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i-drop-level-one-loot · 1 year ago

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*NSFW* I'll keep you warm (Yandere!Lynx Shifter X GN!Reader)

CW: Intense temperature exposure , Yandere behavior, dub-con, dead dove, imprisonment/abduction

Inspired by @lonelyafacy 's monster suggestion ❤️

Mother Nature was a cruel and indifferent witch, unforgiving towards those foolish enough to tread her wilderness. (Reader) smacked their dying flashlight, becoming numb to the harsh winter cold through their snowsuit.

The weather had turned for the worse, changing from a snowy winter's day into a blizzard that lasted into the night, separating (Reader) from their group. Their lips were stuck together with frozen blood, and their eyes could barley stay open. The snow coming down was deceptively sharp, nicking their cheeks above the slipping scarf and turning their skin into fragile paper.

Although they pushed on, trying to use the stars amongst the flurry of white as their guide, their limbs were losing their feeling, and (Reader) was beginning to wonder if it was worth the battle. The flashlight flickered again as though it could hear their thoughts. (Reader's) knees buckled, causing them to collapse by the base of a tree. They pulled their limbs in under their body, and fell unconscious, incapable of keeping themselves awake through the cold.

Am I dead?

(Reader) smelled something cooking before they realized they felt warmth. They hadn't been anywhere near civilization, so the first semi coherent thought they had was that they had died and this was heaven. Until their muscles began twitching in pain. A large hand pressed (Reader) back into a mound of furs when they forced themselves to move. The hand was warm and strong, even through the blankets (Reader) could feel it.

"Sleep." A gravelly voice commanded.

(Reader) kept their eyes closed, face mostly buried in the cloud like bedding. "Where am I?"

"My home. I found you outside." The unknown man responded while moving around the home, floorboards creaking under his weight. "Sleep more. It'll hurt less." His sentences were short and curt, but (Reader) didn't mind. Whoever he was had saved their life, so he couldn't be too bad of a person. (Reader) fell asleep again.

After thirteen hours (Reader) woke up and was able to sit up without pain, still feeling exhausted despite sleeping for such a long time. Their stomach hurt from hunger. "Hello?" They called out for whoever had rescued them.

A giant entered into view, wearing a hood that obscured his face from (Reader). He held out a wooden bowl filled with some kind of stew. "Can you eat?"

(Reader) reached out from the blankets, immediately going into shock when they saw their own naked arms. "Where are my clothes?"

"Drying. You think I'd put you sopping wet in my bed?"

Embarrassed, (Reader) turned red, ashamed for doubting their hero for even a second. They grabbed the bowl, thanking the man quietly.

"The blizzard has gotten worse. Even I can't leave right now. Once the storm has passed I'll point you in the direction you need to go. Until then, stay warm. Heal up."

"...Thank you."

"You already said that."

"That was for the food. Thank you for saving me."

Although he had his back turned to (Reader) they could see him tense under their words. (Reader) assumed he was uncomfortable with their presence, based on how he kept his face hidden. "My name is (Reader)."

"You don't need to know my name." The man's response was almost panicked, growling as he stormed out of the room.

(Reader) was left upset over the fact that they seemed to anger their savior. He must be anti social..

They finished the bowl of stew and waited under the fur blankets, unable to take care of their dish without walking around in the nude. After some time he returned, taking the bowl without a word, his hand seemed huge in comparison to (Reader's).

"Thank you." They smiled up politely, hoping he was looking. The man shuddered again, hurrying away with the bowl. (Reader) cleared their throat. "Are my clothes dry yet?"

"Your jacket was frozen solid when I found you. It took a few hours just to thaw. Everything is still damp."

"Why were you outside in this weather?"

"I was on my way back from some last minute hunting and gathering."

"Ah, I see. Thank you. Again."

"There is no need to thank me." His body seemed to relax. (Reader) smiled, hoping that this meant they were wearing him down.

"You saved my life. I got separated from my friends and couldn't find my way in the dark. I would have died out there if it wasn't for you." (Reader) spoke as sincerely as they could. "You're my hero."

He took a deep breath. "I have... lived alone for a very long time. No one knows that I am here. I almost... left you, when I found you."

(Reader's) heart grew heavy with guilt. "I promise I won't tell anyone about you." They briefly imagined that under his cloak was a kind of Quasimodo esque being, who risked his identity to save them.

Even without seeing his face the man seemed surprised, turning to (Reader) and staring from under his hood.

"Cain."

(Reader) gave a large toothy grin. "It's nice to meet you, Cain."

They sat together in a strangely comfortable silence, before a gurgle reminded (Reader) that, unfortunately, they were still human. "Do you have a restroom?"

His relaxed demeanor stiffened again. "It is.. down the hall." He quickly handed an oversized shirt to (Reader) before turning his back for privacy, and pointes in the direction of the facilities.

(Reader) threw the shirt on without thinking too much about it, and painfully hopped to the toilet. The building was a cozy little cabin, (Reader) was just now realizing, with pictures hung up on the wall of a family. They wondered if it was Cain's family. But the need to go was stronger than their curiosity.

They collapsed onto the toilet before realizing that there was an odd smell in the bathroom. It wasn't the normal bad stench of a toiletries, but it smelled rotten.

In the corner of the room was a pile of clothes, and other than that the restroom seemed to be empty, with nothing that could be causing such a smell standing out to (Reader). (Reader) didn't want to be snoopy, but... They finished hurriedly, praying that Cain couldn't hear them, and picked up the clothing. The clothes were heavy, torn into shreds and soaked in old, dried blood. A chill ran down (Reader's) spine. Cain didn't want anyone to know he was here. He considered leaving me to die to keep that secret.

How far could I make it in just a shirt?

They left the restroom, trying their best to appear normal. The family on the walls taunted them. Did the blood belong to one of them?

Cain sat by the fire, still hiding under his cloak. Next to him was (Reader's) clothes, hung up on the back of a chair. Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions. (Reader) sighed, placing a hand on their heart to muffle it's pounding. He still saved me.

(Reader) touched their shirt, feeling the warm dampness and was relieved, because it meant Cain hadn't been lying about that at least. "How long do you think this storm will last?"

"Hopefully just the night. It could last up to a week though."

They shivered at the thought. "Do you have a couch I can sleep on? I wouldn't want to take your bed. Again."

"You can take the bed."

"I'm really fine-"

"Take the bed."

(Reader) could feel the adrenaline shoot to the tips of their toes. "O-okay." Although there was a smile on their face, the previous comfort they felt around Cain was dead. They had trusted him so much simply because he rescued them that they had forgotten that Cain was still a stranger.

Cain grabbed (Reader's) wrist as they passed, his hand engulfing their forearm with his inhumanly large mits. The air became heavy, and (Reader) could feel their arm sweating in his strong grasp.

"Your hand smells like blood."

Frightened, (Reader) smacked at Cain with their free hand, knocking his hood back. Although his face looked only a few years older than (Reader) his shaggy hair was a light grey, and atop his head were two pointed ears, pressed back against his scalp. If it weren't for the coloration, (Reader) CO m wouldn't have noticed the ears at all with how flatly they laid against his head. Shocked, he released (Reader's) arm, giving them enough time bolt out the front door, back into the blizzard.

Snowflakes pierced their skin as they ran, and the warmth they had gained in the cabin was gone the moment they left it's protective embrace, robbed by the harsh environment. Barefoot, (Reader) ran in a random direction, not capable of rational thought. With fight, flight, or freeze, they learned in that moment what kind of person they were.

Between the clouds masking the stars and the onslaught of snow, (Reader) was left completely blind. Without any clothes it felt like their muscles were shredding in their legs. (Reader's) legs gave out much more easily than they had the first time.

(Reader) could barely hear Cain's footsteps above the roar of the wind. Through the trees a large grey monster stalked into view, walking on its hind legs like a man, it's terrifying size was more reminiscent of a bear's. It's ears were flattened, and there was an almost human like expression of disappointment on its face.

"What were you thinking, running off into the woods?" It's voice was hoarse, but it was recognizably Cain's.

As he approached his fur receded, shrinking back down into his more human form, still with animal ears, now naked in the snow. He bent over (Reader's) violently shivering form as they crumbled.

"Did you forget that there was a storm?"

(Reader's) eyes stung as they tried to cry. "Please don't kill me." They weakly pleaded.

"Why would I save you, only to kill you later?" His warm breath thawed (Reader's) cheek. "You were unconscious for a long time when I found you. I thought you were dead. Unlike myself, you needed shelter suitable for a human. So I took one. I didn't have time to clean up everything. I needed to bring back everything I had caught to begin preparing a meal for when you awoke and making it comfortable for when I would eventually make you mine, so I was hoping that you would understand. That I killed them for you."

Cain's hot tongue licked (Reader's) cheek, the juxtaposition between the extreme cold and his sudden warmth made their skin feel like it was being torn off. (Reader) gasped out in pain, too cold to scream.

"I really did almost leave you in the snow. Because what if you left? Found out what I was and told the other humans? But look at you... Were you even conscious when you begged me to save you? Or was that your body acting on its own?" Cain got onto his knees, his skin searing (Reader's) flesh. His fingers digging into their shoulders felt like flames dancing across their body. Each touch from Cain burned. It was neither comforting nor pleasant.

"Ah, but now you're nearly frozen, yet again. Do you want me to warm you up?" Everytime Cain shifted his weight above (Reader), they were exposed to the blistering wind. As the parts of them hidden under Cain's body warmed up in his unnatural heat, the more excruciating the exposure to the outside was.

Tears melted (Reader's) fragile eyes. "Please, warm me up, Cain." Their primitive need for survival made (Reader) beg like a pathetic coward.

The loving smile on Cain's face was brief, before his face began shifting, becoming the humanoid monster he was moments earlier. Dwarfing the terrified human, he ran his rough tongue across their cold body, purposely allowing their body to freeze without his touch before warming (Reader) back up. He relished in the needy whimpers escaping (Reader's) lips as they suffered in the deadly temperature. (Reader) grasped at Cain's fur, trying to pull him in to steal his heat.

Clawed paws grabbed (Reader's) thighs, pressing their knees to their head uncomfortably. (Reader's) eyes widened in horror as Cain revealed his cock, resting it across their exposed bottom. They didn't have time to protest before their body was folded into a mating press, no preparation for their tightened hole, no warning to help them relax. Cain pressed his tip to the opening, and snapped his hips into (Reader's), thrusting in his entire member without lubricant.

Cain's dick was already hot, but with the added pain of the sudden insertion it was like being fucked by an iron poker. The scream (Reader) couldn't find earlier now ripped through their throat, the sound of their agony drowned out by the howling wind.

(Reader) pushed Cain away in surprise, but immediately regretted the action when he playfully leaned back, allowing (Reader's) chest to be assaulted by the snow and hail pelting them from all sides. They pulled him back, cringing at how Cain chuckled in their ear.

He fucked them in the snow, pressing deep into their gut painfully, and humiliating (Reader) further by licking away their tears as they sobbed under his body, incapable of pushing him away. Cain could stop at any moment, but the threat of frost bite kept (Reader) latching onto him, begging him not to let go. Their desperate cries only encouraged Cain to continue teasing them, watching with glee as their skin chapped and bled without his touch.

"It hurts..." (Reader) moaned as they pulled him in deeper.

"If you keep whining like that you'll only make me cum faster." Cain threatened, biting (Reader's) neck to hold in a gasp when they tightened around him. Their knees smacked into their temples as his pace sped up, his twitching cock threatening to release deep inside (Reader).

