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celestialmark · 5 years ago

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Solitude - Part 5 (finale)

Characters: Mark Lee x reader, members of nct

Category: sniper! mark, mafia au

Word count: 15.8K

Warnings: cursing, mentions of death, blood, violence, drugs, guns.

Author’s note: hello hi! it’s been soooooo long, how are you guys? I hope you’re well and healthy! so after how many months of working on this series, I am so happy to share to you the final part! I'm so sorry for the wait, life really does come at you full blast at times hahaha but I had so much fun writing this series as a whole and I just want to thank you for patiently waiting for each part to come out regardless of how long it took me to write it ;; thank you so much for journeying with me and the characters throughout the whole five parts! all that’s left is the epilogue now! I do hope you enjoy it! and once again, thank you all so much <3 ilysm!!!

“What happened?”

Mark is the first to come through the door that’s barely hanging off its hinge. He sees Taeil pacing back and forth the hallway, phone in his hand, his distraught eyes scanning all the furniture that’s broken to pieces and overthrown to the floor. Johnny and Jeno are the ones to follow after, walking past Mark and examining the damage behind Taeil.

“Mark!” Taeil exclaims. Mark can see his fingers shaking. “They, they took her. She’s gone.”

“Who took her?” Mark asks calmly just as Johnny and Jeno fall beside him. He’s trying to stay calm but on the inside, Mark is anything but calm knowing you were somewhere they didn’t know.

“I don’t know,” Taeil says weakly, his voice faltering. “I woke up and y/n wasn’t in her room anymore.”

Jeno looks upwards and scans the entirety of Taeil’s house. “Do you have CCTV around the house?”

Taeil is quick to nod, “I do. But they destroyed the cameras too. I’m not sure if there’s anything there.”

“Can we have a look?” Johnny asks.

Taeil leads Johnny and Jeno away while Mark makes a conscious decision to stay behind and look around the place a bit more. In his mind, he’s already pointing fingers to potential suspects but he knows he can’t act without solid evidence first. His thoughts drift to you as he steps over the remnants of the damage, feeling worried all of a sudden with the thought of you being scared.

Mark bends down when a shattered picture frame catches his attention. When he picks it up, carefully removing the broken shards of glass, you’re the first one he sees on the picture, along with Taeil who’s grinning widely beside you, an arm slung around your shoulder. There’s a date stamped on the bottom left corner and from what he recalls, it’s the date of your birthday. You look so happy in the photo, your smile travelling to reach your eyes and it saddens him that the last memory he has of you, was when you gave him a sad smile yesterday, both of you unknowing and unsure of what’s ahead.

“That was the last birthday she ever celebrated before her parents died,” Taeil pipes up from behind Mark when he sees him holding the photo. He bends down beside Mark, smiling somberly. “The last time I’ve seen her smile like that too.”

Mark’s heart clenches at the thought of you having to go through so much suffering in the absence of your only family. You had such a blinding smile in the photo, it literally pains him to think that even that, had been taken away from you.

“She’s been through so much,” he says quietly, feeling too helpless and clueless of where even to start.

“You know,” Taeil starts, averting his eyes from the photo and onto Mark. “Yesterday, she told me what happened I felt really relieved when she said she’d found her soulmate and that her soulmate was you.”

Mark looks at Taeil. “Taeil, I almost killed her.”

“But you didn’t,” Taeil corrects and he smiles. “Mark, do you know the exact percentage of the amount of people who get to meet their soulmate?”

Mark blinks.

“A little less than forty percent,” Taeil points out. “Even though we’re all pretty much born with one, with a mark on our skin, it doesn’t guarantee we get to meet them. Hell, I’ve never even met mine and I don’t think I’ll ever will.”

“But you…” Taeil pauses and claps a palm on Mark’s back. “You’ve found yours. You’ve found her,”

“And I find great comfort in that because there’s someone out there who will for sure look after her for the rest of her life.” Taeil stands and extends a hand out to Mark who takes it, pulling him up.

“You’re the closest thing to family she has left, Mark.”

On the return to the loft, Mark is the last to enter when Johnny and Jeno lead the way with Taeil trailing right behind them. Mark is about to enter the door when someone grabs a hold of his arm and pulls him backwards. What meets him next is a hard fist to his cheek causing his whole body to sway to the side, a groan coming from his throat. His head spins momentarily and when he regains his balance with much difficulty, he sees Donghyuck who’s in the middle of swinging another fist at him, this time landing on his other cheek, sending him flying to the opposite direction. Mark grunts lowly again, feeling his lower lip split open. His fingers fly up to examine the damage and it comes in contact with his blood, the stinging on either of his cheeks so raw and painful. It’s expected, Donghyuck had always been the strongest one when it came to physical fights.

Mark doesn’t get enough time to process the whole situation fully when Donghyuck grabs him by the collar of his shirt, hauling him until his face is mere inches away. “How dare you fucking betray Taeyong?” he hisses. “What’s gotten into you Mark Lee?”

Johnny rushes back outside when he hears the commotion, immediately breaking the two apart. “Hey quit it!” He blocks Donghyuck from Mark, who’s panting from the blows, still trying to recover from the impact of Donghyuck’s fists.

“You have no sense of loyalty whatsoever you traitor!” Donghyuck growls, trying to push past Johnny, pointing an accusing finger at Mark. “After all that Taeyong’s done for you!”

“Donghyuck stop it,” Johnny advises as politely as he can. Donghyuck may be strong, but Johnny was definitely stronger.

Donghyuck gasps for air, his screaming not ending soon, “And all for what? For a girl? For a pathetic girl who’s going to die anyway? Wake up Mark! She’s not worth—”

“Donghyuck she’s my soulmate,” Mark interferes quietly, eyes imploring his angry ones, hoping he would somehow understand, hoping that his best friend out of all people would console him.

But he doesn’t.

Donghyuck frowns and attempts to push past Johnny again but to no avail, “What the fuck? That’s the reason why you turned your back on Taeyong? That’s a lousy excuse. That doesn’t mean anything! She’s still supposed to die—”

Mark doesn’t hold back, walking up to Donghyuck and swatting Johnny’s arm away in the process. With Mark’s already balled fist, he swings back and lands a forceful blow on his face. Still, Mark isn’t content, giving Donghyuck another blow when Donghyuck stumbles backwards. Mark is about to swing again if it wasn’t for Johnny who has to use all his might to pull the younger back. Mark is fuming and Johnny can feel it in the way his chest rises and falls heavily along with the shaking of his shoulders.

“You don’t know shit Donghyuck!” Mark roars. “You can’t say shit about me or y/n when you have no fucking clue what’s happening!”

Donghyuck spits blood to the side, his eyes glowering as they fall on Mark. “Look how pitiful you’ve become Mark,” he gestures at his friend, scoffing at him as he rests his hands on either side of his hips. “You think saving a girl will make your life a whole lot better? What did you say? A soulmate? How fucking ridiculous.”

Jeno and Taeil emerge from the doorway and watch the scene unfold quietly. Donghyuck catches sight of Jeno and scoffs once more, shaking his head, “And you’ve gotten Jeno to join you in the dumb ordeal.”

Donghyuck turns around to leave, but not before sparing one last look at Mark and the rest,

“Good luck to you, bastard.”

“Based on the footage caught in Taeil’s CCTV just moments before they destroyed it, it was definitely Kun’s doing,” Jeno announces, spreading out screenshots from the CCTV footage onto the coffee table minutes after the commotion outside settles.

Mark studies the pictures and frowns, “How do you know that? These guys are masked.” He switches from one picture to another until he comes across a blurry screenshot of an unmasked Kun in the middle of trying to make his way into Taeil’s house.

“What do these people want from y/n?” Taeil, who’s sitting on the couch asks, frowning at the pictures.

“Revenge,” Jeno replies curtly.

A sudden lightbulb goes off in Mark’s head. “Taeil, y/n’s mentioned how she was nearly stabbed before, if it wasn’t for you. What happened that day?”

Taeil nods and shivers as he recalls the memory. “I was supposed to pick up something from her house when I found her front door open which was really unusual because she always made sure to extra lock her doors for safety ever since she began getting threats. I went in and found someone with a knife literally metres away from her. When the stranger realised I was there, he ran away but not before slashing me with his knife.” Taeil lifts the hem of his shirt until a scar located to the side of his lower abdomen comes into view for the three to see.

Johnny grimaces as Mark forms a fist.

“Can you remember what he looked like? What he was wearing?” Johnny questions.

Taeil taps his chin with his index finger, “He was wearing all black, really tall guy. We couldn’t see his face because he was wearing a hood too. But I did see a tattoo of a wolf all over his middle finger.”

Jeno frantically types away in his laptop the moment Taeil finishes talking and not even three seconds later, he’s already turning his laptop around so that the three can see his screen. “It was Lucas.” On the screen shows a picture of Lucas as well as the tattoo Taeil described on the said finger.

“Lucas is under Kun,” Johnny explains to Taeil. “Kun was the person behind the death threats.”

“For what reason?” Taeil questions.

“Y/n’s parents owed him a lot of money,” Jeno says, returning his laptop in its original position in front of him. “Same goes for Taeyong and the main reason why a lot of people are after her life.”

“So does that mean one of them is behind the murder of y/n’s parents?”

Mark shakes his head, “Not sure. It’s not Taeyong. And we don’t have evidence Kun did it.”

Jeno pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “Wait. You said Yuta wanted y/n as well right? In exchange for the proposed deal?” Mark nods. “Did he give you a time limit or some sort?”

“A week.”

“From what Jeno has been telling me about this guy, I don’t think he’s the type to sit around and do nothing for a whole week,” Johnny suggest, crossing his arms just as his brows knit together in utter concentration. “You’re sure Kun’s behind y/n’s kidnapping?”

Jeno nods and firmly and gestures to the pictures, “Taeil’s CCTV says so.”

“And who is this Yuta guy?” Taeil asks, dumbfounded, scratching and tilting his head upwards.

“Some mafia guy from Japan who also happens to want y/n’s life,” Johnny replies with a frustrated sigh, nothing was adding up.

Taeil’s eyes widen, “Just exactly how many different people are after y/n?”

“Just the people we’ve mentioned,” Jeno answers and clucks his tongue after, “So far.”

Mark suddenly stands up from the couch and grabs his jacket in the process. Taeil and Jeno watch him and when he’s about to walk past Johnny, the elder stops him from going further by placing a hand across his chest.

“Woah, where are you going?”

“Kun’s,” Mark replies. “I want to see if she’s there.”

“Are you crazy? We don’t even know where they’ve kept her,” Johnny reasons, brows knitting together in the middle. “They wouldn’t keep her somewhere so obvious, Mark. Why don’t we do a little more research.”

“Johnny, I have to start somewhere,” Mark defends, eyes hard. “Every second that passes is making me worry so much it’s making me crazy.”

Johnny nods understandingly and drops his arm, “Okay but let’s not act so irrationally. We have to—“

“Johnny, I have to go,” Mark insists. “I have to know she’s okay.. I, I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her.”

Johnny sighs and nods after a few seconds of finally giving in, “Let me go with you at least.”

You’re hungry, thirsty and beyond exhausted. You don’t even know what time of the day it is or where you are because of the blindfold that’s been covering your eyes the moment you were snatched out of your bed this morning. There’s fear running through your veins as a bead of sweat rolls down the side of your face, too helpless to do anything with your hands tied harshly to your back with a rope that feels painfully aggressive on your skin. You couldn’t even scream for help, the cloth tied around your head to cover your mouth, feels too bitter on your tongue. But what you do know is that you’re in a moving vehicle, in a corner of what you imagine to be a container van, the occasional bumps along the round making you sway in your seat. But more than fear, you’re preparing yourself for the worst, for the probability of the end because you’ve been running for as long as you can remember and at this point,

you just wanted it all to stop.

Someone grabs you by the shoulders when the van comes to a complete halt. There’s indistinct yelling in the distance but you don’t make out the words, the growing pains in your body you didn’t notice before, becoming too prominent it makes you groan involuntarily as you’re forced to stand. You’re led out the van and when your feet comes in contact with the ground, you hear multiple footsteps coming in all directions.

“Bring her to the back,” one of them says and your head immediately snaps to its direction before you’re being pulled away again. Whoever was clutching on to your arm, was definitely not the most gentle, their grip on you sure to leave marks on your skin later or maybe even bruises. The more you squirmed under their hold to signal how uncomfortable it’s becoming, the more they seemed to clutch you tighter.

You know you’ve reached your destination when the stranger shoves you away from them, finally letting you go. The sound of the door shutting rings in your ears and not long after, you hear the door being locked. With no concrete plan in mind, you walk around aimlessly, hoping to find at least something, or even just get a feel of where you are. Minutes of shuffling only bring you to a conclusion that you’re most likely in an empty desolate room with the lack of furniture you thought you were going to bump into, only ever coming in contact with walls in all directions you’ve possibly covered.

You heave a sigh, falling to the ground when the exhaustion catches up to you. You scoot blindly until your back comes in contact with the nearest wall, your shoulders drooping instantly when it relieves the pressure. You’re panting, the energy left in you becoming depleted with each passing second and you’re sure you’ll pass out soon, the subtle ache in your head beginning to pound against your skull.

The click of the lock becoming undone awakens your senses with the door emitting a screech as it opens following a second after. Your head is directed straight ahead and you vaguely estimate the door’s located to your right, judging from the footsteps that are coming from that direction and towards you.

You feel someone in front of you and they say nothing when they’re reaching for your mouth cover, pulling it down until it falls around your neck to set your mouth free.

“Who are you?” You demand, your throat dry and your voice hoarse from not having spoken all day. You know you’re not going to get an answer though and your futile attempts of trying to guess who’s behind all of this becomes tossed aside when they don’t speak to answer your question. Instead, you feel fingers graze your chin, tilting it upwards. You feel the tip of what you guess is a bottle touching your lips.

“Water,” they say, voice low and deep and you know it’s belonging to a man. You down the water straight after, the temporary hydration making you feel a little better. He lets go shortly after he’s sure you’ve had enough. You hear him move away from you then but you feel his lingering presence, eyes on your helpless state.

He says nothing more, the only sound getting lost in the suffocating air being the door shutting and locked.

“Renjun?”

Almost everyone’s heads in the room follow where Mark is looking the moment he calls out the said person’s name. Renjun is there, standing awkwardly by the doorway, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he grows too conscious by everyone’s questioning eyes.

“H-hi,” Renjun utters quite lowly, a complete contrast to his usual demeanour that exuded confidence.

Mark tears his eyes off Renjun and shifts his attention to Jeno who had been staring at Renjun just a few moments ago before redirecting his focus to his laptop. “We could do with a bit of help,” Jeno mutters when he feels Mark’s eyes linger on him.

“Wow, you knew about this too?” Renjun asks when he sits beside Johnny. Johnny nods and ruffles the younger’s hair with a brotherly smile. Renjun’s eyes fall on the stranger sitting across him, “Renjun.”

“Taeil.”

“So I’m guessing Taeyong told you guys?” Mark asks cautiously, still pacing back and forth the floorboards in poor attempts to keep calm.

Renjun nods, “Yeah. He isn’t happy. Which is expected, I mean, nothing out of the ordinary.”

“What about the others?” Jeno questions.

Renjun shrugs, “Donghyuck stormed off to somewhere and Jaemin… I don’t know where he is. I tried to get him to come here.”

Johnny points at Mark, an unamused expression on his face, “Well, Donghyuck stormed here and punched Mark a few times.”

Renjun blinks, “Sounds like him.” He leans forward and laces his hands together as he rests his elbows on his thighs. “So what’s your plan?” he directs the question to Mark who takes a moment to stop his legs from taking further steps, contemplating Renjun’s question too hard.

“None yet,” Johnny answers when Mark doesn’t.

Renjun raises a brow, “None? That doesn’t sound like you,” he genuinely sounds confused, still directing his words to Mark. “You always have a plan.”

At a loss for words, the silence drags on for seconds, everyone now blinking up at Mark. Johnny and Jeno silently agree with Renjun, thinking back to all the times Mark had conjured up excellent plans even under pressure and even under lives were at stake. Mark knows Renjun is right and the lack of concrete plans even after hours of brainstorming proves how much he fears for your life; any wrong move, and it can cost everything he’s trying to protect.

And even when Mark doesn’t say anything, just excuses himself to get some fresh air, Renjun understands. And so does Johnny and Jeno when they see the confusion and dread in Mark’s eyes before he leaves. Renjun releases a sigh. In all the years he’s known Mark, never has he seen the member be so stuck in a predicament and now that he’s confronted with a Mark who appears so helpless, he isn’t so sure what he can do to help ease the burden on his shoulders. Renjun runs a hand through his hair in frustration before staring directly at Jeno.

“Okay, so what do we have so far?”

Jeno and Renjun are discussing amongst themselves with the occasional pitch in of ideas from Johnny and Taeil, their chatters resonating in Mark’s loft along with the tapping of Jeno on his keyboard. Johnny takes it upon himself to begin sketching helpful diagrams and notes they would find useful in the future while Renjun and Taeil analyse the situation over and over again while trying to think of potential events that could go wrong once they do try and attack.

All of this comes to a halt when someone, Jaemin, bursts through the door in a panic. Renjun can already tell Jaemin is going to bring nothing but bad news by the way he’s panting and from the distraught on his face.

“They have Donghyuck.”

Kun is smirking when he sees his desired target sitting helplessly on the chair before him, hands tied to the back to render him powerless and defenceless. Donghyuck’s face is dotted with bruises, glaring up at Kun the moment he was forcefully pushed down to take a seat. Kun’s smirk grows wider by the second, taking too much pleasure in the defeat of the enemy in front of him.

“We can do this the easy way,” Kun announces menacingly, “Or the hard way if you choose not to cooperate.”

Hendery, Lucas and Sicheng are standing behind Kun, watching the scene before them unfold. Hendery and Lucas are enjoying just as much as Kun is, having been the ones who had made all of this possible.

Donghyuck stays silent on the chair, the loathing in his orbs intensifying, his hands behind his back twitching and aching to land a fist to Kun’s face.

“Alright, let’s get started shall we?”

Kun circles Donghyuck’s chair once, an arm folded across his chest while he uses the other to tap a finger on his chin. “How much has Yuta offered Taeyong in exchange for that arms and drugs deal?”

Donghyuck doesn’t bat an eyelash nor does his features give way no matter how surprising it might have been for him for Kun to have some knowledge about their overseas affairs.

“Well?” Kun asks a moment after when silence ensues, bending down to meet Donghyuck’s eye level. Donghyuck’s eyes are seething and it only heightens Kun’s amusement. Kun doesn’t hesitate though, delivering a forceful blow on Donghyuck’s left cheek, making the hostage swing to the side.

“You asked for the hard way, you’re getting the hard way.” Kun straightens up briefly, rubbing his knuckles with his palm. “I’ll ask you again,” his voice rigid. “How much did Yuta offer?”

Donghyuck raises a brow and spits out blood pooling in his mouth from the punch before smirking up at Kun, “And how come you just can’t seem to ever mind your own business?”

