#if you read all that hope you enjoyed. drink some water. give yourself a pat on the back. i love you.

[allygatoor]

i think it's time that we as a society realized that actually eternals wasn't bad it was just not standard marvel fare and that's okay

[daisygirlwrites]

TF 141 comforting you after a heartbreak (drabble + headcanons)

note: continuation of this fic but can be read on its own. No use of (Y/N)

pairings: Task Force 141 x fem!Reader (Platonic), König x fem!Reader

a/n: hey hey, i really enjoyed writing this and i hope you all enjoy reading this! thanks for your support <3

taglist: @bobfloydsgf , @warenai , @devilsfoodcake22 , @imalovernotahater , @cutiecusp , @allen-444

They watched you with sad eyes. Even with your hood on and mask pulled up, they could see through you. For months, they knew about your relationship with König and honestly, they should have said something to you. But they would be lying if they said they didn’t go through the same thing at some point. This wasn’t a punishment or a lesson to you; it’s not selfish for wanting something happy and normal in the kind of life that they live. 

The task force came out on the tarmac to say their goodbyes to the KorTac team. Thankfully but painfully for you, it was short and sweet. You weren’t sure how long you could hold yourself together. König was the last one in line and the only one that you pulled down your mask for. Both of you gave each other a smile before going into a hug. At that point, you didn’t care and you held onto him tight. His hands quickly find themselves on the small of your back and your waist. König closes his eyes, taking in your scent. But after a few seconds, you had to let go. 

“Ich liebe dich,” he said quietly as he pulled away. 

“Ich liebe dich auch,” you whisper back. 

The team watched the plane start up. And as it rises, they begin to walk towards the buildings but you remain in the same position. As the aircraft got smaller as it went farther away, you felt your heart sink, the stabbing pain feeling too much to ignore. You finally broke. 

Before he entered the building, Soap looked over his shoulder. He only sees your back but he watches your shoulders tremble. Without a second thought, he starts walking back towards you. However, it was Ghost that pulled him back. 

“Let’s give her some time,” he says. The team takes one last glance at you before heading inside.

Price:

The first person that talks to you about it after a few days. You get called into his office, thinking not much of it. You greeted him with a small smile but he sees how exhausted you are. Price thinks carefully of his next words, not wanting to make you more upset or uncomfortable. 

You don’t make eye contact with him at first, knowing that seeing his worried expression would make you break down. But eventually, you do tell him. You kept it vague, not wanting to take the risk. However, when Price tells you a story of his younger days on the field, you finally spill the whole thing.

It was painful to recount memories, causing you to start crying. 

He gives the best hugs. And he holds you tight, letting you sob on him. He gently pats your back, muttering, “It’ll be okay, love.”

Once you’ve calmed down, he’d either get you some water or tea. 

“Am I in trouble?” You ask him in between sniffles.  “No, love. I won’t report on this,” he informs you. “If you get punished, I should have been punished years ago.”

He continues to give you advice, talking about his past and the lessons he’s learned about relationships.

“Sometimes things work out and sometimes it doesn’t, that's just life.”

Price gives you one more hug, quietly telling you that he’s always there for you.

Gaz:

It was a few days after your talk with Price, you only came out of your room every once in a while with the exceptions of missions and training. Oh, and picking up the guys when they went out to drink. 

It was like the first few months of you joining the team; you didn’t talk as much and even when you smile at the boys, they can see a hint of sadness in your eyes.

You hear a knock on the door one night and you open to see Gaz and a set of keys in his hand. “I was told to go on a supply run, wanna come with?” He asks you. 

Kyle knows you well enough that you wouldn’t say no to helping someone out, especially if it’s your team. He did feel a little bad though, it looked like you haven’t been sleeping well. But you went with him anyway.

As you double check the list, you almost missed Gaz walking through the ice cream aisle. Catching up with him, he turns around, holding your favorite flavor. 

You chuckled, “That’s not on the list.” “Come on, my treat?” “Now how can I say no to that?”

Gaz convinced you into a movie night, letting you pick. But neither of you were really paying attention, opting for a conversation instead

“Was it really that obvious?” You ask him “Honestly, yeah,” he looks back at you, “Both of you are surprisingly easy to read but what really confirmed it for us is when you two stayed back here the other night”  Gaz takes another spoonful of his ice cream before speaking again, “Hard to hide love, I guess.”

You kind of feel lighter. The not so secret is out and you can properly talk about it without the risk of getting in trouble. Gaz would ask questions and you'd answer. It was a relief

You couldn't help but tear up, recounting your memories with König, but Gaz was there to support you. Giving you the tissue box and seeing if you want to continue talking. He'd offer you advice but most importantly, he's the shoulder you can lean on.

Soap:

First and foremost, he gives you a great bear hug, the kind that slightly lifts you up from the ground

Like Gaz, he’d get you something sweet. Probably your favorite kind of chocolate or pastries. That’s how he helped his sisters through their breakups

Technically, what you’re going through isn’t really a breakup but Johnny knows heartbreak when he sees one

Like everyone else on the team, he lets you talk. He’s happy that you’re letting him in though hearing your voice crack a few times hurts him just a tiny bit. 

By the end of you venting, again, you were nearly in tears but you were trying to hold it together. 

Soap sees this, he knows enough that by letting go, you’ll feel better. So, he encourages you to cry. 

“I’m tired of crying and honestly, I look ugly doing it,” you huffed, hands coming up to cover your face. “Oh pish posh! Everyone looks ugly when they cry!” Johnny exclaims. “Plus, it’s better to let things out than in, like a fart.”

You look up at him, giving him a bewildered look as he smiles like an idiot. It was silent for a moment, but it was broken with your sudden laughter.

He hated seeing how miserable you were and the fact that he made you smile, hell, laugh out loud, it was like a weight being lifted from his shoulders.

You didn’t cry that night and you saw it as a good thing. Before he leaves, you thank him.

“Nothing heals better than time and laughing,” Johnny tells you and he gives you one more hug

Ghost:

After hearing the rest of the guys helping you and giving you support, he doesn’t see the need for him to come up to you. Like, what else can he say or do that the others already have?

Dude just gave you a pat on the head and walked away, leaving you a bit confused

But in all honesty, Ghost feels guilty. He clearly remembers that night, encouraging you to go after the Austrian. He thought you two were just going to hook up (hell, he even bet 50 pounds on it) but he didn’t expect for you guys to develop a relationship

Your mood doesn’t affect missions. Though, he hated how you were quiet again outside of the field. It was like a reminder of how he treated you during your first few months when you joined the team and now, in a way, it was his fault again. 

Neither of you bring it up during training or when you go out with the boys. Seeing how long it took for you to turn back to “normal”, if he said something about it, your progress would be ruined

But even when you feel like you’re getting better, there are just some days that are difficult

The team had a day off and Ghost wanted to throw knives, knowing that activity helped you guys have a proper conversation. Yet, he can’t find you in your normal spots

After asking around, he makes his way up to the rooftop. You had your hoodie on and a cigarette between your fingers. You mentioned to him that you quit smoking back in college but you had one every once in a while to relieve stress. This is the first that he’s seen

Forgetting about the plans for knife throwing, he joins you instead. It was a comfortable silence between you two and honestly, you preferred it that way. 

Eventually, he spoke up:

“I’m sorry,” he starts. You glanced at him from the side, giving him a puzzled look, “What for?” “Pushing you to him.”  You chuckled, “You’re very silly to say that.” It was his turn to look at you, staying quiet, waiting for you to explain. “You opened the door, I walked through it.” You turn around, back leaning against the railing. “It was my choice and I’m dealing the consequences,” you continued on “Still, should have stopped you,” he responded “Why didn’t you?” “Because you looked happy.”

[jebewonmorelike]

Honeydew Boba For Your Boyfriend?

wc: 1.9k pronouns: none used; n/a warnings: fluffy fluffyyy summary: gunwook desperately tries to save his hyung from himself when one glance at cafeowner!reader has gyuvin acting... delulu. ~masterlist~ ♡ ~kofi (no pressure at all)~ my introductory gyubinnie fic. the funniest little nugget of a boy, i adore him. just wanted to write a short fic to test the gyuvin waters (lmao what) so i hope you enjoy. will be working on some requests this weekend finally, sorry i just needed a little break for a bit! as always, much love to you all and i appreciate you reading and enjoying my writing soooo much :) &lt;3

"So that's a no on the 'Hyung Lover' tramp stamp?"

Gyuvin glares at his younger friend as they walk down the bustling city street. "People who think you're the smart one have clearly never spent more than five minutes with you."

"Five minutes is actually pretty generous," Gunwook replies after careful consideration. "So I probably shouldn't have told Yujinnie to get a matching 'Noona Lover' one then...?"

"Are you bored? Is the 17-hour-a-day schedule not enough for you?" Gyuvin asks rhetorically, pulling his phone out and checking his notifications.

"That's probably what it is," Gunwook replies sadly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I have a whole extra hour to myself every day and I can never figure out what to do with it."

Gyuvin shakes his head in disbelief, huffing out a laugh. "How about you do my laundry?"

Gunwook's eyes widen innocently. "Do you want me to? I can! I promise you can depend on me, hyung, I--."

"Where's this cafe again?" Gyuvin interjects, looking around at the storefronts lining the street. "We've gotta be back in the studio in twenty minutes."

"It's right there," Gunwook replies, pointing up ahead. The two boys walk the remainder of the way to Gunwook's new favorite cafe, the younger boy grabbing the door handle and holding it open for his hyung as they step inside the shop.

"Hi! How are you?" You call from behind your counter, wiping down some of your drink machines with a damp cloth before turning to greet your next customer. It's a quieter Wednesday afternoon than usual and you smile when you recognize the boy approaching the counter. "Hey, I know you."

"Did you see I made the line-up?" The boy named Gunwook asks with a proud smile. "Aren't you excited to tell everyone that an idol comes to your shop for coffee?"

You laugh at his endearing naivety, pointing to the back wall of your cafe where a line of framed celebrity pictures hang. "Not my first time around the block, kid," you joke, watching as his proud smile now turns sheepish. "But I will give it to you that out of all the idols that come in here, you're certainly the most adorable."

A gummy grin spreads across his face as you suddenly notice he's not alone. Behind Gunwook is an equally tall boy, his frame a bit slimmer and hair a bit lighter than your returning customer.

"Oh, hi," you greet hesitantly, as the boy makes eye contact with you; only for him to quickly duck back behind his friend.

"What are you--," Gunwook questions annoyedly, stepping to the side and pushing the other boy out from behind him. "What's wrong with you?"

The thinner boy is staring at you with wide eyes, chewing his bottom lip nervously. The blush on his cheeks tips you off right away as to what he's thinking.

This was hardly the first time you'd received this sort of look from a customer. You thought your product was good enough, but you had overheard gossip more than once that your cafe was the most "beautifully owned" in the city-- and they weren't talking about the decor. Perhaps that's why your celebrity clientele was more abundant than the average cafe.

"This is my hyung who made the line-up with me," Gunwook introduces, patting his friend on the back. "He's--... he's not usually this shy though."

He's cute, you catch yourself thinking, and the genuine look in his eyes admittedly makes you want to mess with him a bit. You needed some excitement after such a slow Wednesday afternoon... What was the harm in playing along?

Clearly unable to function, the other boy merely stands in front of you unmoving as Gunwook confusedly analyzes him. After a few moments, it seems that the younger boy catches on to his friend's thinking, too.

Gunwook looks back at you anxiously-- smiling as if he's not sure if he should pull his friend aside to scold him or not. "I--... Uh, I'll just have--."

"An iced Americano," you finish for him with a laugh, grabbing a plastic cup and writing his name on it in sharpie.

"Do I come here too often?" He jokes. "Should I start being more equitable with my coffee shop patronage?"

"Go ahead," you retort with a smirk. "Let's see if you can get away with 'accidentally' paying a thousand won less anywhere else."

Gunwook's jaw drops. "So you did notice... Why didn't you say anything!?"

You shrug. "I know you trainees don't have any money and I'm not really hurting for business, so it's no skin off my back. But now that you're an idol, I'm sure you'll be able to make it up to me somehow!"

Gunwook laughs abashedly. "Absolutely... I can pay you back with all of my idol money..." He grimaces. "Give me two years?"

"I'll hold you to it," you agree, attention returning to the older boy standing next to him; whose intense gaze on you hasn't let up for at least a minute now. "Are you--... are you gonna order something too, or...?"

Gunwook hits his friend's shoulder in a manner that is clearly supposed to be nonchalant, but the boy is predictably caught off guard and, thus, nearly falls to the ground. Catching himself, he swallows nervously as he meets your eyes again. "I--... Um... Yes."

"Ooookay," you reply with a nod. "What'll it be?"

"I'll have a bobo.”

"BOBA!" Gunwook yells quickly, hitting the boy's shoulder again. "He wants boba... Boba for the babo."

"Uh..." You stumble, fighting the urge to grin at the adorable duo of idiots in front of you. "Sure thing. What flavor?"

"You."

"DEW!" Gunwook yells again, laughing nervously as he grabs his friend by the shoulder and shakes him a little too hard. "Honeydew. I apologize for his pronunciation, he... grew up abroad!"

"Oh, really?" You ask excitedly-- perfect English suddenly flowing out of your mouth. "So did I! Where did you live?"

Both Gunwook and his friend are now staring wide-eyed and panic-stricken back at you. You're enjoying this quite a bit and you're not about to let them off the hook. They turn to each other wordlessly, blinking at each other for a moment before turning back to you.

"Ca-na-da," Gunwook's friend answers finally.

"Oh," you reply, eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. "Where in Canada?"

"Uh," the boy stumbles. "The... cold part?"

You blink back at the two tall boys, watching as they squirm slightly under your judging gaze. After you've had your fun, you grin up at them. "Yeah, sounds like Canada to me!"

The boys glance at each other before bursting into nervous laughter. Gunwook throws his arm around his friend's shoulder-- seemingly in relief.

"That'll be 14,000 won," you say; Gunwook starts to fish for cash out of his wallet (the easiest method to stiff you one bill) but he laughs sheepishly when you glare at him. Instead, he hands you his credit card to run through the register.

You hand the card back to the younger boy; grabbing a plastic cup for the boba and looking up at the boy who had ordered it. "What's the name?"

"Your boyfriend," the boy blurts immediately, Gunwook lifting his hand to his forehead to cover his eyes in embarrassment.

"I can't even help you out of that one," the younger boy mumbles, dragging his hand down his face tensely. "His name's Gyuvin and I clearly made a mistake by letting him out of his cage today."

"I'm so sorry," the boy named Gyuvin gushes, suddenly coming to his senses. "I'm sorry, I really didn't--."

"I'll get these drinks out for you both in a few minutes," you cut him off with a straight face as you turn around to your machines, not ready to let him relax just yet. You write Gyuvin's name down on his cup as the two boys walk over to a table to wait for their order.

As you prepare the iced Americano, your eyebrows raise as you hear what sounds like a smack-- followed by an "owwww" from the older boy.

"You're an idiot," you hear Gunwook whisper.

"I know, I know," Gyuvin responds quite glumly, causing you to giggle and subsequently have to cover it up with a cough.

Pouring the milk tea over the boba, you strain to overhear more of the boys' conversation.

"Seriously, hyung," Gunwook continues scolding. "How are you ever supposed to be an idol if you can't even control yourself around the local barista?"

You can hear the pout in Gyuvin's voice as he replies, "Don't pretend like the local barista isn't THE most gorgeous human to ever walk the planet."

"Really? Huh," Gunwook considers genuinely. "I don't see it."

You hear a chair slide back abruptly as Gyuvin yells, "ARE YOU BLIND!?"

You glance over at the boys, who immediately shoot you awkward, overenthusiastic grins as you turn back around.

Gunwook sighs. "Well if you really think that, you've royally messed this up for yourself."

"I dunno... Some people are into weird," Gyuvin responds optimistically and the silence that ensues paints a vivid picture of the undoubtedly hellish death glare that Gunwook is giving him.

Snapping a lid on both drinks, you pull two straws from the container next to the cash register and place one on top of each of the drinks. Before you call the two boys over to grab their order, you smile to yourself as you pick up your sharpie one more time and remove the cap-- carrying out the final phase of your little game...

"Okay, all set!" You call, watching as the boys' heads snap to look at you, awkwardly gathering their things as they rush quickly back up to the counter.

"Thank you SO much," Gunwook says, picking up his iced coffee. "And sorry again."

"I'm so sorry," Gyuvin echoes, nodding at you apologetically. He picks up his boba, eyebrows furrowing suddenly as he examines it. "What is this?"

"Honeydew boba," you answer, running the back of your hand across your forehead. "Just like you ordered."

Gyuvin continues to frown in confusion. "But I hate boba--."

"That's right! You hate it for making you love it so much!" Gunwook swoops in once again as he places a hand on his friend's shoulder, turning him around and forcing him towards the door. "Thanks again!"

"Thank you!" Gyuvin calls as Gunwook opens the door for him and ushers him out of the shop, a small "I think" reaching your ears as the door closes behind them.

~

"I can't believe you," Gunwook groans as the two boys walk down the street back to the studio. "Now I can never go back there again. It was so convenient!"

"Why can't we go back there again?" Gyuvin pouts, sipping his boba and frowning at the taste. "It didn't go THAT badly!"

"You tried to order boba in the flavor of the cafe owner!" Gunwook cries.

"Huh, is that what this is?" Gyuvin says, looking at his drink. "Maybe it's not so bad after all..."

"I'm requesting our lunch breaks are shortened," Gunwook announces, sipping his coffee. "I can't spend this much unstructured time with you."

Gyuvin raises his cup to eye-level, swirling it around as he watches the tapioca pearls dance. His eyebrows furrow as he suddenly notices something scribbled on the cup. "Oh my god."

"What!?" Gunwook says, following Gyuvin's line of sight. "What is it? Let me see!"

Gunwook takes the cup from his hyung, squinting to read the small sharpied writing towards the bottom of the plastic cup. "No way," he breathes as he takes in the sight of the phone number, a small message written under it:

in case you ever want to grab a drink that you actually like :)

[pursuedbyamemoryy]

Hope you're having a good day/night! I come with a request if you want to write it (if not then that's cool!) What about a Charles Smith x reader where it's like 2 or three months after leaving with him to help the Wapiti people and reader finds out shes pregnant, and is super worried to tell him because of everything going on, of course he finds out though.

a promising future

☆ thank you for requesting! i love charles so much and i had fun writing this, i hope you enjoy reading <3 !!

warnings - pregnancy ( lmk if i'm missing any ! )

w/c - 1.8k

it had been nearly three months since the downfall of the van der linde gang. you and charles had decided to stay up north with the wapiti people and help them get to safety, rather than go back to beaver hollow. this gang had meant a lot to you, and the fact that it was falling apart was hard for you. you were close to so many members, including a couple who had unfortunately already passed away. you knew it was inevitable, but you had decided you’d rather not see the absolute end, so you stayed with charles. he was all you needed anyways, he was the love of your life, and he meant everything to you.

you and charles helped rains fall and the wapiti people pack up and move up north to canada, helping them get away from colonel favours and the army, in hopes of giving them as much freedom and peace as possible. you were happy to help, rains fall and his people were nothing but kind to you, and they deserved the best they could get. however with the stress of helping them out, you started to feel sick, and oh so exhausted. it’s just stress. i’m not resting enough. i haven’t been drinking enough water. you tried to convince yourself. deep down you knew that wasn’t true, but you didn’t want to add any more stress to you or charles’ life.

you and charles hadn’t exactly been careful when you’d slept together recently. you hadn’t had much time to yourselves, so you took advantage of every moment alone, which resulted in neither of you caring about where he finished. you had been around when abigail was pregnant with jack, and you had a lot of the same symptoms she did back then. there was no doubt in your mind that you were pregnant, and you were terrified.

you wanted to tell charles, you really did, but with everything going on these past few months you could never find a good time. you figured the last thing he needed right now was to be told that he was going to be a father, that you had a baby on the way. you knew that normally, under any other circumstances he’d be happy. but now he was working day and night, doing what he could to help the tribe get settled, helping with the sick, and getting them what they needed. you didn’t want him to worry about you and your baby on top of that.

you knew charles had noticed you were out of sorts, of course he had. he was very observant when it came to you especially, and you caught him looking at you worriedly here and there over the past few weeks. he knew you’d come to him when you were ready to talk, so he didn’t pry.

you were lost in your thoughts, helping with the laundry with some other tribe members. you heard someone come up behind you and rest their hand on your shoulder, you knew immediately who it was. he brushed your hair to the side, kissing your neck gently. you leaned into his touch, humming happily.

“hi charles” you said with a smile.

“hi, my love,” he said, placing another soft kiss to your jaw. “i was going to go out and hunt and get something for dinner, i was wondering if you’d like to come with me?”

you smile, and nod. “yeah sure, i’m just about finished with laundry anyways.” you wrung the water out of the shirt you were washing, laying it out on a rock to dry. standing up, you wiped your hands on your skirt and turned around to face charles, grabbing his hand as he led you to your horses.

“have you found any good hunting spots around here yet?” you say, patting taima gently and making your way over to your own horse, tightening his saddle and giving him a sugar cube.

“i found one decent spot close to here that had a bunch of deer, other than that i haven’t had much time to hunt.” he made sure taima’s saddle was secure and mounted her, waiting for you to do the same.

you hummed in response, mounting your own horse and riding beside charles out of the tribe’s current camp.

the ride was quiet, but not awkward. there was a lot of comfortable silence between the two of you, which you never minded. he led you a short while away from camp to a grassy clearing next to a thick grove of trees, where you saw a herd of deer lazily grazing.

he held his finger up to his lips, motioning you to be quiet so you didn’t scare away the deer. you nodded, slowly and quietly getting off your horse and drawing your bow from your saddle bag, charles doing the same.

you crouched down next to him, stealthily making your way closer to the deer. you got close enough that you’d be able to land a good shot, but still far enough away that you wouldn’t scare the herd. you both drew your bows, aiming at different deer. charles landed a clean shot, and while yours wasn’t as clean you both managed to take down the two deer with just one arrow each.

charles looked over at you with a smile, “nice work as always, my love.” he grabbed one of your hands, kissing the back of it gently.

“i could say the same to you.” you said with a smile.

you both stand up, making your way over to the deer, slinging the one you killed over the back of your horse and securing it. usually a quick hunt such as this wasn’t too tiring, but you were quickly starting to feel exhausted. you watched as charles secured his deer on taima’s rump. he then made his way over to you, looking into your eyes deeply, as if he could read all your thoughts.

“are you feeling okay? i know we’ve had a lot going on but you seem... distracted?” he took your hands in his.

you took a deep breath. you needed to tell him. he deserved to know. god, how do you even tell someone this? would he be upset? would he be excited? your mind was racing, your hands shaking in his. you started to tear up, your anxiety taking over.

“hey, hey, it’s okay.” he pulled you in for a hug, running his hand up and down your back comfortingly.

you rested your head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, trying to collect yourself and your thoughts. charles didn’t press further, he just continued to hold you until you were ready to talk.

you took another deep breath and took a step back, looking him in the eyes. tell him. he looked worried. tell him. he continued to run his hand up and down your back comfortingly. tell. him.

“i’m pregnant.”

he stiffened slightly, his eyes going wide. “really?” he looked you up and down slowly. “you’re actually…?”

you nodded, looking away from him and at some random spot in the dirt. “yes. i’m sorry, charles.” you said quietly.

“sorry? my love, why are you sorry? this is great news!” he replied immediately, his hands moving to cup your face gently.

“we’ve had so much going on lately… i was worried that you’d be upset because we’ve been so stressed between everything that’s happened between the gang and the tribe...” you rambled, pausing for a moment. “you’re happy then?” you looked back at him, your eyes starting filling with tears once again, this time happy ones.

“of course i’m happy. sure we’ve been busy, but i love you, and i’m more than excited to start a family with you. in fact i’ve been wanting to start a family with you, and now that we’re out of the gang, we don’t have as much to worry about. no more bounties on our heads and pinkertons breathing down our necks.” he grinned. “and i have to be honest, i suspected you might be pregnant, but i hadn’t had an opportunity to talk to you about it.” he chuckled, wiping a stray tear that slipped down your cheek. he looked you in the eyes, then leaned down to place a soft kiss on your lips.

he wasn’t upset at all. he wants this, he wants a family. he’s happy. you kissed him back, wrapping your arms behind his neck.

you let out a sob as you pulled away, tears flowing down your cheeks. “i’m so glad.” you laughed, relieved. of course he was happy, why wouldn’t he be?

you giggled as he peppered kisses across your face, kissing away your tears. he pulled you in for another kiss on the lips, soft, sweet, and passionate. you didn’t pull away until you were both out of breath, resting your forehead against his.

“i love you.” you sighed.

“i love you so much.” you stayed like that for a moment before he reached into his satchel and pulled out a little envelope excitedly. “i almost forgot to tell you, i got us a place. it’s not much as of right now, but i’ll fix it up real nice for us. for our family.” he showed you the deed, which confirmed his statement.

you grinned, kissing him again. “oh charles, this is wonderful, thank you. thank you so much. how did you even afford this?”

“i’ve been saving as much as i can from all the jobs we used to go on while we were in the gang. it wasn’t much at first, but it added up.” he smiled. “we’ll still help out the tribe, of course, but i thought it was about time we got a place of our own. i want our baby to live a better life then we have, and i’ll do anything to make that happen, you hear?” he grabbed your chin gently. “i’ll do anything to make you and our baby happy, because if you’re happy, im happy.” he pulled you in for a hug, kissing the top of your head gently.

you stayed like that for a while, the rest of the world around you forgotten. for all you cared it was just you and charles in that moment. eventually as the sun started to sink below the trees, you decided it was time to head back to camp, lest the spoils of your hunt go to waste. you mounted your horses and made your way back to camp together, happier then you had been in a while. for once your future looked promising, and you were more than happy to be spending it with charles, and eventually your baby.

[lolanoelle]

Eddie takes care of you while you’re sick.

Since I am still newer to writing fanfiction, I am putting a little disclaimer here. I am going to be writing a few small pieces here and there using the characters from my previous series called one drunken night. In that fanfiction, Y/N and Eddie have a daughter named Ellie who is three and recently just got together. It isn’t completely necessary by any means to read to small series before reading this that I am about to put out, but you are more than welcome to. Since I am still navigating the world of writing fanfiction, this is how I am most comfortable writing. I will put the link to the first part of that series below. I hope you enjoy :)

You were laying in bed feeling completely miserable. You knew you should have expected catching the flu working at a daycare, but you didn’t think it would be as bad as it was. It had started with your daughter Ellie catching it first, since she attends the daycare that you work at. Thankfully, she had recovered pretty quickly and was feeling alright. You, however, could not seem to get better no matter what you tried. You had followed the same advice that the doctor had given you to help Ellie get better, but it didn’t seem to be working in your favor. You were resting, drinking as many fluids as possible and trying to eat when possible, but nothing was helping your state.

“Hey baby how are you doing in here?,” Eddie asked softly, coming into the room and sitting down beside you gently.

“I feel awful,” You replied reaching your hand out to him.

“Have you taken your temperature at all today?,” He asked, reaching for the thermometer on your beside table.

“I haven’t had a fever in days Eds, the symptoms just wont go away no matter what I do,” You respond, sounding defeated.

“I think that maybe you should go to the doctor for yourself babe. It’s been over a week since you got the flu and you’ve only gone for Ellie, not yourself,” He stated, rubbing his hand over your arm.

“So they can charge me to tell me to drink more water?,” You questioned.

“They might be able to give you something to help with the symptoms and get you back to normal,” He said looking down at you with sympathy ,” I hate seeing you like this and I think we should do whatever we can to get you better.”

“I don’t know if they can do much else to help me Eds,” you stated feeling sorry for yourself.

“Okay how about we make a deal, I’ll make you something to eat and if you can keep it down, I’ll drop the subject. If you can’t, I’m calling the doctor and making the appointment for you myself,” He said, reasoning with you. You couldn’t deny him when he was just doing his best to look out for you.

“Fine, its a deal,” You replied giving in. He held out his hand for you to shake with a goofy smile on his face. You shook it like you were closing a deal at a car dealership and rolled your eyes at his antics but couldn’t help but put a small smile on your face.

“I’ll get started on making you some lunch then,” He replied getting up from the bed and releasing your hand. Your stomach churned at the thought.

“You know you must have a fantastic immune system. I don’t know how you haven’t gotten sick this whole time when you’ve been taking care of Ellie and I,”You stated to the man who was adjusting your blanket before walking out of your bedroom.

“A silly bug can’t take down Eddie Munson,” He stated puffing out his chest dramatically.

“Yeah yeah whatever,” You rolled your eyes and brought the blanket back up over your shoulders as he exited the room.

You had slightly drifted off to sleep when you felt a little body behind yours.

“Mommy get up,” Ellie said from beside you, gently patting your hair. You knew that she was trying to mimic how you stroked her own hair when you would gently wake her up in the mornings for daycare and it brought a smile to your face.

“Okay baby I’m getting up,” You reply to the girl and scooped her into your arms before walking out of the bedroom. You walk to the dining room and see Eddie scooping some tomato soup into bowls for the three of you. You put Ellie into her booster seat and make sure she is secured in it and sit down beside her. You hadn’t noticed how hungry you truly were until you looked at the meal in front of you and your stomach rumbled.

“Okay I got you a little bit of soup and a grilled cheese, that way you have some options. I also got you some water and some apple juice,” Eddie said, sitting down across from you. You realized that you had the same meal as your toddler and laughed a little bit.