"No! Don't cum inside me!" (Reader) blubbered into the monster's fur.

(Reader) felt a wave of heat blast inside them as Cain pumped his thick load into their raw hole. As they wept loudly Cain continued happily smacking his wet pelvis into his beloved's, just the action of fucking his seed into them turning him on again.

Cain was already planning their futures together, as (Reader) imagined their death. This wouldn't be so bad, fucking (Reader) like this; purposefully keeping them needy so they clung to him like they wanted it.

Maybe one day, (Reader) would love him in the same way as Cain loved them, and would beg Cain to make love to them, but for now, he was content fucking them like a desperate, wild animal.

Blood from the wind burns and from the tearing from rough sex stained the white white under their bodies. Cain turned back into a human so he could kiss (Reader) passionately, taste their mouth salty from their tears.

"Let's go home, (Reader)."

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere monster #yandere monster x reader #cw dubcon #tw dubcon #rough cnc #gender neutral reader #minors dni #romance #bad writing #smut #dead dove do not eat

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moneyndior · 10 months ago

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୧ ׅ𖥔you’ll never find nobody better than me.⋄ 𓍯

…IN WHICH; i have loser!luke x reader thoughts

tags/warnings: fem!reader, tooth rotting fluff, reader says something slightly suggestive twice at the end, small creepy comments mention, teasing!reader, whipped!luke, hints at aphrodite!reader, hints at reader being popular, separate blurbs/headcanons, LONG‼️

ೃauthor notes⁀➷: do not expect this to be coherent lmfao i just woke up from a 4 hour nap and had ideas. also shout out to artemis for telling me to write this ily oomf

—

—loser!Luke absolutely looks over to you before answering a question for your reassurance.

“can you help me, luke?” a younger hepaestus kid asked. you and luke finally had alone time—away from your friends and away from his siblings. a huff left your lips as you crossed your arms, a sassy expression sure, but that comes naturally to you.

luke opened his mouth, ready to agree. it was his calling, to keep up the golden child reputation he had at camp. but for some reason, he hesitated. luke’s eyes shifted toward yours, back to the kid, then back to you. like he was asking you if he could go—like all his free will was thrown out the window.

as much as you’d like to preach that you didn’t like it—that you’d much rather luke be his own person—you couldn’t. a snicker left your throat as you nodded. luke’s eyes shinned with appreciation, a small smile on his face as he turned his attention to the kid.

“yeah, sure. c’mon.” luke mumbled before kissing you on the cheek, following the kid as the 12 year old frantically explained the situation.

—loser!Luke who gets weak in the knees whenever you noticed him. even if you two just made eye contact.

“it’s getting to be painful to watch you looking at her, dude.” chris said from beside luke. they both watched as your sisters braided your hair. one put a flower in your hair, making luke’s heart race a little faster. the flower on your ear made you look even prettier. it’s no surprise every other guy at camp is fawning over you.

“will you shut up?” luke asked, his face scrunched up as he diverted his attention away from you for only a split second to look over to his friend. “it’s not that bad.”

all luke got in response was silence. he shifted his weight left to right, rolling his shoulders with his arms crossed. he waited very impatiently for chris to answer.

“did you come to your senses yet? is the realization hitting now?” his friend asked, eyebrows raised. he spoke with a chuckle and a mischievous look in his eyes. luke clenched his jaw as he blinked, looking away from him.

“look, she isn’t busy. she probably thinks you’re a creepy stalker.” chris added, rubbing salt onto the wound. maybe now realization would hit luke. and it did. hard.

he could be ruining his chances with you because he’s too much of a loser to muster up the courage to even say hi! goddamnit—what kind of demi-god is he?

chris nudged the curly haired boy before quickly pointing in your direction. luke followed his finger before your eyes locked with his.

he felt his knees slightly buckle, being the first out of the two of you to break eye contact. ‘shit,’ was the only think echoing in his mind. ‘way to go, luke. go on you for looking like the biggest loser in front of y/n. awesome.’ he thought, rubbing the back of his neck as he quickly fled the scene.

“he’s cute.” “who? luke? y’know—he’s like, totally in love with you, y/n.” “i know.”

—loser!Luke who takes the title of ‘y/n’s boyfriend.’ like seriously….he takes real pride in it.

“you’re y/n’s boyfriend, right?” damn fuckin’ right he is. forget luke castellan—that’s boring. y/n’s boyfriend has a much better ring to it. he’s yours before he’s human.

he felt a weird sense of pride wash over him whenever another camper asked him that. it doesn’t matter if he’s asked it once, twice, or even a thousand times. luke’ll always get a grin on his face as he nods.

getting a question like that just meant he gets to brag about how he’s dating the prettiest girl at camp—the prettiest girl to ever walk this planet.

“yeah. y’know it’s actually our anniversary soon and i was wondering-“ and there he goes, on another tangent about his plans to surprise you. because he only wants the best for you. blah, blah, blah. luke’s just so whipped it makes everyone sick.

percy literally fake gags anytime luke finishes a rant about how pretty you looked last night at the campfire and how gorgeous your eyes were then.

—loser!Luke who took one week and three days to finally talk to you.

he felt his sibling shove him in your direction when his back was turned, causing him to stumble toward you. luke’s head snapped back toward them, watching them laugh with a few other hermes kids.

“you alright?” your voice sounded sweet like honey to him. it wasn’t rough, it was possibly the smoothest, nicest voice he’d ever heard. and luke has spoken to a lot of people.

he tripped over his feet as he tried to straighten his back, rolling his shoulders before crossing his arms. luke cleared his throat, nodding. “yeah. ‘m alright.”

a giggle left your throat at his reaction. out of all the guys that you’ve flirted with—luke stuck out for some reason. maybe it was because he was genuinely flustered at the sight of you. that’s different than the usual corny pickup lines or the way-too-intimate complimenting.

“luke, right? it’s nice to finally put a face on a name.” you said, a chuckle in your voice as you smiled. your smile was so much brighter up close. luke was about to answer, until his words finally processed in his head.

you knew his name. you know who he was before this. did you hear good things about him? bad things? did you hear that he was the best swordsman here? did that impress you?

“uh, yeah. it’s nice to meet you too.” he managed to get out, his voice coming out a little quieter than he’d like.

“i love your hair, by the way.” you complimented him like it was nothing—like he wasn’t about to make it his whole personality. did you even know the hold you have on him?

“oh, thank you.” “you’re welcome.”

luke was ready to say something about your eyes, until your sibling cut him off.

“i have got to steal y/n. i am so sorry, luke!” “oh. that’s alright.”

it wasn’t alright, though. he wanted to keep talking to you—having your full attention on him was better than anything. luke just sighed before speaking to you once more, hoping to leave an impression.

“i’ll see you later, hopefully.”

“yeah, definitely.”

definitely. luke cannot wait for the time definitely comes around.

—loser!Luke who does anything and everything you ask of him.

“can you help me take off my shoes? my feet hurt!”

you whined, throwing yourself onto a log. luke furrowed his brows, more confused above all else. he snickered quietly as he seen you pout, sitting with a leg extended out toward him.

“can’t you do that yourself?” “can’t you do it f’me?”

luke shrugged, sarcastically rolling his eyes at your words. he kneeled down in front of you, beginning to untie the converse you had on.

“you look pretty like this, luke.”

he paused for a moment, his hands still gripping your shoe lace. luke’s lips tightened, his eyebrows twitching. he really didn’t know what to feel other than embarrassment.

“thank you.” he muttered before frantically trying to finish untying the shoe. luke quickly slipped it off, hearing you giggle at his expense.

“why’re you actin’ so shy? can i not compliment my boyfriend?” you teased further as he, once again, frantically tried to untie the other.

“stop it. ‘m tryna help you and this is how you reward me?” “i’ll reward you in a different way if you hurry.”

and goddamnit—hurry he did. even when you asked for him to carry you, he still did. luke is just some guy who’s madly in love with his girlfriend. even when he’s holding her shoes and carrying her bridal style to his cabin.

#— luke castellan #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan blurb #luke castellan imagine #percy jackson x reader #pjo x reader #luke castellan x you #loser!luke #loser!luke x reader #moneyndior #my god his side profile is perfect #LUKE COME HOME #I MISS YOU #TGE BEDS GETTING COLD

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nonstoplover · 3 months ago

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she broke my heart ~ daniel ricciardo (dr3)

my masterlist | my f1 masterlist

pairing: daniel ricciardo x fem!reader

song inspiration: she broke my heart ~ noah schnacky

summary: the story of how daniel met that someone just because a girl broke his heart

words: 2.6K

warnings: the title is deceiving a bit, i know, but it is pure fluff really

a/n: visa rb kicked danny out and didn't give him the respect and the goodbye he deserved, so i had to write something to help with the pain and kinda make myself forget about what is going on with him at the moment. and what is a better cure than a short fic with some heartwarming fluff?

please, don't be a ghost reader, leave a comment or rb!

His friends invited him to go to a bar with them, but drowning in his misery, he felt like staying in. Well, that's what he thought at 6pm. A few hours later, feeling more bitter than he's done in a very long time, he realises he could do with the distraction.

He doesn't want to admit it to his friends, though, because first of all, it was him who was unpersuadable about going out, and secondly, they would just joke around, trying to find him a girl to make up for the void her girlfriend – well, ex-girlfriend now – left behind. And he definitely doesn't want that. It's been a week already, but the pain hasn't subsided. And to be honest, he doesn't want the pain to go, not just yet. It's a great reminder of what he's lost, of what he's done wrong. He takes the free time her absence means to reflect on what could've gone differently, if he'd just paid a bit more attention, if he was there more.

Or maybe there's nothing he could've done otherwise. Maybe it wasn't his fault in the end, but hers.

Deep down, he knows it was most probably both of them, but he would've tried. He wanted to fight, in order to keep what they still had, fight for them. She didn't, it seems like.

It was a phone call, a simple, short, goddamn phone call. He was just about to board the flight home from a long race weekend when it happened. Didn't even know what to say. He was exhausted, all he wanted was some sleep and then landing in his girlfriend's arms when he woke up, many hours later. He couldn't find the words, so when she finished describing what wasn't working in their relationship, he just hummed.

And right when he opened his lips finally to say something actually coherent, she just swiftly said, "there's no need to make it harder than it needs to be. I'll be out of here before you get ho- before you get back", like it's no big deal. Like it didn't feel like a twist of the knife on his chest how she corrected herself before she could've said home. The place they shared for two and a half years. Now it's not her home anymore, so it seems.

She really did move out by the time he arrived at his front door. All her belongings were gone like they have never been there in the first place. Like she never existed. Even though she was the centre of the universe for him, or so he thought. Now he's starting to see everything in a new light.

His whole life changed in twenty seconds. That's how long the phone call lasted.

And now, a week later, he can still hear her words in his ear, on repeat, echoing around, making him want to shout, punch the wall, kick the trash can, anything, just to make it disappear.

So he gets dressed, and goes to a bar – one that he knows his friends most definitely aren't going to be at –, and sits down at the counter, ordering something strong, something that will burn its way down to his stomach, melting away the painful knots in his throat and chest along the way.

After one drink, it only feels worse. He's looking at the happy couples dancing away on this lovely Friday night, holding each other, looking like they aren't aware of anyone else in the bar, like they're the only two people left on the planet. It used to be like that for him and her as well. But not anymore.

