#i would be all over that in a heartbeat (yes now i have the song heartbeat in my head)

[endless-ineffabilities]

So High School (1/2)

Bucky Barnes x f!reader

synopsis : the one wherein the reader and Bucky navigate the initial stages of falling in love, and well, it feels a whole lot like high school <3

themes : friends to lovers, slight jealousy, Bucky and the reader are Avengers, everyone is alive!

word count : 3k ▪︎ masterlist ▪︎ part two

a/n : inspired by Taylor Swift's So High School - that song makes me so fuckin happy I can't even begin to explain it... This fic is all giddy and warm, kind of like when you have a crush, playfulness and jealousy abound 💙

You are almost certain that you left your beloved leather jacket back on the quinjet.

The mission made you exhausted, like they always do, and you remember taking your jacket off and settling in for a nap on the ride back to the Avengers compound.

"FRIDAY, is the quinjet still at base level?" you ask aloud to the compound's omnipresent AI overseer.

She chimes in straight away, "Yes, the quinjet is undergoing routine checks downstairs."

"Well," you say to yourself, "I could use the walk."

FRIDAY speaks again, unprompted, "There is one James Buchanan Barnes heading to your door right now."

Bucky? "Oh, right now?"

"Yes, he'll be knocking in 3... 2... 1..."

And sure enough, he does.

You open the door to his sheepish, easy smile. FRIDAY would definitely be picking up on your vitals, noting your clammy hands and jumping heartbeat.

You desperately hope that she would shut up about it, otherwise you might just literally throw hands with Tony.

"Hi," he greets. Just that - just 'hi' - and he has you blushing like a schoolgirl. Damn it.

"Hey," you reply. Glancing down, you realise that he has just what you're looking for.

The jacket. You mean your jacket. Mind out of the gutter, you kick yourself internally.

"I, uh, think you left this back at the - "

" - the quinjet."

"Right, and I, well - " he stammers, and you don't understand why, when you're clearly the nervous one here.

"You're... here to give it back to me," you help him out, smiling.

"Yeah," he nods, smiling back at you. Leaning against your doorframe, he stays right in place, and you suddenly feel conscious by the way he's just looking at you.

"Uhm, Bucky?" you break the silence after a while, anxiously laughing.

"Yeah, doll?"

"My jacket?" you hold out your hand expectantly.

"Oh, here," he quickly hands it over to you, and you thank him. But he stays, rubbing the back of his neck, brows furrowed in thought. "Listen, I was wondering if - "

"There you two are!" Sam's booming voice startles you, and you spot him walking down the hall. "Debriefing time, kids, come on."

"Oh, right," you groan, tossing your jacket somewhere behind you. Shutting your door, you turn to Bucky, "Sorry, Buck, can it wait?"

"Can what wait?" Sam butts in, ears like a bat. He nudges Bucky with his shoulder, and you swear you see Bucky glare at him, while blushing all the while.

"Nothing," he mumbles and the three of you make your way towards the elevators. When Sam becomes distracted by some new panelling Tony installed recently, you catch Bucky's eye, and shrug as if to say - you can tell me later.

He simply nods. When the doors open, you feel his hand on the small of your back, guiding you in. Just for the briefest of moments, but it lingers in your mind.

So much so, that Tony tosses a pencil at you during debriefing when you're spaced out and didn't answer his question.

"Daydreaming, princess?" Tony smirks.

"Leave her alone, Tony," Steve comes to your rescue, ever the considerate leader. "She's tired, just like the rest of us."

"Yeah, sure," Tony shrugs. "Or maybe Bionic Man over there is distracting her with all the staring he does."

"Shut up, Tony," Natasha protests, catching your surprised look.

"I'm not staring," you hear Bucky say.

"Oh, man, you stare all the time. At everything," Sam counters. "Especially at her."

"No. I don't."

"Yes, you do. Doesn't he, Steve?" Sam laughs, twisting around to share the joke with Steve, who just fondly shakes his head, patting Bucky on the shoulder.

Your mouth feels dry, face flushed from the suggestive bickering partially at your expense, and when you ask, "Alright, alright, what was your question, Tony?"

Tony cheekily smirks, and says, "Quick, Barnes, look away."

"Oh, god," you tilt your head back and stare at the ceiling.

It's a collective, "Tony!" that followed, likely from Steve and Nat. Possibly Bruce, too.

Tony asks you again, something about the safety measures in place for the civilians left behind.

When you answer his question, you can't help but feel a certain pair of blue eyes looking at you.

But that means nothing, right? Bucky's just listening to whatever you have to say. The mission had been important, after all.

Five minutes later, in the middle of Bruce's explanation, you feel it again.

So you look to the side, only slightly, catching Bucky quickly turning to draw his attention back at Bruce.

Oh.

"What are you smirking at me for?" you approach Natasha, while tightening your hand wraps. Some of the Avengers have convened for routine combat practice. You've been looking forward to it, mostly being cooped up in the two weeks after the recent mission.

Natasha sports her signature knowing look when she says, "You're paired with Barnes today, milochka moya."

"Bucky? And?" you clear your throat, and you clock Bucky and Sam entering the gym in your periphery. Is it just you or did your voice just crack? No, it couldn't have.

There's no reason to be nervous, no reason at all.

Sure, he'll get all sweaty and he'll have to get his hands on you and he'll get close... very close... pressed against...

"I see I've lost you already," Natasha is quick to note. "And we haven't even started yet."

Wanda joins you, greeting with, "Did you know you'll be paired with Barnes today?"

Oh my god. You exclaim, "Why is everyone making a big deal out of it?"

"Because," is all Wanda responds with.

"Thanks, Wanda," you nod sarcastically. "Thank you both. Can we just get this over with?"

"Guys?" you call out loudly, addressing everyone in the room.

"Yes, everyone. It is best if we start," Vision says, him being the supervisor for training today. Leave it to an all-knowing entity to be well-versed in every fighting art in existence.

He reads off the combat pairings for the day, and their assigned fighting style.

Clint and Nat, krav maga.

Wanda and Sam, aikido. Though to be fair, she doesn't really need to use her fists should it come to that. Wanda's powers were beyond your comprehension. This is mostly just a fun little exercise for her.

And finally, Vision says your name followed by Bucky's, with the fighting style of jiu-jitsu.

That damned close-contact sport. You're well-trained in it, thanks to your job, but it involves a lot of straddling and the opponent heavily breathing down on your face. It wasn't exactly your first choice out there in the field.

But here? Well, it seems like you don't really have a choice.

Well, you do. And would you really choose otherwise?

Close contact with Bucky?

"Hey, doll," he walks right over, all prepped and ready. Clad in a black compression shirt and grey sweatpants. One look at him and you know you're not likely to survive this training session.

"You ready to get your ass kicked?" you cheekily say, as you to walk over to your designated area of the room with him right on your tail.

He smiles, mumbling something which sounded like, " - let you do anything you want to me."

"I'm sorry?" you blurt out, occupying yourself with the control panel for the instructional hologram.

"Nothing," he bites his lip. Oh, he just knows you heard him.

"Okay, so - " The hologram starts right up, showing faceless figures go through a standard combat routine. Ankle sweep. Closed guard. Arm bar. Back and forth until someone taps out. Then all over again.

"Fun," you remark, moving to circle him on the mat. "Give it your best shot, Barnes."

He makes the first move, trying to sweep your leg with his own and failing. You're too quick for that. As long as you don't get sidetracked by that shit-eating smirk on his face, you'll be just fine.

He rushes at you again, but you jump out of the way. You manage you hook your leg around his torso, and use your whole weight to force him down on the mat.

You end up with one knee pressed to his chest, your forearm applying the slighest pressure on his throat. It's an easy position to counter, and he should be propelling you off of him already. Maneuvering your arm out of the way. Something. Anything.

But the man just stares.

You'll be damned, but Sam was right.

"Bucky, come on," you snap.

Instead of a countermove, he hits you with something more disarming. "You look good up there," he says.

"What?"

"I like the view," he only adds, speeding up the rush of warmth to your face.

Your body goes slack, and your pressure on his neck eases. You struggle to think of something nonchalant, something blasé to say in turn, when he takes advantage of the moment and flips the two of you over.

He ends up on top of you, legs caging you in, hands gripping your wrists by the sides of the face.

"Shit," you curse when you realise what just happened. "Well played."

"Thanks," he responds. "I meant it though, you do look pretty. Like always."

"Another trick, Buck?" You attempt to play it cool. Maybe you can play off the obvious flush on your face as physical exertion. Not whatever this is. Not because of him.

He only smiles, getting back on his feet and extending a hand out to you.

"Not a trick," he says, as you both get ready for the next round.

"I'd say I'm flattered, if you weren't trying to beat me in hand-to-hand combat."

"Doll, I think it's safe to say that you won already," he says, his gaze softening.

What is he on about? "Uhh, no, that was barely anything. We're supposed to keep going."

His brows furrow, though his smile stays in place, albeit a bit strained. "That's not what I meant," he exhales, reaching forward to attempt a restricting hold.

His expression turns serious then, steely gaze boring into you, analyzing your every move. He lunges at you, and you block him. But he tries again and again, each move more precise and forceful.

He steps back to take a breath, and you use the opportunity to sweep his ankle, but he sees it coming. In a flash, he pulls your arm and twists you around so that your back is pressed to his chest. You wrangle against him, making him fall on his back, but he keeps his hold on you.

His metal arm encases your torso with your arms pinned to your sides, and his legs wrap around yours. Air rushes out of you in shaky pants, and you move your head to the side, the only part of you still mobile.

And he's right there, the tip of his nose brushing against your cheek. The tension is almost too much to bear, because you feel all of him - the solid planes of his torso, the coarseness of his facial hair growing out - and for the love of all things sacred, you hope you don't accidentally wriggle your ass against his crotch.

Bucky wishes so too. He would never be able to live that down, especially if one of the others would come around and notice.

"Do you yield?" His voice is rough, commanding against your ear. Even though it's nothing more than an assertive whisper, a shiver runs through your body.

"Y-yes," you muster, "I yield."

He keeps his hold on you a moment longer, and before you can ask him if something's wrong, and why he's not letting you go yet, he releases you.

And it doesn't bring you relief, surprisingly. Almost as if you just want to go right back into his embrace.

As you two get back on your feet, Vision's sudden appearance almost makes you keel over, startling the living daylights out of you.

"That was good," Vision comments.

"What the - Vis!" you place a hand on your chest to calm down. "Maybe announce yourself when you show up please!"

"But I've been standing here for approximately 37 seconds," he expertly says.

"Okay, well - "

"You both did not notice me," he goes on, matter-of factly. "Perhaps it might have something to do with your sheer focus on one another - "

"Okay, Vision, thank you," you attempt to intervene, to no avail.

" - which is good. In combat, you do need to stay hypervigilant. Although, might I comment, that the sudden increase in arousal hormones is not really conducive to battle - "

"Vision!" you and Bucky exclaim in unison.

Thankfully, Wanda notices and comes to your rescue, "O-kay, Vis, why don't you come and check mine and Sam's progress, hmm?"

"Of course," Vision complies immediately and they walk away hand in hand. Must have something to do with his undying penchant for Wanda.

Wanda throws you an apologetic shrug, before her eyes get drawn downward to something else near you, and she has to bite her lip to hold back a giggle.

You feel Bucky's hand take hold of your waist, ever so gentle, and everything else is quickly forgotten.

"You okay?" he asks, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

He stands close, and you catch a hint of his scent, sandalwood and mint, layered beneath a musk that can only be undeniably Bucky.

You hum in affirmation. Shaking you head, you respond with, "Vision was just being... Vision. Can never keep his observations to himself." His thumb moves, caressing lightly at your waist, the movement seemingly instinctive for him.

"Yeah, well," he smiles to himself, before reaching up and tucking back a stray lock of hair from your face, "the thing about that droid is... he doesn't lie."

He steps back, rolling his shoulders, getting ready for another bout of combat. As if he didn't have you subdued already.

"He wasn't lying about me, at least," he smirks, before getting into a stance and putting his arms up.

Feeling brave, because there's no way you're going to come out of this interaction as the only one flustered, you respond with, "He wasn't lying about me, neither."

Bucky doesn't expect that, used to being the suave and cockier one out of this dynamic. His fighting stance loosens, and he barely croaks, "What?"

Gotcha.

It doesn't take long for you to sweep him off his feet.

When you're left straddling him once more, you hit him back with, "I like the view."

He bites his lip, and then laughs, flushed and impressed.

Still on the ground, staring up at you, he decisively ends the match, the final blow too much for you to bear. Because he settles for saying, "Still doesn't beat my view, beautiful."

After more than an hour of fidgeting around your room, clothes strewn everywhere and music blasted to calm you down, you were finally ready.

Bucky had asked you what you were doing for the weekend, and you said you didn't have anything in mind, but asked him if he wanted to watch a movie in the common lounge with you.

He eagerly agreed, before you two were interrupted by Sam mentioning something about new upgrades to Red Wing.

So you didn't get to clarify what the nature of the plan was. Likely it was just another hangout. It wouldn't be the first time you and Bucky watched a movie together, went on excursions on your motorbikes, or headed out to grab some sushi.

Save for Natasha and Wanda, he's the one you spend the most time with.

And none of those times ever was a date.

But you feel nervous as you walk down the hallway. You've been nervous all the while you spent getting ready, unable to choose the right top, and eventually settling for a V-neck cobalt blue shirt that he once said he liked on you.

You're nervous because tonight could be it. You've taken it upon yourself to finally ask him.

Ask him what exactly? Whether he likes you as someone more than a friend? Whether there is a reason to all that staring that he does?

Whether he wants to kiss you as badly as you want to kiss him?

So, something along those lines.

He's standing right around the entrance to the common lounge, and you immediately think at how sweet it is that he's waiting for you.

Until he broke the news.

"Doll, I - " Bucky says, right after you come into view. "Oh, wow, you look great."

Smiling widely, you look down like it was nothing, like you didn't just spend the last hour worrying. "Thanks, Buck."

"Uhh, I have something to tell you, actually. You remember Yori? The man from - "

"Of course I remember him," you nod, now confused at what he's getting onto.

"Yeah," he hesitates, not sure he wants to speak further. All he wants is to spend the night curled up in the lounge with you, but all that is gone when he continues, "he kind of set me up on a date."

"A date?" your stomach sinks.

"With Leah. You know Leah? The girl who works at the restaurant that we go to sometimes with Yori?"

"Yeah," you shrug and look away, hoping your expression doesn't give away too much, "I know who she is. So you have a date, huh?"

"Tonight," he confirms. "I didn't... didn't even ask her, really. But last night at dinner, Yori asked and she heard and said yes - "

"She's really lovely. This is good, Buck."

"Yes, but we made plans, and I didn't want to - "

"No, don't worry about it." you put your palms up, as if to show him that you take the situation lightly. It was no problem, after all. He has to go on this date. You can watch movies together any time.

"Doll," he sighs. "I was actually thinking that, since we had plans already, you could come with me? I'm sure she would understand - "

"Bucky," you laugh dryly, "I am not crashing your date."

"But - "

"No buts," you have to affirm. "You have a date, so it has to be just you and her."

He purses his lips, nodding. He tries to gauge your expression, whether you're pissed at him or anything, but he's only met with a reassuring smile.

"What time is your date?" you ask.

"In about 40 minutes," he replies, giving you a good once-over again, taking you in fully. You really looked good, and he wants nothing more than to just stare at you the whole damn night. If only he wasn't so polite. If only he had the guts to just turn Leah down.

His face falls when you say, "I guess you better go," with a hint of enthusiasm, not knowing that it's your attempt at putting on a brave face.

"What will you do?" he asks.

"I don't know," you shrug. "I'm sure I'll find something. The others are mostly around so - "

"Hey!" Steve rounds up the corner, still clad in his riding jacket, having returned from outdoors.

"Going somewhere, you two?" Steve asks, his signature congenial smile in place.

"Not me," you respond, smiling back. "But Bucky here has a date actually."

"A date?" Steve says, taken aback. Did Bucky not tell him about this? He looks between the two of you, trying to put things into place, "Do you mean - ?" He trails off, gesturing at you.

"No!" A nervous laugh bubbles out of you. Of course, not with you. You wish.

"Really?" Steve makes a face, like the thought of Bucky going on a date with someone else was ridiculous, but he quickly collects himself. It's none of his business, for now. But he'll surely grill his bestfriend on it later.

"Don't you have to leave, Buck?" you turn to him. "You don't want to keep Leah waiting."

"Yeah, I suppose I should. I'll, uh, talk to you later, okay?" He says, taking a few measured steps back. Not wanting to turn away, and have you out of his sight.

"Sure," you smile, but it's weak and you know it is. Watching him walk away, you can no longer hide the disappointment you feel.

Bucky is still within earshot when you turn to Steve and innocently ask, "Are you busy, Steve? Care to watch a movie in the lounge?" Steve of course agrees, and lets his arm drape around you.

Bucky knows that you and Steve are just friends. Steve has gotten a hint of how he feels about you, and far be it from him to take his friend's girl.

But it doesn't quell that sinking feeling, when he looks back. He sees you smiling up at Steve, as the two of you disappear into the lounge.

It's going to be a long night.

[yikesmary]

BOYFRIEND DUTIES — choi seungcheol x reader

summary: after a night out with your friends, your boyfriend, seungcheol tries to take care of a drunk you. as he is helping you get ready for bed, you start mumbling about an interesting topic

notes: yes hello everyone I haven't updated in so long and I come back with this subpar writing 👍. I am still on hiatus technically, but I missed writing and thought that this would be the way I would ease my way into writing so to speak. hope you guys enjoyed!

join my taglist!

"Cheol..." you trailed off, clinging onto him for dear life after he carried you out of the car and on the way into the house.

It was one of those rare nights where you, your boyfriend, and your friends were all free on the same night. Arranging a time when all 14 of you could hang out was hard, considering all of you had separate lives to live and jobs that had different schedules.

Which was why all of you decided to spend your day together by drinking, eating, and singing karaoke. You, being the lightweight you were, didn't take much before you were drunk and screaming with Soonyoung in the mic, singing to whatever song he decided to play even if you didn't know the song.

By the end of the night, you were plastered, stumbling all over the place and Cheol had to guide you in walking when you both left the karaoke place.

And that's how you found yourself in Cheol's arms, your cheek resting on his chest while he tried to unlock the door with the key while you were in his arms. Hearing Cheol's steady heartbeat, you found yourself slowly dosing off.

"Hey, baby, you can't sleep yet. We have to get you ready for bed," your boyfriend said, gently waking you up.

You whined at his interruption, burying your face into his chest, and shook your head no. You felt the rumble of his chest when he chuckled at your actions.

He managed to carry you all the way to your bedroom and placed you gently down on the bed. Cheol turned to go, but you sat up and grabbed his arm, and looked at him, your sleepiness was suddenly gone and you were now aware he was going somewhere.

"Stay?" was all you could muster from your drunken state.

"I'm just going to get a few things for you, I'm not going anytime soon," he told you.

You squinted at him, suspicious, before you let him go and watched as he walked out of the bedroom. He didn't take long and he walked back in with a glass of water and a pack of your makeup wipes. "I saw that you used up the last of your makeup wipes so I opened a new one for you," he said, placing down the glass of water onto the nightstand and walked towards you.

Grabbing the makeup wipe, he tried to remove the makeup the best he could without having to press too hard. You moved a bit, but he was able to get most of the makeup out.

Throwing the makeup wipe in the bin, he reached over to the nightstand to grab the water and handed you the glass to drink.

As you were drinking, Cheol once again exited the room and went into your shared walk-in closet. By the time you drank the entire glass of water, he came back out with pajama pants and one of his shirts you declared to be your sleeping shirt.

"Why didn't you get dressed yet?" you asked, grabbing the clothes and you gave him the empty glass.

"I wanted to make sure you went to bed before I did anything," Cheol replied.

You started tearing up, and you didn't know what triggered it, his thoughtfulness or the fact you were still kind of drunk, but it was probably the mix of both.

"Are you okay? Why are you crying? Do you feel sick?" Cheol started panicking once he saw your tears.

“It’s just… I don’t deserve you,” you said, tears starting to stream down your face.

“That’s not true! If anything, I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you,” he said, crouching down to kiss you on the crown of your head.

“But I’m the one who’s drunk and you have to take care of me while you could’ve easily spent more time with the guys,” you sniffled.

“You were having fun with our friends who we haven’t seen in a while. I wasn't going to leave you alone," Seungcheol softly told you.

"I love you so much," you told him.

"I love you too,"

taglist: @belladaises @winterpaos @minhui896 @baekhyunimochibbh @x-alightinthedark @whywontyousetfree @coffeesandrains @slaveofmydreams @bmkgemz @dandycharmer @outrologist @stagefrjghts @dahliatopia @exo-saranghajaaa @uhlatcha @watermelon-sugars-things @miniminimingi @venzline @withloveyjh @lockburn-castle @userjunhuii @mypsychicpizzaworld @violetvoo @maevadobreva @soonyoungblr @baekhyunstruly @ryusol @dunixxd @minhwa @ovai @scorpiobitch88 @icyminghao @cookiehaos @duskunt1ldawn

[edenesth]

TWTHH Spinoff: Written in the Stars [2]

Pairing: military strategist!Mingi x royal physician!reader

AU: historical au (Joseon era)

Word Count: 10.3k 🤡

Summary: Mingi had spent countless years searching for the angel who saved his life when he was on the verge of death. He believed god was on his side when she finally reappeared before him, but she was now so near yet so far, so unobtainable. No longer just a young medical trainee, she had become an esteemed royal physician—a woman working within the palace walls. And what did that mean? It meant she now belonged to His Majesty.

