#if you are not struck with inspiration i suggest picking between

[hittingthebrainsfunnybone]

Thought. Fuck marry kill except your options are:

Whumped as much as you want for one night maximum, then you have to dump them on the side of the road or something. (Presumably, they survive)

Whumped as much as you want forever. Basement dungeon captivity arc.

Still kill, but it has to be quick and relatively painless.

Perfect for ocs and canons alike ^^

[captn-trex]

a half-hearted escape

Hunter x F!Reader

word count: 3.4k

description: in the heat of the moment, you have a bad idea that would help you evade capture, but you never expected the accidental half-confession it draws from Hunter

warnings: kissing to escape capture trope, swearing, miscommunication kinda? steamy kissing but nothing crazy just some wandering hands, kinda cheesy perhaps

a/n: shamelessly inspired by that new girl season 2 episode (you'll see). this is just a short and sweet one :) because the Fives one I'm writing rn is taking the life out of me lmao. tbh I can't believe this is only my second Hunter fic, I am a Hunter girlie after all. the title makes sense in my heart okay

masterlist | join my taglist

You were running, except there was nowhere else to run to anymore. It was a dead end.

“Fuck” Hunter breathed the word out heavily as he rested his back against the wall in the thin alley, looking this way and that, “What do we do?”

“You give the orders around here, you tell me” you replied in an exasperated huff, earning an unimpressed look.

“Well I'm taking suggestions” he growled, his voice low and irritated as he peered around the corner.

You glanced around the alley. There was really nothing to hide you, only some rubbish scattered about the ground, but leaving would guarantee your capture at this point. A thought entered your head and you let out a short whine at having even let it find it's way in.

“What? You have something?” Hunter asked, turning to find the reason for your sudden vocalisation.

“I have a really bad idea” you said, giving him an almost pained look.

“Well anything is better than nothing” he argued, which only made you laugh humourlessly.

“You're going to take that back in a minute” you told him, and he turned to you fully so you could see his frown.

“What are you—?”

“No time” you said in a panic, noting the patrol of stormtroopers about to pass by, “pick me up”

“What?” he hissed, his expression contorting into one of utter confusion.

“Just do it, quickly” you rolled your eyes and stepped up to him, hoping he'd follow your instruction. He hesitated for a moment, but hooked his hands under your thighs and you jumped into his hold.

“Right, now push me against the wall” you instructed.

“You've got to be kid—”

“Hunter” you snapped at him, “they're coming”

He groaned out of frustration, but obliged, stepping forwards and trapping your body between his and the wall.

“You happy now?” Hunter asked with a scowl, his breath hot as it fanned across your face.

“Ecstatic” you bit back, looking over his shoulder at the incoming stormtroopers. They were looking into every side street that they passed, their blasters held up as they inspected.

You reached up and slipped off Hunter's bandana, ruffling his hair so that it hung over his face. He let out a short grunt and fluttered his eyes closed as you did so.

“Was that really necessary?” he grumbled.

“Shut up” you replied, then wrapped your arms around his neck, hiding your own face as well.

You could hear the chatter of the stormtroopers as they passed by. They seemed not to want to disturb you, and you breathed out a relieved sigh. You continued to listen out for them, but it was hard not to become distracted by the intensity of Hunter's gaze as he opened his eyes and stared directly into yours from only a few inches away.

It struck you that you felt surprisingly comfortable in his arms, as if it were entirely normal to be in this situation.

“I can't believe this” he mumbled out, with a small shake of his head and a little humour in his voice.

“I did say it was a really bad idea” you reminded him, one side if your mouth curling into a small smirk.

Hunter scoffed, “I'm never trusting any of your ideas ever again”

You chuckled breathily, your head dropping forwards so that your forehead gently rested against his. He adjusted his hold on you, his hands gripping the top of your thighs, and you wrapped your legs around his waist to ease the load.

“You—”

“If you say I'm heavy, I swear to the maker I will punch you” you interjected. It wasn't uncommon that Hunter would taunt you, so you were only trying to pre-empt his teasing.

Hunter chuckled, a deep rumble that you could feel with him pressed up against you. “I was actually going to say that you smell good” he corrected in a murmur.

Oh. That certainly wasn't what you were expecting.

“Uh, thanks. I guess” you spoke awkwardly, your eyes flicking away from his.

Despite your uneasy reaction, you actually felt a sense of pride in the comment. Hunter had attuned senses, you knew that, so for him to say such a thing felt more meaningful to you than if anyone else had said the same thing. A strange feeling tugged at you chest and you could feel your face flush at the observation that felt oddly personal.

“Do you think they've passed us?” Hunter asked, and it brought you back to why you were in this situation to begin with.

“Right, uh…” you lifted your head and peered outside of the alley, not seeing any stormtroopers passing by, “Seems like it”

Hunter was about to let you down when you saw a flash of white plastoid come into view.

“Wait” you gripped him tighter, “fuck, they're coming this way”

Hunter huffed, “Well what do we do now?”

Your mind scrambled for something, anything to let you escape capture, and you were surprised by how quickly it brought forth your next bad idea.

“Kiss me”

“Wh—?”

“Just do it. It'll make them uncomfortable”

“Yeah, they won't be the only ones”

You rolled your eyes, “Hunter please, just get on with it”

“No”

“No?”

“No. I'm not doing it”

You cast a glance over his shoulder again and the stormtroopers were practically entering the alley.

“Hunter they're right on top of us, they'll know we're pretending”

“No they won't” He replied firmly, pressing his forehead into yours to hide your faces.

“Hunter just do it, you don't have to make it convincing even”

Hunter chuckled harshly at that, “That's not the problem. I'm just not doing it”

“Hunter, just kiss—”

“No. Not like this”

That gave you pause. The situation at hand completely slipped your mind.

“What?” your voice was small, nowhere near the amount of power it usually had behind it.

It was obvious that Hunter had said something he shouldn't have. His eyes were wide and his mouth hanging open, stuttering, looking for the words to explain himself. He tilted his head to look towards the end of the alley and there were stormtroopers looking in at the two of you. He turned back to you and the look of shock was still present on your face, trying to process what his earlier words truly meant.

“Oh, fuck it”

He latched his lips with yours, gripping the flesh of your thighs even tighter. He kissed you with fervour, and you couldn't tell how much of it was to make the stormtroopers leave you be. He pressed you into the wall further as his mouth worked against yours, lips moulding together in a way that could be interpreted as passionate, if you could sort out in your mind what was real and what wasn't. If he was doing this just to put on a show, you wanted to know what he’d do behind closed doors.

Wait, what?

Since when did you think such things about Hunter?

Any rationality in your thoughts left you when his hand slid up your body and he tugged you even closer, gripping your hip tightly. The other hand wound its way up to your neck, and he traced his thumb across your jawline, drawing a shudder from you.

By now, you were past caring if the kiss was just for show, you were enjoying it too much to pretend anymore. You tugged at the hair at the base of Hunter's scalp, pulling a deep groan from him that allowed you to deepen the kiss, slipping your tongue between his lips. The experience of exploring each other's mouths was intoxicating, the heady feeling somewhat close to that of being under the influence of spice. You couldn't get enough.

By the time you both pulled away, you had to take a moment to come back to your body, your breath falling from you in short pants. You blinked a few times, the haze lifting slowly, and found his grey eyes searching yours, his own breath just as heavy. You were passing air between you, still close enough that you could tilt your head and kiss him again. You almost did, before you remembered exactly why he had even kissed you to begin with.

You tilted your head to the side, resting it against Hunter's as you surveyed the situation.

“I think—” your breath was still heavy, and you had to pause to gather enough to speak, “I think they're gone”

The look on Hunter's face when you turned back to him was positively hurt, his brows drawn together as his lips turned downwards. You wished you could take back your words instantly, though you didn't know exactly what was going on. You'd need more time to figure that out.

Hunter dropped you to the floor, somewhat unceremoniously, and you braced yourself on the wall to stop from falling over. He went to the edge of the alley, glancing around the street that you had escaped from.

“You're right” he coughed out, “they're gone”

The tone of his voice tugged harshly at your heart. He was clearly trying to keep himself together for the sake of the mission, but it was undeniable by the quiver in his voice that he wasn't feeling completely sure of himself.

“Hunter” you called in a soft voice.

“What” he snapped back, his eyes finding yours.

You didn't know why he was suddenly acting like this, though you didn't know how else he was supposed to act after what just transpired. You didn't know how to act yourself.

“Nothing” You replied, shame burning at your cheeks as you looked down, “lead the way”

The journey back to the Marauder was excruciating. Neither of you spoke up, no matter how hard you tried to whip something up in your brain. There was nothing you could find to say that would fix the rift that had so clearly been created between you.

Even after you both climbed the steps of the ship, greetings being thrown at you by the other squad members, Hunter wouldn't look at you.

“Everything went smoothly I take it?” Tech asked, noting how both of you seemed to be unharmed.

The picture in front of Echo was entirely different to what Tech was seeing, apparently. He raised a brow at you when Hunter didn't reply, storming into the cockpit.

“Mhm, more or less” you answered the spectacled clone, then ducked away from Echo's watchful gaze, striding towards the bunks at the back of the ship.

You sat down on your bunk, running your hands through your hair, and that's when you realised you were still gripping tightly onto Hunter’s bandana.

“Kriff” you swore under your breath, standing once more and crossing the short distance to the bunk that belonged to owner of the scrap of fabric. You weren't going to give it back to him yourself, definitely not now.

You placed the red material down onto his pillow, taking a moment to run your thumb across the skull insignia before pulling away.

“Why do you have that?”

You jumped at the voice just behind you, and scowled before you turned around, knowing exactly how this conversation was going to go. Echo was impossible to lie to. He just somehow knew when you were lying, and you hated it.

“Hunter dropped it” you lied poorly, turning your face from the scrutinising honey eyes of your squadmate.

“He… dropped it?” Echo spoke suspiciously, clearly not believing a single word.

“Yep” you replied, dropping down onto your bunk again.

“So it just… fell off his head?” he asked.

You looked up to see his disbelieving look, a scoff naturally passing your lips.

“I'm not in the mood for this right now” you grumbled, which only made Echo's lips curve into a smirk, “and wipe that look off of your face”

“What look?” Echo questioned, his smirk only widening.

You rolled your eyes and laid down on your bunk, turning away from the infuriating clone. You heard him chuckle before the scuff of his boots against the floor signified his leaving, and you let out a long breath.

Your thoughts all muddled together with uncertainty. You hoped to bridge the gap between you and Hunter, but what if you couldn't? What if your stupid idea had done something irreparable?

The next few days were tense.

Everyone knew something had occurred between you and the Sergeant, but neither one of you would speak about it to the others, much less to each other.

It was agony. You found yourself sitting at the bar in Cid's parlour, watching him sulk across the room. You wanted to reach out, extend the olive branch, but you had no idea what to even say.

Sorry for holding you against your will and making you kiss me? Or I'm sorry I made you believe I actually had feelings for you?

You didn't know which was the correct sentiment, and you had been driving yourself mad trying to decipher his slip up from before you kissed. The words bounced around your brain, taunting you. Not like this. What did it mean?

Even more distressingly, it wasn't even the case that you had pretended to have feeling for him, not anymore at least.

You had always found Hunter attractive, how could you not after all, but this was uncharted territory. You never expected to actually feel anything for him in this sort of way. A sense of closeness, yes. A deep respect, definitely. But this — this ache in your chest as you looked upon his displeased expression — was something entirely new. It made you feel sick.

“Hey hot shot! Bandana! Get in here” the grating call came from Cid’s office, and you ground your teeth at the irritating nickname.

You slipped from your seat at the bar, glancing over in Hunter's direction. He stayed seated, twirling his vibroblade between his fingers and watching you walk across the room. Your gaze fell to his fingers flipping the knife about, and you had to pull your eyes away when your mind brought forth how enticing you found it.

“What is it?” you spoke harshly as you entered the office, little patience for the Trandoshan sat behind the desk.

“That's no way to talk to your employer” Cid chided as she stood from her seat, making her way around the desk to stand in front of you. You had to look down to meet her eyes, and it gave you a small bit of satisfaction. At least you could say you looked down on her, even if she was a pain in your ass.

“What is this about?” a gruff voice spoke up, and you eyes followed Hunter as he walked into the room and stood beside you at the desk.

Cid rolled her eyes, “You two are a right pair” she muttered as she walked towards the door, “I don't know what your problem is, but you two need to figure it out, because your foul attitudes are bringing down the mood around here”

You glanced up at Hunter, noting his grinding jaw and narrowed eyes.

“I'd rather n—”

“It wasn't a request, bandana” Cid held her hand up to stop him and stepped out of her office, “Now, please, get over yourselves and figure this out. Just don't do anything on my desk and you'll still be employed after this is over”

“After wha—?”

You question was answered when Cid pressed a button on the control panel and closed the door. You heard the lock engage, and cringed at the implication. You were locked in here with Hunter. The one person you were both avoiding and actively seeking attention from.

Hunter grumbled and strode over to the door, repeatedly prodding at the open button on the panel, with nothing to show for it.

You sighed, “There's no point”

Hunter turned to look at you, leaning his back against the door and crossing his arms across his chest. He looked at you down his nose, as if in disgust, and you couldn't help but feel small.

“We should probably talk… right?” you offered, and he grunted in reply.

“I'm listening”

You had been banking on him having something to say, but that was foolish of you. Of course he wasn't going to make it easy. Unfortunately, you didn't have anything to say either, so you just stood watching each other for a moment.

“Um, I—” you gulped, “I'm sorry?”

Hunter laughed, an unamused sound that made your stomach turn.

“What exactly are you sorry for?” he raised his eyebrows at you expectantly.

“Well I, uh…” your shoulders sagged, your posture defeated, “I don't know”

“Hm” he tilted his head a little as he looked down at you, “then I suppose your apology isn't accepted”

You huffed, giving him a frown, “come on man, give me something to work with here”

“What's that supposed to mean?” he asked, his face adorning it's own frown.

“What does ‘not like this’ mean?” you rebutted, your tone holding an exasperation.

Hunter pressed his mouth into a hard line as he looked away from you, “that's none of your business”

“I think its exactly my business actually,” you moved forwards, stepping into his space, “and I want to know”

He gave you a dubious look, his voice low, “why?”

“Because,” you rolled your eyes, “believe it or not, it matters what you think of me”

Hunter went to speak, then paused, a deep breath escaping him, “I think you know what it means”

You pressed your lips together, irritated that he couldn't just come out and say it, “Then… why won't you talk to me?”

“Because there's nothing to say” he looked away, and you could see his cheeks tinge pink, “can we just forget that it happened and move on?”

His obvious embarrassment almost made you laugh.

“And what if I don't want to?”

That got his attention.

“What?” he asked, his voice careful, measured, making sure he understood you.

“I don't want to forget that it happened” you reiterated.

“Why?”

You shook your head slightly. When was this man going to get the memo. A smile pulled at your lips and you stepped right in front of him.

“Because, Hunter…” your smile turned to a smirk, “maybe I want it to happen again”

Hunter's eyebrows raised as he looked down at you, and he pushed off of the door, uncrossing his arms and finally taking down his physical and mental barriers.

“You do?”

“Mhm” you replied in a lilting hum.

He didn't need to be told twice.

Hunter grabbed you by the hips, pulling your body flush against his, and his lips found yours shortly thereafter. He kissed you with a passion to rival that of the first one, but this time you knew it was real, that he really meant it. You couldn’t help but smile into the kiss, his change in attitude since your confession amusing you.

“Something funny?” he mumbled against you, not giving you a chance to answer before his lips were on yours again, pushing you backwards so your body hit the desk.

“Just you” you replied, a chuckle bubbling up and out of you as he huffed.

His lips trailed kisses along your jaw as he leaned down, his hands hooking underneath your thighs and lifting you easily to sit atop the desk. A small squeak left your lips at the unexpected action, and you could feel Hunter smirk against your neck as he parted your legs further and came to stand in between them. His nose brushed against a sensitive spot just behind your ear, and a shiver ran up your spine, a small gasp escaping your lips.

