#i think this was supposed to be for the prompt game i did the other day but. it didn't follow the rules so jkabsfkjsd | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

poetic-vulgarity · 4 days ago

Text

ᎮᎥᏖᎩ ᎮᏗᏒᏖᎩ III- Kim Minjeong x Reader

Word Count: 8K

Prompt: When Minjeong transferred to an elite school, she didn't expect to catch the attention of Y/N, the golden girl. Then again, she also didn't expect Y/N to be the root of all her misery.

Tags: slow burn; angst; drama; high school! AU; richgirl!Y/N; happy happy happy

Part I, Part II, Part III

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────────

Y/N was ignoring Minjeong.

That much was clear.

It started right after Christmas break— texts left on read, calls unanswered. At school, Minjeong would call out to her in the hallways, only for Y/N to pick up her pace and disappear. In class, she’d put on her headphones, focused on anything but Minjeong.

It was suffocating.

The only time their eyes met was by accident— across a crowded hallway or the cafeteria. And even then, Y/N would look away so fast, Minjeong started wondering if she was imagining it.

At first, Minjeong was just confused, racking her brain for what had changed. Before break, everything was fine. Better than fine. Y/N had come over for Christmas. They exchanged gifts. They hugged. Y/N kissed her cheek.

What the hell happened?

She tried to talk to her. Again and again.

"Hey, can we—"

"Move."

Y/N brushed past her without even looking.

Minjeong stood there, speechless, watching her go.

And it happened every time.

She’d reach out, and Y/N would shut her down—effortlessly.

So effortlessly, in fact, that over time, Minjeong noticed others mirroring the behavior.

It started slow.

Glances in class, shoulders knocking into hers in crowded hallways. Then it spread to teachers. When Minjeong raised her hand, they called on anyone else—even when no one else had a hand up. In gym, no one picked her for teams, and the teacher straight-up told her, "Sit this one out." Once or twice would’ve been fine, but five or six times?

Minjeong felt like a ghost but at least she still had Jimin, Ning, and Yunjin.

"She's a viper. I bet she's turning everyone against you," Jimin huffed in the bathroom one day— right after a student accidentally spilled a bowl of soup on Minjeong.

Accidentally.

She grimaced, running a wet paper towel over her soaked uniform. Her shoes were a mess, and she was pretty sure there was soup in her hair.

Looking up, she caught Jimin’s frustrated expression and felt the heaviness in her chest.

"This is ridiculous," Jimin grumbled.

Minjeong felt a lot of things— anger, sadness, confusion. But one feeling stood out the most.

"I just don’t understand why she's doing this. Everything was fine."

Jimin met her gaze, reaching up to nudge a strand of hair from Minjeong’s eyes. It was an endearing gesture— one that should’ve made her swoon.

But all she could think about was Y/N doing the same thing.

"I told you how Y/N is," Jimin said. "She probably felt bitter that you figured her out so she made you to like her, only to turn everyone against you."

Minjeong chewed on her bottom lip.

It made sense.

Y/N never liked anyone seeing the real her. Maybe this was revenge. Maybe it just was another game.

Maybe Minjeong had figured Y/N out from the start, and Y/N saw it as a challenge.

Was she even sorry for her father’s actions?

Or was that just an excuse to win her over?

Minjeong felt paranoid. How the hell was she supposed to know what was real and what wasn’t?

She was so caught up in her thoughts, she barely noticed Jimin cupping her cheek.

"Minjeong."

She snapped out of it, eyes flickering up to meet Jimin’s.

The other girl had stepped closer, leaning against the sink counter. Her hand lingered on Minjeong’s cheek, thumb gently brushing the corner of her mouth.

Minjeong felt her breath catch in her throat at the action.

She had expected to feel something different— her skin heating up, her heart skipping a beat. That was the norm whenever Y/N touched her like this.

But all she could think about was how soft the touch on her cheek felt.

And how much gentler it was when Y/N did it.

It wasn’t the first time she and Jimin had kissed.

Minjeong didn’t mind it. Jimin was fun. She was her friend. She was easy.

With Jimin, there was no cancer-stricken school. No mayor dad. No manipulation of feelings.

Minjeong had known she liked Y/N long before that Christmas night. But when things got too real— when she had time to pause and think about how well Y/N got along with her family— she realized she was scared.

She knew for a fact that she wouldn’t get along with Y/N��s family. She knew she’d feel the urge to vomit as soon as she looked Y/N’s father in the eye. She knew she wasn’t rich enough or up to the standards Y/N’s parents wanted for her.

But with Jimin… she was a better fit.

So she didn’t protest when the taller girl leaned down to kiss her.

Their lips were about to meet when the bathroom door suddenly swung open, making them both jump.

They quickly pulled back, faces dusted with red as they turned to the person who walked in.

Minjeong’s eyes widened.

Y/N.

She clearly hadn’t expected to see anyone there, freezing mid-step when she realized what she’d interrupted.

It was the first time they’d truly seen each other since Christmas. Or at least, the first time Minjeong was really seeing her.

Something sharp and small shot up Minjeong’s chest.

Well, there was nothing small or strange about it.

A rush of emotions took over.

It wasn’t relief at moving on from Y/N, or anger at being ignored, or even guilt for what she was doing with Jimin.

She just missed her. She missed all of her.

Y/N’s gaze flickered between them, taking in Minjeong’s disheveled clothes and messy hair.

It was the first time in weeks that she actually looked at her.

She cleared her throat and glanced away, her expression hardening as she stepped fully into the bathroom.

Minjeong could practically feel Jimin tensing beside her. But she couldn’t take her eyes off Y/N, completely forgetting Jimin was still there.

"Are you okay?" Y/N asked, her eyes lingering on the remnants of soup on Minjeong’s uniform.

Her voice was cold, but something about the question still made Minjeong’s heart squeeze.

Minjeong didn’t know how to react.

For weeks, the only word Y/N had thrown her way was "Move." And now she was suddenly asking if she was okay?

It was confusing. Frustrating.

She didn’t know how to feel. She didn’t know why her heart raced every time Y/N so much as looked in her direction.

Why was she so desperate?

What had Y/N done to her?

All those thoughts left her frozen, her mouth unable to form words fast enough.

So Jimin answered for her.

"Do you care?"

Y/N didn’t react. But Minjeong could swear she saw a flicker of annoyance in her eyes before she looked away.

Y/N checked herself in the mirror, ensuring not a single hair was out of place, that her makeup was flawless, that she looked perfect— perfect enough to throw Minjeong off. To make her regret ever betraying her in the first place.

Then, her eyes landed on the blazer of her uniform. She stiffened, flashes of Minjeong’s own uniform overtaking her mind.

Minjeong’s mouth opened to speak, but Jimin beat her to it. "You’re a shitty person, you know that?"

Y/N took off her blazer.

Jimin was already pissed from earlier, and Y/N’s indifference only made it worse. "Do you even know how much you’ve been messing her up?"

Minjeong watched as Jimin pushed off the sink and stepped between them, puffing out her chest as she glared down at Y/N.

The latter kept her eyes fixed on the mirror, barely acknowledging either of them. The lack of response just fueled Jimin’s frustration, "I’m talking to you!"

Minjeong instinctively reached out to grab Jimin’s hand, but she was ignored.

Y/N finally turned to Jimin, jaw tightening ever so slightly.

"Are you that desperate?"

Jimin’s expression shifted. "Excuse me?"

She took a step closer, and for a fleeting moment, Minjeong felt herself freeze. There was something oddly familiar about Jimin’s proximity— like nostalgia was creeping in, uninvited.

Minjeong could tell Jimin was trying to appear angry, but her expression softened… it turned almost loving.

And she wasn’t the only one who noticed. Y/N looked back at her for a second, just to make sure she was really watching. That she was getting the message.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she stepped around Jimin and handed Minjeong her blazer. "Put that on. You look like a mess."

She left the bathroom just as suddenly as she had entered, leaving Minjeong standing there, ghostlike.

Minjeong’s fingers tightened around the blazer, her gaze still locked on the door. She tried to process what had just happened, but it was like her brain refused to catch up.

And then there was Jimin—who stood just as frozen.

Minjeong found herself speaking before she could stop herself. "You still like her, don’t you?"

Jimin’s jaw clenched as she turned to face Minjeong. "That’s not—"

"That’s what this was about, wasn’t it?" Minjeong snapped, surprising even herself with the sharpness of her tone. "You became friends with me because you saw that Y/N was interested in me. You used me to get her attention."

A tense silence settled between them, thick with unspoken words.

Jimin opened her mouth, closed it, then finally found her voice. She stepped closer.

"You also used me."

Minjeong’s patience snapped. "How the fuck did I use you, Jimin?"

Jimin let out a bitter chuckle, crossing her arms. "To get over her. It’s obvious, Minjeong. I wasn’t born yesterday."

Minjeong stiffened, the weight in her chest growing heavier.

She couldn’t deny that Jimin was right.

"But I still saw you as a fucking friend, Jimin."

Jimin shrugged, brushing yet another strand of hair behind Minjeong’s ear— except this time, the touch felt infinitely different than it had minutes ago.

"We can still be friends…" Jimin said, voice quieter now. "Just back off from Y/N."

Minjeong grimaced and took a step back, out of Jimin’s reach.

"What do you mean back off?"

Jimin sighed. "Y/N and I go way back, Minjeong. You know that. We have history. I messed up when I broke up with her, and I know that, but I’m trying to fix things. I can’t have Y/N chasing you around like a lost puppy."

Minjeong’s chest heaved as she tried to keep her growing frustration in check.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she scoffed. "She hasn’t spoken to me in weeks, Jimin. She goes days without even looking at me. That doesn’t exactly sound like someone who’s chasing me."

Jimin only chuckled. "That just shows how little you actually know her, Minjeong. She’s still chasing you. She’s ignoring you on purpose, making you do the work instead. Classic push and pull."

Minjeong’s stomach twisted.

"She did the same thing to me," Jimin continued. "Made me feel special and then ignored me. It’s all part of her game."

Minjeong didn’t know what to believe anymore— especially now that she knew Jimin had her own agenda.

But she did know one thing.

She wasn’t about to let Jimin walk out of that bathroom with a satisfied smile on her face.

"So if she’s still chasing me," Minjeong said, tilting her head, "that means I’ve still got a chance with her, doesn’t it?"

Something flickered in Jimin’s eyes for a brief moment.

Then, surprisingly, she smiled— small, but genuine.

"Yeah," she nodded. "That’s fair game, I guess." She grabbed her backpack off the ground and made her way to the door. "Good luck, Minjeong!"

So the war was on.

And honestly? Minjeong was quick to realize she was in no way, shape, or form ready for it.

Because Y/N didn’t just magically start talking to her again after the bathroom incident.

She went on with her life and continued ignoring Minjeong just as efficiently as before. Nothing changed.

Well, Jimin changed.

She became more present. Clingier.

She spent her lunches glued to Y/N’s side. She bought her flowers, perfumes, clothes— everything one could think of. And she made sure everyone saw.

Very soon, students started talking about the IT couple of the school again. Minjeong overheard countless comments about how perfect Y/N and Jimin were together, how Jimin was charming Y/N all over again.

It was torturous.

And Minjeong had no idea how to fight back.

Hell, she didn’t even know if she wanted to fight back.

From the very beginning, she felt like Y/N was too much sand for her truck. Y/N’s father had ruined her life. Y/N was rich, untouchable. She was sharp, observant, and could read people like open books.

Y/N was a lot.

And Minjeong didn’t know if she could handle a lot.

At the same time, though…

"What is this?"

Minjeong’s head snapped to the side, and she barely held back an eye roll at the scene in front of her.

Jimin was in their classroom— where she didn’t even have classes— leaning against Y/N’s desk as she handed her a small, velvety box.

"Marry me."

Minjeong’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull. Gasps echoed around the room as everyone turned to look.

Jimin chuckled. "I'm joking. Just wanted to give you a little gift—to remind you of me." She opened the box, revealing a gold necklace.

Y/N didn’t seem amused in the slightest. "And why would I want to be reminded of you again?"

Minjeong watched as Jimin’s face fell at the remark. She wasn’t surprised. This wasn’t the first time she had tried giving Y/N gifts, but this time, the necklace was really expensive.

And Jimin didn’t even wear gold so it's not like she could keep it to herself.

A small part of Minjeong almost laughed, but it was quickly drowned out by the anxiety swirling in her chest.

If Y/N spoke to someone she dated like that, what the hell would she say to her?

Jimin clenched her jaw, clearly trying to keep the hurt off her face. But instead of backing down, she stepped closer to Y/N.

"Just trying to be sweet." She shrugged, keeping her tone casual. "I know you don’t want anything too flashy."

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "I thought I made it clear that I don’t want anything from you."

Minjeong could see Jimin struggling to hold her frustration in check.

The tension in the room was thick.

Jimin leaned down on the desk, lowering her voice. "Come on, can’t you at least accept the gift? Please?"

Y/N shook her head. "I already have a necklace."

The room fell silent.

Minjeong’s gaze traveled down Y/N’s neck.

There, resting perfectly above her uniform, was a small, golden necklace. She had to squint to make sure she was seeing right, but then— her heart dropped to her stomach as realization hit.

That small basketball charm.

"What the hell is that?" Jimin frowned. "Looks cheap."

"So? I like it."

They stared at each other for a long moment—Jimin trying to figure out where that necklace had even come from, and Y/N daring her to say more.

Finally, Jimin scoffed, snapping the box shut. Her frustration was obvious, but so was the flicker of hurt in her eyes. "Whatever. I'm not giving up on us." She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

Minjeong should’ve been worried about Jimin’s declaration.

She should’ve been annoyed by the whispers from her classmates, about how Y/N should just take Jimin back.

But she wasn’t.

Because she was still too distracted.

Still staring at Y/N.

Y/N, who was wearing her necklace.

Y/N, who suddenly turned to look at her with a knowing glint in her eyes.

And just like that, Minjeong got the message.

So well, in fact, that hours later— when school had ended and night had fallen— she found herself holding Y/N’s uniform blazer tightly as she approached the security booth of the latter’s gated neighborhood.

"Good evening."

The security guard looked up. He was standing tall, uniform pristine. "State your name and purpose of visit, please."

Minjeong swallowed hard. She could already feel her palms growing sweaty under his gaze.

She was standing in front of the security booth for one of the richest neighborhoods in the city.

She was so out of place it was almost funny.

"Kim Minjeong," she finally said, voice quieter than she wanted.

The guard nodded, face unreadable. "Purpose of your visit?"

Minjeong lifted the blazer for him to see. "I’m here to return this to Y/N. She lives here."

The guard glanced at the jacket, then hummed, typing something into his computer. After a few moments, he looked back at her.

"ID?"

Minjeong fumbled to pull out her ID card, handing it over.

He checked the numbers, typed some more, then returned it to her.

"To go through, you need formal authorization from a resident."

Minjeong’s mouth fell open. "But you just took my ID."

The guard didn’t even flinch. "To enter, you need formal authorization from a resident. Do you have one?"

"No, but I have the bla—"

He cut her off. "—Formal authorization."

Minjeong frowned, frustration bubbling inside her. What the hell was formal authorization supposed to mean anyway?

“I just need to give her the jacket,” she tried again, keeping her voice as polite as possible.

The security guard only looked at her. “Do you know who lives in this neighborhood? The mayor of Seoul. Do you understand the security risk that would exist if I just let anyone in?” His tone was slow, condescending.

It was unnerving.

Minjeong clenched her jaw. “I don’t care about that son of a bitch. I just need to talk to his daughter—who I happen to like.” Her voice grew sharper. “Come on, you saw me come in with Y/N the other day!”

"I don’t care about your little crush. The mayor lives here."

Minjeong’s patience snapped. She reached for the gate, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to open it, but that didn’t stop her from trying. “I just need to talk to Y/N!”

"And I need you to step away from the gate. Residents are trying to get in, so move aside."

But Minjeong wasn’t giving up that easily.

She ignored the guard’s warning and the low rumble of an approaching engine. “I’m not going to touch your corrupt, useless, demonic mayor—listen! I just need to talk to—”

“Minjeong?”

Her breath hitched.

That familiar, soft voice made her turn, and suddenly, the frustration in her chest melted into something else entirely.

Y/N was stepping out of a sleek, expensive car. Behind the wheel sat a man Minjeong had seen in too many newspapers.

And in too many of her nightmares.

She could have convinced herself that Y/N’s parents hadn’t heard all the demonic stuff she just spat out—but who was she kidding? Their windows were rolled down.

Her eyes met Y/N’s, and for a moment, she didn’t care if the mayor himself was watching.

She just stared stupidly, heart pounding a little too fast.

"Hi.”

Y/N tried to fight back a smile but failed. “Hi.

"What are you doing here?” Y/N’s voice was soft, almost a whisper. The slight shock on her face wasn’t lost on Minjeong.

“I…” Minjeong started, then realized she had no idea what to say. It hit her all at once— how ridiculous she must’ve looked, yelling at the gate, insulting Y/N’s family.

She cleared her throat. “I just needed to give you something.”

Y/N’s gaze flickered to the blazer in Minjeong’s hands. She tilted her head slightly.

The bathroom encounter had been weeks ago.

And Minjeong was returning this now?

Y/N took a few steps forward, and suddenly, Minjeong could feel her warmth, her presence, too close. It made thinking straight nearly impossible.

“You could’ve just…” Y/N started, but Minjeong blurted out before she could lose her nerve—

“Can I talk to you for a bit?” Her voice came out more desperate than she intended. “Alone?”

Y/N hesitated. Her eyes flickered back toward her parents.

Her father shrugged. "This demon isn’t going to stop you."

Y/N rolled her eyes. She could hear the teasing in his serious tone. But she knew Minjeong couldn’t.

She turned to her mother next. Tonight was supposed to be their night— her mother’s birthday, celebrated at some extravagant restaurant.

But her mother just smiled, nodding in silent approval.

“Fine.” Y/N rolled her eyes again, then turned back to Minjeong. “Come on.”

She started walking into the neighborhood without waiting to see if Minjeong was actually following.

Her parents’ car rolled past them, and she could feel their eyes on them—curious, amused.

Minjeong gulped and jogged up to Y/N’s side, matching her steps.

She looked around, taking in Y/N’s world. It wasn’t her first time there, but still, everything felt surreal—giant houses, fancy gates, guards stationed at almost every corner.

These people thought so highly of themselves, didn’t they?

"Did they spill it on purpose?"

Minjeong blinked, turning to Y/N. For a second, she just admired her side profile before snapping herself out of it.

“What?”

Y/N still didn’t look at her. “The soup. Did someone purposely spill it on you?”

The cool night air blew around them, and Minjeong shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets.

“Why are you asking?” she deflected.

Y/N finally turned her head, locking eyes with Minjeong. She had a knwoing look in her eyes, "Why did you come here today?"

Minjeong’s mouth opened—but no words came out.

Again, she was at a loss.

“I…” Her mind, which was usually so quick with sharp retorts, suddenly failed her.

Y/N took a step closer, eyes never leaving hers. "Was it on purpose, Minjeong?"

Minjeong’s throat went dry.

Because now, she wasn’t just aware of how close they were standing.

She was hyper-aware.

Y/N’s presence, her scent, the softness in her voice—it was overwhelming.

And then, Y/N leaned in slightly.

Minjeong’s heart pounded against her ribs, suddenly terrified that Y/N might hear it.

She swallowed hard.

And then, her mind flashed back—

The cafeteria. Those girls. Their smirks. The mockery in their eyes.

Minjeong clenched her fists inside her pockets.

Because yes.

It had been on purpose.

"You already know it was. Why are you asking me?"

Y/N frowned. "How would I know?"

Minjeong looked away. She didn't want to do this now, but it made sense. If they were coming clean about one thing, they should come clean about everything.

"Because you planned it."

Y/N's eyes widened. "I'm sorry?"

The words came out sharp, her voice raised a few decibels. "Why on earth would I ask some random people to—"

Minjeong scoffed, cutting her off. "I don’t know. You ignore me, the whole school ignores me. You’re mean to me, the whole school follows. Don’t tell me you didn’t plan it."

Y/N felt something tighten in her chest. The sudden accusation stung in a way she hadn't expected.

“What is wrong with you?”

Minjeong snapped her head back toward her, eyes widening. "What’s wrong with me?!"

"Yeah." Y/N stepped closer, jabbing a finger into Minjeong’s shoulder. "What the hell is wrong with you, Minjeong? I was nothing but nice to you— since the beginning! I got slapped and knocked out by a fucking basketball. Even then, I got along with your family, I did everything I could to make you like me—"

Her voice cracked.

"Then I see you kissing my ex, and now I’m the villain? Now I’m the reason people treat you like shit?"

By the time she finished, she was breathing heavily. Frustrated. Tired.

She had been so patient.

And for what?

“Nothing but nice?” Minjeong let out a hollow laugh. "All you’ve ever done is treat me like I’m a charity case!"

The cold night air burned against her flushed skin.

"And don’t you dare make this about a kiss! I can kiss whoever the hell I want! Or do you think that just because you bought me nice things, I owe you something?"

Y/N flinched, taking a step back.

She wondered why she always chose the people who made her feel most alone.

"Just go, Minjeong." Her voice was quieter now, exhausted. "I'll make sure no one else bothers you."

Minjeong felt something sharp twist in her chest.

She had wanted to hurt Y/N, but not like this.

She reached for Y/N’s hand, heart squeezing impossibly tight when the other girl turned around— eyes full of unshed tears.

"I'm sorry." Minjeong’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Y/N tried to pull her hand away, but Minjeong held on just tight enough to stop her.

Minjeong clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to break down too.

Y/N tried again, but Minjeong only held on tighter. "I mean it. I'm sorry."

Y/N looked up at Minjeong, her eyes shimmering. The sight of it made Minjeong choke on her breath.

Truth was, Y/N couldn’t hold back anymore. She was tired.

Tired of caring too much. Of trying her best only to get the worst outcome possible.

So she let herself cry.

For the slapping. For the basketball incident.

For her father.

For Jimin.

For Minjeong.

Minjeong’s heart nearly tore in two at the sight of Y/N, her small form hunched over as sobs wracked through her.

She saw the tears splattering against the pavement beneath the dim streetlight.

Without thinking, Minjeong crouched down and pulled Y/N into her arms.

It was all she could offer right now.

"You think I'm like my dad," Y/N murmured between shaky breaths.

Minjeong froze. "No," she said quickly. "No. I don't. You’re nothing like him."

She tightened her hold, hoping it would somehow make Y/N believe her.

Her heart ached. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn’t mean any of that." The words felt fragile, barely holding together. "I was just scared."

It took her a while, but, eventually, Y/N’s sobs quieted, her breathing becoming steadier.

Minjeong kept holding her. She didn’t want to let go, but the cold pavement was starting to sting, so she hesitated before gently pushing on Y/N’s shoulders, nudging her to stand up again.

Y/N’s face broke Minjeong’s heart all over again—eyes swollen, cheeks raw from crying.

Minjeong lifted a hand, gently wiping away a lingering tear.

"Scared of what?" Y/N asked, voice hoarse.

Minjeong’s hand paused against her cheek.

This was it.

No more running.

“Of how you make me feel." Minjeong's voice was quiet, but firm.

"I'm scared of being close to you because we both know I'm not enough for you. I'm not up to your standards.” She let out a bitter laugh, dropping her hand. "I'm not a part of your world, Y/N. You saw it with your own eyes."

Y/N shook her head, stepping closer. "Then I'll make you a part of it."

She looked up at Minjeong, her swollen eyes making her look impossibly soft. "God, you've been running away all this time because of that?"

“Don’t make it sound dumb,” Minjeong muttered, looking away.

She shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets again, trying to keep them from shaking.

"My best friend died because of your father—how the hell am I supposed to sit at a dinner table with him? And when he becomes president, what will the public think of his daughter dating someone like me?"

"Someone like you? I'm lucky to have someone like you in my life, Minjeong." Y/N smiled, her voice still soft, but there was an almost teasing lilt to it. "We'll figure the rest out as we go. I'll make my father sit at the kids' table on Christmas night."

A small laugh escaped Minjeong’s lips, and she couldn’t stop herself from looking back into the other girl’s eyes.

Even with her puffed-up eyes and flushed cheeks, Y/N still looked lovely. Too lovely. Minjeong’s heart skipped at the sight of her.

"This isn’t something you can just figure out, Y/N," she protested, despite the part of her that wanted to give in.

"Why not?" Y/N’s face was tinged pink from the cold, and Minjeong’s hand inched up to gently cup her cheek. She could feel the warmth radiating from her skin.

It was too tempting to move closer.

Y/N was standing incredibly close, the faint scent of peppermint lingering between them.

It took her a second to form an answer, her brain feeling foggy.

"Stop trying to push me away," Y/N finally mumbled, almost inaudible. There was a pleading tone to her voice, soft and barely above a whisper against the cold night air.

Minjeong let herself reach for Y/N's hand, gently pulling her closer.

Y/N’s breath hitched as their chests were suddenly pressed together.

She could feel the warmth radiating off Minjeong.

Minjeong leaned in, hesitating for just a second—unsure if she had the right to. But then she decided to throw caution to the wind and pressed a soft, firm kiss to Y/N’s lips.

It was chaste and gentle, but it still made Y/N’s heart skip a beat.

Minjeong cupped her face with both hands, her thumbs slowly stroking the delicate skin. She leaned in even further, closing the distance between them until Y/N could feel the way Minjeong’s breath mingled with hers.

Their bodies were flush against each other, the warmth of the contact intoxicating.

Y/N let her hand slide into Minjeong's hair, fingers tangling in the dark locks, needing to touch her in any way she could.

The kiss grew more urgent, more desperate. But before it could go any further, Y/N pulled away.

She smiled when Minjeong instinctively leaned forward, chasing after her lips. She cupped Minjeong’s cheek, her heart softening when she saw the hazy look in her eyes.

