#i’m totally normal about them it’s fine

[oscinhaslandito]

BALLET, BETRAYAL AND A HOSE

disclaimer: this is for pure entertainment please do not send hate. all hate messages are and will be left unacknowledged.

pairing: oscar piastri x norris!reader

word count: 3.8k

Lando and Oscar leaned against the wall outside her classroom in the ballet studio, waiting for Y/N to finish her class. Lando was scrolling through his phone while Oscar stood with his arms crossed, only half-listening to whatever nonsense his best friend was muttering about.

The classroom door opened, and a group of girls in tights and leotards exited, chatting amongst themselves. Oscar barely glanced up—until the last girl walked out.

Y/N, flushed from practice, hair still in a neat bun, leotard hugging her figure way too well, ways Oscar had never even considered before.

He freezes. Brain malfunctions. Thoughts he should not be having about his best friend’s little sister infiltrated his mind at lightning speed. Unholy thoughts, unholy thoughts, unholy thoughts— Nope, stop that, that’s your best friend’s little sister, act normal, mate.

He blinked rapidly, forcing himself back to reality just in time for Y/N to shoot an annoyed glare at Lando.

"Why are you inside? I told you to wait outside."

Lando shrugged, looking completely unbothered. "It's been fifteen minutes. Thought you fell and broke your leg or something."

Y/N rolled her eyes. "Give me five more minutes. I need to shower and change. Then we can leave."

Oscar, still trying to process, nodded too quickly. "Yeah, yeah! Take your time! No rush at all!"

Lando shot him a look. "Why are you being weird?"

"I—I am not weird," Oscar said, voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat. "Totally normal. Super normal. Completely—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Y/N’s ballet instructor exited the classroom.

She was gorgeous. Elegance personified. Every step she took was fluid, like she was floating. She’s got the grace of a goddess. Her hips swayed with effortless grace, her posture straight, and her sharp features gave her an intimidating yet magnetic presence. She walked past them, completely unaware of the chaos she was about to cause.

And then.

Lando wolf-whistles.

The second it leaves his mouth, Y/N’s soul leaves her body. She stares at him, absolutely mortified.

Oscar nearly choked on air, eyes widening in disbelief.

And Lando? The menace? He just grinned.

Not even ashamed. Just shrugs, and mutters, "What? She’s fine as hell."

Lando fully commits to flirting—flashes his most charming grin, smooths out his hoodie like he’s in a tux, and leans against the nearest wall like he’s James Bond.

"So… do you give private lessons? Asking for a friend."

Y/N dies on the spot. Oscar is wheezing, but also still trying to act normal after his own 'crisis'.

And then the teacher? She just chuckles, totally unbothered, and WINKS at Lando before saying, "You aren’t the first guy." Then, with the most graceful sway of her hips, she struts away like a queen.

Lando? Completely entranced. His brain is off. His eyes are GLUED to her until she starts to disappear in the distance. "I think I’m in love."

Y/N groaned, grabbing him by the ear and dragging him away. "I am so sorry, Miss Lillian. Please ignore him. He is not house-trained." While, the woman in return just laughs???

Oscar is just standing there, still recovering from seeing Y/N in a leotard, and now he has to process this madness too. What the actual fuck is happening today? He needed help.

As they walked outside, Y/N was still dragging Lando by the ear, furious while he laughed like an idiot.

"I swear to GOD, if you ever embarrass me like that again, I will revoke your brother privileges. You will no longer be my sibling. You will be just ‘some guy I know’!"

Lando, still rubbing his ear, just grinned. "Worth it."

Meanwhile, Oscar was still awkwardly quiet—which Y/N finally noticed. She frowned. "What’s wrong with you?"

Oscar, still desperately trying not to think about her in a leotard, blurted out, "Nothing! I mean—uh—great weather today, huh? Love the sky. Big fan of clouds."

Just as she was about to interrogate him further, Lando sighed dreamily. "Do you think Miss Lillian likes younger guys?"

Y/N groaned. "Please shut up."

Lando, completely ignoring her: "Like, I’m not saying she wants me, but I am saying I could make her want me, you know?"

Oscar lost it. "YOU WERE STARING AT HER LIKE A LOST PUPPY."

Just as Y/N thinks the nightmare is over, they turn the corner and—BOOM—Miss Lillian is also leaving the building at the same time. She notices them and gives Lando a knowing smile.

Lando panics for one second but then fully commits to the bit. "Hey, fancy seeing you here. Wanna grab a drink?"

Miss Lillian just chuckles, winks, and walks away again, hips swaying. Lando? Mesmerized.

Y/N? Absolutely done with this entire day.

Lando’s driving, humming to himself, and then suddenly notices Oscar glancing at Y/N way too much. He narrows his eyes at first, watching Oscar physically struggle not to look. Then it clicks—and Lando SLAMS the brakes.

Y/N yelps, "WHAT THE HELL?!" while Oscar nearly flies forward. Lando turns in his seat, slowly, dramatically narrows his eyes and gives his best mate the filthiest glare known to mankind like he just witnessed a crime.

"Mate. I consider you one of my best mates. And you… you just stab me in the back like this? IN FRONT OF ME? AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH?"

Oscar is malfunctioning. "I don’t—I wasn’t—I don’t know what you’re talking about!"

Y/N is clueless. "What is happening right now?"

Lando doesn’t even acknowledge her. He’s still burning a hole into Oscar’s soul. "You were staring like she’s a Michelin-star meal, mate. DO NOT DENY IT."

Oscar is fighting for his life. "I WASN’T—"

Lando gasps, clutching his chest. "YOU WERE. YOU ABSOLUTELY WERE."

Y/N is just sitting there, confused as hell.

Y/N, exasperated, "Lando, can we go home??"

Lando, ignoring her, "Oh, we’re going home. But Oscar is not sitting next to you."

Oscar is BANISHED to the front seat while Lando makes Y/N sit in the back, like that somehow prevents romance.

But it gets worse.

Oscar is already suffering, but Lando DOES NOT LET IT GO.

The whole ride home, Lando keeps throwing shots at Oscar.

"So, Oscar, what’s your type? Ballet dancers, perhaps?"

"You ever think about dating someone’s younger sister before?"

"OH WAIT, YOU ALREADY DO, DON’T YOU?"

Oscar wants to die.

And then, when they finally get home, Lando makes it his life mission to ensure Oscar and Y/N DO NOT get a single moment alone.

He follows them around. If Oscar tries to speak to Y/N, Lando INTERRUPTS. If Oscar so much as looks in her direction, Lando gives him a death stare. If Y/N tries to talk to Oscar, Lando physically stands between them.

Later that night, Lando forces Oscar to sleep on an air mattress on the floor of his room, because "We’re not sharing a bed, that’s weird, mate."

And THEN, before they all go to bed, Lando grabs Oscar by the collar and whispers:

"If I even THINK you’re looking at my sister again, I will personally make sure you never drive a car again. Sleep well, mate."

Oscar does not, in fact, sleep well.

Lando is officially in full-overprotective mode, and Oscar is now public enemy #1 in his eyes.

Lando is finally asleep, snoring like a damn freight train. Oscar is wide awake on the air mattress, traumatized from the day’s events. And then—Y/N sneaks in.Like a ninja. Silent. Stealthy. Dangerous. She tiptoes across the room, carefully dodging Lando’s discarded hoodie (gross). Oscar notices way too late. He turns his head and BAM—Y/N IS CRAWLING INTO HIS AIR MATTRESS.

Oscar's in deep shock, "What the—Y/N?!"

Y/N, smirks, feigning innocence, "Shhh. You’ll wake Lando up."

Oscar, panicked whispers "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Y/N just grins, fully curling herself against his side, spoons him like an absolute MENACE. Oscar.exe has stopped working. His brain is fighting for its life. His crush—Lando’s little sister—is just… THERE. ALL CUDDLED UP. CASUALLY. LIKE IT’S NORMAL. Oscar, internally screaming, Be a gentleman. Be a gentleman. BE A GENTLEMAN.

