#i'm actually updating it this time thumbs up emoji

[createandconstruct]

Any dadmight headcanons?? 👀👉👈

An excuse to gush about dadmight?????? Anon...thank you so much 🥹

I don't even know how to organize these so I'm just gonna start??? (Under read more cause we kinda lost control?)

During those 10 months of training Izuku actually opened up a lot to All Might. Some of this is Toshi probing but it's also because for the first time Izuku actually feels like someone is really, truly listening to him

Toshi knows (but also infers because Izuku isn't one to point blame) the extent of the bullying and Bakugou's involvement in it, but Izuku made him promise not to do or say anything about it

Which yes Toshi kept his word but he also made sure the behavior was absolutely not continuing as Izuku promised it wasn't (cue Toshinori texting Izuku more frequently, eyeing him for injury a little more carefully during training, asking a few more questions about his day, and giving him a ride home even when Izuku insists he doesn't need it)

This, on top of answering Izuku's training questions for days they don't meet, actually opens the floodgates for them to start messaging each other quite frequently

Though Toshinori definitely prefers talking face to face or on a phone call. Case in point: he's horrible at responding. The first couple weeks of their messaging this stresses Izuku the fuck out because he follows hero news so he knows when All Might is out fighting so when the man isn't and isn't answering - well obviously Izuku screwed something up, All Might's annoyed, and Izuku's ruined the one single great thing he's ever gotten

What follows is a training session where Izuku is sullen and not at all as energetic as he usually is which prompts Toshi to so gently ask him what's wrong. It's so caring and sincere that Izuku crumbles stammering out apologies for bothering All Might with his over texting and Toshi is simply ?????? because he was convinced he had responded? And Izuku is just ?????? And they both look at their messages and then All Might is apologizing because he saw those messages and really thought he had texted Izuku back! And oh! It was a misunderstanding! Thank goodness! Training ends early as Izuku can't stop crying with relief. It leaves Toshi flailing a bit at the reaction and it's what really solidifies how easy to tears the kid actually is.

But this is what forces Toshi to realize he needs to get a little better at being a bit more prompt with his replies. He's a little out of practice considering the only person he's talked to in the last few years in Tsukauchi

Once Izuku starts UA they don't message each other as often since they pretty much see each other everyday but Izuku will sometimes send off a little report about how his day or a specific class went if he doesn't have heroics

Toshi is also very much an emote/emoji user and loves the thumbs up. Izuku loves it too because whenever Toshi sends one he can practically envision his hero throwing it up with a smile right there in front of him.

(Spoilers for the end of manga) I imagine that when Izuku graduates and starts attending university for teaching things slightly shift though and he is absolutely FLOODED by messages. Toshi steps back from teaching and actually takes time to enjoy his retirement. He travels quite a bit (in part because of the Iron Deku armor) but it barely even feels like he's gone for Izuku because legit Every. Free. Moment Toshinori is sending Izuku pictures and little updates from his trips

And the messages are a spectrum. Izuku either gets random photos with 0 context and no caption while he's in the middle of lecture OR Toshinori sends a picture with some silly caption or pun followed by an entire PARAGRAPH of what he's up to

And while the novelty of All Might texting him never truly wears off sometimes Izuku's so busy that he can't respond right away

There's a one time where Toshi, all the way across the Pacific, doesn't get a response (because Izuku has just stayed up all night writing a term paper like the good little college student he is) and (admittedly, a little selfishly, cause Toshi's allowed to be) he just sends Izuku a : (

Izuku wakes up, sees it, and is h o r r i f i e d

He sends a frantic apologetic message and Toshi calls him back laughing and telling him not worry. He tells Izuku to make it up to him by taking a break from studying to go out to eat with him once he's back in Japan

On the topic of traveling, Toshi also ALWAYS brings Izuku souvenirs back. The first few trips he gets little touristy items per the location and while Izuku is always happy and appreciative Toshi ends up going back to gifting rare, exclusive hero merch he sometimes finds (searches/pulls some strings for) because that's still the thing that makes Izuku beam and that's all Toshinori wants to do in his later years

And whenever Toshi is back home they spend quite a lot of time together. They'll see movies together, go out for food, and sometimes Izuku will drop by Toshi's place and just to do homework since it's quiet and they both appreciate the company. Izuku has even fall asleep a few times there and it always makes Toshinori all the more thankful he'd gotten a place with a guest room. One that is specifically tailored to Izuku's preferences mind you.

[tinytalkingtina]

WIP weekend

Whew this was a heck of a week work-wise, looking forward to getting some writing done this weekend!

Updates:

Hoping to post the next chapter of my witch and dragon au next weekend, finally got over a block in some dialogue between Big Boy and Eddie! Time for these two to talk through the consequences of their actions and panic

I'm about halfway through each of the three smuttysteddie prompts I'm doing, plotted it out so they're mostly for prompts that are later in the month to give myself as much time as possible

@little-annie and I fleshed out our steddie role reversal AU a bit more this week, so I wrote out additional dialogue for my introductory Track star runner!Eddie ficlet. Poor Tommy, doomed to have homoerotic tension with his best friend in every universe.

Send me an emoji in an ask, and I'll send you 3-5 sentences from that WIP!

🐲 Witch and Dragon Steddie Chapter 5

🏃Role reversal (metalhead Steve + track star Eddie au)

🚗 Free Show and Therapy (Smutty steddie September ficlets)

Spicy excerpt from 🚗 under the cut (18+ content below, minors beware. Also contains spoilers for the first Die Hard movie)

“Can you touch me again now? Please? If I’m going to get arrested for public indecency I want at least one orgasm out of it.” Steve huffed out a laugh. “Stay still for me, and maybe I will.” He slowly undid the zipper on Eddie’s jeans and wiggled down his briefs to leave him bare-assed on the passenger seat. As asked, Eddie obediently kept the squirming to a minimum, even if he gave another whimper at the exposure. His dick on the other hand, gave an interested twitch, already half hard. Steve held out his hand. “Spit.” Even in the darkness, he could make out how red Eddie’s face was as he did so. He reached down and gave a few solid pumps while rubbing his thumb over the head, not letting up until Eddie was fully hard. “Here’s the rules for tonight. I’m going to keep doing this right up until you’re about to blow it. But you’re not going to come. Not until the credits roll. When you get close to the edge, I want you to be good and tell me, okay?” It took Eddie a few seconds but he did finally nod. Steve grinned at his wide-eyed stare. This was going to be fun. Thirty minutes later, the German terrorist leader shot someone. Steve wasn’t entirely sure they were actually terrorists, but the finer details of the plot were kind of a lost cause at this point. And Eddie definitely wasn’t in a state to concentrate on anything besides what was happening in the car.

[staybabblingbaby]

SKZ x Coordi (Intro Part) a1 d3

[Caution: These are not full fics, or even full parts of fics for some, these are part of my writing progress archive!]

Concept: Reader is a successful makeup artist with a notorious and prolific career and no self awareness. Reader joins JYP as a part of Stray Kids' team and encounters their hazing ritual for new coordis: flirting.

Word Count: 1,178 Notes: This spawned because of my conviction that I could never get my makeup done by a professional bc I would fall in love. Getting your makeup done by someone else just feels very intimate to me (ik its not, ok, I'm just touch starved T^T). It's sort of lending itself to long one-shot style formatting, but for tumblr purposes I'm posting it in parts. Also, I think I accidentally avoided pronouns for Reader? Not sure how but I didn't see any when I was reviewing this part. Will update as I post (idk how to add emojis, just imagine a thumbs up here pls TT^TT). Needs to be edited for clarity. Warnings: None that I know of? Reader has weird self esteem but it's not bad?