“Fuck, you smell so good” he mumbled between kisses to your collarbone, and the breathless tone and sentiment sent an unexpected thrill through you. You gently scraped your fingernails down the back of his neck, earning a groan in return, and he brought his lips back up to yours in a hurry.

You couldn’t get enough, and you would’ve taken more, had you not been so rudely interrupted.

“I said not to do anything on my desk!”

taglist: @darthnihila @cdblake1565

[buckiverse]

Sweet Surprises

inspired by eternal attachment :3

contents: fluff, suggestive if you squint, angst if you squint. friends-to-lovers vibe. confession *heart eyes*. 

summary: you tried to surprise zayne for his birthday but it failed. 

word count: 1.4k

notes: I havent written in so long, forgive any typos

______________________________________________________________

★It was the day before Zayne’s birthday, and your procrastination caught up to you as you stared at various ingredients. “Vanilla…chocolate…strawberry… maybe I bought too many base flavors,” you muttered. You sorted through the assortment of toppings—macaroons, blueberries, even edible flowers. Who knew you could flavor a cake with flowers? 

★You and Zayne had often talked about his love for sweets, but nothing compared to the day you both stood before the macaroon display at your favorite cafe. 

“What flavor are you gonna get, Zayne?” you asked, already eyeing a few of your favorites. 

He grinned slightly, “what if we get them all?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Get them all? And put them where??”

“In my fridge, of course,” he replied as if it was the most obvious solution in the world.

“Even so, we can’t finish all these by ourselves. How about we pick a few.” 

Zayne leaned closer, his voice softening, “Each macaroon not only tastes good but tells its own little story. Let’s try them all, hmm?”

★You smiled at the memory, whispering, “He’s so cute,” but your smile faded as you remembered the decision ahead. Zayne’s tastes in desserts made choosing the right one for his birthday even harder. And time was running out—this was supposed to be a surprise. 

★Another critical mention: you are a terrible baker. Between your hectic schedule as a hunter and lack of practice, you barely had time to eat properly, let alone learn how to bake. You glanced at the cookbook, the pages worn from your frantic flipping. Then it struck you—why not combine two things he loves? A macaroon cake! A… “cakaroon,” you mused.

★You decided on a chocolate base, grabbing flour, eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder. You mixed them, clumsily splashing batter onto Zayne’s counters. As you worked, one of your favorite songs began to play, and you softly sang along, your mind drifting back to memories with Zayne. 

★It all started when you were kids playing together. Zayne was always the quiet, stoic type, making teasing him all the more fun. As you both grew older, life pulled you in different directions. You moved to another part of Linkon with your granny; years had passed without seeing him before you knew it. One day, you landed a job at the Hunters Association, which came with a new health plan and a new doctor. You still remember the shock when you realized your new primary care physician was Zayne. At first, you thought it was a coincidence—after all, Zayne isn’t an uncommon name. But then, he walked in, the same Zayne you’d known since childhood, standing before you—a man now. 

★The truth is, you always liked Zayne. But you never quite knew how to communicate that. Maybe this cake could be a way of saying, “Happy birthday—by the way, I like you.” 

★You finished mixing the batter and poured it into two cake pans. “Mmh,” you nodded as you slid them into the oven. “Things are going good. I hope he likes this,” you thought, allowing yourself a moment of hope. 

★You sat on a stool by the kitchen island, glancing at the clock and humming to music. Suddenly, you heard the click of the front door. “Shit!” You thought, leaping out of your seat so fast you nearly slipped. During your panic, Zayne walked into the room. 

“y/n?” he called, his voice laced with confusion. He approached, reaching for your arm. 

You turned, face flushing. “Hey…” you said, trying to keep calm as you stood up slowly. 

“Why are you here?” Zayne asked, his brows furrowed. 

“I—I was going to surprise you,” you stammered, feeling your cheeks heating up.

“But it seems you got off work sooner than I thought….” 

Zayne looked at you, his gaze softening. But that didn’t stop you from talking. “I—I planned to surprise you, you know. Your birthday is so soon, and I know you love sweets. So I bought all these ingredients, lost track of time because I couldn’t decide what to do, and then looked up. You got home sooner than I thought, but I wanted the cake ready when you got here because this is supposed to be a surprise.” You stumbled over your words, going on and on about your plans for his birthday. 

Your cheeks heated up when you realized Zayne was smiling at you—that half-smile he always did when amused. 

A playful glint struck his eyes, “Should I leave and come back in an hour to give you more time to finish?” 

His teasing made your face even hotter, and you couldn’t help but laugh nervously. “No, no! I—well, I just wanted it to be perfect, that’s all,” you mumbled, looking down.

Zayne flashed that half-smile and stepped closer, gently lifting his hand to touch your cheek. “I don’t dislike it.”

The alarm for the forgotten cakes went off, breaking the tension between you two. You quickly turned and rushed to the oven, pulling the cakes out before they burned.

“Why don’t we finish the cake together?” Zayne suggested, his voice still light with amusement.

You placed the cakes on the counter, almost burning yourself as the hot pans grazed your fingertips. Zayne leaned over to inspect them, a teasing grin on his lips. “These are quite lopsided,” he remarked.

You blushed profusely, realizing you didn’t level out the batter earlier. Still feeling a little embarrassed, you watched Zayne walk over to his cabinets, pulling out a small container of toothpicks. 

He took one out and handed it to you. “Try this. Stick it in the center. If it comes out clean, they’re done.” 

You took the toothpick and gently pushed it into the cake. Relief washed over you as it came out completely clean. “Looks like it’s ready.”, you said, glancing up at Zayne’s emerald eyes. 

He carefully lifted the pans and placed them on the stove burners to cool. “What flavor were you thinking for the icing?” he asked, his tone more curious now. 

“I was planning on a raspberry filing,” you replied, your voice softening. “Like the macaroons we got a couple of weeks ago.” 

Zayne’s eyes lit up at the memory. “Indeed, that’s an excellent choice.” 

The two of you worked side by side, mixing fresh raspberries, chocolate shavings, and cream. The icing filled the kitchen with a sweet and tangy scent. As you stirred the ingredients together, a thought crossed your mind, and you couldn’t help but voice it.

“Do you ever get lonely?” you asked, your tone more vulnerable than intended. 

Zayne paused, his brows furrowed slightly as he considered the question, “Why do you ask?” 

You hesitated, then continued, “I was just thinking…  You’re working the day before your birthday. Doesn’t that get lonely? You spend so much time helping others, but who’s there for you?” 

He sighed softly, his gaze dropping to the mixing bowl. “I love my work. It’s fulfilling to perform surgeries and make a difference. But, yes, I suppose there are moments when I feel alone. What about you?” 

You stared at the swirling mixture, the vibrant red of the raspberries reminding you of the warmth that had once filled your life. “Sometimes, I’m too busy hunting wanderers to notice how I feel. I often convince myself I’m okay because I don’t have time to think otherwise. But lately, especially since Granny and Caleb passed—it’s been harder. Their absence is always there, even if I try not to feel it. “

Zayne’s hand reached out, gently covering yours. The touch was soft, but it broke through the fog of your thoughts. You looked up to find his eyes filled with sincerity, a quiet understanding that words couldn’t convey. 

“I’m here for you,” he whispered, his voice steady and reassuring. 

The loneliness that weighed so heavily on you seemed to lift for a moment. You moved your hand to hold Zayne’s fully, feeling the warmth of his palm against yours. In that shared silence, you knew you weren’t alone. 

Zayne gazed deeply into your eyes, wanting to see the soul that lay beneath. Tranquility filled the room, and the gentle strings of music were the only sound that broke the silence. 

Zayne leaned in closer, your lips almost touching; the tension between you was palpable. 

You lifted yourself, balancing on your tiptoes. Gently, you kissed Zayne's lips, feeling your heart skip a beat as your lips met his.

The kiss was soft, yet it carried an intensity that spoke of the emotions brewing deep within you. Your heart raced as he held you close, your veins pulsating beneath your skin. 

He slowly pulled away from the kiss, his emerald eyes never leaving yours.

______________________________________________________________

what did ya'll think :333

planning on writing a pt 2 maybe

ignore that I did not finish coding the stars LMAO

[buckymorelikefuckme]

no shelf control

bucky barnes x fem reader

words: 1.3k

a/n: this is very not serious but i think it's p cute hehe. any and all mistakes are mine. feedback is encouraged & welcomed ♡

part 2 ❀

The only reason Bucky is even in the public library is because Steve asked him to pick up a book he reserved. They'd only hold it for so long, and he got caught up at work, so he'd asked Bucky to grab it for him.

He figures he’ll browse while he’s here. Perhaps something will catch his interest.

And, well… Something definitely catches his interest. But it's not a book.

He wandered the stacks for about fifteen minutes before giving up and deciding to go ahead and collect Steve’s book. But then he saw you standing behind the circulation desk, scanning returned books back into the system and setting them on a waiting cart to be put in their respective spaces.

There's a cute pair of tortoise shell frames perched on your button nose, a furrow between your eyebrows as you concentrate on separating the books on the cart. Your cheeks are adorably round and your lips pouty. Your hair is pulled back by a butterfly clip and you're drowning in a large, pastel sweater.

You're the exact opposite of who he is, at least in appearance, exactly his type–all soft curves and sweetness etched into your being. There's no way in hell he’s going to leave this place without asking you out.

Bucky squares his shoulders, gives himself a quick mental pep talk, and marches over to you. He puts on his most charming smile as he rings the little bell on the counter.

You glance at him over the top of your glasses, looking almost bored. “May I help you?”

He clears his throat. Okay, so he’ll have to try a little harder. That's fine.

“My friend asked me to pick up a book that's being held for him,” he explains, placing both hands on the desk as he leans in a little more.

“What's the name?” you ask.

“His or mine?” Bucky replies, winking.

You tilt your head slightly. “Is the book being held for you?”

His smile falters. “Uh. No?”

“Then I’ll need his name.”

He squints. “Steve Rogers,” he finally replies after a beat.

You type the name into the computer and click around for a moment, then you turn around and bend over to rifle through stuff under the counter. It gives Bucky a fantastic view of your ass, and it can't be an accident.

“Ah, here you are,” you say, returning to your full height with a book in your hand. You scan it and slide it over to Bucky with a customer service smile. “All done. Tell your friend he has two weeks until it's due for return.”

“Thanks,” he mutters, biting the inside of his cheek when you immediately go back to work, ignoring his presence.

He can't just give up now, though. His pride is on the line. Quickly, he looks around for an excuse to continue talking to you.

“So, like, there's a lot of books here,” he blurts.

His ears grow hot when you pause, looking at him again with a single eyebrow raised.

“Yes,” you say carefully. “It's a library.”

Bucky forces a laugh. “Right, yeah! I just mean, uh, you might have one I’ve been trying to find for ages,” he lies.

You nod slowly. “That is very likely, yes.”

“What do you like to read?” he questions, suddenly, trying to save himself from further embarrassment.

You open and close your mouth, thrown. “What?”

“Could you recommend something for me?” he asks. He nods toward the cart. “Anything in there worthwhile?”

You look at the cart, then back to him. You're clearly struggling to follow, which he has to admit to himself is understandable, because he's also struggling. He's never had to work this hard and it's messing him up.

“There's a book on the history of Romania?” you suggest like a question.

“That sounds cool. I'll take it,” he grins.

“Really?” you reply, incredulous, before shaking your head with an embarrassed twist to your mouth. “I mean–sorry. I'll get that for you.”

But Bucky panics as you turn and grab it, because, “I don't have a library card,” he rushes to say. He's struck with inspiration, though, and quickly follows up with, “But can you still check me out?”

He tries to conceal his smirk, feeling supremely proud of himself for that pickup line. However, his celebration is short-lived.

You blink at him, frowning. “No, I'm afraid not. You need a library card to check out books, sir.”

His smile drops entirely. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

You frown harder. “Doing… what? My job?”

“No, pretending like I'm not hitting on you,” he huffs.

Your glasses slip down as your eyes widen, jaw slackening in surprise. “What?” you squeak.

It's so cute, but Bucky can't take it anymore.

“Look, I've been trying to ask you out for the last five minutes, but I can't tell if you're blowing me off or not.”

“I… I didn't know,” you confess, averting your gaze, pushing your glasses back up your nose. “I'm not used to someone flirting with me.”

Now it's Bucky's turn to be incredulous. “Seriously?” At your tentative nod, he scoffs. “What the hell is wrong with people? You're so cute, and sexy. How could anyone not wanna ask you out?”

You bring a hand up to your own cheek bashfully, and Bucky’s about to combust. If he was a betting man he'd wager your skin is warm to the touch.

“How about this,” he begins, leaning on the counter once again, even closer than before. He loves the way your doe eyes blink up at him. “Why don't I start over and make it abundantly clear what my intentions are.”

“O-Okay,” you reply.

He grins, and this time he gets a reaction out of you. You bite your lip as you fidget with the too-long sleeves of your sweater.

“Hi, I'm Bucky. I think you're insanely attractive and I'd love to take you on a date.”

A soft giggle from you and he knows it deep down to his very core–he's a goner.

“Hi,” you reply, shyly tucking some loose strands of your hair behind your ear as you offer your name. “A date sounds fun.”

He lifts his hand and gently nudges under your chin, catching you by surprise. “Wonderful. Here,” he says, reaching into his pocket for his phone and handing it over, “put your number in.”

Still adorably flustered, but with an ever present smile that makes your round cheeks bunch up in the sweetest way, you take his phone and input your number. After you give it back, Bucky sends you a text right away.

“Now you have my number, too,” he announces happily. “I expect to hear from you soon, yeah? Let me know when you're free.”

You nod. “Yeah, of course.”

“Bye, darlin’,” he says with a wink, grabbing Steve’s book as he begins walking backwards.

You cover your cheeks with your hands again. “Bye,” you mutter quietly.

Oh yeah. This is perfect. Bucky doesn't turn around, eyes still locked with yours, until he bumps into one of the kiosks. You muffle your giggles into your sleeve as Bucky flushes. His grin doesn't waver, though.

He waves and feels like he floats out of the building, and still feels like he's floating when he makes his way to Steve’s apartment later that evening. When Steve answers the door, Bucky plants a messy, loud kiss on his cheek, ignoring his disgusted and outraged exclamation, saying an emphatic, “Thank you,” before he hands the book over.

Steve stares in bewilderment as his best friend hums the whole way to the elevator. He hasn't got the slightest clue what put that dorky smile on Bucky’s face, but he's sure he’ll find out soon enough. He looks down at the book in his hand as he closes his door and stops in his tracks.

“This isn't my book,” he states dumbly.

The History of Romania sits innocently in his grasp. He sighs deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. He’s gonna kill Bucky.

[unreliable-narrator-chilaios]

chilaios week; day 6 prompt: "beach episode/alternative universe", using both prompts; 1,579 words

no i did not do the previous days. yet. but i WAS struck by inspiration for this one. i don't want to give too much away so i'm not saying what the AU is, but you'll figure it out lol

title: Chilchuck's Secret

cws: not any, I think? this one's very sweet. i wanted to use the good vibes of beach episode... i guess there's some suggestive lines, but it's not nsft at all.

      There’s a secret at the beach, if you know where and when to look.

      And nobody knows but Chilchuck, of course.

      He was always the sort of man to keep his cards close to his chest, and this was no exception. Anything that he treasured, he had to keep locked away - hoarding everything he held dear to keep it safe and sound, out of the way of harm… with maybe only a hint of jealousy inherent in that act. Greed, even.

      Not that he was the greedy one out of the two of them. That title belonged to Laios, through and through.

