#i tried to make a dolphin earlier today that started out kind of working

[aurosoulart]

finally finished a work video that took me like 3 weeks due to holidays and I really like the final edit notes

[monstersandmaw]

Nonbinary incubus x reader (nsfw)

Edit which I’m including in all my works after plagiarism and theft has taken place: I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere. They are copyrighted and belong to me.

"Keep the Tumblr stories to around 3k words, Ghosti."

"So how long is this one?"

"Oh... uh..." *shuffles* "...Five and a half thousand?"

Haha, yes, as much as I tried, this one is also a bit longer than I wanted, but, for the third story available for the $5 tier on early release this month, I give you 5.5k words of nb incubus x reader. We also have a new location to add to Starfall Springs, and it's not quite what you might expect for the sleepy little town...

Contents: our incubus would probably have been assigned male at birth but they use they/them pronouns, gender/body neutral reader, erotic dancing, and come-marking if you squint...

This has been up on my Patreon for a week now on early release so it’s time to put it up here on Tumblr.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” you asked, blinking at your friend in open-mouthed incredulity. “Starfall Springs has a… strip club?”

The gnoll grinned, the look absolutely feral for just a heartbeat. “Oh yes. The Silkfoot family tried to have it closed down, especially after their youngest son was seen frequenting it, but Sarrigan actually helped to fund it as one of his business ventures after he started up his antiques company… It’s doing really well…”

“Well… I don’t know what to say! I never would have thought that a sweet, sleepy little place like Starfall Springs would have something so…”

Mako’s brows rose - as much as a gnoll’s could, anyway - and he yipped softly in amusement and dug you in the ribs. “We’re definitely going there now for your birthday.”

“Mako, I’ve never… I… I don’t know if it’s my kind of place, you know?”

“Come on, it’s not as if it’s that wild. As you say, it is Starfall Springs after all…”

You swallowed, not entirely sure you believed him, but in the end, you agreed to go.

Your birthday dawned bright and warm, and before any of your friends or family could message or call, you took yourself off to the dinky little harbour in the town to treat yourself to a takeaway breakfast from the bakery, and a coffee from the tiny little cart that made the best damned coffee in the universe. It was something for yourself, and it had become a sacred ritual back in the city. Now, as you strolled through the quiet streets, with nothing but your own footsteps and the whispering promise of the sea at the end of the cobbled lane for company, you smiled. Moving to Starfall Springs had been one of the best ideas you’d ever had.

“Morning!” Khargrin smiled as you stepped into the bakery and inhaled blissfully, eyes fluttering closed for a moment at the sheer gorgeousness of the scent of bread and sugar in the air.

You returned the smile to the enormous orc, and placed your order for two of their fresh pastries.

“Still warm from the oven,” Khargrin chuckled as he slid them into a paper bag for you. “Here.” He frowned slightly. “Anything special about today? You’re earlier than usual,” he asked, still holding onto the bag as you went to take it.

Laughing, you admitted that it was your birthday, and he promptly refused to take any kind of payment.

“I didn’t tell you that so you’d give me free breakfast, Khar,” you groused.

He let go of the bag as if it had burned him and said with such melodramatic flare that a mummer would have been proud of the display, “You’ve touched it now! You have to take it! Get out of my shop, foul human! Begone! And have yourself a wonderful birthday while you’re at it!”

Shaking your head fondly at the big orc’s antics, you accepted but didn’t leave right away.

“Any plans for today?” he asked as he bustled about, stocking the display with goodies from the back.

“Quiet day, I think,” you said, “But Mako has plans for tonight… I’m wary.”

“Knowing that gnoll, it involves Midnight Aurora, doesn’t it?”

“Midnight Aurora?” The name wasn’t familiar to you. “You mean the club over on the north side of town?”

The orc nodded. “Yup. And before you say anything about it, my sister works there…” he added with a twinkle in his eye and a lopsided grin on his handsome face.

“I will think very carefully before I tell you about my reaction to my experiences there then,” you grinned. “Anyway, see you Khargrin.”

“Enjoy your day,” he said. “And your night. And if it involves my big sister at all, I don’t want to know.”

You snorted and headed out into the brightening day. The fresh wind hit you full in the face, bringing with it the sharp tang of iodine from the sea, and you watched two merfolk spiralling through the water like racing dolphins, breaching the surface and sending sparkling droplets spraying up against the side of a moored fishing boat before they cleared the boundary of the harbour and disappeared out into the wider ocean.

“Gorgeous, aren’t they?” a quiet voice said from beside you.

Tearing your eyes from the horizon, you turned to find someone tall and slim standing beside you. With lilac skin, long, silver-white hair, and elegantly-tapering ears, they might have been a tiefling, but you couldn’t see any horns, and something about the intensity of their ruby red eyes made you wonder.

“Mmm,” you hummed noncommittally.

Their gaze flickered to the pastries in your hand and their Cupid’s-bow lips curved into a smile that made your stomach flip over, revealing double canines, both top and bottom. “Khargrin makes the best almond croissants in the whole world,” they commented.

“Just needs one of Sophie’s coffees to go with, and I’m all set for my birthday breakfast,” you blurted unthinkingly.

At that, their eyebrows rose. “It’s your birthday? Happy birthday.”

“Thanks. I’m not sure how I feel about being another year older, but -” you shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Well, not to be inappropriate, but you look wonderful. May I get you that coffee?”

Were they flirting with you? You weren’t exactly known for being able to read people all that well. You blinked. “You don’t have to do that,” you said, stepping back. “I mean… you don’t even know me.” People in Starfall Springs were just like that, you knew from first hand experience already, but still, it was… unnerving for someone like you from the city.

That blinding smile never flickered, but they did shift a little. Oh. They had a tail. Perhaps they were a tiefling after all. They also had hooves, dark and shiny, visible beneath the wide cuff of their loose, black linen trousers. Looking a little more closely at them, now that you were no longer distracted by that gorgeous, heart-flutteringly beautiful smile, you realised that they wore a sleeveless vest, white, and that their chest was flat and their stomach obviously toned. Their arms too were slim but muscular, and they bore tattoos in geometric patterns from their fingertips right the way up their arms and neck to their earlobes. You swallowed. You’d never met someone so alluring in your whole life and your skin began to tingle.

At that moment, their pupils dilated visibly and they swallowed, long, tapering ears drooping a little. “Never mind,” they said. “I’m being overbearing. I’ll… leave you in peace. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

Before you could call after them, or tell them they’d got the wrong idea, they turned around, their long white hair swinging in a thick plait right down their back to their tail, and hurried away. Halfway across the street, a swirl of dark, inky magic enveloped them, and they disappeared completely.

“What the…?” you hissed.

Even Sophie’s amazing coffee didn’t taste quite as good as it usually did, and for the rest of the day, as you picnicked with your friends on the sloping meadow above the Temple, lounging while music played through a little speaker and chocolate frosting melted in the sun, you kept recalling the way those garnet red eyes had turned from warm and playful to achingly sad.

“What’s up with you?” Mako asked, lolling over onto his back with his front paws bent, like a retriever begging for a belly rub.

Affectionately, you reached over and scratched his upper chest, which still made his hind leg kick. His powerful hyena jaws softened and he moaned. “Oh that’s so good,” he moaned. “You give the best scritches.”

“Hey!” came the disgruntled protests of his boyfriend from beside you. You didn’t stop, and he shook his head fondly. “Honestly, it’s probably true. Good job I can do other things to you, huh?”

Mako growled playfully, but left it at that. “What time shall we come by to pick you up for tonight?” he asked a while later, glancing up at you with his big, brown eyes.

You shrugged. “What time do we have to be there?”

“Nine?” he asked. “We could go for drinks somewhere else first? Or you could come to ours and we could have something to eat and drink there before? Up to you.”

With snacks and a few drinks in you, the three of you left Mako’s apartment that night and headed over to Midnight Aurora. You walked up a narrow, cobbled street to be met by Erin, Aemilius, and Florian - a satyr, vampire, and a cervitaur respectively - halfway down.

Aemilius heard your approach first, turning to face you to clap and cheer. “Happy Birthday!!” he practically sang at the top of his lungs, and you rolled your eyes, trying to hide your smile.

Together, the six of you headed up towards the top end of town, which looked magical that night, bathed in summer moonlight, with the bars and restaurants in the area now lively and bustling where they normally sat quietly during the day. Twinkling strings of fairy lights illuminated the way, and a shop sign swung in the slight breeze as you passed beneath it, showing a triple moon in glinting silver.

Midnight Aurora wasn’t as packed as you’d worried it would be, and honestly it was more of a theatre than a club, though beneath the stage was a dance space on the floor, currently full of tables. Tonight was obviously a more formal night. A bar filled the left hand side of the room, illuminated by LEDs beneath the counter in the shifting patterns and colours of the bar’s namesake, and a drow and a goblin worked seamlessly together to keep patrons happily topped up. Erin was apparently dating one of the bouncers, which was how you’d all been able to get tickets at short-ish notice. Normally they sold out weeks in advance.

Mako dug you in the ribs. “Not quite what you were expecting, huh?”

You had to admit that it wasn’t. It was classy but relaxed, buzzing but not overwhelming.

Currently onstage was a tall, powerful, muscular female orc and you tried not to look too hard at her, knowing that somehow Khargrin would know you’d been admiring his sister because… wow.

Swallowing, you looked away and croaked, “Drinks?”

“Thought you’d never suggest it,” Aemilius grinned. “First round is on me,” he said. “Take a seat and I’ll join you shortly.”

“Do we not get a say in what we have?” you laughed as Mako and his boyfriend steered you towards a table right in the middle of the floor while Aemilius strode away, lost in the low light and crush of people in seconds.

“Just let him have his way,” Erin said. “He probably knows what you want better than you do anyway.”

Deciding, not for the first time that night, just to go with it, you let the entertainment wash over you. It wasn’t all erotic dancing - there was a tap group that absolutely blew you away with their skill and synchrony, leaving you as breathless as had the bovitaur and his set of half-naked orcs that had preceded them.

“I think the variety is going to kill me,” you hissed at Mako and he snickered.

“Glad you’re enjoying yourself. They’re all really good, aren’t they?”

You had to nod. It wasn’t worth shouting over the appreciative audience’s wild applause. An octomer had just begun her set, involving a rope and a tank below, and you watched as she began and her coiling limbs hauled her effortlessly up out of the water by the rope.

Somewhere just shy of midnight, when the final act was announced, however, a strange and excited hush descended on the crowd, and you looked to Mako who just winked at you. “Wait for it,” he said. “Happy birthday.”

“O…kay?” you frowned warily.

The lights cut out without warning, and from the pitch black, two slender spotlights flashed on, illuminating a pair of dark hooves in the centre of the stage. The lights travelled slowly, teasingly, up over smooth purple skin, up a pair of slender, well-muscled legs, revealing a pair of glittering and very tiny silver hotpants, a lashing tail like a whip, a toned stomach with strangely familiar, geometric tattoos going up the dancer’s sides, over their ribs, and up their neck. A long, white ponytail dangled down the dancer’s back, and you gasped as red eyes blinked out at the crowd.

It couldn’t be? The meek and shy person you’d met earlier that morning was… here? Looking like that? They carried themselves with a quiet, contained dignity that drew you in and demanded your entire attention. Where this morning you’d found their bashful, flirtatious shyness alluring, now it was their stance that knocked you breathless as they stood with the self-assuredness of a tango dancer, waiting for the music to begin.  

The music started with the slow pulse of a sleeping heartbeat, and they swayed their hips from side to side, eyes now closed. Even from that distance, you could see the way their eyelids had been kohled, adding further length and depth to their already almond shaped eyes, and a shimmering powder had been applied to their high cheekbones to heighten the sculptural quality that their face naturally possessed.

As if they had no idea they were dancing before a crowd, the strange, alluring dancer swayed, sinuous as a banner in the breeze, twisting and turning slowly, caught up in the low, hypnotic beat. You could barely breathe as you stared, transfixed. The energy in the room picked up, thrumming, and everyone seemed to be sitting there with their mouths open and their eyes half-lidded.

The difference between earlier on the seafront and now was almost unbelievable. Gods, they had the most incredible figure, and with the same shimmering powder accentuating every highlight on their bare chest and stomach, their dark purple skin gleamed in the lights.

When the beat changed, becoming faster and more energetic, they finally opened their eyes but their gaze locked above the crowd, as if they were still pretending not to have noticed you all staring in wonder at them. It didn't take an expert to see that they’d been classically trained at some point, and the graceful arrangement of their wrists and hands over their head made you think of meadow grasses blowing in the wind before the tension returned with a snap and they evoked the sheer commanding power of a paso doble dancer. They were mesmeric, and it was easy to see why they’d been placed last in the order for the evening.

Erin leaned over to whisper in your ear, “They’re an incubus…”

“Oh,” you breathed. And suddenly your reaction to them earlier made sense. Your stomach dropped unpleasantly. “Oh,” you said again. Had your reaction just been an accident then? As far as you knew, incubi and succubi could control the way their influence worked on people, but if they’d simply sparked that lust in you, did that make it real? You felt a little sick at that.

The longer you thought about it, the less the show held your attention. They were undeniably exquisite, and an extremely talented dancer, but it lost its magic for you the moment you realised that your reaction probably wasn’t real. The incubus was feeding off the lust in the room, the crowd’s desire for them, and the action of feeding created more lust.

As the dance seemed to be working towards its finale, you found you could bear it no longer. Abruptly, you stood and turned away, heading for the bathroom. You were the only person moving in the room besides the incubus on stage, and no one even noticed you leaving. Mako tried to grab your wrist as you left, but you were gone before he could follow or stop you.

At the door to the bathroom, you glanced back and found that the incubus was looking straight at you while dancing without breaking step. Even at this distance, they were truly stunning. You smiled sadly, and ducked out, remaining there until their set finished.

When you emerged, the theatre was buzzing. The chairs and tables had been cleared as if by magic, and the space had been opened up for the patrons to dance now. Mako and his boyfriend were quietly making out in one corner, though they were being relatively subtle for them, Erin was nowhere to be seen, and, as you looked around, you spotted Florian with two dancers and… was that… underwear dangling from one antler? Well, he was certainly entertained at any rate.

A movement to your right caught your eye, and you saw that Aemilius had found a partner to dance with, drawing the eyes of anyone nearby. With his sense of rhythm, he could probably have worked at Midnight Aurora himself.

“Flashy vampire,” you chuckled fondly as you watched the pair of them dance. The elf he’d found had glowing white skin, which complemented his own extremely dark skin beautifully, and you watched for a while before going over to the bar. Leaning against it, you waited alone for the glass of water you’d ordered to come your way.

To your surprise, when you turned around to pick it up, you found the incubus standing beside you. They were clothed now in a loose, white t-shirt that mostly hid the form of their beautiful body beneath, but anyone who had seen them dancing knew what lay under the shapeless top anyway. Their long legs were still on full display though, covered down to the mid thigh by the white t-shirt, and they wore a pair of platform heels that did obscene things to the muscles of their thighs and drew the attention of passers by.

“Hi,” you smiled, not wanting to be seen as prudish, especially after they’d witnessed your exit during their spectacular performance. “You dance beautifully…”

“Thanks,” they smiled. “Can I get you a drink since I didn’t manage to get you that coffee this morning?”

You tilted your head. “Why?”

Their smile broadened. “It’s your birthday, and I didn’t get to give you your actual present.”

Something anxious twisted inside you. “My actual present?”

“Mmm,” the incubus hummed. “Your friends were hoping I’d give you a private show.”

“They were?” you asked, turning to find Erin graining at you from the other end of the bar. “They already paid you?”

You watched with sinking dread as they nodded. When they saw your evident lack of enthusiasm, however, they said, “I don’t have to though. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s not that,” you said. “And I don’t doubt your… uh… talents… I just… I’d rather have something… real, you know?”

“It’s just a lap dance,” they said, prickling slightly.

“I know,” you hastened to reassure them in case they thought you were thinking of other things they could be doing to you which the club definitely wouldn’t allow. “I’m not suggesting otherwise. I just mean… this isn’t really my thing, you know?”

That sad expression you’d seen earlier crept back into their red eyes and they nodded. “Not everyone is comfortable with being around an incubus. I understand. Let me use the money to get you a drink, and you can give the rest back to your friends.”

The congealing atmosphere between you suddenly made you want to choke. As they turned away, you reached for them and grabbed their forearm. The tattoos on their arm flared white hot and you gasped, reeling backwards as a short but intense blast of energy sent you staggering backwards. You hit the bar and wheezed as the air was knocked from your chest.

“Fuck,” the incubus gasped, darting over. “I’m sorry. Are you alright?”

This was not going the way you hoped at all. “What was that? I didn’t mean… I wasn’t going to hurt you…”

“They’re protection runes,” the incubus explained, touching you carefully at the elbow to steady you and get you to raise your head a little. “They stop people grabbing me while I’m working…”

“That happens a lot?” you asked, flexing and making sure nothing was bruised. You were fine. Surprised and winded, but fine.

With a wry look, they admitted, “It’s an… occupational hazard.”

A few people were watching the exchange now, tossing you dirty looks, and you wanted nothing more than to leave the place altogether. “Look, I didn’t mean any harm. I was just trying to get your attention before you went.”

“Well it worked,” they grinned, and you found yourself laughing. They glowered over their shoulder, and the small audience bustled off elsewhere.

“Guess it did.”

“Should we start over?”

You looked at them and nodded. “Sure.”

“I’m Ferren,” they said, extending their hand to you. When you eyed it warily, they laughed. “It won’t hurt you.”

Taking it, you saw the black, geometric shapes pulse white for a moment and let the tingling rush of sensation sweep through you at the contact. Then rather hoarsely, you grunted your own name. Their fingers tightened around yours and then they withdrew. “I’m sorry,” you said. “I… I get the feeling like I’ve insulted you, but I didn’t mean to, I promise.”

“Honestly, I understand,” they said. “Some people like the rush that being around an incubus gives them, and for others it feels… unnatural. I’ll be careful with my ‘influence’ around you.”

“Is that what happened earlier today?” you asked as you let them steer you towards the quieter end of the bar.

They shrugged. “I don’t normally have to be so active about controlling it. Normally I actively have to concentrate to turn it on, as it were, you know? To affect people I really have to try.”

“But not with me?”

“Apparently not,” they chuckled ruefully. “Now, please, for the love of all the gods, will you let me get you a drink?”

You nodded.

What began with one drink on your birthday turned into an hour spent at the bar talking with Ferren about everything, from how they began at dance school, and would have gone into the ballet if they hadn’t suffered with a suspensory ligament injury at sixteen, to how they lived in a small, traditional caravan on the edge of Starfall Springs and loved sour apple sweets almost more than anything.

Drinks that night turned into coffee the next morning - despite the late hour at which you’d returned home - and coffee the next morning turned into a long walk along the seafront, lunch, and then takeaway supper, eaten on a bench overlooking the cliffs just outside the small town.

“Ferren,” you sighed, setting your small container down on the ground beside the bench.

“Mmm?”

“How… How did this happen?”

“How did what happen?” they asked, “You mean ‘what geological forces created these cliffs?’ or ‘how does the tide go in and out?’ or —”

“— no,” you snorted and turned to face them. “How did I end up spending the entire day with you when it was only supposed to be coffee this morning? Is this that incubus charm of yours, or is it just… you?”

“It’s just me,” they said a little dazedly, staring into the depths of their own unfinished food box. “I promise I haven’t used even a scrap of my magic on you. I’ve been really careful.”

At that, you sat up and looked at them a little more closely. In the afternoon light, with the softly refracted light from the waves below casting a cool glow on their lilac face and dark red eyes, they looked like a sculpture or even a doll. Their skin was flawless, their lips full but without pout or pretence. They were just… themselves. Not a dancer, not even an incubus, just… Ferren. “You sound… You sound as if that’s not exactly common for you?”

They shrugged. “People expect us to be promiscuous. I’m used to one night stands and quick fumbles in out of the way corners. It’s been a long time since anyone’s just… listened to me like you have. I hope I haven’t bored you.”

“Bored me? Ferren, I’ve never had such a full day go by so quickly in my life! I still just thought that… maybe it wasn’t real somehow… that you’d just made me feel at ease around you…”

“So you’d fall into my arms and into my bed, you mean?” they asked with a bitterness that cut deep.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about your kind. I was wrong to assume…”

They shook their head and a few strands of their white hair wafted into their eyes. On a whim, you reached up and tucked them back behind the tapering line of their ear and they shuddered noticeably.

“Should I not have touched you again?” you asked, glancing at their tattoos which, mercifully, remained dull and dark.

“No,” they hissed, turning to face you fully. “Gods, no, I… I want your touch but… I don’t want to freak you out. I want it to be what you want…”

“Kiss me,” you breathed.

Their red eyes widened and their lips parted. “Are you sure?”

You were. They were beautiful and gentle and sweet, and you wanted nothing more than to kiss them. “Can you sense my energy?” you asked.

In return, you were met with a question of their own. “Are you asking me to use my magic on you?”

“If that means finding out how I feel, then yes.”

Raising their elegant, tattooed hand to your face, they traced the line of your eyebrow with the pad of their thumb, and then circled your temple. Their eyes glowed as if lit by the sunset from behind, and they opened their mouth, inhaling deeply. The light in their eyes flared bright and they gasped, letting go of you suddenly and smiling. Their hand hovered in the space between you like a butterfly caught in amber. That smile though, blinding as always, illuminated their whole face.

Their fingers then moved back and traced your jaw as they leaned in to kiss you, eyes locked on yours until you let them flutter shut against the rising tide of emotion inside you.

Ferren’s kiss began with breathtaking tenderness, but the moment you let slip a groan, it deepened and they let their tongue taste you. You were sure you tasted of the meal you’d just shared, but honestly, it didn’t matter. You reached for them and tugged them closer until they shifted and instead sat straddling you on the bench, their knees on the wood of the seat on either side of your thighs. Their hardness ground against you as they kissed you, and you gasped as they pushed you back against the bench.

The air shimmered around them like a dusty road in summer, and you stared in open wonder at them for a moment as they drew away and tipped their head back. Another shudder ran right through them and their tattoos began to glow again.

“Ferren?” you asked, cautiously trailing a fingertip over the white lines on their neck that had, only a moment before, been black.

“I haven’t felt like this since I was a teenager,” they panted. “Your energy is incredible. I feel… I feel drunk…”

“You need to stop?”

“We probably shouldn’t do this out here on a public bench,” they laughed, their voice breathless and rasping.

“Your place or mine?” you asked.

“Mine’s small,” they said, letting their head roll forward again to let them look at you, “But it’s up to you. You really want to do this?”

“Can’t you tell by now?” you smiled. If this was all ‘you’, it felt fantastic.

Their answer was a smirk, but they clambered off you, hooves clopping on the stone path beneath the bench, and you saw the obvious tent in their trousers. They raised their eyebrows at you and the smirk became a broad, amused grin. “What a state you've left me in, eh? How are you with teleportation?”

“Excuse me?” you asked, surprised by the conversational sidestep.

They held out their hand to you and that inky darkness began to swirl around them, beginning at their hand and working up their body.

“I have no idea,” you said taking the offered hand and standing. “Does it hurt?”

“Not at all,” they smiled as they pulled you close to their chest. “Ready?”

“I have no idea,” you said, “But I trust you.” And you did. Despite having only met them the previous day, you absolutely did trust them, which was rare for you.

The darkness billowed up around you and obliterated your vision, but when it cleared, you were standing in the centre of a small, cosy, colourful waggon, with an arching, painted wooden roof to create a cylindrical space. At one end was a bed that took up the width of the tiny waggon, and it was towards that that Ferren led you, still holding your hand. The whole thing felt extremely personal and intimate in a way you’d not been expecting. This was their home, their sanctuary, and they were sharing it with you.

They lay you down on your back and you rested on your elbows as they undressed you slowly, reverently, revealing your body inch by inch. “You’re stunning,” they whispered once you were completely naked. And, under the vehemence of that ruby red gaze, you actually believed that they meant it. They didn’t waste any time in divesting themselves either, and when they stood before you, you gasped. You’d seen most of them already on stage only recently, but somehow this felt entirely different here. This was just for you.

“I won’t feed on your energy unless you tell me to,” they assured you as they pressed kiss after kiss up your inner thigh until you were gasping and bucking beneath them, begging with your whole body for them to touch you where you truly needed it. “Look at what a mess you’re making of yourself,” they crooned when they finally deigned to turn their attention to your arousal. And it was true.

“Please…” you hissed, head thrown back into the pillow behind you while they still only teased. “Gods, please!”

At the feel of their mouth on you, you bucked, but they held you steady with surprisingly strong hands, and you were nearly tumbling over the edge into orgasm in moments.

“I want… I want you to…” You tried to speak but your mind kept being wiped repeatedly blank by the waves of pleasure that their wicked tongue and devilishly hot mouth sent rolling through you.

Pausing, they hummed their question against you and you yelped a broken cry at the vibration of it, fingers scrunching their sheets to a tangle beneath you.

“I want to feel what it’s like,” you managed, speaking more deliberately this time and trying to focus. It didn’t really work because they started circling their tongue while they stared questioningly up at you with those red eyes. “Oh gods… What it’s like when you… I want you to…”

They licked a long, teasing stripe and you arched again and swore. “You want me to feed on you?” they purred. “Truly? You’ll make me come just from that you know? You’ll make me spill untouched. I can already tell.”

“I want you to come on me,” you said, trailing your fingers up your stomach for emphasis and Ferren inhaled sharply, pupils blowing wide until their irises were little more than a slim halo of ruby, glowing like hot embers.

Without a word, they moved so that they could keep pleasuring you with one hand while lying beside you. They kissed at your neck, raking their twin set of double canines over your skin, slowing the pace until it was too slow for you to come just yet, but more intense than you’d ever experienced in your entire life. You felt like you were going to tear apart at the seams and burst with want. “Ready?” they whispered in your ear and you shivered inarticulately.