Masterlist Link :D | Next Part Link <3

You're fairly sure, by the time your sunbae finishes showing you around and giving you the low-down on your new duties, that you'd gotten this job over other make-up artists because you were the safe choice. You suppose it's not an awful thing to be thought of as safe and professional. You can’t help feeling stung anyways.

You'd come to this conclusion after your sunbae, while showing you a few of the dressing rooms in the company building you'd be working in, casually drops, "oh, yeah, if you end up having relations with one of the idols, just make sure the media and management don't find out. No one else will rat you out." mid-tour.

You'd had to stop and give your sunbae the most confused and alarmed look you could manage, and when she'd seen she'd immediately laughed and made the face back at you. That made you crack, and the two of you ended up giggling together for a minute. Once you'd calmed down, she elaborated.

"It's a bit of an open secret that the unattached idols will sleep with a willing coordi every now and then," she explained "As long as management doesn't find out, and the media is entirely clueless, it's pretty much useless to try and stop it." You’d nodded along, fascinated by how similar celebrities were around the world. Sure, the cultures surrounding them were different, but there was almost always a similar sort of system when you were contracted long-term somewhere.

"Staff are pretty safe options for them, at least here at JYP.” Your sunbae had continued, “They vet our staff and stylists really well." You’d nodded again. The background check had been intensive and you’d had to sign a lot of release forms about it. It was one of the things you’d liked most about this opportunity, actually.

"Your group in particular have probably fucked at least 2 dozen coordis between them." You’d choked on air and turned to her incredulously again. What was with her and dropping bombs like this on you? It was your first day! She’d just laughed and rolled her eyes at you. "Why are you so scandalized? There's 8 of them." She reasoned, "That's, like, 3 flings a piece. Not that many." You’d conceded her point with a tilt of your head. You're sure the actual numbers aren't so even, but she had made an excellent point regardless.

"I guess that makes sense," You’d mused, "I mean, they're grown men, right? Their hands must get awful tired." That startled a laugh out of your sunbae and you’d grinned at her before you continued. "But, sunbaenim, you won't have to worry about that from me." You’d stated confidently. She’d shot you a questioning look, so you’d continued, “They’re both my clients and my coworkers under my contract. Two types of people I categorically refuse to sleep with.”

She’d laughed again, simply saying “That’s probably for the best.” and moving on with your tour. You’d let yourself be distracted by memorizing everything she was telling you and promptly forgot all about your scandalous conversation.

Despite moving on, a seed of doubt had been planted in you. You couldn’t help but think back to one of the odder questions you’d been asked when you were interviewing for this position. As an independent make-up artist you’d had to negotiate everything yourself, and at the time you’d assumed it to simply be part of their vetting process.

“What are your views on workplace relationships?” They’d asked. At the time you’d simply said you strived for friendship with both your clients and coworkers, but that you preferred professionalism over all else. Which was true, obviously, but after that conversation with your sunbae you couldn’t help but add a new context to the question.

That doubtful seed sprouted at the end of your tour, when your sunbae gave you another warning.

“Don’t mind the boys, by the way,” She’d said out of nowhere. “They’re playful, all of them, but they’ll respect a boundary to the death the moment you set it.” Once again you’d had to look at her, hopelessly confused, and you’d become pretty sure at that point that she just liked getting a reaction out of you because she snorted a laugh at whatever face you’d made and explained herself.

“I mean that they can be pretty loud and playful with both each other and staff. That includes being flirty and touchy.” she said, “I think it comes with the territory of being an idol. All that fanservice must do something to them.” She laughed, and you’d smiled along, still somewhat confused of the warning.

She must have noticed, because she elaborated further, “It can be flustering for new stylists.” She explained, and you finally started to understand, “A lot of the time it’s the first time a new stylist has been so close to an idol, you know? You have to prepare for it, like, mentally.” She made a weird gesture toward her head and you’d giggled at her antics but shook your head.

“I’ve seen so many beautiful people at this point in my life that I'm pretty sure I'm immune.” you’d declared with a chuckle. You weren’t lying either, you’d seen so many examples of so many different culture’s beauty standards you could probably write a book on it.

You’d sort of made it your career’s goal to learn as many different styles and skin and face types as you possibly could. You’d done pretty well by that goal so far, doing everything from tiny private boudoir shoots to high profile fashion shows, just about anywhere you could get to, from Cairo in Egypt, to Hollywood in California, to tiny barely-named towns all over Europe.

“Idols are different!” Your sunbae insisted, “There are hot people everywhere, but idols are built different. They’re manufactured to be desirable.”

“So are models,” you’d dismissed with a wave, “Honestly, sunbaenim, I’ll be fine. If anything, it’s the idols you should worry for.” you’d given her a saucy wink and she’d howled with laughter and clapped in delight. You’d giggled right along with her, and when you’d both calmed again, you continued. “No, but really, I’ve been told I can be quite intense when I’m focused, so maybe you should be warning the group instead.”

She’d waved you off, saying “It’ll do them some good to be humbled by someone they have no chance with.” with a devious giggle. And that had been that. The click of a conclusion sliding into place in your mind had sounded and you’d become certain that you’d been the safest of the candidates who’d applied.

It hurt, just a bit, because you’re used to being selected for your experience and ability to mimic and blend styles, not for your personal beliefs. You stave off the hurt by reminding yourself that reputation matters in this industry. If they hired you because you value your professionalism, then you’d show them exactly how professional you could be! You’d wrapped up your tour with mixed feelings and lots of determination.

[shyspider]

Howdy Shy! Sorry I haven't messaged in a while, haven't really been reading or on tumblr much. Your Twintails actually kicked me back into reading! Been. Not so great of a year, tbh, I've been having to talk about some heavy stuff in therapy, lol, and dealing with family issues. And, before you get worried, it's getting better. Some of it has been talked out, and other stuff has had apologies all around, I'm just always a sensitive person, believe it or not.

A friend messaged me on discord that they'd talked about me in your comments, lol. Of course I rec your stuff? You're a great author, I love reading the stuff you put out, just. Haven't been reading, unfortunately. And I spent a long time ating them every single single time you posted an update. Somehow tumblr notifs were faster than emails, lmao, was funny as all get out to me.

Sorry for it not being as long or as about your work as would normally happen, Christmas is a bit tiring, especially when your power gets wiped out for a bit, and promptly breaks the wifi.

~Simp

No need to apologize. Not happy to hear that things have been awful for you this year, but I am glad things have been getting easier. You know, you're not the first person that has said this year has been a rough one. Wtf is up with 2024 just being an all-around crappy year for everyone???

Ahh! Oscilly really surprised me when they mentioned your name! It's just good to hear you're still around <3

Simp, you could send me a simple thumbs up emoji and I'd be happy. You don't need to apologize for not writing out a 50 page essay complete with graphical data and reference markers. You are good <3

Ugh, the holidays always wipe me out. Lights going out for Christmas is kind of funny to me.

