#i went on a walk around it today and found a little lookout with some docks below

[mudson]

the allure of a large body of water and diving into it

[lani-heart]

|| series masterlist || next // previously

parings -> sim jaeyun x reader genre -> non-idol au, school au, hyrbid au warnings -> neglected, running away, arrange marriage word count -> 2.1k

abstract -> pretending to be human... was hard.

y/n's perspective

“Yah! What are you even doing on Jeju Island?! I don’t know what Mom and Dad said but… at least answer me?” he was mad but worried… he also sounded tired. 

I wonder if they asked him to look for me. 

I got lucky with online classes this semester. However, the raging headache wasn’t helping to pay attention to the professor. Maybe I needed some food…

I was staying at an apartment for the time being until I found out what I was going to do. “Hmm. Are you going somewhere?” I heard and I smiled. “Yeah, tell Asahi I'll be back soon… if he wakes up before I come back,” I said and he looked worried. 

“I’ll be fine,” I said and he sighed. “It's just… this place is dangerous for you to go alone” Jaehyuk worried and I smiled. “I’ll be back soon,” I said and he nodded as he watched me leave. 

I walked to the convenience store where I noticed a boy… he looked rough. I walked in to get a simple fast meal when I saw the boy from earlier look into the window squinting at the specials today. He was… hungry. 

I grabbed an extra kimbap, ramyeon, and coffee for him when I went outside. He seemed… scared or worried. He looked too young to be on the streets. Maybe… he ran away, like me? He had his hands covering his face making me wonder if he was crying. 

I sighed but placed the kimbap, ramyeon, and coffee in front of him. 

“Ah, oh thank you so much!” he said, and… he was pretty. I wonder how he found himself in this situation. “Are you okay?” I asked and he chuckled. “I will be…” he confirmed and I smiled. “I know how it is… just be careful here okay?” I asked and he nodded. 

“Thank you so much… you’re kind” 

“Yah! I told you how many times?! Never go out by yourself!” I got scolded and I sighed. “I bought breakfast!” I said and he sighed. “Talk to Hyunsuk, y/n. He’s worried sick… he texted me saying you're in Jeju and he wants me to keep on the lookout for you. Tell him” he said and he’s been saying this for days but… I couldn’t confide in Hyunsuk. Not for this. 

“Asahi? Would you just accept what they offered me?” I asked and he sighed. “I think… if I were you I’d do the same and run. But that won’t solve your problem. You only have so much money you can use up. You have to go back eventually” he said and I nodded. 

“I know... If I just want to scare them. They were worried about Hyunsuk when he left… They even told him he could come back and that they were sorry. I want them to apologize to me and to… take that back” I said and he smiled. “I know… eat and study. You can’t fail your classes. I have my internship in an hour so don’t be too much trouble for Jaehyuk '' he warned and I sighed. 

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

“Can we please?!” he begged and I chuckled. “Sure, if you want it that bad '' I said, submitting to buying the lion’s favorite snacks. I know Asahi hates when I go out without him but for good reason… It was dangerous to be roaming around here, especially since it's such a rural area. 

I have Jaehyuk with me… however, despite being a lion, he was the scariest hybrid ever. 

“Hey Jaehyuk, what do you want… for dinner?” I said with my voice trailing off. Where did he go? He was here a second ago?

I looked around for him… he had his collar on. But Asahi had his chip location, not me… where did he go? He couldn’t have gone far?! I felt panicked… I didn’t just lose his hybrid. He means the world to Asahi. 

“Oh? Are you looking for your hybrid?” I heard and I nodded. “Yeah, a lion hybrid? Have you seen him?” I asked and he chuckled. “He went outside, little lady,” he said and I was shocked. “What?” I said before leaving the groceries and going outside. Why would he wander off….

“What’s a lady like you doing out here?” I heard and I sighed. I couldn't care less about this. I need to find Jaehyuk– “It's rude to ignore someone!” he said as he grabbed my arm rather harshly. 

“Let go!” I yelled. He chuckled and I soon saw the guy who told me Jaehyuk was outside walking to us. “Help–” “I was gonna ask that of you. You should help us,” he said… Did he lie to me?

Then Jaehyuk should be inside… fuck. 

“What’s wrong what's with–” “Do you bastards have nothing else better to do than run around and harass women?” I heard… the boy from this morning. “Go away, kid–” “You go away! How much of an incel are you to be grabbing a girl who was simply buying groceries?!” he said and they scoffed. 

“Whatever,” they said and walked off, probably to find someone else to bother. 

“Thank you, and I appreciate all that I do! But I need to find–” “The hybrid you're looking for didn’t even leave the grocery store. I could help you find him if you want?” he offered and I was confused. 

“How did you know?” I asked. He soon looked nervous… “I was trying to find my way to a bus station and was walking here when you ran out of there” he explained and I sighed. 

“I must've looked crazy,” I said and he chuckled. 

“It's honorable how much you care about a hybrid," he said and I was confused. “I mean of course… Even though he isn't mine I love him to pieces. I wouldn't know what to do if I did lose him” I said and he nodded. 

“Come on,” he said as he led me inside and I don’t know where he was leading me if he thought we’d find… Jaehyuk who was standing in front of the candy aisle with his hands grabbing multiple gummy candies. 

I should’ve looked here first… 

“Hey, why are you crying?” the boy asked me and I didn’t realize. “y/n? Are you okay? Who is–” he was suddenly defensive… but I hugged him. “I thought I lost you!” I cried and he chuckled. “I guess I shouldn't have left you. I swore to myself I was gonna be quick,” he said as he patted my head. 

“Where did you find this do–” “Ah! I should get going…” The guy left and I was confused. “Wait! I need to thank you… I mean you helped me from those guys and found him.” I said and he smiled. “No worries… just be safe,” he said and I shook my head. 

“Please?” I asked and he sighed but looked at Jaehyuk almost… scared. “Oh… he’s harmless, trust me. Or… are you allergic?” I asked knowing some people were allergic to feline hybrids. 

“No… I'm not, I just don’t want to intrude” he said and I chuckled. “y/nnie… he’s a h–” “Ok then!” he said and I nodded. “Hmm. What’s around to eat Jaehyuk?” I asked him and he sighed… 

“I don’t know” 

jake’s perspective

She didn’t know I was a hybrid nor did I want her to know. My ears didn’t stand tall like other dog hybrids so hiding them in my hair was easy with a few bobby pins… and the big black coat I stole from Riki hid my tail perfectly…

However… I could never hide from a hybrid. The lion could smell me and easily tell… while y/n was trying to look for somewhere to eat he was only glaring at me. 

“y/nnie… shouldn’t we go pay?” he asked and she nodded. “Yeah, did you get everything you wanted?” she asked and I felt the same bitterness I get when I see Riki and his owner. 

“Yes, thank you again!” he said and she grinned as she walked to the line and we waited for her by the door. “What’s your deal? Trying to play human?” he asked and I sighed. 

“Please don’t tell her?” I begged and he scoffed. “Why? I don’t know you nor do I owe you anything to keep your secret'' he said and he was right. “Is she your owner?” I asked and he shook his head. “But she’s a friend of my owner and she’s a friend to me,” he said and I nodded. “She’s kind…” I said and he sighed.

“Did you run away from home or something?” he asked me and I sighed. “I’ve never been adopted… I ran away from my adoption center. They… were going to send me to a breeding farm” I explained and he was silent. 

“I… ran. I still don’t know why. It's not like I'll last long, '' I said and he sighed. “I paid for everything!” I heard as she happily came over and the lion hybrid grabbed her bags. “So did you decide where we’re going to eat?” He asked her… he was not going to tell her? 

“Oh yeah, I found this one place!” 

She treated us to a good dinner, which I never really experienced, especially growing up in an adoption center. I think the best meals were when we had adoption events where they would do outside barbecues. 

“Thank you again… I never got your name?” she asked and I chuckled. “Jake,” I said and she smiled… I never had someone smile like that to me. “y/n! It's good to meet you… I hope you get back on your feet and maybe we’ll meet again?” she said and I nodded. The hybrid only sighs with our interaction… I wonder if he’ll tell her when they’re gone. 

Either way, I was back to being alone… what was I even doing?

I walked along the alleyway when I bumped into someone… “Ah sorry!” he said and bowed to me but left in a hurry before I could even realize… his wallet! “Hyung I know… yeah I’ll be in Japan for a few months so don’t worry about it,” he said which I could hear from his distance. I can’t believe I was going to do this… 

“Sir! Your wallet!” I said and he bowed. “Thank you! I must've not noticed!” he said with a smile and a wave off. I took three things from his wallet… a black card, a plain white card, and a student ID. 

“So Junghwan… I hope you don’t mind. You did say you weren’t going to be in Korea for a few months” 

taglist -> @ilovecheese09 @gudkc @nikisvanillaccola @blossominghunnie @mheretoreadff @k1ttylvr @starzniiky @kibs-and-bits @b3tt7boop @in-somnias-world @lol6sposts @xiaoderrrr @jihyosgfremade @b-a-nshee-blog @mimisamisasa @katsukis1wife @eggomi @thunderous-wolf @tinyteezer @lilactangerine @starfallia

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[angelkissiies]

CLOSE CALL

pairing : abby anderson x reader x ellie williams

cw : canon violence, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, use of alcoholic beverages, a little more angst as seasoning.

proof read : yes | no | kinda

a/n : this is taking place in jackson, joel is alive and well. ellie and abby are good friends and the world is still gross and infected but a little more peaceful.

word count : 3.8k

The crisp morning air bit at your fingers as you held your rifle to your chest. It was only 5am and you found yourself walking alone outside of Jackson's walls with nothing but a gun and a place in mind. It sounded like a good idea in your earlier state of delusion, but now as you trekked towards the abandoned ski lodge- the regret crept in. As much as you enjoyed the solitude of the lodge, something kept nagging at you to turn back. A voice in your head was screaming, but the forest remained silent. No infection, no people, no danger. So, despite your self preservation instincts begging you to turn around, you continued to push forward.

“Goddamn I hate this hill.” You huffed, coming to a stop in front of the town's lookout tower. The road to reach the lodge went directly through the heart of the tiny town, taking you along through the ancient routes of people long forgotten. Though, the sentiment wasn’t enough to keep you from hating this place. Through the past few years living in Jackson, you’d had quite a few secret rendezvous outside of the walls, most of which took place here. With it being the most easily accessible, empty, town- teens quite enjoyed the trek. Especially when it led to what was now duped, ‘the love shack.’ A,K.A. The only house on the block that still had a bedroom intact. One that you had fallen victim of more than once with all the wrong people.

Though, you weren’t allowed a moment to dwell on your regrets as your ears tuned into the familiar sound of infected. Their growling sent your body into flight mode, and before you could even figure out where they were, you began to run. “Fuck.” You hissed, hearing the sounds grow nearer, as you ducked into a cluttered alleyway. The nook was nestled between two old apartment buildings, giving the illusion of an escape route. Yet, as you pushed your way through the maze of old, rotting trash from years gone by- the only hope was to crawl on top of the dumpster and into one of the broken windows of the building.

As you pushed yourself up, ignoring the possibility of more infected- or god forbid, worse- being inside this unmarked and unsearched building, you took half a second to recall the patrol schedule for today. A monday, early morning- Abby and Ellie. As always. Whilst that gave some comfort, you had to focus on the situation at hand- not the possible rescue from the girls you’d been actively avoiding. Now, It was not knowing or death and for once you chose the former. From the eyeline on top of the dumpster, you caught a small glimpse of a pack of at least six infected running directly past the alleyway in search of a meal. For now, they seemed to be off of your trail but surely, your luck would run out eventually. So gingerly, you swept the glass shards from the window seal, avoiding giving away your position, before stepping into the wrecked studio apartment.

From a glance, you could tell that someone had really loved this place. There were remnants of posters and artwork that hung on rusted nails, torn into pieces from the years as they wore the paper thin. The walls had taken on a dusty green color from the pursuit of moss but before, it patched together in a shade of blush unbeknownst to most people who had passed through this place before you. It was enough to let your guard down, to slow your reactions as the world felt a little gentler in that moment.

What a mistake.

Before you could even take a breath, the hands of something unknown to you had wound its hands in your hair, violently jerking your head back to access your arteries. It had been completely silent, giving you no time to reach for your gun that you had let rest against the wall.

“Fuck! Get the fuck off!” You screamed, attempting to grip the mutated stump that posed as a head. It growled, something deep and raspy near the lobe of your ear, sending a jolt of undeniable panic into your bones as you struggled to get the upper hand. You couldn't die like this, no, you wouldn't die like this. So with a harsh kick, you threw your leg back against the stalker's kneecaps, sending the being onto the floor and promptly allowing the smallest of windows to unravel yourself from its grip.

It was going to work, you were almost free, when a gut wrenching noise echoed out through the building. Clicking. From this distance, you couldn’t tell how many there were, but from the sounds of it there was more than one. Anything could’ve happened on this short trip, but somehow it just happened to be the absolute worst thing that could've happened on any trip. Survivors' luck, right?

You couldn't open your mouth, the idea of alerting the clickers too much for you to handle. So you had to maneuver silently, using what strength you had left to keep your grip on the stalker's throat- which in turn kept its mouth arms length away. You didn’t have much on you, as you thought this was just going to be a short day trip to the lodge, so you made due with the things you had. Things being a ballpoint pen that was nestled into your front jacket pocket, just within reach.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out. Startling yourself and the creature vying for your flesh. Giving you just enough time to grab the pen and jam it into the eye socket of the stalker, shoving it as deep as you could with the palm of your hand before it finally slumped over- its weight collapsing completely on top of you. With a shove, you rolled the thing onto the floor and found your footing, smoothing your hair down as you grabbed your gun and catapulted yourself out of the clicker infested apartment building, throwing no hesitation to your fall onto the iced over ground.

“Abby, behind you!”

Oh fuck.

You dodged through the mounds of trash, throwing yourself back out onto the street. The scene was quite what you expected, seeing the two girls dismounted from the horses slaughtering the infected that you had just been running from.

Abby noticed you first, her eyes widening before moving back to look at Ellie. “Uh, Els. Don’t look now but we have company.” She grunted, throwing the infected off of her and crushing its skull with her boot. It was one of the last ones, the other being nestled in Ellie’s arms- head disconnecting from its spine.

She didn't hesitate to spin around with her gun aimed directly at you, arm slacking gently once she realized it was you. “(Y/n), what the fuck are you doing out here?” She chided, tucking her gun back into her waistband, moving her hand to wipe the sweat from her brow. Her brown jacket was now splattered in blood, adding an intimidating aura to the woman as she zeroed in on you.

You didn’t dare look over to Abby, the idea of the both of them staring you down with such vexation making your knees weak. “Nothing, I'm doing nothing. No need to worry.” You assured, keeping your destination a secret as you shifted your weight from foot to foot. You had made a show out of avoiding the two women within the walls of Jackson that now you had no escape from the uncomfortable tension that saturated the air as you spoke.

Abby approached slowly, eyes skimming over your body before they landed on the semi-hidden splatter of blood by your neck. Not even to mention the bruising that had begun to develop in place of the stalkers ravaging fingers. “Is that blood?” She asked, raising a hand to brush your hair back, away from the harsh contrasting blood against your skin.

“What happened, are you bit?” Ellie voiced her worry, moving to your opposite side, eyeing Abby’s hands as they moved to scour the area for any signs of infection. She was one to worry, after all, her immunity protected no one but herself- which made it hard to stay grounded when the possibility arose.

“No, no bites. I'm fine.” You responded, attempting to wriggle out of Abby’s soft yet firm grip. “Seriously, I handled it. No need to worry.”

The women exchanged a look before Abby turned her attention back to you, “That aside, you are not supposed to be out here. We have to take you back.” She stated matter-of-factly, her arms winding back to cross over her chest. The tan jumper she wore pulled at the seams, stretching to account for the tensing of her muscles as she moved.

An exasperated sigh left your mouth before you could control it, earning a sharp look from the girl to your right. “No, I'm sorry guys but I'm not going back right now. I’ll head back in when I'm done.” You stated firmly, moving to turn away from the women, only halting when a hand clasped around your wrist.

Ellie’s grip was tight, not tight enough to hurt you though.“Done with what exactly?” She questioned, her green eyes piercing into your soul as you spun around to face her. You were now stuck between the two of them, avoidance paying into the situation you found yourself in now. “Where were you going?”

You internally kicked yourself for saying anything at all, shaking your head as you jerked your wrist back. Taking a fleeting step backwards to gain some distance, despite the situation at hand- the glow in her eyes took you back to that night.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ begin flashback ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

The haze in the bar hung low as people chatted back and forth about town and social matters alike, the sheer volume deafening as you took another sip from the glass of whiskey before you. It wasn’t your drink of choice but between that and Seth’s homemade hootch- you’d make due with it.

Ellie and Abby sat at a booth on the other side of the room, chatting about god knows what, as they sucked down shot after shot of something you didn’t quite recognize. You tried not to stare, as everyone knows it's not polite, but there was something so captivating about seeing the two of them so happy. So much so that you took to stealing glimpses of the pair, not letting yourself linger too long incase they began to notice. Ellie was wearing a long sleeved green top, the sleeves shoved up to rest around her forearm exposing her tattoo. The sight made your stomach twist, watching in awe as she challenged her companion to an arm wrestle.

Abby happily obliged, knowing she would win. She always won, with her arms three times the size of Ellie’s even whilst relaxed. So she braced herself on the tabletop, stretching her fingers out before locking hands with Ellie. Her soft dirty blonde hair framed her face, leaving you unable to makeout what she was thinking or even feeling in the moment, so you tore your eyes from the sight.

“Hey, (Y/n).” Joel settled beside you at the bar, motioning towards Seth for a drink. He was still chilly, his jacket shedding snow as he shrugged it off and laid it on the seat beside him.

You jumped slightly at the greeting, not expecting someone to actually acknowledge you in your preoccupied haze. “Hey,” You began, your brain moving faster than your mouth. “Joel, hi. What’s up?”

The man chuckled lightly, accepting a glass filled with a dark liquor from Seth’s hands. He took a sip, grimacing, before turning his attention back to you. “Hey yourself, how long have you been here?” He questioned, noting the way you’d been nursing the glass before you. Not many would’ve noticed the way the glass's condensation had created a puddle on the bar, nor how your fingers had pruned slightly from the way you’d been gripping the wet glass. But Joel did, he always did.

“Too long, I think.” You admitted with a shaky laugh, moving to wipe your hands on your pants. It was true, you’d been sitting in your own delusion fueled haze for what felt like nothing. “What time is it now?”

Joel flipped his wrist, checking his watch before turning back to you. “Just about eleven. What’s keeping you, honey?” He asked, finishing off his drink in another fast sip. He coughed lightly, shaking his head as he pushed the glass away. Not even he could stomach more than a little of the homemade bunch. “Why aren’t you with your friends? I saw Ellie when I came in, she’s with that girl- Abby. They seem to be having a lot of fun.”

The mere mention of the duo in the corner made your stomach flip, in a good or bad way- you hadn’t yet decided. The truth was, you’d come to realize you’d harbored feelings for the women, and you didn’t know how to handle it. Their presence made you nervous and the idea of being alone with them felt like you might actually stroke out (lucky eugene, you found yourself thinking). “I-i couldn’t.” You managed, taking a harsh gulp of air before letting your head fall down to rest on the wooden bar top.

“What’s going on with you? You used to hang out with them all the time, right?” He halted, mind running with ideas to figure out what could possibly be keeping you from the company of the women you called friends. “Did they do something to hurt you? Is that it?” He knew it was unlikely, the two being pretty tame in nature, but he wasn’t willing to knock anything out- seeing as your usually bubbly personality had been replaced with a dreary, anxiety ridden one.

“No, no. Never.” The words left your mouth before you could stop them, needing to make sure that he knew that it was you. They’d done no wrong, you just couldn’t get past your stupid crush on the duo. “They would never hurt me, They’re too nice. Even Abby, though she seems really mean.” You paused, hesitating as you glanced over at the man.

“Joel, can I ask you a question?”

The man nodded, turning his body to look at your barely noticeable eyes peeking up at him from the bar. “Anything, shoot.”

“Do you think someone is capable of loving two people at once?”

The question had been weighing on your mind, the possibility of you being able to encapsulate that much love in your one body was unlikely. So did it exist? The ability to have fallen head over heels for two people instead of one? You found yourself daydreaming about a life you could share with them, a long life bursting at the seams with love. How could you ever expect to recover from the longing that had engrained itself inside of you, fusing with that makes you who you are.

Better yet, how could you ever not love them?

Joel hesitated, his eyes momentarily darting from you to the girls who sat unknowingly at the center of attention across the room, and for once- things finally started adding up. “Well, sure.” He began, nodding along as he spoke. “I mean at one point it wasn’t believed our bodies could hold so much water. People used to say that, that was too much- but it was true. So, how can we deny the ability for our bodies to hold that much love?”

His words weighed on your heart, the familiar anxious thumping picking up as you found yourself looking to him for help. “I don’t know what to do, Joel. I’ve never felt this way and everytime i look at them- it starts all over again.” You gushed, quieting for a moment before finding the words you had wanted to say the entire time. “I’m not sure what falling in love feels like, but from what I can tell, I feel something like it when I see Abby.. and Ellie.”

A cough drives you from your reticent confession, ripping your eyes from Joel to figure out who might've had the balls to interrupt at such a time. That was, until your eyes landed on two people instead of one. Two women, THE two women you had just confided in your close friend about.

You saw stars with how fast you jumped to your feet, moving to dodge the extended hands that attempted to deter your departure. “Fuck me.” You groaned, throwing open the door to the bar before sprinting out into the snow.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ end flashback ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

“The Lodge.” You gave in, pointing up to the ski lodge that sat snug at the top of the hill. Doing this, then gave away your personal haven- but for the chance to escape this situation, you’d do just about anything. “I was going there to clear my head.”

Abby hummed in acknowledgement, following your eyes up to the massive ski lodge, it was easily a full day's walk with the way the snow had piled onto the roads. Though, she didn’t quite expect you to know that, considering you usually kept inside the safety of Jackson's walls- tending to the farm animals and harvesting crops in the fall. She liked that about you, you didn’t go putting yourself in danger if you didn’t have to. “You wouldn’t have made it there before dark, you know that right?”

With a sigh you shrugged, avoiding being too close to either party as you shifted your weight from leg to leg, distracting yourself by any means necessary.

Ellie groaned, crossing her arms tightly across her chest as she looked at you. “Okay, out with it. I'm sick of this.” She began, giving Abby a glance as she began to step forward towards you. “We heard everything, yes, but that is no reason to avoid us. I mean-,”

“No, Ellie, you can’t just tell me how I can feel about this.” You laughed breathlessly, shaking your head as you took another step back. “I wasn’t ready for you guys to know, I mean fuck! I was barely ready to know myself.”

The rush of emotion led you to back up directly into Abby’s solid chest, successfully trapping yourself between the two women. If the unexpected intervention wasn’t overwhelming enough, now you had every reason to allow your eyes to well into tears. Their usually bright demeanor being hazed over with a lul of sadness. The two people you valued most in your life witnessed a moment of vulnerability and now you felt they hated you for it, or worse, they were disgusted with you by it.

“Hey, hey.” Abby cooed, hands landing on your shoulders to swing you around- facing her now as the tears began to race down your cheeks. There was nothing holding you back now, the wall was broken- truth splayed out for everyone to see. “Look at me.” She spoke, her left hand sliding under your chin, tilting your head up to look her in the eyes.

The sight was almost enough for her to lose her composure, instinctively wanting to pull you close and wipe away the tears that now streaked down your blushed cheeks. She restrained herself though, using the pads of her thumbs to gently swipe the cascade of tears from your jaw. Abby wasn’t the softest person, in fact- most people in Jackson referred to her as emotionless, but as she stood before you something inside of her felt the need to deaden around you- to create a barrier between the world and you. Something inside of her yearned to protect you, even if it was from herself.

“We wanted to talk to you, that night. After you left, Joel told us everything.” The woman explained, nodding over to Ellie.

Ellie nodded as well, moving to rest her hand on your waist. The contrast of touch was making your head spin, firm and soft. Loving and protecting. “It’s true, I tried to follow you outside but it was snowing too hard. I lost you.”

The tears had slowed, your glossy eyes moving from one girl to the other- searching for the unsaid words they had been dancing around. “I don’t understand, why?” You asked, eyebrows furrowed as your eyes searched Ellie’s for an answer.

Say it.

Please, god, say it.

“We want you.”

“We want to be with you too.”

