#if you’re reading this solve the puzzle about the friendful visitor in the replies or rbs this is a pl blog after all

[cayenne-twilight]

Professor-pilled Layton-maxxer 🫵

So true, you got me. Smash that like button if you’re a real sigma puzzle-solver (super rare, better than alpha)

Credit to @sunnymatsu for the original meme

[hopetofantasy]

‘Soft, sweet lips’

Part 2: "Your turn now"

Part 3: “Thank you”

A VDS FIC - PART 1 (fluff)

“We’re not playing David Bowie!”

Jens whined, staring intently at Sander, who was already scrolling through the playlist of his favorite artist. 

“You don’t have any say in this, bro. His car, his rules, his playlist.” Robbe turned around in the passenger’s seat with a huge grin on his face. “Just be happy that he wanted to do this.”  “Like he wouldn’t do anything for you if you asked him to. He’d probably spray an even bigger graffiti mural on the frikking cathedral, if you pouted long enough.” Moyo joked. He was sitting right next to Aaron, who was already fast asleep. Jens hated the backseat. It felt too crammed, especially with the sleepy friend drooling on his shoulder. 

This road trip wasn’t his idea. But he needed some fun time with his friends. Relaxing. No thinking. Because everything was too complicated these days. He desperately needed to get away. “You know, Jens, you’re just jealous I got this from my parents for succeeding my first college year. I bet you didn’t expect to be picked up in a brand new car, did you?” Sander replied with unnerving enthusiasm. He gave a red cheeked Robbe a fast peck on the lips. 

Jens looked down with an heavy feeling in his heart. 

He didn’t like the way they were so lovey dovey all the time. It made him feel lonely. He wanted someone to stand by his side. Especially lately. That’s why the last comment stung a little bit harder. He knew Sander’s parents were rich. He knew his home life improved greatly since Robbe came into his life. Robbe was Sander’s rock, Sander’s mom knew that. 

Robbe didn’t knew what was happening with Jens nowadays.

How his home was only getting worse. How his parents would never be able to buy something like a car. Their yelling was getting louder and louder every evening. Sleep was starting to be a problem. Especially because his little sister kept crawling into his bed with the saddest face he ever saw. 

And then she would ask the same question over and over again. 

“Are mommy and daddy getting divorced, Jens?” 

It broke his heart every damn time. 

He didn’t want to think about that now. He shook his head to clear the thoughts.

Jens wanted to be happy. So he put on a fake smile and grabbed Moyo by his wrist. This startled his friend for a second. 

“Yo, bro, did you bring the weed?” 

“Yeah, ofcourse, I’m not an idiot.” Moyo replied. He pulled out the bag and started rolling. Meanwhile, Sander and Robbe were bickering about which highway was the fastest to take. Apparently they were going to a lake somewhere. Sander’s parents knew someone who knew someone. Which meant they could go to a lake house in the Netherlands without any reservations or payment. 

Suddenly, Moyo looked up at Jens with an uneasy smile. Like he felt that Jens needed a good conversation with a friend instead of some weed. Maybe he was used to reading his mother’s vibes and developed a sixth sense for mood-swings. 

“You ok, bro?” 

Jens sighed. He took the rolled joint out of Moyo’s hands and lit it up. “I am now.”

-------------------------------------------

The sun was already setting when they arrived at the lake house. Five hours later. The Waze app told them it should have took only two hours, but hey, it was Sander at the wheel. He knew all of the fastest routes in the Netherlands, he exclaimed. He’d already been there multiple times, right? What could go wrong? 

“So now we know!” Aaron cried out loudly, while trying to pull himself out of the crowded backseat. Multiple bags of booze fell out of the car with him. The one on top made a loud clinking sound.  “Know what?” Jens asked. He checked the bag where the sound came from. Thank god, no jenever bottles were broken. 

“What a terrible driver Sander is.” Moyo laughed, with tears in his eyes. “You suck, man, I’m sorry for the examinator who gave you your driver’s license. He’s probably wondering right now what he unleashed on the world, by letting you drive.” “Hey hey hey,” Sander laughed. “The man was just too scared, he didn’t dare to withhold my license or I would've driven him into a tree, okay?!” 

Moyo was slapping his hand on Sander’s back, laughing out loud. They seemed to get along pretty well these days. They appeared to have the same, weird dark humor. Which was unexpected. He never knew Moyo had this totally different side to him, a softer side, until he surprised the boys a while back with his speech about bipolarity. 

But hey, at least Robbe couldn’t have been happier with this development. He was floating on cloud nine the last couple of months. Which Jens liked. He liked it a lot. A huge weight seemed to be lifted off the smaller boy’s shoulders. He was happier now. 

Robbe used to be so closed off all the time. Not communicating. Not acknowledging his own struggles. It was so difficult to get through to his best friend at times. Even when he knew that Robbe was struggling with something, he didn’t know how to pull it out of him.

Now it was the other way around. But, did Robbe notice? 

“Broerrrs, huddle together!” Robbe cried out. 

“We have three rooms in there. I guess Sander and I get one for ourselves.” His cheeks were starting to flush crimson red. “Since we... ehm... since we will -” “Yeah yeah, no need to explain, we KNOW.” Aaron sighed and rolled his eyes. They were all used to the couple’s public displays of affection. They almost barged into the bathroom during their session at a party. Thank god Sander was able to close the door within the millisecond. No need to repeat that, no thanks.

“But who will have his own room?” “Rock paper scissors?” Moyo proposed. “Sounds good to me!”

-------------------------------------------

Well at least he will get a good night’s sleep. Alone, Jens thought, while looking down at his half empty jenever bottle. 

He was sitting at the very end of the campfire. The boys were all huddled on the other side. Moyo was telling the story about how he tried to kiss Noor at the Christmas party, which didn’t exactly end the way he wanted. 

Robbe was laughing along with his memories. He knew how Noor was wired. When Moyo made his move, Noor straight up laughed in his face while listing all the things she'd rather do before she would ever kiss Moyo. 

One even involved kissing Britt. 

Which still made Jens chuckle. 

Aaron was listening intently to every word Moyo said, like he was learning the expertise in how to pick up chicks. He’s such a dork, honestly. But you know, you can’t dislike him. It’s just how Aaron was. Dork and all. 

Sander, on the other hand, was much more peculiar. He was sitting the closest to Jens. Silently sketching some lines, which looked vaguely like the bike tunnel in white light? Jens couldn’t figure out what was so important about a tunnel .  

Every now and then, his mind wandered back to this strange boy with the bleach blond hair and black combat boots. 

You know, when his face was relaxed, he could see why Robbe fell for Sander. He wasn’t ugly. Plus he had a muscular body. Not that Jens thought about a boy’s abs or the way that made him feel. It was purely out of curiosity, ofcourse. Like why his best friend would fall for a boy. Jens could never imagine falling in love with a boy. Boys were different than girls. More muscled, more rough. More complicated?

He shook his head to rummage his thoughts. He was drifting away slowly, getting more and more drunk and high on the beat of music. Wait, what music? His hazy brain registered the song coming from the other side of the cabin. He didn’t know they had neighbors. Nobody told him about the other cabins. Why didn’t anyone tell him? He wanted to party as well.

Jens stood up with the bottle in his hand. Maybe the other people wanted to party with him. This group was getting boring anyways. The couple was slowly kissing while slipping away towards the cabin and the other two were laying on the ground looking at the stars. High as a truck. Jens rolled his eyes.

He stumbled towards the music. Why was walking suddenly so difficult? Walking didn’t use to be so difficult, right? One, two, three. Come on, Jens! One, two, three, four. 

Dancing on the beat, Jens slowly stepped closer to the other cabins. He recognized the song. He heard the laughter of a boy, teasing the other two boys by the choice of their music. “Come on, this is what you call music?” “Well, I’m sorry, we don’t all have the same taste in underground bands like you do, Luc. Please spare us some popular music.”

The boy laughed loudly. His soft curls were bouncing off his head. Jens' heart stood still for a second. Then the cute boy looked up and saw Jens staring at them. 

“Guys, I think we have a visitor.”

-------------------------------------------

“So Jens-from-Belgium, what do you think of us so far? Were we very welcoming to a drunk stranger like you?” Kes asked while passing on his joint to Jayden. Lucas was looking at Jens, like he was a puzzle waiting to be solved. 

Jens laughed and looked down. An hour had a passed since he met these guys. He was feeling much better. Still a bit high, even though he was pretty sure the booze was already wearing off.  So why did he still feel this way? 

He felt Lucas’ eyes on him. Some deep soulful eyes. Beautiful eyes. He didn’t dare to look inside them. But he still wanted to. 