After two drinks, the echo of her words seems to quieten a bit. Some words missing from the sentences she said, and the blissful memories of their time together fading from the front of his mind that have been playing on repeat until then.

After three drinks, the welcomed distraction finally comes. He's not thinking about her any longer, he's not watching the couples dancing sorrowfully, he's just nodding his head to the rhythm of the music playing, his feet also tapping the beat on the foot-rest of the bar stool he's perching on.

After four drinks, he finally gets up, the fifth in his hands, though it's not the same thing anymore, he's changed his order to something more fun, something more unique.

What he doesn't notice though, too focused on the way the fancy little drink swirls in the glass, reflecting the lights of the dance floor, creating a tiny rainbow in their wake, is the person trying to move behind him

Daniel swiftly turns around, eager to get on the floor as a song he loves starts playing, and with that same movement, crashes into that person, all his drink spilling out from the glass, right onto the girl.

"Oh my god, I'm so terribly sorry!" he slurs, a blush creeping on his already pink coloured cheeks, just as she lets out a gasp.

The girl looks down, trying to see the damage, as if she's in slow motion, still recovering from the surprise of their crash. Her mind is just as slow to catch up to what happened, her lips widening into the shape of an O, when it finally does.

"Shoot," she mumbles – at least, that's what Daniel can read from her lips, as the music is way too loud for him to hear her.

"I truly am sorry," he repeats, and as if she only notices him in that very moment, she looks up at him.

"It's okay," she says, and suddenly a bright, warm smile spreads on her face, one that Daniel didn't expect. Not at all. He's figured there will be a long string of curses, an annoyed glance his way, eyebrows furrowed, a huff of anger maybe, then her storming off, maybe to the bathroom, to save what can be saved of her outfit. Instead, he got that smile, one that spreads warmth in his chest, one that makes his heart skip a beat, and one that he can't help but mirror.

With lips curving into his signature smile, he places the now mostly empty glass back on the counter. "Can I do anything to repay you for the mess I've caused?" he asks, turning his eyes back towards her.

"No, thanks, it's all fine. I was just about to go soon, anyway."

"I feel awful, though," he presses on, not really understanding why all of a sudden he feels scared about that plan – the one where she leaves soon. Maybe it's because if she leaves, she'll take that bright smile away from him, along with the warmth in his chest, and he will fall back into his depressed, desperate state of mind, drowning in sorrow. "Let me at least buy a drink, maybe a coffee, some other time, if you don't wanna stay here any longer."

She ponders about his offer for a second or two, weighing the options. Her friend has just called an Uber for the two of them, but she doesn't have to go with her, does she? She can stay a bit longer, it's not her that has to attend a wedding tomorrow, but her friend, so she can just go ahead, and she can stay with this handsome stranger. Maybe her top is drenched in something alcoholic, something that makes her skin sticky, she can already feel it, but it's not every day she meets a cute man, offering to buy her a drink. This might be her little meet cute, the one she's been dreaming about for as long as she's seen The Holiday, oh so many years ago.

"Give me a sec," she says in the end, turning on her heels, and making her way through the crowd towards her friend waiting at the entrance.

Daniel looks after her dumbfounded, not sure what's happening, and as the crowd closes behind her, he wonders if she'll ever come back.

She does, a couple minutes later – just enough time to make Daniel feel foolish for still standing around waiting in the exact same position she's left him in, but not enough time to make him actually do something about this awkward feeling.

His eyes light up at the sight of her, curiosity peaking in his whole body in the shape of electricity, or so it feels, about what she's going to say to his offer. Joyous, excited disbelief is still written on her face from what she's about to do, and in the next moment, she leans in closer to his ear. "I don't have to go, not really, so what was that you said about a drink?"

A mischievous sparkle in her eyes, and relief filling up his brain like fog. His much awaited, proper distraction, finally.

One drink turns into two, with the conversation just flowing. They soon move to a booth, to have a bit more privacy and comfort, and though they're sitting opposite each other, their feet are touching under the table, and they're both leaning in to be closer to each other. Neither can deny this magnetic attraction they feel, pulling them like one of them is a planet while the other is a meteor that can't fight the gravitational pull, both of them just awaiting that unavoidable crash.

Her fingers play with the empty glass, spinning it around, or circling the rim. He can't help but think about how much he wishes that he could touch those fingers. That he could be the one to stop their nervous – or excited? – fiddling. That he can wrap his much larger hand around hers, and see how it feels to have skin on skin contact with her. But it's only a wish.

He tells her about all the funny stories he can remember at the top of his head from the past couple years of his life, and revels in the sound of her laughter, ringing loud and clear even above all the noise and thumping beat. Tears form in her eyes from all the laughing, and she's clutching her sides, asking him to stop because she just can't breathe.

Daniel ends the story, and watches her with a smile on his face as she catches her breath, trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach. He doesn't recognise himself. Who is this person, and where's the heartbroken, pathetic remains of a human being that he's been this past week? He can't find that version of him anymore. A few hours spent in her company, and it's like she changed the person he was.

"Wanna dance?" she asks when she's regained her composure, nodding towards the dance floor.

Daniel raises an eyebrow, thinking of the question as more of a challenge, then nods eagerly, already moving to get up from his seat. She follows suit, and they join the people still dancing, sing-shouting the lyrics of a song he didn't even think he knows the words to.

He lets go of all inhibitions, and just enjoys being in this feeling. Who knows what tomorrow brings? Maybe he'll go back to his sorrow, pitifully sitting in his house, looking at the empty walls – well, empty except the nails that used to hold their shared pictures with his ex-girlfriend. That's really all that's left of her.

He's brought back to reality with her fingers gently touching his arm as she doubles over in laughter, and when he looks at her with a questioning look in his eyes, she just pants out "your dancing", pointing at him. He glances down, as if he could see exactly what she means, and though he's not sure what she found so funny, he just accepts gracefully that he's made her laugh, again, even if he did so unintentionally.

Hoping to be imperceptible in his motives, he moves closer to the girl with the help of his dance moves, wondering what might happen if he brushed his fingers against hers. In an act of who cares bravery, he just goes for it. She stayed with him for a reason, it's not like she doesn't want him to be there. And holding hands isn't that big of a leap to take, he's not trying to kiss her or something.

So his fingers move, and weave their way around hers until he's finally found a proper hold on them. She gives him a reassuring squeeze only a moment later, and her smile gets even wider, if that's possible. Daniel feels happiness fill his chest, a kind that he hasn't felt in a long time, not in his career, not in his personal life. Maybe there's a way to move past his ex and the past few years. Maybe all he needs is her.

And looking into those gorgeous, sparkling eyes, he feels like he's right. For once in his life, he's finally going to make the right decision.

Close to their third anniversary Daniel finds a little souvenir that he once got for his previous girlfriend, and the memories come flooding back. This time though, he's not filled with misery, thinking of all those months, and with a small grin on his face, he realises that his current relationship has already lasted more than the one he had with that girl did. For some inexplicable reason, he finds this reassuring. Exciting. Happy.

He slides down to the rug beneath his feet, pressing his back against the side of the sofa – the one he got quite fond of in the past few months, something that he won't ever admit to her, as she had to spend weeks to convince him to let her buy it –, and though his eyes are open, he doesn't really see what's in front of him.

His fingers play with the little figurine, and lets his mind travel back in time to that very day when he met the love of his life. All thanks to another girl he once loved. There's quite a bit of irony in that, he has to admit.

If he wasn't deep in sadness that day, being left by a girl, he wouldn't have gone to that bar. If he was still in a relationship, he would've been at home, enjoying time with his girlfriend of the time. Hell, he almost stayed at home anyway, in his sorrow, all alone. It feels like he won the lottery by that small decision that he eventually got up and went out on that fateful Friday night. He would've missed out on the almost exactly 1100 days of happiness he got just by knowing the girl who he spilled his drink on.

If there was still a her back then, and he wasn't single, there definitely wouldn't have been a them now. It's crazy to think, and makes him ponder if in an other universe, it all played out differently. He feels pity for the version of him in those other lives. This is definitely the best variety of how his life could have gone.

Then he hears keys jingling at the front door, signalling that this wonder of a woman he gets to call his own is just about to walk through and flash a smile worth a million diamonds at him.

"Well, thank God she broke my heart," he mumbles to no one in particular, as he pushes himself up from the floor, eager to see her as soon as possible.

a/n: i'm back from the dead again! gosh, can't believe how insane and busy this year has been for me, i'm so determined to write more now though, hopefully i can actually do it. until then, here we go with another short fic for all your reading pleasure! xx

my masterlist | my f1 masterlist

taglist: @formulapierre

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goddessapostle · 3 months ago

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Storm

Fandom: Genshin Impact Characters: Wanderer/Scaramouche, GN!Reader Summary: You're going to die thinking about a man whose name you don't even know. Warnings: Violence

1k // AO3 // Masterlist

A/N: Another request from @acidsbeats! Thank you for helping @ficsforgaza once again, and thank you for your patience this time as well! ^^

Damn, you wish you could fly. If your friend were here, he'd carry you down the cliff. Anemo Visions are so useful.

But he’s not here. Bandits are. They separated you from the caravan you were guarding, then drove you up a cliff overlooking Mawtiyima Forest. You're trapped between a waterfall and a long drop.

Your friend could hold them back. Then again, your friend could escape without certain death. Your friend is awesome.

Except for the fact that he wont tell you his name. It’s been almost a year since you met the wandering Inazuman, but he just won’t reveal it.

“Call me whatever,” he said, more annoyed every time you asked.

Well, Whatever won’t have to worry about it anymore.

You dodge the fist headed for your face. Another lands in your stomach. You cough, but still manage to elbow the guy responsible. He stumbles away, clutching his nose. You have maybe a second to catch your breath.

One man lounges in the back of the crowd. He nods towards you, and two more Treasure Hoarders walk forward. He’s the ringleader, clearly, but you have no clue why he’s targeting you specifically. He had a chance to steal your client’s wares but chose to chase you instead.

You beat down his two grunts as the memory of him floats up from your mind.

It was the night you and your friend met. Lambad kicked you both out of his tavern because he was tired of your bickering over the best seat in the place. This asshole tried to mug you both, but you kicked his ass right into jail. Your friend was impressed. He’d be impressed now, too, since you’ve just disabled seven of the people trying to beat you to a pulp.

Fuck. Now is not the time to think about him.

The mugger waves another person forward.

“Fight me, coward!” you call. “I’ll go easy on you this time.” You smile, despite the pain of your split lip.

The mugger stands. You raise your arms in front of your body, fists clenched, stance wide.

You have no idea what happened next. You woke on the ground. The ache in your knuckles suggests you were fighting. The ache in your head suggests you lost. The bindings around your wrists confirm it.

A blurry face floats in front of yours — the asshole mugger.

“Not dead yet, I hope?” He sits you on your knees and brushes dirt from your shirt. His hand travels under it to yank your necklace from you.

“Don’t–touch–” you try as he searches for more treasure. You can barely form a coherent thought.

His fingers hover by your head, removing most of your earrings. He leaves you with just one pair — dangling silk ribbons that attach in three different places.

If anything, you’re glad you still have those. They were a gift from your friend. They may be the only reason your body is identified.

“Satisfied?” you ask as he walks back to the group.

He hums, parsing through your jewelry with a finger. Scowling, he sets it on a nearby barrel and picks up a roll of leather.