[kozzax]

ren masterpost update to-do list:

ren PERSONAS: shadow hound

ren STANDARD SKINS: rentheking, octagon cult ren, hawaiian shirt ren

to update: renbob [add notes on s8, s9]

i'll keep y'all updated on how this is going but it'll have to start like thursday evening because tomorrow i'm incredibly busy :3

wait people are reblogging rendog variant masterpost again. wait no don't do that it doesn't have shadow hound on it my didn't-watch-last-life is showing wait guys wait hold on guys wai-

[traumxrei-archive]

【 chapter 5 - of promises (and memories to be made) 】

author's note: it's been over a MONTH since i've updated this series,,,,so i apologize for neglecting you guys of leonayuu content sjkfjdsk this chapter turned out a lot different from the initial plan, but i like it !! it's fun and there's a lot of cute moments in it <33 leona's having a great time in this chapter haha *thumbs up emoji* i hope you enjoy !

word count: 5.8k (yeah it's hella long, fight me)

tags: new year's feast !!, they're munching on expensive food, yuu visits afterglow savanna (REAL), leonayuu first meeting storytime sjfkdjfk, ghost camera actually comes in handy, crowley makes a Mistake, leona's left to deal with the consequences, #pray 4 leona everyone >:DDD

[ baby it's cold outside series | or read it on ao3 ]

warning: depictions of being drunk.

New Year's. Yuu didn't think that it would be a big deal in Twisted Wonderland as it was in their world but after Ace and Deuce started blowing up their phone about "coordinated magical laser shows" it seemed like a pretty big thing. It seemed that even in a foreign world, celebrating the start of a New Year wasn’t uncommon at all.

They had also gotten a message from Crowley saying that he was sending over a feast via Magi-livery— an abbreviation of Magic Delivery, apparently— to Ramshackle dorms. (This was the first message they had received from Crowley since break started and yet they were simply glad that he remembered about them.)

Now the hard part was convincing Leona to walk all the way over to Ramshackle to have the feast.

"Absolutely not," Leona has said, still buried face-deep in his pillow. It wasn't as adverse of a reaction as they were expecting. Maybe he was still hazy from his afternoon nap?

"Please, Leona-sama," His ears had twitched receptively at that. "Our dear headmage is sending over a high-quality feast for free. And there'll be a laser show to celebrate the New Year."

"A laser show!" Yuu grinned winningly when Cheka bounded over, hopping onto Leona's back to get to them.

So that was how Operation: Get Leona to Ramshackle For The Feast became a success.

Sure, they had to trudge through a bit of snow to get to Ramshackle, and sure, Leona was cursing under his breath the whole time. But the important part was they made it to Ramshackle with minimal losses. The only loss was the feeling in Yuu's arms after carrying Cheka. Cheka had started getting fidgety as the sun was setting and Leona sent them the most withering glare so far so...they had to sacrifice their arms just a little to make the plan a success.

Opening the creaking gate felt almost nostalgic after being away for so long. And if Yuu didn't want to be called crazy, it almost looked like the house missed them too. They rapped on the door, setting Cheka on the floor before the door opened.

Grim looked overjoyed to see them, "Henchman!!! Did you finally realize that the Great Grim is a better boss than that lazy lion?"

"Well, 'that lazy lion' wants to go inside, or else maybe I'll have you both for dinner," Leona grumbled, shoving past Grim and the ghosts who had curiously floated towards the front door.

"I'll explain more inside," Yuu said, shaking the snow off their jacket before hanging it up. They did the same with Cheka's before realizing that Leona had gone inside without removing his jacket, no doubt trailing snow, and- Yuu sighed, and walked into the living room, Cheka trailing behind them like a lost puppy.

"What is this place, Yuu-tan?" Cheka asked, staring at the gaunt paintings and the peeling wallpaper in what looked to be fascination. Maybe this wasn’t the most kid-friendly house to be in. It was a wonder Cheka didn’t start crying as soon as he saw the darkened hallway.

"This is my house. Or the place I'm usually staying in," Yuu explained.

"Your house?" Cheka's ears twitched. "Oh, so you don't usually sleep with Ojitan?"

"Hah? Why would I share my bed with them all the time?" Leona was all bundled up, sitting in front of the fireplace. And Yuu really couldn’t blame him. Although Ramshackle was as temperature regulated as the rest of campus, it didn't stop small drafts from making it through the cracks of the house itself. As they kept telling Crowley, this place was really due for a renovation.

"Mmm," Cheka bounced onto the couch with a giggle. "Cheka thought Ojitan and Yuu-tan were roommates since you guys are best friends!"

Grim let out a haughty laugh at that, "No way! The henchman is my roommate, and they're my best friend too!" As the two started to bicker over who Yuu's best friend was— without asking the person themself— Yuu walked over to Leona.

"C'mon, hand over the jacket," Yuu sighed, seeing the stubborn stare on Leona's face. "It'll be colder if you get wet, just hand it over."

"What're you, my babysitter?" Leona took the jacket off anyway. "You're gonna be living in...this all winter long?"

"I'm your servant, remember?" Yuu folded up the jacket. "And I guess. Unless you do all your school work."

"Ugh, there you go again mentioning work," Leona's ears folded as he sprawled out in front of the fireplace. "Where's all that food you promised?"

"It's practically nighttime, so it should be here—" A loud knock caused them all to jump. "—soon. I guess I'll go get that."

The ghosts were hovering near the front door, "Ooh, there's a package."

"It looks safe," Another ghost commented. "No malicious energy coming from it."

Yuu opened the door to see the inconspicuous-looking package with a note on top of it. The note was written in Crowley's rambling font, and their gaze swept over the hastily written words:

Dearest Prefect and Grim,

I have been informed that the Crown Prince of Afterglow Savannah is also staying with you over winter break! How commendable of my best student to take care of them! To reward you, I've prepared a grand feast within the box. Make sure to open this whilst you are in Ramshackle's foyer or else it would be a disaster.

And I trust that you are keeping up with your tasks for this winter?

From your favorite headmage,

Dire Crowley

"Favorite headmage my ass," Yuu muttered, ripping off the note and placing it on the mantle. "Okay, I'm not sure how this'll work so, stand back."

"No way I'm moving, 's warm here," Leona grumbled from his place on the ground.

"Suit yourself," Yuu shrugged. "Don't blame me if you end up getting some food propelled into your face." Now that got Leona moving, much to their delight. But Leona just ended up draping himself over them like a particularly tall and particularly heavy blanket.

"Can you...not...?" They gritted their teeth, trying not to buckle under Leona's weight.

"Mmm, you told me to move, you didn't say where," Leona's arms wound around their waist, and strands of brown tickled their cheeks. Great Seven, he was being more insufferable than usual today. They felt small hands by their pants and they spotted Cheka ducking behind both their legs in a flurry of giggles.

"H-hey, stop hiding behind my henchman!" Grim huffed, rushing to get behind them. "That's not fair, y'know! Leave a spot for me!"

"Okay, I'm gonna open it," Yuu announced, having finished peeling the tape from the edges of the box top. "Three, two, one."

As soon as Yuu managed to pry off the top, a bout of magical energy burst into the room. The house creaked and groaned as the magic wrapped around them all. The furniture moved, bent to the will of the strong magic flowing from the box into the foyer, and in its place appeared a large mahogany table. Chairs lined the table, followed by a table cloth in a sequence that looked straight out of a movie.

"Ah! There's food!" Grim's excited voice was distant as they watched the food appear, stacked high on top of multiple golden plates. Yuu's jaw nearly dropped from seeing how much...of everything there was. From sushi to steak to even...was that a chocolate fountain? The table had it all.

Yuu finally drew a breath as the room stilled, "Holy shit. That was...awesome."

Leona gave a hum, slipping away to sit in front of all the steaks, "Not bad for a feast made by that crazy crow."