“Well, you all seem pretty awesome. Maybe we should all hang out tomorrow, get to know each other better?” The last part of the sentence was directed towards Lucas. The mysterious boy with the bouncy curls. 

He really liked this boy. He was different. Jens felt something stir inside him. He was nervous. He was feeling a bit queasy even. What if Lucas said no?

“Yeah sure. Tomorrow.” Jayden answered instead. “But tonight, I think I'm going to go off to bed.” Kes was nodding along. “Yeah same. Luc, are you coming?” 

Lucas was still looking at Jens with an intense stare. He shook his head, without saying anything. Kes didn’t seem surprised by his simple reaction and walked away. 

“So you’re not going with your friends?” Jens asked nervously. Lucas shook his head again and sat a bit closer to Jens.

 “Didn’t feel like it,” he muttered. “it's always the same thing with the guys. Drugs, booze, partying, girls. Sometimes I just want to sit, relax and enjoy the stars. Enjoy the music. Enjoy some good company.” His cheeks started to flush a little. 

Jens didn’t know how to answer this statement. He felt the exact same way. He wanted to talk, wanted to reveal his life. To this boy, to ease his pain. He wanted substance. But, instead of answering, he looked down. 

“You seem different,” Lucas remarked. “You’re not like the others. You’re not boring. You are you.” 

Jens looked up to the beautiful boy again. He was pleasantly surprised. Did Lucas just gave him a compliment? He seemed to be flirting with Jens, but he wasn’t sure. It was making him agitated and he didn’t know why.

“Well, I try. I don’t think I’m myself right now. I’m just...,” his voice faltered a little. His eyes felt teary. “Lost and lonely, I guess.”

“Lonely?” 

“Yeah...”

He waited for an answer, while looking down again. Maybe he went too far. He never opened up his soul like this before. Maybe the boy would think he was a weirdo. A loner. A loser. 

Then he heard a sound. Lucas seemed to be nudging even closer to Jens. He heard him sigh deeply. Like he knew. Jens felt an arm coming around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. He didn’t want to hug this total stranger. 

But he did.

So he let himself go and fell into the much needed hug. It was so nice and comforting. They fitted perfectly together like puzzle pieces. Lucas touched his hair. Brushing it away slowly. A warm breath on his neck. He felt his heart beating against Lucas’ chest. The sound was growing louder by the minute.

Thump, thump, thump. 

Jens’ mouth felt like a desert. His hands were clammy. The butterflies in his stomach were twirling at record speed. He felt a hand caressing his cheek, nudging him to look up. The Dutch boy smiled a little. His eyes were blue windows, filled with only softness.

“Aren’t we all?”

He pulled him closer, noses slightly touching each other.

A hitched breath.

A heartbeat.

And then there were only pink lips. 

Soft, sweet lips.

[groundzerobakugo]

not as it seems // k. bakugou

  gender in this imagine will be female. if you wish for me to create this with male or genderneutral pronouns please feel free to send a message my way! i would be happy to help!

also, i’m kinda getting like, film noir detective kinda vibes??? so imma write half of this as like, journal entries and the other half as actual scenes. i changed a few things around to allow myself better wiggle room, i hope you don’t mind! you may have just broken my writers block w this prompt!

((words or phrases with an asterisk* will have their definitions written at the end))

...

23 february // tokyo

  it’s late and the rain’s coming down hard, but i can’t sleep. i’ve been hired by local police because there’s been talk of a strange beast that lurks at night, leaving victims with little to no blood left. civilians are passing it off as animal attacks, but i have reason to suspect this is the work of a vampire. however, i haven’t seen a vampire move like this in a long time. not since nagoya five years ago, back when i was still an apprentice.   this vampire doesn’t seem to hunt often, about once every other week, never the same day. they switch it up, too, there’s no link with any victims that i’ve uncovered yet.    victim one; twenty-something male. brown eyes. blond hair. a college graduate about to take over for his father’s law firm. described as a likable and easy-going guy engaged to the daughter of another larger firm. no known motive. found in marunouchi.   victim two; forty-two female. blue eyes. dark hair. single mother with three kids. worked at a  menial convenience store as a clerk. kids have gone into government care and don’t want to talk to visitors. found in tsukiji.   victim three; thirty-six year old male. green eyes. dark hair. ex-convict, charged with third-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter. no living relatives. found in shinjuku.   victim four; a seventy-eight year old male. dark eyes. dark hair. grandfather with three grandchildren, one from each daughter. described as gentle and a humorous soul. found in roppongi.   this case is already giving me a headache. no links aside from each body found in a separate district of tokyo, no pattern found between locations. this vampire may be the smartest i’ve encountered. my only wish is to have my predecessor to help me. i’ve sent word, but with him training another potential hunter, i’m left to solve this case on my own.

  (last name, first name).

-

07 march // tokyo

  the vampire has claimed yet another victim. a twenty-two year old female; dark eyes. blond hair. a wannabe fashion blogger in harajuku. her friends said she was finishing up some side work at her job and they called authorities after victim hadn’t posted to social media in two days.   i thought i could solve this case without the help of intense magic, but with the way things are progressing, i have to use all necessary skills to save the innocent lives being slaughtered. i hate cases with so much blood, it makes me uneasy. may the gods help me solve this quickly so my eyes don’t have to see another gruesome crime scene photo for another few months.   to think something that used to be human could do such actions against something they’d once been. does vampirism isolate the mind so far that you’re okay with cutting up and draining innocent souls? it’s revolting to think about.   i will be visiting the past scenes tomorrow, do some magic canvassing, see if i can get a picture of this vampire to track him down. looks like more sleepless nights ahead.

  (last name, first name).

-

  you moved quietly down the alley, fingertips brushing against the brick walls as a low blue glow followed your touch. the glow spread throughout the alley, and you stopped just before where the body had been found. you gagged at the dried blood that caked the pavement, but you swallowed and took a deep breath.

  “in oculis de mortuus.”*

  the scene before you changed as you made contact with the dried substance, a blue glow swirling and changing the scene into a dark alley, lit faintly only by street lights and the waning moon. your stomach flipped as you felt yourself fly through the air. the first victim was thrown down the alley from the sidewalk. you cried out, the world around you turning black. though, he wasn’t dead yet, he still had a faint pulse. you were still in his last moments.

  “please, please, it wasn’t what it looked like!” you heard his voice echo, your mouth moving in time.

  “that’s what they all say,” a gravelly voice replied. you turned, vision hazy as you saw the tall silhouette of your killer.

  “no! i promise i won’t do it again, please, don’t kill me!”

  “promises, promises. you humans love to fucking lie through your teeth, calling it promises. tried that shit once, asshole didn’t last a week. now, quit fucking begging, it won’t help.”

  you screamed, feeling as through your body had been lit aflame as the vampire’s teeth entered your neck, claws digging deep into your skin.

  your legs jellied underneath you, and you collapsed onto the floor, breathing hard as the scenery returned to normal. every inch of your body ached, screamed at you, with every movement. you could feel the slight trickle of blood slip down your lip, and you wiped it away.

  as much as you wanted to go home, you couldn’t. there were four other scenes to see, four other victims’ last moments to search through.

#

 you limped your way down the street, body aching and bruises; you were covered in fresh scars, and the bloody nose had yet to stop since the third victim. the sun had long since dipped behind the horizon, the full moon illuminating your path along with the street lights. people no longer ignored you, as the blood soaking your shirt and jeans caused many to stare in horror.

  every gentle breeze felt like ice-hot fire burning your skin, and you could feel the few burns on your arms and chest ache under your shirt. you’d never encountered such horrid and painful last moments before you began your hunt for the vampire. most were emotionally calm, having been elders who made their peace, but the few painful ones were small children victims of hit-and-runs or freak accidents.

  your neighbor shot you a worried glance, eyes widening at the sight of you.

  “(last name), are you alright?” kirishima eijirou asked.

  but upon seeing the ruby red eyes, your breath hitched in your throat, and you flinched away from his touch. “sorry, kiri-kun, just... rough day at work.”

  his face showed no hurt, and instead he gave you a soft smile. “i know how that is. rest easy, if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask.”

  “thank you,” you mumbled, returning the smile, though only partially.

  he stayed in the hall just long enough to make sure you could get into your apartment, and then he gave you a wave before heading back into his own place. you two shared an odd neighborly relationship, often times only seeing one another in passing. he was some sort of detective for another district’s force, you knew that much, but as you wouldn’t want him knowing your line of work, you never asked specifics of his.

  as much as your tired limbs had wanted to just clamber into bed, you pulled up a chair at your desk and flipped open your notebook.