Kun clenches his teeth and strikes at Donghyuck again, this time on his stomach, making him groan in agony yet still managing to smirk afterwards. No way was Donghyuck going to give Kun the satisfaction of seeing him suffer no matter how many blows he was going to get.

“What is it? Too incompetent to even get that info without needing to take one of us hostage?” Donghyuck challenges, as the corner of his lip begin to swell. A mocking laugh emits from his mouth after, “How pathetic,” he grins but his eyes piercing. “As usual.”

Kun is about to come for him again when he stops himself, realising how easily he’s been biting Donghyuck’s accusations. He takes a step back, a stoic expression finding appearing on his face as his brow arches upwards, “Alright, let me change the question.”

Donghyuck narrows his eyes at him.

Kun grins.

“How much did Yuta offer for y/n?”

You don’t realise you’ve fallen asleep, for who knows how long, until you’re being jolt awake with the feeling of someone bumping into you. You gasp in horror as the stranger groans beside you, doubling over in pain after he’s thrown to the ground.

“Wait!” he yells rather loudly as he scrambles in his spot and what you hear next is the door being slammed shut again. You scoot away from him, suddenly feeling extremely cautious of the unknown man in the same room as you. Though you figure he’s being held captive just as you were.

“Y/n?” he calls out toward the direction you’re resting yourself against the wall which, apparently isn’t too far from where he is despite your efforts to move away. You jump in your spot slightly at the sound of your name being called. It’s a voice you’ve never heard before. It wasn’t Johnny and most definitely not Mark.

You listen as he scrambles again, trying to pull your hands apart in hopes of snapping the rope into two so that you could defend yourself for the danger you felt was about to come your way. Your efforts are in vain and before you know it, you feel his presence right next to you. You hold your breath as your heart hammers against your ribs, preparing yourself for the worst.

“One sec,” he mumbles and even when his voice comes across as reassuring, you don’t let go of the breath you’re holding. You feel him move even closer to you and you grow weary with the way you feel his breath tickle your skin. You feel him swerve away from your face and settle onto the side of your head as you stay completely still, too scared to even move an inch. But then it dawns on you what he’s doing when your blindfold is lifted away from your eyes, the faint light of the bulb above, too harsh on your eyesight for a few seconds.

A moment passes and you’re successful in readjusting your vision to your surroundings. That’s when your eyes land on the person in the same room as you, dropping your blindfold to the ground, that had been in between his teeth seconds prior. His hair is messy, strands sticking out in all directions and face mottled with bruises and cuts, hands tied to his back in the same way as you. He looks like he’s about to pass out anytime soon with the way he’s panting hard to catch his breath but he doesn’t, only stares at you.

“Shit, you really are alive,” he says, eyes growing wide.

You frown, trying to add bits and pieces together from his statement but nothing’s coming to mind, the possibility of who he might be, too wide. “W-who are you?”

The boy with brown hair opens his mouth but doesn’t speak and you know he’s hesitating. You have a small inkling that he knows you too well than you might have expected. “Donghyuck,” he answers not too long after.

You don’t even need more than a second to remember who he is. This guy is one of the people who wants you killed. No wonder he looked oddly familiar, you had caught a glimpse of him at the day of your shooting and he was the one beside Mark in that photo you came across. Instinctively, you move further away from him, the thought of what he could do to you right now drilling into your head despite the tie around his hands.

“You know who I am?” he asks carefully, eyes too gentle to even want to kill you at this moment.

You nod slowly, “You were there, when I was shot.”

Donghyuck blinks and confirms your answer with a nod of his head. You watch as he scans you from head to toe wearily and slowly. “Did, did they hurt you?”

You don’t remember criminals to be this concerned about their target’s wellbeing but then you remember how Mark and Jeno proved you wrong. Donghyuck sounds genuinely concerned and he doesn’t stop searching your body for any signs of injuries even when you eye him in suspicion, too doubtful of his kindness. “No, they didn’t.” You swear you see him sign in relief.

“Why are you here?” You ask, not really sure whether he heard you or not with how quiet your voice came out that originally intended. “And what happened to your face?”

Donghyuck grins mockingly, “Kun’s boys don’t exactly like me.”

“Wait, this is Kun’s doing?” you ask, finally getting an answer to what you’ve been pondering ever since your abduction.

Donghyuck nods, then raises a brow. “How do you know Kun?”

“Kun is after my life,” you reply curtly. “That’s why I’m here.”

Donghyuck raises a brow, “How did Kun find out you’re alive?”

You shrug your shoulders, “No idea. Jeno says it’s got something to do with Kun tailing you guys’ backs since day one.”

Donghyuck smirks again, “Well, we take pride in that.” The smirk disappears just as fast as it appears when he leans forward. “Wait, why does Kun want you killed?”

“Apparently my parents owe him money. It’s for the same reason as Taeyong. Revenge, they said.” He nods slowly then, letting all of it make sense in his head. “Donghyuck, what day is it?”

“Wednesday.”

“Woah, okay I’ve been here for a day.”

“Yeah, I heard the guys are going crazy trying to figure out how to get you out of here,” Donghyuck points out, looking around the empty room.

“Guys?”

“Johnny, Jeno and Mark.”

You think of Mark then, your heart clenching at the reminder of missing him.

Donghyuck smiles at you when he catches you blinking into nothing.

“No worries, y/n. We’re going to get out of here, I know how.”

Jaemin and Renjun are busy trying to develop a plan on how to get you and Donghyuck back with Jeno and Taeil in the living room while Mark has excused himself out of their sight to give himself time and space to think and re-evaluate the whole situation. Nothing is making sense and it’s making his head ache, the pounding of his brain against his skull only worsening with the mere thought of your life in danger. He doesn’t remember ever feeling this worried nor determined to save someone else’s life, not even the guys. It’s an unusual feeling for him, foreign almost, to put someone else’s safety and life before his own. All Mark remembers ever feeling is the sheer conviction of staying alive from all the other times he’s been so close to actually losing his life.

He figures he’s fought greatly up until now so he could save yours.

Mark lower his head from staring up at the sky in his conservatory when he feels a presence step in his space. He finds Johnny beside him, an ice pack held out in his hand. “Gotta look after yourself too before you can save y/n.”

Mark musters a small smile as he takes the ice pack from Johnny, thoughts of you making him momentarily forget about the hard blows he received earlier in the day. When the cold finally sinks in his skin, he feels relief wash over him for the first time ever since you were gone and it soothes the pain on his cheeks he didn’t even notice until now.

“She must really mean a whole lot to you, huh,” Johnny says, looking straight out the window.

Mark snaps his head to the side and finds Johnny smiling slightly, the corners of his lips twitching upwards. Mark redirects his gaze ahead when he repeats his words in his head a few times to grasp what they mean. “I.. I guess.”

“I don’t think I've ever seen you this worked up about anything, anyone before,” Johnny adds, his tone friendly and coated with ease, an utter contrast to how Mark has been all day. “It’s... good to see.”

Mark raises a brow but lets out a scoff, “Y/n being in danger isn’t good to see, Johnny.”

Johnny finds the strength to laugh, trying his best to lift the younger’s mood, knowing painfully well just what he's feeling. “I meant seeing you care for someone else this much is good to see.”

Mark lowers the ice pack from his face and purses his lips as he dips his head low, his eyes now meeting the floor. Johnny’s right. Mark felt it. The short span of time he isn’t around you is enough proof of that. And he knows it’s not just because you’re his soulmate, though it’s somewhat a big part of the reason.

“Y/n... I don’t know,” Mark begins although unsure of what to say next. “Just, I just, I feel the need to protect her you know? No, I want to protect her. And it’s not just because I’m the reason why she’s in this mess, even though that’s a part of it too. I just, I,” Mark stops to catch a breath when he feels the words getting caught in is throat. He lifts his head upwards before exhaling, “I just, want to keep her safe. By all means. Even if it costs my life. And I can’t think about anything else but her, and getting her out of there.”

Mark shakes his head after he utters his final sentence, wondering just when he began to feel this way. “Is this what soulmates do to you?”

Johnny chuckles with a shrug of his shoulders. “Maybe.”

Mark rolls his eyes and nudges Johnny’s side with his elbow. “Thanks for the advice.”

Johnny falls silent, his thoughts taking him to Ari, a sudden gush of longing overtaking him. He smiles fondly to himself at the thought of her, at the realisation of seeing himself in Mark when he was once put in a similar situation some time back. He remembers how good it felt, how exhilarating everything had become and how everything appeared a lot more colourful somehow whenever Ari was around.

“I think,” Johnny smiles wider at the memory of Ari smiling at him blissfully, “It doesn’t take much for you to eventually feel like you’ve lost all control. One day, you’re living your life normally like you always do, and then the next, it all changes, everything you thought you knew, you’re suddenly questioning.”

Johnny turns to Mark who’s now staring at him with curious eyes, “We’re all born with a soulmate and beyond our reasoning and understanding, it just... happens, loving them becomes second nature even before we know it.”

Mark half smiles, his thoughts drifting to you as Johnny speaks, feeling the words fit all too well. “I think it’s crazy how the universe works sometimes.. How can it just know, how can it just know Y/n is the one for me from the beginning.”

“There will always be things we will never understand and sometimes, I think, not knowing is better,” Johnny smiles again, “We just gotta be thankful.. To be given someone in this lifetime you feel in your bones you will love for the rest of your life.”

Mark runs a hand through his hair and lets out another chuckle, “I don’t even know if she feels the same. She probably hates me right now after all that’s happened.”

“So you love her?”

Mark blinks.

Then he turns to Johnny again, a frown now evident on his face, “Do soulmates guarantee.. that the other feels the same?”

Johnny laughs, feeling all too relieved to lift Mark’s spirits up briefly during such a challenging time. “There’s only one way to find out Mark.”

Mark’s shoulders droop almost instantly at the reminder of your absence and at the reminder of the impending danger if he didn’t act soon. Johnny sees it and senses the younger’s anxiety shoot up even more. He claps a palm to Mark’s back, giving his shoulder a light squeeze.

“We’ll save her, alright?” Johnny reassures, earning a small smile from Mark.

There was no way Johnny was going to let Mark experience what he did.

You watch in awe as Donghyuck frees himself from the rope that once held his wrists together. You’re not too sure how he’s done it, only ever seeing him wriggle here and there for what seemed like a few short minutes before he’s moving over to you to get rid of your restraints. You heave a huge sigh of relief when your wrists finally become free, your fingers immediately flying to rub the now burning skin. Donghyuck takes both of your hands to haul you up on your feet, dusting off your dirty clothes when you find your balance.

Donghyuck surveys the empty room, its dirty white washed walls not really giving much option for an escape. He examines all four corners, until his eyes stop on the rectangular glass windows lining up a portion of the far wall, opposite the door. Donghyuck walks closer to it and draws a conclusion this room must be basement from being able to make out the ground through the blur of the dirt of the panes. The windows look too small for two people to escape through, the height of it seemingly a bit too high with a width that’s almost too narrow, meeting the ceiling and Donghyuck isn’t too sure either where this route will lead to nor is it guaranteed there is no one keeping watch on the other side.

But they’ve got to try. And they’ve got to try quick.

“Step back y/n,” he warns lowly, mentally calculating the mechanics of what he’s about to do. You don’t say anything when you follow as Donghyuck says, secretly growing weary of the dark glint in his eyes you didn’t see before.

Donghyuck takes two steps backwards before he’s charging forward, his right arm drawn back fully with his hand forming a firm fist. His fist meets the glass in less than second when he pulls his arm forward, the momentum he’s gained from his short jog adding to the strength in which his arms could muster. You wince in your spot when you hear a bang, the mere sight of Donghyuck trying to dismantle the glass making you feel the pain on your own wrist. You turn around to look away when Donghyuck charges again, the glass merely deflecting his efforts the first time around.

The glass cracks the second time and on the third, Donghyuck uses all his might to finally break it, shards of glass falling to the ground, some falling outwards on the ground. Donghyuck hisses when his fist begins to bleed, small pieces of glass digging into skin. He’s shaking his right palm as blood trickles down his fingers at an alarming rate.

“Donghyuck!” you exclaim as you run up to him and study the damage on his hand. Bright red blood gushes in more than one spot on his bruised skin and you’re extra careful when you gently pick at the shards that had sunk into his skin. Donghyuck stays still and lets you do what you’re doing as he continues to investigate the gap he’s made. It’s dark outside and the lack of light coming from outside makes Donghyuck hopeful that no one is out there to guard.

When Donghyuck looks back down, there’s a cloth wrapped around his knuckles and he realises it’s the blindfold he once took off your eyes. “Donghyuck we have to wash it,” you absentmindedly say when you finish tying a knot to keep it in place.

“Y/n, that’s the least of our worries right now,” Donghyuck says sternly. “We have to get out of here.”

He pulls you towards the window then and your eyes widen with the idea that’s now beginning to unfold in your mind. “I’ll go up first so I can help you from up there,” Donghyuck is already moving before you can even process his words.

Donghyuck climbs with ease, stealthily sliding himself through the gap, broken glass dropping to the floor when he does. In no time, he’s successfully made it outside and stays lying on his stomach with his hands outstretched to you. “Come on,” he urges. “Run towards me and jump and I’ll catch you.”

You nod in determination, wanting to get out desperately and feeling the need not to disappoint Donghyuck. You do as Donghyuck says and when you jump, he catches your hands as promised. Donghyuck uses his incredible strength to haul you upwards and you begin to worry when you see his knuckles bleed through the thin cloth. You purse your lips together as you use your feet to scramble against the wall just as Donghyuck grits his teeth hard to pull you out.

But you’re screaming the next second when you feel being aggressively pulled from the wall, strong arms wrapped around your body until your hands are no longer grasping Donghyuck’s. You’re thrashing around, kicking your legs into the air to try and rid of the body that’s keeping you from leaving, but they’re way stronger than you and already carrying you out through the door you didn’t notice had become opened during your attempt at escaping.

“Keep still,” the man carrying you growls into your ear and you recognise him as the same man who had given you water yesterday.

You catch a glimpse of Donghyuck when you look back and he nods firmly at you before he’s getting up on his feet to make a run.

Donghyuck won’t let you down. His eyes said so.

Donghyuck runs frantically for his life, his legs having no sense of direction with the only focus of escaping to bring help to you before the worst can happen. He’s relieved when he comes across no one in his path, but skeptical with the lack of people guarding the opponent’s headquarters. Nonetheless, he sets that thought aside and exerts his remaining energy in seeking refuge.

Donghyuck falls back on the ground when his body collides with someone else’s after a sharp turn. He groans inwardly, his head spinning as he lands on his injured hand, feeling a new gush of blood seeping out the cracks of his skin. Donghyuck can only see a silhouette when he looks up, eyes squinting to adjust to the light behind the stranger after having ran in the dark for so long.

“Hyuck!”

He recognises that voice anywhere.

“God— ow, that hurt like a bitch,” Donghyuck curses under his breath, letting his guard down completely when Mark helps him up off the ground. “Watch where you’re going idiot!”

Mark rolls his eyes, “I should be the one saying that to you.”

Behind Mark, Johnny emerges who is now staring at Donghyuck. “What happened to your face?” Johnny asks, eyeing the younger from head to toe. “You look horrible.”

Donghyuck swipes the back of his hand across his swollen lower lip, “Kun happened.”

“Jaemin said they caught you,” Mark says, blinking rapidly, trying to make sense of the situation. “What happened?”

Donghyuck shrugs, “They took me on the way home from yours earlier. You know, Lucas, Xiaojun and Sicheng?” Mark and Johnny nod. “Yeah, them lot. Thought they’d just taken me for the fun of it, since you know, they hate our guts. Turns out they wanted information from me.”

“Information?” Johnny asks.

Donghyuck rests his palms on either side of his hips. “Yeah, about Nakamoto. Didn’t budge though, that’s why they beat me up.”

“Wait, they know about Yuta?” Johnny questions, the pieces of the puzzle seemingly not adding up to make up a picture that makes sense.

Donghyuck nods, “Y/n’s in there too, Mark. I tried to get her out with me but Xiaojun caught her just in time.”

At the mention of your name, Mark’s hands balls into fists, chills covering every inch of his skin at the thought of you hurting under their mercy. Mark purses his lips in sheer anger, mentally promising to get rid of anyone who dared lay a finger on you.

“What are you guys doing here anyway?” Donghyuck inquires.

“We came as soon as we got the news about you,” Johnny answers. “And because we had our suspicions they had y/n too. We were going to get you both out.”

Mark doesn’t hear a word Johnny says when he pushes past Donghyuck, the thought of saving you the only thing running in his mind, the hours of structuring a plan flying out the window. Every moment that passes where he’s unsure about your safety, the more impulsive he becomes into compromising his life just to save yours.

Donghyuck is quick to get in Mark’s way, succeeding in stopping him in his tracks. “Mark, going in there isn’t a good idea.”

“What do you mean! She’s in there Hyuck— I have to save her.”

Donghyuck firmly stops Mark again with a palm to his best friend’s chest. “Stop,” he calls out and looks at Mark straight in the eye. The desperation in his friend’s eye is devastating because it spoke of just how much he was willing to give up just to save you. “I need you to listen to me. And I need you to listen well.”

Johnny steps in beside Mark to make sure he doesn’t move an inch. When Donghyuck is sure he’s gotten all of Mark’s attention, he begins but not before drawing in a deep breath, “When I was in there, Kun asked me about everything I knew about Yuta and Taeyong’s proposed deal. Mark, they know about our shit. Somehow they’ve found out. Now is the time to be careful and not take any careless chances.”

“Hyuck what are you trying to say—“

“Kun asked me how much Yuta offered in exchange for y/n,” Donghyuck’s voice suddenly lowers, as if to save the remaining intact parts of Mark to refrain them from shattering.

“Mark, I think they’re giving y/n to Yuta for money.”

“It’s happening tomorrow, Kun’s boys are leaving their headquarters one by one to secure the the port they’re meeting at tomorrow,” Jeno announces, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“We have to get to them before they can even meet Yuta,” Mark insists, his hands clasped tightly together, sitting on the centre of the counter table, the rest of the boys sitting on either sides in front of him.

Johnny leans forward into the table and shakes his head, “They’re on high alert Mark, they know as much as we do, how dangerous of a person Yuta is. Going in there to snatch someone they could get millions for is basically a death wish.”

“But wouldn’t it be more dangerous if we go in there at a later time?” Renjun points out, tapping is chin. “Intervening when Kun and Yuta’s guys is the biggest death wish to me. We’d be outnumbered,” Renjun pauses and glances at everyone around the table. “By a lot.”

“And knowing Kun’s boys and how much they hate us, they definitely wouldn’t hesitate to kill, especially if there’s a lot of money on the line,” Donghyuck adds, his bruised and wounded face now all patched up thanks to Johnny.

There’s silence for a while, everyone getting lost in their own thoughts. As much as Mark hated to admit it, everything his comrades had said was right and as much as he wanted to save you, he didn’t want to put anyone’s lives in danger like that, even though his job literally meant risking his life every day. He wanted as little casualties on his end as possible. It was the least he owed his friends for being in on this despite it being against their will and against Taeyong.