Part 1 | Main Story | Spinoff Masterlist

"I still can't believe you actually said yes to him. What happened to love being a luxury for us, hm?" Subin teased, not letting you off the hook since she found out about the military strategist's bold invitation. That was surprising enough, but nothing shocked her more than your acceptance.

You sighed, tightening the bow of your hanbok before heading to the full-length mirror in your room to check your hair. "Oh, stop it. You know this is nothing more than a way to demonstrate our teamwork. Officer Song is a colleague, and we are simply taking the chance to network and show support for the union with Ruhon."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, you keep telling yourself that, unnie."

You truly didn’t want to think much of it.

You were already planning to attend the banquet anyway, with or without Mingi's invitation. As one of the more senior and recognised royal physicians in the palace, your attendance at these events was mostly expected. While his attempts to spend time with you hadn't gone unnoticed, you treated them as nothing but friendly gestures.

As you finished adjusting your hanbok, you resolved to keep things strictly professional. Whatever he thought might happen, you would make it clear that you were unavailable. You would convince him to give up, knowing his efforts would only be in vain.

Right, let's get this over with.

The evening of the banquet arrived, and the palace buzzed with activity. Lanterns illuminated the courtyards, and the air was filled with music and laughter. Excitement filled you as you stepped out of the female physicians' quarters to find the tall and dashing military strategist already waiting. He wore a grand hanbok, a stark contrast to his usual training clothes. His hair was slicked back, and his hands were clasped behind his back as he paced, eyes fixed on the ground.

You took a deep breath to calm your racing heartbeat. After all, you were only human, and this was a stunning man before you. But you had to remind yourself that nothing was ever going to happen between you two and that you had only agreed to attend the event with him as a gesture of camaraderie.

Nothing more, nothing less.

After composing yourself, you cleared your throat and called out, "Officer Song, you really didn't have to come all the way here. I could have just met you at the grand hall along with everyone else."

Mingi perked up, his heart thundering at the sound of your voice. When he turned to face you, his breath momentarily caught at the sight of you so dressed up. You were always beautiful to him, but tonight, you were even more enchanting.

He bowed slightly and stepped closer. "You look… perfect, my lady."

You blinked rapidly, hoping the blush you felt wasn’t obvious on your face. He continued, "Of course, I had to come here. What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t? More importantly, you're not just anyone else to me, Royal Physician Ahn. You're my—"

Not wanting to hear the rest, you flashed a large, courteous smile. "Ah, we should probably head over if we don't want to be late. Let us go, Officer Song," you said, cutting him off. His smile faltered slightly before he nodded. "R-right, let us."

Throughout the night, the military strategist remained faithfully by your side. Unfortunately, his attentive gestures did not go unnoticed by those around you, leaving you flustered and repeatedly clarifying that you were merely colleagues.

"Really, Royal Physician Ahn? That's a shame, you two would make a beautiful couple," teased Lady Park. You sputtered, choking on your drink. She panicked and reached over to pat you on the back, glancing at a very concerned Mingi who was conversing with the general. With a reassuring smile, she mouthed, "I'll take care of her."

Officer Song resisted rolling his eyes as Seonghwa smiled dreamily at his adorable wife, not realising he was just as guilty of it—if only he knew he looked the same whenever you were around.

"I-I'm fine. Thank you, Lady Park. But I assure you, nothing can happen between us. It is forbidden; I am a woman of the palace."

The pregnant woman grinned in response. "So, are you saying that if you weren't a palace woman, you definitely would have given General Officer Song a chance?"

You sighed, offering her a half-hearted smile. "There's no use pondering that, my lady. It's impossible," you whispered the last part.

She softened, touching your shoulder gently. "Nothing is impossible if only you desire it hard enough, my dear."

Your heart warmed at her words, but you knew better than to believe them. With an appreciative nod, you gestured to her baby bump. "So, how has pregnancy been treating you, my lady?" you asked, steering the conversation away from dangerous territory. You were afraid of temptations and could not afford to give in to any of them.

The conversation with Lady Park was cut short when a certain fourth prince appeared behind her, hesitantly taking an uncertain step forward. You blinked, trying not to stare too obviously, but she noticed your eyes shifting toward something over her shoulder.

With furrowed brows, she wondered aloud, "Just what are you looking at, Royal Physician Ahn?" She turned and froze upon locking eyes with Prince Yeosang. As she moved to bow, he hurriedly reached out to stop her, gently holding her by her forearms.

"It's been a while, my lady. Would you… care to catch up?" he asked.

She bit her lip, turning to meet her husband's warm gaze. Seonghwa nodded, signalling that the decision was up to her, and she excused herself to speak with her friend. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the prince's one-sided feelings for Lady Park persisted. Everyone in Joseon had heard of His Highness' not-so-subtle advances back then. The gossip at that time was quite juicy, but it was good to see him accepting defeat gracefully. The once bratty fourth prince had disappeared; it seemed the general's wife truly had a strong hold on his heart, changing him for the better even with her firm rejection.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when your chaperone reappeared by your side. You weren't sure how to feel around the gentle giant. His presence was both comforting and unnerving.

"Everything alright?" Mingi asked softly, concern evident in his eyes.

"Yes, everything is fine," you replied, smiling up at him. "Just a bit of palace drama."

He chuckled, nodding in understanding. "Palace drama indeed. Shall we continue to mingle, or would you like to take a break?"

You appreciated his attentiveness, but the whirlwind of emotions from the evening had left you feeling somewhat drained. "A break sounds nice," you admitted.

Mingi beckoned for you to follow and you did, allowing him to lead you to a quieter corner of the grand hall. As you walked, you couldn't help but feel a mixture of gratitude and apprehension. The evening was proving to be far more eventful than you had anticipated, and you knew you had to stay vigilant against his allurements that seemed to be lurking at every turn.

As you both reached a more secluded area, he quickly said, "Wait here, I'll get you something to drink."

You sighed, reaching for his arm. "You don't have to do that, Officer Song. I don't want anyone to misunderstand. I've been meaning to tell you: there's nothing between us, and there never will be."

He paused, turning to face you properly. You looked away almost immediately, guilt gnawing at you as you caught a glimpse of the hurt reflected in his eyes. A heavy silence settled between you, each struggling to collect your thoughts.

Mingi knew winning your heart wouldn't be easy, but the early rejection still stung deeply. Finally, he spoke, his voice soft but steady. "I understand your concerns, truly. But my intentions are genuine. I'm sorry if I've caused you any discomfort or misunderstanding. I just want you to know how much I care."

You bit your lip, the sincerity in his words making it even harder. "I appreciate your honesty, but I have my duties and responsibilities. My life is here in the palace, and I can't afford distractions."

He nodded slowly, taking a step back to give you space. "I respect your dedication. I just… before I let you go, there's one thing I need to know. We've actually met each other years ago. Did you… did you remember me when you saw me again?"

Your expression remained unreadable as you mustered a response. After what felt like an eternity, with the military strategist standing with bated breath and his heart pounding in his ears, you finally met his eyes and softly said, "No, I'm afraid don't know what you're talking about. I'm sorry, Officer Song…"

His heart sank. "Oh."

The weight of his disappointment hung in the air. He took a step back, struggling to mask the hurt that flashed across his face. He had held onto the hope that perhaps, even faintly, you had remembered him. That tiny hope had been a beacon for him, a justification for his persistence. But now, it seemed all for naught.

What if His Majesty had been right?

"That's… that's okay," he finally said, forcing a weak smile. "I must have been mistaken."

You nodded, the guilt intensifying as you watched him grapple with his emotions. "I'm really sorry. Perhaps you have."

Except that was a complete lie.

You remembered. In truth, you had never forgotten. How could you? To have seen Song Mingi in person was to understand that he wasn't someone easy to forget, even when pale and sickly on his deathbed. He was undeniably gorgeous. Beyond his appearance and physique, his warm gaze, soft touch, and sweet words lingered in your memory, impossible to leave behind.

You'd recognised him since day one.

It took everything in you to maintain a composed façade and steady your racing heart as you locked eyes with the military strategist for the first time in years. Before you stood a man, well and strong, embodying everything you had ever wanted.

But you had to quell your desires, silence your dreams, and dismiss any thoughts of the impossible. Years had passed, and you had assumed he was married by now. Later, you discovered he wasn't.

Yet, it changed nothing.

You were now a palace woman, and that sealed the hopelessness of your situation. So you chose to pretend, to feign ignorance of your shared past. It was for the best—for him and for you.

Sometimes, you wondered if you were trying to convince him or yourself more. It was the very reason you dreaded seeing him; not out of dislike or annoyance, but because you were just as captivated by him as he was by you. Had you been an ordinary physician outside the palace walls, you would have accepted his love in a heartbeat.

But things were different now.

Rules were rules.

You and General Officer Song were a beautiful impossibility, and you had to do everything to keep it that way.

Yet, his constant presence was a quiet storm, eroding your resolve. Every gentle gesture, each attempt to show he could protect and cherish you, made it increasingly difficult. His persistence, so tender and genuine, weakened your defences, and you were frightened—terrified, even—of the feelings blooming within you.

Why must he be so cruel?

His kindness, his sincerity, his unwavering dedication—they all tugged at your heartstrings, weakening your defenses. Every time he appeared with that soft smile, every time he looked at you with those earnest eyes, it became increasingly difficult to remember why you had to keep him at arm's length.

And tonight, standing in the secluded corner of the grand hall, facing the man you had spent years trying to forget, you felt your carefully constructed walls begin to crumble. The reality of your situation pressed heavily on you, a constant reminder of the boundaries that could not be crossed.

Song Mingi, with his genuine concern and quiet strength, embodied everything you had ever wanted but could never have. His mere presence was a cruel reminder of what could have been in another life, another world. A world where you were free to love him without consequence.

But you weren't in that world. You were here, bound by duty and rules that were impossible to break. So you swallowed your feelings, pushed down the burgeoning hope, and forced yourself to remember the impossible nature of your situation.

Because letting yourself love him—truly, deeply love him—would only lead to heartache for you both. And you couldn't bear the thought of causing him any more pain than you already have.

You sighed, swallowing the lump forming in your throat as you gazed up at him solemnly. "I, uh… I'm feeling rather tired. I shall retire to my quarters for the night. Thank you for accompanying me tonight, Officer Song. It truly is a joy to befriend Lady Park. It's also wonderful to finally see Joseon and Ruhon getting along well. It seems like things are really looking up for us."

But they weren't.

Both of you thought it, but neither dared to say it aloud.

You smiled courteously, bowing respectfully. "Goodnight, Officer Song. I hope you enjoy the rest of the banquet with your friends."

Just as you turned to leave, he reached out an arm to stop you, though not touching you. Damn it. Damn him and his gentlemanly gestures. "Wait, my lady. Please allow me to escort you back—"

You bowed again, cutting him off, afraid to hear the rest of it. "Please enjoy the rest of the banquet."

With that, you left, leaving behind a strong man staring longingly after you like a lovesick puppy. You didn't have the courage to spare a final glance at him, knowing another look at his pleading eyes would make you give in, and you couldn't have that. Not now. Not ever. You needed to put an end to this.

As you walked away, your heart ached with every step. The distance between you and Mingi grew, but the weight of your emotions only became heavier. The grand hall's festive atmosphere faded into the background as you focused on maintaining your resolve.

Arriving back at the female physician's quarters, you couldn't summon the energy to put on yet another fake smile for Subin. Your friend waited excitedly for you by the entrance, but her beam faltered as she registered the expression on your face.

"You told him to stop, didn't you?" she asked softly, reaching over to grab your hand.

You nodded wordlessly, too weary to say anything more. Subin wrapped an arm around your shoulder, guiding you into your room, murmuring, "It'll be okay… I'm here."

You broke into a tiny smile, leaning into her hold appreciatively. Her warmth and understanding were a balm to your frayed nerves. As you settled into the familiar comfort of your quarters, the weight of the evening began to lift, if only slightly.

Subin's presence was a reminder that you weren't alone, even in your struggle to keep your feelings at bay. She helped you sit down, then knelt beside you, her eyes filled with concern and compassion.

"I know it's hard," she said gently, "but you're strong. You did what you had to do."

You sighed, closing your eyes as you leaned back against the wall. "I just... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I just wish things were different, you know?"

She nodded, squeezing your hand. "I know, unnie. But remember, you're not alone in this. We'll get through it together. Besides, you said it yourself: we have each other, and we have our duty. That's enough. It has to be."

Her words, though simple, offered a small measure of solace. You knew the path ahead would be challenging and that things with the military strategist would never be the same again, but with her by your side, you felt a glimmer of hope.

"Trust me, you'll get over it in no time."

God, I sure hope so.

Meanwhile, Mingi did his best to keep it together for the rest of the event. After all, you had told him to enjoy it with his friends, so he did—or at least he tried his hardest. Feigning a huge grin, he returned to General Park and Royal Secretary Choi's side, casually mentioning that you had retired early. He didn’t want to burden them with his love troubles; the last thing he wanted was their pity. He didn't need to feel any worse than he already did.

Despite having braced himself for the possibility of hearing those words, the pain of your rejection cut deep. "There's nothing between us, and there never will be." Those words echoed in his mind like a broken record as he lay in bed that night, unable to find solace in sleep. He was caught between the urge to fight harder for you and the need to honour your wishes.

Yet, he couldn't shake the image of your face when he asked if you remembered him. The fleeting look of conflict troubled him deeply. Why did you seem so torn? Why did you hesitate? Could you have been lying? If so, why hide the truth? He needed answers. Whether or not you would ever be his, he needed to know them.

Mingi resolved to seek those answers, slowly and carefully. In the process, he hoped to soften your seemingly hardened heart, guarded by steel walls that showed cracks despite your efforts to conceal them. He might have been a fool most of the time, but his attentiveness had never been keener than now. All for you. Because he believed fate must have brought you back into his life for a reason.

"You good, hyung?" Junghoon asked, feeling his mentor shift on the bed for what seemed like the thousandth time that night.

The older man nodded despite the internal turmoil within him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Go to sleep already, young man."

"I'm trying... if only you'd stop moving."

Heaving a sigh, Mingi turned to face his apprentice. "Hey, what do you think it means when a woman tells you to stop pursuing her but looks really sad while saying it?"

The younger man rolled his eyes. There goes my sleep, he thought as he pushed himself up into a seated position, legs folded and hands intertwined. "Alright, sit your dumbass up. Time for Love Lessons for Dummies 101."

"Are you sure this is going to work? She's not—" Mingi's words were cut off by his apprentice, who mocked him with air quotes. "'Not like other girls.' Yeah, yeah, I know. That's what every man says about his crush. Trust me, women are all the same. Nothing melts their hearts more than an attentive and caring man. Now go before she's already out for her lunch break."

Junghoon had finally convinced his mentor to see his dream girl after avoiding the royal medical hall for nearly a week, giving you the space you needed. But Mingi knew that to win your heart, he couldn’t stay away. He'd have to approach gently and slowly.

With a handmade lunchbox in hand, the military strategist's first mission was to show you he wasn’t bound by gender norms, relegating kitchen tasks only to women. He wanted to demonstrate what having a husband like him would be like. If you wished, he could drop by each day with lunch prepared just for you.

His heart pounded with anticipation when he arrived at the medical hall for the first time in what felt like forever. He had missed you like crazy, each day without seeing you dragging on like a year. As he stepped inside and approached the counter, confusion set in when you were nowhere in sight. Could you have gone out with the first batch of royal physicians for your lunch break? That was odd; you always preferred the second batch.

"Good day, Officer Song. Are you injured or feeling unwell?" one of your colleagues asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. Mingi blinked and cleared his throat. "N-no, I'm here for Royal Physician Ahn. Is she already out for lunch?"

Your colleague suppressed a knowing grin, pursing her lips before answering, "She's not. She hasn't been in for a few days now. She's been down with food poisoning ever since attending the royal banquet with you."

Mingi felt his heart sink.

He muttered a quick thanks and dashed out, his feet moving automatically towards the female physicians' quarters. Nothing else mattered; he needed to see you, to know you were okay, to apologise for not taking better care of you that night.

Meanwhile, you pressed your face into your pillow, curling into a ball and clutching the comforter around you as another stab of pain hit your stomach. The discomfort was unbearable, making it impossible to go to work today. Seeing your agony, the head of the royal physicians had allowed you a day or two to feel better before returning to the royal medical hall.

As the pain subsided and you slowly felt a wave of drowsiness enveloping you, an unusual rustle from outside alerted you. Someone was there. But who? Everyone else should be at work. Was it Subin coming to check on you? Your thoughts were interrupted when your breath hitched, realising a man's silhouette was standing by your room entrance through the paper walls.

What fool would dare come here, a place meant only for women? Not even eunuchs were allowed in, let alone a well-built man of his stature. Was it a prison escapee? Lord knows what he'd do if he found you alone. Before you could attempt to get up and go someplace safe, another sharp pain hit, and the wince you let out was inevitable. Unfortunately, the man heard you and immediately reached to pull the doors open.

As the door slid open, your heart raced, fear gripping you as you braced for the worst. But instead of a stranger, you saw Mingi's concerned face. His eyes widened in alarm as he rushed to your side.

"Physician Ahn, are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.

"O-Officer Song? What in the world are you doing here?" you managed to say between breaths, the pain still lingering.

"I heard you were sick. I had to make sure you were okay," he replied, his voice softening as he knelt beside your bed.

The concern in his eyes was genuine, and despite the awkwardness of the situation, a small part of you felt relieved. "You're not supposed to... you shouldn't be here," you whispered, the rules and propriety still at the forefront of your mind.

"I know, but I couldn't stay away," he said, gently placing a hand on your arm. "I'm here to make up for my mistake. I should have been more attentive. This is all my fault."

You frowned, pushing yourself up to a sitting position as the pain subsided again. "What do you mean by that? How is any of this your fault? This has nothing to do with you."

He sighed. "Nonsense. If only I’d been more attentive to what they served you at the banquet, you wouldn’t have been suffering from food poisoning this badly."

"F-food poisoning...? Who told you that?" you asked, already having a clue. He twiddled his fingers nervously. "One of your colleagues. I was at the medical hall earlier and you weren’t there. She told me you were sick, and I came here as fast as I could..."

Squeezing your eyes shut, you were exasperated at your friends’ mischievousness. They hadn’t let you live it down since learning you had gone to the royal banquet with the military strategist, though they didn’t know what had transpired between you two or how the night had ended. The teasing was one thing, but you didn’t think they’d actually go this far. But of course, they probably didn’t think this fool would actually come here himself instead of sending a court lady to check on you.

You sighed. "I don't have food poisoning… it's just that time of the month. You know, the women thing…" His eyes widened in horror, and his cheeks turned red with embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, muttering, "Gosh, why'd she lie about this?"

You pulled your comforter close as another cramp hit. "Listen, I'm not in the mood to talk right now. Besides, you really shouldn't be here. I appreciate you checking on me, but you should leave. We'd both be in huge trouble if someone saw you here."

He nodded quickly, gesturing to the bag he had brought with him. "Right, I-I'll leave immediately. These are for you, by the way. I made them myself. Please enjoy them when you're feeling hungry."

Usually, you would have melted at that, but you really needed him gone. "Yes, thank you."

As if the world had something against you, just as the military strategist neared the door, another familiar silhouette appeared at the entrance. "Are you feeling any better, my dear? I've come with some heat packs to soothe the cramps," the head of the royal physicians called out, her hands reaching for the door handle.

Mingi froze, and you panicked, all menstrual pain forgotten as you jumped out of bed and rushed towards him, exclaiming loudly, "I'm feeling much better, Head Physician Seo! Thank you for your concern. Would you give me a minute? I'm not properly dressed."

You sighed in relief when that worked like a charm as she removed her hand from the door handle and took a step back. "Oh, my apologies. Of course, let me know when you're ready."

Scanning the room in alarm, you hurried to the cabinet that usually held your mattress, pillows, and comforters when you weren't sleeping, now empty. "Get in here, quick!" you whispered urgently. He obeyed, moving as stealthily as he could to avoid making a sound and raising suspicion.

Oh god, can things get any worse today?

After shooting him a stern look and pressing your pointer finger against your lips to signal a firm 'be quiet,' you shut the cabinet doors and took a deep breath. Plastering on a huge smile, you opened the door for your superior, letting her in. She smiled warmly, handing you the heat packs she'd brought. "Is everything okay? I thought I heard someone in here earlier."

Your breath caught as you noticed Mingi's bag still by your bed. Quickly moving to conceal it with your hanbok, you feigned innocence. "Huh, really? That's weird. It's only me. I'm sure it's nothing."

She shrugged and nodded. "You're probably right. I guess all the lack of sleep must be getting to me. Well then, it’s good to see you doing better. I shall get back to work then."

You mustered a fake laugh. "That must be it, ma'am. Thank you so much for the heat packs. I really appreciate it."

She patted your cheeks softly. "Anything for my best physician. Hope to see you back at work tomorrow."

You nodded, waving goodbye as she left. As you shut the door, exhaustion overwhelmed you, and you sank to your knees. The cabinet doors creaked open as the tall man emerged, muttering, "Phew, that was close—"

As if jinxing it, your superior returned. "Oh yes, my dear!" she called through the door.

Rushing up to Mingi, you smacked a palm over his mouth to shut him up as you answered her, "Yes, ma'am?"