08 march // tokyo

  i have never experienced so much pain and regret reliving a victim’s last moments as i have today. i may have overdone it; there are so many physical wounds it feels as though i lived through each one personally. being thrown into an alley, shoved through glass, dropped from a twenty story building, slammed against a wall, twice might i add, and sliced open what feels like a million and one times. i’ll need to recover for a few days before continuing to collect evidence and tracking down the killer.   however, the pain wasn’t for nothing. i finally found a recurring pattern. it’s not much to go off of, but every victim was begging for their life and saying they’ll never do it again. what ‘it’ is, i still don’t know. perhaps this is a beast come to take revenge on a group of people who did something. though, two young adults, two middle-aged people, and an elderly person? something doesn’t add up. what would such a strange group beg for their lives for? what did they promise to never do again? in a few days, i’ll interview the ones who had family members, see if they had any contact with any other of the victims.   my predecessor has finally replied. he didn’t say much, but he said this case was chosen specifically for me; maybe there’s something in this case i’m missing, but so far it seems unsolvable. i’m missing something, and while i need another, i don’t wish for another victim to give me that needed piece to my puzzle. he sent his regards, as well as the newbie. he seems sweet, but maybe too sweet to get into this line of work.   now to make a special brew of restituo and hope i can be up and about before this vampire claims a sixth victim.

  (last name, first name).

  you closed your journal and looked out the window, into the night. you had about eight days until you calculated your vampire striking once again. eight days to solve this puzzle and save a life.

#

  you walked with a slight limp, a crutch under one arm. five days later, not even your restituo serum could heal all the wounds inflicted. there was always a price with magic; and it looked as though the fates were having you ride out your twisted ankle like a mortal to punish you for peering into so many painful last moments. it was to be expected, but you hated the limited mobility.

  it was the thirteenth of march, only a few days left until you suspected the vampire would hunt down another innocent. they knew of one thing in their miserable immortal lives: to hunt down humans and drain them of blood.

  at least, that was what your predecessor had told you. that was the first line in the vampirism textbook you read back in middle school, when he’d first taken you under his wing. that was what you remembered when a vampire had claimed your parents’ lives.

  you huffed to yourself and leaned up against a brick wall, elevating your foot slightly off the ground. 

  maybe that was why your predecessor had given you every vampire case that had filtered into the agency. you’d been hunting them since before you graduated high school; taking revenge on the single vampire that had murdered your kindhearted parents for no reason, by killing everyone you came across.

  an itch crawled across your skin, and you looked up, making eye contact with hard, crimson eyes. they stared at you from across the street, cars passing in between the collision of crimson and (eye color). you stood straight and adjusted your crutch back under your arm. he stared you up and down, only the faintest of smirks stretching across his face.

  a large bus flew down the street, and when it had passed, the man was gone.

  your brow furrowed, and you blinked. there was something familiar about that smirk, those crimson eyes. you pulled out your small notebook and jotted down the description of the man.

  tall. medium build. red eyes. light hair. wearing a black hoodie, black jeans, and black boots. handsome.

  you looked back across the street, the itch still there and the healed burns aflame once more. a haunting through crossed your mind, and you thought back to the vampire you’d seen in each final moment.

  that man had to be your vampire.

  #

16 march // tokyo

  if all of my calculations are correct, that bloodsucker's on the hunt once more. there are several districts i've yet to comb through, but i believe i've tracked its next spot in kanda. i've placed several charms throughout the district to alert me when its on the prowl, but i've got a bad feeling about tonight.   i'm going to head down to the station, see if there's been any sightings of the vampire recently, see if i can narrow his location down in the district. if not, i may have to use more magic to track down the son of a bitch, however it may prove daunting. since using the spell to see the final moments of the vampire's victims, i've yet to be able to reach my full capability again. after this is all over, i'll have to recharge myself, take a vacation some place.   it's almost dark and i have to get ready. may the fates help me tonight.

  (last name, first name).

-

  you strolled around the bustling city streets with your hands in your pockets. there was still a slight limp, but you no longer needed the help of crutches to get around. even without magical help, you still healed faster than the average human mortal--perks of being a witch. though, it still hurt to walk on.

  the temperature had dropped considerably since the sun had hidden itself away until the next day; the city lights turning on and illuminating the streets and neon signs coloring the buildings you passed with reds and blues and greens.

  if this had been a different night, one where you weren't hunting down a murderous vampire, you might have found yourself enjoying the quiet walk. you'd have brought the small camera gifted to you and taken a few scenery shots. perhaps you'd find a small ramen shop and people-watched from the window, striking up conversation with the owners. but it wasn't that kind of night. you'd have to return another day to do that.

  an itch you felt a few days before crawled across your skin once more, and you looked up. it was hard to tell in the dark, but you scanned the crowd for any sign of your suspect; tall, blond, most likely in a hoodie and jeans. but you kept walking, the itch never leaving you as you continued in the same direction.

  you moved passed business men and the odd twenty-something year old couples, none shifting their gaze your way, and to those who did, you offered a small smile and continued on with your hunt. you walked by a small ramen shop, one that smelled of fresh pork broth and sizzling chashu. nothing special about it, but there was an itch; one that made your skin feel as though you'd lit yourself aflame.

  you stopped and peered into the shop. nothing out of the ordinary stood out to you, you couldn't even see anyone who somewhat resembled your vampire. you stepped into the shop, maybe there was someone you missed.

  "irasshaimase!" someone called from the kitchen.

  you flashed them a polite smile and scanned the restaurant once again. however, while you hadn't seen the blond you were tracking, you recognized a familiar redhead sat at the bar.

  "kiri-kun?" you called out.

  the redhead looked up and looked at you. "(name)? i didn't know you came here."

  "uh, first time," you said, taking another look around. "actually kind of, well, working right now."

  "oh, nice! you on break?" he asked.

  "not really," you replied, still checking out the patrons of the shop. "uh, have you by chance seen a blond guy, decently tall, red eyes?"

  kirishima hesitated. "uh, n-no? why?"

  you turned to him. "veritatum dicere," your hand made contact with his shoulder, and you watched the blue glow travel across his skin. "i'll ask again, have you seen him?"

  "bakugou, he-he's grabbing his meal, just out back." you let go of his shoulder and watched as kirishima's face fell. "(n-name), it's not what you think."

  you gave him a sympathetic smile. "sorry, kiri-kun, but it's my job. subsisto." and with that, you hurried out the front door and slipped into the alleyway that led to the back of the ramen shop. but just as you hit the back alley, a body crashed into yours.

  a girl, no older than fifteen, stared up at you with frightened eyes. there were fresh bruises lining her uncovered shoulders, shirt torn to smithereens and one shoe missing from her feet. your blood ran cold.

  "are you alright?" you asked, gripping her by the shoulders to steady her. "who did this to you?"

  tears formed at her waterline, and she looked over her shoulder. you followed her gaze into the darkness and nodded.

  "go home, get some rest, file a police report in the morning," you said, looking into her eyes. "you'll be okay."

  she didn't reply; she only nodded and then left the alleyway, stumbling over her feet as she rushed away from the scene. that vampire would pay for his crimes.

  you looked back to the darkness, your jaw set. "fata protegas me." the glow encompassed your body and you stepped further into the alley.

  "let go of me!" a man shouted. "it wasn't what it looked like!"

  you stopped. that... that didn't sound like your vampire.

  "right," a familiar voice scoffed. "i just so fucking happened to come across what looked like a fifty year old pervert fucking raping a fifteen year old girl. now, you can either beg for your life and prolong this shit, or you can keep your shit quiet and die quickly."

  what?

  "wa-wait! don't kill me! i'll do anything!"

  you crept alongside the wall, peaking from the cover of a dumpster.

  there he was; your blond vampire in his hooded jacket. he was holding a rather large man against the wall, while said man struggled against his hold. your eyes widened. wait, what...? did... did the vampire save the human girl?

  the blond sneered at the man. "it's your kind of people that makes me glad i'm no longer fucking human. you're the scum of this shitty earth."

  no, vampires had no humanity. the moment a human's mind changed from mortal to immortal, they lost their moral compass to the fever. it was impossible for a bloodsucker to think like a human. your teachings, your experiences, your cases; you'd never encountered a killer who was able to decipher who was good and who was bad. it was all a gray area, a free for all.

  "no! no, please!" the man pleaded. "i-i'll change!"

  the blond tsked. "no. you won't. maybe you'll be better in another damn life, but this one's over."

  you cringed upon hearing the man's cries and the sound of teeth shredding skin, a faint metallic scent permeating the air. he... that vampire... saved that girl? it couldn't be.

  you stood shakily from behind the dumpster, eyes hesitantly turning to face the vampire. his teeth were embedded into the man's neck, claws deep into his chest as he drank greedily. you stepped out of the shadows, head feeling foggy as you saw the blood.

  the blond noticed you from the corner of his vision and momentarily stopped.

