#i was wearing a sleeveless dress and shorts to stay cool and it helped

[naomiknight-17]

Survived my outing to the doctor's office despite the forecast being 30°C and 94% humidity

Thank god there was a breeze

And now I'm home and sipping ice water and enjoying a strawberry popsicle weee

[owlwithanapple]

Bird & Fox

Chapter 6

You took out a few clothes from the closet and put them on the bed to choose the right outfit. The experience of watching a movie with friends for the first time is something you have never experienced before. You feel inexplicably excited and looking forward to it.

You wear a simple white sleeveless dress and a pair of black short boots. Short boots are your exclusive style. They make your legs look thinner and longer, it is more convenient to move.

You stare at the locked room next door, which is where you store your equipment. It seems that you can't wander around tonight. You don't have the free time to play, you skip work today.

It's already four o'clock. It's almost time to get ready. You clean the house briefly to make sure it's clean, and go to the kitchen to get Kirin's dog food dinner ready in case he gets hungry.

You stripped naked and ran into the bathroom to take a hot shower. You squeezed some floral shower gel and applied it evenly to every part of your body. You washed off the soap on body and dried it.

You simply matched your hairstyle with a white headband. Because dressing up is not something you are good at, you chose a blue tote bag to store your things.

More than half of the time has passed. You have matched your outfit and posed then smiled in front of the mirror. The mirror reflects that the clock hanging on the wall is already 6:30pm. You quickly make sure that nothing else is missing before you go out.

Jason can't enter the parking lot without an access card, you sit in the entrance, put on your short boots, pick up your bag and leave home. You press the elevator to let the door open and walk in. You take out your phone and comb your bangs.

Suddenly you receive a message and click on it to see that it is Jason.

🏍️: Stay tuned.

🐶: Oh yea!

Jason POV

I left home an hour early went to a nearby flower shop to look at flowers. I didn't know if tonight was a date for her, but I wanted her to feel that I was serious about it.

The flower shop was filled with all kinds of flowers. I only now realized that there were so many kinds of flowers. I was dazzled by them, but they were so beautiful and moving. This is the beauty brought by flowers.

"Sir, what kind of flowers do you want to buy?"

"I want to buy flowers for a girl. Do you have any recommendations?"

He handed me a bouquet of roses. "Red roses are the most suitable for girls. They represent romance and passion."

I looked at the roses in his hand and was puzzled. "Hmm..."

Giving red roses to girls is indeed the best choice, representing romanticism, but her temperament gave me a feeling that she not suitable for red roses, I didn't know what color should be used to describe her.

I looked around in the flower shop to find out what flowers were most suitable for her. According to her simple, generous, lively and cheerful personality, she maybe suitable for yellow flowers, but I didn't think yellow was suitable for her.

I scratched my hair, I could just keep it simple and give red roses, but red roses were still not suitable. I liked her a little bit, and she thought I was her friend, it couldn't just be my wishful thinking to give her a gift.

When I couldn't make up my mind, I saw a bunch of pure white fresh lilies in front of me. I took a closer look immediately determined that this flower was what I was looking for.

"Hey! This is it." I immediately asked him to help me wrap it up. I chose ten lilies and added some blue baby's breath as decoration. I chose black paper as the base color and matched it with blue ribbon. Black can better reflect the effect of white.

I returned to the car and carefully placed the bouquet on the passenger seat. There was still 30 minutes of free time. I went to her apartment building to wait for her in advance. I sent her a message.

🏍️: Stay tuned.

🐶: Oh yea!

After receiving her reply, I started to get a little nervous. The air conditioner in the car was obviously very cool, but my body was hot. It might be an illusion caused by nervousness. This feeling is really the first time I have experienced it.

After waiting for a while, I saw a girl coming out. She was wearing a white dress, black short boots and a blue tote bag. The colors seemed to match the ones I had chosen for the flowers.

"Huh?!" What a coincidence! The colors were exactly the same. I was surprised. It was really her! She was looking around for me, I immediately got out of the car with the flowers to pick her up.

Y/N POV

The elevator door opens after it arrives. You put your phone in your bag and walk out of the elevator with a smile on your face. When you arrive outside, you look around for Jason, but he is nowhere to be seen.

You kick the pebbles on the roadside to pass the time. You sense that someone is approaching from behind. You clench your fists. As soon as you turn around, you know it is a dangerous person. You kick him. He taps your shoulder with his fingers.

You immediately turn around and see someone holding a bouquet of flowers to block his face. You are a little startled, but when you look closely, it is a beautiful bouquet of lilies. Maybe you are blocking his way. You back a few steps to make way for him, but he does not move.

"Hey, are you waiting for me?" He takes the flowers away to reveal his face.

You were surprised because you saw Jason, "Hey! What are you doing?"

He handed you the bouquet, "For you."

You happily took the bouquet from his hand, "Thank you, the flowers are beautiful."

You carefully and gently touched the petals, looking at the color of the bouquet in your hand, such a pure and gentle white. You looked at Jason's face happily, not knowing how to react, and then stepped on him.

"Ouch..." He laughed out loud.

You secretly laughed, "Why did you buy flowers..."

"You don't like it?"

You shook your head, "No, I like it very much."

He looked in another direction, smiling slightly, and you saw that he looked happy. It seems that he is in a good mood today, which is also a good thing for you.

Suddenly he looked at you with a smirk, "I'll show you something."

You put your hand on your chin, "Hmm..."

He took out the car keys from his pocket and told you proudly, "Suprise! I'm driving my own car today."

You put your hands on your cheeks, "Nani!"

You followed the direction he pointed with his thumb and saw a bright red cool sports car behind. You ran to the car with shining eyes to admire it. It was unbelievable that there was such a cool car in front of you.

"Lamborghini Aventador LP700. How is it? It's much cooler than my dad's car." He smiled proudly.

You bowed and said, "Indeed, your car is very cool." Then he kicked him.

Before your foot kicked down, he took a step back and said proudly, "Nonono, I won't fall for it again."

You pouted and said, "Tsk."

"Get in the car."

He opened the door for you, sat in the passenger seat and fastened your seat belt. You looked around and saw that the interior space was really first-class. You have never sat in more than ten luxury cars in your life.

You couldn't close your mouth. It was so cool that you couldn't describe it. How much money would it cost to buy this car?

Jason got in the car and burst out laughing when he saw your expression “Hahahaha! What’s that expression on your face?!”

You closed your mouth and glared at him angrily, "You laughed at me..."

"I just think your expression is cute, nothing else."

When you heard him praise you for being cute, you glanced at him, his ears were a little red, was he blushing because he praised you for being cute, sometimes it's hard to tell what people are thinking.

You noticed something, there were marks of being beaten on his cheeks and chin, you were sure no marks on his face yesterday, based on your experience, it was the kind of heavy beating on the face.

But you couldn't directly tell the facts you saw, if Jason found out that you were different, it would be bad, all you could do now was to comfort and care for him, maybe he had an accident and got injured, you tried not to ask too much.

You held his face with both hands and turned him to face you, you carefully reached out to touch his face, slowly stroking from his cheek to his chin and lips, while you were touching him his eyes were always on your face, he quietly let you touch his face.

"What's wrong with your face?"

He held your hands that were holding his face and just shook his head, "I was robbed this morning, it's okay."

Your eyes widened, "Huh?!"

He laughed, "It's okay, he just punched me a few times."

You let go of your hands and punched his chest, "What do you mean it's okay! Your face is like this, have you seen a doctor?"

For some reason, he kept smiling and said, "The doctor said it's okay, really."

You breathed a sigh of relief and patted his shoulder, "I was scared."

He touched your hair, "So…Want to have dinner?"

You leaned back in the seat smiled and nodded, "I'm hungry~"

He turned the steering wheel with one hand and drove the car onto the road. A song was playing in the car. You could hear Jason humming while driving, and you slowly blended into the music with the song.

You looked at the scenery outside the window. You saw more sunshine since coming to Gotham City than before. This city is so dark, but even the sunset is so bright and brilliant. You exhaled inadvertently.

From the reflection in the car window, you can see Jason looking over from time to time. When you stop at the traffic light, you turn your head to look at him. His eyes don't leave you. You wonder if there is something on your face.

You hurriedly take your phone out of your bag and turn on the selfie mode to find your face, but there is nothing strange on your face. You put the phone back into your bag, curious about what he is looking at.

You want to ask but he interrupts you, "You look very beautiful today. I'm serious."

You blinked a few times, feeling confused and overwhelmed by his praise again. He said again that what he said was true, and a strange feeling appeared that made you feel happy.

"Thanks for the compliment, handsome." You winked at him.

The traffic light turned green, he stepped on the accelerator and continued to drive towards the restaurant. On the way, you were looking forward to what kind of food tonight's dinner would be. In the past, you always ate very light food.

Arriving at the restaurant, he parked the car and asked me to wait in the car first. The design style of the restaurant looked very unique and chic from the outside. It was a wood-themed restaurant. Jason said that not only the food here was delicious, but also the music was good and there was a live band singing.

Jason approached the passenger door, he knocked on the car window opened the door for you and stretched out his hand "Beautiful lady~"

You laughed and held his hand left the car "Beautiful lady starving~"

He closed the passenger door and walked to your side "What are you waiting for!"

"Huh!?" You were startled and he suddenly ran away.

He started running towards the restaurant. You were confused and quickly chased after him. This guy dared to cheat and not wait for you to go with him. Fortunately, you chose a pair of short boots today, otherwise you would not be able to catch up with him.

When you ran to the door of the restaurant, you two looked at each other and couldn't help laughing. You thought to yourself, what the hell is going on? Why are you running on the road? The restaurant won't close suddenly. You were amused by him.

"Why are you running all of a sudden!" You laughed out loud.

He breathed a sigh of relief, "I just thought it was fun! Hahahaha!"

He opened the door for you let you go in first. You nodded to him to express your gratitude and walked in. He followed behind and closed the door. He took you to the reserved seat.

You got closer to the seat and saw that he really knew how to choose the seat. He chose a seat where could watch the live band performance up close. He pulled out a chair for you to sit down. You sat down and looked around the restaurant.

You blurted out "What a beautiful place."

"The most important thing is that you like it."

You open the menu on the table and look excitedly to see what's delicious. There are all kinds of Western dishes. In addition to the main dishes, the desserts in the restaurant are not only beautiful, but also the best-selling.

You smile greedily at the dessert page on the menu. Your feet are shaking under the table. You really want to skip the main dishes and eat the dessert directly. The thick layer of chocolate is poured on the ice cream, and there are many fruits on the side.

Jason POV

After I ordered, I put down the menu in my hand and wanted to ask her if she had chosen what she wanted to order. I saw the girl sitting in front of me with shining eyes. I glanced at which page of the menu she was looking at. It turned out to be desserts.

It turned out that she likes desserts. This is the first time I saw her with this face. She likes it so much, she didn't look at the main course page, only stayed on the dessert page.

I looked at her for a long time without saying a word, not wanting to miss any of her expressions, just like a little girl's love for desserts, the kind of expression that can't be contained at all. There are so many expressions that I haven't seen yet.

Y/N POV

As you were engrossed in the food, you felt an inexplicable gaze directed at you. You looked back saw Jason trying to hold back a smile, and the waiter standing beside you was waiting for your order with a smile on his face.

You awkwardly turned to the main course page and ordered a fish & chips and a glass of iced lemon tea. The waiter took down the menu after recording your order and left our seat.

Jason looked at you with a smile on his face, and you tapped the table with your fingers. “Hey, what are you looking at?”

He covered his mouth and said, “I just think you’re cute.”

You put your hands on the table and tilted your head. “Are you serious?”

He followed your movements and said, “I didn���t say anything wrong.”

Because of what Jason said, your cheeks suddenly felt warm for some reason. You touched your forehead and cheeks and there was no sign of fever. The air conditioning temperature in the restaurant was just right. It might be an illusion.

He reached out and held your wrist. "I just want to watch for a while."

The atmosphere gradually fell into something you had never experienced before. You stared at each other for a while. He didn't take his hand away, and you didn't let go of his hand. It didn't last long, and a sentence popped up in your mind.

"Ninjas don't need to have emotions."

Subconsciously, you immediately put your hands under the table and looked around the restaurant. Your breathing rate was not stable. It had been a long time since you heard this sentence, but it still made you feel scared.

"Hey, are you okay?"

This sentence brought you back to reality. You rubbed your eyes and focused your gaze on Jason sitting in front of you. He showed a worried expression. You adjusted your breathing to make it return to normal. You couldn't tell whether it was reality or hallucination, but it was very close to you.

You shook your head, "I'm fine, just a little dizzy."

You covered your forehead with your hand, closed your eyes, and faced the table. You took a deep breath. This feeling was really long-lost. Your vigilance was relaxed, you felt more heavy again.

Jason POV

I don't know what happened to her. Her expression changed in an instant. She was not in a good state. She changed from a smiling face to a restless look. Her physical condition was not right.

I looked in the direction where her eyes were looking. No one was looking at us. I didn't feel any hostility. If Joker or someone else really came to me, I would definitely be able to sense it, but now it was different for her.

I stood up and walked to her side, hugged her shoulders said, "Hey, I'm here, it's okay."

She looked at me with relief, leaned her head in my arms and said, "I'm fine, thank you."

Her expression relaxed a little. I could feel that something was wrong with her in an instant. It didn't seem like she was sick, but more like she was afraid of something, but she soon calmed down.

Y/N POV

It's been a while, and you've calmed down enough to be back to normal. You're more awake than before, and your emotions have calmed down. Now you can continue.

But... "Jason, you can let go now."

He took back his arm around your shoulders, but still sat next to you. "Hey, if you're not feeling well, maybe we can go back and rest?

You shook your head immediately. "No! I want to watch movie! I want to go with you!"

His expression showed surprise, his cheeks were a little red, his mouth couldn't hide the smile that had been suppressed for a long time. "Okay, let's watch it together. But promise me, you must let me know if you feel uncomfortable, understand?"

You stretched out your pinky finger. "Make a promise."

He responded to you, facing you with a smile, and hooked your pinky with his pinky. "Make a promise. "

After you two got back to normal, Jason didn't pursue the matter further. He found other topics to talk about. The waiter brought the food to you two. You excitedly picked up the cutlery and started to eat the hot food.

After you finished the food, the waiter suddenly took away your bowl and plate , then brought a cup of ice cream, just like the one you had been staring at on the menu just now, full of chocolate and fruit.

You wanted to tell the waiter you didn't order it, but Jason smiled and said, "I ordered it for you."

"Really?!" Your eyes lit up.

"Really. Eat it quickly, otherwise it will melt."

You took a spoonful of ice cream and put it in your mouth. It was so cold and rich in chocolate. Strawberries and a spoonful of chocolate ice cream were a perfect dessert combination. You were so intoxicated that you couldn't stop.

You took a spoon and asked him, "Do you want to eat?"

Jason was surprised by you "Me?"

"You ordered it, eat some~" You said in a playful tone to make Jason laugh.

He opened his mouth slightly, and you fed him a bite of ice cream. He licked the chocolate on his lips. His handsome appearance and the way he licked his lips were simply erotic, and you were itching to watch him.

"What are you doing? Are you obsessed with watching me?"

"Yes, I have a handsome and rich friend, how can I not watch him?"

"Fuck." He laughed out loud.

After eating, you two left the restaurant and returned to the car. You noticed that there was a bag of snacks and soda in the car. You asked him which movie theater he was going to, he made a quiet gesture with his index finger. He was always being mysterious.

He drove the car to a dark place. There were many parking spaces already parked, and there was a super large screen in the middle. There were cars all around and people in the cars.

You tilted your head and said, "Where's the movie?"

He pointed at the big screen and said, "This is a drive-in theater, an outdoor theater."

You dropped your jaw in surprise "Huh?! So can watch movies outdoors?!"

"You've never seen a movie?" He was curious.

You shook your head and said, "I've never seen a movie at all."

He was so surprised that he covered his mouth, after blinking a few times, he looked at you and said, "I'll take you here to enjoy it today! Let you see it!"

You nodded happily, "Yes!"

He took out a bag of snacks and soda and handed it to you. You opened the package and saw that it was all potato chips. You put them into your mouth one by one. It was your first movie experience. You were not only looking forward to it, but also extremely excited.

The potato chips were really delicious, crispy and slightly spicy, and the taste was refreshing. The soda was super delicious, it tasted even better when poured into your mouth. The taste of potato chips and soda were mixed together.

Ten minutes later, the big screen started playing the movie. You leaned back on the seat with potato chips in your hand. You handed Jason the potato chips to share the joy with him. He took a few chips and put them in his mouth to chew.

You held a bag of potato chips and calmed down to enjoy the fun of watching the movie. The screen was projected on the super large screen, and the sound effect was very good. Compared with watching a movie on a small screen at home, the movie really attracted your attention.

You focused on the content of the movie. The story tells about the encounter between the male and female protagonists in a war. The hero is a soldier and the heroine is a military doctor. The plot of the movie wants to express the story of war and love.

The plot of the movie is really good, and the focus is on two of them. You are nervous watching it, you cover your mouth with both hands, exhale and rub your hands to warm yourself up. The temperature is lower after staying in the car for a long time.

Jason turned up the air conditioner in the car to warm up, then sat up to took off his jacket to put on you, "Here, it can keep you warm."

You shook your head, "Really, no need, what if you catch a cold?"

He still insisted on putting the jacket on you, "Girls should pay attention to keeping warm, listen to me."

You can't refuse his words, because it makes sense. You are really cold, wearing a sleeveless dress. You compromise and choose to listen to his opinion. "Okay~."

He put his coat on me. "What a good girl."

"Of course." You continue watching the movie.

You turn your eyes back to the movie. You can smell a faint smell of cigarettes on Jason's jacket. It turns out that he smokes. There are still many things you don't know about him, including things that he doesn't know about you.

Time passes by bit by bit, the movie has come to an end. The ending is unexpectedly so touching and miserable. The hero died in the war and left the last letter for his beloved heroine, but didn't hand it to the heroine, leaving the heroine waiting for the hero's return until she grows old.

The hero's ending is so real, and the heroine's ending is so lonely. Obviously, the two love each other, but they don't get any response. This ending is not the best ending, but it is a very reasonable ending.

You don't have a thorough understanding of emotions. When you were in SHINOBI, you only had tasks and benefits in front of you. After completing the tasks, you would go back to receive training.

The only and most important rule of SHINOBI is not to have any emotions. The shackles of emotions are a burden to ninjas. You have seen ninjas with emotions die in a terrible state.

You don't understand why ninjas have to be trained to be emotionless killing tools. Whenever your only teacher talks about these topics, you will always be scolded, as if they hide their emotions in the deepest pit in their hearts.

Your personality is originally simple and easy-going. You just want to enjoy every day freely, whether in Gotham City or Japan. Your eccentric personality is the opposite of SHINOBI ninjas. It was once rumored that you are the only one who has touched the taboos of ninjas.

At some point, you realize that you can choose whether to kill or not, and that disobeying orders will be punished, but they still keep you and exile you here until now, which means that your value is no longer important.

Long-lost tears flow from the corners of your eyes. Are you crying because of the ending of the movie or because you are worthless? Maybe both. You don't understand why you are so sad, and it hurts more than a knife stab.

Jason POV

The movie has ended. Frankly speaking, I don't know how to say it. The ending is just as I imagined. War itself is a fight between the strong and the weak for the chance to survive. Only victory or defeat can determine who should survive.

The hero sacrificed his life for the country. The heroine is his only lifeline. She is the hope of his life. Although the hero pulled the rope tight, the rope still broke. The lifeline was broken.

I am the best example. I died and resurrected. I died as Robin and reborn as Red Hood. I returned to life again from death. I brought hatred and determination to die. I will no longer show mercy to those psychopaths. This time I must hold on to my life.

I heard crying coming from beside me. I looked at Y/N. Although she covered her mouth to hold back her crying, I knew she was crying. This is a good movie or maybe not a good movie.

Her tears dripped onto the sleeve of my jacket. She used my jacket to wipe her tears. I took out a clean handkerchief from my pocket and was about to hand it to her, but I noticed that her eyes were focused on the big screen.

I am not good at expressing comfort in words, but I can barely express it with actions. I put my arm around her and let her lean on my shoulder. She lay on my shoulder naturally, and I wiped away her tears with the handkerchief in my hand.

She asked me with tears in her eyes, "Jason, have you ever paid for love?"

I didn't know how to answer her question. The reason I lived was to sacrifice my life for Bruce and Robin, for my father, for my benefactor. Now I only have hatred burning in my heart.

I looked at her face quietly. What a lovely woman. She always pulled me into the abyss. Every word and every move of hers seemed to be fascinated by her step by step.

I slowly approached her to look at her seductive lips. Her lips looked very pink without makeup. Is this the so-called thirst? I have always emphasized that my relationship with her is pure friendship, but I have already stepped over the line.

"Jason?" She looked at me directly.

I blinked and came back to my senses, "Sorry, what did you just say?"

She just shook her head "Nothing."

Why didn't she continue to ask? I clearly heard the question she just asked, but I didn't have a positive answer to answer her. I hesitated about question because I believed in Bruce and was disappointed by him.

I hugged her tightly and gathered my courage, "I have, for my family."

"Really..." She was confused, and her short sentence made me extremely sad. Why did she always show a strange expression when it came to emotions?

I let go of her shoulders and held her face. "Hey, look at me, talk to me, what's wrong?"

Her eyes were all on me. "I'm fine, just curious."

I held her face and looked straight at her. "Y/N, talk to me, please."

Her mouth smiled slightly, her expression had returned to a smile, and her hand clenched mine. "I'll tell you next time, not today, I don't want to interrupt the happy moment now."

My mind was blank, and I hugged her in my arms without saying a word. My heart seemed to jump out of my chest, and I couldn't control my emotions for a while. I always felt that she was always silently guarding herself alone. "Tell me next time."

"I promise." She stroked my back.

Although she is not tall, she has a thin body. I can feel her body temperature when I hug her tightly. I want to hold her in my arms all the time and want to protect her carefully.

"Jason, you are so warm."

"Hahaha, maybe your body temperature is transmitted to me."

I became Red Hood with hatred and malice. I can be ruthless to anyone who is cold. Her thin body in my arms makes me feel warm. It is the happiness I have always wanted, simple, warm and comfortable.

Suddenly an emergency number came, and I immediately let go of her hand. She looked confused but smiling. I took out my phone and saw that the contact number was from Dickhead. Damn, he chose this time.

"Go answer the phone." She said.

"I'll wait for you in the car." Hearing her say this, I felt sorry in my heart. It was a rare time for us be alone, because of my identity, I might need to leave any time.

"I'll be back, wait for me." I opened the car door and looked back at her. I was reluctant but still left.

I got out of the car and ran to a quieter place. I made sure that there was no one around and answered the phone. Dickhead called at this time. I hated him for always ruining the timing.

"What's up?!" I said.

Nightwing sighed, "Erm, I apologize for interrupting your date. I need your help here. It's really urgent."

"Huh?! Can't you handle it over there?"

"I missed one. It's just near your place!" Nightwing said in a panic.

"Huh? Missed one?! What the hell do you mean?!"

"Babybird, listen to me clearly. A group of criminals have escaped separately. One has already run to your place. I can't get through there now!"

"Holy shit!"

Chapter 6 End.

Other Chapter

If you have any ideas, don’t be shy. Just leave a comment below. Your opinions would be valuable and will be added in story. ♥️💙

[askcmcarscrew]

Chapter 3: Settling In And Soaring High

At Ramone’s Fashion and Paint Shop

“Alright they’re ready!” Sally shouted from the dressing room.

She had just finished helping the girls get dressed in their new clothes that Ramone had made for them. After him and the others had gotten a chance to get to know the girls and decided to make something that best fits the crusaders’ personalities.

“Well then.. What are you waiting for let’s see them.” Lightning shouted back into the closed curtains.

Seconds later Applebloom stepped out first. Wearing a sleeveless blue plaid shirt, blue jean shorts, and brown faux leather material stitched design casual knee high cowboy boots, and a M&F western twister wool cowboy hat. Good thing her mother’s ribbon hadn’t fallen off when they entered this world so Sally had tied it into a tails down bow.

“What da ya’ll think?”

Applebloom did a pose with her hand on her hip while the other holding up her hat.

“You look ok.”

Sarge gave a small shrug, while everyone else applauded her.

“Thanks ya’ll!”

She stepped off to the side giving Sweetie Belle her time in the spotlight she stepped out the dressing room. Wearing a white sleeveless mini dress with a lime green bow, light purple leggings, light purple zip side wedge boots, and a lime green glitter headband.

“How do I look?”

Sweetie Belle shyly gave a small pose holding her hands behind her back.

“You look fabulous.”

Ramone and the others applauded her and Sweetie Belle smiled moving next to Applebloom,

“Alright Scootaloo you're up! Let's see what you got!”

Lightning shouts into the dressing room and Scootaloo steps out. She's wearing an orange sleeveless T-shirt that Ramona had also cut holes in the backs for Scootaloo’s wings, a mid wash contrast jersey sleeve denim jacket to hide her wings, blue jeans, converse black classic high top sneakers, and a grey slouchy beanie.

“Well. What do ya say?”

Scootaloo gives a pose her fist up in the air and her other on her hip.

“You look awesome Scootaloo.”

Lightning and the others applauded them as they show of their new looks one more time.

. . .

Now that the girls have gotten a few lessons in how the human world works. Some new clothes to wear as well, and finally decided to tell the rest of the town about them. All that left is to decide who the girls will be staying. It took a while but Doc had decided that the girls should stay with him the first night just to get settled in. Then Applebloom will be staying with Sarge, much to his dislike, Sweetie Belle with Ramone, and Scootaloo with Lightning. So far everything looked all good, they’ve taken care of everything that needed to be done...That is...until Scootaloo asked one little question that caught everyone off guard.

“So..This is all cool and stuff. But when can I get started on my flying practice?”

Scootaloo was sitting at a table inside Flo’s V8 Cafe giving Lightning and Doc a bored look. At a loss for words they haven't even given the thought that a pegasus would not want to be stuck on the ground all day.

“Well..Scootaloo ya see we have a lot of people that visit own town quite often. And we don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be flying around. The wrong person might see you.”

Doc and the others have already explained to them what might happen if more people find out that they’re magical, talking, multi-colored ponies from an alternate world. And the thought of being taken off to some lab and experimented on...didn’t sound to fun in the girl's mind. But still Scootaloo didn't like the thought of being grounded during their entire stay here, especially for who knows how long they’ll even be here. And Scootaloo needed to practice her flying or else she’ll go stir crazy. Everyone paused to think for a moment...suddenly an idea popped into Lightning’s head.

“I got the an idea! What if Scoots goes flying at night around Willy’s Butte. It’s the perfect place and no one else will be able to see her because it’s so dark. And if they do they’ll think she’s a bird flying around. And I’ll be there to keep an eye on her to make sure nothing bad happens.”

Doc put a hand to his chin in thought.

His plan sounds possible, the fact no one will be able to she her, and Lightning standing guard keeping watch. It seems like the a pretty solid plan.

Doc was instantly snapped out of his thoughts when he found Scootaloo kneeling down in front of him, hands out front in a begging manner, and giving him the biggest puppy dog eyes imaginable. Unable to resist the sheer cuteness of it all smiled

“Sounds like the perfect plan…”

Doc was stopped mid sentence when Scootaloo jumped in his arms giving him a great big hug.

“Thank You Thank You Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!"

. . .

The sun set and the moon's now high in the sky. An excited Scootaloo cannot wait to get out, stretch her wings and finally teach herself how to fly.

“ Come on come on hurry up! I wanna get all the time I can flying!”

“Alright alright. Just let me get my jacket.”

Lightning grabbed his jacket from the bed and slipped it on, locked his door and the two head off to Willy’s Butte.

. . .

It’s been three hours already and Scootaloo still could not get herself off the ground. Lightning had automatically assumed that she already knew how to fly...Boy was he wrong. For the past three hours Scootaloo had done nothing but fall flat on her face..quite literally. Covered in cuts and bruises Scootaloo was stomping the ground, kicking dirt and rocks everywhere, pretty much throwing a tantrum right there in front of him. Then she plopped down next to a rock pulled her legs up close and started crying.

That’s it!

Lightning got up from his spot and walked over to Scootaloo kneeling down in front of her

“ Hey there Scoots you ok?”

Sob Sob…

“Aw Come on Scoots you’re not giving up are you? I thought you wanted to fly? Do you really think you’ll achieve anything by giving up every time you get frustrated?”

“...”

“You can do it if you really try.”

She looked up at him and he held out both hands

“Come on squirt. Give it another go.”

She took his hands and he lifted her up, wiping away her tears she put on a determined face and took a deep breath, opening up her wings at first getting nowhere.

“You got this Scoots! Don’t give up!”

Scootaloo looks back at him for a second she could of swore she saw Rainbow Dash standing right there turning back looking up at the sky.

This is what I want. I can’t give up,opening up her wings.

I won’t give up.flapping hard.

I won’t give in, floating off the ground.

I won’t back down, closing her eyes.

Not now. Not when I’m so close. I can’t stop. I won’t stop. I can do this. I believe in myself. I have faith in myself. I trust in myself. I trust in my heart. I’ve got the power. This is it. This is my goal. This is my dream. Everything I’ve worked so hard for. Is all for this.

Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes, looking down at Lightning she was at least 30 feet high in the sky.

“YAY! ALRIGHT SCOOTALOO YA DID IT!!!”

Lightning shouted high in the sky cheering on Scootaloo eyes widen beaming with pride Scootaloo exploded

“AWWWW YEAAAAH!!!”

shooting through the sky, and soaring up higher. Feeling that she’s finally broken free from her cage. Spreading her wings out wide and soaring, finally flying.

I’ve done it. I’ve finally done it. Lightning if it wasn’t for you I would have given up..

flying down into his arms Thank you Lightning. Thank you.

[issaxcharlie]

Something so right

Pairing: Alive! Luke x Fem reader

Summary: A date with the golden boy of the school reveals Y/N’s and Luke's true feelings for each other and they have no choice but to face what they feel. Who will take the first step?

(The fragments of the song are from Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift)

Luke Patterson was more impatient than usual. 7:30 pm and no sign of his best friend, the one who had never missed a Sunset Curve rehearsal in these two years that they had been playing together.

“Am I the only one worried about Y/N? She is not usually late."

Reggie slaps his forehead, a memory snapping back into his head. "I forgot to tell you she won't be here today, she said something about a date."

The guitarist feels a punch in the stomach, he tries to hide how bitter the news fell on him, but his friends know him better than that.

“A date? With who?” Alex asks, genuinely curious.

“Austin Grayson.”

“Ugh, really Y/N?” But of course it had to be the school's golden boy. Luke can't help not feeling insecure. Austin Grayson is everything Luke Patterson isn't, and that scares him. What if that's what she's really looking for in a partner? He just wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Nice, he really has to like her to invited her despite what everyone says." Bobby responds as he takes advantage of the short break to rest his hands. Reggie and Alex nodding in agreement.

“What do they say?” Luke asks, completely lost.

“Oh please, most of the school thinks you guys are dating. There isn't a day that I don't hear someone call her Patterson’s girl." Alex replies, and Luke looks even more lost.

He can somehow understand why they would think that, he always enjoys having her and feeling her close. Usually touching her hand or arm in some way, hugging her whenever he sees fit. Carrying her books in the hallways or supporting her at her basketball games, just like she accompanies them to all the band's rehearsals and performances, or how she sometimes wears to school the clothes that he 'accidentally' leaves at her home when her mom invites him to dinner. On second thought, it’s easy to understand the confusion.

You don’t know what is happening. Austin is sweet, handsome, smart, and yet you feel nothing. Forced yourself to laugh falsely all night, and couldn't help but think that it would have been more fun to join the boys in rehearsal, especially when they were only a few days away from Sunset Curve's first performance at school.

When you finally get home, you walk with your head on the floor, trying not to make eye contact with your date. Austin gently grabs your chin so you turn to see him.

A fake cough from behind causes you both to jump away from each other. You don't even have to turn to find out who owns that perfect timed cough.

“What are you doing here?” You refuse to turn around, but you know he's smirking anyway.

“It’s movie night, love.” You force one more smile towards Austin as you curse Luke under your breath, who emphasized the last word in that seductive deep voice he sometimes does when he sings and that secretly melts your legs.

“Patterson." Austin tries to get past the awkward moment by participating in the conversation, and Luke responds by approaching and placing his arm on your shoulder.

"Grayson. Thank you for bringing her safe and sound." He sounds sincere, and that makes you smile for real for the first time of the night.

“It was nothing... I should go. Goodnight Y/N, I had a great time.”

Luke lowers his arm from your shoulder and leans back, ashamed of his rare moment of insecurity and letting you say goodbye to the boy.

As soon as he leaves, you turn to see your best friend, who looks sadly at the ground, and you hug him tightly.

Luke has been through very difficult months, and it is easy for someone who is vulnerable to feel insecure, especially in situations new to them. Not to mention that you are definitely not going to fight with the person you love for putting his arm on your shoulder or calling you in an affectionate way, which are things that he usually does, guy in your doorstep or not. You decide that he showing a little jealousy for once is not the end of the world.

“I missed you so much, rockstar.” You murmur still against his chest, your statement only makes him hold you tighter. You can't help but think about how just hugging him for a few seconds makes you so much happier than the whole date you just had.