Their tattoos pulsed white, then faded, then flared bright again. They opened their mouth and you stared, amazed, as a coiling, shimmering mist began to float towards them from you. At the same time, your body ignited from within and you yelled with pleasure. White hot and searing, the sensations came from everywhere, not just where they touched you, and you convulsed as your orgasm tore through you with a blinding intensity.

You didn’t even notice that Ferren had shifted and was now lying atop you, cock in hand. They spilled over you a second later, forehead coming down to rest on your collarbone as they emptied themselves all over your stomach and halfway up your chest. That strange energy still twisted between you as they jerked and twitched, finally lying still atop you.

“Gods,” they hissed, a good few minutes later. “Gods, I’ve never ever come like that…”

You shifted and grunted softly beneath them, and they slithered off you to lie on the narrow sliver of bed beside you.

“You alight?” you heard them whisper.

“Are you?”

With a little chuckle, they said, “Ask me again in about ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes?” you asked, feigning coy disappointment.

They shot you a sidelong look and laughed. “Alight, five. Tops.”

___

I really hope you folks enjoyed this one! Don’t forget to let me know if you did enjoy it by leaving a like and/or reblogging it!

For all early releases, character art and bios, upcoming story info, and much, much more, join me over on Patreon!

You’ll have access to stories before anyone else, and you’ll get instant access Patreon-only content as well, including polls and an exclusive monthly story for those on the Pixies and Goblins tier!

Currently I’m also running a CYOA for all tiers, with episodes releasing every Friday.

__

| Masterlist | Patreon | Ko-fi | Writing Commissions |

[fizziefizzco]

A to Z of LynnCove: B is for Birthday

Cove’s first birthday in Sunset Bird is not going as well as he expected... ok its going horrible, but thankfully Lynn is there to the rescue (Feelings are Crush and Direct)

[ low-key this is me counting down to @gb-patch’s release of the Step 3 dlc, but also kinda beyond that because why not] 

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

If he was entirely honest about it, Cove didn’t really expect anyone from school to show up to his birthday party. He didn’t have any friends in class and only gave out invitations to everyone because his dad made them. No, what really made this the worst birthday ever was that his dad had forgotten. Yes! Forgotten the party that HE was going to set up. If anyone HAD shown up, they would’ve been in for a terrible surprise. Mr. Holden was even super busy that week, and had forgotten all about his fatherly duties.

So when cove left his room that morning, not expecting much but still hopeful, he was met with disappointment and an empty house. His father had left a note and breakfast on the stove that he had to run in to work for an emergency - with no indication that he knew it was his son’s birthday. Cove honestly wanted to cry right away; and the feelings began to well up inside of him as he grabbed a plate and sat down to eat breakfast. Cold eggs and bacon. Happy birthday to him.

[rest under the cut] 

Meanwhile at the Cho house, or rather a few hours earlier ... Pamela Cho came downstairs to a frantic answering machine message from Cliff Holden that he needed to go somewhere for the day due to an emergency at work. When she tried calling back to get an explanation, Mr. Holden wasn’t picking up his phone. Hrm. Well it wasn’t an inconvenience for them to take care of Cove that day - her and her wife’s youngest child seemed to love him in a rather innocent way. Their older daughter was indifferent to him. 

As though she’d called their name, little footsteps came bounding down the stairs as she set the phone back in it’s place. Pamela, or Mom, as her kids called her, was a morning person - and thankfully so was Lynn, her youngest. Her wife Noelani, and oldest child Lizzie, were both the kind to sleep in late. So it was just Pamela and Lynn at the moment. 

“Good Morning Mom!” Lynn called out as they hopped over to where one of their mothers was. Pamela smiled and let out a small chuckle, 

“What’s got you all excited this morning?” She asked, reaching out to ruffle the mess of dark waves that Lynn had. Lynn didn’t move away from their mom, and relished in the comforting gesture. 

“It’s Cove’s birthday!! His dad sent out invitations for a party, I helped cove hand them out to the whoooole class!” Pamela smiled 

“That’s - “ She cut herself off, eyes going wide in dawning horror. “You said ... TODAY is Cove’s birthday?” and when Lynn nodded back with confusion, Pamela made a b-line to where her keys were. 

“Baby go wake up your Mommy, okay?” Pam called out, turning to grab hold of her child’s shoulders. 

“What’s wrong mom?” Lynn asked. 

“Mr. Holden just called me that he had to leave for an emergency for work. Looks like there won’t be a party today.” Pamela spoke as she slid her shoes on, Lynn let out a small gasp. 

“That mean’s Cove is all alone on his birthday!” They exclaimed. 

“Exactly. Now go wake up your Mommy, I’ll bring Cove over here.” Pamela opened the door as Lynn ran up the stairs to go wake Noelani up.

Cove was taken by surprise when his front door opened. A tiny part of him wanted it to be his dad, and say ‘surprise buddy! I didn’t forget about your birthday!’ but there was no such thing. Instead, one of Lynn’s moms was at the door - a sympathetic look in her eyes. 

“Hey Cove.” She spoke, walking over to where he was sitting at the counter island. “I got a call from your dad that he had an emergency. Thought I’d come pick you up to spend the day with us.” Cove looked away from her and back down to his breakfast that he’d barely touched. “Come on, we’ll take you out for breakfast since we know it’s your birthday.” His eyes widened as he heard those words. 

“Y- you know it’s my birthday?” Cove questioned in a tiny voice “I thought that everyone forgot.” Pamela’s heart broke for the poor kid. 

“No way. Lynn was practically off the walls with excitement this morning. Your dad too, told us to make it a good day for you in his message.” Pamela never really lied, but this time it was needed - as the kid already had a hard enough time with his father. Cliff deserved this much. Cove nodded and moved to hop off the chair that he was in. His bright pink cast still on his arm, only a month or so until he’d get it off. Pamela helped him wash and put away all of the leftovers and pots/pans. She was the neat freak between her and noelani, but it seemed that Cove didn’t mind it and was just following along. 

As soon as the two of them got back over to the Cho house, they were greeted with quite a surprise. A few balloons, a banner, and some streamers were decorating the main living area. Lizzie and Lynn both popped confetti-poppers and Lynn shouted “surprise!” as the pair of them came through the door. Cove entered with a visible look of surprise on his face, though that soon was supplemented by a bright blush when he noticed Lynn’s bright expression. 

“Noelani!” Pamela exclaimed, “How did you put this all together so quickly?” Noelani shook her head, her sprawling curls bouncing as she moved. 

“Not my idea.” Noelani spoke between yawns , “Lynn was like a tornado. I trust you’ll give me a real explanation.” When Pam smiled at her and nodded, she nodded as well. 

“Iranalloverthehousetogetallthisstuffforyou!Itsallmostlymyoldbirthdaystuffandsomeoflizziesbutwedon’tmindoratleastIdontmind!Imsogladyourehereicantwaittocelebratewithyou!” Lynn’s voice went a mile a minute, making Cove’s (and their mom’s) head spin. 

“Thank you lynn.” Cove spoke softly, cutting off anything else that Lynn was going to spew out. Lynn just kept quite and smiled brightly at him. 

“Since Lynn looks already dressed, how about the three of us change and we’ll all go out to take Cove for birthday breakfast?” Pamela offered, to which Lizzie and Lynn nodded vigorously. Noelani offered a smile and was the first one to head up the stairs.

“Do you think we can go to that pancake place that has the confetti pancakes?” Lizzie asked, looking hopefully at her Mom. 

“If that’s what Cove wants for breakfast, then sure.” Pamela answered. When the eyes turned back to him, Cove nodded with the smallest of smiles. 

“I like pancakes.” He spoke simply, and with a cheer from Lizzie - Pamela and Lizzie both headed to get changed. The two people left in the living area were Lynn and Cove. 

“Happy birthday Cove.” Lynn spoke with a smile. For some reason that he wasn’t sure of, it made him feel a lot better , their well-wishes. He didn’t quite know what to say but- 

“Thank you Lynn.” A blush creeped across his face as he followed Lynn to the couch, the two of them hopping up to wait for the others. 

“I got you a birthday gift, but you’ll have to wait before we get back. Mommy said I couldn’t bring it with us to breakfast.” Cove nodded and the two of them talked quietly about this or that , mostly breakfast preferences, until the full family was ready to head out and go get breakfast. 

Breakfast went well enough. Cove got birthday pancakes, but really really didn’t want the waiters to sing to him - which was perfectly fine for the family (ok well lizzie wanted to hear the song, but her protests were shot down). After they returned to the house, Lynn’s moms went to go have an ‘adult talk’ and Lizzie ran off to her own room, leaving Cove and Lynn alone once again. 

“Oooh!” Lynn exclaimed as they ran up the stairs ,with Cove following slowly behind them. “I can’t wait to give the gift to you. I worked really hard to find the best thing. Ok, things, to give you!” Cove could feel the excitement radiate off of Lynn, and despite how sad he still felt, was smiling a little at the thoughtfulness of the day so far. He followed close behind, and all the way to Lynn’s room - which was much neater compared to his bedroom at home.

He sat down on Lynn’s bed at their request, and watched as Lynn grabbed a medium-sized box from their closet. It was all nicely wrapped up, with a bow and everything. He marveled at it in awe as Lynn set it down next to him.

“Go ahead!” They motioned to the package. “Open it!” Cove rather expertly tore through the wrapping paper, and the ribbons, to get to the present inside. 

It was a box of various things. There was a  small box that held a bracelet similar to the one Lynn always wore, a dolphin keychain, a stuffed monkey with sunglasses and surfboard, and another small box that took up half of the medium-sized one. As Cove took that box out, he felt that there was something important in this one. Maybe it wasn’t literal gold, or diamonds, but he got the feeling that it was important either way. 

In the smaller box was a set of various scavenged objects: shells and sea-glass mostly, that were all gathered from the beach that laid just down at the end of the street. It was all so good, Cove thought to himself. But then he realized something. Lynn’s special sea-finds box was gone. That meant... 

“Lynn I-” He started, but Lynn cut Cove off before he could say anything. 

“I want you to have this. It's got lots of good stuff.” Lynn’s smile was wide and brilliant as they motioned for him to keep the box. 

“but it’s your-” 

“I can get more. It will be much more fun to gather with you now.” With those words from Lynn, Cove let the matter rest. He looked back down at the box and smiled, more to himself than to anyone else. He still felt really bad about his dad forgetting his birthday, but Lynn was there to make him feel better. She set up a surprise and got him the best gift ever. There was no way that he could ever thank her properly. 

“Thank you Lynn.” That would have to do for now, but Cove would spend the rest of his life thanking them for always being there for him, for always waiting for him, and for being right by his side whenever he needed them. Lynn never had to do any of the things they did for him, but they did so willingly and without question. So, for that, it was a great first birthday in Sunset Bird. 

[ if you’re wondering; Cove’s dad felt really awful about the whole thing and managed to get his son a great gift... which was why he’d been super busy lately. He’d wanted to get his son a fishtank and supplies. Noelani and Pamela gave him an earful though.. ] 

[kayluh1915]

I Miss You

Pairing(s): Francisco "Catfish" Morales/Female Reader

Words: 1,645

Warnings: Implied PTSD, mentioned former drug addiction, 18+ ONLY!

You and Frankie have a much-needed chat... and some unanticipated (but welcomed) alone time.

(Gif credit: @uuuhshiny )

I have no excuse for this. I'm fuckin' weak for Frankie and this is just my proof. 👀

I would apologize for my filth, but I'm not really that sorry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As always, comments are welcomed and encouraged.

You can also follow me on Twitter if you'd like. My life is boring, but I try.

Enjoy, my fellow whores!

My Masterlist

Read on AO3

Frankie had been in his shed all afternoon.

Extra warnings: Oral sex (F receiving), rough (protected) sex, hair pulling, light sub/dom, and creampie.

____________________

He hadn’t quite been the same since returning from his spontaneous trip down to South America, burying himself in a multitude of projects ranging from small builds all the way up to fixing something on the car that really didn’t need to be fixed.

You didn’t complain. You’d rather him cope with that then his previous methods, but he’d still end up isolating himself for long periods of time, missing meals and countless hours of sleep.

He was laying under the car again when you took him his dinner that evening, only able to see his legs sticking out of the side as you heard him drop one of his wrenches.

“Fuck!” He exclaimed, both sudden noises slightly startling you enough to emit a quiet yelp of surprise. Frankie heard you and rolled out from underneath the car, his eyes wide with concern. “Shit, baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay.” You sat his dinner down on his workbench and propped your back up against it, crossing your arms as you watched him stand up and start cleaning his hands with an old wash cloth. “What’s wrong with the car this time?” Frankie turned towards the battered sedan before answering.

“The oil needed changed and something was up with the axel. Was making some kind of weird noise.” You knew that the oil didn’t need to be changed and that the axel’s whirring was extremely mild, but tinkering helped him cope so you didn’t say anything. “What’d you make for dinner?”

“Chicken casserole. Didn’t really turn out the way I wanted it.”

“Anything you make is delicious, baby.” He commented, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Thank you.” This is when you’d usually go back inside and let him have his space, but tonight you couldn’t find the strength to move. Frankie would always come in afterwards with his clean plate and help you with whatever you needed in the house, but you missed him.

You missed the evenings where you would sit and chat about whatever was on your mind, the nonsense you’d speak together and the laughter you shared. You missed cuddling up with him on the couch, letting him play with your hair as one of you complained about the “horrible” movie the other had picked. You missed going to bed at the same time, Frankie’s arms snaking around your waist as he kissed you sweetly.

Most of all, you missed him .

The nights when his innocent kisses would turn passionate, your tongues swirling around one another as his strong hands touched you exactly where you liked.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Frankie asked while chewing his food, bringing you back to the present with a light jolt.

“Yeah, honey. I’m fine… just thinking.” He swallowed the bite he had in his mouth, holding another forkful up.

“About what?” He asked before taking another bite. Your heart spoke before your brain could.

“How much I miss you…” Frankie stopped chewing, his dark eyes quickly glancing over to look at you. You wanted to scold yourself for what you had said. You understood that Frankie was going through a lot mentally and have tried to be supportive, but it was taking its toll.

You didn’t even realize you were crying until a choked sob tore it’s way past your trembling lips.

“Oh, sweetheart…” Frankie cooed, setting his fork down and pulling you into his arms. You laid your head on his shoulder, gripping the back of his shirt tightly as you cried into his neck. Frankie began to gently sway you, kissing the top of your head every now and again.

“I-I’m sorry, Frankie. I know you need me… to be strong and support you but-” You paused for a moment when you sobbed again. “Going to bed without you is so ha-ard.” You began to cry heavier at the confession, Frankie gently brushing your hair out of your eyes.

“Shhh… I know baby, I know. I’m sorry.”

“Please do-don’t feel guilty. I know yo-you’re trying to cope, bu-”

“Shhh.” He interrupted you. “Don’t you apologize for anything, baby. I know I’ve been distant lately after what happened, but you have been wonderful. Cooking me dinner every night and letting me have my space to recoup after all of that? Not a lot of women would do that.”

You didn’t say anything else, allowing his soothing voice to comfort you.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been spending a lot of time with you recently. I’ve been thinking about things a lot and didn’t realize how much I was hurting you. I promise, from today on, I’ll start coming in earlier, start eating dinner with you like we used to and even help you cook if you want.”

You wiped your nose with your sleeve, nodding eagerly on his chest. Frankie pulled away from you and held your face in his warm palms, wiping away your tears with his thumbs. “I love you, my little dolphin.” He whispered, leaning in to press a kiss to your forehead. You smiled at the pet name, the inside joke you haven’t shared in months bringing some joy back.

“There’s that smile.” He giggled, leaning back down to kiss you properly. At first it had only been a peck, but you were so hungry for him that you pulled him right back in. You threw your arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, Frankie not denying you even for a second.

His hands left your face and moved down to your waist, pulling you close with a low hum of approval. Your hands raked through his curls, knocking his cap off so you could grip his dark locks to hear those delicious groans fall from his throat.

“Please…” You whined, barley pulling yourself away from him. “Touch me… plea-.” Frankie’s hands flew to your hips, lifting you up to sit you atop his work bench. He instantly yanked your leggings off, taking your underwear with them and leaving you naked from the waist down… minus your strawberry socks.

He knelt down to his knees without another word, spreading your legs open and instantly pressing his face into your cunt. He had moved so fast that it took you a moment to process what was going on, tingles erupting from your clit, down your legs and all the way to your toes.

It hadn’t been that long since you’d been touched, but they always say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. The same must be true for your pussy as well.

“Ohhh…” You breathed, his tongue making you lightheaded. “F-Fuck…”

Frankie hummed, the vibrations only increasing your pleasure as he looked up at you. You were already so incredibly close, the tingling in your clit rapidly growing in intensity until… he pulled away. You whined quietly, your pussy aching with need.

“Down.” He said simply as he undid his pants. You jumped down from the workbench, completely unprepared for him to spin you around and roughly bend you over the table. He pinned you down with his left hand on your lower back, his right hand rubbing his cock along your drenched folds before pushing in completely in one thrust.

You felt like you had been sat on fire, the heat spreading over your body as he fucked you rough. You heard a few things fall to the floor as the table began hitting the side of his shed with his thrusts, but both of you were already too far gone to care about his tools.

“Fuck, baby girl.” He growled, his hands tightly gripping your hips. “So fucking’ wet for me.” You felt like you couldn’t breathe, his cock hitting the perfect spot every time. You placed your hands on the table and rose up slightly, one of Frankie’s hands instantly leaving your hip to push you back down to the table.

“Don’t fucking move.” You moaned at how rough he was being, your pussy throbbing with an incoming orgasm. Keeping you pinned to the table, he tangled his fingers into your hair and pulled it, the painful pleasure and one last perfect thrust of his cock doing the job and sending you over the edge.

Your cunt fluttered around his cock, the waves of absolute pleasure feeling more intense than they had in a while. Frankie never slowed down.

“Y-Yeah… take it.” He growled. “Being such a good girl for me, baby… cumming all over my cock. You think- fuck - you think you deserve your reward?”

“Yes, please! Give it to me! I’ve been such a good girl! I deserve it! Ple-” He tugged harder on your hair, a whine interrupting your pleas.

“Good girl, begging for your reward. M’gonna fill you up so good.”

“Yes! Frankie, please! Give it to me! Give me your cu-uhhh… uhhh… ahhhhhh!” You exclaimed, cumming on his cock for a second time without warning. It was also the end for Frankie.

“Fuck, baby!” He halted his thrusts, growling low and loud and he shot his cum into your pulsing cunt. The warmth expanding in your abdomen prolonged your orgasm, your legs shaking and buckling out from under you. Frankie held onto you tight, pulling you up to stand as he placed kisses to the back of your neck and shoulder, his breathing still coming out in heavy puffs over your skin.

"Did I hurt you, sweetheart?" He asks, gently easing the grip in your hair.

"God no." You replied, still trying to catch your breath. "You-you have no idea how much I've missed that." Frankie eased himself out of you, a mixture of his and your own cum dripping out of your pussy. Frankie hummed at the sight, lightly gripping your ass cheek to spread you open to get a better view.

"I think I got a pretty good idea."

[theobxhummingbird]

Caught by the collar. -JJ Maybank x Reader

(GIF credits to owner)

Summary: Outer Banks’ famous flirt, unnoticeably falls in love with his workplace’s introverted girl.

A/N: Anonymous asked:  Hi!! I'd like to request an imagine where JJ falls in love with an introverted girl, shy and lowkey - so basically she is his opposite, and he realizes that the way he usually flirts with girls wont work in this case... but she falls for him eventually and they get together. Just some cute fluff. 💕

Here it is anon, I hope you enjoy this imagine, thank you for requesting it. I don’t know if it’s something you asked for, but I tried my best. Please write to me if you would make any changes.🥰 *REQUESTS ARE OPEN, JUST GO TO ASK ANNIKA*

---

It was another, of JJ’s least favorite days. The sun was work-class’ biggest challenge, but they couldn’t go against anything because the money that needed to go to their families can’t wait for lazy people. And JJ, being JJ, pushed by his father to bring home some money so he could drink them or smoke them away,  was sent to one of Outer Banks’ most favorite flower gardens, to lift bags of fertilizers and soils.

His whole body was shaking since he hadn’t eaten for days now. But the boss was there and observing the work they’re doing. He wasn’t any type of Kook, maybe somewhere in the middle, but he gave small jobs to people who needed a bit of money for living a day or two. But for JJ, everyone who gave jobs to other, was a Kook.

He thought his whole life ended, since he had carried more than 50 bags of soil and fertilizers. That was it for JJ; giving up was the only way he’ll stay alive and continue with living his normal teenage life, careless and free. But when he thought about the pain of his dad’s fists against his young body, it hurt less than the lack of air he got while working.

Until, she walked in. Hair falling off her shoulders, as she tied it in a messy bun. Her smile grew bigger, at the man stood behind JJ. She politely greeted the older workers, wishing them an easy work, and hugging JJ’s boss. Their smiles and eyes were the same, and it wouldn’t be hard for anyone to realize that they’re related. But she was then, gone behind the amounts of trees and flowers. And JJ didn’t even notice it; he was caught stunned in a second and didn’t even realize she wasn’t there. Regret heated his brain and he had nothing to do in the moment to find her and at least ask the girl for her name.

-JJ! -someone yelled his name. He turned around to find his boss, gesturing him to come over. He shook off the dust from his hands and jogged over. -Can you please, carry the flowerpots to the center of the flower garden please?

-Sure, of course Mr. Y/L/N. -said JJ, immediately getting to work. As he approached, what JJ supposed was the center of the flower garden, he heard a few quiet mumbles. But as he approached it more, they turned into clear sentences. He stopped in his tracks, to take a peek behind the big tree.

-You should be strong, really, really strong. So kids could love and cherish you, every day they play in their gardens. And you also need to stand tall for them; and their families will be motivated to continue life, even with the amounts of difficulties they go through.

JJ was stood there, taking in ever word that came out of her mouth. And was more surprised that they came out of the girl that took his whole heart in just first sight. She was full on, having conversations with the flowers.

-Y/N! Y/N! -many kids came running to her and surrounding her on the beanbags. 

-Hi, little sweet peas. -she greeted them.

-We want you to teach us about meaning of the Forget Me Nots flower, pretty please. -the little one put his hands together and pouted at her.

-Okay, I will. -she smiled at them and all their concentration was on her, -Hmm...the flower has powers, to protect humans from witches, for example  symbolizing luck and protection. It means true love, and if you give this flower, to someone you love it means you respect them. It’s a promise to the other person, that you’ll never forget them. Being truthful to them and expressing the long-lasting connection that’ll never be shaken.

-Thank you Y/N, I’ll give it to my mum. -said one of them and they all happily separated around the flower garden.

For JJ who was still stood with the flowerpots behind the tree, felt a different excitement, something he had never felt before. This feeling was strange and foreign, and he knew it wasn’t going to be that easy for him to get closer to her. She was nothing like those Tourons who were easy-minded to get closer to; rather she was as precious as a flower.

And not only was it strange for him to feel something, for a person that’s not really his type, but also suddenly questioned why he softened at her view and how she didn’t reject the kids from telling them, about the beautiful meaning behind a beautiful flower. JJ collected the strength, and showed up in her view. Her shyness could be read in her eyes, and her cheeks immediately bloomed into a shade of pink. She continued with taking care of the flowers, and JJ spun around to see where to put the flowerpots.

-Sorry, -he said, catching her attention, -where do I put these?

-Uh---she rubbed the back of her head, -put them beside the counter.

-Thank you...-JJ gave her a smile and did as told. 

-----

-How was work? -John B asked, placing two plates on the table for him and JJ. JJ, being hungry, he dived into the food his friend made filling his mouth with big bites. -Slow down champion, there’s enough food.

-It was the best work day I’ve had in my life so far.

-Something different happened today, or did they give you more money?

-That and something way, way different. -JJ talked with his mouth full.

-What’s up?

-There was a girl; the little kids she tutored on flowers said her name, but I couldn’t make it out from their little baby voices. John B----she was the most precious thing I’ve laid my eyes on. She was like this---magician, that suddenly made everything many times better and lighter in the flower garden. You should’ve seen, how the kids took in everything she taught them. It was breathtaking.

-Did you talk to her or something?

-I just asked her where to place the flowerpots.

-That’s it? -John B made and unimpressed face.

-What, bro? I didn’t know how to approach her.

-You? JJ? Maybank? Didn’t know how to approach a girl? Unbelievable. Dude, you’re the biggest flirt on this island, approaching a girl is a piece of cake for you.

-Well, see, it wasn’t. She’s different. Different from the ones I flirt with. You can tell, by just the look in her eyes, dude. That princess isn’t just blankly titled with the word; she really is one.

-Woooow, JJ Maybank fell in love with a completely opposite girl of him. I could see it and not believe it. Love really caught you by the collar bro. -he teased his best friend, -Huh, also, Kie’s coming over with Sarah later; they wanted to introduce us to their very good friend.

-They’re bringing her to the kegger, we have one tonight. -he downed the left over water in his cup and walked to the kitchen to leave his empty plate in the sink.

----

Kie and Sarah got ready together, picking up their friend from her house on their way to the kegger, like decided. She was sat at the back of the car, playing with her fingers. Nervousness had trapped her in a cage and she couldn’t slow down her beating heart. As Kie stated, she wasn’t a kind of person, to freely go to unknown places in crowds with unknown people. And they even hardly persuaded her into meeting the other three boys, of the Pogue group.

John B was talking to Pope; both of them discussing about the minimal number of people that started to attend keggers, while JJ was going in for the drinks of course. Kie stayed with her friend, and Sarah went to collect the boys so they could come and meet her. 

-John B. -he said, shaking her hand.

-Y/N, nice to meet you.

-Pope.

-Y/N.

-There’s another one, but he’s---said Sarah, waving at JJ as he came in her sight, -coming here, right now. 

-This is JJ. -said Kie, introducing the blonde to Y/N. From the second his eyes recognized her face, they slightly widened and he got that same excitement as earlier. It was because of the same girl he saw at the flower garden and talked to John B about, The girl that rearranged his entire system.

-Y/N. -she said shaking the bemused boy’s hand.

-JJ. -he held a  longer grip of her hand.

