#i’m sure the side effects will be more felt next week

[earthgh0st]

ok meds update in tags

[ruewrote]

𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒.

PAIRING: josh washington x fem!reader WARNINGS: teasing, no use of y/n, touching GENRE: fluff SONG INSPIRATION: meddle about by chase atlantic WORD COUNT: 1k NOTE: ghostface!josh coming soon . . .

navigation | ask | josh washington masterlist

josh always had to be touching you. it was something you noticed early on in your friendship, but it had grown more noticeable over time. a casual brush of his fingers across your waist when he walked by, how his hand would find yours when no one was looking.

at first, you didn’t think much of it, it was just josh, always needing someone close. 

but now? now it felt like more.

tonight, the group had gathered in the theater room of the washington lodge for what was supposed to be a relaxing evening after a long day of hiking.

the lights were dim and you were sprawled out on the large sectional with everyone, blankets thrown over legs, as a movie played on the tv. josh, predictably, had taken his usual place next to you, his thigh pressed against yours under the blanket, his hand resting on your knee like always.

it wasn’t like he was doing anything that anyone else would notice, it was subtle, almost innocent. but you felt it. the warmth of his hand on your leg sent tingles up your spine and it was almost impossible to ignore the way your heart beat just a little faster when he touched you.

"you two are practically glued together," emily teased from across the couch, smirking as she sipped her drink. "it’s cute. you can’t stand to be apart for five seconds?"

josh, unfazed as ever, grinned. “what can i say? i’m a hands-on kind of guy.”

you rolled your eyes, chuckling softly, but the way his fingers squeezed your knee for just a second sent a jolt through you. he wasn’t letting go, not even when everyone else joined in on the teasing.

ashley leaned over the back of the couch, an exaggerated look of pity on her face. "i mean, it’s cute and all, but how do you breathe? he’s always touching you.”

josh shrugged, still looking completely comfortable. “she doesn’t seem to mind.” his voice was playful, but there was an edge of seriousness beneath it.

you glanced over at him, your pulse quickening. no, you didn’t mind. in fact, you had grown to expect it, maybe even craved it. his presence, his touch. it had a calming effect on you, even if it was doing the opposite to your emotions now.

your friends had been teasing about this for weeks and you weren’t sure how to explain the connection without sounding ridiculous.

"she knows that i'm just that good at making sure she’s comfortable," josh said with a quick grin. "it’s kinda my thing."

emily laughed. “at this point, i wouldn’t be surprised if you two woke up spooning!”

you felt the blush rising to your cheeks as you shoved josh lightly, but his hand slid down your leg, brushing the inside of your thigh, lingering just a second too long before pulling away. you froze, the sensation sending a wave of warmth through you.

he shot you a quick look, eyes twinkling with amusement, but there was something else behind them.

before you could respond, chris called out from the other side of the couch. “what? it’s just a little friendly affection, right?” he winked, clearly teasing.

“yep,” you agreed quickly, your voice coming out more breathless than intended. “totally. just friends.”

josh gave a low hum, leaning back and stretching his arm out along the back of the couch, his fingertips brushing against your shoulder. “if you say so,” he murmured softly, only for you to hear. the weight of his touch felt heavier now, his fingers grazing your skin.

as the movie droned on, your focus drifted away from the screen. your mind was entirely on josh, the way his body was so close to yours, the way his touch lingered. you found yourself leaning into him more without realising it, like you were drawn to him just as much as he was to you.

the others had mostly gone back to watching the movie, though there were still occasional glances your way, always with that teasing edge but josh didn’t seem to care. his thumb traced slow circles on your shoulder now, his hand occasionally slipping down to brush your arm. 

you turned your head slightly, looking up at him. he wasn’t even looking at the movie anymore. his focus was entirely on you.

“josh?” you whispered, keeping your voice low enough that the others wouldn’t hear.

“hmm?” his eyes flicked down to meet yours, his expression soft but with that familiar mischievous glint.

you hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to say what was on your mind. “why do you always…?” you trailed off, not sure how to phrase it without sounding too obvious.

he smiled, a knowing look crossing his face. “always what?”

“always… touch me,” you finished quietly, your pulse quickening at the vulnerability in your own words.

josh’s smile didn’t fade, but his gaze grew a little more serious. he leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper as his hand moved from your shoulder to your cheek, cupping it gently. “it’s… comforting. you’re comforting.”

you stared at him, heart racing as the weight of his words sank in. there was more to it, you could feel it, more than just the comfort of touch. there was something between you that had always been there, quietly lingering beneath the surface.

“you don’t mind, do you?” his thumb brushed against your cheek now, the gentle motion sending a warmth through you that had nothing to do with the blankets.

you swallowed hard, your breath catching in your throat. “no,” you whispered. “i don’t mind.”

josh’s gaze flickered down to your lips for a second before returning to your eyes. there was a moment of hesitation, but then he leaned in just a little closer. “good,” he murmured, his voice barely audible.

“because i don’t think i could stop even if i tried.”

comments and reblogs are appreciated ♡

© ruewrote 2024.

[kentopedia]

fresh air

FEATURING. levi ackerman x f!reader — wc: 4.5 k

SUMMARY. everyone on levi's squad wonders where he disappears to when they get time off in wall sina.

CONTENTS. fluff, secret relationship, the scout find out levi is in love, doctor!reader, established relationship, levi gets a minor injury, canon universe, she/they pronouns for hange, no warnings bc this is all just very sweet

based on this ask here ♡

The first time that Levi met you, he’d been too rough around the edges, a newly freed man from the underground with one too many health issues and a sickly complexion.

Against his will, Erwin had sent him in for a medical examination, a requirement he’d been forced to endure before officially joining the Survey Corps. It seemed a life with minimal sunlight had lasting effects on the human body. Levi thought that was a reasonable assumption.

He’d suffered through the check-ups, holding his tongue when the doctors prodded at him with invasive hands and told him what nutrients he needed more of. He’d taken their advice, for the most part.

You were still a nurse back then, holding a strong desire to help people and eyes with an innocence that would never last. When the doctor had been running late one evening, you’d come in to check Levi’s pulse, asked if he had any pain.

He’d stared at you for a moment, and for the first time in his life, fumbled for the right words to say.

Trivial things like beauty had never been important to Levi, but your smile had been the only image in his mind for days.

You’d visited him again for another check-up the next day.

And Levi was, really, perfectly fine. He knew there was nothing seriously wrong with him. Though, you had been so eager to do your job, so happy to help a fragmented man, that he let you take care of him for a week and, ridiculously, pretended that he was in much more pain than he actually was.

A hesitant sort of bond started between you after that. You were still intimidated by his brashness, and he was too afraid of his own feelings to ever let himself accept that he found you enjoyable to be around.

Although, whatever he felt ceased to matter after that. Levi officially became a scout, lost the only two people that cared about him, and hardened even more.

Years passed before he saw you again, and by then, you’d become a doctor, saved more patients than you lost, and built a name for yourself.

Levi saw you much more once he became the Captain of the Survey Corps; soldiers on his squad were always getting injured, and he nearly died on a couple missions.

Somewhere along the way, he’d fallen for you. Too quickly and too easily, especially for a man like him who knew better than to care for people.

Still, he figured he was allowed at least one good thing in life, and he’d chosen that to be you. The pretty little doctor who had snuck into his heart.  

“Levi?” Hange was in front of him, snapping a hand in front of his eyes, overly concerned and much too close. “Are you losing more blood? You look pale.” She prodded at him, a humored grin spreading across her mouth. “Someone might think you’ve been living underground.”

Hange laughed loudly and Levi pushed them away, irritated, and worn-out from the mission.

“I’m fine,” he said, though his ribs ached, and he couldn’t deny the pain that lingered in his side. “Just get off of me. You smell foul.”

Hange made a face. “Just plug your nose then.” A slender finger poked at his ribs again, and he recoiled, hissing. “See! You’re not okay.”

Levi’s aggravated response went unheard as Hange called a doctor over, waving their hands dramatically. A scowled embedded even deeper into his features.

“I’m fine, shithead. Stop being dramatic.”

Though his protests didn’t matter much. A man in a white coat came by after Hange’s call, adjusting a spectacle as he tucked parchment under his arm. “Is everything alright?”

“Can you please have the captain checked out? He was injured outside the walls, and I’m not sure our first aid did well at stitching him back up.”

The doctor looked over Levi skeptically, peeling back the wrapping around his middle that had already dried brown with blood. “We’ve got a lot of people in need of assistance. I can try and get a nurse to help you, but—”

“Where’s the other doctor?” Levi knew your name, of course he did, but he was afraid if he said it something would change on his face. “The younger one.” 

“There are other squads that ended up worse off. She’s taking care of them at the moment.” the gray-haired doctor said, looking at his parchment. “I’ll tell her to make her way over here. I don’t know how long it will be.”

Levi could tell what the man was thinking: that he was Captain Levi, and they could afford to lose the other scouts, but they couldn’t afford to lose him. Still, Levi’s wound had been treated sufficiently. At the very least, he didn’t feel like he would pass out again any time soon.

“I can wait.” Levi looked at the other battered members of the Scouts, some of them with slices up their arms and deep gashes in their skulls. It was a sickening sight really. No one should’ve been worried about him. “These soldiers have worse injuries than I do. You should treat them first.” He glanced at Hange beside him, the glasses making their eyes look even rounder. “And take Hange while you’re at it. Maybe you can find out if there’s a cure for being an idiot.”

The doctor cracked a smile. “Come with me then, Section Commander. You seem to be free of injuries, and we need some help taking care of these soldiers.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll do everything I can.” Hange nodded and stood to follow the doctor. She sent Levi one last look before leaving. “Don’t let your wound get infected because you’re trying to play the hero.”

“I’m fine, Hange. Seriously.” He blinked at her, his expression blank, and Hange sighed before disappearing into the crowd, into the mess of carnage from another fruitless journey outside the walls.

Levi waited for a half hour, watched as more soldiers were led away from the central room into the private wing of the hospital. Someone had cracked a window, and a warm breeze of fresh air fanned into the anteroom.

It was starting to get hot again. He dreaded the summer missions that burned his skin.

The chair was stiff, but he could’ve dozed off in it, suddenly feeling more light-headed than he had when Hange left. Levi shifted, bringing a palm down to his wound. The pain was starting to get worse again. When he drew his hand away, there was more blood.

Shit. That wasn’t a good sign. The stitches mustn’t have been done properly.

He started to stand, beginning to wonder if he should just stitch the wound back up himself, when you finally approached, and the sight of you sent a wave of relief over him. You were like his very own guardian angel, illuminating the hospital with nothing more than a hopeful smile.

Immediately, Levi softened, wondering how you could get more and more beautiful every time he saw you.

“Captain Levi.” Your eyes dropped to the seeping bandage, the shoulder that wasn’t sitting right. He’d dislocated it, twisted a little too funny when slicing up a titan. The tissue there had probably worn down too much. “Don’t tell me you’ve been waiting for me.”

“My injuries are minimal. Thought I’d take my chances until someone competent could stitch me up properly.”

Your jaw clenched, and though you reached your hand out to him, you retracted it, remembering there were other people around. With a sigh, you pointed over your shoulder instead. “Come with me.”

Levi followed you down the hall, to a shimmering white room that smelled too much like flowers. You gathered a few supplies, and he watched you, taking a seat on the bed.

Without a word, you began unwrapping the bloody gauze, cleaning the dark wound with unfazed, sharp eyes. His chest was exposed to you, the shirt already removed.

“At least tell me you missed me before you get me undressed,” Levi said, his tone dry as you pressed a warm cloth to his skin.

You narrowed your eyes, your expression exhausted. He was certain you’d been working nonstop since the Survey Corps got back. “I did miss you, Levi,” you said quietly, wringing the blood out of the cloth. “I always miss you.”

Against his will, Levi’s heart panged in his chest. It was almost too easy for you to get a rise out of him.

You worked in silence, and Levi let you—you’d done this many times for him before, and he knew how much you hated being disturbed.

Though, you looked so sweet with your lip jutted out in focus, and he relaxed, unable to stop himself when he leaned forward to give you a kiss.

To Levi’s disappointment, you saw him coming and pushed him away, placing a bloody hand in front of your mouth to stop him. “Levi!” you shouted in exasperation, though you were far too used to him to be surprised. “I’m not done.”

He sighed, leaning back once more, though the smallest of smiles was on his lips. “I thought you were the best doctor in the interior,” he said mockingly. “Shouldn’t you be a little faster than this?”

“You should work on being more patient. It’s only been a few minutes.”

“Has it?” Levi snorted. It felt like an eternity. You were there in front of him, so lovely and focused, and he could hardly contain himself. He’d spent weeks away from you, and he couldn’t even sneak a quick kiss.

You laughed, the sound stirring up butterflies in his stomach, and he relented, the seriousness in your expression pulling him back to reality. He sat quietly and left you to do your work.

Your hands were soft against his skin as you sealed up the wound, fixed up the stitches, so gentle that he almost forgot about the pain entirely. Having you to watch certainly helped keep him distracted.

Finally, you stepped away, satisfied, and grinned. “Alright. All done.”

“You mean it?” Levi leaned forward, and the ache in his abdomen pinched. “You’re not going to wipe your disgusting palm on my face if I try to kiss you?”

A part of him was, completely serious, but another laugh escaped you as you wiped your hands on a clean rag, the blood still staining your palms. But it was his blood and Levi figured if it had already dirtied his own skin, it didn’t matter much. 

He kissed you, momentarily, and the feeling of your lips brought him entirely back to life. Levi wasn’t sure what about you changed him so completely, made him feel a jolt of energy zap into him every time you were around, but he was addicted to it.

He took a breath, for a moment, his expression gentle, though he didn’t have the opportunity to kiss you again. The door had been thrown open, slamming against the wall, and Hange strolled in, wearing a wide smile and bright eyes.

“Levi,” Hange said, much too loudly, and he recoiled, wondering if they’d seen him kiss you. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Probably not then. Hange would have made that the first topic of conversation.

You smiled politely beside Levi, already placing a professional distance between you. He craved the warmth, missing you again already. “How are you, Hange? I take it you didn’t get too banged up on the mission?”

Hange laughed, throwing an arm over your shoulder like old friends. “Not a single scratch.”

“A miracle, really, with the way you’re always throwing yourself into danger.”

“Oh, don’t be silly. I always play it safe.” Hange turned back to Levi; lips pulled up to reveal a white grin. “I see you’re feeling better then. The doctor got you all patched up?”

“I always do,” you hid a smile behind your hand, careful not to touch it to your mouth.

Levi sighed, hating how well you two got along. He might as well have told Hange about your relationship in the very beginning. You two saw each other every time the Scouts were in the interior wall. “Didn’t you have something to tell me, Hange?”

Hange scrunched her face up, before recognition passed through it. “Right,” they said, straightening. “Erwin’s requested your presence in a meeting with Commander Pyxis and the Military Police. They’ve got a lot of questions.”

“I’m sure they do.” Levi struggled to his feet, feeling much older than he really was. He wondered when all of the hits to his body would start to catch up to him. “I’ll follow you out, then.”

Levi exchanged a look with you, conveying everything he couldn’t with Hange standing there.

“I’ll see you later then, Captain Levi. Hange.” Your smile was refined, corresponding to your current status, and you saluted like a good soldier would. Then, the two of them were off.

Hange tossed a grin over their shoulder once the two of them were outside the hospital, eyes crinkling behind thick lenses. “You look a little flushed there, Captain.”

Levi stared back at Hange indifferently, not an ounce of emotion in his cool eyes. Hange always teased him when it came to you, but he doubted she ever figured out the truth. “Is that so?”

“Why don’t you just confess your love already?” Hange said romantically, batting their eyes and holding clasped hands to her chin. “It’s been years Levi.”

“I’m sure you’re not insinuating I’ve got any sort of romantic feelings,” Levi said dryly. He was certain that he had not been blushing, and he pinched Hange’s cheek too, the pink tint there as well from the warm weather. “It’s not like it’s nearly summer.”

Hange swatted him away, their joyful expression falling as a pout formed on their lips. “Oh, you’re so boring, Levi. I’m only messing with you.”

Levi let out a weary noise, somewhere between a sigh and a groan, wondering how he’d managed to put up with the most insufferable person for years and years on end. “You sound like a teenager.”

After his mess of a meeting with the military police, Levi headed to one of the nicer homes at the edge of the city, an older building in Wall Sina that had managed to stay intact after the Female Titan incident.

It wasn’t his home, not really, but it was the only one he had outside of the military housing and the single private room he received as a commanding officer. And, it might as well have been his anyway—his clothes all hung in the closet, his teacups stuffed in a crowded cabinet. He was there more than he was anywhere else.

The door opened easily when he pushed the knob, and while he knew you were expecting him, he hoped you didn’t always keep it unlocked. The streets were too wrought with crime; a fact he was far too aware of.

When he opened the door, the scent of home and a freshly made meal invaded his senses, warming him to the very core of his soul. He slid his shoes off at the door, careful not to track in any mud.

You hadn’t heard him come in, too busy cutting up vegetables to throw into a pot. You hummed to yourself softly, distracted entirely by your own thoughts.

Levi smiled, admiring you for just a moment and taking in that second to carry it with him on his next mission. For so much of his life, he’d hardly had a home to come back to. It was nice to remember that he had a person waiting for him on the other side, someone that could be there for him in the moments that he didn’t want to be alone.

He snuck up behind you quietly, and you remained completely unaware until he wrapped his arms around your middle, relaxing into your body in a way he’d never been able to when he was away from you.

You jumped momentarily, but eased into his arms right after, recognizing his touch easily. One of your softer hands wrapped around his, the other still throwing chopped vegetables into the pot.

“I didn’t hear you come in,” yod, and he pressed a gentle kiss to your temple, tranquil.

So much of his time had been spent in a world that was a living hell, trying to deal with the overarching mess that had started years ago, and being with you was the only time he could ever recover. The knowledge that he didn’t have to always be humanity’s strongest soldier with you gave him, at least, some semblance of peace.

“I hope I didn’t scare you,” he whispered, hooking his chin over your shoulder as he looked at the stew you were making. It was the best thing he had smelled in weeks, and Levi felt too spoiled after a childhood spent eating mud and garbage from the streets. “You could’ve waited for me to get home. I would’ve cooked something instead. I know you’ve been working all day, taking care of the Scouts.”

“Levi.” You pressed a kiss to the back of his hand, smiling into the delicate skin. “You’ve been gone for weeks. You probably haven’t had a proper meal since you left, and you were injured. I don’t want you to strain yourself.” You turned to face him, wrapping your arms around his neck. “I’m glad you’re home. You can get some rest now.”

You pressed a kissed to his nose, and no matter how many times you referred to your home as his as well, a fiery warmth bloomed inside of him.

“Me too.” Levi smiled at you tiredly, brushing his thumb over your lips before retracting. “I’m going to get cleaned up. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“I’ll tell you when the food is ready.”

Levi nodded, and released you hesitantly, already wanting to be around you for every moment he had in Wall Sina. Instead, he headed towards the bathroom, where he knew the soap that he preferred would be waiting for him, just as he’d left it before.

