#i think everyone should try to stick their head out the window like a dog at least once in their life

[that-wildwolf]

I think it should be more socially accepted to stick your head out the window like a dog

[lokideservesahug]

Old Habits Die Hard

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Pairing: Jenson Button x reader but focuses on Mark Webber x reader

Warnings: Bit of sexism (because that's reality of women in motorsports), pining, I get to revel in dramatic irony but I'm curious as to what conclusions you draw. Speculation about having children but only a dog is confirmed. One swear word, innuendos.

Notes: I wrote this yesterday + today so it's probably very bad. It still isn't the one I started with but I thought that if Jenson doesn't know events then neither should you just for now! But please let me know what you think of this! Also, this is my 1000th post I believe, so 🥳!

Summary: You and Mark are finally reunited when you're hired as a Channel 4 reporter, Toto Wolff begins to cook up a plan to get everyone's favourite Mercedes driver to return in 2025 and Jenson still doesn't know what these bloody page things are.

Series Masterlist

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~Late 2023~

You take a deep breath before knocking on the door in front of you. You shake your head, you're a multiple time Formula 1 world champion, knocking on the door to the Channel 4 CEO shouldn't faze you. You raise your first but at the slightest touch, the door swings open. You cautiously lean forward and stick your head in the door. "Hello?"

At your words, a young, blonde woman, sat behind a desk shoots up. "Hi, Y/N right?" You smile at the woman and nod. "Hi, I'm Rachel." You hold out a hand which she eagerly takes and shakes. "Lovely to meet you, I hope I'm not too early." She shakes her head. "No, you're perfectly on time. Mr Jefferson is ready to see you now I believe." You nod and thank the woman, and head forwards the door to the left of her desk.

The first thing you notice when you open the tall mahogany door is how bright the room is. The tall floor-ceiling windows allowing a lot of light to be cast on the desk and the three chairs sat around it. As you enter the room, the bald man at the far side of the desk meets your eyes and stands up, gesturing to one of the armchairs opposite him. "Hello, Mrs Button. Lovely to meet you." You sit down and shake the man's outstretched hand." Smiling at the pleasantries. He sits down and adjusts his crisp suit jacket, allowing you to take in more of the surroundings. One key thing that you hadn't noticed yet is the fact that someone is occupying the other armchair. Someone very familiar to you.

You look away, desperate to not meet Mark's eyes. You hadn't seen him in a few years and even though you'd been fine after... that night, the relationship hadn't been the same. What was once a relationship you held so highly, became an existence where you kept to minimal contact after he left the grid, that turned to occasional birthday wished to nothing at all. You focus on your breathing, desperate to not get lost in your thoughts about the Aussie. You don't need to think like that, you've moved on and you assume he has; besides, he was the one that let the contact between you drift away despite your best efforts.

You can all but feel his eyes pulling you to pieces and when he talks in an all to friendly tone, you whip your head towards him. "Hello Y/L/N. Lovely to see you again." And as you look Mark Webber in the eyes for what must be the first time in years, you almost forgot how well you could read him (and how good he looked). You curse yourself for picking up the hurt twinge in the end of his words, hoping that it doesn't plague your mind at a later date (you know it will).

Yet still, you smile at the Aussie to your side, after all this time still finding that his presence brings you some semblance of comfort. "Hey Webber. Gosh I haven't seen you in what? Three years?" He nods, voice still holding a view into his feelings "Something like that. But uh- time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it? Uh, congratulations by the way... On the family." You roll your eyes and try and ignore his voice crack, clearly showing his emotion. "The media love to go wild with that one. No one's confirmed anything. I could have a million cats for all they know and they'd still claim what they currently are."

Mark smiles at the familiarity of speaking to you so freely once again and tries not to notice that you didn't directly adress the family. He decides not to ponder on it too much, the thought of you having such a domestic life with or without the "perfect family" with someone that want him, making him feel a familiar sickness to the stomach.

"What have you been up to then?" You glance at Stan once again, who is sorting through papers, and decide to oblige Mark in the small talk for a little bit longer. "Oh you know, same old really, a bit of racing and testing here and there, travelling, getting older, nothing too exciting." Mark laughs at your words. "I feel that..." Silence envelopes you once again and you're brought back to the memory of the two of you. A place that probably isn't too far from here, 11 years ago. You interrupt the pregnant pause. "Look, I really don't want things to be awkward between us. I know we were fine on the race track after...... that evening but this is different and I don't want things to be uncomfortable."

He nods. "Yeah I dont want things to be awkward. I mean we are both grown adults, I'm sure we can handle working together." You let out a sigh of relief and go to respond but the clearing of a throat draws your attention. You turn to Stan. "So Y/N, let's get straight to the point, there's no need to mess you around. I called you in here because I want to offer you a position to become one of Channel 4's presenters for the upcoming season." Your eyes widen for a moment before you furrow your brows taking his words in. "We need someone that knows the ins and outs of Formula 1. What makes it tick. Someone that can provide insightful commentary and accurate analysis. And we all think that you'd be perfect for the job."

Well talk about an ego boost...

You let his words sink in for a moment before you point to the man on your right, slightly confused. "What about Mark?" Stan lets out a hearty chuckle and grins. "Actually, if you agree, we plan on pairing you up with Mark. Our social media team say that you've been a historically good pairing and will fair well on camera. And having both a former driver and a former WAG's perspective will really make for thrilling entertainment." His words make you freeze.

It's as if you've been submerged by a giant bucket of ice water. Former- you don't don't want to think of what he said. You feel the old media training (or lack thereof) clawing inside you, begging to escape. It would be so easy to just put him in his place... To tell yet another ignorant, knowledgeless power exactly who you were. You breathe in slowly. No, that'll be no good and he's probably confused. Heck he's the CEO for for of Channel 4, who's to say he's even watched F1 before. You try and play his words off with small chuckle - that comes out a bit too dry for your liking -. "I uh, hope I'm not reduced to that these days. I won six times the amount if championships as my husband, if anything he's the WAG." You see Mark shift in the corner of your eye, covering his grin with his hand.

Stan just waves his hand. "Oh well you know, its just a label. It's a selling point, being a former WAG gives you a certain type of insight if anything." You furrow your brows, this time in rising frustration. Is he being intentionally dense? "But I'm a former driver not WAG." You realise how harsh your words come out and try and real your hostility back a bit. "But you are right about other aspects." Stan though, finally cottons on to your growing frustration and holds his hands out in surrender. "Alright no more of that WAG talk, whatever that means." You nearly laugh at the irony but he continues "We value you for your experience and accomplishments, not just your marital status. But that and the clear drive and passion you have for the spirt is why we want you on out team."

You hum, thinking over his words. Well it would be nice to be back in the paddock, however, Jenson would also be there, is that a good thing, who would look after your dog if you were both gone? You shake your head. "How often would I appear, do you know?" "We'd like you to appear on all of our live broadcasts. However, we understand that you do have other commitments so what we usually do is put people on a trial period of six months. You do it, tell us what you think and you can decide the further steps to take from there based on your feelings but also with audience feedback as well." You nod at his words, them seemingly making sense and seeming to be a fair offer.

Well, returning to the paddock doesn't sound all too bad. You'd pretty much ignored its existence since you left, desperate to not get to attached once again and long for the feeling of going 200 mph once more. Your eyes flicker over to Mark. "How often would he appear?" Stan glances at Mark who up until this point had been quietly observing the conversation. "We'd like Mark to appear with you on all if not the large majority of broadcasts. Your individual, personal touches?" He leans back and beings his hand to his mouth in a chefs kiss, making you and Mark chuckle. "You'd have an extra something our competitors don't and we need that."

You nod at his words, well you've always pleased the Mercedes media team in the past content wise so clearly you have something there. "What about Coulthard?" Stan nods, clearly used to being asked this many questions in matters like this. "David is a valuable presenter but after working with us for so long, he wants to take a step back and have a bit less involvement this year. He's not getting any younger."

He holds his hands up in defence "His words not mine." You nod "Well can I think over things? Jenson has his own job at Sky Sports so as appealing as the offer sounds, I'll have to talk to him about it." Stan nods and stands. "Of course, take your time and think about it over the next few days." He hands you a card. "Once you have your decision, we'll be on the other end of this line." You take the crisp card and run your finger over the edge as you say goodbye to the man and give a small nod to Mark.

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

~March 2024~

The familiar smells and sounds invade your sense as you make your way to the Channel 4 group in the media tent. You show your media pass and the security guard who clearly recognises you. He nods "Welcome Miss Y/L/N." Your eyes widen slightly as you smile at the man. "Thank you and it's Mrs Button but you can just call me Y/N." The security guard looks down bashfully for a moment as he expression turns more friendly. "Off course and have a nice day Mrs Button." You wish him well and carry on into the media pen. You mutter a short "Miss Y/L/N? Haven't been called that in years." But find yourself bumping into someone's side. "Oh my gosh I'm terribly sorry." A familiar chuckle makes your cheeks warm as Mark just rolls his eyes and guides you to the briefing area. And for the first time in years, it feels like old times.

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

The camera man gives you a two minute warning as Mark turns to you. "I'm curious as to how you fare in front of the camera Y/L-Button." You giggle at his words "Oh shush you." Mark just shrugs "What? Old habits die hard, I called you Y/L/N for years, Button is going to take some getting used to." You grin at his words (and ignore the voice in the back of your mind asking if it would take time for Mark to adjust to calling you Webber instead). "You've known me long enough to not need to call me that Webber." He just leans on a nearby pillar and grins. "Well some things don't change whether you like it or not and deep down, you're still the same Y/L/N after all of this time."

You tilt your head and respond in a playful manner. "I hope so. You still as bad at racing as you once were?" Mark feigns being hurt as he clutches his left breast. "You wound me." A distant call for the start of filming cuts across your moment and you take a deep breath in. You turn and face the camera. "I'm ready." You assume that Mark takes his place beside you because when the camera starts a few moments later, you're both ready to go.

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

"Now enough of us talking, let's cut to David Coulthard who's currently walking down the pitlane." You breathe a deep sigh of relief as the light of the camera stops. "You alright there, Button? You look tense" You nod. "Yeah, that was just a bit more stressful than I thought it would be... and I thought you weren't calling me that." "Ah you know I'm just teasing. You were great out there, you looked like a natural." You turn to him and are suddenly hit by the realisation of how close your faces are. "Oh, thank you!" Mark notices the closeness as well but doesn't pull away. Instead opting to lock eyes with you and extend the moment further. "Any time. And if you ever need any advice on how to charm the hearts of the viewers. Don't be afraid to ask the master." Mark's smirk makes you roll your eyes. "Oh yeah? And who might that be?"

And not that your proud of it, but old habits really must die hard, especially when you find yourself glancing down at Mark's lips. Mark leans a forward a fraction more as he responds. "Why me of course!" You just raise an eyebrow but the sudden realisation of where you are and how intimate the moment is crashes into you like a ton of bricks. The thought of people looking and the memory of... that evening making you turn towards the camera, ignoring Mark.

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

Now the last thing you expected to do on your first day at the team was interview your old boss but you can't say you're surprised. At least it's nice to see your old team principal. "Toto!" You call his name and he turns to you, eyes widening before he hugs you. "Oh hello you, I didn't know that you were doing this now." He gestures to the microphone in your hand. "Yeah, it's a new addition." He grins as you turn to speak to the camera man, his usual strictness being put to one side for a moment, replaced with a hint of warmth and fondness at seeing his favourite driver again (not that he'd ever admit that of course).

"Well it's lovely to see you and you look lovely as usual." You scrunch your nose at the towering team principal, used to his antics over the years. "Oh shush you, I'm not here to talk about joining Mercedes or anything interesting I'm afraid." Toto chuckles but unbeknownst to you, your throwaway comment has just sparked a genius idea inside of Toto's mind that he'd determined to put into action.

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

Jenson stands across the paddock, just finishing one segment of the sky sports coverage for this weekend. Gosh it's already a lot and it's only the first weekend of the season. He lets out a sigh and all too easily accepts the welcoming arms enveloping him from behind. Wait- he sharply turns only to be met with your familiar face. He lets out a small sigh of relief and wraps you in a hug of his own. "Hey sweetheart." You breath in the familiar scent of him and mumble into his shirt.

He pushes you away from his chest slightly, careful to still keep you close. "Say again sweetheart, I didn't get a word of that." You roll your eyes. And pick up his hand, playing with his fingers. "I said that I just interviewed Toto and its a weird feeling. Being back in this environment in a completely different way." Jenson just nods and squeezes your hand, understating exactly how the inner conflict feels. "But I'm sure you were incredible at it, as you always are." And as you clearly appear to be excited excited the matter, it just makes the Brit grin. You meet his eyes and sigh, winding your arms around his neck. You tilt your head "Who turned you into a sap today?" Jenson just chuckles yet remains cool. "Well I can't help but also feel happy when I see you feeling so overjoyed." You chuckle and look down, the proud look in his sparkling eyes making you feel a bit shy.

You connect your lips with Jenson's (and silently thank him for stopping in such a secluded place). However, unbeknownst to the both of you, it wasn't secluded enough to shield you both from the eyes of a certain jealous Aussie.

Jenson responds to the kiss by putting his arms around your waist and you feel yourself get lost in the moment. You moan Jenson's name as you become aware if the fact that you should probably be finding your way back to the Channel 4 group but you ca6n seem to pull yourself away.

And in the same way you feel unable to pull away from Jenson's embrace, Mark feels unable to tear his eyes away from the pair of you. Jealousy and hurt bubbling in his get like a hot storm.

You finally pull away and litter a few kisses around Jenson's face "Right, I have to go but I'll see you later and I love you." Jenson grins and pulls out towards him once again. "I love you too but why the rush? Can't stay and spend a few minutes with your favourite driver." You wriggle out of his hold and leave him with a sweet "Oh I didn't know Nico Rosberg was here. Guess I have to find him now!"

Jenson just chuckles and grabs your arm as you try and walk away. The both of you ignoring the influx of sky sports and other media personnel setting up not far from you. "Not so fast sweetheart. I thought I was your favourite driver. Should I worry about being demoted?" You let out a thoughtful hum, the sound making your lips buzz for a moment. "Well, it depends... There is this one old racing driver. He's long retired now. But gosh, he's he's incredibly dashing and handsome. He commentates now but he just gets me so flustered!"

Jenson's smirk parts as his lips breaks out into a toothy grin. "Oh really? He sounds like quite a bloke! Do I need to be jealous?" You raise your eyebrows and nod "Oh yes, I'd leave my husband for him any day!" Jenson looks down in a deflated act. "Oh darling, how could you break a man's heart?" You can't control it any longer and you feel a laugh bubble out of your chest. You try and speak in between laughs but aren't too successful. "Just- If you see him, let him know that I'd love to give him a massive kiss." Jenson, fakes wiping a tear which makes your laugher turn into breathless cackles. "Such a lucky blo-" Jenson can't manage to get much more out before you're smashing your faces together once again. Desperate to not hear his band attempt at a witty come back.

You pull away and look into his eyes, the blue of them catching the light in Such an angle that it makes them glisten. "Oh look." Your soft words make his expression become more lovestruck. "There he is." Jenson grins before you reel back. "Shit... I need to be broadcasting. Now!"

You give him a quick peck on the cheek and rush away. Jenson finds himself grinning and letting out a small laugh as he watches you trail away. Suddenly, a nearby Sky Sports person laughs loudly and at the sharp sound Jenson turns to look at the man. And he could have sworn he hears the worker mutter your name under just breath. His curiosity and desire to defend you get the best of him and he taps the man on the shoulder. "Excuse me, what did you say?" The worker turns, baseball cap on his head casting a shadow over his eyes that is fixed when he looks up to meet Jenson's eyes.

Jenson's tone is firm yet still polite as he continues. "I heard you mentioned someone's name. Who were you talking about?" Now Jenson will be one of the first people to admit that he was good at jumping the gun in his youth. But when someone mentions his wife's name? Well he won't allow anything but praises to be spoken about you and as it stands, the worker might as well be slandering you.

And the ground must be especially interesting because the capped man is finding everywhere to look apart from Jenson's eyes as he mutters a quiet "Mark." Jenson's eyes widen a fraction, not quite what he was expecting but he continues, trying to deem more friendly than confrontational as it stands. "That's a bit random. What about him?"

The worker now picks up on Jenson's interest and lack of ill intent and so continues. He grins slyly and the look makes Jenson feel a bit unwell "Oh I was just making a joke about how I thought your girl was talking about Mark earlier that's all. I thought she had a thing for him" Jenson's eyes widen, that's the last thing he expected the worker to say or for other workers behind the man to hum in agreement with. Jenson tries to keep his expression neutral but he crosses his arms, almost feeling a bit defenceless. "What makes you think she has a thing for him?"

The man opposite Jenson just shrugs nonchalantly. "Well she looked all excited and flirty with him earlier. They were really close and whispering." Jenson feels his heart sink for a moment. He trusts your loyalty of course he does. And he's certainly aware that you're an adult woman with your own autonomy.

Blimey, you were close with Mark first, if anything, Jenson should be happy that you're finally becoming friends again. He ignores a small nagging feeling in the back of his head, knowing full well it's only there because of other people's gossip and falsities. Jenson tries to get an answer pinpointing exactly when only to get another shrug and a generic answer claiming that it's been a regular occurrence over the past few days, in response.

Another man behind the main worker suddenly laughs. Jenson looks at the shorter, clearly younger worker and instead addresses him, head tilting once again in curiosity and confusion. "What?" The younger man just smiled "Nothing! Well I just- I grew up on you lot and for the longest time thought that Y/N and Mark were married so this is just a bit funny."

Jenson just shakes his head, the exchange seeming more and more bizarre as it continues unfolding. Gosh a few minutes ago he was just happily having a quiet moment with you and now he has to put all of these misconceptions about you to rest. Gosh this day is already tiring. "Well Y/N already talks highly of him and when you announced your engagement, like everyone else, I was shocked. I mean at least half of the Internet thought you had a polyamorous thing going on or at least a ménage-trois thing." The first man chimes in again "I mean I don't think Webber would be oppose enough having a piece of th-."

Jenson's glare could kill. Silencing all the other workers that choruses similar sentiments of rumours about Mark objecting at the wedding and other preposterous gossip. He's never known anyone to halt in their words so quickly but at his angry look, the worker realises his wrong and bows his head. Jenson tries to contain his anger at the objectification of you and instead focuses on his breathing (something you've encouraged him to also do in moments of high emotion). Jenson takes a deep inhale through his nose.

"Now if you're done talking about Y/N like that, I hope you can realise how preposterous those lies are. They're just things spouted by people with too much time on their hands and I don't appreciate you feeding into such bad words about my wife like that." As if following choreo, the sky workers nod. The main one holding up his hands, clearly quite ballsy as he adds. "Look I'm sorry man. But you have to admit you'd make a pretty attractive threesome." Jenson just raises an eyebrow and tries to ignore his warming cheeks, not even willing to entertain the thought... Not even for a moment... No, not in the slightest... Well if his brain thinks about it, its just because the worker mentioned it... He shakes his head.

Jenson speaks in a tone that'd be used to scold a child. "And no talk of that please. I'm more than happy with my girl." The man just nods again. Another worker, this time a much taller one puts a hand on the workers shoulder and addresses Jenson. "Sorry man. We'll leave all the stirring to Channel 4." At Jenson's furrowed brow he continues. "Not anything serious, they're just using Mark and Y/N's relationship as a selling point." Jenson just nods his head. Finally feeling more secure in the conversation now. "Yeah, well they love to make stuff up out of nothing."

The group lets out a collective laugh and if you were here, you'd you'd Jenson's look one of a lost puppy. "Oh you poor innocent man." One of the workers laughs "Sorry. You must have never heard of the 'Deleted Pages' that's all." Jenson shakes his head. "The delete- what are you talking about?" Hearing the sincerity of his words, the worker straightens up. "Oh, you really haven't? Uh nothing then..." The camera man calls for the workers to start filming in two minutes and the group begin to scatter. "Wait no, don't give me that. What are you talking about? What are those deleted pages, why are you all acting so weird?" Jenson doesn't have much time to get an answer though before a microphone is being thrust into his hand and he's being forced to film yet another segment.

Now you'd spoken to Jenson before about... that night. Not the ins and outs but now he's left curious. What happened and does it truly mean more than you let on but more importantly, does it have anything to do with these blimmin' "Deleted Pages."? Pages that everyone seems to know of but no one seems to know anything about. Jenson just huffs. Gosh this season really was going to be the end of him, especially if he doesn't find a way to satiate his curiosity.

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Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

As always, likes, comments and especially feedback is always welcome! And I'd love to hear what you think!!!

Taglist: @nikfigueiredo @mysoulispainted @leclercings @d3kstar @hiireadstuff @a-beaverhausen @nichmeddar @lozzamez3 @stinkyjax @marymustdie @littlesatanicassholebitch @mehrmonga @insanedeathwish @ems-alexandra @a-disturbing-self-reflection @cherry-piee @thatgirlmj

[halcyon-autumn]

Wheel of Time Characters and the Cars They'd Drive

Written by someone who knows extremely little about cars

Rand: The poor boy buys like a standard issue sedan and then a bunch of weirdos start following him around and telling him that the car is "special." Moiraine spray paints dragon decals on his car one night while he's sleeping. People keep trying to slash his tires but he always catches them just in time. You know how it goes

Perrin: Pickup truck with normal sized wheels. Great for helping people move! Also great for running people over. Duality of man etc etc. There's always a dog in the back sticking its head out the window, but Perrin does not know this dog or where it came from

Nynaeve: She buys a used car that looks like it's falling apart and everyone tells her that she overpaid. Four months in, they realize that the last owner did a bunch of Fast and Furious style modifications and Nynaeve could probably outrace God

Mat: Bike. This SHOULD NOT WORK but somehow he's still on time to everything. This baffles everyone, including him

Egwene: Something VERY practical with great gas mileage, like a honda civic. That's the only practical car I know because it's what my dad told me to buy.

Elayne: Lexus. Mat makes fun of her for driving a luxury car and she's like "????? it's not like it's a Cadillac?"

Liandrin: A Cadillac

Moiraine: A jeep, but the nicest most upgraded version. Unless there's a car that's better for off-roading, in which case she drives that instead

Lan: A cool classic car. A car that can drift (maybe all cars can drift but Lan's definitely can). He thinks that Nynaeve's car is The Coolest for some reason

Lanfear: A horse! Just kidding. She drives a silver range rover because an article I googled said that range rovers are the king of the road.

Bonus:

Asmodean: the car type Does Not Matter all that matters is that he has a vanity license plate

[queenslimeball]

Living in a Bush

Kurt Kunkle x male!reader

Requested by; @batzfailz

Contents; Fluff

Summary; M/n gets in Kurt's spree before recognising his childhood bestfriend.

Kurt bobs his head along to the music in his car while he sits on his phone. He's been driving people around on spree all day, but just now he's started to get tired. One more. He keeps on telling himself. Just one more, then I'll go home. There's been seven one mores.

The wait for one more passenger seems to be forever. There's no shock to it, though. It's the middle of winter and it's almost 1am. Kurt puts his car into drive, about to give up and drive home, but he gets a notification from his phone. One more.