“I’m sorry for making a scene. No wonder everyone thinks we are dating.“

“I don’t mind. I couldn't wear your cool flannels or your necklaces if I was dating someone. Plus it would take away valuable time that I can use as the president of the Sunset Curve fan club.” He chuckles. You can feel his body relax and his heartbeat begins to calm down. He gives you a sweet kiss in your hair before letting you go.

Best friends walk into the house, and as Y/N goes to change into something more comfortable Luke sits at the kitchen counter to chat with his second female best friend.

"You have to do something quick, I don't want to have you here crying and eating ice cream while she's on some date with some graceless snob.”

The guitarist can't help but laugh. Y/N's mom has always been a music lover and one of his greatest inspirations. She gave him his first guitar and taught him how to play, always supporting him in each of his steps as a musician. She has always loved him like a son, believing in him with all her might and always blindly entrusting him with what she loves most in the world, her daughter Y/N.

“I know, I will I promise. What I felt today when I saw Grayson touch her face and so close to her lips... I never want to experience that again. I was thinking maybe at homecoming? Sunset Curve is going to perform.”

She wrinkles her nose in response and Luke laughs again.

"Yeah too much information, I’m sorry. And I know, but we have to start somewhere. As soon as we get booked at a good enough club you'll be the first guest.”

They both make a pinky promise and smile.

“I’ll make you proud someday. I swear.”

“I’m always proud of you, my sweet boy. I know you’ll do amazing things, just take good care of my princess during tours.”

“You know I will.” They pinky promise again and reunite with Y/N in the living room to watch movies til the teens fall asleep cuddling.

Homecoming day arrived and you don’t have a partner. It is not hard to imagine why, being surrounded by at least one of the Sunset Curve members 24/7, especially Luke who tries to be close to you as much as possible, as if he is afraid that you will forget him if you spend too much time separated. Which is actually something you like, if you are honest with yourself. Is not something you would tell him but feeling him close and having his attention devoted to you most of the time feels quite special.

The date with Austin didn’t feel right and only confirmed what you've been trying to deny yourself for months. You are in love with freakin Luke Patterson. And you are in really deep, loving the good, bad, fun, boring, charming, and annoying parts, absolutely every side of him. And now is the time to finally do something about it.

After the guys show tonight, even more girls will be raining down on them than usual and things could get really messy, it's best to make your move first. Inside your heart you know that he feels the same, and if he doesn't have the courage to act on it then you will.

The first and most important thing you need to do to get the operation going is to kidnap Reggie, Alex and Bobby.

After a little threatening session everyone sang about Luke's idea for tonight, which made you grin like an idiot and feel more confident about your plan. The surprise that he will get when he sees how you sabotaged his plan.

Convincing Luke that it was best for you to come on your own so that they would have more time to prepare was not easy, but in the end you succeeded.

He's not a suit kinda person, but you went along with him to get a dark blue one that looked unreal on him just a few weeks ago, and you knew he would find a way to wear it sleeveless so he will look even more irresistible. You opted for a black dress that fades beautifully to blue towards the bottom of the skirt and in which you really look pretty good If you can say it yourself.

Sunset Curve finishes singing the first song, Now or never. It's time for the song Luke wrote for you, but he turns to see his friends scared when he still can't find you in the crowd. They smile at him and start to play the song they practiced with you just a few hours before.

“The way you move is like a full on rainstorm, and I'm a house of cards. You're the kind of reckless that should send me running, but I kinda know that I won't get far.”

You walk onto the stage as you start the first verse, Luke is shocked for a few seconds but then grins from ear to ear.

“And you stood there in front of me just... close enough to touch.” He recovers much faster than expected and pulls you by the waist towards him, just the microphone separating you two while he looks at you with the most seductive face you’ve ever seen.

“'Cause I see, sparks fly, whenever you smile... Get me with those green eyes, baby as the lights go down.” He blushes a little and smiles while his eyes are locked on your lips, capturing every move.

After what seems like an eternity, the song ends and before you can even say thank you, Luke's lips crash against yours, and it’s even better than what you’ve dreamed plenty of times. All the people start screaming, but you especially hear Reggie and Alex a few steps away who sound pretty happy for you.

“Reggie, an issue occurred, I have to go, sing home is where my horse is if you want to.” Luke whispers to his friend, before effortlessly carrying you off the stage.

“Admit it, you just want to touch my legs.” You joke while he walks with you on his shoulder.

“I’m in love with a really smart girl.” You stay quiet, your heart wants to jump out of your chest and you don’t even want to imagine how red your face is right now.

The guitarist finally brings you down when you leave the building, and you both walk to the park next door, where you met when you were just kids.

"Do you remember exactly how we met?" He asks while taking your hand.

“Reggie and Alex teamed up to destroy you in a game they invented and I was the only one in the park, so you invited me to join your team. And when we managed to win you said that we were the best duo on the face of the earth, that we had to be best friends forever."

“I sound very intense.”

“You are.”

They both laugh at the memory.

"You were still right."

“When did you finally realize that you loved me?” Luke asks, smirking playfully.

“I've known for a long time, but I didn't dare to admit it until recently.”

He completely accepts my answer and sincerity and smiles at me.

“I always knew that we would end up together, you eat me with your eyes when I'm not wearing a shirt.”

His teasing takes effect and you blush just remembering him in that situation.

He smiles cheekily and then takes mercy on you and changes the subject.

“So, we are the best duo on the face of the earth, best friends forever, and now an official couple?”

“That’s right, handsome and smart. Nice.”

Both approach until their lips touch, the kiss begins calm but quickly becomes more passionate, his tongue claiming every inch of your mouth, his arms strong on your hips. You let this amazing sensations envelop you and you lose yourself in him, happier than you've ever been.

When you are with the right person, everything feels just right.

Thank you for reading!

Taglist:

@siennanoelle01 , @totomoshi , @kiss-themoongoodbye , @writerinlearning

[sundaysundaes]

Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light

Lee Taeyong X Reader, feat. Haechan | Fluff, Best Friends to Lovers, Angst | Supernatural AU | 18k

Summary: You can only remember summer. Of the love you could never receive. Of the lips you could never truly taste. Of the warmth you could never take. And of a boy with smiles so soft, being consumed by the fireflies’ lights (strongly based on a beautiful Japanese animated movie called Hotarubi no Mori e)

Dear Taeyong, 

I can only remember summer

Of the taste of the dry weather on our tongues

Of the songs the cicadas chanted behind our backs

Of the sunlight that bit through our skins

Of the summer dresses and cat masks we once had

I remember that twig of an oak tree between our hands 

Separating you and me, life and death

That warm goodbye from your usually quiet lips

The way you said, “Until we meet next summer.”

And how I always truly, desperately, believed in it

You are the beautiful reality in my sleep

The blissful dream in my wake

I will see you again next summer

I miss you

***

Dear my love,

I can only love summer

Of faith that bloomed between us

Of loving smiles that shone when I glanced away 

Of the longing distance we put between us

And the fireflies’ light that will soon consume me

I will wait for our late exchange of secret words

And next time, I will take your warm goodbye from your lips

“Until we meet on the next life, Taeyong,” you said

Yes, that’s true

Until we meet on the next life, my dear

Because of you, I have truly lived

Our summer will last for eternity

I love you

“Make sure you listen to your uncle, okay?” Your mother says in her motherly way just like how she usually does. “Do you have your handkerchief? Your ticket? A nice pair of shoes. Don’t zone out and miss your stop. You’re always clumsy like that.”

You straighten up with one bag slinging around your shoulder and another one hanging around your wrist. With a casual pair of flip-flops, a white sleeveless summer dress decorated with broderie details, and your lips curving upwards in a farewell smile, you respond, “Jeez, Mom. I’ve been going there every year. I’ll be fine. I’m taking off now, okay?”

Although your mother seems unsatisfied with your words, she lets her daughter kiss her cheek and waves her hand goodbye. As you take the first step out of your house, the sun quickly showers you with light that is hot enough to leave sunburn on your skin. The trip to the nearest bus stop will be nothing but exhausting, you’re sure of it. But it’s okay. It’s summer anyway. You always love summer.

The bus comes only a few minutes later after you arrived at the stop and dropped your heavy bags next to your feet. You take a seat on the right side of the bus, near the window. There are only three passengers on the vehicle aside from you—a man with a sweaty neck on the front row, and a mother cooling her half-sleepy child with her paper fan on the back seat. You smile a little to yourself. Everything seems normal, just like always.

You lay your head on the window, randomly staring at the trees and leaves getting blown by the wind, as the bus starts moving. Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes, letting your memories come close and your thoughts fly back to him.

The first time you met Taeyong was when you were six.

***

Thirteen years ago, you were nothing but a lively little kid with short-cropped hair and choppy bangs. During a hot summer day, you got lost in the forest of the Mountain God, which was said to be where spirits lived. After running around searching for an exit, you became so tired; you couldn’t move a muscle. You ended up sitting under the shadows of the swaying tree branches and felt a little ticklish from the green grass that spread widely underneath your feet. You hugged your knees to your chest, gave your best to act strong but failing pathetically with every try. When you started crying from fear and loneliness, he appeared before you.

“Hey, Shorty!” A male’s voice resonating through the air made you gasp sharply. “Why are you crying?”

There was a boy, standing just a few meters away, with half of his body hidden behind a tree. His posture seemed a bit rigid as if he was nervous or shy for suddenly reaching out to you. The boy was noticeably taller, with a voice that sounded deeper than any boy you’d ever met before. But judging by the way he dressed—at his denim trousers that ended a few inches above his ankles, combined with a casual short-sleeved button-down white shirt and a red tee underneath it, he was probably still around eighteen.

What caught your attention was the cat mask he wore on his face. It wasn’t unusual—you had seen your friends wearing it a few times during the summer festival. The white mask had ears, whiskers, and big round black eyes that were continuously staring back at you with no emotion. The mask covered his entire face, but you could still see his hair. His hairstyle was normal—a little bit messy from the wind, with his strands ended a few centimeters above his neckline, but the color was odd. It was silvery white, almost like an old man’s.

“It’s…” You gaped, not caring about any of that fact at the moment. “It’s a person! I’m saved!” You claimed happily, standing on your feet with so much speed, it almost gave you a head rush. With your hands spreading in front of you, you frantically ran towards the boy with joyful tears in your eyes. “I’M FINALLY SAVEEEEEED!”

But with a quick reaction, the boy moved away before you could embrace him and you ended up landing face-first on the ground, with a handful of grass finding their way to stick themselves into your mouth.

“S-sorry,” the boy said apologetically but he didn’t move any closer to help you up. “You’re a human child, right? If a human touches me, I’ll disappear.”

Previously annoyed, you looked up at him with knitted eyebrows. “If a human?” You blinked twice in confusion. Your eyelashes were still a bit wet from the tears that were no longer falling. “You’re not human?”

A momentary silence came by before he formed an answer. “I’m…” He hesitated. “Something that lives in this forest.”

“Huh?” You unconsciously tilted your head before realization hit you like a train and you clapped your hands in glee. “Then, you’re one of the Spirits?” Another silence, and this time, the boy decided not to reply, so you tried again. “But… What do you mean by ‘disappear’?”

He stayed mute, his body standing still as if time just stopped. You couldn’t see the expression he had behind the mask so you wouldn’t know how he reacted. You could only see the flat emotion the cat mask was giving you as he continuously stared at you. If you weren’t a playful little girl with a naturally born cheery attitude, you would’ve found it creepy.

But instead, you found it rather amusing.

You reached out your little hand toward him, climbing back to your feet and when he moved away from your touch, you began to try harder. Every time the boy tried to escape, you laughed a bit louder, tried a bit better, and before you knew it, you ended up chasing him between the trees.

You ran after him, reaching out for him, closer, closer, closer—

Thunk!

You groaned in pain, covering your bruised forehead with both palms as you kneeled on the ground. You couldn’t believe he just hit you on the head with a twig!

“Y-you’re really not human after all…” You whimpered, rubbing your ache away. “No human would hit a child like that!”

When you began to sob a little from the pain, the boy sighed. “To disappear means to be obliterated,” he explained, slowly taking his eyes off you to face the sky instead, “That’s the spell that the Mountain God placed upon me. If I get touched by a human, then that’s the end.”

You had stopped crying by the time his sentences sank into your head. His previous action was really necessary, then, if he was truly in that condition. If you had kept on chasing him and he’d failed to avoid you, he would’ve disappeared. Now that you thought of it, you realized you nearly killed him with your antics.

“I’m…” Still sitting on the ground, you folded your knees underneath you and bowed down, overwhelmed with guilt. “I’m sorry…”

With an unreadable expression, the boy approached you and gently offered the wooden twig. “Here, Shorty,” he said, “Grab the other end.” When you gazed up at him, he was facing away. His posture seemed to give out a vibe that he was a bit embarrassed but you weren’t exactly sure of it. “You’re lost, aren’t you? I'll lead you out of the forest.”

You were surprised at first, both from his kindness and his features, because from that position, you could see the side of his face. His jawlines were sharp and prominent. The skin of his cheek was just as pale as the rest of his body. He was so white; it was almost ghastly.

You beamed at him. “You’re so nice! Thank you!” Moving by reflex, you began to run toward his arms again. The boy was screaming from being caught off guard, and you almost got him before—

Thunk!

You were stopped by another hard hit on the head.

“I’ve told you not to—” The boy was breathing hard with his body leaning forward and his hands clamped around his knees to steady his weight. “Don’t touch me.”

You were practically rolling on the grass to mute the aching you felt on your temple. “S-sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

The two of you walked next to each other with thirty centimeters long wooden twig between your hands. With every stride he took, you had to match it by doubling your steps. Your height difference was striking. It almost looked like you two were siblings—with him being the high school student older brother and you being his elementary school sister.

You were walking down some stone steps, tightening your grip around the twig to maintain your balance. There was a temple inside the forest, and that was the only way out. You usually followed that path to come back home but that day, you were having too much fun wandering around on your own that you forgot the way to find those tracks again.

There were abandoned Buddhist statues on the side of the stairs and the steps had some cracks on them even though they were made of stone. You could tell that the place would be too scary to walk alone when the night fell and the cicadas stopped singing. But right now, you couldn’t care much about it.

“It’s just like going on a date!” You chirped happily, jumping like the little girl that you were as you climbed down the steps. You hadn’t known how a date would feel like—after all, you were only six back then—but you had imagined it happening with a boy in your school, and this one fit your imagination well.

The boy had his free hand stuck inside his pocket. With a nonchalant voice, he replied, “Not a very romantic one, though.” And when you weren’t looking, he stole secret glances at you. Of course, with the mask still on, there wouldn’t be much of a difference, even if you had been looking.

“You aren’t afraid, are you?” he asked, and although you were surprised, you grinned at him.

“Of what?”

The boy seemed a bit hesitant before he answered, “Nevermind.”

You walked a few more steps until you finally arrived at the end of the stairs. The sun in the background was already setting, splashing orange tint to the previously blue sky. “If you go straight, you’ll hit the mountain path,” the boy said, standing under the simple wooden gate with no doors that indicated the entrance to the forest. And with his usual flat tone, he said, “Goodbye.”

“Are you always going to be here?” You questioned. “If I come back here, can we meet again?”

“This is the forest where the Mountain God and the Spirits live,” he answered matter of factly. “Set foot within and you’ll lose your way and be lost forever.” The wind was blowing, caressing his silvery-white hair and that made you stare in awe, memorizing how out of this world he seemed and wondering what kind of expression he displayed behind that mask. “You shouldn’t be here,” he finished. “That’s what the villagers say, right?”

That was true. It was, and you understood that, and yet, you just couldn’t wave this meeting away as if it never happened. Facing him a little bit better, you warmly smiled and introduced yourself. “I’d love to be your friend. Can you tell me your name?”

He didn’t say a word, just continued to stand in front of you with his cat mask staring back at your face. You waited… and waited… and even a second felt so long.

Those expressionless cat’s eyes kept staring back at you, making you feel somewhat woozy and embarrassed. It was as if you just asked something too personal. Perhaps he didn’t want you to know. Perhaps he didn’t want you to be attached to him. Perhaps he just wanted you to go away.

“U-umm…” Panicking, you took a step back, putting more distance between you. “Anyway, I’ll be back tomorrow with a thank-you present!” Just that, and I won’t come back if my presence bothers you so much. “B-bye!” You shouted, turning around on your heels and proceed to run from the tension that felt like cutting your skin open.

But then—

“It’s Taeyong.”

You stopped abruptly and turned around, but the boy was no longer in sight. His voice vanished without a trace, drowned by the wind.

But you heard it loud enough to put a permanent smile on your face that night.

Taeyong.

When you were walking by the fields that seemed more familiar, you were humming to yourself. It was until you heard your name being called that you stopped singing.

Your uncle was walking toward you with tattered breathing. Perhaps, he had been running around the village searching for you all day. “Uncle!” You greeted, grinning innocently as you ran toward his arms. “Uncle, I—”

“You stupid girl!” Your uncle landed a knock on your head before you could hug him and it was the third time you felt like your head was about to explode that day. “If you go into the forest on your own and get hurt, what are you going to do?!”

You finally began to realize that possibility and ended up crying as you ran to embrace him again. Your uncle let your tiny arms wind themselves around his waist and though he was still upset, he felt more relieved than anything. He patted your back and soon after you calmed down, you began to walk with your hands holding one another.

“Hey, Uncle.”

“Hmm?”

“Is it true that there are spirits living in that forest?”

“The Mountain God’s forest, huh? Who knows. That’s what they say,” he answered in an unusually serious demeanor. But when he started again, he had a tiny smile painted upon his lips. “When I was little, I wanted to meet the spirits so my friends and I often went into the forest. In the end, I never met any but I had the feeling I’d occasionally spot something from the corner of my eye. On summer nights, you could hear the sounds of the river coming from the forest. And now that I think about it, Hyori said she and her friends went and had fun at a summer festival in the forest. But there’s no way the villagers would’ve held a festival in the forest. So then, whose festival could it have been? It started this crazy story that they must’ve snuck into a festival for the spirits.”

The old man with a scruffy beard was laughing, his eyes glistening with the reminiscence of his childhood. “Man, that takes me back!” he exclaimed. “We were so stupid back when we were kids.” Then he laughed some more. You were only busy carving his story into your mind.

That night, you had trouble sleeping. The last words that Taeyong spoke to you were echoing in your head.

This is the forest where the Mountain God and the Spirits live. Set foot within and you’ll lose your way and be lost forever.

You understood that and yet…

***

“You came back,” Taeyong said, sitting at the end of the stone stairs where you parted ways the day before. He was wearing the same clothes, with the same cat mask on his face. “I didn’t think you’d really come back.”

You blinked your eyes, mouth slightly parted. The question ‘Was he waiting for me?’ ran through your mind. “You…”

The boy tilted his head, “Huh?”

“YOU WAITED FOR MEEEEE!” You screamed in excitement, running towards him in reflex with your arms reaching forward. The boy yelped in surprised then—

Thunk!

“You just don’t learn, do you?” Taeyong sighed, holding the same wooden twig he held on the previous day. Though the pain on the top of your head was throbbing, you chuckled, feeling your heart burst in warmth and joy.

“I was so happy, I just…” you giggled again. “Sorry.”

The boy leaped forward, approaching the spot where you were squatting down due to the pain. Taeyong pocketed both of his hands and threw his face to the side. “It’s a bit hot here. Shall we go somewhere cooler?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry,” he assured, climbing up the stairs even though he just hopped down from there. Perhaps he wanted to walk beside you? “I’ll walk you back again.”

Your lips broke into the biggest grin you had ever made in your six years of living. “Okay!”

You went inside the forest, walking next to one another with nothing but air between you. You wondered if Taeyong had decided to trust you now, or if he was just being polite. You offered him the vanilla ice cream you’d brought from your uncle’s shop and the two of you ate your ices in silence. But the thing was, the silence was never awkward. You knew by then that Taeyong wasn’t much of a talker, and you were already too happy for being able to spend your day not with just a new friend, but also your first Spirit friend. It felt surreal and exciting at the same time.

The deeper you went inside the forest, you found out that the trees were bigger, almost taking all of the blazing sunlight to themselves and left none for you and Taeyong to bask on. The wind felt soft on your skin, the scent of grass and blooming flowers filled the air.

Your smile never receded from view when you walked behind Taeyong. It was only when you noticed that something had been following you that you began to frown. “Hmm?” You were sure something was following you, but Taeyong was walking like everything was normal.

As you were about to dismiss the thought, a shadow crept along the ground, a layer of dark mist clouded your vision, then a voice, low but thunderous, spoke. “Taeyong.”

You froze, your fingers almost gripping at the end of Taeyong’s shirt. The shadow turned colossal, darker, and somehow, somehow, you could see it grinning eerily at you.

“Is that a human child?” the shadow asked in a reverberating voice. You could practically feel its eyes on your skin. “Can I eat her?”

You hastily moved to the side with your tiny steps, hiding behind Taeyong’s legs. The boy noticed your fear and he quickly set out a hand to let his opponent know that you were off-limit. “No,” he said, “She’s my friend.”

“Is that so?” The shadow’s voice reminded you of the sound of the dark grey clouds rumbling before the storm came to wash the earth. “Human child, please don’t touch Taeyong’s skin. If you do, I’ll eat you.”

You were so scared; you started to shiver all over. By the way you were clutching to his shirt, Taeyong realized that you were, indeed, only a vulnerable little girl, barely knew anything about the world and the secrets it held. “Hey—” But then he abruptly sneezed.

The Shadow suddenly shrieked in horror then there was a blast of smoke, making you jolt on your feet, tiny hairs standing up at your nape. When you managed to look between the mist with narrowed eyes, that shadowy figure turned into a cute little golden fox with nine furry tails and a pair of sparkling ruby eyes.

“Oh!” It was so tiny, you could probably hold it with both hands. “Is that a Spirit Fox?”

The Fox’s fur was standing up, perhaps it was startled by Taeyong’s sudden sneeze. It wasn’t even that loud—to be honest, Taeyong’s sneeze was much quieter than how your uncle used to do. To be frightened only because of that…

“Yeah, he’s another one of the Spirits. He transforms to scare people away, but he’s all bark and no bite,” Taeyong said, approaching the little golden fox that was hiding behind a tree with its body cowering to the ground. “Isn’t that right?” The boy bent down, grabbing the fox with both hands, and lifted it off the ground. “Haechannie?”

Puff!

There was another kind of explosion that clouded the forest with ash grey mist, and you coughed a couple of times before you gazed back to the Fox. It was no longer a fox—it was a person.

Taeyong was holding a boy’s waist with both hands just like how he did to the animal before and your jaw grew slack at the sight. The golden fox just turned into a human—a male, nonetheless—with golden hair and the same pair of ruby eyes that matched the blush that crept through his cheeks. His skin, you noticed, had a darker complexion but it complimented his looks so much as if he was kissed by the sun, smooth skin glistening under the light. He also had a pair of dog-like ears and a nice golden Foxtail that resembled his previous form. And although the color of his hair and eyes were striking, it didn’t startle you as much as the fact that the boy was naked.

You screamed, immediately turning around from the sight of the two boys facing each other with Taeyong’s hands still holding Haechan’s bare waist as if it was the most normal thing to do. You had your hands covering your face, feeling embarrassed since it was the first time you witnessed a naked boy’s body.

“It’s because you startled me,” Haechan whined, arms flailing as he blushed a bit deeper. “Now let go of me, Hyung.”

Taeyong sighed, taking his hands off the boy that appeared to be the same age as him—just a couple of years younger, maybe. He didn’t seem to be bothered by Haechan’s bare skin at all, though he looked tired of his antics. “Don’t bother her, okay? She’s a friend.” Taeyong pointed his head toward you squatting down on the ground with your back turned, face sinking into your palms. You could hear Taeyong telling him your name but Haechan snorted in response.

“I don’t care what her name is!” Haechan shouted, looking away from the other boy. “Why are you getting all chummy with her even though you just met!” The way he whined so childishly was the complete opposite of the way he talked in his monstrous shadow form earlier. “And she’s a human! What would you do if she touches you by accident?” With a prominent pout, Haechan added under his breath, “You’re such an idiot.”

With the cat mask staring flatly at him, Taeyong replied, “I can hear you, you know.”

“Ah, damn it!” Haechan groaned, giving the other boy a shove on his shoulder. “I won’t cry if you disappear, all right?! It will all be your fault! Taeyongie, you big idiot!” He quickly turned back into his animal form, nipped Taeyong’s finger with his pointy teeth, and climbed the tree with his little paws.

Taeyong yelped a little from the bite but more because of the shock instead of pain. “Haechannie!” he called, but the fox spirit never looked back, jumping from one branch to another until he disappeared behind the trees. The cat-masked boy huffed and walked back towards you. “He’s gone now,” Taeyong said, bending down a little to match your height. “I’m sorry if he scared you.”

You slowly sneaked a glance behind you, and it was true. Haechan was nowhere to be seen. It was then that you could finally grasp what just happened.

“It was so…” You clenched your tiny fists before you jumped and punched the air. “SO AWESOME! That was the first time I’ve seen a real spirit! Not quite like I imagined, and I wasn’t prepared to see a naked boy like that but wow, they really do exist!” And as you continued jumping happily on your feet, shouting, “Amazing! Amazing! So amazing!” Taeyong muttered, “So what did you think I was?” And without waiting for you to calm down, he walked again with his hands tucked neatly inside his pockets.

You eventually followed him with your usual lively grin. “Are you a no-face or something? Why are you wearing that mask?”

“No particular reason,” Taeyong answered, making you frown. Perhaps he hadn’t trusted you that much? “Never mind me. Tell me about yourself.”

Your eyes twinkled; your grin turned mischievous. “Are you curious?”

A pause, then, “That’s why I waited for you.”

You couldn’t suppress your laughter. He was waiting for you, after all.

So you told him about yourself, from the most important things to the littlest nonsenses that went through your mind. Taeyong listened to your words in silence, no comment, no reaction, not even giving the slightest hum. And since he was always wearing that cat mask on his face, there was no way of telling how he felt when he listened to your stories. Did he even pay any attention to you? Was he bored? Was it entertaining for him? Taeyong was a mystery you didn’t know how to solve.

The next day and the day after that, you went back to the forest again and again. You kept running and playing all around the mountain, just together with the boy who was probably, at least, twice your age. You managed to break through the walls he built around you, little by little. His quiet, reserved demeanor gradually turned into something warmer, though not as lively or chaotic as you were. He began to tell you his favorite spots in the forest; crafted little ships from long leaves so you could watch them float along the river streams; and grabbed your sun hat when it got blown away by the wind before they got caught between the branches of a willow tree. 

You even got Taeyong to play tag with you. You would run away from him, and he would chase after you with a twig on his hand so he didn’t have to touch you directly when he said, “Tag, you’re it!” Taeyong’s favorite trick was pretending to fall on the ground and waited for you to come back with a worried face. You always did, but Taeyong still wouldn’t be able to catch you even after you fell for his trap because you were always much faster.

These mundane things you shared were special to both you and him. And even though they would most likely dissipate from your memories as you grow older, at that time you felt infinite.

***

One day, you were humming to yourself as you were busy collecting little flowers from the field while Taeyong was lying down on the grass with his mask-covered face facing the clouds. The sun was hot but the wind was nice. At the end of the day, it was comforting.

With a handmade bouquet between your tiny palms, you rose to your feet and ran to Taeyong’s spot, only to found the boy resting there with one hand lying idly on his stomach. You kneeled next to his head, facing him upside down. “Taeyong…” you murmured to yourself, gazing at his cat mask. “Did he fall asleep?”

Slowly, out of curiosity, you reached out a hand. You hesitated, but it would be okay if you only touched his mask, wouldn’t it? Swallowing hard, you decided to take your chance.

How does he look underneath that mask?

You placed your tiny palms on each side of his mask, and slowly, carefully, lifted it off his face. Your heart was racing, as if you were doing something sinful your heart forbid you to. You pulled it higher, and higher, until you could see his face, and for that moment, the time seemed to stop.

Despite his height, Taeyong had a young baby face with long eyelashes brushing the top of his cheeks. His eyes were closed and he looked so blissful, like a baby falling asleep in his mother’s arms. His skin was soft, flawless, but pale—almost transparent as the sun shone its light upon it. His nose was cute. He had curvy, thin lips, with two tiny moles faintly painting his lower one. His jawlines were sharper than Haechan’s, making him look mature, and the more you observed his features, the more you thought that, oh, he was indeed a boy.

A beautiful, beautiful boy.

You thought that Taeyong was unfair to hide such beauty from the world; to only let the world witness malice while he kept such purity inside the forest. 

How young… How innocent…

Then Taeyong suddenly smirked and before you knew it, a pair of deep, dark brown eyes were staring back at you.

“Ah! SORRY!” You exclaimed, startled to the point that all your breath left your lungs at once. Panicking, you unintentionally slammed the mask down onto his face harder than you intended to.

Taeyong hissed in pain, holding his face over the mask, and turned to his side. “Attacking someone while they’re asleep like this,” he said, eventually moved up and sat down cross-legged on the grass. “You surely are a scary little lady.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—” You looked away, muttering quietly. “You were pretending to sleep anyway, weren’t you?”

Taeyong paused for a second before he propped his elbow on his thigh and laid his chin on his palm. Somehow, you felt like he was smiling behind that mask. “I looked normal, didn’t I?” he asked, a bit playfully. This time, it was you who just sat quietly and stared back at him without a word.

“Taeyong… Why are you wearing that mask?”

He straightened up, voice sounding unusually soft when he spoke. “If I don’t wear this mask, I don’t look like a spirit, do I?” Surely with that mask on, Taeyong seemed less human. After all, that mask was designed after the Cat Spirit that was retold from time to time. But why? Why did he have to go that far? Was he scared that people would mistake him for a human and grabbed him accidentally without purpose?

You just sat in silence. Somehow, your chest tightened, as if you were drowning little by little. It was heartbreaking to know that Taeyong seemed like he didn’t have a choice. Maybe he wanted to throw that mask away. Maybe he wanted to be human—or at least, look like one. Maybe he wanted to be connected. To truly be alive. But then that would mean he had to risk everything…

And knowing how even days had passed by, you hadn’t seen anyone getting along with him other than you, Taeyong had probably never set a foot outside the forest either.

Is that why he seems so…

Lonely?

“You’re weird,” you said and you ended the topic just like that. Because if Taeyong didn’t want to tell, then you wouldn’t want to force the words out of his mouth.

Taeyong only chuckled.

***

“Taeyong.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t think…” You stared sadly at your feet as you climbed down the stone steps that lead you back to the entrance gate. “I don’t think I can go back here tomorrow.”

Taeyong didn’t utter a word. Like usual, he just walked in front of you with his hands in his pockets and his mask pressed tightly against his face.

“I’ve told you before, haven’t I?” You continued. “That I’m just staying at my uncle’s place for the summer? So, I have to go home tomorrow…”

Taeyong just hummed once, to let you know that he was listening but did not intend to form a reply. You brought your head down, feeling disappointed. But why were you disappointed? You never felt like this when you said goodbye to your other friends before.

Taeyong stopped dead on his tracks. “Will you…” he said, turning his body slightly to face you but not quite. “Will you be able to come again next year?”

You stood still, your lips trembled slightly as if you were about to explode into words. Before you knew it, you felt your eyes grew a bit teary but you blinked your tears away before they fell and with a huge smile on your face, you merrily replied, “Yeah!” You had never felt so relieved.

And that was how summer became something you always looked forward to.

***

Every year, you came back and Taeyong always waited for your promised summer. You would find him sitting near the gate, on the stone stairs with his white cat mask placed upon his face. The two of you usually just did the same routines, lying lazily on the field of grass, eating ice creams as you crossed the wooden bridge, or throwing pebbles while dipping your bare feet into the water of the lake that was as clear as the sky.

“So cold!” You were turning eight that year, shouting as you plunged your bare feet into the water. Taeyong only let out a flat comment, “You’re weird. Of course the water is cold.” And although he sounded bored, you could tell that he was probably smiling behind his mask. After all, he could have just stayed silent about it, and yet he said something just to pull a reaction from you. You adored that part of him where he acted like he was fine being alone when in reality, there was nothing he craved more than someone’s attention.

Sometimes, when you walked too close to each other, a Spirit would show up in some form to revive the forgotten space between you. A lady wearing a snow-like kimono with flaming red hair once grabbed the side of his cheek and said with a pair of agonizing eyes, “Please be careful, Taeyong. We don’t want to lose you.” 

A willow tree caressed his hair with its branch, pulling him by the neckline so he would distance himself away from you. The way its thick branch was shaped into a beast’s claw, clutching at Taeyong’s entire body was almost frightening, but there was only tenderness laced with concern when it spoke, “It’s dangerous, Taeyong. That’s a human child. If she touches you, you’ll disappear.”

“Thank you,” Taeyong always said, placing a reassuring hand on the tree’s claw. “I’m fine.” He sounded so sincere and absolute, leaving the Spirit Tree with no choice but to retract its claw from him.

“Please don’t touch him, human child,” the Spirit Tree said once again before it went back to its slumber. You could only answer, “Yes,” but to you, it was more than a promise. After all, you wouldn’t want Taeyong to disappear.

You couldn’t help but notice that other Spirits could touch him normally. You tried to put aside how your heart jerked with jealousy. You wouldn’t let your selfishness be the end of him.

Haechan was the one who showed up the most, appearing in his animal form to bite the end of your skirt and pulled you away from the other boy. He persistently yelled at you how your entire existence was a threat to him, making you realize that you were a weapon, designed by God to annihilate him and yet, Taeyong still waited for your visit every year. How could someone dare to take a risk like that? 

Were you really worth all the trouble?