Your head spun, the words falling from your lips in the form of an inaudible gasp. This wasn’t real life, there was no way that this was real life. Things never work out so well, the girl never gets exactly what she wants- so what was the catch? What was about to be thrown at you in exchange for the love of two women who meant more than the world to you.

“What?” Was the only thing that left your mouth, making Ellie release a small laugh in turn.

Abby chuckled, rolling her eyes playfully before dipping down to your height and pressing the lightest kiss to your lips. It was a mere brush, but the sensation sent a chill down your spine. Her mouth lingering before yours for a couple more seconds, allowing her breath to fan across your face- giving birth to the bursts of color in your cheeks. “I’m with you.” She whispered, taking a step back.

The empty space was quickly filled with Ellie, her smile sending a pang of nerves into your stomach. Her touch was gentle, but beneath the facade, you could see the restraint she was showing. Ellie’s nimble hand slithered around to the back of your neck, the other placed firmly on your collar bone before she pulled you into her. Her kiss was rougher than Abby’s, the surprise falling from your mouth in the form of a small whimper- in which Ellie devoured gratefully- But just as it began, it ended. She pulled away from you, letting her forehead rest against your own. “I'm with you.”

“We’re together. What the fuck.” You laughed, partly in disbelief and partly in delight. The anxiety you’d been harboring dissipated, being replaced with waves of adoration for the women before you. How was this real life? It didn’t even matter anymore, real or not. Staying or fleeting. You’d take what you could get.

Ellie chuckled lightly, glancing back at Abby before checking her watch. “C’mon. You’re on patrol with us today. If we have time at turnover, we’ll head up to your lodge.” She stated matter-of-factly, motioning towards the horses that shuffled back and forth in anticipation. The feeling of momentary bliss refused to fade, engulfing those around you in a haze of new love.

Today was day one of many more to come, and whether it was for the better or for the worst, they were with you.

a/n : part two following the events of the lodge? smut would take place then, let me know your thoughts on a continuation !

[mushies-stories]

Blackmail- pt2

Eren Yeager X FReader

Rating: 18+ kids go home!

part one

Summary: Eren was your high school bully who secretly wanted you but couldn't admit it to himself. that was until he found you at his collage and something in him reignited. coming up with a plan, he won't tell your friends you're embarrassing high school stories if agree to a special arrangement he swears you'll both enjoy.

Warnings: Smut, sex pnv, handjob and fingering, unexpected creampie, pet names, mild manipulation, teasing, cock drunk reader, cocky Eren? Yandere themed Eren, dirty talk

word count: 2599

Smut under the cut

You lived in dread all day, the events from the night before replaying in your head during class. You couldn't stop thinking about him and it was starting to frustrate you. How could you let Eren of all people turn you into a puddle of need so easily?

You manage to get through the day without him showing up or messaging you so, after school you went back to your apartment instead of the library for the night. 

It was while you were taking a bath relaxing that your moment of serenity imploded. Your phone chimed and the text waiting on the screen made you shiver in the warm water. 

Y/N, meet me at the shed behind the field after your last class tomorrow.

-Eren 

You groaned at the message. A shed? He chose a shed! You frowned as your eyes lingered on the message. Shaking your head you set the phone down without responding. 

Tomorrow you thought. Sinking further into the water your hands traveled along your body, over your breasts and along your thighs.

Your thoughts turned to Eren’s cock, what it would feel like inside of you. 

You played with your nipples, switching between the two as your other hand slid between your legs. 

His cock stretching you out and hitting your sweet spot. 

You sank a finger into your tight hole with a breathy moan.

*ding*

You were startled by the sound. Three fingers still stuffed in your pussy you looked at your phone.

Make sure to wear a cute skirt and get plenty of sleep ;)

-Eren

You huffed and pumped your fingers faster, mind running wild with fantasies of him, your own personal tormentor.  

That night you did sleep pretty well and woke up to soaked panties and a desperate need for a cold shower. 

the next day- after class

You managed to find the building he was talking about. A dinky little shed behind some trees and big bushes behind the field. You stood waiting for him, skirt ruffling in the wind as you kept a lookout. You felt nervous just standing there, no one was around since there was no practice today and even if there was, it was so hidden behind big trees and greenery no one could see you from the field anyways. That scared you in a way but also brought you some kind of confort, at least no one can hear you two.

You blushed at the thought, Eren making you feel so good you can't keep quiet, what a filthy thought. You leaned your head back against the doors and closed your eyes. Your mind wandered to those dirty thoughts once again and you subconsciously began to rub your thigh together. 

“What ya thinking about Babygirl?” a voice spoke, causing you to straighten up and meet Erens stare as he walked up from beside you. “Looks like you were having some pretty interesting thoughts.” he teased, coming standing in front of you. 

You could feel your cheeks tint pink immediately. “No nothing like that… i was just..” you looked down at your shoes. “Never mind, what are we doing here?” you asked, looking up through your lashes. 

He smiled sweetly and leaned closer, only a few inches from your face. “Well Babygirl, this is going to be our playroom for the day.” he said, gripping the handle behind you. You moved out of the way and let him open the door. The room was dusty and old that's for sure, but it had a few mats that actually looked recently dusted off. “The soccer guys hang out here on the weekends when no staff is around.” he stated and stepped into the dark space. He flipped a switch to the right and a small light in the middle of the room came on. 

You stepped in and plopped down on one of the matts that was practically on the ground.. “So you want to do it here?” you asked, looking around and not enjoying the stuffy smell. 

The sound of Eren’s belt and fly unzipping told you all you needed to hear. Eren stood in front of you, hand in his pants stroking his cock as he smirked down at you. “I wanted to take things slow, I really did.” he said with a sigh. “Wanted to touch you all over and eat your pussy tell you cried, but all that can wait.” he pulled his cock free from his boxers and it arched before your face. “Today i want to fuck you, i need to feel you around me.” 

You looked at the mat under you, yeah it might not be as gross as it could be but that didn't mean you wanted to lay all over it. You frowned up at him. “Not on this dirty mat.”

He chuckled and brought a hand out to grip your chin, pulling you to stand up. “That's fine, I can make you cum on my dick either way.” he gloated. His other hand slides between your legs, feeling your slick already coating your thighs. “Baby, have you ever been fucked?” he asked, actually already knowing that answer.

Your face deepend into a deep shade of red. “Yeah, once… in highschool.” you admitted, knowing he was messing with you because the whole school ended up hearing the news thanks to the jerk and Eren spreading the news.

He smirked and stroked his thumb along your bottom lip. “Take my cock baby, stroke me real good okay?” he said, leaning down to your neck. He kissed you gently along one side and below your jaw. You closed your eyes and suppressed a moan. You reached down and took his cock in your fingers. Slowly you began to stroke him, not hard and certainly not enough to make him cum but he groaned into your neck at the sensation anyways. 

He slid your panties down enough for his hand to slide perfectly between your plushy thighs. He drank in the whimpers and moans that fell from your lips as he slid his fingers into you. He started a rhythm of fucking his fingers into you and curling them while he sucked and nipped at the skin of your chest. 

You tilted your head back as he explored. “Eren, don't leave so many marks.” you warrend. “At least keep them out of sight.” you added. 

He just rolled his eyes and nipped a fresh mark on your chest, just above the neckline of your shirt and smirked up at you. “Sorry,” he teased. You ignored him and continued to stroke his cock, now using both hands and keeping a hold of the base as your fingers and palm worked the rest. 

You whimpered when his fingers slid from your dripping hole and he stepped back. He looked at you shivering while he licked his fingers that were soaked with your slick. He groaned and his eyes darkened. “Turn around,” you did as he said and faced the basketball rack. He pushed your upper back forwards and tapped your legs apart. “Hold on to that.” he instructed. 

You bent forward and gripped the edge of the rack. Glancing back you didn't see a condom or anything as he flipped your skirt up and stroked himself at the sight of you. “Eren, don't you have a condom?” you asked, voice wavering at the sight of him so close to your pussy.

His eyes flickered to your face then back to your pussy. “Don't need it, I'm not some teenage boy anymore.” he grinned to himself, Eyes devouring your glistening cunt. “Besides, I want to feel you. I bet you feel so good Babygirl. You’ll let me won't you?” he pleaded like he was really asking all while his cock was sliding between your folds and poking at your entrance. 

Before you could manage any form of protest he was pushing the tip in, slowly popping into your tight hole as you both groaned at the stretch. “E-eren, wai-” you couldn't even manage to finish your sentence before he was pushing himself into you, grabbing hold of your hips to keep you in place as you moaned and whimpered. “To m-much eren.” you whimpered as he bottomed out with a low moan. 

He held you there, letting you both adjust. “Baby, so tight. Fucking gripping me so good.” he breathed heavy as he pulled back. Your sounds were uncontrollable. Moaning and whimpering at the slightest movement of his cock. “Baby, you gotta keep quiet at least a little.” he chuckles, watching your body shake as he sank back in, starting a consistent rhythm with his hips. 

Your head hung down as his thrust ripped the sweetest sounds from you. You just can't control it, he was relentless and you could hardly even catch your breath. His hand came down to rub your clit and you almost screamed before his other hand came up to cover your mouth. “Sshhh baby, don't get us into trouble.” he chastised with a grin, fully enjoying watching you come undone by his cock. 

You whimpered into his hand and shook your head. He pulled away so you could speak. “Ca-cant, feel too good~” you stuttered. You wanted to feel ashamed for admitting it but you couldn't deny that he was making you feel good, too good.

He slowed his hips and took his hand away from your clit, you hissed at the loss of sensation. “Is that so? So cock drunk your brain can't tell you to shut up?” he teased, sending a rather sharp thrust into you, causing you to yelp and grip the rack tighter. Eren knew fucking you would be good but he didnt know you would be completely at his mercy like this, so ready for him to fuck you. His cock twitched at the thought of fucking you stupid.

Slowly he pulled his cock from you completely. Your hips jolted as he ripped your panties off and threw them to the ground. “Hey!” you protested. Eren chuckled and pulled your hips back to stand straight. Your face was set in a pout when he turned you to face him. “Eren?” you questioned. 

He smiled and guided your arms to his shoulders while his hands traveled to the back of your thighs. “Jump.” he whispered and tapped the back of your thighs. You did as he said and hopped into his hold. He lifted you up and you wrapped your legs around his hips and held onto him. “Now I can see you be fucked stupid.” he teased, slamming his cock back into your little hole. 

Your back arched and a loud shriek came flying out of you. “Eren! Fuck!” he held your thighs apart and slid you down his cock while he slammed his hips into you. “So big E-eren’s so big~” you mumbled through loud gasps and moans. He was able to hit deeper inside of you this way and it made your head spin.

Eren quickly got lost in the feeling of your tight pussy sucking him in. “So tight Baby, my cock is throbbing in your pussy.” he said through gritted teeth. He watched your eyes lull back then flutter shut. “Feel good Babygirl? Like my cock huh?” 

Your response was a string of half-formed words that mostly sounded like ‘yes’ and Eren's name over and over. Your volume increased as your orgasim approached. The bundle of nerves tightening with each harsh thrust. “Gunn-nna cum… too much i can't wai~” you stammered out, waves of pleasure shooting through your core. 

“Cum for me baby, cum all over my dick, be a good girl.” he said before catching your lips with his. His tongue took dominance over your mouth and he ate every moan, cry and pathetic whimper you let while you orgasim washed over you. You gripped onto Eren’s sweater with white knuckles and your legs shook around his sides.

“Cum-ming~ mmfuckm~” your cries were muffled by his mouth and tongue as he devoured your sweet sounds.

He attempted to fuck you through your orgasim then pull out but when your pussy pulsed and flutter around his cock he was a goner, his hips slowed and he pulled back from you to bury his face in the rook of your neck. “Fu-ck, cumming, can't. stop.” he growled as his hips rocked into you and his load filled your cunt full of him. “Fuuuck, good girl, such a good girl for me, taking it all for me.” he praised, rutting his hips against you as you both came down from your highs.

You whimpered and whined at the feeling, liking it but now feeling even more full and messy. With his cock still and buried in your pussy he slowly walked to the window, and enjoyed the little whimpers you made as he shifted inside of you and leaned against the edge, glad it was covered in newspaper to keep anyone from seeing the two of you.

“Sorry.” he tried to sound remorseful but coming from Eren that was impossible. 

You rolled your eyes and shifted in his hold. He pulled you off him, soft cock slipping out. He set you down but kept a hold on your hips to keep you steady between his legs. 

He brought a hand up to trace over the marks he left littered across your chest and neck. “I really didn't mean too, iv never fucked someone who’s pussy made me blow my load involuntarily.” he confessed with a light chuckle, looking down at you as he wrapped his arms tighter around you, effectively pulling you closer against him.

You huffed and nodded. “It's okay… it didn't feel… terrible.” you whispered the last part, regretting the words almost instantly. 

A smirk found its way onto his face. “Oh yeah? Feel pretty good baby? Like when your pussy is dripping with my cum?” he teased.

You didn't know how to respond, or rather you didn’t want to because he was right. Your pussy was throbbing for his cock again already and his cum dripping down your messy pussy was just fueling the desire to be filled again.

“Oh baby what's wrong? Embarrassed?” fuck why was his teasing turning you on so much, you used to cry over this. “Better get on birth control if you aren't because I want to see your pussy as full as possible baby.” he grinned wickedly at you.

Wiggling in his hold to get free you could feel a whole glob of his cum slip from your hole and you froze in place. Eren loosened his hold and laughed at your reddened face. “Shut up! We're done today right? You got what you wanted?” you asked, crossing your arms and attempting to be stern. 

Eren smiled amusingly at you and shooed you away with both arms. “Yeah, go.” he chuckled. “I'll take it easy for a few weeks, no sex until you get the pill or something, but i'll only wait a few weeks so get on it.” he warned teasingly, sliding his cock still covered in your fluids back into his boxers.

You walked to the door and stopped to look back at him, you were speechless. Why did you want this to happen again…shaking the thought away you dashed out of the building. 

Once you had made it home you got in the shower and watched his cum flow out of you. While you lay in bed you couldn't help sliding your hand into your shorts and moaning Erens name over and over with your fingers buried in your pussy.

to be continues...

[smolgloves]

Survival

AN: My first attempt at a zombie gt story because I have wanted to do one for a while now.

Tw: Gore, murder, death, description of a corpse, blood, dehumanizing language, vore mention, it's a zombie story, what do you expect? 🤷‍♀️

How long has it been since the world went to shit? Aaron had lost count a long time ago, but it's hard to keep track of time when zombies roam the earth now. It felt like everyday was full of uncertainty, would today be the day a zombie rips his throat out, or would bullets from angry scavengers finally take him out? He should consider himself lucky, because he's a part of a group that promises to watch his back whenever they go on supply runs, but the company Aaron has is less than stellar. 

Jerry was a middle aged balding man who is supposed to keep a lookout for any trouble but Aaron can't count how many times a horde of zombies had wandered through their position when Jerry was in charge. How Jerry managed to not get eaten by zombies yet is beyond Aaron. Honestly, Jerry shouldn't even leave the headquarters because he is a major pussy, which is rather surprising because this guy used to work as a security guard for a grocery store! 

Then there's Stephen, this dude is just an asshole, when Aaron first met him, he just thought that Stephen was just a kid, but he's actually two years older than Aaron! Pretty pathetic that a twenty-seven year old would behave like a teenager. He thinks now is always a good time to joke around, as if the three of them weren't constantly looking over their shoulders. Nothing has come close to giving Aaron a heart attack more than when Stephen decides it's a good time to smash a window very loudly. Shit like this has almost made Aaron want to murder the guy, but unfortunately, Stephen is the nephew of their group leader. If he returned to the headquarters without him, there would be consequences. So as much as Aaron hates these two bozos, he has to put up with them and hope they don't get him killed one day. 

The sun began to set and all three of them were tired of walking. They had spent hours raiding the abandoned dollar store for supplies and all they found were some General Bargains brand barbecue flavored chips, some Colas, and a pack of Barbie band-aids. Honestly, it was a waste of time and Aaron didn't understand why they had to scavenge every General Bargains in the state of Texas. There's too fucking many to keep up with and half of the stores were ransacked when this whole shitshow started! Now they're in the middle of nowhere with little to nothing to bring back. 

"We should look for some place to camp out for the night." Jerry said, breaking the silence.

First great idea this guy has said all day! 

"I think there's an old barn up ahead." Stephen pointed out. 

"Then let's head that way." The three men walked up to an old decrepit barn that had been worn down by the weather. The red paint had been chipped away and weeds had begun their invasion to engulf the building.

But what definitely caught Aaron's attention was the rusty tractor trailer that sat on the side of the barn. Underneath one of the wheels was a man or at least what was left of a man. Upon hearing the three men approach, the rotting corpse raised his head and began growling at them. He clawed at the dirt desperately trying to get his meal but the enormous wheel kept the creature pinned to the ground. His arms were boney with tattered sleeves barely clinging to his body, dried blood had stained the man's white shirt, making Aaron wondered if this zombie was alive when he was trapped underneath the tractor wheel and left to die. One of the more haunting things to see was the zombie's face, his hair was thin and white, just barely clinging on to his scalp, his lips had withered away and now exposed his brittle teeth that chomped at the air upon seeing any living creature that passed by. But one of the haunting things were the eyes, all zombies had pale blue eyes that vacantly stared off in the distance, the only time Aaron has ever seen them light up was when they wanted to kill. The first time he ever looked into a zombie's eyes was the realization that the people who used to live inside those bodies were gone, only to be replaced with a primal beast who craved flesh and blood. 

"Hey Aaron, watch this." Stephen strolled up to the zombie and started waving his hand just inches above his head. The corpse sprawled his arms out trying to grab onto his arm, but missed every time. Stephen just laughed. "Can't get me."

Aaron just shot Stephen a glare. He almost wished the zombie would just grab Stephen and yank him to the ground just so he could bite into his neck. The blood would spill out of him and stain his long brown hair and then his blue eyes would be filled with fear as his final moments would be realizing why he shouldn't have been fucking around. 

"Stephen, quit playing with the zombie and go scout out the barn with Aaron!" Jerry Barked as he uncliped his walkie from his belt. "I'm gonna see if I can get a signal back to headquarters." 

Stephen grumbled some complaints but followed Jerry's instructions and walked over to the barn. Aaron knocked on the door to alert any zombies that could be trapped inside, but the only growling came from the one outside. A good sign but that doesn't mean anything, there could be squatters inside ready to jump them the moment they open the door, not wanting to take a chance, Aaron pulled out his hunting knife from his belt. He looked over at Stephen who did not seem to take the same precautions, he just kept this bored look on his face. Aaron sighed and just hoped that if anyone was going to jump them, they'd take out Stephen first. 

After some deep breaths, Aaron swung open the door and raised his knife in case something popped out, but fortunately, nothing popped out. 

"You worry too much." Stephen chuckled.

"Someone's got too." He grumbled. 

The two walked into the dimly lit barn in search of any supplies. However, there wasn't much around. Whatever supplies were in the barn were already taken out long ago, the only thing of value was an ax that rested by the door. 

Aaron picked up the chopping tool, it was covered in dust and cobwebs and the blade was dull, but it was still salvageable. 

"Hey, Aaron, over here." 

Aaron turned to see his black haired partner crouching down and staring at something on the ground with a flashlight. He raised an eyebrow thinking that Stephen must have been fucking with him because there was nothing else in this barn, but he still walked over to the guy and saw a burrow in the ground that was the perfect size for a mouse. 

"Okay…" Aaron couldn't hide the annoyance in his voice. "What about it?" 

"I think it's a Neera burrow." He whispered. 

"That's ridiculous." Aaron stifled a laugh. Neeras were small humanoid creatures that were made by the government to conduct experiments on because it was more ethical than using rabbits and mice. Except when the public found out that Neeras were pretty much just tiny versions of humans, activist groups rose up to end experiments on them. Science creates real life borrowers and this is what they do to them, no wonder this world went to shit… 

"Neeras don't exist in the wild, dude." Aaron reminded Stephen. "It's probably just a mouse burrow." 

"Nu-uh look at the hole, dude." Stephen shined his flashlight closer to the hole to reveal straight lines around the edge of the entrance."Those carvings right there, those were made by a tool." 

"Sure man, great joke." Aaron rolled his eyes. "Didn't know I was in the presence of a Neera expert." 

"It's not a joke, asshole." He growled. "Neeras are out here, Dr. Lewis says so." 

"Dr. Lewis arrived with a massive head injury and said that he was related to Natalie Woods, dude is bonkers!"

"Okay, but he had proof that he worked for Micro-Lab!" Stephen snapped. 

Aaron raised a brow. "What kind of proof?" 

"Like a name badge from Micro-Lab," He replied Smugly. "And he even had a classified document about Neeras." 

"What did the document say?" 

"I have no clue, Uncle Tommy wouldn't tell me." Stephen admitted. 

Before Aaron could argue anymore, Jerry marched through the door, his eyes shifted between the two men. "Anything useful?"

"Not really." Stephen said. "Aaron found an ax though."

Aaron held up the blade. "But it's rusty." 

