#i will need to do EVERYTHING again. for no reason. DEFINITELY for no reason caused by me.
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sysig Ā· 2 months ago
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You could stay forever, if you wanted (Patreon)
#Doodles#Max Vyer#Dexter Favin#Helix#Coraline#I blame plushy brain lol#I initially wanted this to be a Max-centric Coraline AU but I realized pretty quickly that Max would just straight up get button eyes#Like it would be barely a question he would fall for it hook line and sinker#''The Beldam doesn't go after adults because children's problems and trust in parental figures'' wrong - Max Vyer#He already falls into his own world of dreams and make believe you Cannot look me in the eyes and tell me this man wouldn't get his soul#eaten in exchange for getting to actually experience his fantasies he's so dumb ;;<3#So I had to switch it to Dex because he'd actually be a challenge and the Beldam loves games lol#Okay but also imagine - Max getting duped and Dex coming to rescue him hwehh#Coraline AUs are endlessly fascinating to me because they always cut right to the core of ''This is what you want - right?''#It's that Want Vs. Need babey!!! Gah it's so good <3#Here's another question - you think the Beldam would assume the form of Madame Vyer? 'Cause yes the Matriarch role but#It's hard to argue that Dex and Max aren't the most important figures in each other's lives and her wit would kinda need to be in full focus#But it's Definitely incorrect to limit their relationship to being just guardian/paternal/filial/platonic to really any degree#Would get real awkward real fast - another reason I had to switch to Dex 'cause again he'd Resist just agh how creepy! It'd be really creepy#All that to one side for now tho lol - I really love the twist of the knife option personally ā™Ŗ#Of ''I see what you want and I can give it to you exactly how it would be in your real old life - don't you want that?''#It's so invasive! So intrusive! The little doll scouting out the disappointments that could be so easily ''corrected'' hwagh#Dex finally getting actually called out for his coddling Max from Max ''himself'' and promised that he could keep doing it#That's where it hurts - to be told that you don't have to change but that this is the way reality would conform around your decisions#Ow <3 I love that#Is it everything you hoped it would be? Are you ready to give in yet? Hhhh ā™„
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cetoddle Ā· 1 month ago
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okay what i have to say is lowkey embarrassing but i wanna bitch and itā€™s probably only embarrassing to me bc im shy about this stuff anyways the moral of the story is i wanna bitch and u should probably just ignore me. god bless
#honestly halfway through the wedding i did see this guy i thought was rlly cute#like. REALLY cute (so fucking embarrassing)#but iā€™m too shy to talk to hot people and iā€™ve never approached anyone before and no oneā€™s ever approached me so i donā€™t know what to do#idk how to talk to people to begin with let alone like. try to flirt or something#but as the night went on (this is so embarrassing) for some reason i literally couldnā€™t stop looking at him (kill me)#and he probably definitely noticed me looking at him so he probably thinks im some like. crazy creep or something#but like usually when i see someone attractive im just like oh wow and admire them from afar#but i COULDNT STOP LOOKING AT HIM! WHY! and for some reason i felt like i just really wanted to talk to him#but i didnā€™t know what to do! i just felt this urge to go try and start a conversation but i just. i couldnā€™t#and every time i thought i would work up the courage either my sister or my grandmother would come back and hover over me#and i didnā€™t wanna be like ā€˜sorry gotta go i need to go embarrass myself in front of this cute guyā€™#OR he would get up and start taking pictures again. itā€™s like he knew#he wasnā€™t even the official photographer he was just one of the guests who clearly wanted to take photos of his friends wedding. which like#is so endearing to me. he has HOBBIES. WOW. (kill me)#idk j canā€™t even put everything into words i just feel like screaming into a pillow AAAAAAUGHHH#i felt like i was in hs again there was a point i even excused myself to step outside just because he was out there#but he was talking to some old lady. so i was just sitting outside in the grass moping#i feel so stupid i dunno. why am i so worked up about this. i had a few opportunities to approach him and i didnt. because im an idiot#i feel like iā€™m down so bad which is so STUPID because i donā€™t even know his name and ill never see him again in my life#so it doesnā€™t even matter! and every time im like oh oh well it was just random infatuation clearly it wasnā€™t meant to be#but then i just get upset and all blushy cause he was SO CUTE! and i wanna know more about him! why!#i havenā€™t felt like this in FOREVER i just feel so stupid for even feeling this way#i know ill be fine in a few days or something but im just like. i wish i could have at least spoken to him once#sigh. idk whatā€™s wrong with me#maybe heā€™s already dating someone anyways all the cute people seem to already be in relationships#except ME im the only one left. who am I supposed to date!!#i want to jump out the window#snow.txt
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jvzebel-x Ā· 1 year ago
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šŸ¦‹
#so ive been in contact w a clinic for a specific treatment plan&ive been getting paperwork together for this shit for like 3wks+#&i just got a call about it-- a call ive been waiting for since last week-- only for them to tell me that#ill probably need to be hospitalized for the full extent of the treatment. lmao.#as if this in&of itself was not enough to send me full-on spiraling they let know that this will be totally out of pocket#(which i guess im more or less used to hearing at this point in my life lmao)#&also that i POPPED FOR AMPHETAMINES?#so i immediately start fucking freaking out&the person im talking to is trying to calm me down like#'its okay! youre not in trouble!'#&honest to god if i had been in person i wouldve smacked someone lmao.#i dont give a fuck what you fucking ppl think of me. ive been fighting for solid communication for this entire process#there isnt any reason i should feel inclined to respect any of you bitches enough to give a fuck about your opinion.#even if i didnt have my personal history or occupational hazard list IT WOULD BE CONCERNING TO FIND OUT I HAVE RANDOM DRUGS#IN MY SYSTEM THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF. &frankly that SHOULD be fucking obvious if i am panicking at all.#seeing as a did several different drug tests i dont see how any of it would come as a fucking surprise.#... then she realized that my blood test was negative&my piss test was 'presumptively positive'#&was like that bc of one of my other medications.#im not. THRILLED. that this was overlooked for a large variety of reasons lmao#but the fact that the med evals only last two weeks tops the list bc if i need to retest bc of this shit-- something that wont even#give them a different test result as i am still taking the same medication fucking daily as i have been for over a year now--#i will need to do EVERYTHING again. for no reason. DEFINITELY for no reason caused by me.#all so they can tell me that they lied to me initially&they wont treat me unless i let them hospitalize me lmao.#im going to go fucking rabid. i Do Not want to be hospitalized. lmao.
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letstrywritingmaybe Ā· 4 months ago
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I just finished reading Lolita mostly because I see the term more often than I care for in fics, so I needed to know the source of it, and itā€™s definitely not for me. I get the importance of it and why itā€™s controversial, but again this is one of those classics that Iā€™m like eh. Like tbh the fanfic with the same title was way more enjoyable than this literary classic. But thatā€™s because I donā€™t vibe with the character, and while I can understand him in a way, I donā€™t really care to. I donā€™t think the book is horrible, but itā€™s passable.
But now that I see where the term comes from, I can confirm what I already knew. I donā€™t care for the ShinAi dynamic as much as the rest of the fandom. Then again I never did like any types of ā€œforbidden loveā€ (though in the novel it was definitely not love, but thatā€™s an argument idc to go into. Though I suppose if you believed it was love then maybe it was real in a way, but itā€™s real an illness. Which again people have compared love to)
Unrelated update: I strictly read CoAi fics yes, but I do dabble in other Shiho ships as long as the canon ship is not also tagged cause fuck that noise. Plus I need to see a jealous Shinichi over my queen. Unfortunately we donā€™t have enough fics of other Shiho ships. Which needs to be remedied for sure. Since Iā€™ve been writing a tiny bit of these ships, I decided to poke around the tags and see what was out there. Iā€™m glad I did cause I just read the cutest Shigo fic and Iā€™m so here for it. Honestly if this was the endgame I wouldnā€™t be mad, I know so many people hate on it. But as a fangirl, I really love the idea that my queen is good enough to get with her celebrity crush. Also as a massive sports fan, which none of you are, you really just donā€™t get it. Which is insane to me cause itā€™s the same as being a fan of anything else! You get excited and emotional and want to be better for the thing/person you love and you can be irrational and jealous. Hello yall over here with your ship wars, be for real, youā€™re not better than any of us for being open with our fangirling. So yeah when I see people criticize Shigo it just makes me want to ship it more. People claim itā€™s ooc, but itā€™s really fucking not. Sheā€™s still a teenager, sheā€™s allowed to have these kinds of emotions. Heck even if she were to be into boy bands instead I would support it. We have layers, weā€™re more than just one thing. Donā€™t just shove her into the emotionless scientist corner cause sheā€™s a cool girl. She can be both, and she is. Let her live. Literally just let her live, itā€™s all I ask from canon
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celestialspritz Ā· 2 months ago
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Why Sims 2 has been so broken the last ten years
This is down to my own research, and I'm not saying it is the one and only reason why the game is so broken these days, but I have some points worth mentioning.
So, you're bored one day. You remember this game you had so much fun playing a few years ago, or maybe as a child. It's The Sims 2!
The game has a few issues than from when you last remembered playing, so you search on google for some fixes for the tiny resolution, and among the countless posts you may find, you may find this:
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Or this:
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(to the creators and players mentioned here this isn't me making a dig at you, i'm just pointing out some cc that could affect the game from working properly. your stuff is all beautiful :D)
Lesya's game is gorgeous!!! Oh, how can I get it to look like that?
So you, with a clean, vanilla (ugly) game you decide to download a few mods she listed, such as:
Skylines by GCKP (you can get optimised ones by me here)
Skies by Lowedeus (you can get optimised ones by me here)
Trees by Criquette (you can get optimised ones here)
No More Blurriness by Voeille (you can get optimised snow only here)
Cool! And then you notice some cheats than can give the game that open-world, interactive feel. Even better!
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And you shove them into your folder and you boot up the game. Everything's going great!
Until...
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You search hundreds of posts looking for the fix. Some recommend 3rd-party tools, but they seem to make the problem worse. You reinstall, finding you only wasted your time. Something has to be causing this, but you'd never guess it'd be the mods everybody swore by.
Well, in fact, it is. Partly.
I've struggled with pink flashing since 2019, when I reinstalled Sims 2 after I got a decent computer for once. I did everything above, searched for fixes, found Lesya's blog which was my primary inspiration. It was through Lesya's guide that I was able to make my game look pretty!
These mods, which are a staple in the modding community, are beautiful indeed... but what if I told you that the reason they're so beautiful, is because they're high-quality. With textures soaring up to 4k, when, hang on--
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In 2004, 4k resolution was... probably unheard of. With the leading monitor size being 1024x768, what would be the point of using such huge textures on an engine that was designed for monitors of at least this size? Would you be able to see the detail of 4k on a monitor of that size? Definitely not.
The max visiting sims, okay, a little hit or miss. If your sims are all wearing high poly alpha CC, then it's a problem. If not, good luck.
Then comes the cheats I mentioned. The lot skirt cheat expands the view distance a significant amount. With the mergenhoodflora cheat, that displays more trees. Combining the two, what do you get?
A massive view distance, blinded by trees.
With skies and skylines with large textures up to 4k, and trees with textures up to 2k, The Sims 2 will collapse. It's like forcing an old man with health conditions to do 20 situps, again and again.
It'll overexert him, by the very least. And you're overexerting the game by cramming custom content that is not optimised for the engine TS2 was built on.
So please, next time you encounter the pink soup, please check your CC folders, and research changes and cheats before you put them into your game. You will enjoy the game much more if you do this, and won't encounter this problem so often.
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Don't use Graphics Rules Maker
Instead, opt for a maxis original Graphics Rules uploaded here by Veronavillequiltingbee. It's essentially a rewrite of an old tutorial I made a long time ago.
Once you download the file from VVQB, open DXDIAG by pressing WinKey+R and typing 'dxdiag'.
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This value I've underlined is what you need to put after seti textureMemory. Open the sgr file and do CTRL-F and input seti textureMemory.
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Add the value from DXDIAG and then save it.
You can use GRM for adding your GPU to the game, but I do not recommend it for anything but that.
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Optimising the game... inside the game
*shoves GRM off the table*
We're going to go into TS2 in-game settings for this one.
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These settings are optimal if you play CC-heavy households. It will ease the load on your game to make space for the heavy CC you have in your current household. You can tweak these when you want to take photos outside, but for playing I recommend them all to be off - especially at community lots as there are lots of sims there.
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I never see anybody talking about Object Hiding.
Object Hiding hides objects from floors that aren't in view. If you're playing downstairs, objects upstairs won't be rendered, thus minimising the load on your game.
I have reflections and smooth edges off because I use ReShade.
Snow on Ground is optional. Sometimes snow can cause pink flashing, I believe it's due to texture replacements that are huge in size too, Voeille's is 2k. I've linked a resized one above.
This post will be updated with later findings. I hope you all found it informative :]
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777heavengirl Ā· 3 months ago
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spill your guts
sirius black x reader one-shot ! warnings: miscommunication? (apparently, thatā€™s all ik how to write), friends to lovers, mentions of injury, no war AU! word count: 6,730 masterlist a/n: sorry I've been MIA uni is BEATING my ass and i rewrote this like 35 times, enjoy!
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ā€œI have this dream that I am hitting my dad with my quidditch batā€ Sirius's clammy skin and the breeze that flew in from the window you had slightly cracked open when he awoke hyperventilating, caused goosebumps to crawl up his skin. You stayed quiet at his confession, your eyes trained on his face but his burned holes into your baby blue duvet. ā€œAnd all he does is scream and cry for help-ā€œ
He took a sharp breath, this was one of those rare times when everything rotting inside him tried spilling out. For many years it was just James and Remus, Peter occasionally, but now he found that he couldnā€™t help but want to spill his guts to you. You stayed quiet as he spoke, scared to say anything that would cause him to shut himself in again.
ā€And maybe halfway through, I realized that it has more to do with me killing him than it ever did protecting myself.ā€ Sirius never spoke of his father. His mother usually plagued his nightmares and it was the abuse he was more inclined to share.
Not his father's.
ā€He was really pushing his luck-ā€œ His dry laugh, seemed cruel, but you could see how his fingers fidgeted, playing with a small thread on the edge of his boxers. The need to light a cigarette flashed in his mind.Ā 
You knew the man was dead. You were with Sirius and the rest of the marauders the day he was buried. After everyone else had left the funeral, the brothers stared at the coffin on the altar of the mausoleum the rest of their family rested in. Regulus didnā€™t speak a word but gripped Siriusā€™s arm with white-hot knuckles. Sirius put his cigarette out on the shiny, polished wood, one last act of defiance. His brother nodded, almost as if in approval, but not quite, and apparated away with their family house elf soon after. Sirius linked his arm with yours. You didnā€™t ask how he died, nor did you ask about the brothers' relationship now that both of their abusers were dead and buried. Now that everything between them rotted away.
You never wanted to push the boundary more than heā€™d let you. Your relationship, if thatā€™s what you could call it, was already precarious as it was.
Tonight had started like many others, Sirius knocking at your door. The flat you shared with Dorcas in front of the one he shared with Peter and Remus. And you answered, you always did.
ā€œyou look good tonight-ā€œ You thought the way too small sleeping shorts were the reason he said so, it wasnā€™t the mismatched socks or the oversized muggle band tee you had stolen from their dorm fifth year. Definitely not the messy, bed-ridden hair. He had only seen your face, the glint in your eyes, and the pull of your smile. That had been enough for him to decide you were the most beautiful creature on the planet. ā€œcan I sleep in your bed?ā€ You said yes.
You always said yes.
You didnā€™t have sex. But you slept together, his fingertips digging into the supple skin of your waist as he slept with his face buried in your neck. You often played with his hair, tracing spirals on his back until he snored softly. You wouldnā€™t have guessed that tonight would end up with him waking up, in a cold sweat and gasping for breaths, much less confessing his dreams of murdering his already deceased father.
You didn't hold that against him.
You took a hesitant hold of his trembling fingers, he seemed to welcome the touch as he intertwined his fingers with yours.
He pulled you close to him again after he laid back down. The window remained open with the nippy night breeze flowing in, but his skin eventually lost its goosebumps and his grip ultimately loosened, he was soft and warm and moldable now. He melted onto your side and you couldn't help but stare. At his perfect nose and perfect lips, the weight of the world that he held on his shoulders faded away when he slept, even if just for a few hours.Ā 
You reveled in the fact that it was your bed he felt this comfortable in.
You hoped it was only yours.
-
Even the mornings where he had crawled out of your bed and your flat, the ones where you awoke alone and cold, he stayed in your head. He had imprinted himself on your mind, he had made it his home. Sirius Black, the man you were not dating, but the man you shared your bed with, occasionally made breakfast with in between fits of laughter. The man who had declared very loudly, and very drunkenly, that you'd make the perfect girlfriend at a party four months ago, and yet continued to ignore any hint that there might be something else between the two of you. Your bed felt cold the rare nights he didn't knock at your door, at this point your entire apartment called for his presence. Dorcas joked that he was your third roommate.
You always wondered if he had found some muggle girl to woo for the night, sleep in her foreign bed, and disappear in the morning. You wondered if he ever stayed 'til the morning in their beds, if he enjoyed them more than he enjoyed you. If your bed and your embrace weren't enough.
Until there was a knock at your door, the clock marked 1:27 am.
"A long time ago, my great-great-great-great-grandfather took something that did not belong to him," You wondered if this would also become ritual, him baring his heart naked. Baring his family's sins, his sins, to you. As if your divine acceptance would tip the scales, and that it would weigh his heart as pure. Your skin was the one riddled with goosebumps this time, as the cold that seeped through the window nipped at the thin material of your shirt and you duvet stayed discarded at the foot of the bed. You didn't mind it. He blew the smoke of his cig out the open window and turned to look at you again, unapologetically staring into your eyes. "And that is why I kind of look the way I do, 'm part Veela," you wondered if his confessions were a new level of intimacy you had gained access to.Ā 
"As if I couldn't tell," he gave you a crooked smirk, the type he gives you when he's about to make some obscene, dirty joke. He didn't this time though. You visibly saw his shoulders relax when you made a quick quip, ignoring the heavy atrocity of his ancestors. It wasn't him after all, why would you hold it against him? He hummed, reveling secretly in your compliment. Maybe you genuinely did think he was beautiful. Regardless of the tattoos that now littered his body, or the scars of abuse that would never leave him, or even the random bruises that sometimes stained his porcelain skin, from his bike, from Moony's transformations, from everything. Maybe you even saw past the commitment issues, and unspoken words, or the fact that he left you to wake up to an empty bed often.
Maybe, somehow, you were able to look past all of that. All of him.
Sirius knew it was wishful thinking.
-
ā€œDonā€™t look at me like that Moony,ā€ Sirius said with a groan as he stood at the door, still holding the handle from closing it. Remus glared at him from the top of his cup as he sipped his tea, Sirius really wanted to skip the whole lecture, you woke up early meaning he also had to, and had to make the treacherous journey across the hall. He glanced at the clock on the wall, it glanced 6:30 am back at him. Why was Remus even awake?
ā€œyouā€™re a prat Padfoot-ā€œ
ā€I needed some sleep, it's not like we're-ā€œ
ā€œIt doesnā€™t matter, what youā€™re doing to that poor girl is horrible, if you really canā€™t sleep drink some tea, go to a physicianā€ Remus turned his back to Sirius, angrily cleaning his cup in the sink, although he couldnā€™t see him, Sirius knew Remusā€™s face was twisted into one of disappointment and anger. ā€œyou know she loves you, and you use it instead of telling her there will never be anything between you-ā€œ
ā€I love herā€
ā€Youā€™re not in love with her, are you?ā€ He turned the water off, turning around with a glare as Sirius stayed quiet. ā€œShe is.ā€
Sirius didnā€™t know what he felt for you if he was honest. He loved you, though. He had always loved you. From the days you ran around with the four of them around Hogwarts, when you passed notes in class, when you accompanied him on secret trips to the kitchens, when you helped clean his wounds at Potter Manor the summer he ran away. Sirius has always loved you.
Remus might think thatā€™s worse.
ā€Stop sleeping with her and having breakfast with her the morning after, Merlin-ā€œ he took a deep breath, his fingers coming up to rub his temples in frustration and the Welsh accent seeped into his words, ā€œWhat the hell are you thinking Sirius?ā€
Remus knew he was being tough, but he felt bad. He felt bad about the way your eyes always trailed after the boy, and how you always stared at Siriusā€™s closed bedroom door when you were over for tea. You needed to be able to move on with your life. It didnā€™t help you and Dorcas lived right in front of them.
ā€Alright Moony,ā€Ā 
ā€œYouā€™ll leave her alone?ā€ Sirius refused to meet the taller boy's eyes.
ā€Iā€™ll tryā€
-Ā 
Sirius did not listen to Remus.Ā 
He never did really, but he felt guilty now. He stared at you from your bed, you paced around stripping away the day, being a healer at St Mungo's was an arduous job most days. Some it was just kids with dragon pox and their mothers who came with worry stitched in their souls, doing rounds with residents that had been there longer than you, the older ladies always gave you candy. You didn't know where they were getting it from. Most nights you dragged yourself into your apartment late enough you might as well say itā€™s morning, and dropped, ruined and exhausted, on your bed. The worst days, it was back-to-back shifts of trying to heal curses, creature attacks, and mysterious maladies that left you drained and hopeless. Ones that made you fear the magical world that surrounded you. These nights you would've sought Sirius out, the way he did you, but you didn't need to. He was always there, somehow knowing and waiting outside your door. Sometimes, he was just exiting his apartment, going to knock on yours when you came up the stairs, other nights, like this one, he waited for you. He sat on the floor with his back against your door and his eyes closed until he heard your footsteps. He stood and greeted you silently with a kiss to your temple.
He trailed after you, into your room and onto your bed. So he sat, his back against the wall and the bottom parts of his legs hanging from the bed. He didn't say much, he observed as you sighed and sniffed, wiping your eyes as you muttered to yourself. He watched in awe as you took off the green healer robes they made you wear, your buttoned shirt coming off with it.Ā 
ā€œI donā€™t understand how hard it is to keep your kid away from places like those, the kid was barely five and now he has all these welts-ā€œ you huffed in frustration as you stripped off your pants and walked into the bathroom, the door open so you could continue to ramble ā€œhow does a five-year-old get cursed? I had to call the Ministry-ā€œ
Sirius didnā€™t think he could deny the fact that he reveled in these moments, he couldn't hide it for the life of him. The ones where you were so comfortable with him, walking around in your mismatched underwear angrily rambling about negligent mothers and how now you have to testify at the Ministry next week. It was laced with domesticity and a cloying sweetness that covered his skin. He wanted to stop you and kiss you silly. To sleep with you, in all your naked glory, and not care because youā€™d be together. He shook away the need to keep you for himself. He shuffled close to the edge of the bed, his feet finally touching the floor and he picked up a trinket on your nightstand. He bought it for you when he visited France last summer. He promised Regulus he'd gone to see him a few days. It went well, he realized. He also thought of the fact he didn't tell you that's what he went to do.
ā€Sirius?"
"Hm?" he finally focused back on your words, his eyes flickering back to you and the small smile that formed on your lips when you saw what he had in his hand.Ā 
"I said, what'd you reckon will happen to the kid?" your smile faded, and you picked nervously at your cuticles as you thought about him. Would they take him away? Would he be put in an orphanage? It was protocol you had no other choice but to call... and yet you couldn't stop thinking about it. You started moving around your room again, like a bee collecting pollen from flowers. Bees were cute, right? Sirius hoped you wouldn't think he was silly, Bees were cute, he decided. You grabbed a couple of items of clothing, collecting them in one arm as the other one massaged your scalp.Ā 
"I dunno," he remembered to answer now, "I had never thought about it,"
He could hear you turn on the shower, but you padded back into the room as the water warmed. You looked at him, still in your underwear, the eye bags underneath your eyes were visible, your makeup long faded by now.Ā 
"You never went because of your mum?" He shook his head, and you shuffled closer, the side of your leg pressed against the bed and your knee knocking with his as you looked down at him. Your hand went to caress his hair instinctively, his soft glossy curls sliding through your fingers easily. "I'm sorry no one noticed Sirius," this part was a whisper now, you feared overstepping a boundary you weren't aware of. He smiled at you, his hand coming up to pinch your naked side.Ā 
You yelped and batted his hand away with a laugh.Ā 
"She's good and dead now, I reckon it doesn't matter anymore-" He gave you a saddened smile, his nimble fingers grabbing a hold of your hand pulling you closer to him again. It was private moments like this, that confused you. The intimacy of it all, the way his lips pressed against the back of your hand and looked at you through half-lidded eyes. You were suddenly hyper-aware of how naked you actually were. You had been friends for the majority of your life, shame was long gone, but when you were so close you could feel his breath across the stretch of your tummy, it felt different.
"I reckon it does matter," You pressed a small kiss to his forehead and unpeeled yourself from him, "don't bury it all inside you, Mr Black"
You floated away now, in the sea of your anxiety over your actions, closing the bathroom door behind you.Ā 
Sirius had a lot of destructive behaviors, he knew that. The smoking since he was fifteen, the reckless way he rode his motorcycle around, the growing collection of tattoos on his body, the tumultuous relationship he had with his brother, Merlin definitely the excessiveness in which he drank, not to mention the way he showed up at the Potter's every once in a while seeking James's comfort and unconditional love, ignoring the fact that the man was a father and had a million things on his shoulders. Lily didnā€™t seem to mind. At least he was a decent godfather, took care of Harry to perfection, it took a few tries but he got it. Loved him with his entire heart. But you, Sirius, thought you might be the worst of it.
The worst thing heā€™s ever done to himself is allow for this domesticity between you.
You came back from your shower with your hair slightly damp and smelling of your signature body wash scent, sweet and enveloping. The oversized shirt that covered your torso was almost long enough to cover 'til your upper thighs. It made Siriusā€™s lips curl into a lopsided smile that he tried to repress.
He was lying down now, starfishing on your bed as he stared at the ceiling.
ā€Are you coming to bed?ā€ The clock blinked 3 AM at you, and Sirius reached his hand out. You walked closer to him, a small smile playing on your lips. You sent the towel you had been using back to its spot with a swish of your hand. Basic handless magic was a difficult skill to gain but Merlin so gratifying.Ā 
ā€œI forgot my pants silly,ā€ he shook his head no, and reached for your hand with a bit more effort, grabbing a hold of it and pulling you down with him.
ā€Letā€™s just sleep, you donā€™t need those-ā€œ He covered the two of you with your heavy duvet as you laughed, he leaned over you to turn off the lamp on your nightstand.