She chuckled. "I heard that General Officer Song of yours dropped by the medical hall earlier, seemingly with lunch prepared for you. Don't be so hard on him, hm? I know we’re not allowed to love, but he's a sweet guy. At least be a friend to him. We’re still allowed to have friends, you know? Please don’t deprive yourself of that right too."

You swallowed, meeting Mingi’s eyes as they softened at your pained expression. "I understand. Thank you, ma'am."

Finally, she left for good this time. Eyes locked with his, you pondered her words. Could you really be friends with this man? Just... friends? Perhaps that was all you could ever be.

In that moment of closeness, you became acutely aware of your position, your hand still covering his mouth, his hands gently supporting you on your back. The atmosphere crackled with tension until it was broken by the rumble of his stomach. Flustered, you withdrew, your heart racing.

What in the world just happened...?

With a nervous bite of your lip, you dared to break the silence. "You uhh... haven't eaten either, have you?"

He shook his head bashfully, his eyes reflecting a mix of embarrassment and longing. "No, I haven't."

Oh, to hell with it.

You gestured towards the lunch he had brought. "Join me then."

Things had obviously shifted between you since then, and it did not go unnoticed by those around you. General Officer Song started coming by the medical hall at least once a week, no longer pretending to have an injury but simply to share lunch with you.

As friends.

That was what you told your friends, colleagues and every other palace staff whenever they tried to tease you. Yes, friends. That was all there was to it. All you both were ever going to be. Nothing more, nothing less. Just friends. Good friends. That was all you would allow… all you were allowed, really.

But you were happy with it. You had to be. It wasn't something you had a say in.

This was your life.

Mingi's visits became an oddly comforting routine. Every week, he would show up with a handmade lunch, and you would sit together, talking and laughing. The bond between you grew stronger, and although you constantly reminded yourself that you were just friends, there was an undeniable warmth in your interactions.

One afternoon, after the military strategist had patiently waited for you to finish caring for a patient, the two of you shared lunch in a quiet corner of the medical hall. He looked at you with a soft, contemplative expression. "You know," he began, "the first time I saw you, I thought you were the most admirable woman to exist. I'm glad I wasn't wrong. You really are an angel sent by the heavens."

You felt a flutter in your chest but quickly suppressed it, grinning softly. "Am I really? You know I'm not the only female physician around. The others are just as admirable."

Yes, but they're not you.

He nodded, though his eyes held a depth of emotion you couldn't quite decipher. "I suppose you're right," he said gently.

Not wanting to dwell on the serious atmosphere, you playfully nudged him on the shoulder. "Of course I am. I'm always right. And I bet you were a complete crybaby the day we first met, wailing like a child as you received treatment."

He scoffed, pressing a hand to his chest dramatically and feigning offence. "I was not. I'll have you know I was the most courageous soldier on site that day."

Brave enough to ask you out.

"Sure you were," you mocked sarcastically, sticking your tongue out at him. Your heart warmed internally because he was right. You remembered how calm he was despite the pain he endured. But he could never know you remembered. Never. That would complicate things too much, and you didn't need that. Not now, not ever.

Things were perfect as they were.

Or were they?

Irked by your teasing, he swiftly reached out to snatch a piece of dumpling—your favourite—from your lunchbox and stuffed it into his mouth as revenge. You let out a surprised yelp, smacking him on the arm. "Wha—hey! That was my last piece! Give it back, Song Mingi!" Your laughter filled the space as you wrestled with him, his eyes disappearing into adorable slits as he hurriedly chewed on the dumpling, annoying you with it. He chortled, speaking through his mouth full, "Ha! That's what you get!"

The fun was abruptly cut short when the head of the royal physicians appeared at the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked, her tone light but curious.

You sputtered and shook your head, immediately pushing yourself off the tall man. "Absolutely not, ma'am. He was just about to leave. We're done eating," you said, glaring playfully at Mingi as he swallowed the last of your dumpling.

The military strategist bowed respectfully to the elderly woman, seizing the opportunity to escape your wrath. "I apologise for taking up so much of Royal Physician Ahn's time. I'll leave at once," he said.

She shook her head, smiling warmly. "Don't apologise. I'm not sure I've seen Physician Ahn this happy in a good while. Please stay for a bit more if you wish, Officer Song."

Both your cheeks grew warm at her words as Mingi scrambled to pack up his belongings and leave, clearly shy. "Thank you, ma'am, but I really shouldn't. Besides, I have training to attend as well."

With a final bow to you both, he was gone, leaving you standing there, your heart still racing from the sudden interruption and the unexpected compliment from your superior.

Head Physician Seo approached you, a knowing smile on her face. "You and General Officer Song seem really close. Are you sure there's nothing more going on?"

You laughed lightly, shaking your head. "We're good friends. That's all."

She raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Well, as long as you're happy. I'm glad you took my advice and allowed him in."

You nodded, reaffirming your own belief. "You were right, it's nice to have someone who genuinely understands and cares."

In the back of your mind, you couldn't ignore the ache of wanting something more, but you reminded yourself that this was your reality. And so, you continued to cherish the time spent with him, finding solace in the friendship that had blossomed between you.

As the weeks turned into months, the boundaries of your friendship were constantly tested. Every shared smile, every lingering glance, and every comforting touch made it harder to maintain the illusion. Deep down, you both knew what you had was special, even if you could never openly acknowledge it.

Despite the constraints, you found happiness in the moments you shared. Each lunch, each conversation, and each quiet moment of understanding reinforced the bond between you. The stolen glances when no one was looking, the way he would subtly take care of you, and the warmth that filled your heart when he was near—it all painted a picture of a love that couldn't be spoken.

In the silence of the night, when you lay awake thinking about him, you allowed yourself to dream of a different life. A life where societal expectations didn't dictate your choices, and you could be free to express your true feelings. But for now, those dreams remained just that—dreams.

You took comfort in the friendship that had become an integral part of your life. It was a bittersweet reality, but one you had come to accept. And in those precious moments you shared, you found a contentment that made the impossible feel almost within reach.

Meanwhile, Mingi found himself growing more hopeful with every step closer to you. Though it hurt to hear you remind everyone that what you shared was merely friendship, he was almost certain you returned his feelings. Yet, he didn’t want to make assumptions; he needed to hear it from you. He was prepared to wait a long time, even forever, as long as you continued to allow him to be near you. This closeness was already more than he had ever hoped for, and a part of him had accepted that this might be the way things were meant to be.

Being friends was better than nothing.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," Junghoon smirked before letting out a whine as his mentor hit him on the back.

"Shut up, kid. What do you know about love anyway? Taking advice from you nearly got me and her in trouble," Mingi grumbled.

The apprentice rolled his eyes, rubbing his back. "Oh, please, don't act like it didn't help you get close to her. I dare you to say you didn’t enjoy having her pressed up against you that day, keeping your mouth shut with her hand, all alone in her room—"

Mingi slapped a hand over the younger man’s mouth, eyes wide and face burning with embarrassment. "If you don't shut your trap right now, I'll tell His Majesty you’d like to quit and join the eunuchs."

That was all it took to silence Junghoon.

Truthfully, the apprentice was right, being close to you had made Mingi greedy for your affections. He often wondered what it would be like to have you willingly run into his arms. But the military strategist knew that was probably as far as he would ever get. Friends were not meant to be any closer than that, and he had come to accept it. If only you would stop making things more difficult.

One day, a soldier was seriously injured during training due to faulty weapons, and the royal medical hall was notified. You appeared at the training grounds with Subin beside you not long after, slightly out of breath as your eyes searched hastily for something or… someone. When you didn’t find who you were looking for, you blurted out, "Where's Officer Song? Is he okay?"

The soldiers greeting you furrowed their brows in confusion. "Officer Song…? Yes, he's fine. It's not him who got injured. Did someone tell you that by mistake?"

You sputtered messily, flustered for giving yourself away, while your childhood friend suppressed her giggle beside you. "O-oh, no... I just... I assumed it was him since he gets injured nearly every week. Never mind that, please take us to the injured soldier."

"Yes, my lady. Come with me."

Quickly, you followed the man, eyes glued to his back, not wanting to catch any knowing glances thrown your way. Unbeknownst to you, Song Mingi was hidden by a stand and had heard everything, struggling to keep the smile off his face at your concern. Were you thinking about him just as much as he thought about you? Were you worried about him? Did you... feel the same?

He desperately wanted to hear it from you but dared not ask the questions, fearing the answers you'd give him—answers that he knew would never reflect your true feelings. He watched you tend to the injured soldier from a distance, the smile lingering on his face, feeling a warmth that hadn’t been there before. Though it stung to always be reminded that what you shared was nothing more than friendship, he clung to the moments when your actions betrayed your words, showing a deeper, unspoken bond.

For now, he would be content with this.

Until he couldn't.

He arrived at the medical hall the next day with lunchboxes in hand, ready to spend time with you as usual. Instead, he was met with the devastating news that you had been dispatched to a plague-ridden village to provide assistance. His heart fell, and his world crumbled.

"I don't understand. What do you mean she's gone, my King? She was just here yesterday."

"Forget her, Officer Song. I told you it's impossible to be with her," said the ruler, rubbing a hand on his temple. "She volunteered to go without hesitation. I think you have your answer loud and clear. And as much I hate to say this, we're not sure she will return from this trip. Most physicians going on such missions are like soldiers going to war; they risk their lives and could be gone for months or even years. You deserve someone who can stay by your side."

The King's words cut deep, but Mingi's mind was a whirlwind of worry and despair. The thought of you in danger, far away, made it hard for him to breathe. The idea of losing you, of not knowing if you were safe or if you would ever come back, was unbearable.

"Where is this village, Your Majesty?"

The elderly man sighed deeply, shaking his head. "What will it take for you to give up? You'll only end up in pain, as if you haven't already been in enough pain. She has denied all your attempts from the start. Why do you do this to yourself, hm?"

Officer Song clenched his fists, his voice trembling with emotion. "Because love isn't about possession. Love is unconditional. I don't care if she will never accept my love in this life; I will continue to be there for her, to protect and care for her as long as I am alive. I'll be damned if I let her face all that danger on her own. So, I'm asking again, Your Majesty, where exactly is this village?"

The desperation in his voice was palpable, the rawness of his love laid bare. He would do anything, go anywhere, to ensure your safety. For the military strategist, there was no greater purpose than being there for you, no matter the cost.

Meanwhile, you struggled to keep yourself together as you arrived at the terror-stricken village. The place had been overtaken by a sudden, rapidly spreading disease, claiming lives at a frightening pace. Violently woken in the middle of the night by Head Physician Seo, you joined the royal physicians gathered in the main hall to hear the grim news. Guri, the very village where you and Subin had lost everything, was now cursed with another wave of illness, intent on wiping out the population and destroying families again.

But you were stronger now.

You would rather die trying than let more innocent villagers endure what you did all those years ago. This time, you were capable of saving lives. Without a second thought, you and your friend volunteered to go. It wasn't until you were in the carriage that you remembered a certain Officer Song. Crestfallen, you realised that perhaps this was all for the best. Maybe, with your absence, he could finally move on and find someone with whom he could have a future, instead of being held back by you.

And you... you would be doing the very thing you had trained for all your life. There was no time to dwell on matters of the heart.

Forget him, lives are at stake.

As you arrived in Guri, the sight was both familiar and heartbreaking. The streets were eerily quiet, with only the occasional sound of distant weeping or the hollow coughs of the afflicted. You, Subin, and the rest of the royal physicians immediately set to work; assessing the situation and organising the sick villagers for treatment.

"Help my mother, please!"

"It hurts, make it stop!"

"I don't want to die yet... I'm scared."

Doing your best to calm the terrified villagers, your mind was a whirlwind of medical procedures and strategies to contain the spread. Every moment was a battle against time, a race to save as many lives as possible. But amidst the chaos, thoughts of Mingi lingered at the edge of your mind. His gummy smile, his stupidly cute laughter, the way his eyes lit up when he saw you—they all haunted you, a bittersweet reminder of what you had left behind.

Sometimes, it felt like those thoughts of him were the only thing keeping you going. Nearly a week had passed, and the situation had only slightly improved. With minimal sleep and just enough food to keep you alive, you worked tirelessly to tend to the sick. All the while, you wished you had a certain tall, handsome, and silly strategist to help lighten the constantly heavy atmosphere. At this point, you had lost count of the times you had imagined him by your side. The imagination could be so vivid, you were convinced you were hallucinating from the immense lack of rest.

"Need a hand, my lady?"

You froze, your actions of reaching for the top shelf of the makeshift clinic for some medicine halted at the familiar voice that had been haunting your well-being for the past week. Shit, were you hearing things now? Surely, it was the sleep deprivation acting up.

It can't be.

But then, you turned around, and there he was. General Officer Song, standing in the doorway, looking just as real and solid as ever. His eyes held a mix of concern and determination, and he was carrying a medical kit of his own.

"Mingi?" you whispered, almost afraid that speaking his name would shatter the illusion.

He stepped closer, a gentle smile on his face. "Yes, it's me. I'm here."

To his surprise, you were angry when you realised it was really him and not just a hallucination. "What… in the world are you doing here?" you questioned, your voice filled with frustration and disbelief.

His smile fell. "I came to help—"

You cut him off. "This isn't a joke, Song Mingi! This is serious. People are dying! You shouldn't be here just because you wish to keep pursuing me or anything stupid!"

His expression hardened with determination. "That's exactly why I'm here—because I can't lose you!"

You were left speechless, grappling with the rush of emotions at his sudden presence as well as his words. You felt conflicted, overwhelmed by the happiness that he was really here in the flesh, anger at his recklessness, fear for his survival, and frustration because you wanted so badly to run to him but knew you could not.

After what felt like an eternity, you sighed and tossed him a handkerchief. "Cover your nose and mouth with this at all times. Since you're here, make yourself useful. Get that bag of herbs and come with me. We have no time to waste."

As he opened his mouth to speak, you shot him a warning glare. "Save your breath. If you do not intend to work, please leave."

With a firm nod, he complied, grabbing the bag of herbs and following you into the chaos. Despite the tension, having him there added a strange sense of comfort and determination, and together, you continued to fight the disease that had plagued Guri.

The entire day passed by in a blur, just like the previous ones. There was not a moment of respite as you rushed around, with Mingi following you obediently, doing as he was told without question. Subin and your other colleagues raised surprised brows at his presence, but the situation left no room for teasing or questions.

At the end of the day, even when things had calmed down a little and most villagers were asleep, your work was far from done. You sat by the bed of a small child who was badly affected by the disease, your tired hands rinsing and wringing a towel repeatedly, wiping the sweat from his tiny head over and over to ensure his fever didn’t worsen. Mingi remained by your side, watching you care for the child.

Sensing your lethargic movements, he gently offered, "Here, let me do it." He reached out for the cloth, and you gave in, handing it to him. He took your spot, and you moved aside to make space for him on the bed, finally having the opportunity to take a good look at him since his arrival.

His face was etched with concern and determination, his usual playful demeanour replaced by a steadfast resolve. He worked with a quiet intensity, carefully tending to the child as if his life depended on it. The sight filled you with a mixture of emotions—gratitude, admiration, and a touch of sorrow.

"You shouldn't have come," you whispered, the weight of the day's events pressing down on you. "But... thank you."

He glanced at you, his eyes softening. "I had to. I couldn’t just stay behind knowing you were here, facing this alone."

You sighed, feeling a lump form in your throat. "I'm sorry for the harsh words I said. I was just... worried about you. I still am."

"And I was worried about you," he replied, his voice firm yet gentle. "We’re in this together now. We'll get through it."

Shaking your head, you squeezed your eyes shut. "It's not going to be easy. You don't understand… this, Mingi. This village was once my home. I was born here, and for the first few years of my life, I had a family. Until a plague, one similar to this one, broke out, taking my parents and siblings, leaving me with nothing," you explained, your voice breaking as you finally revealed your past.

He sat, shell-shocked, learning about your tragic history for the first time. He hadn’t known you had endured such a tough life, and it only strengthened his affection and admiration for you. You were even stronger than he had perceived.

"And that's why I was so afraid of seeing you here," you continued, your voice trembling. "Because I… I can't lose you too."

His breath hitched at your words, a moment of silence enveloping the room before he dared to cover your hand gently with his bigger one, whispering a soft, "Really?"

Embarrassed, you cleared your throat and nodded, avoiding his eyes. "Yes, because you're a good friend to me."

He chuckled, nodding in defeat. "Right, of course." He knew better than to expect anything more by now. He was just glad you no longer pushed him away.

That was all that mattered.

The following days settled into the same gruelling routine, but your shoulders undeniably felt lighter with Mingi's presence. His unwavering support and the arrival of the physicians who had raised you and Subin provided much-needed relief. Their presence brought a sense of comfort and familiarity.

On a slower day, the military strategist sat with one of the senior physicians, assisting with brewing medicine. Catching the tall man's eyes glued to your busy figure in the next room, Kyungsoo, who had been like an older brother to you, smiled and remarked, "Quite the workaholic, isn't she? Nothing can stop her from working. She's been that way for as long as we can all remember."

"She really is," Officer Song replied.

Through your mentors, he learned more about your childhood years. Kyungsoo shared stories of how hard you had worked and studied to get where you were, all to repay them for taking you in. Mingi now saw the depth of your dedication and the sacrifices you had made to become the renowned royal physician you are today.

As he watched you tirelessly care for the villagers, a realisation struck him. It might be selfish to want to tie you down in marriage just because he thought he loved you. If he truly loved you, he should let you do what you loved. You had fought so hard to achieve your dreams; how could he possibly take that away from you?

His heart ached as he finally understood the wisdom in His Majesty's words. Maybe you really were not meant to be, not in this life. Perhaps in the next, he thought to himself, his eyes lingering on you with a mixture of admiration and sorrow.

For now, he would support you in the best way he could—by standing by your side, helping you save lives, and cherishing the moments you shared. Because that, he realised, was also a form of love.

You've won, my King. I yield.

You had somehow felt the distance Mingi seemed to be putting between you, no matter how minuscule. You were hyper-aware of him, always had been, so this change, despite how small and unnoticed by the rest, bothered you more than you cared to admit. Was he growing tired of this? Of you? Perhaps he was realising how impossible it was to reach you and was giving up.

And who could blame him, really?

He deserved to be free; free to love another, to love someone who could give him so much more, all the things you never could.

"Hey, everything okay?" Subin asked, noting how you had nearly disposed of a new bandage instead of a used one.

You snapped out of your thoughts, apologising for the mistake as you rubbed your eyes. "Oh, I'm fine. Just tired, that's all."

She sighed, squeezing your shoulder. "It's Officer Song, isn't it?"

You stilled. "Huh? I-I don't know what you're talking about—"

She rolled her eyes, cutting you off. "Save it, unnie. I'm tired of hiding it from you. He's already received permission from His Majesty to pursue you. That's why he's been so bold in his attempts. If you feel the same way about him, then please, for the love of god, stop putting yourself and him through this nonsense any longer."

Your heart pounded as her words sank in. "Permission from His Majesty?" you echoed, disbelief and confusion in your voice.

She nodded firmly. "Yes, my dear friend. He's been allowed to court you on one condition—only if you willingly agree to it. That’s why he’s here, risking his life. He’s doing it all for you. If you care about him even a fraction of how much he cares about you, you need to let him know. This back-and-forth is tearing both of you apart."

You swallowed hard, grappling with the revelation. It felt as if a door had opened, one you had convinced yourself was forever locked.

"But Subin-ah... what if he realises I'm not worth the effort?" you whispered, voicing your deepest fear.

Her eyes softened. "That's not for you to decide. Let him make his own choices. If he’s here, fighting for you, it means you are worth everything to him. Don’t push him away because of your own insecurities. Give him—give yourself—a chance."

Before you could process her words, chaos erupted as sudden screams filled the air, panicked villagers running in all directions. You rushed outside to see what was happening, your heart pounding in your chest. Amid the commotion, you finally caught on to someone yelling, "Fire! Fire! There's a fire in the kitchen!"

Gasping, you spotted billowing black smoke rising from a hut at the back, where the kitchen was situated. Turning to Subin with wide eyes, you began, "I-isn't that where—"

She nodded before you could finish, confirming your fears. "Officer Song and Kyungsoo oppa were brewing medicine!"

Without a second thought, you sprinted towards the kitchen, your mind racing. The heat and smoke intensified with each step closer. Villagers and fellow physicians frantically attempted to extinguish the flames with buckets of water, but the fire raged on.

"Kyungsoo oppa! Mingi-yah!" you shouted, your voice trembling with fear and urgency.

Amid the thick smoke, Kyungsoo stumbled out alone, coughing violently. You rushed to him, desperation gripping your heart. "O-oppa, where is he? Where's Song Mingi?!"

Pointing towards the kitchen, nearly engulfed in flames, the senior physician gasped, "That fool's still in there. He insists on saving the medicine. We need to get him out, now!"

Your heart pounded with dread. "I'll go!" But Kyungsoo grabbed your arm, panic in his eyes. "No, it's too dangerous—"

Ignoring his warning, you darted inside.

Your heart plummeted when you spotted Mingi foolishly attempting to salvage the pot of medicine. "Stop, you idiot! Leave it!" He froze at the sound of your voice, turning to see you. "What are you doing here? Get out, the place is falling apart!"

Rushing up to him, you desperately tugged on his arm. "Not without you!" Yielding to your urgency, he abandoned the medicine and turned to leave with you. But dread washed over him as he noticed the fragile beam above you, threatening to collapse at any moment. Time seemed to slow as he pushed you towards the exit just in time for the debris to crash down in front of him, trapping him inside.