Y/N, cheekily whispers "Can’t sleep. Thought I’d try a different spot."

Oscar, whisper yells at her, "YOUR BROTHER IS LITERALLY RIGHT THERE."

Y/N casually says, "Yeah, but he sleeps like a rock."

Oscar groans, "This is a terrible idea."

Y/N smirks, "So you want me to leave?"

Oscar doesn’t answer. Because no, actually, he does not want her to leave. His heart is slamming against his ribs.

Y/N smirks, "That’s what I thought."

She just settles in, fully comfortable, head on his chest, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Oscar is fighting for his life. His arms are just hovering midair like WHAT DO I DO WITH THESE??? And then? Y/N grabs his hand and puts it around her waist. Oscar dies. Right there. On the spot. He just stares at the ceiling, his soul leaving his body. Meanwhile, Lando snores in the background, completely unaware that his best mate is currently living his worst (best??) nightmare.

Oscar is suffering.

Y/N is fully comfortable, head on his chest, arms wrapped around him, not a care in the world. Meanwhile, Oscar is staring at the ceiling like a man facing the gates of hell. He. Cannot. Move. His entire body is rigid, arms awkwardly hovering in the air like a glitching video game character. If he breathes too hard, will Lando wake up? If he shifts even an inch, will Y/N notice? IF HE LOOKS DOWN, WILL HE SELF-DESTRUCT?? He is trapped. A hostage. A prisoner.

Y/N notices.

She lifts her head slightly, eyes glinting in the dark, "Why are you so stiff?"

Oscar is having an internal crisis. "I—uh—I don’t know what you mean."

Y/N wiggles closer.

Oscar stops breathing. Lando SNORES. Pure. Nightmare. Fuel.

Y/N, all cheeky, "Oh my God. You’re nervous."

Oscar wants to disappear. "I AM NOT." He absolutely is.

Y/N grins against his chest, "You totally are. Your heart is beating so fast."

Oscar, fully malfunctioning, "That's just because I had too much caffeine"

Y/N raises a brow playfully, "At 11 PM?"

"YES."

At this point, Oscar is just praying Lando doesn’t wake up.

But oh, it gets worse.

Y/N? She’s having the time of her life. She traces small circles on his chest, just to see what happens. Oscar freaking glitches. Whole body JOLTS.

Y/N is now grinning like a gremlin. "Ohhh, you are STRUGGLING."

Oscar, on the verge of dying, "Y/N. PLEASE."

Y/N smirks, "Please what?"

Oscar groans, in a 'crisis', "Have mercy."

Y/N pretends to think for brief second, "Mmm... nah."

And THEN.

Lando shifts in his bed.

Oscar freezes completely. Y/N? She doesn’t even flinch. Lando just mumbles something about ‘papaya rules’ in his sleep before turning over. Oscar EXHALES so hard he nearly passes out.

Y/N, casually goes, "Relax. He’s not waking up."

Oscar physically cannot relax.

It starts small. He sighs. Internally accepts his fate. Then, he relaxes—just a little. Then a little more. And then…

HE PULLS Y/N FULLY ONTO HIS CHEST.

Y/N yelps softly, but then grins like an absolute menace. Oscar? His brain is fighting demons, but he commits. One arm wraps around her waist. The other rests lazily on her back. His hand strokes slow, lazy circles on her spine.

Y/N, all smug, "Oh. So now you’re comfortable?"

Oscar, voice all deep and raspy, "Go to sleep, menace."

And then… Y/N falls asleep.

Just fully PASSES OUT. Peaceful. Happy. Cozy. Doing something so brain itchy to Oscar's heart.

For the first time all night, he actually enjoys this.

UNTIL.

The sun rises. Lando wakes up groggy, rubbing his eyes.

He turns his head.

Sees something.

Leans in closer.

Squints.

Blinks.

Blinks again.

And then—

It hits.

Lando SCREAMS. "WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK."

Oscar jerks awake in full-blown panic. Y/N mumbles something about ‘five more minutes’ and nuzzles closer. OH, THIS IS WAR.

Lando launches forward, shoving Y/N off Oscar. She yelps, hitting the floor like a sack of potatoes.

HE JUMPS ON TOP OF OSCAR.

GRABS A PILLOW.

ATTEMPTS MURDER.

WHAM.

Oscar, disoriented, panicking, "WHAT THE HELL, MATE?!"

Lando, fuming, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘WHAT THE HELL’?! YOU’RE CUDDLING MY SISTER, YOU ABSOLUTE TRAITOR!!"

"YOU DIRTY, BACKSTABBING, DISLOYAL PIECE. OF. SHIT." WHACK. WHACK. WHACK.

Oscar is fighting for his life, arms flailing, legs kicking, whole air mattress bouncing. "GET OFF ME YOU PSYCHO—"

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!" WHACK

"I DIDN’T EVEN MOVE ALL NIGHT—"

"DIDN’T MOVE?! YOU LET MY SISTER CUDDLE YOU, YOU BACKSTABBING SNAKE." WHACK WHACK WHACK

"IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE."

"OH, REALLY? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE MY BABY SISTER WAS ALL OVER YOU."

Y/N, from the floor, "…It was mutual, actually."

"I’M GONNA KILL YOU BOTH." Lando yells, stll not getting off of Oscar.

"YOU BETRAYED ME. YOU BETRAYED OUR BROTHERHOOD." "I LET YOU INTO MY HOME." "I SHARED MY FOOD WITH YOU." "AND YOU DO THIS TO ME?"

Oscar is gasping for air.

It’s a full WWE match.

Meanwhile, Y/N is just watching from the floor, completely unfazed. She stretches. Yawns. Checks her nails.

She slowly stands up, dusts herself off. Then, casually walks to the bathroom, turning on the faucet. She fills a glass with cold water, casually walks back.

And then—

SHE DUMPS THE ENTIRE GLASS ON LANDO’S HEAD.

Lando FREEZES. Oscar GASPS for air like a drowning man. The pillow falls.

And Y/N, completely deadpan, "Okay. That’s enough murder for today."

Lando BLINKS. Dripping wet. Absolutely stunned. Oscar wheezes. Y/N sips the last few drops from the glass.

Then, as if nothing just happened, she pats Lando’s head like a child.

“There. Now go take a shower and cool off before you have a stroke.”

Lando? Hair dripping. Hoodie sticking to his skin. Mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Visibly contemplating whether he should actually commit murder. Oscar? Still in shock. Barely survived an attempted homicide. Heart still racing because Y/N was ON HIS CHEST last night. But now his biggest concern is whether he’ll make it out of this house alive. Y/N? Already grabbing her phone, scrolling through Instagram like this was just another Tuesday.

Unbothered. Hydrated. Thriving.

AND THEN—

Lando, finally wiping water off his face, turns to Y/N with pure betrayal. “You were supposed to be on MY side.”

And Y/N, sipping from her now-empty glass like the menace she is, "I am on your side. I just don’t want you to go to jail."

Oscar, whispers weakly "Thank you."

AT BREAKFAST TABLE.

Y/N's just spreading Nutella on her toast, living her best life.

Oscar looks visibly like he's regretting every decision in his life, contemplating booking a one-way flight back to Melbourne.

Lando is still fuming, arms crossed, eyes narrowed at Oscar like he’s planning the next murder attempt. He's still ranting.

"I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU. YOU’RE A TRAITOR. A WEASEL. A FILTHY—" "AND DON’T THINK I WON’T REPLACE YOUR TOOTHPASTE WITH GLUE, PIASTRI." "I’M GONNA MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL."

Oscar, exhausted:, "Mate, I think you already have."

Lando slams his fork down. Oscar flinches. Visibly bracing for another attack. But then—

Y/N STRIKES.

In the middle of Lando’s rant, she grabs Oscar by the collar, yanks him forward and crashes her lips against his.