The whole night, JJ didn’t even look at another girl; his eyes were glued to her shy figure. She didn’t have those famous red, plastic cups in her hand like the other two girls and she talked less than them. It was too obvious Y/N wasn’t used to these kinds of gatherings. The looks and glares she got sometimes, seemed to make her too uncomfortable, so from time to time she scooted closer to the group, as if she’s hiding.

-...and then Sarah and I somehow, decided to get matching everything, themed, are you ready?....dolphins...the theme was dolphins and I couldn’t be more happy about it. -said Kie.

-JJ. -Pope nudged him, -JJ. JJ.JJ.

-Yes. -he snapped out of his thoughts.

-What yes bro, I didn’t even ask you a question? -Pope laughed following his gaze to see what he’s looking at, as his eyes land on the quiet girl opposite him.

And many more days like the kegger passed by. The Pogues got to know Y/N a bit more, and she seemed to get comfortable around them. She did wood figurines with John B, talked science with Pope, went shopping with Kie and Sarah and got the new taste of the outside world better, and it definitely felt way more fun to her to be able to have an activity outside her room or the flower garden.

All of them were so welcoming and she appreciated the time spent with them, but if she was to choose, who made her the happiest, it would be that blonde that she saw every day at the flower garden. They went surfing together, got ice cream; JJ attended her flower teaching classes; Y/N helped him with work, they made food together, caught fish and many many more activities. He helped her fight the shyness away and was more than happy to have a friend like him.

But, that ‘friend’ started to slowly leave her, when she unnoticeably stared at him for way too long, or would wait for his text so she could peacefully go to sleep. She felt so happy next to him and somehow always wanted to spend more time with JJ.

-Y/N! You need to come to the Chateau like right now, JJ got into a huge fight with some Kooks, his whole face is bleeding, we literally soaked three cloths in blood till now. Please come, he keeps saying your name. -Kie shouted from the other side of the phone.

Panicked Y/N barely tied her shoes, trying to get to the Chateau as fast as possible. It was nighttime and she didn’t care about the lack of people on the streets; the only thing she had in mind was helping hurt JJ. She entered the Chateau and fairy lights lit up the whole place. On the ground, there was a white carpet on leading to the house and a flower. She immediately knew what flower it was and when she lifted up to read the note; her eye catching another flower not too far away, then another one and another one, she collected a lot of notes and a whole bouquet of forget me nots. The notes were:

“YOU”

“ARE”

“THE”

“ONLY”

“FLOWER”

“THAT”

“MAKES”

“THE”

“BOUQUET”

“IN”

“MY”

“HEART”

“STAY”

“ALIVE”

She came closer to JJ, him holding the last note and the flower. Y/N took it from the flower and opened it to reveal more writing than the other notes. JJ on the other hand, wasn’t in his every day clothes; he tried his best to be elegant but with his own style.

“I never saw this coming, but definitely looked forward to it after. Y/N, you’re the most insanely unique girl I’ve laid my eyes on. Would you let us both, complete this bouquet?”

Y/N looked up at JJ with her nervous look and it took her only a second to nod with her head in agreement. She loved him and he loved her and if she was to let her shyness get in way, then it meant her pushing her love away. His worried expression softened and he slowly stepped closer to her and passionately placed a kiss to her lips. The other Pogues got out and cheered for Y/N and JJ.

-New love is born Poguies! -shouted Kie.

-Yeah baby! -Sarah jumped, -Let it be love!

-I say the same thing. -JJ said to Y/N and cuddled her on his chest.

After all, Y/N changed JJ and JJ changed Y/N, both of them becoming each others most love persons and it was enough for them to be together. That Forget Me Nots bouquet was safely placed and taken care of in their hearts.

[baby-grayson]

Kind Stranger|Part 4|GBD

Read Part 1 Here Read Part 2 Here Read Part 3 Here Word Count: 3k  Tags: @evergreendolan​ @someonetogray​ @vintagedolan​ @prettyboydolan​ @dolansficsandpics​ @graysavant​ @baby-turtles​ Image Credit to @graysonsbailey​ (her edits are THE BEST)

Ethan heard the front door close behind Grayson, but he was surprised by his brother’s embrace soon after. Ethan wrapped his arms around Grayson, somewhat confused while asking, “Whats up bro?” Grayson spoke from within the crook between Ethan’s shoulder and his back. “I love you bro” Ethan, still holding onto Grayson but, getting more confused by the moment replied, “I love you too bro”

Grayson pulled back to look at his brother, “I know you want the best for me and I’m sorry about what I said last weekend. I’m sorry for springing the news about Kate on you like that. But you should know that she makes me happy.” Ethan pulled back slightly at the mention of her name, a part of him had forgotten about her. But he released a small smile when he saw the kind, puppy dog eyes his brother gave him. A part of Ethan recognized these eyes as the look Grayson wore many times when they were teenagers: Grayson declared he met his soulmate no less than seven times. Grayson took the upturn of Ethan’s lips as a sign to continue, “I’m going out with her tomorrow.” Ethan tried to maintain a happy look for Grayson’s sake but inside he was skeptical. “I’m happy for you,” he started, “just be careful.” Ethan was the older brother afterall, even though Grayson was bigger in every way. But it was often Grayson’s’ big heart that needed Ethan’s protection the most. As if on cue, Grayson’s phone sounded with a ping. He dropped his arms from Ethan as the twins stepped apart. Ethan saw Grayson’s entire face turn upward when he looked down, “Is that her?” Grayson nodded, looking up to meet his brother’s eyes. Ethan felt like a third wheel and decided to leave the room. Grayson did not notice his brother step out of the room, too involved with the virtual version of Kate in his hands. He read her text a few times over: I hope living with your brother isn’t getting too unbearable. Grayson pressed his tongue between his front teeth as he smiled and typed: We’re pretty good at making up. Suddenly, he regretted the way that sounded. Does that sound too touchy feely? She’s going to think they fight all the time…well they DO fight all the time. He followed with: We never picked a time for tomorrow.

He swayed in his seat when she replied: I’m free all day, so whatever works for you works for me :)

Grayson sat in thought, trying to figure out the optimal time to visit an aquarium on a Tuesday. He knew he would wake up at 7AM and want to eat breakfast. Vainly, he questioned whether he should work out before going out with her. He knew his muscles would appear plumper and more impressive if he did. The idea of working out triggered the thought of showering and doing his hair. He tried to add everything together in his before writing: I can pick you up at 9:15 :) ****

A low, slung towel draped around Grayson’s waist while he picked out his outfit. He mixed and matched a variety of pieces, while cursing at himself for not bringing more options to the rental he was sharing with Ethan. He tried on a button-down shirt and some dark jeans before deciding that he looked way too formal for an aquarium on a Tuesday morning. He traded the button down for plain white shirt and looked in the mirror. He gulped down hard and stripped down to his underwear. He threw his clothes on the floor. He decided on a comfortable blue sweatshirt and shorts. Peering in the mirror, he wondered if he looked seasonally challenged with his long sleeves and exposed legs.

Grayson swiped the keys to the van from the top of his dresser. The keys to his shiny Porche were collecting dust in a jacket pocket Grayson hadn’t worn in months. The sports car was left to waste in the driveway while Grayson pulled out the van and set his phone to navigate for Kate’s apartment. Despite his usual confident demeanor, Grayson’s thoughts betrayed his self-esteem. Was he wearing enough cologne? Was he wearing too much cologne? Should he be earlier? Was he too early, should he be fashionably late?

He pulled onto her street, regretting his sweatshirt as he sweated like a sinner in a church. He almost didn’t recognize this part of LA. Graffiti lined some of the shopfronts; trash lined the street drains; people walked with their eyes pointed down. Grayson didn’t frequent this side of the city often. He pulled up to her apartment, beaming when he saw her sitting on the front steps of a large, white apartment building. Grayson stepped out of the van as Kate picked her purse off the stairs. “You ready?” her voice was sweet. When Grayson nodded, she added “Thank you again for offering to show me around.” “Not a Problem,” Not a problem at all.. Grayson opened the passenger side door of the van for the Kate, but immediately noticed her small stature. Kate tentatively raised her bad leg up to the edge of the van, intending to swing up to the van seat. She took in a sharp breath when Grayson’s large hands found firmly held her waist and lifted her up. Kate’s face converted to a blush tone while she muttered a few words of thanks, while Grayson grinned ear to ear and closed the door behind her.

******

“Tropical fish are actually migrating away from the tropics,” Kate remarked, and she and Grayson watched the insides of a large tank. They walked slowly, taking in more of each other than the aquatic life around them. “It’s because climate change altered the warm currents coming from the South Pacific.” Grayson nodded and took in a slow breath. How does he say this without sounding like an ass? “Why do you know so much?” Okay, maybe that was a little asinine. “You have all the facts, even back at the beach.”

The top of Kate’s cheeks turned a shade of pink, making Grayson regret asking anything. “I’m a Ph.D student at UCLA.” Grayson stopped walking. “I’m trying to be a doctor of Environmental Engineering; I do research in the effects of climate change.” Grayson’s mouth hung open slightly. He struggled to find the words to describe what he was thinking. He struggled to find the thoughts he was thinking. “That’s so cool,” his voice unsteady with awe. “I love the planet” Didn’t everyone? “I’m a vegan.” Kate started laughing, seeing through Grayson’s astonished exterior. “I’m not, guess I’m a bad environmentalist.” Grayson grinned and bit his lip, looking down at her. Her aura was infectious, her presence asked him to be the best version of Grayson.

“I miss Philly though. Home is home, you can’t beat that.” Kate almost looked wistful. “What’s it like?” “It’s a city of neighborhoods, there are so many different personalities in a really small area. In one day, you can visit Beverly Hills, San Francisco, and Nashville all at once. And the food is so good!” Kate gushed, more missing her home than telling Grayson about it. Her eyes went somewhere else for a second before meeting his gaze as he spoke.

“Complete opposite of New Jersey, “Grayson nearly laughed. “My brother and I used to ride our bikes and these four wheelers all the time. When we weren’t in school, we were usually covered in mud. This one time my brother and I were riding our bikes up this hill, and when we made it to the top—I shit you not—we saw a giant grizzly bear.” Kate’s eyes went wide, “No Way!” Grayson nodded vigorously, “We ran like hell. But then we got to the crest of the hill—this is where I am the hero in the story—I remembered from TV that you’re supposed to stay super still to avoid bears. And that’s how I saved my brother’s life when we were like seven.” Grayson wore a triumphant look, eliciting a giggle out of Kate. “So you know, come to me if you ever need rescuing from a bear.” “Hopefully I won’t ever need to,” the erupted in laughs together. Kate threw her head back and Grayson felt his face go warm when he realized how melodic she sounded.

“I do need to ask you a favor though,” Grayson’s eared perked up as Kate started, “Could you take a few touristy pictures of me to send to my mom back in Philly?” Grayson smiled brightly and nodded, “Of course I can. What about in front of the dolphin wall?” The thought of Kate sending cute pictures was endearing to Grayson, it reminded him to send pictures to his own mother. Grayson stood back and framed the picture in his phone while Kate sat on a ledge in front of a tiled wall. Her wide smile warmed Grayson’s heart. He was really so happy to take that picture, to create a memory of how beautiful and happy she was in that moment. Kate bounced off the ledge and over to Grayson to inspect the pictures he took before “Do you want any?” Grayson nodded and handed her the phone. He went to sit in front of the wall while Kate started taking pictures. Grayson smiled wide, saying “cheeeeeese” and garnering a warm laugh from Kate. Grayson pulled up the hood on his baby blue sweatshirt, hearing more giggles from Kate.

An older woman with two kids by her side gently tapped Kate on the shoulder and offered to take a picture of her and Grayson together. She sat beside Grayson, while he wrapped a muscular arm around her petite frame. She leaned her head in toward him, letting him drink in her sweet scent. ****

Grayson parked the van in front of Kate’s apartment. He turned toward her; his stomach became a ballroom for butterflies. Grayson tried to muster up words but found them lodged in this throat. Kate smiled at him, her eyes turning up, “I had a great time today. Thanks for bringing me out. It’s hard since I don’t really know anyone in the city.”

Grayson took in a large breath, he reached for her hand. He interlocked their fingers and noted how her dainty, soft hand felt against his large, rough one. He felt his face turn warm and his eyes go slightly glossy when he caught her looking down at their hands. “I had a great time too,” Grayson’s entire being felt light and airy despite his size. They took a minute to look at each other, letting the silence fill the cabin of the van. Grayson broke the silence and the stare to look at her apartment, “Do you live alone?” Kate nodded and pointed to a window on the left side of the building, “Yeah, it’s not much but it’s what I can do on a grad student’s salary. You know the life.” Kate chuckled and looked at Grayson, expecting a knowing look of understanding. Instead, she was confused by the slightly blank look in his usually warm brown eyes. Grayson looked at the floor of the van and muttered, “Yeah LA life is hard.” He remembered that he was holding hands with a beautiful girl and that now was not the time to be awkward. He gave her tiny hand an affectionate squeeze and followed with, “I’m glad I can make it easier for you.” Cheesy. Cheesy. Cheesy. He could do better.

Kate smiled at him, kindly. Grayson’s anxious inner monologue paused to make way for an affectionate, puppy dog smile. Kate ran her thumb gently over his from where they interlocked. Grayson felt a warm, happy feeling bubble up in his stomach. He squeezed Kate’s hand again, appreciating how familiar the feeling of her tiny hand was starting to feel. Grayson bit at his bottom lip. I should say something. I should say something. I should do something. He was looked down and didn’t notice Kate’s gaze to melt into a similar version of Grayson’s puppy dog stare. Her eyes wore pointed down slightly and her pupils widened, fixated on the enigmatic, hypnotizing, Adonis of a man sitting next to her. “Hey Gray,” her voice was just above a whisper, gentle, and kind. Grayson removed his eyed from the floor, escaping the trap of his thoughts while he looked back at her, “Yes?” Kate crashed her lips onto Grayson’s. Her lips wrapped onto his top lip while he ran a hand through her long dark hard, resting it on the back of her head as he pulled her in closer. Kate laid a hand against his chest, feeling his firm pec underneath her fingers. Grayson leaned into her, kissing her back and taking in her bottom lip: nearly intoxicated from her scent. At that moment, every love song Grayson had ever heard played in his head. I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more…..And All of Me Loves All of You, love all your curves and all your edges…When I see your face, there’s not a thing that I would change

*****

Grayson bounced through his front door, whistling a happy tune and rocking on his heels as he stopped in the kitchen. Ethan looked up from where he sat at the island, “You’re happy.”  Grayson nodded and pulled up a seat next to Ethan. “I had my date. It was perfect dude,” Ethan recognized the wide-eyed look on Grayson’s face. “She’s amazing, like actually the coolest person I’ve ever met.”

“I’m happy for you dude. Did you talk to her about..everything?” Ethan didn’t feel like referring to the episode of Grayson yelling in a New Jersey diner parking lot.

“No. But wait until you hear this, she’s like a scientist who is trying to save the planet” Grayson beamed, very proud of his not-girlfriend. His beam dimmed when he saw the solemn look on Ethan’s face. “You should tell her Gray,” Ethan didn’t try to disguise the pragmatism in his voice. Grayson the romantic often forgot the hectic life of Grayson the business man; Ethan was the only thing keeping Icarus from flying into the sun.

“We just had our first date, I’m not about to show her everything I’ve been up to for the past five years” Grayson’s defensive tone did not match his relaxed demeanor.

“Look, Gray, if this is going to get serious. She deserves to know. You’d be doing yourself and her a favor by having this conversation sooner rather than later.”

***

Grayson’s wet hair soaked his pillowcase that night. The towel he wore out of the shower laid strewn on the floor. A thin white sheet rested over his waistline. He grabbed his phone from his nightstand. His intentions were to call Kate. He thought back to what Ethan said, about inviting her over to purposefully talk about what he did for a living. The idea of the conversation he didn’t want to have sat uncomfortably in his mind: not because he thought she would react badly but because he refused to accept that what his life was special enough to warrant a dedicated conversation. He was not looking forward to it. However, he was looking forward to kissing her again.

Her lips were plush and soft. Her tiny hands framed his face to well when she pulled him in earlier. Her sweet, citrusy scent only got better with proximity; her entire essence was completely decadent to him. She was like a guilty pleasure; there was something so invigorating about the escape she offered him. She intoxicated him: demanding the attention of every single one of his senses when they were together in an indulgent and dizzying way. She ignited his most innocent and romantic fantasies: he dreamt of sleepy Sunday mornings in a plush bed, dancing barefoot in the kitchen in the refrigerator light, and sharing the stars under the night sky from the safety of a shared sleeping bag. In a deeper place, Grayson’s other nighttime daydreams took hold: took enough hold to cause the thin sheet of fabric over his waist to start to bulge. Before his bodily functions got the better of him, the wet, naked, smitten man picked up the phone to call his not-girlfriend.

“Hey there,” her voice was sweet and song-like. Grayson felt a smile grow on his lips. “Miss me already?”

Grayson’s mouth went slightly dry when he thought of how to respond. Instinctively, he wanted to say miss you all the time. But he decided that was too much for after their first date. “I wanted to hear your voice,” oh shit, that was creepy. He quickly followed up with his next comment, hoping the first part wouldn’t sit on Kate’s ears for too long “I wanted to invite you over tomorrow.” He took a breath, thinking that he sounded like a second grader inviting their friend over for a game of soccer.

“That sounds good! You mean over like to hang out at your apartment?” Kate asked which elicited a blush from Grayson, maybe he did imply a non-truth earlier today. “Yes, kind of, I share a house with my brother not an apartment.” Grayson sounded formal; he knew he sounded format.

“Oh,” Grayson noted the hint of surprise in Kate’s voice, “Is your brother going to be there?” “He should be but I’m not entirely sure.” From the other side of the phone, Kate’s thoughts stopped for a minute. Was the genuine, sweet guy who could barely muster up the courage to kiss her really asking her to hang out at his house when no one else was home? “I would ask you on another real date, but it’s hard since everything is closed” Grayson felt bad for giving her a half-truth. He also felt thankful that his thin white sheet was soaking up the sweat from one of his hands. From the other side of LA, Kate nodded but then realized he couldn’t see her. “Text me the address and I’ll be there. Same time tomorrow morning?” “Great!” Grayson grinned, his smile beaming at the ceiling above him. His toes wiggled underneath his sheet, dancing in celebration for his romantic victory. Riding the high of today he felt the courage in his stomach build until it bursted out of his lips as “I had the best time today.” “I did too,” Grayson heard Kate’s smile through the phone. “And Grayson..” she started cautiously, “you’re a good kisser.” Grayson’s blush overtook his face. His stomach bubbled with a mixture of confidence, victory, nervousness, joy, romance, and surprise. “You are too,” and with that he felt his happiness bulge under his sheets once more and instantly knew he should gently end their call before his excitement turned his white sheet into a tent. A/N: Hello! This chapter was really hard for me to write, any feedback is valuable! I tried to make this progress the story, give the correct amount of information, but also be kind of fluffy. Let me know what you thought~

[lightspeedrobin]

Found (Chapter 3) - Morisawa Chiaki/Reader

Summary: Chiaki can vaguely remember that time in kindergarten when he saved a girl during a school field trip but he knows that it was the first time he became someone’s hero. With only a dolphin plush and a worn-out handkerchief to remind him of that memory, he finally meets her again.

A/N: A lot of IRL stuff happened which caused the delay of this update but here it is~ Hope you enjoy and please look forward to the next and final chapter~!

Chapter 3: A Snippet of the Past

-

It seems like today is his lucky day as Chiaki is called up on stage by the emcee, his smile couldn’t be any wider as he joins the other kid next to the sea lion. The next bit of the show was to have volunteers from the audience play some tricks with the aquatic animal. 

He was waving excitedly to his mom from the audience seats when he heard a scream followed by a splash of water.

The crowd was in panic as the girl was pulled underwater, the emcee calling for a lifeguard through the microphone and the girl’s classmates shouting at her. Chiaki is stunned as well. One second she was just standing next to him and the next she’s gone. 

But he was moving before he even registered what he’s about to do and jumped into the water, the worried voice of the emcee fading as he tried to swim deeper into the water to reach the drowning girl.   

‘Heroes have these kinds of moments too, huh? Suddenly rushing in to help without giving it any thought.’, he thinks to himself, stretching his arm long enough to grab hold of the girl. With the sudden charge into the water, however, Chiaki didn’t have a chance to take a deep breath so he was struggling to pull themselves above water before he ran out of breath.

But he couldn’t hold it any longer. He lets out air from his mouth, bubbles escaping and making their way upwards, and started to inhale water. It was painful. Despite that, he kept a firm hold of the girl’s arm. Judging by the ease of pulling her towards him, the animal must’ve let her go.

However it was too late, as Chiaki’s senses were fading and his grip started to loosen.

It was the aquarium staff who ultimately saved both children, pulling them out as quickly as they could. Thankfully, they were able to regain consciousness after receiving first aid, and their worried parents rushed in.

As his mother was patting his head in relief, Chiaki looked over to the girl who was fighting the tears in her eyes, telling her mom how scared she was and the older woman comforting her. She seemed okay physically, at least.

They were led to the infirmary for a quick check-up, and after confirming that both didn’t sustain any injuries were taken to the souvenir shop to get some dry clothes.

--

Chiaki feels a tug on his shirt and turns around to see the girl in a fresh new set of clothes bought from the shop. She was fidgeting with her fingers before shyly meeting his eyes. 

“Mommy said I should always thank people who help me… so… thank you very much for saving me!” She bows her head and Chiaki is at a loss for words. 

“No, no. It wasn’t really me who saved you.” The young boy quickly denies despite the warm feeling her words brought him. He felt like he didn’t deserve the gratitude. He did almost drown with her after recklessly jumping in after her.

She shakes her head. “I already thanked the nice adults earlier. But you were the one who tried to save me first, right? So, thank you!” She insists and bows her head again. The sincerity of her voice made the young boy give up any more argument and accept her gratitude. He smiles in reply.

“A hero never hesitates when there are people in need, after all.”

Chiaki then notices a paper bag beside the girl. It was the same size as the one he has after purchasing a souvenir from the shop. “Did you also buy one?” And the girl tilts her head to the side in confusion.

He points to the bag. “A souvenir, I mean.” He clarifies. She turns her attention to the bag and nods. 

“Yes. The dolphins from the show were cute”, she reaches inside the bag and reveals a pink stuffed dolphin, “so I want to keep one too!”

Chiaki’s eyes grow wide and opens his own bag. “I also liked the show so I got one too!” A blue stuffed dolphin peeks from inside, the same kind the girl has. The girl gasps in awe and giggles before speaking again. “We match!”

“We do!” And he matches her laughter with one of his own before being interrupted by a sudden sneeze, surprising the both of them. 

“Are you okay?” The girl worriedly asks, and Chiaki quickly wipes his nose with his sleeve. 

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine! This usually happens when I get a little chilly but it should be fine when we get outside.” He explains. He was never good with changing temperatures to begin with and the air conditioning of the shop was doing more harm than good. They did both just came from the outside stage earlier and that summer heat was no joke. Not to mention them being dripping wet not too long ago.

The girl gives him one more concerned look before patting on the pockets of her skirt. She pulls out a handkerchief. “Here, you can use this. Mommy always makes me carry one.” 

Chiaki was hesitant but gave an awkward laugh before taking it. “Thanks! It’s a little embarrassing you had to see that.” He can already feel his cheeks turning red. He should really start bringing a towel of his own in the future. But the girl pays it no mind and says that it didn’t bother her at all.

Before they could start another conversation, a voice calls out and the girl turns around to see her mother waving at her from the entrance. It must be their time to leave.

“Mommy is calling me... I guess it’s time to go home.” She says, a hint of sadness in her voice. The girl didn’t move from her spot and looked down on the floor with a frown. It must be hard to say goodbye to a new friend so early.

A cheerful ‘Well, take care!’ should at least break the silence, Chiaki thought. Though he too didn’t want to part too soon, he knows his mom would be calling for him too. So he puts on a brave smile and steps forward. But just as he was about to open his mouth the girl lifts her head.

“It was nice meeting you! Thank you again for rescuing me!” She spoke with all the appreciation she felt at that moment. “... And I hope we can meet again.” She quickly grabs her paper bag and runs away before Chiaki can even utter a reply. She takes her mother’s waiting hand but before the two exit the shop, she turns around.

“Bye bye, Mr. Hero!”

--

Chiaki lies awake on his bed, his mind still reminiscing the incident from long ago. How could he have forgotten? 

He remembers having a field trip when he was younger. A troubled expression of his mother when she realized Chiaki picked up the wrong paper bag from the aquarium shop. And the panic he felt after realizing he and the girl had accidentally swapped bags. He remembers coming down with a fever on that same night.

So that memory wasn’t a fever dream after all? 

He sits back up on the bed and reaches for the old paper bag he left by his bedside. A pink dolphin, a handkerchief, and a name. No matter how many times he opens it, nothing changes. He closes his eyes to let it sink in once more.

He was the one who saved her. He was her first hero.

--

After dropping by the ES building for work, Chiaki spends the rest of his free time roaming around ES. He still can’t believe it. Remembering what happened is one thing, but meeting the girl he had saved back then was almost too coincidental that the brunette wonders if there really is some divine being at work here. Or it could also be fate trying to tie them together. Not every person you meet will cross paths with you again, after all.

Maybe this is the universe giving Chiaki an opportunity to give her back her handkerchief. He didn’t really intend to keep it back then, just wipe his nose quickly and then hand it back, but she was gone too soon. The pink dolphin was hers too, so he can give that back as well. But that could mean her giving him the blue one, which was supposed to be his. She had treasured his dolphin for so long and for her to just return it like that, in exchange for a pink dolphin that he didn’t really paid attention to all these years, would be a really disappointing trade.

All he’s thinking right now is if their current relationship would change if he tells her. And if that change would be for the better or for the worse. 

Right now, he’s assuming the worst.

He thought a walk would clear his mind of these thoughts, but it only made him think about them more. He needs to find another way to distract himself.

