran his fingers through my short hair, resting his hand on my nape, “Why wouldn’t I be alright?”

I became even more confused at Wonwoo’s words, searching his face for some sort of tell, but there was none, “Well…did you not hear?”

I decided to feel around, scared that I had to be the one to tell him. It would break me seeing him in pain.

“Hear what?” Wonwoo asked confused, his thumb rubbing my jugular, it was slightly distracting.

“Oh, well—” I cleared my throat and licked my lips, “Mina—”

“Oh, that.” Wonwoo muttered and looked down, his grip slightly tightening on my nape, but I said nothing as I watched his expression. He seemed unphased almost, like he wanted to look sad but it wasn’t working. My eyebrows furrowed when Wonwoo sniffed, yet there were no tears in his eyes. He clearly wasn’t alright, and I felt horrible for even reminding him of her death.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Why are you sorry, did you kill her?” He suddenly looked up and his sharp eyes were piercing into mine, and I suddenly stuttered before shutting my lips. What? He looked so…cold. As if he didn’t care at all.

“No, I just—”

“Y/N,” He grabbed both of my cheeks with his hands and pulled me into him, our foreheads almost touching, “You are the love of my life and whatever happened to Mina…she had it coming.”

I couldn’t believe my ears, and my eyebrows furrowed as I looked at Wonwoo with even more confusion. He didn’t actually mean that, right? How could he…he cared for her once.

“She was murdered, Wonwoo.” I whispered; my voice almost trembling. Wonwoo sighed and swiftly kissed my forehead, but it didn’t reassure me like it usually did, no, it made a chill run down my spine.

“I know, but she cheated on me multiple times, sugar, I do not care what has happened to her.” Wonwoo’s voice was sinister, almost gloating if I hadn’t known him better, “But she deserves it.”

My mouth opened in a gasp as I shook my head, refusing to comprehend the words which were leaving his lips, but also shocked and trying to process what he could really mean by saying that. But before I could voice my thoughts, his warm lips were pressing against mine softly, our noses touching. His was cold as it was really windy outside and I pulled back from the kiss, opening my eyes to gaze into his. I couldn’t read what he was feeling, his face expressionless and somehow so cold.

“I love you.” Wonwoo muttered before he let go of me and stepped back, grabbing his helmet off his motorbike. I watched him as he grabbed his backpack as well, trying to go over what has happened in the last few minutes, realizing this was just probably Wonwoo’s way of processing the traumatic news of last night’s happening. I knew deep down he was feeling miserable, he just didn’t want to show it in order to not worry me even more. I felt sympathetic for him and as he looked at me, it shocked me how much hatred was behind his irises, but it was gone just as quickly as it came, and it made me wonder if I had started seeing things. The news must be affecting me real bad if I couldn’t decide anymore what my boyfriend’s reactions meant.

Today was grim. Everyone’s mood was bad and students almost whispered to each other despite it being our long break. Myoi Mina’s death has affected all of us, it was obvious. Everyone seemed to hold some sadness in their eyes and somehow they seemed to be more sympathetic towards fellow students. Even the teachers tried to be nicer to us. An hour ago we held a memorial for Myoi Mina at the football field of our high-school and once we were dismissed we quickly hurried back to our classrooms as the wind started picking up once again. The weather seemed to worsen as we reached noon and currently we were bundled up in the cafeteria, trying to enjoy our lunches. However, I found it rather hard to swallow the mashed potatoes as I overheard the girls next to our table talking about Mina’s brutal murder. I found the topic insensible and rude to talk about, especially since they seemed to be giggling about it from time to time, wondering whether the criminal looked hot or not. Kim Yerim, my best friend, seemed to have had enough as well as she slammed her fork down against the table, the loud sound catching those girls’ attention.

“Listen here, insensible cunts, if you want to gossip about that poor girl’s terrible death and fantasize about a murderer, go do it in your bedrooms and not in the cafeteria where everyone can hear you and realize just how fucking stupid you are!” Yerim’s words were harsh, always having been a brutally honest person, and it caught the attention of a few more students around us who seemed to be agreeing with her as they shot nasty glares at the gossiping girls. They seemed to be offended and one even gasped as she stood up, causing an unnecessary scene.

“How dare you call us—insensible cunts?!” Her voice rose and Yeri scoffed, giving her an amused grin.

“I was merely telling the truth, sweetheart.” Yerim answered back and I turned my head to look at the girl who was very pathetically gasping for air.

“I think everyone around us knows by now that you just want your five-minute fame, so settle down before you embarrass yourself furthermore.” I spoke up, trying to ease up the tension, but I figured I only did worse by saying that. The girl’s friend gasped loudly and both were standing up now, looking down at Yerim and I as if we were some monsters.

“Look who’s talking about fame, Y/N.” The second friend, who was blonde and had a pixie cut, looked at me maliciously, “Aren’t you the one dating Myoi Mina’s ex?”

Yerim and I glanced at each other, not understanding the correlation here, “I am, and so what about that?”

“Ah, look at her talk about fame,” The first one who caused this scene mocked, she had jet black eyes, “You’re acting as if you’re an angel when it’s because of you Wonwoo and Mina broke up. Did you know he cheated on her with you?”

I gulped, feeling the eyes of many students on me. This information was wrong, merely a gossip Mina spread around after she found out Wonwoo started going out with me out of jealousy. It didn’t last for long, the gossip, because a week later Mina and I talked and cleared things up. I held no harsh feelings against her and she apologized, realizing how foolish she was, and promised to make things right.

“That’s not true.” I said as I glared at the two girls, “Mina spread that rumor around out of jealousy—”

“Are you seriously bad-mouthing a dead person right now?!” The blonde one exclaimed in outrage and I couldn’t believe my ears. Suddenly I was the bad guy when I just wanted to protect someone who couldn’t do it anymore themselves. I could hear my ears ringing and my jaw clenched as I glared at the two. Yerim was just as appealed as I was and she slowly stood up, expression menacing.

“Look who’s playing the victim now.” Yerim chuckled and went around her chair, oh no, this was going to be bad. I stood up and grabbed my friend’s arm, knowing she’d get physical if no one was there to restrict her. Yerim always struggled with her anger issues, but when someone was disrespected she couldn’t help it, she saw red. I glanced around and gulped nervously, too many people were watching us now. And they were whispering too. I didn’t want this. Today out of all days this was so unnecessary.

“Yerim—” I spoke up, but before any of us could say anything else, Wonwoo and Soonyoung, his best friend, approached our table, each holding a tray full with food.

“What’s your problem, Hyuna?” Wonwoo snapped, blazing eyes glaring at the girl with the pixie cut, “Are you letting out your frustration on Y/N now that Mina’s gone? What? Are you going to beg me soon to leave Y/N for you?! Just like you did when I was dating Mina?”

My mouth fell open as Yerim and I looked at each other shocked, and even the students who were fully watching the commotion now, seemed surprised. The blonde one, Hyuna, turned red in the face and she gasped, looking at Wonwoo with her mouth gaping.

“That’s—that’s not—” She stuttered, shrinking under Wonwoo’s harsh glare, “That’s not what I was doing!”

“But you were speaking poorly of a dead girl.” Wonwoo said nonchalantly and Hyuna gulped as her friend took her hand and started pulling her away. I think they realized they have embarrassed themselves enough. Soonyoung started cackling as everyone watched the two girls basically run out of the cafeteria and he had the audacity to shout after them, “Look, Hyuna! I’m still available!”

His words elicited laughter from many students as they called Hyuna pathetic and everyone slowly went back to their lunch, Yerim and I long forgotten as we both sat down with Wonwoo and Soonyoung now having joined us. Wonwoo sat next to me and he kissed my cheek as I offered him a small smile, checking his face for any reaction. Perhaps a change of heart since the morning. But he still looked…fine, uncaring. Sooyoung, to Yerim’s dismay, sat next to her and she quietly sighed when he leaned close to her and whispered something, making her push his face away. Sooyoung giggled and I glanced at him, observing his attitude too. He looked like himself, as if Mina didn’t die, as if Mina and him didn’t even know each other.

“How are you feeling, Soonyoung?” I found myself asking my boyfriend’s best friend, curious.

Soonyoung looked up just as he stuffed his face with a chicken wing and grinned, “Quite well, thank you!”

Wonwoo cleared his throat next to me and I glanced at him briefly, but he was staring at Soonyoung quite coldly, “Oh—I mean, quite well despite the shocking news…I mean, how terrible, isn’t it?”

Yerim glanced at Wonwoo before she looked at Soonyoung and her eyes narrowed at the blonde, “At least you could try sounding more genuine next time, Soonyoung.” She emphasized his name as she gave him a glare. Yerim has never been fond of Soonyoung, she found him obnoxious, loud, dumb and overbearing. Despite Soonyoung’s efforts to get her to like him, she refused to spend any time with him if Wonwoo and I weren’t there.

“Yeah, you knew her quite well…” I found myself mumbling to no one in particular as I ate my lunch, but it seemed like everyone from our table heard me. Yerim nodded along. It was weird seeing the two boys so uncaring towards Myoi Mina’s death, after all, Soonyoung was the one who introduced Mina to Wonwoo.

“Oh, come on.” Soonyoung scoffed and leaned back in his seat, an irritated smirk crossing his lips, “That bitch whined all the time if something didn’t go her way. She didn’t let anyone breathe around her unless they first pleased her and my God—if Wonwoo wasn’t with her it was the end of the world, and if Wonwoo was there—why was he showing her no affection?!”

Wonwoo placed his fork down and placed his elbows on the table, leaning forward and placing his chin on his knuckles, “Thank you for you input, Soonyoung, although I’d like to enjoy my lunch without hearing about my ex-girlfriend’s death…again.”

It was the most emotion Wonwoo had shown all day and I grabbed his hand, squeezing it and offering him a small smile. He looked at me, seemingly still pissed off at Soonyoung, but offered me a small smile back. Yerim was silent as she watched the two boys before shaking her head and taking a sip from her glass of water. I knew how she felt about them, she never liked them too much, but they were good boys. A bit odd, but well-intended.

“Fine,” Soonyoung muttered displeased as he took another chicken wing, eyeing Yerim from the corner of his eyes, “but the bitch deserved it.”

“Excuse me?!” It was Yerim who was appealed this time, her reaction being the same as mine when Wonwoo said it. She just reacted stronger than I had. I was quite speechless, she rarely was.

“Nothing.” Soonyoung smiled sweetly at my best friend and I could feel my heartbeat pick up when Wonwoo’s tongue poked his cheek from the inside of his mouth, a clear sign he was getting angry. I looked at him, but he was glaring daggers at Soonyoung. Thinking quickly, I looked down at his plate and touched his thigh, trying to get his attention.

“You don’t like chicken wings,” I said with a smile as I pointed at my plate, “You can take my fried cheese.”

Wonwoo’s attention was back on me and his eyebrows furrowed, “You don’t look chicken wings either—”

“Don’t worry, I’m full already.” I smiled, I wasn’t full, in fact. But they were probably out of fried cheese and Wonwoo was quite particular about what he ate. I didn’t want him to be hungry until we got home.

“How sweet,” Soonyoung cooed from the other end of the table and both Wonwoo and I glanced at him, “She’s so caring, Won, don’t you just love her?”

He sounded quite mocking and I sighed, starting to get fed up with Soonyoung. I had no idea what his problem was today, but I didn’t enjoy being around him anymore. Wonwoo sensed my discomfort and shook his head at Soonyoung.

“Yes, I love her.” Soonyoung grinned widely and chuckled, shaking his head. He looked at Yerim and reached out for her hand, but she quickly took it off the table and gave him a glare.

“Don’t you want us to be sweet like them?” Soonyoung blinked cutely at Yerim, leaning closer to her, “How about—we go out on a date tonight?”

“Soonyoung,” Yerim scoffed and leaned closer, smirking at him, “For the nth time—no. I don’t like you and I will never date you. Stop being so fucking obnoxious all the time, thanks.”

Soonyoung tsked and shook his head, “You’re gonna get killed one day for talking like that to me.”

His words were barely audible but both Yerim and I caught it. Our heads whipped in his direction and he looked up innocently, blinking at us confusedly, “What?”

“Soonyoung, come to the wending machine.” Wonwoo abruptly stood up and smiled at his friend, however it didn’t reach his eyes, “Now.”

Wonwoo became demanding once Soonyoung made no sign of wanting to move and the blonde just sighed before getting up slowly, winking at Yerim before walking up to Wonwoo. Wonwoo swiftly grabbed his nape and pulled him away from us, making Soonyoung exclaim in annoyance. Yerim turned to look at me and I sighed, eating some more of my mashed potatoes.

“What is wrong with them?!” She whisper snapped as she watched me. I shrugged and ignored my friend, not wanting to think too deeply of what’s happened the past few minutes. Wonwoo was weird all day, but he’s been even weirder ever since they sat down to have lunch with us. Soonyoung’s words were even more unsettling and my head was a mess currently, I didn’t want Yerim questioning everything as well.

“Nothing.” I muttered back, head lowered as I tried to eat some more. Wonwoo took the fried cheese I gave him and I pushed the chicken wings to the side of my plate, I really hated them.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Y/N.” Yerim snapped and grabbed my elbow, making me look at her, “Something is very wrong with Soonyoung and we both know it. He’s giving me the creeps now more than ever before. Did you hear the things he was saying about Mina? How is that alright? How could he even think them and then say them—”

“I don’t know.” I snapped, getting pissed, “And I don’t want to know. This whole situation scares me and I’m not taking it well, okay? Everyone is talking about it and it’s making me lose my mind. I’m scared, okay? Can you at least, please, just drop it?!”

Yerim looked down and released my elbow, feeling bad for bringing this up again. I had already told her in the morning how scared I was of this whole ordeal, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you more. I just noticed things and wanted to tell you, because Wonwoo’s been weird too. He has always been, but today out of all days…he’s too quiet.”

“Wonwoo’s always quiet.” I chuckled and Yerim rolled her eyes.

“Not like this, you know what I mean…” She deadpanned and I huffed, turning back towards my plate.

“Whatever, you’re just being paranoid.”

“I’d rather be paranoid than dead.” Yerim muttered and I groaned, nudging her leg with mine underneath the desk. She giggled and started stealing the chicken wings off my plate as she glanced back, “I’ll take these before Soonyoung gets back and asks for them.”

I giggled and nodded at her, offering her my whole plate. I wasn’t full, but my appetite was long gone. I just wanted to be close to Wonwoo right now.

I pulled the curtain to the side as I peeked out the window, eyebrows furrowing at the strike of lightning. The weather was horrible once again. It’s been raining almost the whole week. Mina’s murder was still fresh in everyone’s minds and people were cautious. It’s been three days only, after all. Today was her funeral and it was really sad. Many people showed up, although I preferred to stand towards the back, Wonwoo went ahead and offered his condolences to her parents who burst out in tears once they saw him. It made me realize how well liked Wonwoo was by the parents and elders in our town. He truly had a good soul and it was hard not to love him. My mother was working the night shift again tonight and as I didn’t feel comfortable staying home alone yet, Yerim and I agreed to have a sleepover tonight, however, she was still at the pool. She was a professional swimmer and she’s been training hard for the past half year for the upcoming national competition her team was to attend. I watched as the lighting struck again and waited for Yerim to pick up as my phone continued ringing. There was a chance she was still in the water, but I was hoping she wasn’t. We were supposed to meet half an hour ago, but she was running late.

“Hi!” Suddenly Yerim picked up and I smiled, closing the curtain, “Sorry, coach extended today’s training.”

She sounded breathless, “I figured, don’t worry. I still have some things to pack; do you want me to pick up pizza on my way to you?”

“Oh, pizza!” Yerim giggled and I heard someone shouting in the background for her, “One second coach—I’m supposed to be on a diet, Y/N, but sure.”

“Okay, one pepperoni pizza it is, then.” We both giggled.

“Wait—wasn’t I supposed to pick you up though?” Yerim asked and I went to my closet to take out my pajamas.

“You were, but since you’re running late I’ll drive myself, don’t worry.” The pool was a bit further from my house and I knew she was usually tired after practices; I didn’t want to burden her more.

“Thank you! See you!” I greeted her back before Yerim hung up and I finished packing the essentials before dressing up in my comfy sweater. It was actually Wonwoo’s but he gave it to me after I told him I liked the fabric of it. His cologne still lingered on it and I smiled as I nuzzled my nose against the collar of the black sweater. When he’d come over, every once in a while, he’d bring his cologne with him and spray it on the sweaters which were once his, so that I could feel him close to me even if he wasn’t here. It was a sweet gesture and it still brought butterflies to my stomach. There was another lightning strike and the thunder followed instantly, making me yelp at the loud rumble of it. My cat meowed loudly from the hallway and I opened my door, beckoning her over with a pout. She hated storms just as much as I did.

“Come, Byeol, this weather is driving me crazy.” She meowed back as if she understood me and jumped into my arms once I kneeled down to hold her. She nuzzled her head against my chin and I giggled, starting to pet her. She was a black cat with light green eyes which sparkled like stars, hence her name, Byeol. Mom bought her for me five years ago when I started complaining about being scared when she’d have her night shifts. I hated staying home alone at night until I got Byeol. She brought a sense of security with her and it made me appreciate her even more.

“I’m sorry for leaving you alone tonight, Byeol, you won’t be too mad at me, right?” I whispered at my cat as I played with her ears, she was purring loudly, “Mom will be back by five in the morning, so you won’t be staying alone for too long.”

Byeol meowed loudly and I chuckled kissing her head before placing her down on the floor gently and standing up to grab the charger of my phone, which I almost forgot to pack. I looked around the room and mentally checked off everything from my imaginary list of what I had to bring with myself to Yerim’s and picked up my backpack, making kissy faces at Byeol. She followed after me as I turned off the light in my room and walked down the hallway, headed for the stairs, when my phone suddenly started ringing. I looked down at the caller and saw Yerim was calling me, maybe she changed her mind about that peperoni pizza.

“Hi, Yerim—”

“Y/N!” Her voice was panicked and I stopped in my tracks, right at the top of the stairs, “Someone’s—following me!”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, this was out of character for Yerim, “What? I don’t understand—what’s happening?!”

“I’m at the pool—” There was a loud crash and Yerim gasped, “I’m scared—a masked man—they are following me—”

“Yerim, are you being serious?!” My heart picked up as I raced down the stairs, backpack long forgotten as Byeol looked at me confused.

“Yes!” She exclaimed and she started whimpering, making my hands tremble, “They have a knife, Y/N!”

I could barely pull on my tennis shoes when I heard her words, “Hide!”

“I’m in the locker room but I couldn’t find the keys—” There was a loud bang and a sob left Yerim’s lips, bringing tears to my eyes.

“I’m on my way, I’m calling the police—”

“Don’t hang up, please!” Yerim was crying and I was shaking so badly that I could barely grab my keys.

“Yerim, I have to—” I was cut off by Yerim’s scream.

“No! No, stop! Please!”

“Yerim!” I screamed as I slammed the front door shut and struggled to lock it. I sprinted towards my car, ignoring the cold raindrops crashing against the pavement and myself, “Yerim, are you there—”

But another scream cut me off and I started crying, feeling helpless as I listened to my friend’s painful sobs. Just as I reached my car and unlocked it, the line went dead and I panicked even more, hands trembling so hard I could barely dial 112.

“112 what’s your emergency—”

“Please, I think someone’s murdering my friend! She’s at the pool on Wellington’s street, nr. 18. Please! Help her!”

“Ma’am, calm down, can you tell us your name?” The woman on the other side of the phone tried to calm me down, but I couldn’t hear her words. I had to get to Yerim before it was too late. I had already started my car and was pulling out of the garage as I started rambling mindlessly about where Yerim was and that they had to get to her right now.

“Ma’am, calm down and tell us your name.” The woman tried again and I wiped my tears away as I speed down the streets.

“My name is not important! Get to my friend! Her name is Kim Yerim for fucks sake!” I screamed as I rushed past a red light, barely avoiding getting hit. I didn’t care what happened, I only had Yerim in mind, I had to get to her. No, this couldn’t be happening. She’s playing a sick prank on me, she must be. Otherwise…no. No. No. It’s not the murdered. No. They aren’t targeting her, she’s probably just playing around—I slammed on the brakes when I saw someone crossing the road, screaming at them to get the hell away as I started driving again.

“Ma’am, where are you right now?” Suddenly, I heard the woman’s voice through my phone, forgetting I hadn’t hung up.

“In the car, I have to get to my friend.”

“You can’t drive in the state you are—”

“What do you know about that!” I snapped and took a harsh left turn, realizing I was just two blocks away.

“Ma’am, officers are already at the scene, your friend is safe.” The woman tried to calm me down but I shook my head.

“I’ll believe that when I see her with my own eyes.” I reached over and hung up, pulling up to the building as the flashing lights of police cars blinded me for a second. I parked the car and got out without turning the engine off, uncaring of the rain which drenched me in seconds, as I ran towards two officers who were just getting out of their cars.

“My friend—where is she?!” I asked breathless, but they just looked at each other and I didn’t wait for their answers, I pushed past them and ran inside the building. There were more police officers and I saw the entrance to the pool being tapped off, and I instantly knew. Something inside my stomach dropped. I heard nothing and I saw nothing. I had to know. I couldn’t just stand there and wait for the news to be delivered to me. So when three police officers noticed me and demandingly told me I had to leave, I pushed past them and sprinted to the doors leading inside the pool. They were already opened, and I could see everything. The blood. All over the floor, coloring the water. And I could see her. Face down. Floating in the water. Her black hair sprawled out around her. Her favorite swimming suit still on. My ears were ringing and my heart was thumping so fast I started seeing black. I couldn’t hear anything. I felt cold hands gripping my arms, but I couldn’t move. It’s like I was there, but I wasn’t. My hearing only came back when I found myself screaming her name and trashing around in the firm hold of the officers, who were pulling me away from the scene.

“No! Stop!” I screamed, sobbing loudly as I tried to fight them off still, “That’s my best friend! I need to see her! I need to be there for her! Don’t you understand?!”

“Bring her to the ambulance, give her a sedative.” I heard one officer say and I started shaking my head as my body went slack and I could only cry.

“But Yerim—” Suddenly I felt myself being lifted in someone’s arms and I curled into the person, crying loudly.

“It will be alright, miss, cry as much as you need.” A man, with a comforting voice, said reassuringly as I was outside again, the rain still pouring hard. I felt us running until the rain wasn’t hitting me anymore and I was sat inside an ambulance.

“Please—” I whispered, grabbing the officer’s hand as he went to pull away, “Save her.”

I saw sorrow in his eyes, as if he knew something I didn’t, as if he understood something I refused to believe in, “We will try our best, miss. Can you promise me you’ll stay here?”

I nodded and wiped my tears away, but new ones came rushing down my cheeks. I was cold. My body was shaking. I hugged myself and curled up into a ball as I tried to comfort myself, but nothing could bring comfort right now. I started mumbling, it was okay. Everything was okay. That wasn’t Yerim. Yerim was playing a prank on me. Yerim was hiding in the locker room and laughing her ass off, because she loved drama and attention. Yes, that is what was happening.

“Miss—miss—” I jumped when someone touched me and I grumbled at them to stay away from me, “Can you tell me your name?”

I didn’t want to talk, but when they asked me again, I snapped at them, “Kang Y/N!”

“Thank you,” The lady had a very calm voice and I felt her touch me again but I pulled my arm away, once again, “Can you tell me how old you are?”

“Why are you asking me all these questions?!” I snapped again, raising my voice, “You’re supposed to help my friend! Go help her!”

“I’m supposed to help you, Miss Kang—”

“No, because I’m fine—”

“Y/N?!” A familiar voice asked from behind the doctor lady and my eyebrows furrowed when I looked past her and came to see Soonyoung. Why was he here? What was he doing here?

“What?” I whispered confused, glancing back at the doctor who was preparing an injection and I started shaking again, “What are you doing with that?!”

The doctor said nothing as she sighed and walked closer, making Soonyoung protest as well, “Young man, stay out of this unless you want to be sedated as well.”

“Sedated?!” I exclaimed and went to stand up, but suddenly someone from behind held me down and I just realized I wasn’t sitting alone in the ambulance. I started trashing around, trying to free myself as the doctor was now standing right in front of me and I started crying once again when she started feeling around for my vein.

“Please go help my friend—” The doctor shushed me and I whimpered when the needle entered my skin, the doctor injecting the sedative inside my body.

“She’s in shock,” I heard her say as my muscles slowly started to loosen, as if they weren’t listening to me anymore, “She started calming down but you triggered her again, I’m asking you to step back and let her be.”

I realized she was talking to Soonyoung as I was laid down on the stretcher inside the ambulance and the doctor checked my eyes before nodding at someone. I was covered by a blanket and I sniffed as I continued crying quietly, my body feeling numb all of a sudden.

“You should rest now; everything will be alright.” I heard someone saying to me as I felt my eyelids get heavy and I tried shaking my head and telling them that I needed to be next to Yerim, but my mouth wouldn’t move.

“Can you let me stay with her? I’m her friend, I also knew Yerim.” I heard Soonyoung saying before he climbed inside the ambulance. Knew Yerim? Why in past tense? Yerim was fine, what was he talking about? Why is he here?

“It’ll be fine, Y/N.” I felt a hand patting my wet hair as my mind was slowly losing consciousness, “Yerim was a strong girl, but too stubborn for her own good. I just couldn’t help it…”

Before my brain could comprehend Soonyoung’s words, everything became black and I fell into a state of unconsciousness. Did I lose my best friend?

It was all so blurry. The past two weeks. Everything went by quickly, Yerim disappeared so suddenly. She was here, next to me, laughing and being excited about her up-coming tournament one moment, and the next…I watched her coffin being lowered into the cold, wet ground. I had no tears left to cry at her funeral, I could only watch with a blank stare as her coffin was slowly getting covered by the dirt, swallowing her forever, robbing her from me. I felt nothing. My skin was cold, I was shaking. It was a sunny day and everyone wore short sleeves, but I was wearing a long sleeve and a coat. I could hear the priest saying a prayer, Yerim’s mother weeping next to me and her husband gasping for air, but I couldn’t actually hear them. It was as if I was underwater. Yerim’s smiling framed picture, which I was clutching, was the only thing reminding me that I was at the funeral, present physically, but so far away mentally. Someone held my shoulder, but I couldn’t be bothered to check who it was, I just shook their touch off and stared blankly at Yerim’s tombstone. I read her name, her year of birth and day of death, and I broke. The priest had just finished talking, ceremony ended, when my body started shaking violently, sobs raking my whole being. My legs were weak, and my feet hurt from the high heels I only wore because Yerim loved them and complained I never wore them. The sun was suddenly so hot, the coat and long sleeve were suffocating me, I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t do this. I just couldn’t. Why did they kill her? What did she do? Why her? Why not me?! I knew my sobs turned into wailing and my feet gave up and suddenly, I was on my knees, clutching the framed picture to my chest and trying to find my breath, but my sobs wouldn’t let me. It hurt so much, my chest was in pain, it felt as if someone was trying to rip my heart out. Suddenly, I felt strong hands gripping me by the elbows as I was lifted up. My body was limp so I did not fight back when the person turned me around and cupped my cheeks. My mind was far gone from the present, from what was happening, but I’d recognize his hands anywhere, anytime. They were big, warm, and soft. Wonwoo’s thumb started rubbing my cheek reassuringly and I found strength to open my eyes, still sobbing. His face was emotionless, but his eyes were soft and I knew he felt powerless for not being able to support me. But I appreciated his presence here, he calmed me, the aching wasn’t as bad as before. I tried taking deep breaths, my sobbing coming to silently crying as I hoarsely apologized to Yerim’s parents for creating a scene right at the end of the funeral. They shook their heads and brushed it off, engulfing me in a big hug as Wonwoo stepped back, and they tried to cheer me up with reassuring words, but they only broke me more. They were so supportive and loving, they always let Yerim follow her dreams and encouraged her to become her better self. They did not deserve to lose their brilliant daughter in such an ill manner. When her parents let me go I bowed deeply to them and handed them her framed picture, making her mother cry again. Her father took it from me and then they turned their backs and slowly started walking away. I turned towards my mom and Wonwoo and nodded at them, ready to leave as well. I didn’t want to go yet, but I had to. I had to learn to live without my best friend. Without my other half. As we started walking away, my eyes fell on a figure dressed in all black, head hanging low. His blond hair made it easy to recognize him, it was Soonyoung. He was gazing absent mindedly at Yerim’s grave and my eyebrows furrowed as I watched him. He looked emotionless, something foreign to Soonyoung. His eyes seemed to be red, but he wasn’t crying. Suddenly, he took off towards the grave and before I could follow him with my eyes, Wonwoo squeezed my hand and asked me if I wanted to have some lunch his mother cooked. I wasn’t hungry, but I didn’t want to refuse. I hadn’t eaten since yesterday’s lunch time. And my mother seemed to cheer up a little bit at the idea of seeing Mrs. Jeon, so I agreed to that lunch. And as my mother opened the door for me before going to the driver’s seat, I glanced back at Yerim’s grave and furrowed my eyebrows. We were far from it, but not so far that I couldn’t see Soonyoung’s face. And he was smiling. I felt goosebumps erupting on my skin as I quickly got inside the car, his words from when he sat with me in the ambulance as I was falling unconscious ringing through my mind, ‘I just couldn’t help it…’.

Everything was hard after the funeral. Time really went by fast and I found myself doing nothing but staring out of my head, reminiscing about all the memories I had with Yerim. We’ve been best friends since primary school. I had no other friends, nobody that could live up to her or to our bond. I had no one to talk to suddenly, no one to annoy and no one to listen to as they told their ridiculous stories. It was so hard. I couldn’t eat, some nights I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t focus in school or when I had to study. Wonwoo tried to help and studied with me for a hard test, but it did nothing as I failed it. The teachers were understanding and they weren’t pushing me too hard, but for how long would I have their pity? How long until they start calling me out and telling me to get a grip and move on? Sometimes, in the hallways, I would see Myoi Mina’s best friend and I understood. I understood the sorrow in her eyes, the way she wouldn’t even look at anyone else but the ground. How she’d jump at the tiniest sound and how she’d brush off anyone who tried to talk to her. I was like that too, although I was trying hard not to be, it just wasn’t working. A girl who knew Yerim tried to take her seat yesterday and I flipped and screamed at her horrendous things for trying to do so. I felt horrible after that, but it didn’t matter, I was sent to our school’s therapist. He didn’t do much, just gave me some tips on how to grieve, told me to contact him if I started feeling worse, and then sent me on my merry way. I was already feeling the worst, could this get any worse? Wonwoo was understanding, but I could see he was growing restless. He’d snap at me when I’d refuse hanging out with him for the fourth time that week, but he’d instantly apologize saying he understood and he was also dealing with grief. Yerim and him weren’t very close, but they spent a lot of time together because of me, of course he was grieving too. However, Soonyoung was nowhere to be found. Some say his parents took him away on a retreat after he snapped at his younger sister at home, Wonwoo wouldn’t talk about him when asked. It was strange. Their behavior. Wonwoo would become tense when anyone mentioned the killer but when I’d ask if everything was alright he’d become defensive and say he was just stressed.