      The brittle shale that crumpled beneath his fingers was cool to the touch, compared to how it would feel later. It hadn’t yet been baked in the sun for hours today. The shale and limestone and sand were blissfully cool for now, letting him take his time on his way down the short cliffside to the cove. It was the time of year that it was cool in the morning and searingly hot in the afternoon, the time of year that he was always tempted to stay from dawn until dusk. Maybe even longer than that. It was a rush to get across the route when the sand scalded and blistered his feet, but when it was cool, it was almost soft. Pleasant.

      He needed the lack of urgency - the slowly building arthritis in his hands and knees made him especially stiff in the mornings. His tri-weekly trips here had been helping considerably, but the way down to get there was rough, even if the reward was well worth it. His body creaked traitorously, even as it allowed him his nimble movements down the short rock wall, the sudden lurch from his hop down onto flat stone.

      Tide pools flourished here. It was low tide, making the shallow dips and pools in the rock especially prominent, where hardy, stubborn plants drooped at the surface and critters scuttled within and between them. He was careful to sidestep a crab on his way to the sand proper, relaxing as his feet sank into the fine grains.

      He breathed in the scent of sea spray, salt and foam, the smell of things washed up by the tide and left stranded when the waters receded. A chunk of driftwood would soon be picked up again at noon, when the high tide came back; clumps of washed-up kelp and algae littered the beach, at the line where he knew the tide would come up to later.

      The sun was still low in the sky, just barely peeking through the trees that sheltered the cove. The passage to the ocean was narrow, and the forest was thick in this area. Most of the cove wasn’t just blocked off by trees, but cliffs. His route down the side of one was the safest; the beach here was free of litter, free of the sound of crinkling plastic and the smell of waste, the bright eyesores of humanity that left their mark on nature’s majesty.

      Chilchuck relaxed as his eyes gravitated towards an outcropping of rock in the center of the water. He wasn’t here yet, but that was fine. The half foot was early to their meeting.

      He made himself comfortable. The sand yielded to him where he stepped, slipping between his toes and under his heel as he walked across the sandy portions of the beach, coming up to a rock that he’d begun to favor in the past month. Pebbles and sharp stones littered the sand here, but he didn’t mind, avoiding them the best he could before he quickly scaled the side of the beach rock.

      It was the outermost boulder of a wider outcropping that extended from the cliffs, forming a small, flat perch on top that let him have an excellent view of the cove. The chill in the rock was soothing as he sat down, careful not to let his swimming trunks get caught on the sharp little crags.

      Other than his swimming trunks, he wasn’t wearing much. Just a plain white swim shirt. The trunks themselves were solid black. He would have opted for clothing that looked a little better, but he had to replace them often - he kept stashes of extra pairs in an alcove nearby, in case of them being ripped or shredded while he was here.

      It happened much more often than he’d like. The thought alone made him huff, amused, as his whiskers twitched and his tail curled around his side. His ears flicked when he felt the breeze stir the inner ear fur. He usually hid his more… animalistic features when he could, but he knew Laios would just rip his clothes off even faster, just for a chance to feel his tail. Grabby bastard.

      Speaking of. Speak of the devil, and he shall come.

      There’s a large, dark shadow in the water. The water here is practically crystal clear, but it’s massive and far away - the cove is huge, after all, stretching across half a mile from one side to the other. He can see the little flurries of shoals of fish scattering in its wake, schools dispersing and reforming as they flittered between open water and the abundance of plants in the makeshift, tiny reef that had formed here. Small stretches of coral were in the deeper parts of the water, here, and seagrass and algae offering food and shelter a little further out, teetering off into just rocks closer to the beach. Algae particularly liked the base of the sea stack in the middle, the base of the colossal rock wrapped in slimy dark green.

      With a burst of ripples and sea spray, the figure breaks the surface of the water, hauling itself up the rock with relative ease, even as gravity drags it down. He isn’t meant for the surface, after all, and without the buoyancy of the water, he’s heavy - because, after all, he’s an utterly massive cecaelia. Pale skin transitioned to yellow-gold at the waist, the muscular fatty upper human half matched with a fat, bulky form of an octopus, rippling with muscle underneath slick, oddly-textured skin and suction cups. He easily hauled himself onto his own perch, running a hand through his blonde hair and practically deflating under his own weight for a moment.

      Those golden eyes light up like always when their gazes meet. Swaths of his skin light up in a blushing pink, giving away how happy he is. Laios was always, and would always be, an open book. He loves that about him.

      Chilchuck carefully made his way back down the rock, feet planted into the sand and pebbles and sea glass. He waded into the shallows, where the water was relatively warm. It wasn’t long until he was swimming, doing a bit of a pathetic doggy paddle to the base of the sea stack - and then one of those muscular arms gently wound its way around his torso, lifting him up out of the water and onto the little plateau. The routine was wound into them at this point, wordlessly slumping into one another as soon as he was able to reach his human half. Those big, strong arms wrapped around him, one hand coming down to pet along the drenched fur of his tail.

      He didn’t shake himself out like he wanted to. That was a bit too dog-like, for his tastes. Laios always laughed at him when he did it, with that soft, genuinely happy laugh.

      “Dork,” he mumbled, non-contextually. It earned a chuckle, vibrating through that broad chest.

      He’s pulled into a kiss, small and chaste, but sweet nonetheless. He curls his tail around the cecaelia’s hand, relaxing into his hold like always after he pulled away. That chest was the perfect pillow, letting him listen to his breathing, the beating of his heart. He knew it would sound different if he listened to it while the man was underwater, when he used his gills instead of his lungs. He found his body idly fascinating, but not as fascinating as Laios found his to be.

      The hand not occupied with his tail pressed softly against the back of his neck, thumbing across the muscles between his neck and shoulder. “You missed me,” he teased, curling one of those arms around his leg to hold him securely. He always wanted to completely surround him, hold him with everything he had. “That was… what, two days?”

      “Shut up,” he scolded, playfully. He smacked his bicep lightly, swatting at him like a fly. It just made the man laugh. His ears burned and he knew they were scarlet on the inside. He couldn’t help that Laios was the best thing going on in his life right now. His secret treasure. “I didn’t miss you, you were just annoying immediately. I mean, come on. You’re bright pink. I thought that the color change was for camouflage! Eedjit.”

      He laughed that sweet laugh again.

      “M’eudail.” He said it with the tone of an insult, a curse, even if it very much wasn’t, as he swatted him again. “Ye fuckin’ sook.”

      “You definitely missed me.” Laios was grinning, more of that oddly-textured skin flushing pink and red. “I can change the subject, though. Do you want to hear about a weird fish I caught the other day?”

      Chilchuck huffed, whiskers twitching. “Sure.”

      He could listen to him talk about just about anything for hours.

[blehrbie-blog]

Neteyam x Reader story Part 2?

So, I'm really happy that so many people liked the first story (I don't wanna call it chapter bc it feels like I'm committing to there being multiple chapters) but I may have written a little something else. Now I don't want to say that this will happen again bc I only wrote this because the inspiration struck me, if there is no inspiration I'm not going to drag this story to its death, we will leave it where it is.

That being said (I know, I talk a lot) writing this addition felt nice. it is set quite some time after the first one and I want to specifify that at this point the Reader and Neteyam are well into their adult life so I feel like they're allowed to be a little suggestive. To do the maths. If you didn't know in the movie Neteyam and Lo'ak are 14-15. Then in the last bit of this story he was 24-25, at this point he is in his early 30s. Which is quite a jump but that's how it felt right to me and that's how it came out. So now, enjoy! :D

________________

previous

The scene I see is of a quiet morning of the two sleeping in bed wrapped around each other. The sweet voice of their daughter being the only thing pulling them from sleep. She runs over, her little feet pattering on the uneven grass.

-Mama! Papa! - she jumps onto their legs bouncing and nudging.

- My sweetness – Neteyam rouses, picking his head up from where it laid tucked between your neck and shoulder. - it is too early to wake your mother. - His eyes are still blurry with sleep.

His gruff voice brings a smile to your face. It's like a sweet tickle to your ears, to get to hear it every day is a blessing. He shifts from behind you and you crack open an eye to watch as he picks up your daughter and lifts her above his head to make her giggle.

-Papa, let me down! - she whines, but she's not really bothered, her eyes are lit up with laughter. She has his eyes and his smile. She has your hands tho, three fingers, and they're so small.  He brings her down in a tight hug and kisses the top of her head.

-My precious girl. - he sets her down and leads her outside the tent with a hand on her head. - let's go see Grandma, hmm?

You lay there with your eyes closed for a couple more minutes. Until you turn over in the sheets, staring up at the top of your tent. You have work to do. There is medicine to hand out and ceremonies to prepare. There is also a child to raise and teach and a husband to keep happy. And it is all so perfect. You almost can't believe that this is your life, that it has been since that sweet moment in the woods all those years ago. You're lost to memories of your early life for a while, it's a precious time. Your thoughts lead to your daughter. She is almost as old as you were when you and Neteyam became friends. And now she somehow exists as perfect proof of your connection. It feels all too recent, like it was yesterday and still like a hundred-year-old memory that has existed in thousands of lives.  

-My dear – Neteyam's voice brings you back from your daydreams. He's at the edge of the tent's opening, sunlight shining through the loose braids over his shoulders - Would you like to join your daughter and me for a morning flight?

You blink a few times taking the time to process and give him a skeptical look – My daughter?

-She is being fussy with her food - he looks down smugly as he says – so she is your daughter this morning.

-And when is she your daughter then? - you prop yourself on your elbows to look at him properly since he's decided to be cheeky this morning.

He hums, pretending to be deep in thought as he stalks over inside to sit down at your feet – When she is being kind and good and listens to her parents. That is when. - his eyes are warm as he smiles at you.

You roll your eyes – Does she take that from you then? Being obedient?

-Of course! - he says in mock offense

-Hmm, interesting. - You press your forehead to his as your eyes close gently, still fighting sleep – I seem to remember a boy who would take me out to fly on his Ikran late at night, when his parents definitely thought he was sleeping safe and sound in their tent.

He presses a kiss to your lips and hums softly – You must be thinking of someone else, dear.

You keep quiet for a bit - Is that so? - your words fall onto his lips as you say them and you pull away, suddenly full of energy – Then I must go find this 'someone else' as he is suuurely my one true love and father of my child. - you say getting up with your back to him. Only to turn around quickly with a mischievous smile and tease in a sing-song tone – As you said, I must be thinking of someone else!

He is still sitting splayed on your sheets with his mouth now open in surprise. You see a quick glint pass his eyes. Dare you say jealousy?

So, you quickly raise your hand, pointing a finger at him – You started this.

He clenches his jaw a couple of times, thinking, and gets up aiming for the door. - Alright then.

The sudden change makes you think you've upset him. You were just poking a bit of fun. But he stops by you and gives you a serious look.

I must say I didn't like that game. - he says, his lips in a pout, and your shoulders ease up. He's not upset.

You grab a small braid hanging by his ear and tug on it lightly. - Is that because I beat you at it? - you say as you look up at him through your lashes.

He hums low in his throat, and brings his face closer, nosing at your jawline – Oh, but I love it when you win these games. - And he presses a warm kiss to the side of your throat. Bringing your chin down with his hand, so he can kiss you deeply. Breaking apart only to whisper - But now, we must go entertain our daughter, as she seems to have your lack of patience, my love.

As you process his words, you hear a whiny call from far away – Papa! Hurry Up!

His amber eyes look into yours as if to prove a point – See?

You caress his face gently - Run along then, papa. I'll be right behind you.

With a quick peck on the lips, he runs out calling to your child. When you've grabbed a pack and stuffed it with the medicines you need for your tasks today you set off right after them ready for a flight into the sky.

__________________

And there we go! Another one! hope you enjoyed this one as much if not more than the first one. But genuinely thank you for enjoying the first one as much as you guys did. Hopefully my attempts at linking it at the top have not failed and if you haven't read it you can have a quick look!

[rapmonie2047]

Hickey - KNJ

pairing: kim namjoon x y/n (public relationship)

genre: fluff, suggestive

rating: pg-13

notes: i know joonie said he got the mark on his neck from doing crossfit, but i’m going to be delulu for a sec and pretend it’s a hickey for the purpose of this drabble. regardless of what it is, please be respectful of joonie and his privacy. he is a grown man. he is entitled to live his life as he pleases, and he is not required to give us every single detail of everything that he does. 

plot: y/n sees “hickey” trending on twitter and is surprised to see that it is all because of their lovable, clumsy boyfriend

What the hell did this man do now? As you were getting ready for bed, your phone started blowing up with twitter mentions and text messages from close friends asking about you and your boyfriend, Namjoon.

@/agustdmarryme28: am i crazy, or is that a hickey on namjoon’s neck??????

@/jinswig134340: @/y/n @/rkive how was your valentine’s day? 😏💋#namjoonhickey #y/ngetyourman 

@/rkybe: there is no way THAT was caused by crossfit 🤣 #y/nnamjoon 

Not even an hour ago, Namjoon was struck with a sudden hit of inspiration and decided to make a late night visit to his studio in order to keep his flow going. Seeing as this happens fairly often, you kissed him goodbye and planned to go about your nighttime routine without any second thought. What you did not plan on, however, was your lovely Joonie turning on a live with a massive hickey on his neck.

Valentine’s day was a great day for you and Namjoon. He surprised you with a fresh bouquet of flowers and a coffee and bagel from your favorite coffee shop in the morning. The afternoon was spent with the two of you going to a small bookstore and picking out books for each other, followed by a nice dinner at your favorite restaurant. After that, you both headed home to take a nice bath together with lots of bubbles and wine to keep you entertained. The bath didn’t last long though, as you and Namjoon quickly became entranced with each other and moved to the bedroom for a long night of passionate love making. Now, you realize that that night may have been a little more passionate than you thought.

Your scrolling through this twitter mess was interrupted by a picture of your boyfriend making a goofy face filling your screen. Swiping across the screen to answer the call, you’re greeted by his husky voice.

“Y/N-ah”

“Namjoonah”

“Did you watch my live?” He asked with bit of nervousness in his tone. He wasn’t sure how you’d react to your private life being exposed to his millions of fans.

You start giggling at your boyfriend’s concern. While you weren’t exactly a fan of everyone knowing your private business, the whole situation seemed like something straight out of fanfiction, and you couldn’t help but laugh at it. 

“I did not, but I’ve certainly heard about it. Crossfit, huh?”

Namjoon immediately started blushing. “I’m so sorry, jagi. I thought I covered it up well, but you know how army catch everything.”

“It’s ok, baby. Are you ok?” You reply wanting to make sure he was feeling alright about the whole thing.

“I am. I was just worried about you.”

“I’m fine,” you sighed. “I guess I’ll just have to be more careful next time,” you winked at him.

“What if I don’t want you to?” 

You quickly looked up in surprise to see Namjoon looking back at you. His beautiful eyes staring daggers through the screen making you shift in your seat to try and calm the heat between your legs.

“Joonie?”

“Yes, jagi?” he smirked.

“Please tell me you finished your song and are on your way home.”

“I’ll be home in twenty minutes.”

[taeu7]

"In Tune with Love: You, the Melody of My Heart"

PART 7

Wonwoo was momentarily stunned into silence, the weight of his members' knowing gazes heavy upon him. Clearing his throat, he found his voice, albeit softer than usual. "Look, guys," he began, his plea earnest, "let's keep this a secret for a while. I promised Y/n to respect her decision. Please, help me out this time."

The members exchanged glances, an unspoken agreement passing between them. One by one, they nodded, their loyalty unwavering. "We've got your back," DK affirmed, "We'll keep it under wraps until the right time. No need to rush things and cause a mess."

Seeking to lighten the mood, Mingyu leaned back in his seat, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. "Y/n's a cute girl, but tell us, Wonwoo, who made the first move when you guys started dating?"

Wonwoo's cheeks flushed a shade pinker, but he met Mingyu's gaze with a smile. "I guess I'm the one who fell much harder. It's like I've always liked her, but I was blind to my own heart. I'm the lucky one, to have found someone who makes every moment feel like a favorite song on repeat," he confessed, his words a tender melody to the ears of his friends.

