#i usually have such a hard time writing stories but this one came pretty easily | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sehodreams · 7 months

Text

come inside of my heart

TW and Tags: all consensual, smut, fluff (corny moments, sorry), porn with plot(?), making out sessions, weird characters(?), fingering, Seunghan overthinking, mutual pining(?), corruption kink(?), p in v, oral sex (both receiving), dom!Seunghan, friends with benefits(?)(more like classmates with benefits).

WC: 14k (I’M.SO.SORRY)

Summary: Seunghan has a problem with letting people stay close to him for long, so when he meets you, he expects his interest to fade like it usually does, but this time things seem to be different.

Comment: Again, another weird story that didn’t end or go like I expected, my head it’s kind of weird while writing idk, I wanted it to be a story of Seunghan plainly fucking reader so much she couldn’t think anymore, but it still has porn. Also, I think this should be under a fantasy category because it’s so idealistic hahahaha.

Yeah, I should stop writing on my laptop because these stories have gone from 4k to 10k+ and my mind can’t take it, and I'm sorry, but after this, I'm taking at least a two-day break, I wasn't going to let it win but it did suck my whole soul, so Seunghan better comes back soon, let's think this is an early celebration.

Pd: I did a bit of proofreading but not much, only at the end because I realized that I always write everything in past, and suddenly it was all in present and it was so weird.

Seunghan, unlike what many think, gets easily bored of people.

He doesn't know if it has something to do with his mbti or whatever people talked about those days, but what he knows is that, since he was young, he’s liked to know people, but he also got quickly tired of them.

For him, it was easy to start the communication, and with that he doesn’t mean being the first one saying hello or introducing himself, he hated being the one making the first step, but he liked to be the first one doing the real questions. Seunghan would prefer to say he was naturally curious, but he wasn’t, he wanted to know what people’s hobbies and thoughts were with the purpose of learning how to behave and what to say to them, because more than curious, he liked to be liked.

There wasn’t anything he disliked more than useless problems and uncomfortable moments with people he didn’t care enough about, so for his own peace, and to maintain the harmony around him, he preferred to just please others.

He knew he had a talent not many had, making people comfortable came to him almost like breathing, and, therefore, many wanted to stay around him, but not many got the privilege of staying for long.

It was hard to keep him entertained, so it was common to see different people flying around him, whether he was the one talking or listening, it didn’t matter, people felt attracted to his presence, and he enjoyed the attention even when he didn’t say anything at all, so he let them approach him, but if they didn’t have anything else to offer than their company, he’d go and find another person that picked his interest until he got bored and repeated the cycle again. Still, even knowing they wouldn’t last long, everyone wanted to stay by his side, and they would work hard for it, but if Seunghan didn’t want them in his space, he’d softly push them away by filling their roles with other characters, and not finding their place beside him anymore, they’d slowly leave him without making a scene.

To your luck, or disgrace, you somehow had caught his interest this time.

As expected, after you caught his attention, he decided to dig as much as he could about you, however, what was unexpected, was the kind of person you were and how you caught his attention.

He had a type for everything, at his age he knew enough about what he usually liked. He liked smart opinionated people who always had something to say, he liked how being seen with them always elevated his status and profile in everyone else’s eyes, so they were most of the people that always flocked with him, and of course, that included pretty girls with energetic voices. The way they would follow the conversation with witty remarks and would understand his humour left a lingering feeling of satisfaction he tried to savour as long as he could when he flirted with them, and he couldn't deny it, he was a sucker for pretty faces, he loved the way their smiles would shine and illuminate the room, and how they matched his eagerness for the public attention.

Surprisingly, in the curse of his life, he hasn't had a ton of dates, he’s had his fair share of relationships and an impressive quantity of received confessions, but he carefully chose who to give such opportunity to before he decided to accept the other's feelings. Going out with him had to bring something into his life for him to decide they were good enough to receive his time and effort, and since he knew how easily he could get tired of them, they had to make him think that he would enjoy their presence for at least a decent period of time.

He's never had to chase anyone, he's always been the chased one, or he was until you arrived, and what bothered his mind every time he ran to you was that you weren't his style at all.

You didn’t check any of his boxes.

In first place, you weren't energetic at all. You never matched his conversations with equal happiness, you didn't understand his jokes most of the time and you didn't even try to continue the flow of his conversations. With no remarks and no comments, you'd let the contact die as soon as you could, which always itched something in the back of his head. He can even remember what your first messages looked like. He would send two or three lines of whatever went through his mind, being extremely polite to you as his classmate, wishing to be on your good side, and you would answer with the driest ok he had ever seen in his life.

Hi, just a quick question, what do you think about moving the meetings to my house? I think it'd be better for all of us since none of them would have to pay for coffee and I have everything we might need in my place, it's just something that went through my mind and I wanted to send it to the group chat but I know you live kind of far from here so I wanted to ask you first, so what do you think?

He still gets annoyed when he remembers your past messages.

In second place, you weren't the bright person he usually liked to hang out with. You would never make anyone turn back to see you twice, sometimes they wouldn't notice you even if you were in front of them, and you'd often get ignored if he didn't repeat your comments while working together, which honestly impressed him since you only talked if you had something useful to say, so he would expect others to stay silent when you showed intentions of entering the conversation, but your voice would simply get lost between everyone spitting random ideas and opinions that were rather pointless. You were still kind enough to answer each of them before everyone followed your ideas, receiving no appreciation back from anyone, and it did bother him to see that happening every meeting, hoping that at some point everyone would learn to shut up and give you your time, but it bothered him even more to see that you didn’t care if they listened to you or not.

At least, after a couple of meetings, it was almost established that his seat would be always next to you because no one, except him, found being near you important.

And last but not least, your face wasn't his type. You weren't ugly, but you weren't the prettiest girl in the room either. You were rather normal with your round brown eyes and your dark hair, unlike the girls with caramel eyes and smooth hair that always looked as if they just arrived from a hair salon appointment, you simply had no spark, and you didn't try to get one either. You would wear plain clothes with no sense of style, only thinking in your comfort instead of what others said behind your back, and he couldn’t imagine himself going hand in hand with you looking that way.

Seunghan almost never got involved with people like you, dull and boring. He was sure that if it wasn’t for the project, he wouldn’t have learned your name, and if it wasn’t for the unexpected turn of events, you’d have ended like one of the numerous faceless people in his past.

The way you slowly and effortlessly took a spot in his head was unconventional. Unlike the continuous messages and invitations most people did to get closer to him, you only did your stuff, working on your tasks and lending a hand if anyone asked for help, but it was kind of endearing how someone who looked so uninterested in everyone else and their opinions would work hard to help if needed. Even if they ignored you most of the time, you had no resentment at all, and when Seunghan asked you if you minded that they called for you that much, your answer was so short it made him analyze each of your words for days, ‘’Well, the work has to be done’’.

He wanted to know if you were a fool letting yourself be taken advantage of or if you simply wanted to end things as fast as you could, and he was inclining more into the latest seeing your blank face writing over your keyboard and yawning unbothered when most of them had left and you stayed to finish their parts because, just like you had said, I won’t open the document once I cross your door.

‘’Aren’t you mad?’’ he then asked.

‘’Not really, why would I get mad?’’ you said without stopping your work.

‘’I don’t know, I just feel like you should’’ Seunghan bit his lip and watched you skillfully go through the document introducing commas and changing words, not wanting to interrupt you but doing it anyways because he couldn’t stay with the doubt in his mind, ‘’don’t you ever get mad?’’

‘’Uhmm no’’ you answered without stopping your work, ‘’I do get mad, I don’t mind correcting other’s work on the computer, but I hate washing other’s dishes.’’

That makes sense, he thought, because you never offered yourself to help him wash everyone’s cups once they left you two alone, and he didn’t realize it until that moment, but the common thing would’ve been to at least offer yourself to take them to the kitchen, thing you never did.

Another question popped into his mind.

‘’Don’t you work in a restaurant?’’ he, after a long time, asked.

‘’Yeah’’

He laughed for days when that conversation replayed in his head.

A routine had been formed after many reunions. Every member of the group would go to his house each Thursday for a couple of hours to show what they had advanced for the big project and the little work the professor left through the semester. You’d arrive a couple of minutes earlier than them since you finished your shift in the restaurant you worked at, and you’d stay there silently scrolling your phone while he revised the shared document. Then, when they all left, you would stay to check with him his work, he trusting you to respectfully correct him and help him just like you did with the others.

It was one of those numerous late nights that, whatever you had, started.

You were biting your lower lip while reading his paragraphs, making a couple of changes every now and then, not paying him any attention on your side, and he doesn’t know what went through his mind, you were calmly doing your own thing, you weren’t any different than usual, with your plain t-shirt and your glasses reflecting the screen light, no colour on your cheeks and hair strings poking out of your ponytail, when his hand moved on its own, accommodating them behind your ear.

Your hands immediately paralyzed, and your eyes stayed glued to the sentence you were about to change, surprised by his sudden action.

‘’Sorry,’’ he apologized, feeling surprised even with himself for doing that.

‘’It’s okay’’ you said and continued.

When you finished his part, you quickly grabbed your things and left, leaving him alone in his apartment with a sour taste in his mouth, repeating in his head how stupid he was for not being able to control his own hand.

You didn’t mention anything about it to anyone, and not that he had thought you would go and scream it to the public, but there was something that told him to be careful with you from that moment on, because you weren’t his prospect, and he couldn’t let you catch unnecessary feelings for him.

The next time you stayed to check his work, he kissed you.

His mind couldn’t function with you around. You, again, had done nothing different from usual, you sat beside him focused on your screen the whole time, correcting his progress, acting as if nothing had happened, making him feel like the only one overthinking the past situation. You showed no interest in him and he had repeated in his head that he should be careful with you that afternoon, he was so into it that when you arrived, instead of sitting beside you until the others got there, he went to his kitchen and rewashed the cups he gave each of them, yet when everyone had left and you were saying something about him reading a certain book to write more about the topic in his part, his hand moved to your neck, and making you face him, he pressed his lips over yours.

He had never done that before, he had never stolen a kiss, even less from someone who showed no interest in him, with no previous flirt and tons of flattering messages directed to him making clear that he could go for it.

You were reluctant at first, not corresponding to his lips movement, mouth hard like a stone. That almost threw him off, but when he was about to leave you, your mouth finally opened to him, letting him interlock his lips with yours, stealing some of your air and sensing the rare softness you had, a touch of inexperience with coffee flavour.

So smart for everything except that, he felt like he could finally teach you something, and that fired the last doubt inside him.

From that day on, every time you went to his house, he would kiss you until everyone else arrived, leaving you with glossy eyes and a different air around you that they noticed but commented nothing about, and when they left and you finished with the last touches of the document, he’d kiss you again, making you bolder and bolder to accept him with every session.

If he went to his kitchen and tapped your hand you would follow him without a word, if the last person about to leave went to the bathroom he wouldn’t doubt to quickly kiss you before they came back, and if you were doing nothing while waiting, he only had to walk to your side for you to lift your eyes and met his lips.

You showed no eagerness to start the kisses, but you always received him with appetite, and that was enough for him to not want to stop.

His preoccupation about you saying something was long forgotten, just in those meetings, even when it was only the two of you, you said no word about the kisses, a silent pact to keep what you had in secret and only behind his doors.

Also, another thing that helped him go around campus with an easy mind was that you showed no intention to change yourself. Usually, when he dated girls they would put more effort into their appearances, they would ask him to buy couple accessories to show off what they were, and then they would match his style, introducing clothes with colours he liked or constantly wore into their wardrobe, like a distinction to show off they were with him, but you didn’t try to do any of that at all, going around with the same clothes, not asking for a single thing from him, not even taunting the idea of having a shared accessory.

You weren’t dating, he knew you didn’t think you were a couple at all, so maybe that was why.

You didn’t ask him what you were, you didn’t pressure him into asking you out, or even insinuate that you liked him. He didn’t understand how you didn’t put any of those cards on the table, you had the chance every time you went to his house, but you didn’t. Seunghan couldn’t understand how you, unlike others, even himself, had no interest in grabbing the opportunity of getting a higher status and being the centre of everyone’s attention, by being with him you could escalate the pyramid, but it seemed like the invisible pyramid he always saw in his head was the last of your concerns.

He was kind of grateful that you didn’t see the point in telling others what you were doing in his living room because thanks to that he felt relaxed beside you. He knew you wouldn’t tell anyone if he did anything wrong, if his lips were too dry when he kissed you, if maybe he was using too much tongue, if his nose kept bumping yours, he didn’t feel the need to think each of his movements or to keep his perfect image, and that finally let him breath and discover how he liked to kiss, helping you discover how you liked it in the way too.

I need to breathe, I want to push my tongue more, can I bite your lip?

Both of you would sometimes throw questions in the middle of the sessions, and none of you judged each other if one wanted to try something new or wanted a break, but they were almost always short ones, enough for you to inhale air for a couple of seconds before Seunghan went back for it.

However, even if he thought the situation was perfect with you not asking for more from him in terms of the pseudo-relationship, he had started to do it without noticing.

Again, he knew how to make people comfortable, and after getting to know you all those days alone, he understood that the best thing to maintain you at ease was directly not trying to hold intruding conversations, but now instead of ignoring you until the next reunion like he always did the first times, he’d send you texts asking if you were going to class or if you had seen the new thing one of the members had written in the shared document, and then when you answered him, he would sneak a personal question in the chat, How was your shift? Did you eat already? What are you doing?

Not thinking too much about it, you gave concise replies and then forgot about him if he didn’t continue with his questions, but you had started to notice his change too, not understanding why he had decided to act like that out of nowhere.

You thought his interest in you was based more on the lack of your enthusiasm to have him around after you two were done, and your indifference to his actions outside his apartment, you thought it was that at least, reason why you felt weirded out every time he asked personal stuff.

You had no expectations of him, you convinced yourself it wasn’t worth it, and you did wish for his touch, but not for his words, not even for his ear to listen to you and agree with what you had to say. You were merely there, ready to accept his lips over yours and ready to leave his house as free as when you entered, which made him strangely confident whenever he was with you, but uneasy when you weren’t.

Still, even if you didn’t try to sustain anything with him, you’d do what he asked you to without doubt, like sitting over his lap when he patted his thighs, or walking to his kitchen when he said he wanted your company until the others arrived.

‘’Why did you arrive so early?’’ he asked one day between kisses. Your soft lips caressing his made him think you had prepared to receive him that afternoon, filling his mind with the idea of you hoping to see him earlier that day and the image of you applying lip balm before crossing his door.

He had you over his counter, your boring and plain blue jeans letting him thrust his clothed erection and enjoy the pressure, but not allowing him to differentiate the form of your cunt over him. That day he was getting impatient with not putting in, the idea had gone through his mind since your last meeting, but you hadn’t shown any intention of fucking him, so he contained himself. That was a step he wasn’t sure he should take alone. Unlike kissing, fucking you would bring another level of intimacy to the dynamic, and he doubted you would continue being the same after that, you were only a girl at the end.

‘’Coworker arrived early’’ you answered. Short, clear, and concise.

You didn’t try to satisfy his greed with an I missed you or an I wanted to see you, you let things go on their own flow, and he liked how fresh everything was with you, almost laughable of how unique your honesty was, and he wanted to keep it like that.

‘’I see’’ he smiled, a part of him disappointed but at the same time relieved.

He trusted you to always tell him the truth, even if sometimes brought him back to reality and humbled a little, he felt better knowing you wouldn’t feed his delusions with pleasant lies.

Everything was going well, each of you without mixing their lives apart from the Thursday afternoon in his house and the short conversations by text, and he was able to contain himself without problem, until that day.

Seunghan rarely had a problem with people from his past, usually once he cut the contact with them, they would get tired of reaching out to him, but this guy was one of the few pesters he couldn’t shake off.

He had been his school classmate in his last year, and Seunghan thought he wouldn’t have to see him again ever again after graduation, but he still called him every now and then to ask him to hang out.

Seunghan definitely had better things to do, but having met him outside his campus and saying hi while he was with his other friends, the boy dragged him into having dinner with other old classmates, making him think that maybe it’d be a good occasion to see old friends again, just a light conversation before they all went to do their own thing.

Seunghan should’ve known better at that point that an asshole would never change.

Arriving at one of the numerous restaurants near his house, he thought that at least, if he got bored, he could quickly escape with an excuse.

At a table on a corner there was his old classmate waiting for him, and the minute he saw that the table was just for two, Seunghan knew no one else would appear.

He tried to run away, but once the other made eye contact with him, it was too late.

‘’Hey man’’ the other greeted him.

Seunghan had no option but to sit.

Immediately he sat the other started to ramble about himself.

Trying to distract himself while the other talked, Seunghan directed his whole attention to the menu.

It was a normal chicken place that worked as a pub at night for groups to drink and play until late, he could already hear a few other people chanting for members to have shots and ordering more and more alcohol, the music was nice and the light was perfect to feel comfortable getting drunk without feeling judged, making him think that, if the other hadn’t lied, he could’ve had a good time with his old friends.

‘’Welcome, what can I get for you?’’

Seunghan instantly recognized your presence, your voice, your aroma, everything.

His eyes shot up and he looked at you, trying to distinguish if it was really you or his mind was playing him a bad (not so bad since he was glad) joke, but there you were, the one and only you.

You were wearing the kind of clothes you’d always wear but with an apron over them and a tag on your chest with your name, clearly showing that you worked there. Unlike him, you didn’t show any surprise to see him, keeping the stoic expression you always had, and the corners of his lips went up without him noticing, a smile almost taking control of his mouth, happy to see you out of the classroom or his living room, but no word came out of him.

Should he greet you like he wanted? Should he call your name and say what a surprise? Should he say he didn’t know you worked there? Because he really didn’t know.

Questions accumulated inside his head, and missing his chance, his old classmate ordered for both, and you, not displaying any disappointment or happiness or any feeling at all, left them alone.

Seunghan started to feel even more down, firmly believing that you decided to pretend you didn’t know him, was that what you wanted? To not know him out of his house?

He knew you would never act giddy to see him, you would never scream his name and run to his arms if you saw him on the other side of the street, but he had hoped that you would at least say hi, to acknowledge you knew each other, after all, you were classmates, and he didn’t want you to act like one of the girls that had a crush on him, but he didn’t want you to ignore him either.

‘’So, what do you say?’’ the annoying guy brought him out of his thinking.

‘’Sorry, what did you say? I couldn’t hear you with the music’’ Seunghan was lost the minute the other started to yap, and he didn’t feel like hearing him anymore, but the least he could do was be polite enough until he said goodbye, the last thing he needed was to hear how the other spread into the chats that Seunghan was full of himself now that he was in college, but the boy didn’t help him to stay calm at all.

Even with the big sign inside every restaurant saying that it was forbidden to smoke in shared spaces, he put a cigarette in his mouth and held it while he searched for his lighter.

‘’My friend has a booth in this club and a ton of pretty girls go all the time, you should come with me, we’ll have fun, and if we’re lucky, a better after night’’ he laughed while lighting it.

Seunghan didn’t want to meet him exactly because of that. They never shared interests, he was a lost cause always living in parties ever since they were in school, and Seunghan could say no to those outings when he was a minor, but since graduation, the other had been more and more insistent now that Seunghan didn’t have enough reasons to reject him anymore.

The other, just like when they were in school, wanted him to show up, attract a bunch of pretty girls and trap one of them to fuck them with his friendship with him as an excuse to appear more desirable.

‘’Sorry, I have class tomorrow early’’ Seunghan said, and trying to fan the smoke from his cigarette the other way, coughed before he continued, ‘’I think we should leave if you want to smoke, there’s a big sign that says not to smoke inside’’.

‘’Don’t worry about that, but talking about leaving, I think you should come with me, my friend always pays for all our drinks.’’

Shit, he started to think. Seunghan perfectly knew that tactic, typical from guys like him with no charm and no capacity to attract a girl that was in their full senses.

He hated that kind of guy, and not wanting to stay with one of them in front of you, he started to plan an excuse to leave, needing to go home and forget that night ever happened.

The other didn’t stop talking or showed any sign of putting off the nicotine stick, making him bite the inside of his cheek anxious with the idea of bringing you problems since you’d have to tell his friend that he couldn’t do that there, and knowing him, he wouldn’t stay quiet with a mere waitress telling him what he could and couldn’t do.

‘’I really think you should put that out’’ Seunghan interrupted him after a couple of minutes. The other was already in half his cigarette and Seunghan had resigned in having to put his pretty clean shirt in the dirty laundry because the smell of his cheap little vice was already impregnated in the fabric that used to have the warm and fruity aroma of his softener.

‘’Don’t be such a bummer man, light up a little’’ he joked. ‘’I’ll tell you something, if you come with me, I’ll stop, what do you say’’.

Seunghan found his offer tempting, but if he couldn’t escape there, how would he escape from the club? Well, he could get lost in the middle of all the people, and he had already decided that he would take a shower again to clean the smell of the cigarette, so it didn’t sound too bad after he contemplated the idea.

‘’Hey, go and fuck yourself, he already said he doesn’t want to go.’’

His friend almost choked with the smoke he was holding inside his mouth when he heard you, and Seunghan’s eyes opened while his mouth and thoughts completely shut down.

‘’What the- do you know her?’’ the last question was directed to Seunghan and he didn’t know what to say, his head almost shook saying no like instinct, but he stopped himself before doing it, staying still.

‘’He doesn’t have to know me, everyone here can hear how you’re trying to force him into going with you, so let him alone before I tell my boss you’re smoking here when that big ass poster clearly says you can’t, or apart from not listening you can’t read either?’’

You said all that without an ounce of fear and Seunghan couldn’t understand what was that feeling that had started to grow inside his chest, was that embarrassment for not being able to talk for himself? or embarrassment for being seen with someone like that guy? He wasn’t sure at that moment, but what he noticed was that it was mixed with another thing, annoyance. However, he didn’t know if it was with himself or with the stupid brat in front of him, and it increased once the other stood up from his seat and tried to lift his hand at you.

It was impossible the guy punched you, but just the idea of him touching you with a single finger made him interfere, something he never did.

Seunghan’s body moved on its own and grabbed him before he tried to even brush you, dragging him outside without giving you a second glance.

