#in every universe i want to swing him around like a bag of oranges and it's no different here
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smoke break & a familiar customer
more fanart of @brofightiscancelled & @awittlebabbyboy's postgrad plan au! no matter what, i'll always be obsessed with kara and had to draw his au design. he's so cutes and weighed down by so much regret, i'm absolutely captivated by him.
also, since a certain someone rides a moped, i hope it's alright if they stop by his mechanic shop. đđ
#in every universe i want to swing him around like a bag of oranges and it's no different here#i'm desperate to see more of him like i wanna know what his work life is like so bad. does he get along w/ his coworkers & bosses?#how do the clientele feel about him? i hope his s2 biker buddies are regulars at the shop...#does he enjoy his work? does he do a good job at it? is he singlâ * i'm escorted outside *#sorry i don't know how to be normal about him ever đ#and ideas for kuroba in this au has been rattling around in my brain for a bit#they're fresh out of college here so it's a bit before the brother's reunion#it's also a little before a major loss in kuroba's own life so :)#i'll talk more about kuro in this au later bc it's giving me a chance to expand on parts of their backstory a bit more which is fun!!#anyways i love this au so freaking much it's been on my mind a lot#osmt#karamatsu#mj ocs#oc : kuroba#postgrad plan au#mj draws#tw smoking
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One Foot in the Golden Life
Pairing: rich kid!renjun x caddie!reader Genre: rich kid AU, university au, romance, slight angst, mature content Length: 9.7k Summary: this is the story of a boy who is constantly pushed down by his father, a girl who just wants to not live paycheck to paycheck, and how they met on a golf course. Warnings/Details: includes mentions of other NCT members, female reader, swearing, inaccurate depiction of golf, acts of sexual harassment towards the reader, mature content (unprotected sex, coming inside, oral [female receiving])
a/n: a big thank you to @insomni-writingâ for beta reading this ⥠also, if you are a minor, please beware that there is mature content in this fic!
You thought it would be the perfect opportunity to work at the most well-known country club in the state, but really the only thing your job brought you was perpetual cold to your hands and feet, and entangled your simple life with one of the youngest and richest bachelors at your university.
The only place on top of Mt. Carla is the Augusta Country Club, and it is a sight to see by the regular people who gaze up at it from the city below, like mortals looking up into the Godsâ chamber. The first time you went up the mountain for your job interview at the club, you got lost and were almost late. Thankfully, you didnât crash your car on the winding roads, and got the job as well.
The Augusta Country Club is equipped with the largest and most expensive golf course in the region, but also has Michilin approved restaurants and the finest saunas and gym equipment any CEO could ask for. Those are usually the type of people that have club memberships: CEOâs, congress men and women, top-notch lawyers, and maybe the odd business owner that made it big enough to afford the price tag.
When you took up the job as a caddie, you had an idea of what you were getting yourself into. Youâve only been working for a month, but there are already a few regular golf players that prefer you as their caddie, which in your book is a success considering the type of high profile people that come to relax here.
However, today is different.
You can sense it when Kara and Mina, your coworkers who have been working here for a year longer than you, walk towards you and your friend, Lia, before your shift today. Mina has a small stack of info cards in her hands and they both hold smug smiles on their faces. The info cards have everything a caddie needs to know about who theyâll be working for that shift, and by the looks of it, todayâs game will have a good match up.
âIâm going to be Mr. Huangâs sonâs caddie. Donât even fight me on this, you know Iâll win.â Kara states boldly as the two girls stop in front of you, snatching an info card out of Minaâs hand when she holds them up like sheâs playing a card game, flashing the photos and names on the cards at you.
âI call dibs on Mr. Leeâs son.â Mina hums, not even bothering to keep up the act that they just want to be good caddies. âYou two can have the old men.â She smiles tightly, shoving the other two info cards into Liaâs grasp and turning on her heel to walk away with Kara.
Considering you donât even know what theyâre talking about, you have no right to be mad at them. There is more confusion clouding your mind than anger at their rudeness. However, Lia does not share the same sentiment.
âIâll shove these info cards up their-â Lia fumes, her volume rising as the sentence went on, and you quickly pulled her out of ear shot, around a corner by the bathrooms. â-stuck up two faced asses!â
âLiaâŚâ You mutter, her wording making you shake your head at how unstable her temper is, âTheyâve been working here for a lot longer than we have, just let them have those clients. Either way, whatâs it to you?â
âWhatâs it to me? ___, theyâre talking about Lee Jeno and Huang Renjun. I know I told you about them before.â Lia states like she expects you to have those two names tattooed on the front lobe of your brain already.
âI think I remember themâŚ. They go to our University, right?â You try to regurgitate your friendâs rambles from months ago out of your head.
âYeah, business department.â She sighs dreamily, as if the business department is the sexiest thing on campus. âThis might be our only chance to shoot our shot.â You canât help but grimace a bit.
âIt can be your chance to shoot your shot. Leave me out of this.â You randomly grab an info card out of Liaâs hands, turning it around to see Mr. Huang Lijunâs photo staring back at you. You send Lia one last look, walking around her to go change in the dressing rooms.
âAw, youâre no fun.â You hear her whine, her footsteps echo through the hallway as she comes up behind you. She almost knocks you into the wall from how forcefully she grabs onto your arm and swings it back and forth like youâre two little kids on your way to the playground.
âMaybe we can shoot our shot at the old men?â You and Lia stop walking, turning to face each other for a moment of silence. You blink at each other as if youâre both considering it, before erupting into laughter at the ridiculous thought and continue walking down the hallway.
You and Lia constantly joke around about finding rich sugar daddies at work to pay for your college tuition, but both of you know youâll never actually commit to the idea fully. Neither of you will admit it, but you both know you donât have the guts to do something like that.
By the time you, Lia, and your other coworkers change into uniform and gather your supplies for the Lee vs. Huang game, itâs already 10am. The air is crisp and cool, the signs of fall creep along your skin and taint the deep green trees in light oranges and yellows.
Despite the chill, you and your coworkers still wear skirts, long sleeve v-necks, and puffy vests; the only thing keeping your feet warm is a pair of short white socks and tennis shoes. You donât mind the chill knowing that once the game starts youâll be moving around enough to get warm. You stop thinking about your cold toes as soon as the door of the country club opens and the Lees and Huangs walk out.
The first time you lay eyes on Huang Renjun, you think your heart might stop.
You know itâs him because he walks close to his father as they make their way to where youâre standing by the golf carts. He has obviously dyed blonde color, his dark roots proof of that; itâs neatly gelled back in an effortless way with the light wind blowing a few of the locks gently as if an angel is personally moving them for him. His white jacket and black pants are slim and look like they cost more than all of your college textbooks this semester. He walks with his head high, his pretty, pink lips set in a straight line, and his almond eyes gentle.
Okay, so... maybe you understand the hype now.
âGood evening, ladies.â Mr. Lee announces, looking at you and your coworkers. You all politely introduce yourself and state who youâll be caddying for.
Huang Lijun isnât as tall as his son, but he looks to be more lively than Renjun, even at his age. He has a permanent smile on his lips and you can feel a friendly demeanor radiating from him when you approach. Â
âGood Morning, sir. Let me take those off of your hands.â You politely grab the bag of clubs from him, feeling shy as his gaze doesnât leave your face the entire time.
âYouâre new here, right? I feel like I would remember you if I saw you before.â Youâre surprised when he suddenly pinches your cheek, and he laughs at your shocked face. An unsettled feeling plants itself at the bottom of your stomach at the unwarranted touch.
âIâve only been working here for a month, sir.â
âI think Iâll be coming around here more often, then.â He winks at you and turns to go sit in the front seat of the golf cart. You canât help but let the feeling at the bottom of your stomach grow at how the older man looks at you. You definitely misjudged his âfriendlyâ demeanor. Your eyes canât help but glance at Renjun, whoâs standing a few feet away from the whole interaction. He gives you a blank stare before turning and following his father.
In the past few weeks, you had gotten many lustful smiles and lewd gazes at your bare legs, but also many dollars in tips just in one morning by letting those smiles and gazes happen. The need to make ends meet justifies it all, and the cash you earn at the end of every shift only fuels this need.
The ride from the clubâs main building to the first hole is short, so you quickly recompose yourself. You still have a job to doâ a job youâre being paid lots of money for. You believe in your strong will to put up with whatever antics Mr. Huang pulls for the next few hours. Upon arrival at the first hole, you pull the bag of golf clubs out of the cart and follow in Mr. Huangâs quick footsteps, suddenly feeling sweaty from the exercise youâre getting by carrying these heavy clubs. When your group reaches the first hole, you set the bag down on the ground and press your hand over your face, but Mr. Huangâs voice startles you.
âWoah, there.â You jump and face him. âThose clubs cost more than my car, and unlike my car, they donât deserve to be on the ground, darling.â
âYes, sir. I apologize.â You smile shyly and pick up the clubs from the ground, your shoulders already straining to keep them up. âThey weigh as much as a car,â you huff.
This is going to be a long game.
âYou kids can clean the carts today,â Mina suddenly throws a keychain at Liaâs face, she barely catches it before it hits her, âI have plans.â
âMe, too.â Kara quickly says, following after Mina as they both walk away. The game ended right at lunchtime (the Lees won) and now you and your coworkers are back at the club. Itâs supposed to be everyoneâs job to clean the golf carts after theyâve been used, but it looks like today itâll just be you and Lia⌠Maybe.
â___, please. Iâm going to be late to the cafe, my boss there is already mad at me.â Lia turns to you and begs with her hands clasped in front of her chest, eyes pleading and feet bouncing. You sigh; youâre hungry and your muscles are sore, and all you want to do is go home as quickly as you can. Still, you roll your eyes and take the golf cart keys from her, making her face crack open into a smile as she hugs you quickly.
âIâll bring you coffee on Monday!â She screams at you as she practically runs away, leaving you with two golf carts to clean. You sluggishly begin, crawling into the cart the Huangs were sitting in when you find a small notebook laying on one of the seats. Picking it up to examine it, you find out itâs your universityâs yearly planner, a book that everyone gets at the beginning of every academic year. Along the binder reads âHuang Renjunâ and your eyes widen, immediately looking up to glance at the direction that Renjun walked off to a while ago.
Your legs move quickly through the corridors of the club, moving past changing rooms, saunas, and bathrooms, the planner tightly clutched in your hand. Your head is on a swivel and your lower lip is stuck between your teeth, until you hear a door open and slam shut behind you, making you turn your head to catch Renjun walking out of a changing room.
âMr. Huang!â You call out.. Renjun freezes at the name, spinning on his heel to see you walking towards him.
âSorry to disturb you, but you left your planner on the golf cart.â You hold it out for him, but he doesnât take it.
âHow do you know itâs a planner? Did you look through it?â You blink at him, stunned, and then glance down at the notebook. Youâre surprised by the sudden questions and at the same time annoyed that Renjun accused you of snooping through his things so quickly. The image you had of him earlier, graceful, classy, and attractive, slips out of your mind as he stares down at you. However, this is the first time heâs directly talking to you, and you canât help the spark that ignites in your belly from the roughness in his voice. Itâs higher-pitched, but unpolished and jagged as he speaks with you.
âNo. I go to the same University. I have the same one.â You explain. Renjunâs stare turns into shock.
âReally? Which department?â
âFine Arts. I study Studio Art.â At first you think that youâre seeing things, but after blinking, you can guarantee that Renjun has jealousy painted on his face. Itâs so sour that he looks away, trying to preoccupy his hands by fiddling with his bag. âSo, are you going to take this, orâŚ?â
âYeah,â The bitterness drips from his tone, but you have a feeling itâs not directed at you, âThank you for returning it.â He finally accepts it and turns to his bag, taking out his wallet. The cards inside look thick and heavy; memberships to places youâll never step foot in and credit cards with limits you could never even imagine. Your pride tells you that you donât need anything he could give you, so you silently turn around and walk away.
Renjun shuffles through some crisp 10âs and 20âs, but when he looks up to give you the tip, youâre already down the hallway and halfway out the door. You have golf carts to clean.
The next time you see Renjun is a week after the last game. The chilly weather remains, along with the useless uniform you have to wear, but this time around youâre not Mr. Huangâs caddie, youâre Renjunâs.
Kara walks next to you with Mr. Huangâs heavy golf clubs, her lips straight and head turned away from you to show her annoyance at how the caddie match up situation went this week. Youâre sure to get an earful about this for at least the next few days, but you kind of like this revenge that fate dealt Kara. Either way, itâs not like thereâs anything you can do about the match up. Renjun requested you to be his caddie this week, and you werenât going to risk your bosses being angry with you by denying the request.
âDriver.â Renjunâs voice pulls you into the game. You pull out the correct golf club and put it into his awaiting hand, your fingertips brushing with his. âArenât you cold?â The words shock you, considering theyâre the first words Renjun spoke to you today other than commands for golf clubs.
âI-Iâm fine, Mr. Huang.â You respond promptly.
âDonât call me that.â His tone is icy, and he quickly realizes how unnecessary it is to bite at you like that, âJust call me Renjun.â His father walks back from his shot, looking very smug. Renjunâs face is calm as he trades spots with his father and prepares for his first swing of the day, correcting his posture and loosening his limbs.
You remember the first time you saw him, how elegant and poised he looked. Your cold hands break into a sweat as your chest heats up from the quick beating of your heart. Renjun has only been icy and accusing towards you so far, yet you still feel warm while thinking about him. There has to be something wrong with you.
âDoesnât my son look like he knows what heâs doing?â Mr. Huang asks from beside you, a small, unnerving smile on his lips.
âYes, sir.â You reply back with your own, more innocent, smile.
âI taught him everything he knows about golfâŚ. And women.â Mr. Huang leans into you, turning his chest to face you so that his breath is hitting your cheek. You canât help but swallow to relieve your dry and cold throat, keeping your eyes forward as Renjun swings his club back and forth a bit in preparation.
âYes, sir.â The only thought on your mind is to stop this man from stepping closer.
âIs that the only thing you can say?â
Renjun swings his arm back, breathing in as he keeps his eyes on the small white ball and his hopes in the green before him. Mr. Huangâs right hand is warm on your waist, but you would give anything to freeze right now.
A sharp crack ripples through the air as Renjun hits the golf ball and sends it flying into the golf course. His eyes are not where the ball lands, but instead on where his father touches you.
Renjunâs mom died when he was not even three days old.
He never got to meet herâ to lay on her chest and hold her finger with his whole hand. Heâll never know what advice she wouldâve given him when he got his first girlfriend, and heâll never know how she wouldâve reacted to him crashing his first car when he was 17. He only knows that his mom wouldâve been there for him through all of that, unlike his father, who was not.
Renjun has had âmothersâ through his life; three, to be exact. The first was when he was 5 years old, and she quickly asked for a divorce after Renjunâs dad went on a three month business trip and she didnât hear from him the whole time. The second âmotherâ was a bit more mature than the first and with a lot more time on her hands. She wanted to shape 9 year old Renjun into a perfect student, which was something Renjunâs father appreciated, but still divorced her for âbeing too strong-headed.â Renjun only met his third mother twice when he was 13: once at the wedding and the second time at her funeral. He didnât ask any questions, he wasnât very interested in the first place.
These were the type of people Renjun spent his life around, but they really werenât his mothers. The only similarity he had with those women was his father, and he treated them as poorly as he treated Renjun. Thatâs why when Renjun looks at you, cowering away from the very man who is his only link to family, he feels sick.
When is his dad going to stop being a fucking predator? How young does he want his next conquest to be? Will Renjunâs next mom be the same age as him? Something swirls in the pit of his stomach when he watches his father and it takes a moment for him to figure out what it is: jealousy. Heâs not sure why heâs feeling jealous over someone he just met last week, but the feeling engulfs his whole chest and it burns him to his spot.
Renjun doesnât even notice that he swung his golf club or that the golf ball went somewhere far into the green, probably an overshot. He only sees you, afraid of the man touching you but not stepping away. Why arenât you stepping away?
âNice job, Renjun.â His best friend, Jeno, claps a hand on his back as he steps up, hitting Renjun back into reality and forcing him to walk towards you. As Renjun approaches, his father slyly takes his hand away, and Renjun notices how you let out a relieved sigh. Giving you back his driver, Renjun strategically stands between you and his father, pretending to watch Jeno swing.
âGood job⌠Renjun.â You whisper, unsure about calling him by his first name so informally.
âThank you.â Renjun sends a side glance to his father to see the displeased look on his face. âHow was that, Dad?â Renjun hopes that maybe he can remind his father of why heâs here (to win against the Lees this week, not to feel up a girl 30 years younger than him) but in this moment, his father is acting like a 5 year old in the middle of a silent tantrum, not a 50 year old who runs the most successful construction company in the country.
âIâve taught you better than that.â Renjun is sure theyâre not talking about golf anymore, the authoritative tone in his fatherâs voice sends a lightning bolt of surprise and slight fear down Renjunâs back. He hates how he gets scared, he hates how his father can control him. The fury churns in the pit of his stomach as he accepts his fatherâs words with a bow of his head.
One day, Renjun swears he wonât submit anymore.
After the game ended with the Lees winning once again, you, Lia, and your other coworkers convene at the golf carts after the clients leave to change inside the club.
âYou ladies know the drill.â Kara throws both sets of golf cart keys at you before walking off with Mina. You push Lia towards the entrance of the building before she even has a chance to turn around and open her mouth.
âYou should get to the cafe before your boss throws another fit.â Lia turns back to face you, her jaw slightly slack and her eyes shining.
âYouâre seriously the best. I love you.â
âYeah, yeah, just give me a few extra shots in my coffee on Monday.â Lia laughs at that, grabbing your face between her two small, manicured hands and kissing you on each cheek before hopping off inside. You canât help but be amused at her antics, turning to the golf carts in front of you to start cleaning.
âThey make you clean the carts by yourself?â The voice startles you, not because you werenât expecting it but because itâs Renjunâs. You turn your head over your shoulder, heâs standing just a few feet away still in his golfing gear from earlier.
âUh, not usually, no. But my coworkers havenât been happy with me lately.â You explain, fully turning to him and crossing your arms over your chest to tuck your cold hands into your sides.
âThe ones who have been working here for a while?â You nod as an answer, and Renjun nods back in understanding, shoving his hands in his pants pockets. âTheyâve been trying to get with me and my best friend for a while...â Renjun trails off when he sees your eyebrows raise at the comment, â... But thatâs not what I came here to talk about.â
âOh? What are you here for?â The conversation has gotten too informal for a worker and their client to be having, but you kind of like talking to Renjun in this casual setting.
âI realized that the past few times weâve talked Iâve been such a dick.â He laughs lightly as he remembers, âI wanted to apologize for that. I wasnât in a good mood last week and this morning, and I ended up pushing it on you.â
Renjun feels lots of emotions when it comes to you, despite only having this one proper conversation with you. He feels envy towards you for being able to study something that he desperately wants to. He feels guilt when he remembers how quickly he made you into a thief when you were only trying to return his belongings, and he feels so many other secondary and tertiary emotions in between. His head is full when he looks at you. He finally feels like heâs thinking about something, not just doing the same day to day motions in a constant cycle of âwhen will this end?â
âYouâre apologizing?â You ask, stunned when he nods his head in confirmation. Sincere apologies are important to you. You believe there are not enough of them in this world anymore, and his gentle almond eyes are too wholehearted and warm for you in this cold weather. Your heart feels full looking at him, and you curse at yourself in your head for being swayed like this.
âI also have a question⌠You mentioned youâre majoring in Studio Art and I was wondering if, maybe, you could let me into one of the studios after a class this week? Iâve been needing a quiet place to work since my house has been busy lately.â One of the hands that was in Renjunâs pocket moves to matte down his sideburns while he glances at his shoes. âWas that too forward? Sorry, I just know that you canât get into a studio without a passcode and youâre the only person I know whoâs in Studio Art.â Renjun explains after you stare for a while, blinking at him.
âYouâre an artist?â You finally ask, Renjun giving you a weak âyeahâ in response. A part of you wants to say no, that itâll be weird to do something like this for him when youâve only known him for less than 2 weeks and up until this point, youâve only been in a worker-client relationship. However, youâre curious about what heâs like outside of this setting, especially what heâs like when his father has no possibility of appearing, since that seems to be the factor that turns his mood up or down.
âSure. Come by studio 3 after 6pm on Wednesday and Iâll let you in, but... I heard Mr. Lee already scheduled a game for next weekend?â Renjun nods, âThen in return, you can win that game. Itâs embarrassing always being on the losing team.â You smile playfully at the end to let him know youâre only joking.
âDeal.â Renjun sends a smile back of the same caliber, holding out a hand to shake with yours. If you thought you were affected by Renjunâs nice presence, his hand in yours sends you into another realm. His touch is warm from staying indoors and from keeping his hands in his pockets, and they contrast to your cold skin. He sucks in a breath through his teeth when your hands connect, turning your hand in his grip to look at your knuckles. âAre you sure youâre not cold? Your hands are freezing.â
âIâll be okay. I just donât have any good gloves to wear while working.â He huffs, small traces of white smoke leaves his mouth as he digs through his pockets.
âWear these.â He replaces his hand in yours with a pair of his own gloves, âYour hands are precious, they shouldnât be freezing.â Before Renjun can get embarrassed by his own words, he shoves his hands back into his pockets and turns on his heel, walking away, âIâll see you on Wednesday!â
A knock on the studio doors shakes you away from staring at your painting, making you turn to look at who it is. Renjun peaks through the small window and waves when you make eye contact. You get up to open the door, almost forgetting that today is the day you agreed to let Renjun into your studio.
⌠Okay, thatâs a lie. You definitely remembered that youâre supposed to meet Renjun, but you keep trying to convince yourself that youâre not excited about seeing him outside of that stuffy country club.
âHey, sorry if I startled you.â Is the first thing he says when you open the door. Heâs dressed in slacks, a dress shirt with a sweater over it, and a long coat over that. His nose and cheeks are slightly red from the rough wind outside and his supplies are clutched to his chest.
âOh, youâre fine. I was just deep in thought.â Something about the studio makes both of you speak in hushed tones. No one else is here, but you feel the need to maintain the peace and quiet the room naturally holds. You and Renjun make your way to where youâre set up, he puts his things down on an easel to your left and takes off his coat, watching you from his peripheral vision.
Those uniforms they make you wear at work are just for show, Renjun knows that well, but that doesnât stop him from appreciating you in the tight vest and little skirt. However right now, he likes your laid back look consisting of loose jeans and a layered shirt, he thinks it matches you.
âI was going to leave when you got here, but I think Iâll just finish this and head out.â You comment, aimlessly waving at your project.
âPlease, stay as long as you need to. This is your studio, I donât want to kick you out.â He laughs and licks his bottom lip. Itâs breathtaking how innocent and nice his smile looks on his face. His eyes scrunch together to form laugh lines and his cheeks rise, he truly looks pretty when he smiles. You think this is the first time youâve seen him like this.
You mumble back with a mixture of words that probably didnât make sense and turn back to your work, leaving the room to continue with its peacefulness and quiet. However, Renjunâs presence next to you is too big to ignore. There are so many things you want to know about him and you have no excuse as to why youâre so curious.
âHow about a game while we work?â You suggest.
âSure⌠How about 20 questions?â Itâs like he read your mind, so you smile and nod at his idea.
âYou can go first.â You suggest.
âOkay, uh⌠Why do you work at a golf course if youâre majoring in Studio Art? Shouldnât you be working at a, I donât know, museum?â The question catches you off guard and Renjun notices how you stop painting, your brush and your hand floating in the air as you think, âOh, sorry, is that too personal?â
âNo, no⌠Itâs just, normally, the first question people ask in a game of 20 questions is something like âwhatâs your favorite colorâ or âwhatâs your signâ.â Renjun lets out a choked and embarrassed laugh, ducking his head down to look away from you. You can tell heâs about to change his question, so you quickly go back to painting and speak before he can.
âI did apply to work at several museums. I didnât get any jobs, so I had to look elsewhere and Augusta was hiring. I know itâs not very fitting, but it makes good money and rich people know my name, even if itâs for just a few hours.â Renjun nods at your answer as if he could ever understand the idea of being poor, but the insight into your decision brings a fact to light that Renjun wasnât 100% aware of before: youâre not like him, you need money.
âDonât you hate the way people look at you there?â The words tumble out of Renjunâs lips faster than he can process the weight they carry. He turns to face you with guilt pooling in his eyes and his mouth opening and closing to find some words to correct the situation.
âNo, I donât like it.â You surprise him with your quick response, âBut people like you donât understand what itâs like to live paycheck to paycheck, to have to worry about how to pay the bills every month for years on end, always on your toes about money. I bet you think Iâm cheap andââ
âNo.â Renjun cuts you off promptly before you can continue, âDonât make me into a jerk. Iâm not like that. But the fact that that is the first thing you thought of worries me.â Your eyes widen at that, prompting him to elaborate. âDoesnât that mean thatâs how you think of yourself? Maybe not on the outside, but subconsciously. Sure, I wonât ever be able to understand how you live, but I wish you would not look at yourself as cheap and think of yourself as⌠beautiful.â Renjun lets the last words linger on his tongue, saying it quietly as if to not startle you.
You stare at him, your paintbrush resting in your hand and your back slouched as you watch him watch you. This is not the type of conversation you thought youâd be having with Renjun tonight, but you have to admit he makes a point. Eventually, you turn to your painting and stare at it some more, making Renjun turn and continue his own work.
âAh, I asked two questions in a row.â He suddenly breaks the tense atmosphere, making you sigh as you remember youâre just playing a game, âYou can ask two questions.â
He allows and relaxes when he sees you go back to painting.
âIf you like to draw, why are you a business major?â Now itâs Renjunâs turn to freeze. Maybe if he did ask what your favorite color was he wouldnât have had to endure this question from you, but he feels like he should answer it since itâs of equal weight to the one he asked you.
âIt wasnât my choice. I will most likely take my fatherâs place in his company and I need to at least know the basics before that happens.â You nod slowly. He looks so calm when heâs focused on drawing, but itâs not the same calm that you see on his face when heâs playing golf. You turn away before you get caught staring.
âIs that why your mood always changes when your dad is around?â
âIs it that obviousâŚâ He trails off and you nod, âI canât believe Iâm about to say this out loud, but⌠Itâs like everytime Iâm around him, or at his office, or at home, my mind goes blank. I donât feel like talking or thinking at all.â As he speaks, he sets down his utensils and turns to you, making continuous eye contact as he explains. You find yourself feeling comfortable at how easily heâs talking to you about such a deep subject.
âIt sounds like⌠youâre angry.â You turned to face him now too, your paintbrush settled onto your canvas and your full attention on him, âMy dad is like that. He gets so angry sometimes that heâs calm. No yelling or fighting, just silence. Thatâs how I know I messed up when he gets like that.â You nod, remembering all the times heâs been calmly mad at you.
âI donât know⌠Itâs confusing to me.â He straightens his back and stares at your foot as it moves around aimlessly. âWhat do I do?â He asks into the air, as if his pencil would suddenly start talking to him like a therapist.
âJust do what makes you happy.â Renjunâs glance over at you makes a smile pull at your lips, âI know itâs easier said than done. But you already know what it is thatâll make you happy, and thatâs half of the battle. Why bottle it up?â
Renjun doesnât know how heâll ever get the courage to tell his father these things, but the way youâre looking at him as if he can do anything, he starts to feel tingles of confidence trickle into him.
âOh, and why did you pick me to be your caddie this past weekend?â
âWellâŚâ Renjun plays with his pencil. What is he supposed to say? He doesnât want you to carry around his fatherâs heavy golf clubs? He doesnât like the way his father touches you and gets jealous over it for some unknown reason? Yeah, heâs not going to say.
âJust because⌠I wanted you next to me.â The way he says it makes it sound so simple and true, but your heart drops to your stomach and springs back up going at 100 miles per hour. You can barely stop your hand from shaking as you pick up your brush, and itâs almost like you canât see in front of you from the thrill of his words.
âHey,â Renjun suddenly drops his pencil and turns to you, looking a bit confused and slightly upset, âDidnât you ask three questions?â
âWeâre letting the Lees win again today.â Renjun is in the middle of pulling up the zipper of his jacket when his father drops the news. Renjunâs footsteps stutter slightly at his fatherâs words and he stops walking next to the older man.
âAgain?â He asks as he already thinks up an apology to tell you later when he loses.
âYes, I need Mr. Lee to be happy when I bring up the new contract to him later in the sauna.â Renjun sighs and continues to walk next to his father. Itâs the next weekend, and the third Lee vs. Huang game is starting in just a few minutes.
Renjun wonât lie, purposefully losing to his best friend and his dad every week is not the greatest stroke to Renjunâs ego, especially since Jeno wonât let it down around his other friends.
âOh, Iâve been meaning to ask you,â Lijun swivels on his heel to look at his son, âHave you been requesting for ___ to be your caddie?â
The questions stuns Renjun, making it hard to answer so his father takes it as a yes.
âWell stop it. Dad wants to have some fun.â He claps a hand on Renjunâs back and  smiles. In the past, Renjun wouldâve just rolled his eyes and let his father do whatever he wants, but this time his blood boils. He feels true anger when his father struts away with the intentions of doing whatever he wants to someone Renjun cares about. He can barely move his feet after the old man, his mind cloudy as everyone makes it to the golf carts.
âLetâs have a good game today, Mr. Huang, donât make it too easy to beat you.â Mr. Lee jokes around and the two old men laugh as they settle into their own golf carts. Renjun walks up to his cart and you wave to him, the white gloves he gave you last week snugly on your hands. Renjun thinks his anger is what spurs him into doing what he does next.
He steps close to you, leaning into your ear and wrapping his hand around your covered ones with his thumb rubbing on your exposed wrist, âKeep these on for me, babe. I donât want you to be cold.â
The amount of jaws that drops after Renjunâs words makes him bite down his smirk and slide into the front seat of the golf cart, pretending to not see the daggers his father is  throwing at him with his eyes.
Your heart beats so quickly and loudly youâre sure Kara can hear it next to you if she wasnât busy huffing about what Renjun just did. Sitting in the back seat of the golf cart, you watch the back of Renjunâs head on the way to the first hole. What got into Renjun? Why did he all of a sudden call you âbabeâ and get so close? Not that youâre opposed to it, youâre just shocked.
The game begins once you reach the first hole, and the Huangâs put up a good fight throughout the entire game, keeping the Lees on their toes and the score sheet even. Everytime Renjun comes back from a shot, you smile at him and tell him good job, which earns you a pat on the back from him that warms you up from the inside out.
Renjun can tell his father is getting more and more annoyed with him; how Renjun is keeping you as far from his father as he possibly can, the gentle touches on your waist that you welcome wholeheartedly compared to the ones Mr. Huang would lay on you before. He likes how angry his father gets, especially knowing that he canât do anything about it right now. Not to mention, you seem to be enjoying Renjunâs attention, which just adds to his confidence.
Now, your group arrives at the last hole of the game. The Lees step up and swing, setting their total score to 357. All Renjun and his father have to do is move the ball around a bit more to get their score to be higher and the Lees will win the game. Mr. Huang is up first, acting clumsy so that the ball doesnât make it into the hole and brings the game to Renjun.
As he sets up his posture, his hands suddenly go stiff. This shot is so easy to make, he has made this exact hole several times. He breathes in and out deeply, deciding on if he should throw the game like his father said he should, or give his one last âfuck youâ to his Dad.
He glances at you and makes eye contact; you nod your head and smile a bit as if to say âgo ahead, we all know you can do this.â Renjun then grips his golf club and swings it back to effortlessly hit the golf ball, rolling it along the green and perfectly into the hole.
You and the other caddies clap for the perfectly executed shot and Jeno and his father come up to Renjun to shake hands. They donât look upset, instead they look pretty happy for Renjun. However, Renjunâs father is deathly silent, not even congratulating Renjun on his win. Renjun wasnât expecting a whole ceremony for him, but it does feel nice to put his father down a peg or two today, and thatâs the thought that fills Renjunâs head as everyone rides back to the country club.
While getting out of the golf cart, Renjun attempts to turn back to you but is promptly pulled away by the back of his jacket by his father. Renjun yelps and pulls away, but that doesnât stop Lijun from grabbing onto his sonâs arm instead and pulling him inside.
âWhat was that? I specifically told you to lose the game and you did the exact opposite. How am I supposed to talk to Mr. Lee now?â Renjunâs father fumes, his low voice belting out into the corridor and making some of the passing staff turn their heads.
âThatâs not my problem.â Renjun shrugs and his father stops shaking, stepping closer to his son.
âExcuse me?â He asks with menace dripping from his tongue.
âI said, thatâs not my problem.â Renjun is fired up. He doesnât see a way out of this now, no way his behavior is being excused, so might as well go all in.
âYou did it for that caddie, ___, right?â His father squints his eyes and turns his head slightly. When Renjun doesnât answer, Lijun laughs in his face, âIt looks like Iâm right.â
âWhat?â Renjun asks dumbly.
âItâs okay. Youâre just a boy and you can make some mistakes over a girl, weâve all been there once or twice.â Lijun fixes Renjunâs jacket and pats his shoulder, his angry disposition turning passive. âBesides, you canât do much for that girl anyway. Is a ball in a hole really all she deserves?â
âI won the game because I could. I won it because thatâs what I wanted.â Renjun states, his blood beginning to boil once again when his father says he doesnât deserve you. What is he thinking? Does he actually think he has a chance with you? He can keep dreaming.
âWe canât always do whatever we want. There are consequences we have to face for doing whatever we want. Are you ready to face the consequences?â At the question, Renjun is reminded about the words you told him Wednesday night.
âJust do what makes you happy,â Those simple words are so hard to turn into reality. Renjun wants to be happy so bad. He wants to be away from this man and he wants to be closer to you. The consequences? Sure, heâll deal with it all if it means he can stop living in the personal hell his father set up for him. Renjun pushes his father away a bit and steps out of the trap his father pushed him into, making Lijunâs eyes widen.
âYeah, Iâm ready.â Renjun says and turns around, walking back towards the exit of the building.
âHey, where are you going?â His father shouts after him.
âTo do the thing that I want to do the most.â He yells back and walks around the corner, out of sight from his father. Renjun practically runs through the hallways to get back outside and run to you, but you surprise him by greeting him by the saunas. He stops in his steps and you smile as you walk up to him.
âHey, I just wanted to tell you that you did really well today. I know I said I wanted you to win last week, but I didnât think youâd actually do it.â You laugh.
âThanks.â Renjun simply says, afraid of what else could come out if he keeps talking.
âOh, I also want to give you these back.â You dig out Renjunâs gloves from your pocket, holding them out. This is it. This is the moment Renjun will start to do whatever makes him happy, whatever he wants.
And what he wants right now is you.
He quickly takes the gloves and then tightly grips the wrist of your outstretched hand, leading you down the hallway and around some corner. He hears you exclaim a small âwoahâ but you let him guide you into a sauna, the door closing tightly behind both of you.