But somehow in his wandering around, he ends up at the front of the cafe. He must’ve navigated there by instinct, though he wasn’t sure if he would call it that considering he was only able to go there twice. Well thrice, if he counted today.

He steps a little to the far side of the road to let the other people walk past. It would look a little suspicious if people saw him just staring at the shop so he takes out his phone and pretends to be texting someone. 

He subtly looks up from his phone to see inside the cafe and spots the owner by the counter, picking up the orders to serve. Another female joins her with a tray in hand. That must be the other employee who was sick for the last few days. Well, he’s glad the owner didn’t have to wait tables alone today. Yesterday was a hectic day indeed but today’s atmosphere looks a little calmer, with a manageable amount of customers. 

‘There was a festival nearby which would explain why there were a lot more children in the area’, was what the owner told him.

At the thought of what happened the previous day, Chiaki remembers a funny exchange he had with her. He had tried to pay for his order but she insisted it’s on the house, saying that she might still get in trouble for making him work so it’s the least she could do.

“Haha! I told you, you won’t. So it’s okay, really. Let me pay for it.” Chiaki was already reaching for his wallet, taking out some L$ and placing them on the table in front of her

She pushed the money back at him, shaking her head. “Well, then just consider it as payment for helping out. It’s the least I can do.”

“No, no. Just take it. I’m still a customer after all!”

“Usually when someone’s offered something for free they’d gladly take it, you know?”

“And I’m not one who just takes advantage of that and not compensate you properly for your hard work.”

Their exchange went on for a few more minutes until both started laughing at how silly they both are for just a parfait. In the end, they decided to just meet halfway and pay the dessert on a discount. 

A small laugh escapes Chiaki’s lips after looking back at the memory and he finally tucks his phone back to his pocket. Maybe he really is just overthinking it all and she’d actually be happy when he tells her. Maybe. He should probably at least tell Kanata or Kaoru about this whole situation. Knowing their thoughts about it would also help him get out of his pessimistic tunnel vision.

Chiaki nods to himself and takes one last glance at the cafe before heading back to the office, now with an objective in mind.

--

this fic is also up on my ao3, @lightspeedrobin , do give me a follow there too if you can~

Ch.2 | Ch.4

[seven-oomen]

Hi, Ben!  Probably just another short reply, because I have to be back at work in less than 10 hours (sigh…fuck capitalism).  The snippet was adorable, and omg, Jackson’s last line.  I could practically hear Noah turning back to Peter “Well, we definitely know he’s yours, at least."  XD  And when I went back to re-read the first one, I realized that even though it’s Noah’s POV he describes Allison as "their” daughter, and there may have been some more dolphin screeching.  Also, was reminded of another question, are Peter’s eyes staying red right now because his body is trying to heal (and his healing kinda got a bonus kickstart?)  Or is it connected to what happened to him?

And oh god I still don’t know if that makes it better or worse!  Because would Claudia have made the same choices if she’d known for sure?  Did Scott get the chance to know her at all?  He wasn’t terribly bothered by the ex-hunter thing, but this is a VERY different kind of secret, so I’m curious to see his reaction, as well (also if it impacts his relationship with Stiles and Malia in any way.)

Also, completely unrelated to any of the drama on the horizon, but it’s driving me slowly out of my mind that none of them have so much as kissed yet.  XD  Like, I know, shit’s complicated right now, and there are more important things happening, but also, you’ve barely hugged each other in at least 6 years, and some of you have possibly not kissed (to my knowledge) in close to 17 years.  Goddamn, sons.  Get it together.  XD  “tale as old as time, burn as slow as fuck” indeed.  XD

And I look forward to the rest of the pack whenever they show up.  :D

Omg, those booty shorts. XD  I am CRYING!  How terrible do you think the vengeance is when Peter buys his husbands a matched set?  Also, I don’t care if it doesn’t fit the timeline at all, I think that any time Chris dresses in all black again, especially if he’s got like a meeting or something and is clearly in Serious Mode, Noah will randomly start singing/humming “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” to try and make him laugh.

Fun fact: My dad is actually currently a driver for an HVAC company.  It makes him a very knowledgeable and experienced driver to ride with, but often a terrifying one, because he knows exactly the kinds of risks he can take- but his passengers often do not.  I myself enjoy the freedom of driving, but I hate traffic with a violent passion, so it’s sort of an even split most of the time.  My general rule is “as long as I trust you not to drive like an idiot, I don’t mind not driving."  I am very, very good at staring out the window and day dreaming for hours if need be.

So this is not as short as I’d thought it would be (sorry!), and I’m probably forgetting stuff again, but I need to go to bed soon if I want to have a hope of getting up on time.  I’m glad today was a pretty good day overall, and I hope tomorrow is, too!  Take care!  *Hugs to both of you!*

Oh man your work schedule sounds brutal at the moment and yeah, fuck capatilism. I hope you’re getting enough rest, stay hydrated and make sure you eat enough. Take care of yourself. (Jesus I sound like a dad.)

But yeah I’m really happy with the 2 K I’ve written so far. It’s super cute with just a little bit of drama (though mostly centered on Melissa & Claudia.) And yeah so far most of the chapter will be through Noah’s POV, though there’s some of Peter’s POV and some of Chris’s as well.

And yes, he does think of Allison as their daughter in that little scene. Though he hasn’t quite realized that yet. I have something really cute planned for that revelation and I’m very excited.

I feel like Scott would know Claudia, probably because he’s been Stiles’s best friend since forever and the two have known each other for a long time. So I definitely think that he got to know Claudia before she died, but did’t know who she really was to him.

This is definitely a story of tale as old as time, burn as slow as fuck. Because they’re not kissing in this chapter either. And I’m cackling. XD There will be lots of feelings though. And cute moments. And standing really close to one another while staring longingly into each others eyes while a wolf Peter whines at their feet and Melissa sips from her wine glass while wondering just how stupid these idiots are.

Oh I think their vengeance shall be very sweet indeed. You know those two shits will pair those shorts with fish net tights, booties and like a crop top to drive  Peter wild, proceed to lock him out of their make out session with some Mountain ash (I love you for that idea) and then see just how debauched they can get their wolf from sexual frustration alone.

And the witcher thing has me cackling and I’m kinda sad the Witcher didn’t come out earlier because it would be an awesome show for them. And Chris would break the second Noah either tosses a coin to him or bounces one off off him in a parody version called; Bounce a coin of your hunter.

Oh and this random post had me thinking of what these characters would do in these situations. And Allison is the girl in the second gif who puts the trash back into the black car, Chris and Noah walk by her hand in hand and just as the black car door opens, Chris stops it, closes it and starts to threatingly wash the guys windows as he scolds the man on his littering and threatening his daughter. Noah is watching the whole thing unfold while trying not to laugh but also ready to step in because he is still the sheriff. He writes the guy a ticket for littering anyway.

The third gif is Peter and Ben taking a walk with Mik & Addie in the stroller. Ben sees someone littering from their car and runs over to throw it back in through the window with a; “You dropped this!”

The woman tries to open her door to yell at Ben but Peter just donkey kicks the door shut, leaving a dent, without taking his hands off the stroller and growls at the lady in warning. And Ben just giggles in return and lets out a cheerful “Have a nice day!” Peter has never been more proud.

And that last gif is Melissa and Victoria with Julio while they’re out riding on some motorcycles. And someone litters. Melissa just fucking kicks that trash back into the trash’s car while Victoria fans herself and Julio laughs his ass off.

I kinda had to look up what a HVAC was but gotcha. And that sounds like a pretty cool job. Sorry, sorry, bad joke XD. but yeah I love driving. I would have been a truck driver if circumstances had been different and I still kinda want to have a second chance at that one day. I love the road and driving on it. I just don’t like the people that share it with me.

And I hope your day’s been going well at work. Mine’s been okay. I went to see a new therapist and do a general meeting appointment and I like these people. They’re good contenders but I also want to meet one more potential therapist too. I have that one Wednesday. So fingers crossed!

Hope work’s kind to you and I hope you’re having a good day. Lots of hugs from me and Mo! <3

[bishi0414]

Will Coronavirus Open up our Minds?

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the entire world has confined themselves to their homes to battle this terrible situation that all of us are experiencing now. I am also certain that a lot of us are a lot more active on social media these days because let’s face it, we have absolutely nothing to do. Just a joke! Honestly, it brings me great happiness to see that people are engaged in a lot of activities that involve cooking, drawing, painting, dancing, and several others. The best part is that these talents are showcased by people whom we never imagined doing it. At the same time, from a different angle of social media, we see lots of posts about how the world is healing altogether. Yes, I am specifically talking about the fact that dolphins have returned to the canals of Venice due to the water turning so clean, the northern state of Punjab in India being able to witness the Himalayas in decades due to the immense decrease in the levels of pollution and so on. Many of us are even happy to see and hear about it. But there comes the question. Is this sustainable?

Let’s rewind a little. The country which was initially hit by the coronavirus was China. Slowly, it started spreading to other countries, actually, parts of the world would be a better choice of phrases, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the western parts including the USA and Canada. One by one the countries started to go into lockdown, a word that I have only heard in movies and within a span of two months from the outbreak of the virus, we witnessed the majority of the world in lockdown. It looked like earth was literally dead. Thinking about it from one side, the news of dolphins returning to Venice and the Himalayas being visible made me happy but from another, it felt that Earth had suddenly banished everyone back to their homes. It’s like getting rusticated from school because you had drugs in your bag. Simple as that. Or is it that simple?

First things first. When we heard the news that there was an outbreak of the virus in China, how many of you were actually concerned about the people of China? Or were you only concerned when people started dying in large numbers? Or did you understand the seriousness of the pandemic only when it reached your country? That's the thing. I am not trying to accuse my readers of irresponsibility or point fingers at you. I am just saying that this is the life that we lead nowadays. ''Your interests on top of the others''. This line doesn't look like it would do that much harm. I mean, haven't you heard the air hostess in airplanes. ''Put on your oxygen mask first and then help the person next to you''. But think about this line, ''Your interests on top of others at any cost''. That sounds more damaging, doesn't it? This is exactly what people all over the world though when a report said that Trump tried to secure exclusive rights for a coronavirus vaccine under development in Germany. Of course, there are also reports that say a different story. Then, there were speculations that the virus had been engineered in a lab and has been released by China. Reports revealed by scientists later that the virus originated from anteaters later squashed those speculations.

All of these got me thinking, what are the two things that would be necessary for humans to lead a remarkable life? Well, the first thing I would say is cooperation. Of course, when I say cooperation, I don't mean that we have to cooperate with terrorists or criminals. Of course, several countries are now doing an amazing job at that diverting supplies and doctors in the direction in which it is needed which is a good thing. But the cooperation I meant was that why can't we all cooperate like this all the time? Do we actually need natural disasters to bring out the cooperative power in both individuals and countries? Of course, the coronavirus was really unexpected but even then there have been incidences of countries intimidating others for the sake of supplies. As a generic answer, we might be used to hearing policies and the economy. In my opinion, for these policies and economies to flourish, the least that you need is a world and a population and we all knew in the past few months how fragile both of them were. Similarly, with the whole world moving in the direction of sustainable development there are lots of ideas and innovations being launched into the world daily by brilliant minds. It's not much of a big deal to share them rather than implement it in the country by whose nationals it was developed. This is not an exam in which you hide your answers so that the person next to you do not copy it and get better grades than you. This is the kind of exam in which your grades are determined by the average grade in the class. So, if you are keen on getting good grades, it is your responsibility to make sure that everyone gets good grades.

The second thing which I feel is necessary is refraining yourselves from believing and spreading hoaxes. Take the case of the current pandemic situation for example. When it first started, we were told to drink hot water because it was believed that it could kill the virus. Then, we were told that coronavirus does not spread to countries with warm and humid temperatures. Did that work either? No. Then there were all these speculations that I mentioned earlier claiming that China was responsible for the outbreak of the coronavirus. The only reason why I believe China wasn't responsible is that it was scientifically proven. That's right. I am the sort of person who believes in facts and figures because I feel it is a lot safer to trust something when there is proof. Just because of the speculation, for a brief while, the internet, countries and the media turned against China. This is the reason why I mentioned earlier it was necessary to refrain from such baseless accusations. This is not just about the coronavirus, economies or countries. It is about each and everything in life. If you have a habit of believing in such hoaxes or are pulled into such conversations, today is the day to stop. But of course, it's up to you. Because in one way or the other, what you think will not affect anyone or anything in any way, will affect. And by the time you realize, it will be too late.

So, I think it's time to end and by the way, sorry for the lengthy article. We started with the issue of coronavirus but I would like to conclude on something else. We have all heard that ''one person can make a difference in this world''. I would like to modify that a little. In my opinion, I would say, ''one person can make a difference in this world but one person alone cannot make a difference in this world. What I meant to say is that you can start protecting nature in any way which might be from fixing a small leak in your bathroom or proper disposal of waste at your home to developing something that would teleport people. Whatever it is, all you have to keep in mind is that you share your methods and inspire the world to adopt them because the world has always accepted artistic ideas.  

Stay safe. Stay home.

[lovecraftian-druid]

Pactborn - Part IV

Log #1 - Muu 3rd, 425

I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M A SAILOR NOW. It’s just after nightfall of my first evening at sea, and it still doesn’t feel real.  I’m proud of myself to be able to say that I didn’t get seasick like Papa talked about feeling when he first sailed on a ship. I like the feeling of the waves rocking the boat, and I love the smell of the salty air and the sounds of the sails as they flutter in the ever-changing breeze. Darja said that today was mostly for me to “find my sea legs” and get settled.  

I got to see some really cool sea creatures already: a few dolphins followed alongside the ship a ways, jumping out of the water as they flanked us on either side.  It was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. We saw a whale too, but we weren’t very close to it.  Still, they’re so big that when it sprayed water from its blowhole, it looked like those giant geysers from geography books.

I have my own cot!  It smelled a little, but something weird but exciting happened...I don’t quite no how to explain it, but as I was standing there, thinking of home, thinking of the little things that I knew I was going to miss, it was like my hands were suddenly not my own, moving in strange, somatic swipes and turns, til suddenly, I watched the soiled marks on the cot fabric fade away.  I was really surprised because...to be honest, neither Mama nor Papa have magic, so I didn’t think I did either.  Maybe it’s all this fresh air!  I got excited and decided to try again as practice, and sure enough - I was able to make the cot smell like my sheets at home after Mama freshly washed them in jasmine water. I might have cried a little...I don’t know what made me more happy: the smell of home being right at my fingertips, or the fact that I could make it happen at all. I decided to try one more time, this time concentrating on making a warm bed.  Sure enough, I touched the fabric on the cot and noticed the temperature change, warm to the touch. I’m lying in my warm, clean, sweet-smelling cot right now, and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.  I can’t wait to tell Mama and Papa all about this when I come home.  Now Papa and I can both share stories at sea.

Log #2 - Muu 4th, 425

Today was pretty rough.  I’m so tired, I can hardly grip the quill to write this. Darja told me that today I was to learn the ropes so that I could start earning my place on the ship and make some coin.  I worked with Bardi - he’s the head midshipman on the Golden Afternoon. I’m not gonna lie, he’s a bit of a hardass. At first I was doing pretty well keeping up - he taught me how to hoist sails, check the rigging, and a few other things that I don’t really remember what their names were (I’ll get it though).  I kind of tried to show off at the beginning and used up a lot of my energy in the first couple hours, not realizing I’d be working that hard all day…

My hands are all chewed up from the rough ropes: they’re blistered and bleeding, and I don’t know what to do because Bardi said I’m gonna be doing it all over again tomorrow, too. There’s another younger kid on the ship - his name is Mica, he’s a genasi from the mountains in Sokoku. He told me that the same thing happened to him on his first day at sea and that he found that wrapping his hands helped a lot.  I’m going to try that, I guess.  I tried using that little bit of magic I found out that I could do yesterday, but it didn’t seem to help.  I wish I could do healing magic like the people at the Sanctuary can… Maybe this little spell is all I can muster though.  I’m still hopeful for more though. 

Log #3 - Muu 5th, 425

I had another dream last night...about the kind man with wings. It feels bizarre saying this, and even reading this as I write, I know I sound crazy, but it had to be real. I had a hard time falling asleep because of how much pain my hands were giving me; but once I drifted off, he visited me.  I couldn’t make out his face since there was no light at all, but I knew it was him...I could make out faint outlines of grey in the darkness, and I could see his wings curled around his sides and his massive shield strapped to his back. He didn’t speak, but just him being there made me sense that he felt...bad for me? Worried, maybe? He gave off a feeling of sadness.  He took me by the hands, and I distinctly remember feeling the pain as it did so at first. But then, I saw our hands begin to glow faintly, and a soothing sensation took over my palms - it felt like the time I burnt my hand on the brick oven and Mama had to rub aloe on them. After that, I must have woken up, because I don’t remember anything else; the dream just sort of ended. But when I sat up in my cot, my hands were completely healed. COMPLETELY. I don’t understand how it’s possible, but I’m so grateful.  

Whoever you are, if you’re here with me now or can read this, who are you? Why do you care about me of all people? Just...don’t ever leave though, okay? And thank you so so much…

Time to get up, eat, and go to work now - I’m not dreading it as much as I was last night.  I’m going to find some cloth to wrap my hands, just to take precautions. Hopefully today won’t be as bad.

Log #4 - Muu 7th, 425

Sorry that I missed a day: yesterday and the day before were pretty wild. On top of doing my regular duties, I was assigned my first night watch (not something I want to do on the regular). I was so tired from all the hard work that day, and then I had to stay up all night… Thankfully, there wasn’t anything to report. One of the other sailors relieved me just as the sun started to rise, and I was able to sleep away most of the day. 

When I woke up yesterday afternoon, we had just dropped anchor offshore from Felgra, the region to the east of Ghaan.  Papa says that his fleet is based out of that region, but Darja said we’re still a ways away from Port Cladach.  Instead, we were taking small rowboats to a coastal town called Fenwilde. It was nice to get a break from working with rigging - I finally got to do something I was good at: loading and unloading cargo.  I learned how to row a boat as we went ashore, and then we delivered some crates to a little shop called “Blink Bottles” and a few sacks of spices to a tavern called “the Boar’s Head.” 

Papa was right when he said that everywhere is a little different from home: there really wasn’t all that much sand as we got closer to the shore; and even then, the mainland was really boggy. And even though we’re still along the southern coast, it was surprising to me that it wasn’t hot - it was actually quite cool...just damp. There were trees everywhere, some of them growing right out of the shallow tributary channels, and everything was SO GREEN. I couldn’t believe how much moss there was in any direction that I looked. While in Fenwilde, we had a little bit of downtime while invoice papers were being reviewed and signed, so I took a quick look around town in an area they told me was called “High End” - they had all sorts of shops there, and one was a clothier. I didn’t realize how lucky I am to have Mama...she always made my clothes for me.  Clothes are expensive.  I was starting to feel chilly at night on the ship, and if other places were like this one, it was likely going to continue to be that way (or colder). I looked around until I found a cheap fleece blanket of emerald green. I bought it and returned to the crew.

When we finished the delivery, we rowed back out to the coastline, then continued out into the oceanic waters. When I got back, the sun was just starting to set - Darja told me to go rest up because I’d be taking the late watch again. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to keep doing this… But I guess it’s only for another week or so.  I’m going to go try to sleep now...hopefully I can get a few hours of rest before they wake me up to take the night shift…

Log #5 - Muu 8th, 425

Last night’s watch was a little scary...as I was up in the crow’s nest (with my new blanket, thank the gods), I saw something off in the distance...it was another ship. I’ve heard rumors of sea bandits, or “pirates,” that sometimes prey on merchant ships in the cover of darkness, and I was terrified that what I saw was just that. The ship looked altogether foreign to me: what I now know to be a red-sailed jong, common among genasi merchants may as well have been the ship of the sea’s most dreadful buccaneer. Fearful and panicked, I nervously played with a piece of copper wire in my pocket from a repair I made earlier and felt a strange tingle in the back of my mind as I whispered over and over again, “Someone’s coming, shitshitshit, something is sailing this way, what the hell do I do…” Before I knew what I had just done, I heard the confused voice of Darja echoing in my head: “Ka’l? Is that you? Who is coming?” I had once again done magic, and I’m still a little unclear what I did to make it happen. I’ve heard about material components sometimes being involved - maybe the wire? Regardless, I flung myself from the crow’s nest, scaling down the rigging as fast as I could, to meet Darja on deck.  He grumpily informed me of my mistake in identifying the ship as ill-willed, assuring me of its safety by pointing out the markings on its sails, before he returned to his quarters to sleep.  I’m sitting in my cot, writing this, unable to fall asleep: I’m still jittery with shock from both finding a new spell and realizing just how easy it can be for a pirate ship to slip into proximity with us if one wanted.

Log #6 - Muu 10th, 425

Today has been a rough day. Darja called me to his cabin after supper.  I figured it was about my two weeks almost being up; maybe he was going to offer me an extension, or something… It turns out he’s just a creep though - he tried to...I don’t know, I think he thought I was interested in him or something. I made it very clear though that I was not. He told me that since I was so disagreeable, I would be on night watches for the rest of my journey back to Khaadeehava but would still be expected to perform my daily duties as well.  

I’m so homesick. I really love it out here on the Turquoise Waves, but I wish it were a different ship with a better captain. I rushed to get all of my chores done right after my watch ended this morning, then came back here to my cot to write a little before trying to get an hour of sleep before I’m needed to mop down the quarterdeck later. My one little twinkle of happiness is that - in my loneliness for home - I found another little bit of magic that I can make: I’m sitting here with my journal in my lap, and sitting on the cot in front of me is Mama...well, not really, but some sort of illusion of her.  She’s sitting at the end of the cot just like she used to do at the bottom of my bed at home when she would come into my room to say goodnight...and she has that warm, soft smile that I miss so much. I wish she were here right now.  I wish I had someone I could hug.  For now, I’ll just hold tightly to my fleece and pretend, I guess...

=============================================================

Thank you, as always, for following me through this journey of fleshing out one of my PCs’ backstory! If you’re interested in being included on the taglist, just send me a message.

Ye Olde Taglist: @serenewrites, @mayvinwrites​

[cupidmarwani-archive]

Come Into the Water (3/15)

After setting the photo album aside, Sarah decides to head down to the shore. It’s not very crowded, the midday sun hidden behind a layer of puffy grey clouds, and the waves look strong but not overwhelming. She rolls up her pants to her calves and walks out the slider, hopping over the railing of the porch and finding herself with her toes in the sand and the ocean air on her face in a different way than it feels when she leaves through the front door. If she squints, she can make out dolphins in the distance, leaping in and out of the water playfully.  They have their pods. Social creatures, smart, friendly. Together. A smile tugs at Sarah’s face as she walks through the sand.

She steps only a couple feet into the surf, letting waves lap at her ankles as she wonders toward a cove of little tidepools and caves dipping into where the beach has curved up into a mild cliffside. Something about them calls to her. All of them have little microcosms living inside, rippling in the wind and with the occasionally washes of new waves rolling over where the rocks have divided things up. She goes to one of the biggest, with anemones and starfish and a scuttling crab. Colorful, alive, beautiful, so alluring that she can’t help sitting on the wet rocks and reaching a hand into the cold water. A handful of little fish skitter away, although she’s free to skate her finger across the top of an anemone to feel it stick to the pad for a moment before she pulls away.

Sarah does it again because it feels interesting and she needs sensations that don’t hurt, she thinks. She’s earned it. Then her fingertips trace over the top of a little red starfish, and it’s then that she hears a heavy splash to her right. Immediately she jerks her hand out of the pool and looks around for the source. There seems to be no one else around, or any animal big enough to make a sound like that, but she’s unsettled.

“Hello?”

A humming trill answers back and Sarah stands up, instantly wrinkling her nose over how wet and clingy her clothes are. She hates when they cling tightly, stick to her skin and often go see-through to reveal more than she’s ever prepared to show. Although she can’t be certain, she thinks the sound came from near the caves and makes her way over carefully, almost falling a couple times and managing to sustain a long scrape on her right bicep.

“Is anyone here?”

“Here,” an accented voice calls, a little husky and strained. Sarah scans the area and sees no one, close to giving up when the voice calls to her again. “Look down.”

She does as told and sees the most beautiful woman she’s ever laid eyes on, her wet hair framing her face and lips pouty, splashing a little pathetically in the shallows. But she knows that face. This is Ava. When Sarah studies closer, she can make out Ava’s body and tail, surrounded with a silver web like starlight.

“Holy shit.”

“Can you help me?” Ava asks. The water ripples around her again. “I’m stuck.”

“Yeah.”

Sarah wades over, hating the slimy feel of mossy rocks beneath her feet, but approaching Ava nonetheless. She feels the moment she gets too close, because the tip of Ava’s tail brushes her shins and Sarah flinches so badly she nearly falls yet again. She keeps her eyes down, then, so she doesn’t find herself looking at the human part of Ava’s body.

“Do you just need help getting back out to the water, or…?”

Ava lifts her tail and arches more of her chest out of the water, revealing netting tangled around her body and what appears to be a hook in her side. Poor thing. Sarah should help her. She can’t leave her here, and Ava asked for her help specifically, so she’s got to figure this out and help her. She starts at the tip of Ava’s tail.

Most people would be freaking out about this, she thinks. A real life mermaid is here, and she’s beautiful, and she’s friendly. She’s trapped, too, which is a danger if someone else had found her and taken advantage of the fact that she can’t get anywhere. Thankfully the wire isn’t too thin, so it doesn’t cut into her palms when she starts to pull at it. This would be faster if she could cut through it, but she doesn’t have a knife with her. So she tries to be gentle, easing the knots free so the net will unfold flat again. She doesn’t know how fragile or sensitive Ava’s tail is, but she can hear her breathing harshly, see the water moving with ribcage.

“You’re okay,” Sarah says. “I’ll get you out of this. My name is Sarah.”

“Ava.”

She nods like she didn’t already know and manages to get Ava’s tail freed fairly quickly because the tangles aren’t too bad. But her chest is a whole different story. It’s tightly wound around her, including her arms and her breasts, and there’s the fish hook in her side to deal with as well.