OSCAR? Gone. MIND? Blank. SOUL? Exited his body. SYSTEM? Full Malfunction.

Lando? Oh he's silent as a graveyard, staring at them, the fork still mid air. Not a single sound. Just. Pure. Utter. Horror.

Y/N pulls away, smug as hell, looking Lando straight in the eye, "This is happening. Me and him. Whether you like it or not."

Oscar? Still frozen. Mouth slightly open. No thoughts. Just static noise.

Lando? Blinking. Processing. Spiraling. Opens his mouth—closes it—opens it again. Grips his glass of juice so hard it nearly explodes.

"I’M GONNA THROW UP."

Lando dramatically pushes his chair back, stomps out of the kitchen like a scorned Victorian widow, muttering something about betrayal, disownment, and needing therapy.

Meanwhile, Y/N? Picks up her toast like nothing happened. Oscar? Still buffering.

Y/N, all casual, "Want some Nutella, babe?"

Oscar's mouth still open, can’t even compute.

She picks up her toast, takes the smallest, most casual bite, and then in the most nonchalant, sweet-as-sugar voice, "Well, now that he’s gone…" smirk "…we can properly make out."

OSCAR.EXE HAS COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN.

His head whips toward her so fast he nearly gives himself whiplash, jaw dropping, words nowhere to be found. A full-body malfunction.

"Wha-? Huh? You can't just say things like that."

Y/N, picks up her glass of juice, sipping innocently, "Why not? Scared, Piastri?"

Oscar's completely struggling to form a coherent sentence.

"I—you—wha—?" His face is redder than a Ferrari, hands gripping the table like he’s on a rollercoaster.

And then—THE KILL SHOT.

Y/N leans in, placing a hand on his knee, a slow smirk on her lips, her eyes playful, her voice, the epitome of chaos, "Oh, c'mon, Lando was the only thing holding you back."

OSCAR HAS OFFICIALLY DIED.

Head in hands. Breathing? NONEXISTENT.

AND THEN—

Lando storms back in, clearly remembering he left his phone behind.

He pauses at the scene in front of his eyes. He blinks. Y/N was practically draped over Oscar who looked like he’s having a full spiritual crisis, while Y/N just Looked as smug as a cat that just knocked over a glass.

Lando’s left eye twitches.

"I—FOR FUCK'S SAKE, CAN I NOT LEAVE YOU TWO ALONE FOR FIVE MINUTES???"

Y/N bites into her toast, still grinning, "Nope."

Lando? DISGUSTED. TRAUMATIZED. ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE.

He grabs his phone, shoots them one last glare, and storms out.

The door slams.

Y/N, watching the door like a true menace: "…Think he’s gone for good this time?"

Oscar is still recovering from the first attack, face still red, he still hasn’t blinked, looking like he just got hit by a truck.

Y/N grinning like the absolute devil she is, grabs Oscar by the collar again and pulls him in. This time, no teasing, no games, straight up full-on, deep, mind-numbing make-out session.

Oscar? Oh, the man is gone. His hands find her waist. Brain? No longer functional. Thinking? Never heard of it. He’s officially entered the 'Fuck it we ball' phase.

Just when things are getting properly heated—

DOOR FLIES OPEN.

Lando stands there, hose in hand. A BACKYARD GARDEN HOSE.

Oscar and Y/N both freeze mid-makeout turn their heads in slow motion, realizing what’s happening a second too late.

AND THEN IT HITS. FULL BLAST. ICE COLD WATER.

Oscar yells.

Y/N screams.

Lando? MANIACAL.FULL VILLAIN ARC.

"YEAH, NAH, THIS IS MUCH BETTER. I’M GOOD NOW." Lando says in a breath of relief, literally waterboarding them.

They're both drenched to the bone. The kitchen was a literal flood zone. Y/N looked like a drowned cat, Oscar was fully contemplating his life choices. Lando, on the other hand looked the definition of job well done.

Oscar was already planning murder, while Y/N was on the verge of actual murder.

Lando, casually turns off the hose, tossing it over his shoulder, "Right. Who’s hungry?"

Y/N is fuming, pushing her wet hair back, "You’re DEAD, Lando. Done. Finished. Over."

Lando, grins, arms crossed like an evil genius, "Oh, am I? Cause you two looked pretty comfortable before I SAVED YOU FROM YOURSELVES."

Oscar, shaking out his wet curls, still processing, "This—this is assault."

Lando all unbothered goes, "No, mate. This is JUSTICE."

BUT THEN—

Y/N LUNGES.

She slips on the wet floor, grabs onto Oscar to stabilize, taking the poor guy down with her as they both crash to the floor in a heap.

Lando was bent over, laughing, "OH MY GOD, THAT WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN I EXPECTED." The guy was legit struggling to breathe.

Oscar, flat on his back, staring at the ceiling, "…This is my villain origin story."

Y/N, lying on top of him, glaring at Lando, "You have SECONDS to live, Norris."

Lando was still wheezing, holding up his hands, "Okay, okay, truce! I’ll make it up to you. I'll buy you McDonald’s."

Y/N, narrowing her eyes, "I want nuggets, a big mac, and a McFlurry."

Oscar, still recovering, "And I want a new best friend."

"Yeah, well, can’t help you there, mate."

IN THE CAR.

Lando's driving like nothing ever happened. Y/N, still slightly dripping, but happily eating her nuggets while Oscar was staring out the window like he just came back from war.

Lando, sipping his Coke, grinning, "So… was it worth it?"

Oscar turns his head slowly, "I’m sleeping with one eye open tonight."

Y/N, still chewing, completely deadpans, "No, you’re sleeping with me tonight."

OSCAR.EXE HAS CRASHED AGAIN.

The rest of the day is again filled with lots and lots of banter, finally night dawns.

Oscar is half dead, thinking the madness is finally over. He yawns, heading toward Lando's room, "Right. Goodnight. I’m sleeping forever."

Y/N grins like she’s got a plan, "Yeah, about that…"

Oscar, gives her a suspicious look, "…what?"

Y/N, casually linking her arm through his, "I thought we’d cuddle."

Lando? FROM ACROSS THE ROOM?? HE HEARS IT.

"OVER MY DEAD FUCKING BODY."

Lando full-on sprints after them. Oscar panics while, Y/N cackles as she drags Oscar toward the bedroom.

Lando, grabbing Oscar’s hoodie to stop him, "TRAITOR. ABSOLUTE TRAITOR."

Oscar, helplessly dragged by Y/N, looking at Lando in despair, "I’m not even doing anything."

Y/N dives onto the bed, pulling Oscar with her. Lando launches himself like a flying squirrel, wrestling Oscar away. Y/N? Clinging onto Oscar for dear life. Oscar? GETTING TORN APART.

THEN. A MOMENT OF CHAOS.

Lando accidentally pulls too hard— Oscar accidentally pulls back— Y/N, stuck in the middle, gets yeeted off the bed.

THE ROOM GOES SILENT.

Y/N was now lying on the floor, groaning. Oscar was horrified. Lando. Oh. He messed up.

Y/N, slowly sitting up, cracking her knuckles, "I’m going to end you, Lando."

LANDO JUMPS UP, RUNS FOR HIS LIFE. "GOODNIGHT BYEEEE."

CUT TO: THE NEXT MORNING.

Lando wakes up to something terrifying.

A polaroid taped to his forehead, a picture of Y/N and Oscar, snuggled up in bed, Oscar’s arm wrapped around Y/N, both looking all cozy.

Lando looked MURDEROUS.

"NOOOOOOOOOO."