He instantly clicks on accepting the passenger and puts his phone down. He doesn't really care who he picks up. He's just excited to talk to one last person. He follows the directions, and pulls up to where he hopes the person he's getting is.

Kurt lowers the window and sticks his head out to look for who he's getting. Nobody around. Strange. Kurt jumps and almost yells when he hears the door open and close behind him. He twists around with a smile to see what kind of person he's picked up this time.

"Hey, my name's Kurt!" He introduces like usual. But something seems different. He feels like he knows the boy sitting in his backseat and he can't quite place it. He opens his mouth to ask if he knows him, but the boy has already started talking.

"Nice to meet you, man. I'm so glad you could pick me up, like– you would not believe the day I've had." The boy starts. Kurt turns around and looks at his phone. He starts to drive with the directions from the app.

"I went over to my friend's for a chat, right? And she ended up inviting every damn person she knew, so it ended up a fuckin' party when I was not after that. But then her dog ran out because someone left the door open and everyone went out to find it and..."

Kurt's mind channels out the boy's non-stop talking as he stares at the name on his phone. M/n. He knows this guy from somewhere. But he just can't figure out where. He dives real deep into his memory, but can't find anything.

He looks into the rear view mirror and stares at M/n for a moment. Not to be creepy, but as if trying to solve the puzzle. Solve the puzzle.

While their parent's chat away, incoherent to their little ears, the two boys sit on the floor, rummaging through a pile of puzzle pieces to try and complete it. There are only few pieces layed out already. Neither of them can seem to figure out what next.

"Kurt, seriously, kid? You got the right piece in your hand." His dad says, pointing at where it should go. All the parents look his way. A small Kurt looks at the piece in his hand and looks at the floor. He fits it in place, looking rather proud of himself after. The small M/n looks just as proud of him, like he's just changed the world.

M/n! Kurt smiles to himself as he remembers his childhood friend. He looks in the rear view mirror again. He wants to tell him about it, but M/n just keeps on going on. It's like he doesn't stop. Kurt hears a slight pause and quickly jumps in.

"Hey, uh! I think I know you." Kurt says quickly, not wanting to let M/n start rambling again. He glances over his shoulder at him with a smile, hoping he remembers.

"...I don't think so, man." M/n replies, looking directly at Kurt, as if to try and remember his face.

"I think so." Kurt replies. "When we were kids... we went to school together... our parents were friends.. but I moved away. Kurt!"

M/n's face changes very quickly. "Woah! Oh my god, Kurt? Like, Kunkle? No way!"

"See, I told you!"

"Wow, I couldn't even recognise you. Sorry about that, man." M/n laughs, more out of embarrassment. Kurt shrugs, not taking any offence to it. "I guess it's the hair..?"

"It's all good. I wouldn't recognise me either, so it's okay."

Kurt runs around the garden, searching every perimeter. He spots a bush rustle, and he narrows his eyes. He slowly approaches, grabbing a toy sword on the way to prod at the bush. It rustles again, and Kurt giggles.

"Are you in there?" Kurt asks, sticking the sword further in. The "ow!" That comes from the bush proves him right. Kurt lowers down and crawls into the bush. He finds M/n curled up inside. He playfully gives him a push.

"Found ya!" Kurt exclaims, curling up with M/n in the bush. "It's nice in here, isn't it?"

"I don't really wanna leave." M/n nods in agreement.

"We could stay here forever." Kurt suggests, confidence in his gentle voice. "My parents can have the house, it's fine."

"Really? That sounds so fun!" M/n replies excitedly. They both giggle, Kurt's dirty blond hair becoming ruffled by the lose twigs. "Boys! Dinner is ready!" It's Kurt's mother.

"Shh! shh! shh!" "Quiet!"

Kurt had pulled over somewhere, anywhere, it doesn't matter. He's climbed into the back so he can catch up with M/n after so long.

"So what brings you to Azusa?" Kurt asks.

"I moved out, but it's more affordable here, so..." M/n shrugs.

"You have your own place!? That's crazy, man. I'm still at my parents'." Kurt replies, scratching the back of his neck.

"It's crazy we're not living in a Bush together, right?" M/n jokes.

"Oh my god! You remember that?" Kurt laughs. "We were so sure we'd stay out there forever."

"The rain kinda put me off, to be honest." M/n chuckles.

The laughter dies down, and they're left with a silence. Not exactly awkward, but unreadable. Neither can quite tell what's going on as they stare into each other's eyes.

"I missed you." Kurt admits, breaking the silence. What he intended to say was "How's life treating you?" . But, his mouth has betrayed him.

M/n is flattered. He doesn't know how to react at first, just making sounds between a laugh and a heavy exhale. "I missed you, too."

Kurt stands by his family car as he stares into M/n's eyes. Tears have already escaped down his face. His parents are moving back and forth from the house to the trunk with bags.

"You're leaving?" M/n is crying now, too.

"I didn't know." Kurt admits, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"You can't leave.."

"I'm sorry!" Kurt cries out as they both dash into each other's arms, sobs escaping from both of them. Kurt's parents awkwardly try to step around them as they hug and cry for what seems to be a little too long.

"C'mon, kid. We're going." Kurt's dad says, opening the door and nodding towards it to try and get Kurt to hurry up.

Kurt looks back to M/n. It's the hardest decision of his life so far, even when it's not a decision that he can even make. He can't choose to stay, as much as he wants to. He slowly steps back from M/n, their arms falling limp from each other.

"I'll never forget you." Kurt promises.

"I won't forget you either."

"I'll find you. I know I will." He says, looking over his shoulder as he gets in the car. Kurt's dad slams the door shut, and gets in the car, too. The car gradually starts to drive into the distance, but M/n chases after as fast as his little legs can carry him. Which, ultimately, is not very fast. He trips over a pothole and hits the asphalt on his forearms and chest. He lifts his head in a whip, not caring about the physical pain, but the emotional.

He makes eye contact with Kurt through the back window as the car disappears from sight.

"I, uh– Really don't wanna say goodbye again, y'know. So I was wondering.." Kurt murmurs quietly, feeling too awkward to spit the words out he needs.

"Are you gonna ask for my number?" M/n said it for him, which is a huge relief. Kurt points and nods.

"Yeah, that!"

"I'd love for you go have it." M/n assures, making sure Kurt doesn't feel nervous about this. They exchange numbers and save their contacts, making sure they've got it right before anything else.

"Haha... uh... maybe we could go out sometime?" Kurt questions.

"Like a date?"

"Like a date, yeah!"

The boys had snuck into M/n's sister's room. It's much different to their usual hangout spots, but they're too young to care.

Kurt sits at the small, child's table, pushing a teddy bear out the way, and M/n sits opposite. They pretend to sip tea from the empty teacups, discussing all sorts of things that go on in their underdeveloped minds.

"I brought you to this restaurant to ask you something." M/n says, getting off the chair and standing by the table. He slowly sinks onto one knee. "Kurt, will you marry me?" He asks with a haribo ring.

Kurt feigns an overdramatic gasp. He nods. "Yes, yes, yes!" He stands from the table and M/n puts the ring on the wrong finger, but neither notice. They jump about, holding onto each other.

"What are you boys so happy about?" M/n's mother asks as she enters to put some clothes away into the sister's wardrobe.

"I'm gonna marry Kurt!" "We're getting married!"

"That's nice, boys."

[gyuwoncheol]

Vantage Point | Chapter 10

Status: Ongoing

Pair: Mingyu x f.reader

Genre: College au. BFFs to FWB trope. Fluff, Humor, Angst, Smut [chapters with smut will be indicated and will contain the necessary warnings]

Summary: Pulling off the “No Strings Attached” arrangement with his best-friend-turned-best-friend-with-benefits was easy, but when a new condition is added onto the mix, Mingyu didn’t realise just how much he held onto you when you finally let go.

Chapter Warnings: mentions of oral sex

WC: 1.4k

Author’s Note: just your normal bestie conversations. Ten chapters in already answered still so so much to happen. This series is a long one 😉

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“Stop that,” your best friend scolds.

“What?”

“That. The pacing back and forth, checking out the window, pace back and forth, checking out the window again…”

“Oh. Sorry,” you lower your head down, and face the window again, trying to stay in one spot instead. Slowly, your hands find each other and in no time, your fingers are fidgeting and you start to gently bounce on the balls of your feet just looking at your street covered in all white. Another day stranded in the storm means another day cooped up in your apartment with your best friend.

Soon enough, heavy hands are felt on your shoulder as you’re being turned away from the view out the window and onto a face with the most accurate puppy dog eyes, “Cam, what’s wrong?” There’s a look of worry in Mingyu’s eyes as it scans over you, “we’re going to be fine, we’ve had worse snow storms.”

“No, it’s not that,” you sigh, “I just… can it stop already? We have to go soon.”

Mingyu tilts his head at your statement, a questioning look on his face, “but you were the one who said we should avoid the roads first?”

“Yeah but… I thought it would be over by now. We have to leave soon, Gyu!!!” You sulk.

“What’s with the sudden rush?”

“Because you need to be home,” you sigh in defeat, “you should’ve been home a while back if I wasn’t being a crap best friend.”

Mingyu mimics your sigh as he’s hit with the realization of your worries and he pulls you in against his chest, his arms wrapping around your shoulders, “Oh Cam…”

You groan before sticking your chin up and looking at him with a full pout, “I’m sorry…”

“You don’t need to apologize, this isn’t your fault.”

“It is! You could’ve gone home as soon as the term was over but you decided to stay and make amends with dramatic me and now you’re stuck in the city in the middle of a snow storm and Christmas is three days away,” you rambled so fast that if it had been someone else listening, they wouldn’t understand you. “I’m sorry Gyu, I know you really wanted to be home and spend time with family.”

Your best friend looks down at you, pats your head and simply smiles, “Like I said, stop apologizing. I’m not blaming you. Staying a few more days was my decision and I don’t regret it. I would’ve had a terrible Christmas if I knew I wasn’t on good terms with my best friend. And we still have a few more days okay, we’ll make it home, have faith. And you know what, even if we don’t make it, then we’ll make do! I know mom’s cheesecake recipe”

That was the thing about Mingyu, he’s always the most positive person in the room, and in your life, if you’re being honest. He could brighten up every situation while still being sensitive enough to everyone's feelings. He’s optimistic and always knows what to say to cheer you up.

“Hey, don’t give me that face,” he scolds as he looks at the pout still etched on your face, “stop feeling bad. Please? You know if I was really upset about all this, I’d be honest with you and tell you but I’m really not. It’s gonna be okay, yeah?”

Mingyu waited for your answer and at this point in time, if there was one thing left to hold onto, it would be your best friend’s hope. You nod slowly and offer him a smile before kissing his cheek, your usual way of saying thanks, which he knew.

“Now, cmon. Let’s make breakfast, don’t think I haven’t noticed the quiet grumble your stomach is making.”

“Okay, what about her?” You flash your phone in front of Mingyu as you both sit on your couch.

“Rina? Never.”

“Really??? Not even a kiss?!” You gasp in shock.

“Nope, we’re only on hi-hello terms.”

“Noooo way! You know she has a big fat crush on you?”

“I’ve been told.”

“And? You can’t even give her time of day? She seems nice.”

The conversation on ‘how far have you gone with x person’ was a usual one you had with Mingyu, and now that he’s known you were a virgin until two weeks ago, he’s indulged you with naming more people than he did. Right now, as you both stayed warm in your living room with a cup of hot chocolate, seemed to be the perfect time to play the game again.

“Ehh, not my type,” Mingyu shrugs, “besides, Soonyoung told me she doesn’t like dogs.”

“How does Soonie even know— you know what, nevermind, point taken. She has to love dogs. Okay next,” you scroll through your Instagram feed to find more girls from your university.

“Hey, no. My turn. Him,” Mingyu shows you a photo from his phone and immediately, you’re rolling your eyes in annoyance and shoving him playfully.

“Stop that!” The whiny tone in your voice only makes Mingyu laugh boisterously. He defends himself by saying he really just wanted to ask but you know your best friend and it’s almost too easy to tell when mischief lies behind his eyes.

“What?”

“Pretending like you don’t know I have history with him!”

A dramatic gasp emanates from Mingyu, complete with a hand on his mouth, “you have history with James?!”

“Gyu!” You laugh but the deathly squint you throw at him is unmissable.

“Oh come oooon, Cam! Don’t you think it’s high time I finally know what really went down with you two? What happened to ‘I’ll tell you everything soon’?”

If there were two things in this world Mingyu has learned to perfect, it was his pout and the sad doe eyes, although the latter is already a given thanks to the puppy DNA that flowed through his veins. And right now, he’s taking full advantage of the fact that you can’t resist the way his lower lip juts out.

“Okay, fiiiiiine,” you concede and Mingyu’s already crossing his legs and giving you his full attention, ready to hear the story. Boys, you thought, they love to gossip just as much as girls do.

“Well we went on several dates after I broke things off—“

“With Dae,” Mingyu interrupts, “yeah. yeah I know that part. So??? What else?”

“Well,” a pause and you study his face, making sure now was the right time to divulge this information to him, “when we decided it wasn’t the right time for either of us to take things to the next step, we also realised that the fun didn’t really have to stop.”

If CGI effects were something you could see in real life, there would be multiple question marks flying around Mingyu’s head right now. “And fun means what exactly?”

You take a deep breath, thinking about not saying anything anymore and then thinking, what the heck! Your best friend literally knows everything about you and has seen all of you, why is this suddenly the one last thing kept secret from him?? You don’t know either.

“Right before he’d go to basketball practice and I’d go home, I’d suck him off in his car and he’d return the favor.” Your best friend’s jaw simply falls slack. “It didn’t happen every practice, okay. But it happened a lot. Until of course I got really busy, he started to get back on the dating scene and eventually got with that Finance major. It just ran its course, I guess.”

“But you two never had sex?!” Mingyu questions in disbelief.

“Nope. I don’t know. Neither of us never really tried to reach that point either. No forcing anyone with anything, ya know? We’re still good friends. Fun while it lasted, helped me get over Dae and well… perfect the skill and practice the gag reflex.”

“You are crazy! I can’t believe you hid this from me!”

You scoff, “You were too preoccupied with Claudia! Whom by the way, still thinks I was fucking you while you two were together.”

“She was wrong then, but she’s right now,” the man across you wiggles his eyebrows playfully, “So am I the only one who knows this?”

“Mmm… second. Wonwoo always knew,” you shrug and Mingyu gasps in offense yet again, “BEFORE you start with your dramatics, I didn’t tell him okay. You know he’s in the same year as James and they had a couple classes together and James accidentally slipped with him. There just was no point denying anymore when Wonwoo asked me.”

Your best friend nods skeptically, “So I’m still the first one you told?”

“Yes, Gyu. You always are.”

A satisfied grin graces his lips and he throws you a wink, hands suddenly pulling your leg over his lap, “so about that skill… care to show me just how much you’ve perfected it?”

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@wongyuseokie @strawberryya @idyllic-ghost @septemberskies @ladyblablabla @anthropologymajorkpopmultistan @christinewithluv @everyone-em @phenomenalgirl9 @itza-meee @myghobi @carlesscat-thinklogic23 @doubleshoticedshakenespresso @writingbarnes @darijiwagra @gyuguys @multi-kpop-fanfics @whoa-jo @keeboismine @gaslysainz @the-boy-meets-evil @such-a-wh0re @wooahaeproductions @p-dwiddle

[cuprohastes]

Lunch In Space

Part 1

Wherein we are introduced to two of our main characters, the perils of interspecies cafeterias and the alternate uses of dog jumpers, and the Narrator is too self-obsessed to introduce themselves properly

4am, in the vast darkness of space, the lightless void that's darker than the stygian depths.

Apart from the stars. They're actually pretty bright. Famously so come to think of it. Also all the lights on the station, so you can look at it and admire it and spot any fresh new exciting holes that have appeared.

And if you're on shift, like me, use those handly lights to find the cafeteria and very carefully pick through the offerings because believe me, while Yarrick won't kill you, your body will basically say 'What the heck?' and treat it like a nice big plate of Silicone jelly and you will be experiencing a whole new and exciting set of sensations, and hey, sometimes you just have to clutch the toilet seat and scream a bit: We've all been there.

So I get my nice human safe food, and an extra roll of purple stuff that's not bread but it might as well be, and relocate my heiny to the big table by the window, the one that's always a bit chilly which is why me and Atrix and Atrix are usually the only ones who sit there.

I mean Atrix does because she's comfortable with a little extra cooling, and Atrix is there because he's not driving, he's just along for the ride.

"Yo." I say to my good buddy, the giant purple kangaroo dinosaur. She gives me a Yo back and dual finger guns.

Atrix the pocket lizard sticks his snout out and makes grabby paws at the roll.

I slide it over to his wifey, the purple lizard woman with the colour changing face and a degree in Astromechanics (Also horticulture, Art History and apparently, Interspecies erotica).

"You're over feeding him." Big Atrix says. Small Atrix grakkles. He has opinions and he really wants that bun, but then again if he gets too fat he has to move out, change gender and start paying taxes.

I also know that Godzilla here always skimps on the husband food because she knows I'll swing by with a little something something for her pocket hubby.

"Yeah well, someone has to be the fun Aunt." I say cheerfully. You're always the Aunt with the Atrix, regardless of gender.

I settle in, to eat a lovely meal of... what appears to be chicken flavoured... it's... hmm. Well, it's chicken flavoured and guaranteed not to cause anything to go a funny colour and fall off. It actually tastes great, but I'd describe it as being yes, a thing.

"So," I say around the food flavoured... stuff, "Picked a good solid Traditional Human Name yet?". My friend bobs her head again: Practicing her human physical emotes.

-This should be good. Atrix are good people but they don't have spoken names. They have a word that means 'I'm gonna show you name' then they change their face colours like a cuttlefish. They literally just turn into another person for a moment: This drives most species nuts.

Humans find it hilarious. Atrix can see the funny side. Humans and Atrix get along a little too well for everyone else's comfort and That's The Way We Like It™️.

Big n' Purple thinks about it, then says, "I was thinking... Gondolier Dottirsdottir, or maybe Luminal Effervescence."

OK so the Atrix tend to go for names that are just really fun to say. hence the Secretary General of the Combined Human-Atrix Interstellar Survey, a really big female with as much or more gravitas as a class two black hole - a very serious pocket pal all 'round - being named Pingbing O'Candyfloss.

I consider it. "People will call you Gondy, or Lumy." I point out to her as she feeds purple... bread-y stuff... to the iguana-sized male that lives in her belly pouch. He grakkles at me. He's a sociable little guy, quite chatty, I just have no idea what he's saying. Gondy grackles back and he does Upsies arms.

"Gondy. Ahm-hum. That sounds good. Gondy." she says trying it on. I can see she's definitely enjoying the mouth sound.

She hauls her hubbins out of her pouch, which is covered by her overalls and a big apron flap so he can sleep or play games on her phone.

"Did you... put him in one of those dog jumpers?" I ask as she puts her guy on the table. He looks smug and shows off. It's a small, chihuahua sized Christmas sweater. It's currently May, or close enough. But I'm not going to harsh his mellow. The little dude's obviously stoked to be a fashionista.

Gondy bobs her head looking pleased. "I'm thinking he should be Raxyplank Magellan. Raxy's a cute name." she says.

Raxy looks up and says "Rax!" around a mouthful of hubby food. Well, I can't fault that. At least he gets a name he can say.

For an Atrix male, he's pretty adventurous - He'll talk to people and even come out and walk around if he can keep one eye on Gondy.

Traditionally, or "Back in the day" - Several tens of thousands of years ago, until an Atrix got big enough to be safe, there was a good chance that something would camper up and make a meal of them.

So they have a general resistance to being out in the open, where it's cold and there might be cool alien eagles or space-lizard foxes.

Luckily when they get big enough they develop pouches and to they pick a male out and carry them around for safety and to have someone to talk to and hold shiny rocks (I'm a bit fuzzy on the finer details), so you almost always see two Atrix, even if one of them is usually hiding.

And now Raxy is hanging out with us like a regular little dude and getting crumbs on his ugly Christmas sweater. It is in all ways a pretty nice moment.

Anyway that's about when the station blew up...

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Need Some Space?

Paranormal Preteens AU: Episode Twelve

A JSE Fanfic

Field trip time! :D The boys are heading to the planetarium with the rest of their school grades. It should be fun, except that Chase knows he has to tell Stacy about all their fun paranormal adventures and he really doesn’t know how to do that :( On top of that, there’s apparently some more weird stuff happening here, too. Wonder what that’s all about? ^-^

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

Chase had never been to the planetarium before. It wasn’t technically in town, but actually a thirty-minute drive away, and that had always seemed too far to get interested in except for special occasions. But he was definitely interested in getting a day off from classes, so he was kind of excited for the field trip.

Schneep was definitely excited. He kept staring out the window of the bus, waiting for the planetarium to appear with a big grin on his face. When the large concrete-and-glass building came into view he gasped and grabbed Chase’s arm excitedly. “It’s so much bigger than I thought it would be!”

“Wow. Yeah.” Chase leaned against the window and watched as the school bus approached the building. There were a few steps leading up to the glass doors that were the front entrance. Above the doors were bronze letters spelling out “Hollewych Planetarium,” with a picture of the Earth and moon in the middle.

Two school years were going on this trip to the planetarium, so the outside was just packed with kids. Teachers and parents had come along to supervise, but Chase wasn’t sure there were enough adults for all the students. As soon as he and Schneep got off the bus, one of the teachers—Mrs. Karter, the Chemistry teacher—began trying to coral the students into a buddy system. Chase immediately grabbed Schneep’s hand. There. Already worked out.

And yet—“Chase, we’re gonna be buddies.”

Chase jumped, then sighed, and turned to the side to see Stacy staring at him intently. “Hi, Stacy,” he said. “Sorry, you’re too late. Schneep and I are buddies.”

Stacy raised an eyebrow. “Really? Don’t you have that friend, uh... what’s his name? Chad?”

“Well, yeah, but...” Chase trailed off. For some reason, Chad hadn’t talked to him at all once the school year started. Even though Chase tried to find him in the hallways or at lunch. He didn’t respond to him calling out to him when they walked past each other. Chase... wasn’t sure if this bothered him. It probably should have. 

“Well that doesn’t matter anyway because I want to be your buddy,” Stacy said. “I want to talk to you.”

He was expecting this. Exactly one week ago, Stacy had said that if Chase didn’t tell her what was going on with all the weird stuff in town, she was going to tell everyone about the monster dog and how Chase and his friends did something with it. People might not believe her, but the rumor alone was guaranteed to do damage. Chase glanced at Schneep, who jerked his head towards Stacy, as if saying ‘go ahead.’ “You don’t really know anyone here,” Chase said. “Not yet. It’ll be easier if we stick together.”

“How am I supposed to get to know anyone if we are together all the time?” Schneep asked.

“Uh—good point, but I don’t think this is the place. It’s a big building, and it’s kinda far from home.”

“I can’t believe you’re going this far to avoid me, Chase Brody,” Stacy said. “You leave me no choice.”

“Huh?”

Stacy turned around and waved her hand in the air. “Mrs. Karter! Can we make a group of three?!”

“Hmm?” Mrs. Karter looked away from the pair of students she was currently sorting out. “Well, we do have an odd number of students... alright, since you were the first to ask.”