“Thank you Eds I appreciate you so much,” You say looking at him lovingly. You start off slow and take a couple of small bites of the grilled cheese and wash it down with some apple juice. You felt relieved when you didn’t feel the need to immediately go rid your stomach of it contents. You polished off your sandwich and ate the majority of your soup and you were feeling pretty good about yourself.

“Guess who’s not going to the doctor?,” You ask rhetorically giving Eddie a smug look from across the table.

“Okay color me impressed,” Eddie responded, finishing his own meal and clearing the table of the empty dishes. You stand and get your daughter out of her booster seat and place her down on the ground beside you. She grabs your hand and starts to drag you to another room.

“Come play with me mommy,” she says, quickening her pace and you feel queasy at the sudden movement. You let go of her hand and run to the bathroom, dropping to your knees and feeling betrayed by your body as you rid your stomach of the once delicious lunch. You start to get yourself cleaned up and as you do you start to cry. You were so frustrated with yourself. You were doing so good and here you were now, disappointing both yourself and your daughter. You cry harder as you’re brushing your teeth and feel an arm close around your waist from behind and look up into the bathroom mirror to meet Eddie’s eyes.

“It’s okay baby,” He says, placing a kiss to your shoulder.

“I’m over this Eddie. I can’t even play with my own daughter. She probably hates me right now,” You say, finishing cleaning your mouth and turning around to meet him. He wraps his arms around you and you rest your head on his chest, still crying.

“She does not hate you, she could never hate you. We both understand that you don’t feel good. Can I please make you a doctor appointment now? I’ll even go with you if it will make you feel better,” He comforts you. You only nod in response, sniffling into his chest. He stays with you there for a few moments before leading you out to your living room and helping you get cozy on your couch. You hear him pick up the phone and call the doctors office, making your appointment for you.

“Okay baby, your appointment is tomorrow at 9am. I will call my boss and tell him I’m going to be late to work okay?,” He said, making your heart melt at how willing he was to take care of you.

“It’s okay Eds, we have both missed enough work because of this. If you can just get Ellie to daycare tomorrow morning, I can make it to my appointment myself.,” You replied.

“Are you sure baby? It’s really no problem,” He said, a look of concern across his face.

“Yeah I’ll be okay. I promise if I think I need help at all you’ll be the first person I call,” You respond.

“Alright that sounds reasonable. I’ll take Ellie to daycare tomorrow morning then, but please do not hesitate to call me at work. The guys at the garage can live without me if need be,” He says sitting down beside you. You set your head on his lap and he starts running his hands through your hair as you watch a movie that he had put on for Ellie. You fall asleep like that and wake up when Eddie is carrying you to your bedroom later that night. He gets you settled into bed and lays down beside you.

“Goodnight baby, I love you,” He says, placing a kiss to your forehead.

“I love you, too,” You respond, half asleep. You drift off into the soundest sleep you have gotten since having the flu.

You wake up the next morning to your alarm going off, telling you you would have to get ready and leave for your appointment soon. You get out of bed slowly, making your way to the kitchen just in time to see Eddie putting on Ellies shoes, about to leave with her.

“Good morning sleeping beauty,” He says looking at you and chuckling a little bit at your disheveled state.

“Good morning meanie,” You pout at him teasing you.

“Ellie go give mommy a hug, we gotta get you to daycare and daddy has to go to work,” He says while finishing up the laces on the toddlers shoes. She runs over to you and hugs you around your legs.

“Bye mommy I love you,” She says and looks up at you with her lips pursed, waiting for a kiss. You start to tear up a little.

“Honey, mommy doesn’t want to kiss you on the lips because she’s sick okay,” You crouch down bringing her into a hug. You felt the tears streaming down your face and into your daughters hair. You kiss the top of her head and wipe away your tears before you pull back to look at her ,” I love you so much baby I’ll see you later okay?”

“Okay mommy. Love you,” She says, walking back over to Eddie and grabbing his hand. She was so understanding and patient for a toddler and you felt so blessed. The thought made you cry a little more. Eddie walks over to you and places his hand on your face.

“Hey baby it’s gonna be okay, alright?,” He says comforting you ,” I made you some peanut butter toast and some tea. Try to eat it before you leave okay?”

“Okay,” Is all you can get out, leaning into his hand and wishing you could stay like that for longer.

“Alright I love you and ill be home before you know it. I talked to Steve and he is going to get Ellie from daycare and watch her until I get off of work. I’ll call you on my lunch to see how your appointment went.,” He says, kissing your forehead and pulling away from you.

“I love you, too,” You respond watching as he and Ellie make their way towards the door the leave. Once they do, you eat as much of your breakfast as you can and shower and brush your teeth. Before you know it, its time to leave for your appointment. You get into your car and make the drive to the office.

When you get to the office, you check in and wait for the nurse to call you back. Once she does she gets your vitals and starts asking about your symptoms.

“So you’ve been having some nausea and fatigue?,” She asks.

“Yeah, my daughter had the flu and I think I caught it from her. I had a fever for a few days and it went away but I still can’t keep anything down and I just want to sleep all day,” You respond.

“Okay, just a few more general questions and then the doctor will be in to see you. Are you sexually active?,” She asks looking at you.

“Uh, yes I am,” You reply, slightly blushing.

“When was your last menstrual cycle?,” She asks.

“Um, I actually don’t know. It’s hard to keep track of sometimes. ,” You respond trying to think ,” I just recently moved a couple of months ago and I had my period… right. Before.”

“Okay, well its possible with the stress of the move and you getting sick since you said you did have a fever, its throwing your cycle off, but just to be safe we will have you take a pregnancy test,” She stated looking at you. You heart started racing, you hadn’t even thought about the possibility of you being pregnant. The more you thought about it, the more you realized how similar the symptoms were to when you were pregnant with Ellie. But you did have a fever so it was probably just the flu and you were probably psyching yourself out for nothing.

The nurse got a urine sample from you and escorted you back to your room. You sat there a little bit anxiously until you heard a knock on the door, signaling that your doctor was here.

“Hello, Y/N. So we ran a few tests and it does look like you did test positive for the flu, but you should be just about over it. As you know, we did run a pregnancy test as well, and it also came back positive. Congratulations, you’re pregnant!,” Your doctor explained to you. You sat there in shock.

“I’m pregnant?,” You ask bewildered.

“Yes dear you are. I know your main complaint coming here was that you had some bad nausea and couldn’t keep any food down. We definitely don’t want that happening, as you need to keep hydrated for both you and the baby. I’m going to start you on some pre-natal vitamins and I’ll prescribe something to help with your nausea. I’ll get it sent over to the pharmacy now and it should be ready by the time you make it over there. Do you have any questions or concerns?,” She’s asks.

“Uh- no, I guess not,” You replied, still in shock.

“Alright, well you will have to follow up with an OBGYN, do you already have one or would you like me to recommend one for you?,” She continued going over the next steps in your pregnancy and you got all the information you needed from her. You left your appointment and were on autopilot. You stopped at the pharmacy and got your prescriptions and made your way home. You were sitting on the couch when the news you had received really hit you. You placed your hand on your lower stomach and started to cry. You were going to have another baby with the love of your life. You had wished that you had let him come to your appointment with you instead of telling him to go into work.

The day continued on and your nausea medicine was working like a charm. You decided to break the news to Eddie you would make him his favorite dinner to put him in a good mood. He had called on his lunch like he said he would and you told him about the nausea medicine and about how your doctor said you did have the flu, but you wanted to tell him about the pregnancy in person. You made one of his favorite dinners, pot roast will rolls and salad. You were happy to not get nauseas at the smell of the delicious food. Before you knew it, you heard a car pulling up out front and finished up setting the table just in time for Eddie and Ellie to walk through the door.

“Mommyyy!!,” Ellie exclaimed, running over to you. You scooped her up into your arms and pressed a kiss to her lips since you didn’t get to this morning.

“Hi baby I missed you,” You said to her.

“Wow, you must be feeling a lot better. You’ve even got some color back to you,” Eddie says walking over and tucks some hair behind your ear.

“I definitely feel better. Thank you for pushing me to go to the doctor. This nausea medicine is a miracle worker,” You say.

“Let me get one of those by the way,” He says, leaning in and connecting his lips to yours softly. You had insisted that he didn’t kiss you since you had been sick, and since he saw that you felt comfortable enough to give Ellie one, he should be in the clear as well.

“I made pot roast for dinner,” You said once he pulled away. His eyes light up.

“My favorite! Baby you didn’t have to do that,” He says.

“You’ve been taking care of me this whole time, I wanted to repay you,” You respond.

“Well you sure know the way to my heart,” He says as you both walk to the dining room where you already had everyone’s plates laid out. You eat dinner as Eddie talks about his day. You were getting antsy at the idea of telling him that you were going to have another baby. You decided to wait until after you put Ellie to bed to tell him the news. You didn’t know how he would take the news, as it could be stressful to account for another human being when it came to the bills. Diapers were expensive enough on their own.

You both get Ellie ready for bed and make your way back to the living room. You both sit on the couch and he puts a movie on. He starts to tell you a story about one of his customers for the day and you try your best to focus on it but you can’t help but think about the big news that you have to tell him.

“Hey, are you okay? You kinda spaced out on me there,” He says looking at you with concern.

“Eds I need to tell you something ,” You say turning towards him to face him fully and grab his hands in yours.

“What’s going on, is everything alright?,” He asked you.

“I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just going to come out and say it. I’m pregnant,” You said and searched his face for a reaction.

“Son of a bitch,” He said looking away. He looks back as your face and his eyes widen when he sees tears starting to form in your eyes ,” No honey, no I didn’t mean that towards you, I was just saying that because Harrington was right. I talked to him this morning about watching Ellie since you were going to the doctor because you were sick and he said he bets that you were pregnant and I actually made a bet and now I owe that fucker money.” He looks at you again chuckling a little after rambling on about Steve.

“So you’re not disappointed?,” You ask, looking up at him through tear filled eyes.

“Oh baby, how could I ever be disappointed about this,” He says sincerely.

“I know it wont be cheap to have another kid, I don’t want to put any strain on you,” You reply.

“I will have as many kids as you want to keep you happy. Ellie is the most perfect little girl I have ever met in my entire life, and I’m not just saying that because she’s half me. I’m saying that because she’s half you and I am so in love with you. I wouldn’t have this any other way,” He said, bringing you closer to him. You continue to cry, but now its because of the love you have radiating for Eddie.

“I love you so much,” You sniffle into him.

“Honestly I should have never bet Harrington in the first place, you’ve been crying an awful lot lately. That should’ve been a major clue,” He laughs.

“So how much do you owe him?,” You ask wiping your eyes and giggling a little with him.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” He replies, giving you a kiss on your forehead and then resting his head on top of yours as you lay your head on his shoulder.

“We’ve got to figure out how to tell Ellie. Oh my gosh we’ve got to tell Wayne! He’s going to freak out,” You state.

“Oh yeah he is. He loves the grandpa title. I can’t imagine how he’s even going to react.” He said chucking into your hair. You spent the rest of the afternoon talking about how to tell your family and discussing possible baby names. You felt at home

[cringefail-loser]

The Art of Screwing Up, by Mike Wheeler

SUMMARY: Mike Wheeler, (an absolute idiot), stupidly decides to procrastinate asking Will to senior prom, before it's too late. Watching his childhood crush dance with a girl is absolutely heart wrenching for him, but there's nothing he can do about it now... right? NOTES: Hey !! This my second ever byler fic, so soz if it kinda sucks. I'm in a really shitty mood because I said something horrible to my (ex) boyfriend and now he hates me, so I figured that writing fan fiction about it would get my mind off of things. Hope you enjoy !! Also, the song that plays at the end is "Dancing With Myself" by Billy Idol :)

warnings: mild language

words: 1.7k

also read it on AO3

I screwed up. It was as simple as that. I didn't ask Will to the dance in time, and now he's dancing with some random girl I don't even know. He looks like he's having the time of his life, and I'm standing over here in the corner of the room, shuffling my feet awkwardly while Dustin, Lucas, Max, and El are all laughing and drinking fruit punch. I'm such a loser. "But there's always next year, Mike!" You might be thinking to yourself. No. No no no no. This is senior prom, which means that it's the last dance of my life. At least, probably. Unless I become, like, super famous, and get invited to a bunch of super fancy parties or whatever, there is no other dance I can ask Will to. This is it.

I figured that, as much as it seemed like my only option in the moment, moping around wasn't the best plan of action, and maybe I should just, y'know, go talk to my friends like a normal person who doesn't have a prom date would do. 

I awkwardly make my way over to the snack table, and nonchalantly grab one of the mini bottles of water out of the plastic material that they're kept in. You know what I'm talking about. (If you don't, that's super embarrassing for me, and I'm sorry.) I tried my best to make my presence known to the rest of the party, but Max is the only one who does, and all she does is give me a little wave. Even Lucas, the friendliest member of our little group, doesn't even look my direction. My logical mind is saying that they're just too distracted with whatever they're talking about or doing to notice, but my emotional mind is saying that they're purposefully ignoring me because I did something to piss them off. The more I think about it, the more likely it seems. I guess I did make that one slightly mean joke to El about how she needs a haircut, when I know full well that she's very sensitive about her hair. Whatever it was, they were clearly pissed with me. 

Except for Dustin, apparently. 

He's chatting with Lucas about our most recent campaign (the one where I was clearly flirting with Will, but he didn't seem to take notice), when he spots me. He waves me over to where the pair is standing together. I awkwardly make my way over to them.

"Mike! Hey, man! I feel like we haven't seen you in forever," Lucas smiles. He gently pats me on the back. I don't know how to reply, so I just smile. "How have you been?" He asks, but I'm too distracted at the sight of Will, laughing and smiling as he dances and twirls with the brunette. Dustin takes notice and elbows my arm. 

"Are you really checking out Will at senior prom, instead of asking him to dance?"

"Look at him! He's having the time of his life with some random girl," I groan. "And why would he want to dance with me anyways?" 

"Because... you're super awesome and cool? And he clearly loves you?" Lucas suggests. I'm not sure about the second part, but the first part is totally accurate. 

"Thanks, man." I smile weakly. 

"So, are you going to ask him to dance, or what?" I hear Max from behind me. She's managed to roll her way over to us without me noticing. It's been a while since we've hung out. Ever since she's been using a wheelchair to get around, her mom never lets her leave the house. I mean, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea. Although, she did get her hair cut short, and I will admit, it looks pretty rad on her. 

"I-I mean-" 

"Just go do it, Mike." She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms "I'll help you, even." My eyes go wide.

"Really?" I ask. There is just no way that Max Freaking Mayfield is willing to help me. She basically hated my guts when we first met a few years ago. And for good reason. 

"Yes really, dumbass," She rolls her eyes once again. "c'mon, let's go!" She pulls on my arm with her one free hand, and drags me across the room, making her way through the crowd. I'm closer to Will than I have been in like a week.

"Ok." She speaks. "When I say to, you're going to go up to Will, and say 'Hey, do you want to dance?', got it?" I nod in response. I look over to Will again. He's sitting on the wooden bleachers, smiling and nodding to everything the girl he was dancing with says. A lump in my throat forms. Sure, most people at this point know that I like men (and women, but that's not really important right now), but still, asking another boy to dance in front of someone I don't know? What if she like, yells at me or something? You really never know with people. 

My heart is beating faster, palms covered in sweat, like I dipped my hand in a bucket of grease. I can feel myself heating up, the feeling boiling in my chest and sending a tingling sensation throughout my body. It's uncomfortable, but it only gets worse.

"Mike? Mike!" I hear Max yell. I look over to her, she has a concerned look twisted on her face. "Are you ok?" she mouths. My quickened breathing slows down to a light pant. "Dude, you like, totally zoned out there. It was weird. Is everything ok?" She asks. I nod like an idiot. "then get yourself out there, and ask Will to dance!" It's obvious at this point that she's tired of my shit, and honestly? Me too. I'm tired of my own bullshit. I've spent the past five months pining over Will, and doing literally nothing about it, basically clinging to him like a wet kitten, and always talking about him. But apparently, I don't even have the courage to ask him to dance? What's wrong with me? I'm going to take a deep breath, puff out my chest, go up there and ask Will to-

"Hey, Mike!" Apparently, Will had made his way up to me without me even noticing. Maybe I fell in love with a ghost instead of a real human boy. 

"o-oh! Hey, Will! Wh-what's up?" Why am I stuttering? I've talked to him like a bajillion times.

"Oh, not much, just, y'know, waiting for you to ask me to dance?" He grins. Wait. Did I hear him correctly? He wants me to ask him to dance? He's waiting for me to ask him to dance? Am I going insane?

Will notices my pause, and how I nearly choke on the air trapped in my lungs. "I-i mean, only if you want to? We don't have to dance. Sorry if that was weird."

"No!" I yell, maybe a bit too loudly, as a few people turn their heads my way. "I do want to. I do want to dance with you." His slight frown turns into the biggest smile I've ever seen on a person, and I swear to God, his eyes were glistening a bit. I turn to Max. She's motioning wildly to the dance floor.

"Go, you idiots!" She yells, playfully shoving us to the center of the room. Will looks at me. He places his arms on my waist.

"Wait." I furrow my eyebrows.

"Yeah? What's up?" He asks. 

'I've never danced with anyone before." I hate to admit it, but it's true.

"Honestly, I haven't either. At least- I've never slow danced with anyone. But I'm sure we'll figure it out." He grabs my hands and puts them on his shoulders, then he wraps his hands around my waist. He steps one foot backward. I'm not sure what to do, so I just stand there. He tugs on my arm a little bit, causing my to nearly topped forward on top of him. "Mike. you're supposed to dance with me, not just stand there." he laughs. But I'm nervous. There are dozens of couples surrounding us, and none of them are two boys or two girls. Or two of whatever. To make matters worse, a few of them are staring at us like we've just formed into one being with two heads. I can feel myself starting to panic again. 

"Mike, come on and dance with me! Everything's going to be fine." My head immediately snaps towards Will's directions once the words leave his mouth. "Just dance with me!" He smiles. I nod. "All you really need to do is shuffle your feet a little bit." I do as I'm told, and move my feet like I need to piss, but in slow motion. I can see Will is trying to stifle his laughter. I'm a little bit embarrassed at first, but once I watch him move around, I get into the flow too.

Right as I finally feel like I've got it down, the music is changing and all of a sudden everyone is jumping up and down and dancing at a fast pace. I feel disoriented and like all of a sudden, I'm all the way across the world at a different party. The whiplash doesn't seem to affect Will, though, as he's grabbing me by the hands and yelling at me to dance with him while he moves his body around, not exactly to the beat, but also not exactly to a different beat either. He's just moving around and having fun.

On the floors of Tokyo, or down in London town to go-go 

The crowd is singing along, and Will is screaming with them. You only live once, so why not join in?

When there's no one else in sight, in the crowded lonely night

Now we were having the time of our lives together. I had successfully danced with Will at senior prom. I didn't throw up, I stand in the corner all night, and most importantly, I didn't chicken out like I thought I would.

Maybe there were some things I could do right in life.

[that-salty-ghost]

As Above, So Below | Chapter 14: Puff, Puff, Pass 🚬 | Viktor [Arcane] // Male Reader | Rating: M Throughout

There was nothing refreshing or rejuvenating about that bath.

About 75% of it was spent in cold water since you didn’t give it enough time to warm back up and you nearly tore your shirt when you scrambled back into your clothes. You didn’t bother washing your hair, just in case it didn’t dry before you went out in the cold and you almost forgot to flip the tobacco plant off again on your way out.

You make your way back down, skipping on one foot out as you throw your boot on and spot Remy now sitting next to Viktor at the bar. Your pocket watch says it’s only been 10 minutes, how the hell was that not quick enough?

You stumble over to the pair, tripping over your shoelace and crouch down to tie it. “Alright, how’d I do?”

Viktor chuckles and lowers his mostly-full cup for you to see. “Not bad at all.”

That means one of two things, and neither of which sounded great. Either the coffee tastes bad or Remy has had him talking for a bit. You had a sinking feeling it was the latter of the two and eye him suspiciously from the floor.

Viktor gets down from the stool and holds his hand out for you when you’ve finished tying your shoe. You shift your gaze up to him, but also see Remy pretending not to watch in the background.

…Fuck it.

You take his hand and allow him to help you up. He feels even warmer than usual from holding the coffee mug and does that goddamn thing again where he lets his fingers graze down yours as he lets go. The sensation sends sparks up your arm, but you force yourself to keep it together. You refuse to let your face to flush in front of Remy—he has enough blackmail on you for today.

Instead, you sneak behind the bar to grab your pack and catch Remy waggling his brows suggestively at you while you pass. You pretend to itch your eye with your middle finger and hear him laugh lightly as you make your way back. That finger is getting a workout today.

The sound of coins jangling catches your attention while Viktor reaches for a handful to pay for breakfast, but Remy waves him off. “It’s on the house. You helped fix that distiller and got [Y/n] back in the kitchen, that’s enough for me.”

Your mouth parts in disbelief with a huff, what the hell is that supposed to mean? A slight bit of color crawls onto your face while you try not to feel embarrassed about wanting to cook breakfast for your new friend/not-friend…why didn’t he just leave it at the distiller?

“Oookay. Shall we?” You straighten an arm towards the door and try to coax Viktor away from this place before any more damage can be done to your ego.

 It doesn’t take any convincing for Viktor to follow you to the front of the shop, you hear Remy wishing him luck during his search before hollering to you as you hold the door to leave. “Safe trading today, don’t get robbed.”

“It was one time, won’t happen again.” You reassure him before letting a now-worried Viktor through the door. “Can you just make sure Jeff has water, and please don’t let him drink any coffee, he’s a menace with caffeine.”

The poro yips at you from across the room, if you didn’t know any better, it sounded like he just yelled at you in his native tongue. Remy pats him before reassuring you. “He’ll be just fine.”

You hope he takes you seriously as you let the door close behind you and make your way over to Viktor, waiting for you and leaning with both hands on his cane comfortably.

“Sorry, we don’t really know how to do a quiet breakfast here.” You smile apologetically before you start to walk together towards the Lanes.

“I quite enjoyed the conversations.”

You peek over to see if you can read his expression on if he meant the banter or knew something more than you did from talking with either Landon or Remy alone.

“Oh yeah? Which one?”

He grins to himself and looks down at his shoes while he walks. “A couple in particular stood out.”

The smug expression is enough of a hint that he’d been privy to some kind of information that you hadn’t been and you groan before loosening the straps of your bag.

“Do I even want to know?”

“Mm, that’s up to you.” Viktor looks back up to you as you pull over to the side. The way his hum ran into his sentence sounded familiar. He seems to do that when there’s some decent amount of consideration behind the topic or scenario.

“One sec.”

He watches while you pick through your bag. You throw some tobacco into a sheet of paper and start to roll a cigarette before you continue your pace with him. After lighting it, you rub your still-tired eyes and blow the smoke out, apprehensive about answering his question.

“Does that help you?” It comes out as more of a joke, but you don’t think it’s a rhetorical question either.

“Sometimes—let’s see if it works now.” You give him a half-grin and inhale one more time, blowing smoke out as you speak. “Ready. Hit me.”

Viktor shrugs and lightly punches your shoulder with the back of his hand. You throw your head back dramatically, staring at the sky with a deadened expression and refusing to acknowledge his awful dad joke.

“I clearly left you alone with Remy for too long.”

“Speaking of which.”

That got your attention, you lull your head back down to watch and listen while he speaks. “Hm?”

“He asked why I helped you at the coffeehouse.”

While you were nervous about what that conversation might’ve looked like, it was a decent question that you had even wondered yourself.

“Why uh…did you?” The two of you walk together in sync despite how different your steps were. You waver back and forth lazily, hands deep in your pockets and feet dragging every now and then until you kick a pebble out of your way. Viktor stands more upright than you despite his limp. His steady heel-to-toe steps meet a rhythm in between the sound of his cane with an elegance that almost makes you forget why he carries it.

“To be honest, in that moment I just wanted to keep talking to you.”

The pull his words have on your mouth causes you to smile against your will before he continues.

“And it sounded like Syd was about to permanently remove you from the planet so I figured it was worth a shot to try and keep you alive a little while longer.”

You chuckle at how real that possibility was yesterday and find yourself grateful for Syd being her sweet, sinister self yet again.

“Is that what you told Remy?”

“Ehh…” You look over and find him tipping his head back and forth, juggling between scenarios in his head. “In a manner.”

“In a manner?” You cock a brow with a light-hearted smirk. “What’s that s’pose to mean?”

“What does downtime mean?”

Ahhh shit.

“It means for a quarter of a second I’m not at work and spending my time el—”

He cuts you off, shaking his head and grinning all the while. “You know what I’m asking you, [Y/n].”

Oh. The way he just said your name was more forceful than you’ve heard before…even stern. It makes you a little nervous that there’s a part of you that enjoys hearing his voice take an edge like that.

“I do.” Your frankness seems to catch him unprepared. He looks over at you, toothy grin now exchanged for a sober, expecting glance. Whether it was intentional or not, his eyes scan you up and down for a second before he speaks.

“So?” His chuckle causes his shoulders to shrug and you take a drag off your cigarette as your nerves start to creep in. He notices the timing and cocks his head. “Is it that bad?”

You furrow your brows and shake your head as you exhale the smoke. “Not…bad. I mean…” You lick your lips and look back up to the sky while you think, the buildings are getting taller, you’ll be coming up on the Lanes soon. “I don’t…think it’s bad, it just might not be…accurate?”

“What’s inaccurate?”

You shrug before bringing your eyes back down. Looking at him makes this conversation even harder. The way his golden eyes fight against the bruise-colored bags below and heavy dark brows above is piercing, even in the hazy air. He’s not going to let this one go. You wonder why he’s so adamant about Remy’s slip and also wonder what the hell else he might’ve said while you were gone.

“Remy jumped to conclusions about you staying over.”

You hope that’s enough and can’t help but wince when he says “What…do…you mean?”

Another drag off your dying cigarette isn’t enough to get you through your next sentence. “He thought…” You feel like you can’t breathe…probably doesn’t help that you’re smoking.

“He assumed that since we spent most of the night together that we were…” Your brain is screaming at you to shut up. Once you say it there’s a reallllly good chance this is going to either get awkward or straight up depressing.

He stays quiet, allowing you the time to gather your wits and speak as best as you’re able to answer his question. You come to a stop and lean your shoulder against a wall like his question has literally pinned you down. You’re slouching when you take one last inhale and Viktor pauses alongside you.

Say it. Quick like a band aid, just do it and get it over with.

“Date.” You turn your head slowly to level your gaze with his. “He was going to say date.”

Viktor is the first one to break eye contact, looking down and away and you mirror him as twinges of regret start to surface. The silence cuts through the cold, still air and you lift your cigarette to take the last couple of puffs. Viktor holds his palm out to you, spreading his middle and index finger apart to make a space for cigarette.  

He’s asking you to share again. He still wants you to share with him.

He doesn’t appear to be uneasy about what you said, but you can tell his mind is combing through a thousand thoughts right now. You realize this isn’t just him asking for a drag, this is him trying to tell you it’s okay. You hand the stub over, same as you did with the pipe and he makes sure to meet your eyes when he extends his fingers out to touch yours.

He’s studying you, trying to gauge your reaction and you’re sure you don’t disappoint when you finally piece together that he’s been doing this on purpose from the start.

Your mind is racing while it replays the way he grazed your palm when he picked up the metal bee you made to just moments ago when he let his fingers brush over yours after he helped you off the ground.

Realization sets in and your gaze narrows while you watch him lift the last of the cigarette to his lips.

His preference for hotter temperatures still baffles you. Cigarette shorts always taste more intense, but he inhales easily before blowing the smoke up and away. You straighten up against the wall as you watch one another without a word.

His eyes seem to pick up on something when they flash over you and he flicks the ash off quickly before pulling the last bit of the cigarette to his mouth, speaking just before he finishes it off.

“I actually had another place in mind for that.”

----------

A/N: Pssst. There's more chapters in my pinned post btw 👀

[dr4kenlvr]

"𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐓 𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ?" ♡

feat. platonic!draken, mitsuya takashi, baji keisuke, hanma shuji x gn!reader - fluff/comfort (0.9k+)

request: Can I request for Tokyo Revengers mens (you decide ^^) helping you going through break up? I just had a break up with my bf & it really made me sad so I want some fluffy content from my lovely anime mens!

a/n: hi love, im so sorry to hear that :( i hope this will make you feel better, your tokyo rev fav and i will always be there for you! please enjoy (some changes were made, hope that's alright!) <3

eyes stinging and red, you set your phone down on the bed after clicking "send" with a heavy sigh. upon reading the news of you and your partner's break up, he quickly responded with "give me 10, and dress comfortably. i'm taking you out." now, sitting alone in your bedroom, you try and prompt yourself up to change. however the hollow ache in your flesh and bones pinned you down, unwilling you to do such a simple task. you groan pitifully, and opt to splash cold water onto your face instead. your eyes are puffy, nose red and sore; one look, and anyone would be able to tell you were going through a plight.

by the time you willed yourself out of your clothes, a ring at your front door sounds. smiling slightly, you quickly grab your phone and keys before pacing down the steps. creaking the door open, the sun's rays greet you brightly, but behind your squint, you're met with an expected face. he sends you an apologetic smile, arms already open and welcoming you into a warm hug. he rubs your back soothingly, and pats the top of your head when you sniffle into his shoulder. the two of you stay like that for awhile, until he pulls back when you ask him exactly why he was here.