“Levi?”

He turned at the sound of your voice. You were watching him with hearts in your eyes, the very expression something he would probably never been accustomed to.

“I love you.”

Levi softened, his feet melting into the floor entirely. “I love you too.”

Your face grew so bright, and you turned back to your task, newly invigorated. Levi had gotten better at saying the words, at accepting that you wouldn’t get taken away from him just because he cared about you.

It had been a long road, certainly, but somewhere along the way he’d started to become familiar with happiness.

“Levi, what do you think of this one?” You spun in a slow circle, making sure that he saw every angle of the dress. You were watching him with a skeptical look, suspecting that he wouldn’t be honest with you.

Which was maybe true. Levi didn’t know very much about what was in style. He just thought you looked nice in everything.

“It’s pretty,” he said, indulging you with a nod. “You look very pretty.”

Despite yourself, you grew warm, smiling at yet another compliment from him. He’d said the same thing about every dress, but he loved seeing the expression on your face, the twitch of embarrassment, even though you’d been together for years.

It was rare that the two of you got to do something so calming. You were meant to go to a ball in the upcoming weeks, gain some kind of recognition for your accomplishments as a doctor, and you were in desperate need something to wear.

Of course, you’d decided the moment that Levi was home would be the perfect time to go shopping.

Though, it didn’t matter. He would’ve gone with you anyway, even if you needed an outfit or not. Levi was just so incredibly proud of you. A part of him wished he could accompany you to the ball, even if being in a stuffy room with a crowd of pretentious, wealthy men sounded like the most undesirable event in the world.

“Well, which makes me seem like I know what I’m doing?” you asked him through the mirror, the tailor doing her best not to intrude on the conversation. “I like the blue one, but do I look too young?”

“Well, you’re not old,” Levi scoffed. “Besides, I hardly think you need new a dress to let people know you’re a professional.” Though, he mulled over the question regardless, mostly taking your inquiry seriously. You were making a face at him. “I like the blue one too.”

He liked them all, really. 

You smiled, letting the tailor finish up her job and Levi turned, wondering how much of a dent this would put in his wallet.

“I’ll just be a second,” you said, leaning down from your stool to kiss him. His lips curled up when they met yours. “Want to wait outside?”

“Sure.” Levi turned, and for a moment, swore he saw a flash outside, someone speeding past the window. When he looked closer, no one was there.

He ignored it, leaving a wad of cash with the store-owned and tried to remember that he no longer needed to save that money for another meal.

As he waited for you to finish up, Levi leaned against the wall, watching the people walk back and forth, paying him no attention at all. It was sometimes easy to forget that not everyone recognized him. Not everyone cared, really, that he was Captain Levi.

It was refreshing to be ignored.

“Levi,” you said wearily as you came out of the short building, and he knew what was coming next, knew what words would leave your mouth. “I told you I’d take care of it.”

“Consider it paying back a favor.” He fell into step beside you as you turned the corner, going down the narrow alley. 

You creased your eyebrows skeptically, trying to catch his eyes. The ones that had brightened minimally after a night of rest in an actual bed. “A favor for what?”

“I don’t know. Letting me live in your house? For cooking for me last night?” Your frown deepened, exasperated and Levi sighed, rolling his eyes. “Just accept the gift, you idiot. I was trying to do something nice.”

You gazed at him in disbelief for another moment before laughing, the seriousness evaporating. “You’re so sweet.” You grinned, and Levi thought that was hardly the word to describe him, but you seemed so happy that he didn’t say anything. “I appreciate it a lot. Thank you.”

“Come on,” Levi said, huffing when you tried to kiss him again. “We should go back home before I run into one of those intolerable brats from my squad.”

Though, Levi really regretted the words, wondering if there was some higher being out there who just lived to cause him grief. Not a moment later, he heard a familiar voice rounding the corner, getting much too close to where he was standing.

“Armin, look! I told you. I saw him with someone.”

Levi’s jaw tightened as Eren sprinted down the alley with his smarter blond friend in tow, and a dark-haired girl who never seemed to leave his side.

The three of them nearly ran into the two of you, skidding to a stop only when they noticed you both turning the corner, and gauged the unamused expression on Levi’s face.

“What are you two doing here? Don’t you have training or something?” Levi’s voice was stern, though he knew they had the day off, just as he did. Just as you did.

“Captain Levi!” Armin straightened, looking nervous under his tense gaze. Levi wondered what it would take for that kid to gain some confidence. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to intrude. Eren just said—”

“Eren said—” Eren began, but before he could continue, Hange had also come around the corner with Erwin, the two of them laughing like they’d found something very funny.

Levi wished he had his gear so he could start swinging the blades at all of them.

“Levi,” Erwin greeted him good-naturedly, and Hange was snickering beside him, their eyes glued to the minimal space between you and him. “Eren said there was an emergency this way. What seems to be the issue?”

That little shit. Levi could’ve kicked the stupid grin right off his face again.

“Did he?” Levi said, swallowing down his anger, his expression as nonchalant as usual. “I’ve got no idea what he could possibly be talking about.”

“Eren said you two were kissing.” Mikasa spared no time for idle conversation, her eyes as hard as his own as she made the comment in a bored tone. If Levi had to guess, she’d been pulled into the situation because Eren had caught them and couldn’t keep his nose out of other people’s business.  

And Hange, who had never been very good at holding back laughter, doubled over with tears gathering at the corners of their eyes.

“Oh,” you said beside him, embarrassed, and Levi softened, remembering that even though he’d kept the relationship a secret for your own safety, there really had never been a need to. You were never going to leave his life, not if he could help it, and he trusted the five people before him enough to keep it from becoming public knowledge. “I’m sorry,” you whispered to him, momentarily panicked. “That was my fault.”

Levi hated the look on your face; he never wanted you to look so disheartened again. He sighed. “Eren, you should learn to keep your mouth shut.”

At least, Eren had the good sense to sober up. His back became rigid, any humor disappearing from his face immediately. “Right, sir, I’m sorry. I just thought—”

“I’ve got the day off like the rest of you, don’t I? Maybe you should let us spend it in peace.” Levi boldly grabbed your hand, walking through the middle of the starstruck crowd, knowing he’d have to deal with their endless questions sooner than later.

For now, though, he just wanted a relaxing day with you by his side.

“Levi, wait! Why didn’t you tell me?” Hange’s dramatic cries rang out through the air as he glared at them over his shoulder, eyes narrowing so intensely it almost hurt.

Behind him, Eren’s cry of pain could be heard after Mikasa slapped him over the head. “Eren! I told you that was a bad idea.”

“Bye!” you said sweetly, like nothing had happened, and continued along with your hand in Levi’s, a stupid smile on your face.

When you were far enough away from lingering ears, Levi looked over to you, shaking his head. “Why do you look so happy?” he asked, exasperated, and ready to go home.

You shrugged. “I like that someone else knows that I love you.”

And though Levi would still push Eren twice as hard at the next training, he couldn’t be too mad at him after that.

[sky-is-the-limit]

P: Firefighter!Gaz x F!Civilian Reader

CW: SFW/NSFW, Cunnilingus, Fingering

Captain Price's version

Firefighter!Gaz who would first appear like a savior from a dream, broad-shouldered and calm under pressure, breaking into the stuck lift with the rest of his squad.

The doors would groan open and you'd find yourself staring up at a pair of big, brown eyes and a reassuring smile that makes you forget the claustrophobic panic.

''You alright in there? I’ve got you.'' You would’ve never thought your first day at your new job would lead to this.. being pulled out by the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen.

Firefighter!Gaz who would run back to the firetruck just moments after ensuring you're safe, nearly knocking over his crewmates on his way just to rummage through a compartment to pull out a leaflet for a “fire safety course” hosted at their firehouse and then jog back to you, a little breathless but still flashing that gorgeous smile, saying,

"You know, it’s always good to know what to do in an emergency… I’m teaching it next week if you’re interested." The hint of nerves under his confident charm evident, realizing he’s probably more interested in seeing you again than fire safety.

Firefighter!Gaz who would watch you walk away from the scene but couldn’t stop himself from calling out, ''Don’t forget about the course!'' and when you turn back with a teasing smile, he'd feel a flutter in his chest he hasn't felt in a while. His crewmates would tease him mercilessly, Soap mostly, the entire ride back but he wouldn’t care. He’d already be planning how to make sure you’d show up.

Firefighter!Gaz who would be all cool and collected when you walk into the firehouse a week later for the course. He’d spot you immediately among the few others and make a beeline to your side, leaning down slightly, ''Glad you made it. Thought you might stand me up.'' He'd hover just close enough for you to catch a whiff of that clean, intoxicating scent he seems to carry.

Firefighter!Gaz who would make sure to focus his attention on you throughout the course, earning a few warning glances from his Captain, using every excuse to come over and “help” you like adjusting your posture when you’re learning how to hold a fire extinguisher, his hands warm and firm against your arms, his breath tickling your ear. ''Like this… see? Much better.'' He'd say, his voice lowering slightly, sending fireworks down your spine.

Firefighter!Gaz who would hand you a piece of paper at the end of the course, scribbled with his number and a cheeky note: ''In case of emergencies… or, you know, if you’re bored.''

When you look up, he'd wink but there’s something earnest in his gaze that makes you think he’s serious about you calling. You'd tease back, "Only if you come in uniform!" and for the first time, you’d see his confident exterior crack. He’d chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck, his cocky smirk turning into the sweetest side smile.

Firefighter!Gaz who would text you later that night, unable to help himself by finding your number in the contact information you had to give for the course. ''So, about that uniform request..'' He’d type, heart pounding like he’s back on a 'building on fire' mission, wondering if he’s coming on too strong or not strong enough. The thought of seeing you again would make him grin like a schoolboy with a crush.

Firefighter!Gaz who would invite you for a private “tour” of the firehouse, making it sound official but his tone giving away his real intentions. He’d lead you around, all professional until he catches you looking at him like that again, hungry, intrigued. He’d clear his throat, trying to hide the effect you’re having on him and suggest maybe you check out the back room where they keep the gear, his mind racing with all the possibilities.

Firefighter!Gaz who would find himself leaning against a wall, you pressed close in a tight corner of the equipment room. He’d be all smooth words at first, but the moment you close the distance and place your hand on his chest, he’d lose track of his train of thought. His hands would move to your waist, gripping tighter than he intended, the tension between you crackling like a live wire.

Firefighter!Gaz who would pull you flush against him and murmur, ''You know, I don’t usually do this… but there’s something about you.'' He’d trail off, his lips brushing against yours as he speaks, half-dazed with wanting, half-reeling from how much he’s already wrapped around your finger.

Firefighter!Gaz who would be breathing heavier as you drag him in by his uniform collar, your lips crashing together in a messy, heated kiss. He'd think he’s never been in a more dangerous situation in his life, the kind he never wants to escape from..

He’d press you back against the wall, hips pinning yours as his hands roam your body with one sliding down to cup your ass, giving it a rough squeeze that makes you gasp into his mouth and swallow that sound, his tongue already plunging deeper, desperate to taste more of you and breaths turn ragged, fingers digging into your flesh like he’s trying to ground himself but the way you grind against him makes it clear that he's already losing control.

Firefighter!Gaz who would groan low in his throat when your hands slip under his uniform shirt, feeling the defined muscles of his chest and stomach. His skin would be hot, his body shuddering under your touch as he bites down on your lower lip, tugging it back before whispering, ''I’ve been thinking about this since I saw you in that lift.''

Lips trail down your jaw to your neck, nipping and sucking hard enough to leave marks. His hips start to rock into yours with a slow, rhythmic grind and he’d chuckle against your skin when he feels the damp heat between your legs through your clothes.

Firefighter!Gaz who would quickly get impatient, tugging your pants down just enough to get his fingers where he needs them. He’d groan when he feels how wet you are, his fingers sliding over your slick folds before teasing your clit with slow circles.

''Fuck, you’re soaked… all for me?'' He’d murmur, his lips brushing the shell of your ear and when your hips buck against his hand, he’d press harder, rubbing faster, feeling your body respond to every flick and swirl.

Firefighter!Gaz who would sink to his knees in front of you, tugging your jeans and underwear down in one swift motion, his breath hot against your inner thighs. He’d look up at you with those big brown eyes, licking his lips like he’s about to devour his favorite meal. His mouth would be on you in seconds, his tongue flicking over your clit before plunging deep into your folds.

The sounds he’d make.. Low, needy groans vibrating against your pussy, just to drive you wild, especially as he works his tongue in and out of you, his nose brushing your swollen bud with every move.

Firefighter!Gaz who would hold your thighs open with a bruising grip, his mouth latching onto your clit, sucking and licking with a ferocity that sends waves of pleasure shooting through your body and he’d keep at it, his tongue working faster, messier, saliva mixing with your wetness as you grind against his face, riding his mouth like it’s the only thing keeping you alive with filthy, hungry slurps filling the room, mingling with your breathless moans and gasps.

Firefighter!Gaz who would grow more desperate the more you tug at his hair, his fingers digging into your thighs as he fucks you with his tongue, his mouth covered in your slick. He’d be almost feral with it, moaning against your clit as if he’s getting off on your taste alone, ''Fuck, you taste so good-'' he’d mumble between breaths, diving back in like he’s starved, tongue flicking relentlessly until you’re a trembling mess.

Firefighter!Gaz who would slide his long fingers inside you, curling them just right to hit that sweet spot while his lips stay latched on your clit and watch you lose yourself, your moans getting louder, your body arching off the wall as he pumps his fingers in and out, matching the rhythm of his tongue.

And he’d love every second of it, love the way you’re falling apart, completely at his mercy, your juices coating his fingers and chin as he brings you closer to the edge.

Firefighter!Gaz who would pull back just enough to whisper, ''Wanna make you cum so hard you forget whoever tried before me.'' Tone all rough and needy as he’d dive back in with even more intensity, fingers thrusting faster, deeper, while his tongue flicks your clit with rapid, precise strokes that would have you on the verge, teetering right there and he’d feel it, doubling down with everything he’s got.

Firefighter!Gaz who would almost growl when you finally come undone, your thighs squeezing around his head, your pussy clenching around his fingers. He’d keep working you through it, his tongue never slowing, fingers still fucking you deep as he savors every drop of your release. His name would spill from your lips like a prayer, and he’d drink it in like it’s the sweetest sound he’s ever heard.

Firefighter!Gaz who would proudly drape his fire coat over your shoulders, the name “Garrick” emblazoned across the back and slip his hand around your waist, pulling you close as he leads you out into the hallway where the rest of the squad is gathered just to make sure that the message is clear. You were his and he wasn’t shy about showing it.

[schemmentigfs]

Sweetening The Deal. (part 2.)

Summary: Melissa finds out more about your tough reality and the deal between you continues, bringing the stability you needed. Meanwhile, she proposes something unexpected.

Tags: @italianaidiota @lisaannwaltersbra @greencurlyhair

Part 1. Part 3.

Two weeks had passed since that night at La Sirena, and things had fallen into a rhythm — or as close to a rhythm as you could get with Melissa Schemmenti calling the shots. You’d met her twice since then, at the same restaurant, each time sitting across from her as she set the terms of your arrangement with that same intensity in her eyes. True to her word, she’d sent over an envelope of cash every week, enough to cover your rent and leave you with some breathing room. But there was still a distance between the two of you, a formality that you held onto as a reminder to keep things strictly business.

Her texts came at unpredictable times, always short but direct, and she’d even called you once, her voice teasing yet unmistakably firm. You could tell she liked control and was meticulous in keeping things on her terms. She didn’t ask questions about your day-to-day life, but you had a feeling she saw more than you were letting on.

Then, one afternoon, her name lit up your screen again:

You’re home, right? Text me your address. I want to see where and in what conditions you live, darling.

You froze. Her messages always carried a certain finality, a tone that made it clear you weren’t to question her decisions. The text felt like a verdict, not a suggestion. You had no choice but to obey, but still you’d tired to stalled with vague excuses, insisting it wasn’t necessary, but she was having none of it.

Are you sure about this? My apartment complex is not in the best condition. Maybe we could meet another day? you quickly typed back, nerves prickling.

Honey, I’ll come by tonight after my meeting, she’d texted, with that self-assured tone that didn’t leave much room for debate. Just make sure the place is unlocked for me. Okay?

You swallowed hard. You couldn’t even remember the last time you felt so out of control. Fuck this situation, you were never out of control. Melissa Schemmenti was doing things to you that seemed to awaken a submissive side of yourself that you didn’t even know you had.

Reluctantly, you agreed. Understood. I’m waiting for you, just please don’t notice the mess in the apartment. It’s a little old.

The redhead’s response made you choke on your own saliva. Good girl, see? You can follow orders when you are supposed to. And about the mess, don’t you worry. I just want to see what I'm dealing with, Y/N.

Her words make your stomach flip, and your cheeks flush. She knows exactly the effect she has on you, even from behind a fucking screen. You’re not sure if it’s the blunt command or the way she casually assumes you’ll fall in line, but something about her confidence, her control, always leaves you breathless.

You tossed your phone on the bed and groaned, throwing yourself backward onto the mattress, the soft scent of stale air and clutter filling the room. It wasn’t much of a space, and you weren’t exactly proud of it, but it was yours. Still, it felt too small when you thought about her. When you thought about how she was used to finer things, and this place... well, this place felt like a damn joke.

Two weeks. Only two weeks have passed since that night, but already, she’s gotten under your skin in ways you can’t shake. Her presence in your life feels constant, grounding, and somehow.... electrifying. It’s like she’s rewired you to respond to her — one word from her and you’re falling into place, waiting for whatever she asks next.

Another text pops up. I’m arriving at five. You better be prepared, beautiful.

Great, you only got two hours left.

You spent hours trying to make your tiny apartment look presentable, straightening up, hiding the chipped paint on the walls with old posters, and dimming the lights to make it seem warmer. You stopped in front of the mirror checking if your appearance was alright. You’d tossed a pile of laundry into the closet, stacked dishes haphazardly, and even dabbed on a bit of makeup in a rush. But no matter what you did, there was no hiding the worn-out furniture.

And as you stood in your cramped kitchen, waiting for her to arrive, you couldn’t help feeling out of place, like this wasn’t where she belonged.

“Fuck, fuck,” you rubbed your eyes with your hands. “I’m fucked. What will she think of me?”

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and your stomach twisted with nerves and sicknesses. When you opened it, there she was—Melissa Schemmenti, cool and collected in an all-black outfit, and a ponytail, her sleek black sunglasses pushing her authority to another level. She took her giant and expensive sunglasses off as she surveyed the space, her gaze moving slowly over the cracked walls and mismatched furniture. Her expression barely shifted, but you could sense the judgment simmering beneath the surface.

The building smelled like old wood and dust, and the hallways felt narrower than they ever had before. You hated the way your surroundings felt — the peeling wallpaper, the noisy neighbors, the ever-present sense of grime that seemed to coat every surface. It was humiliating, honestly, but you couldn’t escape it.