  “i don’t understand,” you muttered. “you had an easy target, hell, two easy targets. and you went for this one?”

  he rolled his eyes. “i don’t kill innocents.”

  “you don’t... what? but-but you’re a bloodsucker,” you argued. “vampires... vampires don’t have the rationality for that.”

  he stepped away from his victim, using the sleeve of his hoodie to wipe off some of the blood from his chin. “would you rather me a fucking mindless killer? would that make this shit better or something?”

  your eyes widened. “no! no, i... i’m just so confused. you-you’re supposed to be the monster, vampires are always the monsters.”

  his boots echoed as he walked up to you, the crimson seeming even more vibrant than you remembered. “not this time, dumbass. like i said, i don’t kill innocents.”

  you took a step back, nose wrinkling at the stench of human blood coming from his mouth. “but the others? what did they do?”

  “they were damn criminals. extortion, robbery, homicide,” the blond said. “now, if you don’t fucking mind, i was kind of in the middle of something.”

  you looked at his victim, mind spinning slightly as you remembered the final moments you witnessed, the pain you felt time and time again as you suffered firsthand at the hands of the vampire. every bone in your body felt as though it was breaking once more.

  (eye color) met with crimson, glassed over with pain. “i thought you were the worst kind of monster. how you could just end an innocent human life with so much suffering on their part. i was ready to obliterate you the moment i saw you. i thought you were a villain.”

  he scoffed. “well, i fucking ain’t. sorry to burst your damn bubble.”

  “i--”

  “bakugou!” someone shouted. “bakugou! dude, are you okay?!”

  you turned on your heel, surprised to see kirishima running up to you two.

  “i’m fine, shitty hair,” the blond, bakugou, grumbled.

  the redhead slowed in his step as he neared. “i... i thought she was going to kill you, bro.”

  you nodded. “i was, but then i realized he wasn’t who i thought.”

  bakugou scoffed. “you couldn’t kill me even if you tried. you’re a mortal.”

  “i’m a witch, actually,” you replied. “near mortal, but still strong enough to kill you and others like you.”

  kirishima’s eyes widened. “that’s why i told you where he was? why i couldn’t move after you left?”

  “you fucking what?!” bakugou growled at the redhead.

  you placed a hand on bakugou’s shoulder. “caput frigus.” the muscles under your hand relaxed into the blue glow, and bakugou’s glare lessened some. “it wasn’t his fault.”

  the blond grumbled a bit. “fine, whatever. now, if you’ll fucking excuse me, i’ve got something to finish up.” he cast another red-eyed glare your way before stomping to the bloody victim.

  “he’s not as rough if you get to know him,” kirishima said. “he can be kinda nice, when he wants to be.”

  you spared a glance at the vampire, sucking out the last few drops of blood from the victim. “i’m sure. i, uh, i should actually get going. i need to wrap up my case.”

  “are you sure? we could give you a ride?”

  “that won’t be necessary,” you replied. “but thank you.”

-

17 march // tokyo

  it turns out nothing was as it seemed. the vampire, who i thought was the villain the whole time, the monster, he was actually the savior. all those people he killed were actually criminals. still not too sure what the did, but for some reason i believed him, like i had no reason to distrust his judgement. after all, i saw him save a fifteen year old girl today from being raped.   i don’t have much time left in tokyo. all might wants me back home in a few days, which hardly leaves me anytime to explore the city as i wish. but at least i was able to wrap up the case without any innocent lives lost. i’m just thankful i was wrong for once, that a vampire had some decency left in him to target a certain group of people. though, it doesn’t excuse he was still killing human beings, i feel there should be some exception to my code.   that being said, i still need to stay sharp out there. knowing so many human beings could be so monstrous to their own kind, it makes me want to change my profession from supernatural work to entering the human justice system. perhaps be like the vampire anti-hero. bakugou. i wonder if i’ll ever see him again while i’m out hunting.   maybe someday. after all, he was kinda cute, if i do say so myself. however, until then, i still have a job to do.

  (last name, first name).

  you looked out the window, the sun just beginning to set once again. after hunting vampires for so many years, your sleeping habits adjusted to their own nightlife hours. you hadn’t seen a rising sun in quite some time.

  you stood from your desk and stretched for a moment, hearing your bones crack and pop from the movement. you padded your way into the kitchen and pulled out a noodle cup from the cupboard. it wasn’t much, but you very seldom had the time to create an actual dish.

  with the kettle on, you turned towards the living room, oblivious to the crimson eyes watching you from your patio.

  bakugou watched as you moved about your tiny apartment; his eyes were calculating, trained on every little movement you made within the space. it wasn’t long until he noticed the small limp to your left leg, or how if you stretched your arm too far your face scrunched up ever so slightly. and he didn’t miss the faint marks on your neck--the same spot he bit into with every victim, the right side, just below the jawline where it gave him perfect access to the jugular vein.

  he’d heard of witches and wizards with powerful magic, ones who took on the jobs as supernatural hunters in the modern age; hearts set on keeping humanity safe within its modern times. witches were the clean up crew of the supernatural realm. set to keep humanity blind to all they could never understand.

  he’d heard of such powerful magic that witches and wizards could relive the past moments of the dead, though not without sacrifice. he’d witnessed them give their lives just to see the past, unable to come back to their physical selves if the situation was too agonizing. and upon seeing your wounds, bakugou realized you were one of those witches.

  hesitant, but only for just a moment, he knocked on the glass door, hiding in the shadows.

  your brow furrowed upon hearing the knock. was there someone on your patio? had all might sent for someone to grab you already? was deku there to take you back home?

  you peeled back the curtain, jumping when you noticed crimson eyes staring back at you, and you slid open the door.

  “what the hell are you doing on my patio, bloodsucker?!” you hissed, mostly from the fear of finding the blond rather than someone from your home.

  his eyes narrowed. “oi, i’m the only one giving out fucking nicknames, shitty witch.”

  you glared. “i’ll ask again, what are you even doing here?”

  “that’s none of your damn business,” he replied.

  “so you just thought it would be fun to scare the shit out of me?” you asked. “how kind of you, bakugou.”

  he scoffed but was interrupted by the screaming kettle before he could reply.

  you hurried back inside and poured the boiling water into the cup, carefully setting the hot kettle back onto the stove. when you turned around, bakugou was glaring at the noodles from the entryway of your patio.

  “what? did you want one or something?” you asked, eyeing him eyeing your cup.

  he glared. “as fucking if. that shit’s disgusting.”

  “it’s all i’ve got,” you shrugged. “i can’t cook, and i don’t have money to go out and buy dinner every night.”

  “you can track down shitty vampires day in and day out and learn and memorize advanced spells and shit, but you can’t fucking cook?” the blond asked, skeptical. “fuck it. i’m gonna have to teach you then.”

  you laughed. “not too sure how you’re gonna do that in two days.”

  he looked at you. “you’re leaving tokyo?”

  “well yeah, case solved. i get to go home and begin another one,” you replied. “i travel all over japan to solve supernatural crimes, it’s my job, and while tokyo has some pretty bad ones, my predecessor is who choses them for us.”

  “oh.”

  you looked over at the blond. “i’ll probably be back someday though, maybe even this year. you could teach me then?”

  “as long as you don’t come back to kill me.”

  you laughed aloud. “then it’s official then. i come back, you teach me how to cook. deal?”

  “fucking deal,” the vampire replied.

[botwriter]

Rewritten, Chapter 21: Vah Naboris

Read this on FF.net or Ao3  ➜

Link gets into Gerudo Town, meets Riju, and faces down Vah Naboris - he’s appeased three out of the four Divine Beasts, but still has memories to collect.

From chatter amidst the other Hylian men in the bazaar, it seemed that the only way into town was by using a disguise, and there was someone who had managed to make it work, but Link was sure he had talked to everyone around the bazaar. He clambered to the top of the stone pillar, hoping to get a better viewpoint - and up there, was greeted by a someone in purple Gerudo clothing, though they didn’t look particularly Gerudo…

“Oh my, what a lovely young man you are. Do you need something from me?” they asked, and Link looked wary before explaining his situation. He had to get in.

“I need to get into Gerudo Town, and I heard about a man sneaking in somehow,” Link mentioned.

“What’s that? You heard about a man sneaking into Gerudo Town? I don’t know anything about him… sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” they replied, and Link squinted at their face, unsure if they - she - he? Was just playing him.

“You’re making my cheeks red, staring at me like that,” they replied, and Link laughed nervously in response.

“You’re beautiful,” he replied simply, wondering if flattery would do the trick.

“Oh, you sure know what to say! In fact, I bet these clothes would look quite fetching on you. I’d have to charge you of course, but I’m sure people would see you completely differently if you wore them!”