“Thank you!” Stacy turned back around and gave Chase a smug grin. He just stared at her, dumbfounded, which Schneep chuckled. “She likes me, you know.”

“...alright...” Chase said slowly. “Uh... well... we’re about to go inside anyway, so—we can talk once we’re in there.”

“Fine.” Stacy nodded.

Walking through the front entrance took the students to a wide entrance hall, with star-patterned carpet and a giant globe in the center. The kids all immediately clustered around that, leaning over the surrounding railing to try and touch it, while the adults started coordinating with the planetarium tour guides. Chase, meanwhile, lingered over by the front counter where people would normally pay the entrance fee. He stared at the list of activities and prices hanging on the wall and tried to ignore the way Stacy was staring at him.

“Stacy, do you like space?” Schneep asked.

“Huh? I mean, I guess it’s kinda cool,” Stacy said, surprised that he asked her.

“It is! It is so—so interesting!” Schneep nodded enthusiastically. “Did you know that Venus rotates backwards? The opposite direction of Earth? And Uranus rotates on its side, like a bowling ball! And if you had a giant container of water, big enough to put Saturn in, the planet would float!”

“Wait, really?” Stacy asked. “How can a giant planet be lighter than water?”

“It is not lighter, it is less dense. Saturn is made of a bunch of gasses, just like Jupiter—and technically Uranus and Neptune, too, but those two are frozen because they are so far from the sun—”

Chase zoned out. Not because he was bored or annoyed, but because he already listened to Schneep telling him all these facts on the bus ride over. He only snapped back to attention when he heard a voice say, “Hey, aren’t you Jackie’s little friend?”

“Huh?” He shook his head a little. The voice was coming from a teenage girl standing behind the counter, wearing the white-button-down-and-blue-vest uniform of the planetarium staff. Her blonde hair was pulled back in two pigtails. He recognized her. “Oh yeah! You were on the camping trip with us! Uh...” He struggled with the name for a while, until he realized she was wearing a name tag. “Mincy!”

“That’s me.” Mincy grinned. “I saw you look at the tag. Don’t worry about it, I’m bad with names, too.”

“Well, I’m Chase,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“Working.”

“But aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

“Well, with careful schedule planning, you can eventually get yourself an entire day free!” Mincy winked. “But between you and me, I’d rather not be here now, either. I don’t usually work Mondays, but I took this shift as a favor for a friend. If I’d known it would be this busy, I wouldn’t have done it, though.”

“Ah.” Chase nodded understandingly, only half-understanding. You could work on days that you didn’t have work? Weird. “Well, uh... is it fun?”

“Working here? It’s alright. The planetarium is pretty interesting.” Mincy leaned a bit closer. “But between you and me, there are some weird things going on.”

Chase straightened. “Weird how? Is it like... especially weird?”

Mincy laughed. “Jackie asked me the same thing when I said that! No wonder he gets along with you guys. Uh, it’s a lot of little stuff, you know. There are some staff-only doors that I’m not allowed to go in, which is like... I guess not as big a thing, because maybe that’s for the bosses or something. But also, did you know we have a basement? Because I didn’t, until I overheard people talking about it in this, like, hushed conversation. They said it’s sealed up when I asked about it, but it’s still weird, right? And a lot of the people who’ve worked here a while act a little strange. They have this like... this stare that gives me the chills. And they don’t talk much. There’s this one guy, Dave, who I don’t think I’ve ever heard say a word.”

“That is pretty weird,” Chase said, nodding. He tried to look mildly interested while secretly his mind was scrambling. Was this more of the supernatural? Something else caused by this—as Anti had said—greenlight?

“It is, huh?” Mincy nodded. “Well. Don’t let me keep you. Looks like your teachers are getting ready to get you all into groups.”

Chase looked over at the group of teachers and planetarium staff. He wasn’t sure how Mincy could tell they were getting ready, but sure enough, Mrs. Karter soon said, “Alright! If you came here on the bus with me or the one with Mr. Fitzgerald, I need you over here with us!”

“Chase.” Schneep reached over and tugged on his sleeve. “That is us.”

“Yeah, I know.” Chase glanced at Stacy. He knew she’d come on the bus with them; he’d seen her sitting at the front when he and Schneep got on. So it seemed she really was coming with him. “Let’s go.”

The three of them joined the rest of the group around Mrs. Karter and Mr. Fitzgerald, all gathered around an archway leading into what looked like a series of rooms. There was also a planetarium staff member there—a tour guide of some kind. The moment they meshed into the crowd of students, Chase felt something grab his shoulder. He yelped and spun around. “Who—?! You!”

JJ grinned and gave a little wave. Marvin, standing slightly behind him, leaned around and also waved. “Hey! Isn’t this cool? The four of us are all in the same group! I knew the good luck spell I cast last night would do great things!”

“Haha... yeah...” Chase glanced around. The other students nearby were staring at them. His skin prickled with embarrassment. “Marvin, you shouldn’t shout in a planetarium.”

“I shouldn’t?” Marvin looked confused. “But it’s not like a library, right? And there are a lot of people shouting besides me.”

“Well, they shouldn’t be doing that either.” Really, Chase didn’t want to draw that much attention to themselves. “Anyway, I guess it’s a good thing you two are here. I got to tell you about something that just happened.”

The four boys clustered together as the group started to move into the series of rooms, and Chase quickly recounted his conversation with Mincy. Schneep asked him to repeat once, as he’d gotten distracted by a diagram of how a telescope worked, but other than that, there were no problems. Well... there was Stacy. She was standing close enough to overhear, and in fact seemed quite keen on overhearing as she tried to lean her way into the boys’ cluster.

Do you think there’s more of that greenlight stuff here? JJ asked, using the individual signs for “green” and “light” to convey the name.

“I don’t know,” Chase said. “Maybe. I think we should pay attention.”

Stacy poked her head into a gap in between Marvin and Schneep’s shoulders. “Pay attention to what? Are you looking for some more monster dogs?”

“No, we got rid of that one, and we’re pretty sure it was the only one,” Marvin said. “We’re not really sure what we’re looking for this time, but anything strange, like something glowing green—”

“Marvin!” Chase hissed.

“What?” Marvin blinked in confusion. “Doesn’t she know?”

“I... haven’t shared... the details yet,” Chase said haltingly. He glanced at Stacy, who looked very interested in this conversation.

JJ frowned. You said you would. And none of us had a problem with that.

“He is just worried about letting in new people,” Schneep said.

“Are there no girls allowed in your club?” Stacy asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“No, it’s not that you’re a girl,” Chase said. “And it’s not a club.”

Marvin gasped. “Can it be a club? Can we have a name?!”

“We can talk about that later,” Chase said. He was noticing people staring again. “Let’s shut up for a minute. We need a... quiet place. Where we can be alone.”

The others agreed. Even Stacy, though she didn’t look happy about it. They all started paying actual attention to the planetarium now. This area they were in was dedicated to physical objects, like telescopes and samples of moon rock. Diagrams on the wall explained things like the Mars rover and the rocket people used to go to the moon. It didn’t interest Chase that much, but Schneep found it all fascinating. Marvin and JJ were sort of forced to take interest in the exhibits, as their teacher had given their class a worksheet to fill out while on the field trip—something Marvin complained about.

Stacy was sort of into the exhibits, but most of her time was spent constantly glancing at Chase and the others, as if afraid they would try to ditch her.

The last thing in this series of rooms was a giant pendulum, suspended from the very top floor of the three-story planetarium and hanging down through a series of holes. It was constantly moving, and a plaque nearby said that this was because of the Earth’s rotation. There were a series of domino-like things in a circle around the pendulum, some of them knocked down. The five of them watched it for about ten minutes, waiting for the pendulum to knock down another one. When it did, they all cheered, as did all the other students watching.

Then it was time to move on to a different section of the planetarium. The group went to a pair of rooms entirely dedicated to the sun, moon, and Earth, and the relationship between them. Here, Marvin got fully immersed in an interactive display that let you simulate a solar and lunar eclipse, to the point where Schneep had to fully drag him away so he could have a turn. Chase thought this area was a bit more interesting. He didn’t know that the seasons were caused by the tilt of the Earth. Or did he learn that last year? Science wasn’t his strong suit, and last school year had been his worst school performance.

All this time, he tried to pay attention to his surroundings, looking for anything strange. But he didn’t see anything.

They went up to the second floor and came to a long hallway with giant models of the sun and planets in the solar system. And these models were giant. The smallest planet, Mercury, was big enough that Chase’s fingers would barely touch if he wrapped his arms around it (not that he could, since there was a railing.) And Jupiter was taller than the teachers! The sun wasn’t even a full model, just a partial circle embedded in the wall.

Schneep kept talking about how this hallway wasn’t anywhere close “to scale” but Chase was impressed anyway. Stacy was, too, as this was the first room where she wasn’t constantly keeping an eye on the others. She spent most of her time playing with a scale that would tell you how much you would weigh on each planet—and complaining that Pluto wasn’t part of the model. “It’s still a planet!” she said, and JJ nodded in firm agreement. The two of them probably would have talked about that if Stacy could understand sign language.

“Alright, everyone!” Mr. Fitzgerald announced. “This way, please! We have a viewing scheduled in the Astrodome!”

“The Astrodome,” Chase repeated. “That sounds cool.”

It’s a bit like a theater, JJ said. Except the movie screen is a dome above you and around you.

“Cool,” Chase said again, grinning. “This place is cool.”

“We should come back here some time with Aunt Jess, Chase,” Schneep said. “When we left today she said she wanted to see this some time. I think she mentioned something about it being new and her not having time.”

“Yeah.” Chase’s smile slowly faded. He remembered when the planetarium had opened. It was last year. Around November, he thought. That was when Mom and Dad... That was when he first noticed that they were... different. He’d seen some things before that, of course, overheard conversations he probably shouldn’t have, but... The atmosphere in those conversations had been isolated before. November was when it first started to spread to every interaction they had. Neither of them had been in the mood for a family trip to the planetarium.

“Chase, come on!” Schneep tugged on his arm. “We are behind!” Then he turned and hurried ahead.

“Ah, sorry!” Chase hadn’t even realized he’d frozen in place. He started to hurry after Schneep... but then he noticed something. Mrs. Karter wasn’t heading towards the hall leading to the Astrodome. She was walking the opposite direction. He stopped, and watched as she opened a gate in the railing separating the model planets from the rest of the solar system. She had a key to that? Since when? Did all the teachers have a key?

He glanced back at the retreating group, then followed her. He just wanted to make sure. If something strange was happening, he’d go back to get the others.

Mrs. Karter closed the gate behind her, but left it unlocked. Chase slowly eased it open and stepped through. He watched her disappear around the model of Neptune.

“What are you doing, Chase Brody?” Chase turned around to see Stacy standing there, hands on her hips. “We’re going to lose the group!”

“Mrs. Karter just... went this way...” Chase said slowly.

“She did?” Stacy said doubtfully. “I didn’t see her.”

“Hey, what’re you guys doing?” Marvin approached the two of them. “Schneep and JJ are getting away from us.”

“Hang on.” Chase walked forward and peered around the giant Neptune model. And he saw... a door. One marked “Staff Only,” hidden behind Saturn. But he didn’t see Mrs. Karter. “I think she went through a staff door.”

“Wait really?” Marvin hurried through the still-open gate, and Stacy gasped in surprise at his audacity. “Like the staff door you were talking about earlier? One of the maybe-weird ones?”

“Yeah.”

“Well we have to check it out, then,” Marvin said.

“It could just be a staff door, you know,” Stacy pointed out.

“We won’t know that unless we peek through,” Marvin rebutted. “If it’s just, like, a closet or something, we’ll catch up with the others.” He walked past Chase, leaving him to follow.

“You can’t just—!” Stacy glanced around, then ran after the two of them, catching up as they reached the closed staff door. “If there’s someone in there they’re gonna be so mad, you know.”

“Then we just tell them that we saw Mrs. Karter go this way.” Chase shrugged. “It’s the truth. And she’s our teacher. So of course we would try to follow her on a field trip.”

“Do you think she locked the door?” Marvin asked, reaching out. He grabbed the handle. It twisted easily. “Oh, I guess not.” He pushed the door open—

And suddenly, Chase felt himself fall forward. He yelped and tried to regain his balance but something was pulling him. Stacy, standing behind him, also fell forward, knocking him over, and he then knocked over Marvin, and the three of them were falling through darkness.

There wasn’t enough time to scream before they landed hard on the ground, knocking the breath out of them. Chase groaned. That was worse than wiping out on his skateboard. His entire left side hurt, and his arm felt funny. He hoped it wasn’t broken.

“What... just happened?” Stacy’s voice said in the darkness.

“A-are you guys alright?” Marvin’s voice asked.

“Everything hurts,” Chase said quietly.

“Yeah,” Stacy agreed. “I don’t... want to move.”

Chase heard movement—the sound of cloth rustling—and then a hiss of breath. “Yeah. Moving not good yet,” Marvin said. “Let’s just... stay here until we feel better. And try to figure out where we are.”

“It’s pitch black,” Stacy said.

“Wow, no, really?” Chase replied sarcastically.

“Where are you? I’m gonna punch you.” More movement as Stacy tried to find him. Luckily, she seemed to be out of arm’s reach, and she gave up. “Fine, whatever.” She paused. “Okay. So... you guys opened a door. And then it like—like sucked us in?”

“Oh, is that what happened?” Marvin said. “Well. Goes to show the staff doors really are part of the weird shit. D’you think Mrs. Karter got sucked in like this?”

“Maybe?” Chase guessed.

“I don’t think she’s nearby, though,” Stacy said. “Or she would’ve heard us and come over to ask us what we’re doing here.” More cloth rustling, then some footsteps. Stacy was standing up. “Hello?” she called.

There was no reply.

Chase took a deep breath and slowly stood as well. His left arm really felt weird, but it didn’t hurt and he could move it, so it probably wasn’t broken. “Alright. Does anyone have a flashlight or something?”

“Who just carries a flashlight around?” Stacy muttered.

“Don’t those fancy cell phones with the touch screens light up?” Marvin asked. “Do either of you have one? I don’t.”

“I thought you did?” Chase said, confused.

“No, it’s technically JJ’s cell phone, and he was carrying it in his bag today. It’s not a fancy touch screen model, either, so the light from the screen wouldn’t be enough anyway. What about your phone?”

“I didn’t bring it. I’d normally leave it in my locker at school but we weren’t going to be in the school building today so I left it at home.” Chase paused. “Um... Stacy, do you—”

“My parents won’t let me get a cell phone until I’m fifteen,” Stacy said. “Ugh. It would’ve been so helpful to be able to call someone right now! Whatever. We’ll just feel our way along.” Footsteps. “Okay, here’s a wall. Feels normal. So there’s gotta be a door or a light switch somewhere around here.”

Chase walked towards her voice until he also found the wall. “I’ll walk the other direction,” he said. “We’ll find one eventually.”

Marvin finally stood up. “I’m going over here,” he announced, voice and footsteps retreating into the other direction. “Oh. There’s another wall here. This is a pretty small room. Do you think this is a closet? It would be a big closet, but not too big, you know? But there’s nothing in here, I think, and closets are for storing things.”

The three kids walked around the edge of the dark room, looking for an entrance or anything else helpful. But too soon, they all bumped into each other. “Omg, you guys totally threw me off!” Stacy complained. “I don’t know where I am now! Where’s the door?”

“Stacy...we’ve just met in the middle, and there hasn’t been a door at all,” Chase whispered.

“What? That’s impossible!” Stacy protested. “How’d we get in?!”

“I think we fell?” Marvin suggested.

“That’s right.”

That was not any of their voices.

Stacy screamed, which made Chase scream and spin around. “Who’s—” he started to say. Then the voice fully registered in his brain. He knew who that belonged to. “No. No, what are you doing here?”

“Am I here?” Anti’s voice sounded like it was coming from right in front of where they were standing with their backs pressed against the wall. “Or are you just hearing things?”

“Don’t bullshit us!” Marvin shouted. “Why are you here?”

Anti laughed. “I’m just watching. But it looks like you’re stuck, so I’ll give you a little hint.”

Chase heard a sound like fingers snapping, and something started glowing green right in front of them, the light reflecting off the features of a familiar face. Anti grinned. It looked even more ghoulish than usual. The light was coming from a glowing ball he held with his pointer finger and thumb. He flicked his fingers, and the ball bounced over to the corner of the room. “The walls aren’t put together well. Try pushing in the right place. Good luck.” His smile widened, and then the green ball flickered and disappeared. Anti’s presence disappeared as well.

Stacy gulped. “What... w-who...?”

“That’s... Anti,” Chase said slowly. “He’s... we’re not sure what. But he’s been messing with us.”

“I still think he’s a ghost,” Marvin added. “Anyway. Do we do that? What he said about pushing the walls in the right place?”

Chase paused, trying to think of something else, but nothing came to him. “I don’t have any other ideas. And whatever happens can’t be worse than being stuck in a box.”

He walked over to the corner where the green ball of light had disappeared. Then he braced his hands on either wall and pushed. Sure enough, he felt something give slightly. He pushed harder, grunting with exertion. Marvin and Stacy hurried over to help, joining him in pushing. Slowly, the walls tilted outward... and then fell to the ground with a loud CLAP! noise.

The three of them stared out into a wide, nearly-empty room. Its ceiling was twice as tall as normal and lined with rafters. Square pillars were dotted around, connecting the high-above ceiling to the cheaply-carpeted floor. It looked like a basement. A really big basement, since they couldn’t see the walls.

 There were no lightbulbs or lamps, but the area was well-lit anyway. Because dotted throughout the area were floating spheres of glowing yellow light. The spheres ranged in size from ping-pong-ball to two-fists-together. And they weren’t the only things floating. Random items hovered in midair: rocks, mostly, but also paper cups, pens and pencils, scissors, and more.

“Whoa,” Marvin breathed. “It’s like—it’s like space.”

Stacy stepped forward and poked a stapler hovering around head-height. It floated away from the touch. “What the heck?” she whispered, and looked at Chase. “Is this—is this something you guys deal with a lot?”

“Uhhh we’ve never seen this before,” Chase said. He started walking, and found he felt... lighter. Each step sent him a bit farther into the air, and he came down a bit gentler than normal. After taking a moment to get used to this, he walked over to the nearest ball of light and reached out. He couldn’t actually touch it, but when he waved his hand through it, he felt warmth. “But... we’ve seen a lot of weird stuff.”

“And only you and your friends know about it?” Stacy asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, we did see Mrs. Karter walk through the staff door that sucked us down here,” Marvin said. “So, unless the suckage just happened when we opened the door, she has to know about it too, right?”

Chase frowned. “I guess. And Mincy said that some of the staff at the planetarium were acting weird. Maybe... they also knew about this weird... basement? She did mention she overheard a conversation about a basement.”

Marvin’s brows scrunched together in confusion. “Do you think the staff knew about this and are keeping it a secret?”

“Maybe. But why?”

“Maybe for the same reason you guys didn’t tell anyone,” Stacy muttered.

Chase looked over at her. The two of them stared at each other for a while. Then Chase sighed. He still wasn’t happy about it, but after this, it wouldn’t be fair to keep it from Stacy any longer. Maybe she wasn’t as bad as he thought. “Look, you can’t tell anyone what I’m gonna tell you, okay? I mean, people might not believe you, but just in case, we don’t want anyone to try and stop this.”

Stacy nodded slowly.

“I mean it. Especially don’t tell Heather Westing.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Stacy said.

“Wait, I thought you were friends with her?” Marvin interrupted, confused.

“We are friends!” Stacy protested. “It’s just—she’s been acting a bit weird lately.” Stacy folded her arms. “I think it’s because my mom doesn’t want me to go to this movie Heather wants to go to. It’s based on a book and my mom read the book description and she said it was too dark for me, but it’s really not, I mean, it’s a romance, and even if it wasn’t I want to read it anyway because I bet it will be cool. Anyway Heather realized I didn’t read the book and my mom won’t let me go see the movie and she got a bit weird. But the movie comes out in November so I hope I can get the book from the school library and read it by then and I’ll tell Mom that it was fine and that I should be allowed to go to the movie.”

“Uh... okay.” Chase didn’t really get all that, but he got that Heather and Stacy weren’t on the best of terms right now. “Anyway. This place is kind of creeping me out. So let’s try to find a way out of here and I’ll explain everything while we look around.”

Stacy nodded. “Alright.”

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

Luckily, the mysterious space-themed basement wasn’t that big, so Chase didn’t have to go into too much detail. He gave the basic explanation of each of the group’s encounters with the strange things going on: the library ghost, the pool monster, the weird mushrooms, the monster dog, and Anti. Marvin kept trying to give more details but Chase quickly redirected the conversation back to the point. By the time they reached the basement wall, Chase had told Stacy everything.

She was quiet for a while, processing all this information. “I wouldn’t believe you if I didn’t see that crazy dog. And if we weren’t surrounded by all this stuff.” She waved her hand through the air, breaking up a cluster of floating paper clips. “But alright. I won’t tell anyone. Because if I wouldn’t believe you, I doubt anyone else will.” She held eye contact with Chase. “But I want to know.”

“You want... to know?” Chase repeated.

“Yeah, I want to know about all the stuff you guys do. And what you figure out about this greenlight stuff. I dunno if I’ll be able to come with you guys to check any of it out. My mom and dad wouldn’t let me walk around town on my own like your mom does. And a lot of the time I have to watch Roxy, so—”

“Who?”

“My little sister. She’s eight and sometimes my parents are at work for longer than they wanna be so I sometimes have, like, an hour or two where I watch her. It’s not too bad. But the point is, even if I can’t go there, I want to know.”

“Uh... yeah. Sure.” Chase nodded. “We can keep you in the loop.”

Stacy smiled. “Thanks.” She turned her attention to the basement wall. “Now. Which staircase do we take?”

Spaced out evenly among the basement wall were staircases leading upwards. They were about six feet apart and all looked about the same. Normal, brightly-lit metal stairwells that, after about ten steps or so, led into sudden darkness. 

“You’d think they’d all go to the same place,” Marvin said, looking at the rows of stairs. “Because they all look like they’re going the same direction. But I don’t think we can trust that. This place is already weird. There’s no real way to figure out which one is which, so maybe we just pick one? Hang on, I’m gonna try to divine which way to go. It’ll be hard cause I don’t have any of the right stuff, but it’s worth a shot.” He traced a pattern in the carpet with the toe of his shoe: a star in a circle. Then he knelt by the pattern and closed his eyes.

Stacy stared at him. Then she looked at Chase.

“He just does stuff like this,” Chase mumbled, not looking directly at her or Marvin. “It’s fine.”

“So, uh, is it real?” Stacy jerked her head at Marvin and the pattern in the carpet.

“I dunno. He used his crystals and rocks to save us a couple times, but... I don’t know.”

Stacy nodded. “And... the cape?” she whispered.

“That’s just him.”

Marvin opened his eyes. “Okay. I think we go this way.” He stood up and walked over to a random stairwell. Stacy and Chase followed him and the three started walking up. The stairs were always lit ten steps ahead of them, but no farther.

As they did, Stacy continued to ask Chase questions. “So, not even your parents know about this? Your mom just kinda lets you do whatever?”