"I'm sure headquarters will fix it up and make good use out of it." Jerry cleared his throat. "Anyways, Sherry and Monnie are on their way with a crew to pick us up, but they won't be able to get here until morning. So we're gonna camp out here for the night." 

~~~~~~~~

It wasn't long before Sherry and Monnie would come to pick them up, and Aaron couldn't be more glad. The hours had gone by painfully slow, nothing was more annoying than Stephen's snoring; which made Aaron consider the possibility of swinging the ax deep into his face. Surely no one would fault him for it? The dude's snores were loud enough to alert all the zombies where they were! He was lucky Jerry fell asleep first, otherwise, he would get pissed at him for falling asleep with a bag of the barbecue chips in his hands; not that stale chips would really be an issue, General Bargains always had stale chips even before the bags were sealed.

The sound of dirt shifting broke Aaron of his thoughts. He scanned the area for the source until his brown eyes settled on a small figure skitter across the ground. It ran on two long legs like an Olympic runner towards the bag of chips but it stopped at the opening and then crouched down to grab the crumbs then dispose of them in some sort of pouch. There was no doubt about it, the creature was a Neera! 

Stephen shifted towards his side, causing the little Neera to gasp and stumble back into the chip bag; a crunch from the chips and bag left a deafening echo in the barn. In a flash, Stephen was up and snatched the bag up from the ground, the Neera yelped as they got jostled, alerting the man of their presence. 

"What the fuck!" Stephen snapped as he peered down the bag.

"What is going on, Steph?!" Jerry growled as he stirred from his slumber. 

"A fucking Neera, that's what!" 

The fastest Jerry has ever moved was at this moment, he scrambled over to Stephen and shined a flashlight down the bag to gawk at the tiny person. Stephen dug his hand down the bag and then plucked the Neera from their hiding spot. Aaron could now see that the small creature was a young female, with long white hair that was spilling out of a navy green beanie. Her crimson eyes were filled with fear as she glanced at each and every one of them, she immediately began struggling in Stephen's hand. 

"Let me go!" She snarled. 

"No way, rat!" Stephen barked as he ripped the pouch that was now revealed to be a makeshift backpack and handed it to Jerry, who quickly dumped the contents out to reveal the crumbs she had previously taken. 

"She took our chips." Jerry replied stiffly. 

"You little pest, that is our supplies!" Stephen growled. 

"Yeah, well maybe you shouldn't have fallen asleep with it open!" The tiny woman snapped back. 

Aaron let out a chuckle, this Neera had bigger balls than the two men who were looming over her. 

Stephen glared up at Aaron's amusement but then turned his attention back to the woman. "Do you know what your little stunt could have done to my survival?" 

"I'm trying to survive too!" A sense of panic slipped out of the Neera's shouts. 

"Come on, let her be," Aaron stood up. "It's not like she stole a lot at her size." 

"You know the rules," Jerry replied back. "No one steals from GB's supplies." 

"It was literally crumbs!" Aaron snapped. "Are we really gonna execute a Neera for stealing crumbs?"

"Execute?!" The Neera started flailing in the air, causing Stephen to adjust his grip in a fist. She let out a gasp as his grip grew tighter. 

"Yes, we are, and I know just the way to do it." Stephen stood up and marched out of the barn with Jerry following behind. 

Aaron could feel blood boiling, he was so sick of General Bargin's stupid rules. Does the leader not understand that other people are trying to survive? His community can do fine without a bag of chips but here is his entitled nephew ready to kill someone for fucking crumbs! It wasn't right and Aaron was tired of turning his head to pretend he was okay with this bullshit. 

He gripped the handle of the ax tighter and stormed out of the barn. Dawn had given the sky an eerie red color that gave a sense of dread inside Aaron. There wasn't much time until Sherry and Monnie arrived, so he had to act fast. 

The snarls of the zombie caught his attention, Aaron saw the two assholes crouched down by the corpse just out of arm's reach, however he saw Stephen dangling the Neera by her leg just above the zombie like she was a piece of bait for it to munch on. 

"You can have your fucking chips back!" The little woman shrieked out as she flailed around. "Just put me down!" 

"Aww but this guy needs to survive too..." Stephen chuckled as he lowered the Neera closer to the chomping zombie. "Just let him have a nibble." 

Aaron felt his stomach twist into a knot, it was sickening watching Stephen joke around with the poor girl's life. He didn't even have the decency to snuff her life out quickly, he wanted to watch her suffer and he had to find a sick sense of joy outta this. 

This bastard needs to die…

It almost felt like someone else was controlling Aaron's body as he hoisted the ax up, at any moment he could have stopped himself and looked away like he always did; but he didn't want to. Aaron swung his ax right into the side of Stephen's neck. There was a stunned silence in the air, the only noises coming from the hungry zombie. 

Without another though, Aaron ripped the ax out of Stephen's neck; blood gushed out of the gaping wound. He choked out a gurgle before lurching forward and collided with the bloodthirsty creature. 

The zombie sunk his teeth into Stephen's neck, intensifying the wound, no longer was he interested in the tiny Neera when bigger prey made itself more accessible. Stephen couldn't even let out a scream as he choked on his own blood. 

As for the Neera, she was released from her captor's grip. She slammed into the zombie's shoulder before slipping down and hitting his boney forearm, she tried to grip onto the raggedy shirt but the zombie's erratic movements caused her to plummet to the ground and land in Stephen's puddle of blood. A groan escaped her lips, Aaron hoped that was a good sign for her sake but he didn't have time to check as his attention turned to Jerry. 

Fear paralyzed the older man, everything happened so fast that he didn't have enough time to react before Aaron swiftly kicked Jerry forward, causing him to stumble into the zombie. The undead man stopped digging into Stephen and turned his attention to what bumped into him. His decayed fingers clamped down on Jerry's shoulders and he dragged himself over to the human. Jerry struggled to break free but a zombie's grip was almost inhumanly strong, rotten teeth sunk into Jerry's plump cheek and he let out a blood-curdling scream. He flailed around as much as the Neera did when she was captured except he looked more terrified than she did. 

"WHY AARON?!" Jerry cried out. 

But Aaron didn't breathe a word, he just stared at the torn up men before him. One was crying like a baby, the other was twitching in his final moments. These were guys who he risked his life in the past. They gave him a safe haven when the world went to shit, and now Aaron just threw his safety away. Once the boss hears about how his nephew was murdered by Aaron, he will surely be executed, but he didn't care anymore. 

Groans in the distance snapped Aaron out of his daze, he could see shambling corpses coming out of the woods nearby. Of course Jerry's screams were loud enough to alert every zombie nearby, motherfucker couldn't just die with dignity. At the same time, gunshots could be heard nearby, followed by a car swerving along the dirt road. Shit, it was Sherry and Monnie! If they see this mess, Aaron would be captured and brought back to the boss and Aaron didn't feel like dying yet. 

He scanned the ground for the little lady who got him into this mess. He quickly spotted her slipping around in the blood; thank god, she was alive! Without hesitation, he plucked her up between his fingers. The Neera yelped and squirmed to break free but Aaron curled his fingers around her in a loose fist. 

"We gotta go." Aaron spoke in a low tone. He didn't give her any time to answer before he ran towards the woods, zombies snarled and stumbled after the young man but he was too quick for them. 

The tiny woman never stopped squirming in Aaron's hand. Every punch or kick sent a spark up his arm that reminded Aaron that this was not his mind playing tricks on him. There was an actual Neera in the palm of his hand and he just threw away his life to save her.

[kobedivision]

@saitama-division <3

Mature-ish content ahead, read at your own risk!

— Saitama Division —

Midnight was approaching and the day was nearly over as well as a certain model’s birthday, Lola sighed happily as she sank into her plush sofa, today’s excitement slowly leaving her the more she relaxed against the silk feeling of her sofa, another wonderful successful birthday, it felt good to be pampered, even more so given today but it was only a few hours until midnight and things seemed to be winding down. Lola fished her phone from her pocket and decided to kill time by finally checking her social media, commenting on the numerous birthday messages people sent her and liking today’s photos, pretty much all of which were from the various parties all over Saitama, some even featured herself. This went on for a few minutes before her phone buzzed with a text message, this time it being from one of her good friends, Jinx or Kaiji as some knew him.

Jinx 💖

Hey lovely, mind coming down? I got a big surprise for you 😘

Lola raised an eyebrow but couldn’t help but smile, leave it to Kaiji to save the best for last, she wondered what he had planned for her, it usually always ended in something good.

Omw 😚

The model felt energized again and got up from the sofa, slipping back on her heels, she made sure that she had everything and that her place was secure before leaving and finding herself outside the building of her penthouse. Her eyes immediately found Kaiji and then widen at the sight of him sitting in a pink convertible mustang.

Unsurprisingly, he was in his signature feminine getup but unlike his usual cutesy look, he looked quite seductive with only wearing a skimpy, tight little black dress, dark red heels which matched the color of his lipstick, dark makeup and his usual hair extensions which was flowing down his back with a red rose tucked into his snowy locks.

“Well~” Lola purred, sashaying towards the vehicle and leaning down to meet Kaiji in a kiss, she pulled away smirking. “Don’t you look enticing, had a hot date?”

Kaiji winked and got out of the car, walking around to meet the model and giving her a hug, one that she happily returned. “Not exactly, it hasn’t started yet.” He replied and Lola raised a brow, grinning as she knew where this conversation was going. “Oh yeah?”

Kaiji pulled away with a giggle and opened the passenger door, holding out a hand for her to get inside. “I know it’s late but allow me to treat you to a little late night getaway.”

Lola beamed and placed her hand in his, allowing him to assist her inside the car. “Why of course! I’m eager to see what you have planned, for starters, where did you get this beauty?” Lola gently ran her hands over the brand new white interior of the convertible as Kaiji got back into the driver’s seat and started the engine, the vehicle vibrating smoothly in response. “From a friend of mine, thankfully he finished today, it would’ve been embarrassing showing up without a gift.”

Lola’s sharply turned to him, eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, are you saying that this is mine?!” She exclaimed and Kaiji laughed as he began to drive. “Well duh! I would’ve been a pretty shitty friend to have showed up without a gift, don’t worry about it, the car’s completely paid off. You just sit back and relax, pretty.” He winked at her before accelerating, riding down the highway in the starry night.

— Some Time Later —

The two arrived at their destination, a lookout point overseeing the entire city of Saitama. Lola whistled upon seeing the view, majority the city lights were dyed a vibrant pink for her birthday, combined with the glow of the moon made the city look ethereal, it was magnificent and it nearly took Lola’s breath away. Kaiji put the car in park behind the lookout railing and turned off the engine, then turned to look at Lola, grinning at the mesmerized look on her face. “You like it, right? I know you’ve been partying like crazy today so I figured that you’d like to relax, why not have a view too?”

“Damn Kaiji, it’s…this is wonderful.” Lola smiled brightly at the cosplayer, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

Kaiji’s cheeks flushed a deep pink, causing the model to giggle and the crossdresser to smile before perking up. “Wait, that’s not all there is to this.” He unbuckled his seatbelt and reached behind them to the backseat, Lola blinked incredulously. “Hold on, there’s more? Dude, you already gave me a car, what else could you give me?”

Kaiji sat back in his seat, this time holding two more items, a beautiful bouquet of roses with varying colors of pink and a couple of bottles of expensive Rose Wine, he pouted at her. “I’m wounded, Lola. I’d thought that you would love to be pampered on your special day? I mean, come on, this is nothing compared to what you’ve probably seen today.”

Lola rolled her eyes playfully, grabbing both the bouquet and one of the bottles after Kaiji opened them. “Oh shut up, you know what I mean, still though, thank you, you’re always so good to me.” The blonde took a swig from her bottle, humming contently at the flavor of the wine, so sweet…

Kaiji took a sip of his own wine and lean in slightly, his free hand going up to brush a few loose strands from her face, Lola could very easily see the half lidded look in his icy-colored eyes, the light of the moon only enhancing them and the model could feel a very familiar heat pool in her stomach, she wanted to laugh but she was very impressed, doing absolutely nothing to stop Kaiji as he leaned in for a kiss, one that she happily gave into, it didn’t take long for it to get heated, tongues swirling around one another sensually, thankfully there was no one around to hear the absolute sinful noises coming from both of them.

Kaiji-albeit very reluctantly-pulled away, licking away a strand of saliva between them, cheeks flushed, pupils dilated but he still had a devilish smirk on his face. “Only for you.” He whispered, sensually running his hand down her body before reaching his desired destination causing Lola to let out a breathy moan, grinning at him. “Backseat?” She asked and Kaiji nodded, still moving his hand.

“Backseat.”

Happy Birthday Lola! 💖

[luna-writes-stuff]

Day 19: This Is Me Trying, Loki Laufeyson

Song link

Fanfic, gn!reader

Angst, hurt/comfort

Word count: 2092

Tw: DISCUSSES SERIOUS HEAVY TOPICS (depression, loneliness, self-loathing) Depression, exhaustion, lack of hygiene, self-loathing thoughts, crying/sobbing, midnights are the worst when your mind is your enemy. I wasn’t going to write this, because it felt too heavy, but perhaps there are people out there who need this <3

Summary: Struggling with depression is a difficult task, especially when you are on your own, but do not necessarily with to be so. But even when you won’t talk to anyone, there is that one person who simply sees it, and understands it immediately. And he knows all the right things to say and do to offer you comfort.

For everyone out there struggling with life, getting up in the morning, talking to others, eating, changing clothes, taking a shower; please, know you are not alone. Your emotions are not invalid, nor are the reasons for the said emotions. If you can, talk about it to others, please. If you do not feel comfortable discussing it with those you know, always feel free to send me a message. I know how you feel, and though I might not be able to compare it to your pit, I truly want to talk with you if you feel the need to. About anything; even if you are looking for distractions. My messages are open. Please, stay safe, and know you are loved &lt;3

International suicide hotlines

“I've been having a hard time adjusting I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting.”

Time seems to pass slower when you pay attention to it. When your mind wanders places you do not want to go, you have a tough time getting out. So what is there to do, but watch the clock ticking away, hoping daylight will save you?

Moonlight shone through the curtains, a glow that would otherwise be described as beautiful, perhaps even magical. But you had grown to hate it. Days were easier; surrounded with people and tasks. Keeping your mind off…well; yourself.

But when the sun set, and night came closer, you were in your bed, alone with nothing but your thoughts. Maybe it’s true what people say: you are your own worst enemy.

“I didn't know if you'd care if I came back I have a lot of regrets about that.”

When days - or night - like that came to pass, fear and anxiety would amplify, and before you knew it, your lone moments in the waking days grew terrifying as well.

And the worst part was the fact that you were not necessarily alone. There were people all around you in broad daylight. You started doing that on purpose. But it got lonely when you were fighting on your own. And no one seemed to notice.

Maybe you didn’t even want them to, but some acknowledgment would have been fine. That small ‘you’re looking healthy today’ or ‘have you gotten some proper rest?’ would have been perfect. You didn’t want others to worry for you; you wanted them to be there for you when you most needed it. But you figured you couldn’t have either of you couldn’t have both. So, you kept quiet.

“Pulled the car off the road to the lookout Could've followed my fears all the way down.”

Silly enough, tiny things kept you standing where you were. Things such as the hot tea on your night stand when you woke up, a nice ‘good morning’, your book having been marked from the night before. Even a simple conversation about the weather was enough for you.

But it was also the tiny things that made you feel even more miserable than you already were: walking in a puddle of water in the bathroom, too many questions in one sitting, being interrupted when you listened to your music. Every little thing that went wrong was just another thing to add to the list.

Maybe you were overreacting. But you did not ask for this. You did not want to feel this awful the entire time. You wanted to be happy, you truly did. But as the days grew longer, you found it more and more difficult to pick out the beautiful things.

“And maybe I don't quite know what to say But I'm here in your doorway.”

Now on the couch, you kept twisting and turning. At least you got out of bed - That’s what you kept telling yourself. At least you had breakfast. Ten hours ago. But you ate something; that was what was most important.

This was your twelfth day you called in sick for work in a month. You were surprised they hadn’t even sent a mail to check up on you yet. But then again, you were also grateful for it. You just needed some alone time. Desperate days would come to pass.

The same film had been playing on a loop throughout the entire day. You were too tired to get up to change it. You didn’t even know which film it was, but you could quote it now.

From outside, you could hear the cars passing your street. One in particular caught your attention. One which halted in front of your door. You opted to stay on the couch, figuring the person who’d be at the door either had a key or a good story to tell through the keyhole.

“I just wanted you to know That this is me trying I just wanted you to know That this is me trying.”

But you slowly sat up from your seat when you heard nothing. No turning of the key, no walking up your path, no other slamming car doors to signify the person has gotten back in. Dead silence.

“What are you doing down here, darling?” A voice cut through the silence, alerting you immediately.

There, on the other side of the room, stood Loki. He had told you he’d stop by later today, but it seemed to have escaped your mind entirely.

Shrugging at his words, you retreated under your blanket. “This is my home,” you explained nonchalantly. “My couch. Must I have a reason to be here?”

A low chuckle was heard as he neared you, sitting down on the edge of the couch, the pillows dipping slightly under his weight.

“I suppose not.”

“They told me all of my cages were mental So I got wasted like all my potential.”

He was quiet after that, merely observing you. You felt yourself shrink under his gaze, now looking at the screen as if you were actually interested in the film.

“Have you fallen ill?” He remarked, his hand already reaching for your forehead. But you dodged your head lightly, groaning at his concerned state.

“No. I am completely healthy.”

“You do not look it.”

“Thank you.” You deadpanned, shooting him a dangerous glare. Were this any other circumstance, you might have given him a teasing look. But you were in no mood for jokes. You just wanted to be alone now.

“You look ill. When was the last day you showered?” He rambled on, causing you to quietly wish him away.

“Yesterday,” you answered absentmindedly, still staring at the screen. Again, he leaned forward, grabbing a greasy strand of your hair.

“Now, I know that is not true.”

“Will you quit it?” You interrupted, slapping his hand off; no humour in your voice nor actions.

“And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad I have a lot of regrets about that.”

That seemed to catch his attention, for he halted immediately. As if something just switched within him.

“You don’t get to comment on how I look. You’ve been here no longer than a minute.”

“Long enough to see you look miserable.”

“Wow, how will I ever express my gratitude?” You sighed.

“Beg your pardon?”

“Loki, I’m tired. No; exhausted. I am in no mood for your games or talks now. Leave me.”

The god now stood up, kneeling in front of you as he observed your facial expressions, frowning at the far-off look in your eyes.

“Loki,” you warned, scowling at him.

“You’re not ill,” he pointed out, ignoring your pleads. “This is not physical. It only has physical effects.”

Now pushing his face away, you stood up from the couch. No longer speaking to him, you sauntered towards the tv, turning the screen off.

“You can stay here. I’m going upstairs.”

“I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere Fell behind on my classmates, and I ended up here.”

“My love,” he interrupted, following you swiftly, grabbing your waist before you could exit the room. Pulling you closer to him, he looked down at you.

“Who did this to you?”

Swallowing thickly, you pushed against his chest, trying to escape his hold.

“Please,” you whispered. “I just want to get some sleep.”

“Do not ignore me again, please.” He went on, grasping both your hands, before bringing them to his lips.

“What words were exchanged?”

Staring up at him, you tried to keep up the act. Truly, you did. And you thought you were doing a marvellous job at it too. But his eyes seemed to break something within you.

“Pouring out my heart to a stranger But I didn't pour the whiskey.”

“None,” you managed out, sighing deeply. “And no one. Just going through a rough time.”

“Darling,”

“Loki, please.” You nearly begged. “Just let me go.”

“Can I help?” He went on.

“Just,” wriggling out of his hold again, you wobbled on your feet, not being used to standing up after a full day of laying down. “I’ll be fine after some sleep.”

But before you could even continue walking, he appeared in front of you again: his eyes sincere and his face pleading. You wished he had just let you leave, yet part of you couldn’t help but be grateful for his presence now.

He continued to stare at you for a couple of second, the atmosphere in the room so thick, you could have choked on it. And the look he gave you nearly broke you.

Almost. You did such a good job at keeping it together. Until he asked that dreadful question.

“I just wanted you to know That this is me trying I just wanted you to know That this is me trying.”

“Are you okay?”

Silence once more. Heavier than before, and filled with tension so tight, it could snap any minute. And that is when you did.

Your bottom lip began first, quivering slightly as you tried to swallow it. But instead of biting on it, a ragged sob escaped your mouth, followed by a sniffle of your nose. Your bottom lip slowly began to quiver more, now shaking at a speed it would only be doing when you were freezing cold.

A lone tear slipped past your cheek. It was then that Loki leaned forwards, picking it off of your face. And that was when the dam broke.

“At least I'm trying.”

Salt streams poured from your eyes, heart wrenching sobs escaping your throat as you reached your hand up to cover your face.

Unable to observe your surroundings, you felt two arms wrap around you, a head placed atop yours as a comfortable shushing came from it. Your situation only seemed to worsen at the comfort, and you found yourself clinging to his cloak, hanging onto it as if it was your final life line.

“I’m trying,” you uttered between shaking breaths, choking on air as you inhaled deeply. “I am.”

“I know,” he assured, rubbing circles on your back with his thumb. “I’m proud of you for trying.”

“It’s so difficult.” You whimpered, the lump in your throat growing with each word you spoke, until the final one was a mere whisper.

“I know.” He continued, holding you closer as he rocked you gently.

“And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound It's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you. You're a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town.”

The two of you stood there for a long time. A vicious, never ending circle of your pleas and apologies, interrupted by his words of solace and comfort. Near understanding and praise.

His arms stayed wrapped around your figure until all that escaped you were shaking breaths and sudden hiccups. His hands had found their way into your hair, wounding through them, regardless of its greasy state.

He knew something was wrong with you. He knew the second he appeared in your living room. It might not have been evident to others, but to him, it seemed to radiate off of you. He recognised it immediately, and swore to rid you off it even quicker.

“And I just wanted you to know That this is me trying I just wanted you to know That this is me trying.”

“Shall I draw you a bath?” He offered as the last of your tears stained his robes.

“No,” you mumbled in his chest. “I just want to sleep. I am happy in my dreams.”

The words were even more soul crushing than the manner in which they were spoken. Loki had sworn he could feel his heart breaking just slightly at your speech.

“Okay,” he slowly agreed. “But after you wake, take a bath. Then, we talk.”

Leaning back in his arms, you furiously wiped the tears from your face, cursing at the burning sensation. “I can’t help it.” You shook off.

“Not alone,” Loki dismissed. “But you do not have to. Don’t try alone. Do not fall down into that rabbit hole.”

Pondering his words, you stared at the wall behind him, already dreaming off, longing for that good sleep now.

“Okay,” you sighed, nodding your head. “Baby steps.”

Loki smiled lightly at that, squeezing your biceps in reassurance before placing a kiss on your forehead.

“Baby steps.”

“At least I'm trying.”

[charlesandmartine]

Tuesday 21st February 2023

Wildlife

Butcher birds: 2

Kangaroos: several

Cows: several

Sitting on our little verandah admiring the lush grass and vegetation arrayed before us, it's hard to appreciate the hardships these people have suffered in recent years. Just a couple of years ago the rains failed, bush fires brushed close by igniting the tinder dry parched bush but thankfully missing the property due to the prevailing winds, but ultimately resulting in severe shortage of water. With barely enough water stored for the two of them, our landlords needed to make sacrifices to survive, so sadly the cattle were sent to market. Since then circumstances have changed dramatically with the rains coming in February 2022 and not stopping until August the same year, leaving the site a quagmire and inaccessible by motor vehicle. The tranquility and beauty of the place today makes this recent history hard to believe but surely must be a wake up call for what is happening to the climate.

As we sat admiring all this tranquility a chestnut brown cow came up to the barbed wire fence, gave us an endearing look then partook of a very respectable long wee. Then satisfied strolled off no doubt to find someone else to impress. Also domiciled in this field is an enormous black bull owned by one of the villagers for general use in local herds. Apparently he has completed his recent tasks for future generations and now is strutting around his girls looking just a little bored but with a discernable smug look on his face.

The town centre is just 15 mins walk down the road so we strode off to take a look accompanied by a fuzz of interested flies. On inspection, I must say that the town of Woodenbong is more charming than I imagined. This is just the sort of small Australian town we like best. It has a pre-school, kindergarten to year 12 school, 3 assorted churches, small hotel, hardware store, food store, post office, garage and café. Whilst it all looks like something out of Heartbeat but not quite as modern, it was all very nice with its wide boulevards and friendly townsfolk. Outside the council offices was a plan for the town's beautification apparently some money had become available. We didn't like to ask whether it had happened yet or not. We ordered 2 flat whites in the café which in due time (quite a long time actually) were delivered by one of the Aboriginal waitresses. Top marks for quality and value for money. It is highly likely that we shall call in there for breakfast tomorrow morning. We are staying at a place that describes itself as a B&B. So far no trouble finding the bed, just not accounted for the breakfast yet. There is regrettably some disagreement about the origin of the name Woodenbong. One says it was named after the Githabul word Widgenbong meaning wood ducks on water. Others prefer the word Ngudumbunya which means place of trees. Well I suppose it's always nice to have choice. Having supported the local economy to the tune of two coffees we returned to base with our flies for lunch.

This afternoon's program was somewhat interrupted by events beyond our control. The plan was to fire up the powerful Nissan and drive out to see the Tooloom Falls via a small village Urbenville. Sadly on arrival at the entrance to the Falls we discovered it closed due to concerns raised by the Githabul Aborigine Community regarding works to clear fallen trees following recent bad weather and the planning for future development and uses of the area. So that was a shame but nothing could be done. So we pushed on to find a lookout tower to view the Tooloom National Park. To approach this we found ourselves driving along unsealed roads; a tactic not only frowned upon by Mr Avis, but positively outlawed. Well don't tell anyone and everything will be fine. However, the road to the lookout was a very very rough track, one that Mr Avis would more than disapprove of and enjoy sleepless nights. So we went back into Urbenville for an ice-cream. Urbenville was a lovely township named after William Urben the first white child born at the Tooloom gold diggings. It developed at the time of the gold rush in 1858 and although this was largely spent by the late 1870s the township continue to enjoy some success with its timber and dairy industries. It is sad to see the High Street as it is now, but with a school, shop, garage and pub perhaps it might carry on. We noticed they even carted the Senior Folk in a little bus to Woodenbong for the afternoon. I just hope they took them back again.

Now it's evening and we are preparing to move in again in the morning. We will cross the state line into Queensland on route to a small place called Cranley.

[the-firebird69]