Thereâs no one else in the room, just the stuffy steam that floats in the small space between you two. Renjun has a tight grip on the gloves you gave back to him and his other hand runs through his hair and messes up the perfect form it held.
âTell me to stop.â He demands, looking straight into your eyes.
âWhat?â
âTell me to stop right now.â He takes a step forward, his eyes full to the brim with lust and his hands shaking with how much heâs holding himself together. Youâve barely been in the room for a minute, but your clothes are already sticking to you from the intense heat.
âI donât understand,â You reply back as he keeps moving toward you. You take small steps back in return, âI donât know what Iâm stopping you from.â Half of you is playing dumb right now; you know what Renjun wants from you just by the look in his eyes. The other half just wants to hear him say it himself
âIâll fuck you the way you deserve. Right here, right now.â Renjunâs voice is too angelic to say such nasty words, but he growls them out like heâs a tainted angel. Youâre pressed against the wooden wall of the sauna now, Renjun just a step away. You lean into him slightly and rip the gloves out of his hand to throw them to the side.
âDo it.â
Itâs all the permission Renjun needs to feverishly connect his lips to yours.
The action is so sudden, you donât remember how Renjun got close to you so quickly. Despite his forcefulness before, his lips melt into you like chocolate melting over a fire, so hot and delicious that you just want more. His hands hold the sides of your face, pushing back your hair and his body pushing you back into the wall.
He sucks on your bottom lip, softly biting afterwards and making you let out a whimper, and then a moan when his thigh pushes between your legs and further presses you against the wall. Amidst the kissing, you find the zipper of his expensive jacket, unzip it, and pull the piece of clothing off. Afterwards, you pull his shirt off and break the kiss while youâre at it.
âIâve been thinking about you in this skirt sinceâŚ.â Renjun hums at the thought, his hand sliding up your bare thighs and under your skirt, then he grips your ass and brings your core down onto his thigh, the friction enough to have you letting out a strangled moan.
âSince the day I first saw you.â He finally whispers and connects your lips once again. His hand on your ass doesnât move, his other hand is placed on your waist as he helps you ride the rough material of his pants. Renjun can only watch your reactions; the way your head lolls back into the wall and your eyes screw shut, holding onto Renjunâs shoulders tight enough heâs sure there will be marks afterwards.
âFuckâ Renjun, donât stop, please.â Heâs mesmerized, absolutely addicted to how you look and sound right now, and itâs all because of him. The thought spurs him along, he removes your jacket and you blindly help him in removing your top and bra. You must look like a mess right now, especially since youâre coming close to your climax just by Renjunâs touch and his thigh. Not to mention the sweat dripping down both of you, a glistening sheen coating your skin that makes Renjun let out a low growl before he leans down and takes one of your nipples in his mouth.
He sucks and swirls his tongue, and you canât help but moan his name again, digging your fingers into his blonde hair and tugging. Renjun moves from your chest downward, not letting an inch of your stomach and hips go past him without a kiss and a nibble, leaving you breathing heavily. He makes his way down to his knees and folds your skirt up, glancing at  you from his position.
âYou donât wear anything under here except your panties?â You nod, your head stuttering as Renjun applies pressure with his thumb over your slick hole, a wet spot already there to greet him.
âYouâre so fucking dirty, baby.â He groans and leans in to swipe his tongue over your center making you shake as a response. He slides your underwear down and throws it somewhere to the side, catching the sigh of your arousal dripping down your thigh. His intense stare makes you shake him, embarrassment crawling over you at how heâs not reacting.
âAre you shy?â You whine, not really answering his question. âYou donât need to be. Youâre beautiful.â The softness from his voice contradicts his more dominating tone from before, but you donât have time to think about it before he dives in. You sigh in content when the pressure in between your hips caused by Renjun turns into pure pleasure. His tongue laps at your essence and his lips suck on your clit, you can tell heâs trying to find what exactly will make you tick.
When Renjun slides a finger into your hole unexpectedly, you jump and whimper a bit but the feeling of him sliding in and out along with his tongue circling and sucking on your clit makes a knot form in the pit of your stomach, tightening up your muscles and making your eyes roll back.
âRight there. Oh my god, right thereâŚâ You keep repeating, praying that Renjun treats you good and letâs you come. He adds another finger and you gasp, starting to move your hips in rhythm to his hand, holding onto his shoulders for more stability. He glances up at you, watching your eyes screw shut and your tits bounce as you use his hand to get yourself off. Renjun hums against you, and you can almost feel the ecstasy of coming undone, until Renjun pulls away. You groan, feeling like crying when your orgasm fades.
âHey..â You whine, pouting when Renjun stands back up and licks your juices off of his lips. He has some on his chin and you bring your hand up to wipe it away, Renjun stopping your hand and kissing the wetness away, then kissing up your arm and to your shoulder, up your neck and to your ear. He tugs at your earlobe, licking the skin under it and biting some more, his hands sliding up your waist at playing with your nipples, pinching a little to get whimpers out of you and making your hips buck up, ready to continue where Renjun left you at.
Thatâs when you feel the hardness in his pants; it must be painful. Thatâs why you understand his next words, whispered into the shell of your ear between kisses: âYouâre not coming until Iâm in you, got it?â
You nod quickly, attaching your hands to Renjunâs zipper and button, undoing them and sliding down his pants.
âBut, youâre gonna need to do something for meâŚâ He says, helping you pull down his boxers, watching his angry, red length swing out. You gasp, feeling a bit bad that you just left Renjun like this to eat you out, but youâre sure you can make up to him now.
âWhat is it? Iâll do it.â Your hands run over Renjunâs sweaty shoulders, moving away some longer hair in the back of his head thatâs sticking against his neck.
âYouâre gonna have to yell my name. I need you to let everyone know whoâs doing this to youâ whoâs making you feel good, okay?â Your breath gets caught in your throat as the words tumble out of his lips. He tilts his voice higher at the end of every phrase to make him sound innocent, but youâre not fooled.
âThereâs people outsideâŚâ You mumble back, sending a glance at the door. You know there are several staff and customers walking along the hallways outside. What will they think if they hear you screaming Renjunâs name? Not to talk about what will happen to your job.
Those thoughts melt away when Renjunâs dick slides between your folds slowly, making you turn your gaze back to him and hold on tight as he lubricates himself over your wetness, holding onto your hips so that you donât move and take anymore than what heâs giving you.
âThatâs exactly why I want you to scream. Can you do that for me?â He asks and you nod frantically, doing almost anything to get his dick inside you. Youâre not sure whatâs going to happen once you step out of this room, but at least you know Renjun is going to give you the best fuck youâve had in a while, and you know itâll be worth it for whatâs to come after all this.
âFinallyâŚâ You moan when Renjunâs length disappears into you inch by inch, going slow as to not hurt you. He sucks in a breath through his teeth as he bottoms out, picking up your thigh to hang it over his hip and wrapping his other arm around your waist to keep you close. You hold onto him, adjusting as he kisses your lips sweetly and carefully, and waits to move his throbbing cock through your velvety walls.
âGo, Renjun, moveâŚ.â You whisper, and he looks at you confused.
âWhat was that? I didnât hear you.â He asks, cocking his head.
âPlease, move.â You say louder, but he shakes his head and purses his lips as if he still canât understand.
âI said, fuck me, Renjun. Please, can you fuck me already?â You all but scream out, your voice almost cracking at how whiny you sound. No doubt, if someone passed by outside they wouldâve heard you. The thought makes you tense up, but it feels so good to be able to yell out what you want.
âYour wish, baby.â Renjun mutters before he starts rocking into you. You both groan at the sensation, Renjunâs hips speeding up as he gains more momentum. His lips donât leave yours, kissing you into oblivion while his dick stuffs you. He has you against the wall, his hips powering away and you donât dare to disturb him, realizing heâs burning all of his anger away as well.
âYes, Renjun, fuck me just like thatâŚ'' You moan loudly to spur him on, now not really caring about whoâs outside or who hears you, just wanting Renjun to know you love how rough heâs going. He presses you higher up the wall and pulls your legs apart more, hitting a new angle that literally makes you scream out, tears mixing with the sweat on your face as he relentlessly pumps into you.
There are so many things going on at the same time. Your hard nipples and soft breasts rubbing against Renjunâs chest, making goosebumps rise on his arms. Your hot and sweaty bodies are basically sliding against each other. The clapping of his hips against yours no doubt attracts attention from outside along with your screams and Renjunâs grunts continuously get louder as you both get closer to the climax.
âIâm gonna come⌠Renjun, come in meâŚâ Youâre already fucked out, the words barely leaving your lips coherently, but Renjun understands and moves his finger down to find your clit, circling his thumb fast and steady, just like everything else heâs doing.
âCâmon come on my cock, babe. Let it out, I wanna hear it.â And just like that, you unwind and scream his name as your orgasm washes over and takes control, making you claw onto any part of Renjun that you can reach. Renjun feels your walls deliciously convulse around him and with a few more sloppy thrusts, he comes into you and fills you up, staying wrapped up in you as you both calm down.
Renjun presses small kisses wherever he feels like as your breathing settles down, his softness and the caring way he rubs at your sides and hips where he was holding so hard that youâre sure to have bruises makes you smile hazily.
â___⌠I donât regret any of this.â He whispers into your skin, leaning back to look at you properly. âDo you?â
âNo.â You answer truthfully, making his eyes shine and you both smile dumbly, your sticking bodies relaxing. The happy moment doesnât last long before thereâs a knock on the door to the sauna. You and Renjun stiffen up as you glance at the door, waiting for whoever it is to announce themselves.
âRenjun? Son?â Your heart drops to your stomach and you cover your mouth at the voice of Renjunâs father on the other side of the door, but when you turn to Renjun, he doesnât seem bothered. He sends a smile at you and moves some hair from your face before answering.
âOccupied, go somewhere else. Weâre busy.â
#renjun#renjun fluff#nct dream au#nct smut#nct dream smut#huang renjun#renjun smut#nct fluff#nct dream fluff#renjun au#nct au#renjun x reader#nct dream#nct#renjun scenarios#renjun imagines#renjun fic#nct scenarios#nct imagines#nct fics#nct dream imagines#nct dream scenarios#nct dream fic#00 line#dreamies
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The Story of Us-Chapter 12
1,221

A/N: This is a rewrite of a story my good friend @spnbaby-67â allowed me to take and rewrite. All mistakes are mine. This is canon divergent, meaning some things that happened in the show will still happen here but with my own twist to it.
Summary: She and Dean met when they were kids. Even at such a young age, she knew that he was her soulmate. Being the daughter of a hunter, Michaela (Micki) Singer knew the life he led came with a price, but she was up to the challenge.
Pairings: Dean Winchester/reader, Sam Winchester/friend!reader, John Winchester, Mary Winchester (mentioned only), Bobby Singer, and more from the Supernatural universe.
Warnings: Flashbacks are in italics, fluffy stuff, angst stuff, character death, kidnapping, depression, semi-dark themes
WC: 1,221
PRESENT DAY (2008) at the Singer cabin
âYou gotta wake up Mick!â Sam pleads. âDeanâs back. I donât know how and I really donât care but heâs here and god, is he in love with Maren. You wonât believe your eyes. Dean is so observant and attentive to her,â Sam sighs as he continues watching Micki, his best friend, breathe evenly and steadily like sheâs just sleeping. âYouâd probably be making fun of him,â he chuckles. âBut he is so in love with her and watches her every little move. Please Mick, please wake up. Come back to us. We need you.â
There is no change with her as Sam watches, hoping for a sign that she can hear him and is fighting her way back to her family. âMichaele Singer! Wake your ass up! Now!!â he tries yelling at her but instead of waking her, he wakes the baby.
âOh my god,â Sam says as he walks over the the bassinet and picks his niece up. âIâm so sorry baby girl. Uncle Sam wasnât thinking. I just want your Mom to come back to us. Shhhh, itâs okay. I got ya.â
Sam paces the floor at the foot of the bed as he bounces Maren in his arms, calming and comforting her. He keeps glancing toward Micki to see if the cries of her daughter will awaken her.
But Micki stays unconscious.Â
Summer 1993
Micki and Dean had been at the cabin for a month now, relaxing after a three week long hunt in Texas. The leaves were falling and changing from green to different shades of orange, reds, and browns, making it look like snow how they were falling from the trees. Fall was her favorite time of the year, and since Dean found out that bit of information, he made a point to bring her to the cabin whenever they needed time to get away. She had been outside all morning trying to gather some leaves for the pumpkin bags she had bought to put on the porch for Halloween. Â
Something inside her, though, made her pause her raking for a moment. She looked both ways and behind her to see if anyone was there. With a mischievous smile, she took a bunch of leaves in all colors, throwing them in the air, high above herself. It gave her plenty of time to twirl around in a circle with her arms stretched out to the side, and her head tilted back feeling the leaves falling down and softly hitting her face.Â
What Micki didnât know was that Dean stood on the porch taking photos of her and recording how happy and childlike she was feeling. It made him happy to see her feel like a kid again, something she long ago forgot, due to the life they led.  Â
Suddenly, she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist, only to swing her around then fall into the pile of leaves.  Â
She opened her eyes with a smile on her face. âDean? Now itâs going to take forever to get the leaves together again.â She chastised as she sat up, leaves still in her hair, trying but failing to look serious.
Dean took a few leaf pieces and blew them gently at her, adding to her collection. âYou should have thought about that before you threw them in the air, sweetheart.â He chuckled as he sat up straight, his long bow-legs criss crossed.
She tilted her head slightly to get a leaf out of her hair that was tickling her ear, âYou, uh, saw that huh?â She shyly averted her eyes from his to the ground below.
âHmm I did. Beautiful too, I might add.â He saw a few leaves still in her hair, so he bent forward to retrieve them. âMake a wish, Mickie,â he said, holding it before her.
She looked at him confused. â Dean you donât make a wish on a leaf, thatâs a four leaf clover," she chuckled.
He held onto the leaf and looked at her seriously, âMy dad always said that the first leaf you catch in the fall thatâs orange, you make a wish. Supposedly, itâs an old wives tale he used to win mom over. So, make a wish, baby.â  He looked at her with so much love in his eyes she couldnât say no.
She swallowed a lump that formed in her throat, âYou sure know what to say to make a girl blush, Dean Winchester," she said, shocking herself that she had said that out loud. She covered her mouth quickly, feeling her cheeks suddenly flush with embarrassment.
âYouâre too cute Mickie,â he held the leaf still in front of her, waiting.
âIâm not cute Dean, you clearly have me mixed up with someone else.â She rolled her eyes, taking her gaze from his green emerald eyes to her lap, looking down at the leaf she had been playing with.  Â
He put his finger under her chin, lifting her head up to look at him, âWould I do this if I didnât think youâre beautiful?â
Seconds later, his lips were pressing against hers. Her eyes widen a moment in pure shock, but then close the more he kisses her. He slides his tongue across the seam of her lips, asking for permission which she awarded.. He kissed her soft, sweet and sensual. She couldnât help but melt into his arms. She did everything to savor the taste of him, the feel his tongue tangle with hers. When she retracted her tongue he chased after it. She then sucked on the tip of his a moment, eliciting moans she never heard him make before.
Present Day (2008) abandoned barn in the middle of nowhere
Bobby and Dean finish painting the walls and floor with every sigil known to man then Dean watches as Bobby throws powder in a bowl and starts chanting.
Nothing happens. They both look around, bewildered and confused. The air inside the building is still, the only thing heard is the crickets outside.
Bobby leans against the table and crosses his arms, waiting. Dean hops up on a table and sits, swinging his legs.
"You sure you did the ritual right?" Dean asks after a beat. Bobby gives him a look of admonishment. "Sorry. Touchy, touchy, huh?"
Suddenly everything goes quiet, the air gets heavy and then the roof begins rattling. The guys grab their guns and get ready to defend and fight whatever is on its way in.
"Wishful thinking," Dean says, an air of nervousness in his voice. "Maybe it's just the wind?"
The doors fly open and a man dressed in a suit under a trench coat strolls in, each step causing the bulbs on the ceiling to burst, sending showers of sparks down.
"Who are you?" Dean asks once the man is standing in front of him.
"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."
Dean attacks but none of his weapons do any harm to the man. Bobby tries but the stranger throws him around like a rag doll before touching two fingers to the older man's forehead, knocking him out.
Dean watches it all unfold with terror.
"Dean," the man says as he drops Bobby's limp body to the floor. "We need to talk. Alone."
@lostinaseaoffictionalblissâ @spnbaby-67â @tftumblinâ @sea040561â @delightfullykrispypeachâ @larajadeschmidt13â @atc74â @vicariouslythruspnâ @squirrelnotsamâ @sandlee44â @blacktithe7â @hoboal87â @mogarukeâ @deanwanddamonsâ @supravengâ @deandreamernpâ @akshi8278â @lyarr24â @maggiegirl17â @chriszgirl92â
.
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As Long As Iâm Here
MasterlistÂ
Taeyong x ReaderÂ
Genre: Angst, CollegeAU (Hockey Player Taeyong)
Words: 5.7K
Warnings: Mature Themes (Mentions of Drunk Driving and Death. Sex.)
Accompanying Story: Isnât It Lovely All Alone (Yuta)
A/N: I really hope you guys like this one. Please let me know what you think, it really means a lot to hear feedback from you guys. I also apologize about any grammatical errors, I did my best but some may have slipped through. Again, thank you for reading, I hope you guys like it. Ps. You guys donât have to read the accompanying story to read this. This can be read as a stand alone!
âYou were once told that guardian angels existed. You were sure yours brought you him.â
Smile, wave. Smile, head nod. Smile, say hi. They did it all, you were tired of it all. People would see you but no one wanted to get to know you. You were the silent girl in the corner of the class that no one gave a shit about. No one cared that one day you had the happiest life and the next it was crumbled at your feet. A dead limp hand crushing every sense of normalcy you had. Destroying any little hope you had in one wrong turn.Â
Scowling at the ground you kept your eyes away from those smiles, you made your way to your first class of the day. As each day passed by you began to regret this class more and more. She had been the one to pick it. Her obsession with him had been what had driven her to want to be in this class roping you along in the process.Â
âHeâs bound to be in sports medicine.â Sheâd said to you in the summer while you had made your schedules. Youâd just laughed at her, but you agreed. You always agreed.Â
Now she was gone, laying six feet under the ground in a cold grave and you were the one stuck in this class. Having to see their faces every day, they laughed and talked to each other loudly in class. You didnât blame them, but you did.Â
The classroom was empty when you got to it. Which made sense you were early. You went to the back corner of the room and took your seat. As a fourth-year class, it was small only about a hundred kids in the class. Putting your bag down you pulled out your laptop getting ready for the class.Â
They came in laughing, they were always laughing, you leaned your head onto your hand and looked out the window keeping your gaze away from them. Slowly the classroom filled up and the professor entered last. You actually liked the prof she was younger than all the other profs you had, and she was easy to talk to, she understood the pressure university put on you and accounted for the fact that each kid had a lot more on their plate and suited her syllabus to that, too bad you just simply hated her class.Â
âIâve graded your quizzes I will be handing them back at the end of todayâs class. Speaking of which, today's class will be only half our regular time -â You tuned her out as she continued not caring to pay attention any longer. You watched the breeze outside the window as it made the trees dance, the green leaves giving way to the oranges and reds of autumn your mind drifting off to all the places you try to forget, to all the memories you wonât relive and all the memories youâll never make.Â
âOkay, thatâs it. Come up to my desk and grab your quiz from me as you go.â You slowly began to pack in no rush to be anywhere particular, your empty apartment was waiting for you nothing else anyway.Â
You rose from your seat swinging your bag on and making your way to the front of the classroom. The professor looked at you as you walked up to her and fished your quiz out from the pile handing it to you with a small smile of pity. You werenât shocked when you turned the quiz around and looked at the thirty-four percent at the top of the sheet. Shrugging you turned away from her desk bumping straight into a hard shoulder. Somehow, he managed to knock your quiz out of your hand.Â
âOh shit, Iâm sorry,â Taeyong said. You rolled your eyes and quickly bent to grab your quiz. You ignored him as you straightened up and pushed past him making sure you didnât look at him. Taeyong. You hated that name so much; your feelings were beyond your grasp. They always tunnelled into a monumental force that you could never reign in.Â
Making your way out of the classroom you decided to go to the library instead of back to your apartment. You didnât have any other class today but going back to the silence of your apartment seemed like torture you werenât ready for.Â
The heat in the library never seemed to work, but you didnât mind the cold helped to numb your brain while you read. You made your way to the corner of the library that was home to the books that werenât about academics. Dumping your bag down in a corner on the floor you made your way through the shelves looking for something to read. Something to take your mind away from the bitter anger that you constantly stayed in. Finding the book you wanted, you head back to your spot and sank into the ground next to your bag and opened the book.Â
You heard them like usual before you saw them. Their loud whispers carrying through the air to you accompanied by their footfalls as they neared. You didnât look up you didnât need to, you knew theyâd ignore you and you were fine with it. After a little bit, you couldnât hear them anymore, getting sucked into your book you ignored the world around you, your mind falling into the faraway world of the book.Â
âHey, can I sit here?â You were startled when the voice harshly pulled you out from your head and back to the real world. Lifting your head from your book you looked up. He was standing there with a soft smile on his face. His friends were gone.Â
Taeyong, Yuta, Johnny, they were always together, and you hated them all. You couldnât help the words that fell out of your mouth. Â
âDid your friends ditch you or something? Go find them to sit with.â You quickly turned your head back to your book staring at the words on the page, but he didnât move and you couldnât read. The words morphed together on the page as the seconds ticked by before you looked back up at him. A slow laugh floated out his lips as you met his eyes.Â
âThey did in fact leave me. They had a meeting for some class that they're in.â He was still smiling his smile more amused than before.Â
âYou still canât sit here.â You replied.Â
âWell,â He started and looked around, âI guess Iâll just sit over there then.âÂ
He moved about five steps to your right and dumped his bag down taking a seat beside it and pulling out his laptop. You frowned in his direction glaring at him slightly before returning to your book trying your best to read and ignore the imposing boy near you.Â
You didnât turn the page before he spoke again.Â
âDo you have a pen I could borrow?â You glared at him again before rolling your eyes and digging into your bag to grab an extra pen. You lightly threw it in his direction before going back to reading. Or at least trying to.Â
He cleared his throat again a couple of minutes later grabbing your attention, âUh so do you have sticky notes?â You sighed deeply moving towards your backpack again to grab a pad of sticky notes and chucking it at him. The silence lasted about fifteen minutes before he spoke again.Â
âDo you -â
âNo.âÂ
     The next morning you didnât leave your apartment, you didnât want to your brain was too weighed down to move out of your bed. You wasted away the morning falling in and out of sleep. At two pm your mom called, you sighed answering the phone. Her cheery tone coming in through the speaker asking you how your day was. You lied telling her about how you had a good day, making your tone much happier than you felt. You told her a false story about how great you did on your quiz for the sports medicine class and she cheered for you telling you to keep up the great work.Â
When she hung up you felt the tears prick at your eyes. Closing them as they stung you took large breaths to calm yourself down before forcing yourself out of bed. You dragged your feet into the bathroom and took a quick shower before getting dressed in warm layers of clothing and made you way out of your apartment. You made your way to the cafĂŠ two blocks away from your home. The warm ambiance of the cafĂŠ welcoming you in as you sniffled from the cold.Â
âHey, wow you come to this cafĂŠ too?â His voice slammed into you as your eyes widened. You looked to your left from where his voice came. Taeyong was sitting at a table with his laptop open in front of him, an empty coffee cup pushed away from him and a half-eaten piece of cake.Â
âLooks like it.â You replied flatly before moving towards the line. Pulling your wallet out of your pocket you pulled out your card. You didnât need to look at the menu you already knew what you wanted.Â
âWhat are you gonna get?â He was behind you.Â
âDidnât you already order?â You asked in return glancing at him over your shoulder.Â
âI â uh well, yeah.â You turned your head back towards the front. âBut I wanted another drink.âÂ
You ignored him the rest of the time that you stood in line. When it was your turn you ordered a coffee and chocolate chip muffin.Â
âAnything else?â The barista asked smiling at you.Â
âOh yeah, an iced americano as well please,â Taeyong said cutting you off before you could speak. The girl behind the counter didnât bat an eye as she punched that in and then told you the total. You were staring at Taeyong with your mouth slightly open due to the shock that you felt. You narrowed your eyes at him and moved to pay, you were again cut off by him as he moved his card over the machine.Â
âI got this.â He said and smiled at you. You didnât smile back.Â
âWell thank you I guess.â You said and moved out of the way so that the next person could order.Â
The both of you stood beside each other silently as you waited for your order to be done, your drink came out first followed by your muffin. You moved to grab them but Taeyong scooped them up before you could.Â
âUh-â
âIâm just gonna take them to our table. Grab my drink when it gets out.â You scowled at his back as he turned away from you and went back to his seat. His drink came out not even seconds later. You thanked the barista and made your way over to his table. Putting his drink down in front of him you made to grab for your stuff and leave.Â
âWhoa, where are you going?â He asked grabbing your wrist as you grabbed for the muffin. âI bought it, come on the least you can do is sit with me.â You stared at him for a second, finally properly looking at him. His big eyes were looking up at you expectantly, his lips formed into a small pout. You sighed and wiggled your wrist out of his. This was the hockey teamâs captain? His pout gave way to a large smile as you took the seat from across him. He closed his laptop as you got comfortable in front of him.Â
You took him in as you took a sip of your coffee, his dark hair was died a blue so dark you thought it was black, and his skin was smooth. It made you jealous just looking at him a hockey player had no business looking thisâŚbeautiful.
âYouâre staring at me.â He said snapping you out of your daze.Â
âWhy am I sitting with you?â You asked in turn ignoring the fact that you had indeed been staring at him.Â
âWhy not?â He asked in turn, âItâs better than sitting alone isnât it?âÂ
You stared at him again, he took a sip from his straw you watched as his throat worked, swallowing the drink. You didnât say anything in reply. He was right it was better than sitting alone, but he and his friends were a reminder of what you had lost.Â
The rest of your time was spent with him talking and asking you questions about your day, you told him the same story you told your mom.Â
     The next day you had the sports medicine class again. Your alarm went off and today you got out of your bed not wanting to repeat yesterday. You dragged yourself up and got ready for the day.Â
The class was the same as always, you not paying attention as the prof spoke about whatever topic. When the class ended you didnât pack slowly, today you packed quickly to get out of the room before Taeyong decided he wanted to talk to you again.Â
You rushed out of the classroom, and out the building, you were halfway down the stairs when your ankle rolled and you plummeted down the five stairs left. Your hand slammed into the ground hard and your foot ached. Luckily you didnât slam your head into the ground.Â
Groaning you moved slowly to get up, grabbing the railing you heaved yourself up by using the hand that hadnât been hurt. You took large breaths as you finally came to stand. People around you ignored you walking by you as you clung to the railing trying to not cry at the pain.Â
âAre you okay?â He was there staring down at you with a worried expression on his face. You couldnât look at him for longer than a couple of seconds. Why was he all of a sudden everywhere? Why was he always around you? He didnât even know you. Â
He came down the steps taking in how you were standing, noticing the water gathering in your eyes.Â
âDid you fall?â He asked. You only looked down letting your hair fall around your face. You didnât need this from him. You didnât need him to hound you, you didnât need him to buy you coffee, you didnât need him to sit with you in the library. You didnât need his pity.Â
âLeave me alone Taeyong.â He didnât reply and you didnât look up. But he didnât move away from you.Â
âLet me help you home.â You closed your eyes pain rolling up your foot as you put it flat on the ground.Â
âIâm fine I can make it myself. Just â just go away.â You moved off the railing talking a slow and painful step away from him. You couldnât help but limp.Â
âYouâre clearly not fine. Just let me help you.â He said grabbing your arm as you took another painfully slow step.Â
âLook I donât need your pity.â You snapped at him yanking your arm out of his hand. He was silent for a second before he laughed. Snapping your head towards him again you frowned.Â
âYou think I pity you?â Even though he laughed you could see that the statement bothered him. His eyes werenât shining the way they always did when he spoke. âI donât pity you Y/N. Some people can just be nice to others without having an underlying reason.âÂ
You still frowned at him, but you let him take your bag. You let him wrap his arm around your waist as you wrapped yours around his shoulder and you told him how to get to your apartment.
For the rest of the week, he checked on you, making sure your foot was getting better, taking you anywhere you wanted to go. He kept you company and for the first time in a long while you felt less lonely.   Â
     Loud knocks pulled you away from the Netflix show you were watching. You knew it was Taeyong, only because no one else came to your apartment.  Â
âYou know Iâm fine now. You donât have to keep coming over.â You stated while pulling open the door. He laughed pushing past you. He put the takeout he brought onto your coffee table making himself comfortable on your couch.Â
âMaybe I just like you.â He spoke. Your breath stopped for a second. Like you. You turned away from him to lock the door. You willed your face to calm down as you turned back around, not having anything to say back to what he said. You made your way back to the couch and sat beside him. He passed you cutlery as he unpacked the food. You tried not to stare at him as he sat across from you on the couch and ate. Periodically stealing a glance, you tried your best to not be obvious. Halfway through the show that you had started, you stole another glance at him, only to find him already looking at you.Â
âYou're cute you know that?â The words that he said didnât register in your head. He leaned to the side of his hand getting closer to you. âThe way you keep glancing at me thinking Iâm not noticing.â Your breath hitched in your throat when he leaned further towards his other hand moving onto your thigh.Â
âIâm going to kiss you Y/N.â His face a centimetre away from yours. You didnât stop him.Â
You didnât stop him when that kiss turned from a simple kiss to something more. When his hands travelled under your shirt, into your pants. You didnât stop when he guided your hand to him when he pushed himself into you. You didnât stop yourself from letting his name roll off your tongue as the world split in two. You didnât stop him when he pulled you close to him after whispering into your ear how perfect you were.Â
âI like you Y/N.â He said again as you drifted off in his arms, your head pressed into his chest. You didnât stop yourself when your heart melted at his words. When your brain said them back to him. But you stopped yourself when the words made their way to your lips. You stopped yourself then.Â
You wanted to blame him still. You wanted to blame him and his friends still. But every day that he spoke to you, every day that he went out of his way to find you. You realized you couldnât because he started coming with you to the library every Monday. He went to the cafĂŠ with you on Tuesday. On Wednesday heâd walk you home. On Thursday heâd bring over dinner to your apartment after his practice, and Friday to Saturday he was busy with hockey, so you didnât see him. But each day that passed you realized he was not to blame, he was a kind-hearted boy who chose to see the good in the world, and for some reason, he was forcing his way into your life, into your heart. You found yourself looking forward to the moments that Taeyong would come and find you. To the moments where he would text you or call you at night to see how you were. He saw you, you realized, and he stayed. He stayed even though you were a mess. Even though you would snap at him, even though you didnât deserve him. He stayed, he showed up. And slowly you were faced with the fact staring blankly in your face that you couldnât blame anyone but yourself. Because despite everything you didnât show up that day.Â
âCome on Y/N, Yuta will be there, and he actually invited us himself,â Ara begged. You just shook your head at her.Â
âI canât today. Iâm not feeling it.â You stayed seated on the couch as she tugged on your arm, a laugh erupting from you at her childish antics.Â
âBut youâre my best friend in the whole wide world I need you there with me!â Her expression was desperate, it made you laugh even more.Â
âSorry Ara, but I donât feel like it. Iâll go next time though. If he invited, you once heâll invite you again.â You reasoned. She stopped tugging on you and sighed obviously annoyed but letting you go.Â
âOkay fine.âÂ
You passed out on the couch and woke hours later. Seven missed calls from Ara, and then a missed call from an unknown number only a couple of minutes ago. Confused you called Ara back, but she didnât answer. Worry etched away at your stomach as you tried again, Again no answer.Â
The unknown number called again. You gripped the counter to not fall over as shock ran through your body your mind being taken over by a loud ringing you couldnât understand what the voice on the line was saying any more just that she was gone.Â
You were pulled out of your head as your phone started to ring in your hand. Taeyong. You were sitting alone in your living room in the dark, your eyes glued to the phone as you tried to push away the dark thoughts that entered your head. The call ended the screen going black and a sense of urgency ripped through you a panic that rattled around your insides. Unlocking your phone quickly, you called him back.Â
âHey.â He chirped through the phone.Â
âAre you okay?â It spilled out of your mouth before you could stop it. You sounded winded and frantic.Â
âYeah,â His word was slow, âY/N are you okay?â he asked in turn. You froze. No.Â
âYes.â If youâd been awake and answered maybe sheâd have answered just the way he did.Â
But you let her die. You didnât go with her. Then you fell asleep and didnât answer her call. She got into the car with a drunk idiot and died. You could have stopped it. If you had answered right away maybe she would have replied just like he did. With a happy âhey.âÂ
âY/N?â His voice tugged at you again, pulling you back to him and away from your own mind. âAre you there?âÂ
âYes, what did you say?âÂ
âDid you wanna come out for a drink with me and the guys?âÂ
âYes.âÂ
     You didnât understand why he was being so kind. You hadnât done anything to deserve the kindness that he was just giving you. He was making sure you didnât feel uncomfortable with his friends. In the time that you two had been hanging out heâd learned so much about you and you were realizing it only just today. He knew what drink you wanted and had it for you before you even got there. He let you sit on the outside of the bench in the booth because he knew youâd hate it on the inside. He gathered so much information about you in the time and you knew what? Nothing. Â
âSo, youâre the girl thatâs been keeping our captain busy for the past month and a half.â Johnny teased you once everyone had settled into their spots. You smiled at him red painting your cheeks. Taeyong pulled you into his side shooting Johnny a warning glare that you noticed.Â
You sat with them as they spoke about their upcoming game schedule. As they commented on the games that appeared on the screens all around the bar. You spoke only when they asked you a question or when you had a question yourself. Youâd direct it to Taeyong, and heâd answer back softly explaining whatever thing youâd asked him about the sport he played. Slowly it became too much, you looked at the boys around you at the table, at their laughing faces and you realized you didnât fit in here. You didnât fit into his world. You didnât fit into anyoneâs world, you barely fit into your own. You didnât deserve to sit at this table, not with the laughter that floated around you. You couldnât help but feel that there was a laugh missing. This was what Ara had wanted so bad. To sit at a table with them. to sit next to the boy sitting right in front of you, sheâd wanted to be tucked under his arm just as you were tucked under Taeyongâs.Â
âI have to go.â You said and abruptly got up, shocking them into an abrupt silence as you ran out the bar and down the street. Tears began to run down your cheeks, and you tried to get far away from them, far away from him.Â
âY/N!â You didnât look back, but you knew he was following you; you couldnât take it. You didnât deserve to sit with them, you didnât deserve to be with him. Not when this was what sheâd wanted. Not when she should have been here with you. With them.Â
He caught your wrist spinning you around to face him, but you didnât look at him, you turned your head to the side biting your lip as tears ran down your face still.Â
âLet me go Taeyong.â You said your voice small and shaking. His grip on your wrist only tightened.Â
âNo.âÂ
A sob threatened to rip out your mouth. You closed your eyes and took in slow breaths.Â
âTalk to me, whatâs wrong?â He said and pulled you closer to him.Â
âI â I canât -â It was getting hard to breathe as you buried your head into his chest. He wrapped his arm around you holding you tight as you silently cried. Pulling away only slightly when you calmed down a little bit, he looked at your red face. Your eyes were swollen and your lips cracked. You looked like a mess, runny nose and all.Â
âItâs okay if you donât want to talk about it.â He spoke. You stared back up at him, you took in the way his gentle eyes looked at you the way his hair blew in the autumn wind, the way his ears were tinted red from the cold. You couldnât help yourself you pushed up on your feet and pressed your lips against his. He instantly replied, his mouth moving against yours. His hands tightening on the fabric of your jacket. You kissed him until you couldnât breathe again until every breathe you had felt like his. Until you couldnât take anymore. You didnât deserve him.Â
Pulling away from him you pushed him away from you.Â
âI canât do this. I canât -â You couldnât finish your sentence. You ran away from him again. He yelled your name again into the night air, but you didnât look back didnât look to see if he was following. You ran, ran until your lungs were gasping for breath until your throat was so dry that you couldnât swallow your own spit. Until your legs gave out and you fell onto the grass gasping for air.Â
This was how your life had been, this is what you deserved.