Yes, Sirius thought as he buried his face in the crook of your neck and threw one of his arms over your torso. You were the worst thing he had ever done to himself. He would never be able to let go, your hands stroking his hair until one of you fell asleep, the small ā€˜night that slipped past your lips just as your eyes fluttered shut. He'd never get enough of your saccharine scent that enveloped him like a blanket, comforting and warm. All-encompassing and suffocating, in each otherā€™s arms every night, in the comfort of your room.Ā 
Sirius knew it deep in his heart, what he had been afraid of for so long. Maybe Remus had it all wrong, maybe he was in love with you.
Because what else could this feeling be?
-
You tried to ignore the ache in your heart when you woke up to an empty bed. You tried to forget the fact that youā€™d probably do it all again tonight, and the next night too, all to bear the fruit of nothing.Ā 
Dorcas shook her head and she pushed a cup of coffee towards you.Ā 
ā€œDonā€™t look at me like that Dorcas -ā€œ
ā€I love Sirius as much as the next guy but-ā€œ you picked up the coffee and sighed at its warmth ā€œHeā€™s being a prat honey-ā€œ
ā€It's not like weā€™ve been having sex, he just needs some sleepā€ You shook your head and looked away, afraid that your eyes would betray you, ā€œhell I needed sleep tooā€
ā€It doesnā€™t matter, Y/N youā€™re a healer get him a stock of sleeping draught and yourself some too while youā€™re at itā€¦ā€ She furrowed her brows but you stayed quiet, not daring to meet her gaze ā€œI know you love him, but Iā€™m not so sure he sees you that way-ā€œ
ā€ Iā€™m not in love with himā€
ā€œI didnā€™t say you were in love,ā€ Dorcas sighed now, placing her cup on the sink and walking towards the small chimney in your flat. ā€œPromise me it wonā€™t happen anymore, that youā€™ll try to break it offā€
ā€Iā€™ll try Dorcas,ā€ she didnā€™t believe you much, you didnā€™t believe yourself either, the Floo Flames engulfed her body.
It was hard to, separate yourself from him that is. Sirius Black was addicting, simply from the way he moved. Just watching him is entrancing on its own. Speaking to him, with his suave words and low tone. Everything about him, everyone craved to have a simple conversation, have even an ounce of his attention. Sleeping in his arms though, heart to heart? Now that was in a league of its own.Ā 
-
You dragged yourself into your building, the day bearing down on you. You half hoped that Sirius would be waiting outside your door again, sitting waiting for you to lay in his arms. Disappointment added to the sack of bricks you felt like you were carrying when you turned to see the empty hallway. You sluggishly made your way up to your door, hoping to see Sirius's head pop out of his apartment door. Giggles came down your hall, as you fiddled with your keychain trying to find your key. The drunken whispers got louder and just as you grabbed a hold of your key you heard your name echo softly down the hall.
You dropped your keys in surprise as you took in the sight. Sirius stood rather close to a short woman, her bubbling laughter and her roaming hands didn't stop when he let his arm drop from her shoulders. All color drained from his face and his drunk, loose smile fell quickly from his lips. The girl that clung to him like gum to a shoe hadnā€™t noticed your presence nor how Sirius seemed to sober up at the sight of you.
You scrambled to pick up your keys as the blonde started whispering in his ear, starting to pull at him again. He called out your name one more time, moving towards you now, dragging the poor girl down the hallway with him.
ā€œhave a good night Sirius-ā€œĀ 
You miraculously managed to get your key in the hole swiftly, turn it, open, and lock yourself inside just in time. Pressing your back against the door, your heart felt like it might leap out of your chest. You had always hoped that he wasnā€™t seeing other people, or meeting anyone else. And the absence of encounters just like this one had solidified that thought, you were properly convinced. Now though. You had just been lucky enough to not encounter them. You thought back, it was impossible not to feel like Siriusā€™s look had been one of guilt. Like he got caught. But the two of you werenā€™t anything.
You were painfully reminded of that fact tonight.
You hadn't noticed how fast or how hard your heart was beating. You felt like it was ready to break through your ribs, leaving you shattered and with a void in your chest. But it didn't do such a thing. No, you stayed perfectly intact, even as you felt the panic batter your chest and the notion that you were definitely not the only woman in his life torturing your heart.
"What's wrong?" Dorcas said in a whisper as she looked up, her large glasses sliding down her nose. The yellow lamps that decorated your apartment gave Dorcas's dark skin a low golden tone, like the type you'd see in paintings of candlelights and sultry lounges. Marlene was over today, her short, bleached blonde strands fanning over her face as she slept with her head on Dorcas's lap, her arms wrapped around the girl's waist.Ā  If it had been any other time you would've run for the muggle Polaroid camera Lily bought you, flashing a picture of the two of them.
"Sirius was just outside with some girl," Dorcas gasped now and shot up, dropping Marlene's head on the couch. The blonde groaned awake and asked what was wrong.
"Sirius brought home a girl" The blonde shot up as well and the girlfriends ran to the door, trying to look through the peephole. "Well this whole thing has gone arse over tit hasn't it?" Marlene pushed Dorcas off for her turn at the peephole.Ā 
"There's no 'thing' between us anyway"
"Well, shit" The blonde outside kept pawing at Sirius, trying to reach his face, to eat it Marlene guessed. He stared at the door, trying to hold the girl who stuck to him back. Marlene felt as if she was in a staring competition. She knew Sirius couldnā€™t see her but she still liked the thought that sheā€™d win.
Dorcas was the first to peel herself off of the door and pull you into a tight embrace. Her hand rubbed circles on your back and Marlene followed, embracing the two of you. They smelled coconut-y and sweet, even the remainder of Marlene's stronger perfume wafted over you ever so slightly. It was grounding, really, to be hugged tightly by your closest friends, the smell of home, the comfort of knowing that you were loved, even if it wasn't by him.
"I'll hex him for you if you want" Marlene's suggestion, although serious, wasn't necessary. You shook your head sighing.Ā 
"He didn't do anything-" Dorcas flicked your head now, a frown forming on her face as the three of you parted.Ā 
"Like hell, he didn't-"
"He doesn't owe me anything 'Cas don't be harsh"
"He's been sleeping in your bed for the better part of six months I reckon he owes you a lot" Dorcas gave you a look of pity now, like you were a wounded abandoned animal.
"I say we set his motorbike on fire," Marlene suggested casually like she was talking about the weather. You slowly peeled your layers off, as you dragged your feet towards your room. You knew the girls felt bad for you, but it was your fault. Who in their right mind would let Sirius Black so into their hearts, knowing that no commitment would ever come from it?Ā 
You.Ā 
You would.Ā 
From his muscles softened under your touch, his warmth spreading to your body, to the way he mumbled in his sleep. It was something your soul craved to see, to feel, to hear. He had bewitched you, without you wanting him to, without meaning to allow him. You threw yourself on your bed, starfished and in your underwear, freshly showered. The water did not wash away the regret nor the hurt. They only made you think of coming back to Sirius in your bed, smiling and pulling you into his arms. Your sheets were cold, and tucked in neatly, very unlike the cozy mess Sirius usually made of it. So you stared, long and hard at the white of your ceiling. You prayed sleep would take you, you were exhausted. Like your body had been beaten, like your heart had split in two.Ā 
No such sleep would overtake you. Instead, you could hear frantic knocks on your front door, your muscles twitched but you didn't dare move, like if you breathed he'd know. You heard Dorcas rip the door open, the force of it reverberating through your small flat.Ā 
"You got some balls coming here," It was muffled, but you could still hear the venom in her voice. She didn't let him speak. "You're going to die cold, sad, and alone Blackā€” don't you ever forget it" She threw the door closed now, the bang shaking your room again. It was jarring to hear that, especially from someone as sweet as Dorcas was, and she meant it. Hell, you felt like she would make sure of it, no matter the cost.Ā 
"Sweetheart-" Dorcas spoke through the door, her knuckles grazing the wood but not quite knocking. You didn't answer.
A muffled she must be asleep, and you felt like you could breathe again. You knew Sirius wouldn't end up alone. If he did romantically, the friendships in his life would fulfill that void anyway. He had a family. Most of your friends were his, and you knew, that you could never ask any of them to walk around the uncomfortable wall that seemed to form between you, or god forbid pick sides. It was stupid, you knew there was no reason you should be upset. You were not together. You weren't anything to him, and he wasn't supposed to be to you.
But oh he was. He was everything.
-
On nights like these, you thought you might reach your limit and have to be admitted into the psychiatric ward of St Mungo's yourself. You felt sweaty, and the stuffy healer robes didn't help to ease the heat that crawled up your skin. Your hair felt frizzy and out of place, and your buttoned-up shirt felt like it was choking you, but you couldn't stop. You couldn't afford to nor could the patients that kept coming in. The St Mungo's emergency room was nothing short of a battleground, it was vile and the worst turn to get. Especially during the overnight shift. These were the types of shifts that made you second guess your career choice, the ones that made you want to throw in the towel and drag yourself back into your apartment and never come out.Ā 
"Y/N come on, they're bringing in a flying vehicle accident-" you frowned as you let your turn partner drag you towards one of the newly entered patients. For the first time that shift, you felt dread crawl up your throat, your heart skipping a beat as you saw Sirius lying unconscious on the bed. For a second you thought you had forgotten how to breathe, your fingertips felt numb and your ears rang. His perfect nose was bloody, his perfect lip bruised and split. There were scrapes on his cheeks, and his jeans had been ripped and stained red. It wasn't noticeable at first, but the metallic smell and the caked-on blood on his black jacket became visible as you approached, it all made it clear, it had been bad.
You couldn't understand what your partner was telling you, the ringing in your ears too loud for you to make out the words, but as they moved Sirius onto a proper bed, it all came crashing down again. Repeated prayers of no's rang through your head along with pleas to a higher power to let this be a nightmare, one you'd wake up from cold and sweaty but knowing he's safe. No such relief came, and your fingertips buzzed with electricity once again, moving so fast it was like you moved at two times speed. You couldn't think of anything but prayers, to what? You didn't know, but you did so nevertheless. To the stars, and the heavens, or the magic that ran through your blood, through his. You didn't know. But you muttered words of hope and love, as you cleaned his wounds, hoping he'd hear you.
You busied yourself and basically assigned yourself to his care, after they moved him out of the ER, into one of the beds in the rows of other patients divided by sheets. You barely left his side, just to shower and change into the spare clothes Dorcas had brought you reluctantly, mildly upset you were taking care of Sirius. You ate next to him, talked to him, read your favorite poems, and hummed his favorite songs. He mumbled here and there, and his eyes would flutter sometimes which you took as a good sign but the tension didn't leave your shoulders, and your prayers never ended.
James, Remus, and Peter passed by, dropping some baked goods off and comforting you with teary hugs.Ā 
"I told him that bloody bike would kill him-" Remus said as he shook his head and sat next to Sirius for a bit, his hand on the boy's knee.
"How's he doing doc?" you rolled your eyes, amusement played in James's eyes at the pull of your lips. He had always secretly been a worrywart, but he played it off well as if his heart didn't almost beat out of his chest when he got the call.
"As long as he wakes up he'll be fine-" He smiled genuinely now, "Few broken bones," He hummed, looking at Remus and Peter huddled next to Sirius's bed.
"few broken bones hm? wouldn't be the first time." You talked for a while, each one of you ignoring the nagging feeling of worry. Sirius's boisterous laugh was poignantly missing from the conversation. But soon enough, James's father's duties called and he pressed a kiss on Sirius's forehead and one on yours very fatherlike and apparated away, Remus and Peter gathered themselves up as well not long after.
"Call if anything, okay doll?" Remus pulled you into a tight hug, his lips pressing against your temple as well. Peter gave you a small hug, his eyes trailing over Sirius's form sadly.Ā 
You were left alone again, the window panes that surrounded the hall letting some moonlight in. Time felt like a thick jelly, your eyes staring at the clock as you ran your hands through his hair, the exhaustion was quickly catching up to you. But the thought of another coffee made your stomach churn and your eyelids felt heavy like lead. So you gripped his hand tightly and laid your head against his arm.
If he woke up, you'd be there.
-
Sirius felt like he might be in heaven, the second his eyes fluttered open you were there. Your face pressed between his forearm and the bed, your hand tightly clutching his. He could feel the ghost of your lips on his skin and goosebumps threatened to crawl up his spine, his thoughts straying to your pout. Your closed eyes and your steady breathing made it clear you were sleeping, Sirius couldn't help but smile. He very rarely got to watch you like this, by some miracle he always fell asleep first and woke up second. You were so lovely, with your soft skin and the angelic glow from the light of the moon glaring against the curve of your face. If it wasn't for the stinging in his face or the way his ribs felt like they were collapsing in on themselves, Sirius would've sworn up and down he had died and gone to heaven.
He squeezed your hand, and the weight of the realization that you had been taking care of him fell on him. Guilt clawed at his throat, he had broken your heart and you still took care of him. He'll never forget the look on your face, the surprise, and the tears that threatened to fall. There was no other word to use besides heartbreak, and it had been his fault. He didn't know why he had brought her home, he didn't particularly fancy the girl, but the alcohol made his veins feel warm and she smiled at him and the impulsiveness and self-destruction within himself were a shoot-first ask-questions later duo that ruled his brain. He realized that you deserved more. More than him, more than the empty bed he left you with, or the avoidance of feelings. Sometimes Sirius wished you'd forget him. It would be better for you.
To forget his face, forget his name.
Your eyes began to pry open, and he couldn't help but spill his guts again.Ā 
"For so long I hoped I'd fall asleep at the wheel and crash my motorbike on the ride home-" Your heart jumped to your throat, your head shooting up at the realization he was awake. His words were raspy and as much as he tried they were barely a whisper. "But then you came back from your apprenticeship, and moved right in front and it felt like-" he looked away now, his fingers fidgeting with yours. "Like you were that light at the end of the tunnel." Your hand was still pressed against his.Ā 
"I stopped wanting to fall asleep on the bike, I just wanted to fall asleep with you"
"You are an idiot Sirius Black" The frustration gathered over the last two days flushed your system, tears threatening to fall over "you are so reckless and so utterly stupid-" tears flowed down your cheeks but you wouldn't let them fall, furiously wiping them away with your sleeve. He looked at you heartbroken.Ā 
"I know love"
"No," you shook your head now and stood up, his hand falling back to the bed "You don't know, all I do is worry and care, and you don't!" your laugh came out crueler than you meant but it came out nonetheless "You never care Sirius- Oh and imagine when I don't see or hear from you for days, and suddenly you're dragged in here looking like you're seconds away from dying-" you paced around as you went on, your hands running through your hair in frustration.
"I didn't think you wanted to see me" he stared at you now, hoping to catch your gaze. Hoping to see if you meant it, hoping to see, something. Something that would tell him what he so desperately wanted to know.Ā 
"I always want to see you" You locked eyes with his, his stupidly gorgeous stormy eyes. And he knew, from the pain in your eyes, from the way your pupils blew the second you looked at him, from the way you softened, anger dissipated when you looked at him. You didn't understand how anyone could look like that, how even scratched up he looked like he had been carved out of marble. "All I want is to see you," you were close enough for him to reach for your hand, even with pain shooting down his ribs, he did.
"I'm sorry,ā€ you sat on the edge of his bed, closer than you had intended, as he spoke, looking at your intertwined hands. ā€œand Iā€™m sorry about the lass too-ā€œ
You scrunched up your nose, ā€œI reckon that is none of my businessā€ and he wondered how long you had to tell yourself that until you believed it.
ā€I sent her home, nothing happened-ā€œ
ā€œyou can go out with whoever you wishā€
ā€I only want youā€Ā 
You looked at him again, into his eyes, into his soul. Hoping to catch a flicker of truth. His eyes looked at you with hope and want, and you knew. Sirius would never lie to you, he might be a drunk, and emotionally unavailable, and Merlin knows that heā€™s a mess, but Sirius Black was not a liar, especially to you. He squeezed your hands, pulling them close to his chest, pressing them against his heart.
ā€Iā€™m so in love with you, you drive me mad,ā€ he said this last part with a laugh, pulling a teary giggle out of you. You couldnā€™t help yourself, the wetness of your eyes and cheeks coming without you meaning it to. He swiped a thumb under your eyes, a nervous laugh threatening to spill from his lips, a watery smile forming instead.
ā€œI am regrettably, in love with you as wellā€ You smiled now, looking away from his scoff. His lips curled into a full-fledged smile now, as did yours.
ā€œAm I that awful?ā€
ā€I fear so Mr Black,ā€œ you glanced at him teasingly, the glint in your eye he loved so much returning.Ā 
ā€œI reckon you wouldnā€™t want to kiss a tosser like me then,ā€ You couldnā€™t help but smile, as the both of you subconsciously leaned closer. His hands cupped your cheeks as your foreheads pressed together. ā€œCan Iā€”ā€œ
You didnā€™t let him finish, finally closing the distance between you. He kissed you shyly, a trait you didnā€™t know he possessed. You kiss him soft and open-mouthed, a small hum coming from his chest. His fingers hold on to your face, desperate to keep you close, and and you revel in the fact that his kiss turns hungry like heā€™d never get to kiss you again.Ā 
You part with a small satisfied sigh, foreheads pressed against one another and eyes fluttered shut. Sirius thought about the many times he wondered what this would feel like, to press his lips against yours. He had dreamt of this for months; when you walked around your room in your underwear ranting or every time you opened the door, he dreamt of kissing you in the mornings and late at night.
Sirius realized, as he pressed another kiss to your lips, he had dreamt of kissing you for years.
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cressidagrey Ā· 14 days ago
Text
It's a Love Story - Chapter 11 (The End)
Summary:
Azriel's shadows find their master a wife.
Azriel would just really like his heart not to get broken again.
And Sky...well, she's just really surprised that that far too handsome male is interested in her at all.
Warning:
Rhys Bashing (as usual), I classified this as Azriel x OC, even when it't technically Azriel x Sellyn Drake (but we kinda know nothing about Sellyn Drake other than that she writes books so Sky is kinda an OC), Cassian is kinda a good guy for once, Azriel has a horrible time, as usual... Stuttering, toxic families (For once I do not mean the IC), Self-Esteem Issues, Secret Identity, Body Image Issues, Fat Shaming, People being utterly horrible. Racism against Illyrians/Lesser Faes?
If any of this triggers you or makes you uncomfortable, please take care of your own mental health and don't read it.
I could write more, but quite frankly, I think I would kinda drag it out and the first major arc is tied up with a neat little bow! There are definitely be threads left dangling for me to pick up whenever I want to write more about Sky and Azriel, but I think around 50k is a good place to stop for now ā¤ļø
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Even the Spymaster of the Night Court paid taxes.
That was the only reason why Rhysand even found outĀ whereĀ exactly Azrielā€˜s home even was.
Azrielā€™s home was in the outskirts of Velaris, near the mountains. A little lake cabin. Rhys hadnā€™t evenĀ knownĀ that Azriel owned it but apparently he did.
Rhys shouldnā€™t go there. He knew that.
Rhys should be giving his brother space. That was probably the least he owed him. But he couldn't stop himself. He needed to know Azriel was alright. That he was happy.
Rhys needed to apologise. He needed to make amendsā€¦
And Azriel was ignoring him. Mental shields as shored up as they ever had been, shoving back at Rhys at every opportunityā€¦
He had never seen Azriel's mental shields like this before, and it concerned him. He knew Azriel wasĀ angryĀ at him, had ever right to be angry,Ā  but Rhys hadn't expected his brother to shut him out so completely.
Reports were still arriving on his desk punctually as always. But Azriel seemed utterly uninterested in actuallyĀ talkingĀ to Rhys.Ā 
It was a small comfort, knowing that Azriel was still working, but Rhysand couldnā€™t shake off the feeling of guilt that had settled deep in his gut. He knew that he had hurt Azriel deeply, and he couldnā€™t blame his brother for shutting him out.
Rhys wished he could turn back time and fix things, but he had messed up terribly. He knew he had to give Azriel space, but the silence between them wasĀ deafeningĀ . It was a constant reminder of just how much damage he had caused.
As the days went on, Rhysand found himself consumed by thoughts of what he could have doneā€¦should have doneā€¦ He tried reaching out to Azriel mentally, only to be rebuffed each time.Ā 
Cassian showed up alone for debriefings and if Rhys showed up at the House of Wind for Valkyrie Training, Azriel was nowhere to be seen.Ā 
So finallyā€¦Rhys had enough. So he showed up at that house.Ā 
It was a nice house too, a secluded cabin at a mountain lake. Rhys knew that he wasnā€™t welcome, not after everything that had passed between them, but he had to see Azriel.Ā 
Rhys raised a hand, knocking gently on the door. He could hear the faint sound of movement inside. Rhysand sighed. He should leave. He knew he should leave. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.
And then suddenly, to his surpriseā€¦the door opened.Ā 
ā€œā€¦Cā€¦Can Iā€¦.can I hā€¦help you?ā€œ
She was brown haired and shortā€¦ with deep blue eyes and freckles smattering over her nose.
Rhysand looked at the woman in front of him, taken aback by her appearance. He didn't know what he had expected, but it certainly wasn't a small, curvy, freckled brunette.
"I, uh..." Rhysand stammered, his mind blanking. "I was looking for Azriel." he finally brought out.Ā 
The small female studied him carefully, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Azā€¦Azriel's nā€¦not hā€¦here," she stuttered.
Rhysand's heart sank, but he tried not to let it show. "Do you know where he is?" he asked, desperate for any information.
The female hesitated, biting her lip slightly. She seemed to be contemplating her answer, her brow furrowing in thought. After a moment, she finally looked back up at him, her expression unreadable. "Heā€¦He's...oā€¦out fā€¦for tā€¦the dā€¦day," she said finally, not giving him anymore than that.
Rhysand tried to keep the frustration out of his voice, but it was difficult. He was so close to his brother, and yet so far away. "Do you know when he'll be back?" he asked sharply.
She nearly flinched away from him at that tone of voice.
He opened his mouth to apologise, but he didn't even get to that. Because someĀ thingĀ with wickedly sharp claws, launched itself at his head with a hissing sound.
Rhysand yelped as the mysterious creature swiped at his face, growling all the while.
"HECTORĀ NO!" The female shrieked.
Rhysand stumbled backwards, trying to dodge the sharp claws.
Just at that moment, he felt more than he heard his brother's arrival.
Azriel materialized between them with a loud flapping of wings, his siphons blazing. He stood protectively in front of the small female, his expression murderous.
"Hector to me," he snapped. The thing, aĀ catĀ ...an incredibleĀ uglyĀ ,Ā murderousĀ looking cat let off Rhys with another growl and slunk back to Azriel's side, heeling like a dog. The woman quickly scooped him up in her arms.
Cassian's laughter washed over him, at that moment, as Rhys was still laying on the ground, bested by aĀ catĀ .
"Taking down by a cat now, Rhysie?" Cassian asked him with a snort, offering him his hand to gain his feet.
Rhys already knew that he was never going to live this down.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Azriel hissed, his voice filled with anger. His wings were spread wide, and Rhysand could see the barely contained ferocity beneath his brother's cold facade.
Rhysand winced at Azriel's harsh tone. He knew he had messed up, and he didn't blame his brother for being angry with him. "I just wanted to see you," he said, feeling small under Azriel's penetrating glare.
Azriel's expression didn't soften at his words. "You hadĀ no right,"Ā he said sharply. "You can't just show up here unannounced, Rhysand. This is my home, and you're not welcome here. YouĀ terrifiedĀ Sky!"
Sky. Sky. That was the name of his brother's mate...of the pretty brunette that was standing behind him, fussing over herĀ murderousĀ cat.
Rhysand glanced over at Sky guiltily. "I...I'm sorry," he said to her. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Sky hesitated, before nodding stiffly. Her face remained guarded, her arms still wrapped protectively around the mangy cat. Rhysand couldn't help but notice how small she looked compared to Azriel's imposing formā€¦and the absolute massive cat.Ā 
"I am sorry," he turned to his brother, swallowing. The apology wasn't enough. he knew that. And it wasn't going to fix the fact that Azriel didn't trust him anymore or...Ā *Az. Please.*
"How did you find this house?" Azriel demanded.
"I checked the tax reports," Rhys admitted with a grimace.
Azriel's expression darkened even further, and Rhys braced himself for a reprimand. Instead, his brother let out a harsh, bitter chuckle. "OfĀ courseĀ you did," he said flatly. "Just can't stay out of my business, can you?"
Rhysand felt a pang in his chest at the hostility in Azriel's voice. He knew he deserved every ounce of resentment his brother felt, but it still hurt deep to hear it out loud. "I...I was worried about you," he said lamely.ā€I just needed to see you." he added. "To apologise."
"You don't even realise the lines you keep crossing, do you?" Cassian asked him flatly. "Ever thought about the fact that maybe you should have waited until Azriel was ready to hear you out?
Rhysand winced. Cassian's words struck a nerve, and he knew his friend was right. He had been rash and insensitive in coming here unannounced. "I...I wasn't thinking," he admitted softly.
Cassian shook his head, his expression still stern. "That's the problem, Rhys," he said bluntly. "You never seem toĀ thinkĀ these days. It's like you're so caught up in your own head that you don't consider how your actions affect those around you."
Rhysand's gaze dropped, shame washing over him. Cassian's words pierced straight through him, and he struggled to find a response. He knew he had been making mistakes, but hearing them laid out so bluntly still stung.
"What do you want?" Azriel asked him flatly. "Why did you come here?"
"I wanted to apologise," Rhys said weakly. "I...fucked up. I know that. I want to...fix things."
Azriel's face remained impassive, his eyes hard. "You can't justĀ fixĀ things with an apology, Rhys," He said curtly. "You crossed more than one line, and you shattered my trust. Do you really think saying sorry is enough?"
"Az," his mate said softly, her voice quiet. "H..He's blee..bleeding all over our front lawn after my cat at..attacked him. At least let him sit down and give him a healing salveā€¦"
Azriel turned to look at his mate, his anger softening ever so slightly at the concern in her voice. He let out a heavy sigh, before nodding stiffly. "Fine," he said gruffly. "But no more than that."
Rhysand nodded gratefully, relieved that Azriel was willing to let him in, even if only slightly. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I...I really am sorry."
Azriel didn't respond, turning away from him and herded Sky and the murder cat into the house. Rhysand watched him go, feeling a pang of sadness. It was clear that his brother's anger was far from abated, and he knew it would take a lot more than just an apology to mend their fractured relationship.
"Come on," Cassian prodded him up.
The first thing that Rhys realised about the house Azriel shared with his mate was that it was absolutelyĀ stuffed full with books. The second was, that Azriel clearly doted on theĀ MurderĀ CatĀ that got a crystal dish with tuna on it put on the floor before Azriel even went in the direction of the healing salve, which he slapped down on the table in front of Rhysand. .
"Iā€¦I am soā€¦sorry," Sky apologised to Rhys, bright blue eyes apologetic. "Hā€¦Hector hasĀ nevā€¦neverĀ done anything like that before, I swear."