Your cries echoed as you saw him trapped. "No!" He managed a weak smile, feeling the smoke filling his lungs. "I'm sorry, my lady." Tears streamed down your face as you screamed for help, men rushing to save him. Kyungsoo and Subin restrained you, their grip firm as you thrashed against their hold.

"It's okay, he'll be okay," they repeated, their assurances failing to ease the turmoil in your heart. When they finally emerged, carrying his unconscious body, relief washed over you, but it was quickly replaced by a profound sense of guilt and regret.

God, you were such a fool. How could you have been so blind to his importance in your life? Why did you take him for granted, making him wait for so long?

"Wake up, Song Mingi! Please, listen to me," you pleaded, your voice trembling with emotion. "I remembered everything, okay? I never forgot about you, not for a single moment. I'm sorry for lying, for pushing you away. But I accept it now—I want to be with you. Please... don't leave me."

Amidst your sobs against his chest, you halted as you felt his hand tenderly stroking your head. Lifting your gaze to meet his, you found him smiling weakly down at you.

"Wow, I never thought I'd hear those words," he murmured softly.

"So, that's your secret, huh? Faking your own death to get the girl?" Junghoon quipped, wearing a mischievous grin. Mingi let out an exasperated sigh and playfully smacked the younger man on the back of the head. "Faked my death? I nearly died," he retorted.

Junghoon raised a sceptical brow. "Yes, but did you die though?"

"I swear to god, you rascal—" Mingi's fist hovered in the air threateningly until you appeared, hands on your hips.

"Excuse me, no violence is permitted in the medical hall. If you two want to settle this, take it to the training grounds," you scolded.

The military strategist turned to you with a pout, attempting to play innocent. "But, my angel, I brought you lunch."

You rolled your eyes. "Alright. What's Junghoonie doing here then?"

The apprentice eagerly showed you his sprained ankle. "I actually got hurt, noona. Unlike someone, I don't fake my injuries."

Before Mingi could retaliate, you quickly summoned a colleague to tend to Junghoon, then dragged your idiot away, much to his chagrin. "That's enough, you baby."

"Yes, I'm your baby."

A month had passed since the plague in the village was eradicated. It was after the fire, that you managed to find a quiet moment with Mingi and poured out your heart to him. To your surprise, he didn't immediately respond with joy.

"Are you sure this is what you truly want?" he had asked, his expression serious. "Because I could never ask you to choose me over your career if it's more important to you."

His words struck a chord deep within you, revealing the depth of his love and understanding. He wasn't seeking to possess you but to ensure your happiness, even if it meant letting you go.

In that moment, you realised that this man was worth loving, worth everything. He had waited patiently for years, only to ask you that question when he finally had you.

In response, you didn't need to speak. Your answer was a simple and direct kiss to his lips, conveying all your love, gratitude, and certainty in that one tender moment.

Upon your return from Guri, you promptly sought an audience with His Majesty. There, you expressed your desire to be with Mingi. Needless to say, the soft-hearted King who had been secretly rooting for you both did not take too long to agree.

Granting you the freedom to be courted by the military strategist, the King also bestowed his blessing for marriage, should you both deem it the right path. With a sense of relief, you exchanged grateful glances with your lover. It marked the beginning of a new chapter, brimming with hope and love, as you eagerly anticipated embarking on this journey together.

"I still can't believe you're meant to be the coolest and most renowned military strategist in all of Joseon. If only the people knew what an adorable little princess you could be," you chuckled, playfully feeding Mingi a spoonful of rice as he attempted to fashion you a new handkerchief, boasting about his newfound skills learned from his dressmaker friend.

"Oh wow, is that really how you thank your devoted future husband, who's putting all this effort into making something special for you?" he teased, his eyes sparkling with affection as he reached for another piece of cloth, determined to create something perfect for you.

You snickered mischievously. "Alright, princess, how about this? You handle the cooking and cleaning, and I'll be the queen of the castle, bringing home the gold. Deal?"

He stared at you, unamused. Leaning in, you stole a kiss from his lips, and in that moment, his resistance melted away. "Ugh fine, I suppose that doesn't sound too bad," he admitted with a playful sigh.

Anything for you, my angel.

You couldn't contain your laughter at his surrender, eagerly returning his affection as he leaned in for another kiss.

Sometimes, it's astonishing how, despite years of separation, no matter how distant you've become or how impossible it seemed to reunite, you always find each other again. It's as if your paths were meant to intersect once more, as though guided by the stars.

You were destined to find each other.

Lord, I did not plan for this to be so long. I'm so sorry this part took like a thousand years and I sincerely hope it was decent! I've managed to include all the details I came up with but am somehow not too happy with the delivery (then again, when am I not unsatisfied with my own work lmfao).

More importantly, I cannot believe I now have 2k followers😭 thank you all so much! I cannot wait to finish Jongho and Yeosang's spinoffs and then work on more new stuff!

As always, thank you for reading and let me know your thoughts! <3

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All Rights Reserved © edenesth // DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE, PLAGIARISE OR REPURPOSE.

[heavenbloom]

🇵🇸 BEFORE YOU READ: DONATE, BOYCOTT TLOU, DAILY CLICK, STREAM THIS SONG TO DONATE

⚰︎ — 𝒗𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆!𝒂𝒃𝒃𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

song: valse sentimentale, op. 51, no. 6 - tchaikovsky

warnings: 18+ mdni, smut and slight angst, oral (r!receiving), sexual tension, afab reader, extensive descriptions of blood, blood drinking, bloody kisses, minor descriptions of pain, set in the unspecified past, omission of abby’s true identity until near the end, eventual breakdown then comfort, loosely dracula-esque, not proofread

a/n: wanted this to be a fully fleshed out oneshot but i didn’t have time😔 happy halloween from me nonetheless <3

vampire!abby, who shares an uncanny resemblance to the portraits that line her opulent walls. they gaze down at you with the same set jaw and stern brow, the same shock of golden waves. her family tree, she says, but it seems off… you have yet to lay eyes on any family. it’s as if she were a phantom that tore herself away from the constraints of oil and varnish and who is now playing the part of flesh and bone.

vampire!abby whose hospitality knows no bounds. even if her eyes glow a little too azure in the flickering flame of the hearth. even if her body is too still, her chest frozen with the lack of the in-out-in-out animal rhythm of breath. it matters not, because she has opened her home, and her heart, to you in a time of need. these little oddities don’t outweigh her charms.

and oh, how charming she is. vampire!abby has a way with words, a honeyed tongue that drags heat from within to the apples of your cheeks. the things she finds to compliment you on are never ending, all with a charismatic smile to top it off. she doesn’t dangle her affections and beckon, she lays it out flat on her palm for the taking.

vampire!abby, who you only see when the sun sets. it would have been strange, if not for the way she thrummed with a liveliness, a natural gift for conversation and entertainment that instantaneously vanished all growing doubts. she tells you stories of her adventures, spoken with the fondness of a distant memory. she shows you rare books that lay thick and dusty in your palms. the smell of worn leather and aged paper and her infiltrates your senses as she leans over your shoulder. frankincense, lavender and something unplaceable that crackles in the air. she looks at you as she flips the brittle pages gently, as if she’s read it, memorised it, a hundred times over…

vampire!abby, who keeps her restraint under control by the skin of her teeth. the sound of your pace racing rapidly beneath the thin sheet of your skin each time she comes near and the way your eyes dilate. not to mention the heady smell of your blood that fills the air night and day… she could eat you alive. oh, how she wants to, but she’s found herself growing fonder of your presence each day. she’s forgotten how lonely she has become, in this manor-shaped grave. burial site no longer, your mortal warmth makes it almost feel like a home again.

vampire!abby, who, finding herself unable to prey on you, decides to lavish you with affection instead. waltzes in the strong, soothing frame of her arms, in a ballroom so desolate the marble floor blurs as she spins and swivels you around. custom-made attire of the finest silks and velvets, all for you. then the gentler moments; the slow drag of fingertips as she buttons up your blouse, a gloved thumb trailing its way down the slope of your neck. fabric, the only thing separating the much wanted feel of skin-on-skin.

vampire!abby, who is the one to cut the suspended rope of tension between the two of you. she admits her feelings for you so sweetly, a choral my love, my love, mine. she asks you if these feelings also plague you, though she knows the answer before your lips part, with the telltale gallop of your heartbeat beneath your ribs. yes.

vampire!abby, whose lovemaking feels eternal because she knows that these moments with you are fleeting, your little mortal life a single dot in the long-drawn pages of her immortality. her lips ghost over every searing inch of skin, pressing openmouthed kisses wherever she can. she spends hours between your sprawled thighs, licking strokes between the puffy, silky lips of your cunt, nose pressed to your soaked warmth as she savours your saccharine taste slowly until your legs tremble around her head. all the while, she ignores the boiling fingers of hunger that dig into her guts. skin, sweat, essence. she swears these are the only parts of you that she will ever taste. she could never, she would never…

but vampire!abby cannot fight the nocturnal nature that calls to her like a siren song. the closer you get, the more time she spends revering your body, the less she has a grasp on her beastly temperament. she wants you, all of you. all that plagues her mind are the shivering veins that entangle through your body, the richness that lingers just beneath the surface. she thinks and thinks and thinks until the chord within her snaps.

vampire!abby, who confesses her true nature to you keeled over on the floor through heaving breaths. her fingers claw at the fabric covering your knees, not out of malice but out of desperation. her too-bright eyes are wide moons that hang over the ocean, and her brows are drawn together in pleading. this is the defiling, monstrous truth, she whispers through quivering lips. please love me as i am. i cannot bear another loss, but if you desire to leave… no harm will come to you. but i beg you, stay.

vampire!abby, who is stunned when you gather the heap of her broad, icy body into your arms. tears slip down the curve of her cheeks as you whisper soothing promises into the silken pile of her hair. you were a fool for staying, for pitying this hellish creature, but she was still the same person who had captured your heart, who clung to you now with the ferocity of somebody begging for proximity, for compassion, for companionship. you realised, just as shocked, that you would give her all these things and more.

vampire!abby, who doesn’t ask for your blood, but you offer it to her anyway, tugging down your collar and baring your craned neck to her. there is silence before you feel the velvet of her tongue gliding down the smooth expanse of skin, her fingers rubbing circles along your waist to calm any lingering nerves. her mouth travels upwards until it stops abruptly, pausing on the steadiness of your pulse beneath. she presses a feather-light kiss to the spot before you hear her the click of her expanding jaw, then the piercing, bright-burning feeling of her canines sinking deep.

vampire!abby, whose bite feels tender when the searing pain gives way to a weakening, otherworldly bliss. you melt like chocolate in sunlight when liquid ecstasy encompasses you at the feeling of fangs reaching the innermost parts of you. and she is enraptured with the taste of you, sticky ambrosia dripping thickly down her throat and seeping out the corners of her lips when greed overwhelms her. droplets spill onto her snowy collar and the silky blue cravat laced around her throat. warbling moans tickle against your skin as she savours each note, each shifting depth that reveals itself with each gulp.

vampire!abby, who licks the remnants clean. the puncture at your neck, her lips, her fingers, the valley between your breasts where stray droplets lay. not before peppering you with bloody, breathy kisses though, the tang of copper sharp on your tongue.

vampire!abby, who then bites you rarely. she could never get sick of it, but she wants this to remain a delicacy to her, something done in the intimate hours entwined together. each time, you offer a different part of your body, and she can hear the anticipatory quickening of your heartbeat. you’ve both acquired new tastes, palates that harmonise with one another and have forged a bond like no other. she can only hope that, one day, it will be forevermore.

[writingwisterias]

Movie Nights

Leon Kenndey x Reader (Use's Fem pronouns)

Warnings: Tooth-rotting fluff! Girl Dad Leon Summary: Leon returns home to his girls who have built a fort and prepared a movie night (I thought of DI! Leon but any will do!)

Leon's keys were loud as he fiddled with the front door, your little girl giggled in your arms - the sound attempted to be muted with your hand over her mouth. Your own giggles threaten to spill as you watch her excitement. "Girls?" Leon's voice thundered through the house. Normally his baby girl would have bounded through the home, racing as fast as she could to launch herself into his arms. But there wasn't the sound of her footsteps slapping against the wood or her distant giggles from wherever she was in the house. His heartbeat quickened slightly panic trying to worm his way into his chest.

You both could hear his footsteps around the house, his biker boots thumping as he checked every room. You both giggled at the loud thud as they came to a stop at the doorway of the room you were in. Leon smiled at the sight of the fairy lights that gave the room a warm glow, only muted by the numerous bedsheets that covered the room creating a fort. His sigh was audible as he freed it, his anxiety now settling; the action making you feel guilty for insisting your little girl hid to scare him. "I wonder where my girl has gone" he chuckled, his words dramatised for effect. Leon's heart swelled as his daughter bounded out of the sheets, starfishing before him as she released the tiniest scream. The intention was to scare him but not trigger any of his PTSD that lingered after all his years of service. He pretended to jump, flinching away dramatically; holding a hand to his chest as he pretended to catch his breath.

You watched as they hugged each other, Leon's frame engulfing hers as he held her. Breathing in the sweet smell of the cheap body mist she insisted he bought her last week, she chirped, "Welcome home, daddy," she chirped in his chest. He muttered his own welcome, the sound muffled in her blonde hair. So, what's going on here, then pumpkin?" he asked her, pointing at the fort before them. The small girl giggled, "Mommy made us a fort to watch movies"

Leon smiled when he saw you, his eyes sparkingly with admiration as he saw your grin. "Did she now? I see you both have your Pj's on" He replied, his fingers rubbing against the soft fabric as he held her. She nodded, her hair flying all over her face as more giggles filled the room. This was why Leon kept fighting, in hopes he could protect the innocence of his little girl; to hide her from all the horrors of the world. "Yes! You have to wear them too or no cookies" She demanded, her little fingers poking his chest to prove her point. "Is that the rules?" He laughed. "No PJs - No cookies....no homemade cookies" You teased, a smile plastered on your features. Leon groaned but complied guiding his daughter back to you as he left to change.

He loved being sandwiched in the middle of the both of you. His little girl resting her head on his lap as she watched the same Disney princess movie, his heart melted every time he heard her voice sing along. Your head rested against his shoulder, your hands entwined as you took in this small little bubble, the fluffy blankets a cushions making it cosy and safe away from everything else if just but a moment. Leon never thought he would get the chance to have this, assuming her would be worked to the bone or drink himself to death. But since finding you, the speed dial on his motorbike lowered, and the levels in all the bottles never dropped, and finally home seemed more welcoming. Even if he did find pink glitter on all of his shirts, the specks sticking to his work boots. His laptop was covered in Disney-themed stickers; his head was constantly filled with that one annoying song he could never get rid of. He wouldn't change it for anything though- this is what he wanted; all tucked away safely in a fort....with Elsa serenading them.

[runninriot]

written for the @steddiesongfics may prompt

(David Bowie - Absolute Beginners, 1986)

wc: 1986 | rated: t | tags: Steddie in love, newly established relationship, fluff, background characters, Good Uncle Wayne Munson | also on ao3

As long as we’re together, the rest can go to hell

Waking up in Eddie’s arms for the first time feels unreal. Like maybe he’s not really awake after all. Maybe Steve’s still stuck in a beautiful dream and the sound of the other man’s peaceful breathing is just a fragment of his imagination. But he can feel Eddie’s chest rise and fall beneath his head, can feel the comfortable weight of Eddie’s arm on his back, the soothing warmth of his skin.

Maybe it is real.

Maybe they actually, finally got their shit together – as Robin would say.

    God, Robin would be so smug if she could see him right now, nuzzling Eddie’s skin, sinking deeper into the sleeping man’s arms.

She’d known there was something going on, told him so but never pushed. Even before that night Eddie came out to them a few months back. Where Robin told him her secret, too, and Steve didn’t even know he had one of his own to share.

Before Steve realised what that funny feeling was. What it meant to have a riot of butterfly wings create a storm in his stomach, to have his heartbeat set the rhythm to a song he’s never heard before.

Man, she will be so proud of herself when- if they tell her.

They will tell her, right?

They’ll them all – Robin, Nance, the kids...

Dustin.

    Oh God, what will Dustin say if they tell him that they’re-

Together?

Are they together?

Is this- Is this what they are?

It must be, right?

Eddie told him he loves him. Kept repeating the words over and over again between kisses. Said it so many times, Steve had no reason to believe it wasn’t true.

It must be true because Steve wants it to be true.

Eddie is-

This isn’t just a stupid crush, some made-believe infatuation with his high school sweetheart. Steve isn’t a stupidly naive teenager anymore. He knows the difference between simply searching for affection and truly wanting to be with someone.

He is in love with Eddie. That’s a fact. Unshakeable like the fact that water is wet, the sun is hot, and the moon is 238.700 miles away from earth (yes, he does listen to Dustin ramble about his stupid nerd interests sometimes, thank you very much).

He’s in love and although this is all very scary and new, he wants their friends to know about them. Wants them to be happy for them.

But what if they’re not?

What if the fact that he’s in love with another man gives Mike one more reason to hate him? What if Lucas refuses to let Steve coach him because of it? What if it doesn’t work out and Dustin has to choose between him and Eddie? What if-

   “I can hear you think.”

Steve startles when Eddie tightens his arms around him, pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head. And when he looks up at Eddie, Steve finds two sleepy eyes blinking back at him.

   “Morning, baby,” Eddie says through a smile and-

Steve’s heart immediately does that thing again and there’s this familiar feeling in his gut, and Eddie looks so soft in the warm morning light that Steve just can’t not kiss him.

   “Morning,” Steve finally answers when they part – Eddie’s hand still holding his face, beautiful eyes looking right into his soul, and Steve feels like flying.

   “Hm, so that’s not what it’s about, huh?”

Steve’s confused, doesn’t know what Eddie is talking about and it must show on his face because Eddie chuckles before he continues.

   “For a moment I was scared you’ve gotten all nervous and fidgety because you were- I don’t know. That maybe you had doubts. About this?” He moves his free hand between the two of them, pointing at himself and back at Steve.

   “But I guess you kissing me despite my morning breath must mean you-“

Steve shuts him up with another press of lips, morning breath be damned. He won’t give Eddie any reason to even think for another second that he doesn’t want this. Because he does. He wants this, them, together. Probably more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.

He shakes his head, doesn’t know how to express all those things that are rattling his mind. How to tell Eddie what goes on in his head without stumbling over the words, without twisting his tongue, without making a fool of himself because-

They’ve only just woken up and it’s the first time they’re in bed together and instead of just enjoying the moment, instead of being in the here and now, Steve is already like, 238.700 steps ahead.

   “Talk to me, Stevie. Tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours.”

Steve slowly relaxes into the pleasant feeling of Eddie’s fingers gently scraping along the back of his neck like he’s trying to coax the words out of him, trying to help slow down his racing thoughts. And somehow, it works.

   “I was just-“ Steve takes a deep, grounding breath, “I was just wondering if we should tell the others. About us. A-about us being... boyfriends?”

Steve feels heat spreading in his face, feels the blush creep from his cheeks to his ears.

He didn’t mean to make it sound like a question but they haven’t really defined what they are, yet. They’ve been way too busy making out, kissing, touching – God, how could he not have been completely distracted by the way Eddie kissed him. The way he painted his neck in love-coloured bruises. How he worshipped Steve’s whole body with his lips like he was something special, something worth taking his time with.

And oh, his time he took, that teasing bastard. Made it his mission to kiss every goddamn mole and freckle on Steve’s body. Started counting them with his lips, his tongue, tracing his fingers over every inch of his exposed skin. Kissed him where no one had ever kissed him before, his touch so careful and gentle it only made Steve crazy for more, more, more.

By the time Eddie finally put his mouth on him, Steve was already so far gone that it took not even 30 seconds for him to lose it. But then Eddie didn’t give him a chance to feel embarrassed about it, just kept kissing him, touching him, showering him in sweet little nothings that meant everything to Steve.

   “Steve? You with me?”

    Hm? Oh.

   “S-sorry. What did you say?” Steve smiles apologetically, relieved when Eddie chuckles lightly.

   “I said. Yes, boyfriends. If you want that? And yes to telling people. God, I can’t wait to see Dustin’s stupid little face when he hears that I, Eddie Munson, get to date the hottest guy in Hawkins. Hell, the hottest guy in the entire fucking world!”

Eddie balls his fist and punches the air like he’s just won a competition, and the excitement in his voice is infectious, startles a loud and very unsexy snort out of Steve.

   “Take that, Dustin! So much for teasing me for my lack of success in the dating department. Ha! Oh, but Mike will be devastated. Everyone knows he’s got the biggest crush on you.”

   “What?! Shut up, he does not!” Steve is screeching now, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

   “You think I’m lying? Ask Lucas! He was the one that told me. Said he doesn’t quite get it but Lucas only has eyes for Max so, of course he doesn’t.”

   “Eddie, stop! I don’t believe it. Mike hates me! Sometimes I could swear he’s doing his best to pretend I don’t even exist.”

   “Tell yourself whatever makes you feel good, baby,” Eddie winks, smiles so bright it’s like he’s the sun himself. Bright like the sun and just as hot.

(How hot is the sun? Dustin will know, he’ll ask him next time he sees him.)

   “Robin will be a tough one, though.”

   “Huh? Robin? She’s literally one of us, Eds. Why should she of all people have any problem with us being together?”

Eddie must sense his concern, because he glides his thumb over Steve’s furrowed brows to smooth out the worry lines, kisses him on the forehead like that’s gonna stop his mind from reeling.

Weirdly enough, it does.

   “Well, duh! She’ll be so happy for you. It’s me I’m worried about.”