Link blinked. Did they know what he was trying to do, and just weren’t admitting it?

“What do you say? Six hundred rupees?”

A moment later, and Link - at request of the stranger - had quickly changed into his new clothes. His new, surprisingly silky, somewhat see-through, women’s clothing. They fit like a charm, despite being made for a completely different body type, but Link was skinny enough that it seemed to do the trick. The pants were… airy, to say the least.

Link offered a quick thank-you to the mystery person and then parasailed down towards Gerudo Town. He completed the shrine outside first, and then walked hesitantly through the town gates - the guards gave him a bit of a look, but otherwise let him pass, and he let out a sigh of relief as he moved in. Still, there were other Gerudo all over, and he didn’t feel comfortable trying on any other clothes as he went. Riju’s quarters were clearly up ahead, so Link made his way up the steps, unsure what to expect.

♪

When he got to the royal room, his eyes immediately landed on the throne, but it took him a moment to actually spot Riju. She was about half the height of most Gerudo, but clearly the leader, wearing a crown and resting casually on the chair that seemed about three times too big for her. But if Link knew the Gerudo, he knew she’d grow into it.

“Yet another traveller,” she said casually, resting her chin on her hand propped against the chair. “How did you get in here? It seems you have something rather interesting there.”

Her eyes narrowed, looking at his hip, and he knew she was seeing the Sheikah Slate. He approached, walking along red carpet and pillars; the entire room was open air, and the draft made it comfortably airy inside. The guard next to Riju’s throne suddenly stood taller, slamming her sheathed sword against the ground.

“You stand before Lady Riju, chief of the Gerudo! Declare your business, but come no closer!”

Link was taken aback, but it did the trick - he stopped in his tracks.

“Hold on, Buliara,” Riju interrupted, “this one doesn’t seem like an ordinary traveler. What is your name?”

“Link,” he replied quickly, realising a moment later he hadn’t tried to edit his voice at all. Shit. A knowing smile crept across Riju’s lips, but Buliara hadn’t noticed.

“And what is it you came all the way here to tell me, Link?”

“I can calm Naboris,” he replied quickly. “I’ve already appeased two of the four divine beasts.”

Buliara immediately protested, and Link understood somewhat - how could he hope to calm the beasts? They could only be controlled by Champions, strong warriors, who had all died a century ago. But Riju turned to her, and the two of them conversed momentarily in whispers; all the while casting sideways glances at Link. He waited.

“What of the sword?”

“The device on his hip-”

“There was no Hylian vai in the Champions- a voe!”

“A voe in Gerudo is a crime. But a voe who is a Champion…”

Riju finally made up her mind, much to the disdain of Buliara.

“We would never mistreat a friend of Lady Urbosa’s. And if you’re here to help us with Naboris, we are allies.”

“How can we trust him? Perhaps if he were to recover your stolen Thunder Helm,” Buliara suggested, grinning at Link in a way that told him it would be no easy task. He looked back at Riju. The look on her face told him that it was settled.

“You’d never be able to approach Naboris without the heirloom, anyways,” Riju added, resting her chin on her hand. “You know… I take heart in having a visitor as rare as you. Lady Urbosa must be looking out for us.”

Urbosa was the Gerudo Champion Link remembered from one of his memories - the first one he’d received - but the name and face still didn’t click with any emotions or feelings. He couldn’t put his finger still on who she really was.

The Gerudo military captain told him where to go. Turned out the Yiga were the ones who had stolen the thunder helm; it was time to get revenge for them terrorizing Zelda a century ago. The only issue is that they were human, legitimately human, not soulless monsters… killing them always hurt, at least a little. But Link had something more important now. He had someone he had to protect.

The trip to the Yiga Clan hideout was long and arduous, but he did find another Sheikah Tower along the way; and he met with Kass again, the traveling Rito bard, at the top. It was hard to miss his accordion music, and Link found himself feeling relieved and cheery when he heard the tunes echoing through the canyon.

“I know a song about this place, would you like to hear it?”

Another shrine lifted from the ground when Link solved Kass’s puzzle. By the time he’d completed that, it was past midday, and he hurried towards the hideout before night fell. The desert was freezing at night, and he wasn’t sure whether he preferred too hot or too cold at this point. On the plus side, the Yiga - for being such a stealthy bunch - made their headquarters easily found. Statues and banners flew all throughout the cavern where they hid, and Link made his way through unobstructed, until a room with banners and a lit torch acted as a dead end.

Until he burned the banners. Was it supposed to be this easy?

♪

There were tons of bananas nearby, and by now Link had noticed that in fact, all the Yiga he’d encountered kept bananas with them. They loved them so much that he was able to distract them to sneak through their base. It was tidy at least, and when he finally found his way to the end, a massive hole in the mountain where their leader awaited him, Link felt like it had taken altogether no effort at all. But Naboris, he knew, would not be this easy.

Something went poof! In front of him and Link turned to see a Yiga - albeit one with a beer belly - appear before him. It had to be the leader Kohga, the one he kept hearing about, but he seemed… like he’d gotten old, somehow. Like the shadow of a man who was once in his prime. Link winced. He hadn’t had to kill anyone yet. He didn’t feel like needing to do it now.

The ninja groaned, stretching his shoulders and looking at Link with what he assumed was an accusatory expression under his upside-down Sheikah mask.

“Who the heck are you? And what are you doing in my napping spot?”

“I’m here for the Thunder Helm you stole from the Gerudo,” Link replied, “we don’t need to fight.”

“Wait a minute!” he interrupted, staring unmoving at Link. “Is that - a Sheikah Slate? Yeah! It’s you! You’re that Link guy I’ve been looking for!”

The yiga lord began to laugh, throwing his head back.

“What luck! My scouts are out there looking high and low for you, but you just wander into my hideout! Oh- excuse me,” he said suddenly folding his arms, “I haven’t introduced myself yet. I am the leader of the Yiga Clan! The strong! The burly! The one, the only - Master Kohga!”

“...cool,” Link said.

Master Kohga wielded some sort of telekinesis and tried to throw metal balls at Link, but an arrow to the face tended to distract him enough to be hit with his own weapons. Not only that, but he didn’t learn; the ninja only continued trying larger and larger weapons until finally one of them was too big and rolled him over, pushing him into the giant hole behind him. A yell erupted but faded as he fell, however far. The blonde winced. At least he hadn’t had to finish the job.

♪

Link had been antsy lately in completing his tasks. The shrines had made him more powerful, more enduring, than he felt he ever could have been a century ago, but really, it was hard to tell. Nonetheless, he hurried back to Gerudo Town, nearly forgetting to change into his vai clothing before he walked through the gates, and presented the thunder helm to Riju. She had been waiting for him in the back, overlooking the desert that sat behind the city.

“I am, as you have no doubt noticed, still but a child. The people look at me with nothing but warmth in their eyes, but even this brings me some pain, I must admit… I’ve tried so hard to be worthy of their love, to be a worthy chief, and to prove it to myself, too. When my family heirloom was stolen, I felt as though a shadow had fallen over me. Yes, your arrival in the midst of all this must be the work of Lady Urbosa,” Riju decided, and Link returned the smile she cast him.

She turned then, slipping the helmet on her head carefully, but it was somewhat too big and she had to hold it to keep it from tilting when she looked back at Link. It was a bizarre looking helmet, brassy gold with six glass “eyes” that glowed turquoise.

“How do I look?” Riju asked, and Link was about to tell her but the sight of the helm had struck a chord. He stared at the helmet, and felt the now-familiar feeling of a memory resurfacing; Urbosa and Zelda, atop Vah Naboris. Zelda was asleep, resting on Urbosa, and Link felt a pang in his heart as he remembered fully who the Gerudo Champion had been. Protective, motherly, but more than anything, a good friend. She knew Link better than he knew himself sometimes, and she knew Zelda, too - it was evident from what she had said to him that night. The Link a hundred years ago had obviously been undergoing some sort of emotional turmoil. Zelda had been struggling to unlock her sealing power, this he remembered from a couple of the memories he had unlocked already, but the notion that he made it all the worse with the ‘sword’ on his back… of course. The sword that seals the darkness. So Link had already succeeded, as a Champion, in finding his weapon, but Zelda had not.

“What’s wrong?” Riju asked, looking confused, but the girl decided to move past it. “Anyways, what matters now is - how is it? Does it look alright?”

“It’s a bit big,” Link admitted, and Riju sighed in response, the helm tilting a little bit again before she readjusted it.

“You don’t say,” she mumbled. “Well, Link, as chief, and as a Gerudo, I must find some way to stop Vah Naboris before it threatens my people. Will you help me?”

“Of course,” he replied urgently.