Five knife hilts reflect the sun as he unrolls it.

The first knife sinks into your shoulder. You grunt, hoping he doesn’t hear it over the waterfall to your left.

“You humiliated me.” The second lands in your thigh.

“You have to pay for it, y’know?” The third, your abdomen. It burns with every breath you take.

Wind rushes by your head. You think the fourth knife missed until you feel blood drip down your ear.

“And your shit ain’t worth nearly enough.”

There’s only one knife left. You have no doubt as to where it’s meant to go.

You have to do something — maybe the waterfall?

Water falls into a pool, usually, but you have no idea how deep it is or how long the drop. The fall could kill you.

Could. You can risk could.

The mugger raises his hand.

You tense.

A gaze lands on your back. One that’s familiar. One that’s full of rage.

Your muscles go slack as air flows all around you. It gathers at some point behind you.

“You dare touch what’s mine?”

Your body sways, teetering in the wind. An arm steadies you, wrapping gently around your shoulders.

Your friend slashes his other hand.

The bandits fly. Some into the water. Others into trees. Those that can still move run away.

The grip on your shoulder tightens before dropping to your wrists. He doesn’t untie the rope; you hear a snap! and then your hands are loose.

You slump against your friend’s chest, wrapping your uninjured arm around him. Tremors make their way through your body.

You were going to die.

Gods, you were going to die.

Your friend holds you close.

“How?” you croak, voice lost with your adrenaline.

“I was helping the Matra with an investigation. And...” He holds up his hand. In his palm is a knife that matches the ones still sticking out of you. The only difference is a scrap of fabric caught in the tang — the silk from your earrings.

“You saved my life. Thank you.”

The fabric flutters in a breeze. He stares at it, then at you.

“Scaramouche,” he says. There’s a weight to the word, one you cannot decide is reverence or despair. “My name is Scaramouche.”

You blink, slow to understanding. “Your… name?”

“Call for me if you’re ever in danger again. I’ll find you. I can’t-I can’t lose you.” He hugs you tight, pressing you firmly against his chest for the briefest of moments.

When it passes, he scoops you up — one hand on your back, the other under you knees.

“What–”

“You need a doctor. I’m going to tell Cyno where those assholes went then take you to one.”

“Wait-”

You scream when he jumps over the waterfall.

Scaramouche just smirks.

#genshin impact x reader #wanderer x reader #scaramouche x reader #acidsbeats

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chimivx · 5 months ago

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That one fucked you over last year, this one is fucking you over this year, you had no idea she was involved with him, someone over here has been lying to you, you didn't mean to end up in that ones bed, he told you he loved you... Does anyone even trust anyone anymore?

👫 -> college!teez x fem!reader/oc {frat/sorority} #️⃣ -> 11k (part ONE of ten) ‼️ -> 18+, sexual content, drugs/alcohol, college life, all the drama, heavy angst, infidelity adjacent moments, mean boys, mean girls, mentions of anxiety/depression… IF I MISSED ANYTHING PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

september 3rd ~ tuesday ~ 8:03 a.m.

“Up!”

A perfectly manicured hand in the shape of a fist pounded against your bedroom door, the noise funneling straight into your hungover brain, the pain sharp as you lurched forward in your sheets. Pushing your hair away, you drug your hands over your face and around your eyes, groaning at the leftover makeup that came off on your fingers. Looking down at yourself, thankfully you were in sleep clothes, but you don’t remember putting them on.

“Get up!” The fist pounded on the white wood again, four times. It was Yeji, your sororities newly elected president. She wasn’t your first choice, but your former president graduated last year. Yeji wasn’t anyone’s first choice actually, nobody voted for her or vouched for her, she was handed the position because she was the Paris Hilton of your generation.

No one dared say that to her face though, but she knew it anyway. Her great-grandfather had a shit ton of money, which meant her grandfather had a shit ton of money, which in turn left her father with a shit ton of money, and after all these years and the plethora of businesses they own… People knew who Yeji was. She was your age, twenty-one, and in your year. You’ve gone through the last two years of school with her, and now you’re a few days away from starting your third with her as your president.

“Meeting! Now! Up!” She was strutting up and down the hall, circling the staircase, and banging on your door again. The heels she already had on at eight o’clock in the morning hit the floor with a persistence, you could hear her when she rounded the wood floors once more.

A groan sounded from the bed pushed to the wall opposite of your own. “If she doesn’t shut the fuck up, I swear…” Rubbing your eyes for the second time, hoping to clean up what was left under them, you toss your rumpled sheets off your legs and slip out of bed.

“Come on,” you sighed, pulling sweatpants over your bare legs. A sleep shirt made it on, apparently pants did not. You weren’t as coherent as you thought last night. Another groan came from the bed of messy blankets and piles of pillows. “Tori,” you said, hearing the heels from the hall make their way around. Pulling your hair into something a bit nicer than whatever mess you woke up with, you take to your roommate's side and pull her blankets off of her. “She’ll be back if we don’t go out there now.”

“You’re lucky I put clothes on,” she laughed to herself, rolling over. A smile lit up her face as she stretched her arms over her head with a yawn.

Rolling your eyes you folded your arms over your chest and shrugged. “I think I’ve seen more than Mingi.” Tori squeezed her eyes shut and breathed through a laugh.

“He’s so-”

“I know.” Cutting her off, you shared a laugh with her through your glare before gesturing to the door. “Let’s go.”

Tori sat herself up and messed with her tank, yanking it toward the diamond in her bellybutton. Situating her long brown waves into the quickest, yet prettiest pony, she eyed you while you attempted to clean yourself up in the wall length mirror in between your beds.

“What’s up your ass?” She peered at the door as the high heels clicked closer.

Fixing your hair for the second time, you grit your teeth and sighed. “Nothing.”

Tori narrowed her eyes. “What’d Yunho say to you last night?”

“Nothing,” you said, turning to her once you were satisfied with your appearance. Tori has this ability to wake up and go, doing little to her hair or face, able to move on with her day. It was effortless, something you’ve been trying to achieve since high school.

She pursed her lips. “Alright, but I thought I saw-”

“Up!” Yeji’s fist hit the wood and Tori solved the issue herself.

“We are!” The shout echoed in your ears and most likely worsened either of your headaches, if she had one. She was able to bounce back like she didn’t outdrink you mere hours ago.

“All I needed.” Yeji’s passive aggressive tone seeped through the cracks of the door and sunk into your skin like needles. “Be downstairs in two minutes.” Pressing your sweaty palms to your sweats, you looked at Tori who was questioning you with a brow.

“You really don’t like her,” she said as Yeji walked away.

“Never have,” you whispered. “She didn’t earn her position. Four months ago she was chugging beer with us in ATZ’s basement, and now she’s this?” You hoped your gesture toward the door was enough, emphasizing the heels and the power she was trying to exert over you on her third day of presidency. Since you’ve been back she’s turned into a complete snob.

Tori bobbed her head, letting her eyes dance around the bedroom you’ve both turned into your own. “Yeah, she’s a bitch.”

“Always has been,” you snapped.

“You sure it’s not ‘cause-”

Turning your back to her you cut her off by pulling the door open. “Let’s go,” you said, ignoring her soft laugh.

Stepping out into the hall that wrapped around the staircase in a square, all the other doors were shut, all seven of them. The old Victorian styled home had been renovated entirely too many times that the vintage appeal was almost nonexistent. The eight rooms on this second floor had all been converted to bedrooms back in the 1990’s completely wiping it of all its historical semblance.

Chestnut brown hardwood floors infested the building, on both floors, in every room, and every wall had to have been repainted white dozens of times. The layers were apparent on the wainscotting, it was obvious there was wallpaper beneath the cheap job the previous chapter member’s tried to pull off as nice.

At least photos hung on the plain walls. The sororities history, your history, was plastered high and low for everyone to gawk at. Every year a portrait was added, since the sorority was established. You’ve been in two of them so far. The first was taken when you and Tori were freshman, two little bright eyed recruits paying your dues before you were given the chance to join as full fledged members. Sophomore year, just last year after official recruitment, you and Tori were in the first official row with Yeji a few heads over.

Last year there were ten more girls in the photo. Six had graduated this past spring, and four were freshman recruits who didn’t come back to school, or turned down their chance at recruitment. Rumor has it it’s because Yeji’s name was on the letter instead of the former president who they dealt with last semester. A rumor you chose to believe.

Only one freshman stayed. Her name was Mina, and she was exceptionally smart. Studying pre-law here at Nasara, on her recruitment registration she made a note that this school was her fathers alma mater. That fact coupled with her crazy GPA throughout her school life, she was an automatic in.

And thank god, too. As your, chosen by Yeji, Vice President, she made nine.

There were nine of you in this house when there used to be nineteen.

Sorority life was becoming some obscure way of spending your time at college, not many people wanted to do it anymore. Throughout the summer you had to hear through Ryujin, the only standing senior this year, that Yeji had been losing her mind asking her for help, some sort of direction on what to do, how to build this chapter back into what it once had been.

ITZ used to have around fifty members at all times.

This year you were down to nine.

Making sure Tori pulled the door shut behind her, not needing prying eyes in your business, the door beside yours is yanked open. In black basketball shorts and a matching sports bra Ryujin steps out with squinted eyes, glaring toward you and Tori. Messy bangs hung over her forehead, her shoulder length shaggy hair pulled behind her head in a terrible bun.

“Hey, she’s alive,” Tori joked, following you to the staircase. Smiling at Ryujin who teetered behind you, several inches shorter than Tori, just about your height, you laughed as she smacked a hand to your roommates tattooed arm.

“Didn’t think Isla would be able to resuscitate you,” you said quietly, descending the grand staircase with both of them in line with you. Ryujin drug the back of her hand over her mouth and shook her head vigorously, pointing up at Tori.

“If she didn’t make me play Jongho in flip cup I’d be fine,” she sneered from behind her teeth. Tori slung an arm around her shoulders, laughing as she did. “No!” Ryujin half laughed, trying to shove her off. Looking to you for help she said, “One on one! You know how big that motherfucker is?”

Nodding, you stepped off the bottom stair and scanned the first floor for life. “I do know how big that motherfucker is.” Voice low, eyes pointed, when you turned to face your friends you were met with a set of curious eyes and equally annoyed ones.

“What’s your problem?” Ryujin asked, letting Tori squeeze her. Anyone friends with her knew that if she was letting you touch her, you’d better get all your time in before she never let you touch her for another two weeks. Tori pressed her cheek to Ryujin’s forehead, playing up her gushiness with a hum. That triggered it. Ryujin nudged her away with her hip. “Were you sick? What happened?”

“No, I didn’t drink that much,” you breathed.

Tori tossed her arms out at her side, unaffected by Ryujin’s shove. “She hates Yeji.”

“Don’t we all?” Ryujin looked up at her. Pointing her eyes back to you she did a onceover and curled her lip. “Oh, wait, ‘cause-”

“No!” your voice echoed down the hall that stretched along both sides of the staircase. Folding her arms over her bare middle, Ryujin smirked, nodding once. Then, she was off, turning the right corner toward the sitting room.

Double doors lived on either side of you and Tori at the bottom of the stairs, ahead of you was the front door, double latched and locked always. To your left was the living room, the common area where you’d all hang out or do school work, and to your right was the dining room. A long wooden table stretched along the middle, on top of a dingy carpet bought by a chapter centuries ago it seemed. That was the only room that held the most vintage vibe, the chandelier hanging over the table was original, it was different colored stained glass and beautiful.