***

Every year, you waited for the summer to come. And before you knew it, you were already a ten-year-old girl. You grew taller, but your hair was still cut short with choppy bangs. Though you grew older, it didn’t mean your childish personality was wiped away.

“Hey,” Taeyong called, searching for you who were hiding somewhere in your sky blue summer dress through the holes of his cat-mask. “It’s dangerous to wander alone in the forest! Where are you—”

“SURPRISEEEED!” You shouted, dangling upside down from a tree branch with your legs circling it. Taeyong yelped, taking a step back in surprise from your sudden appearance. You were enjoying the moment, but before you could laugh about it, the end of your dress couldn’t fight the gravity so it fell covering your face. Your white panties were shown clearly for Taeyong’s eyes to see. “OH NO!” You quickly attempted to pull your dress back up and eventually, shifted your weight so you ended up sitting on the branch.

“What are you doing exactly?” Taeyong asked, not because you looked dumb but because he was genuinely interested in knowing. He always seemed to find your existence somewhat amusing.

You chuckled lightly. “I wanted to see your startled face but…” You forgot he was wearing his mask all the time so that was ultimately pointless. Taeyong just stared back, waiting because you looked like you wanted to say more. “You know, Taeyong… Can you at least take your mask off when I’m around? Once in a while is okay, right?”

Taeyong let a second pass. “Well, it’s fine but…” He placed his fingers at the end of his mask and slowly began to lift it off his face. “Is there a particular reason why?”

You observed him with anticipation. “Well, not really, but—” A cracking sound could be heard as the branch wasn’t strong enough to handle your weight, and with a shriek, you found yourself falling.

Calling your name, Taeyong ran towards you in reflex, arms out and ready to catch you. In a split second, as you fought to defy gravity, you could see his hands desperately trying to save you. Aside from the fear of falling, all you could think about was—

No.

Please, don’t.

Don’t touch me.

If you touch me, you’ll—

You fell head first on small bushes that were soft and safe enough for you to land on. You had landed on the ground before Taeyong could reach you and although you felt like you probably twisted your shoulder a little, you were more than fine.

“That was close…” Taeyong breathed out, his hands still hanging stiffly in the air.

“Y-yeah…” You felt slightly lightheaded as adrenaline faded away from your veins. You were in haze, body reclining against the bushes, grateful to be able to come unscathed. 

“I’m sorry,” Taeyong murmured, but from not being able to be there on time to catch you or because he had retracted his hands back in reflex when he nearly touched your skin, you weren’t sure. “Are you okay?”

You exchanged stares, letting a few seconds pass by in silence before you finally let out a weak chuckle. “Thank goodness.” When Taeyong asked you what you meant, you softly added, “No matter what happened, Taeyong, don’t ever touch me, okay?”

His lips were tightly shut as he approached your spot, but the gesture he made with his hands seemed like he wanted to comfort you. Why would he want to comfort me, you thought but soon enough, you found the answer.

Because when you spoke again, your words are tainted with your tears.

“Did you hear me?” You forced yourself to smile but once the first tear broke, the rest of them were unstoppable. You cried again, and again, and again, until your whole body trembled, chest suffocating. You tried to laugh it off, shakily saying, “No matter what, okay?” but the more you tried to pretend that it didn’t faze you when you almost erased his entire existence over your negligence, you sobbed even harder.

You finally understood why the Spirits didn’t want you to be close to him. It wasn’t because they didn’t trust you. It was because Taeyong was just too kind. Even if it meant he would be wiped off the earth, he wouldn’t mind as long as you were safe. The way he had run toward you with his arms reaching out to you was a proof of that. The Spirits probably thought that Taeyong would be obliterated someday not because you touched him, but because he tried to save you when something like this happened again.

No. I can’t afford that.

No matter what, please don’t touch me.

You didn’t want him to see this side of you. You didn’t want him to know that in a human world, sometimes pain could be so unbearable that all you could do was just fall to your knees and wish that someday you could stop crying and stand up again. 

This ugly side of humanity… You didn’t want Taeyong to know…

But Taeyong never said a word.

***

The next summer and the summer after that, you continued to visit the forest to meet him.

“Taeyong! I’m here again this year!” You greeted, wearing your junior high school uniform with your skirt ending a few inches above your knees. Taeyong, dressed in the same way like he always did, was already there at the spot where he usually waited for you to arrive. “Ta-daa!” You twirled once for him, making your skirt flutter and your longer hair sway above your neckline. “I’ve become a seventh-grader now!”

As always, you couldn’t tell what kind of expression he had behind that mask, but Taeyong was indeed staring at you for a few seconds. “Somehow…” he began saying, “You’re starting to look like a girl.”

“I am a girl,” you replied, unconsciously pouting and Taeyong laughed a little in response. Even the way he laughed felt like summer to you—radiant and hot enough to light a spark of fire to your chest. Standing up, he stuck his hands inside his pockets, and climbed up the stairs. “Shall we go?”

“Yeah.” You smiled, then as you saw his figure, you began to realize. “Oh…”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing.” 

You just noticed that your ages were gradually getting closer. Unlike you, Taeyong didn’t age normally as any human would. Somehow, he aged much slower, maintaining his youth to stay perfectly the same from season to season. Your height was almost on the same par as Taeyong’s shoulders now. As the years went by, your appearance began to change, but Taeyong almost looked the same as the day you first met.

If this keeps on going… Maybe…

You stopped walking when you realized Taeyong wasn’t walking beside you anymore. You looked back, facing the sun that was setting behind the hill and the boy who stood with his face lifted to perceive the sky. There was a butterfly on Taeyong’s mask, just right on the cat’s nose and slowly, he began to take it off. Underneath the shadow of the mask, Taeyong was smiling, softly, gently, and he eventually brought his mask down to stare at the butterflies that flew through the branches of the trees.

He closed his eyes.

From where you were standing, Taeyong merely appeared like a silhouette but in your eyes, he was a painting worth being praised. A beautiful portrayal of a man who only knew bliss in his life with a pure smile that even God wouldn’t be able to resist its beauty.

It was probably the day when you realized the reason behind the ache in your chest.

Someday, I will be older than him, won’t I?

You didn’t know what would be more dreadful to face: Taeyong leaving you over an accidental touch, or you leaving Taeyong because of old age. After all, time is cruel. Time is responsible for the summers that come and go, for the leaves in autumn that shrivel, for the long and cold winters that made your teeth jittery. It’s amazing how you can fall asleep by listening to the sound of the rain and when you wake up, the sun is blazing once again and the roads are dry. It would be as if it never rained.

What if I become like that? You questioned yourself. What if for Taeyong, I’m just nothing more than a fleeting summer day?

With the two of you being bound by the chains of time, you knew that there would come a day where time would become your enemy.

You buried your thoughts deep inside your mind, and promised him, “I’ll come back here again tomorrow, okay?”

Taeyong opened his eyes, gazing back at you, and smiled that one breathtakingly beautiful smile. “Then I’ll be waiting as always.”

***

“Before our summer vacation started, a boy in my class asked me out,” you said, now fourteen, as you hugged your knees to your chest, making sure that your sky blue sleeveless summer dress was not showing the polkadot panties you wore underneath. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Taeyong didn’t respond, wasn’t sure how to. He just stared at you—blankly, by the look of his cat mask, and you curled your toes in the uncomfortable silence.

“Say something, will you?” you mumbled after a while, heat rushing to your cheeks.

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“Well, that—” You opened your mouth but then nothing came out. What did that mean exactly? ‘To go out’? “Well, I mean, I think he wants me to date him… or something,” you finished terribly.

Taeyong hummed, lying down on the grass and folding his hands underneath his head to use them as his pillow. The leaves of the trees above him were doing a great job in providing the shades he needed. “Date, huh?”

There was something annoying about how Taeyong behave so nonchalantly like this, as if you were conversing about what you had for breakfast. But you noticed that it was weird of you to feel that way. Did you even have the right to be upset?

“What do you suppose they do?” Taeyong suddenly asked, snapping you out of your reverie.

“They?”

“People who are dating,” he explained further, his hands now moving to lay on his sides. “What do you think they do?”

You thought about it, looking up at the pillowy white clouds and feeling the wind that caressed your strands. “I don’t know,” you answered, throwing yourself to the grass again, next to Taeyong but remembering to put a safe distance between you. “Maybe go somewhere together, hold hands and stuff?”

Taeyong fell into another silence.

You couldn’t help but let your eyes linger on the small gap between your pinky finger and his. You almost moved your hand closer, just a little bit, but then he lifted his arm and you nearly yelped in shock.

Taeyong took off his mask and placed it over his chest. His hand was now nowhere close to your smaller one. He had his eyes closed and from where you were lying on his side, you could see how long his eyelashes were, how they fluttered against his cheeks. Taeyong still looked so young, like a pure little boy with no idea how to sin, and perhaps that was because he never stepped a foot outside the forest. You envied his naivety but you also questioned how he truly felt for living a life monotonously like that. Even though he had Haechan and the rest of his Spirit friends here, was it really better for him to have no contact with humans?

Because sometimes… Taeyong looked so lonely.

The boy parted his lips. “Do you think they would kiss?”

If you had been drinking, you would’ve sprayed all of it on Taeyong’s face. “What?!”

“Those couples,” Taeyong elucidated, as if you were asking because you didn’t understand, when in reality you were just utterly embarrassed by it. “Do you think they kiss a lot?”

“What—” You almost bit your tongue. “Who even told you this stuff?! I thought you were supposed to live inside the forest!”

“I do, but it doesn’t mean I’m raised like Tarzan, you know.”

He even knows Tarzan! You wanted to scream. “Let me guess, Haechan?”

“Yeah.”

That perverted little fox! Of course he told him this stuff! 

“Yeah, well, I think they do,” you sighed, lying down on the grass again with another huff. “I remember having this conversation with a friend. See, she has a boyfriend, and she told me that they were kissing the other day. I, just like now, didn’t know what to say.”

“You never kissed anyone before?”

Your face was aflame and it had nothing to do with the sun. “N-no…” Of course not! If I had done it, then—

“Why not?” Taeyong asked, staring at you with genuine curiosity. You promptly looked away, ignoring the question.

Because then you’d disappear, you idiot. But how could you tell Taeyong that? You didn't even know why you wanted to kiss him. When exactly did you start wanting it? When did you start looking at him differently?

“I just…” You absentmindedly played with the tip of the grass underneath your fingers. “…haven’t found the right person yet.” Actually, I have, but if I touch him, he’ll disappear so… “And there’s a difference, you know, between kissing someone because they’re attractive and kissing someone because, umm, w-words can no longer express the intense feelings you have for them.” You clear your throat, feeling a bit nauseous all of a sudden. “Even if I did go out with him, I can’t just kiss him because he’s cute. It’s not right.”

Taeyong’s eyes were following the clouds, which were somehow changing shapes from one to another. “A kiss, huh…” he mumbled, reaching out a hand toward the sky and spread his fingers widely as if he was about to seize the sun. “I wonder if humans are as warm as this.”

“As the sun?” You asked, laughing quietly. “I certainly hope not. That’d be scary.”

Taeyong only smiled, slowly averting his eyes to lock them with yours. But you’re already burning as bright though…

“What?” You asked when you saw him looking at you without saying anything. “Did Haechan draw something on my face again? I swear to God, it’s like I can’t even let my guard down for one sec—”

“Don’t kiss him,” Taeyong suddenly said, abruptly cutting the rest of your sentence short and leaving you gaping, loss for words. When silence came to fill the space, he tried to break through the tension. “I mean…” He scratched his cheek awkwardly. “Well, it’s your choice, but…”

Your heart warmed. “But…?”

Taeyong’s tongue laid heavy in his mouth and he quickly put his cat mask back on. “We’re too far inside the forest. We should be getting back now before it’s too late,” he sternly said, sitting up. “Come on, I’ll walk you to the gate.” And he stood up, placed his hands inside his pockets as always, and walked away without even waiting for you to get up.

You followed with a blissful smile breaking on your face.

“I won’t,” you said, loud enough for him to hear. “If you don’t want me to kiss him, I won’t.” Taeyong never said anything back.

But you noticed the way the tip of his ears went red.

***

Taeyong called your name. His voice, like always, sounded a little bit muffled from the mask. “Hey, I’m back. Too bad, I can’t find the—”

The sight of you in your favorite peach summer dress, sleeping soundly on the grass as if nothing could attack you at that moment, made him grow speechless. You had one arm lying down on your stomach, your lips were slightly parted  as you fell deep into slumber, and Taeyong could see your chest heaving up and down slowly every time you breathed.

“Goodness,” he muttered, sighing. “This is a forest, you know? Moreover, it’s the forest where Spirits live. What would you do if they attack you?” Not that Taeyong actually thought that would happen—except for Haechan. That devilish fox could be pretty childish when he got jealous. Taeyong wouldn’t be surprised if he found him biting the edge of your dress again.

But, of course, you didn’t hear him. You had always been a heavy sleeper, even a clap of thunder could barely wake you up.

Taeyong huffed once more before he sat down next to you, taking a glance at the beauty marks on your face, at your bangs that had grown longer since your first visit two months ago, and at the lovely shape of your mouth. The way your lips seemed so soft and rosy, sparked curiosity and something within him that he couldn’t properly name, as he didn’t quite understand the feeling just yet.

Pressing one palm to the grass to prop his weight, Taeyong took off his mask. His silvery-white hair fell covering his hooded eyes but the soft wind blew it away. He leaned over, almost hovering above you by the time he laid his other palm on the other side of your head. Releasing a shaky breath, he brought his face down to yours.

I’m… Towards you, I’ve been…

Close. So close. Taeyong could even count your eyelashes if he wanted. You were breathing softly, warm air flowing from your slightly parted lips. Taeyong wanted to seal them with his own.

“Taeyong?”

Taeyong blinked, freezing on the spot. You were awake, staring at him with your eyes still slightly red from sleep. “Taeyong, what are you doing…?”

Taeyong only stared at you, eyes to eyes with such close proximity. He could tell how nervous you were, no matter how hard you tried to keep your face composed.

“I couldn’t find the flower you wanted,” he said, with a voice so calm as if he was speaking in a safe distance. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s…” You swallowed, still locking your gaze together although your heart was screaming like a beating drum. “It’s all right…”

Taeyong spent another two seconds being in that position before he finally pulled away, just to press his mask to your face. You let out an ‘oof’ sound of surprise but you didn’t take it off. You just laid there, completely still, with his mask covering your face. It smelled just like him—the dry air of summer, with a hidden scent of fresh green grass and sunray.

“Your face’s red,” Taeyong said. “Go back to sleep.”

You wondered whether the sun managed to bite through your skin and warm your face like this. But how would that explain your racing heartbeat?

“Okay…” you murmured and the sounds of birds chirping suddenly became louder as you both fell mute, unsure of what to say.

Not far from there, a golden fox scrunched his nose in annoyance. With a small puff of smoke, Haechan returned to his human form.

“Is he an idiot?” Haechan growled in his human voice, sneaking around behind the bushes with no clothes on like usual. “What would he have done if she didn’t wake up? Did he want to die?! I should’ve knocked some sense into his head! Stupid Taeyongie!” But despite the venom in his words, Haechan could only look away and do nothing. After all…

Taeyong had looked so happy.

There was only this little smile displayed on his lips, yet somehow he looked more alive than Haechan had ever seen him before. It was the first time Haechan ever witnessed that kind of expression on him.

Haechan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. “That idiot,” he said again, grumbling but instead of running back and throwing a fist at the other man, Haechan kept walking away and bit his lower lip until it grew white. Stop looking that happy. You know how this would end, don’t you? She can’t give you the happy ending you want. 

Don’t start something that will only hurt you, Hyung…

***

On the last day of your eighth summer together, you bought Taeyong a scarf. When he asked the reason why, you simply explained with, “My uncle said the winter will be freezing this year, so be sure to wear it, okay?”

“I don’t get cold, though.”

“Just wear it.”

Taeyong hummed, taking a detailed look at the maroon knitted scarf in his hands. The cuts that appeared on your fingers when you tried to knit it three months earlier had disappeared, and just by seeing him holding it already made you feel like it worth every effort you’d given.

“Oh, and here.” You took a small music player from your summer dress’s pocket. It had earphones and batteries that would definitely last for at least a month if it was only used once a while. “I’ll give you this.”

“You’re giving me a lot of things today,” Taeyong commented. “And what’s this?”

“An mp3 player,” you said as you sat next to him on the stone stairs. “Here, I’ll show you how it works. First, you press here to turn it on, then you pick the song from the playlist.” You demonstrated every word and Taeyong stared intently at the mp3 screen from the holes of his mask. “I already put some songs in it. I’m not sure what kind of music you like, so I kind of put every genre I could find. You can skip it by pressing here if you hate the song.”

“How can I hate it when I can’t even hear it?” he innocently asked and you laughed.

“That’s why they invented these earphones, silly,” you giggled, and without waiting for his permission, you plugged in one earphone to his ear while you pressed the other one to your own. You moved a bit closer toward him and Taeyong fidgeted a bit from the distance. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you,” you said and you wondered since when did it begin to hurt you so much when you said those words? “But be very still, okay?”

“Oh, it’s playing.” Taeyong was astonished when the song started playing in his ear. It was a piece from Beethoven, a sound of violin combined with piano and cello. You explained everything to him, from the instruments, to the harmony, to the genius composers in the music industry. It was all new to him. “And what’s that sound?”

“That’s the sound of timpani,” you explained and when you glanced to the side, you realized how close you were to him. One wrong move and you could hurt him. You needed to be extra careful. It was probably best to move away, Haechan would’ve certainly told you so but just for one more second…

Let me be this close to you for one more second before I go…

“Wait, don’t change the song,” Taeyong said, snatching you away from your thoughts. Your finger stopped moving around the playlist. “I want to hear this one to the end.”

You grew quiet. There were over a hundred songs you had put into the music player and out of all of them, Taeyong had to choose this song. This one song that took you an entire night contemplating whether you should put it inside the device or not.

“This is the sound of a violin, right?” Taeyong asked, looking serious because of his mask but you dared to think that he was smiling underneath it. “It’s nice. It’s not as rich as the other piece that had timpani in it, but… It’s beautiful. I like this one.”

You stood up abruptly, your earphone detaching itself from your ear. “I—I have to go. It’s getting late.”

“Huh?” Taeyong was a bit startled. “Oh. Yeah…”

You stepped forward, not looking back at him or waved him goodbye like usual. Instead, you rushed forward with your head hanging low.

To think that he would like your song.

To think that he would say that your violin playing was nice.

To think that he would prefer your song better than any other ones there.

“Hey,” Taeyong called, and you froze before you slowly peered back at him. If he could see the blush on your cheeks and ask about it, you would lie and say that the lights were playing tricks on him.

“Thanks for these,” Taeyong said and the boy had taken off his mask. With that warm smile that almost matched the warmth of the sun drowning behind him, he waved his hand goodbye. “Until we meet next summer.”

***

“Why doesn’t he wear clothes?” You exasperatedly asked one day, in the middle of a blazing summer. It was your ninth summer together. You were fifteen-years-old, and Taeyong… Well, you never actually knew what his real age was but he still looked like he was around eighteen as always.

“Who, Haechan?” Taeyong asked, and the little golden fox lounging on his lap perked his ears at the question. Taeyong smiled a little and you, once again, whispered gratitude toward whatever it was that made him take off his mask that day. The boy placed his palm on the Fox’s head and stroke its fur. Haechan purred and leaned into the touch, his tails swaying happily behind him. “Haechan doesn’t like human clothes. He said they’re uncomfortable.”

“Well, I’m uncomfortable seeing a grown man walking around naked and clinging to you like a possessive girlfriend—” Your sentence shortly ended with a shriek when a cloud of smoke exploded around you and you knew perfectly well what caused it.

“I’m not his girlfriend, you ugly monkey, but Taeyong-Hyung is mine!” Haechan, already standing in all of his naked glorious human form, shouted as he hugged him from behind, having one arm around Taeyong’s neck, and his chin being annoyingly close to the other boy’s shoulder. “And I’m not clingy because I want to. He’s just warmer than any other Spirits here and I happen to like warmth.”

“It’s summer.” You squinted your eyes menacingly, sounding remarkably irritated but still trying your best to hide the flustered look on your face because no matter annoying Haechan was, he was still a fully naked boy. “It’s like forty degrees out here, how much hotter do you want?”

Haechan actually had the knack to ignore you with a “Hmph!” while puffing out his cheeks and nuzzled his head against Taeyong’s palm. “You don’t find me annoying, do you, Taeyongie?”

Taeyong smiled and patted his head. “I’m already used to you being like this.” Haechan’s golden tail wagged excitedly in delight. “But you should put some clothes on, Haechannie. You’re making her feel uneasy.”

“I don’t care about that monkey girl!”

“What did you say, you stupid fox?!”

Both you and Haechan gritted your teeth, facing one on one in a glaring battle before your head nearly burst from being unable to contain the shame. Haechan was so naked, you couldn’t handle staring at him for a second longer than that. Haechan was cackling proudly for achieving victory.

“That’s not nice,” Taeyong scolded and Haechan only huffed, curling on the ground and laying his head on Taeyong’s lap.

“Of course,” Haechan grumbled quietly, plump lips turning into a pout. “Why should I be nice to a girl who can make you disappear anytime she wants? That’s ridiculous.”

You froze, heart dropping to your stomach, before you hugged your knees to your chest and half-buried your face in them. Taeyong was glancing at you for a second before he brought his eyes back to the boy on his lap and pinched Haechan’s nose.

“Hey, ouch!” Haechan batted his hand away, snarling. “What the hell was that for?!”

Taeyong didn’t utter a word but there was something… Some kind of tension that made Haechan pout angrily and mutter harshly in your direction. “Well, I’m sorry, okay?” Haechan heaved the loudest sigh. His ears went down dejectedly as he laid on his side. Taeyong’s hand had stopped long from stroking his golden hair. “I know you don’t mean any harm to Taeyong-hyung, but… I mean, I… I…”

You waited in silence as Haechan tried to form his words. He looked rather cute, trying desperately to draw the right sentence to apologize when he would pretty much prefer dying instead of doing so. Eventually, Haechan sat up, pointing rudely at you with his finger, and shouted, “All right, fine! You’re allowed to stay with my Taeyongie for now, but if you pull some kind of trick like trying to kiss him in his sleep again, I won’t forgive you, OKAY?!”

Both you and Taeyong jolted, hearts thumping loudly behind your ribcages.

He was watching?! But wait, Taeyong thought, he said she was trying to kiss me. So he wasn’t watching me when I tried to kiss her. But when did she…

Taeyong turned his head toward you at the same time you were averting your gaze from Haechan’s to his. Both of you blushed and immediately brought your eyes away.

“I—I should go.” You abruptly stood up, your knees wobbling under your weight. This is so embarrassing, I could die! “I’ll c-come back tomorrow, okay?”

“Huh?” Taeyong was not being himself, losing his composure. “Yeah, s-sure. I’ll—”

But you had already walked away from your spot, mentally slapping yourself in the face because oh God, no, now he knows. What should I do? How can I face him now?

“What’s up with that girl?” Haechan asked, raising an eyebrow as he draped his bare arms all over Taeyong’s body again. “I know she’s weird, but that was too weird, right?”

“Haechannie.”

Taeyong’s voice startled him a bit. “Y-yeah?”

“When you said…” Taeyong swallowed, the thought of him trying to kiss you in your sleep started to overwhelm him once more. Did she really do the same thing to me? When? “What you said before… Was it true? Did she really try to kiss me?”

It was saddening for him that Taeyong was paying more attention to you than to him again. Ever since you came into his life, all Taeyong could ever talk about was you. You were the reason behind his smiles, when it was used to be Haechan who brought warmth to Taeyong’s cold demeanor. “Well,” Haechan sighed in defeat. “To tell you the truth…”

With a dandelion flower tucked between his fox teeth, Haechan ran with all of his power to where Taeyong was. He moved his four legs as fast as he could, his golden tail swinging behind him. Being a small fox had its perks. He could easily jump from one tree to another, he could slip through narrow spaces, and Taeyong once said that he had soft fur that was nice to touch. Haechan truly adored that boy so as a token of his gratitude; he wanted to give him a dandelion flower—one that Taeyong loved the most.

Taeyongie! Taeyongie! I want to meet him! I want to give this to him!

So he ran faster, and faster, looking for him until Haechan saw his figure sitting next to a tree with his spine pressed against the thick trunk. From where he was, Haechan could only see his back.

Ah, there he is! Taeyongie!

He ran faster, crossing the field of grass to get to that spot, but only to find Taeyong sleeping with his bangs covering his eyes and his mask tossed to his side. Then there was you—the girl who always hung around him—kneeling in front of him with… 

Haechan blinked. What kind of expression is that?

Your eyes were soft, your lips parted forming Taeyong’s name, and even from where Haechan was hiding behind the tree, he could tell that you were nervous. There was something different with the way you looked. Haechan usually saw you as an annoying, little clumsy girl who posed nothing but a threat to his dearest friend. But that day, he noticed how feminine you really were.

Has she… Haechan unconsciously thought, his heart racing a little. Has she always been that pretty?

“Please don’t wake up,” you whispered, your cheeks heating up. Then you leaned forward, pressing your palm to the grass next to his waist to prop your weight.

Wait! Haechan shouted in his head but he couldn’t will himself to move. Wait, what do you think you’re doing—

Then you closed your eyes and filled the spaces between you. Haechan wasn’t breathing at that moment. He couldn’t even think.

You were kissing Taeyong.

That girl! Haechan yelled in anger. If Taeyong disappears, I am going to kill—

“Hmm?” Taeyong’s voice came through his hearing. “Oh sorry, seems like I fell asleep. You came back already, huh?”

“Yeah,” you replied, smiling at him before you stood up. “I was just going to drop this for you and leave since I thought you were sleeping.” 

Haechan crawled a bit closer to take a look at what you were referring to. It was a handful of dandelion flowers—just like what he wanted to give him—with a white paper card laid upon them. 

The paper! Haechan realized. Of course! She was using that when she kissed him!

You took the small paper card and laughed. “I was going to write something like ‘Make a wish for me’ or something but you already woke up.”

When Haechan looked back at Taeyong, the boy was staring at you in the same way you’d looked at him before. Those soft, gentle eyes. That adoring gaze. That longing stare.

Taeyong stood up, taking the dandelions off his lap and offered them back to you. “Why don’t we make a wish together?” he asked, smiling so tenderly that even you got startled for a moment.

“Okay!” you chirped merrily and you walked next to each other as you blew the dandelions one by one.

“What did you wish for?”

“World peace,” you answered with a grin. “You?”

Taeyong sneaked a glance toward the small gap that separated your hands from one another. “An ice cream,” he said, smiling back. 

You tittered, oblivious about the actual thing he desired the most. “You’re so weird.”

Haechan watched from afar, hiding behind the shades of the tree before he eventually transformed into his human form, laid his back against the trunk and blew his own dandelion flower away. The seeds were swaying together with the wind, leaving him alone as Taeyong’s chatter began to wash away from his ears.

“Idiot,” Haechan muttered. “Stop being so obvious. You’re even making me embarrassed.”

“Haechannie?” Taeyong’s soft voice woke him from his reverie. Noticing how the boy hadn’t spoken for a while, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Haechan glared at him, shouting. “Nothing’s wrong! Just go die, you idiot!” Then he morphed back to his animal form, bit him in the nose and scurried off.

Taeyong hissed in pain, rubbing his nose. “Why is everybody leaving so suddenly today?” he sighed before throwing himself back to the ground, lying on the grass with the sun showering him with its light.

Ah, I want to see her again already.

***

Seasons changed and what was once warm air caressing your strands, had turned into soft snow prickling against your skin and coating your spine with shivers. You began to realize that the world became a little dull as you grew older. You stared at the glassy window in front of you with lifeless eyes, close enough to make the glass hazy with your warm breath. The school’s bell rang, indicating that your next class was about to begin but you kept standing still in the hallway, just staring at the cloudy weather.

A boy called your name—Mark Lee, you remembered well, from his big doe eyes and his messy raven hair. “Shouldn’t you be heading to the lab? Everyone already left.”

“Huh?” You blinked, still somewhat dazed until you noticed that Mark was already carrying his textbook, ready to move to the biology lab. “Ah, right!” You sputtered, turning on your heels to run toward your classroom but Mark caught you by the wrist.

“Here,” he said, giving you the note and the textbook you wanted to grab. “We’re going to be late, so I’ve brought your stuff with me. Let’s go.”

And if your thoughts weren’t so distraught, you would’ve noticed how Mark had been paying more attention to you than anybody else for the past few weeks.

But that was the problem. You had been having trouble focusing these days. Everything just seemed to pass by like a blur. During your next class, you didn’t pay any attention at all. It wasn’t like you were busy chatting or drawing random doodles on your note. You were just staring blankly at your textbook. Your eyes were half-lidded, your thoughts scattering all over the places.

At home, you hardly finished your dinner. Your mother scolded you as she thought her daughter was snacking before they shared sukiyaki at the dining table. You could only pout before you took your leave. You didn’t tell your mother that you had hardly eaten anything all day.

When the lights were off and you were settling down under your blanket in bed, you couldn’t sleep. You kept staring at your ceiling, part of your soul going somewhere else. Somewhere where it was warmer, brighter, with a stupid-looking cat mask in sight.

You eventually closed your eyes with the thought of gentle brown eyes staring at you behind silvery white strands.

Six more months left until I can see you again.

***

“Good morning.”

You exhaled from your mouth, creating visible puffs of air in the chilly weather. Your coat and scarf were clinging tightly to your body and yet you still felt cold. You never enjoyed the winter season. Or, any other seasons, for that matter.

“I said, good morning.”

You blinked. Your brain finally could process that someone had been calling you since a moment ago. “Oh,” you said, smiling politely. “Good morning, Mark.”

“Dozing off already?” Mark said, fixing the strap of his bag that was about to fall off his shoulder. “Isn’t it still too early for that?”

You could only laugh but even the sound of it felt empty to your ears.

“There’s frozen ice underneath your feet,” he warned, his voice sounded a bit muffled. Half of his face was covered with his checkered navy blue scarf. “Be careful.”

You stopped walking and noticed that you were indeed standing on asphalt-covered with black ice. It made a soft creaking sound when you tried to walk on it. It was too slippery.

“You’ll slip. It’s dangerous.” Mark took out his hand from the pocket of his brown duffle coat. “Come here,” he called, offering his hand. There were clouds of breath when he spoke.

Appalled, but only for a second, you then smiled gratefully. “Thank you.” You took his hand, but Mark was the one who held it tighter. He was warm and the texture of his palm was rough. You never knew that a boy’s hand could feel like this.

You were no longer walking on the frozen ice but Mark never let go of your hand. He just continued walking in front of you, dragging you gently by the hand. “It’s cold today, isn’t it?” he said and you wondered whether you should reply to a rhetorical question like that. You ended up saying nothing.

“Haven’t you been a little out of it lately?” Mark asked after the small awkward silence. “Actually, you’ve always been that way, but…” 

His grip around your hand wasn’t exactly too tight or too loose, and it somehow felt nice so you were confused. Why weren’t you affected by it? Why didn’t you feel anything at all? Some other students who were passing you were staring, and both you and Mark would probably need to get ready to clarify dating rumors the second you arrived at class but you felt nothing. Nothing at all, except…

Mark’s mouth was moving but you couldn’t hear him over the loudness of your thoughts.

I want to see Taeyong.

I want to touch him.

I want to feel his hand on mine.

I miss him.

But you still had six months left before summer came.

It didn’t use to be a problem. But at that particular moment, as Mark began to lace his fingers more comfortably around yours, you thought that it hurt. Not seeing Taeyong was more than painful.

It was suffocating.

***

“Is that your new uniform?” Taeyong asked, leaning his shoulder to the tree near the stone stairs where you usually met. That was his first line after nine months of separation. 

You timidly smiled, nodding with your fingers interlacing behind your back. You were wearing a white and dark blue uniform, indicating that you had become a high school student that year. You wore a hairpin to clip your bangs from falling over your face. Taeyong didn’t comment on it but he noticed how your hair had grown longer, and how he loved it now as much as he’d loved it then.

“Time really flies, doesn’t it?” Taeyong marveled, as you climbed up the stone stairs, walking to a deeper part of the forest. “You’re already in high school, huh?”

The cicadas were singing loud behind your backs. They always sang the loudest when it was hot. “Yup.”

You sat on the carpet of green grass near the pond. Pink lotuses were growing, blooming underneath the sun. Taeyong sat cross-legged, and you sat next to him with your legs folded carefully to guard your skirt against blowing because of the wind.

“You don’t come running at me anymore these days,” Taeyong chuckled “You were so clingy when you were a kid.”

“Of course not.” You scoffed. “I’ve learned my lesson after all the beatings you did.”

Taeyong stayed in silence so you eventually looked away and diverted your gaze toward the sky. “I’m really looking forward to it,” you said. “In three years, when I graduate, I plan on looking for a job here. Then, I can be with you more. In winter, in autumn, in spring… We’ll always be together.” Your voice became softer, just like the sheepish smile you displayed on your face. “Always, okay?”

Taeyong glanced back at you through the holes of his mask. You seemed so optimistic and bright; it was almost painful.

Because what were you doing exactly? You both knew this wouldn’t last. You weren’t supposed to be together. There was no way for you to be together without you hurting each other in the end.

It was just… Impossible…

When Taeyong called your name, his voice had lost its cheeriness. “Let me tell you about myself.”

You blinked. “Eh?”