“Who would have thought that just before such a momentous battle, hearing a simple, confident pledge of support from you would be just what I need?” Riju laughed. “I’ll head out now. Meet me at the lookout post south of town, and bring a sand seal.”

♪

The sandstorm that surrounded Naboris filled Link’s stomach with dread. It was the first thing that had really done so since he returned. The swirls of malice surrounding the castle were scary, sure, but Link’s feelings towards Ganon were more bitter and angry than fearful. Even Rudania, sinking in lava, had been more accessible than this. The poor visibility and jerking, unpredictable movements of the camel, with it’s massive stature and heavy feet, caught Link a little bit off guard.

Riju awaited him at the lookout like she said. He rented a sand seal from the vendors, and with a nod, they set off; Riju warned him to stay close, as her lightning helm would only protect the area near her. Link was to fire bomb arrows at the beasts’ feet, and thankfully, they were big targets. The two of them surfed with their seals, underfoot of the camel, which knew they were there and began firing supercharged bolts of lightning at them. Electricity crackled over the protective seal the thunder helm granted them, and Link fired bomb after bomb while balancing on the shield dragged by the sand seal.

When each of the legs finally lost their electricity, the beast let out a cry. It’s legs halted, and it fell into the sand on its knees, bowed downwards. Link’s seal slid to a stop behind Riju, and he ran to catch up with her. She took the helm off her head, and shook out her long red braid.

“Unfortunately, I cannot appease Naboris on my own,” she said, looking to him with trust in her eyes, “so this task falls to you.”

He broke into a run, looking back for just a moment to nod assuredly to Riju, and headed straight for the camel. As soon as he set foot on a ramp leading up to the entrance, it shook, and began to lift; Link fell, grasping onto the stone for stability as the beast returned to full height and began walking again. Looks like it would be doing the rounds while he tried to appease it. The first pedestal was in front of him a little ways, and Link was surprised to see that unlike the other beasts, this one was not entirely indoors; in fact the platform he was standing on was very open, with no rails or walls to stop him from falling to the sand below if he missed a step.

“Well, well, well - you sure do know how to keep a woman waiting,” Urbosa’s voice greeted him, faraway but close. Link smiled.

“Sorry,” he replied, though he wasn’t sure if she could hear him.

“I can’t wait to see you take Naboris back from Ganon! But one thing at a time- you’ll need a map to find your way around.”

Of course. Just like the others. As Link found his way into the belly of the beast, literally, he realised immediately what would have to be done; everything could spin. The map confirmed this when he received it, and with a pledge of support from Urbosa - you’re ready for this! - Link pushed forward.

It took longer than Rudania and Ruta put together, at least a couple hours of running around, spinning the map, and grappling onto ledges. Naboris was a living puzzle, and it was a test of balance and opportunism as Link attempted to find each terminal. When he finally found himself at the last one, he was reminded suddenly of the battle to come. Judging by the beast itself - and the strength it would take for anything to defeat Urbosa - this blight in particular would not be fun.

As the beast formed itself with a shriek in the belly of Naboris, Link noticed first thing that it had a shield. That was unique. At least it didn’t have a sword as big as Fireblight’s, but the electricity that crackled around it told Link it had its own element at play. He readied his sword.

The shield it held, thankfully, broke fast as Link hammered away at it. The blight was faster than the others he had faced, but its movements were predictable, so Link was able to dodge and flurry.When he finally felt like he was making some good headway, the beast screeched; it was bringing out the big guns in form of lightning rods, but Link hadn’t realised it at first. The metal fell around Link, and he focused on dodging it; he didn’t realise that electricity would be coursing through it a moment later, and when it struck him, his entire body lit up. Sword and shield clattered to the ground, his heart felt like it had stopped and started again, and he was thrown to the inner wall of Naboris’ belly like a ragdoll before rolling back down to the bottom.

He groaned, and had barely gotten to his feet when more metal fell around him. Desperately, he threw himself out of the way, crawling towards his sword and shield and trying to ignore the electric burns that now decorated his right shoulder. It seared, but there was no time to eat or drink anything; the blight had flown towards him again, and the knight barely moved out of the way in time to counter with more hits from his sword.

Again the metal fell and again Link barely dodged it. How was he supposed to counter that? Finally he made it back up onto the platforms so he would be on equal footing with the beast, and used magnesis to move one of the rods away. A second later it clicked. Maybe the blight couldn’t control the electricity once it was fired… maybe.

The next time the rods fell, Link dodged, but grabbed one of the rods using magnesis and pushed it midair towards the blight. When the lightning coursed through it predictably, it hit the blight as well, knocking him downwards. Link took the opportunity to jump, and finished him off with a stab to the chest. Fluid and malice escaped into thin air, sinking around Link’s feet until there was no trace it had ever been there. He let out a sigh of relief, grimaced at the pain in his shoulder, and dug out a couple omelettes to ease the pain. It worked, but when he looked back at his arm, the scars were still there, like branches of a tree spreading out from his collarbone.

♪

The main terminal sat waiting for him, and as Link pressed his Sheikah slate to it, it glowed blue. Footsteps distracted him then, and he turned to see Urbosa walking down the steps into Naboris, arms folded and a smile on her face.

“I knew you wouldn’t let us down, Link. Thanks to your valor and skill, my soul is free, and Naboris is ours once again. Which means that finally, we can complete what we started years ago. We Gerudo have no tolerance for unfinished business,” she reminded him, and Link grinned back at her.

“I’ve waited so long for the moment to see you finally rush Hyrule Castle… as well as for the moment when I incinerate Ganon into a pile of ash. Which reminds me, I wanted to give you a little something… please accept this gift, which has come to be known as Urbosa’s Fury. It will no doubt be of use to you.”

Link had nearly forgotten about the gifts from Daruk and Mipha. Urbosa’s Fury invoked a new sort of power, a tingling sensation that coursed through his veins, and when he snapped his fingers the energy released in the form of lightning around him. An offensive ability. Nice.

“Both you and the princess… I know you have suffered much regarding what happened to us Champions. But this had to happen. No one need carry blame. So please, make it clear so she understands that? Tell her to shed any worries. And let her know… I couldn’t be more proud of her,” Urbosa added, and Link felt his heart aching again. Her. The Zelda he didn’t remember. He felt envious of Urbosa now, that she remembered who she was, who Zelda was. But Link pushed his feelings aside. He would get there, eventually.

“You take good care of the princess,” Urbosa said, as Link began to feel himself disappearing. “Oh, and also… take good care of Hyrule,” she added with a wink. This caught Link off guard, but he had no time to ask why or say thank-you or anything at all, really; he would save Hyrule, but what responsibility did he have after that to look after it? Didn’t that fall simply to Zelda?

Clearly there was more that he didn’t know, or hadn’t realised yet. Once again he knew he had to find the other memories. Surely there would be some on the way to Rito Village, where the last Divine Beast was waiting for him… and then there would be only one thing left. He was nearly there.

[jamlessness]

first lady, four.

pairing: taehyung x reader. word count: 4.5k content: basically fluff because shit is about to go down real soon inappropriate language, ice hockey!au

one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

TAEHYUNG [10:07] can we talk? TAEHYUNG [10:09] i really think we should talk TAEHYUNG [10:23] did you just run away from me? TAEHYUNG [10:23] why are you doing this? TAEHYUNG [11:56] at least tell me if you’re alright TAEHYUNG [11:57] please

You have decided to stop reading his messages after lunch. Mainly because he wasn’t the only one that was trying to reach you with texts. Jungkook and Jimin joined their captain in trying get at least a single word from you, with no success if there’s any need to say. You didn’t even allow yourself to feel guilty for ignoring all of them and that included even your best friend and your brother.

The truth is you weren’t able to speak a word to anyone since the kiss happened; not just because of the kiss itself but by the amount of feelings you had to deal with.

The unstoppable rage from discovering the real reason for your parents’ divorce;

The unbearable pain of having your trust broken down like this;

The undeniable attraction towards Taehyung and the way he made you feel.

By the end of the day, you did not want to head home. You had no idea of how you were supposed to stare at your father during dinner; you knew you couldn’t help but to feel sad at the thought of how you’d look at your mom from now on - you don’t wanted to pity her since she deserved better than this, but still, it seemed like an impossible task when you thought about your dad and his babe.

A bitter chuckle left your mouth as you stared up at the dark sky as you thought it was an odd wednesday in your life, to say at least. You had no practice that day so you’d probably he home by now, helping out Malia with her homework while she gossiped about everything. And then, there you were: sat on a bench of the football field, contemplating your own misery and with the slightest idea of what you should do about it.

You were still asking the Heavens about how to proceed with your life when he spotted you, a frown taking over his face on the same second. He knew something was wrong for the simple fact that you were off for the whole day long. It wasn’t about the kiss - he could read you way too well.