“Jeno is there any way we can meet Yuta before tomorrow?” Mark asks lowly, his eyes hard and directed at Jeno.

Jeno blinks once before he’s typing away again, all eyes now on him, “He’s supposed to be arriving sometime tomorrow in the morning and according to my sources, he’s supposed to be leaving the day after. I think we can possibly meet him if get in contact with him now.”

“And can we do that?”

Jeno nods and cranes his neck towards Renjun, “Renjun and I will trace his contact.”

Mark nods gratefully. “Thanks.”

“What do you plan on telling him?” Johnny asks, looking up from where he sits on the couch.

Mark draws in a breath, “I don’t know yet. I just have to talk to him before they do.”

“You don’t want to get through to Kun first?” Jaemin asks curiously.

Mark spares a glance in Donghyuck’s direction, guilt seeping in him to see his friend in such a state. Mark shakes his head firmly, “No. He has his eyes set on Yuta. He’s never gonna settle for anything less than what Yuta would have offered him, and I’m guessing it’s a lot.”

Jaemin nods slowly, realising how much Mark must have thought this through in his head.

“But I’m going to need eyes on Kun,” Mark continues, rubbing his chin with his thumb and index finger. “Just so I know they’re not harming her while I negotiate with Yuta.”

Johnny volunteers as he nods, “I’ll do that.” He turns to Taeil beside him, “Taeil will help me.”

Taeil blinks unsurely at the mention of his name but nods after a good five seconds when Johnny’s words finally sink in. “Yeah, we’ll keep an eye.”

And no one sleeps for the rest of the night. Jeno, Renjun and Jaemin study the blueprint of the port Jeno has somehow managed to get his hands on, locating potential hideouts to put themselves in until they can execute their plan. Johnny and Donghyuck are in a corner teaching Taeil some of basic self defence, knowing he’s never fought anyone in his life ever while Mark is busy readying his guns for tomorrow, a sick feeling coating the pit of his stomach when he realises he’s in the room you came across that day you realised he was the one who had shot you. He sets his sniper down and turns to find your picture still pinned on the board. He takes it and examines the picture in a way he has never before. It’s a random photo of you he had gotten off the internet, but taking a closer look now, it’s one of you smiling, your smile reaching your eyes. You looked beautiful, he thinks and the guilt of putting you in more danger than you already were in seeps in stronger than ever. Mark swears he’d never be able to forgive himself if there was anything to happen to you.

Mark continues to long for you as he keeps gazing at your photo, he doesn’t notice Donghyuck sliding in the room until he’s beside him and craning his neck to look at where Mark’s attention is focused on.

“H-Hyuck,” Mark calls out as he clears his throat, setting the picture aside.

Donghyuck throws him a knowing look before picking up a small gun previously laid on the table, “Miss her already?”

Mark is about to shrug Donghyuck’s question off knowing he wasn’t usually the one to talk about these things, but Mark feels it’s okay to be vulnerable tonight, especially to the friend who knows him the best. “Yeah, I do,” he finally admits, dropping his head low.

Donghyuck smiles a little, satisfied Mark trusts him with this side of him, a rare side one would never think he possessed because with what Mark did for a living, there was almost always no room for emotions or second guesses.

“We’ll save her, okay?” Donghyuck attempts to console his friend, the feeling unfamiliar to him for the mere fact they’ve never been put in this situation before. “We really will.”

Mark smiles gratefully as he glances at Donghyuck. “Hyuck, what really happened today? How did Kun catch you like that?”

Donghyuck disassembles the gun he’s been holding with ease before he turns to Mark, an already apologetic glint in his eyes. “I, when I left after screaming at your face earlier, I thought about what you said. And Kun’s boys aren’t exactly the discrete type of people so I found out about them having y/n earlier. and,” Donghyuck sighs, “I realised just how important she was to you.. you know after you punched me like that because you’d never do that. You’d never do that to any of us. Never. So I knew I had to do something.. I, I don’t want what happened to Ari happen again.”

“So I went in there, without a plan in mind, just the thought of needing to do something. And I thought I had it, I thought I had her. Turns out Kun needed me for other reasons too and made their job of abducting me a whole lot easier for them,” Donghyuck stifles a laugh.

“You were there to save y/n?”

Donghyuck nods. “Not sure what I was thinking, it was really irrational. But.”

“I realised she might just be what you have left..” Donghyuck trails off. “I mean you have us, you’re always going to have us. But, soulmates are different I guess, even though I literally said they meant nothing earlier. I guess I needed you to punch me a few times before I could finally understand.”

Donghyuck sighs and turns to Mark, “Look, I’m sorry for what I did to you earlier and for all the things I said. I guess, I was just too angry at the thought of betraying Taeyong and keeping everything from us but after thinking about it now, I think I understand better why you did what you did.”

Mark breaks out into a small smile. “I’m sorry for punching you too.”

Donghyuck grins, “Nah, I deserved it.”

The two chuckle together, bruised cheeks lifting into smiles.

“She’s gonna be okay. We’ll make sure of that.”

And Mark believes and holds onto his best friend’s words.

Mark kicks at the ground outside his parked car just when the sun is about to peek from behind the horizon. The air is cold and crisp, the occasional breeze blowing towards his direction making him ball his fists deeper into the pockets of his jeans. The sound of the water hitting against the shore echoes into the stillness of the air and it offers Mark some sort of comfort, his mind unconsciously bringing him back to the time he confessed to you, to that morning he explained just why he had tried so hard to save you. And just when his mind is about to completely become filled by thoughts of you, his chest tightening at how much he just wants to see you, the sounds of cars pulling up in the distance snapping him out of his trance. Mark instinctively straightens his back and pulls himself from against his car, twisting his body to greet the oncoming cars coming his direction. He lifts his wrist to view, the time on his watch reading seven forty in the morning, the exact estimated time Jeno and Renjun had predicted in the earlier hours of dawn during the planning process.

Mark steps in the middle of the road when the series of cars drive nearer to him until they eventually come to a stop when he impedes their path. Mark lifts his chin up in full confidence, inhaling a breath of hair to prepare himself of what’s to come. Securing a meeting with Yuta was impossible despite Jeno’s skills and so interfering like this to buy even five minutes of his time had to do.

The driver of the first car opens the door of the van and steps outside, eyes trained on Mark with a frown. Mark spots the gun tucked underneath his belt but doesn’t cower. “Who are you?” the stranger, a big man, inquires, coming forward but far enough from Mark as a precaution.

“I need to talk to your boss,” Mark replies calmly. “I know he’s in the car behind yours.”

“My boss doesn’t see just anyone,” the man replies sternly, crossing his arms across his chest just as another man, who had been sitting on the passenger seat, exit the vehicle also. “And it really isn’t a good idea for you to be out here either.”

Mark scoffs and tears his eyes off the two men momentarily, darting them to the ground before looking back up at them again. “Is that a threat?” Mark was going to do anything to spare a few minutes of Yuta’s time but it didn’t mean he was going to submit to them so hastily, knowing all too well how quickly they’d be in control of the situation if he lets them.

“You decide,” the second man replies, slightly smaller in build than the other. “The fact that you know who we are, should be enough for you to decide.”

Mark makes sure the two sees him roll his eyes, to ensure they know he’s clearly mocking them. “I think I’ll decide once I’ve gotten a word with your boss.”

“And how many times to we have to remind you it’s not possible?”

Mark mirrors the man’s actions by crossing his arms across his chest. “Tell him it’s Mark Lee. Either you do that right now or we stay here like this all day.” Mark’s voice shift in an instant, his tone lowering and deepening just as his eyes darken in the same way. “And I'm sure neither of you,” Mark leans to his side and eyes the cars lined up before standing straight again, “Or everyone else here has the time.”

The two exchange unsure glances until one of them eventually walks away to make his way to what Mark can make out to be car behind the one in his view. Mark taps his foot at the ground as he waits impatiently, the man left behind watching him closely.

It isn’t long before Mark hears another car door opening and shutting in the near distance and another moment that passes further before Nakamoto Yuta comes into view, a small smirk already playing at his lips. He walks forward, two of his men following closely behind him.

“Ah, Mark Lee,” Yuta greets with a sinister smile when he stops in his steps, a metre away from Mark. “I haven’t heard from you since.”

Mark shrugs his shoulders, “We couldn’t get through you for some reason.” The only reason why Yuta severed ties was only because he knew you were in someone else’s hands now, shifting his focus completely to whoever had a hold of you, despite attempts of making negotiations with Mark first during the initial encounter in Japan, a fact that Mark knew very well, getting a good grasp of who this Nakamoto Yuta really was.

Yuta breathes a laugh, “I’m a busy man. I must have missed you,” he tries to shrug off even though he knows Mark isn’t buying it. He shakes his head a raises both of his brows, “Well, what brings you here today?”

“I’m here to propose a deal,” Mark replies instantly, refusing to beat around the bush.

“A deal?”

Mark nods firmly. “Double of what Taeyong initially proposed you.”

Yuta arches a brow, the corner of his lips turning upwards. “That’s quite a deal Mark. Does Taeyong know about this?”

Mark ignores the question and keeps his eyes trained on Yuta. “Are you going to take it?”

Yuta lands his palms on either side of his hips and swipes his tongue across his lower lips. “In exchange of what?”

Mark looks at Yuta directly in the eye and without missing a beat, he replies,

“Y/n.”

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

All heads turn in an instant, Donghyuck’s mouth hanging open in the process. Mark tightens his grip around the duffle bag hanging in his hands as he lets go of the door he has just locked. Johnny and Jeno exchange weary looks towards one another while Renjun, Jaemin and Taeil blink at the uninvited guest.

“To get y/n.” Mark breaks the silence that seemed to stretch on forever.

Taeyong smirks mockingly and kicks at the ground mindlessly, his gaze shifting to somewhere else in the distance before returning it to Mark. “With this amount of people? With what reinforcements exactly?”

Johnny raises a brow, “What are you doing here anyway?” His tone of voice rigid, his jaw taught, an unpleasant taste in his mouth at the sight of Taeyong.

Taeyong stuffs both of his balled fists in the pockets of his jeans and shrugs his shoulders, “Trying to stop you all from getting killed.”

Johnny laughs, but he isn’t amused. Renjun cowers at the sound that leaves Johnny’s lips, knowing that whatever was about to come out of it next won’t be anything good. “Brave of you to talk about preventing ourselves from getting killed when killing has been the only thing you’ve been doing all your life.” There’s a menacing glint in Johnny’s orbs as he speaks, his eyes directed straight at Taeyong, making sure every single word jabs at him directly.

Taeyong inhales a sharp breath as he shuts his eyes for a few seconds, already expecting this hostility from his once best friend. He tries to compose himself in the silence in dire attempts of looking for the right words to say to convince them of his genuine intentions to help.

Mark watches the scene unravel and when it appears that the current situation wasn’t going to improve anytime soon, especially not when Johnny and Taeyong are around one another, he takes it upon himself to get moving first, walking past Taeyong without saying a word as the younger ones follow behind him.

Jaemin and Donghyuck glance at Taeyong sadly just when they’re about to pass him and Taeyong catches it, nodding at them both reassuringly before they’re out of his sight, following Mark to his van. Taeyong also catches sight of Johnny’s glare when he’s the last to walk away from him, his anger clearly indicated in the way he purposely bumps his shoulder against his.

When Taeyong hears the doors of the van slide open behind him, he inhales another big breath, clenching his fists tighter than ever, still contemplating if the words he’s about to say are the right ones.

“I want to help.”

The six halt in their tracks again, Taeil’s leg hanging in the air just as he’s about to get into the van first. Mark sees Johnny frown from where he stands on the opposite side of the van, eyes hard trained on the roof of the van. Mark looks past Johnny and sees Taeyong still standing there, his back facing them.

Before Mark can even speak, Johnny beats him to it, “The last time you offered to help, you killed Ari.”

A loud sigh gets lost in the wind when Taeyong finally turns around at the same time Johnny does. Taeyong looks furious now as he storms towards Johnny, steps heavy and desperate.

“How many times do I have to keep telling you that wasn’t meant to happen,” Taeyong almost yells, his shoulders now heaving with anger. “How many times do I have to fucking apologise for that one fucking mistake!”

The raise in Taeyong’s voice only aggravate Johnny further and the rest of the boys are quick to divide themselves between Taeyong and Johnny in order to prevent an impending fist fight that’s waiting to happen.

“Why are you the one all worked up?!” Johnny practically yells even though Taeyong is a mere two meters away from him. “You’re not the one who lost her!”

“Because you’re being unreasonable!” Taeyong retaliates as Renjun and Donghyuck stand closely beside him, hands on either sides of his shoulders to stop him from trying to advance. “Because no matter how much I apologise to you, no matter how much I try to make up for it, you still act like I wanted it to happen!”

“Hell you have no idea how much—“

“Of course I have no idea!” Taeyong exclaims exasperatedly, throwing his hands in the air in utter frustration. “I’ve never been in your shoes before! I can only fucking imagine how much it must have hurt but shit, how many times do I have to tell you I’m sorry until you finally—“

“Until it no longer fucking hurts!”

Taeyong stares at Johnny, shoulders drooping low when he sees the hurt in his eyes that have now brimmed with tears. The boys switch gazes between the two helplessly, despair and disappointment running through their veins when they watch the two people, who were once the best of brothers, go at each other’s throat.

“Until... I forget it ever happened,” Johnny’s voice is cracking but he’s gritting his teeth in futile attempts not to crumble. “Until I get the image of Ari dying right before my own eyes, out of my head.. because, that’s all I see before I sleep, all I think about when I remember her..”

Taeyong drops his head low, the sight of a broken Johnny for the first time ever in all the years he’s known him, too much for him to see. He feels his heart breaking, knowing all too well the immense damage he’s caused because of that incident, yet not fully realising how much it has ruined his friend all these years. Johnny was a friend, he always has been, in fact, one of the closest Taeyong ever holds close, and man did it hurt to see strong friends like that crumble.

“I.. I really am so sorry, John,” Taeyong breathes, his eyes sad and hurt as he looks up again. “I’m sorry.”

Johnny’s eyes are blank as he gazes towards Taeyong,

“Me too.”

Mark has never seen Johnny this quiet before but he knows he’s following well even when it appears as if his eyes are blank and staring into nothing. Taeyong speaks fluidly, the steps in executing his proposed plans flowing out one after the other with so much ease, as if he’s already mulled the situation over a million times before, having even constructed alternative plans in the event that something does go wrong.

The younger ones keep silent, letting Taeyong do all the talking, only ever nodding when the elder clarifies if they’ve been keeping up with everything he had just said. Renjun and Jaemin are too stiff in Mark’s eyes, and he figures it’s gotten something to do with how Taeyong initially exploded when he found out about him saving and hiding you, too afraid and too cautious to say or do something that might upset the alpha who hasn’t stopped talking ever since he sat down on the couch, drawing everyone’s attnetion to various maps and blueprints of buildings with the help of resourceful Jeno.

“You know it would really help if I got some feedback from all of you,” Taeyong suddenly says, pausing midway his evacuation plan when he notices everyone avoiding his eyes.

Taeil purses his lips as he fiddles with the loose threads of his ripped jeans, Taeyong’s presence still sending chills down his spine, remembering he’s the one who was after his best friend’s life in the first place. He feels the hairs on his skin stand when Taeyong cranes his neck to look towards his direction and when he meets his eyes briefly, Taeil’s heart drops, the sensation alone making him turn his head somewhere else in less than a second. Taeyong’s eyes were too much, too intense, and too scary, no wonder everyone in the room fell silent when he spoke.

Mark, who’s standing by the edge of the table, overseeing every plan spread out on the coffee table, crosses his arms across his chest and raises a hand to grasp his chin as he envisions the plan coming to life. When he’s about to speak, Renjun beats him to it unconsciously, “The plans sound good. Better than the ones we’ve come up with honestly,” he glances towards Mark wearily who only nods at him encouragingly, silently agreeing with him. “But those plans involve a lot of manpower. We only have, like, what? Eight of us?”

“You’re not the only ones in this mafia, are you?” Taeyong asks lowly.

Donghyuck raises a brow inquisitively, “Wait, what? You mean-”

“I’ve already told everyone else. All transactions and activities are on hold right now to focus on this. We have way more manpower than we need.”

“Everyone?” Jaemin clarifies.

“Everyone.” Taeyong confirms.

Jaemin, Renjun and Donghyuck smirk amongst themselves, already feeling the success of their plans, knowing all too well how brilliant Taeyong’s people were when put altogether. Taeil nods silently, relief washing over him, the thought of you coming back to safety seeming more and more possible.

“So let me get this straight,” Johnny says abruptly, leaning over the table, too lost in his own thoughts all this while as the others conversed amongsth themselves. Taeyong directs his gaze at him, a hint of comfort bubbling inside of him after years of being invisible to Johnny’s eyes. Johnny meets Taeyong’s eyes when he looks up from the table and he sees Taeong with expectant eyes, his eyebrows arched upwards to urge him to talk. It feels foreign, Johnny thinks, to be speaking to someone he considered gone for years.

“You want to propose another deal to Yuta in exchange for y/n?”

Taeyong nods.

“And what makes you think he’d agree?”

Mark knows Johnny isn’t mocking Taeyong, though his tone of voice and the blank expression on his face could easily make anyone else think so.

Taeyong doesn’t sway though, deciding that he’d put up with anything Johnny decided to throw at him if it meant earning his forgiveness.

“Because it’s a deal he won’t be able to make with anyone else,” Taeyong answers confidently, straightening his back. “We’re the strongest mafia in Korea. That, combined with what I’m about to offer him is something only an idiot would decide to pass on.”

Johnny falls silent, the conviction in Taeyong’s eyes and words enough to tell him he means it.

“This deal...” Jeno starts carefully. “What kind of a deal is it?”

Taeyong pauses before answering, “Remember that time you went to Japan? Remember what we initially offered him?”

Renjun, Jaemin, Donghyuck nod as Mark raises a brow.

“Triple that price. More drugs. More arms. A formal alliance between us and them.”

Mark frowns while the three widen their eyes. Johnny looks up from the floor and up at Taeyong. He doesn’t know the actual price or the amount, but knowing Taeyong, anything that was double or triple anything was a lot.

“Taeyong, that’s a lot you’re putting on the line,” Mark points out. Even though he wanted to so badly save you, he was unsure Taeyong risking his livelihood for someone he barely even knew, would be something that would benefit not just him, but the entirety of his mafia in the longrun. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

Taeyong nods firmly with no hesitation whatsoever.

“We can always think of other plans, we can come up with other deals,” Mark reasons, knowing hell would literally come upon them if they made permanent alliances with someone as manipulative as Yuta.

Taeyong breaks into a small smile, appreciating what Mark was doing. “He's rejected your proposal already, Mark. There’s nothing else as good as this one that Yuta would even consider thinking about. It’s the best we can offer.”

“But-”

“Mark, I’ve made up my mind. There’s no changing it.”

Mark’s shoulders droop in defeat, knowing that it was completely useless arguing with Taeyong once he made up his mind.

“Are you sure?”

Taeyong glances at Johnny for a second. And then he looks back at Mark.

“Very.”