DK let out a low whistle, his eyes wide with surprise. "I never knew Wonwoo hyung could be this romantic," he said, a note of admiration in his voice.

Hoshi clapped Wonwoo on the back, his grin infectious. "Our Wonwoo is the best, isn't he? A true poet at heart," he declared, the pride in his voice unmistakable.

Laughter and light-hearted teasing filled the car, a chorus of brotherhood that echoed long into the night.

Wonwoo returned to his apartment, a rare day off on the horizon. He reached for his phone, his fingers tapping out a message to Y/n.

Wonwoo: Hey, how was your day? Are you free tomorrow? Let’s go on a date.

Y/n: Cool! Finally, we’ll have our time.

Wonwoo: Yes! I’ll pick you up at 9 am.

Y/n: Okay! But where are we going?

Wonwoo: It’s a surprise!

Y/n: Now I’m even more excited. The excitement was a tangible thing, a flutter in her chest that kept sleep at bay. She rose from her bed, pacing the room as she contemplated the perfect outfit for the occasion. Her wardrobe doors swung open, revealing rows of clothes, each piece holding memories and possibilities.

In a burst of inspiration, she reached for her phone again, this time to call her best friend Aera. The face that greeted her on the screen was sleepy but soon brightened with excitement.

Y/n: Babes, help me with the dress. What should I wear for our first date?

Aera: Wow, so you finally made it! When did it happen?

Y/n: I’ll tell you the whole story when we meet. Now, help me with this.

One by one, Y/n held up dresses to the camera, each one a contender for the day that would soon dawn. Aera’s discerning eye was invaluable, her suggestions punctuated with laughter and encouragement.

Finally, they settled on the perfect dress, one that struck the delicate balance between comfort and style, a piece that made Y/n’s heart sing.

Y/n: That’s perfect, I love it too. Thank you! What would I do without you?

Aera: Okay, okay, enough buttering! All the best for your date.

Y/n: Yes!

The call ended, and Y/n laid out the chosen dress, her heart still racing with anticipation. She tried to imagine the day ahead, the places Wonwoo might take her, the conversations they would share. It was all too much, too wonderful, and with a smile lingering on her lips, she finally surrendered to sleep, her dreams a canvas for tomorrow’s promises.

Next morning Wonwoo was already outside, his eyes scanning for Y/n. As she stepped out, the morning light caught in her hair, turning it into a halo around her face. She was a vision of loveliness, her outfit chosen with care—a soft pastel dress that swayed with each step, complemented by a pair of comfortable yet stylish shoes, perfect for a day of adventure.

“Sorry I’m a bit late,” Y/n apologized, her cheeks tinged with pink.

“It’s okay! But you look so pretty,” Wonwoo said, his eyes crinkling with a smile that reached his soul. He reached into the back seat and brought out a neatly packed breakfast. “This is for you, have it,” he said, patting her head with the gentlest of smiles.

“Thank you! You’re the sweetest… Now tell me, where are we going?” Y/n asked, her curiosity piqued as she accepted the breakfast.

“Wait until we arrive…” Wonwoo teased, a playful note in his voice.

As they drove, Wonwoo shared that Mingyu, Hoshi, and DK had discovered their secret, but he assured her that he had handled the situation. Y/n felt a wave of relief wash over her.

“Sorry, Wonwoo, but I promise I’ll look for the right time and tell them about us. I just don’t want to make things awkward between us,” Y/n said, her voice earnest.

“I understand,” Wonwoo replied, squeezing her hand reassuringly while expertly steering the car with the other.

“We’re about to reach,” he announced after a while.

“I guess I know where we are going,” Y/n said, a knowing smile on her lips.

They arrived at their destination—an amusement park! Y/n’s eyes lit up with delight.

“How did you know I always wanted to come here with my boyfriend?” she asked, her voice filled with wonder.

“I think watching too much drama helped,” Wonwoo admitted, touching his hair shyly.

“Awww! Let’s go inside,” Y/n beamed, her excitement palpable.

As they entered the gates, Y/n’s eyes darted around the crowd. “What if people recognize you? This can’t be good,” she fretted.

“No one will, chill! Wearing a mask will help,” Wonwoo reassured her, his confidence soothing her nerves.

“But it would be even better if you disguised as a girl, don’t you think? Like in those dramas,” Y/n teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Yeah, sure, maybe next time,” Wonwoo laughed, the sound warm and genuine.

They found themselves in a hairband store, surrounded by an array of charming accessories. “Let’s take this couple’s hairband with the cute teddy on it,” Y/n suggested, her voice bubbling with excitement.

“Anything you say,” Wonwoo agreed, his heart full.

Y/n instructed him to lean down, and she placed the hairband on him with the utmost care. “See, you look so cute,” she cooed.

Wonwoo, in turn, helped her wear one. “Uhmmmm, you look even cuter,” he said, his voice soft with affection. The amusement park was alive with the sounds of laughter and the sweet scent of cotton candy in the air. Wonwoo and Y/n found themselves amidst the magic, their hands intertwined as they navigated through the vibrant throngs of people.

They approached the merry-go-round, its lights twinkling like stars in the daylight. Wonwoo helped Y/n onto a painted steed, a gallant knight to her graceful queen. As the music began, a lilting melody, they rode in circles, but to them, it felt like a dance just for two.

Wonwoo: “This feels like a scene from a movie, doesn’t it?”

Y/n: “Yes, a perfect moment frozen in time.”

Their laughter mingled with the carousel’s tune, a perfect harmony to the rhythm of their joy.

After the ride, they wandered, hand in hand, to the ice cream stand. Wonwoo chose chocolate, Y/n butterscotch, and they sat on a nearby bench, sharing bites and stories. The ice cream was sweet, but the looks they shared were sweeter.

Y/n: “I think your chocolate ice cream looks better than mine.”

Wonwoo: “Here, try it,” he said, offering her a spoonful. “Everything tastes better when I’m with you.”

As the day progressed, they captured memories with selfies, their faces close, smiles wide. Each click of the camera was a snapshot of happiness, a keepsake for days to come.

Wonwoo: “We’ll look back at these pictures years from now and remember how perfect today was.”

Y/n: “Let’s make every picture count then,” she said, pulling him close for another photo.

The sun began to dip, casting a golden glow over the park. They found themselves at the top of the Ferris wheel, the world below them a miniature wonderland. The moment was ripe with romance, the kind that fills the pages of novels and the scenes of films.

As the Ferris wheel reached its zenith, Y/n turned to Wonwoo, her eyes reflecting the twinkling lights below. “You know,” she began, a playful seriousness in her tone, “there’s a myth that if you kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel, your love grows stronger and lasts forever.”

Wonwoo looked into her eyes, the soft glow of the sunset bathing them in a gentle light. “Is that so?” he replied, his voice a whisper that only she could hear. “Then I suppose we have to test that myth, don’t we?”

Y/n nodded, her heart beating so fast. As their lips met, the world seemed to stand still, the noise of the amusement park fading into a hushed silence. It was a kiss that spoke of promises and whispered dreams, a seal over their feelings, binding them in the sweetest of spells.

Wonwoo: “If that myth is true, then our love is now unbreakable.”

Y/n: “I think it was already strong, but now… it’s invincible.”

They shared a smile, their connection deepening with the shared secret of the kiss.

The evening had crept upon them, painting the sky in shades of twilight as Wonwoo and Y/n reluctantly decided it was time to leave. The drive home was quiet, a comfortable silence filled with the unspoken wish that the day could stretch on indefinitely.

They reached Y/n’s home, the car’s engine coming to a gentle halt. Outside, under the soft glow of the streetlights, they stood close, the air around them charged with the day’s shared joy. Y/n: “I wish this day would never end,” she murmured, her voice muffled against his chest.

Wonwoo: “I wish that too,” he replied, his arms tightening around her.

In the comfort of their hug, the world around them seemed to stand still—until a familiar voice cut through the moment like a knife.

Jeonghan: “What’s going on here?” he asked, his tone serious, giving them the deadliest of scares. Y/n and Wonwoo sprang apart, their hearts racing from the surprise. Jeonghan stood there, an eyebrow raised in question, the seriousness of his tone belied by the twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

To be continued.......... !

A/n : i hope you guys will like it ! Do drop your feedback ☺️ It inspires me to write better! Thank you ❤️

Next part update

[pianokantzart]

🍽️ and 🎶 with morty x luigi

🍽️ Dinner date 🎶 Dancing

Luigi never before envisioned himself as the one to make the first move in any romantic scenario, but after starring in so many films, scripts, and photoshoots, he felt as though he and Morty had already been dating for some time now. Then again, there was a large difference between being someone's boyfriend and being someone's muse. Being a muse meant being put on a pedestal for the sake of the arts, playing on the outskirts of reality to feed into whatever new creation was being forged. Dating? That meant a return to earth, being mundane and flawed. Being a human. Luigi felt somewhat awkward as a muse... like he was lying, somehow, despite the slew of creations he inspired... but he also couldn't deny the warm feeling he got when seen as something so rare and beautiful in the eyes of someone so passionate.

Morty agreed to a date. The agreement was casual, lacking that shining thrill of true inspiration, but his excitement grew when Luigi suggested something properly cinematic: dinner and dancing.

Luigi still wasn't sure how it was ghosts ate or danced without corporeal bodies, but a long list of experiences had proven that such things didn't matter. So long as the right sort of energy was abundant in the air, ghosts ate, drank and danced the same way they had in life, and enjoyed it with almost more gusto than those weighed down by flesh. Morty was no different. Luigi asked the ghost to pick an outfit for him. Morty obliged without a second thought, and Luigi was overjoyed to find himself handed a forest-green evening gown that looked straight out of the wardrobe of Rita Hayworth. Morty always appreciated a chance to alter aesthetics to his liking. He was a director after all, and Luigi liked receiving direction– so long, of course, as it came from someone he trusted. They understood each other's tastes... had a shared interest in making each other happy... and making each other happy was so ridiculously easy. Over dinner they talked about everything they loved, barely understanding one another when they broached niche topics, but looking on in adoration as the other unraveled the different corners of the world they never even knew to be so beautiful– cinematography, photography, architecture, gardening, interior design, cooking... Then came the dancing. Four ghosts struck up a string quartet, and as Luigi moved to the ballroom where phantoms spun about in each other's arms, he was surprised to find Morty trying to stay at the dinner table. "I love the aesthetics of it, but I must admit I never learned!" he explained with a tiniest hint of regret in his voice. "Here... you dance, and I'll watch you!" Morty shut one eye and framed up a shot with his hands, like he was already envisioning a film based on the scene. Luigi would have none of it. With a smile and a shake of his head he took the director by the hand and gently guided him to the dance floor. Though Luigi didn't consider himself any sort of expert, knew enough to help a novice along in a simple waltz.

"It doesn't have to be perfect. Doesn't even have to look good at all!" He placed one of the ghost's chilly blue hands on his shoulder while taking the other hand in his own. "Just... move with me. We'll figure it out."

Morty looked uncomfortable only for a second, but his expression quickly blossomed into a playful smile. "Oh-ho! Looks someone's taking charge!" "Well, I do like to be number one, sometimes," Luigi retorted with equal playfulness, punctuating the comment by dipping Morty so low to the ground, they both couldn't help but laugh. "Forget the angle and the lighting for a moment, okey dokey?" Luigi continued, speaking much softer now as– in a moment of boldness– he tugged Morty back up into a close embrace, swaying with him to the music as a calvary of colorful ghosts whirled above and around them. "Just dance."

[another-lost-mc]

Pairing: Pollux x f!Reader/MC Rating/Warnings: NSFW MINORS DNI; suggestive sexual content; food kink if you squint Word Count: 720 Summary: Dessert first, dinner later (spending the holidays with Pollux)

It was the holiday season in Bound Arlyn, and you wracked your brain thinking of something special to give to Pollux. He frequented all of the local bakeries and candy shops in town on a regular basis so surprising him with holiday treats was next to impossible. He loved it when you went on dates with him to share sandwiches and creamy milkshakes, but you weren’t convinced it was special enough.

Inspiration struck you one day when you were helping Arcturus in the academy kitchen. He was making a cheese sauce to accompany one of the side dishes at dinner. You were whisking the sauce to keep it from burning to the bottom of the pot.

“Hey, Arcturus?”

He hummed in acknowledgement while he was bent low, pulling a hot pan from the oven.

“Have you ever had fondue?”

Arcturus placed the tray on a cooling rack and took off his oven mitts. “Hm, I’m not sure that sounds familiar.”

You explained to him it was like a presentation of a warm cheese used for dipping bread, potato, or certain types of fruit.

“Oh, that sounds delicious!” Arcturus beamed at you. “I bet Pollux would love that too.”

You experimented in the kitchen when you had free time. You decided to try making a chocolate fondue dip, experimenting with the ratios of cream, chocolate, and vanilla before adding a touch of sweet brandy.

When you perfected your recipe, you walked into town to gather the missing items for Pollux’s gift. You couldn’t find a fondue pot, but you were able to find a small serving dish you could keep warm with a small lantern. You visited the bakery and grocer, picking up cookies and fresh fruits to slice and use for dipping. 

You gave Pollux a handwritten invitation to join you in your room later that evening. He blushed when he took the envelope from you, reading the card with a pleased twinkle in his eyes. “Are we having a tea party?” he asked excitedly. Tea parties always involved some sort of dessert.

“Something like that.” You smiled at him and kept your response vague. You wanted to give him something to look forward to.

Your plan went off without a hitch. Pollux arrived at your door right on time, wearing an elegant suit you’ve never seen before. He blushed and handed you a small bouquet of beautiful flowers. 

“These only bloom during the coldest months of the year,” he explained while you found a small vase to put them in. The blue and purple flowers almost looked like they were covered in fresh, powder-white snow. You wrapped your arms around him and pulled him close. “They’re beautiful, thank you.” The flush on his face deepened even more when you stood on your toes and kissed his cheek.

He followed you to the little table you set up near the balcony doors, the dip already prepared and warming over a gentle flame. Pollux leaned over and looked into the pot.

“Chocolate?”

You used a small fork to pierce a slice of strawberry. “It’s a dish from back home,” you explained as you dipped the strawberry into the pot. “It’s a warm dip called fondue. It’s popular to make with cheese.” You leaned forward, cupping your hand under the fork and holding it in front of his mouth. “I thought you might enjoy trying the dessert version instead.”

He held your gaze, eyes glittering while he wrapped his lips around the fruit and slid it off the fork. There was a small smudge of chocolate in the corner of his mouth. He wrapped his hand around your wrist before you could pull away. He put the fork back into his mouth, letting it slide between his lips while he chased the lingering hints of chocolate left behind. He grinned while he licked his lips.

You set the fork back down on the table, and you looked at each other for a moment. Pollux turned away first, drawing a chair from under the table and taking a seat. He slowly unbuttoned his dinner jacket and loosened the tie around his neck. He had a teasing smile but the glint in his eye was no less hungry. He leaned back in his chair and patted his lap invitingly. You could already see the outline of his bulge straining against the zipper of his pants.

“I’m starving.”

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Ok so I learned on a show that dolphins are basically dicks and bully other fishes. My question is did Jaune ever have a problem with them?

INSPIRATION HAS STRUCK! (and I also did a post about that)

Jaune is out in Vale with Ciel. Their having a nice time until ...

???: WELL WELL WELL! If it isn't our favorite little Sand-Shark!

Jaune: Oh God.

Twelve imposing figures of Several Dolphin Faunus, the leader seemingly an Orca, Stand behind our lovely set of Marine Faunus.

Ciel: Jaune, are you alright? Who are these People?

Jaune: Ugh, a soccer team from Home. A bunch of jerks. The big guy's name Orkinus Salaco.

Orkinus: Aw, C'mon Jauney! It's been, what, A year and a Half!

Orkinus: And You ain't got your Sisters to protect you now!

Ciel: Excuse me, I am Ciel Soleil, Jaune's romantic Partner, And I would appreciate us if you left alone. Any quarrels you have with him, kindly Stuff up your ass until a later date.