Minjeong’s gaze was dark and lidded, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.

"You kissed my ex," Y/N muttered, voice still raspy. Her heart was still racing, but she couldn’t help smiling. "It's going to take you more than that to get me."

Minjeong’s face flushed deeper, her grip tightening on Y/N’s waist as she pulled her closer.

"Maybe I should kiss you again," Minjeong teased against her ear, her fingers trailing up and down Y/N’s spine, sending a shiver through her. "I’ll kiss you until you forget her name."

Y/N’s grip on Minjeong’s hoodie tightened, fingers clinging onto the fabric as she fought to steady her pounding heart.

She wanted to give in. But she also had some self-respect.

"You will…" she nodded, voice barely above a whisper. "You just have to work for it."

Y/N's heart pounded in her chest. Their faces were so close that she could count the dark eyelashes framing Minjeong's eyes.

"So… you ignored me because you saw me kiss Jimin," Minjeong murmured, suddenly piecing things together, "and not because you were playing hot and cold?"

Y/N tilted her head at the question.

Playing hot and cold?

She sighed. She was too tired to unpack the ways Jimin had poisoned Minjeong’s mind. They would fix those things slowly, with time.

So instead of answering, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Minjeong’s cheek. "I’ll see you at school."

And with that, Y/N forced herself to step away, to separate from Minjeong, and start walking home.

"I’ll text you when I get home so you know I made it safe!" Minjeong called after her, and a wide smile spread across her face when Y/N turned around to nod.

"My family misses you, you know?" Minjeong added. "Call me so you can talk to them."

Y/N chuckled, warmth filling her chest at the thought of Minjeong’s family. "I will."

And with a small wave, she finally turned the corner and disappeared into the night.

Minjeong stood frozen in place, her mind still reeling from the kiss.

Her lips still tingled, her heart still raced.

She leaned back against a nearby wall, slowly sinking down to sit on the pavement, resting her head against the cold stone building behind her.

Her brain was spinning.

The way Y/N had touched her, the way her lips had felt against hers, the way her body had fit so perfectly in her arms—

"This is a private neighborhood. You can’t sleep here."

Minjeong startled, looking up to see a security guard standing nearby, hands shoved into his pockets, his expression unimpressed.

A smirk tugged at her lips. "I told you she knew me."

The guard blinked. "Congratulations."

"Yup!" Minjeong nodded as she pushed herself up to stand. "I know Y/N. In fact, Y/N’s gonna be my girlfriend soon!"

The guard blinked again. "Congratulations."

Minjeong chuckled excitedly, a newfound perk in her step as they both walked back to the gate.

The following morning, when Minjeong arrived at school, she could’ve sworn she was going to be jumped.

Standing by the entrance were the two girls that had spilled their soup on her. There was also the guy that had shoved her in the hallway, and the one that accidentally threw his notebook at her. Along with them, were countless other students that Minjeong didn’t recognize.

One of the girls immediately stepped up in front of her. Her expression twisted as she looked down on her.

“Minjeong.” She reached out to take a hold of Minjeong's hand, "I'm so sorry I spilled the soup on you. I was such an idiot."

"Me too, I'm so sorry."

One of the students that she didn’t recognize approached as well, "I'm sorry I knocked shoulders with you."

And another one, "Me too. I promise you to never do it again! I promise!"

More and more apologies were added to the list as more students approached.

Minjeong’s eyes were wide as she took in the sight in front of her. They were all bowing their heads. Some with genuine words of apology, the others were clearly just acting.

"It's okay." She tried to reassure them, not sure how to react to all the sudden attention. She tried to step out of the way to enter the school, but more apologies kept coming.

It resulted in her arriving at class later than usual, breathless and with ruffled up clothes. The teacher wasn't there yet, which allowed her to calm herself down and walk to Y/N, who was already sitting down at her usual spot.

"You didn't have to, you know?"

"Don't know what you're talking about." Yeah, something about the way the corner of Y/N's lips was quirked up told Minjeong that she did know.

"I mean- how did you even-"

Y/N shrugged, an air of nonchalance around her. "Lots of guilty consciences.” was her simple response.

Minjeong huffed out a laugh, both in annoyance and amusement. She sat down on the desk next to her.

"I mean- it was a lot of people, you know? Did you spend the night up for that?"

Y/N smiled and shook her head, "Not really." Her tone was honest and sweet.

Minjeong tilted her head to the side, studying Y/N’s face.

How much influence did she really have? To be able to pull that entire thing off overnight.

It was baffling.

"So, how'd you do it?"

Y/N opened her mouth to speak, when a new voice cut her off.

"Hey, that's my seat." They turned to see the girl who usually sat by Y/N's side.

Minjeong couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She went to stand up, when the girl suddenly cut her off. "I- just keep it. It's fine."

Minjeong stayed put, her eyebrow raised up in surprise at the girl's reaction.

She turned to Y/N, who shifted her expressions into an innocent raise of eyebrows, "Was that you?"

Y/N pursed her lips, "Me what?"

Minjeong huffed again, fully aware of the fact that Y/N clearly was responsible for whatever the hell that was. But the girl sitting next to her just continued to act innocent.

Her eyes lingered on Y/N for a bit longer, noticing the way her hair was framing her face. How the sunlight was hitting her in just the right way.

Minjeong had to shake herself from the thoughts.

"You're doing too much," Despite her words, she couldn't help but be amused.

Once the teacher came in and the class settled into their normal routine, Minjeong accommodated herself in her new spot, feeling excited for every single class that was to come if it meant sitting by Y/N's side.

Lunch was spent with Y/N's friends at the cafeteria.

Niki was a gentleman and Aeri was very nice. She could see they were hesitant and worried for Y/N, but they still took her in and made her feel at home.

Chaewon on the other hand...

"Stop glaring at her." Y/N didn't even have to look up from her food to see her friend throwing daggers at Minjeong.

Chaewon didn't bother responding, instead opting to keep her gaze fixed on Minjeong.

The short-haired girl shifted in her seat, feeling the intensity of Chaewon's eyes. She tried her best to handle it, but the prickly feeling in the back of her neck was hard to shake off.

"Ignore her," Y/N let out.

"Our Chaewon is a little protective." Aeri tried to chuckle.

Minjeong forced a smile. "A little bit?" She mumbled under her breath.

Chaewon’s glare seemed to intensify.

Niki tried to ease the tension by engaging Aeri in conversation. "So... how's the music club been?" He asked, a light smile on his face.

Minjeong relaxed, thankful for the distraction.

"How's kissing Jimin been, Minjeong?" Chaewon cut Aeri off and the tension at the table immediately spiked.

Minjeong sputtered, nearly choking on her food in surprise.

"I-"

Niki and Aeri exchanged worried glances.

"Chaewon," Y/N’s voice was sharp, but the girl in question ignored her.

She fixed her eyes on Minjeong, her gaze still intense. "Do you enjoy all the gits Y/N gives you?"

Minjeong’s defenses flared up, her jaw clenching in response. But before she could reply, Y/N intervened.

"That’s enough, Chaewon."

Chaewon finally looked at Y/N.

There was an intense moment of silence, the tension between the two friends palpable.

Y/N held her gaze, her eyes steady and firm. A clear warning in her stare.

Chaewon looked back to Minjeong, her expression hardening into a mixture of anger and annoyance before she, ultimately, decided to stay quiet.

So, there was another thing for Minjeong to fix.

Not only did she have to win Y/N over, she also had to win Chaewon over.

The latter was much harder than the former.

Things were easy with Y/N.

The two went out on all kinds of dates. They spent time together and Minjeong slowly, but surely got used to Y/N's world.

It was like getting a fish acclimated to a new aquarium.

You add a small portion of the new element and slowly go from there.

That same expression could be used to explain how Minjeong slowly won Chaewon over.

Excruciatingly slowly.

There were nice favors here and there. Whenever they were together, Minjeong would try to talk to her. It didn't always work but she tried nonetheless.

Minjeong also did her best to end up paired with Chaewon for gym class— she did end up receiving a few balls to the face but it was nothing she couldn't handle.

And things started working out.

Again... slowly.

Very slowly.

It was tiring.

"Just give me a chance, please." Minjeong was ready to get on her knees for it.

Chaewon turned to her with a small glare. It was the end of the day and Chaewon was just getting her bag from her locker—she certainly wasn't expecting Minjeong there.

"What? No bribing coffee today?"

Minjeong ignored the jab and leaned against the locker next to Chaewon’s.

"I just want to talk." Her voice was firm but soft. She wasn't above begging at this point.

Chaewon let out a heavy sigh, her hand still on the locker door. "What do you want to talk about?"

Minjeong gulped, feeling crazy for what she was about to do but knowing that there was no other option. "I'm gonna be in Y/N's life whether you like me or not. I know I fucked up, but the one person who needs to forgive me is Y/N— not you..."

A few beats of silence passed between them.

Minjeong held her breath, praying that Chaewon would listen. "So, just give me a chance, please. Let me prove myself to Y/N. I won't hurt her again, I promise."

Chaewon stared at Minjeong in the eyes, just to make sure she was being completely honest, and then her shoulders slumped a little as she huffed.

"Whatever," she slammed her locker shut and went to walk away. "Bring me some coffee next time, least you can do."

Minjeong silently let out a sigh of relief. She'd take that for now.

"Bad day?"

The familiar voice made her look over her shoulder to see Y/N standing behind her, a hint of a smile on her lips.

Minjeong chuckled, feeling the tension leave her body. "Something like that."

Y/N stepped closer, reaching out to fix a stray strand of Minjeong's hair. The latter's breath hitched, her heart skipping a beat at the gentle touch.

"Did you bribe her with coffee again?" Y/N squinted playfully before walking past Minjeong to open her locker.

Minjeong leaned against the lockers, absentmindedly touching the strand of hair Y/N had just fixed. "I should have," she admitted, her eyes lingering on Y/N’s face.

A beat of silence passed between them as Y/N rifled through her locker. Then, Minjeong spoke up again.

"You know what I’m starting to realize?"

Y/N glanced over her shoulder with a questioning look. Her eyes shone softly under the school lights. They shone softly under any light as long as they were looking at Minjeong.

Minjeong smiled a little. "You’re a terrible influence."

Y/N chuckled, the sound sending a pleasant shiver down Minjeong’s spine. "You just noticed?"

Minjeong let out a small laugh. "You're corrupting me, you know? I'm being corrupted."

Y/N hummed. "Is that a bad thing?"

Minjeong's heart skipped at the tone, "It’s an absolutely terrible thing," she replied, teasing.

Y/N smirked, leaning in slightly to whisper, "You don’t seem to mind much."

"It’s starting to grow on me," she murmured, her eyes flickering to Y/N’s lips for just a second before snapping back up.

Of course, Y/N noticed. A slow smile spread across her lips before she casually turned back to her locker like nothing had happened.

She was taunting Minjeong, and it was working.

"Come out with me tomorrow. It's Friday— we should do something fun," Minjeong said, hoping to regain control of the situation.

Y/N nodded without hesitation. "What fun do you have in mind?"

Minjeong exhaled, trying to compose herself. Y/N was so unfair. She hadn’t even done much— just a glance, a smirk, a lean-in, an innuendo— and yet Minjeong was already struggling.

She shoved her hands in her pockets, rocking back on her heels. "You’ll just have to trust me."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, shutting her locker with a soft click. "Should I be worried?"

Minjeong grinned. "A little."

Curiosity flickered in Y/N’s eyes, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she stepped a little closer— just enough for Minjeong to feel the space between them shrink again.

"I do trust you," Y/N murmured.

And just like that, Minjeong was completely, utterly done for.

Not only because of her feelings, but because now she actually had to come up with a cool, fun date idea… in one day.

How stupid could she be?

That question haunted her the entire night as she stayed up trying to plan the perfect date.

It was hard.

Mostly because they had already done so much together.

She had taken Y/N to the park, the cinema, the aquarium. They had gone out to eat at countless cafés and restaurants— each fancier than the last. They had visited bookstores, arcades, even animal shelters. Hell, they had even gone hiking before.

So yeah, Minjeong was grumpier than usual as she arrived at lunch the next day— three hours of sleep did that to a person.

But all of it melted away when she spotted Y/N sitting at their usual cafeteria bench, right next to the vacant spot she always left open for Minjeong.

"Bad morning?" June had to poke a little fun at Minjeong.

She smiled when Minjeong just groaned tiredly and sat down next to her, letting her eat in peace as she returned to her chat with her friends.

But then—

"Y/N."

Minjeong tensed at the voice. She could feel Y/N stiffening beside her just as quickly.

"What do you want?"

Jimin smiled as she slid into the seat beside Y/N, completely ignoring Aeri, Minjeong, Chaewon, and Niki’s stares.

"Go out with me," Jimin said.

Irritation prickled at Y/N’s skin. It wasn’t the first time Jimin was doing this, but until now, she had managed to keep it away from Minjeong.

"Why would I do that?" Y/N asked flatly.

Jimin’s smile didn’t waver. She reached out, attempting to take Y/N’s hand.

"Come on… don’t be like that. We were great together, don’t you remember? Just give me another chance."

Y/N shook her head, already opening her mouth to shut her down when Jimin cut in again.

"I reserved a table at the Imperial— I know it’s your favorite. What do you say?"

Minjeong rolled her eyes. "I already have plans with Y/N today."

Jimin shrugged. "You can take her to McDonald’s whenever you want. The Imperial has a two-year waitlist."

Y/N pulled her hand away, her eyes narrowing. She was just about to tell Jimin to get lost when Chaewon chuckled.

Everyone turned to her in surprise. She only shrugged.

"Well, she’s not wrong, is she?"

Minjeong’s stomach twisted. She thought she had made progress with Chaewon.

Y/N clenched her jaw, eyes sharp as she hissed, "Chaewon, I swear to G—"

Chaewon interrupted. "Minjeong can take you out whenever and wherever she wants because you two are dating."

Minjeong’s breath caught in her throat.

Y/N barely masked her surprise. Her eyes flickered to Chaewon, then to Minjeong.

Jimin’s expression shifted, taken aback. "You guys are dating?"

Y/N frowned.

They were?

She cleared her throat, schooling her features before turning back to Jimin. "And what about it?"

Jimin blinked a few times, studying Y/N’s face before responding.

"You just—" She paused, jaw tightening, "…you didn’t say anything," she muttered, her voice quieter now, almost hurt.

Y/N crossed her arms. "We broke up, Jimin. It’s not like I have to tell you every detail of my life."

Jimin flinched. The words hit harder than she had expected.

"You don’t," she admitted, her eyes dropping to the table.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the group. Then, Jimin let out a quiet breath and stood up.

"Fine," she muttered, her eyes flickering between Y/N and Minjeong. "Have fun."

Jimin turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd of students in the cafeteria.

The group sat in silence for a few beats before Aeri turned to Chaewon. "Did you just… officiate their relationship?"

Niki snorted, and Chaewon quickly slapped him on the back of the head.

"These two idiots were going nowhere!" She pointed at Y/N and Minjeong. "I was two seconds away from locking them in a closet and throwing away the key."

Minjeong bit her lip, feeling a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.

She had not expected Chaewon to be so upfront about her and Y/N's predicament.

Y/N wanted her to earn her love, and—well, Minjeong would only be sure she had earned it when Y/N herself—

"Yeah." Y/N shook her head, a blush creeping up her neck. "That's not how it works."

Her eyes flickered toward Minjeong for just a second longer than necessary before she turned back to her food.

Minjeong gulped, somehow understanding exactly what Y/N was telling her.

Aeri and Niki shared a knowing look while Chaewon rolled her eyes.

"Bullsh—"

Chaewon was cut off by Minjeong. "She's right."

Chaewon scoffed. "As if this isn't the most torturously slow courtship I've ever seen."

Niki nodded in agreement. "Agreed."

Y/N sent her friends a small glare but didn't push further. What did go further, though, was the blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks—especially when Minjeong reached for her hand under the table.

It was a small gesture, but it sent a shiver through her, right down to her core.

Her eyes fell downward, watching as their fingers interlocked.

It still took her breath away; the way Minjeong’s hand fit so perfectly with her own.

Y/N squeezed Minjeong's fingers a little, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

That same smile remained by the end of the day when the two left school, hand in hand.

"So... where are you taking me?" Y/N asked.

Minjeong hummed, squeezing Y/N’s hand. "Wouldn’t you like to know?"

Y/N rolled her eyes but ultimately decided not to ask anymore. It didn’t matter where they went, as long as she was with Minjeong.

So they walked and walked. It was a familiar path, so familiar, in fact, that Y/N wasn't surprised when they arrived at Minjeong's family restaurant.

The warm glow from inside spilled onto the pavement. The faint scent of grilled meat and spices lingered in the air, wrapping around them like a familiar embrace.

"Very ominous," Y/N remarked, chuckling when Minjeong nudged her side.

"Shut up."

"LOOK AT YOU!"

Both girls startled as they stepped inside the restaurant. It was fairly empty at that hour, the usual dinnertime rush long gone.

The lights inside the restaurant were low, but Y/N could still see the familiar gleam of stainless steel kitchenware. She could also see Minjeong's mother walking toward her with open arms.

"You look so good together! Come give me a hug!"

Minjeong was quick to shake her head. "Mom, Mom, you promised!"

"A hug from Y/N won't ruin your romantic date, Minjeong."

Minjeong was having none of it, so she quickly grabbed Y/N's hand and led the way to the back room and up the stairs.

"I love her," Y/N mumbled, smiling to herself when Minjeong huffed.

"Trust me, she loves you more."

Minjeong let out a deep breath as they finally reached the top of the stairs and came face-to-face with a metal door.

She pushed it open, revealing the rooftop, lit up by fairy lights.

Y/N felt her mouth fall open as she stepped outside and took in everything Minjeong had prepared.

The fairy lights cast a warm glow over the rooftop. A blanket was spread out on the floor, next to the guitar Y/N had gifted Minjeong, with all kinds of food and snacks laid out on top.

Minjeong's old laptop sat open, a list of movies and shows displayed on the screen.

"Minjeong..."

The short-haired girl gulped. This was no Imperial, but it was a place of comfort for her.

"Is this okay?"

Y/N had a hard time finding words as she took in the rooftop, the effort Minjeong had put into this date, how she had set everything up so perfectly.

Her heart had never felt so full.

Instead of talking, she decided to show Minjeong how much this meant to her. So, she turned and cupped Minjeong’s cheeks, leaning in for a kiss.

Minjeong couldn't help but melt into it, her body instinctively arching against Y/N’s as their lips met. She let herself sink into the feeling— Y/N's fingers on her skin, her scent, everything.

When they parted, Minjeong kept her eyes closed for a few beats, breathing deeply. Her heart was racing, the warmth of Y/N's lips still lingering.

She opened her eyes, only to find Y/N staring at her, fingers resting gently on her cheeks.

"Are you trying to woo me, Minjeong?"

Minjeong's cheeks flushed. "I'm trying to make you my girlfriend. Why? Is it working?"

Y/N smiled, her thumb brushing the corner of Minjeong's lips.

"Yes."

Minjeong’s smile widened before confusion took over her features. "Hold on. Is that ‘yes’ for it working or for you being my girlfrie—"

Her words were cut off as Y/N leaned in again, capturing her lips in another kiss.

This one turned heated quickly.

Y/N stepped closer, hands sliding to Minjeong’s hips, pulling her in. Minjeong’s breath hitched, her fingers threading into Y/N’s hair as her mind turned to mush.

She blindly started leading Y/N toward the blanket, but the other girl stopped her.

"Your mother is behind the door," Y/N whispered against her lips.

Minjeong was almost surprised that Y/N even knew that— then she remembered.

Of course she did.

"You'll have to be quiet then, girlfriend," Minjeong muttered, her lips pressing against Y/N's neck.

Y/N gasped lightly, her heart fluttering in her chest. "I like the sound of that." She cupped Minjeong's jaw and tilted her face up for another kiss.

#aespa x fem reader #aespa x reader #winter x reader #kim minjeong x reader #aespa minjeong #aespa #winter imagines #kim minjeong imagines #minjeong x reader #winter scenarios #winter x y/n #winter x you #minjeong x you #kim minjeong #aespa winter

258 notes · View notes

leqonsluv3r · 8 days ago

Note

hiii!! May i ask for a first date with Leon with a fem reader? Thanks!

bed chem

—re!4 leon kennedy x fem!reader

—a oneshot (request)

warnings: MDNI, 18+, some swearing, readers ex being a dick, leon charming it up on the first date, sweet but passionate seggsy time bc i say so, unprotected pnv, nicknames; baby, sweet girl, honey, heavy making out on the first date (it happens), reader being a horny mess over leon (relatable honestly), and a bunch of other shit.

“she had been weighing the pros and cons of doing this for the past three days. it was the nerves of getting back out there after being in a shitty relationship, that were getting to her. she wanted to move on from that. but still…was this the best idea? she couldn’t just forget about her ex? right? she needed to but something — maybe anxiety — was clawing at her guts. she sat in the restaurant again that they were supposed to meet at, a blind date of all things. she was never this…bold. never this much of a risk taker. but she needed this, she cant remember the last time she had — “is this seat taken?” she is snapped out of her thoughts as she looks up and sees the most handsome man she’s probably ever laid eyes on. her ex boyfriend didn’t even compare by a long shot. she looked at him like a gaped fish, “uhm…no…it’s not…” she blubbers out. she was in for it.”

— or reader meets leon on a blind date and thinks maybe her ex breaking up with her wasn’t such a bad thing

masterlist taglist prompt game

an: i’m sorry this took me so long to get up. hope this is what you had in mind, anon.🩷🩷

she didn’t think this was a good idea.

not in the slightest, she had been single for only three months. she wasn’t waiting to long right? no, she wasn’t. she could do this.

even if her gut was screaming at her to do something differently, to run out of this restaurant and away from her blind date that was setup.

she wanted to run.

she stared at her wineglass of water, taking a small sip of it. she sighs softly, looking at her phone. he was five minutes late. did she get stood up? did he see her then turn around and leave? she swallowed and tried to not jump to conclusions. that probably wasn’t the case.

she hated that she was back to square one, if only her ex hadn’t dumped her right before christmas. she felt like she was stuck, having dated her ex for two years, she felt so out of the game with flirting. she was just going on this date to humor her friends, they said she was moping, said she needed to stop eating ice cream in her sweats on friday nights.

she had to agree, she needed to start going on dates…but blind ones? set up by her friends? not the smartest idea.

but they had told her to trust them. so she was, even though she felt like her heart was beating out of her chest.

she couldn’t do this, she was going to get up and leave, go right back to her apartment and —

“is this seat taken?” she hears a voice drawl from behind her shoulder. she swallowed, her insides melting like jello just at the four simple words this man had uttered. she tries to find words as he quickly rounds the table and sits down opposite from her. it’s like her eyes and brain are working faster then her mouth is, taking him all in. he was so beautiful, so…god, she didn’t even have a word for what he was.

she finally found some words and opened her mouth, “uhh, your…uhh…” she takes a deep breath and tries again, “your my blind date?” she finds herself saying. it came out more quiet and feeble then she would’ve liked but in this mans presence she’s lucky she wasn’t a puddle on the floor already.

he nods with a small subtle quirk of his lips, “leon kennedy.” he says as he grabs the menu, his eyes scanning over her for a quick second then averting to the specials on the sheet in front of him. she ducked her head down to look at her own menu, trying to seem focused on it when in hindsight, she wanted to ask where the cameras were. she was obviously being pranked. right?

she looks up from her menu and chances a look at leon again, she smiles softly and nervously when he catches her stare. he puts his menu down slowly against the table and looks at her. “are you going to tell me your name?” he says with a small teasing brow raise. she chuckles softly, averting her eyes and then looking back at him before saying her name softly. he hums in acknowledgment, his lips quirking up again. “cute name.”

jesus, fuck the dinner. she could just jump his bones right now.

the waiter doesn’t giver her a chance though and comes by to take their orders for drinks and appetizers. leon looks back at her, his blue eyes burning deeply into her soul as if trying to read her from across the table. “so why are you not on the dating apps?” is the first question he asks her. she blinks at him dumbly for a moment, trying to process his question. “uhm…i just got out of a relationship in december. i didn’t really feel like joining when all guys on there are all looking for the same thing.” she manages to say with a surprisingly confident tone.

he nods slowly as if understanding, “i get it.’ he says as he sips on his own glass of water. “so your not like a commitment-phobe or anything?” he says as he looks at her, folding his hands on the table. she chuckles and shakes her head, her eyes briefly darting down to his hands on the table and then back up to him. “no, i’m the opposite. me and my ex were together for two years.”

he shakes his head, “must’ve been an idiot to let someone as beautiful as you go.”

she feels her cheeks heat up a little under the dim lighting of the restaurant, “he just…wasn’t feeling it anymore.” she says with a small nervous smile, “it happens.” he scoffs and his blue eyes darken for a second. “if he was really for you, sweetheart, trust me. he wouldn’t just stop feeling it.” he says with a small grimace. almost looking in pain for her, like he hated what he was hearing.

“why are you on a blind date then?” she says softly to him, trying to desperately change the subject. he sighs and leans back in his chair a little, looking at her, “i’m sick of bouncing around.” he says as he looks at her, his tone less teasing and more serious. “going from girl to girl…its not what i want. im not happy that way.” he says with a small glance at her.

she nods slowly in understanding as he talked, acknowledging his words. the waiter came and sat their drinks down in front of them, putting a brief pause on the conversation. his drink — a whiskey on the rocks, hers — a simple dr pepper. he notices the lack of alcohol but decides to wait until the waiter is done taking their orders. once, the waiter walks away, he nods towards her soda, “a dr pepper? no alcohol?” he says with another raise of his eyebrow.