Eddie winks at him and that’s when Steve finally catches on. He huffs out a laugh, rolls his eyes in fake-annoyance, can’t not smile when Eddie offers him the saddest, most convincing puppy eyes he’s ever seen.

   “She’s going to kill me if I ever so much as make you mad or, god forbid, sad for whatever reason.”

   “Oh that’s easy to avoid. Just never make me mad or sad and you’ll be fine,” Steve mocks him, knows deep down Eddie would never anyway.

   “What about-“ Steve realises he hasn’t even thought about that before.

They’re at the trailer. Steve heard Wayne come home from his night shift a while ago, knows the man’s still awake, considering the noise coming from the outside Eddie’s bedroom.

   “Do you want to tell Wayne? It’s okay if not. We don’t- We can just pretend nothing has changed. I don’t want him to get mad. Or, or worse.”

Now it’s Eddie’s turn to look worried and Steve gets it. He couldn’t even think about telling his own parents. His father would- No, he’ll just have to keep this from them. Not like they ever really care for what goes on in his life anyway.

   “Come on.”

    What?

Eddie throws back the blanket they shared, leaving them both naked and exposed to the light of the day, the reality of the night before hitting them both with a rush of childish embarrassment, sending a deep blush into both their faces, both not used to being so vulnerably bare in front of each other.

But Eddie seems to regain his composure quickly, untangles from Steve’s arms and jumps out of the bed.

He grabs two pairs of boxers and sweatpants and shirts from his dresser, tossing half of them at Steve who’s still too stunned to speak.

   “Eddie, what-”

   “Hurry up, sweety! I smell coffee.”

Steve follows Eddie, nervously fussing with his hair in a weak attempt to make himself more presentable, less... ‘spent the night making out with your nephew’, hiding behind Eddie when Wayne catches sight of them.

   “Morning boys. Coffee?” The man grumbles, not even batting an eye when Eddie abruptly turns, grabs Steve by the face, and plants a kiss right on his mouth.

   “Yes, please. Me and my boyfriend would love a nice cup of coffee. Don’t we, Stevie?”

Eddie beams at him, a teeth-flashing grin on his face, and Steve wants to kill him. Wants to kiss him even more. Doesn’t know what to say, what to do. Just stands there, frozen in shock, dumbly nodding to answer the question he only vaguely remembers has been asked.

   “I see.” Wayne stands up from the armchair he was sitting in, walks over to them, blank expression on his face.

He exhales deeply and Steve holds his breath, not ready for whatever comes next.

   “Took you long enough to figure it out.”

Eddie shoots his uncle a look, rolls his eyes, scoffs – and Steve feels the weight of a thousand worlds fall off his shoulders.

(How much does one earth weigh? He’ll ask Dustin. Maybe he-)

   “You better treat him right, son. You do not wanna get in trouble with me for hurting him, you hear me?”

Steve’s mouth falls open in disbelief when he realises those words are directed at Eddie and not at him.

That’s what finally cuts the tension. Steve starts laughing, loud and whole-heartedly, feels lighter, better than ever before.

He kisses Eddie again, because he can. They’re in love, and that’s okay.

And as long as they’re together, the rest can go to hell.

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

“With You” (Fluff)

Rise!Leonardo x reader

A/N: I’m back! Yes, I already have a few ideas in the works. But as a way to celebrate my long awaited return, I now bring you a song fic, I've been wanting to do for such a long time. Enjoy!💙

Song: “With You” by Aly & AJ

Warnings: None💙

Laying low with your heartbeat / Kinda drunk on a side street / Like a kid on a shoulder / Always need to be closer

Laughter echoed through the alley way, as you and Leo were making your way back to the lair. With your head still spinning from all the shots in your system, you couldn’t stop yourself from stumbling over your feet, catching yourself with a sheepish laugh.

“What’s happening there, Bambi?”, Leo asked in a teasing manner. “Walking on ice?”

“I’m gonna give you Bambi”, you said in playful banter, poking your tongue out at him. Leo chuckled, watching as you tried to talk another step, your balance screwed immediately. This time however, he was quick to catch you with one hand, pulling you a few steps closer to him.

“Here, let me help you”, he offered, still with a teasing smile, before bending down beside you, gesturing for your climb onto his shell. You would your cheeks growing warm at his gesture, happy that he couldn’t fully see your face from this angle, before climbing onto his back.

Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now

You felt drunken butterflies flutter around your stomach, as Leo carried you with ease, all the way to your apartment. You continued whatever conversation that had gotten the two of you laughing in the first place, enjoying the light hearted atmosphere surrounding the two of you. The smell of the city night air, mixing with the scent of Leo just below your nose sent shivers down your spine. For a moment you wanted nothing more than to press your lips to the skin of his shoulder, in an act of love and care. But with a pit in your stomach, you decided against it, not wishing to take your friend off guard. Or even worse, get rejected but the guy, who you had ever so slowly developed a small crush on. Instead you continued to engage Leo in happy conversation, teasing and poking fun at each other. A different act of love and care. An act that you let yourself fall into, enjoying to the fullest, until you were so invested, that you forgot the streets around. So caught up in your conversation were you, that you did not notice that you had arrived just outside your apartment building.

I just wanna be (I just wanna be) With you / (I just wanna be) With you

Leo helped you down from his shell, allowing you to find your keys, so that you could unlock the door to your stairwell. Leo followed you up, continuing the conversation you had had on the way there. And you smiled back, laughing along, acting as if you weren’t sad that your night would almost be over.

As you stuck your keys into the lock on your door, Leo didn’t see how your smile flattered for a moment. You knew what was coming now. It always happened.

As just like you had predicted - the moment you turned the lock and cracked your door ever so slightly open, Leo opened his arms just a little, hinting that it was time to call it the night. With the best smile you could muster, you let Leo wrap his arms around you, as your own engulfed him in a hug, you fought your instinct to take in a deep breath of Leo’s scent. Instead you wished him good night, before watching him for a moment as he walked down the stairs, already leaving you earning for the next time you would see your friend.

Coming up on a skyline / Found a good way to waste time / Just a kid on a shoulder / Always need to be closer / Closer

You let out a scream as Leo jumped from one roof to another, clinging your arms around his neck. Leo let out a hearty laughter.

“I thought you said you weren’t scared”, Leo laughed, looking at you over his shoulder. You prayed that he couldn’t see the small blush that erupted on your cheeks.

“I’m not!”, you said stubbornly, trying to hide half of your face behind his shoulder, trying not to think of how close his face was to yours. “You just… surprised me”, you continued, gesturing towards the roof he jumped from.

“If you say so”, Leo chuckled. “Hold on scaredy cat, because this ride is far from over!”

“I’m not scaaaaared!”, you screamed as Leo continued his fast pace over the New York rooftops with you on his back.

As Leo and you continued over the New York skyline, your mind kept going back to what Leo had told you. He had something to show you. Something, somewhere. And just the thought of Leo taking you somewhere to show you something made your stomach jump with excitement. So when Leo suddenly stopped at a high building, letting your feet touch the roof below you.

“We’re here”, he said with a smile, gesturing towards the view of the city below you. A breathtaking view. Everything seemed so small from this point of you. So small. So far away. And for a moment, it felt like there was no one in this world, except you and Leo…

Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now / I just wanna be (I just wanna be) With you / (I just wanna be) With you

“Okay”, Leo smiled, thinking as he licked his lips, his eyes gliding over the building before the two of you, making up a scenario for the little game you had been playing while sitting on the roof he had taken you to. “I spy with my little eye something… grey”.

“Leo, you can’t keep picking buildings”, you laughed.

“I can if I want to!”, Leo laughed. “But for your information, it is not a building!”

“Lair”, you laughed, giving Leo’s shoulder a light push.

“I’m not”, Leo said, mimicking the way you had said it earlier, giving you a slight push back.

“Okay, then what is it?”, you asked.

“That’s not how the game works!”, Leo said, poking your side, tickling your side in the process.

“Hey! Don’t poke me like that!”, you said trying to side seriously, failing when your smile broke through. “You know I don’t like it!”

“You know I don’t like it”, Leo mimicked you in a whining voice. “Then why are you smiling?”, he said, giving you another poke, drawing a muffled giggle from you. “Then why are you laughing, huh?”, Leo asked once more, before both hands flew to your sides, tickling your sides. You erupted in laughter, trying to move away from him. But Leo wasn’t letting that happen. With his hands firm on your sides, he pulled you closer against his side, before letting his fingers continue their attack on your ticklish areas.

“Okay! Okay!”, you yelled out. “I give! I give!”

“I knew you would”, Leo smiled, finally stopping his tickle attack. But never did his hands leave your sides, letting them rest there, keeping you close to his side. For a moment you sat there next to him, holding your breath at the realization that he still held you close. You wondered if he noticed your stiff posture, your lack of breathing or your quickened heartbeat. After what felt like an eternity like this, feeling your world shake around you, when you realized your best friend and crush was holding you close, you finally allowed yourself to relax, leaning against his side, watching the city below you.

Reaching out just to feel you / Show me a door I can fall through / Show me a door I can fall through / Reaching out just to feel you / Show me a door I can fall through / Show me a door I can fall through

That night Leo followed you home once more, talking and joking like you always did when he would walk you home. This time however, instead of carrying you over the roofs, he walked with you. Side by side, bumping shoulders every once in a while just to annoy each other. But it was fun. It was always fun walking home with Leo. You just wished the walk with him would never end.

You and Leo finally reached your apartment once more. As you turned the lock, you braced yourself for Leo’s goodbye hug. But to your surprise, it did not happen the way it usually did.

Leo, wanting to annoy you one last time that evening, thought it would be fun to pull you in for a bear-like hug, maybe allowing him to tickle you once more. But what he didn’t anticipate was your sudden surprise, causing you to stubble backward against your door, slamming it wide open as the two of you fell to the floor.

You and Leo stared at each other in shock, with you on the floor and Leo hovering above you. Total silence lingered between the two of you, as if you were frozen in time. But then, to your own surprise, you did something you had never thought you would. Your hand, almost gaining a mind of its own, slowly went to Leo’s cheek, stroking it with your thumb. You just couldn’t stop yourself. It happened before you even realized you were doing it.

Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now / I just wanna be / Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now / I just wanna be with you / Right now, right now / I just wanna be, wanna be

Leo looked shocked, almost just as surprised as you. He did not move, nor did he try to speak. For a moment you wondered what he was thinking. You had a hard time reading his expression, which wasn’t normal for you and him. You often found it easy to read what Leo was thinking, but at this moment you were at a total loss. And maybe he was so as well.

Realizing what you were doing may not have been welcomed by him, you slowly removed your hand from his cheek. But Leo’s movement was fast. So fast, you did not register what he did before it was over. He kissed you. A small quick peck to your lips, as if he was scared what would happen if he stayed for too long.

With you / I just wanna be, wanna be / With you / With you / With you

You and Leo stared at each other for a moment. Leo’s fear clear in his eyes, yours wide with shock. This time it was Leo’s turn to fear his actions had been wrong. His lips opening and closing, trying to find the right words, before realizing he was still hovering over you. He was just about to move off of you, when you grabbed a hold of his face with both of your hands, bringing his lips to yours once more. You immediately feel Leo relax, allowing himself to fall closer against you, one of his hands holding you by the side, almost like he did on that rooftop.

That night Leo did not say goodbye. Instead he stayed with you, just like you had wanted him to do for such a long time.

[engie-ivy]

(Inspired by @wolfstarmicrofic 's Alternative Universes theme! A sort of combined Performer AU and College AU🙂)

1058 words

Sirius Black's emotional break-up songs are topping the charts all over the world. But hearing those songs everywhere he goes, Remus is about to reach his breaking point.

With His Song

Home is where the heart is,

But it's not the concrete, nor the stone,

Not the room you sit in,

But the smile that lights it up.

Not the bed you sleep in,

But the heartbeat besides your own.

Home is where the heart is,

But it's not necessarily a place,

Sometimes, it's tracing the scars on someone's hand,

Sometimes, it's counting the freckles on someone's face.

It's been so long,

Coming home to you,

And did you know,

I could easily move on?

But the truth is,

I just don't want to.

If home is where the heart is,

Then baby, could it be,

That your home is still with me?

Mary lets out a sigh that seems to be coming from somewhere deep inside of her. “My god, I'm going to listen to that song on repeat for the rest of the week,” and after a moment she adds “potentially the rest of my life.”

“Then you're gonna have to get some headphones,” Remus says. “Because I'm already getting sick of hearing it.”

Mary gasps and clutches her chest. “Blasphemy!”

Remus gives her an unimpressed look. “I don't think you're using that word right.”

“‘Irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable’,” Mary states unfazed. “So yes, the perfect description of you insulting Sirius Black's music.”

Emmeline nods emphatically.

Remus sighs. “I'm not saying it's a bad song,” he says. “Just that I'm getting tired of hearing it everywhere, all the time.”

Mary opens her mouth to retort, but Emmeline interjects.

“I do sort of relate. It has gotten a painful tinge to hear the song, now that I know I won't be seeing Sirius Black perform it live…”

“You didn't get tickets for his show?” Marlene asks.

“No,” Emmeline sighs miserably. “I'm on the waiting list. Number 329.”

“Not as bad as Hestia. She's number 1550 or something.”

Emmeline shrugs. “In the end, it makes no difference. 329 or 1550, neither one of us is going to the concert. I mean, 329 people will have to die, and I don't reckon I'd be that lucky…”

“Emmeline!” Lily scolds.

“Well, that's the only excuse for not going to a Sirius Black concert, literally being dead,” Mary says. “I'd actually skip my mum’s funeral if I could see him live.”

“Mary!”

“No, no, Lils,” Emmeline says. “You don't know Mary's mum. If Mary were to miss out on seeing Sirius Black for her funeral, she'd actually come back from the death to haunt her.”

Mary nods. “She's a huge fan. Not going to a Sirius Black concert would be disrespecting her memory.” She glances over at Remus. “She might have some things to say as well if she hears that my actual roommate has openly disrespected Sirius Black’s music.”

Remus sticks out his tongue. “Sue me.”

“As soon as they create a law that makes depreciating Sirius Black illegal, which they should, I will!”

“Anyhow,” Emmeline says. “I haven't heard Sirius Black's voice for almost five minutes and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms,” and she reaches out to put the record back on.

Remus gets up to his feet. “That's my cue to leave.”

“You don't have to, Remus,” Lily says quickly. “If you really don't want us to, we won't put on his music. We value your company more than listening to Sirius Black.”

“Says who? Ow!” Emmeline rubs her shin where Lily kicked her.

Remus smiles at Lily. “Thanks, Lils, but it's okay. I have a paper I need to work on anyway.”

The moment Remus closes the door to his bedroom, he lets out a sigh that seems to be coming from somewhere deep inside of him.

Then, almost without thinking, he takes out his phone and punches in the number by heart.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end of the line sounds surprised and, dare Remus think, hopeful?

“You have to stop doing this,” Remus hears himself say. “No,” he then corrects himself. “You don't have to do anything. I'm asking you. Please stop doing this.”

“Remus, what are you talking about?” He seems to be walking away from something– A promo event? A fancy dinner? An exclusive party?– as Remus can hear the voices in the background grow softer. Remus feels a brief hint of satisfaction; no matter how big the event he's at, how important the people he's with, when Remus calls, he gets up and walks away to talk to him, but Remus quickly corrects himself, because it's not like that anymore.

“It's killing me,” Remus admits, pressing a hand against his forehead. “I understand, but… God, it's killing me.”

“Rem,” Sirius, because of course it's Sirius, says gently. “You're still not making much sense. What are you trying to say? Why are you suddenly calling me? Why… Why now?”

“Your latest releases,” Remus says, as he starts pacing the room, though he can barely take two steps before he reaches the opposite wall. It's rather telling of the difference between them, he can't help but think. Sirius undoubtedly in some grand building surrounded by dozens of people who would fall over themselves to cater to his every whim, and Remus hiding out in his eight square meter bedroom cluttered with textbooks and scribbled notes. “I get why you do it. I'm probably terribly biased,” he lets out a brief laugh. “But I think the songs you wrote when we were together, and even after we just broke up, are your best songs, so I get that you would want to release them, to share them with the world and show everyone once again just how bloody talented you are. And you have every right. They're your works, your creations. But gods, Sirius, I can't pretend anymore.”

“Pretend,” Sirius repeats, his voice almost a whisper, and Remus lets it all out.

“I can't pretend anymore that hearing those songs everywhere I go all the damn time doesn't make me want to die! That it doesn't just break me, to hear your voice sing those words, knowing what they once meant, and knowing that they don't mean that anymore! That you don't mean that anymore.”

“Remus,” Sirius interrupts sharply, and Remus immediately stops talking as Sirius speaks. “Do you really think I could sing those words like that, if I didn't still feel that way?”

And Remus’ breath catches in his throat.

[tiredfox64]

Odio

Prior notes: Ah yes, the first of not NSFW work and we get angst. And yes I did base it off the song how did you know? (Romeo Santos pls I need just a glimpse of you irl).

Pairing: Kuai Liang (MK1) x Gn Reader

Warnings ‼️: Angst, there will be no hate to Harumi after this

Kuai Liang, how that name made your heart ache. Even when you first met him your heartbeat grew quick. You almost believed you were having a heart attack. Patient, honorable, strong, handsome, and kind to you. How could you not fall in love with a man like that?

You did. A love that lasted for so long it ate at you. It screamed at you to confess or try to get him attention. Your heart and mind were at war with each other. The heart said to confess while your mind said you weren’t good enough. You were hurting yourself by putting yourself down. But Kuai Liang was always bringing you back up by praising you. You were the greatest fighter, the kindest soul, the bestest of friend…

But it’s too late I fear. Your dear Kuai Liang is wedded to someone else. And it’s not you.

The two of you are now grandmasters of your own clans. He’s now the grandmaster to the Shirai Ryu with the help of his close friend and now wife, Harumi. You spent the whole wedding ceremony holding in your tears and scowls. Your clan watched you hold it in. In a way you are strong for doing that. Not letting your feelings get in the way of your best friend’s happiness.

You kept your mouth shut, being unsettlingly quiet throughout the whole thing. Not even a hint of a smile. Just a cold expression that could match the likes of Bi-Han. Kuai Liang had to come and check up on you.

“Are you alright, my friend? I’ve never seen you so serious. What’s the matter?” He asked with great concern.

You broke from your cold state to look at him. Immediately you switched up and gave him a smile. It was so fake it didn’t sit right with Kuai Liang. He knows your usual smile. One that’s so warm and could make him smile no matter what. But that wasn’t it. It worried him.

“Ah don’t worry about me, Kuai Liang. You know how it is. I’m just thinking about what my clan has to do soon, see how else we could train, stuff like that.” You made an excuse.

“Are you sure? This is unlike you. Come on, this is my wedding day. I can’t have my best friend sulking all alone.” He took your hands and tried to make you come with him. Like he wanted you to dance with him or bring you over to talk to Harumi. But you didn’t want to, you couldn’t. You snatched your hand back from Kuai Liang which shocked him.

“I am not sulking. Don’t accuse me of anything. You know I hate that.” You snapped at him.

Kuai Liang looked at you with such worry. This can’t be his best friend. Why are they doing this on his wedding day? You realized how you were acting. Cold and snapping at him.

“Kuai Liang, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.” You do actually.

Before Kuai Liang could confront you on your actions, your second-in-command stepped in between you and Kuai Liang and whispered in your ear. They made it seem like there was some important matter you had to get to. Without letting you say goodbye to him your clan dragged you away, no reason or excuse for your abrupt exit.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

You would have done everything and anything for Kuai Liang. You could have given him a home, a family, a good future. Why would he run to Harumi when Bi-Han betrayed him? You could have given him the same but even better. Your clan was strong and as tight as family. The Lin Kuei would be no matched against your clan who had a range of different skills. Advanced and powerful, why would he not pick you for help?

The love that you held festered into hatred. Not just for Kuai Liang, you could never fully hate him. But for Harumi. She made him happy which made you burn with jealousy. And you have to keep asking what did she do that you didn’t. You have feared no one in your life, never letting anyone intimidate you. But her, she won the war. You have to accept that. The only war that is left is the one you’re having with yourself.

She gets to be next to him through everything. Through every battle and struggle. While you are left in the background like you were of no importance to him. She can kiss him whenever she wants. On the cheek, the lips, all over his body. You burn up just thinking about it. Those should be your lips on him.

And you don’t wanna be the bad guy here. You don’t want Kuai Liang or Harumi to see you at the enemy. You simply wanted to give Kuai Liang the world and your love. Create a family with him. Have your clan’s compound be his home to come to so he can feel safe and happy. But some other woman gets the chance to play family with him.

So what are you gonna do about it? Well, nothing. You can’t and you won’t. You can’t go begging Kuai Liang for his love. You can’t beg for him to marry you instead. You recognize that Harumi has done a lot for him. It would be a shame if he threw it all away just for you. You must put your brave face on and keep going. Your clan has already seen their grandmaster suffer enough. Your second-in-command can’t take your sadness and sorrow anymore. Everybody is ready for you to move on as you should. Enough of the fake smiles reassuring them that you are fine. No more shedding tears at night which everybody could hear. And no more having outburst full of rage that you destroy something in the compound. You will keep moving but with hate in your heart instead.

Unfortunately, you will also leave Kuai Liang devastated. He will never receive another letter from you. A smile, a gift, a laugh, or a hug. The moment he put a ring on Harumi’s finger was the moment he lost his best friend. And he didn’t even know. He will be left wondering where you are. Where will you be when he needs help or even a friend to talk to. He really did try to see you again but your clan was trying to protect you. They didn’t dare let him come close to you ever again.