“Well, I have a bedtime,” Chase said. “And it’s gonna be harder to ‘do whatever’ with school and stuff. As long as I give a good explanation, she’s happy. She likes that I’ve been hanging out with people again. Besides, she wouldn’t believe me. Like you said earlier. No grown-ups would. We’d just be kids playing games to them.”

“But you haven’t told anyone our age before me, either,” Stacy stated.

“No. I don’t want to be... You know people would...” Chase tried to put his thoughtsinto words that wouldn’t spill all his feelings and fears to a girl he’d barely talked to. “If anyone at school knew that I was doing this, it wouldn’t matter if it was real or not, because it’s all really... different. Like, magic rocks? Used to channel green energy? That’s weird. And nobody would ever forget that. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as the weirdo ghost guy from a group of weirdo magic people.”

Marvin stopped walking.

“Marvin?” Chase asked. “Why’d you stop?”

“...it is all weird, huh?” Marvin said quietly.

“Y-yeah.” Chase nodded.

“Yeah.”

Chase had never heard Marvin so quiet before. Was he upset? No, he couldn’t be. Marvin would probably be swearing at Chase if he was angry, as loud as ever. “Did you hear something?” Chase asked.

“I dunno,” Marvin said. “Let’s stop talking for a moment.”

“Right.” Chase also went quiet, paying attention to the world around him. And because he was now paying attention, he noticed that Stacy was staring at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. “What?” he whispered to her.

“Are you serious?” she whispered back. “Chase Brody, you just—”

“Wait, there’s something,” Marvin interrupted.

Everyone fell silent again, and that’s when they heard it. Footsteps coming down the staircase towards them. The three of them exchanged silent looks of panic, and then Stacy turned and started walking back down the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible. The boys followed, making slightly more noise than she did.

Voices also drifted down the staircase, coming closer. Two people talking. “—those kinds would be fine, really,” a man’s voice was saying.

“It’s not easy to find this stuff out,” said a... familiar voice. The three kids exchanged surprised looks. That voice belonged to Mrs. Karter. “Not all of them are trusting. I’ve been trying to ask Gina, but she keeps her lips shut tight.”

“Have you thought about recruiting her? It would be helpful if she was on our side.”

“I’m not sure she would be ideal. She might not understand the bigger picture. And it would be so much trouble if we showed her, and then she rejected us, and then we had to find a way to get rid of her—she’s pretty well-connected, people would notice.”

“It may be worth a shot anyway, given her position. We can move slowly. You’ve already mentioned talking to her, keep being friendly. I think if Olivia and Wendy can also befriend her, we might have a shot at bringing Gina in.”

The three kids reached the end of the staircase, but where to go from there? The basement was wide-open, nowhere to hide. Chase glanced at Marvin and Stacy, then gestured forward urgently. They’d just have to run! Stacy nodded, but Marvin looked confused.

“Just double-checking,” the man’s voice said. “You’re sure we got an intruder alert?”

“I am,” said Mrs. Karter. “They must’ve come in right after me. Hopefully they’re kids from the field trip. That would make this easier.”

Chase grabbed Marvin by the wrist and broke into a run. Stacy followed—she was surprisingly fast! The wall of staircases already started to fade into the distance when there came a shout of “Hey!” The three of them sped up.

The basement seemed even larger than it had before. They could hear the footsteps of people running after them. Marvin glanced over his shoulder but Chase and Stacy were too focused on getting out of there. Floating objects bounced off them and flew in different directions. The footsteps were still behind them, not getting closer, not getting farther.

CRAK!

Stacy yelped and went down. The boys skidded to a halt. She’d stepped in the wrong place, and her foot had gone into a crack in the floor that they hadn’t seen before. Had they come this way earlier? Or had they just not noticed it? The crack was pretty big, Chase wasn’t sure how they could have missed it.

Why did it look so familiar?

Stacy tried to stand up but couldn’t. She looked at the two of them, silently asking for help. Chase grabbed her hand and started to pull, and Marvin did the same with her other hand. She was really stuck in there. It felt like something else was pulling against them. Chase spared a moment to get a closer look at the crack. It was barely big enough for Stacy’s foot to have fit through, and it led into pure blackness. For some reason, that gave him a chill.

The footsteps were getting closer. Chase put all his effort into pulling, and finally, Stacy popped free. She staggered, falling into the two boys, then quickly recovered and dashed away, leaving them to catch up.

The opposite wall of the basement finally came into view. It looked just like the other one, lined with staircases. The kids didn’t discuss which one to take, they just ran up the first one they came to, sprinting up stairs in the darkness. The footsteps behind them receded slightly, but they didn’t stop. Chase started to get winded, but they didn’t stop.

Until finally, the staircase ended in a closed door. Chase threw himself at the door—and stopped short when it didn’t open all the way. Stacy and Marvin slammed into the door next to him, pushing it open further. There was just enough room for them to wriggle out of the gap, and they did so. As soon as they were out Chase slammed the door behind them and pushed the heavy object partially blocking the door back against it.

The three of them stopped to breathe, listening for footsteps or voices on the other side of the door. Nothing. They collectively slumped in relief, and started to look around. “Where are we?” Marvin whispered.

It was a small room, mostly taken up by metal cabinets—which was what had been blocking the door earlier—and weird computer-y looking equipment. A swivel chair sat in front of a wide window, and through the glass they could see some sort of projection of the night sky.

Then another door opened up to the side. “What the fuck? When did you kids get in here?”

The three of them stiffened and stared at the guy who opened the door. He wasn’t too much older than a teenager, and he wore the planetarium uniform. He also had a pair of headphones with an attached microphone on his head. “Uhhhh...” Chase said.

The young man sighed. “Just get back to your seats.” He pointed behind him.

Chase, Stacy, and Marvin glanced at each other, then silently walked out of the room, passing by the man.

They were in a place that looked like a movie theater. But instead of there being a screen on one wall, the screen was a giant dome overhead. This was where the projection of the night sky was. They were standing at the back of this circular room. To their right was the room they’d just come out of—a small booth covered in fuzzy black material. To their right was an identical booth. And in front of them were the rows of seats, almost completely full of kids. A woman’s voice came from an intercom, narrating something about constellations.

This was the Astrodome. They’d ended up here after all.

“I guess... we just sit down?” Stacy whispered.

“I guess,” Chase whispered back.

They found the nearest group of empty seats and sat down, trying to pay attention to the presentation and the fake night sky overhead.

After the presentation, the three of them lingered in the same seats as all the other students filed out. Chase was pretty sure Stacy and Marvin were doing the same thing he was: looking for Mrs. Karter. But she wasn’t in the room.

“There you are!”

Chase jumped and looked around. Schneep was running up the aisle between the seats towards them, followed by JJ. “Oh. Hi.”

“Where were you?!” Schneep demanded. “I thought—I-I thought—what happened?! Did something happen? A-are you alright?” JJ put a hand on his shoulder, and that seemed to calm Schneep’s nerves a bit.

“We’re alright, but...” Chase looked at Stacy, who held his gaze. Then at Marvin, who wasn’t looking at any of them, not even JJ. Just staring up at the blank dome, staying quiet. Chase wondered if he was okay, or if something about that detour had bothered him. He could ask him about that later. Right now? “We have stuff to talk about.”

[lcstxsculx]

Kate’s smirk mirrored his, her arms crossing as she leaned casually against the desk. ❝I’m glad we’re on the same page, Ethan. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. But before I hand over any names, let me make one thing clear. This isn’t just a hit list—it’s a game, a challenge. If you’re looking for simple, I suggest you stick to your ER roster.❞ She took a step forward, her heels clicking softly against the floor, her voice dropping to a near whisper. ❝As for methods, following them is fine—if you want to keep playing it safe. But if you want something more... efficient, we’ll provide intel. Habits, routines, places they think are safe. The kind of information that makes the hunt seamless. I’m not asking you to change who you are, but I think you’ll find a little guidance can go a long way.❞ Kate tilted her head, studying him with an amused glint in her eyes. ❝And payment? Oh, it won’t just be about what you can give. It’s about what you’re willing to become. You’ll get your rewards, don’t worry. But this isn’t just a transaction, Ethan. It’s an investment. You’ll grow, and when you look back, you won’t recognize the man you were when we started.❞

She turned slightly, gazing out the same window he stood by, the city sprawling below them. ❝London’s rain grows on you, if you stick around long enough. But the sun? It’s a rare thing here. Like trust. Like loyalty.❞ Her gaze shifted back to him, her smile sharp and calculated. ❝I’ll give you your first name soon enough. But you’re right—it’s up to you to decide if the job’s worth it. Just remember, Ethan, this isn’t about playing the rabid dog or the loving pet. This is about being the one who holds the leash, while everyone else scrambles to figure out who’s pulling the strings.❞ Kate stepped back, her tone lightening, though her eyes still glinted with something darker. ❝So, doctor, shall we test those skills of yours? Let’s see if you’re as good as you think you are.❞

"I do love a challenge so what do you want me to do first? Go on a small hunt for you to prove myself or have I already done that with the killings that I've already achieved?" Ethan looks at her a glint in his eye as he thinks about the hunt and who she's going to send him after, knowing that these jobs are going to be a challenge is almost enough to make him trust her already, almost but he knows that if he fucks up or pisses her off he'll more than likely end up in a jail somewhere with the key thrown away. He looks back out the window and takes a deep breath "I think I understand that, they are the puppet and I'm the master but I'm a puppet and you're the master too so I guess it all evens out doesn't it Kate." Ethan tilts his head to the side as he looks back out at the rain "I used t live in a place where it was mostly sunshine all the time and one gets bored with only one kind of weather. Fair weather friends and all that crap but you are right sun is as rare as loyalty and trust around here but that is something that isn't lightly given or it can be thrown back in your face."

He chuckles "Simple Kate is something that is best left behind with me. I love a good challenge and I will complain if this isn't challenging enough for me. If I should get bored while doing it then god help you because I will start in on those loyal to you as something to do other than twiddling my thumbs or I'll just go back to my hospital roster as you call it and try to find even bigger challenges until I fuck up and get caught, then I won't be of any use to anyone." Ethan looks over his shoulder at her "Oh, I'm going to like that, yes indeed. All the stalking is a bit tiring if you want to know the truth so having someone else do it for me would be wonderful of course they will have to be trusted and not give me shit for info but other than that I'll be happy to work with anyone you happen to want to stick me with. Well, except another killer because in that sense I work better alone." He chuckles and gets a thoughtful look on his face "I already look back at myself and not recognize the man that I've become so it won't be all that hard to do it again."

@shadowsandsympathy

[cuntwrap--supreme]

This is what I have to deal with fucking daily. These kids sit on their balcony and make out and smoke weed and blast music so loud it sounds like it's playing in my room. I'm losing my fucking mind. If you don't know how to live in an apartment, go live in a house. For fucking real. They're both kids with very nice cars with Nashville plates. They have a $2000 dog. Their families obviously have money. Go someplace where it's not as annoying if you're an obnoxious cunt. I've covered their door in passive aggressive sticky notes. Considering sticking my head out my window and screaming along with any songs I know, just to be rude back. Maybe I'll take up learning metal vocals, but only practice when the other people who live here aren't home. Ruin their time. I was trying to read on my balcony because it's nice out tonight and now I can't read period because it's so fucking loud everywhere. I can't hear shit playing on my phone unless it's at damn near max volume. Tons of people here work construction and leave at like 5am. I have to leave for work at 7am. Tons of kids live here. People are trying to sleep right now but these entitled kids think it's ok to be as loud as they can be because loud = cool (?????). They're also smoking weed inside, which should be an automatic cancellation of their lease, but the apartment doesn't want to kick them out until their lease expires (in 5 fuckin' months!!!) because housing is so expensive. Which like sure. That's fine if it's something like you forgot to clean up after your dog or paid 3 weeks late 7 months in a row. But this is actively disturbing everyone else's nights. Literally no one wants to listen to Purple Rain so loud you can hear it the next block over. Eyes Without A Face is not so much of a bop that people on the other side of the complex need to hear it.

Any time I talk to anyone in the building they say things like, "It has to suck living next to 20. They're so loud. I can hear them through your walls. Thought it was you at first!" That kind of shit. When I moved in (same day they did) they'd parked their Uhaul in such a way that I could not get to my door, and it took 3 hours for them to move it - 5 feet, which gave me a whole 7ft of space in front of my door but not to the right of it. When I took my Uhaul back for another load (small, so I only got like my bed, dresser, and couch on the first go), they'd reparked in the same place, so I had to go find them again and ask them to move; they claimed they thought I was done, and I asked who moves into an apartment with literally just a mattress, dresser, and couch and nothing else. They were so embarrassed by that that the dude's dad helped me move my heavy stuff upstairs. The guy there has scratched and dented my car enough times that I, someone who struggles with walking, would rather park an extra 200ft away than risk my vehicle being damaged any more by this insufferable child. They also take MY spots. Parking is assigned here. My apartment has 2 spots. They're unlucky and their apartment has 0 based on where it's placed, meaning they're supposed to be parking 200ft away where I park. And I've told them before that I'm disabled and struggle with walking and they kinda just said to fuck off. My sister has seen this shit several times, and was here to help me move, and hates this guy as much as I'm sure everyone in his life does. We went to get food the other day and he wasn't home, so she took his (my!!!) spot. When we got back to my apartment, he came out, hands on hips, and just stared her down. So she loudly proclaimed that she wanted to come see my cat and just sat on my couch watching TikToks for an hour before she got bored of being a dick and went back to her boyfriend's house. He immediately reparked his car - sideways, because this guy can't park his Mercedes straight to save his life. I can't imagine the damage he's done to the cars of other students on campus.

Anyway. Every day I live here and have to listen to 80s pop or Sound Cloud rap or indie rock at max volume, I become closer and closer to morphing into the joker.

[yveltalreal]

✤ - a memory that involves romance/love for maple

A memory that involved romance/love: Maple

You wipe ur face with one of the tissues your pa left in the car with you. When you pull it away a black stain is left on the paper. Fuck! Your mascara is going to be a nightmare to clean up once this is over. You can feel it on your face, having smeared and ran down your face from how much you were crying earlier. You should have worn the waterproof stuff but in your defense, you did not think your fucking fiance would have just abruptly stopped loving you and decided you did the same.

Arc, you hope your pa didn't break his fucking legs. Everyone in the chat said they heard him screaming. That's no bueno...

Something shifts in your lap. Oh right! The service pokemon they gave you that stands as a reminder of the time you fucking died! You kinda forgot she was here... You don't really feel like Hephaestus is making things worse for you. Did you cry so hard you just... forgot to be traumatized? You surprise yourself sometimes! In the front seat, Bibi keeps trying to start the car. It is a good thing your pa took the keys with him because you're pretty sure the lopunny would gladly put the pedal to the metal and turn as many people into speed bumps as possible. Finally, in the back seat is the dragalge you had rescued only a few days prior. Initially you weren't going to keep him, but you've started getting attached, so you should probably name him eventually...

Enough about that. The dragalge and Heph both stick their heads out the window. Oh fuck someone's here. You look out too. Oh shit! It's Aspen! Your fucking fiance! He's looking for something. He's also... Hold on.

"Are you wearing my fucking shirt?" you call out the window. Arc, you probably look like shit considering you were crying until not even 20 minutes ago.

Aspen looks down. Did he... did he not realize?

"I forgot to um. Change." You realize as he begins to approach the car that looks like he is about to sob. That makes two of you.

"I’m um. I’m sorry. I. Fucked up. And. I don’t want you. To stop loving me. Please don’t. If you um. Haven’t yet," he says, continuously getting closer. You don't think you can stop loving people. You still love everyone that's hurt you. You still love him. Honestly, you thought Aspen had stopped loving you.

Something in the back of your mind pushes you forward. No thinking, just doing. As soon as Aspen gets close enough, you lean out of the window, grab him, and pull him in for a kiss.

You pull away, and whisper "That's kind of gay," without thinking. Aspen rests his forehead on yours.

"I love you. You’re not hard to love. It’s really easy, actually. I’m sorry. Really sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry," he says. You don't like when other people are sorry. It makes you feel like you did something wrong. "No, it's okay! You didn't mean to... You didn't mean to... I love you so much, Aspen! I was so fucking afraid I did something wrong because I didn't know what was going on! But it was just a misunderstanding! You didn't mean it." Two out of three of the pokemon in the car are staring at you homophobically like that one image of the dachsbun. Ironically, the fucking dog is not one of them.

"It’s not okay," you hear him mumble, "I hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you." You swallow. Someone who doesn't want to hurt you... If only you weren't someone who exists to be hurt.

"Aspen, I've been hurt by a lot of people in a lot of ways. I don't think I know who to be if I'm not getting hurt, but I know you didn't mean to hurt me."

"Can I hug you?" he asks, and you say yes. Of course you do. You are someone who never lets others go and never stops loving.

[1-more-chapter-until-i-pass-out]

Quotes/conversions from my English Teacher because I think people on Tumblr would really like him

-"Will you physically hurt me?"

*shouting from the corridor* "After I finish explaining this, I'm going to see what that's about because let's be honest, I'm really interested."

-"I hate children."

-"When you're not at school, it's a lovely day."

-"I'd just get a new job then."

-"Pay attention, I am the most important one here."

Boy, joking about his friend : "He's my ginger boyfriend." Teacher : "Why did you have to specify ginger?" Boy : I have a lot of boyfriends

-"As you get on with this task, I shall go yell at the small child outside who decided that now is a good time to lay on the floor."

Boy : Sir guess what. English teacher : what. Boy : I can speak English. Want to see?English teacher : alright shut up, -boys name- Boy : tea and crumpets

-"I'll point it over this way so I don't kill a child."

-"Yes yes, welcome to English, you're all graced to be in my presence, and yes I find - girl who's name is a season- annoying."

-"We're going to use good words and synonyms for emotions, because we all have emotions, except -midget boy- who is incapable of human emotions."

-"Did you just call me Sire? You know what, I respect that."

-"When and why did you stop calling me Sire? I liked it."

-"I was absolutely stupid, thinking I could pick a lock with a stick. The stick snapped and wouldn't come out, and my mum had to call a locksmith. Then she bought me a pink pom pom key chain so I never forget my keys again."

-"I thought I could be the next James Bond."

-"Continue with this task while I figure out how to punch someone and get away with it."

-"Did you just hit your head against the window? You'll lose all your braincells."

-"Jokes on you, I already cry in my car on the way to school."

-"No one could be stupider than -an annoying boy in my class-."

-"Would you rather do work? I wouldn't."

-*hears ambulance* "Is that for -meme boy-? It will be soon if he doesn't shut up..."

-"And a hush descends on the crowd"

-"I am god among men."

-"Its lessons like these that make me wonder who the idiot who hired me was."

Midget : Sir, he just called me a chuuaiichuihahha! Sir : and I agree. You're small and yappy. Newest boy : I have 2 of them. Someone : you act like them too. You bite people. You've bit me.

-"No, I'm not going to have a mental breakdown, but a nervous one."

-"what do you mean Spanish? This is Greek!" Person : no I said French" French? That's even worse! They're not even in the same area."

English teacher : you should be more like -my name-. Girl : but what if I want to be myself? English teacher : you can be anything, as long as its like -my name-

-"Stop that, I'm the main character, not you."

-"I bring main character energy."

-"Yes, indeed, I have a suitcase. If anyone sees my mum, please tell her I've made it."

-"I am not your bro. You don't deserve to be my bro."

English teacher : I'm very advanced in speaking in the English lexicon. Am I not, -girls name-? Girl : I don't know what that means. English teacher : I'm good wi' words an' dat, innit?

He was trying to make people smile as quickly as he could, and someone said "Try -my name-! She never smiles!" and sir replied "She does smile, just not at you because you're not funny."

Girl : *staring out the window* the clouds are moving. English teacher : wow you are so not ready to hear about the sun

Person : *falling asleep* English Teacher : wake up! Would -my name- fall asleep at a desk? A few people : yeah, yes, definitely

He thinks chuichaihaasas (them dogs) would d!e from a heart attack if drop kicked them. "They're used to being like 4cm off the ground, imagine just being picked up and thrown."

He also asked a short boy if he needed a booster seat to see.

One time he wanted us to be quiet so he shouted "FREEZE!" and absolutely everyone shut up and froze. He stayed quiet for a bit, looking at us a bit dumbfounded and impressed and then said "If I had known that Freeze would work so well, I'd have used it earlier."

And whenever we do a quiz in Englishhe likes to write down wrong answers only on the whiteboard. He did a quiz with another class and left the wrong answers on the board. One was "his bro was fitter" and "with Elon Musk and his cat WXYZ".

Plus he didn't know what paper poppers were so someone showed him and he basically looked like this -

[officallyshypandicorn]

Before the Sun rises

**This is a writing session I had in 2018. Just wanted to share this. Hope you enjoy!**

It’s six twenty in the morning and I wake up from the sound of the front door slamming shut. “It must be my little sister heading off to school,” I think to myself. In the dark, I try searching for my phone by tapping my hand around the nightstand’s surface. Once when I have located my phone, I check the time. “I defiantly woke up a bit too early” I mumbled and doze off into another slumber. My alarm screams at me to wake up at six forty-five and I immediately hit snooze.

The screaming of my alarm can be heard again after the five-minute snooze. I rolled myself over and half-forced myself out of bed. There is a gust of cold air that hits my feet, crawling its way up to my face. It gets me to wake up more and I turn on all the lights in my path. Lighting the way, my dogs can hear me from down the hall. Knowing that it’s time to use and release any internal waste, they run toward me with excitement. I look up at the living room window to see the gate, just to make sure my little sister remembered to lock it before letting the dogs outside. While walking to the front door, both dogs are jumping up and down my leg until I finally manage to open the door to set them free.

After using the bathroom, brushing my teeth, and washing my face, I head to my little brother’s room. His alarm is going off and is still asleep. I go over to turn his phone off. Then, I grab the edge of his blanket and tug the blanket off. “Wake up!” I shout. He slowly opens his eyes and gives me an annoyed stare. As if he was saying “Really, did you have to do that?”. “Come on, get ready,” I say. As I walk out of the room, I can hear his bedsprings squeak indicating that he is finally getting up. He's seventeen and should know how to wake up by himself now but if I don’t wake him up, he sleeps in for another ten minutes.

When I arrive at my stepdad’s room, I knock twice before entering. He doesn’t answer so I open the door and turn on the lights. “Hey, Dad. Are you getting up?” I say. He checks the time and says five more minutes like always. My baby brother is sleeping next to my dad and I go over to wake him up for school. Once when he is up and out of the room, I turn off the lights and softly close the door.

Walking towards the front door, I can hear the two dogs barking, wanting to come back inside. I open the front door and they fly right past me to go into the kitchen. It was time for breakfast and my little brother had already poured dog food into their bowls. I make a quick breakfast for everyone on most days. Toast with peanut butter or jam with orange juice. Eggs and sausage with toast complemented by orange juice. Or, if I somehow wake up late, cereal with milk and a side of orange juice. Sometimes I’ll make pancake batter the night before and wake up a bit early to make them. That’s only when I can’t sleep at night and decide to randomly bake or prepare food for the next day. I pack lunch for the three of us and make sure to fill my stepdad’s favorite mug with coffee. My little sister and baby brother have school lunches, so I don’t have to worry about packing them lunch. It’s just leftover food from dinner last night anyways, but I try to include some snacks.