“I’m not a spirit,” Taeyong said, sitting up better on the ground. “But I’m also no longer human. It seems like I was once a human, but when I was a baby, I was abandoned in this forest.”

Taeyong could no longer recall the memory back when he was a baby, being left all alone in a wooden basket in the middle of a haunted forest. “I’d only just been abandoned, so I cried helplessly, as if to call back the parents who left me.”

But Taeyong’s tone was no longer painted with agony. You wondered how many years had truly passed since the day he was abandoned for him to feel nothing when he spoke about it.

“They said I didn’t stop crying for a long time,” Taeyong said, and you noticed that he must have been talking about the Spirits. “It was until they placed this cat mask on my face that I began to laugh. I should’ve died then, but the Mountain God appeared and cast a spell that allowed me to continue living so that I never move on.”

Taeyong never once looked at you when he retold his story. “I’m like a ghost,” he said, and finally turned his mask-covered face toward you. “So, it’s okay if you forget about me.” You couldn’t find anything to say. Your mind was busy processing all the information you'd just received. “A body that’s maintained by magic is very weak,” Taeyong continued nonetheless as he stared at his own palm. “If it touches a real human body, the spell will break and the body will disappear. It’s such a fragile thing…” There was an obvious pain in his voice now. “Just how long can you—”

“Something that disappears when touched,” you immediately said, not wanting to hear the question escaping his lips. “It’s just like snow, isn’t it?”

This time, it was Taeyong who went speechless.

“You know, Taeyong…” You embraced your knees to your chest, staring at the pond. The light cast its reflection on your face, which to Taeyong only added more sparks to your beauty. “I thought of you during winter. And fall… And spring… I thought of you all the time, so...” You locked their gazes together as you smiled. “Don’t forget about me, okay? Don’t forget. Time might separate us one day, but still, until then, let’s stay together.”

Taeyong never once discussed it again. He decided that you were worth it. He would allow himself to be selfish. Whether he would disappear from your touch, or whether you would pass away on your deathbed even when he was still in his twenties, no one could ever know. But if he could spend that time with you, no matter how short it would be, no matter how much it would hurt, he would endure the pain. If it meant that he would stay together with you, he would crush his own happy ending. Because you had decided to let yours go.

And there was no way he would let you go down that road on your own.

***

“A spirit festival?” You asked, as you sat next to each other near the lake with your feet dipped into the water. Now eighteen, you felt closer to him more than ever. You secretly wondered if someone saw you walking together side-by-side, would they think of you as a couple?

“No, a summer festival held by the spirits,” Taeyong corrected.

“There’s not much of a difference.”

“The nuance is completely different.”

“Nuance?”

“When you were little, I thought you might get scared so I didn’t invite you. But tonight,” Taeyong stopped to showcase his grin. “Can you sneak out of your house? I’ve wanted to go with you for a long time…”

As if you could decline that tempting offer. “I—I want to go!” You exclaimed, jumping up to both of your feet.

“Then meet me at eight at our usual place.”

“But when you think about it,” you muttered, hand propping your chin as you ran through your mind. “A festival filled with Spirits sounds a little unnerving. On top of that, it’s at night.”

Taeyong took off his mask and you could see the sincerity behind his brown eyes. “Don’t worry,” he said, smiling handsomely. “On the outside, it’s not very different from a human festival. It’s supposed to mimic human festivals after all.” And at that time, his smile turned a bit sheepish. “And I will protect you, so…”

You felt like something just lit a fire behind your chest. “W-when you say things like that,” you said, eyes glancing away from embarrassment, “it makes me want to jump at you.” You wanted it to be a joke. You both knew that there was no way you would touch him underneath your conscience.

“Then do it,” Taeyong, in all of his seriousness, said, “I’m serious.”

You could only look at him with conflicted feelings.

***

The summer festival that was held by the Spirits inside the forest was indeed similar to the ones in the living world. Lanterns were lit up, surrounding the place with orange-colored lights that seemed normal enough for your eyes. But when you took a closer look, the fireballs behind the paper lantern were actually dancing. Spirits were everywhere around the place and this time, they didn’t look like ghosts or monsters. They were all disguised as humans, even wearing yukatas and wooden sandals but with masks over their faces—just like Taeyong. Not every Spirit managed to do well with their disguises, though. You could still spot some children with pig noses and cat tails, and you could see Haechan’s fluffy golden tails and matching fox’s ears on his head as he waved a hand and ran toward Taeyong with all of his strength.

Taeyong was wearing a dark grey yukata with his usual cat mask placed on his face, and the Fox boy jumped into his arms, winding his long limbs so naturally around his neck.

“Taeyongie!” Haechan chirped as he nuzzled his nose against Taeyong’s neck, despite them being full-grown men. The other boy pushed him away with one palm.

“Y-you’re wearing clothes,” you stammered, gaping at the sight that Haechan wasn’t actually naked at that moment. Instead, the boy was wearing a white yukata with golden obi around his waist. It matched his blond hair and golden ears perfectly.

Haechan groaned, “Oh man, don’t tell me that monkey girl is here with you to—” The rest of his words died on his tongue the second he checked your appearance. No longer wearing your summer dress, that night you were wrapped in a sky blue kimono with falling cherry blossoms painted around it. You had a salmon-colored obi around your waist, curving your body perfectly and you had your bangs clipped to the side, showing more of your face for them to admire. 

“Hmm?” you asked, tilting your head slightly when you noticed that Haechan was staring without saying a word. “What is it?”

“You…” Haechan gulped before he took a step back and pointed a finger at you. Taeyong could blatantly see the blush on his face but you never paid attention to anyone besides Taeyong. “You’re so ugly, you almost made me puke!” Haechan screamed.

“Excuse me?!” You shouted back and Taeyong laughed when Haechan turned into his animal form, sending a small kick to her face—it wasn’t as painful as it was surprising—before he ran away like a scared little rodent.

“Why are you laughing?” You pouted, rubbing your slightly bruised cheek from Haechan’s attack. “God, he must have hated me so much. What’s his problem? And is he leaving his clothes just like this?!”

Taeyong couldn’t understand why you were so oblivious of Haechan’s feelings. But if it meant he could stare at your adorable confused face longer then he wouldn’t say a word to explain.

“Hey,” Taeyong called, bringing out a thin white scarf from his sleeves. “Tie this around your wrist. You’ll get lost if you don’t.” You obeyed right away, even humming happily as you did it. Taeyong tied the other end around his wrist as well. With that, you were connected to each other.

“It’s just like going on a date,” you said, giggling. Taeyong had brought his mask to the side of his head, so most of his face was shown when he smiled beautifully.

“It is a date,” he said, successfully sending your heart thrumming wildly against your ribcages. When you weren’t as flushed, you mirrored his little smile, wishing for your heart to beat at a slower pace so you could focus more on his beautiful features instead. Taeyong was so close and so handsome; it felt almost surreal for you to witness. “Shall we go?”

You shortly nodded and let him lead the way, a thin white scarf bridging the small gap between you. It’s funny how you weren’t exactly holding hands, but it felt just the same way. Your heart was racing, your thoughts were filled with him, and your never-ending smile, brighter than all the lanterns combined, was the proof of the joy you shared with him.

It was perfect. He was perfect.

There were fireworks, music, and dances. Everything looked so fun. Taeyong bought you cotton candy, but when you tried to take a bite, it flew towards the sky, morphing into clouds between the shining stars. Every time you laughed, Taeyong was grateful to be able to witness the beauty of it. It was so easy for your happiness to be his.

You walked around, checking some food stalls from one place to another, with him trying to match his steps with yours without you knowing. You wanted to buy a mask as well, perhaps one that looked similar to Taeyong’s. When a mask finally caught your interest—a tanned person’s face with his eyes crossed, you touched it to try it on but it turned out that it was an actual Spirit’s face, not a mask. Flustered, you had no choice but to run away, shouting “I’M SO SORRY!” and forcing Taeyong to follow you with chuckles reverberating from his chest.

Taeyong laughed more frequently that night than he had been the entire summer and you loved it. You loved the way he laughed without care. It was like firewood in the cold, darkest night—warming, bright, and beautiful.

“Ah, I had so much fun!” You cheered, still laughing slightly as you walked away from the festival. It was getting late and knowing how your uncle must have been worried for your well-being, Taeyong took you home. “Everyone really went all out with their disguises, didn’t they?” Your voice echoed through the night. “It was like a mimicking competition. You weren’t kidding when you said it’s supposed to imitate human’s festival.” No wonder his uncle’s friend Hyori had managed to sneak inside back then. “Is it like this every year?”

“Yeah, every time summer comes around…” But Taeyong’s voice suddenly lost its liveliness. And as you walked further away from the festival, the forest became dark once more, with only the moon and the stars illuminating your faces.

When Taeyong called your name, it was a mix of a longing sigh and a hushed whisper. Little frogs and insects were making sounds in the background and you could hear your steps matching his as you stepped on the grass, near your usual private pond. “I can no longer wait for summer to come around,” he softly murmured.

You turned your head toward him, glancing at the face of the boy you’d spent your entire summer with. Taeyong was wearing his mask again, and you wished he didn’t. You wanted to see his expression when he said those words.

“When I’m away from you,” Taeyong confessed, “even though I can’t be around the crowds, I want to go see you. Even though I knew it would’ve killed me, I was ready to step a foot outside this forest and run to you. Nine months are too long for me to wait for you.”

You almost reached out a hand to touch his, but you stopped before you got your wish. Instead, you sank your fingernails to your palm, hard enough to tear your skin apart so you could focus on the pain on your skin instead of the one in your chest.

Why does he have to be so close and yet so far away?

Then Taeyong suddenly stopped walking, lifting one hand to take off his mask and pressed it to your face. Before you could understand what was happening, Taeyong bent his head down and kissed the other side of the mask, right where your lips would be if there were no barriers between you. The thin mask was the only thing separating your lips from touching one another.

You froze, seeing Taeyong’s close-up face from the holes of the mask. As you’d guessed, Taeyong had long eyelashes. And he was so beautiful, so gentle, so young but with the expression of a man who spent hundreds of years in silence, yearning for other people’s touch.

Taeyong wasn’t really kissing you and yet, you still couldn’t breathe.

He pulled away after a few seconds had passed; smiling at you in the way it was almost breaking you apart but not quite.

Why does this feel like a goodbye?

“That mask,” he said, gazing straight at you. His smile never faltered from his lips, which only broke your heart even more. “You can have it.” And with him taking another step forward, you began to walk side by side again without uttering any other words.

He probably won’t come back to the place where we usually meet next summer. You pondered, hiding your face behind his mask. This is definitely our last…

“Hey, wait for me!” Two children passed by, running with their little feet and roaring into the night. The first boy managed to get a few steps ahead and his little sister was trying to catch up to him but she fumbled and slipped on her feet.

“Careful!” Taeyong shouted in reflex and reached out a hand to help her. With a hold around her wrist, he managed to prevent her from falling. The little girl smiled, showcasing her teeth and thanked him before she ran away chasing her brother again.

“Be careful, you guys!” You said and the two children waved their hands at you. You chuckled to yourself. I wonder if I was like that when I was a—

Taeyong’s sudden call of your name made you jolt. You hastily turned around, hoping to see him smile from the holes of the mask you had on your face, but instead what you saw was something more.

It was your nightmare.

Taeyong had his hand—the one he used to touch the little girl—stretched out in the air, staring at it with parted lips and wide eyes as his fingertips started to glow and slowly disappearing into thin air like fireflies vanishing in the night.

“Ta…” Your throat, your chest, it felt like fire was consuming every inch of you. “Taeyong..?”

You couldn’t believe what was happening. You wished you were dreaming. You prayed for it to be a dream. But Taeyong was really there, disappearing little by little in front of you and you couldn’t do it. You couldn’t live without him in your life. How could just one touch of a hand do something like this?

“That girl was a human?!” You panicked, head throbbing loudly but the pain didn’t even come close to the aching you felt in your heart. What should I do? What should I do now?! I can’t lose him—I don’t want to lose him—

Taeyong!

The glow started to spread to his wrist, passing his elbow, to his chest and you wanted to scream stop! Don’t take him away from me! Please, stop! But Taeyong was smiling, so widely and beautifully and this time there was no trace of loneliness or secrets he tried to keep to himself like his usual smile. This time, he really did smile with all of his heart.

“Come here!” He called your name between his smiles, throwing his arms out for you to jump into. “I can finally touch you now.”

And you didn’t let a second to waste. You pushed the mask away from your face, facing him with a smile because that was what he deserved and then you hugged him, embraced him tightly with all of your strength, and you never wanted to let go. Taeyong looked so happy so you held your tears to yourself, no matter how much they burned behind your eyelids, and when Taeyong lifted your face and pressed a kiss to your lips, you curled your fingers on the back of his yukata.

Taeyong was so warm. And soft. And…

Gone.

You fell to your knees with his yukata held tightly against your chest. Your shoulders shuddered. Your chest felt like a thousand ice blades striking you at the same time. The clothing still smelled like him and yet, Taeyong was nowhere to be seen. He was consumed by the fireflies’ light and now there was no trace of him left.

I love you, you heard him said just a split second before he vanished. Faintly. Lovingly. Awaking every memory of the summers you’d spent together. That twig of oak bridging the distance between you. Those flowers you picked from the fields for him. That time when he ran to save you from falling. How lonely he’d looked from time to time. And how lonely you were when he wasn’t around. When Taeyong wasn’t there to spread happiness to your life.

And now he’s gone…

“Me too,” you sobbed as you held onto the piece of fabric he left from his final moment as if you were hanging on a thread that separated life from death. “I love you too.”

I love you so much, Taeyong.

And you let yourself cry, just this once, just for tonight. You would cry your heart out, screaming his name, telling him how much you loved him, just for this time only. Taeyong was the source of your happiness. Not even his death should change that.

When there were no more tears to cry, you got back to your feet and the first step felt so heavy. It was easier to just be drowned in silence, never have to get up again, never have to see the light of day now that his light had been taken away. But Taeyong wouldn’t wish for that to happen. He wanted you to be happy, with or without him.

So you picked his mask off the ground and embraced it tightly to your chest. There were murmurs of the Spirits around you, thanking you for being with Taeyong until the last moment of his life. They said Taeyong could only truly smile when he was with you.

Haechan appeared in front of you, wearing his previous white yukata with golden obi around his waist. His fox’s ears were down and his tails were no longer wagging behind him like always. His eyes were red and puffy, though he wasn’t crying.

“Taeyong-hyung wanted nothing more but to feel a touch of a human,” he said when you’d lost your voice to speak. “Being hugged by you before he vanished like that… I guess he wouldn’t have preferred anything else.”

You weakly smiled and reached up to stroke Haechan’s hair. The Fox boy seemed somewhat startled but didn’t move away. “He must have been happy,” you said, smiling with tears brimming in your eyes, “to have someone like you paying so much attention to him.”

Haechan brought his head down and you could hear soft sobs as he began to break down once again. He was biting his lip until it grew white, just to muffle his whimpers. You told him that it was all right for him to cry as hard as he could. After all, it was only normal. The pain of being left by someone you love… Taeyong must have understood it well.

I probably won’t be able to look forward to summer for a long time.

My chest will hurt. 

My tears will be overflowing. 

But this warmth in my hands and these summer memories will live forever in my heart. 

I wouldn’t ask for anything more.

You smiled, kissing the temple of the mask and whispered, “Until we meet on the next life, Taeyong.”

***

It takes bravery to show up at the gate of the forest in your sleeveless white summer dress and you can feel your knees trembling underneath your weight but your resolve doesn’t dissipate. It’s been one year since Taeyong has vanished without a trace. Your heart still bleeds, but your tears are dry. And although it kills you to know that Taeyong is no longer there, waiting on the stone stairs like usual, you keep your smile intact, taking a seat close enough to the spot where Taeyong used to sit waiting for you.

“I’m here this year too, Taeyong,” you whispers, one hand being placed on the stone steps as if it was out for him to touch. “How are you?”

A soft wind blows, caressing your now longer hair and swiping warmth to your cheek. Lonely. You feel so alone. The cicadas are singing loudly as always but they don’t sound the same without the sound of Taeyong’s soft chuckles. You can no longer share stories with him, can no longer try to close the forbidden gap between you little by little. There’s nobody you can show your uniform to.

Don’t cry, you will yourself, hugging your knees tightly to your chest. Don’t cry. Taeyong wouldn’t want you to cry. You said you could do this, remember?

But it still hurts.

So you quickly open your bag and retract his cat mask from it. Placing it upon your face, you bask in what’s left of Taeyong’s scent as you close your eyes. This way, even if you end up crying, no one will see. If Taeyong is still here, or if he somehow stares down from heaven, he won’t be able to see you breaking apart.

“If you want to cry, just cry,” a boy suddenly sits down next to you, your shoulders brushing one another. “Idiot.”

You look to your side, feeling your breath stutter a little. “Haechan-ah…”

The Fox boy turns his head to face you as well but unlike Taeyong who greeted you with a gentle smile, Haechan was scowling. He has an apparent frown on his handsome human face, but although he is glaring, his nine tails betray him as they wag in elation behind him. “What are you staring at?” he says and flicks you on the forehead. It doesn’t hurt since he’s only grazing the mask, but it does make you move your gaze away.

Haechan still looks as young as always. His golden hair is still shining reflecting the sunlight, his ruby eyes are shimmering, and his sun-kissed skin still glows beautifully.

“You’re wearing clothes,” you comment, noticing the casual white shirt and the blue jeans he has on his body. He’s not wearing anything to protect his feet though.

“Of course, as if I would give you the reason to ogle at my perfect body,” Haechan spits back harshly and you don’t answer anything back. Eventually, it creates tension between you so he runs a hand through his hair and mutters, “Well, I mean… Taeyong told me it made you uncomfortable, so…” You still stay mute but for an entirely different reason.

“Thanks,” you finally say, your voice sounds a bit muffled because of the mask.

Haechan feels his face growing hot and he grits his teeth to wash it away. “You’re being gross, stop it,” he raves and yet his tail sways faster behind him as his ears perk up in joy. You can finally understand why Taeyong was fond of him. Despite his snarky attitude, Haechan is shy and he’s never honest when it comes to showing his feelings, but his body often betrays him. He has his own charm.

So you laugh—softly, quietly, unfamiliar to your own ears, but it’s a start. “I’m sorry.”

Haechan huffs and fixes his red eyes to the sky. The clouds are moving, changing shapes and he secretly wonders what would Taeyong say at times like this. “I thought you wouldn’t come this summer,” he murmurs.

“I thought I wouldn’t too,” you admit. “But I realized in the end, even though he’s gone, it doesn’t mean he can’t still live in my memory. I think when someone dies; it doesn’t really mean that they’re gone. The difference is that we can’t physically see them anymore, so as time goes by, we begin to forget. And once we forgot about them, then I guess that’s when someone truly dies.” You take off your mask, turn it around on your palm and stare at the cat’s two-round, lifeless eyes. “I can’t see Taeyong anymore but I won’t let him disappear from my thoughts. He’s now living in my memory and I will keep it that way. He’s already a part of me now—of who I have become.” Your lips curve up as you rub your thumb along the cat’s whiskers. “I’m sorry for saying such weird things. I must have bored you by now.”

But unbeknownst to you, Haechan is staring at you with admiration in his eyes. He never knew you had such a complex personality. 

Even though she’s a human. Even though she’s just a human.

“You know, for Spirits like us,” Haechan says, “Humans have always been nothing better than something to eat. It’s not worth having a relationship with them. You can’t befriend someone who will pass away in a blink of an eye. Spirits like us can live for hundreds of years. And you, people like you, can barely even reach a hundred. Becoming attached to something so fragile will only hurt us, that’s why we try to never look at humans as someone to be friends with. Just like humans in general, we’re afraid of getting hurt.”

Your eyebrows are knitted together, can barely understand why is Haechan telling you these things.

“I saw Taeyong-Hyung when he was with you,” Haechan utters, and this time he smiles at the memory of his friend. He looks much younger like this. “He was happy. Perhaps happier than I’d ever seen him. That’s probably why I decided not to eat you.”

“You wanted to eat me?”

“A few times, yeah.”

“Even though you were so startled when Taeyong suddenly sneezed and almost ran for your life like a little scaredy-cat?”

“That’s—” Haechan blushes madly. “That’s different!”

You place a hand over your mouth, covering your small laughter. “Okay, okay,” you said and Haechan feels a tweak in his heart again. Humans are such fragile beings, he wonders, maybe that’s the reason why I want to protect her so badly?

He quickly shakes the thought away, blushing even deeper. Get a grip on yourself, you idiot!

“Well, Haechannie.” You stand up from the spot you’ve been sitting on, smoothening down your dress. “I’m supposed to head over to my uncle’s house now. I don’t want to make him worry.”

“Oh…” Haechan blinks, standing up as well. “Right, of course.”

You’re appalled at how taller he is now. Even when you’re standing up straight, you can only reach a little above his shoulder line. “Are you still growing?”

“Huh?” Haechan takes a look at himself. “Oh. Yeah, maybe.” And you want to comment on that but you’re distracted by the look of Haechan’s fox ears going down. “Are you…” he looks away, somewhat hiding his lips behind the back of his hand. His cheeks are burning redder by the second. “Are you going to come back here tomorrow?”

The wind is probably playing tricks to your ears, that’s why you’re hearing some weird stuff right now. “What?”

“Ah, damn it!” He groans, his blush now expanding to the tip of his ears. “I said, are you going to come back here tomorrow or not, you stupid monkey girl! Don’t make me say this thing twice, it’s freaking embarrassing!”

It takes another two seconds for you to process before you burst out laughing. He’s so childish; it’s somewhat adorable. “If you want me to, I will,” you reply, wiping small tears away from your eyes.

Although Haechan’s ears perk up instantly at your answer, he keeps muttering rudely, “Well, don’t expect me to wait here for you or anything, okay? Today is special but I won’t do it tomorrow.”

“Huh?” You nearly break out into laughter again. “You were waiting for me today?”

By this point, Haechan’s practically combusted into flames. “SHUT UP, YOU MONKEY GIRL!” In a split second, he transforms into his animal form, creating musky grey mist all around you, and he bites your nose before he scurries away. His golden tail still wags happily behind him as he runs off.

Rubbing your nose from the itching pain, you grin with your teeth shown and waves your hand goodbye. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Haechannie!”

“It’s Donghyuck!” His voice can be heard but he’s nowhere to be seen. “My real name is Donghyuck. You better memorize that!”

Donghyuck… Somehow, you could feel your heart warming in the way it hasn’t been for a year long. “Then, I’ll see you tomorrow, Donghyuck…”

Your summer is changing. The feeling is different though something hasn’t quite changed. You still miss Taeyong, terribly so. There will probably no way you can stop missing him. After all, they said first love lasts forever, right?

But I’m doing fine, Taeyong. There are still many things for me to do so I will move on, little by little. No matter how long it would take for me to be able to remember your name without hurting; to remember your smile without regretting not being able to kiss your lips longer; or to remember the days we spent together and not crying over them—I will heal. 

Time will no longer be our enemy. It will be the one to erase my pain.

I will heal.

***

Dear Taeyong,

I miss you.

I miss you a lot.

I miss you to the point of shedding my tears.

But I will not wish for you to come back.

After all you never truly left me, did you?

I remember everything.

I still remember everything.

Even if ten years have passed, even if twenty, even if a thousand years have gone by, as long as I’m still alive, I promise you until my dying breath that I will remember you.

You are still the beautiful reality in my sleep.

The blissful dream in my wake.

I am still here, in the place where we usually meet.

I am not waiting for you—I know you wouldn’t want that.

But I am here because of you. Because you remind me of summer. Of joy. Of faith. Of love. Of a bittersweet goodbye. 

Everything about you brings smiles to my face, even if our first embrace ended without time waiting for me to keep your warmth. Even if our kiss never left an aftertaste on my lips. 

It’s all right. It’s enough. 

No matter where you are now, Taeyong… Be happy.

I will meet you again in our next life.

Maybe by then, we can set our promise not by words, but by our fingers lacing together. 

And maybe by then, you can stroke my hair when I cry. 

And every time we part, I will let you take my farewell words from my lips. 

Take my breath, if you must. After all, they’re yours. Everything about me is yours.

I love you.

I love you so much.

I love you despite everything that separated us. Time, distance, age, even a single touch—Nothing can make me tired of loving you. I love you. I have never loved anyone else but you.

I am forever yours.

***

My Love,

I miss you too.

I miss you so much.

I miss you to the point of breaking apart.

And I’m glad you don’t wish for me to come back. 

I don’t think it would’ve done us any good.

I still remember you.

I will always remember you.

Even if I no longer have a body, even if not even my ashes remain, even if the fireflies decide to abandon me, I will remember you.

Listen to me, my dear.

Even if I had the chance to choose, I still wouldn’t change a thing. 

I’d prefer not to be able to touch you, to feel your warmth, or to taste your lips, 

rather than not be able to fall in love with you.

I’d rather be consumed with these feelings I have for you, 

rather than being burned by a passion that would be over after the summer end. 

This is all right. This is enough.

So no matter what happens next… Be happy.

For I do not wish for anything else.

I have no regrets. 

You have given me everything I’d asked for. 

You have given me more than I could ever imagine.

I have never desired anything until I met you. 

I am eternally grateful for our meeting. 

Even if we had to separate for nine months each year, I have enjoyed every little second that we spent, from sunrise to sunset even if it was only three months a year.

I will see you in our next life.

And by then, I will place a ring around the finger you lace with mine. 

And by then, I will kiss the tears away from your eyes.

And we will never part, but I will seal your lips with mine from saying those farewell words.

I love you too. I wouldn’t have understood love if it wasn’t for you. My whole life wouldn’t have meant something if it wasn’t for you.

Until we meet again, my love.

I am forever yours.

***

[thatringboy]

TWST Boys at a Theme Park

They all needed a day off, so they went to the local amusement park. Chaos ensues.

For background

They all go at once

All 24 (including Yuu and Grim)

Including Idia and Malleus

The Security Guard stops them at the entrance bc Grim “needs to be on a leash”

First Year Gang looses it

Leona gets close to the guard and whispers “yo, the raccoon’s with me”

Leona slips the guard 5,000 Madol and everyone is let in

Everyone’s like “wow Leona that was awfully nice to spend so much money on Grim.... are you okay?”

He smiles and says that he got it from Kalim’s pocket

Their Outfits

Riddle, Ace, Deuce, Silver and Azul wear a simple NRC t-shirt and shorts

Jack and Sebek are wearing matching black tank tops and jeans. Their belts match, too. This wasn’t intentional

Vil and Floyd over here in crop tops. Vil’s is long sleeved while Floyd’s is sleeveless

Jade, Malleus, Idia, Ruggie and Trey are in sweatshirts and jeans like reasonable people

Rook is in his infamous cargo shorts, doc martens and polo shirt. And his hat.

Leona is wearing what Laizy-Boy drew for his birthday. It’s really cool and he’d totally wear it

Lilia over here dressed like a goth gf. Imagine that.

Cater is in his own merchandise

Jamil is wearing his usual outfit while Kalim is in his white school uniform

Epel showed up last in overalls like a god

Who went on which rides?

First Year Gang immediately went on the big rides

Azul and Idia walked the fair and won carnival games with Lilia and Malleus

Vil and Leona attempted to stay away from Water Rides, but Epel and Ruggie tricked them

Oh boy which is scarier, Wet Leona or Wet Vil?

Vil overblot much?

Silver and the other second years went on the tea cups and the Mary-go-round (both were Kalim’s idea)

Floyd enchanted the rides to go extremely fast

Jamil fell off twice

Rook followed Leona.

Cater got on the Ferris Wheel with the Light Music Club and they preformed a little bit

Idia and Azul never went on any rides thank god

Azul almost got dragged onto a ride, but Jade stopped Floyd before it was too late

Malleus and Riddle had a deep fried butter eating contest

Riddle won.

How you ask? Well, Trey may or may not have cheated.

He went up to Malleus and whispered that melted butter was made from dead horses and that was it

Malleus spent the next half hour puking and contemplating his choices

Sebek attempted to convince Malleus of Trey’s lies

But Lilia agreed with Trey (what a little shit)

End of the day thoughts?

Malleus doesn’t know what’s real

Azul got a stuffed octopus from a fair game that Yuu and Idia won

Ace and Deuce went on too many rides and now can’t see straight

Sebek and Epel laughed at them

Jamil’s hair is completely screwed up from the rides

Floyd has decided to wear crop tops all the time

However, he lost it.

Floyd lost his shirt.

He cannot find it.

Floyd left the park without a top.

It was never seen again.

Silver and Kalim bought a cotton candy stand bc they’re rich and hungry

Jade and Rook ate too much carnival food

Trey and Lilia feel no remorse for lying to Malleus

Cater caught everything on Magicam with Ortho’s help

Vil had to redo his makeup five times

Leona body slammed Ruggie into a pond

Jack watched in horror

Grim got stuck in a popcorn machine and Riddle kicked it over to get him out

He was on a sugar rush from the deep fried butter

And the teachers?

Crowley did follow them to make sure they wouldn’t get into trouble

He got on one roller coaster and got motion sickness like the old man he is

That’s what you get bird man

Pay back for the event prize being extra lines.

Needless to say, he prevented no trouble.

His students are dumbasses.

And we love them.

I hope you enjoyed!

[hintofcolor]

Superboy (kon) headcanons cause I’m bored and have a lot:

He’s bisexual

Obviously

I mean look at him

He always keeps his ‘fade’ even when his hair is short

He says it’s because it shows off his earrings better

He has a tongue ring that he refuses to take out

Even when both Lex and Clark told him he had to take out a majority of his piercings go fit in better

Because he is only half kryptonian kryptonite affects him differently

It only hurts him if he physically touches it or he ingests it

Being in proximity to it doesn’t do anything

However he does need to be in sunlight a lot more than Clark does

One night when Tim Bart Cassie and Cissie were staying at the farm for the weekend cissie decided she wanted to die strips of her hair fire truck red

Kon decided that the whole ‘time to change a part of my look so I don’t feel sad’ type beat was a good idea and that’s how he got the piercings

They very sloppily made a kryptonite needle

They all went to the store, bought hair dye and a crap ton of rings

Cassie and Bart did cissie’s hair and Tim (against his protests) did kons piercings

By the time he was done kon had 22 piercings

14 in his ears, 3 in his eyebrows, 2 nose rings, 2 lip rings (the fang piercings y’know) and a tongue ring

They lasted about a year except for the tongue ring 1 nose ring and the two in his earlobes

He kept those

When he came back from...well you know....dying he thought about going back to the iconic red blue and yellow colors since him and Clark were on good terms

Then he found out that Tim changed his colors for him and decided to keep the black and red

He just changed out his t shirts and jeans for an actual suit

He never gets rid of the leather jacket

He also takes it everywhere with him

It has been compared to a security blanket multiple times by multiple people

He bought it oversized when he was young so it has just kind of grew with him

It’s a total mess filled with pins, sloppy stitches to fix tears, patches, paintings and little accessories here and there

He’s sentimental

He was terrified of Jon when he first found out about him

Then he actually met Jon

And officially became the Cool Older Brother™️

He thrived off of the title

Clark almost immediately regretted letting the two hang out

He has curly hair

When his hair naturally falls it has the iconic Superman curl

He tends to pull his hair back with a hair band

He plays the guitar

It helps him with his anger

When he wants to calm down he plays the acoustic and when he wants to get the anger out he plays the electric

He only plays out in the barn though

The shyest he had ever felt is when he asked Dick to teach him how to play

Tim had said something off handed about Dick playing to help Damian fall asleep and kon almost immediately went to find him to ask if he could teach him

Dick was ecstatic and immediately bought kon his own guitar

Almost every weekend Kon was at the manor (it was the easiest) for lessons

They lasted a few months

And Dick very quickly decided to add him to his ever growing collection of siblings

Kon will never admit how validating that was

Unfortunately for Tim now Dick is on him constantly about asking Kon out so he can be in the family ‘officially’

Kon is considered an ‘outcast’ at school

He thinks it’s because people don’t like him but it’s because he’s actually really intimidating

I mean and of course that doesn’t cross his mind he’s never really hung out with people who would consider him intimidating

I mean the people he hangs out with have met and have close relationships with the justice league

Why would superboy be intimidating?

Well

Because he is 6’3 has a lot of muscle, tends to dress in all black constantly, never takes off his leather jacket with spikes on it, has a crap ton of piercings, also he has worn crop tops to school so his couple of nasty looking scars that sb prime gave him are visible

And yeah kon is an absolute sweetheart who wouldn’t hurt a fly unless said fly deserves it but when he’s not smiling he looks like he wants to kill someone

So no he doesn’t get approached much

He has no filter

Kon loves wearing crop tops

Especially if they are sleeveless

He likes showing off his muscle

He also has fishnets that he wears under his ripped jeans

And one (count *1*) skirt

It’s long and flowy and he bought it after seeing a picture of Kurt Cobain in a skirt similar

He however doesn’t wear the skirt or fishnets in smallville

Robin was the first reason he started questioning his sexuality

He refuses to tell Tim that even when they start dating

Kon is super stubborn and prideful

He won’t apologize unless absolutely without a doubt 100% means it

He is terrified of telepaths or anyone who can get into his mind

If anyone messes with his mind he will cut them off completely without hesitation and will under any circumstances let them back into his life

He is so incredibly insecure about who he is

He is constantly terrified the people around don’t like him

The only person he talks to about Cadmus, like in depth about the experiments, is Bart. Because Bart doesn’t look at him with pity, he actually understands what he went through

They become each other’s lifeline when it comes to the whole childhood experimentation thing

Him and Cassie are super competitive with each other. Like really competitive.