“Why are you keep me away? I just want to see my friend. Do you have no heart?” He asked your second-in-command.

“You are not welcomed as of now, Kuai Liang. I am sorry but you may not see our grandmaster. It is best that you leave.” Your second-in-command was firm in their statement.

“You can’t keep me away from my friend. I deserve an explanation on why I haven’t heard from them in weeks.” Kuai Liang was getting bothered by them at this point but your second-in-command barked back at him.

“You have a home and wife to return to, grandmaster. I suggest you get off these grounds right now. My grandmaster does not and should not see you.”

All Kuai Liang got after that was the doors to the compound slamming shut. He’s hurt by their words. It hurt to be turned away, to be rejected.

The funny thing is that you truly do love him. You love him so much that you start to hate. To hate means to care. And you care about him too much. Kuai Liang will never know that. Because you will take it to your grave. Unless someone will come around to cure you of your hatred.

After notes: Ah geez I’m no expert on angst. I already got depression why would I ask for more. Hopefully people like this as well. I’m not sure if I will write much for him but it won’t hurt me if I do. The reason I’m even saying that is cause I want to make fanfics of characters I feel like either don’t get enough love or I don’t see enough fanfics of. But this was an idea I had and I wanted to get this out so yeah. Whatever. Have fun? Adiós!

[sanijoys]

It’s you, and it’s still you

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A continuation of this one Part 1 This is Part 2

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He was given a chance in life.

He was given a chance to bring back Mount Hua to its former glory. To show to many that Mount Hua is still as strong as it was before. However, he would often think back before all this, before the fall of his home, when his Senior Sister was still alive.

Were you still alive to watch Mount Hua being destroyed during the war?

Did you cry when you heard your sisters and brothers all died during the war?

Did….did you cry when you heard about his death?

The thought of your griefing form from the news of your precious Mount Hua burns his heart painfully. He has caused you pain even after death, but he’s here now. He’ll make sure to do right this time. He’ll make sure to make you proud while you watch over him in the heavens.

He remembered that he made one last promise with you. The promise in which he would return to you. But he never returned. 

-

The sounds of leaves crunched echoed through the peaceful path, their color similar to sunrise and sunsets. A Mount Hua disciple, Chung Myung, walked through the path as he holds a flower, 茶花, with care. 

He walked, admiring the leaves that fell from their trees. He remembered how his Senior would take him and play with the leaves. Both of them would get scolded afterwards but that was one of thousands of fond memories he had with her.

‘I ponder,’ he stopped in front of a tomb, ‘Would you still continue to play with me when you were withering away, Senior Sister?’

Chung Myung kneeled in front of the tomb, replacing the wethiring flower with the new one. The tomb that was made for you after your passing years ago before he was given a chance. Each passing day (when he had time), he would come to visit. Talking about anything, his day, his frustrations with the younglings, and everything.

Although it helped him be less stressed (ironically), he still longed for your real voice. The one voice that would comfort him with each turmoil in his life.

“Senior Sister, why did you have to go?”

His usual bustrious voice became a soft whisper, his voice filled with yearning. The yearn for his beloved Senior Sister.

“Excuse me?”

A voice, a very familiar one that he has longed to hear for so long. Chung Myung stood up so fast to face the voice. His action startled the person. A young woman.

“A-ah! You, you startled me there..! Haha…” She laughed while she put her hand on her chest, to calm down her frightened heart.  

‘Ah,’ Chung Myung could feel his eyes swell, ‘How I missed that laugh….’

The woman looked up at Chung Myung, giving him a smile. He could feel his heartbeat run faster than normal, and his breath being taken away. That smile. That same smile that he has loved.

“My name is (name), I am a lone traveler,” she continued, “I heard that Mount Hua, the once fallen Blossom, has risen again. And…I wish to learn their martial arts. Are you perhaps one of their Disciples, sir?”

Chung Myung calmed himself, as he smiled, “Yes, I am.”

Her face gleamed, “Then would it be fine if I could join you back to where Mount Hua is, Um…”

“Chung Myung…..Call me Chung Myung, Sister.”

“Chung Myung,” she tried. He could feel his heart skip, “Nice to meet you, Chung Myung.”

“Yes…It is nice to meet you too, (name).”

It seems that the heavens have finally given him a gift after all his sacrifices. They have given him the most beautiful treasure that he has longed for so long.

Looking at you now, he could still see the traces of you from the past. 

Past and present.

It's you, and it’s still you.

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A/N: I am still alive just writer's block and I need more requests. Song being used to inspire this story is Lana Del Ray - Chemtrail Over The Country Club Word Count: 647

[thewritetofreespeech]

Gale x Tav

words: 885 rating: T pairing: Gale x Tav summary: As in all things, it seems, you and Gale dance to the sound of your own music. tags: Fluff, Domestic Fluff, so much fluff, I hope you brushed your teeth today, You/Gale scenario, more gender neutral than the others

Ao3 - 1000 Night Series

---------------------------🟣----------------------------------

There were many things that you loved about Gale’s home. First, and most importantly, Gale was in it. Second to that was you liked all the ‘Gale-ish’ touches around the home. His books, of course. His propensity to collect shiny stones like a magpie under the guise of ‘research’ or some arcane activity, but in reality you think he just liked them. The wear spots in the kitchen counter where he stood to make meals, faded from constant use. But your favorite thing about the home, apart from Gale, was the view.

When he showed you visions of Waterdeep from his terrace on that first night they shared, you had been mesmerized by the view. Many a night your mind would drift back to that moment and think not just about being with Gale, but the memory of that view and how much you wished for it to be reality.

Now it was your. The view. The terrace. Gale. And just as you had told him that night, the reality was much better than the illusion.

Looking over the ocean. Listening to the waves brush against the sand. And, if you listened very closely, you could hear music & revelry from some of the bards and patrons at one the taverns down the road. Also enjoying the night air and peaceful moments left freely to them.

“What a brilliant scene.” you turned to look over your shoulder at Gale. Standing in the entry way. A soft, pleased smile on his face as he watched you watching the horizon. “The sunset isn’t bad either. What I would have given some time ago to make this vision a reality. I feel compelled to pinch myself.” You chuckled as you watched Gale move to take his place on his favorite spot. His eyes back on you once he was settled. “Enjoying the view, my love?”

“More the music.”

You tilted your head towards the faint sounds and Gale followed suit. Seeming to be straining to hear it, but eventually picking up on the notes drifting on the air. “Ah yes. Sounds like they’re having fun.” You agreed but said nothing as you continued to just listen. “Do you want wish to join them? I’m sure we could easily find which tavern all the commotion is at quickly with your tracking skills.”

The adventurer chuckled. “No. I don’t think so.” Though it did sound fun, you weren’t interested in joining. Just admiring. “It would be nice to dance though.”

“Oh, well that is a problem easily remedied.”

Gale stood up. A confident, cheeky smile on his lips as he offered you his hand. “Are you serious?” You asked in jovial disbelief.

“I’m no Wyll Ravengard,” he had clearly seen their Blade practicing his dance moves in an attempt to woe you, but for the sake of their friendship Gale elected not to acknowledge it, “but I can handle a simple box step.”

You grinned, then took his hand and let yourself be pulled into Gale’s arms. One hand linking your offered one together while the other rested at the small of your back. His eyes were completely fixed on you as they started to sway to the music.

The space on the terrace was small. Not a lot of room for anything dramatic in terms of footwork, but plenty of space for Gale’s simple box step. Your head rested on his chest. Lost in the movement and Gale’s scent, coupled with salt & jasmine that miraculously showed up on the windowsill potting plants after you mentioned once that you liked their fragrance. With your ear to his chest you could hear his heartbeat, along with a gentle hum of the music for a song that they can barely hear but Gale seemed to recognize.

You weren’t sure how long they were dancing for before you lifted her head from its spot and leaned up to kiss him. Their dancing stops, along with the music. Although, the music may have still been playing in the background, it simply didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered right now except you and Gale.

“It’s dark now.” You were confused for a moment after Gale’s announcement, but then realized that the sun had indeed finally sunk down past the waves. The sky not completely dark but a faded shade of lavender, bleeding into indigo as the lights from the other homes began to freckle the shoreline like stars. “Shall we go inside?”

“Not yet.” This moment felt precious. Like that moment in the Weave they shared and you first realized you had feelings for him. When he realized that you had feelings for him after you let your mind’s eye say what you couldn’t. When they realized they may both have feelings for each other. “Can we stay here a bit longer? Keep dancing?”

Gale smiled and was already starting to sway again when he told her, “Whatever you want my love.”

They dance until the sky & sea became a matching shade to darkness. Melding together like they soon would be. Neither one had to ask. It was clear they both knew where this was going. Still, the couple danced to the music and their own tune for a while longer. Holding to the moment for as long as they could while they held onto each other.

[pattypanini]

Danny Wagner x Reader

Last Encore

^my photo btw 🤭^

Summary: A special someone catches a glimpse of your sign at his concert. Little did you know how the night would end.

Word Count: 6.7k

Taglist for Oneshots

A/N: Hi everyone! Here is @mar-rein12 and I's second Danny oneshot. After seeing Danny in concert I've been losing my shit. It's hard to see in the photo but the man made eye contact with me not only here BUT LIKE TWO OTHER TIMES. I have not recovered and yes I'm making a oneshot because I'm delusional! Enjoy our second Danny oneshot, Last Encore.

Warnings: 18+, SMUT, penetrative sex, oral (f + m receiving), praise, LOTSSSS of dirty talk, slight submissive/dom, flirting, choking, slapping, spitting, let me know if i missed any!

 Y/N’s POV

You finally got barricade. After so many years of attempts, you always happened to end up a couple rows back in the pit, but not this time. 

You are right in the middle, front row, able to get a perfect view of your beloved Danny. He was your favorite. You first started listening to the band in 2020 when you had seen an edit of Sammy. You looked up their band, listened to their music, and discovered their sexy drummer, Danny. 

All of them were attractive, of course, but something about Danny drew you in more than you thought possible. Maybe it was the curls, or the prominent nose, or his sculpted body. Maybe it was all of those things, but his talent is what stuck out to you the most. 

After buying the tickets you had planned what you were going to wear and a sign you could bring that would get Danny’s attention. 

You knew that Danny would be sporting his silver chain top and black pants so you wanted to match. You chose a silver sparkly tube top that pulled you together in all the right places, paired with a black leather mini skirt and matching leather boots.

You had also been thinking about what your sign would say for months. You made the words nice and clear so he would be able to see it from all the way where he was on stage. 

Greta Van Fleet Pit ☑️

Barricade ☑️

Bang the hot drummer? ⬜

You knew it would get attention and that nothing would come from it but you have to shoot your shot. 

So there you stand, dead center as they are in the middle of playing Highway Tune. You’re holding your sign out in front of you in hopes that Danny would see it, singing along and dancing to the music. You’re smiling like an absolute idiot, just taking in the beauty of all of them and the amazing music they are producing. 

Your eyes flick over to Danny, which has happened a lot since the start of the show. He makes eye contact with you very briefly, quickly looking away to focus on his playing. You feel the nerves bubble up in your stomach. He looked at you.

Fuck. That’s all you needed tonight to be satisfied. A few songs go by and they make it back up to the main stage after the acoustic set, you’re still holding your sign out hoping he’ll read it. He sits back down at his drums as Fate of the Faithful begins to float through the arena. Your eyes scan all the men and your eyes land on Danny yet again. 

You’re focused in on where his gaze is landing as he scans the barricade. His eyes land on you and the way his eyes are moving you can tell he is reading your sign. A huge smile spreads across your face. He looks away and shakes his head playfully, smiling to himself. The show continues on, you watch Danny catch a glimpse of you every now and then.

You mentally thank yourself for wearing such a low cut shirt. No doubt if you ever had the chance to check off that third box you’d take it in a heartbeat. As the show goes on, your staring contest with Danny was becoming more prevalent to you that it wasn’t a mistake. A fan with a ‘shot for a drumstick?’ sign finally got Danny’s attention and the light in that girl's eyes when he started walking towards her made you so happy. He walked past you, went to the girl and took their shot together. 

When you think he is going to continue up the row of people to get back to the stage he turns around and walks back in your direction. Instinctively you shoot your hand out much like all the other people. You nearly crumble into tiny little pieces when his hand collides with yours. His touch lingers a little longer than it should have and he shoots you a flirty wink. 

You clutch onto the bar in front of you to stop your legs from giving out. All this just when you thought it couldn't get any better.

The show wraps up, they all bow and walk off stage. You can’t control the happiness you were feeling. You stand there in utter disbelief with the amount of attention you got from Danny tonight. You decide you should probably head out considering you had to get up for work the next morning and lived a couple hours away from the arena. 

As you begin to exit the pit a security guard taps you on the shoulder. “Maam I’m going to need you to follow me.” As the large man starts walking towards the back of the stage a million thoughts go through your brain. 

Were you going to get in trouble about the sign? Or did you do something wrong?

You were so worried that you thought you should ask the guard what you had done.

“Excuse me, but if you don’t mind me asking what did I do? Am I in some sort of trouble?” You say trying to keep yourself on your feet from falling. 

“You were requested by one of the members to come backstage.”

You keep your mouth shut, nervousness beginning to take over your body. You can feel your hands start to anxiously shake, shaking the poster along with them. He leads you over to a dressing room, and leaves you standing alone in front of the door. You swiftly knock on the door and try to stuff the nerves away. Before he opens it you make sure you look okay and scoop your tits up a little more than you’d like to admit. You fluff your hair out to give it a little more volume when you hear the doorknob start to rattle. 

When the door is open you are met with 6 feet of pure sexiness. Without saying a word his eyes lead you into his dressing room. You take a step in and he grabs a towel off his vanity and drags it through his sweaty hair. 

“You don’t just have to stand there gorgeous, take a seat. Make yourself comfortable” Oh my god his voice was like velvet. He was talking to you. YOU. No one else. You accepted the seat in order to not pass out on the floor.  You sit there in total silence, unable to form any words. 

“For such a vulgar sign, you're not saying as much as I thought.” He continues running the towel through his hair, before draping over the back of his chair. 

“I just don’t know what else to say, I mean I really don’t understand how this is happening right now. Why did you ask for me? If you were offended by the sign I’m really sorry I didn’t mean to…” You fiddle with the rings that adorned your fingers. 

“Calm down. I didn’t bring you back because of the sign, well it was but not because it offended me. You’re a gorgeous girl and I wanted to talk to you.” He takes a seat beside you on the couch, his knee grazing yours. “What’s your name, beautiful?” He looks at you awaiting an answer. 

“Y/n.” You say, in your small, shaky voice. 

“Pretty name for such a pretty girl, but she’s just so shy.” He reaches a hand to your face and tucks your hair behind your ear. “Tell me more about yourself so I can hear that beautiful voice of yours. Where are you from?”

“I’m from Philly. But I have family out here so I came up to see them and go to the concert, which was amazing by the way.”

“I’m so happy you enjoyed the show, this was the best one so far on this leg of the tour.” He gives you a warm smile and you just simply smile back at him. A couple moments of silence pass before Danny speaks again. “Y/n, what do I have to do to help you loosen up? Let your guard down for me babydoll.” He runs his finger lightly over your cheek. He leans over to whisper in your ear, “I’ll make sure you are calm and ready for later, you want a few drinks?”

A shiver travels down your spine as you gulp, “Um what do you mean later?”

“Oh gorgeous, you can’t just be as sexy as you are with a sign like that and not expect me to see it. Don’t play dumb, you know exactly what I mean. Unless that sign was a joke, was it a joke darling?”

“Um… no.” Your gaze travels down to your hands resting in your lap, shaking your head. “It was not a joke.” 

“Look me in the eyes when you talk to me.” He grabs a hold of your face and turns your head to look at him right in his beautiful brown eyes. “Say it again.”

“I-I wasn't joking.” 

“And what weren’t you joking about?” He looks at you expectantly, and you are loving this little game he is playing with you. 

“My sign..” You whisper.

“Your sign that says what?” He just wants to hear the filthy words come out of your innocent mouth. 

“Wanting to bang the hot drummer.”

“And who’s that hot drummer baby? Look me in the eye when you tell me.”

“You, Danny. You’re the fucking hot drummer.” You look him dead in the eye and just know he wants his ego stroked just like he wants his cock. 

“Yeahhh, it sounds so good to hear it come out of that pretty mouth of yours.” You see his eyes travel down your face and to your lips. “Bet you want to say so much filthy stuff but you’re too scared to, yeah?”

“Danny…” Sure you’ve pictured him saying all these types of things to you, but when he’s right in front of you… actually saying them. You squeeze your thighs together to help relieve yourself even if in the tiniest way possible. 

“What darling, tell me what you think about. All your dirty little thoughts. You have me right here in front of you, I won’t judge, just make them come to life.”

“You really want to know?” You tease him back with a raise of your eyebrow. 

“Fuck, yeah I want to know.” Danny lets go of his grip on your jaw, and you give him a mischievous smile. You figure there is no point in hiding anymore, you want to give him what you know he wants. 

You lean your head down to whisper softly in his ear, “I want you to fuck me like the little slut I am for you.”

“For me?” His jaw hangs slack as he pretends to be scandalized, a hand dramatically clutched over his chest. “Wanna make that happen darling?” He whispers to you.

No way this is happening, it must be a joke. Your eyes widen at his words, waiting for him to tell you he was just trying to get a rise out of you, but he never did. His eyes only grew darker, filled with lust and a need for something. And that something was you. 

“If you’re just trying to fuck with me I’ll leave now.” You start to make your way off the couch, when you feel his hand pull you by your arm back down.

“Why would I be trying to mess with you dear, you see anyone else back here?” He asks sincerely, rubbing your hand softly.

“Then why me, there were 15,000 other girls out there. You're telling me you chose me for a reason and not just to bring me back here, get me flustered and tell me to leave.”

“I mean normally if I bring a girl back it’s a chat maybe a blow job and they leave. But come on darling you're gorgeous, and a gorgeous girl with a sign like that is just begging to be brought back here. If I’m wrong you can leave, but I think after what you told me you’d rather be back here.”

Your breathing starts to calm down. You still don’t understand how and why you're back here.

“You want me to be honest y/n.” You look up to him, not knowing what he could possibly say. “I’ve seen you before. At the philly show a few months ago, and a concert from last year. I’ve seen you many times and was too scared to bring you back. But after tonight seeing your sign it made something go off in my head and I needed to talk to you.”

There’s no way he’s confessing this to you. This is something straight out of a dream you’ve probably had before. You’re trying to wrap your head around it but you can’t. “Danny I don’t get it though.”

“What is there not to get. You're a perfect girl who loves my band. Why wouldn’t I notice you? I would be fucking insane if I didn’t take the opportunity that was presented to me. I know you want it too, darling.” 

“So what’s gonna happen now?” You stupidly ask him, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

“I’m gonna take you back to my hotel room and fuck the shit out of you.” 

“I- okay um do you want me to wait for you to be done and leave with you or..”

“Darling, as much as I’d like for that to happen, if anyone sees me leaving with some random girl from the concert tonight it would be everywhere. What you're gonna do is wait outside and in 10 minutes a car will pick you up. They’ll bring you to my hotel room and give you a room card. Can you do that for me babydoll?”

You nod your head frantically and Danny reciprocates that with a mischievous smirk. He knows the effect he has on you, but you don’t care. You’re about to fuck Daniel Wagner, nothing could stop you now. You stand up grabbing your poster and bag and make your way to the door. Right as you go to grab the door you're twirled around to face him. 

“I’ll see you soon y/n.” Placing a kiss onto your cheek.

“See you Danny.” You can’t help the smile that spreads across your face. You turn back towards the door and open it to walk through. 

Excitement and thrill was pulsing through your veins as you walked outside the arena, and waited for the car just as Danny had said.

After about 13 minutes, not that you were counting, a black SUV pulls up right in front of you. You weren’t one to get into random cars, but with the circumstances at play you were going to do anything. 

“Y/n?” The driver asks through the open window.

“That is me!” You smile at him, waiting for him to grant you permission to hop inside.

“Hop on in, I’ve got the room key for you.” He holds it up in front of him. 

You grasp onto the car handle of the passenger's seat, opening it  and sliding in. You try your absolute best to wait the 7 minutes it takes to get to the hotel.

—

Once you arrive, you thank the mystery driver and make your way up the elevator. You assume that he is there waiting for you already. You swipe the card on the door and twist the handle, walking inside.

It's a nice hotel. A very nice hotel, might you add. Definitely not what you were used to that's for sure. As you step across the marble flooring you spot a little note on top of the wooden dresser. 

Hey darling,

I am back. I just needed to run to Sam’s room to grab something. Hop in the shower awhile, I’ll be there to join you in a minute. 

Nothing sounds more appealing than a shower right now. You stare at the note, deciding you should obey him. 

You drop your purse and sign on the table and make your way to the bathroom. When walking in you take a moment to admire the large shower with a rain shower faucet. You slip off your shoes and concert outfit and turn on the shower. The hot water rains down onto you and you lean your head back, letting the water soak you and your hair. You use some of the hotel shampoo and wash your hair liberally after the hot atmosphere you were in. 

You take a look around for body wash and can only find a bottle that was not provided by the hotel. A large bottle of body wash scented in musky vanilla. It must be Danny’s. You had no other choice but to use it since there was nothing else available. In the midst of your washing you hear the hotel door open and shut quickly. 

After a few moments, you hear the bathroom door creak open.