"call it a distraction, yeah? let's go."

DRAKEN takes you to your favourite restaurant, where he treats you to all your post-break up cravings. "eat up, yeah? and don't worry about the bill." he slides the menu towards you with a gentle smile. you nod, a bit overwhelmed by your friend's kindness—but it was draken, what more did you expect from such a doting person? the two of you skim over the menu, before he calls the waiter over and you gingerly order your meal (and a sweet shake for later). "let me pay you back at least?" "nah, not interested. now eat." you chuckle at his brashness, but you know he meant no harm. although draken was uninterested in the idea of you compensating him, he was up to talk about whatever it was you wanted to. he'd listen attentively, and comment his opinion every now and then. but for now, draken wished to lend you a listening ear.

MITSUYA takes you to the mall, and insists you grab whatever catches your attention. be it clothing, food, or miscellaneous items, mitsuya encouraged you to throw it into the cart and the price onto his card. "it's no big deal, i want to do this, okay?" he laughs at your concerned protests, your eyes widening every time mitsuya casually tapped his card against the machine. you couldn't help but feel a little guilty, especially when you were aware of his family's financial situation. "i know what you're thinking—" "i can't help it! it's jus—" "shh. then, stop thinking it." hours in, and the two of you are setting down bags upon bags for a quick food court meal. mitsuya discusses the things you want to, and he doesn't barge for more than you offer. today was about you, and your comfort as well as happiness. and you found yourself exactly that with him, happy.

BAJI invites you over to his place, where he bursts in and immediately situates you on his plush bed. “stay here—i’m getting snacks and drinks, yeah?” he gives you a reassuring smile and a pat on the head, before turning to rush down the stairs. baji returns with an armfull of packaged goodies and sugary treats. “nothing like some sugar to ease the pain!” he grins, before realizing it might have been too early to crack a joke. you chuckle at his energy, and feel endeared at his consideration. “it’s perfect kei, thank you.” the two of you spend the next few hours chowing down bags and bottles, and laughing your lungs out until your stomachs ached of sweet heaven.

HANMA takes you to a nearby festival he had heard about a couple days back. "i had been meanin' to ask ya if you'd like to go with me!" he shouted above the wind, as his bike roared passed cars and cyclists; a couple shouting profanities at his driving antics. "heard it's fuckin' sick, there's rides and shit!" you two arrive at the event, where crowds are bustling and loud. hanma cheers you over to purchase tickets, before dragging you to every ride and food truck in sight. from hotdogs to candied apples—to ferris wheels and bumper cars, hanma ensured you were having a blast. he declared having fun was the best medicine to sadness, and from the ecstatic grin on your face—hanma thinks he’s more than correct.

by evening's light, you and him had decided it was time you head back home. the sun was about to say goodbye and he wanted to ensure you got home early enough to rest, as well as safely. you hop on the back of his bike and rode home in silence; the day’s activities tiring you both. upon dismounting his bike, you grab his hand with a grateful squeeze, and he pulls you into another hug. “i seriously can not thank you enough for this, you’re the best.” he smiles at your words, then whispers into your hair: “i know. now head in, i’ll leave when you’re inside.

taglist: @dai-tsukki-desu @kazuhoya@gwynsapphire@sscarchiyo@reiners-milkbiddies@smileyswifeyy @bontensimp-blog (send me an ask or dm to be added!)

reblogs and comments are very appreciated <3 !

[everlasting-elegy]

You're swapped!AU is my absolute favourite!!! I love it to death (never squealed louder while reading something) I’d live for the royals + dateables playing the game too!!

And seeing the scenarios for when the brother (and others if you do do them) actually do get to meet them IRL, their reactions would fuel my soul!

Take your time tho, drink water and get enough sleep!! :) <3

I'm so glad you enjoy the AU so far!! And yes, I intend to do all dateable characters for the Swapped AU 😁 I'll be doing Beelzebub, Leviathan, Lucifer and Mammon because a lot of people also requested this idea for them specifically, I'll be doing the rest of the characters later. Thanks for your concern and I hope you look after yourself too!! ❤️

Swapped!AU MC is Real and is the R.A.D. Exchange Student (Beelzebub, Leviathan, Lucifer, Mammon)

In a world where the brothers are players of Obey Me! and you're their favourite character in the game, how would they react if the game was based on real events and people, with you arriving as the R.A.D. exchange student? Genre: Fluff Word Count: 2.4k

Beelzebub

Well, what a pleasant surprise. He never expected you out of all people to jump out of the game and stand before him but his shock is quickly overcome with excitement and fondness

Beelzebub is happy to see you and often loses track of the fact that although he knows you very well, you don’t know him. He’s quick to give you hugs and strike up conversation with you, asking you about information he had no way of knowing in normal circumstances

Although you’ve shown time and time again in the game that you can hold up against lesser demons, he’s still incredibly protective during your time at R.A.D. Like a guard dog, he’s always silently beside or behind you, anyone with malicious intentions never having the guts to approach you

Beelzebub was always quite sensitive and empathetic but the fact he knows your entire backstory makes him all the more in tune to your emotions. Just one look at your face and he can tell you’re unhappy, sacrificing some of his precious snacks for you

Instinctively gives you affection like your Special Guest routine. Lots of head pats and giving you high fives, especially after training where he may be too smelly for closeness

Now that you’re here in person, he doesn’t play the game anymore. As entertaining as Obey Me! was, you’re far more interesting and enjoyable to have around. He wants to give you all of his attention for as long as you’ll be in the exchange program

Beelzebub entered the room to see you furiously typing on your D.D.D., your face unreadable. Even when you felt the sofa noticeable sink beside you, you weren’t stirred like usual. Only when Beel planted a firm hand on your shoulder did you look up at him.

“Oh, hi Beel.��� “What’re you doing?” “Sending a text back to my pals from my academy,” you answered. “How are they?” “I think they’re holding up alright.” Hitting ‘send’ on your screen, you turned off your screen to regard the demon beside you. He noticed how your eyes were downcast, fingers idly picking the loose threads of the sofa. “You’re worried about them.” “Hard not to be, this is Devildom after all,” you chuckled dryly. “Some of them can be impulsive at times. And to not be there if anything bad happens… it scares me.” “I understand,” Beel nodded. His hand on your shoulder reached around you, gently pulling you towards him so that your weight was on him. “I don’t have a telepathic link with all of my brothers. We might fight but I’m worried for them, I don’t know how they’re feeling all the time. I don’t know if they’re safe. Family is important, biological or not.” “Family,” you mumbled. You looked up at him. “When you’re worried, what do you do to take your mind off of things?” “I’d play Obey Me,” he laughed. “I played it for you, you’re very calming.” He guided your head to rest on his chest, letting you hear his steady heartbeat, his hum of contentment reverberating against your ear. “I hope I can give back the calmness you gave me.” After only about fifteen minutes, you were soundly asleep against him. Beel smiled to himself, he presumed he was successful.

Leviathan

Is living the otaku dream, his 2D crush just turned 3D! He’s definitely seen a few animes based on this, it’s like a dream come true! He’s confidently standing by you and asking you so many questions it feels like an interrogation

If you're real are all the other characters real? Are the locations real? How's the academy you attend in Obey Me? He's just asking because it seems a lot nicer than the one here and that academy also has you as a permanent student so if you have a spare spot available…

However after a few hours of fanboying, his sin is coming back to him. He’s merely a shameless otaku who has mountains of your merch in his room. And what if the protagonist in the game is real too and you’re romantically interested in them? He stands no chance!

But eventually he resurfaces, he just can’t stay away from you. Hearing all your tales of your life before coming to the House of Lamentation gets him all the more giddy. You really are (Y/N)-chan from Obey Me!

Shyly comes up to give you various things to sign. He’s brought various CDs, notebooks and even scraps of paper but he doesn’t want you to discover just how much merchandise he has of you

Allows you to investigate his game and account to see just what has been said about you. He loves listening to your little complaints about moments that are embellished or inaccurate - and especially loves when you play down your interactions with the protagonist, it means he still has a chance

You perused through the various cards Leviathan had in Obey Me! as he searched for a new game for the two of you to play. You don’t know who created this game or what encouraged them to document the lives of you and your friends but it was still amusing. But not as amusing at the habits Leviathan seemed to have developed in game. Your own voice greeted you at the home screen, all your cards were maxed out in both level and the Devil’s Tree. But what was more interesting was who he didn’t max out.

“Levi,” you started as you double checked the cards. “Why have you not built any cards of Turiel and Gamigin? They’re good souls you know.” Levi whipped his head around to look at you with wide eyes. “I- uh, let me tell you as a demon myself, I know a demon is bad news when I see one and Gamigin is one of them!” “Turiel’s an angel.” “Angels are bad news most of the time too,” Levi huffed. “Are they portrayed badly in the game? That’s unforgivable, they helped me so much.” “No… they do the right thing.” “They’re two of my closest friends!” “That’s the problem,” Levi muttered, so quietly you almost fell off your seat just trying to hear him. The way he looked away with a flushed face, slowly hunching over to hide himself from the world. Classic Levi envy was arising. You were quick to quell his concern as you wrapped your arms around him from behind. “Levi. They’re just good friends. You’re more than that, I assure you. You’re special.” “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” “Nope, I mean it,” you replied with a quick kiss to his temple. “Even when this exchange is over, I’ll keep in contact with you as much as possible.” “... promise?” “Promise.”

Lucifer

Lucifer is cautious. A lot of questions have arisen but his main goal is to answer the question of how close are you to your game counterpart? How much of that story and your personality is true to the you standing before him?

Aware of his temptation to treat you softly as he knows your supposed backstory, he compensates by being ruthless, even more so than usual. Your reputation, attitude and grades must be nothing short of perfect. If you give anything less of a hundred percent, you’re called up to his office, fortunately with the brothers accompanying to complain at the injustice and how the you in game, is in fact based on the you standing before him

He tries to make up for his brash behaviour by inviting you to his office if you need peace and quiet from the other brothers, or accompany him to do some menial tasks

You’ll never know just how much of a fan he was - and still is - of you. He’ll never ask you to sign merch, you’ll never even see his merchandise in his locked closet and he’ll never butt in if the other brothers are fanboying around you - unless they get too loud

You only realise when you recount your times back in your own academy, how he already knows how the tale ends but still looks at you with fond interest, listening intently even as he does work, sometimes finishing your sentences in raw enthusiasm

The effects you had on him back when he played Obey me! are now amplified. He couldn’t remember the last time he was truly at ease in someone’s presence. Frankly, he’s tossed the game aside. He has no need for it now that you’re here in the flesh

In peaceful silence, you helped Lucifer work through some of his paperwork. However upon feeling a vibration in your pocket, you pulled out your D.D.D. and started to tap on it eagerly. Lucifer coughed expectantly, expecting an explanation. You sent him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Lucifer. I was downloading Obey Me! just out of curiosity. I wanted to know how accurate the plot is to the real events I experienced.” “Not a bad idea,” Lucifer resumed his work. “It’s the first time I’ve come across such a phenomenon where experiences are directly translated into a digital game. The magic used may even serve purposes in other aspects of life.” You were silent for a few moments as you clicked on the title screen. “Hm… it requires a login. Could I have your login details for Obey Me?” “Why don’t you create a login of your own?” He replied, not bothering to look up from his paperwork. “An existing account would have the majority of content unlocked. I might not be able to reach everything in time if I start from square one.” “You’d have more content if you asked Leviathan instead of me.” “... so you do have an account?” Lucifer finally looked up, scrutinising the smug smile crawling up onto your face. Eyebrows lifted, he placed his pen down. “Why are you asking me that with such a tone?” “Leviathan told me you had an account and said I was the only one who believed him. I mean, I am curious as to the game but now I want to know why you’re so reluctant to let people know you have an account.” “It was merely a foolish bet from Leviathan who said I would be playing the game for more than a week,” he replied smoothly. “And he was right?” “No, he wasn’t.” “Then surely you’ll allow me to check.” “I deleted the game, and the account.” “Well then, allow me to check that it’s been truly deleted for your safety and security-” “No.”

Mammon

Mammon was a statue for a solid five minutes as you introduced yourself to the brothers. Did a witch curse him to hallucinate you? No he doesn’t remember that ever happening…

Lucifer may have assigned him to be your protector but he already assumed that role the instant you walked through the door. No demon’s gonna come within ten feet of ya! (with the obvious exception of himself and maybe his brothers, depending on his mood)

Has all of your merchandise signed, at least, the merchandise he isn’t too embarrassed by (unfortunately the life-sized standee is staying unsigned). He plays it off as a show of gloating, with your signature he can prove to everyone that this merchandise is authentic!

Already knowing your likes and dislikes, you find him randomly giving you items that you favour, either shoving them to your chest without a word or ranting about how he coincidentally stumbled into this very specific object of your preferred shade of your favourite colour

Mammon keeps Obey Me! just to hear your lines that imply you two are a couple. He’d rather Lucifer string him up to the ceiling for a century than admit he wants to hear you say those words to his face

You were a comfort character for him then and you’re still a comforting presence for him now. Your hugs and words are more uplifting than he ever imagined after taking the brunt of emotions from his brothers.

You were interrupted from your studies by Mammon barging into your room with a proud look on his face and a plastic bag in one arm. He was practically skipping towards you, pulling the arm of your chair to turn you away from your work and towards him. You stared at him, unamused, waiting for him to explain himself “Eat this,” he took out a soft item about the size of your palm, wrapped in paper. You started to unwrap it, cautiously. “I was walkin’ back from my shift and then I found a store that sold-” “Devildom Deadly Delights?!” You exclaimed as you held the food in your hand. You stared at him in disbelief and Mammon laughed in glee at your recognition. “Yeah, sold only on our side of Devildom, you can’t get them where you’re from, can ya? Remembered ages ago in that stupid game that you missed out on one ‘cause another character ate ‘em all.” You furrowed your eyebrows as you tried to remember. “Oh. That was ages ago, pretty much my first days in the academy. You remembered that?” “N-no,” Mammon snapped, looking away. “You just never shut up about them so I figured I’d do you and your friends a favour and get it for you.” “I haven’t mentioned Devildom Deadly Delights once in my time here,” you stated. “I mean in the game!” he corrected hurriedly. “You mention ‘em every Lesson.” You looked at him incredulously. “...at least it feels like that…” “Whatever you say. Thank you, Mammon.” “Yeah, you better be grateful,” he huffed, turning away to feign distraction. In the corner of his eye, he watched you, how his own actions brought you happiness. His heart swelled at the sight. In truth, your smile was all the gratitude he needed.

Obey Me! Masterlist

[sugasnote]

falling for you - ii

a/n: apologies for the delay, didn't think i would be needing to write a part two tbh but here we are. thank you for waiting patiently and i hope you'll enjoy reading it. all the love from me.

warning; oc talks about her poor mental health a bit too detailed, please proceed gently with care. if you need a chat, hit up in my ask box, i will lend you my ears for you :)

it was the morning after your shared confession was let out in the night. you woke up feeling well and healthy, fresh and soft bed covers with fluffed pillows are the gateway to heaven. with a promise of another date with yoongi, you slept like a baby till the late afternoon. the beautiful sunshowers made the sun rays glistened in the atmosphere.

yoongi's heartfelt confession stinged your heart, to give him hope to only to let him down was not your motive. it left a wound in your soul, aching for a relief in the longing of your heart. but you were determined to give yourself and yoongi a chance into your heart for a place to stay. the thought was scary and challenging to you but you were willing to take a risk for yoongi, his patience and love gave you a sense of comfort and peace in your heart.

soon, it was the day of promised golf date. yoongi looked extremely fit and buff with his bulging arms and short sleeve combo, a deadly sight for sore eyes. you wore a tennis skirt, showing off your long legs and a matching tank top, unintentionally matching with him.

yoongi scanned your outfit from head to toe twice before smirking to himself, pressed a kiss on your cheeks and wrapped his arms around you. you felt him pushing you to his chest, you let out a giggle and nuzzling into his neck. his cologne making you feel content and warm. he whispered, 'ready to go' into your ear and you nodded into his chest.

the day goes by with older guys piled up in a group discussing business ventures among themselves. some of them actually swinging and taking their positions in the green vast ground. yoongi was wearing a cap and taking his shot to the nearest hole. you were leaning against your golf stick, shamelessly ogling at his muscular figure.

you admitted to him earlier you really didn't know how to play golf. he playfully told you he would be delighted to teach you his moves and tricks along with how to play the game. now, you're at the field, figuring out how to even swing properly as not to embarrass yourself in front of others and yoongi.

"so, you're just going to stand there and stare at my ass, all day long?" you sent him a playful glare under the shield from your head cap.

"you are irresistible, baby. i have to hold myself back from doing all the things i want to do," he chuckles darkly standing behind you close to feel his presence behind your back. he wrapped his arms around your delicate hands, positioning your posture correctly. his breath tingling your back, shivering slightly from the close proximity.

he leaned towards your shoulders, resting his chin on your shoulder. "you've to hold like this, darling," he mumbled against your ear, guiding your hand to properly hold the golf stick.

"you take your mark, set the target and—" he swinged your hands in a swift motion. it sent the ball flying off to a distance. the action completely taking you off guard, his hand coming up to rest against your hips, patting lightly muttering a 'good job, baby' to your ears.

this day will take everything in you to hold yourself back from taking him right there, you took a heavy breath when you felt a lack of warmth behind you. letting out a sigh, prepping yourself into hold your composure tight and right.

you were thanking the gods above when yoongi declared a break in the afternoon from the scorching sun. you craved bitterest beverage from the bar and yoongi finally caved in to your constant whining from getting tired after hitting two swings.

you went to the bar near the main office, ordered yourself several drinks and water in between to replenish your organs. you were busy with your picking on your nail polish when the drinks arrived. you were having a million thoughts running in your head, looking for a place to hide.

the morning awas running smooth and lovely with yoongi, everything was going so well with him. he is everything you wanted, everything you craved and possibly everything you will lose.

growing up with absent parents in your life had you left with future damage into your emotional well-being. the lack of love and affection between them and among your siblings made you think no one would be willing to settle for you, only able to tolerate you for some time and then back to being a ghost. love was absent from the meaningful glimpses and memories from your past and present.

later, this led to pushing people away in your life when they try to get close to you, denying help from anyone, making you highly dependent on yourself. you always feared you would accidentally hurt your loved ones when you keep pushing people away and you learnt it when you lost a dear friend. you were never able to forgive yourself when you lost her —your best friend— your favourite family.

life is about losing and gaining people on your way to figure yourself out. you could not forgive yourself when she said you were holding herself back from pursuing her dreams because of your unstable relationship with parents and constantly relying on herself, this loss has left a huge scar on your heart.

years later, you fondly remembered beautiful memories of her in your heart and randomly in your days. love was found in remembering and being remembered, you would have instances where you would be dreaming about the good times with her. you always would wish her well and always want her to be well, but sometimes you wish she had listened to you back then.

you are afraid you would hurt yoongi like that. yoongi deserves someone who would drop anything for him and is available to him in every way. you don't think you are capable of giving your all to someone, you are afraid. yoongi would want someone who would be doing anything for him just like he does for others. selfless and undying love to offer, wanting nothing in return. the evening turned sour with your internal dilemma.

yoongi came to check on you after your sudden disappearance and your displeased frown on display. he was worried he might have thrown you off from his bold actions earlier. he sighed and went up to you, carefully placing his hand on your shoulder, massaging gently.

"what's wrong, doll," concern dripping from his lips. his habit of calling you endearing nicknames will always be the death of you. you stood there pouting and staring down at his lips, when he uttered those words.

he took a seat, sitting down on the stool and you leaned towards him, resting your arms around his shoulders running your fingers through his hair. if your head wasn't foggy from all the drinks you have consumed, you wouldn't be here pouting at him when he called you 'doll.'

"you're too good," you let out a sigh, leaning to rest against his side. yoongi is confused to say the least. "you are too good for me," you whispered closing your eyes and letting the darkness consume you.

you woke up in the hotel room rented by yoongi nearby the golf county. confused by the sudden change in atmosphere, you walked barefoot downstairs to the living room. you noticed your outfit was changed to a simple long sleeved tee and the tennis skirt still intact around your waist. the tee long enough to cover your thighs from the chilly weather. he was making a meal for you in the kitchen as he changed his attire. his long shirt sleeve tucked upto his arms, sexy arms flexing his muscles when he tosses the content in the pans.

"what happened?" your voice hoarse from the deep sleep.

"you slept on me in the broad daylight, babe" he chuckled while stirring the pan on the stove.

you mumbled a quick apology, hugging him from behind. you placed your head against his broad shoulders, staring off at a distance.

yoongi noticed your dull mood, pouting lightly to himself. he tried to remember what went wrong in the time you spent apart from him at the bar. he would curse him if anyone tried to be inappropriate with you while he was somewhere else.

"it's alright, doll. you were tired. i was glad i was with you," he ruffled your hair with his free hand.

you stood in silence, tightening your arms around his torso. waiting for him to finish and join him for the meal.

yoongi placed the plates on the small island of the kitchen, turning around to wrap his arms around your shoulder. dragging you to a stool, picking you up lightly to lift you to the stool. his caring moments always leaving you blushing and flustered with his love.

you ate the cooked meal happily, savouring the taste of flavours. the perfect mix of spice and sweet leaving you hunger for more. yoongi watched you eat while running his hands through your hair, fixing the tangles and massaging once in a while.

he took the plates, placing it on the sink. warming a cup of tea in another pot, preparing you a hangover cure to your mild headache. he put out two cups, pouring a tea for you and himself. after a few moment of silence passed, sipping each other's tea in peaceful stillness of the atmosphere.

the promised day was almost finished, one more night and your flight will be waiting for your arrival at the terminal.

"i want you to remember me," yoongi said quietly while sipping his tea. his words lingered around the hall, hanging heavy in the air.

"will you remember how i stood beside you?" he wondered, small frown covering his eyebrow as if thinking to himself. your gaze shifted towards his face, his cheeks resting against his palm. looking at you with all the love from his heart, you flushed a deep pink from his strong gaze. you couldn't give reply to his question, you really did not know.

"will you remember me forever?" he asked you, his head tilted sideway, staring at your eyes fondly, smile on his lips.

"of course, yoongi." you let out a stutter, flustered by his sudden softness.

a/n (ii): thank you for reading! feedbacks and reblogs do help me a lot, thank you.

[typical-simplelove]

On Your Right (M. Tkachuk)

Author's Note: The longest one-shot I have ever written is for @raysofcrosby for @antoineroussel's Summer Fic Exchange; this is my first exchange, so hopefully, I did well. Thanks to Demi for organizing this! I truly had a blast working on this. I hope you enjoy this!! I used inspo from To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Bridgerton for this. Enjoy reading!

Summary: When you and Matthew both find yourself needing dates to individual events, Matthew proposes a plan where you both fake date. He suggests that he, who's been in love with you since the age of ten, and you, who is convinced Matthew hates you, date. What could possibly go wrong?

Word Count: 21.4k

Warnings: the time may not coincide with the way time works, but ignore that; hatred; friends hating each other; Matthew being an ass; fake dating; mentions of sex (nothing explicit or too NSFW, though); planes; only one bed

Sitting on the patio chair of the Tkachuk's deck was exactly how you expected to spend a Sunday afternoon in the early weeks of summer vacation. For the past ten years, it's the exact way you've always spent your Sunday afternoons in the summer. It was always the same. Your mother and Chantal would be in the kitchen with the air conditioning, and your dad and Keith would be at the grill making dinner. What they would make would change, but it would usually be somewhere between burgers and hotdogs to chicken or salmon. It was always a surprise. They'd never tell the kids not wanting any complaining. You always sat in a chair with Taryn on your left and with Matthew on your right. Across from you sat your brother and Brady next to him. Keith always sat at one head and Chantal at the other. Your dad sat in the seat next to Keith, and your mother sat next to Chantal. You would always drink lemonade, and your brother would drink iced tea. You never got to drink that at home, so you and your brother would make sure to share your cups. Sometimes, Matthew would drink a pop of his choice and share it with you. If it rained, the Tkachuks would go to your home, and the seating situation was the same around your dining room table.

Chantal and your mother would insist that you kids couldn't play inside at these Sunday afternoon dinners. Sometimes, your brother and the boys would play soccer and maybe let you and Taryn join. Oftentimes, though, you and Taryn would hang out together. Sometimes, Matthew would play with you and Taryn, and you'd all play family. You and Matthew would be married parents, and Taryn would be your daughter. If your brother and Brady chose to join, Taryn would be the aunt, and Brady and your brother would be the children. Taryn always joked that life should always end up that way -- you and Matthew married with Taryn as the aunt to your children. When she'd bring up the topic, your mother and Chantal would always give each other a knowing look as if they knew something you both didn't. Your dad wouldn't say anything, but Keith would pat his shoulder, again, as if they knew something you didn't. Brady and your brother would gag and tease Matthew. You and Matthew never said anything; you both were close friends, some would argue best friends, but it didn't matter. You knew that Matthew would be someone who would always be in your life. In your life, ages 5-10, you didn't understand the notion of marriage. All you knew was that you wanted Matthew to be in your life, and if it was marriage, then so be it.

Despite expecting to be sitting on that patio chair, you never expected you'd be watching Taryn, Brady, Matthew, and your brother playing while you sat there by yourself. It wasn't that they weren't including you, but they also weren't not not including you. They all decided to play your least favorite game, and you didn't want to, so you decided to sit and watch. There's more to it, though. The school year ended just the previous week, and you and Matthew graduated from elementary school and would be going to middle school. Somewhere within the past few weeks. Matthew went from being one of your closest friends to hating you. He just suddenly decided he didn't like you. You weren't sure why, but he just stopped being your friend. You told your mother you were sick so as not to have to come to the Tkachuk's today, but she said no. She saw right through your lie. You didn't know why Matthew didn't want to be your friend anymore, but it hurt. It hurt a lot. No longer were the days where you and Matthew would pretend to be a married couple. No more were the days where Matthew would share his pop with you. No more were the days where Matthew was your closest friend.

When Chantal called for dinner, you ran to the washroom to wash your hands and sat back in your usual spot. Despite knowing Matthew's recent emotions towards you, you hoped he'd still sit next to you. You watched as Taryn returned from washing her hands and began to apologize for not playing a game you liked. You told her it was okay, it was, and watched your brother take his seat across from you, as normal. You watched Brady put the toys away and go to the washroom to wash his hands. You watched as Keith and your father put the grilled chicken on the table, and Chantal and your mother set the sides on the table. Finally, Matthew emerged from the house, but what he did next confused you. He sat in Brady's usual seat.

"What are you doing, Matthew?" Brady asks when he sees where his brother is sitting. Matthew glares at you and shrugs.

"I just want to sit next here, today," Matthew says with anger in his voice. You weren't sure why he was suddenly so angry, but the look he had as he stared at you sent chills down your spine. That's when you knew. That's when you knew that Matthew hated you. He doesn't like you anymore, and you doubted he ever would You didn’t know it, then, but you now know that when Matthew opted to sit in a different seat and treat you with anger, he broke your heart.

Matthew Tkachuk broke your heart at the age of ten.

. . .

With Matthew out of the picture as a friend, you found yourself growing closer to your other friends. One friend, in particular, became your closest friend, Shelly. You and Shelly became the best of friends and stuck together through middle school, high school, and college. It was Shelly who convinced you that it would be a good idea to move to Calgary despite your hated family friend living there.

"Shelly, I don't think so," you tell her. "Actually, I know so."

"Come on, Ynn," Shelly eggs on. "Do it for me? I'm getting married! Please, can you bring a date? Actually, it's a must thing. I'm telling you that you have to bring a date. That's the only thing I need from you."

"So, the only thing I need to do as your maid of honor is to bring a date?"

"I mean, no? But, the wedding is in two months, and most of the stuff I've needed you to do has been done. Just this one thing, okay? I think you'll enjoy it much better if you have someone to hang out with. Who knows, maybe you’ll fall in love with him and marry him, and I can be your maid of honor."

"Fine," you grumble. "But, only because I love you."

You hang up the phone and groan. How were you supposed to find a date? You had a few work friends in Calgary, but you found it difficult to find a date. The one thing that annoyed you the most was that you had two months to find someone you liked and trusted enough to bring to St. Louis for a wedding. What were you going to do?

Now, a month later, you were standing outside one certain door you never thought you would with a plate of cookies, their favorite cookies, and angry that this was your last resort. You knock on the door of the apartment and await the smirk and comment you were bound to get.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my biggest admirer, Yn Yln," Matthew says with his signature smirk. Yup, you guessed it.

"Matthew," you grumble and walk into his apartment as he welcomes you inside. "Here are some cookies."

Matthew takes the plate from you, opens it up, and bites into a cookie. "Thank you," he says with a mouthful of cookies. You grimace at the sight and remind yourself about the task at hand. "You know, when you called me, I forgot you were in Calgary. Why haven't you ever called me before to hang out?"

"You're serious?"

"Very."

"Maybe the small fact that we've hated each other since we were like ten? Or, how about that time you spilled water down my dress at our joint eighth-grade graduation party? Or, how about that time you spilled Gatorade on my English project? Or, how about that time you told everyone we were dating when you clearly know WE WEREN'T. Or, how about that time you took my car keys and hid them at the bottom of your hockey bag in the men's locker room? Would you like me to continue? I can keep going as far as you need."

"No, no, I get the point. No need to remind me," Matthew tells you. He internally cringes at his actions growing up, but he has too much pride to apologize. "Anyways, that was when we were growing up and in high school. I haven't treated you like that in ages."