"Woah! There's so much cake!" Cheka exclaimed as Yuu finally did a circle around the table. The food looked world-class, akin to the type of food that they usually saw at Scarabia's lavish feasts. And not to mention all the plates and table wear. How many hundreds of millions of thaumarks did this all cost?

"Make sure not to break anything, Grim," Yuu reminded the monster, who was already face-deep in what looked like a chicken pot pie.

Grim swallowed, smearing more juices on his face as he grinned, "Yeah, yeah. The old crow's probably gonna bill us for broken things, right?"

Yuu slipped into the chair next to where Cheka was precariously perched, before lifting the little lion up, "You've gotta eat some actual food first before you get to the cake, little guy."

"Mmm! I'm a good lion, even my Papa doesn't like eating veggies," Cheka giggled as Yuu grabbed a couple of pillows for him to sit on. "Can I have some of the fried chicken? Ooh, and that green stuff?"

Yuu passed over the food, glancing up at Leona, "I guess that's one similarity between you and your brother, huh?"

There was a tail swat to their legs, "Shut it." It was almost intriguing to watch Leona run through his second steak. It was like...he was some sort of vacuum with how fast he was getting through them.

They nudged at his leg, putting a cup of water next to his plate, "Don't choke yourself on it."

"What a nice and caring servant I have," Leona's words dripped with sarcasm, but even so, he took a sip of water before slowing down his pace.

"Would you guys like to sit down too?" Yuu glanced up at the ghosts who were still milling around the table.

"Hihihi~ How nice of you to ask~," One of the ghosts said.

"We're okay, dearie," Another said. "You go and eat your fill. It's a special occasion after all."

And with that, Yuu finally got to eating themself. They took on a bowl of ramen, knowing that Grim wasn't too fond of soup and the like. The ramen itself was delicious, and so were all the other things they tried.

Cheka was tugging at their shirt before long, "Yuu-tan, Yuu-tan! You gotta try this thing! It's all squishy and melty on the inside but the outside is hard like a cracker." As Cheka raved, he swung what looked like a fried stick of...something on his fork.

"Yuu-tan, you'll try it, right?" Cheka said, finally presenting the fork towards Yuu's mouth.

"Sure," They took a bite, feeling melted cheese flooding their mouth. "Ah, I think that's a fried mozzarella stick."

"Fried...mozzarella?" Cheka's ears quirked. "I don't think I've ever had that before."

"'Course not," Leona commented drily. "At the palace, all you get is traditional food, right kid?"

"Mhm! But Mama said it's okay if we order Magi-livery twice a month," Cheka recited before chewing through the rest of the mozzarella stick. "Ish becuth Pwapa wansh to."

"And wouldn't your Papa tell you to eat first and then talk, brat?" Leona gave a sigh. "I'm warning you if you start choking..."

Yuu hid their smile behind a hand, "Woah, this is a rare sight... Leona being...caring?" That earned them a snarl and they felt Leona hook a foot under their chair and tug. They yelped as their chair jolted from the force.

"Being awfully chatty today, huh, herbivore?” He gave their chair one last shake. “Want me to remind you who has more to lose?"

"You need not worry, Master," Yuu made a show of bowing slightly. "I'll be your faithful servant till the day the winter ends, I promise that on what little possessions I own."

A strange look passed over Leona's face, and he paused mid-bite, "So what? After winter, you'll just go on your merry way?"

"Yup! You don't gotta see his face anymore after," Grim said, his face a mess of all the dishes he tried. Yuu grabbed one of the napkins, shaking their head as they wiped up the mess.

"By the end of winter, your paid gopher will be back," Yuu couldn't help the teasing that slipped into their voice as they added. "Oh my, will Leona-sama miss me?" There was a pause before the strange look passed from Leona's face completely.

He folded his arms, challenging them with a crook of the brow, "As if, I'd miss your annoying ass."

"Well, I'm sure Ojitan is ly~ing," Cheka declared loudly.

"Yeah?" Yuu brought up another napkin to wipe at Cheka's mouth. "How do you know that, little lion?"

"Because," Cheka pointed between them. "You guys are best friends. And cuz I'm gonna miss you, Yuu-tan! So Ojitan has to miss you too. Oh, promise you'll come to the Savanna to visit me sometime?"

Yuu gave him a soft smile, "I promise." They did it simply because it was...nice to have plans for the future. Especially with how uncertain everything was. It was nice to have places to explore and promises to keep; if only for the time that they would stay here.

"And if Yuu-tan came, then Ojitan would have to come home too, right?" Cheka smiled brightly at Leona then. "It's been so long since you've come!"

"I'd only come to keep you out of trouble," Leona said, sending them a pointed look. "The palace is filled to the brim with hunters, and you're the freshest prey. And they won't be as lenient as I am."

"Oh yeah? As lenient as you when we first met?" Yuu tapped their chin. "What was it that you said? 'Hope you're ready to leave behind a tooth?'"

Cheka gasped, brows scrunching together, "Ojitan, that's not nice, that's violence!"

"Yeah! And you were almost ready to punch us," Grim piped in helpfully. "We were just passin' through, y'know!"

"Ugh," Leona scratched at his ear. "I didn't know them back then, and they stepped on my tail first."

"And I was going to apologize until you threatened to knock out my teeth," Yuu countered.

"Mmm, sure you were," Leona propped up his head as he reached for yet another cut of steak. "You and that monster looked two seconds from running away."

Yuu threw their hands up in defeat, "Y'know what, I give up."

And at that exact moment, a bright light flashed through the window, illuminating the room for just a brief moment. Yuu blinked, feeling Cheka suddenly latching onto them and Grim's claws on their other side. What...was that—?

"You guys really are a bunch of scared herbivores," Leona drawled, looking unfazed. "Didn't you mention something about a laser show?"

"That was the laser show?" Grim exclaimed, looking half-scared and half-intrigued.

"I was wondering how Ace was expecting me to be able to watch it from here," Yuu muttered, peeling Grim's claws away from their arm. "I guess it's just...really that bright."

"I wanna see!" Cheka announced, no longer afraid as he bounded for the couch. Grim wasn't far behind him and Yuu followed them as well. The lights danced, nothing like the laser shows they saw in their old world. No, instead these lights seemed to have a life of their own. They formed pictures, of different animals and sights from Sage Island recreated in the backdrop of the night sky.

“O-one day the Great Grim will be able to do stuff like that, y’know!”

“Will they do a lion? I wanna see them do a big strong lion, like Ojitan!”

“Wanna take a picture?” Yuu blurted, looking at the two kids. “I mean, I still have that ghost camera, so it’d be a waste not to take one.”

“That’s a great idea, henchman!” Grim proudly sat in the middle of the couch. “The Great Grim will take the center place, y’know!”

“I wanna sit next to Ojitan!” Cheka proclaimed before sending the biggest kitten eyes over to Leona, who was still at the table.

“No way. I’m not joining that.”

“Come on,” They shook the camera in Leona's direction. “Just do it for the memories! We haven’t taken pictures at all, so isn’t it okay to have one picture to commemorate this winter?”

And maybe Yuu was speaking too closely to their own heart because after the winter, this would really all be over. They were a first-year, so it wasn’t like they had many opportunities to see Leona in class. And it wasn’t like Leona ever attended class. They would have no excuse to seek him out again after their…contract was completed. But was it really wrong to want to hold on to memories of this? Of the first time since they've gotten here that they really felt like they belonged to something?