     The following week you didnât go to school, you didnât answer any of his calls. He came to your door every day and you ignored him. You barely ate and slept. You didnât even make it to the shower most days. I deserve this. Youâd tell yourself over and over in your head. Until there were no other thoughts but those three words drowning you.Â
It was Monday, and heâd had enough. You could tell because the banging at your door was so loud that you could feel it in your head. Youâd just gotten out of the shower and had gotten back into bed. Pulling the covers over your head. Slowly you got out of bed and made your way to the door. He wasnât going to leave today. You could tell. You opened the locks and then the door.Â
The lights in the hallway were so bright they made him look ethereal. He was in a black bomber jacket paired with jeans. His nose and ears were red from the cold again. You squinted up at him. You watched his pained eyes take you in, the dark circles under your eyes the way you looked small.Â
âGo away.â You said, not being able to look at him any longer, not being able to stand the emotions in his eyes. He caught the door as you closed it, he pushed back against it opening it and moving in past you.Â
âStop ignoring me.â He said and closed the door. He reached for you, his hand grabbing air as you stepped far out of his reach.Â
 âDid I do something wrong?â His face breaking as he asked you. Your eyes widened at him and your heart cracked more than it already had.Â
âNo.âÂ
âThen why?â You didnât say anything. You couldnât say anything. He took a step towards you and you moved back again. âWhy?â His voice was small, pleading with you. You closed your eyes as tears gathered again.Â
âI donât deserve you okay?â Your voice harsh. You didnât look at him as tears spilled down your cheeks, you turned your head down letting your hair cover your face. Opening your eyes, you watched as your tears hit the hardwood floor of your living room.Â
âI donât deserve anything. She died because I couldnât help her.â Your vision blurred more and more, as you spoke. You felt him take a step towards you and you took another back. âIâll just ruin you.âÂ
âAra?â He asked. Your head snapped up to him, his eyes were tearing up as well as he looked at you. You were shocked that her name came out of his mouth. You put your hand over your mouth as a sob tore from you. He took another step towards you, and you took one back hitting the wall behind you. Finally, he had his arms around you, he pulled you into his chest.Â
âThat wasnât your fault.â He spoke. âThat was on the guy who lied to her and told her he didnât drink. That was on the guy who let her get into his car.â You sobbed into his chest as he spoke. âI know about her Y/N I was at that party. Yuta was wreaked for weeks after that. But it isnât his fault. Itâs most certainly not your fault. I didnât realize that you were her best friend until Yuta told me after he met you at the bar.â You only sobbed harder into his chest.Â
âI canât change your mind baby; I can just tell you that you deserve happiness. You deserve good things in your life. I didnât know Ara, but I do know that she'd hate to see you like this.â His hand moved from the back of your head to the side of your face, pulling your face up to look into his eyes.Â
âIf anything, babe I donât deserve you.â He said, more tears slipped down your face. He was perfect. That was the only thing your brain could think as you looked up at him. His warm hand on your cheek, his arm wrapped around you. The warmth of his body against yours. Everything about him. He was perfect.Â
He put his forehead against yours, your breathing turning into his as your breathing became shallow. His mouth inches away from your own, your hand knotting into the front of his t-shirt you pulled yourself up, closing the small gap between you and him. His mouth was warm and careful. He was going slow, afraid youâd scare away. But you werenât going to. You may not be okay yet, but you werenât gonna get better without him. You needed him. You wanted him. He was your cure. Youâd get better for him, with him.Â
Araâs mother told you the day of her funeral that people never truly leave us, they come back to watch over us. You full-heartedly believed that this had Ara written all over it. Taeyong randomly showing up to sit by you in the library, at the cafĂŠ, helping you when you got hurt, calling you at the right time all the time, cheering you up before you could even get down, moving his way into your life. This had the scheming hand of your best friend all over it.Â
You deepened the kiss leaning into the wall, pulling him with you. His hand moved under your shirt pulling it up over your head, only leaving your mouth for that one second to get it over your head.Â
Somehow the two of you were in your bed, all your clothes gone, his mouth was moving down your neck leaving small marks down your throat on your collarbone to the swell of your breasts. With each bite a small moan left you, each kiss took your breath away. His mouth closed around the hard nub of your nipple pulling on it gently with his teeth, drawing his name from your mouth. His head moved lower, lower until you couldnât take it anymore. Pulling him back up to you, you pressed your mouth against his, his tongue finding his way to yours instantly.Â
âI need you now.â You said, wrapping your arm around his shoulder. He looked down at you with so much emotion in his eyes, so much care you almost melted from just his gaze. âPlease.â With that, he pressed his mouth back to yours lining himself up at your entrance. His lips moved against yours as he pushed in, swallowing your moan as he filled you.Â
You moaned, your mouth leaving his as his hips moved against yours. Only the sounds of moans and your skin against his filing up your small room.Â
He pressed his forehead against yours, âLook at me, babe.â You opened your eyes and held his gaze your back arched as the world faded to a bright white, his name rolling off your tongue as he nipped at your bottom lip. His thrusts became rushed as he soon followed moaning into your neck, before relaxing on top of you. You kissed him again as you both calmed down.Â
After some time, he pulled out, laying beside you and pulling you into his chest. He kissed the top of your head as you started to drift off.Â
âI love you Y/N.â This time you didnât stop yourself.Â
âI love you too Taeyong.âÂ
A/N: The next part will be Yutaâs Iâm going to make this a three part trilogy! Please let me know your thoughts, it means a lot to hear what you guy think!
#nct#nct 127#nct imagines#nct smut#nct scenarios#nct drabbles#nct blurbs#nct x reader#nct x y/n#nct x you#nct angst#nct college au#lee taeyong#taeyong#taeyong imagines#taeyong smut#taeyong scenarios#taeyong x reader#taeyong x y/n#taeyong x you
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Snuggles and Sacrifices - Fred Weasley
Title: Snuggles and Sacrifices Pairing: Fred x fem!reader Summary: Reader isnât going to let anything get in the way of her dreams, as silly as they may be A/N: for the anon who wanted a fic where Fred and the reader go to adopt a cat and the reader has an allergy attack! Itâs a little short but very sweet! Feedback is always welcome, and requests are open!
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âHi love,â Fred greets softly as he leans against the doorway to his and Y/Nâs bedroom.
Y/N looks up from the book in her lap, giving her boyfriend a warm smile. Her smile falters a little as she takes in his appearance. His tie has been loosened and the first few buttons of his shirt are undone. There are bags under his eyes and his hair is messy, something he tends to do when heâs frustrated. He and George have been working extra-long hours at the store in the lead up to start of term at Hogwarts. Heâs often gone in the morning before Y/N wakes up and he doesnât arrive back home until sheâs already eaten dinner.
âCome here, love,â she beckons, waving her wand so the books that had been sprawled out on their bed put themselves in a stack on their dresser. Fred immediately plops down on the bed, lying on his back with his head in Y/Nâs lap so he can look at her. She places a light kiss to his lips and starts to run her hand through his hair.
âMmm, feels good,â Fred sighs. His eyes close as he feels all the stress melt away from his body. The shop is no doubt one of the best things that happened to him, but he must admit that itâs hard work a lot of the time and a major cause of his stress. But returning home to Y/N always makes him feel better, and she is no doubt the best thing that ever happened to him.
Y/N scratches at Fredâs scalp lightly as her fingers run through his long hair. Molly has been begging him to get a haircut for weeks and Fred keeps saying he will once things with the shop slow down, but Y/N knows that he secretly keeps it long because she prefers it that way. âLong day?â she asks when Fred sighs.
Fred nods, opening his eyes so he can look at Y/N. âThe longest. I wanted to leave after closing but there was a never-ending list of things to do. Every time I tried to sneak out it there was something else that we needed to do. I think the universe is trying to keep us apart my dear.â
Y/N laughs at Fredâs dramatics, leaning forward to kiss him again. âI donât think itâs that serious, Freddie. Youâre busy, I get it. Iâve got plenty to keep me busy while youâre gone,â she says, gesturing towards the large pile of books on their dresser.
After the war Y/N had decided to become a Healer, partially due to all the time she spent at St. Mungoâs with Fred after his brush with death. It destroyed her that there was nothing she could do to help him recover and as she watched the Healers work on Fred and the other patients it inspired her to do the same thing. She enrolled in the training program once Fred was back on his feet and now 2 years later all that stands in her way of becoming a full Healer is her final certification exam. Itâs scheduled for the last week of October and Y/N has spent every waking minute preparing.
âI know,â Fred says with another sigh. âBut I still feel bad. Youâre here alone all day. You wake up alone, you eat alone. We moved in together so we could spend more time together, but it feels like I see you less than I did before.â
âYou know it does get kind of lonely around here,â Y/N muses with a grin. âBut I think I know something that we could do to make it less lonely,â she trails off, looking down at Fred expectantly.
Fred rolls his eyes and sits up, situating himself so he can look at Y/N. âNo, Y/N we talked about this,â Fred scolds lightly. âWeâre both way too busy right now to even entertain the idea.â
Y/N pouts at Fred and pushes his face away when he tries to kiss it away. âCome on, Freddie, please? Itâs actually the perfect time! Iâm still going to be home for the next few months, and by that time the shop wonât be as busy. Itâs perfect.â
âI just donât think itâs the right time for us to get a cat, love,â Fred says softly.
Y/N sticks out her bottom lip as she gets on her knees, her hands coming together in front of her like sheâs praying. âPlease, Freddie,â she begs while using her sweetest voice. âItâs all Iâve ever wanted in life.â
And she isnât lying. Ever since she was a little girl all Y/N ever wanted was a cat. Sheâs not particularly sure why, but every year for her birthday she would ask for the same thing, a little black kitten. She would constantly beg her parents for one, but they always said no. And as much as she hated to admit it, they had a pretty good reason. Both Y/N and her mother are fairly allergic to cats.
Despite the sneeze fit she gets every time sheâs around a cat, Y/N never let that stop her from yearning for one. It made going to Hogwarts quite difficult, especially after Hermione adopted Crookshanks. Cat hair was all over the common room and Hermioneâs cat was always slinking about. Y/N could have told everyone about her allergies and Hermione could have kept Crookshanks in her dorm, but Y/N loved the fact that the orange kneazle was always around and cuddling up to anyone who would allow it. No matter how badly he irritated her nose she kept seeking him out, hiding her sneezes from all of her friends. She had gotten quite good at it too.
Y/N first brought up the idea of getting a cat when she and Fred moved in together 5 months ago. Y/N had been living in an apartment with a few of her friends from school and Fred was living with George and Angelina above the joke shop. Both places were far too crowded for them to get any alone time, so they decided to just go for it and get a place together. Y/N had figured it would be the perfect time to get a cat but Fred and vetoed it, saying that they were both too busy to be able to take care of a pet.
Fred sighs, unable to resist Y/Nâs please. âIâll think about it. Alright?â
Y/N squeals and wraps her arms around Fredâs neck, hugging him tightly. âYouâre the best!â She pulls away to press kisses all over Fredâs face, a plan already forming in her head.
-
Sundayâs are usually reserved for family days at The Burrow. Â Everyone spends the day hanging out and decompressing from the work week and Molly prepares an amazing dinner. Y/N looks forward to it every week, but this week she convinced Fred that they should skip out so they could spend the day alone together instead. Fred had agreed immediately, and Y/N could put her plan into action.
âItâs so nice, isnât it? Just spending the day alone together,â Y/N says. Her and Fred are walking around muggle London, their hands intertwined and softly swinging back and forth between them. Theyâve just left Y/Nâs favorite muggle cafĂŠ after having lunch, and she suggested that they take a walk before heading back to their flat.
âIt is, love. Iâve missed this. Just us, being us,â Fred muses, bringing their hands up so he can press a kiss to the back of Y/Nâs hand. âAlthough I can assure you I donât miss my weekly lecture about my hair.â They both laugh as Fred shakes his head, tousling his long locks.
They walk in silence for a few moments, just enjoying being with the other. Y/N almost feels bad that sheâs using this opportunity to trick Fred, but as they approach their final destination, those feelings start to get replaced with excitement. Theyâre standing at a corner, waiting for their turn to cross when Y/N turns to look at Fred.
âI feel like you havenât kissed me enough today,â she says, her lips turning into a pout.
Fred laughs and immediately leans down to kiss her softy. âIâm sorry, love. Let me fix that.â He kisses her again, lingering for a moment.
When he pulls away Y/N smiles at him and decides itâs time to enact her plan. She lets her gaze move from Fredâs face to something just behind him. âOh, look!â she says excitedly, directing his attention to the storefront behind him.
âOh no. No, no, no, no, no,â Fred says when he turns around to see what Y/N is pointing to.
Theyâre standing just in front of a muggle animal shelter. Fred looks down at Y/Nâs excited face, frowning. âI said I think about it, Y/N. And Iâm still thinking.â
Y/N gives Fred her best innocent look. âI know, I know. But thereâs no harm in just looking, right?â She grins up at Fred as she starts to drag him towards the entrance.
-
Theyâve only been in the kitten enclosure for a minute when Y/N can start to feel the familiar tingle she gets behind her nose whenever sheâs around a cat. But she knows that seeing a kitten will break Fred down and she canât give up now that her dream is about to be realized. She scrunches up her nose to get rid of the feeling and makes a beeline towards the only black kitten in the room.
âAw Freddie. Come look at how cute this one is,â Y/N coos as she gently scoops the kitten up. Itâs just a bit bigger than the size of her palm and is blinking up at her with large yellow eyes. She resists the urge to nuzzle into itsâ soft fur, knowing that it will put her over the edge.
âYeah, itâs pretty cute,â he mumbles as he comes up behind Y/N, trying to seem disinterested. He reaches a finger out and slowly strokes the kittens head. Any faux toughness he had dissolves as the kitten starts to purr. âI thought we were just supposed to be looking,â he teases lightly.
Y/N smiles up at Fred. She can see the happiness in his eyes and knows that theyâre going to be leaving there with a kitten. âWe are looking. Weâre just looking with our hands,â she responds playfully. Y/N is suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to sneeze and she holds the kitten out to Fred, needing to get away from it as quick as possible. âHere love, hold him.â
Fred takes the kitten from Y/N, eyeing her warily. âAre you alright, love?â
Y/Nâs face has screwed up and she is desperately trying to blink away the sneeze she feels building. She tries to nod, thinking of some excuse for her weird behavior when she can no longer hold it in. âAchoo!â Y/N sneezes loudly, scaring the tiny kitten in Fredâs hands.
She hopes to play it off as some dust in her nose, but once sheâs started she canât stop. She sneezes a few times in succession, her eyes starting to water from the force. Unable to contain it anymore, Y/N tiptoes around the kittens that are crawling along the floor, heading towards the exit.
Fred meets her outside of the kitten enclosure a few moments later and she waves away his look of concern. âIâm fine, Iâm fine.â
âWhat the hell was that in there?â he asks, coming up and wrapping his arms around Y/Nâs waist. âThought you were gonna sneeze your brain out or something,â he chuckles.
âNo that was just an. Um. Allergy attack,â she admits sheepishly, burying her face in his chest.
Fred starts to rub her back. ���An allergy attack?â he asks, his confusion evident in his voice. âYouâre allergic to cats?â
Y/N nods sadly, pulling her face out of Fredâs chest so she can look up at him. âYeah, unfortunately. Mum is too.â
âThen why in the hell do you want a cat?â Fred asks with a laugh, completely confused by Y/N.
âI donât know, Iâve just always wanted one. They seem pretty cool,â she explains with a shrug. Y/N leans up to press a kiss to Fredâs cheek and then untangles from his embrace. âCome on letâs go, I wanna see if we can adopt that little black kitten. He was so sweet!â
Fred grabs Y/Nâs wrist to stop her. âUm, what are you doing? Did you forget what happened back there?â Fred pauses when Y/N pouts at him. âLove I know you want a cat but I canât let you suffer like that everyday just so you can have one,â he says softly, pulling her back into his chest. He cups her cheek and presses a soft kiss to her lips.
âBut, kitten,â she says softly, looking up at him.
Fred smiles down at her and kisses her again. âI know, love. If there was some way for us to get a cat and it didnât set off your allergies we would. But until that happens we arenât going to get a cat.â
âFred, have you ever heard of something called allergy medication?â
-
One hour, a trip to a muggle pharmacy and a pet store later, Y/N is lying in bed with their brand-new kitten sleeping softly on her chest.
âYouâre a crazy cat lady, you know that?â Fred says with a laugh as he lays down next to Y/N.
She smiles up at him and tilts her head back to ask for a kiss. After Fred presses their lips together softly she looks back down at their kitten. âYeah, but Iâm your crazy cat lady.â
#fred weasley#Fred Weasley fic#Fred Weasley imagine#fred weasley x reader#fred weasley x y/n#fred weasley x you#fred weasley fanfiction#fred weasley fluff#Harry Potter fanfiction#fw#golden
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After Class
For @himebee-5's prompt!
Summary: Petra is Professor Ackerman's star student and yet, she keeps meeting him for office hours every Monday afternoon.
Rated: E
CWs: teacher/student relationship, age gap, praise kink
Word count: 3.2k
Surprise! I queued up another fic for smutty Saturday since I'll be out for most of the day--enjoy! đ
She was distracting.
Levi prided himself in his stellar concentration, his perfunctory work, and despite his cold and callous demeanor, he was an excellent professor. Always receiving high remarks from his students and colleagues, and managing to churn out at least two research papers a year, there was little that compromised his neat routine.
He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he faced the chalkboard, clearing his throat. Levi Ackerman didnât make mistakes, but after one look at her, his mind went elsewhere as he absently completed the calculus equation and one student shakily raised his hand and said, âE-excuse me sir, but I think you forgot to take the derivative in the fifth step.â
Taking a step back, realizing that his glasses slipped from its usual position since he took a double take at her, he merely nodded and erased the step in which he made the error and redid the equation. He thanked the student and a flurry of pencils hit paper as they recorded the problem, and Levi glanced at his watch, giving them a few minutes before he moved on.
Itâs wasnât just the plaid mini skirt and thigh high stockings that did it--he knew he was enough of a perverted old man that he at least acknowledged that turned him on, but the way she sat in the front row, prim and studious as she eyed him for the hour and a half lecture made him feel stupidly special. Most studentsâ eyes glazed over, and he didnât give a shit if they were on their phones, it was their time and money after all, but the way her amber orbs never left him was almost damn unsettling if she didnât have such a coquettish look.
Her short ginger hair was pulled back with a red head band today, and as he was giving back the first test of the semester, he paused at her seat and said, âGood work, Ms. Ral,â while sliding the test face down onto her desk. She beamed, looking at the paper, and her face fell at the grade. Levi frowned slightly, wondering what she could possibly be upset about since she received an 88, the third highest in the class. Calculus wasnât an easy subject, and it was usually the class where students on the science and math track chose to drop out and choose a different major.
After passing out the tests, he returned to the desk at the front of the classroom to collect his things and head back to his office for his office hours for the day. As most of the students filtered out of the classroom, Petra sat stark still at her desk, eyes running over her exam, and eyebrows contorted in confusion.
âIs something wrong, Ms. Ral?â he asked, slinging his messenger bag over his grey dress shirt, adjusting his tie, and she looked up, eyes aglow. Levi pretended not to notice the way her tight long sleeved shirt hugged her curves, and the v-neck emphasized her breasts when she brought her arms together in anguish.
âIâm trying to figure out where I went wrong, Professor. Iâm really disappointed in myself, I thought I aced this test.â
Levi cocked his head. âYou should be proud of yourself, you have one of the highest marks in the class.â
Petra shook her head in disbelief. âEven so, I think I made far too many silly mistakes.â She sighed, shoulders slumping in clear disappointment. âI guess Iâll try harder next time. Sorry professor, you probably have to go--â
âMy office hours are now,â he said, the words leaving his lips without even thinking. His glasses shone from the ceiling lights of the high lecture hall, and he swallowed. âWe can go over the test if youâd like.â
And she smiled brilliantly at him again, collecting her things and swinging her fashionable book bag over her shoulder as she followed him to the math building. Levi kept at least three feet ahead of her, not wanting to give her the impression they had to make small talk since the math building was on the opposite side of the quad, and he breathed a sigh of relief when they entered his office. It was at the end of the hall of the third floor, a quiet place since it was around lunch time and most students were at the dining hall.
Levi closed the old wooden door and gestured for her to sit at the front of his desk while he deposited his bag and thumbed through the manila folder for the answer key. Petra set her things down and unfurled her own test, using his desk as she tapped her pencil at the corner of her lips.
âSo which problems were giving you trouble?â He asked, loose leaf paper at the ready, and Petra motioned to problem number three.
âI get tripped up when thereâs a double integral, I think.â She was already making the amendments in her head and she asked him for a piece of paper as well. Levi withdrew another from his desk cadenza and his breath hitched as their fingers touched. Stop acting like a teenage boy, he scolded himself, wondering when the last time he went on a date or had gotten laid because this was ridiculous. She was at least ten years his junior, his student no less, and she was just asking her math professor for help, even though she clearly didnât need it.
She crossed her legs cutely, emphasizing her thighs between the space between her skirt and socks, and Levi averted his gaze as he forced himself to concentrate on her bright tone, going over her process as she circled and made the adjustments from her previous attempt.
âYes, thatâs correct. You want to integrate x and treat y as the constant. Itâs like in the partial example, which you completed correctly in problem one.â
Petra smiled, nodding as understanding entered her field of vision and she completed the problem with ease. âThank you Professor! Can you give me a harder problem just to make sure I understood the concept?â
And as Levi did his best to not pay attention to the way she said harder, he opened up the math textbook and selected an exercise, scratching it onto the paper between them and slid it towards her.
The mahogany desk was slightly too tall for Petra to comfortably lean against from the chair, so she sat up and leaned over to solve the problem, orange hair falling from her tucked ears. This time, Levi didnât even bother looking away since Petra was fully invested in solving the equation, and he felt his pants tighten as he noted the white lace bra she had on underneath, and her round mounds spilling from her top.
âIs this right?â She asked, finally finishing, sitting back down in her seat and Levi coughed as he fought down the flush on his face.
He stared at the problem, willing himself to concentrate on the numbers in her neat handwriting, but he was finding it difficult to focus as he noticed her licking her lips after reapplying some chapstick. He took it line by line until he finally nodded and said, âGood work.â
Petra returned the paper to her folder and touched his hand gently from across the desk. âThank you Professor Ackerman, it really means a lot to me that you went out of your way to help me. I guess the reviews were right after all.â His eyebrows rose since he didnât usually make a habit to read his class reviews but relied on the report that the school gave him at the end of each term.
âOh really? What do the reviews say?â
Petra giggled, and Levi felt his heart stop at the beautiful sound. âWell for one, they say youâre the sexiest teacher on campus, but more importantly, students who take your class are set up for success for linear algebra, which is my goal. Iâm an astronomy major.â
He didnât know why he found that to be a turn on since he worked at a university where there were literally hundreds of majors, but before he had a chance to think, Petra had collected her things and waved as she made for the brass knob of his office door.
âSee you next week, Professor!â
And the door clicked shut. Leviâs head was spinning, and if he didnât know any better, Petra was outright flirting with him, and he was having a difficult time processing that. He moved to lock the office door and he double checked to make sure that he didnât have any upcoming meetings. Sinfully, he laid back in his chair and closed his eyes while he unbuckled his pants.
Sheâs your student, you filthy fuck. But her shiny lips, her sweet voice, and her intellectâŚ
He stroked himself, thinking of her, and he came quickly, her name on his lips as he imagined himself taking her between her plaid skirt and thigh high socks.
---
Monday afternoons became a ritual for them, and while Levi attempted to muster up every ounce of professional courage, he found himself unable to say no to her. Every day, after class, she would sweetly ask if she could go over the dayâs lecture, and he would say yes and they would wordlessly walk to his office and repeat the same routine.
It was always strictly professional, but he could have sworn that she was intentionally taking off her jacket or sweatshirt in front of him, sometimes leaving her in only a crop top. He decided then that she was purposely trying to kill him because the blood rushed faster to his groin than he could will himself to stop. He had to keep himself firmly behind his desk, not wanting to scare her from his raging hard-on as she pattered on about her misunderstandings for the day, and he would mutely nod, watching her the entire time.
She stopped the week during finals, only visiting him after his final lecture and he missed her presence during the two week absence. He eagerly awaited the day of the final exam, just to pathetically see her again, and there she was, front and center, pencil at the ready.
âThis is my last test,â she whispered to him excitedly as he handed her the exam and he gave a thin smile and muttered a âgood luckâ to her row, but looked at her the entire time.
She was the last to leave, and she heaved a sigh of relief as she handed him her packet, looking joyful.
âHow did you find the test, Ms. Ral?â he asked, sparing her a last glance before she left his classroom for the final time. His heart ached at that, but he supposed it was for the best since dreams and visions of her had plagued him since the beginning of the semester.
âI think I aced it, thanks to my excellent teacher.â And she gave him a dazzling smile as she walked away and Levi trailed her form until she disappeared.
--
It was a routine message that Levi sent out to all of his students, that if they wanted to go over their final exam that they could set up office hours. He didnât allow for debating for points--he had no time for that, and his grading procedure was precise and calculated, but he set up time slots for ease of the students.
So when he saw Petra Ral in his email, requesting for the last time slot before the last day of the grading period, he hurriedly clicked accept even though she received a perfect score on her test.
It was spring, and the promise of a new future hung in the air when Petra entered his office, wearing a similar ensemble to when she first came in, a red plaid skirt, thigh high stockings, and this time, a white knit t-shirt that unbuttoned just at her cleavage. She poked her head in, and he noticed that she didnât carry a book bag, but opted for a small purse that slung over one shoulder.
âHi Professor!â she chirped happily, hands clasped behind her back. Levi allowed himself a smile as he took her in.
âWhat can I do for you Ms. Ral? Surely you donât have any complaints about this test--congratulations on ruining the curve, by the way. Your classmates are furious.â
Petra laughed, feeling satisfied with herself as she gazed at him--sleeves rolled up to his forearms and he opted for a vest and tie set that complimented his eyes nicely. âI wanted to let you know that Iâm taking Professor Hangeâs class next semester for linear algebra.â
His heart fell; he was also teaching that class, but maybe it didnât fit into her schedule. He didnât meet her eyes as he said, âSheâs a tough teacher, but sheâs good at what she does. Donât expect to be let go early, the woman can and will go on for hours.â
Petra smiled. âIâll be sure to make a note of it.â And she shuffled between her feet as a light blush came to her cheeks. âI wanted to give you a thank you gift, for all the office hours youâve given to me the past semester.â
Levi raised a thin eyebrow between his glasses. âYou donât have to do that, Ms. Ral. Itâs part of my job. Youâre an excellent student, you made my job very easy.â
She batted her eyelashes as she stepped closer to him. He was seated in his leather office chair, arms crossed and she took a deep breath as she stood a foot apart from him, hands still playing with each other behind her back. âItâs nothing expensive. And you can call me Petra, Professor, the semester is over.â
And before Levi could question her words, she leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek. Leviâs heart pounded in his chest, noticing that Petra was visibly shy despite the bold gesture she had just committed and he stared at her, slack jawed.
âThank you, Professor.â
Leviâs eyes widened, and the hungry need he had for her over the past three months took over. Before he knew it, he was tugging at her wrist and she was straddling his lap, skirt pooling between them as he devoured her into a kiss, lips furiously nipping and biting as she let out an animated moan. Her hands went for his tie, pulling it from his vest and then around his neck where she buried her fingers into his undercut. A shiver of pleasure went down Leviâs spine as he settled his hands at her waist, then her back, and then at the fabric at the end of her shirt.
Panting, Petra raised her arms, signalling for him to take it off, and Levi let out a groan and a fucking hell at her lacy push up bra. Arms wrapped around each other again, Petra leaned into his chest, pressing her tits against him while she grinded against his lap, smiling as she devilishly noticed his hard-on between their clothing. Her breath was hot against his as she moved to unbutton his vest, and he raised himself to take it off, but let out a hiss as their centers made contact.
Not being able to help himself, Levi trailed his fingers up and down her legs, groaning that he was finally able to touch her, and the way the spandex hugged her skin was driving him crazy. He dove between her skirt, reaching for her panties and he played at her apex, noticing that she was incredibly wet, which only turned him on more.
Petra keened and threw her head back in pleasure as he began lavishing her neck with kisses and suckled at her jawline, happy that she tasted as beautiful as she looked. A light floral perfume danced across her flesh, and he inhaled her as he undid the headband from her hair, freeing the locks so he could bury his nose between them.
âProfessor, ah, can you please touch me?â She asked weakly, eyes clenched shut from Leviâs ministrations and he chuckled.
âOnly because youâve been such a good student,â he whispered into her ear, and she nodded as he slipped a finger in, and pleasured sighs escaped both of their lips.
âGod, youâre so fucking wet. Were you planning on this before you came in?â Levi asked, using his other hand to unbuckle his pants and slid down his zipper.
Petra was finding it harder and harder to think as Levi pumped into her, alternating between two and three fingers, teasing her clit and taking his hands away before she could go any higher. Vision going blurry, she reached for the back of her bra and undid the hook, letting it fall between them and Levi ripped it off, freeing her breasts.
He took a nipple between his teeth and bit down hard, earning a cry from Petra as she begged him to keep touching her while he buried his face into her chest. Petra moved to play with both of her nipples, all while riding against his hand and she felt like her heart was about to explode from Leviâs touch.
She slid her tongue against his lips, drinking him in as she asked him to help slide her panties down, and he obliged, but not before pocketing them into his pants. She shot him a questioning look, and he smirked, âThis is my thank-you gift.â
Bashfully, Petra smiled and pawed him between his underwear, stroking his length up and down with her hand and she pulled his waist down just far enough to free his member. She gasped at his size, and Levi let out a hum of satisfaction while she took a moment to gaze at it, providing him with light touches.
âLevi, can I ride you?â She asked demurely, eyes fixated on his dick and he gripped her by the ass to guide her close.
Leaning over, he whispered into her ear, âThatâs Professor Ackerman to you.â
Petra keened at his husky voice, and lowered herself onto him, moaning loudly as he breached her, dick hot against her tight entrance.
âThatâs a good girl,â he encouraged, holding her close as she steadily bobbed up and down, her wetness providing enough slickness between them. His balls smacked against his legs, and her tits bounced each time she reached his hilt and she cried out.
Wild with lust, Levi toyed with her clit as she continued to ride him, fingers dancing and shaking as she paused to catch her breath. Their eyes met, and with equal fervor, they kissed as Petra braced her hands against his shoulders, pace increasing and then reaching her climax in a frenzy as she bobbed up and down.
âProfessor,â she whined, releasing her hands and crying into his collar as she rode out her orgasm.
Leviâs eyes were clenched shut as her walls fluttered around him, her tightness becoming too much for him as he also met his own pleasure, and he pumped into her in short pulses. Breaths panting, he looked up to meet Petra, who was smiling between breaths.
Still sitting comfortably inside her, Levi laughed warily, unsure of where to go from here. Petra, still wrapping her body around his, licked the lobe of his ear as she said sultrily into his ear, âDid that count as extra credit?â
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Linked Awakening
Iâve been reading a lot of Linked!Universe AU fanfics and was listening to a cover of the Ballad of the Wind Fish and... I just had to write this:
Legend hating switching. Then again, no one enjoyed the sensation of crossing over from one world to another. But there were various members of their little group that seemed to hate it more than others.
Four always had a headache (which sometimes turned into a migraine and on the rare occasion, unconsciousness), Twilight always ended up on the ground like he was going to start crawling (Legend assumed it was the Wolfie side acting out), Time always checked his clothing and stature, and Wild always mumbled something that sounded like a bunch of names under his breath. Everyone had a routine that no one asked about.
Legend would first check he was not a painting. That also confirmed he was not a pink bunny (thanks for that, Twi). Then there was the standard âanything look familiar to anyoneâ question. Everyone would look around which gave Legend time to pinch himself in the arm.
Hard.
An inch of skin and flesh clumped up and then twisted. The pain would shoot up to his brain, snapping his thoughts into focus and most importantly, confirming he was not asleep. He did this three times whenever they landed by the sea... just to be safe. The pain was a reassurance that they were in reality.
Then again, the monsters on Koholint island had hurt him plenty. He is ninety percent certain that one of the scars on his back is from one of them-- although he might have also received it during the shipwreck. It was hard to say. But to keep his sanity, Legend chose to not overthink it and stuck with the pinches.
This particular switch was a rather annoying one because not only were they on a beach but there were seagulls. Legend pinched himself four times.
âWind?â Time asked for everyone.
The youngest member ran to the waves. He pulled out his telescope and looked out at sea for any signs of other land. Wind turned back to the beach, looking for landmarks. After a minute he slowly shook his head, âThereâs a mainland way off in the distance... I think. Itâs a little hard to see. It could be a land I havenât seen before.â He shrugged. âSo it may be my world. May be not.â
âI found a sign!â
Legend turned to find Wild waving the group over. Wind dashed forward, already pulling out his sea map. The rest of the group slowly made their way to join them (Fourâs head was acting up again and Twilight was having more difficulty getting to his feet than usual). Legend was waiting for Twilight when Wind yelled to the group, âNot my written language!â
Not a big deal. Legend had seen plenty of languages over his adventures. Itâs what happens when you cross between multiple worlds. So forgive Legend for not being able to breath when Twilight and him finally joined the group.
It was his Hylean. That was his Hylean. And to make matters worse, Legend knew that sign was impossible. It couldnât exist.