Yeah, somehow he doubted that. But he also doubted that it was going to help his relationship with Azriel if he was going to annoy his mate about her beastly cat. The thing had a worse personality thanĀ AmrenĀ .Ā 
"Don't worry about it," he said, with what he hoped he was a gracious smile. "I think your cat and I just got off on the wrong foot." He looked over at the cat, who was now happily devouring the tuna as if it hadn't just tried to claw his face off.
"Good Boy, Hector," Azriel said warmly.
Rhysand could just stare.
Azriel, the feared Spymaster of the Night Court, was cooing at a mangy cat like a proud parent. He never would have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.
"Who knew the Spymaster had a soft spot for cats," Rhysand remarked with a faint smile. Azriel shot him a warning glare, but the sternness was lost at the tender way he was petting the cat. "I am really sorry," Rhys apologised again.
"You said so.Ā NumerousĀ times," Azriel shot back.
Rhysand sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He knew Azriel was still angry with him, but it was hard not to feel the guilt weighing down on him. "I know," he said softly. "But I want you to know that I mean it. I am sorry, Azriel. For everything."
Azriel's expression remained impassive, but Rhysand could see the flicker of sadness in his eyes. He knew his brother was struggling to forgive him, but he hoped that with time, Azriel would be able to find it in his heart to do so.
"I just want to make things right," Rhysand said earnestly. "I miss you, Az. I miss my brother."
"You'll need to decide one of those days," Azriel said sharply. "Am I your soldier or am I your brother?"
Rhysand flinched at the words, feeling the weight of the accusation hit him hard.Ā 
He had always tried to balance his role as High Lord with his relationship with his brothers, but he knew thatā€¦that he hadnā€™t been fair to Azriel for a long time. "You're right," he conceded quietly. "I have been treating you like my soldier instead of my brother, and that's not fair to you."
"You have been treating him absolutely deplorably," Cassian cut him off.
Rhysand hung his head, feeling the weight of his mistakes settling heavy on his shoulders. "IĀ know," he said quietly. "I've been so caught up in my own problems and responsibilities as High Lord that I lost sight of what really matters. And I've hurt Azriel because of it."
"And you stuck your nose in things that are none of your business," Cassian continued. "I get it that you are tired of fighting, Rhys, we all are, but you can't keep conflict out of our family by ordering Azriel to behave in the way you would like him to."
Rhysand winced, knowing Cassian was right. He had been trying to control things, to make sure everyone was safe and happy, but in the process, he had driven a wedge between himself and his brothers. "I...I know," he admitted reluctantly. "I wasā€¦I was stupid. I am tired of war. Of fighting. And I was just trying to protect him, but I went about it all wrong."
"Ā ProtectĀ me?" Azriel asked him, his voice dripping with disdain. "Ā ProtectĀ me fromĀ whatĀ ?"
Rhysand looked away, feeling the shame rise within him. He knew he had overstepped, and he knew that Azriel was angry with him. "The consequences that would have arisen," he said delicately. He didn't know what Azriel had told his mate...didn't know how much she knew, but she was watching him with an expression on his face, he couldn't quite place.
"Well, I am anĀ adult, Rhysand," Azriel snapped. "I am perfectly capable ofĀ protectingĀ myself."
Rhys knew that. He knew Azriel was more than capable of taking care of himself. But he still felt the need to protect him, to shield him from harm.
"I...I know that," Rhysand said quietly. "I just didn't want to see you get hurt." He glanced over at Azriel's mate, who was still watching him warily. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being evaluated, judged for his mistakes.
Azriel let out a dry chuckle. "Well, it's a little late for that, don't you think?" he said bitterly. "You've seen to that already." Rhysand winced at the accusation, knowing that he deserved every ounce of Azriel's anger.
"I know," he said again, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I am sorry for that. I see now that it was the wrong way to go about it." He looked into his brother's dark eyes, pleading for understanding.
Azriel met his gaze, his expression softening ever so slightly. "Protecting me by making decisions for me is not protecting me, Rhysand," he said quietly. "It's...it's suffocating. It's demeaning."
Rhysand nodded, knowing that Azriel was right. He had been trying to control everything, trying to make sure that nothing went wrong, and he had lost sight of what was truly important. "I understand," he said quietly. "And I am sorry for making you feel that way. It was wrong of me."
Azriel studied him for a moment, before finally sighing. "Just...stop it," he said simply. "No more interfering in my personal life, no more giving me orders like I am one of your soldiers."
Rhysand let out a shaky breath, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "I promise," he said earnestly. "I won't do it again, Az. I...I'll respect your boundaries, and I'll never overstep again."
Azriel snorted. ā€œIā€™ll believe that when I see it,ā€ he said gruffly. "And if you do...if you try to control me like that again, I swear Rhysand...it won't end well."
"You'll haā€¦have Heā€¦Hecctor to contend with," Sky said, her voice even.
Rhysand looked over at Hector, who had finished his tuna and was now licking his chops.Ā  Rhys swallowed. "He does seem to be a force to be reckoned with," he said carefully.
Sky gave him a small, tight-lipped smile. "You could say tā€¦that," she said, her tone neutral. Azriel snorted a laugh, shaking his head as he watched his mate. It was the first genuinely carefree sound Rhysand had heard from his brotherā€¦in a long time.
Despite the earlier tension, Rhysand found himself smiling too. There was something about the way Azriel looked at his mate, the way he looked...happy, that made Rhysand feel like maybe everything would be alright.
Hector chose that moment to let out a loud meow, his voice sounding like a rusty hinge in the otherwise quiet room. Azriel looked down at the cat, rolling his eyes. "Alright, alright, I'll get you your second helping, spoiled brat," he said, a hint of fondness in his voice.
Rhysand chuckled, feeling the tension that had been weighing him down lift just a little. Things between him and Azriel weren't repaired yet, they had a long way to go, but for the first time in a long while, he felt hopeful.
ā€œThey do say the pen is miā€¦mightier than a sword,ā€ Sky said suddenly. ā€œYou treat Azriel like that again and youā€™ll see just how mightyĀ myĀ pen is.ā€
Rhysand's eyebrows shot up in surprise at Sky's unexpected threat. It was clear that she wasn't messing around, and Rhys couldn't help but admire her boldness. He glanced over at Azriel, who was trying to suppress a smile.
"I'll keep that in mind," Rhysand said, trying to hide his amusement. "Though I have to say, I canā€™t imagine a pen being as terrifying as Hector."
Cassian snorted. ā€œOh you have no idea,ā€ he muttered
Rhysand's eyes widened in curiosity at Cassian's comment. What on earth did that mean? But before he could inquire further, Azriel's voice broke through.
"Don't worry about it," he said, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Let's just say that you don't want to get on Sky's bad side, especially when she has her writing instruments within reach."
"Duly noted," Rhysand said, nodding seriously. He had a feeling that Azriel's mate was not someone to be trifled with, regardless of how harmless she looked, and he had no intention of finding out first-hand just how mighty her pen truly was.
Hector, having finished his second helping of tuna, let out a satisfied meow before padding over to Sky and rubbing against her leg. She reached down and scratched him behind the ears, smiling as he purred contentedly.
Rhysand watched the scene. He had never seen Azriel so relaxed, so happy, and it made him realize just how badly he had missed his brother. It was a reminder that family was more important than anything, and that he needed to cherish the people he cared about.
ā€œSeems like you arenā€™t Skyā€™s favourite,ā€ Cassian drawled.
Azriel snorted. ā€œNah, I come a distant third behind Hector and the shadows.ā€
Rhys watched with a swallow as these shadows that he had seen torturing people came over to Sky and twined around her hands. Azriel's words were said in jest, but Rhysand could hear the fondness in his voice. It was clear that Azriel adored his mate, and that the shadows had taken a liking to her as well. Rhysand tried not to let the slight sting of jealousy show on his face.
As he watched, the shadows danced around Sky's fingers, like they were alive and had a mind of their own. Rhys had seen the shadows in action, had seen how Azriel used them to fight and spy, but he had never seen them act this way before. There was a tenderness in the way they twined around Sky that was almost...beautiful.
Rhys turned to Azriel, who was watching his mate with a soft expression on his face. "They seem to like her," he commented, keeping his voice neutral.
"That's an understatement," Azriel said drily. "They're obsessed with her. They won't leave her alone."
Rhysand could see that clearly, but what surprised him more was how comfortable Sky seemed with them. She wasn't scared or even bothered by their presence...
It did make sense he supposed. The shadows were Azriel's weapon, his most trusted companions...that they would like his mate.
Rhysand watched as Sky looked up from where the shadows were wrapping around her fingers, a faint smile on her face. She seemed completely at ease with the strange entities, as if they were just another part of Azriel that she had accepted and embraced.
And it was also a sharp reminder of how much trust Rhys had destroyed through his actions. It was very clear who Azriel preferred, who he trusted more. Who he gravitated towards. Who even his shadows doted on, these strange, creatures that Rhys was quite sure would stop atĀ nothingĀ to keep their master safe.
The realization stung, but Rhys knew he had no one to blame but himself. He had caused this rift between them, he had pushed Azriel away, and now he was paying the price for it. But he was determined to make it right, no matter how long it took.
As he watched Azriel gently brush away a stray strand of hair from Sky's face, Rhys made a silent vow. He would do whatever it took to repair their broken bond, to regain Azriel's trust and respect. No matter how hard it was, no matter how long it took, he would make things right.
***
"You want to talk about it?" Sky asked him quietly, after Cassian ad Rhys had gone.Ā 
She was fine now. Content. No more pulling at the mating bond so harshly and pushing all her fear at him. It had shaved at least a century of his life, to feel that from her when Casisan and him had been sparring and he knew that she was supposed to be safe at home.
He had expected near everythingā€¦but he hadnā€™t expected to arrive to the view of Hector scratching Rhysā€™s face with all his might.Ā 
Azriel took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the day's events bearing down on him. He wasn't sure if he was ready to put his tangled emotions into words yet, but he also knew that he couldn't keep it all bottled up inside.
"Rhys gave me some orders that I didn't agree with," he said drily. "Stuck his nose in things that he had no business to interfere with. He treated me...treated me like my feelings didn't matter. That I didn't matter....It took a really bad fight on Solstice for this apology to occur," he said with a grimace.
"You don't think he means it?" Sky asked him curiously, turning to look at him.
"No, he does mean it," Azriel said with a sigh. He did believe that. ā€œHe wants to fix things. to rebuild trust...And I do want that too. Regardless of how much of an asshole he can be on occasion heĀ isĀ still myĀ brotherĀ ."
Sky was quiet for a long moment, watching him intently. Azriel felt the weight of her gaze, knowing that she was analyzing the situation, trying to understand what he was feeling. Finally, she spoke.
"You're worried that he'll disappoint you again," she said softly. "That he'll make promises that he can't keep. That he'll go back on his word and hurt you worse than before."
Azriel's throat felt tight. The words hit him hard, because Sky had put a voice to his deepest fears. "Yes," he admitted. "That'sexactly what I'm afraid of. I want to believe him, I do."
But it was hard to trust Rhys right ow. Especially with Sky. Trusting Rhys with the most important, the most precious part of his life...
"I can loan you Hector whenever he pisses you off again," Sky offered him seriously, and Azriel couldn't help but laugh.
"Thanks," he said with a small smile. "I might just take you up on that." He pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair. The scent of caramel and hazelnuts enveloped him, calming his racing thoughts and easing the tension in his shoulders.
"I love you, he whispered into her skin and she hummed. "Regardless of what happens, youĀ  have me," Sky promised him. "I'll be behind you, every step of the way. regardless of whatever you decide."
Those words were like a balm to Azriel's soul. The fear and doubt that had been plaguing him since Rhysand's unexpected visit receded, replaced by a sense of safety and certainty. He held onto Sky tightly.
"I love you too," she murmured, the words barely audible even in the still apartment.
They stayed like that for a long moment, simply holding onto each other.
*I don't think I ever thanked you.*Ā he told the shadows softly as he held his mate in his arms.
The shadows fluttered around him, wrapping around his arms and shoulders like a comforting embrace. They didn't say anything, but Azriel could feel their response. They had been with him through thick and thin, protecting him, guiding him, and never once asking for a word of thanks. And yet, he knew that they understood his gratitude, that they could feel itā€¦
*Thank you for finding her.*
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pomefioredove Ā· 4 months ago
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hi!! could you pls do headcanons for the housewardens (+jamil) with a reader that stims? like if they get nervous or excited they do flappy hands! Gn reader, and the characters are crushing on reader but theyā€™re not dating yet please! Thank you :>
:) of course! I stim so I get it LOL
summary: reader who stims! type of post: headcanons characters: riddle, leona, azul, jamil, kalim, vil, idia, malleus additional info: romantic or platonic for most, reader is gender neutral, reader is not specified to be yuu
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Riddle already has a high "nonsense tolerance" when it comes to you
if you were anyone else, he would get overstimulated so fast
but, it's you
and he likes you
and he puts a lot more effort into making you comfortable around him than he would ever admit
so, by all means! fidget, stim, hum, he likes all of you
and if anyone else has a problem with it, they can go through him, first
*ą©ˆāœ©ā€§ā‚ŠĖš
if you can live with a little teasing, Leona can live with your stims
kidding
...kind of
he would never admit it to himself, but the way you get excited is kinda endearing to him
(major cuteness aggression)
so he just can't help teasing you a tiny bit for it
lovingly, of course
*ą©ˆāœ©ā€§ā‚ŠĖš
Azul has an eye for detail and a love of figuring people out
and admiring observing you is one of his favorite pastimes!
he might need the information later
for... reasons.
he finds your mannerisms... interesting. your nervous ticks are so different from the other student's
then Floyd suggests you're obviously stimming; it just looks different "'cause you're on land and stuff,"
it makes sense (though he doesn't have to be so smug about it)
mystery solved
but Azul keeps staring at you, anyway. for... reasons.
*ą©ˆāœ©ā€§ā‚ŠĖš
unsurprisingly, Kalim loves it
if he doesn't stim already, he might just start
it's a good way to let off some energy when he's overexcited, or calm him when he's nervous
(which happens more often than you'd think)
he would be baffled by the idea that people find it annoying
or weird, or childish
if he felt like someone was staring, or about to say something to you, he'd start stimming with you
power in numbers, right?
*ą©ˆāœ©ā€§ā‚ŠĖš
surprisingly (or unsurprisingly?) Jamil doesn't really... care
at this point, he's dealt with everything
a nuclear bomb could go off and he probably wouldn't even react
that's a slow tuesday for him
it's only during the metaphorical nuclear fallout
(when he has that migraine he always gets)
that he'll ask you for quiet and space
and that's the very most he'll say about it
*ą©ˆāœ©ā€§ā‚ŠĖš
Vil isn't ignorant
he's not going to punish you for something that you find helpful
...and Rook has his little quirks, too
besides, there's nothing you could do that he wouldn't find endearing
what he will do, however, is help you manage
to your comfort, of course
there's a drawer full of stim toys in the Pomefiore lounge probably
and if not, Rook probably has a doohickey or two that can keep your hands occupied during quiet/important/etc occasions
otherwise, you're free to do whatever
I'm gonna be so real tbh I see Pomefiore as a very disability-friendly dorm and I'll die on that hill
*ą©ˆāœ©ā€§ā‚ŠĖš
Idia! the freak himself
(affectionate)
nah, he doesn't care
he probably has a ton of his own stims he's already super embarrassed about
so he's definitely not going to say anything to you
if anything, it makes him feel better about himself
it's cute when you do it
he starts 3D printing you toys he think you'll like, most that he designed himself
so, he does care, but... in a good way!
*ą©ˆāœ©ā€§ā‚ŠĖš
LMAO okay. wait
between Lilia, Silver, and Sebek, there's no way Malleus would see stimming as anything but normal
Lilia probably starts crawling on the walls like a spider when he's excited
so hand-flapping is like aw... cute! :) to Malleus
he would, will, and has stared down anyone who makes a face or a nasty comment about it
so you can be sure that no one will ever say anything mean to you about it!
like, ever again
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wonderjanga Ā· 2 months ago
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Billy and Bars
Now, as you probably know, most of the time Billy is ages 8 to maybe 15 (thatā€™s what Iā€™ve seen anyways) and of course, his Captain Marvel form looks like an adult. So, it wouldnā€™t be strange for an adult to ask another adult to go to a bar with them. Which is why Billy is caught in a dilemma. On one hand, he could just say no, but after a long mission where theyā€™d all spent like two days on an alien planet under constant heavy fire from a cute and cuddly, yet surprisingly bloodthirsty race? Itā€™d be weird not to accept. They might suspect him for being a kid! And boy, Billy does not want that. But on the other hand, heā€™s not of legal drinking age.
He ends up going with them anyways. Now, all the heroes are sat at a dingy bar in Central City, out of costume, of course. Though, some of them cough Bruce cough Diana cough Arthur cough and you canā€™t forget Billy, still in Marvel form. (He took a page out of Supeā€™s book and wore glasses. Heā€™s also for some reason wearing Hawaiian print. (He didnā€™t have actual adult clothes and needed to borrow from a bargain bin))
Billy thankfully found a loophole for this whole mess. Thatā€™s right, this guys gonna be sipping virgin margaritas for the rest of the night. And, he try as many flavors as he wants because you wanna know the best part? Bruce is paying for everything! If Billy could jump in joy, he would. It didnā€™t matter that Hal was a little obnoxious when drunk off his mind. Heā€™s dealt with worse and itā€™s not like itā€™s all that bad. Heā€™s kinda funnier than usual this way. He gets the spend the rest of the day with people he considers friends, thatā€™s all that really matters.
GL: ā€œDude, why do you keep ordering virgins?ā€
Crap. What does Billy say to that? Right off the bat, Billy ignores Solomonā€™s first, and quite frankly, wild lie to tell.
Marvel: ā€œHmm? Oh uhā€¦ Iā€¦ like the way they tasteā€¦?ā€
Heā€™s a bad liar.
Aquaman: *drinking beer* ā€œTry again, bud.ā€
Okayā€¦ It looks like he might have to listen to Solomon after all. Gosh dang it.
Marvel: ā€œUhmā€¦ I kinda used to maybe sort of mightā€™ve had an addiction and had to go to AA a long time ago.ā€ *Sips drink*
He was always better at lying when the lie was already prepared.
*Whole table goes silent*
Marvel: ā€œUhā€¦ Iā€™ve been sober for a while. Likeā€¦ā€ ā€˜Twelve years, Billy,ā€™ Solomon supplied in his head. ā€œā€¦Twelve years.ā€
*Table is still silent.*
Flash: *Interrupts silence by slamming hands on table* ā€œDude! You cannot keep dropping Marvel Lore Bombsā„¢ļø on us like this!ā€ (Btw this is the same universe as the Marvel Compilations post. I didnā€™t mean to write it like it was the same universe but I might as well connect them cause why not)
Marvel: ā€œWhaddya mean?ā€
Superman: ā€œWell, Marvelā€¦ā€ *scratches back of head* ā€œYou kinda have this tendency toā€¦ Gosh, how do I put this?ā€
Martian Manhunter: ā€œYou drop obscure information about yourself at random times.ā€
Wonder Woman: ā€œThen you just go about your day like you didnā€™t say it in the first place. For example Cap, you canā€™t just tell me that at some point you were an Amazonian, you were there for my birth, and then just walk off.ā€
GL: ā€œMarvel, how old are you?ā€
Marvel: ā€œUuuuuuhhhhhhhā€¦.ā€
Batman: ā€œYou date back to having existed before Mesopotamia. I want to know the answer to that question Marvel.ā€ *Bat-glares Billy while sipping from his drink.*
Bruce was definitely going to add the AA thing to his quite small folder on Marvel.
The night continues on with the other members of the JL grilling Billy for more information about himself, which Solomon helps with by either supplying him with lies, or with things previous champions did. By the time the night was over, Billy never wanted to go to a bar again. He unshazamed in an alley and went home to his little place. He bee-lined to his sleeping bag and just when he was about to fall asleep, something popped into his mind:
ā€˜Why didnā€™t I just say I didnā€™t like the way it tastes?ā€™ That thought kept him up for a couple more hours.
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verstappen-cult Ā· 9 months ago
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CHASING HEARTS | MV1 & CL16
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summary: youā€™ve been friends with max and charles for quite a while now, but as much as youā€™ve tried you just canā€™t keep denying your true feelings anymore. so, what happens when they came knocking on your door demanding an explanation?
pairings: max verstappen x fem!reader x charles leclerc. content warnings: hurt/comfort, poly relationship.
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ā€œshe said she was busy studying,ā€ charles says as he gets out of maxā€™s car parked right in front of your building. ā€œi donā€™t think we should be here.ā€
max gives him an exasperated look. ā€œand you really believe that?ā€ when charles shrugs, max canā€™t help but roll his eyes. ā€œsheā€™s been ignoring us and giving poor excuses to not hang out with us for weeks, donā€™t you think itā€™s a little strange?ā€
charles, in fact, finds it strange. at first he thought nothing of it, but then max came to him ranting about how he saw you hanging out with oscar and lando, laughing about something the younger boy had said, but when he got closer, that beautiful and melodic laugh died in your throat, and you didn't look at him once.
charles just looked at max and waited patiently until the boy stopped his ranting. what came next was a conversation that was bound to happen. but when they tried to approach you they were met with a cold text saying you were too busy, while you tried very hard not to cross paths with them around university.
they just can't take it anymore. ambushing you at your own house it's probably a bad idea, but hey, they need answers.
the elevator ride to your apartment can't be fast enough, max thinks that if he has to spend another minute without knowing what happens he will most definitely go crazy.
the blonde-haired boy slams his fist against your door, anxiety and anger building inside of him. charles has to put his hand on his shoulder to try and ground him.
you open the door wrapped in a very cosy blanket, surprised to find them there. "hi?" you say, at a loss for words. you've missed them, you'd be lying if you say that having them in front of you, even if max looks angry and charles a little sad, it's not what you've been dreaming about.
"hi, sweetheart." charles gives you his signature smile, with dimples on display and everything. "can we come inside?" he asks, but max is already pushing the door open and making his way into your home.
"i can't to his anymore," it's the first thing max says, hands on hips and a frustrated expression on his face. "what is happening? i need an answer now. we need answers. you've kept us in the dark long enough."
charles knows max is hurting and trying very hard not to take it out on you, even if you're the who caused this, so, he takes a step forward.
"we've missed you, right?" the monƩgasque raises his eyebrows, throwing daggers at him. max sighs, shoulders dropping slightly. "we just need to know why are you ignoring us. and if after that you don't want to see us again, then... we will not force you."
that's exactly what you don't want to do and why you distanced yourself in the first place. you promise yourself you were not going to tell them the reason.
you close the door while wrapping the blanket tighter around your shoulders, as if that is going to magically make you disappear.
"iā€”um, it's not..." you avoid making eye contact, fearing that if you do your walls will crumb and you'll let your true feelings rise to the surface. you're in great danger already.
max makes a noncommittal grunt and mutters something under his breath.
you sigh, putting on a brave face. "i just been busy. finals are around the corner and i've been distracted," you raise your eyes to, finally, look at them and charles heart skips a beat, even if he catches your gaze for just a second.
"bullshit," max hisses through his teeth, seeing right through you. why did you thought you'd succeed in lying to them? "did we do something to upset you?"
"no! no, you didn't to anything wrong." you rub your hands over your face, exasperated.
"then why are you doing this?" charles really doesn't understand because you aren't making any sense. "we thought everything was fine.ā€
max inhales softly, counting to ten in his head. "i even asked lando if he knew something and he said it was not his secret to tell, so, we know something is happening."
"i can't be your friend anymore!" you feel tears threatening to spill down your cheeks.
"what?" both say at the same time, but you don't have the heart to look at their faces.
max runs his hands through his hair, it's a little too long again and you'd volunteer to cut it if it weren't for what's happening right now.
charles paces around the living room, alternating between looking at you and then at his feet.
"it's not that big of a deal," you shrug, walking past them into the kitchen to make some tea just to have something to do. "it's not like i'm an important part of your life."
they follow you into the kitchen because of course they can't leave it at that.
"what are you talking about?" charles sounds broken, he can't believe you'd think so little of you. and what you actually mean to him and max. "if you really think we can forget about you that easily, then you don't know me. or max." he says, tugging at max's wrist.
"you're very, very important to us. we care about you, we've been so worriedā€”"
"i just can't, okay!?" you turn around, forgetting all about the tea. "i can't get in the way. i won't."
"in the way of what?" max sounds so confused, and when you look at charles, his expression is the same one as the boy standing next to him.
"i know you're together." you whisper, glancing fearfully between them.
"well, obviously." charles chuckles, amusement tilting his voice, but his expression still shows how confused he is. "i mean, we're not exactly subtle about it. and we spend a lot of time together, so, you would've noticed, eventually."
"that's exactly the problem!" you throw your hands in the hair, finally giving up. you can't do it anymore. "i like you." your eyes widen in fear once you hear yourself saying the words you swore to yourself you would not to say out loud.
max looks at charles, but charles keeps looking at you like you've grown a third head or something. and when neither of them says anything, you know you've fucked everything up.
"i like you, too." charles finally says, letting go of max wrist to get closer to you, but he doesn't get too far because you are moving out of the way, away from him as much as you can.
"you don't understand," you look at them with cheeks burning with embarrassment. "i like you. both of you. and not like friends should like other friends, okay? so i can't be friends with you."
max laughs, like actually laughs, throwing his head backwards and all. it makes you feel stupid and tiny in that big, stupid kitchen.
you should not have said it. you should have made something up, you should have acted like a grown ass adult and shove those feelings deep inside of you, forgetting all about wanting to be held by them, and kissed, and comforted.
stupid girl with stupid feelingsā€”
"hey," max says, in a voice too small to be his own. "can i come a little closer?" your shoulders tighten, you really want to say no but you are nodding before your mind can catch up with it.
max walks slowly, being followed closely by charles. they don't want to scare you and have you walking away from them again.
"sometimes," max says carefully as you bite your lip trying to regulate your breathing. "these things happen. we're not actually seeking them but, as most things in life, things happen... i know how that feels, schatje." charles lifts his right hand so, so slowly, until is resting on your hip, fingers pressing into your skin ever so slightly.
"i'm so sorry, max ā€”"
"don't apologize. you don't need to apologize for having feelings." he says and you bite your lower lip harder, tasting blood. you don't deserve his gentleness, you don't deserve charlesā€™ caring touch, you don't deserve anything. "you didn't do anything wrong, okay?ā€
you open your mouth to say something, but close it again quickly when charles shakes his head.
"you still don't get it, do you?" the brown-haired boy asks, and coos at you when you tilt your head to the side. "max, she doesn't get it."
they share a knowing look, smiling playfully when his eyes are back on you again. you feel lightheaded, aware that something is happening right in front of your eyes but not understanding a single thing.