[saebyeokbliss]

JUST MEET ME AT THE APT.— K. SAE-BYEOK

CHAPTER TWELVE

synopsis: managing a rising rock band is already chaotic enough, but when you're stuck touring with four reckless musicians, things get even messier. between late-night facetime calls, teasing that feels a little too knowing, and a certain guitarist who might just be your biggest problem, keeping things professional is getting harder by the second. but hey, no one said the music industry was easy.

warnings: mutual pining, intense eye contact, teasing that borders on flirting (or maybe it is flirting), friends who refuse to mind their business, secondhand embarrassment, slow burn that burns, emotional whiplash, jealously

playlist: spotify

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Middle school lunch periods were their own kind of battlefield.

It wasn’t just about eating—it was about where you sat, who you sat with, and most importantly, what that said about you.

For years, you had it easy. You were nice, friendly with everyone, and you had your usual spot at the table with the people you’d known since elementary school. It was predictable. Safe.

But things had changed.

Ever since that day behind the school—when you stood up for the four girls that everyone either ignored or avoided—you had started sitting with them.

And honestly? It was a lot more fun.

Still, old habits died hard.

So, on your way to the cafeteria, when you saw a familiar face from your old friend group—Hyejin, someone you used to talk to all the time—you smiled and waved.

“Hey!” you greeted, slowing down as she turned to you.

She looked you up and down, her expression unreadable for a moment before she pouted dramatically. “Oh my god, I totally forgot my lunch today.”

You blinked. “Wait, seriously?”

Hyejin sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Yeah… My mom was in a rush this morning, and I didn’t have time to grab anything. It’s fine, though. I’ll just wait until I get home…”

You frowned. Lunch wasn’t just a meal—it was important. How was she supposed to get through the rest of the day without eating?

Without thinking twice, you unzipped your lunch bag and handed it to her. “Here, take mine.”

Hyejin’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? No, I couldn’t—”

“Seriously, it’s fine,” you assured her with a smile. “I wasn’t that hungry anyway.”

She hesitated just long enough to make it seem like she wasn’t going to take it—but then she did, her fingers curling around the bag.

“Are you sure?” she asked, tilting her head in that sweet-but-not-really way.

You nodded, already stepping back. “Enjoy! I’ll see you later.”

And with that, you turned on your heel and headed toward your new table.

Where things were very different.

Ji-Yeong and Se-Mi were already deep in a conversation—more like gossiping aggressively—when you arrived.

“I’m telling you,” Ji-Yeong said, her chopsticks waving dramatically, “I heard that Minho got caught passing notes in math class, and the teacher actually read them out loud.”

Se-Mi gasped. “No way. What did they say?!”

“I don’t know, but Minho looked so embarrassed, so obviously something scandalous.”

Sae-Byeok, sitting across from them, rolled her eyes. “Or he was just passing answers like a normal person.”

Se-Mi scoffed. “Boring. I choose to believe it was dramatic and life-ruining.”

You laughed, sliding into the open seat next to No-Eul.

She barely looked up from her lunch, but the second you settled in, she paused—then frowned.

“…Where’s your food?”

You blinked. “Huh?”

“Your lunch,” she said, glancing at the empty space in front of you. “You always bring one.”

“Oh.” You scratched the back of your head. “Yeah, I, uh—gave it away.”

No-Eul stared at you for a long moment. “Why?”

You shrugged. “Hyejin forgot hers, so I just gave her mine.”

The entire table went silent for exactly three seconds before—

Ji-Yeong groaned, dramatically dropping her head onto the table. “You idiot.”

Se-Mi shook her head with a knowing smirk. “Sweetheart, you do realize she totally played you, right?”

You frowned. “What? No, she wouldn’t—”

“I guarantee she had food,” Sae-Byeok muttered, picking at her rice. “She just didn’t want to eat whatever her mom packed.”

You opened your mouth to argue—but then hesitated.

Because… okay, yeah. Maybe the way Hyejin had acted was a little too dramatic. Maybe she had hesitated before taking your food. Maybe she had done this before, now that you thought about it.

Ji-Yeong groaned again, shaking her head. “You’re too nice. It’s painful to watch.”

Se-Mi grinned. “It’s kinda cute, though.”

You sighed, slumping slightly. “Okay, fine. Maybe I was tricked. Whatever. I’ll survive.”

No-Eul, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly pushed her entire lunch toward you.

You blinked. “Uh—what are you doing?”

“Eat.”

Your eyes widened. “No, I can’t take your food—”

“You gave yours away,” she said simply, her tone leaving no room for argument. “So take mine.”

“I—No-Eul, I can’t—”

“Not asking,” she interrupted, picking up her chopsticks and grabbing some rice. She held it up expectantly, like she was waiting for you to open your mouth.

You stared at her.

She stared back.

A silent battle.

Sae-Byeok sighed. “Just take it before she force-feeds you.”

Ji-Yeong leaned in, whispering loudly, “She will do it.”

Se-Mi nodded. “I’ve seen it happen. It’s terrifying.”

You groaned, finally giving in. “Fine. But we’re sharing.”

No-Eul didn’t argue. She just nodded, calmly dividing the food between both of you like it was no big deal.

Like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And as the others continued gossiping—Ji-Yeong dramatically reenacting Minho’s supposed humiliation, Se-Mi adding exaggerated details, and Sae-Byeok rolling her eyes but secretly enjoying the chaos—you couldn’t help but feel… warm.

Like maybe—just maybe—this was exactly where you were supposed to be.

PRESENT DAY

Free days were rare.

Between recording, touring, interviews, and everything else that came with being one of the biggest rock bands in the world, getting a full day off was practically unheard of.

So when one finally came around, Ji-Yeong had immediately declared that they were spending it doing absolutely nothing—which, in her mind, meant forcing everyone to sit through an obnoxiously long K-drama marathon.

“You guys,” Ji-Yeong said dramatically, flopping onto the couch, remote in hand, “this is cinema. This is art. This is—”

“Bullshit,” Sae-Byeok muttered, arms crossed as she sat stiffly in the armchair.

Ji-Yeong gasped. “How dare you.”

Se-Mi, already sprawled across the other couch, smirked. “You did make us binge an entire show about a chaebol heir with amnesia last time.”

Ji-Yeong huffed. “And it was amazing.”

No-Eul, sitting beside her, sighed. “Let’s just start it before she throws a tantrum.”

Sae-Byeok exhaled sharply through her nose, glancing at the stairs. “Where’s she?”

The room went quiet for half a second.

“…Oh,” Se-Mi muttered, blinking. “She never came back down, did she?”

Ji-Yeong frowned. “She said she’d watch with us.”

No-Eul sighed, already standing up. “I’ll go check on her.”

“I’ll do it,” Sae-Byeok said immediately, pushing off her chair.

No-Eul paused, raising an eyebrow. “I got it.”

Sae-Byeok crossed her arms. “So do I.”

A beat of silence.

Ji-Yeong and Se-Mi exchanged glances.

“…Are we doing this?” Se-Mi whispered.

“Oh, we’re definitely doing this,” Ji-Yeong whispered back.

No-Eul tilted her head, watching Sae-Byeok carefully. “Why are you so eager to check on her?”

Sae-Byeok scoffed. “Why are you?”

“I asked first.”

Sae-Byeok clenched her jaw. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Then let me go.”

“No.”

“No?”

Sae-Byeok hesitated for half a second too long.

Ji-Yeong’s grin widened. “Ohhh, interesting.”

Se-Mi leaned forward. “Very interesting.”

Sae-Byeok shot them a glare before turning back to No-Eul. “Fine. Go.”

No-Eul didn’t say anything—just nodded once before heading upstairs.

Sae-Byeok exhaled, sinking back into her chair, arms still crossed.

Ji-Yeong smirked. “You wanna talk about it?”

Sae-Byeok shot her a look.

Ji-Yeong grinned. “Fair enough.”

You weren’t intentionally avoiding them.

It was just—

You had work to do.

Even on your so-called “days off,” there were emails to answer, schedules to manage, and a hundred other things that needed your attention.

So when No-Eul knocked on your door and stepped inside, you weren’t surprised.

“You’re really not coming downstairs?” she asked, leaning against the doorway.