Orkinus: Oh, some mighty big words from someone so small. You look and smell like an Atlesian.

Ciel: I am. What about it?

Jaune: Ciel, Honey, let's just leave! They'll get bored if we ignore them!

Orkinus: Maybe you should listen to your waste of space Boy-Toy. You Sky-City Pricks only pick up Faunus for social points.

Ciel: ... Excuse me?

Jaune: Oh You Shouldn't have said that.

Ciel: You realize that there are Faunus in Atlas, yes? That I'm one?

Orkinus: Oh really? What kind?

Ciel: Fittingly to my name, a Seal.

Jaune: Orkinus, really, I suggest you leave!

Orkinus: Can it Janet! Alrighty then! You must be pretty Stupid to not realize how fights between Orcas and Seals go in the wild! *He flicks Her beret off of her head.*

Jaune: ... Orkinus?

Orkinus: What daffodil!

Jaune: If you were a nicer person I'd say I'm sorry for whats about to happen.

Ciel picked her hat off the ground, dusting it off gently, and returning it to it's place on her head as she began removing her gloves.

Ciel: Before I do what I plan on doing, I will tell you your mistakes.

Ciel: One. You Disrupted my schedule.

Ciel: Two. You insulted My Boyfriend and I.

Ciel: Three. You've forgotten we aren't in Nature.

Ciel slashed her claws against his face, Furred arms and partially webbed fingers on full display. A Rocket Locker slammed into the ground between Her and the Prick. She pulled out her weapon, a large Flame thrower-esque contraption, with several moderately sized Dust containers of various colors.

Setting a gauge to Gravity dust, a dark cloud of weightless vapor pooling around the bully, causing him to float.

Spinning, Ciel Switched the Weapon into a Hammer form, knocking Orkinus into a build across the street. It collapsed into a Full Arm gauntlet with a nasty looking Drill on the end, Revving it to intimidate the remaining jerks.

Ciel: His fourth and Final mistake was deciding not to run!

Ciel: Don't Make the Same Mistake.

The Remaining Dolphins ran like their live depended on it.

Jaune: Well. Now we have Paperwork to fill out as for why the Locker was launched.

Ciel: I'm well aware. You'll help me won't you~

Jaune: Yeah. Of course I will.

Orcas also fuck with Seals and Sea Lions, and are dolphins despite the name "Killer Whale."

I'm glad I Wrote (Sh)Arc en Seal before this. Ciel is also a Non-Character, and therefore free real estate.

[undertheknightwing]

Whoa, look at this! I wrote a Dick and Gar fic after who knows how long! It's mainly fluff but there's a little feels,,

Also this little fic was very much inspired by the wonderful @not-so-mundane-after-all 's fic Acrida (if you haven't read it, I suggest you do because it's amazing 💜)

I don't wanna spoil her fic so I won't say much about what struck my inspired chord but it was a piece of dialogue from the last chapter. I hope she doesn't mind 😅

“Mom! Mom! Look!”

Dick gasps, stopping dead in his tracks to avoid colliding into the young boy who ran past him. A soft laugh escapes through the man's lips, heart growing significantly larger in his chest, watching the boy zoom to his mother’s side. With a sheet of paper in one hand, he raises the other to excitedly grab onto the sleeve of Marie’s lab coat and tugs on it to get her attention.

Funny how things never really change. Even in the present Dick finds himself leaping to the side just to get out of Gar’s way when the teenager is in, what Rachel calls: “zoomie mode”, and runs around the tower at random times. Hopping onto and off surfaces and chasing after a nonexistent object, like the cats in those videos the kids are always sending in the - what’s supposed to be a mission focused only - group chat.

“Mom!”

“Garfield, please.” The scientist sighed, pulling a yellow rubber glove over one of her hands with a loud snap.

Gar continued to tug on the sleeve of her coat, the toothy smile on his face dropping into a frown. Energetic tone to his voice quickly changing into desperation laced with sadness, begging for her to look away from the desk cluttered with papers and give him a second of her time.

“Mom, I wanna show you something!”

With a faint smile on her lips, the woman casts a quick glance down to her son, then focuses on the vial of something she picked up and held carefully between her fingers. 

“I’ll see whatever it is later, I promise. But this needs my full attention right now.”

After using her free hand to give Garfield’s hair a lazy ruffle, she steps away and disappears down another hall, one that's protected by a door with a code and sign telling anyone not authorized to stay out. Leaving the boy alone, standing in the middle of the room, his shoulders deflating in disappointment and grip on the paper begins to loosen, threatening to let the piece of art drop to the floor.

A deep frown appeared on Dick’s face. He’s only been in this time period for a few hours and from what he’s seen of Gar’s parents, he doesn’t doubt they love their son, but it also seems like they might love their work and keeping their title of “world famous scientists” just a bit more.

“Hey, Gar.”

The young boy spun around in reaction to his name being spoken, posture perking up a bit as he greets with a cheery: “Hi, Mr. Grayson!”

Walking into the room, Dick dove his hands into his jacket pockets, then nodded his head to the side, gesturing to the door Marie went through.

“Your mom’s pretty busy, huh?”

“Yeah.” Gar frowned once more, kicking at the floor. “She’s always busy.”

Dick huffs, half-smile on his lips. “My dad is too.” 

Then with a soft groan, he crouches to be on Garfield’s level and points at the colorful paper in the boy’s hand. 

“I’d like to see what you drew, if that’s okay with you.”

Eyes losing their twinkle, Gar lifts the paper up to look over whatever he had drawn, then shakes his head and mumbles quietly.

“It’s not important.”

A deep crack formed in the man’s heart when those words left a younger Gar’s lips, as well. Their familiarity strikes him like a stray bolt of lightning and is just as painful, just in an emotional kind of way. It’s a response he hears coming from present Gar a lot and now it makes sense.

He remembers staring in awe when he saw Garfield shapeshift into a grizzly bear for the first time during training. His son had been attempting to turn into something other than a tiger for a while and been struggling to pull it off, so seeing a huge green bear where a tiger usually would be made Dick’s chest burst with a mixture of pride and joy.

Pride that became something sadder after he asked Gar why he didn’t tell anyone he learned to shapeshift into a bear when he’s been working so hard to do so and Gar shrugged nonchalantly, telling the team leader that “it wasn’t important” before moving on to do something else.

Dick smiles warmly. “Well, I think it is.”

Which earns a head tilt from Gar.

He nods. “You made it, so it’s very important.”

The young boy hesitated, seeming genuinely confused for a brief moment.

Once Gar accepts, handing the drawing to Dick, the man's eyes sparkle and widen at the childish doodles of a few colorful cheetahs.

“Wow, this is amazing, buddy!”

“Really?”

“Yeah!” Dick reaches forward, giving the boy an affectionate hair ruffle rather than a lazy one. “You got talent, kid. Mind if I keep it to put on my fridge at home?”

“You can have it!” Gar pipes loudly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Thank you.” Folding the drawing as carefully as possible, he slips it into his coat's inner pocket. “My wife will think it’s adorable, I’ll tell her all about you.”

Kory's gonna think it's more than adorable and she sure isn't gonna let Dick put it on the fridge, she's gonna frame it and place it on their bedside table so she can always see the cute stick figure cheetahs drawn by their son years before their path intertwined with his.

If present Gar allows her to frame it, that is. There's always a chance he'll find it embarrassing.

A smile so bright you'd think could melt the biggest of icebergs stretches across Garfield’s face.

“Do you wanna come check on the birds with me?”

“I’d love to, Gar.”

Once stood up straight, the boy grabs his hand and begins to pull the man in the direction he came, casting a glance sparkling with pride back over his shoulder and up at Dick.

“I know lots about the birds and animals here!”

Dick’s smile twitches. The weight of the words weighed heavily onto him like a bag of bricks. The way they were said so innocently, so carefree, lacking knowledge of the storm on the horizon rolling in to turn this sweet boy's life upside down. A harsh punishment for something he didn't do, something he had no control over. Leave him feeling cursed and forgotten, unloved and unwanted by the people around him.

Eyes darkening with sympathy, Dick breathes a quiet sigh.

“I bet you do.”

[inghrafn]

When I described the following events on a forum devoted to true-life close calls, some stern soul opined that my tale couldn't possibly be true. But it is.

In my early/mid-twenties, I lived in a rented room in an urban-sprawl zone with decent public transit. I took the bus to work six days a week, the seventh into town to bum around.

One day, a young man sat across the bus aisle drawing in a sketchbook. As an artist myself, I thought his work was really good and said so. We struck up a friendly conversation about art on the ride into town. He said he'd come from another state to attend the nearby art college. For my part, I'd moved there only recently and immediately started working 50-hour weeks; as a result I hadn't really had time to make friends. He seemed really pleased to hear this. I didn't really question it at the time; I just thought we were equally at sea in a strange place.

In town, we walked and talked our way through my errands. Everything seemed fine until we stopped into the record store. They had only one copy left of a new tape I wanted. To my surprise, he grabbed it out of my hand, announcing, I'll buy it for you!

No, I'll buy it for myself, I told him, but he refused to hand it over and actually bolted to the cashwrap with it as if this was a game of tag. Afterward he presented the tape to me with a flourish: For you!

I felt deeply uneasy about this gesture. At that time I was solitary by choice and wasn't looking for romance. Conversation was strained on the bus ride back. When he jumped off at my bus stop instead of staying onboard to continue on to campus, things got really uncomfortable. He said he couldn't let me walk home by myself. WTF? I used to live in the city and knew how to take care of myself. When we reached my house, the conversation went like this:

Me: Well, it was nice to meet you. Goodbye.

Him: Invite me in.

Me: What?... No, man, we just met.

Him: (still smiling, but more commanding) Invite me in.

Me: No. I hardly even know you.

Him: Sure you do! We spent all day together!

Me: One day's not enough for you to just... walk into my house.

Him: But I bought you that tape.

I held firm, but the exchange left me uneasy with the thought that he now knew where I lived. However, this became a moot point when I moved to another neighborhood on the opposite end of the bus route.

Still, he knew where I worked and began to drop in for short, impromptu visits. With a sales counter between us, I felt safer, and things seemed to return to normal. We could still talk about art, but I carefully avoided personal subjects.

One day he came in extremely excited. Inspired by group activities at school, he'd decided that we should partner up for an art project! A friend of his had written a script and wanted to turn it into a graphic novel; all he needed were artists. We could use the common space at the college to work on our collaboration. He had it all planned out, but I needed to think about it. I suggested we convene at a local coffee shop sometime later that week and gave him my phone number.

Soon afterward he called me in what I can only described as a heightened, almost manic state. His friend wanted to meet me that night. They would pick me up that evening in his friend's car. I needed to give him my address right away.

Me: But you're both here in town. I can just meet you for coffee.

Him: No, no, no, we have to go to my friend's house.

Me: Well, where does he live?

Him: (suddenly cagey) I don't know.

Me: You don't know?! He's your friend; you must know where he lives. Ballpark it.

Him: (vague) A few towns over. Forty-five minutes or so.

Me: But it's already really late, and I have to work in the morning. Your friend would have to drive me all the way back.

Him: (absolute, dead silence lasting just a few seconds too long)

At that moment, I felt suddenly, inexplicably, profoundly afraid. I understood without doubt that I must never get into any car with him and his friend, ever.

Me: (trying to sound casual): Look, it's late. It's been a long day, and honestly, I don't want to go back out. Why don't we plan to meet at the coffee shop later this week--

Him: (suddenly shouting into the receiver) NO! THIS HAS TO HAPPEN TONIGHT! YOU HAVE TO COME! YOU HAVE TO!

Me: No, I don't!

Him: YES, YOU FUCKING DO! YOU PROMISED!

Me: You can't talk to me that way. You know what? I don't want to do a project with you, now or ever. Don't call me again.

It's hard to pin down why or how, but the point in this conversation when he fell silent produced in me an ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY that whatever plan he and his friend had for me, it did not involve me returning home. And I believe that if I had not listened to that sense of certainty, I would not be sitting here and typing this today.

So there's that.

[smoothlikealikeasnake]

Strawberry Princess Chapter Eight ‘The Piercing Mystery’

Pairing - OT7!BTS x Reader, Hybrid!BTS x Hybrid!Reader

Genre - Hybrid!Au , Hybrid BTS x Hybrid Reader, fluff, angst, eventual smut, slow burn? , alternative reality , strangers to lovers , strangers to friends, friends to lovers

Warnings - So much fluff, teasing, suggestive moments, slight insecurity, lmk if there’s anything else!

Summary - When a certain hybrid starts to appear whenever Jungkook is at the gym, an immediate pull is felt between the two and their eventual friendship soon is spread to the rest of his pack.

Previous Next Overview

The room Taehyung had brought her into had a large window facing onto the city, it also allowed for the brief moments of sunlight in the window to pass through and highlight the walls, that was why Taehyung had the idea to bring in Y/n at that specific moment. The sun was taking over the desk and wall Taehyung wanted Y/n to be, as it moves it would create unique shadows and patterns on the area so this might be a bit longer than a ‘quick’ borrow.

Y/n was struck at the request and equally confused

“Model? Like try on designs?” - Her brows were furrowed as she tried to understand her role in that moment, focusing on Taehyungs expression as a soft smile took over.

“Try on and let me take pictures, if that’s okay” - Y/n had never seen him be so hesitant as he said something to her but at his words her jaw dropped, confused as to why he could want to take pictures of her specifically, perhaps it was opportunity.

“I’m sure you have models far more fit that you could ask, right?” - Y/n began to shift almost uncomfortably, truthfully she was insecure and had never done anything of the sort before.

“Maybe with more experience, but they don’t have what you have, what I’m looking for, it would be forced and you are the perfect model the perfect muse for my vision, please kitten” - Taehyung almost seemed to ramble about his thoughts because slowing down to ask again. His speech made her realise he genuinely did want her and maybe it wasn’t just convenience so she hesitantly answered.

“What do I have to do and wear?” - Y/n took a breathe before making it clear she agreed, it was worth it watching the shine in Taehyungs eyes, a newfound sense of inspiration seeming to transpire before her. She could practically see the way his brain was turning with possibility before he span around quickly, rushing over to his desk and looking at various designs he had made in the last few hours. There was 3 he wanted her to model and definitely more to come but for now he had to decide which to use at what time.

A white silk midi dress that had a cowl neck that was only loose enough to be slightly revealing, the straps thin and tight to make sure it didn’t fall. It was backless, the silk dropping strategically to sit just above its wearers widest part of their hip, seductive yet sensual. It was form fitting but not suffocating, truthfully no other model would do because these designs were tailored to what he wanted to see Y/n in and thus they were her measurements. The next was a full length pink dress, blush pink, with a floral lace overlay, it was off shoulder with only thin straps to sit on the arms, fitted once again before loosening mid thigh. The next dress was a red and white gingham sundress, tight from chest to waist before puffing out to accentuate the widened area of hips, it flowed to just above mid thigh but was lined with a white soft tulle to help hold shape and prevent unnecessary movement with the wind. The straps were of the same gingham material and created a square neckline.

With how the light was shining without any shadowed pattern onto the desk in that moment he decided on the white silk dress to start. Picking it up and spinning on his heel to hold it out to the restless girl behind him.

“How about this one first, I can leave for you to change or I can turn around” - Taehyungs voice was so smooth it made Y/na knees feel weak as she struggled to answer

“U-Um you can just turn around” - He nodded and did as he said, walking over to his table to begin setting up a camera, not once turning around while she felt the fabric, soft and so smooth on her hands before taking off her shirt, thankful that the dress had built in support as she hadn’t put her bra back on earlier. The thought back to the earlier events made heat rush over her cheeks as she stilled for a second, knowing that Taehyung also briefly knew what went on and growing quite embarrassed. She still had the dress in her hands so Y/n quickly pulled it over her head finding it fit perfectly and not to mention felt amazing on her skin, it had her wanting to purr even before she could see it on herself properly. Her heart was warm as she thought about him wanting her to model the dress for him, especially something so beautiful. She could feel the cool air hitting her back when she moved her hair to adjust the straps and once she was finished, she let him know he could turn around.