“i doin’t like drinking on the first date.” she says as she looks at him then his drink, “you obviously don’t mind that.” her tone and edge of sarcasm as she sips on her drink pepper again. he chuckles lowly and shakes his head, his ash blonde hair moving with him, “giving me shit now for my drink choice?”

“yeah, you gave me shit for mine. don’t think i didn’t notice.” she says as she sits back a little in her own seat across from him, crossing her legs beneath the table.

they continue talking for hours, eating their food and sipping on their drinks as they talk. this was going better then she had planned, learning more about leon then she intended. he didn’t seem like the talkative type but when they started discussing jobs, past pets, family, really anything. he seemed to open up and tell her pretty much whatever she wanted to know.

after they finished eating, she went to order dessert but he stopped her. “i have dessert at my place.’” which made her stop, the rush of butterflies and nerves at his words was enough to make her nod, close the dessert menu and request the check.

which he paid, in full, with…a platinum credit card.

she knew he was working for the government but jesus, he just whipped out the platinum to pay for their meal. she felt measly with her silly little plastic card in her purse, letting him escort her out the restaurant. they walked down the sidewalk until they get to a sleek black escalade. “did you drive here?” he says as he digs his keys out of his jacket pocket. she looks at him and then the car, “yeah, i did.”

“how about…at the risk of sounding too forward, you come home with me? stay the night, you can take the bed if you want and…i’ll drop out back off at your car in the morning?” he says with a small tilt of his head, his blondish hair flopping by his ear as she looks at him. a small smile graced his features, she let out a small breath, turning the thoughts of potentially doing this in her head.

she nodded with a small smile on her face, “i would love too.”

he nods towards the escalade, “cmon,” he unlocks the escalade and opens the passenger door for her. she hesitantly moves forward and slides into the passenger seat, looking around the interior of the car. she was in awe, shed never been in a car this…big before. also, it made her wonder.

leon wasn’t flaunting his wealth, he didn’t even seem to mind that he was somewhat wealthy. it made her have even more questions about him. they didn’t seem to end the more she spent time with him. was he not aware of how fortunate he was?

she was torn away from her thoughts when leon got into the drivers side of the car. looking over at her with a small smirk, “what?”

“you drive an escalade.” she states with a small blink, he shrugs and chuckles a little, almost finding it humorous. “so?”

he doesn’t realize this does he? good god, he’s a humble guy. why is that such a fucking turn on?

“it’s just…the escalade, the platinum card…?” she says with a small blubber as she looks at him, “your rich.” she states with little to no care for how it sounded. he chuckles and shakes his head, “yeah? im not too bad, i’ve got money.” he says with a small flush of his cheeks as he puts the keys in the ignition. she rolls her eyes, of course he’s not going to admit it.

he starts the car, carefully pulling out of the parking spot. she swallows as she watches his hands from the passenger seat, the way his large hands encompass the steering wheel and turn it. she’s watching, almost drooling at how his veins in his hands. she sees him look over at her and she quickly darts her eyes away from basically eye-fucking his hands.

they were just…fuck, the things she would let those hands do to her.

he smirks in her peripheral vision, sliding one of his hands over the console and to the exposed knee of her dress, slowly squeezing it. she swallows, the touch was somewhat innocent but causing a herd of butterflies to swarm her stomach. she felt her underwear get uncomfortable already. she lets out a small shaky exhale, trying to act nonchalant.

she was so fucked.

she surprisingly made it back to his apartment in one piece. he was acting like a gentleman, even with his hand on her knee, keeping a steady hold on it as he drove. he didn’t raise his hand higher, a part of her wished he would’ve.

but he kept it on her knee, his whole hand practically engulfed that skin on her leg. she watched him drive out of the corner of her eye, studying him like a painting.

he was so gorgeous, even in the dim light of the streetlights. she was fully focused on him, his eyelashes, the way his eyes carefully and precisely watched the road.

the way he kept his lips — pink and full — pressed together as he studied every other car around them. he wasn’t afraid, he was focused. she wondered if he always focused on things like this, or if he was just like this when he drove.

but his attention seemed divided, one hand on her leg, his thumb even moving in small circles on her knee. she didn’t know how he did it all at once, all with ease. it was like he was handcrafted by some god, some amazing grace. she just couldn’t figure him out.

but it intrigued her.

even when he made it to his apartment, parking outside the building and pulling the keys out of the escalades ignition.

he moved with such precision and confidence, like he knew his next move before he made it. like he had a plan for every step he took. she wishes that she had that grace about her, she was clumsy and not put together at all.

but when they get out of the car, making their way to the doors of the lobby, he was holding onto her hand tightly. his hand engulfing hers as they walked. she liked the way his hand fit into hers, like it belonged that way. like it was meant to hold hers. she tries to fight the butterflies and the very obvious tension as they make their way to the elevator in the lobby.

once the elevator dings and they make their way into the elevator, she feels hotter, like the sexual tension of what’s to come is taking up all the air. she squeezes his hand a little, she feels his blue irises travel to her and stay there. he must’ve lived on the top floor, because they stood there for a moment. his free hand traveling up to her hair, pushing it away from her face.

“there’s those beautiful eyes.” he whispers, it sounded like he was saying it more to himself rather then her. her cheeks flushed all the same, connecting her own with his, a small smile sliding onto her lips. “i have beautiful eyes?” she whispers to him, almost afraid to break the spell, the tension that was slowly building as they got closer to his apartment.

he smirks slowly to himself, saying a little louder, “your eyes aren’t the only beautiful thing about you.” he says as he pushes more hair away from her face with his free hand, sliding his hand into her hair and holding it there. a small breath leaving her lips, letting them part as she looked up at him from under her eyelashes. this man was something else, making her act out on the first date. which she never did.

“look at you,” he whispers, “such a good girl, you look so pretty.” he praises lowly, still holding her hair at the base of her skull in a tight fist. he was forcing her to look up at him, she didn’t even hate how her underwear flooded with need for him — for his hands. she just accepts the praise with a small embarrassed smile. she didn’t know how else to react, no guy had ever praised her so openly, called her beautiful.

her ex, he took her out on dates and the sex wasn’t too bad. but he never showed her off, loved her openly, made her feel special. that was the ultimate lead up to him leaving her for some girl he didn’t even know.

and it broke her, she never thought she’d feel that way again.

but here, with leon, she felt that familiar want. that need to be his and his only.

and god, was it terrifying. he was such a good guy, so attractive. she was so afraid that she’d screw it up in some way.

but it’s better to say she tried and failed rather then give up altogether.

the elevator dinger for his floor, pulling her out of her thoughts and snapping her eyes back up to his. she felt his h=free hand slowly leave her hair and his hand with hers, pulling on it towards the hallway outside the elevator. her stomach was a mess of knots and nerves as she followed him. her eyes taking in the surroundings around her, letting him practically drag her to his apartment.

and as soon as she was inside of his apartment, his lips were on hers and she was getting pushed up against a door. the first thing she registers is how amazing his lips are and how they feel against hers. she feels like her legs are going to give out under her, her lips meld with his. everything is happening so fast and her brain doesn’t have time to catch up to all of it.

before she knows it, he’s carrying her into his apartment, kissing every inch of her neck and jaw with his tongue and teeth. she lets out small sounds as he kisses her in spots that haven’t been touched in months. he puts her down onto the bed, hovering over her as his blue eyes meet hers. he looks so haunting in the moonlight. his sharp jawline and features, the way his cheekbones reflect in the moonlight thats streaming through the window.

“i normally don’t do this on the first date but your just…” he runs his fingers over the side of her thigh, making her dress pool up to her hips, “so fucking beautiful.” he whispers between them, like its a secret. she feels her cheeks flush nonetheless. she feels his hand slide up her thigh to the edge of her underwear, lace that she put on and didn’t even anticipate this happening. she feels her breath quicken and her spine straighten under his touch.

he’s so methodical with his movements and it makes her think, the contrast difference between her ex and him. he’s so gentle, like she’s made of glass beneath his fingertips. her ex never had that, rough and demanding movements. she draws the difference as leon’s fingers slowly pull the lacy fabric down her thighs. she keeps wondering why his fingers and hands seem so calloused, she should have asked earlier at dinner, not when he’s exposing her to the cool air of his bedroom.

she exhales as her lacy underwear are tossed to the floor, suddenly his jacket is coming off and he’s rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. she can only let her eyes trace the way his biceps are practically straining underneath the confines of his dress shirt, the way they flex when he grabs her ankles and drags her to the end of his bed. she feels her heart beat almost entirely out of her chest.

she can’t help it, she’s a soaking mess by now and the fact he can see that by looking in between her thighs is enough to make her cheeks heat up. she closes her thighs, pressing them together. he chuckles low in his throat as he looks down at her, “don’t hide from me. cmon.” he says as his blue eyes seem to darken under the harsh moonlight coming into his bedroom.

he gently opens her thighs, letting himself glance at her glistening arousal. “so wet already?” he says it as if its more of a statement, rather than a question. she nods under his gaze as if he has all the power over her right now and in a way, he does. and he knows it. “this all for me?” he says with an almost haunting smirk on his features that it causes her to sharply inhale. she nods again and feels her chest rise and fall beneath her dress.

“your boosting my ego too much, baby.” he says as he crawls over her, his hands bracing on either side of her head, he leans down so he’s nose to nose with her. his blue eyes almost blown out with lust for her, she recalls never being looked at this way by her ex. even when they had sex, he refused the intimate side and made her go face down in the pillows. but leon, he’s devouring her with his eyes right now and it almost makes her cry, but she doesn’t.

“what’s wrong? did i do something wrong?” he asks when he sees her eyes become glassy, surely he knows. he has a feeling that he maybe rushed it. should’ve let you go home after the date but…you looked sad. he cups her chin, looking down into her eyes. that action seems to make it harder for her to speak but she forces words out of her mouth. “my ex…he never…” she swallows more tears down her throat.

he watches her expression so closely — so methodically — that he’s afraid if he blinks, he’ll miss something. but he lets her speak, his hand slowly cupping her cheek, rubbing his thumb over cheek in a soothing gesture. even though he’s hard as steel right now and her pussy is out in the open, he is solely focused on how she feels right now. she notes in her brain that this is another reason why she likes leon so much already.

but she forces herself to finish her thoughts, “my ex never…he never…” she chokes on the words again. she realizes that it sounds stupid coming out of her mouth now, she almost wants to push it to the side and jump leon’s bones. but he’s not going to let it go until he knows she’s okay. “he never looked me in the eye, never…he wasn’t gentle.” she whispers as she looks up at him. she feels choked up and she hates how silly she sounds. like a hurt little girl who skinned her knee.

he sighs softly against her lips and brushes some tears from the crevice of her eye. he understands what she’s saying, her ex wasn’t intimate. didn’t take his time with her, didn’t put her needs first and that just doesn’t sit right with him one bit. in fact, it bothers him beyond recognition. how could someone just abandon their partners needs, the need to be validated and be intimate? he couldn’t change that for her but he could show her that he wasn’t like her exes.

“im not like that, princess. you know that by now don’t you?” he whispers against her lips as he gently brushes some hair out of her face. she nods almost immediately, “i know.” she says against his lips, solidifying that she knows. he could not even be compared to her ex, not even close. leon was far better than him and she’s only known leon for like five hours.

“good. now, im going to fuck you now. but listen,” he gently grabs her chin, a firm but soft hold as he angles her eyes to his. “i am going to take my time with you because you deserve that. you deserve to be loved and cherished.” he says softly with a small hint of compassion in his blue irises as he strokes his hand up and down her dress clad side. “and i am not going to let you look away, your going to look at me the entire time.” he says with a firm but rugged gentleness that suited him down to his very core.

she just nods slowly in his grip, that being the only thing she can do with his grip on her chin. he smiles — a little twitch of his lips — making him seem ten times more softer then he actually is. he leans back on the bed on his knees, looking down at her. “off.” he gestures to the dress thats still covering her. she swallows and sits up on his bed, slowly and methodically shimming the dress off of her frame.

once it’s gone and on the floor with her discarded lace underwear, she plays with the strap on her matching bra. he puts his large and calloused hand over hers, stopping her. “let me.” he mutters as he moved on his bed behind her, his fingers slowly tracing along her shoulder and going to the bra strap. he hovers his mouth over neck, his other hand brushing her hair away from her back, pressing his lips to her neck with such delicacy. she feels like she would miss it if she couldn’t feel his fingers slide down to the clasp of her lacy bra.

and once it’s discarded, he finds himself hoisting her backwards onto the mattress again. his lips finding hers in a sweet but delicate kiss that says — i have you, trust me. and she does, she finds herself trusting him as his hands hold her gently but firmly, a strong hold that weighs on her heart and mind.

she looks up at him through lustful eyes two moments later, her gaze locking on his as he strips off his pants and shirt, discarding them all on the floor. the body of a greek god, yet littered with small scars that catch in the moonlight. she thinks that maybe he has his own demons, the ones that haunt him when he goes to bed at night.

but she doesn’t have time to wonder, his cock, if not perfect like the rest of him. is now out, his hand slowly stroking the hard shaft for some semblance of relief. she gnaws on her bottom lip as she watches him, she was completely and utterly soaked now.

she didn’t know how much longer she could last. she needed him.

he didn’t wait long to lean over her body, his elbows on either side of her head, much like before. his nose brushing against hers and she was bare as him. it should’ve made her nervous, made her scared beyond anything. but she didn’t have it in her to be scared, not when he was eyeing her like she was the holy grail.

he pressed another kiss to her lips, a little more rough this time, his tongue prodding at her mouth. begging for him to be let in. and how could she not oblige him? she let him in and he swirled his tongue with hers, her brain on autopilot and the conversation about her ex was long gone. the furthest thing from her mind at this point.

it was just him. his mouth and hers, the way his cock barely brushed against her soaked folds. she parted her knees more for him, accommodating his wide frame as he let a hand drift down to her hip, squeezing it as they sloppy made out.

a small moan slipped past her lips and onto his, his large hand kneading the extra fat of her hip and thigh and slowly he moved his hand in between them, brushing over her clit slowly. her breath caught a little and she couldn’t find words, she was wrecked already.

he chuckled lowly against her lips, words not exchanged as he guided his bulbous tip though her folds. soaking his tip in her release and making her tremble, small squeaks of arousal leaving her parted lips.

he found it amusing, if the expression on his face was any indication.

he silenced her again with a smooth press of hiss lips against her’s, soothing her worries and the small amount of anticipation she felt. he slipped just the tip inside of her, breaching her entrance. she gasped against his lips, he was big. it was just the tip and she was keening. practically clawing at his bare back. he pressed his lips more firmly against hers, sliding in another inch, his thumb rubbing circles at her hip.

as he eased in inch by inch, she tried to focus on his kisses rather then how much he was stuffing her full inch by torturous inch. it felt like her body was buzzing, it was too much and not enough at the same time. she moaned softly when he slid in the rest of the way, she opened her mouth against his. she couldn’t handle it anymore. she lets out a shaky breath.

her hands held tighter to his back as he slowly moved his hips against hers. his hand squeezing hard at her hip enough to bruise but she couldn’t find it in herself to care as he slowly moved his hips, moving in and out of her. she bit on her bottom lip, almost drawing blood as his head dipped into her neck. she choked on moan after moan as he groaned and grunted against her neck, matching her noises in his own ways.

she let her nails sink into his back as he pumped his hips a little faster. her head fell back against his sheets, her lips parted, eyes shutting in ecstasy as he started hitting that spot within her repeatedly. she wasn’t going to last long if he kept it up, his harsh groans and breaths echoing along her neck and up into her ear. his lips pressing harshly to the skin. every time her nails dug into his bare back, he bit a little at her skin.

the pleasure and pain was intoxicating as he kept moving his hips, making her whimper and whine. she tried to speak but her words were caught and mumbles of pleasure were the only things to leave her parted lips. her expression wiped and dazed with lust as she took everything he gave her. never in her life had she felt this way with sex. she felt like she was floating and grounded at the same time.

she felt her stomach coil, knowing she was close to climax. she wordlessly moved one of her hands from his back into his dirty blonde locks, pulling his head out of her neck and pressing her lips to his. he just smirked against her lips and moved his hips a little faster, seeming to understand what she meant without words. she moaned louder against his lips as he pumped faster and faster, her head felt dizzy. her head dropped back against his sheets again, not enough energy to keep her lips locked with his.

“thats it baby, come for me. c’mon.” he growls as he nips at her neck, his hand sliding from her hip to her clit. rubbing it with small brushes of his thumb, she squeaked as she looked up at the ceiling. her eyes glazed over as the coil in her belly finally snapped. “fuck, your…squeezing me like a vice.” he muttered in a groan. he felt her spasm around him, his hips slowing as he fucked her through it.

he fucked her through it until she was squirming, he moved his hand off her clit. determined to chase his own release as he moved his hips again. he pressed his chest against hers and gripped her hip again. she let out a shaky gasp as he started moving again. her eyes watering at the overstimulation she was feeling in the moment. “shh, its…i’m close, baby. just hang on.” he grunts against her collarbones as he keeps moving his hips. she squeezed him a little again and he hissed.

she nods with a small whine as he pumps a little faster, practically shaking his bed. she was wondering if it was going to break but it didn’t seem like it would. his hips stuttering as he bit into her collarbone, she gasped in pleasure as she felt his spend fill her up and fill her belly. she blinked at the ceiling as he sighed against her collarbone. letting himself be vulnerable for a moment in the aftermath of their bliss. he just kept her filled with his cock, rubbing a hand up and down her side. his mouth gently pressing a kiss to one of her breasts. “your amazing.” he whispers as his eyes shut and he breathes some air into his lungs.

she felt his words deep down to her very soul as he pulled out of her, a small noise of loss as he removed himself from her snug walls. he laid down on his side next to her, sliding a hand down her stomach and to her entrance again. his spend mixed with hers was leaking out of her abused hole, his finger scooped up the fluid and pushed it back inside of her.

his eyes flaring with that possessive nature. he drifts his blue eyes to her blissed out face. he removes his finger from her entrance and traces it up to her jaw. he gently cups her chin and smoothes his thumb over her bottom lip. “good?” he whispers gruffly as he scans her expression. she smiles dazedly and nods as she looks up at him. it wasn’t how she imagined the night going but getting to here, it was good. leon unintentionally was making her move on from the slump her ex put her in. she couldn’t be more grateful.

he smiles crookedly, almost shyly, as if he didn’t just fuck her raw into his mattress.

“stay the night. i make good breakfast.” he says softly with a small chuckle, the boyish charm peeking out from his hard facade he had up. she nods with a small giddy smile, “only if you make me pancakes.” she whispers as her eyes stay locked on his blue ones. he was truly a sight to behold. every part of him was and she didn’t know how he could be single. she had to wonder if maybe he chose that for himself, for what reason? she didn’t know. he was a great guy.

an amazing kisser. funny, great in bed. the list kept going.

but he was nothing like her ex, that was the best thing about him. he wasn’t selfish, conceded and rude. maybe leon was the perfect one for her. maybe he wasn’t but she was trusting her gut this time. and her gut was telling her to stay, to let herself be coddled and be held like something precious. she was letting herself be happy for once and only time would tell if they were meant to be.

even if it was the first date, she was in love. silly, but true as she gently cupped his cheek and pulled his lips to hers again. she felt connected to him in more ways then one. she was diving headfirst into him and she didn’t even care. she was happy.

and thats all that truly mattered.

screw it only being the first date, she was his now. and that was a comforting thought as she slipped her arms around him again and breathed him in. this is what love was, or close to it, she was sure. his arms already felt like home, no matter how dangerous that was, it was hers.

and his, as it should be. forevermore. wrapped in each other, no matter what.

exes be damned.

taglist: @elihii @heartsforvin @adollrable @leonkennedygvrl @squazmine @spfoah @jmivenus @rcttendolly @yakamozhoez (if you would like to join my taglist, visit the link at the beginning or the one linked on my blog!)

344 notes · View notes

evielmostdefinitely · 1 year ago

Note

please something about pregnant capitol!reader. maybe she's pregnant and coriolanus is over OVER protective?

watchful eye |young!coriolanus snow x capitol!reader|

prompt: as requested above, pregnant!captitol!reader and protective!coryo.

contains: reader is pregnant. alludes to dom/sub themes. some talk of violence. protective/possessive coriolanus. mainly fluff.

“Are you alright?” Coriolanus' eyes scanned the room, a predatory gaze that commanded the room. His hand found the small of your back, a soothing rub over the material of your dress, pressing into the spot on your spine that was always aching lately.

“Yes.” You nodded, giving a forced smile in case others were watching. Your hand smoothed over the swell of your abdomen, prominent now.

You were surprised Coriolanus let you out into the public now that you were showing. He’d been so careful with the news, so cautious that others might find out and want to harm you. You supposed that's why he’d commanded more Peacekeepers to the Districts, curfews and whippings and hanging multiplied to anyone even seen with a rebel- to drive them out, make an example of them, scare the others. All to keep you safe, or so he told you.

With the next games coming up, you were at the annual party hosted before the Reaping tomorrow, full of Capitol socialites all fluttering with excitement at your news. Still, a haunting aura hung in the air, like they were all scared- perhaps it was because of the way Mrs. Bezel was drugged away to Dr. Gaul’s torment chamber for touching your rounded belly. Coriolanus hadn’t even batted an eye before the Peacekeepers were yanking the elderly woman away mercilessly, dragging her through the crowds of terror-ridden onlookers.

“If you need to take a seat-” Coryo started, waving over an Avox with a sharp flick of his wrist.

“-I’m alright, darling.” You hummed gently, placing a calming hand over his.

“You need to rest.” Coriolanus’ eyes narrowed lightly, the same stern look he always gave you with your defiance, one that told you to obey.

You hated the way it made you throb, you’d blame it on the hormones again. “I’m alright.” You smile sweetly. “I’m afraid if I sit, I’ll never get up again.” You tease lightly, a real, honest grin spreading across your face. It made Coryo’s heart skip.

“Are you tired, then?” Coryo asked, hand pressing into your back again, fingers rubbing the knot gently there. Your spine had curved, figure caved to accommodate such growth- the habitat of your unborn child.

“Only a little.” You admitted, looking down at your swollen stomach. “I can last, Coryo. I will be alright-”

“-Nonsense.” Coryo shook his head, waving over the lead of his staff. “Make the announcement and ensure everyone leaves.” He commanded, his hand still on you. “And we will see you tomorrow for the Reaping.” A chilling tone to his words that had you shivering, taking his hand gently.

“You didn’t need to do that.” You hummed, slipping out the side door with him, down the hallway towards your own private living quarters. Your heels clicking against the marble of the floor, half steps to keep up with Coriolanus’ own stride. “I would have been fine.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Coriolanus rolled his eyes lightly. “You looked miserable.”

You frowned. “I did not.”

He snorted lightly, looking over at you, lips curled in a half smile. “Petal, you were restless tonight. Don’t think I didn’t see you slip your shoes off under the table.”

You pouted, a waddle of a walk beside him, still clutching his hand. “They hurt.” You huff, looking down at your heels, swollen ankles aching from the wear of the beastly things.

“I know.” Coriolanus smirked triumphantly. “I told you to let me know if it got too much for you. I’d have you escorted back.”

“I didn’t want to go back.” You huffed, a swing of emotions Coriolanus was still struggling with understanding. “You’ve kept me under lock and key for months, Coryo. I wanted to be out, see other people, and socialize.”

Coryo nodded, choosing not to chastise you. Not now, not with how your tone clipped, a warning that the floodgates of your angry, hormonal tears were not far behind. Instead, he turned the key to your wing, pushing the grand doors open, a hand ushering you in.

Inside, he helped you out of your dress, moved your heels back into place when you kicked them off. You giggled at how he tickled down your spine, unfastening the hooks of your dress, a soft kiss to your shoulder that had you swooning.

You lay on the bed, feet in Coryo’s lap, his thumb digging into the heel of your foot, smug at the way it had you sighing with relief, melting into the mattress. He told you the plans for the games, how he and Gaul had worked even harder to make them better than last year, the changes and added sponsors.

“I’m sure they’ll be wonderful, my love.” You muttered, eyes drooping with a heavy tug of your lids. He was lulling you to sleep, not that it was much of a challenge, you’d nearly exhausted yourself tonight.

“Do you want me to draw you a bath?” Coriolanus asked, scanning your relaxed features. “Would that help with your back?”

“No,” You shook your head, eyes fluttering open. “I’m fine.”

Coryo frowned. “If your spine hurts, you should let me-”

“-Coryo,” You cooed, eyes soft when they opened and met him. “I’m alright. I’m comfortable, just… just keep doing what you’re doing, please. It feels great.” You sighed, wiggling your foot back into his grasp, an accidental brush over his crotch that had him flushing.

If you weren’t so tired, he would have fucked you into that mattress. You were so sensitive with the pregnancy, insatiable nearly. He hadn’t expected to be so attracted, that his desire grew with every new swell and rounding of your features, yet he found himself buried in your cunt every chance he could.

Coryo had already taken you before the party, the glow in your features waved off as from the pregnancy instead of the way he’d ravished you before. He supposed that could have aided in some of the reasons you were so tired.

“Tell me more about your plans.” You muttered, rolling your head into the pillow to look at him over the hill of your belly, your foot in his hand. “Who are the mentors for the Districts this year? Anyone we’d know?”

Coriolanus’ heart swelled, boasting with pride. It was why he loved you so, the interest you showed him in his work, in his passions. His thumb circled around a knot in your heel, grinning at how you squirmed, answering your question sweetly.

2K notes · View notes

gay-dorito-dust · 6 months ago

Note

Giving Bill Cipher the princess treatment prompt or hc's? (Bill totally isn't threatening Reader's entire family if they don't princess carry him and call him babygirl) I love how you write Bill by the way!

Warning: unhealthy relationship stuff and threats from bill.

After everything that went down with sixer and his supposed ‘betrayal’ bill didn’t think he’d find an another puppet companion so soon until one day he came across poor unfortunate you.