You sighed, barely looking up from your laptop. “I’ve got things to take care of.”

No-Eul didn’t move. “You always have things to take care of.”

“That’s kind of my job.”

No-Eul narrowed her eyes slightly, studying you. “You need to relax.”

You scoffed. “I can’t relax. You guys have interviews next week, rehearsals, a flight to Japan coming up—”

“That’s next week,” she interrupted. “You have time.”

“Not enough.”

No-Eul sighed, stepping further into the room. “We can survive one day without you micromanaging everything.”

Your jaw tightened. “It’s not micromanaging. It’s making sure things don’t fall apart.”

No-Eul tilted her head. “You think we’d fall apart without you?”

You exhaled sharply, rubbing your temples. “That’s not what I meant.”

No-Eul stepped closer, her voice quieter now. “Then what do you mean?”

You hesitated.

Because how were you supposed to explain it?

That this was all you knew—keeping things running, keeping things together. That if you stopped, even for a second, you felt like everything would slip through your fingers.

That if you let yourself relax—really relax—you weren’t sure what would be left.

No-Eul was still watching you, waiting.

And for the first time, you felt like she saw it.

The exhaustion. The weight of it all.

“…I don’t know how to,” you admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

No-Eul’s gaze softened.

And then—

She moved.

Before you could react, she was cupping your face, tilting your chin up slightly so you had no choice but to look at her.

Your breath caught.

“No-Eul—”

“You don’t have to do everything alone,” she murmured.

You swallowed hard. “I don’t—”

But then she kissed you.

It wasn’t desperate. It wasn’t rushed.

It was slow, deliberate, like she was proving something.

Like she was telling you, I see you. I’m here.

Your hands curled into the fabric of her hoodie, gripping it like an anchor.

For all the times you had held yourself together—this was the first time you let someone else do it for you.

And just as the weight in your chest started to lift—

The door creaked open.

Both of you froze.

And standing there, in the doorway—

Sae-Byeok.

Her expression was unreadable.

But her hands were clenched into fists.

And her eyes—

Her eyes were burning.

taglist: @everly-summers-solace @knfthxv @madebysae @knfthxv @katieschry1 @imlackingsleep @lyzem @stellssxo @wiltingconquest @peelover25@monroesturnns @laurenkens @yenyu1s @idontliketoread2137 @bitchybananaflower @lyuuw

[weisscreamcake]

fe3h/asoiaf crossover au where the mittlefrank opera does a production of the dance of the dragons. dorothea is alicent ofc and she manages to get edelgard on board as rhaenyra. they lean fully into the toxic yuri tragedy and there’s not a dry eye in the house at the end of the night

[timetodecidedjo]

i wholeheartedly believe that the diner scene when Logan makes the comment about not being able to eat while Wade’s mask was off was FULLY just him being an asshole to be an asshole and not because he actually felt that way. like it’s just his defense mechanism to be an ass all the time to spare his own feelings. can’t get close to anyone if I’m a complete asshole 24/7. i also wholeheartedly believe that when Wade would mention his old appearance vs now Logan would immediately shut that shit down and be like “ok and your point is what?”

[shima-draws]

AGHHHH Tododeku during the Dark Hero arc hits so DIFFERENT listen to me

At this point they’re already in a relationship right. But even so there’s still INTENSE pining on both sides while Izuku’s off playing vigilante. Todoroki’s almost collapsing under the weight of his own stress worrying about not only his recently-revealed-to-be-alive brother but also his boyfriend who is being targeted by the most dangerous criminal on the planet. Is he okay? Is he even alive? Nobody will give him answers and he’s frustrated. And the one person he can turn to when he’s stressed and worried just so happens to be the person he’s stressed and worried ABOUT. And who is also missing! The UA staff literally had to put Todoroki on surveillance because he keeps trying to sneak out on his own to find Izuku. (The rest of Class 1-A is right there with him, also wanting to find Izuku, and eventually start finding Todo’s escape attempts hilarious as they intensify in their ridiculousness. Bakugou bitches at Todo but he was also caught trying to sneak off campus, the little shit. Aizawa has had it up to HERE with his kids)

Meanwhile Izuku, who is. Well. You know how he is during this arc lmao. On top of trying to save and protect everyone, he’s also fighting to protect Todoroki, who he cares about so deeply, who he’s terrified All For One and Shigaraki will target so he’s willing to take the bullet and lead them away from UA entirely. If anything happens to Shouto he’ll just…break. He can’t stand the thought. But he misses him so much, misses his friends so much, wants to go back home and curl up with Todoroki on the couch and watch old movies and hold his hand and it hurts so much not to see him but Izuku would rather Todoroki be alive and them be apart than them being together and Todoroki dying as a result of that. The TORTURE. It’s just so *chef’s kiss*

And then the reunion 🥺 Todo grabbing Izuku and holding him close and sobbing and saying I’m never letting you go again, never again, I couldn’t breathe without you here and Izuku’s crying just as hard going I missed you, I missed you so so much and I wanted to just give it all up and come running home to you so many times but I couldn’t. And they’re both whispering I’m so glad you’re okay, I’m so glad. And I imagine right after Izuku settles in, after the guys give him a bath and scrub him down, Todoroki wraps him up in a blanket and takes him upstairs into his room and curls up with him on his bed and just. Holds him. And starts crying 😭 And Izuku wakes up and cries with him and they just meld into each other and refuse to let go because this is what they NEEDED. They needed each other so much and they won’t let go now that they’re together again.

Slams my fist on the table GOD DAMMIT I’m normal okay I’m so normal about them listen to m

[laughing-drawing-aces]

okay i absolutely hate the thinking that some people (ronancers) have of ‘why are you not shipping this w|w ship because of steve who is a man why are you depending a man’s feelings on a w|w ship’ maybe it’s because regardless of your gender or your sexuality screwing over and betraying a friend is exactly that! it has NOTHING to do with sexuality or gender! SCREWING OVER A FRIEND IS SCREWING OVER A FRIEND REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU IDENTIFY AS!!

[mairon-goth-minion]

“boys beware” by Mad Tsai but it’s Evan talking about Barty

[remaineds]

💬 for emma & noah hehe

send me 💬 or "unsent texts" i'll share three texts my muse typed but never sent yours.

[ imessage to noah 🥰 ]: i’ve never broken up with someone i’ve lived with before. do i pack your shit up and burn it? are you supposed to come get it? who gets the weird painting we found at that farmer’s market that we both loved? i guess you should, since i’m currently halfway through the fancy bottle of wine we were saving for our anniversary. maybe i can get drunk enough to forget how much this all fucking sucks

[ imessage to noah g. ]: your mom just called me. i let it go to voicemail but i guess she thinks i’m coming for christmas. i swear to fucking god noah, if you make me tell your parents we broke up i will tell them about the time we did shrooms in their basement and i will not feel about it.

[ imessage to DO NOT TEXT ]: alright, time to come clean. i kept your old college hoodie and told you i didn’t know where it was. but it doesn’t smell like you anymore so if you want it back it’s all yours. i think i might miss your smell around here more than anything else. how fucking stupid is that?

[bisexualseraphim]

Do queer people who gatekeep sexualities and gender identities have nothing better to do like genuinely what is your problem. The whole point of the community is that gender and sexuality are more fuckity wuckity than man or woman, gay or straight and in almost 2024 we STILL have mfs going “nah that’s not a thing :/ you don’t belong in the community” unless they’re causing harm to others I seriously urge you to shut the fuck up. It is the easiest thing in the world to just say “hmm I don’t really understand that. But it’s their life and none of my business” and just move on with your life and let people live theirs. I do not give one iota of a fuck if someone identifies as a wolfgender they/them/bun/bunself AMAB transmasc who is only attracted to butches with curly hair and brown eyes IT DOES NOT AFFECT ME. I’m happy that they’ve found a way to express their identity that feels true to them and then I think about it no further. Like it takes active mental energy and emotion to get pressed over how someone expresses themselves and I don’t understand why you’d put yourself through that stress and then decide to be bitchy and make people feel like shit for being themselves. I’m seriously getting so tired of people in the community acting like it’s a fucking competition or you can only join if you meet X Y and Z criteria as if it’s some college mean girls sorority club. People are actively trying to take our rights away all the time and while this is happening we’re helping them by tearing our teeth into our own. Great

[everydayarsonist]

I’m completely normal about the Yiga Zonai Vehicles I swear

(Hoverdoom MK.3 my beloved)

[mars-ipan]

i do love my family very dearly but the internalized ableism the men in here struggle with is. so much

[oracleact]

“what’s your type?” them. exactly them.