Matthew knows he shouldn't have said that immediately when he sees the glare you give him. "I have a list if you'd like for me to list it out?"

"Okay, fine, message understood. You hate me, and I hate you because of it. What do you need? You called me pretty frantically."

You narrow your eyes at Matthew. "Firstly, I did not call you frantically. I called you asking if I could ask for a favor. Secondly, I only hate you because you hate me. Third, I need your help with something."

"Okay, firstly, yes you did. Second, maybe that's right. Third, just tell me."

"Can you set me up with a teammate or a friend of yours for me to take to Shelly's wedding?" you blurt out in one breath.

"What?" Matthew laughs breathlessly, not sure if he heard you right.

"I need a date for Shelly's wedding, and I need you to set me up with someone you trust, please."

"You don't have a boyfriend?"

"No," you grumble out, and Matthew laughs at you. "It's not like you have a girlfriend or anything."

"Wow, look at you. Firing shots, huh?"

"Matthew, can you or can you not set me up with someone you know and trust?"

"Sure, I'll see who I can find."

"Great, thank you," you say and make your way to leave.

"Where are you going?" Matthew asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Home?"

"You just came here to ask me that and leave?"

"It's not like we're friends or anything," you say blatantly. Matthew is shocked by your words and takes a visible step back. He isn't sure why your words shocked him so much because he knows you're both not friends. He knows for a fact you're both not friends but hearing you actually say it after all these years is shocking to him.

"Right, not friends. You can leave then. You can take your cookies back."

"No, no, I made them for you. I know they're your favorite. Thanks, again, Matthew."

"Sure, sure," he says as you walk out the door. He locks the door behind you and is instantly confused why he hates that you're both not friends. He knows you’re not friends. Both his and your actions over the past years have proven it, but he thought — he actually doesn't know what he thought. As the season came to an end, Matthew had another task at hand — finding someone for you to take as a date even though he knows no one he knows is good enough for you.

. . .

Matthew was sitting at the bar with his teammates sizing them all up wondering which one would be good enough for you to have as a date. There was Noah; Matthew guesses he could be okay with you with him, but Matthew knows you could do better. There was Jacob, and Matthew knew he'd treat you well. Maybe he should ask Jacob if he'd join you as a date.

"Matthew, why do you keep staring at us?" Noah asks.

"I have someone I know who needs help finding a date for a wedding this summer," Matthew explains. "This person I know asked if I could set them up with someone I know and trust."

"Do you need a guy? If so, then go with Jacob. He'll treat your friend, right," Elias says.

"Yn's not my friend," Matthew is quick to say.

"Is she someone you’re more than friends with?" Noah asks with a smirk on his face.

"No, absolutely not," Matthew says as he vehemently shakes his head. "No, we've hated each other since we were like ten."

"Why are you helping her, then?"

Matthew just stares at Noah. Why was he helping you? You both weren’t friends, as you made abundantly clear the other day. Matthew didn’t know why he was helping you. You were a long-time family friend and by far one of the most amazing people he’s ever met. But, that didn’t answer the question as to why he was helping you. You were someone amazing, yet Matthew still can’t seem to pinpoint why he was helping you. Matthew knows that if he doesn’t help you Chantal would have his head. Maybe, just maybe, it was the small, no large, crush he’s harbored for you since you were both ten. Maybe, just maybe, he truly, deep down cared about who you dated if it couldn’t be him. “I’m not sure,” Matthew deflects knowing fully why he was helping you.

“Maybe you should strike her a deal,” Mark mentions. “You find her a date for the wedding, and she finds you a date for the End-of-Year Charity Gala.”

Matthew perks his head up towards his captain. He forgot about the Gala.

“Oh no, Matthew has a smirk on his face. What’s your idea?” Noah says suspiciously.

“Nothing,” Matthew says, not losing his smirk. He has one splendid idea that he is sure to solve both your dating issues.

. . .

Matthew: I have a date for you. He’ll come over tomorrow at 5 pm with flowers, okay?

Yn: Okay, sounds good! I can’t wait to meet him.

Matthew: You’ll love him.

Matthew knows you won’t. Based on what his plan was, he knew you wouldn’t like it. He only hoped you wouldn’t slap him across the face.

. . .

The day after Matthew texted you and said when your date would show up, you were nervous. Incredibly nervous. You hoped that, for once, Matthew wouldn’t be an ass and set you up with someone nice. You were pacing around your kitchen and 4:58 pm when the doorbell rang. You stood up straight and took a deep breath. You could do this. You weren’t going to actually date the guy; you were just going to ask him to accompany you to a wedding back home and that was it. You walked over to the door and took a deep breath before opening the door.

“Matthew?” you ask in disbelief as you lock eyes with Matthew’s striking blue eyes. You give him a once-over and notice he’s wearing a white shirt, a tight shirt that fits him way too well, and black dress pants. What was with the fancy wear? You meet his eyes again, and you’re met with his eyes full of love, happiness, and worry as they stare deep into your eyes. You’ve yet to ever see this mix of emotion in Matthew’s eyes when he looks at you, and it sends a shiver down your spine. You and Matthew continue staring deeply into each other’s eyes, both not wanting to break the trance you’ve found yourself in.

“Hey, Yn,” Matthew finally says, realizing who he was looking at. He hands you the bouquet of your favorite flowers. “These are for you.”

“Oh, um, come in,” you say and usher him inside. You hate him, Yn. Stop with these emotions, you keep telling yourself. Why did he suddenly have this effect on you? Matthew walks into your apartment, takes his shoes off, and sits on a chair at your counter. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m your date,” Matthew says nervously, but you still see the love lining his eyes as you speak. You haven’t seen that look directed to you in a while.

“No, absolutely not. We hate each other, remember? Why would I suddenly bring you as a date?”

“Look, before you go crazy, just listen to what I have to say, okay?” Matthew asks softly. You nod and turn away to put the flowers in a vase. You make sure your back is to Matthew because you don’t want him to see how flustered you are by his soft tone towards you.

After placing the flowers in a vase and placing it on the coffee table, you say, “Okay, Matthew, what do you have to say?”

“You know how at the end of the season, the Flames have an End-of-Year Charity Gala?” you shake your head no, and Matthew chuckles softly, and your faith grows warm. “Well, we have one, and I need to bring a date.”

“Okay?”

“So, what if we pretend to date? Like, you come with me to the gala, and I go with you to Shelly’s wedding,” Matthew proposes nervously.

“Why would you want that, Matthew? You hate me.”

“I don’t — I couldn’t ha— you know what? It doesn’t matter. Look, you need a date, and I need a date, so why don’t we just go together and solve both our problems?”

“Matthew, I don’t know.”

“Yn, come on. What’s stopping you?”

“You hate me, Matthew,” you tell him softly, not meeting Matthew’s eyes.

Matthew sighs. He could never hate you. He never really hated you; he just had to pretend to hate you because of how he felt. When Matthew was ten, he realized that he had a crush on you. He realized he like liked you, and he didn’t know what to do about it, so he just ignored you and was mean to you. Unfortunately, over the years, Matthew couldn’t let go of those feelings, and he fell more and more for you as he watched you grow into the beautiful person you are now. Seeing you walk into this apartment with the cookies the other day, Matthew realized that he was still hopelessly in love with you. At first, Matthew thought that he could find a date for you. He could find someone who was perfect for you because everyone knows that he could never be it for you, but, as he began going through his list of friends, he realized that even they weren’t good enough for you. Matthew knew you’d never feel the same way about him, but if Matthew can have you as a fake girlfriend, then that’s what he’ll have, then. “We both don’t want to find a date for our events, so why don’t we just pretend to date, then?”

You look at Matthew and see the sincerity in his eyes. You see the longing and want for you to say yes. You’ve always loved looking into Matthew’s eyes and seeing the emotion in them. You’ve never seen this kind of emotion directed towards you. You see the longing and sadness and wishing for you to say yes; however, you also see love? You couldn’t possibly be seeing that in his eyes. Could you? “Okay,” you whisper, suddenly being overwhelmed with what you saw laced in Matthew’s eyes and facial expressions.

“Okay?” Matthew asks, confirming because he was in disbelief.

“Yeah, okay. We can fake date.”

Matthew rushes over to you and wraps you in a giant hug. “Thank you,” he whispers as he holds you tightly.

“Of course, Matthew. You had a good idea that helped us both.”

Matthew leaves shortly after with a fake girlfriend and a wide smile on his face. He only hoped that he wouldn’t fall harder for you now that he’s finally somehow got you.

. . .

Matthew came over two weeks later, one day before the Flames’ last game, to sort out the terms of your and Matthew’s fake dating ruse. You weren’t sure why you agreed to this. No one back home would believe that you and Matthew were dating. You both have hated each other for as long as you can remember. Everyone would be shocked that you and Matthew can possibly stand to be in the same room together. The fact that you moved to the same city was also a giant shock to everyone. Not a single person would believe it, but why did your heart suddenly race when you thought of you and Matthew fake dating? Why did your pulse quicken at the thought of being on Matthew’s arm at the Gala? Why did you enjoy the cheeky messages Matthew has been sending you and telling you that he was trying to “fill the role perfectly”? Why did your heart hurt when you realized it was all fake?

“I brought some takeout, is that good?” Matthew asks as he steps into your apartment. In his hands, he has a bag of food from your favorite restaurant in Calgary and another bouquet. You take the bag of food and the flowers from his hand, and Matthew goes into your cupboards to find some plates. The domesticity of the situation made your heart lurch through your chest, but you still weren’t sure why.

“That’s perfect, thanks, Matthew,” you tell him with a smile as Matthew sets the plates down on the counter. You place the flowers in another vase and put them next to the flowers Matthew brought previously that were probably ready to be tossed. “You don’t have to buy me flowers every time you come by.”

“Firstly, it’s been like two times, and secondly, let me treat you, okay? I am your boyfriend, after all, so I might as treat you as you deserve to be treated,” Matthew tells you as if he was preaching fact. He talked to you as if he didn’t hate you your entire life and only just started liking you.

“Fake boyfriend,” you correct. You want to make sure that the parameters of your relationship are clearly defined.

“You tell that to Shelly? That you and I are fake dating?” Matthew asks with a smirk.

“I told her I had a date, and I was going to tell her it was you, but she told me to surprise her on her wedding day. I’m convinced she thinks I don’t have a date,” you tell Matthew and take a bite of food. You moan in delight, and Matthew grins knowing he picked the perfect meal for you. “How did you know this was my favorite?”

Matthew shrugs, but a playful smile is a dead giveaway that he has an explanation. “I guess I just know you really well.”

“That’s ridiculous, Matthew. You do not know me at all. I’ve changed since you stopped being my friend when we were ten.”

“Hey! I did not stop being your friend. You stopped being my friend,” Matthew feigns hurt even though he knows your words are right.

“Matthew, I stopped being your friend because you stopped being friends with me.”

“That’s not how I remember it,” Matthew mumbles and opting to look down at his plate instead of at you where he’d much rather be looking.

“You stopped being my friend after we graduated from elementary school. I remember that the third Sunday dinner we had that summer was the first time you stopped sitting next to me, and I knew that you were officially not my friend anymore.”

“You sure that’s what happened, Yn? Are you sure that it wasn’t you who stopped being my friend?”

“I always sat in the same middle seat, Matthew. You opted to sit in Brady’s seat instead.”

“Fine, whatever. Agree to disagree?”

“Sure, sure, even though I’m right.”

Matthew laughs at your words and shakes his head. “How we were ever friends baffles me because we are both so stubborn.”

“That we are,” you agree, and a comfortable silence fills your kitchen as you and Matthew continue to eat.

“You know,” Matthew says breaking the silence, “I do know you better than you think.”

“As do I,” you tell him not meeting his eye. You always were quite observant of Matthew despite you two not being friends anymore. There was something about him that made you want to look at him. No, it probably wasn’t because of how gorgeous he was.

“Okay, you tell me something about myself, then.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know, Yn; you just say something.”

“But I want you to tell me what you want me to say,” you tease.

“I’m starting to think you don’t know anything about me,” Matthew gives you his signature smirk.

“I’m starting to think the same about you.”

Matthew sighs and shakes his head. “How about we talk about our situation instead?”

“Our ruse?” you tease and quirk your eyebrows.

“Sure, our ruse,” Matthew says, not sure why you had that look on your face. “What is our story? We could just say we hooked up and realized that we liked each other.”

“As much as that story is believable, I don’t think that Shelly will believe that. Why don’t we go with something else? How about: I was lonely in the city and needed someone familiar, so I called you, and the rest just fell together.”

“I don’t think they’ll believe that,” Matthew says. As much as he loves and thinks it’s a good story, he’d very much rather have a bit more romantic and loving story, so Matthew can have the fake relationship he’d always wanted with you.

“Oh, come on, Matthew, it’s perfect!” you pout, and Matthew knows he’s going to bend for you because it’s you. He always bent to your will regardless of whether or not you knew it.

“Fine, we’ll use your story. How long have we been dating?”

“Why don’t we just keep it vague to minimize any questions? Should we say a few months now? Anything longer will be suspicious, and anything shorter would be weird. The most we can say is three to three and a half months because when I talked to Shelly about two months ago, she was under the impression I wasn’t seeing anyone.”

“Okay, fair. You know,” Matthew says with a smirk, “the fact that you’re able to throw together the perfect fake-dating story makes me think that you’ve done this before.”

You burst out laughing. “You seriously think that? I thought you knew me.”

“I do know you.”

“Then you’d know I’m a hopeless romantic, and the amount of times I’ve read fake dating romance novels is unbelievable. The only thing, though, is that our story won’t end up with us dating but with us maybe being friends.”

“Right,” Matthew says, and he looks down at his plate sadly realizing you truly didn’t feel the same way.

“I’m sorry, did I say anything wrong?” you apologize. You weren’t sure why Matthew suddenly got upset, but you thought it couldn’t have possibly been your words. How could it? You and Matthew have hated each other for years. It’d be ridiculous to think that this ruse would end in an actual relationship.

“No, not at all. Don’t worry,” Matthew sends you a soft smile, and your stomach does somersaults. “What about physical stuff?”

You glare at Matthew trying to figure out exactly what he was asking for in this fake relationship. “Explain because if you’re trying to sleep with me, it’s not happening.”

“No, Yn, of course not! That’s not what I meant!” Matthew replies shocked that you’d even bring up the notion. “No, I meant like holding hands, my arms wrapped around you, kissing and stuff like that. Things that couples do, you know?”

“Oh, yeah, um, I guess we could hold hands and touch each other to keep up the facade, but only in public.”

Matthew nods. “Only in public.”

You make moves to clear the table, but Matthew stops you and clears the table for you. “Sit, I’ll take care of it.”

“Matthew —” you begin.

“Nope, my fake girlfriend doesn’t need to clear her table, so sit down.”

“Maybe you should be my fake-boyfriend forever if you’re going to be clearing my table and stuff like this.”

“I mean if you’d like,” Matthew smirks and sends you a wink. He continues cleaning up by placing the dishes in the dishwasher and placing the leftovers in a Tupperware container and inside the fridge. You’re watching him concentrate on the task at hand, and suddenly, you’re drawn to his lips. You were drawn to the way he bit his lip in concentration and licked the bottom lip now and then. You watched the way he’d stop biting his lips and realize that you want to be the one to bite his lip. You wanted to kiss Matthew.

“Hey, um, Matthew?” you begin hesitantly.

“Mmm,” he replies looking up.

“Should we, um, kiss?” your eyes don’t meet Matthew’s, and you’re intent on staring at the tiles on the floor of your kitchen instead.

“I mean, sure, when we’re out in public. It’d be weird if we didn’t, right?”

“Right,” you nod knowingly and happy that Matthew didn’t realize the true meaning of your request. You look up and notice him watching you curiously. The sparkle in his eyes makes your face warm under his gaze, and you know that he’s figured out what you were truly thinking.

“Or,” he begins with a smirk, “we could practice now, so we know what to do when we kiss in front of people.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” you whisper, barely audible.

Matthew, being the pest he is, smirks at your words and asks you to repeat them. “I couldn’t hear you, baby. I need you to repeat it.”

“I think that we should practice kissing,” you say again, slightly louder, but Matthew’s shit-eating grin tells you that you’re going to have to repeat yourself.

“Come on, baby, I need to hear you loud and clear,” he walks over to you, and you shift in your seat to face him. You stand up, so you’re level with him (as much as you can be considering his height), and Matthew puts his hands on your waist. “This okay?” he asks, and you nod, but when he raises his eyebrows, you know you have to give him audible consent.

“Yes, Matthew, and I think that you should kiss me,” you tell him loud and clear. Matthew’s grin widens, and he dips his head towards yours. You put your hands around his neck, and he pulls you closer to him.

“This okay?” he asks with concern lacing his features. He didn’t want to overstep any boundaries with you.

“More than okay,” you reply and lean towards him. Matthew dips his head towards yours and places his lips softly on yours. He planned on pulling back and that being the end of the kiss, but his instincts and strong desire to kiss you stopped him. Matthew’s hands leave your waist and cup your face. He holds you forcefully but also gently. You both deepen the kiss, and your mouth separates as Matthew works his mouth against yours. Your tongue swipes against his bottom lip begging to meet his. Matthew puts his hands back on your waist and pulls you close and flush against his body. There’s no space between the two of you, not a single inch of air. You both pull away after the kiss crossed the line between what your relationship truly was. You both pull away but your heads are still close to each other. You’re looking into Matthew’s blue eyes that are laced with longing and desire. You watch Matthew’s eyes glance down to your lips as you long for his lips to be on yours again.

“We have the practice, now,” Matthew says in a deep voice, almost huskily.

“That we do,” you reply softly.

“I didn’t hurt you, right?”

“Absolutely not, Matthew. I would have slapped you if you stepped out of line,” you tell him, and Matthew’s deep chuckle sends the butterflies erupting in your stomach. You take a step back from Matthew and sit back in your chair. “Maybe if we kiss in front of people, it shouldn’t be that deep and passionate.”

“Yeah, maybe not,” Matthew tells you. He loved kissing you. Now that he’s kissed you, he doesn’t want to kiss anyone else. He wants to keep kissing you for as long as you would possibly let him. “Oh, that reminds me.”

“Mmhm?”

“I may or may not have let the cat slip out of the bag that I had a girlfriend, and now the team is expecting you to be at the last game tomorrow and our celebration.”

“Matthew!”

“I know, I know, I wasn’t supposed to. I didn’t mean to, it just slipped out!”

“How does it just slip out?”

“Some people asked if I had a date for the Gala, and I said I was bringing my girlfriend.”

“So, I have to go to the game tomorrow?”

“Please?” Matthew pouts. “I’ll owe you big time.”

“You already owe me big time,” you point out.

“Fine, just come to the game tomorrow? You don’t have to wear my jersey or anything, just come?”

“I’ll be there, and if you give me a jersey, I’ll wear it, okay? Or, I can just wear Brady’s.”

“No, never. Wait, why do you have Brady’s jersey and not mine?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Sure, I have to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow?” Matthew asks as he walks over to the door. You walk with him and unlock the door.

“See you tomorrow, fake boyfriend,” you tell him and place a kiss on his cheek.

“Tomorrow, fake girlfriend,” Matthew says and walks out the door. When the door is closed, he places his hands on his cheek where you kissed him. He touches his lips softly remembering how you kissed him just recently. Just remembering your mouth being anywhere near his face made him melt. Matthew was digging himself into a hole he only hoped he’d be able to escape from.

. . .

You walked up to the Friends & Family box still trying to recover from Matthew kissing you barely twenty-four hours prior. You didn’t have Matthew’s jersey to wear, so you opted for a red shirt with jeans and a leather jacket. You’ve also never met anyone on the team before, so you were scared as to what they would say.

You stepped into the box and were instantly overwhelmed with what you saw. All the other wives and girlfriends and children were mingling around, and you felt out of place. One of the WAGs walked over to you, and said, “You must be Yn, Matthew’s girlfriend.”

You nodded, “Yeah, that would be me.”

“I’m Annica, Elias’s girlfriend. Don’t worry about being nervous or whatever, Matthew is crazy about you, so we’re automatically crazy about you, too! Everyone, this is Yn, Matthew’s girlfriend.”

You stood there as everyone introduced themselves, and you maybe remembered two of those names.

“Matthew left you a jersey because he knew you didn’t have one,” Lauren, Mark’s wife, tells you. She hands you the jersey, and you look at it. Were you supposed to put it on? “You can just put it on over your shirt and leave your jacket on a chair.”

You nod. You put on the jersey and look down at the number on your sleeve. You smiled. You liked the way it looked on you.

Watching the game with the other girls was interesting and exciting. You chatted with the other women and played with the children. It was exhilarating to be in the Saddledome during a game, especially the last of the season. You haven’t been to a game in Calgary despite living there. Every time the Tkachuks came to town, you always told them you couldn’t go to the game. It didn’t feel right, but now that you’ve been to a game, you wanted to keep coming to the games. The Flames ended up coming out on top to celebrate their final game, and the arena was loud and bursting with happiness. You followed behind as everyone walked to outside the locker rooms to wait for the team. You stood awkwardly, not sure what to do. You played with your jacket in your hand just as Matthew walked out. He spotted you instantly, and his heart lurched through his chest as he saw you in his jersey. His eyes widened at seeing his number on your arm, and if possible, he fell more in love with you.

“Hey,” he says as he walks over. You look up and give him a wide smile.

“Hi,” you tell him and pull your fake boyfriend into a large hug as you whisper in his ear, “you played amazing.”

Your words send shivers down Matthew’s spine, and he holds you tightly. “Thank you.”

You both pull away and notice some of Matthew’s teammates and significant others greeting each other with congratulatory kisses. Were you both supposed to kiss? “Should we kiss, Matthew?” you whisper.

“What?” he whispers back, not sure if he heard you properly.

“You heard me, should we kiss? Everyone else is.”

“Do you want me to kiss you?”

“Would it be awkward if we didn’t?”

“I’m going to kiss you, okay?” Matthew doesn’t wait for your response as he hungrily leans down and kisses you. Despite kissing you yesterday, Matthew was waiting earnestly for the day he’d get to kiss you again. It wasn’t as passionate as the night before, but somehow, it was even more intimate despite being in public. You both full away flushed with the kiss, and Matthew’s teammates holler around you both. “Oh, shut up.”

Matthew leads you to his car and holds your hand. “Did you want to come to celebrate with us?” he leans down to whisper in your ear.

“I thought that was part of this,” you tell him.

“Yeah, but not everyone is going out, so if you don’t want to, we can just head to my place.”

“We can go to your place, then.”

“Okay,” Matthew says to you and opens the car door for you. He closes the door and heads towards the driver’s side. When he gets in, he asks, “How did you get here if I’m driving you home?”

“Oh, I walked because I don’t work too far from here,” you explain, and Matthew whips his heat towards you. “What?”

“You walked? Do you not have a car?” he asks as if the notion were beyond him.

“Yeah, it was like ten minutes.”

“If you didn’t have a ride or something, I would have sent someone to pick you up.”

“I walk to work, Matthew.”

“You walk? No, from now on, I will be driving you to work and wherever you need to be.”

You giggle to yourself softly. “I have a car, but I just walk to work because it’s only five minutes.”

“No, I refuse to let you walk to work.”

“Matthew,” you say gently and place your hand on his thigh. “I’m fine, I promise, okay?”

Matthew looks at the soft look in your eyes and the anger he has dissipated. “Okay, but if you ever need a ride somewhere, please just let me know, and I’ll drive you, okay?”

“Okay, but I do have a car, you know,” you tell him, and Matthew starts the car and heads towards his apartment. Why was Matthew so concerned and angry about the fact that you don’t drive to work? You ponder the thought and are so deep in trying to figure it out that you don’t realize that you’ve reached Matthew’s apartment until he tells you so.

“You okay?” Matthew asks as you’re standing in the elevator.

“Yeah, I’m fine, why?”

“Not sure, you seem kind of spaced out.”

“Oh, no, I’m okay.”

“Promise?” Matthew asks.

“Promise,” you reply with a smile.

You and Matthew walk into his apartment, and your breath is taken away by the view of Matthew’s apartment. You take your shoes off and just stand there staring. You drop your purse and bag on the floor and walk over to the window in a trance.

“Yn, you good?” Matthew asks, confused about your actions.

“It’s just so pretty, Matthew,” you say and reach for your phone in your back pocket and take a photo. Matthew can’t help but smile at your actions. Sure, the view was pretty to him, but he saw it each day, so it wasn’t as special to him. Watching you take in the view, though, gave Matthew a new insight into how pretty the view truly was. Maybe, just maybe, Matthew was staring at you, looking beautiful with the dim lighting of his living room and wearing his jersey, instead of the view, but it didn’t matter. It was beautiful, and if he was talking about you? Then, so be it!

“I’m just going to get changed real quick, okay?” Matthew asks. He didn’t want to leave you standing there alone, but he knows he won’t be comfortable in his suit. “I can stay if you want.”

You giggle to yourself. “I can take care of myself, you know.”

“Yeah, I know, but —”

“Go,” you push Matthew in the direction of his room. “I’ll be fine.” Matthew looks behind him once more to you; you give him a pointed look, and Matthew walks to his room to change.

You settle yourself on the couch and sit there staring at the TV stand. On it are sitting picture frames with photos of Matthew’s family and friends. One photo, in particular, stands out to you. You get up and walk to the photo and smile at it. You pick it up and stare at it. It was a photo of Brady, Taryn, Matthew, your brother, and you. You don’t remember the photo being taken but it was around when you were six or seven. You were sitting at the table in Tkachuk's backyard before dinner. Matthew was sitting on your right, as he should, and with Taryn on your left.

“Find anything interesting?” Matthew asks as he walks out. He walks over to you and rests an arm around your shoulder.

“I’m surprised you have a photo of me sitting here,” you tell him and look at him.

“Why?” Matthew furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

“I just, I don’t know.”

Matthew walks over to the couch and sits. You place the photo back on the stand and join him. You sit next to him on your right, and Matthew, again, rests an arm around your shoulder. “I have photos of the important people in my life.”

Matthew turns on the TV and begins flipping through Netflix. He selects one of your favorite movies, and you’re surprised he knows it, but then again, Matthew seems to know more about you than you realized.

As the movie continues, you and Matthew move closer and closer together to the point where you’re cuddled into him and your head moves in sync with Matthew’s breathing. The warmth that Matthew’s body exudes and the pattern of his breaths put you to sleep. When Matthew notices you’ve fallen asleep, he doesn’t want to wake you, so he tightens his hold on you and grabs the blanket that was sitting over the couch (he silently thanks his mom for making him put it there), and he places it on you. He softly kisses your forehead with a soft, ”goodnight, Yn.”

. . .

The next morning, after you’ve woken up, eaten breakfast that Matthew made for you, and left for the day, Matthew was on his way to the Saddledome for the exit interviews of the season. It didn’t end the way the team wanted, but they fought tooth and nail until the last game, and they should be proud of that.

As Matthew walks into the locker room, he has a soft smile on his face of pure bliss.

“So, what did you and Yn do last night?” Noah teases when he sees his teammate. “You’re never one to turn down a night out.”

“I didn’t go out because Yn didn’t want to. I think she was overwhelmed with meeting everyone, and I just wanted her to be comfortable.”

“Wow, Matthew, look at you maturing for the better,” Mark teases. He was waiting for the day that Matthew would meet a girl and act this way for her.

“Whatever,” Matthew rolls his eyes.

“Matthew’s in looooove,” someone teases and everyone else laughs in response. Matthew, again, just rolls his eyes in response. He had no other response.

Matthew only wishes that the person he was in love with was him, too.

. . .

You’re standing outside Matthew’s apartment door with your dress in your hand with a bag of the things you needed to get ready over your shoulder. You took a deep breath. You weren’t sure why you were so nervous, but you were. You were about to ring the doorbell, but Matthew opened the door first.

“How did you know I was here?” you ask as you walk into his apartment.

“I mean, I had to buzz you into the building, so I was waiting for you,” Matthew says as if it were obvious.

“Oh.”

“You can shower first. I probably take less time than you to get ready, so you can shower first.”

You nod. “Okay, can I hang up my dress in your closet?”

“Yeah, of course. What color is it? I probably should have asked before, so that we could match.”

You smile. “It’s a lavender color. I doubt you own anything lavender.”

“My mom bought me a lavender dress shirt for Christmas, so, yes, I do own something lavender.”

You giggle to yourself softly and head into his bedroom to hand up your dress. You walk into his washroom and set your things there. “Thank you, Matthew.”

“No need to thank me,” he tells you. “I left you towels and stuff. Just let me know when I can shower, okay?”

You nod. You’re not sure why you’re suddenly at a loss for words. What was it with Matthew?

After you showered, Matthew told you that, if you were comfortable, you could use the washroom as he showered. You told him it was fine and began styling your hair just as Matthew was showering. You were halfway done when you heard Matthew turn off the water. You watch him from the corner of your eye as he grabs the towel from behind the shower curtain. You try to calm your breathing as you watch Matthew step out of the shower with the towel wrapped low on his hips and his broad shoulders and chest lined with water droplets. He stands next to you and begins to moisturize his face. You feel your face warm as you stand next to him.

Matthew walks out of the washroom, but he stops at the door and turns to you. “I’ll get ready in my bedroom, and you can get ready here. Just let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll let you change in the bedroom.”

“Thanks, Matthew.”

“Sure,” he says and takes one step out of the washroom before stopping again. “Hey, yn?”

“Yes?” you turn to him.

“Your hair looks really pretty.”

“I haven’t finished, yet,” you point out.