You didn’t flinch at all, you had met tons of worse clients, he was nothing to you, and you’d have probably ignored the whole situation if it wasn’t that Seunghan looked so troubled sitting there. You had a pact with yourself to not butt in situations that had nothing to do with you, but you knew Seunghan, he couldn’t say a frankly no for the sake of looking good, and he could easily lead people into leaving him in peace, but the other boy had bad news written all over his face, and you doubted someone as pacific as Seunghan could use his tactics with him.

You watched the drinks on the table, two untouched beers that your manager would ask why they stayed like that there, alone, and unpaid, and you just hoped that little spur of bravery didn’t bring you problems with anyone else.

Outside the restaurant Seunghan left the other guy’s arm free and, scrunching to touch his knees with the palms of his hands, he exhaled to control himself.

He started to count in his head, repeating It’s okay, It’s okay, to convince himself that nothing had happened.

‘’Woah I should talk to the owner, how could she talk to a customer like that, that girl shouldn’t be a waitress.’’

It’s not okay.

Rage started to fill him and for the first time, he felt tempted to use his punch over someone else.

‘’Don’t call me ever again.’’

Seunghan started his way to his house, not looking back, feeling that, if he saw his face again, he wouldn’t be able to control his hand from not flying directly to the other’s eye.

When Seunghan arrived at his house he saw one of the numerous flyers on his entrance, right next to the plate where he left his keys and any little thing that he received or bought on the street, recognizing the name of the restaurant where you worked at, and just there a memory came to his mind, you leaving that little paper with an ugly old design, sighing and saying I don’t know if I’m cursed or anything, but my work seems to never leave me alone.

Now he understood why when he saw the direction the other had sent, he felt so eager to go, because even if he couldn’t remember it, his body did it for him, wanting to be near you.

He tossed his shirt into the laundry. He had worn it that day believing it would still be clean enough the next day and he’d be able to wear it in front of all the group, but especially, in front of you, and when he tried to sleep, but the whole night the only thing that occupied his mind was how would you see him that afternoon.

When the clock marked the hour in which you usually arrived, he started to clean his table, again. He had already spent most of his morning cleaning his place to receive the group, but he didn’t know how to stay still with the memory of the disastrous previous night. He kept wondering, what would you say? Would you think he was like his friend? Impossible. Would you pretend nothing happened like you always did? That seemed pretty possible.

He kept convincing himself to not bother you with questions on his part, like, would you always act like you didn’t know him in the streets? Did he have to ignore you every time he saw you out there? Did you think he was pathetic for not being able to give a straight no? Because he thinking it was enough to torment his night, and sure the next ones would have him meeting the same fate too.

His watch alarm sounded while he was dusting his couch pillows for the third time, making him feel anxious because it usually sounded when you were already there, with him, accepting his kisses and his hands grasping your body as much as he allowed himself.

You didn’t arrive until much later when all the other guys were already there.

At least you took your seat beside him like you always did, making him feel at ease a little bit.

It wasn’t enough, Seunghan felt his hands sweating and he couldn’t stop his leg from moving under the table, so after many lost minutes, he decided it was enough, and tapping your hand he signalled the way to his kitchen, telling you to follow him in silence.

Thankfully, and as expected, you didn’t protest, leaving everyone else concentrating on their own stuff.

When you two got to his kitchen, you perfectly knowing your way at that point after so many afternoons watching him move around, to get busy, you filled his kettle with water to boil it and make more coffee, to have an excuse for disappearing from his living room.

‘’Did you get in trouble after we left?’’ Seunghan started.

You played with the force of the fire in his kitchen, and finally leaving it as high as possible, you answered.

‘’Not really.’’

‘’Will they cut the beers from your pay?’’

‘’Nah, you can have a couple of drinks for free a day, so my coworkers had them.’’

The way you looked so recollected should’ve brought him peace, you didn’t get in trouble, which was good, a happy ending, but he got more stressed.

‘’Why did you get involved?’’ he asked the one thing that bothered him the most the last night.

‘’Are you really asking me that?’’ you laughed, ‘’I just felt like doing it.’’

‘’But why.’’

‘’Why do you care so much Seunghan? I’m sorry if I brought you problems, I didn’t mean to, okay?’’ you wanted to leave the topic behind, so you didn’t look at him, nails busy scratching a point of dust off his counter.

You, just like Seunghan, hated getting involved in uncomfortable situations, but unlike him, you didn’t have the ability to swiftly change topics or help everyone involved feel better, resorting to abruptly trying to end discussions with apologies, to then ignore the problem.

That irritated him, how you avoided his eyes and tried to keep yourself busy to not take your part in the situation.

Seconds passed by, and he could hear the water starting to boil, so he knew he wouldn’t have much time until the others started to wonder what you two were doing in his kitchen alone.

His hand grabbed yours when he got tired of you not looking at him, but you kept your eyes down, directing them to his floor titles this time.

‘’Look at me’’ he ordered, and you, not being able to not follow his words, looked up at him.

The silence wasn’t like the one you had when you arrived, it was tense, and it had started to pick on your nerves, pushing you to talk again. ‘’He was bothering you, and you looked uncomfortable, I’m sorry if you didn’t want me to intervene.’’

His grip on you got softer and he exhaled through his nose, a tenderness installing on his chest with your eyes looking at him and your voice wavering but finally answering his question.

He then felt bad, he was no one to talk to you like that, and he never had discussions like that either. He knew how to keep the waters calm and get the other person to participate in the talk, making them feel heard and making them listen to what he had to say, but with you he forgot how to do that, carrying the conversation to another direction instead of the one he wanted to take. ‘’No, I’m sorry, I just wanted to thank you, I don’t know why it sounded as if I was complaining’’ he said, mind not as foggy anymore.

‘’I’m sorry’’ you said again, making him smile this time, because both of you would never stop saying sorry if he didn’t change the tone of the conversation.

‘’Thank you for helping me’’ he said to leave everything behind on good terms.

You nodded, air less tense and comfortable enough for him to move his body closer to you, and hand in hand, cornering you to his counter, after you moved your eyes from his eyes to his lips, he felt as if he had permission to take his Thursday kiss, giving you a peck, to then leave other, and other, until they stopped being just pecks and converted into a deep one.

His other hand went to your waist, playing with the hem of your long plain t-shirt, they never let him sneak a hand to touch the skin inside because of how long they were, and that kind of bothered him, but at the same time it made him smile with his lips over yours, liking the softness all your clothes had.

He had changed his softener to yours after you told him what you used, it was a cheap brand, but it does the job, and he liked to share something as banal as that with you.

The kettle whistle didn’t make him stop, and with the same hand playing with your clothes, he turned off the kitchen, so it didn’t sound anymore.

He had to prepare the new round of coffee for everyone outside, so after a last long-lasting peck, he let you go, but with one last order before you went outside to sit with everyone else.

‘’Don’t pretend to not know me in public.’’

Time went flying after that, and finally able to concentrate, he wrote as much as he could while waiting for everyone to leave you two alone to continue your routine.

When all of them left, you surprised him once again.

Standing with him, you grabbed a couple of cups to take to the kitchen with him, making him grin because that was just so uncharacteristic of you, and he knew you wanted something else to happen.

In his kitchen, alone, you stayed beside him watching him wash the cups and everything he had used that afternoon while he talked about the book you had recommended to him, and once he finished, he dried his hands on the towel you handed him, to then push you to his kitchen counter and taste you.

Your lips he had missed for a week had a different flavour, sweeter this time, still kind of bitter because of the coffee, but there was just something else.

Perhaps it was because you started the kiss this time, pulling his belt until his chest was touching yours and his eyes looked down at you with attention, or perhaps it was simply something else that he didn’t know, maybe you put more sugar in your drink? He didn’t care enough to keep guessing.

One hand going to cup your cheek while the other roamed your waist, he sighed when over your lips when a whimper left your mouth.

His hips were getting impatient, and he had started to thrust onto your clothed sex without thinking, but it was an automatic motion his body did for him, not that he had thought for so many days how your sweet insides would feel, or taste.

He wouldn’t fuck you; he had decided that.

Kisses were more than enough, he tried to convince himself.

But Hong Seunghan was just a man, and mere kisses were never going to be enough, so pulling apart, he tried to think he was stronger than what he really was, and he really tried it, until you grabbed his hand to cup you.

‘’Are you sure?’’ he asked you, hand cupping your pussy harder but still decided to let you go if you didn’t want it.

He had stolen a kiss from you before, but doing something like that without your firm approbation was too much for him.

‘’Just do it Seunghan’’ you replied, opening your legs for him even more.

You were wearing jeans and the rough material felt good against his clothed erection, but not against his hand, so he opened your button and pushed his hand inside your underwear, feeling your clit and drawing the direction your lips showed him to find your entrance.

‘’You’re wet, been thinking about me?’’ He murmured against your ear.

Your tailbone was against the hard marble counter of his kitchen, feeling the border of it sink strongly against you, but it felt so good to have his hand touching you there while he whispered right next to your ear.

He had you opening your legs for him while he situated himself beside you, one leg between yours, his right hand smearing your arousal, and the other gripping the counter to not get too lost in you.

You didn’t answer, ashamed of letting more embarrassing noises out when he was just taunting you.

He wasn’t doing anything, just feeling you with the palm of his hand, and you still felt something forming in the pitch of your stomach you had never felt with anyone before.

Seunghan knew you were a virgin, he was the one who taught you how to give open-mouthed kisses after all, but you never imagined he would be the one making you feel that way.

You two were so different, you had seen him walking around campus with his friends, his sole presence making everyone turn their heads to him, you would’ve never expected to end in a situation like this one with him, or that he’d be the one taking all the first steps.

‘’Stop laughing’’ you said when he continued still.

You had weeks of building up, going home with your panties dripping after he kissed you until you couldn’t breathe, you needed more, but he wasn’t taking the first step anymore, only kissing you, rutting his boner in your entrance and letting you go with a painful smile.

You were too proud to tell him you wanted more, and you wouldn’t have followed him to his kitchen with the cups of coffee if you hadn’t had enough.

Never helping him that way, tired of doing it every day at your job, you thought this was the time.

This was the time before everything fell apart.

You knew how fragile human relationships were, reason why you didn’t want to have a boyfriend or anything like that before.

You had seen in first person how people could change from one day to another, and how anything, didn’t matter how deep looked like, could end in a blink.

Yesterday you felt it was over, you thought that Seunghan would push you away and the make-out sessions would never happen again, but he had kissed you, so you decided to take the first step to feel him more before everything ended.

You thought, everything would finish at one point in time, and if it wasn’t because of a discussion, it would be when the project was over, whatever happened first, so you didn’t have enough time to be proud anymore.

His hand moving brought you out of your thinking, sliding his fingers up and down your slit, you felt his fingertips brushing your clit, sending a shiver through your spine and making you open your mouth, surprised.

‘’Feels good, right?’’ he asked with a smile, drawing circles and feeling as good as you just by looking at your face showing exactly all you were feeling.

Mouth open and eyebrows frown, you let him do what he wanted with you, trusting his experience to take you to an unknown place.

‘’Answer’’ he ordered, stopping his fingers from pressing that little bud and making you shook your head.

‘’Yes, it feels good’’ you answered, letting your head fall to his shoulder and sighing before grabbing his wrist to move it again, but he was a lot stronger, and you could only wrap your hand around him, not being able to close your fingers of how big he was.

Although he had pretty hands, they were still manly, strong, and a lot bigger than yours, and moving his hand again, he showed you the pace you should take when he wasn’t with you, but you doubted you’d be able to feel the same way if it wasn’t his hand the one touching you.

‘’Remember, just like this’’ he said, flicking his index on your clit and making you whimper.

He had that fucking grin on his face the whole time and you couldn’t dare to look at him, feeling at disadvantage to his knowledge.

You were smart, you knew a lot of things, you proofread his work, you checked everyone’s work, and you know you’re always right when you answer questions, but right there you were nothing compared to him, and that made you furious, but it calmed you at the same time.

He might have that grin, but he was treating you so well, softly showing you how real pleasure felt like, you doubted you would’ve felt that comfortable with anyone else in that situation.

Pushing one finger inside, the middle one, he let the other fingers rest while his thumb continued with the caresses to your clit.

Your panties were slightly pushed down with the way he was touching you, and the hard marble was now touching directly at your skin, but the cold sensation of it with the warmness of his hand made everything better, making you stay focused on what was happening the whole time.

‘’Oh god,’’ you cried when his finger started thrusting your entrance.

The spongy and smooth texture of your walls welcomed him without problem, and he cursed at how good you felt.

Getting dizzy, he thought about how you would receive him, how you’d wrap him, and how he would make you used to his size since he’d be the first person fucking you, which filled his chest with something else he couldn’t recognize, was that happiness? It was more like relief.

But it also terrified him.

The need that was increasing inside him to have you near, close to him, with him, it terrified him.

He’s not used to that kind of emotion, he feels tired of people, he knows that, but would he become tired of you?

‘’Seunghan,’’ you moaned his name, pushing your hips down to his hand so he fucked you with his finger again.

He looked at your face, eyes glossy and red lips after all the kisses and how you bit them to not cry out loud, and he added one more.

‘’Why did you get involved yesterday?’’ he asked you again.

You couldn’t understand his words, it resonated inside your mind, but you couldn’t think of an exact answer with his fingers fucking you harder and faster.

‘’I couldn’t let him… he was bothering you…’’ you said as you could.

‘’Good’’ he said, still fingering you, ‘’Will you ignore me outside again?’’

You were moving in unison with his hand, meeting him each time he pushed his fingers and his palm pressed your clit.

‘’No,’’ you cried, feeling that tight sensation form in your abdomen again, more intense, painful.

‘’Good, now cum’’ he ordered.

You cried on his shoulder pretty loud when he gave you permission, you didn’t know you would need one to have an orgasm, maybe that was why you couldn’t do it on your own, but it was life-changing how real, intense, and amazing, pleasure could be.

Trembling on his chest, your head still on his shoulder, and you trying to catch your breath, he made you face him to leave a couple of pecks on your lips again, almost loving and incredibly peaceful, as if you had done that many times before, making you feel comfy on his presence and with his hand still prying inside your underwear.

A couple of minutes later he helped you pull up your jeans again, but they were a mess, so he made you follow him to the laundry room and gave you a pair of clean boxers.

‘’Better than nothing’’ you said when he apologized for not having anything better.

He gave you a pair of his numerous grey pants and seeing how you were struggling to keep them in place, offered to walk you to the bus stop just in case.

‘’You looked good yesterday’’ you said to fill the silence after many minutes.

Seunghan regretted having offered to keep you company to the stop, walking on an uncomfortable silence that seemed to only affect him, you completely calm beside him, but when you said that, he smiled, feeling glad for doing something different for once.

‘’You too, that apron fits you’’ he said in a teasing tone. For him, it felt like flirting, for you, it felt like it too, but you weren’t used to it, so you only nodded and didn’t talk until your bus arrived.

Even if none of you said it, something had changed in the air after that.

When you met in the corridors, first he’d look at you from the distance, debating if he should get closer and talk or not, but then after much thinking (and many days doing the same thing, staring from feet away), he decided that saying hi to his classmate wasn’t anything out of the world.

The first time your eyes met his and he, instead of looking the other way, walked to you, you thought that something wrong was about to happen, sending a nervous shiver and making you grip onto your backpack straps.

‘’Hey, how was class?’’ he asked, just standing next to you while you waited for your water bottle to be filled.

‘’It was okay’’ you said, still not daring to see his face.

The first times were incredibly uncomfortable, but soon you got used to that, it was just talking after all, nothing special, so you let him talk to you about whatever crossed his mind until he was called by someone in his group, and you had started to accept him more, trying to maintain a decent conversation at least, all innocent and he being cordial with one of his many classmates.

In his house, however, he’d corner you and get you all heated until the others arrived, and when they left, he’d finger you until you came over his hand and cried on his neck.

You didn’t say anything when that happened, accepting him just like when he kissed you the first weeks, and like that, another routine had been formed.

From the first time he gave you a pair of his boxers, he washed your dirty pair of panties to give them back to you the next time he saw you, but that next time you’d leave another dirty pair again (more like, he would snatch them from your hands before you could say anything), changing into the clean pair he had washed, so the new routine would consist in you cumming over his fingers, leaving your wet underwear, and he washing it to have it ready for you the next time.

He never told you because you didn’t ask, but every time you left your panties, he would smell your orgasm on them, jerking off with the picture of you opening your legs for him until he came over the fabric, and appreciating the look of your wet spot with his cum over it, he’d wash them carefully by hand.

You still haven’t fucked.

Things were getting too intimate for Seunghan even if you hadn’t had sex, and he loved it, he loved how you left something yours in his house, he loved to be the only one giving you pleasure, and the only one seeing your face when you had an orgasm, but he had started to ask himself, what did that mean?

He wasn’t your boyfriend, you weren’t his girlfriend, and he enjoyed that silent pact at the start, but so much time had passed that it had started to confuse him.

Next week would be the last reunion before the big presentation, and after that, what would make you go to his house? Did he have to ask you out? Could he really let himself be seen with you in public?

In the confidence of his room, he didn’t have to give anyone an explanation, not even you since you never asked for one, but out there he doubted it could stay like that. He could already notice how people looked at him when he talked to you in the corridor like a mere classmate, what would they say if they knew all he did to you in his house?

Seunghan was so lost, he couldn’t understand any of his actions, not his body making him run to you in public, his mouth rambling every time he had you near, or what he was doing there in front of your work at that moment.

You could go on your own without problem, you’ve been doing it for weeks, you knew his address and his house like the palm of your hand, so he couldn’t understand why all his thoughts told him to go and wait for you to finish your shift and then walk you to his house.

He was looking down at his feet, dusting the dust out of the floor as if it was his job.

His spotless sneakers were kicking air by that point, and he didn’t know if to stay or leave, telling himself to just walk in and order something and pretend he was passing by.

‘’Seunghan?’’ you asked before he could even decide.

You had a couple of plastic bags on each hand that seemed heavy, sure you didn’t only took orders and washed dishes, but he didn’t imagine they would also send you to buy stuff.

‘’Oh, hey’’ he said, trying to act nonchalant, ‘’I was just passing by…’’ you hadn’t asked anything and he was already giving you an answer ‘’and I remembered your shift was about to end so…’’

He had talked incredibly fast, and you almost didn’t understand the last part, but you heard shift and end, so, blinking, you nodded to his words.

‘’I see’’ you said, and silence came to surround you again, ‘’well, it’s true my shift was about to finish, I just had to leave this inside, we can go together to your house if you want’’.

Seunghan exhaled, thankful for you to talk.

‘’Okay then’’ he smiled, giving a few awkward steps to you.

You were pretty close to the local, you were in front of it and only had to cross the street, yet he couldn’t see you struggling with the bags, so taking them from your hands, he walked you inside, only giving them back because you had to leave them in the kitchen.

Sitting in one of the booths, he checked his phone to wait for you.

It somehow felt natural, waiting for you to then go back to his house, and he had a knot in his throat forming with that thought.

‘’Seunghan?’’ he lifted his gaze from his mindlessly scrolling to see the same old friend he had told to never call him again after the incident, ‘’what are you doing here?’’ he then said, looking at him weird out by seeing him alone.

‘’Soobin…’’ Seunghan murmured, he hadn’t expected to see him at all.

After that day he stopped contacting Seunghan just like he had asked, and he had totally forgotten about him until that moment, making him nervous because Seunghan didn’t know how to act with him anymore now that he had seen his uncool, angry and exasperated side.

‘’Are you waiting for someone?’’ he asked.

Seunghan left his phone on the table and, not knowing what to say, only nodded.

‘’I see… well, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, I made you go through an uncomfortable moment that day, sorry.’’

Not believing what he had just heard, Seunghan, lost at words, only nodded again.

‘’I was really an asshole’’ he laughed, making Seunghan laugh too.

‘’It’s okay, I shouldn’t have reacted like that, I’m sorry too’’ Seunghan finally said.

Standing and giving him his hand, both of them laughed and punched each other’s shoulders.

‘’But tell me the truth, you know that girl, right? The waitress who told me to go and fuck myself’’ Soobin said, laughing even more with the memory.

Seunghan didn’t know what to answer, pushing both hands to his pockets, he bit the inside of his cheek and, contrary to all he was thinking, denied.

‘’Not really’’ Seunghan said, looking at his feet and seeing the light reflection of his blue shirt over his white sneakers, without thinking he had worn the same shirt he had used that day.

‘’Uhm, if you say so’’ Soobin said unconvinced, ‘’she said you had classes together though.’’

Surprised, Seunghan stayed silent, and before he could explain himself, a girl had called Soobin, who said a quick goodbye and ran to her without looking back.

Seunghan saw the other smile at the girl and take her hand, proudly taking her bag from her and putting it on his shoulder as if it was his own.

He seemed happy, and not like an asshole anymore, what seemed unbelievable until that day, making him think that, maybe he was the only one who would never change.

He didn’t understand why he had denied knowing you, he was the one who told you to not pretend to not know him in public, and you had been true to your words, while he, even if hadn’t promised the same thing, felt like a liar.

You came out minutes later, and he had never been grateful to the world for not having you close at every moment, but in that moment, he was, because at least you hadn’t heard how pathetic he was, again.

‘’My boss gave you this, says thank you for carrying the bags’’ you showed him a can of beer, ‘’tsk, I was the one who carried them all the way here.’’

You looked incredibly offended, and accepting it, Seunghan looked behind you, where a big man met his eyes and gave him a thumbs up before he could say anything, and suddenly, he was laughing from the bottom of his heart again.

You smiled with him for a second, and walking out of the local, he told himself to stop being such a coward.

Walking in silence, Seunghan had both hands on his jeans pockets, while you had them over your backpack handles.

‘’I can carry your backpack if you want’’ Seunghan offered.

You denied, ‘’It’s okay, I can do it.’’

‘’I should be clearer, what I meant to say was that I want to carry your backpack’’ he said.

The sun was going down and he could see the orange lights of the sunset, tons of lights were starting to appear thanks to the numerous businesses around there, and he wanted to look at them, but his entire attention was on the way a little touch of red started to appear on your cheeks.

‘’Okay’’ you said, passing him your backpack and letting him carry it for you.

‘’It’s still early, we can buy some snacks before going, is there anything you want?’’ he asked, sliding his arms on the handles, and letting it sit on his back.