Taehyung approached you slowly, taking a mental note about how cute you looked by the moonlight but it still broke him how fragile and saddened you were.

“Hey…” he called carefully to not startle you, sitting down by your side. You simply smiled, not directly staring at him but acknowledging the fact that his voice calmed you for some reason. “Mind if I keep you company?”

You answer was a simple shrug, since you were too drowned in that feeling to allow yourself to deny that. His presence was working wonders and honestly you didn’t seem to get enough, even if it meant to hate yourself later for that.

Silence soon settled between the two of you and it didn’t take long for Taehyung to realize that you were willing to stay there as much as you could. It was no puzzle to realize you didn’t want to go home so he quickly related it to family issues. Being good friends with Yoongi and - despite everything else - with you, he knew a little about how the Min family was and it was not much of a surprise to see you get stressed out about it for once.

Your mind, on the other side, have travelled from thinking about how much you hated your father to if Taehyung or Yoongi would turn out just like him on a near future. That thought made you hiss a couple curses while something poked you from the inside. You were hurting from the inside out and it could easily drive you crazy.

Your captain was attentive to every sign you could give him and once he noticed everything on your body language telling him that you would explode with your thoughts and feelings at any moment, he decided to figure out a quick and effective plan.

“Have you eaten yet?" once again, he kept his voice down and careful but this time, there was a hint of humour you couldn’t let unnoticed. You took a deep breath before you could answer with a simple negative nod. “Alright, then, let’s go.” Taehyung stood up in front of you and you finally allowed your eyes to meet.

It was the first time out of ice that the two of you developed a whole conversation without any spoken words. Taehyung was worried. You were scared. And he wouldn’t let you go until he made sure you felt better. Because that was just how Kim Taehyung was as a friend and it just put a smile on your face the fact that he was there for you as a friend.

You let him guide you all the way, too attached to your own thoughts to actually be able to let them go. They weren’t centering your father anymore - to be honest they weren’t centering anything, it was just pure chaos and you were too tired to try to put it in order.

The silence stood still during all the course, being no bother by any means.

But your face lit up the moment Taehyung stopped his feet, staring at a picturesque house. He turned to check on you, smiling at the realization that you were at least amused with the idea. With a simple nod, you authorized him to lead the way to the place he called home.

“Eomma! They’re here!” his brother yelled with his eyes glued on his cellphone the exact moment you stepped in.

“Manners?” Taehyung questioned with a tone you knew too well - subtly demanding - and the young boy looked up, surprised to see you and not Jimin or Jungkook with his brother, as he thought he would when he got a text saying to save another place on the table for dinner.

“Y/N noona!” he smiled gladly before bowing and you mimicked his actions, your voice automatically turning softer as you greeted him. Before any further words, rushed steps were heard and soon the petite figure of Eonjin was giggling - and panting - in front of you.

“Unnie!” she cried out before jumping in your arms with a much welcome hug.

“Hey, pretty!” you spoke, surrendering to the embrace and smiling when another pair of arms joined the hug.

“What took you so long to come back?” her voice resonated to your ears sweetly before a not so smooth move to drag you all the way to the table. “You must be starving, aren’t you? Let’s eat!”

It didn’t take a minute for you to find yourself sat and surrounded by Kims, that wasted no time in saying thanks and serve you. As you politely thanked and listened to each one of them, Taehyung couldn’t help but to smirk at stating that you seemed kind of lost on how to act but still fitted the picture so well. Most importantly: none of the problems that seemed to bother you earlier were gone, at least for now, thanks to his beloved family.

The Kims were no strangers to you. You have been to their household a few times either for school projects or team’s meetings - something your captain considered extremely necessary to keep the harmony of the group. They could always be spotted in any school activity that allowed family presence, always so loud, happy and cheerful no matter what. They all had a great energy, every single one of them, and it was so effortlessly contagious and to have all of them concentrated in make you feel deary made your heart flutter - and your mind go crazy.

The other times you’ve been there, you weren’t the only visitor and you barely stayed long enough for a meal. Now, you were the star of the night and you couldn’t even deny that you were loving the attention.

The way silence never settled and laughter was constantly leaving your mouth or tingling in your ears was a whole new concept of a family dinner for you and you simply loved it.  Not that you expected every single home of the country to talk about business or nothing at all as it was in your house, but you weren’t expecting this either. Without hesitation you could easily compare it to heaven.

“No, he doesn’t.” Eonjin pointed out to her brother’s direction. “Oppa has some good scores but none of unnie’s skills.” she diligently spoke, making your mouth to hang open at her words.

“That’s true but” it was Jeonggyu’s time to address his index finger on his sister’s direction s their parents and older brother watched the discussion amusingly. “he has twice her importance on a power play.”

“Are you sure you can keep that speech on the overall scoreboard?” she cocked an eyebrow, leaning forward. “Would you mind recalling me who leads the regionals on points?”

“Who keeps the team focused when the game heats up?” he snapped back at the same tone.

“And who heats up the game?”

At this point, you heard the giggles from their parents but you were still in awe with the fact that the kids were talking about you and Taehyung the same way you and Yoongi talked about professional players.

“Whatever you say, you can’t deny hyung is the best captain in the competition.” Jeonggyu retreated, making his sister smile triumphantly.

“Nor you can deny unnie is the best player in the entire league.” Eonjin shrugged as she leaned back. “Even oppa admits it.”

Your eyes flew to find Taehyung’s on that very instant, your cheeks covering themselves  in crimson as you stated how shamelessly he agreed with his sister.

“Taehyung is one of our best players…” you tried to word out of your embarrassment, looking for your captain’s gaze as you spoke. “And indeed a great captain, we’d surely be lost without him…”

“Down 14% on the scoreboard but nothing you couldn’t solve.” Taehyung replied humorously, grinning as your glare found him on the next second.

“I wished you’d still be playing when I got to high school…” Eonjin sighed, capturing your attention. “I could learn so much from you…”

“She’ll be probably playing overseas…” Mr Kim finally spoke, looking tenderly at the both of you. “If your brother still manage to keep her close by then, I’m sure you’ll be able to learn so much more.” he winked, this time staring directly at his eldest son that simply laughed it off while you found it was a family thing to make ambiguous remarks.

“Taehyung told me your brother takes you away to his dorms every now and then.” his mother started off, making you turn away to face her.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Is this his way to convince you to choose his university?” her eyebrows wiggled playfully, making you smile as you shook your head in denial.

“He thinks I should take an american scholarship to improve my game and have a real chance with hockey; make the most out if it..” you quoted Yoongi, hearing a scoff coming from the father on the next second.

“He was always a smart one that Yoongi boy…” he giggled and you nodded in agreement. “Do you have any proposals just yet?”

“Boston and Minnesota have contacted me.” Taehyung kept on drinking his coke but his eyes darted at you as he heard your answer before you went on how your brother expected more proposals to come. His mother was about to burst in words but luckily enough, she looked his way to notice as he silently asked her not to. She concealed but asked for an explanation, which he’d gladly give later on.

“You’ve got some good options, uh?” Mr Kim smiled with his eyebrows raised. “Do you happen to have a preference?” you nodded.

“I’m a huge fan of Coach Brad Frost so I’d gladly join the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a heartbeat.” you stated, clearly excited about it and once again Taehyung was exchanging glances with his mother. “But I know I have to give it a deep thought to make a wise decision.”

“You’ll make the best one, Y/N-ie.” his mother smiled lovingly at you. “I’m sure of it.”

“Congratulations, you did not freak out.” Taehyung spreaded his arms twenty minutes after the dinner was over - and his parents exiled you to the front yard because you offered to do the dishes.

“You are blessed, Kim Taehyung.” he stopped on his tracks due to your response.

Your eyes were fixed on the sky just like they were when he found you on the football field. But there was something different about them now. There was a slight hint of hope.

“I certainly am.” he answered right away, letting his eyes wander until they were also contemplating the skies as silence reigned between you for a few comfortable minutes.

“Have you ever doubted them?” your voice almost cracked once you asked him this and all Taehyung did was to hum in response, so you could elaborate a little more about your question. “Your parents. Have you ever doubted them?”

“A whole bunch of times…” he pondered with his eyebrows raised. “But each time they proved to deserve my trust so it doesn’t really count as a bad thing.” an involuntary chuckle left your mouth at those words.

“You are blessed.” the bitterness in your voice made him frown instantly, easily reading between the lines.

“They’re still your parents, Y/N. They love you and are there for you.”

“That’s not enough for me to trust them.”

“What is, then?” his question made you snap your head towards him, finding his eyes on the next second. “What does it take to gain your trust, Min Y/N?”