Melissa didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe she didn’t actually care. She walked past you, her red louboutin heels clicking against the wooden floor, and into your tiny apartment without hesitation.

“Well, this is…” the redhead paused, taking a long look around. “...quite the environment.” Her raspy voice was cold, but it wasn’t supposed to sound mean and teasing. It was just blunt, like she was simply stating a fact. You winced, standing awkwardly by the door as she took in the dismal conditions.

“I don’t usually bring people here,” you mumbled, feeling your face flush. “It’s just temporary. Until I find a new job that pays more. I’m looking for something better.”

Melissa ignored your excuse and walked further into the apartment, her green eyes scanning every inch of the cramped space with calculated precision. Her black sunglasses hung loosely from the collar of her shirt, disguising the cleavage that seemed to jump and have a life of its own. What? Focus, your asshole! It’s not appropriate to watch her boobs. Oh, boy, you felt like a child under her scrutiny.

“So,” she quips, knowing the answer is obvious, “This is where you live, pretty girl?”

You rubbed the back of your neck, touching the small amount of baby hair. Your cheeks were heating with embarrassment. “Mmm...it’s not exactly glamorous, but it’s affordable.”

“If you call this affordable...” She scrunches her nose, feeling the smell of something dirty.

You took a shaky breath, feeling the heaviness of her gaze, as she leaned back slightly, crossing her arms in that familiar way that told you she was completely in control. She hadn’t even removed her jacket, and already it felt like she had rearranged the whole atmosphere of the place. As if she were shifting you and your life by sheer will alone.

“This,” the older woman said, lifting one of the crumpled bills, her tone cool and unyielding, “is unacceptable. You’re moving out. And I don’t want to hear a single word against it.”

“Wait, what?” you widen your eyes.

“So here’s how it’s going to work. You’re moving. I’ve already picked out a place for you in a decent neighborhood, and you’ll have what you need there. None of this…” She gestured around your small apartment with a mild look of disdain. “…dumpster shit situation. You’ll have a clean space, safe, without worrying about rent or broken pipes. And I don’t want to hear a single word against it.”

You opened your mouth, heart racing, wanting to protest. “Ma’am, I don’t need—”

Before you could finish, she closed the space between you, her manicured hand gripping your chin in a way that was both commanding and unsettlingly gentle. Her thumb brushed your cheek as her eyes bored into yours, making your stomach flip. “I said no arguments. You’re better than this place, honey. Now call your boss.”

You blinked, flustered, feeling the heat rising in your cheeks as her fingers stayed firm on your chin. She tilted her head, her gaze unrelenting, and you found yourself swallowing hard, nerves prickling. A gush of wetness dripped into your underwear. That felt good. And for a split second, you imagined how her fingers would feel around your neck. Or maybe somewhere else..

The truth was that you weren’t used to someone like Melissa—someone who didn’t just ask but demanded, without hesitation, and with an absolute certainty that her wishes would be met.

“Go on,” the redhead prompted, pulling her phone from her bag and pressing it into your hand. “This ends now.”

“Schemmenti,” you sigh quietly. “I..can’t.”

“Call. Your. Fucking. Boss.” Her words came out slower this time, her voice both reassuring and intimidating, the kind of authority that was impossible to ignore.

Your hands trembled as you reached for your phone, scrolling to your boss’s number. She kept her hold on your chin for a moment longer before releasing you, her green eyes watching every movement with quiet satisfaction. The reality of what you were about to do started to sink in, and you felt like you were on the verge of spiraling, like you were teetering on the edge of something irreversible.

As the phone rang, you stole a glance at Melissa. She leaned against the counter, arms crossed, exuding a calm authority that both irritated and reassured you. You had to admit—no one had ever looked at you the way she did. Like she was willing to strip away everything if it meant giving you something better. But even as you stumbled through your brief conversation with your boss, quitting the job you’d held for far too long, a flicker of rebellion rose in you.

“What if I don’t want to move?” you managed once the call ended, a spark of defiance in your voice. You could see the hint of a smirk playing on her lips.

She lifted an eyebrow, that smirk intensifying. “You’re cute when you act tough,” she said, brushing past you to examine a stack of books on a rickety shelf. The dust covering her fingertips. “But I’m not interested in games. I’m giving you a choice. You can either stay here, or you can let me take care of you. But you can’t have it both ways.”

You wanted to argue, to fight her on it, but your lips trembled with uncertainty. “But, I... I can’t just leave. This place—it’s all I have. I—”

The redhead stepped closer, green eyes flashing with a rare, intense frustration. “You think this is optional?” she yelled sharply through the small space, leaving no room for doubt. “I’m doing this for you, and if you can’t accept that, maybe we’re done here. You either take my help, or this arrangement is over.”

Your heart dropped, and a pang of desperation flared up inside you. The last thing you wanted was for her to walk out and leave you standing there, with only the smell of her perfume lingering behind. You felt your knees buckle, and before you knew it, you were on the floor, clutching at her sleeve, gazing up at her in pleading silence.

“Please,” you whispered. “Don’t go. Don’t end this.”

Her lips quirked into a dark smile, her eyes traveling slowly down to where you knelt before her. “Already on your knees for mommy? Maybe you’re finally learning.”

The heat in her eyes made your cheeks burn with embarrassment, and yet, some part of you thrilled at her approval, that faint but undeniable satisfaction in her body language.

You swallowed hard, feeling her fingers brush over your cheek as if savoring your quiet submission, and your pulse raced. She stepped back and tilted her head toward the door, her expression softening just a little. “Now get up. You’re coming with me tonight.”

You blinked, surprised. “Where?”

“To my place,” she said, her tone decisive. “No sense in staying here another night. You’ll see what it’s like to live somewhere better.”

Nervously, you gathered your things, feeling a strange thrill at the idea of seeing her home, even as the reality of this shift in your life sunk in. In a blur, you found yourself in her sleek, black car, barely speaking as she drove. And when you finally stepped into the garage of her penthouse, it felt like you’d entered another world—one of order, elegance, and effortless luxury, all touched with her unmistakable presence.

You couldn’t believe this was where you were spending the night, and the thought made your heart pound with nervous excitement. Even in this new space, with her watching you, you still felt that familiar mix of shyness and thrill.

Melissa’s penthouse was everything your cramped apartment wasn’t: sleek, spacious, and expensive. The moment you stepped inside, you felt a little like you’d walked into a magazine spread, the kind of place you’d only ever imagined for people like her. Everything was polished marble and soft, warm lighting, a quiet sense of power and control in every line and surface. It was so distinctly her—refined, commanding, even a little intimidating. You couldn’t shake the feeling of being out of place, no matter how much she’d insisted on bringing you here.

“Make yourself at home,” she said, dropping her keys onto a side table. She gestured to a hallway on your right. “The bathroom is down there. You can get cleaned up before dinner if you want.”

Grateful for a moment to compose yourself, you headed to the bathroom, which was easily twice the size of your entire apartment. After freshening up, you found an oversized shirt on your backpack that you had prepared for you earlier.

Dinner was surprisingly casual. She’d ordered from a high-end Chinese place nearby, and as you both sat at the table, she poured you a glass of wine, studying you with a cute smile that made your stomach flutter. She was still very much in control, still the same assertive woman who’d marched into your life two weeks ago and decided she was going to change it. And yet, tonight, there was a gentler side to her. She asked you about things you’d never thought she cared to know, small details about your life and tastes, and for once, you felt like she was letting you into her world.

After dinner, she led you to the guest bedroom where you’d be staying. It was just as lavish as the rest of her home, with an enormous bed, plush sheets, and a view of the city lights twinkling against the night sky. You took a moment to freshen up again, glancing at yourself in the mirror and smoothing down your hair, wondering if she’d think you looked good enough for her standards.

Then, on your way to find her again, you noticed the door to her room was ajar. You knew you shouldn’t, but curiosity got the best of you, and you peeked in. There she was, her back to you, undressing in the dim light. You couldn’t help but stare for a moment, taking in the lean, defined muscles of her back, the soft curves that hinted at a life of both strength and indulgence. Her skin was pale, smooth, and there was something undeniably mesmerizing about the way she moved, graceful and unhurried, like she knew exactly who she was and didn’t care who saw it.

And then, there was her…you couldn’t help but notice it, a part of her you hadn’t seen before, and your cheeks warmed as you realized you were staring into her pale ass. You felt a pang of embarrassment, quickly averting your eyes and stepping away before she could catch you. You’d never imagined she’d have that kind of effect on you, making you feel like some bashful kid with just a glimpse of her body.

Even though you’d only seen her for a second, your mind replayed the image of her exposed skin—her back, her pale ass—again and again. You were flushed, still unsure of what it all meant, or why your heart raced at the thought of what you'd just witnessed. It was almost like you were crossing some invisible line in your head, and it scared you.

You quickly shook your head, clearing your thoughts, and made your way back toward the living room, trying to avoid thinking about what you’d just seen. Melissa, however, never knew. She didn’t even acknowledge it when you rejoined her in the main area, as if nothing had happened. The nonchalance with which she moved, made your thoughts scatter once more.

Later that night, she kissed you goodnight, but it wasn’t like the kisses before. This one, lingering, almost brushing your lips, made your heart jump in your chest. The redhead woman didn’t pull away immediately, letting the moment stretch just a little longer than usual. You stood there, stunned, your breath shaky as she pulled back, leaving you with an almost electric buzz in your body.

Green eyes met yours, cool but somehow warm at the same time. “Sleep well, sweetheart. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Melissa.”

You couldn’t quite breathe properly as she turned, walking back toward her room, leaving you alone to process what had just happened. Your brain was spinning, unsure of what you were getting yourself into, but you knew one thing for sure. You were already in too deep to turn back.

And as you lay down in the guest bedroom, your body still warm from the kiss, the image of her naked skin lingered in your mind, both haunting and thrilling you in equal measure.

[supernovafics]

series masterlist | last part — next part

pairing: modern!college!steve harrington x fem!reader, bestfriend!eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 4.2k words

warnings: explicit language, lots and lots of fluff<333

summary: waking up next to steve the morning after everything’s changed

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN | ❝𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆❞

Fall Semester 2015

He was your first real friend here. That felt pretty certain after just the first time you two hung out in his dorm room because your roommate was having sex in yours, and your other option would’ve been camping out in the library. 

Maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to accept Eddie’s offer. You two were still pretty much strangers at that point and had only had one brief conversation in a broken-down elevator. However, somehow, it didn’t feel like a bad decision. 

Over the last month of being in college, there had been no one else that you’d been able to hit it off so easily with. In ways, it reminded you of how friendships formed in elementary school— bonding over the most random of things and then promptly becoming the best friends for a week or two. This friendship with Eddie already felt like it would last longer than just a few weeks, though. 

“What about California?”

You shook your head. “Ended up being too expensive.”

You two were settled on his floor and talking about what brought you both here, and you’d been surprisingly honest and admitted that you had really wanted to get out of your quiet hometown and had done everything you could to make that happen; applying to colleges in a bunch of different states, and then ending up here because it made the most sense in the end. 

“What about you?” You asked, turning the question over to him. 

“I wasn’t the best in high school, but I somehow got accepted here,” He told you and you nodded. “At first, I kinda didn’t wanna go, but my uncle was really adamant about it, so I did it. And it hasn’t been too bad so far.”

“Aside from the elevators that break down way too easily,” You joked, giving him a small smile.

He laughed a little. “Yeah, aside from that. But apparently, they're the best way to make friends.” 

You nodded, laughing too. “Unconventional, but effective.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Spring Semester 2018

It was a tangle of limbs and zero space— your head on Steve’s chest and an arm draped around his torso and his wrapped around you, keeping you close. The position itself was surprisingly comfortable but you were starting to feel way too warm. 

You weren’t even entirely sure what time it was or when you and Steve had finally fallen asleep after talking and doing a bit more than talking throughout most of the night, but you could see that the sun was out and it didn’t feel as if you’d gotten more than four hours of sleep.

Instead of shifting out of the position, you simply pushed the blanket down off of you with your hand and leg that wasn’t entirely entangled with Steve’s because you refused to completely detach from him. The cool air hitting your bare legs immediately made you feel a thousand times better and you softly sighed in contentment. 

“You okay?” You heard Steve sleepily mumble. 

“Yeah, I was just a little warm,” You whispered back, eyes still shut as you attempted to lull yourself back to sleep. 

“Sorry, are we too close?” He asked and started to pull away, but you quickly stopped him by pushing yourself further into your side. 

“No, no, it’s okay. I like this.”

“Okay,” He said and you could practically hear the smile in his voice as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head. 

That made you open your eyes and tilt your head upward to look at him. The sleepy smile on his face made you want to kiss him, and realizing that you could do that whenever you wanted to now warmed something inside you.

As if feeling your gaze, Steve’s eyes opened and he looked down at you. “You’re staring.”

You pushed up further so that you could press a kiss against his cheek. “You’re really cute.” 

“And you say I’m the flirty one,” He said as his arms tightened around you and pulled you impossibly closer to him.

You shook your head, the smallest smile on your face. “I wasn’t trying to flirt, just stating a fact and giving you a very sweet compliment.” 

“Okay, in that case, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” 

Steve shifted a bit, keeping you close but maneuvering so that he was on his side and facing you. You followed suit, moving a little and letting the side of your head fall against your pillow as you kept looking at him. He leaned in a little, nose softly brushing yours before closing all of the distance and pressing his lips against yours. One of his hands slipped beneath your t-shirt and gave your waist a squeeze, which made you hum softly into his mouth. You pulled back from the kiss after the briefest moment. 

“Wait, I need to ask you something,” You said, eyes meeting his. “Do you like Monopoly?” 

He let out a laugh. “That’s such a random question, but yeah. I can’t remember the last time I played it, though.” 

“We finally played it again for game night and I kinda wished you were there,” You told him as you reached out to push a hand through his messy hair. “I had a feeling you would’ve gotten just as competitive as Robin.” 

“I do get very competitive at Monopoly,” He nodded and then turned his head a bit so that he could press a quick kiss against your wrist. “I don’t know if we’d be able to survive it.” 

You shook your head as you smiled. “No, we would be fine because you’d be competitive with everyone else, but super nice to me.” 

“Okay, yeah, that’s true,” He smiled back at you. “I’d never make you pay if you landed on any of my properties.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re really cute too, by the way.” 

You smiled wider. “You are the flirty one.” 

“Yes, and I’ll happily admit it,” He said before kissing you again.

It was the sound of your phone loudly ringing, indicating your alarm, that interrupted you two that time around and startled you so much that it made your head harshly bump against his. 

“Ouch, sorry.” 

“What’s that alarm for?” Steve asked, rubbing his forehead. 

“For you. And I completely forgot about it,” You answered as you turned and reached over to grab your phone and stop the incessant ringing. “I set it last night after you mentioned the final project that you needed to spend all day today working on.” You also quickly turned off the alarm that was set for fifteen minutes from now. “But, and hear me out on this one— don’t leave.” You turned back over and faced him again, taking note of the amused look on his face. “I’m kidding, for the most part, I know you have to go. But, I do have a fresh toothbrush you can use, and I still have your t-shirt if you wanna change into something else. Wait, actually, no you can’t use that shirt. I refuse to give it back to you now.” 

“Honestly, I never expected it back.” 

“Good,” You said before letting out a soft contented sigh and burying your face in his neck.

Things got quiet then and you half-expected him to say that yes, he did have to leave, but he didn’t. Instead, neither of you moved for a bit. 

You could feel yourself slowly falling asleep, but you didn’t want it to happen, and although you wanted Steve to stay and be both your pillow and your blanket at that moment, you knew what you actually needed to do right then. 

You pulled back from his neck to look at him. “Okay, I’ll stop holding you hostage now.” 

“You can keep doing it if you want,” He said, sounding equally as tired as you and you decided not to protest his words.

“Okay,” You said softly with a quick nod before shifting around so that you were pressed back against him and then pulled his arm around you. 

You felt his mouth against the top of your ear. “I wanna take you out tonight.”

You hummed in response. “Out?”

“On a date that both of us know is a date.” 

“Okay,” You nodded. “Do I get to know where?”

“No, I want it to be a surprise.”

“Of course you do,” You said playfully. “Lucky for you I’m completely free tonight.” 

You weren’t sure how long you’d fallen asleep that time, it could’ve been ten minutes or an hour, but the feeling of Steve pulling away from you stirred you awake. 

“Go back to sleep,” He said when your eyes opened and you turned over to look at him. “I’ll see you later.” 

You shook your head as you stood up from your bed and rubbed your eyes. “No, I’ll walk you out. Just to the door, though. I don’t think I can make it downstairs.”

“Okay,” He said, smiling at your tiredness. 

It slightly startled you to see everyone in the living room; Robin and Vickie on the couch and Talia on the small loveseat. 

“Hi… You guys remember Steve,” You said much more awkwardly than intended. The entire moment suddenly felt like a walk of shame; even though you and Steve hadn’t had sex and you were already home. But it was just that, aside from Talia, the last thing your other two friends knew about you and Steve was that you hadn’t talked in a month, so it must’ve seemed insane seeing him walk out of your room right then. 

Vickie nodded at your previous words and smiled. “Talia filled us in on everything.” 

“Steven, you’ve been missed around here,” Robin said, a smile on her face at first, and then she gave him a serious look. “We’ll have another talk later.” 

He laughed a little. “Can’t wait for that.” 

You finished walking Steve to the door, and Robin, Vickie, and Talia went back to watching the sitcom playing on the TV, but you had a feeling that they were very much listening to you and him.  

Steve stepped out into the quiet hallway and then turned around to face you. “I’ll text you later about our date.”

“Okay,” You said softly, trying to think of some sort of joke to say but it was hard to do when all you really wanted to do right then was kiss him. So, you did, quickly pushing up on your toes and pressing the quickest kiss against his lips. 

“Maybe I should stay, actually,” He said when you pulled back and his hands reached out to settle on your hips. 

You almost agreed, but you shook your head instead. “No, go. You’re not gonna fail any classes because of me.” 

“Okay,” He said before leaning down and giving you a final kiss on your cheek. “Bye.”

“Bye,” You said and then proceeded to smile and lean against the doorframe as you watched him walk away. 

“Oh my god, she’s so in love.” 

“Shut up,” You said in response to Robin’s teasing words as you pushed the door shut once Steve turned the corner. You tried to sound as serious as possible, but it was way too hard to wipe the smile off of your face. 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Steve’s hand found yours barely a minute into the car ride, intertwining it with his and resting them on your thigh. 

You settled yourself into his passenger seat, getting comfortable for however long the drive would end up being. “So, you’re taking me to dinner.” 

“Maybe…” He responded, and it slightly amused you how vague he was still being about everything even though his earlier text of, “I’ll be at your place at 7. Make sure you don’t eat dinner,” could really only mean one thing. 

You decided to play along, though. “Or is it bowling? Roller skating? A movie?”

“Those are really good guesses,” He joked, which made you laugh. 

“What’s the right answer?” 

He took a quick glance over at you and shook his head. “I’m not saying.” 