Tonight was one of those nights when I was restless and couldn’t stay at home anymore, so I went for a walk. My mom was cooking dinner and after playing with Byeol, I grabbed my coat and told my mom I’d be taking a walk in the neighborhood. She asked me to be home in half an hour as it was getting dark and rainy clouds started gathering on the sky. I missed Yerim a lot, and I couldn’t help but think about how excited she’d get whenever it rained. One summer we went down to the lake and it started raining hard, but despite that, Yerim still went and swum in the lake, splashing me repeatedly, making me go in with her despite being scared. Without meaning to, I found myself walking by Yerim’s house. I glanced up at her window, but of course the light wasn’t on. Of course it wouldn’t be on, why would it be? Yerim wasn’t there studying. I wished she was so that I could convince her to hang out with me and Byeol, but she wasn’t here with us anymore. The front door to their house opened and I smiled when I saw her father walking down the porch stairs. He looked up and spotted me, waving at me, as he was headed towards me.

“Good evening, Mr. Kim.” I greeted him and he smiled, opening the gate for me.

“Hello there, Y/N. What brings you here?” His eyes had always reminded me of Yerim’s, and their laughter was the same.

“I was taking a walk in the neighborhood, and found myself wandering here…” Yerim’s father’s face seemed to lose the little happiness he displayed and he sighed, glancing back, up at Yerim’s window.

“I understand, sometimes I find myself walking up to her room in the mornings, wanting to wake her up…” I bit my lower lip and Mr. Kim sighed before looking back at me, “Would you like to come inside? My wife baked those muffins you two girls really like.”

I found myself smiling, Mrs. Kim’s chocolate muffins were the best, whenever she baked them, Yerim and I would devour them in an hour, “If I’m not bothering too much…”

“Non-sense, child.” Mr. Kim laughed and stepped aside, allowing me inside their property. I bowed my head a little at him and walked through the gate, “I’m headed to the supermarket, want anything?”

“No, thank you, Mr. Kim!” He nodded and patted my head before he left through the gate, walking down the street, headed for the closest supermarket. Mr. Kim had always been the father figure I never had. He had also always treated me as his daughter. He was the one who taught me how to swim and how to ride a bicycle as my mother was too busy at the hospital. My parents divorced when I was really young and my father disappeared after that despite promising to come by sometimes and pay for the allowance. I shook my head at the thought of my absent father and walked up to the front door, knocking on it before walking inside. There was some jazz music playing quietly in the background as the delicious muffin smell wafted through the air. I took off my shoes and coat, and walked towards the kitchen, knocking on the door, realizing Mrs. Kim didn’t hear me entering.

“Oh, you’re back—Y/N!” A wide smile spread on Mrs. Kim’s face when she saw me and she rushed up to me, hugging me tightly, “How lovely you stepped by! We haven’t seen you since—”

Since the funeral, “Right, I was out for a walk and found myself passing by. Mr. Kim and I just happened to run into each other, he invited me inside.”

“How smart of him,” Mrs. Kim chuckled; however you could see she wasn’t feeling as giddy as she was acting, “I just happened to bake your favorite chocolate muffins.”

And Yerim’s. I smiled gratefully at Mrs. Kim as she handed me two chocolate muffins, which were still warm, “Thank you.”

“I will pack some for you to take home. I baked too much either way, my husband and I don’t have a sweet tooth, I just missed the smell of it. Your mother loves them too, she’ll be happy for the small gift.” Yerim might’ve looked like his father, but she talked just as much as her mother. When you’d sit down with the two of them and listen to their stories, time would fly by and you wouldn’t even notice. They had a very captivating way of speaking, conversing with them never felt awkward or boring.

“Thank you, she will probably give you a call when she gets them.” I said with a chuckle and Mrs. Kim smiled.

“As she should, we haven’t talked in a while…” Since Yerim’s funeral, but she didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to say it either. It felt nice being in their home after two weeks. I always felt so welcomed here. The house was bright and homey, Yerim and Mrs. Kim having decorated it in an eccentric way, which would sometimes give Mr. Kim a headache. I looked behind me and glanced at the stair leading upstairs as Mrs. Kim placed some muffins in a smaller bag. She turned back and noticed me staring back at the stairs.

“You can go up, if you want to—Yerim wouldn’t mind it, I know.” Mrs. Kim spoke up and I nodded at her gratefully, placing the muffins I was holding on the table, before hurrying up the stairs and beelining it for her room. I hesitated for a second before opening the door, preparing myself for her absence, but it still hit me hard when I opened the door to darkness. I gulped and turned on the light, blinking away the tears which suddenly sprung to my eyes. Her room was the same, messy but not exactly. Her closet door was slightly opened and I could see her pink hoodie spilling out and I chuckled as I walked over and grabbed it. I always told her to just hang her hoodies up, but she never listened to me. As I held it in my hands, Yerim’s sweet scent hit my nose and I bit my lower lip, taking a deep breath. I placed her hoodie on the bed and pulled my long sleeve over my head before pulling her hoodie on and closing my eyes. My skin got covered in goosebumps as I imagined Yerim sitting in her chair and complaining about me wearing her favorite hoodie, but secretly not being bothered by it at all. We always shared our clothes when we’d have sleepovers, even tried them on and did a fake fashion show or acted as if had to sell them to each other at ridiculous prices. The hoodie’s fabric slowly warmed up and I opened my eyes, looking around her room. Her parents haven’t touched anything and I was reluctant to do so too, so I sat down on her bed and started playing with my fingers. The book I recommended to her to read was on her desk, bookmark somewhere at the middle of the book. She never got to read the mind-blowing plot twist, it made me sad, she would’ve loved it so much. Feeling a bit stuffy, I stood up and opened the window before going back to her bed and jumping on it, sprawling out on it. Yerim’s bed was always so comfortable, her blanket puffy, and bed covered in stuffed animals. I turned onto my stomach and started humming my favorite song as I stared up at the pictures above her bed, smiling as most were with the two of us. Our favorite pictures or just really silly ones. Yerim had big dreams compared to me, I was still struggling to decide what to do after high-school. My eyes went to her nightstand and I grinned when I noticed her favorite strawberry candy laying in her jar. It was the last one. I would always steal it, so I did just that. Hopefully, wherever Yerim was, she could see me right now and she’d be frowning and shaking her head at me. I loved annoying her like that. I unwrapped the candy and slowly ate it, chuckling at myself and how silly I must look. As I threw the wrapper on the nightstand, my eyes widened when I noticed her phone next to her lamp. Her parents must’ve placed it there. It surprised me for some reason, and as I reached for it and grabbed it, a twig snapped outside Yerim’s window and something hit the window. I gasped loudly and turned around, coming face to face with Soonyoung, as he had just climbed inside. I quickly placed Yerim’s phone in the hoodie’s pocket, something told me to hide it from Soonyoung.

“What are you doing here?!” I asked alarmed, heart beating fast from the scare. Soonyoung looked around before leaning against Yerim’s desk.

“I was running and saw light coming from her room—”

“So you just climb inside?!” I asked accusingly and Soonyoung shook his head.

“No, I didn’t meant to, but I saw it was you and—” He cleared his throat and looked down at the floor, “I don’t know…I just felt the need to talk to you.”

It made me realize this was the first time seeing him since Yerim’s funeral. And based on rumors, he wasn’t even supposed to be home.

“Are you okay? I haven’t seen you in school and Wonwoo wouldn’t talk about you.” I asked and Soonyoung looked up with a cold gaze, he looked tired.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was visiting my grandparents for a week, and I didn’t feel like going to school this week, so yeah.” Soonyoung explained and I nodded, taking in his posture. His shoulders were slumped and his forehead sweaty. He was out running, after all.

“And you?” Soonyoung cleared his throat, “Are you good?”

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling, thinking through my answer, “On some days I’m good, on some days I can’t eat nor sleep. I’m feeling content at the moment, but maybe that’s because we’re standing in Yerim’s room and I’m wearing her hoodie and I can just trick myself into believing that she’s downstairs with her mom or taking a shower…”

Soonyoung nodded and crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking at the hoodie I was wearing, “That was her favorite.” I hummed and he licked his lips, starting to shake his head suddenly.

“You know—if only—” He scoffed and his eyebrows furrowed, “If only she wasn’t so stubborn. She just—she always refused to go out with me, never even gave me a chance. I tried to convince her so many times, you know, I was patient and nice, but—”

I watched as Soonyoung grew agitated and started walking up and down, “But I just couldn’t do it anymore, you know? It’s like, my brain just clicked and I snapped and—”

I was growing confused as I listened to Soonyoung rambling, what did he mean? Snapped and what?, “You snapped and what, Soonyoung?”

“I didn’t want to do it, I swear.” His voice grew low and when he stopped and faced me, he looked different. His expression was dark and his mouth was in a sneer. I gulped and stood up, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. Soonyoung didn’t seem to notice my discomfort as he hung his head low and sighed loudly.

“I just couldn’t help it…” I gasped. Those words again. What did he mean by them? He didn’t…no. This is Soonyoung, it’s impossible. He couldn’t have…no. He’s my boyfriend’s best friend, he’d never—he’s not a criminal!

“We should go.” I found my voice as I shook my head, growing afraid all of a sudden. Soonyoung was acting weird and I had to go home now. My words seemed to snap him out of his mumbling and he suddenly looked at me, face void of the previous darkness.

“You’re right…” He nodded and patted my shoulder, offering me a small smile, “Don’t tell her parents I climbed in though, I don’t want them to believe I did this often.”

I forced out a chuckle and watched as he climbed out the window and then jumped down, sneaking away from the Kim’s property. My heart was beating like crazy as I closed Yerim’s window and I clutched her phone firmly in my hand as I turned the light off and closed the door behind me. I always refused to listen to what Yerim has always told me, but maybe, just perhaps, there was something very wrong with Soonyoung.

Today the sun seemed to finally come out, no rain clouds seemed to appear anytime soon. It was warm for an October day and I found myself sitting in the courtyard, drawing in my notebook to pass time. I wasn’t hungry, so it was useless to go to the Cafeteria. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone, so when this morning Wonwoo approached me and suggested going on a date after classes, I declined and told him I had to do some catching up in Biology class as I skipped the last two classes having felt unwell. He got moody and stormed off without a word, making me sigh. I was pushing away everyone from myself, but I didn’t know how else to cope with the loss of my best friend. It was the only thing that made me feel content. I drew some harsh lines, trying to create the skyline in my drawing, when I saw someone approaching from the corner of my eyes. I didn’t look up, thinking it was either Wonwoo or Soonyoung, but the girly scent which hit my nose once the person sat next to me on the bench made me turn my head and look at them. It came as a surprise to see Minatozaki Sana sitting next to me, Mina’s best friend. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail and she wore a sleeveless turtleneck underneath her cardigan. She looked better than on most days, but her eyes were quite empty. She was staring at me too and I blinked at her in confusion. We never really talked to each other; she was in an entirely different grade than I was.

“Hello.” She broke the silence and I cleared my throat.

“Hi.” I greeted back and looked down at her hand curiously as she extended it towards me.

“My name is Sana; we’ve never been formally introduced to each other.” She seemed like a very straightforward person. I nodded and shook her hand.

“Indeed, my name is Y/N.” Sana hummed and we let go of each other’s hands, “I’m sorry for you loss.”

“I’m sorry for your loss too.” Sana was quick to return my words and I chuckled humorlessly, bringing a sarcastic smile on her lips. She nodded at me and then turned away, gazing at the trees on the other side of the courtyard. I continued watching her, thinking she’d say something else, but she remained silent, even ignored me. Realizing our conversation ended here I shrugged and looked down at my drawing, continuing to draw those harsh lines. And like that, we sat in silence next to each other. Sana proceeded to take out a book and read, and in a weird way, it brought comfort to have someone sitting next to me. But it was weird, if it were Wonwoo or Soonyoung, they would’ve irritated me. Sana’s presence was relaxing, understanding. Words didn’t need to be exchanged, we understood. Our silence was louder than our words could’ve been. I found myself smiling, something I haven’t done in the past four weeks. I glanced at Sana from the corner of my eyes and she was smiling too, sneaking glances at me. Before we could say anything, we both started giggling and it felt so nice. It was so relieving, as if I released all the pent-up stress I had in my muscles.

“We must look so odd to someone if they have been watching us for the past fifteen minutes.” Sana said through her giggles and I shrugged my shoulders.

“That’s the nicest thing someone could be thinking about us at the moment.” I said and Sana nodded, our giggles coming to a stop. Neither of us had to say it, but after Mina’s death there were whispers about Sana. How she killed her best friend because she was jealous of Mina’s success as she was the cheerleading captain and just wanted her position. How they weren’t even friends and kept a façade because their families were friends. Some rumors spread about Sana being in love with Mina, who didn’t reciprocate her feelings, so Sana killed her in a fit of rage. They were awful. And as the students were gossiping about Mina, they were gossiping about me too. I heard the jealousy version too, the need for attention version too, and even the version where Yerim was in love with Wonwoo and I killed her because I couldn’t stand the thought. They were hilarious, but they still got to you after a while. Just last week, Wonwoo almost got into a fight because of a guy who dared to ask me how it felt plunging that knife into Yerim. If Wonwoo wouldn’t have punched the living daylight out of him, I would’ve definitely.

“Don’t let the gossips get to you, they are ridiculous.” Sana said with a roll of her eyes and I nodded, agreeing.

“I know, but they still get bothersome after a while…” I muttered and closed my notebook as the bell rang, signaling our break was over. Sana looked up at the sky for a second and then closed her book, placing it in her backpack.

“You could always just slap them, you know.” She said with a mischievous smile and I chuckled.

“Have you slapped anyone so far?” I asked and Sana pursed her lips.

“Of course, I have,” She stood up, “Johnny thought it was funny talking about my dead friend’s figure and how pitiful it was that he couldn’t sleep with her before she died.”

I didn’t know who this Johnny was, but he deserved that slap, “How disgusting.”

“Indeed.” Sana hummed and waited for me to pack my belongings and get up from the bench. We took off, headed to the side entrance to the school, when suddenly, the intercom went off and our principal’s voice came through.

“This is the principal speaking. I ask everyone to pack their belongings and head straight to the main entrance. All students have fifteen minutes to leave the premises, a dead body was found in the men’s bathroom on the third floor. I instruct everyone to leave right now, and do not try and approach said bathroom or there will be repercussions!” Sana and I stopped dead in our tracks and looked at each other before hurrying inside the school, you could only leave through the main entrance. The halls were full of students rushing to get out, it was chaotic. Everyone was pushing everyone around and I found myself reaching for Sana’s hand, keeping her close to me as a bigger guy almost ran into her. She thanked me quietly and we continued making our way towards the main entrance. My heart was racing and suddenly I was feeling sick. Another victim. Another crime. Who was it this time? And just as that thought crossed my mind, I suddenly felt my legs turn weak. Wonwoo. Where was Wonwoo? Soonyoung? Where were they? Were they fine? I couldn’t do this again. I felt like I was walking through water again, the entrance was just there, but it felt so far away. I felt Sana tugging on my hand and I followed her, trying to control my rigged breathing.

“Hey, look at me.” She said once we were outside and she pulled me to the side of the steps, “Breathe, Y/N, you’re turning red.”

I nodded and tried to take a deep breath, but my muscles were tense and I felt tears gather in my eyes, “Where’s Wonwoo?”

An understanding look crossed Sana’s face and she started looking around, “I am sure he is alright; he’s probably looking for you right now, just as scared. You need to breathe, Y/N.”

I nodded and closed my eyes, feeling Sana’s grip tightening on my hand, and I tried to breathe. It was hard at the beginning, my lungs seemed to refuse to listen, but at last I was able to take little breaths here and there. Before I could react to the disappearance of Sana’s grip, I was engulfed into a bear hug, held tightly to someone’s chest. I gasped and opened my eyes, my arms going around Wonwoo’s neck.

“Oh my God, you’re okay.” I whispered, a tear rolling down my cheek. Wonwoo’s breathing was shaky as well and he nodded, his hold crushing me.

“Yes, yes.” He whispered and kissed my head, “Are you hurt?”

“No.” I muttered and shook my head, pulling a bit back. Wonwoo’s eyebrows were furrowed and he was breathing hard, his hair fell into his eyes. I pushed it back and smiled at him, grateful that nothing happened to him. I really wouldn’t have been able to deal with losing him too in such a sort time after Yerim’s death. I leaned up and pressed a short kiss against his lips and I could feel Wonwoo’s muscles relaxing, his hold not tight anymore.

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all break.” Wonwoo muttered, pushing my hair behind my ear.

“In the courtyard, I wasn’t hungry.” I answered and then looked down, “Sorry, I should’ve told you.”

Wonwoo shook his head and kissed my forehead swiftly, “No, it’s alright.”

I realized Sana was with me seconds ago and looked around, spotting her to our right, “Thank you.”

She smiled and nodded her head before she placed her backpack around her shoulders and started walking away. Wonwoo nodded at her and Sana greeted him back before disappearing in the crowd of people.

“You know her?” He asked quietly, almost sounding irritated.

“Not really, we talked for the first time today. But I knew who she was.” I explained and he nodded, looking off in the distance.

“You shouldn’t be friends with her.” Wonwoo sounded serious as his expression hardened and I stepped out of his hold, confused.

“Why?” But before he could answer me, Soonyoung came running up to us. His hair was disheveled and he was panting, a duffel bag in his hands. My eyebrows furrowed and I stepped back when he stopped next to me a little bit too close for my liking. I’ve been avoiding him since we met in Yerim’s room, scared of his sudden changes of mood. Soonyoung had a crazed look in his eyes and he was grinning from ear to ear as he looked at Wonwoo.

“Did you hear? The murderer killed someone again.” He sounded excited and my eyebrows furrowed when I saw Wonwoo’s lips twitching.

“Who was it this time?” Wonwoo asked, voice uncaring, but I didn’t miss the hint of smirk on his lips. I gulped, curious too, but a bit taken aback by the boys attitudes.

“Boo Seungkwan.” I gasped and took a step back again, eyes widening. I knew him. The two boys looked at me with raised eyebrows. I gulped and avoided their eyes, feeling uncomfortable.

“Are you sure?” I asked quietly, feeling a lump in my throat.

“One hundred percent, Y/N,” Soonyoung chuckled and he went and slung his arm around Wonwoo’s shoulders, “I was the one who found him.”

My head snapped up and I watched the two boys in front of me as they looked at each other and chuckled, and then my eyes fell on the duffle bag. It was zipped closed, but…it looked as if there was a darker spot on it. I squinted as I tried focusing on it, but Wonwoo’s voice caught my attention.

“Didn’t you know him, sugar?” He asked sweetly and I nodded, eyebrows furrowing.

“Yeah, I did, he—” I cleared my throat and scratched my arm in discomfort, “He’s been bullying me since kindergarten.”

“He must’ve had a crush on you, right, Wonwoo?” Soonyoung asked with a laugh and I grimaced, weirded out by their behavior and feeling bad for talking like that about a dead person.

“Well, he’s been put out of his misery, so, I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore.” Wonwoo’s voice was smug and my eyebrows furrowed as I looked at my boyfriend, who seemed amused by the whole situation. What was happening? Why were they reacting like this? Wasn’t Soonyoung supposed to be shaken up after finding a dead body? I shuddered, and Wonwoo noticed because his demeanor changed instantly and he shook Soonyoung off him and took a step toward me.

“Y/N, I’m—”

“I have to go.” I cut him off and hurried away before he could grab me and convince me to stay with the two of them. I glanced back when I was a good distance away from them and saw Soonyoung making some slashing motions with his hand while laughing and Wonwoo smirking at him as he dug his hands inside his pockets. There was something very wrong with Soonyoung, and I was getting more and more scared of him.

Despite the sun being out throughout the day, by the evening some dark clouds started gathering on the sky, lightning flashing in the distance. I sighed as I drew my curtains to the side and opened the window, letting some fresh air in before the rain could start. I figured we��d have another stormy night, great, my mom had the night shift again, I hated being home alone during storms. I could hear Byeol running up and down the hallway as I sat on my bed and I chuckled, she had the zoomies again. I was holding Yerim’s phone in my hands and I figured I couldn’t do much damage if I looked through her gallery. Before leaving the Kim’s house I asked if it was alright if I borrowed her phone for a while, and they said it was okay as long as I returned it. So, pulling my hair to the side I unlocked her phone and went to her gallery. She was very organized, even when it came to pictures. There were different folders for different themes, all labeled accordingly. I clicked on the one with our nicknames for each other and giggled at the first photo. It was taken when Yerim and I went to the movies and I accidentally got stuck in the bathroom as the lock was faulty. You could see my hands from above the stall and I remembered how loudly I was screaming as I had left my phone with Yerim. It was hilarious, but I prefer not repeating the incident. Then the next one was with her neighbor’s dog; she took a selfie as we both were petting it. Then there were a bunch of hilarious and cute selfies from our latest sleepover, a few pictures of Byeol, and our favorite picture which we took while hiking one day. I sighed and looked out the window, just in time to see the lightning strike again. The thunder followed almost immediately, but it wasn’t as loud as I expected it to be. I looked back down at Yerim’s phone and excited her camera roll, about to place her phone to the side, when Byeol came zooming inside my room, scaring the living daylight out of me. I yelped and watched as she stopped underneath my window before she jumped up on the sill, looking at me innocently. I grimaced at her and looked back down at the phone, having accidentally opened the call log. My eyes ran over the familiar names of people, mine being the last one. I was the last person Yerim called before she died. A lump formed in my throat and I gulped, noticing the unknown number underneath mine. Who could that have been? Maybe a scammer or a guy she newly met, however I doubted that was the case, she always saved the numbers she was talking to. Biting my lower lip, I debated calling the unknown number, but after all, I had nothing to lose. And curiosity was eating my alive. So, I clicked on the number and dialed it, waiting patiently for the person on the other side to pick up. However, a ringing sound not too far away from my window suddenly caught my attention and I knew I wasn’t hallucinating as Byeol’s ears perked up at the sound too. But before I could think more of it, my call was picked up, but there was only silence on the other end. My eyebrows furrowed as I stood from my bed and walked towards Byeol, lightly petting her head as I looked out my window.

“Hello?” I asked quietly, getting a strange feeling of being watched, so I closed the window and locked it quickly.

“Hi there, beautiful.” I jumped at the distorted voice. It sounded like a robot speaking, the voice was low but almost glitchy. I looked out the window, wondering who was this and why had they called Yerim?

“Who are you?” I asked curiously, figuring it was just someone playing a prank on me.

“Wouldn’t it be boring if I told you that?” The voice almost took a playful tone and I chuckled.

“Perhaps, it would ruin your fun too soon, right?” I decided to play along and the person chuckled.

“Smart girl, indeed, it would ruin my fun too soon.” There was a pause before they continued, “And I’m not done having fun yet.”

I hummed and started petting Byeol’s head again as she was staring out the window, “Why did you call Yerim?”

“I was just about to ask; how do you have your dead friend’s phone?” I paused for a second, eyebrows furrowing. So this person seems to know us well. First, they probably called Yerim and were pranking her and now they are playing with me. It’s probably one of our classmates then, Mark likes goofing around.

“You must know us well if you have her number.” I decided to feel around and try and find out who this was.

“Oh,” The person chuckled and it sent a chill down my spine, “I happen to know you very well, Y/N.”

I licked my lips and looked down at Byeol as she pulled her head away, having had enough of my petting, “Really? How?”

The person chuckled again and I watched as Byeol jumped down from the window sill and walked out of my room, “I can’t tell you all of my secrets just yet, beautiful, it’s our first time talking.”

“I don’t think it is,” I chuckled, “Mark.”

There was a pause before the person sighed, “Who’s Mark, beautiful?”

I rolled my eyes, amused, “Ha-ha, very funny. My classmate, obvious. You really like playing pranks on people, don’t you? I thought last week’s detention was enough for a lifetime.”

“What if I’m not Mark?” The voice sounded very serious all of a sudden and I bit my lower lip, tracing a rain drop on my window as it started lightly raining.

“Then who could you possibly be?” There was another lightning and I turned around when Byeol started meowing loudly in my doorway. She was hungry, again, “I’m bored of this game—”

I turned to face the window again but instead of finishing my sentence, I cut myself off with a loud scream. A masked person was standing outside my window, and I started shaking as I froze for a second. It was…a Ghostface.

“Auch, beautiful, that was loud.” The Ghostface whined and I quickly drew the curtains closed, pulling down the blinds too, “What are you doing? Let me see you—”

“Who are you?!” I cut the person off, almost screaming as I ran out of my room, Byeol following agitatedly behind me. I checked the front door quickly, making sure it was locked before I went to check the door in the living room as well.

“Just a Ghostface, beautiful.” The person answered nonchalantly and my heart started beating fast as I hid behind the sofa, pulling Byeol into my chest. She made no sound as she gazed at me with her big green eyes.

“Stop calling me beautiful!” I snapped and tried to take deep breaths, debating on calling the police from my own phone. Who was this? What did they want? Were they…were they here to hurt me? What if…what if they were the killer? I felt dread flush over my whole being and I swallowed my tears and blinked my eyes continuously. I had to stay focused, if I was in danger, I had to save myself somehow.

“Did I scare you, beau—”

“Did you kill Kim Yerim?” I cut the Ghostface off, voice shaky as I waited for an answer. The person’s laughter made me shudder and Byeol wrestled herself out of my arms and meowed loudly at me for holding her so tightly. I felt sorry, but I was scared, and I was trying to hold her close to myself in case we needed to escape.

“Maybe I did.” There was a pause and I gasped, “Maybe I didn’t.”

I sprung up to my feet, acting out of pure terror, as I ran up to my room and grabbed my phone. I was too scared to look out of my window to see if the person was still there. There was a loud thunder and I screamed as the line went dead, leaving me shaking. Was the Ghostface gone? Shakily, I placed Yerim’s phone on my desk and slowly raised the blinds, scared of seeing the Ghostface outside of my window still. But nobody was there. I was scared, shaking, and on the verge of crying. Byeol was downstairs and the rain started falling harder. I couldn’t stay alone tonight; it would kill my nerves. So I quickly unlocked my phone and dialed my boyfriend’s number, pacing up and down in my room as I waited for him to pick up. Something rustled outside of my window and I froze when I faintly heard Wonwoo’s familiar ringtone, but the thunder swallowing the sound was louder and it made me feel stupid. Why would Wonwoo be right outside my window unannounced either way? What was he? A burglar? Wonwoo picked up on the third ring.

“Hi—”

“Can you sleepover tonight?” I cut him off, words hurried as I fixed my eyes on my window, starting to shake again.

“Are you alright?” Wonwoo sounded concerned and I heard rustling on the other end.

“No, are you coming over?”

“I’m on my way.” Wonwoo said before hanging up and I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. This was good. I wouldn’t be alone. Wonwoo would come by and sleep here. I took deep breaths as I paced around my room, Byeol sat in the doorway and watched me with a confused look on her face. I chuckled when I looked at her and tried not to think about the Ghostface and our conversation. It freaked me out. Who was behind the mask? And why would they want to prank anyone in this kind of way? It was distasteful and creepy, I was scared. Just as Byeol meowed she reminded that I forgot to feed her, the doorbell rang. I paused and looked at Byeol, my heart suddenly racing again. Who was that? Wonwoo lived twenty minutes away from me and it wasn’t even five minutes since I had called him, it couldn’t have been him. Was it…the person wearing that Ghostface mask? My heart started beating fast again and I glanced at Byeol as she started meowing loudly and took off towards the front door. The doorbell rang again and I hurried after my cat, calling out her name quietly.

“Stop!” I whisper-shouted, motioning at her to come to me, but she was ignoring me. Her meows were loud and I cursed quietly as I creeped towards the front door, convinced that it wasn’t Wonwoo, but that masked person. I should call the police. Suddenly there was loud knocking on the front door and I jumped as Byeol glanced at me.

“Y/N?!” Wonwoo’s deep voice made me sigh in relief as I quickly unlocked the front door and opened it for him. His hair was drenched and his jacket and jeans were wet too, it was pouring outside now. Byeol started meowing as Wonwoo stepped inside and he smiled at her, kneeling down to muzzle his face against her head. Byeol loved Wonwoo and they always played together a lot when Wonwoo came over. But…how did he get here so fast?

“Wonwoo—you’re drenched.” I muttered suspiciously as I helped him out of his jacket. He suddenly looked at me with a wide smile, ruffling his hair.

“Yeah, I was on my way here when the rain started.” He said with a shrug and I hung his jacket on the hanger.

“But you got here really fast…” I trailed off and watched him take off his shoes before he gave Byeol a swift kiss.

“Oh, yeah, I was already on my way—”

“Why?” I asked accusingly, eyebrows furrowed, and arms crossed in front of my chest. There were too many weird things happening today, I was freaked out. I couldn’t decide if my thoughts were real or I was being delusional. Could I seriously not trust my own boyfriend anymore? But he gave me no reasons…

Wonwoo looked taken aback by my tone and words, “Uhm…I just wanted to surprise you? You told me your mom was working the nightshift and I know you hate storms…”

He was right, I was overreacting, “Yeah, I know, I’m sorry—it’s just, lately I’m so jumpy.”

Wonwoo smiled and approached me, cupping my cheeks, “I noticed, but it’s fine. Things will get better eventually.”

I nodded and kissed his lips, their warmth bringing a sense of tranquility as I stepped closer to him. Wonwoo’s grip got firmer and our lips started moving against each other as I circled my arms around his neck, his wet hair tingling my wrists. One of his hand’s gripped my waist, and I hummed when his familiar scent hit my nose. It felt nice kissing him, I’ve been keeping my distance from Wonwoo, feeling uncomfortable lately with any physical contact besides a brief hug. And this felt nice now. His familiar lips, and firm grip, musky scent, I realized I had missed them. Byeol’s loud meowing broke us apart and I chuckled as I pressed another kiss against Wonwoo’s lips.