“Fine, but I know for a fact that you’re going to look so incredibly beautiful.”

. . .

You put on your shoes and look at yourself once more in the mirror. You observe the way you look and take a deep breath. You take your steps out of the bedroom, and Matthew stands when he hears the clack of your heels. Matthew takes a deep breath, getting ready to see how beautiful you will undoubtedly look.

“Hey,” you say and stand in front of Matthew. You smile, and your breath stops when you see Matthew. He’s wearing a lavender shirt that matches your dress with a black tie, jacket, and pants. His clothes fit him perfectly, and it displays his body just the way clothes should.

“Hey,” he replies, and his breath stops, too. You were beautiful. The lavender gown hung on your body perfectly, and it accentuated each and every curve of your body perfectly. The color brought out your eyes, and they shone in the light. The dim light of Matthew’s apartment reflected off the design and details of your dress that Matthew knew he was going to be speechless when the light of the ballroom truly lit you up. “You’re beautiful, Yn. Gorgeous, yn!”

“Thank you,” you say bashfully and walk over to your fake boyfriend. You place your hands on his chest and straighten his tie. “You look amazing, too, Matthew.”

Matthew’s breath is shallow as you run your hands on his chest. His heart is beating through his chest, and he knows that he’s going to have to use all his energy and brainpower not to stare at you the entire night. You stop and rest your hands on his chest. “Ready to go?” you ask.

Matthew audibly swallows at your touch. “Yeah,” he says in a low voice. He takes your hand and leads you towards the door. “Did you want to put your stuff in your car and drive home, or do you want to just stay the night and drive home in the morning?”

“Can I stay the night?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Matthew won’t admit it, but he wanted you to stay the night.

As Matthew drives to the location of the Gala, he continues taking peeks at you. He isn’t sure what he’s done to get someone as beautiful as you as his date, but he’s thanking any and every higher being for blessing him with you.

Throughout the entire night, Matthew has to force himself to leave you for moments every now and then to do his job. It was difficult. He wanted to be right by your side and show the world how lucky he got to be right next to you. You were the star, and Matthew was one of your many admirers. When Matthew wasn’t talking to donors and was right next to you, he found it difficult to speak. When you’d ask a question or make a comment, Matthew would take a few seconds to reply because of you. Your laughter, your smile, and your perfume were intoxicating, and Matthew wasn’t sure how he would make it through the rest of the night.

Annica wanted to grab another drink from the bar, so you went with her. Matthew, reluctantly, removed his hand from the small of your back and watched you lovingly as you went off with Annica. When he lost sight of you, Matthew finally turned his attention back to the group at the table.

“Yeah, you’re definitely not whipped for her and in love with her,” Elias says.

“Matthew not in love, who?” Noah jokes.

“Oh, shut up,” Matthew says. It didn’t matter if he was in love with you because you weren’t in love with him.

“Look, the minute Yn comes back, Matthew is going to put a hand on her, either on her shoulder or on her back, smile down at her, and pull her close to him. I guarantee it,” Jacob says. He was watching the two of you interact the entire night, and he knows that this will happen as it happened every time you and Matthew got separated.

“I see your point, and I raise you with this: he’s going to lean down and kiss Yn on the forehead,” Johnny adds.

“I see both your points, and I raise you with this: Matthew’s going to look at Yn, and she’s going to look at him, and they will both smile widely at each other,” Elias points out.

“Are you guys betting again?” Mark asks as he settles himself at the table as he’s making his rounds.

“Kind of. We’re trying to figure out how Yn and Matthew are going to act when she returns,” Noah explains.

“Oh, drop the subject,” Matthew says, annoyed.

“I’m not sure what has been said, but I guess that Matthew will be so enthralled by his date that everything in the world will fade away,” Mark says, “because that’s what a person in love does.”

“Look, I’m not in love with Yn, okay? Can we just drop the subject before Yn and Annica return?” Matthew replies exasperatedly.

Everyone agrees, but they all know that they will be monitoring your and Matthew’s actions when you return. Just a few moments later, you and Annica are returning to the table with a refill of drinks. You settle in next to Matthew and place a glass of wine down for you and a glass of beer for him.

“You were empty, so I got you a refill,” you tell him.

“Thank you,” he says to you and places a hand on the small of your back where it was before you left. You lean in further to him, and Matthew smiles down at you as you engage in conversation with Mark. Matthew places a soft kiss on your forehead, and you look up and smile at Matthew who smiles back at you. Elias mentions Matthew’s name, but Matthew is too soaked up in your presence to notice. The group is shocked. Every single one of them guessed correctly what Matthew would do when you returned.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me,” Mark begins, “I’m going to go ask the Mrs. for a dance.”

Elias and Annica leave, too, and head to the dance floor. You stand there awkwardly wondering if you and Matthew should dance. Matthew leans his head towards yours and whispers, “Do you want to dance, Yn?”

You look at Matthew and nod with a smile. Matthew takes your hand and leads you to the dance floor. He takes one hand in his and the other rests on the bare skin of your upper back. You place your other hand not in Matthew’s on his shoulder and move close to him. You both sway to the music that’s playing. As you both continue to dance, Matthew’s hand draws soft patterns on your skin sending electric shocks through your body. As the song comes to an end, the bubble you and Matthew found yourself in slowly pops, and you return to reality. It didn’t matter how special dancing with each other was, you were both not truly dating. You were living a lie, and you knew it would hurt when, one day, the ruse was over. You only hoped that you could salvage your feelings and not hurt your heart too much. You weren’t sure, though, what you were trying to save your heart from.

. . .

“Ready to head home?” Matthew whispers into your ear as you’re talking with some of the WAGs. You nod and say goodbye to the ladies. Matthew wraps his suit jacket around your shoulders as he notices you’re cold and takes your hand in his. “Thank you for being my date.”

You smile. “Thank you for taking me. I had a lot of fun.”

“I had a lot of fun with the beautiful person as my date.”

“Oh, beautiful person? Who may they be?” you tease.

“They’re you, of course. The most beautiful of people.”

“You flatter me, Matthew.”

“You deserve all the compliments in the world, Yn,” Matthew squeezes your hand and opens the car door for you. You smile in gratitude as he closes the door and heads to the driver's side. You smile in happiness at the evening you had. Matthew intertwines his hand with yours as he drives. With the late hour and the comfort of Matthew’s hand, you feel your eyes drift closed. You didn’t mean to fall asleep, but you did.

“Yn? You have to wake up; we’re back at my apartment, now,” Matthew says softly as he strokes your face softly to wake you.

You slowly open your eyes, and your lips quirk up at the sound of Matthew’s soft voice. You nod and move to get out of the car.

“No, no, I’ll get the door for you,” Matthew interrupts. You’re too tired to argue, so you just let Matthew rush out of the car to open the door for you. Matthew leads you back to his apartment and ushers you into his bedroom. “You can sleep here, and I’ll take the guest room.”

“No, Matthew, I’ll take the guest room,” you interject.

“No, Yn. You did me the biggest favor by coming as my date tonight, so you can take my bed.”

“Matthew —” you were going to point out that you were taking him to Shelly’s wedding, but he wasn’t going to change his mind.

“Yn, just take the bed, okay? You can grab a shirt and sweatpants to wear to bed.”

You nod, and Matthew walks out of the room with clothes for himself. He closes the door quietly behind him as he heads to the guest room. His one wish was that he was sleeping in that bed with you instead of you there alone.

. . .

“Yn, come on, we have to go,” Matthew says, standing in your kitchen and waiting for you to be ready to leave.

“Just give me a moment. We’ve got quite a bit of time, still.”

“You know, you’re the one who told me I had to be here at exactly this time, Yn, so you should be ready to go.”

You walk out of your bedroom lugging your suitcase and purse. Matthew rushes over to you and takes your suitcase out of your hand. In the process, Matthew’s hand brushes over yours, and you hear your heartbeat in your ears as the heat rushes to your face. “Let me just make sure that all the windows are closed and that I unplugged everything.”

When you return and are completely ready to go, you lock the door to your apartment and head to Matthew’s car. He opens the trunk to place your suitcase in, and as usual, Matthew opens the car door for you.

“You know, you don’t have to always open the car door for me, right?” you tell him.

“Just doing what any boyfriend would,” Matthew points out. “Fake or not.”

“Right,” you say. It’s been a while since you or he pointed out the fakeness of your relationship, and you almost forgot. Almost. Matthew turns to you and opens his mouth to say something, but he isn’t sure how to put his thoughts into words. How is he supposed to ask if you’re upset that he pointed out that you were both fake dating despite that being the obvious title between you two? You reach to turn on some music to try to ease the awkwardness in the car. You put on Taylor Swift, and Matthew groans in response.

“You know the way Taryn and I were growing up; I can’t believe you’re shocked.”

“I thought you’d show me some mercy, you know as your boyfriend?”

“I show zero mercy.”

. . .

Going through checking in and security was a breeze. You got on the plane fine just, but the nerves immediately hit as the pilot announced that the doors were closing. Your leg begins to bounce up and down, and you begin to fiddle with your fingers. Matthew glances down at you and notices your nerves.

“You’ve been on a plane before, right?” he whispers.

You nod. “Just scary sometimes.”

He nods and places his hand on your thigh causing it to stop bouncing. You feel all your nerves suddenly dissipate. “I’m here, okay? Don’t worry.”

“Okay,” you whisper back. Matthew lifts the armrest between you both and scoots closer to you. He pulls you into his side, so you’re leaning against him. You rest your head on his shoulder, and Matthew takes your hand in his.

“It’s not a long flight. You’ll be okay.”

. . .

“Hey, you have to wake up,” Matthew whispers as he strokes your head softly. Your eyes flutter open. You didn’t realize you fell asleep on Matthew during the flight. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah,” you yawn.

Matthew smiles softly at you. “You slept through the flight, so that’s good.”

“Oh, we landed?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, let’s get off this plane, what do you say?”

You grab your purse from under the seat in front of you, and Matthew grabs his carry-on from the overhead bin. He packed significantly more than you because he wasn’t flying home with you. Matthew would be staying in St. Louis until he flies back to Calgary for training camp.

Matthew extends his hand for you, and you take it. He walks into the aisle first with one hand holding his bag and the other behind him holding your hand. You both exit the plane and head towards customs and baggage claims.

You take a deep breath once you’re in line for customs. You knew this day would come, but you didn’t realize the nerves that would come with it. Would you be able to survive this week with Matthew?

. . .

“You go in first and get us settled; I’ll pay for the taxi,” you tell Matthew when your taxi pulls up to the hotel.

“Nope, you go in; I pay,” Matthew counters.

“Matthew —”

“I am your boyfriend, no? Just let me do this.”

“Okay,” you relent softly and head into the hotel with your luggage in tow. You head to the check-in desk. There isn’t a line, and you get your room information and key quickly. You meet Matthew at where he’s standing and lead him towards the elevator door. You both wait for the elevator in silence and walk inside in the same silence. You lead him towards your eighth-floor room and walk inside. “I made sure to request two beds, so we don’t have to share.”

“Smart,” Matthew says. You unlock the door and walk inside. You groan when you see the layout of the room and what it contains — one bed.

“Oh,” you mumble. “Only one bed.”

“What? Oh,” Matthew says as he stands next to you.

“Let me call down and see if they have another room for us.”

Matthew nods. He was frozen solid at the thought of sleeping next to you. He watches as you walk over to the phone and call down to the front desk. You tell them your issue, and Matthew watches as you furrow your eyebrows in frustration. You end the call with a “thank you, it’s no problem” and look to Matthew.

“What’s the verdict?” Matthew asks.

“They have three wedding parties staying here and no extra room with two beds for us.”

“I can sleep on the floor,” Matthew suggests.

You shake your head. “We’re both adults. I’m sure we can sleep in the same bed without any issues arising.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Matthew breathes out. His throat is dry and the words are barely forming on his tongue. You nod towards Matthew and begin unpacking. You hang up your dresses in the closet and line your shoes against the wall.

“Make sure you hang up your suit, so it doesn’t get wrinkly,” you remind Matthew as you head to the washroom to unpack your toiletries. Matthew nods and does what you say. He isn’t sure why he’s suddenly so nervous and clammy, but he figures it’s because you are both going to be sleeping in the same bed. You both move in sync with each other as you settle into the hotel room. Once Matthew has finished, he settles on the couch and turns the TV on. You awkwardly get on the couch, and Matthew chuckles at you.

It would be a restful night, right?

. . .

After meeting with the rest of the bridal party and making sure everything was perfect for the rehearsal the next day and the wedding the day after, you head into your hotel room and see Matthew sitting on the bed.

“Hey,” you say as you get ready to shower.

“How were your preparations?” he asks.

“Not bad. I’m tired, but it’s all worth it if Shelly gets the wedding of her dreams.”

Matthew nods.

“I’m going to take a shower and then go to bed; if that’s okay?”

“That’s perfectly fine,” Matthew replies as you head to the washroom to shower. While in the shower, you did everything in your power to prolong your time there because you knew that when you finished, you’d be going to sleep. You’d be going to be sleeping in the same bed as Matthew.

Once you’ve showered and gotten ready for the night, you walk out of the washroom and see Matthew standing next to the bed.

“I pulled out the blankets and stuff when I heard the tap turn off,” Matthew bashfully tells you when you notice the bed. “I figured you’re tired and stuff, so I was trying to help.”

You smile softly at the man. “Thank you, Matthew.”

He nods at your words. “What do we do now? Should we call down for more pillows and make, like, a pillow wall?”

“Um, I don’t think we have to do that. It’s big enough where we probably won’t get in each other’s way.”

“Yeah, probably,” Matthew lies. He isn’t sure if now is the right time to mention he’s an active sleeper and moves around a lot. “You can get in first.”

“Okay,” you say and move towards the bed. You get under the covers and sigh at the comfort of the bed. You lay on your back, a position that isn’t the most comfortable for you. When you’re done, Matthew gets under the covers, and he, too, lays on his back. You don’t think it’s the most comfortable for him, either. You lean over to turn the lights off, so the entire room is cascaded in darkness. “Good night, Matthew.”

“Night, Yn.”

You both lay there in awkward silence and stare up at the ceiling. What were you supposed to do? Were you supposed to talk to each other until the other fell asleep? Was it okay to face each other as you slept? What happened if you woke up in a compromising position? Would your friendship (was this a friendship?) be awkward? What would the morning be like? How awkward would it be? Should you be thinking about the fact that Matthew wasn’t wearing a shirt next to you? No, you shouldn’t be, but here you are thinking about Matthew’s bare chest.

You took a deep breath and hoped for sleep to easily overcome you.

Thankfully, it did. You fell asleep, and when your alarm went off, you were surprised you slept through the night. It was one of the best nights of sleep of your life. The pillows and blankets exuded this comfort and warmth that cocooned you and made it easy to fall asleep. When you opened your eyes, you were shocked by the sight in front of you. You blinked your eyes to make sure you weren’t still dreaming. Nope, you definitely weren’t dreaming.

Matthew Tkachuk, your fake boyfriend and boy who has hated you since you were ten, was cuddling you into his chest. Not only that, his arms were wound tightly around your waist with your forehead comfortably on his chest. Both of your legs were intertwined with each other, and your arms were grasping his waist. No wonder you slept so well.

“Oh, good morning,” Matthew says quietly. You look up at him and notice that it looks like he’s been up for a little bit.

“How long have you been awake?” you ask.

“Wow, no good morning? I’m hurt,” Matthew pouts.

“Good morning, Matthew; how long have you been awake?”

“About half an hour?”

“And you didn’t wake me knowing we were sleeping like this?” you say annoyed and slowly pull away. Once you’re fully out of his grasp, you wish you remained in his grasp. Matthew’s body exuded this comfort and warmth that made you happy and comfortable. You wished you could return to Matthew’s hold and embrace without it seeming weird.

“You were very comfortable, it looked like, and you seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and I figured you’d be more upset if I woke you, so I didn’t. Are you upset that I didn’t wake you?”

You ponder over his last question for a moment. No, you weren’t upset that he woke you. “No, it’s okay. I just slightly overreacted.”

“No need to apologize. You reacted just fine.”

You nod. “I have to get ready for wedding stuff, but we can go down to get breakfast together.”

“Yes, whatever you say,” Matthew replies and watches you get out of bed and towards your suitcase and washroom. Matthew wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he was up for hours. He got up hours before because he was warm and needed to turn the AC up higher, but when he realized the situation you were both in, Matthew refused to get up. When else would Matthew be able to hold the person he’s been in love with his entire life who doesn’t love him back?

. . .

“You have the rehearsal tonight, right?” Matthew asks from outside the washroom as you’re doing your makeup. He walks over to the dresser and begins looking at the jewelry you’ve laid across it.

“Yeah, sorry that I can’t bring you. It’s a small thing with just Shelly’s family and bridal party. That means, though, that our big fake dating debut will be tomorrow at the reception,” you say from the washroom. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m having dinner with my parents at a restaurant around the corner. I know you said that you have a ride to and from where you have to be, but if you need a ride, just call me, okay?”

You smile to yourself from the washroom where Matthew can’t see you. There was something about his concern that made you smile like crazy. “Okay, Matthew. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” he begins. “I am your boyfriend after all.” He mutters under his breath the word “fake” with a scowl. He hated being just your fake boyfriend.

You begin to pack your things back into your toiletries bag so as not to leave a mess, and you walk out of the washroom. “How do I look?” you ask when you’re in full view of Matthew. He immediately looks up from where he was staring at your necklace, and his jaw drops.

“Wow, you — I, wow! You’re gorgeous, Yn,” Matthew says with wonder and awe in his eyes. You take your hands and place them on the hem of your skirt and look down. Matthew walks over to you and takes one of your hands and twirls you. You giggle in response, and Matthew catches you with his hands on your waist. “You’re beautiful, Yn.”

“Thank you,” you whisper. Matthew places a soft kiss on your forehead and takes a step back to admire you.

“I get to be your date tomorrow? Aren’t I the luckiest guy on the planet?”

You giggle again and make your way to the dresser to put on the necklace sitting there. It’s a matching necklace you and Shelly both bought at the age of 18. “Can you help me put it on?”

Matthew’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as he soaks you in and your request. He nods and takes the necklace gently from you. You turn around, so your back is to him, and Matthew places the necklace around your neck. He fiddles with the clasp and whispers a soft “there you go” when he’s finished. You turn around and look into his eyes.

“Thank you, Matthew,” you say nervously but hide it with a smile. You’re not sure why you’re nervous, but you suddenly are. Maybe it was the intimacy of the act Matthew just performed for you. “Have fun with your family tonight.”

“Have fun at the rehearsal! Text me when you’re on your way back, okay?”

“Okay,” you reply as you slip on your shoes and make your way towards the door. “Night, Matthew.”

You walk out the door before Matthew could respond. “Night,” he says even though it’s pointless. In his head, Matthew is replaying the vision of you walking out in your blush pink dress and how beautiful you looked. Matthew knows that whoever gets to be the one to call you their girlfriend will be the luckiest person in the world. He only wishes he were the one.

. . .

Matthew walks into the restaurant his family picked, still reeling from how beautiful you looked. It was at that moment when Matthew saw you when he realized he was truly gone. Matthew has dug himself into a hole that he knows he’s never going to get out of. Now that Matthew has experienced you as a date, in his arms in his apartment, at one of his games, kissing you, and sleeping next to you, Matthew knows that no one else will compare to you. He knows that when this ruse is over, he will be heartbroken beyond repair. Is he choosing to do something about it? Nope, not at all because to him, if he can have even a little bit of you, even if it’s under the guise of being fake, then he’ll take it.

He sits at the table his parents and siblings were already at and greets them. It’s not even two seconds after he sits before they all corner him about dating you.

“So, you and Yn, huh?” Brady smirks.

“Don’t start, please,” Matthew warns.

“I’ll start, then,” Taryn prompts. “I can’t believe you finally got Yn to date you after you’ve harbored a crush on her for all these years and hated her.”

“Can we not?” Matthew asks.

“Nope, not happening, we are going to question you about every single detail. Who knows, maybe you two will be the next ones to get married.”

“Okay, Taryn, take a step back,” Keith chuckles.

“I think you should take a step forward,” Brady prompts. “Considering how head over heels Matthew has been, Taryn’s right.”

Matthew just rolls his eyes and sighs. “Can we just order and have a normal meal, please?”

“This conversation isn’t over yet,” Taryn warns, and Matthew just rolls his eyes.

After deciding what to eat and ordering, Taryn was true to her word and began to question Matthew about his dating life. “How did it start? What was your first date like? Did Yn slap you when you first asked her out? I need details, Matthew!”

“Did you ever consider that Yn and I want privacy about our relationship?” Matthew snaps.

“Right, but this is the weirdest pairing ever, so I feel like I should get something out of you,” Taryn defends herself.

“There isn’t much to say. A few months back, Yn called me saying she needed a familiar face because she was homesick, so we met up. We realized that we liked each other and here we are.”

Chantal gives her son a curious look. That was the exact statement and explanation that you gave her when she called you a few weeks after she found out about you and Matthew. Either that was the reality of the situation or you both practiced this many times. Chantal thinks it’s probably the latter because she knows her son. She knows that if you and Matthew were for real, then he’d be telling everyone how much he liked you.

“That’s it? I thought there’d be more! Something more romantic or something,” Taryn pouts, and Matthew just shrugs. He wishes he could have made a more romantic story for how you both started dating because that’s what you deserve, but you wouldn’t have any of it.

“I agree with Taryn,” Brady adds. “Yn, as we know, is a hopeless romantic. I’m surprised you haven’t stepped up your game to match Yn’s romantic side.”

“Look, maybe we do have a romantic relationship, but we just want to keep it private,” Matthew growls.

“Alright, let’s just let the topic go,” Chantal interjects and inserts an out for Matthew. “Will you be sitting with us tomorrow?”

“During the ceremony, probably because Yn is part of the procession and all that. I’m not sure during the reception, though, because I think it’s open seating.”

“Okay, that’s understandable,” Chantal says just as their meals arrive. Matthew lets out a sigh of relief. He was able to keep the story about your ruse straight and evade any questions that could poke holes into the story. He could only wish that what was happening between you two was real.

. . .

Just as Matthew was getting interrogated by his family, your brother and Shelly were on their way to interrogate you. It was after the rehearsal, and everyone in attendance was at the restaurant catching up. Your brother walks over to you and whispers that Shelly wants to talk to you. Being the maid of honor, you figured that she needed help with last-minute wedding preparations. You weren’t expecting an ambush.

Your brother leads you to where Shelly’s sitting, and you expect him to leave. However, when he sits right next to you with Shelly across from you, you know that you’re getting interrogated.

“Don’t you have to go be with your pregnant wife?” you ask your brother pointedly hoping to get out of the conversation.

“No, she wants this information as much as I do,” he retorts.

“You and Tkachuk?” Shelly shrieks. Some of the other guests turn to the commotion but turn away when they see it’s only the bride getting excited about something. “I always knew he had the hots for you, but I wasn’t sure if he’d ever do anything about it. Wow, I’m impressed it didn’t take more time for it to happen.”

“What are you talking about?” Matthew never had the hots for you. This situation was purely platonic and aiding each other's social calendars.

“Oh, come on,” Shelly rolls her eyes. “You have to have known that Matthew was crazy in love with you in high school.”

“And that explains his treatment of me?”

“It’s what insecure guys do when they crush on someone who is way out of their league,” your brother explains. “For what it’s worth, you are way out of Matthew’s league, and the only reason that I haven’t confronted him is that I know him. But still, Matthew? Why him?”

“How did it start? Is he a good kisser? Does he make you smile like crazy? Is he the super romantic boyfriend that you’ve always wanted? Is he good in bed?” Shelby begins but is stopped by your brother making a disgusted look. He definitely didn’t want to think about you and Matthew sleeping together. “Sorry, I forgot you were here.”

“It’s alright,” he grumbles, and Shelly throws you a wink knowing that she’d ask you about this later.

“The other questions are still valid, though.”

“It started because I was homesick. I realized that I missed home and needed a familiar face, so I called Matthew. From there, we realized that there was something there between us,” you explain hoping that your brother and Shelly would accept the story.

“More like you finally realized it,” Shelly corrects. You were about to contradict her words, but wouldn’t that break the facade you and Matthew have built? “What about the rest of the stuff?”

You shrug.

“That’s it? There’s nothing else you can say about it?”

“I like keeping my relationship private,” you say softly hoping it came across as confident despite the guilt you felt lying to your brother and best friend.

“Sure, and did this happen before you and I talked about bringing a date to the wedding?” Shelly questions further. She knows that if you liked someone and were crazy about them, then you’d be talking about this person constantly. She isn’t buying the story.

“We started talking before, but we made our relationship official shortly after your call,” you lie, again. You make a mental note to tell Matthew this so that when Shelly did interrogate him, he’d have that information.

“But you insisted you didn’t have anyone to bring as a date,” Shelly points out.

“You also called me if any of my friends would want to bring you,” your brother points out smugly. You glare at him and kick him under the table.

“I wasn’t sure if bringing Matthew would be like cheating because I knew he was invited to the wedding,” you quickly retorted. Would that be enough to have them lay off you?

“Sure, sure,” Shelly begins. “Look, if your relationship is of convenience, you know, for pleasure, you can say that.”

What? “What?” you and your brother speak at the same time. She wasn’t interrogating you because she thought you and Matthew were faking. She thought you and Matthew had a friends-with-benefits relationship! Somehow, that calms your nerves and helps you relax.

“Oh, so it’s a real relationship,” Shelly says with a grin. “I was wrong?”

“Yes, it’s a real relationship,” you laugh.

“I mean, if it were a pleasure-seeking based relationship, then I’d also be okay with that because you do need to make yourself happy,” Shelly winks.

“Okay, I’m done here,” your brother immediately gets up and walks over to his wife. You and Shelly both giggle.

“Are you happy?” she asks.

You nod. “Yeah, I’m happy.”

“That’s good. I have to get back to bride duties. I know that I was shocked when you told me you were dating Tkachuk earlier and didn’t react the way you wanted me to, but I only did it because I don’t want you to get hurt. He treated you like crap when you were in high school, and I don’t want him to go back to that version of himself. You seem happy, though, so ignore me.”

Shelly kisses your forehead and finds her fiance. You knew you weren’t going to get hurt because what you were both doing was merely for show. You both weren’t actually dating, so there were no feelings to be hurt, but one thing stuck out to you. Matthew liked you in high school? You weren’t sure why that unsettled you so much, but it did. Why would he have treated you like crap if he liked you? Would you and Matthew hurt each other? What happens when you both end this ruse? You know you’ll miss the way Matthew could always put a smile on your face and bring out giggle after giggle from you. You’d miss the way his smile or hand in yours would make your heart burst and make you warm inside and out. Were you on the path to getting hurt?

. . .

As Keith and Brady are arguing about the bill, Matthew and Chantal step outside to wait for them, and Taryn is in the washroom.

“So, you and Yn?” Chantal begins.

“Mom,” Matthew groans.

“I find it funny that the story that you told tonight to us is exactly what Yn told me a few weeks ago.”

“It’s what happened, so it makes sense that Yn told you the same thing,” Matthew lies.

“Yeah, but it was the exact same story, Matthew.”

Matthew looks at his mother, and he knows that she’s read through fabrication. “We both needed dates for things, so we thought we’d pretend to date to make it easier on both of us,” Matthew mumbles.

Chantal looks at her son and sees the forlorn expression on his face. “But you like her.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m in love with her, mom,” Matthew says sadly as if he finally realized the hopelessness of the situation.

“Why don’t you just tell her?”

“Because, mom, it’s like Taryn was saying earlier and why it shocks you so much. I treated Yn like crap when we were growing up, and I’m pretty sure she hates me.”

“But you love her.”

“I never hated her; I just didn’t know what to do with my feelings. I’m screwed, aren’t I?”

“I don’t know,” Chantal admits. Her heart breaks as she watches her son run his hands through his hair sadly as he admits to feelings. “I haven’t seen you both around each other, but who knows, maybe Yn does feel the same way.”

“No, I know for a fact she doesn’t. It’s okay, at least I have this,” Matthew says. Keith and Brady walk out of the restaurant at that moment with Taryn close on their heels. Keith slaps Matthew’s back and asks what Matthew was talking about. Matthew shrugs it off with a curt “nothing.” Matthew didn’t want the rest of his family to know about the reality of his dating life. He also knows that you’d rather not let that information come out.

“On Sunday, you and Yn should come over for dinner,” Chantal suggests. “Like tradition.”

“I’ll ask Yn,” Matthew answers.

“It’s not a request, Matthew,” Chantal says and walks with her husband. Well, then you and Matthew are going to dinner at the Tkachuk’s on Sunday.

. . .

The next morning after the rehearsal, you had to force yourself to pull yourself out of Matthew’s embrace. You’ve both woken up in the same entanglement as the morning before, but this time, you liked it. You enjoyed the warmth and comfort his hold produced. You groan as you get out of bed and walk to the washroom in the cold away from Matthew. You had to be up early to get things ready for the makeup artist, hairdresser, and photographer. You briefly washed your face and brushed your teeth before throwing on a pair of leggings and your “I Do Crew” t-shirt that was made for you. You grab your dress, shoes, and jewelry before heading over closer to the bed to grab your phone and purse. You place everything down and kiss Matthew on the forehead. You smiled at how peaceful and cute he looked as he was still sleeping.

If only it were real.

. . .