It was a bit tight, used to be carried only by you, but he wore it like he could.

‘’I’m okay, I just had something’’ you tried to not look at him, looking at the pavement instead.

He let you go a step in front of him, you had shorter legs and he had no problem reaching you, but he let you, you seemed to want that little distance, and that way he could also see more things of you he hadn’t noticed before.

Your hands didn’t have anything else to grab now that he was wearing your backpack and they seemed unnatural on your sides playing with nothing. Now that he noticed, you were always doing something with them, whether it was writing on your keyboard, writing something, or simply scratching any surface that you had near, but right there you had nothing, and he thought that maybe, he should hold your hand to fill that emptiness.

Not a maybe anymore, his hand wanted to interlock with yours, and slowly approaching you, he almost touched the side of your left one.

‘’If you want to buy something we can stop in that convenience store’’ you pointed to the store next to you, open and almost empty, and he woke up from all the ideas that were lurking inside his mind. To hold your hand, wasn’t that a bit too much for someone who wasn’t your boyfriend?

‘’Yeah,’’ he said, walking in and buying the first chips he saw just to buy something.

You were waiting for him outside, checking your phone, and he couldn’t stop seeing the way your eyelashes were really dark, and how you, just like him, bit the inside of your cheek pretty often.

When he moved his eyes from you to the cashier, he talked before he could think, ‘’One box of condoms too, please’’.

The other boy didn’t even flinch, too used to hearing that sentence, and scanned the little code on the machine.

Seunghan shoved the receipt and the little box into his back pocket, brushing the bottom of your backpack in the way, and his heart started to pound while he held the plastic bag in his hand.

‘’Chips with coffee?’’ you asked with a soft smile, and he showed you a wide one back.

‘’I bought coke today’’ he said, walking next to you the rest of the way to his house.

Getting to his house, he opened the door and let you walk in first, watching you take off your shoes and then turn to him, waiting for him to do the same.

When you showed him your hand, he didn’t understand what you wanted, so he gave you the plastic bag with chips.

‘’Seunghan, my backpack’’ you said, making him release an embarrassed little smile before taking it off and giving it to you.

You grabbed it, and going to his kitchen, you left the can of beer your boss had given to him inside his fridge.

Seunghan walked behind you, looking at you move around with such normality, you had been going there for weeks, and that was the last reunion before the presentation next week, so of course you’d be comfortable enough by that point.

Things with the work were going smoothly, different from all the ideas that circled his mind about you. You had made that tedious job bearable, and he wished all his other projects could go as easy as that one.

They would arrive still in a considerable time, and seeing you bend down to inspect his fridge, he gulped, seeing the little outline of your body swimming inside that oversized t-shirt.

‘’You bought Sprite too’’ you affirmed before closing his door, ‘’what’s the occasion?’’

‘’It’s the last meeting, I thought it would be nice to give them something that wasn’t instant coffee’’ he murmured.

You walked to him, looking at his hand organizing the bags over his counter and folding the plastic bag from the convenience store into a drawer. ‘’The last meeting…’’ you murmured too, not believing that so much time had passed, and how probably that would be your last day together like that in his kitchen.

Catching your attention, a piece of paper was showing in his back pocket, and you shouldn’t have done it, you don’t know why you did it, but you grabbed it, it easily slipped from his jeans without making a noise, so he didn’t notice it, and you and your wandering eyes read what was written in the little paper.

Nothing seemed out of normal, the different chips were listed with their price right next to them, but one word caught your attention.

You had never bought it before, but you recognized the name of the brand, it was popular and all the stores had it, so you had seen it in the health section in the supermarket and posters of it in convenience stores.

Not wanting to make it obvious that you knew, you let the paper fall to the floor when he stood up again.

‘’That fell’’ you said, and he, following your eyes, saw the white paper on the floor, picking it up and making it a ball before he tossed it to the trash can there in his kitchen.

You swallowed the saliva accumulating in your throat, and he didn’t say anything, he didn’t know you had read it, so when the air changed and he met your eyes staring at him, he smiled, thinking it was you wanting a kiss from him.

Getting close to you, things were different this time, he was going just for a kiss, there wasn’t much time before the others arrived, but you put your arms around his neck and opened your mouth, wanting a deep one this time.

Sliding his tongue and caressing yours, one of his hands went to your back, feeling the clasp of your bra through your shirt, while the other shamelessly went to the small of your back, drawing lines and circles just to keep his hands busy.

You whimpered and he couldn’t help but push his mouth even more against yours, pressing you to his counter and groaning when he heard another whimper come from you.

‘’The others are going to arrive in any second… I’m sorry’’ he said.

‘’Why are you sorry?’’ you asked.

‘’Because I can’t make you cum, there’s not enough time’’ he sighed before giving you a peck over your lips.

‘’Later then?’’ your voice almost broke and he saw your eyes gleaming, thinking how they were the prettiest pair he had seen, and how they were focused solely on him.

He nodded, ‘’Later.’’

When the others got there, they all focused on giving the presentation the last touches, and once they were done, they all celebrated with the chips and the sodas Seunghan had bought.

‘’I’ve never had a group work as much as this one, I’m thankful to all of you for coming here even with your busy agendas, thank you for everything’’ Seunghan said, making them all smile, and of course, the praises for him didn’t take much to appear.

Everyone left not much later, and being alone, you helped him recollect the cans and then step over them to recycle them.

Finishing the work in silence, you helped him clean, and once nothing else was there to do, Seunghan made you follow him to his room.

You haven’t been there many times, but you remember it, you remember the dark blue walls, and his black furniture, especially the way even his window frame was black too.

It looked like someone had designed it for him, knowing his style, just like his whole house, and you couldn’t help but feel the difference with your place when after spending hours there you had to ride the bust to your little studio apartment.

But Seunghan had never shown any sign of caring about the difference in your situations, he knew you worked in a half bar half chicken restaurant, that you used cheap softener for your clothes, and that you repeated outfits many times, but he had never commented about it.

You couldn’t help but feel kind of special, and just that day, when you saw him waiting for you in front of your workplace, you felt your heart flinch, because not even in your wildest dreams you had thought you would see that scene.

You knew him enough to know he usually overthought things about others and how they saw him, needing to appear perfect all the time, but even with that in mind, just perhaps, things were different with you.

Closing his door while you saw the pictures he had on his desk, you didn’t say a word once he got behind you and one of his hands rested on your abdomen.

You let him kiss you again, receiving him and giving him your full attention, to him, to his fingers, and to the way he wasn’t containing anymore.

He made you walk to his bed with him, and pushing you there, he played with the hem of your t-shirt.

‘’I’ll take it off’’ he said, and when you nodded, he showed you a smile, ‘’I’ll finally see what you have there.’’

‘’Shut up’’ you laughed and lifted your arms, so he took it off.

Showing him your chest, you felt exposed, it was the first time you let him see you like that, he had sneaked a hand before, but he never took off your t-shirts, not even your jeans, touching you inside your underwear and making you cum with his fingers before he gave you your clean pair of panties and let you change yourself while he turned to watch a wall or went to put his shoes on while you changed alone in his room.

His eyes on your chest made you conscious, and he noticed it, but even if he wanted to stop so you felt comfortable, he couldn’t.

‘’They’re pretty’’ he said, and you gave him a half smile, not daring to see his eyes inspecting you.

His hand caressed your cheek, so you looked at him again, and trailing down the valley between your breasts, he smiled when you whimpered at his hands cupping your tits.

Nipping the naked skin that your bra let him see, he felt the softness of that part of your body, looking up to your face to not lose your reactions.

He took off the pretty blue shirt you liked to see him wearing, and that part of him naked, he showed you his tender skin, white, spotless and as pretty as him.

Of course, he’d look perfect without clothes too.

He didn’t unclasp your bra, he pulled it down, which felt uncomfortable, but you couldn’t say anything when his lips went to your nipples and left soft licks over them, making you arch so your chest continued meeting his mouth.

Untouched down there, you were sure your panties were already a mess since he kissed you in his kitchen hours before, and needing him, your hand went to his erection.

You weren’t that bold before, you could press your cunt to it when he asked you to sit on his lap, but you never touched it.

You wanted to touch it so bad, you let him keep attending your chest while you grabbed him over his pants.

‘’I want to touch you’’ you admitted, and he, without the smile you always saw, pushed your hand away.

‘’Not yet’’ he said, moving away and unbuttoning your jeans.

You, again, helped him to take it off you, lifting your hips so you helped him.

With hands sweating, he tosses them to the side and sighs glad that they didn’t slip from his hands. You looked so fucking good under him, nude bra down enough for him to see your tits, and a blue pair of panties that definitely didn’t match, but for him, they looked amazing together, because you were wearing them, and that was enough.

Looking at you, he can’t help but admire all the little places he wants to mark, the side of your neck, your collarbone, your chest, your tummy, and his eyes go all the way down until he sees the inside of your thighs.

Creamy, soft, sweet, they were calling for him, and without saying anything, he went down to taste them.

You let him, you just let him, and adoring the way you wordlessly opened your legs for him, he bit you there, breathing over your underwear the aroma he recognized a bit too well, leaving little pecks until, after pushing your panties to the side, left a single long one over your clit.

Glowing under his bedroom light, he can’t help but give big licks, down and up, recollecting your juices to taste you properly, and like he had been wanting for so long every time he smelled your panties in the confidence of his room.

All those times making you cum with his fingers and containing himself from dropping to his knees and drinking your orgasm to push another one had come to that, and he couldn’t stop now.

Tongue flat against your clit, he made you squirm, but maintaining you on your place with his arms under your thighs and his palms over your tummy, he made you accept him.

‘’Wait- Seunghan’’ you said, propping on your elbows and looking down at him, the sight of his dark eyes meeting yours and his mouth working so eagerly over you making your head spin, and one of your hands, needing to touch him, went to his hair to feel him.

With shaking hips, you met his mouth whenever his chin went upwards, pulsating against half of his face and leaving a mess.

Your pretty pussy lips had a reddish colour, furious with him and his teasing, so to alleviate them a little bit, he inserted two of his fingers in one thrust.

You didn’t need preparation for that, he knew you could take them, so many times cumming over them, your entrance recognized his fingers as an invited guess, so you could only cry when that little place that he always found squelched.

Cursing, you let your head fall, and arching your back, you came with his fingers and his mouth, legs almost closing around his face but being stopped by his big hands.

He left a mark of wetness over the place he touched with the fingers he had pushed on your insides, and you knew you were dripping all over his bed, yet you couldn’t care less.

He pushed down his pants and his underwear, kicking them away from his feet.

‘’Come here’’ he called you, and you, still not back in your senses but always listening to him, sat in the border of his bed as you could.

With drowsy eyes, you gulped when his member stood in front of you. Looking amazing, you didn’t know if dicks could be pretty, but that was the only adjective that came to your head when you saw it.

Pink, veiny, and long, the tip was slightly thicker and darker, and you waited for him to tell you what to do.

His palm wrapped him in front of you with one hand, and with the other, he grasped on your hard nipples begging for more attention, while your pussy was leaving a big spot over his bedsheets with how wet you were after he made you cum once.

‘’First use your hand, okay?’’ he said, and you didn’t need to hear anything else before your hand went to his member, ‘’you seem to like it’’ he snickered.

He didn’t want to tease you, he didn’t mean to, he’s not used to doing that, not even with his exes that could easily form comebacks and throw them at him, but with you, he couldn’t help it, so gorgeous, quiet, and always accepting, his ugly side kept floating out, and he liked your voice telling him to shut up or the almost mute giggles that escaped your chest.

‘’I like it’’ you said, and he licked his dry lips, watching you attentively. The way your wrist did its best to move in and out, and seeing your mouth get closer to his shaft, opening and letting the tip touch your tongue, made him groan.

‘’Take your bra off’’ he ordered, needing to see your tits bouncing with the little force you were using to jerk him off.

He suddenly remembered each time he jerked off to the smell of your panties and the memory of your eyebrows frowning when you came thanks to him, and he smiled, proud of seeing you so eager to attend him too.

His little doll, after all those orgasms, would you say yes to anything he said?

When you toss your bra away without stopping your licks to the tip of his cock, he knows the answer is a yes.

‘’Try to take a bit more’’ he inhaled hastily and, helping you do your job more comfortably, with his hands he pushed the loose strings of hair away from your face.

The first day he didn’t understand why his hand moved on its own to push that hair behind your ear, but now he sees that little dot on your cheek, close to your ear, and he thinks that he did it to see it without any obstacle covering it.

You opened your mouth for him and let him slide deeper, half his cock is inside you, and you looked at him with teary drunk eyes.

He moans at the image, so pretty for him, all for him, he’s the only one who had seen you from that angle, and he hopes it continues being like that.

Your cheeks hollowed and you tried to take more of him, stopping your lungs from taking air in so you could suck him better, and he could see it, he could see you struggling and doing your best for him, so he pressed a thumb on your cheek to show his approbation.

You thought he was getting bored, his usual smile was not there, and his eyes were looking at yours too much, so you stopped to make sure you were not doing all that for nothing, ‘’Sorry, am I bad?’’ you asked with insecurity pouring out of your eyes.

He shook his head, his little genius was all nervous and unconfident, and he felt like he had hit the fucking jackpot seeing such a tranquil and collected girl ask him if she was doing a good job at sucking his cock.

‘’You’re perfect’’ he assured, guiding his cock back to your mouth, to which you answer by letting a bit of spit over his tip, smearing it with your lips kissing him and taking him again.

Where the fuck did you learn that? he asked himself, but with the security of you not doing it from someone who isn’t him, he only sighed and let you continue.

Seconds later he felt himself getting closer, and he can’t let himself cum in your mouth, he needs to do it in your insides, so telling you to stop, you do as your told, watching him in your spot searching his jeans and the box of condoms he had bought in the convenience store on the way to his house.

He opened the package with his mouth, and you remembered all those times you’d heard you shouldn’t do it like that, and echoing inside your mind, you pushed those voices to the back when you pulled down your panties and kicked them under his bed.

‘’This is how you put one on, the next time you’ll do it for me, so watch’’ he said, and you nodded, juices leaking with the idea of doing it for him the next time.

He teaches you how to grab the pointy start with his fingers, and how, with the help of his other hand, you’ll have to slide the latex all over his length, until it ends a finger away from the base of his cock.

You batted your eyelashes without thinking, imagining how the pressure of him opening your insides would feel, and to that your thighs shook with excitement.

He kissed you to take away the last doubts you could have, not knowing that you were yearning for it as much as him.

Helping you lie on his bed with him between your legs, he pushed you more into the mattress so he could kneel over the same bedsheets you’ve been dripping all over.

‘’Tell me if you want to stop, I know it can hurt at first, but I’m confident you’ll take me without problem’’ he said, brushing his tip over your clit and then going lower to put it on your entrance, only pushing his thick tip inside, stretching you enough to make your breath get all messy and your mouth fall open, pushing the air out of your lungs with the sensation of his cock finally fucking you.

‘’Fuck’’ you cried, feeling more of him slide in, and he tried to not show how much he was feeling to not make you nervous, but your gummy walls were so hot he felt like he was melting inside you, and that stole the last sanity he had, biting his lips to not let any embarrassing sound out.

‘’I told you, you could take me’’ he said proudly when his entire dick was inside you, and you cried a needy yes and searched for his eyes to look at how good you were being for him.

Your legs were as wide open as they could, and you pulled him in for a kiss before he rutted into you.

He wanted to be soft, it was your first time, and he knows how important it is for most girls, but you make him so crazy he’s forgotten how he did to not act on his wishes anymore.

His hips clasped with yours at that pace and you cried with each thrust, trying to not be too loud with the hits, however, the curve of his cock was making punching a certain place that feels more intense perfectly, and soon you were gripping onto his bedsheets to get a hold of yourself.

His mouth launched to your neck, chest pressing yours while fucking you, and he started to leave little spots on your neck and collarbone while one of his hands moved from your hip to the wrist of one of your hands, holding it there to feel you closer.

You were practically stuck to him, yet he needed to feel you more, and soon he was pushing your thighs to your chest to watch and confirm how deep inside you he was.

Looking at his cock disappearing inside your plump lips, he frowns because its all so perfect, you under him, taking him after all those weeks, and his thrusts became harder, touching the deepest part of your insides to pull out until the only thing connecting you to him was his fat tip, to then harshly pound into you again.

It’s all so messy he can see you dripping on his bed and how the lube appears dull compared to the glow of your juices on his pelvis.

A moan almost escaped his throat when he saw little tears falling on your cheeks, he knows they’re not from pain, and that’s what pushes him to let his grunts and moans out.

‘’Taking me so good, I’m the only one who can make you like this, right?’’ he asked, but it sounds almost like begging, and you didn’t dare to tease him as he did with you.

‘’You’re the only one’’ you cried while his dick kept punching your insides.

‘’Fuck, I’m going to cum’’ he warned, covering you with his body but not crushing you, his weight doesn’t affect you and you wanted more, so the hand he wasn’t holding moved to his back and scratched him, making him hiss and move his hand to between your bodies, to thumb your clit and push you to cum with him.

Twitching inside you, he came while murmuring a soft my girl, and you tried to ignore those words, thinking that was just something that came to him because of pleasure, and that he would forget later.

He fell over you, this time he felt heavier, but you still didn’t mind, and pressing the tip of your fingers over the scratches you left on his back, you sighed, relaxed to have him there.

‘’Sorry,’’ you said after, when you were on his bed and he was showing you his back, only wearing his boxers and searching for your shirt while you were covering yourself with his bedsheets.

‘’Why?’’ he asked curious of your words.

‘’Your back’’ you answered, and he turned to see the side of his back in his mirror, which indeed, had lines done by your nails.

He smiled and walked to you, sitting beside you and caressing your cheek before he trailed his fingers to your neck, touching the purple spots he has left.

‘’Then I’m sorry too’’ he said, making you smile too.

‘’Maybe we should stop saying sorry’’ you laughed.

‘’Yeah, maybe we should’’ he answered, laughing too.

He didn’t know what else to say, but he didn’t want to be a coward anymore, and he wanted to say something because he wanted to, not because he thought you were the one who wanted to hear him saying it, and if he was being honest with himself, he knew you wouldn’t like him to say what he was about to anyway, because you, just like he does often, think that you know what he’s thinking, so he guessed that you were probably thinking a way to leave his house to not be a bother to him, but he didn’t want that, and he knew you wouldn’t know it unless he said it.

‘’Stay with me’’ he said, it sounded almost like a command, but you knew it was a question.

‘’Okay then’’ you said, accepting to stay with him, sounding nonchalant, like he usually did, but you looked as relieved as him, and he felt glad that he finally took a step further.

#riize x reader #seunghan x reader #riize smut #seunghan smut #riize fluff #riize scenarios #riize imagines

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a-spes · 3 months

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| PRETTY FACES, DARK SOULS — Part three (1.965 words).

| Summary — you robbed the wrong person, and she makes sure that you pay your debts, willingly or not.

| Tags & warnings — MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, Dark CEO!Natasha Romanoff x Reader, Dark!Yelena Belova, mentions of sex, N is abusive toward R, starvation, sequestration/kidnapping, R being referred as a mutt, R has been drugged, slight comfort if you squint (or maybe it's just me), humiliation, injuries.

| N/A — It took me a while to write it, and it's shorter than the previous parts, but I hope you'all still going to enjoy it!

| MOODBOARD — ✧ — MASTERLIST — ✧ — TO SAY SOMETHING

| Part one. Part two. Part three.

There are some things that cannot be forgotten.

The things you did were one of those. Not only you stole her wallet, but you also had the audacity to lie to her face. You were looking at her, straight in the eyes, when you told her how much you liked it. She had you right there, laying beneath her, begging and screaming her name for hours, and yet it was just a lie. Sometimes she wonders if your pleas when she had her knuckles buried deep inside you were also an act. Maybe. She can't know for sure.

But you've done worse. You've been haunting her mind since you two met at the party. You were like a poison in her life, ruining everything she has tried to build. Since that night, it has been impossible for the redhead to think about anything else. The woman that was known for her calm and sturdiness is now unable to stay focused during the meetings. On the rare occasions she decides to show up, she barely listens, passing time by tapping on the wood table.

Why is she wasting her time, sitting at that table and listening to a bunch of men talking nonsense, when she could be looking for you?

She easily could've asked her men to do the research for her, but it was very unlike the woman to ask for something then wait for the others to fetch it. Natasha Romanoff isn't a queen, nor an heiress. She is the CEO of one of the world's most successul company, one that was built on sweat and hard work. Hers. Not someone else's.

When it comes to that story, her actions are dictated by her emotions, by a desire for revenge that intoxicates her. She knows it, and somehow appreciates the feeling. At first, that was new and exciting, she was almost glad of what happened, but she eventually got bored of that game you were playing. As the years went by, the excitation was replaced by frustration.

She really needed you to fix the mess you've created in her life, whether you're willing to do it or not.

"The mutt is drooling on your couch," an unknown voice yelled near you, and it was followed by quick steps, as if someone came in running. A second later, you could feel a hand that harsly grabs your face, nails digging in your skin, leaving crescent-shaped marks all over your chin.

That's when you opened your eyes for the first time, gasping at the sudden contact. You don't remember much of what happened last night, but you firmly believe that it's Kate's fault because one of the last things you see is the black-haired girl sliding glasses of alcohol in your direction.

You weren't planning on drinking, at least not that much. You don't even like for real the taste of alcohol, and you definitely hate even more the following morning. A pitiful sound escapes your lips as you try to open your eyes, realizing that you are in a much worse condition that you thought. As always, you promise yourself that it's the last time, but it's never for real. It's so tempting to say yes when Kate offers to go out, to accept the drinks she hands you and let down your barriers for one night.

"Do not make your case worse," a second voice said, "you already have more debts than you'll ever be able to repay," it said before another hand grips your hair tightly, tilting your head backwards.

You were more tired than usual. It felt like a weight was pressing down on your whole body, as if it had become too heavy for you to bear. A simple blink of the eyes required inhuman efforts, and in that condition, it was unthinkable to raise your head to get a better look at the person who had just said those words. All you could see were patches of colour, and what you assumed to be red hair mixed with blinding light. But your surroundings were blurred, and you couldn't see much more. So when she threw you on the floor, you didn't even try to get up.

"Poor thing...," the blonde said, chuckling softly. "I mean, look at her! She has no idea what's going on," and it was true. When she looked into your eyes, all she could see was fear, and pain.

The drug they put in your drink was strong. Maybe a little too strong, if your condition is anything to go by. She didn't know if you could hear her, but she was sure you wouldn't be able to move for at least a few more hours. Even swallowing was too much to ask for the moment, and the stain that had formed on the seat of her private jet was the proof.

At one point, she felt sorry for you, sprawled out on the carpet, or maybe it was her younger sister's incessant complaints about having to step over your body every time she needed to pass that eventually irritated the redhair. In any case, at one point, she decided to take you in her arms with all the gentleness she could, careful to not let you fall. You were so calm, so malleable, unable to react as she manipulated your body as she wished.

Eventually, she sat with you on her lap. Your chest was against hers, your face forcefully burried in her neck as she played with your hair with a firm hand. Despite your instinct to flee, you quickly relax in her arms. Your anxious breathing eventually slowed down until it matches with hers, both of your chests raising at the same time. The hand that stroked your hair also worked it magic until you could barely keep your eyelids open.

"Already going soft with her?" her sister asked when she came back with two glasses of alcohol, both for herself, and witnessed her sister craddling the mutt in her arms, something she disapproves of strongly.

"Weren't you the one who complained about me leaving my things around?" she asked back, rolling her eyes as the youngest spoke.

"I was just saying," she replied, shrugging her shoulders before dopping heavily onto one of the seats, earning a dark look from her elder sister. She then lets her eyes rest on your form, already knowing that what will happen next is going to be interesting. You've been hard to catch, and she expects you to be at least as difficult to tame. She knows her sister always enjoys a challenge, and so does she.

It has been the last time you saw light, and not the artificial one from the light bulbs, but the real one, from the sun's rays whose warmth you missed. You could only dream of the light caressing your skin, enveloping you in its comforting warmth until you open your eyes. Then, you are greeted only by the coldness of the cell you've been threw in almost as soon as the plane landed. They didn't let you a chance to run away, not even to think about it, before they locked you up in here.

You haven't seen the woman since. Nor anyone else. Your only contact with the outside are the muffled voices coming from the pipes. If they're even real, and not just a figment of your imagination. You are not sure anymore what's real or not. You spend your time between drowsiness and sleep, and can't distinguish what belongs to which world anymore. Maybe you've started to go crazy. A long time ago, you've read an article about the importance for humans to have contact with others.

But you were alone. With no food, no water, and no idea of what would happen next. Is she going to let you starve in this place? Maybe. It would be cruel, a perfect punishment for a thief, but certainly not a glorious death. You hoped for a better ending, something masterful. You hoped you would die as a hero, not as some pitful criminal. Here, no one would find your body, and you were sure that no one would organise a funeral for you. They wouldn't even know your dead. That's the downside of having no ties — No one really cares about what may happen to you, they probably think you've run away. Again.

Sometimes, you think of Kate, your flatmate and coworker, and it's enough to breath a little bit of hope in your heart. If there is someone that cares about you in that world, it's her. She would definitely call the police and look for you until she find your body. She is not a traitor.

At least, if she is still alive.

You can't be sure. No matter how hard you concentrate, you can't remember the last time you've seen her, the end of the evening being just black. You tried, but it hurt your mind so you eventually stopped so you convinced yourself with the false memory that she came home earlier, and that she is fine, waiting for you to come back.

The thought that everything is going to be alright soothed you as you kept alterning between drowsy and asleep for a few hours, waking up suddenly at the slightest noise. It is hope that keeps you awake, and the fear of missing someone coming down, something that only happened after an eternal wait, when you stopped believing in it.

You are unable to move, laying on the floor with your knees against your chest. When you opened your eyes, you were expecting another disappointment but you catched the flickering light of a torch. For a moment, you thought it was the end of you. But no, you've heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, the one of a key and then a creaking door. The silhouette rising up in front of you was impressive, but it wasn't death.

"'Morning Sweetie," the voice whispered. It was followed by the metallic clutter of something being placed on the ground.

Then you saw it. A bowl lit by the torch's light. Inside, there is something that looks like porridge. It isn't very appetising, but you didn't care. You are so hungry that you would've swallowed anything she was willing to give you. You crawled to her feet, dragging your body over to the bowl, only for you hand to grasp the void when you reached for the plate.

A sharp pain in your wrist followed. It's her boot pressing down on your wrist as she puts all her weight into it, preventing you from moving. It hurts so bad that you thought, for a second, that she might have broken your bone.

"Aww...," she cooed, her voice dripping with false pity, "you didn't thought it would be that easy, did you?" When the only answer she gets from you is a whimper, she chuckles. "Such a stupid thing...," she murmures, but despite the appearances, her voice is everything but sweet. It's harsh, and mocking. "If you want to eat, you need to earn that privilege. Nothing will be free for you, until you've payed your debt," her warm breath hitting your cheeks as she knelt beside you to utter those words.

And you knew it wasn't a threat as she left you again, knocking the bowl over as she does so. It is a promise.

| MOODBOARD — ✧ — MASTERLIST — ✧ — TO SAY SOMETHING

| Part one. Part two. Part three.

| Taglist (only if you have your age in bio!) — @loneliestafterparty, @natsxwife, @olicity-boo, @skittlebum, @skqrlett, @thalia-is-not-ok, @tobiaslut.

#a spes writing #pretty faces dark souls #marvel fanfiction #marvel cinematic universe #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff fanfiction #reader insert #natasha romanoff x reader #mcu fanfiction #natasha romanov #dark natasha romanoff #black widow fanfiction #black widow x reader #female reader #mob boss natasha romanoff

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lots-of-sun · 2 months

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A/n: Somehow I always end up writing about people walking LOL. Also a lot of my fic titles come from song lyrics!

Tamao Serizawa x Fem!Reader

SO KISS ME

Working at a bookstore always had its interesting experiences, especially when I'm usually the only person on shift everyday. Despite still being in high school, I was always rostered on, I guess being in senior year was bound to have it's downsides. The boss was always so picky about who worked here, not that it really mattered as long as you were competent. But over the two years I'd been employed here, I seem to be the only one who stuck. Not that my boss was ever mean or harsh, just didn't accept lazy or disrespectful staff. That's how I always ended up on the same schedule every week. Not that I minded, consistency was oddly relaxing, not having to worry about what to do next, always knowing.

The shop is small, yet packed with book shelves and a single table seating area right at the front of the main floor, across from the counter. I'd always loved the vintage and cozy vibe this building had, tucked away on a back street, like a little treasure that you'd only be able to find if you looked hard enough or stumbled across by accident.

One thing that kept me around this job for so long, was the people. With every face that stepped through that entrance came a new story, a new corner of the world I'd never learned about, a new adventure. The odd sense of home I got from the regulars who frequented for the newest reads or even the classics, always put a smile on my face. Though there was someone who stopped by often, despite never buying anything.

Tamao Serizawa had slipped into my life fairly nonchalantly, so much so that I don't entirely remember ever meeting him in the first place. Though I do recall the first time I'd seen him, walking past the open doors of the bookstore about a year and a half ago. He'd been surrounded by his group of friends, laughing along with them. He hadn't noticed me back then, but that changed a few months later.

I had easily forgotten about seeing him, I saw almost a hundred faces a day, even if it was just from people watching when the store was dead. It was a Monday afternoon when he'd entered the shop with his usual gang, I'd been adding pricing labels to newly arrived books from behind the counter near the door. They all wore classic school boy uniforms, yet they all seemed to be tweaked differently, defining them to being individual. They'd piled in near the entrance and brushed off my offer for assistance, though a pair of eyes seemed to linger on me. Even after they had looked around and left without purchasing anything, I couldn't shake the feeling of having someone watching me. Though I tried to brush it off as nonchalantly as I could.

That was until they began to come in more frequently, sometimes it was the whole group and other times it was only two or three of them but Tamao was always amongst them. Soon, they'd started spending most afternoons in the small seating area near the front of the store, never reading but always talking, plotting things I'd only eavesdropped on when I got bored. It became apparent to me pretty quickly that they were a part of one of the neighboring gang schools, though I didn't judge, there was no point, not when I didn't know them. After their first few rendezvous, they began including me in conversations, some were incredibly trivial, the kind of chats you'd have with friends. And others were serious, asking for advice and even if I didn't know how to answer, I tried my best.

On most weekends, Serizawa came in alone. Browsing the visual novel section, making small talk and asking for recommendations. He was always more engaged and at ease when he was alone, like he had more time to think without someone talking in his ear all the time. It's something I found comfort in, getting to see two separate sides to the same person. I wonder if he was like this with his friends, if he was actually always this calm and I just overlooked it when he was surrounded by others. But I definitely grew attracted to this side of him and eventually began to watch him more often, even if it was brief glances in his direction.

Today was no different than any other, heading straight to work after my final class of the day, changing out of my uniform in the stores bathroom and relieving my co-worker from their shift. I head out to the main floor and take a seat on the wooden stool behind the counter. My eyes scan the open notebook that sits next to the cash register, going over the list of responsibilities I have to complete before closing the store for the night.

Then the entrance bell rings and I don't even need to look up to know who it is, I'd heard them before they even made it to the door. The familiar sound of chatter and heavy shoes against the hardwood floors makes me smile. I raise my head to see exactly the people I'd expected.

"Hey guys, finally decide to indulge yourselves in literature?" I joke, knowing the answer is a resounding no. I take in all of their appearances, looking how they always do, save for a few extra bruises. My eyes linger on Serizawa for a split second, his gaze already fixed on me by the time I look towards him.

"Not today, but maybe one of these days" Tokio speaks up first, over the chorus of greetings I received.

"I could use a good book" Tokaji mumbles, already heading over to the seating area with Tsutsumoto.

"Serizawa's definitely trying to indulge in something else" The Mikami brothers whisper to each other, snickering at their own teasing words. They earn a slap on the back of the head by the man himself, the same hand retracting to run through his short hair.

"Don't mind them, monkeys haven't had their banana today" Serizawa's voice is thick as he lunges towards the brothers who scurry away to join everyone else at the table. He turns back to me, giving a small smile. "Yellow suits you" He adds softly, referring to the crew neck sweater I wore, before turning to join the others.

I smile at his words, feeling my heart leap in my chest. My eyes follow him to where he sits, it's kind of odd seeing him so outwardly different when he is around his friends, knowing there's a whole other side to him. I need to stop staring before any of them notice, even worse if it's Tamao himself. I busy myself with the duties of the checklist that's been taunting me since I sat down, but don't miss the feeling of someone watching me.

I hadn't even noticed how late it had gotten until I come out from the back room and it's getting dark outside. Tamao and his gang had left not too long ago, having said their goodbyes before disappearing down the street, while I continued to pack up for the night.

I let out a sigh of relief, happy to be finally heading home. I double check that I've locked the doors properly before turning to start my walk home, maybe I'll catch a taxi instead, I'm tired tonight. But as I turn to my left, there he is. Tamao Serizawa, standing under a yellowed street lamp with a half finished cigarette hanging from his lips, which he exhales the smoke through his nose. He's facing me, watching me like he usually does. Except this isn't usual, he's never here when I close the store, not that I've noticed at least. But overall, he seems to have been waiting for me. He flicks the cigarette to the pavement and puts it out with his foot, clearing his throat as he takes a few slow steps towards me.

"Serizawa? Is everything okay?" I ask, a slight concern filling my voice. Blame it on the overthinking, but I jump to the conclusion he might need support, whether it be emotionally or physically. Though as he lets out a calm chuckle, I think he might want something else.

"I hope so" He responds shortly, a smirk ghosting his lips as he stops when he's close enough to talk more gently. "Sorry to make you worry, I just thought I could walk you home." He clears his throat, "It can get... lonely"

I sort of blink at him as I purse my lips, trying to hold back a smile at his reasoning. It was clearly an excuse but I let it slide, barely. I notice the way the corner of his lips quirk up and his eyes squint, obviously being aware of how blatant his defense is. Now we're both standing here, staring at each other in the dim light of the side walk, clearly trying not to laugh. He tries to break his expression but ends up falling into a deeper grin.

"Yep" I squeak out, closing my eyes as my voice cracks with a rising laugh. "It can, how thoughtful of y... you" My slight pause comes from the lurch of my body as I try my hardest not to laugh at the expression he's making, he looks like he's trying to hold in a sneeze and I probably don't look much different.

We both let out a small snicker at each other, which devolves into a chuckle and a laugh. It feels like I'm melting into this moment and the implications of why he'd want to walk me home has my heart racing. We try to compose ourselves, a small giggle here and there. He looks down at his shoes before back up, seemingly regained his previous demeanor, despite the curl of a smile on his lips.

"Let's go, it's late as is" He tries to be serious and I let him, let him be who he wants to be. I nod in agreement with him and as I begin to walk, he follows.

It's not long before we're in my neighborhood, I'd always lived close to where I worked, not wanting to have to take the packed trains everyday. We'd walked in near silence the whole way here. It didn't bother me though, if anything it was sort of endearing, not feeling like I have to talk all the time. Serizawa is the first to break the silence as we near my house.

"I don't want to mess this up" His voice is vulnerable, it almost shocks me into freezing but I match his slowing steps and look towards him. I open my mouth to speak, ask if somethings going on but he cuts me off before I can.

"You mean a lot to me, more than I thought you would. You were always beautiful to me and I couldn't stop myself from coming back to you, even when I wasn't sure. But now I am sure, I know how I feel and I don't want you to slip away without ever telling you." His voice is the calm, soft tone it always was when we were alone together and my heart leaps to my throat at the realization of what he's trying to say.

"Serizawa, are y-"

"I like you a lot and if you are willing, I'd love to take you out" He speaks again before I can finish my sentence. He seems so assured in what he's saying. A smile is now growing on my lips as I go to respond, to tell him I'd love to.

"Tama-" And once again, before I can say any more he interrupts, this time sounding slightly more nervous and he holds an unreadable expression. He brings his hand up to run his fingers through his hair.

"I understand if you don't feel the same way but I needed to at least tell you, I wouldn't be able to let you go if I didn't say anything" He concludes sincerely and this time he finally looks towards me. I can't help but grin and the heat that's rushes to my cheeks tells me I'm blushing. He looks unsure, like he thinks I might just start laughing at him.

"You know what I love about you?" I start, a small laugh escaping my lips. "How you let me finish my sentences" It's like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders as he mirrors my smile, giving a small chuckle. It's my turn to cut him off as he opens his mouth to say something.

"And, I love when you come around and the way you run your hand through your hair when you're nervous" My grin widens as he looks away slightly, seemingly surprised I'd noticed his anxious habit. I place my hand on his arm softly, "And I'd love to go out with you"

His smile widens and his expression is something I've never seen him have before, it's a mixture of relief and adoration. The way his eyes are trained on mine in the soft glow of the street lamps, it has my heart pounding. I let myself relax, relieved that my feelings weren't one sided.

"Then it's settled, let's date?" He asks, sounding like he's double checking that's what I really meant.

I can't help but grin wider, shaking my head softly in disbelief. Pushing the gate to my house and holding it open with my body, I face out into the street to look at him, I nod reassuring.

"Yeah, let's date, unless you've already changed your mind" I tease him softly and I watch as he rolls his eyes sarcastically. It feels odd how easily we seems to fit in with each other, feeling closer and more confident.

"I could kiss you right now" He says those words like it's the most natural thing to say in this moment and maybe it is, but I still feel my face burn in a deeper blush. He lets out a chuckle and stuffs his hands in his pockets, preparing to leave. But I don't want him to go, not yet at least.

"Then do it" I take a step closer to him, hearing the gate squeak softly as it moves with me.

He looks up towards me now that I'm standing on the small step that leads to the gate, his eyes shine with something I can't quite recognize. He takes a step forwards as well and I lean down slightly so I can reach his face. One of his hands withdraws from his pocket, raising to rest on the curve of my waist and my hand moves to cradle his jaw. Our lips connect in a soft but quick kiss, one that leaves me wanting more. His lips are cold but inviting and I don't want this to end. As I pull back gently, I feel his hand leave my side and mine retracts back to tuck under the warmth of my crew neck.

"Goodnight, Tamao" I whisper, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to his cheek.

I enter the front area of my house and begin to close the gate as he steps out of view behind the solid fence of my property, not before hearing a small 'night' come from him. As I approach my front door, the hum of a tv playing fills my ears. Though as I step up on the front step that leads to the threshold of the building, I turn back to look over the top of the fence, watching the back of Tamao's body get further and further away.

"Yes!" It's soft but I still hear it and watch as Serizawa pumps his fist in the air like he's won a great victory. The sight makes me cover my mouth to hold in a small laugh. I finally look away and I find myself still grinning. I don't want the way my heart lurches for him to stop and something tells me it won't ever, something tells me he'll keep my heart safe.

#crows zero x reader #crows zero 2007 #crows zero #tamao serizawa #tamao serizawa x reader #takayuki yamada #yamada takayuki #takayuki yamada x reader #yamada takayuki x reader #serizawa tamao #serizawa tamao x reader #crows zero 2007 x reader

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hannamoon143 · 3 months

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Do you think i'm pretty?

Request by @part-time-potato: I remember that one interview where they asked IN to rank the member in order of most to least handsome and IN put Han in last, and it made me so sad! then there was that sports episode of kingdom where they did the visual king contest and all the six groups voted for who was the ultimate visual king, and Felix got second, but no other skz placed. I was thinking it could be cool to write a story about what would have happened if they had done like a "female staff vote" or something and they chose Han. I feel like Han is so expressive and gets excited very easily and would just be so cute and overjoyed.

pairings: none really yet but han x fem buzzfeed staff

warnings: none

Genre: fluff

a/n: @part-time-potato I'm sorry that this got so short :(( I hope you like it anyways!Also i know i already posted a fic today (i would love if you would also check out this one )but i am done with this and can't wait to post it!Now i will take a little break,but only a little one!If you like the fic i would really appreciate reblogs!<33

Y/n was so excited today.As a staff member of buzzfeed she was managing a lot of interviews with celebrities.But this time it was different. She got to work at an interview with straykids. When she heard that she was responsible for the interview she almost screamed. She loved skz more than anything.She stanned them since the survival show.And over the years her bias didn't change once. She always found it weird herself cause all stays she knew changed their bias almost every week.But for her it was since the first moment han.So of course she was very excited to see everyone from straykids but she looked most forward to han.

And today the day finally came.She would meet straykids and be able to talk to them.She was so excited that she also got nervous and she wasn't even able to eat anything. Of course she knew that she was just a staff from a interview they had to do for them,but she anyways wanted to impress them,that maybe han found her pretty..? She went to her closet and decided to wear a white blouse with pearls,and a black skirt.She did her makeup a little bit more concentrated than she usually did.And lastly she wanted to do a pretty hairstyle but she didn't know what exactly so she just made her hair look wavy.As she finally was at work her co worker came and told her that she immediately had to go to straykids cause they arrived some minutes ago,but two other women who should have helped doing the interview have gotten sick and there was noone who could do it for them so it was just her and two other men who were doing the interview.

As she got into a the room with straykids her breath was stuck in her chest. In real life they were even prettier and their voices and laughs sounded so great.Then she spotted han.She almost dropped on her knees.He was so handsome,cute,and hot at the same time.Y/n tried not to start screaming or giggling.She went to her co-workers and asked what she should do.They just said she should operate the camera and look that the light was good.So the interview started and she admired han all the time.Yes the other members were all very very handsome but she just wasn't able to take her eyes off han.One time when he looked into y/n's direction she blushed so hard that her co worker asked if everything was okay.She really hoped that han didn't see it.

So the interview carried on and y/n got sad because the time was over so fast.But then suddenly when they got asked who they thought was the most handsome guy in the eyes of stays they weren't able to answer the question cause everyone had a different opinion.Then suddenly Changbin said "What if we just let the female staff here choose?Like they have to vote for who they think is the most handsome guy of us."Y/n didn't know what to say.If they were allowed to do that she would have to choose cause they didn't know there was only one female staff member. Y/n's co-workers talked and agreed.They came to y/n and asked if it would be okay if she would maybe go in front of the camera and tell for who she would vote.She was so nervous and scared but she agreed anyways.She hoped noone would notice that she was trembling.

When y/n stood in front of the camera she was so close to han that she almost felt like she would pass out.She also tried not to blush too much when suddenly felix leaned in and whispered in her ear that he was of course the best looking member.She felt like she was dreaming. She didn't know where the confidence came from but with a joyfull voice y/n said: "i already know who i vote for" The boys laughed. When her coworkers gave her a sign she finally said "So,i made a decision for my vote."y/n stayed silent for a moment to increase the tension. "I give my vote without hesitation to han jisung"

Han was a little bit more silent through the whole interview,but how he reacted now was the cutest thing y/n ever saw. Han jumped up and smiled such a sweet smile.His cheeks were so puffy he really looked like a cute little quokka. "Ha! I told you all that i am the best looking"he said with such joy in his voice,like a child that sees the presents under a christmastree.Y/n found this so incredibly adorable.She even was a little jealous how easy han expressed his emotions. Y/n was mesmerized by han's doe eyes that sparkled with joy,the way he jumped like a happy kid,the way his smile was so pretty that she could watch it all day and never get tired of it. He always was her bias and ofc she loved him so much,but she never realised how much in love she was...?

Han's point of view:

Han jumped in front of the members,telling them that he always knew that he was best looking of them all.He was so happy.He would have never been so happy if it was just any female stuff though.When he saw you walking in the room he immediately admired you. Your face was very beautiful,your smile seemed like a light in the darkness. All you did was filming and managing the lights,but you did it with such a elegance.And now you were standing in front of him,looking so pretty in your white pearl blouse.When he looked at you again,he caught you looking at him and you immediately looked away when his eyes met yours.

His heart started racing.He never really felt something like this before.Unfortunately this was the last question and the time was over now. When they stopped filming, stray kids got up and was getting ready to go.Han lied and said he wanted to go to the toilet before they would leave.He searched a little bit and then he found you,dismantling the camera.He finally got the courage to say : "Thank you for voting for me" You immediately turned around and your face turned a cute pink shade. You weren't even able to say something. Your look was a little bit confused. Did he do something wrong? He looked at your id card that you wore around your neck. Your name was y/n. Y/n L/n. What a pretty name.He would have wanted to ask you where you come from,and why you voted for him.He wanted to ask if you if you really thought that he was pretty.But all he said was:

"So your name is Y/n? Nice to meet you Y/n!"

Back to readers point of view:

Was this really happening? Why was han jisung here alone with her in the empty room? Did he forget something?

Omg he just said her name.From him it sounded pretty.It sounded elegant .Y/n was like frozen,but when he held his hand out to her ,she finally reacted. She gave him her hand,shaking his. His hand felt so warm and soft she didn't even know how to describe it.

When y/n wanted to pull her hand back he didn't let her .He looked deeply into her eyes,still holding her hand.His look was so different than the usual joyful eyes with the big smile.His eyes were mesmerizing. Y/n still didn't believe that this was real.This moment was just... everything.

After what felt like an eternity but were only a few seconds he pulled his hand away,smiling again, like he usually did. "Well then,goodbye y/n.Maybe we meet again."he said turning around and walking out of the room. Y/n now stood there,not being able to say a word.Why would han jisung the 4th gen ace of kpop want to see her again?

She didn't know the answer but when she opened her hand and a piece of paper with a phone number on it appeared, she knew that her story with this boy did only start.

#stray kids #skz #stay #straykids #writing #writeblr #han jisung #skz han #stray kids han #han jisung fanfic #han jisung x reader #stray kids fanfic #straykids fanfic #straykids fluff #stray kids x reader #stray kids fanart #stray kids han jisung #han skz #fanfic

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silvervioletvalentine · 1 year

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🖤Long story short…it was the wrong guy!🖤

Pairing: Trevor zegras x Cherrie! / Quinn Hughes x Cherrie!

Word count: 10k (I have a problem k)

Summary : in which long story short he was the wrong guy. -or Trevor thinks back to times when he should have realised that he was never the one. Because best friends don’t look at each other like they do.

Warnings- angst. Like , heartbreak for trev. A tiny bit of fluff at the end? Depends how you see it I guess. A bit of a different story than usual, wanted to try my hand at writing more angst. I want to write a oneshot for Crosby next but I have no idea about what. Hopefully inspiration will hit me in the face because I miss writing like I used to so easily!! Anyways lemme know what u think please. U guys up for more angst or nah? 👀Xoxo

Trevor thought that maybe he had been in denial about his relationship with Cherrie for a while now , unable to believe that what everybody was telling him could be true . Refusing to see what was right in front of him all along , the red flags waving and all the clues were set out in Stone for him to see.

But he looked away each and every time because Cherrie was so fucking beautiful and Trevor wanted to be her boyfriend , wanted to her call her his girl.

But was she ever his really?

It shouldn't have taken as long as it did for him to see the truth. For him to take off his rose coloured glasses and moved past the gaze of her beauty and his foolish hope . To see that her eyes doesn't look for him like his did for her. To realise that his friends were right.

It took Jamie coming over to him one Saturday while they were at the lake house , sat beside Jack as the sun started to set. Beers all around as they chatted between each other , tired from the day of hanging out and just having fun while they could .

It had been a good day , he called it. Refused to think about the fact that his girlfriend had hardly even spoken to him since the summer began , the only time that he got her to himself was when the lights went out and Quinn went to sleep. The she snuck back into their room to join him, let him kiss her like he had wanted to everyday.

But she was too busy with her best friend and Trevor was busy trying not to see the looks his friends were giving him, pushing away the uneasy thoughts and doubt that crept in each time he saw them together.

Then Jamie winced sympathetically and patted his shoulder , handing him a beer . Oblivious.

"I can't believe how well you're taking this." Jamie spoke in amazement , getting both of their attention.

Trevor more than confused as they both followed his gaze down to see his friend looking down to the lake , to where Cherrie and Quinn were messing about together .

Both had Big grins on their faces as they splashed at each other in the water , Cherie squealing with laughter as he hoisted her up into his arms , her arms sliding around his neck as she giggled loudly , Quinn beaming up at her as he spun her around . Laughing as she clung to him , threatening him not to drop her. Everybody knowing that he wouldn't dare. He clung tighter to her instead. Eyes never leaving her pretty face .

"I know breakups are hard man. It's gotta suck-" he slowly trailed off when he looked back over to see Trevor frowning at him , looking more than confused at him, while Jack just hid his grin behind his bottle of beer. Shaking his head at poor Jamie slowly.

"What?" Trevor looked at him like he was insane.

"we're not broken up? What the hell are you talking about dude?" He forced out a laughed . Acting like everything was completely fine and normal.

Tearing his eyes away from his girlfriend on Quinn's shoulders now, refusing to watch the way he clung onto her bare, wet thighs and the way she gripped onto his waist with her legs. More than comfortable with each other, something that came from years of friendship and love.

Jamie blinked like an owl at him. Lips parting in disbelief as he flickered his eyes between Quinn and Cherrie messing about in the water together , then back to a scowling Trevor and face palming Jack.

"Oh." Was all he could get out , shocked .

He then laughed awkwardly , slowly nodding his head. "Sorry. I just thought-" he glanced over just in time to see Quinn push her wet hair away from her face gently , softly stroking at the sunburn over her cheeks .

His eyes widened incredulously . "Never mind ." He mumbled .

Patting trevors shoulder again, this time in silent pity before quickly making his Leave. Not wanting to be the one to explain what he was currently thinking . He didn't want to be the one to break it to him. No way.

Trevor felt a surge of irritation hit him, hearing his girlfriend sweet giggle and Quinn's low laugh as held her .

He scoffed , gripping his beer bottle tighter between his fingers .

"Why the hell does everybody think that?" He snapped. Sick of it.

Jack slowly turned his head to look at him like he was insane , brows furrowing in disbelief at how stupid his friend could possibly be.

He scoffed at him incredulously "dude come on..." he nudged him, trying to get him to admit it. To get him to see what everybody else did.

When Trevor just looked back at him blankly , refusing to even look in their direction .

Jack sighed long and hard, deciding then that he was going to have to be the one to uncomfortably break it to him.

He shifted on his seat with a grimace , cursing out his brother a thousand times in his mind. Wishing that he didn't have to do this, but it was getting harder and harder to watch. Getting more difficult to ignore .

Because Trevor was a good guy and he was his friend after all. But Quinn was also his brother and Cherrie was also his friend.

So it put him in a sticky position, of not wanting to pick sides but also wanting to bash all three of their heads together to get them to see what was right in front of them. Knowing in him That this really wasn't going to end well.

Somebody was going to have their heart broken and Jack had a feeling that it wasn't going to be Cherrie.

He looked at Trevor and sighed "I didn't want to be the one to have to have this conversation with you but ...I can't just not say anything. You're going to get hurt man. I don't want you to..not like this." His eyes pleaded for him to make it easy for him and just say he understood.

But Trevor was locked in a self induced game of denial, so he sipped his beer and glanced away. Scowling darkly .

"I don't know what you mean. We're fine." He denied Quickly. Fingers tapping against the bottle harder each time he heard them laugh together. Holding each other closer.

Jack shook his head , pursing his lips as he felt a surge of both sadness and anger for his friend. Just wishing that he would stop pretending .

He was stuck right in the middle wanting nobody to get hurt but knowing that the ending would be impossible for someone’s heart not to be broken. They were playing the long game and it hurt him to witness.

He was angry at Trevor for pretending to be so blind to what was playing out right in front of him.

He was angry at his brother for being such a fucking coward and pushing Cherrie straight into his friends awaiting arms. and he was angry at Cherrie for Leading Trevor on like this.

Jack hated it. Because he just wanted them all to be happy but he knew that none of them are going to be happy like this.

It was all so wrong .

He shook his head "look at her smiling right now Trevor." He determinedly pushed his friends head to force him to look at the scene playing out right in front of him to see.

Quinn was pulling her up onto the giant floaty , pulling her between his legs while she rung out her wet hair . Laughing at something he said , Quinn picking up some sunscreen and pulling her leg onto his lap as he gently rubbed it into her burning skin , eyes fondly watching her as she babbled away to him about something or other .

Trevor watched them, then swallowed his suddenly dry throat . "She's always smiling." He muttered , chest feeling heavy.

Jack nodded his head, pursed his lips and added "but you know who isn't?" He didn't give him a chance to guess. The answer was easy.

“My brother and look at him now!" He threw his arm in their direction, towards the beaming smile on his older brothers face as they chatted , in each other's personal space . Hands never far from her skin.

And Jack hated having to be the one to say it but, he just couldn't let this go on any further. It was getting ridiculous now.

"I mean , shit z! They look like more of a couple than you two do! They never leave each other’s sides and she only ever comes running to you when he can't be around! Come on man.." Jack was looking at him incredulously . It was so obvious to him.

But the truth was hard and Trevor just got angry instead . "she's allowed to have Friends! I don't know what you're getting at." He snapped at him, crossing his arms across his chest . Empty beer bottle tossed to the side in Annoyance . Not wanting to hear it.

Jack scoffed at him, not letting it go. "Yes you do! That's why you're getting so defensive right now. Because you know I’m right."' he shot right back at him . Just as annoyed at his refusal to listen to him.

"My brother has never been so fucking happy and you know who's making him smile like that?" He stuck to it even when Trevor glared at him and muttered for him to 'shut up' warningly .

"You're girlfriend." He told him bluntly , shaking his head. "Cherrie makes him happy. Genuinely . She always fucking has."

"So fucking what?" He spat at him angrily , heart pounding n his chest as the sinking feeling kicked in.

His eyes stinging "she's funny and she makes people happy. There's nothing wrong with that!"

Jack was getting angry now , looking at his friend in disbelief . Unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" He wanted to know. Confused and angry and done with it all.

"I know that you're not this stupid. And you're definitely not blind. This has been playing out right since the start man...she was his friend first and you..." he couldn't even finish his sentence before Trevor snapped again.

His face was desperate as he ran a hand through his hair angrily "I made sure that he was okay with it! I asked him if it was okay for me to go after her and he said he didn't care and to do whatever I wanted!" He butted in. He was not the bad guy here.

He knew how close Cherrie and Quinn were , knew the stories of how inseparable they were. But she was just so fucking beautiful and Trevor would have been an idiot not to shoot his shot when he found out that she was single and that Quinn was just a friend.

He had made sure to ask him, because he was a good guy. He had been drunk, they all had been. And Trevor could hardly take his eyes off of Cherrie that night as she danced with anyone and everyone , dressed in a tiny dress and a Hollywood smile on her face , he had been hooked .

So he asked Quinn if he could ask her out, and he had looked at him silently for a long moment before swallowing and muttering 'sure.' Not giving him much more of his time before he was making some excuse to leave. Leaving Him with the perfect position to slide in and accompany a confused and disappointed Cherrie when she asked him where Quinn had went.

"Home. Said he was bored and left." Trevor had told her with a charming grin. Love struck.

He had missed the way her smile had fell and the way she swallowed and let out a small 'oh'. Then he asked her out and her eyes had lingered on where Quinn had been sitting before telling him yes. Then the rest was history.

Jack groaned in Annoyance , head in his hands. His brother was an idiot .

“Yeah well, he's a fucking liar! Come on man, he's always been in love with her. And he's always been at the top of her list . Always. Just think back T. You know it's true." He pleaded with him.

So he did. And his heart broke to pieces .

He thought back to the day in March when he had arrived at her apartment after a long day of practice , wanting to just see his girlfriend and relax. Have quickie , some good food and get the hell to sleep.

Instead , as he walked through her door, he was met with the sight of Cherrie and Quinn sat crossed legged on her velvet couch . His girlfriend in between his spread legs , humming along to the movie on the tv while Quinn braided her hair , well, attempted to.

"It's only forever! It's not long at alllllll!" She sang out of tune loudly , leaning her head back against Quinn's shoulder to shoot him a cheesy grin. Serenading him on the couch , sounding absolutely nothing like bowie.

Trevor hovered by the doorframe for a moment as he watched them, putting his training bag down on the fooor with a slight frown. Having not realised that she had company , she hadn't told him.

He watched as Quinn chuckled at her dramatics , tugging on her hair on his hand a little to get her to lean back more , then he smacked the top of her forhead with his palm. Snickering when she gasped and send him a faux wounded look.

"You don't like my singing?" She pouted at him , letting him rest his arms around the front of her shoulders . Hugging her from behind as he leant back into the soft cushion on the couch , taking her body with him as she laid between his legs.

His eyes were glued to her singing lips as she continued to screech along to every single song that played on the labyrinth , doing her best to imitate them all. Terribly . But she was having fun and the smile on her face was so wide that Quinn felt his own smile begin to mirror hers .

Cheeks flushing a little with colour when she squeezed his cheeks between her fingers , head tilted back as she sang up to him without any embarrassment. Years of friendship solidifying the fact that there was no longer any shame between them.

She did and said whatever she wanted with Quinn , because she knew that his teasing was only ever from a place of love and humour. And that her stupidness was his own personal entertainment , and what was better than that?

"I think my ears are bleeding screechy." He told her with a shit eating grin on his face , easily dodging the slap coming his way.

He finished tying off the messy braid he had been working on as he laughed . Squeezing her to him fondly . "You're got the goblin voices down though. That's how you usually sound when you sing." He teased .

Cherrie gasped out a laugh , twisting in his arms to pinch at him. Grin too wide to be offended . "Hey!" She exclaimed , still not spotting Trevor by the doorway yet. Neither of them had, too far gone in their own little bubble to notice anything or anyone else. It had always been this way.

Their mothers had said that they got tunnel vision whenever they were together , needing to be physically pulled apart for them to listen to anybody else. It was like they went both blind and deaf, losing all senses when they were like this. Too lost in each other to care.

It had always been just Quinn and Cherrie, so adding a third party to the mix was strange and weird and not something that either of them were used to. And quite honestly , on Quinn's part, he wasn't keen on getting used to it anytime soon either.

And it wasn't that he didn't want Cherrie to be happy, because there was nothing more in the world that he wanted than to see her smile. But he just didn't like seeing her toothy smile being directed at anybody else but him.

He didn't like the ugly feeling it brought to his chest when she laughed at someone else’s jokes, he didn't like the way his stomach dropped when she told him that she had found someone. That she was dating again .

And Quinn hated it but mostly because he knew that this was his fault. He had been the one to give Trevor the go ahead in dating his best friend, he had practically encouraged it and pushed her straight into his arms by not saying a single thing.

He didn't tell her that he didn't want her with anybody but him, he didn't tell her that his heart was breaking each time he saw her kiss someone that wasn't him. He didn't tell her that she was his best friend but so much more than that at the same time. He didn't tell her that he was certain that she was his twin flame, his soulmate , both romantically and platonically. That She matched him in every way.

She made him so unbelievably happy . Because he loved her. He was in love with her. Always had been and always would be. Because it was Cherrie. It was just as simple as that. How could he not be? She was everything to him.

But he never told her that. Which was why he knew that he had no right to feel the ache in his chest or the jealousy in his blood just at the sight of them together.

Because he had done this. By being such a coward , too afraid to tell his best friend how he truly felt. His future was on the line. Because to him, Cherrie has always been in that picture. . Well, every picture in his mind. She was the starring role.

He saw them being best friends forever , even as he got down one knee. Even when he married her, when they had their own family . When he got his own happily ever after.

She was his. Because she has always been there and he had been Naive to think that he was the only one that pictured Cherrie in their future . That he was the only one that wanted to love her like that forever .

He had waited too damn long and now Trevor had beaten him to it. And Quinn had to listen to her tell him all about each and every date they went on together , about the first kiss, the first time they slept together . The first time Trevor had told her 'I love you'. Quinn had to sit there and hear it all, like his own personal punishment for not opening his mouth and telling her how he felt all these years ago.

And now he has lost her to fucking Trevor of all people and he had to face the consequences of his own cowardness.

But he wasn’t going to lose her . He wouldn't let himself . Or them . Or Trevor . Or anything or anyone else get in the way of who they were.

They are still the same Quinn and Cherrie that did everything together , that had no personal space and no boundaries between them. They are still them and Quinn would have to be happy with that.

For now.

Before Cherrie could open her mouth to resort back to him, they both jumped when Trevor finally made his presence known to them.

Scoffing loudly as he entered the front room, cherries eyed widening in shock as she placed a hand over her racing heart, not realising that he had come in at all.

"You're not seriously watching this shit again Cherrie?" Trevor groaned , rolling his eyes as soon as he spotted the movie that they were watching.

Quinn tensed up for a moment , brows furrowing as he saw cherries smile drop for a second bedroom she quickly masked it and let out a laugh instead , but he could tell that it wasn't the same laugh that she been giggling with him. It wasn't as genuine or as light , more strained and accepting instead.

"Hey! It's my comfort movie Trev! I love watching it." She reminded him as though everybody didn't already know about her obsession with it.

But she had been watching it repeatedly since she was a kid and it wasn't going to change how. She usually alternated between the labyrinth and the Addams family . She was a woman of taste after all.

Trevor snickered as he wandered into the kitchen to grab a drink from the fridge . "And what to do you need comforting about?" He called to her in slight amusement .

Cherrie just sighed long and hard. Leaning her had back against Quinn's arm as she responded dramatically "life dude."

Quinn snorted , flicking at her forhead with his finger in amusement . He briefly looked up from her pretty face just as Trevor came back into the room, his eyes darting down to their position on the couch before arching his eyebrow at him.

Quinn just relaxed further into her , raising a brow straight back. He wasn't moving anytime soon.

"It's David Bowie In Tights". He stated like that was all Trevor needed to know . "She's never going to turn it off." He said.

Cherrie laughed , grinning at him as she levelled him with a look. "Don't put this all on me! You love it just as much as I do! You're the one that told me to put it on." She reminded him swiftly . Tucking her feet breath her to her more comfortable.

Quinn bashfully looked down at her hair instead of meeting her knowing eyes , fiddling with her braid he made .

“Cause I know it makes you feel better." He muttered quietly .

She looked at him for a long moment , taking in his scabbed nose that was still healing , his messy hair that was sticking out below his ears . Eyes trailing down to the sweatpants and her oversized hoodie that he was wearing .

Smiling a little at way they always ended up wearing each other's sweaters , even when they had they're own. Cherrie was certain that the reason most of her oversized hoodies had been going missing was because of him.

Both of them preferring to wear each other’s sweaters instead. It made her chest arm and she smiled .

"You make me feel better." She told him softly , honestly . Forgetting for a moment that they weren't alone and that her boyfriend was still in the room with them , watching their interaction with a frown on his face.

She added as an after thought "and you’re getting so much better at braiding now. I might make you do it for me all the time." She praised him , taking her braided hair out from his hand to admire his work.

She knew that he had been watching videos to learn how to do it for her after hearing her complain about how she hated doing her hair but hated having it straight down . Yet refusing to cut it.

So he had been learning how to French braid hair to make her happy. It was working . Quinn saw the soft smile on her Pretty face and blushed.

Trevors frown deepened . He coughed a little , feeling annoyed when both of their heads snapped over to him. Seeming to only then remember that he was even there at all.

Seeing his annoyed look, Cherrie gave him a smile "you want to watch it with us?" Having been trying to get Him to like her interests . But he just refused to bite. No matter how many times she begged him to watch her favourite Movie or listen to her favourite songs . He just wouldn't .

Quinn did.

Trevor scoffed out a laugh "fuck no. I can't watch this shit again. Not my thing." He said while leaning down to steal a kiss from her .

Deliberately deepening it for a moment for Quinn to see, narrowing his eyes at him a little when he finally pulled away.

Quinn's jaw was clenched as he stared straight ahead at the tv , kicking Trevor away from him seeing as he has to lean down onto his space to kiss Cherrie since she was still laid in his arms. Quinn wanted to kick the smug smirk Straight off his face , he really did.

"I'm gonna go play Xbox. Order me some takeout please? Quinn's paying." Trevor said with a smirk as he gave her one last kiss before moving away to head to her gaming room Instead.

Cherrie let out a disappointed sigh, watching him go with a small frown.

Quinn scoffing beneath his breath as him. "Fuckhead." He muttered moodily "I'm making sure they soak his pizza in pineapple." He said.

Cherrie looked at Him in amusement "he hates pineapple ." She replied. Letting him pull the fluffy blanket around them .

Quinn dimming the lights as he pulled her closer to him. Gently Stroking at the soft skin of her stomach where her shirt has ridden up with his thumb.

"Exactly." Was all he murmured . Grinning at her as he tucked her into his side. Pressing his lips against the side of his head, content that she was still there with him. Not leaving him at all.

"He's an idiot by the way." He commented quietly a few minutes later as they watched her favourite film "this is great." He told her in a mumble he, not looking at her. Grateful for darkness in the room so that she couldn't see the dark flush on his cheeks.

They grinned at each other and cuddled even closer on the couch . Forgetting that Trevor was even in the same apartment as them at all.

Then Trevor thinks back to the time when he had walked into another close scene of them, having become more accustomed to their closeness and weird moments together the longer that he dated her .

So He wasn't that surprised to find them in her bathroom Together , Quinn sat on a stool with Trevors girlfriend in front of him in just a tshirt, gold eye masks on her face as she held his face in her hands . Plucking his brows.

Trevor paused by the open door , sighing in exasperation as he looked at them. "What the hell are you two doing now?" He wondered. Getting their attention.

It was only Quinn that glanced at him, cheeks red as he sat still on the stool for her. Eyes warily eyeing Cherrie as she brought the tweezers closer to his eyes.

"Making him look pretty." Cherrie murmured in concentration . Tongue poking out between her teeth as she plucked some hairs , Quinn wincing like she had cut him.

Trevor laughed. Loudly . "You got magic baby?" He teased. Smirking at the unimpressed look Quinn immediately shot him.

"Fuck you! You're girlfriend thinks I'm pretty." Quinn shot back at him just as quick .

Trevor rolled his eyes "my girlfriend hugs wet dogs and thinks rats are cute. Her opinion can't be trusted." He said.

Cherrie shot him a glare over her shoulder at that, shaking her head at them. "And your girlfriend is right here. Shut up." She snapped at him before looking back down at Quinn.

Gently tilting his head to get a better angle , feeling the heat of his skin beneath her fingers . His eyes flittering around her face, counting her freckles now that she was so close . He let out a slow , shaky breath.

"Keep still Q." She murmured to him softly "they're gonna look so good." She promised him.

Quinn just sighed , letting her do whatever she wanted to him. If she told him she wanted to shave his head he would let her. He never could say no to her.

"Just- just don’t make them too thin alright?" He muttered instead. Wincing at the pinching pain as she plucked some more.

Trevor shook his head in disbelief at them , leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched them .

“I can't believe you're letting her do this." He said to Quinn honestly.

Quinn didn't even glance at him as he answered in a mutter . "why not? Have you seen her brows? They're perfect and she does them herself. No better person to do it." Meaning it.

She always helped him take care of his appearance the best that she could, knowing how lazy he got with it. It was thanks to Cherrie that his hair was in nice condition at all. She had been the one to go out and get him some fancy shampoo and conditioner , making him do hair masks with her when she did one.

She trimmed his nails when she did her own, even painted them when she was bored. She was the reason he now had a skin care routine .

Having enjoyed the way that she would take her time and softly rub the lotions and creams into his skin, carefully showing him how to do it .

Yet he always complained to her that it didn't feel the same when he did it, grinning smugly to himself when the night would turn into a mini spat night for him instead. With him lying lazily against her pillows as she did his skincare for him, her hands gently rubbing in oils and creams until he was halfway asleep on her bed.

He loved it. So what? She was making him feel good and look good at the same time. He wasn't going to say no to that. He wasn't that fragile in his own masculinity, thank god.

He Liked her doing his nails and his hair, liked her making him all soft and pretty. Simple because it made her happy and that made him happy In return.

Cherrie grinned down at him, pushing his cheeks together until his lips puckered as she cooed down at him . Flattered. "Awww! Thank you." She finished off his brows quickly. Nudging Him over to the mirror to take a look.

"Alright weirdos." Trevor took this time to slide in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he tucked his face into her neck. Sighing happily as he gave her a firm squeeze.

"We still on for tonight baby?" He checked in with her lowly .

Kissing down her neck as he pulled her close to him making her sigh quietly. Eyes fluttering closed as his hand slid beneath her shirt to rub at her hips gently. Teasing her .

“Italian food and Netflix in bed?" He pulled away to wiggle his eye brows at her suggestively .

Turning her body around to face him , her back now to Quinn as he watched them through the mirror l with a scowl on his face . Blood burning and heart aching.

Quinn diverted his eyes as soon as he saw Trevors hand wander to her ass in the reflection , catching sight of the way he squeezed and slapped at it playfully , rocking her hips shamelessly into his as he kissed her. Not caring that he was there.

Cherrie was giggling against his lips, blushing a little at the attention . "Sure. Can't wait." She mumbled into the kiss, getting lost in the feeling of being kissed for a moment .

Moaning a little as she felt his hand slid between her legs teasingly , titling her head back with his free hand as he sucked at her neck, leaning his mark for Quinn to see .

"So good for me huh?" Trevor murmured smugly as he teased her, lifting his head to make eye contact with Quinn through the mirror.

The tension rising in two different ways as the older hockey player glared back at him hatefully , Trevor feeling smug for a moment that she was finally Paying him attention like she should have been.

"You two make me sick." Quinn snapped while turning around. Sick of seeing them. Sick of seeing Trevor hands on her soft skin , touching her in ways he could only dream of.

But most of all he hated that it was his fault for wasting his chance. Hating the way that it could have been him taking her back to her room, pinning her ahinst her bed as he fucked her loudly for everyone to hear.

But instead it was Trevor that got to do that now and Quinn had to suffer through the night , grinding his teeth as he laid in the spare bedroom to her own room.

Hearing her bed frame big off the wall over and over again . His eyes squeezed shut in both anger , jealousy and shame as he listened to her getting fucked by Trevor. Her moans Loud as she screamed his name , her crys and whimpers making him hard as he clenched his jaw. Blocking out Trevors grunts and his stupid voice calling her a slut and demanding her to tell him who fucked her this good.

And when she moaned 'you do.' Quinn pretended that it was him she was fucking. That it was him she was sucking off. That it was him she was cumming around that night .

He kept his eyes tightly closed , his heart pounding in his chest as he wrapped his fist around his rock hard cock and jacked himself off to the sound of her screams in the room next door. Rutting into his hand frantically as he clenched his teeth together painfully as he heard her scream , begging to be fucked harder .

Hating that it wasn't him , knowing that Trevor could never fuck her the way she wanted. The way only he could .

He came into his hand Wishing that it was him.

Then there was that moment in the bar when someone Thought that Quinn and Cherrie were together . Like he was just the extra friend .

He was Busy talking to Jack with a beer in his hand. Barely listening as his girlfriend chatted away to a girl she had made friends with in the toilets , all of them tipsy as she showed off the bracelet on her and Quinn's wrist to the girl proudly.

"I made them! Look.." she beamed while gently twisting his wrist closer to show her Quinn's bracelet.

"It’s supposed to bring him luck and good health. I put little crystals and gems on it too for protection since he's always getting his face busted in games." She rambled to her , leaning onto his side with a grin.

Quinn wrapped his arm around her shoulder, just sipping on his beer as he watched her fondly as she rambled on and on, having fun. Making friends.

He has always enjoyed watching her like this, it amazed him to see how magnetic she was, how easily she could make friends and talk to people like she has always known them. Making them feel special. It made him smile against his bottle as he watched the girl gush over their matching bracelets she had made them.

"Babe! Tell her- it worked didn't it? Like- he scored as soon as I gave it to him! The woman at the Crystal shop told me it would give him luck. I even put it out to charge under the moonlight for extra luck! Didn't I babe?" She nudged Quinn drunkenly , nodding for him to tell her.

Quinn chuckled , nodding along . Gently squeezing her shoulder with his hand . "She did and it did. It works good. No pucks to the face so far." He confirmed with a laugh. Ruffling her hair affectionately.

The girl cooed at them, just as drunk. Pressing her hands to her cheeks as she beamed at them. "Awww! You two are so cute together! Such a perfect match! How long have you been together?" She gushed obliviously . Assuming they were in love. They looked it.

That caught Trevors attention. Body freezing as his conversation with Jack paused , both of them glancing beside them to see Cherrie and Quinn blushing , Trevor laughing loudly as he smacked jacks arm, as it to say 'believe this?'

Jack just grimaced.

"Oh no!" Trevor shook his head quickly asserting himself into their group.

"she's my girlfriend! Not his. They're just friends!" He let her know. Pushing away the churning in his stomach . Shaking off his sudden unease .

The woman frowned at him. Then she looked between Quinn and Cherrie in surprise . "Wow really? I never would have guessed!" Was all she said before exchanging numbers with his girlfriend . The two giggling and promising to hang out , Cherrie grinning to herself as they wandered off the bar together to meet the rest of her friends she came with . Just Happy that she made a new friend.

It left Jack stood between a scowling Trevor and uncomfortable Quinn who was refusing to look at either of them. Just sipping on his beer quietly as he fiddled with the bracelet around his wrist .

"Jesus...that was awkward ." Jack muttered. Nervously looking between the two of them.

Trevor scoffed, glaring over at quinn who refused to look at him. Just pursing his lips and staying quiet.

"That was weird right?" Trevor tried to brush it off. "Like, why would she even think that?" He laughed weakly.

Quinn didn't answer . Leaving Jack to silently

shake his head in disappointment and disbelief , giving his older brother a disapproving look that he refused to see.

Sighing to himself, knowing that this was not going to end well.

Then Trevor thought back to all the times that Cherrie had cut a date short because of Quinn , some lame excuse . Just like the time that Quinn had called her halfway during their date night at a fancy restaurant.

Trevor had been enjoying himself , chatting away to her about how good his season had been recently. Just admiring how stunning she looked in the candlelight , dressed in a pretty dress with her hair and makeup done perfectly. Looking like a supermodel.

Only his mood quickly came crashing down when she got done with her quick phone call and gave him a small grimace , already pushing her plate away from her . Mind made up before he even knew what was happening .

She was calling over to waiter to make her soup to go, looking down at Trevor apologetically while he just gaped up at his girlfriend in disbelief.

"What the hell are you doing? Where are you going?" He rushed out , annoyed and embarrassed. Feeling eyes on them.

Everything had been going so good until Quinn called. It was always Quinn and Trevor was starting to hate it. He knew that they were friends but this was ridiculous .

They were on a date for fucks sake!

"Quinn's sick and his head is flaring up from the hit on the rink! We're gonna have to rain check." She tells him In a hurry.

Offering a smile to the waiter returning with her packed up soup that she planned to give to Quinn now. Hearing his throaty voice on the phone as coughed and sniffled , not sounding good at all.

She was already planning on stopping at the store to grab some painkillers and cough syrup, maybe some ice cream too. Going through their usual plan for when one of them was sick.

It didn't matter that she was in the middle of a date, all that mattered to her then was getting to his apartment to look after him. Knowing that he was alone and hating that he was while feeling like this too. They always looked after each other . That wasn't going to stop now .

Trevor wasn't letting it go so easily this time and before they knew it, they were arguing about it in the middle of the restaurant.

Glaring over at his girlfriend in disbelief "he's a big boy who can take care of himself ! I don't get why you have to be the one to look after him!" He snapped at her angrily .

Cherie glared straight back "because he's my best friend? That's why!" She shot back at him. Annoyed. Grabbing her bag.

Trevor scoffed humourlessly , crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her pull out her phone to tell Quinn that she was on her way.

He shook his Head bitterly . "are you serious? You might've well have had him on the fucking date with us. You've been texting him the whole night too! It's always Quinn this and Quinn that, while I'm right fucking here!" He almost shouted at her, frustrated and jealous that her attention was never 100% on him.

Cherrie just looked at him then , guilt on her face as she wrapped her arms around herself. Not knowing what to say.

She swallowed "I'm sorry Trevor. I don't know what to tell you. You know we're close-"

He had heard it all before. So he just waved off her excuses with a heavy sigh, rolling his eyes in defeat .

"Yeah I do. Whatever Cherrie." He muttered . Not looking at her.

There was an uncomfortable silence, Cherrie glancing over her shoulder , rocking on her feet. Wanting to leave to get to Quinn but the guilt keeping her standing there for a moment longer .

She winced and softened her voice "are we okay trev?" She asked him quietly. Guilty.

But they both knew where her loyalty lied and it wasn't with him. She wasn't going to stay . Not while her best friend was sick and alone and needing her.

Trevor looked at her, taking in her pretty face and stunning dress and sighed. Rubbing at his Face , he nodded his head. Shrugging as well.

"We're okay." He lied.

Then there was the wedding where it all

Came crashing down . Trevor has been stuck watching as Quinn walked Cherrie down the isle, best man and maid of honour . Cherrie looking as beautiful as ever, and her arm firmly hooked through his as they both grinned each other . Looking perfect together.

He barely soldiered through that but it got too much when he noticed how Quinn couldn't keep his eyes off his girlfriend . Gazing at her longingly as they stood at either side of the bride and groom , grinning at each other occasionally .

Quinn smiling softly to himself as he watched Cherrie get emotional as the vows were said, his eyes never leaving her pretty face the whole ceremony.

Sat miserably on the wooden benches beside Jack, Trevor glared at him . Chest feeling tight.

“You're brother has a staring problem man." He snapped quietly to him, visibly annoyed. Rose coloured glasses long gone .

Jack just sighed, also annoyed by now. Having been putting up with this for months . Wishing that it would just stop. And that they could all see sense . But it wasn't happening. And it was frustrating to sit back and watch, unable to do anything .

"You have a problem . He's not looked away from her since the moment they met Z. This isn't new." He said to him honestly .

Not getting it at all. It all seemed to simple and easy to him, he didn't understand why they were all even playing this game and hurting each other Like this. It made no sense to him. He thought they are all being incredibly stupid.

Then Jack watched Trevor sulk at the table with a glass of wine in his hand and sighed , having enough.

He sat beside him with a frown "come on dude, what are you doing?" He snapped at him. Sick of it.

Trevor frowned at him, lips pursed. "At a wedding?" He tried playing dumb. But it wasn't working at all.

The sadness and headache was written all across his face after watching them the whole night together, seeing the way they so naturally fit by each other's side. She had even managed to drag him to the dance floor with her, hands around his neck and Quinn's low around her waist as they swayed together to the music . Smiling at eachother like nobody else existed.

They looked so happy . Trevor felt sick.

Then he watched as the bride finally threw the boutique of flowers behind her , and low and behold they landed straight into cherries hand.

As though fate was laughing at Him Cruelly , tears stinging his eyes as he watched his girlfriend glance straight over to Quinn , not him , as she caught them. Clutching them to her chest tightly as she giggled , flustered with all the girls cooing at her, nudging her and laughing along as she looked straight at quinn. Raising a brow at him in amusement . Showing him the flowers .

And Quinn was already looking back at her , of course he was , a shy smile on his face as he shook his head affectionately at her .

Opening his arms to pull her into his embrace , before plucking one of the smaller flowers from the bouquet and putting it behind her ear gently. Neither of them even glancing his way. Seeming to forget he was even there at all. Like they always did.

He sniffled sadly he felt Jack pat his shoulder sympathetically , muttering curses about his brother and how sorry he was . But he was glad that he knew now. That he was seeing what he was seeing finally. At a wedding of all places.

And Trevor could only groan and put his head in his hands, heart falling to pieces .

"Shit." He groaned sadly. Seeing the truth a little too late. Denial has been a nasty birch but it was over now.

He saw it all.

Trevor finally got the courage to corner Quinn later that night. Seeing him sitting by the edge of the dock after the reception , everybody else still inside getting plastered and having fun.

But the air was somber as Trevor slowly lowered himself to sit beside Quinn, startling the older player from his thoughts as he looked at him in surprise .

"Z-" he knew. He knew that he knew. Of course he did. How could he not? The guilt was written all across his face.

It had been a long time coming hadn’t it?

Trevor shook his head angrily, clenching his jaw as he tried to refrain from punching him straight in his face like he wanted to. That wouldn’t solve anything.

"Why did you let me date her if you're in love with her?" He's blunt with it. There was no other way to say it.

He Sick and tired of all the lame excuses and long roads of denial. Of all the cowardliness and half bitten truths. It hurt too much now and he just wanted it to stop.

This was too much . It didn't feel so good anymore . Not when he knew for sure that he wasn't the right guy. His heart was sore and he fucking hated feeling like this. He couldn't believe that he had been so stupid and so naive to think that he could have been the one. Believing That she could ever had loved him like she did Quinn.

That was sick dreaming but now his eyes were wide open and his heart was breaking. Because he knew what everyone around him already did.

And it hurt. So fucking bad.

Quinn's eyes widened in shock, shame and guilt almost shutting him down and he stammered out nervously , heart pounding in his Chest.

"I am not! Z- come on- I don't-" he can't even finish his lie. Tongue tied as he tried to deny the truth but he just couldn't anymore , the dark, ashamed flush on his face easily giving him away.

It was hurting him too. So fucking much. Because love had never been easy and it was finally knocking at their door, begging to be let free.

The truth hurt. It always did.

But Trevor just shook his head , face going blank .

"I asked you if you were okay with it and you said yes. I never stole her from you."He muttered angrily .

Eyes Staring blandly out at the lake , not wanting to look at him anymore as his heart was finally shattered apart , as the truth came crumbling down around them. Cutting the both of them open, but only one of them was getting out of this unscathed and with the light.

Quinn swallowed guilty , lower lip trembling as he followed his gaze out to the water surrounding them.

His heart dropping to his stomach, knowing that he really did know now because Trevor wasn't stupid. He liked to act like he didn't know what was going on but he did.

But sometimes it was easy to ignore the signs and to brush away the unease and suspicions when love was on the line .

Because Trevor had wanted Cherrie so fucking bad that he had been willing to overlook the truth, to ignore that she wasn't in love with him . That he wasn't the one she searched for in every crowded room.

He wasn't the one . Would never be.

He had wished so badly to be, had done everything he could to get her to return his love but it just hadn't worked.

Because she was never his to begin with .

"She...but she said yes to you." He mumbled out quietly , swallowing anxiously as he fiddled with her bracelet around his wrist that he had yet to take off .

The lump in his throat only growing bigger as Trevor laughed sadly, shaking his head bitterly at him .

"yeah she did. 'cause you didn't say no. I was the other option. The other guy . I was so fucking stupid.." he laughed humourlessly , wanting to slap himself for being so foolish with naive hope that it really could have been him.

Quinn went silent . Not knowing what to say. What could be said that he didn't already know?

Quinn was in love with Trevors girlfriend and had been long before he had even met her. And deep down. Trevor had always known that it was true.

He had seen the looks, the touches and the obvious love between them but he has still pursued her. Because she was beautiful Cherrie and he was just a man who fell in love.

He laughed in disbelief while rubbing a hand over his face in both anger and sadness . Because this was it .

“I can't believe that I've been so stupid to think that it would stop , and that you would two would get over each other , and that she would be happy with me!" The tears filled his eyes . Sniffling to himself as the pressure mounted his chest . Heartbroken.

“She is happy with you-"Quinn croaked guiltily . Watching him from the corner of his eye as he harshly wiped the tears from his face , snapping his head over to glare at him. Done with the lies.

He cut him off angrily. "No. She's happy when you're there with us! I've been third wheeling my own relationship trying to convince myself that everyone else was wrong. That I could be the one! Like that was ever an option!"

Quinn looked back at him then, and frowned defensively. "What? You wanted her to ditch me for you? Relationship or not . That was never going to happen. We're best friends-" he started to argue back because the guilt was killing him and he hated the way it was making him feel.

He didn't want to be the bad guy in Trevors story but some things just couldn't be helped. It was too late now. Trevor was the other guy and he was only finding that out now, and it hurt. Of course it did. This was what Jack had tried to warn him about from the start.

He laughed or maybe it was a cry , he really couldn't tell anymore . His heart was fucking breaking and he had never felt so stupid in his life.

"Oh come on! cut the shit Quinn! Stop fucking lying to me and to yourselves . You're not just 'friends'. Friends don't look at each other the way you do . At the wedding-" he took a deep breath to push down his anger , his sadness quickly taking over for him instead. Pushing him on.

"You looked at her like you were imagining her walking down that isle to you. And when she caught those flowers- you smiled. So fucking hard man! That was the moment I knew. It’s never going to be me is it?" He realised out loud. Looking straight at him.

The truth cut deep. But the knife went both ways.

Quinn blinked back the tears from his eyes, guilt clouding his face horribly. Feeling like complete and utter shit as he saw the hurt written across his face.

"Z-" he started say but his voice cracks with pain , feeling horrible for what he had done . The hurt they had both caused him without even realising it.

He laughed humourlessly , shaking his head as he wiped his nose with his sleeve. "No! No. Don't try to sugar coat it or make me feel better! Cause that's not going to work. I just want the truth! Tell me the truth Quinn!" He shouted at him. Tired now.

There was a long , tense pause where they both just looked back out at the lake again , hearts aching.

Quinn swallowing as he looked down at the bracelet on his wrist, gently caressing her initials on the small stone beside his .

"Are you in love with her?" Trevor asked him quietly . Already knowing the truth. But he wanted to hear it. Wanted some sort of attempted closure. Wanted to know that he wasn't insane. That he was right. That everybody else was right.

Quinn sighed shakily, cupping his mouth with his trembling hand as he tried not to cry.

"do I really need to answer that?" He breathed out quietly, voice barely a whisper . Eyes blurry from the tears. Unable to look at him from the guilt he felt.

Trevor sighed long and hard .

"yeah. You do Quinn. It's the least that you owe me. The respect to look me in my eye and tell me the truth." He told him seriously. Meaning it.

Quinn turned to him finally and his face read everything that he needed to know.

Despite knowing the truth , Trevors face crumbled anyways. A small part of him hoping that it wasn't true. That he was crazy. That she could be his.

But it was never going to be him.

"I'm sorry man." He pleads for him to understand "it's not my fault alright? I just-I tried not to be. I tried to ignore the feelings and push it away but-" he placed his head in his hands, feeling terrible. Shaking his head in frustration at himself .

"I can't. I've loved her since she opened her big mouth and called me a stupid idiot when we first met. And I've loved her everyday since. And I'm sorry. I really am. I'm sorry for hurting you but I'm not sorry for loving her. I can't be." He whispered brokenly .

Trevor doesn't say anything for a while. Just Shaking his head slowly in both resignation and disbelief. Unable to believe that he had let himself lie to himself for this long.

And All because he loved a girl.

Now look at him. Heartbroken and crying. So fucking sad. It was pathetic .

He was letting kind of wanting to kill Quinn. Kind of wanted to push him into the lake. Kind of wanted to pretend that none of this had ever happened just so he could get to kiss Cherrie goodbye one more time.

It just hurt. This whole thing had splintered him in half , he never knew that love could be so cruel.

"and she loves you too?" He sniffled.

She never said it back to him. No matter how many times he told her that he loved her. He really should have known.

Quinn swallowed thickly , guilt keeping his eyes down to his feet in shame . "I think so. I don't know.."

"Yes you do!” He muttered in annoyance while rolling his eyes , scrubbing at his face roughly with his hands . Heart shattered on the ground by Quinn's and his feet .

So He slowly pushed himself up from the ground and took one last look out at the calm waters around them.

Then looked back down to the tearful hockey player below him and nods his head to himself , accepting what was meant to be.

"You know she does. I know she does. Don't waste it man. I wish I was you. She's a forever kind of girl isn't she? " he lets his truthful words linger for a long moment "just not for me. Not my forever.”

"Z-" he calls up to him quietly , face confused , eyes wide as he looked at him.

“are you-why aren't you punching me?" He wanted to know. Having expected it. Or worse.

Trevor just cracks a sad smile and shrugs his shoulders . Tucking his trembling fingers into his pockets instead .

"what's the point?" He says honestly, exhausted .

“I can't change how you guys feel. I'll just have to change my feelings instead . She's really easy to fall in love with huh? Go tell her man. Don't be as stupid as I was." He advises him, not longer having anything left to say.

Not risking staying around any longer , not wanting to actually give into the urge to hit him. That wouldn’t solve his broken heart .

So he simply left. Never looking back.

Then six months later he's watching them kiss underneath the New Years fireworks. Tears of happiness in both of their eyes as they held onto each other tightly , everybody cheering loudly around them .

Quinn laughing tearfully as he held her face in his trembling hands. Telling her he loved her over and over again while she cried . Laughing along with him, the diamond ring glinting underneath the sparkling lights , proudly slid onto her finger as people congratulated them. Both of them lost in their own world together. not much had changed there .

They didn't see anybody else but each other .

Trevor downed jacks champagne glass for him and laughed a little to himself , watching in silent defeat as Cherrie looked over her shoulder with a grin worth a thousand goodbyes and hellos on her ruby lips .

He watched as her smile softened as she met his gaze , then as she gave him a small wave , Quinn to busy crying happy tears into her neck as Luke Wrapped his arms around the both of them . Shouting his congratulations and telling everybody that this has been a long time coming.

He couldn’t have been any closer to the truth if he tried.

Trevor’s face softened too and instead of causing a scene , he just winked at her . "Nice ring." He mouthed over to her , smirking a little. Heart still aching but she looked so fucking happy and he knew that she would look just as pretty in white.

She laughed. Then shrugged gently back at him, the apology in her eyes clear before Quinn was pulling her down for another kiss. Lost in her. As always .

And Trevor understood what that felt like . He didn't feel any anger then. Just an ache . A lingering feeling of 'what if?' And what could have been. That he knew would forever follow him around.

But they were happy. He couldn't , wouldn't, ruin that. He didn't want to.

Because he knew deep down that he could never have made her as happy as Quinn did. It was just the truth.

Jack was patting his shoulder gently . Happy for his older brother but also feeling sorry that his friend had gotten his heart teared in the process , caught between all the love and mess that love created.

But here they were. And time was moving on. They all were. Older but never wiser .

"What happened man?" Jamie was his clearly

gobsmacked.. way out of the loop as he gaped at Cherrie and Quinn kissing shamelessly in front of everyone , never letting each other go .

Having watched the eldest brother get down on one knee and cry his love for her in front of all their friends and family . It was safe to say that He was a little more than shocked.

Looking over at Trevor In disbelief , wondering what the hell he has missed. And how he could be there and not sobbing on the floor in grief.

Trevor just laughed quietly and shrugged his shoulders. Sighing long and hard Bedford he simply told him

“long story short I was the wrong guy."

But she has found him now. And she didn’t have to look very far because he was right there all along. Waiting for her to see him. And now that she did, she was all about him now.

And Trevor was just another star in her sky, while Quinn was her entire universe.

And long story short …he would survive.

#nhl oneshot #nhl imagine #quinn hughes oneshot #Quinn Hughes imagine #ice hockey imagine #ice hockey oneshot #nhl fic #Trevor zegras imagine #Trevor zegras oneshot #hockey imagine

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valdiis · 18 days

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FFXIV Site Write #2: Horizon

If given half a chance, Daephrin Astramente was not a morning person. He could easily sleep 'til ten bells of the morning, utterly oblivious to the world, so heavily out that lovers had been known to climb over him to get out of bed and he still wouldn't wake.

As a sky pirate, however, Daephrin was rarely given half a chance. He had treasures to beat other pirates to. This morning wasn't about treasure hunting, but he was up much too early for his own good anyway. He stood on the balcony of his Limsa apartment and stared out at the horizon, watching the rosy fingers of dawn creep up along purple clouds over a dark sea.

"Couldn't sleep?" came the words from behind him. He blinked, having not even heard the door slide open.

"Mm." Very eloquent at this hour. "Not really."

"I'm usually up well before you. What's wrong?"

Daephrin sighed and leaned forward, bracing his arms on the balcony railing. His hands hung off the edge of it over a drop of two stories. The height made him think of other falls that had been taken from this height, and the lifelong consequences thereof. He thought about his little brother far too much.

"Gonna make me guess?" asked the dark-haired Elezen that had come to stand behind him. "You know I'm not a mind-reader like Rath, right?"

At first, the only answer was a grunt, then a sigh as Dae relented. "I'm thinking about gil," he said. "And how much of it must be left in the household after all the treatments and doctors Ri has seen."

Jaxon Tavard put a hand on Dae's bare shoulder. In Limsa, one could be bare-chested at dawn in the summer - unlike Jax's place in Ishgard. "You're worried he's running out of money?"

"Yeah..." Dae tilted his head towards the hand on his shoulder, rubbing his cheek on it like an affectionate cat. Even when his mind was caught in distressing thoughts, he could find soothing in Jax's steady, calm demeanor. "I haven't talked to him about the Astramente finances yet. I just-"

"Worry," Jax finished. "If you don't know, why are you borrowing trouble over it already?" He squeezed Dae's shoulder gently and stepped closer to blanket the smaller Elezen from behind. One arm wrapped around the sky pirate's waist and the other reached over the edge of the balcony to tangle fingers with Dae's own. "Have I told you lately that you worry too much?"

That drew a little laugh from Dae and he shook his head. "Not this week, yet."

"Well, don't start fretting over something when you don't even know if it's worth being upset over. Next time we visit, talk to him about it."

Dae blew out a breath and pushed himself to relax in his lover's embrace. It wasn't hard. "Alright." He paused a moment before a hint of mischief entered his voice, "What's for breakfast?"

"I don't know. What are you cooking?"

Dae laughed, thoroughly trounced in his attempt to hint that Jax should cook instead. "How about pancakes and eggs?"

Jax nuzzled Dae's temple before pressing a little kiss there. "Sounds like a plan, Lark. Do you want to finish greeting the dawn first?" he teased.

"Ugh. No. Sunrise is pretty and all, but I'd much rather be seeing the backs of my eyelids."

(Jaxon belongs to @briar-ffxiv!)

#FFxivWrite2024 #FFxivWrite #FFXIV #Daephrin Astramente

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jazzthatonewriterchick · 2 years

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I'll Show You "Uptight" (18+ Fic)

Pairing: Adult!Bakugou x Black!Fem!Reader (Coworkers to Lovers)

Synopsis: In which a very pissed and very emotionally frustrated Bakugou decides he’s not going to let you get away with your lip that easily and pays you a visit one girls’ night to prove to you that he is, indeed, able to be “looser” after you make a drunk comment about his introverted and uptight personality to your mutual friends and Kirishima “accidentally” spills the beans.

Story Warnings: Smutty smut (MINORS DON’T READ), 18+, AgedUp!Bakugou (he’s 25 years old), Swearing, Grinding, Public Displays of Affection, Mentions of & Consumption of Alcohol, Consensual Sex w/ Verbalization, Foreplay, Public Kink, Manhandling, Mild Degradation, Praise Kink, Daddy Kink, Spit Play, 69ing, Facefucking, Safe Sex (WRAP IT BEFORE YOU TAP IT), Edge Play, Spanking, Mild Choking, MULTIPLE Positions, MULTIPLE Orgasms for Reader, Aftercare, Reader is black-coded but anyone can read this

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic. However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!

Writer’s Note: Back with another one for y’all and this one is a bit longer. It’ll probably be either 5 or 6 chapters. I came up with this after being on a dancehall/reggae craze lately & thought, “hmm…would Bakugou know how to dance to this shit??” I decided yes & got to writing since I’ve got time before winter break ends. If you wanna listen in on the playlist that inspired me to write this fic, it’s riiiight up in here. I hope y’all enjoy the first chapter! Be safe out there & thank you for reading! -Jazz

Ao3 link here!

Chapters: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

*********

Chapter One

Bakugou was pissed.

He didn’t consider himself to be someone who gave a shit about what anyone said. If someone decided to take a jab at him or comment on him in any way, he’d usually just tell them to fuck off and keep it moving. Or, if said jab or comment got back to him from someone else, he’d usually pull up to the bitch who said it and ask them to say it to his face…which they never would.

Bakugou was a hard nut to crack. Ever since he was in his teens, he was hard edges and a tough exterior, all to hide the softness that resides within him, of course. He hasn’t changed much since graduating from UA and becoming the second most popular pro hero in Japan at age 25. His mom, some mentors of his, and his closest friends are the only ones who are aware of this truth.

You, however, were not. And that shouldn’t have gotten to him the way it did now, but fuck, it did! He didn’t get what irked him about you so or why he was so hung up on you. He’d only known you for a couple of months since you started working at his agency alongside him and Bakusquad. You weren’t a pro, only working at the front desk, but you were respected as if you are one.

Maybe it was the way you always give each employee a kind smile when they walked in, brightening up the day. Or maybe it was your work ethic and how you went above and beyond. Or maybe it was the way those pencil skirts and work slacks you wore hugged your ass just right…or maybe that was just Bakugou’s dick talking. Probably.

Needless to say, you bothered him. But he knew rationally it wasn’t your fault. Whatever it was about you that had him tossing and turning at night, or so tongue-tied that he refused to speak too much to you when you said hello during work hours, or made him blush while on patrol when he so much as thought about your pretty smile or gorgeous skin, was all on him. But dammit, did he want to blame you for all of it!

But that was only part of the reason why he was so pissed. The main reason why was because you couldn’t seem to keep your pretty mouth shut, especially when you drank. He came to this conclusion one day while he and Denki were coming back from patrols. It was a warm spring day in Musustafu that day, but not enough to have him sweating buckets in his hero’s uniform.

However, when he got back to his agency and finally stripped himself of the outfit, the air conditioner felt good on his slightly-clammy skin. He sighed in relief, letting the outfit pool to the tiled floors beneath him. “Ah, man,” Denki sighed, stripping off his jacket. “I’ll tell ya, six hours of patrolling is fuckin’ wicked. My feet are killing me!”

Bakugou had chuckled at his friend’s pain as he stepped out of his outfit, only in his Calvin Klein briefs. “That’s why I chose you for patrols today,” he smirked. “Gotta do something besides flirt with Jirou on FT.”

Denki gaped at him. “Hey!” he shouted. “That ain’t true! And at least I got someone to flirt with. All you’ve got are those cute little FunkoPops you hide behind your desk.” Bakugou shot him a death glare as he grabbed the extra water bottle out of his locker, earning a shit-eating grin from Denki. “You’re a Sailor Moon fan, eh?” he hummed.

“Fuck off!” Bakugou growled, just as Kirishima and Sero walked into the room.

“Uh-uh, no killing each other right now,” Sero groaned as he sat down on the bench between the row of lockers. “I haven’t eaten yet and it’s all I can focus on.”

“We wanted to come and get you guys first,” Kiri says as he sits down closer to Bakugou, legs open in his sweats and wiping his face with a towel. They must have just come from the gym/spa downstairs that Bakugou was hellbent on getting built. “You guys up for ramen?”

“Hell yes!” Denki practically shouted, now in his undershirt and briefs. “Just let me get a shower in and I’m good. I could use some spicy miso.”

Kiri grinned happily, all sharp, white teeth. “What about you, Bakubro?” he chirped. “You comin’ with this time?”

Bakugou glanced at his friends as he took some Native deodorant out of his locker, slathering some on. He’d make sure he showered after coming back from lunch. “Sure, why not?” he grumbled, expecting some kind of cheer between his friends…but there was nothing.

At the sound of sheer silence, he glanced up at his friends to see them all gaping at him. “What?” he growled.

Denki blinked at him, alarmed. “Do my ears deceive me?” he gasped teasingly. “Is it snowing outside? Bakugou, going out with us? You never go out with us!”

“Yeah,” Bakugou agreed, irked as he puts on a pair of active Nike joggers to hide his muscled legs and thighs. “Because you guys are fuckin’ embarrassing. Plus, sometimes I just prefer to eat in my office. It’s better privacy.”

“And better company,” Denki snickered. “I bet those FunkoPops really listen to you.” Sero guffawed into his hand, but at the sight of Bakugou’s death stare, he clamped up.

“I guess that means you’d be up for going out with us tonight for drinks?” Kiri asked hopefully. “They’re having happy hour. C’mon, it’s a Friday!”

Bakugou would have asked if you’d be joining them, but he didn’t think so. From the way Kiri put it, it was a guys’ night thing. And even if you were, he still probably wouldn’t have gone. He isn’t much of a “social” person if you couldn’t tell. Instead of downing shots at a bar, he prefers to drink from his private bar at home.

And clubbing? Partying? Forget it. His kind of part is smoking a blunt, watching a good movie, and falling asleep on his big ass couch.

He could tell Kiri knew his answer before he even said it: “Nah. Besides, you know how I feel about those Friday night crowds. They’re–”

“We know, we know,” Kiri groaned, rolling his crimson eyes. “They’re too rowdy. Too sloppy. Too this, too that.” He crossed his big, tattooed arms over his broad chest, fixing Bakugou with a tight glare. “And yet, they’re havin’ fun too! C’mon, Bakugou! When’s the last time you’ve gone out with us to celebrate just because? When’s the last time you’ve had fun?”

Fun. He said it as if the word was foreign to Bakugou and that pissed him off even more. He had fun…just not in the social sense. He didn’t see the need in partying on the weekends and socializing with people at a club that you’ll never see again. Plus, to spend even one hour in a crowd of drunk bar hoppers was less than ideal for him. But he didn’t answer Kiri as he pulled on a Nike sweatshirt, then began to dig into his locker for his socks.

Kiri groaned, exasperated. “Ugh, so boring!” he dramatically whined. “Now I can see why Y/N she’d never date you.”

He let out an audible gasp at that moment, quickly clamping a hand over his mouth just as Bakugou slowly raised his head out of his locker at the mention of your name.

Slowly, he turned to stare at his friend who looked redder than his hair, then at Denki and Sero who looked like they were writing Kiri’s obituary in their heads. The locker room swelled with tense silence as Bakugou processed Kiri’s words on an empty stomach. You? Dating him?

You’d never…date him?

“What did you say?” he questioned, staring down at Kiri. His friend said nothing, eyes wide and horrified.

“You said Y/N would never date me?” he parroted, more confused than he is upset…well, upset too. Why would you say something like that? And where the fuck is the context?

“Why?” Bakugou asked, just as shocked at the question as his friends were. But it wasn’t so much at the question, but the way he said it: Confusedly. Sadly. Like he gave a shit. And goddammit, he did. And he does!

Kiri looked at Sero and Denki, silently asking whether or not he should continue. Sero shrugged while Denki gave him a silent, tight-lipped nod. Kiri turned to Bakugou and began to explain, going into great detail about the context of the conversation. It went something like this:

“Okay, okay, okay,” Mina drunkenly said, a round of tequila shots in her body. “Next question: what pro hero would you date and why? And no one is off limits.”

‘No one, shorty?” Kiri smirked down at her, earning a glossy kiss on the cheek from Mina that made you coo and melt from the cuteness. Mina sat in a booth squished between Y/N and Kiri, an arm slung over the back of his seat while Sero and Denki took the other side.

This was last week on a Friday night where the Mexican restaurant they occupied was packed with a younger crowd looking for food and fun. You were there, looking pretty in your cherry red work dress that you paired with some flats before leaving work that day.

“We’ll start with you, Sero,” Mina said, nodding at the black-haired pro. He thought for a minute, sucking on a lime absentmindedly as Denki secretly stole a chip and some guacamole of his plate. “If we weren’t friends, definitely you and Y/N,” he decided.

“Awww!” you had cooed, sipping from your margarita. From the hooded gaze you were giving them and the way you laughed a little too hard at things, it was obvious you were feeling the alcohol now. “That’s so sweet!”

“Denki?” Mina hummed, raising a brow. “You got some choices if you weren’t dating Jirou?”

Denki smirked at her from across the table. “Very dangerous question, but you,” he replied easily. “Y/N…probably Momo if she wasn’t with Todoroki. And Toru.”

“How’d that work?” Sero asked, confused. “You can’t even see her! How the fuck would you know where to kiss her?”

“Guess you’d just have to kiss her everywhere till you find out,” Mina mischievously replied, wiggling her brows at the now-blushing duo. “Y/N?” she sing-songed, nudging your arm. “Your turn. What pro would you date and why?”

“Trust and believe if it’s me, you’re leaving with me tonight.” Sero winked at you, making you laugh and Mina roll her eyes. You didn’t mind Sero’s flirting or their antics, their warm personalities making you feel so much a part of their group.

“Hmm, I guess it’d be…” You hummed to yourself, cutely tapping one manicured finger against your plump, glossed lip. “Probably you, Kiri.” You looked at the redhead who grinned in triumph and bashfully. “And maybe Hawks if he didn’t have them big ass wings. Where does he put ‘em during sex?”

At this, Denki and Sero laughed. “Interesting,” Mina hummed. “I would’ve sworn you’d say Bakugou since the guy is crazy about you.” You stopped short of sipping your margarita, the glass halfway to your lips. “Uh…what?” you asked slowly, turning to stare at Mina.

“Bakugou likes you,” she repeated, tilting her head curiously. “Didn’t ya know? Shit, we all knew even though he tries to play it off like he doesn’t. Bakugou is like that sometimes.”

The look on your face was honestly hilarious–wide eyes, mouth parted in shock at this new information. Finally, you laughed, shaking your head. “No,” you said, disbelieving. “That’s definitely not true. Bakugou don’t even speak to me!”

“Does he have to?” Kiri asked, confused. “I mean, the dude doesn’t really talk to anyone except us. But in your case, he’s just not good with talkin’ to pretty girls. Call him emotionally constipated.” The table erupted into laughter again, except for you, still reeling from Mina’s words.

“But…” you began, trying to reason, “but he’s so…serious.” You sat back in your seat, drink in your hand. “But even if he did like me, hypothetically speaking,” you continue, “I wouldn’t date him.”

Silence settled on the table, the air thick with anticipation. “How come?” Mina asked, actually sounding sad about your answer. “I think you’d be so cute together!”

“Look, he’s a nice-looking guy, don’t get me wrong,” you began to explain, “but he’s just too serious, as I said. He barely smiles, always giving me a scowl. Are you sure he doesn’t hate me?” Kiri laughed, shaking his head. “Nah, cutie. He doesn’t hate you. Like I said, the guy is emotionally constipated.”

“You’re telling me,” you scoffed before licking some sugar off the rim of your glass. “I don’t even think I’ve ever seen him show any emotion but distaste or anger. Plus, he seems way too uptight for me.”

“In what way?” Sero asked, slapping Denki’s hand when he tries to sneak another chip off his friend’s plate. You shrugged, looking down momentarily to gather your thoughts. “Well, for one, he barely goes out with us, and the one time he did, he sat down on his phone the whole time.”

The rest of the squad remembered that night: it was at Denki’s annual NYE party at Hotspot, one of the hottest clubs in downtown Musutafu. The drinks were plentiful, the music was jumping, and you looked downright delectable in the little sequin skirt that shimmered every time you swayed those hips and bent over to throw ass onto the girls and Sero (with your consent, of course).

All except Bakugou, who sat firmly in his chair on his phone despite people asking him to dance so many times throughout the night.

“He kept looking at you that night,” Mina giggled. “Mans couldn’t keep his eyes off of you.”

“Then he could’ve at least danced with me,” you replied. “But he didn’t! I can’t be with a guy like that. Sure, I love those nights in the crib and some good cuddling, but if I wanna go dancing or something, how can I take him out?” You sipped your drink with finality. “I need someone who’s looser–and I just don’t think Bakugou is that someone for me.”

When Kiri finished the story, he looked at Bakugou like the man was close to jumping someone. And he was. His mind was on you, jumping your bones and finding out why the fuck you felt that way about him.

He was holding the door to his locker so hard that his knuckles were white. “Why would she say that?” he snapped. “She doesn’t even know me!”

“Well, shit, Katsuki,” Sero spoke up, “it’s because you never gave the girl a chance to know you! You barely go out with us anymore, especially when she’s with us.”

“And it doesn’t help when you barely speak to her,” Denki added. “Of course, she’s gonna think you’re uptight!”

Bakugou was at a loss for words because they were all right. Dammit, he hated to admit it and he never would aloud, but all of them were right. But what they and you didn’t understand was that he never danced at Denki’s NYE party that night because he was so afraid of popping a hard-on in front of you. After staring you down the entire night, wondering what your ass felt like in his hands, it was difficult not to become rock-hard. Sitting down was the only way to avoid that.

To add to that, he was always afraid of saying the wrong thing to you, so he always kept your conversations short. He kept his distance to avoid embarrassing himself and yet he felt embarrassed standing in that locker room.

“She thinks you hate her, man,” Kiri added. “Seriously. I told her you don’t, but the girl is convinced.”

Katsuki felt like hitting himself with the locker door. “Fuck!” he hissed. “Now what the fuck do I do?” Was there anything he could do at this point? What if he epically fucked this up? What if he never got the chance to feel you pressed against him or feel your soft lips on his?

Denki rose from his seat and sauntered over, throwing an elbow over Katuski’s locker. “Well,” he began, “and this is just a suggestion, so hear me out: you could always just show the girl that you’re no uptight or a dickhead.”

Katsuki scowled at him. “How the fuck would I do that?”

“It’s simple!” Sero jumped in. “Next time we all go out to shoot the shit, and Mina and Y/N come along, you come with us and act like you actually wanna be around us. Including her.” He clapped once, standing up from his seat. “Problem solved! Now are we going to lunch or do I have to eat one of you?”

As the three idiots argued among themselves, Katsuki got to thinking about Denki and Sero’s advice…and then out of his mind popped the best idea ever. It was just too perfect. Of course, he could show you that he wasn’t uptight. He could shove your words right back down your pretty throat and admit how he felt about you all at the same time.

He instantly whipped around to slam his locker door shut, causing the guys to jump. “Y/N and Mina comin’ with tonight?” he asked, looking at Kiri for an answer.

The redhead shook his head. “Naw, Mina said she and Y/N are joining the girls for girls’ night. They’re goin’ to a club, apparently.”

“What club?” Bakugou asked, trying not to sound too desperate, but Kiri had laser vision for this type of shit. “Dunno,” he answered, “and even if I did, I’d tell you not to go. It’s a girls’ night, K. You really wanna crash that?”

“Shit, yeah!” Denki hollered excitedly. “Just tell me when and where. I’ll go with.”

Sero grinned, just as down. “Me too. I could use a little adventure and drama.” He looked at Katsuki who had an almost crazed look in his eye as his plan began to map itself in his brain. “Why? What’d you have in mind?”

Katsuki just smirked deviously in response, because by the end of tonight, you were gonna regret drinking those tequila shots and talking shit about him to his friends.

He was gonna make sure of it.

#i'm excited to write this!!#i haven't written a fanfic in soooo long #bakugou x black reader #bnha smut #18+ fic #MINORS STAY AWAY #smutty smut #my works #my fic shit #i’ll show you uptight #black bnha #black coded reader

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pixies-and-poets · 8 months

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Music of the Night - Chapter Six

This part is pretty long, and also a bit time-skippy, but I had to do both or else I could easily get caught up writing this fanfic for the rest of my life. But now I can safely say that the next chapter will be the last. Thanks to everyone who's come on this terrible journey with me!

Slight emetophobia warning, and body horror as usual.

Chapter One - In Sleep He Sang to Me

Chapter Two - Do I Dream Again?

Chapter Three - Our Strange Duet

Chapter Four - To Glance Behind

Chapter Five - Those Who Have Seen Your Face

Chapter Six - Where Night is Blind

Woodrow had made it about halfway back to Palletteville, his mumbled cascade of words seeming to hang in the air and follow him like his own cloud, when another voice cut them short.

“Warden!!” came the urgent hiss. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to find Dryad, her eyes wide and panicked.

The poet blinked for a moment, shaking his head, trying to come out of his poetic reverie and back to reality. “Yes?” he said finally.

“What in the name of all stars is going on?” She spoke rapidly, getting close to his face and inspecting him. “Are you alright? Is the Phantom alright? I heard that awful screaming from clear across the forest! I was just heading to the cabin as fast as I could, but saw you here on my way…”

“Ah,” said the warden, scratching at the back of one paw with the other, nervously. “Yes, Phantom is alright, for now. But…” and so, he went ahead and told her about his efforts with the mask.

Dryad listened to his story in concern, her ears drooping slightly. When he had finished, she nodded. “I see. For a moment I thought you- well, I thought maybe he was reacting to Sweetlopek’s fashion sense…” but her attempt at a joke fell flat, as Woodrow seemed too crushed for levity, and merely twitched the corner of his mouth into a failed half-smile.

“Well, anyway,” said Dryad, waving her paw. “Thank you for telling me. But listen- you mustn’t try that again. We can’t have him screeching to shake all the leaves in the woods. You might attract the minions of Cursa… including… you know.”

Woodrow’s eyes widened. “Oh- Dryad, do you think-”

“I think it’s fine for now,” said the forest spirit. “As for our main concern, he’s been keeping his territory elsewhere the past few days, in deeper and darker parts of the forest. I’ve been using my magic as best I can to lure and keep him there. Still, I will guard this area for a while.”

“Thank you,” said the warden. “I’m sorry for the trouble.” Then he suddenly clasped his hands together. “But oh, Dryad- what’s to be done? About Tom? Do you have any ideas?”

Dryad blinked, recalling that just yesterday Woodrow had claimed to not have the closeness with his patient for such names as Tom. But she only remarked upon it internally.

“Hmm,” she said, frowning. “All I can say is, I don’t think that mask is really the source of his troubles. If you almost had it off, and the darkmess was still being produced, then… the problem is probably internal, I’m afraid. It would be good to remove it, of course, but perhaps we had better concentrate on curing his poisoning first. If we get rid of the darkmess, that thing will likely fall off on its own.”

Woodrow nodded sadly. “I’m not in any hurry to try again,” he said. “But… alas! We still seem so far from finding a cure, for those overtaken by the dreadful substance.”

Dryad shrugged. “It’s hard for me to look into things, when I’m busy protecting the animals and the trees, but I’m doing my best. As are the people of your village. Have you heard from any of the other wardens about any breakthroughs lately?”

The poet shook his head. “Our best bet was Terra Flora, and- they’ve still been silent for about a week. Ever since Bea disappeared… last I heard, Alkementor was too distressed to work, and we’ve lost contact since then.”

“Poor Bea,” said Dryad, her ears drooping once more. Meanwhile, a thought crossed Woodrow’s mind- he wondered if Phantom had heard of her recent disappearance. After all, the two of them… well, he wondered if it would be appropriate to even bring it up. Would it distress him? Would he feel guilty that he had never made amends with her? He had best not broach the subject, when he was already in such a delicate state…

“What about Barrendale Mesa?” asked the nature spirit. “They’re still holding strong out there, right?”

“Indeed, I think so,” said the warden. “But Momma and her crew have been working on ways to purify darkmess from the environment. Medical cures aren’t really their expertise.”

“Well, when there is a breakthrough… whether it’s on this planet, or if we get some kind of shipment from elsewhere…” she looked the warden firmly in the eyes, “remember that the first doses will be given to those who need it most. And those from Palette Prime take priority. They are your people, and this planet is your ward. Don’t you lose sight of that.”

Woodrow closed his eyes for a moment, and nodded.

“And especially… you know who we must concentrate on first. Not only for his own sake, but for the sake of the entire planet he’s been menacing.”

“Of course,” said the warden quietly, opening his eyes again.

And, after a few more moments of discussion and brief goodbyes, the two were parted.

—

Three days and three nights came to pass. In that time, Dryad kept busy - guiding and protecting and caring for animals, laying spells, attempting to protect and restore the trees and other plants where she could, and much more. She heard no more screams ring out across the forest, and in fact was so caught up in her business that she never ventured back by the little cabin. She had no contact with Woodrow, and barely with any other rabbid at all, and assumed things must be going well enough.

As for the people of Paletteville, it took them a little while to notice, but it soon spread throughout the population that something was wrong with the warden. He was even more reclusive than normal, and looked even sadder and more tired on the rare occasions he was seen. It had been the habit of some townsfolk to visit his home and ask for advice; he was respected enough in that regard to have been elected to his position, after all. But in these days, they found he was hardly ever at home, or not answering the door if he was. In fact, as time passed, he seemed to never be there at all. Knocks at his door went unanswered, and no one knew where he had gone.

What’s more, they began to notice the cloud over his house growing thinner and smaller - until one day it was gone completely.

That cloud, of course, was intimately connected with him. With his soul, his curse, his destiny. This was more than a bad omen, to the people of Palette Prime. It was proof.

“He’s gone,” the villagers murmured amongst themselves. “Somethin’ got ‘im.”

“Ya think he was tryin’ to tame the Beast?”

“Maybe. Prob'ly wrote him a poem to try and talk some sense into him.”

“That poor pathetic soul, bless ‘im. He wouldn’t give up on his best friend if he was actively tearin’ the warden apart.”

And so the assumption spread that the warden had met an unfortunate fate, which was- they all admitted- bound to happen eventually. At any rate, it was decided that search parties would soon be sent out to find his body, and give him a proper burial if they could.

“Near the moon. That would be appropriate,” one villager had said, and everyone agreed.

He was the Plague of Palette Prime, the great harbinger of disaster, and on top of that a terrible poet, or so his planet-mates thought.

But he was also their warden, and a good man. And he deserved the respect in death that the Fates had not given him in life.

—

That man was very much alive. And he was good. And any good person who has made a promise in earnest passion, and then failed to keep that promise despite their absolute best efforts, would understand the pain that encroached upon his soul from all sides.

After trying to pull of the mask, Woodrow spent the day checking up on various things in town, using the computer in the post office to send out more fruitless messages to the other planets, and - in his spare moments - scrawling mad snippets of poetry in the journal that he had retrieved from the cabin.

But in the afternoon of that day, he decided it best to check back on Phantom, and the moment he entered the door, found that the ghost’s own assurances of being fine, of being safe, had been proven false.

He lay on the bed, his eye closed, breathing hard. A large amount of darkmess had leaked out from his porous ectoplasm, forming a puddle on the bed, a smaller version of the state in which Woodrow had first found him. The puddle dripped over the edges and corners of the bed, and the ghost seemed to be fused to it now. One of the poetry books lay splayed open on its bent pages on the ground, where he had clearly dropped it- his paw drooping over the bed as his chest shook in a pained sleep.

“Tom!” cried the poet, then clapped his paws over his mouth, remembering Dryad’s warning about making too much noise. He rushed over and stroked the ghost’s hair, then kneeled down, picked up the limp paw that was hanging off the bed, and rubbed it. “Tom- my dear- wake up…”

Indeed, the ghost’s eye opened, then closed again, then opened once more and slowly rolled over to look at his companion. He smiled, warmly but clearly in pain. “Ah… there you are," he said, between heavy gasps. "I’m sorry… you have to see me like this again. Oh! Don’t cry, mi tesoro…”

Woodrow and his eyes, of course, ignored this command. “Tom, I’m the one who should apologize. I should have stayed…”

“Nonsense!” said the Phantom, still weak, but gradually gaining some energy at the other’s presence. “What could you have done? I feared my ailment would reassert itself… that this is a problem we could only stave off temporarily… I just… hoped it might take a little longer.”

“Oh, what am I to do-” said the warden in panic, standing up once more, still holding his darling’s hand with one of his own, and raising the other to his head. “I can’t… all of the soap on the planet can’t clean this…”

Phantom kept smiling, and let his eye close. “Mon chéri, you mustn’t work yourself up like this. If this is how it is to be, then… so be it. Let me lie in it. It will happen, no matter what you do. I just have to keep fighting it from the inside, and hopefully I will win, and then I can be free…”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” cried the other, leaning over and stroking his hair again, and his ears. “Come now. I can’t give up so easily, I can’t… I…” he trailed off, as a thought began to creep up from the back of his mind. He was considering how to best dispel a puddle of darkmess, and it suddenly occurred to him that his own home was blessedly free of it, and perhaps he could move Phantom there- but no, there was a reason for that, and wouldn’t it be easier if…

“Jinx!” he said in excitement, looking at his cloud. “Your rain… can it…”

The cloud gave a little bob, and took position above Phantom. It began to rain over Phantom’s stomach, over the bed. And indeed- it didn’t dissolve the black sludge, but it did push it away; washing it off, so it slid down like oil being repelled by water, over the sides of the bed and onto the floor. Jinx then moved towards the glob, pushing it towards the door - which Woodrow had left open in his shock - and out onto the ground outside.

Phantom sat his upper body up, and watched the process with speechless amazement. “Well,” he said as Jinx herded the darkmess out of the door. “I never would have guessed!"

Woodrow smiled, blushing, but genuinely very happy and relieved. “Wonderful, isn't it? I know water and rain don't normally wash away darkmess by themselves, but... there is something special about my own little storm, here. My theory is that two manifestations of misfortune repel each other, like the similar poles of a magnet."

"Impressive indeed," said the singer with a nod. "But- next time ask me permission before raining on me. It was cold! I should have liked to brace myself. Although, I suppose it WAS energizing...”

Woodrow blushed even deeper, but still smiled. "Apologies. And my apologies too, that you must now lay on a damp bed, but surely it’s better than the alternative.”

“Certamente!” said the ghost. “I hardly mind it at all.”

“Now,” said Woodrow, tapping his foot in deep thought- looking around at the bed and the trail of water on the cabin’s floor, and at Jinx, who was quite depleted again. “Jinx - would you be able to keep watch over Tom, when I’m not here?”

The little cloud, barely visible, was coming back over to Woodrow, but stopped short. Then, after a moment, it shook itself back and forth, and swirled around the poet’s head.

“Yes, I know you want to keep watch over me. But… he needs you more than I do, right now.”

The little cloud roiled turbulently, and probably would have thundered in agitation, but was too rained out to have the ability. Instead she just positioned herself around Woodrow’s ears, where she felt like a light mist.

“Alright, alright, let’s compromise. Can you… convince some of the rest of you to come over? From my home? A little piece of the big cloud can split itself off and come here, how is that?”

The cloud sprang in front of Woodrow’s face again, then bobbed up and down enthusiastically. It then zoomed off in the direction of the warden’s house. Woodrow smiled, and sank down into the chair next to Phantom’s bedside.

“Oh, Tristan,” said the ghost. “You are as clever and creative as you are kind. Truly I am lucky that you of all people found me, my portafortuna.”

And so it was that Jinx soon came back, with a chunk of larger cloud behind her, which took up residence above the cabin, ready to rain down through the holes in the roof when Phantom next went through another burst of darkmess production. And the two rabbids talked for hours, of art and poetry, and imagined themselves in all the romantic spots of a healthy Palette Prime, and spun hypothetical tales of what they would do in better days. All seemed well in the world that evening, when Woodrow lay devoted kisses on his companion’s palm and wrist and the back of his hand, and on his forehead and the tips of his ears, before bidding him farewell.

….But the next morning when he returned, he peered into the cabin to see things much as before, as Phantom had produced more darkness during the night than the poor cloud could produce water to keep up with. And so, filled with determined and anxious adrenaline, and stepping around the goo that now puddled all over the floor to be with his patient, Woodrow ordered Jinx to come back with even more of the cloud.

And at the same time, he decided then and there that he must stay with Phantom full-time, only leaving when absolutely necessary, and to sleep elsewhere in safety.

Thus it went for the next couple of days. And this is where, despite Woodrow’s greatest efforts, he began to falter in the promise he had so passionately made.

The reader need not hear every moment of the chronicle, and indeed Phantom would probably be embarrassed that people were getting even part of it. Suffice to say, that in the coming days, the endless wellspring of darkness inside him started to work harder than ever. He would suddenly ooze out through his porous underside; sometimes he would suddenly, in the midst of softly talking with his dear companion, choke and cough and vomit out a burst of it down his face and chest; and sometimes it seeped out anew, all over his face, from under the edges of his mask.

Ever more of the cloud came, until its entire volume was there: part of it settling above the roof and part of it inside the cabin, forming a stormy ceiling, raining as much as it could, washing and pushing the darkmess out and away. But the cloud needed to rest at times, to gather more moisture from the environment… and the sludge kept coming back. Half the time Woodrow sat there, soaked and shivering, the skin of his paws and ears slightly wrinkled and blue, shadows underneath his wild eyes, as the rain fell on both of them, and he did not seem to care at all for his own health. He had propped his own umbrella up, resting on the bed and against the wall, so that it covered and protected Phantom’s head and chest, keeping that part of him dry. Whenever it was needed, Woodrow reached over with a rag and soap and tenderly wiped off any new ooze that was leaking from under the accursed mask.

The warden lost track of all things besides Phantom. He no longer knew or cared what time of day it was, or how many days had passed. When the fatigue became unbearable, he dragged himself back home, set his alarm for a few hours of sleep, and then came back. All other duties and responsibilities to his planet ceased to cross his mind. He brought back his full store of darkmess-battling soap… every citizen had been given a certain amount, and as warden, he had been given extra, to ration out in case of emergencies. This was an emergency.

Eventually, Woodrow tired of going all the way back to his house on the outskirts of Paletteville to rest; and what’s more, it was a waste of time. Time he should be spending at Phantom’s side. He realized there was a much closer spot, halfway… and thus he found himself, dizzy and half-awake, at Sweetlopek’s door once again. He hadn’t even locked it after his last visit to retrieve the clothes, but nothing seemed to have been disturbed since Dryad left. Everyone on the planet had enough respect - or perhaps fear - to leave it alone.

And yet there was Woodrow, crashing himself onto the familiar couch where he had fallen asleep many a time after an evening spent with his friend, when he was too tired to make it home after a night of wine and games and talking. Now the place was silent, and their laughter rang out no more. Before Woodrow fell asleep in his exhaustion, his eyes fell on a framed picture on the table near the couch. It was the woodsman and the Dryad together on their planet’s famous bridge, hugging each other and smiling in lovestruck glee. He had never noticed this picture before, and indeed, it must have been new… there was only a small window of time in which it could have been taken.

He looked away from it in grief and closed his eyes. Would any couple on this planet ever experience that happiness again? Would any in the entire galaxy?

And he was soon asleep.

—

It was the fourth day since Phantom’s arrival, and dusk was gathering. Dryad was making her way across the forest, floating as fast as she could. As exhausted as she was from her recent efforts, this could not wait. Rumors had reached her, from rabbids she had seen in the woods: the warden was dead. His cloud was gone. But she knew better, for she had heard from the animals that the cloud had merely taken up new residence above a certain tiny shack in the woods. At any rate, she could no longer trust that things were alright with Woodrow and Phantom. If Woodrow had been isolating himself so much that people thought he had perished… well, she could only hope that indeed he had not fallen into a permanent sleep, entwined in the darkmess that seeped from the man he was trying to save.

Before long she heard the sound of rain in the distance, and indeed came upon a cabin with a dark halo of raincloud, dripping down onto its roof and directly into its structure. And, to her horror, from under the door and all around the edges of the cabin, was a thick moat of darkmess. She floated above it towards a window and peered inside, with no small amount of dread.

The scene that met her eyes was so upsetting that she gasped softly, and needed a moment to comprehend what she was looking at.

The warden sat on his chair - both it and him soaking wet - his knees pulled up to his chest, and he was shivering; heedless of his own self-destruction, as the rain poured down onto him and the Phantom alike (albeit the latter at least partially protected by an umbrella). After a moment of observation, Dryad understood what the plan here was… the rain was washing the darkmess away from Phantom, although even now, more oozed out from his stomach as if it were an overfilled, dripping sponge, and the water from above washed it to the floor and then towards the doorway or the walls. Indeed, there was not much of the stuff around the two rabbids inside, but still, they both looked barely alive. The poet was soaking wet, possibly suffering from hypothermia, and the Phantom’s eyes were closed, his skin pale.

Dryad was about to enter the room on a rescue mission, when suddenly the ghost stirred.

“Tristan,” he said, in a low, raspy whisper. “Oh- I can… barely speak. I think… I will lose my voice again soon. It- hurts….”

The warden moved, showing his first real sign of life since Dryad had been observing him. He leaned forward, putting his wet paw on the side of the Phantom’s face. “Ssshh,” he said. “Don’t talk then.”

The ghost shook his head. “I don’t… want to lose it again. Tristan… I want… I want you to read me your poems. Can you do that for me?”

“Darling, you know I can’t,” the other said, with a sad smile. “We can’t risk it. Any bit of bad luck could… could… well… let’s keep your luck as good as possible, right now.”

This was clearly a private moment, and thus Dryad floated off to the side of the window, so as not to gaze upon them - and so they would not see her, as well.

“It’s a lost cause,” wheezed the Phantom. “Look at me, mon cœur. I am dying. And I want to hear your poetry from your own lips before I do.”

“No, Tom, no…” Dryad couldn’t see his face, but could hear the tears in his voice. “You can’t give up like that… you have to hold on, until we find a cure…”

“You have to give up on saving me,” said the other. “Look… you are destroying yourself, portafortuna… give me your words, your precious words, my love, and let me rest…”

“But I promised, Tom, I promised I would save you… don’t talk like that, darling, I-”

“I think soon I shall not talk at all,” he said. “In fact, I-” he coughed, and gagged. “I, Tristan, I- GHH- love-”

At the sounds of Phantom’s distress, Dryad had peeked back in again, just in case. As his voice cut off, his jaw snapped shut, and he motioned to his throat, to his mouth. He could open it no more.

Woodrow leaned his weary head onto the ghost’s chest and lay there, his soaking arms draped over the other in defeat, his body shaking. “No, Tom, your voice…” he was sobbing. “Don’t… don’t leave me without it… don’t leave me… my sunshine… don’t leave me…”

Dryad couldn’t take this scene anymore. She came in, right through the window, which lacked any glass. To Phantom’s astonishment, she went over to the warden and pulled him up. He barely reacted, flopping around like a sopping ragdoll.

“Woodrow!!” she cried, shaking him. “Woodrow! Listen- he’s right, you know. You’re destroying yourself, and you won’t do any good to ANYONE that way.”

Phantom, for all his weakness and surprise, nodded and pointed to her in agreement.

“I don’t care anymore,” he said. “Let me be destroyed, then. What does it matter? I can’t save anyone…”

“Woodrow, go rest,” the nature spirit commanded, the rain now falling on her own leafy head. “Go dry yourself off, and warm yourself up, and get a GOOD night’s sleep. I’ll watch over Phantom.”

The warden stood up weakly, his eyes barely focusing on anything. “But what if he gets worse,” he said, barely audible. “What if I’m not here when he… if he…”

“If he gets worse, I’ll come get you,” said the Dryad.

Woodrow swallowed, then nodded, with no feeling. “I’ll be at Sweetlopek’s house.”

Dryad gave him a look of indignance, but then took a deep breath, and decided now was not the time to argue about it. “You’re right,” she said. “That’s closer. Alright. You go there.”

“Mmm,” said the warden, swaying on his feet, and Dryad was mildly concerned he wouldn’t make it.

“Do you want me to accompany you?” she asked.

“I’ll be fine,” he mumbled. “Stay with Tom. Watch him for me. Please.”

Then he turned back to the bed, met Phantom’s eyes, and gently took some strands of his messy hair into his paw… then let it fall.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said tenderly, then turned and left, followed by one small fragment of Jinx, as ever.

He dragged his feet through the leafy bed of the forest, winding as if drunk around puddles of darkmess and fallen trees.

But he did make it to Sweetlopek’s home. He had locked it again last time, and so he reached into one of the inner pockets of his wet coat, and took out a keyring. With fumbling and shaking hands, he managed to eventually get the right key into the lock. But just as he was turning it, he sensed the presence of… something. Something big. As he froze, his eyes blankly staring at the door, he heard a loud THUD and the crunch of countless leaves behind him.

He turned. There in the twilight was a massive figure, a shadow blocking out the trees and the sky behind it. It was a rabbid… mostly… wearing the shredded remains of a flannel shirt. He was huge, and bestial, with claws, and fangs, and wild and shaggy facial hair in which sticks and leaves and gobs of darkmess were jumbled. His entire lower body was covered in darkmess as well, with a line of it running across his chest and back, forming a strap on which a massive axe was mounted behind him. Not to mention the darkmess on top of his head, onto which was welded a perpetually distressed-looking beaver.

The creature’s eyes glowed yellow as he stood there, hunched over, almost on all fours, and he sniffed at the warden and snarled. But Woodrow was too done with everything to be truly shocked, or afraid.

Most of the other rabbids had taken to calling him the Beast. Woodrow was one of the few who still believed it most respectful to use his name. That maybe, buried deep inside, there was someone who would still recognize it.

The warden blinked slowly. “Good evening, Sweetlopek.”

#mario plus rabbids #mario + rabbids #phandrow #woodrow #ts woodrow #the phantom of the bwahpera #sparks of despair

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