By the time breakfast is ready, everyone is sitting at the table eating. It’s my time to change out of my pajamas and fix my hair before anyone needs to use the bathroom again. My hair is purposefully a pixie cut for smooth and easy fixes if my hair puffs up. Worst case scenario, I can always wear a hat to cover my bed hair that likes to stick out from the back of my head. At this time, I can hear my stepdad’s car turn on and listen as it fades away. I normally rush at this point to head back into the kitchen and wash any dishes left behind from breakfast. We don’t have a dishwasher and I don’t like leaving dirty dishes in the sink. I fear fruit flies being formed from uncleanliness and try to keep the small house clean as best I can.

My alarm screams at me for the last time and I call for my baby brother. “It’s time to leave, are you ready?” I ask. Sometimes he replies with a “Yes!” but most of the time he gives me the silent treatment. He does that whenever he gets upset because my stepdad can’t take him to his bus stop. I let him be as he sulks with his arms crossed and looks down at the ground disappointed that my stepdad couldn't take him. When waiting for the bus, I try to cheer him up, but he seems to get more irritable and doesn’t want to speak. Although he seems to brighten up a little more when he sees his bus arrives, I can’t help but feel disappointed in myself for not being able to cheer him up on those days.

Walking back to my house, there is a glimpse of the sun peeking over on the horizon. It’s a peaceful morning like any other day and I think about a to-do list for the day. A list of things to do at work, chores at home, and assignments I must do for class. When I arrive home, I grab my backpack and check if the dogs have water in their water bowls. Finally, after making sure all lights are turned off and curtains are open, I lock the front door and lock the gate before leaving. My little brother is waiting in the car for me and I hop into the passenger side. As we drive away from the house, I turn on the radio. Looking out of the window the sun rises and I feel ready to start my day.

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

Ghost Story - Chapter 22

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 4400

Warnings: None

Summary: No one will miss a ghost. It'd been a running joke for as long as anyone could remember, something Ghost herself started, and she always said it with a smile on her face or with mirth in her voice. The untouchable stealth pilot in every sense of the word, no one could've predicted the depth of her turmoil over recent events, nor the extremes she would go to in order to protect the man she loved, not even those closest to her. Now, all that was left of the young aviator for Maverick, Hangman, and Rooster were the memories of the past, which would slowly fade with time. She'd come into their lives and made an unforgettable impression, and then, like a ghost, she was gone... Then again, ghosts can't die a second time.

Notes: The chapters/large parts in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: Bigger Than The Whole Sky This Is Me Trying

****

Ghost

"Ready to head back?" Maverick asked over the radio. The pair flew side by side across the desert, parallel to the setting sun and away from the mountains they'd used as their playground for the last couple of hours. In the distance, miles and miles away, Ghost could see the warehouse.

"No, but I guess it is getting dark out," she said, mindful that she'd most likely be driving alone in the middle of the desert at night if they didn't return soon. The unappealing idea persuaded her to return to the warehouse.

"Let's head back. I think Penny is on her way with dinner, too. You should stay and eat with us."

"As long as I'm not intruding on family time."

"Not at all. You are family, Ghost."

Smiling to herself, she followed Maverick back to the warehouse. On the way, they followed the road. Ghost noticed three cars in the distance, familiar ones. One, a silver Porsche that belonged to Penny, a red convertible that belonged to Phoenix, a white truck- oddly named Ruby- belonging to Hangman, and an unfamiliar black 4-Runner. Were they all coming for dinner? If Hangman and Phoenix were there, Rooster would undoubtedly be joining. Ghost considered leaving, but it'd look too suspicious if she left right when everyone else arrived, and she'd already told Mav she'd stay. The female aviator would have to stick this out. With the Daggers around, surely she could find a way to avoid Rooster without making things awkward for everyone else. 

Wordlessly, Ghost dipped her plane down, allowing barely thirty feet between herself and the ground. Maverick followed, falling in line next to her. Cracking her neck, she said, "It's not exactly a tower, but I feel the need to buzz them."

Although she couldn't see him, she could hear the mirth in Maverick's voice. "Is this your idea of fun, Ghost?"

Ghost laughed, and as the two rapidly approached the cars, they dared to lower their planes even more. She felt a thrill as they blew past the drivers, and she swore she saw Hangman lean out of his truck window and flip her off, which only made her grin wider than she already was.

Ghost and Maverick landed the planes on the empty road, well ahead of the cars racing to catch up to them. By the time Penny, Phoenix, Hangman, and Omaha- who turned out to be the driver of the 4-Runner- did arrive at the warehouse, the two pilots had already parked the P-51s and disembarked from them.

"You sly dog," Hangman said, swaggering up to Ghost. "How'd you convince the old man to let you fly that?"

Ghost placed her hands on her hips, smiling smugly up at her ex. "Guess he just likes me more than you."

"Impossible."

"Not really," Phoenix said, approaching them with bags of takeout on her arm. That's when Ghost noticed Penny and the other Daggers were all carrying something, too, whether it be bags of food or bags of booze. Noticeably absent was Rooster. Relief and disappointment simultaneously flooded through her. Ghost didn't know what to think. Since when did Rooster pass on an opportunity to hang out with Maverick and crew? She didn't have time to ponder it, though, because Phoenix continued, "I was going to be mad at you for not joining us at the Hard Deck again, but I get it now. I'd ditch us to fly with Maverick too."

"Glad you can see my logic," Ghost said. "Need any help with the stuff?"

"Yeah, help me unpack it." Phoenix strode over to the counter, facing away from the others. Ghost stood next to her, pulling out the containers one by one and only stopping when her phone buzzed. To her shock, Rooster's name flashed on the screen, along with a selfie of the pair at a bar. Ghost's finger hovered over the answer button. Why was he calling? If he wanted to discuss their issues, now was hardly the time. 

"You two still in a funk?" Phoenix asked quietly. Ghost had momentarily forgotten the aviator knew of their issues, although she figured Bob or Rooster had told her the details if she knew any.  

"I think it's gone from funk to gunk," Ghost muttered. Still, not wanting to appear like a bitch, and figuring she'd have to speak to him sometime, Ghost hit the answer button and moved away to a more private section of the hangar in case the conversation turned sour. "Hello?"

"Hey!" Bradley greeted, sounding astonished. "I've been trying to reach you for the last couple of hours-"

"You have?"

"Yeah, then I realized you were probably up in the air, and I thought I'd give it one last shot."

"Really?" Ghost pulled the phone away from her ear and checked her call log. Sure enough, she had three missed calls from Rooster, along with another three from Bryn, and more than a few texts from the couple asking for her to respond. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to my phone. I'm with Maverick and the Daggers. Why?"

"Oh, cool, you're already at the warehouse. I was going to invite you if you hadn't been already. Guess Hangman got to inviting you before I did."

His words sent warmth through her veins and lifted a small weight off her shoulders. Even though they'd barely spoken to each other in the past two weeks, mainly due to her own stubbornness, he still thought about reaching out to include her. 

"No, I've been here all day," Ghost responded, leaning against the locker.

"Really? How come?"

"Needed to talk to Maverick about work. That's all. How far out are you?"

"Ten minutes. Could you help me carry in the chairs and inflatable mattresses? I have a feeling at least half of us are going to end up smashed and will be spending the night."

Ghost snorted, agreeing wholeheartedly when she saw Coyote and Harvard having a beer-chugging contest out of the corner of her eye. "Good call. See you soon."

They hung up, and Ghost allowed herself to relax a little. That hadn't been near as stressful as she'd imagined. Maybe it was better with a phone between them. Perhaps they'd revert back to their normal tension the moment they stood next to each other.

No, don't think like that! Ghost silently chastised herself. It'll be fine. Don't think about him, talk to everyone else, and enjoy the night.

Of course, telling herself not to think about Rooster was like telling herself not to breathe. There was a hole in her life without his constant presence, and she'd felt it ever since his first deployment, only his sporadic calls, texts, and emails whenever he could reach out filling the void when they were apart. The hole was a million times worse knowing he was right here, yet emotionally so far away. 

Ghost found herself anxious to see him but couldn't decipher if it was good or bad anxiety or a mixture. She kept an eye on the open door of the warehouse for his Bronco, and as he told her, Rooster pulled up in ten minutes. Ghost started striding out to meet him but stopped short when a familiar BMW pulled up alongside him.

Abort mission! Abort mission! Ghost's head screamed when Bryn hopped out of her SUV, all smiles and windblown hair. She opened her trunk, revealing a mass of blankets and two large coolers.

"Hey, Harvard, Yale! Help me with these?" Bryn hollered out. Ghost backtracked immediately, or tried to, running smack dab into Hangman's chest.

"At the risk of making a pun here, you look like you've seen a ghost," he remarked, gently holding her arms. "You okay?"

"I, uh, I didn't know Bryn was going to be here. That's all," Ghost confessed, her nerves spiking. Dealing with Rooster around the Daggers would be one thing, but to have him and Bryn around... Ghost didn't want to deal with this, but how could she escape?

She couldn't.

"I'm gonna assume it's still a shitshow between you two. I'll help Bradshaw if you want to-" 

"No, it's okay. I already told him I'd help. Besides, I have to face him at some point." Patting his chest, Ghost put on her aviators to hide her eyes from the sun and her comrades and walked to Rooster's Bronco. He hopped out of the truck, looking casually handsome in his typical white tee, unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, and jeans. Rooster took off his sunglasses and smiled at her, the kind he used to give her before everything went to hell for them.

"Hey, Ghost," Rooster said, walking to the back of his truck. She followed him. "How've you been?"

"Good. Yourself?"

"Not bad. All right, if you want to grab that plastic container, I'll grab the chairs." Ghost obeyed and, supplies in hand, headed back to the warehouse shoulder to shoulder with Rooster. On the way, he said, "Thanks for helping me. Figured everyone else would be plastered already even though I was only a few minutes behind."

"You're not exactly wrong when it comes to Coyote, Fanboy, and Payback," Ghost responded, glancing over at the three boys who were on their second beer.

"Yeah, they started drinking at the Hard Deck. Amazed they're still standing."

"We're not lightweights like you!" Coyote said as Rooster and Ghost walked by him and set the chairs and plastic bin aside. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Halo, Omaha, Phoenix, and Bob moving the couches outside around a fire pit.

Meanwhile, without missing a beat, Rooster replied, "Nah, you're just alcoholics. Hand me one, would you?"

Coyote reached into the cooler, and while he and Rooster shot the breeze, Ghost slipped away and back to the counter with all the food. Penny and Maverick were arranging everything in a buffet style. Ghost eyed the food hungrily, her stomach rumbling at the sight and smell of it. She'd been hungrier than she realized.

"What do we have here?" Rooster asked, appearing behind her and surveying the scene before him. He stood so close to her that Ghost could feel the heat radiating off of him. All she wanted to do was turn around, say she was sorry for pushing him away, and hug him tightly, but she didn't. With him and Bryn back together, Ghost didn't dare show affection toward Rooster other than a smile.

"We have a ton of Chinese food. I'm pretty sure we ordered half the menu," Penny said, wiping her hands on a towel. "It's ready, though, so dig in."

At the word 'ready,' the Daggers swarmed the table, grabbing plates and piling them high with food. Hangman and Rooster nearly stabbed each other with their forks going for the same spring roll. It was only when Bryn chucked a piece of balled-up aluminum at them, so well-thrown that it bounced off of Hangman's face and into Rooster's. The boys stopped and stared at her in shock. Ghost took the opportunity to slip between them and steal the sought-after spring roll. Before they'd even realized what she'd done, Ghost had already devoured the roll and moved away from them.

Once everyone had their food, they shuffled outside, each taking a plastic chair. Ghost snagged the comfiest one and placed it between Hangman and Maverick. Bryn took the couch with Phoenix and Halo, Maverick and Penny took the love seat; the others used the chairs Rooster brought. 

"So, what all have you been up to today?" Maverick asked, scanning his adopted pilots. He listened intently as the group answered. Hangman had been talking to his family most of the morning; when one hung up, a different sibling would call. It was wholly unplanned but something that often occurred in the Seresin clan. They were highly in tune with each other. Coyote, Fanboy, Omaha, Fritz, and Payback played video games, mainly wreaking havoc on each other more than the enemies in the game. Halo and Phoenix went to the spa. Bob went to the beach. Rooster had been napping when he got the invite and had forwarded it to Bryn.

"I almost didn't come," Bryn admitted, shoving some noodles into her mouth. "I wanted to sleep and do nothing, but Rooster convinced me it'd be good for me to come."

"Glad you two worked things out," Hangman remarked, eyeing the couple with a gleam in his eyes. "Bradshaw's much more tolerable with you around."

Bryn snorted. "Whoever heard of an ex having that effect?"

Ghost nearly choked on her spring roll. Thankfully, Fanboy spewing his drink out distracted anyone from noticing Ghost's reaction.

"When did this happen?!" Coyote demanded, his gaze flicking between the exes.

"Earlier this week," Bryn replied casually. "We gave it our best shot, but we both realized we were better off as friends. No hard feelings. If there were, I wouldn't be here."

Ghost's heart dropped to her stomach. While her two friends appeared to be genuinely okay with the fact that they were no longer together, nausea swept over her. They would probably still be a couple if not for her. Were they simply saying they realized they were 'better off as friends' to avoid the truth that might cause some unwanted personal questions? Were they telling the truth or twisting it?

Appetite gone, Ghost stopped eating, subtly and casually handing Hangman the little remaining food on her plate. He didn't question it, too involved in his discussion with Coyote about some new truck model he was thinking of purchasing. She probably could've fed him a rock, and he'd eat it without question. Once her food disappeared, Ghost slipped out of her chair, grabbed a few other empty plates with a fake smile to avoid suspicion, and then high-tailed it to the kitchen. Once away from prying eyes, Ghost dropped the dishes in the sink and braced herself against the counter, shaking. 

I broke them up. They were happy, and I broke them up. What kind of God-awful friend am I? Ghost chastised herself, clenching her jaw painfully tight. I should've reached out to Bryn and tried to help fix things with her and Rooster. I should've done everything I could to make sure they worked things out. But I stayed silent and did nothing.

A nasty second voice popped into her head. What could you have done? You would've made things worse. It's why you're pushing everyone away. Because you break relationships, both you're own and others. You were fighting with Ghoul when she died, you had an argument with your dad the day he died, you're constantly at odds with your mom, you broke Rooster's heart, you hurt Bryn, and you'll probably fuck up with Hangman and Maverick, too, the only people left in your corner. No one will miss a Ghost, so stay away from them all.

"Shut up," Ghost whispered, squeezing her eyes shut and hoping the awful voice would disappear. "Please, just shut up."

She turned around to face the sink and opened her eyes. Blurred vision welcomed her. Fuck, I'm not crying here. Not now. Not when anyone could walk in and see me. Distract yourself. Be productive. Do something other than cry because it won't do jack shit to help.

Listening to her own advice, the only solid advice she had, Ghost set to work cleaning up the kitchen and organizing the mess so it'd be easier to clean up later. Her favorite turned out to be scrubbing the plates and loading the dishwasher. She did it slowly to buy herself time to gather her composure before returning to the Daggers, afraid they'd see how close she was to breaking.

"Hey, you need any help?" Bryn asked, walking up to Ghost with a few more dirty plates.

Ghost shook her head and nodded at the empty counter space next to her. "No, I'm good. You can put the stuff there, and I'll take care of it. Thanks for the offer, though."

"You shouldn't be doing this all by yourself," Bryn argued lightly.

Ghost shrugged. "It's the least I can do for Mav. He's been a big help to me recently, and he let me fly his plane, so I'd like to do something for him in return, even if it's just doing the dishes. Seriously, I'm fine. Go hang out with the Daggers."

"You're not fine, Ghost," Bryn said softly, leaning against the counter a conservative distance away from her friend but still too close for Ghost's comfort. "I may be blond, but I'm not blind. I saw you start handing your food over to Hangman almost right after Rooster and I told everyone we weren't together anymore. You haven't even looked at or talked to me since I got here, either."

"Why would I think you'd want to talk to me?" Ghost countered, finally meeting her friend's gaze. "I lied to you about sleeping with Rooster and caused you two to break up. Outside of the same useless and pathetic apologies I offered the day you found out about me lying to you, what could I possibly say to you?"

When Bryn failed to answer, Ghost sniffed and turned back to the sink. She hoped her hair shielded her face from Bryn's view, that it blocked the sight of the tears forming in her eyes. Ghost assumed her words would've pushed Bryn away, but her friend refused to leave. 

"It wasn't your fault," Bryn said, shifting closer. "You know that, right?"

"No, I don't. You two were happy until I got between you, and I don't understand how you don't hate me right now."

"Because after talking with Rooster and thinking about it over the past week, I realized what you did, you were trying to protect me, just like you try to protect everyone you love. Plus, I think you hate yourself enough over what happened; you don't need any help from me."

Well, she is right about that... Ghost thought grimly, continuing to scrub the dishes with an unnecessary amount of force. Bryn continued on. "I wanted to apologize, too, for-"

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for," Ghost said sharply, the shocking statement jarring her out of her melancholy and giving her the courage to face Bry again. "You didn't sleep with your best friend's boyfriend and then lie about it."

"We weren't dating yet," Bryn pointed out.

"Semantics."

"Maybe, but it's still true, and I want to apologize for not reaching out to you sooner to try and fix this between us and for not telling you sooner that Rooster and I were over. You should've been the first to know and to know why. We weren't lying earlier when we said we concluded we'd be better off as friends."

"What made you come to that conclusion?"

"Two things. One, and you're already aware of this probably, but Rooster is in love with you, not me. It wouldn't have worked in the long run for that reason. Two, I finally admitted to myself and to him that I wasn't in love with him either. I was in love with the way he made me feel. I've been struggling since Dad died, and Rooster made me laugh and forget about my woes. You did too, just so you know. But that's why I stayed with him so long, and maybe in time, I would've fallen in love with him, but why make him wait when there's someone who's already there? Someone who's been there for a long time?"

"I don't date my friend's exes, Bryn. That's girl code and my own code, and last time I went against those, it caused this whole fiasco."

"So you'll just going to let yourself be miserable?"

"Yes. It'll pass. It always does."

"Ghost, I love you, and what I'm about to say, I'm about to say with the utmost love-" Bryn grabbed her friend's shoulders- "Stop being a stubborn dumbass. I am giving you my verbal, whole-hearted permission to date Rooster. I can give it to you in writing if you need that too. I want you to be happy, and I recognize the only way that'll happen is if you're with him. You've waited years for each other. Now, you're both here, you're both single, and you're still both madly in love with each other. Go for him. I want you to."

Ghost's breath caught in her throat, a moral dilemma battling inside her head. It wasn't a lie to Bryn saying that when Ghost ignored her morals, this entire fiasco was born; on the other hand, Bryn made a point. Ghost had waited years for Rooster to be single and in the same place as her, and she wouldn't be truly happy again until she at least worked things out with him and, fingers crossed, ended up with him. Most of all, Bryn was giving her permission, and like her father, Bryn said nothing she didn't mean.

"I'll consider it," Ghost said, smiling weakly. 

"He's waiting for you when you're ready, and I think he has a slew of apologies for you. Rooster told me about your argument and all that was said. For the record, and on your behalf since you didn't do it, I slapped him violently upside the head when he got to the part about telling you to fuck Hangman if you wanted a boy toy."

Ghost let out a burst of small but genuine laughter. "I appreciate the gesture, especially since you were probably still pissed me with me when you did it."

"Hey, mad at you or not, what he said was uncalled for. I've told him he needs to see a therapist about his anger issues. I know he developed them after his mom died, and it got worse after his fallout with Maverick. There's something deeper at play there, but I don't know what. Maybe you can get it out of him. On a different note, though, are we good?" Bryn asked, her blue eyes strikingly vulnerable. "Because I miss my best friend and want her back."

"We're good," Ghost said sincerely, smiling. Bryn opened her arms, and the two girls hugged each other tightly. Unable to believe the forgiving nature of her friend, Ghost found it hard to comprehend they were actually okay again and back to normal, but she found herself apologizing one more time to make sure Bryn knew how much she regretted her actions. "I am so, so sorry for everything I did and caused."

"I know you are," Bryn said, pulling away. "But promise me you won't beat yourself up anymore about it, okay? You don't need any more additional stress on top of the amount you already have from this tournament."

"I promise. Want to head back out to the Daggers?"

"Yeah. I'm sure they're wondering where we are. Come on." Looping her arm through Ghost's, Bryn dragged her friend away from the sink. Ghost barely managed to shut the faucet off beforehand. They chatted and laughed like nothing ever happened between them, and when they returned to the group, Hangman texted Ghost the second she sat down, asking: You two better?

Ghost looked over at him and nodded.

"Hey, Ghost, how's the tournament going?" Omaha asked, leaning back in his chair. "You number one?"

"Naturally," she said confidently. "The final round is in two days. I think I'm going up against Hollywood. I'm curious about what the last course run will be. Mav, do you know?"

"I do. I picked it," he responded, face lighting up with an impish smirk.

Ghost perked up. "Can I know what it is?"

"I'm sworn to secrecy, but I'll give you a hint: it's the opportunity you would've had had other factors not gotten in your way."

The Gauntlet. He's talking about The Gauntlet! Barely able to contain her excitement, Ghost beamed. "I'm looking forward to it. What's the time limit?"

"Two minutes and thirty seconds."

"How fast did you do it?"

"You're not trying to beat my time."

"If the roles were reversed, whose time would you want to beat?" Ghost countered, leaning forward with a challenging gleam in her eyes. 

Mav nodded understandingly, recognizing she nailed it on the head because he would try to beat his score if he were in her shoes. "Two-fourteen-fifty-four."

"Noted. I'm not promising I'll beat it, but I can promise you I'm going to try."

"If you beat it, then I'm retiring completely. I'll stick to flying my P-51s."

"Yeah, speaking of which-" Coyote interrupted, pointing at her with his fork, which still had a spring roll attached to its prongs- "how the fuck did you manage to convince Mav to let you fly his plane? What kind of black magic did you work?"

"Maybe he trusted me not to break anything on it, like the joystick," Ghost countered, remembering the story of when Coyote pulled back too hard on the control in one of his first flight trainings and snapped it almost cleanly in two. The instructor had to land the plane immediately.

"How do you even know about that?!"

"Ghosts hear the things you don't necessarily want them to. I probably know a lot of things I shouldn't," Ghost admitted, thinking back to all the confidential conversations she overheard between her parents. Ghost never breathed a word about what they discussed, not even telling her parents she'd eavesdropped. She always figured the knowledge of knowing things you weren't supposed to would come in handy one day.

"What I want to know is how the hell you broke a joystick?" Payback said, diverting the conversation back onto Coyote. Ghost laughed and settled back into the couch, watching her friends tease each other and joke around. For the first time that evening, she felt wholly at ease. Ghost even locked eyes with Rooster at one point and offered him a smile, whereas before, she would've hastily diverted her gaze.

As the night wore on, although Ghost chose to listen rather than talk, she occasionally chimed in whenever someone asked her a question. However, Ghost found her mind wandering to her impending mission. Every time she looked at Rooster, Hangman, or Maverick, her heart would constrict. Maybe it was for the best she brought one of them as her wingman, but the idea of losing any of them was unfathomable.