“Poor cat, she’s hungry…can you feed her while I bring you a towel?” I asked and Wonwoo nodded with a smile, releasing me from his hold as I turned and headed to the bathroom. Byeol followed Wonwoo as they headed into the kitchen and I could hear him pouring the cat food into her little bowl. I got a clean towel and then walked to the kitchen, handing it to Wonwoo.

“Do you want tea or hot chocolate?” I asked with a grin as I grabbed two mugs. Wonwoo pursed his lips and pulled out his glasses from the pocket of his hoodie.

“It’s a hot chocolate kind of night.”

“Right?!” I asked with a chuckle and he nodded at me amused.

“Do you still have my spare clothes?’ Wonwoo asked and I chuckled as I glanced back at him.

“What do you think?” He smirked at me and pushed up his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, “They are in the laundry room.”

Wonwoo thanked me and then walked away, leaving me with Byeol in the kitchen. While she quietly ate her food I prepared the hot chocolate for Wonwoo and I. He took his time to change out of his wet clothes and dried his hair with the towel as best as he could. When he joined us in the kitchen again, the hot chocolate were already ready and Byeol was somewhere off in the house, probably sleeping as she had just eaten. I handed Wonwoo a mug as he approached me and he thanked me with his signature gummy smile. I had always loved his smile, it made him look so cute. It was a nice contrast compared to his usual poker face. Wonwoo wasn’t very expressive usually, but when it was just the two of us, he could be very cute. He interlaced our fingers as we drank our hot chocolate and I giggled, raising my eyebrows at him.

“I missed you.” He whispered, looking down at his mug. I bit my lower lip and felt bad for pushing him away for so long, but I needed the space. I still do, but it’s not as bad as after the funeral.

“I’m sorry, I just felt uncomfortable around people after…” I trailed off and sighed, taking a sip of my hot chocolate. Wonwoo squeezed my hand.

“I understand you, and I’m not pressuring you in any way. It must hurt like hell losing your best friend.” I gulped a bit harder and glanced at Wonwoo briefly, noticing the change in his behavior. There it was again, the ghost of a smirk on his lips. It was confusing.

“Yeah, it hurts a lot. I hope the criminal is caught soon so that I can face them—”

“And what would you do?” Wonwoo sounded curious as he turned his body to face mine. I raised an eyebrow at him as I shrugged.

“That they are a piece of shit and I hope they rot away in prison until they get to root in hell.” Despite me being dead serious, Wonwoo started laughing and I pulled my hand out of his, slightly irritated.

“You’re hot when you get fired up, sugar.” Normally his compliments would leave me feeling giddy, but we were talking about the murderer of my best friend right now, there was nothing hot about it.

I shot Wonwoo a glare before walking to the sink to wash my mug, “I thought we were having a serious conversation, Wonwoo.”

Wonwoo sighed and approached me, still sipping his hot chocolate, “Come on, I was just joking—”

“Well it’s not funny!” I snapped, looking at him, “Yerim was murdered and you’re telling me I’m hot when I talk about her murderer?!”

“No, that’s not hot, I was just saying you are—nevermind, I’m not in the mood to fight. You’ve been ignoring me for three weeks and when we finally get to spend some time together you’re just getting angry at me.” Wonwoo sounded accusing as he placed the mug forcefully in the sink and I rolled my eyes.

“What did you expect me to do? Jump in your arms the day after my friend’s funeral—”

“You didn’t have to push me away!” His voice raised and I turned to wash his mug too, hating it when he started getting loud while arguing, “I get that you don’t let me touch you, but you wouldn’t even speak to me, Y/N! If I knew you’d be like this I wouldn’t have let Soonyoung—”

I paused, turning to look at Wonwoo. He seemed speechless as he stared at me wide eyed, shaking his head. I turned off the water and faced him.

“What the hell are you even saying?” I asked confused, trying to comprehend his words but I didn’t understand what he was talking about. What had Soonyoung to do with our argument right now? What did he do?

“Nothing, I’m just—” Wonwoo shrugged and took a deep breath, composing himself, “I just missed you, that’s it. I hate arguing with you, you know that.”

“Yeah, well,” I scoffed and dried my hands in a towel, “I wouldn’t be arguing with you if you tried to understand my feelings—”

“I do understand.” He cut me off and my jaw clenched as I gave him a glare.

“I don’t feel it, but whatever, do you want to watch a movie or what?” Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to watch anything, I just wanted to go to sleep, but I knew Wonwoo would bother me until I wasn’t grumpy.

“Do you want to watch one?” Wonwoo asked with a sigh, knowing that our previous conversation was over.

“No.” I muttered and he looked up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath.

“Do you want to go to sleep?” I nodded wordlessly and he pulled me into a hug, making me roll my eyes. I didn’t want to be hugged right now, but I didn’t push him away, just didn’t reciprocate the hug, “It’s still early to go to sleep.”

It wasn’t that early, but he was right, I would wake up during the night, probably, “Whatever, I want to go to bed.”

He groaned and suddenly I felt his hands gripping my thighs as I was hauled up, I yelped and grabbed onto him, “What are you doing?!”

Wonwoo said nothing as he took off and headed up the stairs, towards my room. He pushed the door open with his foot and walked towards my bed, before I could ask him to let me down, he fell forward, crushing me against the bed with his weight. I groaned as my bed’s mattress wasn’t soft.

“Wonwoo…” I muttered with a glare, grabbing his shoulders to push him off. He whined and didn’t move as he nuzzled his head in my neck, “You’re too heavy.”

“And you’re too grumpy.” He muttered and I slapped his shoulder, making him chuckle. I wanted him off, but he wasn’t budging. Before I could interject, he started pressing kisses against my neck, knowing well I was ticklish there, but I tried to keep my laughter in as I tried wrestling out from underneath him. Wonwoo was having the time of his life as he started laughing and tickling my sides too, making me cry out in despair as I hated being tickled.

“Stop! Wonwoo!” I tried to push his hands away, but it was futile. Wonwoo was giggling and quickly kissed my lips before he finally stopped tickling me, smiling at me mischievously. I glared at him and as I went to smack his arm, Byeol decided to join us as she jumped up on Wonwoo’s back. I started laughing as Wonwoo hissed, Byeol’s nails dug into his back, he deserved it after torturing me here.

“Hey, Byeol!” Wonwoo started shaking his back, trying to get my cat off of him, but it wasn’t working, so I started poking her, trying to get her off his back. And it worked, because Byeol jumped off and Wonwoo finally got off of me as well to start playing with my cat. He got on the floor and started pushing her lightly around, making Byeol land on her side as she started turning around, attacking Wonwoo’s fingers and jumping on his hand. I chuckled and left the two to play as I went to the bathroom to change into my pajamas and brush my teeth. I was too tired to shower, so I tried to be quick and when I walked back inside my room, Wonwoo and Byeol were still playing. I poked Byeol to rile her up more and she lunged for Wonwoo’s hand, making him hiss as I plugged in my phone. I looked at him and Wonwoo was glaring at Byeol.

“Did she scratch you?” I asked as Wonwoo got up and sat on my bed.

“Yeah.” He nodded and showed me his hand, two long, red, scratches decorating his hand. I pouted at him mockingly and kissed the scratches before laying down in my bed and pulling the blanket over my body.

“Don’t worry, soldier, those scratches won’t kill you for now.” I said mockingly and Wonwoo rolled his eyes, pulling the blanket over my head, but I managed to punch his bicep, making him groan. I giggled and pulled the blanket off, sticking my tongue out at him, “Are you coming to bed?”

“Nah,” Wonwoo stood and walked to my computer, “I want to play COD before I go to sleep.”

“Fine,” I muttered and closed my eyes, “but don’t stay up until late and check if we locked the front door before you come to bed.”

“Okay, mom.” Wonwoo muttered and I rolled my eyes, “Good night.”

“I love you.” I whispered and sighed, getting comfortable as Wonwoo turned off all the lights in my room and only left on the one at my desk. I heard Byeol moving around, no doubt she went to sleep in Wonwoo’s lap as he started playing Call of Duty.

After Wonwoo left I had a whole three days to think about everything that’s been happening lately and they way Soonyoung and him were acting from time to time. It was getting quite obvious that there was something wrong with Soonyoung and it seems like only Yerim had noticed until now. The boy gets upset at the smallest of things and he’s always saying some fucked up shit about the people he doesn’t like, and it almost always involves a comment about how the Earth would be better off without them and that he could slay them in their sleep. I never paid attention to these comments because I thought he was just joking as he has always had a dark sense of humor. But it didn’t make sense why he was at the pool on the day Yerim died. I was the last person she called and somehow Soonyoung knew about her death. Was he perhaps nearby? But why would he be? Yerim refused to go on a date that evening, so there was no reason for Soonyoung to show up there. He was tough to deal with, but if he was told no, he wouldn’t bother you for a while. And his words kept bothering me still, ‘I just couldn’t help it’, what did he mean by them? What has he done? Wonwoo’s slip up about how he wouldn’t have let Soonyoung do whatever also didn’t sit right with me. I wished there was someone I could talk to about these crazy thoughts, but I knew how it would sound. Was I accusing Soonyoung of killing Yerim? Not exactly, but it started sounding like that. Was I suspecting my boyfriend’s best friend about being a murderer? I tried not to, but it was becoming difficult. So I decided to try and talk to him, sort things out with Soonyoung without accusing him of anything, just ask him all of the questions I desperately needed an answer to and everything would be alright. But Soonyoung started avoiding me, he wouldn’t talk to me if it was unnecessary and he’d only sit with me if Wonwoo was with us, and even then, he remained quiet. It was weird, Soonyoung talked a lot. I brought it up to Wonwoo and he said not to think too much about it as it was Soonyoung and his talkativeness depended a lot on his mood. I tried to explain to Wonwoo that I didn’t care about that, that it was his attitude which changed and that I wasn’t able to talk to him because he was avoiding me or ignoring me, but Wonwoo just shrugged it off and said that he didn’t notice anything weird with him. I knew it was futile to press the matter more, so I let it go and focused on other things. Sana and I started hanging out in the long breaks and it felt nice to have a girl to talk to again. However, one day, she freaked me out a bit.

“Did you notice how every murdered person has something to do with you so far?” She had asked as she took a bite of her sandwich. I had choked on my smoothie upon hearing her words.

“No? What are you talking about?” I had asked confused, goosebumps erupting on my skin.

“Well,” She had started saying as she gazed up at the sky, “Yerim was your best friend, you’ve known Seungkwan since you were little and well…you sort of knew Mina too, she was Wonwoo’s ex.”

Yes, I had known all these people, but I couldn’t follow Sana’s train of thought, “Yeah, but…it’s not like I’m the only one who knew them…”

“True,” Sana had hummed and then had looked at me, “Whatever, ignore what I said. I’ve just been thinking about it.”

So, we moved on with our conversation after that, however, her words made me think hard about what she had said. Somehow, she wasn’t wrong. I had known all three people, even if not from very close, they did have a significance in my life at some point, it made me shudder again. I thought about bringing it up to Wonwoo when we were hanging out after class, but I was scared he’d think I was going crazy. I was just desperate to find out who murdered and why my best friend, and all these other people. And what if I was the serial killer’s next target? Nobody was safe.

Time flies by so fast you don’t even notice it. It feels like Yerim’s funeral was yesterday yet it’s Halloween already. Almost two months have had passed since losing her, and I was still getting used to it. I couldn’t say it was easier, but I was doing slightly better. Today was a particularly hard day as Halloween was Yerim and I’s favorite holiday. We’d always dress up in our favorite character at the moment and throw a small house party for our close friends. The rules were that we’d go trick or treating to each other and before midnight we’d gather at a bonfire and tell scary stories which have happened to us. It was a lot of fun each year and we couldn’t wait for it; however, it was my first Halloween without Yerim and it didn’t feel right. I was feeling nauseous all day long and quite moody as the weather had gotten colder too. Sana noticed my grumpiness and once I told her what the issue was she left me alone. Wonwoo wasn’t so understanding as we had talked about going to a Haunted House for fun months ago. He said he understood yet he was pressuring me in going with them. He promised it would be fun and that I shouldn’t stay at home and sulk all night long. I wasn’t sulking, I was trying to cope with the absence of my best friend, but it seemed like he didn’t understand that. So, very reluctantly, I agreed to go with him to the Haunted House. A few of his friends would be joining us, so I figured asking Sana if she’d like to come wouldn’t hurt anyone. She seemed quite excited once I told her and she promised to pick me up at around nine as Wonwoo wanted to go out beforehand with his friends. That was fine with me, I wasn’t in the mood to hang out with drunk teenage guys either way. They would get loud and pushy; I knew someone would bring up Yerim and it was the last thing I needed tonight. Mom was happy to see me going out and even encouraged me when I asked her to braid my hair. I wasn’t in the mood to go shopping for a costume, so I dressed in last year’s witch outfit. Nobody would care either way. Only Yerim actually cared, and she wasn’t here. Last year I was the one hosting the small party and I figured since I had a black cat I should dress up as a witch, it was a total success. Everyone loved the look and the vibes.

As nine o’clock approached, Sana texted me that she was right outside my house and after mom kissed my cheek and told me to have fun I left the house and jogged up to Sana’s extravagant car. They were quite rich and despite her being humble, her things screamed rich girl vibes.

“Hi!” She greeted me excited and I waved at her as I sat inside the car, “How are you?”

I sighed and closed the door, “Well, I had better days.”

“You look amazing though,” She patted my thigh and I nodded wordlessly, “If at any point you feel uncomfortable and want to come home, don’t feel hesitant to tell me. I’ll drive you.”

I felt my heart warming at her comment and gave her a genuine thankful smile, “Thank you.”

Sana wasn’t Yerim, and she’d never be, but it felt nice to have someone who was so understanding and kind. She’s shown me nothing but kindness since we started talking and it was refreshing. Sana was soft spoken and quiet usually, she didn’t speak unasked and often times we’d just sit in silence next to each other, enjoying each other’s presence. She was the total opposite of Yerim, yet we seemed to get along well. Sana made me feel seen and understood when nobody else could, perhaps that’s why I felt a little attached to her. I could only hope that she felt the same about me and didn’t think I was cold to her.

Once we got to the Haunted House the place was buzzing with people, everyone was excited for the new addition of the Amusement Park. It was a Halloween special and it was the first year they had opened a Haunted House for Halloween. Yerim would’ve loved coming here, we’ve discussed our outfits for tonight quite often and how much fun we’d have at the Haunted House, but now I had to do all of that alone. I owed it to her at least. Finding Wonwoo wasn’t hard as he and his friends had come with their bikes and they were gathered at the entrance of the Park, being loud and annoying. Sana followed after me as I was headed their way. I spotted Wonwoo next to his motorbike and walked towards him, catching his attention when I got nearby. He grinned at me and opened his arms once I was next to him, pulling me in a big hug.

“Hello, beautiful.” I smiled and pulled back, kissing his cheek. His friends got quiet and I faced them, waving at everyone. They greeted me back and I glanced at Sana before clearing my throat.

“This is Sana,” I introduced her to everyone, and starting from our left started introducing the boys, “That’s Minghao, Vernon, Soonyoung and Jeonghan.”

“Nice to meet you!” Sana smiled and the boys quickly greeted her, Minghao shaking her hand and introducing himself individually too. I chuckled and looked at Wonwoo who was smirking. Minghao wasn’t very interested in girls, but when he was, he made it quite obvious and Sana was a gorgeous girl. Jeonghan was smirking to our right as he watched me and I noticed, so I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Looking quite ravishing, Y/N.” Jeonghan said in a flirty tone and I felt Wonwoo’s arm tightening around my shoulders. Jeonghan was quite flirty, even with me. I used to think he was annoying, but after getting to know him better, I realized he flirted even with his guy friends, I figured it’s just the way he was. Besides, he was no threat when it came to Wonwoo, I was too in love with my boyfriend to find any other guy interesting enough. Sometimes I wished Wonwoo understood that too and stopped being jealous, but I figured he was just the possessive type.

“Thank you, interesting choice of outfit, Jeonghan.” I commented, making Soonyoung laugh as he pushed off his bike. I glanced at him but he was avoiding eye contact, still.

“Who dresses up as a cat, Jeonghan?” Soonyoung teased but Jeonghan just shrugged and pushed his long hair behind his shoulders.

“I do, why? Are you falling in love with me?” Jeonghan started leaning towards Soonyoung who flicked him off and grabbed his backpack off his bike.

“Yeah, right.” He muttered sarcastically and Minghao smiled, speaking up.

“Are we going in then?”

“Yes, let’s go!” Vernon said with excitement lacing his voice and I nodded, sighing quietly. Wonwoo noticed and looked down at me.

“Are you alright?” He asked quietly as we took off towards the ticket booth. I nodded and pressed a kiss against his lips, bringing a smile on his face. He bopped our noses together before we joined the others in line, waiting to buy our tickets too.

The night seemed to be going well, everyone was having fun. Sana and Vernon seemed to be hitting it off quite well, much to Minghao’s disappointment. Jeonghan kept giggling as Minghao continued sulking while we watched Sana and Vernon play a shooting game in order to win a pink teddy bear. Sana really wanted it, but after missing almost all targets she walked away sulkily and that’s all it took Vernon to try his luck, and he seemed to be doing really well.

“Does our little Vernon have a new crush?” It was the first time in a while Soonyoung addressed me directly and I looked at him surprised. Was he done ignoring me and avoiding me?

“Who knows, but I don’t blame him.” I said with a shrug and Soonyoung looked at me.

“Good for him, she never liked me.” Soonyoung sounded a little bitter and it made me remember that Wonwoo and Mina once were together, of course Soonyoung and Sana knew each other. But I didn’t know he was into her…much like he was into Yerim as well. Interesting pattern, I thought to myself as my eyebrows lightly furrowed. Soonyoung seemed to notice and he cleared his throat, looking off in the distance.

“Do you want some cotton candy?” He asked as he took out his wallet.

“No, thank you, Wonwoo is buying some caramel popcorn for us.” I declined nicely and Soonyoung nodded.

“I’ll be right back.” He said before walking off to the cotton candy booth, buying one for himself. I continued watching Vernon and Sana as they both laughed, trying their luck for another plushie, this time it was a blue shark. Wonwoo was buying popcorn not far away and Jeonghan and Minghao decided to ride a very scary looking roller-coaster. They didn’t want to come to the Haunted House with us so we agreed to meet in an hour at the Ferris-wheel as we had to wait a little for our tour at the Haunted House. They only let in around ten people at every half an hour. Chuckling at Vernon’s dramatic fail at hitting the last target, I noticed someone in my peripheral vision. The person seemed to be approaching me and as I turned my head a wide smile erupted on my lips. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I hadn’t seen him in ages. It was Seonghwa, my ex-boyfriend. He was my first serious boyfriend and I only had fond memories of him. We parted on friendly terms and have been civil with each other ever since. He moved away two years ago, so it was a surprise to see him here.

“Seonghwa!” I exclaimed as I ran up to him and engulfed him in a hug. He giggled and hugged me back just as tightly. He had gotten taller since the last time we saw each other. He still had that bubble gum scent, it made me giddy.

“Y/N, I would’ve never thought we’d meet here of all places!” He said with a laugh as we let go of each other and took a small step back.

“Right?!” I chuckled as we smiled widely at each other, “I didn’t even know you were back in town!”

“Yeah, it’s a brief visit, so I didn’t tell anyone.” He scratched his nape awkwardly, “I wasn’t even supposed to be here, but San and Wooyoung dragged me here because of the Haunted House.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s a hot topic at the moment. I wasn’t in the mood to come, but I promised Wonwoo we’d go so…” I trailed off with a sigh and Seonghwa nodded.

“How is he?” He asked with a polite smile and I shrugged, looking around for him.

“He’s fine, just the usual.” I answered and Seonghwa nodded.

“I, uh—” He cleared his throat, “I heard what happened to Yerim. I’m very sorry for your loss. She didn’t deserve that.”

I looked away and gulped, hating that she was the topic, but I knew Seonghwa didn’t mean bad, “Thank you, she really didn’t. She was taken from us so early…”

Seonghwa gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, “I’m always here for you, I hope you know that.”

“I do.” His words brought a smile to my face, even after breaking up, Seonghwa was always there to support me and cheer me up until he had to move away. He was a kind soul always looking out for others, “How’s your grandma?”

“She’s the reason I’m visiting, actually, she’s not doing so well.” Seonghwa’s voice lowered and he looked down, it was my turn to offer him a reassuring pat.

“I’m sad to hear that, I hope she gets better.” Seonghwa nodded and I could hear them before seeing them. Wooyoung was almost screaming as he was telling San to let him go to the teddy bear booth. He wanted to get the blue shark Vernon lost, but San wasn’t letting him as he had spent too much money already. Seonghwa and I looked at each other before we burst out laughing.

He shook his head and sighed tiredly, “I better go and do some damage control before we get kicked out.”

I laughed and nodded, ushering him away, “When are you going to the Haunted House?”

Seonghwa glanced at his wrist watch, “In about ten minutes.”

“Oh, that’s great! Us too!” Seonghwa had an excited smile on his face as he waved at me and quickly ran up to San and Wooyoung, who were full on arguing by now. I chuckled and shook my head, but quickly jumped when someone gripped my arm.

“Who was that?” Wonwoo’s deep voice whispered in my ear and I turned to face him with a grin.

“Seonghwa!” I answered him and Wonwoo hummed as he released me and looked after Seonghwa who was now standing in between San and Wooyoung, talking and making exaggerated hand gestures. I had to laugh as I watched them. Wonwoo had known about Seonghwa, but he’s never seen him in person. Wonwoo and I started dating a few days after Seonghwa moved away.

“And those two idiots are his best friends, San and Wooyoung.” I explained to Wonwoo as he started eating our popcorn, “They are very loud, argue almost all the time and like to cause trouble. Poor Seonghwa…sometimes I pity him for having left him alone with those two devils.”

Wonwoo gave me a quick glance before he interlaced our fingers and pulled me away, walking us towards the Haunted House, “Well you’re not their mother, so I’m glad I stole you away.”

I rolled my eyes and gave Wonwoo a look, “You didn’t steal me away, dumbass, Seonghwa and I had broken up a year before I started dating you. The only thing you stole is my heart.”

My last comment brought a smug grin on Wonwoo’s lips and he kissed me before acting like nothing happened, “I love you.”

I laughed and leaned closer to him, “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

Wonwoo looked at me from the corner of his eyes, “You did.”

“No, I didn’t.” I shook my head and pouted at him.

“Yes, you did.”

“How could I, everyone is so loud and you were speaking so quietly.”

“I love you.” Wonwoo said with a groan, louder this time, and I giggled as I punched his stomach playfully and grabbed some popcorn into my hands. He rolled his eyes and rested his arm around my shoulders as we spotted the others in front of the Haunted House staying in line and joined them.

The Haunted House was a twenty-minute walk and it was quite well done. I got a good scare right as we started the tour, a killer doctor jumped in front of Wonwoo and I, and I screamed the loudest, scaring Sana and Vernon who were behind us. Wooyoung and San, who were at the front with Seonghwa, started laughing at me and I stuck my tongue out at Wooyoung. However, he got his payback when a black fake spider was dropped on his head and he almost passed out from screaming so loud, making the whole group erupt in loud laughter. Vernon seemed to like their vibes as he dragged Sana to the front to be with them and I chuckled as I looked at Wonwoo.

“San and Wooyoung can be fun people, but they tire you out very quickly.” I told my boyfriend as we walked through a very dark zone, ghostly voices coming from the speakers. I was holding his hand tightly and I could feel his shoulder grazing mine lightly.

“Did you spend a lot of time with them?” He asked curiously.

“I did,” I chuckled, remembering all the fun I used to have with them and Seonghwa, “On Friday’s we’d go to the diner and after we’d go karting, it was a lot of fun. It was a tradition of ours which was started by Wooyoung.”

“Sounds nice,” Wonwoo muttered and then I felt him squeezing my hand when we heard footsteps running behind us, “Why don’t we have something similar?”

His question made me think. I didn’t exactly know, maybe because Wonwoo didn’t invite me to hang out with his friends quite often, so I wasn’t very close to them besides Soonyoung, “I don’t know, I figured you don’t like it when I hang out with you and your friends.”

“That’s not true,” Wonwoo scoffed as a marionette was hung in front of us, dangling limply and I flinched, “I don’t mind you hanging out with us.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I told him as we were partially blinded by green neon lights, “You never told me that though. And you never invited me out with you guys either…”

Wonwoo was silent as he glanced at me and stepped in front of me when a man dressed in Frankenstein ran towards us. I could hear Sana giggling in the next room and I pulled Wonwoo after me, entering the room just in time to see Wooyoung threateningly throwing punches at a skeleton and cussing at it. San was laughing loudly and Seonghwa was apologizing to the masked man as he clutched his shoulder. Sana and Vernon were watching it unfold with amusement, and I chuckled as Wonwoo and I approached them.

“What did he do this time?” I asked Seonghwa while pointing at Wooyoung, but it was San who answered me.

“The vampire jumped out of its coffin and Wooyoung punched it.” It made me laugh too as Seonghwa dragged his friend away from the skeleton before bowing at the vampire guy again. The guy just told us to go on and went back inside his coffin.

“Ah, Y/N, finally!” Wooyoung exclaimed once he saw me talking to San and ran up to me, throwing his arm around my shoulders as he pulled me with himself to the front. I glanced back at Wonwoo, but he just smiled and nodded, joining Vernon and Sana at the back of the group. Soonyoung and the other three people who came with us seemed to be much more ahead of us, so our little group stuck together.

“I hear you’ve been causing problems all night long, Wooyoung.” I narrowed my eyes at my friend and he chuckled, placing a hand on his chest.

“Non-sense, was it Seonghwa who told you that? You know he’s always lying and overreacting!” I chuckled as Seonghwa slapped the back of Wooyoung’s head and San glanced back at us with a grin before he opened the next door. The room was pitch black and I gulped, a bit nervous about entering it. I knew Wooyoung wouldn’t release me, he knew I hated the dark, but I still preferred being with Wonwoo right now.

“It’s good that our gang is back together.” It was San who was talking and I lightly ran into him as he stopped to wait for us. He seemed unbothered by the whole tour and was just laughing at everything and making fun of Wooyoung any chance he got.

“Yeah, I missed you.” Wooyoung said and squeezed my shoulder as I lightly held onto his hoodie, scared a bit. I knew Seonghwa was next to me, on my left, and San in front of me and the others behind, but I still felt uneasy.

“I missed you too, although you’re being a pain in the ass—”

“Am not!” Wooyoung exclaimed and soon screamed as a strong light was flashed in our faces and fake bats came flying towards us. I screamed too and ducked as I held onto my head, scared they’d get entangled into my braided hair. San was laughing as he caught one and started antagonizing Wooyoung with it, running after him as they ran into the next room. Seonghwa was quick to approach me and help me stand, but Wonwoo was by my side instantly, and the two looked at each other as each held my arm. I chuckled awkwardly and shook off their grips, standing up on my own.

“Sorry, I hate bats.” I muttered embarrassed as Vernon and Sana walked by us.

“I know.” Both boys said at the same time and I felt awkward as they looked at each other before Wonwoo cleared his throat and Seonghwa scratched his nape.

“Uhm, let’s go?” I proposed and they both nodded as we took off, Seonghwa going in front of us as I intertwined my fingers with Wonwoo, who was glaring at the back of my ex-boyfriend’s head.

“Stop it.” I whispered at Wonwoo and his jaw clenched, “Wonwoo, you know he means no harm.”

“I don’t like it when other guys touch you, Y/N.” Wonwoo snapped at me and I sighed, side eyeing him.

“Jesus, he just tried to help me up—”

“I was there already; he didn’t have to.” Wonwoo’s voice raised lightly and I stopped walking and faced him as I was sure Seonghwa could hear it all and I didn’t want to make him feel more uncomfortable.

“Can you stop acting like this? Have I given you any reason to be jealous, Wonwoo?” I called out my boyfriend and he rolled his eyes, releasing my hand.

“You have no trouble being so friendly with him.”

“Maybe because we remained friends?!” I exclaimed and Wonwoo just sighed, walking by me, “Seriously?”

“What? I’m curious what’s in the next room.” He muttered and I rolled my eyes as I followed after him. What a way to ruin the little fun I started having. I just sighed as I followed behind Wonwoo, not even interested anymore in the Haunted House and all of the different masked people jumping out in front of me, trying to scare me. Seonghwa was back at the front, San and Wooyoung pulling him in all kinds of directions as he didn’t turn around anymore, keeping his distance. I felt bad for him and reminded myself to apologize for Wonwoo’s behavior, reassuring him that he did nothing wrong and Wonwoo sometimes overreacted. There were flashing lights in the room we were in currently and ghosts hung from the ceiling as people were screaming through the speakers. I sighed and shielded my eyes, the lights hurting them as I hurried towards the last door. The others were outside already and I was left behind, I didn’t notice that everyone walked out while I was getting lost in my thoughts. Just as I was about to touch the doorknob, a dressed up person jumped in front of me, blocking my way. I gasped and jumped back, eyes widening when I came face to face with a Ghostface. The person wore a black gown and a real looking knife was in its hand. My heart started racing and I started backing away from the person, getting flashbacks from the night they had shown up at my house.

“What—what are you—” The Ghostface chuckled and slowly approached me.

“I’m a Ghostface.” The voice was still as glitchy, but lower than the one I had talked to on the phone, “Hello, beautiful.”

I shuddered at the words and gulped, “Who are you?”

The person behind the mask chuckled and twirled around, “An actor? Hired by the Haunted House?”

My heart was racing, but their words seemed to calm me down a little bit. Of course, we were at the Haunted House and this person was an actor hired to scare people. And they did a good job at scaring me.

“Right, sorry—” I chuckled, “You gave me a good scare.”

“That’s my job.” The Ghostface bowed and I smiled, “Did you enjoy the tour?”

“Are you this nice and talkative with everyone?” I raised my eyebrows as I held my hands behind my back. The Ghostface started circling me, making me turn my head to see them.

“Only with the beautiful ones.” They answered and I rolled my eyes, not into cheesy flirting.

“How cheesy.” I muttered and the Ghostface seemed to laugh as they came to a stop in front of me. It looked as they looked down before raising their head back up and I saw the knife glinting in the dim light as it lightly touched my chin and they raised my head with it. The air caught in my throat a little as I felt the sturdiness of the knife. It was either a very real looking and feeling prop or it was a real knife.