The sun is up high in the sky when Taeyong’s troop arrives at the agreed meeting place; a deserted factory by the docks at the edge of the town neighbouring theirs. As planned, Taeyong, Donghyuck and Jaemin are the only ones who appear in the open while the rest set up camp in isolation on either sides of the factory, in order to position themselves in their designated locations. Taeyong rolls down the window of the van a soon as he hits the brakes when he’s stopped by Yuta’s men just outside the gates of the meeting place. Taeyong doesn’t speak, even when two big men scrutinise his face for a good two minutes and even when one of them stick their head in through the window. Donghyuck fakes a salute with a smirk on the passenger seat while Jaemin raises a brow to feign confidence.

The stranger nods at the other men impeding the entrance and they eventually part from each other, the gate sliding open, the bars separating from each other from the middle. Taeyong rolls the window back up and drives straight through.

“We’re in,” Donghyuck speaks into his mic that’s concealed very well, no one would suspect it ever existed, just like the others’. “Taeil, status?”

“We’re in position,” Taeil’s voice rings in their earpieces. “Not sure about the other side though, we can’t see them from where we are yet.”

“Renjun?” Donghyuck calls out just as Taeyong comes to a halt when he finishes parking. “You guys good on the other side?”

“Yup,” Renjun replies. “We see them now.”

Taeyong unbuckles his seatbelt but doesn’t exit the van. He ducks his head between the gap of the steering wheel and the windshield to inspect the location, a tall, rundown building with cracked windows greeting him. It’s exactly like Jeno’s blueprint, he thinks.

“Mark, I need a visual,” Taeyong inquires.

Mark, who has the highest point of visual due to the mere fact he’s situated on the rooftop on the building next to the factory, aligns the viewer of his sniper left and right. “They’re preparing to leave. They’re packing up as we speak.”

“Right,” Taeyong answers. “Alright everyone, the goal is to prevent them from leaving. I need all potential exit points secure and as soon as anyone gets a visual on y/n, report immediately. Do not shoot unless extremely needed.”

Taeyong, Jaemin and Donghyuck begin to set out from the van and into the building after having their identity confirmed by the men manning the main entrance into the factory. Once in, they’re escorted by another five, who surround them as they lead through the corridors and walls of the place. Donghyuck and Jaemin play dumb even when they know this place like the back of their hand, having made many transactions here in the past with Taeyong. Taeyong does the same, mindlessly following the man in front of him until they come to a complete stop in what he remembers to be what used to be the main packaging area of the old factory.

Taeyong sees Yuta in the middle of the room, examining the last remaining boxes that are being packed by his men, of contents he presumes to be from Kun. Yuta turns around when he feels company enter the room and he greets Taeyong with a smile for show.

“Taeyong,” Yuta’s voice echoes as he walks up to them to meet them halfway. “Your guys sure are persistent.”

Taeyong lets out a breathy laugh and tips his head forward slightly. “We don’t stop unless we get what we want.”

Yuta smirks, “And that’s a vital quality in our world, isn’t it? Persistence.”

Taeyong shrugs, “Depends if it gets you what you want in the end.”

Yuta laughs and it booms through the empty room. Once he’s gotten a hold of himself he holds his palms out and gestures over to the three. “So what can I do for you today?”

“A deal.”

Yuta arches a brow. “Another one? Mark proposed one to me yesterday as you may know.”

Taeyong nods, unfazed. “A better one.”

Yuta holds a hand up to stop Taeyong from going further. “So let me get things straight. Mark wasn’t able to settle a deal with me yesterday, so now Lee Taeyong, the alpha of the group is stepping up to try and seal another one?” Yuta grins and rubs the palms of his hands together, a dark glint coating his orbs. “Well this should be one heck of a deal then.”

From the corner of Jaemin’s eye, he sees Taeyong clench his fists and he knows Taeyong is about to submit himself into something that’s potentially going to be the cause of their downfall as a mafia.

“Triple the price of what we initially offered. Triple the amount of arms. Triple the amount of drugs. And a formal alliance between you and me.”

Taeyong doesn't skip a beat nor does he breathe as he speaks his words and everyone else listening on the line are holding their breaths, already preparing themselves for what’s to come in the near future once the deal does go ahead.

Donghyuck shifts uncomfortably in his spot when silence follows. Yuta’s expression doesn’t change as he continues to eye Taeyong who doesn’t cower away either. Yuta presses his lips into a thin line and exhales a breath before asking the next question.

“And in exchange for what?”

And Taeyong doesn’t hesitate.

“Y/n.”

Yuta breaks out into a smile immediately, his teeth coming to full view. He shuffles in his spot until he’s comfortable and rests both of his hands on either sides of his hips. “Wow,” he exclaims sarcastically. “What the fuck does y/n have for her to be in such high demand?”

Taeyong remains stoic and Jaemin and Donghyuck behind him remain quiet.

“First, it was Kun, yesterday, Mark and now you? Lee Taeyong? Lee Taeyong, also known as the strongest and most powerful mafia leader in the country, willing to basically give his life away for some damsel in distress?” Yuta taunts with so much hostility dripping from his words. He steps forward and keeps going until he’s a mere inches apart from Taeyong’s face. “Tell me, what does this girl have for you to go this far? Surely, it’s more than just money, more than what her net worth is.”

Taeyong can feel Yuta’s breath against his skin and if it were another day, he would’ve already punched him once or twice for invading his personal space. But today was different because your life was on the line and he had to do everything in his power to behave, even if it meant letting go of something as small as this.

“Like you said, she's worth millions,” Taeyong calmly replies, meeting Yuta’s eyes. “A person worth that much doesn’t appear very often.”

“But you tried to kill her,” Yuta questions.

“Her parents owed me money. They died before I could kill them so I opted for her instead.”

“And what made you change your mind?”

“For the same reasons you want her. Money.”

If there was one thing Taeyong took pride in, it would be his lying skills, something he's mastered overtime for having been involved in businesses like this for years. It’s a skill no one questions and one that his peers usually are confident in, but knowing how notorious Yuta was, and how his skills may just be on par with Taeyong’s, he’s suddenly questioning whether Yuta can see through his lies no matter how hard he’s tried to conceal the truth.

Yuta shrugs and steps away for what feels like decades. “I have to thank you then, for not killing her completely in the first place. Otherwise, you would’ve left me with no choice but to come for you.”

“Are you threatening me?”

Yuta laughs again and shakes his head, his hair swaying along with the motions of his head. “No, I’m not,” he smiles. “But it is my way of politely saying no to your deal.”

Taeyong frowns.

“The deal is off Taeyong.”

Taeyong is about to retaliate when a gunshot is heard in the distance, making everyone in the room jolt in their spots. Two of the men behind Jaemin and Donghyuck leave the room immediately while the remaining three are quick to grab a hold of them each.

“Fucking hell, some bastard just tried to shoot me,” Johnny speaks into the earpieces.

Yuta curses under his breath and signals for his men to drag Taeyong, Jaemin and Donghyuck away and before they know it, they’re already being pulled from the room. Taeyong grits his teeth together, his jaw becoming taught.

“Johnny, people are coming over to where you are now,” Mark points out. “Ready yourselves, and we’ll send backup. Renjun?”

“We’re on it,” Renjun answers and orders half of his guys with him to head onto Johnny’s location.

“Taeyong? Status?” Mark calls out.

When Taeyong, Jaemin and Donghyuck are some place quieter, along a corridor that appears to be deserted, Taeyong is the first to fight by pulling himself away from the man who had been holding him, elbowing him squarely on the face, catching him off guard and leaving him no time to recover as he stumbles backwards with a groan. Once the other two men let go of Jaemin and Donghyuck to assist their comrade, Taeyong has already pulled the man’s gun from his stow, shooting him in no less than a second, followed by the other two, knocking the three down in a glimpse.

“We’re good, but that won’t be the case for long,” Taeyong answers. “Alright, Jaemin and Donghyuck I need you both to search the entire area and find where they’re keeping y/n,” he instructs just as the two finish taking the abandoned guns from the two unconscious men. The two nod before they’re out of Taeyong’s sight in search for you.

It’s not long before a series of gunshots resonate in the distance and Taeyong runs in the opposite direction in hopes of finding you. Mark from where he’s located on the rooftop, try to block incoming enemies heading towards Johnny’s direction by shooting at them one by one, not missing a single target. Johnny and his troop do a good job of securing their hideout by defending and while all the attention is drawn on to them, the rest of Renjun’s troops that were previously left behind to man their area, move in slowly to infiltrate and secure the inside of the factory while it remains unguarded.

“Movement by the South,” Jeno speaks. “They’re heading for the factory.”

“We’re moving in,” Johnny declares when he takes the last man down. “Any signs of y/n yet?”

“None yet,” Donghyuck breathes into his earpiece. “We have two more locations to check, she should be in one of those, but I think we’re going to need backup, that place is probably guarded too.”

“Coming Hyuck, I need a location,” Johnny says.

“Basement. There’s a room by the clearing after the second corridor, we’re keeping watch here. A lot of them are evacuating to see what the commotion is outside. Be careful on your way in.”

“Copy.”

“Mark and Jeno, stop anyone from coming in the factory, I need Renjun’s troops to come in easily,” Taeyong commands as he shoots a stranger in his path.

Mark and Jeno do as they’re told and switch their target to those incoming the factory. Mark shoots the first of the lot coming in from the gates and when the rest of them try to figure out where the bullet is coming from, Jeno takes advantage of that time to begin his shooting spree with an eighty percent success rate.

“Jeno, we’ve checked everywhere in the basement, she’s not here,” Jaemin admits when two minutes pass. “Is there anywhere else we could have missed?”

“There’s nothing on the first floor,” Taeyong adds.

There’s silence on the line as Jeno racks his brain and tries to recall even the most minute detail of the blueprint he’s studied for four hours straight. “Unless they’ve taken her out of there already.”

“Shit,” Taeyong hisses.

“Secure all exit points guys, we cannot, and I repeat, we cannot let them leave,” Mark announces loudly and firmly so make sure everyone hears.

Taeyong ducks down immediately when he hears a gunshot in his vicinity and judging by the way the bullet penetrates the wall beside him, that it was intended for him. Taeyong shuffles behind the said wall as he huffs, “Renjun and Johnny, I need backup on the first floor.”

“Got it.”

“I have a visual on Yuta coming out of the factory from the back,” Jeno confirms.

Mark squints his eyes and attempts to get a visual through his viewer towards the back, “I see y/n with him.”

One of the other groups within the area are quick to act on their feet and begin shooting once localising Yuta’s whereabouts, taking down the men guarding him in one blink. This prompts Yuta to head back into the shelter of the factory, aggressively dragging you with him.

“They’re headed back inside,” Mark warns. “Johnny and Renjun, keep a lookout. Jaemin and Donghyuck I need you both to come back up the first floor and help Taeyong and the rest. The rest of you all, stay on guard outside and intervene as appropriate.”

Once Mark and Jeno secure the outside and see no unusual movements, they both pack up to leave the rooftop and set down to infiltrate the factory themselves. Meanwhile Taeyong keeps hiding behind the wall, knowing all too well he’s outnumbered by the enemies who are gradually coming closer to him. He scans his surroundings and in all directions, is a dead end, leaving him no option but to stay put for the meantime.

Johnny and Renjun are just in time when they come across the crowd trying to target Taeyong, shooting at them relentlessly and succeeding with major ease as their troop falls behind them in assistance. Taeyong emerges from behind the wall when the gunshots cease in less than twenty seconds. He nods at Johnny as a token of gratitude but falls to the ground straight after when a bullet penetrates his body. Taeyong’s world spins in the process, meeting the ground so harshly in a blur.

Renjun and Johnny immediately shift their focus to the right and there stands Yuta with you held as hostage, his gun now pointing dangerously close to your temple. Taeil, who had been hiding behind another wall, as per Johnny’s instructions, see everything happen and retreat behind his shelter to report. “Taeyong is down, I repeat Taeyong is down. Yuta is here and y/n is with him. First floor, main hall.”

Taeyong at this point is struggling to breathe, the bullet in his neck making blood gush out faster than anything else. He finds the strength to lift his hand in attempts of stopping the gush, using a piece of clothing he’s teared off from his shirt as a makeshift gauze.

“Put your guns down or she dies,” Yuta taunts, eyes glowering, an arm wrapped tightly across your neck. “Down!” He growls when no one does as they’re told.

Renjun and Johnny are the first follow his commands, slowly lowering to the ground and putting their weapons on the ground and raising their arms in the air shortly after as the others behind them follow suit. Johnny keeps a close eye on Taeyong on the ground and sees that Taeyong is by now, barely moving, the colour of his skin becoming drained of colour at an alarming rate.

Your hands are clasped on Yuta’s arm, tears brimming down your face at the sight of Taeyong struggling to keep his eyes open. There’s a piece of cloth covering your mouth and any noise you make comes out in inaudible muffles. You try to break free from Yuta’s grip, tugging down at his arm every now and again but his strength only seems to grow with each passing minute. Johnny is the only familiar face in the crowd but even seeing him, doesn’t give you much comfort.

When Mark and Jeno enter the scene from different ends of the room, they immediately position themselves in a secluded corner to prepare for what’s to come. Mark sets up his sniper on the ground, his eyes locked on you the moment he catches sight of you. His heart breaks when he studies you, even as he crouches down to align his sight to his viewer. You looked exhausted, your hair disheveled and sticking up in various places, your body looking as weak as ever as you desperately try to cling onto Yuta just to hold yourself up, your sunken features evident as ever behind your tears. Your clothes are dirty and splattered with dirt and when Mark takes a closer look, he can see blood stains on your shirt.

Jaemin and Donghyuck arrive at the scene and just when Donghyuck is about to run over to Taeyong to help him, Jaemin stops him by holding him back when he sees Yuta in the middle of the room.

“Yuta we don’t have to do this,” Johnny warns lowly, inching a little closer to Yuta in the most subtle way possible.

“You all started this,” Yuta spits and tightens his grip around you even more, making you tilt your head further up just as to not restrict your airway. “If you had taken my no for an answer, we wouldn't have gotten to this.” He gestures at Taeyong with a nod of his head.

Mark aligns his viewer to Yuta, who now has his back facing him, still oblivious to his presence.

“Yuta-”

A gunshot is fired and it’s followed by a scream.

You let out a muffled scream when you see the person beside Johnny crouch down in pain when Yuta’s bullet penetrates his leg. “Renjun!” Jaemin exclaims and flies out of his spot to help the his friend.

Yuta fires his gun up in the air once again and it startles you so much the shaking of your limbs don't stop. “I said no one fucking move!”

Renjun groans in pain as Jaemin presses his palm to his wound to stop the bleeding. “Somebody help Taeyong!” Donghyuck screams when he looks to see Taeyong suffering by himself, a pool of blood beside him becoming bigger with each second that passes.

“One more person move and I'm killing y/n!” Yuta screams, his gun now pointing back at you. “I mean it! I’m serious! No one fucking move!”

“Taeyong needs help now,” Donghyuck snarls under his breath loud enough for Johnny to hear. Mark hears this over the line and aims for the back of Yuta’s head stealthily.

“Johnny, help Taeyong,” Mark speaks in his mic quietly while Johnny listens without moving an inch. “If Yuta shoots, Jeno and I have visuals. We’re right here with you. Everybody else, be on guard your surroundings, there may be some of Yuta’s men left.”

Not withstanding the sight of two injured people right before your eyes any longer, you gather the last remaining bit of your strength your body can muster and lift up your leg only for you to stomp in on top of Yuta’s foot forcefully. Yuta groans in pain and that’s when you take your chance to elbow him in the gut, making him let go of you momentarily as Johnny uses this opportunity to dart to Taeyong who’s just on the verge of passing out.

Donghyuck holds his breath when Yuta grabs a hold of you again and that’s when you come into full view in Mark’s direction, your whole face appearing in his viewer, his target now becoming you as Yuta keeps a hold of you again across the neck, ready to pull the trigger. You yelp loudly, the cloth falling off your mouth after having the chance of tearing it apart from your mouth in the short seconds that passed. Mark’s skin grows cold as he shuffles to slightly shift his sniper to Yuta who’s face is dangerously close to yours, making it almost impossible to penetrate through him without harming you.

“Shit,” Mark curses under his breath.

You continue to struggle under Yuta’s hold and you’re sure he’s going to shoot you when you hear the faint sound of the trigger clicking. Jaemin’s attention shifts to the group when the remainder of Yuta’s men flood in, everyone suddenly shooting in different directions to get rid of them.

And it all happens in no less than a second.

Half a second is all it takes for Mark to make his shot, heart racing and sweat running profusely down the side of his face, the feeling of nerves flooding in like waves just like that time he had tried to shoot you for the first time as he lets go of the trigger he’s been trying to hard save for the right moment. Half a second is all it takes to make get his target. All the successful critical shots he’s fired before didn’t matter to him anymore because all that mattered now was if this one saved your life.

Either he succeeds by taking down Yuta or blames himself for the rest of his life for killing you instead.

You drop to the floor, your knees landing first, your ears ringing, your head pounding against your skull. You’re sure you saw the bullet whizz past you and you’re not quite sure if you’re the one hit. But Yuta falls right next to you, his whole body collapsing to the ground, face first, blood streaming out of his head like a waterfall.

Mark just killed the person responsible for your parents’ death.

Your shaking hands are trying to block out all the gunshots that don’t stop even when Yuta falls, every single one causing you to jolt. And when you realise what had just happened, you croak out a weak sob, the utter fear and exhaustion getting the best of you.

Someone’s yelling in the distance, but you can't make out what they’re saying when the ringing in your ears don’t stop. And through the blur of your tears, someone’s running over to you, the sun that’s shining in your eyes making it impossible for you to decipher who it is when the person’s silhouette is the only thing you see.

But then he holds you. And that’s when you know who it is.

“Y/n! Y/n!” Mark’s exclaims, his hands grabbing a hold of either of your shoulders, lightly shaking you to bring you back to life. Your eyes finally refocus and that’s when you see him, Mark Lee is there, eyes so worried and features still as perfect as you remember them to be. “Y/n! Are you okay?”

You don’t say anything, too overwhelmed from having missed him so much, from having wondered days on end if you’d ever get to see him, from having been so incredibly scared for you life. So when your words betray you, your waterworks take over. You lower your head down, too ashamed and embarrassed for Mark to see you in this state. But when the gunshots die down until they completely halt, Mark moves closer to you and uses his index finger to gently lift your chin upwards. “Hey look at me,” he says quietly, his features softening. And you do, you look at him even when your tears are making it difficult to do so. “You’re okay now. You’re safe,” he comforts you, pulling you into his embrace.

“I am so sorry for being so late.”

And you break down in his arms, for so many reasons.

But the biggest one being that,

It was all finally over.

368 notes · View notes

shutupandshipit · 4 years ago

Text

Sharpen your blades - Ch.3

Summary: “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

The thinning of Aizawa’s patience was evident in the twitching of his brow. “If you stop asking questions, maybe I could finish explaining.

”With a huff and roll of his eyes, Katsuki glanced away from their coach.