So Yuu was secretly overjoyed when Leona finally stood up, lumbering over to the space next to Cheka and sprawling out on the couch. “I’m allowing one picture. One. And you better not post it anywhere. I don’t want anyone thinkin’ I’m getting cushy with herbivores like you.”

Yuu ignored the off-handed jab, positioning the camera on the table. They stacked a few books underneath it, balancing it against a spare candleholder. They glanced towards the seemingly-empty hallway, “Would you guys like to join us for the picture? Since it’s a ghost camera, maybe it could capture ghosts too.” As they thought, the ghosts appeared one by one, all displaying their creepy-yet-also-kind-of-friendly smiles. 

“We would love to,” One of them said, before floating over to line the back of the couch.

“Henchman, I’ll allow you to sit next to the Great Grim,” Grim placed a paw to the vacant spot next to him. “And I’ll let you sit next to me too, y’know.” Cheka smiled brightly at the permission, squeezing between Grim and Leona.

“Okay, I’ll set the timer for five seconds, so everyone get ready,” They glanced over at Leona, rolling their eyes. “Leona-sama, could this humble servant request an expression that isn’t one of such disdain?”

“Tch,” Leona’s face morphed into one that looked awfully like a cross between a sneer and a smirk. Well, it was better than the huge frown he was sporting earlier.

They clicked on the button, carefully making their way to the couch and sitting down. They made sure to lean towards Grim, giving the ghost camera a big smile as it flashed. As soon as it was over, the ghosts dissipated, returning to their wandering. And the two kids? They returned to watching the laser show.

“Ah! A lion, they did a lion, did you see that Ojitan?” There was a grumbled reply as Yuu tucked the photo onto the mantle for safekeeping. It was definitely a photo to remember. From theirs and Grim’s matching grins to Cheka’s toothy smile, and Leona’s disgruntled look, it was all captured in the ghost camera’s film forever.

Yuu walked back to the table, taking this as a good time to start cleaning up. As they stacked the empty plates, they could feel Leona watching them. "What?" They asked, adding a few more cups onto the precarious pile of dishes.

Leona's expression soured, "You're such a goody-two-shoes."

"Hey, I'm trying not to waste food," Yuu brought the pile into their hands. "Besides, I don't see you volunteering to help."

"You're right. I'm not," Then Leona was back to folding his arms. "Just do it quick before the brats get loud again."

Yuu made their way to the Ramshackle kitchen, which...wasn't really much of a kitchen. But hey, at least the stove and fridge worked. They carefully placed the stack into the kitchen sink before going back to pick up any dishes they didn't get. Leona was watching them for a while before he lost interest, looking more like he'd fall asleep in two seconds.

Now it was the fun part: sorting all the leftovers. There were a couple of dishes and a lot of desserts that went untouched. Probably because Leona wasn't much of a sweet tooth, and the kids had filled themselves to the brim with the main dishes and appetizers. After putting them away into plastic containers, Yuu leaned against the counter with a sigh.

The two kids sounded energetic, despite it almost being twelve already, and they could hear them chatter and argue even from all the way over here. And last time they checked, Leona was slumped on the corner of the couch, scrolling through his phone.

Yuu grabbed one of the unopened glass bottles, pouring its contents into a cup. The liquid looked sparkly, almost like someone poured a tube of glitter into it. They gave it a cursory sniff. It smelled like some sort of...fruit juice.

As soon as they took a sip, they deemed that it was some sort of soda, as the liquid fizzed and popped against their tongue. They downed a whole cup of it in no time, the slightly-cold drink feeling nice after their hard work. And hey, who were they to deny some probably-expensive magical sparkly juice that Crowley bought them? Even when...wait, was magical juice supposed to make the temperature of the room rise?

There was a tug on their pants and they looked down to see Cheka standing there, "Ojitan said it's time for bed because it's almost twelve." Yuu fanned at themself before nodding, feeling the heat settling at the base of their throat. When they looked up again, it felt like the room was tilting and they stumbled right into the doorjamb with a grunt.

"Ah?" They felt confused. How come everything felt so floaty and weird all of a sudden? They crouched down, planting themself on the floor to avoid...crashing into anything else.

"Yuu-tan! Are you okay?" Cheka was there in seconds, little hands pressing against their face. "Your face is all hot... Ojitan! There's something wrong with Yuu-tan!! I think they're sick!" Their ears rang as Cheka yelled and they leaned their forehead against their arm.

They could practically hear the growl in Leona's voice as he answered, "What is it, I just got Grim to shut u- why does it stink of alcohol?"

"Al...cohol?" Yuu shot up immediately, stumbling over to the counter.

"Hey, slow down," They felt a warm hand on their shoulder, holding them still. "If you get hurt, 'm not taking responsibility, alright?"

Yuu blinked, trying to get the blurriness away from their eyes as they read the tag stuck on the other bottle:

This is the sparkling fruit liqueur I got for Kingscholar-kun as a treat since he is of age. Make sure not to drink it, Prefect, since it is quite strong~

Your most benevolent headmage,

Dire Crowley

"Shit."

There was a loud gasp from Cheka, "Yuu-tan said a bad word! Ojitan, they're sick...Yuu-tan's sick! " Cheka was now clinging onto their leg, which was doing absolutely nothing to help with their balance. They leaned against the counter before shoving the bottle into Leona's hands.

"I didn't...I didn't mean to-" Yuu pressed a hand to their head, wincing at the headache starting to form. Leona still held firm onto their shoulder, reading the note with disdain.

"Of course, you didn't mean to. No one's mad here, except maybe that birdbrain for sending students alcohol," Leona huffed, before turning towards the teary-eyed Cheka. "Hey, screech box, could you listen to me for a sec?"

"Are you gonna help Yuu-tan?" Cheka asked hopefully, climbing halfway up Leona's leg.

Leona held him in his arms for a second, "I'm gonna help the herbivore. You be a good kid and go upstairs, okay? Grim's waiting in the room, you can watch the rest of the lasers there while I take care of them."

Cheka's ears flattened at the instructions and Yuu felt...bad. They were the reason that Cheka was so distraught in the first place. So they leaned forward, hand reaching to pat the lion cub's head. His ears twitched receptively and he leaned closer to them, wrapping his little arms around their neck.

"Don't worry," They murmured. "I'll be okay."

"Can I get a goodnight kiss then?" Cheka's voice was muffled in their shoulder. "Just in case I fall asleep before you're feeling better." Yuu tilted their head. The request in itself wasn't strange, it was just...the first time that Cheka had asked them.

They found themself nodding, "O~kay." Cheka pulled back and Yuu pressed a light kiss to his forehead. They clumsily brushed at his hair, patting him once more, "Sleep well with Grim. Don't fight, okay?"

"Mmhmm," He scrambled back into Leona's arms. Leona, who was staring right at them.

"What?" Their tongue was starting to grow heavy. "You want one too?"

Leona shoved a hand to their cheek, "No. You sit down, I don't want to hear you crashing into shit while I'm gone, okay?" They hummed in reply, plopping down onto the floor. They gave Cheka a wave as Leona left.

So this was what being drunk felt like. It wasn't...unpleasant, but they did feel a little too floaty. They reached a hand out towards the cupboard only to wince when it collided a little too fast. And maybe it was better to lie down. The flat of the floor felt nice against their back, and maybe if they closed their eyes for just a second, the floaty feeling would go away...

They didn’t know how long it was till they felt someone nudging them. They let their eyes drift open to see Leona, "Up. Now." There was a firm hand under their arms as they scrambled for something to hold. The transition from lying down to upright did nothing to the buzz in their brain.