"we planned on having this conversation a little bit different," charles beings to say as max's hand finds comfort on your lower back. "max would cook something for us and we would eat, then watch and movie and, at the end of the night, we would have this conversation."
max hums, nodding along. "but you ghosted us and fucked all of our plans." the monƩgasque slaps his chest playfully with his free hand while you feel like you're gonna be sick.
"whaā€”what are you talking about?" your heart is about to be spilled out onto the floor.
"we like you, too." charles confirms, his voice rumbling through your ears.
"we didn't noticed what was happening at first," max has a small, shy smile on his face as he remembers the exact moment he had the conversation with charles, where both of them ended up crying while trying to understand what it all meant to them. "it was thanks to you ignoring us that we realized our true feelings."
"at least something good happened because of it." charles' voice is small like a child's and, for the first time in forever, you cup his cheek, his skin feeling soft and so warm. you do the same with max, getting goosebumps all over your body.
"you're not playing with me?" you need to be sure before getting your hopes up.
max's grips tightens on you. "we aren't that cruel, baby."
you want to cry. and scream, and laugh, and cry some more.
you look at each other for what feel like ages, you've missed each other so much that now that you are finally reunited, you don't want to be apart anymore.
then, the three of you start giggling like children.
"can i kiss you?" charles shyly ask, earning a snort from max beside him.
your tiny nod it's all he needs to lean in and brush his lips against yours. it's a timid kiss, tasting each other slowly. it's delicate and gentle, you feel like floating up in the air which leaves you feeling dizzy when he eventually pulls away.
max doesn't asks, he just leans and waits for you to make the first move. which you definitely do. there are butterflies in you belly and you feel so nervous that you bump your nose with his, making them both laugh. max grins into the kiss and lets you take all the control, following your lead.
their kisses leave you feeling warm all over and with a buzzing in your ears that even after an hour of making out still wonā€™t go away.
it's stupid and it's not gonna be easy. there are so many preconceptions about poly relationships that you know people will talk. but for now you don't care about anything but the two boys glued to your sides as you cuddle together on the couch.
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ynscrazylife Ā· 9 months ago
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i need to be excused (aaron hotchner x wife!reader)
summary: yknow that scene where hotch says ā€œexcuse meā€ and then faints? imagine that but his wife does it to him.
Having a profiler for a husband gets annoying with how observent he is. Unfortunately, youā€™re also a profiler, so itā€™d be hypocritical to complain.
Still, when Hotch notices the slightest thing wrong, he latches onto it. Heā€™s had his eye on you ever since you took a hard hit from a fight in the field. You barely had time to recover before the team had to board the jet again to respond to some emergency Strauss needed them for.
Apparently, a man who claims to be linked to other murders and who was a former BAU agent had made a threat against Straussā€™s family. Finally back at the BAU, the teamā€™s stuck calling people, making arrangements, going through endless paperwork to try and get more information and figure out what was going on.
Youā€™re not doing so hot. Still reeling from the pain, but also exhausted and definitely moody. Hotch keeps it professional since theyā€™re at work, but is still watching out for you.
Hours later, after correctly identifying the man and making the arrest (which included lots of running around), the team again returns to their base. Theyā€™re going through everything and debriefing next steps, when you abruptly stand.
ā€œI need to be excused for a moment,ā€ you say, already sounding breathless, before promptly keeling over and collapsing onto the floor.
For a second, everyone freezes in shock. Hotch is the first to react. He all but screams your name, dropping to his knees and trying to assess whatā€™s going on.
ā€œHoney, honey? Cā€™mon, wake up. Whatā€™s going on? Sweetheart, please,ā€ Hotch says as he shakes you, moving you so that your head is in his lap.
Spencer kneels on your other side, gently taking your pulse and reporting that itā€™s stable. ā€œCould be exhaustion, dehydration . . .ā€ He trails off, listing all the reasons he can think of.
Hotch uses one hand to run his fingers through your hair and the other to cup your face, lightly tapping your cheek. After nearly a minute of the team standing around, wondering what to do, your eyes start to flutter open.
ā€œAaron?ā€ You mutter, seeing your husbandā€™s eyes first.
ā€œHi, hon. You passed out. I need you to tell me how youā€™re feeling,ā€ he says, keeping his voice soft but letting out a breath of relief now that youā€™re awake. He continues threading his fingers through your hair and rubs his thumb against your cheek.
You blink a couple times and then say, ā€œTired.ā€
Exhaustion, then. ā€œYouā€™re sure thatā€™s it? Is anything else wrong?ā€ Hotch asks, anxious to role out some underlying cause.
You nod, then grimace at the lightheaded feeling it gives you, turning and smushing the side of your face in Hotchā€™s lap. He looks up at the team and gestures his head towards the door.
They get the hint, though Emily and Spencer do offer to stay behind and help. Hotch thanks them but assures them that youā€™ll be alright and the team takes off.
ā€œDo you feel alright to sit up?ā€ Hotch asks after a moment.
ā€œYeah,ā€ you murmur and, with his help, sit up. You immediately lean into his arms. ā€œOoh, wow. Dizzy.ā€
ā€œI think you pushed yourself a bit too hard, sweetheart. We gotta make sure you rest properly. Wouldnā€™t hurt to get some food and water in you, too,ā€ Hotch says, cradling you.
You hum in agreement. The two of you sit there for a bit, Hotch being in no rush to move you. He canā€™t help but reflect a bit and he sighs, shaking his head.
ā€œWhat?ā€ You ask grumpily.
ā€œJust a little in shock that you actually excused yourself before fainting,ā€ he says. He recognizes the funniness of it, though he lacks any amusement, still too worried.
You chuckle. ā€œWas tryinā€™ to be polite,ā€ you explain.
ā€œIā€™m sure you were,ā€ Hotch says, smearing a kiss against your head.
You continue on sitting, Hotch rubbing your back. Finally, he gets the both of you on your feet, and leads you out to the car. He sits you in the passengerā€™s seat and buckles you in, driving you home. Once there Hotch immediately gets you in bed, helping you change into pajamas before doing the same. He gets you a glass of water and a snack, making sure that you eat and drink it all.
ā€œWanna sleep now,ā€ you mumble once youā€™re done, curling into his chest.
ā€œOf course, dear. Just relax,ā€ he coos, already planning to call you both out of work tomorrow. He does not take his wife fainting lightly and is going to do everything he can to make sure youā€™re okay.
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azulpitlane Ā· 11 months ago
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vicious pt two I ln4
pairing: ex!lando norris x reader, charles leclerc x reader summary: you are trying to move on from lando but he refuses to notes: more dramaaa and asshole lando sorry, this is short cause i kind of got busyšŸ§ā€ā™€ļø part one, masterlist
yourusername
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liked by charles_leclerc, maxfewtrell and 3,268,379 others
yourusername emails i cant send is officially yoursšŸ’Œ
it has been a long and emotional process writing this album but i loved and enjoyed every bit of it<3 im so excited to share this piece of my life with you and officially close this chapter and move on
thank you for the support, ill see you all soonā¤ļø
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user OMGG IM ALREADY CRYING ITS SO AMAZING
user stfu is that charles in the fifth pic?!?
user it is!! he was credited in a few songs for instrumentsšŸ„¹šŸ„¹
user because i liked a boy hits so different when u know what she went through :(
maxfewtrell running on stream to listen to it
yourusername pls dont hate im still sensitive user omg noo i cant watch whats he saying about it?? user he loves every song, hes being so supportive and said hes team y/nšŸ˜­
user her friendship with charles is so cute omg
user ā€œfriendshipā€ righttttšŸ˜
user lost lando but got charles, a win is a win
francisca.cgomes love love lovešŸ’Œ
user omg i know charles introduced them
user ā€˜ill see you soonā€™ ARE YOU TOURING???
pietra.pilao so incredibly proud of youā¤ļø such an amazing album
yourusername p ily and miss u smšŸ„¹ā¤ļø pietra.pilao i miss you more we need to get together soon! yourusername otw to text u so make plans rnšŸƒā€ā™€ļøšŸƒā€ā™€ļø
user the fact that landos friends are still supportive despite the breakup tells me everything i need to know
user ā€œofficially close this chapterā€ new era fršŸ«¶
charles_leclerc so honored you even asked me to be apart of thisā¤ļøso proud of you ma cherie
yourusername so grateful for youā¤ļø user JUST DATEEEE user now kiss!!!
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Lando so you and y/n huh?
Charles she's my friend is that a problem?
Lando i dont remember ever introducing you two?
Charles not that its any of your concern but i introduced myself last year on the paddock while you were too busy ignoring her
Lando so when i had back turned, you took the chance to steal my girlfriend?
Charles dont try turning this into something its not she's trying to move on so i think its time you do the same lando dont ask about her again. read
f1gossip
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463,582 likes
f1gossip Following Y/n Y/l/n's album release, Lando and Charles have unfollowed each other on instagram! It is not confirmed if Y/n is the reason why, but it is heavily speculated. It seems Lando was the first to unfollow and Charles quickly followed suit.
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user all too much for little lando norris
user y/n breaking up a friendship nowšŸ™„
user she didnt do anything except release an album on how she felt, if lando gets offended by that then hes clearly the problem here
user 16 4 fans lost today but then again lando started itšŸ¤·ā€ā™€ļø
user karma works in funny ways @landonorris
user lando has every right to be mad imo
user not at all, he treated her like shit then cheated and now hes mad she has friends in f1? make it make sense
user why watch soap operas when you can watch f1
user 2024 season is gonna HIT
user charles is going to have the motivation for wdc now, ferrari fans wonšŸ™
user even though im a lando fan, i have to be team charles and y/n on this one sorry
user yup, after listening to her album i definitely support y/n
yourusername
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liked by charles_leclerc, francisca.cgomes and 3,295,204 others
yourusername first time performing my new album at my one night show was the best time ever!! thank you for all that showed up you were an amazing crowdā¤ļø
and just in case you missed my little announcement, bet u wanna is my next single of this album...this one's a little funny when you know the contextšŸ™Š
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user wish i was able to go :(
user WHATS THE CONTEXT??
user listen to the lyrics, lando definetly wanted her back after his side girl cheated AHAH
user i need to know if charles was there
francisca.cgomes such a wonderful nightšŸ’Œ liked by yourusername
user your stage presence is so amazing
luisinhaoliveira99 so great seeing youšŸ¤ liked by yourusername
user SHE WAS THERE?!? user pls tell me you guys took pictures together
user bet u wanna is so good omg
user are you opening for eras tour in europe
user it is rumored, i hope its truešŸ˜­
f1gossip
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376,845 likes
f1gossip Charles, Pierre, Kika and Luisa leaving Y/n Y/l/n's concert in LA tonight! Thoughts on the singer's new friendship with the drivers and girls?
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user i love themšŸ˜­ā¤ļø
user i was there and saw charles with pierre and kika singing along to every songšŸ„¹
user SHUT UPPPP user stop theyre so cute
user luisa and y/n mean everything to me
user them supporting y/n despite the drama with lando shows a lot about him
user ive never wanted to part of a gc so bad
user charles is so supportive, yk who wouldnt be....
user i need them to date, he would treat y/n so good
scuderiaferrari
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liked by charles_leclerc, yourusername and 1,402,440 others
scuderiaferrari Special guest for the first qualification of the season! Thanks for coming to the our garageā¤ļø
tagged yourusername
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user OMFGGG
user i need pics of her and charles NOW
user charles got p1 cause bae was watchingšŸ™ˆ
user is she staying all weekend!?!
user her and charles supporting each other omg
user are they finally dating??
user he was asked about it in an interview and he said they were just friends! user ugh can charles make a move already? i dont want another lando situation..
user i wonder if she bumped into landošŸ˜³
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Lando was y/n really in ferrari garage?
Carlos yeah... are you okay mate?
Lando how can i be? he stole my girlfriend and is now parading her around the paddock its fucked up
Carlos he did say they were just friends and i didnt see them acting like a couple or anything
Lando there's gotta be something more i just need y/n to see who he really is
Carlos i dont know, maybe its time you move on mate
Lando no, i cant give up now do you have an extra paddock pass?
Carlos why...
Lando remember charles' crazy ex girlfriend who was obsessed with him? i heard shes in town to see him what if we send her the paddock pass so she can show y/n how charles treated her
Carlos this seems a little crazy lando why dont you just talk to y/n?
Lando she wont even let me get near her just please carlos? and then i wont ever bring it up again if it doesnt work
Carlos fine but dont tell anybody about this
Lando thank you mate, i owe you
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tags: @iamahallucinationnn, @sofiacblair
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moonchild1 Ā· 10 months ago
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park jimin fic rec list (ā…¢)
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woah it really has been a long time since i posted but i am so glad to be back and to get back into reading i saw so many of my favourite authors have updated and i am beyond excited to start this journey again but in the mean time here's jimin rec list as promised it was so exciting finishing this list cause i got so nostalgic making it and reading all the old fics i had on my reading list ughhh i just loved it so much and it got me back into the swing of things and i cant wait to make more lists, i do have another jjk list ready and i will post it the day after tomorrow so i hope you enjoy this one and don't forget to show all the love and support in the world to these amazing authors they work so hard to create these fics for us and they deserve endless praise and love for the commitment and generosity they have so please do leave them a comment, heart or reblog a small comment can go a long way here and can make someone smile even bigger so dont don't shy away from making someone happy... as usual you guys know this fics i recommend contain smut so minors don't interact you will be blocked... i really do love hearing from you guys so if you do have a little fic you are super into right now and you just want to rant about how amazing it is feel free to send me an ask šŸ˜ŠšŸ–¤
a- angst s- smut f- fluff
series
plot twist by @xpeachesncream f s a
ā†³ jimin isnā€™t interested in fake dating, but heā€™s definitely interested in getting to know someone the right way. after all, he feels like heā€™s ready to put himself out there and give it all heā€™s got. so, he takes a risk in trying something completely out of his comfort zone and hops on the new, popular dating app -Ā only to come across and get to know someone he didnā€™t expect to meet.
a remedy for mondays by @dovechim s
ā†³ all you wanted was just one day off work. but for that to happen, you need to invent a plausible reason. and then somehow, somewhere along the way, things get out of hand, and now people think youā€™reĀ having a baby with your co-worker Park Jimin after a one-night stand.Ā confused? join the club.
itā€™s okay, thatā€™s love by @/dovechim f s a deals with deep subjects
ā†³ People are constantly making some kind of connection with each other- be it friendship or romance. But human bonds always lead to messy complications; commitment, sharing, driving people to the airport, letting them get up close and personal with the darkest parts of ourselves. And sure- itā€™s scary as hell to watch them cross those boundaries youā€™ve so meticulously drawn, but itā€™s okay, because thatā€™s love.
so it goes by @/dovechim f s
ā†³ Park Jimin knows a lot about humans. of course he does, he studies them for a living. he knows that they say hello by holding hands, and when they say goodbye, they put their arms around each other. but this particular human, he notes, is unlike the rest- stuck in a slump, going about your day praying for the Universe to stage an intervention in the form of an alien abduction. when he decides to finally fulfil your wishes, he finds that you have a little something to teach him about what it means to live life on Earth the way you do: ugly crying, underwear and all. in return, he shows you the possibilities that abound if you simply adopted their mantra: everything is beautiful, and nothing hurts.
love again by @taestefully-in-luv f s a
ā†³Ā A friend of yours is eager to introduce you to her new man but what happens when Park Jimin, the man who broke your heart 5 years ago walks in through the door?
the other woman: the seduction and the illusion by @namjooningelsewhere f s a
ā†³ No one told you being the other woman would never be easy, No one told you that his love would be two sides to a same coin. No one told you he came to you because you were his escape to his demons. No one told you he would always call you his, but he would never be yours. And most importantly no one told you, He never loved you because you dont destroy the people you love.
FUTURE HEARTS by @jungblue f s a ft. jjk
ā†³ It was everything, from his tattoos, to his touches, to the way sweat rolled down his neck as he strummed into his guitar on stage; everything about him completely enthralled you. So why are you now, two and a half years later, on a train to Seoul, telling a complete stranger the recollection of how you became fated to forever have scars on all of your future hearts due to the happiness, but mostĀ of all the pain, that came along with falling in love with Jeon Jungkook.Ā 
after the applause by @foxymoxynoona
ā†³ Jimin doesn't know how he would have made it this far after the shattering of his world without the support of his thoughtful, generous, helpful neighbor. Hanbyul has lived next to hottie Jimin and his adorable daughter for years now, long enough to remember the wife he was so devoted to and lost far too young. With each safely ensconced on their side of the brick wall of the Parks' grief, it will take an enterprising little scientist to set the stage for a second chance at love.
saved by @to-star-lake s a
rockstar au deep subjects read warnings
midnight memories by @hobipaint f s a
ā†³ there's drunk habits, and then there's drunk mistakes. What do you call meeting your friend - no, ā€˜former friendā€™ - at a bar, getting drunk with him and sleeping- 'accidentally' - with him? especially when everyone already knows that you stay away from him as much as the day does from night?
Easy. You forget about it.
heartbreak chronicles by @sugaxjpg s
ā†³ Park Jimin had it all ā€” good grades, a place as the soccer teamā€™s captain and, more than that, the broken hearts of at least half the campusā€™ population. Though, one thing he did not have was someone willing to break his heart and, after you were dragged inside a miraculous plan to play that part, the last thing counted on was the preposterous idea that, perhaps, you could fall for him as well.Ā 
drifting by@hongcherry f a
ā†³ After being assigned different partners for your midterm routine, your and Jiminā€™s relationship starts to deteriorate when you both begin spending more time away from each other and with your assigned partners instead.
growing pains by @taleasnewastime f s a
ā†³ Growing up the daughter of the boss of a gang is never easy, but normally the problems are around being given too many responsibilities, or the risk of being connected to a gang leader, or wanting to escape but not being able to. But youā€™ve got a different problem, you want more responsibility, want to be like your brother whoā€™s been named heir, want a role in the family gang. Your whole life youā€™ve been denied what you want, being born a female seemingly your main issue; perceived as weak, naĆÆve, trying to step above your station. But as unsupportive and dismissive as your family is, there is always the bright light that is Jimin; the boy you love but can never have.
tuqburni by @solastia f s a ft.myg
ā†³ Youā€™ve spent two years building a life with Yoongi who you loved more than anything in the world. Now, his ex-boyfriend Jimin is back in the picture, and Yoongi begs you not to make him choose between the two of you, offering the choice of a polyamorous relationship. Though your heart is shattered, you agree.
stardust by @venusjeon f a
ā†³ struck by your beauty, Jimin begs to paint you naked behind the world's back so as not to stain your influential familyā€”his patronsā€”with scandal.
drift by @snackhobi f s
ā†³ You used to think that there was nothing better than the sensation of coming first place. However, your rival- the talented, gorgeous, dangerous Park Jimin- is more than happy to prove you wrong.
the deli diaries by @jimlingss f
ā†³ Working at a grocery store deli is absolutely unbearable (and youā€™re also perfectly aware of how dramatic you are). But it seems like something, or rather, someone might make the job a bit more manageable.
best of me by @xotoosweet f a
ā†³ when he tells the story of how he met you in a few years, he'll claim that it was meant to be. you'll laugh and call it a coincidence. it was a coincidence that on the first day of summer semester, he decided to go on a run (though he claimed he always ran in the mornings). it was a coincidence that he chose a less traveled path in the university arboretum that morning. and it was definitely a coincidence that you were there, sitting on the rail of the river bridge.
the ten days of ex-mas by @kpopfanfictrash f s a
ā†³ Three months following the worst break-up of your life, you finally feel ready to start moving on. The world, it seems, has other ideas when you pick up the phone and find your ex-boyfriend calling.
strip by @yoonia f s a
ā†³ Summary | Everything you have done has always been about surviving life and raising your child on your own. Having someone else caring about you was the last thing you had expected. Especially when that someone is the same man you have watched performing every night on stage and secretly admired. But will he run the moment he finds out about your little secret waiting at home?
falling by @/yoonia s a
ā†³ For Park Jimin, you are everything he will ever needā€”his assistant, his housekeeper, his task runner, his fairy godmother. For you, he is more than everything. You have dedicated your life for him and, before you even realised it, your heart belongs to him alone. The only problem is that he is never yours, and you are living in a world that your love for him is nothing more than a fairytale ending. As you are suddenly given a chance to wake up and face the real world, will you be ready to embrace it? Will he be ready to deal with the world without you in it?
wrapped around by @jjkfire ft. kth f s a
ā†³ Freshman year was a mess and sophomore year doesnā€™t seem to be looking too good either. You know boys like them are no good for you but maybe theyā€™re just your kind of type
baby, baby by @hobiwonder f s a
ā†³ When youā€™ve run out of savings to continue on to the last semester of your Bachelors - you take an unorthodox route. Helping aĀ desperate couple have a child and getting paid for it? Heck yeah. But what do you know - it wasnā€™tĀ as easy as it sounds.
love at first touch by bagelswrites (ao3)
ā†³ The first time you meet your soulmate, it leaves a bruise on both of you at the point of contact. From then on, your body begins rejecting any sustenance other than the touch of your soulmate. The trick is, the bruises take a few hours to appear, so you have to figure out who you've touched and find them before you starve to death. But once you do, all you ever need is them. So what happens if you're an idol and you meet your soulmate at a fan event?
our little family by @nightbts f a
ā†³ you were living a simple life filled with simple dreams; combining your two most loved things in life, children and teaching, you were starting out your career as a teacher at the local pre-school. but little did you know, how one child and her very special father, would change your simple life into something extraordinary
one-shot 35
brand new eyes by @missgeniality s
ā†³ Jiminā€™s eyes had potential to ruin you, and tonight you test the damage.
waves by @shina913 s
ā†³ It's Valentine's Day and your boyfriend decides to spice things up with a little surprise for you.
failure to communicate by @gukslut s
ā†³ Enemies to Lovers/ College AU
physical by @ppersonna f s
ā†³ you cant seem to escape the sexy fitness instructor that seemingly is everywhere you turn. itā€™s enough to make you irrational.
good for you by @candlewaxandp0lar0ids s
ā†³ Jimin canā€™t help the way he drowns himself in you. Why should he anyway?
ho-ho-home by @jjungkookislife s a
ā†³ Golden neighbor extraordinaire, Park Jimin, is (unintentionally) stealing your spotlight this holiday season. Despite your one sided rivalry with him, all Jimin wants is for you to remember him, to remember your past and hopefully create a future with you.
100km/hour by @chateautae s
ā†³ what exactly happens when you and your friends have to pile into one car for the ride home after an insane halloween party, and you find yourself sitting in park jiminā€™s lap? especially when heā€™s dressed as an angel, and youā€™re in theĀ sluttiestĀ devil costume ever?
what it's like by @jimilter s
ā†³ Youā€™ve always heard great tales about how good the infamous fuckboy on campus, Park Jimin, is in bed, and wondered if there could be any truth behind these claims when the guy looks like an angel with his cheruby cheeks and precious smiles. So when a new gossip starts to circulate about how ā€˜hard he hitsā€™, you have had enough of the suspense and decide to finally sample him yourself.
feel your touch by @/jimilter f s a
ā†³ You have always known yourself to be a sexual switch in bed, flipping between exercising and submitting control according to different situations and partners. And this camboy you are addicted to, one that seems to kinda reciprocate your interest, submits so beautifully that you just want to command him. But when things progress to levels you never anticipated, you end up discovering pleasant surprises that might just change your life.
the princeā€™s cinderella syndrome by @/jimilter f s a ft jjk
ā†³ He shows up at Halloween, every year, dressed the same, and leaves at midnight like some Cinderella. You would think he was a prankster if his eyes didn't look like they contained all the sadness in the world. You don't know him - no one on campus does. You don't know why he appears only once a year. You don't know why he never smiles. But you can't help falling in love with him. Even if he breaks your heart when he abandons you at midnight, again.
scream your panties by @opaljm s a
ā†³ As your midterms have ended and Halloween has arrived, you are looking forward to a pleasant time relaxing and enjoying the festivities at your sorority and Jiminā€™s frat houses. Luck is not in your favor, though, because things keep going wrong like a trail of dominoes falling ā€“ the only upside to your slowly deteriorating day being that you get to end it with your boyfriendā€™s delicious self between your legs.
first snow, last kiss by @taeshobipop f s a
ā†³ He broke your heart four years ago; the old loving memories of your time together now tainted by pure betrayal. Yet in the haze of new snow, after returning home for the first time, the moments you had once convinced yourself were nothing but a lie, reveal themselves to be otherwise.
antifreeze by @winetae s
ā†³ Jimin participates in the schoolā€™s adaption of The Nutcracker for extra credit but doesnā€™t expect his new dance partner to a) be this bad at dancing and b) be this fucking cute
what she likes by @untaemedqueen f s
idol au husband au marriage au
only you by @personasintro f s a
ā†³ Ā youā€™ve been always there for your best friend, even when he became a single dadĀ 
sucker by @/personasintro s a
ā†³ You wish you'd pay more attention to Jimin. Like, how his eyes kept changing color. How cold his skin was, too unrealistically to be natural. Or one second, he flashed you with his sharp canines and the next one he didn't have any. How much he craved for you, but not the way you thought he was.
please, lie to me by @ressjeon s a
ā†³ "centuries of loyalty vs. only months of fucking, how could you miscalculate?"
summer synchrony by @seokkgenie f s a
ā†³ childhood friends to lovers
neon seoul @readyplayerhobi f s a
ā†³ It the city of New Seoul, another homicide isnā€™t newsworthy but instead just a statistic. But when the son of the mayor is murdered in an alley in a shady part of the city? Then itā€™s important. You and your partner, Detective Park Jimin, are given the honour of investigating the crime. Will you find out who killed him? Or will you fail?
serendipity by @btsracket s a ao3
ā†³ It's serendipitous. Jimin braces for darkness but finds his light instead.
the boyfriend concept by @/kpopfanfictrash s
ā†³ Win a Date with a Porn Star! You saw the sign when you walked in, of course, but you had no idea your friend dropped your name into the raffle. Fast-forward to later that day, when you actually win. You are horrified, of course, with no intention of accepting and setting yourself up for embarrassment. But then you meet Jimin, and decide this might be worth a shot.