“And tell me…do you like bad guys?” The Ghostface asked smugly and I laughed nervously.

“Not really.”

“Isn’t your boyfriend a bad boy?” Well, that’s not how I’d describe Wonwoo if someone asked me. He looked like a bad boy, but he was actually a very nice and loving guy.

“Not really,” I chuckled and quietly let out a sigh when the person lowered the knife from my chin, “He’s well raised and really nice.”

“And do you love him?” Wasn’t this Ghostface a little too curious?

“Of course I do.” I said matter of factly and the Ghostface hummed just as the door opened. Light poured in from the outside and I squinted until the door was closed again. I instantly recognized the person once my eyes adjusted to the light again, it was Seonghwa.

“Y/N, are you alright?” He asked worriedly as he walked up to me, “I saw you weren’t with the group and nobody knew where you were.”

I smiled at him sweetly and nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine. I just fell behind accidentally and Ghostface over there seemed to be quite interested.”

Seonghwa looked over to where the Ghostface stood and his eyebrows furrowed, “Oh? They didn’t show up when we walked through this room.”

I turned to look at the Ghostface as well and I gulped as dread washed over me, slowly realizing what was happening, “Seonghwa—” But before I could scream at him to run, the Ghostface charged at us and I yelped as they pushed me to the ground and pinned Seonghwa to the wall. I watched wide eyed as Seonghwa struggled against them and as I got to my feet, I saw the Ghostface raise their knife. My heart stopped for a second and I didn’t even realize I had screamed as the knife slashed Seonghwa’s abdomen. He cried out in pain and the Ghostface stepped back a bit as he angled their knife at Seonghwa’s stomach. I was shaking, but I couldn’t just sit on the ground and watch as they murder my ex-boyfriend.

“Y/N, run!” Seonghwa exclaimed as the Ghostface poked his stomach, but I was fast enough and got up in time and ran over, knocking the Ghostface aside. They gasped in surprise and I could feel their gaze burning into me through the mask. I turned to face Seonghwa and with shaky hands caught him as he slid down the wall.

“No, Seonghwa!” I exclaimed, hand getting bloody as I pressed it against his smaller wound, momentarily not knowing what to do.

“Get out!” Seonghwa whispered as he grimaced in pain, pulling out his phone. I turned around and came face to face with the Ghostface, gasping at the proximity. I didn’t know who was behind the mask, but I wasn’t about to go down without a fight. I punched their shoulder and took the knife out of their hand, throwing it on the ground as I started punching their abdomen. The Ghostface groaned and tried catching my hands, struggling to do so until they had me pinned against the wall. I tried fighting myself out of their hold, but they were stronger.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” The Ghostface said breathlessly and I glared at them, kneeling them, making them double over.

“You shouldn’t have hurt my friends!” I screamed and kneeled them in the stomach this time, sending the person onto the ground. I ran back to Seonghwa and saw him trying to call the cops, but there was no signal inside.

“Let’s go.” I whispered and tried to control my shaking as I attempted to help Seonghwa stand, but just as he warned me, I was tackled to the ground. I screamed again, and suddenly, a hand was muffling my screams. A bare hand. Long fingers, warm, soft palm. My heart was beating like crazy and I felt a tear run down my cheeks when I noticed the Ghostface holding the knife again. Was I about to die too? But they didn’t move, we were just staring at each other. The hold on my mouth seemed to loosen and I glanced down at it, heart jumping in my throat when I noticed two long, red scratches on the person’s hand. Why did they look like cat scratches? Why did their hand feel like Wonwoo’s? A groan to our right got both of our attention and I saw Seonghwa approaching us, almost stumbling, but as the Ghostface got off of me, Seonghwa swung his fist at the person’s jaw, sending them stumbling into the wall. I got up and grabbed Seonghwa, placing his arm around my shoulders as I held his hip and we made a run for the exit. He was groaning in pain but still remained strong as we could hear the Ghostface shuffling around and catching up with us, but just as I felt them gripping onto Seonghwa’s shoulder, I kicked the door open, light flooding the room. Everyone was standing there, waiting for us probably, and when they saw the blood coating Seonghwa’s torso and my hands, chaos erupted. Wooyoung ran up to us in despair and started shouting things, asking what happened as I yelled out for them to call an ambulance. Vernon rushed up to us and helped Wooyoung as they took Seonghwa’s weight off of me and carefully placed him on a nearby bench as San called for an ambulance. Sana was by my side instantly and I realized my whole body was shaking as I looked around for familiar faces. She was talking to me, but I was searching for one person. Jeonghan and Minghao looked shocked as they stood helplessly by the bench, watching Seonghwa struggling to stay awake. Wooyoung was freaking out and San was holding onto him tightly as they talked to Seonghwa, trying to divert his attention from the pain. Vernon was trying to stop the bleeding as his father is a doctor and he knows this and that. Soonyoung was off to the side, looking almost sick yet unimpressed as he talked on the phone with someone. And Sana was hugging me tightly, saying reassuring things to me which I was unable to hear due to my ears ringing. Wonwoo. Wonwoo wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I gulped and hugged Sana back, hearing the ambulance sirens in the distance. Wonwoo wasn’t here with us.

My mother was reluctant to let me go to school the next day, understandably so. I barely got any sleep after last night’s incident. As Seonghwa was placed inside the ambulance and driven to a hospital, two detectives approached the rest of us and started their questioning. We were brought to the side separately and asked to retell our whole night. Of course, I was the one they questioned first as they knew I was inside with Seonghwa when the attack happened. I was shaken up and on the verge of crying, but surprisingly, Wooyoung and San stood by my side and tried to cheer me up until my mother got to us. After finishing my retelling of story, I walked to the side and sat down, curling into a ball as I felt arms holding me. It was Sana and she remained quiet as she tried to offer me some support. I appreciated her gesture, but I would’ve preferred being left alone at the moment. My mind was swirling with questions and I was frightened out of my mind. Wonwoo was nowhere to be seen and I couldn’t help but think he was the one behind the mask. Could it really be my boyfriend? The killer? I bit my lower lip at the thought and my head whipped up as I heard Wonwoo’s deep voice, laced with terror and panic as he was asking around for me. Just as we made eye contact, the two detectives stepped in front of him and brought him aside to question him as well. I could feel his gaze on me, but my mother had arrived and she was by my side in an instant, helping me up and she gave me tightest hug ever. I started crying when I felt her arms around me and she quietly shushed me, thanking Sana for sitting with me. She noticed San and Wooyoung too, nodding at them as a small greeting before she walked me towards her car. I didn’t talk to Wonwoo that night, but perhaps it was good, because I had no idea what I could’ve said to him.

Mom insisted on driving me to school this morning and I didn’t object; I wasn’t in the mood to ride the bus and act as if I didn’t feel my classmates burning gazes. I knew everyone would whisper about me again. I hated this all. I hated the killer. I hated that Yerim wasn’t here. And I hated the fact that I was helpless and couldn’t help a person who once was so dear to me. Thankfully, Seonghwa got to the hospital in time as he was losing blood fast and since he was stabilized quite quickly, he’d survive. I asked my mother to stop by his ward from time to time, to check up on him. She complied happily and told me she’d update me; I was really thankful. Before getting out of her car, I kissed my mother’s cheek, making her smile sadly at me. I had dark bags underneath my eyes and despite tying my hair up, it looked like a mess. I felt miserable, and I looked miserable. The baggy clothes weren’t helping much to offer me comfort, all I could do was sigh and pull the hood of my hoodie over my head and walk to my classroom. Everyone seemed to have eagle eyes, because as soon as I opened the entrance door, people noticed me. Some started instantly whispering, there were a few who were ignoring me or stepping out of my way as if I would hurt them, some would stop conversing and stare at me like I was some sort of freak. I hung my head low and walked up to my locker, opening it to place my backpack inside it. I sighed as I got my science book and two notebooks out, off to walk to my classroom. Sana texted me that she wasn’t feeling well and she wouldn’t attend school today, apologizing for leaving me alone. I didn’t text her back, but I appreciated her letting me know. Surprisingly it was San and Wooyoung who approached me as I was walking up the stairs.

“Couldn’t sleep?” I heard San asking me and I raised my head, eyes wide.

“Oh, I didn’t see you—” Wooyoung had a warm smile on his lips and I looked back down at the ground, “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.”

“Us neither.” Wooyoung muttered and San cleared his throat, “We visited Seonghwa before coming to school.”

“How is he?” I asked quickly, looking back up at the two boys.

“He’s in pain, but he’s doing good despite that huge cut—” San elbowed Wooyoung and I gulped, averting my eyes from them, “I mean, he’s fine, don’t worry. He asked us to tell you that he’s grateful you saved him and he hopes you’ll visit him when you feel ready.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded at the two boys wordlessly, “Thank you.”

“No problem, you know where to find us.” San smiled and bumped his shoulder with mine lightly as we got to my floor, they had to go up one more flight of stairs. I nodded at them and they waved as they took off. I sighed and took off too, headed towards my classroom, the hallway not as packed as downstairs. A few students glanced at me but seemed to ignore me mostly, it made me feel slightly better. Not too good, but at least they weren’t staring or whispering. As I looked up, I suddenly froze. Wonwoo. He was standing next to my classroom’s door, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets as he was biting his lip, looking anxious. I gulped and slowly approached him, wary still. His head turned and when he noticed me he pushed off the wall and approached me, instantly pulling me into a hug. I felt tears in my eyes as I buried my head in his chest and Wonwoo rubbed my back up and down. I grabbed his jacket and tried to keep silent as I started crying, scared and confused. How could I think it was Wonwoo? My loving boyfriend. I was so scared something happened to him. But why was he not outside when everybody else was?

“I’m so glad—” Wonwoo’s voice was low and raspy, as if he had been screaming all night long, “I’m so glad you’re alright. I was so scared—I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you from that criminal, I—”

“Where were you?” I found myself whispering, desperately needing an answer to this one question only.

Wonwoo remained silent before he sighed, “I caught up with Soonyoung and then I went to the bathroom, when I got back everything had already happened—”

“Okay,” I whispered and sniffed, pulling my head back to look at him, “Don’t blame yourself. I’m fine and Seonghwa will recover.”

Wonwoo’s jaw clenched and as I was looking up at him, my eyes fell on his jawline. There was a small bruise forming, slightly greenish already. My eyebrows furrowed and I felt my heart starting to beat fast. Seonghwa—he punched the Ghostface in the jaw, same exact location, before we ran out. I gulped, hands slightly shaking, as I took Wonwoo’s right hand and interlaced our fingers, bringing it up to my eye level. Wonwoo watched me wordlessly, eyebrows slightly furrowed. I maintained eye contact as I brought his hand to my lips, pressing a kiss against it. And just before lowering it, I glanced down, and my blood ran cold. There. On his hand. Red scratches which Byeol left on him when they were playing. His hand, bare. Long fingers, warm, soft palm. I shivered and stepped back, releasing his hand as I tried to act nonchalant. Wonwoo watched me confused as I stumbled over my words.

“I—I have to go—” I opened the classroom door, avoiding eye contact, “I’m late.”

“Y/N—” But I stepped inside the classroom and slammed the door shut, biting my lower lip, whole body shaking as I approached my desk and sat down. It was Wonwoo last night. Right? Was it really him? What do I do?

My mother tried to switch her shifts with a nurse she was friends with, but she couldn’t make it. She didn’t want to take the night shift tonight, worried to leave me home alone, but I reassured her I would be fine. In fact, I felt like shit and didn’t want to be alone, but remained silent and decided to have a Harry Potter marathon, that way I wouldn’t fall asleep and could wait for my mother to return home in the morning. It was a Friday, so it would work out. I desperately needed a good sleep, but I could deal with that later. I cooked some dinner for myself and played with Byeol, but after she got bored and went to sleep in my room, I decided to take a shower and start the movie marathon. I definitely lost track of time while showering, because my phone kept ringing, but I didn’t feel like answering. My mother would never call me while working, so I knew it was Wonwoo. But I didn’t want to talk to him. My mind was a mess and I didn’t know what to believe anymore. He couldn’t be the killer, but some signs were pointing at him and it was eating me up alive. I was scared and confused. My gut told me to sleep on it and ask him tomorrow, but for some reason staying away from him felt most comforting. Getting out of the shower I got dressed in sweatpants and Yerim’s favorite pink hoodie, eyeing Wonwoo’s sweater resting on my chair. He left it here when he slept over and told me to keep it until he’d sleep over again. Brushing my fingers against it as I towel dried my hair with one hand, I shivered. Its scent once brought comfort, but now I felt uncomfortable. Byeol was sitting on my bed and for once it wasn’t storming outside, I was thankful. Just as I placed my towel on my desk, my phone rang again. I sighed and walked up to it as it was charging on my nightstand, and despite expecting it to be Wonwoo calling, it was an unknown number. My eyebrows furrowed and my heart started racing as I remembered the time when I spoke with the Ghostface on Yerim’s phone. I took my phone and walked to the window, looking through the curtain.

“Hello?” I asked as I picked up the call, chewing on my lip. There was some heavy breathing on the other side, freaking me out.

“Hi.” I froze for a second as the Ghostface’s robotic voice came through the phone. What did they want? Were they here to kill me? The thought sent panic through my body and I quickly made sure my window was locked before pulling down the blinds as well.

“What do you want?” I demanded, voice shaking but still harsh.

The Ghostface chuckled, “You gone.”

I shuddered as tears suddenly sprung into my eyes, “You killed Yerim, didn’t you?”

“I did.” Was their answer and I sniffed, wiping away a tear as I raced down the stairs, to make sure all doors were locked.

“Why?”

“Multiple reasons,” The Ghostface sighed as I checked the front door, “One, she was always rude to me. Two, she never gave me a chance and the list just goes on, Y/N.”

“So you killed her.” I said accusingly, checking the door in the living room as well. It wasn’t locked, but I locked it now and pulled the curtains closed as well.

“Well she pissed me off to my last nerve, didn’t have much off a choice—”

“You don’t kill someone because they piss you off!” I screamed into the phone, shaking and fuming. How could they?! Kill someone because they pissed them off?! This is not how life works.

“I do.” The Ghostface laughed and I felt like screaming.

“What do you want?” I repeated, body shaking from anger and fear too.

“To kill you, honestly, I’ve had enough of you too.” I gulped and turned by back to the door, walking back outside in the hallway.

“I won’t go down easy.” I muttered and the Ghostface just laughed.

“A fragile girl can’t do much damage to me, sweetheart.” They said and I chuckled sarcastically.

“You’ll have to wait for another night then, you can’t come in if the doors and windows are all locked.”

“They are locked, now.” I froze, heart thumping fast, “But they weren’t until you locked the one in the living room just minutes ago.”

The voice now didn’t come through the phone only, they were here. Inside. Close. Too close. Shakingly, I slowly turned towards the kitchen entrance, and screamed. The same person from the Haunted House was standing in the doorway of my kitchen. Black gown and a Ghostface mask, glows, and a sharp knife in their hand. The Ghostface laughed, dropping the phone as it took off towards me and I panicked, showing the phone in the hoodie’s pocket as I started running, headed for the laundry room. I quickly entered and locked the door, whimpering when the person started pounding on it. Why did they want to kill me? What did I do? Who was behind the mask? As I reached for my phone to call the police, the pounding stopped, the sudden silence making me jump. Did they leave already?

“If you don’t come out, I’ll start with Byeol.” I whimpered and covered my lips, tears streaming down my cheeks at the thought of the person killing my cat. How did they know her name? I couldn’t let them kill her, she was my everything, “I’m headed to find her—”

“Stop!” I screamed and gripped the doorknob, “I’ll come out, just don’t hurt her.”

The Ghostface laughed and I heard them grumbling, “Stupid people with love for their stupid animals.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, readying myself to face the criminal on the other side of the door. If I had to die tonight, then I would. But I wouldn’t go down without a fight. I was feeling extremely hot in the hoodie, but it was Yerim’s, and all of a sudden, a wave of bravery washed over me as if Yerim was telling me that I could do it, that I could survive. If she believed in me, then I could believe in myself too. Wiping my stray tears away, I unlocked the door. The click of it seemed to be so loud in the silence, and with shaking hands, I pushed open the door. It opened very slowly and I held onto the doorknob tightly. There it was. The Ghostface, leaning against the wall. I couldn’t see their face, but I could swear they were smirking. I was glaring at them, breathing hard as I released the doorknob.

“There you are.” They said in a sing song voice, suddenly raising their knife. It was my cue to run off. And so I did just that, I took off, and ran towards the kitchen. The only problem was that it had no doors and two entrances. My goal was to get the Ghostface to follow me outside, far away from my cat and close enough to other people to see and call the cops for me. Their loud thumping made it obvious enough that they were following me and I stopped in front of the sink, the counter putting distance between us. Nobody said anything, we just stared each other down. My muscles were tense and I felt the adrenaline kicking in, making my shaking even worse. Before the Ghostface could react, I took off again, running for the door. I barely got in the doorway, when a hand gripped my hair and I was hauled back. I cried out in pain and quickly groaned as I was thrown on the floor.

“Yerim screamed a lot more than you, you know?” The Ghostface taunted and I sneered at them as I got up, getting backed into the wall. What could I do? Take their knife would be an option. The Ghostface raised the knife and lightly grazed it against my neck, making me gasp. I was breathing through my mouth, barely able to think of my next move. They raised their other hand and gripped my neck, pulling our faces close to each other.

“But you both seem to be just as dumb—” And just like that I headbutted them. I didn’t wait for them to finish the sentence or plunge the knife in my stomach. The person stumbled backwards and dropped their knife in shock. What a dumb move. I reacted faster and picked it up in a flash, pointing it at them.

“How does it feel to have your own weapon pointed at you?” I hissed and the Ghostface groaned, starting to stomp their feet. Were they seriously throwing a tantrum right now? I watched confused, but stayed alert.

“You’re not ruining my fun tonight, Y/N!” They screamed and charged at me. The smart thing to do would’ve been running away and out of the house, but I froze. If I had the knife, could they still kill me? Of course, there were many ways to do that, but my brain went blank. And just last second, I dropped the knife, scared to stab anyone. I wasn’t a killer; I couldn’t do it. The Ghostface grabbed my neck and started squeezing it, but I was fighting back. I wasn’t about to die. I tried pushing him backwards, and it was working. The Ghostface was muttering things I couldn’t understand, but I stumbled and stepped on their long gown. The person tripped over my leg and before I knew it, their hands were gone from my neck and they were falling backwards. I gasped and watched as the person hit their head on the edge of the counter and fell to the floor limply. I stood shocked, not knowing what to do. They weren’t moving anymore, I carefully pushed their leg with my foot, but they didn’t react. I approached them, heart racing and forehead sweaty as I leaned down and touched the mask. I had to know. I had to know who killed my best friend, Mina, Seungkwan and tried to kill Seonghwa and now me. So, without thinking for another second, I ripped the mask off. I felt my body going numb at the sight, ears ringing as I stared down at the blond laying unconsciously on my kitchen floor. My lips started trembling and my body started shaking more violently as I clutched the mask tightly, hand hurting from the force. Kwon Soonyoung lay unconscious in front of me. Blood was slowly seeping from underneath his head. How could it be him? I started crying loudly and threw the Ghostface mask on the floor, stomping on it and screaming. How could he kill Yerim?! How could he! In all the ruckus and screaming, Byeol woke up and her loud meows were the ones which brought me back to reality. She was staying away, gazing at me with her big eyes, meowing loudly. I was sobbing and started walking towards her, when the doorbell rang. Once. Twice. Thrice. Knocking. Panicked screaming. Asking to be let inside. The voice of my boyfriend. Jeon Wonwoo. My boyfriend. Acting without much thinking, I ran up to the door and unlocked it, throwing it open. Wonwoo was panting and he gasped when he saw me. I flung myself into his body, hugging him tightly and crying loudly. He hesitated for a second before wrapping his arms around me and slowly walking me inside the house, closing the door behind us. I was crying, I couldn’t do anything else. Soonyoung killed my best friend because she didn’t like him back. Because she didn’t want to date him. Who kills for a reason like that! I couldn’t hear Byeol meowing anymore, Wonwoo was caressing my head and kissing it softly, muttering words to calm me down. I found my breath again and pulled away, finding comfort in his arms. He was here. He was here to witness it all. He was here to take Byeol and I away from this nightmare.

“He—he did—it.” I stuttered out, body shaking, “Soonyoung. He killed—everyone.”

Wonwoo’s face went blank as he looked towards the kitchen entrance, but the only thing he could see from here was the destroyed Ghostface mask on the floor. His grip seemed to loosen around me as he looked back at me.

“Soonyoung killed Yerim, Wonwoo.” I whispered as I wiped my tears away, “He killed Mina and—”

“He didn’t kill Mina.” Wonwoo’s voice was void of any emotion. I shivered, “He didn’t try to kill Seonghwa either.”

I shook my head, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What—what are you saying? He’s the criminal, he—” I winced when Wonwoo’s grip suddenly turned painful on my arms, and I stepped back. His bruise on his jaw was now a dark blue, it looked like it hurt a lot. The cat scratches on his hand were still red.

“You—” I gasped and slapped his hands away, taking a step back, “You killed—Mina and Seonghwa—”

“I failed to kill that bastard, but it’s not too late yet.” I started shaking my head, feeling like my whole world was ending.

“What are you saying, Wonwoo—” Suddenly he was all up in my face, holding my chin roughly as he made me look him in the eyes. His expression scared me. His eyes were almost black and manic as he stared into mine. His lips were curled into an amused sneer and all warmth had disappeared from his aura. This wasn’t Wonwoo. This wasn’t my boyfriend. This was someone else. Someone I didn’t know and was scared off.

“I killed Mina. I tried to kill Seonghwa and now—” His pause made me gulp, his voice was quiet when he continued, “I have to kill you too.”

I whimpered and started shaking my head, gripping his wrist, “No, Wonwoo—Listen to me, you’re not like this, I can—”

“How would you know what I am like when I never allowed you to see the real me?” His words felt like someone dropped a cold ice bucket on me, numbness washed over my whole body. Was it all fake? All this time? Everything between us?

“Did you ever love me?” I found myself whispering, it was the least important thing to know right now, but I had to know.

“I love you more than I have ever loved anyone.” I sniffled, heart breaking and head spinning. Before I could react in any way, Wonwoo’s lips crashed against mine. I was disgusted, I didn’t want to be kissing him. But I couldn’t help myself. I still loved him despite his terrible confession. Despite him saying he wanted to kill me, I still loved him. So I kissed him back with the same fire he was kissing me, our lips crashing against each other’s messily, painfully. Maybe it was our last goodbye, maybe it wasn’t. I didn’t know what this kiss meant, until I felt Wonwoo’s hands around my neck and my eyes flew open. He was squeezing me, not allowing an ounce of air into my lungs. I tried pulling my head back, but he wasn’t letting me. He was still kissing me, but I couldn’t do the same. I clawed at his arms, gripping his wrists and yanking on them but he wasn’t budging. I started seeing black and I felt like throwing up, finally, Wonwoo’s lips left mine and I tried gasping for air but it wasn’t working. I tried talking, but it wasn’t working. I was going to die. In Yerim’s favorite hoodie, by the hands of my once lover. My grip fell from Wonwoo’s wrists and I felt my legs giving out, body limp. I didn’t want to die, I really didn’t. Not like this. I had no power, yet something so strong, as if someone knocked the last gust of wind out of my lungs, gave me the power to raise my knee and kneel Wonwoo in the groins. It might’ve been weak, but Wonwoo yelped loudly and released me, my body falling to the ground. I started coughing and gasping, holding my burning neck as my head hung low. My lungs were on fire and my eyes filled with tears as I filled my lungs desperately with air. Wonwoo was doubled over, groaning and hissing in pain. Perhaps I could escape him. Walk around him and out the door. So I tried, I got up from the ground, legs almost buckling, but I tried. I started walking, catching Wonwoo’s attention as his head whipped up and he reached for me, but I stepped back. He was starting to straighten up, still groaning, realizing I was getting better. I barely had any power, but I was starting to breathe again. He lunged for me and I realized walking in the kitchen was my best escape right now. So, I entered and my eyes fell on an unconscious Soonyoung, making me shudder again. I tried to run, but my legs felt heavy. I went to walk around the counter and grab a knife, but Wonwoo grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. The knife Soonyoung was holding was in his hands now. I shook my head at him and begged him to let me go. We couldn’t figure this out, but he had to let me go. If he loved me, he would’ve done that. But he didn’t want to. The knife was angled at my stomach and I took a deep breath, turning my hand into a fist. I had no power left in me anymore, this was my last shot at life. So, as Wonwoo raised the knife to stab me, I punched his jaw, just where Seonghwa had punched him yesterday, and grabbed the knife with my other hand out of his. He groaned loudly and looked at me with an animalistic look in his eyes. The knife was pointed at him and one move sealed the deal. I guess he didn’t notice I pointed the knife at him as he ran straight into it. We gasped at the same time and stared at each other wide eyed. I didn’t want to do this, but he gave me no other choice. I released the knife and watched as Wonwoo fell to his knees, starting to cry. He was begging me for forgiveness and asking me to love him, but I couldn’t hear him. My ears were ringing.

“Byeol! Byeol!” I was screaming at the top of my lungs, throat scratchy from getting chocked. I heard a faint meow coming from the living room and ran inside, looking for my cat, “Byeol, please come here!”

And she showed up, she crawled out from underneath the sofa and ran up to me, coming into my arms as I picked her up. I shushed her and ran towards the front door, not sparing another glance inside the kitchen as I grabbed my phone from Yerim’s hoodie’s pocket. I stumbled off the stairs on the porch as I started getting light headed, but I managed to dial the police.

“112, what’s your emergency?”

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taronegertonthewelshboi · 1 year ago

Text

On the Road

Rockstar!eddie x Fem!Reader

Word count: 1.5k

Warnings: Swearing, allusions to sex. SFW. Use of Y/N

A/N: Please go easy on me for this. It’s been a very long time since i’ve written anything so excuse any poor writing or dodgy use of tense, but i just had this thought one night and said fuck it, lets share it. Enjoy. Feedback is appreciated and so are likes and reblogs 🙂

The squeaking of the brakes and crunching of gravel was enough to slowly bring you out of your slumber. It had been a few hours since you’d passed out on the scratchy sofa of their tour bus, but it had seemed needed after the past week of late nights and long journeys that had robbed you of energy. The heavy hand that had been stroking across your shoulder, squeezed your upper arm, “We’re here sweetheart.” Eddie’s voice sounded, laced with tiredness.

After years of blood, sweat and tears, Eddie had finally managed to make his childhood dreams real. He and the boy’s of corroded Coffin had made it to the big leagues, miles away from dingy bars and drunks that couldn’t care less who they were. They had been talent spotted and offered a small regional tour which, after completing last summer, had proven their name in the industry as one to look out for. Their success led them to now, their first leg of their national tour filled with multiple sold out shows. Eddie could have sworn he’d never felt more alive than he did when he got to perform to thousands of people every night, seeing how their music touched each and every one, much like he’d been affected by his own music heroes growing up. Getting to witness his dreams being fulfilled every night, had been a privilege, seeing new towns and cities that you probably would never have had the chance to before felt like the greatest gift you’d been given. You’d joined him on tour as support at first. He’d spent nights begging for you to join him. ‘Babe, please come! The boys all want you with us, plus i’ll miss you so much that i’ll combust if i have to spend too long away.’ He’d state each time you’d give a reason as to why it wouldn’t be possible. Eventually he’d pestered enough that you broke, agreeing to join him for the first 4 stops on the tour and then head back home, however that soon changed when you joined the guys selling merch and even creating items to sell, leading to your position in the group being upgraded from supportive girlfriend to executive roadie.

Blinking your eyes open, you were faced with Eddie's big brown eyes staring lovingly back into yours. They were now accompanied by dark undereye shadows, telling the story of a man who’d been working his ass off. “Morning sleepy girl.” He smiled. You reached up a hand to rub the sleep out of your eyes. “It’s morning?” You croaked.

“Only just, It’s gone 2am.” Eddie clarified glancing to his watch.

“Ugh, can i not just stay here?” You whined, tucking your face away and attempting to drift back to sleep.

Eddie chuckled softly, sliding his hand down your arm to grasp your hand, “Unfortunately not, we’ve got a nice big bed waiting for us and quite frankly i’d like to be in it right now.”

Just the mention of a bed, had you moving to get up. Despite having spent a good month on the road and being treated to a fairly comfy tour bus with all the amenities the guys could need, stopping at hotels and getting to sleep in a bed that wasn’t continually being rattled by the vibrations of an engine or having disturbances by people shuffling around in the night was a god send. You and Eddie had been lucky when given bunk assignments, seeing as you were the only couple in the group, you had been designated the only actual bed on the bus, whilst the rest of the guys had to make do with a single bunk bed that could just about house a small grown adult. ‘You guys can have the bed but just don’t make too much noise if you’re gonna fuck. Don’t really need to hear ‘how eddie is rocking your world’ or ‘how good my princess takes me’ is.’ Gareth had warned you two on the first night on the road, very much to the embarrassment of you but the humor of Eddie.

“Where are the guys?” You asked as you stretched out your muscles, hearing a satisfying click in your bones.

“They’ve already headed in. Jeff barely waited for the bus to come to a stop before he’d leapt off claiming he needed to pee.”

You smiled in response watching as Eddie gathered up both his and your overnight bags to bring into the hotel. He took your hand in his free one, leading you out the bus and towards the hotel reception. You were met with the rest of the tour party standing with bleary eyes and no energy, all ready to finally get some rest. Eddie nudged you in the direction of Gareth and Jeff who were standing resting against the wall, struggling to stay awake, whilst he went to source your room key.

“My eyes feel like they have papercuts.” Gareth grumbled.

“I could sleep right here.” Jeff responded. You gave both the boys sympathetic smiles.

Throughout the tour you’d grown closer to them, becoming almost like a sister to them. They’d come to you with all sorts of issues, from wardrobe help to romantic advice. Like any man that had an entire world of women at their feet, Gareth and Jeff made the most of being single and having their pick, resulting in plenty of one night stands and the occasional double hit.

“You seemed to have slept ok y/n, you were totally out.” Gareth remarked.

You sighed softly, “God I must have been shattered, I don't actually remember laying down.”

“You didn’t, I laid you down in my lap cause your head was hanging off your neck.” Eddie responded as he walked back over to you, this time with keys in hand. He handed Jeff and Gareth their keys each before swinging his arm to rest over your shoulders. “Couldn’t have my love waking up in pain.” he said as he pressed a kiss to your hairline.