You can’t see him yet, but you can hear his voice. “Hi beautiful.” When the glass door opens you see that he is only in his blue gingham boxers. You must have stared for a moment too long because your attention is brought back to reality when he starts to pull them down to the floor. 

He steps inside of the shower, completely bare. You don’t realize your jaw is hanging open in awe until Danny says, “Pick that jaw up darling, there's so much more you have yet to see.”

He stops in his tracks right in front of you staring up and down your body, taking you all in. He gives you a questioning look, silently asking if he was allowed to touch.

“God, Danny. Please, just fucking touch me already.” You practically beg, and maybe you sound desperate but you didn’t have a single fuck to give. 

“So hungry for me baby, just you wait till after.” He grabs the bottle of body wash and squeezes some onto a new wash cloth. “Can I wash you darling?” He asks, leaning down towards you to kiss your neck. “Even though I can tell you already did, I don’t mind. You smell delicious, it makes me wanna take you right here.” 

“Then do it, take me right here.” 

“So goddamn desperate baby. Wait a little, we will get there, I promise.” Danny drags the washcloth over your collar bones and arms. He turns you to face the shower wall. You hear the wash cloth be thrown out the door and two hands are replaced on your body. His hands drag over your hips and around to the front of your stomach. The anticipation was killing you. His large hands are brought up to your chest as he cups your tits giving them a light squeeze. He pulls you back and presses you against his stomach. 

“Fuck Danny.” You feel his dick press against your ass as he grows harder. 

“I know darling, tell me about it. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours.” He whispers into your ear, squeezing your tits harder making you wince. 

“I’m thinking about how bad I want you to fucking touch me!” You snap at him.

“Little Miss shy girl isn’t so shy now, is she? She's getting very mouthy with me.” His voice is low and pierces right through you and your core. 

“Danny…” you whine out, aching for more.

“I am touching you babydoll. No need to whine like a pathetic little baby.” He chastises you, still with a firm grip on your chest. 

“You know exactly what I want Daniel, and you’re not fucking giving it to me. Just give it to me, God.” You push your ass back onto him harder, forcing a groan out of him. 

You take his moment of weakness to turn around and plant a feverish kiss to his soft, pink lips. You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him in so your fronts are pressed together. His hands rest on your hips, slowly slithering them around to rest them on your ass. 

He pulls away from the kiss making his way to turn the water off, very quickly. He guides your hips as you step out of the shower together. You reach for a towel when suddenly you’re scooped up draping over his shoulder. He walks out of the bathroom over to the king sized bed. 

He throws down onto the bed, as you're still dripping wet. 

“Danny, I’m still we-” 

“I thought you wanted me to touch you so bad?”

“I do…” You say as your confidence is faltering. 

“And I’m about to grant you your wish darling, just relax for me yeah?” Immediately after he is done speaking his fingers are gliding through your slick folds, teasing around your entrance. 

You let out a gasp when you feel him make contact with your cunt. He moves his fingers up to your clit making quick, tight circles on it. 

“Is this what you do to all the girls you bring back Danny? Tell them to get in the shower, sprawl them out on the bed and fuck them, then tell them to leave. You made me feel special Danny, or am I just like every other groupie?” You say in a testing tone, staring up to him.

“Oh babydoll, you’re just like them. Same driver, same card left out, same routine. But you yourself you're special. You drove me crazy seeing you in the crowd. Show me why you should be treated differently y/n. What makes you so special?” Swiftly inserting a digit into your soaked pussy. 

“You say that to make me feel like I’m the same, but I know damn well if I was just some other girl you wouldn’t have made it as secretive. Because those girls are disposable to you, you fuck them and go not caring who knows about the girls. So why am I being kept a secret? What makes me so different Danny, tell me.” You reach down to his stomach, feeling his happy trail on the way down. You firmly grasp his cock and slowly stroke it. 

“Fuck.” His head falls forward and his free hand that wasn’t inside of you, reaches out to roll your nipple between his knuckles. 

“You like that?” You taunt him, trying you best to gain your dominance back. 

“I do. But you know what would be so much better?”

You peel your eyes open awaiting his response. 

“Have my cock in that smart ass mouth of yours. Finally put it to use other than just being mouthy.” With that Danny grabs your hair and motions you to the ground. “So show me y/n, show me what makes you as special as you think you are.”

You immediately accept his challenge, guiding his dick into your mouth. You wrap your plump, kiss-swollen lips around his length and begin to bob your head up and down. You stroke what you can’t fit in your mouth with your hand, your other hand reaching around to grab at his ass pulling him closer to you. You hear an animalistic groan release from the depths of his throat. 

You release his length from your mouth and let it slap against his stomach. You cup his balls with your hands and slowly lick them and trail back up the shaft, pressing a kiss into the tip. You go directly back to sucking him, taking as much of him as you can, and you can feel his body start to shake above. 

“Darling, slow down. I- I won’t last if you keep going like that. Fuck.” His hands grasp onto your wet hair, throwing his own head back in pleasure.

You take him out of your mouth and pump him with your hands. “Is this how you react to all the other girls, can you not last long with anyone Danny? You just fuck them until you’ve had your fill and leave them hanging?”

“No, not at all angel. I always make sure my girls are satisfied. But you are getting so much more than that, you know why?” He looks down to you with his perfect brown eyes. 

“Why?” Kissing his dick while waiting for a response. 

“Because you're different. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t want to. Usually I take the girls that throw themselves at me. I noticed you, I wanted you. Now I finally have you, so I’m going to show you why I brought you here tonight.”

He pulls you up by your hair again, placing his large hand between the valley of your breasts, pushing you back down onto the bed. He leans back, taking a look at your soaking core. “So wet baby, I barely did anything. You like me telling you you’re special?” He swiftly slaps your wet pussy, on instinct your body tenses up and you bring your legs back together. “Yeah, my special babydoll likes that, don't you? You like being praised. Spread those perfect thighs for me again.” He gently pries open your thighs, once again revealing your wet cunt to the chilly hotel air. 

He reaches to the drawer next to the bed and pulls out a familiar square foil. 

“Danny you don’t need to use it, I’m on birth control. If I’m fucking you I wanna feel all of you.” He grins and throws the foil back into the drawer.

“What a slutty girl. You want me filling you up with my cum? Or are you lying and not on the pill, you trying to have my babies, darling? You probably love the idea of that don’t you?”

“I’m not a crazy chick Danny, although having your babies has crossed my mind before.” You give him a playful wink before pulling him into a kiss. Your moment of bliss was soon interrupted by his cock being shoved deep into your pussy. 

“Oh fuck Danny. You’re so fucking big.” Your back aches away from the white sheets beneath you and hands clawing onto his back.

“God you’re so wet for me baby. Did sucking me off get you soaked? You did such a good job, almost made me cum before you started to smart mouth me.” His right hand grabs your jaw and opens your mouth. Having any time to react he spits straight into your mouth, closing it right after and sealing it with a kiss. “Now keep that mouth shout, unless it’s those pretty little moans coming out.”

His hands return to the sides of your head as he begins to slowly work up the pace of his thrusts. He was hitting all the spots perfectly. He was made for you. 

“Danny oh my god, don’t stop please. You feel so good.” You moan out before biting onto his shoulder. 

“Oh fuck y/n. You’re gonna be the end of me. You feel so fucking good around my cock darling.” His thrust became hard and more precise. He is quickly learning what little spots on your body make you lose it. He grabs onto your tits for leverage as his cock pistons in and out of you. “Tightest little pussy I’ve ever fucked, babydoll.” 

“You have the most perfect tits I’ve ever seen darling. I saw you in that little slutty top of yours tonight. You were probably hoping I would see them pouring out, huh?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Danny.” You try your best to keep your voice steady. But you knew exactly what he was talking about. You kept checking throughout the show making sure your tits were scooped up enough, hoping he would see. 

He saw right through your lie. A sudden slap was struck across your cheek. “Tell me the truth y/n.”

“Why were you even looking? For all you knew I could have been 17 or something.” He looks at you with a knowing look. “Or did you know how old I was Danny?” He looks away with a guilty look on his face. “Did you find my insta?”

“Why would I look at your insta, I didn’t even know your name.”

“That’s what you say. You wanna start telling the truth Danny? You made it very clear earlier that you had seen me before. So start spilling.” 

“No thanks, but I’ll spill my cum into your pretty pussy y/n if you shut up and let me fuck you.” He begins to sink back into you but you quickly stop him needing to know the truth. 

“No, tell me now. I want to know Danny.”

After a moment of staring each other down waiting for the other to speak Danny breaks the silence. “Yeah I found your insta so what. Doesn’t change the fact that you had your tits out for me tonight does it?” “It doesn’t. I’m sure you didn’t mind though, did you?” You let your fingers travel into his hair, feeling all his wet curls. 

“I didn’t mind one bit. But I wanna see them better, babydoll.” He quickly wraps a hand around your back and flips you on top of him, now straddling his cock. “Get to riding baby, unless you don’t wanna get filled up.” 

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” You sink down onto his dick, starting to slowly move up and down on his length. Your tits start to bounce right in his face, before he leans forward and connects his mouth to your hardened nipple. He lays back down and grabs your hips, and begins to bounce you harder and fast down onto his cock.

Being filled was an understatement. You felt like he was overflowing your cunt. You always assumed he would be big but this was something else. The noises escaping your mouth was something you wouldn’t wish anyone to ever hear, but based on Danny’s facials he was loving every minute of it.

“God damn y/n, you sound so fucking pretty for me.” His hands grip tightly on your hips, beginning to thrust his own hips up to meet yours. “You want it harder babydoll, I think you can take it.”

“Yes harder Danny please I need more.” You whine to him, grabbing onto his shoulders for leverage.

“Fuck, look at you. You’re such a whore begging for my cock. You do that for all the other guys you're with or is mine just too much to handle?”

“Just-” He gives a particular powerful thrust knocking the air from your lungs, “-you. Just you, Danny. So big…” Your head falls back in pure ecstasy. 

“Aw I know baby, tell me about it.” He says in a whiny voice that makes you feel some sort of way. “Your taking my cock so well, such a good fucking girl.” As the hard thrust continues your hands make their way from his shoulders to his throat. 

His eyes widen at your movements and quickly shut after your fingers tighten around his neck. 

“Fuck y/n. Such a kinky girl. If I would have known you would be tied down to this bed right now.” His eyes are so dark now they almost look black. 

“Not too late for that Danny.” You say squeezing his throat with your hand a little tighter while simultaneously clenching around his cock. 

“Mmmm, tighter.” He whines out. You have no choice but to give him what he wants as you tighten your grip even more. You really take a moment to take in the situation at hand and soon enough…

“Danny, I’m so close.” You speed up your movements on his dick, searching for your release. 

“Me too, darling, me too. Just keep going so I can fill you up with my cum. I wanna see it leaking out of you.” 

That was enough to push you over the edge. With a few more bounces you were reaching your climax, screaming Danny’s name for the whole hotel to hear. A few short moments later, his climax follows. Curses and pornographic moans are flying freely, if anyone walks by the door they would know exactly what was taking place. 

He leans you back onto the bed, once again hovering on top of you. His hands trail down your body, all the way to your pussy. Two fingers quickly shove into you with no warning. 

“I told you I was gonna fill you up, but it looks like this tiny little pussy of yours can’t handle it all. I’ll help it back in for you, does that sound good?” He curls his index finger up into your g-spot, giving him the response he wanted. 

With a few more pumps he retracts his fingers from your soaked pussy and brings it up to your mouth. “Open.” Opening your mouth for him he pushes his finger deep into your throat. You close your mouth around the finger, letting him pull it out with a pop

“You taste so good Danny, makes me want more.” You reach your own hand down to your core, swiping a digit in between your folds, and licking up whatever cum you collected. 

“Fucking hell y/n. You’ve gotta be the hottest girl I've ever met.” You’re both still trying to catch your breath, your chests both heaving.

Danny rolls over and collapses by your side, he turns his head to look over at you. “ I have a fun little idea, if you’re down of course.” 

Your eyebrow quirks up at him, interest piqued. “What did you have in mind?”

“There's a sauna downstairs, I’d love for you to join me.” He gives you a soft smile. 

“Are you just trying to be nice or do you actually want me to join you?” 

“I wouldn’t be asking you if I was just trying to be nice. I would have just sent you home with an uber.” He reaches an arm around your waist pulling you into him. “Plus I really have liked our night so far darling. I don’t want it to end just yet.”

“Well in that case, I’d love to join you.” You smile back at him. 

He takes a moment, studying your features. “You’re so beautiful Y/n, even have the most gorgeous smile. I could see it from all the way where I was sitting on stage.” He sits up off the bed and lends you a hand to get up. 

“I don’t know what to wear though, I don’t have a bathing suit.” You accept his hand, allowing him to pull you up. 

“Just put your bra and panties back on and walk down in a towel.” He reaches into the bathroom and puts a towel on the bed. You put on your strapless bra back on and slip into your thong. You watch as he covers his lower half with the fluffy, white towel. 

You reach for yours on the bed wrapping it tightly around your torso. You both quietly walk together to the sauna. 

Once you arrive, you walk into the humid and steam-filled room. Thankfully the sauna was empty, you didn’t want anyone seeing you in just your tiny thong.

You sit down on the wooden benches, Danny sitting right beside you. You let your muscles relax and let your eyes close on their own accord. As you lean against the wall behind you, you feel a large hand grab onto your thigh.

“You look so fucking sexy. You should take another layer off darling, the door is locked.” Danny reaches a hand behind you, swiftly unclasping your bra off your chest. You can’t help but let your jaw drop with how fast he was able to undress you. “Better pick that jaw off the floor darling, or else I’m gonna have to use it for something else.”

Your legs squeeze together hoping to get some type of friction. Your core was already soaking your panties that you only had on momentarily. Danny stares you down, waiting to see what your next move would be, but you couldn’t be the one to break.

“Fuck it.” Danny grabs your neck and pushes you down onto the wooden bench. He doesn’t even bother to pull your panties off of you. Instead he pulls them to the side giving him a view of your already wet pussy. He drops his towel and leaves no time to line himself up with your cunt. He slides into you, making you moan in satisfaction. 

“Shit Danny, that's right, fill me up. You’re so big.” A devious smirk washes over his face, before grabbing your ankles and placing them on his shoulders. The new angle allows him to get even deeper than you thought possible. You feel his tip brush against your cervix. 

“Oh, God. Right.”He thrusts into you. “Fucking.” Another thrust. “There.” You were quickly crumpling beneath him. 

“Who’s making you feel good baby, tell me.”

“You.” You whimper under your breath.

“Say my name fuckdoll, who’s making you feel good?” He slaps his hand on your outer thigh.

“Fuck Danny you, you make me feel so fucking good. You fill me up so good oh fuck-” Your words were feeding him, and his pace was becoming sloppy. You knew he was nearing his end. “Yeah, cum in me Danny, fill me up with your cum. Need to feel it again” Your pussy clenches around him, making his hands clutch around your ankles harder. 

After a few more thrusts, loud sinful moans fill the hot room. Your waves of pleasure shortly followed Danny after he unloaded in your pussy. 

Once you come back down from your highs, you just simply look at each other without even saying a word, both rendered speechless. 

“God y/n. How am I gonna move on from this night?” He says through heavy breaths, taking your ankles off his shoulders. 

“How are you going to move on? I’m the one that should be asking that.”

“Like I said before, I’ve had my eyes on you y/n.” Danny grabs your towel and bra, placing them back around you. “Let’s go back up to the room.” He lends you a hand off the bench and leads you quickly back to the room in hopes no one would see your barely clothed bodies. 

After returning to the room you begin to grab your outfit from the concert and cloth yourself, preparing to get an uber and leave.

“Why would you wear that to bed?” He says to you as he begins putting on sweatpants.

“Well I’ll change when I get home.” Danny gives you a confused look, which makes you realize what he is implying. “Oh- did you want me to stay? I assumed you just brought me back up to get my shit and leave. I was gonna get an uber.”

“I’d like for you to stay y/n. Unless you have somewhere else you need to be.” He says beginning to walk over to you.

“I mean I was supposed to be home tomorrow but home can wait.” You place your bag back onto the table and stand in front of him. 

“And don’t think you’re going to be leaving without me getting your number first.” He scolds you with a pointed finger and raises his eyebrows. “Come join me in bed now, babydoll. I’ll get you something to wear, but first…” Danny walks over to his bag, grabbing a sharpie and uncapping it. 

He brings the sharpie to your poster, checking off the last unmarked box. “Now all of your list is complete.” He walks over to one of the drawers and reaches out a GVF shirt and boxers. “You can wear these if you want, and keep them.” Danny crawls into bed, and you quickly follow him after changing into the large shirt and boxers. 

You crawl into bed, not understanding how this was all real. 

“Hey Danny.”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for tonight, I would argue it was better than the concert.”

“I would say that too babydoll.” He wraps his large arms around you pulling you in tight. “Good night, angel.”

“Good night, Danny.” 

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[writingjourney]

Never Alone | Copia x gn!Reader

At first you couldn’t bring your mouth to form the words, like speaking the news somehow made it real, inevitable. But now, another half hour later, you’re glad that he knows, that you’re not alone in the aftermath. Or: Copia comforts you after you receive some awful news.

content: 550 words, gn!reader, hurt/comfort, the news is unspecified but it is implied that it’s a family matter, can be read as Papa or Cardinal, [Ao3 Link]

This is for the anon who reached out to me last week, I hope you find some comfort in it ♡

You listen to his heartbeat, the rhythmic thumping between his ribs like the low beat of a drum in the background of a song. You have to focus hard to even notice that it’s there and you are focusing, filtering through the racing thoughts that enter your mind unbidden. The beat has slowed down significantly since you first told him, since you collapsed into his arms not sure how you would ever survive the day and he begged you to tell him what happened.

After the first few crippling waves of panic had subsided, you’d told him. How you received a call about a family matter, how the news had pulled the very ground from under your feet. It was your luck that Copia returned to your quarters only half an hour after the call to retrieve something he’d forgotten this morning, that he picked you up from the floor and pressed you tightly against his solid chest and refused to let go. At first you couldn’t bring your mouth to form the words, a sense of trepidation overcoming you, like speaking the news somehow made it real, inevitable. But now, another half hour later, you’re glad that he knows and that you’re not alone in the aftermath.

“It will be okay, amoruccio,” he says. “We will get through this together. You are not alone, eh? Never alone.”

You nod against the wet fabric of his shirt even though you know there is no way to fix things, fisting it just a little bit tighter at his back. He coos, rocking you back and forth like one calms a child. And you feel like you are in that moment, like you are helpless in the face of disaster, like you yield no power over the cruelty of the world. His soothing words are the only thing between you and another collapse, the reassurance that whatever is going to happen now will not rest on your shoulders alone.

“I love you,” he whispers. “I love you so much.”

You sniffle, holding onto him ever more firmly. The lump in your throat makes it hard to form words, the trembling in your limbs impossible to even try to get up.

“I don’t want to be alone,” you force out. “I’m so scared, Copia.”

“I won’t leave your side until you feel better, yes? I am here for as long as you need me, my baby.”

You nod gratefully, allowing him to press the softest of kisses to your face, following the wet lines of your tears over your cheeks and down to your jaw, kissing the remaining droplets from the corners of your mouth. He removes the gloves from his hands, cradling your face in both of them before he leans in for a proper kiss – gentle, warm, comforting. You let your cheek sink against his, feeling the softness of his flesh, the growing stubble when you rub skin against skin. 

Copia wraps his arms back around you, pulling you close once more. You shift your focus back to his heartbeat, the steadiness of it. While the fear sits deep inside your belly and you have no idea how you will get through what lies ahead, you find solace in the fact that he will be by your side through it all.

[spidermans-l-o-v-e-r]

Night Changes

Pairing: Eddie Diaz x Reader

Word count: 925

Notes: 🥹🥹🥹 I actually got a request what is this

Eddie had come home from work exhausted. Normally he was tired, but he could barely get into the shower on his own… not that he minded you having to help him. 

You’d helped him in while fully clothed and your clothes still ended up in a wet heap on the tiled floor somehow. 

Sure he didn’t have enough energy to wash his own body but apparently he had enough to watch you fuck yourself on him while he leaned again the shower wall for support. And he had absolutely no problem in pinning you to the wall and pushing his cum inside you as deeply as he could 

“Breeding you is my favorite thing to do,” He says in a dreamy-silly voice as you’re drying off his body and you giggle, rolling your eyes 

“It’s my favorite too” 

You served him dinner in bed… and that’s when the reason for all the soreness presented itself.

You weren’t even sure how you missed it, actually, you know exactly how, because he wouldn’t turn his back to you and whilst you thought it was weird you shrugged it off. But now that he’s in bed and has to lay on his side you see the large bruise on his back 

“Eddie?? What the hell!” You make him turn over on his stomach and he sighs guiltily 

“It’s way worse than it looks, baby”

“Oh?” You poke it and he hisses in pain, you slap his thigh and he lets his head fall into the pillows 

“What happened?” You ask quietly, you don’t want to know, but you need to. 

“The… building kind of, maybe, possibly, blew up? Uh in simplest terms I guess… it wasn’t anything crazy I swear. Everyone is okay, but I definitely got knocked back on my ass” 

“And you were just gonna hide this?” You reach into your bedside table and get out Buck's stupid bruise cream he swears works (it does and he always does little commercials when he gives you a new jar) you gently start applying it to his back and he moans softly 

“I wasn’t trying to hide it… I just- I couldn’t tell you right away, I didn’t want to scare you”

“This isn’t right away Eddie… this is hours later”

“You would have come to the station in a panic” 

“So?” You push down a little and he yelps 

“So! I didn’t want to scare you and then have to send you home… you can see where I’m coming from right?” 