Some half baked sob stories of his origins and looking through his fingers at you to make sure you were feeling sympathy for him later, and you were effectively under his thumb by the end of the week. The quickest he’s ever manipulated someone into feeling sorry for him yet!

Now you were stuck forced to carry him in your arms whenever he wished and calling him…baby girl…why you never bothered to ask as whenever you did raise things into question with Bill it usual turns out something like this:

You: don’t you think that’s a little extreme?

Bill: and here I thought you were suppose to be supportive of my dreams and aspirations. Oh well I guess you didn’t need your family that much if you’re quick to question me-

You: No! It’s a brilliant plan! No flaws at all! You’re so smart…baby girl…

Bill: *smirks when you fall back in line* good now I demand to be carried in your arms *he gives you grabby hands*

You: *sigh* yes baby girl *proceeds to pick him up and carry him for the rest of the day*

You’d even have to call Bill baby girl when your mad unless you wanted the corpses of your family to be piled up on your front door!

It was ridiculous but what could you do when stuck in a less than ideal relationship with a demonic triangle who could bring you to heel with a simple click of his fingers? You were doomed to be his servant for the sake of your family and even if you did go to anyone about it, who’d believe you? You’d be the new old man Mcgucket for certain.

So you only sigh and do whatever Bill wanted in hopes it will satisfy him enough to leave your family alone, even if it was brief.

The worst case scenario would be If bill saw that you weren’t being enthusiastic in your affection towards him, then that would be a harder thing to dig your way out of. It didn’t matter whether you were tired mentally or physically, if Bill wanted to be carried in your arms he will want you to do so with a complicit smile on your face.

Bill: you don’t look happy to be carrying me? *squints his eye*

You: *quickly puts on a fake smile* what?! I’m more than happy to carry my baby girl! It’s the only highlight of my day, nothing could ever compete with spending time with my baby girl!

Bill: good! For a second there I thought you’d have to be attending a family members funeral for a moment. Haha guess I must’ve been seeing things, right? *he stares uncomfortably at you*

You: yeah because how could I ever show you any other emotion other than happiness and love. *internally dying*

Bill: also don’t over compliment me, it makes you look clingy and I don’t like clingy.

You internally: as if you aren’t clingy yourself you fucking discarded sentient Dorito chip.

It’s better to keep playing his game until he inevitably grows bored of you, and god forbid if you ever encounter Stanford Pines ever, your family is certain for destruction if Bill caught you talking to his traitorous ex partner. (Potential for Stanford x reader?)

Needles to say if you were to ever be granted the ability to time travel, you’d go back and warn yourself to not trust Bill Cipher, not if you want your family’s blood on your hands just because you didn’t call him Babygirl first thing in the morning.

You: morning bi-

Bill: whichever family member your love the most will die in 5 seconds if you don’t correct yourself sweetie.

You: morning babygirl, what should we do today?

Bill: *pats you on the shoulder* that wasn’t so hard was it? And I don’t feel like doing anything that requires me to part from you for suspicious periods of time incase you do something I don’t like. *stares at you menacingly*

You: good choice! All day with my babygirl? I’m so lucky…so extremely….lucky. *looks over at the photo of your family and friends* blessed even…

Bill: you sure are! Now why don’t you carry me! *grabby hands 2.0*

#gravity falls x you #gravity falls x reader #gravity falls imagine #gravity falls imagines #gravity falls #bill cipher head canons #bill cipher x reader #bill cipher x you #bill cipher headcanons #bill cipher imagine #bill cipher imagines #the book of bill #fiddle

459 notes · View notes

johnbrand · 8 months ago

Text

This or That

“Wait, what did you say this game was called again?” Christopher asked.

“‘This or That’!” Felix replied, obviously excited. All day he had waited to try out this new personality-quiz app, having received a plethora of positive reviews from friends, coworkers, and online. As soon as his shift was up, he rushed back to the small apartment he shared with his loving boyfriend. The smoother, slimmer Christopher was surprised by his partner’s sudden enjoyment and fascination as the app finished its download.

“How does it work?”

“It’s simple,” Felix, more of a twunk vers than an actual top, replied. “Apparently the game offers you different options, red or blue, this or that. You keep filtering down before it lands on a hyper-specific personality type.”

Christopher shrugged, “Sounds simple enough, but why is it so popular?”

“It’s supposed to be like freaky accurate.” Felix opened the app and entered CHRISTOPHER into the flashing box. “I’ve been hearing about it all day, but I wanted to try it with you.”

Christopher blushed at that, watching as the first prompt came in. The app wished to know who was filling out the survey: “This” was the person themselves, “That” was another person. Felix pushed “That”.

“So you’re filling it out for me?” Christopher asked, a little bummed.

“And you’ll do mine,” Felix assured, moving past the next prompt. The first few waves were the simple ones: male or female, old or young, rich or comfortable. Christopher laid back into the couch they were both seated on, grabbing a remote and searching for a “The Real Housewives…” title. On Felix’s end, he eventually landed on a question regarding sexuality.

THIS: Heterosexuality or THAT: Homosexuality

Felix’s finger tapped “That”, but unlike before the next prompt did not appear. For some reason, the "That" option did not respond and proceed forward. He tapped it again, and again, and kept doing so until Christopher noticed.

“I think my screen may have frozen?” Felix explained. To check, he tapped the “This” option. His face skewed slightly as it accepted, moving forward.

“Is it working again, dude?” Chris asked, not looking up from his phone.

“Uh…yeah,” Felix gulped, hoping the error would not severely impact the results. He was already a good amount in, and he did not want to make his roommate wait. Felix reviewed the next prompt.

THIS: Alpha or THAT: Beta

Felix knew the answer, but something told him to go with the other option. He had already messed up, so maybe it would be funny to purposely skew further. Thinking it could be a good laugh, Felix considered manipulating the quiz to manufacture the opposite. Cautiously, he pressed the “This” option, moving on.

“God, these hags are annoying…” Chris mumbled, his voice a little deeper than usual as he switched channels to something more interesting. The loud rowdiness of a football game’s broadcast quickly filled the room, but all Felix could focus on was his phone. To his surprise, after the last tap, the app had begun to filter through its own prompts on its own. Felix’s eyes tried to follow as the screen flashed with new questions and answered them accordingly.

THIS: Masculine-Leaning or THAT: Feminine-Leaning

THIS: Monoracial or THAT: Multiracial

THIS: Strong or THAT: Meek

THIS: Arrogant or THAT: Reserved

THIS: Excitable or THAT: Laid-Back

THIS: Selfless or THAT: Authoritative

THIS: Traditional or THAT: Progressive

Each of the answers clicked by without Felix being able to alter a thing. He could not even exit the app. Desperate, Felix stood up and moved towards the kitchen, hoping to grab his laptop in order to look up some kind of solution. But before he made it, the app suddenly stopped, presenting Felix with the results.

“With 100% accuracy, This or That reports that CRISTOBAL is: AVERAGE STRAIGHT MALE.”

Felix stood stunned, taking a breath and slowly reentering reality. Still on the couch and now manspreading as much as possible, Chris’s focus appeared to be solely on the cheerleaders performing their half-time show. Felix’s own focus soon shifted to be solely on his straight roommate’s cock, the massive schlong becoming chubby thanks to the tit-tastic routine on the television.

“Bro? Come on!” Chris’s rich, masculine voice snapped Felix out of his lustful gaze. “I hate it when you do that gay stuff, it’s annoying.”

“Oh…uh sorry…” Something felt wrong, like Felix was forgetting something.

“You can be a fag or whatever, it doesn’t matter to me,” Chris’s slight cringe said otherwise. “But you can’t just perv on my goods man.”

Felix nodded quickly, blushing furiously.

“By the way, you’ll need to stay in your room again tonight. Finally convinced this chick from stats to come over and ‘study’. She doesn’t know the only thing she’ll be studying is all 8 inches of my man meat.”

His straight roommate smirked cockily at his own joke, adjusting himself proudly. Felix tried his best not to sneak a look and obediently exited to his room. As soon as his door was shut, Felix gave his throbbing cock a tug, hoping Chris’s study partner would be arriving soon.

#gay to straight #male tf #male transformation #jock tf #dumbification #latinization #unintended results

542 notes · View notes

azzifuddfanpage · 9 days ago

Note

can you do fluff fic of based on today. so azzi had a bad game and paige texts her to see if she’s ok but azzi doesn’t respond so paige goes to azzi’s room and finds her on her bed crying. So paige comforts her and they cuddle

My Rock

——— Thank you for the prompt!! just a short lil fic to tide you guys over (it’s 3 am right now so I’m sorry if this is bad) ———

711 words themes: fluff/ gfs/ paige taking care of Azzi after bad game ———

——9:48pm——

P💗: hey baby how u feelin?

I know it was a rough game it wasn’t your fault tho they were defending you really hard from the 3 point line.

———10:03pm———

P💗: Azzi?

Az are you good

answer me??

———10:22pm———

P💗: alr sweet girl I’m coming

———-

Paige doesn’t even have to wait for a response before she knows how Azzi is feeling.

Coming back from an Acl tear and than injuring herself again not even 4 games later was another blow to Azzi’s confidence.

Now here she was having to rebuild her confidence for the second time that month.

Paige knew Azzi was probably home curled up under her blanket, endlessly scrolling through twitter listening to people talk about how she will never be the player she was before.

Azzi had faced so much adversity, but as an athlete she was never able to appreciate the talent she did have.

Every good game was filled with her critiquing some aspect of the game.

“I’m a supposed to be the best shooter on the team, yet I was shooting under 43%.” Azzi would tell her as she left for the gym at 11 pm.

Paige new when Azzi was like this their was no talking her out of it.

After checking Azzi’s location, she knew at least this time, Azzi was safe at home in bed.

Before walking over to Azzi’s dorm, paige drove out to target to pick up some things to cheer Azzi up.

She roamed the isles, grabbing her favorite snacks; Nutella and strawberries (paige’s favorite as well). And a cute Olaf blanket she saw.

As she was leaving her eyes focused on a huge Valentine’s Day card.

She opened it up laughing to herself, valentines wasn’t for 2 months and stuff was already up.

“I only want to imagine my life with you in it.

You're everything to me!

Happy Valentine's Day

To My Love”

Paige smirked and tucked it under her arm, and walked over to self checkout.

She knew Azzi was a sucker for gifts like that and paige loved when Azzi snuggled up to her in appreciation.

Paige also stppped at chipotle on the way home, having her order down by memory.

As she pulled back into their dorm building, paige made sure to be quiet when she keeps into Azzi’s suite.

When she opened the door to Azzi’s bedroom, she immediately noticed the Azzi sized lump under the covers

Paige used her phone flashlight to navigate over to the younger girl, placing the bag of goodies onto her bedside table.

“Baby” Paige said tugging the comforter down to reveal Azzi’s tear streaked face.

Azzi pouted up at her, her big doe eyes rimmed with red from her tears, and her lips puffy from crying.

Paige didn’t say anything, she just climbed into bed and pulled Azzi close to her chest, running a finger through her hair and pulling it out of her face, kissing her cheek softly.

Paige listened as Azzi’s soft whimpers filled the silent room, the sound of her girlfriend crying was the worst sound Paige could hear.

She knew not to bring it up until tomorrow when she had had time to rest and think on it, so instead, Paige’s arm remained wrapped around Azzi’s waist, and her other hand rubbing small circles on her back.

Azzi’s sobs slowed to just sniffles as paige’s presence nautrually soothed her.

Paige held her closely, feeling comfort as the sniffles turned into soft snores.

Page sat up a little, leaning forward so she could revel in her girlfriend’s sleeping figure, so vulnerable and inncocent, her lips and eyes puffy from crying.

Staring at Azzi, all paige wanted was to take away any sort of pain Azzi faced.

If paige could give Azzi her knee she would, if paige could give her the confidence she would, if paige could give Azzi her ability to not overthink she would. Paige would give Azzi the world if she could.

Paige leaned forward and brushed a curl that had fallen infront of Azzi’s face, away from her sleepy eyes, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead so she wouldn’t wake her.

Tomorrow she would pick up the pieces, tonight she would be her rock.

#pazzi #pazzi fics #pazzi fic #paige x azzi #paige bueckers #azzi fudd #paige and azzi #i love azzi fudd #azzi and paige

183 notes · View notes

the-badger-mole · 1 month ago

Text

Clouds, Fog and Mists

The scholars and archeologists that Aang had been working with had come out of their museum basements and dimly lit studies with a wealth of Air Nomad histories and artifacts that had been lost during the war. Aang now had access to recipes he hadn't tasted in years, scrolls that gave historical context to the things he had just begun learning at age 12, and objects he had never seen, but was excited to learn the use of. At 22, he was just now learning that the Air Nomads had a variety of subcultures and customs he'd never encountered, even though he had visited every Air Temple that existed back then.

"Did you know..." became as common to his vocabulary as "hello" and "custard tart". Every day, he approached his wife with some new bit of lore he'd learned.

"Did you know that the Southern Air Nomads had a Festival of Remembrance?" he'd excitedly asked as Katara was hanging the laundry out to try. She was only half listening while she tried to keep Bumi, their nearly three year old son out of the basket of wet sheets, but she gave a polite hum of encouragement.

"For a whole week," Aang continued needing no further prompting, "no one was allowed to play music or speak. They even wore velvet over their feet so their footsteps wouldn't be too loud. Then, at the end of it, there was a huge party! Loud as anything with music and plays and games. I think I remember going one of those ending parties, but I didn't know about the vow of silence before it."

"That's fascinating, sweetie," Katara said, rubbing her heavy belly with a look of discomfort. She was seven months along with their second child, and this one was very active. "Bumi, last warning. Do not touch the clean clothes!"

"Okay, Mommy!" Bumi said before swatting at one of the sheets Katara had hung on the line. She sighed and turned to her husband.

"Can you take him?" she asked. "I'm tired, and I'd like to take a nap after I finish this."

"Oh," Aang said reluctantly. "I was going to have an afternoon session with the Acolytes. I'm dying to tell them what I've been learning."

"Aang, please?" Katara sagged tiredly, taking Bumi's hand and pulling him away from all her hard work.

"Alright," Aang sighed. "I'll watch him for a bit. Come on, Bumi! Let's go practice some air katas! I want you to be ready when your airbending kicks in!"

-:-:-:-:-:-

All Air Nomads were airbenders. That's what Aang had always been taught. He had to account for late bloomers, of course, but at age four, going on five, if Bumi was going to be an airbender, there would've been signs by now. Kya was a lost cause. She had started waterbending just before her second birthday, and despite the fact that her father was the Avatar, there was no chance that she would inherit the ability to control more than one element.

"Well, maybe it's not true that all Air Nomads were benders," Katara said with a shrug. "After all, not every Water Tribesman is a waterbender, and not everyone in the Earth Kingdom is an earthbender."

"It's different," Aang insisted. "The monks told me that all Air Nomads were benders because we have a unique connection with our spirituality." Katara didn't quite manage to hide her annoyance from him.

"Then explain our kids," she said. "Unless you're the first Air Nomad in history to have children with a non-Air Nomad, someone somewhere got something wrong." Aang went quiet after that. He had no response.

"Just because the Air Nomads may have had children with people from other nations doesn't mean that their children were Air Nomads," an acolyte named Qiao said. She was one of the most apt and studious of Aang's Air Acolytes, and they had spent many hours together pouring over the newly discovered texts. Sometimes, Aang thought that she had a better grasp of Air Nomad culture than even he did.

"I suppose....I suppose that's true," Aang said thoughtfully, taking a sip of his tea.

"The Air Nomads were mostly not monogamous," Qiao pointed out. "I'm sure there were a lot of Nomads who had understandings with their lovers from other nations. Especially among the Air Acolytes of the day."

Aang pondered that for the rest of the day. Then the next. Then the rest of the week before he finally approached Katara. He found her by the fountain with Kya and Bumi. Kya was busy making imperfect little shapes with the water while Katara was teaching Bumi how to put his hair into a warrior's wolf tail.

"You look just like your uncle Sokka," she laughed, pressing a kiss on her son's cheek. "I bet you'll be a great warrior just like him, too." That twisted Aang's gut uncomfortably. He cleared his throat to get Katara's attention.

"Hey, sweetie," he said.

"Hey," Katara smiled at him. "We're just about to have story time. Do you want to stick around for How Umiak Rowed Her Boat to the Stars?"

"Oh, um..."Aang shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Sure. I was just...thinking of something."

"Yeah?" Katara raised her brow at him. "What?"

"I was just thinking of how all the Air Nomads were benders." Katara didn't bother trying to hide her disgusted snort or the rolling of her eyes.

"Okay, and?" she huffed. "Did you draw any new conclusions?"

"I can't have been the only Air Nomad to have children with someone from a different culture," he said. Katara stared at him blankly for a long moment.

"I told you that," she responded finally. "It's just now sinking in?'

"No, I understood you," Aang told her. He kicked at the ground. There was a loose pebble under his toe and he focused on rolling it back and forth. "It's just...well, the Air Nomads, they weren't strictly monogamous."

"Monogamous," Katara scoffed. "That's a big word for you." Aang bristled a bit at that, but he took a breath and let it go.

"I was just reading," Aang said with a shrug. "It occurred to me that maybe because the Air Nomads weren't monogamous, they just didn't bring their non-bending kids into the Air Nomad society." Katara looked up at Aang with her eyes wide.

"That's awful!" she said. "So because their kids didn't bend the right elements, they had to be cut off from one of their parents?"

"No, I'm sure it wasn't as bad as all that-" Aang started to protest.

"What exactly are you saying, Aang?" There was a dangerous edge to Katara's voice. A warning.

"Nothing, nothing!" he scrambled back, tripping over his tongue, trying to call back his words, and cursing himself for trying to bring up the subject without a plan. Katara eyed him coldly. She was angry and trying not to show it.

"It's time for lunch," she told her children. "Let's go inside and fix something to eat."

"But Mommy," Bumi protested. "I want to hear about Umiak!" Katara turned to him with a tight smile.

"That's okay, sweetie," she said. "I'll tell you while you help me fix lunch." With one last scowl at Aang, she took Bumi's hand and swung Kya up onto her hip and went inside.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Aang felt vindicated when it was discovered that he and Qiao were right. The Air Nomads would often leave non-airbending children with their non-Nomad parents. Sometimes the Air Nomad parent would stay with their non-Nomad partners and build a life with them and their children (something he made a note to tell Katara about). Then it was discovered that they were only partially right.

Some of the Air Nomads stayed and raised mixed heritage families. Some left their non-airbending children behind with their non-Nomad partners. That was expected. Reasonable, even. What Aang was not expecting, however, were the accounts of non-airbending children being given away. Some were adopted, and those adoptions were traceable through documents and letters. Others were sold. Those transactions were traceable, too. By most accounts, those children went into indentured servitude and many of them learned trades and were able to start businesses once their indenture was up. Aang tried to focus on the positives. Katara, however, was horrified.

"What right did they have to sell those children into...into slavery?" she demanded hotly while they were getting ready for bed.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Aang insisted. "After all, the Air Nomads wouldn't have put children into situations where they could've been hurt."

"Yes," Katara sneered. "I'm sure their new owners were very gentle with their exploitation."

"That isn't fair!" Aang protested. "Do you know how difficult it would've been for those kids to live among the Nomads?"

"Probably about as easy as it's been for our kids." Katara glared at Aang meaningly. He felt his cheeks heat as he looked away, pretending not to understand.

Bumi was going on eight now, and Kya was five. They were both old enough to ask questions about why it was so difficult for them to move around their own home. Katara and the Acolytes had an easier time being adults and able to maneuver obstacles that short legs and small hands couldn't without help, but it was still a regular challenge to get around the Air Temple for them. Aang was in the process of building a complex near Republic City where non-airbending Acolytes could live and learn with more ease, but it wouldn't be ready for anyone to move into for another year or so. It would be safer for children with no airbending ability, too. Aang glanced over at Katara from the corner of his eye, at the soft swell of her stomach, already showing signs of pregnancy at her second month.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Tenzin was the last of Aang's children with Katara, and the only airbender. When he was almost one, he airbent for the first time, and Aang couldn't stop celebrating for an entire week. When Tenzin was two, the first of the burial mounds were discovered.

Archaeologists working at the mostly restored Northern Air Temple found it at the base of the mountain. There were several layers to the grave, suggesting generations' worth of use. Most of the bones were small. Infant and toddler sized. The largest bones were about the size of an average eight year old. The bones were all jumbled together, as if they had been tossed in a heap. Some of them wore the clothes they were buried in, but most of the bones were too broken to hang on to any frabric. There were also no signs of any shrouds or anything indicating that they had been given any of the customary funeral rites of the Air Nomads. The fact that they were found at the base of the mountain in itself was unusual. All the different groups of Air Nomads had their own unique funeral customs, but one thing that remained the same was that they were laid to rest as close to the sky as possible.

When the first reports of how the children came to be at the base of the mountain came out, Aang was certain it was the rankest propaganda. None of the Air Nomads, no matter how stringent they were about non-airbenders living among them, would ever harm a child. For a while, he seemed to be right, as all the proof was from secondary and tertiary sources.

"Lies the Fire Nation used to justify genocide," Aang said confidently.

"But how did the children get there?" Katara asked. Aang had no answer for her. Yet. There must have been a good one, though. Maybe a plague had run through the Air Temple, forcing them to bury the bodies at the bottom of the mountain to prevent contamination, or something equally tragic. Aang began talking to the archaeologists about giving the bones a proper burial as soon as they could be sorted. The count at that time was 700 bodies in the pile and there were still so many more to go.

A few months after that, the oldest of the Air Nomad accounts were uncovered. It went back a good 300 years, and it spoke about a surplus of infants born without the gift of airbending. There were too many to be disposed of the normal ways, and many of the non-bending parents were unwilling or unable to raise the children themselves. The anonymous monk wrote of a meeting to discuss the crisis. They wouldn't be able to care for so many that couldn't get around the temple, or travel with the Nomads. There was a food shortage. A water shortage. An everything shortage. So the head monk suggested giving the children to the air. That had been the first time the practice had been recorded, near as anyone could tell. But some of the bones were older than that.

That's what they called it. It sounded lovely. Poetic even. In practice, though, the babies were carried to the edge of the temple grounds and held in the air. A short prayer was said for the souls of the children, and then they just...let go. They were so high up, they probably couldn't hear the children hit the ground.

The public began to call them the Fog Children. They were babies born to Air Nomad parents, but without airbending abilities themselves. People clung to the term and it soon spread all over the world in hushed whispers. Aang hated it. Katara hated it. It was the only thing they could agree on by that time.

"It isn't fair!" Aang bemoaned. "It's like people are using it to justify the Fire Nation killing all the Air Nomads."

"If it bothers you so much," Katara said after she'd put the kids to bed, "then speak up! Condemn what they did."

"I do!" Aang insisted. He had protested, loudly that all of the Air Nomads shouldn't be judged by what one fringe sect did.

"Not just them," Katara said. "All of it. It's just like with the Fire Nation. Remember what Zuko said? You can't expect to move forward without acknowledging the past. All of it was wrong. The Air Nomads treated their non-bending children as if they had no value. Condemn the adoptions and abandonings and the selling of the children!"

"How is it my responsibility to make up for all of that?" Aang demanded.

"You're the only one left," Katara reminded him, trying to be gentle. "I'm not saying you have to call the Air Nomads monsters. They did something wrong. They were human. You can acknowledge that and commit to being better than that."

"How?"

"Start with your children."

It had been a frequent argument between Katara and Aang how Aang treated their children. Bumi was 13 now, well on his way to becoming a man. Kya was 11 and Tenzin was five. Often, Katara would quiz Aang on his children- what Kya's favorite color was, or the name of Bumi's best friend. Aang could admit that he was correct about Tenzin more often than the others, but it was only because Aang had so much he had to teach his youngest. Katara should've understood that. After all, there were things she did with Kya that she couldn't do with Bumi or Tenzin.

"It's not the same," Katara told him. Aang could never remember why, though.

For the next year or so, Aang spent much of his time doing damage control. He did his best to separate the practices at the Northern Air Temple and the particular sect of Air Nomad culture that grew around it from the rest of the Air Nomads. Every criticism of the culture was met sharply by Aang's rebuttals and justifications. Penning article after article espousing the virtues of the Air Nomads at large became his full time job, and obsession. It took him two weeks to notice that Katara had left with all three of his children, and another month for him to find the letter Katara had left in his bedside table telling him she was seeking a divorce.

He got Tenzin three months of the year. It was all he could manage, being completely unused to parenting alone. Aang taught his son what he could of airbending and the Nomad philosophy he could in that time, and did his best to ignore the people whispering fog children in the same breath as his oldest children.

#HAPPY NEW YEAR #atla #anti kataang #anti aang #air nomad critical #air nomad lore #a lil' sprinkle of aang salt to kick 2025 off #poor kya and bumi #although since it's canon that they aren't known to be aang's kids in lok the whispering probably stopped pretty soon #especially after their mother remarried and they became known for their connection with their stepfather #zutara #a lil' sneaky sneak zutara in the tags #fan fic

208 notes · View notes

honeylations · 11 months ago

Text

BAEK HARIN x FEM!READER

Prompt: You let her bully you but you know deep down she doesn’t mean it because she’s just trying to uphold her reputation as the school’s IT girl

Warnings/Notes: secret relationship, smut, fingering, F Grade reader, red flag Harin, smoking, reader gets burnt with a cigarette

A/N: IT’S HAPPENING PEOPLE. It’s time to showcase how down bad I am for this woman.

Your eyes were glued to your feet in fear as you were corned in the classroom by Dayeon and Wooyi, each holding a pair of kitchen scissors.