Down the hall to the right was the sitting room where all of the meetings happened, where Yeji had a desk and shelves and more space to do her job as if she didn’t already have a room to herself in a house with three vacant bedrooms. To the left there was the kitchen and a bathroom shoved into what would be the maids quarters if it were hundreds of years ago. The walls were layered in white paint down here as well, with more recent photos of the sorority hanging up.

“Not gonna talk about it,” Tori said for clarity. Sharpening your glare, she cringed. “Got it, alright. You won’t hear it come outta my mouth ever again.”

Groaning, you bounced your knees once and snatched her wrist, pulling her down the hallway after Ryujin, straight into the room where all of your sisters were waiting for you. The dark haired girl had already found a spot beside Isla, her roommate, on the couch pushed against the wall in the back of the room. Sporting tired eyes and a slightly mussed up slick back, Isla fought to keep her head up.

Yuna, the chapter's Treasurer, fought to keep her head up as well. Nestled into one of the sage green velvet lounge chairs with a high back, dressed in the same shirt she wore last night, she had her chin in her hand and her elbow on the velvet.

Three heads turned to watch you and Tori walk in, your roommate giggling as they spun in sync. Chaeryeong, the chapter’s Secretary, a Criminal Justice major with the cutest nose, gave you the tiniest smile. Lia, luscious black hair in Pre-Med, sat up straight on the edge of the couch to the side of Yeji’s wood carved desk. Mina was the only one to say something to you, giving you the sweetest good morning before tucking her dark brown bob behind her ears.

The three were not in attendance at ATZ's party last night.

Four if you count Yeji.

Lord knew you were not counting Yeji.

“Sisters.” The wretched voice began the second you and Tori were planted on the floor in front of Ryujin and Isla. Yeji, flipping her ombre hair over her shoulder, hair that was already curled and set into place, rounded her desk and sat in the leather chair behind it. She did already have heels on at eight in the morning, heels and little lavender sundress.

“Madam President,” Ryujin muttered, pulling a smirk out of you and a laugh from Tori. Chaeryeong flipped open a notebook she had on her lap, the click of her pen wiping your lips of any amusement.

This really was a meeting.

Yeji smiled at Ryujin, leaning onto her desk with her elbows. “Thank you, Ryujin,” she said, tone in defense. “That is what I am,” she scanned her eyes about the room, “That is the role that I am here to fill, to be a leader for you. All of you.” Chaeryeong scribbled away in her notes. “We’ve been here for three days and I’m already concerned for our future moving forward.” Tori hit you with a side eye, one you returned holding in a laugh.

Ryujin grumbled. “Yeji, what happened, can you just tell us straight up?”

“Course!” Yeji grinned, her smile somewhat sadistic. Opening the laptop that sat before her, she spun the screen around and then worked at her phone, tapping a few buttons before a video popped up on the bigger screen. Tori reached a frantic hand over and clawed your forearm.

“That’s Mingi’s Instagram story,” she whispered. “Why are we watching Mingi’s Instagram story?”

Music pumped through the speakers, familiar sounds from the night before coming back to you. Boys were shouting, girls were singing, people were dancing… Tori had a red cup to her lips, downing the contents before throwing it toward Mingi who held the phone. With a lick of her lips and a raise of both her arms she cheered for herself as Mingi praised her. She started dancing along to the music and Mingi’s voice said, “Almost caught up to me, baby,” right before the screen went black.

Tori’s grip loosened on your arm. Looking at you, then Ryujin and Isla, who had dozed off, she faced Yeji for the reason why, but your president was silent. Tapping a few things on her screen, another video played.

Yuna and her chocolate curls were posing with San, identical music blasting in the back like Mingi’s post. She stuck her tongue out and threw up a peace sign, then laughed and focused on someone off screen.

“Here.” It was Jongho’s voice. San adjusted the camera so he was still in frame, keeping Yuna and Jongho just over his shoulder. The boy showed off his jaw that could cut glass, then smiled as he watched his friends take a shot in the camera.

“God, it’s gasoline,” Yuna cringed, grabbing her mouth, dropping the cup into Jongho’s hand.

The screen went black.

The room was silent. Yuna, from the chair across the room, sent the four of you a glance, all of you collectively wondering the same thing.

Where the hell was this going?

“Yeji-”

She didn’t let Ryujin finish, she played another video.

Wooyoung’s Instagram story. Tori turned her chin to look at you this time.

His camera focused on a group of girls dancing with him, every single one of them tagged in the video somewhere. Then, he flipped it around and wore a smug grin as he weaved through the bodies congregating in his house, searching for something.

“Do you see everybody over here having a good time?!” His voice carried through the video, flipping your stomach over. His face appeared on the screen, his tan skin and his perfectly curved nose. “ATZ, baby!” He flashed his teeth and bit his lip. The camera flipped over as he approached a dark corner, and there you were.

Sitting on the arm of the leather couch with a red cup in your hand, your legs were stretched over Yunho’s lap, his arms folded over your knees. One of his frat brothers, Vernon, stood behind you, leaning over the back of the couch so he could involve himself in your conversation. He was partially spotting you where you sat, his hand occasionally tapping your back to keep you in place if you leaned back too far.

You didn’t drink that much.

“What the fuck goes on over here?” Wooyoung asked, the three of you looking up at him at once, confused. Yunho, mid sentence, shook his head and tried to smile because the camera was on him. Vernon hid his face and ducked out of frame.

“Bro, you can’t do that,” he muttered off screen.

Narrowing your eyes, you glared at him. “Fuck off.”

His gasp would’ve made you laugh if it was seven months ago. “Chill, baby, what do you mean!”

“Fuck off,” you said without a change in your face. Yunho took his lips between his teeth and glanced at your lap. Wooyoung came closer to you.

“I just wanted to ask you a question.” You could hear his pout through the screen without needing to see it. Raising a brow in response, he hit you with, “How’s your brand new president? Yeji at ITZ? Is she as good as she promised?”

“You tell me,” you said without missing a beat. Wooyoung’s laugh sent chills up your spine where you sat on the floor with Tori’s hand clamped to your wrist. “How good is President Yeji?”

The screen went black.

Chaeryeong had stopped scribbling. Mina, jaw popped open, stared at you. Lia chewed on an acrylic nail and waited for Yeji to say anything else. Ryujin tapped your shoulder with a socked foot and breathed through a laugh.

Yeji snapped her laptop shut and placed her phone on the desk. Folding her hands in front of her she pointed her fox-like eyes toward you and lowered her chin. The stance was terrifying. Her ability to tear a person apart in seconds was mortifyingly impressive. Under the impression that it was your turn, that you broke a house rule, Yeji seemed ready to unload her presidential take on the situation by kicking you out.

“Repeat after me, sisters,” she said, tone eerily calm. The three who weren’t hungover snapped up straight. “I wear ITZ letters with pride.”

Looking at Tori, you parroted Yeji’s statement. ITZ’s Mission Statement. The rules. The insane paragraph you had to memorize to get recruited. Your friend gave you the smallest shrug and focused back on the president.

“It is my mission, my duty, to honor the members of ITZ, my sisters, by living up to the standards set in place by our sisters before us. Leading by example we support, encourage, and lift our fellow sisters up. In doing so we support, encourage, and lift the world up. One person at a time. We promote unity, and friendship, while receiving a higher education, to relay to women everywhere that, ‘Yes, we can.’”

After a few minutes the room fell silent, only Yeji’s eyes scanned the faces before her. Mushing her lips together, her red lip stain, she fluttered her lashes and smiled without flashing her teeth. She gave Chaeryeong a glance and the secretary flipped open her notebook.

“Sisters, it seems we have a problem,” she sighed. Some form of a pout graced her lips. “I think we’ve forgotten what it means to be a part of a sisterhood like ITZ. We’ve felt it, haven’t we?” Lia bobbed her head. Mina took Yeji in with worried eyes. “Look around,” half the girls listened, “How many of us are here?”

“Nine,” Lia said, and Ryujin snickered.

“Nine,” Yeji smiled at the girl in front of her just to spite the senior. “Thank you, Lia.”

“You’re welcome.” She nibbled at her cuticles.

“There may be nine of us in the room, but how many of us are actually present?” Yeji looked to Yuna, then to Ryujin, then to Tori, then to you. “Aurora.” Addressing you by your full name she got you to shiver with a smidgen of fear. “Can you tell me where the five of you went last night?”

Gulping, you said just above a whisper, “ATZ.”

Yeji’s stare intensified, if it were possible. “ATZ,” she shimmied her shoulders, “How fun. What did you guys do there?”

Tori’s grip had loosened on your wrist, but she didn’t move it.

“We went to the party,” you said, keeping your eyes locked on hers. “They throw one almost every night the first week back, you’ve been-“

“You went without the rest of us knowing,” Yeji tilted her head to the side, paying no mind to the sentence she interrupted. “Were we not invited?”

Ryujin mumbled something under her breath and shifted on the couch behind you. Tori gave her a glance and a small smile.

“Everyone is invited, there’s… there’s no invites,” you narrowed your eyes. It was a college party. A college party that was basic information to everyone who attended. ATZ threw their week-long back to school ragers every single year. It was their fraternity’s tradition. Everyone at Nasara has been to an ATZ party. Even Yeji.

“Hm,” she smushed her lips together. “Guess we missed that. Did you guys have fun?” The way her brows closed in on her forehead sparked a fight or flight feeling in your gut.

Taking a breath, you smiled. “We did.” Gesturing toward her laptop, you said, “Couldn’t you tell?”

“We support, encourage, and lift our fellow sisters up,” Yeji snapped, repeating the mission statement. “None of what I saw reflected ITZ’s mission at all.” Pointing her eyes to those who attended the party, she said, “Now that we’re halfway through our first week I think it’s the perfect time to set some new rules into place. Rush is coming up, recruitment happens soon, and I’ll be damned if I acquire any more girls with the mentality half of you have. ITZ is a respectable sorority and I intend to keep it that way.”

“Is that what you were thinking when you fucked Wooyoung in Hongjoongs bed?”

Ryujin’s words suffocated you from behind. They wrapped around you and yanked you six feet under. Tori’s hand clamped down on your wrist tight. Shaking her away, she pulled her hands into her lap and shot you a look.

��ATZ is off limits!” Yeji’s voice packed a punch. Her smirk grew as gasps tumbled through most of your lips. “We are through with them.”

“How? They’re literally the brother frat, Yej.” Ryujin sat forward, placing a hand on your shoulder. Her version of an apology.

Tori lifted a hand. “I work with Mingi, how am I supposed to do my job?”

Clenching her jaw, Yeji took a breath through her nose and attempted a normal smile. “We’ll do our jobs. We’ll throw the mixers, the dinners. We’ll host the fundraisers together. We’ll do it all. But, under no circumstances will any member of ITZ ever be seen with a member of ATZ.” Not a soul attempted to counteract, not even Ryujin. “ATZ is off limits. No parties. No sex. No posts. Nothing.”

september 3rd ~ tuesday ~ 12:47 p.m.

Mina sat at the end of the dining room table, a book in one hand and a pencil in the other as she scribbled into a notebook while her eyes scanned the text. The title on the leather bound book was illegible, completely worn off by years and years of use. She’s clung to this same book for a year now, she’s been seen with it since she started here, it came with her from home.