It wasn’t until twenty minutes later when he was parked in an unfamiliar but very crowded parking lot that he finally told you.

“Do you remember our first date?” He asked, and at first, all you could do was smile at his words.

It was such a silly question that you really couldn’t help but make a joke. “Weirdly enough, I don’t. Wait, who are you again?” 

“Ha ha,” He playfully rolled his eyes at you.

“I’m sorry, I had to,” You said, pulling your intertwined hands up and giving the back of his a quick peck. “Of course, I remember our first date. We had a great time watching the second Hunger Games movie.”

“Yes, and we were supposed to get food before the movie, but you weren’t hungry so we skipped dinner and just did the movie. This is the place that I was gonna take you then.” 

You nodded at his words and then looked away from him when you remembered something else from that night— where your head had been then and how you’d been feeling. “I’m sorry.”

Steve gave you a confused look. “Why?”

“This feels so shitty to say now, but I lied then. The reason that I suggested we skip dinner was because I just wanted the date to be over faster. Oh my god, saying it out loud makes it sound even more shitty.” You met his gaze again. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, no, don’t be. That’s okay,” Steve said as he gave your hand a light reassuring squeeze. “Honestly, that makes a lot of sense.” 

“It’s so stupid, though, because then during it, when we were watching the movie, I kinda regretted lying because of how well things were actually going with us.”

He gave you a smile then. “It was really good.”

You nodded. “Yup, I even let you kiss me that night.” 

“Can I kiss you right now?”

You shook your head, biting back the smile tugging at your lips. “That’s not proper date etiquette, Steven. All kisses must be saved until the end.” 

He nodded understandingly, but there was an amused smile on his face. “Ah yes, makes sense.” 

You held his eyes for a moment and then looked away and finally stepped out of his car before you ended up breaking your own stupid rule.

His hand found yours again as you two headed inside the restaurant. It was a lively and busy place, and at first, you figured that was why Steve had picked it, but once you two were settled in the short line behind other people waiting to put their names down at the hostess stand, you noticed the open doors that led to the dining room area straight ahead and then the shelves and shelves of books to the left. 

Before you could say anything, Steve was leaning into your ear to be heard over the noise. “It’s kind of a book-themed restaurant. You’ll see all of the decorations on the walls when we sit down later.” He then nodded his head in the direction of the bookshelves that you’d just noticed. “And there’s a used bookstore attached too.”

You looked up at him. “This place is perfect.” You then shook your head at yourself. “Now I feel like even more of an asshole for lying to you that night.”

“Now that I’m thinking about it, if we would’ve gone then, you probably would’ve fallen in love with me on the spot,” He told you, a teasing smirk on his face. 

“Embarrassingly so, probably,” You playfully nodded in agreement. 

It was quite hard to imagine things working out between you two in any other way than this one, though. It almost felt as if everything needed to happen in the way that it did between you and him. And with how damn near perfect everything felt right now, you were completely okay with how slow everything had moved— how stupid and confused you both had been at times— because it happily led you here. 

You looked around for a brief second. “How did you know I would like this place before we even met?”

“The only thing Eddie told me about you before our date was that you were an English major, and after a quick Google search, I found this place and I figured it would be perfect,” He explained and then gave you a nonchalant and almost shy-looking shrug. 

You pushed up on your toes and quickly kissed him instead of verbally saying anything in response to his thoughtful words that made you feel as if you were going to explode because of how sweet they were. 

When you pulled away, he smiled at you. “I thought that wasn’t proper date etiquette?” 

You didn’t get the chance to answer his question because you two were at the front of the line and Steve was putting his name down after the hostess said that there would be about a forty-five-minute wait to get a table, which you were perfectly okay with.

Steve let you lead the way as you went down different aisles; it was pretty quiet between you two. Whenever you were looking through books, you always got that way, focusing on finding something instead of anything else.  

After about fifteen minutes, you were slotting another book back in the spot you pulled it from and then looked at Steve. “God, sorry, this is probably so boring for you.” 

He shook his head and gave you a small smile. “No, I like watching you.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “If I didn’t really really really like you, I would think that’s very creepy.” 

“Phew, good thing you really really really like me then,” His arms circled around you and you returned the embrace immediately, letting your arms wrap around his neck as you looked up at him.

You were almost certain that you two were going to kiss, but you pulled away when you noticed a person at the end of the aisle— you didn’t want you and Steve to become the kind of couple that was so disgustingly adorable in public. You grabbed his hand instead and continued to lead him down the aisle. 

You picked through books with your free hand, nothing really catching your eye enough for you to actually pull it off the shelf, and then you noticed a title that looked really familiar so you grabbed it immediately. “Woah.” 

“What?” Steve asked, looking down at the book you now had in your hand. 

“Okay, this might be a stupidly long story,” You started. “So, I had to read a different book by this author for one of my classes. I ended up liking it a lot and also his writing style too, so I looked him up, and I saw that he did this historical fiction book; some World War II thing. It actually sounded interesting, and I immediately thought of you when I found it because I thought you’d probably like it. But, we weren’t talking at the time, so of course I didn’t tell you about it or recommend it to you.” You pointed to the book in your hand. “This is that book, and now I really wanna get it for you. This also now reminds me of our first date and when I said that I’d find you a book to make you not hate reading. If you do end up actually hating this book, though, I give you full permission to lie to me when I ask what you thought about it.” You got quiet as you looked down at the book again and then back up at him. “Okay, I’m done rambling now.” 

Steve smiled at you and your rambling. “I can’t wait to read it.”

You laughed a bit. “Okay, you don’t have to lie yet.”

“I’m not lying,” He told you. “If you get like this anytime you talk about books, then I’ll read any one you give me.”

That warmed your heart so much that it made you not care about pressing the sweetest kiss against his lips in front of the other people in the narrow aisle.

His hand was still against your cheek when you pulled back from the slow kiss and told him, “I’ll happily read to you too, like in Mexico, if you want.” 

He nodded. “That sounds great.”

The text that the table was ready came earlier than expected. You two were sitting on a small bench that was right outside the restaurant and you were in fact reading to him. 

“Thoughts so far?” You asked as you and he stood up to head back into the restaurant. “Remember lying is encouraged.”

“It’s surprisingly good. And I’m not lying,” He answered as he pulled the door open for you. 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

You weren’t entirely sure who initiated what. 

You had kissed Steve first, you knew that. But, it was meant to be a goodbye one— you were standing outside of your apartment door after having dinner at the restaurant and you both could recognize that the night had come to its natural end. Instead, though, the kiss felt like the opposite; it distinctly felt like the start of something rather than the end. And it did start something. 

You were being softly pressed back against the door as Steve deepened the kiss, mouth moving against yours so seamlessly as one hand came up to cup your cheek and the other found the curve of your waist. 

There was a part of you that suddenly felt so certain that this would never not feel so fucking right to you. Sure, it had been barely twenty-four hours since things shifted and changed into what you and Steve were now, but it felt so easy and not at all rushed or abrupt. It was as if this was something that had been slowly building until here you two finally were— making out against your front door without a care in the world because you both were so equally smitten and enamored by each other. 

You wanted absolutely everything with him, and perhaps he was able to tell that from the look in your eyes when you pulled back from the kiss to catch your breath for a moment. And maybe it was in your head, but it seemed as if he was nodding in agreement with you. 

He was in the middle of leaning in to kiss you again when the door opened abruptly and you let out a surprised yelp as both of Steve’s hands immediately found your hips to keep you from falling back. 

“Shit, sorry,” You recognized Eddie’s voice before you turned around. “I don’t even wanna know what you two were just doing.” 

You didn’t expect to see him in this moment. He came over to the apartment earlier to return something that he’d stolen from Robin a few days ago, and you had used that moment as your opportunity to tell him about you and Steve.

“I guess I did end up playing matchmaker for you after all,” Had been his immediate response after you told him that you and Steve were together. “Once again, I expect the biggest shoutout at your guys’ wedding.” 

You only rolled your eyes at him in response because you couldn’t think of anything else to say. Technically, he was entirely right— you wouldn’t have even met Steve if it wasn’t for Eddie. And it was a bit insane to think about that. 

“Also,” He continued. “I feel slightly offended that I’m the last to find out, even though I’ve known you the longest.”

“It’s one of the privileges that come along with Rob, Vick, and Tal being my roommates,” You said, a teasing smile on your face. “You’ll be back to the top in a few months.”

At the end of the summer, he was going to move into Talia’s room since she was graduating and doing her master’s program at a school in New York. It was an almost too obvious decision that, of course, made the most sense.

“I’m surprised you’re still here,” You said to Eddie now. You mindlessly leaned back against Steve because it felt slightly weird not having zero space between you two. It wasn’t until after you did it, that you wondered if you were doing too much, being too much, but then Steve’s hand was finding yours and giving it a light squeeze, and the thought was quickly pushed away.

“Vickie put on this weird Christmas baking show and we’ve all been watching it since you left,” Eddie explained and you nodded. “I’m now being forced to grab the takeout from downstairs, though.”

“You’re back!” You noticed Talia turning around from where she was on the couch. “How was the date?”

Before you could say anything, Robin was turning around too. “Eddie, grab the food before it gets stolen by the same asshole from last time!”

“I’m going, I’m going,” He called out before heading down the hallway. 

The door was more than halfway open at that point, and you turned again to look at Steve again instead of doing anything else.

“You wanna come in?” You asked because you simply just really wanted to keep the night going with him. “If we hate watching the baking show, we can go to my room and finally watch Freaky Friday.” 

From the smile on his face, you could tell that he didn’t want the night to be over either. “Okay.” 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

next part!

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[sonotdaiisy]

TRAINEE FRIEND ⸺ Haerin x reader

She thinks she’s never going to make a friend at the company.

GENRE ⸺ fluff, strangers to friends

WARNINGS ⸺ none really. Yayyy a post after like a week or two ><, not really good high-key rushed, I’m so sorry I’ll try to do better in a Dani fic❤️‍🩹

WC ⸺ 568

Haerin was tired of the constant stares she got and the whispers and murmurs whenever she walks past people.

Like bro she gets it. She knows she has an intimidating aura but that doesn’t describe her personality and attitude.

For the past months she felt nothing but loneliness. She had always wanted a friend or maybe even more…..a best friend she could share a close bond with, a best friend they could keep each others secret with and have trust in theirselves.

It was just so sad that none of the current trainees wanted to have any form of conversation with her.

Luck was on haerin’s side today because the next thing she heard was people talking about a new trainee who from what she heard seems like a social butterfly.

Out of curiosity, Haerin made it her mission to find this trainee girl Everyone just seems to be gushing about. Was there something special about her that had people squealing?

Her beauty. Yeah maybe that was not only the special thing about her but it seemed to be amongst.

The moment Haerin laid eyes on the already popular girl, she felt like Time had stopped. The moment they locked eyes Haerin could feel her heart beating at an abnormal rate.

“HIIII!!! I’m Y/n and you are?” You held out your hands for a hand shake. Your expressions were nothing but pure excitement and joy.

Haerin stared at your hands for a while not knowing what to do. This was the first Time someone had ever been nice to her. “Ummm I’m Haerin” she responded shaking your hand with clear hesitation.

God her hands are so soft and pretty

“Nice to meet you Haerin, let’s be friend!” You smiled cheerfully. “Can you please show me around?” You requested tilting your head to the side like that of a puppy’s.

“Ooh s-sure! Why not” Haerin agreed leading The way.

—

“And lastly, this is the cafeteria” Haerin concluded the tour with the cafeteria.

Silence

The silence was starting to get a bit uncomfortable. Haerin was used to it but she wasn’t sure about you.

“Soooo y/n who’s your role model?”

“I have so many role models but I really like Rosè from black pink” you smiled once again.

“Ah that’s nice”…… she sounded nonchalant about it on the inside but not on the inside. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to explode all just from Hearing you talk.

“It’s the end of practice for the day right? I think there’s dorms….can I share a dorm with you? I don’t wanna share with anyone else” You asked with a slight pout.

“Uhh sure. I mean I don’t have any roommate so I don’t see why not” Haerin smiled a little.

“Really?! Yay!!” You jumped up and down excitedly. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!” You grabbed her by her hand, interlocking fingers with her as you ran out of the building.

Haerin could only stare at your interlocked hands. Her face as red as a tomato and Yh subtle smile she tried to hold back from, multiple of times.

The effect you have on her is so much she thinks she’s going crazy.

Maybe she’ll consider more than best friends now.

[hwamphwamp]

~11:39pm

warning(s): mentions of being high and the side effects of being high, a suggestive line or two if you squint

In hindsight, expecting Wooyoung to follow instructions was your first mistake.

At least that’s what Hongjoong said when you called him, desperate for advice.

“Just be there for him until he comes down from the high,” Hongjoong said, his voice muffled by the sounds of the party he’d stepped out of to take your call. You waited, hoping he’d have more to offer than just that.

“Joong, he thought he was sinking into the mattress for half an hour, and now he’s freaking out because he has a case of cottonmouth that’s— in his words—‘so extreme he can’t breathe.’ What do I do?”

“Give him a gallon of water and some cuddles or something. He’ll be knocked out in no time,” he replied, unfiltered as always. “Listen, my set’s starting soon, so I have to go. If he gets worse, take him to the hospital or something. He’s got good insurance.”

With that, the call ended, leaving you just as helpless as before. You knew that later on, when both of you were much less high, you’d realize everything had been perfectly fine. Sure, Wooyoung had taken twenty milligrams for his first high instead of the five he’d been told to take, which was a bit much, but he’d be okay by morning. Right now though, in your current state of mild panic, it felt like him experiencing one more side effect would send you spiraling.

“Baby?”

You turned towards the balcony door to see Wooyoung peeking out, a small frown on his face as he shuffled over to you.

“What happened to our cuddle session?” he asked, throwing his arms around you and lifting you just enough to carry you back inside. “I waited for an hour, and you weren’t back. I was starting to get worried.”

“First of all, it’s only been ten minutes at most,” you corrected, wriggling free from his arms once you reached your bedroom. “Second, when I tried to cuddle you, you thought our combined weights would make us sink into the mattress faster.”

“Oh… Wait, I’m the one who stopped the cuddle session? That doesn’t even sound right, so I kinda have to assume you’re lying.”

“I’m not—”

You caught yourself, deciding there was no use. Wooyoung was too stubborn while sober to admit he’d ever stop any affection with you—better yet while high and you were picking and choosing your battles tonight.

“Yeah, you’re right. That does sound crazy, Woo,” you replied, watching him as he made his way over to your vanity.

“By the way,” he started, motioning for you to join him, “I drank the rest of the bottled water in your stash under the bed. But more importantly, I was looking at your makeup.”

“That water was supposed to last me until next week—”

“Again, more importantly, I was looking at your makeup and thought it would be fun if you did my makeup.”

You opened your mouth to speak, then shut it again, taken aback by his request. It wasn’t surprising he wanted to look pretty no matter his state of mind, but still, it was random considering the last thing he’d said before you went outside to call his best friend was how he didn’t feel real and thought the person running his “simulation” hated him.

“You want me to do your makeup?”

“Yes.”

“At almost midnight?”

“Also yes.”

“Is it because you want your makeup done or because you want to hold me without feeling like you’re sinking into the abyss?”

“Both.”

You sighed, pulling your desk chair over to the vanity and motioning for him to sit down. Even though you were ready to sleep, it was hard to resist the way he looked up at you, his bloodshot eyes still brimming with affection. Wooyoung had this way of looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky, and you could never stay annoyed when he looked at you like that.

“Okay, so what look are we—”

“Aren’t you gonna sit down?” he interrupted, patting his lap as he waited for you to take your usual spot.

“It’d be easier to reach the makeup if I just stand up, Woo. Besides—”

But before you could finish, Wooyoung pulled you down, guiding you to straddle him. His goofy smile grew wider as you rolled your eyes.

“Don’t act like you don’t like being on top of me,” he teased, his hands resting in your hips.

You chuckled, playfully smacking his arm before grabbing a foundation brush. “Behave. Now hold still.”

As you started dabbing foundation onto his face, Wooyoung’s hands moved up to your waist, tracing light, lazy circles that made it nearly impossible to focus. You bit back a smile, hoping he didn’t notice the way your cheeks flushed.

“You’re so gentle,” he murmured, his eyes locked on yours as you blended the foundation. “Feels nice.”

You tried to ignore the butterflies in your stomach as you moved to grab the concealer. “Stay still, or I’ll mess up.”

Wooyoung pouted but obliged, though his hands continued their light movements. “It’s hard when you’re so close,” he mumbled, his gaze lingering on your face.

You shook your head, smiling as you started patting the concealer under his eyes. “Yeah, ok pretty boy. Now close your eyes.

He obeyed, his long lashes brushing against his cheeks as he relaxed into your touch. You took your time, perfecting the base as he hummed contentedly, entranced by the feeling of your fingers against his skin.

“Wow, I can already tell I look amazing,” he said, cracking one eye open to see your reaction.

“Patience, diva,” you laughed, reaching for an eyeshadow palette. “Let me work my magic.”

He watched as you carefully selected a soft pink shade and began sweeping it across his eyelids. Every few seconds, Wooyoung would open his eyes a bit to peek at you and every time he’d break into a smile, watching you with a look so full of adoration it made your heart ache.

“You’re so good at this,” he said softly, his voice taking on a rare, serious tone. “It’s like… I don’t know. You make everything feel like art.”

You paused, warmth spreading through you at his unexpected compliment. “You’re making me blush, Woo.”

“Good,” he replied, his thumb tracing small circles on your back. “You should know how amazing you are.”

Trying to keep your composure, you moved on to his eyeliner. His eyes sparkled as you carefully lined them, and you couldn’t help but admire the way the makeup made his already striking features stand out. You brushed a bit of highlighter onto his cheekbones, and he closed his eyes, soaking in the attention like he wasn’t used to it by now. Still though, there was something so nice about being with someone who treated every intimate moment with you as if it were the first.

Once you finished, you leaned back, admiring your work. “There. You’re all done, Woo.”

He glanced in the mirror, his mouth dropping in playful awe. “I look like a whole new person! No… a prettier version of myself. You’re incredible, babe.”

You laughed, brushing back a stray lock of hair from his face. “You’re gorgeous with or without makeup. I just brought out what was already there.”

For a moment, you both stayed silent, just looking at each other. His hands found yours, and he pulled you even closer, his fingers threading through your hair as he let out a soft, contented sigh.

“You know I love you, right?” he murmured, his voice quieter than it had been all night.

Your heart skipped a beat as you leaned forward to give him a quick kiss. “Yeah… I love you too, Woo.”

A soft smile spread across his face, his eyes beginning to droop as the high was just starting to wear off. You felt him growing heavier, his hands resting in your lap as he started to drift off. His head leaned against your shoulder, his breathing evening out as sleep began to take over.

You could’ve moved, or nudged him towards the bed, but instead, you stayed right where you were, feeling the gentle weight of him against you. You watched his face relax as he slipped into sleep, his makeup still perfectly in place, highlighting his beauty even in his unconscious state.