****

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[dramioneficrecommendations]

Best Draco/Hermione Fics Dramione Shippers Read in 2020

A few days ago, I asked you what were the best Dramione fics you'd read in 2020. Here's the huge list of your excellent recs (in alphabetical order):

A Creature Most Unusual by JMilz: Draco Malfoy is on a mission. Unfortunately, Hermione Granger catches him in the act. When she sees that he has adopted a rather unusual magical creature, she becomes determined to make sure he takes care of it. Little does she know, the animal may hold her key to eternal glory . . . and a whirlwind romance. M, 9 Chapters, 24,460 Words

A Little More Alive, Far Less Lost by MGL_Dramione_Lover: After Draco's post-war trial, he finds himself attending his 8th year at Hogwarts with Hermione. As remorse and acceptance replace anger and hate, the old enemies begin a friendship that sparks into much more than they ever hoped for. Hermione's goal as Head Girl is to banish old prejudices and unite the school while Draco's only wish is to become a man worthy of her love. M, 22 Chapters, 84,823

A New Light by mithrilstarlight: Draco spent six years doing his best to keep his head down. Then he runs into Hermione Granger. Turns out, they actually have a lot in common.Chapters posted M/W/F. T, 18 Chapters, 33,876 Words

A Second Look by RiverWriter: Her best friend's life was a mess and she would have done anything to make things better for him and his sons. So, when she found her former enemy in a similar situation her heart went out to him as well... and the beautiful blond baby in his arms didn't hurt his case. It was certainly enough for her to give him a second look. M, 30 Chapters, 127,243 Words

All that is Rare by smithandbarrowman: In the wizarding world, it has long been assumed that men are Alphas and women are Omegas. However, when Hermione Granger discovers that assumptions are rarely factual, her status as one of only a handful of female alphas that has ever existed has men falling at her feet.But there’s only one man she wants, and like the male alphas before her, the hunt is on until he bears her mark. E, 31 Chapters, 119,755 Words

All the Wrong Things by LovesBitca8: Sequel to "The Right Thing to Do" - Draco's POV. Part 2 of the "Rights and Wrongs" series. E, 24 Chapters, 160,297 Words

All You Want by senlinyu: Eighth Year at Hogwarts was supposed to be Hermione’s. And it is, just not in the way she expects. Omegaverse fic. E, 36 Chapters, 172,651

apples & cream by LovesBitca8: She could have taken her things and gone through his Floo without a word. She could have ignored him on Monday morning, as though last night had been no more than a fever dream and too much Firewhisky. But she’d come back to bed. Inspired by the lovely NikitaJuice's "apples & cream." E, 1 Chapter, 1,426 Words

Beginning and End by mightbewriting: Years. Broken into months into weeks into days—into hours, minutes, seconds—into moments. Simple at one end, complex at the other. In Draco’s experience, moments, even when simple, had a habit of becoming irretrievable. Moments grew, stretched, multiplied into ages and eras that defined whole stretches of measurable time. Draco regretted several moments in his life, some within his control, some without: all of them irretrievable in nature. At a certain point, wedged between ‘what-ifs’ of his own devising, he’d stopped trying to keep track of those regrettable moments: now and then, pushing and pulling, coming and going, beginning and end. Moments were only moments for just as long. After that, he had no control. A Draco POV prequel to Wait and Hope. E, 48 Chapters, 242,100 Words

Bells on a Hill by HeyJude19: Left by his fiancée a month before the ceremony, Draco never got his dream wedding, so agreeing to assist Granger with her own wedding planning to distract himself from his broken engagement seems like a great idea—though Draco probably shouldn't fall in love with the bride-to-be. Based very (very) loosely on The Wedding Singer. T, WIP

Bending Light by scullymurphy: Draco Malfoy was in exile, though they called it protection. It was the summer after sixth year and he'd taken Dumbledore's offer, defected to the other side and been sent away to a small town in Italy for his troubles. No magic, few rules, and not a lot to do - until Hermione Granger showed up. M, WIP

Break for me by Ada_P_Rix: COMPLETE _______________ "-I told them this wouldn’t work.” He cut in through gritted teeth as he kept his eyes on Hermione, making her pulse quicken and she couldn’t help but clench her thighs together at the rough, husky tone of his voice. He didn’t miss it; his eyes landed on her thighs and they darkened even further. “I can’t help her when all I feel like I want to do is pin her down and fuck her into the mattress.” _______________ Hermione gets into a little accident at work and is infected with a hybrid potion created to cause certain heightened side effects. Draco offers to stick around to give his work partner a little support ... if he can Occlude long enough to resist her... E, 7 Chapters, 45,107 Words

Breath Mints / Battle Scars by Onyx_and_Elm: For a moment, she's almost giddy. Because Draco Malfoy's been ruined by this war and he's as out of place as she is and — yes, he has scars too. He's got an even bigger one. She wonders whether one day they'll compare sizes. E, 51 Chapters, 148,908 Words

Bring Him to His Knees by Musyc: Draco is on the case of a murderer, but to investigate, he needs a fake relationship - and a kink club play partner. When Hermione volunteers to take the role, both do their best to maintain the lie without letting each other know the truth: neither of them are acting. E, WIP

Calendar Boys by anne_ammons, Nadiapolyakova (Rijaya83): She had thrown out the idea on a lark, but now Hermione Granger was tasked with bringing the charity calendar to life. What was one more thing on her list? An art/writing collaboration between nadiapolyakova and anne_ammons - twelve photos and a piece of the story behind them. M, WIP

Cherry Mint by dirtymudblood: "He could smell her. Even multiple train cars away, he could smell her. Except, Draco didn’t know who she was. He ignored his natural instincts to pant like a dog and follow the scent to the omega in the beginning stages of heat. Instead he willed himself to rub his knuckles against the rough wood of the table in front of him." E, 27 Chapters, 58,081 Words

Dark Water and Dying Eyebrights by bexchan: One of them is desperately trying to remember their past while the other is forever trying to escape theirs. It's seven years after the war and Draco has managed to avoid almost everyone from Hogwarts, living a lonely life on a small island, far away from the wizarding community. But a familiar face in a cafe window capsizes his world into chaos. Dramione. EWE. Memory fic. M, WIP

Difficult by provocative envy: COMPLETE: "I should," I repeated. "But I don't want to." And then he smiled, and I was wrecked. HG/DM. M, 30 Chapters, 87,041 Words

Don't Look Back by Onyx_and_Elm: It’s the smell of it. Chemical. Bitter and sharp as a raw edge on metal. Just a hint of it as she passes him at breakfast — but enough to stop her dead, mid-step. There is Wolfsbane in his tea. E, WIP

Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time by monsterleadmehome: She scoffs. “If you must know, he ‘elected’ me because he thinks our shared animosity will keep you in check. He’s also not worried about you trying to shag me as a distraction.” He leans back, stubbing out his cigarette on the banister. His eyes rove over her from crown to toe and back. She lifts her chin and tries not to shiver. “Well, he’s right about that.” Lucius Malfoy hires Hermione Granger to whip his son into shape so he can find a pure-blood bride and receive his inheritance. What could go wrong? E, 10 Chapters, 48,092 Words

Draco's Gift by TriDogMom: Draco gives Hermione a gift because of an instructional YouTube video. M, 1 Chapter, 1,705 Words

Dragon in the Dark by GracefulLioness: The battle is won, Voldemort is dead, but the war is far from over. In the new Death Eater regime, Draco Malfoy does what he must to survive and keep his mother safe. Now a highly trained assassin, Draco has learned to think of his targets as inhuman beings, but when he is tasked with killing someone from his past, he can no longer hide from the horrors of the world around him. E, 31 Chapters, 164,782 Words

For a Present Under the Tree by grace_lou_freebush: When Draco and Hermione eloped, the Wizarding World turned against them. Hermione is stuck in a low level, low paying Ministry job with no hope of upward movement. Draco can't even convince someone to hire him. Now, it's Christmas, and Draco knows Hermione deserves the world - or at the least a Christmas gift. He finds the perfect hair comb to replace the horrid Muggle brush she's been making due with, and he'll do anything to afford the paltry present so he can have something to put under the Christmas tree for his wife. Making a beeline for the jewelry box containing the hair combs, Draco rifled through them, landing on an ivory comb with queen anne rose carvings and gold filigree detailing. He brought it to the startled shopkeeper and set it down gently. Pulling his sixth generation Malfoy heirloom pocket watch from his coat, he shoved it in the wizard's face without second guessing himself. "I would like to make an exchange." E, 1 Chapter, 10,141 Words

Fortuitous by MrsRen: Recently divorced Draco doesn't believe in the ideology of having one true love. He certainly doesn't expect to meet his match in a Halloween themed coffee shop, but fate has a peculiar way of giving you just what you need. M, 13 Chapters, 93,695 Words

Fuck, Marry, Avada by Lilian_Silver: Some years after the war, the gang meets up at the Leaky to play a silly game, with very real consequences. E, 1 Chapter, 3,106 Words

Give Me An Hour by RZZMG: As the war continues to rage on around them, Hermione Granger decides to seduce fellow Order Member, Draco Malfoy, one night while at Grimmauld Place... and everything between them changes after that. Fic follows the "five times" trope, and is dedicated to raspberryjukebox. One-shot. A/U-Extended War scenario. Dramione. Drama-Romance-Hot Shag! COMPLETE! M, 1 Chapter, 3,251 Words

Good Girl by arabellaleyes: Hermione is tired of their normal routine in the bedroom. What will happen when she asks Draco to spice things up? One-shot. Complete. M, 1 Chapter, 9,000 Words

Hindsight by floorcoaster: It's a New Year and Hermione decides it's time to make some changes. T, 12 Chapters, 167,694 Words

How to Love Thy Neighbour by WhatSoMalfoy: After her relationship with Ron falls apart, Hermione attempts to juggle a personal muggle life with a professional wizarding one. After encountering her high school nemesis in the most unlikely place, Hermione adds another ball to the juggling mix. M, 14 Chapters, 41,992 Words

How to Move On by longdistance: It's been nearly a decade since the war. A long time since she locked herself away. A long time since he faced his mistakes. She's what he wants. He's what she needs. It's time for both of them to figure out how to move on. M, WIP

Hydrotherapy by eilonwy: Draco finds a trip to the showers after playing Quidditch... enlightening. E, 2 Chapters, 7,163 Words

I Choose You by melanoradrood: At the end of Fifth Year, Hermione finds out why It is that none have approached her with a Marital Contract, the only way she can remain in the Wizarding World after Graduation. It has already been signed by her Magical Guardian, someone she has never met - she is to be the next Lady Malfoy. A year and a half later, she is a married witch, but still, Draco Malfoy, who had chosen her above all others, had not spoken of it. In fact, they barely spoke at all. And when trouble heads their way, Hermione means to change that. Really, she means to change a lot of things. E, 5 Chapters, 24,527 Words

Isolation by Bex-chan: He can't leave the room. Her room. And it's all the Order's fault. Confined to a small space with only the Mudblood for company, something's going to give. Maybe his sanity. Maybe not. "There," she spat. "Now your Blood's filthy too!" DM/HG. PostHBP. Now complete with epilogue. M, 49 Chapters, 284,050 Words

It Happened in Egypt by bionically: Wandless in Egypt: Draco's stranded in Egypt, but luckily, there's a Granger in sight. Now, if only he could be prevented from strangling her. Fun times abroad: It was supposed to be a leisurely solo trip down the Nile. Hermione didn't factor in one blond man from her past and all his drama. Then, of course, there's the fact that everyone's after him. Much hilarity ensues. Maybe. *** A rom-com adventure/mystery featuring two unwilling partners on the run from Lucius Malfoy, alien-hunters, Muggle police, and local wizards engaged in a civil war. T, WIP

Love and Other Misfortunes by senlinyu: Draco Malfoy is dying. He's part-Veela and needs his mate to survive. Post-war, Hermione Granger is a workaholic, up to her eyeballs in legal activism on behalf of Magical Beings, and hasn't yet noticed that Malfoy is the Magical Being who needs her most. “Because I don’t want to be saved by you just because you feel like you have to.” He was properly furious now. “I’m in love with you." Hermione stared at him. She knew but somehow hearing him say it made the air shimmer with magic. "I’m in love with you,” he said again, despairingly. “And that means I want you to be as happy as you possibly can. And you won’t be, not with me.” M, 23 Chapters, 98,584 Words 

Manacled by senlinyu: Harry Potter is dead. In the aftermath of the war, in order to strengthen the might of the magical world, Voldemort enacts a repopulation effort. Hermione Granger has an Order secret, lost but hidden in her mind, so she is sent as an enslaved surrogate to the High Reeve until her mind can be cracked.Now illustrated by Avendell. E, 77 Chapters, 370,473 Words

Measure Of A Man by inadaze22: To truly know someone is to differentiate between who they once were, who they are now, and who they're capable of being. Hermione realises the duality of one man as she rectifies what she knows of the past and begins to understand the pieces of who Draco Malfoy is now: a father, a son, and a man. E, WIP

Meet the Malfoys by raven_maiden: 4 Works, 21, 442 Words

of flavoured names and coloured sounds by Pink Panda (Ejacyeolation): "He doesn’t question it at first, the fact that sounds have colours and words have flavours. He grows up with it, grows up seeing powerful ruptures of colour when his mother plays the piano and softer, translucent bursts when the people around him speak. His father’s voice fills his vision with sombre oranges and lilacs while his mother’s is a pleasant mix of delicate greens, blues, and greys. The word father tastes like wet wood and the word mother tastes like the pumpkin juice the house-elves frequently serve him."In which Draco just wants to know what colour Hermione's moans would be. He also wants to know if her skin would taste as sweet as her surname or maybe as intoxicating as her given name. E, 2 Chapters, 10,351

Once Upon a Night by longdistance: One night will change everything. M, 17 Chapters, 57,444 Words

One and Done by PacificRimbaud: Hermione Granger has a career she loves, friends she can depend on, and a nice set of hand towels for her new flat. She's single and tired of tiresome men, but that doesn't stop her from wearing beautiful lingerie underneath her serious Ministry skirts. Or having pictures taken in naughty knickers. Just once. For herself. Draco Malfoy doesn't get upset at the sight of blood, which is good, because he sees a lot of it. What he doesn't see a lot of is Hermione Granger in her unmentionables. Usually. A series of meetings and mix-ups in which one cannot possibly mean done. E, 4 Chapters, 35,011 Words

Our shared silence by Vofastudum: She wakes up one morning and everyone is just gone, vanished like they never existed at all. Everyone but Him. And in this silent solitude, he's all she has. Hermione and Draco alone in empty castle. Mystery and a plot twist you didn't see coming! EDITED 10/2020 M, 17 Chapters, 40,149 Words

Pinned by bionically: Draco doesn't know what he's expecting when he follows Blaise down a dark alley, but it certainly isn't this. For a man with an addictive personality, this isn't going to turn out well. Assigned trope: Voyeurism *** Or, a chance encounter with a frizzy-haired witch from his misbegotten past in the last place anyone should have expected to see her sets Draco's disordered life on its ear. The path to redemption is truly paved with unexpected surprises. E, 20 Chapters, 110,886 Words

Really Sell It by RoseHarperMaxwell: Draco's having a rough eighth year, and Hermione's going to make it better for him. "Well, it’s clear what needs to happen.” She gripped his chin, tilting his head to make sure she hadn’t missed any injuries, before looking straight into his eyes. “You’re my boyfriend now.” *Featuring fake dating, exhibitionism, and sex-positive Hermione Granger. Submission for Farewell to Summer: The 31 Flavors of Smut Fest. E, 1 Chapters, 7,612 Words

Remain Nameless by HeyJude19: How did it feel? It felt like he was barely holding it together. She, of all people, should shun him. Or yell at him. Curse him. Spit at him. Take out her wand and blast him off the face of the earth. It was crushing guilt and relief and confusion all at once when he looked at Hermione Granger. The monotony of Draco’s daily routine had become both a lifeline and a noose. But this new habit of grabbing coffee with Hermione Granger is quickly becoming a reason to get out of bed and is unfortunately forcing him to re-evaluate his inconsequential existence. Hermione is living her life in fragments, separate pieces scattered about, and she can’t find a way to step back and let the full picture form. Why are morning meetings with Draco Malfoy the only thing that make sense anymore? E, 51 Chapters, 312,315 Words

Remember Us As War (but call us forgiveness) by Anyaparadox: Following the devastation of the Battle of Hogwarts, The Wizarding Population Growth Act is put into effect. All witches and wizards will be matched with their most compatible partner. Failure to comply will not be tolerated. Survival is key. Hermione reminds herself of this. Survival. She can fix this, if only she can survive. The war has made this a task she is equipped for. Marrying Draco Malfoy will hardly be the worst thing she's ever endured. M, WIP

Ring A Ring O' Roses by Gallivant: Dark Magic, Dark Wizards and a mysterious and deadly Dark Flux, which, in the wrong hands, has the terrifying potential to mass-murder Muggles and Muggle-borns ... It’s been fourteen years since the end of the Second Wizarding War and the Wizarding World is settled, stable and seemingly safe… Hermione Weasley has it all: a loving family, a successful career - and happiness… of sorts. But a series of unexpected events is about to turn her life upside-down, threatening those she loves, fatally undermining the peace between worlds that has prevailed for centuries … changing life as she knows it, possibly forever. If working with Draco Malfoy was the last thing Hermione Weasley ever wanted, falling for your enemy was the least expected. A quest to thwart a magical weapon of mass destruction has devastating consequences. A race to save the world, becomes a race to save themselves… M, 65 Chapters, 527,141 Chapters

Set Fire to the Rain by HarleyQuinn1317: What happens when the one you're destined for is the last person you should ever be with... When the Ministry of Magic asks for volunteers for their Marriage Initiative, Hermione Granger must come to terms with the one terrible deed she committed during the Second Wizarding War. Can she find it in her heart to forgive herself and finally learn to let love in? E, WIP

Sex and Occlumency by Graendoll: Hermione didn't escape from the war unscathed, and when she finally decides on a solution to her problems she's left to explore it on her own. A chance encounter with Draco Malfoy sets her world on it's head and leads her down a path towards healing that she would never have anticipated. E, 18 Chapters, 65,079 Words

The Art of Seating Etiquette by inadaze22: Hermione believes that every problem has a solution, and that solution can be found in a book. That is, until Draco starts sitting to her right every Friday. She has no answers until help comes in the form of an unlikely source: Ron Weasley. E, 1 Chapter, 9,734 Words

The Auction by LovesBitca8: In the wake of the Dark Lord’s triumph over Harry Potter, the defeated must learn their new place. Hermione Granger, former Golden Girl, has been captured and reduced to human chattel. Sold to the highest bidder as the top prize at an auction of Order members and sympathizers, she is thrust into the rabid, waiting hands of the Death Eaters. But despite the horrors of Voldemort’s new world, help—and hope—seem to arise from the most unlikely of places. PART 3 of the RIGHTS AND WRONGS series. E, 41 Chapters, 325,702 Words

The Binding by Curly_Kay: “Okay, what we know so far.” Hermione listed, "One, our magic is drawing us together. Two, we can use each other’s wands. Three, there were actual sparks when you touched me."After an infant binding ritual magically joins Hermione and Draco to counteract the Black family blood curse, they must navigate the secret binding through their years together at Hogwarts. E, 35 Chapters, 175,451 Words

The Carnal Club by Ada_P_Rix: COMPLETE The Halloween Ball is fast approaching with Hermione at the helm.... What a delightful time to suddenly learn of a centuries old secret sex-game club that is currently ran by a Blonde haired Slytherin. Oh, and it only happens once a year every October, when the winner takes all at the Halloween Ball ...The First Rule of Carnal Club: You do not talk about Carnal Club. E, 8 Chapters, 43,306 Words

The Disappearances of Draco Malfoy by Speechwriter (batmansymbol): The night that Harry and Dumbledore return from the cave, the Death Eaters are delayed from reaching the top of the Astronomy Tower for one more minute. Draco Malfoy lowers his wand. A Deathly Hallows rewrite in which Draco accepts Dumbledore's offer to fake his death and go into hiding with the Order of the Phoenix. T, WIP

The Erised Effect by Ada_P_Rix: Hermione and Pansy work in a shop together. Draco, Harry, Theo and Blaise all work together at the Ministry. They all meet up every Friday at the pub to have drinks. Pansy has a new fantasy potion that she likes to call 'The Erised Effect' that she's keen to try out on willing participants ... Boys are so easy to manipulate when alcohol is involved .... E, 13 Chapters, 88,852 Words

The Fallout by everythursday: Hermione learns about growing up through the redemption of Draco Malfoy. E, 49 Chapters, 310,229 Words

The Figures of Figuring Out by Vofastudum: You were the biggest riddle in my life. You were the one I couldn't figure out. You were the only thing I couldn't find a pattern to. You were something I couldn't look up from any book. Unwritten, with no instructions. And I was used to finding solutions! Post-war eight-year secret romance. Edited 12/2020 M, 13 Chapters, 26,951 Words

The Flat in Bath by Ada_P_Rix: Loosely inspired by 365 Days...-- Malfoy grabbed her chin, forcing her to look directly at him. “Don’t you dare, Granger...” He told her roughly as his intense gaze bored into her own. “I fucking forbid you to come until I’ve had enough of you...” Draco caught her cheeks now between the fingers of his free hand and then snapped her head to the side and licked her earlobe, trailing down to her jawline. “...one flutter of those delicious walls of yours and you’re going to wish you never opened your legs for me.” -- __________________ Hermione is kidnapped during a raid and taken captive by someone who doesn't plan on 'torturing' her in the conventional way... E, WIP

The Gloriana Set by ThebeMoon: The War is won, and Hermione Granger is back at Hogwarts as an “Eighth Year”, feeling reckless and determined to shed her prim bookworm persona. She will do as she pleases, and anyone who doesn’t like it will see the business end of her wand. Also returning is Draco Malfoy, universally hated but determined to restore his family’s name. Hermione’s hopes for a quiet school year are quickly dashed as she contends with mischievous First Years, killer plants, enchanted hair accessories, a totally inappropriate Moaning Myrtle, renegade Death Eaters, a nice vampire, a poorly named study group, a depraved party, and mysterious, threatening blood messages on the castle walls. We have redemption, partial redemption and (sadly or hilariously) no redemption at all. Throw in a snarky, disturbingly attractive Draco with his own secret agenda, and we have a very slow-burn Dramione with a side of who-dun-it. COMPLETE! M, 81 Chapters, 271,830 Words

The Library of Alexandria by senlinyu: The Library of Alexandria is not for just any witch or wizard. Many bookworms may try but few are permitted to pass through its doors. The books residing there are ancient and powerful and, if one happens to make a mistake, the consequences can be rather—novel. E, 6 Chapters, 26,383 Words

The List by AureliaBlack90: After her divorce, Hermione decides to get out of town to recover from the pain of her lost relationship and the miscarriage she suffered a year previously. She arrives in the Cotswolds depressed and aimless but compiles a list of things to do that she hopes will help her get back on her feet. In the midst of her journey to find healing she keeps running into Draco Malfoy, who is nothing like she remembered him. He invites her into his world, and Hermione finds exactly what she was looking for - in the place she least expected it. E, 10 Chapters, 70,526 Words