“I’m finished” - Taehyung turned around at her words and looked at her with a combination of emotion in his eyes, inspiration and admiration that created a spark, electric causing his striking blue eyes to stun Y/n for a moment. His scent was strong in the room, she hadn’t noticed before but it was filling her nose and making the sun that shined in seem even brighter, the air clearer in the strangest way. Her breath caught in her throat in a gasp at his next words, that playful and dominant gaze he had the day they met returning as he stalked towards her, the same powerful aura around him even if he was in casual clothes this time.

“You make it look so good, so soft and perfect, I think it might just be you though” - his flirty words made her cheeks bloom into a light shade of rose, she felt impossibly small as he stood over her, she was almost nervous.

“Can I just adjust it on you?” - Taehyung asked as the straps were slightly twisted and a few glances ruching where they shouldn’t be. Y/n nodded shyly at him, not knowing what to do with her arms when Taehyungs large hands gently settled on her waist, pulling the fabric to where it should be, her eyes followed his hands as she focused on how big, slim and soft they were, his touches the perfect inbetween of gentle and assertive, confident as he pushed and pulled all over, eyebrows furrowing in concentration.

Y/n had to hold back a little gasp as his hands made contact with her bare skin, he slipped his slim fingers under her straps to straighten them before moving his hands back down to her waist, firmly planting them there this time as they made brief eye contact, the stare so intense it seemed to freeze in her mind as if it was on repeat for years even though it was a mere half second before Taehyung spun her around, manhandling her to look and feel where he needed. He let his hands graze up her spine before one fell to her exposed lower back, admiring the curve of her back as he leant forward, over her shoulder and down until his lips brushed the shell of her ear.

“Perfect” - that singular word had Y/n’s mind hazy, knees feeling wobbly as she was glad Taehyung let his hand sit on her back, pushing her over to the desk, she didn’t quite know what to do so she looked back for a little direction with wide eyes that made Taehyung swoon.

“How about you lay in your side, head held up by your arm?” - As he spoke, Taehyung gently picked up Y/n and placed her sitting on the table even though she didn’t need him too, it made her giddy for some reason, quickly trying to recreate the image he had in his head.

Taehyung stood back, tilting his head to focus, she was perfection but she was tense, not knowing exactly what to do so he decided to set up his camera, giving her time to settle. It seemed to work slightly but she was lightly biting her nip nervously, he walked over, putting one hand on her face and watching her eyes close from his touch and her entire body relax, he let her face sit on her hand and she held that position. It all seemed so much more natural now, one of her legs slightly falling over the other due to her position on her side, accentuating the curve of her hips and allowing the silk to highlight from its slight movement, creating a beautiful silhouette. The hair danced over her shoulder, a single strand aesthetically laying over her face as Y/n’s free arm was relaxed over her side, falling naturally. The sun made parts of her hair shine golden at the crease of the waves and ringlets while her rosy cheeks were accentuated.

Taehyung knew in that moment everything he had imagined was put into the world, quickly moving towards his camera and snapping a few shots from various angles, closer and further and when Y/n lightly opened her eyes, still heavy as she barely looked at the camera, he felt like he’d happily freeze in time in that moment, quickly capturing it, knowing he would keep a variety of these for himself if not all of them.

Taking his time to make her laugh, smile, blush and move naturally, Taehyung caught so many amazing pictures, you could see how much more comfortable Y/n had gotten even after everytime he asked her to change positions, even after he asked her to stand with her back to the camera to capture the detailing on the back, gently sliding her hair over her shoulder for her before putting it into a messy low bun that looked too classy for how quickly he had put it together, he knew exactly what he was doing and it showed, even if she didn’t.

“Wahhhh beautiful, who are you wearing today miss Y/n” - Taehyung kept teasing her as she looked over her shoulder, the sun capturing her in the best way, her hands pulled over her face in a shy smile, he was quick with capturing every moment he found beautiful and was sure the candid shots would be perfect for his promotions of this collection if she was comfortable with them being posted.

He was making her feel truly special, like a model, like she was famous, like she was the most beautiful girl in the world and she couldn’t stop her smile even when she tried to hide it to get a more relaxed shot. He captured images of her side profile, of her back, of her laying, sitting, posing a bit dramatically, of her trying to quickly run towards him and catch the camera when he was being particularly teasing.

The light seemed to bend for her, to accommodate her and accentuate her as every angle caught made her look ethereal, like an angel. Only when Taehyung had got just about every angle and pose did he ask her to change into the next dress, repeating the process with her in various places and positions, the room was warm, their scents mixing, Y/n’s sweet strawberry with Taehyungs musky spice, cinnamon and vanilla, all you could hear was laughter and the snapping of a camera along with their sweet teasing of eachother. Taehyungs duality was striking to Y/n, this side of him completely different to the side she had seen when they first met, she liked that.

———————————————————————————

Time seemed to fly as they were stuck in their own bubble; wrapping up the photoshoot when Tae had photographed each of the dresses Y/n was wearing, that time only brought them closer as Y/n found her shy front starting to diminish. The room was almost bursting with the scent and feeling of happiness and joy, laughter and comfortability. The photoshoot had taken near to 2 hours, neither of them had noticed how Jungkook peeked in about an hour through and when finding them in their own little world, smiled to himself and went back to the couch.

After the final dress, the two found themselves a bit disappointed it was all ending but equally happy that it had happened. Y/n had changed back into the shirt she had and only then noticed the slight chill of winter that was in the home, despite the heating. Her legs were out so she decided it would be best to seek out her trousers from before, not caring before but grasping now that she was just walking round in Hobis shirt and Jungkooks boxers, she began to feel a bit self conscious about it.

“Thank you for being my model kitty, you were so perfect” - Taehyungs praise was followed with gently pulling her into a hug by her waist, his hands around her lower back as a small squeak almost left her from the quick movements, praise and warm embrace that had her heart racing and cheeks heating up, her scent grew slightly sweeter as she tried to pretend she wasn’t gently purring, hoping Taehyung couldn’t feel the vibrations but he definitely could.

“Why don’t you go see Jungkookie again, I’m sure he missed you” - he seemed back to his teasing self as he ruffled her hair, knowingly slightly knocking the base of her ears as he watched her inhale a sweet gasp and grow redder by the second before stepping away with her hands fiddling before making her way into the hall.

Taehyung watched her rush away with a soft smile, shaking his head as he could feel his own heart racing, chest rumbling as his hybrid side made him create his own version of a purr, his tail was swaying softly and he knew he should try to get back to work.

Y/n took a detour instead of immediately going back to Jungkook, softly stepping down the hall, feeling as if she was sneaking around which she potentially was, she was sneaking into the pack room, only to retrieve her trousers of course, and potentially bask in the scenes held in there. Especially when Jungkook and Hoseoks were so strong the moment she walked in, it had her legs feeling all wobbly again and she had to bite her lip to regain focus on her task. It was easy enough, one of the boys had neatly folded her clothes for her on the nest and she quickly padded over to put on the soft bottoms but stopped when she saw Hobi’s sweatpants that had been picked out for her right next to her own pile. It made her hesitate as she looked around, scanning as if she would be caught before snatching the bottoms and pulling them up, soft on her legs and scent making her purr once again, eyes drooping slightly in comfortable bliss.

When they were on, she didn’t exactly know what to do with her pile of clothes but in her head, since they hadn’t been moved since they had been put there maybe she’d leave them until she left, so she quickly moved out of the room, not before sneaking a glance over her shoulder and feeling giddy at the sight of the nest she had made. She couldn’t help the questions that ran through her head

Would it be soft enough for Jin’s standards, he was always so perfect to her she just hoped it would be up to his expectations

Would there be enough pillows so that Yoongi could nap comfortably wherever he put his head, something about him seemed like he loved to sleep and to follow up that thought she couldn’t help but rush back in to quickly fluff up the pillows and flatten the creases in blankets for Jin before moving away again

Would Namjoon be proud of her nest, would he think it’s nice enough for his pack, would he softly rub at her ears and tell her she’d done a good job? She knew he probably wouldn’t but the thought it his praise made her body shudder with happiness

Would Jimin find it pretty enough, he was so good with everything appearance wise would he find it worthy, she didn’t know what she wanted it to be worthy of but just that their opinions really mattered and she couldn’t quite think about why in the moment

And Taehyung, would Taehyung want to pull her into one of those tight hugs in the middle of it and rub at her ears praising her for it, that seemed far too appealing for her to not rush around perfecting every last bit of the nest, feet softly padding around as she darted to fix every little corner, unknowingly freshly scenting the entire room and biting at her lips and nails with a soft smile.

She definitely hadn’t forgotten about Hobi and Kookie but they had already seen her nest, even been inside it, took care of her inside it so she assumed they had liked it, hoped they would want to be in it again, her mind was running wild so much so that she didn’t even notice the new or familiar presence in the room.

“Such a perfect nest kitten, how about I take you to Jungkook so you can watch something with him hmm?” - Hoseoks words were slowly passing through her brain as his big hands gently took her hands away from her mouth so she couldn’t fidget and nibble at her nails, he took in her blown out pupils and slightly messy hair where she’d hurriedly pushed it out of her face in her process of perfecting her nest, she was soft in every way and it probably wouldn’t help being in a room so full of possibilities so he did what he knew best and took control. His gentle touch seemed to encourage her as he gently wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her out of the door, closing it behind him both to stop the scents inside from making her softer and also to stop them from getting out. Hoseok had things to be doing but when he heard rustling and the soft padding around she had been doing in the room next to his, along with her sweet strawberry scent, he rushed to see what was happening. Y/n had tried to look back over her shoulder into the room but Hoseok moved his free hand to grasp her chin between his index and thumb, pulling her face forward, it wasn’t rough but it was assertive and seemed to have Y/n melting into his side, mind slowly forgetting about her previous rush of thoughts and just relaxing. Her soft tail sought out his own and wrapped around it, possibly to ground herself and maybe pull him in closer, the contact made Hobi’s body tense slightly and still before continuing as he wasn’t expecting it but he welcomed the gesture as Y/n softly sighed in content.

“Kook-ah, come help kitty won’t you” - Jungkooks head spun around at Hoseoks words, he dropped his phone on the sofa and jumped over the back to come take Y/n from Hoseoks hold, he didn’t ask any questions when neither of them seemed distressed or upset, Y/n just seemed soft and Hobi smiled before telling Y/n he would come sit with them later and going back to his room.

“Y/nie let’s watch a movie hm? That’ll be nice won’t it” - Jungkooks voice was soft as he held up her head to look at him with a gentle touch, at the sight of his face Y/n smiled dopily with a happy nod and reached out for his hand which he joyfully held and led her to the couch. He sat upright, softly guiding her to lay down with her head across his thick thighs and body curled up beside him, her hands raised up to her head and rested on his thighs before beginning to move, pushing and pulling gently while she let out soft purrs and he couldn’t help the twitch of his soft tail and smile that grew as she got comfortable. His hand moved to rest on her side, rubbing small circles over Hoseoks clothes that she’d been put in while his other hand put on a movie he found of Netflix. Her head was facing the tv for the most part until she started to stir on his thighs after about 25 minutes of the movie, she was a lot more in control than she was before and found herself bathing in Jungkooks soft and comfortable scent, his strong thighs that she’d been kneading below her head and his overall look more handsome than ever. Y/n felt butterfly’s just looking at him as he became far more interesting than the movie. She had her head flat down on his thighs instead of the side of her face so she could watch the way he would struggle to stay still, fidgeting with his free hand while his other moved from Y/n’s side to her stomach, still rubbing. His tongue was lightly darting out to play with his lip piercings and Y/n could see the shine of his tongue piercing, the whole display entirely innocent as Jungkooks eyebrows were lightly furrowed in concentration and he used his veiny hands to push back his hair. The display had Y/n feeling shy around him again, trying to hide her face In her arms everytime his tongue darted out, she loved how it he was always so expressive, like when he eats good food he looks angry, it was so endearing to her.

“Doesnt that hurt?” - the words seem to fall out of her mouth as her thoughts raced, there was another thought of does it hurt when he kisses but she definitely wouldn’t ask that, just the thought made a blush rise to her cheeks.

“Not at all, maybe when it was healing it would have but not anymore” -

He made a display to prove his words by biting onto the ring and pulling his lip a few times before sliding his tongue over it to push it back into place, the action may have been entirely innocent but it made goosebumps rise all over Y/n’s body and her cheeks heat up as she wanted to hide in her hands.

Her thoughts were quickly cut off when Jungkook gently grabbed one of her hands, brought it up to his lips and pressed a light kiss to her fingertips.

“Pull it.” - the simple words made heat rush to Y/n’s brain as her eyes widened slightly, hesitant but following his words as she gently swiped her finger over the ring as first before holding it between her fingers and giving it the gentlest tug. She observed his reaction as she couldn’t take her eyes off his face, watching his doe eyes drop slightly. She couldn’t help but tug a tiny bit harder and watched his eyes close, lips parting and he definitely didn’t look like he was in pain. Just out of curiosity after that, she played with the ring between her fingers, pulling it with different strengths, watching his reaction as he left out soft grunts at the harder tugs and would open his eyes the tiniest bit at the softer tugs, not the shiny and wide doe eyes he always held but a darker pair, only opened slightly but so alluring.

“Is there anything they hurt to do?” - Y/na eyes were full of curiosity as she carefully asked, Jungoook opened his eyes and looked down at her with a light chuckle

“You sound like you want to get one yourself, curious are you?” - the way Jungkooks voice had dropped to speak to her made her want to curl up and hide behind her hands, it was predatory despite being a prey hybrid, her voice seemed to falter as butterflies flew threw her body.

“N-no I don’t want to I just wanted to know” - She only had her ears pierced and hadn’t really thought about any other piercings, a lip ring wouldn’t suit her in her opinion though. On Jungkook however, he looked like a dream with his piercings.

“This one hasn’t really been painful from the start, the worst was my tongue but that isn’t painful now either” - Jungkook moved the underneath of his tongue piercing to between his lips and pushed is across to emphasise, Y/n often forgot he had a tongue piercing, truthfully she would only remember when she caught sight of it shining when he was talking or when they were kissing

“My tongue swelled for a while and made my lisp a lot more noticeable” - For some reason his words made Y/n giggle slightly, imagining him at the time, she imagined him to be so cute, her own laugh made Jungkook smile brightly.

“Does any of your pack have piercings?” - Y/n’s curiosity didn’t seem to end there

“Well that’ll be for you to find out won’t it?” - Jungkooks teasing voice and smile made Y/n look at him a bit struck, needing to know what he meant by that but interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

“Kook? Come help me with this” - Seokjin’s voice called out to the living room, not seeing Y/n as she was still laying on his lap, hidden by the back of the couch. Jungkook whined childishly, picking up Y/n under her arms and pulling her onto his lap sitting with her front pressed into him, strong arms wrapping tightly around her waist as she squeaked from the sudden movement.

“I can’t, Y/n wants me to stay and she’s asking about my piercings” - Jungkook held Y/n tightly against his chest, jokingly speaking for her as Jin moved from inside the kitchen and seeing Y/n’s slightly shocked face and squished position on his lap

“Aish, Jungkook let her go” - the moment Jungkook reluctantly loosened his hold, Jin glided over and gently placed his hands on Y/n’s sides, much like Jungkook had done and picked her up, out of Jungkooks lap and into standing before softly straightening her shirt for her.