Your heart swelled in your chest. Eddie had many ways of showing his affection for you, but his physical touch and care is the category he really shone in. From the gentle touches on the base of your back as he guided you through crowds of fans, to the all enclosing, full of love and affection, cuddles he’d provide whenever you wanted, the love eddie had for you couldn’t hide from his physical touch. The gesture of him adjusting your sleeping position on the bus purely to help you, was just another example of his love.

Eddie slid his arm down from your shoulders to connect your hands as he gently led you towards your bedroom for the night. Stepping into the elevator, he reached over to press the floor number, he didn’t even wait for the doors to fully close before he was encasing you in an embrace and guiding your lips up to meet his. Although gentle, his kiss was full of love, speaking all the words he could ever say.

He pulled back slightly, keeping your noses touching. “Thank you baby for coming with me. I know it isn’t easy, jesus, its fucking exhausting.”

You smiled in agreement, “It is. But it’s worth it.” You pushed back into him to connect your lips again. “I get to see my gorgeous rockstar boyfriend, singing and playing his heart out in front of screaming fans every night and know that at the end of the night, he’ll be in my bed, kissing my lips, giving his whole being to me.”

Eddie brings his hands to hold your cheeks as he kisses you again, however just before he can deepen it, the elevator doors re-open. Quickly he takes your hand again and pulls you along as he heads towards your room. He swiftly slips the key into the door, and pushes it open, gesturing for you to enter before him, ever the gentleman. As you take in the room, which is a mark sight better than the cramped bedroom on the tour bus, the door behind you shuts as two thick arms slide around your waist, and the warm breath of your lover fans down your neck.

“You are right.” He whispered as you tilted your neck to the side granting him space to pepper your skin with kisses. “Having a stunning woman, watching from the wings of the stage as I sing for her, knowing that I also get to be in her bed, kissing her and showing her pleasure that has her screaming my name every night is what makes this all worth it.”

His words send shivers down your spine, making you turn to face him. All feelings of tiredness fade from your body and are replaced with desire. Looking up into his eyes, you see that he is sharing the feeling. “Then come and show me.” You whisper just as you reconnect with his lips and walk him towards the bed.

He was right, touring is exhausting, but so were you. It’s all worth it for nights like these.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x femalereader #rockstar eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson fluff #rockstar!eddie munson

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minnie--verse · 3 months ago

Text

Pen Pals — A Park Sunghoon Fic

!!PART 2!!

(link to pt. 1)

Summary: You, Ren, are a college student, taking what you thought would be a normal composition class—until you’re assigned a pen pal with your professor’s second class. What happens when you fall for someone you know… but dont?

pairing: sunghoon x f!reader(ren)

genre: strangers to lovers, non idol au, crack, mostly fluff, later chapters to include possible angst//comfort, slow burn.

general warnings: college students!mc, slow burn, love square, swearing, possible adult content in future chapters.

word count: ~5.4k

thank u for reading<3

— — — — — — — — —— — — — — — —

You step outside into the cool, cloudy afternoon, pulling your jacket tighter around you as the breeze picks up. The sky is a blanket of gray, the kind that makes everything feel a little more subdued, a little quieter. It’s the perfect day for the library—no distractions, just the soft rustle of pages and the occasional creak of old wooden chairs.

As you walk, your thoughts drift to the research paper you need to work on. It’s not due for another week, but you know yourself well enough to start early, especially with all the other assignments piling up. The library is usually your go-to spot for this kind of thing—somewhere you can focus without the constant buzz of your phone or Callie’s persistent banter.

You cross the campus, your shoes tapping lightly against the pavement, and soon the grand, old building looms ahead. The library always had a certain charm, with its towering bookshelves and the faint smell of worn paper and ink that seems to cling to every corner. Today, though, it feels a little different, like there’s something waiting for you inside, though you can’t quite place why.

Pushing the heavy wooden door open, you’re greeted by the familiar, comforting silence. The warmth of the space wraps around you, a stark contrast to the chilly air outside. You make your way to the front desk, where the librarian—a woman in her fifties with sharp eyes but a kind smile—looks up from her computer.

“Hi,” you say quietly, not wanting to disturb the stillness. “I reserved a study room for the afternoon.”

The librarian nods, typing something into her computer. “Yes, I see it here. Room 204, just down the hall to the right.”

“Thanks,” you reply, offering a small smile as you turn toward the hallway she indicated.

As you walk, your mind starts to wander. You can’t help but think about everything you need to get done—research, notes, the first draft. But there’s also a part of you that’s relieved to have a reason to escape for a while, to lose yourself in the work and forget about everything else, even if just for a few hours.

The hallway is dimly lit, the soft glow from the overhead lights casting long shadows against the walls. Room 204 is near the end, and when you reach the door, you hesitate for just a second. There’s no real reason for it, just a strange feeling in your gut that you can’t shake. It’s probably just nerves, you tell yourself, shaking your head slightly as you reach for the door handle.

But when you push the door open, you stop dead in your tracks when you saw someone is already inside.

He’s sitting at the small table, a book open in front of him, his back to you. Dark hair falls just above his collar, and even though you can’t see his face, there’s something familiar about him. Your heart skips a beat as recognition dawns on you.

It’s him—the guy you bumped into at the park.

He hasn’t noticed you yet, too absorbed in whatever he’s reading. For a moment, you consider backing out quietly and pretending you never saw him, but you know that’s not an option. This is your reserved room, after all.

You take a deep breath, trying to steady the sudden fluttering in your chest. It’s not like you did anything wrong, and it’s not like you’re going to see him outside of this small coincidence, right? But still, something about him being here—being so close—makes you feel off-balance.

With another deep breath, you clear your throat gently to get his attention. When he turns around, his eyes meet yours, and for a split second, you think you see a flicker of recognition in them too.

“Um, I think this room was reserved…” you say, your voice coming out a little softer than you intended.

He blinks, his expression unreadable, before he nods slowly. “Is it? Sorry,” His tone is neutral, but there’s something in his gaze that feels like he’s sizing you up, trying to figure you out.

You’re not sure what to say, so you just nod, feeling awkward under his stare. “It’s fine. I just… I need to get some work done, so…”

He stands up, closing his book and tucking it under his arm. “I’ll get out of your way.”

For some reason, the thought of him leaving so abruptly makes your chest tighten. Before you can stop yourself, you blurt out, “You can stay if you want. I mean, as long as you don’t mind sharing.

He looks at you, surprised, like he wasn’t expecting that at all. For a moment, you’re worried he’s going to refuse and leave anyway, but then he just shrugs. “Alright.”

You sit at the small table, trying to focus on your notes and ignore the occasional flicker of movement from across the room. The guy has settled into the seat a few chairs down from you at the large table, his presence making the room feel just a bit smaller. The quiet hum of concentration fills the space, but your mind keeps drifting back to the bump into him at the park.

You mentally berate yourself. Why did you have to be so fucking awkward? It’s not like you did anything wrong. But the way he looked at you, the way he seemed to regard you with that detached curiosity—ugh, you wish you could rewind and handle it better.

After a while, you notice he’s glanced your way a few times, maybe sensing your quiet discomfort. You try to focus harder on your work, shuffling your papers and flipping through your textbook with renewed determination. It’s hard, though, when you keep catching his eye.

Finally, he puts down his book and clears his throat, breaking the silence. “I’m Sunghoon. I uh… I’m sorry if I’ve been a distraction,” he says, his tone softer than before. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

You look up, caught off guard by his sudden attempt at conversation. He seems almost... tentative, like he’s trying to find the right way to approach. You manage a small, slightly awkward smile. “I’m… Ren, and it’s really okay. I mean, you’re not really distracting me. I’m just... not very good at this whole ‘sharing a study room’ thing.”

He raises an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, I get that.”

You nod, feeling a bit of the tension ease. “Actually, I owe you an apology for earlier. In the park. I kind of ran into you without paying much attention.”

Sunghoon’s eyes narrow slightly as he tries to place the memory, and then he nods slowly, as if recalling the encounter. “Oh, right. I remember. It’s fine, really. I was lost in thought myself.”

“Well, I’m sorry anyway,” you say, feeling a bit sheepish. “It was kind of a clumsy moment on my part.”

“It’s no big deal,” he replies, his tone a touch warmer now. “I guess it’s a bit of a coincidence running into you here.”

You raise an eyebrow, curious. “Do you come to this library often?”

“Not really,” he admits. “I was just looking for a quiet place to get some reading done. I didn’t think I’d end up sharing it with someone else.”

There’s a moment of silence as you both absorb this new, somewhat awkward dynamic. It’s strange, talking to him now in this confined space when you barely knew him before. But there’s something oddly comforting about it, too.

“What are you working on?” he asks, shifting slightly in his seat.

You glance at your notes, feeling a little self-conscious. “Just a research paper. Nothing too exciting.”

He huffs a small laugh through his nose. “Riveting.”

You both share a brief, understanding smile, the kind that comes from knowing exactly how tedious academic work can be. The conversation feels surprisingly easy, considering the earlier tension.

“You know,” you say, trying to make light of the situation, “if you need to, you can borrow a book or something. I’ve got a few extra on my shelf.”

Sunghoon’s eyebrows rise in mild surprise. “Thanks. I might take you up on that.”

The atmosphere in the room shifts slightly as you both settle into a more comfortable silence, the initial awkwardness melting away. For a moment, it feels like maybe this unexpected encounter isn’t so bad after all.

You go back to your work, but the room no longer feels quite as small or as suffocating. The quiet hum of the library surrounds you as you both settle into your work. The occasional shuffle of papers and the soft scratching of pens fill the room, but now it feels more like a shared experience rather than a series of isolated activities.

After a few minutes, Sunghoon shifts in his seat, glancing over at you. “What’s your paper about?”

You look up from your notes, surprised by the question but pleased to explain. “It’s about the impact of narrative structure on character development in contemporary fiction. I’m analyzing how different authors use varying narrative techniques to shape their characters and drive the story forward.”

Sunghoon nods, a slight frown of concentration on his face. “Interesting. Sounds hard.”

“It is,” you agree, feeling a bit more animated. “But it’s actually kind of fun to dive into. I love seeing how different techniques can change the reader’s perception of a character. Like, one author might use a nonlinear timeline to create suspense, while another might use multiple perspectives to deepen the character’s backstory.”

He tilts his head slightly, considering your words. “Sounds like you’re really into it.”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” you admit with a shrug. “It’s just one of those things that fascinates me. How authors can play with structure to make their stories more engaging or thought-provoking. What about you? What are you working on?”

Sunghoon’s eyes narrow slightly as he gathers his thoughts. “Literature analysis, mostly. Nothing thrilling. Trying to make sense of a few old texts for a class.”

“That sounds standard,” you say, nodding sympathetically. “Sometimes the older texts can be challenging, especially when trying to find their relevance to modern contexts. Do you find it difficult?”

He shrugs. “Sometimes. It’s tough to relate to stuff written that ago.”

You nod, understanding his struggle. “Yeah, I get that. It’s like trying to connect with a different time period’s way of thinking and values. But sometimes, it’s surprising how much those old texts can reflect on our current world.”

Sunghoon considers this, looking thoughtful. “I suppose that’s true. There’s always something to learn, even if it’s not immediately obvious.”

You smile at his insight. “Exactly. And sometimes, the connections we find are what make studying those texts worthwhile.”

A comfortable silence falls between you as you both return to your work. Every so often, you catch Sunghoon glancing up, his eyes meeting yours briefly before he goes back to his reading. It’s not uncomfortable—more like a silent acknowledgment that you’re both sharing this space in a new way.

After a while, Sunghoon speaks again, his tone casual but curious. “So, do you always come here to study, or is this a rare occurrence?”

You think about it for a moment. “I usually come here when I need to focus. There’s something about the quiet that helps me concentrate better than anywhere else. Plus, the library has this really calming atmosphere. Do you come here often?”

“Not really,” he admits. “I just needed a quiet spot today. I don’t usually spend much time here.”

You raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “Is there another place you prefer?”

He smirks slightly. “Not really. I guess I just like switching things up. Keeps it from getting too monotonous.”

You laugh softly, appreciating his perspective. “I get that. Sometimes a change of scenery can make a big difference. Though, I have to admit, the library has its own charm.”

Sunghoon’s expression softens a bit. “Yeah, I guess it does. It’s not so bad, being here with someone.”

You feel a warm flush of satisfaction at his words. “I’m glad you think so. It’s nice having some company.”

The conversation flows easily, punctuated by shared smiles and understanding nods. As you both continue working, the initial awkwardness has transformed into a subtle camaraderie. The library, with its muted tones and soft light, feels like a fitting backdrop for this unexpected connection.

Hours pass, and before you know it, the sun has begun to set outside, casting a gentle glow through the library windows. The shared silence now feels comfortable rather than tense, and the occasional exchanges between you and Sunghoon have become a pleasant part of the study session.

As the sky outside darkens, you finally close your notebook with a sigh, realizing that your study session has come to an end. You stretch your arms above your head, feeling the slight ache from sitting still for so long. Sunghoon, across the table, seems to have reached the same conclusion as he closes his book and glances over at you.

“I think that’s enough for today,” you say, your voice cutting through the comfortable silence.

He nods, offering a small smile. “Yeah, I think so too. Thanks for sharing the room with me.”

“No problem,” You reply, standing up and gathering your things. “See you around, maybe?”

You watch as he leaves, his presence lingering in the air long after the door closes behind him. It’s strange how quickly the dynamic between you shifted from awkward strangers to something almost resembling camaraderie. Shaking off the thought, you pack up your own things and head out into the now dimly lit hallway.

As you walk home, your thoughts drift to the letter you received earlier. The one from “Snow,” written in scratchy black ink. The way he described that winter night had captivated you—how the snow had fallen silently, blanketing everything in white, creating a world that was both serene and isolating. There was something poetic in the way he captured the moment, as if he was seeing the world through a lens that most people overlook.

You drop your bag by the door, letting out a tired sigh as you kick off your shoes. The familiar warmth of your apartment wraps around you, and the comforting smell of whatever Callie’s cooking wafts from the kitchen. She’s at the stove, stirring a pot, but her eyes light up when she sees you.

“Finally back, huh? How was the library?” she asks, a teasing lilt in her voice. She’s already grinning, sensing you might have something interesting to share.

You head to the kitchen, leaning against the counter. “It was... eventful, actually.”

Callie raises an eyebrow, her interest piqued. “Oh? Do tell.”

You try to keep your tone casual, but there’s no hiding the surprise in your voice. “So, remember that guy I told you about? The one I ran into at the park?”

Callie’s grin widens. “Yeah, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody. What about him?”

“Well, I reserved a study room at the library, right? And guess who was already in there when I walked in?”

Her eyes go wide, and she immediately stops stirring. “No fucking way. You’re kidding.”

“I’m serious,” you say, feeling a mix of disbelief and something you can’t quite place. “He was just sitting there, reading, like it was the most normal thing in the world.”

Callie puts down the spoon and gives you a knowing look. “That’s it. It’s fate. The universe is literally throwing you two together and you can't even deny it.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “Fate? Really? More like a weird coincidence. He didn’t even remember me at first.”

Callie smirks, crossing her arms. “Oh, please. A guy like that? He remembered. He’s just too cool to show it.”

You roll your eyes, but you can’t help the smile tugging at your lips. “Anyway, we ended up sharing the room. It was awkward at first, but then we actually talked a bit. He’s... different than I expected.”

“Different how?” Callie leans in, clearly invested now.

“He’s quiet,” you explain, trying to find the right words. “But not in an unfriendly way. Just... reserved. And he’s not as intimidating as he seemed at the park. We talked about our classes, and it was kind of nice.”

Callie wiggles her eyebrows. “Nice, huh? So, when’s the wedding?”

You laugh, lightly smacking her arm. “Stop. It’s not like that. It was just a study session.”

“Sure, sure,” she says, grinning like a cat, “But you know what they say: first the study session, then the joint library card.”

“Oh my God, you’re insufferable,” you groan, but you can’t help but laugh with her.

Callie picks up the spoon again, but she’s still eyeing you with that mischievous glint. “Okay, jokes aside, you have to admit it’s a little weird. Running into him twice like that? There’s something there, Ren. I’m telling you.”

You shake your head, trying to stay grounded. “It’s just a coincidence, Callie. It’s not like a stupid meet cute where he asked for my number.”

She smirks, clearly unconvinced. “Mmm-hmm. Well, coincidence or not, I say you keep an eye out for the next encounter. It’s like watching a drama, and I need the next episode.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you say, smiling as you turn to leave the kitchen.

“Oh, wait!” Callie suddenly calls after you, her voice filled with excitement. “What about the pen pal thing? Did you get a letter back today?”

You pause, remembering the note from “Snow” in your bag. “Yeah, I did. This one--” You say as you hand her the paper, “He wrote about a snowy night, and it was really beautifully written. It felt more personal than my story about baking like a lizard, I guess.”

Callie’s eyes light up even more. “A mysterious, poetic pen pal and a broody study buddy? Ren, your life is turning into a rom-com, and I’m here for it. You have two love interests now--”

You can’t help but laugh as you head to your room. “Yeah, no. I have zero love interests and you’re completely delusional.”

Once in your room, you pull out the letter from Snow and read it again, feeling the weight of his words. There’s something about the way he describes the snowfall that resonates with you, like he’s inviting you into a moment only he could truly capture.

With Callie’s advice still in mind, you sit down at your desk and start to write your response. This time, you decide to keep it light—something more casual, to balance the seriousness of his letter.

Snow,

Honestly, I’m really impressed with your description of that night. There’s something about the way snow can transform the world into something quiet and serene… Your words really captured that feeling, and I found myself thinking about it all day.

As for me, I’ve been pretty busy with schoolwork. I’m an art student, so my days are filled with sketching, painting, and trying to figure out how to make my final project look even halfway decent. It’s a bit stressful, but I guess that’s just part of the process, right?

I’ve also been spending a lot of time with my best friend. She’s kind of a wild card—really funny, but usually at my own expense kind of way--She’s always finding ways to keep things interesting. I don’t know what I’d do without her, honestly. She keeps me grounded, especially when I’m getting too caught up in my own head. Do you have a friend like that?

Anyway, I hope you’re doing well. I’m curious to hear more about you—what you’re studying, what you like to do for fun, that sort of thing. I feel like we’re getting to know each other in this strange, anonymous way, and I have to admit, it’s not as terrible as I thought it would be.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best, Sunny

You read over the letter once more, feeling satisfied with the tone. It’s casual, friendly, and maybe a bit more revealing than your first one, but that’s okay. You want to keep this exchange light, maybe even bring a bit of normalcy into the otherwise mysterious and poetic correspondence.

Folding the letter carefully, you tuck it into an envelope and address it to “Snow.” As you seal it, you feel a strange mix of anticipation and curiosity. There’s something nice about not having to worry about a physical interaction, something calm about waiting a week to hear back.

— — — — — — — — —— — — — — — —

As Sunghoon stepped out of the library, the evening air greeted him with a cool breeze that ruffled his dark hair. He pulled his jacket tighter around him, his thoughts lingering on the girl he had just spent the last few hours with. The encounter still played in his mind, like a scene from a film he couldn’t quite figure out.

Ren. The name floated through his mind as he walked, hands in his pockets, keeping his gaze low and his steps measured. She was different from what he had expected—easier to talk to, less guarded than he had assumed. The way she had apologized for bumping into him at the park was almost... charming. It wasn’t often that he found himself in such situations, let alone with someone who could engage him in conversation without making him feel like he had to put on an act.

As he approached his apartment building, his thoughts shifted to the letter he had written earlier, the one to his mysterious pen pal, Sunny. The fact that he was even participating in this anonymous exchange still baffled him, but there was something about her letters—something that drew him in, made him want to write back. He was never one to share much about himself, but with Sunny, it felt different. Maybe it was the anonymity, or maybe it was the way she seemed to genuinely appreciate the small details he chose to reveal.

He pushed open the door to his apartment, the familiar scent of takeout hitting him as soon as he stepped inside. Jake was sprawled out on the couch, one arm thrown over his eyes as he half-heartedly flipped through channels.

“Hey, man,” Jake called out as Sunghoon shut the door behind him. “Where’ve you been? You’re usually back earlier.”

“Library,” Sunghoon replied, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it by the door. “Needed to get some work done.

Jake sat up, his interest piqued. “Library, huh? That’s not like you.”

Sunghoon hesitated for a moment before responding. “Needed to study. Remember that girl I mentioned? The one from the park?”

Jake’s eyes widened in recognition. “The one you said was too spacey to be in public?”

Sunghoon nodded, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Yeah. Ran into her again. Apparently she’d reserved the study room I was in and I didn’t realize. We ended up sharing it.”

Jake let out a low whistle, clearly amused. “Bro… come on…”

“Don’t start,” Sunghoon warned, rolling his eyes as he dropped onto the couch beside Jake.

Jake chuckled, nudging him playfully. “Come on, man. Twice in a row? That’s gotta mean something.”

Sunghoon leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “It doesn’t mean anything—it’s different. We go to the same school, we’re bound to see the same people.”

Jake raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Different how?”

“Just... not what I expected,” Sunghoon said, his thoughts drifting back to Ren. “She’s easy to talk to. Not like most people.”

Jake grinned. “Easy to talk to, huh? That’s high praise coming from you. So, what’d you two talk about?”

Sunghoon shrugged, trying to play it off. “School, mostly. She’s nice…an art student. We talked about our classes, what we’re working on.”

Jake’s grin widened. “Nice? Dude, you’re practically gushing. What happened to Mr. Stoic?”

“Shut up,” Sunghoon muttered, though he couldn’t help the small smile that formed on his lips. “It’s not like that. She’s just... interesting.”

“Interesting is good,” Jake said, giving him an encouraging nudge. “So, are you gonna see her again?”

Sunghoon hesitated, thinking about the letter he still needed to send back to Sunny. “I don’t know. Maybe. But there’s something else I’ve been thinking about.”

“Oh? What’s that?” Jake asked, sensing there was more on Sunghoon’s mind.

Sunghoon sighed, pulling out the letter he had received from Sunny earlier that week. “This. It’s from my pen pal. We’re supposed to be writing to each other all semester. Her name’s Sunny—at least, that’s what she calls herself in the letters.”

Jake leaned in, curiosity piqued. “Sunny? That’s cute. What’s she like?”

Sunghoon handed Jake the letter, watching as his friend’s eyes scanned the elegant cursive, the purple ink standing out against the white paper. Jake let out a low whistle as he finished reading.

“Wow, this girl can write,” Jake said, clearly impressed. “So, what’s your deal with her?”

Sunghoon leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t know. It’s weird, but... I like writing to her. She’s different. I don’t even know what she looks like, and maybe that’s why I like talking to her, there’s no physical interaction—I just feel like I’m getting to know her better than most people I see every day.”

Jake handed the letter back, nodding with raised brows. “Sounds like you’ve got yourself a pen pal crush, my dude.”

“It’s not a crush,” Sunghoon insisted, though the thought made his cheeks warm slightly. “It’s just... interesting. The whole anonymous thing. Makes it easier to be honest, I guess.”

Jake nodded knowingly. “Well, whatever it is, it sounds like you’ve got something good going. Maybe you’ll figure out who she is by the end of the semester.”

“Maybe,” Sunghoon mused, his thoughts drifting back to both Sunny and Ren. What were the chances that two completely different people would enter his life in such an unexpected way? And why did it feel like there was a connection he couldn’t quite grasp yet?

Jake gave him a playful shove. “Well I think it all means you have to make a move on one of them, or hell both. Shoot your shot you know? You have a connection with both of them, now’s the chance.”

“No, no—I barely know either of them,” Sunghoon sighed, shaking his head.

”Not yet, you don't,” Jake said pointing at his friend, “But that’s why you gotta star somewhere. Get to know her, show some interest. If it doesn’t work out then no harm done, right?”

Sunghoon hesitated, thinking about the easy smile Ren gave him and the way she seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get to know her or was against it, he just didn’t really know how to go about it. Making friends was harder than Jake made it seem.

”I’m not exactly…. thrilling to talk to,” Sunghoon admitted.

Jake laughed, “You don't have to be easy to talk to, bro. You just have to be yourself. You’re quiet, sure but people like to know they’re being listened to and you’re great at that. Plus the air of mystery would benefit you, she’d have interest in unpacking your broody personality. Maybe next time ask her about her art stuff. Just show a bit of interest, you know?”

Sunghoon frowned slightly, mulling over the advice, “Sure, I guess I could try that.”

”See! And you write well so maybe you can try to snag Sunny, too,” Jake nodded approvingly.

”I—“ Sunghoon looked at the purple ink on the letter he was holding, “—really like Sunny’s letters….”

Jake’s grin turned sly, “See, you’ve got options man! Maybe she’s cute too, you’ll never know. Like I said, maybe you’ll meet her one day.” Jake shrugged, looking at the TV for a moment, “You’re in a pretty sweet spot, my friend. Two girls, both of the interesting, and you get both of their attention.”

Sunghoon sighed, feeling the weight of jake’s words. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to try—he just wasn’t used to putting himself out there to meet new people like this. Maybe Jake was right though, maybe it was time to make an effort to see where things might go, whether with Sunny or with Ren.

Sunghoon bid Jake a good night, and retired to his room. He was feeling a mix of apprehension and something else—something that felt a little like excitement. He thought about that fact that he should be getting a letter soon, and what he would say in response, how he might approach Ren if he saw her again. It was new territory for him, but maybe it was time to step out of his comfort zone.

As he lay in bed, his thoughts drifted back to that snow night he wrote about to Sunny—and the way simply being around Ren in the study room made him want to talk to her. Maybe Jake was right—not that he was right often—but he could try.

Sleep came slowly, his mind filled with the image of a snow-covered night and a pair of curious eyes that seemed to see right through him.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

ending note —

hehehe!! promised part two!! I’m really enjoying this prompt so I’m literally pumping these out as fast as I can bc even I’m excited for what happens next.

I love you and thank you for reading my little corner of tumblr<3

#enhypen #enhypen fic #enhypen sunghoon #park sunghoon #sunghoon fic #park sunghoon fic #sunghoon #college au #college au sunghoon #enhypen college au #enha #enha college au #enha sunghoon #enha sunghoon fic #enha fic #enha park sunghoon

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cheerscoops · 5 months ago

Text

Wherever You Point To I’ll Find ~ Steve Harrington x Chrissy Cunningham

Nobody expected a budding romance between Steve and Chrissy when they were invited on this graduation road trip. But, as the two spend more and more time together away from the pressures their families, they just might find that they’re the perfect match.

masterlist | prev. | next

Tags: modern au, road trip, mutual pining, fluff, angst, discussion of mental health and body issues, eventual smut, adult themes and swearing throughout

Word Count: 12.2k

It was nearly impossible for Chrissy to get Steve up for the day, and she really only had herself to blame. Instead of staying up after the sunrise, she’d pulled him back to bed because she wasn’t ready for him to stop holding her just yet. She’d had the realization that admitting her feelings to him could make this all go away if he didn’t feel the same way about her, and she selfishly wanted to hold on to the daydream of being his for as long as she possibly could. And if that meant snuggling up to him in bed for just a little longer, that's exactly what she was going to do.

But a quick glance towards the clock on the nightstand told her that Nancy and Eddie would be expecting them downstairs for breakfast soon, and that meant that getting ready for the day and making sure their bags were packed was a necessity.

“We really should be getting up now,” she told him. “Unless you want Eddie to break the door down and drag us out.”

“I'd like to see him try.”

He hugged her to his chest a little tighter, making no moves to get up.

“Or maybe Nancy will have him hotwire your car and leave us stranded here.”

“They wouldn't. They like you too much.”

“But they don't like you enough?”

“Not as much as they like you.”

Chrissy rolled over in his arms to face him - their faces so close that their noses were practically touching - and frowned at him.

“That's not true. You were part of this trip from the start, so you're clearly the favorite.”

“Don't make me force you to put another dollar in the jar.”

“That was not a dig at myself, and you know it. You can't make me give you a dollar for that.”

“Yes, I can. That's the beauty of the jar. I made it, so I get to make all the rules. Perfectly sound logic if you ask me.”

“You're terrible.”

“Am I really all that bad?” he asked.

She knew that the smile on her face betrayed her true thoughts, but she took a page from Eddie's book and committed to the bit.

“The absolute worst actually,” she teased.

“It must really suck for you to be trapped here then. Since I'm obviously so repulsive,” he teased right back.

“Careful, Steve. This is the second morning in a row where you've refused to let me get out of bed. I'm starting to think you might have ulterior motives here.” She repeated his words from the night before hoping that he'd stay in on the joke with her.

“Maybe I do.”

And just like that, the teasing nature of their conversation was gone, and this all felt far too real and intimidating for her. It would be so easy for her to admit that she wanted him to have ulterior motives. That she had them, too, and that everything in her was screaming to tell him how she really felt. Her gaze flicked down to his lips for just a moment, and she was struck by just how easy it would be for her to close the almost nonexistent gap between them and kiss him. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, and every second that she stayed quiet felt like an eternity as she struggled between what she wanted to do and what she should do. And while what she wanted was for him to kiss her until she was breathless and stupid enough that she forgot her own name, she knew that what she needed to do was get out of that bed immediately and put some distance between them before the impulsive parts of her ruined everything.

She couldn't tell him how she felt while they were in bed together. Logically, she knew that Steve was nothing like Jason, and she didn't think he'd try to pressure her into something more if she admitted her true feelings, but that fear was still there with its ever-present and aching gnawing feeling. And she couldn't explain these fears without telling Steve about her whole messy relationship, and that would mean admitting things to him that she'd never told anyone. Not even Eddie who she normally told everything, and he was the one who'd held her hand through her breakup. She couldn't be that open and vulnerable with Steve until she knew for sure that she could trust him with her heart.

She also knew that they had to get out of bed, but if that happened because Steve was pushing her away in disgust or anger over the fact that she wouldn't put out, it would absolutely destroy her. She wasn't equipped to handle that kind of rejection. Not when she knew they still had so much time to spend together on this trip. She still planned on telling him how she felt that day, but this wasn’t the right moment no matter how much she wanted it to be.

So, instead of doing what she really wanted, she let her panic take over as she lifted Steve's arm off of her and climbed out of bed.

“I'm going to go get dressed,” she said as she grabbed her bag off of the spare bed. “You should probably do the same.”

She avoided looking at him as she ran into the bathroom, but if she'd turned to face him for just a moment, she would have seen him looking confused and a little hurt by her actions.