As much as you wanted to let your mind wander, you already had the answer on the tip of your tongue:

“This.” you said, motioning your fingers on the space between the two of you. “This crazy kind of honesty and transparency.” you looked away, not really fond of the idea of Taehyung seeing you blush for the second time that night. He, on the other hand, took his time catch feelings and meanings displayed in your words, his eyes soon returning to the stars.

“I won’t break it.” he whispered firmly and you sighed, nodding.

“I know.”

Once again, silence settled comfortably between you and Taehyung as your brain raced in thoughts. Among the ten thousand reasons you had to thank him tonight, your mind insisted you to bring up the kiss issue. But the way he seemed to appreciate the silence and the stargaze made you choose for not saying a thing - at least not just yet. Your captain didn’t bother in wait a little longer to talk about it and it was pretty clear to you.

You’d surely bring that up and you prayed for it to be on the right time - when you had all your feelings sorted out.

As if a heaven sent manner to take you out of those thoughts, your ringtone echoed until it reached your ears making you stare down to your phone as you took it out of your pocket.

Malia.

“I told her I’d bring you here so she could cover up for you.” Taehyung said while looking over to you before looking around just to find a familiar car approaching. “I guess she wants to make sure you have a safe escape after killing me.” he smiled back to you, your eyebrows still knitted together before answering the call.

“Say your goodbyes. We’re about to pull over in front Taehyung’s. Unnie still has a date tonight.” even in such a speed, her voice managed to remain calm but before you could even reply, your best friend hung up on you, making you curse as you stared at your phone.

“That lil piece of shit…” you grunted, your face softening at the giggle your captain allowed to leave his lips. Recomposing yourself, faced his stunning features that seemed so precious under the moonlight. “I’m beyond grateful, Kim. I truly am.” you spoke sincerely, watching as a smirk grew on his lips.

“You should be.” his immediate reply made you roll your eyes but they were fixed back on his the moment he leaned forward, lining your gazes to the same level. “But you should be getting used as well.” Taehyung winked before pulling back as you wouldn’t allow yourself to look surprised by it. You hummed in response, adding a nod before starting to step away. “Rest well, Y/N. We’ve got an early practice tomorrow.” he raised his eyebrows as you forced yourself to walk towards the well known car as fast as you could in order to ignore all the fuss caused by him in your body with his last actions.

Still, you knew you were doomed.

Kim Taehyung was driving you crazy.

And you loved it.

Back in the Kim household, Taehyung smiled as his mother entered his room, taking place by his bedside. He knew she was there for her explanation and she wouldn’t leave without a plausible one.

“Tonight was fun. Now shoot.”

“Geez, you waste no time.”

“You knew this was coming, don’t look at me like that.” she shot back as he shook his head, still grinning. “What’s the big deal on Y/N knowing about North Dakota?” her eyebrows rose up as a shrug passed through her son’s shoulders.

“I don’t think I’d still stand a chance if I turned out to be a rival.”

Mrs Kim smiled sweetly before patting his head, her hand reaching his cheeks where she also left a couple pats.

“It wouldn’t change a thing.” she assured, making Taehyung nod in response.

Once his mom left, Taehyung couldn’t help but think if you knew that feeling by any means and the answer quickly showed up: no. If you didn’t even trust your parents, there was no way on turning them into some of your best friends. He knew he had a closer relationship with his parents more than his friends, but to think that you were broken to the point of not even having a little faith on your parents saddened him.

But then again he had your trust and he would make it worthwhile.

“Geez, Min, what kind of slapshot was that?” you instantly grinned as Jimin skated behind you, soon crossing the line in front of you with his teeth on display.

“That one kind that actually wins games. But I don’t think you’d know that, Park.” you winked, resuming the 3-on-3 practice all over again. You loved the fact that your teammates knew exactly how to bring out the best of you in a game and that’s exactly what you needed to just keep going as if your weren’t a mess the day before.

It had been a good day so far. You have avoided your parents and Yoongi wasn’t texting you anymore in his search for answers; not even Malia was pestering you to know about last night and you knew you should thank Taehyung for the latter two. It almost seemed like you were back to a normal day where the only concern you had was to not overwork yourself in practice so you could at least attend to a couple classes.

“You’re staring again…” Jimin hummed as he passed by you once again, now seating at your side as the other gathered to watch the next 3-on-3 battle between your captain’s and your apprentice’s picks.

“And how am I supposed to watch the game again?” you snapped back and Jimin leant closer, as if to whisper in your ear.

“Not staring at your boyfriend’s ass, maybe?” he suggested and in less than a second your stick found its way to his cheek. “But seriously though!” Jimin pointed out after allowing himself for a couple seconds of giggles. “When are you going to admit it? I mean, I know it can be really creepy at the beginning but we can get used to it, right? It’s not that unexpected for you guys to like each other!”

“Park, would you please keep your mouth shut?” you growled through your teeth, his eyes widening in your direction for that unknown reaction.

Jimin was a master when it came to annoy the life out of you and not even once he had heard such polite words leaving your mouth in order to make him stop. You were surprised yourself but you managed to keep your posture still and your eyes on the ice even though your mind soon clouded with his words.

When are you going to admit it?

What if Taehyung had the exact same thought about what happened?

You had to at least talk about it, Taehyung deserved an explanation and you needed to make sure he didn’t have the wrong thoughts about it.

It crossed your mind that maybe you should spend the rest of the day - or week - gathering the guts to talk it off with your captain but your inner self remarked that you’ probably find a way to run away from it if you did and it was just right. The end of the practice was close as lunchtime was on the way and you took it as the perfect opportunity to have a decent and mature conversation with Kim Taehyung.

Almost one hour later, you found yourself in front of a mirror, questioning what was the best way to bring it up after you texted him about being just the two of you for lunch.

As for Taehyung, he took it as your wanting to vent about the same issues you had yesterday so it wasn’t really unexpected when he realized you were worried when you took a place at the table.

Silence was not comfortable this time around and soon your captain was wondering the reason for that. You seemed to be eager to talk but Taehyung didn’t want to push you in doing something you weren’t ready to so he patiently waiting, even preparing himself to the possibility of you not speaking at all.

A few more minutes went on when you finally had the courage to speak up.

“I’m sorry for kissing you out of rage.”

Taehyung lifted his eyes from the food to you, letting the words find their places in his head before saying anything. That was definitely surprising.

“It’s okay.” he tried to remain calm but you could see him gulping and getting nervous on that subject. “You needed to canalize all that anger somehow…” the way he spoke made it clear to you that he had put at least a bit of thought in that. That wasn’t quite the full explanation but you were okay with his point of view of that situation. It was a whole lot less embarrassing. Taehyung even added a smirk to lit up the mood. “It wasn’t one of your best days, so I don’t blame you and I’m glad I could help somehow.” you chuckled at his statement, nodding as you turned your attention back to your food. “I just have one question though.” curiosity filled your eyes when you found his again and soon you were asking yourself why were his cheeks heating up in a new color. “Were you really jealous?”

You instantly gulped, your cheeks burning up as you tried to find the best escape route from that situation. Your eyes even analyzed your surroundings just to check if running away wasn’t really a good option.

“Not necessarily.” straightening up your back to the best posture you could have by now, you avoided his stare while you did your best to control your tone. “As you said, I was already angry and that girl’s behavior wasn’t really away from my eyes, so if you put two and two together…” you simply shrugged, praying for that to be enough for him to not mention it again. Taehyung’s immediate answer was to let out a simple ‘ah’ while smoothly nodding his head twice.

“So you were jealous.” he was so certain of it that made you shot a glare at him.

“How can I be jealous of a guy that didn’t even had the guts to confess to me?” you wanted to make him pay for making you sound so easy but it didn’t even scratch his pride. He just sat there with that unchangeable smirk on his pretty lips.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me about it?” Taehyung was pushing you over the edge and he knew it damn well. He also knew he had to retreat at some point but you were too cute when you wanted to kick someone’s ass, he just couldn’t resist it. “My intuition tells me that you like me back…”

“Does it tell you about a punch in the face too?” you hissed under your breath it didn’t stop Taehyung to continue.

“And I believe that’s the reason why you’re so interested in my confession.” he raised an eyebrow as you scoffed in disbelief. You could swear your intern organs were punching themselves every time your mind tried to tell you Taehyung was right. But you couldn’t let him see that. You couldn’t give him that power.

“You dream too much, Kim Taehyung.” you chuckled while gathering your things to leave the table. He responded with a smile.

“So I’ve been told.” he watched as you chuckled again, putting yourself in your two feet as you allowed him one last stare as he asked you if he could tell a secret about it. Taehyung had both his eyebrows raised and his smile seemed to grow as you laid your eyes on him. “My dreams always tend to come true.”