Lovely Demons by @/kpopfanfictrash s a
ā†³ As penance for a crime committed long, long ago, the Witch Council banished you to the feared Tholoss forest. Your sentence was one hundred thousand days of solitude ā€“ or death, whichever came first. Your only hope of salvation comes from the demon names routinely sent your way; creatures who escape the inner circles of Hell and pose a threat to the mortal realms. For each demon you kill, days are removed from your sentence. For years youā€™ve existed, biding your time, until one morning you receive a name which throws your entire world into chaos: the name of Park Jimin, High Prince of Hell himself.
blue blood by @joonbird s a
ā†³ ā€œPrince Jimin was born with blue blood. His coronation is rapidly approaching, but there are two requirements he must fulfil before becoming a king. He must have theĀ skills to fight in battle, and he must have a Queen with blood as blue as his. You, a member of the royal guard, are assigned to teach Jimin the ins and outs of combat. You are not scared of death, of blood, or of battle. What you are scared of however, is falling in love with Jimin, the one man your blood decrees you can never have.ā€
i want to be with you by @oddinary4bts f s a
ā†³ moving to Seoul has always seemed like a good idea, until the bubble bursts when you realize your new neighbor is Park Jimin, and he's not the sweet angel you've always imagined him to be. Will the reality of Park Jimin forever be a nightmare, or will he turn into a sweet dream?
locked in love by @parkmuse f s a
ā†³ Getting locked in the mall on Christmas eve isnā€™t ideal, but getting locked in the mall with your brothers best friend that you havenā€™t seen in a while? Well, it might have been alright if you didnā€™t have feelings for him.
peaches and cream by @snackhobi s
ā†³ you wouldnā€™t mind your cute neighbour being such a shameless fuckboy if a) the walls werenā€™t so thin and b) he didnā€™t seem intent on adding you as another notch in his bedpost.Ā 
reset by @/dovechim s
ā†³ We are made of the pieces of what we remember, and we hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there are memories to call our own, there can be no true loss. But Park Jimin has no such privilege.Ā 
the dark side of the moon by @/dovechim s
ā†³ falling in love at first sight is cliche, not until it happens to you on a dark night in a lonely alley. but youā€™re only human, while Park Jimin is Alpha of his pack; it could never work out. so you resort to pining for him like a wolf howling at the moon, but when Jimin goes feral, thatā€™s when everything changes.Ā 
Unconditionally by @kstopping s a
ā†³ Jimin constantly torments you. But you love it.
Instinct by @evangelene f a
ā†³ A lost child appears into your life only to bring you closer Jiminā€“a man that youā€™d thought youā€™d hated once upon a time. Now all you want is to be there for the child, and maybe his fatherā€“but only if his mother gets the hell out of the way.
eternal sunlight by @kidguk f s a
ā†³ ā€œcollege and soulmate au where the first words your soulmate will say to you are tattooed on your wrist. jimin thinks he met his soulmate exactly four months after he met and fell in love with you. you canā€™t explain your attraction or your feelings toward him, even though technically youā€™re meant to be with other people. taehyung and jungkook helpfully suggest that the universe might be glitching.ā€
foul play by @kimvtae f s a
ā†³ Everyone loves a good rivalry, and the students at your university are no exception. Unluckily for you, the rivalry of the decade is between yourself and a furiously irritating Park Jimin. A top gymnast and a basketball star shouldnā€™t cross paths, but Jimin makes his way into your heart before you can put a stop to it.
lost and found by @/kimvtae s a
ā†³ The only thing bigger than Park Jiminā€™s ass is his ego. After one too many scandals, after one too many mornings stumbling back to the dorms drunk or ruining the reputations of other idols, Jimin is given an ultimatum: complete a rehabilitation program in America or leave Bangtan.
if we were a movie by @/kimvtae f s a
ā†³ Friends with benefits never worked in the movies, but you and Jimin had been friends for so long, it was bound to work for you. Until, of course, Jimin gets a girlfriend, and you fear you may lose your friendship with him for good.
the pull of the tides by @goldenscript f s
ā†³ The expanse of the deep blue sea has always drawn you in. Each ebb and flow of the tides never ceasing to take your breath away. And now, a boy with hair as light as the morning sun and a smile just as bright does too.Ā 
hard to say by @floralseokjin f s a
ā†³you've had feelings for your best friend Jimin for as long as you can remember, but you always thought they were unreciprocated. What if it turned out they werenā€™t...?
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ā†¬looking for pjm library or the other members check out my library
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taegimood Ā· 3 months ago
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šŸ™‹ā€ā™€ļø Hi
Your hybrid fics/thoughts are so good šŸ˜£ Can I request puppy or penguin Kai pleeeeaaaase šŸ„ŗ
thank you !!!!!! indeed you can šŸ‘€
mixed breed puppy hybrid!kai whose half retriever side is so predominant šŸ¤§ floppy ears and fluffy black tail thatā€™s always wagging and knocking into things cuz he doesnā€™t recognize his own size, the clumsiest but sweetest boy..
you were only planning on looking when you visited the hybrid adoption center, but the minute you saw kai and his bright shy smile, you just couldnā€™t resist šŸ„ŗ
heā€™d be so adorably awkward at first, unsure of what to do with himself but still excited as he observes the apartment with wide eyes and a thumping tail, staying by the entrance shifting his weight around on his feet before you tell him that itā€™s okay to relax and go look around.
heā€™s so attentive and polite when you walk him through everything, nodding along and giving you his complete attention, eyes lighting up when you show him the space you just prepared for him;
you apologizing that it isnā€™t much yet since you hadnā€™t exactly planned on bringing anyone home and promising to spruce it up and buy him lots of things, but heā€™s quickly shaking his head and insisting that no, no, itā€™s perfect!!!!
your heart swells at how grateful he is over the littlest things and you definitely do end up buying him lots of stuff anyway <33
despite his shy n awkward nature at first, the two of you would end up bonding quickly.
you realize that heā€™s actually pretty mature and even have to assure him teasingly that he doesnā€™t need to be so polite all the time (which causes a blush to spread across his cheeks as he nods sheepishly) and soon heā€™s able to fall into a comfortable rhythm with you.
heā€™d loooove nuzzling his head against your tummy, and you wouldnā€™t even have to pet him for him to be satisfied ā€” he just enjoys any contact and will happily slump against the squishiest parts of you that he can find.
he also loves your thighs for this reason and there have definitely been times youā€™ve had to quickly ease him off of you when heā€™d get his face a little too close to your crotch; heā€™s not sure why youā€™re moving him or why your cheeks are suddenly so red, but heā€™ll reposition himself if thatā€™s what you want! šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø
now despite kai having grown happily used to his new life with you by now, thereā€™s one topic of conversation that has him feeling all awkward and shy all over again, and thatā€™s the conversation that heā€™s trying to approach you with today ā€”
your gentle giant towering over you innocently as he patiently waits for you to finish up what youā€™re doing, shifting his weight around on his feet the same way he did when you first brought him home;
ā€œwhatā€™s up, hyuka? everything okay?ā€
he looks up from the floor with a start when you address him and smiles nervously.
ā€œo-oh! um, yeah.. i just.. was wondering if we can talk about something?ā€
his fingers play with one of the napkins on the table after the two of you sit down, twisting and tearing it into little bits until you gently prod -
ā€œhyuka? what is it, honey?ā€
he blushes at the pet name (secretly he loves it when you call him that) and finally meets your eyes.
ā€œum, wellā€¦ i needed to talk to you about.. uhā€¦ my.. m-my rut.ā€
you blink in surprise; that isnā€™t what you were expecting. to be honest, you hadnā€™t even thought about it before, still learning the ropes of what it means to care for a hybrid yourself.
as he explains in embarrassment that he can feel it coming soon and that he needed to let you know, you take note of how well he seems to be keeping himself under control ā€” if his rut really is around the corner, you wouldnā€™t have even been able to tell ā€” and you have to admit that when he brings up the mention of the breeding centers that he had heard people back at the adoption center talk about, you feel a twinge of uncertainty in your chest.
uncertainty, andā€¦ something else that you canā€™t quite place.
ā€œhmm..ā€
he observes the slight furrow in your brow as you think for a moment. are you upset? is he being too much of a hassle?
but his momentary insecurity melts away when you finally respond,
ā€œiā€™m just a little worried about sending you there for so longā€¦ i mean, itā€™s just a week or so, but.. i want to make sure youā€™re getting all the care that you need. it makes me nervous that i wonā€™t be there to help.ā€
you donā€™t realize what you said until you said it.
kaiā€™s head cocks to the side, confused. ā€œhelp? how?ā€
ā€œuh.. i just meantā€¦ā€ youā€™re lost for words. ā€œwell, i donā€™t really know what i meant.ā€
you can see the wheels turning in his brain as well as the realization when it dawns, and you wish a black hole would open up and swallow you when his head cocks the other way and he says,
ā€œoh! you meanā€¦ you could be my breeding partner?ā€
if youā€™d had a drink in hand, you wouldā€™ve choked on it.
his words send a slew of images rushing through your mind, face heating up as you to try to push them away; you canā€™t think about your precious kai like this !!!
ā€œw-well, t-thatā€™s not exactly what i.. umā€¦ i mean, there are lots of other owners who.. uh.. who do that. but i wasnā€™t saying that-!ā€
you panic your way through an explanation, brows lifting as kaiā€™s tail actually begins to.. wag.
his cheeks are pink as he sits there staring at you, even though you finished speaking, tail lightly thumping and the fabric of his pants bunching in his hands as they rest on his thighs.
itā€™s as if he canā€™t control his bodyā€™s reaction to your words and he knows it.
ā€œuhā€¦ kai?ā€
his blush grows even deeper.
now itā€™s your turn to realize something as you observe him, before asking carefully,
ā€œhyuka.. do you.. like that idea?ā€
and that, my friends, is how you guys came to the bizarre agreement that you would be the one to help kai through his rut.
the rest of that week would be kind of awkward, to be honest ā€” kai still insanely embarrassed about admitting that heā€™d prefer it if you were the one in his bed, and you, wellā€¦ you just find yourself dealing with desires that you didnā€™t even know you had, and didnā€™t even know if you were allowed to have.
but that awkwardness quickly comes to a forced end when youā€™re getting ready for bed one night, taking your time since itā€™s finally the weekend, having just slipped into your little tank top and sleep shorts set when you hear a thunk against your bedroom door.
you pause.
silence.
ā€œhyuka..?ā€ you call. more silence, but you swear you can hear the faintest sound of a groan come from the other side.
ā€œkai? honey?ā€
youā€™re about to head for the door when it slowly swings open, your eyes widening at the sight of your hybrid slumped heavy against the doorframe, and youā€™ve never realized how broad his chest is until now as it heaves up and down with labored breaths.
his gaze is cloudy, a sheen of sweat coating his skin, dark hair falling into his eyes that are currently raking over your body ā€” these clothes are the most revealing heā€™s ever seen on you, and you almost gasp at the low growl that forms quietly at the back of his throat.
ā€œk-kai.. is it time..?ā€
he nods weakly, and you can tell how hard heā€™s trying to hold himself together.
you take a deep breath. youā€™ve never done this before, but youā€™re ready to give him whatever he needs. ā€œokay. letā€™s go to your room.ā€
ā€”
youā€™ve never felt so many sensations at once. the way kai grinds his body against you hungrily, hips pushing against yours, kissing and licking up and down your neck and tits as he groans ā€” encasing you fully underneath his large frame as you try to keep up with his eager ministrations.
while you can tell that he is getting a little bit of relief, you can also tell that heā€™s still massively holding himself back (youā€™ll see just how much soon enough) and it takes everything in you to keep your own moans at bay as you assure him,
ā€œhyuka- f-fuck- hyuka, i-itā€™s okay. just- just let go.ā€
his grinding is getting more desperate now, the bed starting to rattle and pants and whines falling from his lips as he protests, ā€œd-donā€™t.. donā€™t wanna... hurt youā€¦!ā€
you can feel his leaking cock throbbing against your thigh and can only imagine how painful it must be. when you take his face in your hands to make him look at you, thereā€™s a wild look in his eyes, something feral on the verge of snapping ā€” and youā€™re gonna let it.
ā€œkai,ā€ you breathe. ā€œjust let go.ā€
and so he does.
youā€™ve never been fucked so animalistic in your life, the hugeness of his form finally coming into play, the deep growls and snaps of his jaw that you never wouldā€™ve imagined your hyuka to be capable of; and yet here you are, fucked completely dumb on your hybridā€™s cock as heā€™s got you pinned and marked and knotted over and over and over and over again as if itā€™s the last thing heā€™ll ever get to do.
in his case, youā€™re his mate made to be manhandled, and itā€™s safe to say that by the end of his week-long rut youā€™re completely and utterly spent.
unable to even keep your eyes open as soon as it finally passes, the two of you exhausted as kai cuddles you as close as possible, gently licking and kissing at all the bites and marks heā€™d left behind, nuzzling his face in your hair as his cock slowly, finally, begins to soften inside of you.
you would probably sleep for a few days after that; kai taking such good care of you and treating you so sweetly with the softest touches as he tends to your bruises and keeps you all cleaned up and comfy.
i guarantee that after that first rut thereā€™d be this deep unspoken bond formed between the two of you that makes you inseparable šŸ¤§
all kai wants to do is love and protect you; your big strong sweet puppy who aims to make your life just as lovely as youā€™ve made his <333
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hyuckmov Ā· 1 year ago
Text
haechan ā€” settle down (rockstar hyuck) | part 2 of 3
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wc: 18k (yay!) genre: angst, smut (18+ minors dni), a bit of fluff warnings: wet dreams, jerking off, fingering, oral (f receiving), protected sex, making out, praise kink, strength kink (? he's strong...) crying during sex, dirty talk, aftercare...? petnames (baby, princess), and ... names needs to be read after part 1 i think! a/n: shorter warnings list lmfao anyway.... i....this took me awhile but i really hope u enjoy this and the way it reads. let me know what you think and please be kind :) thank you thank you THANK YOU to every single one of you on my taglist and if you've sent me an ask, reblogged, or left a comment. i could not have finished this without u
haechan almost always knew of the hurt he caused ā€” especially to you.Ā 
he knew what he was doing each time he showed up around you at a party, love bites staining his skin and hair messy and wild. he noticed the way you recognised the perfume on him with a crinkle of your nose, or the slight flicker of sadness in your eyes when his phone would vibrate against the bedside table, wandering to the names on his phone. he could feel the way your shoulders tensed when he smiled blankly at you, track your movements as you looked away when he was cozying up with someone else.Ā 
and most of all ā€“ he knew that beyond that, you couldn't go to him for all your hurt. and that was what would be most painful, the knowledge that everything you had to suffer was unjustified, feelings not tied to reason, because he never made you any promises.
haechan almost always knew of the hurt he caused ā€” and he always hoped that his touch could be a good enough apology.Ā 
all throughout rehearsals, when they took the trip to the venue, back to when he had woken up that morning, something had stirred in his chest. he was never nervous before shows, but this time he fiddled with his guitar mindlessly, wandering over to the bar and ordering just a few drinks to hopefully dull the way his heart was racing in his chest, alcohol burning a path down his throat. he picked at the way his hair fell over his eyes, re-doing his makeup before the show with the black eyeliner that he couldn't hold without thinking of you. his bandmates watching him carefully, not knowing what had changed. he wouldn't be able to tell them if they'd asked.Ā 
it was only when the girl in the bathroom had stumbled away on shaky feet, leaving one last slick touch on his arm as a goodbye, when all his feelings that had ached in him that day came crashing down in his chest, that crushing weight he couldn't ignore each time he tried to breathe.Ā 
you had kissed him ā€” and it felt like a promise.Ā 
it was this thought that now stung at him, as he watched the numbers on the screen of the elevator flick higher and higher. he had made his way to your apartment as if on autopilot, driving down streets now too familiar. he always knows the hurt he causes you ā€” and he feels it now, like retribution, because even now he has no right to be angry at you. no right to blame you for his hurt, because while he had never made you promises, in reality you hadn't either.Ā 
but the reality was he was here now, knocking on your apartment door.Ā 
"y/n?"Ā 
there's warm light seeping out under your apartment door, he can see all your shoes on the rack outside. jaemin's not home, but you definitely are.Ā 
he knocks again, a bitter taste in his mouth.Ā 
"y/n, i know you're home."Ā 
his hand curls into a fist, and he hits it against the door, twice. he thinks he can hear something beyond the door, a clink of something like keys, so he raises his voice, the tone of it rough.Ā 
"are you happy now?"Ā 
mark has told him he gets vindictive when he's hurt or scared, has urged him to think before he speaks.Ā 
"does it make you feel like you have the upper hand? standing me up?"
but haechan can't distinguish what he's feeling right now.Ā 
"because i don't care at all," he spits, lies he'd never rehearsed, the alcohol mixing with thoughts he didn't even know he had, to inflict the cruelest hurt. "at least i know the girl i fucked didn't feel any different." his voice dips low, cold freezing over each syllable. "i hope you know even if you went, i still would've picked her. it didn't make any difference."Ā 
the night is still, and quiet. his words seem to swell in the air, ringing around in his head. he stands in front of the door, head lowered, hand still lingering on cool surface, breaths dragged out of his lungs painfully. he waits for so long, that he wonders if he was speaking to no one at all ā€” if you'd been asleep, if he imagined the sounds beyond the door.Ā Ā 
but then there's a soft click, and the door drifts open.Ā 
the moment haechan sees you, he feels it like a shot to his chest, because something was terribly wrong.Ā 
it's not just the tears running down your cheeks.Ā 
your face is blotchy and red, dark circles under your teary eyes, your hair mussed up and tangled. you're wrapped in layers of clothing despite the cool summer night, your body still trembling with cold, and when you speak, your voice is so hoarse and broken that it makes goosebumps break out over his skin ā€” and an achy tone he never wanted to hear from you ever again.
"it didn't make a difference?"Ā Ā 
his lips part. he tugs on his jacket, trying to to close it, to pull up his collar a little higher, but it's too late ā€” your eyes are already reading the marks on his skin, drinking in every last detail of him. 5 minutes ago he had wanted nothing more than for you to open the door and see him exactly like this ā€” lipstick smudged lips and fucked out eyes, the smell of fake roses clinging to each fibre of his clothing, the rips in his jeans tugged this way and that.Ā Ā 
and all at once he knew ā€” you had wanted to go, and he just accused you of the worst thing. you were going to go, and now he was forcing you to look at him like this. if the trip here made him feel vulnerable and bruised, he knew it must have felt like this for you too on the nights he didn't ask for you ā€” the two of you sharing feelings that you weren't supposed to have, that you couldn't justify.Ā Ā 
now haechan sees the way your face crumples, tears gathering on your waterline. you lift your hands to wipe them away, and it's like he can feel the way your chest shakes with wounded sounds and choked sobs, your fingers clenching into fists as you bite your lip to keep from bursting into tears.Ā Ā 
"y/n-" he breathes. "are youā€¦is everything ā€”"Ā 
"s-so you didn't mean it? when you invited me?" you're trying to steady your breathing. every second that passes where he's watching you fall to pieces in the doorway feels like it's searing into haechan's skin, the heavy feeling in his chest increasing tenfold with guilt. he swallows, as he watches you take a few deep breaths. "i thoughtā€¦ i thought it meantā€¦when you invited m-me you said you weren't making empty promises ā€”"Ā 
"i wasn't." he bites his lip, taking a step towards you. "y/n ā€”"Ā 
but you back away. "i was going to go, haechan. i was really going to go ā€“"Ā 
"i know." he knew now.Ā 
" ā€” but i've been sick since yesterday, and it wasn't getting any better, i couldn't leave the house ā€“"Ā 
"why didn't you tell me?" he desperately wants to run away, but he knows it's worse for you.Ā 
your voice is small. "i don't have your number."
it had slipped his mind. it was something so stupid, something so small ā€“ how he never wanted to give you a way to talk to him, or give himself an easy way to access you, didn't want things to be too easy. all of it had slowly built up to that feeling each time he glanced at his phone that night, clutching the lifeless device in his hands.Ā 
the last thing he should do, if he ever wanted to see you again, is blame you. he bites back his question of why you didn't ask jaemin for help, wrapping his jacket around his body self-consciously, running a hand through his hair.Ā  "i forgot," he whispers. hurt flickers across your face again.Ā 
"i d-don't know why i thought this would be different." you wipe at your face, biting your lip again to keep from trembling. "i hoped that maybe, even if i couldn't show up, you'd come here and take care of me. when i heard you outside the doorā€¦"Ā 
the words have a bitter bite to them, and you spit them out like you hate the taste in your mouth, hate every memory associated with his care.Ā 
"i'll take care of you," he pleads, quickly, stepping towards you.Ā 
he doesn't know what he expected, if you'd showed up. maybe he'd play for you, and leave with your hand in his. maybe he could have taken you in his car, or in his soft sheets at home. brought you out for a late dinner, sit with you and let you pry him open as you always did. or maybe he'd say nothing at all, and nothing would have changed ā€“ he didn't know.Ā 
his touch has always been his apology, always his way of reaching you through the only sure thing the both of you wanted from each other. but the look on your face tells him that the brush of his fingertips against your skin is only cruelty.Ā 
"you're fucked up if you think i'm letting you take care of me now," your voice is grating, rough on his skin.Ā 
"but i-"
"you'll hold me like this? force me to stare at the marks on your chest? breathe the perfume that isn't yours?" your tone is harsh and accusatory. he takes it all. "what were you going to do, if i showed?"Ā 
and for once, haechan can't help but be honest. "i don't know," he mumbles, and he sees the words hit you like a strike to your face.
"you knew i wanted more," you whisper. "you knew i wanted to be close to you, but you alwaysā€¦you always ā€“"Ā 
"wanted?" he asks, quietly.Ā Ā 
"you can't think i still want to know you, after everything. whatever person lies behind all thatā€¦" your tears have stopped, your voice unfeeling. the numbness in you mirrors his own. "i want nothing to do with him."Ā 
he can't think of anything to say. he reaches out a hand, and for a moment you let his fingers graze your arm, fear and hurt in the way they curl around your wrist, begging you to hold on to him too. you're scaring him, and he doesn't know how to go back, but he knows he deserves everything you're saying to him. deserves the way you shake free of his hold and close the door, his feet stumbling over themselves as he backs away.Ā 
you said you didn't want to know him, that you didn't know him at all. but he can't help thinking that's not true, because you knew him enough to know exactly how to hurt him through the walls, through the boy he pretended to be, right through his chest and past his ribcage, right into his aching heart.Ā 
ā€”
ever since your fever broke, your life had been quiet.Ā 
you go to all your classes. you cut down on coffee by getting sleep at night. you take walks with jaemin around the neighborhood, falling back into old routines. movie nights, and grocery trips. he was coddling you, and you felt it every day ā€” coming home to warm meals, the way he was more forgiving over little disputes. you didn't deserve it, watching him slip out of the front door quietly, camera bag slung over his shoulder.Ā 
you didn't deserve it, because you ached to follow.Ā 
some part of you was still trapped inside your room, heady and aching, desperately trying to reach him. needing his apology, needing him to recognise the way he hurt you. you couldn't look for answers in your memories, but you played each scene back in your mind like a looping film reel, letting images suffocate you ā€” his jacket falling open, love bites marking his skin, all the times he's slipped from your grasp. and yet, other fragments come back too ā€” the warmth of his hand on yours in the car, the slight tilt of his head as he brought his gaze level with yours, seeking you out when things got too much. his quiet answers in the dark, the slow smile that spread across his face that made you glow, knowing you'd made him happy.Ā 
"he got off lightly," you tell jaemin one night, the both of you on the floor by the couch. ice cream and wine drip condensation on the table-top, and the both of you are too heavy with the rush of sugar and alcohol, the clock ticking in the silence of the room as you sit. Ā 
"you just want to see him again," he'd replied, quietly. "don't you?"Ā 
"i just wish we could have talked." your voice is small. you and haechan never truly talked, except for some nights in the dark, lying in his arms afraid to breathe, afraid of breaking the tenderness that swelled in the room, afraid of turning on the lights to see who you were holding in the shadows.
"and then what? you'd be together?" jaemin glances over at you, and the concern in his eyes makes you shrink back even more. you were supposed to be doing better. everything in your life was right, it was exactly the way it should be ā€” but why did you feel empty?Ā 
"then i'd at least have closure," you mumble. "i'm never going to get any answers unless i talk to him."Ā 
a brief expression of discomfort crosses jaemin's face, but it's gone when you blink.Ā 
"i just don't want you to see him again, and forget all the ways he hurt you."Ā 
you don't say a word. both of you knew that it was something too likely to happen.Ā 
ā€”
it's dark in haechan's room. the boy liked it shadowy, black-out curtains drawn over the windows, the air cool from air-conditioning, an air humidifier spewing light blue mist in the corner. the boy sitting in bed had his guitar in his lap, picking at the strings quietly, his phone face-up on the bed next to him, recording his ideas. he was swaddled in a large hoodie, swallowing his frame, shorts riding high on his thighs as he curls into himself.Ā 
he doesn't look up when mark shuffles in, closing the door behind him quietly, blinking as his eyes adjust to the low light.Ā 
"jaemin's outside."Ā 
haechan nods. "i heard you." his voice is a soft sound, boyish. mark has heard it enough growing up, that he knows haechan is scared. he knows haechan is waiting for answers, waiting for the verdict.
"he says he'll only continue to work with us if you stop seeingā€¦ y/n."Ā 
the name trips in his mouth, clumsy. it feels strange to use it, especially around haechan, who knows you more than any of them do, like he's saying something he's not allowed to, a boy using an expletive he doesn't understand. haechan's body tenses when he hears your name in mark's voice, predictable, almost laughable ā€” the slight tightening of his nimble fingers on the neck of the guitar, slip of his fingers on the guitar pick.Ā 
"okay." and the boy goes back to playing.Ā 
"you'll stop seeing y/n?"Ā 
"yeah." mark moves closer to the bed, sees haechan's lower lip caught in his teeth.Ā 
"haechan, stop."Ā 
the boy shakes his head roughly, plucking at the strings a little harder.Ā 
"what happened? what happened between you and y/n?"Ā 
"i'll stop seeing her."Ā 
"stop acting like i don't know you," mark mumbles, finally sitting down on the bed. haechan stills, as mark pulls the guitar away from him, his hands going limp as he lets mark set it down at the foot of the bed. "i hate it when you do that."Ā Ā 
"i'm sorry." a beat, then haechan buries his face in his hands, pulling at his features, before letting his arms drop down to the bed again. "could youā€¦could you at least tell her?"Ā 
"tell her what?"Ā 
"that jaemin told me to stay away." haechan fiddles with the hem of his shirt, head still lowered. "iā€¦i shouldn't be the one avoiding her. she should be avoiding me."Ā 
"is there a difference?"Ā 
"yeah." he mumbles his words, plush lips barely forming each syllable. "because i hurt her. i can't hurt her and then ignore herā€¦that'sā€¦that's not right."
"so you want to keep seeing her?"Ā 
"i just wantā€¦" his voice is hollow, and when he looks up at mark ā€” the dim light in the room catching on the features of his face, mark can finally see the way his lips were raw, skin torn and bitten. his eyes, usually sharp and piercing, are puffy and swollen from crying, dazed pupils blinking up at him. "mark, i don't think i've ever hurt someone like this before."
mark wonders what he could have done, but he doesn't ask. "do you want to make it right?"Ā 
"i don't know how." he swallows, throat bobbing. "i don't know if i can."Ā 
"maybe avoiding her isn't the best thingā€¦" mark starts, putting a hand on haechan's arm, but haechan flinches.Ā 
"the band will kill me. jeno will kill me." mark opens his mouth to argue, but already haechan is leaning back against the headboard, head lowered and looking down at his lap. "i'll do it. i won't see her again."