The Manuscript by alexandra_emerson: Five 1/2 years after the war, in the middle of a big fight with Draco, Hermione finds a manuscript. It’s a retelling of her and Draco’s love story, written by him. She never realized how much he was struggling before she read his words. Snippet: I could spend my whole life apologizing to you Hermione, and it would never be enough. Post-war, angst-filled Dramione with a happy ending. M, 21 Chapters, 154,918 Words

The Memory of You by PotionChemist: Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger fell in love against all odds, but there was one big problem — he was already married. Pressured, Hermione does something she promised herself she would never do again and erases their affair from his memory. Completely devastated, she avoids seeing Draco or the Malfoys at all costs. But is their love too strong? Are they inevitable? What will happen if he finds out about their previous relationship? E, WIP

The Mountain and The Sea by AlexisDanaan: Hermione Granger was perfectly happy with her life, her job as a Healer Trainee, her ugly cat and her cute little house in the countryside. And then Draco Malfoy had to go and mess that all up, typical git. Post-Hogwarts, EWE, OOC, creature!fic. E, 12 Chapters, 40,441 Words

The Nietzsche Classes by Beringae: The Ministry takes action against the remaining prejudice in the wizarding society and asks Hermione for help. “What do you want? Money? Power? Name your price, Granger. I’m not about to let pride get in my way when an Azkaban sentence is on the line.” M, 15 Chapters, 45,807 Words

The Phoenix Potion by FedonCiadale: Twenty years after the battle of Hogwarts.... Harry is head auror and is worried about cases where Muggleborn children meet with accidents, Ron is a famous Quidditch keeper. Both haven't talked to Hermione for ages and certainly not to her husband, Draco Malfoy. Narcissa Malfoy struggles with a curse, and Neville and Luna try to stay friends with all. The key to solving the problems may lie in the past, a time nobody really wants to revisit and some can't. T, 111 Chapters, 237,745 Words

The Potioneers by omnenomnom: They need each other unfortunately. Hermione has tricked Draco under her tutelage, arrogant attitude and all. But she would be simple to think he would accept it quietly. They have both have secrets to hide, old wounds better left to fester, and a world full of mermaids, dragons, and magic to explore. T, 53 Chapters, 196,559 Words

The Pretense by Colubrina: Voldemort died, but the Death Eaters live on. Hermione Granger traded herself to Draco Malfoy in exchange for safe passage for core Order members. Now he's pretending to love her, Narcissa is pretending to believe that, and Hermione is walking a tightrope behind enemy lines as she figures out what is going on. Unfortunately, people fall off tightropes. (no non-con) T, 50 Chapters, 108,164 Words

The Right Thing To Do by LovesBitca8: Hermione felt the pounding in her ears again. She would see him for the first time since the Great Hall, gaunt and stricken at the Slytherin table with his mother clutching his arm. She hadn't meant to look for him. Not in the corridors, not beneath the white sheets of the fallen, not on the way to the Chamber of Secrets with Ron, but she was a stupid girl. E, 36 Chapters, 174,911 Words

The Seven Year Witch by TheLastLynx: A boy and a girl have been meeting – coincidentally – for seven summers. While they pretty much hate one another most of the year, for those secret summer moments, they manage to see each other in a different light. But will that be enough to bring them together? A Dramione story about growing up and changing perspective, told along - and in-between - the lines of canon. M, WIP

Thirty Times Lucky by galfoy: "Granger, I can't hire you on any longer," Draco said. Hermione stared at him. Losing her job might actually mean losing the War, and she had to bargain, but there was literally nothing she had that he would want. Or was there? M, 2 Chapters, 7,128 Words

Traditions by raven_maiden: She straddled him slowly, still biting her lip, her hands on his shoulders. He held her hips tightly as he stared up at her. “So beautiful,” he whispered, and she flushed prettily, like she always did from his compliments. “You never need to hide from me.” ** Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy fell in love during the war. One year later, they're heading home for the holidays so he can finally meet her parents. There's just one teeny little problem: her parents think they're both Muggles. E, 14 Chapters, 68,767 Words

Waifs and Strays by Kyonomiko: War leaves a lot of orphans in its wake. Hermione is one, by her own hand, and she struggles with the realities of her situation. When she finds an orphaned familiar, it seems meant to be, giving and receiving comfort helping to heal her fractured heart. Unfortunately, the animal is actually a wizard, and he has his own issues. M, 31 Chapters, 118,152 Words

What You Think Is Right by icepower55: Six years after the war, Hermione parents are dying and her marriage to Draco is crumbling. Nothing seems logical in her life anymore. Her healer tells her to start writing about it, so she does, as a way to figure things out, and remind herself along the way. Hell is proximity without intimacy -Dante's Inferno M, WIP

When the Bell Tolls by everythursday: As a Dark revival begins to rise four years after the war, Hermione Granger is placed on the assignment of putting an end to them – and her first task is to recruit the Ministry's best hope and last option in the form of Draco Malfoy. E, 20 Chapters, 148,033 Words

Wreck by JMilz: Serving as Minister for Magic, Hermione Granger is finally at the peak of her career. With a beautiful family, a successful book, and the public on her side, her life should be a fairytale. Unfortunately, there is trouble in paradise, and when Draco Malfoy pays her a visit, she begins recalling their history and questioning her marriage. The reality is: every relationship is hard. M, 53 Chapters, 187,992 Words

Thanks to every person who contributed (I hope I've mentioned everyone. If not, let me know. 😊): @certified-arsehole @fedonciadale kiwim22 @really-sad-devil-guy endless-musings @headfullofnargles @pinksunsets-world @rosseliz01 @dramioneden @all-consuming @elricsister @injailoutsoon12 reclusivebird @mariakov81 @notthatchhavi @mordanbooqs @haaatch @hpsassenach @ybaeby @farmgirl-in @coyg-81 @eiramrelyat metterschling-plus-two @a-maidens-fantasy @sansacat @vofastudum @lexayeon @1800-rewrite @aneiria-writes @anonymouslydramione 

It took much longer to compile this list than I thought it would. Hopefully, I didn’t skip anything. 🙈

Happy New Year. May it be better than the previous one and full of great Dramione fics and fanarts! 🥳🥳🥳

And here’s the 2019 list: https://dramioneficrecommendations.tumblr.com/post/190216354767/what-is-the-best-dramione-fic-you-read-in-2019

[jungwonenthusiast]

hi ! enhypen smut prompt request ! can i have the reader whos a female say #4 with jake or sunghoon whos a hard dom ?? if u can , can u add how the reader and the partner are enemies who got lots of sexual tension so they kinda trease e/o a lot with words and actions ? u dont have to use that plot but thank u♡

A/N: This is one of my favorite works now lol i hope u like it :) <3

Warnings: unprotected sex, rly brief oral (f recieving), degredation

Word Count: 2.9 k

“But it’s a Tuesday,” you tell Jay while zipping up your backpack.

“So?” he says. “Don’t be lame.”

“I’m not lame, just responsible.” you sing your bag over your shoulder.

“Yeah, that’s lame.” he walks with you to the lunch tables. Jungwon and Heeseung are already there chatting it up.

“You guys are coming right?” Jay asks them and they nod. “See? You gotta come.”

“It’ll be fun noona,” Jungwon says. “And you have to come because Heeseung hyung and Jay hyung are probably gonna leave me for girls.” he rests his head on your shoulder for a moment.

“Why don’t you get yourself some girls too.” you suggest and he shakes his head.

“I’m too shy.” he says quietly and you giggle.

“Alright fine, I’ll go.” you finally say and they all celebrate. “Jake’s not gonna be there right?”

“Uhm,” Heeseung looks over to Jake’s lunch table nervously. “I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so?” you cock an eyebrow.

“He won’t be there,” Jay says. “It’ll be fine.”

You feel someone bump into your shoulder as you walk to history.

“What the hell?” you say and turn around to see who the culprit is. Of course it’s Jake. He shrugs with a half smile. That fucking ass.

After a few more classes you head home and start preparing for the bonfire party. It’s at a beach so you decide to wear your favorite bikini under your shirt and shorts. Your phone begins to buzz and it's a facetime call from Jungwon.

“Hola~” you greet him.

“Hi~” he says. “Can you take me there? My parents are at work.”

“Sure.” you say while putting all of your essentials into a purse.

“Also,” he hesitates. “I think Jake hyung is gonna be there.”

“What? How do you know?”

“I heard him talking about it during p.e.” he says quietly and you groan.

“Fuck, I don’t wanna go anymore.” you say.

“No you have to go, I will die without you.” Jungwon pleads. “It’ll be fun, we'll just stay away from him.”

“It’s gonna be hard to stay away from that giant ego taking up the whole place.” you roll your eyes.

“He’s not that bad noona, he’s actually pretty nice.” Jungwon shrugs.

“Don’t betray me like that,” you scold him. “You’re on my team alright?”

“Okay okay.” he surrenders, giggling.

You pick Jungwon up and give him the aux for the 30 minute drive to the beach.

You guys groove to SZA together.

Jungwon rolls down the window while you're on the highway and sticks his head out like a dog. He kind of is like a dog (in a good way). He’d be a shiba inu.

“Whoooo!!” he screams as the wind whips through his hair, you smile.

When you get there you park your car and get the beach towels from the backseat.

“Did you put sunscreen on?” you as Jungwon and he shakes his head. “Why do you never listen to me?”

You get a bottle of sunscreen out of your purse and rub a dollop on his face. He scrunches his nose.

“It feels like you're rubbing cake batter on me.” he complains.

“You’ll thank me when you’re fifty and you aren’t a wrinkly wreck.” you tell him while spreading it over his cheeks.

“Can we be done now?” he whines and you sigh.

“Fine.”

You two approach the crowd of people suntanning, drinking, playing volleyball, and playing in the ocean.

You drop your stuff next to Heeseung’s and Jay’s before looking around for them. They’re playing volleyball with who on the opposing team? Jake Sim.

Jungwon must’ve noticed you shooting lasers through your eyes because he grabs your arm. “Come on, let’s go swim.” he tugs his t-shirt over his head and jogs over to the water.

You follow suit, only feeling a little self conscious about stripping with Jake Sim only so far away. But it’s only because you don’t want to be vulnerable in front of your worst enemy, right?

Jungwon’s already relaxing among the waves when you get to the shore. “Why’d you go so deep?” you call out to him.

“It’s not that deep,” he says back.

You swim around with him for a bit before forcing him to look for pretty shells with you.

He gasps. “Baby crab!” he rushes to pick it up. “Look.” he holds it up to you.

You try to pet it without freaking it out. “What if it bites you?”

“It won’t, we’re friends.”

The sun is nearly gone by the time you’re done shell searching and swimming so you head over to the bonfire. You wrap a towel around yourself and snuggle up to Jay. He scrunches his nose.

“It’s cold,” you defend yourself.

Heeseung hands you a white claw and you crack it open.

“What are we doing now?” you ask but you can’t hear Heeseung’s answer over the sight of Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Niki sitting right across from you. You notice how the bonfire highlights the muscles in Jake’s chest and arms. The warm orange light washing over him makes it look like he’s glowing. Is this what Apollo would’ve looked like? “Huh?” you ask Hee.

“We’re probably just gonna play dumb highschool games.” he says.

You inhale and take a big swig of your seltzer.

“Truth or dare time~” Bree sing songs. “Sunoo truth or dare?”

“Truth,” Sunoo answers.

“Do you have a crush on anyone and if so, who?” she asks and he rolls his eyes.

“I have a crush on myself.” he says confidently.

“Fair enough, you go now.” she says to him.

“Heeseung hyung, truth or dare?” Sunoo asks.

“Dare,” he replies and Sunoo giggles.

“Give your phone to Jay and let him text anyone anything he wants.”

Heeseung groans and throws his head back. “Oh God.”

Jay cackles an evil laugh. “Gimme.”

Heeseung reluctantly hands Jay his phone. “You’re gonna text Sophie aren’t you.”

Sophie Morales, Heeseung ex. They broke up only a month ago after half a year of dating. This was about to be brutal.

“You know me so well.” Jay smiles.

“Please don’t say anything too horrible.” Heeseung pleads.

“Sophie,” Jay narrates his text message. “I miss you and your huge tits. Also I’m sorry for not telling you while we were dating but your feet are really fucking ugly.”

Heeseung buries his head into his hands, laughing. “Fucking Christ.”

“And your breath stinks,” Jay continues. “At least your boobs are nice.”

This is what I get for befriending males. You think to yourself.

“Alright that’s enough.” Heeseung snatches his phone away while everyone giggles. “My turn since I was the victim. y/n, truth or dare?” “Truth,”

“What’s your biggest regret?”

“Becoming friends with Jay, because he’s insane.”

Jay guffaws. “I’ve been nothing but good to you.”

You roll your eyes.

The game goes on for a bit until it lands on Jungwon.

“Noona, truth or dare?”

You’d usually go for truth, but you didn’t want people to think you were boring. “Dare.”

“I dare you and Jake hyung to talk to each other in private for at least five minutes.” he says, crossing his arms.

Your eyes widen and you look over at Jake, he looks like he wants to drown himself.

“What? Why?” you ask urgently.

“Because I’m tired of you guys hating each other for no reason. Now go.” Jungwon shoos you away.

“Yeah go talk.” Niki says to Jake.

Both of you don’t budge. Jay tugs at your arm. “Come on, Jake and y/n becoming friends!”

The whole group starts chanting. “JAKE AND Y/N BECOMING FRIENDS!”

You had to admit that their enthusiasm was kind of endearing, so you swallow your pride and walk over to the lifeguard tower. You hear him not far behind you.

You climb up the stairs and let your feet hang over the ledge of the patio.

He sits down next to you.

You let a few moments of silence pass before speaking up. “I don’t want to be here as much as you do, so let’s just wait for the five minutes to pass and then go.”

“Damn,” he says. “Do you really hate me that much?”

You roll your eyes. “What do you think?”

“What did I ever do to you?” he scoffs.

“I don’t need to justify my feelings.” you cross your arms.

“Why are you so dense?” he grumbles.

You whip your body over to him. “I’m the dense one?”

“Yeah,” he says proudly. You want to slap the smug look off of his pretty face. Normal face. Slightly, almost, barely good looking face.

“Such a prick,” you mumble, turning away.

“What’d you call me?” he scrunches his eyebrows.

You look him right in the eyes. You never noticed how dark and piercing they were. “A fucking prick. Cause you are one.”

His black hair is still damp and poking into his eyes. His lips are parted and they look so soft that you almost want to kiss him. But he beats you to it.

I should push him away. Push him away you dumbass. You kept telling yourself but you couldn’t do it. His lips felt too good against yours.

Your arms snake around his waist as he lays you onto your back.

You wish you had a hundred hands so you could touch all of him. Two weren’t enough. He feels like silk and he tastes like red velvet.

He pushes your jaw up so he can get to your neck. You exhale as his tongue dances on your skin. He grinds his hips into yours and you let out a small moan. Why are you letting him affect you like this? Idiot.

“I thought you hated me?” he smirks while kissing your chest.

“I do.” you breathe out.

“You sure?” he asks, his fingers traveling down your stomach and into your bikini bottoms.

“Mhm.” you say.

He kisses your collarbone. “People you hate don’t make you wet like this.”

That just makes you throb even more.

“Fuck off,” you say and he backs up.

“Really?” he says. “Because I will.”

You roll your eyes and pull him in by the back of the neck.

“Touch me,” you say and he happily obliges. You knew were in public but it was dark and honestly, you didn’t care.

“Such a slut,” he says while running a finger up and down your slit. “If you wanted me this badly you should’ve said so sooner.”

“I don’t want you asshole.” you breathe out as he circles your clit.

“You just asked me to touch you princess,” he kisses your neck. “I think that’s good evidence.”

You rub your fingers through the back of his hair and tug it back, exposing his neck. He lets out a small moan. You kiss his neck, sucking and nibbling every now and then. When you pull away there’s at least three red blotches that go from his throat to his chest.

“People are gonna see those you know?” he says.

“Whatever.” you roll your eyes.

“Are you marking me or something? Telling everyone that I’m yours?” he boasts.

It’s confusing how your anger is feeding into your lust for him.

“Shut up and fuck me.” you say and he cocks a brow.

“Maybe if you ask nicely,” he kisses your cheek sweetly. You want to wipe it off and slap him in the face.

“Who do you think you are?” you scoff at him.

“Come on dont play with me,” he pushes one finger into you and you moan. “I can tell that you want it.”

It was true. You were practically gushing.

“More,” you say, wanting another finger.

“Where are your manners?” he smirks.

You swallow your pride. “Please?”

“Good girl,” he says and it sends tingles down your spine.

He pulls your bikini bottoms to the side and rubs his thumb up your slit. “Such a pretty cunt.”

Your thighs are already trembling.

“I really thought you’d still be hating me right now.” he says lowly. “Do I make you that weak?”

You snap to your senses for a moment. “Fuck you.”

“I am.” he snickers and you roll your eyes.

“Don’t give me attitude princess.” he warns you with a dangerous smile.

“Or what?” you test him.

“Do you really wanna find out?”

“What do you think you’re intimidating or something?” you ask and he scoffs.

He sits up and grabs your arm. “Get up.”

“What?”

“Get up.” he says sternly and you do.

He grabs your hand, leading you somewhere.

“Where are we going?” you ask, agitated. If you really didn’t want to go you wouldn’t, but you secretly wanted to continue what was going on.

“My car.”

“What? Why?”

“You’ll see.”

“Hey! Where are you going?” Jungwon calls out. “Don’t leave me!” “I’ll be just a second!” you reply with an unsure smile.

“Backseat.” Jake says as you approach his Mercedes.

So bossy, you think.

You sit in the back seat and before you know it he’s pulling you into his lap.

“Let’s continue shall we?” he says and you don’t waste any time getting your lips on his.

He pushes your hips down onto his and you whimper. You were already so wet and this was just making it worse.

“Please, I can’t wait any longer.” you say, not being able to hold it in.

“For what?” he nips at your neck.

“I need to feel you inside of me.” you plead. 

“That’s better.” he tugs his shorts down and pulls your swimsuit to the side.

You grab the base of him before slowly sinking down. “Fuck yes.” you moan in relief.

He fills you up perfectly and his tip brushes your g-spot every time you bounce.

“So fucking tight.” he growls, holding onto your hips tight.

Your legs begin to tremble from the pleasure so he grabs you by the waist and lays you on your back.

He snaps his hips into yours and you whine.

He smirks. “Look at you all spread out for me,” he kisses your neck. “Taking this cock deep inside you.”

Your fingers trail down to rub at your clit. “Please don’t stop.”

He flips you over into doggy and tugs your hair, bringing your ear up to his mouth.

“Tell me how bad you want it.”

“Really bad,” you whimper.

He smacks your ass and you let out a small squeal.

“Touch with yourself while I fuck you.” he lets you go and you rest on the door. Your fingers move to play with your pussy.

His hands are tight on your waist as he pounds into you.

You feel your knees start to give out and your cunt start to pulse around him.

He chuckles. “Are you close sweetheart?”

“Yeah,” you exhale. “Please make me cum, please I need it so bad.”

“Why should I think you deserve it?”

“Please, I can’t hold it any longer.” you say and he stops his movements completely.

He gets close to your ear. “You get to cum when I say so okay?”

You accept defeat. “Okay.”

You start to get more and more flustered as he continues to fuck you just right.

“Fuck Jake I can’t,” you whimper and hold onto the car door for dear life.

He pulls out suddenly and you complain before feeling his tongue on you. Your body tenses up from the pleasure.

“You taste so fucking good,” he says and you arch your back, pushing your pussy into his mouth. He moans against you.

After only a couple circles on your clit with his tongue, you’re ready to come undone. You grab onto his hand.

“Wait wait I’m close,”

And before you can utter another word he slams his cock into you and brings his hand around you to rub your clit.

“Cum on this cock sweetheart, I know you can do it.” he encourages you.

He smiles as your moans get louder and more high pitched.

Your legs start to shake and he grabs you tight. He comes up to your ear. “Be a good girl for me won’t you.”

Your eyes roll back as bliss runs through your entire body. He was probably the best lay you’ve ever had.

Your body goes slack as he cums inside of you.

“Fuck,” he growls and slowly pulls out. He picks you up and holds you in his arms as you try to ride out the trembling.

“How am I supposed to clean up?” you ask.

“Maybe you can swim again?” he jokes and you punch him in the arm. “Do you still hate me?”

“One hundred percent.” you say confidently.

“Are you kidding?” he scoffs. “My kids are in you right now.”

You fake gag and he laughs.

[rocorambles]

Mission: Seduce Kuroo Tetsurou

Pair: Kuroo x Reader

Genre: NSFW, Slight Angst, Fluff, Porn With Plot

Warnings: Degradation, Master/Pet Dynamics, Sex Toys, Overstimulation, Cum Play, Nipple Play

Prompt: "Guess I'll just have to cum inside you."

Summary: You really should have just spoken to Kuroo about your insecurities instead of letting everything spiral out of control. But that’s okay, your husband is more than happy to thoroughly remind you that you’re the only woman he’ll ever want.  

Author’s Note: This is my contribution for my HQ Discord Server’s NSFW collaboration. There are so many talented writers on the server and I highly encourage you to check out the collaboration masterlist here to see how everyone decided to run with this spicy prompt. (Masterlist goes live Monday 31st August 11:30pm U.K. time!) 

You stretch your arms over your head as a big yawn rumbles throughout your entire body. It’s too early for any sane person to be up, even the sun is barely creeping in through the windows of your apartment, but your husband has hardly been sane recently with the crazy amount of hours he’s been pouring into work. You’re lucky that you even woke up before he left and you smile as you hear your overgrown house cat rustle around your bathroom and bedroom, getting ready for the day. 

“Tetsurou, hurry up so you have time to eat at least a little breakfast before you head out! You’ve been skipping it too much recently. You wouldn’t want me to leave you for one of those pro-athletes you work so closely with when you become just stick and bones, would you?” 

You bite back a laugh when your husband’s messy bed hair peeks out from around the corner and hazel eyes narrow at you, but you’re not laughing when he finally saunters over to you in his suit and traps you against the kitchen counter between his long arms, leaning in so close your noses are brushing and just when you relax and close your eyes, waiting for him to kiss you, you rapidly blink your eyes open as he gives you a quick light peck before ambling off to pour himself a cup of the green tea you’d brewed. With a pout, you warm up the rice balls you’d bought last night and place them on the dining table, wrinkling your nose in displeasure at the smirk on Kuroo’s face, but it’s all forgotten as the two of you lightly chat over breakfast, Kuroo’s long legs spreading into your space across the table, your calves gently rubbing against each other as you laugh and eat. But all too soon it’s time for him to go and he gives you another loving peck before racing out the door and with a sigh, you wash the dishes before getting ready to leave for work yourself.

You love Kuroo with all your heart. Your feelings for him have only gotten stronger over the years and even after tying the knot with him, you can’t help the way your heart flutters and warmth fills your chest whenever the two of you lock eyes. But when your mind replays the teasing scene from this morning, your thighs clench and you bite your lips. Kuroo’s always been a tease and you love it as much as you hate it. No one knows how to rile you up like he does and he uses that to his advantage, rendering you a desperate, needy mess before finally making good on all his dirty promises. But lately, he hasn’t been following through. You can’t even remember the last time you’d done anything more than heatedly make out. 