"Wait, y-you're going too fast," They slurred out, squawking when they bumped right into Leona's chest.

"How low is your alcohol tolerance that you're this hammered?" Leona muttered, going just a little slower.

"I don't've a low tolera~nce," They tugged purposefully at Leona's hair. "I drank a who~le bottle of that sparkly stuff." Leona stared at them like they were crazy. Or was he even looking this way at all?

"You stay on the couch, don't fucking move," Leona commanded, and the softness of the cushioning made them sigh. They wouldn't ever want to move from this. Oh but, it was nice having Leona there to take care of them. They could just imagine the frowny face Leona was making, all while doing his best to accommodate them. Ah, they really, really did like him after all. The thought of it all made them giggle.

There was a press of something cold to their cheek, "What're you giggling for, herbivore? Here, drink this and eat this." They sat up, or attempted to before Leona was dragging them into a sitting position.

"You're not sleeping until you finish all that." They took a sip of the clear stuff, which was water, to their delight. It was cool, trailing down their throat so smoothly.

There were still lights flashing outside, and they turned their gaze towards the lights, "'S not done yet?"

"No," Leona sounded a lot farther than before, sitting all the way at the other end of the couch. "There's still ten minutes till the new year."

Ten minutes.

They looked back at Leona and hoped that they would make it past the ten minutes. Having Leona be the first thing they saw in the New Year...well that made their heart swell. And look, Leona looked so pretty under the darkness. And when the lights hit him, ah, he really was handsome, wasn't he? They swallowed another gulp of water. They belatedly hoped that they wouldn't say anything incriminating. Wait…what were they just talking about?

[ omake : give me one good honest kiss ]

Leona didn't know if he had the strength to deal with this. After wrangling the two kids, he had to deal with a drunk herbivore? The Great Seven really were not smiling upon him tonight. And he definitely wasn’t letting that damned birdbrain off the hook. He was to blame for all this after all.

"Why're you so far away, anyway?" Leona watched as they leaned against the couch, taking a bite of the bread he gave them. "Blergh, this tastes like ashes."

"I'm not far away," Leona couldn't help but sound irritated, because really, he wasn't far away. He was close enough to reach for the glass in case they lost their grip on it. "And that's just plain bread, stop being dramatic."

The herbivore hummed in response, quietly staring at him again. The usually reserved and cunning Prefect, reduced to the starry-eyed person who offered him a goodnight's kiss.

Leona could feel the heat at the back of his neck as they continued to stare, "What're you staring at?"

"You," There was that damned smile again, the one that was never directed at him. "You're pre~tty. Or- do you prefer hand~some...?" Sevens, how was Leona supposed to last in these conditions?

"C'mon, finish up the water at least," Leona ignored the comment, reaching for the half-eaten bread.

But they moved their hand away, frowning, "Are you rejecting my compliment, Leona Kingscholar? I just called you pretty handsome. Usually, you'd be gloa~ting."

"I'm not going to gloat over a simple compliment," Leona caught their wrist, easing the bread from their grip and setting it on the plate he prepared. "Why are you being so difficult?"

"'M not," They gripped at his hand in return. "You're just being stu~pid." He really could not deal with this right now. He missed their normal self. He really took their normal self for granted, Leona thought sourly.

Leona glanced at his phone, "Okay, there's five minutes till New Year's. You're going to sleep in five minutes, alright?"

Yuu's frown deepened, "But I wanna stay here with you." And if that didn't make Leona's heart melt, he wouldn't know what did.

"You're here now," Leona ambled closer after figuring out they weren't letting go of his hand any time soon. "I'll take you upstairs after the New Year. Here, I'll turn on the radio so you know I'm not tricking you."

That seemed to satisfy them as they leaned back on the couch, eyes trained on the fanfare outside. The radio played in the background, the announcer talking aimlessly to fill in the time. Nothing could've prepared him for the question they would ask next.

"Have you ever had a New Year's kiss?"

Leona's mouth felt dry as he spoke next, "A...what?"

"New Year's ki~ss," They repeated, laughing lightly. "Don't tell me they don't have those here?"

"They...don’t," Leona lied easily, and he didn't have an answer as to why he did. Ah, but if they did offer to kiss him, he should refuse. He would refuse. That was the only way to keep their relationship as it was, right?

"Really? So you've ne~ver kissed someone at New Year's before?" They were fully facing him now.

"No." Now that one was a truth.

The tradition existed here, but it was something special to be done between two who loved each other very much. A lot of the times they were married or engaged couples, or people who were...dating. And Leona wasn't interested in anyone that way. Or that was until the recent months.

"How many minutes?"

And Leona swallowed as the radio answered for him with a cheery, "We have a minute left, folks! Get ready with your party poppers!"

There was a hand on his shoulder and he fought not to flinch as they closed the distance. "No," Leona said in what he hoped was a stern tone. "I'm not kissing you."

They laughed again, face dangerously close this time, "You're so boring. C'mon~ It's my first New Years here~"

He pressed a hand over their mouth, hoping to deter them, "You're drunk."

"And you're Leona Kingscholar," They still managed to lean forward just a bit more. "Stop stating the obvious."

"You don't even like me," He shot out, not caring for the answer. He just pleaded that they would give up. The countdown started in the background, his own heartbeat mixing with the sound of numbers.

"I do like you," Their eyes curved, and he could feel them smile against his palm. "'S why we’re here together, right?"

"-wo! One! Happy New Year!"

There was a press of something soft against his palm before they flopped onto his stomach, "Still kissed you… Happy New...Year's..."

Leona didn't know how long he was frozen in place. All that he knew was that it was long enough for the post-New Year light show to finish and that by the time he finally moved, the herbivore was fast asleep.

He closed his palm, nursing the ghost of warmth left there. His first New Year's kiss. It wasn't, by all means, traditional. But it counted to Leona. He let out a low laugh, because of course it would be Yuu to steal his first New Year's kiss away from him. He watched the slow rise and fall of their shoulders as they were blissfully unaware of the turmoil that they caused.

"If you're gonna kiss me, do it properly next time," Leona's hand stroked their hair cautiously. "Specifically when you aren't drunk."

Now he knew for certain. He knew here was no denying how simply and utterly in love he was with them. It was so dumb of him to think that he could just ignore it all. How was he supposed to ignore them when he was the one who made a contract where they would have to be with him for weeks on end? That was an oversight on his part, but it wasn’t like he could’ve predicted that he would’ve fallen this hard. The evidence being how he still couldn’t make his heart calm down even after the moment had passed so long ago.

He sighed as he pulled out his magic pen, casting a spell to make them float. He couldn’t trust his knees to hold their weight after what he was just subjected to. Still, he held them close as he made his way up the stairs. The steady thud-thud-thud of their heartbeat helped him to finally calm down.

Finally, the cramped bed that they usually slept on came into view. The two kids were predictably cuddled up to each other under the blankets. It was a surprise that Grim didn’t kick Cheka out. Then again, when did he start caring about things like that?

He gently placed them on the bed, his ears flattening as the bed squeaked. He made sure to tuck them in nicely. As he finished, they instinctively held on to his arm, mumbling incoherently as they drifted back asleep. Leona ever so carefully removed his arm, replacing it with the tangled mess of Grim and Cheka.