“Unfortunately, yes” You finish rubbing it into his back, giving him a little massage and he hums happily

“You know what would really make me feel better?” He mumbles 

“What?” 

“Round two” 

“Eddie!”

You scream his name as you wake up, the images of him lying dead on the floor bleeding out still clear, you feel around for him, tears streaming down your cheeks trying to fight through the haze of watching him drown. 

“Jesus fuck-“ he wakes with a start, his hands waving around in little karate motions “What is it?!” He turns to you, your hands are shaking with the blood still stained on them 

“Y/N?” He says softly “Corazón?” 

He takes your hands and you jolt, blinking rapidly. He holds your hands tighter as he sees your chest heaving, the tears keep falling as you yank your hands back from him, trying your hardest to wipe the blood from them onto the blankets, it’s getting everywhere and he’s just lying there, lifeless, staring into your eyes. You couldn’t save him, even when you know what’s coming, you can’t swim deep enough, you can’t jump in front of the bullets fast enough.

There's nothing you can do. 

“Hey, hey shhh honey what’s going on??” He eases you into his lap, holding you tightly against his bare torso, hoping the skin-to-skin contact calms you down. He pushes your head gently against his chest, right over his heartbeat 

“Hear that?… beating just for you” He whispers, rocking you slowly as you cry into his arms. He shushes you, kissing your head and humming your wedding song to you, Dreaming of You by Selena. 

“Can you tell me about it?” He asks, and it takes a little while until your sobs are quieted and you can finally feel him against you. 

“It was that dream again…” you say quietly and he nods 

“Oh… the one where?”

“Yeah” you mumble and he cracks a smile, putting his cheek on your head 

“I should have told you sooner about getting hurt…” 

“You can’t control my dreams, Eddie”

“Yeah…but I could make things easier on you. You know I’m not going anywhere, right? I’m Superman baby I can’t die” 

You sniffle and giggle a little, wiping at your eyes “Eddie… things happen and-“

“And I will always come home to you, no matter where I am, no matter how late it is… no matter how many shots I take or how hot the fire burns, I will always come home to you Corazón. I promise you.” 

“Even if Buck promises ice cream sundaes with those sprinkles you like?” 

You look up at him and he kisses you, it’s long and slow as he cups your cheek. He pours all the love passion and emotions he feels for you into it. He feels your body relax against his and he knows he’s quieted your fears again, fears that he definitely has too sometimes. 

“Even if Buck promises ice cream sundaes with the sprinkles I like” 

[i-am-baechu]

♡ Summary: Y/N loved her members with all her heart, they were her brothers. They raised her since she was fourteen and now she is twenty-five, she was old enough to make adult decisions. Well, not in their eyes.

♡ Rating: Pg - 14

♡ Genre: 8th member au, comedy, romance, fluff, and little angst 

Authors note: Surprise idol boyfriend lol 

L/N Y/N was the eighth member of Bts. She was younger than Jungkook by one year and everyone always compared them too. It was annoying but what else did she expect, she was the only girl in a primarily boy group. She was on the quiet side when she was younger, she would only talk to Seokjin and Yoongi. They made her think of her older brother back at home and it was comforting to be around something so familiar. She didn’t really shine until the DNA era because she was finally an adult and felt more comfortable in her skin. Her relationship with the members grew and Army saw the true her. 

Now she was twenty-five, she was a beloved idol in the industry. She had a sweet angelic voice that sounded like snow falling during winter and many said she had a siren’s voice. While all her members did their solo albums, Y/N took this time to truly relax and focus on her life more. Seokjin and Hoseok already went to the military, something that saddened her but she knew they would be back. 

Y/N looked around before entering the tall building. She smiled at the receptionist who recognized her immediately (then again who wouldn’t), “Ah, Y/N. Back again.”

“Yeah, I am. Unnie, do you know where he is?”

She smiled at this and nodded her head, “He’s in the dance room on the fourth floor. Room 2B.”

“Thank you, unnie.” 

Y/N bowed at the older woman and made her through the building. She made sure her hat covered her eyes the best she could, she didn’t want attention on her. She listened to his voice through the elevator and a smile appeared on her lips. She always loved his voice and how he could easily carry the song with his high note, it was just beautiful. She knocked on the dance room door and she opened it to see him standing there already looking at the door with a smile. 

“Jagiya~.” She ran towards him as his face heated up from the name but he ignored it and wrapped his arms over her waist. She nuzzled her face into his chest as he kissed the top of her head, “I missed you so much, Doyoung.”

“I missed you too.”

Y/N and Kim Dong-Young from NCT have been dating for almost two years now. All the members of NCT knew about the couple but her members had no idea that she was even seeing someone. She never really talked about people she was interested in, she kept it to herself. She met Doyoung during the end of the Golden Disk Award backstage. 

She accidentally went into the wrong dressing room and that’s how she met him. She always thought he was cute and she would be lying if she said she didn’t have a crush on him. She would always listen to NCT in secret in the dorms and whenever she saw him appear on her screen, she felt her heartbeat get faster. Doyoung was the first one to speak to her and the rest was history. He was shy and more introverted than her, she would make him talk and take him out whenever they had free time. 

Doyoung wanted Y/N to move in with him but she had to figure out how to tell her members. This was a sensitive subject for the two. Doyoung understood why she was hiding but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. She felt so guilty about hiding their relationship but she knew how her members get when the opposite sex looks at her. 

When they let go, she leaned up, placing a kiss on his cheek, “Did you get my flowers?”

“Yes, I did. Thank you, I loved them.” 

“It’s not every day that your partner releases a sub-unit album.”

He rolled his eyes and kissed the top of her head, “When are you going to release your album?”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest, “I’m not in a rush for it. When I do though, it will be a love song for you.”

“Aish, jagiya. You love to embarrass me.” 

“I do, where’s the others?” 

He pushed some hair behind her ear and smiled down at her, “I was practicing on my own today.”

“Did you eat yet, jagiya?”

“I ate this morning.”

Y/N’s head snapped at him and she glared at him, “It’s four in the afternoon and you haven’t eaten. Doyoung, that’s bad.” 

“I’m sorry, do you want to go eat right now?”

She pouted her lips and nodded her head, “You can’t do that to yourself. It’s not good for your body.”

“I’m sorry, let’s go to your favorite restaurant.” 

“No, let’s go to your favorite restaurant.” 

Doyoung let out a small laugh and rolled his eyes, “Fine. I know your stubborn heart will make things difficult, let’s go.”

She smiled at this and leaned forward placing a quick kiss on his lips, “I always win.” 

He gathered his things and grabbed her hand. His thumb creased the top of her knuckles as they headed out. They walked out of the building towards the back and headed towards his car with smiles on their faces. He opened her door, helped her into the car, and placed a kiss on her forehead before closing the door. She felt her face get hot but she shook her head. He entered the car and started playing classical music. He turned towards her and saw that she was already looking at him with love in her eyes. He smiled and leaned forward placing a longing kiss on her lips, “I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you more, Doyoung.” 

“Where did she go?” Jungkook was looking through her apartment and turned towards his hyungs with a confused look. Namjoon sighed to himself and rubbed the back of his neck roughly, “Jungkook, she might have gone out with her friends.” 

Taehyung entered her bedroom and his eyebrow raised when he saw an album on her bed. He walked towards it and gently picked it up. Jimin entered the room and tilted his head, “What’s that?” 

Taehyung looked up at him with a frown, “It looks like our maknae has been hiding something from us.” 

“Oh like what?” 

Taehyung flipped the album and Jimin’s eyes squinted to read the message. His eyes quickly went wide and looked at Taehyung, “No, way!” 

“What are you guys yelling about?”

They both turned towards the door frame to see Yoongi standing there. They both glanced at each other and then back at Yoongi. Yoongi is the last person that should find out her little secret, it would cause trouble for her. Taehyung shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the floor, “I saw a spider.”

“Then why did Jimin say no way? What are you holding?” 

“Hyung-”

Yoongi snatched the album out of their hand to take a look. Normally he wouldn’t look at their stuff but with Jimin’s reaction, it made him worry. He glared at the album and then back at Jimin, “Do you think this is true?”

“Hyung, I-I don’t know.” 

“Namjoon! Jungkook! Get in here!” 

In the living room, Namjoon and Jungkook looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Jungkook shrugged his shoulders and they went inside her bedroom. Namjoon wrapped his arm over Yoongi’s shoulder, “What’s going on?”

“Y/N is dating Doyoung.”

“What?” 

Yoongi handed the album to Jungkook and Jungkook glared at the album, “To my favorite person in the world. My love, thank you for the support on this album, it means the world to me. Whenever you listen to this song I hope you picture me with you on the beach. I love you, Doyoung. That little shit.” 

Jimin let out a small laugh and rolled his eyes, “That little shit is older than you, kook.” 

Namjoon let out a small cough and took the album out of his hands, “It's sweet that he wrote her a message. I think it's cute that she's dating someone.” 

Yoongi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over her chest, “He’s too old for her.”

“Hyung, he's only two years older than her.” 

Yoongi glared at Taehyung and shook his head, “That doesn’t matter to me. He’s too old for her. Wait until I tell Jin and Hoseok this.” 

“We will have that dinner this weekend with them. Should we tell her that we know this...”

Namjoon let out a sigh and shook his head, “It’s not our business.”

“It is because she's our little sister, hyung.”

“Jungkook, it’s her life and it sounds like she's happy with him.” 

Yoongi tossed the album back to the bed and looked at all the members, “We’ll tell Jin and Hoseok before the dinner and we can figure it out from there. Let’s leave before she comes back. I bet she's on a date with him right now.”

Doyoung placed some rice cake on her plate and she smiled at him, “Thank you, oppa.” 

His face turned red and looked away from her eyes, “D-Don’t call me that in public.”

She let out a laugh and took a bite of her tofu stew, “Why is it because of your oppa kink?”

“Jagiya! Stop it!” 

She placed more rice into his bowl and gave him a smirk, “You know it's true. Speaking of oppa, we’re having dinner with Jin-oppa and Hoseok-oppa this Friday.” 

“Oh, that’s good. I know how much you miss them.” 

“I do miss them...I was thinking that you could come with me?”

Doyoung choked on his rice and looked at her with wide eyes, “You want me to come!?” 

“I was thinking about it but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” 

“Should I be around people that know how to handle guns especially when I’m dating their little sister?” 

“Good point. I'll tell them I’m dating someone then.”

Doyoung reached over and placed his hand on top of hers, “Baby, are you ready for that?” 

“I want them to know I have someone in my life. I want them to see how happy you make me.” 

“If you're ready then I’m ready.” 

•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•

“Oppa, can you hand me my brush?” 

Jimin looked up from his phone and nodded his head. Y/N was in her bedroom with Jimin and Taehyung getting ready for dinner. Well, they broke into her apartment and didn’t want to leave so here they are now. Y/N fixed her baby blue shirt and took the brush out of his hand, “Thank you~.” 

“Of course, anything for you.” 

She brushed her hair and Taehyung glanced at Jimin. Jimin shrugged his shoulders and Taehyung sighed, “Hey, Y/N.”

“Mmm?” 

“You wouldn’t hide anything from us right?” 

She glanced at him through the mirror and then back at her reflection, “No, why would I?”

“Just asking?”

Taehyung looked at Jimin and Jimin sighs, “We were just curious, hun. We’ll be in the living room waiting for you.” 

She watched them leave and she frowned to herself. They were acting weird, weirder than normal. She shook her head and let out a small laugh, “I’m just tripping.” 

They had never had an awkward dinner but tonight was the night to change that. She sat next to Jungkook and when she came in, he wouldn’t even look at her. He kept staring at his plate or he would be talking to the other members, leaving her hanging. Yoongi was more quiet than usual and Seokjin had this tight smile when she hugged him. Everyone else was acting like they were walking on eggshells. She sighed at this and slammed her chopsticks, “What’s going on?”

Namjoon smiled at her and took a sip of his water, “What do you mean?” 

“You guys are acting weird...I don’t like it.”

“You know what I don’t like, liars.” 

Y/N looked at Yoongi with a confused look and furrowed her eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

Jungkook looked at her and shook his head, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Tell you what? What-”

“Y/N.” She looked at Jin and saw that he had a serious look. She wanted to disappear because she hated this look on him. Jin put down his chopsticks and looked at her, “How long have you been dating Doyoung?” 

Oh, she hated this so much. Her mouth fell open and ignored everyone in the room but Jin, “What-How do you know?”

“Answer the question.”

“Fo-For almost two years…Oppa-”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She glanced down at the table and then back at Jin, “I didn’t tell any of you because I knew how you would react...” 

Hoseok gave her a small smile and shook his head, “Y/N we wouldn’t-”

“Yes, you guys would. Look how you were treating me just now. I’m not fourteen anymore, I’m twenty-five. I thought you guys would be happy for me.”

Jungkook scoffed next to her and shook his head, “You hid this from us and you think you have the right to get mad at us?” 

“Stop treating me like I’m a little kid. You guys got mad that I was talking to Changkyun and even threatened Shownu to keep him away from me. We were just talking about a video game. So yeah, I’m sorry that I hid this from you guys but you made things hard for me.” 

Yoongi slammed his hand on the table causing her to jump. She glanced at Yoongi feeling small under his eyes, “Everything we do is to protect you, Y/N.”

“Oppa, I know that but-”

“It hurts that you hid this from us. We could’ve celebrated together but now were hurt because of you hiding the truth. Have you ever thought about that?” 

She frowned at this and looked down at the table. She shook her head and then looked back at Yoongi, “Oppa, you guys don’t-”

“Y/N you should’ve just told us.”

She looked at Namjoon and shook her head at this. She stood up from the table and looked at them with a sad look, “You guys always treated me like a kid. I know I’m the youngest but I’m an adult now. Every time I tried talking to a guy you guys pushed them away from me. I’m sorry I kept this away from you guys but you guys need to understand why I did it. Oppa, I’ll call you when you are free at the camp. Bye.” 

She ran out of the restaurant and took her phone out. She dialed Doyoung’s number as she let the tear escape from her eye. She sniffled and roughly wiped her eyes, “Jagiya, can you-can you pick me up?”

“Are you okay? You sound like you're crying.”

“Please pick me up...I’m at the restaurant that you took me to last week.”

“I’m five minutes away. I’ll be there soon. I love you.”

“I love you more.” 

He came by fast and it even shocked her how fast he got there. He got out of his car and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed the top of her head, “What happened?”

“How did you get here so fast?”

“Ignore that, what happened?” 

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, “They were being difficult...can I stay at your place tonight?” 

“Of course, you can. Let’s go.” 

Seokjin watched from the window and let out a deep sigh. He turned towards the guy and shook his head, “You guys didn’t handle that right.” 

“Hyung-”

“No Jungkook. I was going to tell her I’m disappointed in her but I would love to meet him. You guys took it too far and treated her like she was small when she’s not. She’s at the same level as us.” 

Yoongi shook his head at this, “She’s our little sister-”

“Who’s twenty-five, hyung.”

Yoongi turned his head towards Hoseok who gave him a look making him sigh, “I know she’s twenty-five...I just want to protect her still.”

Hoseok sighed at this and took a sip of his water, “You can’t always protect her, hyung. She has to go through life and we just have to support her.” 

“Fuck, I know. We need to apologize.” 

•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•

It’s been three days since the dinner and Y/N hasn’t really talked to anyone. Jin and Hoseok already apologize for their attitude at the dinner. She of course accepted because she loves them with her whole heart and she misses them. The others haven’t even tried to say anything to her and it was honestly making her upset. She came home from a late meeting and her eyes widened when she saw Doyoung waiting in the lobby with roses in his hands. 

She smiled at this and slowly walked up to him, “You got me flowers?”

He jumped at the sudden voice and gave her a small glare, “What did I say about scaring me?”

“But it's so fun.”

She took the flowers out of his hand as he rolled his eyes, “I don’t think it's fun. I thought you deserved roses after the couple of days you had.” 

“Thank you, it made me feel better. You want some dinner?” 

“Oh, what are you cooking?” 

“I had leftover tofu and I was just gonna fry them.” 

The couple made their way to her suite, talking about random things. When she unlocked the door she was met with the smell of chicken and freshly made rice. She glanced at Doyoung and he got in front of her just in case. They slowly made their way down the hallway and she pushed past Doyoung with an annoyed look, “What the hell are you guys doing?” 

Her members looked at her with wide eyes and Namjoon gave her a small smile, “An apology dinner?” 

“Is that a question?” 

Yoongi rolled his eyes and glanced at Doyoung. He swallowed some spit and bowed at him, making Doyoung stand there with wide eyes, “I’m Min Yoongi. It’s a pleasure to meet my sister's boyfriend.” 

Doyoung glanced at Y/N who just shrugged her shoulders. He turned towards Yoongi and bowed back, “I-I’m Kim Dong-Young, Y/N’s boyfriend…”

Jungkook smiled at him and clapped his hands, “We wanted to make dinner for Y/N but you can sit with us, only if you want to.”

Doyoung rubbed his neck and nodded his head, “I-I would love to stay and eat.”

She glanced at Jimin and Namjoon and whispered, “This doesn’t mean you guys are forgiven.”

Taehyung overheard her and let out a small laugh, “We know but this is a start. We made your favorite.”

She rolled her eyes and nodded her head, “Thank you oppa…”

Jimin smiled and kissed her forehead, “Let’s eat, we have to interrogate your boyfriend.”

“Oppa please don’t.” 

[judasgot-it]

I wanted to write something really quick for Jouno's birthday ngl, so here's some really cheesy dogshit

Happy Birthday to the blind king himself (ugh I miss him)

Scenario: Calling Jouno while he's at work. It becomes a little silly.

As much as Jouno hated the telephone, he hated the sounds of his coworkers even more.

What were they yelling for? It's four in the morning.

Who's even up at four in the morning?

Apparently them.

Every day. For the last 2 weeks.

Usually, he could have slept in for at least 3 more hours. Have a coffee that didn't taste like piss and tinfoil (everyday he hated whoever made the coffee in the lounge, no one would tell him the name of the moron who cheaped out on it. They weren't safe from him.) and get to tell his woe's to someone who didn't have rocks for brains.

But no. He was stuck here, at HQ, listening to reports that led their current case to nowhere.

Which led to yelling. Always yelling.

So answering the phone was honestly rather refreshing.

"..."

He waited a second. Why should he, of all people, speak first?

"Hello? Is Jouno there?"

Jouno felt time pause for a moment. He stopped, listening to the other members in the room.

They seemed rather distracted, not truly paying attention to what he was doing. Teruko and Tachihara were arguing and Tecchou was...he smelt gross, so probably working out.

"Sorry, who is this?"

He really hoped he was hearing wrong.

"Jouno, c'mon you know who I am. Why, is something wrong?"

When did you have their number? As far as he recalled, only government officials were ever given this number, and even that is far and few in between. He never let you know much about his work.

"I'm not trying to buy anything."

To Jouno's dismay, that failed miserably. Instead, all he heard was your laughter on the other side of the phone. Did you really think his misery was funny?

"If I find you, I'll kill you."

Jouno made threats as a part of his day-to-day life, it was easy to fake it towards you. But a part of him felt how he was cracking easily, hearing your obvious giggles as they thought of the next line to say.

"Ok ok. Sorry I know you're busy at work right now. But I really did call for something really important."

Taking a moment, Jouno sighed as he leaned against the small desk that held the phone. He waited a bit, listening to see if the others in the room were still ignoring him.

As much as he hated it, they seemed to actually notice that the "bad-things-are-happening-please-help" phone was called. His luck really is immaculate.

"How did you get this number again?"

There was a guilty laugh on your end. What had you so happy?

"Some other day, maybe. But that's not important! Jouno."

Jouno gave a very long sigh.

"Jouno, today is your birthday!"

"Yes."

He was really hoping he was as good of an actor as he thought he was, because he couldn't help how his heart was beating twice as fast at the thought of you remembering something so small.

"Are you coming home tonight?"

There was a pause.

Jouno didn't want to respond, because he hated the answer. Truthfully, he didn't know when he would have a 'normal' (for a hunting dog) workday.

He didn't even want to admit out loud how much he missed you.

"Oh, ok. You know, after your 'case' is over, we should get to celebrating. I have the perfect gift for you already, which definitely involves no clothes."

"No."

There was a pause on your end. He hated telling you no. Weird, since frankly breaking people's hearts was his favorite past time.

"Good idea. Uh..."

Jouno forced himself to listen back into the conference room, which was now weirdly quiet. There was also a small heartbeat very very close to him.

That was not a good sign.

"Thank you. Um."

He turned his head, bell-jingling against the phone, as he knew Teruko was looking up at him -probably with a shit eating grin.

"...I love you."

Sighing, he ate his pride, turning away.

"I love you too, Jouno. Happy birthday."

You sang it, not forcing him to endure the entire song. He hoped he was tall enough and facing enough away that Teruko couldn't see the smile on his face hearing those words.

When he hung up the phone, hearing the click and shut off the landline, he was forced to face his reality.

The one where he couldn't stop hearing his coworkers giggling. Particularly Teruko's, but even Tecchou was laughing somewhere deep in that stupid body of his that managed to breathe air.

He wanted to kick him.

"I didn't know you were in a relationship."

Tachihara said this nervously, but still with a smile in his voice.

"I'm not. I don't know who that was or how they got that number."

It was hard to say this seriously, as Jouno could feel the red creeping up on his face.

Happy birthday Jouno omfgggfgfg when is he coming back </3