âMabe Beach-- Mabe Viliage Aheadâ
The group was talking but they sounded miles away. Time was asking if anyone knew what the sign said and Hyrule was commenting about some symbols looking familiar. Warriors was asking Legend something and he knew he had to speak.
But all he could do was stare, the shock fading into pure terror. He couldnât do this again. Not again. The pinching hadnât helped, he was trapped in a dream that he could wake up from but did he want to wake up no, not again, he couldnât bear to see anyone again, especially not her, no, not again, not again--
â-nd? Legend!â
Legend found himself on his knees, hands pressed into the sand. He couldnât speak, couldnât breathe, couldnât even think--
Someone tried to put a hand on his shoulder but Legend jerked away. This wasnât real. He was in a dream, just a dream-- had this whole adventure been just a dream? That didnât seem right but Legendâs thoughts were too jumbled to know for sure.
More voices entered Legendâs head but he ignored them. This wasnât real, it was just a dream, nothing was real and heâd wake up back at sea alone with a stupid fish flying away.
âBreathe, Link!â
âHylia, what do we do?â
âLegend, can you hear us?â
Legend pressed his hands over his ears, now face first in the sand. Why wouldnât the dream just leave him alone? He wanted to wake up, that was all he wanted to do was wake up.
Hylia must have heard his plea because a very familiar tune faintly began to flutter into his ears, getting louder and louder. Legend felt something wet slide down his face as his breathing started to steady out. That stupid song that caused so much pain... was actually helping. Heâd wake up soon and then heâd go back to the road. Find some Moblins to take his anger out on. Seemed like a solid plan.
The song continued to get closer and louder.
âAh-ah-aahh, Ah-ah-aahh, Ahh-ah-ahhh-ah.... Ah-ah-aahh, Ah-ah-aaah, Ah-ha-haaaaa...â
Legendâs eyes snapped open. That wasnât instruments. That was a voice. A very human, very beautiful, very familiar voice. He sat up on the sand, ignoring Hyruleâs âeep!â as the healer leaped back in surprise.
A few of the others moved back to give Legend space, calls of concern and worry mixing together. Legend hushed them loudly, his eyes narrowing towards the road to the supposed Mabe Village. The voice was close. It was also impossible.
Legendâs group seemed to hear the tune for the first time, their own gazes turning to the distant voice.Â
âAh-ah--- AHHH!â
Impossible or not, Legend didnât care. He sprang to his feet, sword in hand and sprinted down the path. Someone shouted in surprise with another order to wait but Legend didnât care or stop. All he heard was that voice screaming.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Marin walked down to the beach for lunch every day for over a year. Her father never asked her about the sudden habit, which she was eternally grateful for. She was unsure of how to even start explaining her actions. After all, most people who went through a near-death experience would avoid the thing that caused it.
It hadnât been the waves or the wind. It had been the lightning. Of course, no one believed Marin when she said such things. No one survived being struck by lighting. And even if they did, you would think she had burns from the experience.
All she had was an imaginary world of Koholint Island and a boy with blonde hair.
She hadnât known it was a dream, at least at first. It felt like home with her father and neighbors. The monsters had been a new, but Li--... he had taken care of them. The Wind Fish was something of a fairytale from her childhood. So waking up on the beach, storm long gone and the creature flying away overhead had been a shock. It did not take long to realize everything had been a dream. Especially when no one remembered... him. That hurt the most. And the only ones who knew was herself and the beach.
So Marin went to the beach, lunch in hand, and sang to the waves. It was a call, a prayer, a wish to the Wind fish. What kind of wish was impossible to put in words. She did not know what had been real and what had been in her head.
Koho Island was peaceful. So the Moblins had been a surprise and a half-- Marin had only seen them in dreams.
She screamed, throwing her bag at the closest monster, turning and running for the trees. She wished for Lin-- his sword or at least a fishing knife. She managed to grab a stick before backing up against a tree. Marin held the stick up like a weapon, âSt-stay back!â
The Moblins drew closer, growling and snarling and apparently all to happy for their new meal. She swung at one, only for the monster to grab her stick and swing it over his head. She screamed again as she flew over the group, before slamming into the ground.
The monsters growls turned into shrieks. Marin tried to get up but her vision swam and pain shot through her right arm, causing her to hit the ground again. The shrieking grew louder and Marin turned to look at her attackers. She must have hit her head harder than she thought: it almost looked like he was holding them at bay.
Marin attempted to get to her feet again. This time, she found her footing and started to stumble towards the beach--
--only to leap out of the way of eight sprinting warriors with weapons drawn. She hit the ground with another painful yelp. Marin moaned and rolled onto her back. One of the boys was kneeling over her, concern laced on his face. âAre you alright?â
Marin found herself unable to speak at the moment. He looked a lot like--
The boy held up three fingers. âHow many fingers am I holding up?â
âTh...three?â Marin managed.
âGood.â
A particularly loud screech from a dying Moblin caused Marin to sit up and look past her medic. There were eight, blonde haired, boys finishing off the last of the monsters. A few wore armor, some were older, she swore two of them couldnât be more than twelve, and the one that was pulling his sword free of the last moblin--
Marin found herself unable to breathe.
The monsterâs body fell to the ground, leaving only a very angry, panting, Link. His eyes were angrier, he looked a tad taller, not the mention the orange sword, and yet... there was no doubt in her mind that it was him.
His gaze flicked upward and found hers. The anger burned away into surprise.
â--miss? Miss?â
Marinâs eyes snapped up to her medic. âWhat?â
âWere you injured?â he said it like he was repeating himself.
Her mind went blank. Was she injured? That was an excellent question because her dream boy was standing right over there which was impossible--
The sound of a sword hitting the ground followed by a choked, âMarin?â cut her thoughts off.
Marinâs head jerked back to Link. He looked afraid, which almost made her smile. Link, afraid? She had watched him take down enemy after enemy without even flinching. And yet, there he stood, hands trembling, sword laying useless on the ground, and shining eyes.
She found the will to stand and tried to steady her own hands. âLink?â
He nodded slowly, the trembling growing worse. Marinâs hands flew up to her mouth and tears began to well up in her eyes. âBut-- but how--? How are you--?... I thought you were a dream!â And then she couldnât stop the tears from falling. Her knees gave out but Link was suddenly there, pulling her into his arms. His tears joined hers and she gripped his tunic like her life depended on it.
Linkâs companions were doing something but Marin didnât care. She just cried and cried, thanking Hylia, the Wind Fish, just anyone who was listening for bringing Link to her.
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Well, that was fun. I just feel so bad for my boy Legend and I just wanted him to be happy for a moment. So when I found a fanfic in which Marin was also someone who had been pulled into the Wind Fishâs dream, I latched onto it and couldnât let it go. So yay! Reunion! Maybe Iâll write more, maybe I wonât. It just wouldnât leave me so here I am.
#linked universe#fanfic#legend linked universe#marin#post link's awakening#legend is a grump and i love him for it#but i wanted him to have a happy moment#long post#link x marin#fluff#for my boi and gal
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Cinnamon and Sugar
Chapter One
Warnings: Small mentions of depression, language, mentions of sex.
Characters: Jo Harvelle, Dean Winchester, Chuck, Jack Kline
Pairings: Dean Winchester x Reader
Word count: 2k
You groaned as you flailed your hand around, trying to silence your annoying ass alarm clock. It was 4:30 in the morning, and to say you werenât a morning person was an understatement.
You didnât understand why you had to get up so early in the morning when the shop didnât open until seven, but that was Chuck for you, always trying to ruin your peace. You didnât mind your boss; when he stayed out of the way, that is.
You quickly got dressed, fed and watered you cat, giving him some belly rubs, before heading out the door. You didnât live that far away from the shop, only a five minute drive, but you decided to walk there pretty much every morning. It was good exercise.
You jiggled the key in the lock before swinging the doors open. The smell of old books comforted you. It was always one of your favorite things. If you could bottle the smell and make a candle, then your life would be complete.
You began to set up for the day, grinding coffee beans, getting the display case ready, wiping down counters, the works. You knew the store didnât get itâs rush hour until at least nine oâclock, so you had plenty of time to yourself. You connected your phone to the speakers in the store and began to play some of your favorite songs.
If you were being honest, you loved having the place to yourself. While you loved social interactions and talking to people, there was something about the tranquil environment of a coffee shop that just made you feel content.
You knew it was going to be busier than usual, since it was a Monday and everyone needed their morning coffee before going to work. Once you were finished setting up, you got out your backpack and began working on your homework. You were currently attending the University of Kansas, trying to get your Masters degree in chemistry.
You would have gone to a more prestigious if you could have afforded it. But UK was the best you were going to get. Plus, it wasnât all that bad, as you had made some new friends there. Your best friend, Jo Harvelle, you had know since you were ten years old. She worked along side you in the coffee shop, and she should have been here ten minutes ago.
âJesus Jo.â You muttered under your breath, looking at your phone. âWhy is she always so damn late.â You went ahead and clocked in for her, because if Chuck saw that she was half an hour late, he was going to fire her. Again.
âIâm here! Iâm here!â She exclaimed, rushing through the doors. âSorry Iâm late. I overslept.â
âYeah, yeah. Just put on your apron and get to work. These coffeeâs arenât going to make themselves."
Jo gave you a mock salute and got to work. Like you thought, the line was pretty long. You and Jo rushed to get out orders and clean up as you went. Around 12, it finally died down.
"Thank god it won't be that busy tomorrow. Tuesday's one of our slower days." Jo huffed as she leaned against the counter.
"Okay, you never told me. . . Why in the hell were you so late today?!" You cuffed Jo, who glared at you.
"Well, if you must know, Y/n, I was having a sleepover." She winked.
"With who this time?" You rolled your eyes.
"I don't actually remember." She admitted. "But he was hot." You snorted at her comment. Since there was hardly anyone there, you decided to sit down on one of the plush arm chairs and start your homework. You had midterms in two weeks, and you were stressing majorly.
"Jeez, Y/n. You're no fun." Jo complained.
"I'll be more fun once midterms are over. Until then, you get Grumpy Y/n." You flipped to the next page of your textbook.
A bell sounded through the store, signaling that someone had just entered. "Oh my god." Jo whispered.
"What?" You asked, furrowing your eyebrows.
"That's the hot guy I slept with last night. And I kinda just left without telling him this morning." You felt your jaw drop.Â
âYouâre kidding!â You hissed. âJo, you told him where you work?â
âNo!â She defended herself. âNo, I didnât. Look, heâs nice and all, but I really donât wanna talk to him. I kinda just wanted last night to be a one time thing and never see him again.â
âFine. Go into the back and start cleaning up while I take his order.â Jo threw you a grateful look as she quickly fled into the kitchen.
You stood up and made your way over to the counter, and boy, was Jo right. The man was very handsome. The first thing you noticed was his emerald green eyes. It was one of his most beautiful features. Although he was gorgeous all around.
âHi! Welcome to Chuckâs, what can I get for you today?â You gave him a friendly smile.
âUh, just a large Americano, please.â
You narrowed your eyes at him slightly. âLet me guess, youâre used to crappy diner coffee, right?â
The man chuckled, scratching the side of his face. âYeah. Howâd you guess?â
âYou seemed kind of hesitant in ordering, plus, Americanoâs are disgusting.â You scrunched up your nose.
âAlright, what do you suggest then?â
âHmm. . .â You looked the man up and down, trying to see what type of coffee would best suit him. âAn Irish coffee. You seem like the type to drink whiskey, am I right?â
âYeah.â He seemed skeptical.Â
âAlright. One large Irish coffee, coming right up. Whatâs the name for that?â
âDean.â You nodded as you wrote down his name on the cup. As you were brewing the coffee, you heard a loud crash coming from the kitchen. You quickly set aside what you were doing and ran to the back.Â
âJo?â You called. Your best friend looked at you sheepishly as there were scattered cups on the floor. âJesus Christ woman, you almost gave me a heart attack.â
âIs everything okay back here?â Dean asked, rushing into see the two women. âI heard a crash and wanted to make sure everything was okay.â  His eyes widened in surprised as he looked at Jo. âJo, hey.â He cleared his throat awkwardly.
âOh, hey, uh-â Jo stumbled.
âDean.â You whispered.
âDean. Right, I knew that.â
âNo, you didnât.â Jo glared at you as she hit the back of your head.
âIâm just gonna go and wait for my coffee.â As soon as he was out of ear shot, you bursted out laughing.Â
âOh shut up!âÂ
You continued laughing as you went back to the counter. âIâm sorry for laughing.â You apologized in between breaths. âItâs just. . . Joâs my best friend and she always looks for a chance to embarrass me, so whenever I get the chance to embarrass her, I take it.â
Dean cracked a smile. âYeah, Iâm like that with my brother.â
âI have a brother too.â You said, continuing to brew Deanâs coffee. âHeâs five years older than me. Treats me like Iâm a child.â
âItâs an older brother thing.â He grinned, leaning on the counter. âI act like I know more than him just because Iâm older. Itâs a complex.â
âAlright, hereâs your Irish coffee.â You smiled, handing him the drink.
He took a small sip of the coffee, fully prepared to be hit with bitterness. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he liked the taste. It wasnât too bitter or sweet, and the Irish Whiskey was a great bonus. âWow, this is great.â
âThanks, Iâve been trying out some new blends. I hope to convince my boss to add some new stuff to the board. But heâs a pain in my ass.â Dean chuckled.
âWell, Iâll definitely be back. This is much better than that crappy diner coffee.â Once Dean was gone, you called out to Jo, telling her that it was safe to come out.
âWell, that was awkward.â As Jo went to hit you again, you grabbed her wrist. âI love you, but I swear, the next time you hit me, Iâll hit you back.â Jo held her hands up in surrender, knowing full well that you would keep your promise.
Around three oâclock, you clocked out, finally going home for the day. You were exhausted and just wanted to get home to your cat, Storm. The days were getting shorter and the nights were getting cooler. It was becoming fall, the leaves were changing to a beautiful orange-red color, and every store you went inside smelled like pine cones.Â
You unlocked the door to your apartment, setting down your keys and bag on the small table by the door. You clicked your tongue, calling out to your cat. He came instantly, wrapping his body around your ankle. âHey, Storm. Did you have a good day?â Storm purred loudly as he continued to weave back and forth in between your legs.
You refilled Storms food bowl before going to sit down on the couch. You will still crunching for midterms, and it was awful, to say the least. You were hardly retaining anything that you were reading. Nothing seemed to be sticking.
You sighed as you threw your textbook aside. Instead of studying like you should have been, you decided to call your friend, Jack. You, Jack and Jo had been friends since you were kids, all going to the same elementary school. Granted, your parents had forced you to spend time together, but you grew to be close friends.
âHey, Y/n!â Jackâs face popped up on the screen. âIâve missed you.â
âIâve missed you too.â You smiled. âI feel like we havenât talked in ages. Ever since you decided to go to college in North Carolina. Duke sucks, by the way.â
Jack laughed, his honey blond hair falling in his eyes. âDuke does not suck, Iâll have you know. Itâs one of the most prestigious schools in the south.â
âOh yeah, because the south is soooo great.â You teased.
âIt is great, Y/n. Once you get past the bipolar weather, itâs nice. The food and drinks are amazing too.â
âWell, you better be getting your ass over here for Christmas. I havenât seen you in months. Jo and I miss you a lot.â
âSpeaking of Jo, howâs she doing? Does she still arrive âfashionably lateâ to everything?â
âDuh.â You snorted. âHave you met Joanna Beth Harvelle?â
âSadly.â He muttered.Â
âDonât act like you donât love her. She may be an annoying bitch, but sheâs our annoying bitch.â You both laughed, genuine smiles on your faces. It had been so long since you actually smiled. For months now, it felt like you had been drowning in the ocean, trying to break the surface, but never quite reaching it. You could hear other people around you talking, laughing, out living your life while you just stayed stuck.
You had so desperately wanted your senior year of college to be normal, to return to normal, at least. You wanted to enjoy everything that the last year of college had to offer. You wanted to get wasted at parties, hook up with hot guys, or girls, you didnât really care. You just wanted to be happy, but things were so much more complicated than that.
âOkay, I really hate to leave so soon, but I have a date tonight.â Jack seemed proud of himself. He was awkward when it came to the female species, aside from you and Jo, he never really talked to other girls. He could never seem to say the right things to them, and it always turned out weird.
You pouted, sticking out your lip. âAww, okay. Well, as soon as itâs over, call me. I want to know how it went.â
âWill do. Bye, Y/n. Love you.â
âLove you too.â And just like that, you were left alone with your thoughts again.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Tag List:
@akshi8278â @laycblack  @lovememisha
If anyone else would liked to be tagged when the next chapter comes out, let me know!
#dean winchester x reader#dean winchester x yn#dean winchester x y/n#dean winchester x you#dean winchester#supernatural au#supernatural imagine#supernatural x reader#dean winchester imagine#dean winchester au#coffee shop au#jo harvelle#chuck shurley#sam winchester#castiel#jack kline
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Link
The call comes sooner than Pamâs expecting, though honestly sheâs not even sure what she expects now that a good chunk of her life is back in shambles, just when she thought she had finally gotten her shit together.
She knows itâs a mess of her own making, for once again allowing emotions to prevail over reason, but it still hurts, the pain somehow worse than it was a decade ago. Back then, when she and Ellen first walked away from each other, Pam knew that Ellen would always have a piece of her heart. But now? Now it feels like she left it entirely in Houston, her chest aching and hollow.
She answers the phone on her desk without thinking, on autopilot after a late drive back to Austin, a sleepless night tossing and turning on a motel bed, and not enough caffeine in the shitty coffee from the faculty lounge.
âPam Horton,â she says in the most upbeat voice she can muster, cradling the receiver to her ear.
âPam, itâs Larry.â
Breath catching in her throat, sheâs torn between dread and hope. She briefly considers hanging up, but Larryâs next words make her hand still.
âSheâs a mess. Youâve gotta at least talk to her.â
Tears sting Pamâs eyes and she squeezes them shut. âI canât do that.â She knows she couldnât bear to hear the heartbreak in Ellenâs voice, or worse, see it spread across her face.
âWhy not?â
âYou already know.â
Larry sighs on the other end. âLook, I know you think youâre doing whatâs best for Ellen. But she deserves a say. Donât take that away from her.â
She wants to snap at him to mind his own damn business, irritation spiking. She doesnât need Larry twisting the knife when heâs had a decade of reaping the benefits of his marriage to Ellen. But she bites the inside of her cheek and manages to refrain. Itâs not Larryâs fault that things are the way they are, at least not entirely. Pam keeps her voice steady when she says instead, âThanks for calling, Larry.â
âPam, wait--â
âBye.â
Pam hangs up the phone quickly, already feeling worse than she already had. But she refuses to cry. Itâs all for the best, she tells herself as she leans back into her desk chair. For all of them.
She got over Ellen Wilson once before.
She can do it again.
Eventually.
But today is definitely not that day.
Especially not when Pamâs hunkered down inside one of the collegeâs fallout shelters, breathing in stale air and wondering like the rest of her students whether the next breath could be their last. Theyâre surrounded by thick slabs of concrete and rebar. In one corner are two massive water tanks that the custodial staff have been trying to fill since the harsh blare of the air-raid siren blanketed the campus in panic and confusion. A few other instructors huddle around a transistor radio, anxiously awaiting any word that the emergency is over.
If Pam could, sheâd laugh at the absurdity of it all. Because of course the world could end in nuclear armageddon the day after she left the love of her life.
She knows she should try to comfort her small class of budding writers, who fidget on the cold metal of their folding chairs. Should maybe tell them that everythingâs gonna be all right. But Pam knows better than to lie, so she keeps silent, mind zigzagging from one thought to the next.
Pulse pounding in her temples, she wonders if her parents made it to their bunker and wishes that she had returned their last calls sooner. Hopes, with a pang between her ribs, that Elise has made it to safety. Tries not to imagine Flannery, their Maine Coon cat, cowering beneath what used to be their bed.
But most of all, she thinks of Ellen.
Always Ellen.
She allows herself, in a moment of weakness, to envision how the morning would have gone if she had just stayed. Pam would have held Ellen close, forever amused by the fact that the fearless astronaut--the girl who caught the tank, no less--always preferred to be the âlittle spoon,â back tucked snugly against Pamâs front, their legs curled into one anotherâs. And before sheâd have to slip out of bed to solve the latest crisis at JSC, Ellen wouldâve turned in Pamâs arms and warmed her with a gentle kiss.
Regret squeezes her lungs so hard, she almost canât breathe, and she forces herself to suck in air and push it back out. It must come out harsher than she intends because one of her students leans toward her, forehead creased with worry.
âYou okay, Ms. Horton?â
Pamâs lips form a wholly unconvincing smile. âIâm fine, Judy.â Snapping out of her stupor, she reaches inside her messenger bag on the floor, pulling out a small notebook and a pencil.
âWhatâre you doing?â Judy watches Pam flip to an empty page.
âPouring out a double,â Pam deadpans. âWhat does it look like Iâm doing?â
âHow can you write at a time like this?â Another student, Valerie, asks.
Pam canât tell them the truth. That if she doesnât do this, she just might break down entirely.
So she merely shrugs as she presses lead to paper. âHow can you not?â
Somehow, the world survives.
All thanks to a handshake in space.
When the news breaks over the radio, Pam is weak-kneed from relief, clapping and cheering with her students and colleagues. She wipes away the wetness on her cheeks as pride swells within her, knowing that astronauts sheâs known and loved saved them all.
In some small way, it makes her feel justified in her decision to leave Houston. Even though Ellen herself wasnât on the Apollo, Pam knows she would have been involved in the ultimate outcome. Ellen was born for leadership, and had so much good yet to do. Pam did the right thing in removing herself as an obstacle on Ellenâs path. Right? Right.
Her fellow professors want to celebrate their new lease on life. But Pamâs exhausted and wants nothing more than to crawl back to her motel room with some bourbon and pass out. So she takes her leave, picks up Chinese takeout, and swings by the liquor store where she buys a bottle of Michterâs, convincing herself that she selected it for its quality, and not because itâs Ellenâs favorite.
A shower, full belly, and three sheets to the wind later, Pam finds herself on top of the squeaky motel bed, surfing the late-night news for NASA coverage. Purely as a concerned citizen, of course, and not to catch a glimpse of the agencyâs beautiful acting administrator. Thereâs nothing, though, and Pam lays her right arm over her eyes to block out the spinning room.
She dreams of Ellen.
Always Ellen.
Theyâre on the gray surface of the moon, surrounded by the twinkling darkness of the star-studded universe. Ellen, in her white space suit, is walking in the distance, her legs skip-floating across the dusty surface. Pam, however, is left exposed in the vacuum, unfathomably alive as she runs after Ellen. Or makes the attempt, hopping in weak gravity. No matter how hard she tries to cross the distance, the farther Ellen seems to pull away.
Her chest hurts, but Pam calls out anyway.
Iâm sorry.
I love you.
Please.
Her words are swallowed by cold silence.
Pam wakes with a gasp, swallowing air into her lungs, heart pounding against her ribs. Blinking rapidly, it takes her several long seconds to remember where she is, the motel room slowly coming into focus. The televisionâs still on, now airing the morning news. Empty takeout boxes remain scattered on a small desk. For some reason, the roomâs phone is off its hook, dangling off the side of the nightstand to her right.
Pam chokes back a sob.
Ellen doesnât try to contact her, as Pam feared she might after her last conversation with Larry.
She should feel relieved. It's what she had wanted, and intended, when she left the letter on Ellenâs bed. And yet, she canât stem the undercurrent of disappointment that lingers.
The news about Tracy and Gordo Stevens breaks while Pam's searching for a new apartment. Sitting in her favorite pub in Clarksville, tucked away on a quiet street in the historic neighborhood, sheâs halfway through the newspaper classifieds when a sudden hush descends. One of the servers turns up the volume on the television above the bar. Photos of Tracy and Gordo in their blue flight suits flash on screen, their smiles confident and bright.
A news anchor says something about an accident at Jamestown, and how they and two other astronauts had lost their lives during the repairs. The exact details are lost on a shell-shocked Pam, a pencil slipping through her now slack fingers. It seems like only yesterday that she was pouring drinks for them both. They had been two of Pamâs favorites--Gordo with his terrible jokes and off-key singing, and Tracy with her kind smile and quiet determination.
They had always treated Pam as one of their own, and she canât believe theyâre gone.
It doesnât feel real, and yet itâs now reality.
A few weeks later, every channel airs the funeral in Arlington National Cemetery. Elise has it on the television when Pam drops by their house to pick up the last of her things. Well, itâs not their house anymore, technically. Itâs Eliseâs until the lease to the small rambler expires at the end of the month.
They havenât seen each other since Pam had left Elise for Ellen, and itâs every bit as awkward as Pam expected. Elise has every right to be hurt and angry, and Pam wouldnât blame her if she felt the need to lash out. But Elise is civil, almost disconcertingly so, keeping her expression neutral as she walks ahead of Pam to the living room.
âI went ahead and packed the rest of your stuff.â Elise crosses her arms, maintaining her distance.
âYou didnât have to do that.â Pam ducks her head. Elise is nothing but efficient. Itâs one of the things Pam loves about her. âBut thank you.â
âIâll let you get to it.â Elise nods and returns to sit on the couch.
A suitcase and several boxes are waiting next to the dining table. Flannery greets Pam instantly, curling around her ankles. Smiling, Pam bends down to pick up the orange Maine Coon.
âHey, little guy, Iâve missed you,â she murmurs into his soft, fluffy fur. Flannery purrs in response.
On the TV screen, the president is giving a speech at the cemeteryâs white-marble memorial amphitheater. Behind him are four coffins draped in the stars and stripes, and Pamâs heart clenches.
âDid you know them, too?â Elise cradles a mug between her hands as she watches the coverage.
âI knew the Stevenses, yeah,â Pam admits quietly.
âGuess thereâs a lot you didnât tell me,â Elise huffs out.
Guilt courses through Pam as she gently lowers Flannery back onto the floor. He meows in protest. âIâm sorry. I wasnât trying to hide it from you. It was just a part of my life I wanted to forget, I guess.â
Elise doesnât respond, her eyes glued to the news coverage, where the camera pans to the crowd. Pamâs breath stills when she catches a glimpse of Ellen in black standing solemnly between Danielle Poole and Molly Cobb. Sheâs on screen for less than three seconds, but itâs enough to discombobulate Pam, who tamps down another swell of grief.
âIâm surprised,â Elise says suddenly, turning her head to regard Pam. âThat youâre not there with her.â
I would be, Pam thinks, in a better world. But thatâs not the one they live in, and Pamâs not even sure sheâll live to see the day when relationships like theirs will be accepted or, at the very least, tolerated without condemnation.
âItâs not my place,â Pam says vaguely.
She canât bring herself to tell Elise the truth of what she had done, how in the end she had let Ellen go for the greater good. The pain is still too fresh. Without elaborating further, she picks up the first box with a slight grunt. Itâs heavier than it looks.
It takes only a few minutes to load up her car, both amazed and sad that the tangible portion of a life with someone amounted, in the end, to so very little. Elise meets her just outside the storm door with the suitcase, saving Pam one more trip inside.
âListen, I justâŚâ Elise bites the corner of her lip, brow pinched. âI want you to be happy. And Iâm trying to understand, butâŚâ
âI know.â Pam attempts a smile sheâs sure comes out half-hearted and weak. âI want you to be happy, too.â
âJust not together.â
âEliseâŚâ Pam exhales slowly through her nostrils. A car rumbles down the street behind her. âI think,â she swallows against a lump forming in her throat, âif Ellen hadnât walked back into my life, you and I would still want different things.â
Disappointment ripples across Eliseâs face, and another wave of remorse washes over Pam. Children have been a sticking point between Pam and Elise, and it isnât an issue that would simply resolve itself with time. Elise deserves someone who wanted, without hesitation, to build a family with her. And as much as Pam loves her, she just isnât that person.
Pam takes in a deep breath. âWe were friends before. Maybe⌠maybe one day we could be again.â
Elise only stares, blinks once, twice. âMaybe. I need some time, I think.â
âI understand.â
Nodding, Elise opens the screen door, but pauses before stepping back inside. âTake care of yourself, Pam.â
âYou too.â
The door closes with a soft click that nevertheless feels loud in its finality. On a long exhale, Pam picks up the suitcase and walks away.
Life moves on, as it always does, without a care for tragedy or triumph.
In some ways, itâs easier than the last time Pam put herself through a hard reset. Sheâs not starting from scratch in a new city, or struggling to make ends meet as she works her way through grad school. She has her health, her career, and her freedom to live her life out in the open.
Pam settles into her new apartment in Clarksville. Itâs better than the hole-in-the-wall she had rented way back when in Houston, but not by much. Still, itâs hers and sheâs grateful for the distraction of unpacking, organizing, and decorating. Between those tasks and teaching, she doesnât have time for much else.
But sometimes, in quiet moments alone, usually in bed staring up at her dark ceiling, her mind wanders and wonders--just how different would her life be if she had gone down the roads not taken. What if she had stayed with Ellen a decade ago? Could she have tolerated Ellenâs marriage to Larry? Would she have been able to stand the constant fear and anxiety from Ellenâs stints on the moon, not being able to have the same privileges as other spouses and wives? And what of Ellenâs potential foray into politics? Could Pam have found the strength to support her without resentment?
Pam doesnât know, and will never know, but she explores the possibilities in poems jotted down in notebooks, stories scrawled in journals, and snippets scribbled on restaurant napkins and whatever scraps of paper she can find when the muse strikes. It helps, she thinks. Or hopes.
And so she pushes forward one day at a time: eat, sleep, teach, write. Eventually, she becomes so engrossed in the routine that she blocks out nearly all else, completely missing the news about NASAâs acting administrator stepping down to the surprise of the Reagan administration.
"Pens down, that's all she wrote folks!"
There's a palpable sense of relief around the room, even as some of the first-year students groan when Pam calls time on their final exam.
"Come on, it wasn't so bad, right?" She smiles from her desk as they turn in their papers. "I'm proud of you all. Have a terrific break."
Pam gets up to erase the instructions she had written in the blackboard. The chalk dust makes her nose crinkle, and she brushes her hands off on the front of her pants. Once the classroom empties out, Pam gathers the exams and slips them inside her messenger bag, cursing under her breath when she accidentally knocks a pen from her desk.
As she bends down to retrieve it, the door opens once again.
"Be with you in a sec." Pam stretches her arm to grasp the pen. Straightening back up, she turns to greet her student. "What can I do forâŚ"
Her heart stops.
Ellen Wilson smiles.
"Hi, Pam."
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From attack mode to baby mode final
with his diaper bag packed and Leo dressed and ready to go, Baby Yusei was helped into a large stroller by his 'big bro and sis' though he fussed and whined a little as he tried to get comfy in the dark blue thing.
Oh, it was big enough that he barely had to bend his legs to fit in and everything and it was padded so it felt like he was on a pillow but still, some small part of him felt like he should be WALKING.
Luna had gotten his diaper bag and some toys packed away in the under carriage and it was Leo who was shaking a rattle in Yusei's face trying to calm him down.
"shhh it's ok little guy! Look I know you wanna walk to the park like a big kid, but you ALSO know you're just gonna get tired and wanna be carried. you can run around LOTS once we get to the park ok?" Leo tried.
Sucking on his paci and squirming in his thick diapers and pretty outfit, Yusei sighed and stopped his fusing but reached out with his hand, opening and closing it.
the universal gesture of 'gimme' among babies and toddlers (and some adults)
Leo smirked and pulled the rattle back towards himself for a Second as Luna stood up and Yusei whimpered and whined, reaching with both hands now.
He didn't really get why he wanted the damn thing SO much but he could feel the tears building up as he stained for it.
"Leo! Stop teasing him and give him the rattle or you'll be joining him in the stroller!" Luna scolded, hands on her hips.
with how fast he tossed the rattle into the stroller for Yusei to play with it, you'd of sworn the thing had become super hot to the touch, but Yusei just giggled and grabbed it, shaking it lots and sucking on his paci.
The walk to the park wasn't all that long, but somehow they seemed to past half the people they knew on the way. Each and every time they were stopped Yusei was sure he was about to be laughed at, or get asked what the hell he was doing but everyone just treated him like he'd always been a little sissy baby.
'Huh, some sorta..re-writiing of history? a illusion of sorts? who's got the power to pull off something like this?" Yusei wondered, going deep in thought even as he kept shaking the rattle.
So deep in thought was he he didn't realize that Crow had been looking down at him till the orange haired duelist reached in and light brushed his fingers on Yusei's nose, then put his thumb between two fingers.
"Got your nose!" Crow teased and Yusei giggled at that and reached up with a free hand, trying to get it back.
Crow teased him for about 10 seconds before relenting and Yusei just let his instincts in this time line or whatever was going on take over. To that end once he got a hand on crow's, he dropped the rattle and put his other hand on Crows and made a snatching motion then put both his hands onto his face and giggled as he removed them, implying he'd put his nose back.
"Oh my, such a clever baby! I know when I'm Licked." Crow chuckled and ruffled Yusei's hair. "You guys have fun but don't stay out too long, it's gonna be a scorcher today and you don't want the baby getting a sun burn."
Advise given, the duelist walked off and the trio finally made they're way into the park, heading right for the playground equipment.
Well almost right for, Luna took them to a park bench first and started to get some things unloaded while Leo amusingly started to jog in place.
"Can I go play now? Can I go play now? Can I go play now?" He kept asking.
"remind me again which one of us is technically older?" Luna asked, rolling her eyes. "and if you'd help me get some toys out and get Yusei set up in the sand box, you can go and hit the swings."
"Finnnne." Leo said and then grabbed the bucket that Luna offered and stuffed it with a toy shovel and rake and then dashed over to the sandbox to plant it for Yusei, and called over from the sand box.
"NOW can I go play?"
"I hope your not as hyper as him when you get to be his age Yusei." Luna said softly, smirking and undoing the straps of the Stroller and helping Yusei out even as he frowned a little.
'Huh? when i get to be his age? I'm older then he is!..aren't I?' Yusei wondered mentally.
He would of put more focus on that thought but as he was set on the the ground on all fours his body surprised him by taking off crawling at a fair speed heading for the sand box.
Luna kept up, though she was also clearly keeping one eye back on the stroller and then as they got to the sand box she stayed out to watch as Yusei climbed in and found the feeling of the sand between his fingers to rather interesting and kept grabbing big handful's of it and coo'ing, letting the paci fall from his mouth.
"Now remember Yusei, the sands for playing in, not for eating." Luna coo'ed.
"and try and leave some in the sandbox this time." Leo joked then gave Luna a pleading look and went to open his mouth,.
"Yes Leo, you can go and play now. but don't wander off anywhere by yourself. I don't wanna have to go looking for you again." Luna said, then raised a eyebrow and that caught Yusei's attention, and he noticed how Leo was hopping around.
"But first go and use the bathroom." Luna giggled.
"I don't have to!" Leo huffed, blushing.
"Leo, if you wet your trainers, you'll have to wear one of Yusei's diapers. do you want that?" Luna asked.