Sarah can’t look. Well, she can look at the fish hook. She was training to be a doctor before this. But everything else, it makes bile rise in her throat, makes her feel dirty and disgusting. Like he made her feel. She can’t look at Ava’s bare chest because it’s wrong and she knows better. Her hands flutter uselessly above Ava, not sure where to go to avoid touching something she shouldn’t. She knows what those touches feel like.

“Please, just help me get out.”

The desperate tone to Ava’s voice takes precedence, and she forces herself to take a deep breath and get to work, still pointedly keeping her eyes on safe areas like Ava’s shoulders. Not her waist. Not her… nothing like that. She can’t. But she starts untangling carefully, wary of unwanted contact or touching the fish hook. As she loosens the grip the net has, Ava’s breathing calms down and she stops twitching restlessly in the water.

“Almost done,” Sarah soothes.

She reaches the last of it and pulls the net away, then casts it onto the rocks instead of the ocean so it won’t tangle around another hapless victim, perhaps one who can’t call for help like Ava did. 

“Thank you,” Ava says, smiling brightly and stretching before remembering the fish hook in her side, quickly curling back up with a wince. “Shit.”

“I’ll take care of that.” 

Sarah places one hand flat on Ava’s stomach- and doesn’t notice how warm and soft her skin is, where it hasn’t been burned by the rope friction- and the other on the hook. She should be doing this somewhere sterile, have stitches and bandages at the ready, but she can’t just bring a mermaid to a hospital. So she carefully eases it out, apologizing every time Ava winces or tenses in response. Blood drools from the wound, but not too much, thankfully. If she’s lucky, maybe it’ll heal on its own.

Another beautiful smile, more at ease this time, stretches across Ava’s face, and then she’s cupping Sarah’s face and pulling her in for a salt-water kiss. It’s too much, but she doesn’t have time to pull away before it’s over and she’s a little dizzy. It wasn’t a bad kiss. It felt nice, but now her throat is closing up and she’s only thinking about the way he felt when he kissed her. He had grabbed her neck, not her face. His hands were bigger, colder.

“I have to- I have to go.”

She stumbles to her feet and leaves Ava behind, still bleeding a little and no doubt confused, but at the very least she’s now safe. Sarah doesn’t have to add that to her list of anxieties as she hurries back home where it’s safe. Where she’s safe. The door opens easily because she didn’t lock it. She doesn’t know where the key even is, actually. And now she’s in the living room surrounded by the moving boxes and it just feels like she’s surrounded by a past she doesn’t know how to control or overcome.

Her clothes are soaked with salt water, and her scrapes are starting to hurt. She doesn’t know what to do next, short of opening one of the boxes of clean clothes, which she doesn’t want to do. It feels like a lot, and she’s had a long day already. She went to see Olivia (and Noah) and met Ava, and if she’s honest, that’s more social interaction in a single day than she dealt with in a whole week before she came here. No wonder she’s tired.

She looks to the three books sitting on her floor, and goes over to one of the clothes boxes. All she has to do is open it and get something clean to wear. It’s not hard. Three steps: one, open the box; two, get out something to change into; three, put it on. She shouldn’t be struggling this much with it, especially when she’s supposed to be getting better. For all that it’s worth, she has her exhaustion to show for the progress she’s made. This is the easiest thing she’s done all day. And if she’s going to eat today, it would have to be at dinner like Olivia invited her to, which means she absolutely needs clean clothes. And if she doesn’t go to that, she has her first appointment with her new therapist in the morning, anyways.

Sarah digs her nails into the cellophane packing tape, which absolutely fails to break it open. That’s the sharpest thing she has. Fuck. She feels her eyes start to burn with tears and she hates it so much. If only she could go back in time, keep her life from spiraling so completely out of control like this. 

Just then, someone knocks on her door and she almost screams in frustration. Instead, she stares at the box a little more until a voice cuts through the wood. 

“Hey, we brought you some dinner, thought you might be hungry.”

At Liv’s voice, she knows she has to open it. Olivia and Maggie have been kind to her, and she doesn’t want to burn that bridge. Sarah drags herself to the door to open it, revealing Olivia holding a few containers of takeout and Maggie with Noah balanced on her hip. 

“We got a little of everything,” Maggie says. “Take your pick.”

She doesn’t want to, but Sarah’s been taught to be a good host. Her chest tightens, but she steps back into the house and opens the door wider. “Come on in.”

Throughout dinner, Sarah is quiet because it’s easy. Maggie talks about her students while she feeds Noah bites of dinner between her own. Olivia mostly stares wistfully out the window, quieter than earlier in the day, but pleasant to be around nonetheless. What little energy Sarah has left depletes itself. By the time they leave, she can barely keep her eyes open, but hauls herself back to her box of clothes and painstakingly peels up the tape until the flaps open and she’s face to face with tightly packed, soft clothes that she didn’t throw away with the others and don’t irritate her skin or bring up bad memories. She pulls out a tee shirt and boxers, but doesn’t bother digging deeper for more clothes.

She doesn’t have it in her to even rinse off, only to change into dry clothes and collapse on her couch with cushions that aren’t even soft or comfortable. Her mattress might be better, but it’s farther away, and she doesn’t want to go to it. Instead she settles with her head on the arm rest and remembers Ava. The rope around her, the hook in her side, the pain inflicted upon her by a careless fisherman who thought himself above caring for the safety of sea life. 

Ava’s more beautiful in person than in the pictures, even hurt, and she had been so gentle when she pulled Sarah in for a kiss. She’s sweet. In that moment, she was the mermaid in the photo album, but otherwise, Sarah has to wonder why she suddenly disappeared from the photos. Something could have happened, like it did to her at school, but somehow she doesn’t believe Maggie or Olivia would ever hurt someone. 

The thoughts wrestle with her consciousness until fitful sleep drags her down.

-

@bookreader525 @sextonsharpwinhalstead @sarahreeese @bipeteypie @sapphiccsharks

[dixielis]

An Interesting Turn of Events [2/?]

Pairing: Jotaro Kujo x Noriaki Kakyoin Summary: There were three things Jotaro Joestar was completely certain about: One. 80’s rock was the be-all end-all of music. Two. The movie Jaws wrongly portrayed sharks as evil and blood-thirsty, and he did not stand for it at all. Three. Being an alpha while also part of the Joestar-lineage was an absolute curse. Warnings: Omegaverse with omega!Kakyoin and alpha!Jotaro Dio is in this and he’s pretty creepy A/N: Chapter 2! weep woop

Read on Ao3 here: LINK

He did partially blame all the moving around on why he didn’t end up having any friends at any of these schools. Sometimes other kids would try to make small talk with him or invite him over to play with them. Kakyoin would however always turn them down. What would even be the point? He would eventually have to move away anyways. And if he didn’t get attached to anyone it was always a lot less painful to do so.

Today was his first day of his latest high school. This had to be the fourth or fifth one he would be attending. He had honestly lost count at this point.

Kakyoin went about his first day as he had done many times before. Go to the principal’s office, collect his schedule and a map over the school grounds, head over to homeroom and introduce himself to the rest of the class. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before.

His first day, thankfully, passed uneventfully. Aside from a few questioning glances nobody tried approaching him. Kakyoin instead spent the day homing in on the conversations going on around him, trying to learn as much about his school as possible. About what was currently going on, and most importantly, about who to avoid.

At his lunch break he decided to sit close to a group of mostly omega girls who were chatting loudly with each other. He always found that these sorts of groups seemed to have all the latest news and gossip, and that they would discuss it loudly enough for anyone to hear.

“We should all make a pact. About who we will ask to the dance”

“That is still four months away”

“You can never get started too quickly. I call Jojo!” The other girls let out noises of clear distress at this.

“Not fair! You can’t just call somebody like that”

“Well, I just did!”

“Jojo as in the tequila-smuggling one?”

“Yes!”

“Then I want the other one!”

“Not if I ask him first”

Kakyoin realized that he had quickly lost track of their conversation. Not that it seemed to be very interesting for what he was after in the first place. Whoever were considered the hottest alpha’s on campus wasn’t really anything he needed to know. It wasn’t like he was searching for one anyways.

“I was already asked to the dance actually” one of the girls exclaimed proudly.

“No way! Who was it?”

“That weird French beta. You know, the one with the weird hair?”

“Oh, what did you say?”

“I told him no. I don’t really want to go to the dance with a beta”

“You probably only did it because he has bigger boobs than you”

“He does not! I said no because I’m going to ask Dio”

“But I was going to ask Dio!”

“You can take the Frenchie instead since you seem to like his boobs so much!”

Kakyoin decided that it was time to officially zone out from their chattering. He felt like he has heard enough unrelated gossip to last him for the rest of the month.

The next couple days continued in a similar fashion. Kakyoin simply kept his head down and tried to avoid attracting any unnecessary attention. Whenever somebody spoke to him he would act polite, but always try to keep himself unmemorable. He wanted to be practically invisible.

This worked surprisingly well until his fourth day. The unexpected groupwork in biology class did however end up breaking his lucky streak. Since he doesn’t know anybody in the entire school he has no choice but to let faith decide who he will partner up with.

And faith apparently decided that he deserved to suffer that day. Because of course his first official group member had to be the kind of douchey alpha that he would prefer to avoid at all costs. And of course said alpha had to start making inappropriate suggestions at him as soon as he sat down.

Kakyoin was too busy refreshing his memory of every ancient torture method he could think of to even notice the other two people taking their seats nearby. It wasn’t before Mia decided to cut of the alpha in the middle of one of his especially lewd comments that Kakyoin noticed that they were no longer alone.

The beta would then continue talking, pretending as if nothing had been going on. Kakyoin felt himself spacing out as he took a proper look around at his designated group members. Mia seemed alright, at least. The two other alphas on the other hand gave off very different vibes. Kakyoin could almost taste the tension between them in his throat. The blonde one still had an underlying scent of disgusting want coming off him. Kakyoin could see him still trying to make eye contact with him, and opted for observing the dark-haired alpha instead.

The majority of his face, his eyes included, were obscured by the brim of the cap he is wearing. His arms were crossed over his quite well-defined chest. Kakyoin silently curses himself out for even noticing the others build.

The alpha definitely gives off an intimidating aura. He is everything an ideal alpha should be after all, at least look-wise. But he also seems to be calm and secure, the exact opposite of the light-haired alpha seated in front of him.

Kakyoin’s thoughts are suddenly interrupted as the dark-haired alpha suddenly speaks up. Apparently they are now splitting up into pairs, which Kakyoin embarrassedly realizes he had completely missed while he was busy eyeing up the man in front of him.

Kakyoin gave a quick prayer to any gods that may be listening that he would end up working with the beta. But as usual, faith has other plans. Plans that end up with him forcing to pick which of the alphas he would rather work with. Which in and on itself is a very easy choice. The alpha known as Trent has returned his hands to Kakyoin’s desk, one of his fingers stroking up his wrist slowly.

God, he can’t wait to get those hands away from in.

His mind races to make up an excuse to not have to work with Trent. Lying about his father’s job might not be the smartest idea, but at least it gets the job done. Trent immediately let’s up on him, a strong sour scent now coming off him in waves. Kakyoin can’t help but smirk slightly to himself at the others change in mood.

Then Mia and Trent end up leaving, and he is all alone with the alpha who is apparently known as Jojo. Kakyoin silently cursed Trent out from under his breath. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief washing over him as he watches him walk out of his line of sight.

He turned his eyes towards the remaining alpha and suggests that they should get going as well. He only received a grunt in reply, and Jojo immediately stands up and starts heading off as well. Kakyoin quickly shoved his things back into his bag and hurried after him.

He could feel the burning hatred and jealousy coming off a group of omegas as they pass them. Their attention is clearly pointed towards him. Kakyoin only shoots them a dirty look in response. It wasn’t his fault that he ended up being partners with Mr. tall and handsome, like they clearly all yearned after so badly. Kakyoin still remembers the conversation he overheard a few days earlier, which lets him know that the alpha he is currently following is quite sought after by a large chunk of the local omega population.

They soon ended up alone in one of the spare rooms just down the hallway. Kakyoin quickly learned that the alpha doesn’t seem to say a lot, neither with his words or with his expressions. His eyes are still hidden underneath that godforsaken hat of his, making him even harder to read.

Kakyoin almost started to regret his decision of pairing up with him when he notices the dolphins covering one of the alpha’s notebooks. He bites back a smile at the revelation. A bad guy wouldn’t have sparkly, bright blue dolphins doodled on his notebook, would he?

As they start talking Kakyoin quickly realizes that Jotaro is not what he thought he would be. He doesn’t seem to mind Kakyoin’s teasing and his apparent interest in starfish is quite endearing.

When they eventually get properly started with their assignment Kakyoin finally gets the chance to take a proper look at the alpha in front of him. His hat has been angled away from his face and Kakyoin can now properly see his eyes.

They are a striking emerald green colour, and Kakyoin can immediately feel himself drowning in them. His long eyelashes and thick, slightly furrowed brows also don’t help one bit. Kakyoin immediately understands the other omegas’ reactions towards him.

Kakyoin silently curses himself out as he feels his own cheeks heat up. This was not according to the plan at all. He tried to calm his now rapid heartbeat.

He refused to fall for an alpha he had known for a total of twenty minutes.

Kakyoin jumped slightly as the bell suddenly rang, signalling the end of class. Jotaro looked up from his books and their eyes met for a split second. Kakyoin can feel his heart start racing again.

Fucking omega biology.

He quickly made up an excuse about his next class being on the other side of campus and hurried off. Hopefully Jotaro hadn’t noticed how stirred up he had become. He could feel his heartbeat returning to normal as he hastily made his way down the corridor.

He was fine. None of that necessarily had to mean anything.

He quickly checked over his schedule. Art was going to be his next and final class for the day. He let out a breath of relief at this. In art class he could hopefully just take a seat in a corner and ignore everyone around him. People wouldn’t even think there was anything strange about it, and would hopefully just believe that he was just another passionate art student.

Kakyoin arrived at the classroom a good few minutes before the class is about to start. The room consists of a number of larger tables, that they are obviously supposed to share.

Great. Not even here he could be alone.

Kakyoin silently scanned through the people already seated. He knows that people from all years are mixed together, so he is even unsure of which students are in his grade.

Most tables are already seemingly full, people chatting loudly among each other. He noticed that one of the tables however still had just one occupant. An omega who was already bent over a sketchbook, doing quick confident strokes over the pages. He seemed to be completely engulfed in his drawing and doesn’t even look up as Kakyoin takes the seat opposite him. Kakyoin however doesn’t mind this one bit, enjoying the few moments of silence before the rest of the seats around the table inevitably end up occupied as well.

Just as he predicted, a few more people are soon seated as his table. Luckily none of them are paying him any mind either.

“You mind if I sit here?”

Kakyoin turned his head and looked up at a blonde beta dressed in an interesting mix of sky blue and bright pink. He had a polite smile on his face as he gestured to the seat next to Kakyoin.

“Oh. Sure, no problem” Kakyoin replied, shifting slightly to the side as the beta sits down next to him.

“You new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before?” the beta asked as he looked him up down.

“Yeah, I just transferred here a few days ago. Name’s Kakyoin”

“I’m Caesar, nice to meet you” the other boy offered, holding out his hand, smiling brightly at Kakyoin as he shook it. Caesar then starts making small talk with him, telling him stories about various things that has happened around campus.

“Could you please keep it down, some people are trying to work here” an unfamiliar voice hissed out. The boy across from them who had previously been caught up in his sketching was now glaring straight at them.

“Shut it, we’re not in a fucking church” Caesar replied curtly, like he they had this conversation several times before.

“Doesn’t mean that you have to shout!”

“You’re the only one shouting here, you know”

“Shut up!”

Caesar let out a snort at the others clear irritation. He then turned back towards Kakyoin.

“That’s Rohan, don’t mind him he’s just a fucking gremlin”

“Stop calling me that you fucking bottle of mediocre dressing-” Rohan was suddenly interrupted by a new voice being added to the mix.

“Gentlemen, there’s no need to fight” the voice was almost alarmingly calm and practically dripping with the semblance of alpha. Kakyoin quickly turned his head over his shoulder to regard the newcomer, who is standing right behind him.

His hair was a similar shade to Caesar’s, but that seems to be the only thing they have in common. This man is a lot broader, and taller, and immediately gives of a strong aura of alpha. Kakyoin’s eyes snap up to look at the others face, only to find that he is already looking straight at him. His head is slightly cocked to the side, a clear look of interest hidden somewhere deep in his yellow eyes.

The alpha breaks their eye contact to sit down in the vacant seat next to Kakyoin.

“Nobody said that you could sit down” Caesar said coolly, clearly not happy about the alpha joining them. The alpha however ignored him, instead choosing to keep all his attention fixed on Kakyoin.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked, his eyes not leaving Kakyoin’s for even a second.

“It’s Kakyoin. I’m a new transfer student”

The alpha hummed in approval, the sound low in his throat. He reached his hand out towards Kakyoin’s ear. Kakyoin felt himself freeze up as Dio gently poked at his earring.

“Kakyoin, huh. It suits you”

Kakyoin immediately decided that he did not like the way his name sounded coming from those lips. Not one bit.

“I’m Dio Brando, a pleasure to make your acquaintance”

Kakyoin recalls the discussion that the omega girls were having a few days earlier. Dio had been one of the names thrown around in their conversation. So he was clearly someone that most people knew of. Kakyoin was not very surprised at this, as he understood why Dio would seem desirable to an omega. At least to those that didn’t spend a lot of their waking time actively trying to avoid such people, like Kakyoin himself did.

But before Kakyoin had time to come up with a reply their teacher had entered the room. Kakyoin felt as relief washed over him. There was a certain coldness in Dio’s eyes that he didn’t like. And Caesar’s reaction toward him joining them worried him as well.

The assignment of the day was to do some simple sketches of different types of landscapes. The room was quickly filled with a low buzz of voices as people begun talking among each other while getting to work.

Kakyoin and Caesar immediately hit it off, discussing which upcoming games they planned on purchasing. Kakyoin found him to be surprisingly easy to talk to. Every now and then Rohan would throw in a word about how annoying they were, but Kakyoin quickly learned to simply disregard it.

“Favourite final fantasy game in three, two, one”

“Seven”

“Ten”

“But seven is so good!”

“Have you even played the tenth one?”

“I have but it comes nowhere close to-“ Caesar suddenly trailed off as a splatter of paint without warning come flying straight at him, coating him in the dark green substance.

“Rohan, what the fuck?!”

“I told you to shut up” Rohan replied calmly, giving Caesar a slight smirk before turning his attention back to his sketchpad. Caesar cursed him out from under his breath.

“An important lesson to learn, Kakyoin, is to never wear your best clothes to art class. Because Rohan will undoubtedly fuck them up because he can’t stand people talking like normal human beings” Caesar let out an irritated huff at the end of his rant.

“I’ll be right back, I just have to get this shit out of my clothes before it stains” Caesar then quickly walked off towards the closest bathroom.

Kakyoin looked over at Rohan, who shot him another sharp glare, clearly warning him that he would be next if he didn’t lower his voice. Kakyoin only let out a snort at this, and went back to sketching at his current drawing of a desert, adding in a few palm trees.

“You’re pretty good”

Kakyoin nearly jumped out of his seat as Dio’s voice sounded directly into his ear. He could feel the warmth from his breath ghosting over his neck. Kakyoin felt a sense of uneasiness wash over him.

“Oh, thank you, Dio” He replied, deciding that he should probably at least attempt to stay polite with the alpha. Dio hummed slightly.

“Any particular locations that inspired it?”

“Well, I went to Egypt with my parents a few years back” Kakyoin disclosed, and tried to ignore the feeling of Dio’s breathing against his neck as he kept on drawing.

“Beautiful place” Dio agreed, leaning forward a bit. “I lived there for a few months a while back”

“I see” Kakyoin replied curtly, unsure of what to say. He simply continued to draw, while discreetly watching Dio from the corner of his eye. He noticed that Dio had given up on watching him sketch and was now looking directly at him again. But he didn’t say or do anything. He simply sat there, almost hovering over him but never actually touching him.

“Shouldn’t you be working on your own piece, Brando?”

Kakyoin turned his head towards Caesar, who had seemingly just returned from the washroom. He glared down at Dio with slightly narrowed eyes.

“I was simply admiring Kakyoin’s work” Dio replied sweetly, but backed off none the less. Kakyoin looked between the two men as Caesar took his seat again. The tension between them felt so strong you could cut it with a knife.

And in the blink of an eye everything seemed to turn back to normal again.

“Guess who managed to save his shirt” Caesar clapped his hands together excitedly as he smiled brightly at Kakyoin. “In your face, Rohan”

Caesar and Kakyoin quickly got back on track of their previous discussion. They did however try to keep their voices down, so they wouldn’t warrant any more hissing noises from Rohan. Before Kakyoin knew it the bell had rung, signalling the end of the school day. People around him started to pack up and head out off the classroom, and Kakyoin did the same. Just as he was about to stand up, Caesar grabbed hold of his shoulder.

“Hey, you wanna swap numbers real quick? I want to send you the video of that speed-run I told you about earlier”

“Eh, sure” Kakyoin said hesitantly. “Let me just grab my phone”

He started to rummage through his bag, finally finding it at the very bottom of it, hidden underneath a whole days’ worth of textbooks. He fished it up and turned towards Caesar, whose earlier carefree expression had turned sour. Kakyoin quickly looked around and noticed that they were now left alone in the room.

“Listen, Kakyoin” Caesar begun, and Kakyoin turned his attention back towards him.

“You should watch out around Dio. He may seem charming eunough, but it is all an act. He is absolutely ruthless when things don’t go his way”

“Why?” Kakyoin asked wearily. “What has he done?”

Caesar let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“It’s a long and complicated story, but he has these really sick ways of seeking revenge on the people that he feels have wronged him. One of my friends are one of those people, he actually ended up getting stabbed because Dio couldn’t handle not being the best at everything”

Kakyoin’s eyes widened at this.

“Is he okay?” Caesar just nodded in response.

“He’s fine. But there’s been lots of other rumours of things he’s done going around. But his family are all lawyers, so they usually succeed in keeping it on the down low. That’s why you’ll probably only hear people around here praising him” Caesar fell silent.

“I see” Kakyoin replied, an unnerving feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. “Thank you, Caesar. I’ll keep that in mind”

Caesar gives him a slight smile. They stand in silence for a few moments.

“Right! Could I still have your phone number? I wasn’t kidding about that speed-run”

Kakyoin happily agrees and they quickly swap numbers. Caesar then picks up all of his stuff and heads towards the door.

He hesitates just as he is about to walk out of the room, and turns back to face Kakyoin again.

“Please do be careful around Dio. I’ve hears rumours about the… things he has done to omegas’ in particular”

“I’ll be careful. Promise”

“Good. I guess I’ll see you later then” Caesar lifted his hand in a wordless goodbye and walked out the door. Just as Kakyoin was about to pick up his stuff his head poked around the doorframe again.

“And if he tries anything always punch for the throat” Kakyoin let’s out a quick laugh at this.

“I know how to fight, Caesar”

“Just making sure. Bye then!”

And then his head once again disappears, and Kakyoin can hear his footsteps moving away down the hall. Kakyoin throws his bag over his shoulder and follows out into the hallway. The school is almost entirely empty by now. Which wasn’t very surprising, very few people enjoyed being in school enough to actually stick around after the day had ended.

Kakyoin made his way towards the main entrance, and out into the slightly cool afternoon air. The sky had begun to darken ever so slightly. He should probably get a move on if he wanted to make it home before it turned completely dark. He started digging through his pockets for his headphones, as he began walking, turning down onto the road toward his house.

“Kakyoin”

He instantly froze in place.

That was without a doubt Dio’s voice. Kakyoin turned his head slightly as he watched Dio confidently march up to him, both hands deep in his pockets.

“What took you so long, I was beginning to think that you had gotten lost somewhere” Dio smiles at him.

“Ah, Caesar just wanted to show me something before we left” Kakyoin fiddled with his thumbs nervously. “Why are you still here, Dio?”

“I was hoping to get some company on my walk home. Luckily it seems we both live down the same road” Dio flashed him another smile. His eyes however still looked as cold as they had been back in the classroom.

Kakyoin could feel his mind spinning as he tried to come up with an excuse that would keep him as far away from Dio as possible.

“I wouldn’t want to bother you, you must be pretty tired-“

“Nonsense, you are far from being a bother, Kakyoin” Dio paused as he looked Kakyoin up and down. “Shall we?” He nodded slightly, signalling for Kakyoin to keep walking. Kakyoin’s mind is at a blank, and he simply does as suggested. Dio picks up his own pace as well, walking close by his side.

“Besides” Dio continued “It would be unfortunate if you were to walk home all alone and run into someone, troublesome”

At the last few words he looked straight into Kakyoin’s eyes. Kakyoin could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

“I know how to take care of myself, just because I’m an omega doesn’t mean I’m helpless” he countered. His words would hopefully be enough to make Dio back off.

Dio raised his hands in defeat and let out a slight chuckle.

“I’m sure you can, but it is always better to be safe than sorry, isn’t it?”

Kakyoin just stayed quiet. But Dio didn’t seem to mind his silence. Instead he started telling Kakyoin about his studies, every now and then asking Kakyoin a question, which he in return replied to as curly as possible.

Dio however did not let this faze him, as he kept on talking until Kakyoin could finally spot his own house appearing in the distance as they turn a corner.

He let out a slight sigh of relief as he stopped to a halt in front of the gate. Dio abruptly cuts off in the middle of his sentence.

“Oh, this is where you live?” he asked, his eyes still refusing to leave Kakyoin’s form.

“Yep. Bye then” Kakyoin replied dismissively as he turned to walk up to the gate. Dio’s arm quickly shot out in front of him, stopping him from moving away.

“I live just a few blocks down the road, we’re practically neighbours” Dio smiled at him.

“That’s nice, but I really should get inside-“

Kakyoin is once again cut off as Dio shifted to stand right in front of him, effectively blocking Kakyoin’s view of the front door. One of his hands comes to rest at the slight curve of Kakyoin’s waist, and Dio leans forward slightly.