[hellfireeddiemunson]

i have bad melted soup brain today and i hate it

[aequitaes]

yELLING OVER MY BALCONY!!! Icb I’ve just had pointed out to me that kaveh and alhaitham look at each other in the event banner when the other is looking away !!!

[always-a-slut-4-ghouls]

My sixth grade teacher read us a story where someone got stomped to death by a moose (the only other thing i remember about the story was learning about snow blindness) and I’m just supposed to not be scared of moose? I think I’m more scared of moose than I am of grizzly bears. There are guides about how you can survive grizzly bears and how not to set them off and it’s pretty straightforward. Sure, it might not always work, but I’ve usually been ignored by grizzly bears. Moose have the anxiety of a prey animal though, even if most of the predators that went after American megafauna went extinct several thousand years ago. They still have predators, yeah, but adults are basically tanks that can easily handle different types of terrain. They are huge and they aren’t as cocky. They are also a bit less predictable. I don’t hate moose, and I’ve encountered more of them than i have grizzly bears (more black bears than both combined though, but they are fairly easy to exist around without panicking imo) but the moose scare me more. And the mom ones are more defensive than normal and male ones get all heated when they’re horny and if I’m not completely terrified around bears (most, I’m not going anywhere near polar bears if I can help it) because I listen to safety guides and I know all I can do is try to avoid either of us getting aggressive, I should probably be okay around moose, right? I mean, I listen to the advice about them and I’m careful, but no. Your sixth grade teacher reads a book where a guy gets trampled into some pile of viscera and you aren’t taking anxiety medication yet and suddenly you’re probably traumatized and are now scared of moose for life, and in a way that you aren’t scared of a lot of other animals. It doesn’t help that they can be a bit less predictable than bears and that the prion disease makes them a mess. I don’t really have anything against moose, I wouldn’t want to hurt one, but I’m also terrified of them in a way that I’m not scared of many other animals. Most of the other animals I’m scared of were also ones I learned something traumatizing about before I was medicated, but moose are the ones I run into most (aside from rodents but for some reason they aren’t as scary? Probably because the scary part isn’t the rodent themselves, but the haunta virus) so it feels like the most pressing one. I’ll be hiking (or sometimes just existing outside of town) and then a moose will show up and the people I’m with will be like “woah! Cool! Don’t you want to take a picture? You do photography” and I’m shaking a little because nope! I am not getting closer to the moose. I’m aware that they are 30ft away, that doesn’t mean that I’m not still scared.

[softspiderling]

like, ever | j.v

summary:

“Hey, I’m worried about you.”

You glanced up from your laptop screen to see Rhaena standing in your doorway, her arms crossed.

“Why?”

She gave you a look, before her eyes roamed your room: your textbooks stacked half-hazardly on your desk, two empty ice cream tubs, another half melted one on your nightstand, an empty tissue box on the floor and you on your bed, wrapped in your blanket like a burrito.

OR; You and Jace break up because of a stupid reason, but you’re both too proud to apologize.

pairing: jacaerys velaryon x reader

warnings: kinda toxic behavior from both of them, but like the usual issues in communication that’s so common in people our age idk what to tell you

word count: 4,1k

author’s note: modern au!jace is the president of the frat Alpha Draconis (it's co-ed, Rhaenyra was president during her time at uni), Jace/Aegon/Baela and their respective siblings are all cousins, but this is NOT in the same universe as can I go (where you go). thank you to my wonder sister wife beta @eldrith as usual <3

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“We broke up.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Yes, we did.”

Baela gave you a look, narrowing her eyes at you as she pushed her Econ 1 assignment away. You dropped down on the couch next to her, leaning your head back.

“Why?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” you huffed and Baela whacked you in the arm.

“You just came home and dropped a bomb like that, you can’t just not talk about it.”

“Not talk about what?”

You internally groaned when Helaena’s voice floated from the hallway, the front door shutting behind her. An intervention was inevitable at this point. At least Rhaena wasn’t home yet, you knew she was volunteering until six.

“She and Jace broke up,” Baela told her and Helaena paused in the doorway to the living room, a frown on her face as she undid her braid.

“You didn’t.”

“That’s what I said!”

“You know, normal friends would offer ice cream if their friend was going through a break up.”

“I’d offer you ice cream if you were sad,” Helaena pointed out. She sat down next to you, patting your shoulder. “You don’t look sad.”

“Well, I am sad,” you sniffed, but Baela fixed her brown eyes at you until you threw your hands up in frustration. “Fine! I’m mostly mad, okay? Pissed off, actually!”

Baela folded her legs under herself. “Tell us what happened.”

“I don’t know, she just rubs me the wrong way. It’s like she knows you have a girlfriend and she chooses to ignore that.”

You and Jace were laying in his bed, your head on his chest. He had been telling you about the new pledges of the term, and you weren’t exactly fond of one of them - Laura, a nursing major. You were aware of her being especially touchy with Jace, twirling her hair while she was talking to him and always searching him out at every event. Which was fair, he was the president of the frat after all and at first you had told yourself that you were just projecting but the you noticed that she was laughing at all of Jace’s jokes. She was definitely into him. He was not that funny.

“I don’t know, it’s just the way she is, I think,” he said, and you frowned at him.

“Jace, come on, she’s totally into you.”

“Well, good thing I’m into you,” Jace pointed out, turning his head to nose along your neck but you pushed him away, starting to get annoyed that he wasn’t taking this seriously.

“I mean it, Jace.”

“So do I,” he answered, irritated. “Why does this bother you so much?”

“Because I don’t like another girl’s hands being all over you?”

You sat up, leaning away from him with a frown and he only sighed, laying his head back on the pillow, shutting his eyes. He was starting to piss you off.

“She’s not into me! Everyone tries to butter me up because they want to join the frat. And even if she was, why does it matter?”

“It matters because it bothers me and you clearly don’t care!”

“Of course I care,” Jace sighed. He opened his eyes, reaching out for you, and you had to admit your resolve was starting to crumble. “You’re overreacting.”

And just like that, the wall was back up.

“Wow, thanks.”

Your voice was biting as you spoke, tugging your hand out of his grasp and standing up, grabbing your hoodie. Jace was quick to follow you, brows furrowed. Great, now both of you were mad.

“You’re making a big deal out of nothing!” Jace snapped and you only glared at him.

“Thanks for invalidating my feelings, Jacaerys,” you said sarcastically. “If I’m making a deal out of nothing, maybe we’re both nothing.”

Jace’s face fell and he stopped in his tracks, letting out a huff. “You don’t mean that.”

Maybe you didn’t. But you weren’t about to backtrack now. You were a woman of your words.

“Yes, I do.”

You pulled the door open and rushed out of his room, slamming the door shut behind you. Distantly, you could hear Jace call after you and you secretly hoped he would chase after you, but by the time you made it downstairs to the front door, he was still nowhere to be seen.

“That’s…”

Baela and Helaena exchanged a look and you frowned at them. While you hadn’t expected for them to immediately spring into assuring you that they were on your side - you were dating their cousin after all - you also didn’t quite imagined them being so… Shocked.

“What?” you asked, suddenly growing insecure. “I had a point.”

“Well, yeah,” Baela started, “But so did he.”