There's a huge fight going on it's fisherman's village no but usually there is and people don't want them down there frankly I don't think he wants to be there either that's too expensive expense too much money and takes too much time to do stuff but it does help out because it's a way of getting things to come up to the surface and he went over there the other day and he was talking about people who are ruining his life and they're walking around right near him doing dumb s*** trying to dumb s*** well they had a diatrab afterwards to say so he sent it in we decoded it and I sent it out and we suggest Max do it they did it and said wow these people are dead cuz they we're going to give orders to have people go around and do things to people and we intercepted a lot of it and started putting them down and taking them out and it's time now there and they're in motion so we are going after them and with gusto and foreigners are Max are everybody it's going after this jackasses and it is too late for them to turn back they say and they don't want to go on without a son and all the stuff so we're going after them hard here. And yeah I guess you could say they're in terrorist mode some of them so we are on the lookout and we are sending out for reinforcements and we are pulling their cards and taking them to task and to prison a lot of them went to prison already this morning several lawsuits went out John remillard didn't show up and he's going to get arrested we are going to send out teams to arrest him and teams that are specifically targeting him and people usually found around him and we're going ahead and doing it and it's been done a little but not that much and from now on we're going to do it is a lot of stuff going on but that'll help a lot we'll find out what's in the way every time these people are like a big tree cut you cut a piece out there's another piece you have to cut out and you just have to keep going around it eventually it's going to fall over I don't have any time to tell you that we have to get rid of tons of them now they're huge assholes and I've never heard people saying so many dumb things in my life either they say stuff that is often it's annoying I'm going after them there's a lot going on here a lot of people are getting fired all over Charlotte county and for good

80% of the private workforce of morlock have been fired 5% were fired the other day and they're firing 5% more today leaving 10%. 75% of the government workers were fired last month 15% this month and they are firing 5% more which will leave 5% only. And that's in Charlotte county.

It's quite a few more announcements but he just got a package and it's good news it's for his cold stuff has a nice reflector on it the other one did but it wasn't working that much and he's keeping the old one as a new top kit but for medicines and things which is great it's big it holds a lot of stuff and he might use it to stop kit because he can put his medicines in small containers. They're mostly supplements. And here's how it goes we're fighting now and we're fighting social security and we're fighting all sorts of people across the board they're a bunch of assholes and we noticed what he was saying it's practically nobody is interested in getting me money so we really have to work hard and a lot harder an alarm sounding yesterday and big ones today the more like a mostly stupid and the foreigners don't want Mac to get him the money and they hesitate with social security but they realize it might be an idea you think they might help put a few checks and one of them is a delay and that was done by the trumps and they're going to get hit for it they said so is love going on today there's more things of the

- Charlotte county sheriff they laid off 10 more so it's down to 1:30 and they hired more about 30 more minority warlock there's probably 500 of them. It says Garth looks like a UPS worker it's not the sheriff's really is he doesn't look that way but it's a little small it looks like Martin it's one of those characters maybe no

-there's some other stuff happening it's pretty it's pretty big and it's here in Charlotte county it's going on right now they are firing more and more people from all sorts of jobs but they say they would it's at 5%. So they're doing that and they're also firing some of the building department people and they're doing it now they're firing people who from the planning department the building department but ancillary and several of the people who work there regularly they want them out they got big mouths they don't know what you're talking about they don't know construction that well and they are blocking projects all over the place indiscriminately some of them are like their own kin and they want them out too they're ridiculous and it's going on now I tell you what they're no heroes for their people they just lazy piece of s*** and Dan can tell you there's so many pieces of s*** out there that we can't get anything done either even though we don't want to and it's horrible so they're firing a lot of them today I'm sure they'll come around cuz they think he's in the same business and he actually does the job a lot of it huge construction projects mass of engineering feats are his partially and he says it because I do a lot of the engineering as well not a hardcore stuff at basis of things. There's a lot going on today and we're going to get more out later

Thor Freya

This is a huge day they're finally working on places that needed to be worked on in order for this area to be held by others it took a damn long time A lot of people are being threatened all over the world for these few idiots and they didn't appreciate it and they're actually going after them and their money and they're doing it now in the cities and it's a huge day because of that and because the warlock are also attacking several spots they're going after the money which is turning into a good size fight they're going after the tap Root chips which is huge the planetoids is getting much bigger and they are also planning on another attack on the United States people here are getting removed people are getting displaced a lot of them are getting killed from the neighborhood and their clans are weaker pretty soon very weak and small and the other ones are not growing they only shrinking it only be a matter of time before they're out and our permanently they don't think so but that's the way it is everybody says it too once you're out you ain't coming over you ain't never coming back you're such a losers and it's going on all day long they're pulling these people out constantly

Hera they're draining and siphoning themselves the way Australia is another example that having a huge word below and it's over uranium it's a different war or battle but it is one of the biggest I've ever seen I've never seen so many of them die so quickly ever in history it's a massive massive massive pile of death and probably half the island is gone it was there two days ago and they're reloading with people and going in and they're calling that's a huge percentage of the population too it's it's like 6% of the population was destroyed down below it was used before and it was that many before but this is going to continue two or three times they say three times they have another way and it's going to work and they like his idea and it's kind of speeding up today they might reach 60% of the island gone but refilling it is making it complicated so I'm going to say the island is back to 7% and we think 50% of that will be gone today if not more and yeah it was at 12% and went to about 6.5% and it's a fight below they're losing like this all over the world. And they have ships out and they're evacuating they plan to reach about 10% but that shrinks in the general population from about 15% for real to about 11% and they are also losing huge number of said all these battles and wars and they lose probably a percent today which is a lot but today is going to be more than that probably 2% and it's not big enough for them to change their way yet so off Island they are at 11% on island 7%, they're going to lose 2% overall today we estimate they'll be at 16%

Hera

We're in the above part but we're going to get going here he's going to get out and we have a place for him to head to

Thor Freya

Olympus

[j4y-lvr]

❝diamonds of the sky‚❞…nishimura riki

pairing. niki x gn!reader genre. fluff warnings. none (lmk if I should add anything) wc. 866

You drew a sigh, sinking in your seat as the gushing wind blew past. You got stood up on a date yet again. The constant buzz from your phone persisted, the messenger on the lookout for you. You sat in front of the tteokbokki store that closed not a while ago.

The diamonds of the sky crinkled under your notice, gazing over the rare sight. A breathtaking view, yet you stood under it, turned all blue.

Your feet take you to wander about, an echo zipping past your ear as the sound of a lapping chain approaches you and screeches to a showstopping halt. You muse a round of applause.

"you got stood up again?"  "maybe I'm just not destined for any of this,"  "if you keep looking in the wrong places, then yeah,"

"where else am I supposed to look?!" you banter, tired from the sequence of events, jolting your arms into a shrug. "what about me?"

It was then that you froze, your body facing whiplash as you perk a 180, facing him with your front flushed. "w-what," He props an innocent grin as he sets his feet onto the peddle, offering you a seat behind.

You comply, trusting the boy who had dropped the bomb on you out of seemingly nowhere.

"where to?" you inquire, gulping down the lump in your throat from his previous statement sending you into a fury of heat that crept up your ears, spreading the unusual warmth to your cheeks.

"my heart," he replies, turning back to send a wink your way before peddling with you seated behind him, gripping the material of his shirt in your fist, fighting a smile.

You look to the night sky as niki peddles at a calming pace. Unknown to you, a smile pricks on your lips with the serenity of the moment. Little had you thought that today would be led with niki taking you on a date.

Was this a date?

Either way, you appreciated the sentiment, mentally thanking him for something more than a night where you went home sulking and sat only to sulk some more.

The swift motion of the cycle's wheels drifting past the path came to an abrupt stop as niki gasped, both of his feet landing on the trail he trod upon.

The sudden halt sent you crashing into niki's (rather broad) back, causing you to grab your nose while a sharp pain throbs, subduing as you rub with the palm of your hand. An irritated huff escapes your mouth, "why'd you stop?"

"there was a cat,"

"oh," not like you could blame the cat for ruining the moment. Possibly because it made it much better with niki's hand clasping yours and securing it around his waist, "hold tight,"

What was this feeling, the feeling of being with niki. You found it comforting, the thought reflecting your action of laying your head on his back as he carried on, peddling, your eyes shutting in pure bliss.

"we're here," niki spoke, his hand softly tapping on your head to get your attention. "where are we?" You question, scanning the open area with not many accommodations around, almost looking abandoned.

Behind you was a shed where he placed the cycle to the ground, running up to the middle of the area spinning, waiting for you to join him. You hesitantly walk up to him, showing a small smile.

He pulls out his phone, fiddling with it before setting it on the rubble by the path, taking your hand in his. "would you like to dance?" he asks, mimicking an elegant tone of a prince you'd see in medieval movies and series.

It brings a chuckle out of you, "not like I can refuse," you respond, to which he laughs, setting a hand on your waist and guiding your hand to his shoulder, slowly twirling with you in his hands as classical music booms from the device.

You felt awkward doing such movements next to niki because he was a born natural when it came to dancing. "just relax, don't think about dancing to the music, let it come to you," he says, making the whole process seem flawless.

The moonlight seemed to smile upon the both of you, your moves finding a pace to the ballroom routine niki somehow knew. You tried to copy his moves but took it a bit too far by stepping on his shoe repeatedly, causing him to silently yelp.

"maybe I should just give up the classical music," he states, wincing from the repetitive stomp on his shoe. He switches the playlist, playing one made by the two of you, and waltzes back to you in a few flashy moves.

You laughed, a genuine grin spreading across your lips. You did a small dance yourself that caused niki to laugh till he dropped to his knees, sitting on the road covered with dust and rubble.

You sit beside him, gazing at the moon, stars, and all that could be seen above in the night sky.

You rest your head on his shoulder, a thought crosses your mind that he was right; you had been looking in the wrong places after all.

[xoxo-teddybear]

Goodbyes- Bakugou Katsuki

Bakugou x f!reader (ft. Katsumi, yours and Katsuki’s daughter )

Warnings: Angst, Cursing, Bad Father-Daughter relationship, slight SLIGHT SLIGHT (like 0.00000000000001%) fluff, intense kiss cuz Katsuki’s a SLUT

Summary: Years have passed and even so, Bakugou never gave up on you. You or Katsumi. You were both his family. His girls. He needed the both of you. And he will do everything in his power to bring you both back to him, but his now 16 year old daughter doesn’t plan on making it easy for him.

BAKUGOU’S MASTERLIST

Pt.1 Pt.2

11 years have passed since you left Katsuki that day. That horrid day. After leaving the house of hell, you went to Mina’s place to see your daughter. You saw her, happy, with her uncles and aunt. Her world was about to change and so you had to give her every ounce of happiness she could possibly get. You decided it would be best for both of you to stay in the welcoming home a little longer.

While continuing Katsumi’s play date, Mina had suggested you and Katsumi stay with her and Kirishima, but you declined. You knew it would be too easy for Katsuki to find you both and you knew he wouldn’t stop trying if he knew you were both at such easy access. And so, after hours and hours of Katsumi having the time of her life, it was time to bring her to her new home. For the time being at least.

After you left the happy couple’s house, you and Katsumi stayed in a hotel for the time being. It was a very nice place. Plenty of other kids for Katsumi to get along with, luxury rooms, and a pool! You both had stayed there for about a month until you found a gorgeous little house where you and Katsumi could call home. Not only was it spacious, luxurious, and all around amazing, if was far, far away from the previous home your shared with your soon-to-be ex husband.

You both had finally moved in, but that was the least of your problems. Like you told Katsuki, you allowed him to be a part of your daughter’s life. You allowed him to take care of her for 2 weeks, and then it was your turn. 2 weeks would pass and it would be his turn once again. You never allowed Katsuki to know where you both where. You kept your information very hidden and made sure your young daughter wasn’t capable of telling her father the new address whenever she was in his custody. You also never allowed Katsuki to pick Katsumi up. You always dropped her off, but never in a vehicle of your own. Can’t risk having him look up and track down your license plate. And if you couldn’t drop her off, you’d have Kirishima or Mina do it.

As time went on Katsumi continued to ask what was going on. Why was her life suddenly so different? She had asked Katsuki before, but he always told her it was a conversation she should have with her mom. When she asked you, you just smiled at her and told her “Things are changing right now, so it’ll just be me and you for a bit. But a Mommy-Daughter play date sounds fun doesn’t it? And it’ll last for a long time~” you said, hinting at what could possibly be the end of Katsumi and Katsuki’s relationship.

Thankfully, Katsumi liked the sound of that. Even though she was a daddy’s girl, she loved her mommy just as much! Of course her head would constantly be filled with thoughts of Katsuki but what can you do? You can’t bring her back to the cheater. Not permanently at least. You just...can’t.

Katsumi wasn’t the only one who was constantly thinking about family. Katsuki also had his face in every screen, every device, every piece of paper that might be able to help him find you. After you left him, he fell into a deep depression. He lost his two girls and it drove him mad. Even though he got to see Katsumi every 2 weeks, he knew that soon, she’d be old enough to be allowed to know what had happened. He was constantly on the lookout for you and where you could possibly be staying and with his friends refusing to help him, he concluded that for this job, he was on his own. He didn’t care. He had to find you again. He was going to bring his family back together.

—

A few years had passed. 6 to be exact. Katsumi was now 11 and she had questions. Why does life have to be like this? How long will the family be separated? Will we ever be together again? Due to all the confusion, Katsumi began to lash out constantly. It was like she was a mini version of her father. She needed answers. She needed to be led out of the dark. She needed to know. And it was time you told her. And boy, did you tell her something.

“Katsumi...your father left..because of me. I’m sorry. I was a horrible wife..and he just couldn’t take it anymore. It was understandable as to why he left..so..don’t be mad at him. Okay?” Y/N told her daughter.

Yup. You lied to her. You lied to your Katsumi but you had your reasons. A girl should think well of her father. Especially when that girl considered her father to be her best friend. So no, you didn’t tell Katsumi that the real reason you were separated was because her father cheated on you. You just couldn’t. Not when you knew Katsuki held the most important relationship in his daughter’s heart.

The relationship between a father and daughter is something irreplaceable. Something special. You couldn’t ruin it for her. So you were okay with her being mad at you, for her blaming you. As long as she was satisfied with her father-daughter “relationship,” that was good enough for you.

However, even though you put the blame on yourself, it didn’t stop Katsumi from being mad at her father too. He should’ve stayed. He should’ve tried to work things out. You both were her parents! You couldn’t even at least try to stay together for the sake of her? After finding out the “truth,” Katsumi did indeed grow resentment towards her dad. You were right in the end, and she no longer wanted to see him. That was fine with you. She could hate him, but as long as she didn’t know he was truly a scum, then that was settling as well.

Anger and fury resided in Katsumi. It bubbled up inside her and for the first 3 years in her teenage life, she was a child straight out of hell. Constantly in trouble, constantly taking out her anger on the world. You couldn’t blame her though, it was Katsuki’s fault she was like this. And you soon realized it was your fault since you lied to her too. Even so, you still didn’t tell her the truth. You opted to allowing Katsumi to express herself but with you and you only.

Katsumi was a good child at heart, but she was just lost in the dark. So when her mother allowed her to take her anger out on her, Katsumi did NOT lay a fist on her mother. Instead, she broke down. She broke down hard. Like she’s been broken all along.

“Was I not a good enough reason for him to stay?!” She sobbed out in anger as tears flowed down her face. You held your daughter as she cried and tore down all her walls she spent years building up. “I understand if your relationship was tough..but I hoped that maybe he would’ve came back to try for me at least. How could he just run away?! I just want my parents together. I just want to be considered! I’m not like other kids! I don’t have a family!!”

“I’m sorry, Katsumi.” You would whisper into her hair as she balled her eyes out. You didn’t expect your rebellious and strong child to be so..torn. You knew she was broken and you tried to help however you could but you never expected a meltdown. You were glad it happened though. After that day, followed a few more breakdowns. It was like Katsumi was opening the gates to allow everything to be bare just for her mother to see.

Her mother. Someone she now fully and completely trusts. Someone she loves. She allowed her mother to see all her cracks and damaged pieces. And thank god she did because now your mother-daughter relationship was better than ever. Katsumi replaced the thoughts of her father with happy memories of you. Instead of her father, her mother became her keeper, her guardian, her protector, her hero.

—

You smile as you look back on the journey you and your daughter traveled on. A happy family of 3, to a sad and confused duo, to a timid and raging two, to finally a content and happy mother and daughter. It’s been one hell of a ride for you, but if it meant reaching Katsumi’s happiness, then you’d happily do it all again.

“G’morning mom!” Katsumi happily said as she walked into the kitchen.

“There’s the beautiful birthday girl!” You happily said as you turned to your 16 year old daughter. Katsumi was no longer harmful towards others. Your once brutal and ruthless bully of a daughter became a sweet, sassy, and fun teenage girl. She was happy now. The sadness and anger finally left...at least, that’s what you thought. And that’s what she thought too. But the inner Katsumi was still in shambles...just..nobody knew that. Not even herself.

Katsumi was quick to jump onto you and give you a hug. She loved you. You became her best friend, her rock. Her protector and hero. It was always you two against the world and Katsumi wouldn’t have it any other way. “Not to be ‘self absorbed’ or anything, but are we doing anything special today?”

“Welll~ I know we haven’t seen them in a few months but I pulled some strings and so! Uncle Kiri, Uncle Denki, Uncle Sero, and of course Auntie Mina will be coming over to celebrate your 16th birthday!” You said with enthusiasm. You watched as your daughter’s jaw drop in happiness as tears of joy began to fill her eyes.

“Seriously?!” She asked with excitement and watched as you nodded your head. She jumped onto you once more and squeezed you tight. “Mom, that’s amazing! Thank you!”

You smiled as your daughter beamed with happiness. It’s been awhile since the Bakusquad (minus Bakugou) came to see Katsumi. Everytime they left their homes, Bakugou grew suspicious and assumed they were seeing Katsumi (and you of course), and even though he was right, he couldn’t know that. So to keep your location hidden from Katsuki, they had to stop seeing you and Katsumi for some time. After a few months, they decided it was perfect for them to pop up again on her 16th birthday, a very special time in a young girl’s life.

“Anything for you Sweetie! C’mon, I made your birthday breakfast and then we can get ready for the day. They’ll be here very soon!” You said to your daughter. She nodded and you both took your seats at the island, enjoying the delicious meal.

Growing up, Katsumi did indeed have friends, but they were more like school friends. She only talked to them in an educational environment but outside of school, her best friend was her mother. She was all she needed. Her friends were her aunt and uncles and that’s why she was more than happy to spend her 16th birthday with just them.

—

Katsuki looked at the date. His heart stung in pain as he stared down at the calendar.

“Katsumi’s birthday.....happy birthday Baby Bear.” He said in a broken voice. The same broken voice he had that day you left him. The same broken voice he’s had ever since you left him.

It’s been 11 years since you left. It’s been 5 since Katsumi decided she no longer wanted anything to do with him. Katsuki felt like he lost everything and in a way, he did. Even so, he kept the house the same in hopes that one day you’d return.

Over a decade has passed and Katsuki still holds hope that maybe..maybe if he prays long and hard enough..if he remains hopeful..his world will go back to normal.

Katsuki was so lost in thought that he didn’t even realize his own friends were possibly going to visit you and Katsumi. It wasn’t until he heard his phone ding and looked to see a notification from Denki to the Bakusquad group chat. Denki must’ve realized he texted the wrong chat room because he never sent another text. Coming to that conclusion, Bakugou assumed something was going on and so he got ready to make a quick trip to his best friend’s house to get in the know. This was a stretch considering they never told him anything about you, which he’ll agree is deserved, but regardless he won’t stop trying.

He got ready and once he was done he was right out the door. As he pulled up to the house he noticed not only Kirishima and Mina, he saw Sero and Kaminari. Something was definitely up. He pulled over to the side and just watched. He saw the 4 friends talking and laughing and finally, he saw the gifts. That’s what gave it away. He watched as the friends packed gifts into their cars and once he saw Kirishima bring a cake, that was all the confirmation Katsuki needed. They were going to see you. They knew where you were.

Katsuki stayed hidden as he followed his friends on the road. He stayed a few cars behind and took on a slow pace. Thankfully, they never noticed him. As the ash blonde drove he couldn’t help but feel a little stinging in his chest and butterflies in his belly. He was so excited to see you..see his daughter..his family.

The drive felt like forever and it probably was. Katsuki looked at his location on the map and it was then that he really saw how far you had moved. It hurt his heart realizing how much you really didn’t want to see him but the fact that he was going to reunite with you soon was overcoming any negative thoughts or feelings. Eventually, his friends ahead of him had arrived and of course, Katsuki followed. The blonde parked a little ways off from the house and waited. He figured that seeing him would cause some shock throughout the home. Katsuki didn’t expect you or Katsumi to be happy to see him but he didn’t care. He’s willing to go through whatever to bring you both back. So, instead of going in right away, he allowed you and Katsumi to enjoy yourselves for some time before he went in and crashed the place.

—

“Happy birthday to you~”

“Blow out the candles, sweetie!” You said while holding the cake. Katsumi smiled, took a tiny breath, and took out the small flames. You all clapped for the now 16 year old girl and you placed the cake down. Playful banter and happy talks were discussed all around as you began to cut the cake and pass around slices.

“I can’t believe our little Katsumi’s all grown up!” Kaminari sobbed into Sero’s shoulder. The slender man made a face of disgust as slobber got all over him and pushed the electric blonde off.

“We’re so happy we got to see you today, kid.” Sero said to the smiling little lady.

“I’m really glad I got to see you guys too! You really made this birthday something special. I love you guys! Especially you, Mom. Thanks for everything.” Katsumi said as she walked to you and wrapped her arms around you.

“I’d give the whole world for you Katsumi. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy. Your smile s’all I’ll need.” You said while rubbing soft circles onto her back. You released the hug as chatter grew again.

On the outside, Bakugou was pressed with his back against the door. He was lucky it was pretty late, so no one would take notice of the pro hero snooping on some “random” house. As Bakugou listened in on the party inside, he teared up at the sound of the singing. What you all didn’t know was that on the other side of the door, Bakugou was also singing and wishing his daughter a happy birthday. Although it was Katsumi’s day, Bakugou took her wish, and begged for his family back.

He stayed outside the door for awhile but the sound of his name made his ears perk. “So..how are things with Bakugou?”

—

You rolled your eyes at Mina’s question. “C’mon. Seriously? Like I’d know.” You laughed a little.

“Y/N, I’m being serious. Katsumi’s 16 now. She hasn’t seen Bakugou in 5 years. Don’t you think it’s a little tough on both of them?” Your pink friend asked. You soften your eyes a bit as you looked towards your hands

“....Of course I do, Mina. Katsumi has always been a daddy’s girl.” You said while looking towards your daughter, who was laughing with her uncles. “She loves him...and so do I. But it was her choice to not see him. ....She thinks I don’t know it, but I’m well aware of just how bad Katsuki’s absence is hurting her. She puts up a strong facade, but I’m her mother and I can see through it. She misses him but she’s too hurt by what happened.”

“But still, what about Bakugou? I know what he did was horrible-“

“Extremely.”

“Right. But he’s still my friend. He tells us everything. He’s so broken by what happened and I’m not saying you should forgive him but if Katsumi misses her dad as much as Bakugou misses the both of you, maybe she should consider seeing him again.” Mina mentioned. You couldn’t believe yourself but you honestly began to consider it.

Back with Katsuki, his eyes widened a bit. A small smiled grew on his face and tiny tears of joy filled his eyes. He made a reminder to thank Mina for her recommendation for you. If you agreed to it, he might get his Baby Bear back. ..He might get you back too. However, a sudden voice made his hopes shaky.

—

“No, she shouldn’t.”

You and Mina both looked behind you to see your daughter standing there. You both held shocked expressions as you watched her.

“..Katsumi..you don’t ever think of seeing him again?” You asked as her expression grew a mix of hurt and anger.

“No! Not after what he did to you! What he did to us.” She said. You kicked yourself as you and Mina were reminded of the lie you told your daughter. He did hurt the two of you...just not in the way that she thinks. “If he was lucky, and his reasons were good enough, then maybe, maybe I’d forgive him. And maybe I’d go back to seeing him. But he’s gone and he’s not coming back.”

—

On the other side of the door, Katsuki grew hurt by the memories of what he did. After hearing his daughter’s words, he had enough and finally worked up the courage to knock on the door.

—

“-he’s not coming back.”

*knock* *knock* *knock*

The 3 of you looked to the door and were shocked at the new guest. Nobody else was scheduled to come. Who could it be? You watched as Kirishima went to open it and took notice of his surprised face. He said a few quiet words, nodded, and then took a few steps away from the door. He looked towards you and your daughter and you felt the whole world stop as you all looked to the man in front of you who had just stepped in.

“....Hey.”

“.....Katsuki.” You said with small tears in your eyes. You looked towards your daughter to see a sad and hurt expression on her face as her jaw slightly dropped.

“...Dad.”

—

“So.....you’re back.” You said with a broken and bittersweet voice as you stepped to him. You crossed your arms as a way to hold yourself in comfort and to put on a strong front in front of Katsuki. Only problem was, he was the man you loved and who loved you. You’ve been together since you both were babies. He knows how you truly feel.

Bakugou chuckled a bit as he put his hands in his pockets and stepped towards you. “Thank you, Y/N.”

“For what?” You quickly and sternly asked.

“For keeping my secret. You think my dumbass friends wouldn’t tell me what you did?” He began before he was interrupted.

“Hey! At least these dumbasses know it ain’t cool to crash a party!” The electric dunce said as he took another bite of cake.

“Denki!” The rest of the Bakusquad (minus Bakugou) shouted. Bakugou shook his head with a small laugh before continuing.

“Thank you for protecting Katsumi from me. You never once sold me out.” He explained with sad eyes and a hurt smiled. You used your arms to console yourself as you rubbed your sides for warmth. A warmth that only Katsuki could ever help you feel.

“Yeah well...a girl should think well of her father.” You said as you stepped to the side and you both turned to face Katsumi. She held her hands together by the fingers before dropping them and walking to her dad.