As always, everyone minded their own business, knowing that they shouldn’t interfere with whatever an A Grader is doing. You started to shake, tears welling up in your eyes when Dayeon took the sharp end of her scissors and dragged it lightly from your jaw to your chin.

“You know when I was younger, I loved styling my Barbie doll’s hair. My dad would always buy me a new one because I’d cut each one’s hair until they were bald and ugly….wanna be my new Barbie doll, Y/n?” Dayeon whispered.

Wooyi brushed her knuckles against your smooth face, admiring how clear and flawless it was. “It’s such a shame you got 0 votes. You’re so pretty Y/n-ah…all of that beauty about to go to waste”

Harin gripped her book as she remained glued to her seat, trying to mind her own business like she always does, but hearing the two girl’s threats/back handed compliments was slowly boiling her blood.

She’d allow any A Rank to bully anyone but once it came to you, her rule would change.

You’re her special girl.

That’s only for you to know at least.

Harin can’t bear to imagine how her reputation would be if the truth was out. She truly loved you but she loved this pyramid game just as much.

And you couldn’t argue with her about it. Whatever made your Harin happy, made you happy.

“I think we should give her short hair like Do-Ah” Dayeon winked, making Wooyi laugh.

Your clenched fists stayed by your sides when the took a chunk of your hair and steadying the scissors against it.

“Yah, that’s enough” Suji spoke up with arms crossed, making Dayeon roll her eyes.

“Don’t you have anything better to do other than meddling with us?” The green haired girl scoffed but Suji pushed the other two away before standing in front of you.

“How am I supposed to do well in class when I can’t even focus? Are you that dumb to not complete a simple test, Dayeon-ah? And Wooyi, if you’re gonna try to be the prettiest girl in this school, then find a better cardigan”

Wooyi cursed under her breath and held the scissors like a knife, taking a step closer to Suji just before Harin slammed her book on her desk and stood up.

“Kim Dayeon, Bang Wooyi. Enough.”

The two looked at Harin and gulped, seeing her approach them with her bitchy stare.

“She needs to know her place, Harin. I think she’ll look good with blood all over her body” Wooyi growled but Suji didn’t falter, only sending the short haired girl a middle finger.

“If you two don’t listen to me right now, I’ll make sure you move down to D Grade in the next voting.”

Looking between all of them, you noticed Harin was now staring at you as her minions ran off to their designated seat but Suji remained in front of you.

“You too, Sung Suji. Everything’s handled, you can go back to your seat” Harin ordered.

“And what, let you torment Y/n? I don’t think so”

“What makes you think I’ll do that?”

“I can see through you, Baek Harin. I’ll seriously kill you if I see burn marks on more people like you did with Jaeun”

With a shaky hand, you tugged onto Suji’s uniform. “S-Suji, it’s fine”

Harin’s eyes darted down to your hand that was on her rival, not accepting the small skin ship. “Don’t touch her, Jeon Y/n.”

Suji held your hand and interlocked your fingers. “Don’t listen to her Y/n. I can help you”

Fire flashed in Harin’s eyes and she instantly yanked you away from Suji, pulling you behind her. “Don’t touch what’s not yours, Sung Suji!”

“Who are you to claim her? I’m not letting you hurt this girl anymore!”

You saw the taller girl point her finger in the shorter’s face. “Try to ruin the game all you want, Suji. But don’t you dare touch Y/n or get her involved in it”

Without hearing another word, Harin dragged you out the class and into an empty room, locking the door and sitting down on one of the chairs while pinching her nose bridge.

You stood awkwardly in front of her and played with your fingers. “H-Harin..”

“Are you trying to make me jealous on purpose?”

You looked up at her with wide eyes. “What? N-No! I was going to tell Suji to go away I swear!”

Harin sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know, baby. It seemed like you wanted Suji’s attention more than mine. Don’t you love me anymore?”

“No no I love you, Harin! So much!”

She bit on the tip of her thumb before tapping her lap. “Come. Sit”

You quickly did as so and held onto her shoulders for support.

“You’re such a bad girl, baby. Letting the other girls touch you like that. Tell me, did you enjoy having Wooyi’s fingers on you?”

Your lips were sealed but you shook your head.

“That’s right. The only fingers you’ll be getting are mine, okay?”

“Y-Yes Harin”

She tilted her head at you. “We’re alone now, honey”

You gulped and flickered your gaze at her plump lips. “Yes mommy”

Harin held your hips and forced them to move back and forth against her lap. “Don’t kiss me, Princess. That’s your punishment as of today, got it?”

“Yes mommy” you gasped when Harin moved you to sit on her thigh, letting you continue riding it.

“M-Mommy, feels so good”

“I know baby. Don’t be loud, okay?”

You nodded and watched the girl remove her cardigan, taking out her usual cigarette and favourite golden lighter. Quickly lighting up a stick, she hid the lighter back into her cardigan and moved one hand underneath your skirt.

“My good girl. Not wearing panties like I told you to” she smiled, taking a big puff of her cigarette and blowing the smoke into your face.

You didn’t like passive smoking but with Harin, you did not mind one bit.

Her ring finger and middle finger were flat against your soaked entrance, causing you to whine. “Mommy…Mommy please can I ride your fingers?”

“Always having manners, baby. That’s what I love so much about you…” she trailed off and leaned up to place light kisses under your jaw. “…go on ride me”

“Thank you mommy” you choked and felt full from her two slender fingers pushing into you.

Your grip on her shoulders tightened while you moved up and down, feeling her digits dig deeper inside your walls. You threw your head bag and murmured a bunch of incoherent words while Harin stared up at you with fascination, still going through her cigarette.

“God, you’re so pretty Jeon Y/n. I’m so glad you’re mine. My beautiful F Grade” she whispered, leaning her cigarette to your shoulder. “You know what to do, my love”

You undid the 3 top buttons of your shirt and pulled down the left side, exposing your black bra strap and the left over burn marks from your previous private sessions with Harin.

She hummed at your obedience and struck the lit end of her stick against a new space on your skin. The mix of the pleasure of her fingers plus the stinging hot cigarette was enough to bring you to your orgasm, clutching Harin so hard that her uniform could’ve ripped.

“Yes…cum for me, sweet girl”

“Fuck fuck fuck yes mommy thank you”

Admiring your fresh burn, she flicked the cigarette away to hug your hips and pull you closer, letting her continue kissing all over your neck and collarbones, even kissing your old burn scars.

She was about to move to your other shoulder, pulling down the shirt to expose your skin but she was met with a big bruise.

“Is this from Kim Dayeon?”

You were still recovering from the intense orgasm but managed to nod your head. “Y-Yeah..”

“Does it hurt alot?”

“Not alot. I’ll put ice on it, don’t worry”

Harin slowly pulled her fingers out of you and sucked it clean, noticing your face going red. “Don’t be shy, baby. You’re so cute”

“T-Thank you”

“I can punish Dayeon for you, my love”

“No I don’t want that, seriously it’s okay” you chuckled and held her face, tracing her bottom lip with your thumb. “You worry too much”

“You’re my girl. Why won’t you let me help you move to A Grade?”

“Just ‘cause…I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you”

Harin nodded in understanding and kept smiling at you. “If you say so, my love”

#gxg #wlw #pyramid game kdrama #pyramid game #baek harin x reader #baek harin #jang da ah #pyramid game x reader

730 notes · View notes

solarmorrigan · 4 months ago

Text

Bats, and What to Do With Them

For the @steddie-spooktober day 14 prompt: Bats Rated: T | Words: 756 | CW: None | Tags: established relationship, Steve Harrington has absent parents, at the very least, Steve Harrington deserves nice things, and Eddie will give them to him Divider credit: @saradika

The first time Steve holds a bat, he is four years old, and his dad has signed him up for tee ball.

To be perfectly honest, Steve isn’t entirely sure what’s going on. It’s bright, there are a lot of other kids milling around, everyone seems to be shouting about something, and Steve is apparently supposed to be doing something with the bat in his hands.

When he finally does figure it out—when he hits the ball and it actually goes somewhere—his dad whoops from his spot in the crowd, and Steve glows. His dad isn’t around much, doesn’t have much time to play with Steve, but he’s here now, and Steve wants to make him to stick around. He runs when they tell him, and hits the ball when he’s supposed to, and he does his best to make his dad proud.

Tee ball becomes Little League, becomes the Hawkins Middle School team, becomes junior varsity in high school, but by the time he’s sixteen, Steve has given up on baseball. His dad had stopped coming to his games a long time ago, and Steve’s realized it will take a lot more than hitting a ball to make his dad proud.

Still, the feel of a bat is familiar in his hands when he swipes it up off the floor of the Byers’ living room. The weight is a little different, a little off-kilter with all the nails hammered into it, but Steve can adapt. He’s hit smaller targets than the thing he’s aiming for, but it’s never mattered as much that he lands a swing as it does right now.

He doesn’t even have to think about it; muscle memory takes over as he winds up, aims for the flower-petal head full of teeth that’s about to kill his friends, and swings for the fucking fences.

Later, even though the bat had been Nancy’s, and it had been Jonathan who’d filled the thing with nails, it stays in Steve’s possession. They both think that it’s best in his hands, and Steve doesn’t disagree. It comes in handy, after all, less than a year later when Dustin comes barreling into his life, bringing demodogs in his wake.

And a couple of years after that, when Steve actually has a moment to consider it, he almost wants to laugh. He’d had a bat in his hands again, and he hadn’t even had to think; he’d simply gathered all his strength and swung.

The fact that the bat had been a monster, rather than of the baseball variety, had apparently been irrelevant. Steve is well-trained by now; he knows what to do with bats.

At least, he’d thought he did.

But now, there’s a bat sitting on his pillow, and he’s at a loss.

It’s purple and black and fuzzy and stuffed – a little plush toy. Steve picks it up carefully, looking it over, and it looks back through green plastic eyes, giving Steve a little fang-toothed smile.

“Hey, Steve, have you– oh, you found him,” Eddie says, walking into the bedroom breaking into a grin has he finds Steve standing by the bed, still staring down at the bat.

“Yeah.” Steve says, looking up at Eddie with furrowed brows. “What’s it doing on my pillow, though?”

“He’s for you. Obviously,” Eddie teases. “Saw him at the store and it made me think of you, so I brought him home.”

This is clearing absolutely nothing up for Steve. “Why would this make you think of me?”

“Well,” Eddie says slowly, coming up beside Steve to sling an arm around his waist and pull him close, “you’re the man who handles the bats, right? So: a bat. For you. I thought he was cute.”

It is cute. Steve likes it, but he feels like maybe he shouldn’t. He hasn’t had a stuffed animal since he was maybe six or seven, when his dad had said that he was too old for them.

“What am I supposed to do with it?” Steve asks, the toy still cupped carefully between his palms.

“Hold him. Cherish him. Raise him as your own,” Eddie says, holding an entirely straight face for about five seconds before he’s smiling again, teasing Steve. “It’s a plushie, Steve, you don’t have to do anything with it. Just… enjoy having it.”

“Oh,” Steve says.

It’s a bat. Just for him to have. Something soft and sweet with no expectations attached.

And Steve guesses he can learn something new, when it comes to dealing with bats.

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #steddie-spooktober #Steve deserves to have soft things sometimes #Eddie will provide #solar wrote #eddiesteve

301 notes · View notes

fractualized · 9 months ago

Text

A while ago I got under someone's skin for referencing Joker's surprising delayed reaction to killing Jason Todd, and since then I've been thinking it's worth digging into as an interesting element of Joker's characterization.

Of course, first thing's first: Jason's murder in Batman (1940) #427, as originally presented in 1988.

Jason has just reconnected with his biological mother, Sheila Haywood, at a famine relief camp in Ethiopia— and he's discovered that Joker is blackmailing her with information about her criminal past. She gets him truckloads of medical supplies to sell on the black market, and Joker restocks the trucks with toxin. While Bruce races to stop a tampered truck, Jason decides to help his mother on his own. When he discloses he's Robin, however, Sheila betrays him to Joker, not only to stay on Joker's good side but because she's actually been embezzling money from the organization she works for this whole time. She's afraid an investigation prompted by Batman and Robin's appearance would expose this fact.

So Sheila stands by as Jason is felled by Joker and his goons, and then the crowbarring starts.

It's bad! When we return later, Jason is presumably dead.

While Joker isn't shocked that he's murdered a child, he does have an unexpected reaction to Sheila's point. He hadn't really been thinking about what he was doing, implying that he hadn't intended to kill Jason. He just got carried away, whoopsie! He didn't do this to get at Batman; he wasn't thinking about Batman at all. Now, however, he's concerned about how Batman will react.

Joker thinks Jason is already dead. The purpose of the bomb is to get rid of the evidence of his involvement, including Sheila. Joker is not broken up about what he did, but he does have a sense that he's gone a step too far and he doesn't want Batman to know about it. At least for now!

In the end, while Jason wakes and he and his mother try to save each other, they're trapped in the warehouse when the bomb goes off. Bruce makes it back only in time to find a dying Sheila, who tells him it was Joker. When Bruce finds Jason, Jason gets no last words. He's already dead, and Bruce is devastated.

A clue from Joker leads Bruce to the United Nations in New York, and there, infamously, Bruce learns that Joker has been made the ambassador from Iran. Joker is now protected from prosecution, and Batman going after him risks an international incident. Bruce still very much wants to, but Superman stops him.

Well, mostly Superman. I recommend reading Batman #429 to see Bruce's full thought process on this. He is furious and constantly thinking about finally ending Joker— but he also questions his mental state. He still wonders if he can hold Joker responsible if he believes Joker is insane. He uses phrases like "what happened to Jason" like it was a natural disaster, not murder. He even confronts Joker to give him one last chance to turn himself in to Arkham Asylum. Bruce is in a kind of denial, still grabbing at how things usually go.

But back to Joker. Evidently, he's no longer worried that Batman will find out he killed Robin. Joker admits to it immediately.

I assume Joker realized there was no point in denying it. Is Batman going to think it's a coincidence that Robin got blown up when Joker was around? Though Bruce does say it's Joker's taunts that 100% confirm for him that the clown was responsible, pointing again to Bruce still grasping for reasons to not break his rule in his grief.

By the end of the issue, Joker has naturally tried to kill the entire United Nations assembly, which instantly made him free game. So Bruce pursues him to a helicopter, and an in-air scuffle ensues in which Bruce explicitly prevents Joker from being killed by friendly fire, evidently so he can decide how Joker will die. Bruce jumps out of the helicopter, abandoning Joker to a fiery crash. However, despite Bruce's (supposed) intentions, Joker's body is nowhere to be found. The clown lives!

So that's it, right? Joker felt some unease about killing Jason initially, but in a short time, he was happy to gloat about it to Batman's face.

But when Joker reappears in Batman #450, in 1990, he is not triumphant. He's holed up in a dilapidated building, where he learns someone is impersonating him.

How often do we see Joker upset by murders? When the story returns to him, we learn more about his mental state.

With all of Joker's cackling glee at the things he's done, coming close to actual death in the helicopter crash has jarred him— and not just the crash, but the murder that led to it. He recoils from the memory of what he did to Jason. It's why he can't see the joke anymore. It's set apart from his previous crimes. It's too far.

Which is not at all to say that Joker is completely broken up about Jason. By the end of #450, he rallies and sets out to go after his copycat and restore his reputation to his liking.

In Batman #451, though, Joker is still plagued by doubts along the way.

Even when he overcomes those doubts, claiming the mantle as the one and only Joker when his copycat dies by falling into acid, Joker challenges Gordon to finally kill him. It's reminiscent of The Killing Joke, the first time Joker went too far. But like TKJ, Gordon and Batman decide to get Joker back to Arkham against their more vengeful instincts.

Joker's also decided Arkham is just what he needs. Outside, he's plagued by the reality of what he's done; in Arkham, he can settle back into his insanity and stop caring about it again.

So after that, Joker has no second thoughts about killing Jason, right? After all, he largely references the murder in callous terms. In-universe this makes sense as Joker revising history in his own head, particularly as more stories portray his effort to be more monster than man. Monsters don't have qualms about murder! But this is comics, so we can also presume that not all Joker writers know or remember #450/451, which I think is a shame. I find stories in which Joker expresses even just a degree of vulnerability to be more interesting than those where he's just mwahaha evil.

I have seen a few other bat stories bring some nuance into Joker's perception of Jason's death, though.

First up is the particularly nuanced "Fool's Errand" in Detective Comics (1937) #726, published in 1998. Bruce visits Joker in Arkham to get information on how to find a kidnapped girl who's running out of time. It just so happens Joker arranged this kidnapping for a particular day.

I strongly recommend this issue for batjokes fans, as it revolves around Joker talking the case through with Batman in his cell to help him figure out more clues to a crime Joker himself planned. Even with Bruce beating Joker up, the conversational tone feels almost friendly. They're just doing their usual thing.

Well, sort of. Bruce has already said he's not in the mood, and he interrupts their conversation to say so again.

Joker could insist that Batman stay and keep playing the game, and needle him for being unwilling to merely talk to Joker to rescue this child. Instead, Joker gives up her location.

And Bruce does come back as predicted.

So that was Joker's nefarious plan. He wanted to restore some hope to Bruce's cynical soul to be sure that his future failures would hurt even more. But it sure seems the middle didn't go the way Joker expected, when he recognized Batman just wasn't going to play the game as usual.

Joker doesn't jump into taunting. He doesn't answer Bruce at first. He's withdrawn and reflective. He's got something else on his mind on this anniversary of the second Robin's death, and he knows that Bruce does, too. Perhaps not forcing Batman to play was a small gesture, acknowledging the difficulty of the day, remembering how things changed. And what does that gesture cost Joker when he still gets the outcome he wants?

Second example is actually also called "Fool's Errand," this one from Robin (1993) #85, published in 2001. This is a fun one in which Joker discusses his interactions and frustrations with the Robins.

But while Joker indicates more than once that he wants to fight Batsy alone, after he talks about killing Jason, this is the next page:

Joker does not then say he was relieved when another Robin showed up, but still. He's acknowledged again that when he murdered Jason, things were not right. As angry as the birdies make him, they're a key component in the game.

Then we come back to "Once More, With Feeling!" in Harley Quinn (2000) #25, from 2002. Harley's been playing double-agent against Batman with Joker, and she and Joker have this exchange.

Joker typically makes light of murdering Robin, but it seems that when he's with just about his only confidante, he lets other feelings about it burst out.

There's also a flashback to DitF in Batman: Gotham Knights #44 in 2003. We get an exchange between Bruce and Joker before Bruce jumps out of the helicopter.

Joker laughs as the helicopter dives, ready to die, but before that, he seems resigned. He doesn't throw in a real dig about murdering Jason, and he doesn't gloat that he's finally gotten Batman to kill him. He acknowledges he crossed a line.

Lastly, there's a 2006 exchange between, well, Joker and Jason himself in "All They Do is Watch Us Kill, Part 2" as part of Under the Red Hood in Batman (1940) #649. Jason has kidnapped Joker as batbait, and when Joker needles him, Jason needles him back.

Joker regularly extolls his own crimes, but suddenly one of his victims mockingly accuses him of putting up a front, of not being as coldhearted and untouchable as he wants to seem. Maybe Joker does doubt what he's doing and retreats under the cover of madness so he doesn't have to think about it— just as he did in Batman #451.

I'm not sure if there are other examples of Joker expressing anything but mocking glee about Jason's death. I do know of times he's shown a sort of fondness for Jason (such as in The Man Who Stopped Laughing #4, Gotham War: Red Hood #2, Suicide Squad: Get Joker #3), but that's not really the same thing. Joker could've seen Red Hood as his and Batman's Frankenstein child without feeling any squeamishness about killing him in the first place.

But if anyone knows of any other moments where Joker does not act like killing Jason is absolutely his most favorite thing he ever did, do share!

#joker #jason todd #my jibber-jabber

521 notes · View notes

giveafike · 3 months ago

Note

kinda obsessed with the prompt of ben x fem tennis reader being together for a lil while and being the cutest couple , breaking up bc the distance hit them too hard after two straight months of different tournaments/locations, then seeing each other for the first time at a 1000 tournament, going out to dinner with the same group of people and end up going back to bens hotel room to clear the air and obvs end up in bed together realising they’re gonna have to get thru the distance cos they can’t be without each other now 😭

TLDR: tennisplayerfem!reader and ben break up bc you can't handle being away and then surprise, you can't handle being not together. Losers.

Word count + info: 10k. Am I mentally ill? This is supposed to be a blurb.. Dialogue (angst, texts, calls, conversation).

Warnings + Content Ahead: SFW! Breakup and kinda mean stuff said (nothing physical description wise). Otherwise, it's all good! (i think)

Azzie Notes ✚: SHOOT ME IN THE HEAD. AM I OKAY??? 10K?? ON A BLURB?? idrk what angst is fr chat lmk if i did that one fr idk....im a LOVER girl ok IDK HOW TO DO THIS SAD SHIT - in saying that, was part of my dialogue in this lwky..loosely based off of my ex...........maybe...

I fear I loved this prompt so bad and like...I love to yap..so...

Socials + Updates: twitter ( @azziegivesafike) - feel free to follow and msg me about non requests there, I'll be posting life updates, story + req updates and spoilers/teasers alongside other things, so it'd be nice to have a community over there!

————————————————————————

Shattered - B.T.S.

In the beginning, being with Ben is the kind of whirlwind you've only seen in movies, a connection that feels so natural, yet thrillingly unexpected. Well, in hindsight, that might've been a lie. It wasn't exactly love at first sight, but instead, a slow, magnetic pull that drew you together, like the tension building in a long rally. You met on the circuit, both hungry, ambitious, and dedicated to your own success. But from the start, Ben had this way of getting past your disciplined, guarded exterior with that relentless charm of his.

He’s everywhere, it seems—posting highlights from your matches on his stories, sneaking your name into press conferences, tagging you in his silly “lazy Saturday” shots where your game is always playing in the background. He flirts shamelessly, flashing that grin across the court, his voice lifting over the crowd to make some cheeky comment that leaves you stifling laughter. Your friends see it before you do: Ben is crazy about you, and soon, so is everyone else.

He flirted shamelessly and relentlessly, everywhere and anywhere, often catching you off guard in ways that left you flustered despite your best efforts to stay cool and professional. With that, you started to look out for the way his eyes would find yours in a crowd while you sat in the stands during his matches or how he would nudge you at practice with that easy, casual touch like he’s done it a thousand times before; like you belong by his side.

Once, when he's asked in an interview if he’d dedicated his recent win to anyone, he grins and looks straight across the room, making everyone laugh. “There’s someone special right now, but no need to say names, she knows.”

It’s sweet, funny and more than a little bold. Later, when you called him out for it over one of your first late-night calls, he shrugged, entirely unapologetic, telling you with that stupid drawl of his, “What? Ain’t no point hidin’ it. The world knows who my lucky charm is.”

Soon, it was you reaching out for him, your hand slipping onto his arm, leaning against him during walkouts, letting your barriers fall. And every time he catches your eye, every time he manages to make you smile, he looks at you like he’s won the lottery. His heart stammers a little each time you shove him playfully or roll your eyes at his antics. Whether it was on the bench or during changeovers, Ben would rest his hand gently on your lower back, a touch that makes you feel, just for a moment, like you're the only two people in the world.

When the rare break in your schedules comes around, you steal hours together. You grab a coffee, turning a "quick run" into a day spent together and wander around a city you barely know, or stumble upon a hidden café with pastries too flowery for your tastes. He made everything feel easier, like no matter how intense life gets, you’ll always have that balance with him. Around Ben, you can be softer, and more vulnerable; he brings out a side of you that isn’t just about winning and competing but about laughing, sharing, and letting go.

People noticed the way you look at each other, the easy affection that passes between you, the more daring and intimate PDA, sharing kisses and lingering stares. Soon, fans were shipping you openly, posting photos of you courtside, or whispering to each other when you lean close and murmur something that makes him laugh. On tour, you’re one of those “it” couples, a little slice of joy in the relentless pace of your careers. And in those early days, you both believe that together, you can take on anything. In those early days, you believed you could take on anything together. You and Ben were partners, equals, and even in the midst of a gruelling season, there had always been time for him, always a reason to smile. It felt perfect, like a love story you had stumbled into but were both entirely committed to.

But that honeymoon phase comes crashing down real quick.

As seasons shift and tournaments stretch across continents, the cracks start to show. At first, it’s just a few hours difference, but then come the miles and oceans, and the texts dwindled, conversations cut short, replaced by more missed calls than made and vague apologies. You both had tried, in every way you knew how. But eventually, the memories weren’t enough to bridge the distance. You’d catch yourself staying up just to wait for his call after practice, only to fall asleep disappointed, staring at a dark screen. And every time you woke up to a hastily sent sorry, something came up text, it felt like another tiny fracture.

Ben wasn’t the only one caught up in the chaos of your schedules; you had your own demands, too. The strain went both ways. In an attempt to keep things alive, you’d push yourself to keep up with his time zone, adding another city to your Clock app, setting alarms accordingly to his lunch and dinner times, staying awake far too late, eyes heavy as you sat alone in your hotel room, scrolling through old photos just to feel closer to him. When the call finally did come, your voice was barely more than a whisper, tired and distant, and Ben couldn't bear the exhaustion in your tone, his heart aching as he hushed you to sleep, meaning neither of you would stay on long.

It all piled up slowly, almost imperceptibly, until the weight felt crushing. Conversations became one-sided, it’s like chasing the sun itself, moments of silence replacing the laughter that had once felt endless, and that spark, the one that made you feel unstoppable together, felt further away with every day that passed.

Then came the day of your match, a game that should have been easy, one you’d normally have breezed through. But you were dragging, exhaustion wrapping itself around your every heavy, drooping step, and somewhere in the depths of your mind, a bitter thought took root:

If only he cared.

You knew it wasn’t his fault, but still, the frustration boiled over. Would things have felt different if you weren’t so alone in this? If you didn’t have to wonder when, or if, he’d remember to call? If he scheduled calls to your time for once? If he could just postpone everything for 20, 20 measly minutes for you?