“And I don’t know what the fuck her problem is,” Yuna whispered beside Tori, leaning toward Ryujin sitting across from her. “Ever since we’ve been back she’s been so uptight.”

Mina paid no mind to the whispers happening a few feet from where she studied. The table was long enough to provide ample space for everyone, the sophomore was often found here working her time away. Her brown bob laid effortlessly at her chin, curving a bit outward, showcasing her beauty.

“She’s already had me run through our plan for the year, like, eighteen fucking times,” Yuna bugged her eyes out of her head and Tori snickered. “She’s driving me nuts!”

Ryujin cocked her head toward you. “You and Aurora could swap complaints.”

“I have nothing to say,” you whispered, shoving a nail between your teeth, keeping your focus on Mina. It was as if she was in the room alone, like she was used to background noise. Lifting a finger to flip a page in her ancient book, she used the same finger to tuck her hair behind her ear, then glanced to her paper to circle something she wrote earlier.

She spoke when spoken too, but not out of punishment, or fear of. She was study focused, always, you’ve all learned since she was in high school. Her GPA was higher than every being’s at this very table. The girl was a genius, she was quick witted, but not only that, she was kind.

The chatter ensued around you.

“Well, what does Isla have to say about this?” Tori asked Ryujin, twirling her wavy hair around a finger. There had been plenty of time after the meeting for you all to process what had happened, and to shower. Tori made it a point to blow dry her hair, curl it, and gloss her lips, snapping a selfie in the mirror between your beds to send to Mingi.

Ryujin, with her feet on the chair, shrugged her shoulders. Her shaggy hair hung at her shoulders now. “Fuck if I know,” she said. “She’s been worse than last year. Even this summer, I can’t remember when she wasn’t drunk.”

Yuna furrowed her brows. “Is it still her brother?”

Ryujin shook her head, glancing to her bare knees before she said, “It’s never been about that, they’re close. I mean, he’s far away, we all know that, so… Maybe it is DK.”

“She was the one who chose to go to school here,” Tori said, pursing her lips, leaning onto the table on an elbow. “Maybe she should’ve gone closer to him.”

“She came to Nasara to do something for herself,” Ryujin lowered her chin. “What did she tell you all at recruitment, you all were there with her. She wants to be her own person, not be forced into the ‘I have a famous older brother’ box. Her grades weren’t bad last semester, but she hasn’t had a sober minute since she’s been here. Last night Vernon and I couldn’t keep her on her feet.”

“Vernon plays baseball,” Tori said matter of factly, and Ryujin bobbed her head. “Does he know DK?”

“Everyone knows DK,” Yuna smirked, tapping Tori’s ankle with her sandal. “That's why all the boys can’t leave her alone.”

Tori’s expression pulled into one of worry, her eyes darting between Ryujin and Yuna. “That’s… not good.”

“Vernon usually ends up around her,” Ryujin said. “He’s a safe dude, and a huge help. He doesn’t really drink too much, he’s like Yunho.”

Mina peered up, curiosity in her eyes. You glanced away quickly, looking at your friends.

“Yunho’s a safe guy, too,” Tori nodded, and Yuna agreed. Turning to you, your roommate asked, “You were hanging with him last night?”

Taking a breath, you hummed in response, feeling Mina’s eyes on you. “We were hanging, yeah.”

Tori smiled, then sat back in her seat and glanced toward the sophomore at the end of the table. “Mina, you agree, don’t you?”

The girl blushed in real time, right here in front of you all. The old book found the table, and she smiled. “I wasn’t listening… Sorry. What did you say?”

“Yunho,” Tori said, and Mina smiled wider. “You were so listening, silly.” Yuna laughed, finding it all too cute. “Go ahead, how is he?”

Shifting in her seat, Mina folded her hands over her lap and studied the room, then met eyes with each of you. “He’s very nice,” she said, voice as gentle as snow when it falls. “I’ve never met anyone like him. That probably sounds insanely naive, but it’s the truth.”

“Not naive, I think it’s sweet,” Ryujin said. Yuna and Tori shot her a look and she laughed. “What?”

“Miss big, scary, lesbian, hates men and all relationships thinks it’s sweet!?” Tori’s tone had you all laughing, even Mina.

Ryujin rolled her eyes. “It’s sweet,” she said, shooting Tori a look before she turned back to Mina. “You guys are made for each other, I swear.”

The smile that washed over the sophomore tugged at your heart.

“He came to my house this summer,” she said, eyes full of adoration. “He met my parents, my brothers… We all had dinner together, and then we went out to a park to watch the sunset, and we just… talked.” The four of you were silent watching her relive her summer night in real time. Tori and your friends wore the smallest of smiles, but her words churned your stomach over. “We shared so much with each other,” she nodded, then shook her head, “I trust him. He doesn’t care that I don’t like the parties, or that I don’t drink… He kissed me that night.”

Tori’s gasp threw you all backward, then straight into fits of laughter.

“Fuckin’ Christ!” Yuna shouted, whacking a hand at her arm.

“I’m sorry!” Tori clamped a hand to her neck, throwing her head backward. “It’s so innocent and cute!”

Ryujin almost snorted. “Nothing like you, I fucked him when I met him!”

Reaching across the table, slapping a hand onto the wood, Tori’s eyes went wide, her grin even wider. “I did, you know what? And I have NO shame about it!”

“Yeah, well, hope you fucked him last night ‘casue now there won’t be any of that anymore,” Ryujin crossed her arms. Tori’s face fell. The way she sat backward and looked at her lap made you pop out your lip. Taking a hand to her shoulder she leaned into your touch and shot you her puppy dog eyes.

“Ror, what about you?” she asked, then she blew air out of her glossy lips and blinked. “You’re probably happy with these rules now, aren’t you?”

Eyeing the girls around the table, everyone curious aside from Mina who turned back toward her work, you took a deep breath and shrugged. “I like ATZ parties,” you nearly whispered. “I really think this is going to suck.” Gesturing toward Yuna and Tori with a nod, you said, “Plus, you two still have to try to work with them, so I don’t understand how any of this is going to work out.”

“Yeji’s insecure,” Ryujin spat. She pointed her dark eyes at you. “But, I do think if you didn’t say what you said… On video… For Wooyoung’s thirty thousand followers to see… We wouldn’t have to deal with this.”

Turning in your chair to face her, you screwed your brows together and cocked your chin. “I’m to blame!?” You tossed a hand toward your friends to your right. “These two were on video, too! I wasn’t making a total fool of myself.”

“Hey,” Tori frowned, nudging your leg with hers. You gave her and Yuna an apology with your eyes, then sighed heavily. “Maybe you should talk to Yeji and sort this out.”

“How?” you rolled your head backward and almost let out a groan. “She’s doing it on purpose. Now that she’s got this power she’s going to control us all, turn us into her little minions. I told Yunho last night that ITZ was gonna turn into Yeji-TZ.”

“Where’d you guys disappear to? I couldn’t find you until you told me you were ready to leave.” Tori met your eyes as you breathed.

“Outside. The noise was nauseating, Wooyoung pissed me off, and I had too much on my mind.”

Your roommate reached over and smoothed a hand over yours. “Valid,” she said, pulling her lips into a tiny frown.

“She wants a better image for us,” Ryujin said, going over what had been discussed in the meeting this morning. “She wasn’t wrong, we need more girls. I’m a little worried about what recruitment is going to look like this year.” The senior looked at Mina. “We need more girls like that.”

The door to the dining room pushed open with force, the glass windows rattling as it swung into the white wall. Isla, freshly showered, but still staggering on her feet, wandered around the table to Ryujin’s side, where the senior pulled a chair out for her.

“And less like this,” she whispered with a nod toward Isla. “Just watch what you guys say, especially on social media.” Ryujin wrapped an arm around Isla who leaned on her shoulder. “As much as I deliberately hate following rules… It’s Yeji. She’ll do anything to look good. Keep your mouths shut about her and once recruitment is done we’ll be back in ATZ’s basement. I’m sure of it.”

Tori pulled her phone out of her pocket and smiled at a message.

Mingi.

The two weren’t officially dating, but if freshman and sophomore year taught any of you guys anything, it was that Tori and Mingi were exclusively for one another, and that made this new ATZ Off Limits Rule all the more annoying. Yeji knew Tori and Mingi had a thing, Yeji knew that Mina and Yunho were on the start of something.

The start of something great. The start of something that yanked your heart into the depths of yourself because you were onto the start of something great your sophomore year.

Something great that Yeji swooped into the middle of and messed up.

For weeks he was after you. Teasing you, flirting with you for hours at ATZ parties, challenging you to drinking games, wanting to be paired up with you for fundraisers and events. He made it a point to be the first to send you a text on your birthday, and then to be the first one to post about it. He beat Tori by seven minutes.

You knew he was trouble, he had a reputation.

Wooyoung was the only member of ATZ to have bad rumors about him circling Nasara’s campus. But, it was the typical shit one would automatically assume. He didn’t call a girl back after they slept together, or he flirted his way into getting a girl to do his homework for him only to sleep with her and never call her again, or how he almost got a professor fired because they allegedly had an affair so his grades would go up.

Everyone is pretty certain that last one is false, but you’ve never heard him publicly deny it.

Either way, you ignored all the red flags he was blatantly waving in your face. Weeks into his games, you fell. Hard. Under the impression that he had fallen too, obviously the reason why he was playing these games with you, you opened yourself up to the idea of him, the idea of being with him, and your heart loved it. Legitimately loved it. Your friends at ITZ were excited for you, and some of the boys you were close with at ATZ were into it too. Though one warned you, Yunho, you took it upon yourself to ignore him.

You could trust Wooyoung. The way he looked at you, the way his hands would linger on you, how he’d shower you with compliments and turn you into a blushing, giggling mess… You could trust him.

Until you couldn’t.

ATZ threw a party the night before Spring Break, just months ago, at the beginning of this year. All of ITZ was in attendance, even Mina, the wide eyed freshman recruit who quickly found comfort at Yunho’s side. It was hours into the night, drinks had gone down too easy, everyone was exhausted and ready for break, and you were about to leave with Tori in hand. Searching for Wooyoung, asking every person you passed if they’d seen him, they shrugged and sent you on your way.

Yunho, sitting on the stairs with Yeosang and Seonghwa, was the one to press his lips together and nod behind him. Dragging Tori along with you, she pinched Yeosang’s cheek on the way up and ruffled his wavy hair. Calling out for Wooyoung, pushing every door on the second floor open, they were all empty, so you trekked up to the third, spinning up another staircase. Tori was babbling on about the fun she and Mingi were having when you pushed Hongjoongs door open at the same time Yeji was yanking it open.

Tori’s laugh of disbelief had never been louder.

Behind Yeji’s devious smirk and trashed composure, Wooyoung stood there shirtless, zipping up his jeans. Unfazed, he had glanced up at the opening of the door and smirked as well. He pulled his shirt over his head and brushed past between you, making a god awful joke about how three girls were after him now, being sure to look down at you with purpose before returning to the party.

The rest of the semester went as expected. Short, sweet, and fast. Or, it was just that you were so focused on ignoring almost everybody that it felt that way. You took your finals, Yeji was appointed future president, and you and Tori packed your room up.

You only attended one ATZ party after the return from Spring Break, one you hovered around Yunho at. The go-to would be Tori, but she and Mingi were attached at the hip, it was impossible to get between them.

“You didn’t tell him what happened did you?” Ryujin looked at Tori’s phone, to which your roommate cringed. “Oh, Tor, come on.” Yuna sighed with the senior.