At first, you had tried to be patient. You know far too well exactly why he hasn’t been in the mood recently. It’s so obvious to you. It’s obvious in the ever growing and darkening circles underneath his eyes. It’s obvious in the way he can barely stay awake when you do manage to spend some time together when he comes back home from work. It’s obvious in the way he immediately passes out as soon as his head hits the pillow. Hell, even his messy bed hair that usually defies gravity seems to slump more and more with every passing day. He’s exhausted. You’ve always loved how dedicated and hardworking Kuroo is. It’s one of the many reasons you’d fallen for him and you know how important his job is to him, but you wonder if it’s time to intervene as you watch your husband walk around your shared apartment like a zombie. Also, more selfishly, you have needs and it’s been months since you’ve been stuffed full by him and really, this is all Kuroo’s fault for training your body to constantly yearn for him after all the years he spent pleasuring you over and over again. With a determined glint in your eyes, you begin to scheme. Let Mission Seduce Kuroo Tetsurou begin.

You scan yourself in the mirror pleased with how you look in a strappy lingerie set you know drives Kuroo crazy. It’s a delicate and intricate creation of lace and ribbons that barely covers you, only accentuating the curves of your figure, but you know it’s the one strip of ribbon that travels in a single bold line between your breasts and leads up to a delicate lacy red collar wrapped around your neck that will specifically catch Kuroo’s eyes. Checking the time, you excitedly perch yourself on the bed, positioning yourself seductively, candles flickering and enhancing the mood as you wait for him, but a hour passes and you unwillingly succumb to sleep, ignorant of the way your phone buzzes with an apologetic text from Kuroo, letting you know he’d be home even later than usual. Blearily you open your eyes and wince as daylight sears your vision. Wait...daylight? You scramble to sit up and check your surroundings and your shoulders sag in frustration when you find yourself still in your lingerie set, but carefully tucked into bed, blankets wrapped around your body, Kuroo’s side of the bed empty and cold. You reach over to look at your phone, getting up to get dressed for work, when you see a new text from your husband. 

Sorry, kitten. You must have been waiting a long time for me last night. You looked absolutely beautiful. Look! I even took some pictures so I could remember. But maybe next time try not to fall asleep while the candles are still lit ^.^  

Your face heats up at the lewd pictures he’d taken of you while you were fast asleep and your heart warms at his compliment, but you stubbornly shake your head. There’s no time to be distracted. You’re still a woman on a mission. 

Attempt two takes place that weekend and you watch your husband from the shadows, lurking behind him before finally pouncing on him as he sits at his desk, answering a work phone call. You saucily wink at him as you saunter into his view and you smirk at the way he clears his throat and gulps at the sight of you dressed in nothing but his old Nekoma jersey and black thigh highs. And when you sink to your knees and arch your back just so, you almost snicker at the way he hisses when his jersey rides up and your bare ass is displayed. But he collects himself enough to firmly, but gently shove you away from him as you try to pull his boxers down and despite a few more attempts on your end, you instantly stop when he puts his phone on mute and sternly says your full name. 

But Kuroo’s always been weak against your puppy dog eyes and with a slight roll of his eyes, he beckons you to sit on his bare thigh and as he calmly and professionally continues his call, you heavily pant with your tongue lolling out, drool dripping from your mouth as you grind against his strong muscles like a bitch in heat, smearing your arousal everywhere until you’re almost sliding back and forth against the taut surface. And as he clenches his muscles and digs his leg further up into you, your body convulses and he barely has time to end the call before you loudly moan as you ride out your orgasm. He whispers filthy praises into your ear about what a good slut you are, what a desperate pet you are, what a mess you’ve made all over master’s leg, but when you finally exhaustedly slump onto his chest, he peppers butterfly kisses all over your face and holds you for a few minutes before carrying you to the bathroom and washing both of you off despite your protests that you still want to play more. 

He at least has the decency to apologetically kiss you for ending things so abruptly as he throws on slacks and a button-up before rushing off to work to take care of the emergency he had just been on a call about despite the fact that it’s a weekend, but you can’t help the growing insecurity that begins to eat at you as you spend the rest of that Saturday alone. Were you not as attractive as you used to be? Was Kuroo getting tired of you? Why does it feel like you’re trying so hard to get his attention? Does touching you feel like just a husbandly duty for him now? Thought after crippling thought sears through you and you have to hold back the tears that threaten to spill when Kuroo returns late that night and, thinking you’re already asleep, turns on his side with his back facing towards you and instantly falls asleep.        

You muster what little resolve you have left with the last few scraps of your self-confidence for a final attempt. Raking through your mind for memories of what would hopefully bring some passion back between the two of you, you perk up as your eyes scan a black box crammed underneath the bed. Kuroo hates it when you masturbate, when you touch yourself, when you make yourself cum without him being physically present or at least on a call with you to hear all the pretty sounds you make. Surely this would be enough to finally have him fuck you senseless like he always used to. But when you purposefully time everything so that Kuroo enters your bedroom and finds you stuffed full with your favorite dildo, a wand vibrator pressed against your clit, and your back arched as broken cries fill the room, he just gives you a tired smile and sits on the edge of the bed before helping you by thrusting the dildo in and out of your gushing cunt. And it feels so good, but when you see how dull and lifeless Kuroo’s sleep deprived eyes look despite the fact that you’re laid out in an erotic display of lust, you can’t stop the sobs you let out as you climax. 

Thinking you’re just crying from the overwhelming pleasure and too tired to dig further into it, Kuroo absentmindedly tosses the toys to the side and cradles you in his arms as he falls asleep, finding comfort in your familiar scent and figure, ignorant of the way your body continues to tremble as you cry yourself to sleep. And as you try to keep your sobs and sniffles as quiet as possible, you decide to abort this mission, deeming it a complete and utter failure and you struggle to fall asleep that night as self-deprecating thoughts claw at your insides. Of course Kuroo didn’t find you sexy anymore. Your body has changed a lot since your younger days. You should be grateful that you still have a loving husband, a husband who works tirelessly to help provide for the two of you, a husband who always takes care of you, a loyal and devoted husband. And despite the longing pang for something more, something primal, for your base desires to be filled, you tentatively turn in Kuroo’s arms until you're face to face and you nuzzle into his toned chest and finally find peace in the rhythmic rise and fall of his sleeping figure. 

Life goes on normally after that. At least for Kuroo. He's too distracted and exhausted to notice the way your smiles are a little more forced, the way you're more hesitant about touching him, the way you wear more clothes to cover your body as self-consciousness plagues your mind. So it's just business as usual for him to excitedly tell you about the Japan Volleyball Association's annual summer beach party, but he blinks in confusion when you don't return his enthusiasm, mumbling a feeble excuse about not having a swimsuit for the occasion. Brows furrowed, he digs through the drawers of your wardrobe and triumphantly holds up a black bikini set you still have, waving aside your worries that it won't fit and that it won't look good on you anymore and that's how you find yourself a few weeks later, exiting Kuroo's car and walking side by side with him in said bikini, feeling like an ugly troll next to your stunning husband whose lean and toned muscles are on full display with him just sporting a red pair of swim trunks. 

But your insecurities are pushed aside as a loud "hey, hey, hey" echoes even over the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and you can't help but grin as Bokuto runs over slapping Kuroo hard enough on the back to leave a red mark before picking you up and spinning you around as he hugs you. "Alright, that's enough, stop manhandling my wife, you big dumb owl!" Kuroo pretends to grumble at the two of you, but you can tell by the amused glint in his eyes as Bokuto finally lets you go and the reassuring hand he places on your lower back as the three of you mingle with everyone else that he doesn't really mind. But as soon as you reach the thickest part of the crowd, Kuroo quickly kisses your forehead before running off to network with some players and coworkers, leaving you alone with Bokuto. 

The two of you have fun. Bokuto has always been the life of the party and you laugh the hardest you've laughed in a long time. But many drinks later and unable to keep up with his crazy stamina, you excuse yourself and find a quiet corner, drinking a glass of cold water to cool down and sober up a bit. It's been hours and you still haven't seen Kuroo since he separated from you and you're so focused scanning the venue for him that you don't notice the person drawing near you until you feel movement right next to you. Surprised you turn around and are met with a vaguely familiar face. Blond dyed hair. An ever present smirk. You don't realize how long you've been staring, trying to remember where you recognize him from, until he snorts and waves a hand in your face. "I know I'm good looking, but don't you think it's a little rude to just stare at me silently?" 

You try to stutter out an apology as you finally come back to your senses, but he laughs it off and introduces himself. Atsumu. Yes, now you recognize him. Bokuto's teammate. You've seen tons of pictures of him on Bokuto's social media accounts. He's a little rough around the edges and you can feel your face heat up as he blatantly looks you up and down, eyes lingering a bit too long on the swell of your breasts, but you can feel your confidence growing, feeling truly desired for the first time in months. What's the harm in a little flirting? 

The two of you banter back and forth and maybe it's the heat of the sun mixed with the alcohol still running through your veins, but you don't notice the way Atsumu inches closer to you until your thighs are pressed tightly against each other or the way he rests one arm behind you, slyly pressing it against your upper back. And you definitely don't notice how he suddenly swoops in to crash his lips against yours and you move to shove him away from you only to be interrupted by a flurry of motions and you stare in shock at Atsumu sprawled out on the ground and your husband furiously glaring down at him, fists clenched so hard his knuckles are turning white. 

You react just in time to lunge at Kuroo and you tightly wrap your arms around his tense figure as he takes a step towards the blonde setter, holding him still as realization finally dawns on Atsumu when he spots your matching wedding bands and he scampers off with a rushed apology. But even when he’s long gone and nowhere in sight, you still clutch your husband, not letting go until you feel his muscles relax. You let him shake you off as he turns around to tower over you and you whimper at the fire burning in his eyes, hazel eyes almost glowing as they pin you down. You’re thankful for the loud music and lively atmosphere, ensuring no one’s paying any attention to the two of you as he tightly grips your chin and forces you to maintain eye contact. 

“Someone’s been a naughty kitten. I leave you alone for a few hours and you let some other man just place their dirty paws all over you? Let them taste your pretty little mouth? If I hadn’t stopped him, would you have let him fuck your tight cunt too? Mark you up inside and out?” 

You hate the way you grow wet at his words, trembling when Kuroo notices your growing arousal and narrows his eyes in disdain. But it’s the brief flicker of hurt in his eyes that finally has you digging your hands into his waist as denial and reassurances come pouring out of your mouth. 

“Tetsurou, I had no idea he was going to kiss me. It happened so fast. I’m so sorry. Of course I would have stopped him if you hadn’t stepped in! I love you. I only want you.” 

You stare intently into his eyes, trying to portray all your love for him through your gaze and you sigh in relief when his eyes soften at your words, but your breath catches in your throat when his eyes sharpen into a familiar gleam and a dark smirk curves onto his lips. He finally releases your chin and leans down until his hair brushes against the side of your face as he purrs into your ear. 

“Prove it to me.” 

Kuroo has a reputation to uphold and, not wanting to risk anyone seeing what’s about to happen, he grabs your hand and guides you through the dancing crowd, laughing and greeting a few tipsy faces he recognizes in passing, but not once does he stop leading you towards the exit and you’re quivering in anticipation by the time the two of you reach the parking lot and he roughly shoves you into the back of his car. The door has barely closed before he pulls your bottoms down, not even bothering to fully remove them as he also hastily shoves his boxers down just enough for his cock to swing out. And you almost moan at just the sight of what you’ve been lusting for all these months, a small part of you taking pride in the fact that he’s not as unaffected as he makes himself seem behind his angry facade as you unconsciously lick your lips at the sight of his already fully hard length. 

You attempt to sit up and move towards him, desperate for a taste of the pre-cum leaking out of his tip, but you yelp when you’re shoved back down by a hand on your chest and you whine, only for that to quickly turn into a wail as Kuroo slams two of his fingers inside of your throbbing cunt. He growls as he rapidly pistons his digits in and out of you and you should be embarrassed by the way your cries of ecstasy and the sound of your squelching wet pussy fill the car, but you can’t bring yourself to feel any shame as you lose yourself to the delirious pleasure of your husband’s long fingers filling you, stretching you, always sure to rub against that spongy spot inside of you that makes you see stars. But when your hand instinctively reaches down to rub your clit, you’re startled back to reality when it’s slapped away and his fingers are yanked out of you. 

He sneers down at you, a wicked smile twisting his face as he shoves his drenched fingers into your mouth and you obediently suck, making sure to clean every remaining drop of yourself that coats his skin. Satisfied, he finally removes his hand from your mouth and he quirks an eyebrow in amusement as you beg and plead for him to fuck you.

“Tetsurou, please. I need your cock inside of me. Please, I want it so badly. Please fuck me. Please please please. I miss it so much.” 

He mockingly coos down at you as desperate tears well in the corner of your eyes. “Aww is my little kitten crying for my cock? You’re such a fucking whore. You want my big fat cock inside of you so badly that you’d cry and beg for it like a desperate slut? You sure it’s my cock that you miss? I think you’d be happy with any cock fucking you. You’d let anyone stuff you full and moan like a whore, wouldn’t you?” 

And the tears finally fall as you sob and shake your head rapidly. “Only you, Tetsurou. Always only you. Please please please.” You’re still crying and incoherently babbling as he slams his entire shaft inside of you in one swift motion and Kuroo darkly smiles at the way your crying instantly turns to wanton moans at the sudden intrusion. But it’s been far too long since either of you have done this and both of you are so worked up that he knows he doesn’t have much time before you both reach your ends. And sure enough after just a few strokes he can feel your body begin to tighten and he grits his teeth at the sight of your eyes rolling into the back of your head, your head shaking back and forth, and your mouth wide open. But even as dazed as you are, when you feel the way your husband’s thrusts become uneven, you try to voice as much reason as you possibly can, fully aware of your husband’s tendency to paint your body with his fluids. 

“Tetsu-Tetsurou AH- Feels so good. Hngh D-don’t cum on me. Don’t have anything to- AHHH clean it up with and- OH we need to go back to the party.”

Kuroo grunts in displeasure at your words, but he knows you’re right and as much as he loves to see you covered in thick spurts of white, the thought of anyone else seeing that incites rage in him. You get ready for him to pull out and cum down your throat like you always do when you mess around in similarly inconvenient places, ready to swallow down any evidence of your sinful deeds, but you scream when his thrusts get even harder and faster. 

"Guess I'll just have to cum inside you."

And those words are the final shove you need to fall over the peak and Kuroo follows shortly after you as your pussy walls clench and milk his cock. He stays buried inside of you for a few more moments, wanting your tight walls to soak up as much of him as possible, but when he slides out of you, he quickly pulls your bottoms up, not letting a single drop escape, and you whimper as he purposefully tugs them up just a tad too tightly, teasingly wedging the fabric between your folds before finally having some mercy and letting you rearrange them. He opens the car door and steps out first, offering a hand down towards you and you grab it, gingerly standing up only to be pulled swiftly towards him and you stumble into his chest. But before you can fully find your balance, a large hand tugs your hair until you’re forced to stare up into cat-like eyes. 

“I want you to keep my cum inside of you for the rest of the party. I’m not anywhere near done with your punishment. I’ll be checking at home tonight to see if your pretty little pussy is still painted white.”       

The rest of the party is torturous. Kuroo doesn't let you step even a foot away from him as he continues mingling with the crowd and in any other scenario you'd love the attention he showers you with as he affectionately introduces you to countless faces, but not today. Not with your pussy desperately clenching in order not to spill a single drop of the white liquid coating your insides. Not with your touch starved body only yearning for more after getting a taste of what you've wanted all these months. And Kuroo only makes things worse with his subtle teasing. 

You know better than to think any of his touches are accidental or innocent and your body is so in tune with his that it reacts to every single bit of contact he dishes out. His arm grazes over your nipples as he reaches over to grab a drink. He leads you with a hand that just happens to slip from your lower back and land squarely on your ass. He wipes your mouth for you, claiming you have a piece of food on the corner of your mouth, but that doesn't really explain why his fingers briefly slip past your lips. But all hell breaks loose when he reapplies your sunscreen for you and his hands blatantly slip under your bikini set, teasingly close to where you want him most, but always just missing your clit and nipples and when he reaches your neck, a moan escapes you at the feeling of his hand subtly wrapping and tightening around your throat. 

"Tetsurou, stop teasing me! Can we go home? Please take me home. I need you inside of me again. I want you to ruin me." 

Kuroo's the one who's turned you into a needy slutty mess, but it's his turn to feel flushed at the sight of you lewdly begging him to do whatever he wants to you in broad daylight, in front of hundreds of people and finally losing his self-control, he brusquely grabs your hand and once again the two of you are leaving, but this time for good. The car ride is silent, the atmosphere thick and tense between the two of you as you clench your thighs together and Kuroo tries to ignore the growing bulge in his shorts. It's silent as both of you enter your apartment and Kuroo seats himself on your couch. But you break once you close and lock the front door and Kuroo impassively stares at you as you drop to your knees in front of him and beg him to fuck you again. You know you're barely making any sense, fueled only by your cock hungry thoughts, but you pause when Kuroo raises a hand to silence you. 

"Let's see if you were able to follow the one rule I gave you today, kitten." 

Eagerly you nod your head and you raise yourself on your knees, spreading your thighs apart before pulling your bikini bottom to the side and you think you could cum right there and then just from the way Kuroo unabashedly stares at the white trail dripping down your inner thigh as he pushes down his shorts enough to languidly stroke his cock. 

"Good girl. Did you like being my little cum bucket today? Did you like being filled by me? Bet if it were possible, you'd always want your little cunny to be drenched in my cum, right? Come sit on master's lap." 

Kuroo chuckles at the way you clumsily stumble in your haste to reach him as you blather affirmation after affirmation in response to his questions and he lowers his head to affectionately kiss you, lightly nipping your lower lip before he pulls back. He moves one hand to his cock to angle it as his other hand grabs your waist and urges you to move, but you hardly need any encouragement and you both groan as you sink down on his length until you're completely bottomed out and sitting in his lap once again. Immediately you try to bounce, but you whine when strong hands hold you still and you can feel tears of frustration forming as you pout at your husband's smirk. But any annoyance is forgotten when his hands fondle and pinch your nipples through the fabric of your top. 

"Look at you. I've barely done anything and you're already so worked up. Stop moving! Just sit there and take what I give you." You yelp when he roughly pinches your nipples and you cease your attempts to ride him, but you can't help the way your hips roll and grind as he continues. 

"Your nipples are already so hard, kitten. Look how obvious they are even beneath your swimsuit. Were they like this all day? Is that why Atsumu couldn't take his eyes off you? You think every player there saw how slutty your nipples are? Realized what a horny desperate whore you are? I bet they all wanted to get a taste." 

You wail when Kuroo shoves the fabric aside and latches a mouth onto one of your sensitive nubs, while experly flicking and rolling the other between his fingers. He alternates between the two sides and your frazzled mind can barely keep up with his actions as he switches up the motions of his fingers and mouth. He pulls off briefly and sharply tugs at your nipples. "Think you can cum just from your nipples?" You try to deny it, pleading for him to at least rub your clit, but your protests are ignored and you gasp when he dives back down and harshly sucks at one of your puffy nubs. Kuroo knows your body even better than you do and he continues to stimulate your nipples even when you topple over into an orgasm that takes you by surprise and you tightly clench around his cock as your back arches and only when you weakly paw at him to stop does he release your nipple with a lewd pop. 

You playfully smack him when he teases you about what a slut you must be to be able to get off from just your nipples and you hide your face in his neck as he shamelessly thinks out loud about all the nipple clamps, suctions, and vibrators he can use on you to train you even more. But you raise your head in alarm when you feel yourself being repositioned, Kuroo's erect cock still inside of you as he lays you on your back and hovers over you. 

"Tetsurou, st-stop NGH TOO SOON!"

"What did you say, kitten? Sorry, it's hard to understand you when you're moaning like a whore. Weren't you begging for this all day? Shouldn't you be thanking me?"

Kuroo thrusts sharply into you with every word and you can't think of anything other than how well he fills you, how perfectly he fits inside the cunt he's molded and shaped for himself after years of using it, how amazing the drag of his cock against your insides is. You babble thank you, thank you, thank you mindlessly over and over again, incapable of doing anything else as your breasts bounce and your body writhes underneath him. And when his hips finally stutter and he furiously rubs your clit as he adds to the mess inside of you, you break apart once again, your mind going blank as you feel the warmth of his cum sloshing inside of you.

But exhaustion slams into you as you come down from your climax, exhaustion from your third orgasm, exhaustion from being teased all day and all the barriers you’d put up finally come crashing down and Kuroo stares in horror as you sob, nothing like the pleasure filled sobs he usually wrings out of you. No, these are heartbreaking anguished cries for help and he immediately answers the call by tightly clutching you to his chest, your lower bodies still connected as he murmurs words of praise and love into your ear. 

“Hey, what’s wrong, sweetheart? I love you. You know that, right? I love you more than anything or anyone else in this entire world. I’m so lucky to be your husband. You’re so good to me, so loving, so supportive, so loyal, so beautiful.” 

The last word catches your attention and with a sniffle you hesitantly remove your head from his torso and look at him through watery lashes. 

“You think I’m beautiful?” 

Kuroo flounders for a second, disbelief choking the words in his throat, unable to understand how you could think otherwise. But when he sees the insecurity and doubt flooding your eyes he gently cradles your face in his calloused hands. 

“Of course I do. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, inside and out.” 

Your heart flutters at the sincerity you see in his eyes and that’s all it takes for you to break down in his arms, wrapping your arms around his neck as you tuck your head under his chin, and he silently listens as you reveal all the internal suffering you’d put yourself through over the past months as you let your anxiety and worry mix with your doubts and insecurities, letting them fester and ferment into a self-destructive time bomb. A slow-moving process he’d been too daft to notice, that you’d been too scared to talk to him about for his sake, not wanting to be a bother or another item he needed to check off his to-do list. And while you continue shyly speaking, tears stream down Kuroo’s face and his heart clenches at the thought of how long you’d quietly suffered, putting on a happy facade for him, taking care of his every want and need during the few hours of the week he was home and awake. 

Surprised to feel liquid drops plop down on your face, you quirk your head upwards and panic when you see your husband’s teary eyes and the two of you become a blubbering mess as you both try to wipe each other’s tears and soothe each other. It’s so silly to see two adults trying to out comfort each other that you accidentally snort at the strange image the two of you must make and there’s a slight pause, but then your laughter is joined by Kuroo’s trademark cackle and before you know it, the two of you are wrapped in each other’s arms, feeling the rumble of each other’s laughter through your connected bodies. 

Yes, there’ll be serious conversations later about being more open and transparent with each other when something’s troubling either one of you and discussions on how you can both work on your communication. You’ll jokingly complain that Kuroo is hovering over you too much for weeks after this breakdown as he practically scrutinizes you with those perceptive eyes of his, always making sure you’re really fine. And he’ll never give you any more opportunities to doubt how much he loves every part of you when you’re screaming his name on every surface of your home. But for now, feeling infinitely lighter with all your burdens finally shoved off your shoulders with the help of your husband, you’re content to close your eyes and relish in the warmth of the lean body pressed against you.