In that moment, with his heartbeat steady against yours, you realized you were falling for him even more. If that was even possible.

On a not so unrelated note, you now had to tell Hongjoong he couldn’t have been more right if he tried.

ateez masterlist | general masterlist

[starkeyisthelastname]

It’s Always Been You: Chapter Three

I’m sorry this has taken so long. 😩 hope you loves enjoy it!

Rafe giving you hints to let you know he has it down bad for his best friend. 💖 some cute moments before the drama takes off.

Previous Chapter

Chapter Three:

Rafe felt like a creep. A creep, because he hadn’t been able to stop staring at you since you had stepped out of the bathroom. You were too busy on focusing on getting ready for dinner to notice, thank god. He definitely didn’t need you catching him, eyes locked on your gorgeous figure in that little white dress. His blue eyes watched as you applied a layer of glittery gloss across your full lips, looking like a fucking angel. Oh man, did he sure have it down bad for his best friend. His thoughts were quickly interrupted, when you said his name. Shit, did you catch him? He cleared his throat, meeting your eyes in the mirror.

“Can you help me fasten this please?” You asked him, holding up a delicate necklace. He instantly recognized it as one he had bought for you a few years back as a birthday present. It was solid gold, with the letter of your first name glistening in diamonds. Without question, he stepped behind you, his height towering over yours as he took the necklace from you. Moving your hair to the side, he gently clasped the piece of jewelry behind your neck and let his eyes linger. He told himself that he had to make you his girl by the end of the week and that he was going to try and start slowly hinting to see if you would even be interested.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” Rafe said, his voice low and cerulean eyes hooded.

You were no stranger to Rafe calling you beautiful, but as your eye met his blue ones, it sent shivers down your spine. Why was this having so much of an effect on you? The way he said it though was so different and it made your stomach flutter and core clench. He looked so good too with his dark jeans that hugged his long legs, crisp white button down that you could clearly see his toned upper body through, and that cologne was making you feel intoxicated. Swallowing the lump in the back of your now very dry throat, you looked down from his gaze. “T-thank you.” You stuttered out, mentally hitting yourself in the head at how nervous you sounded.

Rafe knew everything about you, from the simplest thing like your favorite color to something more complex like what your emotions meant. He found himself struggling for the first time with that response, were you nervous because it made you uncomfortable or because you liked it? Was he already making a fool of himself? He nodded his head, stepping back but not before his eyes raked over your figure once more.

Your head couldn’t seem to wrap around Rafe’s actions. You absolutely loved how his words made you feel, and something about them seemed more flirty than his casual compliments. You knew without a doubt Rafe was the one you wanted to have as yours. It confused you though, because Rafe didn’t flirt. He was absolutely gorgeous, but how he pulled so many girls when he was the biggest dick to them, you didn’t know. He had told you a thousand times before that he hated every bitch but you and as much as you wanted to believe that, you couldn’t help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive.

“I’m not sitting next to that idiot.” Rafe mumbled to you as everyone began taking their seats at the table. You looked over to see the only empty chair was next to Topper and as much as you didn’t want to sit next to him, it would have been better than Rafe getting banned from Disney property because he punched the frosted tip boy for saying something stupid. Taking a small sigh, you scooted over to the chair in the middle and let Rafe sit to your left. “That better?” You asked with a playful eye roll, looking down at the menu.

It was the hand on your leg, that caught you off guard. You glanced down, his large palm squeezing your bare skin gently as his thumb grazed over your inner thigh. You looked up at him, his eyes focused on the menu as if what he was doing was completely natural. You weren’t exactly a stranger to him touching you, not by any means. When you’ve known someone your entire life and were best friends, touching was inevitable. It was just the way it was placed, almost at the hem of your already short dress as if he was begging to push it up. The thing was is that you wanted him too, really fucking bad.

Rafe knew exactly what he was doing and he really was taking a chance. He kept telling himself not to pussy out of this and run to a habit he always turned to, which was distracting his mind by fucking pointless bitches. He was getting older and getting tired of useless hook ups that didn’t mean shit. He wasn’t ready to get married by any means, but he knew what he wanted and that was one girl who had been by his side all his life and that was you. If he didn’t do this now, he would never do it and he knew it. It was time for him to man up and make you his girl.

You weren’t sure if it was the drink, the few hits of the weed pen or Rafe’s hand on your thigh, but you were having a hard time focusing on Ward talk about Magic Kingdom tomorrow. You were more than excited to visit the first park of the week, but with dinner being done, you needed to excuse yourself. As soon as you heard your father and Rafe’s, start playfully arguing about who was paying, you were grabbing your small designer purse and getting up from the table.

You had barely made it into the lobby, when you felt a tug on your arm. You knew exactly who it was and took a shaky breath as you turned to meet blue eyes. “Where you going? I know you aren’t going to back up to the room already.” Rafe said, knowing all too well that you were a night owl. You were trying to come up with an excuse on why you should go up to the room and not give into this, the fear in the back of your head that this was all some kind of sick game he was playing.

“I think Wheezie and Sarah were gonna put on a Disney Movie or something.” You said with a small shrug. You didn’t want to go upstairs yet, and you both knew it. You always chose to go with Rafe, even if you were close with his sisters. He was just being so touchy with you and saying things that made you want to blush, that you didn’t know what to think about it and being nervous around Rafe was such a different feeling.

Rafe raised an eyebrow. He knew you loved his sisters, but did you really want to go watch a movie that Wheezie would yap through and Sarah would be making out with Topper the whole time. Since when did you not wanna hang out with him? Had he been to handsy with you at dinner and make you uncomfortable? Did you just not want this like he did and he was starting to do this all for nothing? His anxiety was starting to kick in, and it was one of these moments he craved a line of coke. He knew he was overthinking, but once it started it was hard for him to stop. “W-well if that’s what you wanna go do.” He said, his tone a little harder than before. Something he hated about getting in his head, always taking his frustrations out on everyone else.

You could read Rafe like a book, he was getting in his head and you could tell by the way he averted his gaze, and brought the edge of his thumb to his mouth. It was also the his tone changing, the one he gets right before he’s about to shut down. Did you really wanna go watch a movie in the suite more than you wanted to hang out with Rafe? You bit your lower lip, reaching to take his larger hand in yours. “Only because I want something sweet.” You said with a smirk, causing his blue eyes to look back at you.

He couldn’t help but smile, something not a lot of people got to see. “After you, princess.” He said in that voice that made your tummy feel warm and your core clench. He let go of your hand, only to wrap his arm around your waist as he walked you towards a bakery that was in the resort.

Rafe’s eyes couldn’t help but travel down as you were bent over to look at the different sweets. Your body fuckin’ amazed him, and the dirty side of him wanted to see that shit while he hit from the back. He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard that beautiful voice of yours saying his name.

“Rafe, do you want anything?” You asked, his eyes traveling upward to meet your gorgeous face again. Oh he knew you had definitely caught him staring, especially when it took a second for him to speak up. “Uhh, I’m good.” He said, pulling out his wallet, before you could even reach into your Louis purse. He’d buy you anything you fucking wanted, from this overpriced cupcake to that Chanel bag you had been looking at earlier on your phone. After getting clean he had been getting right with his money, working hard at Cameron Development. He’d done well from himself so far, buying himself a nice home and owned two nice cars. He was ready to start sharing it with someone, of course that someone being you.

You watched him hand the woman behind the counter his card, before you could say anything or even argue about it. He handed you the cupcake, which you gladly took with a ‘thank you’ as he got his card back. He hummed as he leaned down, taking a bite out of it just as you unwrapped it. You scoffed, shoving at his chest as he shot you a wink. “I just asked if you wanted something.” You said with a roll to your eyes as you lifted the cupcake to your mouth.

“Just wanted a bite sweet thing.” He teased, watching you lick your bottom lip from the frosting that sat there. He cleared his throat, reaching down slowly to place a hand on your hip, testing the waters out again. “You wanna look around some more, or maybe go back to the room?” He suggested, his fingers traveling down further down before coming back up.

You were trying to not let Rafe’s hand on you again have any effect on you, but he made it hard when his fingers would come to the hem of your dress only to ghost back up in a smooth manner. You swallowed a bit of your cupcake before looking at him as you tried to read him. “Back to the room? The same place you didn’t wanna go to a few minutes ago.” You asked, throwing the wrapper away and turning back to him.

“You think I wanna watch a movie with them? Nah.” He said, leaning down towards your ear. “I mean you can pick whatever Disney movie your heart desires as long as you let me hold you.” He whispered, making a shiver down your spine.

You froze as you heard his voice in your ear. He wanted to watch a movie with you in the bed you were sharing together while he held you. You couldn’t bring yourself to say no either, your head nodding to give him an answer.

“Come on then princess.” He said, staring at your lips for a moment before pulling back to take your hand. Oh how he had to have you, there was no other way. He was too goddamn in love with you.

tag list: @alinavalentine @cameronspecial @wickedlovely121 @sunflowerskenz @lilithblackkk @rafesfuckdoll @gh0stsp1d3r @chenslucy @mattyskies @skye-44 @saveahorserideaspacecowboy

comment if you’d like to be added! 💕

[hearts4werka]

Starry Kiss

Summary: you’ve always had a crush on your childhood best friend Chris but always thought your feelings were one-sided since he always had girls all over him and he could have anyone he wanted. One day you hosted a sleepover for your friends as well as Chris, night soon came and you two were the only ones awake and you go stargazing in the starry night where you confess your feelings to him and he responds with a genuine kiss you’ve always wanted to experience… Genre: FLUFF, childhood best friends, stargazing, sleepover, high school sweethearts, starry night, love confession, best friends to lovers, unexpected kiss & possibly more! Warnings: None! Just cutesy sweetheart best friends finally getting together!

Me and Chris have been childhood best friends and I've always had a small crush on him but never thought my feelings were one-sided since he always had girls all over him and once I even had to help him with his first crush who became his first girlfriend who later turned out to be using him.

The poor guy was devastated after that and I had to be his personal therapist for almost two weeks after he got over her and found a new girl to thirst over, it ended up not being me.

I never was good at expressing my emotions since no one never asked unless it was evident something was wrong, only ever Chris saw through the fake smile I would put on everyday to hide the real emotions I would feel, that's one of the many reasons why I have a fat crush on him since childhood.

After school we walk together to my house or his then I would vent to him and show him the real me no one else saw besides him. We could talk and laugh together for hours on end, I always tried to somehow give him blank hints but too scared to actually confess since Im afrain of ruining our friendship I love so much and will cherish all of our moments together fondly.

| - 🍂 - |

One day I decided to host a sleepover for my friend group, including Chris and some of his guy friends since I know he wouldn't survive being around all of my girlfriends so of course I made an acception for him.

And I’m sure my friends won’t mind.

Chris was the first person to get there since he came in early to help me with preparing all of the stuff that needs to be set up.

While setting up the designated place to sleep we got into a small pillow fight…

• Before Everyone Arrived…

When I was arranging the pillows with Chris’s help, I suddenly felt something soft hit my back and chuckling behind me. Slowly turning for dramatic effect I see Chris burst out laughing and I know he threw the pillow at me.

His laughter is soon muffled by a pillow hitting his face, I soon followed with the chuckles and choked out through the laughter filling the air.

“Thats what you get!”

He immediately went into action and started to throw more pillows at me and I followed behind, throwing pillows at him that were in my reach. We soon started a pillow fight.

I grabbed one of the longer and bigger pillows, he looked at me and put his hand out like eleven while laughing.

“Don’t you even dare!” He speaks between chuckles as I take the risk and hit him with the big pillow in my hand.

“Oh you’re gonna regret doing that”

Suddenly he tackles me to the floor, ending up on top of me with both of us laughing and pillows flying all around, he drops down onto the floor next to me as we continue to laugh at the whole playful situation.

I would be lying if the altercation didn’t fluster me even in the slightest.

| - 🍂 - |

7:45 PM

As the time of the deadline for everyone to finally arrive, me and Chris are waiting by sitting on the couch a bit too close, my head laying down on his shoulder and a simple hand wrapped around my waist and pulling me closer to him.

The whole time I'm trying to hide the slight pink hue growing on my cheeks, its not the first time we sit in such position that could be taken as an intimate one.

My friends often tease me and say to just confess to him like its thats easy. I dont want to ruin our friendship as it could be the last type of friendship we get like this.

While we wait for the others to arrive, the doorbell finally rings indicating they have just arrived, I shoot up onto my feet and to the front door.

Chris follows behind as I open the door, on the other side there’s two girls, my best friend Kayla and Natalie, one guy whos Chris's standing with bags in hand, all being my friends.

I greet them and quickly let them inside, leading them upstairs into the guests bedroom where we’ll be all sleeping since there’s more room there for all of us.

They all put their bags away and we start the fun part of the sleepover...

| - 🍂 - |

10:54 PM

After a little adventure around the night town only illuminated by old street lamps and a snack trip to the store for a small horror marathon we finally got back to my house.

I place the bag of snacks on the coffee table in the living room as all of us gathered inside of the room to start the horror marathon.

All of us take a seat on the couch, the guys sit on one side of the couch and the girls in the other. Me and Chris are in the middle separating the gender groups created.

Grabbing the remote I open the first streaming service I land on, which landed on classic Netflix.

I begin to scroll through the ‘horror’ section, everyone talking among themselves and suggesting what we should watch first before we finally decide on ‘Fear Street’ which is a horror series with 3 movies.

We get comfortable in our spots and I play the movie, some grab snacks and some grab drinks and then the movie starts…

| - 🍂 - |

• After a Horror Movie Marathon

1:31 AM

After watching a god knows how much hours worth of horror movies everyone was finally starting to feel sleepy except for me and Chris for some reason.

“I’m tired…” Kayla yawns, making sluggish moves to get up from her spot on the couch. Everyone else agrees they’re also feeling tired and suggest we should already go to bed.

“Yeah we should go to bed already” Natalie suggests, slowly starting to get up as well to head to our designated sleeping place.

We all follow suite but when I try to get up, Chris decides it would be a funny idea to randomly throw we over his shoulder and carry me to our sleeping place.

I let out a quiet yelp as he throws me over his shoulder, his little giggles echoing through the room as the group looks at us a bit surprised but used to us acting like this with each other.

Trying to protest for him to put me down, sending small hits to his back as he continues to carry me and walk up the stairs with the group until we make it to the room.

He finally puts me down and I shoot him a playful glare which only fuels the stupid grin on his face, we enter the room after everyone and close the door behind us.

We make sure to not step on anyone before both of us got to our sleeping spot for the night and lay down, pulling the duvet over my body as the warmth of it surrounds my body but even with the warm feeling, I find myself not quite being able to fall asleep.

I pretend to sleep, closing my eyes to trick my brain into making me fall asleep but I just lay there conscious with my eyes closed and little did I know that Chris was having the same problem…

| - 🍂 - |

• Two Hours Later

3:09 AM

After a few hours I’m still laying there and staring at the ceiling while everyone’s shallow breathing fills the rooms air and hits my ears in a smooth melody.

A sudden quiet whisper and slight nudge on the shoulder taps me out of my small trance and I look towards the source of the noise.

“Hey, you awake?” I feel Chris’s warm breath hit my cold skin and send a small shiver running down my spine as he speaks.

“No, what’s up?” Answering his question I sit up on my bed and make some room for him to sit down as well so he doesn’t have to keep kneeling down on the hard wooden floor.

“I can’t quite fall asleep for some reason.” He confesses, taking the seat infront of me on the bed. It making a small indent and elevating my own seating from his weight overpowering mine.

“Me neither.” I agree, looking around the room I glance over at the window where the source of the moonlight that’s illuminating the room is coming from.

Noticing the especially starry night sky tonight I remember I was reading an article about that there was supposed to be a starry night.

I suddenly get an idea, since we can’t sleep and I wanted to go star gazing tonight anyway and might as well drag Chris along with me.

“It’s a pretty starry night tonight” I state the obvious before looking back at him and adding, “Wanna go star gazing?”

He glanced between me and the night sky and chuckles quietly then nods his head in agreement. “Yeah, sure”

A soft smile spreads across my face as he agrees and the thought of sitting on a hill with a perfect view of the starry night sky just enters my mind as I imagine the scenery.

We quietly get up from my bed and I grab a blanket on the way out of the room, slowly closing the door behind us than make our way towards the front door to sneak out of the dark house.

On our way down the stairs, Chris suddenly almost trips over something in the dark. Silently cursing under his breath as he out of reflex grabs the my arm and the railing, holding on for dear life to not face plant down the stairs.

I’m trying my hardest to not burst out laughing at his terrified expression at almost falling to his death and making a lot of noise when we’re supposed to be quiet.

Quickly making our way to the front door and almost exiting in a hurry to not wake the others up, I start to lead him to the spot I was thinking of that will have the best view of the sky.

“You gotta place in mind already, princess?” He finally asks in a hushed voice, leaning his head down to make me hear him better. The little nickname he always calls me whenever he wants to gauge a reaction out of me.

“You don’t remember? We used to always go there as kids!” I remind him also in a hushed voice as we walk under the beautiful night sky up a medium hill.

Seeing how his eyes widen in realization as the childhood memories flood both of our minds at once, a small smile growing on my face at the cute moments we’ve had there together.

“Ohh, yeah now I remember” He realizes, scratching the back of his neck in slight embarrassment for not remembering to which I give him a reassuring pat on the back.

We start to go down memory lane of all of the special moments we’ve shared over the past years of our constantly blooming friendship, knowing we’ll never be dumb little kids together anymore just makes my heart ache as I would love to go back in time and relive all of those memories.

Some memories brought laughter, sadness or embarrassment. When we finally made it onto the top of the hill, we were immediately met with an a amazing view of the starry night sky.

My lips fall in an inaudible gasp at how beautiful the scenery is, I look over at Chris and he’s in the same state of awe as I am.

The way the moonlight illuminates his facial features and his long brown strands ghosting over his forehead and slightly above his eyes makes my head go into a slight spiral.

Shaking my head and looking away from him to not cause a too much of a blush on my face than the slight staring has already caused.

A sudden idea comes to my mind, it’s the perfect time and place to confess my longing love for him. It may sound like a typical love story but who knows, he could still say no.

With that thought in my overthinking mind, I start to doubt my idea and bash it. It’s the right place but might not be the right time.

He notices me being lost in thought, my eyes darting over all of the stars on the sky as if I was tracing every possible pattern with them.

His face suddenly is placed infront of my vision, snapping me from the small world my mind had put me in and back to reality.

“Hey, you good?” He asks with concern lacing his tone, a shade of worry shading his features in the moonlight as his brows furrow.

I shake my head, a small embarrassed chuckle escaping past my lips to try and laugh off the situation to make it seem I’m fine. “Yeah I’m fine, just zoned out for a minute”

Him not fully believing me but just brushes off the worry for now, he casually drapes a hand over my shoulder in an almost comforting matter.

Leaning my head on his shoulder we start to walk around the hill to find our spot, soon enough we succeed at our search and lay our backs down on the grass.