“Hi Katsumi.” Katsuki said with a loving, cracked voice. You all watched as Katsumi took small breath before speaking.

“...W-Why are you here? And what do you mean Mom never sold you out? What are you guys talking about?” She asked with her teary eyes.

“..I can answer all of those questions if you talk to me. In private, I’d prefer.” Bakugou said. Katsumi shook her head no before taking a few steps back.

“I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” She said.

“Katsumi,” the said girl looked to her mother who called for her. “You should talk to him.”

“What?” The Bakusquad said.

“What?” Katsumi said.

“What?” Bakugou said.

“There’s some things that you need to know.” You turned to Bakugou as you said this part. “Some things that only you can tell her. That you should tell her. .....You both can talk on the patio.”

“Mom, I don’t want to-“

“I’m not asking, Katsumi. I’m telling you. Go talk to your father. There’s something that you should know.” You sternly said to your daughter. She only stared at you for a minute before looking towards Bakugou and walking to the patio. Bakugou looked towards you and saw you nod your head for approval to follow her. Before he left he pulled you in for a hug. As much as you wanted to hate it, you couldn’t. His scent engulfed you and his warmth finally reached you after so many years. You missed him and your mind and body were quick to give in. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he held onto you by your waist. He embraced all of you and melted into your soft touch that he so dearly missed.

“Thank you, Y/N......I love you.” He whispered into your neck only for you to hear. You nodded, but he knew you still felt the same way when you squeezed him tighter. He smiled at that, and you both finally released each other before he walked to his daughter who was waiting outside.

He opened the back door to find his daughter waiting at the outdoor table. He took a seat across from her and just smiled. She’s really here. In front of him. He finally got to see not only the love of his life but his precious little girl as well.

“...It’s so good to see you, Baby Bear....you’ve grown so much.” He softly said to her. She looked up with sad, angry eyes as she glared at him.

“....Why are you here, dad?” She said in a hurt tone. Bakugou held a shaky smile as she said that word. Dad. Granted, it was no longer daddy but it was something. He loved it either way. He needed to hear it.

“A lot of reasons. To wish my daughter a happy 16th...to apologize..and explain..to see my daughter..my family-“

“We’re not your family. You left us. You don’t leave family.” Katsumi sternly interrupted.

“Right...‘I left you guys.’ ......Baby Bear-“

“Don’t call me that.”

Ouch. That hurt Katsuki’s heart. Broke it even more than it already was. “...There’s something I have to tell you. Something your mother didn’t. Something she lied to you about..to protect me.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Mom is perfect! And amazing! She would never lie to anyone especially me!” Katsumi pointed out as she raised her voice at her father.

“She really is perfect and amazing...and I was dumb enough to lose her. Katsumi...I know your mom told you that I left you both..but in reality...She..left me.” Bakugou said. It felt like lead fell onto his body as he watched his daughter fall into confusion.

“N-No...no you’re lying!” Katsumi said as she stood up and slammed her hands on the table. Katsuki didn’t flinch as he expected this reaction. “She wouldn’t! She wouldn’t tear apart our family..she..she wouldn’t do that...to..to me.” She said as her voice progressively got softer with each word. “Quit lying and just admit that you left us! That you put me and Mom through hell!” Her voice rose once more. “Was I not enough for you to stay?! What did I do that was wrong?! I thought we were the perfect family! I thought...we were happy. Was I not a good enough reason to stay? You couldn’t even try for me? For your daughter? You didn’t even take my feelings into consideration when you left. You didn’t even think about me, Dad.”

Bakugou couldn’t believe it. Your lie was supposed to protect Katsumi, but instead it installed all these insecurities she now has. His friends had told him Katsumi was finally happy..but he guessed she hid all her thoughts..just like he would. She really was his daughter. “Katsumi...it wasn’t like that.”

“You’re lying!!!” Katsumi screamed to herself as tear drops began to fall.

“Katsumi! It’s been 11 years since your mother left me and 5 since I got to see you!” He said with a hurt voice. “Do you honestly think I would wait this long, spend years to find your new home, and come all the way out here just to lie to you?” He watched as his daughter’s face fell as she realized he wasn’t lying. He watched as her faith in her mother deteriorated. He couldn’t let that happen. “Don’t be mad at her though. Be mad at me. She had every reason to leave.”

“..What did you do?” She asked unbothered. She doesn’t care about anything anymore. She doesn’t think she could get any more hurt. Her best friend and mother lied to her about something so crucial. What could possibly make it worse? Katsuki felt his heart beat all around his body. He grew nervous and his palms grew sweatier than usual.

“...I-..Katsumi..*sigh* ...I’m so sorry, Baby Bear.” He slightly sobbed. Katsumi now grew interested. She couldn’t remember much but from what she could, she doesn’t think she ever saw her father cry. Even in the worst situations, he never broke. He always put up a strong front for the world. For her.

“Dad?...” she asked as she sat up in her chair.

“....Katsumi...your mom left me..because I cheated on her.”

There it was. The truth was finally revealed to Katsumi. Plain and simple. Her E/C eyes popped as angry tears filled them. Hurt. Betrayal. Fury. All those emotions she abandoned years ago all came rushing back through her. She began to shake as her breath grew heavy. Bakugou apologized over and over with his head down. Katsumi felt her palms grow hot as they began to spark. Out of anger, she screamed and hit her father with an explosion. The same explosions she got from him.

She watched as her father flew back a few feet and cringed in slight pain. Her blast wasn’t intended to hurt him completely but was more meant to keep him at a distance. She watched as Bakugou got up from the floor and faced her again. Her tears fell heavy as a shadow casted over her eyes. Screw the distance. She ran to him and began punching his chest with everything she had. Thanks to his training, and Katsumi’s distraught state, Katsuki felt little to no pain. He could only look down in heart break as he watched his daughter become a mess due to his actions.

“H-How could you?!” She said as she continued to hit him. “How could you do that to us?! TO MOM! TO ME!” She said and finally looked to her father, showing him her tears, cherry red rose, and puffy eyes. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU PUT US THROUGH?! Do you have any idea what kind of hell Mom went through?! Mom doesn’t know it but I saw her face! I saw the tear streaks in the mornings, her red, swollen eyes! I saw her sadness behind her happy cover! And not to mention what I did to her! My family broke and I became a little terror. I caused Mom hell. ALL BECAUSE OF YOU, DAD! YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT I WENT THROUGH?! I had to leave my home! I had to move away from my friends! My family! I HAD TO LOSE MY FAMILY! I HAD TO LOSE YOU!!”

Inside the house, the group of friends could hear everything. All the yelling, the shouting. The anger and pain. Y/N had rivers flowing down her face as she covered her sobs with her hand. Her friends settled around her and comforted her through this horrible time. Outside, Bakugou’s face went into a slight shock at his daughter’s last sentence. “W-What?”

“I had to lose you, Dad! You think I don’t remember? You were my best friend. My idol and hero. To me, it never got better than you. ...But you did this? You betrayed Mom. You betrayed me. I love you, Dad, I still do...but I guess you never loved me or Mom.” Katsumi said as she looked down again.

“Katsumi that’s not true. I love both of you with my entire being-“

“So then why’d you do it?” His daughter asked with her voice, laced with pain.

“I was drunk and made a stupid mistake. It’s a day I completely regret because it was the day I tore apart my family and lost everything.” Bakugou said.

“Tch, you didn’t lose anything at all! You still have the house, the money, the fame, the fans. You’re still a pro, you still have everything!” Katsumi shouted.

“I don’t have you or your mother.” Silence grew at the beginning of his confession. “Like I said, you both are my entire being. Yes, I love my job and I’m grateful for everything I’ve earned and accomplished but I’d give it all up in a heartbeat if it meant I’d get to bring you and your mother back home to me. I don’t care about anything else other than the two of you. You haven’t seen me in the past 5 years and in the last 11 years when you did see me when you came over, you never saw my broken side. You never saw how distraught I was. You never saw the hell I went through because I don’t have the two of you, at home, with me.”

Bakugou stepped to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her to hold her. She allowed him to do so and began to silently cry in his chest. She refused to hold him back as her head was still in a cloud of confusion. Does she forgive him? Go back to seeing him? Try to bring her family back together? What to do, what to do.

“I’m sorry for everything I put you through Katsumi. Both you and your mother. I ruined our family and it’s something I’ve regretted for over a decade. But I won’t let you both go. I will do everything in my power to bring our family back together so we can be happy again. And I’m starting here, by telling you the truth.” Bakugou explained. Silence grew once more and Katsumi had finally made her decision.

“Well I suggest you stop trying..’cuz you’re never bringing us back.” Katsumi said as she pushed her father off of her and narrowed her eyes at him. Bakugou stared at his daughter with wide eyes.

“What?” He asked with an exasperated voice.

“You committed the ultimate betrayal. You broke Mom’s heart, betrayed me and her, and broke this family apart. You ruined us. We’ve finally picked ourselves back up and I don’t think we should let the guy who wrecked our world come back into it. ...I’m glad you came and told me the truth..thank you for that..hope you get home safe.” Bakugou was hurt but he understood where she was coming from. He watched as his daughter began to walk away but he wanted to keep her around as long as he could. He knew this probably would be the last time he would get to see her for awhile.

“I’m sorry!” He said with a sob. He watched Katsumi flinch to his sudden booming voice and turn to him. Bakugou looked at his daughter with teary eyes. “You..you turned out great. You’re the best daughter I could ever ask for. Your Mother did a great job at raising you...I just wish I could say the same.”

As Katsumi took in his words, she could feel a heavy weight fly off of her chest. “.....Woah.”

“What?” Bakugou asked.

“...F-For so long, I’ve been mad at the world. For a period of time, I was mad at mom. But for the past 11 years, I always thought I wasn’t good enough. I thought I was a problem..and I was so broken and mad,” Katsumi looked up to her father with tears at the ends of her eyes and a tiny smile. “I-...I’m not mad anymore...thanks to you.”

Katsumi ran back to her dad and wrapped her arms around him. Bakugou was shocked but felt the tears build up again. He wrapped his arms around her and held his daughter tight for as long as she would allow. Time passed and it was clear the both of them were trying to hold onto this father-daughter moment for as long as they could, but Katsumi knew it was time to let go. Before releasing her hold on her father, she allowed herself to say her farewells.

“Goodbye Daddy....I love you.” Was all she said before pulling away from her dad and walking back into the house. Bakugou watched her go and dropped his head as he allowed himself to cry in peace.

When Katsumi entered the house, she was quick to break down again and sob. She ran to her mother who immediately wrapped her arms around her sad daughter. They both held onto each other as Katsumi said her apologies.

“I’m so sorry Mom! There was a time where I blamed you and none of this was your fault. I’m so sorry!” She sobbed and you pulled her back so you could face her.

“It’s okay, Katsumi, it’s okay,” you whispered. “Don’t apologize for anything. None of this was your fault, okay?” Katsumi only nodded as you pulled her in for another hug. The Bakusquad offered to take her back up to her room so she could settle down and you nodded as you allowed your daughter to head to the comfort of her room. The Bakusquad went to help her cheer up and they of course brought the comedic genius, Kaminari, with them.

“Nothing brings more joy in sad times than a goofy uncle!” Kaminari said as the 4 of them walked up the stairs.

“I could name so many more things, Denki. Trust me.” Mina said as she walked along side him. You chuckled at their conversation as they walked up the stairs but soon, your attention was directed to the opening back door. Katsuki walked in with a sad expression but gave a happy glance once he saw you. He walked towards you and you gave him a sad smile.

“So...I guess now she knows.” You said to break the silence.

“Um...yeah..she knows.” Bakugou said as he looked towards the ground. “......Y/N..I’m so sorry,” he said looking back at you. “If I could go back in time and stop myself I would. Because then I would still have my family. My daughter....you. I’d still have you and Katsumi and we’d still be in the same house with another kid a few years younger than Katsumi and then maybe we’d have another on accident because everyone knows I can’t keep my hands to myself when it comes to you,” he joked sadly. You laughed at his fantasy and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t have similar thoughts.

“Yeah..just...maybe if things were different.” You said with your sad smile. Bakugou slowly went in to grab your hand and you allowed him as he moved in closer to you.

“I’m sorry, Teddy Bear-“

“Stop saying ‘sorry’ Katsuki,” you said as you threw your head back with your small smile still plastered on. You faced him again before speaking. “I know you’re sorry. But..there’s nothing that’s gonna change with it. Maybe it’s time for you to move on. Time for both of us to move on.”

Bakugou shook his head at the idea. “No. I know myself. I know I’ll never be able to let you both go. I’ll never be able to move on, even if I wanted to. But I am able to respect your wishes. If Katsumi doesn’t want to see me anymore....then I’ll give her what she wants.”

“I’m sorry, Katsuki.” You said in regards to your daughter.

“S’not your fault Teddy Bear. It’s mine, obviously. Just what happens when you’re an idiot.” He said, degrading himself. You giggled at his comment and went in to wrap your arms around his neck.

“Yeah..but you’re always gonna be my idiot.” You said into his neck. Bakugou held you tight and took in your intoxicating scent. He took the time to memorize the warmth you had, the way you smelt, the way you felt. How amazing it was to hold you in his arms. He drilled it all into his mind so he would never forget.

“I’m glad. ....I love you Y/N.” He said into your soft hair.

“......I love you too Katsuki.” You replied back with all the love you could give. You both pulled away to face each other but felt something immediately draw you back in. You pressed against each other closer than before as your lips slowly came in contact.

This was something Bakugou also drilled in. The way you tasted. Your sweet strawberry lips were something he would never forget. Something he could never resist. The kiss slowly grew more passionate and intense as Bakugou bit down on your bottom lip, releasing a very quiet moan from you. Quickly, he slipped his tongue in and you allowed it as you succumbed to him. The kiss was strong and Bakugou began to push you against a wall but when his hands traveled to the hill of your ass, gave it a squeeze, and you released another moan, you decided it was enough.

You pushed on Bakugou’s chest and kept him back a bit. He looked down at you in confusion but when he saw your small smile and little head shake he understood. He smiled down at you with sad eyes as he nodded. His hands returned to your waist and pulled you in for a final hug that you happily returned. He pulled away but not before giving you a sweet peck on your forehead. He finally stepped away from you and walked to the door. You followed him as you escorted him to the exit and with his hand on the knob, he opened it as he looked at you with the same sad smile that mirrored your own.

“Bye Y/N.” He said on the other side of the entrance.

“Bye Katsuki.” You said with your hand on the door. While he pulled on the knob, you lightly shut the door.

You both placed your backs on your own sides of the door and released a breath you both didn’t know you were holding. A heavy feeling finally hopped off your chests as you both looked up. You both knew that you weren’t letting each other go. That’d be impossible and you knew it. It was more of you both accepting the new reality. You loved each other, wholeheartedly and entirely, but this would have to be the end of your story together.

You’re not letting go...this is just goodbye.

[lis-likes-fics]

Surveillance | Chapter 6

Another month had past. Everything was quiet. Natasha did not exactly know how to feel about that. There had been no mysterious events or strange happenings. Things went smoothly.

Against safety protocols, appropriation protocols, and really all of the protocols, Natasha continued texting with you. She was trying to convince herself that it was a way to better protect you, even if that was a whole load of bullshit.

She just really enjoyed your company, your virtual company anyway. She had never actually been in the same place as you. You were glad she decided to stay in touch. You found yourself talking to her almost all the time. There would be sometimes where she would take a little too long to answer. She would immediately assure you that someone walked past and she was not really supposed to be on the phone.

/Sorry. I'm back. I really shouldn't be on my phone right now. Much less talking to you./

/Nat, if it will get you in trouble, stop doing it./

/You couldn't pay me to./

To which you would laugh and chew your lip absent-mindedly. Scout continued to do nearly everything with you. At some point, Natasha admitted to her being a helpful asset to the whole "keeping you safe thing" but not to the fact that she was the one who gave her to you.

/Scout's basically a guard and lookout dog. She can sense threats and weeds them out for me. She can smell them before I see them. It's in her nature./

She was also trained to do so, but you didn't need to know that part.

There would be days where you would feel less than yourself and Natasha would be quick to help you feel better. There were a couple of occasions where she even had gifts or snacks delivered to you to cheer you up. You noted the couple of times where you got dog toys for Scout to play with.

Natasha kept telling herself the same thing whenever she felt like she might have been getting too close to the situation. "It helps me keep you safe." It was a load of bullshit, but she wasn't going to stop any time soon.

~

You scratched Scout's head, smiling at her as you told her, "I'm going out for a bit, and I'm trusting you not to chew up my shoes or furniture. S'that okay?"

She barked, her tongue sticking out as she panted. You smiled, "Good." You stood, throwing your bag over your shoulder and waving to her, "Bye bye, Scout."

She barked again as you closed the door behind you. You turned around, Denise's car in the driveway as she came to pick you up. You waved at her with a smile, getting in the car. You two hadn't gone out in a while because of all of your work and the new dog, so you were going to the mall to hang out.

You sat in the passenger's side as you greeted her, "Hey, Denise. What's up?"

"Nothing much. You ready?" she asked as she got ready to pull out of the drive, turning to you with a smile. You clicked your seatbelt on and gave her a nod.

She pulled out and headed to the mall with you. The car ride was filled with pleasant conversation which made you happy, you didn't want to spend the next couple of hours with her on a low note.

Your phone pinged halfway through one of your conversations. "Hang on a sec." You picked up your phone.

/What's happening?/

You chuckled lightly. /I'm hanging out with Denise for a little bit today. Relax, we're just going to the mall. I'm in no grave danger./

/Okay, but let's please talk about this next time so it's not too spontaneous. I can't protect you if I don't know what's going on./

You were getting ready to send another text when she sent a follow-up to correct herself.

/I can't surveillance you*/

You chuckled and shook your head. /Alright, alright, I got it. Talk with you next time. I'll talk later Nat./

Natasha sighed from her place behind her desk, swinging in her chair. /Talk later./

She didn't really feel comfortable with the idea of you hanging out with Denise– whose first impression was leaving you at a Stark party in New York in the middle of the night.

Natasha had her concerns.

~

You and Denise had been walking around the mall for almost two hours now, catching up on a few things that happened while you've been busy. You listened to her as you roamed through the shops, the two of you pointing out things you wanted to buy.

"So, what about you? What drama have you acquired?" she asked with a wink. You rolled your eyes as you laughed, "What do you mean? I'm the Prodigy, not a Kardashian."

She laughed, a little bit humorlessly. "You know what I mean? What have your patients been up to lately? Any nutjobs?"

You sighed, "First of all, you know I can't discuss my clients with you, even if I wanted to. Second, they are not nutjobs and you shouldn't call them that."

"Alright, alright," she said, "I get it. Confidentiality and all that." You both walked into a dress shop and she stopped as she looked at one of the dresses. She smiled at it with an open mouth as she said, "This is gorgeous. I have to have it."

She looked down at the price tag and her smile dropped as she stared at it in shock. She set it down, glancing at you. She gave a smile, "We're friends, right?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes, scanning the dress to see how much money it was. Her eyes widened as she saw the price tag on that dress. You raised a brow, "How much is it?"

She shrugged a shoulder, "Not too much, it's nothing really."

You walked over to the dress, looking at the tag as your eyes practically bugged out of your head, "Almost a thousand dollars?!"

"You're a billionaire, it's nothing for you!" she tried.

You turned to her, "How do you think I stay a billionaire, D? I don't even buy dresses for myself that cost this much. This is ridiculous."

"We're friends. You'd think a friend would spare some money to get me a gift."

You sighed, "Denise, we are friends, but I shouldn't have to buy you a thousand dollar dress to prove my friendship to you."

Natasha nodded from her spot, "That's right."

Denise huffed as she walked past you, "Forget it, I'm going to the restroom. Meet me at the car after."

You sighed, looking down at your bags as she walked away to the restrooms. You stood there for a moment before glancing up at the dress hanging from the rack.

"Don't do it," Natasha muttered as she watched you lift your head through the camera she was watching you from.

~

You walked to the parking lot with your bags on your arms. You looked around the parking lot as you walked over to where Denise parked before. You stopped when you saw her car gone.

Your shoulders fell and you sighed, "Denise..."

She left you...again.

You picked up your phone, pressing on Nat's contact slowly before walking back over to the sidewalk. To your convenience, halfway back to the sidewalk, it began to sprinkle with light rain. You looked down at your feet and sighed heavily. Perfect.

"Oh, honey," Natasha murmured.

/Are you alright?/ she texted you.

Finally under the shelter of the building, you answered: /I'm just perfect./

/Why do you hang out with her? I've spent time with her and she's turned out to be a real brat. She's only friends with you for the benefit./

You sighed, plopping down on a bench. /Denise was the first and only friend I had through elementary and college. We've been friends for a long time and I don't want to cut her off./

/But she's clearly ready to cut you off./

/Can we please not talk about this right now, Nat? I just really want to get home./

You asked, your face falling as you sniffled, trying your hardest not to cry. Natasha sighed, rubbing her neck before responding: /Yeah, sorry. I'll get you a cab./

/Thanks./

Natasha sighed, beginning to contact the number for the cab before pausing. She licked her lips and stood from the desk, sneaking out of the office as she headed off.

You waited for about ten minutes before the cab got there. You mentally thanked Nat and got in the car, shielding yourself from the pouring rain as you got inside, scooting the bags over to the other side of the seats.

"Hey, thanks," you greeted, "It's really going out here, isn't it?"

The woman sitting in the front seat nodded, looking back at you with a smile. You returned the smile, noting her red hair pulled into a messy bun. She tipped her hat at you as she replied in a New York accent, "Sure is, ma'am. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. How are you today?"

You smiled, "I'm good. Thanks."

"No problem, ma'am. I'm Patricia, you can call me Pat," she said before turning around and beginning to drive away once your seatbelt was fastened.

"Nice to meet you, Pat. I'm Y/N," you told her.

She nodded simply, "Oh, I know that. When I got the call that I would be transporting Y/N Y/L/N- boy, I was I ecstatic. It's a pleasure to be of service to you, ma'am."

You chuckled lightly, "The pleasure is all mine."

"Where are we headed?" she asked kindly, looking at you through the rear-view window with her green eyes.

You sighed, "Uh, I actually have two destinations today." You gave her Denise's address and she headed off. Patricia spent quite a bit of the ride talking and building conversation, which you gladly participated in. She wasn't pushy and annoying, her chatter was nice and helped to raise your mood.

When you reached Denise's house, you shielded yourself from the rain as you grabbed the bag that held the dress in it. You went up to Denise's door, knocking on it three times as she made her way over.

You were standing out there a few moments longer than you wanted before she answered the door, looking at you expectantly.

"Yeah?" she asked.

You sighed and handed over the bag, "Here's the dress you wanted. Sorry that I didn't just get it before... Also, could you maybe not leave me at the mall in New York?"

She shrugged, "I figured you would just have someone pick you up." She glanced at the cab, "Seems like you did."

You sighed, the rain dropping onto your face. "Okay... I'll see you later."

She nodded and closed the door. You hesitated for a moment before turning back to the cab and getting back in.

"Hey, sorry. I'm going home now," you gave her the address and Patricia thanked you before saying, "No need to apologize, Miss."

There was a second of pause as she pulled out of the driveway. "If you don't mind my asking," she started, "But that dress seemed pretty prestigious. Did you get it for a special occasion or something? Is the Red Carpet coming up soon?"

You laughed lightly before shaking your head, "No. No, I just got it for my friend. She was wanting it..."

She furrowed her brows, "Well, she didn't seem that grateful. It must have cost a lot of money."

"Heh, it did," you muttered.

"So, that's the famous Denise right?" Patricia asked.

You nodded, "Yep, my childhood friend."

"Again, if you don't mind my asking, there was a lot of talk on whether you were actually friends or not, are you?" she asked.

You were quiet and she spoke quickly, "Of course, you don't need to answer. Us little guys just get curious sometimes."

You shook your head as you said, "No. No, don't worry about it. Uh, Denise and I have been friends since elementary. Just lately she seems to have gotten..."

"Less friendly-like?" she asked.

You nodded a little, looking at her through the rear view mirror as you spoke, "Yeah..." Your eyes met then and you were quick to look away. Her eyes were really pretty.

"If you don't mind my questions," she started.

You laughed lightly, "No, I don't mind your questions, Pat."

She smiled, "Great, well, I was wondering why you stayed friends if she wasn't friendly?"

You shrugged, "A lot of people ask me that."

"Well, if a lot of people ask you the same things about her... why don't you try to– I don't know– consider it? Sometimes, when a lot of people agree, it might be right," Patricia said as she looked through the windshield. She then shrugged a shoulder and nodded, "Of course, there's some bullshit a lot of people agree on that ain't true, too."

You both shared a weak laugh before silence settled in the car. After a moment, she spoke to ease the tension, "Sorry, it's really none of my business."

"No- Don't worry, Pat, I'm not offended. I guess," you spoke, "I guess I'm just afraid everyone is right. She's my longest friend and I'm just afraid to lose her. I guess I don't want there to be a domino affect, you know?"

She nodded, "I get that."

After a moment, you told her, "Thanks, Pat. It's really nice talking to you."

She smiled, tipping her hat to you, "Well, thank you, ma'am. It's quite a pleasure talking to you too." She chuckled a little as she said, "Heh, me talking some therapy into a therapist."

You smiled a little as you nodded, "Yes, well, not everyone's perfect. I'm far from that."

Soon enough, she pulled into the house. "Thanks so much," you told her, fishing for your wallet to pay for the transportation. "How much do I owe you?"

She shook her head as she looked back at you with quite beautiful green eyes, "No need, ma'am. Your company was enough."

You sighed, "I insist. How much for the ride?"

"No, I insist. No payment required," she told you with a smile.

You smiled gently as you thanked her, pulling out a fifty and handing it over. "Please, take it. It's the least I could do." Patricia looked down at the money, grabbed it, and thanked you.

You grabbed your bags and gave her another smile and a goodbye before going to your door and opening it. Scout came running out, jumping up against you. You smiled, making your way inside to put the things up.

As soon as you got back outside to get to Scout, you saw her by the cab in the rain. Patricia had gotten out of her car and was petting your dog happily.

She muttered under her breath to the dog so you wouldn't here, "Hey, Scout. You taking care of your girl?"

Scout barked, enjoying the pets. Patricia smiled and chuckled before letting her go. Scout bolted back into the house and Patricia stood to her feet, waving at you in the rain with a smile. "It was a pleasure to assist you, ma'am."

You smiled and waved, "The pleasure was all mine. Thanks, Pat."

She waved again and got in her car, waving out her cap before putting it on the other seat and pulling out of the driveway. She waved as she drove away and you gave her another kind smile.

Scout came back up to you, barking. You smiled, "Hey, girl! Did you like Patricia?"

She tilted her head at you in question and you rolled your eyes playfully, assuming she just didn't know the name. You dug in your bag and tossed her a treat, "Go on, Scout."

She barked and caught the treat in the air, running off to find a place to eat it - which always happened to be your room or your office.

Natasha got back to her desk, now wet from the rain as she sat in her chair. She smiled as she looked over the screens again to see everything in place. She muttered under her breath in that New York accent, "It was a pleasure assisting you, ma'am."