“City Hall and the SC want us to give them more variety. We are a team solely made up of single skaters. Every year, we dominate the rankings for single skate while Shinketsu dominates the pairs, so this year both cities are being required to split their skaters evenly between singles and pairs with at least one pair coming from out top five.” There was a collective intake of breath, but no one commented, choosing instead to remain silent. “Unfortunately, for us, it’s a lot easier to switch from pairs to singles. With our male to female ratio, alpha/beta/omega ratio, and those of you actually experienced with pair skating, we’re at a disadvantage. So, I’ve decided to choose your partners for you.”

…..

Or where Katsuki and Izuku are forced to be partners so they can continue to compete, but the blood in the water may be thicker than anyone realized.

Pairing: Bakudeku

Rating: T

Chapter: 3/20

Previously <- Chapter 2: Refusal

Chapter 4: Fear -> Next

Author’s Note: Sorry, I 100% forgot to post yesterday, but I’m only a day late. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Training

Izuku was still in bed when his mom tapped on his door. After his injury and the subsequent surgeries, he rarely left his room unless he was going to school, physical therapy, or struggling through his chores. His hip, ankle and wrist were all weak, and his doctors still weren’t sure when or if he’d be able to do anything more than a fast walk.

Tearing his eyes from the video of Katsuki’s latest first place performance, he said, “Come in.”

Inko’s dark head poked around the door, an uncertain smile gracing her lips. “Hey, baby, there’s some people here to see you. I don’t know if you’re up for visitors.

With a grunt, Izuku pushed himself up against his headboard. “Who is it?” he asked, running a hand through his unruly curls.

“They say they’re coaches, and there’s a doctor with them. Um, Toshinori and Aizawa?”

Izuku almost swallowed his tongue. Through his choking, he gasped, “Like Toshinori Yagi and Aizawa Shouta?” He tossed back his sheets only to realize that he was still in his pajamas that were several days old, sweat stained and wrinkled. Then his eyes jumped up to the walls of his room, papered from one end to the other with posters of Toshinori when he’d still been skating competitively. There was a singular embarrassing photo of him and Aizawa the single time they’d partnered for a showcase.

What made it embarrassing wasn’t the fact that it was on his wall, but the fact that it was a blurry screenshot blown up to the point that it was almost unrecognizable.

“They can’t come in here!”

“Then come out here. They’re having tea right now.”

“I-I-” Izuku tried to think of an excuse, a reason not to see them. There was no reason two of the Skating Commission’s top coaches should be in his home. Why would they waste their time talking to someone as broken as him? He didn’t want to hear anything they had to say when they saw just how bad he was. He didn’t want to see the looks on their faces.

He frowned at the black mood that started to creep over him as it often did since his injury, sapping his energy and life until he felt barely human at all. When he glanced up, there were blue eyes looking at him over Inko’s head. Squeaking, he scrambled for his blankets.

Inko released a very similar noise to her omega son when she glanced around. Pushing into the room in a desperate attempt to get away from the hulking alpha, she left the door open.

Toshinori raised a placating hand, smiling. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you, just came to check. My name is Toshinori Yagi.”

“I know,” Izuku whispered before he realized that it might have sounded rude, cheeks heating as he glanced around the room at all his figure skating paraphernalia. He swallowed, sucking down a mouthful of the alpha’s sweet pound cake scent. He'd thought the blogs had been lying about his scent, and his mind reeled with this new information. “I’m just… not sure why you’re here.”

The smile never left Toshinori’s face. “Please, come out and we’ll explain. Chiyo would like to take a look at you as well.”

Izuku swallowed again, eyes wide as he stared. “Like Shuzeji Chiyo? The famous sports medicine doctor that put you back on the ice? Why…” He stopped, taking in Toshinori’s face again. Biting his lip, he shuffled to the edge of the bed and slowly eased his legs onto the floor. Inko immediately passed him his cane, and he grunted as he leaned into it heavily. “Okay. I’ll come out.”

Inko trailed closely behind him, ready to catch him if he stumbled. He could feel the burn of Toshinori’s eyes as he passed, and he couldn’t help the flush that colored his cheeks. He loved his mom, adored her more than anything else in the world, but at that moment, he felt a twinge of animosity rise from the black pool in his chest. He wished she wouldn’t shadow him like a just born calf, didn’t care half as much as she did.

He dismissed that thought as soon as he had it. Without his mother, he didn’t want to imagine where he’d be. Dead in a ditch probably.

It was slow going to the chairs that Inko had set out across the coffee table from the couch. Their couch wasn’t made for three bodies to sit on, but their visitors seemed to be comfortable enough as Izuku eased himself down into a chair. He didn’t release his cane, but instead held it more tightly as he glanced from the exhausted looking Aizawa Shouta to the ever chipper Shuzenji Chiyo and finally to the similarly sunny yet nervous Toshinori Yagi.

“Um, hello,” he murmured awkwardly after a moment, reaching out a hand, “I’m Midoriya Izuku. I’m sorry to be so forward, but I’m not really sure why you are all here.”

“Thought it was obvious,” Aizawa said, voice deep and deeply uninterested in the proceedings, “We’re here to recruit you for Yuuei’s newest generation of skaters. All we need is a yes or a no.”

Izuku’s hand tightened, knuckles going white. He glanced from one passive face to the next. “The doctors said I’d never skate again. They don’t even think I’ll be able to run again.” Biting at the inside of his cheek, he did his best to force back the heat pressing in at his eyes.

Shuzenji's smile widened. “That’s why I’m here, young man. I’ve gotten skaters with some rather nasty injuries back on the ice. Take Toshinori for example. Do you have your x-rays over the course of your recovery? And the first. I’d like to take a look if you don’t mind.”

“Of course!” Inko said before Izuku could even look at her. She jumped up from her seat and hurried down the hall to her room.

“Why is Yuuei looking for a new skating team? They already have one with a lot of really strong skaters.”

“Right,” Toshinori said, jumping into the conversations before Aizawa could answer, “but a lot of them are nearing the end of their competitive careers or are planning to go solo. Within the next ten years or sooner, all of them will be officially retired from the competitive circuit. So, we have to start training the next generation to take their places.”

Inko returned with a thick manila folder, and Shuzenji jumped down to take her into the kitchen where there was better light.

Izuku was quiet for a moment, listening to the quiet murmur of the two women. “So, why me? Even if I can skate again, it’s going to take a long time before I can compete again. I’m not even sure how you found me. My recent track record hasn’t been good.”

“Which is fine because we’re really interested in the team as competitors for senior divisions, not juniors. Yes, there was a decline in your performance over the past two years, but before that, you and your partner were making remarkable headway as competitors. We’d already had our eye on you two, and we were disappointed when you didn’t get a chance to go singles. We’ve already talked to Bakugou, and he’s agreed to join us.”

Izuku flinched at the mention of Katsuki, seeing all over again the look of horror and disgust on his face as Izuku lay broken on the ice just before he passed out. “I’m not skating pairs again. I want to skate singles.”

“That’s what Bakugou said as well,” Aizawa said, sitting forward to lace his fingers between his knees, “Good thing we’re only looking for singles. Yuuei isn’t known for pairs. One day, we might include them, but for the time being, there’s no reason to.”

“Good news, young man, I believe you’ll be able to get back on the ice by year’s end provided we change and increase your physical therapy,” Shuzenji called as she came back out of the kitchen, Inko trailing behind with tears wetting her cheeks. “Even if it’s not by the end of your year, you’ll definitely be able to skate again. Your breaks were a little messy and your dislocations bad, but everything seems to be healing well. Your doctors just have you doing the wrong kind of therapy. It’ll be hard work, but I have no doubt you can get through it.”

Swallowing, Izuku met Aizawa’s and Toshinori’s eyes again. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

…..

October Week 2

The music cut off suddenly. Izuku stumbled across the ice, toe pick catching and sending him sprawling.

“Midoriya,” Todoroki said, at his elbow in a moment with his peculiar snow and orchid scent.

Izuku accepted the helping hand, panting hard as sweat dripped down the side of his face and neck. He wiped at it with the sleeve of his shirt, dropping his hands to his knees.

“Maybe you should take a break. You haven’t stopped moving since we started, and you feel warmer than normal. Are you about to start your heat? You shouldn’t be on ice if you’re in pre-heat.”

Perceptive Todoroki, or maybe it was just an omega thing. Either way, Izuku quickly shook his head. Actually, when Izuku had looked at the figure skating calendar taped to his fridge, he’d been surprised to not only find that today was the start of week two of training, but also that there was a red line stretching for seven days into the third week of October. Izuku had immediately popped a suppressant, and went about his day.

He couldn’t be focussing on anything other than training. He just didn’t have the time.

“No, I’m fine. Just tired. This routine is going to be hard.” Izuku smiled up at his friend, but Todoroki’s mismatched eyes looked skeptical at best.

They stood up straight as Aizawa’s voice echoed through the rink. “That’s it for today. Pack up and get out, or don’t. I don’t care. We’re in the studio tomorrow. Don’t be late, or Nemuri isn’t going to be happy.” He turned from the rink entrance, striding away and not giving them time to ask him any questions.

The team met on ice only three times a week, in the studio twice for off ice training, and once at a nearby track for cardio and calisthenics. When they trained together, it was never more than three hours long. Any other training they did was on their own around jobs and college. Aizawa had supplied them with keys to the rink -perks of being the city’s official skating team-, but as far as he knew, Izuku was the only one who actively practiced every single day and often multiple times a day.

Izuku and Todoroki glided smoothly to the entrance with the rest of their teammates, but where the rest grabbed their guards and chattered loudly about classes and work and ‘I’m never going to get that jump down before December!’, Izuku remained on ice. “Chako, can you hand me my headphones and cell?”

Uraraka glanced over at him, cheeks flushed more pink than normal. “You’re not coming? We were going to get ramen. Just us omega.”

“Ah, no, I’m going to stay here a little longer. There’s still some things I wanted to go over.”

With a sigh, she reached into his bag behind her, easily finding the items along with the suppressants he kept in a plastic bag in case of emergencies. She stared at the pills, eyebrows pulling together as she frowned.

“Just vitamins!” he said too quickly and too loudly, leaning over the wall to grab his cell and headphones, “Thanks! Have a good time at ramen! I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” Shoving the buds into his ears and away from the wall, he slid back toward center ice where he stood to fiddle with his playlists.

Besides skating, he didn’t really do much else. He ran a figure skating blog where he posted videos of his own routines and lessons on how to perform different techniques and jumps. He also posted analyses on the wider skating world or particularly interesting foot work from other ice sports, ice skating events taking place across the globe, figure skaters’ costumes, ice skates, and so on. If it had anything to do with figure skating or putting blade to ice, it would inevitably end up on his blog one way or another. He earned enough from the blog to cover his living expenses and put some into savings. Everything else was covered by the wildly popular figure skating podcast he co-hosted where he got a kickback from the sponsorship deals and whatever merchandise they were able to sell. Since Izuku had also started helping with merchandise designs and marketing, they’d started to actually sell out of things.

One day, if Toshinori and Aizawa ever agreed, he wanted to be the first to write the autobiography detailing their brief yet bright partnership.

It only took the rest of the team ten minutes to clear out of the rink. Before the doors slammed closed, his friends called, “Bye, Deku! See you tomorrow! Go home soon!”

He waved his own goodbye. With a sigh of relief, he pressed play.

It was only when Izuku was alone on ice late at night with music in his ears and losing track of time that he was well and truly happy. With the others on ice, there was always the looming black cloud, the sense of dread, the reminder that Katsuki would be back from his rut sooner rather than later and at some point it would have to be him and Katsuki on ice together again. He didn’t hate the thought, but he did hate the anxiety it invoked within him.

Pushing away everything bad floating around in his chest, Izuku allowed himself to just enjoy the monotony of practice. One technique at a time. One song at a time. One leg at a time. The hours fell away, and outside, the sky fell dark.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he caught a flash of blond hair, broad shoulders covered in black and an orange bag out of the corner of his eye. He stumbled out of his spin and hit the ice, the impact jarring straight up his spine. Scrambling, he looked toward the rink entrance just in time to catch the double doors clicking softly closed.

The timer on his phone to switch techniques chimed.

…..

Katsuki let out an explosive sigh as he stepped out of his apartment building, breath pluming in the chilly night air.

Katsuki hated his ruts. Realistically, if the laws allowed him to, he could be a functioning member of everyday society during his ruts, at least he thought so. No one seemed to agree with him. Not his mother, his father or any of his friends. For some reason, they all seemed to think Katsuki had violent enough ruts to destroy his apartment. None of them had ever seen his apartment after a rut, and they never would as long as he had a say, not with the lingering scent of desperation and sex clinging to the walls.

His ruts weren’t violent, but they were boring as hell.

Adjusting his skating bag across his back and tightening the strap across his chest, he took off at a sharp clip towards the rink. He didn’t live far which he’d done on purpose rather than by accident. The nerd lived in the same building for the same reason. Katsuki should know, he’d been the one to discreetly leave a flyer with the words “Within walking distance of the famous Yuuei skating rink” bolded across the front in Izuku’s bag just before they’d graduated high school.

For an entire week, Katsuki was cooped up in his small one bedroom apartment. He wasted away the hours working out, cleaning incessantly, and binging hours of figure skating videos for inspiration for his own routines.

Katsuki had to deal with the typical rut related issues like getting hard every hour and the insistent heat that lived rent free beneath his skin that only made him feel like he was sweating to death. Even with all of his apartment windows thrown wide to invite in the plummeting autumn air, he left damp palm prints on everything . It was fucking maddening. The near painful erections that he ignored for as long as possible and the even more painful orgasms that followed were the bane of his existence. He did pretty much everything to avoid having to touch himself until there was literally no way around it.

The cold stung his lungs, and he inhaled greedily. His muscles, despite being exhausted from the long week, warmed quickly to the familiarity of running.

Here was the thing, Katsuki was a fully functioning adult male who enjoyed sex and the occasional jerk session as much as the next, but during his ruts, each orgasm just heaped disappointment on him and made him more irritable than he already would have been.

He wasn’t an aggressive rutter by any means -no torn bedding or holes in pillows or cracked plaster walls-, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed them. He would have dealt with them better if he was allowed on the ice.

There were suppressants he could use with various effects. To make his ruts shorter, happen only twice a year compared to four, eradicate them completely. Beside the host of physical side effects, he’d seen first hand what they’d done to Izuku. He wasn’t ashamed to say he wanted nothing to do with them.

Katsuki dug out the keys Aizawa had given him as he neared the rink, pulling off his gloves with his teeth one after the other. He didn’t normally practice late at night. It was easier to practice early in the morning to accommodate the rest of his schedule; training with the team, his modelling gig, the classes he taught for young athletes, and his own schooling. It wasn’t normal for him to practice at night, but he was making an exception. He wouldn’t be able to sleep even if he tried. Not literally right after his rut ended.

When he stepped through the double doors to the rink, he wasn’t expecting to find the rink lights still on and the smooth sound of blades biting into ice.

Doing his best not to be seen, he looked out onto the ice.

Wild green curls and elegant movements greeting him. Izuku moved on the ice like he’d been born skating. Even though he was gliding in a simple circle, round and round with one foot held off the ice in front of him, he was mesmerizing. His eyes were downcast, expression soft and lax as the quiet sound of his humming filled the rink.

To this day, Katsuki had never seen another skater who moved like Izuku. Moved like the ice was their true home. Moved like no one was watching him.

Except that everyone always had their eyes on Izuku. Toshinori, Aizawa, their teammates, Katsuki…

He wanted to hate it, wanted to hate how drawn he always was to Izuku, but he’d come to accept that it was impossible. Even a decade later after his injury, even seventeen years after they set foot on the ice for the first time, even nineteen years after they first met, Katsuki still couldn’t manage to hate it.

He turned back toward the door.

#my hero academia #mha #bakudeku #dekubaku #decchan #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #omegaverse #a/b/o dynamics #alpha!katsuki #omega!izuku #figure skater au #no quirks au #my writing #sharpen your blades

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hellishvu · 6 years ago

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Imagine BTS (maknae line): when they get interviewed about their crush

— this is an old post that i did on my wattpad, honestly this trend has passed but it is still SO DAMN CUTE so. and also since someone requested i do the hyung line i thought you people would want to read the maknae before i post the hyung line when im done with it. so yeah! this is old writing so beware! but enjoy and thank you for all the support with the requests i did not expect so many but you guys are amazing and im super excited with the ideas you sparked into me so!!

Park Jimin: ˚✧₊⁎

"I should probably introduce myself right? Well I'm Park Jimin. I've been crushing or something on a person for.. a long time but that's not the point! I was told that this would be used as a documentary on idol lives." Jimin explained as he smiled feeling a bit shy about all this.

"If they lied to me about this I will be extremely mad!" Jimin said as he was obviously joking about the situation. The realization of what he signed up for just hit.

"Okay.. okay enough fooling around let's get this done." Jimin looked up and smiled directly at the camera.

How did you two meet?

"..." Jimin had fell silent as the blush rose up on his face. Jimin needed a second to think about the moment, the memory.

"We.. had met, through a club." Jimin announced as he tapped his foot. His voice slow to cause a dramatic affect.

"Okay I can't keep the dramatic effect." Jimin laughed going back to his normal voice.

"I was in a club with the members and I was ordering drinks and I wasn't feeling too well and so I didn't dance like usual and I was drinking lightly not wanting a massive hangover the next day." Jimin set the setting to the viewers and he did hand gestures to all the words that spilled out.

"It's.. quite a situation. So I was drinking alone, the members were out dancing and I didn't want to hold them up. So I was sitting by myself drinking my water and eating my chips. This guy comes up to me all of a sudden!" Jimin gets annoyed as he has to replay this moment.

"He's like flirting with me and I obviously don't want to do anything with him! So I'm like "yeah... uh huh... sure." Call me mean but I just had no intention of romantic feelings towards this guy!" Jimin explained as he put his hands up.

"So I was fairly getting annoyed, then... he came in. He said that he was my boyfriend." Jimin shivered in embarrassment.

"He was like "Hey baby do you want to go to the dance floor?" And at this time just telling you guys! I never had a boyfriend! So my eyes were basically popping out of its skull!" Jimin said.

"And then the guy wasn't convinced because well he was a drunk, so he said "Huh? I bet he isn't even your boyfriend." And I saw him get so cocky he grinned! He embraced me and I was caught up of what the fuck was happening and next thing I know he's lips are on mine!" Jimin screamed as he hid his face.

What was your first impression?

"Well.. his lips were soft, sweet and tender." Jimin said as he touched his lips feeling the emptiness of his.

"I- He tried to talk to me once the drunk man left but I couldn't hear a single thing so he dragged me to the bathroom, I thought I was going to have like a one-night stand or something because at this point he's attractive, he saved me from a unwanted drunk man."

"I really had to stop myself! I knew in my head that I shouldn't! Cut this out! Cu-" The video suddenly cut, putting the next scene.

"My first impression of him was that I found him bold, I never thought he would kiss me and he sorta acted like it was nothing after. He had said why he did it and he said sorry and I recommended we exchange numbers so I could give him like a reward for being nice."

Did you two get awkward after the kiss?