Tori clicked her tongue and half laughed. “What was I supposed to do? I tell him everything!”

“As disgustingly sweet as that is, you were supposed to not tell him,” Ryujin said, looking your way. “Least not until Aurora fixes this.” The look you gave her made her laugh. “Just go say you’re sorry or something, kiss her ass.”

“Ryujin, I’d rather kiss yours,” you smized, and Isla showed signs of life with a giggle. “Oh, she’s conscious.” Isla picked her head up and flashed you her dazzling smile.

“I am,” she said. “I don’t remember last night.” The four of you swallowed your smiles for her sake and simply voiced your concerns with quiet sounds that got her to giggle again. “Think I’m still drunk or somethin’.”

Ryujin took the hand of the arm around her roommate and gently laid her head back on her shoulder. “Close your eyes, Jagiya.”

Yuna’s mouth fell open. “Don’t call her that.”

“She’s the only one… who can,” Isla mumbled, slapping a hand against the table, startling Mina who glanced up from her book for all of two seconds. “Stupid ass name,” she muttered, her eyes shut, full thick lashes splayed out on her smooth as silk cheeks. “Stupid famous parents… Naming stupid ass kids… Brother gets Seokmin, now he’s Dokyeom… What do I get?”

“She’s not okay,” you whispered, and Ryujin shook her head. “What can we do?”

Things were quiet for all of eight seconds, until Mina spoke up.

“It could be a good thing,” she said, catching all of your eyes except Isla’s. She blinked and gulped. “The ban.” Her volume dropped exponentially. “The ATZ ban. Even though I know you’ve got…” she gestured to Tori, then herself, “We’ve got… Boys. It gives Isla a break from parties, and gives us more time here, right?” Yuna spared a glance toward the three of you, gauging how you were supposed to react. “We can all help her get back on track. I know a few easy ways to start the process.”

Yuna pursed her lips. “How?”

Mina put down her book. “My mom. She’s been sober for a really long time though, but she’s been open with me and my brothers about her struggle. It’s like a literal gene that can get passed down, so any of us could have it. My two older brothers have a different dad, and he’s a former addict, so they’re doubly careful, but… I think I can work something out to help Isla.” The small smile she gave all of you felt like a sin after what she had just spilled.

Ryujin moved Isla’s hair from her face, the girl's breathing having gotten heavier since she laid down. Giving Mina a smile, she nodded in appreciation. “I think that’d be awesome.”

Mina nibbled her bottom lip, picking her book up. “You’re not as scary as you appear to be.” Laughing with Yuna and Tori, the three of you lost it as Ryujin’s jaw fell open. The sophomore, smug as ever, focused on her notes.

“Not as scary as I appear to be,” Ryujin repeated in a whisper to herself. “Noted.”

september 3rd ~ tuesday ~ 11:19 p.m.

“I can’t believe he hit thirty thousand followers over the summer,” Tori mumbled from where she was splayed over her bed. Laying on her back, her long brown hair fanned out behind her, she scrolled on her phone, tapping away at the screen. “They go up little by little everyday.”

“You keep checking?” Lifting your eyes from the schedule in your hand you laughed as she shot you a cheesy smile. She rolled to her side, her hair brushing over her bare shoulders. The tank she put on for bed was dark blue and had Nasara and ITZ on the front in white graffiti letters. Half of last year's car wash fundraiser outfit.

“He’s the first out of all of us to hit thirty thousand, Ror,” she said to you like you were out of the loop, like you too weren’t actively watching Wooyoung’s Instagram all summer.

Glancing at your schedule, the many bullet points of assignments and work needing to be done by the end of the semester plaguing you with a knot in your chest, you sighed and shook your head. “Vernon has almost fifty thousand, Tor.”

“He’s a baseball player, Ror,” she narrowed her eyes. “And he’s being scoped out by so many MLB teams right now. He’s only a junior and these managers want to pull him out of school so he can play for them. That’s how good he is.”

You gave her a glance, circling the assignment for an essay in the middle of the second sheet you held onto. “You sure do know a lot about Vernon.”

Tori focused back on her phone and giggled at something. Typing a mile a minute, she tucked her hair behind her ear and adjusted the stud in her nose before looking back up at you. “I just ask questions.” You met her gaze and raised an eyebrow. “Not for social advancement, Aurora, because I care, that’s why.”

A smile pricked at your lips, one that made her whine and tip her head backward. “I’m just saying! All of the guys at ATZ have always had more attention on social media. And, for the record, he’s not the first to hit thirty thousand, Yeji hit thirty thousand followers when she was like, in high school, or something. She’s closer to two hundred thousand.”

Tori flopped onto her back and turned her attention to her phone. “Whatever, I wasn’t counting her. She’s on a whole different level than any of us are.”

“Unfortunately,” you grumbled, flipping through the rest of your schedule.

Tori lifted her head. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

You shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. No one has to mean it like that, no matter what it’s gonna hurt.”

Putting her phone down she sat back up and swung her legs over the edge of her bed, the fluffy comforter shifting beneath her. “When are we going to talk about it?”

“Never.”

“Ror, you gotta talk about it,” she said, sliding to her feet. Padding over to your side she sat on your bed and tucked her feet beneath her. She snatched the syllabus from your hands and tossed it to the floor, the pages unraveling, spreading all over the carpet. Ignoring your protests, she grabbed onto your shoulder. “I am not going to spend the rest of this year pretending that last semester didn’t happen. He hurt you.”

Jolting at her words, you turned your glare to ice. “He did not hurt me.”

She pitied you with her eyes. “He led you on… For months. He did things, and said things to you that-”

“That don’t matter!” The cackle that tumbled from your lips had her tilting her head to the side. “The things he said don’t matter, he didn’t mean them! We can drop it! I get it!”

Tori took her hand away from you and folded it in her lap over her smooth tan legs. Nodding, she pursed her lips and looked at your papers on the floor. “Okay,” she breathed, hopping off your bed to clean up the mess she made. Trying to shuffle the papers into some kind of order, she put them in your outstretched hand and crossed her arms over her middle. “It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t matter. We’ll find you somebody else, you at least deserve to get laid, it’ll help with this,” she gestured toward you, “Bitchiness.” The word came out of her in an almost whisper.

Pushing a quiet laugh through your lips, you shook your head. “Don’t worry, I-”

A knock from the window behind you, the only window in the room next to your bed, sent you flying to your feet. Heartbeat skyrocketing into the atmosphere, you grabbed onto Tori and whipped yourself around to face the glass while she laughed.

“Who the fuck!?”

“I told him not to knock,” Tori said, calm as can be.

A silly smile watched you both. Dark hair pushed to the side and an earring dangling from one ear, the black, form fitting t-shirt he wore clung to his chest, the silver chain around his neck just meeting the collar. Beautiful honey skin and deep, big brown eyes full of pure, innocent joy.

Mingi.

Turning your chin up to look at Tori who was grinning like a sap, you smacked her arm and pulled her out of her daydream. “What the hell is he doing here?” Shushing you, Tori wiggled herself out of your grasp and leapt onto your bed on her knees. “How the hell did he get up here?!” Shushing you again, Tori maneuvered the window open and crawled out onto the rooftop. “What the hell is going on!” Now it was Tori and Mingi who shushed you.

“Come here,” Tori said, waving you toward her. Looking at your bedroom door, you took a breath and rushed toward it to click the lock into place.

“This is so stupid,” you muttered, climbing onto your bed and out onto the roof of the porch below. Tori and Mingi were sitting closer to the edge. It wasn’t too steep, if anything it was pretty flat, but the ledge was still intimidating. Using your hands and feet you brought yourself closer and stopped beside Tori. “Can someone tell me what is going on?”

“Hi, Rora,” Mingi said to you with a smile, leaning in front of Tori to tap a fist to your arm. His deep, lively voice typically captivated you, but close to the edge of the roof like this you didn’t have much energy to appreciate it.

“Hey, Mingi,” you sighed, digging your fingernails into the shingles underneath you. Tori had her fingers on Mingi’s jewelry, toying with it, not caring she had her feet hanging off the edge of a rooftop.

“These new rules of yours are interesting,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “Yeji seems like she’s so much fun.”

“Oh, the funnest,” you half laughed, keeping your body still. “Is that why we’re on the roof right now?”

“Yeah,” Mingi gave you a lazy smile, then answered to Tori who whispered something unintelligible to him. He put a hand on her cheek and nodded his head, his brows furrowing low as he reassured her. Looking back to you, he said, “We wanted to see for ourselves if it was true.” He laid his head over Tori’s and smiled. “Sometimes this one’ll make shit up and I can’t tell if she’s for real or not.”

“Hey!” Your roommate nudged his head away and tapped his solid chest. Mingi looked down at her and laughed, leaning in to press kisses to her cheek. They really were the cutest, both able to match each other in energy and wit. They fit together, they always have. They made sense.

Gulping, glancing away around at the ground, your eyes scanned the green grass. “We?” you asked, feeling your confidence take a slight nosedive.

Where there was Mingi, there was a-

“Hey!”

Startling both you and Tori, fluffy, dusty brown hair and glasses popped up underneath the edge of the roof. The most endearing sideways smile accompanied his bright eyes.

Where there was a Mingi, there was a Yunho.

Tori, ecstatic, reached a hand out to mess with his hair. “Yo! I didn’t know you were coming with him.”

Whipping your head, your glare made her giggle. “You knew they were coming?” you sneered through your teeth.

“I knew Mingi was coming,” she said, biting down on her bottom lip as she nuzzled her head under his strong chin.

“Wonderful,” you whispered, turning your focus back to the boy hanging off the roof. Behind his glasses he studied you. His eyes were as dark as Mingi’s, but not as dark as Wooyoung’s. Yunho’s had life, stories to tell, and they were sweeter than chocolate.

“Hi, Rory,” he said quietly, adjusting himself so that his broad shoulders were in sight. Wearing a t-shirt himself, it didn’t quite cling to him like Mingi’s, but it still definitely caught your eye.

“Hi, Yunho,” you breathed, ignoring the smirk that started to grow on his lips courtesy of your wandering gaze. Narrowing your eyes just slightly, he wiped the smug look in an instant. “What are you doing on my roof?”

“Came to say hi,” he said, elbows spreading out to the side to keep his balance. By now Tori and Mingi were lost in their own little kisses and whispers to care what you and Yunho were discussing.

“Cute.” You tilted your head and held eye contact with him for another few seconds until you had to break away. He was intense. A certified genius with a mind so deep you’d need centuries to figure him out. He was on a different level of the world, he always was, and he always has been, ever since you met him.

Almost like Mina.

Pure, sweet, kindhearted Mina.

“We were talking about you today,” you said and laughed internally as his expression wilded out. “Me and my girls.” He wore his wide eyes with pride, the expression never changing until you said, “With Mina.” Then, he shifted into a display of softness, like the mention of her name cured everything wrong within him.

“How is she?” he asked, his melodic voice as gentle as the lashes that brushed his skin.

Sliding your hands over your ankles you held his focus and nodded. “She’s great,” you whispered, and he released a breath. “She’s disappointed with the new rule, of course, she can’t see you anymore.” Yunho clenched his jaw. “We heard about your amazing summer, Yo, you’re a proper gentleman, you know that?”