Kakyoin stood frozen in shock.

Dio’s other hand moved up to tuck his wavy bang behind his ear, before lightly grabbing a hold of his chin. Kakyoin could feel Dio’s breath on him as he leaned downwards slightly. His stomach turned.

“I wouldn’t mind if you were to come over to my place for a bit, Kakyoin” Dio’s voice is nothing more than a whisper.

Kakyoin’s mind suddenly goes clear and he springs into action, giving Dio a sharp push, resulting in him taking a few staggering steps backwards.

“I’d rather not” Kakyoin said coldly, hoping that his voice won’t betray him as he can feel a slight tremble in his hands.

Dio looked taken aback for a moment, before he quickly slipped back into his previous confident smirk.

“I see-”

“And I would prefer it if you were to back off from now on”

They stand in silence for a few moments, Kakyoin only focused on keeping his breathing even.

“I’ll head off then, it was nice meeting you, Kakyoin” Dio said in an indifferent was, bowing his head slightly. He gave Kakyoin a final short glance, his expression unreadable, before he turned around and continued on down the road.

Kakyoin watched him until he finally turns a corner and is out of his sight. He willed his heart to calm down as he quickly opened the gate and slipped in through the front door. He immediately made a beeline for his room and threw himself down on the bed.

All he had wanted was a quiet, uneventful day.

But he had gotten anything but.

Faith had apparently decided that it was time to introduce a series of new assholes into his life. First that douchebag Trent, and then that absolute creep Dio who made his skin crawl. He felt thankful towards Caesar for at least warning him about the guy. At least he had been kind towards him today. Maybe they were even close to becoming friends. They had exchanged numbers after all.

And then there was Jotaro. The past hour of activity had been quite effective in keeping him off his mind. But now that he is back home and safe in his own room his thoughts started floating back to those bright green eyes of. That were almost tender, and were missing that aura of coldness that Dio’s emitted.

Kakyoin let his eyes shut for a moment. His brain too tired from the day’s events to do anything more productive. He slowly felt himself be lulled to sleep, dreaming of emerald green eyes and dark, messy hair.

[iminyourhandskara]

A Second Schott At Love - Chapter 1.

“Worst weekend ever. Drink at 6?” That’s all Winn had written in his text to Mon-El; the latter only got to read it about an hour later, since he was too busy cuddling his new girlfriend, Kara. Contrarily to what his friend said, this had been Mon-El’s best weekend ever. Valentine’s Day had surely become his favorite festivity: “Sure.” he replied anyway.

Perfectly on time, Winn arrived to the Alien Bar with a frown, “I’m assuming that the first round is on me.” The mixologist said, “Wanna talk about it?” “Drink first, story later.” “Yes sir.” “Remember when I told you that I had a date? On Valentine’s day?” “Yes.” “Well, it didn’t go well. It was so awkward, she was..” Mon-El raised an eyebrow, “How?” “Kinda rude to the waiter? Aggressive? I mean, she was hot. A really hot Valeronian. But definitely not the type I should go after..” “I’m sorry to hear that, buddy.” “Yeah, me too. I wish I didn’t feel this strong connection to any pretty person I see, you know? James always says that to me, he says I fall too fast and I should take things slow. Maybe it’s time I follow that advice.” “Winn, there’s plenty of dolphins in the sea.” “You mean fish?” “Wait, dolphins aren’t fish?” “One, the saying goes ‘There’s plenty of fish in the sea’ and two, no, dolphins aren’t fish. They’re mammals.” “Are you kidding me?”

“Hey, this should be the part where you console me, it’s not biology class.” “Right..Anyway, you are a truly amazing person, you’ll find love when you least expect it. Trust me.” “That’s the sweetest thing you��ve ever told me. If in a year, we’re not dating anyone, we’re getting married.” Mon-El laughed, “Yeah, actually about that…” “Mon-El!” Rhonda called him in the kitchen, “Sorry! I have to go now! I’ll talk to you later.” “Pff, go ahead, live your happy life, while I drink my pain away.” “Lighten up, bro. I know I’m right.” Mon-El patted Winn’s shoulder before leaving.

“Owwh, poor Winn.” Kara played with Mon-El’s hair as he used her as a pillow, telling their friend’s story, “He deserves the best of the best.” “I wish we could help him somehow.” “Yeah, me too.” “Did you..did you tell him about us?” “I was about to, but I got interrupted.” “Oh.. I didn’t talk to Alex yet, but I’m pretty sure she knows..” “Why is that?” He asked with an amused smile.“ Sister code, I can’t say anything.” Kara grinned. “Alright, okay..” He trailed off as he started to kiss her again.

“Crap! It’s 8 AM already? I have to get ready for work!” Kara immediately stood up and rushed to the kitchen, Mon-El didn’t even have the time to realize what was happening, he was happily spooning her and the next second she was super speeding all over the room. “Right. Mondays. Mondays suck.” He mumbled. “I’ll see you later babe, bye!” “Goodbye!” Mon-El answered, still tangled in Kara’s sheets, “She called me 'babe’…” no one could take away that dopey grin from his face.

Kara arrived at CatCo on time, suddenly she heard loud thumping steps and turned around to see a pretty pissed off Eve Tessmacher: it was so unlike her to not have a happy face in the morning. She looked at the files she was carrying and walked into Kara once again; “Oh my goodness, Kara, I’m so sorry!” “Don’t worry, Eve.. take these. Are you okay?” “No, I’m not, but don’t worry, I’ll handle it. Have a nice day!” “Wait, wait! Is this..about Mike?” Kara felt discomfort asking that, but she wanted to help her. “No, no, but you know..It was Valentine’s Day and I kinda had a date, but he turned out to be..a literal douchebag. It’s not a big deal, all the girls go through this at least once. And you, how’s it going with Mike?” She could see in her kind eyes the genuineness of her question, with no hidden jealousy. 

“We’re good, we’re not public yet but… we’re good. And I’m so sorry to hear about that date, and you’re right, a lot of people go through this, it’s inevitable, but you’re such a beautiful and sweet girl, I know you’ll find the love you deserve.” Kara caressed Eve’s arm and tried to comfort her friend as much as she could.

James called everyone in the office for the first meeting of the day, Kara was kind of paying attention until a brilliant idea came to her mind and she damned herself for not thinking about it earlier, “Of course!” She accidentally said out loud. “Erm, Kara, I really appreciate your enthusiasm..” James said, knowing for sure that Kara’s exclamation wasn’t about the ecologists her colleague was going to interview for the magazine.

 “Mon-El. Mon-El. Mon-El. Mon-El. You have to hear what happened today at work.” “What. What. What. What. What happened?” He put two plates on the tables and sat down to eat lunch with Kara. “Okay, so this morning I arrived at CatCo and Eve arrived all grumpy and sad like I had never seen her.” “I’m-” “No, it’s not your fault. Don’t worry. So I ask her what’s wrong and she said she had a date for Valentine’s day but he was a douchebag.” “I googled this term. Douche means shower in French. Why is ‘Bag of shower’ an insult?” “I…I don’t know, but that’s not the point!” “I feel so sorry for Eve: she’s such a great girl, she deserves to find love..I just wasn’t the right boy.” “Exactly.” He paused. “But we can fix this.” “We can?” “Yep. Who else had a terrible date experience over the weekend, is a wonderful friend and the cutest nerd you’ll ever meet?” “OH MY GOD!” “I KNOW!..Wait, we’re talking about the same person, right?” “Winn!” “Yes! They’ve been in front of our eyes this whole time and we never thought about this perfect match, we’ve been so stupid!”

“We need to set them up.” “Instantly.” Kara and Mon-El spent the rest of their lunch planning this date out but they ignored one little detail. “Wait, Kara.” “Yeah?” “Will they even accept to go to this blind date? I know they trust us enough, but perhaps they want some alone time after their disappointments.” “Oh… Personally, I think they will. Should we call them or should we ask them in person?” “I don’t know, but I’m a really impatient man.” “And I’m a really impatient woman.” They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. “Okay, let’s call them.”

Kara called Eve first, she put the speaker on so Mon-El could listen: “Hello?” “Hi Eve! It’s me, Kara. Am I interrupting you or something?” “No, no, I was just bingewatching a show on Netflix. Is everything alright?” “Yes! Everything is perfect, I just wanted to ask you something.” “Of course, tell me.” “So, I saw you were really upset this morning and I wanted-” “WE WANTED!” Mon-El corrected with a loud shout, so the other girl could hear. “Yes, me and Mike wanted to make sure you felt better: what do you think about coming to a blind date with this friend of ours?” “Wow, guys, that’s- that’s very sweet of you! I don’t know what to say..” “Just say yes!” Mike exclaimed as a matter of fact, Kara lightly slapped his arm. “We just think that you and this boy would be a really good match, and he’s had a rough Valentine’s day date too.” “When would this date be?” “Any time you like.” “Uhm…okay! Okay, I’m in: it can’t be any worse than the last one, or the one before, right? Sorry Mike, no offense!” “None taken, Eve.” He chuckled and Kara had to stifle her giggle. “Okay, great, I’ll tell you the details soon, goodbye Eve!” “Have a nice day!” “Goodbye Kara, goodbye Mike!”

Kara had to calm herself to not squeal, “One down, now let’s call the other one.” “Hey Winn!” The couple greeted at the same time. “Hey guys, what’s up? I was about to watch Stranger Things..” “Don’t worry, we’ll be quick. Do you wanna go on a blind date with our friend?” “What?!” “We’ve already talked to her and she has agreed to do it.” “Isn’t a bit too soon? I don’t wanna jump on another train to disappointment station.” “One of the reasons we decided to set up this date, is because she’s had bad experiences with dates as well: the last being over the weekend, just like you.” Mon-El tried to convince him to give it a shot. “Plus, she’s a really lovely girl, both inside and out and she went to Yale! I know you would have a lot to geek out on..” “That’s impressive. What’s- what’s her name?” “Eve. Eve Tessmacher.” “You mean James’ assistant?” “Yes, why, you don’t like her?” “No, it’s not that. I’ve been at CatCo a lot of times, yet, I never really got to see her.” “Well, this is the perfect time. What do you say?” “..Okay: but if this doesn’t go well, you two are never allowed to interfere with my love life ever again, got it?” “Yes! Yes. When do you want to meet her?” “Let’s do Friday..but I don’t know where.” “Leave that to me, I’ll let you know on text.” “Okay. Can I go back to Netflix now?” “Of course, enjoy the show!” “Bye!”

“High five!” Mon-El raised his hand, “I’m gonna make a reservation at ‘Il Palazzo’ really quickly.” “Good evening, is it possible to get two tables for two for Friday night? Yes, it’s “Danvers”. Okay. Okay. Thank you very much! Goodbye.” “Kara? Why did you book two tables?” “Because we’re going too. I need to see them with my own eyes.” “So… we’re spying on them?” “It’s not spying, it’s.. observing.” “Oh Rao.”

[mininky]

The Water Cooler

Summary: Life works in mysterious ways. Really shitty ways too, might you add. After a series of unexpected incidents you find yourself living with your office enemy.

Pairing: Office Worker!Kihyun x Reader

Genre: Fluff, crack/comedy, romance

Warnings: Cussing, some sexual mentions but no graphic scenes, drunk Minhyuk loves to pole dance, Changkyun hates hikers, cheating

Word Count: 9.9K

     There are a lot of ways that you could describe Yoo Kihyun. Obnoxious. Nagging. Uptight. Know it all. Arrogant. Self-serving. Pretentious. Annoying. Loathsome. Short with an even shorter temper. Smug. Cocky. An insufferable pain in the neck. God how you wanted to just break his fucking neck. You aren’t sure how exactly your disdain for the tiny man started, but you did know that he’s currently testing the one last nerve you have before you snap and murder him and have Minhyuk help you hide the body. Hyungwon would probably help too as long as he didn’t have to expel any energy on that matter, at the very least he would root the two of you on.

 You can feel the vein in your forehead pop and throb as he continues to talk about his oh-so-perfect reports that will probably land him a promotion. You’d bet your measly savings that Yoo Kihyun was also a former teacher’s pet. “You know what Kihyun, I hope you do get a promotion.” Everyone in the breakroom turns to look at you with confusion. Wonho almost chokes on his coffee before shouting about it burning. Hyungwon actually stops chewing his bagel to give a look of pure horror at you.

 “Really, thanks (y/n). You know I always knew-” Kihyun is giving a pompous smile at you as he speaks and you feel that last nerve snap like a twig.

 “And I just really hope that it involves a transfer to the middle of nowhere so I never have to deal with your Napoleon complex ever again.” Minhyuk is giving a high pitched wheezing laugh, he’s doubled over in the back shaking as he tries to squeeze out an unintelligible sentence in reply to you.

 “Na-napoleon complex?! I’m not even that short! I’m average height!” Kihyun is crushing the water bottle in his hands and you feel your headache abate at the rage you’ve inflicted on him. Serves his smug ass right.

 “And so was Napoleon for his time. For someone who deems himself all knowing you would think that you would have already known that. Well anyways, as pleasant as it was listening to you kiss your own ass for thirty minutes I have some papers to work on. Oh and Kihyun, don’t let the door smack you on the way out to that promotion.” You pick up your fresh cup of coffee and blow a kiss at him as you walk back to your cubicle and laugh under your breath as you begin sifting through the spreadsheet from hell you’re currently working on.

 Working in a painfully boring office was not how you imagined your life, it’s certainly not how you intended to use your degree in psychology but considering that you only have a bachelors the best use that you have for it is as an overpriced decoration in your cubicle that collects a copious amount of dust for the sake of making Kihyun shudder each time he sees it. Thank god for that minor in accounting or it really would be completely worthless. Life is just that way, sometimes things just don’t work out as you planned. Still, it could be worse. At the very least you have a decent paying job and for the most part, you enjoy the people you work with (the main exception being Kihyun although when Minhyuk goes full dolphin mode he too is in the doghouse with you) and your boss Shownu was one of the sweetest people you’ve ever met.

 All in all, things weren’t that bad. Boring, monotonous, a bit like groundhogs day sure. But at the same time, you had bills to pay and adult things to do like pay said bills. Oh, how the capitalist system sucks for everyone but the filthy rich. But once again, on days like today when your temper has flown out the window, you can’t help but wonder how you got here. In a long-term relationship with a guy who you live with who still looks at you like a deer in headlights the moment anyone brings up the word marriage, committed to a job where you deal with numbers and papers and other tedious tasks every day. This certainly isn’t the fabulous life of jet-setting and hanging out with hot cabana boys that feed you grapes that you’ve envisioned for your life.

 The rest of the day goes by painfully slow and unfortunately, it’s just as dull as you figured it would be. The most interesting part of the day had been your earlier tussle with Kihyun and watching Hyungwon almost unhinge his jaw as he tried to fit the largest burger you’ve ever seen into his mouth because Jooheon dared him to do it. But it’s Friday, and that means that you can be out of this humdrum hell for two days so when the clock hits five you’re quick to save your work and get the hell out of dodge.

 Changkyun is already standing in the elevator when you fly into it. “'Sup (y/n). Got any plans for the weekend?”

 “Nah, not unless binge-watching Netflix in my underwear counts. You?”

 “Sexy. Eh, I’ve got a date with this chick from tinder but I dunno man. She’s into nature and shit and those hiking people usually give me hives you know. Its like, calm down man you can see all that shit on Instagram why be so active? Plus they get all holy about it, they act like your couch is a den of evil. But she’s pretty hot so I’m willing to risk it.”

 “Well, I hope the risk is rewarding for you. Best of luck kid.” You spring out of the elevator and out of the building with more energy then you’ve displayed all week. It’s true, you don’t really have any plans for this weekend except for meeting up your boyfriend for dinner right now but my god, you get to sleep in and isn’t that all that really matters?

——————————————————

 You’re contemplating picking up the glass of wine you’re clutching to and hurling it into Matt’s face. Or maybe you’ll take the steak knife and drive it through his heart. Or take the candle sitting on the table and light him on a tiny fire before cramming it up his ass. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right. Did you just say you want to break up with me?”

 “Listen (y/n), it’s not me it’s you.”

 “I’m pretty sure that it’s supposed to be the other way around.” You grit out the words with venom. God, what did you ever see in this loser?

 “Oh, yeah right. I always forget how that goes. My bad. Listen, it’s just you know I need something else in my life and well things have just gotten kind of boring. Like, I’m glad you finally let me try anal and all but you know I just think it’s time we go our separate ways. We’ve had a good six years and all, but you know I mean…I think we’ve pretty much done everything now. You’re a great girl, I’m sure you’ll find someone decent. And we’re still young I mean we’re not thirty yet! Anyways, listen I’ve already packed up most of your things for you so-”

 “You’ve packed up my shit? Let me get this right you’re breaking up with me and you want the apartment?” You can feel the entire restaurant turn to watch as you raise your voice but you couldn’t care less. Your life is already crumbling before you so why not give a few spectators a free show to it?

 “Yeah, well you know I mean it’s just so close to my work and it’s really hard to find a place with so much natural lighting for my garden.” Seriously, you slept with this guy for six years? This guy? This was the guy you were actually thinking about settling down with? Good god, you needed to see a shrink because clearly, your measly bachelor’s degree in psychology didn’t cover your own neurosis.

 “You have a succulent garden, they actually don’t do well under direct-no you know what. Fucking fine, I’ll figure something out.”

 “Great, great. Well, now that that’s settled I’m just going to see myself out. You know (y/n) I just want to say-”

 “Save whatever you’re going to say and shove it up your fucking ass Matt.” You glare at him as he gulps uncomfortably, his hand sticking out awkwardly as if to give you a consolation handshake before he finally runs his hand through his hair and walks out of the restaurant. Indignation and bitterness consume your thoughts as you chug down your wine and grab the glass he didn’t even touch before chugging that one down too. The food hasn’t even arrived yet and you know that soon you’ll be feeling the effects of the alcohol but really, right now you need to be a bit drunk to get through all of this.

 An exasperated sigh leaves you as you see someone slide into the seat where Matt just was. You slowly look up to see Yoo fucking Kihyun in all his glory having the audacity to look concerned. “The fuck do you want?”

 “Hey, woah, calm down. I just…well I saw how that whole thing played out and I was wondering if you’re okay.” You take a moment to glare at him. His hair is slightly disheveled after the long day at work, white button-up sleeves rolled up but still buttoned all the way to the top, his eyes scream ‘I pity you, you sad sack of shit.’ Of course one of those people who had to watch everything burn just had to be him. Why not also have Matt come back to tell you that your dog died too? (You didn’t actually have a dog, but somehow it would be fitting.) What more could possibly be added to this? God, when will this day end? “Ouch, listen I mean I get that you don’t want anyone to see that. I know I wouldn’t but I mean, you look like you need someone to talk to and I’m here for you. I mean it, I’m just trying to help.”

 “How much of that did I say out loud?”

 “'Of course one of those people who had to watch everything burn down just had to be me.’ That part. You know, I’m just going to take this, I think you’ve had enough.” Kihyun reaches for your glass but you guzzle back the remnants before giving him a childish smirk. “Or not…” You watch him chew on his bottom lip for a moment before he speaks again slowly as if afraid he’s speaking to a wounded territorial animal. “Do you…do you have anywhere to go? Any friends or family in town?”

 “Nope, I moved here to the city last year for Matt’s transfer.” God seriously, what were you going to do for a place. If you walked back into your apartment you’ll be wearing an orange jumpsuit for the rest of your life and buying protection from a woman named Bertha so clearly that isn’t an option right now.

 “Yeah I don’t know about that Bertha part, but I mean I don’t think murder is the solution.”

 Great you spoke out loud again unless… “Are you a mind reader? Nah…nah if you could read my mind then you would know that Hyungwon and I have entertained the notion of giving you those awful diet aka laxative teas before.”

 “I…I’m never going to drink anything you ever give me. Or Hyungwon for that matter.” You relish in the sheer horror that runs through his face. Yes, you’re petty and yes for whatever reason the office hamster is trying to be kind but really you just want to bludgeon your head on this table in peace and away from prying eyes that might report your mental instability to HR.

 “Wise choice little man. But we still have our ways.”

 “Back onto more pressing matters…so you don’t have anywhere that you can go?”

 “Does sleeping under my desk count?”

 “Of course not!”

 “Then no.”

 Kihyun looks like he’s in physical pain as he wrestles with some internal monologue that he’s unfortunately too sober to say out loud unlike you. With a weary sigh, he looks up at you. “My roommate just moved out yesterday, and I don’t have anyone else lined up. You can stay at my place until you figure something out.”

 “Why on god’s green earth would I do that? Are you trying to get me to kill myself? Is it not bad enough that I was just broken up with publicly but now you want me to live with you?”

 You watch his eye twitch before he gives a deep breath to calm down. “Do you want to be homeless?”

 “Good point. Fine, I’ll do it. Save me Kihyun! Oh, my knight in shining armor! Oh, my tiny tiny savior!”

 “Great-WAITER!”

 “What are you doing?”

 “Getting your food to go and hoping that I don’t regret my life choices more than I already do.” You tamp down on any snarky remarks and just look at him instead, the wine allowing you to do so with no shame. You hate to admit it, but Kihyun is attractive. From the small nose, tiny pout to his lips, flawless skin, meticulously groomed eyebrows. It’s a shame really, that he has to be such a complete and total stickler because otherwise maybe you’d-nope, gross that’s totally never going to happen. Ever. EVER. You watch the waiter scurry over and nod as Kihyun speaks before pulling out a check and handing it over before running back away.

 “Here.” You fish out a handful of cash and wave it when he just gives you a pointed look.

 “Listen, you’ve dealt with enough crap tonight. Just let me get the food. Besides, I’m eating whatever that asshat ordered.” Kihyun pulls out his card and places it back just as the waiter runs back over with a bag of your food. It only takes another two minutes before you’re stumbling out the door with Kihyun gripping at your elbow. Drinking two large glasses of red wine on an empty stomach was clearly not the smartest of decisions, and by the slight acidic churn you’re feeling you’re sure that you’ll regret it more than you already do soon enough. You’re grateful that Kihyun allows you to make the trip back to his apartment in silence, leading you slowly on the short trip with a steady arm. The only thing he says is that he doesn’t live very far and it’s just a short walking distance away.

 By the time you reach his apartment you’re already feeling a wee bit more sober, and now you’re not sure if that’s a good thing because it just makes the weight of everything come crashing down. You feel like a complete and total fool, and you feel like a major bitch for how you treated Kihyun for trying to be decent, but most of all you just feel like a failure. Nothing in life can ever seem to go the way that you planned. Your eyes are glued to Kihyuns feet as he pads through his apartment and starts setting down the food at his coffee table.

 Not surprisingly his apartment is immaculate. Everything seems to have its own place and you’re pretty sure that you could safely eat off the floor. Various photographs, ones that look professional more than personal, line the walls. His furniture is leather and looks lived in but still in great shape. Clearly, he has a knack for decorating by the way everything is perfectly color coordinated in the room. There are pops of navy blue floating around the living room found in pillows, throw blankets, rugs, and candles. HGTV worthy in a way that you could only dream of but never be able to fully recreate. Seem’s like the office maid is also a mini Martha Stewart.

 “Are you gonna come eat or not?” Kihyun is gesturing over to your food before he starts cutting into his steak.

 Slowly and cautiously you make your way through the room and stare down at your fettucini alfredo for a minute before twirling it around your plastic fork. “Thank you…Kihyun…” Your words come out small, wobbly, uneasy before you shove a too large forkful of noddle into your mouth and try to blink away the tears threatening to form.

 Kihyun stops chewing for a moment, and you hate that he gives you a heartwarming smile. Its a smile that says, ‘of course I’ll help you, you big pathetic buffoon, someone has to do it.’ He chews slowly, head tilted slightly as he gazes at you and while normally you would shrink away from someone staring at you so intently and obviously analyzing from you instead you just let him. You’ve been through enough tonight and exhaustion has stripped you of your defenses. “What did you ever see in that guy?”

 “I’d like to know that too. You know, I really thought that maybe he and I would get married someday? We met in college and I knew he wasn’t everything I wanted but I think I just settled anyways. And the older we got the less of a chance to find anything better than each other. It was stupid, we should have broken up a long time ago, but I was too afraid.  I don’t think I’ve been in love with him for a long time if I’m honest.” You don’t even look up at Kihyun as you speak, shoving another pile of pasta into your mouth and chewing quickly before you continue. “I’d like to lie to you and say he wasn’t always this bad, but he pretty much always has been. He never grew out of his douchey frat boy phase like I hoped he would. And then I just started getting scared you know? Who would want me? I didn’t feel good enough for more than him so I figured, fuck it I’ll make it work. But neither of us were really happy. I’m actually not even mad about the breakup, relieved really. I’m just mad about the way how he did everything.”

 “Yeah, telling you he’s taking the apartment is a supreme dick move.” You shoot a smile at Kihyun before breaking into a fit of giggles.

 “You know, you know he seriously thanked me for letting him try anal? Like that was his consolation to me. ‘Sorry I’m breaking up with you but thanks for letting me do your butt but now there’s really nothing else for us.’ Like what even?” Kihyun is roaring with laughter after he chokes down his steak.

 “Oh my god, who the fuck does that? Seriously?? Wow. You know, a woman like you can get a hundred guys better than him! No-don’t give me that look, I’m serious (y/n)! That guy will just be something you laugh at in the future. One of those ‘why did I ever think I needed to settle on that idiot’ moments. You’ll find someone else, someone better. And if you ever try to settle for a dick like him again I’ll tell you that he’s not worth your time. I can go all angry dad mode on him for you and be like ‘excuse me sir but I’m not afraid to go back to prison for my little girl.’” You know he’s trying to make you laugh again, but instead, you feel tears starting to spring to your eyes. Kihyun, the man you torment on a daily basis, is being genuinely kind and is just trying to help you get through this. He’s a better person than you, that’s for sure. Surprisingly Kihyun just lets you cry, he doesn’t try to stop you. He does occasionally pat your head and rub soothing circles on your back, but other than that he makes no mention of your clearly crumbling pride.