"No, we usually would laugh it off. He's honestly a really good guy. There was this time where I was so stressed with all this work load I had and it was late at night and everyone was asleep and I had texted him. In my head I didn't have much hope that he would be awake but he was. I just said to "call me" We had talked and I told him everything about how stressful it all was and he calmed me down and he spent like 3 hours just being there for me and he told me he was going come over but I told him he couldn't I wanted him to get sleep." Jimin smiled as he had held up the screenshot of the duration of that call.

"I found me staring at his eyes, his eyes held all the stars in the entire universe. Before sleeping I would always replay that kiss and how soft and sweet he held me. I don't know what's worse, not knowing what it's like to kiss your crush or knowing how the kiss felt but knowing you can't get it again." Jimin frowned as he had rubbed his eyes.

"We would go out and he would pick out things that reminded him of me and he'll do the cutest things that made my heart explode which he would find songs that reminded him of me and he would send them to me and they would be so soft. I have a whole playlist of just his song recommendations. He would buy me little gifts and one time I made sure he got a ticket during tour and he came and I saw him and he was wearing a Jimin t-shirt and he was so so so so so cute. He even got fast shipping of an Army Bomb since I told him he would go like 2 days before and it costed him so much money due to shipping. I imagine he's like my little cheerleader." Jimin showed photos of you two after the concert and the sweet things you would buy him, Jimin would have an whole album just called "Twinkle Y/N and Starry Jimin"

Jimin phone's rang as he apologized and answered it.

"Jimin?" "Y/N? I'm in a interview." "Oh! I'm sorry,, I just never knew my eyes were starry." "Huh?" "You know you should never think I would never kiss you again Jimin." "What!? How do-" "Jimin I'm watching it right now." "Please end my suffering now, you heard everything?" "Yes, you pumpkin. I would love to go out with you Jimin." "Pick me up at 8pm."

Kim Taehyung: ˚✧₊⁎

"Oh god, I'm really like in a buzzfeed interview aren't I?" Taehyung chuckled as he sat in the middle of the finding himself patiently waiting looking around the dark room.

"They told me this was for a like a love documentary so I'm trusting their word on it." Taehyung explained as he looked down to see the mic on his piece of clothing.

"Alright lets get this done." Taehyung smiled as the camera started rolling.

How did you two meet?

"I knew this question was going to come up." Taehyung said as he sighed trying to go back to that day.

"I met him, through a karaoke night. Sounds very cheesy considering I'm a singer but here we are. I was singing that night with some friends and I had started singing. A lot of the time we get a private room due to us being shy... but they were all out and we planned this night so we just publicly did our bullshit." Taehyung said as he gestured fake singing.

"It was my turn, and I had gotten up the stage and felt glares. I was actually really nervous due to how intense they were. Maybe they were drunk or something but I got up there and started to sing one of my favorite songs and I looked around trying to find a calmer face and then I met his.." Taehyung said as he did his classic box smile.

"He... was calming. I couldn't help myself not staring at him. We both found eachother staring the entire song and the song was a love song also. After that I finished the song, I was going to walk to him and it was quite awkward but he was like honey and I wanted to get closer to him." Taehyung looked down at the ground smiling.

Have you tried to confess your feelings?

"I have. I really had this mental battle between me and myself. We got closer and we shared a same passion for something, I couldn't help myself from getting closer to him. It was nice seeing someone with the same desire for something as you do." Taehyung explained not looking at the camera much.

"So when you find yourself, seeing yourself possibly ruin a relationship. It's really scary, I found myself laying at night a lot just wondering if I should really tell him how I feel. Once I told myself to get it over with and tell him how I feel I later find out by one of my friends he was taken. So it really stung, my confidence and my overall mood went downhill. I had distanced myself from him, and overall just tried to get over him as a whole. Of course he was confused not knowing how I felt why I suddenly had this attitude shift I basically had to see him as a friend. Now I am fine with being friends but I know in the back of my heart that we could have been something more." Taehyung explained as he had a sense of hurt and cracks in his explanation. He had tried to hide it but everyone in the room could sense how much it actually affected him.

What is your favorite quality that he has?

"There has to be so many but I guess I can list one of them off." Taehyung thought about it for a moment before coming to a conclusion. Taehyung cleared this throat as he sat up straight.

"My favorite quality of his was that he was able to look outside of the normal. He was different from a normal perspective. He found things that I couldn't see. He found himself fighting society and overall him liking men was just a battle of society by itself. He wasn't afraid of being himself and even when he was at the lowest point of his time he always found a way to see a brighter side of things through all the darkness. Society saw a box but he would see more than just that, he knew when you felt bad, he knew what you had a small haircut. He was observant. I truly loved that about him." Taehyung said as he sadly smiled to himself. Feeling that he's gushing over a person that doesn't have the same feelings as he does. Taehyung saw all the people behind the cameras go quiet as Taehyung tilted his head.

"I truly did love him." Taehyung snickered as he felt himself cry. Taehyung didn't look up trying to fight the tears that was happening. His eyes burned and his vision turned blurry.

Last Question: What would you say if he was in the next room?

"I don't want to see him. Not like this." Taehyung admitted as he wiped his tears. The red puffy eyes that he had.

"He made a same video. If you'll like to see it." The director asked as Taehyung looked up and saw a screen being placed in front of him. The screen had you in the screen, the same set, same lighting.

"How do you feel about Kim Taehyung?"

"I.. It's a long story with that. I really like Taehyung. Not as a friend, that's why I broke up with my partner. I found myself thinking about Taehyung more than them. I just wish I had done it earlier. I want us to be something more. So Taehyung.. stop crying"

Taehyung looked up and saw the video was live. Taehyung sniffed and wiped his tears once again.

"Taehyung I love you."

"You can't do this to me now!" Taehyung covered his face as you had laughed through the screen.

"Stop crying." You frowned as Taehyung lifted his head from his hands.

"I love you god damn it." Taehyung the delicate feelings he had for you was finally being returned.

Jeon Jungkook: ˚✧₊⁎

"They told me this would be.. helpful for something!" Jungkook laughed as the cameras rolled, he was quite nervous for some odd reason and he found himself playing with his fingers. Jungkook saw the room completely empty.

"I.. What are you going to do with this anyway?" Jungkook asked as the cameras rolled. The cute little smile came back, Jungkook chuckled as to hide his nervousness.

"Alright.. lets get it." Jungkook said as he sat still having his cute little rings on.

How did you two meet?

"Oh gosh, it was so long ago but it feels like yesterday. I had to.. study, you know? I was trying to go to school and learn English and he was one of the ones at my school that knew it and could teach really well... so I took one of his little flyers and gosh,, I was so shy and nervous and I just kept putting myself down every second I couldn't say a word." Jungkook explained as he felt a tint of red on his ears. The heat burned up as he explained how he met you.

"But he.. was so nice? It was really refreshing to see someone that believed in me every second of the way. I found myself staring at him when he was teaching a new word or how the english grammar worked. I just found myself being fond of him, it was embarrassing when he caught me!" Jungkook covered his face as he bounced his foot on the leg stool.

When you knew you started to like him?

"Oh you guys are really just going for it.." Jungkook laughed to himself as he thought and he looked like a light bulb went off when he finally found a moment.

"There was this time, when we had.. been practicing all day due to the comeback and I had missed all day of classes but since his tutoring was afterschool I could make it. So I went so exhausted and my entire outfit showed, I had sweatpants and a hoodie and he noticed. He would ask me if I had enough sleep or if I had ate."

"Of course I had said yes so he didn't need to worry about me, I really been enjoying him teaching me and I didn't want to miss another lesson or class. So half way through the lesson I felt myself slipping in and out of sleep. I drank water to keep myself awake and nothing was working and in mid way of him just explaining the difference between words I fell asleep on his shoulder." Jungkook said as he had been embarrassed that he had let himself get that tired.

"Later I found out from him, that he took me home. He carried me out of the library that we met at and took the bus home, I had woken up at my bed, and I walked to my kitchen to see that he got me take out. I think I really.. fell for him at that point. He could have left me and just not given another though but he had made sure I was okay and I had meals..." Jungkook admitted as you could tell Jungkook thought about the male a lot, that he was grateful for the little things he did.

If you could dedicated one song to him which one would it be?

"Oh my! Come on guys! You really want me to do that!" Jungkook said as he had took out his phone from the permission of the directors. Jungkook chuckled as he clicked through his music playlists.

"Music.. I really cant express it in words of how much it has influenced me throughout my whole life, so just having a song dedicated to someone and that reminds me of them so much is special. It really means they are special to me." Jungkook expressed as he had click on some songs hearing them for a split second before clicking the next one.

Unfold - Alina Baraz & Galimatias

"I think finding someone that you can be safety vulnerable to and be complete yourself without holding yourself back is really beautiful and should be protected. With this song it talks a lot about this person unfolding and constantly feeling that this person constantly saying that they glow and this person can't help but feel okay to unfold their shell of defensive behaviors. That they can't control to fall in love with this person." Jungkook explained with hand gestures and found himself going really deep into a song that was close to his heart.

"This really connects to me and his relationship because he constantly makes me feel like Im glowing with the amount of care he gives me and how much he supports me and he's just not afraid of being there for me. Ahh... I sound so weird." Jungkook said as he felt the blush rise up again.

Last Question: what would you say to him right now?

"What- Is he here?" Jungkook's eyes widen as he realized looking around. The film crew snickering behind their cameras

"Did he hear what.. I just said about him?!" Jungkook got red all over his face as he had found himself covering his face once again.

"Jungkook." Jungkook heard as he looked at the camera man. He took off his hat and soon found out that it was Y/N. Jungkook got up and saw you walk towards him.

"No! You did not jus- You really- You set me up." Jungkook yelled at you as you got closer opening up your arms. You found him walking towards you hugging him. Jungkook mumbled a quiet sentence.

"What did you say?" You said a slightly chuckle leaving your mouth.

"I hate you." Jungkook said as you rubbed his hair.

#bts x male reader #kpop x male reader #bts imagine #bts #bts maknae line #bts jimin #bts taehyung #bts jungkook

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marvel-lucy · 6 years ago

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The Walking Disaster, chapter 4

All chapters are on the Walking Disaster Masterlist ...

As always, I’m writing this too fast, not editing, and not paying attention to anything, so it’s not good. Definitely writing as distraction to myself rather than quality at the moment, sorry x

I have successfully avoided Steve for nearly two weeks now. According to Nat, I should own up to my failings and sucker punch anyone who dares to laugh at me, but it’s not really my way, so instead I’ve turned on stealth mode. I stand behind my door, squinting through the eyehole to check the coast is clear, then I’m out, down the stairs and outside on my way to work in seconds flat. I haven’t tripped once so far. I collect my post at 2am, and I don’t buy coffee out. I don’t even order pizza to be delivered, in case I open my door at the same time as Steve. I’m cooking instead. Two of my fingers are currently bandaged, and I may have lost part of an eyebrow, but it’s OK, I cut myself bangs to hide it. Then I wore a cap to hide the bangs….

Anyway. The point is, I don’t know why it’s got to me. Well, I do. I’ve lived in this small circle of friends for so long now, and they accept my calamities. They know that for every time I trip over and break something (cup, TV, bone) I’ll pick them up if they’ve got a broken heart. For every time I spill something on myself, I’ll let them spill their secrets on me and I won’t tell (my own, I’m not so good at keeping). For every bit of rambling nonsense I blurt out, there’s a good heart behind it. Ah, maybe I’m talking myself up too much, but what I’m trying to get at is that they accept me for being a bit of a disaster area, and that’s nice. But now there’s these new people in the mix, and… I want them to accept me. No, that’s a lie. I don’t want to be tolerated, and be an amusement that’s accepted. I want them to like me. To think I’m cool and beautiful and smart and fun. And I can’t do that with a purple bruise on my forehead, or the inability to pass a field sobriety test when sober (don’t ask. It’s another thing). So I’m avoiding Steve. In the hope that – I don’t know. That in the next two weeks I suddenly stop walking like a new-born giraffe? That he gets his memory wiped in some horrific accident and doesn’t remember the sight of me upside down over a box, or walking into a door, or spraying coffee on my far-more-attractive best friend? I don’t know, why are you expecting logic. You’re my internal monologue, you should know better.

Nat’s currently being my spy. She’s great at this. She and Bucky hit it off after the coffee shop meeting (and while they all waited in the ER waiting room for me to be cleared of concussion). Swapped numbers, and they’ve met up twice – once for coffee (without me there, so it was a lot cleaner) and then for dinner and a movie. She came round after the coffee, and before the dinner, to fill me in. They’ve been texting apparently and sometimes she sends me screenshots. It’s all very sweet and sickening and normal. I want sickening and normal. Ugh. While she’s snuggling up to Bucky, she’s also sounding him out about Steve. He’s single apparently, is very sweet and respectful, and a bit of a knight in shining armour. He’s also, according to Bucky, a jerk, reckless, and the world’s expert in waiting too long for love. None of this makes my crush any less soul-destroying. I feel like I’ve had a building dropped on me.

So that’s why it’s Saturday night, and Nat is out with Bucky again, and I’m sitting by my open window, staring at the skyline and indulging in some major self-pity. At least I have company tonight. Not human company, everyone I know is out actually living their lives instead of burying themselves for shame, but the apartment cat has decided to visit. She belongs to the super, but she obviously sees the building as her own, so if the window’s open, she’s up and down the fire escape and sniffing around to see what there is to eat.

I’ve given her some tuna, even though she’s too tubby, just so she’ll sit and I can talk out loud for a change. She’s got tuna, and I’ve got wine. Or I did. The bottle seems to be surprisingly empty, so I can only assume the cat’s helped herself while I wasn’t looking. Only possible explanation.

So here I sit, less than sober, let’s say. Cat is on a cushion next to me purring, and I’m leaning out the window listening to the sounds of the city and blathering on about my failings and my crush. I’m all why can’t I be normal and cool like Nat? and nobody likes me the way they like Nat and he’s so hot and all muscly and has lovely eyes. You know, eloquent. Anyway, the cat’s obviously had enough of it after the first hour or so, because she gets up and looks at me with disgust, then hops out the window onto the fire escape. She never even said thank you for the wine.

I’m kinda hanging out the window, rubbing my fingers together and doing that ‘pss pss’ thing that people do so cats can ignore them, and she walks away. She walks along the short length of fire escape that separates my window from apartment number four. That separates my window from only the window of Steve flaming Rogers, and then. She. Walks. In.

I swear she looks back at me before she jumps down, and winks, but anyway, she walks into his open window that is about three feet from my open window. The window I’ve been baring my soul through, at an alcohol-enhanced volume.

Oh sweet Jesus, let me die now. I can feel cold sweat trickling down my back, and my spine is tingling as embarrassment runs up and down it. Maybe he left his window open before going out on a date with some beautiful woman. I mean, Bucky said he’s reckless. Leaving your window open in New York is pretty reckless. Maybe he’s eaten something really bad and spent the whole evening in the bathroom. That’d be good, right? Not so much for him, but for me. Maybe he’s secretly deaf and has been doing some amazing lip reading this whole time. Work with me here, make me feel better.

As quietly as I can, I close my window and walk to my bedroom. Then I lie down, pull the duvet right over my head, and scream.

So here’s the thing. I love the city at night. I know that orange glow from street lights is just light pollution, and the sound of police sirens is probably a bad thing, but it just feels cool. Like I’m living in some movie. So I like to sit by the window on warm nights and soak it in. I love the feeling of breathing in that sun-dusty evening air. I had bad asthma as a kid and there’s still a pleasure in taking a big breath in. Saturday nights are good for me, I’ve relaxed from the previous week’s work, but I don’t have to gear up for next week yet, so it’s the sweet spot where I can be me.

According to Bucky, I should be out clubbing, drinking, meeting women, but I’ve never been that guy. I’m waiting for the right partner, and I’m just not ready for what Bucky gets up to. Not that he seems to these days. This Nat seems to have got to him. Can’t say I blame him, she seems nice, and she’s pretty, but she’s a bit too perfect. Seems to have a lot of walls in place so you don’t know if you’re seeing the real her. Bucky’s having fun, but I want real… I want someone who’s just themselves, even if that’s not perfect. God knows, I’m not perfect, but I try to be a good man, and I just want someone to make me smile.

Sheesh listen to me. This is why right now Bucky is out with Nat, and has just sent me a blurry picture in a text that could either be him dancing, or doing something I don’t need to see. And me, I’m sitting here, wrapped in a blanket like I’m 95, and sketching by the window. I’m also quite far down some beer that I forgot I had, and I can’t quite make out the number of bottles on the floor, but it’s more than one, and they’re mostly empty. I don’t get tipsy easy, but these ones must be stronger than normal, because I’m losing track of time, and the world’s a bit blurry and I’m half-asleep when a sound snaps me back to myself. It’s a voice from next door. THE voice from next door. The one I’ve found myself thinking of, and unable to think of an excuse to hear it.

And then my brain tunes into the words, and I could kick myself.

‘Ugh, Cat, why can’t I be like Natasha, then he’d like me…’ and ‘ I’m a walking disaster, nobody wants that, that’s why people want Nat’ and ‘God those muscles of his kill me. Can you imagine, Cat… hey, where are you going, psss, pssss’.

Then this cat appears, walks in, knocking over a bottle that slowly trickles beer across the floor, then stands on my leg, looking at me pointedly. That’s when I look down and realise what I’ve been doodling in my sketchbook while half-drunk.

Her.

Apartment 3.

There’s a picture of her the first time I saw her, lying on the floor, with her hair all spread out like a mermaid. If mermaids lived on land and had big streaks of dust on their faces. Her eyes were all shiny then, then she got this beautiful flush that made me think all kinds of things my Mom wouldn’t approve of.

Then there’s a picture of her with a bag of groceries in her arms, which made me feel all old-school manly and protective, like I wanted to say ‘allow me, ma’am’ and carry things for her. Maybe she’d even hang on my arm and tell me I was a proper gent for that.

Ahem. There’s a picture of her when her skirt was all caught up, and I swear, I wanted to tell her, but I couldn’t work out how to say it without it sounding really inappropriate, so I was just about to call out something when Bucky clamped his hand over my mouth and pulled me outside. Still, this one’s giving me less than gentlemanly thoughts.

I haven’t sketched the time my knee kept bumping into hers under a table, while she chatted, and I swear I could have stayed there for hours because she just lit up when she was talking. There’s no sketch of when she walked into the door and I ended up half-carrying her to the ER because she said she kept seeing stars, and she was just so warm.

Yeah, I’ve got to admit it, this is why I didn’t go out with Bucky, or anyone else. I haven’t seen her in two weeks and I really just wanted to hang around in case I did, because she’s adorable.

But, here’s the killer. As always, she’s taken with Bucky. I swear it’s been the same since we were kids, even when he set us up on double dates, they were both there for him, and I was this asthmatic hanger-on. She’s next door mooning over wanting to be Nat so she could be with Bucky, and how great he is.

I need to get some air. The apartment feels too small now, like I’ve suddenly grown two foot in the last five minutes. I shove my feet into some shoes, and grab up my keys.