“Why did you immediately jump into breaking up?” Helaena asked with a soft voice, the voice you knew she used when she didn’t want to hurt your feelings. You lifted your shoulders, then dropped them again, unable to answer her question.

“Did you want to break up?”

“No!”

You tucked your chin against your chest, a pit forming in your stomach. Did you maybe overreact?

“I was just mad,” you said, frowning, picking at the hem of your shirt.

“.. And you wanted to hurt him?” Baela said, finishing your sentence. Your head shot up, a denial on your lips, but your mouth closed when her words sunk in.

“… Maybe.”

“You two really are hotheaded and stubborn,” Helaena pointed out, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. You only glowered, the anger from earlier dissipating and instead was replaced by misery and a little bit of guilt? Luckily, Helaena and Baela left you to your wallowing after they realized you needed some space and you fled to your bedroom, trying to bury yourself in your assignments.

There was only one slight problem. You couldn’t find school bag anywhere.

“Where did I leave it?” you muttered to yourself, checking under your desk for your bag, even opening the drawer for good measure. You were crawling on the floor looking under your bed when it finally dawned on you.

“Fuck.”

You had gone over to the frat’s house right after class, with your school bag. And after the fight, you must have forgotten to grab it.

“Ugh,” you groaned, dropping your forehead on the floor You’d rather crawl under your bed and sleep with the dust bunnies that have been collecting under there than go back to the frat house right now. But you had no choice. The assignment was was due the day after tomorrow and Professor Cole already was in a bad mood because his date went badly.

“Fuck me,” you muttered to yourself, turning to lay on your bad and cursed the Gods for making you miserable as you stared at the ceiling, collecting your wits.

“Oh.”

Luke Velaryon, Jace’s younger AND biological brother, stood in the doorway, apprehensive. He had always been the more sensitive one between the two brothers, but he was also unwaveringly loyal. You had no doubt that Jace had already told him everything about your fight.

“Hey Luke,” you said, giving him a wry smile.

“Hey,” he replied hesitantly. “Jace is not here.”

“I know.”

Luke pressed his lips together, his eyes darting around as if he was expecting his older brother to come out of the bushes any second. “Are you okay?”

You let out a small laugh, shaking your head. What a sweet boy.

“Yeah, alright enough I guess,” you replied, sighing. “Listen, I forgot my bag in Jace’s room and I really need it to do an assignment, could you let me in?”

“I don’t know….” Luke answered slowly. “Jace should be back soon though. Maybe you can just wait until he gets back? And then you guys could talk?”

Bless him.

You bit on your lip, running your hand through your hair, exasperated. “Listen Luke, I really appreciate you trying to look out for Jace, but I really can’t see him right now.”

Luke exhaled, shifting on his feet like he was undecided. The longer it took for him to decide, the higher chances were you’d run into Jace on your way out.

“Please, Luke, I just need to grab my bag really quickly. He won’t even notice I was there.”

With a loud sigh, Luke finally nodded, opening the door wider and taking a step back.

“He’s gonna be back soon, you need to hurry up.”

“Thanks Luke!”

You hushed past him into the house, walking the familiar way up the stairs to Jace’s bedroom, shutting the door behind you. With a small sigh, you looked around, trying to discern your stuff from his. It was harder than you had first anticipated, your belongings strewn all over the room. Picking your favorite scrunchie off of his nightstand next to a picture of the two of you during New Year’s Eve, you put your hair up as you narrowed your eyes, feeling relief settle in your chest when you saw your backpack lean against the desk.

“Thank God”, you muttered, grabbing it quickly. Just as you headed to the door, hand on the door knob, you could hear voices down the hallway through the closed door. You cursed, recognizing it as Jace and Cregan.

Fuck.

Immediately, you let go of the door knob, taking a few steps back, trying to come up with a way you wouldn’t be caught standing in the middle of Jace’s bedroom. Did you have enough time to make the climb out of the window and scale down the roof?

“- it’ll blow over. I’ll give her some time to calm down and-”

Before you could make a decision, the door swung open, and Jace entered. He was looking back at Cregan, who raised his brows when he saw you in the middle of the room.

“Wha-?” Jace turned his head, his mouth dropping open. “… Hey.”

“Hey.”

Cregan glanced between the two of you, narrowing his eyes. Meanwhile, Jace was rubbing the back of his neck.

“Did you forget something?”

“Yeah,” you answered - LAME! - lifting your backpack.

Jace nodded slowly. “Was there anything you wanted to say?”

You frowned at him, confused.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know,” Jace said, shrugging with his shoulders. “I thought you were here to apologize.”

Cregan groaned, leaning his forehead against the door frame as you felt all the anger from before welling up again.

“Me apologize?” You repeated, your voice shrill. “What about you? I bet Laura’s thrilled to hear we broke up.”

“You just ended things for no reason! Laura’s not even into me!” Jace snapped and Cregan pushed himself off of the door frame.

“Maybe we all should just calm down.”

“Shut up, Cregan!” You and Jace yelled at the same time, your anger very briefly directed at Jace’s best friend.

Cregan flinched, raising his hands defensively. “Jesus, sorry. I’ll never try to help again,” he muttered. “Let me give you two a minute.”

He stepped out of the room but you held your hands up, stopping him with a scoff.

“No, I’m done here,” you huffed, shaking your head in disbelief. With one last angry look at Jace, you pushed between them, running out of the house, smoke coming out of your ears.

You spent the rest of the week distracting yourself. Burying yourself in assignments and reading, eating ice cream - there was a deal at Whole Foods, five for three, your freezer was full - and you only cried once.

“Hey, I’m worried about you.”

You glanced up from your laptop screen to see Rhaena standing in your doorway, her arms crossed.

“Why?”

She gave you a look, before her eyes roamed your room: your textbooks stacked half-hazardly on your desk, two empty ice cream tubs, another half melted one on your nightstand, an empty tissue box on the floor and you on your bed, wrapped in your blanket like a burrito. You sighed, letting the blankets fall from your shoulders.

“I’m fine, Rhae.”

“Hey, did you convince her to come?” Baela skidded to a halt next to Rhaena, looking from her sister to you. Rhaena only sighed while you narrowed your eyes at Baela’s get up. She was wearing black leather pants and a brown corset; she looked like she was going out.

“Come where?”

“Alpha Draconis’ summer term opening party.”

Right that. The party you had helped Jace plan. Before you broke up.

“I don’t know guys,” you sighed, leaning back against your headboard. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go.”

“You don’t have to go,” Rhaena assured you but Baela shushed her, shaking her head.

“No, you absolutely have to go,” she insisted. “We’ve let you wallow in your misery long enough. It’s time to put your big girl pants on and face Jace. You broke up with him for a shitty reason and yes, he was being a jerk, but you were being a bitch. Now suck it up and get your man back.”

You gaped at her, and Rhaena whacked Baela in the arm, but she only shrugged, ever the unapologetic brutally honest one.

“What? You know I’m right,” Baela only said, frowning at her twin before she turned to you. “So?”

With a groan, you closed your eyes. You knew Baela was right, in a way, and it was no use sitting around when your friends were going out. You had to see him eventually.

“Fine,” you gave in, pushing the blanket back as Baela cheered, immediately disappearing. Rhaena only shook her head, stepping into your bedroom, helping you clean up a little.

“I’m driving,” she told you. “Just tell me if you want to leave, okay?”

You nodded, giving Rhaena a grin when something soft just hit you in the face with no warning, courtesy of Baela having returned to your bedroom.

“Put that on.”

The projectile fell to floor, and as you picked it up, you recognized it as a dark red dress, tags still on.

“Hel’s headed to the party from work, so we’ll meet her there in an hour, go take a shower and I’ll do your hair,” Baela said, reaching for your hand to pull you up. “Come on, up up up!”