***

Steve spent the better part of the morning silently kicking himself for whatever he did that scared Chrissy away. He was just keeping up with what he thought was a bit of playful flirting, but the second he tried to hint at how he really felt, she froze on him and ran away. He’d been thinking that she felt the same way, but now she had him second guessing every interaction he’d had with her and looking for anything he could have missed that would have resulted in her fleeing the bed like he really was repulsive to her.

He was so deep in thought that he barely spoke during breakfast, and he didn’t react at all when Eddie convinced Chrissy to put on his personal Motionless in White mix. He almost missed Nancy asking him to stop for a bathroom break, too, but Eddie kicked the back of his seat and snapped him out of it for long enough that he was able to find a decent place for them to stop.

Chrissy ran off to the bathroom with Nancy, and as soon as they were out of earshot, Eddie was practically diving over the center console to climb up into Chrissy’s seat.

“What is up with you today?” he asked as he situated himself. “You’ve been zoned out this whole time, and we were starting to worry you were gonna crash the car.”

“It’s nothing,” Steve replied. “Just something stupid.”

“Well, is it stupid, or is it nothing? Because I don’t think it can be both.”

“I think I messed up with Chrissy, and I don’t know what I did, so it’s messing with my head a little.”

“You wanna tell me what happened?”

“That depends on how much of a dick you’re going to be.”

“How much of a dick I am depends on what you did to her.”

“That’s the thing. I didn’t do anything to her. At least, I don’t think I did.”

Steve let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

“Are you really sure she likes me?” he asked after a moment. “I know you said she was interested the other day, but I’m getting whiplash from how back and forth she seems to feel about me.”

“What’s happened since we last talked about this? Give me the cliff’s notes version.”

Steve laid it all out in the most basic of terms. He told Eddie about their heart to heart on the beach and how they had bonded over their shitty parents. He told him about the joking and the tickle fights and falling asleep cuddling. The only thing he left out was Chrissy’s wish from the sunrise. That felt almost too personal to share. Like it needed to be kept a secret for just the two of them or it wouldn’t be as special. But everything else was laid out for Eddie to decipher for him.

“And when she asked me if I had ulterior motives, I said that maybe I did, and that’s when she freaked out, and it’s been killing me that I can’t figure out what happened. There was this split second where I thought she was gonna kiss me, but she didn't, and I don't know how I could have misread the situation that badly.”

“So let me see if I have this straight,” Eddie said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You thought that trapping Chrissy in bed with you and then telling her you had ulterior motives for doing so was a good idea? Even though you know she scares easily and has been shy about even holding your hand for prolonged periods of time?”

“Well, when you put it like that, I might actually be the biggest idiot on the planet.”

“Maybe not the biggest idiot, but yeah, I think you’re going about this all wrong. Nancy and Chrissy would both probably punch me for using such bullshit reasoning, but Chrissy isn’t like the other girls you’ve tried to hook up with lately, and you’re operating under your normal King of Hawkins High methods that had all those other girls falling at your feet and swooning even though you were wearing that ridiculous sailor suit. Maybe just apologize to her for making her uncomfortable? I don’t know. I’m rooting for you, but short of grabbing you both by the back of the head and forcing you to kiss like a couple of real life Barbie dolls, I’m not sure what else I can do to help since you won’t let me talk to her for you.”

Before Steve could respond, Chrissy was opening the passenger door and frowning when she saw Eddie was in her seat.

“It’s my turn to ride shotgun,” Eddie told her. “I wanna be the passenger princess.”

“But I like sitting up front with Steve.”

“Tough.”

“Fine. I’ll just tell Nancy you didn’t love her enough to help her decide what drink to get when she specifically asked me to go get you for her.”

“You're evil.”

“I learned from the best.”

“Touche. I’d probably be proud if I wasn’t the one on the receiving end of this.”

Eddie hopped out of the car allowing Chrissy to take her seat back. As soon as she’d shut the door, Steve turned to her.

“Listen. I’m sorry about -” was all that he managed to say before she placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

“Don’t apologize,” she told him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I think I’m the one who owes you an apology actually. I can’t get into it now because I really don’t want to end up talking about it in front of Eddie and Nancy, but I need you to know that me running away this morning had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I promise I’ll explain myself eventually, but for now, can this be enough?”

“Yeah, it can be enough,” he told her. He moved to rest his hand on her knee, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing the skin there. “So, what I said didn’t upset you?”

“I promise it didn’t. Have all the ulterior motives you want. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have them too.”

“Really?”

Chrissy didn’t have time to answer before Nancy and Eddie got back in the car, and Steve didn’t dare press her about it in front of them. He was just happy that she was willing to open up to him about whatever was bothering her even if he had to wait to hear her explanation.

They settled back into their normal driving routine for the rest of their trip to DC. The only noticeable difference was that Steve’s hand barely left Chrissy’s knee for the duration, and neither of them was complaining about that. Little did they know that it had caused a frenzied group text between Eddie, Nancy, and Robin. They were oblivious to the effect that their budding courtship seemed to have on their friends.

When they arrived at the bed and breakfast that Nancy had selected for them, Steve and Chrissy both tried to hide their disappointment at the fact that they weren’t going to be sharing a room this time. They knew that sharing at the last place was only going to be a one time thing, but knowing that did nothing to stop the longing.

Chrissy was the first to finish settling in, so she went out to the common living area to wait for the others. There was an old couple sitting on one of the plush sofas, and they immediately started fussing over her as she took a seat in one of the armchairs.

“Oh, look at her, Fred,” the woman said. “She's like a little doll. Isn't she just darling?”

“Yes, dear,” Fred said as he glanced up from his paper. “Absolutely darling.”

“I’m Ethel, and this is my husband Fred.”

“I’m Chrissy. It’s lovely to meet you,” Chrissy replied with a small smile.

“Oh, she’s so polite,” Ethel said. “It’s lovely to meet you, too, dear. Fred and I are both retired, and we just love spending our time at little bed and breakfasts like this because we always meet the most wonderful people. We saw you check in with your friends. What brings your little group here?”

“We’re celebrating our high school graduation,” Chrissy told them. “Well, Nancy, Eddie, and I are, at least. Steve graduated last year. I think everyone just wanted one last big adventure before we all separate in the fall.”

“How exciting! What are you planning on studying in college?”

“Theater. Maybe with a minor in education or childhood development of some sort? I just know that theater is my real passion, and I’d like to do something with it for the rest of my life.”

“An actress! Oh, my Kenny would just adore you. Don’t you think that Kenny would adore her, Fred?” she asked her husband who just nodded in response. “Our grandson is about to start his third year of pre-med at Harvard. He wants to be a pediatric surgeon, so you know he’s smart and good with kids. And just so handsome, but maybe I’m biased because he’s my only grandson. You’re not dating either of the boys that came here with you, are you?”

“Eddie is basically my brother,” Chrissy told her. “And he’s Nancy’s boyfriend, so I’m definitely not seeing him.”

She hesitated when it came to putting a label on Steve though. She was already confused about why she was being so open with this random elderly couple, but Ethel reminded her of her own nana, so she guessed that was why it came so easily. But how could she tell them that she and Steve were in this weird limbo of not being together but acting like they desperately wanted to be? She could barely work out what was going on for herself let alone explain it to complete strangers.

“And Steve is -”

“You’re talking about me?”

Chrissy was interrupted by Steve entering the room and moving to perch on the arm of the chair that she was sitting in. He smiled down at her as he asked his question.

“Just telling my new friends Fred and Ethel about how you’re the worst person I’ve ever met,” she teased beaming up at him.

“So mean.”

“I think I’m the nicest person ever actually.”

Steve stuck his tongue out at her, and she responded by doing the same.

“You see how she treats me?” Steve asked the older couple, keeping his tone teasing and light. “The absolute disrespect.”

Chrissy reached over to tickle his side, and Steve flinched before sliding off of the armrest and onto the seat with Chrissy. While the chair was slightly larger than normal, it wasn't really big enough for two people to share comfortably if they were sitting side by side. Steve made quick work of maneuvering the two of them so that Chrissy was sitting sideways with her legs draped over his lap, and she instinctively curled into his side.

“If you're done being a menace, can I get back to talking to my new friends?” she asked. “I feel like we're being awfully rude.”

Steve made a show of acting like he was pulling a zipper closed across his mouth and gestured for her to continue talking.

“What I was trying to say is that Steve and I didn't really meet until this trip, but I've been enjoying getting to know him better along the way,” Chrissy told the older couple.

“How far into the trip are you?” Ethel asked.

“A week. We’ve got two more weeks of adventures planned, and then it’s back home for the rest of the summer.”

“Only a week? I would have assumed the two of you had known each other for much longer than that with how comfortable you seem to be together.”

“Permission to speak?” Steve asked.

Chrissy nodded.

“I can’t speak for Chrissy,” he started, “but I personally feel like I’ve known her a lot longer than that. She’s just really easy to talk to, and she makes everyone feel like they’re the most important person in the room when she’s focusing on them. I’ve really been enjoying getting to know her better, too, and as we spend more time together, I only want to know her more.”

Chrissy could feel her heart getting ready to burst. She felt the same way about Steve, but she hadn’t been able to find the words to articulate it.

“Okay, maybe you aren’t actually the worst,” she teased, trying to hide the fact that his words had her glowing.

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Aren’t you two just the sweetest?” Ethel said, interrupting their moment. “So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“The Natural History Museum for sure,” Steve told her. “And then maybe another museum or two before dinner if we have the time? Depends on how soon we can get there.”

“Where are Eddie and Nancy anyway?” Chrissy asked. “I didn’t expect them to take this long to settle in.”

“When I left them, Eddie had taken off his pants and declared that he was taking a nap instead of going to any museums, so I‘m guessing that Nancy is trying to get him up again.”

“Sounds about right.”

The two continued talking to the elderly couple for a little while longer. It was mostly Ethel asking questions about their plans for the rest of the trip and a little about Chrissy’s college plans and the jobs that Steve was applying for once they were back home, but Steve spent the entire time doting on Chrissy. When she’d curled into his side, he’d wrapped an arm around her waist, and his other arm laid over her legs. Every so often, he’d pull the hem of her skirt down to protect her modesty when it rode up due to the way she was sitting, and every time he did so, she could feel electricity wherever his fingers grazed her thighs. It was such a simple gesture, but it meant so much more to her than she could say. She felt cared for in a way that was so unfamiliar to her that it almost made her sad. To think that no one else had ever taken her comfort into account without her even having to say anything was heartbreaking, but it was hard for her to feel anything but warm and fuzzy when Steve was holding her like this.

When Eddie and Nancy finally made their way out to the sitting area, Chrissy was reluctant to get up. It wasn’t like she was going to confess her feelings for him right there in front of their friends and two relative strangers, but she longed to stay sitting there with him holding her like that. She couldn’t admit it out loud, but this was slowly becoming her new favorite place to be, and she wanted to spend as much time there as humanly possible. She just hoped that he felt the same way.

One short walk and a metro ride later, the group was standing on the front steps of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

“How long do you think you guys will want to spend here?” Nancy asked.

“That depends on how long my secret mission is going to take,” Chrissy said with a shrug.

“It’s not going to be in the natural history museum,” Eddie replied.

“You don’t know that! They could have it here to throw me off!”

“Have what here?” Nancy asked.

“She saw a picture of the Smithsonian’s Muppet storage cabinet online, and she’s convinced that she’s going to be able to find it while we’re here even though it’s probably in a storage facility somewhere and not one of the actual museums,” Eddie told the group. “And while I am typically not above causing a little chaos and potentially breaking into somewhere I’m definitely not allowed to be, I’m pretty sure Wayne would kill me if we got arrested all the way out here.”

“Eddie Munson is actively discouraging me from getting arrested? I never thought I’d see the day,” Chrissy teased.

“Laugh it up. Just imagine how your parents would react if you got arrested because you were trying to steal one of the Fraggles.”

“Party pooper.”

“How about two hours?” Steve suggested. “And if we’re done looking around before that, we can just text the group chat and meet up sooner?”

He leaned in towards Chrissy to whisper in her ear.

“Plenty of time to see the museum and look for your Muppet vault,” he told her. “I’ll make sure you don't get caught. I’m stealthy. Like a ninja.”

Chrissy giggled and pushed him away before beaming up at him. She’d happily let him in on her secret mission even if she knew she wasn’t actually going to be able to find them. He was playful, and he let her be silly in a way that she never got to act in public.

Steve took Chrissy’s hand in his and laced their fingers together.

“We’ve gotta act like we’re actually here to see the museum at first,” he said in a hushed voice. “Blend in with the crowd a little so they don’t realize we’re looking for the perfect heist.”

“Where do you suggest we start?”

“I’ve got the perfect spot.”

Steve led Chrissy through the rotunda and into the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils. It was hard for her not to notice the way he lit up the second they were in the room, and he was eagerly pulling her over to a display where they’d set up a t-rex skeleton to look like it was attacking a triceratops.

“Did you know that the t-rex was actually super smart?” he asked her, not looking away from the fossils in front of them. “I know that a lot of mainstream media likes to play them off as mindless predators or play up the comedy of the whole big head and little arms thing, but their brains were actually twice the size of most other carnivores. And they were fast, too. Not the fastest dinosaurs by any means, but they were fast enough that they could probably catch most humans.”

A quick peek at the plaque in front of them told Chrissy that Steve hadn’t just read this information. It was just something he knew, and he seemed so excited to share this knowledge with her. She tried to pull her phone out in time to snap a quick picture of him looking at the dinosaur bones, but he turned to her before she could, and the photo she ended up getting was of him smiling at her instead.

“Still trying to take sneaky pictures of me?” he teased.

“You just looked so happy,” she told him with a tiny shrug. “I wanted to capture that moment for you.”

Steve pulled Chrissy away from the exhibit to sit on a bench nearby where they could still look around the room.

“Can I tell you something that I’ve never told anyone else before?” he asked her.

She nodded.

“You know how much you love the Muppets?” he started. “Well, that’s how I feel about dinosaurs. That nanny that I told you about got me into them. I was supposed to be taking a nap, but I was an absolute menace as a four year old, so I was not doing that, and I snuck down into the living room to find her watching Jurassic Park. Most kids that little might have been scared, but I was fascinated. I stayed out of sight for the entire movie, and she didn’t realize I was there until I popped up during the credits and asked if we could watch it again. I think I scared a few years off of her life actually.

“I had all of these questions about dinosaurs that she couldn’t answer because the extent of her knowledge began and ended with Jurassic Park. But, maybe a week later, she showed up with this illustrated encyclopedia of dinosaurs. I think I had her read something from it to me every day until I was old enough to read it by myself. I was the dinosaur kid after that. I watched every single one of the Land Before Time movies, and the only things I ever really wanted for gifts were more dinosaur books and dinosaur toys. I had this massive box full of dinosaur figurines, and I gave them all different voices depending on what I thought they would sound like. Because the t-rex had such a big brain, he was sophisticated and British, and the apatosaurus talked kind of like Eeyore because they moved really slow. Just weird little connections I made in my head, you know? I wish I still had them saved because I thought they were the coolest things ever, but my parents threw them out as soon as they decided that I was too old to be playing with toys. Same goes for my illustrated dinosaur encyclopedia.

“And those things are replaceable, so I can always buy new ones to give to any kids I have in the future. I stopped being mad about my mom throwing away stuff years ago because it was pointless when I knew she’d never change. The thing that still upsets me though is the broken promises. Every year, my parents would take me on one family vacation. They took all sorts of trips by themselves and left me with my nanny or by myself once I was old enough to be left alone. But this one trip was the only time I was included, and my mom would always ask me where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. My answer was always the same: I want to go somewhere where I can see dinosaur bones in person. And every year, I was disappointed. We always went skiing or to some all-inclusive beach resort or something else that was equally boring to me, but my mom would always promise that we’d do what I wanted the next year. I think I was thirteen when I finally stopped believing her.

“That’s when I made a promise that I’d take myself to see the dinosaur bones the first chance I got, and I’d only go with people who were special enough to make it a good experience for me. This is the first time that I’ve actually gotten to see any in person.”

If she thought she could have gotten away with it, Chrissy would have stolen Steve’s car just to race back to Hawkins and destroy something that would have hurt Mrs. Harrington as much as she had clearly hurt her son. But then she was struck by the fact that Steve said he’d only take someone special to see this with him, and she felt her heart swell.

“So, you think I’m special enough to share this experience with you?” she asked.

“Well, yeah,” he said as he squeezed her hand. “I thought I’d made my feelings for you pretty clear by now.”

That was all she needed to hear in order to give herself the final push towards acting on her own feelings. Without hesitation, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against Steve’s cheek. He responded by fully turning towards her and cradling her face in his hand, brushing his thumb along her cheekbone.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked.

“Please,” she replied, giving a slight nod.

Her ‘please’ shook him to his very core, and he wasted no time in closing the small gap between them. The instant their lips touched, they both felt fireworks. Maybe it was because they’d both spent the last two days agonizing over and wishing for this very moment, but it was everything that they’d been hoping it would be and more.

When Steve pulled away, he was all smiles.

“Wow.”

“Wow is right,” Chrissy added, unable to contain the giddy giggles that were bubbling up inside of her.

“You know, if taking you to see the dinosaur bones with me was what I needed to do to finally work up the courage to kiss you, maybe it’s not so bad that I had to wait this long to see them.”

Chrissy didn’t respond. Instead, she just pulled him back in for another kiss, positively beaming as she felt him smile against her lips.

“This does make admitting how I feel about you way easier,” she said once they'd pulled apart again.

“Oh yeah? And how do you feel about me?” he asked.

“Are you really going to make me say it?” She could feel a blush warming her cheeks as she started to get shy on him again.

“I think I need to hear it for me to believe any of this is real.”

“This feels so juvenile to say like we're kids on an elementary school playground or something, but it's the only way to accurately describe the way that you make me feel like I have an army of butterflies in my stomach every time you look at me. But the very real truth is that I have a little bit of a crush on you.”

“Only a little bit?”

“Okay, maybe it’s more than a little one,” she said, looking down towards her lap. It was almost as if she’d forgotten where they were for a moment, and she was feeling so exposed because all of this had happened in public. Logically, she knew that no one in the museum cared about what she was doing, but she couldn’t help but feel like everyone was watching her.

Steve placed a finger under Chrissy’s chin and tilted her head back up to face him.

“Don’t disappear on me,” he told her.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I was just worried you were going to run away from me again.”

Chrissy took Steve’s hands in hers and took a deep breath.

“This is hard for me,” she told him. “Public displays of affection are hard for me. Whenever the last guy would kiss me in public, it always felt like he was doing it for show or because he was obligated to look like he loved his girlfriend and never because he actually wanted to be kissing me. I was just a pretty little prize for him to show off, and I have a hard time allowing myself to be wanted because of him - no matter how much I actually desperately want you to kiss me again.”

The second they were back in Hawkins, Steve was keying Jason’s car, egging his house, blasting polka music outside his bedroom window at 3 AM - anything he could maybe convince Hopper to look the other way on. How anyone could treat Chrissy like that was baffling to him. Every time she gave him the slightest hint about how Jason used to treat her, the anger he felt bubbling inside him grew stronger, and it only made him want to protect her more. To show her that she deserved to be treated so much better than she believed she did. It was his new goal for the rest of the trip and then for as long as she would allow it after that.

“We don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with,” he told her. “We can just get up and look at the rest of this exhibit. I’ll info-dump about dinosaurs a little bit because I can’t help it, and maybe I’ll let you hear what I think all of them would’ve sounded like. And then we can look around the rest of the museum until it’s time for us to meet back up with Nancy and Eddie. I just wanna hold your hand and keep spending time with you - if that’s okay with you of course.”

“That sounds perfect,” she told him. “Really. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. But before we do that, I’d like to kiss you again. Not to show off to all of the other people in this room and not because I feel obligated to, but because it’s the only thing that I’ve been able to think about since we were interrupted on the beach the other night, and I really desperately want to kiss you just as much as you really desperately want to be kissed.”

Chrissy leaned in on instinct, but Steve paused just as their lips were close enough to touch.

“And for the record,” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear him, “in case it wasn't already abundantly clear, the feeling is mutual. I have a pretty massive crush on you, too.”

***

When they made their way into the gift shop after they were done looking around the museum, Chrissy ducked away from Steve for a couple minutes. She was on a mission, and since that mission was getting a small gift for him, she didn’t want him to see what she was doing and stop her.

She found what she was looking for in one of the far corners of the gift shop: a bin filled with small dinosaur figurines. She pulled out two matching t-rexes and purchased them without a second thought. It was only once the bag was in her hand that she realized how intimate this gift seemed to her now. He’d literally said that he’d wanted to save his childhood figurines for his own kids. They’d only just shared their first kiss. It was way too soon to give him something so meaningful. She shoved the bag into her purse and told herself to stop getting ahead of herself. She could save them to give to him later.

Just as she’d calmed herself down, Steve approached her holding a bag of his own. He pulled out a small plushie of a capuchin monkey and handed it to her.

“For me?” she asked.

“It made me think of you,” he told her. “Because it’s tiny and cute just like you are.”

“Thank you,” she said as she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “But I’m not that tiny.”

“You just stood on your tiptoes to reach me. I’m pretty sure you’re that tiny.”

“I am a perfectly normal height thank you very much.”

“For an adorable woodland critter maybe,” he teased.

He took one of her hands in his and laid it flat against his palm.

“I mean, just look at how small your hands are compared to mine. You’re all little.”

Chrissy marveled at just how tiny her hand looked in comparison to his, but she couldn’t let him know just how much this size difference affected her.

“I bet you do this with all the girls,” she said as she smirked up at him.

“Maybe,” he replied before moving to lace their fingers together and hold her hand. “But none of the other girls ever made me smile the way you do.”

He brought their linked hands up to his face and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

“That was smooth,” she said, looking away from him slightly in an attempt to hide the fact that he had her blushing yet again. “Very smooth.”

“Only for you.”

****

When they met back up with Eddie and Nancy, Steve and Chrissy neglected to tell them what had occurred between them in the fossil room. It wasn’t that they were trying to hide what happened. It just slipped their minds to fill their friends in on the new development in their relationship, and with Steve being respectful of Chrissy’s uneasiness with PDA, it looked as if nothing had changed between them to the uninformed observer. They were just holding hands and teasing each other the same as always.

Maybe Nancy thought it was a little suspicious when Chrissy rested her head on Steve's shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her in their booth at dinner, but she just assumed that they'd developed a certain level of comfortable closeness at this point. Eddie had filled her in on the fact that they'd shared a bed again the night before even though they didn't have to, so this just felt like a natural extension of that. Plus, she didn't want to say anything that would push Chrissy to retreat back into her shell.

It was only when they were back at the bed and breakfast for the night that they realized something had changed between them. They were all standing outside the girls’ room to say their goodnights before separating for the evening. Without thinking, Steve gave Chrissy’s hand a little tug so she’d turn towards him, and then he pulled her in for a goodnight kiss. She melted in his arms, and he couldn’t stop smiling when they pulled away.

“I’ll miss you,” he told her as he wrapped her up in a hug.

“We’re only going to be separated for a few hours.”

“That’s so long though.”

“So needy,” she teased, burying her face in his chest to hide her blush as she hugged him. “I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”

When she hid her face, Steve remembered that Eddie and Nancy were definitely watching them, and he loosened his hold on her.

“I'm sorry. I think that was maybe too much PDA.”

“Maybe a little bit, but I liked it.”

She stood on her tiptoes to give him another quick kiss before reluctantly removing herself from his arms. She barely had time to utter out a quick ‘goodnight' before Nancy was pulling her into their room and ushering her to sit down on one of the beds.

“What was that?” she asked as she moved to sit down next to Chrissy. “What happened between you two?”

Chrissy grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it to her chest.

“He took me to see the dinosaur bones with him,” she said. She was positively glowing with this giddy little lovestruck look in her eyes.

“Is there something secretly romantic about fossils that I'm unaware of?”

“Maybe not to most people, but it was magical. He was just - I don't know. I can't put it into words. I've just never felt like this before, and it's exciting and terrifying and wonderful. So, so wonderful.”

She fell backwards on the bed and moved the pillow to hide her face. Even during the times where she’d thought things were going well between her and Jason, she’d never felt this giddy about any of their interactions. All she could think about was how Steve smiled into every kiss, and she couldn’t wait to feel that again.

She only removed the pillow from her face because her phone pinged with a notification about a text from Steve.

Steve: what would you say to a breakfast date tomorrow morning?

Steve: just the two of us? in our pajamas obviously.

Chrissy: I’d say that sounds wonderful.

Steve: perfect. meet you in the lobby at 7?

Chrissy: see you then

Steve: good night gorgeous

Chrissy: sweet dreams

“You really like him, don’t you?” Nancy asked, taking in the way Chrissy was beaming at her phone.

“I really do. He's kind of the sweetest, isn't he?”

“He can be. What’s he texting you now?”

Chrissy turned her phone towards Nancy and let her read their recent exchange.

“Okay, that’s actually really adorable,” she said once she was done reading. “And he’s getting up early for you which you should know is a very big deal. Steve doesn’t get out of bed before ten unless he absolutely has to.”

“I figured as much. He’s been very cuddly and reluctant to get up the past couple of days.”

“And I’m sure that had nothing to do with the fact that he was snuggled up to the girl he was crushing on,” Nancy teased.

Chrissy moved to hide her face behind her pillow again, but Nancy pulled it away from her and tossed it aside.

“You know, you could bunk with Steve for the rest of the trip if you really wanted to. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind at all, and it seems to me like that’s something that would make you very happy from just how pink your cheeks are right now, so I’d be happy to switch rooms with him.”

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that for me. I don’t want to make things difficult for anyone else.”

“Ask me to do what? Share a room with my longterm boyfriend who I love very much? I’m pretty sure I’ll find a way to survive that torture. You don’t have to decide right now. Sleep on it and let me know sometime tomorrow. I just think continuing to share a room would make the both of you really happy. Anyway, you can use the bathroom first since you’ve gotta wake up early for your date.”

“I’ll think about it,” Chrissy said as she got up from the bed to grab what she needed for the bathroom. “And thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m really happy for you.”

As Chrissy went through her nighttime routine, she couldn’t help but think about Nancy’s offer. She knew that she was going to miss being able to snuggle up to Steve while she had her bed all to herself that night, but she also felt that it was maybe too forward of her to decide that they should share the same room for the rest of the trip. That could potentially lead her into situations that she didn’t know if she was ready for just yet, and she’d hate to ruin whatever she and Steve were now simply because she’d set him up to be disappointed about how far she was willing to go. She also couldn’t help but think that it was selfish of her to want to share her bed with him without being willing to do everything that sharing a bed with him could lead to.

That didn’t change the fact that that was what she wanted though. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms just like she’d done for the past few nights, and she found herself hoping that he wanted that, too. She’d broach the subject with him at some point the next day and see how he felt about it. If they were feeling the same way, maybe she could work through her roadblocks enough to allow herself that bit of comfort.

***

Chrissy ended up making it to the lobby before Steve did, so she took a seat on one of the sofas to wait for him. No one else was out and about that early other than the front desk staff, so she busied herself with scrolling through her instagram feed while she waited. Anything to distract herself from the fact that her mom would have dropped dead from the shock of seeing her willingly go out in public in her pajamas. Normally, she would have been a little self-conscious about it, but Steve had already seen her in her Barbie t-shirt and plaid pajama shorts when they’d shared a room. Plus, he was going to be in his pajamas, too, so she had no real reason to worry. She could be calm and collected about this.

Soon enough, Steve was sitting down next to her and wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her onto his lap before he’d even said hello.

“Well, hello to you, too,” she giggled as Steve leaned in to kiss her cheek.

He responded by burying his face in her neck and hugging her a little tighter.

“I thought we were going to breakfast?” she asked.

“In a minute,” he replied, making no moves to loosen his hold on her. “I didn’t get my Chrissy cuddles this morning, so I’m not ready to get up yet.”

“Did you really miss me that much?”

He nodded.

“My bed felt really empty after sharing with you the past couple nights. Feels like my whole day started out wrong.”

“I feel the same way,” she admitted. “It was weird not having you there.”

“Think Eddie would notice if I smuggled you into our room tonight? We could wait until he was asleep, and you wake up earlier than he does anyway, so you could sneak out before he gets up. It’s the perfect plan.”

“I have an even better idea, but I think you need to take me to breakfast before I share it.”

“I think that can be arranged.”

Steve stood up and pulled Chrissy up with him. With her hand in his, he started to head towards the door, but he paused about halfway there.

“Wait. I haven't given you a real good morning kiss yet,” he said as he turned towards her.

“We should probably fix that.”

“Yeah. We probably should.”

Steve leaned in to kiss her, and when she felt him smile against her lips, she couldn't help but smile in return. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of how happy every kiss seemed to make him.

“Much better,” he said as he pulled away. “Now, we can get breakfast.”

One quick car ride later, and they were parked outside of a cozy-looking diner. Steve got out of the car first and jogged over to Chrissy’s side to open her door for her.

“How'd you find this place?” she asked.

“You think I didn't do research for this?” he asked. “This is technically our first official date. I’ve gotta do things right.”

Until that moment, it hadn’t occurred to Chrissy that this was their first date even if that probably should have been obvious to her. Even with him calling it a breakfast date in his text, she hadn’t connected the dots and had been thinking about this as just another instance where they were exploring somewhere separately from their friends. The aquarium and the natural history museum hadn’t been dates either, but both of those excursions had ended with Steve gifting her a plushie which was a very date-like thing to do. Hearing him actually call this one a date changed everything, and it only made her more self-conscious about the fact that she was wearing her pajamas in public. But, Steve was wearing his pajamas, too. If he could go out in public like that without caring what other people thought, she could do the same. And, as he took her hand in his to walk her into the diner, she only felt more confident in that fact. He wasn’t embarrassed to be seen with her looking like that. He wanted people to know they were together. That was all the reassurance she needed.

As they walked into the diner, Steve noticed that Chrissy’s eyes lingered on the chalkboard sign out front that was advertising that day’s special: blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and homemade whipped cream. But, when it came time for them to order, she chose a small fruit and yogurt parfait instead. He had a feeling he knew what was going on in her head. From what she’d told him on the beach, he knew she was probably hearing her mother berating her for even thinking about ordering something with that many calories. He briefly thought about making her put a dollar in the jar for that, but he was afraid that that would make whatever issues she had even worse. He didn’t want to take that risk, so he just ordered the special for himself instead. He thought that maybe he’d be able to convince her to have a couple bites of his breakfast because he’d been able to share food with her like that before.