Lying under a duvet is pretty boring after the first scream. It’s also too hot, so I crawl myself out after a few minutes and come face-to-face with myself in my mirror. Bangs stuck to my forehead with sweat, one eyebrow half gone, a wine-flush in my cheeks, and wine-stained lips. Maybe it was better under the duvet.

But I want out, for a few minutes. I want to go buy all the ice cream that I can, so I can indulge myself fully. I need some air, so I shove my feet into some shoes, and grab up my keys.

-----

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#steve rogers fic #steve rogers au #marvel au #marvel fic

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forwhycas · 5 years ago

Text

Oh What a World (part 2)

So this part is wayyyyy longer than the first part, but it super cute and we find out a bit more about Charlie, super fluffy and swearing since who doesn't love a beautiful girl who swears like a trucker! This picture of Joe gives me life (even thought its blurry, if anyone has a better quality version, please send it to me) I hope you enjoy:)

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When you got home you immediately hung up the clock and put the matching towels out as well. You snapped a picture and sent it to Joe.

Charlie: Be jealous!

Joey: I’m not, but I’m glad you like it. I have a lot of pictures from today, did you want me to send them?

Charlie: Yes please!

20 pictures later, and your favorite one was Joe holding you from behind your arms up pretending to be jack and rose from the titanic on the red steps. You zoomed in on somebodies face you noticed in the background, this woman’s face looked so annoyed, you screenshotted it and sent it to Joe.

Charlie: This woman’s face is how I’m going to feel waking up in the morning, because my shift starts at 8 L

Joey: So call out, I’m sure wherever you work can handle a day without you.

Charlie: Well, I wish they could but I work at a group home, so if their one person down the place kind of runs awkwardly. Which can cause some pretty pissed off kids.

Joey: You work at a group home?

Charlie: Yea it’s part time, and definitely the most interesting job I’ve had. I might see if someone can cover for me though, I can feel myself already struggling to get out of bed tomorrow morning.

You txt your coworker Emily, reminding her that she owed you.

Charlie: Remember when I covered your shift that week you went on vacation with your friends?

Emily: Yes, do you need me to cover you this week?

Charlie: Yes please, final exams start next and I’m stressing L

Emily: I got you, I’ll txt Eric to let him know what’s going on.

Charlie: Thank you!

You sighed with relief, while yes finals were next week, you were fully prepared! You just really haven’t had a day off from work in a long time, and you mine as well use the favor. You smiled at the fact that you could hang out with Joe tomorrow, he was easy to be yourself around and it was refreshing. Your phone vibrated.

Joey: So?

Charlie: A whole week covered, and this week my classes are online because finals are next week, so basically all I have to do is a bunch of practice quizzes.

Joey: So what are you going to do with your new found freedom?

You had so many ideas but the first one was to cover the tattoo you had on the side of your arm that had your exes initials. You facetimed Joe. When he picked up he was in bed looking super cozy, you kind of wished you were still with him, laying on his couch.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have the best idea! See this tattoo right here?” He nodded. “I want to get this covered up tomorrow.”

“Who’s initials are those?”

“My ex’es.”

“Ah, well then I’m all for that.”

“Want to come with me?” He yawned and nodded. “Awesome, do you have any tattoos that need covering?” He snorted.

“I don’t have any tattoos Charlie.” He yawned again.

“Well I have…” You started to count on your free hand. “10? No 14! Yea 14, catch up! Anyways go to bed grandpa! Meet me at mine for 11, I’m on the 5th floor, my last name is on the door. Do you even know my last name?” He nodded.

“Everleigh? Right?” You nodded and said goodnight, he waved then hung up. You hopped in the shower and towel dried your hair the best you could before falling asleep. You awoke to pounding on your door. You checked your phone and you had 3 txt’s from Joe.

Joey: I’m up, and heading over with coffee.

Joey: Warning I’m out of breath and I’ve only walked up two flights of stairs.

Joey: Your still asleep!

The last txt was 10 minutes ago. You sprung up out of bed, realizing you slept in just underwear you grabbed your bath robe and wrapped it around you. You unlocked the door, and Joe was holding a tray with two coffees, an annoyed look on his face. You smiled, “Morning sunshine!” his face softened when you spoke, he pushed past you, you could feel the coldness radiating off of him.

“Good morning, glad you got some extra sleep.” He smiled and slumped down onto your couch. Placing the tray of coffee on your end table. You sat down next to him and reached over him to grab one, placing it in his hand and then grabbing the other one.

“Sorry, I guess I forgot to set an alarm. Thanks for the coffee, do you want something to eat?” You got up and went to your cabinets, you remembered the muffins you bought from the bakery down the block 2 days ago. “I have blueberry muffins!” You turned around to look at him. “I’m trying to cure your morning grumpiness with delicious muffins and you look like you want to kill me, has this friendship already run its course?” He chuckled. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He got up and came over to you.

“You have a piece of hair sticking up the opposite way…there.” He was so close to you, not moving. “Also yes, I’ll take a muffin please.” You reached up to grab the container and put them on the counter, you got a pan and started to melt some butter on it. Joe was leaning against your counter on his phone.

“Do you want a whole one, or a half one?”

“I’ll split one with you, I’m not super into eating this early.” He nodded then went back to his phone. “There’s a really good tattoo shop called village tattoo, it’s by Washington Park. I went there with my friend Sebastian once, they do some good work. What are you getting to cover that up anyways?”

“I think I’m gonna get some daisy’s and roses, It’ April’s and June’s birth month flower.” You cut the muffin half and through them on the pan, it sizzled slightly. You took a sip of coffee.

“Who’s birthday is it in April and June?”

“Well my dad’s birthday was April 17th, and mine is June 16th.” You grabbed some plates and grabbed one half of the muffin handing the plate with the muffin on it to Joe. You grabbed yours as well. “Try it.” You smiled weakly at him. You took a bite and you moaned. “Oh fuck this is good…” Joe took a dramatic bite, and his eyes rolled back into his head. “See it’s delicious! Your welcome for warming it up for you!” You nudged him in the side. “Right while you make love to that muffin I’m gonna get dressed. Make yourself at home.” You winked at him and walked across the living room to your door, you left it slightly open. You went through your closet and found a NYU long sleeve, you contemplated putting on a bra but did so anyways, you then contemplated putting on actual pants, you did that as well. Joe was walking around yourliving room, looking at all the paintings, mostly landscapes, and the family photos of you and your dad.

“Are you an only child?” Joe yelled.

“Yup!” You yelled with a mouth full of tooth paste. “You?” You spit it out and rinsed with some mouthwash. You washed your face and moisturized. Joe yelled another question.

“A brother and a sister! Just you and your dad?”

You took a deep breath and walked out of your room. “My mom dipped when I was about 10, I don’t remember much of her.” You walked over to your shoe tray and started to tie your nikes. “How far is this tattoo shop? Also is it grossly cold outside?” Joe put his still cold hands on the sides of your face. “Yea it’s grossly cold outside.” You pushed his hands away and wrapped the purple scarf you bought the day before, and the matching gloves. “Wallet!” You went to your cabinet above your fridge, where you always put it. Joe gave you a weird look. “The dead lock on this door sucks so I figure if someone’s going to break in the last place they would look for money is above the fridge.” You shrugged.

“I have never seen a woman get ready so fast in my life.” You were zipping up your jacket and putting your wallet in your inside breast pocket. “Impressive, really.” You smiled at him and grabbed your coffee from the counter, grabbing your keys from the hook next to the door.

“Ready?”

“Yup.”

Joe convinced you to take the subway for once. You just hated confined spaces. Which you expressed to him, but he told you that you had to get over your fear eventually. You sat so close to him your thighs touched. “Are you for real right now?” You turned your head towards him, not realizing how close you guys really were. You glanced at his lips for a split second. Then darted up to his eyes.

“Yes, I’m claustrophobic, and I’m not just saying that.” He rolled his eyes and he put his hand out on his thigh, motioning for you to grab it. You hesitated and decided to just rest your head on his shoulder instead. Closing your eyes, taking a deep breath. He ended up grabbing your hand anyways. “Ugh Joe! Why are your hands so sweaty!”

“Because it’s hot in here, I can’t help it!” He let go of your hand, wiped his hand on your jeans, then grabbed your hand again. “Better?” You snorted and gave him a disgusted look.

“Yes, now that I have all of these Joe germs on my leg. Much better, thank you.” He rolled his eyes at you and reached in his pocket for his phone, he was scrolling through Instagram, you looked over his shoulder being snoopy. “I forgot to tell you, I started to watch Dear Sidewalk the other night with Dean.” You paused.

“And?” He stopped scrolling and he looked at you from the side since your head was still on his shoulder.

“Your very cute as a mailman��” Joe shook his head and continued scrolling.

“Wait till you get to the end…”

“I will say it’s odd having an actor as a friend, because while I’m watching Gardner going through all of this lovey dovey shit, all I can think about is you snorting orange juice out of your nose the other day at breakfast…”

“Just when I thought you forgot…”

“I wish I got it on video, I’d show it to every news outlet, make so much bank!” You chuckled to yourself, Joe turned towards you fully. “I’m joking!” You rolled your eyes and rested your head back on his shoulder, you grabbed your phone out of your jacket pocket and started to scroll through your Instagram as well.

“So you do have social media…”

“You’ve probably been spelling my last name wrong, I don’t know how though since it’s on my apartment door…” You grabbed his phone from his hands and looked up your Instagram account everleigh.charliee93, you followed it for him.

“Do me a favor and stalk me later though.”

“Who says I’ll stalk your Instagram?”

“It’s human nature to be curious, I’m a psych major remember?” The train stopped and your breath hitched, squeezing his hand in the process.

“Relax, this is our stop anyways.” He got up, putting his phone back in his pocket, his hands still attached to yours. You let it go once when you got back onto the streets, you saw the tattoo shop sign a few minutes later and squealed with excitement! Once inside you took your gloves off and waited at the front desk. A girl came out from the back with bright pink hair and gave you guys a cute smile.

“What can I do for you guys today?”

“I’m looking to get some letting covered up with some floral creation.” You stripped off your jacket and put it over Joe’s shoulder, then pulled up your sleeve, she took a look and asked what you were thinking for flowers. You told her your idea and she nodded and went to go get another artist.

“This is Nick, he loves a good floral piece. Nick this is…”

“Charlie! Nice to meet you.” You gave him a warm smile and he smiled back. Joe noticed how he wasn’t the only one who was effected by your smile. Nick’s face almost dropped when your face lit up.

“So what kind of flowers are we talking about?”

“Roses and daisies, just enough to cover this, not too much.” You motioned to the side of your left forearm.

“Color?”

“I think I’ll keep it black and white for now.”

“Right let me take a few pictures and then size up the area and then I can get you a price range.” After doing so the damage was 200$

“Yea that sounds about right! Do you have time for it today?”

“I have the whole afternoon open, give me about 45 minutes to do a few sketches, then we can get going on it! Have a seat and I’ll come grab you when I’m ready. Rider can grab a copy of your ID and have you sign a few things in the mean-time.” You pulled out your wallet and started the process. You finally sat down on their huge couch in their waiting area, putting your legs over Joe’s lap.

“What do tattoo’s feel like anyways?” Joe asked as he rested his hands on your legs.

“The only way I can describe it is like a sunburn jabbing into your skin over and over again. Some places hurt a lot, others don’t. It also depends on a person’s pain tolerance, I have a pretty good tolerance for pain, so it doesn’t bother me too much.” You looked back down on your phone, smiling a little as you txted a potential date. “Is a paint and sip a good idea for a date?”

“I would enjoy that, I have no artistic ability what so ever, but I’m sure someone would enjoy that. Why?”

“I think I’m gonna ask this guy from my stats class out to do a paint and sip next weekend after finals are over.” Joe appeared great from the outside but in all actuality he was annoyed.

“Friday or Saturday night?”

“Ummmm, Friday night.” Joe was actually annoyed now, he had asked you to go out with him and his friend that night.

“I thought you were coming out with me and my friend that night?” He tried not to outwardly appear pissed.

“Well the paint and sip is at 6, I’m not meeting you guys till 9, right?” You looked up at him from your phone still smiling giddily.

“True, but I wanted to pre-game with you!” He frowned like a child.

“Well, pretend I’m their in spirit, I’ll be pre gaming with wine, so I’ll be showing up slightly buzzed.” You looked back down at your phone, and giggled when he said yes. “Ha, he said yes!”

“You make it look so easy!” Joe crossed his arms, turning to face you.

“That’s because it is…” You rolled your eyes, then felt bad for being bratty. “Look if I can casually ask someone out, anyone can! Who are you interested in right now?” You, he thought. He was shocked that he thought that, but then realized it was probably just because you were new in his life, he was fixated on you. He was blushing though.

“Nobody? Yea no one.”

“Nobody? Everybody is interested in someone.”

“I mean, one person, I think?”

“You think?” He shrugged.

“Alright Charlie, let’s get you started!” Nick came out and he motioned for you follow him. Joe was relieved he was saved from the conversation going any further. You sprung up and grabbed Joe by the arm. Rider was right Nick enjoyed a good floral tattoo. He came up with 4 solid layouts in just under an hour. You loved all of them but went with the third choice as it flowed better with the shape of your arm. “So who’s initials are these anyways? I love getting a good story from new clients.” He was shaving the peach fuzz away as you got comfy in his chair.

“My ex-fiance’. Quinten.”

“Wow, well he fucked up!”

“Royally.”

“I see you have some other tattoo’s, but I always like to break a tattoo session in half, give the client a break for a smoke or some food. Where did you get your other tattoos from?”

“I’m from the cape, so mostly black pearl and coastline. I like to keep it local.”

“I love the cape actually, I’ve been to black pearl, where’s coastline?”

“Provincetown, all the way at the tip of Mass.” He put the stencil on and gripped it with his hand.

“I’ll have to check it out! So about the flowers, just your favorite flowers or?”

“Oh, well my dad passed about 6 years now, and his birth month flower are daisies, and mine are roses, so I figured I’d cover up this assholes initials with something meaningful.” You shrugged. Joe didn’t know this but had a hunch since there weren’t many recent pictures of you with your dad back at your apartment.

“Well I’m sure he would love it, my dad passed away a while back as well. Fuck cancer.” Nick frowned.

“I’m so sorry, your right fuck cancer!”

“How did your dad pass, if you don’t mind me asking?” There was always something about opening up to a tattoo artist, they made it so easy, they were like your therapist.

“Early on set dementia. Very early…” You frowned but gave him a faint smile.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry. Fuck Dementia!” You chuckled.

“Fuck dementia!” You responded and looked over at Joe, who looked like his whole world had crashed and burned. He was thinking about you being sad and it made his heart sink. He just wanted to wrap you in his arms and tell you how sorry he was. But instead he said ‘fuck dementia’.

“Alright darlin, gonna start off with some outlines, then we’ll break and do some shading! Sound good.” Nick questioned.

“Yes sir!” After an hour of outlining and he got to one spot where it just felt like shit, your free hand grabbed Joe’s thigh, you bit your lip. “Wow that’s a tender spot.” Joe was brought out of his day dreaming session when your hand collided with his thigh. He was a year into your Instagram, you were right stalking someone else’s social media was just human nature. His free hand grabbed yours and he gave it a squeeze and a reassuring smile as he continued scrolling, he hit the post where you posted about your engagement. He didn’t even realize you had started to talk to him. “Earth to Joe?”

“I’m sorry what?” He looked up from his phone fast.

“I said you should get me some McDonald’s when Nick here is done with the outline. Pretty please.” You gave him the cutest smile ever, squinting your eyes together.

“Well I can’t say no to that face, you’re lucky your cute when you do that.”

“Oh my god, was that a compliment? Did I hear cute come out of that mouth?”

“Yes, it was, don’t get used to it. What do you want?”

“Everything off of the menu! Just kidding, I have to be stoned for that. Maybe just some McChickens and a large fry.” Joe was learning so much about you today.

“Right, well I’m make sure not to go on a McDick’s run for you when your stoned then.” Nick was finished and wrapped your arm up. You stretched and let out a squeal, then yawned. Another thing to add to the list of cute things you do, he thought. You gave him your card, and he fought with you about how it was just McDonalds. “Well maybe Nick want’s something?”

“I could go for a happy meal, mostly for the toy, my daughter loves those!”

“See Nick’s kid wants a cute toy, take the plastic square!” You waved it in front of his face, he was un-amused. “Do it for the kid Joe, unless you hate kids!”

“Definitely don’t hate kids, kids are great.” He zipped up his jacket, and left. Nick already had a cigarette between his lips and was gearing up to go out to have a smoke. It’s been months since you had one and just looking at it you already knew you were gonna ask to bum one off of him.

“Nick can I trouble you for one of those bad boys?” he nodded and handed you one.

“Didn’t think you would be the type, but yea kid here ya go.” You got your jacket on and headed outside with him, you sat on the bench that was right outside of the shops window, and sat down with him, he lit it for you and you guys got to talking about each-others dads and laughing about funny times you’ve had with them. Joe was walking back towards you and he crinkled his nose when he saw you take a drag. Not cute when you smoked, but it was somehow hot when you did. He was annoyed with himself for thinking that you looked hot when you did that and he finally approached you guys. 4 bags in one hand.

“Alright so we got not one but two happy meals, because kids are great,” he glared at you “four McChikens, 3 large fries and a big mac.” He was staring at your lips as they curved around the cig and then blew out the smoke.

“Thanks Joe!”

“Thanks man! I can’t wait to see what toys these things have.” Nick put out his cig and you did to and you guys all chowed down before going back inside again. The shading seemed to go by faster and before you knew it, it was done. You got up to look at it in the mirror, you could cry, it was so pretty. You just nodded your head and hugged Nick. He blushed when you did so, catching him off guard with such a personal gesture. He took a few pictures and Joe took some for you on your phone.

“Alright 150$.”

“You said 200 before?”

“Yes but your cool and sat so nicely for me, also your friend here got me some food. So 150$.”

You pulled out your card and paid and then slid him a 20$. He thanked you and you and Joe said goodbye to him and Rider.

“So what now? It’s almost 4…”

“I don’t know about you but I really could for a good nap.” You shoved your hands in your jacket pockets.

“I’m always ready for a nap.” Joe smiled at you. You convinced him again to walk since you had enough of the subway. “If were gonna walk can we nap at my place, it’s closer and my legs hurt from walking yesterday.” You nodded and 20 minutes later you were in his kitchen cracking open a beer, annoyed that he was still deciding what to watch.

“Joe! You’ve been searching for something for ages, just pick something, I’m really not picky, I’ll watch anything.” He ignored you and he kept searching. “Family guy?” he nodded. “Finally!” You yelled from the kitchen. He was laying on the couch. And you couldn’t help it, you snuggled up next to him, he didn’t mind at all. “This is fine right? Because I wanted to lay down first but your long ass legs took my spot first…” he rolled his eyes at you.

“When you fall asleep don’t drool, this is a new sweater.” You rolled your eyes this time. Family guy was playing in the background and you closed your eyes. Between Joe’s laughing and the rising and falling of his chest you passed out quick. When you woke up Joe was wrapped around you, one of his arms draped over your waist, the other wrapped around your shoulder, your head resting on his bicep. He smelled delicious, his sweater heating you up, his bicep soft and comforting on the side of your face. You could stay like this forever, you shut your eyes again and tried to fall back asleep.