Him and Anita go shopping together because they have the same sense of style

Any Petty drama he has going on as Conner Kent he goes to talk to Cissie about.

He is scared that if he complains about small, ‘normal’ things to other masks, they will think he’s pathetic

Him and Lois have a phenomenal relationship

It really just radiates cool aunt and emotionally unstable neice/nephew dynamic

He encourages him to make fun of Clark or call him out

She once bought him an ���I hate Superman’ shirt cause she thought it would be funny

Kon goes by He/They

[atlafan]

Office Neighbors - Part Two

a/n: here we are! a little shorter than part one, but there’s some good stuff in here I think! enjoy! (also reblogs/feedback is super helpful) not proofread

warnings: fluff, slight smut (but not with who you think) 

words: 10K

masterpost

You groan heavily when your alarm goes off at 5AM Tuesday morning. You wanted to make sure your body had time to go to the bathroom before Harry picked you up. You knuckle at your eyes, and then get out of bed. You make yourself a quick iced coffee, and then get dressed. You decide on a cropped pair of leggings and one of your t-shirts that wicks away sweat. You pack an extra pair of socks, another shirt, and another sports bra just in case you get really sweaty. You make yourself some trail mix, and throw an extra water into your pack. Harry said he would bring actual sandwiches for the two of you. You get your ponytail through your hat, and use the bathroom again before waiting him.

Harry: here

You grab your pack and head out to his car. He had similar attire on as he did when you hiked with him the last time. Shorts, a sleeveless top, bandana and clip holding his hair back. You both nod at each other. It was still too early to speak. When you get to the trailhead you both spray each other with bug spray and begin.

“How long do you think it’ll take?” You speak up.

“Why, you in a hurry?” He smirks at you.

“No.” You nudge him. “Just wondering.”

“It’s about two and half miles up. It’s gradual, but there are also some really steep parts. If I were jogging, it would only take a couple of hours, but we can take our time. That’s why I wanted to leave so early.”

“You’ve…you’ve jogged this?”

“Sure.” He shrugs. “It’s just running uphill.”

“Big nope from me.” You laugh. “I like the idea of just taking our time.”

“You get a fuller experience that way, I think. Don’t be afraid to tell me you need a break too. Some of the steeper parts are killer.”

“Will do.”

You both talk about your fall courses, what you plan to do differently, if anything. You talk about how you’re actually excited to have some student advisees, and how you might approach the meetings.

“It’s okay not to be super serious. Most importantly, you just need to listen, which you should have no problem with. You’re a good listener.” He says, blushing slightly.

“Sort of trained to be one.” You chuckle. “But I get what you mean. Now that I know the curriculum and the course sequence a little better, I definitely feel more confident to lead them in the…wow…that is steep.” You gulp as you look at the area ahead.

“We’ll just take our time.” He smiles. “It’s not a race.”

You make it up the first steep hump, and you tell him you need a water break.

“Christ, and here I thought I was in shape.”

“Hiking can be pretty humbling.” He uses a rag to wipe some sweat from his forehead, and takes a drink of water as well. “All set?”

“Mhm, let’s keep going.”

Every so often you stop to take pictures, and there is a moment where Harry veers off so he can have a “wee”, as he would call it. You had drank half your bottle of water and you definitely needed to pee too, but you were too embarrassed.

“Are you sure you don’t need to go?”

“I’m fine.”

“Look, that’s a flatter area, you could-“

“What if I get a mosquito bite…down there?” You whisper.

“It’s not mosquito season.” He laughs. “Did you bring some T-“

“Yes.” You mumble.

“So, just go, it’s fine. You’re being silly. I’ll stand right over there and keep watch.”

“Ugh, I can’t believe I’m doing this.” You groan and take the bit of toilet paper you brought out of your bag. Your eyes stay glued to the back Harry’s head while you do your business. You stick your rubbish into a plastic bag and stuff it away, then you use some hand sanitizer. “Okay.”

“All set?” He turns to look at you. “Not so bad, was it?”

“Not something I’d like to make a habit of, but no, it wasn’t terrible.”

It takes about two and half hours to get to the summit. You both were sticky with sweat, but it was worth it from the view alone.

“Oh my god.” You say slowly as you look around. “This is incredible.”

“Isn’t it? I feel so lucky to live here.”

“I’m starting to feel the same way for sure.” You take a few photos before sitting down, letting out a sigh.

You look over at Harry who’s taking his shirt off and your eyes widen. You knew about the birds on his collar bones, but the butterfly and the ferns were a complete surprise. Harry had such a nice body. He was toned, but still had a softness to him. He notices you looking at him and he blushes.

“Sorry, I’m soaked.”

“No, it’s okay…sorry, I just…your tattoos, I haven’t seen those ones.”

“Oh…” He looks down at himself. “I got these so long ago. Got a few more you haven’t seen.” He pulls up one side of his shorts so you can see the tiger on his thigh.

“Didn’t those huge ones hurt?”

“Eh.” He says sitting down next to you, grabbing a sip of his water. “Some did and some didn’t. The trick is to get a little tipsy beforehand.” He winks at you. He leans back on his elbows and closes his eyes for a moment before looking out at the view again.

“You know, I think you had the right idea about the shirt…do you mind?”

“What?”

“Well, if I took mine off for a bit. I packed myself a spare, but-“

“Oh! Yeah, um, I don’t care, uh, do what makes you comfortable.”

You nod and peel your shirt off. You lay it on the ground next to you, feeling better already from the breeze hitting your hot skin. You were glad you thought to wear one of your cuter sports bras. Your heart was racing slightly, mostly because it had been a while since you had last taken your clothes off in front of someone, but it was just Harry, after all.

“I brought some peanut butter sandwiches, are you hungry? I know it’s not exactly lunch time, but-“

“That sounds amazing, I’m starving. I didn’t eat beforehand.”

“You didn’t?!” He sits up fully.

“I didn’t want to have to…really go to the bathroom.”

“Oh, Y/N.” He laughs while he gets the sandwiches out of his pack. “Here.”

“Thank you.” She notices his eyes drift to her cleavage. It was only for a moment, and she didn’t mind it.

“No problem.”

If Harry were twenty-years-old he’d probably try to make a move. Kiss you, press you up against a tree, fuck, put his hand over your mouth so other hikers wouldn’t be able to hear you moan. But he wasn’t twenty-years-old, he was thirty-two, and he had an eleven-year-old son who he wouldn’t want to treat a woman like that. He wanted to set a good example, to show him how a respectful man treats a woman. So, he eats his own sandwich, trying to keep his eyes anywhere but your body.

“Do you want some trail mix?” You take it out of your bag.

“Sure! Thanks.” He reaches his hand in the bag and takes some out.

You guzzle down some more of your water and stand up. You didn’t want to sit too long and get stiff.

“Harry, would you take my picture?”

“Of course.” He stands up and takes your phone. He smiles at your smile as he snaps the photo.

“How about a selfie?”

“Of the two of us?”

“Yeah.”

“Like this?” You made him so fucking nervous, he was never like this with anyone else.

“I don’t care if you don’t. I’ll just stand here, and you can stand in front of me to get the shot.”

“Oh, right.” He thought to maybe put his arm around you, but that clearly wasn’t happening. You both smile and he takes the shot.

“Do you two want a picture?” A woman says. She was with a couple of other people. “I’d be happy to take it for you.”

“That would be great!” You snatch your phone from Harry’s hand and give it to her. “Are you still sweaty?” You look up at him.

“I don’t think so.”

“Good.” You put your arm around his waist, and he puts an arm around you, hand on your shoulder.

“Alright, I took a couple.”

“Thank you so much, would your group like any?”

“Would you mind?”

“Not at all.”

You take a few photos for the group and then you look over the photos of you and Harry.

“These are great.” You smile and show him.

“You’ll send those to me, yeah?”

“Of course.”

“I’m walking down like this, I don’t wanna get my spare shirt sweaty. I was thinking we could grab a real lunch after this…if you don’t mind me taking up your entire day that is.”

“I would love nothing more than to stuff my face after this, Har.”

You decide to just go down in your sports bra, not wanting to get your spare shirt sweaty either. The way down feels like it takes no time at all. It was definitely easier to hike down a mountain than to hike up a mountain. That is, until you got to one of the steeper parts.

“Just step down on the side and take slow steps. Don’t go straight down.”

“Would, um, hold my hand? I’m a little nervous.”

“Of course.” He looks back at you and takes your hand, giving you a reassuring squeeze.

He helps you down the steeper parts, taking your hand each time until things get more gradual again. You feel incredibly proud of yourself once you’re back at the parking area.

“That was amazing, Harry. I feel amazing.”

“Good, I’m glad.”

“Andy’s done that with you before?”

“Oh, sure. Plenty of times.”

“Incredible.” You chuckle as you grab your spare bra and shirt from your pack. Harry dabs his chest with a rag before putting his t-shirt on. “Shit, where should I change?”

“Um…backseat?”

“I’ll just be a second.”

He nods and waits outside the car while you quickly change. You feel so much relief letting your breasts free, giving yourself a second to cool off before putting your fresh bra on. You pull your t-shirt on overhead and get out to sit in the passenger seat. Harry hops in the driver’s seat and off you go.

“I can’t believe it’s only 12:30.”

“Another benefit of getting up early. Did you see how full the lot was? People are so uneducated. I’d never start a hike now.”

“I know! There were so many people going up when we were coming down. I couldn’t believe it.”

“And now they’ll have to rush.”

“Have you ever hiked at night before?”

“I have, actually. I used to help lead this moonlit hike thing during move-in weekend for first year students. It was a lot of fun.”

“How come you stopped?”

“Not a junior faculty anymore.” He shrugs. “I just didn’t feel like it after a certain point. I still help with other things, but I definitely don’t give up all my free time to the school anymore.”

“I volunteered for that casino night last fall. I was on campus until almost midnight, I was pooped. Sometimes those kids make me feel so old.”

“You’re not old.” He chuckles.

“I mean, I know, I just feel out of touch sometimes.”

“How can a person who studies social media feel out of touch?” He raises an eyebrow at you.

“It’s more so the lingo. I was giving a lecture, and I made a really great point, and when I was done one student shouted ‘period’ and everyone laughed. I had to look it up on urban dictionary.” You both laugh at that.

Harry drives into town, and parks near the local diner.

“How do you feel about brunch?”

“Sounds amazing.”

You both get out and head inside. The morning rush was gone already, so you’re sat right away. You both inhale your food. Greasy hash browns and omelets. And coffee, a lot more coffee. You split the bill and Harry starts the drive to your apartment.

“So, you’ll hike with me again?”

“I’ll hike with you again.” You nod with a smile. “Do you think Andy will be jealous?”

“Nah, he already knows. I’m sure he’ll be expecting lots of details.”

“About what?”

“Um, just how the view was and all that.”

“Right.” He pulls up in front of your house, and you both look at each other. “One of these days you’ll let me pick you up.” You unbuckle your seat belt and he nods. “Thanks again.”

“Anytime.”

“I’d hug you…but I’m a little gross, so…”

“No worries.”

“Well…” You weren’t sure what the next time you were going to see him was.

“Sometimes, while Andy is still in school, I’ll use the library on campus to work on things. It’s got a/c…less stuffy than our offices. I usually only go on a rainy day, but-“

“Cute, we can study together like classmates.” You giggle. “I’ll let you know if I decide to use the space.” You smile and get out of the car.

//

Harry was enjoying his shower, it was quick, but it was good to clean off. He throws on some comfy clothes and nearly dozes off on the couch.

“Dad, I’m home!” Andy shouts, immediately waking him up. “How was the hike?” He plops down on the couch next to Harry.

“It was good, Y/N had a nice time.”

“Is she going to come camping with us?”

“I’m…not sure.” He sighs. “That’s not something just a friend would join in on, you know?”

“I don’t, but…”

“I’m not going to press her about it, I think she’s thinking it over. We’ve got time yet…” He sits up a little straighter. “When Mum comes to get you on Friday she’s going to come in for a bit and chat.”

“About what?”

“What you want to do this summer.”

“I spend summers with you.”

“Yes, but usually you spend the school year with her, that’s why you get me over the summer.”

“You don’t want me this summer?” He leans into him to rest his head on Harry’s chest, and Harry puts his arm around his son.

“Of course I do, but your Mum wants you too. I don’t know, I’m going to propose she get you for July, and I get you for August, I think that’s a good compromise, but she may not see it that way.”

“What about June?”

“Well, you have school for most of June, so you could go be with her end of June through July. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, would it? I wouldn’t hate having my own lake to swim in every day.”

“I guess that’s true…and Noah’s boat is pretty cool.” He sighs.

“I just wanted to give you the heads up.”

“Thanks.”

Harry was up reading in bed later that night. The rain had started and he could hear it tapping on his window, almost starting to lull him to sleep. He heard his phone buzz and his eyes lit up when he saw it was you.

You: hey! Almost forgot to send these to you!

You sent along all of the photos from the day.

Harry: thanks! Really glad that lady was there to take these of us

You: me too…so when exactly is this camping trip?

Harry: middle of June…when Andy gets out of school…June 20th I think

You: if I really won’t be intruding, I think I’d like to go. I’m trying to do more things to get out of my comfort zone

Harry: are you serious?! He’ll be so excited…I mean, I’m excited too.

Harry: I think he wants his friend Brandon to come so having another adult there would be a huge help

He didn’t want his first text to sound too eager.

You: lol well I’m happy to help how I can ;p you’ll tell me what to pack and all that right? I literally have no idea what I would need for overnight stuff

Harry: if you can get yourself a sleeping bag you’ll be all set, I have two tents and a ton of camping stuff. You would just want to bring your own food, clothes, etc.

You: alright sounds good :)

//

Harry hadn’t told Andy about you coming on the trip just yet. He wanted to save it as good news in case the conversation about summer with Paige didn’t go well.

“I guess let’s just start.” Paige says after eating a quick dinner with Harry and Andy in Harry’s home. “Ideally, what would you prefer?” She asks her son.

“To not go back and forth a lot. It stresses me out, I feel like I need to remember every little thing I don’t have two of.”

“Do you have any vacations or anything planned?” Harry asks, looking at his planner. “Right now for us it’s just the camping trip, and that’ll only be the weekend he gets out of school.”

“I was hoping to have him for the fourth. The Barrett’s are coming to staycation at the rental two doors down.”

“Really?!” Andy perks up. “I like when they visit.”

“So…why not spend the rest of June with me,” Harry begins. “You could do July with mum, and then come back to me mid-August.”

“That actually sounds good to me.” Paige says.

“What about Brandon?”

“It’s only a thirty minute drive, I’m sure his dad won’t mind it when you two wanna hang out. Hell, I’ll even come pick you up and bring back here if need be.”

“And if there’s a weekend you wanna just come see Dad in July, you can. You won’t be held hostage.”

“It’s just…you work during the day, Mum.”

“I know honey, but Noah’s got the home office. He can stay in with you and Rachel, and you two could go swimming and have fun at the lake. He could take you on boat rides too.”

“Okay.”

“Really?” She says.

“Yeah, I think all that seems fair.” He looks at the two of them. “I know…I know I can be sort of difficult sometimes, and I’m really grateful that I got to spend the school year with Dad, and I really hope I get to do it again…”

“I think that can be arranged.” Paige smiles. “You’ve never done so well in school, we’re both so proud of you.”

“Yeah, bud, I think this school was a good fit for you.”

“So…I’ll be able to do it again next year, I can keep living with you?”

“If that’s what you want, Mum and I are okay with this new arrangement.”

Andy shoots out of his seat and hugs the both of them.

“Go on and get your things for the weekend, sweetheart.” Paige smiles.

“Okay!” Andy races into his room.

“You’re surprisingly cool with all this.” Harry says to her as they both stand.

“I want him to be happy, and if he’s happier here then what can I do?” She shrugs. “Are you alright continuing to take all this on?”

“Yeah, plus he’s getting older. He can be home for a bit before I am.” Paige hums her response. “How, um, how did you feel about my friend?”

“Y/N?”

“Yeah.”

“She was really nice! She seems sweet, why?”

“She’s going to come camping with us.” Harry whispers. “And I just wanted to make sure you felt comfortable with it.”

“Oh, Harry.” Paige smiles. “Thank you, yeah, I’m perfectly fine with it. Andy seems to really like her.”

“Who?” Andy says, coming out with his backpack and duffle.

“Y/N.” Harry says. “I told her how you wanted Brandon to come camping, and I’ll need some help, so she’s coming camping with us.”

“She is?! Oh my god, we gotta work on your flirting then, Dad. You need help.”

“Excuse me? I’m great at flirting.” He scoffs. “Back me up.” He says to Paige.

“It’s true, Andy.” She chuckles. “Your dad can really turn on the charm when he wants to.”

“Well, you didn’t see him trying to ask her to come to my birthday party. I thought he was going to wet his pants!” He laughs.

“Oi, I was just trying to play it cool before you blurted it out.”

“So, what, you have a thing for her?” Paige asks.

“I like her, yeah.”

“Does she like you?”

“She must if she’s coming overnight with us, right?”

“You know, I’ve never really known you to hold back with a woman you liked before…” She raises an eyebrow at him.

“I work with her, it’s a little more complicated. She’s mentioned a couple of times how she doesn’t think dating in the workplace is smart, just offhand, so I’ve been nervous.”

“I think you guys should hang out again before the trip.” Andy says. “Oh! You could go to her place to help her pack.”

“I’m not gonna invite myself over!” Harry rolls his eyes. “Alright, that’s enough. Go have a good weekend with Mum.”

Andy laughs and gives his dad a hug before leaving with Paige.

//

“God, you feel so good, it’s been way too long.” Ray grunts in your ear. “Should have never stopped doing this.”

Ray was an old flame from your previous institution. You decided to go home to Boston this weekend because your brother had some new recipes he wanted you to try. You happened to bump into Ray at a bar, and went with him back to his place for some promised fun. He was a decent enough fuck, he knew how to scratch your itch, and that was good enough right now. Although, you didn’t feel the need to answer his dirty talk. You just grunt and moan and try to focus on what you’re after.

You’re close, but you’re not quite getting there. He was fucking into you from behind, and hitting the right spots, but it wasn’t…it just wasn’t…

Harry.

Your fingers slip to your clit, and you rub harsh circles into yourself as Ray continues to fuck into you. Your eyes pinch closed, and suddenly there are tattooed arms around you. A raspy, deep voice in your ear.

“Come on, you can do it. Show how you make yourself come.”

Your eyes snap open and roll back when you feel your release. You cry out and collapse onto the bed after Ray spills into the condom. You get up after catching your breath to use the bathroom. Ray watches as you put your clothes on.

“Going so soon?”

“Yeah, I’m staying with my brother…be sort of weird not to come back tonight.”

“It was great to be able to do this again.”

“Yeah.” You smile and kiss him on the cheek. “Thanks for the fun.”

On your uber ride back, it starts to settle into your mind that you just had to fantasize about your friend, Harry Styles, to get off while having sex with someone else. This wasn’t an accidental dream, this was on purpose.

“Shit.” You pinch the bridge of your nose and sigh. This camping trip wasn’t going to be easy.

//

Harry: hey! Was wondering if you want to come out and have some ice cream with Andy and I? He got straight A’s! Think it’s worth celebrating.

You: oh wow! Sure, I could definitely meet up for ice cream. Just at the place down town?”

Harry: yup! 6:30PM work?

You: sure! See you soon :)

Harry: :)

“Andy…”

“Yeah, Dad?”

“Wh…what’s this?” He shows Andy the text conversation on his phone.

“Oh…I, uh, asked Y/N to get ice cream with us while you were in the shower.”

“Why didn’t you just ask me to ask her?!”

“Does it matter? She said yes.”

“Of course it matters! Ugh, I can’t believe I’m gonna have to change my passcode again.” He reads over the conversation again. “I should ground you or something…no toppings on your ice cream.”

“But-“

“Sorry, thems the rules.” Harry smirks and grabs his keys.

You were waiting patiently outside of the ice cream shop for the two of them. You smile when you see Harry’s car pull up. They both get out and greet you.

“Congratulations, Andy.”

“Thanks!” He gives you a quick hug before going inside. You and Harry follow.

“Hey, uh…” He grabs your wrist. “Not that I’m upset or anything…but he actually stole my phone and texted you.”

“Oh!” You start laughing. “Glad I didn’t say anything naughty then.” You wink and walk up to the ice cream counter. You all get your ice cream and sit at a table across the street in the town common. “No toppings, Andy? I’m surprised you didn’t get a sundae.”

“Dad said I couldn’t.” He huffs, and bites into his mint chip ice cream.

“That’s what you get for stealing my phone, you little bugger.” Harry jostles the hair on Andy’s head, and Andy swats his hand away. “Did you have a nice weekend with your brother?”

You nearly choke on your ice cream. You clear your throat and nod.

“Yeah, um, yeah it was good. He came up with this new sauce for his raviolis, it was delicious.”

“Do anything else? Must be nice to go to a city that has things open past 9PM.” He chuckles.

“Um, yeah, I mean I went out, but nothing too exciting to report back.” You were blushing slightly. “So, Andy, straight A’s, how’d you manage that?”

“Brandon and I call each other to do homework a lot. He’s really smart.”

“So are you, don’t sell yourself short. You’ve worked hard this year.” Harry says.

“Yeah, but Brandon’s, like, really smart.” You furrow your brows a little as your lips curve up. It almost sounded like Andy was swooning. “He’s really excited to come camping with us this weekend. Are you excited too, Y/N?”

“I’m…excited to see how it goes.” You laugh. “Should be interesting to say the least. Instead of you coming to get me I could just meet you at your house so we can leave from there.”

“That would be great. Brandon’s sleeping over the night before so we can just get up and go.”

“You should sleep over too, Y/N.” Andy says.

“Andy.” Harry says to him.

“I’ll need all the sleep I can get before camping, and in order to do that I need my own bed, but thank you very much for the offer.” You smile.

“I could swing by the night before, though, and pack everything up in the car.” Harry says.

“Now there’s an idea.” You say with a grin.

//

“Okay, I’m trusting you both to be good while I’m gone for a bit. I shouldn’t be out too long, but still. Please be good.”

“We’re literally watching a movie then going to sleep, I don’t think we’re going to burn the house down.” Andy says, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, Mr. Styles, go see your girlfriend, we’ll be fine.”

“She’s not my…” He sighs. “I’ll be back soon.”

Harry drives to your apartment, and you buzz him in when he gets there. You had gotten caught up all day doing research, so you were running around in a tank top, shorts, and socks. Your door was open for him. It was the first time he had ever been inside your place.

“Y/N?”

“Coming!” You yell from your bedroom. “I’m so sorry, I’m not quite all there yet.” You say, dragging out your pack. “I can’t seem to get the sleeping bag on here without it unravelling.” You look up at him and pout.

Harry was sweating. Even though he had seen you in just a sports bra and leggings, this was almost more revealing.

“I can, uh, get it to stay on there tighter for you.”

“You’re amazing.” You go back into your room to pull out a couple of more things. “I definitely over packed…it’s going to be too heavy.”

“I kept some room in mine in case this happened, no worries.” He gets the sleeping bag tied on correctly. “There we go.” He stands up and is suddenly only inches away from you.

“Let me give you the tour.” You step back. “It’s a two bedroom, I use the other one as an office. It’s way too much of a mess to show you but, that’s the living room.” You show him. “Got a half bath over there, and full bath down the hall, kitchen…and that’s my bedroom.”

“It’s really nice.” He walks around with his hands behind his back. “You’re really good at decorating. Are you sure you didn’t go to school for interior design?” He raises an eyebrow at you, making you giggle.

“No, but it’s certainly a hobby of mine. It relaxes me to look through magazines and go to stores to get ideas.”

“Your office at work has the perfect balance. Mine must look all over the place.”

“No! I love your office, it’s very inviting.”

“Thanks.” He looks you up and down. “Are these the, uh, pj’s you packed for camping? You may get cold.”

“I’m not an idiot, I packed sweats.”

“Oh…good.”

“What are the sleeping arrangements going to be like?”

“Well, I have two tents. One for the boys, and then I have this larger one I figured we could, um, share…if it’s not too buggy I may sleep outside. Would you feel comfortable being in the same tent?”

“Sure.” You shrug. “I was going to make some tea, would you like some, or do you need to get back to them?”

“They should be fine on their own for a bit longer, a cup of tea sounds great.”

You nod, and his eye grows when he notices a park on the back of one of your shoulders. It looked like a fading bite mark. He glares at you without you seeing. Who the fuck did that to you? He wonders. It should be him leaving marks on you.

“So, when you went to Boston, you really didn’t do much?” He asks as he sits down at your kitchen island.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly going to get into it in front of your son.” You chuckle and turn your electric kettle on. “I went out to an old bar I used to go to when I was living in the area, ran into an old friend.”

“And how was that?”

“Okay.” You shrug, and put two tea bags into a couple of mugs. You pour the water over them and put one in front of him.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“So…you and this friend…” He just wanted to confirm if his suspicion was true. “Did anything happen?”

“Like what?” Harry rolls his eyes at you. “Oh! Harry…”

“Come on, you can tell me.” He was trying to pal around, he just needed to know the truth.

“He was an ex-boyfriend…and…yada yada yada.” You sip your tea. “I don’t know why I did it…guess I just wanted to feel close to someone, and it was easy with someone familiar.”

“Right, I get that.” It stung to hear. “Paige and I hooked up a few times after we ended it. Sometimes you just wanna be with someone who knows what you like without you having to say it.” He thought he’d sting you a bit too.

“Mhm.” You didn’t want to think about Paige getting to fuck Harry. Perhaps if you had been drunk you would have asked him what he liked.

“Well, I should probably get going. Early day tomorrow and all, thanks for the tea.”

He grabs your pack and you walk him to the door.

“I’ll be at your place for seven. See you in the morning.”

“See you in the morning.”

//

You drive to Harry’s house in the morning, and the kids burst outside with a little too much energy for you so early. Harry says hello to you, and you notice he’s not wearing his glasses, something he rarely did.

“Morning.” He mumbles.

“Morning.” You open the passenger car door and get in. The boys climb in the backseat.

“Alright.” Harry turns to look at them. “I had to listen to you two hyenas all night. I’d like a nice, quiet ride to the trail head, got it?”

“Yes.” They both say at the same time.

You smile at Harry and he winks at you as he pulls out of the driveway. It’s about a forty-five minute long ride to the trail head. Harry parks and gets everything out of the car. The boys walk a few paces ahead of you and Harry like you expected them to.

“So, they kept you up?”

“You have no idea. I must have told them three times to knock it off.” He groans. “Little…twats.” He says under his breath and you can’t help but laugh.

“I heard that!” Andy says without looking.

“Good, you were supposed to!”

“Are you his father or his brother?” You tease.

“He’s just trying to act cool in front of his friend.” Harry nods toward Brandon. “Which I get, but I can’t let him get away with too much.”

“So, how come people tend to do this overnight?”

“Well, it’s about five miles up, and that’ll take the majority of the day. It’s not really safe to hike at night, so we set up camp, have dinner, hang out, and then once the sun goes down we’ll set up a campfire and stuff like that.”

“I’m excited to see the sun rise.”

“Yeah, that’s the best part. I taught Andy about sun salutations so we’ll be doing that too.”

“And you’ll teach me too, right?”

“Of course, you can follow right along.”

You smile at each other and keep walking. You all take your time, enjoying the scenery around you. An hour or so in you all stop to take water and snack breaks. The boys go off to have a wee, and then you keep going.

“So, you said there’s no shower at these bathrooms, right?”

“No, there’s not. But you can use the sink, and they do have men’s and women’s separate restrooms, so you’ll have some privacy.”

“Okay, great. I just didn’t want to feel gross when we go to sleep.” Harry nods at you. “It’s such a beautiful day. I’m really glad I’m here with you.” You clear your throat. “With all of you.”

“Yeah, me too.”

At one point you needed to stop to pee. Harry got the boys to not giggle and tease you, somehow, as you took a few moments to get yourself situated. You were about midway, and Harry knew the part of the trail where you could see out just a little bit. It was nice and flat, and the perfect spot for lunch. They were light lunches, veggies, nuts, and more water. Harry explained it wouldn’t be good to fill up too much because it would make going up a mountain that much more difficult.

“When will you two know what class you’re in next year? Sixth grade, that’s pretty wild.” You say to Brandon and Andy.

“Next year they’re putting us on teams. You either still have two teachers or four.” Andy explains. “We wanna be on the four team.”

“Why’s that?” You ask.

“Because then you’re not stuck in the same two classrooms all day.” Brandon says. “It’ll make the day go by faster.”

“That’s what a kid on the basketball team told us, anyways.” Andy shrugs. “We heard the four team has nicer teachers too.”

“I just hope they don’t put one of us on the four team and the other on the two team, that would be the worst.” Brandon says.

“Is it by last name or anything?” Harry asks.

“We have no idea, when we asked our fifth grade teachers they didn’t really say there was much reason behind who gets what.” Andy says. “I’ll worry about it in August.”

“Yeah, I don’t even want to think about school right now.” Brandon says.

“Y/N, do you still do work over the summer like Dad does?” Andy asks.

“Yes, I’m still technically in school. So I do research like Dad, but mine is so I can become a doctor like him, he just does it to keep his name out there.” She nudges him playfully.

“Oi, my work is more than just for vanity, thank you very much.”

“I don’t know Dad, I think Y/N has a point. I’ve seen you do your research.” Andy grins.

“Oh, this I’d love to hear.”

“Dad watches really sad romance movies, cries, and then pauses the movie to take notes about how he’s feeling.”

“I do that to compare to the books that the films are based off of, and I see how I felt while reading the book versus watching the movie. I also make notes about the cinematography and mise en scene, because music-“

“Mr. Styles, you lost me at the cinnamon tography…” Brandon says and everyone laughs.

After lunch you get going again. You’re amazed that the boys don’t need a lot of breaks and don’t seem tired. They get excited when they see certain critters or flowers. As you get closer to the top, you notice it getting a little steeper. Harry had the biggest pack on, and you were fucking floored that he wasn’t huffing and puffing his way up. He was sweating for sure, but he was in no way struggling. Impressive, to say the least.

“Dad! I recognize this part, we’re almost there!” Andy exclaims.

“Yeah! Shouldn’t be long now!” He calls ahead. “How are your feet doing?” He asks you.

“Not too bad, I’m glad I changed my socks when we took our last break. I’m sure I’ll feel it tomorrow.”

“After we get to the top and everything we’ll make sure to stretch. Your legs will tighten up too much if we don’t.”

“Makes sense. Has Brandon gone hiking with you before?”

“Oh, sure, tons of times. Never overnight, though, so this will be nice for them.”

A few more paces, and a few sharp turns, and you’ve made it to the summit.

“Holy shit.” You say to yourself. Mountains and greenery as far as your eyes could see. No lake this time, but you didn’t care.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Harry says to you.

“It’s…incredible.” You were still in shock.

“Congrats, it’s your first 4,000 footer.” He puts his hand on your shoulder and gives it a squeeze before getting his pack off. You all get your packs off.

Dozens of pictures are taken. You take some of the boys with Harry, and Andy uses your phone to take one of you and Harry, and he even wants one of just you and him, it was sweet.

“So…where’s the campsite?”

“Oh, just down that way a bit. Figured we could hang out here while we stretch and stuff. Just chill and take it all in before we go to set up the tents.”

You all sit on the ground and stretch your legs. It felt good to just take some time to breathe slowly and let your legs relax. You all walk to where the campsite is and claim your territory.

“So over there are the bathrooms, and then that hut over there actually has a snack bar in it and a few forest rangers.”

“That’s so cool! Do you need help with the tents?”

“Have you ever set one up before?”

“Never.”

“Then you can watch. It’ll be easier if Andy and I just do it.”

You nod and take a step back with Brandon as Andy and Harry work to get the two tents situated. Andy and Brandon get their sleeping bags set up the way they like inside their tent and then they head off towards the bathroom.

“Alright.” You say after tossing some of your things inside yours and Harry’s tent. “I’m gonna go change.”

“Okay, I’m gonna get the firewood together. Gotta get cooking soon.”

“What are we having?”

“Regular hot dogs for the boys, vegan ones for us, that work?”

“You had a cooler in there?”

“And a cast iron pan. Ain’t my first rodeo, darling.” He says cheekily, but you blush anyways from him calling you darling. He had never called you that before.

You grab the things you need for the bathroom, and you’ve never been so thankful to see a clean, working toilet in your life. There were some other people around setting up their own campsites as well, it wasn’t just your group. You use a washcloth to freshen up and then put on some new leggings and a long sleeve shirt. You take your hair out of its hat and put some dry shampoo in before putting it all up in a messy bun. You sigh happily now that you feel a little cleaner.

The boys, and Harry, had changed into some comfier clothes as well. You notice that Harry is wearing his glasses once again. They were all sitting on different blankets around the fire Harry had just gotten started.

“How many would you like?” He asks you as he takes out the different types of hotdogs.

“Two would be great, thank you.” You say, sitting down near Andy.

“I also have some other veggies, I cut up some bell peppers.” Harry takes the baggy out of the cooler. “I figured beans wouldn’t be such a great idea.”

“Dad, can I have two hotdogs?”

“Same here.” Brandon chimes in.

“Of course, boys.”

Harry makes up the vegan hotdogs first, and then makes the boys. They all munch on the veggies and other snacks that Harry packed. He even made sure to bring Oreo’s, Andy’s favorite. Once the sun sets, and everyone bundles up a bit more, Harry breaks out the items to make s’mores.