A ball zips right by you, snapping you back to reality.

Lying in your hotel room that night, you stared at the ceiling, replaying the best moments of your time together like an old movie reel. In those moments, it had felt perfect. You’d believed you could take on the world, side by side, partners in everything. But now, with miles and silence separating you, you wondered if those memories were all that was left of what you once had.

But even with that ache, even with the emptiness filling the room, one thing is clear as day: loving Ben, for all its messiness, for all the distance and loneliness, had never felt like a mistake but God, was it hard. You pondered on those same irritating thoughts that itched at you until your fingers found your phone and hit the FaceTime Call button. Part of you wanted him to not pick up, knowing that you had nothing kind or sweet to say, but a small part of you wanted to dish back what he deserved.

“Hey,” he greets, his voice tense, worn. His drawl feels distant like he’s talking to you from across an ocean.

“Hey.” You can feel the iciness in your voice, colder than you intended.

“Long day?” he asks, though his expression is already tense, wary.

“Yeah. Almost lost today,” you say flatly.

Ben’s gaze flicks down. “I saw the score,” he says, his voice cautious. “Guess it was a tough match, babe.”

“It shouldn’t have been,” you snap. “But maybe it’s hard to focus when I’m barely sleeping… or constantly waiting for a text that never comes.”

He blinks, his eyes narrowing. “So this is on me?” The familiar accent is a little rougher around the edges. “You’re losin’ matches ‘cause I’m not callin’ you enough? That’s what you’re sayin’?”

“Don’t play dumb, Ben. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about” You feel the bitterness twisting in your chest. ““You’re barely here, Ben. Half the time, I don’t even know if we’re still together or if we’re just two people sending pointless messages every few hours. Half the time, it feels like I’m talking to a ghost.”

He lets out a frustrated laugh, shaking his head. “You think it’s any easier for me? I’ve got my own stuff, my own schedule, darlin'. I’ve got my career to think about too, you know, this ain't just about you.”

Your jaw tightens. “Yeah, well, at least when I'm on the court, I don’t exactly have the luxury of tuning you out, Ben. I’m not the one who forgets to call after saying I would. I don’t have time for half-assed texts and waiting around for you to call when you feel like it.”

“Oh, don’t go there,” he mutters, rolling his eyes. “You know what it’s like. The fans, the interviews, the time spent on court-”

“Yeah, I get it, Ben. But last week, you bailed on a call to go sign autographs. Priorities, right?”

He takes a deep breath, visibly holding back. “C’mon, babe, you don’t mean that.”

But you press on, unable to stop yourself. “You’re too busy with whatever ‘big thing’ you have going on, right? Maybe if you cared enough to focus on your game instead of your ‘commitments,’ you wouldn’t have dropped that finals match. Just maybe.”

He flinches, his expression turning dark. “Oh, that's low from you, Y/N. You really wanna go there?”

“Yeah, I do,” you say, your voice unwavering.

He pauses, his face hardening. “If you were out here on the ATP tour, you’d understand how rough it really is. You wouldn't even get past a challenger. It ain’t the same league as the WTA.”

You laughed, a cold, bitter sound. “Oh, don’t even start with that. Rougher than the WTA? Is that supposed to make me feel better? Maybe come and join WTA then, you wouldn't manage it out here either, Ben.”

He snaps, his voice cutting like a whip. “You know how much I’m fightin’ to make a name for myself out here. Just ‘cause you got a few more shiny titles doesn’t mean you get to talk down to me like this.”

The sting of his words hits like a slap. Your face flushes, a mix of anger and hurt bubbling up. “So, that’s it? Just because I’ve actually earned my success, I’m some kind of… what? Nag?”

“I didn’t say that,” he shot back, voice tight, his eyes narrowing as he looked away. “But maybe you’re doin’ too much. Bein’ all… dramatic, blamin’ me for stuff I got no control over.”

“Right, okay, so I’m being dramatic,” you scoff, your voice edged with sarcasm. “I’m the one asking for too much because I want something real, something you clearly can’t give.”

He laughs, bitter and raw. “Maybe you just want too damn much.”

You feel the tears prickling behind your eyes, but you clench your jaw, holding yourself together by sheer force of will. Your voice trembles as you speak, the words thick with a pain you can’t contain. “I just want you to care, Ben, or at least pretend to care and make it believable. I want you to care enough to be here when it matters. But you’re so wrapped up in yourself, you don’t even see it.”

His face hardens, his jaw set, but his eyes hold a flicker of something unspoken. “You think I don’t care? I’m out here pushin’ myself every day, for us, for this future we’re supposed to be building 'n shit. But it’s like no matter what I do, it ain’t enough for you.”

A sharp knock sounds from his end, followed by muffled voices. He glances away, then back at you, irritation flaring in his eyes. “Look, I gotta go. Dad’s waitin’ on me; he already gave me an extra ten minutes to talk.”

You feel your heart twist, an ache of disappointment settling in. “Oh, of course,” you mutter, your voice dripping with bitterness. “Go ahead. I’m sure your training’s way more important than anything I have to say.”

He turns back, his eyes blazing with frustration. “Maybe it is right now,” he spits. “Talkin’ to you like this, all it’s doin’ is makin’ things worse. We're not getting anywhere like this-”

The words cut deeper than you expect, and you can barely hold back the surge of anger and heartbreak choking you. “Fine. Go, then. At least one of us can prioritise something.”

He scoffs, shaking his head as he looks away. “You’re bein’ unfair, 'n you know it.”

“Am I?” you whisper, your voice tight and choked. “Or am I just done waiting for you to show up?”

You stare at each other, an endless silence stretching between you, sharp and seething, words too heavy to be unsaid. Then, with a frustrated shake of his head, he mutters, “I can’t do this right now. I’ll talk to you later. When you’re not actin’ like this.”

Before you could respond, he hung up, his face disappearing from your screen, leaving you alone with nothing but the cold light of your phone. Your hands shook as you stared at the blank screen, tears finally spilling over.

With trembling fingers, you took a breath, letting a cold, steely calm settle over you. You typed out a simple, blunt message, leaving no room for second-guessing, no room for soft words or explanations. Just the truth, as raw as you felt.

“We’re done. I can’t do this anymore, Ben. I’m sorry.”

Your thumb lingered for a second before hitting “send,” and as soon as the message went through, you blocked him on every platform, cutting off any way for him to respond, to apologise, to convince you otherwise.

But as you tossed your phone aside, a crack appeared in the calm you’d forced on yourself. The tears came suddenly, your breath hitching as a tidal wave of heartbreak surged through you. You buried your face in your hands, pressing your palms against your eyes as if you could somehow contain the emotions clawing their way to the surface. You tried to stay quiet, muffling the sound in the dark, but the weight was too much, every sob raw, grieving and heavy, pouring out the frustration, the loneliness, and the love you’d tried so hard to salvage.

By the time your tears subsided, you felt utterly drained, hollowed out in a way that made everything around you feel distant and surreal. The city lights flickered outside your window, the glow indifferent to the storm that had torn through you. And in that quiet, broken moment, with only the shadows as company, you lay there, letting the exhaustion seep through your bones until sleep claimed you.

When sleep finally came, it was restless, fractured. You tossed and turned, flashes of memories from better days with Ben haunting you, the sound of his laugh, the way he’d smile, gummy and wide, his nose scrunching with that easy confidence. You woke up more exhausted than when you’d closed your eyes, feeling like you hadn’t rested at all. But you forced yourself out of bed, pushing yourself through your pre-game routine, your emotions locked away, frozen under layers of determination.

As you walked onto the court, the crowd buzzed with excitement, but you barely registered it. You were a storm, calm on the surface but seething underneath. Every shot you took was hard and brutal, the ball slicing through the air with an intensity that made your opponent flinch, the impact echoing through the stadium. You played as if your life depended on it, your body moving with sharp, lethal precision.

Your serves were relentless, your groundstrokes vicious, each one faster, sharper, as if each shot were a way to expel the anger and hurt still simmering in your chest. The crowd murmured, noticing the shift in your energy, the way you were pushing yourself, almost recklessly. A couple of times, your shots zipped past your opponent’s hand, barely missing, almost daring her to try and reach for it - "try me". You were untouchable, unstoppable, playing like you had something to prove.

But there was no smile, no hint of joy in your movements, solely mechanical. The usual lightness in your footwork was gone, replaced by a cold, ruthless efficiency. You’d already decided: this match was yours. You weren’t here to give an inch, weren’t here to let any lingering emotions cloud your focus. The crowd might have wanted excitement, but you were giving them precision, a display of control and fury that left no room for doubt.

You won, of course. Your opponent barely had a chance. But as you walked off the court, sweat trickling down your brow, fists clenched, you felt no thrill in the victory. Just the dull ache that lingered, a hollow space where your lightness, your smile, used to be. The heat of the court only made your head throb. The applause faded into background noise as you strode away, head high, shoulders tense. You’d won, but it felt like a hollow victory. You had no one to text after your game, anyone to call you baby - you had done it to yourself, were you really that desperate for a man to validate you? You were sick of feeling this way, sick of the exhaustion, the anger, the loneliness that clung to you even after everything you’d given today. At least, for now, you’d proven something, to yourself, to him, even if he’d never know, or care.

In the month that followed, you threw yourself harshly into your schedule, determined to erase any trace of him from your routine, your heart. Matches, training, travel, interviews, photoshoots, more matches, each day bled into the next, filled with an almost mechanical sense of purpose. If you weren’t on the court, you were working out, perfecting your strokes, spending hours on serves and footwork. Anything to exhaust yourself to stop the thoughts from lingering too long. Your routine was relentless, your focus razor-sharp.

But even in this frenzy, despite it all, reminders of him still slipped through. You’d scroll through social media, and every so often, an ATP post would pop up: Ben at a tournament, Ben celebrating a point, Ben grinning with that easy charm that used to make your heart ache. He looked different now. His curls were longer, spilling out from over his sweaty headband, and his frame had hardened, leaner, with muscle that seemed to outline his strength in sharper lines. His chubby cheeks had slimmed down into something harder, replaced by the quiet confidence of someone who’d grown, adapted, maybe even suffered a little.

And you could almost feel it, the quaking, gaping pain of missing him, but you’d swallow it back down, pull yourself together, and look away.

Your own press conferences became something else entirely. You were more composed, a bit sharper with your words, confident in a way you hadn’t been before. Where you used to smile shyly or laugh softly, now you leaned in with humour, a hint of flirtation, your charm more self-assured. You handled reporters’ questions deftly, especially the ones that tried to pry about Ben. The same questions came up over and over:

“So, do you still keep in touch with Ben?”

Each time, you’d respond with a practised, cool smile. “Right now, I’ve got all the support I need from my team and the people I have with me.” You’d turn the conversation to your work, your skill, and your grind on the court, dismissing the topic with subtle elegance, always steering it back to your goals, your game, and your people.

Yet, away from the cameras, the facade cracked, if only slightly. Sometimes, after a long match or a particularly brutal day of training, you’d find yourself scrolling through your old photos or feeling tears prickling your eyes, this messy situation taking a bigger toll than you would like to admit.

In his hotel room, Ben watched your interviews alone, a faint crease between his brows. There you were, in all your brilliance, flashing a confident smile at the camera, handling the press with a wit and boldness that felt both familiar and strange. He could see the way you’d grown, the way you’d steeled yourself, and it stirred something in him, a pang he couldn’t ignore. It was like watching someone he knew intimately and yet… not at all. The way you answered questions about him, and your subtle redirection to your career and team, it stung. Maybe it was petty, but he missed the way you used to talk about him with such pride, with that lovestruck glow. He loved seeing how shy you would get at the sheer mention of his name. Your hair was different, your skin glowing, you had more confidence, even if it came off a bit cocky but he still felt like you were his, just as much as he was yours. Ben didn’t know how to reach out, didn’t know what he’d even say. There was a distance now, both physical and emotional, that seemed impossible to bridge. He’d scroll through his own phone sometimes, finding old messages, ones before distance got the better of you both, photos of the two of you, half-written scripts in his Notes app he couldn’t bring himself to deliver. If he flew out tonight to you, what would he even do after? He’d think of calling you, of reaching out somehow, but the memory of your last fight, the bitterness in your voice, the way you’d shut him out… it held him back.

One evening, as you sat alone in the players' lounge, your forehead pressed against the back of the sofa, you felt that familiar ache pulse through you, the one that came every time you thought of him. It was then that Coco came by, her familiar, steady presence filling the room as she settled down across from you, cross-legged on the seat in front of you. Over the past year, it was Ben that introduced you but, you and Coco had grown even closer, bound not just by shared victories and losses but by the pressures only someone like her could truly understand.

Coco tilted her head, her gaze warm but unwavering. “Alright,” she said, cutting through the silence. “What’s really going on? Are you… over him?”

You exhaled slowly, running a hand through your hair as you tried to gather your thoughts. “I wish I could say yes,” you murmured. “I’ve tried. I’ve tried to move on, focus on the game, on everything else, but… he’s still everywhere. Even when I’m doing well, even when I’m focused, it’s like… something’s missing.” Your voice dropped to barely a whisper. “It’s like I can’t fully shake him.”

Coco nodded, her expression both sympathetic and knowing. “I get it. You two had something real, something intense. But maybe this time apart is what you both need. I mean, look at you. You’re stronger now, on and off the court. Maybe that’s part of this whole journey, you know?”

You managed a faint smile, though your heart still felt heavy. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. It just… doesn’t always feel like enough.”

She reached out, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze. “Trust me. If he’s the right guy, he’ll figure it out, too. Until then? Focus on your game. Focus on you.”

Her words stayed with you, offering a small but steady comfort in the days that followed. You have been throwing yourself into training, pouring everything into the sport, trying to find solace in each match and each moment of growth. Somewhere out there, he was doing the same, and maybe, just maybe, this was what was best.

But no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t completely smother the small spark of hope, that someday, somehow, your paths might cross again.

It was similar in the men’s locker room, Ben slumped forward on the bench, his elbows propped on his knees as he stared blankly at the floor, holding an uncapped bottle of water. Frances Tiafoe, who’d been eyeing him from across the room, exchanged a knowing glance with Taylor Fritz before making his way over.

“Alright, bro, spill it,” Frances said, tossing a towel over his shoulder as he leaned in. “You’ve been lookin’ like you’re living in some sad dog for weeks.”

Ben gave him a sidelong glance. “There’s nothin’ to talk about.”

Taylor rolled his eyes as he joined them, settling down on the other side of Ben. “Come on, man. We’re not blind. Ever since she blocked you, you’ve been… different.”

Ben scoffed, looking away, his voice low. “She didn’t just block me, man. She… she threw down, real hard. Said some things I thought she’d never say.”

Frances let out a low whistle. “Was that rough, huh?”

“Yeah,” Ben said, rubbing a hand over his face, his frustration mingling with regret. “It all just blew up. We were on a call, talkin’ like usual, and suddenly… it was like everything we hadn’t said just came out. She starts throwin’ things at me about how I’m not there, like… like I don’t care enough or not workin' hard enough. And it pissed me off, you know? I work just as hard, and it’s not like I’m sittin’ around, right?”

Taylor nodded, leaning back against the lockers. “So, what’d you do?”

Ben shrugged, his expression pained. “I pushed back, told her she couldn’t keep actin’ like she’s the only one workin’ for this. Told her ATP is just as tough, maybe even more competitive. Didn’t mean it that way, but she took it wrong. She thought I was tryin’ to downplay her game.”

Frances shook his head, giving Ben a sympathetic look. “Man, she must’ve felt hurt.”

“Yeah,” Ben muttered, a bitter laugh escaping him. “And next thing I know, I get this text. ‘This isn’t workin', we’re done.’ Blocked me on everything. Cold as ice, man. It’s like she flipped a switch, just… shut me out completely, as easy as shuttin' a door.”

Frances gave him a gentle nudge. “You still care about her?”

Ben’s gaze softened, a faint smile breaking through his frustration. “Yeah, man. She’s… she’s my girl. Even if she’s not my girl right now, you know?”

Taylor chuckled, nodding. “So, what’re you gonna do about it? Sit around here moping, or actually make a move?”

Ben sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “What am I supposed to do? She’s made it pretty clear she’s done with me.”

Frances grinned, crossing his arms. “Bro, just ‘cause she blocked you and sent a text after you called her game easy, doesn’t mean it’s over. She’s mad, yeah, but she’s probably missin’ you just as much. You just gotta show her you’re willin’ to do what it takes.”

Taylor nodded in agreement, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “And it doesn’t have to be some big romantic gesture, man. Sometimes, it’s the small things. Something to let her know you’re still thinkin’ of her, still care. You know where we're at next, right?”

Ben chuckled, shaking his head. “And do what? Just show up at her hotel room? She’s liable to call cops on my ass for that shit, bro.”

Frances laughed, shrugging. “So what? At least she’ll know you tried! Don't go doin' that though. Look, I’ve been with my girl for years now, and sometimes, you gotta be willing to look like a fool to show her you care.”

Ben leaned back, their words sinking in. He could still feel the sting of the things she’d said, the accusations she’d thrown at him like he didn’t care, didn’t work just as hard. But he couldn’t deny that he’d made mistakes, too. He’d let his pride get in the way, said things he regretted, and let the frustration of it all get the better of him.

Frances nudged him again, his grin widening. “Think about it, man. You got two choices: sit here, feeling sorry for yourself until she finds some other guy, or actually do something about it and get her back, even if that means standing in the rain with a fuckin' speaker.”

Ben finally cracked a smile, looking between his friends. “Y’all are ridiculous.”

“Hey, maybe,” Taylor said with a shrug. “But at least we got girlfriends. And you? You got a chance to get yours back. Just gotta decide if she’s worth it.”

Ben sat there, mulling over their words as a new determination started to burn within him. Maybe he didn’t have all the answers, and maybe there was a lot he’d have to figure out. But if there was even a chance to fix things, to bridge that gap that felt so wide, he wasn’t about to let his pride hold him back.

As he left the locker room that night, he felt a resolve solidify within him. He’d find a way to reach out, to let her know that no matter how far apart they were, she was still the one he wanted. Because when it came down to it, she was worth every bit of the fight.

A week went by before a 1000 game flew in, and both ATP and WTA were present if not, nearby for the games. You couldn't care less what was at stake, anything was a win if it kept you occupied. The courts were almost empty, shadows lengthening as the sun beamed high above. You bounced the ball steadily, the rhythm calm, your focus laser-sharp. The only sounds were the muted thud of your shoes on the court, and your breath falling into sync with the beat of your earbuds. Nothing but you, the court, and the quiet.

But then, that voice broke through.

"Aw, c'mon, man!" A laugh, deep and full of that unmistakable Southern drawl. Your grip faltered, the ball hovering mid-toss. That laugh, it was a sound you hadn’t let yourself think about for months, one that held too much of him.

Ben.

Your pulse jolted, the memories flooding back, warmth and bitterness tangled in the knots of your chest. You gritted your teeth, tossing the ball high before slamming it against the court, the crack of impact sharp in the quiet. It almost felt satisfying, like you could obliterate the tension he brought, shatter it with sheer force.

Almost.

You readied another serve, the ball bouncing harder than necessary as you forced yourself not to look. But you could feel his gaze, that familiar weight of his eyes lingering on you. The pull was magnetic, almost maddening, and despite every ounce of resolve you’d built up, your gaze betrayed you, slipping over to catch a glimpse of him.

Ben, laughing with Taylor, curls tousled longer than before, his hoodie slung carelessly over those familiar, ridiculous short shorts. The same hoodie you'd worn too many times to count, drowning in its warmth during late-night snack runs and lazy Sundays. The sight tugged painfully, a cruel reminder of the little things you’d pushed down, tried to forget.

He caught you looking, and his laughter faded, his gaze holding yours for just a second too long. You gripped the ball tighter, the ache settling heavy, and forced yourself to turn away, channelling the flurry of memories into another sharp serve, a fierce crack reverberating across the court. You didn’t look back again.

Hours later, your body was tired, your mind a bit clearer. You were scrolling through your phone in the lounge, zoning out, when Coco dropped down beside you with that familiar, mischievous grin.

"Hey, you!" She nudged you, hands on her hips.

You eyed her warily. "What’s up, Coco? Awfully perky for...5:30p.m."

“We’re having dinner tonight. Big group. Wanna come?” Her tone was casual, a little too casual.

Your guard went up immediately as you dropped your phone to your lap. “Who’s ‘we all’?”

Coco shrugged, twirling a loose curl around her finger. “Me, Frances, Arthur… maybe another WTA girl or two. Just a fun little dinner. Nothing formal.”

You narrowed your eyes, reading the glint of mischief in hers. "Coco, don’t mess with me. He's not gonna be there, right?"

She tilted her head, pretending to look innocent, but the sly smile gave her away. "Well… he might show up, but that's on his own accord. I didn't mention anything to Ben and it’s not like anyone’s setting anything up! It’s just dinner."

Your stomach twisted, a sigh slipping from your lips as you looked away. “I don’t think so. Not after… everything.” Your voice softened the weight of old arguments and unsaid things hanging between the words.

Coco’s face softened, her hand finding your shoulder. “Look, I’m not saying you have to sit next to him or anything. It’s a big table. You can stay on the opposite end and ignore him if that’s what you need. But everyone misses you, it’s been ages since we all got together. We all need to see your pretty face off the court too, ya know?”

You hesitated, rolling your eyes, the ache of missing them settling somewhere deep, the sense of family you hadn’t felt in months tugging at you. After a long pause, you finally nodded, rolling your shoulders back as if bracing for a match. “Fine. But I’m serious, Coco, no funny business. If he starts anything, I’m out.”

Coco grinned, throwing her arm around you. “Girl, trust me. If anything, you’ll be giving him the funny looks. Just friends, no drama. Now, let’s go get you out of those sweats.”

Meanwhile, in the locker room across the court, Ben was doing his best to act indifferent as Frances nudged him for the third time.

"C'mon, man!" Frances said, leaning against the lockers with a knowing grin. "So you are coming to this dinner tonight, right? Don't make me beg again, I'll start singing.”

Ben tried to play it cool, leaning back with his arms crossed. “I don’t know, man. You really think it’s a good idea?”

Frances rolled his eyes. “Look, you’ve been moping for months. She’s not gonna make a scene in public, and especially not with all of us, and who knows? Maybe she’ll talk to you, be all civil. It’s worth a shot.”

Ben let out a huff, rubbing the back of his neck. “Civil? You remember the last time we spoke, right? She has me blocked on everything.”

Taylor, stretching nearby, smirked and chimed in. “Man, you got nothin’ to lose. At the very least, you’ll see her. I saw how you were after you caught a glimpse of her training earlier. Besides, Frances and Coco will keep her from killin’ you.”

“Kay, thanks,” Ben muttered, though a flicker of hope sparked under the sarcasm. He didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t shake the longing to see her again, to maybe fix even a sliver of what had been broken.

Taylor nudged him, grinning. “Hey, listen, if I wasn’t taking Morgan out tonight, I’d be there just for moral support. But hey, maybe next time it’ll be a double date. Me, you, Morgan and your soon-to-be girlfriend, just like old times.”

Ben shook his head, the thought both terrifying and oddly thrilling. “You’re jokin’, right? She’d probably throw her drink at me before she’d sit through a double date.”

“Only if you act like an idiot,” Frances pointed out, laughing. “Just be yourself, man. You can handle the heat on the court, you can handle this. And maybe tonight’ll be the thing that finally breaks the ice.”

Ben sighed, running a hand over his face before finally surrendering. “Alright, alright. Fine. I’ll go. But Frances, don’t expect me to be all… chatty.”

Frances clapped him on the back, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. “Yeah, you say that now. But I know how you get around her, man. Just don’t chicken out. Remember, we got your back.”

Ben couldn’t help but smile nervously, feeling a strange mix of dread and anticipation tighten in his chest. He wasn’t sure if this dinner would be a chance at redemption or just a painful reminder of how far they’d drifted, but one thing was clear, he was tired of hiding from whatever was left between them.

You walk into the restaurant and let Coco lead you to a long table, feeling an odd mix of nerves and determination fluttering in your stomach. Your outfit is cute but simple, just a sweater and leggings; just enough effort to feel put together without trying too hard. You take a seat between Coco and Arthur Fils, with Frances across from you. There’s an empty chair across from Arthur, and for some reason, that empty space makes your heart beat a little faster, feeling torn between wanting and avoiding Ben there.

As everyone settles in, you catch Coco’s eye and mutter, “Please tell me he’s not actually coming.” She just shrugs with an easy smile.

Moments later, as the group banters along, about to order drinks, Ben strolls in, catching you entirely off-guard. He’s slightly out of breath, apologising to the group with that familiar grin, explaining he’s late because he’d just finished showering after practice. You can’t help it, you nudge Coco under the table, whispering through gritted teeth, a frustrated, “Great.”

Coco just gives him a casual greeting, and you force yourself to turn back to the table, focusing your attention on ordering a glass of wine, pretending not to notice him as he takes that empty seat across from Arthur, just barely within your view, diagonally. But as he sits down, you feel his eyes on you, and for a brief moment, you glance up and catch him staring, his face almost dazed.

You’re caught off-guard by the look in his eyes. His breath seems to hitch, his big brown eyes wide and you can see a faint blush creeping up his neck as he stares at you, almost like he’s seeing you for the first time all over again. There’s a softness in his expression that you weren’t prepared for, a kind of awe that makes your stomach twist with memories and longing. But just as quickly, you look away, turning your attention to your wine as Frances elbows Ben with a teasing hiss, “Be normal, man.”

Throughout the night, you manage to keep to yourself, mostly talking to the other WTA players or Arthur whenever he cracks a joke. You keep Ben at the edge of your vision, resolute in ignoring the way his gaze keeps drifting back to you.