Begrudgingly, you let Baela usher you into the shower, shutting the door behind you very decidedly. You stared at yourself in the mirror, eyes rimmed red and hair a mess and you allowed yourself a minute of respite before you turned the shower on. If you had to go to that stupid party, you’d make sure to look the absolute best.

“Am I crazy or is it even more crowded than last term?”

You winced as you followed Baela and Rhaena through an especially crowded spot in the house, glancing around.

“No, it’s definitely more people,” Baela agreed, squeezing your hand to make sure not to lose you in the mass. “Has Helaena said where she is?”

“She said she was in backyards,” Rhaena replied and Baela steered you in the direction of the backyard. Meanwhile you tried not to let your eyes roam too much; you didn’t want to seem like you were looking for Jace, even though that was exactly what you were doing. Just as you reached the patio doors, Helaena appeared, stopping you in the doorway.

“Hey guys,” she said, breathless, her eyes flitting over to you as you greeted her. “Should we go get drinks?”

“I’m not dragging my ass back through that crowd,” you moaned, shaking your head. “Let’s just sit down by the pool for a second before we go back in.”

You nudged Helaena out of the way gently, but the blonde grabbed your arm, trying to pull you back.

“But I’m really thirsty.”

“Hel, come on,” you laughed. “You’ll survive ten more minutes without-”

The rest of your words died on your tongue when you caught sight of Jace sitting by the pool, surrounded by his frat brothers and of course, Laura. Now you knew why Helaena was so adamant to get you away from the backyard. It was too loud to hear what Jace was saying, but he must be telling an extremely funny story with the way Laura was laughing, touching his shoulder. They weren’t doing anything scandalous, but it still hurt you to see him still talking to her after you voiced your concerns. You tried not to let it get to you. It wasn’t your business anymore anyways, but you were still a little sick to the stomach.

With a scoff, you turned away, embarrassment burning your cheeks as your friends looked at you with pitiful eyes.

“Sorry,” Rhaena said and you only shrugged with your shoulders.

“Whatever,” you muttered, clearing your throat. “I told you, she was into him. Now he’s free to do as he pleases.”

Baela winced. “We can leave, if you want.”

“No, I’m not leaving because of that clown.”

The girls let out a laugh and Helaena wrapped her arm around you. You gave her a wry smile, leaning into her.

“Let’s go get you that drink.”

As Helaena dragged you away, you couldn’t help but glance back to Jace and for a split second, your eyes met. You quickly turned away, feeling a lump form in your throat. You couldn’t wait to get drinks. After getting to the kitchen, the four of you did two rounds of shots, knowing where the boys kept their expensive booze; Rhaena then mixed you some drinks before you settled on the couch in the living room. Taking a careful sip of your cup, you immediately pulled a face, looking at Rhaena.

“What the hell is in this?”

“I think Grey Goose and Coke.”

“You think?” you asked, wincing when you took another sip. “This is awful Rhae.”

“What is awful?”

Aegon, Helaena’s brother, one cousin of many in the Targaryen family, suddenly plopped down on the couch next to you.

“Oh great, Aegon is here,” Baela deadpanned and Aegon only mocked Baela as he reached for your drink.

“Sure, just go ahead and take my drink.”

Aegon took a big gulp of your drink, humming. “It’s not bad,” he said, offering the cup back to you but you politely declined. You didn’t know where Aegon’s mouth had been in the last 24 hours, there was no way you’d drink out of the same cup he had.

“So, what’s this I hear about you and our cousin breaking up?” Aegon asked, throwing his arm around the back of the couch and you scooted forward, trying to escape his touch.

“You heard right,” you said, throwing him a dirty look and Rhaena rolled her eyes.

“You’re a dick, Aeg.”

“What?” Aegon exclaimed. “’t was just a question, no harm done, right?”

You let out a deep sigh, pushing away from the couch.

“I need some air,” you told the girls and Rhaena furrowed her brows, worried.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“We can make Aegon leave,” Baela offered and Aegon made a noise, frowning at his cousin but you shook your head,

“Nah, I’m good. Just, text me if you guys go somewhere, okay?”

“Are you sure, babe?” Helaena asked and you nodded, patting her shoulder gently.

“Yeah, ‘m fine. I promise.”

With a small wave, you disappeared into the crowd, hearing the cousins starting to argue, but it was background noise to you. Instead of heading to the front door, you inconspicuously headed upstairs, past a kissing couple, and to the bathroom on the second floor. The door was shut, but unlocked and unoccupied as you opened the door. You let it fall shut in its hinges after you, walking over to the window, like you had done so many times before, but never alone. Clicking the window open, you carefully climbed out to the roof, sliding the window closed behind you again. You traipsed over the roof, before settling down on the small nook that sat right above Benjicot’s bedroom, stretching out your legs.

Jace had shown you this place when you first started dating, and sometimes when the parties got too much, the two of you snuck out here to be alone. It was probably risky to go here; but it was the only place you felt like you could retreat without having to go home.

The noise of the party downstairs could still be heard, especially the conversations in the backyard, but to you, it seemed quieter as you closed your eyes. It had cooled down significantly since you had come to the party, but you enjoyed the bite of the cold on your bare arms. A deep breath escaped your lips, your chest heavy.

Looking back on it, you knew what you had said was wrong. It was words hurled in the heat of the moment, chosen to provoke a reaction out of Jace and if you could take them back, you would. But now it was too late, it had seemed like Laura had already sunken her talons into Jace as soon as he was available - not that she had cared much about whether he had a girlfriend or not - and he seemed to be lapping it up.

“Stupid,” you muttered to yourself, wiping the tear that escaped your eye from your cheek with the back of your hand. You froze, when you heard the bathroom window slide open; not daring to look back. His steps were careful as he walked towards you, as if not to spook you, but before he came into view, a soft jacket was draped over your shoulders, engulfing you in his scent. You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, tugging the jacket tighter around your body when Jace sat down next to you.

The silence between you stretched on, before Jace cleared his throat.

“You were right.”

You let out a small scoff at his words, glancing over to him.

“You’re shitting me, right?” you asked in disbelief. “She was all over you like that and you still thought she wasn’t into you?”

Jace winced, ducking his head.

“That’s fair. Maybe I was a little oblivious. It’s just…” he paused, sighing. “I didn’t see it, because I don’t really see other girls. Ever since we met, it’s just been you. I didn’t even realize that she was flirting with me until she straight up asked me if we could go upstairs.”

Jealousy flared up in your chest at his words, and you frowned, quickly giving him a once over.

“Well, did you?” you asked, your voice tight. Jace gave you a look, his hands dropping down on his lap.

“I’m sitting here with you, aren’t I?”

Relief flooded your veins and you ducked your head to hide your face. Jace glanced over at you, his face vulnerable and you bit your lip.

“I’m sorry too,” you then said. “I didn’t mean what I said. It was petty and stupid, and I’m sorry.”

“Well looks like we both got to work on some things,” Jace said, tentatively reaching out to take your hand; out of reflex you immediately laced your hand with his. He quirked a smile at you, scooting closer to you and you glanced up at him, almost shyly before you leaned in, as he met you halfway, your lips touching. Jace wrapped his hand around the back of your neck as you kissed, and if you hadn’t felt warm before, you definitely did now.

“What’s happening?”

“They’re kissing!”

“No way! Move over!”

“You move over!”

A crash sounded and you pulled away from Jace, just to see Luke and his cousins spying on you from the bathroom.

“Nothing to see here, carry on!” Luke yelled, quickly sliding the window back down, but their bickering could be heard through the closed window.

Jace snorted out a laugh, leaning his forehead against yours and you only grinned lazily at him.

“Come on, let’s go face the circus before they break the window and we have to scale down the roof,” Jace said, offering you his hand as he got up. You let him help you up, as the two of you walked back to the bathroom window.

“You know I thought about scaling down the roof when you caught me in your bedroom?”

“You’re joking.”

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author’s note: tell me what you think <3 also will add the taglist tomorrow bc i’m so tired but wanted to post🫶🏼