"it'll be fine" mark reassures, softly. "in a few weeks, after a few more people, you'll forget all about her."Ā 
neither of them really believed it.Ā 
ā€”
as jaemin sits on the couch ā€” jeno sprawled on an armchair with jisung perched on the armrest, mark sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of him, he thinks about how these boys have become his close friends. he fits in with them in a way he never has with his other clients ā€” evenings spent photographing them, understanding them through the lens of his camera. cycling trips with jeno, bringing out mark's competitive streak as they drank in the kitchen, babying jisung and taking care of him when the other bandmates weren't around to do so.Ā 
and of course, getting to know haechan ā€” teaching him how to use a camera, chatting with him easily about the city. if jaemin was to be honest, haechan intimidated him a little with how guarded he was, every sentence he spoke to jaemin felt like it'd been turned over a million times in his head, each word careful and poised. he also disappeared for long periods of time, sometimes never there during parties.Ā 
now jaemin knew what the time had been spent on. who he'd spent it on.
"we're really sorry." it's mark who speaks up first. jisung nods in agreement, while jeno looks on.Ā 
"i don't need you to be sorry," mumbles jaemin. "it's not your fault."Ā 
"stillā€¦" mark scratches the back of his close-cropped hair tentatively. "he mentioned it."
"what did he say?"Ā 
"he didn't tell us everything," jisung says, voice hushed. his hair falls over his eyes as he ducks his head in thought. "mostly just told us to stay away."Ā 
"did he sound like he wanted them to be exclusive?"Ā 
mark and jisung exchange a glance, but it's jeno's voice that answers just as mark's lips part.Ā 
"no." when jisung bites his lip, jeno raises his eyebrows, annoyed. "are you kidding? he just said he fucked her more often, and that we should fuck off."Ā 
jisung looked wounded. "he didn't say that."Ā 
"but that's what he meant."Ā 
"mark?"Ā 
jaemin calls out to the boy, bringing him out of his thoughts. mark was staring at his own hands, a frown creasing his face.
"haechan agreed," he says, slowly. your name lingers on the tip of his tongue as he says it, like he's tasting the sound, the unfamiliarity of it in his mouth. "iā€¦i think i might know what's going on with haechan, but it's up to him to explain, not me."Ā 
"so he won't see her anymore?"Ā 
the words come easily to jaemin. he knew it was the deal he was going to make the moment he texted mark to ask if they could talk. he was willing to lose his growing friendship with the rest of the boys if it could give you peace, if all of you could go back to the way things were.Ā 
he think back to how he found you ā€” struggling to head out of the door the previous day, barely able to make it to the door, the fever burning up your brain and making your bones ache. he thinks of coming back home to you after he'd went to the pharmacy to get you medicine, slipping his shoes off at the door and immediately knowing that something had changed, from the tears streaming down your face.Ā 
"how did this happen?"Ā 
"he came to see me" you mumble, struggling with the sleeves of the thick sweater you were trying to pull your arms through. the moment you straighten, you wince as a dull pain throbbed through your head, hunching over again as stars blinked in your vision.Ā 
"haechan?"Ā 
he sets down the bag of medicine on the kitchen counter, picking up the thermometer and pointing it at your forehead. the light on the screen blinks red, and his eyebrows furrow, the displeased expression on his face only growing stronger.Ā 
"why did you open the door?" he asks, slowly. "i thought we talked about this."Ā 
"i thoughtā€¦." your voice is scratchy, as pressure seems to rise inside your skull, pain that made your eyes tear up. it's laughable that you thought he would take care of you, and instead he ripped you to pieces. tears well up in your eyes again, and your lips part, only to let out a small sob.Ā 
he grips onto your arm, gently but firmly, steering you back towards your room. you don't have any strength to fight back, it felt like the temperature in the room was at freezing point even though jaemin was only wearing a thin shirt and shorts, and the ache in your bones made every movement shoot pain through your nerves. even after lying down on your bed, swaddled in blankets, the dim light slightly easing the pain in your head, you were too weak to lift your head, stretching your fingers out over the blanket and crawling towards where jaemin's hand rested on the sheets.Ā 
he held your hand and listened to you talk, knowing you needed to let it all out. he didn't judge, he didn't make faces. just listened with his eyes closed as you told him about meeting haechan, the way he pulled you away from everyone else and how you'd followed. he observed you quietly through his lashes as you sniffled, breaths breaking up your words.Ā 
the story got harder to tell when you recounted moments of his tenderness ā€” when he'd call you his, when he took care of you, when he'd promise to be harsh with you but never went through with it, the way his face fell when you cried. you stuttered and hesitated through it all, because you didn't know if any of it was real or just imagined.
jaemin knows he could have hurt you further ā€” broken every last illusion, pierced through the image of haechan you had in your head. but he didn't have the heart to, so this was the best he could do ā€” making sure it stopped.Ā 
"it's done," mark nods, but he looks unhappy.Ā 
jaemin doesn't feel the weight lift from his chest like he thought it would. he feels jisung move to sit next to him, a hand on his shoulder as he observes his face.Ā 
"i'm really sorry," he mumbles, lips barely moving.Ā 
"it's not your fault," jaemin replies, leaning back against the cushions, letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.Ā 
ā€”
haechan is dreaming again.Ā 
except it's more memory than dream, the way you're laid up against the pillows, fingers tangled in his hair as he leaves kisses on your inner thighs. it's so vivid, the way you taste, the twitch of your muscles as you tense around him, the small gasp as he pulls away to sit back on his knees.Ā 
"please-" you whimper, needy from being teased. scrabbling, you bring your knees to your chest, hands trembling as you hook them on your thighs, tears smearing your cheeks with a dewy glow. you were trying to keep your voice quiet, small sounds barely escaping your lips as you bit down on them, pleading with him through murmurs and barely coherent words. his shirt on your body crinkled everywhere from how he'd been grabbing at it, the long sleeves falling over your palms. it was straight out of a wet dream, which it now was, as you begged him to fuck you, your wet folds slick with spit and arousal as you bared yourself to him, pleading with him to sink into you.Ā 
in memory, he croons. he gives you what you asked for ā€” pressing your weight into the mattress as he pushes into you, feel you pulse around him as he goes in hard and deep, feel your body trembling against his.Ā 
but in dream, he can be honest enough with himself to admit that it scares him when you cry. that his stomach twists when he hears you beg, like missing a step on a staircase, a second where he's rushing into nothing ā€” not knowing if he'd made you like this, not knowing if he was hurting you. from the girl shaking against him, clumsy hands finding purchase on his shoulders, and you now ā€” hips rocking into nothing, desperate for him.Ā 
"i'm here," he whispers, gently taking your hands and slowly lowering your legs down to the bed. he kisses you until your breathing calms and slows, your hands now on the sides of his face, caressing his cheeks. he likes how you touch him as if you could ever bruise him, loving brushes of your fingertips, urgency making your fingers curl into his skin, hesitant scratches on his shoulders that your hands skitter away from.Ā 
in dream, he pushes into you slowly, watching the way your lips part, breath caught in your chest, eyes fluttering closed as you take him in. wet sounds fill the room as he begins to move his hips, your face shyly tucked into his chest, your ankles sweetly hooked against his lower back as you melt together. the feelings in his chest intensifying the pleasure he feels from you wrapped around him. his eyes meet yours as you blink up at him, and it's so real ā€” the way you glow against the sheets of his bed, eyes all soft and sparkling with tenderness.Ā 
but then he wakes in the same bed: the feeling of you under him, the crash of his heartbeat in his chest, all of it hanging in the dark, a lingering tattoo on his body.Ā 
ā€”
so it's almost like a dream, when he opens the door to the stranger's bedroom, to see you slumped on the floor.Ā 
the din from below echoes through the hall, the sounds of the overwhelming crowd seeping into the room and reminding him of why he was here. he'd been looking for a quiet place to be alone ā€” the constant eyes on him making him feel self-conscious and jumpy.Ā 
back at the apartment, jeno had said he wasn't being like himself, that he hadn't been himself in a long time, the memory of his laugh ringing in haechan's ears as he climbed upstairs. when has a crowd ever bothered you? when have you ever hated attention?Ā 
he didn't know the answers.Ā 
now haechan stands in the doorway, not believing his eyes. there was no way you'd known he would be here, alone. you're curled in on yourself on the floor, leaning against the bed with your knees tucked to your chest, eyes shut. your body is still, and for just a while longer he lets himself watch you for just a moment ā€” drink in every single detail he'd missed even if it felt like teasing open his own wounds with fingers caked in salt. the rise and fall of your chest, your hair mussed up and falling over your face, the slope of your shoulders, your arms.Ā 
and suddenly he's back in his bed, your weight the only thing he was sure of against his chest, drunk on the soft sounds you made, lips barely forming his name.Ā 
you don't know he's here yet. he could walk away, leave you by yourself. but something in him told him he couldn't leave you like this in the middle of a party, barely conscious in a stranger's bedroom. before he knows what he's doing, before he can fathom the consequences, he's kneeling before you, slipping his jacket off his shoulders and draping it over your body. you reek of alcohol, stirring when you feel the weight of the leather on your body, your tongue numb and heavy in your mouth, eyelashes feeling stuck to your cheeks as you struggle to open your eyes.Ā 
"y/n?" haechan whispers, choking on the sound of your name.Ā 
"haech-" you trail off, fingers coming up to rub your eyes sleepily, the jacket slipping slightly. "haechan." it's the way you say it, like your tongue is too afraid to form the syllables, like something you can't bear to say.Ā 
"i-i'm going to find someone," he mumbles, backing away from you, clumsily trying to get to his feet. "you stay here, i'll ā€“"
"don't go-" the words almost get lost from the way you're slurring, lips barely moving, shaking your head as you reach for him again. your fingers slip on the sleeve of his shirt, before curling and holding on tight. "please don't leave."Ā 
"iā€¦" pain flickers over his features. he bites his lower lip, body moving towards yours instinctively, your hand crawling up his sleeve and grasping for his arm, fingers digging to the bone as you tremble. but then he feels your breath on his neck, and he pulls away again.Ā 
"what happened, y/n? did someone hurt you?" he feels like a hypocrite.Ā 
"no," you say, meekly. "i think i just had too much to drink."Ā 
"did you come with jaemin?"Ā 
you shake your head, nuzzling into him in a way that makes his heart pulse painfully in his chest. "i don't know anyone here."Ā 
he still thinks he should get help from any of the girls downstairs. even as you meld yourself a little closer to him, he's almost certain you wouldn't be acting this way if you were sober.Ā 
"y/n, i can't. please just let me call jaeminā€“"Ā 
"want you here." you reach for him again, trying to pull him impossibly closer, fitting his body against yours. "don't want jaemin to see me like this."Ā 
it dawns on him that besides jaemin, he was the only one you felt comfortable around like this. it wouldn't be the first time he's taken care of you when you were vulnerable or weak, and his body reacts out of habit ā€” pulling you into his arms, his hands gently patting your back as you blink back tears in the crook of his neck. but it still didn't feel right, knowing he was the one who had caused this, and yet he was here holding you.
"let me talk to someone downstairs ā€“ i'll see if they can take you home," he murmurs. you bury your face deeper in his neck, shaking your head. "just 5 minutes, okay? i just need 5 minutes ā€”"Ā 
"don't want someone to bring me home," you rasp, and his gut twists painfully when i feels your tears damp on his skin. "i don't want to go back to my place. i want to go with you."Ā 
"you're going to regret this," he says, softly. to him it's the truth you're not sober enough to see, even if it hurt to tell you. "you don't really want this, y/n."Ā 
"is it because you want to find someone else?" your words are soft-edged, lips forming the words carefully, but it pierces him all the same. "is it- is it because you want to bring someone else home?"Ā 
"no," he answers, quiet. "i haven'tā€¦not in a while."Ā 
"so you just don't want to be around me?"Ā 
his mind is racing, desperately trying to think of how he could help you, but his mind was coming up with nothing. that same feeling he always had around you ā€” protectiveness intersecting with the ache in his chest everytime your eyes met his, all of it roaring in his ears, louder than the cacophony from any party. for all the times he's claimed he knew what was good for you, he's begun to realise that he has a terrible grasp on how not to hurt you.Ā 
"you don't want to be around me," he corrects, but his fate is sealed when you let out a small sob, muffled against his shirt.Ā 
and he takes you home.Ā 
ā€”
you watch him through your lashes, as he swipes a cotton pad on your face, cleaning off your makeup.Ā 
"close your eyes," he mumbles, a slight pout forming on his lips from how hard he was concentrating, trying to be gentle with you. his touches are far too light, and you're sure your makeup is still on your face, but you let your lashes flutter shut anyway, feeling a featherlight brush against your eyelid as he holds it against your eye. dropping the used pad into a small bin, he brings a warm, damp towel up to your face, the material of it soft against your skin.Ā 
"can you brush your teeth?" he holds a toothbrush up to your face, but he withdraws it once your hands come up to hold it, completely misjudging the distance and landing on his shoulders instead. "open," he coaxes, parting his own lips so you'd mimic him. he smiles fondly as you open your mouth wide, a hand coming up to hold your face in place. "good girl," he mumbles, and you preen at the praise that shines through your drunken haze, following his instructions to rinse out your mouth.Ā Ā 
there's a short pause. having brushed out your hair, removed your makeup and brushed your teeth, the only thing to do next was to get you to bed.Ā 
your legs squeeze around his hips, your back against the mirror on his bathroom counter. "haechan," you mumble, tipsiness making you swallow your words. "don'tā€¦my clothesā€¦"Ā 
"i'll leave them on," he promises, ignoring the way your tight dress looks uncomfortable and unclean to sleep in. "don't worry." of course you don't feel comfortable around him, not after everything.
but for some reason, you're shaking your head, two clumsy hands closing in on one of his and guiding them to your back. "take them off. pleaseā€“" you add, when he hesitates. "please help me."
"of course," he murmurs, familiarity sparking in his fingertips as they grasp for the zipper, a sense of dejavu in how he drags it down your spine slowly, your back arching slightly. you look at him, drink in the proximity like the first taste of rain after a heatwave ā€” the pretty cut of his eyes, the way his pupils float upwards as he focuses on your back through the mirror. the round tip of his nose, and finally the plushness of his heart-shaped lips. it feels like reprieve, the ache in you finally soothed by the way his breath fans over your cheeks, a gentle balm on an open wound. you lean forward slightly into him as if drawn by a magnetic field, one of your hands coming up to trace the arches of his cupid's bow.Ā 
"y/n?" you can feel his lips move, soft like rose petals on your fingertips. "what are you doing?"Ā 
"you haven't called me baby all night," you blurt out. "orā€¦or princess." your thumb dips to brush against his lower lip, before he's catching hold of your hand and pulling it away from his face gently.Ā 
"i shouldn't," he mumbles, pressing a light kiss to your fingertips before letting go. "i can't."
your dress has gone loose around your body, and you push the sleeves off your shoulders with your hands, letting the fabric drop to your waist. you observe him, watching the way he swallows, throat bobbing when his eyes dart to your chest, lace draped over your curves.Ā 
"haechan," you murmur, but then he turns, hands now fumbling with a pile of his clean clothes. he holds out a clean shirt to you, bunching it up at the collar to slip your head through it, but you stop him with a hand on his chest.Ā 
"i want that one," you say, softly, pointing to a long sleeved shirt you'd remembered wearing before in the room he'd shared with the boys. something flickers in his eyes, his hands curling into fists before he picks it up. he's putting it over your head, the soft cotton hanging off your shoulders, his hands coming close to your body to guide your arms into the sleeves, until you can't take it anymore.Ā 
"haechan, don't you want me?"Ā 
his lips part, his hands stilling, slowly unfurling his grasp on you and placing his palms on the counter. "y/nā€¦"Ā 
"why aren't you-" you look up at him, biting your lip, your tongue too slow to form the thoughts your mind was racing with. "why haven't you touched me yet? do you not want me like this?"Ā 
his heart splinters and fractures. you were so used to it ā€” used to all his touches leading to kisses, kisses leading to him all over your body. "you're drunk." it's the only thing he can say.Ā 
"i know what i'm doing," you fire back, but your words lilt and smear together. "ask me anything and i can answer you right now."Ā 
but all he does is resume putting your arms through the sleeves, your limbs pliant against him as always, and soon you're completely covered up, and he can breathe a little easier. his strong arms grip your waist, and you're like a ragdoll in his grip as he guides you to stand, the dress at your hips falling, the shirt brushing the top of your thighs.Ā 
it gets worse when he sets you down in his bed. in another universe, this might be a moment of bliss for him, something romantic and sweet in the way your body curves against his pillows, sinking down into them and blinking up at him hazily. but guilt still thunders in his chest, his vision split by lightning bolts of fear. you would wake up hating him. he would never stop hurting you. you would never want to see him again.Ā 
your arms slide up his, grasping for him. "please," you plead, your voice small. "what did i do wrong? why don't you want to touch me?"Ā 
"you didn't do any wrong," he murmurs, as he lets his weight sink into bed next to you, feel you curl up against him. just for a minute he tells himself ā€” just until you fall asleep. your weight on his chest feeling like someone had doused his body with warmth, a comfort that made his eyes prickle with tears. "y/n, you're perfect," he whispers, the words melting into the dark.
"don't say that." he feels tears wet against the soft fabric of his shirt over his chest. "stop saying my name."Ā 
"baby," he amends. "sweetheart, go to sleep."Ā 
you hum. "haechan."Ā 
"don't," he echoes.Ā 
"what's wrong?" you mumble, your question heavy with sleep.Ā 
he grips onto you tighter, holding you fiercely as tears cloud his vision.Ā 
"i'm sorry," he says, his voice cracking. "i'm so so so sorry." when you don't respond, he nuzzles into your hair, freckling wet kiss on your forehead. "i'm sorry," he repeats, long after you've fallen asleep.Ā 
ā€”
you wake up to the sound of laughter ringing out against the walls.Ā 
the room is as dim as it was last night ā€” dark curtains drawn and the lights turned off. time seemed to have come to a standstill, you couldn't tell if it had been days or weeks or even months since you'd fallen asleep. your body ached, still heavy with sleep while your mind cleared ā€” it had been a while since you've slept this well.
blinking your eyes open, you slowly sit up, feeling sheets warm and soft against your skin. you sit there, dazed, getting your bearings as you survey the unfamiliar room again. your clothes, folded on a small couch next to the window. your jewelry on the bedside table, your phone plugged in to the charger.Ā 
the only thing you recognised was the long sleeved shirt unmistakeable on your body, the familiar smell of perfume and body lotion in every fiber of the sheets.
stumbling over to the bathroom, the warm light brings back every memory ā€” the party, the drinks, stumbling upstairs into a room as your consciousness slipped away, and then haechan, haechan, haechan. haechan leading you out of the party, taking you home in his car, taking care of you. your fingers ghost over your forehead, where you swear he kissed you just before you woke up.
you turn off the tap. in the silence, there's another round of giggles, bright like a child's, and then ā€”
"baby, don't move!"Ā 
haechan's voice rings lighter than you've ever heard it, and the smile in it is evident. this is a voice without shadows, fondness in every lilt and inflection. with something like urgency, you dry your hands on your shirt, padding out of his room, hesitantly blinking into the sunlit living room.Ā 
you almost don't believe your eyes.Ā 
haechan is sitting on the couch, eyebrows furrowed in concentration and pink lips stuck out in a pout. sitting on the floor, cross-legged between his knees, was a little girl ā€” her hands busy with a doll, while her own hair was being meticulously braided and arranged by the boyā€¦whose head snaps up the moment he hears the creak of the door.Ā 
"you're awake," he blurts out, and the girl looks up.Ā 
"hi!" she waves shyly, leaning forward towards you, but whining as the motion tugs on her hair instead. "hyuck! it hurtsā€¦"Ā 
his eyes finally dart away from yours. "i'm sorry," he murmurs, lightly massaging her scalp with the tips of his fingers.Ā 
"you're making it messy ā€”"Ā 
"right, sorry." he grabs a sparkly pink hairbrush and combs through her hair gently, beginning to rebraid. the girl goes back to her doll, settling back down and quickly losing interest in you.Ā 
his eyes flick up to yours again, the tiniest hint of blush on his cheeks. "did you sleep well?"
you nod, feeling like you'd walked in on something you weren't supposed to.Ā 
haechan studies your face, a strand of hair falling from his grasp before he tucks it in diligently. "are you hungover? there were painkillers on the bedside table, i don't know if you sawā€¦"Ā 
"i'm fine," you croak out.Ā 
"and there's breakfast on the table," he murmurs, ducking his head back down to focus on the impressive french braid he was attempting. he looks back up when he feels you staring, as if fixed to the ground beneath your feet.Ā 
"is sheā€¦?"Ā 
"this is my baby sister," he answers, smiling softly. "sorry, i didn't know she was coming over today. her kindergarten is near here so sometimes i walk her to school." and then, with a nod towards the table, "please eat ā€” i made too many sandwiches."Ā 
the girl smiles, mumbling softly to herself. "hyuckie makes the best sandwiches."Ā 
you can see 'hyuckie' blush at that, his lips pressed together tightly to keep in his smile as he pokes the little girl's cheek softly, going back to the braid. you cross over to the dining table, feet shuffling slowly, reluctantly tearing your eyes away from the two siblings, watching the fondness in haechan's eyes. quietly pulling out a chair, you sit down and pick up a sandwich, holding it gingerly between your fingers.Ā 
a hushed voice breaks the silence, and you turn to see his sister, cupping her lips against haechan's ear whispering so loud that her words fill the room. "is she your friend?" the girl asks, pointing her pinky finger at you, head tilted with curiosity. haechan's head tilts too, but his eyes wander over to yours as he hesitates.Ā 
"yes, she's my friend," he says, slowly. "we'reā€¦good friends." sliding the hair ties from his wrist, he finally finishes tying off the braid, before giving the girl a gentle pat on the shoulder. "you can play for 5 more minutes okay? hyuckie needs to talk to his friend."Ā 
her round eyes blink at you as she slowly gets to her feet, before tottering over to the window, where another pile of dolls lay. haechan clears his throat, before shuffling over to you and sitting down in a chair next to yours.Ā 
although he adjusts himself to face you, he keeps his distance ā€“ legs drawn in under the chair, hands placed carefully on his knees in a way you'd never seen him do before. it feels like the space between the both of you spans for entire oceans and continents, an invisible force field that holds weight against your limbs, keeping you from leaning in, incapable of even moving your fingertips.Ā 
"are you sure you're okay?"Ā 
he looks at you ā€” his expression soft like wax melting around a candle wick.Ā 
"do youā€¦do you remember how you got here?"Ā 
you nod, taking a deep breath. "the party?"Ā 
"i'm sorry that you're here like this," he says, quietly. "i didn't know you were going to be there, i wasn't trying to corner you, i swear."Ā 
you nod, dazed.Ā 
"are you upset with me? for bringing you here?" at the conflict in your expression, he adds on, hurriedly, "i-i know it wasn't the best thing to do. i could've called jaemin, or mark, or anyone downstairsā€¦it's just that i didn't knowā€¦i didn't know if it would be okayā€“"Ā 
" ā€” i'm not upset," you cut him off, the pressure easing as you raise a hand jerkily to place it over his. "i believe you. thank you for taking care of me last night."
he exhales slowly, and when he speaks he sounds even more troubled than before. "youā€¦you shouldn't thank me. you shouldn't thank me for anything."
his eyes dart over to his little sister, checking in on her, and the sense that you're intruding on something creeps up on you again.Ā 
haechan had been right ā€” there was so much of him you didn't know. you hardly recognised the boy sitting beside you, despite a vague sense of comfort and familiarity in the slightest traces of his expression, the look in his eyes, his thumb absentmindedly stroking yours. it scared you.Ā 
you withdraw your hand, pushing your chair a little further from his, the scrape of it dissonant in your ears. "so, uh, i'll just wait downstairs for the taxi if you don't feel comfortable ā€”"Ā 
"taxi?" he looks at you, confused.Ā 
"iā€¦i should go now, right?"Ā 
"i wasn't going to ask you to go," he says, his voice small. "i wasā€¦i was hoping we could talk."Ā 
"talk?" you echo. after weeks of nothing? "now?"
"i mean, not right now-" he glances over at the clock, wincing. "but can you stay today?"Ā 
there's a pause. you don't think you've ever been able to read him ā€” you've spent days second-guessing every emotion you thought he had, the meaning behind each expression, whether he ever told the truth. but something about him like this makes you hesitate, made your breath catch in your throat. all the ways you've tried to learn how to be immune to his words and his touch slowly melting away, because that was your defense against the version of haechan you thought you knew before.Ā 
"i'll understand if you say no," he says, quietly. "but i have things i need to say to you. please."Ā 
you don't know what to do.Ā 
"hyuckie?"Ā 
you both turn. haechan's baby sister is waddling over, her fist clenched around her hair ties as the last remnants of the french braid unravel from her head. she sniffles. "it fell."Ā 
haechan's eyes dart back to you quickly, before refocusing his attention away. "it's okay-" he soothes, taking the hair ties from her as he swipes the pad of his thumb on her cheek, brushing off the teardrops that have begun to spill from her lashes. his lips jut out into a pout, his head tilting to meet her gaze. "let's just tie it up and go to school, hm?"