"..I'm gonna go and use the bathroom, but only cuz -I- wanna!" Leo huffed and then took off for the public restroom.
"Boys, am I rite?" Luna asked and smirked, leaning down and ruffling Yusei's hair.
He would of complained or pointed out he was a boy, but between his sissy outfit and the urge to make a sand castle the argument was gone from his mind in seconds.
The sand box didn't have anyone in it making Yusei king (or was that queen?) of the sand box for about the first 20 minutes he was playing in it.
he was amazed to find how fun it was to just dig his hands into the sand and pretend it was a sand monster but after a few minutes of that, it was time to get to work.
Any self respecting Queen of the sand box after all had to have his own castle, that was just common sense and spending 15 or so seconds planing it out, he took hold of the pail and shovel Luna had give him and got to work.
His Castle would be composed of grand towers where lots of guards could be stationed to protect their loving queen, and have a moat around it to trap the stinky heads from the evil fart nation. as such he picture a white stone castle with pink tiled roofs and a massive moat filled with hungry gators that loved to eat pants and undies but never people (he wasn't a monster after all) and would send the soldiers of the fart nation running home clutching they're butts and crying for mommy.
In practice however, it was bucket shaped mounts of sand already crumbling, with some twigs stuck in them for where the flags would be and the moat was drawn in the sand with his finger, him crawling and wiggling his padded behind as he went all around the castle.
turning around Yusei went to call out to Luna to come and see his amazing castle when a mean voice behind him caught his attention.
"Nice sand castle loser. looks more like a pile of dog crap!"
whirling around Yusei saw a 5-6 year old chubby boy with a blond crew cut and wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt that read 'fuck the rules' on the front of it. Despite mentally knowing he was older and should be bigger and stronger then this little twat monkey, Yusei felt himself trembling in fear.
"L-Leave me alone or I'll call my big sis and brother over!" Yusei stammered out.
"Awww is the widdle pamper packer gonna cry boo hoo hoo and whine for help?" The bully mocked, and rubbing his fists under his eyes mockingly.
Behind him not too fair off was a 12-13 year old in a similar outfit, only with a jean jacket and sporting a kool-aid dyed green Mohawk. figuring it was the bullies big brother, the older boy was smirking and nodding his approval at his little brothers behavior, clearly proud.
'Great.normally I'd handle bullies like this with ease and instead I'm seconds away from wetting myself in terror.' Yusei thought then felt a warm gush in the front of his diapers. 'Never mind..'
"Ha! I heard that! Did the big dumb baby piss his pampers?" the brat said, sticking out his tongue and tugging down on a eyelid with one hand and flipping baby Yusei off with the other. "Here, this will really make you sob and fudge your huggies!" He said and then before baby Yusei could react, he raised a foot and stomped down on the sand castle, making quick work of it.
"N-No STOP!! I-I worked weally h-hard on..L-LUNA! L-LEO!" Yusei cried out, starting to wail.
He wasn't sure what they had been doing but within seconds they were at his side, with Luna kneeling down and trying to comfort Yusei and letting him blubber on her shoulder while Leo clenched a fist and got in the bullies face.
"What's wrong with you? Picking on a little kid?! I got half a mind to give you a taste of your own medicine!" He growled.
"go ahead, try it.. OH Maxxxxx!" The little bully called, and the punk from before strolled over.
"There a problem here billy?" the boy asked, smirking and making sure his much more developed then normal for his age muscles showed.
"This green haired little snot is threatening to kick me butt!" Billy said with a smirk."Can you kick his instead?"
"Sure thing little dude." Max said and went to go and deliver a punch to Leo's face, making Leo flinch and turn away, but he never should of worried, the punch was caught by Luna, who looked totally pissed.
"You know..I hate fighting..I would prefer to settle things with a duel." She said, and twisted and squeezed on the fist in her hand, making Max drop to a knee even as he tried with no success to pry her hand off of him.
Billy yelped and then went to attack Luna but Leo stuck out a arm and the soon to be ex bully clothesline himself, doing a 360 before landing face first in the sand, eyes rolling in his head.
"Billy!"Max cried out.
"Is not your concern right now. your little brother made our little baby sissy cry. then you went to attack my twin brother...as I was saying, just because I don't LIKE to fight, doesn't mean I won't. I'm giving you ONE chance to say sorry, and take Billy and leave, Or I'll show you the true meaning of pain." Luna said, eyes burning.
Yusei sniffled and watched in amazement at the sight in front of him, and felt his bowels giving away, filling up the back of his diaper..
'remind me never to piss big sister off!' he thought and stuck a thumb in his mouth, only to pull it out and make a face because the sand on it.
"I..I..I'm sorry." Max was whimpering. "Please just let me go!"
Luna went from a living nightmare to smiling sweetly and let go of Max's fist, and leaning down.
"I hope next time we see you on the playground we can all play ni-" She was saying when Max went for a sucker punch.
Luna blocked it with one arm and punched him across the chin, sending max into a heap next to his brother.
"heh.. gonna call them the candlelight brothers." Leo chuckled, going over and checking on Yusei.
"Hmmm?" Luna asked, turning around and joining him.
"one blow and their out."
"heh, nice. Though I think we better call it a day.. I think we're attracting a bit too much attention." Luna said, looking around at all the stares they were getting. "Besides it smells like somebody made a super stinky diaper!"
Luna added, leaning down and tickling Yusei who giggled and gurgled despite the hot smelly load in his pampers.
Getting back home Luna got Yusei changed into a fresh diaper while Leo when and started the landry, and once the baby was all nice and clean she just had him in a light pink top with purple text that read 'little stinker' in cursive.
"I'm sorry you fun at the park today got ruined little one." Luna was saying, getting Yusei's attention as he seemed to drift out of it for a second.
he couldn't be sure but it seemed like everything in the house was just a bit bigger then it had been before they had left.
'But that's impossible..I'm not shrinking..then again I've woken up to a world where I'm a sissy baby and Luna's a freaking super sayian sooo I guess nothing really is impossible at this point.' Yusei thought.
"It's s'ok Big sis, not your fault people are big stinky farts." Yusei coo'ed, making Luna giggle.
"well put little one. Well I suppose we could watch some cartoons. " Luna said, giving Yusei a hug.
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Cinnamon and Hazelnut
Title: Cinnamon and Hazelnut
Fandom: DC Universe/Superman
Characters: Clark Kent x ReaderÂ
Words:Â Âą 1500
Description: (Y/N) takes a stroll through the park and gets an unexpected surprise.
Square Filled: Fall for @anyfandomgoesbingoââ
Warnings: None really. Slight scare. Intense kiss. More fluff than anything.
Authorâs Note: First time writing anything that wasnât Supernatural related. I hope you enjoy and please leave any feedback on what you think! I donât own any photos or gifs used in this fic.Â
A special thank you to @writeyourmindawayâ for the dividers! I love them!
**Disclaimer; I donât own any of the photos or gifs used in this fic.**
Interested in more of my work, check out the link below.
Masterlist

Metropolis was beautiful this time of year; the trees were so lively and full of color, and the city was buzzing with cheer as everyone prepared for the coming holidays. Even with the chilly fall breeze and increasingly bitter weather, the season never failed to bring a smile to (Y/N)âs face.Â
She hugged herself a little tighter as another frigid gust blew past her, causing a shower of leaves to cascade down around her. The colder the weather got, the more grateful she was for the plaid scarf Clark had recently gifted her. She hadnât been too fond of the color choice at first - it was a mixture of warm autumn colors; splashes of brilliant reds, vibrant yellows, various browns and burnt oranges.
But, despite her initial dislike of the garment, she couldnât bring herself to actually tell Clark this. Knowing her boyfriend and his Kansas heart of gold, he bought it with good intentions and she wouldnât (and couldnât) diminish any joy from his steel blue eyes. It was the thought that counted anyway, right? And so, to satisfy her guilty conscience, she wore it every time mother nature decided to show her uglier side.
(Y/N) sighed with content as she continued along the cobblestone path, her boots heavy against the stone as she crunched through the fallen leaves. The path was encased by an overhanging of thick branches and leaves that were ever changing and breathtaking in the early morning sun. This was her favorite place to find peace, hidden by skyscrapers and tucked away into the heart of the city. It was so quiet this early in the morning, with the exception of a few morning song birds, and it sort of became her own fortress of solitude in a way.Â
She only slowed in her stroll when she approached the old bridge overlooking the lily pond, pausing to lean over the stone edge and peer down into the water. She tipped her head curiously, gazing down at her own reflection and smiling softly at herself. She supposed the scarf wasnât too bad after all; it was soft and warm and the colors went surprisingly well with her red coat. Sheâd make a point to thank Clark one more time.
(Y/N) didnât know how long sheâd remained there on the bridge, watching - mesmerized really - by the fluttering leaves and the way they rippled against the waterâs surface. Time seemed to be irrelevant here and that was something she was perfectly okay with.Â
But then, seemingly out of nowhere, there was someone suddenly behind her and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end with the closeness, her body naturally tensing and preparing for fight or flight. She hadnât been expecting anyone.
She spun when the unknown person got closer, instinctively spinning and swinging a hand toward the strangerâs face in defense. Her open palm swiped past the manâs nose, nearly missing connection as he ducked back out of the way, the hot coffees sloshing out over their lids and onto his hands (he feigned a hiss of pain.). âWhoa, hey!â Came the familiar voice. His thick rimmed glasses shifted down to the end of his nose with the sudden movement, his blue eyes wide with surprise and his curly hair tousled out of place, leaving a single curl dangling in front.
âJesus Chri- Clark!â (Y/N) gasped with surprise, her hand grasping at her chest in an attempt to ease her racing heart. Her (Y/E/C) eyes were as wide as his, her chest rising and falling with quickened gasps. âYou scared the crap out of me.â She shook her head and ran a nervous hand through her (Y/H/C) hair, swiping it back and out of her face.Â
âOh jeez, Iâm sorry (Y/N). I didnât mean to startle you.â Clark admitted sheepishly, setting down the coffees and brushing the hot liquid off his hands with the back of his jeans. He could hear the rapid rate of her heart and he genuinely felt bad for giving her such a fright. He quickly pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. âItâs just that IâŚ. I wanted to surprise you⌠before heading into work.â He offered her a shy smile, motioning toward the coffee stained paper cups resting on the ledge. He readjusted the strap of his leather satchel bag.Â
(Y/N) sighed as she followed his gaze, her expression softening and filling with adoration. He really was the sweetest. She picked up the cup labelled with her name (or something she assumed was supposed to be her name. Those coffee shops can never seem to spell anything right.).Â
âHazelnut?â She asked, casting a curious gaze up at him from under her lashes, her perfect brow arching in question. She brought the cup to her lips, but didnât take a sip yet. She could feel itâs warmth radiating through the cup and into the palms of her hands. She inhaled itâs alluring scent, her mouth watering.
Clarkâs smile shifted and curled up at one side, moving in to place his hands at either side of her waist. âOf course.â He promised, peering down at her through his false glasses. âExactly the way you like it⌠extra foam anâ all.â He recited her order, his voice deep and assuring, knowing it like the back of his hand. He lifted a hand and brushed his knuckles over the smooth skin of her cheek, using his fingers to tuck a defiant hair behind her ear before finding its place back at her hip.Â
She felt her face flush and darken with heat at the sudden contact, this time welcoming the closeness. This was so unlike Clark, to be so firm and confident. His hands felt so large and strong against her hips. She smiled up at him before taking a cautious sip from her coffee, not wanting to burn herself. She hummed with delight as the warmth spread through her. The sound of her satisfaction widened the smile on Clarkâs face and made his own heart flutter.Â
 Clark stared down at her with adoring blue eyes, soaking in every detail down to the very last freckle and imperfectly perfect strand of (Y/H/C) hair. Her face got warm again and she got increasingly self conscious under his intense gaze. âWhat?â She asked with a nervous laugh, ducking her face a little to try and hide.
Clark caught her chin and tipped her face back up, meeting her with a look of love and affection. âDonât do that. Donât hide.â He commented softly, brushing his thumb against her jaw. His skin felt rough against hers - from the years of working on the farm, she assumed. âNot from me.â She sucked in a shaky breath and met his gaze once again, her heart pounding heavily in her ears.Â
She watched as his gaze shifted from her eyes, dropping to her parted lips before wetting his own. She watched as his tongue darted out and his hand snaked around to the back of her neck, entangling it into her hair. He leaned in slowly, hesitated for a moment before closing the distance.Â
(Y/N) inhaled sharply and her senses were overwhelmed by Clark; a scent so intoxicating and delicious (fresh cinnamon and something else she couldnât quite put her finger on) that it made her head spin⌠or maybe that was just the effect he had on her? She didnât know anymore, nor did she care.Â
His lips seemed to hesitate at first before finding their rhythm, moving in time with hers. She parted her lips during the exchange and invited him in - which he accepted eagerly. Their tongues twisted and danced together, tasting and indulging in their favorite flavors.Â
This wasnât the first time theyâd kissed and it certainly wouldnât be the last⌠but there was something about this kiss that felt⌠different. Good⌠great even, but different. It was something that (Y/N) was willing to discover further with Clark.Â
She felt his hand pull gently at the root of her hair and the sensation sent a shiver through her spin until it settled deep into her stomach where she knew it was fester and grow into something more. A soft, delicious moan escaped her throat, the sound causing Clark to falter in his movements and let out a groan of his own.
Clark was the one who pulled away first, leaving her breathless and dizzy. He didnât go far, pressing his forehead against hers with his hand still tucked behind her neck. His thumb rubbed against her jaw, just below her ear. Her eyes fluttered open after a moment, her mind finally catching up with her body.Â
âClark that wasâŚâ She mused, her voice breathy and awestruck. Her face was warm and her heart was still trying to beat out of her chest, this time in a much more welcoming manner. A smile broke out across her face.
The corner of Clarkâs mouth twisted into a confident smirk, able to hear and see the effects he had on her. His own heart mirrored hers, pounding heavily in his ears. âYeah.â He agreed, chuckling softly.
I hope you enjoyed that sweet Clark fic. Iâll be working on more in the near future! As always, please like, share and leave me some feedback!
#fall#fall square#clark kent#clark x reader#clark kent x reader#superman#man of steel#metropolis#fluff#fluffy#kiss#kissing#love#park#autumn#guppy#guppy writing#henry cavill#anyfandomgoes#anyfandomgoes2020
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A3 Actors! Knight in shining armour
Type: Oneshot
Pairing: Omi Fushimi x Reader
Themes: Love-longing / Subtle / Bitter / Hope
âNah, it can't beâ
âI swear on my lifeâ
âNo way!â
âI'm telling you Kazunari, it's like that every timeâÂ
The summer member laughed at the seriousness of your voice, leaning back on the couch of the dorm. Frowning at the lack of support you werenât expecting, you opened your mouth when the bell from the entrance rang, the strong voice of the main cook of Mankai annunciating his arrival.Â
Seeing this as an oportunity, you raised an eyebrow at the blond âWatchâÂ
Turning both of your heads towards the kitchen, you saw Omi entering with hands full of shopping bags.Â
âWelcome back, Omimi!âÂ
âHey, OmiâÂ
âIâm back. Oh, Y/Nâ he smiled as he left the food on the table âDidnât know you were coming today. I decided to go buy some things on sale and time flew byâÂ
You paid no mind to his apology. You had been the one to come unannounced after all âItâs fine. Hey Omi, I like you, want to go out with me?âÂ
âMhm?â Omi turned to you, blinking for a few seconds before he nodded, a warm smile on his face âWell, I donât see why not, itâs early. That new camera shop you told me last week, right? Iâll leave my things and we can goâÂ
As the university student left, you didnât even bother to look at Kazunari, moving your hands tiredly as if to say âwhat did I tell youâÂ
Startled, he looked at you both confused and fascinated "What theâŚ? That was high-key so-âÂ
Whatever he was about to say didnât get to leave his mouth, the loud voices of other autumn members arriving from the hall. Banri was commenting something about stances as he pointed Taichiâs script when he noticed you, glass of soda on the table next to a bag of chips. His expression changed from a focused one to entertained.Â
âAh, If it isnât the person who doesn't live here but itâs startinâ to look like itâÂ
You greeted them as if you took off an imaginary hat, not bothering to bite back âHey there Mr. Joker, TaichiâÂ
Banri scoffed, heading to the table to steal the food as the red-head cried indignantly âMan, why does Ban-chan always gets to be called that? Y/N, I also want a cool nickname!âÂ
You laughed.
âWhy would you want to be even called something by them?â Banri asked, taking a few chips. Frowning, you took the bag of chips from him and pinched him in the ribs âHey!â
"Jerk"
âYou say that because you got a badass nickname!â
âWhatever. Did you finally do something about Omi-san or whatâ
âCome on, not you too. I was talking about the same thing with Kazunari here two seconds ago!â
You had been Omiâs classmates in the photography club since your first year of university and falling in love with him was not something you had really planned. You were supposed to be friends. Nothing in between.
Easier to say than do, considering the boyâs personality and looks. Ever since his eyes kept locking warmly with yours, taking time to visit new places for panoramic shots or having lunch together to discuss your favorite ways to take photos at dawn⌠You knew you had pretty much fallen for that lovable and gentle giant.
He was kind, generous and was always a huge help whenever anyone had any kind of trouble. By the time you really started trying to show your feelings, you also discovered the reason why someone like him was still single.
"Why does everyone think I'm not doing anything?â you raised your arms, groaning tired âIâve tried everything, heâs just the thickest person I've ever seen in my entire life! It's like God put all the good things to show him off and went âHah, let's see who can crack this one!â Can you believe yesterday heâŚâ
You kept ranting. You were the first one who didnât know how he had gotten so much into your heart. His obliviousness drove was driving you crazy.Â
By the time you finished talking, everyone in that room was speechless. Banri, Kazunari and Taichi looked at each other.Â
âIâm backâ Omi appeared carrying a jacket and his camera âAh, did you guys finish practicing? We were about to go out, if you guys want to join- everything okay, Y/N?âÂ
Even though you were mentally facepalming, you lifted your head and nodded. Taking you bag, you waved as you headed towards the main door. Omi watched your back and started to follow you when Banri called him out.Â
âOmi-san, might wanna tell your significant other about tea, they seem more on edge than usualâÂ
He laughed, as if Banri had said some kind of joke âThey do look tired, right? Anyway, Iâll try to be back before dinner. If I'm late thereâs some stew on the pot so everyone can heat some rice to go with itâÂ
After closing the main door. The autumn members and Kazunari stood in silence processing what had just happened again.Â
                âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ
âYou were right, they had so many new adaptable lenses, I think I'll come here to buy the new stuff they told us they'll receive next weekâÂ
After visiting the camera shop- which was true you had wanted to go- you and Omi wandered around Veludo Way.Â
âDo you mind if we go to the park before we leave? I like the light it has around this timeâ he turned to you and watched you shrug, indicating you didn't mind.Â
âSure, youâre the boss nowâÂ
He chuckled, and your heart skipped a beat at the sound. He was so not fair.
Arriving at the park during dinner time meant the playground was mostly empty. Just a few kids playing here and there and birds chirping along in the background. The sky was turning a warm toasted orange tinted with red, with the wind howling between the branches of the trees, as if it knew that in the world there was no sweeter music than that of the sounds surrounding a sunset.
You loved sunsets.
âThatâs a great smile right thereâÂ
You rolled your eyes as you saw Omiâs camera focusing on you. You tried to look mad, but knew the smile that was on your face said otherwise âYou really need to stop doing those things. I already fell for youâÂ
Omi laughed turning and taking some other photos around you two. You lowered your gaze to the ground.
âOmiâ
âMmm?â
âI like youâ
âUh, me too?âÂ
âI know. I also have an important questionâÂ
âSureâ he put the camera in front of him, focusing on the sun hiding behind the buildings. Your eyes followed his movement longingly.
Omi was kind, compassionate, diligent. He was something brought out of a fairy tell. The knight in shining armour everyone wanted. You pursed your lips together. You loved him.Â
âY/N? Everything okay?âÂ
But maybe he didnât need someone like that at the moment.Â
From the corner of his eye, Omi peeked at you, putting the camera down and staring at the view in front of him. None of you spoke for a while, the only sound heard being of the birds and cars in the distance.
âYou⌠are an amazing person, Y/Nâ
You tried not to let the lump on your throat be noticeable and laughed, sitting on one of the empty swings around the place âI should be the one saying thatâ
He shook his head âUnlike me, you are not afraid of saying whatâs on your mind, and you act on it. Itâs... admirableâ
As you gripped the chains of the swing, you thought about the concept of knights in shining armour again.Â
They looked perfect, but perhaps they were like that because little things could truly find a way through their armour, hiding a self that was vulnerable and damaged.
âWill I be a bother⌠if I ask you to let me stay with you?â
The smile he had a few moments ago was replaced with a sigh when he looked at you âYou know, my siblings used to say I always looked like a big tree, big and dependableâ he chuckled âDonât know were they got it from but I-â
âWhat do you feel like?âÂ
Omi scratched the back of his head, thinking about it for a few seconds âSometimes I imagine myself as a leaf leaving a tree, you know. It⌠falls upward first, then slowly towards the groundâÂ
It was as if every ounce of breath was taken from your lungs and now floated in the air âWill... that leaf ever fully fall?â
âI want toâ he looked up at the horizon once again âOne dayâ
You smiled. You didnât mind waiting.
âOne dayâ
__________________________________________________________
I love Omi so much, he deserves everything good. I truly hope at some point he understands that too.
Hope you liked it! Have a wonderful day đ
#A3! Actor Training Game#a3! act! addict! actors!#a3 act#a3!#a3#omi fushimi#a3 omi fushimi#omi fushimi x reader#omi x reader#a3 omi#one shot#a3 banri#a3 taichi#a3 kazunari#reader insert#a3! mankai#sad ending?#hopefull ending
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52 Project #27: The Pale Bro
Five friends drove up the mountain into the forest, where the vacation cabin waited for them. It was their senior year of college, so it wouldnât be long before theyâd be graduating and going their separate ways, and who knew when theyâd all be able to hang out together again? So theyâd decided that this year, instead of going on spring break someplace where there were a ton of other people, theyâd spend break together in a cabin in the woods, because there was no possible way that that could go wrong.
They were just five totally ordinary college guys. Steve, a white dude with brown hair who loved video games and playing guitar; Trevor, a black dude with short hair who was on track to graduate magna cum laude and had already been accepted at a top medical school; Harrison, an outgoing, short, red-haired white dude who played soccer, but not, like, at career athlete level or anything; Evan, an Asian dude who kept his hair in a long ponytail, and whose family owned the cabin, who was planning on taking a year off after graduation to backpack around Asia and had sold it to his parents as an exploration of his heritage; and the Pale Bro, a twelve-foot tall dude with paper-white skin whose fingernails were like long razor blades and who was completely covered with eyes and mouths, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, cut-off shorts that would have been nearly pants on any other guy, and a pair of Vans on his feet. Just five ordinary young fellows, like anyone you might know.
Steve was driving the minivan, kinda wishing it was his dadâs SUV because of the effort of getting a minivan up the slope, but his dadâs SUV was in a different state and besides, it wouldnât have had room for the Pale Bro. The minivan was the kind where you could put down the back row of seats to expand the cargo capacity, and the Pale Bro had laid out a thick sleeping-bag style blanket on top of their suitcases and was laying on them now, curled sideways because there was no dimension where he could stretch out in the van. Must be rough for him, Steve imagined, always having to bend down or curl up to fit into buildings and vehicles with his bros. He never complained about it, though. He was a great friend.
âHow much farther is this place?â Harrison asked. âI gotta piss like you wouldnât believe.â
âIâve been unfortunately next to you at the urinals,â Trevor said. âIâd believe it.â
Steve checked the GPS. âShit. The GPS has just decided to get the vapors because itâs up too high. Itâs telling me Iâm literally in the middle of nowhere. Like, look at this.â He showed the screen to Evan. âWeâre in the middle of nowhere. It isnât even drawing the road.â
âDonât worry about it, I can guide you in from here,â Evan said. âJust stay on the road another 20 minutes or so.â
With a voice that rumbled like the sound of tectonic plates grinding together and the hiss of static from the birth of the universe behind it, the Pale Bro conveyed that there had better be some fucking food at the cabin, because he was starving.
âYou and me both, buddy,â Trevor said.
âWe all just got Burger King like, two hours ago,â Steve complained.
âYeah, well, me and Pale are tall dudes. We need more food than you.â Trevor smirked.
âThere should be food, I had a grocery delivery scheduled for earlier today and one of my parentsâ employees was supposed to swing by the place, pick it up and put it in the fridge.â
âThereâs a fridge at this cabin?â Harrison asked.
Evan looked at him. âYeah, dumbass, you think Iâd have suggested coming here if there was no fridge? Thereâs running water, too. It even gets hot if you run it long enough.â
âWell, excuse me for not being so rich I can afford to go to a cabin in the woods, ever, before now.â
âWhat else has it got?â Trevor asked.
âWell, thereâs three bedrooms, one of which has a king-sized bed and the other two have bunk beds. I figure, Pale Bro gets the big bed and we break up into twoâs and do the roommate thing. Thereâs a sofa bed too, in case someone really canât stand having a roommate. We donât have a washer or dryer, but if you only brought one pair of underpants and itâs getting really rank, weâve got detergent and a clothesline so you can wash them in the sink. Thereâs a dishwasher.â
âI would have put in a washer and dryer before I put in a dishwasher, personally,â Steve said.
âYeah, well, my mom had a different opinion. Anyway, itâs camping in the woods. Itâs not supposed to be just like if we were at home.â
âI call top bunk!â Harrison said.
âThereâs two top bunks. Both rooms have bunk beds.â
The Pale Bro expressed in a voice like a Gregorian chant of nightmares that he wanted to know if there was a bathroom in the master bedroom, because that shit would be sweet.
âNaah, man, sorry,â Evan said. âBut there is one of those really deep claw-foot bathtubs that you like.â
Like the rumbling of an oncoming avalanche, the Pale Bro opined that that was excellent.
***
âI donât believe this shit.â
They had just disembarked, the Pale Bro in the rear bringing his own suitcase and the beer cooler, which was the size of a mini-fridge, and everyone else dragging their suitcases in⌠except for Evan, who had gone directly to the kitchen without bringing in his own stuff yet. He came stomping out. âJoe never showed up, the bastard! Iâm totally having my dad fire his ass.â
âWhat do you mean?â Steve asked.
âI mean that food order never showed up. So we have canned food, and boxed food, but we donât have anything perishable. No bread, no lunchmeat, no eggs, no bacon, no orange juice, none of that shit.â He sighed. âIâm gonna have to drive down into town myself to get food, and we just got here.â
âHey, man, I can still drive the car,â Steve said. âYou just need to tell me where to go.â
âSteve, youâve been driving for 6 hours, youâre probably wiped. I can drive,â Trevor said. âItâs the least I could do with Evan buying our food.â
âYeah, but you bought the beer, man,â Evan said. âSo maybe Harrison needs to drive.â
âUh, hey, before anyone drives anywhere, maybe you should call and find out if your parents even know where that Joe guy who never showed up is, and if heâs all right?â Harrison called from outside.
âWhy?â
âJust⌠everyone come take a look at this!â
Everyone went outside and congregated around Harrisonâs find, which was a roughly humanoid, but clawed, tread that was at least three times the size of a normal footprint. Experimentally the Pale Bro put his own massive foot into the tread. Harrison whistled. The footprint was about 25% bigger than the Pale Broâs.
âDude. What is that? Is that a bear?â Harrison asked.
Trevor shook his head. âThose are sneaker treads, Har. Bears donât wear sneakers.â
In a voice that was the perfect auditory personification of the Zalgo font, the Pale Bro suggested that it looked like one of his cousins was back on its bullshit again.
âGoddamn,â Evan said. âThatâs a big fellow.â
âI think maybe if we go into town we should all go,â Steve said.
âWeâve just been driving all this time, though,â Evan said. âI wanted to relax, crack a cold one, put on some MP3s. We donât get Internet worth shit out here but Iâve got a huge music library on the stereoâs hard drive.â
The Pale Bro opined that before anyone drove anywhere, maybe he had better find his cousin and make it clear that if his cousin touched any of his friends he would shove its head so far up its ass it would be blinking shit out of its 27 eyes for a month.
âThat⌠sounds reasonable,â Trevor said. âSince we donât know what happened to Joe. We can hunker down here and wait for you to get back.â
âIâm pretty sure I got instant just add water pancake mix,â Evan said. âAnd my mom stocked this place with crappy dehydrated chicken pieces like the kind doomsday preppers buy. I could make a shitty chicken soup, weâve got bouillon and noodles. Oh, and thereâs a few cans of chili. Canned stuff is shit but I could maybe perk it up with some spices, some extra beans⌠put some rice in the cooker, I bet my mom left rice here, she buys like 100 pound bags of rice.â
Like the sound of Jupiter hovering in orbit above, rotating ponderously, the Pale Bro agreed that some canned chili with extra spices sounded pretty good considering how fucking hungry he was, and as soon as he found his asshole cousin heâd be back to eat with the rest of his bros. He also reminded them to save him some beer.
âDude!â Steve laughed. âWeâve got three keggersâ worth in that cooler! There will be plenty of beer for you.â
Evan called his parents as the Pale Bro left the house, and reported back, somewhat gray-faced. âThey said Joe never called in to say he got to the house. He reported picking up the groceries, he was headed up here, and then nada.â
âOh, well, then, you work on the chili,â Trevor said, âand me and the rest of the guys are gonna lock up all the windows and doors and put someone on watch for when the Pale Bro gets back. You donât have any guns up here, by any chance, do you?â
âNope, my parents arenât really hunters,â Evan said.
âWell, Iâve seen your kitchen at home, I know what kind of equipment your mom likes to stock. Weâll have plenty of sharp knives, Iâm betting.â
âYeah.â
And so as Evan attempted to turn six cans of canned chili into something his bros would find edible, and the Pale Bro stalked through the forest on the mountaintop looking for his asshole cousin, the other three made sure everything was locked up, that the car keys were secure, and that there were wicked cooking knives within easy reach, but not line of sight from the outside, of every door. Just like ordinary bros do, every day.
***
The Pale Bro stalked through the woods. Now, youâd think that being twelve feet tall and having a foot easily the size of a car tireâs diameter would make it hard to walk through a thickly wooded forest with plenty of underbrush, but the Broâs long, skinny arms and legs could easily step over bushes and shrubs, and could pivot in directions that didnât seem to quite exist within three-dimensional space. So he had very little difficulty making his way through the dense forest.
In the beginning, he was tracking the large treads that may or may not have been left by his asshole cousin, but the trail disappeared as it crossed a small creek. In a tone that sounded like the anthropomorphic personification of the trumpets of Jericho, the Pale Bro groaned, recognizing that heâd lost the trail and would have to search for it.
And so he went up the creek, and down the creek, and out from the creek, and up the trees around the creek, looking for any sign of his cousin⌠until he heard, in the distance, human voices.
Human female voices.
He stumbled through the woods, suddenly much clumsier than heâd been, following the sound of girls, until he half-fell out of the treeline and ended up in a clearing around another cabin, like Evanâs but bigger. The sounds were coming from around the corner of the cabin. The Pale Bro slid forward, long long legs making long long strides through the yard around the cabin, until a hot tub with a wooden deck came into view. The hot tub was on, and populated by five smokinâ hot girls.
There was a fair-skinned blonde girl, in a skimpy blue bikini that showed off all her curves, whose wavy hair floated angel-like around her head, improbably given that she was in a hot tub. There was a short, delicate black girl with hair in very wet braids and a soft, beautiful face, wearing a candy pink bikini. There was an Indian girl with long hair and an athletic build, with a red bindi mark on her forehead and a pale turquoise one-piece bathing suit with a little skirt, sitting on the deck and kicking her feet slowly in the water. A red-haired white girl with tan Mediterranean skin, tight curls, and a bright white bikini that stood out against her tan, had turned away from the tub and was looking directly at the Pale Bro, a slight smile on her face. The fifth girl was green and scaly, with webbed hands and golden eyes with nictating membranes; she didnât have hair, but she had betta-like, beautifully colored fins on her head that looked hair-like.
All of them were absolutely gorgeous.
The blonde girl shrieked and ducked into the tub; the black girl bounced and climbed out of the tub, a big grin on her face. âHi there, stranger!â she yelled from the rail around the deck. âWhy donât you come over and have a beer with us?â
The Pale Bro admitted in a tone like the creaking of an ancient rusted machine at the base of an abandoned windmill that that sounded awesome.
The green girl rolled her eyes. The Indian girl gave the black girl a questioning look. âAre you sure, Kayla?â
âCome on, Nandi,â the red-haired girl said. âI think heâs cute.â
The blonde girl came back up. âAre you inviting him over?â she asked, sounding horrified. âWhat if heâs a psycho killer?â
âOh, right,â the green girl said. âHeâs pale and tall and has eyes all over his body so he must be a psycho killer. Racist much?â
âNo! Heâs just a strange dude, thatâs all! You have to watch out for strange dudes!â
The Pale Bro explained in the voice of a broken subwoofer booming at outdoor concert sound levels underwater that he didnât really want to scare any of the girls and heâd go if they didnât want him here.
The green girl leaned her elbows on the edge of the hot tub. âForget Ashlee, sheâs just paranoid.â
âYou didnât want him coming over either, Yâlehna,â Nandi said quietly.
âI just knew that if Kayla invited him over, weâre gonna lose Rhiannon for the rest of the night,â Yâlehna muttered.
The red-haired girl, presumably Rhiannon, was smiling broadly at the Pale Bro now. âHey there,â she said. âWeâve got hard cider and hard lemonade, Bud, Corona and a couple of local microbrews. Whatâs your pleasure?â
In a voice that was actually surprisingly normal-sounding for once, the Pale Bro said heâd have whatever Rhiannon was having, which turned out to be hard cider.
He clambered up onto the hot tub deck, pulled off his sneakers, and soaked his feet in the hot tub, which barely came up to his knees.
âSo what are you doing around here? You donât live near here, do you?â Kayla asked.
And so the Pale Bro explained that he and his bros had decided to spend their last spring break of college together, in a cabin in the woods, because once graduation came they might never see each other again, and certainly even if they made excuses to get together on occasion, theyâd see each other a lot less.
âThatâs so sweet!â Kayla said.
âWeâre juniors,â Rhiannon said. âExcept Ashlee, sheâs a sophomore, and Yâlehnaâs technically a senior but sheâs planning on doing a fifth year. But we decided to hang out here because Ashleeâs parents just put in a hot tub.â
âHot tub!â Kayla sang out, and slid back into the tub. She was maybe just a little bit drunk.
As it turned out, they all went to the same university, and Yâlehna and the Pale Bro chatted for a bit about sports. âI tried out for the swim team,â Yâlehna said, âbut when they found out I had gills, they disqualified me because apparently part of the point of the sport is that you are only allowed to breathe gaseous oxygen?â
The Pale Bro commiserated, as he hadnât even tried trying out for the basketball team like he had once dreamed of, realizing that they would never allow someone who was taller than the hoop to play.