 He flicks on his TV and settles on pulling up Friends and after a couple of episodes and consuming nearly your weight in carbs you’re starting to feel a bit better. You’d make sure to pay Kihyun back for all of this. Quietly, of course. In a way that wouldn’t be grandiose or hurt your rapidly shrinking pride. After the third episode, Kihyun is suddenly up on his feet and silently walking around the apartment. You can hear doors opening and shutting, rustling echoing through the otherwise silent apartment before he comes back with a few things in his hand.

 “Here, you’ll need something to sleep in.” He almost looks timid, bashful you might say, as he places the clothing next to you on the couch.

 “Thank you.” The words come out just a whisper as you pick up the t-shirt and sweatpants and hold the soft material in your hands tightly. Where would you be right now had it not been for Kihyun? Some shitty motel with a cheap bottle of wine for your sole company? Maybe crying loudly at the table at the restaurant still? “Thank you.”

 Kihyun just gives a soft smile at you, scratching his head for a moment before nodding his acknowledgment. “No problem. So the bathroom is the first door on the left and your bedroom is right next to it. I’m going to go ahead and get to bed, but if you need anything just let me know. Feel free to watch whatever you want on Netflix.”

 You listen to his footsteps walk away, misty eyes still glued to the white t-shirt your clutching. “Good night Kihyun.” You’re almost certain you spoke too softly to be heard, but you hear Kihyun stop for a moment.

 “Good night (y/n). Get some rest.”

———————————-

 You wake up with the feeling of your skull trying to split itself away from your brain, the headache dulling your senses. You stared up at the white ceiling as the panic sets in until the crashing realization of why you weren’t home settled in. You’d really have to thank Kihyun, especially for the extra toothbrush and toothpaste he’d set out for you along with an entire arsenal of luxury skincare. With a groan, you rolled yourself out of bed and looked over at your phone. At least you always carried a charger in your purse, but you’d have to go back to your apartment today to start picking up everything that the idiot (you refuse to even think of his name) had packed for you. Slowly you made your way through the apartment, following the dulcet noise of what had to be Kihyun singing.

 You found him singing into the spatula like a microphone over the omelets he just placed on two separate plates. Clearly, by the sheer enthusiasm and volume, he hadn’t yet noticed you. His face was scrunched up in concentration, little dimples under his eyes showing as he finished off the song. “You have a great voice.” You watched the spatula fly out of his hand and clatter into the sink as he jumped a few feet in the air.

 “You scared the shit out of me!”

 “Okay, Jooheon.” He glared at you, mumbling something about how he wasn’t ‘that bad’ before opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of Gatorade for you.

 “Drink this, I’m sure you’ll need it.” You stare dubiously at the drink before slowly opening it and taking a swig.

 “Why are you being so nice to me?” You slowly make your way over to the stool at the kitchen bar, hungrily looking at the cheese covered eggs before sinking into it.

 “Because I’m actually a nice person?”

 “Unlikely. Based off of all the calculations I’ve done on you in the last year that doesn’t match up.” Kihyun shoots a pointed look at you as he sits down next to you.

 “Well, your calculations were wrong. Besides, even if you don’t think I’m nice, which I am, by the way, I’m not some heartless monster who would watch a friend…albeit a bitchy one…get her heart stomped on and just leave her there to fend for herself. And don’t even pull that tiny savior shit again, it’s too early for that crap.”

 You snort but hold your tongue for a minute. “Friend huh?”

 “Yeah. I mean, sure we don’t hang out outside of work and we’re usually at each other’s throats but I mean, we’re friends, right? I mean, you never did actually give me that laxative tea so that’s gotta count for something.”

 “I can’t tell if you’re just really sweet or really naive.”

 “Probably both.” There’s a bitter note to the words, and it makes you want to force him to elaborate but you sense that it’s something he’s trying to keep covered up.

 “Yeah, but that’s not so bad. It’s better than being a bitch who was stuck in a shit relationship for six years to a complete moron out of fear. You might be sweet and naive, but I’m just bitter and tired and afraid.”

 “You know if you combine us we might make a decent dark chocolate recipe.” You can’t help but laugh, guzzling down the rest of your food in comfortable silence before picking up your plate and washing it.

 “Well, I suppose I should head out to my apartment in a bit. Do you have a copy of the key by any chance so I can just let myself in?”

 “Oh, yeah.” Kihyun grabs a key off a hook on the wall and tosses is it over to you. Unfortunately, he misses and it falls somewhere in between the fridge and the cabinet. “Fuck, I am so sorry. I need to get better aim.”

 “It’s okay, I suck at catching anyways.” You start rooting around on the floor, blindly searching for the keys before finally fishing them up. God, even the crack in between his fridge was spotless. What does he do, move the fridge to clean it once a week? Probably. Oh lord, how you pray he doesn’t make you clean that much.

 “Hey, if you want I can go with. I have a car anyway, so it’ll help make the move easier.”

 “You have a car?”

 “Yeah?”

 “You live right by the station though! Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just take the subway to work every day?”

 “Probably, but I enjoy having a car. It’s nice to be able to just go when I want to go without relying on some form of public transportation. So, what do you say? Want me to come with?”

 You fiddle with the key in your hand for a moment. “I don’t want to interrupt any plans you have.”

 “Nah, I was just planning on cleaning and shopping today so no worries about that.” You blink up at Kihyun, twirling the key around before finally nodding.

 “'Kay. Well, let me just take a shower first and then we can head out.”

——————-

 The drive to your apartment…former apartment…has your stomach in knots. Anxiety has consumed you and twisted you into a nervous mess. You probably should have texted the idiot but fuck it, who cares if you’re ruining his plans? He can deal with your intrusion and kiss your ass if he doesn’t like it. Oh god, oh god what are you going to do?

 “Hey, calm down. It’s going to be okay.” Kihyun gives a small pat to your head and you fight off tears at the soothing touch. To think Yoo Kihyun would be of comfort to you. The world is a cruel, sad, obscure shit show of a place.

 Your hands tremble for just a second as he pulls into a parking spot in front of your apartment before your willing yourself to move. It’ll be fine, it’ll be totally fine. After all, what more could possibly go wrong? You take a deep breath as you stand in front of the door of the apartment and knock rather timidly before Kihyun just gives one sharp wrap after you. The two of you wait in silence for a minute before Kihyun’s impatience gets the better of him and he tries the door handle. “You brought your keys right?”

 “Yeah, give me a second.” You fish around the bottom of your purse through a sea of papers, loose lipglosses that fell out of your makeup bag ages ago, and a handful of pens you’ve swiped from the office before you finally find your keys. You look up to see Kihyun staring at your purse dubiously before you shrug and open up your apartment. The first thing you notice is the two sets of shoes sitting at the entrance. One of the shoes you recognize as the idiots. The second set is clearly a female’s with ridiculously small feet and a penchant for pain judging by the wafer-thin stilleto. You’re not sure what hits you first whether it’s nausea or rage but it’s clear that animosity takes a hold of you the most once you start moving again.

 You step through the apartment swiftly, the sound of the idiot and the unknown woman are drowned out by the blood rushing through your ears as you kick open the bedroom door. She’s pretty and young and she’s also the intern you’ve met at his company Christmas party last year. “Really? Really? This bitch?” Your voice comes lashing out in thick dark waves growing in decibel.

 “What the fuck? What are you doing here?” The idiot is scrambling under the bed sheets, the girl is staring at you with terrified doe eyes.

 “Picking up my shit you nit-wit!” Kihyun rounds the corner at this exact moment, a low whistle coming out as he takes in the sight.

 “You were fucking someone else?” Matt, no wait the cheating idiot (he no longer deserves a name), has the audacity to bawk at the sight of Kihyun and it’s around that time that you almost black out in rage.

 “You think you have the right to say that to me? I never fucking cheated unlike you, he’s my friend you lying sack of shit!” You throw the painfully expensive flat screen onto the floor before going through his closet and grabbing a fist full of ties that you toss into the toilet. In the midst of all your chaos, everyone is standing (well Kihyun is standing the two idiots are still laying in bed) stock still when you stand back in the center of the room panting. “Fucking help me Kihyun!”

 “Right!” Kihyun looks around the room before dashing out to the living room where you hear multiple loud crashes that sound suspiciously like the breaking of electronics and glass followed by a few manic cackles.

 “Kihyun, I meant grabbing my boxes!”

 “WHAT?” You hear his footsteps before he turns back into the room, she who will not be named and the cheating idiot are still unmoving in a state of shock as you hand Kihyun two of the boxes you found in the closet.

 “What did you do with all of my makeup?” The idiot points to a box sitting by the bathroom door that you swiftly grab before adding that he hasn’t had time to pack up any of your books. He watches nervously as the two of you make trips back and forth to the front door with more boxes until you’ve gathered just about everything. She who will not be named tries to slink into the bathroom as you grab the last box.

 “And you! You can do so much better than this cheating sack of shit! Don’t waste your time on him. And you, you complete fucking moron,” You turn on your heal to see the idiot shrinking under the blankets like a small child trying to hide from the monster in the closet “it’s not fucking normal to cum that fucking fast all the time! That’s right, for six years I fucking lied because I’m a nice fucking person but let me tell you cumming after entering is only normal for fucking virgins!” With that, you stomp out of the apartment with Kihyun chasing after you.

 The two of you organize everything in the trunk before making a drive back that’s nearly silent with the exception being Kihyun humming. Normally his humming at the office makes you want to strangle him, but for once it’s nice. There’s no pressure to discuss any of whatever it was that just transpired back there, and it’s almost soothing to listen to his voice melt with the road noise. It takes a minute to register that you’ve finally parked, both of you still sitting in the car without a word.

 “Um, Kihyun, thanks…you know for helping. Also, good work on destroying the x-box and coffee table.”

 “The coffee table was an accident. I told you, I have bad aim. You don’t think he’s going to call the cops on us, do you?”

 “Nah. He’s a lot of things, but not a narc.”

 “Oh thank god. I got all caught up in the moment, it was just so addictive!”

 “You wanted to clean everything up right after didn’t you?”

 “…yes…”

 “You need help.” You shoot a smile at Kihyun, ruffling his hair before stepping out of the car to grab your boxes. Had you stayed a moment longer you might have seen his lips twitch into a grin as his hands touched his hair.

————-

 The weekend was spent with you unpacking the necessities and watching Netflix with Kihyun. There’s a lot that you’ve learned about him over the two days. For one, he sings constantly. And you wouldn’t complain about it if it weren’t for the fact that it gets stuck in your head every damn time. Another thing that you’ve learned is that he cleans constantly while grumbling the entire time. He’s also a damn good cook. And you’re happy to say that unlike at work, he’s pretty chill at home. He’s not constantly bragging or boasting, and he’s a bit of a couch potato like you. He’s also kind enough to not bring up the breakup for the rest of the weekend, and when you break down randomly he just hands you random sweets and a blanket. You’re pretty sure you’ve wiped out his entire candy stash at this point.

 By the time Monday rolls back around you’re actually excited to get to work, something mundane and normal. As you settle into your cubicle with a fresh cup of coffee Minhyuk is swiftly spinning his chair over to you. “How was your weekend?”

 My entire life is falling apart. The man I thought I was going to marry not only broke up with me but he was also cheating on me. Oh and I now have to live with Yoo fucking Kihyun and I’m actually starting to think he’s not that bad of a roommate. What little bit of sanity I have is being glued together by coffee. “Boring.” There you go, a lie is so much easier to spit out. Also, you won’t be chucked in a looney bin.

“Same. Oh, but man listen to this. So Wonho and I went out to that new gay bar and we scored like 10 free drinks from this totally cool bear because Wonho took off his shirt. You should come with us the next time we go out! Oh and get this-” You glaze over, nodding randomly as Minhyuk continues to speak a million words a minute before Shownu finally comes out of his office to politely remind Minhyuk that he has three different projects he’s behind on.

—————————————-

The rest of the week tends to amble on much the same way as Monday, monotonous and tedious. And you’re starting to itch with each repetitive conversation. You need something different, you need something to change. Granted, you’ve had a lot of change in the last week. But it’s opened up your eyes to something, the realization that you were just living for the sake of living. Wake up, shower, eat, brush your teeth, go to work, commute home, watch TV, go to sleep. Really what was even the point anymore? You’re beyond apathetic. Too old for this emo shit, too cynical to fall for the hippie-dippie idea of just ‘do what you love.’ Now you’re stuck somewhere in between. Rather lost and craving something, anything, to make you feel alive again. As long as that anything won’t be too expensive. Or too dangerous. Or too annoying. Or too physically exhausting. Which is exactly why when the entire team went out for drinks on Friday you decided to join for once.

You should have known that it was a terrible idea from previous horror stories Hyungwon has told you. He comes solely to watch the world burn as his coworkers all turn into drunk mutants. Everything had seemed fine until you reached the second bar of the night. At this point, Jooheon is speaking only in English and is constantly trying to find ways to rhyme orange. Wonho has lost his shirt or tore it on the dance floor, you aren’t really sure what exactly happened. Minhyuk has been dancing on a column as if it’s a pole and Hyungwon has been discretely pocketing the money that keeps being randomly thrown in Minhyuk’s general direction. Shownu has been in various competitions with strangers, all of them varying in degrees of physical difficulty including the longest headstands that promptly got you kicked out and sent to the third bar.

You’ve lost Changkyun somewhere in the madness, and you’ve been screaming for him as if he’s your lost child until you finally find him hitting on a poster (you’d like to add that the poster was of some foreign film with no people in it) with only one shoe on. Wonho is now clinging onto Kihyun as he sobs about ramen with so much strength you’re afraid Kihyun might not be getting any air. Jooheon has been playing Gucci Gang on repeat while Minhyuk has been trying to blast The Internet over it until the noises have morphed together into some unintelligible and painful to listen to concoction. Hyungwon has somehow found his way behind the bar and is now making drinks for people, none of the other bartenders have noticed that he’s infiltrated yet.

You have a raging headache and your feet are in blisters from all the running around you did to find Changkyun. You feel vaguely out of body as you begin to start screaming for everyone to stop at around the time that Minhyuk starts trying to give lap dances. (You have to admit, he was in the wrong career field. Boy could make a killing off of being a stripper.) Unfortunately, all of them are too far gone to pay attention with the exception of the also painfully sober Kihyun who looks like he’s going to stab Wonho if he doesn’t let go of him.

It just takes Kihyun mouthing ‘help me’ for you to finally make your break. “This rounds on me guys!” You slam down a couple of twenties and use the diversion to grab Kihyun and run out of the bar. Sweet, sweet freedom is obtained at last.

“Thank you! Oh my god, I thought that Wonho was going to smother me!”

“You know, a lot of gals and guys would die happily that way. So, where to now? Do you just want to go home?” You start looking around for some cabs as you speak, wandering down the street slowly now that you’re far enough away from the bar to not be caught.

“Eh, I mean, the night is still young. Besides, I was too afraid to join their league of mutiny to even drink. I know this bar right across from my place. We’re just a couple of blocks away from it right now. What do you say?”

The blisters on your feet say no. The thought of possibly convincing Kihyun to do a couple of shots has you saying, “Sure, why not?” Perhaps you could get him drunk enough to give you an arsenal of secrets to use at your disposal. Then again, you’ve both survived war this evening so by the time you’re finally sitting at the bar with a strong cranberry vodka in your hand you decide to give him a break. (You will never, ever tell Minhyuk and Hyungwon know of this momentary lapse of kindness though.)

“I’d like to lie to you and say that the guys aren’t always this way when we all go out, but…honestly, I’ve seen things get even crazier. It was really nice though to not be the only sober-”

“Kihyun?” Both of you switch your attention over to the woman staring at Kihyun. You see a flash of shock morph into a bitter rage as his jaw clenches. You’d bet your measly savings that the girl was an ex. And a bitch. But the last part is personal conjecture. You want to blame the alcohol for what you do next, but you don’t have enough liqueur in you for it to be the real cause.

“Kihyun, baby, who’s this?” You wrap your arm around Kihyun’s shoulder and give a pointed glare at the other woman.

“Baby? You’ve already moved on? It’s only been, like, three fucking weeks.”

“Well, at least I didn’t move on by cheating on you with my roommate.” Kihyun’s words are angry, and suddenly things start falling into place. That’s why he needed a roommate. That’s why he had been so good at comforting you. That’s why a few weeks ago for the first time he had been late. (Not that you pay that close of attention to him. Nope. You just so happened to notice, and you just so happened to remember.)

“Wow. Wow. You’re such a-”

“I’d step off bitch before I break this glass over your head. Come on baby, let’s go home.” You tug on Kihyun’s hand and leave the bar with her still shouting insults at the two of you. You make the trek back to the apartment in silence, and it isn’t until you actually step through the doors that you realize you’re still holding hands. “Um, sorry about that. I know I just kind of inserted myself in there, but I mean…I get how it feels. We’ve…been through basically the same thing at around the same time. And I just-”

“Thank you.” Kihyun ruffles your hair before suddenly stopping and stepping in closer to you. “I…” His words die out, choked up in his throat with emotions you can’t quite pinpoint swirling just beneath the surface.

“No worries, that’s what friends do right?” You’re not sure if you’re saying that to him or more as a reminder to yourself. He’s just a friend. Right? Right?? His face almost seems to fall for a moment, but it must have been your imagination because suddenly he’s smiling and nodding back at you. Awkward silence ensues and you’re not sure why but you feel a need to break the moment by pulling him into a tight hug and then stepping back. “You know, if you ever want to talk to me about anything, I’m here for you.”

Kihyun nods silently again and gives another small pat to the top of your head before he takes off for his room. Well, that was odd. Then again, that was probably the most normal thing you’ve witnessed all night. Note to self, never go out with the guys ever again.

——————————

Months go by and you’ve fallen into a comfortable routine at Kihyun’s. At first, you tried looking for other places, but rent in the city is painfully expensive and well if you’re honest…living with Kihyun isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s wonderful. And much to Minhyuk and Hyungwon’s dissatisfaction, your new friendship with Kihyun has stopped you from pulling as many pranks on the office hamster. It’s not that you don’t still, it’s just that you’re not out for blood anymore.

You’ve learned a lot about Kihyun. About the type of music he listens to. About how he’s a perfectionist even when he plays games. And how his skin care routine is at an almost religious level. And how when he cleans he mutters the entire time to himself until you join in. And how he’s a dog enthusiast who melts any time there’s one nearby. But there’s still one thing you don’t know much about and for some reason, it constantly plays in the back of your head. Why did that girl cheat on him? How could she not see how good of a guy Kihyun is? And why isn’t he trying to get back out there? A catch like him doesn’t come around every dynasty.

You’ve come to understand why your relationship with the idiot failed. You know that he was horribly wrong for cheating and that he should have left and just said he wasn’t happy a long time ago. But you’ve also come to the conclusion that you hadn’t been working on your own happiness in the relationship enough. You had just at some point stopped trying at almost everything. But Kihyun? Well, he’s certainly not that type. Sure he goes between being either really hard on himself or thinking too highly of himself, but he’s got a heart of gold. He knows his worth, and he treats women like queens. (At least if his interactions with his mother over the phone are anything to go by.)

You’re pulled back out of your thoughts by Kihyun walking back into the apartment and the smell of food wafting over. “Ooh, takeout! Did you get me anything?”

“At first I was going to torture you and get something for just myself, but then I realized that my meal would be ruined by you complaining loudly the entire time. I got you some curry.”

“Awesome, thanks babe!” Both you and Kihyun freeze at the nickname. Perhaps you’ve gotten too comfortable once again. Yep, that’s all this is. An innocent mistake caused by being comfortable. Yup. Nothing to see here folks. Nothing at all. “Uhh, I’m not sure why I said that…I’m uh…”

“Nah it’s uh, it’s all good. Babe.” Kihyun cackles loudly before you see him disappear below the kitchen counter. You’ve noticed that when he’s embarrassed he just kind of…runs out of eyesight. It’s endearing, but right now you’re too mortified by your slip of the tongue to even laugh with him. Babe? Really, babe? God, you needed to get out there before you start seeing Kihyun as a possible interest. Nope, never ever going to happen. Absolutely not. It was just a mistake. It meant absolutely nothing.

Dinner goes by quietly after that, the two of you making awkward small talk while pretending to pay attention to some show in the background. By the time dinner is over you’re taking a deep breath and finally setting up a tinder account. Clearly, you need to start moving on, doing something more with your life. You deserve better than that shit show of an ex, and you also deserve some fun. Life has become too routine, and you refuse to turn into a spinster cat lady with a hamster as a roommate.

——————————

A week later and you’re meeting up with a guy you met on tinder, praying you aren’t going to get murdered by some psycho. You’ve never used dating apps, and while you were kind of leery about the situation the conversations you’ve had with him have seemed pretty normal. Albeit boring, but you were never the best at making small talk so you’ll take some of the blame for that. He’s good-looking, you’ll give him that. But as the night wears on it becomes painfully apparent that that’s all he is. He’s good looking and he’s got a stable job, but the best way to describe his personality is monotone.

“Yes, so anyway, enough about the bank. What is it that you do again?” You take a large gulp of your wine before speaking, and you don’t miss the way he cocks his eyebrow as if to say ‘are you really going to drink like that?’

“Oh, nothing special. I’m an accountant for a salon and spa software company.”

“Does that make good money? If you’re an accountant we could actually use someone like you on our team and I’m sure it would be better pay…” Blah blah blah, your eyes glaze over as he keeps talking. What’s this guys name again? God, you can’t even remember. You forgot after six years of being with the same guy how boring dates could be. Well, to call all dates boring isn’t exactly fair. You’re sure that not every guy would be this boring, or hell, turn into some sort of weird job offer. Kihyun would be a lot more interesting. You’d probably be out doing shots and karaoke by now. Or maybe you’d go to a cooking class with him. Or you might be out at that fried chicken place he swears is heavenly. Or maybe he’d be animatedly discussing the best cleaning products with you. Okay, so that would suck, but you’re pretty sure he would never discuss that on a date. Unless it was with a maid or cleaning lady. Wait, why are you thinking about Kihyun right now? Oh…oh fuck. Fuck almighty, you like Kihyun.

You try to pay attention to the one-sided conversation, but really he’s so busy talking about himself he doesn’t even notice you zoning out. How long have you liked Kihyun? Probably longer than you care to admit. Maybe the first time you met him. Maybe that’s why you always found a way to poke fun at him. You always were shit at being honest with yourself. How pathetic though. You keep saying you’ve grown after a terrible six-year relationship, but you’re still just as pathetic at being honest with your own emotions. Blunt sure, but honest? Well…honesty requires vulnerability and courage. A potent mixture that you can barely handle. And that’s why you stayed around some dude you weren’t that interested in. But what about now? Will you be honest? Will you go for it?

You grab your phone as it buzzes, just some app unfortunately and not a getaway ticket. But your date doesn’t know that. “I’m so sorry, but it looks like my cat just went into labor and I think she really needs my support.” You pull out some cash and slap it on the table before he can respond and try your best to run out of there. You’re pretty sure he’s saying something to you as you leave, but you’re moving too quickly to hear him for long. Cat going into labor? And she needs your support? Jesus, you need to get better at lying.

By the time you’ve finally reached your apartment, you’re in near hysterical giggles. Of all the things you could have said to get away from the date, I mean that’ll go down in history as the strangest lie you’ve said. It’s at least entertaining enough to keep the sinking realization that you like Kihyun at bay. Until you finally step foot in the apartment and come face to face with him that is. He’s lounging on the couch, reading a book. His hair is still slightly damp from a shower and the scent of his body wash lingers in the air.

“Oh hey, I was going to…” Kihyun looks up and stops speaking as he analyzes you. His jaw tightens slightly before he gulps and continues speaking, “I was going to ask you to pick up some food but I wasn’t sure what you were doing.”

“Trying to flee a really awful date actually.” You fling yourself onto the chair next to him and kick up your feet on the coffee table, ignoring the look of disdain he gives you at your action.

“That bad?” You don’t miss the way his words sound a little clipped, slightly agitated.

“Bad enough that I told him my cat went into labor and then ran away.” You can’t help but join him as he starts to laugh, his annoyance melting away. It feels so nice to be home with him. It feels so normal and so right. But it kind of hurts, your heartaches and stomach drops as you gaze fondly at him. Kihyun has been such a good guy to you, and you’re pining after him. And you didn’t even notice it until you went out with some schmuck from tinder. How lame could you get?

“How bad could the date possibly have been that you went with that half-baked lie?” He wasn’t you. It’s just that simple, that’s why I gave him that half-baked lie.

“Well, …he was a banker. I think that’s enough said, right? At least he wasn’t a lawyer though. You know the weirdest part about the date though was that all he did was talk about work, and when I explained that I work in accounting he tried to offer me a job. It felt more like I was at an interview than a date. And here I thought tinder was for random flings.” You hate the way your heart flutters at the smile he sends your way as he ruffles your hair in consolation for your bad date. You hate the way that his touch feels so right, so natural. But you mostly hate the way that you can’t stop dwelling on it and how you know that you’re being a coward by not coming clean. But what exactly were you supposed to say? Hey Kihyun, being roommates isn’t enough anymore I’d like to hold your hand and tell you that you’re super cute and maybe screw your brains out? Yeah, probably not going to go down well. Both of you just got out of relationships. You work together. You live together. The last thing you need is to make things awkward.

At the same time though, you know you like him. You’re both grown adults. If things don’t work out then you’ll move on. But if you just allow these feelings to keep festering it’ll become unbearable. So you take in a deep breath and you finally say it before you can chicken out. “You know, Kihyun that isn’t actually the real reason why I left the date though. I mean, I’ve been on worse ones I could’ve stuck it out till the end but I didn’t exactly give him a fair chance. You see, I kind of already like someone.” You can’t make eye contact with him as you speak, but you can hear him shift on the couch presumably to move closer to you. It’s now or never. “Maybe I’m a complete idiot to not realize it sooner, but the entire time I was on that date I kept comparing him to you. And I kept thinking about what we would’ve done on a date, and how you wouldn’t have taken me to some pretentious French place only to talk my ear off about something as lame as work. And how you definitely would’ve called me out for saying some lame excuse. And I…”

“You like me?” You’re staring pointedly at the ground, still too afraid to look up. Your bravery can only go so far, and actually seeing his reaction might just kill what little of your fragile ego you have left in you. “You…like…me?”  There’s a pregnant pause before you suddenly see him in your line of vision, crouched down in front of you and his hands cup your cheeks gently. “You don’t know how happy that makes me. I really really like you (y/n). I mean I think I have from the moment you first sassed off to me. I actually got into a fight with my ex once because when I first started working with you I kept talking about you.”