We watch the stars, pointing out the constellations we notice the starts aligning to create. It was truly a beautiful sight to witness.

As we observe the starts, I try to get the courage to ask him the question I’ve been dreading to ask him for far too long now that I can’t keep it bottled inside anymore.

I sit up so suddenly a feeling of dizziness washes over me, he follows behind me and the same look of worry comes back to cast a shadow over his features.

“Are you sure you’re fine? Why did you sit up so suddenly?” He questions with concern now thick in his tone, raising an eyebrow at my current actions.

Taking a deep breath before the word vomit begins without my permission and I can’t get it to stop no matter how hard my brain screams at me to stop.

“I can’t keep this hidden anymore, sorry in advance but…” I pause for a second, contemplating my decision before my mouth grows a mind of its own and decides for me.

“I’m in love with you. And I-I am for years now but I was always scared to admit it because of all of the girlfriends you’ve had that were way prettier than I could ever be, I’m so sorry for keeping this from you when we promised to not keep secrets from each other and tell each other everything that’s on our mind…”

After my small ramble I grow out of breath and my breathing grows slightly heavy, looking up at him I see his expression is unreadable so my apologetic instinct switches on.

“I’m really sorry, I know you probably don’t feel the same way and might hate me after this. I’m sorry if this could ruin our friendship in any way and I don’t want it to, I’m so fucking so-“

My words suddenly get cut off by Chris grabbing ahold of my jaw and smashing his lips on mine, instantly shutting my moving mouth up.

I’m at a loss of all words that I wanted to speak in that moment, my mind becomes blurry as I melt completely into the kiss and slowly start to kiss him back.

The kiss feels magical, like taken out of a fairytale. Finally finding my Prince Charming or sharing a kiss that’ll save me and erase all of the problems I’ve ever encountered in my life.

When we finally pull away from each other, I look at him in complete shock but a hint of relief in my features is only visible if you look for it hard enough.

“Why did you do that?” I question, feeling confused by his actions since I was sure I would get rejected by him but am so glad I didn’t.

“To stop you from rambling all night long” He confesses the reason behind the unexpected kiss, a smile growing on his face as a reaction to my confused expression.

“I thought you would get weirded out and reject me.” I as well confess to the reason I’m so confused right now, the relief slowly becoming more noticeable on my face.

“It doesn’t matter now what I could have done, so don’t worry about that now” He answers, the smile growing on his face. His hand reaches and lands on my cheek, caressing it with his thumb in an almost loving way that makes a smile of my own form on my lips.

“You’re way to calm about this right now, it’s concerning” I slip out with a hint of joking in my voice to lighten the tense air surrounding us, we share a laugh together before his lips land on mine again. Both of us smilling into the kiss as we fall back onto the ground and share another passionate kiss under the starry night, almost like a starry kiss…

@hearts4wertka

authors note: i’m so sorry that writing and posting fics has taken me a bit longer than expected but I don’t really have motivation or the drive to write so my head has been a bit empty lately, anyway thank you guys so much for the feedback on any of my fics I seriously really appreciate it and I love every single one of you! 💋

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[discordantwritings]

Rock Hard (Rock Band! Cross Guild x Reader)

Pt. 3 The Guitarist

Prelude // The Vocalist // The Guitarist // The Drummer

Warnings: NSFW 18+ MDNI, gn afab! Reader, semi-public sex, Buggy is a Problem, possessive Mihawk, fingering, oral sex, no Crocodile yet but soon

WC: 2.4k

Summary: So, you slept with the main singer of Cross Guild, who is also your boss. It’s fine. No one will know.

Except Mihawk, Mihawk finds out pretty fast.

Notes: I got distracted for (checks calendar) 2 months but I swear I’m not abandoning anything

Tagging: @keiva1000

“And then you have the meeting with possible collaborators at the end of your day.”

“And why am I doing that instead of Crocodile?” Mihawk asks from behind his desk.

“Because he is busy scouting concert venues.” You explain, clipboard held to your chest.

“And Buggy?”

“I think why we know Buggy isn’t doing it.”

He pauses, rolling his eyes. “We do. Fine. But make sure I have the recording studio booked for Friday and nothing interrupting it.”

“Of course. Any other schedule requests?” You ask, jotting down his demands.

“No just that.” He waves a dismissive hand and you politely nod and head to the door.

“Oh- one more question.” His words stop you and you turn on your heels back to him.

“Are you fucking the clown?”

You nearly drop your clipboard in shock, brain trying to process the absurd question before it quickly turns into a sharp embarrassment. There isn’t time to get out any words before Mihawk is speaking again.

“That answers that then.” His voice is flat but you can hear the slight edge of disappointment.

“It was only once and I swear it will never happen again.” It was the truth- since your moment with him in his office a few weeks ago nothing has happened. Sure he would grab your ass when no one was looking but there hasn’t been a spare moment where the two of you could do anything more.

“Look, I don’t care who you sleep with. As long as you don’t let it interfere with your work it’s fine.” You would feel relieved if you still weren’t drowning in embarrassment. “I’m just surprised.”

“I’m sorry.” Is all you can manage, unable to look him in the eyes.

“Don’t be. It’s unbecoming.”

You can only nod as you slip out of his office in shame.

The next few days everything is normal, and neither you nor Mihawk acknowledge the brief conversation that had happened. You felt the information prickling at the back of your brain every time you were in the vicinity of Mihawk though, knowing how much he was judging you for you indiscretion.

But true to his word he didn’t seem to care as long as it didn’t affect your work. You treated Buggy the same as everyone else, even if his hands and gaze wandered constantly. So, while you remained professional, Buggy didn’t. It wasn’t a surprise to you but an annoyance as he grew bolder and bolder with each passing day.

Like now right now, while you’re sitting down for a meeting with all of The Cross Guild and some investors. You and the band are all sitting on one side of a long table while three business men sit across from you. Today you’re a glorified note taker as Crocodile handles most of the business, sitting and writing between Buggy and Mihawk. You don’t mind it too much- at least until Buggy starts to fool around.

You wanted to stab him with your pencil the instant you felt his hand creep onto your thigh. Restraining yourself you instead shoot him a glare which falls painfully short of your intended effect. The clown just smiles at you as his hand creeps further up your leg. Your hand tightly clasps on top of his to stop his movements but he’s more nimble than you give him credit for, easily sliding out of your hold and darting to what he can manage to grab of your ass.

You’ve missed a minute or so of conversation so despite the hand on you, you try to focus back in on the conversation- only to find Mihawk staring at you. There’s a long moment of eye contact before his gaze darts down to where Buggy’s hand is and back up to you. You’re mortified and try your best to silently convey to Mihawk that you’re sorry and it’s all Buggy’s fault.

There must be something he understands because you feel him look slightly beyond you to where Buggy is sitting and glare- hard. The hand quickly retracts and you’re able to relax slightly and focus back in on your work. You manage to figure out most of what you missed and the meeting is quickly finished much to your relief. You need to go scream in an empty room.

After politely shaking hands with everyone and handing over your notes to Crocodile you dart out into the hallway to go back to your office- only to be stopped by a hand grabbing your wrist. You turn around and see Buggy with a shit eating grin plastered on his painted face.

“We running off somewhere?” He uses his hold on you to pull you in close.

“Buggy I swear to god-“ You look around, making sure no one else has come out of the room yet. “If anyone sees us-“

“Then what?” He moves and you back up, your back hitting the wall. “You’re good at your job- you won’t get fired. Besides, everyone will blame me.”

It’s true- everyone will blame him- but that doesn’t stop you from distinctly remembering Mihawk’s words only a few days ago. He would kill both of you if-

“Clown.”

Suddenly Mihawk is looming over Buggy and you watch as his face pales to the same white shade as his makeup accents. He slowly releases his hold on your wrist before sliding out between you and Mihawk so he can turn and face him.

“Mihawk, buddy, great meeting today. I was just checking in with our manager on the- uh- the-“

“Don’t pretend you know what the meeting was about.” Mihawk then looks at you and you fight the urge to meld with the wall. “Come with me.”

You hang your head and follow Mihawk, not looking at Buggy as you pass him. You go down a few hallways, brain trying to find some kind of excuse to save you. Caught up in those thoughts you almost run into his back when he stops abruptly and flings open a door you’ve never seen before.

Mihawk’s hand pushes lightly against your back and you’re ushered into the newly opened room. It’s dark and small and you realize as he shuts the door behind him your in a storage closet. You’re not fired. Mihawk’s going to just kill you.

“What was the one thing I asked?” He asks, body pressing against you in the narrow space.

“That I didn’t let my relationship with Buggy affect my work.” You admit, pressing your back against the wall to try and not be as close to him.

“Is it a relationship?” He asks, voice low.

That wasn’t where you thought this discussion was going, but it was a fair ask. “I’m not sure. I don’t think anything is ever serious with Buggy.”

“No, nothing ever is.” You’re suddenly very aware of how close Mihawk is, how he’s bending over you slightly and caging you in. One of his arms is bracing against the wall next to you and his other brushes up against your hip. “He’s immature. Unfocused. Did he even make you cum?”

“He did.” You confess, fighting every urge to press against him.

“Surprising.” He hums, hand now fully gripping your waist. “Well if you’re not in a relationship with him you should have no problems seeing what other people could offer you. The pleasure other people could give you.”

“What other people?” You ask breathlessly, still searching for confirmation that this is somehow real.

“I think you know.” Deft fingers undo the clasps of your pants and slip past your waistband.

“Yeah- I think I do.” Your head falls back against the wall as Mihawk’s knees push your thighs apart.

His hand is slow as it moves down, pushing past fabric and gently skirting over your folds. Mihawk hums into your ear when he finds the wetness seeping out of you. “I wonder… is this for me or for him?”

“You!” You answer quickly, desperate as you fight the urge to move your hips down closer to his fingers. “Started when you dragged me away from him.”

“Really now?” That must have been a good answer as one of his fingers rubs along your clit.

His mouth moves to your neck and you tilt your head to give him better access. You whine as he sucks a bruise into your neck, determined to mark you. The possessive act has you melting even further into his touch, relying on his strength to keep you upright against the wall.

One long finger presses into your entrance as his thumb stays firmly on your clit. Your hands are balled in fists at your sides as you fight the urge to touch Mihawk- afraid of ruining the tense moment. That doesn’t stop you from moaning when a second finger quickly joins the first and skillfully curves inside you.

“So noisy… do you want someone to hear you?” His words make you suddenly very aware that you’re still just in a closet in a hallway anyone could be walking down right now.

One of your hands flies up and covers your mouth as his fingers curl again, muffling another moan. Mihawk chuckles as his fingers somehow find spots you could never hope to hit with your own digits. You resort to biting down on your hand when he finally hits that delicate spot deep inside you.

You had watched his fingers move over his guitar, effortlessly playing rhythms your mind couldn’t even keep up with, but you never let your mind think of the other uses those skilled fingers could have. He plays you just like his favored instrument, strumming inside you to get you to sing for him. Now you don’t think you can ever watch him play without these feelings washing over you again.

You’re so close to your orgasm as his fingers make a mess of you but right as you’re about to fly over the edge his fingers still completely and you almost scream. Your eyes find his in the dark and you can barely see any gold in them.

“Say you want me, not him.” He says, voice barely above a whisper.

So close to your edge, you probably would have said anything to get his fingers moving again.

“Mihawk- please I need you- I can’t even think about him when you’re- fuck your fingers are so good please Mihawk-“ You plead and beg, voice pathetic in the small space.

“That’s right.” His fingers move again and your knees give out as he massages the spot deep inside you while pressing against your clit.

If you were in your right mind you’d be embarrassed at the wetness soaking Mihawk’s fingers and your underwear but in the throws of your orgasm you couldn’t give a damn. His fingers work you gently through it, pulling out only when your own legs can hold you up.

“Open.” You obey his command without a second thought and fingers covered in your juices slip onto your tongue.

You leave your mouth hanging open as your tongue swirls around his fingers, making sure to clean every last drop of you off. He’s fixated on the way your tongue moves and you try not to let it get to your head that you have a man like Mihawk captivated. When you’re done you slowly pull away and stare into his eyes, patiently waiting for his next command. You don’t have to wait long.

“Knees.” You drop to the floor so fast you’re sure your knees are going to be bruised but you can’t bring yourself to care.

Your hands quickly work at his belt and shove down his pants, letting his hard, red cock spring free. Bringing his tip to your mouth you let pooled spit drip down, coating his length. One of your hands moves to pump his length as your spit eases the way as your tongue swirls around his tip. You take him into your mouth and hear him groan above you.

Looking up you see him almost doubled over you, one arm holding him up against the wall as his head hangs down to look at you. When you finally catch his gaze his free hand runs through your hair, surprisingly delicate.

“Just like that love.” His hand holds your head but doesn’t force you down further, allowing you to keep your own pace.

You work slowly, forgetting the fact that at any point in time someone could walk in on the two of you. The feeling of him sitting on your tongue is intoxicating as you take him into your mouth inch by inch. Breathing in through your nose you push him into your throat, eventually getting his whole length inside.

You feel his hand grip you tighter as he moans above you. “Fuck you’re good. Can you- just hold right there-“

You listen and don’t move, swallowing around his length and feeling the way his cock throbs in response. You hold like this for what feels like forever until your throat starts to get tired and you slowly push back against Mihawk’s hand. He lets you pull off and you gasp for breath, thick lines of spit still connecting you.

Mihawk’s hand guides you to tilt your head back and he brings his other hand off the wall to furiously pump his own length. You let your mouth fall open as his guides his tip to your tongue. You make sure to look at him as hot ropes of cum fall onto your tongue, making sure not to swallow.

“Let me see.” He crouches down to your level, hand holding your jaw so he can find the perfect angle to see his cum pooling in your mouth. “That’s right- now swallow for me.”

You do so- glad to get the salty taste from your mouth and also glad to see how much Mihawk likes your obedience. He watches your face for a few seconds before pushing forward and capturing your mouth in a needy, sloppy kiss. Despite it only lasting a few seconds, you’re breathless when he pulls away and stands up.

He quickly tucks himself back into his pants and zips himself up before reaching a hand down to you to help you up. He takes care of your pants as well, pressing one last kiss to your neck as he does so.

“See you tomorrow.” He says, a slight smile on his face as he slinks out the door of the closet, leaving you alone in the dark.

You’re seriously fucked.

[tarttheart]

KNITWORTHY - JAMIE TARTT x YOU

summary: you pick up knitting and Jamie could not be more supportive.

word count: 1.4k

warnings: language

1.

The first time you made anything for Jamie, it was a plain pair of socks in a sandy beige colour. It was nothing fancy and you were certain one side was longer than the other. It had been a long time since you last knit so you were just happy to have finished something after impulsively picking up some yarn and needles again after work one day. Work had been manic and you were looking for something to help you unwind each night. Picking up the needles again just seemed right.

“I love them. Babe, these are fucking amazing,” Jamie proclaimed.

You probably would not have believed Jamie solely based on his words but his awestruck expression spoke heaps to how he felt. And, if that had not been enough, watching him proudly pull them on in the morning to wear to Nelson Road was all the proof you needed that the man was knit-worthy.

Knitted socks were not the most common sight around Nelson Road, especially not on one Jamie Tartt. Sports socks had long been his sock of choice until recently. While the beige socks had gotten a couple of curious looks, it was nothing too peculiar given how temperatures had dropped in the past week or so. It seemed a simple and effective solution to keeping warm, so effective that a few others decided to jump on the bandwagon.

“My toes feel like they’re at the beach in Chacala. I can hear the waves calling,” Dani quipped the first time he tried wearing woolly socks to training.

“Me too, boyo, it doesn’t even matter I look like I’m wearing my granddad’s socks,” Colin agreed.

2.

You had gotten hooked on knitting hats. After making yourself three in the span of a month, you were on the hunt for more heads to make beanies for. Luckily, Jamie kindly volunteered and even got involved with the process, choosing a bold, variegated yarn for his beanie. It took no time at all and within a week of casting on, Jamie was rocking his new headwear at Nelson Road.

It was definitely an unusual sight, not seeing an ICON cap atop Jamie’s head but with how chilly it had been, no one thought too much about it.

“I didn’t realise you wore beanies,” Keeley commented one day as she passed him in the hallway.

“Fuck yeh, I do now,” Jamie replied.

“Looks good,” Keeley offered and Jamie practically bounced away much to Keeley’s amusement.

He came home to tell you about how good your beanies looked and it had to be true because Keeley said so and Keeley knows all about fashion.

“Babe, babe, I think you could fucking sell these and making a fucking fortune,” Jamie continued excitedly and you laughed.

3.

Following the success of the first pair of socks, you knew another pair had to be made. It took a little while but when you chanced upon a yarn colourway called “Tart”, you were sold. Sure, it probably was not a colour in Jamie’s usual colour palette but it was a nice wine colour that you were confident he would look good in regardless.

The last pair of socks had been a real plain vanilla pair of socks and having had a little more practice now, you were ready to dive into something more textured for Jamie’s second pair of socks.

You were pretty proud of the end product and you swore Jamie lit up brighter than the New York City skyline when you handed them over. He had been eagerly awaiting their completion, watching you like a hawk each night and trying to figure out when you would have them done. One pair of woolly socks just was not enough to satisfy the man now that he had gotten a taste of toasty toes.

Jamie gave you no time or opportunity to wash the socks before he wore them. He needed these socks in his life right away and you were happy to oblige. Jamie excitedly wore his socks to Nelson Road the next day which caught a few more eyes this time. Afterall, it was even more of an unusual look for Jamie.

“Pretty sure those are hand knitted,” Bumbercatch commented from across the locker room one day as the resident knitting know-it-all.

“Yeh, his mum probably made it for him, bruv,” Issac said dismissively.

It had been a fair guess. Afterall, no one knew you existed. You were a naturally private person and you knew all that came with being Jamie’s girlfriend. What if it didn’t last and you had to then deal with all the fallout? Jamie understood and you agreed you two could go semi-public after Christmas if you guys were still together then. While Jamie had initially been disappointed, he came to really enjoy having something that was truly his. No media, no team chatter.

*

Jamie decided he had been benefitting too much from your new hobby without properly compensating you for your time and effort. Remembering that Bumbercatch was an avid knitter, Jamie stopped him one day seeking advice on tools he could get you to further your craft.

“What would you get as a present for a knitter?” Jamie asked Bumbercatch after everyone else had emptied from the locker room.

“Yarn is always good. There’s local yarn shop a few blocks away that has a good selection and they have some good tools too,” Bumbercatch offered.

With Christmas round the corner, Bumbercatch did not think much about it. Based on what he had been led to believe, Jamie was likely buying something for his mum.

4.

It had been a real labour of love. When Jamie had presented you with a beyond generous amount on a gift card and a set of fancy interchangeable needles, you knew you had to go big for his Christmas present. It had been a little hard to hide all the balls of yarn you had had to buy. It was even trickier trying not to make his present in front of him because you knew you would crack and tell him what it was the moment he gave you his big adoring eyes. But, all the late nights spent knitting out of Jamie’s sight and afternoons spent hiding in cafes to knit had been worth it.