***
âI donât know, though,â Ashlee, who had warmed up to the Pale Bro once another hard lemonade was in her hand, said. She was lying in a deck chair rather than in the tub. âNormally I love this place, and the tubâs great, but something just feels really creepy today.â
âYouâve been on edge since we got here,â Nandi â whose full name turned out to be Nandini, but she insisted that the Pale Bro should use her nickname â agreed.
The Pale Bro was thus reminded that his bros were expecting him to track down what might be a killer who may or may not have murdered Joe, the guy who was supposed to bring in the groceries, and also that he was very hungry and the hard cider wasnât doing him any favors on an empty stomach. He pulled his feet out of the tub and confessed, in a voice like the grinding of the gears of the machinery that runs the universe, that his bros had sent him out to find a monster â he didnât mention that the monster was probably his cousin â who might have killed someone, and also that dinner was waiting for him back at the cabin.
âOh, you should bring them over!â Kayla said cheerfully.
âAre they all like you?â Rhiannon asked in a tone that might be considered âsultryâ by anyone not as oblivious as the Pale Bro.
The Pale Bro shook his head and admitted that his bros were all much shorter than he was.
Rhiannon put a hand on his arm. âWell, thatâs too bad, but I guess one handsome, tall fellow in a group is all I can expect, right?â
The Pale Bro looked at Rhiannonâs hand like it was an inexplicable glob that might be ice cream and possibly should be washed off, but equally possibly should be licked up.
Yâlehna said, âWhy donât you bring them over? They might be cute.â
âYeah,â Nandi said, âwe canât all fit in the hot tub at once, but didnât you say you had four friends back at your cabin?â
âThat makes five,â Ashlee said, âand thereâs five of us!â
âAlso,â Nandi said, âweâve still got, like, five pizzas in the house.â
This made the decision for the Pale Bro. He took the girls up on their offer of a couple of slices of pizza â they were cold, but he didnât mind â and then headed back to the cabin to let his bros know about the girlsâ offer.
***
The Pale Bro knocked on the window of the cabin, which apparently gave everyone inside heart attacks, even though heâd just meant to warn them to open the door for him. âJesus, Pale,â Evan complained. âThereâs a door.â
Within a few minutes â and after dropping his hard cider bottle in the recycling bin, because Evanâs family were big on recycling and the Pale Bro wanted to be polite â he had explained the situation to his bros.
âLet me get this straight,â Evan said. âYou didnât find any sign of Joe, you didnât find your cousin or any other kind of monster or killer, and you want us to leave and go hiking through the woods to go hang out at a cabin full of strangers?â
When Evan phrased it that way, the Pale Bro admitted that it didnât sound like a great idea, but on the other hand, there were five incredibly hot girls, plus a hot tub, plus pizza.
âNow letâs talk about this,â Trevor said. âHas anyone considered that if thereâs really a psycho killer or a monster loose in the woods, those five girls might be in a lot more danger than we are? Maybe we should go over there to help protect them.â
âYeah! And we could bring some of our beers, and Evanâs chili and riceââ Harrison suggested.
âFuck no, Iâm not making anybody else have to eat this chili,â Evan said. âItâs shit. Itâs just the best I could do with the supplies Iâve got.â He sighed. âToo bad I canât bring my tunes.â
âWe need to be careful about locking everything up,â Steve said. âWe really donât want to come home tomorrow morning and find the psycho killer waiting for us here.â
âOr a gaggle of rabid raccoons,â Evan said. âThatâs a thing around here.â
âDid any of you guys bring condoms?â Harrison asked. âBecause I didnât think weâd be seeing any action this weekend, so I didnât bring anyâŚâ
Trevor chuckled. âWe havenât even met these girls, Har. Arenât you jumping the gun a little?â
âHey, I like to be prepared.â
âIâve got a handful in my wallet, but I donât think Iâve got five of them,â Steve said.
The Pale Bro pointed out with laughter like the rolling of thunder in a distant cavern that probably none of Steveâs condoms would fit him anyhow, so it would be fine.
âYou donât have to eat that chili, man,â Evan said, observing that the Pale Bro had dumped half a rice cookerâs worth of rice onto a plate and then all the rest of the chili that the other bros hadnât eaten on top of that, and was currently chowing down. âItâs shit. I admit it. And you said you had some pizza.â
The Pale Bro declared that he was too hungry to care what it tasted like, that two slices of pizza werenât nearly enough, and besides, it tasted fine to him.
So the five bros armed themselves with the sharp knives from Evanâs momâs kitchen just in case they ran into a psycho killer along the way, locked all the doors and windows to the cabin and the doors to the car, and the Pale Bro carried the beer cooler as he led the way back to the house with the five hot girls.
***
It wasnât particularly easy for the Pale Bro to retrace his steps through the woods; itâd been just short of sunset when heâd found the girls, and now it was full dark. His myriad eyes could see well in the dark, of course, but his bros couldnât, so he had to watch out for them, and they were also a lot less flexible, and tall, than he was. Also, he hadnât been toting a beer cooler the last time he came through here.
It didnât help that his bros were very jumpy, freaking every time a night bird called or a twig broke loudly. The Pale Bro got it, he did â there might be a psycho killer in the woods, or a monster, or his cousin who was also a monster, and they couldnât see as well as he could, or defend themselves. But this was just ridiculous. In a voice that was an auditory personification of the concept of dread, he suggested that they stop being such big pussies and concentrate on not tripping before they accidentally stabbed each other trying to brandish knives at random bushes.
âYo, man, we canât all be twelve feet tall,â Harrison said, sounding pissed but also still really anxious.
In a voice that was best described by some kind of metaphor implying a deep and scary sound that hopefully hasnât been used already in this story, the Pale Bro offered to give Harrison a piggyback ride.
Trevor said, âNot in the middle of trees, man, youâd brain him. Walk right into a tree branch and knock him off.â
âYeah, I gotta turn that down,â Harrison said.
âYou smell that?â Steve said. âSmells like someoneâs firing up a grill somewhere. I can smell the charcoal.â
âDid the girls have a grill?â Trevor asked.
The Pale Bro admitted that to the best of his knowledge, they did not, but on the other hand they had Hawaiian pizza. This, of course, triggered the old argument, where Steve and Harrison insisted that pineapple did not belong on pizza, and Evan and the Pale Bro insisted that pineapple on pizza was quite valid. The argument continued, with Trevorâs exhortations to show some common sense and save the argument until they were not walking through a dark forest that might contain a psycho killer going unheeded, until Steve accidentally fell in the creek because he couldnât see it, and in the process lost one of Evanâs momâs good cooking knives.
However, the Pale Bro mused, this was a potentially good sign because heâd found the girls while walking alongside the creek. So the bros walked alongside the creek, Steve muttering that these girls had better be hot after all this, until they heard the sound of female human voices, exactly like the Pale Bro had had before.
They entered the clearing, observed the very large cabin, Evan making comments like âI bet itâs a bitch to keep clean, ten to one that thingâs not sanitaryâ because he was jealous that the cabin was bigger than his familyâs, and then around the corner to observe the very hot girls, who were all still very hot even though some of them had pizza sauce smeared around their lips.
âWell, hell-o, ladies!â Harrison said, trying to be suave and cool, and failing miserably.
The Pale Bro wondered, in the voice like the echoes of a rockslide in a canyon, if there was any of the pineapple pizza left, because unfortunately he was still hungry. He gestured at his very large body somewhat self-deprecatingly.
âHi, guys!â Kayla, who was obviously the groupâs ambassador to guests, said, with possibly more bubbliness in her voice than was currently in the hot tub. âIâm Kayla, and this is Nandini, and over there in the blue bikini is Ashlee, whose cabin this is â I mean, really itâs her familyâs cabinââ
âI get it,â Evan said. âMy familyâs got a cabin too, thatâs where weâve been hanging. We just got in today. My nameâs Evan.â
âCool!â Kayla said. âThatâs Yâlehna in the lawn chair with the wine cooler, and Rhiannon went to the bathroom but Iâm sureââ
âIâm back!â Rhiannon announced. Trevorâs eyes widened and then turned heart-shaped. Metaphorically.
âAnd Iâm Trevor. Hello, ladies,â he said, sounding much cooler when he said it than Harrison had.
âIâm Harrison, and this is Steve, and heâs kinda shy!â Harrison punctuated this by shoving his kinda shy friend forward.
âUh, hi,â Steve said. âI kind of fell in the creek on my way here?â
Kaylaâs eyes went wide. âOh, wow! Hey, Ashlee, do you mind if I bring him inside and show him the shower?â
âLong as he takes his shoes off,â Ashlee said, coming to the deck railing. Steve saw her angelic hair, beautiful skin, and ample charms shown off by the rather small bikini, and fell in love.
âOh, definitely. Iâll definitely do that. I â yeah. Thanks a lot for letting me use the shower, Iâm all covered in mud. Which you can see. Because youâre standing there, looking at me covered in mud.â
Kayla laughed. âOh, yeah, letâs get you cleaned up!â She took Steveâs hand with surprising alacrity and lack of reluctance, given that he was covered in mud.
Evan said, âThe guy who was supposed to bring over the groceries never showed, and I made some chili and rice out of canned stuff for my friends, but it was kinda shitty. Pale asked if there was any more of the pineapple pizza? I could definitely go for a slice if youâre offering.â
Ashlee lit up. âOh! Sure! I can take you in to get some pizza!â
Rhiannon had by then walked over to the Pale Bro, and put her hand on his arm again. âYou know, I could definitely go for some more pizza myself,â she purred.
Meanwhile, Harrison was trying to chat up Yâlehna, and also strip to his boxers so he could get in the hot tub, without looking like he was doing it in a creepy way. âSo, whereâre you from?â
âMassachusetts,â Yâlehna said, lying back in the lawn chair and wistfully gazing at Trevor, who had followed Rhiannon, the Pale Bro, and Ashlee in for pizza. âA little town called Innsmouth, on the coast. Little more than half an hour north of Boston.â Yâlehna had legs, but they were covered with scales and her feet were large and webbed.
âCool. Iâm from New Jersey, but, you know, like the south end. Not the part thatâs all gritty like Newark and Jersey City.â Harrison slid into the hot tub. âOh, man, this is nice. You wanna get back in?â
âAfter I finish my wine cooler, maybe. Ashlee doesnât like it when we eat or drink in the tub.â
Evan was the first to come back from the pizza hunt, carrying a beer and two slices and had actually had swimming trunks at the cabin â they hadnât planned on going swimming on this trip, but Evan kept some clothes here all the time, and heâd already changed into them and then put his clothes on over. He stripped to his bathing suit and then went and got into the hot tub near Nandini. âHey.â
Nandini barely noticed; she was too busy looking at Harrison. Evan had to say it again to get her attention. She turned and looked at him. âOh, you canât eat those in the tub. Or drink the beer.â
âWhat if I sit back from the tub and just soak my feet, until Iâm done with the food?â
Nandini shrugged. âI guess thatâd be okay, but youâd have to ask Ashlee. Can I ask you something?â
Evan beamed. âSure! Whatever you want!â
She nodded her head toward Harrison. âDoes your friend have a girlfriend?â
Evanâs first reaction was dismay â Nandini seemed to not even notice him as a man, and was just making eyes at Harrison, who was obviously captivated by Yâlehna. Then he narrowed his eyes and decided to make problems on purpose. âOh, sorry, Harrison is gay.â Actually, Steve was bi and the rest of them were straight â Evan thought, anyway, unsure about the Pale Bro and if he even had a sexuality, but he did seem to like to look at girls.
Nandini sighed. âArenât they always.â
Ashlee was the next to come back. She sat next to Evan. âYou know, if you want to get into the hot tub and still eat your food, I normally have a rule about that but I could let it go this time. Just as long as you keep the actual food and drink out of the hot tub so it doesnât make everything gross.â She smiled at Evan.
Evan smiled at her, because it was always good to smile at your host, and it was also always good to smile at a pretty girl, and Ashlee was both. âThanks,â he said, not planning to take her up on it because what if he dropped the pizza?, and then turned back to Nandini. âWhatâre you majoring in?â
âUgh, I hate having to explain it to people,â Nandini said. âItâs⌠complicated. Itâs a discipline thatâs part economic theory, part psychology, part sociology and part anthropology. Basically, Iâm majoring in the question of why do people do dumb things when theyâd be better off doing smart ones, and how that impacts our understanding of economics.â
âThat sounds really interesting,â said Evan, who had quit his business major because he was bored out of his mind by economics. âIâm doing Asia studies. Yeah, itâs a clichĂŠ.â Heâd gone into Asia studies after he quit his business major because it was the only thing he thought his parents would let him get by with if he refused to study business. Some kind of âMom, Dad, I really want to get in touch with our heritage and understand the culture of my grandparentsâ bullshit. Also, statistically you were more likely to find a girl who considers Asian guys hot in Asia studies than any other major, he suspected.
âThatâs pretty cool!â Ashlee said. âWhich part of Asia is your family from? China, KoreaâŚ?â
âChina, originally,â Evan, whose real name was Haoran, but whoâd been going by Evan since second grade, said. His pizza finished, he slid down into the tub and turned back to Nandini. Â âSo, we came over here to warn you â and maybe help you fight if it comes to it â but weâre worried there might be a killer or something in the woods?â
âOmigod, really?â Ashlee asked, eyes wide with terror.
âWhy do you think that?â Nandini asked, seeming completely calm.
âWell, my parents had an employee, Joe, buy food for my cabin. He was supposed to drop it off⌠but he never showed up, and he never called my parents, and heâs not answering his cell. Meanwhile, we saw this absolutely huge tread in the dirt, and the Pale Bro thinks it might be his cousin.â
âYeah, he told us all that,â Nandini said. âExcept for the part about it maybe being his cousin.â
âSo, a monster?â Yâlehna asks. âBecause thereâs a difference between a psycho killer, whoâs human, and a monster, who isnât. You donât know what the monsterâs capable of, but when you see them, you know theyâre a monster.â
âYeah, but just because they look like a monster doesnât mean anything about what theyâre like!â Harrison said. âThe Pale Bro looks like a monster, but heâs a really great guy!â
âIâm guessing his cousin sucks, though,â Yâlehna said.
âWell, we donât know his cousin,â Harrison said, somewhat diplomatically.
âDo you really think thereâs a killer?â Ashlee asked, getting into the hot tub right next to Evan â and inconveniently, between him and Nandini. âBut youâll protect us, right?â
âUh, some of us can protect ourselvesâŚâ Nandini said.
Evan got back out of the tub so he could see Nandini more clearly without Ashlee in the way. âAbsolutely. Iâm not trying to say that weâre offering our protection because, you know, weâre guys and youâre girls and we think weâre tougher than you. Thatâs not it at all; I bet most of you could kick my ass.â He did not actually think this; Evan was in pretty good shape, since he was preparing to backpack all over Asia next year if he got the chance, and also, he bicycled a lot. It was pretty clear to him, though, that Nandini was invested in thinking of herself as someone who could protect herself, and who knew? Maybe she was a martial arts master or a crack shot. âBut we figure, thereâs safety in numbers. Plus, if it is the Pale Broâs cousin, he can get it to back the hell off.â
âGood point,â Nandini said.
At this point there was a glass-shattering, horrible screech, and then something, some unknown creature moving so fast it was a blur, leapt out of the hot tub and charged directly at Evan, Nandini and Ashlee. All three of them screamed, as it slashed bright pain across Evanâs legs, right above his knees.
And then Ashlee started cracking up, as the horrible assailant stopped at the edge of the deck and began washing itself vigorously. âPhenyl, you dumbass. I know you like to sleep on the tub when we have it covered, but couldnât you see we have it open and itâs full of water?â
Evanâs heart was still pounding, but now that he could see the creature that had slashed gashes into his thighs, he took deep breaths to calm himself down. âThatâs your cat?â
âYeah, her name is Phenylephrine and sheâs a dumbass. She catches rats, though. One time she chased off a raccoon whoâd gotten into the trash.â Ashlee attempted to pick her cat up, but the almost-entirely-black-except-for-white-bib cat jumped down off the deck, apparently not sufficiently recovered from her ordeal to tolerate interacting with humans. Evan decided not to ask why the cat was named after a decongestant.
âSo what are you majoring in?â Harrison asked Yâlehna, trying to come across as casual. âIâm doing liberal arts, you know? Just a little of everything.â
âShakespearean literature,â Yâlehna said.
âOh, wow! You know about the theory that he didnât write his own plays, right?â
Yâlehna rolled her eyes. âOf course I do. Itâs bullshit.â
And as she explained all the reasons why she thought the theory was bullshit, Harrison listened to her raptly with imaginary hearts in his eyes.
***
Steve was deeply grateful to Kayla for taking him in to find Ashleeâs shower. The cabin had wooden floors, thankfully, so the gunk still dripping off his body could be easily cleaned. It made sense â it was a cabin in the woods, after all â but Steve had some vague idea of what rich people houses were like from visiting Evan, and carpet played a big role in his mental image of a rich person abode.
He was less impressed with the towel Kayla found him, after he came out of the shower. It was very⌠brief. Bigger than a hand towel, but not by much, it covered the territory it was required to cover and not very much else.
âI hate to ask, but does Ashlee have any brothers or other family members who might be around my size? This towel is kindaâŚâ
Kayla laughed. âI think you look cute in it, but yeah, I can see why youâd want something bigger!â She stuck her head in the kitchen, where Ashlee was serving pizza to Evan, Rhiannon, Trevor, and the Pale Bro. âHey, Ashlee! Does Hunter have any swimming trunks or t-shirts here?â
âYou can check. He usually uses the middle bedroom.â
Steve called out, âI can have them cleaned and returned tomorrow, I just⌠my clothes are all muddy⌠I donât want to impose, but this towelâs kind of tinyâŚâ
âNo problem, I donât even care if you keep Hunterâs stuff. It would serve him right for being a douche,â Ashlee said.
Kayla checked, and came back with a NASCAR t-shirt and a pair of swimming trunks with grotesquely grinning emojis all over it. âSorry, I hope it fits! Itâs all he had!â
âNo problem, NASCARâs cool,â Steve said. The sum total of his knowledge about NASCAR was that it had something to do with cars, probably, and that guys who drank warm crappy beer and drove pickup trucks liked it, and that was all. But if Ashleeâs family was into it, maybe it was worth checking out.
He and Kayla walked into the kitchen, now that he was vaguely decent. âOMG I am so sorry,â Ashlee said. âThat shirt is awful. Is that really the only one Hunter had?â
Steve shrugged, understanding more about Ashleeâs relationship to her brotherâs interests. âItâs not like Iâm into NASCAR or anything, but beggars canât be choosers, right?â
The Pale Bro chose this moment to inform everyone in a voice that echoed like a portent of doom that there was no more beer in Ashleeâs fridge, and this was a problem, because he and his bros had brought beer for 5 people for three days, but now they had ten people, so what if they ran out?
Steve privately thought it was good that the Pale Bro wasnât majoring in anything that needed math. Ten people would burn through the beer for five people at twice the rate, but twice the rate of three days would be a day and a half, more than enough time to go get more beer, unless the psycho killer or monster slashed their tires or something.
Kayla spoke up. âIâve got more in the trunk of my car, but I parked kind of crappy.â
âWell, no matter how crappy the parking job was, more beerâs always a good thing,â Trevor said.
The Pale Bro expressed in a voice that was like the crackling of atoms fusing together in the unfathomable heat of the sun that heâd be happy to go get them out of Kaylaâs car.
âUh⌠no, I think Steve should do it,â Kayla said. âBecause heâs shorter, and itâs a really crappy parking job. Trust me, you will bonk your head on trees about six times just trying to reach my car.â
âDid you park it in the woods?â Trevor asked.
âUm, sorta⌠I was kinda excited about getting here and waving to my friends and I accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake and I ended up in the woods⌠yeah.â She looked up at Steve forlornly. âIâm such an idiot.â
âYouâre not an idiot,â Steve said, because it was always a good idea to tell a pretty girl who said she was an idiot that in fact she was not.
In a voice like the echoes of a NASCAR race going on over oneâs head because one was in a sewer system under the track, the Pale Bro offered to help Kayla get her car out of the woods, if it was stuck there.
âThatâs really sweet of you,â Rhiannon purred. âProbably better to do it in daylight, though. Thereâs a cliff drop near there, and you donât want to accidentally slip over the edge.â
âOr worse, drop the car,â Steve said, and laughed. Kayla laughed with him.
The Pale Bro expressed to Kayla that if there was a cliff face near there, then he was very glad that she hadnât accidentally driven off the edge, because that would have been bad.
âYeah,â Kayla said, âbut it all worked out so no harm done, right? Unless, like, I punctured the gas tank with a tree branch or something. That would definitely be bad.â
Steve, Trevor, Rhiannon and the Pale Bro all agreed that that would definitely be the case.
***
After Steve and Kayla had left to go to Kaylaâs car to get more beer, Rhiannon asked the Pale Bro what his major was.
âIâm pre-med,â Trevor inserted, not actually having been asked.
âMm, nice. Iâm trying to become a physicist, myself. What about you?â She repeated the question in the Pale Broâs direction.
In a voice that was muffled and full of pizza, the Pale Bro conveyed that he hadnât heard the question, sorry.
âI just wanted to know what your major was,â she said.
The Pale Bro confessed that he was majoring in gender studies, having decided that hotel management was not really a good career path for him.
âOh, really!â Rhiannon brightened. âYou donât see a lot of guys majoring in gender studies! You must be very secure in your masculinity.â She said this as someone who seemed very secure in the Pale Broâs masculinity, herself, as she pressed against him.
The Pale Bro mumbled in a voice that really didnât sound all that different from anyone elseâs mumbling that he just didnât like how society treated women, and added that his mother raised him to respect and look up to women. He confided that she had torn apart giant megafauna with her bare claws and fed them to her brood of spawn while insisting on table manners, and that he couldnât imagine any job more difficult than being the primary caretaker of children. Children, he admitted, scared him.
âOh, yes, the little rugrats can totally bring the chaos,â Rhiannon laughed.
The Pale Bro clarified that actually chaos was perfectly fine by him and the natural state of all things that the universe must someday return to; it was their high-pitched screechy voices that really bothered him.
âI never knew that,â Trevor said. âWeird, what you learn about people. Rhiannon,which kind of physics are you concentrating on? Like, space, or quantum, or what?â
âHavenât really narrowed it down like that, itâs going to depend on what grad school accepts me and which programs I can get into,â Rhiannon said. To the Pale Bro she said, âHey, do you want to go for a walk? Itâs really nice out.â
âIt is, but there might be some kind of killer or monster in the woods,â Trevor reminded her. âDo you really think itâs a good idea to go wandering off by yourself?â
She rolled her eyes and gestured at the Pale Bro. âIâm pretty sure that Pale here would be able to protect me if anything came up,â she said.
The Pale Bro confessed in a voice that echoed like the infrasound rumble of the collapse of a concrete building, but an embarrassed and regretful tone, that actually he wanted to wait right here, because he wanted more beer and also his feet hurt.
âWell, why donât we go back to the hot tub and let you soak your feet for a bit?â Rhiannon asked.
âThat sounds like a great idea,â Trevor said. âWeâve got our own beer cooler out there, remember? You brought it over.â
This was true, the Pale Bro admitted, but he couldnât eat or drink in the hot tub, and he wanted another slice of Hawaiian pizza if there was any.
âOh, but youâre a big fellow,â Rhiannon said. âYou could totally sit back from the hot tub and dangle your feet in it while youâre eating, and you wouldnât be close enough to the tub to bother Ashlee.â
In that case, the Pale Bro conveyed in a voice like the rumbling of a train full of dead bodies, he was all for the hot tub, because that shit sounded great.
***
The group joined back up around the hot tub, all except for Kayla and Steve, who were still in the woods, ostensibly getting beer out of Kaylaâs car. Ashlee had brought out chips and pretzels, which, she said, were not to be eaten within five feet of the hot tub. This meant that the Pale Bro could soak his feet while he snacked, as promised, but no one else could actually eat near the tub.
âCome on, thatâs not fair,â Yâlehna, who was considerably more drunk than she had been earlier in the evening and probably really needed to fill her stomach with chips and pretzels, complained. âIâve been good all night but now Iâm starving, and you know my skin needs to be moisturized.â
âI keep offering to let you try some of my Oil of Olay,â Ashlee mumbled.
âIf I wanted to cover myself in something oily, Iâd use fish oil, itâs traditional around my hometown,â Yâlehna said sharply. âI wanna be in water. Like, H20.â She looked up at Trevor, pleadingly. âDo you think Iâm asking too much? I donât think Iâm asking too much.â
âI think you should definitely eat something,â Trevor said.
âI donât think itâs too much to ask,â offered Harrison eagerly.
âBut I donât want to get any food in the hot tub,â Ashlee whined. âItâd be gross, and weâd have to drain it and clean itâŚâ
âWell, I want to be in the water and I want goddamn pretzels, is that too much? Is that really too much?â Yâlehna yelled, making Ashlee quail.
At that point they all heard the sound of clanging and shattering, and Kayla and Steve screaming like they were being murdered.
Ashlee shrieked in terrified response. The Pale Bro, Trevor and Nandini were all off the deck and running toward the sound in a second, followed by Rhiannon, Evan and Harrison. Yâlehna took the opportunity to grab an entire dish of pretzels, drop herself into the tub, and stand at the edge of the tub, facing the concrete around the tub and stuffing her face. âI can be responsible,â she muttered. âI can not get pretzels in the tub. I donât have to eat underwater. I donât even want to. Pretzels arenât like fish. They get soggy.â
No one was there to hear her, though, because they had all gone into the woods.
The Pale Bro had only gotten in a few feet when Steve yelled, âDonât come any closer, guys!â
âAre you being murdered?â Trevor asked, loudly.
âWe will totally fuck them up if someone is trying to kill you!â Harrison said, clenching his fists.
âNo, guys, itâs good⌠itâs all good.â
âItâs not good at all!â Kayla wailed. âI spent so much money on that beer!â
The Pale Bro heard the word âbeerâ and conveyed that if something was going on with the beer he absolutely needed to know, right now.
âWe dropped it!â
âWe dropped it off a goddamn cliff,â Steve moaned. âKayla had this whole big coolerââ
âIt was so expensive! So much beer!â
âAnd we were carrying it together, and then I tripped on a tree root, and slipped, and Kayla tried to grab me⌠and we dropped the beer.â
âOff the cliff!â Kayla couldnât have sounded more heartbroken if she were a young lady during the Vietnam War being told that her betrothed, who had been her childhood sweetheart since she was three years old, had had a completely sober four-way with two Vietnamese twins and their pet goat, and then had been killed by the Viet Cong while he was still cavorting with the goat.
In a voice that sounded like the auditory representation of hair raising combined with the scream of nails on a chalkboard, the Pale Bro expressed that he couldnât believe this and Steve had been such a fuckup.
Steve, actually kind of intimidated, raised his hands. âI know, man, Iâm sorry! We didnât mean to!â
The Pale Bro then lectured the two of them about how if heâd been allowed to help in the first place, he wouldnât have accidentally dropped the beer off the cliff and right now they would all be knocking back some sweet brews, but instead they insisted they could handle it and now all that beer had been tragically lost, cut down in the prime of its life, its yeasty lifeblood spilling out across the rocks and stones below where none could drink it except maybe some squirrels who would get themselves totally fucked up.
âCome on, man, itâs just beer,â Evan said. âWe can get more.â
âNot if thereâs a killer out there!â Kayla wailed. âWe wonât be able to leave to go get beer until morning! What if the killer slashes our tires?â
The Pale Bro conveyed that if that happened, it was fucking on because no psycho killer, monster, or cousin was going to get between him and more beer.
Trevor, trying to be the voice of reason, said, âFolks, weâve got a lot of beer in our cooler and weâve barely touched it. Thereâs no use crying over spilled⌠beer.â
âYes, there is! Itâs very cryable!â Kayla declared, starting to cry.
âGod, youâre drunk,â Nandini muttered. âMaybe you shouldnât be hitting any more of the beer anyway.â
âCome on,â Steve said, putting his arm around Kayla. âItâs gonna be all right. Donât cry. Trevorâs right, weâve got a lot in our cooler.â
Kayla turned toward him and cried against his chest, as he hugged her with one arm and awkwardly patted her head with the other.
âWow,â Nandini said. âYouâre really into this guy, arenât you?â
Steve turned red, which they could all see by now because theyâd made their way out of the woods and back into the outside lights of the cabin. âUh, I donât think so, Iâm just trying to comfort herâŚâ
âYouâre a white guy touching her hair and sheâs putting up with it,â Nandini said. âKaylaâs been known to punch white people who touch her hair.â
âThat was that bitch Madison and it was one time!â Kayla cried.
Steve removed his hand. âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to make you uncomfortable, I justâŚâ
âNo! I like it when you touch my hair! I donât like it when bitches like Madison touch my hair after theyâve just said some racist bullshit, but youâre being so sweet! You can officially touch my hair,â Kayla said, and then started sobbing again, hugging Steve tightly.
The Pale Bro audibly sighed, in a voice like a dude whoâs just seen one of his best friends score a date with a chick he was really into and he canât even be mad because it wasnât like he got anywhere with her himself or even admitted to anyone how cute he thought she was.
***
The group returned to find that Harrison had wandered back to the hot tub as soon as it was clear that no one was being killed except maybe a large number of innocent bottles of beer, and was sitting outside the hot tub but right by Yâlehna, who was in the hot tub eating chips.
Nandini said, severely, âYâlehna! Ashlee told you not to do that!â
âAshlee can tell me herself,â Yâlehna said with chips in her mouth.
âIâve been watching,â Harrison said brightly. âNone of the crumbs have fallen in the water! Itâs all good!â
Trevor snorted. âWell, of course you think so, Har,â he said. âYouâve got it bad, havenât you?â
Nandini frowned, and then scowled, and glared at Evan. âWait, you told me he was gay!â
âYou said what?â Harrison was shocked.
Evan held up his hands. âSorry, Har. ButâŚâ He looked over at Nandini. âI thought that if I told you that he only likes really unusual girls, youâd feel hurt because it would sound like I was telling you you were basic or something, and thatâs totally wrong. Youâre gorgeous and you could probably get any guy you wanted, except Harrison, because you donât have scales or feathers or six eyes or something.â
âWell, you could have said that,â Nandini said.
Kayla said, âI get it. Rhiannonâs like that, too.â
âTo be fair,â Harrison said, âI am bi.â This was information Evan had not known. âI just havenât yet met any weird dudes who arenât related to Pale here, and itâs just way too weird to date one of your broâs actual brothers or something.â
âDoes anyone know where Ashlee went?â Steve asked.
Everyone looked around. There was no Ashlee.
âCould she be in the bathroom, maybe?â Nandini asked.
âDonât think so,â Yâlehna said. âShe ran off while you guys were running to the woods. I wasnât gonna get in the hot tub and eat pretzels if she was still here!â
âUh, yeah,â Rhiannon said. âThatâs a little long to be in the bathroom.â
The Pale Bro expressed in a voice that was exhaustedly done with this bullshit that he could look for her.
âNah, man, Iâll do it,â Trevor said. âI know your feet are hurting, and Iâm the next biggest guy after you.â
âI could go with you,â Steve said.
Trevor shook his head. âSteve⌠that is a cute girl who is very, very drunk,â he said, pointing at Kayla. âI donât know her tolerance, but Iâm pretty sure that if she isnât at puke bucket level now, she will be soon. You need to stay with her and make sure sheâs okay.â
âYeah, good point,â Steve said.
Nandini turned back to Evan as Trevor walked away. âI canât believe you lied to me, though. I mean, I know Rhiannon. I could have accepted âheâs only into weird-looking chicksâââ
âThanks, Nandi, thatâs sweet,â Yâlehna said.
âYou know what I mean,â Nandini said, waving her hand dismissively.
âLook, Iâm gonna come clean with you,â Evan said. âI really thought you were great. Youâre hot, youâre smart â Iâm not dumb, but when you talked about your major, I realized you could run rings around me â and you stay calm in a crisis, and I really respect that. But you asked me if Har had a girlfriend, and I just â Iâm sorry. It was like you didnât even notice Iâm a dude, and that made me feel bad. So I did something shitty, and I gotta apologize to both you and Harrison.â
âI mean, no problem on my end,â Harrison said. âItâs all good, bro.â
âDamn,â Nandini said, running her hand through her hair. âI didnât even think about what that sounded like when I asked you. Iâm sorry, Evan, what I said to you was a shitty thing too. I mean, I still think what you did was worse because you were lying, but I understand why you did it.â
âHey, I know you didnât mean to hurt my feelings.â
âEvanâs right, though,â Harrison said. âI mean, not about me being gay, I like girls just fine, butâŚâ He shrugged. âGirls that look like normal human beings, even beautiful human beings, it just doesnât click. Yâlehna hereâs really different-looking, and that is so hot.â He turned to Yâlehna. âYou know youâre super-hot, right?â
âYes,â Yâlehna said, âbut boys like you donât usually agree. So thatâs nice.â
âI guess I can forgive you,â Nandi said to Evan. âBut youâd better not lie to me again.â
âI am pretty sure you could kick my ass if I did, so I wonât. I like my ass un-kicked.â
âYour ass is okay,â Nandini said. âIâve seen better asses, but yours is all right.â
Rhiannon had offered to give the Pale Bro a foot rub, since his feet hurt. A guy as big as he was suffered from foot pain frequently, so heâd agreed, while apologizing in a voice like a church organ in a cave for his toenails. Some might say his toenails were worth apologizing for, as they were about four inches long and razor sharp.
But Rhiannon disagreed. âYour toenails are great. Look how white they are! I never see guys without all kinds of grody fungus turning their toenails yellow. And I bet youâre amazing at climbing trees with them.â
The Pale Bro allowed that this was true, and that climbing in general was one of his talents.
Steve, meanwhile, wasnât exactly sure what he ought to be doing with Kayla, who was now lying on her back, her head in his lap, rambling about stars and how far away they were. When sheâd asked for another beer, heâd gotten her cold water instead and reminded her that water was important to avoid hangovers. Sheâd finished most of the water â the rest had spilled â and now she seemed to be close to falling asleep in his lap.
âYouâre really into stars, huh?â he asked. âYou an astronomy major?â
âOh no!â Kayla laughed. âMath! Iâd tell you all about it but Iâm waaaaaay too drunk. I just reeeeally like stars!â
âThatâs cool,â Steve said. âIâm a comp sci major myself.â
âAre you gonna build an AI that wants to take over the world and enslave humanity?â Kayla asked.
âHey, Iâd be happy if I could build an AI that can identify rocks as not sheep,â Steve laughed.
***
Trevor had very quickly guessed where Ashlee might be.
Ashlee was nervous and reacted badly to things that startled or scared her. Ashlee was also at her own house â well, cabin. So odds were, Ashlee had gone into the cabin to calm down.