When Joe awoke he realized he completely attached himself to you, but you looked so warm and cozy to him, one of your arms was underneath the pillow his head rested under and the other over his chest clutching at his sweater, he stretched his free arm and watched as you shivered so he grabbed the blanket that was draped over the side of his couch, he gingerly moved a piece of hair away from your face and watched you snuggled back into his arm, he could feel your soft breaths tickle it. He wrapped his arm back around your waist and fell back asleep.

You awoke to the smell of coffee and something greasy. You had the blanket still wrapped around you and it smelled like Joe, you smiled and got up to stretch. “So did I drool on you?” Joe jumped a little as you entered his kitchen.

“Nope! Much appreciated.” Joe was in sweatpants and a hoodie, which reminded you of the sweatpants you bought the other day.

“MY SWEATPANTS!” You ran to the bathroom and put them on, along with washing your tattoo and finding some lotion on the top shelf of his medicine cabinet. You walked out and smiled while hopping up onto his counter. “I feel so much better, sleeping in those jeans was the worst! Also falling asleep in a bra is disgustingly annoying as well.”

“Is that what was digging into my rib cage all night?”

“You think it was digging into your rib cage all night! I have marks from the underwire!”

“Well I’m making pancakes, so hopefully that’ll cheer you up.”

“I fucking love pancakes! My dad always used to put m&m’s in them for me!” You smiled at him.

“Sadly I don’t have any, but I’ll make a mental note for next time.” After breakfast you continued to watch some more family guy, before you started to get ready to leave.

“Alright I guess I should head out, I’m already pre stressing for finals next week, make sure to txt me every once and a while to make sure I’m alive.” He chuckled.

“I don’t miss college, but I will try to remember to shoot you a ‘are you still breathing’ txt.”

“You’re the best! Alright wish me luck I’m gonna take the subway.”

“Wow, all on your own! They grow up so fast!” He wiped away a fake tear.

“Shut up!” You gave him a quick hug and you were on your way home. Subway wasn’t too bad, although you missed your stop twice, so it took you an extra 30 minutes to get home.

Charlie: Finally home, I missed my stop twice! But I did it! Also I’ve finally taken off my bra and my boobs feel ten times happier!

Joey: So proud, glad your boobs aren’t angry anymore.

You chuckled and took a long shower, right when you got out someone was knocking on your door. It was either Dean or your neighbor asking for something. Dean lived on the third floor and always came knocking for something. And your instincts were right, an out of breath Dean in half drag was standing there, hands on his knees.

“I need to borrow some hair spray and hair gel to lay these edges, help!” You pulled him by the arm and sat him down on your toilet as you helped him style his edges.

“Where have you been! I’ve been txting you for like 2 days and nothing!” He was using your mascara and a few other of your scarce beauty supplies.

“Oh I was with Joe! He took me on a tour of the city on Friday and then yesterday we went to get a tattoo, I just got home a few hours actually.” Dean smirked at you. “What!”

“You like him! You were with him for two days straight? Don’t answer me, or anybody in the group chat. You totally like him!”

“I do not! He’s just a new friend and he helps me navigate the city, still a newby remember!”

“Have you slept with him?”

“What! No! Don’t get any craze ideas either, nothing is going on between us.” He was still giving you that same look. “Stop it! Finish up or you’ll be late!”

“Charlie if you haven’t noticed, you have an effect on guys. You bat those long eye lashes of yours or give that cute cheesin smile and they are hooked.” You looked at him baffled.

“I don’t know what youre talking about.” You crossed your arms over your chest.

“Your fucking gorgeous and you don’t realize it, it’s a tragedy.” He was shaking his head and gave you a kiss on the cheek before he put your makeup bag away and started off for the front door. “Joe is gonna fall in love with you I can already tell…” he pulled you in for a hug. “Don’t forget to txt me tomorrow around 3 so we can take that online practice quiz together!” You nodded as he started to gingerly walk down the stairs in his glittery red go-go boots.

“Please be careful in those shoes! Have fun tonight!”

“You know it girl! Dinner is on me tomorrow night!” You chuckled and closed and locked your door again. Doing your nightly routine, and finally passing out around 3am, shortly after Dean sent you a ‘I’m alive and home safe’ txt. When you woke up it was 1pm, and you were scrolling through Instagram. You decided to post the picture of your new tattoo, ‘daisies and roses and permanent ink, oh my!’. You finally got out of bed a half hour later and txted Dean to make sure he would be up in time to take the practice quiz in time with you.

Charlie: Your bitch ass better be up! T-1 hour till practice quiz.

Queen Dean: My bitch ass is up and doing a facial, counting my cash, I’m thinking Chinese food for dinner?

Charlie: I’ve been eating like shit lately so I mine as well keep the trend going!

Queen Dean: That’s my girl! Order it now by the time it get’s here I’ll be over, make sure to get extra egg rolls!

Charlie: Of course!

Dean came barreling in 20 minutes later, green face mask on and everything.

“I brought a sheet mask for you, and some undereye treatment, because those under eye circles are DARK! Don’t worry this will help though chica!” You chuckled at him and shuffled over on your couch.

“I lit some candles, put your fave musical on and I have tissues just in case we cry, I think were set for this practice quiz.”

“Your like my mom, stop it! But thank you, you know I have that test anxiety, I wish I could take all of my exams with you, you definitely know how to calm down a hysterical gay man.” He kissed your cheek, and set up his computer on your coffee table, your phone buzzed.

Joey: good luck on your practice exam!

You smiled and put your phone down. Dean of course picking up on your classic wide eyed smile. “Are you sure you don’t like him just a little bit?” He cocked his head to the side.

“Dean I’m sure, he’s just wishing me luck on my practice exam, simple gesture, calm down.” Just then someone started to knock on your door. “FOOD!” Dean laughed at your excitement and got up to pay, all singles. “I see you had a goodnight.”

“I’m convinced it’s because of the new fishnets you bought me, so thank you, now please shove these crab ragoons into your stomach, I can hear it yelling at me from here.” He placed all the food out on your coffee table and you two counted down the minutes till the exam. It took you an hour and a half out of the 2 it gave you. After demolishing all the food you were exhausted. Dean was already asleep in your bed but you were wired, and also too full to function. You decided to txt Joe.

Charlie: While Dean is passed out after that hour and half torture, I’m over here in a food coma ready to do 5 more exams, any tips to tire me out?

Joey: Tea? A nice run? Sex?

You snorted when you read that last one.

Charlie: I do have tea, I’m in no shape to run, and sex? Well, I have no one to really do that with at the moment, sadly.

Joey: Well what about Dean?

Charlie: Dean is very much gay.

Joey: Did not know that. Well what about tinder? Isn’t that what every young person uses these days?

Charlie: Joe you do realize you are also young, right?

Joey: Well yes, but 33 years old’s on tinder is weird, for you though it’ll be easy.

Charlie: Maybe I should call up Bradley from my stats class, I mean I was gonna wait till the paint and sip to try to get some action, but…

Joey: You’re going to fuck a guy named Brad?

Charlie: BRADLEY! Also sex is sex, who cares what the person’s name is, you’re the one who suggested it!

Joey: I mean you’re right.

Charlie: Alright I’m done talking sex with you, I think I’m just gonna stick with tea for now, Bradley can wait till Friday!

After a week of practice quizzes and a lot of fast food courtesy of Dean, you had come down with a nasty cold, probably due to stress, just in time for actual finals. You had to not only cancel your date but also going out with Joe and his friend.

Charlie: I have a cold, I just had to cancel on Bradley:(

Joey: Well there goes your opportunity to get laid! Are you cancelling on me and Chase as well?

Charlie: If I didn’t have finals next week, I would push myself to go out, but I can’t. I’m sorry Joe L

Joey: Hey it’s ok, I think I might just cancel on him and reschedule to when you’re feeling better, I saw him last night anyways.

Charlie: I was looking forward to getting properly fuck up with you and him, but yea it’s gonna have to wait till next year.

Joey: Next year?

Charlie: Yea after finals, I’m out of here and I’ll be home for 2 weeks. Which reminds me, I got you a gift!

Joey: Oh did you?

Charlie: Nothing big, just a little something.

Joey: Well now I have to go get you something epic.

Charlie: You really don’t need to, I just saw it and I was like ‘Joe would like this’ so I got it.

Joey: Yea I’m gonna get you something now.

Charlie: I wanna see you before I leave though, maybe a movie night?

Joey: Sounds good to me, when were you thinking?

Charlie: Well I’m taking all my finals on Tuesday and Wednesday, so Thursday?

Joey: Sounds good, I’ll see you then.

Charlie: Remember to check up on me to see if I’m still alive, because I’m gonna need all the luck I can get!

Joey: Don’t be so dramatic, but I promise I will.

You laughed, as you made your way to your kitchen to make some tea. After a long couple of days and a lot of cold medicine by Wednesday your cold was almost gone, just in time for your stats exam, the one you were nervous for the most.

Charlie: I’m about to take my stats of psych exam, if I don’t txt you by at least 7, I’m dead on the floor.

Joey: lol, you’ll do just fine.

You chugged some water and took a caffeine pill to keep you alert. 3 hours later you were half asleep on your couch and your phone chimed.

Joey: It’s 7, are you dead?

Charlie: Nope, but I feel it, I’m actually tired and ready to fall asleep at a normal time, this is odd.

Joey: Go to bed then, I’ll see you tomorrow night. My place or yours?

Charlie: Mine, I don’t want to leave this apartment till I have to drive home Friday night.

Joey: Alright, so I’ll see you tomorrow night around 7. Also why did you drive into the city, it’s going to be a nightmare for you to get out of here with all the tourists!

Charlie: Yea 7 is good, also I didn’t feel like shipping all of my stuff from Mass to here, so I stuffed my car with all of my shit, and I’m an aggressive driver so it’ll be fine. I’m gonna drink some tea and pass the fuck out, see you tomorrow night Joey!

Joey: Ugh. Stop with Joey, goodnight Charlie.

It was 1 in the afternoon when you awoke, you checked your phone and there were 5 txts from Dean.

Queen Dean: Charlie, I need to borrow those sequined tights you have.

Queen Dean: Is your bitch ass still asleep?

Queen Dean: It’s noon, you never sleep this late, have exams really killed you?

Queen Dean: I miss you!

Queen Dean: Come out with me and the gang tonight!

You smiled, and finally opened your eyes enough to txt him back.

Charlie: Me and Joe are doing a movie night, so I can’t, when I get back though I promise I’ll go out with everyone.

Queen Dean: Ughhhhhhhh, I’m coming down for those tights, so put clothes on.

You groaned and wrapped your robe around you, you unlocked the door for him and made your way to the kitchen to start making some food. Dean came in a few minutes later with a plate of pancakes and bacon. You moaned when he sat them down in front of you.

“Ed just woke up too, so he made a plate for you. Where’s those tights!” You shoved some food in your mouth and got up to go to your dresser pulling them out for him.

“Please don’t rip them, I haven’t worn them yet!” Dean was about the same build as you, just much taller. So he borrowed a lot of your basic essential wardrobe.

“I promise! Enjoy that food, I gotta do a dry run of my outfit for tonight. Speaking of tonight, you and Joe?” He wiggled his eye brows.

“Me and Joe hang out all the time just us two. Although last time I did fall asleep on him…” You thought back to his arms wrapped around you and you started to blush.

“Oh my god! You did not tell me about this, how was that? He does have some nice arms.”

“Well I told you about how he took me to that tattoo shop, after that we went back to his and watched some family guy and I fell asleep on top of him and when I woke up I was gonna skip out but his arms were around me so I stayed. And your right his arms are quite nice…”

“Oh my god you do like him!”

“Nope, but he’s nice looking I’m not gonna deny that.”

“Would you sleep with him?”

“Jesus Dean!”

“I bet you he’s lar…”

“I really don’t want to think about Joe’s dick! He’s my friend, just like you’re my friend, nothing more!”

“Well that’s too bad you would look cute next to him, sure he’s a little bit older but you two would be cute together!”

“I’m not really looking to be in a relationship with anybody for a while, last one really fucked me up.”

“Well don’t date him then, just fuck and be friends.” Dean shrugged.

“Not really into casual sex these days.”

“Ugh! Your lame sometimes, I’m gonna leave you to eat your food, have fun with Joe, tell him I said hi!” He left with your tights and you devoured the pancakes. You ended up falling asleep again, and woke up around 6:30. You checked your phone, and you had a txt from Joe.

Joey: Heading over now, I picked up some snacks.

Shit! You hopped in the shower and just as you were getting out you heard a knock on your door. You quickly wrapped a towel around your head and secured your robe around your body. You opened the door and Joe looked so cozy in his sweatpants and Yankees hoodie.

“Sorry I fell asleep again, but I’m up!” You moved aside so he could come in. Joe tried his hardest not to eye you up and down, since your robe was way too short. “Make yourself at home, I’m gonna put some clothes on.” You closed the door behind him and made your way back to your bathroom. You got on your usual attire and tied up your hair in a bun.

“I got skittles, pop-corn, chocolate covered almonds, and m&m’s!” Joe yelled from your living room. You smiled as you rubbed your moisturizer into your face. You came out and plopped onto your couch next to him.

“You know I’ve gained a whole 7 pounds since I started to hang out with you.” You said as you grabbed the bag of m&m’s.

“Hey I just like good food, you’re the one who always eats whatever I get.” He stuck his hand in the bag and devoured whole hand full of m&m’s.

“So I’m thinking Wizard of Oz, it’s my favorite, but I will cry when Dorothy says goodbye to everyone in Oz, so fair warning on that.” You grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and through it over you and Joe.

“I mean that is a very sad part, I’ll probably cry as well.” You turned the t.v on and started the movie up, you couldn’t help but sing along with Judy Garland as she sang somewhere over the rainbow. Jo stared at you in disbelief, he didn’t know you could sing. Another thing to add to the list of cute things he thought. “Oh wow.” He was looking at you.

“What, I can’t not sing along.” You shrugged.

“Yea but you can sing, like good! Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Run, I cannot run to save my life.” You laughed.

“Ha! I can run, so I have one thing over you, that and my height!” He had a smug look on his face.

“Well congrats on being a giraffe.” You rolled your eyes and grabbed the bag of kettle corn, and through some pieces of it at his head. “Don’t you dare throw any at my hair, it’ll get lost!”

“So you can throw food at me but I can’t throw food at you? That seems very unfair.”

“Life’s unfair!” You shoved some of it in your mouth and then snuggled up next to him. He welcomed you with open arms. As the movie went on and it got to when Dorothy was saying goodbye to everyone in Oz, you tried your hardest not to cry, but the tears poured out. You looked up at Joe to see if he was crying as well, he wasn’t but he did look super sad, he caught you staring and you smiled at him as tears ran down your face.

“Jesus Charlie you weren’t kidding.” His free hand reached for the side of your face and wiped them away, his hand lingered just a little bit too long and you began to blush at the contact, it was sweet and you almost melted into his touch. When his hand moved away you turned to look at the tv again. “Any other movies that make you cry?”

“Marley and Me, Pride and Prejudice, Titanic, The Persuit of Happyness, My Girl, Awkenings, The Green Mile, ummmmm oh and Finding Neverland!” You looked up at him, eyes still glossy.

“Right well, let’s not ever watch any of those! Although those are all great movies, don’t feel like seeing you cry anymore.” You got up from leaning into his side and reached for the remote.

“Here, you pick something.” You handed him the remote then assumed your position next to him.

“Your like a cat, you know that?” He motioned to the way you were curled up next to him.

“You should see me when I go home to my dog, he get’s annoyed so fast when I make him sleep in my bed and I’m all up in his personal bubble.”

“What kind of dog?”

“Jacks a Chocolate lab, he’s 4, and he is the absolute love of my life, I’m so excited to go home to see him.” Joe looked down at you and you had that wide smile on your face, the one you make when you talk about something that makes your extremely happy.

“Who takes care of him when your gone?”

“My Aunt Sherry, she lives a town over, which means when I pick him up he’s going to be even more excited to see me because I’m taking him on a car ride, and those are his favorite!” Joe was in awe of how happy you were right now, and his heart was racing just imagining how cute you would look sleeping in bed with your dog next to you. “If I remember I’ll facetime you when I get home Friday night so you can see how fucking crazy he get’s when he’s in my car.” Joe nodded at you and finally decided on Dunkirk. “Oh this is the one with Harry Styles in it! He’s so pretty, I’m pumped now.”

“Harry Styles?”

“Yea he was in one direction? You know that song what makes you beautiful?” He looked down at you with his eye brows furrowed. “Ugh I keep forgetting your older than me, hold please.” You reached for your phone and looked up all the members for him. “This ringing a bell?”

“They’re all English right?”

“Yup! And Harry was always my favorite, so I am pumped! Even though it’s a sad movie I’m ready to see this man’s perfect face.” A few minutes in and their he was. “Ahhhhhh look at him, that’s my man!”

“So your into older English men?”

“Well fist of all, I’m the same age as him and second of all I don’t have a type. But you’re going to look at me in the eyes and tell me he’s not an attractive person?” He looked at the screen again and paused it.

“I mean he’s not ugly.” He shrugged.

“You should here him sing, he’s a fucking angel!” Joe pushed play and the movie continued. You ended up falling asleep an hour in, per usual. Joe nudged you and you buried your face further into his side.

“Well hello, you were so excited to see Harry that you fell asleep and missed the ending.”

“He didn’t die did he?” You yawned and slowly sat up straight.

“No, you missed so many good parts though, promise me you’ll re-watch it when you get home.”

“Promise.” You yawned again and stretched your arms up, Joe got up and headed for your door, he started to tie his shoes, you gathered all the leftover snacks for him.

“No keep them, eat them on your way home tomorrow, think of it as a filler Christmas gift, because I’m still figuring out what to get you.” You wrapped your arms around him going on your tippy toes, he wrapped his arms loosely around your waist and buried his face into your neck. You pulled away slightly, your arms loosening their grip, however his arms were pulling you closer. You could hear your heart pounding through your ears, he glanced at your lips and you found yourself moving closer to his. His breath fanned onto your lips and you closed your eyes, you’d suddenly forgotten how to breathe.

“Charlie!” your eyes snapped open and both you and Joe jumped away from each other. You leaned your head out of your doorway to see a drunk Dean staggering towards you. “Shit was I interrupting something?”

“No!” You and Joe stated at the same time. “Um no, were just saying goodbye.” You smiled shyly at Joe. Dean was clearly drunk.

“Hey Dean! Fun night?” Joe was blushing and thank god Dean was too drunk to pick up on anything.

“Yea! You guys should have been their!” Dean smiled at Joe and you.

“Well next time I’ll gladly go out with you guys. Promise…I’m gonna head out, you guys enjoy your winter break! Bye Charlie.” He gave you both a small wave and you watched him head down the stairs. You let out a sigh, and turned your attention to Dean, you helped him to his apartment and then went to bed thinking about Joe.

#joe mazzelo x reader #imagine #fluff #swearing #fanfic

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