“Oh my god!” Tori exclaimed, reaching a hand over to grab onto one of Yunho’s wrists. The wide eyed boy snapped his neck to look at her, escaping your scrutiny. “You’re the cutest, ever! Spending time with Mina’s family? Treating her so good? Yo, you win. This year, at least.” Tori, with a gasp, whirled back to her boyfriend. “We have to do the Sweethearts Formal. It’s official.”

Mingi smiled, brushing a few fingers over Tori’s hair. “Whatever you want, babe, you tell me what to do.”

“We’ll do it after recruitment,” Tori spoke with her hands, gesturing toward every single one of you at some point, “That way we’ll have more guests, but we can open it up to the entire campus.” Mingi’s eyes lit up watching her speak. “Pay an entry fee, experience Greek life for a night, and we’ll make it spectacular, then they’ll be interested and want to join.”

Mingi threw an arm around her back and pulled her close, pressing a hefty kiss to her lips. “My girl’s a genius,” he sighed when they parted, sending a glance over her shoulder toward you and Yunho. He lingered on his friend for a few seconds longer.

“We’ll have ITZ and ATZ there,” Tori said. “Everyone has to have a date.” Grazing Mingi’s chin with her thumb she smized. “You are mine,” she glanced behind her, “Yo can bring Mina.” Then, she faced you. “We’ll find you a date,” she bobbed her head. “Don’t worry.”

Squinting at her, you mumbled, “I wasn’t worried,” and Yunho huffed a laugh.

Tori turned to Mingi, their noses nearly touching. “What about Seonghwa, isn’t he available?”

Yunho cleared his throat. “He met someone at the end of last semester, pretty sure he’s taken.”

“And I’d love to not be in cahoots with the Vice President,” you said.

Tori frowned. Mingi eyed his friend. “Damn, okay, well what about Yeosang?”

“I dunno if he’ll be into it,” Yunho curled his lip and Tori sighed audibly.

“You’re not making this easy, Yo,” she said. “We may as well just pair you with Wooyoung, Ror.”

You met Yunho’s eyes in a flash, the two of you looking away from one another just as fast. “No thanks,” you said.

Tori pouted, her bottom lip poking out. Lifting a hand she messed with your hair and said, “We’ll figure something out.”

The air went quiet. A sickness started to settle into your gut. With the happy couple beside you and Yunho in front of you, nothing about right now would make it go away.

“I need some water,” you mumbled, using your hands and your feet to scoot backward toward your open window. All three of your friends followed you with their gazes, two heads turning while another watched with the tiniest frown.

“Will you come back?” Tori asked, hope written on her face.

Swinging your legs into the window, feet planted on your blankets, you shook your head. “Nah, I have to get ready for bed.”

“Okay,” Tori smiled.

“Night, Rora,” Mingi said, giving you one of his infamous silly grins. With a wave toward him you smiled, then glanced at Yunho. You didn’t want to decipher what he was telling you with the worry in his brows.

You slipped onto your bed without a second thought and hopped to the floor, hurrying for the door without a look back.

Shutting it with ease so as to not wake the entire house, your bare feet took you down the grand staircase into the dimly lit first floor. Eerie at night, the usual creaks didn’t spook you, your mind was too occupied with thoughts of the boy dangling off your roof.

The nice boy, the good boy, Yunho.

The one you’ve been close with since you joined ITZ and he was being recruited into ATZ. Freshman year you had one class together, a mandatory Literature class he blew through with shining colors and outstanding marks. You’d meet up to do homework, to share notes, to practice readings with one another. Yunho quickly became a close friend, and Greek life only brought you closer.

He’s a genuine person, he always kept his word, sometimes annoyingly so. At parties he’d be the one to stay sober, or the one to only drink a little to help keep the peace. He was ATZ’s Secretary, it was his duty.

But, when Hongjoong, their president, told him he could let go and enjoy himself on certain nights, boy did he let go and enjoy himself.

Turning the corner at the bottom of the stairs you tiptoed toward the kitchen, surprised to find the light above the sink on. Every other light was out, and Mina was sitting on the edge of the island counter. You thanked your lucky stars that your bedroom was on the other side of the house, otherwise she’d have seen the boys sneaking up.

Her back was to you. Wearing silky pink pajamas, a tank and shorts, she sat with perfect posture and a little bowl of ice cream at her side. The slight wave in her short hair told you she had washed it, letting it air dry in place. Imperfectly.

It almost felt wrong to see her in such a state. But, that wasn’t why your stomach churned.

“Hey, Mina,” you said gently, hoping not to scare her. Turning the slightest bit, her bare face gave you a smile. She was so naturally beautiful. “Don’t mean to intrude.” Rounding the island made of old, green chipped painted wood and marble tops, she took a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and slid you the bowl.

“Have some,” she said, taking her fingers to the hem of her shorts. The ballerina painted tips caught your eye. Every detail so put together, so meticulous and strategic, but in the purest way possible.

Looking down at the white ceramic full of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you breathed a laugh. Sensing your hesitancy, Mina took the end of the spoon and put a bit of the desert on it, holding it up to feed it to you. She moved with intent, always. A type of sincerity you’ve yet to experience until you met her.

“My mom would share a scoop of ice cream with me and my brothers before bed almost every single night,” she said. With that, you took the spoon and let the sweet vanilla kiss your tongue. “It was our thing, the five of us.” You listened to her talk, admiring how comfortable she felt to be able to share these family things with you. “My dad, he would be so funny,” her small laugh made you smile, “He’d act surprised every time, like he wasn’t catching us doing it every night.”

Giving her the spoon, she took it and made herself a scoop, popping it between her lips without care that you’d just eaten from it.

“Do you do this every night?” you asked, propping your chin in your hand. Mina licked her lips that always seemed to rest in a smile, and nodded.

“You’re the first to catch me,” she said, moving her foot to tap your thigh with her toes. Sharing in a quiet laugh with her, you took the spoon as she handed it to you. “Have some more, it feels weird to eat it alone.”

“Okay,” you whispered, taking a spoonful, “But only ‘cause you said so.” Mina folded her hands and her feet together, letting them swing off the edge, her legs polished and smooth like the rest of her. After a bite you looked up at her and asked, “Do you miss them? Your family?”

She thought to herself for a moment and shifted her focus to her manicure. “When I’m here I do.” Looking at you, she blinked a few times. “That’s why I wanted to join a sorority. When you live in a house barely big enough for all of the people inside of it, moving to a giant campus where you know nobody is scary.”

“Valid,” you whispered, giving her the spoon so she could take her turn.

“It was the six of us, always,” she continued, scooping away at the ice cream. “With the occasional Uncle, or my older brothers’ dad, or their cousins… The house was always… full. I loved it. Me and Wonwoo, you know, even though these people weren’t our blood relatives, we loved them. They were family.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I think I was looking for that when I joined here. To live under one roof with you girls. I didn’t get to grow up with sisters. It’s nice to have so many of you around.”

Putting the spoon down, unsure of who’s turn it was, you gave her a look and half a smile. “I love your life,” you said, and a lump began to form in your throat. “You’re… real.” Mina, flustered, looked down at the floor. “I’m serious,” you giggled. “Most of these girls here come from money, or they’ve got fans on Instagram, and some only care about scamming their way to the top and being the best… But, you’re here ‘cause you want to do better for yourself.”

Mina adjusted her posture. “I do,” she whispered. “My dad went here, he graduated from here. I want to do what he did, I want to be what he is.”

“He sounds like a good man,” you said ever so quietly and her face lit up.

“He’s incredible,” she whispered. Taking her hand to her lips, she held back a laugh.

“What?” you questioned, smiling with her.

Shaking her head she let the giggle loose. “You don’t wanna know what I thought of… What I have been thinking of.”

With that sort of laugh, you knew exactly what she was thinking of.

“Tell me,” you tried to maintain your smile.

Pressing her lips together, her giddy grin had an innocent, childlike feel to it. A school girl with a crush.

“He reminds me of him, a little,” she said, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her silky shorts once more. “Yunho,” she whispered, nodding. “And I know it could be weird to say he reminds me of my dad, but I think… I think every girl looks for that, doesn’t she?”

Taking in what she’s said, you hummed, then gave your shoulders a shake. “I’m my dads only daughter. His only child. I’m pretty sure he wanted me to be a boy, and it’s shown my entire life.” Mina pouted. “Oh, no, I don’t want sympathy. Please, don’t.” Grabbing onto the spoon you messed with the melted ice cream in the bowl, eyes focused on it.

“Okay,” Mina said. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here for you.”

You huffed a laugh, letting go of the spoon, the rattling of the ceramic sending a jolt down both your spines. “You come from a family that does that, talks about it. I don’t.” Meeting her eyes, you longed to shy away from this conversation. “I’ll be okay.”

She nodded, averting her gaze elsewhere. It was quiet for a few seconds, then she asked, “Can I ask you something?”

Taking a deep breath, you let it out more harshly than anticipated. “Of course,” you said. Maybe talking about your family would be easy with Mina. Dissecting your childhood or the way you were raised was reserved for therapy, somewhere you hadn’t been since high school. You weren’t a fan, you had no intentions of going back. Mina made it seem easy though, it could be possible this was all you needed. A listening ear. She was nice enough.

“You were with Yunho at the party last night,” she said, sending your entire nervous system into fight or flight. Maintaining face, praying to God you didn’t react, you simply bobbed your head in answer.

You were with Yunho at the party last night. Yunho was the first person you attached yourself to last night. Yunho was the only one looking for you last night. Yunho was the one you stepped outside with last night, because the noise was nauseating, Wooyoung pissed you off, and you had too much on your mind.

“I didn’t want to ask earlier because everyone was around, and I’m not sure I need them all to know my business right now, especially when this Yunho thing is still… up in the air,” she babbled on and on. “It’s just that… We had such an amazing summer.”

You had a somewhat amazing summer, too.

“We went on so many dates, he took me everywhere I wanted to go,” she sighed between thoughts. “He had a great time with my family, my brothers, he understood us, how we were. He… kissed me.” Your heart skipped a beat. She blushed when she looked at you, and you wanted to crawl into a hole. “He didn’t push me farther than I wanted to go. He was respectful.”

Breath was caught in your throat.

“I thought it was too good to be true,” she laughed, kicking her feet. “You know frat boys, the stereotype they’re forced into. Sleazy, sneaky… Not him. Not Yunho.”

Yes, him.

Yes, Yunho.

She still had a question to ask you.

“Then, what’s up?” Trying your utmost hardest to keep your voice from shaking, you smiled at her when she looked over at you.

“He hasn’t… reached out,” she said. “Since we were preparing to come back, and since we’ve been back… I’ve barely heard from him.” Her brown eyes were shining in the single overhead light. “I guess I just wanted to ask you if he was okay? In the video’s… I saw you with him, so I just wanted to see if you knew anything.”

Swallowing hard, you gave her a shrug of your shoulders, feeling the walls of the kitchen tighten around the two of you. “I don’t… I dunno. He seemed okay to me. I’m sorry, Mina.”

She looked at the floor. “It’s okay,” she said. “Just figured I’d ask.”

“Give him time,” you said quickly, sliding out a hand to touch her wrist. “Maybe coming back has just been a lot, they’re going through the same stuff we are. We need recruitment to go well, for everybody.”

With the smallest smile Mina glanced at you. “You’re right. Thank you.”

And as the nerves roiled in your belly, you released her wrist and gave her your best smile. “Anytime.”

NU home ✧ nice for what masterlist ✧ talk to me ✧ thank you for reading <3

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