When Matthew’s alarm went off a few hours later, he moved closer to your pillow hoping to hold you for a little bit longer. When his head hits your cold pillow, Matthew’s chipper mood deflates when he realizes you’re not gone. He knows that you had to leave early for wedding preparations, but it still hurts knowing that you weren’t there to wake up next to him. In the past few days, Matthew has gotten used to waking up next to you. He isn’t sure what he’s going to do when you both return to your normal lives and he can no longer wake up next to you.

. . .

“Well, you look nice, Matthew,” Chantal says as Matthew sits in the row next to his family. Matthew straightens his tie. His leg is bouncing up and down in nervousness. Chantal observes her son from the corner of her eye and smiles at his actions.

“Have you seen Yn yet today?” Chantal leans over and asks. Matthew shakes his head no; he was nervous to see you. Matthew got a glimpse of your bridesmaid’s dress, and he knows you’re going to be just as beautiful, if not more, than the night of the rehearsal.

Matthew and his family continue to chat quietly, and everyone in the crowd abruptly ends their conversations as Shelly’s groom heads to the front of the aisle. In a matter of seconds, the orchestra begins to play the “Wedding March”, and everyone turns their heads to the aisle awaiting the procession. The groomsmen process down the aisle and take their places. Following the groomsmen are the bridesmaids. As each woman processes down the aisle and takes their places, Matthew is confused when he doesn’t see you among them. Matthew assumes, though, that because you’re the maid of honor, you have something special to do.

Matthew’s suspicions are confirmed when you walk down the aisle in your blush, floor-length, off-the-shoulder dress with your right hand holding the hand of the flower girl and your left hand holding a bouquet. As you walk down the aisle, Matthew is entranced by you. He stops breathing and blinking as he watches you. He watches as you lead the flower girl to her place and stand behind her. When everyone’s attention is turned to Shelly and her father walking down the aisle, Matthew’s attention is focused on you. He knew you were beautiful, but you were beautiful. There isn’t any difference between the two words, Matthew knows, but the latter word somehow means more. Matthew keeps telling himself it’s the dress, but he knows it’s not just the dress. It’s the person wearing the dress. It’s the way your face glowed from happiness at the new couple and the makeup you had on. It was the way your hair flowed impeccably in the breeze. It’s the way you looked amazing in that dress that had Matthew frozen. You were the most beautiful person Matthew has ever seen, and he didn’t want to look away.

When you catch Matthew’s eye, he swears he died and came back to life. You smile softly at him, but he doesn’t do anything. He just stands there staring at you as the officiant continues to talk. Chantal notices you trying to stifle a giggle and turns to her son to see if he had anything to do with it. When she sees Matthew just staring at you, she elbows him.

“Smile at her,” Chantal directs. That, it seemed, was what finally took Matthew out of his trance. He blinks and takes a deep breath right before sending you his signature smile. You shake your head playfully when you notice that Chantal had to remind him to smile and pay attention. You turn your attention back to the ceremony happening right in front of you as the officiant directs everyone to sit. You also try to ignore the hole it feels like Matthew (and the rest of the Tkachuks) were burning into the back of your head.

Because you were the maid of honor, you were one of the official witnesses and had to stand behind the bride. Through it all, Matthew was watching you. He was captivated by you, enamored by you. You met his eye a few times and had to force yourself not to laugh as a blush overcame his face and he turned away. Taryn, thinking that the next wedding she’d be attending was between you and Matthew, was watching the interactions between you two. The first time she watched you looked constipated as you tried to hide a giggle, she knew Matthew was the reason. After the second time, Taryn made sure to keep an eye on Matthew, too, so he could watch his reaction. Normally, in relationships, Matthew was confident, cocky, and full of himself. He was always the one to make the person he was dating speechless, shy, and look away bashfully. This time, though, you were the one in control, overtaking Matthew’s usual position. This time, Matthew was the one who was smiling bashfully and looking away whenever you’d meet his eye.

Taryn noticed that you stopped turning your attention to Matthew when the vows began to focus on the bride and groom. That doesn’t mean, though, that Matthew was paying attention to the happy couple. He was still watching you.

“Hey, Matthew,” Taryn leans over her mother and whispers.

That seems to take Matthew out of his trance as he rolls his eyes at his sister's words. “What?”

“Stop staring at your girlfriend. You’re trying to get her to marry you, not run away from you.”

“Taryn,” Chantal warns. Matthew doesn’t say anything except to stare ahead. This time, though, he doesn’t place his eyes on you. No, he places his eyes on the couple hoping to get his family off his case. He didn’t want to face the reality of the situation that Matthew wasn’t trying to get you to marry him despite him knowing you were the one. He hoped to ignore the true reason why Matthew was here as your date and not as a family friend. During the rest of the ceremony, Matthew doesn’t look at you once. He opts to look at the couple, the officiant, or the beauty of the outdoor venue. He hopes that by not looking at you, Matthew can escape the reality that he’s in love with you and you, it seems, are not.

When the ceremony ends and the couple walks down the aisle, you and the rest of the wedding party are getting ready to take photos during the Cocktail Hour. You try to make your way to find Matthew and see him because you missed him, but every time it seemed you had a chance, he was busy or was avoiding you.

Eventually, the Cocktail Hour was over and everyone was heading into the location of the reception. After you’ve made your rounds, you look around to see where Matthew was or your brother. You weren’t sure who you were going to sit with, but you were hoping to sit next to Matthew, though. You weren’t sure why Matthew was in a sour mood, but you knew you caused it. You only hoped he wasn’t too mad at you.

“Hey, you look beautiful,” Brady says as he walks up to you. He is holding a fresh drink in his hand, so you assume he was coming from the bar.

“Thank you,” you murmur, wondering if Matthew was around, too.

“Matthew, don’t you think so, too?” Brady says, and you turn your head to where Brady was directing his question to.

“Hi,” you whisper when your eyes lock with Matthew’s. You see anger in his eyes and are suddenly worried that Matthew is truly upset at you. However, Matthew’s face softens when you send him a soft smile, and the anger leaves his face.

“Are you sitting with us?” Brady asks.

“Of course, she’s sitting with us,” Matthew says and walks over to and wraps an arm around your waist. “She’s my girlfriend.”

You smile and let Matthew lead you to where his family is sitting. Matthew pulls out a chair for you to sit in, and he pushes it in for you. Matthew takes the seat next to you, and you’re suspicious that it was Brady’s when he grumbled about sitting in the chair next to you. Immediately upon sitting, Matthew places his hand on your thigh and scoots his chair closer to yours.

As the night carried on, Matthew never took his hand off your thigh, and he constantly whispered in your ear asking if you were okay. If you needed a refill on a drink, Matthew always went to the bar to get you a refill and insisted you shouldn’t have to get up. He always returned by placing the drink on the table and placing a kiss on your forehead.

When he returned with your third or fourth refill of the night, you smiled at him as he sat down and told him, “You know, I’m starting not to hate you anymore.”

Matthew looks at you sadly at your words. You still had animosity towards him? He thought he’s been working so hard to change your opinion of him, but it seems it's just barely working. You notice the strain and sadness in Matthew’s pout and wonder if you did something wrong. You place your hand on his thigh and look into his eyes. The minute your hand touched his thigh, Matthew was fine. It didn’t matter what you said because he knows he cares about you, and he knows that deep down, you care for him, too, despite your words.

“You okay?” you ask.

“Of course,” he says with a smile. “I’m sitting next to the prettiest person in the world; why wouldn’t I be okay?”

You smile at Matthew’s words and rest your head on his shoulder. What were you going to do when you and Matthew no longer could be like this? You knew you were going to miss it.

. . .

As the reception is nearing the final hours, everyone’s moods have turned more casual and laid back, including you and Matthew. Both of your chairs were right up against each other with you leaning heavily against Matthew with your head resting on his chest. His hand was wrapped around your shoulders and was rubbing small patterns on your shoulder. You and Matthew are talking to Brady and Taryn when a slow song, one of your favorites, begins to play. You perk up slightly, wondering if you should ask Matthew to dance with you.

“Hey, Yn, isn’t this one of your favorite songs?” Brady instigates.

“Oh, yeah, I guess it is,” you reply, and Matthew looks down at you softly.

“Do you want to dance, Yn?” Matthew asks. You nod and slowly pull away so he can lead you to the dance floor. You and Matthew position yourselves so that your hands are resting just below his neck with his resting on your mid-back. You both sway to the song, and you’re both entranced with each other’s eyes. As the song continues, Matthew’s hands slowly rise up to the bare skin of your upper back. He begins to stroke soft patterns on your skin, and it sends chills up your spine. You pull yourself closer to Matthew to try to use his warmth to evade the chills. You run your fingers through the hair at the nape of Matthew’s neck, and you see his Adam’s apple bob in his throat.

As the song comes to an end, Matthew licks his lips and leans his head towards yours. He pulls his head back slightly. Was this appropriate? He didn’t have the chance to further contemplate kissing you because you pulled away and led him back to the table. His one true regret that evening is that he didn’t kiss you. He wanted to kiss you. He wanted to kiss you badly, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss you and tell you how much he loves you.

He knows he’s dug himself into a hole he will never get out of.

. . .

“What are you doing today?” Matthew asks as you’re getting ready for the day. Based on his tone, you know something’s up, and you have to agree with whatever it is.

“Why?” you ask nervously.

“Would you want to go to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner? Like pastimes?”

You turn to face Matthew and smirk at him. “I feel like I don’t have a choice here.”

“My mom said that I had to bring you, no negotiations, so yeah, you have no choice.”

You laugh. “Okay, I can go to your parents’ for Sunday dinner, but I know my parents and brother won’t be there. They have plans tonight.”

“What are you going to do for the rest of the day, then?” Matthew asks knowing he wants to spend the day with you.

“I’m going to visit some friends from high school; what are you doing?”

“Just hanging around. Nothing much.”

“Okay then, why don’t I meet you back here, and then we can head over to your parents’ house?”

“Perfect,” Matthew says and turns away from you to go shower. On his face, he’s wearing a wide smile. He only hoped that you were just as excited as he was.

. . .

Unlike when you were growing up, you didn’t stay outside with the boys while Chantal and Keith got dinner together. This time, you and Taryn were in the kitchen helping Chantal cook while Brady and Matthew were out at the grill helping Keith. Now and then, you’d look out the backyard window and notice Matthew. Sometimes, he’d meet your eye and wink at you, and your face would grow warm. Or, sometimes, he wouldn’t be looking at you, but you saw him turn his head away as if he was just looking at you. Sometimes, he didn’t notice you looking at all, and you loved watching him interact with his dad and brother.

“He seems lighter when he’s around you,” Chantal comments after noticing you and Matthew staring at each other for the gazillionth time that afternoon.

“How so?” you ask.

“He’s nice,” Taryn says blatantly.

“Taryn,” Chantal scolds, and you can’t help but smile.

“I’m not wrong,” she defends.

Chantal rolls her eyes. “All I’m trying to say is, you guys are good for each other. It’s about time you both realized the dynamic you both have after years of animosity between you two.”

“Who knows, maybe we’ll finally be sisters,” Taryn jokes, hinting at the possibility of marriage. The smile on your face fades as you remember that you and Matthew aren’t dating. The smile fades knowing that you and Matthew wouldn’t ever get married, and when this ruse was over, many more people would get hurt than you both anticipated.

“Anyways, let’s go eat, yeah?” Chantal approaches. “Taryn, you put the salad on the plate and tell the boys we’re ready. Yn, you can help me scoop the other sides, okay?”

You were about to take the potato salad out to the table, but Chantal grabs your shoulder lightly and signals you to hold back for a moment.

“Just know, Matthew cares deeply for you,” she advises. “At the end of the day, he’s crazy about you; don’t forget that.”

You don’t have the words to say anything in response, so you just nod. Chantal seems to think you fully understand her words, so she walks out to the backyard. You don’t. What could she be talking about? Did she know that you and Matthew weren’t dating? You thought you both put up a pretty good act.

Opting to try to enjoy the evening, you place your worries to the back of your head and walk out to the patio. Just as you’re placing the potato salad on the table, Brady is placing the grilled corn on the table, too. Taryn’s already taken her usual seat, and because it’s a smaller crowd, Chantal has taken the seat where your brother would normally sit. Following tradition, you sit next to Taryn, and Brady takes the seat next to you. Keith has taken his seat and says that Matthew has gotten to grab a refill of drinks for you and him.

“Brady, move,” Matthew growls to his brother from behind you. You perk your head up and turn to see Matthew glaring at his brother.

“What? No! Go sit somewhere else. I’m already sitting here,” Brady says in retaliation and annoyance. He shakes his head and mutters a comment to you asking how you put up with him. You stifle a giggle knowing that the look in Matthew’s eyes was of determination, and the ordeal wasn’t over yet.

“Brady, I said, move,” Matthew says more forcefully.

“Why can’t you sit somewhere else? You never sit here.”

“Brady, move,” Matthew growls again.

“Why don’t you sit here, Matthew?” Taryn asks, trying to diffuse the situation. It was clear that Matthew wanted to sit next to you.

“No, I want Brady to move.”

“I’m not going to,” Brady is firm in his words. “Seriously, Yn, how do you deal with him sometimes?”

You don’t say anything, but Matthew does and is still incessant on Brady moving. “Brady, move and sit somewhere else. I want to sit next to my girlfriend.”

Brady stands up and stares at his brother. Looking at Matthew’s face, Brady knows that Matthew won’t give up on his endeavor, so Brady sighs and proceeds to get up. Brady goes and sits in his old normal seat, and Matthew sits next to you. He places a glass of water on the table for himself (he already had one beer but was driving, so he had to be safe) and lemonade for you. “Thank you, Brady,” Matthew says softly once he’s situated.

Brady grumbles in reply and mutters about how annoying Matthew was. You place your hand on Matthew’s thigh and lean over to whisper in his ear, “You didn’t have to force Brady to move, you know. It’s fine if we don’t sit next to each other.”

“It’s not fine,” Matthew whispers into your ear. “I wanted to sit next to my girlfriend, so I was going to sit next to my girlfriend.”

You open your mouth to say how it was all a ruse but decide against it.

“Shall we eat?” After observing her two sons spar over a seat and Matthew melt as he whispers into your ear, Chantal finally says.

Conversation, as everyone eats, varies from the wedding from the previous night to Taryn going to college to the upcoming season to your job. You loved how normal it was and how it was like before. It felt like before you and Matthew turned ten started hating each other. It was like when you were both young and the idea of marrying each other was still a thing. It was the way life was supposed to be had Matthew not started hating you at the age of ten. As you were both eating, Matthew always had a hand on you. Whether it was on your thigh or around your shoulder, Matthew was always touching you, and his family noticed completely.

“You know, when Matthew told us you were both dating, I was truly shocked. I was surprised you would ever go for him, Yn, considering you are way out of his league,” Brady says out of nowhere and tries to get back at his brother.

“Brady,” Keith warns.

“He’s not wrong, though,” Taryn points out, not realizing the true intentions of Brady's words. “As much as I love you, Matthew, Yn is completely out of your league.”

You notice Matthew stiffening up next to you, and you place your hand on his thigh to try to calm him down.

“I’m just surprised you even gave him a chance considering Matthew hated you for like half your life.”

“Taryn,” Chantal warns. Taryn looks up at her mother and shrugs in confusion.

“I never hated, Yn,” Matthew defends. “I’m not sure where you guys are getting that from.”

“How about the fact that — ow!” Brady is stopped as Chantal kicks him under the table. An awkward silence fills the table as everyone finishes up their meals. What did Matthew mean when he said he never hated you? His actions definitely showed it. Did he still hate you? All these questions swirled in your head as Taryn volunteers you and her for clearing the table. You move in autopilot as you clear the table still trying to figure out the meaning of Matthew’s words.

“I’m sorry for my comments out there,” Taryn apologizes. “I didn’t mean to say anything hurtful.”

“Don’t worry,” you tell her with a smile. “I wasn’t offended, but I think Matthew could use an apology more than me.”

“Nah, he’ll be fine. He’s got thick skin, and it’s not like I said anything he didn’t know.”

“Mmm,” you say, not sure how to respond.

“I’ve never seen Matthew so protective over someone before. Is possessive the right word? I don’t know, but I don’t think he’s ever been like that. If he would challenge Brady to something and wouldn’t immediately get his way, then he’d just drop the subject or physically fight Brady. He didn’t do either of those things. There’s something about you, Yn, that brings out a different side to Matthew,” Taryn points out as she’s rinsing the dishes, and you place them in the dishwasher.

“Interesting,” you say, again, not sure how to respond

“It’s a good thing. You’re both good for each other.”

. . .

You and Matthew say goodbye to Chantal, Keith, Brady, and Taryn two hours later and head back to the hotel you were staying at. Chantal couldn’t understand why you guys didn’t just stay with them before you flew back to Calgary the next morning. You weren’t sure how to explain that you’re not dating her son, and you needed some time to unwind and not have to be Matthew’s pretend girlfriend for extended periods of time.

As you’re driving to the hotel, you and Matthew sit in silence. Now and then, Matthew would shift in his seat in discomfort. You could tell he was still upset from Brady’s and Taryn’s comments. You reach your hand across the center console and place it on his thigh. You hear Matthew’s breath halt at the touch, and you’re confused at the sound.

“Matthew, are you okay?” you ask softly. “Don’t take Brady’s and Taryn’s words too seriously.”

“Yeah, but —”

“Matthew, don’t,” you interrupt as he stops at a red light. He turns to you, and his heart melts at how the lights on the street illuminate your face. He nods at your words, and suddenly, he wasn’t sad or frustrated anymore. The drive continues in silence, but your hand doesn’t leave his thigh. You have one lingering thought, though. “Matthew?”

“Mmm?” he asks.

“What did you mean when you said earlier that you didn’t hate me?”

“I didn’t realize there was anything to say. I don’t hate you,” Matthew says blatantly.

“Yeah, but you did hate me.”

Matthew laughs sourly. “Why do you think that even though I’ve told you that I didn’t hate you?”

“You were such a pest to me after we turned ten.”

“That didn’t mean I hated you, Yn.”

“Then why were you such a pest?” you ask.

“Because I had a giant crush on you when we were ten.”

“You had a what?” you asked, shocked, as Matthew drives into a parking space.

“A crush when we were ten,” Matthew answers and walks out of the car. He walks over to your side and opens the door for you. You step out of the car still reeling for his confession. “Don’t worry, Yn, I don’t have a crush on you anymore, so don’t worry.”

“Good,” you reply quietly. You aren’t sure why you are so upset at Matthew’s words, but you are. Did you have a crush on Matthew, now?

. . .

You’re standing in front of the mirror placing the final touches on your makeup and hair as you get ready to fly back to Calgary. You vaguely notice Matthew sitting in the chair behind you. You figured he was looking at his phone or watching the TV that was on. You lift your eyes to glance at the boy in question. Just as your eyes meet his face, Matthew looks up, and his eyes land right on yours. You stop moving, too entranced in his gaze. Matthew sends you a soft smile, and you mirror his smile. He sends you a wink, and your eyes instantly dart away from him. You continue getting ready, and you try to ignore the heat that rushed to your face and the rapid beating of your heart.

. . .

“I brought pizza and beer, is that good?” you say as you walk into Matthew’s kitchen. It was his first night back in Calgary since you said goodbye at the airport after the wedding, and he wanted to spend the night with you.

“That’s perfect,” he says and takes everything out of your hands.

You take your shoes off and walk further into this apartment. “Oh, looks like you cleaned.”

Matthew looks around the apartment and scratches the back of his neck. He turns to you, and you see a slight blush lining his cheeks. “Yeah, well, no one likes to live in a pigsty.”

You raise your eyebrow at his words. “What version of Matthew is this? The high school version of Matthew had the most disgusting bedroom ever.”

“Oh, shut up,” Matthew rolls his eyes and throws a napkin at you. You swat at it and begin to giggle. Matthew takes a piece of pizza and places it on a plate for you and opens a bottle of beer for you. You take it out of his hands with a soft “thank you” and walk over to his kitchen table. He places his plate and beer on the table and places his hands on your hips; your breath catches in your throat at his touch, and Matthew swears his heart started to beat a hundred times faster at the sound. He guides you towards the couch. “We’re sitting on the couch to eat.”

“But, Matthew,” you say after regaining your voice. You watch him grab his beer and plate from the table where he placed it and sits next to you.

“Nope, we’re not at Yn’s house. We’re at Matthew’s house, so we eat on the couch when we’re having a movie night.”

“Matthew,” you begin again.

He shakes his head as he takes a sip. “Don’t. I can’t eat this once training camp and the season starts, so let’s just enjoy it, okay?”

You nod and take a bite out of your pizza. Why did your breath hitch out of your throat when Matthew touched you? He’s touched you before, but why was it different this time?

. . .

“How about these?” Matthew asks as he holds a bag of chips in front of your face.

You shake your head. “I don’t like that flavor, and I already bought a bag of chips.”

“Maybe you should buy them for me, this lovely person who you forced to go grocery shopping with you.”

“That is not what happened, Matthew, and you know that,” your point out.

Matthew walks over to you and entraps you from where you’re standing at your shopping cart. He places his hands on the bar on your sides so you can’t move. He leans his head towards your ear and whispers, “Then tell me what happened.”

“You know what happened,” you murmur, trying to hide the fact that Matthew’s actions and words were sending chills down your spine.

“But I want you to tell me,” he whispers again into your ear.

“You showed up at my apartment just as I was about to leave,” you swallow before continuing, “and you insisted on coming with me, and here we are.”

“I don’t recall that being how it happened,” Matthew says against your neck, and the vibrations warm your entire body. You figure if Matthew was going to mess with you in the middle of the snack aisle at the grocery store, you might as well do the same. You wrap your arms around his neck and pull his face closer to yours. Your lips are micrometers from his, and you can tell that Matthew is nervous.

“That’s exactly how I remember it happening,” you say against his lips and with each word you said, your lips touching Matthew’s. Out of instinct and preparation for a kiss, Matthew places his hands on your waist, and you smirk, knowing you have him right where you want him. You run your hands up through his hair, and Matthew’s hold on you becomes limp. You lean closer, if possible, to him, and Matthew thinks you’re going to kiss him. Just when you would’ve leaned forward and kiss Matthew, you pull back and escape from where Matthew has you entrapped. You’re standing a few feet away from him, and you notice Matthew still in his trance. “You coming?”

That seems to take him out of his trance, and he nods and pushes the shopping cart to follow you. Matthew isn’t sure what happened, but he knows that whatever did just happen sent Matthew to heaven.

. . .

“What are you wearing?” Taryn asks you when you sit down next to her.

“Oh, this old thing?” you say, pretending to be oblivious.

“Matthew’s going to hate it considering you’re his girlfriend, who the Flames are playing, and what you’re not wearing.”

“I’m counting on it.”

“You are such a pest like Matthew. No wonder you guys are so good to each other,” Taryn rolls her eyes.

“You’re lucky we won or you’d have hell brought down upon you,” Matthew says when you’re standing outside the locker room after the game.

“I didn’t know you knew the devil personally,” you joke.

“Why did you have to wear Brady’s jersey, Yn? The day that I play the Sens, you are wearing the wrong brother’s jersey.”

You shrug but have a knowing smirk on your face. “I felt like it.”

Matthew groans when he sees Brady walking over to you and him. “Nice jersey,” Brady smirks.

“Thank you. Too bad you guys lost.”

“Seriously?” Matthew’s mouth’s agape.

“Oh shut up, you know I cheered for you when you scored,” you say and link arms with Brady as you head towards Chantal and Keith. “It worked. I pissed him off,” you whisper to Brady.

“You guys are so weird,” Brady chuckles. Matthew just stands behind you and Brady and is trying to figure out what just happened and how he’s going to get back at you.

. . .

When you showed up to the Senators-Flames game wearing Brady’s jersey, Matthew knew he had to think of a way to get back at you. After a week-long road trip and coming home at 2 am, Matthew wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. He also wanted nothing more in the world to see you and to get back at you. When he got in his car to drive home, Matthew realized he had the perfect plan to get back at you. He knows that something you value deeply is your sleep, so because you messed with something important to Matthew, he was going to mess with something important to you.

Matthew drives to your apartment from the airport and parks in the parking spot next to your car. He isn’t sure why he thought you didn’t have a car and why you don’t drive it to work, but here your car is. He walks into the lobby of your building and waves to the nightguard working the night shift. He takes the elevator up to your floor and walks up to your door. He takes a deep breath and begins to aggressively ring your doorbell. He hopes that you wake up and none of your neighbors do.

The ringing continues for twenty seconds before you realize it’s not your alarm. You sit up for a few moments when you realize that it’s someone at the door. When the ringing doesn’t stop, you get worried that something’s wrong. You rush over to the door and open it. “Is everything okay?” you blurt out before noticing who’s the one ringing your doorbell.

“No, I have a very important message for you,” Matthew says with a smirk grazing his face.

“What happened? Is everything okay?” you’re worried now. You’re still barely awake, and if you were, you probably would have noticed the smirk on Matthew’s face.

“It’s an important message. Ready for it?”

“Yeah, yeah, just tell me!”

“Hi.”

“Hi? That’s it? Matthew, you rang my door like a lunatic and made me worry that something was seriously wrong. What’s wrong with you?”

“You wore Brady’s jersey to my hockey game.”

“So you decide to pull this shit?” you’re angry now, and Matthew realizes he made a mistake.

“I’m sorry. I also wanted to see you,” he mumbles.

You sigh and pull him into your apartment. “Then call me instead of halfway giving me a heart attack.”

Matthew nods and follows you into your apartment. He puts his bag down by the door and takes his shoes off.

“I’m going back to sleep, but you can change and shower in my washroom and join me when you’re ready. I’m not staying awake; I’m too tired.”

Matthew is shocked that you’re doing this. Matthew woke you at 2 in the morning just because and you’re opening your home for him despite it. Matthew will never take your friendship for granted ever again.

. . .

“Matthew, are we still fake dating?” you ask out of nowhere. It’s been months since the wedding, and you weren’t sure if you and Matthew still had that title. Recently, you both had been hanging out together, but it didn’t seem like “dating”. It was “friend” hangouts, and you were both disappointed and happy with it.

“Why do you ask?” Matthew asks. He doesn’t want to fake date you anymore; he wants to real date you, but he isn’t sure if you want that, too.

“Because,” you hesitate.

“Because, why?”

“I went out with some friends the other night and this guy was hitting on me, and I turned him down because I didn’t know if we were still under the ruse of dating.”

“Oh,” Matthew says dejectedly. “Don’t worry, if you see him, or anyone else, who’s hitting on you, then you can say yes. We, as of this moment, are just friends and no longer fake dating.”

You nod. “What do we tell people? Like, Shelly or your family?”

Matthew shrugs. “We realized we were better off friends. We went from the extreme of not being able to be around each other to the extreme of always being around each other and realized it doesn’t work.”

“Okay,” you say. You weren’t sure why you were so upset with Matthew’s response.

After the conversation, you head home about an hour later with your head still reeling from Matthew’s words. Just friends, he said, but you didn’t want that, did you? You wanted Matthew in every way that you could. You wanted him next to you when you woke up and when you fell asleep. You wanted good morning kisses, good night kisses, and just kisses in between that. You wanted Matthew because you liked him. You wanted Matthew because, in the months of fake dating, you fell for him. You fell for Matthew Tkachuk, the one boy you never thought you’d fall for, and the one boy who doesn’t want you like that.

. . .

You went out with Matthew and the team to celebrate another win. This time, you wore Matthew’s jersey, and you swore Matthew’s smile grew wider when he saw you in it. The celebration at the bar thus far has been fun. You weren’t sure if the team knows you and Matthew “broke up”, but it doesn’t matter because Matthew was still being touchy with you, and you hoped that you were hiding your feelings for Matthew well.

“I’m going to go get some refills for us, okay? Same drink for you?” Matthew whispers into your ear. You visibly shiver at his action, and you know Matthew noticed. You nod, not trusting your words. To try to ignore how you’re feeling, you immerse yourself in conversation with the group. It works, you think, but when you look up and see the back of Matthew’s head, your heart begins to beat rapidly. You needed to figure out how to get your emotions in check if you’re going to continue to be hanging out as friends with Matthew.

“So, you and Matthew have been going strong, huh?” Annica says when she notices you staring at Matthew. You snap your attention back to the woman. Matthew must not have told the team that you and he “broke up”. You guess that would be a weird conversation to have. You doubted Matthew said something along the lines of, “Yes, we broke up, but I’m going to keep bringing Yn around. Why? Well, we were never really dating, and now we are just friends. Yeah, it’s weird, but just go with it.”

“Oh, um, yeah,” you reply, hoping that Annica didn’t read too much into your words.

“I can tell he’s crazy about you and that he —,” Annica is interrupted by Elias bringing her another glass of wine and conversation changes. You look back at Matthew to try to figure out the meaning of Annica’s words. Just as your eyes land on Matthew’s head, he turns around, as if sensing your gaze, and meets your eyes. He smiles at you, and you instantly feel the tears falling from your eyes. You try to blink them away, but when Matthew begins to rush over to you, you know that he noticed. You excuse yourself from the group and rush out of the bar.

“Yn, yn,” Matthew calls out to you. He catches up to you with his long strides and places his hand gently on your shoulder. You turn to face him and feverishly wipe the tears away. “Yn, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you lie.

“I didn’t know we cry over nothing now, but thanks for letting me know,” Matthew jokes, but it doesn’t do anything to make you feel better. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t be your friend anymore; it just hurts too much to be your friend when I want more,” you blurt out and walk away. Matthew is too stunned at your words to follow after you. You want more? Since when? Matthew doesn’t come to his senses to chase after you until you’re getting into your car to drive home. What does he do now?