"but i want it in a braidā€¦"Ā Ā 
"i can't finish it in time," he says, gently, touching the strands of her hair. "i'm sorry. i promise, we'll do it next time, okay?"Ā 
her lip wobbles. "butā€¦"
"let me help," you say, suddenly.Ā 
he turns, round eyes wide. "what?"Ā 
"i'll do her hair. you still need to get her things right?"Ā 
he nods, a little dazed. "really?"Ā 
"i'll stay," you murmur, and you slip the hair ties from his loose fingers and sling them around your wrist. "i need to talk to you too."Ā 
you can feel his eyes on you as he coaxes his sister towards you, the girl shyly hiding her face in your hands as you swiftly braid two pigtails down her back. he still watches you out of the corner of his eye as he packs her bag, noting the way you listen to her babble on about her days at the school, the way you help adjust the straps of her backpack onto her tiny frame.
he looks at you like he's never seen you before. you think you know the feeling.Ā 
ā€”Ā 
the bed dips under his weight as he sits down.Ā 
"hey," you hear him murmur, and you stir. his hair falls over his face, and he's changed out of his clothes, and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses perches on his dainty nose. it's foreign, and newā€¦until he pushes back his hair boyishly with an open palm, flicking his head like a puppy after a swim, and the skip in your heartbeat feels all too familiar in your ribcage.Ā 
"did you get her to school?"Ā 
he nods. "i got us lunch too. and stopped to get groceries." studying your face, he leans in. "i didn't want to wake you up so soon. do you feel better?"Ā 
you hum. the morning now seemed like just a dream ā€” haechan and his sister, the breakfast sandwiches. he'd left to walk her to school, telling you to rest in his bed until he got home. now, late afternoon light seeps into the room through the open door, until haechan gets up to close it, once again sealing the room in cozy darkness.Ā 
"may iā€¦?" he lifts up the corner of the covers, and you nod, easing yourself to the side as he gets into bed, leaning up against the headboard, his eyes trained on his lap. you lay on your side, that same feeling ā€” as if you couldn't reach out and touch him, as if he existed in a world of his own without you, slowly settling in your body like a familiar ache.Ā 
but then there's a shift ā€” and you can feel his gaze warm on your skin. you blink up at him, his pupils focused on yours, pools of the darkest molten brown sucking you into his world. he wets his lips with his tongue nervously, taking a shuddering breath.Ā 
"y/n, i'm really sorry."Ā 
your heart squeezes a little in your chest. "for?"Ā 
"for what i said that nightā€¦when i thoughtā€¦when you didn't show up." he takes another breath. "and for not trusting you, for going to your place after i...." his fists clench the fabrics of the sheets, twisting it in his hands.Ā 
you bite your lip. "haechan ā€”"
" ā€” i'm not done." he swallows, voice dipping low. "you were right. i knew you wanted more, i always knew exactly when i hurt you. but i never triedā€¦i never tried to change anything. i'm sorry." his hands reach towards yours for a second, but he hesitates, dropping them back on his lap.Ā 
"what would you have changed?" you ask, softly.
"i could have stopped seeing you," he murmurs.Ā 
you smile, sadly. "i'm not convinced that would have hurt any less." that was something you knew for sure.Ā 
"and i don't think i could have stopped myself," he admits.Ā 
"haechan," his eyes move to yours. "why did you invite me?" his breathing picks up, and you want desperately to comfort him, to curl up on his lap and soothe him, but you knew the both of you were afraid of what would happen if you touched. knew the possibility that you'd try to find answers in skin-on-skin, lips-on-lips, and the possibility that it would all be lost in translation again.Ā Ā 
"i'm sorry, ā€“" he looks at you sadly. "i think i was just trying to get you to stay. iā€¦" he chews on his lip, glasses sliding a little lower on his slender nose bridge as his head dips. "i regret what i said, but some of it was true. i don't know what i would have done, and i don't think i was ready forā€¦for what you thought it was."Ā 
you nod, cheek rubbing against soft sheets, thinking about what he said. "haechan, i don't regret not going. i only wished i'd done it intentionally."Ā 
"yeah?" he whispers. the sound sticks in his throat.Ā 
"if you hadn't found me yesterdayā€¦would you still have looked for me? talked to me? i'm not hurt that you didn't find me sooner-" you cut in, when you see the guilt on his features, the parting of his lips in apology. "time apartā€¦.time apart was good. i needed it to clear my head. iā€¦.i couldn't stop myself around you."Ā 
he doesn't say anything, for a while. "jaemin came over," he says, slowly. "and he said i couldn't talk to you or he would stop working with the band and it was decided for me."Ā 
"he what?"Ā 
haechan shakes his head. "i don't blame him. i'm not going to pretend that i couldn't have still talked to you if i really wanted to. i'm selfish enough to do that, i'll admit. i didn't reach out because i didn't know what to say, and i didn't know what i wanted."Ā 
"and now?"Ā 
he closes his eyes. "time apart was good," he murmurs, echoing your words. "it gave me a chance to go back to a time before."Ā 
your breath catches.Ā 
" ā€” but i couldn't. i don't think i can take it any longer. i missed you, y/n. i miss you now, even as you're here."Ā 
"you miss me?"Ā 
something bothered you about it, hearing him say those words. when he'd pulled you away repeatedly in the weeks you've known each other, when he came for you time and time again, was that missing you too? were things different now?Ā 
"i miss spending time with you," he says, almost timidly. "not justā€¦not just sex. everything. i know it's selfishā€¦" his eyes blink open, and he pushed his glasses up, avoiding your gaze. "i didn't mean to pressure you to come back. you can forget i said that."Ā 
he shakes his head, trying to clear it.Ā 
"i just wanted to tell you i'm sorry for hurting you."Ā 
you'd never dared hope for a real apology from him. some part of you expected, or even secretly wished, he would find you again after that night, lie through his teeth to win you back. and in the weeks that followed, you took his silence to mean he didn't even care enough to do that.
and now here you were, sitting with him. after days and nights, he's had time to really mean his words ā€” he wasn't himself, which is maybe why you believed he was telling the truth.
you think you know now, why he refused to let you in. why he hadn't wanted to take your first time, something so intimate and romantic that it would have pierced right through the layers he'd built up around himself. why he drew away so many nights when your touch lingered on each others' skin, when you wanted him to stay.Ā 
"haechan," you say, quietly. "i need you to understand that iā€¦that i've learned how to be hurt by you. i don't want to go back to how we were before."Ā 
he nods, quickly. "of course."Ā 
"andā€¦you say you knew i wanted more. so you know that i wanted to be with youā€¦romantically, right?"Ā 
"i know." the words are so quiet, you barely catch them.Ā 
"ifā€¦if i come back, i don't think i want that anymore." you say, gentle, but firm. jaemin was right ā€” you couldn't let yourself forget all the ways he hurt you. "i associate us with too much hurt. i can't trust you with my heart, can you understand that?"Ā 
there's silence. he's nodding, but when his lips part, he's wordless.Ā 
"haechan?"Ā 
"i understand," he murmurs. "i'mā€¦i didn'tā€¦" he breaks off, fiddling with the covers, lip caught in his teeth. "whatever happens next will only happen on your terms," he says, softly. "i only want to do what you want to do, okay?"Ā 
your brow furrows. "but haechan, if you don't feel comfortable with something ā€“"Ā 
"i'm fine as long as you still want to see me," he whispers.Ā 
"if you don't want to let me in, i won't push anymore." you realize you truly mean it when you make the offer out loud. even if it hurt to know that you may never see him like this again, you press on, jaemin's advice resurfacing in your mind again. "you don't owe me any more of yourself. if you want it to just be sex, we can do that ā€“ but you have to commit to it too. so no more getting jealous, or ā€”"Ā Ā 
" ā€“ that's not possible."Ā 
"you're not making any sense." you should've been hurt, but sitting here now ā€” looking at him, the way he melts into his room, fuzzy at the edges, soft curves of his face, you can't feel any of it. finally, you're beginning to see that he's just as lost as you are. his head is still bowed low, taking in every word you say like a weight he carries upon him.Ā 
"it's not possible because you already know me. you know enough of me that i couldn't perform with you in the crowd, can't be myself around you at a party. i can't stand there onstage, do things like eyefuck girls and play the guitar and pretend to be someone else, while feeling your eyes on me. you'd see right through me."
he sounds like he's on the verge of tears, his voice achy and raw. and as you look up at him, tears are smudging on his waterline, his cheeks glistening as he sniffles.Ā 
"i said i'd be fine with anything," he breathes shakily, as he starts to cry, sharp inhales punctuating his words. "and i am, i really am. i-i'm not in the position to set terms. it's fine if you don't want to know me, but i can't pretend we're just strangers anymore. i won't be able to."Ā 
words you'd said to him ā€” you can't think i still want to know you, after everything.Ā 
for a moment, you entertain the idea that you've hurt him too.Ā 
"i don't think i can pretend either," you murmur. "i hated it when you pretended like you didn't know me. like you'd never seen me before."Ā 
i'm s-sorry, he chokes, but the syllables scattered across his sobs. he claps a hand to his mouth as his breathing speeds up even more, tears wetting his shirt, achy sounds muffled against his palm. and finally you sit up, limbs still clumsy and heavy from sleep, and you wrap your arms around him, and arm slung over his chest, another around his waist, just like you wanted to all this time.
his breath shudders against your palms, warm body against your skin. you bury your face in his neck, breathe in the familiar smell of him that changed no matter who he was or whoever he was pretending to be, until his breathing slows and his sobs come to a shaky stop.Ā 
"i missed you too, haechan," you breathe. he shakes his head. "i did-" you insist, but he shakes his head again, a hand coming to touch your arm on his waist, squeezing tight.Ā 
"not haechan, donghyuck," he whispers.Ā 
"donghyuck," you correct, stroking the side of his cheek lovingly, your fingertip stained with his tears. "i missed you."Ā 
"i missed you too." he says it like the words are dangerous, hushed and quiet. "are youā€¦are you really coming back to me?"
"do you think we can be friends?" you ask, tentatively. not lovers, not strangers. this was the only in-between you knew that could do justice to the ways you knew each other, the only way you could see yourself holding on to him now.
he looks at you for a long time, until you forget your question. his nose is tinted pink, his eyes still watery as he drowns in his thoughts.Ā 
he swallows. "are you sure?" he asks, softly. "your first time being with someoneā€¦and it's not even a real relationship."Ā 
"you're doing that thing again," you murmur. "where you tell me what's good for me. how i should do things." you soften when you look up, seeing the guilt in his face, as if he had been caught red-handed. "i'm asking you again," you say, slowly. "do you think we can be friends?"Ā 
this time, he nods. "yeah," he murmurs. "friends whoā€¦"
you nod too, feeling your cheeks burn, and then you lean in ā€” slotting your lips against his.Ā 
for a second, he doesn't kiss you back, and your stomach swoops.Ā 
but then his mouth is moving against yours, soft and gentle. a close-lipped kiss, just the feeling of his soft lips on yours, the brush of your noses together, your eyes slowly fluttering shut to focus on the feeling. and even though you'd just agreed ā€” even though you were the one who suggested it, a part of you wondered if you could ever only want to be friends with lee donghyuck.Ā Ā 
ā€”
you sit at the dinner table, and haechan's entire body aches with a longing that crests over him like a tidal wave, knocking the breath from his lungs.Ā 
he recalls the way he'd felt earlier, walking back across the park from the kindergarten, stopping by the grocery store and wandering the brightly-lit aisles, turning over pasta sauce and soup stock in his hands. the knowledge that you were in his home, sleeping, that he would turn the key in the lock and you would be waiting for him ā€” burned down his throat like alcohol, a bonfire in his stomach. it felt like playing pretend. he was afraid to even drive you back to your apartment, to walk you to your door, to look at you too long in the moments after. and yet here he was, tipsy off the sweetness of being able to come home to you.Ā 
after the talk, neither of you had gone much further than kissing.Ā 
"i missed you so much," he murmurs ā€“ his voice crumpling under the weight of his own words.Ā 
"do you want to show me?" your tone is lightly teasing, dipping low as you keep your smile on your face. the warmth coursing through your body has nothing to do with the blankets pooling around your thighs, and everything to do with the boy sitting across from you ā€” doll-like legs with miles of silky skin splayed out over the sheets, back slouching against the headboard, all crumpled in and soft and worn.Ā 
if you had gone to the bar weeks ago, let him guide you to this home, to this bed, you might already be familiar with this soft mattress in a whole different way.Ā Ā 
neither of you can deny the way your minds wander there still, despite everything. him missing your body framed against his, you craving the sink of his chest, the curve of his waist.Ā Ā 
there's silence, as his words register in the boy's head, pain flickering over his features. if he was feeling more like himself, he would pulled you in, caged you under him. tugged at that side of you that was always so pliant and easy for him and watched you unravel under his fingertips. the words are on the tip of his tongue ā€” i'll show you. did you miss me too? kiss me. stay with me.
instead, his fingers withdraw, and gently touch the soft cotton of his shirt's hem, warm light flickering in his eyes. "not like this," he murmurs quietly. "notā€¦not now."
you let out a breath, tension dissipating. "yeah," you'd murmured. "you're right."Ā 
you'd gone to take a shower while he prepared dinner. there was something terribly domestic about all of it ā€” you padding into the living room again, each fiber of your being smelling so much like him. the way he turned from where he stood guarding the soup bubbling on the stove to see you in one of his shirts, a towel draped over your shoulders. the feelings he hadn't learned to pin down, hadn't had the time to sort, intensified in his chest, an ache lodged inside him.Ā 
friends. he'd introduced you to his sister as his friend, watched you braid her hair and laugh with her softly, heard your sweet voice wishing her good luck with school. the nights he'd spent with you by his side ā€” talking about the band, about his tattoos. asking about how he did during the show, seeking your praise, wanting to know so badly how he appeared in your eyes. the way you somehow reached right through him and made him listen, made him stop. was that friendship?Ā 
now with all the plates cleared and washed, the sounds of your clothes tumbling in his washing machine in the background, the smell of black nail polish prickled his nose as you leaned over. your fingers brushing his, holding them in place.Ā 
"should i make it a little messy?" your voice is light.Ā 
"it's usually messy because i get my sister to do it," he tells you, softly. "you don't have to mimic how it looks."Ā 
you nod, a small smile on your face as you dip the brush back in the bottle. there's silence, for a while, as he watches you, studying the way you look with your head bowed, feeling each careful touch of your fingers, and then ā€”Ā 
"do you want to talk about rules now?"Ā 
you look up at him just briefly before going back to the task. he swallows.Ā 
"sure."Ā 
another pause. and then quietly, "you can't get jealous anymore, you know that right?"Ā 
"i know," he murmurs. "you told me to stop beforeā€¦but i didn't. i'm sorry."Ā 
you nod. "you can't be possessive of me, either."Ā 
he hesitates. "soā€¦no marking?"Ā 
slowly, you let go of his left hand. "you can still leave hickeys and bruises," you mumble. "just don'tā€¦don't call me yours you know?"Ā 
he didn't know if he could do that. "okay," he says, softly. "i'll try." and then, slowly and carefully, he asks, "are you going to keep coming to our shows?"Ā 
the slide drag of the brush on his nail stops. "do you want me to?"Ā 
he bites his lip. "i want you there," he says, slowly. "but i don't know if i'll be okay with having you in the crowd."Ā 
"oh."Ā 
"maybe you can watch from backstage. or the wings. i want you to," he adds, when you look troubled. "please."Ā 
"are we still a secret?"Ā 
his lips part. he wanted to say yes ā€” but it was the way you'd asked it, like it was something you feared, that made him hesitate.
"because," you continue. "it didn't feel good, keeping it from jaemin. and as i said, i hated it when you pretended we were strangers."Ā 
he felt your hands leave his, capping the bottle of nail polish as you leaned back in your chair, tucking your knees to your chest. he keeps his hands splayed on the table, taking a deep breath.
"no more secrets," he agrees. "and stop going to those parties, y/n. if you want to see me, just tell me."Ā 
you raise your eyebrows. "we're not exclusive," you point out, slowly. "i don't go to the parties just for you. haechan, if you don't think you can do thisā€¦"Ā 
"i can," he says, hurriedly. "i'm sorry. if i see you at a partyā€¦i'll say you're my friend. i'm sorry, it's just that iā€¦i'm justā€¦."
"it's okay." giving him a small smile, you get to your feet, shuffling over to the kitchen. you don't hear him come closer as you fill up a glass of water on the kitchen, only know of his presence as his hand touches your shoulder carefully.Ā 
"don't go," he murmurs. his arms slide around your body, gently pulling you towards him, and you turn slightly so you can see his face.
"i'm still here," you respond, softly.Ā 
but he shakes his head. "don't go."Ā 
you turn around in his arms and your lips brush, his own parting against yours, seeking permission. all the time he wonders when he'll stop kissing you like he's swearing an oath ā€” devoted in the way he wraps his lips around yours, patient and true in the way his tongue moves against yours, and even now, something loving in the way he murmurs your name into the cavern of your mouth. his hands move carefully on your skin, nail polish still drying on his fingertips, and if either of you question the way you kiss, you keep it to yourselves.Ā 
ā€”
it's different, watching haechan perform, when he's not performing for you.Ā 
you saw the way his eyes flitted through the crowd, making and breaking eye contact so fast it was hard to keep track of, each twitch of his expression rehearsed and calculated. a teasing part of his lips, sinful face fluttery and slack as the music crashed all around him, like he could physically feel it. he was right ā€” you didn't see him the same. you knew it was the performance, that he was really the one trying to please the crowd, riding off the pleasure of attention. but despite seeing through it as he had said, it still had you feeling tightly wound inside, pressure building up inside you, a craving for his touch intensifying with each time his hips shifted against his guitar.Ā 
and even worse was the way your heartbeat would trip over itself every time haechan's eyes flickered over to you. never during a song, but in the moments between ā€” mark's voice speaking through the mic, the rest of the boys checking on their instruments or interacting with the crowd. he would look over at you briefly, almost shyly, his heart-shaped lips creasing into a smile.Ā 
"friends?"Ā 
the moment you'd arrived home, you had pleaded with jaemin not to be upset with haechan, but it turned out you didn't need to. haechan had left a message the night of the party, and when you'd walked in looking more well rested and collected than you'd had in days, jaemin knew that you had been safe. you'd reassured him too, when he asked if keeping you from him only made things worse. both of you had needed that time to come to this conclusion. only time would tell if it was the right one.Ā 
"so you're going to be friends with benefits?" jaemin raised his eyebrows. "was this his idea or yours?"Ā 
"mine," you mumble. feeling the need to defend yourself, you raise your voice just slightly. "i just think thatā€¦i want to keep seeing him, and i want to get to know himā€¦but i don't want him in that way. anymore," you add, when jaemin bites his lip.
"did you really lose feelings, or are you just not ready?" he asks, quietly.Ā 
you force a laugh out of your chest. "you think i'd still have feelings for someone who hurt me that much?" you try to say it sarcastically, but you don't have the heart to. the words have no bite, and instead truth echoes in the spaces between.
"that's not the worst thing in the world, y/n." his voice is steady, and calm. "it's okay to take your time. if you remember that lying to yourself will only hurt more."Ā 
but there are things to soothe the ache.Ā 
"did you like the show?"Ā 
haechan roughly tugs off his jacket, letting it slump off his shoulders and onto the floor. the moment the last song ended he'd rushed off stage and right to you, eyes blazing under his heavy makeup, the both of you stumbling into one of the small storerooms backstage.Ā 
a single small lightbulb barely illuminates the small space, bathing you in warm light and shadow. shelves of boxes line most of the walls, except for a sliver of space that currently presses against your back, your fingers touching the cold surface.Ā 
"it was good," you murmur.Ā 
"yeah?"Ā 
he's still hungry for more. you can see it in his eyes ā€” for all his good girls and you're perfect, you knew he craved to be adored too.Ā 
"you were right," you say, softly. "it feels different, watching as your friend."Ā 
his smile falters.
"iā€¦i like it more," you continue. "being in the wingsā€¦makes me want to get your attention."Ā 
"you have my attention now, princess," he points out. he touches a hand to your waist.Ā 
it's almost scary, how you slip back into old patterns. a heady rush filling your senses, slowly dragging you under. this is why i couldn't stop, you think, as he leans in ever closer, his eyes glazed over as his gaze slides to your lips.Ā 
there's a beat.Ā 
"i forgot to ask," he mumbles. "no possessiveness right?"Ā 
your mind clears, just a bit. you nod, breathlessly.Ā 
"what else?" he asks. looking at you, timidly, he asks. "can iā€¦are pet names okay? can i still call you baby?"Ā 
"baby's fine," you whisper.Ā 
"princess?"Ā 
"hmm?"
"no," he smiles fondly at you. "i was asking if calling you princess was okay."Ā 
you want to bury your face in your hands. or his chest. "princess is fine."Ā 
his smile grows wider, before he suddenly turns serious again. "are we starting anew?" he asks, hesitantly. "can iā€¦can i bring up things from before? or are we pretending that this is our first timeā€¦"Ā 
"no more pretending," you murmur, feeling like a hypocrite. "why? did you want to bring up something?"
"kind of," he nods towards the door. "just thought you're going to love this," he says, slyly. "hearing stage crew and bandmates walking by, knowing that at any point someone could hear us, someone could come inā€¦"
and now you do bury your face in your hands, and when he reaches around to hug you, you lean against his chest, feeling his laugh vibrate against you, feeling you with warmth.Ā 
"it's okay," he murmurs, as his hands slide down to squeeze your waist. "i won't play with them this time, baby. today's all about you, hm?"Ā 
his hands falter, perhaps realizing the words were too tender, a little too loving for what you both claimed this would be.Ā 
"lets try not to do anythingā€¦romantic?" you mumble.Ā 
you regret the words as soon as you say them, your teeth biting into your lip sharply.Ā 
haechan's face has shuttered down. you can't read his expression, as he nods, taking your hands in his and kissing them.Ā 
"please." you look at him, this time taking the dive, feeling yourself free-falling towards that familiar desire, letting the current swallow you whole. "i need you."Ā 
in spite of everything, haechan's lips are as gentle as they've always been.Ā 
his lips brush yours, once, twice, before he locks in his kiss, hands trembling slightly as he touches the side of your face, cups you in his palms. you want to ask him what's wrong, pulling away slightly, but he makes a wounded sound from the back of his throat, pressing you against the wall, his head dipping to kiss you fiercely. his tongue slides against yours, and he groans low against your lips.Ā 
your hands fumble on his shirt, skimming his broad shoulders, strong arms. he pants into your mouth when your drag your nails down his chest, breaking away. tugging his shirt roughly over his head, he grabs your hands and places them on his chest before leaning in to kiss you again, this time working his way down your neck, his wet kisses making your body shudder as you cling onto him for support.Ā 
"please," you murmur, wondering why he was staying so silent. "please-"Ā 
but he shakes his head, fingers tracing your jaw, tilting your head up so he lap his tongue over a newly formed bruise. the room is silent save for the sound of his lips, but you crave his voice, his words guiding you through everything, the lilting cadence of it.Ā 
"haechan-" a foreign feeling spikes in your stomach as he ignores you, continuing to kiss his way down to your collarbones, fingers tugging your collar wide open. it felt like he wasn't there at all.Ā 
he breathes heavy against your skin as he curls his hands around your hips, holding on tight. still he doesn't say a word, or even make a sound, as his caress the back of your thighs.
"stop-" you blurt out. roughly, you take his hands in yours, gripping them by the wrists.Ā 
he lifts his head.Ā 
"haechan," you start, but he just looks at you. your heart squeezes painfully in your chest.Ā 
"haechan, you're scaring me." your voice is panicked and tight, the tension so overwhelming that tears begin to blur your vision, your chest rising and falling faster.Ā 
"baby?" he asks, alarmed. "what's wrong?"Ā 
"please talk to me," you beg, wiping away the tears on your cheek. the ache has soothed slightly at his voice, but you need more. "whyā€¦why aren't you talking? you alwaysā€¦you always used to-"Ā 
"i'm sorry," he whispers, pulling your body into his, wrapping his bare arms around you. "i'm here," he soothes, in your ear. "i'm here," he mumbles again, and again, until your breathing calms down.Ā 
"i'm sorry," he repeats, kissing you softly. "i'm here now, baby, okay?"Ā 
you nod, and now you guide his hands to your thighs, feel the way his breathing hitches.
"can iā€¦?"Ā 
"please," you say, breathlessly, and his hand cups your warm core.Ā 
"fuck," he blurts out. you were so warm, the seat of your panties completely soaked through. he slides them to the side with nimble fingers, inhaling sharply as he strokes your folds.Ā 
"how are you so wet? fuck-"Ā 
"take them off," you plead, the fabric sticking uncomfortably to your skin. immediately, he tugs your panties and skirt down roughly, almost frustrated, barely waiting for you to step out of them before encouraging you to spread your legs wider as he strokes you, fingers dipping to catch at your entrance, your swollen clit.Ā 
"so fucking wet," he marvels, groaning slightly as he swipes his fingers softly .Ā 
"from watching you perform," you say, softly.Ā 
the words send pleasure thrumming low in his navel. "yeah?" he murmurs, eyes meeting yours.Ā 
slowly, he drops to his knees, and suddenly you feel hypersensitive ā€” his breath on your thighs, hands gripping you tightly. he suckles a kiss close to your core, and you whine, loudly, the sound too loud in the small space.Ā 
he looks up at you, sultry eyes framed in dark eyeliner. "let me hear you, baby," he coaxes, easing your legs open. he sticks out the tip of his tongue, and gives your clit a gentle flick, your hips bucking into his face before you can stop yourself. "i've been dreaming about this," he sighs, before he closes in and suckles on your clit.Ā 
he lapped at you like all he'd done in your days apart was think about how best to do it ā€” alternating between suckling on your clit, licking your folds with his tongue wide and flat, and prodding at your entrance. one hand keeping you pressed against the wall, his other slips around your entrance, sliding in one long finger, the way your walls suck him in making him moan, vibrations sending another wave of pleasure through you. you can feel the jut of his finger joints, the pad of his finger curling against your walls, while his tongue focuses on your clit, drawing shapes and letters expertly.Ā 
you slump further against the wall, the pleasure making your legs shake, unable to hold yourself up, your hands tangled in his hair, knotting them around your fingers.Ā 
"i can't stand-" you're cut off by a moan, as he bites into your thigh, licking up the wetness that stains them, a mix of your arousal and his saliva. "please," you wish you were on a bed, wish both of you had had more patience to go somewhere and do this right, feel the whole weight of his body on yours.Ā 
"cum," he pants, sucking on your clit with his plush lips as he coaxes another finger into your warm, now mimicking a vibrating motion with his hand as he pushes in hard and fast. he doesn't break away even as he moans out, now curling his fingers languidly against your walls. "fuck, baby, i need you to cum now because i can't wait any longer-"Ā 
his tongue presses onto your clit, and the pressure pushes you overboard. his hand the only thing keeping you upright, pushing roughly into you, he eats you out until your orgasm is over, kitten licking your clit as his head moves this way and that. you open your eyes and see him staring right at you, desire pulsing in his pupils, eyes blown out and dark.Ā 
"good?" he breathes, both hands now gripping you tight. you nod, swallowing and gasping. his face is smeared with you, mouth and nose shining and glossy. he licks around his lips, mouth hanging open as his eyes glint.Ā 
"more?" he asks, and you nod, gasping, falling to your knees. now, you're finally able to touch him, as your body crashes into his, causing him to nearly tip over from how he kneels, sitting back on his ankles to draw you into him. you kiss him deeply, letting his lips wrap around your tongue just the way you loved it, feel his hum vibrate against your own chest.Ā 
his hands ghost under your shirt, and you help him pull it off, his hands cupping your breasts with his familiar touch, sucking kisses down your cleavage as you gasp for air. his hands roam your body indulgently, as if he was afraid you'd dissolve if he wasn't mapping your skin with his palms, his tongue, his lips. one hand trailing up and down your back, unclasping your bra, while the other squeezes the back of your thighs, resting his hand on your ass.Ā 
he suckles on your nipples like he had all the time in the world, as if you weren't in a cramped store room feeling as if you were about to explode from his touch alone. gentle tongue drawing circles around the bud, eyes staring up at yours with devotion. your hips move against his, and his eyes flutter shut as he sighs, his hips starting to grind up against you as well.Ā 
"turn around," he mumbles. "now, princess."Ā 
"i want to see you," you protest, hands gripping onto his arms as he slowly walks forward on his knees, pushing you towards the wall.Ā 
"i'm sorry, baby-" he kisses you, placatory and sweet. "we'll go again in my bedroom later, okay? need you like this now."
you let him maneuver you until you're facing the wall, legs spread apart as he kneels in between. trying to soothe you, he rubs a hand over your stomach, reminding you of his presence the entire time he rids himself of his jeans and underwear, rolling on a condom, tension building with every small sound, until you can feel something thick and heavy press between your legs.Ā 
"haechan-" you pant, your back arching just slightly as you lean towards the wall for support, feeling his hand squeeze your hip.Ā 
"i know," he mumbles, making slight shushing sounds as he eases himself against you. "i know, baby."Ā 
even though he was behind you, you knew the face he would make as you felt his tip slowly push past your entrance, the way his eyebrows would float upwards as his eyes went unfocused, lips parting in a lovely 'ah- ah' that he tried hard to contain behind hisses and bitten lips. part of you still wants to see it, but all thoughts are lost as he fully sheaths himself into you, feeling him deep inside from the position. his hand on your hip creeps over to your navel, and he pushes gently over where he was buried inside you, the pressure somehow intensifying as you feel full from all sides.Ā 
slowly, his body presses you further into the wall, and you gasp as the cool surface brushes your chest. he kisses the nape of your neck, and your body trembles, shifting against him and whining as you clench around him from sensitivity. behind you, haechan mumbles out a string of curses, hips jolting forward unsteadily before he stops himself.Ā 
"please move," you whisper, and he moans, finally thrusting into you. he finds a rhythm that's slow and deep, feeling full and stretched out each time you throb around him. a particularly harsh thrust has you whining, your hips tilting towards the wall, trying to get away, but suddenly the solid weight of his body presses against you ever harsher as he rolls his hips, his chest pressed to your back. he feels stronger, and sturdier than he ever did before, as a hand creeps down to your clit and begins to rub slow and lazy circles, his body attuned to yours. you jolt away from the simulation, ass suddenly jolting back against his length, making you cry out again, sandwiched between pleasure.Ā 
"don't run from it," he coaxes. "just take it, hm?"Ā 
you had nowhere to go as he fucks himself into you, wet sounds filling the small space, and you're sure the floor is wet with your arousal, can feel your next climax approaching fast, making you forget about the ache in your knees and in the way your head pressed against the hard wall. you begin to shake in his hold, trying to fuck yourself back on his cock while he bullies your clit relentlessly, but once again his chest presses into you, strong arms holding you firmly in place as he overflows your body with pleasure, a hand slowly grasping yours and squeezing.