Every once in a while, Ben attempts to draw you into the conversation, maybe a lighthearted comment or a direct question, but each time, you meet his gaze with a steely look, making it clear with just one glance that you’re not interested. When he tries again, you let your eyes meet his for a moment, long enough to show him you’re serious before turning away, cutting off his effort entirely, almost to say "not interested". Across the table, Frances raises his brows, murmuring with a barely hidden smirk, “Damn, she is good at this,” as Ben slouches slightly, clearly trying not to look embarrassed.

As dinner winds down, the plates are cleared away, and you excuse yourself to the bathroom, needing a moment alone. Inside, you take a deep breath, facing yourself in the mirror. You’d been bracing yourself for tonight, but nothing quite prepared you for how it would feel to see him sitting right there, looking at you with those big sweet brown eyes and a pout, filled with that same soft pleading that used to make you melt.

But tonight, all it did was remind you of those late nights waiting by your phone, checking it over and over for messages that came slower and slower until they just…stopped. It reminds you of the countless hours wondering if you mattered as much as you thought you did, replaying his empty promises and half-hearted reassurances that seemed to fade with each passing day. He couldn't expect you to take him back with a pout and some half-assed joke. But damn, was it a good attempt, he knew how to make you crumble, even if it wasn't his sole intention.

You force yourself to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear as you look in the bathroom mirror examining yourself with a sigh, applying a bit of lip balm with fingers that tremble just slightly. Anything to distract yourself, to remind yourself that you’re strong enough to face this without breaking, reminding yourself to keep that mask on. You straighten your posture, determined to push all those memories back down where they belong, buried.

But just as you step out of the bathroom, Ben is standing right there, leaning against the wall as if he’d been waiting for you. His eyes soften the moment they meet yours, and he opens his mouth, his voice just a whisper. “Can we…talk? Just the two of us?”

The look he gives you, hopeful, no, desperate, stirs something deep inside you, and you clench your jaw, wanting to say no, wanting to walk away without a second thought. But as much as you’d like to ignore it, part of you still aches for some kind of closure, maybe even just one honest conversation.

With a reluctant sigh, you nod. “Fine. Outside.”

As you head out the restaurant’s door, you quickly fire off a text to Coco:

me n Ben talking outside. brb.

You stuff your phone back into your bag, clutching it tightly to your shoulder as you step into the cool night air. Wrapping your arms under your chest, you try to keep yourself shielded from more than just the chilling breeze.

Ben falls into step beside you, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. There’s a moment of silence as you both find your footing, the quiet thick with everything that’s been left unsaid. You glance sideways, catching him opening his mouth like he’s about to say something, only to close it, his shoulders shifting awkwardly.

“So… how’s the tournament going for you?” he starts, his tone casual, a little too casual.

You blink, trying not to roll your eyes, feeling the irritation growing. Really? But you bite back and just sternly say, “Ben.”

He rubs the back of his neck, glancing up at the streetlights overhead. “Sorry, yeah, that was- uh, okay.” He lets out a breath and shuffles closer, his voice almost a murmur. “I just… I wanna make this right. Another chance- Just thought maybe… you know, talkin’ would be easier if…”

“Ben, stop.” You sigh, tightening your grip on your bag strap. “Stop being weird. Just… just say what you have to say, and let’s get this over with. Let's not make this longer than it needs to be, I've got shit to do tomorrow.”

He glances at you, brows knitting together. For a second, he looks almost frustrated, like he’s holding back something sharper, something rougher. But he lets it pass, letting out a long, resigned breath. “Fine. I’ll just ask one thing.”

You arch an eyebrow, scepticism thick in your voice. “One question. Shoot.”

His voice comes out softer, edged with a hesitant curiosity as if he knows it’s a stupid question but can’t help but ask. “What hotel you stayin’ at?”

You let out a dry chuckle, shaking your head. “The Merrion.”

His eyes widen slightly, a small, stupid smile breaking on his face. “No way… me too.”

You sigh, looking up at the night sky, feeling the inevitability of whatever this night is becoming. Of course, he’s at the same hotel. Only Ben could make the universe align like this. And only Ben would think of a stupid question like that. He shifts his weight, stepping closer, his gaze steady.

“Look,” he starts, “it’s just a short walk back, twenty minutes or so. Just… give me that time. Just enough to walk back. Let me talk. And then you can go to your room and go to bed. How 'bout it?”

There’s a hopeful edge in his voice that you can’t ignore, and for a moment, your resolve falters. It’s ridiculous, this is exactly the sort of thing he would come up with, some half-baked plan to get you to keep listening, to keep him around just a little longer. You want to roll your eyes, to brush him off, but something about the way he’s looking at you, those earnest, brown eyes so damn full of longing, makes you sigh.

“Fine,” you mutter. “But if you get weird again, I’m out. No small talk, you know how much I hate it.”

A small grin creeps onto his face, and he falls into step beside you, a little closer than necessary, his arm brushing against yours as you start down the quiet street. For a minute, he doesn’t say anything, just walks alongside you, letting the silence settle around you both. But then, in that familiar southern drawl, his voice comes softer.

“Y’know, I've been thinkin’ ‘bout us a lot… probably more than I should.”

You keep your eyes on the sidewalk ahead, willing yourself to stay unmoved. “And?”

He swallows, his gaze tracing your profile, softening with each word. “I messed up,” he admits. “I know I did. I shoulda… been there more, answered more, I dunno. Shoulda been better at handlin’ it.”

You nod slightly, keeping your face blank. “Mhm, you should've.”

There’s a flicker of frustration in his expression, but he doesn’t let it throw him off. “You think I didn’t feel it too? That whole time, it felt like- hell, like I was losin’ you, like somethin’ was slippin’ right outta my hands, and I couldn’t do nothin’ to stop it.”

You feel the tension in your shoulders loosen just a fraction, though you keep your arms folded as a kind of armour. His words settle into the silence, raw and rough, and you can feel him glancing over, waiting for some kind of response. But you keep your gaze forward, biting back the little stirrings of emotion that are beginning to creep in.

He keeps talking, voice low and steady, drawing you in without giving you a chance to look away. “I’m not tryin’ to make excuses, alright? I know I coulda tried harder. But it’s like… the more I tried, the harder it got. The distance, the time zones, the schedules… it all just made me feel like I couldn’t keep up. And I just didn't know how to juggle it and that's my fault.”

You shake your head slightly, finally glancing over at him, the faintest of smirks tugging at the corner of your mouth. “So this is your way of apologising?”

He laughs, a little sheepish. “Guess I’m not real good at it, huh?” He nudges you with his shoulder, a familiar, easy gesture that makes your arms slowly loosen. His hand brushes your arm, just for a second, and a warmth blooms where his fingers graze your skin as if your body’s memory of him can’t help but respond.

“Look,” he says, his voice dipping softer, “I just… I miss you so much. Like hell.”

The honesty in his tone hits you hard, unravelling the cold exterior you’ve worked so hard to keep up. He keeps his eyes on you, watching your face carefully as if gauging your reaction. You feel your resolve slipping even more, your arms slowly falling to your sides, your heart aching as you fight against the wave of warmth that’s threatening to break through.

“Ben…” you start, barely a whisper, but you don’t know what to say, feeling torn.

He moves a little closer, his eyes wide, pleading, like he’s trying to hold onto every inch of you he can. “I know I messed up, okay? But I don’t wanna lose you. Not for good. Please, Y/N. Give me one more chance, you won't regret it 'n if I fuck up bad, you can do whatever, however; I deserve it but please. Just one more chance.”

You press your lips tight together, feeling your heart tighten as his words sink in, as he stands there looking at you with that same vulnerability you’d once fallen in love with. For a second, you forget the hurt, the sleepless nights, and you’re left with just him, the version of him that’s open, sincere, the Ben you’d once held so close.

The walk to the hotel stretches out as he keeps talking, spilling out and laying his heart bare with that easy, boyish charm that only he can pull off, and little by little, you feel your icy exterior start to melt. He talks about his time away from you, how he admired you from videos, watched highlight reels, his endless hours at night going through photos and texts; the whole lot. He cracks a joke, and despite yourself, you smile, trying to hide it but failing. He nudges you again, grinning as he sees the hint of laughter breaking through your guard.

He apologises over and over, more earnestly each time, his voice steady and low, and you can hear the regret, the guilt, the need to make things right. By the time you reach the hotel entrance, you’re feeling something dangerously close to hope, your heart betraying you, making it harder and harder to keep up the facade.

You glance over at him, catching the way his eyes soften as he looks at you as if you’re the only thing he can see. He’s staring, the blush from earlier creeping back up his neck, and when his hand brushes yours one last time, you don’t pull away.

You stand just outside the hotel, a faint chill brushing past as the streetlights cast a warm glow around you. You shift on your feet, glancing up at him, your eyes soft but determined.

“Can I talk?” you ask, breaking the quiet, your voice barely above a whisper. The first thing you had actually said this entire time.

Ben raises an eyebrow, leaning in with a playful smirk. “Talk? What else have we been doin’ for the last twenty minutes, girl?”

You roll your eyes and reach out to smack his arm, earning a chuckle from him. “Fine then. Can we go up to your room?” you add, a small, daring smile tugging at your lips.

Ben’s eyebrow quirks higher. “My room, huh?” His gaze narrows, teasing you with that familiar glint. “What exactly ya got planned, sweetheart?”

You swat him again, harder this time, and he laughs, raising his hands in mock defence. But then you drop the smile, your voice softer. “I wanna talk about what I did, Ben. I messed up too.”

The teasing fades from his expression as he studies your face, searching. After a pause, he nods and gestures toward the lobby. “Alright, then. Let’s go talk.”

In the elevator, silence hangs thick in the air, tension as familiar as it is unspoken. You don't even notice, spending your time stilling your breath and running through everything you want to apologise for. When you reach his room, you head over to the small couch by the window and settle in, tucking your legs under you and giving him a steady look.

“Ya gettin’ comfortable already?” he jokes, leaning against the wall, his eyes dancing with that old spark that makes you ache.

You try not to smile, steeling yourself for your confessional. “Can you be serious for a minute?”

His smile fades as he walks over, sitting across from you, his gaze intense and focused. You take a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything you’ve held back.

“I shouldn’t have put so many expectations on you,” you begin, your voice wavering. “You’ve got your own life, your own competitions, your own dreams. All this constant travelling, the different time zones… it’s not fair to expect you to be there every time I needed you at the drop of a hat. You get burnt out too- God. I never even asked how you were before I'd launch into my own day.”

You bite your lip, blinking back tears as they start to blur your vision. “I should’ve known better. I should’ve been more understanding, given you more grace.” Your voice catches, barely a whisper now. “And what I said… on that call… it was cruel, Ben. I was mean and unfair, and you didn’t deserve that. You didn’t deserve any of it. At all. I wouldn't want myself back after all I had said and done.”

As a tear slips down your cheek, Ben’s face softens, and he reaches out without hesitation, his hands cupping your face as he brushes the tear away. His thumb lingers on your skin, his gaze is unwavering, and then he leans forward, pressing the gentlest kiss to your temple, another to your forehead, and a final one at the crown of your head, his hand resting tenderly against your hair.

You let out a shuddered breath, your hands covering his as you finally let everything pour out. “I miss you so much,” you whisper, your voice breaking. “I miss everything about you… the way you laugh, your ridiculous voice…” Another tear rolls down, and you don’t try to hold back. “I miss the way you’d talk about cars or food for ages, and you’d make everything feel so normal, even when my life was a mess. Without you, it’s like this haze I can’t shake. I just… I miss you. I barely recognise myself these days.”

Your body shakes with the sobs you’ve tried so hard to bury, and Ben doesn’t hesitate. He pulls you close, wrapping you in his arms like he could shield you from all the pain, all the regret. He holds you there, one hand smoothing over your hair, his lips pressing soft, tender kisses to your forehead and cheeks, murmuring gentle words against your skin.

“S’all right, darlin’,” he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m here. I’m right here with you.”

You cling to him, burying your face into the crook of his neck, as his hands trace soothing circles along your back. Your sobs gradually quiet, but your breaths are still shaky, each exhale unsteady.

“I’m so sorry, Ben,” you manage, voice barely audible.

He pulls back just enough to meet your gaze, his thumb brushing over your cheek. “Hey now,” he murmurs, his tone warm and grounding. “We both made mistakes. Ain’t just on you, alright? Takes two to mess up, but it takes two to fix it too. We can fix, can't we?”

You nod, your fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, feeling a little of the weight lift, softened by his words.

Ben tilts your head to hold your gaze, his own eyes glassy. “Can’t tell ya how many times I thought about callin’ ya or flying to ya,” he admits, his voice low. “How many times I’d pull up your name, wonderin’ what you’d say if I told ya all the things I wished I’d said. But I was… hell, I was scared, darlin’. Thought maybe I’d screwed up too bad, and you’d moved on.”

You shake your head, a small, breathy laugh escaping. “I couldn’t...I could never.”

He strokes your hair gently, his lips brushing your forehead once more. “Guess we’re both a couple of fools then, huh?”

You laugh softly, the sound wet and trembling as he pulls you back into his arms. You lean into him, letting yourself feel the warmth of his embrace, the steady beat of his heart, grounding you. Wrapped in the quiet, tangled together, you both hold on a little tighter, feeling the rawness of your honesty and the comfort of finally, finally being close again. In the safety of his arms, you feel, for the first time in so long, a sense of peace, letting the unspoken words settle around you like a quiet promise.

Ben’s hand rests on your cheek, his thumb tracing small circles as he learns your face all over again, making your heart flutter. His fingers move slowly, grazing down to your jaw, then up again, threading into your hair. You let your eyes close for a moment, his gentle touch working its way through the tension of the night, and a small, contented sigh escapes you. For the first time in weeks, you feel relaxed and content.

“Gettin’ comfortable, huh?” he murmurs, his voice low and teasing, though there’s a warmth in his eyes that wasn’t there before. He leans in, giving one final push to a stray strand of your hair before tilting his head toward the bed across the room. “C’mon, darlin’. This couch is barely holdin’ us together.”

You hesitate, but Ben’s already moving, holding out his hand as he stands up. His grip is strong, guiding you as you follow him to the bed, and he lets out a soft chuckle as you settle beside him. His arm drapes around you, pulling you close as you lean into him, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest against you. The warmth is so consuming, cocooning you immediately.

Ben smiles down at you, a playful glint in his eye, and as his fingers find your hair again, he starts twirling a strand between his fingers. “So,” he murmurs, resting his cheek on the top of your head, “ya still gonna keep me blocked, huh?”

You roll your eyes, smirking. “Fine,” you reply, unlocking your phone with a playful huff. You find his name, well, technically his new contact name since you’d deleted him in a fit of anger, and type a single white heart emoji, pressing send.

The vibration of his phone buzzes beside him, and he pulls it out with a grin, holding up the glowing screen. “There it is. Knew ya couldn’t resist me,” he says, laughing as he pulls you in close as he kisses your temple.

But just as you relax against him, you notice a missed notification. It’s a text from Coco, her reply to your earlier message asking where she’d disappeared to after dinner. You hesitate, then, instead of texting back, you tap the Facetime icon, feeling a strange urge to share this quiet moment, finding words couldn't suffice, nor were you in the mood to type out a lengthy paragraph.

The call connects, and Coco’s face appears, a gasp escaping her as she spots you two tangled up in Ben’s bed, nestled together with his arm around you.

“Oh my god! Yes!” she cheers, loud enough to make Ben chuckle. You hear laughter and cheers in the background too, and Coco turns the camera, revealing the whole dinner table watching with knowing smiles.

"Coco, this was a set-up plan, huh?" you giggle as you see the entire friend group on the other end.

"Somewhat, but blame Morgan and Taylor, not me. They did all that," she throws the blame as she points the camera over to them. Frances, Morgan and Taylor wave and Frances yells “Look at Ben! Already got her in bed, huh?”

Ben rolls his eyes, but a faint blush colours his cheeks. He pulls you closer, his hand resting protectively around your shoulders as he grins.

“Hey now,” he says, his voice low and sincere. “This one’s special. Ain’t like any other. My lucky charm.”

You feel your heart skip a beat at his words, and you’re so focused on him that you barely notice Coco and the others making gagging noises before Ben reaches out, ending the call on your phone with a smirk. Then he turns back to you, his eyes soft, filled with something that feels dangerously like forever.

He leans in, his lips finding yours in a kiss that’s slow and tender, each second lingering with quiet promises. And in the warmth of his arms, your heart finally feels at home, exactly where it belongs.

#azzie asks #ben shelton #benshelton #ben shelton x reader #atp tennis

188 notes · View notes

littlejuicebox · 1 year ago

Text

My Sun, My Moon

Pairing: Spawn Astarion x GN!Reader/Tav Summary/Setting: 6 months post BG3 / Part 2 to my other fic Astarion talks in his sleep. Rating/Warnings: PG-13 / In game spoilers / Alludes to sexual encounters / Mentions of past trauma etc / Pretty much all fluff / It’s so sweet it’s going to rot your teeth Word Count: 2.3K Notes: This is 5/5 Days of "Star-mas!"

*takes a bow* Happy Holidays! Hope you all enjoyed!

I'm also entering this into the #BG3HolidayFluffle23 challenge under the prompt "twinkling lights."

Click here to see my master list.

-----

After Astarion’s sleep-talking gave away his little secret, you’d spent nearly every waking moment anticipating the rogue’s proposal. You were horribly, terribly wrong every time, of course. You began to think that perhaps your original assumptions were right, and that an engagement would come much later on. Maybe he wasn’t quite ready. Maybe he was just planning and thinking about the future… the frustratingly distant future. He’d ask the question when he was ready, you reasoned; in his own time and on his own terms. You could respect that.

But then, on the eve of the Netherbrain Battle’s six month anniversary, you came home to a dinner that Astarion had cooked (almost) entirely himself. Candles were lit, table settings were placed, and your lover chose an expensive wine pairing for the meal. His steak was, of course, entirely raw while yours was seasoned and cooked to perfection. You were certain you had Shadowheart to thank for your half of the meal, but you’d complimented your lover and all his efforts, nonetheless. At the end of dinner, you were quite confident that this would be the moment you’d been waiting weeks for.

“I have something to say.” Astarion murmured, lithe fingers rubbing circles on the back of your hand as he clasped it in his own.

You practically felt your soul leave your body in that moment. Oh gods, you knew what your answer would be, you knew this was coming, and yet here it was, and you were still wholly unprepared. You barely fumbled out a, “Y-yes, my love? What is it?”

“I read your mail.” Astarion responded, his eyes flooding full of guilt at the confession. He expelled a small sigh, flicking his gaze up at the ceiling and then back down to you. “Darling, I know we have been discussing this for months, but I really don’t think we should go to the Underdark. You’re getting so many outstanding offers that require you to remain in the city. You’re the hero of Baldur’s Gate, for god’s sakes. I know you want me to be safe from the sun… but I can’t, in good conscience, do that to you and rip you away from so many wonderful opportunities.”

“O-oh…” Your chest deflates and you catch yourself frowning for just a moment. Astarion’s brow furrows as he incorrectly interprets the cause of your sudden mood shift to be the current conversation and not the crushing disappointment you were trying to shove aside. You quickly try to move into a more neutral expression, but the rogue is already jumping into another worried explanation.

“Darling... Please hear me. I love you more than anything, and I know you better than anyone. You will not be truly happy there, of that much I am absolutely certain. These offers you’re receiving will give you multiple avenues to build the life you want…. the life we want. Imagine the good you could do with that level of influence, my love! Let me help you; I can review contracts, negotiate deals… whatever you need to ensure your success. Do not throw away so much potential on my account. I simply couldn’t live with myself if you did.”

He was right, of course. The only thing you wanted almost as much as you wanted Astarion was to continue the good work you two had been doing for Baldur’s Gate.

You sigh and nod your head, squeezing his hand gently. “You’re right, my love. I suppose it would be silly for both of us to throw away so much opportunity.”

Astarion beamed at your response before leaning over the table to plant a kiss on your lips. You smiled at the rogue when he pulled away to look at you with adoring crimson eyes. Perhaps it hadn’t been the conversation you were hoping for, but it had been a good and much needed one, nonetheless.

-----

Tonight, you and Astarion decided to take a stroll around the city. You were following the vampire’s lead, ambling around the streets as he pointed out more than a few of his old haunts. He revealed some of the difficult moments in his past as you two meandered about… more than one of the tales nearly made you cry with an overwhelm of sympathy for your lover. But you held back, knowing the elf hated eyes full of pity almost as much as he’d hated Cazador.

You noted that Astarion seemed to look back on his experience with more acceptance now. You knew, of course, that there were likely an infinite number of stories he had not yet revealed to you and perhaps never would. But you were still happy to see a bit of lightness in him as he spoke his truth. He hadn’t appeared to have one of his episodes on the entire walk, and as you pondered this, you also realized his night terrors had only occurred a handful of times this month. Such an improvement to what had been an almost daily incidence when you two originally moved in together.

Before long, you and your love arrived at the docks, where just over six months ago you’d felt as if you’d been stabbed in the gut as you watched the rays of sunlight scorch the vampire until he was forced to run for cover. But now, you two stood there hand in hand, resting in a pocket of comfortable silence. Both of you were admiring the twinkling starlight, full moon, and dark, mysterious expanse of the sea.

“The stars were so much more beautiful in the wilds… don’t you think, my sweet?” Astarion asks, his eyes filled with wistfulness as he ponders the sky.

You utter a little hum of agreement as your mind flashes to the first night in camp, when you caught Astarion reclined on his bedroll, stargazing. You turned your head to look at the rogue and remind him of the memory, but found he disappeared from your line of sight. Your vision wanders down and there he is, bent on one knee.

Oh this had to be the moment. Just when you were about to shout yes before the rogue even had a moment to say anything, Astarion looks up and smiles, a small pouch of gold coins in his hand. “Look! I suppose it’s our lucky day, darling. Their loss is our gain, would— are you alright, Tav? You’ve got this strange look on your face.”

Gods, not again. You feel your face flush with embarrassment. In your excitement and overwhelm, you’d almost ruined everything and let Astarion know that you knew his little secret. You made the decision then and there that this would be the last time you anticipated his proposal; let it happen when it’s meant to happen. You were done playing the guessing game. You couldn’t ruin everything with your big fat mouth.

You nod your head slightly before turning to look back at the stars once more, taking a deep breath and hoping to settle yourself.

“Yes, my love. I suppose I’m just thrilled by the beauty of the stars and the full moon, tonight. And by your beauty, of course.”

The rogue stands up, tucking the small sachet in his pocket. He smiles and places a soft, loving peck on the apple of your cheek before wrapping his arm around your waist. The two of you look up at the stars once more, and you spend a few moments pointing out some constellations in the sky. Stargazing had been one of the first things you two bonded over in camp.

Astarion is watching you with devoted interest as you ramble on about the planets and the mythological creatures represented by the patterns in the stars. Finally, there is a small lapse in conversation, and you want to take the opportunity to kiss him, but when you turn, the vampire is once again out of your sight line.

When you look down this time, Astarion is looking up at you, holding a velvet box in shaking hands.

“Tav—" He manages to choke out, but then his eyes fill with tears, and he stops to blink them away, chuckling softly at himself. You immediately come to kneel in front of your love, hands pressed to either side of his face, silently urging him to continue.

The vampire inhales shakily, suddenly quite overwhelmed by the extreme vulnerability he knows he’s about to lay before you. But the softness of your hands on his face grounds him in the moment and he smiles, admiring the look of utter adoration in your eyes.

A couple of tears fall over the edge of his lash line, and you immediately swipe them away with your shaking thumb. Another chuckle escapes the silver-haired elf, and he shakes his head in disbelief.

“My love… I’ve rehearsed this for weeks. I’ve said it all out loud more than a thousand times, I’m sure. I’ve spent almost every opportunity in your absence practicing this. One time I even had Shadowheart pretend to be you while I rehearsed my grand speech. But now that we are here… I’ve nearly forgotten everything I wanted to say.”

You move forward to press a kiss to Astarion’s lips, your hands still shaking as you run your thumb over his cheekbone. “It’s okay, my Star. Please continue, when you’re ready… rehearsed or from the heart… I want to hear it all the same.”

Astarion nods just a fraction and inhales. The shaking hand that is not holding the ring box comes to lay atop your own hand resting on his face. Your love slowly, absently runs his thumb along the back of your palm as he gathers his thoughts. He stares into your eyes with so much love that you almost kiss him again but hold yourself back to allow him to continue.

Astarion exhales a shuddering breath and then continues in a reverent tone, as if he’s whispering a prayer, “My darling. I have lived long life. Much of it was a sad and hopeless one. When we were walking through the city, I pointed out several places where I’d encountered horrible things. Many of those things are still hard to talk about… some of it, I don’t know that I will ever be able to.”

You are crying now, from the overwhelming blend of sympathy for your little Star and palpable feeling of love in this beautiful moment. Tears begin coursing thin streams down your cheeks. Astarion wipes away the tears as they fall, though his lips start trembling from your display of emotion.

“B-but what I do know is that… in many of the places I pointed out, there are also memories of us. Of our friends. Of the time we spent together before saving the city and of the six months we’ve spent here after that. Little by little, we are taking places that only held horrible memories for me and turning them into places that hold feelings of hope and happiness.

I guess what I’m saying is that… these past six months have been the counterweight to two hundred years of misery. And I do not think I deserve you, but I cannot imagine my life without you. You are everywhere I go, everywhere I look, and every happy memory I hold in my heart. If you’ll have me… I would like to spend the rest of our lives, however long they may be, turning this city into a place of hope for us and for the people we hold dear.”

Astarion opens the box, and you gasp in true awe as he reveals possibly the most beautiful ring you’ve ever seen. At the center is a beautiful moonstone, emitting an ethereal glow that shines brilliantly in the darkness of the pier. The setting is gold, and an intricate sunburst pattern made in smaller gems surrounds the center stone.