~~~

Surveillance taglist: @natasha-danvers @chasethemoon @thelastpyle @readings-stuff @xxromanoffxx @t00manyfand0ms @diaryoflife @mad-moddi-1327 @natsbaby @inquisitive-nix send a message or make a comment to be added!

[lani-heart]

|| series masterlist || PART TWO || CHAPTER ONE -> PREVIEW ||

parings -> sim jaeyun x reader genre -> non-idol au, school au, hyrbid au warnings -> n/a word count -> 1.2k

abstract -> who knew I'd find the perfect stranger at the worst time?

y/n's perspective

“Yah! What are you even doing on Jeju Island?! I don’t know what Mom and Dad said but… at least answer me?” he was mad but worried… he also sounded tired. 

I wonder if they asked him to look for me. 

I got lucky with online classes this semester. However, the raging headache wasn’t helping to pay attention to the professor. Maybe I needed some food…

I was staying at an apartment for the time being until I found out what I was going to do. “Hmm. Are you going somewhere?” I heard and I smiled. “Yeah, tell Asahi I'll be back soon… if he wakes up before I come back,” I said and he looked worried. 

“I’ll be fine,” I said and he sighed. “It's just… this place is dangerous for you to go alone” Jaehyuk worried and I smiled. “I’ll be back soon,” I said and he nodded as he watched me leave. 

I walked to the convenience store where I noticed a boy… he looked rough. I walked in to get a simple fast meal when I saw the boy from earlier look into the window squinting at the specials today. He was… hungry. 

I grabbed an extra kimbap, ramyeon, and coffee for him when I went outside. He seemed… scared or worried. He looked too young to be on the streets. Maybe… he ran away, like me? He had his hands covering his face making me wonder if he was crying. 

I sighed but placed the kimbap, ramyeon, and coffee in front of him. 

“Ah, oh thank you so much!” he said, and… he was pretty. I wonder how he found himself in this situation. “Are you okay?” I asked and he chuckled. “I will be…” he confirmed and I smiled. “I know how it is… just be careful here okay?” I asked and he nodded. 

“Thank you so much… you’re kind” 

“Yah! I told you how many times?! Never go out by yourself!” I got scolded and I sighed. “I bought breakfast!” I said and he sighed. “Talk to Hyunsuk, y/n. He’s worried sick… he texted me saying you're in Jeju and he wants me to keep on the lookout for you. Tell him” he said and he’s been saying this for days but… I couldn’t confide in Hyunsuk. Not for this. 

“Asahi? Would you just accept what they offered me?” I asked and he sighed. “I think… if I were you I’d do the same and run. But that won’t solve your problem. You only have so much money you can use up. You have to go back eventually” he said and I nodded. 

“I know.. If I just want to scare them. They were worried about Hyunsuk when he left… They even told him he could come back and that they were sorry. I want them to apologize to me and to… take that back” I said and he smiled. “I know… eat and study. You can’t fail your classes. I have my internship in an hour so don’t be too much trouble for Jaehyuk '' he warned and I sighed. 

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

“Can we please?!” he begged and I chuckled. “Sure, if you want it that bad '' I said, submitting to buying the lion’s favorite snacks. I know Asahi hates when I go out without him but for good reason… It was dangerous to be roaming around here, especially since it's such a rural area. 

I have Jaehyuk with me… however, despite being a lion, he was the least scariest hybrid ever. 

“Hey Jaehyuk, what do you want… for dinner?” I said with my voice trailing off. Where did he go? He was here a second ago?

I looked around for him… he had his collar on. But Asahi had his chip location, not me… where did he go? He couldn’t have gone far?! I felt panicked… I didn’t just lose his hybrid. He means the world to Asahi. 

“Oh? Are you looking for your hybrid?” I heard and I nodded. “Yeah, a lion hybrid? Have you seen him?” I asked and he chuckled. “He went outside, little lady,” he said and I was shocked. “What?” I said before leaving the groceries and going outside. Why would he wander off….

“What’s a lady like you doing out here?” I heard and I sighed. I couldn't care less about this. I need to find Jaehyuk– “It's rude to ignore someone!” he said as he grabbed my arm rather harshly. 

“Let go!” I yelled. He chuckled and I soon saw the guy who told me Jaehyuk was outside walking to us. “Help–” “I was gonna ask that of you. You should help us,” he said… Did he lie to me?

Then Jaehyuk should be inside… fuck. 

“What’s wrong what's with–” “Do you bastards have nothing else better to do than run around and harass women?” I heard… the boy from this morning. “Go away, kid–” “You go away! How much of an incel are you to be grabbing a girl who was simply buying groceries?!” he said and they scoffed. 

“Whatever,” they said and walked off, probably to find someone else to bother. 

“Thank you, and I appreciate all that I do! But I need to find–” “The hybrid you're looking for didn’t even leave the grocery store. I could help you find him if you want?” he offered and I was confused. 

“How did you know?” I asked. He soon looked nervous… “I was trying to find my way to a bus station and was walking here when you ran out of there” he explained and I sighed. 

“I must've looked crazy,” I said and he chuckled. 

“It's honorable how much you care about a hybrid," he said and I was confused. “I mean of course… Even though he isn't mine I love him to pieces. I wouldn't know what to do if I did lose him” I said and he nodded. 

“Come on,” he said as he led me inside and I don’t know where he was leading me if he thought we’d find… Jaehyuk who was standing in front of the candy aisle with his hands grabbing multiple gummy candies. 

I should’ve looked here first… 

“Hey, why are you crying?” the boy asked me and I didn’t realize. “y/n? Are you okay? Who is–” he was suddenly defensive… but I hugged him. “I thought I lost you!” I cried and he chuckled. “I guess I shouldn't have left you. I swore to myself I was gonna be quick,” he said as he patted my head. 

“Where did you find this do–” “Ah! I should get going…” The guy left and I was confused. “Wait! I need to thank you… I mean you helped me from those guys and found him.” I said and he smiled. “No worries… just be safe,” he said and I shook my head. 

“Please?” I asked and he sighed but looked at Jaehyuk almost… scared. “Oh… he’s harmless, trust me. Or… are you allergic?” I asked knowing some people were allergic to feline hybrids. 

“No… I'm not, I just don’t want to intrude” he said and I chuckled. “y/nnie… he’s a h–” “Ok then!” he said and I nodded. “Hmm. What’s around to eat Jaehyuk?” I asked him and he sighed… 

taglist -> @ilovecheese09 @gudkc @nikisvanillaccola @blossominghunnie @mheretoreadff @k1ttylvr @starzniiky @kibs-and-bits @b3tt7boop @in-somnias-world @lol6sposts @xiaoderrrr @jihyosgfremade @b-a-nshee-blog @mimisamisasa @katsukis1wife @eggomi @thunderous-wolf @tinyteezer

please don't be a silent reader !! reblog, comment, and like <3

[love-anddeepression]

saw your requests were open so can I ask for a kaz x inferni!reader ❤ (if it's angst to fluff then y e s) Love your writing AND you <3

Here you go love<3, one Kaz Brekker x inferni!reader coming up! Hope you like it! I made the reader a special type of inferni, like you know normal inferni's need a spark to get the fire going, but reader can summon that shit and like make shapes and other stuff like animals that actually move on their own (Yes I made you epic)

Taglist: @kazscrow

Warning- I made it angstyyy( I don't think this will have a part 2)❤❤

UP IN FLAMES-Kaz Brekker x reader

Being a Grisha in Ketterdam was difficult, being a grisha with anger issues was a bit worse, but being a grisha without proper control of their small science along with having anger issues was bad.

It didn't help matters that you were an inferni. and that you were currently dating Kaz Brekker for about a year and a half.

Kaz had recruited you because he needed an extra member in the Dregs and you had fit the bill, in fact, when he first recruited you, he had no idea that you were grisha. He found out when you saved his life one night by making kebabs out of a few thugs.

That was also the night you both started dating.

He knew you didn't use your powers much, and he didn't care. Honestly, he was relieved. You already attracted attention because you were dating him, he didn't want anymore of it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*

Tonight was an important heist. The team had to steal an expensive necklace that could be sold for at least 100,000 kruge on the black market.

Kaz had this 'fool proof' plan. Jesper would be on lookout, while Inej, him and you broke into the mansion and scour the place for the necklace. Inej and Kaz knew the basic layout of the mansion and they need you to be their lookout.

" Why do I have to be on lookout? You and Inej are amazing at multi-tasking!" you asked incredously.

" Just because Y/n/n. and please, if we see a dog, don't go and pet it, last time you almost died." Kaz replied nonchalantly and kissed your forehead, walking towards the exit of the slat, " I have some work to do. I'll be back, get everyone ready by then."

So here you were, trudging behind them like a spoilt kid, one hand on your gun and the other ready to summon. Just in case.

Today was already a bad day, Kaz seemed distant for a while, spending more time planning with Inej, he always seemed to be going out, again with Inej. You saw a pattern and you were a little worried.

Another thing is that, you were pissed at everything today, you didn't know what was wrong, but sometimes, you flared up, and that was when the fire got a little out of control, forming into little balls and randomly shooting out and burning people.

That was the reason you didn't want to come today. True, you felt a little worried that Kaz and Inej were spending a lot of time together, you trusted them. Inej was your best friend, and Kaz didn't seem so worried when you hung out with Jesper or Rotty.

Here is how everything went to shit.

First, you got distracted by a puppy, you didn't go to it, but it just looked so cute that you couldn't help but stare at it. That resulted in all of you almost running into a guard, and Kaz got irritated and glared at you.

You, already irritated about everything accidently let out a small spark of fire, it didn't hurt anyone, but it startled Inej who almost tripped and fell flat on her face.

That is when shit hit the fan.

Two guards found all three of you and just managed to alert a few others before Inej killed them swiftly and quietly.

However, one of them managed to shoot you in the leg and that was when you lost it.

You let a scream and the fire came.

What was dangerous is that, sometimes, the fire formed the image of a lion and it made grown-men pee themselves and die of shock.

That was what happened today, you screamed and it came.

(honestly tho, that is so cool! This image is not mine, i found it on google, if you know who's this is, please lemme know so I can give credit)

It growled and paced towards the guards, who were frozen in fear, snarling and burning everything in it's way.

Kaz and Inej stared at you, Inej in fear and awe and Kaz in worry and anger, because you were on fire. Literally.

By the time the lion managed to get to the guards, they were dead anyway and it was gone.

Kaz and Inej looked at you, you were covered in sweat and ashes, and the mansion was burning, along with the necklace.

You all ran back the way you came and almost made it, but you turned around, much to Kaz's dismay and irritation.

You had gone to rescue the puppy.

As ran out with it, the mother running behind you, Kaz glared at you and you avoided looking at him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On the way back to the Slat, Kaz was livid, the heist was a bust, the mansion was crawling with Stadwatch and you were shot in the leg, and carrying a puppy.

Jesper took the puppy and it's mother from you, and headed to his room, Inej went tothe Crow Club for a drink and Kaz literally stomped his way up to his office.

After a few minutes of pep talk you headed to his office and knocked.

" Come in." Kaz's gruff voice was heard. You walked in and closed the door immediately and apologised.

" I'm sorry Kaz."

" Oh what for? After all, you just botched the whole job, almost killed Inej, me and yourself, burnt the mansion, along with the necklace and you almost killed yourself going back to rescue puppies! Nothing to be sorry for right?" he said sarcastically.

" I know I ruined the job, but I'm not going to apologize for rescuing the dogs!" you argued, your anger slowly rising.

" If you weren't so distracted, none of this would have happened!" he rose from his desk.

" You think I don't know that? Of course I do! And I'm feeling damn guilty about it!" you shouted, fire swirling from your finger tips, and your eyes going red.

" WHY CAN'T YOU BE MORE LIKE INEJ!?" he screamed.

That was it. You immediately froze. Your eyes going back to normal and the fire disappearing.

" What?" you whispered.

Kaz realized what he just said and his eyes widened, " Darling-"

" No no!" you interrupted, eyes glossy, " I get it, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm not like Inej. I'm sorry I'm not perfect. I'm sorry for being myself."

" Y/n I didn't mean what I-"

" No!", you let out a sad chuckle, " you know for once in my life, I thought I found someone who loved me despite my flaws."

"I do! I do love you!" he walked towards you.

You shook your head, wrapping your arms around yourself, tears falling from your eyes, you looked him in the eye.

" I guess I was wrong." you walked out and slammed the door shut.

[trueshellz]

Hey 😭

I saw that your requests were open so here i am ( if you don’t feel like writing it just ignore ! ( ^-^ ; ) it’s okay

So please 😭 please, can you write a vampire baji boyfriend x oka! Reader

So basically the reader is like oka from yandere simulator she’s pretty quiet at school,she loves reading smuts in class, and she’s OBSESSED by vampires, and she literally know that Baji the mysterious guy in her class is a vampire, she’s extremely sure! And one day she followed him ( stalking lol ) and she went to his house and saw him WITH HIS FANGS but he caught her ( he already knew from the begging lol ) and he bites her and leaves hickeys all over her BODY and at the end they kiss and he says that she’s his and from now she’s his girlfriend 😭🦋

Feel like the baji vampire au are the best 😭🧍🏻‍♀️

Thanks u in advance ^3^!

Warnings: stalker reader, female reader, vampire!baji, kissing, biting, cliffhanger ending.

A/N: I've never played otome before so I looked it up and kinda went with what I could find. I hope it's ok, thanks for requesting too bb.

Keisuke Baji.

The mysterious dark haired guy in your college class who spoke only when spoken to, kept to himself and sat right at the front of the class every lecture. He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome hunk and his sharp toothed grin was enough to set your heart aflutter with lust and want.

He was something right out of the vampire and supernatural books that you loved reading so much. Eyes scanning the pages and keeping a lookout on your surroundings at the same time, mind full of scenarios and ways to have your own vampire boyfriend. You loved the dark romance, the line between good and evil, being hunted like a prey before being ravaged was straight up your alley.

And Baji had fit the bill perfectly.

You started sitting near him in lessons first, choosing a seat behind him so you could see over his shoulder and see his pretty side profile, smell his aftershave and the way his hair was styled perfectly. Every day it was different, yesterday he had it in a half up and half down style, small plaits in his ponytail while today he had it up in a full bun and had his fringe across his face.

Then you had started following him around school, to the library and his study sessions. Each time sitting a little away under the pretense of studying, your eyes trained on him and his movements looking for an hint that he was a vampire. You just needed some small evidence to prove it before you could even think about approaching him.

At lunchtimes you ordered what he did, checking for garlic that could be lethal to him, monitoring where he sat and checked the sunlight levels. You were dismayed when he ate as normal as anyone else and actually chose spots where it was bright and sunny. Again, you sat a few tables away reading the latest chapter of your vampire romance webtoon and ate your meal, eyes glancing up each time at Baji and noticing his eyes trained on a book in front of him.

Days and day of this, his lessons and meal times were getting a little monotonous, so you decided one day to follow him home. Firstly, you pretended that you had taken up power walking and were using his route home, going past his front door and returning in a circle to your own house once you saw where he lived. The second time, you walked past his house to go to the shops near there, purposely doing your grocery shop far away from home so you could catch a glimpse of him in front of his house.

This time however, you were adamant on going to the house and seeing into it for yourself. The house was dimly lit, lights on downstairs as you looked through the windows searching for his familiar dark figure. You could see a window open, hear the low thrum of music but he was nowhere to be found. Moving across the garden downstairs, you could see the expanse of his house and the various rooms where he lived. A crunch of leaves and twigs behind you made you still, eyes widening in shock as you were turned and pushed against the wall. Dark eyes meeting yours, black hair falling across his face as the wind picked up around you both.

"I-"

"Close enough now?"

"What?"

"I'm surprised you've been keeping your distance, princess."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

A chuckle, low and dark as he leaned in to your personal space. Arms caging you in against the wall, you could feel the warmth from his body and see the flecks in his irises illuminated by the moonlight.

"Really? Sitting near me, following me... you smell so good, princess. It's taken all my strength not to sink my teeth into that pretty neck."

Something must have shown on your face because he chuckled again, darker this time and you were sure his eyes flickered gold for a second before he leaned in even closer. The pinprick of his teeth against the line of your delicate neck, his warm breath against your throat making you whimper. His tongue wet, licking a line up the expanse of your throat until it reached your cheek, pulling back before he slammed his lips down on yours. A gasp as you felt his teeth sink into your bottom lip, not hard but enough to break the skin, your lips felt even wetter now and the metallic tang of blood just seemed to add fuel to the already scorching kiss.

"Knew you'd taste just as good as you smelt."

Another whimper as he suddenly pulled away, pupils glowing and blown as his eyes scanned your body. Thick corded arms wrapping around your body as he picked you up and took you into his home, what felt like hours of him walking through until he reached his bed and lay you down on it. His mouth attached itself to your neck and began sucking, the skin quickly becoming heated and marked up before he moved on, hands tugging at your clothes to expose more skin until a particular spot had you keening and clutching at his thick locks.

"W-wait... oh God. Baji... wait."

A grin as he looked up, all remnants of blood from your kiss now gone as he ceawled back up to your body to plant a gentle kiss on your nose. His eyes dancing with mischief and glee, tongue sticking out as he ran it across his protruded fangs.

"Call me Keisuke, princess."

"Keisuke... wait. I-"

A finger on your lips as he leaned in again, the low hum if his voice against your ear as you felt his teeth sink into your neck.

"Shhh. I know, baby. I know. It'll be ok. I'm here now. I'll look after you."

[kpopfanfictrash]

Raise the Barre (Ch. 8)

Author: kpopfanfictrash

Pairing: Jimin / Reader

Rating: 18+ (Eventual Smut)

Genre: Enemies to Lovers / Dance Academy!AU

Warnings: underage drinking, angst, hoseok’s bare abs

Word Count: 10,705

Summary: You and Park Jimin have been rivals for as long as you’ve known one another; ever since he tripped you in the front row of your first dance convention. When you graduate from high school and enter Russet Ballet Academy, you tell yourself you’re leaving all past quarrels behind. The main problem with this though, is that your past seems determined not to leave you alone.

Worse still, the obstacles you face while out in the real world might prove more challenging than anything your enemy has to offer.  

“Okay, even you have to admit this is too soon.” Finn stared, appalled at the chalkboard. “It’s not even Halloween!”

Laughing a little, you looped your arm around his to drag him towards the back. Plopping down in a chair, you placed your order number in the center of the table. Seating himself across the table from you, Finn began to undo his coat.

“Come on.” He grinned, brown hair flopping when he leaned forward. “Admit it – this is too early for holiday drinks.”

“Okay, maybe it’s a little early,” you acquiesced. “But Halloween is tomorrow! They probably just put up the holiday drinks so they don’t have to do it on Sunday.”

“Laziness!” he cried, jabbing a finger in the air.

Shaking your head, you smiled when Namjoon, the barista, placed a pumpkin soy latte before you.

“Thanks!” you said, pulling this towards you.

“No problem,” he said, flashing his dimples before he turned to leave.

Taking a long, slow sip of your drink, you groaned. “Oh my god. This is it. This is heaven.”

Finn laughed. “Is that seriously your first pumpkin drink of the season?” Sadly, he shook his head. “I remember our senior year, you dragged me out of bed at 7:00 AM on a Saturday just to get the first pumpkin drink of the year.”

“I know,” you sighed. “But I’ve needed the extra caffeine jolt each morning. Sweet drinks just don’t cut it anymore.”

“Ah, the first step in addiction.” Finn nodded sagely.

Smiling, you settled back in your seat as he took the first sip of his black coffee. It had been two weeks since your fight at the club and since then, Finn had been on his best behavior. For about a week, things between you had been awkward but slowly, your relationship was returning to normal.

Seated in the corner of your favorite coffee shop, you drank from your cup and glanced around the room. This was what you’d pictured when you imagined you and Finn living in the city together. Coffee dates, going on new adventures and continuing your relationship where it had left off.

Of course, this morning was only possible because Miss Britt’s ballet class had been cancelled. A contemporary master class had been scheduled for the afternoon, but your day before then was free – something you’d immediately taken advantage of by calling Finn. It was becoming easier to fit each other into your schedules, more like second nature, but things were still tense whenever things didn’t line up.

None of this was eased by the burgeoning whatever-it-was you’d shoved to the back of your mind regarding Jimin. Since the day of Mr. Vlad’s ballet class, you’d managed to keep your emotions in check, but were constantly on the lookout for dangerous situations. You and Jimin were professionals, obviously, but you were also only human. It was reasonable to have subconscious wants and desires, but these weren’t important unless you chose to act upon them.

You didn’t tell Finn about it because honestly, there was nothing to tell. Okay, so you’d felt an errant spark one day during a lift. Big deal. Finn had been your boyfriend for over two years – it would take more than that to threaten your relationship. A relationship which, frankly, had been getting stronger as of late. Telling him something as inconsequential as a spark you had with Jimin would only take you further down the wrong path.

“Are you sure you’re okay with us doing separate things tomorrow?” Finn interrupted your thoughts. His brow furrowed. “It is Halloween, after all.”

“Ah, yes.” You nodded. “Halloween, the internationally known couple’s holiday.”

He laughed. “Okay, point made – but still.”

“It’s fine,” you assured him. This was something you’d already been over. “It just makes sense like this! Your friends are going to that off-campus party and I promised Noelle I’d go to this club thing with her.”

“Right, of course.” Finn grinned. “I’m bummed I’ll miss seeing you as the Powerpuff girls, though. Who’s going to be the third one, again?”

“Well, I’m Blossom – obviously.”

“Of course.” He nodded. “Miss Responsibility.”

A twinge of annoyance went through you, but you pushed it aside. You didn’t think you were always the responsible one but admittedly, you’d been more on edge than usual lately.

“Anyways,” you continued with a roll of your eyes. “I’m Blossom, Noelle is Buttercup and Irene is going as Bubbles. It’ll be fun! Aside from the whole club part, of course.”