The cabin wasnât very big, and Ashlee wasnât in any of the rooms in an obvious place. So Trevor started checking the not-obvious places, like a closet in a room that looked girly enough that it might be her room. He knocked on the door.
She shrieked, inside the closet, but he said, âAshlee, calm down! Itâs me, Trevor. Can I check on you to make sure youâre okay?â
âUh⌠okay,â she said, and Trevor opened the door. Ashlee was sitting in a lighted closet, on the floor, completely covered to her shoulders with stuffed animals.
âWow. Are you okay?â He squatted down. Being a big black man, Trevor had learned many strategies for making himself look less threatening. Not towering over somebody was one of them.
âNot⌠really?â Ashlee said.
âI know you were scared with all that noise. Hell, I was too. But it turned out to be nothing. Steve and Kayla accidentally dropped some beer over the cliff.â
âItâs not that,â she whispered. âItâs just⌠itâs too much. Too many people.â
âYeah?â He sat on the floor crisscross applesauce, making himself even lower and more relaxed-looking. âYou want us to go?â
âNo! I mean, this was supposed to be a weekend with just my friends, and then you guys show up, but youâre nice guys! I like you guys! But itâs just so many people, I started to wig out.â She lifts an arm out of the sea of stuffed animals. âSo I do this thing when thereâs too many people and I start to freak⌠I find a tiny place and I fill it with soft things and I lay in them until my tachycardia goes away.â
âTachycardia?â
âOh, um, that means fast heart beat. Sorry. I just always call it that because it sounds scarier than fast heartbeat and it really is scarier so I want people to know itâs a problem.â
âI know what it means, Iâm a pre-med. I just wonderedââ
âOh wow! Iâm in pre-med, too!â Ashlee sat up , some of the stuffed animals falling off her. âI guess weâre not in any classes together because youâre a senior and Iâm a sophomore, but did you have Lessing for Organic Chemistry?â
âYouâre doing orgo in sophomore year?â Trevor whistled. âThatâs fast.â
âYeah, I, um, my high school had like this program where good students could do science classes at a nearby college, for college credit, in senior year, so I took chemistry then, and bio last year and also the math I needed, so I get to do orgo this year.â
âI hated orgo. Itâs just memorize a bunch of prefixes and suffixes and string them together. Couldnât we find a better way to describe methylethylpropylene than that?â
She laughed. âIs that even a real thing?â
âI donât know, but itâs pretty ridiculous that I can put together a string of prefixes and make something that sounds like a chemical even if it doesnât exist.â He shook his head sadly. âAnd yeah, I had Lessing. Sheâs tough. She giving your brain a real workout?â
âYeah. Itâs a challenge. Everyone always told me, âAshlee, you canât just coast along getting straight As without ever studying. Ashlee, when you go to college itâll be a lot harder. Ashlee, you need to learn how to study or youâll fail in college.â Well⌠I havenât failed yet, but⌠it might be close.â She sighed. âIâm sorry. I must sound so stuck up with my humblebrag. âOh, itâs so hard to be a gifted student who gets straight As!â But it really is hard. Because if it was too easy for you in school you donât learn how to handle it when it gets too hard, and Iâm just, like, totally stressed.â
âI feel you. My mom made me study, and I was like, âmomma, I do not need to read the book and highlight all the important parts and then write them in an outline and then read over the outline! I got it the first time I read the book!â And that was what she said. âYou take shortcuts now because everythingâs easy, youâll be in a world of hurt when things get hard.â And hell, I ended up in a world of hurt in orgo anyway.â They both laughed.
âAnyway, your friends are worried about you and I donât want people to think we both got bumped off by a psycho killer, so I figure, thereâs three options here. I leave and tell everyone youâre okay, and I leave you the hell alone; I leave and tell everyone youâre okay, and then I come back and we keep talking; or you and I both leave together and we both tell everyone youâre okay, and then we get to eat some chips, if Yâlehna and Harrison didnât get them all already.â
âSheâs in the hot tub eating chips, isnât she.â It was not a question.
âYeah, sad but true. At least sheâs leaning over the side so the crumbs get on the concrete and they donât fall in the tub.â
Ashlee sighed. âI guess I better get back out there. But I do still want to talk and stuff. And I wanna check up on Phenylephrine so maybe you can help me find her.â
âPhenylephrine?â
âMy cat. The cat before her was Sudafed so when she died and I got a new kitten I named her Phenylephrine.â
âI get the joke there, but why was the first cat named Sudafed?â
âMy mom was allergic to cats and she said if we get a cat we might as well name it Sudafed because sheâd be taking so much of it, and then we did get a cat, so she did name her Sudafed.â
âMaybe she shouldnât have gotten a cat if she was that allergic?â
âOh, no, my mom loves cats. She just says wiseass things sometimes. Anyway, Phenyl lives here at the cabin and the cleaning service makes sure she gets fed. They call her the head of Mousekeeping Services.â
Trevor laughed.
***
Outside, it turned out there was no need to turn out a search party for Phenylephrine, as for some entirely inexplicable reason it turned out she liked chips, and also Harrisonâs lap, where he was feeding her chips. She didnât actually eat the chips, she just licked them.
The party was starting to flag just a bit; Evan suggested putting on some music, but the internet wasnât good enough here for Ashleeâs Spotify playlist and she didnât have MP3s on a hard drive like Evan did. Evan was regretting not putting a bunch of MP3s on a flash drive and bringing them with him. Nandini had a CD in her car â the girls had all come up here in their own cars, except for Yâlehna who couldnât drive â but it was hit songs from Bollywood musicals and no one here knew any of them, and she was self-conscious about whether anyone would even like them.
And then, as they discussed what to do about tunes, a shadow fell across them, blocking the moon for a moment.
They all looked up, even the Pale Bro. A shambling monstrosity, 20 feet tall and brick red, with sprouting tentacles where its face should be and eyes on the tentacles, and Edward-Scissorhands-length blades for fingernails, loomed over them.
Several of the group screamed. The Pale Bro got to his feet.
âDĚśĚĚĚŤU̸ĚÍĚĚÍĚĚŽD̸ÍĚ˝ÍĚŁE̡ĚĚÍĚĚĚšĚÍ,̡ÍÍÍĚĚĚ˛ĚşĚ¨Ě¤Ě Ě´ĚÍĚąÍYĚśÍÍĚÍÍÍÍ̧ĚO̸ĚĚĽĚ̢ÍUĚ´ÍĚÍĚÍÍÍÍĚłĚR̡ĚĚŤĚĚ ĚśĚžĚĚÍĚĚźĚĚ MĚ´ĚżÍÍĚÍĚŁĚĄĚŚĚĄĚŽĚOĚ´ĚÍÍ
MĚ´Ě̺̹ÍĚł ̡ĚĚĚÍĚąÍI̸ÍĚÍÍĚSĚśÍĚÍĚ˝ĚÍÍÍ̲ ĚľĚÍĚÍ̤ĚĚŹĚŤPĚˇÍ Ě°Ě§Í̧̧̌IĚ´ĚÍĚ
ÍĚ̢S̡ĚÍÍĚĚĚ̤SĚ´ÍĚĚżĚÍEĚ´ĚÍĚÍÍĚ̺̲̍Ě̢DĚ´ĚÍĚ
Ě
ÍÍĚĽÍĚ Ě´ÍĚĚŹĚĄĚĄAĚľÍĚĚĚĚĚÍÍĚŁT̡ÍĚĚĚÍĚ Í
ĚĚŤĚĄ Ě´ÍÍĚÍĚÍYĚ´ÍĚĚĚÍ̤ÍĚŞÍÍÍO̸ĚĚĚĚĚĚĚÍĚĄÍ̢U̸ĚĚŠĚĄĚ .̸ĚÍĚĚŁĚ̟̍,â the entity boomed.
In a sound like the rushing of lava through underground caverns just before a volcano was about to blow, the Pale Bro demanded to know if the entity had eaten any people lately.
âSĚ´ÍĚĚąÍHĚ´Í ÍÍĚI̡ÍÍĚĚĚĚĚĚÍĚT̡ĚĚÍÍÍ̢ĚĚŤĚŽÍ̲,̞̾ÍÍĚĚÍĚĽÍÍ ĚľĚżĚŁĚłÍNĚľÍÍĚĚŚĚ°ÍĚşO̸ÍĚĚÍĚĚÍ.̡ÍĚŁĚĚĚŠ ̸ÍĚĚÍÍÍÍIĚśÍĚÍĚĚÍĚąĚĚŹ'Ě´ĚĚĚĚŻÍÍĚĽÍM̡ÍĚÍĚĚĚ̝̚ÍĚź Ě´ĚĚżÍ ÍĚÍÍĚťÍĚąOĚ´ĚĚĚĚ̪̣̯̤̊ÍNĚśÍÍĚÍĚȨ̌ÍĚ̤ĚÍ Ě¸ĚĚ˝ÍĚĄÍA̡ÍÍÍ ÍĚĚ̢̪ÍĚ Ě¸ĚĚĚĚĚ̤̺ÍĚŤĚĚŤDĚ´ĚĚ̤̥̝I̸ĚÍÍÍÍĚĚĄĚŻÍÍEĚśĚĚ˝ÍĚĚĮ̨́̍ÍĚŹĚłT̸Ě̞̼ĚĚš.̡̿ĚĚťĚ̢̲ Ě´ÍĚĚĚÍ
̧̣I̡ĚĚ˝ĚĚĚĚ°ĚŤĚ°ĚšFĚśĚĚĚÍ ĚľĚĚÍÍY̸ĚÍOĚ´ÍĚÍĚĚĚĚŚÍĚUĚśĚĚżÍ̤̪ĚÍ ĚľĚĚÍĚĽEĚľẸ̲̌̌ÍÍĚĽVĚśĚÍĚÍ
E̡ĚÍ̧̪Í̲Í
RĚľÍÍ ĚÍÍÍÍ ĚˇĚÍÍÍĚŁC̸ÍĚĚÍĚ̲ĚÍĚÍĚAĚśÍĚÍĚÍÍÍĚÍĚŽÍÍMĚľĚĚĚŽÍĚšE̡ÍĚĚÍĚĚĽĚŞ ̡ÍĚĚÍÍĚĚşÍĚHĚśĚÍÍÍÍ̢OĚ´ĚĚ˝ĚĚMĚ´ĚÍĚÍĚŽĚĚŽEĚśÍÍÍĚĚŠĚŚĚšĚ Ě´ÍÍĚŠĚťYĚ´ĚÍÍĚ
ÍĚŁĚŠĮ́OĚľĚÍĚÍĚĚ ÍUĚśÍÍĚĚŞĚ̳̺'̸ĚĚDĚśĚÍĚżÍĚĚ Ě¸ĚÍÍ ÍK̡ĚÍĚĚÍÍĚĽĚĚźNĚľĚÍÍĚĚĚĚšĚ ÍĚĽĚ°ĚĄO̸ÍĚĚťĚ Í̲W̸ĚÍÍĚĚĚÍĚş Ě´Í ÍĚÍĚÍĚT̸ĚÍĘ̌HĚśÍĚÍÍÍ̹̥ĚÍĚšA̡̿ĚĚ Ě ÍÍĚŤĚ°TĚ´ĚĚĚĄĚ°ÍĚŚÍ,â it said, rolling tentacles clockwise around its face in an approximation of an eye roll.
If that was the case, the Pale Bro shot back, explain why this entityâs footprint was found right outside his broâs cabin, and a man was missing.
âIĚ´ĚÍĚÍÍ
̨ÍĚť ̡ĚĚÍÍĚW̡ÍÍ̺̯̲A̸ĚĚ̚��S̡ÍĚÍ
̲̚ ĚľÍĚÍÍĚĚL̸ĚÍÍĚşOĚśĚĚĚĚĘ̼̟̌ÍĚĽO̸ĚĚĚĚĚÍKĚ´ĚÍĚÍĚ
ÍÍ̧̤̍IĚľÍĘ̌N̸ÍÍĘ̹̌GĚľÍĚÍĚĚĽĚšÍ
ĚŽĚ ĚˇĚÍÍĚšF̸ĚĚžÍÍÍ̧ÍOĚľĚÍĚĚĚĚ̲ĚÍRĚ´Ě˝ĚĚĚÍĚŹÍĚ ÍĚŹĚ Ě´ĚĚĚÍÍYĚ´ÍÍĚĚĚÍÍĚĚŽO̡ĚĚĚÍĚÍĚťU̾̽ÍÍĚĚŚĚÍ̝̪,Ě´ĚĚł ̸ĚĚ
Ě ĚḬ̢́D̸ĚÍÍĚ
ÍĚĚÍĚŤÍ
UĚľĚĚżĚĚÍĚ̥̤̺MĚľĚÍĚĚÍ
ĚźĚĚłB̡ÍĚÍĚÍ̧̲̤̎ĚAĚśĚĚĚĚÍÍ̟̪Ě̟̹S̡Į̳́SĚśÍĚÍ Į̥́̿ÍÍ,â the entity said. âA̡ĚÍÍUĚ´ÍĚĚŁÍ̢N̡ÍÍĚżÍĚÍ̧ÍÍĚĚTĚśÍĚžĚĚĚĚ ĚšĚÍ Â Ě¸ĚÍÍĚĚÍÍâŹĚśĚĚĚ
ÍĚŚâŻĚˇÍĚĚĚÍÍĚĚĚ̹̤ῼ̡ĚĚ ĚŠáżĚśĚÍ̞̌ÍÍážĚ´Í̤ĚĚ°ÍÍÍ᝜̸ÍÍĚŤÍĚŚáşĚśÍÍÍÍÍÍĚŚÍĚą ĚľĚÍÍÍÍÍÍÍĚźS̡̽ÍÍÍĚÍ̢E̸ĚĚĚĚÍ̲N̸̞̤T̡ĚĚĚĚŚĚť Ě´ĚĚÍÍĚąÍÍÍĚ M̡ÍĚšÍE̸ĚÍÍĚĚÍ ĚśÍ̲Ě̢ TĚ´ĚÍĚĚĚÍĚ Ě̲Í
ĚźOĚˇÍ Ě¤Ě¨ÍĚ¨ĚĄÍ Ě´ÍÍĚŹ TĚľĚÍĚÍĚŤEĚ´ĚÍĚĚÍÍĚĚŻĚ Í
LĚ´ÍĚĚĚ˝Ě̺̍̍LĚśÍÍĚĚĄÍĚŤĚŹ Ě´ĚÍÍ ĚĚ̲ÍĚźĚĚĚş Y̸Ḛ̳̰̌OĚľĚĚ̢̟̯ÍUĚśĚĚÍ
Ę̌ÍÍ ĚśÍĚÍĚŤ YĚ´Ě
ĚĚÍÍÍ̹̟OĚ´ĚĚÍĚ°Ě°UĚśÍÍÍĚÍÍĚĚźĚ Ě¸ĚĮ́ÍNĚľĚÍÍĚ̢̚E̸ĚĚEĚľÍĚĚ̢̪̪D̡ÍĚĚÍĚÍÍÍ ĚśÍ ĚÍĚŚĚĚŤĚşÍT̸ĚĚĚŽĚŹÍO̡ÍĚĚĚĚĚŠĚĚ Ě¸ÍÍĚĚÍÍV̸ĚĚÍĚÍĚÍĚĚąI̡ÍÍÍÍS̸ÍĚ˝ĚĚŹĚ̢I̞̾̿ÍÍÍĚ
ĚşT̡ÍĚÍÍĚĚÍ̢̺Í
Ěš,ĚľĚĚ ĚˇÍĚ̼̚ÍĚşĚĚŁSĚľȨ̺̹̌HĚ´ĚĚĚĚĚȨ̌ĚÍĚźÍÍI̡ÍĚĚÍÍÍÍT̡ÍÍ Ě˛ĚąÍĚŹHĚśÍĚÍĚĚEĚ´ĚĚ°Ę̤̌Į́AĚ¸Í ÍÍ
DĚ´ĚÍÍÍĚťÍÍ̧̯.ĚľĚĚÍÍĚŞÍ̟̝.â
The Pale Bro replied, in a voice like the whining of an engine underneath the whapping sound of helicopter rotors, that he was on vacation with his bros and he was not here to visit his mom and she could just deal.
âAĚśĚĚÍÍÍĚąĚĚŹĚŞĚR̸ÍĚĚĚĚĚÍ
ÍEĚľĚ
Í̹̥ĚĚŻĚŽ Ě´ÍĚÍY̜̽Ě̤̎OĚ´ĚžĚÍĚĚÍ̢ÍĚĚĚŽÍU̸ÍÍÍĚÍĚĚ¨Í ĚśĚĚÍÍĚĚĚŹÍĚĄF̡ÍÍĚU̡̿ÍĚĚ˝ĚÍÍ
CĚ´ÍĚĚÍĚŚĚźÍKĚ´ÍÍĚÍĚĚŹĚIĚ¸Í Ě
ĚĚÍĚ
Í
NĚ´ÍȨ̪̌ÍĚGĚ´ÍĚĚ˝ĚÍĚĚĽÍ Ě¸ÍĚĚ̝̰HĚśĚĚĚĚąĚIĚ´ĚĚĚÍĚĚ̟̤̹GĚľĚÍĚĚĚ
Í
ÍÍ
ÍH̸ĚĚĚžĚĚĄ?ĚľĚÍĚÍĚŤĚ Ě¸ĚÍĚĄÍYĚľÍĚÍĘ̌OĚ´Ě˝ÍĚĚŽÍĚźUĚśÍĚĚşÍ Ě´ĚĚÍ
ĚŞÍ
C̸ĚÍĚżÍĚĚŁA̸ĚÍÍÍĚÍÍĚŚN̸̽ĚÍĚĚĚ̲̝ÍĚŚ'ĚśĚÍÍĚŞĚŞT̸ÍĚÍĚ Ě´ĚÍĚŞĮ́̍̊SĚśĚĚĚŠA̡ÍĚĚÍĚÍ ĚĄĚ¨ÍÍÍÍY̸ĚÍĚ̞̯ĚÍ ĚľÍÍÍĚžĚĚÍ
̲ÍĚĚĽĚĽTĚ´ĚĚĚĚ̟̲HĚśĚĚÍÍĚŚĚŻĚąAĚ´Ě
ĚĚĘ̞̼̤̌TĚľĚÍĚĚĚĚĚąÍÍ
ĚśÍ̤ÍT̡ĚĚĚžĚO̡ĚÍÍÍĚ°ÍÍ ĚśĚĚÍÍĚ˝ÍĚĚÍ
Y̸ĚĚżĚ˘Ě O̸ĚĚÍ̧̢̚̚UĚśÍĚĚĚĚ˝ĚĚŹÍĚ̢ĚRĚľÍÍĚĚĚÍ ĚŁĚŹĚąĚŻĚ ĚľĚĚĚĘ̌̎M̡ÍĚ˝ÍOĚ´ĚÍĚŞĚÍÍĚĽMĚľÍĚÍÍĚĚÍĚŤĘ̌̊!â the entity exclaimed.
âThis is your cousin, bro?â Evan asked diplomatically.
In a voice like the moaning of the wind through a forest of dead things and disappointments, the Pale Bro admitted that this asshole was indeed his cousin, and was carrying a message from the Broâs mom that he needed to come visit her, because somehow sheâd found out that he was vacationing in the area.
âWell, why donât you just tell him that you will go to visit your mom, in a few days, right before we head out? It is rude to be right near her house and not go visit her, but on the other hand youâre on vacation to spend time with us, so just do it at the end,â Evan suggested.
The Pale Bro expressed that if he absolutely had to visit his mom, that was probably the best way to handle it, and could his cousin kindly fuck off now.
âOĚľĚÍÍĚĚŠĚĄÍĚ ĚŽKĚśÍĚĚĚÍÍ̳̰̺̏A̸̽ÍĚŁĚŹĚŞĚ˘Ě Ě YĚ´ÍĚÍĚÍÍĚ°Ě°ĚťÍ,ĚśĚÍÍĚżĚĚŽ ĚľĚÍĚĚŚĚşĚ Í̲̊B̸̽ÍÍUĚľĚÍĚĚÍĚĚTĚľĚĚĚłȨ̌ĚĚŁĚŞ ĚśĚÍÍÍÍÍ̲YĚ´ÍĚĚĚÍOĚśÍĚÍĚÍĚĚĚĚąĚU̡ĚÍĚŚ ̸ĚÍB̡ÍÍĚżĚÍÍĚĽEĚ´ĚĚ��ÍÍĚŞÍTĚśĚĚžĚĚÍÍÍTĚľÍÍĚĚĘ̌ĚĚ ĚŠÍĚEĚ´ÍĚÍĚÍÍĚÍ̳̎RĚśĚÍÍÍĚĚŞĚŽÍĚĄÍÍ Ě¸ÍÍÍĚȨ̌ÍĚťĚĚŁN̡ÍÍĚĚĚÍĚŚĚŹO̞̾Ě̞̍Í̧TĚľĚĚÍ Ě¸ĚĚĚÍĚÍFĚľĚĚŁÍĚ̺̹Í
O̸ÍÍĚĚĚŻĚĚźĚÍRĚśĚĚ̲̹̌ĚĚąĚGĚľĚĚ
ÍĚĚÍEĚ´Í̲̿TĚ´ĚÍĚĚĚĚĚĚ Ě´ĚÍ̧̎̎ÍÍĚĄT̸ĚÍĚĚĄĚÍH̸ÍÍÍĚÍ ÍĚŁĚŹĚÍ̪̲I̸ĚĚĚÍĚžÍÍĚĄĚS̡ÍĚÍĚĚ ĚťĚŁ ĚśÍÍ̧̤TĚ´ĚÍÍĚÍĚĚŤÍ
̧̧̍IĚľĚĚÍ
̧ĚĚ°MĚśĚĚÍ̤̎EĚśĚĚĚĚĚĚŹĚÍĚÍ,ĚśĚĚ ĚśÍÍ ĚžÍÍĚÍÍĚD̡ÍĚĚĚĚ̢̥̚ĚÍ̧IĚľÍĚĚĚĚ
ÍÍĚÍĚĚ̲̼PĚ´ĚĚĚąÍĚŁḬ̧̢̥́̌S̸ĚĚÍÍ̳̺H̡ÍÍĚ°ĚĚŁIĚśĚ
ĚĚÍĚĚĚĚĚĚŁÍÍ̢ĚÍ
̧ÍTĚśĚÍĚ°Ě°.ĚľÍÍÍĚĚ Ě° ̡ÍĚÍ
ÍĚźĚIĚśÍĚŠÍĚÍĚş'ĚˇÍ ÍÍÍĚẸ̳̝̌LĚľĚÍĚỊ́̚LĚ´ĚĚĚ̤̊Í̢̏ ̸ÍÍÍĚ̲̲̏BĚ´ÍÍĚĚĚĚšEĚľÍĚÍÍĚĚÍ ĚľĚÍÍĚšWĚľĚÍÍĚŁĚÍ
̨ÍA̡ĚÍÍĚĚĚťĚĚŤT̸ĚĚĽĚąĚ̲̳CĚśÍĚŞHĚľĚÍ̢I̸ĚÍÍĚĚ Ě˛ĚĄĚ¨N̸̿ÍÍĚÍÍÍ̌̚GĚľĚĚĚ
ĚĘ̥̟̌.̡ĚĚĚ.â The giant creature lumbered off, back into the woods.
âYour family sounds like mine,â Evan said, commiserating.
âMine, too,â Nandini said. âIf I was within 50 miles of my mom while I was on vacation and I didnât stop by to see her, Iâd never hear the end of it.â
âI donât think Iâve ever met your mom,â Steve said.
The Pale Bro suggested that that was just as well.
***
Kayla was napping on Steve, whose legs were starting to go numb but he didnât want to risk waking her up. Trevor and Ashlee were talking animatedly about terrible professors and classes that were absolute bullshit but required for the pre-med track. Nandini, having forgiven Evan for lying to her about Harrison, had agreed to go on a date or two with him once they all got back to school, and see where things went. Also, sheâd helped him recover his momâs good knives, which theyâd all dropped in the dirt when they got here so the girls wouldnât be scared of them. Rhiannon continued to hit on the Pale Bro, who either didnât notice, or was so flustered by a girl paying attention to him that he pretended not to notice. Yâlehna, somewhat overheated by spending too long in the tub and not drinking enough water, had a headache, and Harrison was tending her by getting her glasses of water with ice from Ashleeâs freezer.
Everything was going pretty well, and a lot of fun, except for Steve and his numb legs, when a man wearing a ski mask and carrying a bloody knife came out of the woods.
Everyone except Trevor and the Pale Bro screamed. The Pale Bro growled, less like a dog and more like the sound of the devilâs car engine, down in Hell, when the devil is revving it because heâs just challenged the Archangel Michael to a race in a demonic replica of NASCAR. Trevor took note of where Evan and Nandini had put all of Evanâs momâs kitchen knives, and yelled, âCan we help you?â, preparing to grab a knife from the pile and go knife-fight the dude, just in case the Pale Bro was too drunk to simply lift the fellow up and toss him off the cliff that had already claimed Kaylaâs case of beer.
âI hope so!â the man yelled back. âIâm in the middle of cutting up steaks for the grill, and I realize, I donât have any potatoes! I was gonna do the potatoes on low and slow so theyâd be nice and soft inside, but turns out, all my potatoes rotted and I havenât got any, and itâd take like forty-five minutes to drive into town. And now itâs too late for baked potatoes, but I havenât got any kind of starch, so I was wondering if you guys have any French fries?â
Trevor blinked.
âUh, why are you wearing a ski mask?â Nandini asked.
âOh, this!â The man pulled off the mask. âHaha, almost forgot I had this on! Iâm anemic, so my face gets cold. I wear ski masks around to keep warm, but I forgot how that would look to somebody else. Wow, that was dumb of me.â
The man was a good bit older than any of them, maybe late 20âs or early 30âs. He was a white dude with a tan complexion, like Rhiannonâs, but it was a little grayish and unhealthy looking in the bright lights around the hot tub, which could be due to the anemia. His black hair was wavy and longish, parted on the side and going down to his shoulders, framing his face, and he had a mustache and beard. âMy nameâs Jason,â he said. âMy girlfriend and I just moved back in to the cabin â we live here in the spring and summer months because my girl canât handle the summer sun, she needs some shade â and I brought the steaks with me to celebrate, but I thought I had potatoes. I forgot, potatoes donât survive being stored for four months.â
âWhew.â Evan shook his head. âThatâs nasty, man. I hope you were able to get the smell out of wherever you were storing them.â
âIt might take a few more good scrubs,â Jason acknowledged, grinning. âHey, do you guys mind if I put the ski mask back on? I know what it looks like, but my face is really cold.â
âGo ahead,â Trevor said.
âYeah, we donât mind,â Nandini said. âIf you turn out to be a serial killer, itâs not like youâre not a serial killer when the mask is off.â
Jason laughed again. âWell, I can eat a whole box of cereal in one sitting, so I guess you could call me a cereal killer.â Many of the college students groaned at the pun.
âYou and your girlfriend, do you have kids?â Harrison asked. âBecause that was dad-joke worthy.â
âHaha! Nah, no kids yet, dunno if thatâs in the cards ever to be frank. Angellaâs not much of a kid person.â He pronounced the name On-zhellah rather than An-jellah, like it was French or something.
âI donât think I have any fries,â Ashlee said. âOr anything, really. When Iâm here at the cabin I mostly drive down into town and get takeout. I mean, Iâve got bacon and eggs and bread for toast, and I could make you a PB&J or a lunch meat sandwich, but no real food.â
âThatâs better than what Iâve got,â Evan muttered, and then, more loudly, âYou got any tomatoes or peppers? I could chop them up and fry you some Spanish rice; Iâd just have to go back to my cabin to get rice and spices.â
âHey, man, thatâd be awesome,â Jason said. âYeah, Iâve got tomatoes and peppers. Weâve got a lot of steak and I donât think even Angellaâs appetite for bloody meat will put a dent in it, so if you guys wanted to come over and get some steakâŚâ
The Pale Bro said in a voice like the moon had crashed but was still orbiting, scraping itself along the Earthâs crust as it went, that steak sounded sweet and he wouldnât mind having some steak.
âBro, you are just, like, an eating machine,â Harrison said. âBut yeah, wouldnât mind a steak.â
âI prefer seafood,â Yâlehna said, âbut I donât dislike steak.â
âGuys, Kaylaâs asleep and I canât leave her alone here,â Steve pointed out.
âIâll stay here with Kayla,â Ashlee suggested. âYou can go get steak.â
âI donât feel great leaving you guys by yourselves, though, you sure you donât want me to stay?â
At this point, Kayla lifted her head and asked blearily, âWhatâs happening?â, which solved the issue of who would stay with her; when steak was explained to her she cheerfully agreed that steak would be nice, and everyone else agreed that Kayla had had enough to drink that, assuming she didnât puke it up, putting more food in her stomach might be a good idea.
Trevor and a couple of knives went with Evan back to Evanâs cabin to get the rice; the Pale Bro went with the rest of them to Jasonâs cabin, both to make sure nothing happened to any of his friends, and because steak sounded awesome. Since Evanâs family had been coming here for vacations since he was a kid, he knew the area well enough to know how to get to Jasonâs house once Jason gave him the address.
***
Jasonâs cabin was about the same size as Evanâs, and it did not have a hot tub, but it did have a barbeque grill. Not one of those tiny little portable things that run on charcoal, either. This was a large fancy propane-powered grill of the kind that could practically be used in an industrial kitchen.
âHoney! I brought guests! And they brought beer! And their friend is gonna make us some Spanish rice!â he called.
A woman came out of the cabin, looking so goth she might as well have invented it. She had incredibly pale white skin, without even the undertone of red most healthy human beings have; she wasnât quite as pale as the Pale Bro, but it was close. Long black hair slunk down her back like she was cosplaying Morticia Adams. She was wearing hip-hugging black jeans and a long-sleeved black blouse, and a chain around her neck with an Egyptian ankh on it, and her lips were blood-red.
Then she opened her mouth, and it became immediately apparent that she had fangs.
âHow do you do,â she said in a vaguely quasi-European accent. âIâm called Angella Darque, with a q. And you are?â
The college students introduced themselves, Nandini wearing a very skeptical pair of eyebrows the entire time. After introductions were done, she asked, âIs your last name really Darque?â
Angella looked taken aback. Jason said, âItâs really Duncan, actually, but sheâs getting together the legal paperwork to get it changed because she hates her dad. Deadbeat, never paid child support, you know the type.â
âOh, Jason, I had no idea today was âletâs tell total strangers all about my girlfriendâs private historyâ day. Is that what weâre celebrating?â
âSorry.â
âHis lips are so loose,â she confessed to the students. âSometimes I just want to⌠sew them shut.â
âIsnât she hilarious?â Jason laughed. âWe met at a support group for people with anemia, five years ago, and weâve been together since.â
âUm,â Ashlee, obviously very nervous, said. âUh, we brought some beer if you want. And also wine coolers. Would you like a wine cooler?â
âNo, I never drink⌠wine,â Angella said. And then, âDo you have anything like a Jaeger?â
âEvanâs got vodka back at the cabin,â Steve volunteered.
âDoes your cell phone work up here? Maybe you could call him,â Jason said. âOr I could, if heâs got a landline.â
âOh, no, I wouldnât want to put anyone out,â Angella said. âI have 151 here, and thatâs quite fine. Would any of you like some?â
âYeah, slip it on me!â Kayla cheered, somewhat mangling her idiom.
Nandini and Yâlehna said at the same time, âNo.â And then Yâlehna clarified. âIâm a little drunk, but sheâs, like, totally plastered. We canât even let her have a beer at this point. Sodaâs cool, though.â
The Pale Bro conveyed in a voice like a million marbles suddenly gaining sentience and stampeding for a cliff to fling themselves over like lemmings, except that lemmings donât really do that, that he would appreciate a rum and Coke.
Angella went back in the house to make the Pale Bro a rum and Coke with dangerously-high-proof rum. Harrison, Steve, and the girls looked at each other. Finally Rhiannon said, âI thought maybe I saw⌠your girlfriend has fangs? Whatâs up with that?â
âPretty cool, huh?â Jason said cheerfully. âNow you guys need to let me know, should I use the rosemary garlic marinade, the pineapple ginger, or the Brazilian steakhouse?â
âWhy not mix it up?â Harrison asked. âYou got a lot of steak there, you could do âem all!â
âI donât think pineapple ginger would go well with steak,â Ashlee said uncertainly. âDoesnât that sound like more of a pork thing?â
âOr fish,â Yâlehna said. âOh, but wait! Nandini, can you even eat pork?â
âI can eat anything,â Nandini said irritably, âbut my familyâs Hindi, not Muslim. Iâm supposed to stay away from beef, not pork. But some traditions I donât even believe in is not going to stop me from eating a nice steak.â
âI could add pork medallions, if you thought it was a good idea,â Jason said.
âNah, man, youâve got a lot of meat here,â Harrison said. âIt looks great! Maybe if you had like a swordfish or tuna steak for Yâlehna, but if you donât, no worries.â
âI got a salmon.â
âPineapple ginger might go really well with salmon,â Yâlehna suggested.
Meanwhile Angella had brought the Pale Bro his rum and Coke, and they were currently discussing literary trends in fiction aimed at college-educated women.
***
Evan and Trevor returned with rice, spices, dried vegetables, and coincidentally, a can of pineapple chunks. Jason ended up preparing the salmon with the pineapple chunks after defrosting it in his microwave, and Evan made the Spanish rice heâd promised, and no one actually questioned why someone had started grilling steaks at midnight.
The salmon was done first, and Yâlehna and Nandini, who was feeling just a little bit guilty over her earlier decision to eat beef, got most of it. Angella got the first steak that came up, when it was barely warmed, still dripping blood. Then the rest of them, as the rest of the steaks were all done around the same time, along with the rice.
At some point, Evan suggested that everyone return to his cabin, because he had video games and music and nice speakers; Jason and Angella turned the offer down, Angella saying, âThe night is young, and has yet to yield all its delightsâ, which was really corny and pretentious, but given the look she gave Jason when she said it, none of the guys questioned why he was staying at his own cabin tonight instead of going with them. Ashlee also insisted on staying at her own cabin; after a whole night of having ten people at her house, she was kind of burned out on people, and needed to get some sleep. And everyone agreed that Kayla should stay at Ashleeâs cabin; she was still cheerful and fun, but she was still pretty plastered. Because of the potential threat of a killer, Steve volunteered to stay with the girls; he knew Evanâs landline number, so he could call in reinforcements if necessary. Everyone else trooped back along the road, many carrying tinfoil-covered plates of steak and spicy rice, back to Evanâs cabin.
There was blood dripped onto the driveway.
The Pale Bro noticed it before anyone else, with his multiple sensitive eyes. His arm went out to block Evan from going any further, and in a voice like the rumble of an entire riverâs worth of water pouring from a broken dam, he warned everyone of the blood and suggested he should go first.