There was no way he would be able to lie down on the bed, so he grabbed a spare pillow before dragging himself back downstaira. The couch was surprisingly soft, and in no time, Leona felt himself drifting to sleep. And if he dreamed of them in his sleep, of New Year’s kisses and promises and memories to be made… That was something that he would keep a secret, even if the dream would slowly slip through his fingers by the time he would wake.

will leona ever get that kiss ? who knows ! (it's me. i know. but will i tell you ? ....no-) but i do hope you enjoyed this chapter >:DD if you'd like to see more of my works, check out my masterlist (i've been churning out leona fics n drabbles bc of leona rot lately so :')) have fun with that :')) )

[ previous chapter | series post | next chapter ]

[angellesword]

YOUR EYES TELL | JJK (10)

Summary: You live in a world where people see in black and white. The solution to finally see the colors? It's simple. You need to meet your soulmate and look at him in the eyes, but what if the person bound to you is already contented with the monochromatic world? What if...Jeongguk, your soulmate, is already in love with someone else?

Alternatively:

"A future without you is a world without color."

Genre: soulmate au, e2l, slow burn, angst, fluff, roommate au

Pairing: Artist!Jungkook x Lawyer!Reader

Word Count: 2.9k

SERIES: CHAPTER 9  | CHAPTER 11

Note: I just wanna dedicate this chapter to @jooniebugg coz your feedback in Your Eyes Tell (09) is <333 and it inspired me to write chapter 10! some lines in this update is my response to your comment heheh :*

You were not in trouble, but Jeongguk was.

"Guk," Jimin let out a breath as he closed his eyes. "Slow down, okay? I can't understand what you're saying."

But Jeongguk couldn't do it. He was sobbing uncontrollably that Jimin literally had to tell him to breathe.

Jeongguk tried to follow the instruction of his best friend's boyfriend. Breathe. It should be easy, right? He only needed to stop thinking about you in able to breathe properly.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to get you out of his mind.

"You good?"

Your soulmate nodded even though Jimin couldn't see his face. They're currently talking over the phone. Jimin called him after finding out what happened during the trial.

It was all over the news. Countless of articles were published online. Most of them were unreliable and full of speculations.

Jimin gave up after reading one sentence. He knew he had to call you to know the truth—or at least the fragments of truth. Jimin wasn't really interested in the case; he was only interested to know what was up with you.

Were you alright?

Jimin found some of your decisions in life questionable, yet he didn't say anything. He remained tight-lipped when you told him about your entangled fate not only with Jeongguk, but also with your assistant and client.

Just like your soulmate, Jimin could not understand why you were trying to defend Kim Seokjin. Their reason was different though. Jeongguk's thoughts were selfish. Jimin, on the contrary, was plain curious.

Why were you so invested in this case?

Was it because of your stubborn nature? Jimin knew that once you set your mind into something, you wouldn't stop until you won.

Jimin only learned to accept your competitive side when he realized that you were raised this way.

You didn't choose to be like this. You were actually forced to be like this. This being the case, Jimin was only able to release an exhausted breath after Jeongguk told him what happened in the courtroom.

Some might say that you pushed too hard, but this didn't give Mrs. Kim the right to hurt you.

"It's my fault, hyung. I wasn't there to protect her." Jeongguk bit the inside of his cheek.

It had been an hour since you locked yourself in your room and Jeongguk wasn't sure whether to comfort you or to just leave you alone.

It felt like you preferred the latter option. Jimin told your soulmate that you weren't answering your phone, an obvious indication that you didn't want to talk to anyone. This was also the reason why Jimin decided to just call Jeongguk to know if you were okay.

You weren't.

It was weird, but Jeongguk was positive he could feel your heart breaking. If this was any other day, he was sure that he would simply ignore this, but something definitely changed. Jeongguk didn't know why, but he had this intense urge to embrace you—to make you feel better.

"But you can protect her now, Guk. It will be hard, but please..." Jimin begged your soulmate. He didn't want to burden Jeongguk; however, the latter was the only person who could comfort you right now.

As much as Jimin wanted to embrace you, he couldn't. He was in Busan, his hometown, at the moment. Jimin was processing some important documents because he's planning to ask Taehyung to marry him.

"W-What can I do to make her feel better?" Jeongguk stammered. He's nervous, but he's decided. He couldn't let you go through this alone. It hadn't even been a day, yet he already missed your goofy side.

"You're a smart boy, Jeon. You'll figure out what she wants."

What do you want?

Jeongguk's heart was recoiling once again. He realized that he never knew what you wanted since you were always catering what others wanted.

You were a people pleaser.

"But if nothing works, just call her parents." This was Jimin's last reminder before ending the call.

Your soulmate didn't understand why Jimin thought it would be a good idea to call your parents. Jeongguk was pretty sure he could bring the smile back on your face without the help of anyone. He just needed to make sure you were not in some kind trouble first.

Jeongguk opened your laptop to send an email to your boss and other clients, telling them that you were taking a break from work.

Jeongguk was tired by the end of the week. Jimin was right. It was difficult to help you get back on your feet, mainly because you weren't trying.

You stayed in bed most of the time, you barely touched your food, and he felt like you didn't even want to live.

You looked so unmotivated that in the end, Jeongguk decided to just message your parents and invite them to your apartment—this was the reason why he was in trouble.

"You can't just do this without consulting me, Jeongguk."

His scowl deepened when you called him using his given name. You only did this when you were serious or mad. In this case, he figured out that you were mad—or at least he thought you were mad. Your voice was rough, similar to the tone you used when you were inside the courtroom.

Jeongguk was scared.

He was scared to upset you again.

"But Jimin-hyung told me to call your parents!" He reasoned out. Blaming your best friend was the only way Jeongguk could think of so that he could finally escape your piercing glare.

It worked.

Your expression softened a bit, though this didn't mean that he wasn't in trouble anymore.

"Jeongguk," this time your voice sounded tired.

"Y-Yes?" He pretended like he was busy sweeping the floor. Everything needed to be perfect because your parents would be here shortly.

You already accepted your tragic fate. It was decided. You were going to meet your mother and father today.

Damn it.

"Why did you block Hoseok's number?"

You saw how Jeongguk froze after hearing your question. No doubt, he was guilty.

"I-I didn't do it!" He lied.

You narrowed your eyes at him.

"You're not a good liar..." Amusement was now dancing in your voice.

Jeongguk had been using your phone to respond to your prospective clients. These people just didn't know how to stop. They kept texting your personal number even though Jeongguk told them that you were on a leave.

Your phone didn't have a passcode that's why he was able to freely access it.

You didn't mind. In fact, you were grateful. He saved your career. If he didn't send a notice of leave to your boss, you were sure you're gonna get fired.

"I'm not lying!" His lips protruded into a sulky pout. "I didn't send those messages!"

"Huh." You arched your brow. "But I only asked why you blocked Hoseok. I didn't say you texted him using my number."

Jeongguk's eyes went wide.

He was instantly busted.

"H-He was spamming you with useless messages!"

"I don't think so," you shook your head as you read the conversation. His excuse just kept on getting worse.

 "Wow. You're cold," you could imagine Hoseok's disbelief upon seeing the thumbs up emoji. It was actually apparent by your friend's response.

 "Jeongguk..." You called his name again.

"What!?" Why was he getting annoyed?

"You don't want Hoseok to kiss me?"

Jeongguk looked like the emoji he sent to Hoseok.

"And why would I want that!?" His chest was heaving up and down. You couldn't see, but his face was as red as tomatoes.

You suddenly laughed, causing Jeongguk's heart to swell in joy. This was the first time he heard you laugh after weeks of getting used to your impassive face.