“It does sound fun,” Finn admitted, a tad mournful. “Meanwhile, I’ve been roped into the classic college bro costume of Ghostbusters.”

“Oh, come on! That is classic! You’ll be super cute in your… suit? Cargo pants? What do Ghostbusters wear again?”

“Knowing Ben, something tragic from Party City. Pray for me.”

“I’ll light candles.”

Finn grinned, sipping his coffee again and your conversation slipped naturally to other topics.

Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, which meant every college campus was gearing up for some epic parties. Noelle had managed to snag tickets to a club fancy enough to require an RSVP. Apparently, said brother she missed was a DJ and could get tickets to a lot of things if Noelle bothered to ask.

A bunch of people from Russet were going, which made you excited. There hadn’t been many parties with your classmates so far this semester. Despite technically being in college, your classmates were all under the same intense pressure, only made worse by constant early morning ballet.

This week though, even your teachers seemed to have decided you needed a break. Aside from the master class you had this afternoon, there were zero Russet classes until Monday morning. The break in schedule meant you could actually go out – and drink – if you so decided. You and Noelle were planning on attending a ballet class tomorrow, but your entire day after would be free.

You’d originally planned on seeing Finn during the day, but then he’d been invited to a Halloween darty (day party) starting at noon. Despite not seeing Finn on Halloween, you weren’t feeling stressed. It was only one holiday and not even a couple’s one, as you’d said.

After coffee, you kissed Finn goodbye and headed to class at Danley Hall. The atmosphere was different as soon as you entered the classroom – all of the students were buzzing, excited by the prospect of the weekend ahead. The excitement only grew when coupled with the fact that today’s class was contemporary.

For nearly two months, your training had been mostly ballet. This was the foundation of all western dance, and where most dance students were expected to start. Finally though, you were being given a chance to show off. Today’s teacher, Luna Jordan, was a well-known contemporary choreographer across the globe.

You’d done a master class with her once back in high school and honestly couldn’t wait to learn from her again. She wasn’t alone, though, you noticed as you walked in – an unfamiliar, dark-haired guy stood beside her, stretching lithely before the room’s mirror.

“Holy shit,” Noelle whispered as she came to a stop. “That’s Jeon Jungkook.”

Startled, you looked twice and saw she was right. You hadn’t recognized him without his bevy of followers, but Jeon Jungkook was known in the dance world. A child prodigy, he’d been on America’s Got Talent at age eleven and finished in second place. Following this, his family had moved to LA and he’d been in high demand for movies, music videos and performances ever since.

You remembered hearing he worked with Luna Jordan, but the thought hadn’t crossed your mind before now that he might be here.

Noelle cocked her head to one side. “He’s hot.”

“Noelle,” you hissed, trying to shush her.

“What!” A devious grin spread across her face. “Am I supposed to be blind, as well as mute?”

“Well, no, but –”

“Alright, everyone!” Miss Luna clapped her hands together. “I know everyone is excited for the weekend, but we unfortunately have an hour and a half together before then. Everyone spread out for warm-ups!”

A few people laughed, spreading out on the floor as class began. Noelle wriggled her eyebrows, pulling you towards the front in order to get the best spot. Hiding a smile, you ducked your head and settled beside her into a stretch.

Noelle was nearly as excited as you were for the opportunity to dance contemporary. Most of your classmates knew this to be your forte – you caught glances from the corner of your eye while you warmed up, trying not to let their attention get to your head.

Jimin was also near the front, although on the opposite side. You suspected your class was equally excited to see him perform – as talented as Jimin was at ballet, there was a reason you hadn’t thought he’d be at Russet this fall. Jimin’s strength in jazz and contemporary was unparalleled. You would’ve thought he’d gone to LA to become a dancer like Jungkook.

Speaking of whom – Jungkook really was attractive; that much couldn’t be denied. He had dark, wavy hair pulled into a bun and cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass. When he glanced up from his stretch, his gaze somehow found yours and he smiled.

Eyes widening, you stared until you caught sight of Jimin behind him. Glancing between the two of you, Jimin’s expression soured before he looked away. Lips parting, you felt the sudden urge to say something, but there was too much distance between you.

“You ready?” Miss Luna called, an upbeat pop song blasting from the stereo. “Let’s go!”

She launched into isolations, leaving the rest of the class to follow. Warm-ups passed quickly and before you knew it, you were gathered at center to learn the combination. Miss Luna’s style was right up your alley. The steps came easily and, once you’d learned the whole chorus, she left you alone to practice.

You were helping Ari with a difficult move when you caught sight of Sabrina as you turned. She’d positioned herself near the back, which had to be a first. Usually, Sabrina was front and center to allow for maximum receipt of teacher praise.

The decision to stand near the back could’ve been strategy – sometimes, dancers did that at conventions. Conventions were giant weekends of competition with teachers from all over the globe who taught master classes to hundreds of dancers in hotel ballrooms and convention centers. Space at the front tended to be limited, so some stayed at the back, where there was more room to dance and be seen. You had a greater likelihood to capture the teacher’s attention when you had the room to do incredible leaps.

Sabrina’s decision didn’t seem strategic, though. While you watched, Sabrina stumbled transitioning from one move to the next. A brief twinge of pity went through you.

It was easy enough to spot ballerinas dancing anything but ballet. Although ballet was the root of modern westernized dance, it could be hard to translate into other styles. Ballet was more rigid than contemporary, jazz or hip-hop. In ballet, each position was defined, individual style was limited, and dancers were expected to all look the same. Standing out in the corps de ballet was equally frowned upon as missing an entrance.

Not that ballet wasn’t important to all dance styles, mind you. Even hip-hop dancers took ballet to improve their balance, core strength and general understanding of the body. There was an element of individuality in other dance styles, though, which lacked in ballet. Contemporary and hip-hop dancers were expected to have relentless technique all while creating their own, unique flair.

Just looking at Sabrina you could clearly see the holes. She was trying so hard to emulate the moves of Miss Luna, she was kind of missing the point. When Miss Luna did a certain flick of the wrist, it wasn’t a defined part of the choreography, but rather an individual choice.

Without thinking, you took a step forward – only to stop. Sabrina wouldn’t want your help; she’d already made that abundantly clear. Besides, you knew her friend Katie to be a contemporary dancer. She could help Sabrina and yet, when you looked, you saw Katie practicing near the front with Jungkook.

Jungkook obviously knew the steps, since this was probably the tenth time he’d learned the combination. Dance teachers often did that – selected a dancer to attend classes with them, traveling to different cities to demonstrate the combination and help when they weren’t free.

Before you could decide whether to help Sabrina, Miss Luna clapped her hands again.

“Let’s do groups!” she declared. “I’ll count you off into groups of four, and each group will showcase. Sound good?”

It wasn’t really a question so much as an announcement. The rest of the class nodded, waiting while Miss Luna counted you off. You ended up in the same group as Irene, Paulo and a few others. Jimin and Noelle were in the group two, while Sabrina was in the group after theirs.

Jogging off to the side, you waited while the first group took center. You were part of group four, which meant you’d be amongst the last to dance on the floor. When the music began, you closed your eyes and began to mark the combination. You tried not to focus on what anyone else was doing, but this became difficult once Noelle’s group stepped up.

Noelle had trained in jazz and contemporary, although she’d stopped in high school to focus mainly on ballet. Still, her artistry shone in her movement. She could definitely stand to loosen up a bit but was still one of the best in the bunch. You found yourself smiling when she landed a turn, silently cheering her on from the side.

While you were watching, Jimin cut across your vision.

Dropping to the ground, he rolled and arched as his forehead brushed wood. His quality of movement was breathtaking and for a moment, you felt like you were back in high school.

Suddenly returned to those dimmed auditoriums, you watched Jimin take the stage like an otherworldly being. His body seemed to move before your mind could comprehend. Barely did he finish one move before he was starting another, the steps flowing endlessly together like unhindered water. Although you knew the combination and knew how you would dance it, watching Jimin perform was a different experience entirely.

Ballet required dancers to stay on the beat but in contemporary, they were expected to lag. Extensions were all the more breathtaking when they clung to the last second, seeming as though the dancer might not make it before they caught up. Jimin was an expert in this, knowing exactly when to hang precariously over the edge and when to pull back.

Watching him dance, that pesky, strange something bloomed in your chest again.

Squashing this quickly, you looked away and resumed marking the combo. The end of the song was improvisation though and, unable to stop yourself, you found your attention drifting to Jimin again. He was ridiculously beautiful – you nearly didn’t hear when Miss Luna called for them to stop. As she turned off the music, she applauded the group while they walked from the floor.

Breathing heavily, Noelle came to a stop alongside you and – somewhat guiltily, since you hadn’t been watching – you gave her a high-five.

“That was awesome!” you said with a grin. “You definitely stood out in the group.”

Noelle snort-laughed. “Not with Jimin up there, but that’s okay. This is his specialty – and yours,” she added with a wink. “I’m psyched for group four.”

“Ah,” you groaned, rubbing your neck. “Too much pressure.”

Noelle laughed, shaking her head as group three took the floor. Both of you fell silent to watch, your curious gaze finding Sabrina in the back. Sabrina looked almost nervous; an emotion which seemed out of place on her features. It made her look almost human.

As soon as the music began, you stifled a wince. Sabrina stood out from the group, and not in a good way. She had the combination down but moved with a woodenness you would’ve expected from someone half her age. It was enough for you to glance at Miss Luna, wondering if she had noticed.

“Wow,” Noelle whispered, looking almost gleeful. “Sabrina is terrible.”

“Noelle!” you whisper-laughed.

“What? After everything she’s done? After everything she’s said?” Noelle’s gaze narrowed. “Sabrina deserves this.”

Despite privately agreeing, you couldn’t help but feel bad as Sabrina continued. Not wanting to watch any longer, you turned towards the front and resumed marking the combo. As soon as Miss Luna cut the music and polite clapping ensued, you turned back around.

It was time for group four. A shaky, sick feeling entered your stomach as you walked to center. So many eyes were on you, but it had been so long since you danced contemporary. You couldn’t help but wonder if you were as good as people seemed to imagine. Surrounded by so many dancers at Russet, surely your own talent would pale in comparison.

As soon as the music began though, everything faded. Insecurities slipping away, a lightness entered your chest as, eyes falling shut, you slowly inhaled.

Taking a step forward, you opened your eyes and began.

To you, dance had several phases. The first was learning, where you memorized each step and put them in order. The second was understanding, where your muscle memory began to take over and the combination felt smoother. The final phase, performance, was when you thought not of the steps, and were free to just dance.

This was your favorite phrase. In this phase, your mind separated from your body, leaving you only with sweat and emotion. Dance was the only art form composed solely of the body. An odd combination of physical strength and artistic beauty, it was both a testament to human capability and human emotion.

Losing yourself in the music, you ebbed and flowed through the combination until the choreography ended and improvisation began. Finally, you let go and held nothing back. Raw, unbridled passion poured out as you lost sight of yourself, so consumed by the movement.

When the song finally finished and you came to a stop, you were panting for breath. Glancing up, the first person you saw was Jimin.

He stood off to one side, leaning casually against the rungs of the barre, but his expression was anything but. Focused on you, his gaze had turned dark in a way which made you catch your breath.

Miss Luna clapped both hands once again, returning your attention to her. Blinking, Jimin shook his head and in your peripheral, you saw him straighten.

“Very good!” Miss Luna scanned the group. “I know our time is nearly at and end, but why don’t we have a few students come out and demonstrate?”

Again, this was fairly common in master classes. After learning the combination, teachers would often single out students to perform as examples. It wasn’t always the students with the best technique who got chosen. Oftentimes, it was as much for passion and performance quality.

Taking a step forward, Miss Luna began to call out names. You were one of the first – setting your water down, you jogged back to center. Jimin was the next person called, then Noelle, much to your excitement. Jungkook was also instructed to join on the floor.

Turning the lights halfway down, Miss Luna pressed play and let you improvise until the combination began. Jungkook started dancing and honestly, he was beautiful, but you couldn’t linger on him for long. 

Catching sight of Jimin again, you were once more transported to earlier times. This wasn’t the first time you’d been called out together. Oftentimes, this had happened at conventions but back then, your mind had been too clouded to see him for who he was.

You’d always wanted to beat him in high school, but now, you were consumed by the oddest desire to see him do well.

Glancing up, Jimin caught your gaze and he smiled – but then, the combination began.

By the time you were finished, you could hardly catch your breath but somehow, you felt the most alive you’d been in ages. Back in your own element, surrounded by some of the most amazing dancers in the world – this was what you’d imagined when you came to Russet.

People around the room clapped, some of them begrudgingly. You got the impression many of your classmates weren’t used to not being chosen. As you walked from the floor, you saw surprisingly, Sabrina wasn’t amongst them.

Instead, Sabrina simply looked tired – as though she’d tried her best and it hadn’t been enough. You knew that look. You sympathized with that look.

The look lingered in the back of your mind while you packed up your things and listened to Noelle discuss Halloween tomorrow. When she mentioned Ari had decided to visit her family this weekend, an idea began to form in your mind.

“Wait,” you interrupted, looking up. “Ari can’t come tomorrow?”

Noelle shook her head. “Her brother just turned eighteen, so her whole family is having a party or something.”

“So… her ticket is free, then?”

“Yes…” Noelle paused. “Why? Y/N, what are you planning?”

“Okay. Hear me out,” you said as you shrugged on your coat. It was cold enough now for the coat to be necessary.

Noelle sighed, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Alright, I’m listening.”

Glancing away, you saw Sabrina packing her things on the other side of the room. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you returned to Noelle.

“What if we invited Sabrina?”

Noelle snorted. “Pass.”

“Noelle,” you laughed, reaching out for her arm. “Come on! Do you really think she’s doing anything for Halloween?”

“Probably not. And that’s her own fault.”

“Maybe,” you said, glancing at Sabrina once more. “But how could it hurt? We have an extra ticket, there’ll be tons of people tomorrow night. She’ll probably say no – at least this way, you can claim a write-off on your way into heaven!”

Noelle upper lip twitched. “Oh, is that how write-offs work?”

“Well, I can only assume.”

Finally, she laughed. “Ugh, fine. You can invite her – but only because it’s Halloween, and Halloween is a time for peace. And slutty costumes.”

“Thanks, babe,” you said, squeezing her waist in a one-armed hug.

Sighing exaggeratedly, Noelle waved aside your thanks. Hiking your bag higher, you began to make your way across the room. As you closed in on Sabrina, you began to rethink your choice. It had been nearly a month since anything bad had happened between you but still, you found yourself feeling wary. As tough as you pretended to be, rejection hurt you just as much as the next person.

Still, dancing with Jimin had been a reminder of just how bitter your relationship used to be. If that relationship could change, you had to imagine things with Sabrina could, too.

Coming to a stop at her bag, you waited for her to look up. When she finally did, her brow wrinkled in confusion.

“What?” Sabrina asked, sounding defensive. “What do you want, Y/N?”

You couldn’t really blame her for her suspicion. Had your situations been reversed, you would’ve been equally distrustful. It was likely Sabrina thought you were coming over to gloat, or say something to do with class today. Another twinge of pity went through you as Sabrina zipped her bag shut to stand.

“I just wanted to know what you were doing tomorrow,” you said, trying to smile. “Noelle has an extra ticket to a Halloween party, and we thought you might like to come.”

Sabrina stared. “What?”

“Tomorrow is Halloween,” you said, a bit slower. “You know – when we were kids, it was all about costumes and candy. Now, it’s about costumes and booze?”

Sabrina failed to crack a smile. “And you want… me to come to this party?”

Something about the way she said this made you sad, as though she genuinely thought this might be a joke. As though at any moment, someone might jump out and yell SIKE.

“Yeah,” you said, softening a little. “Look – it’s not a big deal if you can’t make it. A bunch of our class is going though, so we thought of you.”

Sabrina hesitated, then glanced at the door. “Okay,” she said, looking back. “Okay, yeah. I’ll come.”

Stifling your surprise, you nodded. “Great. I’ll text you where to meet us tomorrow before the club. Wear a costume,” you added before walking away. “Noelle said it’s required.”

“Alright,” Sabrina said, so quiet you almost missed it.

Walking away, you were nearly at the door when Jungkook popped up before you. Flashing a smile, he fixed a loose strand of hair away from his face. Feet fumbling to a stop, you could only stare.

“Y/N, right?” he said, sounding shy.

Unable to find the words, you blinked in response. The way Jungkook danced had been so confident, you’d only assumed this to be his off-floor persona, as well. Hearing him sound shy was unexpected. 

Also – you hadn’t expected him to know your name.

“I… yeah, that’s me.” Shaking your head, you smiled. “Jungkook, right?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I just wanted to say I’m such a big fan of your dancing. It was great to take class with you today.”

Without meaning to, a laugh escaped your lips. Jungkook stared at you, baffled until you quickly waved him off.

“Oh, no – no! Sorry,” you said. “I’m not laughing at you! I’m just laughing at the ridiculousness of you saying you’re a fan of me.”

Some of Jungkook’s wariness disappeared, and a small smile played across his lips.

“Well, I am.” His grin widened. “I used to assist on the convention circuit, too and I remember you being called out all the time. You and Jimin,” he added, glancing across the room.

You looked, too and saw Jimin still packing his things. His back was stiff, pointedly not looking in your direction. Lingering on him a moment, you returned to Jungkook.

“Still,” you said with a laugh. “It’s a bit of a stretch to say we took class together when you’re the teacher’s assistant.”

“True.” Jungkook paused. “Well, next time you’re in LA, let’s fix that. Let me know if you’re ever in town and we can take a class together.”

Despite yourself, your brows raised. It was harmless, but Jungkook was definitely flirting with you. He was attractive, sure and seemed nice, but he lived in LA and you had a boyfriend. You should probably leave before things had the chance to go any further. The last thing you needed was another complication. Adjusting your bag, you gave Jungkook a small smile.

“Sounds like a plan,” you said before turning away.

Jungkook chuckled from behind. “Bye, Y/N.”

As you joined Noelle at the door, she stared over your shoulder.

“What?” you said, coming to a stop.

Noelle’s gaze moved to yours in disbelief. “How?” she demanded as you exited class. “How do you have all these men just… tripping over themselves for you?”

Heat rising to your face, you shook your head. “That’s – I,” you sputtered. “You’re being ridiculous!”

“Am I?” Noelle grinned. “First Jimin, now Jungkook… and all this while having a boyfriend.” 

“I… you... Jimin is not tripping over himself for me!”

Both her brows shot way, way up. “Is that the only part of the sentence you took objection to?”

“Shut up,” you groaned and shoved her in the side.

Noelle laughed but nodded. “Alright, fine! I’ll stop. Did Sabrina say she’ll come?”

“She did.”

“Great. I still don’t like her,” Noelle said, pushing open the door. “But I guess you’re right, I have an extra ticket. It’s nice to be nice.”

You laughed, pulling your coat tighter as you walked outside. “You’re a saint.”

While you walked, your phone dinged and pulling this from your pocket, you saw a notification on Instagram. Jeon_Jungkook97 has followed you.

Shaking your head, you returned this to your jacket as you continued. While it was nice of Jungkook to compliment your dancing, his approval didn’t mean as much as certain other peoples had. This realization stuck in your mind, making you wonder about Noelle’s teasing jibe.

She had said Jimin flirted with you, but that wasn’t true – was it? You would have known if Jimin were flirting. It was hard to pick out though, since Jimin was friendly with everyone. That was just who he was; as he’d said earlier, he liked to be liked. A note of uncertainty entered your thoughts though, recalling the ballet class with your chest pressed to his. Shoving this away, you forced yourself to focus on the upcoming weekend.

Halloween was a night for fun, for letting loose and enjoying yourself with your friends. You refused to let the night be spoiled by any lingering feelings – either from you, or towards you.

The next night was perfect Halloween weather.

Chilly, but not cold enough to risk snow falling. There were several Halloweens from childhood you could recall trick-or-treating with a winter coat flung over your costume because the temperature had dropped below freezing.

You, Noelle and Irene showed up to Paulo’s house around 8:00 PM, shivering a little while you stood on his doorstep. Paulo was one of the few freshmen who lived off-campus, having known several upperclassmen before he came to Russet. The brownstone he lived in was cute, with window boxes you imagined hosted flowers in the summer.

Tugging your pink and black minidress down, you adjusted your bow as Paulo opened the door.

Blinking, he took in your costumes. “The Powerpuff girls!” He cheered, raising an arm overhead. “Try not to take down any of the villains upstairs, yeah?”

“No promises,” said Irene, flicking hair over her shoulder.

Entering the house, you heard thumping bass from an apartment upstairs. Paulo lived on the third floor and as you climbed the steps, the music grew louder. It took Paulo two tries to shove open the door – “warped wood,” he explained – but once you were inside, you saw familiar faces.

“The Powerpuff girls!” Jasmine cried, jumping up from the couch. “Finally! Thank god – can you take down Eamon? He came here dressed as a potato, or something.”

“It’s an avocado!” Eamon shouted from the kitchen. He was dressed in a round, green costume with a halo overhead. “I’m ‘holy guacamole’ – get it?” he said, pointing at the halo.

Jasmine stared at him a moment. “That’s terrible. Worse than mine,” she said with a wave down her body. “I’ve been Princess Jasmine for the past five Halloweens. It’s easy to remember and I already have the outfit.”

Laughing, you shrugged off your coat and added this to a pile on the couch. “It’s a classic,” you agreed as you turned.

Noelle had managed to procure at least twenty tickets to the party tonight, so a lot of your freshman Russet class was in attendance. Including Sabrina, who stood in the corner, talking to Louis over cups of red punch. She looked up when you entered, pausing before she gave a small wave. Surprised by the gesture, you did the same.

“No.” Noelle groaned, coming to a stop alongside you. When you looked, you saw she’d already removed her coat. “Tell me Sabrina didn’t come to this party dressed as a ballerina.”

“We did invite her at the last minute,” you laughed. “Hard to find a good Halloween costume in a day.”

“Hey,” Noelle argued. “There’s no we here. You were the one who invited her, and you’ll be the one to accept the consequences should your social experiment fail.”

“Done,” you agreed. “Speaking of social experiments though, I’m ready to get drunk tonight. Where’s the alcohol?”

“Kitchen!” Irene called, brushing past. “Or – that’s where Brian disappeared to when we entered, so I can only assume.”

Telling Noelle you’d be back with drinks, you wound through the room towards where Irene had pointed. The kitchen was tiny, on par with most city apartments. There was only room enough for one or two people, so you were lucky it was deserted when you entered.

Surveying the counter, you found the usual party staples. A bowl of red punch, a bunch of beer and various liquor bottles with chasers. Skipping over the communal punch bowl, you reached for a bottle of diet coke and coconut rum.

“Oh,” a voice said as they entered the kitchen. “Sorry – I didn’t know you were in here.”

Glancing up, you saw Jimin and froze.

He’d dyed his hair black – that was the first thing you noticed. Jimin’s hair was no longer blonde, but completely dark. His outfit confused you at first – a frilly, white blouse with slicked-back hair and dark trousers – until you saw his bright red contacts and the dribble of blood at his mouth.

“A vampire,” you said, finally recovering your voice. Scanning his body, you frowned. “Where are the teeth, though?”

Jimin blinked, his gaze jerking up from your waist.

“Huh?” he said, sounding a bit strangled.

Cheeks heating a little – your dress was pretty short – you repeated yourself. “The teeth,” you said, pointing at your own lips. “Don’t vampires have fangs?”

“Oh, right.” Jimin dug around in his pocket – fuck, were his trousers tight – to produce twin fangs. “I took them off when I got here. They’re really hard to talk in.”

“Go on then, Park,” you said with a grin. “Put them in.”

“One second.” Twisting to face the wall, Jimin popped them in his mouth. Turning around, he bared his teeth. “Sexy?”

With the teeth in though, the word came out more like shex-shie and you burst into laughter. “So sexy,” you agreed, reaching past him for a cup.

Jimin stiffened when your arm brushed his front. Unbidden, you thought about what Noelle had said – Jimin had been flirting with you. Pulling away, you resumed making your drinks and tried not to look in his direction.

Even so, you remained aware of his presence. Jimin inched his way behind you, reaching for the whiskey on the other side. His arm brushed your elbow as he went, right knee nudging yours in an intimate gesture.

Glancing up from the counter, you accidentally caught his gaze. Despite your earlier joking, he did look sexy. Devastatingly so. Even the blood-red contacts weren’t enough to deter the shiver which ran down your spine.

Shaking yourself free from your trance, you grabbed both cups and pulled back. 