“Brandon, do you think your dad will coach basketball again in the winter?” Harry asks him.

“Yeah, he said he should have the time. I like him better as a coach than the guy I had a couple of years ago that’s for sure.”

“I like the way your dad coaches, he’s not mean.” Andy says. “I had one guy one year that just yelled and drilled the whole time, it wasn’t any fun.”

“You’re just kids, why would anyone yell at you?” You ask, biting into your own s’more.

“Some of these people are just looking for excuse to be aggressive.” Harry sighs. “This was a much better year all around for everyone I’d say.”

A light hearted ghost story or two is told before the boys both call it a night, their long night before finally catching up with them. Harry makes sure all their trash is thrown away and secure, and he reminds them of the buddy system for if they need to wee in the middle of the night. He also gives them a flashlight so they’ll be able to see everything.

“I think they had the right idea.” You yawn after coming back again from the bathroom. “I’m pooped.”

“Same here. Go get settled, I’m gonna put the fire out.”

You nod and go into the larger tent Harry set up for the two of you. You roll out your sleeping bag, and use one of your spare sweatshirts as a pillow. You get settled in and sigh. It was sort of nice to be unplugged, away from screens and research. Harry eventually crawls in, and gets settled into his own sleeping bag. He sets a dim lantern on his side so he could read a bit.

“What are you reading?”

“The screenplay that was adapted to make The Notebook…” He mumbles.

“You’re working?”

“Sort of…I usually bring books like these camping. They’re easier to read.”

“Should I be offended that you were about ready to read instead of staying up to chat?” You smirk.

Harry’s eyes grow slightly. You wanted to have pillow talk before bed? Is that it?

“Um…well…I just figured you were tired, and I usually read to fall asleep-“

“Harry, relax, I was just teasing. You can read if you want.” You smile at him and turn over, nestling into your sleeping bag. “Night.” You say, looking over your shoulder at him quickly.

“Night.”

Part of you wanted to whine or complain that your makeshift pillow wasn’t comfortable so he’d offer to let you lay on his chest. Maybe he’d caress you and even read to you for a bit. Maybe you would have done that if his son wasn’t in the tent right next to you.

Harry couldn’t concentrate on his book. His eyes kept glancing over to your curled up body. You looked so soft and peaceful, and he just wanted to wrap his arms around you. He wanted to keep you safe and warm all night. And because Harry usually sleeps holding onto a pillow of some kind, he felt a little fucked. He sighs and turns the lantern off. He lays on his back for a while until his eyes eventually flutter closed. You both were exhausted from the hike.

//

You wake up feeling warm and cozy. You weren’t sure why you had woken up. It’s not like the sun was shining yet, the whole point was to get up and watch the sun rise. No, you woke up from feeling small puffs of air by your ear and a strong hold around your stomach. Harry must have rolled over in his sleep and started cuddling with you. You almost wish you were in a shared sleeping bag so you could get even cozier. It would be like one giant sleeping bag burrito. You feel his arm pull you closer into him, and his breathing changes.

You shift and turn on your back so you can look up at him, and he keeps his arm around your waist. You gaze at each other, and he moves his hand up to smooth some hair away from your face before letting it caress your cheek. You both look like you’re about to say something when-

“Dad, come on! The sun’s gonna be up soon!”

Andy startles Harry so badly, it’s like he wakes up all over again, like he didn’t realize what he was doing with you. He nearly jumps away from you and sits up.

“Okay, one second! Go get washed up.” He sighs, and then looks at you. “I-“

“Let’s get to it before they find a way to get in here and drag us out.”

“Yeah.”

Harry unzips the tent and you both use the bathroom before heading out with the boys to the summit again.

“Alright everyone.” Harry says, and he starts doing some simple yoga moves. The boys follow and so do you.

It was amazing to actually do sun salutations as the sun came up. After sitting and looking out a while longer you all head back to the campsite breakfast. You drink water instead of coffee in fear of really needing to use the bathroom later. You each have a granola bar, and then start to clean up the tents. You get changed in your attire for the day, as done everyone else, and you all start working your way down the mountain.

“What did you think of the sunrise, boys?” You ask.

“It was so cool! I can’t wait to show my parents the pictures I took.” Brandon says.

“Must be nice to have a phone that actually takes decent pictures.”

“I took plenty of pictures on mine, Andy.” Harry says. “You got two more years, I think you can wait.” He chuckles as Andy looks back to give him a pouty face.

“How’d you sleep, Y/N?” Brandon asks.

“Oh! Um…” You and Harry look at each other briefly and then blush. “Pretty good, slept the whole night through, I think. How about you two.”

“My mom gave me some melatonin, so I slept good.” Brandon shrugs.

“And I’m used to camping, so I was fine.” Andy says.

“Good, that’s really good.” You say and clear your throat.

You both knew you’d have to have a conversation about the way you woke up, but now obviously wasn’t going to be the time. Finally, after hours, you make it all the way back to the trailhead, and get everything into Harry’s car. It was an incredible couple of days, but you couldn’t wait to get home to take a proper shower. Hell, you may even take a bath just to relax your sore muscles. Harry drops Brandon off, and Andy helps him with his things. They hug goodbye; it’s awfully sweet.

“Dad, can I shower first? I feel gross…”

“Sure, just don’t take too long.”

“Okay! Thanks again for coming Y/N.”

“Thank you again for inviting me.” You smile as you all get out of Harry’s car. He waits for Andy to go inside before speaking up.

“I’m sorry about this morning, I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable…when I sleep I usually have a pillow or something and-“

“I wasn’t uncomfortable.” You say as you grab your things out of his trunk and put them into your own. “In fact, I can’t remember the last time I felt so comfortable.” You look at him and close your trunk.

“Oh.” His eyebrows raise and his cheeks grow slightly red. “Um.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I have him for the rest of this week until I send him off with Paige for July, so I wanna spend as much time with him as I can, but-“

“Call me when you’re free. I don’t mind waiting.”

Harry was chilled to his bones from your words. He watched you get into your car and drive off before going into his house. You said what you said because you had a feeling Harry had been waiting for you to get your act together a bit. You’ve known him for almost a year, and he’s been a great friend, but there’s something that’s been brewing between the two of you. Probably since the day you met.

//

“Is that everything?” Paige chuckles as Andy brings another bag into her house.

“I wanted to make sure I had options.” He grunts as he gets inside.

“He’s just like you, I swear.” She shakes her head at Harry.

“As if we needed more proof that he’s mine.”

“So…I heard the camping trip went well, what’s next for you and Y/N?”

“Not sure, I’m gonna give her a ring the second I’m on the road.”

“Did anything happen between you two in that tent?” She raises an eyebrow at him.

“No.” He mumbles and kicks some dirt at his feet. “Not much I could do with two eleven-year-olds right next door.”

“Harry.” She laughs.

“We woke up…very close together, that was about it. Bottom line is we need to talk, and now I’ll have the time to do so.”

“You know you’re going to need to fill Andy in on everything when you have your chats on the phone.”

“Please, it’ll be the first thing he asks me instead of how are you…”

“Okay, that’s everything.” Andy says. “Love you.” He hugs Harry and Harry sighs as he wraps his arms around him.

“Love you too, call if you need anything, and be good, promise?”

“Promise.”

Harry waves as he gets into his car, and he calls you right away just like he said he would. The phone goes straight to voicemail, which makes him feel like he got kicked in the gut, especially because it rang twice first. Suddenly, a couple of texts come up on his screen.

You: hey!

You: sorry, I’m at the library getting some work done. I’ll call you later

Harry sighs, but he completely understands. Not too long ago it was him using every free moment he had to get his doctoral research done. He had his own work he should be doing, so he goes home and gets settled up in his office.

He was getting some incredible work done on his latest manuscript, the journal that publishes his works will definitely be pleased. He blinks and sees it’s already 8PM, and you never called, or texted. He hoped you were alright. He stands up and stretches, and decides to grab a quick shower. The house was quiet without Andy, and he didn’t like it. He flops down onto the couch in just a pair of boxers and turns the TV on. A ring on the doorbell startles him, and he gets up right away. He peers through the window to see you, holding a box of pizza and a bottle of wine. He cracks the door open so you could only see his face.

“Hey! Sorry for just dropping by. I got really busy earlier, and I thought this would be better than calling. Hungry?” You smile brightly at him.

“Yeah, that sounds great. I was actually feeling pretty-“

“Um, Har…”

He had opened the door more just out of instinct, revealing his mostly naked body.

“Shit, let me, uh, come in, I’ll go throw something on.” You giggle as he basically scurries to his bedroom to change. He comes back out in a t-shirt and joggers. “Thanks for bringing all this.”

“I planned to come by earlier, I know you dropped Andy off today…how are you doing?”

“I’m okay…work distracted me, but it’s hitting me now. It’s really quiet without him already…I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.” You pop the box of pizza open. “Wanna get this bottle open?”

“Yeah.”

He grabs his wine opener, two glasses, and two plates. He gets the bottle open while you set the pizza out. He pours you both a glass and you sit down at the table.

“So, you got a lot done today?” He asks you.

“You have no idea! I was on fire.” Harry laughs at that.

He listens to you talk about what you got done. He couldn’t help but watch every movement your lips made, and how your eyes got brighter and brighter at how excited you were.

“Sorry, I’m going on and on about my thing, what did you get done today?” You say, sipping your wine.

“Worked on my manuscript for the journal.” He shrugs. “Nothing special.”

“Oh, don’t say that, you do incredible work. I love reading your articles. I actually think I used to read your work when I was still in grad school.” You start blushing. “It’s sort of cool knowing the person you’ve been able to learn so much from.”

“Just sort of cool, huh?” He scoffs playfully and you nudge him. “Wanna move outside, I put up a screen around the perimeter for bugs, or are you still hungry?”

“No, I’ve had plenty, but I’ll be bringing this bottle with us.” You grab the wine and you both head outside. “When did you even have time to do this?”

“Andy helped me. It wasn’t too difficult.”

You imagine Harry doing handy work, and it makes every part of your body flutter.

“I wish I had outdoor space like this, it’s my one complaint of my apartment, no balcony or anything.”

“Yeah, we didn’t like it much either, we didn’t stay there long.”

“We?”

“It’s where Paige and I lived when we first came here. I got my master’s from the university first, then my doctorate. Her grandparents lived in that big house, so they helped babysit Andy a lot.”

“Oh.” You didn’t have any problems with Paige, but she didn’t love being reminded that they were once together and in love.

“Were you sore after the hike or anything?” Quick to change the subject, maybe he felt the same way.

“Um, only for a day or so. I didn’t stretch as much as I should have when I got home. Thought the bath I took would have been good enough.”

“Would you ever do it again?”

“I would! I had more fun than I thought…but I’ll only go to the mountains that have working bathrooms.”

“Deal.” He smiles and takes a sip of his wine. “Maybe we could do something like that later this month.”

“With or without Andy?” You raise a playful eyebrow at him.

“I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind an adults only trip.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhm.” He finishes off his glass and pours another. “Refill?”

“Please.” You hold your glass out for him and he pours some more. You take a sip and lick your lips. “And why exactly would you like it to be adults only?”

“Perhaps…I wouldn’t have minded not being interrupted that morning.”

“Andy really startled you, huh?”

“I almost forgot he was there…” He plucks at his bottom lip. “It was…an interesting how we woke up.”

“Very interesting.” You sip your drink. “I was sort of…hoping you were going to cuddle me or something.”

“You were?!” His eyes widen.

“Yeah, it was sort of cold, even in sweats and a sleeping bag. I felt so cozy when I woke up.”

“You didn’t even flinch when you looked up at me…”

“Why would I have?”

“I don’t know…sort of weird to wake up in a friend’s arms, isn’t it?”

“Not so weird when that friend is you.” You look at him. “You back peddled when you tried to explain why. It’s okay if you wanted to hold onto me.”

“I literally sleep with a body pillow, you can check my room.” He defends. “I’ve always been like that.” He mumbles.

“So it wasn’t about me?”

“No…I…I wanted to cuddle you.” He wanted to do more, but again…his son was there.

“Well…I’m glad you did. It’s nice being the little spoon once in a while, and your cologne always smells so good, no complaints here.”

“You…you like my cologne?”

“Love it, actually.” You finish off your glass and you grab the bottle to pour just a little more in. “It’s nice when the person you have to see every day at work smells good.”

“Let’s see….” He holds his hand up to count on his fingers. “You like my work, you’re happy I cuddled you, and you enjoy my cologne.” He looks at you. “What should I be thinking of all this?”

“I…” You swirl your drink around. “Do you remember when I had that really awkward dream about you a while back?”

“Yes.”

“That was a complete accident, a freaky thing that happened that I didn’t want to have happen.��

“Is this one of those compliment sandwiches?”

“No, I’m…please…” You look at him. “The last time I went to Boston, as you know, I hooked up with someone.”

“Yeah.” He rolls his eyes.

“But…I was having trouble getting there…and…well…” You look away from him. “You popped in and I was happy about it. I…thought of you…and…”

“And were you able to get there, Y/N?”

“Yes.” You say just above a whisper. “I wanted it to be you.”

“I thought you didn’t want to date colleagues?”

“I don’t, but…” You look at him again. “I think I like you too much to care about that anymore.”

“God, I…” He gets up and kneels in front of you, taking one of your hands. “I like you so much, you have no idea.”

“Well, I have a small idea…woke up with you pressed against me.” You smirk.

“No way you felt anything between two sleeping bags and all the layers of clothes.”

“Little bit.”

“Christ.” He groans.

“Again, not complaining, it’s flattering, actually.”

“So when you let that guy leave that mark on the back of your shoulder, were you hoping it was me who did that too?” He stands up now.

“You saw that?” You gasp as you look up at him.

“I did…when you were running around your place getting everything together.” He pulls you to stand up, and he tucks some of your hair behind your ear. “You were wearing a pretty flimsy tank top.”

“I don’t exactly get dolled up when I’m home all day working.”

“I guess we have that in common.” He pushes his glasses to the top of his head, and cups your jaw with one hand, and hooks his other arm around your waist to pull you closer.

“Are you going to kiss me?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Yes.”

Your eyes flutter closed as he leans in, and you tug at his shirt as his lips meet yours. It’s soft at first, he’s just getting a feel for you, and then it turns needy. His hand slides to the back of your head, tugging softly at your hair to crane your head up more. You gasp at this, and he takes the openness as an invitation to nip at your bottom lip. You moan softly, and your tongue peeks out to meet his. They mold together like they were supposed to all along. Suddenly, he takes a step back.

“Wh…what’s wrong?” You wipe the small trail of spit from your mouth that he left behind.

“Nothing, I just…I told myself I wouldn’t do this while we were drinking. There have been a lot of times I’ve wanted to kiss you, but I haven’t because we were drunk or something.”

“I’m not drunk, are you?”

“I’m a little tipsy, yeah.”

“I, okay, yeah, so am I.” You chuckle

“So, I think we should stop for now. I wanna do this right. I wanna take you on a proper date.”

“I’d like that.” You smile, and then chew on your bottom lip. “It’s the right thing to do anyways, we shouldn’t jump into this too quickly. I have some different trips planned this summer, and I’m going to be busy working on things, getting my classes together…not exactly a whirlwind summer romance we’re looking at.”

“I have a conference in New York later this summer, so I’ll be busy as well getting my lecture ready.”

“Wait…I have a conference to go to in New York later this month too!”

“Really? Is it the CMT?”

“Yeah! I went last summer too and had such a good time. I had no idea you were giving a lecture, the itinerary doesn’t come out until next week.”

“I’m presenting some research about my wellness course…I’ve been collecting some data over the last three years I’ve been teaching it.”

“Ah, so you’re not going to be discussing the complexities of Pride and Prejudice?” You smirk at him.

“Nope, saving that for a rainy day.” He smirks back.

“Wow, well…that’s sort of exciting…we’ll be going to the same place for a few days.”

“We could, um, drive together if you wanted.”

“I was just going to take the bus…”

“I get free parking at the hotel since I’m part of the conference.”

“It’s a four hour drive…that’s a long time for you to be stuck with me.”

“Was stuck with you overnight not too long ago, and I didn’t mind it one bit.” He puts his hand on your shoulders. “Are you staying at the hotel where the conference will be?”

“Yes.”

“Great.” He smiles. “It’s, um, it’s a date then.”

“Yeah.” You smile at him. “Although…might be nice to go out before then…make sure we still like each other, and all that.” You joke.

“Yeah, I could easily not be into you in just a couple of weeks.” He jokes back and you can’t help but laugh.

“Let’s go inside, I need some water before I go home.”

“Good idea.”

He leads you in, and after a two glasses of water, and giving you a mock-sobriety test, he lets go. Well, not before giving you another steamy kiss by your car after you promised to text him when you got home. It was just as needy as the first kiss. He didn’t press his body up against yours, but from the way he was sucking on your bottom lip, you could tell he wanted you desperately. But like the responsible adults you were, you ended it there, and called it a night. A very good night.

[sminny-wew]

I finally have faces to put to these voices!!!

(Design process and kinda-rant under the cut)

It took several years and a shit-ton of trial and error but I think I've finally found redesigns for these two that I'm happy with!!! Designs that meet the game canon standard and breathe new life into the characters, while not entirely forgoing what made the original designs so identifiable. Sonia was the most difficult for me. Her fur and outfit colors are so close to each other that they not only can make her look like she's not wearing leggings, but given Sonic Underground's apparently-low budget, that means tons of coloring/animation errors. I also felt like she could easily be confused for Amy (which actually happened at one point!) so I wanted to try and put as much visual distance between them as possible without making Sonia unrecognizable. One way I did that was with her quills; them looking almost like separate "hair" in her original design inspired me to reinterpret it as a bleached undercut. For the longest time I wasn't sure how to represent the "shaved" part on a mobian but my lovely brother was nice enough to help me figure it out. As for Sonia's outfit, I turned her dress/top and skirt into an 80s-esque top with shoulder pads and shortened her gloves; overall I was going less for "fashion vomit princess" and more for "glam rock starlet" and I think I pulled it off. Manic was significantly easier but still took a while to get there. I never knew what I wanted for his quills, sometimes I wanted them short and sometimes I wanted them long. His bangs, gloves, and converse are all taken from the character creator in Sonic Forces. I made him more of a jade green to help him stand out from all the other green Sonic characters, ESPECIALLY Jet and Surge; I actually had to throw together a bit of a Sonic color chart in order to get this right. His outfit's pretty straightforward, I wanted to stay within the realm of skater/punk/ska/grunge. I almost kept his vest but decided the sleeveless hoodie looked better, same with the gloves (I took away the spiked cuffs b/c it felt too much like Surge). I didn't draw their medallions/instruments but they still have them, though Sonia has a keytar instead. I also gave them both silver eyes to show their relation to each other (Aleena has them too), no particular reason, I just felt like silver was a cool-enough and relatively unique eye color to use. In this context, they're still brother and sister but aren't related to Sonic at all due to them not being owned by SEGA (however, they DO get to go on an adventure with him that requires them to work together and they get to be very close during that time, I'll share the details later). At this point the only changes I'd make are giving Sonia darker leggings and Manic eyeliner Maybe in the future I'll post a supercut of all the designs I went through to get here

[aromantic-misguide-to-romance]

Personal opinion on outfits... and an AU idea

...that no one asked for and probably no one will agree with because my fashion sense is just as bad as the demons' and I'm proudly celebrating it.

The brothers:

Lucifer: Absolutely plain. Could it be even more plain? But I like it, I have a weak spot for plainness. A very weak spot. He looks like a university professor that can ramble about his specialisation for 2 lectures before he notices that he strayed from the intended topic. Lucy, pls talk to me about astrophysics or interactive ritual chains and I'll listen for hours. Talk to me more, for a talk like this I've yearned for years, talk to me more. Ahem. Pardon me. It's just been an awful while since my last academic discussion and I'm starved. But uh, he looks like a professor I'd squish on and I'm very unsettled about this fact. 9/10.

Mammon: decent, if you don't look at his shoes. I'd just zip that jacket up at least a bit since I don't like sleeveless shirts, but it's a personal dislike, his arms are covered and not really something utterly horrible, especially with those rather dulled colours and the dirty yellow it's not very eye hurting. Gives a hint he could hurt your eyes if he wanted but spared you this time. 7/10

Leviathan: Levi, I believed in you. When I saw his sprite in the new outfit, it looked like he actually has some idea how to dress himself without hurting people's eyes? Yeah, it's tasteless and colours aren't the best but he looks quite average. But then the full sprite came out. OUCH. But if you don't look down on his legs it's actually fine. 4/10

Satan: an atrocity. But I'm a bit disappointed with his trousers, I expected something much worse and yet he actually forgot to make it horrible. But this lets the upper part shine. The stupid shirt, that tie-scarf thing that's actually under his collar for no other reason than rebellion, and the jacket with a way too short sleeve. Or maybe it's actually Luke's long coat? Looks like it could be with that short sleeve and weird medium length. Anyway. Wonderful, I love it. I'm a bit disappointed with the colours, they're quite toned down, but hey, he's never been one to wear circus-tent-like colours. Still, we could borrow each other's wardrobe. 10/10 atrocity.

Asmodeus: This silly sweater that definitely doesn't help him stay warm and it's probably magical because it doesn't fall down despite being loose and not hung on anything and especially not on his shoulders. But the shoulders are nice, just peeking out without being obnoxiously uncovered. Nice. The trousers are okay, the shoes are wtf is that. I'm not sure if I love the fact he wears those boots or hate it, but anyway, it's a nice outfit. And the sweater looks soft. That's a very promising sweater. 8/10

Beelzebub: objectively I cannot say it's the worst, it's pretty decent and not very outstanding in comparison. But I can't help but howl because it goes in my pet peeves so hardcore I can't look at him. The sleeveless shirt, the way too short trousers with the camouflage pattern, no socks detected, the discoloured most mainstream tribal tattoo and the chain thingy on his neck. At least please wear the jacket you have, though if it was another outfit, the jacket tied on his hips would be a nice casual accent. I'm sorry, Beel, I can't get past my dislikes, you might be actually fitting in into the human world but I can't stand this outfit. 0/10

Belphegor: stole Beel's jacket, it seems. The jacket's sporty, oversized, he looks like he's drowning in it. And he wears... leggings? Is that it? But he's not doing his best, I'm not exactly sure if it's an atrocity or just Average Tasteless Human look. Meh. 5/10

For some reason these outfits give me an University AU vibe.

Undateables-no-more:

Diavolo: tbf I am a part of the 0,0000001% of humanity that hates suits with passion. Why would you wear this... thing if you can for example a cool kuntush/köntös. No thank you, 2/10 and the 2 is just because it has my favourite colours and the design doesn't try to hurt me. It's not bad at all, probably it's good but just please, suits are already everywhere.

Barbatos: his colours + his demon form outfit pattern but in orange. I like it, the pattern's colour clashes nicely with the rest. He definitely chose it by "perfect, now this definitely doesn't match". Nothing to hate, plenty to like, with the tunic and wide sleeves. It doesn't captivate but it still catches my eye. Especially since it's generally how I'd imagine a nice outfit, if I wasn't aphantasiac. Also, he stands out a lot for a butler. 8/10

Luke: a weirdly dressed child who's parents didn't bother with his clothes at all. But in general, nothing interesting but nothing atrocious either. But also, those are not good shoes for children. Simeon, buy him some new shoes so he can run around in them and not this. 6/10

Simeon: grandpa. Also, he's quite formal with the tie and the vest, so I don't like it at all because reasons. Men's formal fashion is just absolutely awful, but at least he's not wearing a suit. But those weird... stuffs... on his arms though, what is this even. Dark shirt and white waistcoat and trousers might indeed remind of his angel outfit colours, but... how about no. 2/10.

Solomon: our sorcerer wasn't blessed with a strong fashion sense but actually doesn't try to kill anyone with his outfit because he already has his cooking as a weapon. Plain, mostly. Kind of looks like a doctoral student during shedding his plumage from student to professor. Still has individual eccentric accents but his clothing already switched to the teacher style. I like it. I'd discuss his thesis with him. 8/10

University AU idea: Diavolo is the head of the faculty, Lucifer is a professor, Simeon - senior teacher, Solomon - a doctoral student finishing his doctorate and about to submit the final version of his thesis while teaching students a bit half-heartedly. Satan - freshly admitted doctoral student planning his first lessons with the freshmen. Asmo is That Slightly Older Student who for some reason dropped out and came back 2 years later to pick up his studies and no one knows his story. Levi and Belphie - don't know what they want do in life so ended up studying, Mammon - that student who signed up to a random major and rolls with it. Beel probably represents the university sports team but is actually the only one who actually genuinely likes his major. Luke - senior teacher's grandson/nephew. Barbatos doesn't fit this AU at all but let's say he's the secretary 🤣 they're the ones with true power so everyone knows not to get on his bad side.

//I'm not a native speaker, have mercy on my errors//

[staceysonier]

Little Red (MxF) Part 2 *NSFW*

*Gnoll Boyfriend!*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I saw Tazz the next day, or his hulking figure, at the edge of the woods.

It still blew me away how dark the woods were, even with the morning sun shining down on my grandma's small clearing.

"You can come out, Tazz," I called as I sat in a rocking chair on the wooden porch with a steaming cup of coffee.

"I don't think you'd like what you saw," he called back but moved closer within the treeline, still covered in darkness.

"I wouldn't like what I saw if I didn't already know you, maybe, but I've never been shallow, and you of all...creatures...should know that," I rolled my eyes.

I listened to him growl and something about it deep and gravel-like down in his big chest had a jolt of energy rocketing straight south within my body.

And then I had to mentally chastise myself because it was much too early to be feeling those kinds of feelings...there, anyway.

But when I looked down at my cup and saw that my nipples had peaked as well, I crossed my arms over my chest and blushed and wondered if he could tell what I was thinking or if he had been able to sense things as well as he had when we were younger.

He seemed to know all of my moods, being more clingy and touchy when I was upset, making me laugh until I had tears rolling down my cheeks when I was sad, and usually kept his distance when I was angry.

Leaves crunching caught my attention and I turned to see him moving closer, his silhouetted head tilted up and his snout-like nose sniffing.

And then those eyes that I had seen yesterday pointed my direction and he made a noise at the back of his throat before he backed away.

"Chette, you need to go inside. I'm sure Rosa has your breakfast ready," he said in a short tone and when I stood up and a sudden gust of wind blew past me that had my nightgown billowing around me and into the trees, I watched him stiffen before he disappeared.

"The fuck," I whispered but made my way inside and had breakfast with my grandmother before getting dressed to help her around her place.

***

I didn't see Tazz for the rest of the weekend. I called for him Saturday evening but I got no response. I called for him Sunday morning--no response.

And when I had to leave, I kept my eyes on the treeline on the way down the path to my car, hoping to catch a glimpse of him...

But nothing.

I thought I saw something huge running in the treeline as I drove down the gravel road that led to my grandmother's road but it stopped at the edge of the woods.

I hated that I wasn't able to stay longer but I was grateful that I got to see my grandmother again... And I was grateful to remember and talk to Tazz again.

Hoping, praying, and wishing was I, that summer break would hurry up and come soon.

***

"You have to, Blanchette," My mother said with her brow raised.

"Again, mom? Seriously? I was just out there! Grandmas fine! I saw her with my own two eyes, for Christ's sake," I cried out in frustration as I sat at the island while she made dinner.

My mom huffed but continued to chop the carrots.

"I don't understand what happened since then but you said you had a great time with her during winter break," she insisted and brought the carrots to the pot behind her.

"Yeah," I said as I put my phone down, "I don't even really remember all that happened but I definitely don't want to waste my whole summer break at her tiny shack, mom! I have a life, friends, and I wanted to look for a job!"

She glared at me in that 'no-nonsense' kind of way, "I said you're going and that's final. Do you hear me? Your grandmother says she needs help and since your father is away at work and I have to be here for your little sister, it's up to you to go and help her."

It was my turn to huff and drag my hand through my hair.

"Seriously mom, be cool, please? I mean, why don't you just pack up Megan and bring her! I'm sure she'd love the outdoors!"

Her face turned red and then she exploded.

"I am not going out there! You are and that's final! Not another word, Blanchette, and I mean it! Go and pack enough for at least a few weeks and I don't even want to hear a sigh! Now go!"

My eyes widened because she had never really gone off like that so I was sure she meant business. But I stepped down from my stool and headed up the stairs without even a sigh.

But once I got to my room, I was, quietly, cussing up a storm.

***

The closer I got, the more I remembered.

The huge dark figure in the treeline, and the feeling of comfort but also...

That growl.

My heart started to race as I parked my car where I parked it the last time.

I didn't need the cloak this time as it was summer and hot as hell so all I had on was a pair of shorts, tennis shoes for the trip through the overgrown path, and a sleeveless shirt.

And sunglasses, of course.

I grabbed my duffle bag out of the back and knew I would hate the walk this time because the bag was packed to the brim with all the things I thought I would need but now regretted.

"Fuck me," I growled under my breath and kicked the back door closed with my foot before locking the car and placing the keys in my pockets.

I began my trek up the path and then had to switch shoulders when one got tired.

"′Go and visit your grandmother again, Blanchette', 'It'll be fun, Blanchette', ′Just you and her and the peace of the woods, Blanchette'. Yeah, and this mile-long trek to her house with this hundred-pound duffle bag, mom!"

My thoughts were taken from how angry I was when I heard leaves crunching and sticks breaking past the treeline.

And my heart was racing again and that anxiety I remember feeling when I was leaving the last time I was here, was back again.

"Tazz," I breathed out hopefully as I saw a familiar hulking figure of darkness--but now it looked...slimmer.

"Chette," he softly greeted, "And with fewer clothes than the last time, I see," he teased.

I blushed and looked down at how tight my sleeveless shirt was, and how this was probably the wrong shirt to wear on this day because while also trying to carry my heavy bag, I also had to keep pulling up the shirt so it wouldn't expose my braless breasts.

My midriff was showing, as well, and the shorts could've been deemed too inappropriate but it was summer and it was hot and there was no way I was going to go by social regulations while out in the woods.

But something about having Tazz comment on my outfit...

It had my body feeling...things.

"It's summer," Is all I said, though.

"Indeed, it is. I caught on that you needed help with that," he asked and stretched his arm out and I gasped as I caught sight of his hands and claws.

He pulled his hand back as quickly as the sound escaped my mouth and I instantly felt regret.

"I'm sorry, it's just been so long since I've seen you," I moved closer, "Your nails weren't nearly as...deadly when we were kids," I tried but then I watched him disappear again.

"Fuck," I whispered as all around me was quiet again.

***

"Oh, Chettie-spaghetti, I'm so glad you came again," My grandma met me on the porch but then she frowned.

"Tazz didn't help you with your bag," she asked accusingly and then turned her attention to the treeline.

"Oh, he tried, but I scared him off," I huffed as I walked up the stairs and onto the porch.

She laughed as she pulled me into a hug, "You scared him off? What'd you do?"

I grumbled and slumped my bag down on the porch with another huff, "I gasped when I saw his claws. I hadn't meant to and it wasn't because I was scared or anything..."

"Quite the opposite actually," Grandma asked with a knowing look and I blushed under her gaze.

She then chuckled and patted the back of my hand, "Leave your bag here and go take a walk. You need to talk to him. He's missed you."

I rolled my eyes and lifted a brow, "He didn't even see me off when I left in January. If he missed me so much then why did he avoid me?"

Grandma shrugged and smirked, "You'll have to talk to him about that, sweetheart."

I watched as she walked around me and my bag and then into the house before she turned around before the door shut, "Don't stay out too long, I'm making dinner. But then again...Tazz most likely won't let you."

"Grandma, how am I supposed to find him," I asked quietly before she turned back around.

Jutting out her chin, she looked out at the treeline, "Go get lost. He'll find you."

If that's what it would take...then I guessed that's what I would do.

She shut the door behind her and I walked down the steps and out into the clearing but stopped at the treeline.

"Tazz," I said, knowing that he was probably watching and could most likely hear me, "Are you really going to make me come in there after you? You want me to get lost in there?"

No response.

"Fine," I shrugged and stepped a foot past the treeline before I heard branches snapping.

"Uh-huh," I smirked and followed the sound that was just in front but a bit to the right of me.

I lifted branches and stepped over various spiked vines and tree roots as I followed the sounds of breaking sticks through the forest.

"You will help me get back out of here, right," I asked in a chuckle and was then pushed up against the base of a tree, my front to the bark.

"What the he--"

"--You were following a Dryad," he whispered into my ear.

A shiver ran down my spine as I felt his fur all over my half-naked back, his warm breath on my naked shoulder and neck.

"What would she have done," I asked in a whisper.

I felt his cold nose drag up my neck, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

"She would've charmed your panties off," And I heard the smirk in his words.

I let out a breathless chuckle before I sucked in a deep breath, "Is she at least pretty?"

He scoffed lightly, "All nymphs are beautiful. That's why I find you so charming."

"Beautiful and charming, huh? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting, Tazzimo," I tried to say with confidence but it definitely came out as a whimper.

"Your pounding heart...and the scent of your arousal...they are both flirting with me," he said and I imaged he had a brow raised as he looked me over with a hunger in his eyes. I know I would be.

I then felt one of his hands with all of those sharp claws touch my hip and I gasped but he didn't back away. No, he moved that hand around to my front and planted it on my stomach and moved closer.

"You smell divine, Chette," he whispered and I felt his tongue run along my neck.

I swallowed audibly and was focused on those claws sitting against the skin of my lower stomach.