. . .

“Yn, yn, yn, I know you’re in there,” Matthew yells as he aggressively knocks on your apartment door the next day. “Yn, please. I just want to talk to you.

You angrily stalk to the door and open it. “What, Matthew? Maybe you should have taken a hint when I didn’t open the door the first eighteen times you knocked on it.”

“Yeah, well, we need to talk, so it doesn’t matter if I was knocking on your door for hours, I’m going to talk to you.”

“Matthew, there’s nothing to say,” you tell him through gritted teeth hoping not to let it show how much you wanted to cry at that moment.

“Like hell, there’s nothing to talk about,” Matthew aggressively replies as he runs his hands through his hair. “You can’t just say that and leave, you know. You’ve had me going crazy, Yn!”

“Well, it’s not like you feel the same way or want the same thing,” you mumble, looking at the ground.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve wanted this since I was ten!” Matthew replies incredulously.

“But you told me you didn’t like me anymore!”

“That’s because I thought you didn't like me like that.”

“Well, I do like you like that, Matthew.”

He takes a step closer to you and looks into your eyes. “That entire time we were fake dating? I was imagining it was real. I was doing everything in my power to make it real so that I could have that experience of being with you because I thought I’d never had a chance with you. Like my parents said, you are completely out of my league, so I was extremely honored that you ever wanted to fake date me.”

“I don’t want to fake date you.”

“I don’t want to fake date you, either,” Matthew chuckles.

“Oh, good,” you reply and look down at your feet. “I want to be your real girlfriend.”

Matthew laughs at your words. “That’s what not wanting to fake date means.”

“Oh, right,” you giggle at yourself.

“So, if I put my hands on your waist and kiss you, is that okay?”

“That’s more than okay, Matthew,” you tell him with a smile and place your hands on his face to bring him closer to you. Matthew smiles at your words and leans his head towards yours. You both softly placed your lips on each other before deepening the kiss. It wasn’t the first kiss you both shared, but it was the first time you kissed each other with your feelings on display. You both deepen the kiss, and Matthew pulls you into him. You run your fingers through the hair at the nape of Matthew’s neck, and you giggle at the small moan that leaves him. His moan and your giggle cause you both to pull back. Matthew gives you a pointed look.

“Great, our first kiss ends like that.”

You giggle again. “It’s not our first kiss, Matthew.”

“Still,” he pouts.

“Don’t worry,” you tease. “There will be many, many kisses in our future.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Matthew says with a grin and pulls you in for another kiss.

The get-together wasn’t perfect or what anyone expected, but it was your story, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[quindolyn]

hi can i request the maurauders going to see the reader do a musical like heathers or mean girls and they are just confused and turned on bc they didn't expect it to be this dirty (can lead to smut or not). luv you and hope you are taking care of yourself, if not go get something to eat, drink some water, take a nap, or do somthing you enjoy. or dont not trying to be pushy :)

Creature of the Night || Poly!Marauders

Word Count: 3029 (excluding song lyrics)

A/N: I think I liked how this turned out? I didn’t make it smut but it’s certainly suggestive, I went with Rocky Horror, I know that the musicals mentioned in the request are more modern but I fucking love Rocky Horror and I think it works with the request. When I first read this request I smiled so much because I love live theater, I don’t perform as much as I used to because as I progress with my education I’m focusing more on the stuff I can use to pad my resumes for college and stuff but I still love going to see productions. One of the worst parts of the pandemic for me has been not being able to go see shows, I miss it so much.

Warnings: theatre enthusiast reader, erections, suggestive material, song lyrics, slight teasing, wearing very little clothing in front of an audience, I believe that that is it

Masterlist

500 follower celebration

antici-

The magic of the stage was second to none. Sure, Hogwarts may have had witches and wizards, subjects like Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and ghosts that spent their time meandering about the halls but there was always a part of you that looked forward to the summer between your years at Hogwarts. Because no matter how magical Hogwarts was, the theater always made you feel completely and utterly alive. 

Every summer since the one after your first year at what all of your muggle friends thought to be a very prestigious boarding school up in Scotland, you’d taken part in your local youth theater’s productions. Your parents both being muggles thought that it would be a great way for you to be able to stay in touch with your muggle origins. 

The first year you’d been far too nervous to actually audition for a role, the very thought causing bile to churn in your stomach and threaten to make you sick all over your kitchen floor when your father first pitched the idea. So instead you’d done costumes and it was the most wonderful experience of your life. 

Who needed drugs when you had live theater? The hustle and bustle behind the scenes was electrifying but after two summers of costuming, of quick changes in the wings, learning how to use the ancient sewing machines they stored in the depths of the storage rooms, and pulling pieces for the actors to try on you decided that you wanted to try something more.

The moment you had stepped onto the stage it was like you’d come to life and you cursed yourself for not taking the risk earlier. You belonged on the stage, with the harsh stage lights on you and pounds of makeup plastered onto your face you could feel the magic thrumming through your veins and it was addicting.

If it was possible, you were even more excited to perform this summer, the previous school year you’d finally gotten together with your long time best friends the Marauders, turning them from friends to your boyfriends.

When your mother had sent word of the production being put on this summer you’d squealed while seated next to James and across from Remus, who had Sirius hanging off of his side. After explaining to them, mostly Sirius and James really, just what live theater was their first reaction was to ask if they could come see you perform.

“I don’t even know if I’m going to be cast,” You had explained gently, not wanting to get their hopes up in case you weren’t cast this year.

“Bull shit of course you’re going to be the cast,” Sirius had contested through a mouthful of jam and toast, waving his hand theatrically through the air, watching him that day was not the first time you’d considered how the way he acted often reminded you of an over enthusiastic theatre major.

Remus, the only one with any knowledge on muggle theatre had snorted, wrapping an arm around Sirius’ waist to pull him closer to his body, “She’s not going to be the cast Pads, she’s going to be casted,” He’d corrected gently, pressing a kiss into his long, dark tresses.

“Whatever,” The smaller boy had grumbled, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

Which brought you to where you were right now, five minutes to curtain touching up your make up in the mirror of the shared make-up room.

“Hey (L/N),” One of your cast mates called settling into the makeup chair next to you as she plucked a tube of dark red lipstick from the small canary colored makeup bag she had previously abandoned on the counter, “Your boyfriends coming tonight?” She asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Yeah, they are,” You responded, applying mascara to your lashes.

“Excited to meet them, that photo you showed us,” She smiled, fanning her face with her hand, “Smoking,” She smiled, making eye contact with you in the mirror.

Rolling your eyes you ignored her comment, “It’s five minutes to curtain, you’re just now doing your make-up?” You chuckled, noticing her black face.

“Oh, shove it,” She laughed as you pushed yourself from your chair, traipsing out of the room, giving her the middle finger on your way out.

“Break a leg!” She called after you as the door latched shut.

You weren’t usually this nervous before a performance but knowing that your three boyfriends were sitting out there somewhere in the audience had you pacing back and forth backstage wondering what they were going to think of the whole production.

“Rocky Horror?” Sirius’ confusion evident in his voice as he plopped down in his seat next to Remus, throwing his arm around the werewolf’s shoulders, drumming his fingers on his clothed shoulder hidden behind his knitted cardigan.

“Yeah,” James collapsed into his chair on the other side of Remus, tucking one leg under his body, “No clue what it’s about but I’m sure our angel will be wonderful. Can you guys see her?” He straightened himself up in his seat, craning his neck in attempts to catch a glimpse of you.

Remus being the only one with any ties to the muggle world knew a bit about the show and had to do his very best to suppress a smirk from overtaking his face as he knew exactly what he and your other two boyfriends were getting themselves into. 

“Just hush up you two, the show’s gonna start any moment,” He scolded, patting his large, scarred hand on James’ thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Rem,” Sirius whined, puckering his lips and closing his eyes, signaling to his boyfriend that he wanted a kiss.

“My needy baby,” He crooned, leaning in to connect his lips with Sirius’ in a quick liplock before pulling back, allowing Sirius to drop his forehead to smear against his shoulder.

“That’s mean,” Sirius murmured discontentedly.

“Poor baby Pads,” James cooed mockingly.

“Both of you,” Remus hissed as the lights in the theatre dimmed, “The show’s about to start, be good for me and be quiet yeah?”

Their response came in their silence as the crowd started settling down and the music from the orchestra pit began a voice coming from somewhere out of sight as it was played through the speakers,

“Michael Rennie was ill

The day the earth stood still

But he told us where we stand”

Not 20 minutes into the show all three of them were as hard as rocks, James had already made Remus check the playbill for the name of the character you were playing, not being able to remember what you’d told them as all of his concentration was focused on a certain place.

Janet Weiss.

Remus couldn’t remember either, but he was almost certain that’s the name he could make out in the dark theatre, printed next to a picture of your smiling face.

When you’d stripped down to your underwear the boys could barely focus on the plot line of the show, only being able to watch the way your bare skin shone under the harsh light of the spotlights. Watching as sweat glistened on your skin, making you shine as you moved about the stage. 

Enchanted by the melodic cadence of your voice they all felt a certain jealousy burning deep in the pits on their stomachs at the thought that there were dozens of other people packed into that theater, all observing you in your vulnerable state of under dress. Only they got to see you like that.

Sirius missed much of the first act glaring at members of the audience who he deemed as looking at you for too long for his liking, but if you were being honest a 4th year smiling at you in the hallway was sometimes too long for his liking.

It wasn’t like any of them had never seen you naked before, in fact they’d all seen you naked more than their fair share of times but something about you on that stage in a white bra with a matching slip was driving them all crazy.

Especially Remus, whose ultimate weakness was seeing you in anything white which was one of the reasons you’d been so excited to invite them in the first place, knowing that they would be horny messes the entire time.

On stage you did your very best not to look out into the audience looking for them, knowing that you wouldn’t be able to stop a ginormous grin from forming on your face and you couldn’t afford to break character. Not if you wanted the night to go your way.

As the opening notes to “Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me”, rose from the orchestra pit you had trouble stopping a small smirk from pulling at your lips as you opened them, inhaling deeply before singing the first words of the song,

“I was feeling done in, couldn't win

I'd only ever kissed before”

Despite yourself you caught a glimpse of long dark hair in the audience, quickly taking a glance at Sirius’ face, eyes glazed over in lust, legs shifting uncomfortably with his mouth hanging wide open. 

Out of the corner of your eye you noticed another raven-haired boy’s mouth dropping as you shrugged off of your robe

“I thought there’s no use getting, into heavy petting

It only leads to trouble and, seat wetting

Now all I want to know, is how to go

I've tasted blood and I want more”

It was impossible to miss the way Remus’ jaw clenched as you laid your palm against Rocky’s chest, he was being played by your good friends who’d been working with the same theatre company as you since forever, he was like a brother to you. But that didn’t mean you couldn’t lay it on extra thick tonight with your boyfriends in the audience.

Tracing a dainty finger down Rocky’s chest you pushed your body against his singing out the next lyrics of the song,

“I've got an itch to scratch, I need assistance”

You turned you and your cast mate so that looking over his shoulder you were able to meet Remus’ eye, sending him a quick wink before focusing back in on Rocky.

“Toucha, toucha, toucha, touch me

I wanna be dirty

Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me

Creature of the night”

Pressing your back up against Rocky’s chest you guided his hands with yours to your breasts, squeezing them as you followed the choreography you knew by heart.

You ripped your slip from your body with the help of Rocky leaving you in only your white bra, matching panties and a pair of small heels as you paraded around stage, belting the suggestive lyrics into the theater.

“Then if anything grows, while you pose

I'll oil you up and rub you down (down, down, down)

And that’s just one small fraction, of the main attraction

You need a friendly hand, oh i need action”

You smirked, thinking about all of the action you’d be on the receiving end of later that night as you sunk to your knees in front of Rocky, your hands grasping his thighs. Deciding to tease them perhaps a little more than necessary as you went through the number, curling your leg around his and pressing your bodies together so that there was no space between your two questionably clothed bodies.

As the number was brought to a close it was impossible for you to ignore the excitement bubbling up inside of you as you continued your way through the show you kept throwing glances at your boyfriends, always finding their eyes already trained on you. More often than not, on some body part other than your face.

If your boyfriends thought that they had a bit of a problem before that song they were in a terrible predicament now.

Remus caught Sirius on multiple occasions trying to move the hand that he was holding to grope at his crotch as he tried to buck up into his boyfriend’s hand. And much to his own dismay, Remus would pull his hand away, thinking it probably wasn’t the best idea to give his boyfriend a hand job in a crowded theater. Knowing that he wouldn’t have to worry about James touching himself because he would never dream of disobeying him, Remus divided his attention between you on the stage and keeping Sirius in check.

Each of the boys were counting down the seconds until the show came to an end and they could get out of there and relieve some of their tension.  As the curtains were pulled closed they all breathed a sigh of relief before they reopened, leaving all three of them bewildered and slightly annoyed, even more so when they noticed everyone around them standing as they applauded the actors.

Remus forced both of them up when you rushed to the front of the stage, curtsying as the crowd went wild, your boyfriends most notably. As you took your bow you blew a kiss to your boyfriends taking note of the uncomfortable way they all stood, trying to adjust their erections to make them less noticeable while simultaneously applauding you.

As you cleared the stage after curtain call you took your time, doddling towards the dressing rooms where you had left the clothes you’d arrived at the theater in along with a special outfit you’d brought for after the show. Usually you were one of the first actors to clear the theater after a show but tonight you took your time. Hanging up your costume with more care than anyone really should treat any garment with and certainly more than what it needed. 

You smirked mischievously as you pulled the you’d brought outfit from your bag and shimmied it up your legs before slipping the delicate straps up your shoulders. You glimpsed yourself in the mirror, the red satin of the dress clinging to your curves in an attractive manner, short enough to display miles of legs and low cut enough to show off a decent amount of cleavage and perhaps a sighting of the matching red bra you were wearing beneath it.

Slinging the back of your black heels over the heel of your feet you snatched your purse from the armchair in your dressing room before striding out to go meet your boyfriends in the lobby, where you’d told them to wait for you.

Their heads all turned as they heard the clacking of your heels against the tile of the floor, “Boys,” You greeted as they unabashedly took in your new appearance.

As he most often was, Remus was the first one to collect himself, “Puppy, you were wonderful,” He praised, walking to meet you as you approached him, leaning down to smear a kiss against your cheek, “You did amazing up there, so proud of you,” He threw his arm around your waist as you walked towards Sirius and James.

“We got something for you,” He explained, his grip on your waist tightening, “Jamie give it to her, yeah?” 

“Oh yeah,” The smaller boy grinned, remembering the bouquet he held cradled in his arms as he handed it over to you, “Here you go angel.”

“Thank you Jamie,” You said as you took it from him, closing your eyes as you buried your nose in the sweet smelling flora. As you opened your eyes you made eye contact with Sirius, who stood across from you, practically drooling as he took in your appearance without any shame, “They smell wonderful.”

“You okay Si?” You asked, looking up through your eyelashes, batting them innocently.

“Like you don’t know exactly what you did up there to us (Y/N/N),” Remus whispered in your ear, pressing his nose into your temple.

“You guys are the ones who wanted to come,” You lilted, rubbing one of the velvety petals between the pads of your thumb and forefinger.

“Could’ve warned us,” James mumbled, his eyes not leaving your thighs as he licked his lips, if it were anyone else you would’ve been uncomfortable but you couldn’t help but feel flattered whenever any of them ogled you. 

“And what’s with the dress Pup?” Sirius nodded his head appreciatively towards your dress, obviously admiring the way it hung on your body.

“What, you don’t like it?” You asked with fake hurt in your voice, knowing that he more than liked it, he fucking loved it. 

“S’not that,” Remus mumbled, nosing at your jugular, “Just that whole show, got us a little bit worked up. We didn’t expect it to be so sexual Puppy,” He nodded towards James and that’s when you noticed the erection he was still sporting. 

“Got us really worked up, can we go home now?” James asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, trying to distract himself from his little problem.

“Jamie,” You whined, smiling wickedly, “I wanted to celebrate, I was thinking we could go eat somewhere, I was thinking maybe Thai food?”

You watched as Sirius ground his teeth, conflicted between needing to get home and not wanting to deny you from what you wanted. 

“Having fun teasing us Bunny?” Remus asked you with a sly smirk, knowing exactly what you were doing.

“M’not teasing,” You insisted, turning indignantly to your other boyfriend.

“Sure you aren’t,” He chuckled, “Thai sounds great (Y/N), wanna talk with you about the show,” The idea of teasing Sirius and James even longer was very appealing to Remus and he was ready to make the sacrifice of being teased himself, knowing that he’d be able to get back at you later that night.

“But-” James began.

“You wanna argue with me Jamie?” Remus challenged, raising a singular eyebrow.

“No,” He moped, “Of course not.”

“Good,” Remus said, nodding his head approvingly, “We wouldn’t wanna deny our Princess would we?”

James shook his head, eyes pleading, desperately seeking Remus’ approval.

“Pads?” Remus challenged, turning his attention to the other raven haired man.

“What? Oh um, of course not,” He agreed distractedly, dragging his eyes from your form to meet Remus’, his reluctance evident in his voice.

“Good,” Remus said pointedly, his eyes cold, daring Sirius to question him. When he didn’t the werewolf continued, “Let’s get going then, there’s a nice little restaurant a couple blocks away yeah?”

As you all hummed your consent you made your way to the exit, “Ten galleons if you can make James cum in his pants at dinner,” Remus whispered in your ear quietly enough so that  James and Sirius trailing behind you wouldn’t be able to hear you, you could hear the smirk in his voice as you exited the theatre.

“Deal.” This was going to be fun, you considered that you might have to invite them to come see the show again.

-pation

tagging: @randomoutsiders @weasleyposts @kittykylax @amourtentiaa @superbturtlemakerathlete

[phr0gie]

sleep softly, love; genshin impact

synopsis: how i think certain genshin impact characters would fall asleep next to you for the first time :)

note: hihi! so i finally feel like i’m caught up enough in genshin lore that i can start actually writing for it!! yay!! anyways, i’m sorry if my portrayal of them is a lil ooc, i’m still getting used to writing for them. still, i hope you guys enjoy! :D

pairings: xiao x reader, diluc x reader

tw: mentions of nightmares and death in xiao’s, mentions of alcohol and suggestive themes in diluc’s, ooc characters, mostly j fluff, not proof read (oops)

wc: 2k 

masterlist

xiao:

the first few times you bring up sleeping next to him he’s probably going to turn you down

you see, xiao doesn’t really need to sleep, nor does he want to

he finds the idea of lying in a comatose state for eight hours in complete darkness to be “weird” and a “waste of time”

and his opinion on the matter doesn’t change for a while

that is, until you confess to him you’ve been having nightmares

these nightmares were like nothing you have ever had before

they shook you to your very core and, rather than the dream just leaving your mind after you woke up, they followed you around for days

once you confide in xiao about these terrors, he grows very concerned

in the past he’s known people who have been plagued with nightmares as a result of a dangerous curse that, more often than not, ended in death

the thought of you, the person he cares about most, succumbing to such a terrible fate frightens him more than anything — not that he’ll ever admit this to you.

and so, reluctantly, xiao agrees to spend the night with you

just this once, to protect you

You roll over to face him and for a moment he panics. To Xiao’s knowledge, couples who slept together often cuddled with each other. While he did occasionally enjoy a few close moments with you, Xiao couldn’t say he was very taken with the idea of physical contact — especially in a situation that left him so vulnerable. To his relief, however, you stay on your side of the bed. Your hand rests on top of your pillow and slowly, almost cautiously you maneuver it so it’s lying a bit closer to Xiao — a silent invitation to hold your hand, is what the adeptus recognizes it as. This gesture was not foreign to him, you did things like this often. You always kept your hand outstretched to him. Even if he were to pull away or turn his back, your hand was still there. You were still there.

You roll over to face him and for a moment he panics. To Xiao’s knowledge, couples who slept together often cuddled with each other. While he did occasionally enjoy a few close moments with you, Xiao couldn’t say he was very taken with the idea of physical contact — especially in a situation that left him so vulnerable. To his relief, however, you stay on your side of the bed. Your hand rests on top of your pillow and slowly, almost cautiously you maneuver it so it’s lying a bit closer to Xiao — a silent invitation to hold your hand, is what the adeptus recognizes it as. This gesture was not foreign to him, you did things like this often. You always kept your hand outstretched to him. Even if he were to pull away or turn his back, your hand was still there. You were still there.

You roll over to face him and for a moment he panics. To Xiao’s knowledge, couples who slept together often cuddled with each other. While he did occasionally enjoy a few close moments with you, Xiao couldn’t say he was very taken with the idea of physical contact — especially in a situation that left him so vulnerable. To his relief, however, you stay on your side of the bed. Your hand rests on top of your pillow and slowly, almost cautiously you maneuver it so it’s lying a bit closer to Xiao — a silent invitation to hold your hand, is what the adeptus recognizes it as. This gesture was not foreign to him, you did things like this often. You always kept your hand outstretched to him. Even if he were to pull away or turn his back, your hand was still there. You were still there.

“Xiao.”

Your gentle voice catches his attention immediately. As he looks into your eyes all he can see is admiration, his heart clenches at the feeling it gives him.

“Thank you,” you say softly, “for being here for me like this.”

Xiao simply nods his head at you in response.

“Sleep,” he whispers, his tone commanding yet soft, “I will be here when you wake.”

He desperately wants to say more. To let you know that he would always be there for you, that no challenge would ever be too difficult if it was for you, that he would rip the moon from the night sky if it meant that you would rest a little easier. Yet, the kind smile you give him shows that he need not continue. You know he loves you, you have never once doubted it. You are aware of the burden he carries and how it affects him. You know that one day he will be able to share with you the confessions of love and vulnerability that are buried deep inside him. For now, this is enough. He is enough. And so, with a content smile you snuggle even further into your pillow.

“Goodnight, Xiao.” You whisper before finally closing your eyes.

Xiao stares at your resting form for a while. It is not until your breathing evens out and he is sure you are asleep do his eyes flicker from your face to your hand lying closely to him. All of the sudden, an overwhelming urge to hold you in some way overtakes the adeptus. Again, Xiao was not the biggest fan of physical affection, however, something about you looking as peaceful as you do in this moment evokes something from him. And so, he decides to finally accept your invitation. As his palm meets yours in a tight hold — not tight enough to wake you, of course — Xiao allows himself to indulge in the warmth and safety you provide him, just this once.

Neither of you have any nightmares that night.

diluc:

you and diluc are in a fairly new relationship.

having just started seeing each other a few months ago, it’s only natural to not have done anything too domestic quite yet.

not to mention, our ever stoic winery owner is a bit shy when it comes to his affections.

the two of your were every content with your soft, simple touches.

hand-holding, hugging, and subtle kissing kept you both very satisfied.

until you decide to get drunk at dawn winery.

your work has been k i l l i n g you recently

commissions are beginning to pile up, hilichurls have invaded the area you were supposed to scout next, and you couldn’t help but think that you were getting a bit rusty with your weapon.

all and all, you are very stressed out.

you desperately want a chance to relax.

originally, you had planned on just having a drink or two and ranting to your ever so reliable boyfriend.

however, a drink or two turned into three, then four...

before you knew it you couldn’t remember how many you had and it was rather late.

being the gentleman that he is, diluc forces offers you his bed for the night

seeing as you were in no condition to return home on your own, he has no choice.

it’s the responsible decision.

however, he’s still very flustered about the whole ordeal

Dulic thinks you are a handful. Especially right now. 

He huffs as he attempts to open his bedroom door one-handed. The other appendage preoccupied with keeping you slumped against his side so that you don’t fall over. 

“I knew you shouldn’t have had that last glass of dandelion wine.” He mumbles, gently scolding you. 

You simply blink up at him, a bored expression on your flushed face. 

“You sayin’ I can’t hold my alcohol?” you hiccup, “I’ll show you…” 

You attempt to push off of him, but his hold on you tightens. 

“No,” he grunts, “You won’t.” 

Finally the door opens and Diluc lets out a sigh of relief. Swiftly he lifts you up — earning a small ‘woah’ and a giggle from you — and carries you over to his bed. He then sets you down and turns to his dresser to get you some clothes to sleep in. He picks out a large, white, long-sleeved undershirt and. Your lips curl into a suggestive smirk and you chuckle. 

“Oooh,” you tease, “Master Diluc how bold of you, are you going to dress me?” 

The pyro user looks absolutely mortified but you pay no mind to it, too busy laughing and hiccupping at your own joke. A prominent blush grows on Diluc’s face as he shuffles over to you. 

“Of course not!” he stutters, dropping the clothing article gently on your head. He then grabs a pile of his own clothes and makes a beeline to the door. Just as he is about to exit he turns to you. 

“Wait here,” he instructs, “and try not to fall asleep yet.” 

And with that, the Diluc dashes down the hall, presumably leaving you to get changed. You do just that, tugging off your shirt and removing your bottoms. You huff as you lift your boyfriend's shirt up and over your head. As soon as the garment falls over your shoulders and past your knees, you’re hit with the rich scent of chestnuts and mahogany — the scent of Diluc. His undershirt is so baggy and so warm that you cannot help but feel at ease, Diluc always did have a way of making you feel safe — whether it was the hand he always places on the small of your back when he guides you around town or the look in his eyes when he spots you across the room, so sure that you’re the one he’ll always search for. The red-head returns a moment later clad in a dark, short-sleeved undershirt, similar to the one he gave you, and a pair of soft pants. In one hand, Diluc holds a fresh glass of water and in the other a pillow that seems to be smaller than the ones laid out in his bed. Diluc gently sits on the edge of the bed and pats the spot next to him, beckoning you to sit next to him. As soon as the bed dips with your weight, Diluc is handing you a cup of water. 

“Drink,” he instructs once again, “so your hangover doesn’t kill you tomorrow.” 

You do as you're told, dutifully downing the refreshing liquid. The minute your lips leave the cup he takes it from you, setting it on his bedside table. Then, Diluc picks you up once more and positions you so you are laying properly on the bed. He pulls the covers out from under you and makes sure you’re tucked in well. 

“There,” he says finally, pulling the comforter up to your chin, “are you comfortable?” 

However, he does not receive an answer. You’re already half asleep, head slumped against the pillow, mouth hanging wide open. Diluc smiles in spite of himself. He should be mad at you, he knows he should. But, as you lay there with your hair a mess, wearing one of his shirts, in his bed, Diluc cannot help but fall even more hopelessly in love with you. Stroking your hair a few times, he finally leaves a light kiss on your forehead. Hesitantly, he gets up, being very careful not to jostle you. He’s about to head to his living room to sleep, but he can barely make it two steps away from the bed before a hand shoots out and grabs his wrist. He turns to see you, still snug in his bed, a pout adorning your features. 

“Where’re you goin?” You grumble out sleepily. 

Diluc looks at you curiously. 

“I’m going to let you sleep,” he whispers, “You need to rest.” 

He attempts to remove your hand but your grip only tightens. Suddenly you pull him down, your faces only inches apart. You wrap your arms around his neck and rest your forehead against his.

“Please,” you whisper, your voice soft — so soft that Diluc doesn’t think he would have heard it if he weren’t so close to you, “stay.”

The blush from earlier creeps back up Diluc’s neck and rests upon the apples of his cheeks. Hearing you plead for him like this evokes a sense of warmth within the pyro user. He’s never felt so wanted before you. Ultimately, Diluc gives in and indulges you — how can he not? Crawling into bed next to you, he stiffens when you rest your head on his chest and wrap your arms around his torso. Diluc stays up a little while after you doze off, admiring you. 

Diluc thinks you are a handful. However, he thinks he can handle it if at the end of every day he gets to hold you like this.

please do not steal or repost my work, thank you!

[woos-lil-oreo]

Love Scene

Pairing: Song Min Gi x Female! Reader

Word Count: approximately 3.1k words

Warnings: Slight Voyeurism???, Mentions of alcohol consumption, cursing/swearing, biting, spitting, Reader is a slight pillow princess, UNPROTECTED SEX (plastic wrap your peenie weenies), oral sex (fem receiving), fingering, slight use of pet names... I think that's it.

Author's Note: Most of this is a BIG self-indulgence XD and that Mingi gif always get me going... AnYwAyS, This fic is NSFW!!!! If you are uncomfy, do not read! If I miss anything, please tell me. If you wanna join the taglist, send me an ask and let me know. Don't steal... all that ✨ jazz ✨ music. Drink your water and enjoy my dirty lil harlots 😉

Taglist: @shusan @woowommy @ceopjy @joongsprincess @yunhofingers

Intro and Masterlist ✨

This is the happiest day of your life. You are dolled up in a beautiful snow-white dress decorated in speckled sequins and intricate rhinestone designs.

Your makeup is simple yet glamourous with a simple natural smoky eye with a shimmer in the inner corners. There is this aural glow of happiness around you, and you genuinely feel like a princess.

You are standing in front of your handsome fiancée with your hands holding each other, who is decked out in a simple black suit with a white dress shirt accented with a deep royal blue tie and shiny black Oxfords.

Hongjoong’s friend, Maddox, recites the point in the script where the vows would be repeated by you and your soon to be husband.

The vows. A spiritual binding of words that will connect the two of you until the end of eternity… or until you two get tired of each other, whichever comes first.

As you repeat after Maddox, Mingi’s eyes glisten with tears of joy. As much as he willed himself not to, one little miscreant of a tear dared to fall. You drop one of your hands to go wipe the tear stream off of his cheek.