“So, what’re you drinking?” you asked. 

You decided it was best to steer the conversation away from how sexy Park Jimin was or was not.

Seemingly oblivious to your inner turmoil, Jimin poured whiskey into his cup. “Whiskey and coke. Can you pass me that bottle?”

“Sure,” you said, leaping at the chance to prevent him from walking past you again. “Here you go.”

Pushing this forward, you watched Jimin pour both drinks all the way to the brim. He paused near the end, staring into the depths before he looked up. He seemed to be warring with something, debating whether or not to speak whatever was on his mind.

“So…” He paused. “Do you know Jungkook, or something?”

You blinked. “Jungkook…?”

“You know, Miss Luna’s assistant. Jeon Jungkook.”

“Oh! Jungkook. No, I don’t really know him.”

“You were talking to him at the end of class, though?”

Hearing the curiosity in his voice, both your brows raised. “And?”

“And nothing,” Jimin said, sounding uncomfortable. “I just… I didn’t know you knew him, that’s all.”

“I mean, I don’t.” You paused. “But even if I did, what does it matter?”

“It doesn’t.” His cheeks began to redden. “It’s just – ah, never mind. We don’t have that great a history, that’s all. He’s kind of the reason I’m at Russet this year.”

You stared at Jimin a moment. “Wow, what a tragedy,” you said, stifling a laugh. “To have been forced to attend one of the most prestigious dance institutions in the world.”

His upper lip twitched. “It’s not that. I was deciding between attending Russet and accepting a job offer out west. I was asked to join this pop star on tour… anyways, Jungkook’s never liked me much. It’s a long story.” Jimin’s brow furrowed. “My offer was rescinded at the last minute. The artist never said why, but I always got the feeling he had something to do with it.”

You stared at Jimin a moment, unsure how to respond. Jungkook hadn’t seemed like that kind of person, but you supposed you’d only talked to him for a few minutes. If that was true, what happened to Jimin sucked and yet, the next words from your mouth nearly had you face-palming.

“And here I thought I was your biggest rival, Park,” you said.

Jimin’s eyes widened. “Are you… jealous, Y/N?”

He sounded almost pleased by the notion, which sent a different kind of shiver down your spine.

“Not at all,” you said quickly, turning back to your drinks.

Jimin made a soft tsk-ing sound, as though he didn’t believe you.

“That sucks,” you continued, determined to change the subject. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“Yeah. Maybe it was all for the best, though. Things happen for a reason, right?”

Looking up, you caught Jimin’s stare. He didn’t look immediately away and you got the oddest sensation he meant more than what he said. Hastily, you pushed this feeling aside, clutching your drinks as you entered the main room. Jimin followed close behind, two cups in his hands.

“When did you get here?” you asked. “Been here long?”

Jimin shook his head. “Nah. Hoseok and I got here like, ten minutes ago. He should be around here somewhere, he –”

“Y/N!”

You looked up just in time to see Hoseok, Jimin’s roommate, barreling towards you.

“It’s been so long!” Crushing you to his chest, Hoseok wrapped you in a hug. “Hope Jimin isn’t boring you to death,” he stage-whispered before he pulled away.

“Just for that.” Jimin arched a brow. “Both these drinks are for me.”

“No – wait, wait. I’m sorry!” Hoseok pouted. “Hand over the drink, Park. It’s been the longest fucking week.”

Jimin grinned and relented, handing Hoseok his cup as you laughed. Hoseok was a newer friend, but he was close to Jimin, so he’d gradually bled into your latest gatherings. Despite not being on the ballet track, most of the dancers at Russet knew of him. Hoseok had that way about him.

Glancing down at your outfit, Hoseok held up a finger. “Let me guess – Blossom,” he said, turning to scan the room. “Which means… aha! Irene is Bubbles and Noelle is Buttercup. Makes sense.”

“And you are…” Pausing, you squinted at his outfit. “Someone at the spa?”

“Sure.” Hoseok shrugged. “Honestly, I just wanted to wear a bathrobe.”

Said bathrobe was paired with only boxers, the front of the robe open to display his toned abs. The costume didn’t surprise you, based on past interactions with Hoseok.

Casually, he twirled the robe tie in a circle. “Impressive, no?” Hoseok glanced away. “Whoa, wait – they have beer pong? See you all later!”

Hurrying off, he left you alone with Jimin. Shaking your head, you glanced in his direction and saw Jimin down his whole drink. Arching a brow, you were about to ask why when Irene called your names from across the room.

“Y/N!” She waved her hands. “Jimin! Get over here, you two – we need more for flip cup!”

You found yourself pulled in this direction despite your insistence you didn’t do well under pressure. Jimin ended up at the other end of the table and you lost sight of him when you started to play, paired with Jasmine for a partner.

By the end of the first round, you discovered you weren’t as horrible a player as you’d imagined. Then someone suggested mixed drinks for the second round, and things became fuzzier. There were more people present than just current students of Russet. One of Paulo’s roommates knew Seokjin, so you saw him in the room, along with Sana.

You chatted with both over the course of the evening, in addition to a guy who’d recently debuted on Broadway, Kim Taehyung. Apparently, there was already buzz around him for a Tony. Taehyung was nice, but it was sometime during this conversation you realized how tipsy you were. Apparently, not drinking for several months and then going ham made for very low tolerance.

Collapsing onto the couch, you joined Irene and Brian’s conversation. In the corner of your eye, you caught sight of Noelle – a terrible flip cup player, she’d roped Hoseok into giving her private lessons, but these seemed to be going terribly. Or perhaps very well, given how much the two of them were laughing.

You completely forgot about Jimin until you spotted him across the room talking to Sabrina. Seeing them together, you straightened. Both seemed fairly comfortable, which struck you as odd. Since that morning in Jimin’s dorm, you hadn’t really seen them hang out together.

Despite this, Jimin was laughing at something Sabrina had said. Tearing your gaze away, you forced yourself to focus on the conversation at hand. It didn’t matter who Jimin spoke to, or even who he decided to go home with tonight. He was your dance partner and friend, nothing more and besides – you had a boyfriend.

Blinking, you reached into your clutch and pulled out your phone. To your disappointment, you’d gotten no texts from Finn since this morning. You assumed he was still at his party but didn’t know for sure. Shooting him a text, hey, you waited for a response and when you got none, returned your phone to your purse.

Across the room, you heard Noelle yell your name. “Y/N!” She cupped her mouth with both hands. “We need another person for flip cup!”

Laughing, you pushed yourself from the couch and were immediately roped into your fourth game of the night. The night blurred again after that, turning into a pleasant hum of conversation and booze. At some point, Ubers were called to bring you to the club. As you rushed downstairs, you realized you forgot your coat as soon as you stepped outside.

Shivering violently, you rubbed your arms and cursed yourself for poor foresight.

“Y/N?” Jimin came to a stop alongside you. “Hey, where’s your coat?”

“Inside,” you said through chattering teeth. “I-it’s fine, though. I’m fine!”

Jimin gave you a look. “Where’s Paulo?” he said, glancing around. “I’ll grab him, we can get your coat before we go –”

“The Uber’s already here, though,” you argued, grabbing his sleeve to drag him towards the curb. “I’ll be fine from here to the club!”

Jimin sighed but gave in, following when you rushed to the grey SUV. Irene had claimed the front seat, so you and Jimin pulled open the middle door – Noelle and Hoseok were crowding behind you, so you and Jimin ended up together in the backseat.

Collapsed in a heap, you giggled as Jimin tried to squish himself in a corner. “Sorry,” he said, trying – and failing – to keep his knees separate.

“Jimin.” You snorted. “Are we going to go through this again? Your hands have been in way more inappropriate places than that this semester.”

Jimin’s lips parted, shocked, but you were already hoisting yourself over the middle seat. Draping your arms next to Noelle, you begged her to play your favorite song on the radio. Had you been more sober, you might’ve recognized your position to be precarious – perched on the edge of your seat, your ass hovered inches away from Jimin’s face.

Plopping back down, you glanced sideways at Jimin and found him frozen. Suddenly, you realized the visual he’d had.

“Um, so what happened to the teeth?” you blurted, determined to change the subject.

Jimin blinked and managed to meet your gaze. “Casualty of flip cup,” he said. “One of them fell out during the game and I couldn’t find where it rolled.”

“Well, that’s okay. You can just be one of those vampires who blend in with normal humans. You know, the kind whose fangs only come out when they want to bite someone.”

“That’s true.” Jimin arched a brow. “Lucky for you, I’m not hungry.”

“Lucky for me? Lucky for you,” you retorted. “My blood is about half alcohol right now. If you drank my blood, you’d be a very silly vampire.”

The idea of a silly vampire made you laugh – even more so when you pictured said vampire as Jimin. He seemed much too coherent for your liking right now.

“A silly vampire, huh?” Jimin looked on, amused. “Damn, Y/N – when was the last time you went out? Your tolerance is shit.”

“I know,” you sighed. “I haven’t drunk much this semester. Too much dance, too little time. I think the last time I went out was –”

“We’re here!” squealed Noelle, throwing open the door.

A blast of cold air hit you and you shivered, wishing you’d worn your coat. Jimin’s gaze remained steady on yours.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he said lowly. “I can give you, uh…”

“Your shirt?” you said dryly, lifting a brow as you brushed past. “Then you’d be shirtless, Park. Let’s think this through.”

Jimin chuckled before he followed suit, although you cursed as soon as you left the car. He was correct. It was freezing, even with your alcohol-induced blanket.

“Come on!” you yelped, following Noelle towards the entrance.

Bypassing the line, Noelle walked straight towards the bouncer and showed him her phone. He nodded and waved her past, counting your friend group who followed. Not everyone from Paulo’s place had gone to the club, but enough for you to make quite the entrance.

“Y/N!” Noelle doubled back to link arms with you. “Come on – this way! That guy’s going to show us to our table.”

“Table?” you asked her, wide-eyed.

Tables in a club on Halloween night were ridiculously expensive, but it seemed Noelle had downplayed her brother’s connections. Your group was led right to the front of the upper balcony, getting a coveted spot overlooking the dance floor below.

This was undeniably the coolest club you’d been in. Not that you’d been in many, mind you, but this one had to take the cake. A half-circle of tables took up the top floor, with twin staircases descending to the main room below. Most of the lower floor was for dancing, although you saw additional tables pushed to the sides. Fluorescent bars and dance platforms were dotted throughout and above all was the DJ booth, blasting the latest songs.

“Whoa,” you breathed.

Noelle grinned, squeezing your arm to pull you into the booth. As soon as you settled in, Jasmine leapt up and clapped her hands.

“I want to be in one of those!” she said, pointing to a glowing cage at the center of the dance floor.

“Oo, me too!” Irene leapt up to join her.

“Me, three!” said Paulo, clambering out of the booth.

“Awesome.” Irene beamed and glanced your way. “What about you, Y/N? You in?”

The idea was tempting for a moment, but then Finn flashed through your mind. You highly doubted he’d be on board with you gyrating for a room full of strangers without him. Somewhat dejectedly, you plopped back on the bench.

“That’s okay,” you sighed. “I think I’m going to stay here for a while. I’ll join you later!”

Irene frowned but nodded, following the rest when they left for the stairs. About half the group went, clearing out the table while you stared at the dance floor.

Jimin slid into the bench alongside you. “You don’t want to dance?”

Startled, you glanced in his direction. While you watched, Jimin began to undo his cuffs, casually rolling the sleeves of his shirt. His hair, which had been slicked back at the start of the night, was starting to fall. Several dark strands hung over his forehead, although this only seemed to make the look more appealing.

“No,” you said, crossing your legs. “I just… don’t really feel like it.”

“Is this the whole hating clubs thing again?”

“Kind of.” You laughed. “I don’t know. Club dancing isn’t like normal dancing, you know?”

“It is when you’re at the club with all dancers,” Jimin pointed out, nodding towards the floor.

Following his gaze, you saw Jasmine dancing full-out in a lit-up cage. She wasn’t so much gyrating as she was creating choreography on the fly. The mere mortals around her looked on in awe. Fighting a smile, you returned to Jimin.

“Okay, that does look like fun,” you admitted. “The last time I was at a club was with Finn.”

Jimin blinked. “Sorry – what?”

“In the cab,” you said, leaning closer in order to be heard. “You asked me when I last went out. It was that night… um, the night you came and picked me up.”

Jimin stared at you a moment, as though contemplating something important. Abruptly, he stood and held out a hand. You blinked at this like he’d offered a football.

“What are you doing?” you said, glancing up.

“Taking you down to the dance floor.” Jimin retracted said hand. “Come on, Y/N! You don’t have to give out dry lap dances, or whatever.”

“Hey!” In disbelief, your mouth fell open. “You said you’d forget all about that!”

His smile turned impish. “Seriously, we can just do the sprinkler, or something. It’ll be fun!”

“The sprinkler?” Starting to laugh, you stood. “Was that really the first move you thought of?”

“Nah. My go-to move is the criss-cross, but I figured this was more your speed.”

Snorting, you shoved him in the arm before following Jimin to the dance floor. It didn’t take you long to spot your other friends, clustered near the front and around the DJ booth.

“Y/N!” Noelle cheered, breaking off from the pack. “You made it!”

She nearly spilled her drink while she danced, catching herself just in time as she spun around. You grinned, entering the circle with Jimin by your side. He did, in fact, pull out the criss-cross – Hoseok joined in and soon, there was a Fortnite dance battle between them. You truly haven’t lived until you’ve seen a TikTok dance-off between two semi-professional dancers.

This ended with both declaring mutual defeat, and Hoseok disappearing to buy the next round. Noelle shimmied her way over to Jasmine, accepting the hand given to stand on the platform.

You laughed at their ridiculous dance moves, choosing instead to stay on the ground. The crowd around you had thinned since you’d joined. Eamon disappeared a few minutes later, saying something about needing a drink upstairs. Before long, Irene had joined Jasmine and Noelle on the platform, leaving you alone with Jimin on the floor.

Under other circumstances, you might have felt uncomfortable, but Jimin was so good at putting you at ease. Determined to keep you in the present, he came up with more and more complicated dance moves which had you snorting with laughter.

On a particularly flamboyant spin, Jimin accidentally smacked the drink from someone’s grasp. Blue vodka splattered everywhere, drenching its owner – a burly man in leather who snarled in frustration.

Looking up, he met your gaze and his eyes narrowed.

“Shit. Run!” you blurted out.

Grabbing Jimin by the arm, you dragged him into the crowd.

“No, wait – let me apologize!” Jimin tried to twist around. “I can pay for his drink! I can –”

Once there was suitable distance between you and the guy, you came to a stop. Laughing so hard you nearly fell over, you turned sideways to face him.

Bodies pressed against you from every side but rather than feel claustrophobic, all you could think about was Jimin before you. His hair had become thoroughly mussed during the night and you fought the sudden desire to smooth it down.

Although your breath came hard, the club around you seemed to slow. The music somehow had narrowed to pinpricks, a heady thump of bass while everything dulled.

What you should’ve done was taken a step back – but you didn’t.

Instead, your gaze drifted across his face. Jimin stared back, something intense to his gaze you couldn’t quite name. Breath caught in your throat, his eyes dropped to your lips.

Before you could react, someone bumped into you from behind, sending you careening forward. Jimin caught you easily, one arm around your waist and your chest pressed to his. You could feel every hard line of his body, his thigh wedged between your legs while you grasped at his arms. Heart thudding traitorously against your ribcage, you tried to ignore the emotions which followed.

It was impossible. 

The song playing was slower, sexier than the one which had inspired the dance-off. Without meaning to, your weight subtly shifted. This caused your hips to move against his as Jimin quietly sucked in a breath. The effect this had on him was instantaneous. His grip on you tightened, gaze heady with desire and something more. Before you could second-guess what you were doing, you moved your hips again – this time, on purpose.

Jimin’s eyes darkened. Without looking away, his grip on you tightened as he slowly dragged you up his thigh. Suddenly breathless, your hands gripped him tighter while your eyes fluttered shut. The heat of his body on yours, the faint smell of cologne and sweat, the tension in his limbs and the knowledge of what he could do to you – it all left your head spinning.

“Y/N,” Jimin murmured, low in your ear.

You weren’t used to him saying your name like that.

You were used to him saying your name in every other way, but not that. Sharp with dancer’s critique, brusque with instruction, light with teasing – but not like something heavy was lodged in his throat. Maybe his heart.

Panicked, your eyes flew open.

What were you doing? This wasn’t some random stranger and this sure as hell wasn’t your boyfriend. This was Jimin. Stumbling backwards, you broke from his hold. Jimin seemed equally stunned, staring at you on the dance floor.

“I have to go,” you blurted and whirled around.

Shoving into the crowd, you heard Jimin emit a soft groan. Despite this, he didn’t immediately pursue, for which you were grateful. Stumbling through strangers, strobe lights flashed brightly overhead. You squeezed between someone dressed as a go-go and another person dressed as a werewolf. Skidding to a stop on the edge of the floor, you scanned the room and saw no one from Russet.

When you glanced over your shoulder, you saw Jimin now followed. Panicking again, you began to move. Beside one of the bars, you spotted a hallway labeled restrooms. Heading in this direction, you quickly disappeared inside the door marked women.

Once inside, you locked yourself in a stall, lowered the lid and sat down. Head in hands, you slowly exhaled. You were a coward; that much was clear. Jimin was probably out there looking for you right now, but you’d rather hide in a bathroom than face him.

The fluorescent lighting overhead was too bright – it made you feel overexposed. After a long moment, you fished around in your purse and pulled out your phone. Flipping to your thread with Finn, you saw he’d sent no response since your text. Complete and utter silence.

Heart cracking a little, you slid this in your bag and stared at the door. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. When you imagined you and Finn at college, you’d always pictured you together, attending the same parties and sharing the same adventures. Tonight though, had proven to be anything but that. Finn hadn’t once glanced at his phone judging by the unread mark next to your text.

Dimly, you wondered why you weren’t more upset about this. It should bother you that Finn hadn’t called or even texted throughout the day. Sure, he was out with friends, but so were you and you’d reached out – as soon as you thought this, your heart sank.

You weren’t sure you could call Jimin a friend after what had just happened.

Sure, you’d only danced, and it had only been for a second but still, guilt bloomed behind your ribcage. The idea of Finn doing the same thing with anyone else made your heart twist. You wouldn’t feel that way if what you’d done wasn’t wrong.

Groaning out loud, you lowered your head to your hands. After several minutes, you felt calm enough to stand and pretend-flush the toilet. As you exited the stall, you walked to the sink and began washing your hands. Staring at yourself in the mirror, a million things ran through your mind.

Clearly, the situation with Jimin was worse than you’d thought. The spark you’d felt kept returning, no matter how much you tried to ignore it. Maybe the only solution was to find a new partner. The very idea made your heart sink, but you couldn’t deny things had gotten out of hand.

Before you could seriously consider the option, the door to the bathroom flung open and banged against the wall. Sabrina stormed in, wiping both eyes with the heel of her hand. You froze, staring at her in the mirror but she didn’t seem to notice your presence.

When she finally lowered her hands and took a deep breath, she saw you and froze.

For a moment, you both only stared at each other and then – you coughed. Awkwardly, you began to dry your hands.

“Are you okay?” you asked, tentative.

Sabrina stiffened. “I’m fine,” she muttered, walking to the sink.

You watched her wash her hands, struggling and failing to control her expression. Sabrina’s hair was a mess and you stared, wondering where she’d been. You hadn’t seen her since you’d entered the club, but had assumed she’d stayed on the second floor.

“Are you sure?” you pressed, remembering your night at the other club. “You know, you can –”

“Will you… just stop.” Sabrina closed her eyes. “Will you … stop pretending like we’re friends, or something?”

Struck with disbelief, you could only stare. “I… are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” You shook your head. “Just wow.”

Her lips tightened and finally, she whirled around. “What?” Sabrina demanded. “What is it?”

The look in her eyes was familiar. Her frustrated, angry look was mirrored in your expression, but you found you didn’t care. Sabrina was clearly going through something, but her rudeness to you was the final straw. Tired from Finn, Jimin and the constant pressure you were both under, something about Sabrina’s words made you break.

“Why are you always such a… such a bitch,” you blurted, hurling the word like a knife. “What did I ever do to you? Why do you always act like you hate me so much?”

Sabrina’s upper lip curled. “Why do you always think this is about you, Y/N? Maybe I just wanted one second of peace and instead, here you are. Like always.”

“Here I am, in the public restroom of a club we’re all at?”

“No. Here you are in my life,” she snapped, pushing herself from the sink. “People won’t talk to me? It’s because you’ve run your mouth about things you think I’ve done. I’m falling in the class ranks? It’s because you’re after my spot. Jimin doesn’t want to be my partner? It’s because of his feelings for you. I’m sick of turning around and always seeing you there!”

“Okay, but none of those things – I, Jimin doesn’t have feelings for me,” you sputtered.

Sabrina gave you a look. “Oh, please, Y/N.” Her laughter was harsh. “Why else would he turn me down?”

“Um, maybe because he’s a decent human being? Unlike yourself.”

“Great, yeah.” Sabrina glared. “Make me the bad guy again.”

“I’m not the one doing that,” you huffed. “You are. You want to blame me because no one wants to be your friend? Maybe try reaching out first. Maybe don’t talk shit about people behind their backs. And I’m improving because I’m taking extra lessons. No thanks to you, of course.”

“Don’t try and make me feel bad because I didn’t have time to give you lessons.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’m trying to explain why I’m improving and you’re not.”

Sabrina bristled. “Are you saying I don’t work hard, too?”

“No.” Mirthless, you laughed. “I know you work hard – maybe even as hard as I do. But you know what the big difference is between you and me?” you said, drawing yourself to your full height.

Sabrina’s eyes glimmered while she stared you down. Still, she retained her aloofness when she said, “What? What’s the big secret?”

“You think everyone’s out to get you,” you said, stepping closer. “You think not asking for help makes you stronger, but it’s the exact opposite. At least I’ve improved since the start of the year. What have you done?”

Not waiting for an answer, you pushed past Sabrina and walked out the door.

Shoving it wide, you entered the hallway. Dance music flooded your senses and you winced, remembering where you were and what you’d been doing. Luckily, Jimin was nowhere in sight. He must not have seen where you’d disappeared to.

Shoulders slumping, you pulled out your phone and dialed a number. Walking to the front, you concentrated on breathing while you waited for them to pick up. Coming to a stop beside coat check, you didn’t leave the club – a lesson you’d learned the hard way.

Noelle answered on the third ring. “Babe?” she yelled, barely audible over the din. “What’s going on? Where are you?”

“Are you…” Closing your eyes, you paused. “Can we leave?”

Noelle paused, then muffled her phone with one hand. “Irene!” you heard her yell. “You good to get a ride home for these people? Okay, cool. Bye!” Her phone became un-muffled. “Where are you, babe?”

After explaining your location, you hung up and hugged yourself with both arms. Noelle burst into view a few moments later, scanning the crowd like a mom on a mission. When she saw you, she rushed over – and you promptly burst into tears.

“Oh, no!” Pulling you into a hug, Noelle began to rub your back. “No, no, babe! Don’t cry! What’s going on? Do I need to kick someone’s ass?”

Hearing Jimin’s words said by Noelle only made you cry harder. Wisely sensing this to be a problem not easily solved, Noelle continued rubbing your back while walking towards the exit.

The two of you went outside and, as luck would have it, saw a group of people arriving at the club. Noelle snagged their taxi, helping you in the backseat and giving the driver your address. As you settled against her, your head on her shoulder, Noelle kept rubbing your arm and waited for the tears to stop.

You weren’t really sure why you were crying.

Of course, Sabrina was terrible, as was the situation with Jimin, but it was more than that. Dancing with Jimin hadn’t caused problems in your relationship with Finn. There had been problems in your relationship Finn and so, feelings had crept in which led you to dance with Jimin.

More than that though, you couldn’t help but notice Noelle had come to your aid much faster than Finn ever had. Even Jimin had dropped everything when you asked, and he was someone you’d once called your enemy. Noelle had been having fun, but she’d cut her night short because you were upset. This knowledge crushed you and for the very first time, you realized your relationship with Finn might be unfixable.

Curled up on the backseat, you let yourself cry a bit more. You could be calm and rational in the morning, you decided but for now, you just felt defeated.

When you finally climbed into bed at your dorm at night, you looked at your phone and saw Finn still hadn’t texted.

Author’s Note: Thank you for reading! 😊 New chapters of Raise the Barre are posted weekly; dates are listed on the series Master List. Requests for updates will be deleted.

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