"You could rip me open with just the swipe of your hand," I whimpered quietly.

He growled, "Does the thought frighten you?"

"No," I breathed out and when his other hand wrapped around my throat, I laid my head back against his chest.

"You really aren't scared, are you? You're...you're turned on...by me," he asked and chuckled darkly before his fingers squeezed lightly around the sides of my neck.

"Um," I tried to play it down but I felt the fingers wrapped around my throat let go and then I felt those sharp claws touch the sensitive skin of my neck.

I then felt as he ran them, gently, down to the top of my chest, "Don't lie to me, Chette. You've never been good at lying."

"You always could smell a lie when I told one," I whispered and my chest was heaving with my heavy breathing as his claws played at the top of my shirt.

"Mmh, let's play a game," he suggested and I felt the claws on my naked lower stomach tap there.

"A game," I asked, unsure.

"Yeah. Two truths, one lie. You tell me two truths and one lie and I'll try to guess which one is a lie," he whispered and ran his tongue along my neck again.

"Okay... Um," I thought for a moment.

"I didn't want to come out here again when my mom asked me to. Um, I love my grandma... And... I don't...want to...kiss you."

I was spun around then, my back to the tree, and came face to face with his massive chest until I felt his claws lift my chin. My eyes then met his and he smirked down at me.

"Lie," he growled, "I'll have to punish you now."

I whimpered but my panties were damp, "You wanted it!"

"And so do you," he whispered and picked me up so that I wrapped my legs around his waist and I was face to face with him with my arms around his furry spotted neck.

He looked like Tazz, like he always had but older, more masculine. He had an edge now that he never had when we were growing up but maybe that came with age.

His brown eyes looked black in the darkness with barely any light reaching through the trees and his teeth were sharp in his mouth...

But I wanted nothing more than to feel them on my skin.

I looked up into his eyes again, "I don't want to kiss you," I lied again.

"I'll punish you, for sure, now," he whispered and looked down at my lips.

"Please don't."

He smashed his lips to mine and then we were frenzied as he yanked my top down to sit at my hips and pushed my back against the tree before bringing his claws between us and shredding the small bit of denim that was my shorts before obliterating my panties with just a yank.

And I had to pull back just a bit to moan as I felt one of his claws graze my clitoris a few times.

"Please," I breathed into his open mouth before letting my tongue find his.

I then heard the sound of a zipper and the ruffle of cloth before I felt something hard and hot against my slit.

"So warm, Chette, and so wet," he said and was all but panting with his tongue hanging out.

I pushed my lips back to his and brought my hands down to rub his cock.

It was so big that I had to use both hands to fit around him as one wouldn't close. And once I got down to the base of him, I felt his knot and gasped at the size. There was no way.

"Impossible," I whimpered but he made me look into his eyes with his hand around my neck again.

"All of me will fit inside of you," he growled and brought the tip of his cock to my entrance before he pushed in.

"Oh, fuck," I breathed out and chuckled breathlessly, "Big boy."

"Tight," he grunted and growled when his knot hit against my opening but couldn't fit.

"Go, please, hurry," I whispered and kissed him as I felt him begin to rock in and out of me, each time, his knot hitting against me and each time, I gasped for what was to come.

And as he rutted up into me, he brought both of my wrists up above my head and held them there with one of his large hands as we kissed.

As he sped up his thrusting, we both began moaning into the other's mouth.

"You like that," he grunted before nudging my head to the side so he could have access to my neck.

"Yes! Just like that, please!"

I then felt his teeth drag along my throat, sending jolts of electricity to my clitoris.

"I'm close," I cried out and loved feeling how big he was inside of me, how much he stretched me, "Bite me, Tazz."

"Yeah? You like my teeth on your delicate human skin, Chette? One wrong move and I could seriously hurt you," he whispered but his words were what sent me over the edge.

I tightened my legs around his waist as my walls tightened around his cock. I squeezed the hand that was holding my hands above my head as I wailed out my climax.

He growled and began to thrust harder into me, his knot hitting against my sensitive entrance but I was ready for it--ready for all of him.

"Helpless," he growled and his dark eyes were on mine, "Even if you wanted me to let you go, there'd be nothing you could do to make me. You're helpless, Chette, and you love it, don't you? You're at my mercy and I say when I'm finished with you."

"You're gonna make me come again," I cried and could already feel the build-up again, that familiar feeling of heat rushing through my body.

"Not until I say you can," he enunciated every word with a hard and punishing thrust.

"Please say I can, please say I can," I pleaded as I tried to hold back the flood gates but I was almost there.

It wouldn't be long before I overflowed again.

And then he thrust hard into me, and I had to stretch to take his knot. At the same time, he latched his teeth onto the skin between my neck and shoulder with a growl and I exploded--seeing stars behind my eyelids as I came for a second time.

As I came back down from the heavens, he was licking where he bit me and his fingers were rubbing the tops of my hands.

"Are you okay," he asked gently and widened his stance as his come began to glob out of me and onto the forest floor with how much there was. And because of this, it caused him to shift inside of me.

I gasped and clenched my walls around him and listened to him growl as he pushed as far as he could into me.

"Sensitive," he groaned as he buried his face in my neck and licked the mark he left again.

"Stop moving so much then," I teased and nuzzled my cheek to his.

"I don't want come on my feet," he whined and chuckled as he pulled back to look down at me.

"Then don't come so much," I whispered and grinned.

"That is not something I can help," he admitted and brought my hands up and licked the backs of them.

It was only then that I saw I was bleeding slightly.

There were small dots exactly where his claws had been as he held my hand but it warmed my heart to see him taking care of me as he used to when we were growing up.

"I'm okay," I answered his question with a genuine smile, "Better than, actually."

As his knot reduced, he slipped out of me and then set me down.  

I pulled my top back up to cover my breasts but there was absolutely no salvaging my shorts.

Tazz smiled sheepishly and kneeled down to grab his jean shorts before holding them out to me.

"Sorry about your shorts...and your panties," he chuckled.

I pulled up the shorts but they were several sizes too big so I had to hold them up, and we both laughed at the sight.

"I should be getting you back. Rosa's probably worried and dinner is definitely ready. I can smell it," he said quietly as he looked down at me.

"She's not worried. She's the one who told me to come into the forest and get lost. She said you'd find me," I blushed and began walking in the direction of my grandmothers house.

"I'll always find you, Chette. If you want to be found," he said quietly again and walked with me.

We were quiet for most of the walk back but once I could see the clearing through the trees, my stomach started to knot knowing that we would have to part soon.

"How long will you be here this time," Tazz asked and I could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

"I'll be here most of the summer," I replied and watched the forest floor as we walked.

But then I was pushed against a tree again and his lips were on mine and I was ready to go for round two but he pulled back.

"Then we'll just have to make the most of the summer, won't we," he growled and licked over the mark he left on my skin again.

And before I knew it, I was pushed into the clearing and when I turned around, Tazz was gone.

"Thanks for making me face her along, you asshole," I hissed at the treeline, hoping he was watching before I turned around and started walking up to the porch.

I knew grandma would ask a million and two questions with the way I looked but I had to face her at some point.

It did help that I was more relaxed now...but I was in definite need of a shower.

There was no way I could keep Tazz's shorts up and carry my bag inside so I just kneeled down and grabbed some clothes before going inside.

Grandma had her back to me as she was busy in the kitchen and I tried my hardest to sneak past her but damn her squeaky floorboards!

"Chettie? You're back," she asked and turned around and then let out one loud laugh when her eyes met me.

"And it seems you had fun...but...you lost your shorts, dear," she smirked," And you've got a bite mark on your neck. Oh dear, you were attacked, weren't you? Did you fight terribly?"

I chuckled but rolled my eyes, "For my life, grandma. If you don't mine, I'll be taking a shower now."

"Yeah," she asked as I set off down the hallway, "You need help getting the tree bark out of your hair, dear?"

"Grandma," I cried but could here her hyena laughing in the kitchen as I slammed the bathroom door.

I was never going to be able to live this down.

And I knew I didn't want to.  

Tonight was one of the best nights of my life and I couldn't wait for many, many, many more.

[sleeplessincairo]

[ dating bucky barnes would include: ]

warnings: a somewhat vague sexual outline and a few cusses

///

Him walking around with a notebook everywhere. Bucky got the idea from Steve when he saw him writing new things to his modern day to-do-list, so Bucky decided to do the same except fill his notebook up with his old memories instead; anything he could remember from his life before being The Winter Soldier. At first, there were only a few pages filled but as his life starting to include domestic and mundane-as well as a healthy environment-activities, he started having spontaneous and soon-to-be-frequent flashbacks that, later on, contributed to dozens of notebooks filled with not The Winter Soldier, not Prisoner #56898, not White-Wolf, but James Buchanan Barnes.

You never mentioned the notebook to Bucky nor asked to read it-Bucky was a private person, and you understood and respected that-but you still started carrying a pen with you, just in case he ever needed one.

At first, the notebook(s) was/were filled with solely memories of his past-No matter how insignificant. Whether it was that time the toilet got clogged in his shabby little apartment and had to stay with Steve and Sarah Rogers for a week because he couldn't afford a plumber or that time he lost his shoe in bar brawl and some swanky chrome-dome gave him a few bucks to buy some shoes and a sock without a hole in it. He wrote everything his mind could clearly grasp. But as the two of you got closer, he started filling it with memories he had with/of you because-even if he would never admit it-you made him feel right at home.

You may or may not have stolen his dog tags from the Smithsonian museum just as a reminder that even after all the pain, despair, manipulation, and torture he still managed to be the good person he was all those years ago. He was still James Barnes, local heartthrob that volunteered at the soup kitchen during his free time, that fought a war and lost an arm during the process, that dreamt of flying cars and a future without all fights and wars, that had a soft spot for a certain trouble-attracting boy whose heart was too big for his body.

“Jesus doll, I didn’t know I was dating a thief.” “Oh James, I thought you’d already realized that when I stole your heart from right under your nose.”

Bucky’s not big on talking or directly verbally professing his love, but that’s okay; His eyes tell you everything. There was always something about Bucky’s eyes that were so mesmerizing, so captivating, you could instantly tell how he was feeling. Before you, his eyes resembled a pale arctic blue that were as cold as glaciers-His eyes were hollowed and empty, scratched raw from any emotion but your growing presence thawed them out, they warmed through the cold exterior of what was once The Winter Soldier and reminded you that the hottest fires burn blue.

He does, however, reference quite a few interesting slang choices from the 40′s, which is his own little way of demonstrating verbal affection, ranging from calling you ‘Doll’ & ‘Sweetheart’ to calling you ‘The Cat’s Meow’ & ‘Butter and Egg Fly’

He’s never been very invested in hygiene. It never really was something important for him since he was in the Army and BO was a pretty normal thing, and then he became The Winter Soldier and HYDRA never exactly gave him a bathtub-Not that he was in the right mindset to to care about it anyway-So you usually have to remind him to shower everyday-Not that you mind, it would usually end with the both of you showering together and you having the opportunity to wash his hair yourself.

Soon enough, Bucky gets real invested in hygiene, he starts reading about self-care routines, exfoliating, conditioning, and gets completely hooked. Secretly, he does it because he likes the routine, something mundane and fixed to do to keep him busy.

You’re the only one that gets to call him James. Something about the way you say it warms his heart, he’d focus completely on the way your mouth moves as you say it-It reminded him of the way his mother would say his full name before busting his chops about coming home all dirty but then later ruffling his thick hair and offering a plate of strawberry jam sandwhiches, or how the word was always lurking in the dark corners of his mind like the silhouette of a ghost he couldn’t seem to recognize until you brought it to life.

Him always reaching out for your hand when he feels out-of-place, outside, or honestly just all the time because it helps him feel secure and grounded.

Steve third wheeling the both of you all the time. No seriously, literally all the time. He spends more time in the apartment you and Bucky share more than his own to the point where you and Bucky wonder if he actually has one. 

Steve has a key to your place-Even though, the both of you never gave him a key in the first place-and has a habit of interrupting the both of you or walking in on the worst possible moments.

“Hey guys, what are ya doi-Oh...Sorry I didn't know-Buck, you don't need to throw-Jesus, okay, okay I’m going.”

“Who the hell does it look like I’m doing, Steve.”

Bucky being very insecure about his arm, he even refuses to touch you with that arm-Subconsciously, he’s afraid he’ll accidentally hurt you. At first, he only ever wears long-sleeved shirts and a glove even on the hottest days as if he’d somehow forget that there was a metallic limb under all the cotton, but slowly like molasses he starts accepting it. He starts wearing open finger gloves, then discarding the gloves, then wearing 3-quarter sleeves, then short-sleeved shirts, then sleeveless shirts, then finally feeling comfortable enough to take off his shirt in front of you which leads to a night filled with discarded clothing, the sounds of soft murmurs and reassurances, the rolling of each other’s names off each other tongues like a prayer, and the rustling of the blanket against the delicate movement of your intertwined bodies skin-on-skin, skin-on-metal as the both of you unravel thread by thread in each other’s arms.

Truth is, you love his metal arm, you love the way it’s cool against your warm cheek on hot summer nights, you love the splashes of light that kiss it every morning making it sparkle, you love the soft and soothing whirring noises it lets out breaking the silence in your room, you love it because it’s a part of him and God knows how much you love everything about this man.

Despite being the assassin that killed JFK, managed to get away with it, and mind boggle conspiracists for decades he’s a bit clumsy. He has a habit of accidentally breaking things and later on, not telling you about it.

"James Buchanan Barnes, I thought I developed super strength-and even asked Stark to do some tests on me, but apparently you just happened to forget to mention and explain why the fuck doors are falling off their hinges!"

Losing sleep with Bucky. He tends to have very frequent and graphic nightmares which leads to various panic attacks and the inability to sleep, and you're more than happy to stay up with him and comfort him. Sometimes you’d talk while he listened and watched the way your lips moved or the way the pony tail you had gone to bed with loosened and hundreds of strands escaped the grasp of the hair band or the way a yawn would escape your lips and your hand would momentarily rise to cover your mouth but get lazy halfway, other times you’d lay in each other’s arms in complete silence while you traced patterns on his chest and trail kisses across his skin.

You being his anchor. You holding him tightly and assuring him that he’s okay, that you're here, that you're real, that he’s out, that he’s safe, and many other tender 3-worded sentences uttered over and over again like a mantra until he’s murmuring them back into your chest. 

Sometimes, when he has really bad nightmares and panic attacks you grab his notebook and start reading the memories out loud while you lay his head on your lap and run your hand through his hair in a calming manner until he calms down. It soon becomes a regular thing where you read him a memory before he goes to bed like a bedtime story.

Bucky Barnes is a man who was tortured and tormented for years, a man whose life was ripped right from his very arms along with his very own arm, a man who has gone through a long and unforgettable journey where he has learned to cope, grow, accept, and embrace himself and now he’s made it his mission to encourage and help others to do the same, whether they're struggling with their sexuality, amputation, mental illness, gender, or general self-acceptance.

You educated him about women’s rights because things are a lot different then in the 1940s; women are no longer obligated to get married, cater to a man’s every whim, have children, and other traditional gender roles. At first, Bucky’s very confused and doesn't understand why feminism is so important-I mean, lets face it, Bucky was raised in a traditional society and was later on manipulated to being a bloodthirsty assassin and now suddenly, he can think on his own and his life has turned completely upside down from thinking his own thoughts without HYDRA around to thinking past social constructs and norms so its normal for him to be a bit weary. However, you're there to explain thoroughly about how unjust society still is and how women may have won a few battles but still have a war to fight in a society where they are hyper-sexualized, mistreated, and controlled, and Bucky immediately thinks of Peggy Carter and how the men used to catcall her, how they raked her body with inappropriate stares, how she was ignored and seen as a pretty face, and then he finally understands. 

Dozens of articles about mysterious beatings of assaulters around New York.

His metal arm is decorated with dozens of pins, magnets, and stickers of all the movements he supports. Oh man, you should see him during Women’s marches and Pride fairs, considering all the black he usually wears seeing him dressed in bright colors or a pink shirt that says ‘On Wednesdays, we destroy the patriarchy’. It’s a sight that truly belongs in the history books.

Bucky breaking hold of the toxic masculinity he was subjected to in the 1940s and advocating for men to be able to display their God-given emotions freely, to not feel obligated to put on a tough guy front, to telling boys its okay to cry, to feel, to act, to wear, and to be whomever they please to be. 

Bucky visiting youth centers and giving advice and support to the kids there. Every kid he meets reminds him of Steve, whether its in their stubbornness, taste for trouble, lostness, or the glimmer of potential he sees in every single one of them. He remembers every single name of the teenager he meets and later on, uses them as a mantra whenever he’s undergoing a panic or anxiety attack as well as use SHIELD’s equipment to check up on them every once in a while.

Bucky going to children’s hospitals every week to cheer up the little kids there. He ends up being quite the inspiration and their ‘Favorite Superhero’ for the kids with amputations there and they end up being one of the very few people who are allowed to touch his metal arm. Something about the way their eyes shine with hope and their hands melt at the feeling of the metal warms his heart and his insecurities.

[thedumbguywithaheart43]

BoomLords weird adventure

Chapter 5 reluctant companions

Rairty spoke up."excuse me darling what is the crazy stallion saying?"Twilight was spaced out for a moment trying to process what she had just done. Apon realizing Rairty was speaking she snapped back to reality."what oh Rairty. Sorry uh he was talking about me helping him to uh shit"She blinked, wincing as she couldn't get the thought of what she had just done out of her head. She didn't intend to create Rose fire in fact in that moment she had wanted to kill him to render the flesh from his bone, it was as if another creature had entered her head for a moment and fueled her rage."I think I have to go with him."before she could explain why."WHAT ARE YOU TAKING ABOUT HE JUST MESSED WITH YOU AND THE PRINCESSES HEADS!"rainbow yelled."I merely showed them what they wanted to know however to be honest I didn't expect this to happen. I had been looking for the rose fire in every world every terrifying, every cruel, and every unforgiving place in the Omniverse. But it turns out all I had to do was accidentally induced fear and rage into a horse."the pony stared at him for a moment."He's telling the truth and now that we know what's at stake we have no choice but to help."Celestia stated her tone was dark however as if she was doing something she wasn't so sure she wanted to."h-how long until it happens?"Boom and Celestia stared at each other for a moment. It was clear Boom really didn't want to answer this."could be days could be another year time works differently for me but if I had to give a rough estimate maybe a year or two or less."Celestia took a gulp of air as she looked to her fellow ponies. She looked as if she was holding back tears."my little ponies I ask no I beg you all to go with him this is no longer a matter in my control and I cannot force you to partake in this. What he is asking is dangerous beyond anything any of you have ever faced and while he may only require Twilight I would never send my student alone into what I was shown."this time no one spoke not even dash because when princess Celestia tells you shits about to go down it's going to go fuckin down. And in unison without hesitation without regret without fear all the ponies and Spike responded"were in!"boom looked at the group of ponies a look of discontent on his face."fuckin great I'm babysitting a whole party."most of the ponies ignored what he said with the exception of rainbow dash and Applejack."hey no one asked you"dash got in his face while AJ got close next to her."yeah that's right and don't think we're going to take our eyes off you for a minute partner. Not after what you just pulled.

2 spike walked over to the stallion cautiously"so how are we leaving? I mean you said we had to leave."well you see that's why I'm going to need my notepad and Pen also my satchel if you don't mind."a look of confusion re-entered the faces of everyone."oooo are you gonna draw us amagical portal to another dimension?"pinky blurted out as a few of the others started to chuckle."actually that's a pretty accurate assessment of what I'm about to do, in fact spot on."Twilights jaw nearly dropped as BoomLord began scribbling on the paper. Boomlord had drawn a nearly perfect circle on a piece of the notepads paper and in the center of it wrote the words, °home space°as he took the pen off the paper another electric golden ring started to form, the area within beginning to blacken about 10 ft away."okay everybody we're about to leave but don't worry I can send us back to this exact point in time give or take a few minutes so while we may be gone for who knows how long to the princesses it will only be a couple minutes."Boom that hope this comment would calm them however they're confusion only broaden. 'God how are they going to react when they all change'

3 boom was the first to enter the portal then Twilight followed by Pinky, rainbow,Applejack, rarity Fluttershy, and lastly young Spike. Boomlord looked down at himself. He was human again his blue jeans and thick yellow hoodie once again with him. Pulling back the sleeve he saw that the green fur that once covered his body was gone replaced with his light taned skin. Okay I hope everybody's ready for some exposition and descriptions. Boomlord looked back at the ponies first up was Twilight she had grown into a human form unsurprisingly. Her mane or I guess her hair had stayed the same she had fairly pale white skin and a few smalls freckles adorning her face she was also fairly short compared to Boom. Boom knew his height was about 5'7 give or take so Twilight had to be about 5'4 or 5'3 she wore a purple t-shirt and a darker purple skirt with pants to go with it all put together with very nice sneakers which all the girls have with the exception of rarity and Applejack. Pinky on the overhand was definitely much taller than Twilight in fact she was about the same height as boom. She wore a striped blue and pink shirt with a polka dot skirt and light pink leggings she had average white skin no major tan or anything although she did have pink nail polish on. Dash was next she still had her rainbow hair but she was on the shorter end with Twilight only being a inch or so taller along with fairly tanned skin as if she's been spending her days at the beach. She wore a plain blue sleeveless top and jean shorts her wings were also noticeably missing the same with Fluttershy. Speaking of Fluttershy her outfit was rather green she wore a green t-shirt with a yellow peace symbol on it and long jeans. Additionally in her hair she had is a flower crown witch she probably took off, besides that her skin was also fairly tanned. Applejack definitely took the show with her outfit she was wearing thick brown leather gloves and a brown leather vest with tassels on it. Underneath the vest was a plain white shirt covered in bits of brown dirt, and long stylish cowboy print jeans and good old-fashioned cowgirl boots. Applejack skin was also the most tanned being she was definitely the one who spent the most time outdoors. Also she and rainbow dash were the only ones with noticeable er muscle growth as even through their outfits they still kept their physical physique. Applejack and Fluttershy we're definitely the tallest of the group with Fluttershy being 5'8 and Applejack being at least 6'2.Lastly of the girls we have rarity wearing a clean white shirt with stylish blue diamond print in it, and a rather long dress to accompany it. Along her neck was a rather lovely diamond necklace and alot Lower down beautiful high heels. She also had the darkness pigment of her skin when compared to everyone else. Also sorry if that's not politically correct I'm not entirely sure what the correct term is now. Do feel free to let me know. As soon as the girls walk through the portal though most of them with the exception of Twilight who seemed almost familiar with the sensation of walking on two legs fell to the ground."oh no whats happing?"Pinky yelled and she started crawling on all fours along with Fluttershy. Dash and Applejack were occupied with balancing themselves on a desk next to them and rarity had somehow crawled her way to a sofa and dramatically pose."oh darling what has happened to us?"boomlord rolled his eyes as he knew he was going to have to teach them how to be human it also occurred to him where the hell was spike.

4 Then he saw it or well him. Unlike his fellow ponies Spike didn't turn into a human and no he did not turn into a dog. This isn't Equestria girls guys turning into a dog is really dumb and I already have one in the story. Spike's body had remained reptilian however he's noticeably taller now at least about Twilights size inner current form his body seemed to get longer and his claws along with it. His face has narrowed Abit becoming far more similar to his dragon freinds with the exception that he had a much longer neck which allowed him to survey his own body. Put it simply he looks more like what a small dragon would look like in our world if they existed."woah I look really cool!"spike yelled in excitement."ponies don't talk where I'm from so the portal has adjusted your body's to something a bit more familiar to me that I have set and in Spike's case I already had something in mind for dragons." Ponies now began to look around their surroundings. They notice they seemed to be in a rather decent sized living room a few desks a television ,yellow rug, a few lamps. The room seemed mostly normal only the walls and floor and ceiling all looked the same. It looks like the inside of a treehouse and where there was a window there was no... Well anything just an empty void."welcome to my home away from home a little place I made outside of the Omniverse and what I like to call free space, basically this entire place is an extension of a thought everything here with the exception of a few items were made from nothing. No magic and no magical effects can be taken here with the exception of the notepad so sorry girls but your wings and horns are temporarily unavailable don't worry when we go to other worlds you should be able to use them."Twilight rapidly blinked as she didn't expect well boom to look rather nice. He still had rather unkempt hair and the rings under the eyes but here the black in his eyes were gone however his irises remained red and gold. He had a warm smile or a warm fake smile and while definitely wasn't the biggest guy around he still had a rather fit physique. And the rarity was the first to comment on that"oh boom darling you look um..... Better than I would have thought."boom roll his eyes."well im far more comfortable like this."the girls who were having trouble standing took a few minutes to themselves to start copying the motions of Twilight who began pacing."uh hey are we safe here."like asked while moving around the girls who were rather surprised to see him as they did not expect such a change."spike looking badass today."rainbow dash teased.spike blushed slight as Boomlord spoke."well girls work going to have to set some ground rules since it looks like you'll be staying with me for a while."

(Oh one more thing because I know you're all wondering or at least some of you are wondering.

Breasts size from largest to smallest :Applejack dd followed by pinkie and Fluttershy then Rairty.twlight has the average size and rainbow dash is flat but that doesn't make her any less of a woman)

(not sure why I felt the need to put that there but I feel like some people just had to know)

[judediangelo75]

Remember

Hello~

I know you guys are probably sick of me writing so much Talbott stuff. I can’t help it, bird boy is endgame and this is my way of coping with the fact I don’t see him often in the game. 

This is gonna be slightly different. So, Judith never ran away. This would would follow Jam City’s storyline somewhat (so Talbott and Judith never met prior).

I felt like writing something less fluff and a just a hint more spicy. Nothing crazy. This is playing on the idea that Talbott finally asks Judith about her secret, which she erased his memory.

Hope you guys like it!

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Talbott usually prides himself on his memory. Being a background character, he silently studies others. Taking notes on them to keep in mind just in case he has to interact with them (not that he's looking to do so).

But there's one part of his memory that was erased and that bothered him. How did it happened?

Judith Harris.

They were in their third year, the same year he lost his precious feather necklace gifted to him by his mum. The girl was trying to get him to open up, and she almost succeeded. If it wasn't for his keen hearing.

Merula Synde was spying on the them and he became angry. Not at just the Hufflepuff, but himself for nearly letting the girl in.

He left the stunned and hurt Hufflepuff alone in the Courtyard, trying to figure out how to fix the issue. He just found a solution when Judith started to pester him again about letting her help. Of course his answer was a resounding "no", but the girl wouldn't give up. Eventually, he relented and allowed her to help.

That's how they found themselves standing before his Head of House, asking him to teach them Oblivate, the Memory Charm. When Professor Flitwick suggested if Talbott wanted to catch up on the lessons that he missed, he felt his blood run cold. He did miss quite a few lessons and suddenly asking for a private lesson on an advanced spell wasn't a good look for him...

Luckily, Judith was quick to step in. She claimed that she was catching up Talbott up to speed on the lessons he missed and they wanted to get ahead on their studies. Talbott was mildly surprised to see the thoughtful expression on Professor Flitwick's face before he agreed to teach them. Talbott spared a glance at the smiling Hufflepuff. He did recall Flitwick calling Judith one of his favorite students, and she could've been a Ravenclaw herself due to her Hat Stall just a few years prior.

Time passed as the two studied the spell under the Dueling Champion's watchful eye. Talbott could remember how Judith looked as she studied and practiced alongside him. The quiet, studious air that surrounded her. How her gold eyes scanned the pages with the occasional slow blink. The sound of her voice as she practiced the incantation. How her body moved as she practiced her stance. How her slender fingers brushed a loose loc behind her ear. The glow the sunlight bathe her in, causing her skin radiate brilliantly as if she was the sun itself. The way her lips formed that thoughtful pout...

When the pair finished, Judith thanked the Charms professor before he gave them a warning not to misuse the spell.

That's when Talbott came up with the "brilliant" idea of having Judith practice the spell on one of them to see if truly worked. The girl agreed, but said that she would feel more comfortable casting the charm on him rather their Professor. Talbott agreed with that logic, seeing how he would do the same but told her not to make him forget anything important.

"Rather than erase a pre-existing memory, it might be easier if you tell Mr. Winger a new piece of information... Something he didn't know before and wouldn't forget, then use the Memory Charm to erase that memory."

Talbott consented to this, nothing wanting the Hufflepuff to make him forget anything he knew before.

The last clear detail he could remember, or he believed that he could remember, was what looked like a blush on the girl's cheeks.

After that, Talbott couldn't remember a thing until Judith asked if he remembered anything. He found that he didn't like the cheerful smile on her lips when he confirmed he couldn't remember her secret.

He prided himself on his memory and not remembering her secret bothered him more than he's willing to admit. The only other person who knows what she told him was Flitwick, and his teasing smile didn't really provide too many hints to what she could have said.

Now, they were in the 7th year and he has remembered a lot of things in regards to the Hufflepuff Head Girl.

Like how the girl barely grew after their fourth year, making her one of the shortest member of their group of friends. Her locs would be let down more outside of class, reaching down to her hips. How her face lost any traces of baby fat, sculpted delicately to show off her cheekbones. How her style gradually began to expand. As of recently, she's been indulging in a slight girly appearance. Dark shadow dusting on her eyelids, a dark burgundy lipstick covered her full lips, dark red nail polish covered her neatly filed nails and she seem to wearing more skirts and dresses outside her class robes. This would be heavy reminder that the same girl who Talbott helped become an Animagus, the same girl who helped him find my necklace, the same girl who he went on a few dates with...

Was now a woman...

Oh dear Gods, that reminder would never fail to come in the forefront of his mind when they would hang out outside of our classes.

The years have been very kind to her. With Quidditch to help her build and maintain muscle and her genetics made her a very alluring witch.

His red eyes would drink their fill whenever she was around, leaving him slightly drunk on the vision of her. The slight sway in her small hips when she walks. The way her skirt would sometimes ride up her smooth thick, thighs. The way she arches her back when she stretches. The way her sharp cat like eyes would stare into his, accompanied with that slow blink. How her lips move in what feels like slow motion. When she talks, smiles, smirks, eats, drinks...

All that information was engraved into his brain, making forgetting her impossible. So vividly he remembers the girl, that she even visits his dreams.

Her featherlike touch along the skin of his cheek and jaw...

The sweet smell of coconuts and coco butter that fills his lungs when she leans in close...

The warmth that radiates from under her skin, pressing against his...

Her bright gold eyes sparkling with desire and love, accompanied by the slow seductive blink...

The way those sweet lips form the syllables of his name, paired with the sound of it mixed with her accent...

Talbott can't remember the amount of times he's woken up with a rapid beating heart and flushed face. Nor how every time he wished he stayed asleep just a few minutes longer to finally know what it's like to finally kiss the girl of his dreams...

Tonight was only slightly different. It was a little after two in the morning and Talbott was suddenly wide awake from his most recent dream. This time it had to do with their recent adventure to the lake with their friends. Judith went for a dive and emerged from the clear water. Talbott remembered how she looked with she reemerged.

Her locs were heavy with water, a few strands hanging in front of her face. The two piece black and yellow bathing suit was drenched as well. Water glistened under the sun and ran down her warm chocolate skin. Following the curve of her waist and hips, over her tone arms, highlighting her scars and even running down her thick thighs as she slowly walked towards the shore. Some of it hung onto her short curly lashes and lush lips, which were spread in a bright smile.

In his dream, however, they were alone. And the way she walked towards him resembled a predator closing in on their prey. The slight sway of her hips was present as she stalked towards his shellshock form sitting on the shore. The wet Hufflepuff crawled into his lap, a teasing smirk tugged on her moist lips. He remembered a particular droplet of water run down her elegant neck, over her collarbones before disappearing in her bathing suit top. The way her hands danced over the front of his now wet sleeveless shirt wasn't doing him any real favors anyways...

Her lips were just hovering over his when he woke up. And he was staring at his ceiling, allowing his mind run over the memories of the young woman.

When that particularly day in Charms class entered his mind. And stayed there.

He groaned in annoyance as the memory of not remembering the girl's secret replayed in his head like a broken record. He sat up abruptly and got out of bed. Clearly he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. A quick flight should hopefully tired him out and take his mind off the Hufflepuff beauty...

Walking to his window, he opened it before transforming into his Golden Eagle before flying out of his room. The cool breeze brushed against him and Talbott internally sighed at the small relief. He flew around the castle grounds, which was perfectly silent and dark. Well save one location.

Talbott noticed a light coming from the Owlery and was slightly confused at the idea of someone being there at such a late hour.

His curiosity won out and he silently landed at the opening to see who was there.

Judith sat on the ground near the stairs. A large blanket was wrapped around her shoulders as a she had a book resting on the top of her thighs and her wand in her hand. Her gold eyes were trained on the pages, shining with interest. Her locs were up in a messy bun on top of her hand. Talbott can see a hint of what seemed to be her sleep attire, which didn't seem like much seeing how exposed her shoulders and legs were.

If Talbott was in human form, he would've been blushing to the tips of his ears and biting his lip. Despite being a loner, he was still an 18 year old male with hormones. Even with his Animagus abilities, he can not deny the animalistic base instincts he feels from time to time. Especially with the object of his affections sitting just a few feet away...

The girl looked up, her gold eyes staring dead at him. He watched her full lips spread into that heart stopping smile he loved so much.

"Talbott, how long have you been sitting there?" Talbott flew closer to the girl before transforming back.

"Not long... I went out for late night slight because I couldn't sleep. Couldn't help but to notice the light coming from the Owlery," Talbott said softly. The girl nodded.