Y/n was staring up at him wide eyed at his actions, so easily just picking her up like it was nothing, it was making her almost dizzy from how attractive she found the pack, their easy displays of strength that might not mean anything to them but so much to her. She felt like she had a middle school crush again, wanting to rock on her feet and bat her eyelashes at him. Jin cut off her thoughts when one of his pretty hands landed softly on her cheek, making her focus on him, he looked away to talk to Jungkook before meeting her eyes

“Kook go start to put things away please. Are you okay sweetheart, you seem a little lightheaded hm?” - Jin’s voice was like a symphony, so smooth and yet so full of emotion in every word he spoke, Y/n definitely would never get over how perfect their pack was. He was right however, his alluring scent and actions had made her lightheaded, not that she’d complain, she just wanted a hug but she wouldn’t ask for that.

“I’m okay Jinnie, thank you” - she was quiet as she responded, hands twitching to refrain from falling into his embrace, something Jin noticed but wouldn’t make it obvious so he did the next best thing to give her what she needed

“It’s so good to see you again, you feeling okay?” - Jin gently pulled her into his embrace, feeling her heartbeat get faster and hearing her take in a sweet gasp at the contact, her scent getting sweeter as she subtly nuzzled into his chest. Jin dipped his head down to get closer but was welcomed with the thick scent of Jungkook and Hoseok, attached all over her neck and scent gland, it made his eyes widen and curiosity grow but he wouldn’t show that while he was with Y/n.

“Mhm, thank you for all the meals, were so delicious” - she was mumbling her response into his chest, like she had just woken up, she liked telling Jin how nice his food was, it always made a pretty blush rise to his cheeks, like it did with her whenever she was praised for just about anything.

“That’s okay sweetheart, im glad you liked them, I’ll get started on lunch now too” - Neither had realised how long they had been hugging until they both reluctantly pulled away, Jin gesturing towards the kitchen where Kook was finished unpacking the groceries. When all three were together Jungkook didn’t hold back from getting close to Y/n again, walking up behind her and resting his head ontop of hers, leaning down slightly to do so, he just rested and watched as Jin walked over to get some food for lunch out

“Y/n was asking about if any of us have piercings besides me” - Jungkook said with a smirk and watched as Jin stopped for only a second, Y/n was watching with confusion and was even more curious when Jin asked a question back

“And what did you say?” - Jin had an eyebrow raised, only out of curiosity

“I said she’d have to find out herself” - Jungkook replied with a proud smile

“Hmm, that’s right” - The entire interaction was making Y/n more confused and she just had to know what was happening, she needed to know what they were being so cryptic about

“How should I find out myself?” - Y/n was almost physically leaning in to find out the answers as if that would make it clearer

“You’ll find out with time” - Jin’s words were said in a tone that told her no more questions, shutting down her words but not her thoughts, even when he quickly changed the conversation on to what he would be making for lunch.

“Do you like Kimchi-jjigae sweetheart?” - it was a simple dish for him to make and warming, especially in the winter months.

“Oh yes I haven’t had it in so long” - Y/n’s eyes lit up a little bit more than usual at the opportunity to have more of Jin’s delicious food, as if on cue her stomach rumbled quietly, making Jin chuckle and move faster while Jungkook moved his hands from besides him to wrap around her waist and rub her stomach gently as if she was in pain and he was trying to soothe her, it was sweet, comforting, definitely warming, he radiated so much heat all the time if she was cold before she definitely couldn’t be now. Her own chest started to vibrate quietly in appreciation as her eyes slowly fluttered shut for a few seconds.

“Yoongi will be coming home for lunch too, he finished up early so he should be back any time now” - Jin spoke while preparing the meal for everyone. As if on queue, the sound of the front door opening was heard and Jungkook began to move away to greet Yoongi, but stopped mid way to lean into Y/n’s ear and whisper

“I’m not the only one with a tongue piercing” - Those words made Y/n’s breath catch in her throat, mind racing with all the possibilities of who has what piercings, she really didn’t know why it was so intriguing, maybe she found Jungkooks ones more exciting and attractive than she’d like to admit.

Citrus seemed to take over the kitchen when Yoongi walked in with Jungkook, he had a smile, shaking his head as Jungkook purposefully annoyed him when he looked up to greet the other two in the kitchen. Once he had, Jungkook went to take a seat at the kitchen island while Y/n was stood watching Jin cook from a little bit away, she was deeply focused on two things, Jin’s cooking and the piercing mystery. So deeply focused she had no idea Yoongi would sneak up and playfully swipe at her fluffy tail, he was nonchalant about it, simply muttering to her as he walked past her, leaving her to stand stunned and staring and in complete admiration.

“Still so much to learn kitten” - in that moment, Yoongi’s words had multiple meanings, so much to learn, he does piercings, surely he has a few of his own and from then on Y/n told herself she would keep watch of his lips, as weird as it may sound. Her pupils dilated in focus as her tail started to whip behind her, covering Jungkooks view a few times

Once Jin had finished, he and Yoongi put the food on the table, Y/n was watching Yoongi so closely that she hadn’t moved from her spot so Jungkook took it into his own hands, standing behind her and crouching to lift Y/n by her knees bridal style beginning to spin around and sing a song about the meal while Y/n giggled and held onto his neck before being placed down, coincidentally next to Yoongi who she began to watch through the side of her eye, trying to act normal while she waited to see if he had a piercing.

“I’ll go get Taehyung and Hobi” - Jin stood and walked off, Yoongi had opened his phone and began scrolling and something Y/n hadn’t noticed him doing before is moving his jaw just slightly side to side, her attention was caught by Jungkook once again who dramatically threw his arms and head down onto the table whining about being hungry. It was funny how close and comfortable Y/n had become with them, it was like they had known eachother for so much longer than they really had.

“Finally! I’m starving” - Jungkook span around in his seat as Jin came back with the two members, Y/n looked at them as they arrived and smiled warmly before she gave a second look to Hoseok, suddenly remembering what had happened earlier that day, sneaking a glance at Jungkook too as her face grew redder and hotter by the second, impossible to hide as her eyes were wide and she refused to look at the two again out of embarrassment. It was easy for what happened to slip from her mind either Jungkook because he was always so… domestic with her, made it all seem natural. Hoseok on the other hand, had that aura that made her feel soft and pliant around him all the time, even when he was his bubbly self it couldn’t mask over the ways he immediately made her body feel.

“Careful kitten, your drooling” - a deep whisper from Yoongi warmed her ear and made Y/n’s gaze leave the two males who had made her feel that way, her gaze instead snapping to Yoongi as a playful glare and a ‘no I wasn’t’, the playful scowl on Y/n’s face made Yoongi laugh, agreeing with a ‘sure, kitten’.

When everyone was settled it was time for everyone to dig in, each of the boys took it upon themselves to help Y/n in serving her food, piling each of the sides and main for her and refilling her drink. This sort of treatment wasn’t something Y/n was used too but god could she get used to it, being pampered and showered with care, it made her purr involuntarily, extremely quietly as she tried to hide it, thinking she succeeded.

She hadn’t. Yoongi was sitting right next to her, his hybrid side made it easier to recognise feline mannerisms and sounds, he could practically feel the vibrations coming off of Y/n without even touching her, it made his own chest rumble in a similar way, he was proud they were making her feel this way, especially himself as their hybrids seemed to have created a hierarchy already, in terms of leadership and submission, Y/n was leaning into the place she was put in already by accepting their care.

That also meant, he didn’t have to get close to her neck to smell Hoseok and Jungkooks scents surrounding her, along with her own, abnormally sweet scent underneath the two. It also didn’t help that she was in Hobi’s clothes if she was embarrassed or trying to hide what happened. It was clear she was trying to play it off, distracting herself by eating away the delicious meal as simple conversation was made across the table. In fact, she was so focused she hadn’t realised a little bit of the stew had dripped from the corner of her plump lips until Yoongi reached to her, wiping his thumb across the area and pulling away. Y/n’s eyes snapped to him and watched as he opened his mouth and licked the stew from his own thumb but what caught her attention the most was the glimpse of something silver, it made her eyes widen and she almost dropped her utensils, wanting to point at it as if she was making a point. Instead, her gaze just switched to Jungkook, eyes wide now in knowing but when he met her gaze he was simply confused.

It made sense really, for him to have a tongue piercing, as a piercer and all but with no other face piercings, maybe it was more unexpected to her, it’s not like she’d do anything or say anything, besides to Jungkook but it was just a surprise. And maybe extremely attractive, tied in with his sharpened canine fangs and dark hair, it really brought out his panther features and that was making Y/n’s own hybrid spiral. She wanted to lean into his shoulder next to her, rub her cheek against him and absorb his scent, wrap her tail around his and stick to his side. He made her feel soft and warm without even trying, all of them did, she hadn’t realised once again as she involuntarily started to purr, louder this time, not hidden at all. To everyone else she just seemed happy and comfortable but Yoongi could see her watching him from the corner of his eye. She was purring for him and that made a proud smirk take over his features, even if he didn’t know exactly why.

He wanted to pull her in and let her purrs soothe any tension in his body, let her curl up and get comfortable with him before she falls into a deep sleep, surrounded by his and his packs scents, safe and warm. Even if he didn’t know exactly what had gone on with her and his two mates earlier in the day, he could smell how good it was for each of them and that only added to the pride in his chest, his back straightening and chest puffing out while the whiskey and tobacco in his scent became more prominent, feeling like a piece in his pack that was missing was finally here, like they would be fulfilled.

Once lunch was eaten, Y/n insisted that she help clean up with Jin while everyone got back to their tasks, she took all the plates off of everyone and made her way to the kitchen and practically begged to help, complimenting ‘Jinnie-Oppa’’s cooking and saying she needed to help. He wasn’t giving up until she took a step closer, looking up at him with wide eyes that he couldn’t say no to, finally reluctantly agreeing.

Y/n didn’t know just how much she had them wrapped around her finger as she happily waited for instructions on where to start incase Jin had a process. He guided her with a gentle hand on her back, leaning over her to check on her at every stage, barely brushing his chest on her back and whispering sweet praise to her as shocks rushed up her body.

“That’s it well done sweetheart”

“Perfect, your doing amazing pretty girl”

“Just like that, nearly done beautiful”

Each word was making her body and mind feel softer, the tingles turning into butterfly’s and she couldn’t help but lean back into his chest everytime he leant over to check on her, melting at the sound of his heart, she desperately wanted to rub her cheeks into his chest and did a few times, only very lightly but it was enough to rub her scent onto his. Every praise had her cheeks hot and eyes fluttering shut for a few moments, progressively drooping more and more as she would of became like a ragdoll if it wasn’t for her trying to focus on each task Jin gave her, as simple as they were.

Jin had noticed the effect his praise was having on her after the first set of words, she had tensed shyly only for a second as heat rose to her cheeks before her body relaxed. After that, each small touch was followed by almost silent gasps as she subtly leant into him to quiet whines when he stopped touching her, he was filling with pride by the second, the rewards of taking care of her being evident in her every breath. As she leant into him and shared her warmth even if only for a few seconds, he did the same, dropping down his head a rubbing his nose as her hair, gently scenting her with his soft earthy wood scent and hearing her sweetly gasp audibly this time as he nuzzled gently between her ears. One of Y/n’s arms shot up, slipping behind her into Jin’s hair, it made him hesitate, stopping his motions as he worried he stepped too far but let out a grunt as Y/n gripped his hair and pushed him closer to her head, encouraging him to keep going.

Jin’s hands slipped to hold her full hips, resting softly before pulling her back flush against himself, the range of his scenting and nuzzling expanded only slightly, moving to the outside of her ears, the tip of his nose gently grazing the base of them when his head tipped side to side, with every little contact, Y/n would grip his hair and release, purr and gasp, she started to squirm in his hold when it switched from Jin’s nose to his plump lips grazing her ear slightly parting so Y/n could feel his warm breathing. Y/n began squirming more, the feeling so pleasant but verging too much when she was trying to hold onto herself at the same time, her hand began to shake in his hair, other scrambling to stabilise herself. Jin seemed to pick up on that, his grip on his hips become just a tiny bit firmer as he sent out more of his scent to reassure her, letting her know she could let go. In her attempts to hold onto her mind from not knowing if Jin would be ok with her being soft like that, she didn’t even notice Jin’s reassurance and he realised this himself.

Taking it into his own hands, Jin moved to the base of one of her ears and opened his mouth just a bit wider, letting his teeth graze over the edge making Y/n shudder before he pressed his teeth so gently into either side, gently nibbling at her ear and that did exactly what they both wanted. Y/n’s legs almost gave out as she completely relaxed onto Jin’s chest, his grip tightening to hold her up as she let him scent her, warm and soft in his arms, he slowly finished scenting her and getting high on her own scent when he pulled away just enough to speak to her, his own pupils dilated and chest rumbling happily.

“You did such a good job at helping me, thank you sweetheart” - The single line of praise was enough to have a sweet whine rip through Y/n’s throat as she tightened her grip on his hair and had him groaning into her head. Y/n giggled happily at his thanks and nuzzled into his chest.

“Come on, let’s get you to the couch, is that okay sweetheart?” - Jin asked and waited until he got a nod before slipping his hands, one down her side and behind her thighs and the other up behind her back before easily lifting her bridal style, his actions made a happy squeal leave Y/n’s mouth as her soft tail wrapped around his arm and her hands refused to move from his hair until he layed her down on the couch, a pillow under her head and blanket over her body. She nuzzled into the blanket that had been scented by each of the pack over time, huffing softly into the pillow under her head and kneading both items to get comfortable, her eyes closed with a happy smile on her lips and she fell asleep within two minutes. Jin loved how happy she was to sleep at pretty much any time of the day, it would make her the perfect little nesting mate for all of them.

Little did he know, she had left proof of exactly that in their nesting room, a warm and fuzzy nest filled with her scent, one she had made with each of them in mind, subconsciously promising her interest in them.

Jin stayed with Y/n until she was fully asleep, he left shortly after checking on her and when finding her happily purring away, cozy under the blanket, he decided to leave to do a few things he’d had planned for today and in exchange, he would get someone to sit with her so she didn’t wake up alone.

The only person who was not busy in that moment happened to be Yoongi, Jungkook would have been if he had not gotten a sudden call to arrange an appointment for a client and having to do a consultation about ideas and such. Yoongi was also on his way to the living room anyway so it seemed to work out perfectly, he just sat at the edge of the sofa next to a napping Y/n and took out his phone to scroll on.

His presence seemed to make her stir as her nose twitched, clearly sensing someone else in the room after Jin had left. It actually made her wake up, sleepily opening her eyes and looking to where he was sitting, finding him sitting comfortably but the thing that made her eyes seem to open just a tiny bit more was the silver ball between his lips, slowly sliding, the piercing that had been on her mind for a while before she slept and in her sleepy state, she found herself just blurting out the obvious statement from her head.

“You have a tongue piercing” - Her quiet words made Yoongi’s head snap towards her, eyebrows knitted together in slightly confusion as the silver ball slipped back between his lips.

“Yes?” - The way he said it might have seemed rude but he was just curious, and luckily Y/n noticed that and took it that way.

“I had no idea, suits you” - Her words were a mere mumble at that point, slowly drifting off again as her eyes drooped again, it then finally clicked to Yoongi what she had been staring at during lunch, it was what was making her so intrigued and that made him chuckle lightly, amused.

“It does doesn’t it” - Yoongi wasn’t cocky but he knew it fit in with his features, he got a hum in response from Y/n, his response had made her wake up slightly more however, no longer drifting back off as she didn’t say any more for a minute, just watching him quietly.

Yoongi knew of course, instead of saying anything he instead just went back to his phone and continued running the piercing over his lips, Y/n watched him doing so intently before quietly stretching out her arms and legs. In doing so she kicked Yoongi’s thigh but he didn’t take any notice, ignoring her actions and that seemed to confuse her. So, following her mind she did it again, gently obviously but with intention this time, and when he didn’t react again, she waited a moment before doing it again, and again, not quite realising that she was intentionally trying to annoy him now, only playfully of course.

After the 5th kick to his thigh, Yoongi caught her ankle in his hand, making quick movements to pull her by said ankle until his arm was stretched out the other way, her thighs now ontop of his as she let out a quiet yelp of surprise, staring at him now with her lips slightly parted and eyes wide as she looked at him.