Evan put up his hands. âNo problem, man,â he said. âYou take point.â
âIâm right behind you,â Trevor, holding one of the knives in front of him, said.
âOkay, Iâll bring up the rear,â Nandini said. âHarrison, YâLehna, Rhiannon, Evan, you go between us.â
Harrison looked at Nandini, who was taller than him, and then at the others. Evan was maybe the same height as Nandini, maybe very slightly taller⌠or very slightly shorter. It was too dark for Harrison to accurately judge.
He, too, put up his hands. âWorks for me,â he said.
Evan looked back at Nandini. âI feel like I should be back with you,â he said. âIf Paleâs got Trevor as backupâŚâ
The Pale Bro pointed out, in a tone that conveyed deep irritation, that he didnât need backup because if it was a human killer heâd make short work of them and if it was a monster, only he had a chance, and anyway it was probably not a monster because his cousin had claimed to be on a diet and the only reason theyâd thought it was a monster in the first place was his cousinâs footprint. He then walked forward resolutely.
The door to the cabin was hanging open. The Pale Bro ducked his head way down, which he was pretty much used to doing any time he was going through a door, and pushed through, followed by Trevor. Theyâd left all the lights on, with the shutters closed, so that the light leaking around the edges of the shutters would make someone think they were home, and also because the lights were LED bulbs so seriously, that was probably like only thirty cents worth of electricity wasted. In that light, they saw blood all over the floor.
All of the group looked at each other uneasily. Ever since the Pale Bro had found the girls and the hot tub, no one had really been acting as if there genuinely was a potential killer out there; theyâd given lip service to the idea, theyâd certainly gotten scared enough every time something bizarre happened â and a lot of bizarre things had happened â but they hadnât really treated it as a serious risk. Now it seemed possible that someone had been murdered in Evanâs cabin, or had been stabbed somewhere else and staggered into Evanâs cabin, despite the fact that all the locks had been locked.
The Pale Bro went forward into the kitchen, following the blood trail â and stopped in confusion. This caused everyone else to stop short, without being able to see into the kitchen because the Bro was blocking the doorway.
âCome on, bro, whatâs going on?â Evan asked.
The Pale Bro slid sideways out of the way in a fashion that didnât quite look like a real way anything could possibly move, and Evan pushed forward to be right behind Trevor, both of them crammed into the doorway.
A middle-aged white dude wearing a baseball cap advertising Evanâs parentsâ company was at the sink, his front covered in blood. He had turned to face all of them, his hands clean but his sleeves completely saturated with somethingâs death juices.
âJoe?â Evan said disbelievingly.
âEvan!â Joe said. âIâm so sorry about the mess, man, and the hour, I know youâre pissed and I donât blame you, Iâd be pissed too, I know Iâm really lateââ
âJoe. Why are you covered in blood? What happened?â
âThe meat defrosted,â Joe said. âI was driving around this mountain trying to find the cabin for so long, the meat defrosted, and when I pulled it out of my trunk, the bag caught on something and ripped and all the blood from the meat defrosting was all over me. Iâm so sorry.â
âWhy are youââ Evan glanced at a fancy cuckoo clock on the wall that actually ran on batteries, not solely on clockwork. ââgetting in at two fucking am when you were supposed to be here before six?â
âI have been driving around this mountain since four in the afternoon,â Joe said. âMy GPS stopped working halfway up the mountain, and I swear I tried to follow your momâs directions, I swear, but I couldnât find Long Leaf Lane no matter how hard I looked, and I went back down and asked at the gas station but none of them lived on the mountain, so I bought a paper map but it didnât help at all because Long Leaf Lane wasnât even on itââ
âItâs a private drive, I donât even know if they put those on maps,â Evan said.
âEvan, if this is your guy with the food and heâs not dying of stab wounds, Iâm going to use your bathroom,â Nandini said. âWhere is it?â
âThereâs two, one upstairs with a claw-foot tub and one down on this floor, go back out of the kitchen and itâs the door on the east side of the living room,â Evan said.
âGreat, using the downstairs one,â Nandini said, and ducked back out of the doorway.
âAre you okay?â Rhiannon asked Joe.
âIâve been driving for ten hours. Last six of which I couldnât find my way back down the mountain either, and I didnât have any food and the only water was the ice that used to be in my Sprite that meltedââ
âCome on, man,â Evan said, sighing. âYeah, the GPS situation really sucks around here. I wouldnât wanna try to find Long Leaf Lane if I hadnât been coming here every summer for, like, ten years. Letâs get you upstairs and get you cleaned up.â He looked over at Harrison and the Pale Bro. âGuys, you know more or less where the stuff in the kitchen goes, right? Can you put the food away?â
âThe ice cream melted,â Joe moaned. âIâm so sorryâŚâ
âNo, come on. Letâs get you a shower and a change of clothes. Iâll borrow something of Steveâs while youâre in the shower, heâs about your size.â
âI think I know,â Harrison said. âWe put the meat in the freezer?â
Rhiannon and Evan said, âNo!â at the same time, and Rhiannon added, âYouâve got to put it in the fridge. You canât freeze most things twice, they get freezer burned.â
âHuh,â Harrison said, looking over the sheer quantity of meat that Joe had been trying to carry in a paper shopping bag with handles. âI guess weâre gonna go back to Jason and Angellaâs at least one night this week, âcause this is way more meat than we can eat before it goes bad.â
The Pale Bro, who had just picked up the bag of melted ice cream and slurped the whole thing down like it was a milkshake, said, in the voice of a creature whose mouth was entirely full of melted ice cream, something very much like âWatch me.â
âLemme go throw this shit out,â Harrison said of the paper shopping bag, whose bottom had almost disintegrated from holding way too much au jus for even a strong, well-made paper shopping bag to handle, and which smelled like a murder had been done, or at least that someone had lost an arm and was bleeding out.
Evan took Joe upstairs to the bathroom to wash himself, broke into Steveâs suitcase and took a random t-shirt and pair of shorts, and advised him that he could stay overnight, sleep on the couch, and have some eggs and bacon in the morning, now that he had brought the eggs and bacon.
And then they all heard Harrison screaming.
Evan got down the stairs approximately as fast as Nandini came racing from the bathroom, but Rhiannon, Yâlehna and the Pale Bro were out the door faster, having been closer.
Harrison was on the ground. The trash can had been dumped over. It was mostly cleaning products used by the team that cleaned the cabin between uses, but there were some banana peels and candy wrappers â and now, a bloody shopping bag â in the pile of trash.
Standing over the pile of trash, looking kind of pissed, was a black bear.
In the voice of a guy who has finally, finally gotten the chance to use his strength and size to protect his friends after like what seemed like twenty-seven false scares tonight, the Pale Bro said something that could possibly be understood to be âFucking finally,â and charged at the bear.
The bear had a lot of mass, even more than the Pale Bro, who was a very, very skinny dude, but the Pale Bro was around twice as tall as the bear, had much longer claws, and was doing something weird to the space around the bear, making lensing effects that distorted all the angles of the trees and branches behind the trash can. The bear flailed a bit, and then the Pale Bro lifted it and held it straight out from his body, where its much smaller paws couldnât hope to reach. It snarled and kicked and scratched, but the Pale Bro relentlessly carried it into the woods, where they both disappeared.
âWell.â Evan said. âWho wants to help me clean up this trash?â
ââWantâ is a strong word,â Harrison said, but he helped, and Nandini and Rhiannon pitched in. Yâlehna would have helped, but she had to run back into the cabin to run cold water over her arms and legs.
The Pale Bro returned minutes later, without a scratch on him. âWhereâd you put the bear, dude?â Harrison asked.
The Bro conveyed that he could possibly have gone out to the cliff that ran alongside the road â the same cliff that, in a different location, had claimed the life of an entire case of beer â and by the way, did any of them know that bears bounce? Because he hadnât.
âDude, you didnât have to kill it,â Evan complained.
âYes, he did! It was gonna kill me! I donât want it coming back for revenge!â Harrison gabbled out.
The Pale Bro declared that he hadnât killed it. Before anyone could feel either relief or fear over that, he added that his mom lived down that way someplace and she would probably kill it, because eldritch spawn eat a lot and he had a lot of brothers and sisters.
***
And so the first night of their vacation ended, with the Pale Bro staying up all night playing video games with Trevor, whoâd returned to the cabin with Steve once theyâd both been informed that there was no psycho killer and Joe was actually fine, heâd just gotten really lost. Evan, Harrison and Steve went to bed like normal people, or rather, like normal people who are young men in college, around four am, after walking Rhiannon, Nandini and Yâlehna back to their cabin like gentlemen, because psycho killer or no, the woods were dark and any number of things could happen. In other words, it was a perfectly normal night on vacation, just like any group of friends in college might have.
As for anything that might have happened the next day, or any of the other days of their vacation⌠thatâs a story for another time.
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Dog Days Are Over
Hiya!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chapter four!!! okay, I love yââall, thank you for your support and onwards with the chapter!Â
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  It was Friday and, just to rub salt in the wound, the last period was an English exam. Just what Hugo needed when he was looking forward to a weekend of luxury and working on Olivia. His paper sat in front of him, the lines for answers sitting blank as he thought hard about his responses. His eyes grazed across the desk, noticing a small pen drawing in the top right corner, a smile gracing his face. He knew whoâd drawn it immediately - Varian.
  He hadnât seen the other boy since they almost...yeah. He didnât want to think of that and make his face flush in the middle of an exam about Romeo And Juliet, thanks. Still, the other had been supposedly avoiding him the whole time since the incident and he didnât understand why. Honestly, the lack of hairstripeâs presence in his life was making him feel kinda lonely and combined with his sudden conclusion that he was head over heels for him..heâd kinda concluded he mustâve done something wrong and put the boy off. A cough and a clock tick prompted him to get back to work, Mrs Crick gazing at him before turning back to her book.
  His index finger of his right hand absentmindedly and subconsciously traced his finger over the marking on the table as his left hand wrote furiously with a soft smile. Heâd really fallen hard for the other boy in the short time theyâd known each other, that time exclusively spent studying chemistry. He was intoxicating - one bit of the boy left him needing more and more. In all honesty, he was lying when he said he didnât understand his part of the project just so he could spend time with the other. Heâd intended to ask him out on a date or something, but he chickened out last time. On the bed. And then Varian hadnât spoken to him since. Did Varian even like men? Huh. He hadnât taken that into account. With his pen, he began to draw a little him on the desk beside the little stick man Varian had drawn of himself.
 He could tell Varian was lying when he said heâd kissed âmany, many ladiesâ, because..who the hell says that? However, it wouldnât be Hugoâs first time crushing on a straight man (honestly, virtually everyone in this hellhole was straight, so curse the universe for placing him here) and he was too much of a coward to ask. Itâs not as if he could just say âHey Varian! I am deeply in love with you and wanted to know, are you gay or not?â. That would scare him off more than he already had. Maybe he could just..take him out? Take him somewhere nice to just talk for a while and see where it went. Yeah! He could be so smart sometimes, he praised himself with a grin. Finally the bell rang, he handed in his paper and sprinted down the hallway towards the exit of the school. He hoped he wasnât too late - he was sure Donella would let him borrow the bike for the night. Now all he needed was his date.
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  It felt like forever - though at last the weekend had dawned on them. The blessed days seemingly took their sweet, sweet time to arrive, teasing Varian the longer he had to wait. It was agony to have to wait so long for a break. But a weekend meant no school, no stress, no teachers..and best of all..
  No Hugo.
  Varian let out a sigh of relief at that fact. Thank god he didnât have to see the other after their..awkward farewell a few days prior. He honestly didnât know what was going through Hugoâs head or what he was trying to do. Was it a joke? Was he just trying to freak Varian out or something? Or did he really...no. He wouldnât. He couldnât. In his eyes, they were sworn enemies and all Hugo did was tease him all the time. There was no way Hugo could actually like him, Varian reminded himself as he strolled out of the school and along the sidewalk before hearing a familiar voice yell his name. Brilliant.
  âHairstripe! Hey, wait up!â Hugo called from behind him, the other slowing his pace to let the blonde catch up. Ugh, of all the people it couldâve been - Nuru, Zander..hell, even Isla. It had to be Hugo Atkinson. Hugo Atkinson who became his rival and was making him extremely confused with his feelings towards him with every single movement he made. âI thought Iâd lost you, aha..â
  âWhat is it, Hugo.â Varian asked, admittedly sounding more annoyed than heâd intended.Â
  âGeez, no need to be so rude, hairstripe. I was gonna ask if you wanna go out with me tonight. Iâll pick you up at 6 and take you somewhere nice - my treat for putting up with me for the week. Yeah?â He asked, no sign of ill intent in his face. Varian examined his face. Hugo did seem to be genuine with what he was saying, and it would be nice to spend some time with him..even if he was his rival and Varian was meant to hate him. His head entertained the thought for a moment.
  âYeah, sure. Donât be late.â Varian replied before continuing to walk down the street. He didnât turn around to catch the sight of Hugo silently cheering to himself and doing a funky little dance in the middle of the street at Varianâs response before racing home to get ready for their unofficial âdateâ.
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  True to his word, Hugo showed up at 6pm sharp, a bouquet of flowers in his arms for Rapunzel consisting of an assortment of purple flowers, which she took gratefully. He looked kinda handsome too, his fringe slicked back though still in its regular ponytail. âOh Varian! Hey!â he called out, a smile plastered on his face. Varian felt kind of bad..heâd put absolutely no effort into his appearance aside from brushing his hair for a few seconds, but Hugo...heâd gone all out. Varian nodded, walking down the stairs to stand beside the taller boy. âWe wonât be too long, maâam.â Hugo commented, gesturing towards a grey motorbike in the driveway.
  It looked beautiful the closer they got to it, small dents and patterns over the bike more clear as he strolled closer. Hugo tossed a helmet over to Varian, a smirk on his face. âSheâs a beauty, isnât she? Fixed her up myself. And donât worry, I know how to ride one of these things, but always wear a helmet, sweetheart.â he said smugly, âThough, you might wanna hold on tight.â he added as a second thought, swinging his leg over to sit down and letting Varianâs arms wrap around his waist as he revved the engine and starting to drive.
  Varian laughed, exhilaration and adrenaline taking over and running through his veins as they sped through the city and past houses. Even though Varian had no idea where they were going, he shuffled closer and closed his eyes happily. This was beautiful, the sun setting in the distance as they drove. It reminded him of Cassandra, well, when she lived here before she moved away with her girlfriend Irene. He had to admit they were a cute couple, but he missed Cass dearly. She couldâve at least come to visit sometimes. He let out a contented sigh, his head resting against Hugoâs back as they drove.
  Hugo, on the other hand, smiled as he felt Varianâs head rest against his back. Everything was going great so far - now all it had to do was stay like that. Or preferably get better. Either one would be perfect. Pulling into the beach parking lot, he swung his leg back over the bike and let his hands move to Varianâs hips, steadying him as he followed suit. âWoah there, freckles. Easy.â he muttered before taking Varianâs arm and gently pulling him along. He stood, his feet in the cold, salty water before he shot a mischievous grin towards the boy beside him. âHey V.â he yelled, splashing the other and running. Varian gasped and chased him, tackling the other in the salty water and laughing as it soaked them to the bone. The pair stood, Hugo heading towards a bag heâd dumped on the shore and taking out two towels, carefully wrapping one around Varian and the other around his own lanky body before taking a seat on the sand and bringing Varian closer for warmth. TOTALLY not to cuddle.
  They sat together, cuddling together for warmth and watching the colors of the sky blend into a beautiful sunset as both of them joked and laughed between them. Varianâs face flushed in embarrassment as Hugo cackled at his secret he just admitted. âWait wait wait, let me get this straight. You-you created a whole new element. Like, a legally qualified element..and named it after your crush?!â Hugo asked between snorts of laughter, doubled over and smiling widely. Varianâs face twisted into a frown as he looked at the other boy.
  âOh shut up!â Varian shoved him lightly, Hugo pulling Varian along with him as he fell into the sand and thus the play fighting began. Eventually the pair ended up laughing in the sand, Hugo laying over Varian with nothing but adoration in his eyes as the other boy laughed. Varianâs laughter slowly ceased as he stared at Hugo, his cheeks flushed at the intensity of their staring match before hesitantly, his hand moved to rest on Hugoâs cheek and he placed a kiss onto his lips.
  It was a terrible kiss for their first one, the taste of salt filling their mouths as they held each other close. Sand fell out of their wet, salty hair as they trailed their fingers through each other's hair, lost in the moment. It mayâve been slightly awkward and gross, but it felt right for it to be like that. For their first kiss to be initiated through a play fight on the beach as a hue of orange, red and pink swirled in the sky behind them while the sun set. It just fit right - felt perfect to both of them before Hugo broke the kiss and propped himself above Varian, laughter leaving his lips in gentle breaths before he pushed himself up to stand.Â
  âI..that was-wow. Okay. I..need to take you back before Eugene tries to kill me.â he chuckled at the thought, helping pull Varian to his feet before placing a gentle kiss to his lips. Short and sweet, but telling Varian everything he needed to hear. Varian nodded and returned the kiss before heading towards the motorbike quietly, the towel still wrapped around his shoulders as they walked.Â
  The ride back felt way too short, Varian hesitating before he ran inside. Silently, he turned around and placed a kiss to Hugoâs lips one final time. âThanks for the night out. It was perfect.â he whispered with a smile before jogging inside, still wrapped in the towel with the new addition of Hugoâs jacket on his shoulders. As he walked upstairs, he sighed happily and a hand drifted to his lips. Wow. That really happened just now. He really just kissed his ultimate rival. A bubbly feeling built in his stomach as he leaned back against his bedroom door to close it, Ruddiger staying far away from him due to the salt and sand that covered his body.Â
  He was in love.
  He was in love with Hugo.
#varigo#varian and the seven kingdoms#varian x hugo#varian tangled#va#hugo tangled#tangled hugo#alchemy boyfriends#varigo high school au
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BTS365 Prompts.Week 23
[Full Masterlist] [Prompt Masterlist]
Beta: @lunarlxve
Please tag me in your work if you use my prompts. I want to see your work. Ever your Jester.
Tell me your birthday and I will tag you on your special day!
âââââââ ŕłáŚ áŚŕł âââââââ
     June 4th - 10th
âââââââ ŕłáŚ áŚŕł âââââââ
Kim Seokjin - hug
Kim Seokjin had never been hugged. He didnât know what it felt like, but it always looked nice in movies and dramas. Why has he never been hugged? Well, he was an only child, and his parents went on a lot of overseas work trips. The nanny was an older woman and very stern. He wondered why she was a nanny when she hated children. She hated when they were too loud, hated when they got grubby or ran around, and hated when they talked or asked questions.Â
Soon he was a teen, a handsome one but home schooled. Seokjinâs Tutor was an older man who only knew how to read a textbook and scold him. He never got hurt to warrant a hug, was never praised with a hug. Until he bumped into you. No literally bumped into you. The two of you toppled over, chest to chest. The warmth and physical connection sent a spark down his spine. He felt for the first time that he wasnât alone. Even if it was a mistake that you fell against him.
Min Yoongi - cat
âHey, Lil meow meow,â You grinned stepping into the studio. You were rival producers, and it amused you how easily you could get under his skin. You really meant no harm by it, and you hoped it came across that way. Sometimes he would do the same to you by making fun of the bags under your eyes or something as trivial. It had gotten simultaneously worse and better due to renovations, you were sharing a studio. Both agreeing to leave each otherâs music and equipment alone.
âSo how long did it take for your date to run away this time?â He sighed, taking the coffee from your hand, freeing it so you could count his change and place the small pile of coins onto his desk.Â
âHe said his boss called him thirty seconds into the movie. The opening credits hadnât even finished Minâ You hissed sipping your coffee âI was so excited to see the movie.â
âWhat a prick, did he really?â Yoongi hissed, turning in his seat, pulling his headphones down so they would hang around his neck.
âYes, he really didâ you turned to face your computer, turning it on and setting everything up. âI donât understand Min. Am I really that bad?â
âNo you're not, as much as we joke you are cuteâ He grinned turning your seat around, so you were left with no choice but to look at him âSometimes you act like a big cat all feisty and claws and teeth, but you forget you are actually a cute little kitten.â
Jung Hoseok - doughnut
âWelcome to the Doughnut Drive- thru. How may I help you?â You asked, trying to sound cheerful after a long shift.
âHey, can I get twelve assorted iced doughnuts with sprinkles?â The voice was muffled through the drive-thru, but you knew exactly who it was.
You tapped the button on the sales machine. Waiting for his car to arrive. It was a red 1973 Mercedes 450SL. A beautiful piece of machinery. He smiled up at you and handed you the money as he did every time, brushing his fingers against your palm, making you feel warm in your pretty pastel blue uniform dress and apron.Â
In the middle of the Money was a piece of paper that said âHoseok xxxx-xxx-xxx call me.â This wasnât the first time he had handed you a note with his number. You felt your face flush, wondering if you looked like a tomato at this point.
âHere is your change sir, I will just get them nowâ You walked off and grabbed the assorted donuts and handed them over. Watching his car drive off.
It was when you heard his voice again through your headset from the drive-thru speaker that you grew confused. Have you made a mistake? âMiss y/n, I come around every Friday after work, hoping I might get the chance to talk to you. I have given you my number almost thirty times now, and you never text, never call. Just let me know before I die of a heart attack or diabetes from eating 12 donuts a week. Would you be interested in going on a date with me?â
Kim Namjoon - drive-in
Namjoon had asked you out a few days ago after school, he seemed confident and kind of cocky in front of his friends. You almost thought it was a joke; that is until he arrived at your house, his usually disheveled hair combed down. He was no longer in his leather jacket but a nice button up. He shook hands with your father, talking to him with a smile while you went to fetch your purse.
âSir, I have plans to watch a movie with your daughter and then to eat at the diner. I thought I should let you know in case you wish to know her whereabouts.â Namjoon said, trying to be courteous to your parents. âThe movie finishes at eight, and we should finish dinner by nine, so we shouldnât be out too late.â
âYou arenât planning to do anything at the drive-in, are you?â Your father said sternly, âI know where you live mister Kim.â
âNo, sir, we arenât going to do anything except watch a movie,â Namjoon said, rubbing his palms on his trousers looking towards the stairs hoping you were ready to leave. âAnd perhaps I could hold her hand.â
âAlright, Mum, Dad, donât scare the poor boyâ You sighed, gesturing Namjoon over; he got up grateful that you had saved him from your father's intense stare.
âI will wait up,â Your father said, walking you both to the door catching Namjoonâs arm. âYou may hold her hand, and I will allow one kiss goodnight if she wishes, but otherwise, keep your hands to yourself, buddy.â
âYes, Sir. I will have her home by nine.âÂ
Park Jimin - VCR
âHey Jimin, did you record the show last night? I was so busy with my Auntyâs 45th birthday that I was unable to watch itâ You grabbed your friend's arm in the school hall. âPlease, PLEASE tell me you recorded it.â
âYeah I got it recorded, you can come over later and watch it with me after dance practiceâ He smiled giving you a perfect spin. âYou will watch me, right?â
âOf course, Chim.â You stopped at your adjacent lockers, taking out your books, remembering the math pop quiz. It was going to be a long day.
You werenât wrong, the day was slow and tedious. Your only saving grace was when you hopped into Jiminâs bright yellow buggy and took off to his dance class. You sat in the corner watching him dance. He was one of two boys who danced in his age group. The girls moved so delicately, their bodies were as light as air. It made you self conscious even Jimin in his sweats and singlet was more agile and graceful then you could ever dream of being.
He drove you both home, asking if he did well and telling you how he thinks he is ready for the upcoming performance. The Park family home was a single story. Jimin called it small and old, but you thought it was homely and cozy. The two of you sat in his room; you snuggled into his blankets while putting the old tape in the VCR machine. It was nice being with your best friend, but you wanted to be something more for some reason.Â
You just wish you had the courage to tell him.
Kim Taehyung - BFF
It was a Friday night; you were in the basement lying on your stomach on the plush rug; your legs swinging back and forth as you slowly threaded beads onto a clear fishing line. Threading Taehyungâs favorite color beads in a simple, alternate pattern. You were able to fasten the bracelet when the door to the basement swung open.Â
âYou got it, Mrs. L/N, I will let her know for youâ Taehyungâs voice called up to your mother as he hopped down the stairs enthusiastically. âSup?â
âJust chilling Taeâ The evidence of your craft pushed under the couch.Â
âI just wanted to let you know, your mum says I can stay for dinner, if you want me to that is?â
âNo duh, Tae, youâre my BFF.â
Taehyung laughed sitting on the two-seater sofa, his long legs hanging over the side. âWe should do something funâ You hummed the BFF bracelet in your pocket felt heavy.Â
âLike what?â Taehyung asks, earning a shrug from you. He ponders for a moment before continuing, âWe could play truth or dare.â
âWill it work with just the two of us?âÂ
âSure, let me go first,â he smiled, sitting up and crossing his legs on the couch, patting the second cushion, and you sat across from him. âTruth or dare?â
âTruthâ
âDo you have anyone you like?â He peeked at you from under his shaggy bangs, and you felt your cheeks grow pink.Â
âYes,â your giggle was nervous, and you tried to quickly move on, âtruth or dare?â
âTruth?â He smiled, moving the hair out of his eyes with his fingers.Â
âDo you have anyone you like?â He nodded, his face turned away, and your mother took this moment to bring you a plate of orange soda and biscuits.Â
The two of you chorused your thanks, and when the door was shut, you were left alone once more. One more round and Tae asked if you had ever kissed anyone, and you dared him to dunk his biscuit in his soda before eating it.Â
âTruth or dare?â He asked, seemingly determined to get you back for the horrific snack you had created. And you thought it only fair that he had the chance.Â
âDare,â you smiled, downing your soda so he couldnât ruin it for you.Â
âI dare you to kiss me,â you sprayed him completely, choking on the carbonated beverage.Â
Jeon Jungkook - Iced tea
Jungkook was contracted to paint the outside of your family home. You were back home from University and house sitting for your parents while they were on a cruise. Laying out on a sun chair in your bikini, trying to enjoy the warmth of the sun, you started to get thirsty. Walking inside to your parentâs indoor bar, you began preparing some ice tea. It was when you saw him on a ladder painting above the window all shirtless and sweaty, that you decided to prepare a second beverage.Â
You turned to the mirror fixing your hair, applying a tinted lip gloss, and readjusting your bikini top to accentuate your cleavage. You carried both drinks out and smiled, âJungkook, was it? Would you like some ice tea, you look a bit thirsty.â
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Bar Stool - Kuroo Tetsurou
AU: Work, Group date, Unconfessed love
Requested
Word Count: 1.6k
âCongratulations.â How long has it been?Â
âDonât lose contact okay?â 5, 6 years?
âDonât worry, I wonât.â Liar.
Kuroo gripped the hairs on his neck tightly, grimacing. He wanted to turn around and leave, it was better than meeting those eyes again, the ones that had stared at him so kindly back then. Across the lounge, he watched her slouched posture relax into her seat. Too late now, he walked to the bar.
On the 12th floor of a corporate building in downtown Tokyo, shrouded in yellow light a woman sat at her desk, typing. Hanging off the end of the wall of her cubicle, the girlâs friend pouted, swinging her weight back and forth. Ignoring her friendâs pestering, she continued to work.
âI donât want to, Chihiro.â
âPlease, (Y/N)? Iâll pay for your food.â
The rapid typing stopped for a moment, âLet me finish this up first.â
Free food had always been a soft spot. Ever since university, sheâs had a habit of saving her money and jumping on her friendsâ backs for food. Not that theyâd feed her half the time anyway. The habit has hindered (Y/N)âs ability to indulge in even the smallest of things but has made her great at (unintentionally) getting people to buy her things. Typically small, like cheap food, but things nonetheless.Â
Despite (Y/N)âs agreement, Chihiro didnât leave, instead choosing to wait, knowing that at the next opportunity (Y/N) would likely run home.
Now here she was, standing in front of a bar, holding Chihiro back by her arm as they watched their other co-worker friends walk in with another group.Â
ââHangoutâ, huh?â she said letting her short trimmed nails dig into the skin of her friendâs arm.
âIâm sorry okay? We needed another person to come and I knew you wouldnât agree if I told you it was a group date.â
âYa, I know. I have reasons for that. Now if youâll excuse me, Iâm going home.â
Having none of it, Chihiro grabbed the womanâs arm, âNope, youâre coming with me.â
Inside the bar were various tables and a counter for people to get alcohol from. Waiters and waitresses were walking around in white shirts with black dress pants and clean aprons tied around their waists as they held trays of food and drinks above their heads. Above each table was a vintage lightbulb that gave off dull orange light and probably cost more electricity then it was worth. On top of that steal pipe detailing added to the rustic working manâs home feel. It all just screamed, âlet us take your money.â
Joining their friends at the large table, (Y/N) took the corner seat so that her back was to the rest of the restaurant. In front of her was an empty seat, which eased her mind a bit, but didnât eliminate the fact that Chihiro said âdateâ, meaning someone was missing.Â
Everyone was talking together rather than pairing off into their dates. (Y/N) leaned forward, balancing her weight on her elbows as to properly hear those at the end of the table as they threw comments in her direction. No waiter had come to take their orders yet, not that they expected to immediately, so everyone filled the waiting time with chatter. Stuck in a conversation primarily including Chihiro and her date, (Y/N) relaxed into her chair.
âSorry, for being late. I couldnât find a place to park.âÂ
Sliding into the seat in front of you was a black-haired man whoâs hair stuck out in a way that was all too familiar. Her brow furrowed, creating a small crease in the middle of her forehead. He seemed to avoid her eyes as he greeted everyone. (Y/N) squinted, watching the manâs sharp-cornered smile crow on his face. By the time they finally made eye contact, Chihiro turned to her.
â(Y/N) this is-â
âIâm gonna get a drink.â
Chihiro sat back, calling after her friend as she walked to the bar, âWe havenât even eaten yet!â
(Y/N) only waved weekly over her shoulder, not turning around to fully acknowledge the group at the table.
âHey, Kuroo, what are you going to do when you graduate?â
The boy sat straddling his chair as he rested his head on his crossed arms on Kenmaâs desk, who was playing a game on his phone. (Y/N), having asked the question, turned her attention toward the messy-haired third year as she sat at her desk next to their quiet friend.
Kuroo looked at her, a gentle smile set on his face noticing that he had her full attention. âI donât know yet, not fully anyway just that I want to play volleyball.â
The girl grinned and threw an arm over Kenmaâs shoulder, who responded with a grunt and an annoyed huff before looking back at his phone. (Y/N) paid no mind to the glare she received and looked at Kuroo, who was still watching her.
âYouâll invite us to your games then, right?â
Kuroo dug his head into his arms more, which only made his hair worse, and shot a happy chuckle in (Y/N)âs direction.
âOf course,â he said.
Hours had passed. (Y/N) spent her time at the bar, occasionally talking to the barista who was a very strong-looking woman who gave her water after every drink with a sympathetic grin. (Y/N) wasnât drunk, the water and frustration kept it at bay, but she sure wished that the mild drinks could give her more of a buzz. She kept her back to her friends, only looking back occasionally to make sure none of them were tossing buckets out the open windows. Besides that and the barista, she spent her time alone with a half-empty glass.
The messy-haired -and tipsy- man stayed back at the groupâs table talking with his friends and their dates, occasionally refilling his glass when the liquid inside ran out.
âKuroo,â his friend called out with a swaying laugh, âyou might want to go check on your âdateâ.â
The female barista who was keeping (Y/N) company swapped out, leaving her without a sense of motherly protection and company. Proper company, that is. (Y/N) scrunched her shoulders up to her ears, trying to eliminate as much surface area that the touchy drunk man could rest his arms on as he continued to try terrible pickup lines that were likely taken directly off of Wiki-How.
Kuroo wasnât an idiot, at least he didnât think himself to be one. He always had a high average in school -even with the drop once he got into university- succeeding mainly in science and business, and always managed to do volleyball on top of that. Kuroo never studied up on social sciences though, give or take a class or two in high school, but anyone could read this situation.Â
Read it he did, and he didnât like what he read.
âSo, you want some company?â the man drawled as his fingers messily walked along the marble counter.
(Y/N) flashed the man an irritating grin. âNot at all,â she said mockingly, âIâve got all the company I need right here.â
Opening her hand out in front of her, (Y/N) flicked her ring and middle fingers upward only for them to be grabbed mid-air from behind her.
âIâm sorry, but you seem to be giving my girlfriend a hard time. I hope you donât mind if I step in do you? No? Oh good.â
(Y/N), believing she had a handle on the situation, was ready to turn and smack the newcomer upside the head. But when she took notice of Kurooâs aggravated and slightly flushed face she begrudgingly stood down.
The man willingly backed off, hands raised above his lowered head as he turned for the next girl on his radar.
âThank you, but I couldâve handled it.â
âBut I wanted to step in,â Kuroo said, gently playing with the womanâs hand that he had yet to let go of.
(Y/N) sighed and grabbed her bag, âCome on. Youâre drunk. Letâs get you home.â
Holding his hand in hers, (Y/N) dragged Kuroo through the slowly building crowd towards the exit of the bar.
âWhat about everyone else?â Kuroo asked, swaying on his toes as he walked.
âThey can take care of themselves.â
âYouâll take care of Kenma, right?â
âOf course, heâs my best friend.â
Dressed in his traditional black robe, surrounded by students and families alike, the three friends stood on their own. Kuroo held (Y/N)âs hand, squeezing it gently. Kenma watched his older friend with a quirked brow, as (Y/N) laughed at the tall manâs pleas.
âI L-â Kuroo paused looking at the girlâs smaller hand in his, âIâll miss you.âÂ
âPick your head up, wonât you? Itâs not like youâll be far away.â
âStill I-â
âIâll miss you, too.â
âYouâre stupid. You know that?â
(Y/N) walked toward Kurooâs car (which he pointed out for her), swinging his keys on her fingers.
âI know.â
âGlad you decided to admit it. Hop in.â
With the sun now tucked over the horizon, the temperature had dropped but left pretty colours in its wake. (Y/N) turned on the engine and the heater, letting out a small shiver. Kuroo set his elbow on the armrest console and watched as (Y/N) fastened her seatbelt. Noticing the manâs lazy posture, she reached over to buckle him in as well. As she tried to get the two parts together, Kuroo let his head hang low so that his forehead landed on the womanâs shoulder. He closed his eyes for a moment.
âIâve missed you so much (Y/N),â he whispered.
(Y/N) cupped his chin, taking the weight of his head off her shoulder before leaning back into the seat and grabbing the leather wheel.
âI missed you too, Tetsu.â
I donât have anything to say. - Bacon
Posted: 02/07/2020
#Haikyuu x reader#kuroo tetsurou#kuroo x reader#Haikyuu#x reader#oneshot#oneshots#haikyuu oneshots#haikyuu reader insert#reader insert#aus#haikyuu aus#fluff#haikyu#anime x reader#anime#manga x reader#manga
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