"I couldn't really sleep either and felt like doing some reading. Not wanting to disturb anybody, I came here..." Talbott found himself staring at her lips again as she spoke. The curiosity was burning him alive.

Though was it because those same lips that told him her secret formulated the incantation for the Memory Charm and erased his memory? Or was it because he wanted to learn about them using his own?

"You know, I've been remembering something..." Judith's eyes raised from her book to lock with his. Without looking away, she bookmarked her page before turning to give him her undivided attention.

"What is it, Talbott?" Gods, he will never tire hearing his name coming from her...

"You... you never did tell me what you said when you erased my memory," he recalled. An arched brow regarded before a soft chuckle escaped the girl. Thanks to the light emitting from her wand, Talbott was able to see the blush on her cheeks.

"Here I thought you would forget about that," she whispered. Now it was Talbott's turn to raise a brow.

"Was it that bad for you to hope I'd forget that you even mentioned it," he asked. A loc fell free from her messy bun. Just as she was about to brush it aside, Talbott did it for her. His body felt like it was on autopilot as he gently tucked the loc behind the shell of her ear, the tips of his finger dancing over the skin there. He knew he should pull away but the blush on her face, which was darkening, intrigued him...

"It wasn't bad per say... it depends on how your feelings are set up." Talbott frowned at the cryptic message.

"What are you-oh..." The sweet smell that clung onto her filled his lungs as she leaned closer. The light caress of her fingertips danced over one of his cheeks, pulling him closer still. Her warm breath briefly fanned over his cheek before he felt her lips press against it.

The soft 'oh' was all he can muster at that moment as his memory went that memory lane. The night of their first date, where they held hands under the stars. Their date on Valentines' Day, where Talbott shyly pressed his lips against Judith's cheek. The day of the festival, where he kissed her again before flying around the Quidditch pitch.

To now...

"I fancy you, Talbott..." came the soft whisper against his cheek. Judith pulled away a little to gauge his reaction to her admission. If she was younger, she probably would've ran away or try to change the subject. But it's their 7th year. After this year, they will all go their separate ways. Besides at this point, it's not much of a secret anymore. Not ever since she admitted this to him again their 4th year when she asked him out on a date...

"You... me?!" Not the most intelligent response she's ever heard from the Eagle Animagus but that doesn't make him seem less adorable in that moment.

"I went on several dates with you, bird boy. Why are you even surprised at this point," she teased with a playful eye roll. Talbott stared at the girl.

She fancied him out of all wizards... ever since their third year?

"But... why? I've been nothing but rude to you ever since we met..." Judith gave him a shy smile.

"It's kinda hard to explain. Something about you, drew me to you. You're quiet, mysterious... and rather handsome. Plus, I know that the quiet loners tend to have the biggest hearts," she admitted, toying with a loose loc. Talbott almost couldn't believe his ears. He reached out and carefully raised her chin so she can look at him. Her mystical gold eyes locked with his, accompanied by that slow blink.

'Those eyes will be the death of me...' he thought, trying to hold back his desire.

"I fancy you too, little bird," Talbott said. He watched as Judith's face brighten.

"Talbott..." Talbott narrowed his eyes at the girl as she said his name. He could feel his animalistic instincts are to grumble to life. Her slender, but tone arms reached up to wrap loosely around his neck. Her blanket fell from her shoulders, revealing her body.

A black silk tank top with matching shorts clothed her. Talbott swallowed thickly as his mind started to head down a dark path.

"I..." Good, a small distraction. Talbott shifted his focus to the girl who seem to be blushing. She cleared her throat.

"I... I know this is sudden but I was wondering... can you kiss me?" Talbott doubts he can ever say no to her, especially with the way she teasing him by biting her lower lip...

"Do you really want me to, little bird," he asked as he leaned closer. He's been wanting this for so long, but he didn't want to start anything without her absolute permission. Judith seem to pick on this because she seem to chuckle a little.

"Kiss me, Talbott... please..." He can't deny her pretty little plea. He leaned in the rest of the way and pressed his lips against her own.

The contact was soft, curious. It was just light brushes until Judith decided she wanted more of the Ravenclaw male. Pressing her lips more fully against his, she planted herself in his lap. Talbott let out a surprised gasp as she did, but groaned when she nipped at his lower lip. Deciding to give in this feeling, he curled an arm around her waist while his free hand cupped the back of her neck. Dipping her head back a bit, he sucked on her bottom lip. Judith let out a soft moan at the act of dominance from Talbott.

The kiss grew more feverish as their tongues met in teasing flickers. Neither of their hands can remain still for long, exploring the other's body and committing it to memory.

Talbott wanted to remember every detail of this moment. The feeling of her soft lips against his own. The sweet taste of vanilla. How she sighs lovingly against his mouth when he caresses her how so tenderly. The warmth that radiates from under her skin. The curve of her waist and hips beneath his hands. The fullness of her thighs. The way her breath hitched when he trailed kisses from her lips, down her jaw to her neck. The sound of her soft moan when he found a sweet spot right where her neck and shoulder meet. The way her thighs squeezed his hips to alleviate the building discomfort in between her legs.

The pair pulled away for a bit to ease the heated fog from their minds.

"I'm definitely going to remember this moment," he mumbled. Judith let out a cute giggle.

"We can create many more moments like this one... that is if you want," she said shyly, biting her kiss swollen lip. Talbott let out a playful growl before holding her tighter to his chest. Judith let out a squeal and another giggle. The young man tried to ignore the growing discomfort in his groin.

"Of course, little bird. I don't plan on letting you go anything soon."

"Well good, because I don't want you to..."

[nevervalentines]

“we can’t go back in time, so stop trying to reverse what you said.” for white rose

For white rose: 

#13  “we can’t go back in time, so stop trying to reverse what you said.”

#23  “well the probability of that is 0, but you go ahead.”

hi!! hope it’s ok that I did two-in-one. here’s a short fill featuring future white rose…………….my favorite kind of angst, and a LOT of gratuitous bumbleby

*******

She hasn’t seen her since the engagement party. Which, if anyone is asking, is perfectly fucking fine. It’s only been six months, and she’s been really busy anyway.

And the engagement party had been a disaster, as far as Weiss is concerned. But it’s not like Yang and Blake would have noticed if an entire Atlas fleet dropped an air raid on their doorstep.

The caterers had been late, and the florist delivered Easter lilies instead of calla lilies, which completely clashed with the color scheme, and Ruby somehow managed to stay a room away from her the entire time, gnawing on her bottom lip, sipping a virgin cocktail and hiding behind Yang every time Weiss got close.

But that was six months ago. And Ruby has been away on a contract for most of it. Or so Weiss has gathered from the sparse texts that hit the group chat every time Ruby allegedly gets service.

They’re living in the fucking digital era, how hard is it to locate a cell tower?

But this is the bachelorette party and, at the brides’ demands, she has nowhere to hide – and Weiss will be hiding hardly anything, for that matter.

“Why do I have to wear this?”

Blake says, “I like it,” at about the same time that Yang says, “It looks hot.”

They share an amused glance over the rim of their drinks, and Yang sidles across the room towards Weiss to pluck at the strap of her dress.

Lowcut and mostly sheer, the hemline only just brushes the tops of her thighs, the bodice dipping low, only a zipper and a prayer holding it in check.

“You said Blake could dress you.” Yang smiles. “You should have seen this coming.”

“What can I say?” Blake sinks deeper into the window seat under the hotel room’s enormous bay windows. “I’m a boob girl.”

The window panes are thrown open, a salty sea breeze ruffles her hair, and her ears flick, eyes squinting shut as she shifts deeper into the sunlight drenching the crushed velvet cushion.

With Yang butting into her space, still tugging slightly at the sheer straps of her dress, Weiss is unfortunately face to face with the proof.

“Apparently.” Frowning, Weiss tugs the top of the dress up, figuring if she adjusts the fabric enough, she’ll get some kind of coverage. “You guys do know you two aren’t technically supposed to spend your bachelorette party together, right? Isn’t that, like, a break from tradition?”

“Since when are we traditional?” Blake asks.

“And I’m not hiring strippers,” Weiss says.

“Who needs strippers?” Yang laughs. “We have you in that dress.”

Blake grins. She drains the last of her drink, and stares at the melting ice sullenly.

Yang moves to take it from her hand, swaps it with her own full glass in exchange for a kiss.

Weiss pauses from wrestling with her dress to watch them – the ease of it, the familiarity. Yang tucks her mouth against Blake’s cheek happily, lets herself be pulled down for a second longer kiss, nipping at Blake’s bottom lip.

Burying her face in one hand, Weiss reaches blindly for her drink, nearly knocking it to the ground in the process. “Okay, knock it off. I scheduled in plenty of time for that tonight.”

Blake pulls away curiously, one hand still wrapped around Yang’s bicep. “Did you block out time during our bachelorette for Yang and I to make out?”

“I just meant that there will be, you know, leisure time.” Weiss presses her flushed cheeks to the cool condensation on the glass, feels water bead on hot skin.

Grinning, Yang bounces to her feet. “Is there enough time for a quickie? Did you dictate exactly where and when I’m allowed to use tongue?”

If this wasn’t a five-star hotel, and if this wasn’t a crystal glass, and if this martini wasn’t hitting the spot right now, Weiss swears she would throw it at her.

“You asked me to help plan, okay? I was just doing my job as maid of honor.” She knows she sounds whiny, can feel the constricting, scratchy pitch in her throat, hates that everything is hitting so much harder right now. She feels on edge, trapped, anxiety that even a beach side resort can’t tame.

She can tell Yang hears it in her voice, watches her face soften, lips pursing in that signature look of concern. Eyebrows bunching, she beckons Weiss closer. Weiss complies, taking small steps with bare feet. Like this, her head barely comes up to Yang’s shoulder, and she has to tilt her head back to look at her.

“You know we’re just teasing,” Yang bullies her into a careful hug, arms around her back, dropping a kiss against the top of her head.

Beside them, still seated, Weiss can feel Blake’s hand reach out to touch her thigh, petting once, careful. “You did a killer job, Weiss.” Then, quieter. “You know, seeing her again, it’s going to be –”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Weiss’s voice is muffled against Yang’s collarbones, and she turns her cheek flat against the warm, freckled skin, inhaling the smell of post-workout sweat, of sunlight and the faint sharpness of her deodorant.

After so many years, it relaxes her more than it stifles, and she feels Yang’s arms tighten, a hand rubbing carefully at the tense knots in her spine.

“You look really good,” Yang says quietly. “And you planned an amazing party.” She shifts, and Weiss catches her reaching for Blake out of the corner of her eye. “And even if everything goes wrong tonight, tomorrow Blake is going to by my wife, so it’s like,” a shrug that ripples against Weiss, still wrapped in a tight hold, “everything is already perfect.”

“Yang,” Blake says, soft, careful. The single word has so much adoration it almost stings. She stands from the bench, wriggles closer until Yang folds her into the hug. Weiss works an arm free to wrap it around Blake’s waist, accepts the kiss dropped against her temple.

“You’re right,” she says, peeling away just enough to look up, to look at them looking at each other. “Everything is going to be fine.”

**

Everything is not fine.

They were supposed to leave the club thirty minutes ago. She had reserved a private cove along the beach for the wind-down portion of the night, had planned to have everything wrapped by midnight so Blake and Yang could get enough rest before the big day, or whatever.

It’s not exactly a night of tantalizing debauchery, but she figures they’ll have enough of those in their future.

Instead, she’s leaning up against a sticky bar top. The floor is tacky under her feet, and her heels keep getting stuck in the refuse of spilled drinks. She’s trying desperately to close the bar tab with Blake fully draped over her shoulders.

She’s practically dead weight at this point, and Weiss can feel the beginning rumblings of a purr while Blake rubs her cheek against Weiss’s shoulder.

“She’s just so funny,” Blake says. To her credit, she hardly slurs. “I mean – look at her.”

Under the pulsing lights of the dance floor, suspended in static-shocks of green-blue-red, Yang and Ilia are half-grinding, half-grappling. The intervals of flashing lights wash them in turn – open mouths, laughing, tosses of long hair, swaying hips.

Blake sighs, breath warm against Weiss’s ear. “And so hot.”

Weiss plucks her lien card from the bartender with a thanks, palms them a hefty tip, and sinks back into Blake’s embrace. Perched on a swiveling bar stool, Blake is holding her from behind, two arms around her shoulders, Weiss leaning back between her knees.

“She is certainly – something.” Weiss tries to wave them over. Yang waves back, enthusiastically, entirely missing the point. “Idiot.”

Spotting Blake, Yang pouts. Mouths something. Behind her, Weiss can feel Blake laugh.

“I’m going to go dance,” Blake says. She squirms off the bar stool, kneeing Weiss in the back in the process. “You want to come?”

“You know,” Weiss says, watches Yang light up as Blake takes half a step toward the dance floor, “I’m going to sit this one out. Wheel’s up in ten.”

Blake hardly hears her, already striding toward the strobing lights, a confident walk belying any inebriation, tossing her short, dark hair over her shoulders. She falls into the beat and sway of the music easily, Yang’s hands palming her hips, stooping to whisper something in her ear.

Weiss turns away. Decides, suddenly, she has to pee. If just because waiting in the snaking bathroom line will give her something to do.

The rest of the bachelorette party is scattered around the bar and, to no one’s surprise, Ruby is nowhere to be seen.

She had met them all at the hotel earlier – let Yang wrestle her into a headlock, and graced Blake with a long hug. She looked – good. Wearing a sleeveless blouse and short skirt, paired with combat boots, it felt distinctly her. But she had cut her hair again, a layered bob falling just under her chin, and a fresh, raised red scar puckered at her shoulder, black stitches visible in another on her thigh, just under her hemline – looking distinctly like an animal bite.

She had hugged Weiss hello, brief and glancing, but even that – the innate smell of her, the cording strength of her muscles – had made Weiss feel sick with guilt.

With a tightly packed itinerary – cocktails at the bar, dinner reservations at a swanky Vacuan hot spot, then a meandering stroll to the club where they are now – Ruby had been able to avoid her easily. Or Weiss avoided her. It was hard to tell.

There was a row of single-stall bathrooms, and the line moved at a crawl. Trapped between other clubgoers, the close-humid air of the bar was thick with sweat, the stink of fruity body spray and the heady sugar of watered-down mixed drinks.

Like this, penned in on either side, trapped between snatches of conversation, between the blurred movement of bodies, the music bobbing heads, tapping feet, she feels entirely distant from the people around her.

It’s like she’s suffocated under the weight of some unseen barrier, her on one side, everyone else on the other. Her drinks rush to her head now, warping sound, blurring her vision, slowing the world to fragments. Beside her a man’s mouth moves as he talks to a friend, she looks at his teeth. Thinks again of the mark on Ruby’s thigh.

She’s at the head of the line now, and is suddenly desperate to escape the dim light, the noise. She lurches for the door, finds it unlocked, hurries inside. The music mutes instantly, like she’s pressed her face underwater, only the tempo of the bass follows.

It’s only after she falls back against the inside of the door, face flushed, breathing hard, that she realizes she isn’t alone.

Of course.

It’s Ruby, mid-motion, drying her hands with a pulpy, brown paper towel. Eyes comically wide, her perfect rosebud mouth dropped open, she looks deer-caught, flighty. Her skin shines with sweat, likes she’s been dancing – which, Weiss knows she has, had watched her spinning Nora on the dance floor about three drinks ago – and her clothes are a little mussed, blouse half-untucked, skirt rucked high on her hips.

Weiss is staring. She’s caught, and she staring.

Ruby tosses the paper towel into the bin without looking, crosses her arms protectively over her chest.

“Hey, Weiss.”

“Hi.” Her own voice sounds embarrassingly quiet.

A beat. They both start and stop sentences at the same time.

Ruby says, “you look – ” as Weiss says, “I should – ” and both fragments strangle away to nothing.

Ruby steps closer. Tries again. “You look really good.” Her eyes flit down, fix on Weiss’s chest, and her cheeks flush. “Did Blake pick that out?”

Softly, “yeah.”

Ruby smiles then – genuine, toothy, at her most Yang when her dimples press deep into her cheeks – “I can tell.”

Breathing a laugh, Weiss presses an arm to her stomach. “She is getting married tomorrow, I thought I should let her have it, just this once.”

Ruby’s face softens further, and she rubs at the back of her neck, like she’s curbing a reflex to reach for her. Crowded between the sink and the commode, it isn’t the perfect place for a reunion. The air smells sharp, like cleaning chemicals, but not enough to mask the lingering scent of vomit. The walls are close and dark, gratified with sharpie scribbles and feathery layers of stickers and posters, corners curling up to reveal the patchwork of histories underneath.

Weiss thinks this is a huge mistake. Weiss thinks this is the best thing to happen all night. Thinks this is the most herself she has felt in months, standing a few feet away from Ruby – close enough she can make out the sleepless shadows her eyes, can see the freckle at the corner of her mouth, can feel the tension, the possibility, of a conversation between them.

“I missed you,” she says.

Instantly, Ruby’s face hardens. It’s unfamiliar on her round, graceful futures. Her lips turn down, and her muscles in her jaw pop. “You don’t get to say that.”

“I can’t miss you?”

“You broke up with me. So, no. You don’t get to miss me.”

Weiss wrings her hands, feels panic rise in her throat like nausea. “We were never together,” she says, voice climbing, knows immediately it was the wrong thing to say.

Worse than anger, Ruby looks sad now, too, eyes glassy with a dangerous cocktail of fury and tears.

“We were fucking for nine months. I don’t know what else you can call that.”

“It was casual – ”

“You told me you loved me. Does that feel casual to you?”

“I do love you,” Weiss says. The metal of the door is cold through her dress. She wonders at the line outside; wonders how much time they have before the others come looking. “I didn’t mean for things to end I just – I just needed some space.”

“We can’t go back in time, so stop trying to reverse what you said,” Ruby says, a harsh whisper. “You knew exactly what you were doing.”

Ruby lurches forward like she’s going to leave, and Weiss presses back against the doorknob, instinctively, effectively blocking her.

Ruby flinches away, surprise flashing across her face, and Weiss feels her stomach drop at her own action. It feels like the kind of thing her father would have done, her brother. To keep her in there, to keep her caged.  She steps away from the door, vodka messy and drowning.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.” She turns her back, presses her face into her hands. “You can go, I’m so sorry.”

There’s silence, then the hush of footsteps. She waits to hear the lock click, for Ruby to slip away, but she feels the press of Ruby behind her, instead.

Ruby brings her hands up to Weiss’s shoulders carefully, like she’s waiting for permission. Weiss leans back into the touch. Exhales slowly, rubs hard at her eyes. She can feel her makeup blurring, is embarrassed when the heel of her palm comes away wet.

She sniffles, chokes out a hollow laugh. “I can’t believe I’m crying in a bathroom at the club. I’m a lesbian cliché.”

“Hey,” Ruby’s voice is gentle. Her hands tighten, rubbing soothingly at her upper arms. “I also cried, so. It kind of cancels out, if you think about it.”

Weiss laughs again, real this time, feels the firm muscle of Ruby against her shoulder blades. The buttons of her shirt press hard into her skin, and despite the situation, it ignites a familiar kind of thrill. “You shouldn’t be nice to me. You should forget about it, go back to the party and let me just, like, cry myself sober in here.”

“Well, the probability of that is zero, but you go ahead,” Ruby says. She dips her head, hooks her chin, gentle, over Weiss’s shoulder. “I’ll have tissues when you’re done.”

“Are you mad at me?” Weiss says, small.

Ruby’s weight bullies into her, her hands drop to Weiss’s stomach, stroke gentle over the near-sheer fabric. “I’m so fucking mad at you.” Weiss’s breath catches. “But we aren’t going to solve anything tonight. And this weekend is about Blake and Yang, it’s not about us.”

Weiss turns in her arms. Ruby doesn’t move, just stands facing her, toe-to-toe. Weiss thinks she had forgotten what it felt like to be looked at.

She feels flushed and caught, the center of someone’s entire attention, the pressure of Ruby’s gaze more familiar than almost anything else on earth. They’ve spent nearly a decade watching each other, protecting each other, and when Ruby leans in, slants her mouth against hers, Weiss kisses back like it’s the first time she’s been seen in months.

Maybe it is.

It’s a careful kiss, chaste, brief. More habit than anything, a careful, telling comfort. Ruby pulls away, runs a thumb under Weiss’s eye, cleaning up running makeup, brushing her bangs out of her face.

“What now?” Weiss breaths. She turns her face into Ruby’s hand, presses a careful kiss to her palm.

Ruby’s eyes are steady and gray, clear, like she’s wide-awake.

“We leave the bathroom, we apologize to the poor people behind us in line, and we follow your ridiculous itinerary.” She pauses to laugh. “I mean God, it’s more detailed than most of my battle plans.”

Weiss laughs, too. Heaves a shaky breath. Takes a step back. She knows enough to give Ruby her space, knows the conversation is long from over. “And later we’ll talk?”

“Yeah, Weiss,” Ruby reaches for the door, unlocks it with her thumb, and starts to turns the knob, “later we’ll talk.”

Weiss follows her out, slipping back into the half-dark of the club, the damp roil of the crowd, the strobing lights. She knows that somewhere on the dance floor, Yang and Blake are waiting for them.

Snaking through the packed bar, trying not to trip on empty plastic cups or wayward, thrashing limbs, she almost misses it – Ruby reaching back, a hand held out for her to take.

[beecherdrysdale]

Hiiii my bbs, I have literally been dreaming about going to Greece sooo I hope this is good

Adding onto brigids thoughts:

Okk so half of us pass out in the Uber that we take to the airport, so everybody is just holding onto each other barely awake or literally just fall asleep on you while waiting in line to get to security. Hehe ofc Ryan gets lost, and he’s like panic calling us and I just start laughing at him through phone. But then he finds us and I get beeped at security as usual and he’s chirping me and he gets beeped too and I chirp him, so it gets a bit chaotic at security.

Look at you brigid being organized and not over packing anything. I do the same thing to I just always add extra everything hehe. Hehe yes ‘Quinner how do you have more shit then me’ quinner likes pack extra as well hehe . We have a mini competition to see who brought more clothes lol.

Okkk everybody, Brigid has chosen, she is officially Jamie’s girl :)). Anywayssss you and Jamie are just sleeping and cuddling each other. You are in Jamie’s hoodie 🥺. Kesh and Kirby are also cuddling each other. Aww yes I’m in Quinners beanie !!. So far me and Ryan aren’t chirping you lol cuz it’s reallyyyyy early.

I wear a hoodie and sweats as well or for my bday my brother bought me a really cute sweatsuit so I might wear that lol. But I would love to wear Quinners 😌hehe we get on the plane and it���s you + Dylan and cozzy and Jamie sees and gets jealous ‘no Jamie I just got comfortable’ ‘please cozzy she’s my GIRLFRIEND’ and cozzy gets mildly terrified and says ‘only for $50’ so that happens and Jamie is super happy that he gets to sit with you. Hehe me and Ryan chirp you guys. Ok so I’m behind you, Jamie and Dylan. Then quinton, Braden and Peyton are behind my row. Kesh and Kirby are just sitting away from everybody because they aren’t ready to deal w us yet lol.

You+ Jamie +dyl. Okk so you are watching an action movie. Dylan falls asleep real quick, and you see that he’s in an uncomfy position so you just help him get more comfortable. So now that Dylan’s passed out Jamie cuddles up to you and you start playing with his hair and he loves it and it’s making him fall asleep but he’s still trying to stay awake because he wants to be w you. But you reassure him and help him get comfortable. You wrap him in a blanket hehe. Brigid you have a hard situation here because you have two hockey players asleep on you. After a bit they wake up to eat and make you rewatch the movie and your like why do I have to I didn’t pass out. Oo uno is fun, same with poker. But Jamie gets bored and just starts to braid your hair while you play with Dylan. Also when Jamie wakes up he whisper ‘thank you baby’ and you give him a kiss. Oo also while he’s sleeping you trace his freckles 🥺.

Kesh and Kirby are just chilling and being adorable. They both just make sure that they are comfy. Top tier couple.

Lexi+quinner(+Ryan)- hehe yes Quinner is immune to coffee even after drinking his two cups and half of mine. We made Ryan carry the drinks cuz we are clumsyyyyy. Awww yes, I’m vv in my Quinner feels tonight so Quinner falls asleep on me and I cuddle him and play with his hair because I am not giving back that beanie. I’ll make sure he’s comfy and all. Haha yes me and Ryan are just super loud and competitive w the game we are playing, probably uno, poker or connect 4 lol. And you turn to us and say ‘guys can you shut up, Jamie and everyone is sleeping’ and we are like ‘ok and?’ And you chirp us and we chirp you back until we realize that we really don’t want to wake everybody up lol. Ya I get up a lot on the plane so Ryan and I and you would just be walking along the aisles hehe. Ryan gets tired eventually and passes out and Quinner wakes up and we have some cute moments🥺. We just cuddle and I lay my head on his shoulder and he kisses my mild freckles.

Let’s say we are in first class cuz we got good salaries lol and we really need the leg room since we tall. Airplane food isn’t to bad. But the snacks would be elite. I’ll make sure to get our snacks brigid cuz we have similar tastes in snacks :)). Hehe yes I keep stealing snacks from them, and then get hungry and ask me to give you some but I get annoyed lol. So the y start throwing the snacks and accidentally hit Jamie and Dylan in the head but thankfully they didn’t notice.

Okkkk so now the captain announced that we are landing in like 10 mins and everybody is just super excited to get off the plane. Oo Jamie keeps showing you things through the window 🥺.

Ok so we landed, I get up quick and so do some off the other boys so that the team can get off the plane first. It’s kinda chaotic with everybody trying to get their luggage and some people get smacked in the face. Question does your hair start to curl when the air is humid. Cuz that always happens to me and it’s what I love about traveling to warm places because my hair looks good lol.

Okkk so pass border control etc and all get out of the airport. Also you and Jamie are holding hands the entire time ;)). Would you rather rent a car or take a taxi to the hotel?. Anyways we leave the airport and everybody is just so happy that we are in Greece right now!! It’s sunny and beautiful.

Skip to getting to the hotel: I think our hotel is pretty nice, and we get there at like 2 . would you share your room with Jamie or get a solo? Anywayssss we get to the hotel and all say that we are going to meet up to go to the beach for a bit? Because we just wanna wake up and cool off in the water and possibly tan.

Brigid you walk out in your bikini and Jamie is in awe like how is she that gorgeous. And some boy makes a comment and he glares at him. And he literally carries you into the water. Kesh and Kirby just want to be constantly around each other so they are cuddles to together under an umbrella sipping on drinks or possibly swimming together. Quinner and I are racing each other into the water, and then we both tackle each other at the same time. And then we see who can jump over the wave. And maybe we just hold onto each other and have moments😏 same w you and Jamie .

Side note: I’ve had some bad/funny experiences w waves because some big ones just pulled me under and I would just land on the shore lol. It would take me such a long time to regain my breathing lol.

Some of the boys are chilling and tanning because they want to get some good tans. Some boys have already met some girls and some are in the water with us.

Later we all go shower and get changed to go out for dinner w the team. I never blow dry my hair esp on vacays because it dries really quickly and I get curls wbu? You me and kesh get dressed into really cute summery outfits, I see myself in a flowy skirt and a tshirt or a sleeveless top- I am owning the freckles on my arms hehe. Brigid I can see you in shorts or maybe even in a denim skirt? And in a top that shows your pretty bralette. Kesh I see you in a sundress? Like a red or yellow sundress that looks amazing !!

They boys are speechless because we are owning our outfits. Anywayssss we all go to a restaurant by the beach and just have such a nice time. And maybe after some Brigid +Jamie and Kirby +kesh time on the beach at night 😏

Okkk I hope this was ok. Pt 4 will be more of our trip !!

omgggg i love all of this! lexi you’re amazing, thank you for providing the quality team canada content it is amazing. anywayssss long post

haha all of us just falling asleep on each other in the car and then when we’re in line for security. like jamie just rests his head on my shoulder while we’re standing there and somehow falls asleep lol. and then ryan gets lost bc ofc he does and we’re laughing at him but then we’re like oh shit we need to help him find us so we don’t miss our flight. so then we help him back to security where he and lexi both get beeped and chirp each other about it lmao

hehe yes i finally chose jamie🥰. dyl and i are more like chaotic best friends who are maybe a little flirty but ultimately are just friends lol. so anywaysss jamie is the softest bf so he lets me wear his hoodie and we cuddle up and sleep together in the airport🥺 and kesh and kirby are also cuddling and lexi is wearing quinner’s beanie that she stole lol. and thankfully ryan’s still tired and lexi’s busy with quinner so they won’t start chirping me and jamie yet. and also we’re all wearing the boys’ sweartshirts that they gave to us

hehe yes then we’re on the plane and jamie sees me with dyl and cozzy and he just begss cozzy to switch with him. and cozzy’s already gotten comfortable so he’s like “no jamie just sit in your own seat". but jamie’s like “pleaseeeeee it’s my girlfriend”. so then cozzy seeing the perfect money-making technique (and also mildly terrified lmao) it like “fine i guess i’ll switch but only if you pay me $50″. and jamie’s just like “done” and hands the money over. so then jamie and i are both really happy and ofc you and ryan are awake enough to chirp us now lol. and the two of you are sitting behind us with quinner and then quinton, braden, and peyton are behind you guys. and kesh and kirby aren’t ready to deal with us bc it’s too damn early so they purposely chose the seats far away from us lol. and the other boys are just scattered throughout the plane

me+jamie+dyl - so we’re watching our movie and dyl falls asleep realllll quick bc he didn’t sleep at all in the airport. so then i help him get comfy bc besty things and i feel bad for him bc i think sleeping in airplanes is uncomfy lol. and then jamie cuddles up to me and i start playing with his hair🥺 so then he starts falling asleep again so ofc i help him get comfy and give him a blanket so he can sleep. and then while he’s sleeping i get to play with his hair and trace his freckles🥰 so then when he wakes up he just kind of mumbles “thank you baby” and i’m like “of course” and kiss him. and then they make me rewatch the movie with them and i’m just like “whyyyyyy” but then i make them play uno and poker with me so it’s all good. but then jamie gets bored and starts playing with my hair and braiding it🥺 and it actually turns out decent this time

kesh+kirby - perfect, amazing, adorable together. trying to keep us under control, but eventually just give in and ignore the chaos and pretend they don’t know us lmao

lexi+quinner(+ryan) - hehe yes lexi and quinner made ryan carry the coffee bc they’re too clumsy and then quinner drank a shit ton of it, but he still manages to fall asleep on the plane. and then lexi makes sure he’s comfy and starts playing with his hair, all while wearing his beanie ofc. but then you’re being super loud and competitive with ryan playing a ton of games and stuff. so then i’m like “guys stfu, jamie and the other guys are sleeping” and you guys are like “so what?” before realizing you really don’t want to wake everyone up. so then you guys shut up and start wandering the plane lol. but then eventually ryan gets tired and falls asleep and quinner wakes up and you guys are being all cutsie. and you’re cuddling and kissing each other’s freckles and then me and jamie chirp you guys bc payback lol

hehe yes first class bc rich boyssss. so we actually have pretty good food but the snacks are still better. and then eventually the guys just start throwing snacks to me bc it’s faster than handing them to you to hand them to me lol

and then we’re about to land so jamie’s pointing out things out the window to me and getting super excited, so ofc i’m excited too. and then we land and all get up fast af bc we’re not waiting for other people to get off the plane lol. also i pray to God that no one in our group claps when the plane lands bc that shit pisses me off lol. so anyways it’s just chaotic getting our stuff and getting off the plane lol. my baby hairs would be getting curly from the humidity, but the rest would just turn wavy. so anyways then me go through border control and me and jamie are holding hands and so are kesh and kirby but lexi and quinner can’t bc they both have sm shit to carry lol. and then we rent a car to take to the hotel and everyone’s just in a super good mood bc we finally made it

hehe then we finally get to our hotel which is nice bc again rich boyssss. and then me and jamie would share a room bc i’m broke lol and also bc i love him and want to be as close to him as i can😍 so then we put our stuff in our rooms and get ready to go to the beach. and then obviously all our boys are so impressed by us in our swimsuits, and each of them (jamie, quinner, and kirby) is just like “damn she’s gorgeous, how’d i get so lucky” and then some guy tries to like catcall me and jamie just death glares him lmao

hehe jamie just carrying me to the water “jamie i can walk myself yk” “ik i just love you, i want to carry you” “ok thank you bb” and then kesh and kirby ALWAYS together. swimming together, cuddling together on the beach, going to get food together etc. and then lexi and quinner racing and tackling each other into the waves and stuff lol. and i make jamie join bc i’m a competitive bitch lol and i obvi can’t just leave him alone. hehe getting pulled under by waves isn’t a problem for me bc i have good breath control lol. and then you and quinner and me and jamie could have moments😏 esp bc we’re in the water which makes everyone look extra hot. meanwhile the other guys are like all playing volleyball together or picking up girls lmao

then we all go shower to get ready for dinner. personally i never blow dry my hair and my showers are really fast so i would be ready fast lol. ooh lexi and kesh looking cute, lexi with her sleeveless shirt and flowy skirt and kesh with her sundress. i’m wearing shorts bc i basically refuse to wear anything else lol. hehe but i have a cute shirt that shows off a cute bralette so it makes up for my lack of skirt lol. and then the boys are just speechless bc of our outfits and they’re making sure to keep us close the whole night. oooh and then beach time at night😏

okkkk i love all of this and i’m so excited for part 4!!