Were you finally moving on?

Jeongguk guessed you were. Your expression literally changed the moment your parents arrived.

You looked happy to see them—too happy that Jeongguk felt like he was only imagining your annoyed expression a short while ago.

Didn't you say you hated the fact that he invited your parents to your place?

You did say that. Unfortunately Jeongguk had no idea how much you hated talking to your mom.

You swore you loved her with all of your heart, though her principles were different from what you believed in. It was draining to pretend like you agree with her.

"So how's the case you've been handling, sweetheart?" Your mother's sweet smile made you cringe.

It hadn't been long since she pulled you inside your room to 'talk.'

Your parents had already met Jeongguk. As expected, they loved him. Your soulmate made it very easy to like him. Perhaps it was because of his eyes. Damn those big, doe eyes. It never failed to make your heart melt.

"Good." You walked towards your bedroom door. "Let's go back to the kitchen. I think Jeongguk prepared some desserts."

"Dessert could wait, dear." Your mom offered you another sickening smile. It was the kind of smile that told you to give up. She always had her way of making you follow what she wanted you to do.

"Come on, eomma." You laughed nervously as you told her that your soulmate was excited to let her try his yaksik, a popular dessert that your mom truly loved.

You didn't know how Jeongguk found out your mother's favorite dessert. You just knew that you were willing to eat dozens of yaksik just to get away from your mom. You didn't even care if your stomach was still full after eating the lunch your soulmate had cooked.

Your mom only shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't hear what you said.

"Tell me about the Kim's case." She demanded as she meticulously inspected your wardrobe.

Your heartbeat doubled.

It was easy to simply give into what she desired because you were certain that she wouldn't stop anyway.

Sadly you couldn't speak—not anymore. Not when you knew how all of this would go.

You wanted to move on from this nightmare on your own. All your life, you relied upon what your mother would say.

"You can't be sad over this. It's nothing compared to what I've been through!"

"Stop crying. You just think you're hurt. You're not."

"No. You can't. That shows weakness."

These were some of the things your mother would say whenever you encountered problems in life. She honed you to be this strong person who wasn't allowed to mope.

You remembered her telling you that it was insensitive of you to cry over little things when it was clear that so many people had it worse than you.

This was exactly why you didn't want to meet your mother today. She would force you to stop feeling bad about Seokjin's case since it was petty.

It was funny actually. People admired you for always ignoring the pain you felt.

You found this toxic. It felt like you were expected to be strong—making you feel like you should heal right away and not with your own pace. This was also the reason why you found it hard to open up to people, even if you were really close to that someone.

Your mother made you feel like there would always be some kind of adversary when it came to handling inconveniences in life. Sometimes you wished people would shut up and just listen. You didn't always need advice. What you wanted was for them to stop quantifying pain because people had different tolerance when it came to feeling what's painful and what's not.

"I think I lost," it took everything not to cry in front of her. At the end of the day, you were still afraid to be perceived as weak.

She had that much control over you.

"Why did you lose?" Her voice was stone cold.

Your response was automatic. You told her what happened during the trial in spite of telling yourself that you would never get swayed by her authoritarian nature anymore.

"You don’t have to answer. I know now why you lost." She crossed her arms as she shook her head at you.

"Didn't I tell you? You lost because you didn't acquire enough knowledge." She proceeded to tell you what you already knew.

Your mom always said that knowledge is power, but the word "knowledge" that was delicately tattooed on your Achilles heel said otherwise.

For you, knowledge is downfall. This was why you chose to have that word tattooed on your Achilles heel—a part of your body that symbolized fatal weakness.

You were working as an auditor before you decided to go to law school. You knew this field inside out and it came with a price. You helped a firm conceal fraudulent acts using your knowledge.

It was a dangerous thing. Your mom tolerated your unprofessionalism since she was a major stockholder in the said company. She actually pushed you to continue the misrepresentation; however, you were guilty.

You couldn't do it anymore. You couldn't use the power you acquired to fool people. Law school taught you to uphold justice, but you were blinded once again.

You failed to see the impact of your actions to Soobin, an innocent soul. Maybe your mother was right. You were bound to fail your law career. Maybe you should just go back to the corporate world and help billionaires to achieve their disgusting scheme.

"Sorry," you swallowed hard, looking straight into your mother's eyes. "I'll do better."

"You should be." She gritted her teeth as she continued to invalidate your emotions.

You wondered when the torture would stop. You just wanna lie in bed and sleep the pain away. Luckily Jeongguk came knocking on your door, saving you from your mother's poisonous words.

"Wait," Jeongguk stopped you from following your mom to the living room.

"What's wrong?" He cupped your face; worry was evident in his eyes. You looked like you were in pain.

Did your mother say something to you? Jeongguk wondered.

"Nothing." But you brushed him off before he could ask.

Jeongguk pursed his lips into a thin line. He swore something was wrong, but he didn't want to push it since it was clear that you were not in the mood to talk about it.

But he couldn't stay still knowing that you were bothered. This being the case, he went out of his way just to make you smile.

Jeongguk was being such a good boy. He kept on praising you in front your parents. He was also respectful towards them. His jokes were appropriate and he smiled so kindly at them.

His lingering touch on your wrist, waist, and shoulders didn't go unnoticed by you. It was like he was guarding you from any possible danger.

"What do you think about this, my sweet daughter?" Your father showed you his artwork with a proud smile.

You chuckled.

Jeongguk was teaching your father how to draw.

"You did great, Appa!" You weren't lying. He had done a good job sketching The Hulk.

"Really? What about the color? Do you like it?"

You nodded eagerly. It wouldn't hurt to lie, right?

"I like the shade of green that you used."

You were expecting your father to smile back because of your compliment. Sadly, he only stared at you blankly.

"What?"  A nervous giggle escaped your lips.

Your parents and even Jeongguk were making you feel awkward. Why were they looking at you like you were a poor, poor soul?

"This Hulk is color pink." Your father said softly, making your breathing hitch.

He was trying to show contrast. The Hulk was the personification of rage. He colored him pink because in your world, the mentioned color symbolized gentleness. He wanted you to see in his drawing that people should be gentle even though they're angry.

You ruined it.

They probably know by now that you were lying when you said earlier that you could see colors.

Why did you even lie?

Why couldn't you just tell them that Jeongguk wasn't in love with you?

"Ah," you scratched the back of your head. "Is it pink? Sorry, Appa. I'm still trying to learn colors."

Your lie was understandable. You told your parents that you met Jeongguk a few months ago. It was impossible to know all colors in a short period of time.

You knew you weren't a great liar, but damn. When you looked at Jeongguk, he was smiling as he mouthed, "it is okay," to you.

He was saying that you were doing well, that you didn't ruin what your father had been wishing for: he wanted you to be loved by your soulmate.

You felt like Jeongguk loved you.

You couldn't stop staring at your soulmate as he continued to smile brightly at you.

In this moment, you swore you could see the brown in his eyes.

Or so you thought.

You just couldn't have one peaceful day, could you?

"N-No..." Your voice broke, tears falling down on the sheet of paper you were holding.

Your parents already left. Jeongguk was kind enough to drive them back to their hotel.

You were alone in the house.

The paper in your hand was mocking you, telling you that you would forever be alone in this house.

TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP IN A CONTRACT TO SELL Vendee Jeon Jeongguk of  Room 13, Apartment X, Seoul, South Korea—you stopped reading the next words.

You couldn't believe it.

Jeon Jeongguk was going to leave you.