“So, you said that you had a better idea than me sneaking you into my room every night?” he asked her, trying to keep her from focusing on the food that they’d just ordered.

“I do,” she told him. “I was talking to Nancy last night, and she said she wouldn’t mind switching rooms with you if we wanted to share for the rest of the trip. It doesn't necessarily mean that anything needs to happen between us other than what we've already been doing, but I feel really comfortable sharing my space with you. So I was thinking that I’d maybe really like that to be an every night thing if it was something you’d like, too.”

“So, you’re saying that I would get to wake up snuggled up to the most beautiful girl I know, and I could do that every single day for the rest of this trip? Yeah, I think that’s something I’d like.”

“Oh, good. I was hoping that would be your answer,” she said with a teasing smirk. “I could really use my own personal space heater again.”

“Mean,” he said with a teasing smirk of his own. “I call you beautiful, and you only wanna cuddle with me because I’m warm. So mean.”

“That’s not the only reason.”

“Oh, yeah? What other reasons do you have?”

“You keep trying to get me to say things that you know are going to fluster me. Maybe you're the mean one.”

“Or maybe I just think you're especially beautiful when you're blushing,” he told her.

“Well, if that's the case,” Chrissy began, her cheeks already starting to get a little pink from his compliment, “I'll just say that if I told you what I really wanted to do before I got all up in my head yesterday morning, you wouldn't be calling me mean.”

“You’re definitely still mean,” he told her.

“How do you figure?”

“You told me that when we don’t have access to anywhere private enough for me to ask you if you’re willing to show me exactly what you were thinking. So cruel.”

Chrissy didn’t have time to respond because their waiter chose that moment to reappear with their food, and Steve watched as she stared at his plate of pancakes and the sides of sausage links and hash browns they came with before resigning herself to her own breakfast. He could almost see the disappointment on her face when she took a bite of her parfait and realized it didn't taste anywhere near as good as she knew the pancakes did.

He was careful about what he did next. He took a couple bites of his breakfast before cutting a small piece off of one of the pancakes.

“You’ve gotta try these,” he told her as he pushed the piece towards the edge of his plate. “They’re maybe the best pancakes I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

“That’s okay. I’m happy with what I ordered.”

“Are you sure? I think you’ll really like them.”

“That’s practically a third of one of your pancakes,” she said as she eyed the piece that he was offering her. “I’m not taking that much of your breakfast.”

Steve cut a single bite off of that piece and made sure it had a little bit of syrup and whipped cream on it before offering the fork to Chrissy.

“Just one bite then,” he said.

She ignored his offer and went back to twirling her spoon around in her yogurt.

“What’s this?” he said as he lifted his fork and started twirling it in the air in front of Chrissy. “Could it be the Pancake Express getting ready to pull in at Cunningham Station?”

It was then that he chose to start making train noises which set off Chrissy’s giggling.

“You’re so embarrassing,” she told him through her laughter as she reached out to take his fork. She ate the bite he’d given her, and he couldn’t stop smiling over the way she closed her eyes to savor the taste.

“Best pancakes ever, am I right?” he asked as he took his fork back.

“That was pretty delicious.”

“It’s a good thing the Pancake Express made it to you. I was afraid it was going to get derailed.”

“You’re such a dork,” she told him, giggling over his theatrics again.

“Maybe, but you like me, so what does that say about you?”

“That I have excellent taste when it comes to total dorks, obviously.”

“Obviously. I shouldn’t have even had to ask.”

He nudged Chrissy’s foot with his under the table, and she nudged him back before they went back to eating their breakfasts. She never outright asked him for another bite on her own, but she did accept a couple more bites from him when he offered them, so he was counting that as another win.

When it came time to pay for their meals, Steve told the waiter that it was all going on one check, and he wouldn’t let Chrissy share the tab.

“Absolutely not,” he told her. “I invited you on this date, so it’s my treat.”

“Then I’m buying you lunch,” she insisted. “I’m not letting you waste all of your money on me when I’m perfectly capable of treating you, too.”

“We’ll see. But you’re putting a dollar in the jar for thinking that me treating you is a waste of money.”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice that. And anyway, that’s not what I was trying to say. I just meant that you don’t need to constantly treat me to things just because we like each other. I’ve been paying for myself for ages. That doesn’t need to change.”

He wanted to ask her if that meant Jason never treated her on their dates, but he knew she didn’t like talking about him, so he didn’t want to be the one that brought him up. That had to be her choice.

“I know that I don't need to treat you to things, but I want to. I won't do it constantly if it makes you uncomfortable, but if I ask you on a date like this, I'd like to buy your breakfast.”

“I don't want things to be unbalanced between us,” she admitted. “I don't want you to end up resenting me because I can't reciprocate in the ways that you might want me to.”

Steve frowned, his brow furrowing. He reached across the table to lay his hand in front of her with his palm facing up and waited for her to place her hand in his. He gave her hand a small squeeze and started gently brushing her knuckles with his thumb.

“I don't want you to think that anything I'm doing is because I'm expecting something from you,” he told her. “Buying your breakfast came with zero expectations just like every one of the plushies I've given you or the snacks I’ve offered you. I do these things because I like you, and that's one of the ways I've always expressed that to people in the past. If it's too much for you, I can stop. The last thing I want is for you to be uncomfortable. I just want you to know that there are no strings attached to anything I give you.”

His words were almost enough to make her cry. She couldn't count how many times she'd been given something only to be told that there were expectations attached to the gift. A sweater from her mom, but she was only allowed to wear it if she lost five pounds. Money to go out with her friends after a basketball game paired with the knowledge that she’d have to show her mom the itemized receipt to prove she hadn't wasted it on junk food. And then any little thing Jason gave her came with the expectation that she'd put out for him. He'd been tolerant of her not being ready to let him touch her in certain ways in the beginning. He'd found her bashfulness somewhat endearing at first, but his patience eventually ran out, and then he started refusing to pay for her on dates because she wouldn't take her shirt off in front of him. It got to the point where she was afraid to even ask him for a stick of gum because she knew that even that would prompt him to request an uncomfortable amount of PDA.

She was so used to every gift holding a ‘but’, and yet Steve was sitting there telling her that this would never be the case with him. It all felt too good to be true.

“So you won't get upset with me if the only way I can show my thanks is with my words?” she asked.

“I promise that won't happen. I just want you to be happy.”

He gave her hand another little squeeze, and this time, she squeezed his hand back.

“Okay. Thank you for taking me to breakfast then,” she told him. “I’d still like to treat you sometimes though. It doesn't have to be lunch today, but I want to be able to treat you, too.”

“How about you buy me breakfast tomorrow then?” he suggested. “We can take turns.”

“I’d really like that. Only if you can manage to get yourself out of bed though. You seem to have an extra hard time getting up when we're sharing a bed,” she teased.

“I don’t remember hearing any complaints about that from you.”

“Oh really? Because I seem to recall me referring to you as the absolute worst.”

“So mean. I changed my mind. I don't wanna share a room with you anymore,” he teased right back.

Chrissy stuck out her lower lip in a pout that made Steve have to resist the urge to lean across the table and kiss it away.

“But then neither of us get any morning cuddles, so really, you’re just punishing yourself here.”

“You do make a good point there,” he said, making a show out of looking as if he were having a hard time making his choice. “Alright. We can room together.”

Chrissy’s expression instantly brightened, and Steve couldn’t help but smile back when she was beaming at him like that. He’d do anything to keep that smile in his life.

***

When they arrived back at the bed and breakfast, Steve offered to walk Chrissy back to her room but paused at the front desk when he realized he’d left his room key in the car.

“It’s okay,” she told him. “Go back and get your key. You don’t need to walk me to my room.”

“Well, yeah, I know I don’t need to. But I’m trying to do this whole first date thing right, and the clearly established rules of the first date say that I’m supposed to walk you to your door where I might be lucky enough to get an end of date kiss.”

“We’re already doing things a little different than a normal first date, so I’m giving you permission to break the rules. You could always give me my end of date kiss right here.”

“Even though it's PDA?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“I think I can make an exception,” she told him. “My uneasiness hasn't disappeared overnight or anything like that, but I'm starting to maybe feel a little more comfortable with it. With you, it doesn't feel so scary.”

That was all Steve needed to hear for him to close the gap between them and lean down to kiss her. She tasted like strawberries and the maple syrup from his pancakes, and he could have spent the entire day falling into that kiss. Sure, he'd kissed plenty of other girls before, but none of them seemed to get him the way that Chrissy did. That only made kissing her even more thrilling, and he couldn't help but smile against her lips. It only egged him on when he felt her smile back.

“Thanks for letting me take you out to breakfast,” he said once they'd pulled apart.

“Thank you for taking me,” she replied. “I had a really nice time with you.”

“I wish it didn't have to end.”

“We're meeting right back here in an hour. You won't even have time to miss me.”

“You underestimate just how much I like spending time with you.”

A blush started to bloom on Chrissy’s cheeks, and he would have kissed her right then and there if he didn't think a second kiss would have toed the line of too much PDA.

Instead, he let her give him a quick hug before she headed off to her room leaving him to retrieve his room key from the car.

When he made it back into the bed and breakfast, he heard someone calling his name as he was walking through the lobby, and he turned to find the old couple that he and Chrissy had spoken with the day before sitting back on the same sofa.

“We hear someone went on a little date this morning,” Ethel said as she motioned for Steve to join them. “We passed Chrissy in the hallway on our way down here, and she was positively glowing. She's just absolutely smitten with you. I can tell.”

“You think so?” he asked.

“I know so. Girls don't get that dreamy look in their eyes for nothing, you know.”

“Well, that's a good thing then because I really like her, too.”

“It is disappointing that I won't be able to pass along my grandson’s number to her, but I think she might have already found her perfect match in you, and I wouldn't dare try to interfere with that.”

“Can I offer you a little bit of advice?” Fred asked. “Use a cheesy pick up line on her. That's how I won this one over, and we're going on fifty-three years of wedded bliss.”

He leaned over and planted a loud kiss on his wife’s cheek.

“Oh, Fred,” she said, swatting at his thigh. “He's always been a corny one, but I've always loved a guy that can make me laugh.”

“I'll definitely give that a shot,” Steve told the couple. “Any other tips you might have for me? I wanna make sure I do things the right way with her.”

“The fact that you're even asking is proof you're already doing everything right,” Ethel told him. “You're a nice boy. Just keep doing whatever you just did on that breakfast date. It's clearly working from how happy she was when we ran into her.”

“Thanks. I appreciate the advice.”

Steve didn't have to wait very long for the perfect opportunity to put Fred’s advice into action. When he finished getting ready for the day, he headed back out to the lobby to wait for the rest of the group and found that Chrissy was already waiting there. She was scanning the selection of brochures and fliers that was set up next to the front desk. He moved to stand next to her and leaned into her space.

“Sorry, but do you have a map in your purse?” he asked. “I think I just got lost in your eyes.”

She turned to face him, and her nose was all scrunched up as she tried to hold in her giggles.

“That was so bad,” she told him as she took his hand in hers.

“But it got you to initiate holding my hand, so I'm pretty sure it worked,” he teased.

“Well, yeah. Of course, it worked,” she teased right back. “I thought we'd already established that I like dorky guys?”

He leaned in to kiss her cheek, but she pouted when he pulled away.

“You missed.”

“I missed?”

She nodded.

“My lips are a little further to the left actually.”

“My mistake. These are your lips, right?” He kissed the tip of her nose. “No, that can't be right. Here, maybe?” He kissed her chin. “That didn't feel right either. Let me try again.” He kissed her left eye that time and then her other cheek, her forehead, and her right ear. He relished in the way she laughed a little bit more with each misplaced kiss.

“I think it's hopeless,” he finally said with an exaggerated sigh. “I'm never going to find them on my own. I think I need your help.”

“Such a colossal dork,” she said with an eye roll before standing up on her tiptoes to give Steve a proper kiss.

After their kiss, he moved to stand behind her so she could lean back against his chest and he could cage her in his arms. He snuck a quick glance back at the seating area where he saw Fred and Ethel giving him a thumbs up.

***

After a long day of touring monuments and a couple more museums, Nancy and Steve swapped rooms with the agreement that these would be the sleeping arrangements for the rest of the trip no matter where they ended up staying. In Steve’s opinion, it was the pretty perfect end to an already great day. Chrissy had held his hand through most of their adventuring, and she’d slowly started to be more comfortable with accepting affection from him in public. She’d even requested kisses from him on more than one occasion.

But maybe his favorite part of the day had been when they stopped at The Good Stuff Eatery for lunch. It was a restaurant owned by a former Top Chef contestant that Eddie insisted they had to stop at. He and his uncle were big on watching cooking competitions together, and he’d promised Wayne that he’d stop there to give him all the details about the food. When they were waiting in line to order, Chrissy had tugged on his hand to get his attention.

“Share a milkshake with me?” she’d asked. “I heard the toasted marshmallow shake is to die for, and I really want to try one, but I’ll never be able to finish one on my own.”

“Can we get two straws and be sickeningly cute?”

“Of course.”

“Then my answer is yes.”

Chrissy had beamed at him and kissed his cheek again, and he had to resist the urge to tell her how proud of her he was. There was a part of him that knew that she wasn’t allowing herself to have a whole milkshake because of her mother, but the fact that she wanted to share one with him was progress, and he couldn’t be happier that she wasn’t depriving herself of the things she wanted to try.

When the two couples had separated to go to their own rooms for the rest of the night, neither Steve nor Chrissy felt ready to go to bed yet.

“How do you feel about going on another little adventure?” Chrissy asked as she exited the bathroom after changing into her pajamas for the night.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I noticed this cute little outdoor seating area when we were leaving this morning, and I was thinking that maybe you’d wanna sit out there and look at the stars with me?”

Steve got up from where he was lounging on the bed to grab his windbreaker and slip on his shoes.

“Lead the way,” he told her.

Chrissy took him by the hand, and they made their way down to a patio off of the building’s back entrance. There was a swinging bench seat with a few plush pillows, and there were fairy lights strung up around the space.

“It’s perfect, right?” Chrissy asked as she pulled Steve over to the seat.

“Definitely.”

Steve draped his jacket around Chrissy’s shoulders before sitting down on the bench and pulling her to sit down with him. He kept one leg firmly planted on the ground to rock them back and forth a little. Chrissy let out a content sigh as she curled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Are you a shooting star?” Steve asked her. “Because I can’t help but wish you were mine whenever I look at you.”

Chrissy covered her face with her hands as she started giggling.

“That was too corny,” she told him. “Who would have thought that Prom King Steve Harrington was such a dork?”

“I may be a dork, but what does it say about Prom Queen Chrissy Cunningham that my dorky lines have such a big effect on her?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “I wasn’t the prom queen, so I don’t think those terms apply.”

“I find that really hard to believe. You’re pretty much the quintessential prom queen. How could they not elect you?”

“Well, I think you kind of have to go to prom to be elected.”

“You didn’t go to prom?” That fact shocked him. He thought everybody went to their senior prom. Especially popular girls like her. “Why not?”

“I don’t know. Jason had just dumped me two weeks before, all of my friends already had dates, and I didn’t really feel like finding a new date or crashing Eddie’s with Nancy. Plus, Jason found a new date immediately, and I really didn’t want to be forced to watch some other girl hang all over him all night. My parents were out of town for something with my brother, so I just stayed home and watched a bunch of Fraggle Rock in bed. It’s really not that big of a deal.”

But it was a big deal. It broke Steve’s heart to think that she had missed out on such an important event because of whatever bullshit Jason had put her through, and the worst part was that she didn’t even sound sad about it. She’d just accepted that skipping prom was the logical thing to do in her situation even though it wasn’t. She never should have had to make that decision in the first place, and now he was trying to figure out how to throw her a makeup prom once they were back in Hawkins.

He couldn’t just let that information linger though. He didn’t want there to be a cloud hanging over their otherwise perfect day because of what she’d just admitted to him. So, without thinking, he got up from the bench and pulled out his phone. He opened up the link Chrissy had shared to her musical theater playlist, and he chose a song that he remembered her gushing over when she was telling him about why she loved Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella so much. As the opening bars of “Ten Minutes Ago” started to play, he offered Chrissy his hand.

“May I have this dance?” he asked.

“What are you doing?”

“This is the bed and breakfast prom, and you’ve just been crowned prom queen. As your king, I think that means we’re supposed to share a dance.”

“You really don’t have to do this,” she told him. “It’s okay that I missed prom. I’m fine.”

“I know. I just want you to know that it’s okay if you weren’t fine. And I know this isn’t the same, but maybe it makes up for what you missed just a little bit.”

Chrissy’s lower lip quivered as she took Steve’s hand and let him pull her in for a slow dance. She’d shoved herself into a box where she felt like she had to be agreeable and give up things that mattered to her for so long that that was all that she knew how to do. And now, Steve was slow dancing with her under the stars because he was adamant that she didn’t have to do that. She didn’t have to give up the things she wanted, and she was allowed to be disappointed. What she wanted mattered, and that realization was enough to make her cry.

As the song came to an end, he gave her a little twirl before pulling her back against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, willing herself not to cry as he held her tight against him. She was not going to ruin this beautiful moment with tears. She couldn’t.

When she’d finally composed herself and looked up at him, he was gazing down at her as if she was the only thing that mattered, and it made her feel like her heart was going to burst out of her chest.

“How are you even real?”

She wasn’t sure if she’d even said that out loud at first, but then Steve let out a small laugh and hugged her tighter. He leaned down to kiss her, and she melted into him.

Chrissy Cunningham was special, damn it, and he was going to do everything in his power to make her realize that.

#cheerscoops #harringham #stissy #steve x chrissy #chrissy x steve #steve harrington x chrissy cunningham #chrissy cunningham x steve harrington #my writing #wyptif #steve harrington #chrissy cunningham

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nerves-nebula · 8 months ago

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My memory’s is shit, but I remember exactly one instance of each of my parents hitting me that was arguably not actually a punishment for anything, but also I feel like I might be being dramatic about it and would appreciate a second opinion. My dad once ran up the stairs to hit me because he didn’t believe I’d left my brother alone for a minute to look for the air freshener. I was old enough that he’d mostly stopped hitting me about stuff so I assumed he was coming up to help me look right up until he slapped me. It felt really out of nowhere and I zoned out because I got really upset, but he told my also startled sibling that “I forgot who the adult was” or something. Not super sure what was going through his head there. There are actually two occasions with my mom. One being when my mom hit me over the head a couple times, because “I told her to shut up”. And I got really annoyed and hung up on this, because, what happened was she and my sister were yelling about something, and being loud enough that I couldn’t hear whatever I was listening to in my headphones, so I asked all of them in a completely even tone “Could y’all please be quiet?” I don’t know how I possibly could have phrased that better! And it’s occurring to me, she might have just been being unreasonable. Then there’s the time she tripped on a toy while she was walking away from me after asking me to do the dishes and immediately doubled back to hit me and yell at me for not immediately moving to do them or something, which at the time felt like she was misdirecting embarrassment, but I felt stupid once I called her out on that, and also am not that good at reading moods, but that wasn’t a normal extreme to jump to.

(Sorry for venting at u. U can ignore this if it’s too much)

but also I feel like I might be being dramatic about it and would appreciate a second opinion.

well there's no super-logical reason for hitting a kid in the first place like. punishment doesn't need to be hitting sooo. i already agree with you, in that regardless of the circumstances you are not "being dramatic" about feeling like you were unjustly beaten.

And it’s occurring to me, she might have just been being unreasonable.

I MEAN. YEAH I'D SAY SO.

Then there’s the time she tripped on a toy while she was walking away from me after asking me to do the dishes and immediately doubled back to hit me and yell at me for not immediately moving to do them or something

im no KING of memory either but i swear to god someone else told me this exact story. what is it about making small mistakes in front of their kids that makes some parents just fucking lose it <- knows what it is

anyway yea those weren't real punishments cuz you didn't do anything wrong those were power trips. not that they should've hit you to punish you in the first place but like. yknow.

#nnstuff #ask #child abuse tw #abuse tw #violence tw #child abuse #physical abuse tw

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ash-and-books · 8 months ago

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Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: A skeptic and a supernatural being make a crossroads deal to achieve their own ends only to get more than they bargained for in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.

Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.

Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.

Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.

Review:

A skeptic and a supernatural make a crossroads deal only they find themselves getting more than they could have ever bargained for, from falling in love, running from supernatural shades, trying to find a Goddess, and learning to enjoy the little moments. This was a touch of Hades and Persephone with a bit of Orpheus's story all mixed in with queer teen modern day romance in the best way possible. Ellery is a seventeen year old non-believer in a place where people believe the supernatural are real. Ellery gave up believing in the Goddess after they've been stuck in a five-year winter that has destroyed and ruined so much, particularly impacting their own family. Ellery works day and night to just make ends meet to send money to their family while living with their cousin and their cousin's girlfriend. Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. It's been years since Knox heard from his queen and after his last deal resulted in his charge creating the elixir of life and then being promptly taken... Knox ran away with the elixir in a panic and runs into Ellery in an alley. Ellery rescues Knox from the shades who wanted to abduct him and when Knox reveals who he truly is to Ellery they enter into a bargain: Knox will help Ellery find a way to end the winter and help them find a way to contact his queen (the very same Goddess in charge of the seasons and crops that abandoned Ellery) if he can and in exchange Ellery will become Knox's new tether to the human world as he needs a tether to work his magic. Knox begins living with Ellery and her cousin and for the first time he begins to actually experience life, having lived vicariously through tv shows and movies all his life he finally gets a chance to just be a teen. Knox's condition means anytime he returns to the Other World he loses his memory of the human one. The more time Knox spends with Ellery the more romance begins to bloom... yet when the truth of what is causing the winter reveals itself and the shades chasing after the elixir of life and Knox finally catch up... can Ellery save Knox before he is lost to them permanently? This was a magical and fun time, I loved the romance and the friendships in this story so much. It' was a really sweet read and I loved how everything wrapped up in the end. The story was a fun time and the characters were all well fleshed out. It's honestly a quick and easy read and you find yourself zooming through it to see how it all ends. I would absolutely recommend this for anyone looking for a magical queer read with a fun cast of characters and a modern day magical world and romance!

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #book #lgbtq reads #queer reads #queer hades x persephone #queer orpheus #otherworldly

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lordystrange · 11 months ago

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other anon: “he hangs out with a bad crowd who's a lot older than him and he seems to be quite an impressionable ppl pleaser”

I think people need to look at that for the reality of it then. which is there are 30+ year old people attaching themselves to a (very freshly) 19 year old (who they met at 18 or even younger, so a child), with their own agendas and mindsets. a lot of these people he met on the manipulative propaganda trip earlier in the year where they use his beautiful religion and culture for promo of the country. it’s routine, wasn’t just him doing it. and they’ve kept the contact up. oh you know they love it, freaks leeching off him. and I don’t need anybody saying I’m making excuses for his choices when it’s not the case, I just thought it’s important to note the phrasing in some ways people speak about noah.

because things like “when I was 19 I wasn’t like that” from people mean nothing. congrats I guess! you’re actually still immature for saying that instead of understanding not everyone grows up like you do, so you have some growth to do anyway 😊. statements like that neglect the truth of his age, the fact that it is not the same as all the middle aged people with decades of damage and chances to educate themselves behind them, is he closer to 40 or is he closer to 17? or 14? he is grown enough to make decisions like hanging out with certain people, but that does not stop manipulation and harm done especially for - as other anon said - a people pleaser. I swear people speaking don’t know a thing about indoctrination. has anyone heard of the disease of US patriotism? was that not also bad and shown to be running deep a few years ago? how is that different, especially after an attack that would have the influential adults around you in high emotion likely parroting some ignorant beliefs (because believe it or not, there isn’t a huge jewish population worldwide for uhhh… a pretty well known reason actually! and the fact of the matter is that pretty much everyone knows someone living in isn’treal. many fucking idiots have overblown that attack of course, but the direct emotional ties are real - people just stretched it thin.)

I don’t ask people to justify his actions or make it some parasocial going easy on him situation, it’s just being able to have a wider view of the situation is important and what nobody is doing. instead favoring getting popular tweets and wishing death on him for extremely small things in the grand scheme of politicians and people in govt with actual real influence, or brett for eg. noah is not the person anybody should be prioritizing, he’s an easy target and everybody looks so painfully stupid hating on him daily like that’s doing anything for the cause they all supposedly care about.

don’t even get me started on the amount of antisemitic lean a lot of posts about noah have, that is not or will it ever be ok. you need to learn your history, people, and be careful of dog whistles in your performative rage.

Thank you for the ask.

And you’re right. If we want to be critical about him (which we should be), we have to be critical about the whole situation.

People also seem to forget, that US and Israel are a lot alike. Both are colonizers and their governments are committing actions that are lethal. Yet I don’t see people canceling celebrities who support US.

(I’m aware that the situations are different, but I still think this topic should be talked about more.)

And the age thing is also important to notice here. I was at my dumbest at 19. And while I’d like to believe that age doesn’t matter that much when everyone’s an adult, it does. It just does. I know there were rumours of Noah dating that old guy and there’s nothing to confirm it’s true, but also nothing to confirm it’s not. But if it is true and if he is the ”source” of Noah’s behavior lately, I hope the situation changes.

Very sorry for turning your ask into speculation. But it is honestly a very likely possibility.

#noah schnapp

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chaifootsteps · 1 year ago

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His line of thought was interrupted by the sound of an adult man wailing as he tried to pour more alcohol down his throat, only to miss entirely and have the thing get thrown straight to the floor.

"Satan– (hic) fucking damnit!" Blitz yelled, grabbing at his horns and pulling on them a bit. "This shit alwayss happenssss to me! FUCK!" He tried to get up from the stool, only to fall face first on the floor after missing the step. Striker only watched, with the face of someone seeing a small dog accidentally trip and fall while trying to walk for the very first time. The man was just kind of pathetic, but it was still pretty entertaining.

"Need some help down there, partner?" Striker teased, sipping his own drink. Couldn't get too intimate now, right?

Blitz stopped, moving his head slightly to meet Striker's gaze. Oh, fuck, he's being SO fucking embarassing right now. He's going to get a terrible grade at impressing the cool guy. Something both normal to fear and possible to achieve.

"Ohhhh, uhh, heyyyy Strikerrr-" He said, clumsily trying to get up by balancing himself on the stool, almost falling again in the process. "Haahh– you uhm, didn't see that, did youuu?"

"I saw every part of it. And it was very funny."

"Hahahahahaha yeah I beeet it was you snake." Blitz finally sat back down again, holding his face in his hands. "Satan's ass… that'sss so embarassin' on my endd."

"It really is." Striker said, handing him the water bottle with a small smile. "Now come on, drink up. Don't need you throwin' up all over somebody today, yeah?"

"Yeah… probably not." He took it in his hands, brushing his fingers against Striker's gloves for a second, and then quickly turning away. "Uh… thankss. N'such."

They both stay quiet for a bit while Blitzo drinks, still kind of regaining his senses from falling, and Striker notices how his eyebrows furrow again.

"...How come you're out drinkin' on a different ring all by yourself eh? Bird boy wasn't interested in accompanying ya?"

Blitzo's face contorts more, and his grip on the water bottle tightens a lot. Probably the wrong subject to bring up.

"Oh, he's never fuckin' interested if the topic isn't sex. Doesn't even matter."

"Right." He coughs awkwardly. "What about ya employees? Are they not around for a couple of shots?"

"I kinda ruined their date, so I don't think I even have employees at this point.

Hm. Another miss. This comforting shit is hard.

"...Well, don't you have anyone else you can talk to?-"

"Listen, if you're trying to make me feel bad here for not having any friends, it's working, and I'm REALLY not in the mood to deal with that." Blitzo snaps, turning away

"Well, I'm not. I guess I just-" Striker bites his tongue, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. The words don't come out right. He ends up sighing, "I dunno. I figured someone like you would have plenty. You're not half bad."

Blitzo widens his eyes, like he just heard the most outrageous thing ever. "Really-?" He then coughs, looking away again. "Uhhh. I mean, thanks. I guess.

Silence falls between the two again, but there seems to be a mutual understanding. Blitzo glances back and forth between his water and Striker, who by now is just tracing the glasses' rim with his finger boredly. His eyes watch the ripples in the glass, and for a second Blitzo swears he could see him looking back with those bright yellow eyes…

"...Yer starin."

"Hm-? Oh, sorry. I'm…uh, drunk." He lied. Badly. "ANYWAY I really should get going huh! Wow, this night has been way too long-" he gets off the stool, searching his pockets for any leftover money to pay for his drink, and maybe Striker's nicety if he's got anything aside from coins. "I really should get goin', but it was nice seein' you Striker-" He takes out a few crumpled up bills and leaves them on the counter, then he turns to Striker and puts the rest in his hand. "Consider this uh, payback for not killin' me back at the harvest moon festival. Real lost opportunity, honestly, you shoulda taken it heh-"

Blitzo didn't expect to have the money put back on his hand with a certain gentleness.

"No. I don't need your money, Blitz. And it wasn't a missed opportunity, because my offer never left the table." He gets off his seat, and puts a hand on Blitzo's shoulder, "You have potential, but it's up to you to see it. Once you end up valuing your services…" He gets closer, smiling mischievously, "Well, then you come back here and find me, yeah?"

Blitzo felt a shiver run up his spine, but it wasn't out of fear, no. It was good. Really good. "...Yeah, I'll uh, check you out, Striker…"

"You better." He lets go, fixes his hat, and walks away. "See around, Blitz. And remember to call."

Blitzo is confused for a second, only to notice a business card hidden between the bills on his hand. He's left in the bar dumbfounded for a moment, but eventually makes a move on to leave. He swears on every sin out there that it gets harder every day to reject Striker's proposal…stupid handsome bastard.

[End! Hope you like it :)]

Absolutely wonderful. I read it in both their voices and wish it was canon; thank you for reminding me of just how much I utterly love these two.

#Anonymous #BlitzStrike #Helluva Boss #actual blog post

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notallfay · 2 years ago

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How playing Fallout 4 with my young niece is going:

She's had to be stopped waking me in the morning before she goes to school, because she really wants to play. And she wants to play every night before her Mum gets her back.

She super gets the concept of looting the bodies, and shouts enthusiastically about doing it. Even if I'm being shot at.

"Are you dying them Auntie Karla?"

I get sound effects to the killing. And sarcastic comments like, "Oh, I can't walk now," if I chop off enemy legs and things...