The guests proceed to awe in adoration. Seonghwa fans his eyes to prevent his tears from falling, while Hongjoong is sporting a runny nose and a giant crocodile tear down his cheek, clinging to Seonghwa’s shoulder.

As you listen to Mingi recite his vows, tears start to well up in your eyes. You grip Mingi’s hand a little tighter to calm yourself because your makeup is beautifully done, and you’d be damned if you let a teardrop and a dried tear stain appear on your cheek. Jae-hee would have your ass. You got through the ceremony without tears!

“By the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” Maddox proclaims. You turn to Mingi, who now has one of the brightest smiles ever on his face, and he leaves a nice, sweet, lingering peck on your lips, still holding your hands.

“Oh, come on, you can do better than that!” Wooyoung screams out, earning himself a nice smack to the forehead from Yeosang. Wooyoung winces and rubs the spot while the guests laugh at their interaction and turn back to you when Mingi lets go of your hand and smirks.

Mingi pulls you to his chest, grabs you by the waist – pulling you close to him – and kisses you. As the kiss gets deeper, he places his hand on your cheek – steadying your head, and your hands work their way to the back of his head.

The crowd begins to root the two of you on, and Jae-hee screams out, “You guys are literally about to get a room!” You both pull away from each other and look at your husband. Mingi has a very thin layer of shimmer lip gloss on his mouth, and his cheeks and the tips of his ears are red.

A now very flustered and blushy boi Maddox quickly recollects himself from what he just witnessed and mutters, “They don’t pay me enough,” with a chuckle before he announces, loud and proud, “I-I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Song Min Gi!”

Everyone stands up from their seats and creates a round of applause as the newlywed couple leads the processional to the area where the wedding party, which is beautifully attired in soft peach pink dresses and deep royal sapphire blue accented suits, is to take pictures of one of the most important days you will never forget.

~25 minutes later~

The host has completed the introductions for the most chaotic wedding party that has ever existed, and everyone is getting to their seats in the venue.

The reception hall is absolutely stunning! The same colors of the wedding party are accented with gold. Diamonds are loosely scattered across the table, tealight candles alit floating in water vases, giving the room a soft glow in addition to the dimmed lighting.

The caterers are dressed in a clean white shirt, a black vest, and slacks. The guys have a royal blue sleeve garter, and the girls a soft peach one.

Once everyone has settled at their tables, Jae-hee and Yunho approach the front of the makeshift stage to make their toasts as Maid of Honor and Best Man.

Jae-hee grabs the microphone first, and she is already tearing up, and she is usually not one for emotion often. “Y/N, we have been friends for so long… we are practically sisters. I’ve watched you grow into a beautiful and confident woman… and even though I put you through some shit….” All of ATEEZ shakes their head and groan in agreement, and the rest of the guests laugh in response.

Jae-hee rolls her eyes and continues. “I’m so happy that you have found the love of your life and that I wasn’t the first to get married.” You roll your eyes and get up to hug her, and she meets you halfway. While in her embrace, she whispers, “I love you, baby girl,” and you respond with the same hushed tone, “I love you, too,” letting one measly tear run.

You two kiss each other’s cheek, and you return to your seat, and Jae-hee returns to the stage. She grabs Yunho’s handkerchief to dab away her tears before they fall through mascara. “Mingi, I officially welcome you into the messy integration that is our family.” Mingi chuckles and nods in response.

The mic is passed to Yunho. “Mingi, you have grown into an immaculate young man who is decorated with accomplishments and people who love you. I’m really proud of you, and I wish you two the best of luck. Y/N, I have watched you become each other’s yin and yang. You may be a bit of a handful,” you roll your eyes and chuckle. “… But we love you so much, and we welcome you into our quote – end quote ‘messy integration that is our family.’” Yunho walks over to give you a kiss on the cheek, and bro hugs Mingi.

“Cheers!” After an emotional toast from Hongjoong and Seonghwa, it was time for the party to begin, and I mean both aspects of the term. Which explains why you are now seated in a chair in the middle of the dance floor. Mingi is standing across from you with a slightly evil glint in his eye.

Hope You Do by Chris Brown blares through the speakers in the venue. You immediately cover your warm cheeks with your hands to conceal the blush and warmth there, knowing what is to come. Mingi starts to remove his suit jacket… and Yeosang, Yunho, and surprisingly, Jongho remove their coats as well.

As the trio wines and grinds on the floor behind the Groom, Mingi moves closer towards you to go and remove your garter.

When he reaches you, he does not even take the time to bunch up your dress and goes straight into hunting for the garter. His big hands rub around the top of your knees to find it.

When he does, he drops his hands to the floor to give himself leverage. He proceeds to leave a speckled trail of kisses up your leg and bites right below the garter, causing you to yelp in surprise and the crowd to holler out.

Mingi drags the garter down your leg to your ankle and removes it from your foot. At this point, there is a tension between you two that begs and pleads to be relieved.

Mingi stands to his feet, grabbing your hands to guide you straight up off the chair. You two make eye contact, and you can see the tension. “Alright young bachelorettes, come out to the floor and catch you a bouquet!” The host says in the mic, and all the women move to the floor, ready to start drinking, the actual after-party, and the real fun.

When all participants are on the floor, you pretend to throw the bouquet to keep them on edge. After a few false turns, you finally throw, and Jae-hee sprints to the front to catch it effortlessly.

“Yeahhh bitches, I’m next to get married!!!” She jumps up and down as you laugh and the other ladies leave the floor.

The host announces that it is the fellas’ turn to come out on the floor. It was not as many males as females, but there was a good amount present. Mingi played the same card as you: pretending to throw the garter until he did.

In an ironic twist of events, Jongho caught it on the top of his head like a flower crown. When he patted his head to confirm he sort of caught it, he made eye contact with Jae-hee.

They both quickly look away with a bright pink flush on their cheeks, which causes you and Mingi to laugh together. He wraps his arms across your shoulder blades and squeezes your shoulder. You look at him questioningly, and he nods to the door. You nod and grab his hand, running to the back door with your husband.

Seonghwa will have your ass for running out and leaving him and Hongjoong to clean up your mess, but that is a tomorrow problem, and you have more… pressing matters to deal with.

Mingi is flying down the street with you in the back seat to compensate room for your dress. As he tries to get to your home without getting a ticket, you untie his tie and proceed to rub down his chest, slow and meticulously popping one button after another.

Before you could decorate his neck in pretty little hickeys and love bites, the car jerks to a stop, and he power strides to your door and opens it. He grabs you in his arms bridal style out of the vehicle.

You were surprised at how easy he made that look, especially with all of the extra fluff on your dress. He carries you into the threshold with ease, kissing you as if his life depends on it.

When Mingi blindly finds your room, he puts you down on your feet, spins you around, and begins to unzip your dress. He kisses under your ear and down your neck as your dress pools around your feet. He breaks away to rest his forehead on yours.

“As much I would love to pound you into the mattress right now, I would like for our first time as a married couple to be gentle,” he breathes out. You nod your head, and he slowly turns you around to unclip the black strapless bra, allowing your breasts to drop.

He returns his mouth back to your neck and softly twists your nipple between his fingers, eliciting tingles to run all over your body. As good as the feeling was, you remove Mingi’s hand and spin around to face your husband. You walk backward until the back of your legs hit the mattress and lean back.

MIngi crawls on top of you and slowly kisses you. You can feel the passion and love through it, causing you to shiver. Mingi, once again, pulls away from you to drag your black lace panties down your legs. He throws them across the room and stands from the bed, peeling away the dress shirt you opened in the car.

The shirt drops to the floor, and he begins to unbuckle his belt, dropping it to the floor. The pants come next, along with the boxer briefs, and they pooled around his ankles. You bite your finger and lick your lips with lust-darkened eyes as you are being blessed with this private show.

Mingi returns to your V of your legs and brings your ankle to his mouth, leaving delicate kisses down the inner side of your leg until he reaches the inner thigh, where he leaves a bite – causing you to giggle and squirm a bit.

He lifts himself to where his penis grazes your labia. He rubs the tip along your slit and teases the tip inside of your core. “You ready, baby?” He sticks the reddened tip inside, just to pull it back out, and repeats this a couple times until you are a whining and moaning little mess. He finally pushes his dick past the tip and slowly moves into you, allowing you to feel every vein and ridge of his cock.

You moan in relief and very, very, VERY slight pain due to his girth, and Mingi doesn’t stop until he is at the hilt, meeting you pelvis to pelvis. He doesn’t move for a second, trying to collect himself before he busts in you from the tightness of your honey pot. You shiver as he pants in your neck, leaving goosebumps wherever his warm minty breath hits.

You grind your hips around, signaling that you have adjusted to his size, and he moans out at the action. He begins to pump inside very slowly in and out of you, with his brows scrunched and his bottom lip being bitten.

You hear the squelching noises from his slow pace. When you started getting louder, Mingi moves a bit faster, seeing that you are slowly reaching your orgasm, and frankly, so is he. “Baby, I love you so much,” he mutters like a mantra as he helps you both reach new heights.

You two have made love before, but never to this extent. After every mutter, your heart from knowing that this is the man you will spend the rest of your life with. You place your hand on the back of Mingi’s neck to kiss him, but before your lips could make contact, Mingi stops.

He licks the base of his thumb and places a firm pressure on your clitoris, and then kisses you, his tongue swirling around your own. You two are seeing specks of light under your eyelids from cumming so hard. It may not have been anything degrading, rough or intense in that sense. Still, it was absolutely beautiful joining souls with your lover.

~The Next Morning~

You wake up feeling floaty, like you are lying on a cloud. Your husband is asleep with his arm draped around your waist. As you face Mingi, his features are soft, and it looks like he is in bliss. You place your hand on his cheek and caress the apple.

When you are done admiring your husband, you carefully move his arm to his side to make breakfast. You are successful in not waking Mingi and hop out of bed, still naked from last night’s escapades. “Wow, it feels nice to say that,” you think as you grab your husband’s dress shirt and run to the bathroom to clean Mingi’s cum that has dripped down your leg.

~A few minutes later~

You are now in the kitchen, whipping up some waffle batter. The table is decorated with a nicely plated array of bacon and a bowl of freshly washed and cut fruit. You finish plugging in the waffle iron when your husband wraps his arms around your shoulders and spins you around.

He quickly lifts you on the counter. “Good morning, Mrs. Song.” He says huskily from his morning voice. You try to reply with a greeting, but Mingi catches the words in your mouth. Your lips are smashed together from Mingi’s fervency, and his long and slender fingers start to move down to your hole.

“Oh my goodness, babe. You’re so wet for me.” He teased. You moan out while he rubs your entrance, spreading your slick up and down. “You like this, don’t you?” He asks when he pushes a finger in, causing you to scream in response. “Those weren’t proper words, but I’ll take it.” He responds while adding another finger in and drastically changing his pace. You cry out due to the incredible speed. Mingi looks up at you.

Your head is tilted back, tiny pants coming from your mouth, and hands grabbing the counter as if to ground yourself. Mingi lets a drop of spit fall from his mouth and adds another finger to add more lubrication and bring you closer to climax.

You start to squirm on the counter, which is now soaked in your fluids, and whimper softly. A telltale sign that you are almost there; you just need that one little push. Mingi kneels down to be face to face with your cunt, and he stares at your dripping core as if he was hypnotized by how well you are taking his digits.

A loud moan from you knocks him out of his trance, and he adds one more finger and starts to apply suction on your button. A blinding white light flashes behind your eyelids, and a fuzzy warmth roams all over your body.

You breathe heavily from your high, and Mingi slows his speed, allowing you to ride out your orgasm. He slowly removes his fingers, causing you to whimper from overstimulation, and brings them to your mouth.

You immediately open your mouth to welcome in the appendages and begin to suck them as if your life depends on it. The spit dribbles from your mouth down your chin and along Mingi’s forearm. He gently pulls at your jaw to open your mouth and spits in your mouth.

“Swallow.” He growls, and you do not think twice about disobeying him. He returns to kiss you, mixing your natural taste with your juices and his tongue.

He pulls away, and your fucked out state is adorable: your eyes are dilated from here to Hell, saliva glistening your chin, your cheeks are heavily flushed, and your ass is drenched with your cum.

“If this is what I wake to every morning, I’m not complaining.” Mingi chuckles. “You didn’t even get to have breakfast yet.” You laughed. He looks with an eyebrow raised… “Oh, you meant actual food?” You nod your head.

“As long as I have you, I don’t think I’ll need anything else.” He cheesily says. “Yeah, sure, that’s not what your body will be saying.” You retaliate as you jump off the counter, cringing when you hear your butt peel off the corner from your juices.

Mingi laughs, grabs some paper towels to clean that. When he’s done, he washes his hands and proceeds to help you cook so you two can build the stamina to christen the rest of your home together. Well, christen is not the right word… more like fuck like rabbits until the morning light returns.

~~~~~

And there's the fic ✨ hope you enjoyed the read ✨ leave an ask and say hi or even follow me or reblog if you did

[taetaespeaches]

“I’m sure you were great, Peaches.”

taehyung x reader (oc) genre: fluff beta reader(s): @stayjimin​ word count: 2.1K

a/n: Hi lovelies! Here’s a moment from early on in Tae and Peaches’ friendship. There are small signs of deeper feelings but they are both too naive to realize what those feelings are. Peaches is shy, Tae is adorable, and oh yeah, this is where he starts calling her Peaches. I hope you all enjoy, and thanks for reading :))

The knock on your apartment door may as well have been completely voided as the damn thing was pushed open before the thump even sounded. Your best friend stepped inside with a loud groan, throwing his bag to the floor carelessly.

“I hate when practice runs late,” he complained, his gaze finding you, sitting on the couch, your laptop positioned on your lap as you stared at him.

“You know, one of these days your sudden entrances are going to give me a heart attack,” you told him as you moved the laptop to the coffee table. The man responded with a guilty grin as he approached the sofa.

“Have you picked out a movie?” He asked, you throwing your head back dramatically.

“Tae, I’m so indecisive, you know this about me,” you complained. “Can’t you pick it?” The man sighed dramatically, looking to the ceiling in exaggerated thought.

“Some day you’re going to have to make some decisions for yourself,” he teased, you rolling your eyes as you waved him off.

“Not today,” you replied sassily, crossing your arms over your chest. Taehung met your attitude with an adorable boxy smile, you returning the expression with a grin of your own. “You can sit down,” you told him, eyeing the way he leaned up against your couch.

Looking at you bashfully, you cocked your head back at him. “I didn’t have a chance to shower after practice,” he mumbled shyly, you nearly cooing at how cute he was.

“Do you smell?” You sat up on your knees, leaning toward him, Taehyung giggling boyishly as he set his palms on your shoulders, shoving you away. Falling back against the couch cushions, you laughed loudly as Taehyung playfully called you a weirdo. “You can shower here if you want,” you suddenly told him, his eyes widening in what appeared to be surprise.

“Is that ok?” He asked timidly, the man’s demeanor taking you by surprise as he was typically so confident and exuberant and, well, hyper. He was always so youthful, kind of like a young boy within a grown body.

“Yeah, I don’t mind,” you told him, standing up to point down the hallway to your bathroom. “There’s clean towels and washrags in the little plastic drawers next to the sink, and I can get you a change of clothes to wear. Sweats and a t-shirt ok? Want a hoodie?” You asked him, the man smiling at you fondly as you looked to meet his gaze. “What?” You suddenly became shy under his stare, Taehyung shaking his head.

“Yeah, that’s ok,” he said simply. “I’ll wear whatever you give me.”

“Ok,” you giggled bashfully. “You can use any of the products in the shower.”

“Thank you,” he nodded, “I’ll be quick.” Stepping away from you slowly as he started down the hallway.

“No, take your time, you’re fine,” you assured him as he made his way to the bathroom. “Hey Tae,” you called out, the man whipping around to look at you, wide eyed and innocent. “You only stink a little bit.”

“Oh shut up,” he laughed, his low chuckle ringing through the apartment making you smile and giggle in response.

Crossing your arms over your chest, you looked around at your own photos on your apartment walls, as though you weren’t sure how to conduct yourself with the knowledge that your best friend was currently stripping down just a few feet away. You waited until you heard the shower curtain open and the water turn on before stepping to your bedroom to find some clothes for him to wear.

Sitting on your knees in front of the bottom dresser drawer, you dug around for a pair of sweats that would be baggy enough for his comfort, though your attention was pulled from the task at hand when the sound of Taehyung’s muffled singing rang out down the hallway. Smiling to yourself, you halted your actions to listen to him for a moment.

The song was Girls Generation’s ‘Gee’ which was typical but still funny even after your few months of close friendship with the guy. Shaking your head at his antics, you grabbed a pair of sweats and stood. As you left the bedroom, you found yourself humming along to his singing as you approached the bathroom.

Knocking on the door a couple times, you called out, “Tae, can I come in? I have your clothes.”

“Yeah!” he yelled out enthusiastically, sounding as though his head was submerged under the water. Giggling, you opened the door slowly, careful to not catch him in an indecent position.

Stepping inside the bathroom, Taehyung poked his head out from behind the shower curtain almost immediately, you snorting at his quick action. Water dripped from his drenched locks as he stared at you with wide eyes.

“What does this mean?” He asked, pushing his arm out from behind a curtain, a bottle of body wash in his hand. “Pretty as a peach,” he read the label.

Eyeing the bottle, and then his wet face, water falling from his hair to the bathroom mat in front of the tub, you hummed with a shrug. “I don’t know, I guess peaches are pretty?” He looked at you with the same confusion as you tried to come up with a suitable answer. “I think, like, peaches are soft and sweet, right? So, pretty in that way. I think it’s just a cute way to call something pretty and soft and sweet.”

“Hmm,” he nodded as if he understood suddenly. “So like you.”

“I don’t think so,” you whispered under your breath though a chuckle as you became bashful under his innocent stare. He threw compliments at you in the most pure, nonchalant ways that would have your head, and heart, reeling. “I’ll leave your clothes here,” you sat them on the edge of the sink and patted them, the clothes more squished into a pile than folded.

“Thank you,” he smiled happily just before ducking his head back inside the curtain as you smiled, heading back toward the doorway.

“Hey, Tae,” you called out to him, the man sticking his face out of the shower once more, you already wearing a smirk when he met your eyes. “Hurry up in here,” you teased, holding back a laugh at how Tae’s jaw dropped open. “More cleaning, less singing.”

“But you said take my ti-” he began to defend himself as you cackled, leaving the room and shutting the door behind you.

“You’re mean, you know that?” He yelled at you through an obvious smile and chuckle as you laughed down the hallway, heading to the kitchen to gather some snacks.

Taehyung entered your life suddenly as a goofy overgrown kid, friendly and kind. Complimenting you since day one, he had done nothing over the past several months but lift you up, while entertaining you constantly as he did so. The day you met him, the day you missed your bus and spilled coffee all over your shoes, he had done most of the talking. He bought you a drink, using the little money he had as a member of a group that was just barely debuting, and he sat in that cafe with you for over an hour, just chatting away about everything from how hard dancing was to the movies he had been watching recently.

“Have you seen Moonrise Kingdom yet?” He asked through his eye smile, the boxy grin reaching every feature on his face.

“No, not yet,” you had responded, taking a sip of your new iced coffee. “Is it good?”

“Oh, it’s amazing!” He told you enthusiastically. “You’ll have to come over to the dorm and watch it,” he said simply, no hidden agenda behind the words. You felt safe. The man, as pretty and charming as he was, just desired a friendship with you.

And you found yourself gladly accepting that friendship into your life, soon letting it become the most valuable relationship you’d ever had.

Over the course of the few months of knowing Taehyung, movie nights and cafe hangouts became a regular thing for you both- when he had time, that is. And though he had been in your life for less than a year, it was hard to picture a future without Taehyung in it. You knew if life caused you both to drift apart, as people often did, you would be ok. But you also knew your world just simply would be a lot less bright and a lot less interesting without him.

Removing the bag of popcorn from the microwave that you had placed in there a few minutes earlier, you shook it just as the sound of the bathroom door opening resonated down the hallway. Tearing the bag open and pouring it into a bowl, you grabbed a piece just as Tae rounded the corner into the kitchen.

Throwing the piece at him, you giggled at the man’s flinch, his eyes wide in shock, the expression only furthering your laughter. His mouth opened into a wide smile as a deep chuckle left his throat just before gesturing at you to throw another piece.

Grabbing a piece of popcorn, you lined up your shot with your best friend’s open mouth, giggling as you tossed it, the man jumping to the side to catch it. Simultaneously, you both threw your arms up in victory, Taehyung cheering as he bounded toward you, reaching for another piece of the snack and popping it into his mouth, shooting you a big close-mouthed grin.

Eyeing up his frame, you couldn’t help the smile that curved on your lips at the sight of him in your old volleyball t-shirt with your high school’s name and mascot printed on the front of it. Taehyung caught you staring at his chest, his hand coming up to run over the lettering and the image of a volleyball passing over a net.

“I didn’t know you played volleyball,” he commented, the words coming out as a question as he seeked further information. Your gaze meeting his own, you admired the way his wet fringe hung over his eyeline slightly.  

“Oh yeah,” you smiled shyly. “I was a setter. I was actually somewhat decent.”

“I’m sure you were great, Peaches,” he complimented easily, tacking on the new pet name as if it was nothing.

“Peaches?” You questioned, your heart skipping a beat before racing, playing catch up.

“Yeah,” he grinned, quite pleased with his newfound term of endearment. “It’s fitting.”

“Is it?” You smiled, shy but intrigued.

“I told you, you’re soft and sweet,” he shrugged, “and pretty,” he smirked. “As a peach.”

“You’re such a dork,” you giggled, brushing off the way the compliment made you feel, your stomach fluttering as your heart danced inside your chest.

Smiling proudly, he placed another piece of popcorn into his mouth. “Did you pick a movie?” Sighing dramatically, you threw your head back in feigned frustration, Taehyung laughing at your acting. His hands moved to his head, shaking out the wet strands, his eyes widening as he leaned toward you. “Hey, smell my hair,” he told you, you pulling your eyebrows together in question. “It smells like yours.”

Holding back a fond smile, you inched forward, pressing your nose to the side of his head to smell the shampoo that stained the tendrils in a sweet vanilla scent.

“Ooh, I must smell good,” you grinned, the man nodding happily.

“I’ve always loved the smell of your shampoo,” he commented innocently, though the words made your heart swell. Because he knew the scent of your hair.

The scene felt weirdly intimate, in a way it never had before between you both. The man was standing in your kitchen, adorned in your high school t-shirt, his hair drenched in the fragrance of your own shampoo, munching on popcorn as he threw compliments at you left and right, leaving you shy and giddy, though you’d never let him know that.

Ever since Taehyung came into your life, he fit right into it, as if there was a place for him just waiting for his arrival. But this moment felt different, and you couldn’t place just why. As your heart pounded inside your chest, watching as Taehyung grabbed the bowl of popcorn off the counter before retrieving two drinks out of your fridge, then making his way across the apartment to the couch as if he owned the place, you just knew he was meant to be there with you. And you hoped he’d stay for life.

“Tae, let’s watch ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ again,” you called out to him, making your way toward him.

Turning around to look at you as you approached him, he wore a bright smile as he nodded happily. “Look at you making decisions!” Laughing at his comment, you rolled your eyes. “I knew you could do it, Peaches.”

“Oh, shut up.” Peaches. You liked it. You really, really liked it.

[alyss01]

Studying for finals headcanons:

Corpse x GN!reader, Sykkuno x GN!reader, Toast x GN!reader

Word count: 1.5K

Requested: no

Synopsis: How Toast, Sykkuno and Corpse would be with a S/O studying for finals. Headcannons and fluff.

Warnings: none

A/n: Do I have more than enough requests? Yup! Should I probably work on those? Most likely. Basically wrote this during / after the most intense two to three weeks of studying I’ve experienced in at least a year. I needed some comfort so i provided myself with it, hope it can do the same for others even though most people have most likely already finished all their exams, tests, finals and all that already. Enjoy! (This was also mostly written at like 2AM the day of my last final, but it is proofread)

Masterlist

Corpse:

Let's be honest, he would have no idea what exactly it is you're studying

He knows some basics that are common sense and bits and pieces that he's collected while you were rambling about the topics to him

Generally though, he has no clue what's going on and certainly will not be able to help you do the actual studying

However if it helps for you to explain the topics to him instead of reading the books for a hundred times with seemingly no pay off, he'll gladly listen

Allows you to rant of about the intricate details as he fakes an understanding and nods his head along

Don't get him wrong, he loves to hear you talk and is genuinely interested in what you're saying, but you might as well be speaking a different language cause he cannot understand a singular word that passes your lips

If you're a night owl, that's great! He'll love to bring you midnight study snacks and bring a glass of water every so often

He definitely stays up with you and likes to just hang around the room where you study in the background and vibe to some music

Every so often he will walk up to you for head pats

The screen in front of you shone brightly, lighting up the room. The only thing telling you the time and date was your laptop. With the curtains permanently shut and having lost any sense of time you did possess over the past days, you wouldn't have a single clue how much time had passed otherwise.

Music comes through your headphones in attempt to keep you focussed on the matter at hand, a word document that is much longer than you would've liked containing all the summaries you had made over the past days.

The music however also deafened you from the sound of the door opening and closing, as Corpse stepped into your room with a white plastic bag containing some snacks and a cup of your favorite drink in his other hand.

As he set the objects on the desk beside you, you realized he had come in and pulled one side of your headset off your ear.

Corpse's arms wrap around you from behind, his chin resting on your head as you nuzzle yourself closer in his embrace. His eyes lazily trail over the text on the screen for a moment before they narrow and turn away.

Tilting your head back, you look at him from underneath, chuckling as you catch his confused look at the screen.

"when did you have this exam again?" The question escapes his lips almost with a hint of pity within.

Sykkuno:

Honestly I think it really depends on what you're studying if he will understand it or not

No matter what it is however, he is proud

When he has a chance in any conversation he'll casually bring you up and proudly explain what kind of complicated things you have been studying and how smart you are

He is so encouraging, no matter if he quite understand what it is you study or not

He probably would leave you interrupted while studying, but if you come out of your room to seek his attention out first he'll be so happy

If something bothers you or frustrates you about the material he's waiting with open arms to take your mind off it

If you're studying for long times he'll come to crave some affection so he'll either be glued to your side when you do finish or he will come and seek you out first

Will provide you with snacks, your favorite food, smoothies, coffee, tea, whatever you prefer while studying, he'll get it for you

Will want to spent time together once the stressful period is over, catching up to affection he may have missed during it

I think he'd definitely keep quite a careful watch over you in terms of rest

He will drag you off to bed at 2AM if you're still studying demanding you get some proper rest

"you know staying up this late is bad for your health, right?" The worry was evident in his voice as he leant against your desk as he stood beside you. His back was turned to the furniture and his eyes were glued to your tired face.

"it'll be worth it once summer vacation hits." You shoot Sykkuno a tired smile, making him turn his head to where your mug dutifully stood, as it had been for the past three days, half filled with your favorite study drink which had turned room temperature by now.

He raised his eyebrow in question, watching as you turn back to the screen that lights up your face with white light, the page's reflection in your eyes, "rest is important if you want to do well on the exam."

"so is knowledge and caffeine," though your words may be harsh, the tone with which they leave your lips easily tell him it was a joke, "besides, I'll just need to finish this last part."

His hand finds your hair, and you lean into his warm touch as you shut your eyes for a moment, taking in the moment. A small smile formed on his lips at the sight, his fingers threading through your hair.

"promise this is the last part?" He speaks up as you open your eyes once more, looking up at him as you give him a small smile.

The bags under your eyes paired with the exhausted look on your face had noy been as clear in the past days as they were currently. He admired you for your willpower to study these amounts, but you worried him sometimes with your behavior.

Your voice pulled him back to the small smile that played on your lips, "I promise."

Toast:

He's knowledgeable, not on all topics and subjects, but he's definitely knowledgeable

Start ranting to him about topics and he'll genuinely become interested and follow along, asking some questions here and there

If you ever need to write some sort of paper or essay, he'll gladly read it over for you for any mistakes or things to change

He won't admit it, but if you start explaining some of the things you're studying to him, he'll love it

Especially if it's something you're passionate about, he'd love to watch you explain stuff to him

The way your eyes shimmer, and how excited you look to talk to him about it all, he loves it

Forehead kisses while studying and will order food for you and bring drinks

Probably won't hang around too much in the room you're studying in to give you privacy and peace, but will come in and ruffle your hair before placing his lips on your head momentarily and wish you luck when he passes your door

In these moments often likes to sneak a peek at your papers or computer screen, just to see a glimpse of the topic you're working on

He doesn't mind if you stay up longer than him to study but will definitely drag you to bed for rest when he's decided you didn't give yourself enough rest

"I'm ordering take out, what do you want for dinner?" Toast is quick to poke his head around the corner of your door, phone in hand as he walks in and leans against the doorframe.

Pulling your headset off, you rotate your chair to the side, facing him as you question where he is planning to order.

He walks over to your desk to hand you his phone so you can scroll through the online menu, his hand quick to brush your hair back. Instead of pulling his hand away, he lets it stay in your hair, brushing through it a few times with his fingers.

While you were invested with the online menu, his eyes scan the screen, where you were working on the introduction to a paper.

He recognized the material, the day before you had trailed off on a small explanation that ended up much longer than intended when he asked what you were currently working on.

When you finish looking through the menu and having filled in your order, you catch his gaze glued to your screen.

Before he leaves your room he gives you some slight advice, offering to replace some words with others before wishing you good luck and leaving your room for the time being. At least until the food arrives.