“Standing on the dock that day, after that long battle… I had the thought that my life was ruined when I realized I could no longer stand in the sun. I thought I might never know true happiness again. But it turns out, that was the moment my new life with you began… and you’ve opened the door to more happiness than I could’ve ever imagined for myself.

Even if I never see the sun again, I have made my peace. I would make the choices I made to be here with you, on this dock, in this moment, again and again in every lifetime. You are my sun and my moon. And my darling, it would be my honor to be your Star for the rest of time. Tav… will you marry me?”

As soon as the question comes out of your lover’s lips, you instantly push forward to crash into Astarion, enveloping the elf in an emotional kiss. You both topple over from the sheer force of your ardor, and as you do, the vampire deftly snaps the ring box closed to protect it from spilling out onto the dock.

When you finally break away, panting heavily, both your faces are thoroughly flushed with excitement. The vampire looks up at you, scarlet eyes filled with absolute devotion. You giggle and press one more soft kiss to the rouge before taking your hand in his and pressing a kiss to his knuckle. “Yes, Astarion. Nothing in this life would make me happier than to share it with you.”

-----

Later that evening, the two of you are naked in bed after several rounds of vigorous celebration. You’re admiring your ring, which is still faintly glowing in the semi-darkness of your bedchambers. Astarion takes your hand and presses his lips to the ring with a small smile; his scarlet eyes closely examine the gem.

“I don’t know how it works… you would have to ask Gale. But the center stone glows when I think of you, you know.”

You blink, moving to touch the gemstone in the middle of the ring with curiosity. “But it hasn’t stopped glowing since we’ve been on the docks.”

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we’ve been on the docks.” Astarion replies simply, moving his hand to stroke your cheek as a gentle, good-natured laugh escapes his mouth, “Perhaps now you’ll have some insight into how often my thoughts revolve around you, my sweet.”

You feel your eyes welling with tears again. Damn this man and his beautiful heart… he truly never misses a detail when it comes to you. You move forward to pull his lips into another loving kiss, and when you break away this time, a thought crosses your mind.

“Astarion… did you really find that bag of coins on the dock?”

Your lover grins mischievously, his crimson eyes crinkling at the corners as he grabs your ring-clad hand and kisses it once more.

“No, my sweet. But I had to throw you off. Shadowheart told me about my mishap. I wanted to surprise you… but you know me far too well and you’ve never been easily fooled… and the sleepy confession didn’t help things at all. I just figured that you would never anticipate that I’d drop down on one knee twice in a row.”

Astarion knew you just as well as you knew him… and he had been right. He’d fooled you. You roll your eyes and chuckle as the rogue moves closer to you, nuzzling into the side of your neck where fresh fang marks throbbed.

“Now what do you say, darling? One more round of celebration before we go to bed?”

1K notes · View notes

lo1k-diamonds · 3 months ago

Text

Be as it must 💜 Part 5

"Now, calm down. Whatever happens, I’m with you."

PAIRING: Alpha!Jungkook x Omega(f)reader

SUMMARY: You're getting really tired of being whisked away. It's time to put a stop to it.

WORD COUNT: 4.6k

GENRE: ABO, strangers to lovers, fated lovers, smut

RATING: R (explicit)

WARNINGS: kidnapping aftermath, confusion, mentions of abuse

A.N. A huge thank you to @moonleeai for the beta read💜 I couldn't help including everyone 💜 We're nearing the end and the last part is fire 🔥🤭

The ringing in your ears was the first thing you noticed as you came to, making you groan in discomfort. Your mind was too hazy to realize why you felt this way, but then your wrists were released, and you snapped your eyes open.

You sucked in an anxious breath, forcing yourself to face the lights blurring your vision. You were getting sick and tired of all this bullshit kidnapping antics! You rubbed your wrists, now free, and felt the soft pillowy couch under you, but it did nothing to soothe your annoyance. If Jungkook thought this shit was funny—

You stiffened, facing the man in front of you, who was extending a glass of a transparent liquid in your direction.

“Here.”

You frowned as you observed his features, but you didn’t recognize him. Interestingly, he was wearing a designer white suit, and you clenched your jaw. Before, you were too dazed to recognize the musky buttercup invading your nostrils, but now you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that man was an alpha.

He waved the glass in front of you, and your features twisted just the slightest, displaying your anger and suspicion. You didn’t care who this guy was, but you could instantly tell he was part of the problem. Not only did you want nothing to do with any other alpha or Family, but you also were not a pawn to be pushed around in a stupid alpha game. Did Jungkook lie about even that? It seemed like the kidnapping tradition was up and well.

“You’ll feel better if you drink some water,” he smiled, keeping his offer.

You pursed your lips, sniffing discreetly to confirm that it was water, indeed. Then you looked into those almond-shaped eyes and took the glass with a quiet thank you. It could be the death of you, but your instinct just told you he was nice.

As soon as you drank, he sat and leaned back into a matching armchair with a grin beaming warmth, “So it is true.”

You finished the water and lowered the glass, weary. He could smell your designation, same as you, so there was no point in beating around the bush. “Where am I?”

“The Jung tower,” he smiled affably, and your brow furrowed. If that was supposed to mean something to you, it missed the mark.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Jung Hoseok, at your service.”

Your lips twitched; you sincerely doubted that. Otherwise, you’d be at Jungkook’s apartment right now, not there, next to the head of the Jung Family.

“What am I doing here, Mr Jung?”

“Ahh, that’s hard to explain,” he laughed a bit embarrassedly, then leaned forward. “Maybe we can figure it out together? What’s your name?”

You told him and answered his questions about where you came from, why you were in Seoul, and what the last thing you remembered was. “They injected something,” you said bitterly, rubbing your neck. “And next thing I know, I’m here, talking to you.” He nodded gravely, and you sighed, “I understand your alpha traditions are prehistoric, but one would think your generation would know better than to act like Neanderthals.”

The way he burst out laughing with his hands on his chest made you smile, suddenly not feeling like you were addressing your captor, but a friend.

“You’re absolutely correct, and there’s no one else better to say it!”

He grinned and his phone buzzed, prompting him to text something hastily.

You licked your lips to ask softly, “So… are you going to let me go?”

“Certainly, you’re not a prisoner,” he assured before typing something and putting his phone down.

“And you won’t… harm me?”

“Of course not!”

His wide eyes conveyed shock, and you believed him, though you still reminded him, “But you could. For power.”

“Ah…” He nodded, and his expression became almost solemn, “I could, but it would just lead to more issues. And besides, you’re the omega. You can just tell me to stop, and I’d have a hard time.”

You tilted your head, “But an alpha’s voice is absolute.”

He grinned, “That’s true, but what about an omega’s voice?”

You shuddered and looked down, “So the stories about cutting their tongues or gagging them…”

“Some of them true, surely,” he agreed sadly. “A ruthless way to shift the balance between designations. An alpha’s command is incontestable, but an omega’s plea is undeniable to these alphas. They were seen as a weakness if they could talk.”

“But then, how would they be used as a weapon?”

It was likely a disadvantage that your curiosity sprung out like that, but he satisfied it, “What would you do if your mate was in trouble? Soulmates tend to be very protective, and alphas are probably the worst,” he laughed, rubbing his neck. “Then, don’t forget the worth of blood. An omega's child will always carry the alpha’s designation, so it keeps the line strong.”

You couldn’t bite back your bitterness, “Well, serves you well that you started disappearing in droves, then.”

“Ouch!” He laughed heartily again, “Lessons were surely learned.” His phone buzzed in his hands and he smirked, “Still, it was an honor to meet you.”

He got up with an extended hand for you to shake, and you scurried to do the same, a bit confused.

“You give me the hope that my mate might also be out there somewhere,” he smiled, shaking your hand gently with a head bow.

Your eyebrow twitched, unclear why he was suddenly sending you away and what you were supposed to do, but then you heard it. Beyond the closed door of that office, you recognize someone’s voice that made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

Hoseok let go of your hand, and you leaned in to whisper, “Just make sure you don’t kidnap her when you find her. Doesn’t make for a nice icebreaker.”

That was how Jungkook found you — standing with Hoseok, who was laughing his heart out. You turned to look at Jungkook, your hair falling in long dark waves behind your shoulder, and he raced across Hoseok’s office to get to you. To hold you in his arms, sweeping you off your feet, and burying his face in your neck. The relief flooding him was indescribable; he just couldn’t not hold you close to him, even if he knew he shouldn’t. Even if you were still mad at him and meaning to leave him, his heart hurt without you.

But he had to let go of you, only to be met with eyes that sparkled up at him. He touched your chin and was almost sure you felt the same way as him.

“I like her,” Hoseok grinned, stepping away to give you two space. “Even after being told she has power over me, she didn’t wield it.”

Jungkook nodded, eyeing you again. He had barely come to his senses yet; such a hasty instant was not enough to take you in fully, to make sure you were alright and safe. But he still let you go because he could read in your lowering eyes that it was what you wanted. He was thankful you stayed next to him, though.

Facing Hoseok, though, his anger resurfaced, “How did this happen? How did she end up here?”

“I was contacted by someone saying they had a gift that could increase the Jung’s prestige,” he glanced at you, then back at Jungkook, and his expression had lost all gentleness.

“By who?” Jungkook frowned and Hoseok passed him his phone.

“See for yourself.”

Jungkook frowned; it wasn’t a number he recognized, but he dialed it. Only a few seconds were needed for a man to pick up, “Ah, Alpha Jung. Like I said, a legit omega. Delicious, isn’t she? I hope you’re having fun with your new prize.”

Jungkook was so enraged his face was almost blood-red, “You’re fucking done.”

He shut down the call, threw Hoseok’s phone back, then grabbed your hand.

“I know who that is. I’ll call for a meeting immediately. My Family’s punishment is not enough for this perfidious insult.”

He dragged you behind him, utterly confused by what he meant, and Hoseok nodded and gave you a soft head bow as you left. You barely had any time to take in your surroundings, recognizing only a few posters on the wall, which reminded you that the Jung Tower housed multiple studios and productions.

Jungkook dragged you inside the elevator and hit the underground button before pulling you into his arms again, “I’m so sorry.”

You couldn’t bring yourself to push him away, not before, and not now. You were also relieved to see him and touch him again; the way you relaxed in his arms defied the meaning of soothing. Your very soul seemed to ease with his spicy scent tickling your nose, and you pulled him closer.

“Why does this keep happening?” You whispered near his ear, and he pulled away to face you.

“Because we’re all fucking stupid brutes,” his eyes glistened as he brushed your cheek. “I should have increased security around you, this is my fault.”

You grabbed his wrist with a sudden realization, “What about Mr Seung?!”

“He’s in the hospital, he’ll spend the night there, but he’s fine. It was just a drug, he’s not injured.”

You nodded, then closed your eyes with a grimace, “I’m so sorry for him, I dragged him into this.”

“No, this is not your fault.”

Your gaze was hard, “I’m the omega.”

“And everyone else needs to fucking get on with the times,” he said harshly, pulling you closer by the waist.

Yet your eyes drifted, “Maybe it is best if I stay secluded in the village…”

“No, no fucking way,” his tone hardened, making your sad, tired eyes raise back again. It was enough for him to calm down a little, “This is not your fault, and I’ll make sure you get to live the life you want to live. I promise you, we’re going to handle it right now,” his finger brushed your skin so endearingly your eyes watered.

“I know you mean well, but you can’t control everyone,” your tone was soothing as you brushed your thumb over his pulse. “Jung Hoseok was nice, but what if the others aren’t?”

“They are. I might not be able to control everyone, but together, we can deal with this. Just trust me,” he glanced at your lips as the elevator slowed, and your expression held skepticism, but you nodded.

“Sir?”

Jungkook’s eyes lingered on your lips, but then he let go, grabbing your hand instead. He turned to one of his bodyguards awaiting you two at the underground parking lot and gave orders while he took you with him. You didn’t want to let go of his hand, so you followed after him and inside the car that drove away swiftly.

You wanted to trust Jungkook, if nothing else, because your heart seemed to lean on him so much. The car drove you as he made a series of phone calls, but with his arm around you and your head on his chest, you found yourself ready to close your eyes and reset. Everything was alright as long as he was right there.

You didn’t manage to nap, though, because minutes later, you were approaching an extravagant skyscraper; you gasped, the tallest in Seoul. You knew only what everyone knew about it — it was the headquarters of some of the richest financial companies in the world, rumored to own the whole of Southeast Asia in their pockets.

This time, the car stopped right in front of the main entrance, and as you exited the car, taking support from Jungkook’s hand, another car stopped behind yours. Hoseok exited that vehicle with a smile and waved for you to go ahead. Jungkook brought you inside surrounded by his bodyguards, as you saw other cars stopping until a big mass of muscle prevented you from seeing anything anymore.

“Alright, how do you feel?” His long fingers drew your chin up, but he frowned before you could answer, “You look pale. Maybe we should take a moment. Do you want to drink something? Go to the bathroom? Eat? Maybe a chocolate would—”

“Jungkook—”

But your protest fell on deaf ears, “Gosh, what I am saying! I should take you to a hospital first, this can wait!”

His hand let go of your chin to grab your hand, but before it could, you threw your arms around his shoulders and cupped his cheeks, “Stop. I’m fine. You said you’d handle it right now, and I trust you.” Your heart skipped with the proximity, but you were too entranced to withdraw. “I’m ready, so let’s do it.”

You wondered if the proximity hit him too because he stayed quiet, observing your features with fascination. It was only because of the nearing commotion that his eyes snapped beyond you, prompting him to grab your hand and drag you away again.

“What is the maknae doing?”

Someone chuckled with a perfect, gorgeous grin often featured on billboards, and someone shorter with rose-blond hair replied, “The scent is goddamn intense.”

His fingers raked the luscious waves, and Hoseok smacked his shoulder, “Right?”

“I think he’s hiding her,” a baritone teased, a boxy grin following suit.

“I’d hide her too,” the tallest shrugged, adjusting his shirt collar.

“Let’s get on with it,” an impatient one voiced, shoving his hands inside his pockets, and Hoseok hurried to massage his shoulders.

“Eager to meet her, huh? Don’t hide it, we all feel the same,” he grinned, despite the other’s stink eyes and chuckles. “Let’s go.”

You didn’t know what you had to prepare for, so you couldn’t exactly relax. You had smoothed your dress pants and washed your face as much as you could without ruining your makeup, and gone to the bathroom at Jungkook’s request.

You had thrown him a look of disbelief, but he insisted, “Come on, just trust me.”

Raking your fingers through your long, wavy hair, you wondered what exactly was coming, but there was nothing like facing it head-on.

Jungkook was waiting for you and waved a white package in his hand, “I hope you like them, couldn’t find much else.”

You chuckled, “And why do I need Whoppers?”

“Because you’re still pale,” he pouted, taking the chance to brush your cheek.

You sighed but took the package, opening it to start eating it one by one. “So, what are we doing?”

“Meeting some important people,” he also reached inside the bag, and you let him.

“And you’re worried I’ll pass out or something?”

“Do I need to remind you that you were drugged?”

He frowned, and you shrugged, “I feel fine. Tired, but fine.” He didn’t seem to buy it, so you popped another chocolate ball in your mouth, “By the way, did you take a look at the agreement?”

His eyes grew so wide, you started laughing.

“How can you even think about that right now?!”

You smirked mischievously, “Trying to get your mind off things… Worked, didn’t it?”

“You’re crazy,” he grumbled, digging his fingers into the Whoppers package still in your hand.

Soon, he gave up with a pout because the package was empty, and you grinned slyly. You raised your other hand, displaying the last precious cookie ball covered in chocolate.

“I saved the last one just for you,” you crooned, bringing it to his mouth. He parted his lips and took it with glistening eyes fixed on you and pink cheeks matching them delightfully. “Now, calm down. Whatever happens, I’m with you.”

He caught your hand before it withdrew and pressed his lips to your soft skin. You couldn’t have known how your words warmed his heart, the only one that had the power to truly calm him. He was certain of who you were to him, of what it all meant, but what if you decided something else? Someone else? It would shatter his heart. But looking at your genuine smile, he knew that wouldn’t happen.

He did want you to be relatively at ease before he dragged you into the fray. It would likely be very intense for you, and he couldn’t imagine the toll it would take, both physically and mentally. Maybe it would be a breeze, seeing how you were comfortable with Hoseok, but who knew. When he imagined what meeting seven of you would feel like, he always concluded his heart would blow.

Upon exiting the elevator and before reaching the main conference room on the last floor, he still couldn’t stop himself from kissing your forehead. You looked at him with curiosity and a small smile, but he just bit his lip and stepped aside. It was now or never.

You didn’t have time to tease Jungkook about his nervousness; in a split second, he pushed the double doors open. A myriad of overwhelming scents hit your senses so hard you swayed on your feet. Only his hand still in yours kept you steady.

If Jungkook’s heady scent was strong, and Hoseok’s was musky, that unruly mix was all of that amplified at least seven times for each alpha in that room. Jungkook closed the door behind you as he guided you in slowly, and you were thankful he was with you.

That meeting room had a particular half-circle shape with large windows showing the night of Seoul as the backdrop. Yet, it was not the fact that you were entering the room to stand facing the table that rendered you jittery, but the six men sitting, waiting.

From left to right, one was more handsome and imposing than the next. Your eyes passed over each one of them, your olfactory sense working overtime to discern and associate each smell.

From the right to the left, you started by Hoseok, who gave you a reassuring smile. The buttercup scent wasn’t intimidating and instead served to give you confidence. Next to him, a very pale alpha with sharp eyes and long fingers holding his chin observed you with the abyss in his eyes. His woody, strong, aromatic, resinous smell lingered, especially when you tried to clear your throat.

Next to him, the most perfect man you had ever seen smelled sweet and citrusy, and it easily mixed with every other scent in the room. He was intrigued by your presence, but you didn’t feel threatened, if anything, because he kept throwing looks and smirks at Jungkook.

At the center sat the tallest one, with shoulders so bulky you were forced to acknowledge there were people bigger than Jungkook. His scent, akin to almonds, diffused pleasurably in your nose, contrasting greatly with his sharp, near-draconian eyes. You had never seen such astute eyes in anyone but yourself.

The alpha next to him was sitting with his head supported on his hand with a boxy smile that rivaled the beauty of movie stars. In fact, you vaguely recalled having seen him on TV before. His tones were fresh, albeit sweet, like pineapples.

Lastly, before the empty seat you assumed belonged to Jungkook was a rose-blond man covering the front of his face with wide, shocked eyes set on you. His scent reminded you of honey and spring, easily taking your senses to another time and place if you let it.

“Can you blame her?” The woody-scented alpha rasped, bringing you to the conversation. His voice was so deep it covered you with goosebumps. “It must be overwhelming.”

“It surely is to us,” his fresh scent matched his gorgeous smile.

“It definitely is,” the last one mumbled, uncovering his mouth. He was likely as sweet as he smelled, but your mind didn’t linger on that.

“But this is necessary,” claimed the center one, and you swallowed, straitening your back.

“Indeed, I want this dealt with as soon as possible,” Jungkook said to your side, and your brow furrowed at the fierce look in his eyes. He didn’t seem nervous, but he surely was angry again.

“Maybe we should start by introducing everyone?” Hoseok suggested, smiling. “I sure wanted to know her name as soon as I met her.”

His quip made everyone shift or grunt uncomfortably, but Jungkook nodded, “That will help.”

You glanced at him, feeling the squeeze of his hand, then faced the table.

“I’m Jung Hoseok, as you already know,” he smiled warmly, and you nodded.

“I’m Min Yoongi,” he said quietly, and you instantly recognized him from all the Grammy media coverages.

“Hello, I’m Kim Seokjin,” he gave you a soft head bow, his heart-shaped lips pursing cutely with a smile.

You frowned just a little, wondering more about his name, when the center, and potentially the leader, spoke up, “I’m Kim Namjoon, nice to meet you.”

You suddenly held your breath, realizing just who you were facing.

“I’m Kim Taehyung, but you might know me as V,” he smiled, quirking his eyebrows.

“Woah, are we saying our credentials?” The blond next to him complained, “How are we supposed to compete with that?”

“Jimin—”

“Just wrap it up,” Jungkook asked, his fingers tapping the side of his leg.

“Right, I’m Park Jimin.”

“I thought the Parks were gone,” you said under your breath, and he nodded.

“Not many of us left, and we like to keep to ourselves.”

“All of you… Shouldn’t there be only four families?”

Maybe you should have thought before voicing such a question, but as usual, you felt pretty lost in all things related to Families and Alpha dynamics.

“Officially,” Namjoon acceded, making you feel comfortable that you asked.

“The public believes only four families remain,” Hoseok explained. “The Kim, Min, Jung, and Jeon Families.”

You looked at each one, and Jin waved his hand, meaning he was the Kim Alpha.

“But in reality, despite a few obstacles to be recognized, the other lines exist,” Namjoon continued, motioning the whole room with a wave.

“Recognized?”

You wondered, and Taehyung grinned, “Some of us descend from bastard lines.”

“Or from non-approved matings sort of lost in time,” Jimin added with a shrug.

“What matters is that we’re all the living Family representatives by blood,” Yoongi established, dark, unsettling eyes fixed on you.

“Now the real question is how you are not in the Omega registry,” Jin mused, rubbing his chin.

You raised an eyebrow, “Is that really that surprising considering there are three Families with living descendants that are also not registered?”

Jin’s eyebrows jumped, and you heard Jungkook hide a chuckle; unbeknownst to you, you had just caused a ripple.

“Seriously?” Jin asked with incredulity. “She’s his. I don’t need to hear anything about it anymore,” he scoffed playfully.

“It’s not forbidden to match Omegas not in the registry with a ruling Alpha, so let’s just get on with it,” Yoongi agreed.

“Wait, we are not here to approve it,” Namjoon argued, glancing at Jungkook. “We’re here to pass judgement on a crime.”

“A crime?” Jimin raised his eyebrow.

“You mean that stupid agreement you have with the Han family?” Taehyung voiced, snapping his fingers, “What is it, to marry the— what’s her name?”

“Han Sunhwa,” Hoseok answered, seeing Jungkook’s bitterness was clenching his jaw shut.

“Right, her?” Taehyung scoffed, “That’s a crime, alright.”

“But we can’t do anything to stop that,” Jin pointed out with a purse of his lips. “Your Family approved it.”

“They’ll quickly annul it once they learn what happened tonight,” Jungkook almost spit, finally raising his voice. “What I want is to punish the Hans for daring to go this far.”

“What did they do?” Jimin asked, glancing at you before looking back at Jungkook. Just then, you knew he was not to be messed with and understood why you were standing there.

Jungkook was waiting for that moment and tightened his grip around your hand, “My Family had hunters searching Busan for omegas, and they found her.” He glanced at you, and there was an apology in the glint of his eyes. “I didn’t even know they were still searching. With the marriage contract and all, I never thought they’d do it, but she was brought to me.” He couldn’t stop looking at you, and every other alpha in that room understood why. “I should have realized the Hans would be an issue,” he admitted, finally facing the others. “At first, Sunhwa wanted to get rid of her, saying she was a fake.”

Five scoffs were heard, along with one, “Ridiculous.”

“Then she stormed my apartment and caused a scene, which was completely inappropriate, but I decided not to say anything. My father is currently overseas, but once he returns, he’ll see to annul the contract and compensate them, so I thought I could just let it go,” he heaved a deep breath, feeling stupid with his own admission. “But tonight, they have fucking done it. They hijacked her car, drugged her, and took her to give her away to Hoseok like a fucking offering.”

Everyone turned to Hoseok, who nodded.

“And I know it’s them because I called the number that made the offer on hyung’s phone. And wouldn’t you know it, it was Sunhwa’s older brother telling Hoseok to fucking enjoy her—”

The bile rising in his throat choked him as he squeezed your hand so tight, you knew the blood flow was cut off.

“Woah, who do they think they are?” Seokjin scoffed.

“The audacity,” Yoongi leaned back into his seat.

“They must think they’re untouchable,” Taehyung mused with a dark tone.

“As though we’re not the ones allowing them to exist,” Jimin added, matching Taehyung with a hint of fury.

“You two found each other,” Hoseok started.

“And you’re meant for each other,” Namjoon finished.

All eyes turned to you, and suddenly, the pressure made gravity almost crush you to the ground. You took a deep breath as you glanced at Jungkook. His lips were a line that almost drew on apprehension, but you weren’t going to deny the truth. That was not why you were silent; it just wasn’t something you wanted to discuss in front of strangers.

You turned to the other alphas and nodded, “I thought you didn’t need to hear anything about it anymore.”

The mood lightened significantly with Jin’s chuckle, and only two people didn’t relax — Jungkook next to you, and Jimin.

“The Han family needs to be punished,” he almost hissed.

“Yeah, can’t have anyone thinking that they can mess with our mates and pretend like nothing happened,” Taehyung supported, holding his chin with his gaze on you.

“Let alone allow them to become elite after such a betrayal,” Hoseok said coldly, and you finally saw how he could be when he was angry.

“They will use this marriage to rule over every other beta family,” Jin pointed out as though it was ludicrous.

“And that’s bad business to begin with, but now we can officially ostracize them,” Yoongi nodded quietly.

They started debating the nitty grits, weighing their options and just how much was enough to set an example and leave Jungkook satisfied, but not an abuse of power.

You stood quietly through it all, feeling slightly off. You agreed no one should go through something like this, omega or not, but everything else was above your pay grade. Effectively, aside from pointing out the legality of an idea Jin threw out once, you stayed quiet, mostly stealing glances at Jungkook.

You said what you said in front of all the heads of the Families — Jungkook was for you as you were for him. But there was still a lot to talk about. Regardless of what those seven men decided, your heart was another matter, and you were not set on a future; not yet.

185 notes · View notes