“What? You didn’t hate me? I was a total bitch to you!” God, what kind of masochistic shit is this? You always knew he had a few screws loose, but I mean, is this his version of some kind of a sick joke? You’re pretty sure it’s not based on his expression. He’s looking at you so fondly, so happily. It’s the same face he makes when he sees dogs, pure joy.

“Well, sure. But it was funny the way how everything I did set you off. And it was awesome how you didn’t back down. I mean you never took my shit, you always threw it back at me. But it was never malicious. It was always very honest. Blunt and to the point. I think the thing I appreciate most about you is that you always say what’s on your mind. I don’t have to guess with you, you just come right out and say it. And it’s refreshing. And then when we moved in and I started to see the softer sides of you I knew I was a goner. I knew you had me wrapped around your little finger. I’ve just been hoping that maybe, somehow, you’d like me as much as I like you.” Silence fills the room, but it’s not uncomfortable. The two of you are just gazing at each other, basking in warm serenity.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Kiss me already you fool.” You love the way he laughs, it sets off butterflies in a frenzy before he finally pulls you into a soft kiss. His beauty routine clearly extends to exfoliating his lips because wow, they’re so soft. So perfect, so warm. At first, it’s feather light, but when your hands cup his face it moves into something deeper. His tongue swipes your lower lip and you taste a hint of peach as they tangle together.  His hands weave into your hair and push the two of you closer until finally, you fall in a pile of tangled limbs on the floor, both of you refuse to break the kiss as hands roam each other in a greedy frenzy before he finally pulls back slightly sheepish.

“Sorry, I got a little carried away there. I guess before I do anything else I should probably officially ask you to be my girlfriend shouldn’t I?”

“God, you’re such a dork. But I guess you’re my dork now aren’t you?” Your breath hitches slightly at the grin he gives you as he moves your hair out of your face gently. He’s so beautiful. His cute little mole, flawless skin, sharp jawline. You trace over his features silently as your brain tries to wrap around everything. He’s yours. You're his. And it just feels right. If a few months ago someone would’ve told you that you’d be hopelessly in love with the office hamster you would’ve laughed in their face. But the world works in mysterious ways, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

There’s a lot of ways that you’d describe Yoo Kihyun. An insufferable nag. Confident. Handsome. Great singer. Pretty good cook. A bit of a Napoleon complex. Ridiculously kind. A total softy. A fantastic kisser. The love of your life. Yeah, that’s Yoo Kihyun for you.

——————

A/N: I know the ending is kind of rushed, sorry about that. I’ve actually had this in my WIPs for a couple of months now and I just really wanted to share it. I hope that you enjoyed it! This was a lot of fun to write.

[kademaki]

The Bottomless Blue - Chapter Four

Merman!Hux x Reader 

this chapter is based off of this AU

Character A lives by the sea, and while pulling in their nets/traps one day, they find a bedraggled, angry Character B caught in them. Character B is a merperson that was trying to steal some easy fish from Character A’s traps, but got stuck.

previous

“Just pull a little harder, we’ve almost got it now Lily!”  

“Oh my goodness Miss Y/N.  It’s so heavy! I don’t think I can!”

“Nonsense, here we go, Lily, this is the last of it!” You gave one last pull to the ropes spread between Lily and your hands to bring the crab traps that was attached to the ropes onto your boat.  Your arm ached a little from your encounter with a shark two weeks prior and even though it was healing better than the doctors had ever seen, it still ached when you did anything too strenuous.  

“Look Miss Y/N! There are so many crabs inside! I’ve never seen so many outside of the store!”  This weekend you had taken Lily out crabbing with you on your boat.  You’d woken up before the sun rose to drop a few traps.  

“I know, we put our trap out at the right time huh? Watch your feet, I don’t want you to get pinched by their claws.”

‘I won’t, but can I pick one up? I promise I’ll use the tongs not my hands this time.” Lily said grabbing the tongs from your hands and you nodded.  You watched as she picked a crab up and held it in the air as she stared at its underside with wide eyes as it wriggled between the tongs.  

“Miss Y/N, do you think we can make crab cakes later? We have so many, we can make a lot of them!”  

“Of course we can Lily, we can also make a crab soup! I think your parents would love that. But I think my boat is too full now for us to get the rest of the traps right now.  Let’s go back and drop these off with your parents and you guys can start with these guys while I come back out for last two traps.”  

“But Miss Y/N I wanted to stay with you all day!” Lily said dropping the crab into the bucket and pouting at you.  

“But Lily, the sooner you start breaking the crabs down the sooner you can start eating them. You do want to eat them soon right?” you said smiling at her, hopefully, she’d take the bait.  You could get through the traps quicker if she wasn’t on the boat with you.  You knew it would be a long day, collecting the traps then cooking the crabs.  You watched as she considered what you had said before nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, okay.  We can start cooking these ones and you can bring the rest super quick right? I want to cook them with you.”  You smiled at her as you secured the collected traps onto your boat before heading back to steer the boat towards your dock.  

“Don’t worry Lily, I’ll be back before you can miss me.”  You started the engine and headed home.

↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭

You stretched, feeling the tension in your spine release as you steer your boat back out to sea.  It had taken a little longer than you thought it would to get Lily and the crabs to her parent's house.  The young child had wanted to name every crab as you transferred them to buckets.  Convincing her to name them when she got them home took a few minutes but she had relented and helped you carry the buckets up the docks to her parent's house.  You had laughed to yourself at her parent's dismay when Lily told them her plan to name every crab before they were cooked.  You were glad to not have to be present for that.  

As you got further out on open water, you noticed the large fishing vessel that you had found chumming the waters before was also heading out to collect their catches for the day.  You frowned as you noticed some of their nets left close to your crab traps.  Maybe they were trying to catch more fish by using your traps as bait for the fish they were trying to catch?

You sighed and headed further out to your farthest traps, you would deal with these later.  On your way out, you spotted the aquarium’s research vessel in the distance.  You stared at it wondering why they were out this far again.  The water was deep here but was nowhere near as deep as where they discovered new creatures.  Maybe they were looking for other fish to feed the new creatures.  You started to reel in your closest trap as the research ship turned and headed your way.  You were on your second trap when you felt your boat rocking from the waves the ship was creating.  You turned to see Luke once again.  

“Hey Y/N!  Fancy seeing you out here again.  Whatcha got there?”  He called over to you while leaning over the ship’s rail. You waved and gestured to the traps.

“Just pulling in my crab traps.  I’m planning to have a crab boil with my neighbors tonight.”

“Your neighbors aren’t here helping you pull them in? That’s a lot of work for you by yourself.”  You gave him a shrug as you sorted through the crabs already in your boat.  You wanted to throw back the females to keep the crab population going for next season.

“Oh no, I had some help earlier but the boat was getting too heavy to carry all of us and the crabs.”  The sound of metal pulled your attention away from your task and you looked up to see Luke dropping the ladder to the ship.  You tensed as he jumped onto your boat causing it to rock wildly when his weight hit your deck.  Luke was a nice guy but you didn’t know each other very well and you were a little uncomfortable having him on your ship with the weight of the crabs and the traps.  If your small boat was overloaded with too much weight it could come off balance and tilt and take on water or worse sink.  “No, Luke really, it’s fine.  I can handle this on my own.  I only have a few more and my boat is already on the verge of sinking.”  You cringed as you watched him haul the traps up with little help knowing by the way he was reeling the lines in, he would be feeling it in his back for the next few days.

“Nonsense, I’d love to help you Y/N.  Of course, I can take a few crabs as payment for my services. How’s your arm? Did you get it checked out? You shouldn’t be pulling these in alone with your arm being injured and all”  You rolled your sleeve up and gestured to your slowly healing arm.

“My arm is fine.  It just hurts when it rains you know.” you joked trying to convince Luke you could handle the traps alone.  “What are you doing out here? Isn’t this a little shallow for your research anyway?”  He started to pull up the next trap, straining with the effort.  

“It is a little shallower than where we usually look but today we’re looking for undiscovered life here before the continental shelf drop off.  You never know, maybe we’ll find a new species of crab burrowed down on the ocean floor.  Just last week, we found a chest filled with small artifacts.  Normal things like combs, mirrors, brushes, and jewelry.”  

“Pirates and ships lost chests all the time, you know better than me that a lot of ships went down out here and a lot of battles were fought just off the coast.  The chest could be from anything.” You shrugged and moved to start sorting the crabs in the trap, Luke had just pulled in.

“Of course, but what makes this chest weird is that we found it in an underwater cave.”  That made you pause, an underwater cave?

“Where was the cave? Maybe it used to be above sea level at some point.”  

“That’s impossible since its past the shelf drop off. The depth is so deep that it doesn’t make sense for how the chest got there.  Plus, we found it with other chests filled with the same things.  It’s kind of creepy.  We checked the diving message boards, no one has posted about finding it before us and no one has mentioned keeping a secret stash in a cave.  So who put it there?”  

Your mind went to the merman and his chest of gold coins and rings. He collected items in chests in the shipwreck.  Could he also be collecting more chests in this mystery cave?  You tried not to think about it as you sorted the crabs before tossing the females back into the water.  

“I don’t know.  Maybe it’s some diver’s secret stash.  Maybe they’re trying to play a prank on someone and you found it.”  

“Well, either way, we don’t think it should go without exploration.  Even if it turns out to be a prank, it's worth looking into,”  He pulled in the last trap and dumped the crabs onto the deck. “I think this is the last of them Y/N.  Hopefully, this makes it easier for you with your arm and all.  Well, I should get going, I don’t want to keep the crew waiting too long.”  You thanked him and watched as Luke jumped from your boat to the ladder of the research ship.  “You know we actually found the cave a little ways from the shipwreck you like.  Notice anything strange when you were down there? I mean, aside from the sharks and all.”

Your breath caught you in your throat as your mind raced.  Did he suspect anything?  

“No, it’s just a normal shipwreck.  The ship is decaying there’s only a few broken crates and barrels.  Nothing special to see since the crew that found it took practically everything for their own research.”  Luke nodded.

“Well, we’ll probably spend some time down back at the cave today anyway.  Maybe there’s another entrance or exit deeper in.  I’ll see you around Y/N.”  You watched as Luke climbed the ladder and went below deck.  

You thought about what Luke had said, the cave was something to consider.  Was it somewhere the merman hid his treasures? Or was it some diver’s practical joke?  As you pondered this, you noticed one of the fishing net markers from the fishing ship moving erratically.  You watched it as it bobbed violently trying to figure out what could be causing it to move like that.  Usually, they didn’t move up and down like that unless there was something caught in it like dolphin or orca.  You strained your eyes as you watched and realized you had missed a crab trap.  It was close to the fishing net marker.  Maybe the net was tangled with your trap deeper down in the water.  

You fired up your boat’s engine and maneuvered closer to your trap and the net.  Once you were close enough, you tried to pull your trap in but you were met with resistance.  You sighed, your trap was either caught on something or tangled in the net. Peering into the water you couldn’t see much so you pulled on your snorkel and jumped into the water to get a better look.  The sight startled you.  There was the merman, tangled with your crab trap and the fishing nets.  Your eyes followed the line of your trap to his hands where your trap lay.  The rope to your trap had become twisted around the net that was entangled with the merman’s tail and left arm.  The harder he writhed and contorted to free himself, the tighter the ropes became and the further trapped he became.  When he spotted you floating near the surface, his eyes narrowed and he began to thrash harder.  

You turned back and climbed onto your boat. You dug around in your storage compartment behind your life vests before finding your scissors and moving to next compartment for your scuba gear.  You checked your scuba tank to see it was half full before pulling it on and heading back into the water.  You dove down to the merman’s level and tried to see how bad the tangled line and net was.  The merman gave you a pointed look and continued to struggle wrapped in the nets.  After a few seconds of watching the nets tangle further around him, you examined the nets and used your scissors to begin cutting the nets.  The merman ceased his struggle and watched you closely as you cut around his torso.  It was when you moved closer to his tail that pulled back from your hands.  You reached for the rope and net tangled around his tail but jerked back when he recoiled from your touch.  

‘If you don’t let me help, you'll be stuck here forever or whenever the fisherman come to pull in the nets.’ is what you wished you could say to the merman.  He clearly needed your help to get free but was reluctant to accept your help for whatever reason.  You reached to keep cutting the nets near his tail but he pulled away from you again.  You gave him a look and started to cut the nets around his torso again, trying to avoid his tail since that seemed to be the more sensitive spot for him.  It took you a few minutes to get through the nets tangled around his chest but once you did, you watched as the merman wriggled trying to free himself.  Once he realized he wouldn’t be able to get free without you cutting the rest of the nets tangled around his tail, he calmed and let you start cutting the nets around his tail.  You glanced up at his face as you finished cutting the net.  His shoulders relaxed as he gave a cursory glance at you once he was free.  He spun in a circle as he looked over his tail, rubbing at the red marks on his usually deep green fin.  

When he was satisfied with his self-inspection, he gave you a grateful look.  You smiled around your oxygen mask.  You looked down towards where your crab trap lay on the ocean floor, what had he been doing with it?  The trap’s door was askew and the crabs were struggling to free themselves.  The merman followed your gaze before reaching down to pick up the trap.  You watched curiously as he titled the trap on its side before putting his hand into the trap.  

You were amazed as a large blue crab climbed out of the trap and onto his hand before climbing his arm and settling onto his shoulder.   The merman closed the door to the trap before putting it into your hands.  You wanted to question him as to why he was so comfortable with this crab, it looked right at home on his shoulder as if it was trained to stay there but your oxygen mask and inability to speak underwater prevented you from doing so.  Instead, you found yourself in awe as he nodded to you as he nodded to you as he grabbed a few fish from the nets before turning and swimming off in the direction of the shipwreck with the crab still perched on his shoulder.  

As you watched his form fade into the distance, your mind went to Luke.  Luke had said they’d be checking out the shipwreck again before they went to the cave later today.  What if Luke was there now and the merman was going to stumble upon him and the rest of the exploration team?  You checked your watch and it had been about an hour since you had spoken to Luke, it was possible they had gotten to the wreck and left by now.  You were sure the merman could take care of himself, he had gone this long without being discovered.  

You swam back to the surface and boarded your boat before pulling the trap in.  You emptied the trap and scooped the crabs into the bucket before turning back into the direction of the shipwreck. ‘I should at least check on him to make sure he made it back okay.”  you thought to yourself as you started the engine and turned the boat towards the shipwreck.  As you neared the shipwreck site, you spotted the research vessel in the distance but nothing else around the shipwreck.  You wanted to get out and dive and see if the merman was okay, but you didn’t want to draw Luke and the research team closer to him.  So you decided to take off your gear and head back to shore.  You hoped he would be able to take care of himself and hide if Luke and the research team went to the shipwreck.  

next

Taglist:

@songforhema  @agirlinherhead

[roselukes]

2800 Miles - Ch 6 - l.h.

Previously

Summary: Luke knows what he wants, but he also knows he can’t have it

Tag List: @sassy-asht0n @happycrimiscalum @rosesarered516 @hoe4hemmo @heartbreakashton94 @climatehood @calumspeachy @dukehoods @holidayhood @wrappedaroundcal @mistletoemichael @plainwhiteluke @irwinkitten @hereforlukescruff @astroashtonio @catchinqcalum @irwinvalentines @hollyjollyhood @biggestslutforcalum @calumhampton @angelmikeyy @hotmessmichael @curlyhairedpopstars @meloncal @lukeschestnuts @thecashtonexpress @calsjackets @boytoynamedcalum @alyssarester @ssophisticated-simplicityy @calistajs @merryashmas

Disclaimer: plot was inspired by the app Choices’ story The Royal Romance

In the morning, Michael entered Gwen’s room earlier than she had expected. “Up and at ‘em, Gwen. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us.”

“Can’t I just get five more minutes?” Gwen groaned, covering her face with her pillow.

“Why are you so tired all the time?” Michael laughed and opened the curtains.

“In case you didn’t know, New York and Australia aren’t exactly in the same time zone.” Gwen rolled her eyes. “And, I’ve been up late since we got here.”

“I have seen you off to bed every night. What are you doing in here that keeps you up?” Michael asked, looking at the flowers on her nightstand. He walked over and picked up the note, reading it. “Oh, my God. You’re fucking Luke, aren’t you?”

“No!” Gwen sat up quickly. “No, Mike, no. We’re not fucking. We just had Jimmy John’s together last night. We might have made out a little, but that was it.”

“Did anyone see you? You could be disqualified from the court for this.”

“No one saw anything. His balcony is too far up for the press to get pictures.”

“How the hell did you get up there without getting seen? Did you fucking climb up the walls like Spider-Man?”

“I used a scarf. I’m pretty experienced at climbing balconies.” Gwen sighed and got up. “You know, I had to sneak in and out of the orphanage many times in my life.”

“Well, cut it out. I don’t need my sponsoree getting disqualified.” Michael crossed his arms. “Now, you need to get ready for the regatta.”

“What’s gonna happen at this regatta?” Gwen asked as she went to the closet.

“You’re gonna sail a boat and hope you win.” Michael sat down on her bed.

“What? I don’t know how to sail a boat.”

“That’s okay. Calum, Ashton, and I will be your crew. We used to go sailing with Luke all the time.”

“Okay, well, you boys better make sure I win. I don’t do well losing.” Gwen smiled and pulled off the t-shirt she slept in.

“You’re finally okay with taking your clothes off in front of me?” Michael asked, chuckling softly.

“You’re like a brother to me, you wouldn’t try anything. And, if you did, Luke would murder you.” Gwen laughed and pulled on a striped sweater.

“Yeah, you’re right. You know, Luke seems to really like you. Everyone’s already sure he’s going to pick you.” Michael smiled and laid back on her bed.

“I hope he chooses me, he’s a great kisser.” Gwen giggled and pulled on a pair of red shorts.

“Don’t get in over your head here, Gwen. You can’t base this on his physical attraction for you. You have to be able to lead a kingdom.”

“I can lead a kingdom just fine.” Gwen rolled her eyes and put on her Converse. “I was part of the student government in high school.”

“Really? What role did you play?”

“I was the one that tried to overthrow them.”

“Jesus, Gwen.” Michael laughed, rolling his eyes. “That’s the kind of thing that’s gonna turn everyone against you.”

“I’m kidding, Mike. I was treasurer.” Gwen laughed and did her makeup. “I did try to overthrow them, and that’s when they gave me the title of treasurer.”

“Whatever, you freak. Let’s get going. We don’t want to be late.”

“Will there be breakfast there?” Gwen asked.

“No, we’re gonna pick something up on the way.” Michael said, getting up.

“Taco Bell.” Gwen said as she walked down to the car.

“Yes, ma’am.” Michael rolled his eyes. When they arrived at the docks, it was only the royal family and Hattie with her crew. “We’re early? I thought we’d be late.”

“I thought we’d be late too. Especially because you order 500 things and we had to wait 20 minutes to get our food.” Gwen huffed and threw away the wrappers to her tacos.

“Hey, you guys went to Taco Bell?” Luke called from his boat.

“Gwen requested it, and naturally, I said yes.” Michael chuckled.

“You didn’t think to bring me any?” Luke pouted.

“Quit your bellyaching, Your Highness.” Gwen rolled her eyes. “There’s some in the car for you.”

“I knew you’d think of me.” Luke winked at her.

“It was Michael’s idea. I wanted to let you starve.” Gwen giggled.

“Rude.” Luke huffed and jumped onto the dock, walking over to them.

“Which boat do we get to use today?” Michael asked.

“Which one do you think?” Luke chuckled.

“Oh, no way! Calum’s gonna be so happy.” Michael laughed.

“What’s so special about the boat?” Gwen asked.

“When we were, like, 14, we went sailing for Luke and Ashton’s birthday party. We went way beyond where we should have on a little sailboat and we ended up tipping the boat. Calum thought for sure we’d all get eaten by sharks and have to reenact the Jaws movies. We were about 6 miles from the shore when Ashton first noticed the fin above the water. We all started freaking out. We thought it was a shark, you know? But, it was just a dolphin. There were, like, 6 of them and they helped us push the boat back to shore. Our boat has dolphins painted on the exterior, which we think made the dolphins help us. Calum’s been obsessed with dolphins since then.” Michael explained.

“It was a great way to spend my birthday, even though my father had a fit.” Luke chuckled.

“Sounds fun.” Gwen smiled. “Dolphins are adorable.”

“Come on, we need to get set up.” Michael smiled and lead her to the boat. Soon enough, Calum and Ashton joined them on the boat as the other suitors got their own boats ready.

“Let’s hope we don’t tip today, huh?” Ashton chuckled as he climbed aboard.

“We’re not going out far enough for that.” Calum smiled. “We should strive to make sure no one falls in. Luke’s done that on pretty much every voyage we’ve been on.”

“At least he can swim.” Michael rolled his eyes.

“Hey, I can swim.” Calum pouted.

“Yeah, in three feet of water.” Ashton teased.

“You guys are bullies.” Calum pouted and walked over to the sail.

“Okay, what am I supposed to do here? I’ve never sailed a boat before.” Gwen said, looking around.

“You’re gonna tell us when the wind changes.” Michael told her. “We have to shift the sails when it does, so we need you to be sure you’re watching it.”

“I think I can manage that.” Gwen nodded.

“Good, we’re about to cast off.” Ashton said as he untied the boat from the dock. The gunshot rang from the shore and all the boats were off. Things were going smoothly, but they were behind Alyssa and her crew.

“We need to beat this bitch.” Gwen glared at Alyssa’s boat.

“Don’t worry, we will.” Ashton chuckled, helping Calum hoist the sail. Gwen held onto the side of the boat as the wind shifted.

“Wind is blowing East now.” Gwen told them.

“Thanks, Gwen.” Michael nodded to Ashton and Calum. As they began adjusting the sails, the boat made a sharp turn and the strong winds knocked Calum into the water.

“Calum!” Gwen yelled, rushing to the side of the boat. “Ashton, are the sails in place?”

“Sails are set!” Ashton yelled to her. Gwen pulled her shoes off and dove into the water, swimming over to Calum. She grabbed onto him and hoisted him onto her back so she could bring him back to the boat. She swam with him, keeping his head above the water.

“Ashton!” Gwen called out to him.

“I’m here!” Ashton said, grabbing hold of Calum’s arms to pull him onto the boat. Gwen grabbed the side of the boat and pulled herself up.

“I got him, get back to the sails.” Gwen nodded to him. Ashton nodded and ran back to his post. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Calum. Ashton pulled the sails up and their boat swiftly passed Alyssa’s, sending a wave of water into her boat. Gwen giggled a little as she turned back to Calum. “You good, Cal?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Thank you, Gwen. You saved me.” Calum smiled at her. “No one’s ever done that for me before.”

“I’m sure they would have if you needed saving.” Gwen smiled and rubbed his arms to warm him up.

“Gwen, we need you to take Calum’s place.” Michael called down to her.

“I can’t sail a boat, Michael.” Gwen shook her head.

“Then come take my job, and I’ll help Ashton with the sails.” Gwen nodded and stood up, going over to Michael. “Just make sure the boat is steady. That’s all you have to do.”

“Okay, I can do it.” Gwen nodded and took his spot. Michael went down to Calum and hugged him.

“You need to be more careful, Hood.” Michael grabbed his face and made him look at him. “Do you know what would happen if I lost my best friend?”

“Relax, Mike. I’m fine. We’re just lucky Gwen was here.” Calum smiled. “I’m alright, don’t worry.”

“We’re very lucky we had Gwen.” Michael smiled and hugged Calum again. He then turned to Gwen. “How are things going up there?”

“Going great. I have no idea what I’m doing, but we’re moving.” Gwen giggled.

“She’s doing great.” Ashton laughed. “We’re still in the lead, so we couldn’t be better.”

“Well, keep it up. We’re almost at the finish line.” Michael grinned. Gwen nodded and kept the boat steady as Ashton worked the sails. Alyssa was quickly gaining on them, but she just wasn’t fast enough. Gwen’s boat passed the finish line mere seconds before Alyssa’s.

“Oh, my God. We won!” Gwen squealed, looking at the boys. “We did it!”

“We did it!” Ashton grinned, hugging Gwen. “I can’t believe we did it!” The four of them got off the boat and tied it to the dock.

“Congratulations, Lady Gwen. You managed to win the race while also saving a member of your crew. It’s impressive and it shows a lot about who you are.” Queen Miranda smiled.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Gwen smiled, rubbing her arms to keep warm. She was still soaking wet from jumping in to save Calum. Luke walked over to Gwen and draped his sweater over her shoulders.

“You did amazing out there.” Luke smiled, rubbing her arms.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Gwen smiled and wrapped the sweater tighter around herself.

“Thank you for jumping in after Calum, too. It was very brave of you.” Luke hugged her gently.

“I’d do it again if he needed me to.” Gwen giggled and hugged him.

“I can’t believe she won.” Alyssa groaned. “It should’ve been her that fell in the water, not Calum. They would’ve left her behind, and I’d have won.”

“Why can’t you just be happy for her?” Hattie asked, rolling her eyes.

“Because, I was supposed to win. I had the best sailing crew there is, and she won.” Alyssa glared at her.

“Whatever, let’s just go eat.” Kira piped in, walking to the port with the other suitors.

“Will I get to spend time with you, now that I won?” Gwen asked Luke, looking up at him.

“No, I’ll be gone until the beach party tonight. We have the royal regatta as soon as the boats are ready.” Luke sighed softly. “We go out a lot farther than you guys did, so it takes us much longer.”

“Oh.” Gwen pouted. “Be safe, don’t fall out, don’t tip over.”

“I’ll be safe, I promise.” Luke smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek.