#i was noodling around for like an hour and it sounds so relaxing

[inkybinkyboink]

today i rented a guitar.

[springgirlshowers]

could you do joost x gn reader, but it’s literally just them cuddling in bed during a thunderstorm??

Monsoon Season

Pairing: Joost x GN!Reader (no pronouns used)

CW: none!

WC: 726

AN: such a cutey cute lil concept!! fun fact: i wrote this as it was storming hard as hell outside lmao

Just as you were about to send Joost a text, asking how far away he was, you heard the front door open behind.

As you sat up from your spot on the couch, you were met with Joost standing with grocery bags in his hands, absolutely drenched from the rain.

It had started storming about ten minutes ago and Joost must’ve got caught in the middle of the rain on the way back from a recording session.

“I got the stuff you said we needed for dinner.” Joost gave you an amused smile as he held up the bag.

You immediately got up and went over to him, as much as you tried not to, you giggled at a bit at his soaked state.

“Thank you.” You smiled, giving him a small kiss, “Now, I’ll put these away, you go change.” You said as you took the bags from his hands, he just nodded and kicked off his shoes, walking down the hallway into your shared bedroom to change into drier clothes.

You put the groceries into the fridge and kitchen cabinets while waiting for Joost to get finished changing.

You were already done putting everything away by the time he returned, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a green hoodie, camouflage patterns on the hood. His hair had dried a bit more, now messier.

Joost walked up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“Better?” You asked, putting your hands on top of his.

“Mhm, much.” He let out a happy breath. It felt so peaceful in the apartment, the hard rain from outside with the warm light from the lamp in the living room made the perfect cozy atmosphere.

Until a flash of lightning and loud rumble of thunder struck outside, scaring and making both of you jump of you a tiny bit.

“The weather app said it’s gonna be like this for the next few days.” You sighed, turning around in his grasp.

“I guess we’ll be stuck inside for the next few days then.” He moved his hands from your waist to the sides of your face, you nearly shuddered when felt how cold his palms were.

“You’re really cold. You’re sure you feel better?”

“I could use some warming up.” He shrugged, a knowing smirk on his face. You rolled your eyes playfully, letting him take your hands and drag you into the bedroom.

You got into bed first, shuffling under the sheets while Joost followed, laying on top of you.

“I’m so tired. Today was so exhausting.” He mumbled against your chest. Joost enjoyed making music, but this feeling wasn’t uncommon for him after being at the studio for hours on end.

“How’s the album going?” You hummed, pulling the blankets up over the both of you.

“Its frustrating. Nothing is turning out the way I want it to.” He let out an annoyed sigh at the thought of it. “I’m honestly just thinking about scrapping most of the songs because of it.”

“Oh come on, you’ll get them how you want them eventually.” You frowned. “You always do.” You added, hoping it would bring some relief.

“You really think so?”

“I know so.” You ran your hands through his hair, he let out a pleased breath and wrapped his arms a little bit tighter around you in response.

Even though you didn’t have a good look at his face, you could feel his smile against your skin.

The sound of the rain hitting the window and soft thunder in the distance with the warmth of your body against his and you raking your hands through his hair made him feel the most relaxed he’s been in weeks.

It didn’t take long after for his eyelids to become droopy, eventually shutting his eyes in complete bliss.

“I was thinking dinner tomorrow could be pasta. But you might have to go back into the rain again to get the noodles.” You joked, there was no response from Joost.

“Joost?” You said softly, no response again.

Craning your neck a bit to get a better look at his face, you could see he was absolutely knocked out.

His eyes shut, lips slightly parted, face completely relaxed. You smiled to yourself, deciding maybe you could let him sleep for a little bit before you got up.

[neoneun-au]

CAN'T HELP MYSELF; CHAPTER IV: HEAR ME OUT

―PAIRING: wonwoo x fem!reader, mingyu x fem!reader ―GENRE: love triangle au, fluff, mild angst, romantic comedy, suggestive, smut ―CHAPTER WORD COUNT: 11.2k ―CHAPTER WARNINGS: angst, mild language, alcohol consumption, therapy, 18+ only ―STATUS: ongoing

―AUTHOR’S NOTE: i cant link them here, but please find the series masterlist and other chapters on my blog. i would love to know your thoughts on the story so far, this is really only fun with interaction and it helps keep me motivation to finish !

iv: hear me out

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The morning dawns bright and bleary-eyed and you starfish out in bed, stretching your limbs and feeling more relaxed than you’ve felt in months. You take your time getting ready–a leisurely shower, a lengthy scroll through social media, closing and re-opening the same work email five separate times to reassure yourself that this recent project was in fact not due first thing Monday morning. A weekend of peace and freedom–no looming threat of work obligations and marginally less sexual frustration than usual. Pure bliss.

Sounds of life start to filter in through your door from the hallway about an hour after you first wake up; the rest of condo inhabitants up and about after their own late Friday night escapades. You had heard a few of them coming in around 2:00am or so as you began to drift off to sleep but otherwise what time everyone got in and got to bed was a mystery to you. After a few minutes lingering at the edge of your mattress listening to your stomach rumble, you drop your feet to the ground and step out into the hallway in search of breakfast. 

Mingyu, it seems, had the exact same plan as you. His door clicks shut behind him just as you close your own and you stand facing each other like you had just run into your long lost lover at a train station someplace far from home. 

“Good morning,” he says after a beat, the hint of a smile beginning to creep in at the corners of his mouth. 

“Morning,” you reply, feeling the fog of contentment settle back down to reality as you stand opposite him–your hand tugs gingerly at the hem of your old floral nightshirt. 

“How did you sleep?” he asks and you can’t tell if there’s an edge of conspiracy in his voice, an ‘I know what you did last night’ gleam in his eye. You’re probably imagining it. You hope to god you’re imagining it.

“Quite well,” you respond, shaking off the thought and stubbornly refusing to give in to the fear that he had heard you in the midst of your fantasies. You cross your arms over your chest in defense–warding off any further psychic connection. “You?”

“Good,” he replies and you nod in acknowledgement. His gaze flitters from yours to the hallway behind you, pointedly avoiding drifting lower than your face and you realise after a second that he has a fairly decent top down view of your cleavage. You let your arms fall back down. “Got any plans today?”

“Meeting up with some friends later, but aside from that nothing, thankfully,” you reply with a shrug. “How about yourself?” 

“Not much,” he mirrors your shrug and you worry for a second that you are going to be left repeating yet another stunted hallway conversation. Thankfully he opens his mouth after a breath to continue, “Though, I think Seungcheol is trying to recruit me for some promotional video for his gym. I told him to ask Vernon since Vernon is the actor.”

“But he still wants you to do it?” you ask, closing the shutter on the mental image of Mingyu lifting weights before it can imbed itself in your subconscious alongside his bare nipples. 

“Yeah, he told me Vernon has the body of a wet noodle.” 

You laugh, the veil of tension that had descended on the pair of you relaxes back into normalcy at the comment and you’re glad for the distraction. “I would say I’m surprised but that tie-dye is pretty baggy…” you trail off with a grin and Mingyu tosses his head back in laughter before turning with you to head down the hallway. 

The kitchen is abuzz with activity when you enter, Seungcheol is deep in a lecture aimed directly at Vernon who appears to not fully be listening despite the occasional cursory nod. The distinctive scent of eggs permeates the air and you notice an array of food already laid out on the table in front of Jeonghan. 

“Morning you two,” he greets, one eyebrow raised. As usual, seeking out some sort of intrigue. “Late night?” 

“Not really,” you reply, shaking your head and refusing to take the bait. You sit down at the table and swipe a slice of bread from the side of his plate; sinking your teeth into it before he can admonish the theft. “I’ve been awake for an hour already, just hanging out in my room before joining you animals.”

“Is that so?” he asks, unwilling to give up the narrative he has built in his head. You knew confessing to him about your micro-crush (if you could even call it that) on Mingyu was a bad idea, but you thought that after the stern warning and lecture he had given you that he might actually be normal about something for once in his life. No such luck. 

You open your mouth to reply, more than ready to raise your own sword in this duel, but you’re cut off before you can begin as the rest of the household takes a seat at the table to join you.

“Mingyu, how did that date go last night?” Seungcheol asks, relieving Vernon of his lecture for now. An apparent relief as Vernon immediately gathers up a small plate of food before retreating from the kitchen completely.  

Date? The word shoots through the room like a lightning bolt. Jeonghan glances at you, fox-like features alight with malicious curiosity. You stare wide-eyed at Mingyu as he opens and closes his mouth like a trout caught in a net. “Oh uh…I cancelled it, actually,” he carefully avoids your gaze, instead burying his face in his mug of coffee. 

“Cancelled it? Why? I thought you said she was cute?” Seungcheol asks, blissfully ignorant to the relay of glances darting around him. He waits happily for Mingyu to respond, grabbing a few slices of fruit from Jeonghan’s plate before he can swat his hand away. 

“She was yeah,” Mingyu concedes with a small laugh. You see a faint hint of red starting to colour the tips of ears as all three sets of eyes around the table fix their attention fully on him, all for different reasons. He rubs at the back of his neck and feigns a nonchalant shrug, though it’s plain to see that he could not be feeling more chalant. “I just didn’t think it was really going to go anywhere, so I cancelled it.” 

Seungcheol laughs, taking a bite of his prize apple, “since when have you ever cared about it going somewhere before?” 

Mingyu bristles, hackles raised at the implication in the question. An uncharacteristic frown deepens in the corners of his mouth, marring his handsome features. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not just a slut. I do actually want a relationship.” 

You’re so caught up in listening to the exchange that you don’t notice his eyes darting to meet yours before it’s too late to avoid them. You find yourself locked in his gaze again, a beat too long to go unnoticed by Jeonghan as he chuckles next to you. 

You feel the air around you thicken and scramble to your feet to beat a hasty retreat, following in Vernon’s footsteps. With slightly trembling hands you collect a mug and grasp for the box of assorted teas from the top shelf. 

Seungcheol, it seems, has given up on ribbing Mingyu about his dating life and instead turns his attention towards you just as you try and make yourself invisible in the corner while you wait for the kettle to boil. “Ready for another jog tonight?” 

“Oh, no I uh–” you stutter, “I actually have plans tonight so I won’t be able to.”

He frowns, wide brown eyes shimmering with disappointment and you feel like you just let your parents down. “This isn’t an excuse to get out of training, is it?” he asks and you shake your head, frantic to dispel the thought. 

“No, not at all, one of my friend’s is back in the country, she lives in England and she’s only here–”

Seungcheol holds up a hand–flat, open palm halting your excuses. “Say no more,” he says, “we can reschedule for tomorrow night. Friendship is worth the sacrifice.” 

“Oh…okay thanks,” you reply, unsure of what else to do with the proverb. The kettle whistles and you pour the hot water into your mug–careful to avoid sloshing it over the sides.

Tea in hand you turn to rush back towards the safety of your bedroom as Seungcheol and Mingyu strike up a conversation about the national soccer team’s prospects. Jeonghan keeps you locked in his sights as you walk by, fixing you with an evaluating look that would be withering if it weren’t mostly just irritating. You snatch his last slice of toast without looking back.

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The hum of the sports bar fills your senses, dulling your thoughts (a not unwelcome intrusion). 

It’s the sound of pool balls smashing against each other as they shoot across the beer-stained green top of the billiards table. The faint scent of chlorine bleach mixed with body odor and stale cigarettes. The round robin of songs floating out from the made-to-look-old jukebox in the corner. It was as familiar as it was revolting and you found yourself lost in your surroundings, half expecting an old college fling to rear his ugly head up from behind the bar. 

It had been Yerim’s idea to visit a few of your old haunts from before she moved away. Some burst of nostalgia propelling her on a mission to hunt down every decrepit pub and restaurant that you had all graced with your presence–pockets lined with scholarship and loan money intended for tuition and books but all too often spent on cold coffee and hot street food. 

Most of them had since closed for business (much to her vocal distress), but the few that she did manage to remember and locate had now become items on her itinerary during her visit. 

Thankfully work obligations had kept you busy through half of it and she was mostly content with dragging her English friend around with her, but you knew you weren’t going to be able to avoid it forever. And despite the chaos that usually followed her around like a shadow, you did want to see her before she left again.

So now you’re sitting across from Seulgi and Yerim in some sports bar in Itaewon that you barely remember the name of having been unceremoniously thrust upon arrival into the booth next to Yerim’s friend Sam. 

He’s tall, lightly moustached, and smells faintly of bargain bin cologne. He greeted you with an appraising nod that made you somehow both appalled and flattered and now he’s talking at a steady monotone into your ear about some observation on the local food or another while you sip on your lukewarm pint of ale. You’re nodding at the appropriate intervals, giving little hums of approval where needed, but your mind is occupied watching the game of darts across the bar and not actually hearing a single coherent word come out of his mouth. 

“It’s a rather tepid way to play, I always thought–” 

His voice drones on in the background, roughly the same decibel as the ambient noise of the room so it was easy to ignore. You flick your eyes from his face down to the table and back over to the group of men playing darts. You used to be good at darts. You recall the weight of the slim bolt of metal as it would rest in your palm, waiting for your turn while you were already half-cut on happy hour brews and whatever the guy of the moment was buying for you. 

“You know, I’ve always admired a woman’s natural ability to–”

One of the darts group strolls over to the bar, trying to catch the bartender’s attention as he leans against the back wall and chats with the sole waitress in the place. She looks young, maybe 21 or 22. She’s probably in college, working to pay her way through school or just for some extra spending money. That ash blonde balayage can’t be cheap to maintain…

“Don’t you think so?”

Isn’t that Wonwoo’s friend? Or boss? Or whatever? That short guy with the black ponytail throwing darts? You vaguely recall him from a work dinner years ago at their company, but according to Wonwoo he was a big homebody so you rarely ever saw him. 

“Hello, is anyone alive in there?” Seulgi’s voice cuts through your mental fog and you snap back to attention, blinking the focus back into your eyes as you notice everyone at the table staring at you. 

“What? Sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew, what were we talking about?” 

“Who?” Yerim asks, craning her neck to try and spot a familiar face. None appear in her immediate line of sight and the disappointment is evident on her expression as soon as she turns back around. You’re not sure what her intention was in dragging everyone back here but you wouldn’t put it out of the realm of possibilities that she had brewed up some fantasy of running into a washed up ex-boyfriend and getting the chance to flaunt how successful and worldly she has become over the years. Not that you could blame her for the fantasy, you would probably be doing the same in her position. 

She excuses herself to the bathroom and you watch as she slips out of her seat and saunters across the room, head bobbing side to side to make sure that there was no one there that she knew before disappearing around the corner. 

“You’re so distracted tonight,” Seulgi states, pulling your attention back to her. She’s eyeing you with suspicion, one eyebrow slightly raised, as she sets her empty pint glass down onto the table.  

“It’s just been a long time since I’ve been back here, it’s kind of weird.” You shrug off her suspicion, pointedly ignoring her amused scoff. Someone clears his throat beside you and you’re forced to remember Yerim’s gangly British friend. 

When you first met up for dinner earlier, Yerim had pulled you aside while he and Seulgi were discussing the cost of beef in Korea vs the UK to gauge your interest in him and through a series of frantic hand signals you were sure you had successfully communicated that you had absolutely zero interest in this cardigan-wearing man even if he was mostly polite and non-threatening. Yerim pouted for a minute, as she was wont to do, before shrugging and reaching for another slice of pork belly and dropping the matter. 

Afterwards, it felt like someone had let the steam vent off on a pressure cooker. You were able to relax and Yerim mostly stopped trying to force conversation between yourself and Sam.  

Without Yerim around now, though, you realise how out of his element he must feel. A twinge of guilt for how quickly you had written him off started to creep up inside you. Maybe you didn’t want anything romantic with him but did that mean you couldn’t get to know him a bit? Maybe he wasn’t all that boring. Maybe you could get lost in a nice, simple conversation with someone who didn’t have the full documented history of you or your many neuroses. 

“So, did you grow up in London?” you ask and he startles, taken off guard by the sudden attention.  

“No, uhh–” he stammers and you watch a slight layer of breath fog up his glasses as he snorts a small laugh, “it’s a funny story actually, I–”

“Oh my god!” Yerim’s voice breaks through his sentence as she rushes back towards the table–cutting him off before you have the time to decide whether it actually is a funny story or not. 

“Guys, red alert,” she stage-whispers, crashing back into her seat. She’s panting, eyes wide as saucers–for a split second you wonder if she had done a lap outside in the cold. “I just went to the bathroom and you’re never going to guess who–”

Her voice fades into the background as your vision narrows to a point. Wonwoo’s eyes catch yours from the hallway Yeri had just run back from and you feel your heart plummet to its assured death in the pit of your stomach. 

When had he gotten here? He’s half a foot taller than most of the people in here, how had you not noticed him earlier? Were you that painfully oblivious or had he crawled in under your nose? 

You sit transfixed–frozen solid at the sight of him–and judging by the expression on his face he’s just as shocked to find you here. You’re sure he hadn’t anticipated running into the girl who broke his heart in a random sports bar in Itaewon. 

Everything slows to a stop, like one of those scenes in a rom com where the main characters see each other across the room and everything else goes blurry. It’s just them, their feelings, and whatever indie love song was chosen for the soundtrack. You wonder if the actors in those scenes feel it as strongly as you do now. It would be hard to act when you feel like your stomach is going to fall directly out of your ass. 

In the span of a breath, as abruptly as it had begun, the spell is over. The director calls cut, the background actors return to normal, the sounds and sights of the bar rush back into your periphery and you’re stuck frozen in your seat, staring at Wonwoo with your jaw slightly unhinged while your friends exchange knowing glances. 

“What’s happening?” Sam asks, his voice pinging off the side of your attention like an errant tennis ball. 

“I swear I had no clue he was going to be here,” Yerim starts, an edge of panic coating her words as they spill out of her mouth. You barely hear her. You’re too busy watching in horror as Wonwoo seems to also snap back to reality. You see his eyes flit from you to Sam and back again–he seems to be hovering on the precipice of a decision, wheels turning in his mind as he considers all exit strategies. Or at least, that’s what you would be doing in his shoes. 

The horror rises higher and higher in your throat as he starts to grow bigger in your vision. A trick of the mind. The object of so many of your thoughts and anxieties exploding into IMAX sized pixels right in front of your naked eyes, expanding over the whole screen of your view until he seems to loom over you like an omnipresent being. It isn’t until he’s about a foot away from you that you realise this is just because he was walking in your direction. 

“Hey,” he greets, caution clear in his voice. 

You gape at him, open mouthed and floundering, and Seulgi (blessedly) takes over the interaction in your stead before it gets too awkward and everyone explodes in the wake of your embarrassment. “Hello,” she supplies, “did you just get here? I’m surprised we didn’t see you earlier.” 

“Yeah,” he nods, a slight awkward laugh cushioning the word as he speaks. “I’m here with some colleagues from work, one of them is a huge Arsenal fan so he wanted to catch the game down here.” 

“That’s cool,” she nods and you feel her nudge your shin with the toe of her boot under the table, forcing you out of your slack-jacked state. You snap your mouth shut and take a sip of your drink, averting your eyes from Wonwoo as you feel heat creep up your neck. 

Seulgi, uncharacteristically polite, continues, “do you remember Yerim?” the woman in question smiles at him as her name is said and he nods his acknowledgement, “she’s back in Seoul with her friend here. We’re just catching up. How have you been?”

“Good, good,” he starts and then, thinking better of it, clears his throat to retry, “well, not bad. Work and…everything, you know? How are you?”

“Oh, I’m just great,” Seulgi smiles and boots you again. You take the hint and finally lift your gaze, catching Wonwoo’s eyes as they flicker over your face. 

“How are you?” he asks again, voice softer. The question is directed at you and you feel the weight of it sink in as you try and sort through your scrambled thoughts for any semblance of a coherent response. 

“Fine uh, yeah,” you nod, head bobbing on your neck like a loose spring. “Good. Long time no–umm…Jihoon, is that? How’s every–? You’re? He’s–work good?” 

Wonwoo is silent for a second, processing the tangle of words that had just spilled free from your mouth, before you see him connect the dots. “Yeah, he’s doing well. Work is…well the same as always, really. Not much changes there.” 

“Right, yeah,” you nod, a pained half smile stretching over your face. You’re sure you look horrific–terrified or terrifying. The heat continues to rise up your neck and into your head, further suppressing any hope for conscious, articulate thought as you buckle under the weight of Wonwoo’s gaze. Seulgi kicks you under the table a third time and you think you might scream. 

“I was uh,” he pauses, chuckling lightly. You can see his fingers clutching at the edges of his sleeves, worrying a loose thread as he collects himself. You watch as he wraps and unwraps the thread around his index finger, twisting the rest of the fabric up in his fist. He’s anxious. 

You remember making fun of him once–early in your relationship–for this habit. He was even more shy and reserved back then, unable or unwilling to tell you what he was thinking half the time, and unsure the other half. But you could always tell, once he started tugging his sleeves further and further down his arms–hiding his wrists, then hands–that he had something he needed to say. Something he had been worrying about for a while. Truthfully you found it cute, a grown man with sweater paws like a child in his dad’s clothing, but you couldn’t help but tease him anyway. He looked so sweet when he blushed about it, continuing to tug at the ends of his sleeves. And you just wanted him to tell you. You wanted to know, whatever it was on his mind, fraying the ends of his sleeves.  

Wonwoo clears his throat and you refocus your gaze on him, heat slowly draining back down through your neck as you do. The feeling of being hunted for sport subsides as you come to your senses finally. “I was actually going to text you, but I just…” he trails off and you nod, encouraging him to continue. You’re sure the three extra sets of eyes boring holes into him with the laser beams of their curiosity is not helping his anxiety. Your own dangerous cocktail of anxious curiosity was a second away from implosion itself. 

“There’s some stuff…at the apartment. Mail and…a few things you left behind. I thought you might want to come and pick them up, but I wasn’t sure if…” he gestures vaguely and you nod again. A strange swell of disappointment starts to creep in. That’s it? 

“Oh yeah, of course,” you say, swallowing the disappointment down as quickly as it comes. What else could you have been expecting? “I’ll come and take those off your hands. Just um…text me when you’re free?” 

He nods and, after a quick wave goodbye, heads back towards the small group of men that had been watching from across the bar. Your eyes follow his retreating back, watching his hands clasp and unclasp the fabric of his sweater as he does, before turning your attention back to your own group. 

“Oh my god,” Yerim exclaims in a stage whisper, eyes saucer wide with glee. “He wants you to come over!” 

You frown, the intrusive feeling of disappointment returning, “just to pick up some stuff, don’t be so dramatic.”

“Oh who cares about a bit of old mail, I would have just thrown it out if I were him,” she huffs, blowing a strand of hair out of her line of sight.

“Isn’t that a crime?” Sam asks but the question falls on deaf ears against the wall of possibilities that Yerim is now crafting in her labyrinthine mind of reality tv plots. 

“Listen,” she starts, pointing an accusatory finger in your direction and you wonder why you’re being lectured to all of a sudden. You haven’t even fully processed running into Wonwoo in the first place. You aren’t even sure you’re inhabiting a corporeal form right now. “Clearly he’s still in love with you.”

“Oh please,” you start but she shakes her head, resolute. 

“Don’t fool yourself, what scorned ex-boyfriend goes out of his way to run into the love of his life in a sports bar accidentally.” She throws heavy air quotes around the word ‘accidentally’ and you just roll your eyes. 

“I’m pretty sure it was just accidental,” Seulgi chimes in, the voice of reason. 

“Yes, thank you, Seulgi. This is just a weird coincidence,” you sigh, spinning your glass around on its coaster.

“Or fate,” she beams and you want to laugh but the feeling dies before the sound can materialize. It feels too pathetic. 

“Strange thing for fate to do, months after I’ve already broken up with him.” 

“Wait, you broke up with him?” Sam asks, now invested in the drama despite all lack of knowledge surrounding the people and situations involved. You envy his ignorance.  

You sigh and nod, “yes. I broke his heart and then left some reminders of it around the apartment we used to share so he’s asking me to come and take them so he doesn’t have to deal with it anymore.” Yerim opens her mouth to speak but you stop her with a glare, “it is not his way of somehow getting me back into his life, he’s just too nice to throw my stuff out without warning.”

“But what if–”

“No, there is no ‘if’. This is it. I’m going to go there, pick up my mail, say goodbye and that will be it. We’ll never have any reason to see each other again and he can move on and date someone else and I–”

I can too, you think–swallowing the words. 

“I’m sorry, I’m confused,” Sam says, breaking the spell of silence that had descended on the table. “You broke up with him but…you want him back? Or he wants you back? How long have you guys been broken up?”

“I’ll explain later,” Yerim whispers.

“No, no you won’t, because I don’t think you know completely either,” you sigh, angling to face Sam but aiming the bulk of the speech right towards Yerim herself. You glance across the room briefly–a cautionary look to make sure Wonwoo isn’t in earshot. 

He’s leaning up against the far wall, pool cue in hand, watching as Jihoon leans over the table to line up a shot. The old Wonwoo would have left the second he saw you here, but there he is. Standing within 15 feet of you without breaking out into a cold sweat (as far as you can tell). 

Maybe he has changed, you think. He must have felt you watching him because his eyes meet yours for a split second before you tear your gaze away from him–stare burning a hole into the table next to your hands.  

You sigh again, feeling like you’ve aged 10 years in the past hour. “I broke up with him because I didn’t think either of us could give the other person what they needed. It was hard, and I still,” you blink back the threat of tears as they start to form in your eyes. Whether tears of frustration or otherwise you didn’t exactly feel like crying in a bar in front of your ex-boyfriend and some random British dude. “I still love him but I’m not in love with him. I’m moving on and…so is he.” You conclude, remembering the last time you ran into him. The girl he was with. The cold shock of ice water in your veins. 

“I still don’t–” Sam starts but Seulgi cuts him off, her radar detecting the potential torrential downpour of anxiety and stress that is clouding your current emotional landscape. 

“It doesn’t matter,” she waves the topic away with a swing of her hand, dismissing all further comments on the matter and releasing you of the risk of overexplaining yourself once again. “What’s done is done and whatever will happen will happen and it’s not up to us to decide what the best decision is when we’re not actually involved. So, are we getting another round or should I call a taxi?” 

“Ooh, I was hoping we could go get some food now actually, there’s this super cute toast place a few blocks from here that I’ve been following on Insta and I need to get a pic with their neon displays.” Yerim, whether consciously or not, pivots immediately into a spiel about the rest of her plans for her vacation. You exhale slowly, relief sinking into your bones, and mouth a ‘thank you’ to Seulgi before she gets up to pay. 

You sit silent, alone with your thoughts for a moment, and trace idle patterns over the wood grain of the table; listening to Yerim ramble as she takes Sam on an Instagram-based tour of all the places she intends on dragging him to for the next few days. Seulgi returns after closing out the tab and everyone starts gathering their things to leave, Yerim excitedly narrating the toast menu as you do. 

Before you step out onto the night, you chance a final look across the bar towards Wonwoo to find him in the same position he was when you last dared to look at him. His eyes, slightly obscured by his glasses, were still fixed on you and you wonder if he had looked away at all over the past few minutes. He nods once, a minute tilt of the head, barely registerable unless you were paying as close of attention as you were, and you return it in kind before falling in line behind Seulgi and turning away from him. 

It’s not until the cold air hits you that you start to feel the heat of his eyes dissipate into the night. 

.

.

.

Minghao sits across from you, glasses perched delicately at the tip of his nose. His brown eyes evaluate you in silence as you adjust your posture in the brown leather wingback chair in his office–simultaneously too aware of your body and not aware enough to find a comfortable position. You finally give up fidgeting and decide to just tuck your wayward hands under your thighs to trap them there, offering him a small apologetic smile which he does not return, but he does nod and that is something isn’t it? 

It’s been years since you saw a therapist. The last one was at university, just before the start of the second term in your second year. Right at the cusp of a break up and a full blown anxiety induced existential crisis. The persistent thoughts of ‘oh god I’m ruining my life I need to drop out or change majors or move to Australia and work with the Wildlife Warriors Foundation’ had devoured every sane idea you had until you found yourself in shambles in the Students’ Union all but begging for help. 

The counsellor you had seen then had listened to you ramble in near silence before printing out some worksheets on deep belly breathing and anxiety management and sent you on your merry way to figure it out for yourself. So you did, eventually (though your GPA took a bit of a hit that semester), with some help from Seulgi and a TA that had taken pity on you and two years later you were graduating with a Bachelor of Design with a Minor in Print Media and those worksheets were buried somewhere deep in the recesses of your room, unread save a cursory glance. 

This time felt different. 

Instead of the wildfire of desperation and despair that had propelled you into the office in University all those years ago, you had (of mostly sound mind) reached out to Minghao with a formal request for an appointment and scheduled a time to sit down. For a few days leading up to the appointment you tried to collect your thoughts, formulate a plan for what you wanted to get out of these sessions, and corral your myriad of feelings into a neat script to recite to him—carefully crafted to best convey your current dilemma and also avoid a lot of those little things you did not feel quite ready to face yet.

“So,” he starts, offering you a small smile to ease the tension that always fills the office during first appointments, “let’s start with what you’re hoping to achieve from this session, and any going forward. What are your goals?” 

Despite all your careful preparation, your mind goes as white as a sheet of paper. Goals? You ponder the word. Unsure now if you’ve ever had any goals at all or if you’d just been floating along aimlessly this whole time, somehow still alive through mere circumstance.

To be less of an anxious wreck? Sure, maybe that was one. But was it a goal or just a product of your neuroses? Were you even really that anxious or did you just overthink everything too much? Is that the same thing? Did you want to tell him that? 

You chastise yourself silently, steering your errant thoughts away from the cliff they always careened off of and trying to remember the lists you had scribbled down prior to this appointment. 

“I think,” you start, wincing at the weakness of the verb. How unsure you must appear to him. You glance at his face briefly. It’s carefully composed–no hint of the impatience you’re sure he must be feeling. “I mean, I was hoping we would be able to work on my trust issues and um…anxieties in relationships, find out the roots of those,” you start again, following the script you had mentally prepared, “and maybe come up with some strategies to heal from past relationships and maybe make future ones…easier?” 

Good, good, you breathe a sigh of relief. These were not insane things to say. You are a normal person and these are normal goals.

“Okay,” he says, “that’s a good place to start as far as an end goal.” You smile, being careful not to let it grow too big to appear too pleased at the validation. Minghao continues, “when you say ‘relationships’, I’m assuming you are meaning mostly romantic relationships, correct?” 

You fool, how could you forget to clarify that! 

You feel a rush of mild panic swell up in your esophagus but you stave it off. You nod, clearing your throat, “yes, romantic relationships, exactly.” 

“They all tend to overlap in a lot of ways but I just want to make sure we’re on the same page,” he smiles again, that same soft smile, and you worry he noticed you were starting to panic. “Why don’t you tell me about your last relationship?” 

An open-ended question, okay okay. We were prepared for this, you coach yourself in silence, flipping through the mental pages of notes. Thankfully this one was easy. You had turned the problem of ‘me and Wonwoo’ in your mind over and over like a rotisserie chicken. You knew it inside and out. Every juicy morsel, every dry bone. 

“We were together for three, almost four, years before we broke up, lived together for two. We met through mutual friends at a party and just…it was just us from there. Me and Wonwoo, Wonwoo and I, always together in the same sentence and the same places. It was a good relationship, but I just…I don’t know if we were compatible, really.”

“Well, you were together for 3 years, it’s hard to spend that much time with someone you’re entirely incompatible with,” Minghao interjects and you grimace in spite of yourself. “Is there anything specific that makes you feel like that was the case?” 

“Specific…” you hum the word out loud. Despite all of the sleepless nights spent wondering this exact same thing alone, you were having a hard time summoning up any examples. “No, nothing…I don’t know,” you feel your house of cards start to lose its balance, the cracks begin to show. 

“Let’s reframe, then,” Minghao suggests, noting the distress beginning to creep into your voice. “What attracted you to him in the first place? What made you think ‘yeah, I do want to date this guy’?”

“He was hot,” you shrug then when Minghao doesn’t laugh at the flippant comment, you backpedal. Embarrassment creeping in at the edges. Clearly your tactic of deflecting with humour had no power here. “I mean, obviously I was physically attracted to him, and since we met at a party that was sort of initially the only thing I cared about. But as I got to know him I think he was just…different.” 

“Different in what way? From your usual type?” 

“Yeah,” you nod, extending the hands of your memory into the past. Trying to grasp at the Wonwoo you fell in love with in the first place. “He was quiet, and he listened–listens really well. He’s smart, too. Could have been a doctor or professor but he said the amount of school needed for that wasn’t worth it. Which I guess I sort of agree with, it was just a shame.”

You glance at Minghao, who is still watching you from under the rim of his wire-frame glasses. You wonder briefly how he and Mingyu met. Whether or not it had been a good idea to book in with a therapist that was a good friend of your roommate/budding romantic interest. He wouldn’t tell him any of this…would he? 

Minghao’s expression betrays no answer to these questions, just a silent cue for you to continue. 

You sigh, releasing the thoughts, and do so, “before him, I had always dated really active guys. Guys that liked to be the life of the party, that always had something to say and never second guessed themselves. I was attracted to that confidence. I thought it was nice to be with someone brash and loud. It made me feel less alone in my own loudness and chaos. They never lasted, but they were always fun. Everything was so exciting and I was never bored. Even when it was bad it felt…dramatic. Like a movie. And it was college so I didn’t really ever feel like I had to sit down and ponder why the relationships didn’t last, only that they didn’t. We fought too much, partied too often, the whole relationship was just some drunk fling, whatever. It didn’t matter.”

“But Wonwoo was so…not any of that. He would come out to parties if I asked him to, but he usually spent them in the corner talking about books or petting a cat or following me around. He always wanted to leave early. He was always so eager to be at home.”

“And you weren’t?” Minghao asks and you barely register the question before you’re hurrying along to answer it. 

“No, yes. I don’t know. At first I found it quite sweet–like he just wanted to spend a lot of alone time with me. And it was so novel and different that I never stopped to think it might be something I didn’t like.”

“At first?” Minghao clarifies and you nod. 

“After a little while, I started to feel like I was forcing him to go out when he didn’t want to. I was being the overbearing, annoying girlfriend dragging him to these parties against his will. So I stopped going to a lot of them, and the ones that I did go to I said I could just go alone.” 

“Did you ever ask him whether he felt the same way?” The question brings your thought train to a dead stop. Minghao can see the confusion twisting your brows so he continues, “you stopped going to parties because you thought you were being annoying by dragging him along but did you ever ask if he felt like he was being burdened by these outings?” 

“No, I just…he never…he didn’t look like he was having a good time,” you flounder for an explanation, trying to remember what it was that had brought you to this conclusion in the first place. Had you ever talked to him about it? Were you just making all of this up?

“I’m not saying you’re wrong, maybe he really didn’t enjoy them. From what you’re telling me, he definitely does seem like more of a homebody,” he says, but you take little comfort in the words. “I am wondering, though, what brought you to this assumption without him mentioning anything about it. Did he ever say that he didn’t want to go? Or that he wished you wouldn’t?” 

“I don’t…I can’t remember…” you say slowly, mind fogging up. A cloud of confusion overcrowding your thoughts.  

“That’s okay,” he says but you do not feel like it is okay, actually. Had you ruined everything years ago without even realising? Was scheduling this appointment a mistake? “I don’t want you to overanalyze the specifics, those are often the least important part especially when something is in the past. We can’t change those things, only learn from them. It’s just helpful to know whether or not these trust issues have manifested more internally or because of external situations. To find out where they tend to stem from.”

You nod, the clock on the wall ticks as your thoughts wind through time. You want, so desperately, for there to be some solid memory to tie this all back to. Something from your past or your childhood to point to and say ‘look, there it is!’ A magical moment to blame all your issues on so that you can be born from this session a new person. But sadly nothing was ever that simple, and you couldn’t ever remember not being this way. Were you just…like this? Some untenable part of you broken at birth, barring you from ever developing a healthy, functioning relationship without feeling like you’re sacrificing some integral part of yourself while you do so? Or without feeling like it was all some illusion bound to disperse into smoke and mirrors with the snap of someone’s fingers?

“What are you thinking?” Minghao asks, clearly taking note of the darkening of your expression. The tension creeping into your brow. You don’t want to tell him. Don’t want the confirmation of being beyond help. 

Or maybe that’s not it. Maybe it’s the opposite that you’re afraid of. That this image of self as someone floundering through life with all these worries and struggles, someone broken beyond measure, has just been that–an image. Something you made up to keep yourself safe somewhere along the way and really you could just change it all if you felt like that. If you threw off your cape of comfort and accepted the help you’ve so long denied. 

“I just,” you start, rubbing at a sore spot developing on your temple. You try to push through the sudden urge to bolt out of his office right now and not look back. “I don’t know, maybe it’s stupid but I feel like I fucked everythig up. Like it’s my fault, and maybe if I could have just talked to him or trusted that he lo–loved me despite our differences…maybe everything would have been okay.” The distinct prickling of tears starts to burn behind your eyes but you blink them away, not willing to give into them so easily. 

“Maybe,” he starts and you feel a pang of icy shock at the acceptance of this self-blame. You had expected the same pity and denial you get from Seulgi. You keep your gaze fixed on a small scuff on the top of his nice brown leather shoe, unable to meet his eyes as he continues. “Maybe if you had been able to accept that you are worthy of love from someone, regardless of your perceived flaws, or if you had been able to communicate more openly to be able to meet both of your needs within the relationship, maybe things would have been different.”

He pauses, whether for dramatic effect or to let you process what he’s saying, you’re not sure. You suspect the latter, but considering he’s a friend of Mingyu’s you can’t be completely certain. 

“Maybe, or maybe not. Maybe even if you had done everything perfectly and nothing had ever gone wrong you still would have broken up. A break up is not a failure–not of the relationship and not of the individuals within it. There is always the chance that you had just outgrown each other without either of you fully realising it, and that’s okay. We don’t examine our past to further deepen self-blame and pity, we do it so we can learn what we need from them and accept these lessons so we can carry them forward into our future. And that doesn’t mean that we won’t have more break ups or more perceived failures, it just hopefully means we will be able to accept them as part of the process instead of a barrier to it.” 

The speech slots itself into your brain, wiggling between long believed ideas and perspectives that had lived in there for years. Forcing its way in between them all. You feel it nestle in, planting its seeds until you can fully appreciate the thoughts he’s offering you. For now, you try to just fend off the part of you that resists everything he’s saying and listen to the (slightly quieter) part that knows you need to hear it. 

“Do you–” you start, pausing to clear your throat of the lump that had built up while he spoke. “Do you think I will be able to get to…to that point?”

“Yes,” he nods, decisive. “How long it takes, though, will depend entirely on how willing you are to change. The fact that you’re here meeting with me shows you are at least ready, in part, to begin the process of releasing these old thought patterns. But there is no magic pill, and it takes time and effort. I am here to help, but ultimately it’s only you that can make this change.” 

“And if I can’t change?”

“You can,” he says, shutting down the doubt immediately, “if you choose to.” Sensing your next question he continues, “and if you don’t then you continue life as you are and it changes you. The self is an adaptive state–always transforming. With or without my help or your conscious effort, change will happen. It’s just smoother a lot of the time if you can work with it instead of waiting for it to happen to you.” 

.

.

.

“This is really too much, Mingyu.” 

A plume of steam bursts out of the pot on the stovetop as Mingyu lifts the lid off to taste the sauce. He rears his head back to avoid the heat but still plunges his spoon-wielding hand into the steamy abyss to stir at the bottom of the liquid. 

You watch, leaning against the counter behind him, in a state of concerned bemusement as he takes a few minutes to adjust the heat on his various pots and pans. 

“What do you mean?” he asks, turning around and mopping the sweat off his brow with the dish towel he had draped over his shoulder. A few stray rivulets of steam trace their way down his neck and disappear into the collar of shirt. You try (unsuccessfully) to avoid thinking about the sheen on his skin as it glints in the light of the kitchen. 

“All this,” you gesture vaguely to the arranged on the table, the splatters of food on his well-worn “Kiss The Cook” apron (a gag gift from Jeonghan, apparently). ”I figured we would just…I don’t know, order some fried chicken or something,” you explain but his expression remains puzzled. “You know, just casual. It’s just Seulgi.” 

“Does she not like Italian?” he asks, a look of mild panic starting to etch into the corners of his eyes. “I knew I should have asked but I thought Italian would be the safest, most people like pasta but if she doesn’t–”

“No, no,” you cut him off before he can spiral further, “she likes Italian food, I’m pretty sure it’s one of her favourites actually, but I mean like…it’s just Seulgi.”

“But she’s your friend,” he states the fact like it should explain the fresh baked focaccia cooling on the counter behind him or the ludacris wine bill you got a look at earlier in the day. “Do you not like Italian food? If you really want fried chicken we can order some.” 

One of the pot lids sputters with the force of steam it’s holding back and you choke back a laugh as Mingyu whips around to stir it back into submission. 

“No, no, I love pasta I–” you pause, words dangling on the precipice of your lips, ready to say more, but you think better of it, remembering what Minghao had said at the end of your session about controlling outcomes. “Thank you for doing all this, I’m sure she’ll love it.” 

He grins wide, relieved, and you pack away your lingering worries before leaving him to battle the remains of dinner alone. 

The living room has transformed over the space of a few hours–soft lighting and soft blankets adorn the area and you’re greeted by the faint scent of grapefruit as Vernon moves around the room lighting a series of candles. 

“Are we proposing to her?” you ask, taken aback by the effort put forth by all of your roommates. 

“Do you think she’d say yes?” Vernon quips, turning around with a half-smile, and you roll your eyes.

When you had told them you were thinking of inviting Seulgi over for dinner (ostensibly to meet everyone, but more so to have a night with her where you didn’t have to bother leaving the comfort of your own home) they had reacted…minimally. Mingyu seemed excited at the prospect of hosting a dinner party and apparently had run wild with the power of doing so, but you didn’t think the other three had much cared beyond a vague curiosity about your friend. But even Jeonghan, who already knew Seulgi well, had gone to the trouble of purchasing flowers to liven up the living space. 

“I just don’t know why everyone is treating this like we’re having an idol over or something,” you shake your head, flopping down on the couch and letting your head fall back against the cushion. 

“Well,” Vernon says, taking a seat next to you, “to be honest, it’s mostly Mingyu that insisted on all of it.” 

“Why?” Curiosity bubbles up and you take a cursory glance back towards the kitchen where Mingyu is still standing, glistening over the stove top as he maneuvers various dishes and pots around. You knew he was prone to overdoing things like this if your first big meal with the household was anything to judge from, but why would he bother to go to such lengths just to impress your friend that honestly would have been more than happy with a plate of fried chicken and a cold beer.  

Vernon just shrugs before pushing himself off the couch into a full body stretch. “Well,” he says, “you know Mingyu.” 

I guess I do, you think, curiosity unsatisfied by the lack of answers. You know Jeonghan might give you more insight but whether it was truthful or if you wanted to bear the brunt of his scrutiny for even asking was another question. Instead, you try to just let it go and text Seulgi an inquiry into her ETA while you listen to the clamour of dishes in the kitchen as Mingyu finishes assembling his feast. 

Fifteen minutes and three introductions later, you’re all seated around the candlelit table passing around a dish of tajarin al tartufo. 

“Where did you even get white truffles at this time of year?” Seulgi asks, sipping gingerly from her glass of Chardonnay (specially chosen for the occasion). 

“I know some people in the industry,” Mingyu replies, tone casual–you can still see the glimmer of pride shimmering his eyes in the dim lighting however. 

“Oh, do you work in the culinary sector?” 

“No, not at all,” he shakes his head, “but I did a bit during school so I kept in touch with some people that way. Plus some of the people I graduated with ended up in the acquisitions side of the restaurant business.”

“Well,” she nods, setting down her glass, “I’m surprised honestly, this is like restaurant quality food. I wouldn’t have been shocked if you told me you were a chef.”

Mingyu brushes off the compliment with another laugh, but his smile again betrays how pleased he is by the validation. “It’s just a hobby, really. I like cooking for people.” 

“And we’re happy to benefit from it,” Jeonghan chimes in, “we’d surely be starving if it wasn’t for our private cook.”

“Hey, I can cook,” Seungcheol grumbles, reaching for another slice of focaccia. 

Jeonghan pats his arm with a solemn nod, acknowledging his skillset. “You’d get by fine, but these other two?” he gestures vaguely in yours and Vernon’s directions with a shake of his head, “hopeless.”

“Who needs to cook in this golden age of delivery?” Vernon asks, and you nod your agreement. 

“Someone on a broke actor’s wage, maybe.”

“Touché,” Vernon shrugs, uninterested in defending himself further. “Won’t be broke much longer though, I booked a gig for next week so get ready for riches beyond our wildest imaginations.”

“Oh congratulations, what’s this one? Another commercial for a dog grooming spa?”

“Nope,” Vernon says, brushing off the light dig at his resume, “a bit part in a drama on KBS. I’ve got a name and a line and everything.” 

“Riches beyond our wildest imaginations, hey?” Mingyu jokes, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. 

“Yeah, well, I don’t know what your imagination is like. It does pay though,” he shrugs, content to inhale another forkful of pasta.

“That’s actually great, Vernon,” you say, diverting the round of teasing towards something more supportive. “Congratulations.” 

“Thanks,” he replies, casual as always, “it's something at least. Saves me from having to go work retail for a bit anyway.” 

“Well, if you do need a job at any point after this my cafe is hiring, I just had to fire my last guy,” Seulgi says, setting her fork down at the side of her plate. 

“What happened this time?” you ask. You’ve been out of the loop of cafe drama for far too long. You were having trouble remembering if this was the same guy as the one that kept mixing up decaf and blonde roast. 

“He got in a fist fight with a customer.”

“What? Like…at work?” 

“Yeah,” she replies, dabbing at her mouth with the edge of a napkin. “To be fair the customer he beat up was sleeping with his girlfriend and he hadn’t exactly expected to see him there after finding out but still…it looks bad on me if I let it slide.”

“Still working at the cafe?” Jeonghan asks, “what happened to the start up?”

Seulgi grimaces and you can feel the annoyance seeping through her pores at the mention of her old job, the bitterness from the whole fiasco still running deep in her veins. “It went tits up, and turns out the CEO was embezzling money from the company so there weren’t even any severance packages. Haven’t been able to find anything since then, it’s a nightmare.” 

“You work in tech?” Mingyu asks, leaning over to refill Seulgi and your wine glasses, finishing off the last of the bottle. 

“Software development,” she replies with a nod of thanks for the wine. 

“I might know someone hiring for Samsung, I could ask around for you if you want?” he offers, sitting back down in his chair across from you. 

“You know someone that works at Samsung?” she balks and you watch her expression shift to open excitement at the possibility. 

“I do,” he nods, “he was a nepotism hire, honestly, his dad is head of logistics but he owes me a huge favour so I could ask.” 

“Mingyu,” she says, eyes narrowed to fine points as she stares at him from across the table, “I will give you my first born child in payment.” 

“Oh, uh–” he laughs, a tinge of colour reddening the tips of his ears. “It’s no big deal, really. Just happy to help a friend.” 

His eyes flicker towards yours in the candlelight and you offer him a soft smile of approval. The look does not go unnoticed by Jeonghan, a slow, sly grin spreading over his features as he drains the last of his wine. Conversation drifts, continuing to flow throughout the hour, as time melts away with the candle wax dripping onto the table cloth.

Once the food is polished off the group moves into the living room to play some games and to no one’s surprise, Seungcheol ends up winning most of the rounds of Jenga through sheer intimidation alone. Seulgi, however, does manage to best him at Uno which immediately results in a half-pouted plea for a one-on-one rematch. Vernon excuses himself to head to bed early for an audition in the morning and Jeonghan lingers behind to watch the match, betting on Seunghceol’s downfall much to the man’s chagrin. 

You stay for a minute, watching the cards fly across the table with a vengeance, before your attention shifts to the sounds of running water and clinking of dishes coming from the kitchen. Mingyu took the revenge match as an opportunity to clean up from dinner and a pang of guilt bounds through you at the thought of him doing both the cooking and cleaning for the night entirely alone. 

“Do you want a hand?” He’s hunched over the sink as you enter the kitchen and walk towards him–tall frame bending to accommodate the height of the counter, scrubbing at a stubborn spot on a pot. 

“You don’t have to,” he replies, glancing over his shoulder, “I can handle it.” 

“Mingyu, you already cooked for everyone, the least you can do is let me dry them or something.” 

He evaluates you for a moment, confirming that your offer isn’t born purely from pity, before nodding, “alright, these pots are clean already if you want to start there.”

You nod and grab a clean tea towel from the drawer next to the stove, moving to stand hip to hip with him at the sink. You work in companionable silence, nothing but the squeak of soap on porcelain and the distant complaints of Seungcheol as Seulgi hits him with another pick up 4 card. 

You had never hosted any gatherings at your apartment with Wonwoo. Not that it was ever something he said he didn’t want, it just never came up. He tended to use his home as a retreat from the world and while you loved a good get together, you weren’t much of a host yourself, preferring instead to just join in when invited. Tonight was your first real, adult dinner party and while you hadn’t actually been much of an active participant in the planning of said party, it still felt like you had some ownership over it.

Now, standing here in tandem with Mingyu, cleaning up while your guest and other roommates were occupied with each other, you had to admit that there was something so comfortably domestic about the whole thing. You were surprised at how natural it felt, and you knew that if you let your mind amble down the path of no return, you would find yourself in this same position over and over again in your imagination. Scrubbing pots next to the man that had just fed you and your friends pasta.

“Did you have a good time?” Mingyu asks, sensing your thoughts and cutting them off at the head before they can get the best of you again.

You pick up the last pot in the stack, letting your hands continue working as you nod, a soft smile gracing your lips, “I did, yeah. It was really nice.”

“Good,” he sighs, letting a soft laugh out with his breath, “I’m glad. Wasn’t too much in the end, then?” 

“No,” you reply, soothing the hint of insecurity in his question. “It was perfect. Sounds like Seulgi had a good time as well.” 

“That’s a relief,” he says, dipping his hands back into the sink to finish wiping off the last few plates. 

“Were you worried she wouldn’t?” you laugh, slightly incredulous at the lack of confidence coming from a man who just cooked you a Michelin star worthy dinner. 

“No, I just,” he laughs again, hesitation creeping back into his voice. “I wanted to make a good impression.”

“I don’t think you could have made a bad one,” you mumble, wiping your hands off on the tea towel before hanging it on the cupboard hook to dry out. 

“Well, that’s good,” Mingyu says, angling his body towards yours after pulling the plug in the sink drain, “because I…” he pauses, hesitant. You turn to face him, watching as he tugs the hot pink kitchen gloves off his hands and sets them down at the side of the sink. A faint blush is spreading out over his cheeks and for a second you wonder if he might not be feeling well. 

“Mingyu–” you start–unsure whether to inquire about his well being or just to prompt him to continue. He raises his gaze to meet yours and you get the distinct feeling that he just made some sort of decision, come to some resolution within himself. 

“Listen, I…” he starts and you maintain his gaze, heart picking up pace in your chest as your thoughts fly at a mile a minute trying to guess what he’s about to say. “I’m sorry if this is too forward or something, but the whole reason I went to all of this trouble tonight was for you.” 

“Me?” 

“I like you,” he blurts the words out without ceremony, stumbling over them as they tumble from his mouth. You stand still, a few feet away from him, in shock as the laughter from the living room fades to a distant murmur. “I think you’re beautiful, and funny, and smart and I would like to get to know you more and I know you’re still getting over a break up so I’m not trying to…pressure you or anything. And I know that maybe this is super awkward given that we live together and everything, but I just needed to tell you before I start to feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“Oh.” It’s the only word you can manage. You feel like your brain is stuck on a loading screen as your mouth frantically tries to hit refresh. Nothing happens. You’ve lost connection.

“And if you don’t feel the same now, or ever, that’s okay. But I just needed to tell you that,” he sighs, “that I like you. And I’m very interested in you, and I get the feeling that you are also interested in me but if I’m wrong or it’s too soon then that’s okay. I can wait. Or not. Up to you. But��I like you.” 

“I, umm…” You try. Try to form a coherent thought or sentence but nothing comes to you. Internally, you’re screaming at yourself. Isn’t this what you wanted? Haven’t you been pining after this man since you moved in here? What’s the hold up now? 

All these questions, self chastisements, and more come spilling forward in your brain. A flood of confusion clouding all your judgement as you stand frozen in the middle of the kitchen in front of a man that is still waiting for you to reply to him. A man that has just laid all his cards out on the table for you to see. No tricks, no reversals, just ‘I like you’ in plain language. No guesswork. And still, all of your fears and worries and anxieties overwhelm you anyway. 

“You don’t have to say anything now,” he says, finally, giving up on waiting for your brain to kick in. “But, if you do…feel the same…you know where to find me. And if not then,” he laughs, attempting to clear away some of the awkwardness lingering in the air as a result of your inability to speak, “then I hope we can still be friends and I haven’t…made this too weird or anything.” 

A loud uproar booms out from the living room–Jeonghan’s victorious laughter accompanied by Seungcheol’s cries of devastation. Another win for Seulgi. Mingyu glances behind you towards the sound before smiling and brushing past you, leaving you to pick up your jaw from the tile floor. 

“I really have to go now,” you hear Seulgi say–closer behind you now as the games draw to a close. You snap to attention, shaking off your temporary paralysis, and turn to rejoin the group feeling like an entirely different person than when you had left them barely 30 minutes ago. 

“One more game, all or nothing,” Seungcheol urges, but she shakes her head. 

“I don’t think you can afford to lose another one,” she says with a smile, “and I really need to get back home, I’m opening in the morning. Thank you for the dinner, Mingyu, it was great. And I look forward to hearing from you friend.” 

“Of course,” he replies, the picture of a good host. He hands her her coat from the hallway closet before wishing her a good night and disappearing towards his bedroom. After some prompting Jeonghan and Seungcheol follow suit. 

Seulgi turns to you with a smile, but it falls from her face the second she sees the slightly dumbfounded expression still plastered on your own. “Are you ok?” 

“M-me? Yeah, fine, I just…” you pause, wavering on the option of telling her what just happened but the second you get close to the confession you stall. You don’t want to. Not yet. Not until you’ve reckoned with it on your own. “I think I’m just coming down with a cold.”

“You have a terrible immune system,” she says, shaking her head. “Well, good night then. Call me tomorrow, hopefully you feel better after some rest.” 

“I will, I will,” you nod, opening the door for her as she slips into her shoes. “Text me when you get home.” 

She waves a final goodbye and you watch her walk towards the elevator before closing the door and twisting the lock. With a sigh you lean against the solid wood, grateful for the support as you continue to try to regather your wits. Mingyu’s confession replays, over and over like a highlight reel in your mind.

This is a good thing, isn’t it?

© 2024, neoneun-au. all rights reserved.

―AUTHOR’S NOTE: i cant link them here, but please find the series masterlist and other chapters on my blog. i would love to know your thoughts on the story so far !

[daysofyellowroses]

noodles

carmen berzatto x reader | 1.9k | based on this absolutely adorable request from my darling @thecapricunt1616 enjoy it then i am beyond happy 💗🌼🫶🏻

It didn't matter how many times you shook the plastic stick, the little pink plus sign didn't fade. You tossed it in the trash can, where it joined three others with matching pink pluses. You couldn't really get your head around it, you'd been careful, taken things relatively slow..well, kind of. 

Things had just progressed a little quicker than you'd expected. One minute you're applying for a hostess job, thinking you probably won't even get an interview, seeing as it was a Michelin-starred hotspot, then next thing you're front and center at a fancy restaurant and spending large portions of your shift flirting with the head chef. 

It was never serious flirting, it was just silly and fun. You made flirty comments to everyone, you just particularly meant them with Carmy. He finally seemed to get the hint when you asked him upstairs after he'd dropped you home for the 10th time. 

Nothing really happened that night, you just shared a drink, cheap wine from your refrigerator, and made each other laugh with stupid jokes. You told him you meant it when you flirted, he insisted you were joking. It was only when you kissed him that he finally got the message, kissing you back with a fervor that had your head spinning in the most wonderful way. 

From there you two developed a relationship that suited you both. You were professional at work, still had some nights apart when you were both exhausted or just needed some alone time. But you had spent hours sitting on his kitchen counter watching him cook, told him stories from your past, encouraged him to tell you some stories too. You watched movies that you didn't pay full attention to, you read your book with your legs over Carm's lap, rolling your eyes with a grin when he would tease you for looking so serious. 

It was the best relationship you'd ever been in, and while you weren't sure what the future held, you were positive Carm would be a big part of it, that you two would keep going, develop your relationship.

Sure, you had thought about kids, marriage, a home together etc., but in a kind of just-for-fun-daydreamy kind of way. 

Now, one of those things was becoming a reality. It wasn't exactly how you would have planned it, you and Carm weren't even living together. Sure, you stayed at his most nights of the week and had more than a few personal belongings left there, but it wasn't the same.

It felt like moving in should have been the next step. The excitement of starting to really build a foundation together. You were just skipping ahead a step or two, apparently. 

Eventually you left the bathroom and chose to sit on your bed for a while instead. You called your doctor and made an appointment, more as a formality. Maybe it would feel more real when your doctor told you rather than seeing it on a plastic stick you'd peed on.

Once you were dressed you went to make a coffee before stopping yourself, wondering if it was ‘allowed’, even though it was so early on. You decided to play it safe, having a herbal tea instead, which you nearly choked on when your phone rang, Carmy's ID flashing up on the screen.

Did he know? How could he know?

“Hey,” You smiled as much as you could, trying to feel normal. “How are you? How is everything?”

You hoped you didn't sound too unusual or not yourself, feeling annoyingly aware of yourself.

“Hey, everything's good,” Carm replied and you felt yourself relax a little. “Just..there's been a slight change of plan for today.”

You stifled a laugh, nothing Carm could say could be a bigger change of plan than an unexpected pregnancy.

“Oh? You raised a brow, lightly tapping your nails against your cup. “What's up?”

“So, it turns out that apparently I promised Richie and Sug that I'd babysit while they have some meetings. I hate to ask when it's your day off but..could you help me?”

You couldn't help but laugh, resting your head on your head on your hand and letting out a soft sigh.

“Of course I'll help, don't worry. When do you need me?” 

An couple of hours later, you found yourself at Carmy's apartment, smiling as he opened the door looking flustered, a toddler on his hip and a doll in his hand.

“Perfect timing,” He smiled, stepping aside to let you in. “I'm outnumbered.”

“Who said I'm on your side?” You raised a brow, smiling at the little boy on Carmy's hip and gently stroked his cheek as he giggled. “I'm here to help the kids gang up on you.”

“Oh good,” Carm nodded, lightly tapping you with the doll. “Bring it on.”

You made your way to the living room, smiling as you spotted Eva on the couch, giving her a little wave.

“Hey girly girl,” You grinned, going to sit next to her. “Hope you've been keeping your uncle busy?”

“Yeah,” She giggled, leaning over to you as Carm came into the room. You leaned down, smiling as she whispered in your ear.

A half hour or so later, you went to open the living room door as there was a knock, adjusting the toddler on your hip before opening it and trying to keep a straight face as you met Carm's eyes.

“Hi, can I help you?” You asked, raising a brow.

“Uh, yeah, actually,” Carmy nodded, trying to keep a straight face. “I have an appointment, I'm a little early but..maybe you could squeeze me in?”

“Maybe,” You nodded, biting your lip softly. “Come in, follow me.”

You turned and walked further into the room, gesturing to the couch. “Take a seat.”

“Yes ma'am,” Carm nodded as you walked to the kitchen door and opened it.

“Your two o'clock is early,” You said, glancing back to Carm for a moment.. “Do you want to fit him in now?”

You nodded before turning back to Carm and gesturing to the kitchen. “She'll see you now, come through.”

You walked into the kitchen and smiled as you watched Carm walk in, the smile on his face as he spotted the makeshift beauty salon that had been set up.

“Take a seat,” Eva gestured to the seat across the counter, an adorably serious look on her face. You placed the baby into his high chair by the table, smiling as you heard Eva boss her uncle around.

“Hands in the bowl, keep them still.”

You went to the fridge, taking out a little light blue lunch box before glancing over to Carm with a smile.

“What color do you want?” Eva asked, pointing to the handful of nail polishes sitting on the counter. 

 “Hm, I'm not sure,” Carm mused, looking at the colors. “I got a big date tonight, I wanna look my best. What do you think will suit me?”

You smiled to yourself as you put the lunch box in the microwave, laughing softly as you heard Eva tell Carm to hold still.

After lunch and Carmy's nail appointment, you decided to take the kids to the park, feeling a new wave of love for your boyfriend that he made no attempt to remove the red nail polish. When you were taking the stroller to the lift, one of Carm's neighbors passed you in the hall and smiled at you and realized that it wouldn't be long before the baby in the stroller would be yours.

You brushed off the thought, trying to focus on just having a nice, fun day. As you were en route to the park, Carm asked if you could have a little detour, and you were sure the look on the kids faces when you arrived at build-a-bear would never leave you.

Carm took his nephew from the stroller and placed him on his hip before taking him to pick out a teddy, your heart swelling in your chest, moreso when Eva took your hand and asked you to help her choose.

You found yourself subconsciously placing your hand on your stomach, wondering what it would feel like to hold your own baby on your hip, feel their hand in yours, see the excitement in their eyes when they were presented with a cute little toy.

Carm's nephew had picked a bear (perhaps with a little nudge from his uncle), that ended up in a chefs uniform (that one was a total push), while Eva chose a bunny that she chose a performance outfit for. 

When you got back to Carm's, you were more than happy to chill on the couch, though you practically melted into it when Carm got a book and read to the kids (and their new toys) til they were asleep. 

“Not a bad effort,” You smiled, looking over to Carm and trying not to imagine the toddler that could be in his lap one day. “You might actually be pretty good at this whole uncle thing.”

“I might just be,” Carm grinned, reaching out to touch your hand. “Had help from the best though.”

“You're welcome,” You smiled, gently stroking his hand. “I presume that's why you're taking me on a..big date, was it?”

“Oh absolutely,” Carm nodded, looking serious for a moment before he grinned. “the biggest.”

“Hm, guess I'll have to get glammed up,” You smiled, looking over to Eva. “Maybe I'll see if I can get a last minute appointment.”

That evening, after a quick trip home to grab a change of clothes, you were back in Carmy's apartment. It felt so quiet without the kids, you found yourself putting on music just for background noise. 

When you were in the bathroom putting on your makeup, you felt a wave of nausea hit you, more out of nerves than anything else. You hoped it would leave, but before you knew it you were bent over the toilet, taking a deep breath as you waited for the inevitable.

There was a knock on the bathroom door when you were washing your hands, looking up at the mirror taking a deep breath. Even with makeup you still looked unwell. 

“Hey,” Carm smiled as you opened the door, the concern evident on his face. “Are you okay? I thought I heard..”

“I'm fine,” You nodded, taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh as the concern didn't leave his face. “I just..need to talk to you.”

You walked into the bedroom, sitting on the bed and trying to think of the right words.

“Okay,” You began. “this is..really not what I thought would happen, and I don't know how you're going to take this but..oh god..”

As you buried your head in your hands, Carm was immediately by your side, his arm around your waist. 

“Whatever it is you can tell me,” He assured you. “I promise. Just let it out, we'll handle it.”

“I'm pregnant.” You said before you could stop yourself or build it up more, lowering your hands and looking over to Carm.

“You're..wow,” Carmy nodded, rubbing his jaw. “Well, thank fuck for that. I mean, I knew, but I thought you were dumping me.”

“Wait what?” You raised a brow. “You knew? How did you know?”

“I just knew,” Carm shrugged with a smile. “I mean, I guess I hoped I was right..I know it's skipping ahead a little but..I want what we had today, all the time.”

“Can you stop being so perfect for like one day?” You rolled your eyes with a grin, resting your head on Carmy's shoulder. “Or maybe just after the big date.”

[breadbrioche]

estimated time of arrival

so mun x reader

➳summary: mun is excited to see you after being apart for so long

➳warnings: takes place early season 2, accidental confessions

➳word count: 731

➳a/n: some fluff before whatever happens in this weekend’s episode

“Who’s Y/N?” Jeokbong asked, standing idly in the middle of the shop floor of Unnie’s Noodles while the other counters were rushing around him, carrying various supplies and decorations.

“Another counter on our team.” Motak explains while setting out the table. “They went overseas to help out with dealing with the evil spirits.”

“And they’re finally coming back today!” Mun added happily while entering from the kitchen, bringing in a ladder to hang up banners.

“How are they like? You seem really excited, Mun.” Jeokbong asked, noticing how bright he got at your mention.

“That’s only because he’s had a crush on Y/N since-“ Hana began with a smirk before she was cut off by a stuttering, red faced Mun who urgently pressed a hand on her mouth to silence her.

In his embarrassed state, the boy must have forgotten all about Hana’s aversion to touch as he was instantly thrown to the ground with a loud thud, making him groan painfully.

“Good god Hana! Is this really the time for that?” Ms Chu exclaimed while helping Mun to his feet. Hana rolled her eyes at Ms Chu babying Mun before continuing her previous task.

“Can someone call Y/N and see where they are now? I still haven't gotten started on making the noodles!” Ms Chu fussed. Mun immediately offered himself to do it and excused himself from the room to go to the downstairs gym speedily, ignoring all the snickers and hushed gossiping from the others.

Dialing your number, he held it up to his ear and the call picked up in only a few rings.

“Hello?”

Mun instinctively smiled hearing your voice, even if it was a bit muffled from the phone.

“Hey, it’s me. We were wondering how far away you were now since we last called. Everyone’s really excited to see you again.”

“I am too! You don’t even know how much I missed you all. Anyways, I think I’m about half an hour away now? So not too long”

“Are you kidding? That’s way too long! Tell the driver to hurry up or something” Mun complained playfully. He heard you sigh on the other side of the phone.

“You’ve already waited a year! This should be nothing compared to that. Jeez, you’re so impatient sometimes.”

“Well that’s only because it’s been that long! Why should I wait longer than I have to so I can see you again?”

You laughed at his whining and Mun’s heart fluttered at the sound. He placed a hand on his chest, trying to calm himself down; it’s just you, he told himself. There was no need to get so nervous.

“I’ll be there soon.” You reassured him. “Maybe you could help out Ms Chu or something to help pass the time”

“Fine.” He finally gave in. “But don’t you dare be late!”

“I’ll see what I can do. But don’t blame me if there’s too much traffic!” You warned him jokingly, making Mun chuckle.

“See you soon, okay? I love you.”

The words came out so naturally that Mun hadn’t even registered what he said until a few moments passed and he was met with a shocking silence on your end. Mun gasped in realization and hung up immediately, not knowing what else to do.

He groaned frustratedly as he slapped his face, scolding himself. So Mun you’re an idiot!, he thought regretfully.

Mun had half a mind to call you back and try to explain himself but millions of thoughts ran through his mind in a second; what if you don’t feel the same? What if you find it weird? How was he ever gonna face you again?

Mun was knocked out of his spiralling thoughts when he felt his phone vibrate in his hand. The screen lit up, showing a text notification from you.

<Haha you didn’t even let me say anything>

The boy’s shoulders relax slightly, relieved that you aren’t totally mad at him. As Mun tried to decide how to respond, he saw you send another text. But upon reading it, Mun thought his heart almost exploded.

A stupid grin grew on his face while his already erratic heartbeat quickens even more as Mun rereads the text over and over to make sure it his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.

<But i love you too lets talk when I get home 💕>

[bendycxmet]

Makeup, Makeout—Vash the Stampede

Summary: Relaxing one night with Vash leads you to wanting to do makeup on him, and leads to more than you could have hoped for.

Word Count: ~2.1k

Pairing: gn!reader x Vash the Stampede

Content: modern AU, tension, teasing, some heavy making out, makeup, overall fluff

“Yo Wolfwood, you going anywhere today?” Vash peeked into his friend’s doorway.

“Want me out for a specific reason?” inquired Wolfwood from his desk in the corner of his dimly lit room, the only light coming from his computer screen as his lithe fingers danced over the keyboard, furious clicks sounding as he shot away at the enemy team. “Playing hooky? Thought that was my job.” With a quick glance, Wolfwood glanced at his blonde roommate, fidgeting with his vermilion hoodie, shrinking into the cotton material under his gaze.

Wolfwood snickered.

“They’re coming over aren’t they?” Vash sheepishly hummed at his friend’s guess, hinting to him that his guess was right as ever. Wolfwood sighed, pausing his game and removing his headphones so that he can turn to face Vash.

“Vash, when are you two going to finally date each other? We all can only handle so much pining between you two,” he said, referencing the times he, Milly, and Meryl all shared exasperated looks at the only two in the room that didn’t realize they had feelings for each other. 

“Give me a break? I don’t even know if they like me!” Vash groaned.

Wolfwood sighed. “Yeah yeah I’ll head out tonight to the girl’s apartment upstairs and give you two lovebirds your time alone.”

Living in the same apartment building as your friend group can really come in handy sometimes. You were more comfortable living with the girls, obviously, since they cleaned up after themselves and weren’t as noisy as the boys rooming a floor away. 

“Thank you…I appreciate it. It’s been a long week for them. They just wanted to have a movie night with me. No offense to you guys.” Vash chuckled, not blaming you for wanting to avoid the others, seeing as they were more…energized in their interactions half the time.

“Don’t sweat it. Already knew. Milly and Meryl texted me earlier inviting me to theirs so we could eat out at the new noodle shop since they said they saw how restless you seemed. We all know that means they want some alone time to recharge with their favorite person…” Wolfwood insinuated, winking at Vash. “Don’t have too much fun tonight.”

~~~~~~~

“Can I give you a rocker look?”

“Huh?”

You and Vash were cuddled together on the couch, watching some seasonal movie on TV as the end of the year was finally upon you two. You felt extremely cozy, a large plush blanket covering your body, your arms wrapped around his middle, smushing your face into his shoulder as you peered up at him, his arm softly placed on your back. He could hardly take the way your eyes peered up at him. 

It had been rainy that day, thick fluffy clouds slathered across the sky, a cold that licked at your skin all day until the warmth that radiated from Vash chased away the chills you had. 

The boys’ apartment, although weirdly put together in their decorations, was welcoming. Vash’s plants lined the wall that welcomed in the sun’s rays the most, not a leaf out of place. Poorly strung lights were loosely strewn across the ceiling, illuminating the living room in a warm glow, reflecting off the group pictures hung on the walls. The sky peeking in through the blinds revealed that it was blue hour, a contrasting gloomy blue to the warm tones of Vash’s apartment. All of these components proved to be a perfect spell for you to fall asleep on his couch. You needed something to wake yourself up.

“Yanno. With makeup,” you deadpanned, as if it was the obvious answer to his bewilderment.

“But…why? We don’t have any makeup here.” Vash tilted his head to the side, looking more like a confused puppy than ever. 

“I think you got the perfect face for a rocker look.” 

You could never tell him that it’s because he was already gorgeous, you were just curious how much prettier he could be with makeup on. 

“Besides, I have my makeup on me right now.”

“...were you planning on this?” Vash teased, squeezing your sides as a toothy grin fought to crack his face. You squealed at his movements, sadly having to wrench yourself from his warmth. 

“No! Mmm… maybe… anyways! I thought it would be good practice!” With that, you got up and quickly gathered your supplies from your bag. Black eyeshadow and eyeliner, a simple look that no doubt will send you to your knees once you saw it on him. 

“Hmm, ok how should I go about this…” you looked around, first glancing to his bedroom wondering if the dingy light in the bathroom would be enough. Yet, he was much taller than you, so peering up at him would hurt your neck…

“Uhh, we could just do it right here, no? I mean, it’s comfortable,” Vash offered from where he lounged on the couch.

“I guess you’re right!” With that, you plopped yourself down. Only, you don’t know what got into you. Or how shameless you were in that moment. Well, with how you were seated in Vash’s lap, knees on either side of his legs as you rummaged around in your makeup bag.

Vash froze. He was warm before, but now he felt hot. He peered at you as you grabbed a makeup palette, opening it and looking at your options, oblivious to the effect you had on him. You were rambling about how you came across this look, seeing a tutorial online earlier in the day and feeling inspired to try it on him as the guy in the video had similar features to the man between your thighs.

“Ok, ready. Close your eyes for me,” you said, opting to use your finger for the black eyeshadow. Doesn’t need to be perfect. 

Vash rushed to close his eyes before you made eye contact, hoping you couldn’t see how wide his eyes became from your previous movements. 

You hummed as you gently swiped the pigment onto his pale complexion, perfectly content and focused with the task at hand. Vash fought to keep his breathing under control so as to not reveal how fast paced his heart was, the action proving difficult as he felt your warm breath swoop over his cheeks, the scent that is so uniquely you filling his nostrils, indicating just how close you truly were.

Vash felt you lean back, thanking the heavens he was able to get a second to clear his mind of you. This was short lived as he felt you lean back in.

“Alright, now I need you to open your eyes for me. I gotta do the eyeliner on your bottom lid.” Vash breathed, slowly opening his blue eyes to stare down at a spot on your shoulder, avoiding eye contact. 

“Heyy~ I need you to look up now.”

He looked up at the low hanging lights, choosing to focus on one bulb. You went to work again, slowly adding the eyeliner to his lower lids. You were nearly done with the second eye when a shuddering breath reached your ears. The haze in your mind from focusing on applying makeup cleared, a veil seemingly lifted from your senses. When had you gotten so close?!

Shit. Vash nearly made it through your routine, just up until you leaned impossibly closer to him. The moment the warmth radiating off your face connected with his, your chest flattening against his, he couldn’t help the staggering breath that left him. The position you two were in was becoming too intimate.

You took a deep breath before taking in the sight before you. Damn, you did a good job. The onyx pigmentation contrasted perfectly with everything that is Vash. His fair skin. His wonderfully blue eyes that were always regarding you with such kindness and reverence. He was a sight to behold. He was hot. 

Your senses were completely engulfed by Vash, your surroundings blurring. His light floral scent, his warmth that came from where you two were touching, his wet, slightly parted lips…his heaving chest… wait. What the hell is going on? 

It was finally then that you realized what you had been up to for the past five minutes. You were seated, too comfortably, in his lap. Your proximity to him could be labeled as promiscuous with how your thighs were hugging his.

“O-Ok, I think I’m done. You’re making me jealous! How dare you have better eyelashes than me. Anyway, you look really cool! Let’s go look in the mirror!” you rambled, reeling from your revelation. 

Get out. Abort. Move away, goddammit! You’re cutting it close! Your mind all but screamed at you.

You went to push away from him, but you found yourself not budging an inch. Confused, you looked down, seeing Vash’s lean arm grasping your back, keeping you close to him.

~~~~~~~

“You’re a coward.”

“Excuse you?!” screamed Vash, his words slurred as Wolfwood kept him upright on their walk home from the club.

“All that liquid courage and you didn’t make a single damn move on them?? No matter how drunk everyone in that club was, people could tell how in love you two were!” Wolfwood pressed.

The group had gone out on a chilly Saturday night, searching for a fun time, choosing to head into a local club, where they all got positively hammered. Everyone had several rounds of tequila, you and Vash taking the lead and stumbling on the dancefloor. The entire night, the remaining crew rolled their eyes at your blatant affection for one another. Your hands were around Vash’s neck, his hands protectively encircling your back as you two danced song after song, bodies closely swaying to the beat, in your own worlds until Vash had to run to the bathroom to empty the contents of his stomach. 

“We were just dancing, like everyone else!” Vash yelled.

“If only you saw it from our point of view…prove me wrong. Next time.”

“Whaa…?” 

Wolfwood breathed a sigh of relief as they entered their apartment building. 

“Next time you’re that close to them, make a move. Normal friends don’t usually get that close to each other. Time and time again.”

Although Vash was drunk out of his mind that night, he managed to catch every single one of Wolfwood’s critiques. Wolfwood’s recommendation managed to lodge itself in the recesses of his mind. 

~~~~~~~

His pupils were dilated, probably matching the way yours looked at that moment. You shuddered as his hand slowly moved up to caress the back of your head. You didn’t dare move away this time. 

Make a move. Wolfwood’s words echoed once again in his head. 

Yeah, maybe I will. With that final thought, he closed the tiny distance you had created.

Warm. That’s all you felt in that moment. You had imagined countless times what it would feel like to finally kiss him, but none of your childish fantasies lived up to this moment. His plump lips were soft as they moved against your own, pulling gasps and full-body shivers from you. He angled both your heads, deepening the kiss. He groaned at your reciprocation, the arm around your waist squeezing you tighter against him, unknowingly brushing you against his hips. Your arms went to hug his shoulders at the same time his hand came up to carefully cradle your jaw, his thumb swiping across your cheekbones. You were panting into his mouth at this point, all oxygen leaving your body at the deep kisses he was giving you, his tongue swiping across your bottom lip as a heads up before delving in to explore and get to know a new part of you.

He’s gonna be the death of you.

He hoped you could understand him. In the kisses he gave you, he hoped you could hear his confessions of love and admiration he has harbored for you, his apologies for taking so long to give them to you. One day, he would say them out loud. Not today, though. What you both needed at this moment was each other’s physical presence finally molding and mixing together. 

~~~~~~~

3am. That’s gotta be enough time for those lovebirds. Wolfwood sleepily pondered, key turning in the lock to his shared apartment. 

"Let us know how they are! They haven’t responded to our texts for awhile now. That’s gotta mean something!" The girls’ voice rang in the back of his head. Crossing the threshold, Wolfwood’s eyes immediately fell on the pair on the couch. 

He snickered. You were in a peculiar position, arms and legs wrapped around Vash’s hips and waist, your sleeping face tucked into his neck, soft, even breaths occasionally blowing against the blonde’s skin. It was as if your unconscious body was unwilling to let go of Vash now that you finally had him. Your head failed to cover the circular bruises littered on Vash’s neck, your own neck mirroring his.

Vash shyly met Wolfwood’s eyes. Although the room was dimly lit, Wolfwood could see Vash’s face had been beet red.

“You two really are idiots.”

A/N: thx for reading! everything is crossposted on my ao3

masterlist

divider by saradika

[cybrpwup]

ꜱɪᴄᴋ || ʏᴜᴍɪ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Yumi x reader !

content warnings; none summary; yumi is sick :( Requested?; no

"Helloo" I open the door to the group house and step inside. The house seemed still and everything was silent. usually the boys were up and about and definitely never this quiet. "Blake?" I call out once more and hear a very quiet groan coming from up the stairs.I climb the stairs and approach the door and knock lightly and another groan comes from the other side of the door, "Blake?" I open the door and see my boyfriend bundled up in his covers. I almost couldn't tell he was there he was almost completely covered in blankets, only his faced poked out from underneath. "Oh my god, Blake it's... " I glance at the time on my phone, "1:00 pm, you need to get out of bed" I pester him and he just groans again. "Blake, don't ignore me" stepping closer to him I can see his cheeks are red and his forhead glistens with sweat. "Oh no..." I reach my arm towards him and feel his forehead with the back of my hand, "You're sick, why didn't you tell me?"He shifts to sit up, "sorry I didn't wanna bother you, I knew you'd wanna take care of me" I squint my eyes at him, "damn right I would, wait here" I walk out quickly and hear him sigh.

I enter the kitchen and look in the cupboards, "yes! perfect" I grin and grab a can of chicken noodle soup from off the shelf. Fortunately I know the kitchen like the back of my hand, and I locate a can opener and a small pot.Once I'm done making the soup I bring it into the bedroom, I also brought with me cold medicine. "Sit up I made you soup" he looks over at me and smiles, "thanks." he laughs and reaches for the bowl but I grab it away "baby no, you don't need to feed yourself" I flash a grin and bring the spoon to his mouth. "Y/n I'm not a child, I can feed myself" his voice sounded raspy due to his nose being plugged.

"You're sick, just relax" I pout and he sighs, bringing his mouth to the spoon and eating the warm soup. "See that wasn't so bad" I giggle and ruffle his hair already very messy hair."so where is everyone? they left you here sick and alone." I pouted my bottom lip as I slid his hair off his forehead and placed a kiss. "Nick, Larry and Tanner are vlogging I think and Isaac is probably in his room." He answered Once he's done eating all of the soup I give him medicine and get a warm cloth to put on his head. "Ok get some rest, the sooner you feel better the sooner we can cuddle again".

--

Yumi had been tossing and turning in bed for an hour and I couldn't watch him roll around anymore. I had been sitting at his desk watching over him. I walk over to his bed and look down at his face. Even though he looked uncomfortable he still looked really cute. He was so pretty.I lift the covers and crawl in beside him before he can object. He makes a startled noise and I wrap my arms around him, aswell as my legs around his. "Y/n you're gonna get sick" he tries to pull away but I hold onto him, "if you get me sick you can take care of me" I mutter into his chest and he finally wraps his arms around me. "Ok but don't say I didn't warn you" I can hear his smile and I run my fingers through the back of his fluffy hair, as he pulls me into a fervent kiss, long and full of emotion making us smile against each other before pulling away as he softly drags his thumb against my bottom lip.

He opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off by a knock at his door; The boys had come back home. Yumi got up from his spot with a groan and opened the door. I stood up after him, standing behind the door listening to Isaac say something about a capybara. I peeked my head around the door to see Larry holding up a t-shirt with a sloth on it only for Yumi to proceed to rip the shirt in half, "oh my. . ." I finally spoke, stepping out of the doorway and finally being noticed by the other guys "Y/n!" Nick pointed the camera at you "I'm sorry we didn't mean to disturb" He teased and the others joined in. "Grow up, idiots." I shot back, feeling Yumi squeeze my hand; he wanted to go back to bed. I turn to him for a moment, silently letting him know he can go back in and I'll be right behind him, "Wait before you go, Y/n," Larry runs down the stairs before quickly climbing back up them with a stuffed shark, "this guy is for you." He holds it out to me like it's a ring and he's just proposed, "oh shit, thanks. hes so cute i love him." I hold him in front of my face before pulling it into my chest. eventually I return to the room after telling everyone to quiet down and let my beloved sleep. he reaches out his arms and make grabby hands at me, I comes closer and he pulls me down on him. I throw the plush behind him and wrap my arms around his middle. He places a kiss on my forehead as i rest my head on his chest. "Once you're feeling better we should do something" I suggest running my fingers through his brown curly hair, he hums in response sleepily and we lay in silence, though it wasn't too late I knew he needed the sleep.His breathing gets slower after a while of laying together. He's fallen asleep, so I switch off the TV, that had been playing SpongeBob, and kiss the top of his head, smiling at his sleeping form. Pulling out my phone I take a picture of him laying on me since it was really cute. Eventually, my eyes begin drooping and my head is harder to keep held up so I put down my phone beside me, Yumi squeezes me slightly and soon I fall asleep too.

[lyriumrain]

A cosy/no-obligations game I played recently is SUMMERHOUSE (on steam, sadly not on switch). Very simple premise: use the provided objects to build anything you want in 4 different scenes. Review under the cut. The tl;dr is: I love it a lot :) It's a small scale game that nails what it set out to do.

There's 4 different scenes to build on, with space to the left and right so you're not stuck in one spot. You're limited to a front-on view, but that's fun because you don't have to worry about what the objects look like from the back - although I would personally call it 2.5D because when you move to the sides you can see a little bit of the depth. You can move the objects forward, backwards, up and down, and flip them horizontally.

Cons: Honestly there's very little to critique. It's a small game with a specific goal, and I think it's absolutely outstanding. There are minor issues I have with it, but remember that these are just my own hang ups and what I'd like to see fixed or handled differently:

The range of objects is limited. I consider this a pro and a con, because the limited variety forces you to be creative. But there is a clear preference for stores/street objects when I personally would have liked more personal/household items.

The range of movement and control you have over objects is sometimes very frustrating. Clipping is something that is necessary for this game to work, I understand and appreciate that, but randomly the game will decide that you're not allowed to clip some items, with them refusing to go exactly where you want. Not everyone will have this issue, so take that with a grain of salt. I personally would prefer more direct control and the ability to place things closer and further away.

You cannot move an item once it is placed, you have to delete it and replace it.

Pros: The important part! I love this game. This to me is the definition of a cosy game.

You can choose between night, day, and rain. You can turn off the UI.

The music is delightfully subtle and unobtrusive, same with ambience sounds.

Through achievements you can unlock people/animals that are attached to certain objects

You can replay your build process

There's 20 save slots

The scenes are all long enough to fit multiple builds

You can turn off the pixel filter

Like I said before, there's a limited gallery of objects, but it exercises your creativity and it's not overwhelming.

I spent 7 hours on my first "playthrough" - if you're someone who loves to noodle around with building and just wants a calm, relaxing way to pass the time, then you'll love Summerhouse.

[wormdevourer]

little Boothill oneshot I got inspo for randomly,, enjoy :)

𝙱𝙾𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙻𝙻 - 𝙰 𝙲𝙾𝚉𝚈 𝙽𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃

“Remember to aim for the heart!”

warnings: none | fluff

Boothill wasn’t the type to be overly clingy - that was, until you got a new job and could only spend limited time with him at home. He missed you during the days, the times that you usually spent together. The long hours that dragged by without you were like torture - he just wanted you close all day. Occasionally, he’d accept those regular dangerous missions from which his profit derived from, and those helped to take his mind off of things.

One night, you came home from work at around six in the evening, tired from the day’s stresses. Tossing your shoes into the cubby and stepping into the kitchen with a heavy sigh, you set out some water to boil for dinner.

As you stood there in the lonely, dim kitchen, waiting for the water to boil, you suddenly felt arms around your waist. Nearly jumping out of your skin at the touch, you whipped around to see Boothill clinging to you, his face nuzzled into the back of your neck.

“…I missed ya.”

His voice is low and uncharacteristically soft…he’s being sweet.

“Aww…I missed you too, Boothill~” You giggled and smiled at him, adding in some noodles to the pot ahead of you.

“Whatcha makin’…?” He asked curiously, tilting his head slightly - which made his soft white hair spill over your shoulders.

“Spaghetti for dinner, love,” you replied, feeling his grip on you tighten slightly, “does that sound good?”

He nods, nuzzling his face back into the nape of your neck.

“Sounds delicious, darlin’…and I’m starvin’.”

“Heh, sorry I was a little late…work kept me, as usual.”

He hums faintly against your neck, hearing the soft hiss of the water boiling. You stir the pasta and finish up cooking while he clings to you, before turning back to him.

“Dinner’s ready…can you let go, please, love?” You asked softly, not wanting to hurt his feelings. He reluctantly let go of you, but not before placing a soft kiss on your forehead. The two of you sat beside each other at the kitchen table, as you listened to Boothill ramble about his day. He was so cute like this - talking animatedly, excited to see you again…it made you feel so loved.

“Sounds like you had an okay day without me, hm? I’m glad - I can’t stand the thought of you at home, missing me all day…” you chuckled once he was done with his rambling, seeing his happy smile as he looked at you.

“I mean, I still missed ya lots, sugar, but I survived…mostly~” …so cute.

You two spent a couple hours chatting and relaxing together before getting ready for bed, and then, when you came back in to your shared bedroom…

…Boothill was snuggled up in a ball underneath the soft blankets, wearing his comfy pajamas with his white hair pooled out around him. His eyes were closed, and he was completely unaware of your presence. He looked so relaxed, and so adorable. You couldn’t help but to stare for a moment…he’s just too precious.

“…darlin’? you’re back?” He called quietly, sitting up and glancing at you, “c’mere~”

You wasted no time rushing over, shutting the lights off, and snuggling into bed with him. A soft giggle escapes you as he wraps his arms around you, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. Despite his metal body, he was actually quite warm - after all, he had an internal heater to keep his temperature regulated.

“Hm…this is what I’ve been looking forward to all day…~” you mumbled absentmindedly, smiling up at him as you ran your fingers through his soft hair.

“Yeah…me too, sugar. Me too,” he hummed lowly, pulling the blankets over you both. He absolutely loved your cuddles and warmth - it made him feel more human than anything else could. He loved these sweet nights with you, the sound of your voice so relaxed, and warmth of your body close to his…he loved you.

“Hey,” you began, meeting his gaze with yours, “I’m taking the day off tomorrow, sweetheart…to spend it all with you.”

His face instantly lit up at that - he looked so overjoyed. “Really, sugar?!” Once you nodded at him, he practically pounced on you, hugging you tightly against his chest.

“Sugar, I can’t fudgin’ wait!~” Aww, he sounded so happy… “I’ve been plannin’ a day of fun for us just in case! I’ll bring ya on a mission if ya want, an’ we can relax ta’gether, an’-“ you cut him off by cupping his face in your hands, smiling sweetly at him.

“Of course, sweetheart, I’d love that. I’m glad you’re so excited - it’s cute~” as you said that, his cheeks were tinged a light pink.

“C-cute…? Am I really, sugar…?”

(do not repost / steal / translate to any other sites !!)

[genderfluid-insomniac]

Prompt: A finds one of those foam noodle things you play with in the pool while shopping with their partner, and A challenges B to a noodle duel. (Sun Wukong x reader)

MK had decided that you all should have a day at the beach to relax because of everything that’s happened in the past year with all the world/universe-threatening events plaguing the city. You had been issues with the job of gathering floaties and pool noodles (ironically something he couldn’t do what with organizing the entire thing) for people who couldn’t swim all that well or at all. A few people ultimately didn’t swim that great who were getting tips from Sandy who was fittingly enough a swim coach and lifeguard certified (hell you wouldn’t be surprised if he was also trained in first aid or CPR).

So here you were strolling down the aisles of Target for pool/beach supplies with your cart weighed down a fair amount by your companion. You had invited him to come with you since he’s kind of a shut in with social anxiety and you wanted company, totally not because you had said he wouldn’t last half an hour in public. “Wukong can you get out of the damn cart?! You’re so heavy and I don’t have supernatural strength.” He groaned loudly and squirmed around so the Monkey King was now facing you, his tail whipping around with irritation clear on his face.

“If it were up to me, I’d still be on my beautiful mountain with the rest of my family but no you had to use my pride and arrogance against me-” Interrupting him, you turned your head and lit up when you saw the aisle you were looking for. “Yeah you’ve had hundreds of years to work on that so don’t blame me. Also you actually do need to get out so we can fill the cart.” There was a reason you’d gotten a cart and not a basket since you’d be getting only a few things but they’d be sizable, some grumbling could be heard in the background and what sounding like your voice being mocked.

You began to walk toward a shelf containing inflatable tubes and rafts of all different colors, grabbing a few and putting them into the cart when you hit on the back with a foam rod. “What are you-” Turning around to see Sun holding a pool noodle in hand and tossing one to you, narrowing his eyes in a silent dare for you to pick it up and there was only one answer you could give back. You picked it up and took a defensive stance, rushing at him suddenly and swiping your foam tube at him. “Ha, gotta do better than that.”

The training you had was nothing and the aisle wasn’t that big so you could only go forward and backward, using the cart as a barrier and keeping it close to you. Ducking to avoid a thrust of his “sword” and perry to the best of your ability, quietly squeaking when the celestial primate jumped up onto the railing of the cart and tore the pool noodle out of your hand. “Fine. I give.” You put your hands in the air jokingly and rolled your eyes. Confused when he waved his hands like he was expecting more and groaned. “And fine you can ride in the cart! Get in, Wukong.” Smug bastard.

[zorosleftshoe]

Can you do one where reader & Colby are travelling and reader can't fall asleep and Colby helps her fall asleep?

Of course!

Pairing: Colby Brock x reader

Warnings: one swear word

The snow came down furiously outside as I wrapped my arms tightly around my middle. The atmosphere of the cozy cabin that Colby and I had escaped away to for the weekend doing little to ease the worry that clouded my mind and blurred my judgement. Colby stood with his back to me as he hummed what sounded like a melodious tune. My heart fluttered at the sound. So warm and inviting.

The forecast had called for a nasty blizzard but Colby had been determined to not let it ruin our anniversary weekend. “Blizzard be damned” he had said. The smell of fettuccine floated through the air reminding me of the scenes in those movies where the steam hugs your nostrils and I giggle lightly causing Colby to turn his attention towards me.

“What’s got you so tickled, my love?” I turn away from the threatening snow and make my way towards the man I love before wrapping my arms tightly around his middle and resting my head between his shoulder blades. “Just the aroma of the food. I had a silly thought.” He rubs my arm gently before digging in his pocket for a moment and finally pulling out a shiny penny. “Penny for your thoughts?” I take the penny from between his fingers and press it between my own before kissing his cheek lightly.

Colby had noticed not long after we started dating that occasionally my mind would drift. Much to his dismay, he often had no clue in telling where it had gone, which led to what he called ‘the penny method’. He began to carry around shiny pennies in his pocket and when I got that distant look in my eye he would pull one out and ask the infamous question, “penny for your thoughts?”

I smile at the memory before releasing my grip on him and twirling around. The sweet melody of “Sign Your Name” begins to play from the radio that resides in the corner of the room and I outreach my hand towards the tall brunette boy.

“May I have this dance?” A blush creeps onto his cheeks as he throws the towel that was slung on his shoulder onto the counter and takes my hand. “I’d rather be in hell, with you Baby, than in cool Heaven,” I serenade him softly as we spin around the room holding tightly to one another. “Can I say I want you to be my lady?” Colby let’s out a roaring laugh before dipping me.

“I love you.” He lifts me upright as his hand moves from my waist to rest against my neck just right so his thumb can caress the line of my jaw. “So much.” Without another word I lean forward and catch his lips in a sweet kiss. He taste of cream and honey. Cream from the sauce he had been previously cooking and honey from chapstick he had snuck from my purse when I wasn’t looking. I inhale deeply and relax into his touch. He reluctantly pulls away as the smell of burning noodles hits our nostrils. “Shit!”

The rest of the night is spent cuddled up next to one another watching a variety of movies. From Terminator to Beauty and the Beast. As the last movie is ending I begrudgingly glance towards the patio doors and notice how the snow is piling up. My heart begins to race at the sight and I turn to Colby who is already passed out on the couch. Not wanting to wake him up, I grab an extra blanket and use it to cover Colby up before moving to the bedroom.

I toss and turn for what seems like hours. With a heavy sigh I toss the blanket off my bare legs and make my way to the living room where Colby is still sleeping. He stirs lightly when I kneel in front of him but doesn’t wake up.

“Colby.” I say softly poking his shoulder. “Please wake up. I need you.” He mumbled something incoherent and I groan. “Colby!” He jolts awake at the sudden sound and looks around frantically before meeting my eyes.

“Baby! What’s wrong?” His face was covered in a sheet of worry as he held tightly to my hands.

“I can’t sleep.” He relaxed under my gaze and pulled me into his side before covering us up. He began to lightly sing “time after time” knowing it was one of my favorite ballads and soon my eyelids were dropping as his fingers tangled carelessly in my hair.

“I love you.” Whispered so softly I almost missed it as I drifted off into a peaceful slumber cuddled up into the side of the man I love.

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

Surprise!

Fandom: DC, The Suicide Squad, Rick Flag

Summary: Rick loves sneaking up and scaring you when you least expect it. But turn about is fair play….

Word Count: 1371

(Fic is 100% inspired by this GIF)

You loved your boyfriend, but sometimes he could be a real jerk. Lately, Rick had gotten it into his head that his new favorite thing to do was to scare you. Well, more like surprise you. He would wait until you were coming out of the bedroom or walking down the hall, then he would use his Special Force stealth training to sneak up behind you and kiss your cheek, causing you to jump nearly through the ceiling. Or he would get home early from a mission and slide his arms around your waist while you were doing dishes, resulting in more than one broken glass. Or his latest endeavor had been tapping on your car window while you were checking emails on your phone, leading to you glaring back at his delighted face.

But the final straw came when you had arrived home after a really rough day at work. Throwing your keys onto the counter, you start searching through the refrigerator for any leftovers that might have been forgotten. You found an old container of Chinese food that still looked edible, so you grabbed a fork and started walking to the bedroom.

“Welcome home, darlin’.”

You jumped a foot into the air as you lost your grip on the container of food, shrimp and noodles spilling across the floor. You glared at the relaxed, grinning form of your boyfriend splayed out on the couch with a beer in his hand.

“Damn it, Rick! How many times do I have to tell you not to scare me like that! Now what I’m I supposed to eat?”

Rick held up his hands in self-defense. “Hey, I’ve been laying here for the past twenty minutes. It’s not my fault you’re not very observant. Besides, that stuff had been in there for over a week. I did you a favor.”

“You could have at least cleared your throat or given me some sort of sign you were there. We’ve talked about this!”

“I know, but you keep giving me the perfect opportunities. How am I supposed to just pass that up?”

You crossed your arms in annoyance. “Well, how would you like it if I scared you like that?”

He chuckled as he took another sip of his beer. “You could try, but I don’t get scared. Plus, I’ve been trained too well to let you get the drop on me.”

“Well, we’ll just see about that!” Turning around in a huff, you stormed off to the bedroom with Rick’s snickering following you down the hall.

For the first few days after the challenge had been issued, Rick was extra on edge, coiled like a spring just waiting for you to try something. But you were no idiot. You knew that if you wanted even the slightest chance to scare Rick, you needed to bide your time and wait until it wasn’t on the forefront of his mind. And slowly but surely, Rick began to relax again. He was no longer peeking around corners or entering a room as if scanning for armed gunmen. But it wasn’t until three weeks later that you finally got your perfect opportunity.

Your boss had given everyone an unexpected half-day so the IT Department could install updates on the office computers. This meant that you arrived back at the apartment early, but you didn’t think much of it until you opened the door and heard the shower running. A smile slowly stretched across your lips. Rick was expecting to have the apartment to himself for at least another four hours which meant…..

You heard the shower turn off and you quickly dove behind the couch, phone at the ready. There was no way you were going to miss the opportunity to catch this on film. You listened as the bathroom door opened and Rick’s feet padded down the hallway. Just as it sounded like he was at the edge of the living room, you burst up from your hiding spot and yelled, “Boo!”

It was even better than you had hoped. Rick was wearing nothing but his multicolored towel wrapped loosely around his waist. As you popped up, he jolted wildly, arms flailing and a surprisingly high-pitched scream coming from his lips. “Ahhh!!!...... Fuck!”

At this point, you were bent over, cackling in triumph and joy. You glanced up and were happy to see a small smile on Rick’s face.

“What? You think that was funny? Well, you got me good.”

Tears streaming from your eyes, you managed to choke out, “Oh my god! I’m sending this to everyone! Wait until Harley sees it! She’ll never show you any respect ever again! And DuBois! Has your old military buddy ever heard you screech like that?”

“Don’t. You. Dare.” Rick growled, but you could still see the twinkle in his eyes. He rushed over and tried to grab the phone from your hands, but you dodged, twirling just out of his reach. A wide shit-eating grin spread across your face as you hit the send button and then tossed Rick the phone. “Here you go!”

He stared dumbfounded at your phone now in his hand. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

A small ding could be heard as Rick’s phone alerted him to a new message. Picking it up off the counter where he had left it charging, he glanced at the screen and then rolled his eyes in your direction. Turning it to face you, you could see the video you had just sent him with the bold message “GOT YOU” right above it.

“We both know you were going to try to downplay the fact I actually scared you. Just say you were startled, or your instincts kicked in. So, I wanted to make sure you saw the proof because there’s no denying that! I got the drop on and scared the great Rick Flag!” You smugly crossed your arms over your chest, daring him to refute the evidence.

Rick sighed sadly. “No, you’re right, darlin’. A man’s got to know when he’s been beaten. You scared me.”

You walked over and wrapped your arms around his neck. “That’s right I did. Doesn’t feel so good, does it?”

“No. I understand why it bothers you. I’m sorry, and I’ll stop.”

“Thank you, babe. That’s all that I ask.”

Rick ducked his head so it hovered just a few inches above yours. “You know…. That could have been pretty dangerous. I am a highly trained soldier. If I had my gun on me, I might have seriously hurt you.”

“I thought about that, but I figured the chances of you having your gun just after coming out of the shower were very low. And it’s not like you could really hide it in that towel.” You leaned in closer to kiss him, but something stopped you. Trying to hide your smirk, you said, “Well, maybe I was wrong…. It seems like you’re packing something under there.”

Blushing slightly, Rick murmured, “Wouldn’t you like to find out?” He closed the distance between you as his lips crushed into yours. You ran one hand through the damp hair on the back of his head as the other hand ran along the top of the towel, right where the material met his skin. Just as your hand started to ease it lower, Rick’s work phone began to ring. He sighed annoyedly as he stepped away from you to grab it. Growling at the terrible timing, he answered, “Flag here.”

“Oh. My. God.” You could hear Harley’s voice squeaking through the phone even without it being on speaker. “I can’t believe she did it! She got you so good!.... And speaking of so good, I really like what I’m seeing here, Colonel. How ‘bout you wear just that towel on the next mission?”

Rick glared daggers at you as you shrugged sheepishly. “I might have sent it to a few other people besides just you.”

Hanging up the phone, Rick took a few steps towards you, a mischievous look in his eyes. “Oh, you are so dead.” You squealed as you rushed down the hall towards the bedroom, Rick close on your heels as he slammed the door behind him, his towel dropping to the floor.

[melodyswishes]

Hey you. Yes you. Want random context about oc x cannon things? Well I’ve made many things just now out of boredom while my art block is getting on my nerves. Enjoy this random lore I thought in my head, Regarding the Lego monkie kid show. Enjoy. And if not here for these type of content, Then please scroll on. Or simply leave.

The moon base.

Chang’e resides here with Lina. Earning Lina to roam freely around here and explore. Whenever Lina would stumble upon things she would scramble to something chaotic with it a bit before cleaning it up and continuing on. However in her point of view, This is a lovely idea of her relaxing in the moon base. And since cooking with Chang’e was a cooking show lina has picked up a few cooking tips here and there appearing on the show a couple of rare times. Either in the background help prepping the ingredients or washing the dishes quick and easy for Chang’e.

If you didn’t (which you really didn’t) know about lina is that she has a little tiny robot bunny that follows her around now after season 3.

The mech bunny is Lina’s companion as a little digital pet. Since Chang’e didn’t know what to do with the fella after Mk shrunk the poor bunny, She rewarded Lina from her good deeds by gifting her the mech bunny. Having Lina to decide she would name that very mech bunny Chi-Chi.

Sometimes Mei would see lina carry the lil dude around and ask if she could pet it, Only to be met with metal. Forgetting that the mech bunny is metal and wires instead of fluffiness like people would expect.

“At least it was cute though.. But I wonder if I could have one of those!!” -Mei (not cannon quote)

Outside of the moon base

Lina goes to pigsy’s noodles to get a quick snack and probably hang out around the gang for a spare couple of hours before heading back to the moon base. It’s either pigsy sometimes not recognizing Lina since she’s often not really around as much in season 1-2 due to Chang’e asking for quick errands but season 3-? is when Lina is really committed to know what the heck is going on nowadays.

Sometime around when the emperor had fallen from his place, Lina oddly felt a similar heart pulse around Mk, Macaque, Wukong and nezha. Lina shares a deep connection with feeling chang’e emotions rarely at times. Even including what she feels and it applies to Lina as well.

Lina has often hanged around the gang and picked up a few things from each and every one of them. Mk, His small sudden clumsiness when in situations that are clearly dangerous. Mei’s confidence for getting the things she wants to know out of people. Pigsy’s common logic in situations that are dangerous, Hence from around the time back in season one when mk called himself INVINCIBLE! On the same day he got his invincibility taken away on the same day (lol.)

Sandy’s calm, Cheerful manners to situations even not resorting to violence sometimes even if it’s not that serious. There would be some way to try and get past the situation from that point. Tang’s knowledge for many things even if so going full on dork on explaining a whole chapter to everyone to know about the information for one tiny thing. You’d say that Lina kinda is the same like tang. Going on about his knowledge for things like she goes off telling about her knowledge about the moon goddess, Chang’e.

Other characters

Aria is a polite older woman than Lina. About 4 years older if you’d know, And is friends with redson about things. Apart from her being snobby at some times, Aria means well from things. I can imagine Aria became friends with redson by sharing relatable things with him at times. But this will not form a relationship between the two as they will continue to be friends only.

I can imagine as a gift of redson being close friends with Aria, Aria is rewarded by her very own harp design. Aria plays the flute but never the harp. So this was difficult for her at first, But soon later on she’d get use to it and practically helps healing the crew with her sounds of her harp strings being played gently.

Aria is rarely around them. If anything when Lina and Aria met, They clicked together like a friendship bracelet. With a little help of Lina constantly gifting her with things that Lina shouldn’t have— Lina has a special curse of talking to random people without even knowing them for a long time. I’ll talk about Lina and Aria’s relationship in a little while ahead, I wouldn’t wanna give away too much information now would I?

Until then, IM GONE! (I did this last night and assume that I fell asleep after typing this.)

[oscurascout]

Y/N As A Doublegänger

From That's Not My Neighbor game

Part 2 (Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11)

I started eating while watching some opera on TV. To be honest, the meal wasn't bad; it was pretty filling. I looked at the time and saw that it was midnight. “I should go to sleep; after all, I have work tomorrow. Wait, where did I work again? Oh, right, an office. Maybe after receiving my paycheck, I could go grocery shopping,” I thought as I cleaned up everything and headed towards the bedroom. I changed clothes, got into bed, and went to sleep.

I woke up to a dreadful sound that was so annoying and wouldn't shut up. I opened my eyes and looked for the source of the sound. I glanced at the clock on the night table and noticed that it was the thing making the horrible noise.

“Okay, how do I shut you up?” I said as the beeping continued. I examined the clock carefully and noticed a button. I pressed it, and the sound stopped.

“Okay, so that's the button to shut this thing up. I don't know how Y/N was able to survive that dreadful noise,” I thought as I started to get ready for work.

I made sure to pocket the key after closing the door. I couldn't eat anything for breakfast since I didn't have the appetite for another cup of instant noodles. “Maybe with the money I found, I'll be able to buy something to eat,” I thought as I made sure to have my papers and everything correct. “Hopefully today, I don't get caught. I want to continue living this life,” I thought as I got into the elevator and went down.

I relaxed myself and walked towards the exit with my papers. Suddenly, I heard someone calling out for Y/N, or rather, my name now. I turned around and saw the doorman walking towards me. I started to freak out but didn't show it. The doorman got close to me and smiled.

Doorman - “Hey, Y/N, already heading to work? Also you ok? I didn't see you yesterday morning so I was a little sad”

I only nodded, “Y/N usually doesn't answer personal things so I guess this is a good answer” I thought as I saw them smile, they then gave me a pat on the shoulder.

Doorman - “Alright, seems your good but make sure not to work so much. You need a break or two.”

“I could say the same for you,” I said without thinking and quickly quieted myself. “Oh crap! I shouldn't have said that! Y/N would never say that!” I panicked internally, yet I was not expecting the doorman to start laughing.

Doorman - *calming down* “I'm glad to see that you are getting used to me. Usually, you would only ignore me, but this change is good for you. *sighs* But yeah, a break would be nice for both of us. Well, let's get to work. Hope to see you early today and not at midnight like Francis.”

“Who's Francis?” I thought and only nodded at them. “Well, have a nice day,” I said and walked away.

As I walked towards "my" workplace, I started to wonder how and since when the doorman knew Y/N. Suddenly, I smelled something delicious and immediately headed towards the source - a coffee shop. I entered and bought a light breakfast. “Good, now I just need to worry about tomorrow,” I thought as I continued my walk.

I arrived at my workplace. “Okay, just act normal. You can do it. I have already done this once; I can do it again,” I thought as I entered the office, went to my work floor, sat down at my desk, and started working.

Hours passed, and everything was going well. I had managed to be like Y/N the entire time and was making good progress. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, and it was the team manager.

Team Manager - “Hey, Y/N. I appreciate that you always stay this late to work, but now it's time to go home.”

I looked out the window, and it was already night. I nodded, and the team manager left after saying a quick 'Goodbye.' I looked at the clock and noticed that it was almost 11. I stood up, grabbed my things, and headed out.

“Well, today went well, but I should probably start leaving early so that the doorman doesn't have to stay out late too,” I thought as I walked towards the apartment building. Once I got there, I started to mentally prepare myself. “I can do it. I've already gotten inside once; I can do it again,” I thought as I took out my papers.

It was the same as yesterday - the doorman checked my papers very carefully, and after making sure, he let me in. I entered and let out a sigh of relief. Then, I heard the door to the office open. I turned around and saw the doorman with their things.

Doorman - “Hey, Y/N, how was work?”

“Good, what about yours?” I asked, hoping they wouldn't discover me.

Doorman - *sighs* “It was a bit hard - more doppelgängers than usual. Actually, one told me something interesting.”

That caught my attention. “Like what?” I asked, a little anxious.

Doorman - “Well, actually, it didn't tell me. More like it yelled at me. They said, *mimicking the doublegänger's “voice”* 'You had let one of us in, so how come I can't get in!' *thinking* But I haven't let in any doppelgängers, since no one has died. So what did it mean?”

I was nervous at this point. My kin knew that I was inside, and I started to grow more paranoid, which unfortunately the doorman noticed.

Doorman - *smiling* “Hey buddy, don't worry about it. I bet that doppelgänger was just trying to make the whole building suspicious about each other. That's why you can't tell anyone else, okay? I only told you because I needed to get it off my chest and because I know that you won't tell anyone else.”

“Yeah, thanks for trusting me,” I said and relaxed. I noticed that the doorman looked at my head. I didn't understand why. “Do I have something in my hair?” I asked. They looked at me in the eyes and smiled.

Doorman - “No, nothing. Don't worry about it. Well, let's go to our rooms. Tomorrow is a workday again.”

I nodded, and we both headed towards our floors.

[addisonstars]

“we belong in sunshine”

written for day 15 of august for @wolfstarmicrofic with the prompt “warm”

648 words!

“Moons, come on!” Sirius shouted, from the depths of the pool they had in their backyard. Remus was quite content to Sirius’s dismay to just sit on their patio and read one of his books.

“Come on! It feels so good in the water today!” Sirius shouts again, really trying to get Remus to come in.

Remus rolls his eyes, but shuts his book and takes off his pants, climbing into the pool with just his boxers. He’s too lazy to go get his swim trunks on.

Sirius smiles when he sees Remus come on in, he loves it when the two of them can swim together. Remus comes over to him and they start to float around in the pool, talking about their days, gossiping and laughing and just enjoying each other’s presence.

I love him. Remus thinks. And Sirius knows that, as evident by the wedding bands and the many tattoos dedicated to Sirius on Remus, and visa/versa. Sirius is just everything that Remus could ever wish for, and he loves him.

After what felt like hours, the sun starts to make its descent. “I should probably get dinner started.” Remus states, starting to get a bit hungry.

“Mmm yeah, that sounds good. What was the plan for tonight?” He says, swirling the water around him with his fingers.

“I think it was lasagna, and I was gonna cook up some garlic bread to go with it.” Remus pauses for a moment then swears. “Merlin, I should have got out sooner,” Remus says as he climbs out, shaking off. “I have to get out everything and cook meat and the noodles and then the whole thing has to cook, and-“

Sirius cuts him off, interjecting. “Hey if we don’t have enough time for that, unless we eat later which is fine by me, then we always have leftovers or takeout. I made that soup the other day yeah?”

Remus thinks for a second and visibly relaxes, the speaks “I’m not going to be upset if we eat later.”

“Me neither, so let’s do that,” Sirius says, smiling.

“‘kay.” Remus says, as Sirius climbs out. And for the second time today, Remus can’t stop staring at his handsome husband.

The way the warm light shines on his skin, the curves of his torso and arse highly attractive to Remus, and the softly fading sun highlighting his tattoos is utterly gorgeous.

His favorite one by far is the Remus John Lupin-Black sitting at the crest of his collarbones, at the center of his chest with the moon phases tattooed right underneath his name. There’s a little heart right above his name too.

And there are so many other ones on Sirius that Remus could stare at for hours, even if it would classify him a creep. But he stares anyways.

“Whatcha looking at Moons.” Sirius interrupts him out of his dream-like state. “Me? It’s ‘cause I’m just sooo pretty look at isn’t it yeah?” with a smirk in his voice.

“You wish,” Remus lies.

Sirius scoffs, slapping Remus’s arse playful for lying.

“Hey! I’m cooking dinner tonight, and I’m not afraid to screw it all up by trying to make enough for just me so you can’t eat dinner. Watch yourself mate.”

Sirius laughs, throwing his hands up and backing away, grabbing his towel too.

“You wouldn’t do that, you love me too much.” He says, drying off his hair and body.

“Yeah, sure, tell yourself that.” Sirius nonchalantly says. Sirius picks up Remus’s left hand, and hold the ring finger by the tip. “So then what’s this for?” He lifts his eyebrows up.

Remus smiles, knowing he can’t get away with anything. Sirius drops Remus’s hand with a smile, but Remus takes it in his own.

“That’s what I thought.” Sirius says, leaning a little closer into his Moony, walking into the house, hand in hand.

wolfstar 😌

-a.s.

[my-shields-are-down]

Chenford + Chris Returns..

Please note - this is not part of the one word prompt series. I'll be posting more of those tomorrow.

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

"Well Chris is back from visiting his family in Chicago. I saw him outside the station as we came back after that op. He looks tan and relaxed. We nodded at each other."

Lucy looked up from the carton of noodles she was currently stuffing in her mouth and tried to speak but ended up sounding like a parent from a Charlie Brown special.

Tim chuckled and said, "Babe, please finish chewing and drink some water before you try to speak. We don't need me to do the Heimlich again , do we?" He was gleefully referring to the lunch services the other day when he performed the life-saving procedure at their favorite noodle place. The restaurant patrons gave him a round of applause (freaking applause!) after a chunk of shrimp shot out of the woman's esophagus. Lucy shook her head at the memory. She would have given him more grief about it, but the restaurant took his picture and put it on the wall and gave him a GOLD card which meant free noodles for life. She wasn't about to complain about that perk.

They still paid for their noodles (cops don't get freebies!) like the spicy kung pow ones was shoveling into her mouth now.

With her mouth finally clear, she asked, "Do we want me to tell him about "us,” you know be up front about it like grown ups? So he doesn't hear it from the grapevine? Better to control the narrative?"

Tim sighs. While he loves Lucy's perpetual optimism, he doesn’t see her more recent ex responding well to her moving on within an hour after breaking up with him. Tim is not sure anyone could spin that narrative in a positive way.

Instead he simply says, "it's your call. But i would expect everyone to know after he finds out. Our sneaking around bubble will have burst. Are you ok with that?". I will have a back up plan in place if anything goes wrong, ok?

Lucy grabbed his hand and said, "I'm not going anywhere and honestly, I don't care who knows that."

====

Lucy doesn't actively seek Chris out, so it's a few days later that she sees him come out of an interrogation room with Wesley. Wesley, who along with Angela were two people in the "need to know" circle she was about to blow apart.

Chris looked over at Wesley to figure out why he stopped walking and saw Lucy. Their eyes met and while Lucy started to smile and move forward to say hello, Chris takes a step backwards and puts up his hands to stop her, saying "Lucy- please don't make this any more awkward than it already is. You broke up with me remember and no, I don't want to get back together."

Lucy stares at Chris. Her mouth opens and closes a few times but no sound comes out. So she squeaks out, "Oh?"

Chris turns to face her fully and said, "I saw Gloria - my college sweetheart - when I was back home and we decided to give it another go. Our parents are great friends and we fell back into one another easily. She's moving out here later this month."

Lucy's smile grows and she steps forward again to say, "Oh Chris, I'm so excited for you. I remember meeting her when she came to visit last year and I really liked her. Congratulations."

Chris could tell Lucy was genuine and not pretending when she told him congratulations. He wonders at that. "How are you doing?" he politely asks. Hoping she'll say she is missing him and wants another chance, that she wants him to toss Gloria aside and be with him like he really wants.

Lucy blushes and says, "Well, actually, I'm dating a great guy. We got together shortly after you and I broke up and I've never been happier. Which is why I'm so glad you are happy in your new relationship too."

Chris is stunned but not surprised that Lucy is dating someone; she hasn’t really understood how much of a catch she is and it sounds like someone took advantage of her newly singledom to make her theirs. "Anyone I know?" he asks cheekily, running through a list of possible suitors in his head.

Lucy looks at Wesley and takes a deep breath, "Yes, actually. The new Metro Liaison Sergeant and I are dating. I've known him for several years and he asked me out as soon as he knew I was single."

"Yes, I heard there was a multi-departmental promotion-shift resulting in a new serg - wait.... isn't Tim the new Sergeant for Metro? Are you dating Tim? (Lucy's smile broadens and Wesley takes a step back). "WHAT THE FUCK LUCY?! WHAT. THE . ACTUAL. FUCK?" Chris is shouting at Lucy and Wesley steps in between as Chris starts to charge at her, red-faced and menacing.

At that moment, Wade Grey steps forward and sees the shock on Lucy's face along with hearing Chris's expletive filled yell, grabs each by an arm and forcefully leads them into his office - where Percy West - the head of Internal Affairs - and Tim Bradford, Lucy's boyfriend and Senior Metro Liaison Sergeant are standing. Percy and Lucy smiled at each other quickly, and then Commander West uses his Church Deacon voice to speak to Chris with authority.

"ADA Sanford - you will no longer address Officer Chen. You will address me - Commander West. Are you paying attention?" Not waiting for Chris to respond, Percy says, " For the record, please state your issues with Officer Chen. I'd love to hear them."

Chris, seething with resentment and hurt, glances around the room to find four people staring at him. Waiting for an explanation.

Lucy had moved to stand next to Tim and was holding his hand. Chris lashes out again towards Lucy, 'YOU CANNOT BE FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW - HE IS YOUR BOSS. YOU CANNOT BE HOLDING HIS HAND." Tim makes a movement forward to address Chris directly, until Commander West holds up his hand and stops him.

Percy again says, "ADA Sanford - I repeat - you will address me and not Officer Chen. I will not give you another warning. What are your specific accusations towards Officer Chen?

Chris turns to face Commander West and sneers at Lucy, saying “Officer Chen is a disgrace to the uniform. She fucked her boss and had a secret affair with him while she and I were dating. She withheld affection, and love from me, knowing I was in love with her. Everyone sees the way they look at each other. How she pants after him and he pines for her. Both of them are disgusting and should be punished.”

Commander West says “Is that it?”

Chris replies, “isn’t that enough?”

Percy walks to Sergeant Grey’s desk and says, Mr. Del Monte? Did you get all that? I wanted to reiterate to you that Officers Bradford and Chen’s relationship was investigated more thoroughly than normal because Bradford was her training officer. As I mentioned to you earlier this week, we found no evidence of any wrong doing by either of them. Unsurprisingly, they maintained a professional relationship while in the office and have noted their change in relationship status. Additionally, Officer Bradford moved out of Officer Chen’s chain of command as soon as he was able to do so. IA and HR are fine with their relationship status change.”

DA Delmonte from his office across town, speaks up and addresses Chris directly, “thank you Percy. That matches our findings as well.

ADA Sanford, effective immediately, you will no longer be managing cases based out of mid-Wilshire and are being transferred to downtown Ventura traffic court. Your recent promotion has been revoked and you only still have a job because both Officer Chen and Officer Bradford spoke so highly of you. Please take the remainder of the day to clean out your office here and report tomorrow to DA Simpson at the Ventura courthouse at 8 am.”

The call was disconnected. Percy walked over to Lucy and gave her a hug before leaving. Tim leans down and kisses Lucy as if his life depends on it. He then shook Wade’s hand and left. A blushing Lucy smiled at Grey and said, “thank you” before turning to Chris a final time. “Good luck with Gloria. I hope everything works out for you both.” She nodded at him and headed out as well.

Chris stood there shocked. He turned around and saw Sgt. Grey glaring at him.

“Son, get the fuck out of my office before I throw you out.”

———