“Babe, you fucking made this?”

You had been so excited to present him your pièce de résistance you were practically vibrating as he held up the cream cabled sweater vest. You knew it was not his usual look but it felt special making something not basic for Jamie.

“I know it’s not exactly the Jamie Tartt style but I wanted to do something more instead of just a basic knit. I would’ve made you a sweater but I didn’t want the sweater curse to come true so I thought maybe a vest would be a good loophole? You don’t have to wear it out or at a—…”

Jamie did not let you finish blabbering because he grabbed your face to plant an appreciative kiss on your lips.

“I’m fucking wearing this everywhere, love, this thing is fucking magic,” Jamie proclaimed and you were not quite sure what he meant by magic but you appreciated the thought anyway.

The first day back at training after Christmas had most buzzing. It was always nice and energizing to have a good break with loved ones, whether it was spent with their own families or Higgins’. But, when Jamie walked in in his cozy cream cabled sweater vest like he was in a hallmark movie, the whole facility stilled.

“Morning, lads,” Jamie greeted, paying no attention to way the room had quietened after his entry.

Bumbercatch nudged Colin who stood next to him, “I think Jamie has a girlfriend.”

“What’s got you thinking that, boyo?”

“That vest. It’s a recent release online by a big knitwear designer. It’s not a mum pattern. See?”

Colin and Isaac looked at the page on Bumbercatch’s phone and he was right. The vest Jamie was wearing looked almost identical to the one in the photo.

“It could—…”

Sick of all the speculations, Isaac turned and yelled out to Jamie, “BRUV!”

“Yea, man? What’s got your knickers in a twist?”

“Your vest. Who made it?”

“Oh,” Jamie paused for a moment before remembering that Christmas had passed and it was now safe for him to answer, “me girlfriend. She’s a fucking knitting genius.”

[solecize]

  ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ  𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 | 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: every summer on your grandpa's farm was real-life magic to your younger self, who left a piece of her heart in amber valley when the years went on and the town became nothing but a faint childhood memory. soon enough, you become rocked by his death and realize the dead end in your bustling city world. this leads to you making an abrupt decision.

despite knowing nothing but designer purses and the corporate ladder, you uproot your entire life to take over your grandfather's old farm in the town you were desperately trying to remember - alongside a familiar face from your youth that permanently finds his way into your heart.

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: jungkook/reader 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒. inspired heavily by stardew valley, friends to lovers, childhood friends, cowboy jungkook, small town alternate universe, slice of life, grief, growing up, mutual pining 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓. 4.6k 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒. warnings for more mentions of death and jungkook being an idiot

part five: the phone call, the apology and the confession  ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ   ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ   ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ previous. next. masterlist

xii. the phone call

  being on the farm made you feel like a kid again - that was a given. when you were young, you often made your chores into games, to see how fast you could feed the chickens or tend to crops. however, being the sole individual responsible for upkeep and for the way the farm was now your source of income, it was evidently no longer a fun little game when barbies got boring. while you were in charge of your own schedule, you eventually hit the point where you felt like all of your energy was gone everyday. one of the only things that was keeping you sane was your friends.

  on the other hand, jungkook was having the exact opposite effect - driving you insane. for more than one reason.

  the email blast for movie night was originally forwarded to you by taehyung and you did accept, which you ultimately regretted come the night of. you usually didn’t partake in much during the week, as you reserved your social battery for the saloon on the weekends, but you didn’t see any issue upon receiving the invitation. 

  “do you want me to make you a coffee?” jungkook offered, as he stood across from you on the opposite end of taehyung’s kitchen island.

  it was the usual cluster of people gathered in taehyung’s charming bungalow, close to the river. you’d never been in a group of friends that were so adamant to their dedication of spending time together and not using work or school as an excuse to shut themselves in. most of the boys had brought food or drinks without any prior arrangement or communication, resulting in an abundance to share.

  you were glad you thought of picking up a bottle of wine beforehand and wasn’t the odd one out, but with your fatigue, you knew you weren’t going to be able to enjoy it yourself. it was the day for cleaning pens and sorting waste, so you’d been outside all day and smelled exactly like your chores. even though you took a lengthy shower and mentally prepared for movie night, you were exhausted beyond measure. 

  you shook your head. “i’m okay, thank you. i have to get up at five tomorrow.”

  from behind you, seokjin emerged from the living room and despite the current movie only halfway through - it was apparently jungkook’s pick, captain america: the first avenger - it looked like he was ready to leave. leftovers in hand, he brought jungkook in for a quick side hug and then did the same for you.

  “bye guys! sorry i have to leave early. y/n, i’ll come by tomorrow after work for the eggs?” seokjin beamed, leaning on the door frame and you noticed a handful of pink carnations in his grasp.

  you gave him a thumbs up. slowly, but surely, the tides were turning for the farm and making profit. you didn’t lack confidence that you would be able to make money for yourself, but you were unsure of how long it would take for your income sources to be stabilized. building a customer base off of the farm’s longstanding customers was easier than expected, but you had to work on improving efficiency and diversification of your products. at the end of the day, though, you were just one person and you were doing well. 

  this is what you continued to attempt to explain to your parents. shortly after seokjin’s departure, before you could join the rest of your friends and finish the movie, you received a call from your father and you excused yourself to taehyung’s backyard.

  your mother was the type to be overbearing and overprotective, while your father had a knack for criticizing you and making you question yourself. since moving, you seldom provided business updates to your father, which likely led to this phone call in the first place.

  “you’ve thought about how you’ll need to make further investments, right?” his voice was dry and it made your blood boil.

  breathing in deeply, you simply replied, “yes.”

  “okay, have you been managing your time well? the physical demands of the job?”

  it was as if your dad kept rattling off a list of reasons why you were incompetent for your role and you didn’t notice until now, but you had dug half-crescent moons into the palm of your hand. no matter how many times you said yes or that you had it covered, he continued going.

  by the time you finally escaped the phone call, you already began thoughts of doubt and wondering if he was on to something. you were saying you were handling things, but were you really? your worn down, sore body was screaming at you as you pondered.

  eventually, the sliding door into the house creaked open and you remembered where you were. jungkook appeared, having slipped on a denim jacket to combat the slight wind in the air and stepped out to the deck. there was a small frown drawn on his face.

  “you okay?” he asked.

  nearing a month in town and several weeks of jungkook’s presence becoming a constant around the farm, it was safe to say that the two of you grew close once again. it was more than you were willing to admit, that was for sure. it still surprised you when you heard how harsh your tone was when you opened your mouth.

  “i need to go home,” you snapped. you could feel your eyelids growing heavy, too, and you couldn’t be around anyone but yourself right now.

  jungkook raised his eyebrows. “already? that’s too bad, you missed most of the movie.”

  “just gotta go,” you mumbled, stuffing your phone into the back pocket of your jeans.

  you got up, remembering that you left your sweater indoors, but jungkook still stood in front of the door. you had to hold back from grumbling.

  “i was hoping you’d go for a ride with me before you went home.”

  “a ride?” you sputtered. “no, i can’t do that.” your response was immediate and you noticed the way his eyes widened for a moment, as if he said something wrong. you were too tired to clarify how tired you were or how you haven’t been able to bring yourself to attempt riding again. it was a topic of discussion for another day.

  jungkook wasn’t sure what to say. “oh, okay.” and just like that, you side-stepped right past him and into the house to grab your things.

  the exit was unceremonious and it was fast, as you were holding back tears from the phone call with your father. you could vaguely recall jungkook asking you if he could walk you home, but you already flew out the door. your body was shaking the entire time after the conversation and you could only focus on making it home.

  your heart was in your throat and your shoulders were tense, as your head hung down the entire walk back to the farmhouse. you knew things weren’t going to magically be easy, but you at least thought you were doing a good job. you only wanted your parents to think the same.

  amidst your physical and mental exhaustion, you realized you took a wrong turn and weren’t sure where you were. your chest tightened and you could only wonder what kind of bad luck you rolled for the day. cheeks wet from stray tears, you wanted to scream.

you pulled your phone out, only realize it was a dead battery. maybe you were as helpless as your dad kept making you out to be, since you seemed to always find yourself in these kinds of situations. a cold breeze danced around your body and you shivered aloud. 

  “y/n?” 

  you recognized the voice to be seokjin, who no longer held flowers and seemed to be heading home. you hastily wiped your face, which he didn’t miss. he tentatively approached closer.

  “the farm is the other way, where are you going at this time of night?” seokjin asked gently.

  “i guess i took a wrong turn,” you sighed, hoping the way your breath shook when you did so wasn’t so obvious.

  seokjin offered to walk you back home and this time, in all your weariness, accepted. you peered over as the two of you walked and saw jungkook’s name flash on his phone. you remembered how you left the house and a heavy load of guilt settled in your stomach. you made the metal note to apologize to him tomorrow. 

  “i thought you had somewhere to be?” you tried breaking the awkward silence. 

  seokjin never missed a hangout with the boys and even if he had somewhere to go, he made sure that he provided snacks or anything of the sort to his friends. he was the type to take care of everyone. even you, a newcomer to town, seokjin didn’t forget to make you an extra cookie when he made some for the boys or save a seat for you at the saloon. 

  his smile seemed different than usual. “i made a quick stop to the cemetery to say hi to my wife.”

  you broke eye contact, looking down. you weren’t sure until that moment, but over the past month, you were forming the idea that seokjin’s wife wasn’t around. you connected the dots, but didn’t want to ask anyone for confirmation. 

  “can i ask how long?” you spoke slowly.

  “two years today. taehyung didn’t know what day it was when he planned the movie, but i insisted that everyone go on with the plans and i would just leave early.” 

  he explained that he moved to amber valley to be with his wife four years ago, before she passed away due to a terminal illness. you couldn’t even imagine. like jungkook, you would have never been able to tell with seokjin. you wondered if it was the same for others when they interacted with you, if the remnants of your grief were evident in your day-to-day motions. 

  you said, “loss is a funny thing. it follows you everywhere and you don’t notice until you remember to turn around.”

  “that means loss is also something that you have to leave behind you, y/n. it’s not easy, but you get there.” the small smile on seokjin’s face, whose energy never faltered, was comforting. “it’s people like you and jungkook that inspire me to look forward from loss. i think we’re all doing well for ourselves.”

  before the conversation with seokjin, you wouldn’t have been able to agree with that. you’d spend the last hour or so dwelling on the things you weren’t doing right or weren’t doing enough of. but, he was right. you were doing your absolute best and that was all that mattered. 

  xiii. the apology

  the days that followed, you saw less and less of jungkook. deep down, you knew it was your fault. you didn’t mean to storm out on him after the call with your dad and you lacked opportunities to apologize. he still replied to your texts, albeit with less enthusiasm and playfulness than usual. it seemed like he had legitimate excuses to step away from the farm, though, having heard from taehyung that mrs. oh was sick that week and jungkook had to take on more at work.

  you decided to take matters into your own hands. after failing to appear at the saloon that weekend, you decided to take an extra long lunch break on sunday and found yourself walking over to his store. this wasn’t the first time you visited him at work - in fact, you stopped by earlier in the week because you were passing by and you wanted to bother him. it wouldn’t be out of place for you to pop in.

  “is jungkook not here?” you asked sangwoo, mrs. oh’s thirteen year old son who was propped up in front of the register, watching a tv show on his phone. 

  sangwoo’s bored eyes looked up at you. “dunno. he’s not working today.”

  that was strange. you thought that was the part of the reason why he couldn’t come by the farm. you thanked the boy and left the store, wondering what you should do next. you contemplated texting him, but he left the meme you sent last night on delivered.

  as you walked back to the farm, you decided to take an early left turn and soon ended up in front of jungkook’s house. since moving back, this was actually your first time seeing his house again. it looked mostly untouched from your memories and you noticed that the white pick-up truck that once belongs to jungkook’s dad was still kept in the driveway. the tree in his front yard still had the same tire swing that you once almost broke your neck fooling around on.

  you weren’t entirely sure about what you were doing to say when he opened the door. you decided against outright accusing him of avoiding you, even though that was exactly what you thought he was doing. maybe take a page out of his book and conjure up a wild excuse.

  when you rang the doorbell, you realized there was no sound that followed and softly knocked instead. in a few moments, the door creaked open, just enough for you to make out jiwon’s big eyes.

  “oh, hi y/n!” her toothy smile reminded you of her big brother.

  you mirrored the smile. “hi jiwon. do you mind getting jungkook?”

  she opened the door wider and you could make out the living room behind her. there, you noticed hoseok fast asleep on the leather recliner seat in front of the television. jiwon quietly put a finger to her pursed lips, pointing to hoseok’s sleeping figure. she stepped out and you made space for her, as she closed the door. 

  “your brother is out?” you asked.

  jiwon nodded, clutching onto the teddy bear in her hand. it was the same one that once belonged to jungkook. you remembered because when you guys turned eleven, you made fun of him for a whole summer straight for still carrying it around. her other hand held a handheld electric fan to ward off the amber valley summer heat.

  “he took leo to the vet. why are you looking for him?” she sang the last part, swinging back and forth, looking up at you with a smirk that seemed to know more than you did. 

  you assumed leo was jungkook’s horse, knowing he continued to keep them at his house. that instilled a sense of relief in you, as it made you think less than he was intentionally avoiding you. your bubble was shortly burst.

jiwon sat down on the porch bench. “oh, and he’s definitely avoiding you!”

  “what?” you blinked, thinking that you didn’t hear her correctly.

  “i said hoseok is the worst sitter, i’m bored with nothing to do.”

  this little girl was definitely jeon jungkook’s sister, the mischievous glint in her eyes was all the proof you needed. 

  for the next half an hour, despite having only left the farm for a quick break, you broke out in conversation with jiwon and enjoyed chatting with her. you always wanted a sister and you always complained that god gave you jungkook as a friend instead. you couldn’t believe how bubbly and intelligent jiwon was for her age.

  jiwon was sitting crisscrossed, playing with the arm of her stuffed animal. “unnie. . .” you didn’t even flinch when she called you that, instead smiling. “can i ask you something?”

  “sure, jiwon,” you replied.

  she looked off to where her dad’s old truck was parked. “can you tell me what my parents were like? oppa gets kind of upset when i ask.” 

  you froze. the last month, you were dedicated to connecting with the valley once more. over time, you remembered the smell of coffee in town square and the way the sand on the beach shone like glitter. you remembered what it was like having neighbours and how cutting fresh grass felt like home. it was gradual, but you were slowly getting there. regardless, some memories only lived in picture frames and buried in your mind, underneath years that have gone by.

  “they were the best people,” you offered, closing your eyes and trying to imagine yourself on the same porch with jungkook as kids, where his dad taught you two how to play chess and his mom would always come out with iced tea after a long day. “your dad was the kind of man who was good at everything. he showed jungkook and i how to fly a kite, how to play chess - “

  “i love chess!” she interrupted, the smile on her face widening at the thought of her dad sharing something with her.

  like jungkook, jiwon looked at the brighter side of life. it was admirable. you could only wish it was contagious. 

  jiwon began swinging her legs on the bench. “i have the best oppa, but i feel bad for him sometimes. he was really smart when you were little, right?”

  “as smart as he can be with that dense skull of his,” you joked, which made jiwon giggle.

  she said, “did you go to college? i know oppa didn’t go to college so he could take care of me. . .”

  you reassured jiwon that jungkook only wanted the best for her and that he was happy right now. at that moment, you made out his figure approaching, walking with his horse by his side. you quickly stood up and you didn’t notice the way jiwon smiled in satisfaction when she watched you do so.

  “y/n? what are you doing here?” jungkook was puzzled at your appearance. 

  before you could answer, jiwon interjected. “can unnie watch me next time?” she was giddy, holding onto your arm. your heart warmed, knowing that jiwon took a liking to you.

  “jiwon, you know y/n is always busy,” jungkook scolded, pinching her nose. “sorry, i know she’s a handful.” he turned to you, apologetically.

  “hey!” jiwon piped, but he waved her off.

  you shook your head. “actually, i wouldn’t mind at all. i’d love to look after her whenever you need.”

  jungkook’s eyes softened. he cleared his throat and gestured for jiwon to come closer to him. he whispered something in her ear and handed over leo’s lead rope to her, presumably directing for her to take the horse behind the house. she rolled her eyes at him and did so.

  it was just the two of you now, standing underneath the beating sun. his cowboy hat protected his face, while you were covered partially by the house. still, he came closer and gently tugged you into the house, murmuring something about the heat wave that week.

  like the set-up of the farmhouse, there were several electric fans on at once inside. now that you were able to observe closer, you saw that jungkook’s house was a lot different than what you remembered. the furniture was different and was arranged differently. the old fireplace was closed up. his kitchen was no longer filled to the brim with snacks, as his mother used to keep it, and the only thing on his counter was a coffee machine. 

  “i wanted to change things up when they passed away, so i wouldn’t dwell so much,” he spoke, as if reading your mind. 

  there was only one picture that you recognized on the walls, being one of you and jungkook when you were approximately six years old. captured was the same living room, where the two of you were playing with power rangers figures. everything else was foreign, mostly recent pictures of jiwon. there was a single family portrait by the staircase, which depicted a toddler-aged jiwon and a teenage jungkook.

  you snapped out of it when you heard hoseok’s snores, still fast asleep a few feet away from you. jungkook snorted when he noticed. his voice remained at the same volume, unbothered.

  “why did you come by?” jungkook put his keys on the table next to the entryway. 

  you sighed. “i just wanted to apologize for the other night. i’ve been under a lot of pressure and my body was so exhausted that day, too.”

  he nodded slowly. “it’s okay. i was just. . .worried about you. jin told me he ran into you on your way home.”

  “yeah, i had a lot going on.” you brushed off imaginary dust off your tank top. “i didn’t mean to intrude, sorry.”

  jungkook assured you everything was fine and you did believe him in the moment. however, for the next week that followed, it appeared as though everything was but. you weren’t sure what affirmations you were chasing, but you were aware that things were off with him.

things were normal when you hung around everyone else, but jungkook still hadn’t returned to his usual routine with you of coming around the farm. he was lively when you conversed at the saloon or when you ran into each other in town, but it seemed like an invisible wall was erected between the two of you and you had no idea where it came from. you, being you, made it your mission to figure out why.

  xiv. the confession

  yoongi gave you a deadpan expression when you came to him for advice. you didn’t actually mean to come to him for advice, but as you happened to run into him at the hardware store, the sales clerk made a side comment that you couldn’t ignore.

  “where’s your boyfriend? don’t you two usually come in together?” she asked you, as you came in to check out new work boots. 

  you were perplexed when you realized she was talking about jungkook. for the previous weeks, you accompanied jungkook to the hardware store whenever he found a new excuse of a repair to help out with. 

  “he’s working today,” said a voice behind you and you turned around, seeing it was yoongi with insect repellant in his hand.

  the sales clerk seemed pleased with the answer. “oh, i see! i was just surprised, i’ve never seen you without him at your side!”

  “hi yoongi, nice seeing you,” you said, after giving the young lady a polite fake laugh.

  the two of you made small talk about the weather and walked out together. when you made it outside, you decided to be blunt.