Her censored swearing when we're in a bit of trouble is beautiful. She's shouting "Sugar" in the exact same way an adult would swear.

Dogmeat is the absolute best to her. She keeps saying I need more doggos, and does not like I've only got too. Also PROTEC DOGMEAT AT ALL COSTS.

She thinks Dogmeat is cute for stepping on our fallen foes!????

She shames me for not cleaning the raider bedrooms. And "why do people let their houses get in this state,"

Rocket Bins, lockers, and lights everywhere!! She loves them.

"You'll have to teach me how to play Auntie Karla, so I can get it for my Switch," with my Dad asking is that possible, and I'm like no Dad it's an 18.

She is getting a sugar coated version of the game. Like I tell her a really bad war did this, and we're trying to fix the world and help people, and give them a nice place to live.

Mostly I'm just building settlements with her, unless she asks to explore. It's what she loves the most. I do to some extent try and control what she sees. And if I think certain quests are too scary, I do them when she is not there.

She's cool with killing bad guys though, because she has asked questions in a curious kid way, and I've told her it's okay because in computer games they're not really dead. It's why we come back to life when we die, because it's not real.

I answer questions and talk to her about anything she asks in general. So I know she's cool with the level of playing the game.

#fallout 4 #fallout community #fallout companions #fallout games #Gaming #Children #Children are funny #dogmeat #Gaming with children

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swampgallows · 2 years ago

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the usual

im mad because im trying to read books again, specifically trying to pick up toxic parents and body keeps the score again so i can try and Help Myself basically now that im back in the limbo of having no therapist. but trying to concentrate on shit and hunker down and learn things when i know it’s good for me i swear it’s like a flashbang goes off in my brain and everything just whites out. ‘concentrate’ isnt even the right word for it because it’s like i cant even begin to get started. it’s like staring into the sun to even begin to think about stuff i guess, it’s all so overwhelming. i want so much about my life to change, so much, so badly, so drastically, but so much of it just doesnt feel feasible that it’s like ive implanted this mental block in my brain to even dream of change because it’s too caustic.

that ‘autistic masking’ article about the boy who would build and paint his models at night then clean everything up so he left no trace of himself... i think about how much ive whittled myself down and have tried to take up very little space. how i dont play my music on speakers, dont draw anymore, basically only took up writing more because it was something that was between me and a notepad document and didnt take time the same way as drawing, and wasnt possible to immediately consume like a drawing (people grabbing my sketchbook and just flippantly turning the pages, skimming past drawings that took me hours in favor of minute long sketches, glancing at drawings that were supposed to express my deep feelings and having immediate reactions of disgust or ridicule)

i make kandi put it on a chain then put it away. it cant really go anywhere anyway, not like i’ll be attending raves again any time soon. i have no reason or place to wear my ‘fun clothes’ anymore. i wore what i thought was a cute outfit at christmas and even my immediate family had some shit to say about it. i wore a pair of stockings that ive had (and worn) since i was 14 years old. i wore them to my very first raver day at disneyland. and theyre surprised when i wear them now? like they havent seen them before????

even here i was about to say “i tire of myself” and close this window or hit post and stop here, but literally my blog is one of the only places i can actually express myself somewhere and send it out to a place where it’s seen. yeah i can write things down in my journal and ‘express myself’ there so that “personal stuff” isnt online but... i already do that. set up my models and paint them late at night, then put them away before anyone sees in the morning. djing only in my headphones at 4am, pulling them off periodically to make sure they arent too loud even through the headphones. lighting candles but opening the window so there isn’t “too much” scent.

if im autistic or have adhd or some combination of the two, then my whole family is too and all undiagnosed (save for maybe my dad. i think he’s the closest one of us to being ‘normal’). i took that blorbo quiz and it asked “How would they describe themselves?”

how would -i- describe myself? i dont know. people tell me im smart and funny. i think it’s because they cant think of anything nicer to say.

Part of me is still chasing the approval of all the world’s English teachers. Getting compliments on my writing makes me feel like my life matters. And I still struggle to ask for love and affection when a real, flesh and blood human is looking me in the face. It’s difficult for me to believe someone might care for me as an equal, and like things about me other than my intellect. I frequently have to remind myself I’m no longer a child, and don’t need approval of the “adults” anymore.

as long as im stuck living with my parents im going to perpetually be the child. it’s also really fucking frustrating knowing how ill prepared i am to live as an adult. even when i had a job i had to quit it so i didnt kill myself. i dont think just getting a job is the answer, though i know it’s a mandatory piece of the puzzle. ugh god

#blathering

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evolnoomym · 4 months ago

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Kate did it again she delivered a masterpiece 😍😍

The moodboard is killing it once again and the cherry dividers 😱😍

I already know that I will enjoy this because I’m a horny bitch but also because it will probably heal something inside of me. Good virginity loss with Joel Miller??? Yes please!! 🙏🏻

“Yes, he was older than you, much much older but you were an adult, very mature for your age and also you didn’t care. You loved him.” Mina core I swear, whoooo cares about you being older Joelllllli I love that, in fact I encourage lookin older 🤭🙏🏻

I desperately want a real man 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

The “boys” my age make me want to crawl out of my skin.

“Today is the day Joel is going to pop your cherry. You’re going to lose your virginity to the love of your life.” Just the dream getting your cherry popped by Joel Miller. He would know exactly what to do how to make it feel good like the real man he is. 😇

“Like a little flower you are reaching up to your only sun - him.” That was such a cute little line 🥹🩷

“I’m big, honey, but ain’t nothing to worry about. We gonna get ya ready, yeah?”

Big cock Joel Miller is in da house 🤤😌

I how he reassures her that he will make it fit 🙌🏻👀

“She’s crying for me, see? My cock’s cryin’ for her too. And I’ll make her feel good, baby. Gonna make her drool even more.” Mine is crying too. Look at us just a big ol crying session 🥵😏

“Already warm and wet. Good girl.” Kateeeeee your playing the good girl card, you must know what it does to me 😍🥵

“‘s a great sound, babygirl. Means she’s ready for me. All this juice gonna help me slide right inside ya.” Juice it upppppppp

“His red wet tip makes you want to wrap your lips around it but you’re too shy to ask.” Sometimes I dream of suckling on his tip as if it’s my favorite lollipop 🍭

“Yes, baby, you can play with it a little. But not too long. ‘m afraid I’ll come too soon like that and we need to put it in your needy pussy first, yeah?” Yes let’s play with the pleasure stick for a lil bit 🤭🤭🤭

I love how Joel just offered his tongue for her to use however she wants 😍😍🤤

“Hngg, stop it, little minx. You’ll make me spill the goods too early.” Ohhhhh no Daddy we wouldn’t wanna risk spilling the goods before it’s time 😏😏😏🫣

“Shoulda done it earlier. Coulda been balls deep in you every day by now.” Don’t threaten me with a good time 🥵😍😏

Could he possibly spread some of his warmth in my pussy too ? 😏🤭

That was amazing Kate, 10/10, panties are wet and my pussy is dead ❤️🫶🏻

SWEET CHERRY || Joel Miller x f!reader || 4,8k

Summary: Joel takes your virginity. Gently, slowly, talking you through it.

Tw: 18+ mdni, smut, fluff, pwp, big not specified legal age gap, virginity loss, insecure reader, soft!Joel, soft!dom vibes, praise kink, size kink, mirror sex, f/m oral, fingering, unprotected piv (wrap it up), creampie, aftercare. Pics are only for the mood, reader has no physical description.

A/n: here’s my first virginity loss fic, friends! Hope you will like it❤️ Joel whispers ‘thank you’ into @milla-frenchy ‘s ear for beta-ing😘 Dividers by @saradika-graphics 💕

MASTERLIST

Joel is waiting for you in his truck, parked a block away from your house. He told you once that you didn’t want anyone to see you with an old man like himself. You kissed his scruffy cheek that time and assured him that he wasn’t old. Yes, he was older than you, much much older but you were an adult, very mature for your age and also you didn’t care. You loved him.

Joel is a real man, not like the silly boys who always try to pick you up. He looks like a real man, with gray patches in his stubble, his tired piercing eyes and wrinkles around them that you love to kiss so much. His body, big and broad, can easily envelop you whole like a warm cloud. The cloud usually smells like cigarettes and whiskey but you tell yourself, "he smells like a real man," and when you nuzzle his neck, that scent alone makes you soak your panties.

You hop into his truck with the happiest smile on your face, excitement and nerves swirling in your stomach. You’re wearing a red lacy set to show him how mature you are underneath his favorite dress, white with little red cherries on it. Joel always compliments you when you wear it and makes sure to kiss every single cherry on your chest.

Today is the day Joel is going to pop your cherry. You’re going to lose your virginity to the love of your life.

Joel greets you with a soft kiss, and while you’re a little hazy from his taste in your mouth, he starts the car.

“Where are we going?” you ask but you don’t really care. You’d go anywhere with him.

“A motel, baby. Only the best for ya.”

You almost squeal at the idea of you two having a whole room to yourselves. You usually spend time in his truck or he drives you to the outskirts of the town, far from the prying eyes. You love it there— lying on the soft grass and stargazing with his strong arms wrapped around you.

Joel is a man and men have needs so you give him a handie now and then but he never makes you do anything you don’t want to. He’s a gentleman.

He’s getting a room while you’re waiting for him outside of the reception, nervously pacing a spot at the parking lot. What if you fuck up and he sees that you’re just a silly girl, too young for him? What if it hurts too much? You’ve practiced with a toy but you know he’s much bigger.

You’re chewing on your lower lip, widened eyes glued to the ground, and miss the moment when Joel comes up to you.

"Penny for your thoughts, sweetheart?" he cups your cheek, searching for your eyes, and you smile, enjoying the warmth of his giant palm in spite of the Texas sun, beating down on you both.

"Just a little nervous," you admit, looking up at his handsome face. Joel gives you an understanding smile and his gruff voice immediately calms you down when he says,

"Don't be, darlin’. I'll be gentle with you. And we can stop whenever you want."

“‘k,” you mumble with a nod and take a deep breath. You want it and you know, it will be perfect.

The motel room smells like cigarette smoke and old furniture but you don’t mind. You don’t care about its peeling off wallpaper, the flickering lights in the bathroom or the stained bedding with a pattern that looks like spider webs. You’re staring at it with disgust on your face, wondering who would choose such an ugly cover.

Two big hands on your hips bring you back from your thoughts and move you around. Joel locks eyes with you, his gaze piercing and curious.

“You’re so quiet today, babygirl. Sure you wanna do this?”

“Yes, Joel. Please,” you reply hastily, scared he’ll change his mind.

He gives you a little smile and pinches your chin between his thick fingers. His touch, his scent, his gaze, everything about him washes away your fears and worries. He’s huge and safe and you trust him to make this day special. For the both of you.

He leans down and kisses you, his lips warm and slightly chafed, his stubble and scruffy beard rubbing your sensitive skin but you’re enjoying him too much to notice. Like a little flower you are reaching up to your only sun - him. You’re drunk on the sensation of his tongue, licking assertively into your moaning mouth. Your pussy tingles and you feel yourself gush more and more. With Joel’s lips brushing the corner of your mouth you hear him whisper, “Ready, sweetheart?”

You nod, rubbing your cheek against his and then follow him to the bed, your little hand in his, giant, warm.

Joel sits down and you stand between his spread thighs. You nervously shift on your feet under his dark gaze as he looks you up and down and bucks his hips. His bulge is huge and you swallow loudly.

“Can I take your dress off, babygirl?”

With a quiet ‘yes’ you turn around so he could unzip you. You’re facing a mirror now, hanging on a wardrobe door, eyes locked with your reflection. Fear and anxiety paint your features so you take a deep breath again, not wanting to look like a scared little mouse. You want him to see you ready for what you two are about to do.

You giggle when Joel’s knuckles graze your soft skin, tickling you, gliding down along your back as your body erupts in goosebumps. Joel acknowledges your reaction with a soft chuckle and then his warm lips press to your exposed waist. You smile, helping him take your dress off.

“Fuck,” Joel mumbles as you turn around to face him, “I’m sorry, darlin’,” he apologises for the cursing as his obsidian eyes are gliding over your body, wrapped in the red lace as if you’re a present gifted to him. “You’re making my head spin. Are ya wearin’ it for me, baby?”

You reply with a shy ‘yes’ and he groans, palming himself.

“Naughty girl. Killing me over here,” he fake complains, wetting his lower lip.

His lustful gaze, barely noticeable shaking of his gruff voice, his bulge growing in his jeans— all the signs of his desire make your heart sing and core burn with need.

“Please, Joel.” You press your thighs together, desperate for any pressure, and he nods,

“Yes, babygirl, I know, I know. Let’s make you feel good.”

His palms placed on your hips turn you around, so you’d face the mirror again, and he pulls you down on his lap. You bite your lip, when his stiffness twitches under your left asscheek, and take a sharp breath, being reminded of how huge his cock is. Will you be able to take him?

As if reading your mind, Joel rasps against your shoulder,

“I’m big, honey, but ain’t nothing to worry about. We gonna get ya ready, yeah?”

“Yes, Joel, I trust you.”

“‘s good, babygirl. Jus’ relax and let me do the work.”

You whimper, imagining ‘the work’ he’s about to do. With a hum Joel places his hands on your inner thighs and spreads them apart. You lift your head from his hands to the reflection of you two in the mirror. You’re sitting on his lap, so small in comparison with his huge frame. He’s nuzzling the crease of your neck, and your nipples perk up under the thin fabric of your bra. His scent, his body make your pussy melt into your panties and your fear you’re going to soak them through and stain his jeans.

Your gasp breaks the silence in the room when you see and feel his hand slither to the apex of your thighs. With one arm wrapped around your waist, Joel cups your clothed pussy with the other hand and you breathe out his name.

“Yes, sweetheart, I’m right here. Fuck, ya soaked.” He gently sucks on your neck, stroking your seam with his thumb through a red lace, covering your pussy. You mewl and wriggle in his lap impatiently and he growls, when his cock twitches under your ass.

“Shh, I’ve got you, baby.”

His thumb slides under your panties and he pulls the gusset to the side exposing your wet folds to his and your eyes in the mirror.

He’s never gone that far, never seen you like this and your whole body vibrates with a heady mix of excitement and nerves. Your cheeks burn as embarrassment adds to all the emotions that are swirling in your stomach. You’ve never been that exposed for anyone, no one has ever witnessed your wet desire, coating your folds. As if sensing your discomfort Joel starts whispering words of reassurance in your ear, his gaze set on your glistening cunt in the mirror.

“Look at this pretty pussy, fuck, she’s beautiful. You’re beautiful, sweetheart.”

You whine, trying to close your legs but he stops you, his hand pressing on your inner thigh, rubbing your skin there.

“She’s crying for me, see? My cock’s cryin’ for her too. And I’ll make her feel good, baby. Gonna make her drool even more.”

You nod, fluttering your eyes shut at the sensations of his thick fingers grazing your hardening clit just barely. Suddenly Joel slightly bites on your earlobe and rasps,

“Open your eyes, babygirl. Want you to see how I’m gonna make you come.”

You do what he says and see the hand rise up from your belly to your chest and he pulls your bra down, exposing your breasts. He groans at the sight of your pebbled nipples and kneads your tit with his warm palm.

The other hand returns to your soft pussy and he starts stroking your twitching clit with his thumb.

He’s playing you like his guitar, making you sing for him with a calloused pad of his finger, brushing over your bud up and down, up and down, like it’s a string of his favorite instrument, at the same time twitching your nipples. His movements are slow and gentle but precise and determined, and you’re reduced to a moaning crying mess in a matter of seconds.

“Please, please, please— ,” you’re begging, barely breathing, lips brushing his scruffy cheek. You can’t watch him and you in the mirror anymore, it’s too much for your mind, for your eyes. You try to pace yourself, nuzzling his face.

“Yes, baby, I’ll make you come, soon. So soon,” he replies to your pleas as his tongue licks your lower lip and you open your mouth, letting him in. He’s kissing you passionately as he shifts his hand a little, making his fingers cover your sopping hole while his thumb is playing with your clit.

Joel traces your entrance with his middle finger and then slowly pushes it in. You gasp at the sensation and your walls clench hard around it, as he’s inserting it to the knuckle.

“Already warm and wet. Good girl.”

You dare to glance in the mirror and you see him plunge his digit in and out of your tight weeping hole, slowly, with a steady rhythm.

“Have ya been practicing like I asked you, babygirl?”

“Yes,” you reply with your brows pulled together and mouth slightly opened.

“Yeah, I see that,” he smiles into your cheek, “ya taking me well. We can add another one.”

As soon as he says it, his index finger joins the middle one in your slicked up channel and you feel the stretch, though it burns just a little, and you smile with relief.

Joel continues fingering you, and, to your horror, you hear squelching sounds, coming from your pussy. The pleasure is growing but you mewl with embarrassment, “Oh, no.”

Joel’s quick to comfort you, whispering in your ear,

“‘s a great sound, babygirl. Means she’s ready for me. All this juice gonna help me slide right inside ya.”

You nod and tilt your head back, resting it on his shoulder. Your eyes flutter shut as his movements take you higher with every pump. Everything disappears, what’s left is only you and him, his fingers in your pussy, his broad chest at your back, his thick cock pulsating under your ass. You're so gone with ecstasy, that you don’t notice the third finger inserted into your widening hole.

“Gonna make you come now, sweetheart,” Joel gruffs and curves his fingers. He starts shaking his hand, not moving his digits in and out but keeping them hooked into your pussy, making vibrations with his hand. He’s hitting your clit with the heel of his palm and soon you unravel, crying and shaking so hard he has to keep you on his lap, holding you with his strong arm wrapped around your torso. Your face is twisted in euphoria but you don’t see it, your surroundings morph into a burst of fireworks behind your eyelids. Of course you had good orgasms before but never such a hard one.

Joel hums with satisfaction, kissing your temple, your cheek, your half opened lips, mumbling,

“That’s my girl… yeah, c’mon… god, she’s squeezing me hard… perfect little pussy.”

He’s embracing you tight through the aftershocks and when you finally still, he cups your sloppy cunt and holds it, keeping it warm as his whole body slightly sways from side to side. The motion is lulling you to sleep. Pleasant tingling in your body, his arms, which are giving you comfort, his heart, beating with a steady rhythm against your back, all of it makes your eyes close and you fall into darkness.

Joel wakes you up with a kiss on your lips as if you’re his Sleeping Beauty. You’re lying on the motel bed and your Prince Charming’s hard cock is poking your thigh. Joel got undressed while you were out and as you sit up, rubbing your eyes, you can’t help but ogle his tan chest with dark hair, gray patches here and there, his broad shoulders, his soft belly and a gorgeous cock. It’s long and thick and your pussy clenches with a mixture of fear and arousal. His red wet tip makes you want to wrap your lips around it but you’re too shy to ask.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you mumble. “How long was I asleep?”

“Don’t worry. Just a few minutes. And my eyes are over here,” Joel says with a chuckle and you realize that you’ve been talking to his cock the whole time. You smile, raising your eyes to his, feeling your cheeks heat up and he rubs your shoulder,

“‘s ok, sweetie. You can look.”

He brings his hand to his bobbing member and gives it a few pumps. You see a clear drop of precum bead and involuntarily lick your lips.

He notices it and smirks, “oh, baby.”

You get bold and ask with your eyes only, they dart from his cock to his eyes.

“Yes, baby, you can play with it a little. But not too long. ‘m afraid I’ll come too soon like that and we need to put it in your needy pussy first, yeah?”

You nod and hastily sit on your hinges, getting comfortable. You hover your mouth over his glistening mushroom and then wrap your lips around it. Your tongue gently dances over the slit as you drink his salty juice. The taste sends a new surge of arousal to your entrance and you shift on your knees, feeling wetness pool between your folds and thighs. Like a shark feeling blood, Joel brings his hand to your ass and glides his palm over the globes of your cheeks and then slides his hand between your messy folds. You push your hips back, rubbing yourself against his palm and at the same time taking him further into your mouth, licking the underside sloppily, drooling over his stiffness.

“Oh, fuck, hnggg,” you hear Joel’s groan and then he slightly slaps your folds, getting your attention.

“Easy, baby, or I’m gonna feed ya all of my cum. And we want it here today,” he gives your pussy another light slap from the back and you moan, pulling away from his cock.

The next second he sits up and hastily says,

“I want one more orgasm from you. And we’ll be good to go.”

His hands gently push you to lie down and he helps to slide your bra and panties off. You take a sharp breath when the air of the room hits your soaked folds, your pussy getting completely exposed to him.

“Look at you,” Joel’s dark gaze is taking in your naked breasts, a heaving belly, and a puffy cunt, dripping for him onto the sheets.

He brings his calloused palm to your throat and slowly glides it down, barely touching your chest, grazes your perked up nipples, then moves down to your stomach and the mound and then slithers between your thighs. He cups your pussy again and you whimper when he places his index and middle finger on your folds and presses your clit between them with his thick digits. He starts rubbing it over your pussy lips, moving his hand up and down, and you moan. Your eyes roll back as you concentrate on another orgasm building but soon they open wide when you feel his mouth on your folds and clit.

He flicks the peeking out bud with his tongue and sucks on it. Then he pulls his fingers away, gets comfortable between your thighs and starts licking you in earnest, rubbing your clit with the flat of his wet hot tongue. You clutch his graying curls with your fingers and hold on to him, afraid to float away, because of the immense pleasure he’s giving you.

“Ahh, Joel— please— so good— oh my god,” a string of moans and pleas is leaving your mouth, but he slaps the side of your ass and growls into your throbbing cunt,

“Wanna come? Take it from me, babygirl, c’mon.” With that he opens his mouth with his tongue sticking out and starts moving your hips up and down, as your pussy is grinding against his strong muscle. Then his hands leave you and you whine.

“I said, use me. Use my mouth, babygirl,” Joel commands and, desperate for another release, you swiftly follow his order and begin moving your hips up and down, making your dripping cunt roll against his tongue, lips, mustache and scruffy chin, chasing your high, feverishly.

A content smile tugs at his slicked up lips when he sees you take control, using him for your pleasure, and he hums with satisfaction when soon you are wriggling on the bed, moaning loudly, as waves of euphoria ripple through your body. You almost sob from the intensity, not able to believe how hard you come with him, as if everything before was bleak and dull and now you finally see the colors around you.

“Joel,” you murmur, your voice is barely audible, and he climbs up your body before taking you in his big strong arms. He’s hot and big against you, all around you, and you nuzzle his hairy chest for a few seconds, catching your breath and resting.

He mumbles his praise against your temple, “my good girl—did so good—came so hard for me.”

You smile and weakly raise your face to his,

“Am I ready, Joel? I want—.”

“Yes, baby? What do you want?”

“You know.”

He pinches your chin between his fingers, keeping your eyes locked with his.

“Wanna hear you say it? Need you to say it.”

“I want you inside me?”

“Are you asking?” he breathes out a chuckle.

“No, Joel. I want you to fuck me.”

“Jesus, babygirl. Ok.”

His face gets serious and he moves to the top of the bed with you in his arms and leans against the headboard. You try to slide off him but he manhandles you to straddle his thighs.

“Jus’ sit in my lap like that,” he gruffs, pressing his chest to yours. You look down and see his cock, nesting between your bodies. The tip smears precum on your belly and you whine with desire.

“It’s so big, Joel. What if I can’t take it?”

“You can. I stretched your pussy good. And we’ll stop if it hurts, ‘k?”

You nod and lightly roll your hips against his hard cock and heavy balls under your entrance.

“Hngg, stop it, little minx. You’ll make me spill the goods too early.”

You give him a mischievous smile and then peck his lips to apologize for your naughtiness but he doesn’t let you pull away and holds you tight, his tongue breaching your lips and stealing your kiss with hunger and love. So much love that you drown in it, in the feeling of his body, his hot skin pressed to yours, his mighty manhood throbbing just for you.

Not breaking the kiss, Joel lifts your body up with his arm around your waist and his hand guides his fat cock to your entrance. Soon you feel his tip nudge your wet hole and he slowly lowers you, spreading your folds with his fat head.

“Hnggg,” Joel roars and his chest vibrates against your squished up breasts. You take a sharp breath as his tip is filling you. A thought flashes in your mind, “it’s not that bad, I can take him,” but he keeps going and soon you’re whining, as your walls spread, your pussy trying to adjust to his girth and you start panting against his lips.

“Joel, it hurts,” you mewl and he stops spearing you with his cock.

“Shhh… you’re doin’ so good, babygirl. Jus’ need to go a little deeper.”

He kisses your lips, you both breathing heavily, as you are trying to fight the dull pain, licking at your core, and Joel is gathering all his strength to keep himself from plunging his cock as deep as possible.

“Fuck, ya tight. Never felt anything like this sweet cunt, baby,” he groans through gritted teeth, “Shoulda done it earlier. Coulda been balls deep in you every day by now.”

“Oh, Joel,” you whimper at his filthy words but the fire burning your insides is slowly morphing into pleasure, as he begins fucking up into you, getting deeper inch by inch. Your nails dig into his biceps, the sensation so overwhelming you’re afraid you might faint. Joel’s lips brush your cheek as he mumbles through the panting,

“Can you— hnggg, sit on my cock, sweetie, don’t wanna hurt ya, c’mon,” he grunts as his hands roam your body, sliding to your ass as he spreads your cheeks and you feel the air cooling your soaked folds and holes.

“Yeah, ok, I’ll try.”

You’d do anything for him right now. In need of his support, you take his face between your sweaty palms and search for his hazy eyes. Your thumbs rub his scruffy cheeks as you’re getting lost in his dark lustful eyes and, knowing that your pussy is close to swallowing his cock fully, you take a final step. You lower your body, piercing your crying cunt with his manhood. His big balls twitch, flush with your ass, and you gasp at the fullness you’re experiencing. You both moan loudly before Joel’s mouth crushes against yours and he’s drinking your whimpers, returning them with his own grunts.

“Fuckin’ hell, baby, you’re perfect for my cock,” Joel is praising you but the adrenaline coursing in your veins pulls you down into the pits of euphoria and you barely hear him. Your gaze falls to the place where you two are joined, your folds spread widely around his glistening base, surrounded by dark wet hair, and the sight, the sensation make you bite your lower lip till you taste metal on your tongue. You flutter your eyes shut but Joel calls for you,

“Baby, come back to me.”

You look at his face twisted in pleasure as he grunts, “Gonna fuck you now, darlin’. Can’t wait anymore.”

You nod and his hands slither under your ass before he starts moving you up and down his cock, your tight cunt massaging it. His strong arms lift you so easily, his muscles bulging as you’re holding on to them.

Joel’s forehead is covered in sweat, some of his curls sticking to it, as he’s groaning and swearing, pushing his member into you again and again.

You softly mewl with every kisshis tip is giving to your cervix, and you revel in the pleasure when he reaches something hidden and ecstatic inside your core.

“Gonna come, Joel!” you almost cry out, as he is taking you higher.

“Not yet, babygirl. Want you to fuck yourself on my cock. Ride me.”

“How? I— I don’t know if I can,” you breathe out, your eyebrows pulled together, as your gaze darts between his eyes.

“Jus’ bounce on it, like that.” Joel grabs your hips with his bear hands and shows you how to do it, guiding you. You follow his movements and soon you’re lifting and lowering your hips, pussy sliding up and down his huge manhood, as Joel leans back on the headboard and watches you work his cock, his eyes hazy but fully focused on you.

To steady yourself you brace your hands on his broad chest and scratch his skin with your nails, when your pussy starts clamping around a man’s cock for the first time in your life. You sob through moans, as euphoria is shaking your body and Joel’s hands keep you from falling off him, when you’re trembling hard in his lap.

“Yes, yes—I’m here, baby—I gotch ya—ahhh, keep squeezing my cock— your little cunt is drooling all over me— shit, gonna come—“ he chokes on his words and you suddenly feel warmth spread inside your contracting pussy. It’s such a great sensation when he fills up your already full cunt and you don’t stop jumping on his cock, churning his warm load deep inside you, squelching sounds mixing with Joel’s grunts and your whimpers.

Your juices and his cum soon cover your folds and asscheeks and his thighs get cold and slippery, coated with your joined liquids. You feel filthy and it turns you on so much, that it makes your head spin.

“Joel, hold me, please,” you beg, lowering your torso on his heaving chest and he squirts the last ropes of his cum inside you, his big arms wrapped around your heated up body.

You both descend from your highs, holding each other close, his chest making your whole body rise and fall, his lips pressed to the top of your head.

You’re quiet, completely spent, your limbs tingling as you’re focused on the sensation of your body — a twitch of his cock still buried deep in your cunt, your pussy slightly sore clutching his softening manhood, his skin hot against yours, his warm hands gliding over your back.

“My good girl. So brave. Took me so well.”

You smile at his praise, sighing happily, trying to memorize this moment forever.

“How are you feelin’? You hurtin’?” Joel asks.

“No,” you softly reply, “a little sore but it’s ok.”

“Good. Good,” Joel coos, “Let’s clean you up.”

You nod and he carefully lifts you off his lap, as his cock slides out of your stretched hole, and a trickle of his creamy cum tickles your folds. He lays you down on the bed and gets up with a grunt to get you a wet towel.

When he’s back, you want to take it from him but he shakes his head and cleans you up himself, his movements slow and gentle. His hands wrapped in the soft fabric glide over your skin, attentive to how oversensitive you are.

You watch him take care of you, hearts in your eyes, and you almost physically sense love expand in your chest. Joel’s taking more and more space inside you with every moment your gaze is set on him, every second you breathe. A thought creeps up in your mind, “what if he leaves me? What if this magic that happened between us never repeats?” Tears well up in your eyes as fear grips your heart. But you blink them away hurriedly, scared to worry him. Today is perfect and you want it to stay this way.

You reach your arms to Joel and he joins you on the bed, embracing you in his strong arms. You raise your face to his and he kisses you, wiping away your fears with every caress of his lips.

“Thank you, babygirl. For giving yourself to me. My perfect girl,” he mumbles against your lips.

You hug him as tight as you can, and not believing how lucky you’re, you whisper, nuzzling his neck, “Thank you for making my first time perfect, Joel.”

Soon you fall asleep in his arms, wishing to be with him forever.

Thank you for reading! Please comment and reblog if you enjoyed the fic! Your feedback motivates me so much!😘💕

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#written by @aurorawritestoescape 🩷🫂#Kate 🫶🏻#joel miller #joel miller smut #pedro pascal characters #virginity loss #filthy sweet goodness #Mina rec’s

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