"i missed you, baby," he says, quietly, voice surprisingly steady despite the way he was ramming into you. "i really missed you." his lips brush the shell of your ear.Ā 
you cum unexpectedly, crying out, squeezing tight around him as all the muscles in your body tense. your hand squeezes tight around his as the other rubs quick circles on your clit, working you through your orgasm. you can feel him still behind you as he cums too, whining in a pitch and tone you'd never heard from him before, desperate and achy as you clench around him again from the sound, so sensual that it rekindles a fire inside you despite the soreness in all your limbs.Ā 
your weak hands fumble against him, scrabbling against his strong grip. he pulls out with a hiss, helping you turn around to face him. in the semi-darkness, you can see the concern pooling in his eyes, bright and scared.Ā 
"was it too rough?" he asks, breathlessly. his hands skim your frame, pulling you onto his lap.Ā 
you shake your head, nuzzling into him. you're torn between watching that silvery glow in his eyes, makeup smudged around all his corners, and burying yourself deep inside his chest until you can feel his heartbeat on your cheek.Ā 
"baby? are you alright?" he rubs gentle circles on your back, as you nod. "use your words, please," he says, softly.Ā 
"you got stronger," you blurt out.Ā 
"did i hurt you?" he moves against you, something protective in the way he holds you that makes your body sing with warmth.Ā 
"no," you say shyly. "i loved it."Ā 
you lift your head just quick enough to catch the way his face crumples. before you can ask, he leans in and he's kissing you again ā€” soft, gentle, sweet and almost shy. when you part, he looks dazed, eyes drifting down to your lips and wandering back up to your eyes.Ā 
"you deserve better," he says, quietly.Ā 
he looks down, at the way you're sitting in his lap, and then tilts his head sharply to look around the store room, as if he meant you deserved better than this for your first time back with him. as if this was about sex at all.Ā 
you take a deep breath, and shake your head. "haechan, you're exactly what i deserve."Ā 
the name rings out in the space. it seems to ground him, and he shakes his head to clear it, slowly untangling himself from you as he gets ready to help you up.Ā 
you swallow. "take me home," you tell him. "take care of me."Ā 
he does exactly as you say.Ā 
ā€”
attention simmers on your skin, a palpable heat you're unable to shake.Ā 
girls circle the kitchen island like sharks, eyes glinting under the fluorescent lights, but they're never able to come close as it's so clear haechan's focus is entirely on you. haechan's back is turned to the party as he sits on the counter, long legs spilling over and the muscles in his thick thighs accentuated by the way he sits, denim stretched tight and each gaping hole making you doubt your decision to come to the party here, instead of going over to his home.Ā 
it was his party, and he should go. the fans would be upset if he didn't at least show. now you were seriously regretting it, as you ducked your head to avoid the glare of another crowd as they passed by, while haechan knocked back another drink.Ā 
he had been alight with energy ever since the show ended ā€” agreeing amiably when you suggested going to the party, his smile only wavering when you reminded him he couldn't get jealous. and while your eyes wandered around the party, drinking in the scenes you hadn't seen in awhile, he was doing everything in his power to keep your attention on him, camera strap hanging from his neck as he clicked through the photos, pointing out the parts where jaemin had helped him, explaining the stories behind the pictures.Ā 
"i didn't know you were into photography." it's a stupid statement, that you want to retract immediately. of course you didn't ā€“ you didn't know much about him at all. but it makes him smile a little proudly, clicking on the dial to speed through the photos.Ā 
"yeah well, i've never taken a photo of you." he mumbles, scratching the nape of his neck. "i know for sure because when weā€¦you knowā€¦when we weren't seeing each other, and i missed youā€¦" his cheeks are burning up, his mouth barely moving as he tries to fumble through the rest of the sentence, plush lips swallowing his words. "i couldn't find any photos of you. on my camera or in my phone orā€¦" he trails off.Ā 
your heart thrums harder in your chest. "yeah?"Ā 
"doā€¦do you have photos of me?" he asks. timidly, softly. his eyes trained on his camera, unseeing, breath held in his chest waiting for your answer.
"of course i do," you murmur. you hope he can hear the smile in your voice, know that it's for him.Ā  "rockstar."Ā 
his fingers twitch, and he looks up at you, a searing intensity in his eyes that wasn't there before, flames licking at your cheeks as you hold his gaze, a warmth that sparks down your spine like fireworks. the sounds of the party fade away, sealing you in the vacuum of his attention.
"y/n,"Ā  his voice drops an octave, all the softness drained out of it.Ā 
"haechan?"Ā 
"let me take a photo of you," he murmurs. "please."Ā 
"now?"Ā 
"no, not now," he says, slowly. "you know what i mean, princess."Ā 
but you never get to clarify, because someone taps you lightly on the shoulder. haechan's eyes flicker behind you, all the intensity faded out, and it feels like your lungs fill with air again as you turn to see jisung, holding two cups in his hands, one of which he's holding out to you.Ā 
you're torn between crushing guilt, and relief that he doesn't hate you.Ā 
"j-jisung," you splutter. "jisung, hi."Ā 
"hi, y/n." he smiles, nudging the cup towards you again, and you take it. almost against your will, your eyes dart over to haechan, but his face is impassive and neutral, camera laying forgotten on his lap as he turns quickly to survey the party behind him. was he trying to offer you privacy, or was he upset?Ā 
you sip from the drink, trying not to make a face at the overwhelming sweetness that floods your tastebuds. the boy had barely put any alcohol in it. your hand almost inches towards the cup haechan made for you, wanting to balance out the taste, before you stop yourself.Ā 
you didn't want to hurt his feelings again.Ā 
"it's been a while," you say, sheepishly. "and again, i'm really sorry about last time."
"it's okay," he says, cheerfully. "haechan already apologised. besides, you can make it up to me on our date."
jisung's words have a physical effect on haechan. you feel him tense up behind you, body going stiff as he turns back to watch you, eyes trained on the side of your face.Ā 
"you still owe me a date." you don't know if it's determination, or sheer recklessness, that inspired jisung to say this to you as you stood in the kitchen with haechan just inches away, the side of his thigh still brushing your waist. "are you free tomorrow night?"Ā 
you try your best not to look at haechan. he had no right to care, you didn't owe him anything. you didn't know what you wanted to see on his face either way ā€” whether his jealousy would make you angry, whether his sadness would hurt you instead.Ā 
"i am," you agree, hesitantly, and jisung's close-lipped smile blooms.Ā 
ā€”
"you know there are other boys out there right? that there's a world beyond the band?"Ā 
"shut up, jaemin," you mumble, checking your reflection in the dressing room mirror one last time.Ā 
"this is good for you." his tone has changed, as he leans against the locked door. "jisung is nice. i hope it works out."Ā 
tonight's show had been different. jaemin had reluctantly confirmed that it wasn't just your imagination ā€” the way haechan was quieter throughout, more self-conscious in his performance, eyes barely scanning the crowd, taking longer glances at you throughout the show. jisung's confidence, on the other hand, poured off him in waves, his jacket unzipped, gums showing as he smiled wide.Ā 
"i know." you sling your bag across your body, adjusting your skirt, as you turn to face him, taking a deep breath. "i'm really giving him a chance, jaemin. i'mā€¦i'm taking this seriously, even if you don't believe me." it wasn't a lie. you barely knew anything about jisung, and jisung barely knew anything about you ā€” but he was always sincere and sweet, quietly brave under his shyness. you couldn't forget the way he looked at you even with haechan by your side. it made you want to give him a chance too.
"i believe you," he reassures. "good luck, okay?" the door unlatches with a small click, and he gives you one last wave before heading out into the corridor.Ā 
your eyes dart back to your reflection one last time before you turn back, satisfied with your appearance, and start towards the door. you barely take a step before there's a creak, and you think it's jaemin coming back, or perhaps jisung, wondering why you took so long.Ā 
but of course, things are never easy.Ā 
a familiar face enters the room, pushing the door open wide. he doesn't bother to close it, just takes you in for a second ā€” eyes sweeping your frame, taking in your jewelry, the hints of makeup on your skin, your clothes, your neat hair. dejavu crawls over your skin, remembering the first time you'd met jisung, the way haechan had cornered you in the dressing room after, too. you tense your shoulders, preparing for the fight.Ā 
"you look nice," he says, quietly.Ā 
your lips part. "haechan-"Ā 
but before you can speak, he's blurting out his next words. "j-jisung's going to love it," he stammers out, shadows flickering in his gaze as he swallows, throat bobbing. "iā€¦ i just came here to say good luck." at your surprised expression, his lips curve up into a sad smile. "thatā€¦that's what friends do, right?"Ā 
"yeah." your hands grip onto the sling of your bag tightly, afraid of what your hands would do if you let go.Ā 
"i'm going to go now," he mumbles. "iā€¦have fun, y/n."Ā 
there isn't a trace of sarcasm in his tone, his eyes soft and fond. he leaves before you can say another word, not closing the door behind him. you can hear his boots all the way down the corridor, can hear him disappear up the stairs.Ā 
you try not to think about his voice, as you take the back exit out of the venue, see jisung standing in the warm summer night, smiling under a streetlight. try not to dwell on the fact that haechan might have actually wished the best for you ā€“ no more layers of pretense under pretense, no more feelings without reason.Ā 
it's easier said than done.
ā€”
two hours pass, your food gone from your plates, only the dregs of your drinks left in their glasses, before jisung finally clears his throat.Ā 
"this isn't working out, is it?"Ā 
"i'm sorry," you say, biting your lip. you'd walked to see a movie, something jisung had picked out, but had been mind-numbingly dull to you. you settled to watch his reactions instead, the way his hands flew over his eyes at the more intense scenes, the way he bit down on his fingers when the tension spiked. it was cute, but less so when he started asking you questions about the movie, and you had to admit you didn't remember any part of the plot past the first 20 minutes.Ā 
late night dinner hadn't been better, each topic running itself to the ground quickly, your opinions and lack of opinions causing each conversation to crash to an uncomfortable halt. good things take time, had been jaemin's text to you when you asked for help. you were sure that jisung and you weren't acting like your true selves, the prospect of the date altering the way you talked and responded to each other, until you'd finally come to the conclusion that perhaps you just weren't compatible.Ā 
"i really thought this would work out," jisung says, a tinge of sadness coloring his words.Ā 
"i wanted it to," you confess. selfishly, you had almost been excited at the prospect of things working out with jisung ā€” needing confirmation that you could still feel for others. excited for the date leading to the next, to fall in love with surety.Ā 
excited to find the first relationship, the first 'you and i' that haechan seemed to think you deserved.Ā 
"it's okay," jisung reaches out, pats your hand clumsily, shyly, as if surprised that reaching towards you meant he actually got to touch youĀ  "i didn't know much about you when i asked you out, anyway. just thought you were really pretty." he looks mortified again, and it makes you laugh ā€” everything about him still endearing.
"do you want to just be friends?" you ask, gently.Ā 
it's like a weight lifts from the conversation, and he sighs, relieved. "yeah," he echoes. "friends."Ā 
the silence that follows is a lot more peaceful. jisung slumps slightly in his seat, like the tension has left his body. his deep voice somehow still manages to sound timid when he speaks up next.Ā 
"since we're friendsā€¦"Ā 
you nod, encouragingly, taking a last sip of your drink.Ā 
"can i askā€¦do you like haechan?"Ā 
you nearly choke. jisung was looking at you carefully, although he smiled at the expression on your face.Ā 
"a-are you sure you want to talk about this?' you stammer.Ā 
he shrugs, but there's something unreadable in his expression. "i'll always be curious about it, and i guess this is my chance to ask."Ā 
you don't have the heart to answer him directly.Ā 
"iā€¦i used to," you say, slowly. "but that was when i didn't know him."Ā 
"know him?" he asks, confused.Ā 
you nod. "yeah. i didn't really know him as a personā€¦.justā€¦knew the performance, i guess."Ā 
jisung still looks confused, but he nods along. "well, do you know him now?"Ā 
you think of the sunlight in his living room. the faint dimple on his cheek as he showed you a photo of his sister running towards the camera, her face alight as she called out for her big brother. his arms around you in the kitchen, as he asked you to stay. the slope of his neck as he turns towards you at the end of a song ā€” the fading sound of his guitar as his eyes sought yours.Ā 
"maybe," you say, softly.Ā 
"and?" jisung prompts. "could you like him now?"Ā 
you don't answer him aloud, but your unspoken words ring in your head.Ā 
ā€”
it's different this time, haechan tells himself, as he grips his phone in his hands.Ā 
it's different this time, because he knew where you were. he knew why you weren't calling.Ā 
he slumps back against his bed, his body heavy with alcohol but his mind racing wild, each thought outpacing the next.Ā 
the apartment was silent and empty. both jeno and mark were gone for the night. haechan hadn't bothered to go to the party, knowing that he would feel jisung's absence like a pain lodged in his ribs. he wonders if jisung will bring you home, here, whether you'd let him, even if he knew jisung wasn't the type of boy to go further than hand-holding on the first date. he thinks of it anyway ā€” of hearing your sounds through his bedroom wall. whether it would make you needier to know haechan was listening.Ā 
he feels like a loser. he's never felt more uncomfortable in his own skin, more unclean, more ashamed. but then again, there's no one around to know, as he lets his mind wander a little farther, away from you and jisung, away from his phone, sinking deep into the last time he'd touched your skin, images and sensations jumping out eagerly at him when he closed his eyes. flicks through moments that caused a heat to lick down his spine, the familiar hum of pleasure buzzing low in his navel ā€” your legs on his shoulders, your hands in his hair. your taste, the patterns he would draw on your body so you'd shake just the way he liked, the spot on your neck he could kitten-lick to feel you tense up all around him.Ā 
that night, even after he'd fucked you in the store room, you had been insatiable.Ā 
he'd tried to touch you like the other girls he used to play with ā€” never speaking much, preferring to use his mouth for other things, let their own imaginations run wild with what he could be thinking behind his hooded eyes. he'd taken you with your face turned away from him, pleasure without intimacy, sucking bruises as a keepsake for you after the night ended, not as if you were his to keep or to lose.Ā 
let's try not to do anything romantic.Ā 
but then you'd begged him to talk to you. told him to take you home. he'd hated it ā€” hated the way you folded for him, like someone had given him powers he couldn't help abuse. do you know how tender this is for me? he'd wanted to ask, as he was touching you again in his sheets back home, racing to meet your every demand before you asked for it.Ā 
your legs parted for him as he entered you, trying to keep his eyes open through the pleasure to watch your every expression, the look he'd been dying to see ā€” your eyelashes fluttering, lips parted silently, the sharp gasp as he found your soft spot, your hands scrabbling against his skin. he held your gaze even as he let you wrap your legs around his waist, ankles locked in a sweetheart's cross behind him as he pushed your legs even higher, letting him in deeper. he'd never imagined himself with anyone like this before ā€” a position so full of love and closeness, feeling your body and ripple against his, leaning in to kiss your lips softly, kiss away your desperation.Ā 
he'd almost gone crazy when you found your voice amidst all the pleasure.Ā 
"donghyuck," you'd breathed, saying the name like a prayer. "feels so good."Ā 
he had stilled, slowing to a stop, even though he was painfully hard in you. his heart racing in his chest, pounding so hard he felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.
"you," you mumbled, slowly grinding your hips against him. "you make me feel so good, 's like no one else-"Ā Ā 
"yeah?" he picks up the pace again, tilting your body at an angle now so he could go even deeper, watches the way your face changes. he was the one who pulled that sound from your chest ā€” sated but desperate at the same time, needy but satisfied. "i make you feel this good, right? i'm good for you, everything's for you-" he babbled, not making sense to even himself, your praise burying itself deep inside him like a siren song.Ā 
you'd choked out more praises, pretty words tumbling from your parted lips, your eyes never leaving his.Ā 
"more, hyuck-" you pulled at him, nails scratching down his back. "hyuck-"Ā 
it's like he can hear your voice, as his hand slides down to his hip, down to his leaking cock.Ā 
he jerks himself off like that ā€” to the images of you pressed under him, your voice calling his name. he does it fast, with no finesse ā€” tugging roughly, the slide too dry, but he doesn't care about drawing out the pleasure, doesn't think it matters if you're not here with him.Ā 
he feels even filthier after he finishes ā€” peeling off his soiled shirt, as he stumbles to the bathroom. he knows he won't hear from you tonight, that you wouldn't do that to jisung, but still he keeps his phone unlocked with the ringer on next to his bed as he lays down again.Ā 
maybe he would wake up, and you would tell him he could never see you or touch you again. his mind wanders in another direction now, away from your body, away from pleasure ā€” to the ways you made his heart squeeze tight in his chest. when you said his name. when you'd comforted him as he was crying, the kindness in your eyes despite all the ways he hurt you. sitting on the kitchen counter, thinking of ways to keep you with him as your eyes wandered off. look at me, he'd wanted to beg. think of me. just me.Ā 
he goes to sleep thinking about how this could be the last night before you'd really only exist in memory and fantasy, before everything changes.
@neochan, @ahncosette, @18shy @kittydollzz @jenoslutie @pussymode @yyfka @cheolctrl @jaeminsballs @mysummerhyuck @strawberrytyong @rosiejunnie @nctzen4eva @haechskies @wickedrei @sundamariis @liliansun @lanadreamie @nodisdino @angelwonie @foxydumps @manooffline @moonsmias @skzct7 @iscocohere @ficrecnctskz @makiswrld @itskkung @simpforarmihn @aryraaaa @rbf-aceu @laubyrinthine @yujuvly @nctevia @hyuckenjoyer @guhhfgbbj @girlwholoveslpreppyattire @kasperneo @eneiyri @toroufriteh @cauliephays @jisoung @niinjo @wonaoi @yuskitty @strawbabyz @readingisgodly @daegalfangirl @minkyuncutie @feat-sun @chaoticstrawberryland @shawnyle @sofix-hc7 @scftharu @spageddy @adorejaehyn @manooffline @02mrk @tyongspice1 @runahways @neosdaisy @hotmessexpress35
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ja3hwa Ā· 11 months ago
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怐Synopsis怑 : He couldn't help but think such filth when you were innocently fast asleep only merely a couple of feet away from him.
怎Word count怏 :Ā  1.12k
-> Genre: Pure smut. Little plot. DBF.
Pairing: Dilf!Hongjoong x Park!Reader [Hwa's Daughter]
[Warnings] : Slightly Noncon (Reader is asleep at first). Masturbation. Cum play. Thoughts and fantasies. Pet names. Sir kinkish. Hongjoong is nasty. Also, Joong is like in his late 30s and tatted while the reader is only 23. Whoops.
Note: No one asked for this, but for some reason, I was hooked on the thought of the Dad's best friend trope, and Hongjoong is really coming for my heart. So, It was a perfect match in my eyes.
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You didn't know what came over yourself. It felt like the heating was turned up tenfold. Your nose scrunched as you began to move more and more in your sleep. Hongjoong couldnā€™t help but watch your discomfort in curiosity. Were you having a nightmare? No, you werenā€™t one to have them. But then again, maybe you just didnā€™t tell anyone. And being on a family trip in the middle of nowhere would cause distress.
Maybe I should wake her?ā€¦ He thought, now sitting fully up on the pull-out couch bed. You were no longer tucked under the big fluffy covers on the single bed. No, you had thrown them off moments ago, revealing your mid-drift slightly from your short sleep top and the fact you weren't wearing any pants. God, you looked so cute in your black frilly pantiesā€¦No, he couldnā€™t think of such a thing. Not when you were his best friend's daughter.Ā 
But oh how you looked delicious. When he met Seonghwa, he had no clue he had a daughter, let alone one that was twenty-two. And when he agreed to go on this camping tripā”€more like staying in this large cabin on Seonghwa familyā€™s landā”€he didnā€™t expect to see you tag along. You were stunning the moment he saw you hop out of your car. You were everything he would want in a woman and after spending hours of the day chatting and getting to know you he knew he was fucked. Anyone outside your conversations, like Seonghwa or his other friends and their kids, would see it as some harmless banter. But in reality, Hongjoong was shamelessly flirting. He didnā€™t mean it at first, but it just kept going, and you kept egging him on. So what was he supposed to do?
Since there were quite a lot of people that had come on the getaway, rooms were tight. And you had begged your father not to let you sleep in the rooms where the kids were cause you were certain one of Sanā€™s boys wanted more than innocent late-night chatsā€¦ He ended up putting you in the same small study-turned-bedroom where there was a single bed and a double pull-out with Hongjoong. He originally offered to take the single, but you argued, saying his ā€˜old man backā€™ wouldnā€™t like it. He let you take it after that comment.
ā€œJ-joongā€¦ā€ you mumbled, almost inaudible. The older man's eyes snapped to your parted lips in a millisecond. Did you just say his name? No, he was definitely hearing things. ā€œJoong, please.ā€
No, he definitely heard you that time. Your little panting, knitted brow, and soft moans. You werenā€™t having a nightmare. You were having a sex dream. And it was about him. God, did he wake up in another universe where everything went his way?! He ruffled his hair before rubbing his face in disbelief. He needed to hear you again, but as he took in your figure, he noticed you were now biting your lip, and your hips were jerking slowly. The pillow you were cuddling was tightly pressed up against your covered cunt in between your legs, and every little movement of your hips sent a shock of pleasure through your body.
You were humping your pillow at the thought of them while fast asleep.
He knew it was bad, but as his cock twitched for the millionth time he knew he needed to give himself some relief. And besides, you were sleeping, so you wouldnā€™t catch him only a couple of feet away from you, fucking his fists in time with your thrusts as your little moans carried out the nastiest fantasies his mind could conjure.... Right?
The thought of you laying out on his bed back at his penthouse. You're soaking on complete display as you beg him to hurry and touch you. He questions if you are a virgin, and if you were would you let him fuck you raw? Just the thought of slipping inside your tight virgin pussy while you tear up at his girth. He squeezed his cock tighter, staring at you intensely, he moved the sheets off himself, hissing slightly at the cool air hitting his hot angry tip. He needed more, he needed to hear his name spill from your mouth again. And it was as if the gods answered his prayers hearing you whimper, ā€œP-please H-hongjoong.ā€
That was enough to tip him over the edge, speeding up his movements. He noticed the stutter in your hips. You were close to. Heā€™d whisper to himself, ā€œLetā€™s cum together baby. Cum all over my cock, fuuck.ā€
He wouldnā€™t be able to catch himself in time, splurting all over his hand, chest, and some dripping on his thigh. Fuck, he came so much. His eyes were shut, head leaning back against the backing of the couch. His heart was thumping in his ears so loudly he couldnā€™t even hear anything more. He was in complete ecstasy and peace. That was until he felt the bed dip, making his heart stop and eyes widen. ā€œoh uh..I. um..ā€ fuck, he was so fucked. You were sitting on the end of his bed, half asleep with the haziest expression while staring at his cock still tightly in his hand. His dick twitched, causing a groan, mostly from annoyance as he had been caught and he does even feel an ounce of guilt.
ā€œD-did I cause t-thatā€¦ā€ You said sweetly, so innocently. Could you get any more perfect?!
ā€œIā€™m sorry angel, just go back to sleep, yeahā€¦ā€ He tucks himself back into his boxers, feeling his cum stick to the fabric which caused him to gag. Heā€™s gonna have to slip out for a shower. But you didnā€™t budge as you took in his words. Instead, you pushed past any anxiety you had over the past days wondering whether Hongjoong liked you the same way, and moved closer to grab his hand that still had some of his cum on. You had woken up over five minutes ago before Hongjoong had creamed himself. His head was thrown back and he was in complete bliss and it caused you to cum just from the sight alone. ā€œA-Angelā€¦ā€
You didnā€™t let him speak another word as you placed two of his fingers in your mouth, swirling your tongue around them. Soaking them. And once they were wet enough, you pulled them out with an audible pop. Slowly, without breaking eye contact with the older male, you moved his hand down until those two wet fingers dipped into your completely ruined panties, letting him feel exactly how wet you were for him. They would slip so perfectly into your cunt causing you to sigh in relief, feeling so full just from his fingers alone. ā€œArenā€™t you gonna help me, sir.ā€
Hongjoong was done for.
ā€”ā™”
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