  “i made jungkook upset, didn’t i?”

  he looked at you blankly. “no, he’s just under the impression that you’re overwhelmed with work and feels like he’s been ‘too much’” yoongi made air-quotes, as if repeating back jungkook’s exact words.

  “in what way?” you questioned.

  “i literally just said - oh, you guys are so clueless with each other.” yoongi squeezed his eyes shut. “bless your heart, honestly.”

even though a part of you felt it every time you opened your front door and saw jungkook, or even just seeing his name pop up on your phone, you remained silent. what were you to even say to that?

  he said, “oh, come on. even the little teenager at the hardware store can see that the two of you have feelings for each other.”

  sometime in between sharing meals together, sneaky glances when the other wasn’t looking and unassuming banter, there were undefined feelings that settled in the cracks. there was understanding and there was nostalgia. what you felt for jungkook you had yet to calculate. there was no other answer to what drove you towards him. 

  that same night, you decided it was time to put your foot down. you texted jungkook, confirming dinner with him and asked to meet you at the saloon. that was mistake number one. you don’t know why you thought it was going to be a good idea and realized where you went wrong when you entered, noticing that a few of your friends were lingering. it shouldn’t have surprised you, considering it was everyone’s typical hangout spot.

  you waved to hoseok and taehyung, declined jimin’s offer of a beer, and sat down at the very back of the bar. you hoped that this would be a sufficient sign for them to leave you be and then, jungkook walked in. you pretended to not notice and he walked over to your friends, greeting them and chatting with them briefly. namjoon then pointed towards you and you groaned, knowing that the boys were about to spectate your conversation.

  “hey, y/n. did you order yet?” jungkook smiled, taking the seat across from you. you saw a thumbs up from namjoon, away from everyone else’s line of vision, and you wanted to face palm.

  you shook your head. “how are you?” 

  today, he was dressed in his typical attire. all black, wearing dark denim and a wife beater tank. jungkook took off his hat when he walked in and placed it next to him. every outfit he wore seemed to expose his beautiful tattoos and it was always hard to not stare. you got a glimpse of his chest pieces a few times when he was working on the farm and the heat proved too aggressive for him, which prompted him to go shirtless. it was cute when he hurriedly covered up when you approached at these times, apparently too shy to be half-naked around you.  

  jungkook began talking about work and apologized for not coming around as much. the small talk made you even more nervous, having walked in and ready to lay down the law. the thoughts about him and what you thought were unresolved feelings between you and him were following you like bees to honey. despite this, you grew less confident as the mundane conversation dragged on. the two of you continued chatting and the subject eventually changed to the upcoming midsummer fair.

  “so, who are you taking to the fair? it’s become more of a ‘couple’ thing in recent years.” jungkook’s tone was breezy and casual, but you nearly choked on your water. 

  you tried to compose yourself, breathing as deeply as you could without making it obvious. “oh, really?”

this was your time to confess. the idea made you nauseous, as if you were a school girl. you took a breath. 

“yeah. you know. . .” jungkook trailed off, in thought. “taehyung seems to have taken a liking to you. you should ask him!” 

  did he just say taehyung? a plastic smile stretched across your lips, as you took a second to take it in. the enthusiasm on jungkook’s features confused you in a way you had never been confused before. you were reading everything wrong. the small touches, the big gestures. you couldn’t believe everything was all in your head. 

  “look, taehyung and i have gotten close since he moved to town. i’ll help you out,” jungkook declared. “you’re gonna need it, ugly.”

  “shut up!” you chuckled through your teeth, neither agreeing or arguing with him. you were still in a state of surprise.

  by the time the two of you began eating, it was just a few other patrons left in the saloon. a quiet thursday night, but your mind was screaming with just about a hundred different things and you could only smile and nod at jungkook, who was explaining taehyung’s ideal type. when jungkook got up to use the bathroom, you caught namjoon and hoseok’s eyes from the bar.

  when the former gave you a thumbs up, you could only respond with the most aggressive thumbs down possible.

  𝐓𝐀𝐆 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓. @sstrongstyletyle @wobblewobble822@taiwan0618 @seokout @firelcrds @xwniazx @shellyyy177

[chukys-mouthguard]

total knockout -ax72

Current Mood: an NHL moodboard series

-> arber xhekaj- boxer au!

-> genre - angst/fluff/suggested smut

A week before the bout…

Any time Arber had a big fight on the schedule, it meant well over a month of training. The diet, the workouts, all of it had such an impact on not only him but you. Being the girlfriend of someone who literally punches people in the face for a living wasn’t always bright lights and heavyweight belts.

Majority of the time, you were going through it right alongside Arber. Sticking by his side despite times like right now when he wasn’t the sweetest or easiest to be around.

“Babe, please. I’m just trying to help.”

You let out a sigh as Arber groaned, tossing the bandage onto the bathroom counter as he retreated to your bedroom. He’d tweaked his shoulder in his training session and his coach was urging him to wrap it every night to help the healing process. Which meant you got to play doctor for the next week or so until he was feeling better. But, shockingly, you weren’t a doctor and your skills were lacking.

“It’s fine! I’ll just sleep without it tonight.”

His tone was harsh and laced with exhaustion, letting you know this wasn’t something you should take to heart. Though you normally didn’t, letting his comments or harsh tone roll off your back.

“Arber, you know what your coach said. Now come on, I’ll take my time and make sure I get it right this time.”

He smiled softly at you before stealing a kiss, taking your hand in his as he led you back into the bathroom for attempt number twelve at wrapping his shoulder for the night.

The night of the bout…

You’d only had a brief moment with Arber before you had to head to your seat. His mind focused on the task at hand as you watched him get his knuckles taped up and wrapped by his coach. Though he didn’t speak to you much, you knew how much he appreciated having you with him in these moments.

The way his eyes would occasionally meet yours, a wink would follow before he’d focus back on his coach. Once he’d gotten his pep talk he made his way over to where you’d found a spot in the back of the locker room. Keeping out of the way as you hated feeling like a burden or an annoyance.

“Hey baby.”

Your smile was soft, trying your best to not show your nerves, though Arber saw right through you. And the nerves never got any better, quite the opposite actually. The more and more he’d fight the more worried you became of injuries and the long term effects he’d face from this sport. But this was his passion, and despite your fears, Arber was quite good and could handle his own.

“Hi, you ready?”

Arber nodded as he stole a kiss from you, his taped up hands resting at your hips as he took advantage of the short moment he’d have with you before he’d have to bid you farewell.

“To go bash a guys face in? Hell yeah I am!”

He laughed as you rolled your eyes, his jokes one of the few things that could lighten the mood in situations like this.

“As long as it’s his face and not yours. Good out there and kick some ass. I love you.”

The morning after the bout…

Rolling over in bed, your eyes fluttered open at sunlight peeking through the blinds. A soft sigh leaving your lips as you draped an arm over Arber’s chest. Looking up at his sleeping figure you took in his battle scars earned from the night before.

Victory didn’t come easy for him; a cut over his eyebrow still bandaged up, bruises scattered over his face, with a black eye to finish off the damage. Your fingers traced over his features, careful not to press too hard and wake him, hating what this sport did to him. But seeing him hoist the championship belt the night before, the pure excitement and proof that his hard work paid off, made it a little easier to swallow having to see him so battered and bruised.

“Mmm”

Arber softly groaned at the feeling of your touch, leaning his cheek into your hand as you felt one of his reach out for you. His palm resting on your thigh as his eyes softly opened to look up at you.

“Hey baby, good morning. How’s the damage?”

A chuckle left your lips as you scanned his face, the cut above his eyes being the only thing that needed any attention.

“Not the worst, but definitely still not the best.”

Getting up you quickly went to the bathroom, grabbing a first aid kit and some peroxide to clean his brow. Arber sat up and leaned against the headboard, assuming the position that had become a familiar routine the morning after fights.

As you returned from the bathroom you couldn’t help but notice the blanket now gathered at his waist. His chiseled chest and arms exposed as he patiently waited for you to play doctor and fix him up.

“Does it hurt?”

You asked the same question you always did, carful to remove the bandage and clean the cut on his face. Arber slightly laughing, as his answer never changed when you asked him the question. But he appreciated you worrying about him.

“Babe, I’m a big strong boy, I can handle it don’t worry.”

He flexed his biceps at you as he spoke, partially showing them off because he knew how much his muscles got you going. And he wasn’t wrong, your eyes trying to focus on cleaning his wounds versus staring at his arms that were calling out for your attention.

“If you’re trying to start something, it’s not happening. You’re all bruised up, don’t want to make any of that worse for you babe.”

You pecked his lips before wrapping up with tending to his wounds, moving to take the items back to the bathroom. But the feeling of Arber snaking an arm around your waist let you know he had other ideas.

You’d dropped the first aid kit items on the bedside table as Aber pulled you back into bed. Positioning you below him as he rested his arms on either side of your head, staring down at you with a smirk.

“Baby, I told you I’m a big strong boy. And you won’t do anything to make this worse, in fact-“

His lips found their place against your neck as he slowly trailed kisses across your skin, leaving a few quick bites in the process.

“I think all the things you want to do to me right now would make me feel so much better.”

[lenorashore]

An excerpt (550 words) from my upcoming Sebastian x f!MC fic. I'm trying to have it completed this week or next!

Edit: It's finished!! Velvet Whispers

(Context: MC is helping Sebastian study for Potions class in the RoR, 6th year. They're still just friends.)

Corresponding audio

I held a vial of purple liquid up to the light, examining its rich opacity. “It didn’t take long for the Room to provide. That first night, it conjured a spacious master suite just for me.”

I heard him gulp behind me.

“Does it… provide for everyone? Or just you?” he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

I didn’t turn from my preparations. “Hm. Not sure! Why don’t you try imagining something you want and we’ll see if it conjures it for you.”

After a few moments of silence with no new conjurations, I turned to him. “Nothing, eh? What’d you ask for?”

His face flushed a deep shade of crimson, and he quickly glanced away. “Oh! N-nothing, really. Just… a pantry of snacks or something.”

I gave him a skeptical look, noting the obvious lie before turning back to the potions station with a small smile. “Maybe the Room just needs time to get used to you. You should, uh... come by more often.”

I heard his footsteps slowly approach behind me, each one measured and deliberate.

“Would the Room like that?” His voice was low, threaded with a firm suggestiveness that sent a shiver down my spine. I kept my eyes on the vial in front of me, fighting to keep my focus steady.

“Oh, I’m sure it would,” I replied, feigning nonchalance as I carefully measured another ingredient. But my hand trembled slightly, betraying the effect he was having on me.

Sebastian’s presence drew even closer, his voice just above a whisper now. “And what about you? Would you like that?”

I swallowed, willing my voice to stay steady. “I—I don’t mind a bit of company now and then,” I replied, carefully placing the vial on the table, my hands showing a slight tremor.

He chuckled softly. “Now and then?” he murmured, his breath close enough to tickle the back of my neck.

I took a deep breath and turned, meeting his gaze head-on. He began treading forward again, slowly and deliberately. I tried my best to change the subject. “So, what part of Sharp’s assignment are you struggling with, Sallow? The ingredients or the procedure?” I arched an eyebrow, hoping to redirect his focus.

With one final step, my back pressed firmly against the station, the glass vials behind me clinking softly from the contact.

My heart raced, but I fought to keep my composure. “M-maybe you need to test a different potion first to get the hang of it?” I stammered, though my words felt a little too weak.

His eyes never left mine, but they flicked downward for a brief moment, lingering on my lips. “Maybe. Or maybe I like this assignment better,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver through me.

He flattened his palms onto the station on either side of me and began leaning in. 

“Sebastian…” I whispered, not sure if I was warning him or encouraging him. His gaze flicked between my eyes and my lips.

“Tell me to stop,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble, daring me to set a boundary — or let it blur entirely.

But I stayed silent, my breath caught in my throat, and he leaned in even closer, both of our eyes fluttering shut.

The quiet was deafening.

[vodika-vibes]

So Long As We're Together

Summary: It’s been several years since you’ve settled into a shared life on Pabu with Wrecker. Your enemies are different now, cancer rather than Imperials, but you know you can face anything with Wrecker by your side.

Pairing: TBB Wrecker x F!Reader

Word Count: 1405

Warnings: Cancer

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: So, I will preface this by saying that only my cousin needed chemo when he had cancer. My mom only needed radiation, and my step-brother had immunotherapy. So I used google for the side-effects of chemo. Anyway, I needed to focus on something that's not AU related for a little bit, so here's this.

You wake to the scent of breakfast filling the home you share with Wrecker. And, as much as you would like to curl up into a ball and pretend that nothing exists outside your bed, you can hear Wrecker singing from the kitchen.

Your lips curl up into an amused smile as you roll from your side to your back and stretch out under the thin blankets with a groan.

For a moment, you consider pulling your pillow over your head and going back to sleep, but as you listen to Wrecker in the next room, your heart swells with affection and you decide you’d rather be with him over getting more sleep.

So you sit up and swing your legs over the side of the bed to get to your feet. You absently tug Wrecker’s shirt over your head, and press your hand over your mouth to cover your yawn, before heading out of the bedroom.

You’re still sore and exhausted from yesterday’s treatment, but you didn’t wake up nauseous so you take the win.

The home you share with Wrecker is tastefully decorated with things that both of you enjoy. There’s an entire wall filled with pictures of Wrecker’s brothers and their respective spouses as well as Omega at various sports and school events.

Your wedding picture sits in a place of honor in the middle of the wall of pictures, right over the shadow box that holds your bouquet and the unity candles that Wrecker wanted to save.

You straighten one of the pictures, a picture of you and Omega at the tennis court taken several weeks before your diagnosis. Omega had just won the juniors division and she was so excited that she nearly vibrated out of her skin.

Sure that the pictures aren’t crooked, you continue to the kitchen and lean against the door frame to watch Wrecker move around the open room with an ease that never fails to mesmerize you.

With as much as he loves cooking, you honestly thought that he would become a chef now that he no longer has to fight, but he surprised you. Instead, Wrecker became a private detective.

You weren’t sure what kind of work he would have on an island, but he’s surprisingly busy. Or, well, he was until he closed his practice while you’re going through treatment. 

You told him it wasn’t necessary, but Wrecker couldn’t be dissuaded. And neither could the rest of your extended family. 

Your village has become very large, of late, and you’ve never felt more loved.

“Good morning, Wrecker,” You greet lightly, a smile lifting your lips as he turns to look at you over his shoulder, and a blinding smile crosses his handsome face.

“Good morning, cyar’ika,” He sets the pan back on the stovetop and turns to face you, his arms spreading wide.

You immediately slide into his waiting embrace and press your nose against his chest inhaling the scent of Wrecker, allowing him to fill and surround you. His arms fold securely around you, and you’ve never felt safer.

He kisses the top of your head, “How are you feeling?” He asks.

“Exhausted. Sore. But other than that I’m okay.” You reply honestly.

“You feeling up to eating?” Wrecker asks as he rubs your back soothingly.

You consider his question seriously, a nasty side effect of the chemo is that you just don’t get hungry like you should. Between that and the nausea, you’ve lost a concerning amount of weight.

But today you actually feel pretty good.

That’ll probably change before the end of the day, but for now you’ll enjoy not feeling bad.

“Maybe something light? Some fruit?”

“Well now, you’re in luck. As it happens, I made some fruit salad for you,” Wrecker says cheerfully. He drops one more kiss to the top of your head, and then releases you to turn towards the fridge, “Do you think you can try some protein?”

You sink into one of the kitchen chairs, a plush thing that Hunter made for you after your diagnosis but before your first chemo session, and hum thoughtfully, “Let me try the fruit first, and then we can try something heavier in a bit?”

“Deal,” He makes a small bowl for you and sets it on the table, before setting a mug of tea in front of you as well. “Have you taken your pain meds yet?” Wrecker asks as he leans on the table.

“Not yet.”

“I’ll go get them,”

You lightly touch his hand, “You don’t have to.”

He sets his free hand over yours, “I want to.” Wrecker brings your hand to his lips and presses a light kiss to your knuckles, “In sickness and in health, right?”

You sigh adoringly, “What did I do to deserve you?”

“Hm, well your father got his wardrobe stuck on the stairs and you asked for my help,” He grins at you.

You huff out a laugh at the memory, “Honestly, why a 60-year-old man thought he could move the wardrobe on his own—”

Wrecker vanishes from the kitchen for a moment, and you hear him moving around in the bedroom, and then he’s back setting a pair of pills into your hand, “You know what he’s like, stubborn to a fault. Just like his daughter.”

“Well, at least I come by it honestly?”

His lips press against the top of your head again, “That you do.” Wrecker moves back to the stove to put some of the food on a plate for himself and sits next to you on the much plainer chair.

You watch him for a moment, a warm, gooey feeling swelling inside you. You really do love him more than anything. “Do you have any plans for today?”

“Hunter invited us for dinner, assuming you’re feeling up to it.” Wrecker replies, “His father-in-law bought them a grill, and depending on how it does they’ll probably be giving it to us.”

You make a face, “That’s not the best gift for them.”

“Ah, his father-in-law is old, and keeps forgetting that Hunter’s sensitive to strong scents.” Wrecker explains, “Assuming that you’re still feeling pretty solid this evening, I thought we’d go and see them.”

“I’d like that.”

“I thought you might.” Wrecker leans back in his seat, and watches you for a moment, “And you’re sure you’re okay?”

“I am, I promise.” You watch him watching you, “Are you?”

“I’m not the one who’s sick.”

“No, but you are doing your best to support me. And I know this is hard. As much for you as it is for me.”

He’s quiet for a moment, “I don’t like seeing you in pain.” Wrecker finally admits, “And it’s not like I can punch something to make you better. It’s frustrating.” 

You reach across the table and take his hand in yours, “I know that this is my fight, but you know better than anyone that good support can make all of the difference.”

He flips his hand and threads his fingers with yours, “I just wish I could do more.”

“You do plenty.” You reassure him, “Really, Wreck. I mean it. I have bad days, sure, but my good days are so much better because I’m with you. And, when I go into remission, we can take a vacation.”

Wrecker laughs softly, “We live on a tropical island.”

“Then we can have a party or something.”

He sighs and lightly tugs you out of your seat to pull you onto his lap, his lips lightly pressing against yours. “I love you,” He murmurs as he presses his forehead against yours.

“I know, I love you too. Have since the day we met.”

His hand comes up to cup your cheek, “So,” Wrecker teases, “Did you get your dad’s wardrobe stuck on the stairs intentionally then?”

You pout at him or try to, but amusement tugs the corners of your lips up, “And if I did?”

“Sneaky,” He kisses you again, and again. “How about, after breakfast, we curl up on the couch and watch a holo?”

You bump your nose against his, “Can you give me a back massage?”

“Whatever you want, cyar’ika.” Wrecker replies, his smile warm and loving, “I am at your disposal.”

You catch his lips in another kiss, as you snuggle against him. This is how you know everything will be fine. How can it not be when you have Wrecker?