“Enough of that” - His words were firm but he didn’t sound annoyed at all, ignoring her actions once again even as she was positioned with her legs fully on and over his lap. This was almost funny to Y/n, fuelling the playful glint in her eyes as she giggled and felt her tail begin to swish underneath her. She took a quick glance at his phone and found he was just scrolling through socials feeds and wasn’t trying to find anything or do anything too important it seemed. With that in mind, she flipped onto her side on his lap ‘accidentally’ knocking his phone until it nearly fell out of his hands.

“Oops” - Y/n was smiling playfully as she said it, it made Yoongi actually look up at her this time, stopping all his movements and captured her eyes, seeing her blown out pupils as she waited for his next move, if any. It was intriguing to him how she could switch from shy and polite to so playful in a matter of seconds.

“Aish, so polite and sweet for Jin-hyung and like this for me, what’s that about hm?” - Yoongi waited for her answer with his eyes back on his phone and his words seemed to stun her for a moment as she didn’t notice how differently she would act around each of the men.

“You’re fun to tease, I like being good for Oppa” - Y/n’s tone had a spin of that sweetness she always had with Jin when she mentioned him. The answer made Yoongi chuckle, gummy smile on display and mesmerising to her before he shook his head, smiling falling as he caught her eyes again.

“And you don’t like being good for me?” - His words made Y/n’s breath hitch, she tried to think about it but couldn’t think of a time she’d been like she was with Jin for Yoongi.

“Ah right, you’ve never exactly been good for me” - Yoongi answered his own question immediately after asking it, finding Y/n’s mouth opening and closing as she tried to find an excuse

“I would praise you if you were good for me you know, you’d be all happy and bubbly after” - Yoongi knew she liked that, even without experiencing it himself much, the way she reacted for his pack mates when they praised her was enough for him to know he was right.

“Your fun to play with” - Y/n’s words seem to form with a small smile but she did wonder what it would be like to be sweeter and more chilled out around Yoongi, if he was gentle or teasing, with words or small actions like pats on her head.

“I’d be more fun if you just behaved” - He said it trying to seem irritated but he couldn’t hide the small smile pulling at his lips.

“And what good would that do me?” - Y/n said it playfully rolling her eyes to provoke him

“Maybe just try it and see hm?” - Yoongi’s voice seemed to drop multiple octaves when he said that and it did well to keep her quiet, her words dying on her tongue.

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Jungkook eventually took Y/n home as she had a art piece to begin, their drop off went as usual, Y/n falls asleep in the car, Jungkook walks her to the door and when she’s inside he gets a kiss that made her even more embarrassed than usual as she remembered what had happened earlier that day and got shy under his amused gaze. Practically screaming into her pillow when he left, not fully processing the entire day until she was in her own room.

Not only had that happened with Hoseok and Jungkook but she had nested in their pack nesting room with consideration of each members potential preferences, her hybrid side trying to impress them, that alone had her screaming into her pillow again but this time at herself embarrassed at doing something so emotionally intimidate and suggestive when she wasn’t even in their pack. She also had no idea how they would even react, if they would ever mention it, what they would say.

Instead of thinking, Y/n threw herself into the shower and got on with the commission she was meaning to begin, refusing to even look at her phone after thanking Jungkook for a lovely day and a thank you for driving her there and back too. She refused to check for a response and anything else, putting her phone on silent and leaving it as a problem for future her, tomorrow Y/n.

In Bangtans pack home, Y/n’s scent lingered pleasantly strong in the living room and a little in the kitchen. It was strongest in the nesting room but, every room further than the communal living spaces (kitchen, living room ect) were smell proofed to keep scents in rooms, with the door closed no one had any idea what was waiting for them in the room, besides Hoseok who was too busy to have it at the front of his mind for a few hours.

Jimin got home shortly after Y/n left while Namjoon came last, Namjoon had a quite set out routine for straight after he would get back, to help his depart from a work mindset and relax. He’d get in, hang up his coat, greet everyone, shower, change and take 10 minutes or however long he needs to just stop and detach from his day and to refocus his mind before he would go out to everyone. It worked everytime, everyone knew his routine too so he went about it as usual but he’d had a particularly rough case that day so he wanted to spend his unwind time in the nesting room. He’d freshly showered, hair almost dripping still when he made his way to the nest room, not expecting the sweet strawberry scent that would hit him the moment he opened the door, so strong it would almost have him stumbling back. It wasn’t unpleasant, it was delicious to him actually but just unexpected and very strong.

Namjoon could feel a rumble start to grow in his chest as he walked in, from his hybrid observing and trying to understand what was and had happened. There was a perfect nest, heavily scented by Y/n with a little underlying scent of Hoseok and Jungkook, every edge seemed to have been touched up and perfected before she left, it was far from rushed. The pride in his chest was growing by the second when he realised she had made this nest for presentation, leaving it neat for them to find, an offering or perhaps a request. It was clear she had used it, along with the two boys but afterwards she had neatened it up for viewing, or perhaps use. In the middle of a room so full of their scents, filling it up with her happy scent it was like heaven, like he finally felt complete.

Namjoon didn’t even have to sit down in the nest to feel recharged and his stress dissipating as if it never existed, time seemed to disappear around him as 20 minutes passed by in what felt like only 1 or 2. He only moved from his frozen stance when Jin came looking for him, finding him in the room and being almost as stunned as he was by the view and smell inside, he had to take a good look around, almost analysing every little placement as he started to pick out things his pack members would take special liking too, and that he would take special liking too, just like Y/n had hoped. Even if he was more than happy and relaxed in the room he had to know some context, especially as the wolf hybrid in the room was standing with an almost puppy like look in his eyes as he scent beamed around him.

“Joonie, you okay?” - First of all Jin wanted to check up on his mate but when he made eye contact with him he could tell he was more than okay, warm and happy, then it was time to talk to Hoseok and Jungkook to find out what had happened, not that he was complaining.

Jin brought Namjoon back out into the living room but the sweet scent of the nesting room stuck to him and where everyone was regrouped in the living room, no one could resist bringing him close and sniffing, taking in the warmth in the scent mixed with his own. All while waiting for a flustered Jungkook and surprisingly calm Hoseok to explain. They kept it brief, not going into too much detail as not to give too much out and risk upsetting Y/n but Taehyung sat knowingly the entire time, while not being in the room, witnessing what had happened.

Every member who wasn’t aware of the events before (4 of them) were both extremely surprised and truthfully excited at the events, especially when Jin brought it back around to the topic of the nesting room, where everyone found themselves going. They seemed to form a half circle around the bed, staring for moments even if they had already seen it before Jimin couldn’t resist any longer and launched himself into the nest, happily making himself comfortable and making a noise closest to a purr, a vibrating rumble in his chest, his pupils dilated and he held onto parts of the nest tightly but made sure not to mess it up in any way. He was followed quickly by the rest of the members who found themselves having favourite aspects and spots of the nest.

It took a lot of convincing for them all to leave to get into pajamas, any thoughts of their day forgotten as they put on a movie that was barely being watched, each finding themselves far more interested in taking in the pretty best Y/n had made for them, taking every single moment they had to relax in it. Her scent was taken in hungrily by each of the members, happy and relaxed noises falling naturally from each of them, only wishing Y/n was really there in that moment. No one had to address the truth behind the nest, that it meant Y/n was putting forward her own feelings or atleast beginning too and each of them found themselves thinking of ways to court her, to show her how they felt back. She hadn’t just left a piece of clothing or a small gift in one or two of the members bedrooms or anything that would mean she only felt this way towards a few and not all of them, she had made them a nest, in their nesting room where each of their scents were present and they happily held onto that knowledge, that acceptance.

Jungkook couldn’t help but take out his phone, snapping a picture where you could see each and every one of his mates relaxing in the nest in various positions and hesitating for a second before captioning it “pretty nest” and sending it to Y/n with no other context. It was evident how happy they were, with Yoongi’s dopey smile behind his black hair that had been growing quite long recently, Jimins comfortable position on his front with one leg bent up, Taehyungs sleeping face resting on Namjoon’s thigh, Hoseok’s lazy position with his body slack against a pillow, Jin’s hands softly caressing the blankets and pillows she had used to make it and Namjoon’s head thrown back with that stunning smile. They finally felt complete.

All Y/n could do in response was throw her blushing face back into a pillow and screaming into it again, not even knowing how to reply other than “gym tmrw? 💖” as to change the subject but Kook could already see her reaction through the screen, smiling for hours before he happily drifted off.

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Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and pls lmk your opinions! Asks are open for drabbles and character interviews ect for Strawberry Princess. I really enjoyed this outcome even if it is a bit all over the place in terms of plot but next we will have some focus on members who haven’t had as many scenes!

ཐི♡ཋྀ

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taglist -

@m00njinnie @singukieee @maisyyyyyy @noortsshift @bunnybears-stuff @autherpj @simeonswif3 @kiki-zb @msrmimi

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

The story behind... "Lady, be good!" Ira Gershwin and George Gershwin

The story behind... "Lady, be good!" Lyrics by Ira Gershwin, music by George Gershwin

“Wouldn’t it be fun,” George Gershwin said to Fred Astaire when they were teenagers, “if I could write the score of a Broadway musical and you could star in it?” At the time, Astaire was dancing in vaudeville with his sister Adele, as he had been since he was five years old. Gershwin was the youngest “piano plugger” on Tin Pan Alley, pounding out the latest songs from Remick Music all day long. When he offered his own compositions to the publisher, he was told “You’re here to play songs, Gershwin, not write them.” However, in a few years, both men and their siblings were working on Broadway. George and Ira Gershwin were collaborating on their first Broadway musical, and the Astaires were set to star in it. George Gershwin saw the show, originally entitled Black-Eyed Susan, as an opportunity to infuse jazz into the Broadway musical. Initially, the script worried the Astaires with its hackneyed plot, but when Astaire heard the Gershwins’ first song for Black-Eyed Susan, “Oh, Lady Be Good,” his doubts were assuaged. Ira Gershwin had wedded his brother’s plaintive, bluesy melodic line to a 1920s catchphrase that implicitly asked a lady to be not good but bad. The song was so enchanting that the show’s title was changed to Lady, Be Good! The biggest hit to emerge from the show was “Fascinating Rhythm,” which refl ected the energetic pace of this quintessential Jazz Age musical. The music was part of a composition George had written as “Syncopated City,” inspired by the dynamic energy of New York. When he played it for his brother, however, Ira was befuddled by the intricate and irregular melody, its brief rhythmic phrases between sudden, unexpected rests. “What kind of lyric can I write for that?” he asked, then added, “still, it is a fascinating rhythm.” Suddenly he had a title, but it was excruciating work to complete the rest of the lyric. The brothers argued over verbal and musical accents, but Ira managed to find such everyday catchphrases as “What a mess you’re making” and “Won’t you take a day off ,” as well as clever rhymes (“I’m all a-quiver” / “shaking like a flivver”) that perfectly matched his brother’s tricky melody. He always said “Fascinating Rhythm” was “the hardest song I ever had to fit words to.” Another song, a ballad, was cut from the score in tryouts because audience reaction suggested it slowed the show’s all-important rhythmic pace. It had started out as the verse for a different song, but both brothers decided it was “a definite and insistent melody” that deserved to be a song in itself. Ira’s ability to hear the emotional meaning in an abstract musical melody is nowhere more apparent than in his realization that his brother’s melody was about yearning. His lyric describes a young woman’s longing to find the man of her dreams, but the character Ira created is no love-struck ingénue. She is a pugnacious woman who is so sure of herself that she speaks of him in the present rather than future tense: “Someday he’ll come along” but he’s already “the man I love.” The melody is one of George Gershwin’s most passionately insistent, employing his characteristic way of beginning a phrase on a rest to give it more ardency. Ira’s lyric underscores that ardency with subtle internal rhymes (“Some day he’ll come along”) and rich long vowels: “Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day.” After it was cut from Lady, Be Good!, “The Man I Love” was placed in another show, only to be cut again. Then it was used in a third show, which never made it to Broadway. “The Man I Love” might have remained at the bottom of the Gershwin trunk of unused songs had not Lady Edwina Mountbatten heard George play it at a party and asked for the sheet music. London orchestras picked it up, the song passed to black jazz bands in Paris, and it quickly became so popular in Europe that it was published in America. “The Man I Love” was the only hit by the Gershwin brothers that did not emerge from the score of a Broadway show or Hollywood musical. Read the full article

[sciencestyled]

The Unlikely Prelude to Gene Therapy: The Curious Incident of the Beagle in the Night-Time

It was a crisp, fog-laden evening in London when I, Dr. John Watson, found myself embroiled in a series of events most bizarre, which, unbeknownst to me at the time, would culminate in the penning of an article on gene therapy. The tale begins with Sherlock Holmes in a state of what can only be described as 'scientific fervor,' a condition precipitated by his unexpected inheritance of a beagle, named Charles (after Mr. Darwin, of course), from a grateful client.

Holmes, in his infinite curiosity and with a penchant for the dramatic, decided that Charles was to be the centerpiece of an experiment - not of the cruel variety, mind you, but one that involved the tracking of scent through the labyrinthine streets of London. The objective was to ascertain the limits of canine olfaction, a pursuit that Holmes assured me was of "utmost importance to the science of detection."

And so, we set out into the night, Holmes, Charles, and myself, trailing behind the beagle who, with nose to the ground, led us on a merry chase through the city. Our journey was abruptly halted, however, by an unexpected encounter with a young geneticist, distraught over the loss of her research notes on gene therapy. As fate would have it, Charles had led us directly to her, having picked up the scent of her lunch, which, coincidentally, had been packed in the same bag as her notes.

The geneticist, Dr. Emily St. Clair, was a vision of modern scientific passion, her eyes alight with the fire of intellectual pursuit. In gratitude for the return of her notes, she invited us to her laboratory to discuss her work on gene therapy, a subject of which Holmes and I knew little but were eager to learn.

What followed was a night of revelation. Dr. St. Clair elucidated the complexities of gene therapy with such clarity and enthusiasm that even Holmes, with his encyclopedic knowledge, was visibly impressed. She spoke of vectors and CRISPR-Cas9 with a fervor that matched Holmes's own when he was on the scent of a particularly puzzling case. The notion that one could "edit" the very essence of a living being to cure diseases was, to us, as revolutionary as the discovery of DNA itself.

Our discussion ventured into the philosophical, touching upon the ethical implications of gene therapy and the potential for misuse, subjects that Holmes found particularly intriguing. The parallels between the meticulous planning required for gene therapy and the detective work Holmes and I engaged in were striking. Both required precision, a deep understanding of complex systems, and the moral fortitude to pursue the greater good.

As the night waned, Holmes, ever the visionary, posited that the principles of gene therapy could one day be applied to more than just the curing of diseases; they could be used to enhance the very fabric of human life. Dr. St. Clair, while cautious, did not dismiss the idea, suggesting that such advancements were perhaps decades into the future, but within the realm of possibility.

It was then, in the dim light of Dr. St. Clair's laboratory, surrounded by vials, papers, and the gentle snoring of Charles, that I was struck by a profound realization. The work of Dr. St. Clair and her peers was not unlike the investigations Holmes and I undertook. They were detectives in their own right, unraveling the mysteries of the human genome to better the condition of mankind.

Inspired by the night's events and with Holmes's encouragement, I decided to write an article on gene therapy, aiming to demystify the science for the layman while highlighting its potential to revolutionize medicine. Holmes suggested the title "The Peculiar Case of Gene Therapy: A Deduction Beyond the Microscope with Dr. Watson," a nod to our adventures and a testament to the boundless possibilities that lay within the human genome.

As dawn broke over London, Holmes, Charles, and I made our way back to Baker Street, our minds abuzz with thoughts of genetic codes, vectors, and the future of humanity. Little did we know that our nocturnal escapade would lead to an exploration of one of the most promising frontiers in modern science. And so, with a sense of purpose and a newfound respect for the field of genetics, I set pen to paper, eager to share our discovery with the world.